These are the 10 smartphone features you can't live without

By Mike Stenger 8 hours agoMobile phones

iPhone and Android smartphone features top the list

Why aren't these 10 features in every phone?

Software often takes a backseat to exciting new hardware, but the outside of a phone only tells one side of the smartphone story.

It's also the features inside that can make or break a device. As iOS and Android continue to evolve, we see software and hardware ideas working together more cohesively with every new update.

Not all of their innovations are well-marketed. Too often, they escape the heaps of praise they should receive in place of "pencil-thin" dimensions, premium build materials or rock-bottom prices.

When there's a new device announced nearly every week, it's easy to overlook these subtly more persuasive reasons manufacturers are able to keep customers from jumping ship.

Here are 10 smartphone features you can't live without across Android and iOS: