Top 10 Features iPhone 5 Could Steal from Android-based Smartphones

Apple’s iPhone 5, the most-anticipated device of the year, is already facing stiff competition from Android-based smartphones amidst all the rumors. The features mentioned below are at the moment found in different high-end Android handsets that include Google Nexus line smartphones, Samsung Galaxy S2, HTC EVO 3D, and HTC Sensation.

Flash Integration: Apple’s unwillingness to include Flash has taken away the experience of accessing full Flash Web sites, watching Flash videos, or playing Flash games. Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to Web pages. A previous estimation suggested that 95 percent of PCs have it. Adobe, however, claims that 98 percent of U.S. Web users and 99.3 percent of all Internet desktop users have installed the Flash Player. Flash, recently, has been positioned as a tool for Rich Internet Applications.

Expandable Memory Option: Apple users are devoid of the option of using external storage compared to Android-based smartphones. None of the previously released iPhones have featured removable storage, and is probably by design as it helps validate a higher priced model with more memory. The memory card price, however, is falling and Apple could really make use of that fact to compete with the Android handsets.

Near Field Communication (NFC) Facility: Previously, a rumor that Apple will prepare its next iPhone with NFC had gained impetus when Google released Google Wallet, its NFC-based mobile payment feature, in May. It was also said that Apple had revealed in some of the meetings that the company won’t feature NFC on the feature list of the next iPhone. The Independent said that Apple will sacrifice NFC in its next iPhone due to lack of industry standards about the technology.

Computer-Smartphone Adaptability: One of the major features of Android smartphones is that there are a few apps that can be controlled from the computer. The iPhone 4, however, has to be Jailbroken to allow the same. But, anyway, it is not the same as using a separate app that accesses its base functions, similar to the ones used in Android.

Over-The-Air Updates: OTA has become an increasingly important feature as new updates and services come on stream. This has gained importance as mobile phones accumulate new applications and become more advanced every day. The updates are sent out by the carrier and the Internet is needed to receive them. Apple, however, may not introduce such a feature now. Presently, Android devices are updated via OTA method.

4G LTE: Any phone coming with 4G technology has to bear the highest component costs compared to any other smartphone coming without it. The iPhone 5 has very less chances of being 4G LTE compatible. According to industry researcher IHS, 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless chips required for the faster speeds in Thunderbolt cost an extra $39.75. Apple iPhone's minute printed circuit board (PCB) will have to increase in size in order to support the first-generation LTE baseband processor as well as all the supporting chipset. This, however, is in clear contrast to Apple’s plans to deliver a lighter and thinner smartphone.

Battery: Although the iPhone 4 has an amazing battery life, it is still limited. The batteries are also not replaceable. Like every battery ever made, it’s going to lose the ability to hold a charge over time. The fact that previous versions of iPhone did not feature a removable battery means even the iPhone 5 will not have it.

App Integration: Application integration allows users to send messages and files back and forth between systems, transforming the messages and automating the process. The process also provides end-to-end and real-time connectivity between internal applications, existing Web-based applications and other software products. The true benefit of internal application integration is that it allows businesses to computerize and manage end-to-end business processes that involve both human and electronic operations. Apple is yet to showcase anything like this.

Operating System: As Apple unveiled iOS 5 at the WWDC 2011, rumors about changes and improvements in iOS 5 are constantly surfacing. The iOS 5 will now be arriving with iPhone 5, and analysts are saying that Android operating system features are copied by iOS 5. They added that Apple has borrowed a few features from Android, most notably: cloud synchronization, notification center, over-the-air updates, photo sharing and Twitter.

Display Size: With a 4-inch display screen considered ideal for a smartphone, the possibility of Apple featuring a bigger screen seems remote. Apple previously moved its base of operations from Japan to Taiwan in the hope of finding “more cost-effective sources,” and Apple is unlikely to spend so much just to increase the screen size.