Google v. apple

When android hits, we are going to see one of the first battles of apple and google. For the most part these two don’t really compete. Now they are going head to head in the battle of the mobile os.

Everyone knew about the iphone before it came out, but no one that I talk to outside the tech world knows what android is - most within don’t either. That’s a fundamental difference in google and apple. Apple is known for big build ups to releases and for big ad and pr campaigns. Google isn’t. Instead google is known for launching quietly and then crushing the competition with superior products. But apple is known for crushing competition too. The difference is really one of style.

So now, the question has to be what happens when two heavyweights colide? My guess is that the world won’t blink at android. My guess is that it won’t be half as asthetically appealing as the iphone. However, my guess is that over time it will crush the iphone.

Why? Not simply because it’s google. I know as well as anyone that google can’t win on name alone. If that were true a mass conversion to google docs would be underway. Google will win because its strategy is better and its better fit for this medium. Mobile isn’t about phones. It’s about the web and messaging. Right now apple’s biggest advantage is its ability to combine two devices into one. But as the way we use our phones evolves the google brand will be the one users are most drawn to. It may be a few years off, but in the long run I believe the mobile world belongs to google