Android also has Widgets. And even the plain shortcuts can do various things... you can have shortcuts to do a specific action like play a specific playlist.

Android also has Widgets. And even the plain shortcuts can do various things... you can have shortcuts to do a specific action like play a specific playlist. You can also have an indication (on both Ios and android) with a number or other information... for example, missed messages. Also, on Android you have the ability to use the desktop to pick a specific organization for your applications. You can have your workout programs on one screen, then swipe to work apps. Combining that with widgets, you can have controls for music on your workout screen, and a calendar on your work screen. That's the use of the abstraction, the ability to organize the items into sets for use in tasks and localize them. The app drawer contains all your apps... but if you only had an app drawer, you'd still want to organize it.