1°) Gesture navigation is entirely optional.

2°) Android followed UX/UI 101 about where to put frequently used buttons: where you can reach them with your thumb. Basic design, right ? Apple iOS: the close/back button is usually on the top left corner, unreachable by right-handed users that only constitutes 90% of people, number about the same in all countries and cultures. That's only one example, but that bag where it comes from is deep.

You should take a few steps back before displaying publicly polarizing opinions and maybe nuance your words a bit.

1) that’s like saying good UX is entirely optional - sure it is but users will still complain

2) disregarding another blatant discrimination of left-handed users: I switch a couple times per week between android and iOS devices for various reasons and the android UX is so janky and unintuitive it hurts - it might just be my particular device and it’s much better in other cases.

This might be extremely polarising but I agree with GP.

> 1°) Gesture navigation is entirely optional.

It is the default on all modern Android flavors and the overwhelming majority (>90%) of users sticks with defaults. It is likely Google is going to deprecate the navigation bar within a couple of Android versions.

> Apple iOS: the close/back button is usually on the top left corner, unreachable

You clearly never used iOS, because you just backswipe. You rarely if ever touch back buttons.

Not that I disagree although you're fighting the wrong fight. The big problem is controls being on the top instead of the bottom. Neither Apple nor Google has attempted to fix this, only Samsung partially has with OneUI. And they can't force developers to adhere to "content top, controls bottom". Ironically enough Apple had this fixed until iOS.. 12? From 7-12, the control center was at the bottom. All they had to was move the notification centre there and figure out a way to make it compatible with a gesture bar.

> right-handed users that only constitutes 90% of people

People tend to one-hand their phone with their non-dominant hand to keep their dominant hand usable.

> You should take a few steps back before displaying publicly polarizing opinions and maybe nuance your words a bit.

I use and develop for both platforms. You just sound like an angry, unknowledgeable fanboy.

Perhaps take heed to your own advice :+)

Edit: if you want an example of something that Android does way better: notification management via notification categories. I get to disable stupid promotional or "typing.." notification categories from an app, whilst maintaining functional ones. iOS should take a page from Android there.