What features does Android have that iOS does not?

[mattopotamus]

May be if you are ok with their current limited function. They are just content viewers atm. Nothing one cannot accomplish by going to an app, especially when all you get is a preview in widgets.

I see many people with weather widgets around most of the time. In iOS, after jailbreaking it seems the rage is also centered around having the coolest weather widget. May be some people are really fixed on it, but i live in a place with harsh weather and yet end up deleting the widget after a couple days finding it useless for the most part.

This is not against using widgets however. I did not say widgets are useless, their current functionality is. The flipboard widget, the mail widget, the picture and calendar widgets, the weather, all previews. Cannot even set simple things directly from any weather widget, it ends up taking me into the app.

If people are pleased with their current functionality, i guess more power to them. I would like to see better widgets that matter than simply eye candy. A full page calendar widget that can let me add events right from there. A reminder widget that lets me add and delete tasks instead of launching the app when i touch it. An email widget which can scroll infinitely and even open messages in the widget window. A news widget which allows me to interact with it more, selecting and reading news within.

That is when i will start using widgets, and that is still not the full potential.

My calendar widget is much more than a preview. It provides me months at a time that I can scroll through. When I add something using google now, it automatically shows on the widget calendar.....many are very useful. Even a flashlight widget that you tap to turn on versus having to have an app launch

 

[sentinelsx]

What's gimmicky about widgets? Your car dashboard shows you lots current info at one glance. That's what widgets do best. You would probably crash and burn if you need to push buttons one at a time on the dashboard to see info (like the iphone).

Car = smartphone?

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My calendar widget is much more than a preview. It provides me months at a time that I can scroll through. When I add something using google now, it automatically shows on the widget calendar.....many are very useful. Even a flashlight widget that you tap to turn on versus having to have an app launch

i would rather add an event directly on the widget. Do you do that on yours?

 

[mattopotamus]

Car = smartphone?

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i would rather add an event directly on the widget. Do you do that on yours?

yes I can if need be. there is a + sign to add one

 

[sentinelsx]

There is almost nothing that can't be accomplished in a browser. Should we say apps are pointless?

in some cases yes. For example, i wish all the major banks just released decent mobile optimized sites which would work great on all types of smartphones.

I read macrumors in mobile view in chrome on my phone, regardless of which OS it is, and don't see any downsides vs. using something like a forum app which in many cases is just a wrapper of mobile site.

There are apps for certain stuff that are better than websites, sure. But mobile optimized websites (or HTML5 apps, if talking specifically) would be cross-platform, eliminate that nagging "needs app for every thing imaginable" requirement from any good new mobile OS coming up, allow better updating, and easier to use because of familiarization.

As for widgets, as i thought many would, you took my post as an attack over widgets like "widgets are bad". I am arguing over more powerful widgets, not against, if you would read without the pre-set mind.

In their current form, i simply don't find any need for ME. More power to you guys if you do.

And again, this has nothing to do about why iOS should or should not have widgets. This was a standalone comment over widgets (and now mobile web apps), i just didn't feel like creating a new separate thread. However i can see my posts will be looked in the iOS vs. android light thanks to the nature of the thread

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yes I can if need be. there is a + sign to add one

Without opening the calendar app?

 

[mib1800]

in some cases yes. For example, i wish all the major banks just released decent mobile optimized sites which would work great on all types of smartphones.

I read macrumors in mobile view in chrome on my phone, regardless of which OS it is, and don't see any downsides vs. using something like a forum app which in many cases is just a wrapper of mobile site.

There are apps for certain stuff that are better than websites, sure. But mobile optimized websites (or HTML5 apps, if talking specifically) would be cross-platform, eliminate that nagging "needs app for every thing imaginable" requirement from any good new mobile OS coming up, allow better updating, and easier to use because of familiarization.

As for widgets, as i thought many would, you took my post as an attack over widgets like "widgets are bad". I am arguing over more powerful widgets, not against, if you would read without the pre-set mind.

In their current form, i simply don't find any need for ME. More power to you guys if you do.

And again, this has nothing to do about why iOS should or should not have widgets. This was a standalone comment over widgets (and now mobile web apps), i just didn't feel like creating a new separate thread. However i can see my posts will be looked in the iOS vs. android light thanks to the nature of the thread

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Without opening the calendar app?

a widget is a view extension of the app and not a standalone app.

it not just opens the calendar app but brings you to the new entry page where you can enter data immediately. can you do this with iphone app icon. No!

 

[sentinelsx]

a widget is a view extension of the app and not a standalone app.

it not just opens the calendar app but brings you to the new entry page where you can enter data immediately. can you do this with iphone app icon. No!

Yup, didn't take long for an iPhone post to show up. Yay!

"View extension" is where a widget is not enough for me. I think it is the third time i stated this. And the full explanation is in two posts up there. But as a TLDR: compared to an app icon (and why does it even have to be the iPhone app icon?), it simply eliminates one step from the whole process. Given the amount of use i get from this kind of stuff, that is not enough to keep me hooked.

But the iPhone can't even show widgets, so yes who needs to improve them further? Let's just keep taking everything back to the iPhone. The iPhone can't do this, so we are safe. Anyone else taking a critical approach must be an iOS lover and die hard iPhone follower. Got it.

 

[mib1800]

Yup, didn't take long for an iPhone post to show up. Yay!

"View extension" is where a widget is not enough for me. I think it is the third time i stated this. And the full explanation is in two posts up there. But as a TLDR: compared to an app icon (and why does it even have to be the iPhone app icon?), it simply eliminates one step from the whole process. Given the amount of use i get from this kind of stuff, that is not enough to keep me hooked.

But the iPhone can't even show widgets, so yes who needs to improve them further? Let's just keep taking everything back to the iPhone. The iPhone can't do this, so we are safe. Anyone else taking a critical approach must be an iOS lover and die hard iPhone follower. Got it.

what you want is not widget but a multi view with apps running in the views. are you that confused?

widget has its usefulness and better than just app icon

 

[Tinmania]

in some cases yes. For example, i wish all the major banks just released decent mobile optimized sites which would work great on all types of smartphones.

I read macrumors in mobile view in chrome on my phone, regardless of which OS it is, and don't see any downsides vs. using something like a forum app which in many cases is just a wrapper of mobile site.

There are apps for certain stuff that are better than websites, sure. But mobile optimized websites (or HTML5 apps, if talking specifically) would be cross-platform, eliminate that nagging "needs app for every thing imaginable" requirement from any good new mobile OS coming up, allow better updating, and easier to use because of familiarization.

I actually agree about apps and their mobile-optimized web counterparts. Many are very well done. Conversely many "apps" are simple a wrapper for the mobile site. Often I come across a mobile site and am quite impressed with how well it is done. Of course then I am usually hit with the annoying "Would you like to download our app?" message (that is getting to be a peeve of mine).

As for widgets, as i thought many would, you took my post as an attack over widgets like "widgets are bad". I am arguing over more powerful widgets, not against, if you would read without the pre-set mind.

In their current form, i simply don't find any need for ME. More power to you guys if you do.

And again, this has nothing to do about why iOS should or should not have widgets. This was a standalone comment over widgets (and now mobile web apps), i just didn't feel like creating a new separate thread. However i can see my posts will be looked in the iOS vs. android light thanks to the nature of the thread

I would like widgets to be interactive as well. In fact before getting my first Android phone late last year I just ASSumed they all were. I was a little disappointed at first that tapping them opened the app. I grew to see that benefits were still there. But, again, I would gladly take interaction. I deleted my Color Note widget, for instance, as it seemed pointless to have a note widget that could not, you know, let me take a note.




Michael

 

[sentinelsx]

what you want is not widget but a multi view with apps running in the views. are you that confused?

widget has its usefulness and better than just app icon

Well you can call it that or something else. I just call it a more powerful widget. One does not need to run a full app to allow some more flexibility in a widget.

It is better than an app icon for you, but not for me.

For example, a flipboard widget is simply useless to me.

On the other hand, the galaxy s3 yahoo news ticker on the lockscreen is better than the flipboard, but it is ticker form.

I would give you another really good example, but unfortunately it involves intelliscreenx. Again, lets assume it is not running on iPhone, or ios for that matter. What intelliscreenx does is allows a user to read full RSS feeds with ability to read full article or half, or 5 lines, in notification pull down.

I can consolidate articles by a simple tap on "-" on the side, and scroll around. The rest of the articles remain consolidated until I choose one from the heading and it collapses in full view.

Now something like that as a widget on homescreen wouldn't be too bad, would it?

Unless I am missing a decent RSS app widget that exists and does that in widget view.

I am not a very good designer, or else some graphical representations would show my point better.

Lets move to samsung's alarm widget. It can enable or disable alarm when I tap the clock icon, great, but they should have allowed me to tap the day icons too.

And then there could be a blank widget. I could tap on time and it drops a list view, I select time, tap on the day(s) I want it enabled, tap on the clock icon on the side, and activated. Right from home screen.

Wouldn't that be nicer you think? And I am sure making such a widget is very much possible.

A gmail widget could have all messages grouped in heading view. I tap on one, it collapses and I read it. There are buttons on side with delete or archive. For more options, I could open the app, but wouldn't you agree this would make it a nicer experience?

So many ways you can improve. Oh and this is not the end, there are tons more useful widgets one could create.

 

[SpyderBite]

a widget is a view extension of the app and not a standalone app.

it not just opens the calendar app but brings you to the new entry page where you can enter data immediately. can you do this with iphone app icon. No!

Yup. Fantastical.

 

[sentinelsx]

I actually agree about apps and their mobile-optimized web counterparts. Many are very well done. Conversely many "apps" are simple a wrapper for the mobile site. Often I come across a mobile site and am quite impressed with how well it is done. Of course then I am usually hit with the annoying "Would you like to download our app?" message (that is getting to be a peeve of mine).


I would like widgets to be interactive as well. In fact before getting my first Android phone late last year I just ASSumed they all were. I was a little disappointed at first that tapping them opened the app. I grew to see that benefits were still there. But, again, I would gladly take interaction. I deleted my Color Note widget, for instance, as it seemed pointless to have a note widget that could not, you know, let me take a note.




Michael

Eh looks like we think alike

 

[mib1800]

Well you can call it that or something else. I just call it a more powerful widget. One does not need to run a full app to allow some more flexibility in a widget.

It is better than an app icon for you, but not for me.

For example, a flipboard widget is simply useless to me.

On the other hand, the galaxy s3 yahoo news ticker on the lockscreen is better than the flipboard, but it is ticker form.

I would give you another really good example, but unfortunately it involves intelliscreenx. Again, lets assume it is not running on iPhone, or ios for that matter. What intelliscreenx does is allows a user to read full RSS feeds with ability to read full article or half, or 5 lines, in notification pull down.

I can consolidate articles by a simple tap on "-" on the side, and scroll around. The rest of the articles remain consolidated until I choose one from the heading and it collapses in full view.

Now something like that as a widget on homescreen wouldn't be too bad, would it?

Unless I am missing a decent RSS app widget that exists and does that in widget view.

I am not a very good designer, or else some graphical representations would show my point better.

Lets move to samsung's alarm widget. It can enable or disable alarm when I tap the clock icon, great, but they should have allowed me to tap the day icons too.

And then there could be a blank widget. I could tap on time and it drops a list view, I select time, tap on the day(s) I want it enabled, tap on the clock icon on the side, and activated. Right from home screen.

Wouldn't that be nicer you think? And I am sure making such a widget is very much possible.

A gmail widget could have all messages grouped in heading view. I tap on one, it collapses and I read it. There are buttons on side with delete or archive. For more options, I could open the app, but wouldn't you agree this would make it a nicer experience?

So many ways you can improve. Oh and this is not the end, there are tons more useful widgets one could create.

I dont want to sound rude but it seems to me that you are uninformed about capability of widgets on Android and yet you talk like you are an expert.

Want something like Intelliscreen but way way more flexible (btw. you do know Intellscreen is an app not widget). I just give a few examples of widgets out of thousands

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.koxx.pure_messenger&hl=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.snowbee.colorize&feature=search_result

You can reply/tweet/post from the widget (via a popup)

News widget
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.koxx.pure_news&feature=search_result
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.gdi.android.news&feature=search_result


Intelliscreen is no more than an jailbreak iphone app that aggregates data and launch via the notification. I can do the same with Android by putting an aggregator app (like flipboard/current/pulse/etc/etc) shortcut on the notification. I start the app from android notification and lo and behold I have something like intelliscreen which IFans worshipped.

 

[cynics]

I find widgets a bit gimmicky. You waste time trying to organize them in a useful & aesthetic way with mixed results. I guess there's a battery life cost too. One time I watched a series of videos on how to make your own beer and for a long time that's all the YouTube Android widget shows me, the same videos I already watched. On iOS you can get Facebook alerts from Notification Center.


Huh? I got a Nexus 7 & my older iPad with a slower processor is much smoother than the latest Android running on a Tegra 3, 4-plus-1 quad-core processor. For instance, if I pinch to zoom in Chrome on Android, it staggers. Pinch to zoom is smooth as butter in Safari on iOS.

That's my point. I was talking about my iPad 3 but your example is just as true. Its smooth and powerful with a big beautiful screen and its just a grid of icons. Nothing even remotely creative to separate it my iPhone, just bigger.

While Android is the same way I agree I can really take advantage of the huge battery and the large screen. Widgets, multi app view, popup video, USB support so I can dock it too a TV and use a keyboard/trackpad to control it (never understood why iOS doesn't have mouse support).

I only use my iPad if its within reach. I'll just use my iPhone otherwise. There the same to me.

 

[Skika]

For me, Android doesn't have any extra features that i would like or care about.

 

[cynics]

For me, Android doesn't have any extra features that i would like or care about.

That's a good reason and I'm sure it works well for you but would you not use those features or is it cause you currently can't use those features?

I'm kind of the same way. Except I like some of the features even jealous of some but still can't justify switching. Mostly due to the proprietary features of iOS (FaceTime and iMessage mostly).

 

[bmac4]

So I just switch back to android from the iphone 5, and I have to say I forget how much I was missing out. The features on Android phones blow iphone away. What I will say is that the iphone apps can be better than android ones, but I can do some much more with my note 2 than I could with the iphone 5.

It is like I told a friend of mine, the iphone feels like Steve Jobs phone that I am borrowing and my note 2 feels like my phone. When I pick up my note 2 it looks much different than anyone else's. I put widgets were I want them. My weather Widget can put the temp in the notification bar. It was built for me to make it my phone. I just don't get that with the iphone. That is why I think android is better, or at least for me it is.

 

[salas2324]

Being able to run 3 custom ROMs (or Modded OS) at once ? Lol

 

[Timechaser]

Samsung Galaxy phones have true multi-tasking, quick toggles, the back button, expandable storage option and some widgets that I would never want to do with out now that I have them. Settings for the phone and each individual app is easier to access on my SGS3 than it ever was on a iPhone, and for me the larger screen is awsome for any and everything I do with my phone.

I dont know why people say the Galaxy phones feel cheap, maybe I just have not lived well enough to know whats "cheap" and whats "not cheap" but in no way does my phone look or feel cheap to me.

I seldom see any one with a iPhone or Android phone thats not in a case made from plastic or some material that would be consider "crap" if it was used on any phone other than a iPhone.

I have always loved iPhones and would not hesitate to recommend iPhones to any one who just needs a great phone thats simple to use but in my opinion the SGS3 is currently the better smart phone for me.

 

[sentinelsx]

I dont want to sound rude but it seems to me that you are uninformed about capability of widgets on Android and yet you talk like you are an expert.

Want something like Intelliscreen but way way more flexible (btw. you do know Intellscreen is an app not widget). I just give a few examples of widgets out of thousands

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.koxx.pure_messenger&hl=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.snowbee.colorize&feature=search_result

You can reply/tweet/post from the widget (via a popup)

News widget
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.koxx.pure_news&feature=search_result
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.gdi.android.news&feature=search_result


Intelliscreen is no more than an jailbreak iphone app that aggregates data and launch via the notification. I can do the same with Android by putting an aggregator app (like flipboard/current/pulse/etc/etc) shortcut on the notification. I start the app from android notification and lo and behold I have something like intelliscreen which IFans worshipped.

Which app is that? The aggregator i mean.

Thanks for the rest btw, i like the last one the most.

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What I will say is that the iphone apps can be better than android ones

Developer laziness IMO coupled with not so amazing google dev tools.

There are some who will ignore design guidelines, some who are still stuck in gingerbread era, some who will just use the basic holo theme instead of adding some design of their own that doesn't suck.

 

[bmac4]

Which app is that? The aggregator i mean.

Thanks for the rest btw, i like the last one the most.

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Developer laziness IMO coupled with not so amazing google dev tools.

There are some who will ignore design guidelines, some who are still stuck in gingerbread era, some who will just use the basic holo theme instead of adding some design of their own that doesn't suck.

Yea I would agree with that. Apps are really the only thing I think android is not leading with. I love my note 2, and the features that it offers are far beyond what my iPhone 5 has. I felt like I had to jailbreak my iPhone to get everything out of it. Android I open the box put my sim card in and get to work making it my phone. I can look past a few apps that are not as polished as iOS ones when I get a much better experience from android.

 

[Gimyslog]

What Android can do that iOS can't

Hello, this question is prone to be explosive, therefore I ask to keep it cool, factual and nice. I'm sure there is a similar thread out there but I couldn't find one.

Most Android users usually brags about how their phones are so free and customizable unilke the iPhone. They say the iPhone is "limited" and so on... Now I currently own an iPhone, and my next phone will probably be an iPhone as well, but I'm wondering:

What are the actual differences betwen Android and iOS in terms of user experience and function, What can you do on an Android phone that you can not do on an iPhone?

Please don't just say "iPhone rocks" or "Android is more open", examples people! And please leave hardware and price out of this!

 

[adder7712]

• The ability to set an app as the default for a specific function (like maps or media)
• Access to the file system, rooting gives you more access
• System-wide sharing to social media, e-mails etc.
• Limitless customisation, the launcher and lock screen can be changed to a 3rd party one
• Not bound by a sync utility
• Full support for Bluetooth features

Those are just the ones at the top of my head, there are probably more.

 

[ChazUK]

Lots of discusssion on this already.

The below is one of my favourite features of Android:

Third party app sharing integration is a big one from me.

You're not limited to the standard applications and services apple limit you to on iOS and all third party applications that are programmed to use it can take advantage of sharing from the browser, gallery, clipboard e.t.c

iOS apps seem so... Separated from the core OS compared to Android apps for me. I love to be in the gallery for example and to be able to share a picture to whatever third party applications I have installed.

Some of it won't be a deal breaker for others but its simple functionality like that that makes me find it more useful.

I do hope iOs7 brings us a similar "share" api that can hook into all third party apps.

 

[Oletros]

Like ChazUK has said, intents and broadcast receivers are two awesome things that Android can do.

Android developers don't have to code to support Dropbox, Twitter, etc. Dropbox, Twitter or Facebook register the feature and everyone can use it

 

[AQUADock]

Lots of discusssion on this already.

The below is one of my favourite features of Android:





iOS apps seem so... Separated from the core OS compared to Android apps for me. I love to be in the gallery for example and to be able to share a picture to whatever third party applications I have installed.

Some of it won't be a deal breaker for others but its simple functionality like that that makes me find it more useful.

I do hope iOs7 brings us a similar "share" api that can hook into all third party apps.

Doesn't iOS already have a share feature called share sheets, granted it isn't as good but it looks like it works the same way to me.