5 iPhone Features That Stop Me From Switching to Android

People are often torn between Android flagships and iPhones when they’re in the market for a new phone, but I always pick the latter. And that’s mostly because of these five iPhone features that I’d miss if I ever switched.

1 Apple’s Continuity Features

The allure of Apple devices has always been about how things work. At the backbone of this impression is Continuity, a set of features that leverage iCloud to enable seamless sync across Apple devices and let you enjoy the Apple ecosystem to the fullest.

You can start an action on your Mac and pick it up—right where you left off—on your iPhone or iPad. You can pair your AirPods with your iPhone only to find it ready to work with your Mac as well. Additionally, features like AirPlay, Universal Control, iPhone Mirroring, and more make it easy to work, play, or relax.

In my case, apart from the features I’ve mentioned above, the ability to answer and make calls or send messages without being limited to my iPhone and nifty add-ons like Universal Clipboard have made it challenging to switch to Android devices.

2 The Shortcuts App for Automation

Having a set routine helps me keep on top of tasks and takes away some of the headaches that come with planning activities. Not to forget, following a routine is one of my favorite things. With automation—enabled by the Shortcuts app—my iPhone makes things much simpler for me.

To pick an example from my day-to-day, I frequent the gym and use a stopwatch to track the length of my sets. While my Apple Watch is normally responsible for this, I also use my iPhone occasionally.

However, accessing the stopwatch wasn’t straightforward; I have the Control Center disabled when my iPhone is locked, and the Clock app sometimes needs a touch too much. To solve this, I set up a customized Lock Screen with a stopwatch shortcut, so as soon as I’m near my gym, the automation I’ve set up runs and changes my Lock Screen.

This is just one simple example: there’s a lot more the Shortcuts app can do, and while it’s possible to do this on a Samsung phone, not every Android device offers this capability.

3 The Dynamic Island

The Dynamic Island is a hardware feature on modern iPhones that makes information available at a glance. And you can interact with it if required. Many apps that support Live Activities take advantage of this hardware implementation.

In my case, Dynamic Island acts as an informative yet easy-to-access button for live timers, match scores, and food deliveries. During my recent trip to Japan, it even showed helpful information like the number of stops I needed to ride on the subway before getting off or looking for a transfer.

It saves the hassle of swiping between apps or pulling down the Notification Center for information, and a simple, quick tap on it takes me directly into the full-blown app to make any required changes. Overall, it’s a non-intrusive and valuable way to use the top portion of my iPhone’s display and keep tabs on activities.

4 Apple CarPlay’s Reliability

Driving to a faraway location you’ve never visited can be a task because you need to figure out navigation and ensure you have the right music for the drive. Apple CarPlay makes this part of the commute a very simple affair.

Simply connecting my iPhone to the car brings up all my compatible apps and settings. I don’t need to set up anything from scratch; I can plug in and go. This reliable design of Apple CarPlay, which mimics my iPhone and makes my most used apps easy to access, is a great value add.

And while Siri isn’t the smartest assistant around, I do think it’s the most reliable when it comes to completing straightforward tasks like media control, calling people, and sending messages. I’ve faced a lot of difficulty using Android Auto, with Google Assistant just choosing to ignore commands or being extremely unresponsive.

5 Apple’s Siri Implementation

Using a keyword to access a smart assistant isn’t unique to Apple, but what makes it stand out is the accuracy with which it works. “Hey Siri” or just “Siri” are the default prompts on Apple devices to access the voice assistant, and my experience with using this has been stellar.

The prompts work over the sound of tap water, loud music playing on the iPhone, you name it. I’ve never been able to replicate this on an Android device, and with how frequently I turn to Siri—and how much more this may increase with the introduction of Apple Intelligence—I can’t leave it behind.

The Apple ecosystem is full of nifty little features like this that make life a bit easier. However, competition leads to progress, and many Android device makers are catching up with their implementations. While I’m sticking with my iPhone for now, I can’t wait to see what shows up on the other end of the smartphone realm in the coming years.