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  • That’s tough. Probably call screening.

    Several people said AOD. I find that kind of funny since that’s the first thing I disable.

  • i’ve missed the rear fingerprint sensor so much. pixel 3 was the last phone i had with it. what was wrong with it? why did it go away? it was quick, responsive, perfectly placed, secure.

  • Stereo speakers and notification light. also wireless charging and ip68. rear fingerprint reader

  • AOD to start.
    And virtually unlimited personalization and customization just after that.

  • MST and iris scanners are my two favorite features I think I’ve ever had, unfortunately my S10+ dropped the iris scanner, and S20 dropped MST. I honestly don’t want a new phone because they don’t have those features. Still very happy with my S10+, it still even has the factory screen protector installed. Gonna be doing a battery swap when it finally gives, rather than getting a new phone, just like my girl and her S8+ that she loves.

  • I experiment with iOS for a while; I lasted four months. User flexibility is the feature that matters most to me.

    Insofar as current “premium” design choices are concerned, all come at a cost: thin bezels – no front facing stereo speakers and display punch holes or notches, thin phones – loss of 3.5mm headphone jack and battery capacity, glass backs – slippery, fragile phones and non-removeable batteries, under display fingerprint scanners – still not as reliable as capacitive.

    I may be in the minority, but I’d accept a forehead and chin bezel to lose the punch hole and get front-facing stereo speakers, capacitive fingerprint scanner on the power button, quality plastic back to regain removable battery – which can be done and still have IP rating (see Galaxy S5), thicker phone to regain headphone jack.

  • The option to do what I please on my phone. Custom launcher? No problem. Sideloaded apps? Also no problem. Anything I want to do I can.

  • Removal of planned obsolescence. I have a Samsung S9 plus that cost close to $1000 when it came out. Now, only four years later, we are supposed to replace it because of no more updates allowing grave security concerns. This phone has more capability than I could ever use. It works perfectly. Yet, we allow companies to get away with it for no good reason. In fact, it causes more harm: what happens to these devices – just scrap.

    If you spent a thousand dollars for a blender or washing machine but were told that at four years you had to throw it out, even if it is in pristine condition, would you go along happily? So, why do we allow this for one of the most sophisticated devices ever made? We must be stupid sheep living in a dystopian nightmare.

  • The universal BACK button/motion.
    When I’m on an iOS device, it’s highly inconsistent if the app I’m using has it or not, and that’s the moment when I wish I was using an Android device instead.

  • Everything. There’s a reason I’m still using the Galaxy Note 9 in 2022 and that reason is that I’m using every bit of it’s functions. The headphone jack, the nfc, wireless charging, the S-Pen, the SD card. There’s nothing that I don’t love about this phone. This phone was the pinnacle of flagships and everything since this has been compromise after compromise of lacking features.

    • Will you still use when the updates run out later this rear? If so, what plans to you to keep it secure?

  • Oh wait! Split screen, PiP, multitasking and floating windows!! God is I got stuck with an iPhone is kill myself too have no multitasking!

  • Primarily? Expandable storage. I’m almost half full on a 1tb card.

    Dual, expandable or folding screen. I can’t go back to single or smaller screens now.

    LGV60 fan

  • SD slot. Which is currently very relevant, as I got the OnePlus 7 Pro and I miss it sorely. Not making that mistake again.

  • Changing every possible setting about the interface, apps, integrations, and not having to jailbreak to do it. For example, setting alternative default messaging and browsing apps, installing reskinning apps such as Repainter, and using whatever homescreen I want. So, like the other person said, choice.

  • All the freedom apple users haven’t got ????
    And you can actually be productive, unlike apple users

  • If Google Assistant counts, then probably that. It’s just best on Android. Otherwise it’s honestly a tie between NFC and today’s haptic feedback, especially with typing on the keyboard

  • Notifications. Android notifications are superior to Apple notifications. It’s a simple function that people take for granted because notifications are universal, but Android just does them better.

    • I agree completely, but I find it funny that in my own experience only enthusiasts care. Every time I’ve ever handled anyone else’s phone, being handed it to see a pic, or an article headline, or other information x person wants to show me, whether it’s an iPhone or an android I always swipe their notifications not because I’m nosy, but because I’ve noticed NO ONE that’s not an enthusiast actually manages theirs…they are ALWAYS a complete mess of ignored notifications….so I’m always curious to find the one non enthusiast out there that actually properly manages their notifications…have yet to find a single one.

      Can never understand why, I’m pretty anal about not leaving anything sitting in the notification area, drives me nuts (but I’m also pretty ocd).

      • LMAO! I’m the exact same way!!! Even all these supposed expert Android bloggers have an endless string of notifications going across the top of their screens. And, yes, whenever I handle someone else’s Android phone, the first thing I do is clear their notifications as a penalty for not managing them! :)))

        • While I don’t clear other people’s notifications, I am pretty OCD about mine, generally dismissing/disabling notifications I don’t care to see, and keeping notifications or sleeping the ones I want to act on later (i.e.: YouTube videos from my subscriptions). I think maybe some people just don’t bother, similar to the Windows 10 notification center or deleting old emails (it gives me anxiety when I see people’s email accounts with unread counts in the 1000s – I’m always cleaning out/sorting my inbox too – OCD Life I guess).

      • Thought I was the pony one like this, because I see several people (my wife included) with a raggedy notification panel. I’m like damn, clear those shits out. When I wake up that’s the first thing I do before anything is clear the notifications; and by clear I mean delete what can be deleted, read what can be read & clear what can be cleared.

      • I’d like to say that having notifications uncleared doesn’t mean they are not managed.

        I manage my notifications, turning on/off different categories, changing priorities, e.t.c
        But I often leave notifications uncleared because I use it as sort of a “to do”.

  • Open webm files directly in the browser
    And I’m only half joking here

    In general, Android works for me because it lets me skip between many manufacturers as I please, giving me a lot of choice when I want to buy a phone. I can easily bring over my data across and move without much of a hassle.

  • Ability to side-load easily, expandable storage with MicroSD slot, usb-c charging, side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and CHOICES 🙂

  • Hardware – Reverse wireless charging
    Software – Customization/app drawer, probably one of the main reasons I dont see myself ever going to iOS

    • After going from the Note 10+ to the S22 Ultra, I can attest that not having an SD card slot isn’t that big of a deal.

      • I been told it’s not a big deal it’s just about of the good old days I still want to hold onto

          • I too am now on the S22 Ultra. While I agree that not having an SD card isn’t that big of a deal, it still is so much nicer to have one. When I transitioned to my new phone, it took way more time copying all my files, when in the good old days, I could just take SD card out of old phone, put it in new phone, and 100+ GB worth of data was transferred in under a minute. Also, if the phone ever gets damaged, it’s a lot harder to recover all that data. Removable storage should always be a thing in my opinion.

          • “..it took way more time copying all my files, when in the good old days, I could just take SD card out of old phone, put it in new phone, and 100+ GB worth of data was transferred in under a minute..”

            Agree 100%. Smart Switch took way too long to transfer everything from my old phone.

    • SD card, 3.5mm headphone jack and FM radio is the only reason I use Motorola.

  • Notifications. Android simply does this really really well. Not sure why Apple can’t figure this out.

  • For me, I’m going to have to say NFC. I’m so used to paying with my phone, and even more with my watch, that if I had to dig for my wallet, it would take me a bit. A lot of the time I don’t even take my wallet in with me because there is no need. No NFC would for sure be a step back.

  • After switching from one plus 7t to pixel 6 I would say fast charging 40w +… This phone charges really slow !

  • Android Auto – even though it’s a love/hate relationship. Broken, fixed, broken, etc…

  • Definitely the Always on display.

    It’s something you never really think about but having the time, notification icons, date, battery, and even the weather be immediately visible is such a huge convenience. Especially when its on my Pixel stand at night.

    Even the controversial Pixel 6 big clock is so useful to me because it doubles as a massive “no notifications” banner that I can see across the room.

    • Yes! I also love that a quick tap of the AOD and I can see the live scores from my favorite teams!

  • There are three apps that aren’t available on iOS: B-Folders; Podcast Addict and Note Everything. They are essential to me and as long as there are no IOS versions, I won’t consider anything but Android. That plus the fact that I want the phone to look like I want it to look, not the way some super-cool designer at One Infinite Loop thinks it should look.

    • I ditched Note Everything as soon as Keep came out. The only thing I miss about it is being able to lock notes. Curious as to why you’re still using it.

      • I now use Keep a lot more than Note Everything, but it lacks the encryption Note Everything has. (I don’t think Note Everything is compatible with later Android versions, however, so I’ve actually ported a lot of that stuff over to B-Folders, which is encrypted).

    • Love Podcast Addict, my whole podcast listening is automated (download, listening queue, cleanup), saves me so much time.

  • Being able to swipe in from the right edge of the phone screen to go back. It’s a little thing but I use it all the freaking time and it’s so natural to me that I truly miss it wherever I’m on an iPhone.

      • Oh yeah, I know. 🙂 I’ll use that when I’m on an iPhone but I much prefer being able to swipe from the right side instead.

    • I ended up disabling gestures mainly because of that. So many times I’ve just wanted to scroll left or right within the app and I end up going back which sometimes exits the app completely. I have configured it with the smallest swipe zone possible.

    • Same, it’s such a mess I don’t even bother looking to see what important, I just clear all – which only clears the slightly older ones (???) and then I have to manually swipe the rest.. Super super annoying.

  • I like the Pixel features like call screening and now playing. For most overrated feature I would pick “adaptive battery” because it doesn’t have ANY impact on battery life.

  • If I had to pick one “Android” feature, it would be its open nature, primarily because it allows for the existence of apps like Tasker. Unfortunately, Google has been whittling away at that openness for years.

  • For me it’s mostly in the OS. Customizability, a proper searchable filesystem within the phone and from a PC/Mac, ability to sideload apps, Samsung Dex, Google Everything integration (would be hard to leave the ecosystem, so won’t be switching to Apple ever), Open source development, OTG compatibility with pretty much every USB device and Type C docking stations, the list goes on…

    • there are games i played with my family on older phones (downloaded from play store) that aren’t available in the store anymore when i get a new phone. so i know what you mean.

  • Live Transcribe is something I don’t think I can live without. If the Pixel phones didn’t have it or if it was more widely available I don’t think the Pixel will be worth it.

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