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Five iOS 8 features stolen from Android and others

Apple’s new iOS 8 packs in loads of great features, but a fair few of them give us serious deja vu. Here’s the top five features that iOS 8 steals from Android and other smartphones…

Feature 1 – Keyboard

In iOS 8, the QuickType keyboard offers up word prediction based on context and can even change the suggestions it makes based on whether you’re texting or emailing.

These are great features to have, but they’re far from original. Take SwiftKey for example, which suggests words as you type and puts three dynamic options right above the keys. Uncanny.

Google also adopted the concept, so now every Android phone sports a native keyboard with predictive capabilities out-the-box.

Feature 2 – Camera manual controls

With iOS 8, Apple is finally adding new manual controls to the camera experience. The new photo tools include everything from a timed shutter to manual focus, exposure and ISO control.

But Nokia and other manufacturers have been delivering excellent manual controls to users for years now. The best example is probably Nokia’s Camera app, with its smooth pull-out dial-based controls.

Still, Apple’s Time Lapse feature still looks pretty awesome…even if it has already appeared on Asus’ Zenfone smartphones.

Feature 3 – Continuity

A big part of the new iOS experience is the continuity. Once you stagger home from a long day of work, you can respond to incoming calls and texts via your Mac, and keep working on your mobile documents.

This might be ringing a few dozen plagiarism bells for Android users. There are already great apps out there like MightyText, which lets you manage your messages and even check up on battery life via your computer. And Moto X owners have Motorola Connect, which does a great job of relaying phone information and messages.

Number 4 – Siri’s new skills

Siri’s been learning a few new tricks in the run-up to iOS 8, but has she been playing with rival assistants to get her ideas?

For a start, there’s her brand new song recognition abilities. Google Now, Siri’s arch nemesis, has been playing ‘spot that track’ for ages, and even Cortana already offers a Shazam-style song recognition service.

And then there’s the ability to launch Siri with just your voice, particularly handy when driving. Again, this is a feature we’ve seen a few times already, most notably on the Moto X, with the ‘OK, Google’ command.

Number 5 – Messages

Apple has finally updated the iMessage service, letting users fire voice and video clips to each other. Of course, comparisons with similar services like Whatsapp are completely inevitable. Whatsapp has boasted audio clip messaging and video recording for quite some time, and it makes sense that iMessage apes these features to avoid looking old and creaky.

Are there any other iOS 8 features that are blatant rip-offs? Let us know in the comments below.

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