Apple saying Android options years after Google shipped them is a story as previous as time, however that doesn’t make it any much less enjoyable to level out at any time when it occurs. This 12 months’s WWDC felt particularly Android-y — not helped by Siri basically sitting this 12 months’s bulletins out whereas Apple put its new Liquid Glass design language entrance and heart.
The imitation goes each methods: Android is launching its model of iOS’ Dwell Actions and is following Apple’s lead by including extra customization choices to fast settings tiles. Nonetheless, I couldn’t assist noticing a string of latest options from Apple’s the keynote that I’ve undoubtedly seen someplace earlier than. Not that Apple would ever admit to borrowing them.
Name Screening and Maintain Help
Display screen Name dates again to Android 12, and Pixel telephones have supplied a model of the function even longer. Earlier variations required you to manually invoke the function, however on the Pixel 7 and newer you possibly can have it mechanically reply and display screen incoming calls more likely to be spam. Apple’s model launching with iOS 26 picks up mechanically.
Display screen Name is one thing I definitely miss after I transfer from Android to iOS, so so long as it really works fairly nicely, I believe it’s going to be a welcome function on the iPhone.
Maintain help is one other acquainted cellphone function. Google’s model debuted in 2020 on Pixel phones after which began trickling out to the remainder of the ecosystem final 12 months. The function works a lot the identical means as it should on iOS 26: as an alternative of getting to remain on the road and pay attention to carry music, you possibly can put your cellphone down and also you’ll get an alert when a human is able to discuss to you.
It’s tremendous useful! I discover myself being pushed to work my issues out with web-based customer support chatbots greater than on the cellphone recently, however within the uncommon instances after I want to carry it’s normally for an unreasonable period of time. I’ll take it.
Translations! On the cellphone app
Latest Samsung telephones already provide dwell language translation that’s baked into the cellphone app that appears loads like what Apple unveiled this week. They each present real-time, spoken translations from the caller’s language to the recipient’s and vice versa. Don’t anticipate to have a prolonged, nuanced dialog utilizing both of those options, however no less than Samsung’s model is succesful sufficient for its supposed use: brief, transactional exchanges like reserving a desk or a resort room.
In each circumstances, translations prolong to messaging, too. Samsung’s model will provide to tailor your messages to completely different writing types in an effort to keep away from sounding too informal on the improper time. Might turn out to be useful!
Suggesting actions based mostly on what’s in your display screen
Google has been chasing the entire “utilizing contextual consciousness to floor info” for the reason that daybreak of time — or no less than since 2012. Identical with looking what’s in your display screen, courtesy Google Lens. Within the generative AI period, this has prolonged to Circle to Search, which makes use of intelligence to attempt to higher establish what it’s you’re trying to find. Now, Apple is providing a model of this based mostly on screenshots.
On telephones with Apple Intelligence, you’ll see some new choices whenever you take a screenshot. If there’s a time and date on the display screen, it’ll recommend making a calendar occasion. You can even circle, er, spotlight one thing on display screen to seek for it.
Apple’s model all the time begins with a screenshot, which is intelligent. People who find themselves unaware of the brand new function will doubtless discover it pop up in a spot they’re already accustomed to. Google’s Circle to Search requires distinctive navigation, normally double tapping the deal with on the backside of the display screen. Personally, I’m nonetheless coaching myself to make use of that gesture slightly than simply opening a brand new tab and typing out a search in Chrome. I doubt I’m alone.
Tabbing between picture and video recording within the digital camera app
iOS 26 shakes up the digital camera app UI by hiding many of the taking pictures modes by default besides for 2: picture and video. The remainder seem whenever you scroll to the left or proper, so you possibly can nonetheless discover your portrait or panorama choices. However the easy video / picture dichotomy calls to thoughts the toggle between these two choices on Pixel telephones.
Within the Pixel digital camera app, it’s a standalone toggle, so it’s all the time in attain it doesn’t matter what mode you’re taking pictures in. However I admire that each choices put this core performance entrance and heart. And hey, if you wish to flip your common picture right into a panorama, you possibly can all the time use AI after the very fact. Proper??