Apple’s recently unveiled iOS 8 mobile operating system has many interesting features, including some new tricks that have been available on a certain competing platform long before the iPhone maker found a way to implement them. Ars Technica has detailed as many as 12 features that have already been available to Android users long before Apple brought them to iOS 8.
Some of these Android inspirations are more obvious than others, including the new QuickType typing suggestions in iOS 8, Apple’s support for third-party keyboard applications, the “Hey, Siri” hotword for always-on listening features, the limited Widgets support in the Notification Center, the battery stats shown in iOS 8’s Settings, actionable notifications, and the improved photo backup in iCloud.
Developer-oriented features, like the ability of uploading an app video in the App Store or to offer app beta tests to customers will also sound familiar to Android users.
Others may be less recognizable, such as the app intercommunication feature that lets iOS apps “talk” to one another. Also, the streaming voice recognition that Siri will support – each word of a phrase will be sent to Apple’s servers rather than the whole phrase – and the CloudKit support that will offer various server-related features to app developers may not be as obvious to Android users.
Regardless, Google has had similar Android tools in place for some time.
For a thorough comparison between Google’s Android features that may have inspired Apple to come up with its own alternatives, and the differences between them, check out Ars’ detailed coverage by following the source link below.
Meanwhile, here’s which iOS 8 features a hardcore Android fan wants to see Google steal in its next Android update.
