The playful banter between Apple and Android is a tale old as time, and while there are die-hard evangelists on each side ready to start a fight, it is safe to say that Apple and Android have been copying each other for a long, long time and there is nothing wrong with it. Competition is the key to innovation, and both iPhone and Android OEMs have seen a fair share of innovations that have been made from one side to the other. Now, the new iPhone 15 series comes with several notable features or characteristics that are a first for Apple but aren't a first for Android.

That is why we are going to look into some features or characteristics that the new iPhone 15 adopted from Android phones of the past. I understand using the word "adopt" might sound like I am going easy on the companies, but using the word "stole" would only attract negative attention. The new iPhones are stellar across the board, and we are certain that this would allow Android manufacturers to step up their game next year, too.

iPhone 15 has some features that we have been seeing in Android phones since 2015

Now, it is true that when it comes to introducing a new change, Android devices are generally quicker to jump the gun for whatever reason. Apple, on the other hand, does take its time but manages to reach where the competition stands in one way or another.

3D video recording was first introduced in HTC Evo 3D in 2011

Remember HTC? At least I do. My first Android phone was an HTC Desire, and it is the phone that introduced me to the world of rooting and custom ROM. Back in its prime, HTC was making waves with features that people did not even think about. As far as my memory takes me, I believe the HTC Evo 3D was the first phone that introduced 3D video recording. When Apple introduced the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max to offer Spatial Recording, this was my reaction.

Sadly, the HTC Evo 3D and the concept of 3D videos and 3D pictures did not take off back then because of technological limitations. However, Apple's plan with Spatial Recording for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max could actually work, and we could see this feature going mainstream.

USB Type-C first made its debut on Le 1 and Le 1 Max in 2015

This year's biggest "surprise" for a lot of people was the fact that the iPhone 15 comes with a USB Type-C port. This was the first time since 2012 that Apple introduced an iPhone with a connector other than its Lightning port. This is all thanks to the pressure from the EU that Apple finally had to give in and feature USB-C ports on the latest iPhones.

When researching for this, I opened up the archives to find the first Android phone with a USB Type-C port for charging, and to my surprise, I found out that it was not introduced by any mainstream Android brand. It was first introduced in an Android phone by a company called LeEco, and the company released two phones called the Le 1 and Le 1 Max back in 2015. It's sad that the company did not manage to stick around for a long time, but it is fascinating that it took Apple 8 years to shift to USB Type-C with the new iPhone 15 series.

Essential PH-1 was the first to bring a titanium frame to a phone back in 2017

Essential PH-1 was the first Android phone to bring a titanium frame on a smartphone. Honestly, I was really impressed by what Essential had managed to achieve with the device. It was not only one of the best-looking Android devices of its time, but it also had a lot of potential, which I only wish would have lived further. The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max featuring a titanium frame is a step in the right direction.

Titanium is not only stronger than stainless steel, but it is also lighter and has better corrosion resistance properties. Apple choosing this material is the right choice, and we already have been hearing countless rumors that the Galaxy S24 Ultra will also feature a titanium frame.

iPhone 15 Pro Max's new periscope camera first made its debut in a Huawei P30 Pro in 2019

The new iPhone 15 Pro Max is equipped with a periscope zoom camera, which should work better than a standard zoom camera in terms of image quality and detail retention. The feature has been commonplace in most high-end Android phones, including the Huawei P30 Pro, which debuted back in 2019.

With the new periscope camera, you can expect much better pictures from the iPhone 15's optical zoom; the pictures will have much better clarity and detail, as well.

Samsung allowed Bixby button remapping back in 2019

With the Galaxy S8 series, Samsung introduced the Bixby button that would call up its virtual assistant at the press of a button. Soon after release, users found various ways to remap the button to perform their own set of actions, like launching the camera or the app. However, in 2019, the company launched an update that allowed all devices with the Bixby button to have the option to remap. This year, we have seen the Action Button on the new iPhone 15 devices that lets you remap custom actions to it from a set of actions that Apple has predefined.

While this might be a very small change to a lot of you, it is safe to say that Apple knows what the consumers are looking for in terms of the features and what they want. Hopefully, we will see Apple completely phase out the 60Hz refresh rate from its base iPhone 16 models by next year. And who knows, we might see a lot of the new iPhone features coming to Android devices. This is a give-and-take that will continue for years to come, and as tech enthusiasts, we are all for it.