Android N Brings Features Not Found on iOS

Android N is bringing plenty of new features to the table, but not all of them are exclusive to Google’s platform. Some of them have been straight up “borrowed” from other operating systems, including iOS. However, there are a handful of features that you can’t get through Apple’s platform, and here are some of the best.

Google didn’t devote a whole lot of time to talking about Instant Apps, which is funny considering how revolutionary it is. With Instant Apps, users can try apps in the Google Play store without purchasing or even downloading them. How great is that? No more being disappointed when an app is nothing like you expected.

The Doze feature debuted with Android Marshmallow and it’s proven to be an effective way to preserve battery life. The way it works is any time your phone is motionless (so any time you set it down), it can go into a dormant state in which it’s still powered on, but using minimal battery life. Android N introduces Doze on the Go, which puts your phone into that dormant state any time the screen in off, whether the phone is in motion or not.

Top that off with Project Svelte, which prevents apps from waking up whenever your phone’s network connection status changes, and you have a nice battery-saving tag team.

The term “background system updates” should elicit a sigh of relief from anyone who’s used a smartphone for years. System updates are crucial, but they also render your phone unusable while they download and install, making them a massive pain in the neck. With Android N, updates download in the background and install when you reboot your phone.

And then finally there’s virtual reality with Google Daydream, which gives developers a platform to build for use with both headsets and controllers.

Android N! The N stands for “neato,” probably.