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Month: June 2018

  • SmartPhone Spotlight: LG G7 ThinQ

    SmartPhone Spotlight: LG G7 ThinQ

    LG has released another Flagship smartphone for 2018. The LG G7 ThinQ. The new flagship comes to replace the LG G6 and arrives with a host of improvements which LG hopes will help outshine competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S9 and the upcoming OnePlus 6.Lg boasts The LG G7 ThinQ delivers thoughtful intelligence, inside and out. Lets just see

     

    The Great

    • Snapdragon 845
    • IP68 Water resistant
    • Qi Wireless fast charging
    • Revolutionary sound
    • Gorgeous

    The Not

    • So far… none other then its made by LG

    The Conclusion

    Its another high end android with very few but kinda cools differential features that no one else is doing

     

    LG announced the G7 ThinQ about a month ago, and now, the phone is available for purchase in the US for a retail price of around $750. THats a good price for a phone of this caliber, LG has always been know to make very pretty phones, but they have failed to stand out in the past 5 years. This has left consumers only remembering their failures, They could use a win about now. There are a few stand out aspects of the LG G7 Thinq matched with a good desgin and those LG screens we may just have a winner.

    The Design

    Lg didn’t set out to revolutionize their flagship but utilize trends to perfect upon their previous design. First with have a notch, everyone’s doing it so you go to too LG. The display is still flanked by razor-thin bezels, with the presence of the notch LG is maximizing screen size.  The G7 boasts a metal frame, a slightly curved glass back and comes in New Platinum Gray, New Aurora Black, New Moroccan Blue or Raspberry colors. And like its predecessor, it’s also IP68 certified. The LG G6 has a similar look, with a slightly curved glass back and metal frame.

    We also are getting some display upgrades as well. Lg has always had breath takeing display screen, even in there TVs, now that are taking it a step in the useful direction. LG’s new LCD technology will enable users to clearly view the phone’s screen in direct sunlight. This is possible thanks to a brightness of up to 1,000 nits and a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut.

    A+ on the desgin

    The Sound

    Audiophiles take a look, The new G7 because the flagship comes with a single mono loudspeaker, as opposed to implementing stereo speakers. This baby booms.

    LG calls it the G7’s Boombox speaker, and as the name suggests it’s bigger and louder than the G6’s. It’s also clever enough to use the inner space inside the device as an echo chamber to amplify the bass. The company says the speaker should be 39% louder than its predecessor.

    LG also cares about the new device’s audio quality, so it has included the 32-bit quad-DAC from the G6. The company says the quad-DAC should provide a clearer sound over wired headphones (yes, 3.5mm jack still on board).

    The phone also offers DTS:X virtual surround sound, which creates a 7.1-channel audio. This is the first time this technology has been incorporated into a phone.

     

    LG G7 ThinQ Quick Speck Look

    • OS Android 8.0 (Oreo), planned upgrade to Android 9.0 (P)
    • Chipset Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845
    • CPU Octa-core (4×2.8 GHz Kryo 385 Gold & 4×1.7 GHz Kryo 385 Silver)
    • GPU Adreno 630
    • Internal 128 GB, 6 GB RAM or 64 GB, 4 GB RAM
    • CAMERA Primary Dual: 16 MP (f/1.6, OIS, laser&PDAF) + 16 MP (f/1.9), laser & phase detection autofocus, LED flash
    • 3.5mm jack Yes
      – 32-bit/192kHz audio
      – DTS-X sound
      – Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
    • COMMS WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot
    • Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD
    • GPS Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
    • NFC Yes
    • FEATURES Sensors Fingerprint (rear-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
    • Messaging SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, IM
    • BATTERY Non-removable Li-Po 3000 mAh battery

     

    The Final Thought

    the LG G7 ThinQ has got the specs, the looks, and something special. Its a contender and in all seriousness an upgrade over the galaxy S9. As far as carriers go, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, and US Cellular will all sell the phone, and it will also be available on Project Fi. For those who want to buy one unlocked, it can be found at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H.

  • E3 Conference and What You Need To Know

    E3 Conference and What You Need To Know

    Its that video game-glastic time of the year were we get a glimps of the future of our obsession. gaming. This year the E3 conference is slated for a slew of great and exciting news, loaded with games and consoles to set our hearts and minds racing like the first time we played Donkey Kong. Lets take a look at whats up

    E3 Conference Schedule

    Saturday, June 9

    Electronic Arts — 11 a.m. PT (2 p.m. ET)

    Sunday, June 10

    Microsoft — 1 p.m. PT (4 p.m. ET)

    Bethesda — 6:30 p.m. PT (9:30 p.m. ET)

    Monday, June 11

    Square Enix — 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET)

    Ubisoft — 1 p.m. PT (4 p.m. ET)
    PC Gaming Show — 3 p.m. PT (6 p.m. ET)
    Sony — 6 p.m. PT (9 p.m. ET)

    Tuesday, June 12

    Nintendo (livestream only) — 9 a.m.

     

    For us Fanboys If you are in L.A. you can head down to the L.A. Convention center and for $250 hang out all weekend with a 3 day E3 conference pass. The general pass for people in the games industry is free.

    What We Are Expecting at E3

    Consoles.. Both the Xbox one and PlayStation 4 are 5 years old now. They got some upgrades and tweaks in the past year but we need a step forward. usually we get an announcement 18 months before a commercial release of a big box console. This means Both Sony and Microsoft vould announce a new console in development at the E3 for Q4 2019 release. Seems plausible. At the very least a price slash on the current line up is due.

    Nintendo is riding high on the success of the Switch console. At the E3 conference 2018, we may get to hear about a purported new Star Fox game, a possible Fortnite port, and more details on the next version of Super Smash Bros.

    Games: Rocksteady

    There are a few we are waiting and looking out for. Rocksteady is the developer Im most interested in hearing from. They have been tightliped about a game for a few years now, but speculations have it being a Superman game in the mode of the Arkham series. We may even have a possible title leak. Superman: Worlds Finest… Mind blown, ill put my vacation request in now and start stocking up on hot pockets, I wont be leaving the house for at least a week.

    “World’s Finest” isn’t just a cool subtitle. Those two words together carry a lot of weight, going back several decades in DC Comics history. World’s Finest is the tag team moniker used to describe Superman and Batman when they work together, and has been the title for several volumes of comic book issues.

    We are most likely going to see game announcements for Hitman 2, Gears of War 5 and Crackdown 3

    EA

    EA is looking to make a big splash this year. They are arriving early for their own pregame rally. EA has already confirmed that, as you’d expect, fans will get the chance to see and play the latest EA Sports titles such as Madden 19, FIFA 19, NHL 19 and NBA Live 19, and that the new Battlefield game will make an appearance though we still don’t know anything about what the game will actually involve.

    We also have a solid rumor that the MLB is coming back to EA. I would love to see them bring back Triple Play Baseball..

    Cyberpunk

    CD Projekt RED’s Cyberpunk 2077 has been a white whale of ours for a better part of the decade. Since the game’s 2012  reveal, the studio has gone on relative radio silence regarding the project, instead (and understandably) focusing on The Witcher 3. However, now that Geralt’s story is done, it finally seems like it’s time for Cyberpunk 2077 to come out of hibernation.

    The Final Thought

    Im still giddy at the thought of a Superman game.. Im super excited for this weekend, I’ve played video games for 35 years. I don’t have any hobbies or interest that can make that claim so its nice to see a big extravaganza involving my oldest hobby.

     

     

  • iOS 12 Improves Performance on Older iPhones

    iOS 12 Improves Performance on Older iPhones

    You have probably read our articles on some of the big news out of the WWDC this week already. Apple gave a preview of iOS 12, the next operating system for iPhones and iPads, at its annual WWDC conference in San Jose this week. Today im going to tell you about a big feature that will enhance everyone iPhone, yeah even the older ones. The iOS 12 improves performance ?

    For any iPhone capable of running iOS 11, when upgrading to the iOS 12 you will notice some vast improvements. This is first iOS upgrade that will make your iPhone….faster…

    Yes you heard that correctly, the new iOS 12 improves performance on previous models on the iPhone.Apple says iOS 12 will launch apps 40% faster and the camera 70% faster on an iPhone 6S — the model that came out in 2015.

    Release Date, We Can Guess That

    That is great news everybody! When can we update!!  Its safe to say the iOS 12 update will be available in September, much like every year. They release it a few days before the new iPhone ships. So for those of you with the 6s experiences apples slowdown to maintain your battery life, you will just have to keep waiting. Or will you…

    For a small $99 per year you can subscribe to be an apple developer and beta test new software. Along with getting the software updates way earlier,  you also get access to their developer tools as well. SO yeah you can jump in now and start beta testing the iOS 12 months before the rest of us, with all the new goodies at your disposal. However as fantastic as this sounds remember that ios 12 is not finished and will likely encounter more bugs and crashes than you can handle. You can download the software through Xcode, which is what programmers use to build iPhone apps. You can also install it by adding a profile to your iPhone or through iTunes.

    The Final iOS 12 Improves Performance Thought

    Its gonna be a good software update year, lot of performance perfections coming. Lets hope apple can deliver on this promise..

  • E3 is Soon! What are We Expecting to See?

    E3 is Soon! What are We Expecting to See?

    It’s almost time for E3! Are you excited? I know we are! We had an article about what we were hoping to see, but now that we’re in the home stretch before the big event, let’s round up what we’re expecting to see. The Hype Train is moving full speed ahead, hop on board! 

    Nintendo at E3: Super Smash Bros and Pokemon 

    Nintendo surprised everyone when they announced Pokemon Let’s Go a full two weeks ahead of the event. You can rest assured we’ll see an in-depth breakdown of Nintendo’s newest Pokemon games at the event. Given that these are the first big console Pokemon RPGs since the Gamecube’s Gale of Darkness, they’re going to be huge. Expect to see Switch sales bolstered immensely by Nintendo’s yellow mouse mascot. 

    Speaking of Nintendo mascots, the other surefire topic at the event is assuredly Super Smash Bros. After the surprise reveal during March’s Nintendo Direct, the internet has been abuzz with rumors and speculations. Expect to see gameplay footage, new stages, new characters, and tons more. Nintendo has promised a tournament in the new game featuring some of the top Smash Bros players from around the world during the event. We’re sure to see new characters and gameplay features during this event. 

    Microsoft: More Exclusives? Please? 

    The Xbox One X is the most powerful home console out there, no doubt. The PS4 Pro doesn’t keep up. But that means very little when the system has next to no exclusives. Sea of Thieves doesn’t count, sorry; that game doesn’t come close to making the system flex. (Even if it is super fun.) Rumor has it that Microsoft is looking to remedy this with a slew of first-party titles to be revealed during E3. 

    Big names like Crackdown 3, Forza Horizon 4, Gears of War 5, Halo 6 and more are expected at the show. Hopefully Microsoft has more than just sequels to aging franchises, though. Something fresh, exciting and new should be at the top of their list of reveals this year. 

    Sony: Upward Trajectory 

    Sony’s doing pretty well in the gaming world. They’re not doing too amazingly well elsewhere, but they’re leading the current console war. Expect to see news on first-party titles like Spider-Man and The Last of Us 2. New IPs like Ghost of Tsushima, Days Gone and Dreams will also likely make appearances.  

    Sony’s PS4 has been selling well and riding a wave of newfound popularity. God of War, the revival of the popular action series, has already sold over 3 million units. All Sony needs to do this year is keep telling us about awesome new games on the way and we’ll be happy! 

    The Other Stuff 

    Other big names at the event will be showing off their multiplatform efforts, of course. Bethesda will talk about Fallout 76, that one is for sure. They launched a teaser video last week with scant details, so fans will be ravenous for more come showtime. Borderlands 3 will likely be on display from Gearbox. We can expect Just Cause 4 and Kingdom Hearts 3 to also make appearances. Also, oddly, Rage seems to be getting a sequel and will be unveiled at E3 this year.  

    What Won’t We See? 

    Next gen consoles, probably. Sony and Microsoft have both only just pushed out updated versions of their existing consoles with better hardware. The odds of them overshadowing these updated consoles with announcements of next gen are pretty low. Similarly, Nintendo just released the Switch last year, and its sales have been quite strong.  

    Odds are good that this year is going to have the focus on games, first and foremost. This is good news for gamers who were getting sick of too much focus on gimmicks like Kinect and AR and the Wii U. Wait, that last one was its own console? Man, Nintendo fumbled the marketing for that thing… 

  • Having Trouble Connecting? Check out Our Favorite Wireless Routers

    Having Trouble Connecting? Check out Our Favorite Wireless Routers

    Nothing’s more frustrating than being in the middle of your favorite show and having the signal drop out. Or, worse, playing a match of your favorite game and then the dreaded “disconnected” image pops up. What are some of the best wireless routers to make sure this doesn’t happen to you? We’ve got our picks for favorite wireless router right here, so don’t worry about disconnecting due to a faulty signal anymore! 

    ASUS RT-AC3200 

    This router supports all three bands: short, medium and long. It is noted for its excellent long-range band and fantastic self-monitoring tools. The router provides graphs and charts for network usage which helps for troubleshooting network issues. It is somewhat difficult to set up and get the most out of, though. This makes it hard to recommend to those who are just looking for a solid router without having to fiddle with tons of options. If you’re relatively tech-savvy and like the idea of having great monitoring of devices, this one is a good pick. You can find it at around $190 from Amazon.  

    Netgear R7000P Nighthawk 

    Netgear’s offering is much easier to set up and use than ASUS’. It features an easy-to-use online portal and offers tons of options for those that want them. However, out of the box it does a great job distributing devices between its two bands. It makes sure there’s less overlap in signals and has excellent range. The Nighthawk is a pretty solid router for $190, and you can’t go wrong with its straightforward, simple functionality. 

    The Best Wireless Router: Google Wi-Fi 

    Google Wi-Fi is absolutely awesome. Rather than relying on one device to juggle various bands, it uses a mesh system. By hooking up multiple receivers, the system is able to produce an area of even coverage of Wi-Fi. The device is sleek and minimalist, as one could ecxpect from Google. The best part, though, is the software.  

    Google Wi-Fi’s app is the portal through which you set up and monitor the system. It allows for easy set-up of guest and family networks. It even sports smart home functional through the app! The best part? A single Google Wi-Fi router is only $120, and one will cover most houses. If you have a bigger house you can opt for a two- or even three-pack set, offering excellent mesh coverage. All in all, the best router for your money. You won’t be disappointed by Google Wi-Fi! 

     

  • Full Cadillac Line and Other Luxury Car GM Brands to Incorporate Super Cruise

    Full Cadillac Line and Other Luxury Car GM Brands to Incorporate Super Cruise

    Self-driving tech is red hot at the moment. Cars equipped with self-driving functionality are in the news constantly. Many car makers seem convinced that the technology is on the brink of being ready to release to consumers. GM’s take on the driverless technology is called Super Cruise, and the auto maker plans to incorporate it in to their luxury car brands, name Cadillac, by 2020.  

    Super Cruise 

    The 2018 Cadillac CT6 was the first car to incorporate Super Cruise. Super Cruise is designed for divided highways and can operate as a mostly hands-free self-driving suite. GM’s technology uses advanced driver monitoring to make sure the driver is still paying attention to the road. For instance, if the technology senses the driver’s attention drifting, it can give visual and audio warnings to the driver.  

    In an emergency situation, Super Cruise can even pull the car over and call OnStar for assistance. All in all, GM’s driverless technology is rather advanced and works well for its niche. However, it’s hardly the “true” self-driving technology that many are anticipating in the coming years. While Super Cruise uses similar technology to Tesla, with lidar and advanced mapping, it encounters many of the same issues as that technology. 

    Which Luxury Car Lines are Getting Super Cruise? 

    GM has stated that they intend to incorporate Super Cruise into the full Cadillac line by 2020. Their other luxury car brand names, like Buick and GMC, are likely to see the technology next. GM has been investing heavily in driverless tech and has expressed plans to commercialize the technology by 2019. This would make the Detroit-based auto maker one of the first to market with the technology. 

    While driverless tech still has a number of kinks to work out, it is still a nice addition to otherwise luxurious rides. Specifically, GM’s luxury brands all feature quiet, peaceful cabins and high-tech amenities. Super Cruise is a welcome companion to other features, like parking assist and blind spot monitoring. GM has stated that we can expect to see driverless technology incorporated across all their cars by 2023. 

  • Amazon Fire TV Cube: Fusion of Alexa and Fire Stick

    Amazon Fire TV Cube: Fusion of Alexa and Fire Stick

    Amazon’s looking to expand their smart home tech to your cable box. Despite the millions of cord-cutters, and the downward trend of Comcast, the cable box is a mainstay in many living rooms. Amazon, for their part, wants to help eliminate all those remotes that are cluttering your coffee table. By integrating the fantastic Alexa software into your cable experience, of course. Voice-controlled TV is nothing new, but voice controlled cable with the responsive and helpful Alexa? That could be a game changer.

    Alexa, Turn on the Game 

    By interfacing with your cable box, the Amazon Fire TV Cube seeks to make your old cable experience high-tech. Acting as something of a streaming device crossed with a cable box, the TV Cube brings Netflix and Hulu into the same platform as your cable service. Amazon’s own streaming service will be included, too, of course. If you’ve ever used a Roku or Apple TV, you know what you’re in for here. 

    The selling point here, of course, is smart home integration. You can hook your whole home entertainment system into your smart home infrastructure. “Alexa, turn on the game,” could cause Alexa to dim the lights, draw the curtains, turn on ESPN and disable notifications. That’s just one example. Amazon seems to be dead-set on making every aspect of life at home as comfortable as possible.  

    Competition Comes in Many Forms 

    Interestingly, Amazon isn’t the only company jumping into voice-activated smart TVs. The Sonos Beam soundbar coming later this year will have similar functionality. It will come equipped with Alexa when it launches but won’t support cable box integration. Still, the soundbar presents interesting competition for Amazon, as it is also a great audio device.  

    The biggest difference between the two voice-TV devices? It’s their price point. The Sonos Beam will retail for $400, while the Amazon Fire TV Cube will launch at $120.  

    When does the Amazon Fire TV Cube Launch? 

    The newest smart home innovation from Amazon launches on June 21st. It’s available Prime Members today for $90, so if it sounds like something you want, and you have Prime, snag it now. After today (June 8th,) it will retail for its normal price, even for Prime members.  

    Feature Image Credit: Digital Trends 

  • Parrot Taking Aim at DJI with New HDR-Enabled Drone, Anafi

    Parrot Taking Aim at DJI with New HDR-Enabled Drone, Anafi

    Parrot, the recently-quiet drone makers, have unveiled a new consumer drone. The Anafi, as it is called, is a folding drone meant to stash easily in a bag or trunk. It’s a quad-copter, so it has very stable flight and performs great in most climates.  

    The Camera 

    What’s better for shooting footage than a zippy drone? And if you’re shooting stunning aerial footage, you need a good camera! The Anafi doesn’t disappoint, coming equipped with a 4K camera that shoots 21-megapixel photos. It’s also the first consumer drone to hit market with HDR! For the uninformed, HDR is a high-contrast exposure that makes images pop. It’s a great companion to 4K, and makes stunning vistas look alive on a 4K display.  

    The inclusion of HDR actually gives Parrot a surprising edge over DJI. DJI’s drones are known to struggle in high-contrast shots, and given their pedigree, Parrot’s superiority in that field is a game-changer. It also features lossless digital zoom, a really awesome feature for a drone with a camera this good.  

    Anafi in Flight 

    The Anafi drone is also a breeze to fly. The quad-copter alignment is super-stable, and the camera barely jostles in flight. You can even fly it with a smartphone app or traditional remote controller. Ease of use is the main design goal in play, and it shows. 

    The 3-axis gimbal stabilizer has some awesome tricks up its sleeve, too. The drone’s unique construction allows you to shoot footage at a 180-degree angle. This means you can shoot directly above or below the drone. Paired with the awesome zoon, HDR support and stable construction, this all makes the Anafi a very attractive drone to enthusiasts. 

    The best part? All of this comes in a relatively inexpensive package. The Anafi is currently set to retail for $700, which, while not cheap, isn’t as much as comparable DJI drones.  

  • Google Removes Eggs from Salad Emoji for Vegan Inclusivity

    Google Removes Eggs from Salad Emoji for Vegan Inclusivity

    Emojis are serious business, guys. If you had any doubts, just check out this news from Google. Google’s salad emoji, which used to contain eggs, is now forgoing them in favor of being more vegan friendly! Uh, alright, cool! That salad looks kind of lame, though. Maybe throw some onions or cucumbers in there? Who’s eating their salad with lettuce, tomatoes and no dressing? Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with lettuce and tomatoes, but I wouldn’t just eat a big portion of both and call that lunch. 

    Wait, Seriously? This is News? 

    Hey, people take those emojis pretty seriously. Remember when Google’s burger emoji had the cheese under the patty and people freaked out? And a bunch of other people learned that placement of stuff on a burger is important, apparently? If not, I don’t blame you, this is certainly niche news. But people seem to like communicating with each other via pictographs, and the ones representing their food need to be accurate. Or something. 

    Other Food Related Emojis 

    Google is also making their bacon emoji more crisp looking and adding some brown to the edges. See, meat eater, it’s not just vegans getting new stuff! Google probably heard the belly-aching of countless meat eaters at once and headed them off with their favorite thing, bacon. Seriously, you guys are weird with your bacon. Bacon flavored milk shakes? Bacon on double cheeseburgers, as though those didn’t have enough calories already? Bacon on freaking pancakes? I mean, who am I to tell you how to live your life. But you know it’s weird how much you focus on bacon.  

    Does bacon even taste all that good? Is it really worth all the hype? Why am I writing all of this about bacon and salad emojis? Well, anyway, Google’s emoji updates will likely be out in September. Until then you’ll have to live with eggs in your salad and not-so-crispy bacon. 

    Feature Image Credit: Mashable 

  • Android P vs iOS 12: Which Tech Giant is Leading the Future of Smartphones?

    Android P vs iOS 12: Which Tech Giant is Leading the Future of Smartphones?

    Both Apple and Google have announced their upcoming smartphone OS updates. On the Apple side, we have iOS 12, a largely iterative and incremental update. Android P, on the other hand, is an OS playing catch-up. It represents Google’s attempt to replicate Apple-like functionality on their open, developer-first platform. Which of them has the edge from what we’ve seen so far? Let’s break down the proposed features of each and find out! 

    When Are They Launching? 

    Firstly, let’s discuss release. It’s most likely that we’ll see both iOS 12 and Android P in September. Both will likely launch alongside their flagship phones. Android P’s beta is going on now, while iOS 12’s is set to come later this summer. So, neither gets an edge, as the two are coming right around the same time. 

    Voice Assistants 

    Photo Credit: Apple 

    Siri is kind of a joke now, sadly. While Google Duplex is making phone calls for you and taking strings of commands at once, Siri doesn’t recognize her own name. Jokes aside, Apple launched the virtual assistant technology in 2011. They’ve had so much time to perfect the tech, to make it awesome, and they haven’t. Instead they were content with a just-OK assistant and let Amazon and, importantly, Google catch up. Now they’ve thrown their lead and have to play catch-up. 

    Siri Shortcuts, coming in iOS 12, is their latest push for the virtual assistant. It’s something of a low-tech answer to Google Assistant. It puts the hard work on the user, having them program action in response to command words. For instance, saying “Going to work,” could pull up your morning news podcast and navigate you past high-traffic routes. This is somewhat lame, considering Google Assistant has similar functions just programmed in by the developers. Google gets the edge, here. 

    Face Unlock 

    Photo Credit: Android Authority 

    Face unlock tech was popularized by the iPhone X as an alternative biometric to fingerprint scanning. The iPhone X has a 3D front-facing camera, making its Face ID an incredibly secure, trustworthy locking function. Android’s, by comparison, is noted for its “convenience.” As Google can’t guarantee all phones that use Android have powerful, front facing 3D cameras, they can’t promise strong facial recognition. As such, Android P’s face scanner was famously fooled by a printout of someone’s face. 

    The edge easily goes to Apple. Apple’s Face ID seems like a fully-fledged security feature. Google’s Face Unlock seems like a cash-in on a fad.  

    Messaging Apps 

    Photo Credit: Apple 

    Apple’s iMessage wins this one. Google doesn’t even have a proper infrastructure for their messaging app. Google Hangouts is super disappointing when you look at how many things iMessage has going for it. For one, you can FaceTime and do peer-to-peer payments from within the app. You have Animojis and Memojis in iMessage, which are adorable, and you have Wi-Fi messaging to other iPhone users.  

    The edge here easily goes to Apple. Google has some catching up to do with messaging apps. 

    Shared AR 

    Photo Credit: Engadget 

    Shared augmented reality is coming to both operating systems. However, iOS 12’s version is limited to just other iPhones. Meanwhile, Google’s Cloud Anchors work across platforms for any phone. That’s really awesome! Shared AR has a lot of neat applications, like playing games or learning in a classroom. This is tech to watch. 

    Google’s Cloud Anchors have the edge here for sheer breadth of usability. Good show, Google. 

    Maps 

    Photo Credit: NDTV Gadgets 

    There’s not a whole lot to say here. Google Maps is still the better app. It’s much deeper and more fleshed-out than Apple Maps. Apple’s map app is fine for surface-level navigation and that’s about it. Thankfully you can just download Google Maps on your iPhone.  

    The edge goes to Google for having a deep, highly-detailed map app. 

    Screen Time Management 

    Photo Credit: Apple 

    This is brand new to both Android P and iOS 12. Both operating systems come with ways to manage your time spent using various apps. This is ostensibly to help manage smartphone addiction. The addition of such responsible software is a good sign. However, as both are brand new and neither have been seen, we’ll have to reserve judgment.  

    Neither side gets the edge here, as we haven’t seen enough of either feature. 

    Gesture Navigation 

    Photo Credit: Apple 

    The iPhone X popularized gesture-based navigation, forgoing physical or onscreen buttons. It takes some getting used to, but it’s intuitive and responsive. It’s fairly seamless, so it makes sense that Android P would hop on the bandwagon and try their hand at gestures. However, the operating system still relies on a back button for some navigation. Additionally, Google’s hands-off design philosophy means that app developers are free to use gestures or buttons. This fragmentation is the Achilles Heel of Google’s Android platform as a whole. 

    The edge in this one goes to Apple, for their closed-ended, tightly focused OS. Gesture navigation is so much better when it’s across the whole ecosystem. 

    Android P and iOS 12: Who has the Edge? 

    We do. The competition between Google and Apple keeps heating up, and the two massive companies are deadlocked. They keep one-upping one another, and it’s great for consumers. We keep getting better and better phones and better features. It’s still early, in terms of the new OS’s, to tell who’s winning. Both companies have some heavy-hitting features. Apple has the edge in security with their closed-ended platform. Google has Apple on shared AR and the excellent Google Assistant software.  

    Bottom Line 

    Time will tell who wins this cycle. However, Google and Apple being neck-and-neck with one another is sort of status quo now. Their continuous competition keeps driving them both to new heights, which means we keep getting better and better phones. No matter which side you’re on, you’re in for some cool new features come this September.