It's opt-in, is it not? Phones are very personal devices, and if you don't want yours to be that way, then don't use the feature.
Honestly, the biggest reason I want it is for things that apps aren't allowed to access anyway: a global control on the Springboard to disable WiFi, or change screen brightness, for instance.
Apple has never been a company that believes in opt-in. Rightly or wrongly (and, to be fair, usually rightly), it's a company that believes you having the choice to do something it thinks is dumb is a bad idea.
I haven't thought of the specifics, but I think I'd prefer accessing that from the multitasking view or the pull-down notifications. That way I'm not as interrupted from using my app.
Which Android home screen? Unless you're on a pure Android device, it's the home screen of your manufacturer. Or whichever you downloaded from Google Play.
Honestly, the biggest reason I want it is for things that apps aren't allowed to access anyway: a global control on the Springboard to disable WiFi, or change screen brightness, for instance.