Android features I envy as an iPhone user

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Android’s greater openness, customization, and app ecosystem—ranging from powerful browser extensions and ad blockers to system-level tweaks like DeX desktop mode, per‑app audio controls, and rooting—are cited as major advantages over iOS. iPhone owners counter with better hardware value, tighter integration with macOS, and acceptable workarounds for some gaps, but remain frustrated by Siri’s weakness, limited text handling, restrictive defaults (e.g., alarms, notifications, Wi‑Fi/Bluetooth toggles), and lack of true browser and sideloading freedom. Underneath the feature comparisons runs a broader concern about platform control, with some tying these limitations and opportunities to current antitrust and regulatory pressures on Apple and Google.

Assistant, Siri, and Core OS UX

  • Many iOS users feel Siri is stagnant and unreliable compared to Google Assistant; anecdotes include basic queries failing and HomePods becoming “useless.”
  • Spotlight search and macOS autocorrect are described as poor; third‑party tools like Raycast/Alfred and Gboard are suggested workarounds.
  • Some expect the next iOS to bring LLM‑based Siri, but there’s skepticism about how Apple will handle the unpredictability of LLMs.

Notifications, Calls, and Everyday Friction

  • Android’s ability to disable future notifications (or just marketing ones) directly from a notification is widely praised; iOS is seen as more all‑or‑nothing, though some note per‑notification controls exist.
  • Android’s spam call/text detection and ability to mark numbers as spam are seen as substantially better.
  • Separate volumes for different audio streams and alarms, richer alarm management (e.g., cancel upcoming alarms from notifications), and simple persistent Wi‑Fi/Bluetooth toggles are recurring Android advantages.

Text Entry, Selection, and Parental Control

  • Opinions on text manipulation vary: some say Android is better (arrow keys, “smart text selection” for emails/addresses), others find both platforms bad.
  • Android is viewed as stronger for parental controls via Family Link; iOS’s equivalent is called unreliable.

Browsers, Ad Blocking, and Web Engines

  • Android users emphasize Firefox with uBlock Origin and other extensions as essential; they describe iOS Safari extensions/ad blockers as weaker, though some are satisfied with tools like 1Blocker, Wipr, or AdGuard.
  • The role of WebKit‑only on iOS is debated. Some argue alternative engines matter for innovation and sync (e.g., Gecko/Firefox), others claim many “can’t be done on iOS” claims are false, citing iOS browsers that implement extension ecosystems.

Customization, Power Features, and Rooting

  • Samsung/Android features highlighted: per‑app volume, split screen, DeX desktop mode, heavy UI customization (launchers, Good Lock), and Linux/Termux.
  • Root is still valued by some for full local backups, system‑level ad blocking, radio automation, filesystem access, and fixing or bypassing app/OS limitations. Others say they no longer need it.

Hardware, Storage, and Ecosystem

  • MicroSD and headphone jacks remain important for some, mainly for large local media libraries, ROMs, and resilience to flaky networks or cloud lock‑in.
  • iPhone + Mac integration and hardware quality are strong pulls toward iOS; Samsung + Windows/DeX is the Android counterpoint.

Meta: Article Quality and Language

  • Several commenters find the article shallow or technically incorrect, especially on what iOS “can’t” do; others defend it as a useful counterpoint amid DMA/DOJ debates.
  • A side thread debates the author’s non‑native English, balancing expectations of clarity against accusations of unnecessary harshness.