5 ميزات «جديدة» في نظام التشغيل iOS 26 يعرفها مستخدمو Android

Apple has introduced new and eye-catching features in the upcoming iOS 26, but Android users will recognize them immediately. Here’s the comparison. The annual Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) witnessed the first major redesign of iOS since 2013, showcasing stunning previews of the Liquid Glass design in iOS 26 and its AI-powered features. Sometimes, Apple takes its time adding new features to its devices, but when it does, it often results in a carefully considered redesign of a familiar theme. Let’s take a look at some ways Apple excels and how it surpasses its Android counterpart.

1- Call Screening and Hold Assistance

Apple's new "Call Screening" feature automatically answers unknown numbers in the background and converts caller responses into instant text. The hold assistant mutes hold music during the call and notifies you when a representative returns.

It’s a sleek feature, but Android has mastered it since 2018. Google’s Call Screen package features a "Call Screening" option that first appeared on the Pixel 3. This feature filters spam calls before they ring and provides instant transcripts. The "Hold for Me" feature emerged in 2020, using Duplex AI technology to wait silently on hold. Apple’s version adds precise voice detection, but the core idea of reclaiming time from telemarketers is a well-known feature on Pixel phones.

2- Spam Detection

iOS 26 directs suspicious messages to a dedicated "Unknown Senders" folder, keeping them out of the main news feed. These messages remain silent and will not appear as notifications until explicit approval is obtained.

However, Google’s Messages app introduced spam message filtering on-device by 2018. Google took it a step further by warning about spam calls and automatically filtering them within the phone app. We haven't even touched on Google's latest addition of real-time fraud detection during phone calls using on-device AI, which seems like pure magic. Apple’s take on this feature is a great start, but it doesn’t match the efficiency of the tool that Android has developed for nearly a decade.

3- Live Translation

The live translation feature in iOS 26 instantly translates speech and text across messages, FaceTime, and calls. Even AirPods translate aloud during conversations. It’s seamless and incredibly useful in the right situations. Android has offered this feature since 2021, when Google’s live translation service launched on the Pixel 6, with offline translation capabilities for over 20 languages. This was followed by the integration of Pixel Buds, allowing users to hear translations directly through their earbuds. Back in 2017, Google introduced this feature with the first generation of Pixel Buds, leveraging Google Assistant for instant translation. Apple’s live translation feature is sleek and important, but the underlying technology reflects what Android has excelled at for years.

4- Visual Intelligence

Apple's visual intelligence now extends to screen content, enabling users to identify elements in screenshots or draw them for search across apps. With it, users can do things like identify a jacket in a social media post or a unique vase in a picture.

If this sounds familiar, you may have heard of Android's fantastic "Google Lens" feature, which is one of Android's standout features. This feature was first launched in January 2024, allowing users to select an item on the screen or simply tap it to initiate a visual search. This feature works across all apps, and unlike Apple’s app, it doesn’t clutter your photo album with screenshots.

5- Genmoji and Image Playground

The Genmoji app allows users to combine emojis into a dynamically created image alongside text prompts to create custom stickers. However, since 2020, Android devices have offered a mix of emojis, with Gboard's Emoji Kitchen providing pre-designed combinations for messaging apps. The Android version lacks the instant generation feature but still includes over 100,000 combinations. Gboard also introduced sticker creation using AI in Pixel Studio since 2024. While Apple’s AI-driven customization is more flexible, the core idea of remixing emojis for messaging is not new.

One more thing: Liquid Glass

Perhaps the most notable thing Apple introduced was the unveiling of Liquid Glass technology, a design language that blends futuristic aesthetics with familiar elements. While the transparent icons and glass-like layers of iOS 26 are impressively polished, this hasn’t stopped Android enthusiasts from drawing similarities to icon packs from the early 2010s Android era. Third-party launchers like GO Launcher and ADW offered icon packs and themes that closely resemble the aesthetic Apple is aiming for this time, even if Apple’s attempt is far more advanced in execution and refinement.

Overall, the philosophy of Liquid Glass closely resembles Google’s Material Design, which aims to unify digital interfaces by mimicking elements of the real world. Apple strives to make anything "purely digital look natural and alive" by leveraging the physical properties of VisionOS, with contextually changing icons across surfaces.

Google has focused on tactile surfaces and adaptive designs since the first launch of Material Design in 2014. A major update called Material 3 Expressive, which will launch with Android 16 later this year, enhances this spirit by integrating bold, customized interfaces with physics-inspired motion and real-world materials. Both updates aim to humanize interfaces while taking different paths to achieve that.

Many of Apple’s innovations at this year’s WWDC are staples of the Android system, with a reimagining of their artistic touches, but the competition is heating up. With the launch of Liquid Glass in iOS 26 and Material 3 Expressive in Android 16 just months apart, both platforms are striving to achieve similar goals: vibrant user interfaces.