Here are a few iPhone features your Android phone already has
What changes have been introduced in iOS 18 regarding app icon customization?
iOS 18 has introduced a significant update in terms of app icon customization. Users can now place app icons anywhere on the home screen, breaking free from the traditional grid structure4. Additionally, iOS 18 allows users to change the color of app icons, enabling a more personalized and unique iPhone experience. This level of customization was previously achievable only through indirect methods using shortcuts.
What are some of the new features announced for the iPhone at WWDC 2024 as part of iOS 18?
At WWDC 2024, Apple announced several new features for the iPhone as part of iOS 18. Some of these features include:
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Customizable home screens: Users can now place apps anywhere on the screen, and custom color palettes can be applied to app icons.
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RCS and message scheduling: iPhones now support RCS messages, allowing for richer communication between iPhone and Android users. Additionally, users can now schedule messages to be sent at a later time.
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Smart Photos app: The Photos app has an improved search system, allowing users to search for specific details in photos. The app also features an edit tool that can erase background elements in images.
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Onboard AI: Apple is integrating AI features throughout the iPhone ecosystem to improve writing, notifications, and other aspects of the user experience.
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Custom emojis: Users can generate bespoke emojis using AI in the style of Apple's existing emoji library.
These new features aim to enhance user experience and bring the iPhone closer in line with some functionality already available on Android devices.
How does iOS 18's customizable home screen feature compare to Android's Material You?
iOS 18's customizable home screen feature and Android's Material You both offer users the ability to personalize their device's appearance, but they do so in slightly different ways.
With iOS 18, Apple is introducing a more customizable home screen that allows users to place app icons anywhere on the screen, even alone in a corner, breaking away from the traditional static app grid. Additionally, iOS 18 offers custom color palettes that can change the hue of app icons. This feature is somewhat similar to Android's Material You, which also allows apps to shift colors based on the color of the wallpaper in the background. Material You is available in the latest versions of Android and is reflected through almost every Android OEM.
However, there are differences in the implementation of these features between iOS 18 and Android's Material You. Apple's approach to custom app icon colors on the iPhone appears to shade over every icon, which can result in some flat and lifeless icons. In contrast, Android's Material You allows for more vibrant and dynamic color changes that better match the chosen wallpaper.
In summary, while both iOS 18 and Android's Material You offer home screen customization, they do so with different visual styles and approaches to color palettes. Apple's iOS 18 introduces a new level of freedom in app icon placement, while Android's Material You focuses on dynamic color changes that correspond to the wallpaper.