Re: Additions to the iOS/Android Features Document

Gordinator wrote on Thu, 16 May 2024 20:22:13 +0100 :

4i. Battery replacement 

 
Apple devices **do not** have user-replaceable batteries. In fact, the
iPhone was the first phone to ditch the feature. Most Android phones
don't either, so I guess it's fair, in a twisted and stupid way. Even
better, iPhones have led the way for making less repairable phones, so
stop talking nonsense.

This was posted in this newsgroup a while ago (cut and pasted) which
showed Android still has superior functionality hardware over the iPhone
but the replaceable battery is still in very few Androids unfortunately).

Of the total of 2,548 Android models offered for sale from 2019 to today...
 <https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2>

For the AUX jack, 1,907 (75%) of current Android models meet this standard.
 <https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&chk35mm=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2>

As for FM Radio, 1,257 Androids (50%) have the FM radio emergency feature.
 <https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&chkFMradio=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2>

Where 1,163 (46%) have both the emergency FM radio & the standard AUX jack.
 <https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&chk35mm=selected&chkFMradio=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2>

Let's look at the 1,801 (71%) with the all-important portable-memory slot.
 <https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2&idCardslot=1>

But only 112 with a removable battery, which is less than 5% unfortunately.
 <https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2019&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2&idBatRemovable=1>

Compare those choices Android users have to those of the poor Apple user.
 AUX <https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2019&chk35mm=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=3>
 FM <https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2019&chkFMradio=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=3>
 SD <https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2019&chkFMradio=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=3&idCardslot=1>

In summary, the choices for Android are:
a. 75% AUX
b. 50% FM Radio
c. 71% SD SLOT

That's a _lot_ of choices (especially compared to Apple choices):
a. 0% AUX
b. 0% FM Radio
c. 0% SD SLOT

The lack of basic hardware functionality on iPhones is yet another reason
why anyone claiming to "compare" the two platforms, has to ignore
everything that makes a phone useful - as the iPhone lacks basic hardware.

9i. No bloatware 

 
I beg to differ. What is Apple Podcasts doing? Apple Wallet? Apple
Music? Stocks? Apple TV? Tips? Watch? I could go on and on:
https://www.makeuseof.com/every-pre-installed-app-iphone/

As you said, Apple adds bloatware, it's just Apple bloatware,
and not carrier bloatware.

What's worse about Apple bloatware is most of it is unremovable.
By stark contrast EVERY APP is removable on Android (non root).

Many people don't realize what I just said is true on Android.
Every app can be removed from the user partition without being root.
 <https://www.xda-developers.com/uninstall-carrier-oem-bloatware-without-root-access/>

So it's actually Android that, if you're smart, has zero bloatware.
Meanwhile even if you're smart, you can't remove most Apple bloatware.

10i. Privacy 

 
This is incorrect. The Apple TOS specifically states that location data
can be collected and shared by Apple:

Apple doesn't have privacy. As with Ashley Madison, they advertise
they have privacy. But it doesn't exist for a number of reasons.

Remember when they were listening to your actual conversations
in Ireland? They still do that. There is no privacy on iPhones.

In addition, Apple won't allow the privacy of the Tor Browser.
 <https://support.torproject.org/tormobile/tormobile-3/>
 "Can I run Tor Browser on an iOS device? Apple requires all
  browsers on iOS to use something called Webkit,
  which prevents any iOS browser from having the same privacy
  protections as Tor Browser."

Another of which is Apple inserts a unique tracking ID into
every app - which no other operating system but Apple does.

In addition, Apple requires you to log into the Apple mainframes
for most of the functionality (e.g., the App Store) which Google
doesn't require (you can download apps off the Google Play Store
without creating an account on the phone for example).

There are very many ways Apple devices don't have privacy.
And there are many ways that Android does.

For the author to re-spout Apple's marketing bullshit is wrong.
Privacy isn't possible on an iPhone.

 

To provide location-based services on Apple products, Apple
and our partners and licensees, such as maps data providers,
may collect, use, and share precise location data, including
the real-time geographic location of your Apple computer or device.

 

11i. Support and help from Apple Stores 

 
As if Android doesn't have that. Most smartphone brands do the same
thing (Samsung, Google, etc.). Also, have you *ever* been to the
"Genius" Bar? They're useless. The most they can do is tell you to
reboot your iPhone or reset your stupid iCloud.

I can vouch for the fact that the Genius Bar people are useless.

I went to them asking them to test why the iPad had far worse
radio reception than Android and they didn't even know what a
decibel was.

All they did was use an UV light on the water detection strip
(no water) and ensure that it had the latest operating system.

That's all they can do.
 

17i. eSIM� 

eSIM is NOT a feature. It introduces the ability for the carrier to not
allow you to switch, meaning you're locked into their services. This is
because the carrier is responsible for switching you away, and guess
what, carriers *hate* losing customers to their competitors.

I don't know anything about eSIM so I'll let the two of you work it out.
We benefit from that if Steve responds to your suggestions about his doc.

But in general, Steve ignores most suggestions, so it's amazing that
his document is as good as it is even as he doesn't take much advice.

Still... the Apple people can't refute a word he says about iOS.

20i. Face Recognition 

 
Biometric security is inherently flawed. If it gets stolen, you cannot
change it, unlike a password. A dead corpse can still be read with Face
ID or fingerprint ID.

Biometric security is a (brilliant) marketing gimmick.
People feel) their face is unique and only about them (even twins).

The real threat to a phone isn't that we all live in slums where
people steal our phones out of our hands, so I don't even have
a PIN on mine - but since Apple requires people to log into the
Apple mainframes, people need to add these security locks as if
all Apple iPhone owners live in the abject squalor of the slums.

While Apple touts biometric gimmicks (remember, their users are ALWAYS
logged into Apple mainframe servers!) the real security hole is exploits.

And the iPhone has ten times the active exploits than any other phone!
 <https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog>

22i. Apple Credit Card with 3% discount and 0% financing on
purchases direct from Apple 

 
Why not encourage credit card debt, which is at an all-time high (here's
a clue, it's in the _trillions_)?

The author of that document buys everything on credit,
and he engages in finding the best "rewards" credit cards.

To be fair, Steve finds some good deals but he spends way more
energy looking for those rewards dollars than any of us do.

23i. Native hearing aid support 

 
I wear hearing aids, and I don't _need_ this feature, because it does
*nothing* Bluetooth Audio cannot.

I let you and Steve work that out as I know nothing about it.

30i  Speakerphone on by default 

 
So you can annoy people on the bus/train/street?

Android has an app for that but it never worked for me.
 <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hanan.android.ramkol>

What I want is when I dial a number, the speaker is automatically
on and I can turn it off - but Android doesn't work that way.

So he's actually right. Although the app may work for others,
and then he'd be wrong, which is why Android does more than iOS.

a. Developers create most functionality people want
b. Apple severely limits what functionality developers can provide
c. Google can't (or won't stop it)

35i. Automatic sorting of AAC audio files based on type of usage 

 
AAC sucks. I say that as someone with a lot of knowledge on digital
audio (for the record, I can spectrally analyse an audio file to
determine if it was encoded correctly).

Again, I leave that to you and Steve to flesh out as all I care
is that I can utilize the codec on any platform for portability.

37i. MagSafe 

 
Magnetic wireless charging isn't a big deal. Wireless charging isn't a
big deal. It's inefficient, wasteful, and damages the battery by
producing more heat.

What the author of that document doesn't know is that the iPhone
has puny batteries compared to Android phones where that's why
I've often said if someone is charging every night, they're on an iPhone
(because Android phones can typically go a few days between charges).

38i. Dynamic Island 

Gimmick.

Agree.

39i. Crash Detection  

 
False positives lead to useless 999/911/112 calls that cost taxpayer
money and hold up the phone line for someone having a *real* emergency.

Apple sells mostly to people who are scared.

40i. Physical Silent Mode Switch  

 
Physical volume buttons exist.

Agree.  Android can assign actions to the buttons.

41i. Old iPhone models remain in production for several years 

 
So do Androids. Moot point.

Agree. I don't know what he's talking about on this one.

42i. Battery health indication and battery optimization 

 
Didn't iPhones not display percentages until last year? Also smartphones
have optimised and displayed battery health since their inception. It's
not an iPhone exclusive. My Samsung Galaxy S8 from 2017 can do it.

Android has battery health monitors also.
 <com.darshancomputing.BatteryIndicatorPro> Battery Bot Pro (free)
 <com.gsamlabs.bbm> GSam Battery Monitor (free)
 <com.darshancomputing.BatteryIndicator> Battery Bot (free)
 <com.asksven.betterbatterystats> BBS Better Battery Stats (free)
 <net.sf.andbatdog.batterydog> Android Battery Dog (free)

43i. Ability to check the production date 

 
That's just so that Apple can fuck you over by breaking your device two
days after the warranty period ends.

WTF? Android can't check the production date?
I googled and found many articles on finding the manufacturing date.

This one covers both Android and iOS.
https://www.androidauthority.com/check-phone-manufacturer-date-907445/

So he's wrong on production date.
Both can do it.

But on Android, every manufacturer does it differently.
However, that's the same for Apple only it's the only manufacturer.

The simplest correction for the author of that document is that
they both do it the same in that you have to know the code.

So I agree with you that the author is wrong on this one too.

44i. Region restricted app stores 

 
Because that's a benefit and not DRM.

Having restrictions is a disadvantage in my book.

45i. AirTags 

 
Tile existed for a decade before AirTags did.

And both Apple and Google recently signed a joint agreement
so that mutual software will find them.

46i. Bluetooth Audio Sharing 

 
Many Android phones also allow multiple audio sources. A lot of devices
aimed towards hard-of-hearing users allow for Bluetooth and also wired
connectivity simultaneously.

I'll leave that up to you and the author as I rarely use bluetooth.

47i. Shutdown Protection 

 
This needs jailbreaking. In other words, a rooted Android phone can do
it too. You even admitted that you're referring to a feature that _does
not exist_ on vanilla iOS.

He should omit functionality that requires jailbreaking or rooting
since most people don't do it and the OEMs actively prevent it.
 

48i. Realistic Replica Devices 

 
Yes, because I want a knock-off phone. If a design is easy to copy, it's
a bad design. End of.

I don't even understand this one. A phone is a commodity.
They all do the same things, even as iOS does fewer of them.

49i. iPhones Can Improve Your Love Life  

 
If someone likes you more because of a green bubble, they're not the
kind of person to be around.

Agreed. The iPhone sells to gullible people who are herd animals.

50i. iPhone acts as an AirTag when turned off 

 
Modern Androids also do this.

My Android can check for airtags but I didnt' check how it does it
when the power is turned off - but I don't care about airtags.
 

51i. Seamless Updates 

Literally who cares. Updates download in the background, and install
with a reboot in less than 5 minutes. Again, NOBODY CARES.

This is actually false. Android A/B updates are completely seamless.
As is Project Mainline completely seamless.

Project MainLine (since renamed a few times) for asynchronous updates:
https://www.androidcentral.com/android-12-features-we-love-android-runtime-now-part-project-mainline
https://www.xda-developers.com/android-project-mainline-modules-explanation/
https://www.hexnode.com/blogs/android-project-mainline-everything-you-need-to-know/

52i. Less Fragmentation 

 
Fragmentation --> Competition

Agreed. Fragmentation is good because it keeps the prices down and
it keeps the functionality up.

Even so, Samsung has the lion's share of Android anyway,
which negates the fragmentation issue.

53i. Place and receive phone calls on Mac or iPad  

 
Why would you want to take calls on a laptop? Also, the Windows Phone
Link, and also KDE Connect can do that, I am quite sure.

The author of that doc is dead wrong on this item.

You can do that with Android too - so the author is ignorant
of the fact all you need is to log into the Internet (which
the iPhone always does and which Android has no problem doing).
 <https://home.pulsesms.app/overview/>

Notice this is why I say the author doesn't know Android well.

55i Convert physical SIM to eSIM 

 
Convert a SIM with freedom to a SIM with DRM, why not.

I leave that one up to the two of you to hash out.

 

56i Satellite SOS on iPhone 14 and 15 models. 

 
Android has had this for _years_. You could press power a certain number
of times, and a preconfigured list of ICE contacts would get a text with
your location, and (optionally) a five-second voice clip.

I have a bunch of emergency SOS apps on my Android but none are satellite.

SOS ALert (press homescreen button to send SOS message & GPS to 5 contacts)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.main.contacts.smsmanager

To conclude, your list sucks.

Mostly the author is right so the list doesn't suck, but the author
doesn't seem to take input from people like you and me so it's only
as good as what he knows about the devices.

Mostly the author suffers from reading too many Apple advertisements
(e.g., he thinks the iPhone is more private and it's just not).

And the author suffers from not knowing that Android can do everything
the iPhone can do because if it's useful, developers have written it
(an example is texting from any device has been on Android for years).

Mostly what the author needs to do is CORRECT his otherwise decent
document so that the things you explained to him will be improved.

But he won't do that, unfortunately.

The doc is decent - but it's ONLY his opinion because he doesn't
fix things when people explain that he's wrong. Too bad for all of us.