Android and iOS have made considerable progress from the last part of the 2000s and mid 2010s, where the previous needed speed and clean and the last option needed highlights. Yet, one steady subject between the two is that they've both cribbed highlights from one another.
That appears to have remained the same with the brand-new iOS 17 and Android 14 versions! These are the most eminent highlights iOS 17 is taking from Google's foundation.
1. Smart display functionality while charging
Apple's Standby feature for iPhones is one of iOS 17's more notable Android features. If you place your iPhone in landscape orientation on a wireless charging pad, similar to a smart display, this makes it possible for your phone to display a variety of information. All the more explicitly, you have schedule subtleties, photograph collections, savvy home controls, the climate, live exercises, Siri backing, and warnings.
When placed on the exclusive Pixel Stand (2nd gen) charging pad, Pixel phones provide functionality that is very similar to one another. While charging on the stand, your Pixel will display a Google Photos frame, controls for smart homes, access to Google Assistant, and more when you put it down. However, Apple may enhance this feature by supposedly making it available for any MagSafe wireless charging pad. Nice.
2. Live Voicemail? You mean Call Screen?
The so-called Live Voicemail feature in Apple's iOS 17 lets you decide whether or not to answer a call by transcribing it in real time. Yet, we've seen this previously, from, in all honesty, Google itself.
Yes, this is simply Google's Call Screen function for Pixel phones. The feature, which was launched in 2019, enables Google Assistant to take your call and inquire further from the caller. You will then be provided with a transcription of the caller's response, from which you can choose whether or not to take the call. It's clear that Google did it first, but we hope Apple's adoption encourages Pixel manufacturers to make the feature available in more countries.
3. Dropping wake words for some commands
Apple and Google have voice assistants that can be activated by saying "Hey Siri" or "Okay Google." However, back-to-back commands will no longer require Siri users to use a wake word, according to Apple. That is, you just have to say "Hello Siri" once while giving a surge of orders in one go, making for a more consistent method for enacting the savvy collaborator.
With its 2019 (or 2017, if Android TV is included) continuous conversations feature, Google beat Apple to the punch, allowing users to forego wake words when performing back-to-back commands. As a matter of fact, Google went above and beyond with supposed Speedy Expressions lately, permitting you to give essential orders (for example set a clock, stop a caution) without saying "OK Google."
4. Facetime Voicemail
In iOS 17, Apple spent some time demonstrating a feature called Facetime Voicemail, which lets you leave a video message for someone if they don't answer your Facetime call.
In the event that someone missed your video call, you could use the now-defunct Google Duo feature to leave 30-second video messages. This feature went live in 2018. In point of fact, the Google-backed video chat app debuted in 2016 with a feature known as "Knock Knock." Thump shows you a live video of a guest before you reply (with the guest unfit to see you), much the same as investigating your peephole.
5. An easy mode for system navigation
There has long been a simple or easy mode on Android and Windows Phone devices. This used to mean a distinct and straightforward system UI, but now it means large font sizes. Regardless, this is intended for seniors, young children, and other users who require a user experience that is more accommodating.
Assistive Access has enabled Apple to implement this concept into iOS. However, rather than simply increasing the font size, this reduces various system screens to their bare essentials (as shown in the image above).
The camera, calls, photos, messages, and music apps have all been simplified by Apple, which takes things one step further. Although the company did not explicitly state that this feature would be available in iOS 17, it stands to reason that it would be included in the upcoming iOS version. We hope Android OEMs put the same amount of effort into their easy and simple modes in either case.
6. Apple’s take on Bixby Text Calling
Samsung appeared a fairly cool component named Bixby Text Calling a while back. Bixby answers your call with this feature, allowing you to type responses that Bixby's voice reads to the caller. This feels like a significant step in the right direction for openness. You can even clone your voice to give the typed responses a unique sound. The downside, however, is that the voice cloning feature is only available in Korean at this time.
Apple is offering a comparable element in iOS 17, called Live Discourse. This basically works the same way, but it also lets you type spoken responses in FaceTime and in real-life conversations. The best part is that Apple is offering comparable voice cloning usefulness. We hope that other OEMs will join in and provide voice cloning and text calling for improved accessibility.
7. Offline map downloads
It truly boggles my mind that Apple Maps has not yet included the capability to download maps for use offline. However, this feature was indeed announced by Apple for iOS 17.
Since 2012, the ability to download maps has been supported by Google Maps. That was the same year that iPhones got Apple Maps. Although offline navigation was added to Maps only in 2015, that was still more than seven years ago.
You can select a rectangular area to download using Apple's feature, which also works in the same way as Google's offline downloads. Therefore, you won't be able to download entire countries if Apple follows in the footsteps of HERE Maps.
8. Quickly undoing an autocorrected word
Apple also made a big deal about iOS 17, which now lets you quickly undo a word that was autocorrected. To be more specific, all you need to do to return to the original word is tap on the word that was autocorrected.
Be that as it may, Gboard has offered the capacity to effectively fix autocorrected words for some time now. To return to the original word, you can tap backspace with the company. Apple currently offers a backspace function that is similar, but it requires you to manually select your original word from the suggestions and involves two steps.
Copying is a two-way street anyway
Apple has stolen more than just these features from the Android ecosystem for iOS 17. We likewise see ongoing EV charging station accessibility in Apple Guides (first presented by Google Guides in 2019), just giving consent for a particular photograph as opposed to all photographs (found in Android 13), and obvious multi-clock support.
In the past, Apple has demonstrated that it is perfectly content to draw heavily from a competitor's feature, and iOS 17 is clearly no exception. The company also has a reputation for sometimes improving copied features, but this time only a few copied features appear to have improved.
In any case, we simply realize that Android OEMs and Google will investigate iOS 17 and snatch a few elements. NameDrop functionality, system-wide sensitive content warnings, and profile support in Chrome for Android are just a few of the iOS 17 features we'd love to see taken over by Android developers. We can only hope that Android players do not simply copy Apple's approach and take advantage of every significant feature!
