H
Harrison Kaminsky
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Because there are so many different Android devices (and so many variants of those individual devices), developers tend to begin programming their apps on iOS before putting together the resources (and endless hours) to begin porting their creations to Android.
Developing for Android is an arduous task, and Google knows it. That’s why the company will soon be making a concerted effort to streamline the development process. Google has also pushed manufacturers/carriers to stay as close to stock Android as possible by criticizing bloatware and OEM custom skins. But with different phones running different processors, having different amounts of RAM, different screen sizes/resolutions, etc., it’s tough to make sure an app will work seamlessly across the platform, no matter what Google does to ease the process. Android’s vast device offering can be seen as a major strength (and something that has led the platform to be an industry leader in market share) but it’s also been a weakness from the development side.
But while some apps only exist on iOS (Facebook’s Paper, Apple’s GarageBand, to name a popular few), there are plenty of apps that exist solely on Android — not necessarily because of development reasons, but because of inherent functionalities in Android that are non-existent in iOS.
Here’s my list of the top functionalities/apps available for Android that are NOT on iOS.
1. Launchers and ROMs
Congrats. You called it.
Of course, the availability of launchers on Google’s mobile platform is one of the biggest draws for Android enthusiasts. The sheer amount of functions you can customize on Android with launchers outnumbers the features that iOS currently offers — which essentially includes changing your device’s wallpaper. Launchers are especially attractive because they usually offer all of these features without forcing the user to root their device.
You can completely change the look and feel of your device, change animations and graphics, install custom widgets and completely change up the app drawer. Gesture-controlled actions are also becoming a major part of launchers as their functionalities are expanding while Android evolves.
Even if you love stock Android, third-party launchers give users the ability to take a break from the norm and even add extra functionality to their devices.
Some of the major third-party launchers include:
- Nova Launcher
- Apex Launcher
- Aviate Launcher
- Action Launcher
- ADW.Launcher
- Lightning Launcher
- Everything Home
- Themer
- Smart Launcher
- Holo Launcher
- Buzz Launcher
And what if you prefer the layout of iOS but want the functionality of Android? Check out “Espier Launcher.”
Like Windows Phone? Check out “Launcher 8.”
ROMs, on the other hand, go a bit deeper. You can install a third-party launcher to run alongside the ROM, but you’ll get the ability to expand upon the functionality of your launcher and Android itself.
You’ll be able to overclock (and underclock, in some cases) the device’s CPU to improve speed, stability and battery life, install custom kernels, install the newest versions of Android and also install hundreds of apps that require root access to your system. Here are just a few of the major ROMs available to Android users.
- Paranoid Android
- CyanogenMod
- Android Open Kang Project (AOKP)
- MIUI
2. Widgets and Lock Screen Apps
Here’s another big one. Widgets.
And I’m sure the Apple fanboys out there are saying, “But iOS 8 is going to have widgets!”
Sure. In the notifications tray. iOS 8 will introduce what they’ll be calling “widgets,” but they only serve as interactive notifications in a card-like format — much like what we see now in Google Now. And if the rumors of the upcoming Android OS come true, the Android notification bar will essentially become Google Now.
Widgets on Android allow users to place interactive “micro-apps” on the home screen to provide information generated by the application they originate from, without the user having to actually open the application. (Almost) everything can be done right from the home screen. Apple’s introduction to the world of “widgets” is certainly a step forward, but it still doesn’t come close to what Android offers here.
Android also began letting developers create lockscreen widgets, which essentially are widgets, but can be viewed straight from the lockscreen. That means you don’t have to unlock your device to use them. Quickly glance at the weather, the score in the big game, or even scroll through your email from the lockscreen without having to enter that pesky PIN.
There are also lock screens like “Dynamic Lock Screen” that act as a personal assistant of sorts, providing you with up-to-the-minute notifications, weather and breaking news.
Some interesting widget/lockscreen applications worth checking out include Cover, Beautiful Widgets, Fancy Widgets and Widgetsoid.
3. Tethering
Tethering on Android may be its least appreciated feature, and maybe even one of its most valuable. It is for me, at least.
Quick story.
Last fall semester at school, my router suddenly starting acting up. Being the busy, sleep-deprived college student I am, I didn’t take the time to fix the router, and instead turned to my phone to provide my laptop with Internet for the rest of the semester.
How did I do this, you ask?
PdaNet + FoxFi was the answer. The application (which you can download on the Play Store) lets users tether (connect via USB) their phones to their computers to provide the 4G LTE service their phone is receiving from the carrier.
Of course this incurs serious data fees, but you won’t have to worry if you have unlimited data. I racked up a record 30+ GB of data by myself one month, something I sort of took pride in (Suck it, Verizon.)
Okay, I get it. Enough bragging. Back to the “power of tethering.”
PdaNet also lets users provide their computers (and tablets) with WiFi by turning your phone into a hotspot. You can even turn your phone into a Bluetooth server. Pretty powerful, huh?
And don’t worry — when you activate the WiFi hotspot you can even add a password on the network as well.
Now, there are ways to tether with your iPhone. The methods just aren’t legally allowed by Apple, or have to be done through the carrier, using the stock mobile hotspot application, which costs money for a subscription. Therefore, you won’t find any tethering apps on the App Store anytime soon, unless Apple makes a mistake and misses one.
Google hasn’t shown any major signs of cracking down on this (although the carriers must be furious), so Android users (and myself) should be safe for now.
4. Administrative Features / Storage Options
When you buy a phone, you expect it to be your phone. (Especially when you consider how much they cost nowadays.) The administrative features available on Android simply go unmatched when compared with iOS.
The ability to search through every imaginable file in your device with ASTRO File Manager or ES File Explorer offers a deep power that you’re sure to miss out on when using an Apple device. Sure, there’s always the “Downloads” app, but truthfully, what functionality do you really get out of that?
Then there are the things we simply take for granted — like expandable storage. Yes, that’s right. If you didn’t know already, the iPhone does not have expandable storage. Of course you can purchase the 64GB iPhone, but many would argue that it’s overpriced and not worth the extra dollars for the space you’re getting. And then there are the people that would go as far as doing something like this.
Not only can many Android users pop in an SD card to place media (pictures, videos, etc.) on it after the internal storage in their device gets full, but they can also move apps directly to the SD card. The flexibility is invaluable.
5. Multi-User Support
Google recognizes that users often share their devices (mostly their tablets) with others in their family. Most commonly, these “others” are their kids.
However, most hesitate before handing over their devices to their toddlers to play a game of Fruit Ninja or Angry Birds. After all, we trust our devices with our lives. If one single file were to be deleted, it quite simply could mark the end of the universe.
That’s why Android added multi-user support to tablets running Android 4.2 (and above). Simply open “Settings” on your device, tap on “Users” under the “Device” header, and click on “Add user or profile.” This will allow you to and a secondary (or higher) account on your device that you will have administrative access on. You can restrict the applications and content available to this user, so you won’t have to worry about your kids or a “guest” having access to your most important files and apps.
Many device manufacturers including Samsung and HTC have recently added a “Kids Mode” to their devices, carrying out a similar function to the one outlined above, but the device takes on a much more kid-friendly user interface and makes specific games and learning apps available to the user automatically.
These features make the multi-user support function on Android invaluable to the user and something many miss when using an iOS device.
Of course this list could go on and on (that’s why we love Android, right?) to include the hundreds of abilities you get when rooting your phone, using icon packs, third-party keyboard skins (until iOS 8 is released), near field communication abilities, etc., but the possibilities are so endless that it would take another whole list to go through them.
What are you favorite Android features not found on iOS? Hit us up in the comments!
Come comment on this article: Here are the top functions and apps available on Android that are NOT on iOS
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