Here are five of my favorite Android features that Samsung and Google are ignoring

It’s no secret that the Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel brands attract a lot of attention from the media and Android fans. There are several reasons for this, including better software update support than the competition and a greater selection of exclusive hardware and software features. For those in North America, these are the two biggest Android brands left.

While it is true that Samsung and Google have many exclusive features, they are not the only ones. Below are a few features that both brands completely miss or don’t do well, all of which I’d love to see come to more devices.

Even though fast charging is very common these days, we don’t all have the same idea of ​​what it means. Phone brands tend to be more conservative in the US. At the highest level, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra offers 60W charging, while the Pixel 11 Pro family reaches 45W.

At these speeds, the Ultra takes about an hour to fully charge, while the Pixel 11 Pro takes less than two hours. It’s interesting that these are updates for both brands, as Samsung and Google have maintained about half this speed for years compared to their competitors.

It’s hard to find phones above the 30–60W range in the US, but there are exceptions. For example, the now poor OnePlus 15 takes about 40 minutes to fully charge thanks to 80W charging. Outside of the US, this limit is even higher. HUAWEI, Xiaomi and OPPO all offer phones capable of charging at 120W or in some cases even higher.

This type of technology is less commonly sold in the US because it requires proprietary charging standards and can put more strain on the battery. That said, it’s certainly possible, and these supercharging methods are more efficient and less harsh on battery life than before.

If you’re old enough to have lived through the early days of Android, you know that IR blasters were once pretty common. I remember having an Android midranger with an IR blaster, which was great because my only child at the time kept losing the remote, which allowed me to get around it.

Most devices equipped with an IR blaster in 2026 are imported or low-end products, but there are a few flagship-level options. For those in the US, the OnePlus 15 was once again special. Other markets, such as Europe, also have options like the Xiaomi 17.

IR blasters are pretty rare these days, but I find them very useful. IR blasters can’t control some older TVs, sound systems, and media players, and they can also work with AC devices that use IR signals. If you live in a place with brand new electronics, an IR blaster may not be necessary in 2026, but it can still be useful. Pair the IR blaster with an app like Google TV and you’ll no longer need a physical remote.

Most Android apps are single-user, so if you’re using two accounts, you’ll need to log out of the app. One solution is to clone the application. While Samsung technically allows app cloning, there are very strict restrictions.

You have two cloning methods with Samsung. Secure Folder can be used to clone almost any app, or you can use Dual Messenger mode for certain social media apps. If it’s possible, why list this as a missing feature in the Pixel and Samsung worlds? It all depends on implementation.

With Samsung’s Secure Folder method, you can clone almost any app, but the clone works in a very limited sandbox. The cloned app will have its own isolated storage and will not have access to the main gallery, downloaded files or other data. Cloned apps often have delayed notifications and can’t communicate with out-of-pocket apps like password managers or authentication apps.

In contrast, Xiaomi’s second space creates a completely separate user profile at the operating system level. Instead of tapping a folder in your profile, like Samsung, you’ll have a second lock screen with PIN or fingerprint security. You can even customize this second home space with completely custom apps, wallpapers, and more. you can customize.

Those who want to keep private or confidential apps in a secondary space will appreciate that notifications work normally when logged in, but are completely hidden from another profile. As you can understand, Xiaomi method your apps with system apps, authentications, etc. means it can connect, but you may need to log back in and install some apps first.

If you want Android to have multiple desktop support like most modern PC operating systems, Xiaomi’s Second Space is hard to beat.

Gesture-based controls are nothing new, but Moto Actions takes it all to a whole new level. Instead of relying primarily on software-based methods or existing hardware keys to recognize gestures like the Pixel and Galaxy devices typically do, Motorola uses hardware sensors to detect motion. This allows for much more complex gestures that are more difficult to pull off on other devices, such as cropping and twisting gestures.

Moto Actions lets you activate the camera with a double wrist twist or turn on the flashlight with a double karate move. You can also access messages and more without unlocking your phone. you will find visible ads for viewing. Even better, several gestures are designed for one-handed use. Unlike the Pixel and Galaxy devices, all of this can be done without waking up the display, and in some cases even with gloves or dirty hands.

Ultimately, if you’re looking for faster ways to use your device, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything other than this level.

Google recently introduced a HiLight LED indicator to complement Gemini interactions and provide limited notifications, using pulsing colors to display the top five contacts. It’s safe to say that the feature is surprising out of the box, but even worse, this kind of thing already exists on Nothing phones.

While Google mainly focused on Gemini and treated ads as an afterthought, Nothing’s Glyph takes a different approach. Instead of focusing on Gemini interaction, the Glyph uses an LED-based circular matrix display to reduce screen time and provide more action at a glance.

Not only can Glyph provide app-specific alerts and contact-based notifications, but some of the new Nothing models can also use custom icons for contacts, such as pixelated avatars. Also, caller ID, camera countdown, and more. there is Some of these features are very useful time savers like Moto Actions, but handled differently. Other than that, there are other time wasters like Glyph Toys.

The Glyph Toys feature bypasses the main display and instead offers tools and micro-games that use a micro-LED glyph. This includes a digital clock, battery indicator, stopwatch and basic games like Magic 8 Ball or Rock, Paper, Scissors.

While Glyph isn’t for everyone, it’s a unique feature that no one can match. It’s also a lot more thoughtful than the Pixel’s HiLight feature in its current form.

These are just five features you won’t find on the Pixel or Galaxy devices, but it’s far from an exhaustive list. Did I miss a key feature you’d like to see on Samsung and Google devices? Let us know in the comments.