The next version of Google's
Android operating system will add a fairly radical feature, one that
could give Android-powered smartphones a competitive advantage over Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone.
Google Now takes a big step forward
This
feature, known as Now on Tap, is the next step in the evolution of
Google Now, Google's digital personal assistant. Google Now is already a
powerful service in its own right, but on Tap should increase its value
dramatically.
With on Tap, Google Now will be able to analyze the information
currently displayed on a user's smartphone screen. For example, Google
Now will be able to field questions about a song that's currently
playing: Rather than opening the Google app, searching for the band and
then searching for the singer, users will be able to simply ask Google
Now "Who's the lead singer?"
Google Now on Tap will integrate with other aspects of the phone,
including email and messaging. Google Now will be able to search a
message for points of interest, then offer up information relevant to
the discussion (reviews of a restaurant, information on a movie, prompts
to set a reminder for an upcoming event).
Photo: Google
Google Now on Tap
Is slated to arrive with Android M, the next
version of Google's mobile operating system. Android M has not received a
firm release date yet, but if Google's past releases are any
indication, it seems likely to make its debut sometime this fall.
Apple's better SpotlightIf Google Now on Tap
proves to be as useful as it appears, it could cost Apple some future
iPhone sales. Google has been diligent about bringing nearly all of its
services to Apple's iPhone (including Google Now itself). However, given
the level of integration it appears to require, Now on Tap could be
difficult, if not totally impossible, to offer to iOS users.
Admittedly, Apple will soon offer its own quasi-alternative in the
form of enhanced Spotlight search. Unveiled at its Worldwide Developers
Conference last month, and slated to arrive with iOS 9 later this year,
iPhone users will soon be able to search their handsets for information
buried within apps. It isn't a true search engine -- far from it
-- but Spotlight search will make it easier for users to dig up
relevant information at a moment's notice. Searching "chicken," for
example, could surface chicken-based recipes stored within a food app.
That could certainly save iPhone users valuable time, and enhance the
overall experience, but it pales in comparison to what Google Now could
eventually offer to owners of Android handsets.
Android's first must-have feature?Of course, it
remains to be seen if Google Now on Tap will become the next must-have
feature, or be discarded as a simple gimmick. Privacy concerns could
limit its adoption -- The Wall Street Journal, reacting to Now on Tap's announcement, labeled it "creepy."
Moreover, most Android users won't be able to use on Tap for months,
if not years. Google's Android operating system is notoriously
fragmented -- although it was released more than seven months ago, only
12% of Android handsets are running the latest version of Android,
Android Lollipop. Android Jelly Bean, originally released in 2013, is
more than twice as popular. And to this day, carriers continue to sell
Android handsets running older versions of the operating system. The
same is likely to be true for Android M.
Photo: Google
But if on Tap is a success, it could give Android its first major,
unique feature. Since the beginning, Google's Android operating system
has offered users a deeper level of customization, but some of these
features (third-party keyboards) have to come to iOS; others -- like contextual lock screens -- have yet to find true mainstream success.
If Now on Tap receives a strong reception, it will be an obvious win
for Google, expanding its search queries and drawing in mobile users.
For Apple, the opposite is true -- it could help reverse recent trends and sway smartphone buyers to Android. With the bulk of Apple's revenue and profit coming from the iPhone, this poses an obvious threat to its stock. Certainly, it's the most intriguing Android feature to emerge in
years, and it's one investors should watch closely going into Android
M's launch.
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