The Apple vs Google saga have been one of the biggest factors behind my decision to use an iPhone. Ever since the debut of the iPhone, I have been waiting for something great to come along to replace my trusty Motorola QPocket. The iPhone is so easy to use and intuitive that it has become one of my go to gadgets whenever I need a quick tool. It also happens to be one of the most affordable and feature-rich gadgets available today. In fact, it’s hard to think about a smartphone that can’t be considered portable, handy and useful.
But what sets the iPhone apart from the existing Android competition? Well, for one thing, it offers a big screen, high-end hardware and extensive application support. It also gives you access to the internet through a cellular data network, so you don’t need to worry about paying extra for international calling. In short, the iPhone is at least the competitor that Google wants to be. So which iPhone app should you choose in this heated rivalry?
First off, let me say that the iPhone has some of the best apps available on any mobile platform. However, one thing that sets it apart from other smart phones is its integration with the Safari web browser. This browser allows you to search the web, check out sites, browse safari documents and anything else that you can do on a normal PC. The iPhone has also implemented the Safari’s own URL scheme that makes searching for web pages easier than ever before. There are many different Safari apps available but here are a few of my favorites:
Safari Web Searches: This is perhaps the easiest way to find information on the web. It supports the long-established Google search bar, making it easier than ever to find any web page. All you have to do is begin typing in the name of the website you want to visit. Safari will then display the URL’s for all the web pages that are related to the name you typed in. The search functions available are particularly useful if you are visiting a site that has been established and is still being updated by current staff members.
Safari Website Editor: The Safari website editor is another useful application. It allows you to easily create, edit and manage websites. If you are familiar with HTML or CSS you will feel at home with this app. Even if you’re not, you’ll find that this app is easy to navigate and create wonderful layouts and interfaces for your pages.
Web inspector: If you are working on the web or have visited a website that you would like to understand more about you will likely need to inspect the code for functionality. This excellent app can inspect the inner workings of any web page, so that you can understand how it works. It will also allow you to search for broken links or other problems with the website’s design. It also has powerful editing features that allow you to change the entire appearance of the page. You can easily go from a basic style to something more elaborate. If you are looking for a feature-packed, easy to use web inspector app this is definitely worth checking out.
Maps: Google Maps comes highly recommended as it provides turn-by-turn navigation with interactive turn-by-turn buttons. If you have ever used a Map application on another platform, you know exactly what I am talking about. This app includes some of the same features as those available on Google Maps, but also adds many new features. Features include: direct turn-by-turn navigation with arrows, detailed turn-by-turn traffic estimates, offline views, live traffic data, route builder, detailed stopovers and much more. If you use Google whenever you are driving, you may want to consider this as one of your choices. However, if you rarely use Google Maps this one isn’t that great.
Social Media Manager: The final app that we are going to look at is the social media manager. As its name suggests, this allows you to manage your accounts from your iPhone. You can import all your contacts, upload photos and videos, synchronize your Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts and even manage your Apple and Android devices. A really nice feature of this app is the widgets that allow you to view your various accounts from your lock screen. There are some apps that integrate these functions into their design as well so this one is definitely worth checking out if you need these features.
The Google VS Apple Saga will look to continue for years to come.
