Did the iPhone find its match? Will the Google Pixel challenge the iPhone to become something much better?

Oct 31, 2016 17:32 GMT  ·  By

Slow update cycles, malware, OS not optimized to the hardware and bloatware. These are the main complaints when it comes to Android smartphones. You can blame Google, the carriers or the hardware manufacturers, but you can never find a solution for all of the problems. 

Until now. Google Pixel is the iPhone equivalent of the Android ecosystem: one phone to rule them all, made by Google and running the latest and greatest Android version. There are quite a few ways the Google Pixel will push Apple and the iPhone forward, and we are here to discuss all of them.

Hardware copycats

Hardware-wise there is nothing much to say, besides the fact that Google copied the iPhone in great details. We've got two phones with the same screen sizes as the iPhone, the same antenna lines on the back, and a TouchID button awkwardly moved to the back of the device.

Even the chin of the Google Pixel looks like they were left with some space below the software buttons and there was no way to hide it or skip it.

This is not something new. Samsung, HTC and other manufacturers have copied Apple products years in a row. The fact that Google did not invest in R&D and product design may prove to be an issue in the future. Both if Apple decides to sue them for stealing the design of the iPhone 6 and because the fruit-named company will move on to a new design and Google's will seem old and unfashionable.

Google Photos versus iCloud

Google is one step ahead of Apple when it comes to cloud storage. And the fact that it offers free unlimited storage for photos and videos (even high-resolution photos and 4K videos) gives it the upper hand in this battle.

There is one catch, though: that unlimited space on Google Photos is only good for photos and videos, unlike iCloud Drive which can store documents, app data and other kinds of files. Also, only files created / taken on Google Pixel can be uploaded.

Even so, Google Photos is an awesome addition to the Pixel. Shortage of cloud storage is a big problem these days and there is no way you can compare "Unlimited" with 32GB of the cheapest iPhone + the 5GB of storage given away for free by Apple with the basic iCloud account.

I don't even want to remember the fact that the same iCloud account is split between an iPhone, an iPad and a Mac for most users and those 5GB prove to be far from enough for the basic back-up needs of a regular Apple user.

Sure enough, Apple can improve in that field. Giving away 5GB for every device connected to an iCloud account is the first step. There were users who requested Apple to match the capacity of the device with the free tier of the cloud storage. For example, if you buy a 32GB iPhone, you also get 32GB of iCloud storage for free. Got a 128GB iPhone? Get the same space on iCloud. This is not something feasible for Apple, as MacBook Pros come in 2TB drives nowadays.

Will this change the way Apple works? If the Pixel sales are good, Apple may consider changing the iCloud policies and offer more for the same price.

Opening iOS to other devices or restricting Android to the Pixel

How would you feel if Android were restricted to the Pixel or whatever the Google flagship phone is called? No competitors by Samsung, HTC, Huawei, or others. Fortunately, this will not happen anytime soon, because Google is not only in the business of selling the Operating System, but they want to be everywhere to gather data and display ads.

Google will always have a larger user base for Android. Their problem would be to push the manufacturers, carriers and users to be on the last OS version. And that can prove impossible with cheap hardware coming from low-end manufacturers.

Will this change the way Apple works? We know for sure that there will not be iOS on non-Apple hardware, but their apps may find a way to work on Android. And I am talking especially about iMessage and FaceTime.

Apple Stores and the promise of "privacy"

Google has two downsides when it comes to promoting its products. Apple has Stores and everyone can play with an iPhone before they buy it. Trying to decide between the Black and the Jet Black finish can be a challenge for some users, and doing that in the Apple Store makes a world of difference.

Google relies on carriers' stores to promote the Pixel and we all know how motivated the employees can be when it comes to a phone. The pixel is only available in the United States and can be purchased only in Verizon Stores and Best Buy.

Will Apple take advantage of that? Well, they already do that now.

There is one other aspect of this story worth mentioning, the one related to the privacy, and I left this one at the end for a reason. Google has to convince users they will not collect information in order to use it for Ads and other nefarious purposes.

Apple has taken the "privacy" route a couple of years ago and they are already running with it. Having a personal assistant (Siri) do all its computations on the device makes a big difference in the eyes of a user. Even the fact that Google Photos will scan all your pictures in order to provide fast and accurate search results, versus the way Apple does that on the device itself, can be a setback for the user.

Will Apple benefit from that? Oh, you can bet they will!