Sigh. Why is it so hard for you to just admit you're wrong on this one particular point?
You've conveniently ignored my point, by focusing on the fact that I said homescreen and not homescreen.
Let me repeat it for you, clearly and succinctly.
On iOS, users have no choice but to have icons for all installed applications displayed on their homescreen(s), only being able to organize them in folders or move to to different homescreens, but not prevent them from displaying.
Androids users are not faced with that restrictions. There is the option of the exact same functionality without ever having to use the app drawer, or you can have only the icons you want on a homescreen and use the app drawer for the rest. I find this far, far more efficient, and even if you disagree on that point, it's nice to have the choice.
For some reason, you consider this added, different functionality as "additional duplication", when this is clearly not the case. It is not duplicated functionality, it's different functionality. The fact that it can behave exactly like the iPhone as well as in a different way should indicate that.
Let me give you an example on how my Android is set up. I have one screen of games, a screen of somewhat frequently used apps, and my main screen has my most frequently used apps, as well as some widgets. I simply can't have this setup on iOS. It is technically impossible.
Oh sure, I can arrange icons in the same way, but then I would have no choice to have additional homescreens with all the other apps I have installed. At the very least, it would be one folder with apps in it making an additional homescreen.
Just to lay this out further, since I expect you to ignore my argument and focus on semantics. On iOS, I could have one homescreen with 20 games icons, not in any folders. I could have a second homescreen, with 20 apps, with no folders. And a 3rd homescreen with 20 of my most frequently used apps.
If that is all that I want and I have more apps installed, well it wont work. If I have 40 apps installed, I would either have to have another 2 homescreens without using folders, or at the very least one additional homescreen with 2 folders or some mix of folders and icons.
That is a technical difference. iOS is unable to give me an option that Android does, while Android offers both methods.