However, even if many users favor and even swear by iOS, it’s not a perfect piece of software. In fact, Apple is notorious for adopting software features that Android has had for years since its release.
So, here are a few iOS features we want to see on the iPhone in 2023.
1. Professional Camera Controls
Whether you’re a hobbyist or a professional, manual camera controls are a crucial part of the art and science of photography. And if you’ve been using an Android camera—whether it’s a Samsung, Google Pixel, or some other brand, chances are the stock camera app lets you have manual control via the Pro mode.
Unfortunately, iOS 16 still doesn’t give you manual camera controls in the stock Camera app. If you want to unlock professional controls for your iPhone, you have to choose from one of the best third-party camera apps for iPhones and Androids.
By allowing pros to fine-tune the controls on the iPhone’s stock camera app, they can take full advantage of its excellent quality without spending extra on other apps.
2. More Control Over Your Home Screen
While Apple has allowed you to add widgets and change app icons on the Home Screen since iOS 14 in 2020, Android phones have had greater customization controls ever since. For example, you can freely place spaces between your icons, allowing you to separate them into sections without creating a new screen.
You can also change the icon layout and size, so if you like to see a ton of apps on a single Home page, you can set it to have the most rows and columns. But if you prefer larger icons, you can also set it so that your Home screen will maximize them, allowing you to see your apps at a glance.
And, if you’re unhappy with your phone’s stock launcher, you can easily download one of the best third-party Android launchers for every purpose in the Google Play Store, allowing you to customize it to fit your style and personality.
3. Split-Screen Functionality
The iPad received this functionality way back in 2015 with iOS 9. With the split-screen functionality, you can run two apps side-by-side, taking advantage of the tablet’s huge screen. However, the latest large iPhones during that time, namely the iPhone 6S Plus and the iPhone 7 Plus, only had a 5.5-inch screen.
But by 2016, Android phones received multi-window support with Android Nougat. That means phones like the Samsung Galaxy S7 can display two apps simultaneously, even if it has the same screen size as the larger iPhones.
In 2022, Apple launched the iPhone 14 Pro Max and the iPhone 14 Plus, giving users a gigantic 6.7-inch screen. Because of this extended screen real estate, it just makes sense for Apple to allow multi-window use, letting users multi-task, like watching a YouTube video while browsing through Facebook.
4. Apple Pencil Support
One other gripe that many users have is the iPhone’s lack of Apple Pencil support. While the Apple Pencil (both the first and second generations) won’t work with the iPhone because it requires a specifically designed touchscreen, several third-party options exist.
These Apple Pencil alternatives work with both the iPhone and iPad, making it easier and more convenient to draw across your Apple devices.
Nevertheless, we’re hoping that Apple will release a stylus that will work on both devices. After all, the larger screen of the Plus and Pro Max models makes it easier for artists to draw on the go.
5. Better Integration With Non-Apple Devices
While this might be wishful thinking, we’re still hoping Apple will ease its grip on its ecosystem. After all, not everyone can afford or even want a MacBook with their iPhone. While transferring files to your Mac from your iPhone is easy via AirDrop, it’s more time-consuming and complicated if you want to do the same on your Windows PC.
However, Android has had Microsoft’s Phone Link (previously, Your Phone) since 2018. Windows Phone Link lets you get the most out of your Android and PC by keeping them connected. With these apps, you can read and respond to texts, make and receive calls, copy and paste across your devices, control your phone from your computer, and more.
We also want to see Apple integrating RCS into iMessage. Google Wants Apple to ditch iMessage for RCS, so everyone gets a seamless messaging experience, no matter their device. However, this is unlikely to happen, as Apple knows the power iMessage has to attract and keep users within its ecosystem.
6. App Cloning (Dual Apps)
While smartphones are generally personal devices, meaning only one person typically uses them, some users have many roles in their lives, thus necessitating multiple app instances.
For example, a person might have a personal and a business Facebook account and, as a result, want to use two accounts simultaneously. Some Android devices, like Samsung, Xiaomi, and OnePlus, support this feature, and it’s buried within the phone’s advanced settings.
But on the iPhone, you have no choice but to get a second device if you want access to both of your accounts at the same time.
7. Native Call Recording
Call recording is a bit of an issue, as the law varies from state to state. For most of the US, you must be a part of the conversation you’re recording, or else it could be deemed illegal wiretapping. However, in some select states, all parties part of the conversation must give consent to the recording.
Many smartphones running Android 9 and up has the call recording feature. However, this still varies by location, as not all regions support this. Nevertheless, it is available for Android devices in select areas, but iPhones do not have this feature at all—you have to get a third-party app to record your calls.
Android solves this problem by informing all parties in the call that it’s being recorded. So, we hope that Apple also implements this for the iPhone, as it could help people protect themselves, especially as scams abound in our digitally connected world.
More iOS Improvements, Please!
It’s undeniable that the iPhone is one of the best smartphones we’ve ever had, and this is helped by the well-made and highly-optimized iOS. However, despite all the features and improvements of iOS through the years, it’s far from perfect.
So, as Apple continuously releases future versions of iOS, we’re hoping it’ll deliver some, if not all, of the features we’ve listed above. Until then, we have no option but to wait patiently.
