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iOS 6 Features That Will Make It Tougher to Sell Android

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Apple announced over 200 new iOS 6 features at WWDC 2012, so it’s not surprising to see that many of the best new iOS 6 features are already available on Android.

In fact, some of the more popular features in Apple’s iOS 6 can already be found within Google’s mobile platform.

Here is a look at features that Apple has included in its new iOS platform and which Google Android users already have had access to in one form or another.

Turn By Turn Directions

With iOS 6, Apple has introduced a new home-baked Maps application that is set to replace the Google Maps app that has come standard on the iPhone and iPad for years.

Apple’s map solution offers turn-by-turn directions, 3D maps, traffic updates, and route recommendations. Thing is, some of these have been built into Google Maps on Android for quite some time now.

In fact, the only new piece of the puzzle are 3D maps which Google announced would be coming to Google Maps at some point in the near future.

Additionally, while this is available for most Android devices, this feature will likely be coming to the iPhone 4S, iPad 3 and the next iPhone only.

New Phone App

Apple has included a new Phone app that allows users to quickly reply or set a reminder when they can’t take an incoming call. This is especially useful for when a call comes in and the user might be busy. A simple swipe brings up a menu that will allow users to help manage phone calls.

This feature is not new to the mobile world. In fact, it has been baked into Android for quite some time now. Android prompts users to do something similar should the user be busy.

Like iOS 6, Android allows users to create reminders or shoot off a quick text if a call is received when busy. It even allows users to pre-write a message for an easy one press response.

FaceTime Over 3G and 4G

Finally, Apple has made FaceTime, its video chat service, available using 3G and 4G. Currently, FaceTime users can only use the service when connected to a Wi-Fi network.

This is something that has been included in Android for quite some time. Google Talk allows users to video chat over cellular networks as does Google+ Hangouts.

So, while this is will be extremely useful to iOS 6 owners, it’s already on Android and has been for quite some time.

Mail VIP

Apple has added something it’s calling “VIP” inside its Mail application. This feature will allow iOS users to select the friends, family and co-workers that are most important to them which will then filter into a separate folder. Emails will also show up as notifications on the lock screen.

Again, this is a fantastic feature but Android has had something similar for quite awhile now in the form of its Priority Inbox.

Priority Inbox does pretty much the same thing as VIP. One thing that is different is that it will automatically determine who your important contacts are. It appears that iOS users will have to input VIP’s manually.

Full Screen Browsing/Browser Sync

One of the new features that Apple is touting in Safari is the ability to look at webpages in full screen mode when turning the iOS 6-powered device into landscape mode.

Indeed, Android already has this feature.

Another Safari feature that Apple talked up today is the ability to sync browser tabs between devices. So, tabs opened up on Safari on the laptop or Mac will appear on the iPhone or iPad.

Chrome for Android Beta, Google’s browser, currently offers the exact same thing.

Facebook Integration

iOS users have been waiting and clamoring for deeper Facebook integration within the operating system ever since Apple baked Twitter into iOS 5. Well, with iOS 6, Apple has delivered.

With iOS 6, iDevice users will be able to easily post to Facebook and share photos with family members and friends.

Thing is, Android has allowed users to do this for quite sometime. Android users can just click the share icon in just about anything and share content on Facebook, Twitter and many other services.

New Photo Stream

The ability to share Photo Streams with friends and family has been a sought after by iDevice owners and Apple has come through in iOS 6.

With iOS 6, users will be able to select individual photos to share with friends who are on iOS 6, OS X Mountain Lion or iCloud. The sharing is instant. Sharing works over cellular and Wi-Fi and it doesn’t count against iCloud storage space.

Google’s Android features something similar in its own social platform, Google+. With Google+, users can elect to share photos with friends inside of their circles, much in the same way as the new Photo Stream.

9 Comments

9 Comments

  1. Andrew

    06/11/2012 at 6:43 pm

    Man, i bet adam is glad that ios 6 is coming to the iPhone 3GS. Ain’t it a miracle!?

  2. Blackhex

    06/11/2012 at 8:57 pm

    I used to have iPhone 4 but have since upgraded to the Galaxy S3 (love it). Apple keep sueing and trying to ban Samsung and HTC, etc. because of features Apple “invented”, yet it seems like all the updates in ios 6 have blatantly been stolen from android? Seriously, Apple. No wonder people are jumping ship.

  3. corwin1681

    06/11/2012 at 9:13 pm

    Lol, looks like apple is finally catching up with 1st generation android, by “inovating” features from android

  4. ausnote

    06/12/2012 at 12:12 am

    apple should should be rename as icopy and isue and a minority isheep still follow them

  5. gustavo gomez

    06/12/2012 at 8:21 am

    The Icopy? it feels like last year’s android. This the lack of innovation Apple is being let behind. It was great three years but now.. Really?

  6. Saif

    06/13/2012 at 3:05 pm

    LOL!

  7. Julio the Android fan

    06/18/2012 at 12:49 pm

    ROTFL… I absolutely love this title of this article. so Google has to be worried that A$ is catching up with them… who would have thought anyone needed turn by turn, Email rules, Photo stream sharing, and FB integration??? I think he numbered all the reasons why I use Android. I think he forgot the fact they are overpriced, tiny 3.2″ screens, and restricted in the way you can customize the UI.

    here is my proposed new title for this article “NEW FEATURES OF iOS6.. oh yeah, and they have been in android for like, forever”

  8. James

    06/29/2012 at 8:03 pm

    Umm… So Apple attempting to catch up to Android will make Android harder to sell? You say that in the header, but then admit that Android has been doing all these new “Features” for a long time (Most for years)… Are you sure it’s going to hurt Google that Apple is playing catch-up? While Apple is playing catch-up, by the time iOS6 is released, Google will have already come out with more (real) innovations in their OS for Apple to copy, patent and try to sue everyone over. Apple is a scumbag of a company and I hope people realize their business model and boycott them. (Copy, patent already-in-use innovations, then sue the people who helped invent it) Oh and one more thing… Fuck Apple and their fanboys

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