ios 6 VS ANDROID ICS(FEATURES)

       The old and famous rivalry between Apple and Android got a new rechrge with Apple revealing the the next upgrade to its ios platform called the ios 6. Build with a single motive of beating android in every department possible and eliminating influences of Android on ios, ios 6 is a massive move by the cupportino giant. While Apple claims to be the best, is it capable of beating Android in fields which matter. As a consumer, where should you turn if you plan to buy a smartphone or tablet? Apple? Android? Read on as I compare the top features of ios 6 with their counter parts in ICS and give a verdict on who tastes victory.

ROUND 1- MAPS: Ever since the debut of I-phone in 2007, one icon that was consistent on the phone's home screen was Google Maps. When ios debuted, Apple was not in a position to provide their very own Mapping app and hence with no other choice left had to rely on Google. In the next few years, Apple purchased many Mapping company's to strengthen their ability to provide that very alternative and finally its here- Apple Maps.

             Bundled with siri integration, Turn-by-Turn navigation, 3D flyober mode, Apple seems to have packed a lot of goods. On the other hand, a lack of Street view or similar such mode, no bicycle transist availability, no promise to be accurate outside U.S.A are areas where it takes a beating by Google. At least, Apple has ventured into the unknown and upcoming versions might just make the king habds down.
 WINNER: Android(Google MAPS)- Due to the fact that it provides more options and is much more accurate outside U.S.A

ROUND 2- SOCIAL NETWORKING INTEGRATIONS: Facebook and Apple join hands and fruit of their partnership is full integration of Facebook into ios 6. Apple already has twitter integrated into ios ever since ios 5 and with facebook integration also provided, Apple would win hearts of Social network Addicts.
     
Google on th other hand is also providing facebook integration into ICS but it seems a lot out-dated. Since Google has provided this feature from the Android version 1, it has built a lot of fan-following in this regard already and as a result, android fan-boys won't really switch to ios for this very reason. Yet, Google has to tidy its techniques and provide a better integration option in Android 5.0

WINNER: IOS 6. Its integration is far superior to Android.

ROUND 3-SIRI VS ANDROID: There's no denying that voice command is always a cool feature( if not that practically useful one). More than I-phone 4S, people were excited about Siri when it was debuted last year by Apple. It however was an hit-and a miss since it wasn't that responsive, wsn't able to understand many asiatic languages and also since it required an access to internet even while receiving commands to open a file located on the phone. But apple finally has improved siri to be able to do a lot more things and in much more responsive a way.Also, Siri would now be available on i-pads.


In comparison, Android doesn't provide a universal contender. Samsung has its own S-voice while a dozen other apps are available in the Google play store for those with Android devices from other manufacturers such as HTC. While S-voice beats Siri in terms of responsiveness, siri eventually steals the limelight.

WINNER: Siri- The reason for that is inability of Android to provide a rightful contender. S-voice won't count since its only available for Samsung devices. However a rumored Project Majel by Google might provide some competition to siri with indications that google is working on a voice command app.

ROUND 4: SMART FEATURES: Apart from certain features, a smartphone OS has to be coupled with an array of other minor features which though are not as buzz-worthy as the main features but are extremely important for attracting consumers. Apple with ios 6 has provided some hefty additions to its list of 'side-features' including call rejection by message( which is present on ICS), smart and easier to use photo sharing feature called PhotoShare and a super genius Do not Disturb feature which doesn't disturb you with any calls or message unless you receive 3 or more calls from a number within 5 minutes( Android has no answer to this one)
         
Android on the other hand provides widgets which are absent on ios. Also the ability to create and delete home screens as and when necessary gives android an edge. Also, many features included in ios 6 such as enhanced notification center, facetime over cellular 3g networks, etc already have a competition on Android's side.

WINNER: ANDROID: Since Android still has its bases covered and ios 6 doesn't offer a lot that is not already present in Android.

ROUND 5: APPS IN THE STORE: This is one place where Android doesn't even come close to ios. Apple App store now has more than 650,000 apps with many optimized separately for i-pads and i-pods. Android on other hand has a bit more than 400,000 apps in its Google Play store. While this apps get the job done, many of Android's apps are not optimized completely for tablets and hence Google faces a set-back

WINNER: ios 6(APPLE APP STORE)- Since it has numbers in its favor and also apps optimized separately for separate devices.

    
There you have my comparisons. While it must be noted, that this post wasn't a complete comparison between ios 6 and ICS( I'll do one soon). it was to show how Apple hard work stack against Google. With Android 5.0 Jelly Bean just days aways from its debut, the battle is not over yet. Do comment to put forward your views.

You can read about the Top 10 features of ios 6 here.