iOS 6 vs Android ICS 4.0

Too often, every time Apple introduces a new product causes a stir and boasts about the awesomeness of their gadgets. We wouldn’t want to be branded as Apple haters, because we easily admit that some of their products may be nicer and cooler (and by the way, more expensive) than Android’s. Likewise, it shouldn’t strike anyone that we also like to highlight Android virtues and remark that top notch Androids have absolutely nothing to envy to any i-whatever around.

Anyway, iOS 6 was shown not so long ago, and there were already those who claimed that the advent of a new i-messiah had come. It’s sad, but it’s kinda the same deja vu over time. Therefore, even though iOS has made great efforts and has improved a lot of things, credit should go where credit is due. It’s obvious we love Android, but we’ll try to be as sincere and straightforward as we can.

To do so, let’s talk about Siri, who seems to be learning languages at last (though not before fall). It’s undeniable that Siri’s engine works bad, but Android alternatives work worse, and in the end everything is still in beta-land and it’s a service neither iOS nor Android users make use of it. However, Google and Android developers (do you remember Iris, Everfriends, Skyvi and even Andy?) work on voice and speech recognition started a lot of years earlier, since nearly the very first version of Android, and it was oriented to cover the more languages the better instead of focusing on English. Of course, English users won’t mind of it at all, but the rest of the world besides will do.

Apple Maps proofs that Apple is dying to break Google hegemony on that topic and to banish any Google trace from Appstore. The new Apple’s map app includes 3D views and step by step GPS…and only for iPhone 4S and iPad 2. Wow. As you should have already noticed, these are features any Android has since the Late Cretaceous, complemented by Street View and voice recognition so cops can’t fine you for handling your device while driving. Perhaps this maps-issue is where the conceptual differences between Apple “we do expensive gadgets” and Google “we give away everything for free” are more obvious.

iOS 6 allows Facebook integration, which sums up to the last update Twitter integration. Great. In any Android, we can share our stuff through any app that allows so on our phone, and there’s no need to have ICS on it. Utterly,iPhones are not for sharing a thing. Of course, every app has its own ways to share records or whatever, but it had to be a little bit gloomy to not be able to share a pic from our gallery via Facebook, hadn’t it?

This was a good moment to talk about the beauty and wonder of Ping, but Ping rests in peace at last. In case you didn’t know, Ping was a social network linked to iTunes. However, we haven’t ever met anyone who had signed up to it.

One of the most acclaimed iOS6 new features is the chance of setting automated SMS whenever we receive a call from a certain contact. Besides voice mails were invented back in the 70s and SMSs are dying out, it’s true that this is something that our beloved ‘droids don’t do by their own. You have to look for and install apps that do it instead, so here’s a point for Apple.

Breaking news: there won’t be any need to type your password to update apps in iOS 6. Congratulations, this was unexpected.

Videocalling will be the battlefield where smartphones fight in the near future. iOS 6 brings Facetime, at least available for 4S and iPad 2. Is there a conspiracy to withdraw all old models from the world as if they have never been sold? On our side, Google launched video support for GTalk time ago and it’s a matter of time that video hangouts are available in G+, not to mention that Skype and Tango are as good alternatives as any other else. In the end, they all work as good or as bad the network and your data plan work.

Apple has launched Passbook, their version of G’s Wallet. People who have tested it tell that it’s far better the Apple version rather than Google’s. It’s true that improving Google payment service is nothing to write home about, but if there will be a big difference between Appstore and Google Play, it will be this. Point for Apple’s boys, whose app allow to make reserves and it seems it will be oriented to a much wider audience.

Safari! Yes, Apple’s browser has been updated and now it…it…well, we have almighty Chrome and many others -and even better- on our side. I have in mind Dolphin, Boat and Opera, but there are tens of excellent browsers for free. If Safari does something Chrome can’t (which is not the case), we are pretty sure that there will be who will do so. In addition, Safari’s new feature to read articles offline is something most Android do by default and, if not, there are a thousand and one readers able to do so and more.

Regarding emails, Apple introduces a separate tray for important emails. OK, Gmail has that preferent stuff and we can mark favorites, but at least in my opinion it’s an easy yet great idea, and I’m sure that if Google doesn’t get it, someone will. Lastly, iOS 6 brings a “lost mode” to geotrack where your i-toy is. We won’t talk much about it because nearly all manufacturers include one in their devices and there’s Cerberus among many others which are as good as anything an iPhone can bear, if not better.

In short, what we have seen of iOS 6 is great. However, we still think that ICS -and Android as a whole by the way- is better. Nonetheless, we here at AndroidZoom are into Android and this analysis is far from being comprehensive. What is undeniable is that Android staff and Android manufacturers have been working hard on it for many years, and if we have to crudely compare it to Apple to highlight Android virtues, we’ll do.

Peter W. was about to buy an iPhone before he fell in love with his HTC.