Five things Apple can learn from the #madebygoogle event

By Serenity Caldwell
last updated

Google just held its #madebygoogle event, where it announced a slew of new hardware (and a few software improvements, as well). I watched the keynote largely to learn about the company's new smartphone and Home initiatives — it pays to be up-to-date on the competition — but in watching Google unveil its slate of products, I found my mind wandering to Apple.

Competition is good for Apple, as it is for all companies: It forces them to evolve and grow. (Heck, if we're to believe SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, competition is what's eventually going to help put a million humans on Mars.) And it's great for the end-user, who benefits from better devices and better software.

So, in the spirit of competition, here are five areas where Apple could take a page from Google's new hardware and software going forward.

Unlimited free photo and video storage

Last year, Google made waves when it announced free Google Photos storage for "high"-resolution versions of your photos and videos. With its Pixel smartphone, however, Google is taking that a step further: Users will be able to store full-resolution copies of photos and videos for free. I've written in the past about the potential information cost of free services, especially where your personal memories are concerned, but that aside: It's a huge offer from Google to its users, and one that Apple would do well to monitor.

Storage costs money — photo and video storage especially so. But in tying images and video to iCloud, Apple has put backing up your images or using iCloud Photo Library behind a cost barrier. Tech enthusiasts may gripe a bit about paying $1 or $10 to store our images, but we'll still do it; regular people, like my cousin, don't even know why they can't back up or store their photos to the cloud — they only know that they're constantly out of storage.

Apple has both the money and the infrastructure to roll out expanded photos storage, and Google has just put a lot more pressure on the company to do so. I'm not expecting Apple to roll out unlimited free storage, but at the very least, upping the iCloud storage limit from 5GB free to 50GB or 100GB could make a huge difference in how people both take photos and video and back up their phones.

Bring on the 4K/HDR for Apple TV

Though they started as fairly useless high-end features from TV manufacturers, 4K and HDR are quickly becoming mainstream as more content creators and video services offer ready-made content. Netflix and YouTube already offer 4K streams, among other streaming companies, and HDR — which, like the new P3 color space on the iPhone 7 and 4K iMac, provides richer quality and color to video — isn't far behind.

That said, these upgrades are expensive, especially in a small set top box like the Apple TV. Google's new Chromecast Ultra doubled in price to bring 4K support for streaming, and I have no doubt that a similar upgrade would cut into the Apple TV's margins.

Regardless, it's an upgrade that Apple needs to consider for the Apple TV to stay relevant in the streaming world. The iPhone has been able to shoot 4K for two generations and the latest version can shoot in wide color as well; it's a shame that we'll be able to send that 4K video to a Chromecast-connected TV, but not one connected to Apple TV.

An ever-present Assistant in the home

Of course, when Apple updates the Apple TV, it may not be solely to add 4K support: With reports of an Apple smart home on the way in 2017, it's entirely possible the Apple TV will hook into that system to help provide you with a wireless voice-activated assistant. But it's going to have some work to do to catch up with Google's Assistant. Much as I like using Siri, Apple's assistant can prove frustrating when it mishears your queries, and it's lacking in key areas when it comes to smart home control and information.

The Apple TV's Siri can't set timers, search the web, or provide you with information like "what do I substitute for cardamom" like Google's new $129 Home box. It also doesn't have multiple beam forming mics, so you're left to talk through the Siri remote.

Moreover, while you can trigger some commands from "Hey Siri" on the iPhone and Apple Watch, it doesn't have the microphone quality to hold up at a distance, nor does Siri have quite Google's contextual confidence when it comes to answering questions. (Try asking Siri when the vice presidential debate is. Sigh.)

There are privacy issues to tackle here, to be sure, but even so: The Siri team should be taking a good look at Google Home and what it's doing well (and not so well) to help get its voice assistant ready for home interaction.

Quick charge batteries

Apple may have optimized its hardware to get an extra hour or two of battery life for the iPhone 7 series, but in the age of quick-charge devices with giant power bricks, its multi-hour charge time and relatively small 1960mAh battery are hurting — and Google's Pixel laid down an even bigger challenge at the company's feet.

The Pixel charges via USB-C, and uses USB-PD (Power Direct) to pull a whopping 7 hours of battery life in fifteen minutes from its 18W charger when starting with a near-dead smartphone. (USB-PD, like most quick-charging solutions, scales down the power draw depending on how badly your smartphone is hurting for battery life.) Combine that with the Pixel's 2770mAh battery, and Google's smartphone is not only going to last longer, but come back from the dead much more quickly than either of Apple's smartphone options.

The thing is, Apple has quick-charge technology in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and its various mobile accessories; the company is also no stranger to USB-C, having used it in the MacBook. It may not have been feasible to stick that kind of quick-charging into the iPhone 7 given time and resource constraints, but that only makes me more greedy for it in next year's iPhone. The age of slow-charge batteries is coming to a close, and I can only hope that Google is heralding the call.

The future is mesh (Wi-Fi)

Google's new Wi-Fi stations use mesh networking to offer greater Wi-Fi coverage throughout the home. Like Eero and Ubiquiti before it, Google Wi-Fi offers multiple router points so that you never have a terrible signal. In theory, it's similar to Apple's aging AirPort Extreme and Express lineup; rather than use bridging technology, however, mesh networks create smarter connections to take care of network logistics.

Google's also offering a pack of 3 routers for $299 — Eero, in contrast, charges $499, and an AirPort combo (an Extreme and two Express units) would cost you $397.

It's past time for the AirPort series to get an upgrade, and a mesh networking revamp could be just the thing to bring AirPort into the present.

Where Apple shines

I have no doubt there are folks inside Apple's Cupertino headquarters working on these kinds of features as I type, though whether they actually make it out of the cone of secrecy is a different issue entirely. But it's not all critiques and feature wish-lists, here: Google could also learn a few things from Apple after its keynote.

For one, event production: All of Google's presenters appeared to be in various states of discomfort during the event, delivering flat jokes and pausing awkwardly in the middle of sentences. Demos misfired. The live stream ended mid-sentence. Admittedly, I have more awareness of this than most given my theater background, but good stagecraft is not a hard problem to fix. Tech executives are expected more than ever to be "on stage" virtually and physically: By taking a few days to prep for a big hardware announcement, presenters can make or break how features are perceived. Google's VR demonstration had the features to be an exciting entry into the space; instead, the presenters sounded nervous and unenthusiastic, which reflected onto the product.

Also, In an event full of connected technology, Google also failed once again to mention the privacy ramifications of its features outside of a quick nod to Google Home's Mute button. You can intrigue me with mesh networking and connected home technology, but Apple's emphasis on privacy in recent years means that I've grown to expect that kind of disclosure from other tech companies. Without it, it's a lot harder to sell me on your products.

Serenity Caldwell
Serenity Caldwell

Serenity was formerly the Managing Editor at iMore, and now works for Apple. She's been talking, writing about, and tinkering with Apple products since she was old enough to double-click. In her spare time, she sketches, sings, and in her secret superhero life, plays roller derby. Follow her on Twitter @settern.

102 Comments
  • and that Pixel phone looks like an iPhone in every aspect, but fortunately, they didnt name that iPixel :) How dare they said, NO camera bump and coughing they have headphone jack O-O.
    where they made a clone iPhone. WTH
  • It's silly, but it's sadly what many manufacturers do to try and entice folks who don't like the changes.
  • I agree that the headphone jab was silly, but the no camera hump was funny. I would definitely prefer an iPhone without the hump any day.
  • You realize that the iPhone design you refer to was taken from HTC's design first introduced with the M7, right? Posted from my Nexus 6P
  • You do realize that while Apple took some design cues from the HTC One M7, that HTC took nearly the entire design of the A9 and these Pixels from the iPhone? Sent from the iMore App
  • The 3.5 mm jack jab was funny. And I mean let's be real, "7 inch tablets are doa?", or "nobody wants a huge phone?".. At least the 3.5 mm jack being present actually represents what a lot of people find important: more options, not less.
  • It represents a lack of courage (yep I said it). The headphone jack is an antiquated port, the only reason they kept it on was to make a joke out of Apple, when in reality Apple is making a joke out of Google by actually taking the opportunity to move forward with technology. How much choice do you want, where do you stop? If we took your ideology we'd still have floppy drives in computers "for the choice of using it"
  • How is google not moving forward. Anyone that wants to, can use Usb-c heads or Bluetooth. Techies can move as forward as they want. Normies who don't have a clue nor care about sound beyond the provided headphones can use all three options. Bluetooth is still average tech. 2 years from now may be different or their could be a completely new vastly superior technology surfacing.
    Let's not misuse the courage term here. Posted via the iMore App for Android
  • Courage would be making the phone 2mm thicker to keep the headphone jack if they really cared about increasing the battery capacity and making the taptic feedback better. Instead in typical Apple fashion, they would rather have us buy idiotic things like the insanely unsightly battery bump case they made. You and I both know that for the past few years most people would welcome, with open arms a regular sized iphone that was a few mm thicker and actually lasted throughout the day. Apple doesn't care. They want you to buy extra stuff. So now here's another thing you have to buy. "But.... But they included the adapter!". That's one, which can easily be lost, and that nobody is going to want to carry around. So the smart thing would be to buy a few for each of the headphones you have and leave it plugged in on those. That's what apple would love for us to do. The floppy drive was replaced by something better. So your analogy is ridiculous. The air pods are not better. It's not better quality in sound, nor is it easier to own. It's yet another thing I don't need to charge. When I got rid of my smartwatch and started wearing a regular watch, not only was it more stylish (the apple watch is ugly as sin), but it's liberating. This thing will go 3-4 years before I ne:(ed to charge it. The only thing I need to charge on a regular basis is my phone. That's liberating.
  • Meant to say "It's yet another thing I need to charge".
  • Your analogy is even more ridiculous. "yeah they give you the adapter, but, but, you can lose it!" just like you can lose your headphones, your earphones, or even your phone. If you're this care-free with technology you shouldn't be using it
  • Yeah because my giant Senheisser cans are as easy to lose as a little dongle. Smart. There are things that are legitimately better that apple does than other phone companies. They and you have failed, absolutely to demonstrate how this is one of those things. You're an iSheep my friend.
  • A dongle isn't hard to lose if you leave it with your headphones or connected to them, it's not something you're just going to dump in a random place, you'd keep it with your headphones. For people buying headphones in the near future they won't need the adapter because it will be a direct connection to the Lightning port. They haven't failed, they've succeeded, they've already sold loads of iPhones regardless of the headphone jack being gone. Apple is doing what they do best, pushing technology forward, just like they got rid of the Floppy drive, just like they got rid of Adobe Crash Player
  • That's exactly what I said. That people would be best off buying multiple adapters to put on all their headphones. Exactly what apple wants. It probably costs a few cents to make it and they're selling additional ones for 10$ a pop. And you do realize that Motorola removed the headphone jack first, right? So is it Motorola that's moving "tech forward"? Or are you so blindly loyal to apple that you wouldn't know about anything unless apple did it? Maybe you also think they're the first ones to do waterproofing and stereo speakers. Maybe they also invented the pull down notification bar! And over the air updates! Again let me repeat, that having another device that's needing to be charged all the time is super annoying. And if all future headphones are going to have lightning connectors and the end of their wires, then what the **** did Apple really achieve? This is a ploy to sell their ridiculously priced air pods. If you said "meh I don't care cuz I don't use wired headphones anyway", at least that would be honest. "Courage" isn't the right word.. "greed" is.
  • Motorola is moving tech forward too, but Apple will be the one that other companies look up to. It's happened in the past, look at the iPad for example. Tablet computers were almost not known of until the iPad came along, everyone joked about the iPad and now millions of people are using tablet computers, be it iPads, Android tablets or Surface Pros. I never said Apple invented all this stuff though, I'm certainly not blindly loyal to Apple. Apple is providing the only adapter you should need FREE with the phone. They're not forcing you to buy anything extra. I use wired headphones myself, I use them with the free adapter that Apple provided with the iPhone 7, so I'm not buying anything extra, just using it in pretty much the same way as I did with my iPhone 6. I don't need their AirPods and neither do you. What's the problem here? There's no greed…
  • There is nothing "forward moving" about the loss of the headphone jack. There was no reason to get rid of it, and no benefits by losing it. It may not be an immediate money grab, but that's still what it is. Posted via the iMore App for Android
  • There was a reason to get rid of it. It's outdated and limited, the only thing the headphone jack can provide is audio, and that's it. Using the Lightning port or a USB-C port, headphone manufacturers will be able to do a lot more with headphones, e.g. thermal sensors or whatever. It will also improve audio fidelity. It's time for the headphone jack to go, and as usual, Apple is leading change that others are too afraid to do
  • If they had actually wanted to do any of that, they would have done it. But they didn't because they want you to buy expensive air pods for no reason other than a money grab. So I don't think that you're doing anything other than pulling stuff out of your **** to defend Apple. Let me remind you that this is a corporation that is solely in it for making money, so your blind loyalty to them is rather bewildering Because unless you work for them, you really don't stand to gain that much at this point. All your hypotheses are simply that.
  • You can use USB-type C earbuds if you want "modern". I use them on my Nexus 6P. Posted via the iMore App for Android
  • Actually, the iPhone's current design looks eerily similar to the HTC One M8 which was released about 6 months before the iPhone 6. Both Google Pixel phones are made by HTC. Coincidence? Who's to really say.
  • I think the iPhone 6/7 looks like the original iPhone to me. It's a clear evolution of that original concept. HTC had a different look of its own going on. That's just my opinion.
  • What? Because they use aluminum and glass?
  • Actually, the Pixel does have a camera bump: it's just a wide and tall camera bump. The top of the phone is thicker than the bottom, to make it appear like there's no bump.
  • Oh my god. Did you think of that all by yourself? Sent from the iMore App
  • He's right, though
  • Bragging about lack of a camera bump when you don't have OIS is kind of silly. Yes, back before the iPhone got OIS, it was bump-free too. I'll take my lumps for blur-free photos.
  • Iphone 6/6s have camera bump and no OIS...
  • You could have done a simple internet search before you made your comment to save yourself some embarrassment. Sent from the iMore App
  • Definitely agree on the Wifi, Battery and Storage points. Especially the quick charge. The Pixel is said to gain 7 hours with just 15 minutes of charging. That is insane.
  • 7 hours of what though? Just sitting there? Sent from the iMore App
  • A big area where Google can learn from Apple: support. I actually used Google Photos for a while until I ran into weird issues (server side); Google's support options are a) a semi-moderated user forum and b) Twitter. Never got a resolution, and it took weeks to get anyone resembling a technician to look at the issue. Compare that to a minor issue I had with iCloud Photo Library: talked to a live person within 10 min and got the issue resolved. I trust Apple a lot more to get stuff working again if it stops "just working".
  • This is true, but Google said that with the Pixels, there is support there too. No need to find hope in the forums, you can text chat or call them to help you with your issue(s).
  • Issues with the phone sure but I doubt if they start offering better support with the services they already have. And for me, free unlimited photo storage only for Pixel users is like saying 'F' everyone else using our services because you didn't buy our phone.
  • iOS users already get free unlimited photo and video storage with Google Photos
  • Is that at the original resolution though, or some lower quality version?
  • Any photo over 16mp is downscaled to 16mp while anything over 1080p video is downscaled to 1080p
  • That's not too bad.
  • Not the same.
  • Of course it is, with the exception for 4k video and > 16mp photos.
  • Exactly
  • Don't forget that even photos that are below 16MP are compressed additionally by a pretty big factor. Don't get me wrong, they still look great - but it's something to keep in mind.
  • They dont store at uncompressed full resolution though. Sent from the iMore App
  • Great write up, Ren. I'm certain the home assistant is on the way. It's a matter of how Apple sees it. Is gonna be a stand alone device, part of the TV hardware or maybe part of the Airport routers? The WiFi mesh looks real good. Would love to see Apple's take on that. And wow on those fast chargers. I'm jealous.
  • Even though I'm an iPhone user, I use google services for everything. I have been using Google Photos over the Apple iCloud because of the free storage plus I can use Google Photos in more flexible ways, at least more flexible for me.
    I really liked the Pixel phones, but since they're priced at iPhone levels, I'm not giving up my iPhone. Had they been 200 cheaper, I'm might have been tempted.
    I also liked their Daydream VR, but so far I haven't been too impressed with phone based VR.
  • Key Word: Storage Sent from the iMore App
  • There's nothing Google can teach Apple. Google will abandon all these devices within three years. There will be no security updates or enhancements. Google is not a company to trust for hardware development. History has proven that time and again.
  • Serious Question: How is Apple any different?? Didn't Apple just stop support for the iPhone 4S, iPad 2 and iPad 3?? No company can be trusted, because their interests comes first above anything, Apple isn't any different. You choose the one that you feel will at least complement you and make you feel pretty before metaphorically ******** you.
  • The iPhone 4S and iPad 2 are 5 years old! Sent from the iMore App
  • And that's my point. How is Apple any different than Google when it comes to planned Obsolescence?? Don't bash on Google for "abandoning" their device after 3 years when Apple eventually will do the same?? The phone you have in your pocket right (no matter what it may be) will eventually go into oblivion, so why even use this as an argument??
  • Apple are a lot better at keeping them supported though, plus if you go to Android devices outside of Google Nexus/Pixel devices, you'll get an average of about 2 years support, plus your updates will be far behind the latest version. 2 years is half of what Apple usually supports for mobile devices
  • Verizon said: ""when Google releases an update, Verizon phones will receive the same update at the same time (much like iOS updates). Verizon will not stand in the way of any major updates and users will get all updates at the same time as Google." So, you're lying, and spreading FUD. Pixel devise are Google's own. They will get day one updates. The Verizon Model will be updated directly by Google, the same way iPhones are updated by Apple. There will be no lag in support. You make no sense about Nexus devices being far behind the latest version. It's as if you've never even bothered to read up on them, and just decided to open your mouth and spew nonsense. Also, stop down voting people simply because you don't' like what they said, especially when you reply with blatant lies and misinformation. It's the terrible kind of trolling.
  • Apple got a lot of catch up to do with Google in terms of software and services. Pixel XL looks **** polished, can't wait to receive it, my 7 plus will take a back seat once Pixel lands.
  • Other than VR, is never trade up my iPhone for these 'Pixel" phones these phones are thd most boring looking phones this year, Thesr phones will fail due to competition from Apple and Samsung, Google doesn't have the clout that Apple and Samsung enjoy. Thr 7 Plus is still thd more interesting phone because of the duel camera and has a more powerful GPU in thd A10 fusion SOC. Sent from the iMore App
  • "Thr 7 Plus is still thd more interesting phone because of the duel camera and has a more powerful GPU in thd A10 fusion SOC" I'm sorry, but this doesn't make the iPhone 7 any less boring than the pixel. Overall I was looking for a reason to upgrade and hoped that Google would do that, but it looks like I'll definitely be keeping my iPhone 6S Plus for another year. So far this year it's been the same old Jazz from everyone. ****, the 6S plus wasn't even a worthy upgrade last year, but I somehow knew a boring year was coming so I jumped ship early on.
  • If google is charging iPhone prices, their phones better be at least iPhone compelling and quality or better. Sent from the iMore App
  • Agree. I regret upgrading to the 6S Plus because it offered nothing that the 6 Plus I had didn't already deliver - as far as my uses of the device is concerned. Seems like some of the features that Apple thought would be hits (Taptic Engine (yes, this came first in the 6S) and 3D Touch) were a bit of a dud. But I find this year was an even smaller upgrade filled with things I simply didn't care much about (Wide Color Gamut when no other screen I own support this. A second camera for zooming in on an inferior sensor... (only if you get the Plus)). I think the Water Resistance is probably the most compelling reason to upgrade - for the peace of mind/quality of life. But that's a steep price to pay for peace of mind (far more than the insurance deductible, Lol).
  • I don't give a **** how it looks. I'm going to use a case anyways, just like 90% of iPhone users. Secondly, I don't care about benchmarks. I could use a Galaxy Note 3 and it's SD800 SoC would perform more than find in day to day usage for me. Benchmarks basically don't matter except for having a useless ******* contest. I have a PS4 for gaming, and Mobile creative software is terrible compared to PC software. You can just buy PSP X8 Ultimate for ~$30 and add the free Google Nik Collection Plug-Ins to it and blow away any phone for Photo Editing, for example. I don't play mobile games. I cannot think of a reason why I would care about the GPU in a phone, beyond playing back the video resolutions and framerates I can record on it without performance issues. I don't game on my phone. I consider the dual camera a bit of a gimmick. The Pixel is a better point and shoot camera than the iPhone 7 series. Google's software is what did that, even though they're using that "inferior" QC SoC in their phones. Also, there is too much irony in these posts; after years of iPhone users saying "specs don't matter" to justify what the iPhone didn't have in comparison to Android phones. Now, they're using every geeky addition Apple adds to justify its purported superiority. Rene just made a post about that, BTW...
  • Google has a lot to catch up to Apple in software, with As Android not being as optimised as iOS but I agree that Apple needs to catch up to Google in terms of services. Sent from the iMore App
  • "All of Google's presenters appeared to be in various states of discomfort during the event, delivering flat jokes and pausing awkwardly in the middle of sentences. Demos misfired. The live stream ended mid-sentence. " Exactly my sentiment. Google SUCKS at presentation. This one has to be to the WORST presentation I had ever seen. All the presentations were so dull, it felt like being in a board meeting where someone is reading a PPT.
  • Content is what matters. Not hype and celebs. Posted from my Nexus 6P
  • If demos fail it makes the device look unstable or unreliable, it's not wise
  • This!!! When I'm using anything I've purchased, not one **** time do I stop and think, "Gee, this is a great photo I took. Why, I remember that dazzling presentation they gave on stage 6 months ago on this. It was truly magical!" Ugh. Sent from the iMore App
  • I find the contrived Apple keynotes worse, where Ive tries to pretend that he’s found a David Attenborough esque way of presenting but he just comes across as a ******.
    Then there's the tripe they trot out at EVERY single one about how adoption is increasing and outpacing what the competition is doing. Guess what, leaded petrol is less popular than unleaded. Why? Because you can’t buy it any more. Same with iOS, you can’t get the older versions signed any more and they plague you with updates you can’t ignore. Lots more examples but I can’t be bothered.
  • I like Jony Ive's voice, it's soothing, maybe he comes across as an ***** to you but not everyone. Also you can ignore the updates, it will only pop up once then if you clear it, all you'll have is a badge on the settings app with a "1", but that being said why would you want to? Why wouldn't you want the latest and greatest features?
  • I have an up to date 6. The so called greatest features don't apply so it makes no difference to me. Posted via the iMore App for Android
  • Yeah not worth the possible signal hit.
  • I've never had a signal hit from an update…
  • You still get new features, not all of them but there are still benefits there, why not have them?
  • NO. The updates don't just go away.
    You can hide them in the Mac App store but you still get a banner. I’ve got a ‘1’ badge on the iOS App Store for an app I have that I don't want to update as you lose functionality.
    Also I don't see you commenting on the disingenuous, ‘We have 80% install base" crap they tout.
  • If you can't hide them on the iOS App Store (I haven't tried) then that is indeed a problem which is a valid complaint. But you shouldn't get any other notifications other than the badge
  • No matter how cool Google's new pretties might be there's still one area in which it has yet to demonstrate it can compete with Apple, and that's customer support. Google's track record for hardware support isn't very good, and its ability to sell its own hardware will depend to a great degree on its ability to build an AppleCare equivalent.
  • They plan to do that with the Pixels, with 24/7 customer support.
  • We don't know how good that support will be. Sent from the iMore App
  • That might greatly depend upon how well it sells. I was part of the original launch support team for Google's first flagship Nexus One. We were all layed off within 9 months.
  • Wow that sucks. :(
  • In the Google Pixel TV ad it mentions "3.5mm headphone jack satisfyingly not new". I can’t help but think that Google (and other Android phone makers) is going to regret mocking the iPhone 7’s lack of a headphone jack in the near future. It reminds me of the situation with Adobe Flash several years ago. iOS never adopted Flash support due to performance, battery life, and security. But Android touted Flash support (with the aforementioned issues) on mobile as a "feature" in ads and Flash still died. It's as if a Windows PC laptop advertisement aired today, "bragging" that their new PC comes with a floppy disk drive or an optical disc burner. ;-)
  • I completely agree... Sent from the iMore App
  • The only reason they kept the headphone jack on the Pixel was to mock Apple and use that as a selling strategy, but in reality Google are only mocking themselves. You're right, it's the exact same situation we had with Flash, where Google were like "Hey buy an Android device so you can use Flash!", then everyone including Google realized it was slow, not optimized for mobile, battery consuming and just plain awful, then it was removed from Android
  • Timing is tremendously important with these things. If all technological decisions were made on the basis of what will be right in the future, then we would not have anything right now. The headphone jack was not replaced with anything. The options that are available are limited, not expanded. There is not a new technology replacing it, it is simply gone. The Pixel phone can use bluetooth audio, USB C headphones, or traditional 3.5mm headphones. Only Apple can remove functionality, with no true purpose, and have it perceived as a "feature". Even IF the headphone jack is removed from other's phones in the future (and I would like to point out that other manufacturers had done it first anyways... I think it is an equally bad idea for everyone, but to each their own!), that does not mean that they were not right to mock Apple at this point in time.
  • The purpose of removing it is to move people onto new technology. Saying they can still use the USB port whilst the headphone jack is still there, is silly because you know they won't, they'll default to what they're used to meaning they'll lose all the benefits of the USB port. It has to be removed as a kind of "be cruel to be kind" situation. The same happened with when they removed the floppy drive off the Mac. If they added a CD drive and kept the floppy drive there, everyone would've kept using floppy disks and no one would've moved on. Removing the floppy drive entirely forced people to use the CD drive thereby allowing them to see the benefits and moving technology forward
  • Just plain wrong. As a poster said above, the headphone jack hasn't been replaced with anything better. The floppy drive was. The VHS was. They were replaced with something better. Removing it entirely and not offering a better solution isn't better because allmigthy Apple said so. And regarding flash, what's your point? For a few years there I was able to view and use websites that had flash because I had an Android phone, while my iPhone using friends and family simply could not see the content. And when websites stopped using flash, I didn't even notice because the phone was ready to use HTML5 as soon as it was available. Google didn't screw over any users by including a feature.
  • It has been "replaced" with something new albeit the new thing was already there first, but no one was taking advantage of it so the old thing was removed. The CD drive could've been added alongside the floppy drive but no one would've used it, so the floppy drive had to be removed completely, same with the headphone jack. And Google did screw over users, Flash is slow, buggy, and power-intensive. All of those things are multipled on a mobile device, it wasn't a nice experience and you shouldn't have even had the ability to use it in the first place. Websites moved to HTML5 as fast as they did because companies like Apple completely blocked Flash from working, which forced websites to move forwards quicker
  • You keep ignoring the fact that each movement in tech that you describe came with significant benefits even on the low end and therefore was an easy transition. Bluetooth is average at best and at this point there are next to no great lightning/Usb-c options available. Posted via the iMore App for Android
  • This is the same as previous movements. When the CD drive was introduced there weren't many things available on CDs, but they came eventually. The Lightning/USB-C headphones will come eventually, and sooner than it normally would be thanks to companies like Motorola and Apple removing the headphone jack
  • Google's phone is tempting but it's with Android os. Sent from the iMore App
  • Well spotted. Ever thought of becoming a detective? Posted via the iMore App
  • Lmao
  • Great article, Ren! It doesn't matter whether it's someone from the Apple camp, Google camp, or Microsoft camp, or whether they're comparing themselves to the Apple camp, Google camp, or Microsoft camp, I always -DEEPLY- -DEEPLY- appreciate it when I hear honest reports of areas where one's own horse is trailing behind another. Everyone has them. There is not one ecosystem that is completely perfect, nor one ecosystem that is completely imperfect. So they all have various and sundry advantages and disadvantages over each other. In a day and age where this kind of honest content is woefully too rare, where it seems from all corners that the rhetoric that rules the day is a withering stream of "our ecosystem is best and here's why", it is INTENSELY refreshing and valuable to me to hear something like this......so thank you VERY much Serenity! To the points you made where "Apple shines", your security concerns strike me as more than valid as Apple is clearly the most secure of the three major ecosystems, and the more open our house is, the more open our doors are, and it'll be up to the end user to decide how much risk is worth how much ease, I guess - I don't know how the Linux world, headlined by Ubuntu compares here. However, your "Apple shines" point about Google's presentation being so stylistically poor compared to Apples rings a little shallow to me. It struck my ear as "Google is ahead in all these important tech ways....but we've got them beat on keynote style points." Sundar's a block of wood. He's Hayden Christiensen's Anakin Skywalker. So what if the tech is where the tech is? Then again, I remember how shallow and empty all presidential debates have been for the past 50+ years, most of all this current cycle's, and how people just latch onto soundbites and frame their entire political worldviews around them, and realize begrudgingly just how much more valid your style critiques may be than I'd like here. I've heard anecdotes about how 150 years ago, even peasant farmers could listen to 2 1/2 hour long presidential debates dramatically more substantial than ours, track with them, and then make really informed, reasoned decisions that most of us today, myself included could never do. If Americans today were like Americans then, then I would be able to completely and utterly dismiss this objection like I'd really like to. Sadly, in today's America, I'm afraid your point carries waaaaaaaay too much validity. Thanks again, Ren! :-) Cheers!
  • Looks like a uglier version of iPhone 6 Sent from the iMore App
  • Apple needs to either acquire or organically develop the capabilities to enable improving iCloud until it integrates features competitive with Amazon Web Services and OneDrive -- definitely incorporating Serenity's point about free-tier server space allocation. This removes iCloud as a competitive disadvantage, allowing customers to focus on Apple's strengths during their user experience. Also agree with Serenity that "It Just Works" AirExpress 802.11ac mesh home networking would be great for the user experience. I think 4K/HDR Apple TV will come, it just depends on the timing of Apple TV upgrade cycle as to when it will receive an Ax chip capable of supporting this. There is some time yet before the majority of Apple's worldwide markets will notice or care whether their Apple TV has 4K/HDR.
  • design oh well galaxy beat them all. fast charging on the iphone 7 is a must not matter what on the iphone 7 plus not really going all day with that phone. wireless charging again is super cool. camera bump is just not really an issue because of a case. what google learned from apple is the price.
  • Why put your phone on a case though?? I never understood why Apple will make an eye catching phone just to block its exterior design by some overpriced crap case.
  • So it doesn't smash/scratch if you drop it? Which can be very easy to do considering the materials used and the thinness of the phone
  • The only complaint is they didn't have that "manic" personality. Google wins. Sent from the iMore App
  • And is it too much to ask that an app made for an Apple fan site actually work well. Being able to edit or delete a comment would be nice ya know. Sent from the iMore App
  • Interesting the Android iMore app works a lot better, I assume there are different developers for the Android and iOS versions, and the iOS developers are slacking off a bit…
  • Apple could've learned most of these lessons before yesterday, as most of them are lessons Google learned from someone else. iPhone charging (both wired and wireless) has been lagging behind many others for a while. iCloud free storage has been significantly smaller than Google Drive for years. I bought into Eero a number of months ago, and it's a great solution. I don't consider Google a leader in this, but I do expect the approach to become more mainstream. Amazon pioneered and popularized the in-home assistant/speaker with the Echo. Google is behind Apple in home automation in terms of security and support, but catching up quickly on support. Ease of use is an area Apple's HomeKit is great at, it remains to be seen from Google. Apple needs to expand HomeKit and provide their own solution for in-home voice control. Their dedication to security and privacy makes this more difficult, but more trustworthy and worth waiting for (so long as it IS coming).
  • My only complaint about Apple is Siri. I have been playing with Google Assistant on my Nexus 5x via Allo and in my opinion it is years ahead of Siri. For doing things like making appts, reminders and texting Siri is great. For doing almost anything else Siri is lagging in a big way. So until Apple can match Google for general information there is no way I would put a Google Home competitor from Apple in my house and that sucks because I love Apple and really appreciate their privacy/security. If voice interacting with our devices is the next big frontier Apple needs to get in gear. I just now asked Siri when the World Series starts. She said I am not sure when the next World Series starts and then gave me the winner of last years. I didn't ask for last years winner. This kind of stuff frustrates the heck out of me and makes me almost want to switch to Google. Almost.
  • Your solution might just be to get an Amazon Echo. I never ask Google anything anymore unless I don't have Alexa around. Plus "Alexa, place my dominos easy order." comes in handy when you have the munchies. (Yes I know Dominos is not a top tier pizza joint.)
  • After having used Android devices for years, I can tell you that at least for me, Android is coming to a close. I see no reason to try to justify a Pixel phone when all it attempts to do is imitate an iPhone. I have enjoyed my Nexus 6P, I've learned to live with it's "less than stellar" performance and glitches. But if we're going to approach and exceed iPhone pricing, I may as well get an iPhone. There isn't anything on Android that I must have that isn't available on an iPhone (software), and Google Assistant will be an app on iPhone eventually. For home automation, I use Alexa. I'm hoping that the next iPhone brings OLED displays (or something equally impressive). I'll gladly trade in my 1440P screen for a stellar 1080P and rock solid performance. But at this point, none of what is currently offered on the iPhone is a deal breaker for me. I have at least another year's worth of life on this Nexus 6P and then when it fails, or I'm fed up with it, I'm getting the next iPhone and that will be that.
  • Apple has been weak in services and siri. But as of late they've improved a lot. Still not Google level but a whole lot better than 2 years ago. Any who android is still ultimately more flexible but a lot more management. You win some lose some. Posted via the iMore App for Android
  • Can't wait for my Google hone to come. It's years ahead of Siri and Google using my information and learning from it and everyone else will make all the difference. Google is in the driver's seat. They are the best at this and this is the future of devices.