The Apple vs Google debate carries on apace, spurred on by WWDC 2012 and Google I/O. The introduction of Apple’s iOS 6 and Android’s 4.1 Jelly Bean, with their new products, improved features and other surprises has only divided users more. Both giants announced some drastic changes to products and OSs, but can Google oust Apple from the top spot? The folks over at MacLife have highlighted a couple of important points regarding both mobile platform updates. Let’s take a look at the most talked about features and how they stand against one another:
Voice Recognition (Winner: Google)
Apple introduced Siri last year. Siri took some flack for not delivering what the Zooey Deschanel ads promised, and so Google’s jumping into the fray. Voice recognition has been part of Google’s tech for a while, but it’s having a well-needed, and possibly even appreciated – overhaul.
Google’s VR can work even when offline, which means users can dictate an email or text message. The phone can also respond to search enquiries and receive map directions. If the phone has poor connectivity, more features will be available than when offline. Google’s also improving functionalities for existing languages and is adding 18 new ones as well as support for Braille.
Apple-wise, Siri is coming to the iPad. Improvements in “eyes free” maps, like turn-by-turn navigation for some car models, as well as info on sports, restaurants, films and FB/Twitter apps means Siri has moved on and up.
Google Wallet/Passbook (Winner: Google)
In the 1990s, if someone wanted to listen to music, talk to someone ,take a few photos, watch a film or shop they’d have to cart a lot of baggage around. Now we only need a smartphone. Near Field Communication (NFC) has been around in Japan for years and lets users pay using their mobile phone. This tech was released in the US a while back and was implemented by Google Wallet shortly after. It’s still not mainstream, though, but Google is rolling the app out in the Nexus 7 and the Nexus Q.
Apple’s hoping to beat Wallet with Passbook. Passbook lets users store digital boarding passes, film tickets, loyalty cards and coupons. However, it’s not NFC-supported, so it’s good for everyday activities but won’t be replacing your wallet just yet. Apple’s coming up behind Google rapidly, here, though, and if there’s a brand that can convince people to swap their wallets for an app, it’s Apple.
Maps (Winner: Google)
In an attempt to rid its phones of Google Maps, Apple has created its Maps app. Most of Apple Maps is similar to the new Google Maps, though. Apple features spoken navigation, Flyover (a souped-up version of Google Earth) and a local search of businesses and Yelp reviews. Both help with traffic, adjusting your route according to time and traffic conditions, whether you’re in a car or on public transport.
Google has the edge as it lets you use maps offline and its interactive view has Compass Mode, which acts like a virtual tour inside local businesses.
“Call You Later” (Winner: Draw/Apple)
Both Google and Apple are putting what amount to text message versions of busy signals into their operating systems to help save users time and make everyday tasks easier. Google has revamped its already impressive notification features by letting users send preset email responses to calendar invites from the notification window. These messages can explain lateness, or send a round robin to other attendees.
Apple goes one better. When declining a call, users can send preset texts and set an alarm that reminds them to return the call when convenient. While this is impressive, many Android devices like Samsung phones already have this ability built into TouchWiz. Also, Apple is adding a “Do Not Disturb” toggle to deluminate and silence phones during sleep hours. If someone’s calling repeatedly, as in an emergency, these calls will get through, though. We don’t think an app exists for Android phones to do this so it looks like Apple is ahead here. Looking at all these updates however, Google’s UI is still the best, but Apple’s is more versatile.
App Stores (Winner: Apple)
Google’s Play got a big revamp in March, and it’s still offering users more and more. Users can buy movies and TV shows now, rather than just rent them – although Apple has offered this for a while. Google is the world’s largest e-book seller, and it’s always striving to offer users good film-viewing experiences on their mobiles (there are no current stats on how many people watch films on Android devices, though). Google has announced that users have downloaded more than 20 billion apps from Play’s list of 600,000, but this is still a far cry from Apple’s numbers.
Apple’s having a bit of a re-model in iOS 6, making functionalities better by syncing all iCloud items and making it more convenient to buy music and so on without leaving the app in use. Even without these improvements it’s hard to beat Apple here, as it’s simply had longer to develop than Google.
Hit the source link for MacLife’s full take on the Apple vs Android battle and whether iOS 6 or Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is ahead.
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