Features Android should borrow from iOS 8
It seems iOS has finally caught up to Android with iOS 8. It has “hey Siri” similar to “Ok Google”. The notifications are interactive. It’s getting multiple keyboard support and word predictions, no more annoying autocorrects. iCloud Drive now supports all kinds of files, similar to Google Drive. Widgets finally comes to iOS. App Store will have video preview of apps and the biggest of them all — apps talk to each other.
Apple has generously borrowed feature from Android, Google should also return the favor. A small list of features that Google should borrow from iOS —
System wide dictionary — I want to tap on a word in any web page and in any app and get the definition of that word. The dictionary should also work offline.
Better folders — folders in iOS is consistent, in Android it is a mess. In iOS you get a grid of 9 icons and you can put in as many apps in the folder as you want. In Android the folder size is different, inconsistent and depends on the number of apps in them.
Fix Hangouts please — Hangouts is an app with lots of potential. Google should spend some time making it better. BTW. Integrate Google voice already.
Design consistencies — hamburger menu, back button, menu button… Oh my.! The gmail app is different from the new Google+ app and Google Music just got updated with the new hamburger menu. Can we please have a consistent design language across Android?
Google Experience Launcher — Please launch Google experience launcher for all the devices, doesn’t matter if it’s running Sense or TouchWiz. This will let people experience Android the way Google has meant it to be experienced.
iOS continuity — Start writing an email on your iPhone and pick up where you left off when you sit down at your Mac. Or browse the web on your Mac and continue from the same link on your iPad. This is really great in theory, it will be awesome if it actually works.
Polish, polish, polish — isn’t that the constant complain that Android gets? iPhone/iOS is supposed to be really polished and refined. Why can’t we hear that about Android? It’s not that Google is not working (Project Butter, RAM usage in KitKat) but it’s about time Android caught up to iOS in this regard.
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