Monday, July 21, 2014

Preview: iOS8 v/s Android L



The past month of June witnessed the unveiling of two of the most vibrant mobile operating systems developed by the two technical giants of the Silicon Valley, namely Apple Inc. and Google. While Apple set ablaze the proceedings at the WWDC 2014 with its latest version iOS8, Google followed up with the new, improved and revamped version of Android, the Android L. Instead of precisely comparing both mobile operating systems with each other, we are generalising a verdict according to the levels of productivity they provide in the given sections.

Before going further at the feature comparison let's have a quick look at the Availability:
As per sources of the companies, both iOS8 and Android L will be released for the users this autumn, i.e. in September or October. Currently, these mobile operating systems are available in beta; while Apple’s iOS8 beta version can be downloaded by joining the Apple’s developer program at a cost of 99$ , Android L on the other hand, as per its open source nature, can be downloaded for free.

Since there have been numerous amendments and introduction of various new tweaks in both Android L and iOS8, it’s time to compare the Features.

Notifications
The Android L comes with the feature of enhanced notifications that will be visible over the locked screen. Although you can manage the content shown according to your privacy measures, the phone will also prioritize the order of notifications according to the accuracy of actions towards a particular app.
The notifications in iOS8 have also been made more interactive; you can reply to a text, re-tweet, like Facebook statuses, snooze your alarm, all without even leaving the current application you’re working on.
Lock Screen
Android L brings about a new lock screen to the devices through which you would be able to see the notification. You can access the camera by swiping left, swipe right to launch the dialler and swipe up to unlock.
The lock screen in iOS8 remains unchanged and looks similar to the one in iOS7.
Developer Features
Google has added several new tools that would lead to the enhancement of the overall credibility of Android L. Apple Inc. which is known for maintaining its privacy when it comes to developing tools has also opened up a bit, giving iOS developers some scope for development. The Extensibility feature will provide iOS apps with the ability to intermingle with each other. That would facilitate user like never before. Now, by using ‘Action Extensions’, the Bing Translate feature can be incorporated into Safari so that the users can use the capabilities of both apps simultaneously. Google has introduced new features in Android L such as direct links to apps from Google Search; this feature was available for limited Android developers but is now available for the entire lot.
Beta versions of both these mobile operating systems are available for developers, which can lead to the creation of immense possibilities for the development of new tools.
Widgets
Apple has finally introduced widgets which are termed as ‘Todays Extensions’ that can be placed in the ‘Today’ view in iOS8’s Notification Centre. iOS users seem to be quite excited about this addition as the inclusion of widgets similar to those in Android had always been a hot topic.
Handoff
Handoff is another new feature in iOS8 that is going to facilitate the iDevice users at the next level. Under this feature each and every device will be interconnected to each other in order to enhance ease of functionality. If you’re taking a call over your iPhone and have a sudden urge to use the OS X (Yosemite) on your Mac, you can easily switch your call over to it and even back to the iPhone. This is not limited to just calls, when typing mails you get options to continue over various devices; you can see all your iPhone Messages as well.
Such features are available in Android L too, although third-party apps are required for the execution, which is not as seamless as Apples’s Handoff feature. If you happen to own a Chromebook then there can be a performance boost as Android L will automatically unlock your laptop if your smartphone or tablet is in the vicinity, the notifications will appear on both, the laptop and your mobile device.
Battery Life
The exact boost that both Android L and iOS8 will provide to the battery life is not known yet. Although there is one major factor that Google had discussed at the I/O 2014, the Project Volta. It is being claimed that Project Volta will lead to an increase in thebattery backup of the Nexus 5 by 90 minutes. As for iOS8 there hasn’t been any modification that enhances battery saving.
Both Android L and iOS8 have employed a series of changes in their respective platforms but without any doubts it can be said that the features introduced in iOS8 will prove to be a game changer in terms of user experience.

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