The iOS 9: Nothing new for Android Users

Apple has unveiled the next iOS in line and its so-called new features give Android users something to gloat about. Last Monday, at the World Wide Developer’s Conference 2015, Apple introduced El Capitan, the next version of the OS X and their plan to bring Apple Music (a music streaming service) to to Android in the coming fall. Apart from that, the rest of the presentation felt like deja vu for long time Android users.

iOS 9 improves Siri’s functionality by automatically adding email invitations to the user’s calendar. This new update will also let Siri remind the user when it’s time to leave for the said event, taking into consideration the traffic conditions in the user’s area. If this sounds familiar to you, it’s because Google Now has been able to do this since 2014. Apple maps have also added step by step transit directions to their app, a feature that has been around with Google Maps since 2011. The iPad split screen multitasking is also old news for Samsung, LG and even Microsoft Surface users. The inclusion of a Low-power mode is the only thing that came close to a new feature as the same function has only been added as stock in the Lollipop update despite it being available to select Android devices for a couple of years now.

To be fair, Apple has a certain flare and charm when they introduce new stuff that has been around for years and Forbes reported that it has surpassed Android sales in the fourth quarter of 2014, including the US. The company is now open to the notion of bringing their apps to Android and it may allow them to grab a bigger piece of the sales pie. Competition has always been a key ingredient for innovation and while most Android fans would never care to admit it, we always look forward to what Apple comes up with next.