Google

The Breakup: How Apple Could Use Siri, Maps, and Bing Against Google

Sébastien Page ∙ November 6, 2011

The Next Web's Matthew Panzarino wrote a great article this morning, titled "How Apple will use Siri, Maps and Microsoft to divorce itself from Google," where he explains how Apple could dump its partnership with Google in favor of its own products, but also by partnering with Microsoft.

Apple and Google have had a tumultuous relationship in the mobile landscape. When the iPhone was launched, Google was a partner from day one. Their map data, YouTube archive and default search option were integral parts of the iPhone experience. [...] By using Google’s services, Apple is effectively supporting their competitor’s products to the tune of 250M installed devices. This is something that has to change and Apple knows it. This is why it is currently working, as it has been doing since 2009, to divest itself of as much of Google’s products as it can.

I invite you to read Panzarino's article as it is full of insights that paint an interesting picture of how Apple might breakup with Google in the near future.

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Facebook and Apple: Two Frenemies Against Google

Sébastien Page ∙ November 4, 2011

Fortune has a good article about the battle between Facebook and Google for control of the web. Deep inside the article, there is an interesting snippet that suggests Facebook and Apple are still talking to join forces against their common enemy:

That last point is not lost on Zuckerberg. It has prompted him to seek closer ties with Google's biggest rival in mobile: Apple. The two companies have held multiple rounds of discussions, according to people with knowledge of the talks. But they have yet to find a compelling way to collaborate, perhaps because their courtship got off to a rocky start. [...] That Apple chose to bake Twitter, not Facebook, into the most recent version of its mobile operating system has not helped. Still, the two companies continue to talk, knowing full well that an alliance could help them fend off a common enemy.

Of course both companies have been talking for a while, and they'll eventually reach to an agreement where Facebook will most likely be integrated in iOS, just like Twitter.

I invite you to read the full the article as it's a very interesting piece that sheds more light on the war between Facebook and Google.

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Android Phones Require More Repair Costs Than iPhones

Alex Heath ∙ November 3, 2011

Android phones have been proven to break, malfunction, and require more repair costs than iPhones and even Blackberries.

The cheapness of most Android handsets is costing the telecoms a staggering $2 billion per year, according to a report from wireless services firm WDS...

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Gmail’s New iOS App is a Disgrace

Alex Heath ∙ November 2, 2011

Google recently released—and immediately pulled—its official app for the iPhone and iPad in the App Store. After a long time coming, Google finally got on the ball and released an App Store app for its popular email service, but not before realizing that there were several bugs that needed fixing.

While many called Gmail's app "fantastic" and "wonderful" at first glance, more than 5 minutes with the app will show you what an utter disgrace this app is for Google...

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Gmail for iOS Sucks So Much That Google Already Removed it From the App Store

Sébastien Page ∙ November 2, 2011

Well, it didn't take long for Google to remove its new Gmail app for iOS from the App Store. Just about 3 hours after it was first available, it is now nowhere to be found.

If you try to download the app right now, you'll be greeted with an error message telling you the item you requested is not currently available in the US Store. If you've already downloaded and tried to use the Gmail app, it probably doesn't come as a surprise to you that Google already took it down...

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Gmail for iPhone and iPad Goes Live in the App Store

Alex Heath ∙ November 2, 2011

Google has released its official app for the iPhone and iPad in the App Store. The app offers Gmail-specific features like notifications, messages threads, and Priority Inbox.

It was rumored that Google would launch a native Gmail app for iOS yesterday, and the app has now been made available for free in the App Store.

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61% of Mobile Devices Accessing the Web Run iOS

Cody Lee ∙ November 1, 2011

When it comes to mobile platforms, there are tons of ways to measure success. Android leads in market share, iOS leads in customer satisfaction, and Windows Phone, well Windows Phone isn't posing any major threats yet, but it has potential.

Perhaps one of the most precise ways of measuring the real-world impact of a platform is to gauge how many users are actually using it. And what better way to do that than by tracking which mobile OS accesses the web the most?

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Was Google’s Gamble on Android Really Worth It?

Cody Lee ∙ November 1, 2011

When the original iPhone launched in 2007, Google and Apple actually had a good relationship. Google was set to be the iPhone's default search engine, and Google was also going to power the handset's Maps application. Everything was wonderful. And then came Android.

The Android operating system was born in Palo Alto, California in 2003. Two years later, the company was acquired by—you guessed it—Google. The deal was worth an estimated $50 million, but the Android OS could end up costing Google much more than that...

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Google Reportedly Finishing Up Native Gmail App for iOS

Cody Lee ∙ November 1, 2011

If you're an iPhone owner and also happen to be a Gmail user, you may want to pay attention. Word on the street is that Google is putting the finishing touches on a native Gmail application for the iOS platform.

MG Siegler, an Apple columnist for TechCrunch, made the announcement last night. The tech writer has learned that Google is nearly finished with an iOS-flavored native Gmail app, and it's headed for the App Store...

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On Android’s Software Fragmentation

Cody Lee ∙ October 27, 2011

We've expressed our opinions on Android software multiple times here on iDB. You can imagine that, as an iPhone blog, we are a little biased towards the iOS platform, but our issues with Android don't come unwarranted.

One of our beefs with Android is that its apps seem to lack the polish that iOS apps have — even in software that is available on both platforms. Why is that? Well, not only do developers have to worry about multiple screen sizes, they also have to worry about multiple versions of Android...

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What Android Handsets Looked Like Before and After the iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 10, 2018

The ongoing Apple versus Google war can be traced back to Google's entry into the smartphone market. Apple launched its iPhone in the Summer of 2007, and within two years Google answered back by releasing its mobile OS, Android.

This led to a series of events, and eventually an onslaught of litigation between the two companies over "copycatting." The jury is still out on who copied who, but Daring Fireball points to some evidence that seemingly falls in Apple's favor...

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