5 reasons why the Google ecosystem is the best on Android

Over the past few years, there has been a growing perception in the Android community that Google’s development team has begun to favor other platforms, such as iOS, over its own operating system. However, when you peel back the layers and examine the unique benefits offered by the Android OS, it becomes clear that users enjoy a depth of integration, customization and access to premium features unmatched anywhere else. From the seamless operation of Google Assistant to the early release of innovative features and exclusive apps, Android still has the edge in experiencing a wide range of Google services.

1 Android offers deeper integration with Google services

Google’s deepest synergy is exclusive to Android users

Google Drive is extremely popular on iOS (currently ranked #7 in the Productivity section of the App Store), and it’s not hard to guess why. The app looks great, it’s lightning fast, and Google offers 15GB of free storage, 3 times the amount Apple offers in its free iCloud tier. The same can be said for Google Photos — it’s just as popular on iOS for fairly similar reasons. However, as beloved as these apps are in Apple’s walled garden, iPhone users don’t understand what they’re missing out on in terms of Android integration.

Android users enjoy a deeply integrated Google Drive experience, which includes automatic backup of device data and apps. This ensures that important things like settings, contacts and even messages are safely stored on Google’s fast and reliable cloud service and can be easily accessed from any device and almost any app. That convenience continues with Google Photos. Automatically uploading to Google Photo cloud storage is a seamless experience on Android, providing instant backups and access to features like organization and AI-powered search.

2 The Google Assistant experience is at its best on Android

Seamless calling and contextualized responses

Google Assistant is perhaps the best example of a Google app and service that benefits from deeper Android integration. While iOS users and those on other platforms can only use it as a standalone app or as a feature, Android users can essentially invoke the helpful assistant from anywhere on their devices. It’s the difference between being able to say “Hey Google” from anywhere in your house and having to run around to find an assistive device on the end table. This amount of control allows users to do things like send texts, find context-sensitive help based on what’s on your screen, and interact with third-party apps.

The Google Assistant experience is also much more tailored to you, the user, on Android. For example, it learns from your habits, preferences and previous interactions and uses this data to provide customized responses and suggestions. It can also combine data from other Google apps and services, such as Maps and Calendars, to provide useful information, such as when to leave for a meeting based on traffic conditions. These things are possible because of how integrated Google Assistant is into Android.

3 Better integration of the Android app for Google Maps

The best map app in the world is even better on Android

Google Maps is another app that is best experienced on Android for several reasons. Tapping address links on your phone or tablet automatically launches the app, and you can then access contextual information, such as nearby food and gas stations and, of course, directions. Sure, you can set Google Maps as ‘default’ on iOS, but it’s never going to be as cohesive or feel as native as it is on Android. “But Apple users can do the same thing with Apple Maps.” That’s true, but again, we’re comparing the experience within Google apps on two platforms – not two platforms.

This deeper integration continues through the rest of the Android OS. Many third-party apps use the Google Maps API, which means you can seamlessly switch between in-app maps and the actual Maps app. Android users can also take advantage of Google Assistant’s extensive voice command capabilities, so they can find out what’s nearby and get there without having to touch or even look at their phone, as well as home screen widgets. There are several ways you can interact with Google Maps from the Android home screen, including aWidget for nearby trafficwhich will display your local traffic conditions on a live map (and drain your battery).

4 The Chrome experience on Android is actually built on top of Chromium

The Chrome app on iOS isn’t even ‘real’ Chrome

Chrome on iOS is not the same as the mobile Chrome browser you have on Android. Sure, it might look nice and have a more conveniently placed address bar, but (for now) it runs on Apple’s WebKit, which means it doesn’t use Google’s Blink engine, so it’s not technically Chromium. On Android, you get all the benefits of Google’s web prowess, as well as (once again) deeper integration into the operating system and other apps. Tapping web links takes you directly to Chrome to access your profile, passwords, and more.

Then again, you can achieve some of this on iOS, now that Apple lets you choose your own default browser, Siri suggestions and other system functions still tend to default to Safari. Plus, with Chrome on Android, you can sync tabs across your devices, save passwords to your Google Account, and interact seamlessly with the Google Assistant for voice searches and commands. And because of Apple’s limitations on how deeply third-party apps and services can integrate with its mobile OS, you can’t get the full benefits of these features on the iPhone.

5 Android gets early and exclusive access to many new features

If you’re not the first, you’re the last

Google Assistant is the most obvious example. Google launched its virtual assistant in 2016, and it was exclusive toPixel devicesin a short time. It was then rolled out to other Android devices in early 2017, and eventually launched on iOS as a standalone app later that year. This means Android users got their first glimpse of what AI can really do, such as translate languages ​​on the fly, provide a customized daily overview, or offer context-based actions and suggestions. Not only that, early users provided valuable real-world feedback that helped shape Assistant into what it is today.

There’s actually a long list of notable features that Android users were the first to grasp, including Live View, an AR feature that provides easy-to-follow walking directions, and Google Lens, which turns your phone’s camera into a search bar. We could go on, but at this point, the picture we’ve been painting seems to be crystal clear; not only is Android the best platform to experience the Google ecosystem, thanks to its deep integration and cohesive experience, but it’s also essentially the breeding ground for the future of mobile technology. And if that doesn’t settle this little debate, I’m not sure anything will.

What does all this mean for you, the user

If you’re an avid Android user, you probably already know most of these things, so you can rest assured knowing that there’s plenty of evidence that you’re on the best platform for Google apps and services. For those using iOS, if any of the above sounds appealing — getting first-hand access to Google’s cutting-edge software and features, experiencing a heavily integrated virtual assistant outside of Apple’s walled garden, etc. — it might be time to start thinking about making the switch. In fact, my colleague Rajesh Pandey recently wrote an excellent review of the piecewhy iOS users should switch to Androidand not surprisingly, we share (some of) the same feelings.