Google vs Apple

If you often read my posts, you know that I eagerly await the next generation of smartphones and tablets. When the next iPhone 5 and iPad 3 will come out (supposedly around mid-2012), I will do my best to compare both with their equivalent on the android's side, with Samsung hardware (probably). Then, I will buy my first tablet, and my first smartphone. Yes, I still have one of these old cell, but I don't care, since I do about 5-10 minutes of talking and 0 text messages.

I also don't really care about the specs, except the basic ones (like resolution and IO jacks). By the way, we're finally at a time when the resolution of small gadgets is at its maximum. Even when looked at very close, a 500dpi screen will not need more resolution - the human eyes will not see it. Finally, the companies will be able to concentrate on other points.

What I want is user-experience, and a flawless interaction between the applications. I think both Apple and Google do that well. People may tell me that Google's applications are not user-friendly, but I never had any problem using them. So for the last few months, and until the new devices appear, I gave and took back points to these companies.

My interest changes back and forth between the two companies, and will probably be settled for a long time once I make up my mind and buy the devices.

I already use a lot of Google's web applications. I also like how they have a vision, especially concerning the user interface. They sometimes make decisions that are counter-intuitive, but these may well become the next interfaces if they play their cards right.

I also like how Apple brings everything together. It's like a whole family of products. Everything is user friendly and intuitive. Google is available on many mobile brands, so there's a bit more research to do if you want the best hardware.

You pay for Apple, and you get ads with Google. I can't decide which is better. I prefer to buy, for example, an app, that has a one-time cost. If I have to pay every month, it can get expensive very quickly, so for a service, I'd go with ads. If the company does its job well, it can have a service at a very low price, and I'll be interested in it. Netflix, for instance, costs 8$ per months to watch movies. That's a pretty low cost, considering that the alternative of getting cable can easily cost 25$/month.

Storage on the cloud is very different, though. You have a 5GB storage on the iCloud (Apple), and can pay 20$ per year for an additional 10GB. With Google, you ahve a mixed amount of storage depending on the application, and can pay 20$ per year for 80GB. That's a huge difference that Apple will have to address. You can get an external storage provider, for example dropbox, but it's 10$ per month for 50GB, so even more expensive than Apple.

Apple has more users, but only because it's been there longer. Google is rising, and is the top provider in all the world except North America. Also, Apple has a very good reputation, and reportedly has a very good customer support. Their clients are loyal.

One thing is for sure: this will be a tough decision.