Google Pixel Vs. IPhone 7- The Ultimate Comparison

In order to rev up the excitement of consumers, Google unveiled a series of its amazing products on 4th October, 2016 in San Francisco. The major announcement included the introduction of ‘Pixel’. It is the first phone of Google that carries its exclusive branding. The device with its 4K video, artificially intelligent assistant and other hi-tech features is deemed to take over the loved iPhone7! Now let’s compare this new phone with iPhone 7.

Design: When it comes to design, both Google Pixel and iPhone 7 are in the same league. In some cases Pixel looks better but in some other cases iPhone 7 looks better. iPhone 7 gets an upper hand here because of its cohesive design and waterproof body. Pixel offers a range of elements But Pixel is not waterproof. Till now, Pixel has made its appearance only on Google’s website and web pages, So, it's bit difficult to explain much about the design of the phone. 

There are 2 domains where Pixel scores over iPhone 7

• The first one comprises of the headphone jack. Pixel has it and though we may agree that the future belongs to the wireless earphones and headphones but in the present the 3.5 mm jack offers more convenience.
• The second area where Pixel scores over iPhone 7 is the position of the fingerprint scanner. The position of the scanner on the back offers more convenience than on the front, like iPhone 7 has it.

Software: In the software section, there is a tie between Pixel and iPhone 7. 

• Android 7.1 inside Pixel is better than iOS 10.
• The Google Assistant is smarter than Siri and offers more useful features.
• Apple supports its phones better with the updates of software which become crucial when you are purchasing a highly expensive phone and are going to use it for some years. 

Still, it can be said that software in Pixel and iPhone 7 has different target audience. Android offers more flexibility and you can build your own work flows whereas iOS 10 provides more refined experience.

Hardware and performance: When it comes to hardware, both the phones have a range of similarities. Both have an internal storage of 32GB in their base variants, support only one sim card and lack support for microSD card.

Some differences are also there.

• iPhone 7 has RAM capacity of 3 GB whereas Google Pixel has 4 GB RAM.
• Google Pixel having a 5 inch screen and iPhone 7 having a 4.7 inch one.
• Pixel screens use AMOLED panels which depict more vibrant colors. iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus screens are likely to be brighter and have more accurate colors.
• There is no tie in the absolute raw performance. Pixel powered by the Snapdragon 821 processor. iPhone 7 powered by the A10 processor. A10 is faster than Snapdragon 821 processor. This makes iPhone7 a great performer. 

Camera: 

• According to Google, Pixel has the best camera ever put in a Smartphone and it lacks the feature of optical image stabilization.
• The camera hardware inside the Pixel is pretty good and it is similar to the camera hardware in Nexus 6P, which is fantastic.
• Pixel utilizes Sony-made IMX 378 image sensor and according to Google, it has scored 89 points in DxO. The points scored by the iPhone7 camera are 86.
• Though both the phones possess a 12 megapixel camera, the sensor of Pixel is bigger and this offers better performance in low light. Thus, it can be said that Pixel will snap technically improved images.
• Considering absolute bests, even if you get iPhone 7, you’ll receive a camera which will be great to use. Moreover, iPhone 7 provides two cameras, the other one is a telephoto lens.

The above mentioned comparisons are not all inclusive and there’s a lot more that needs to be explored of these phones. But that said, iPhone 7 appears to be more favorable option for consumers when compared to Pixel. Most of this is because of the price. Pixel is a pretty expensive phone with a starting cost of Rs. 57,000. The appeal of the phone is limited to people who principally insist on Android. For others, iPhone 7 is a preferred option.

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7 hurdles in IoT mobile app development

For manufacturers interested in developing connected products for the Internet of Things (IoT), mobile app development represents entirely new and unknown territory. And even experienced mobile app developers find that the IoT poses all kinds of new challenges.

Before embarking on any connected-product project, it’s crucial to understand why IoT mobile apps are different, and how that difference will affect your IoT development process. Here are 7 hurdles that threaten to trip up any IoT mobile app development, and how to sidestep them in your projects.

#1: Misunderstanding the fundamental role of mobile apps in IoT products 

Here’s a simple but difficult truth for many manufacturers to accept: To the users of your IoT-connected products, the mobile app is your product. It’s what they interact with to control your connected products, so in their minds it becomes synonymous with the product itself.

This reality demands that manufacturers make a fundamental shift in perspective. You can’t view the mobile app as an add-on or afterthought to your IoT products - something that can be separated out and worked on independently. Instead, you must design connected products with a holistic, integrated approach. This means keeping mobile app considerations in mind from the outset of the design process through the entire lifetime of your IoT products.

#2: Treating mobile devices as a single, cohesive market

Have you thought about the huge variation in mobile device form factors and screen sizes, in both smartphones and tablets? What about the different operating systems and their many versions? How long will you continue to support particular OS versions? And how will your IoT mobile apps support future OS upgrades and new form factors?

Writing mobile apps that can work with all the possible mobile device variables out there requires skilled software developers - either in-house or outsourced. And when the mobile apps are for IoT products, those software developers will also have to consider factors such as wireless networking and cloud support.

#3: Neglecting cloud and connectivity issues

An IoT product does not exist as an isolated, discrete entity. Rather, its identity has three major parts the product itself, the cloud, and the mobile app interconnected by various networking and communications avenues.

For that reason, every IoT mobile app must be built to recognize and play well with all the cloud and connectivity aspects that are an inherent part of your connected products.

#4: Loading too many features onto your mobile app

If you’re like most manufacturers, you are justifiably proud of your products’ many capabilities. After all, you’ve spent considerable time and engineering budget creating features to differentiate your products and set them apart from your competitors’ offerings. Even a product like a connected water heater, not usually associated with an abundance of whiz-bang features, might have a hundred or more properties in its data model.

But in the IoT, the mobile app not the physical product itself becomes the focal point of interaction for users of your products. As a result, you’ll have to rethink how many features you want to include in your IoT mobile app, to avoid forcing users to scroll through multiple menu layers to find what they need. In the case of a connected water heater, end customers might care about only a dozen or so of the more than 100 properties so those are the only features you should include in your IoT mobile app.

#5: Skimping on the user experience

People use mobile devices for more and more activities in their daily lives, and we’re all becoming savvy about what to expect when we use a smartphone or tablet. One of the things we expect is a great user experience.

Mobile app user experience includes everything from the aesthetics of the app its look and feel, its feedback mechanisms, its buttons and other controls -to how intuitive it is to navigate, how quickly users can do what they want to do, and how easy it is to install, register, and update the app. Cutting corners on any aspect of the IoT mobile app user experience will diminish the perceived value of your connected product and of your company’s precious brand. On the other hand, building IoT mobile apps that people really want to use will enhance your offerings in the eyes of your customers.

#6: Overlooking security

It’s obvious that everyone expects that their connected products, IoT mobile apps, and the data moving among products, clouds, and apps will be secure. Providing this security, however, is not at all obvious. In fact, it’s downright difficult.

Security is also a continuous and continuously evolving specialty. It’s not something you “do” once and you’re done. IoT security must encompass everything about the IoT product, IoT cloud, and IoT mobile app, as well as all the interactions and interconnections among them. At the mobile app level, security issues include access control, user authentication, wireless security, setting up and initiating secure sessions, and encryption of both user data and data generated by the connected device.

#7: Forgetting to consider future unknowns

The state of the art of mobile app development continues to expand, and you’ll want to be able to incorporate new features and capabilities that can enhance your connected products and their use. For example, in the future you might want to add things like geofencing or Bluetooth beacons or voice control or touch authentication to your IoT mobile app.

Providing this level of future flexibility begins with a fundamental application development question: Will you build your IoT mobile app using native code or hybrid code? Using native code requires higher-priced developers proficient in more advanced programming languages, but native code can get you to market faster and makes it easier to update your mobile app. Using hybrid code costs less for the initial programming, but every iteration becomes essentially a custom programming effort.

Putting it All Together

Building a great IoT mobile app is neither quick nor easy. But spending time planning the details of your IoT mobile app, and devoting sufficient budget and skilled resources to the process, can help you overcome the hurdles and earn you untold long-term value.


Source : https://appdevelopermagazine.com/