Android has always been an incredibly advanced piece of software, and Google aims every year to push it even further into the future, lacing it with features that makes it stand out against the competition. This year isn’t any different. It’s already been a few hours since Google’s I/O 2015 keynote wrapped up, but I’m still looking over these new features and wondering: Will this make people switch?
This year’s I/O keynote may not have been as impressive as previous years by the sheer number of huge announcements. Even Google’s executives were quick to point out that this year’s release, Android M, is meant to be a release to improve Android as a whole, and not necessarily debut a series of groundbreaking features. Of course, that didn’t stop Google from announcing new features, and most of them are ridiculously exciting.
Just look at Google Now, for instance, which is gaining a new feature all on its own called “Now On Tap.” With this, Google Now takes advantage of all of the information it already has, which is already super helpful in its own right, and then does what it can to offer more. Being able to use context to get the information one might need is huge, and it’s one of those things that you have to ask, “Where has this been all along?”
Android continues to get better with really standout features.
Yet, I can’t help but wonder if all of these things, like Google Now On Tap, or Project Brillo, or even Android Pay for that matter, are going to be things that sway people over to the Android Army that aren’t there already. Sure, someone that’s using an older version of Android might get excited for these new features coming down the line, but what about someone that’s using iOS, or even Windows Phone? Are these features in Android M going to be enough to make them jump ship?
Personally, I haven’t really decided whether or not these features are worth switching over to Android full-time or not. But, it’s not because that I don’t think Android is worth it, because that’s certainly not the case. I actually feel it has more to do with this sneaking suspicion that Google is going to bring many of these features to iOS (and probably not Windows 10 Mobile).
We already know that Project Brillo, Google’s operating system to the Internet of Things, will recognize non-Android devices. And then there’s Google Photos, the company’s ambitious way to handle all of your photos and videos for free, which already fully supports iOS. Google Now (via the Google app) is updated frequently enough with new features for iOS, and I don’t imagine that’s going to stop anytime soon. And if Google Now On Tap doesn’t make it to iOS at some point down the road, I’ll be admittedly surprised, but I don’t think I’ll be sad, either.
But, I’m curious to know what you think. Will the new features and improvements announced in Android M sway people you know? Will they drop their iPhones or Windows Phones to saddle up with Android? Let me know!