Integration between devices is, on the street, my go-to argument when it comes to defending Apple in a debate. Not only because they only take a few minutes to set up, but because you have many functions that practically work on their own between Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Android recently took a similar step by wanting to be like AirDrop and AirPlay: Nearby Sharing is meant to be an integration to be able to send data quickly between devices. And it’s a very good step, but it’s still in AirDrop’s shadow
Get out of the box and get to work. Only Apple still has that
After several months in beta phase, Nearby Share can now be downloaded on Windows systems in a permanent and stable way. What it allows will remind you of something: easily send and receive files between Android and Windows devices. Android devices alone have had it for a long time, but it was limited to this ecosystem.
But if Google wants to match AirDrop’s user experience, there is still work to do. The simple fact of having to install an application on Windows is already a barrier, while AirDrop allows data to be transferred between any Apple device natively and directly. Also, in iOS 17 we can use it even more freely, being able to move away from the receiver even if the transfer is not complete.
AirDrop and AirPlay level of integration not achievable between Android and Windows
The same can be said for AirPlay: when I tell my iPhone to play something on my Mac’s screen and my Mac is locked, my Apple Watch immediately becomes an authenticator so the Mac instantly unlocks and the video starts playing. This type of integration between three devices is inaccessible for Android and Windows. For now.
What if we all wore the same thing?
The ideal situation is clear: a standard. We all wish we could bring one device (any device) closer to another and transfer information as if nothing had happened. But Apple will never want to do that for the same reasons it doesn’t want to adopt WebRTC in iMessage: wants integration to remain the decisive factor in convincing consumers.
I don’t mean to imply that nearby sharing is a useless gesture: quite the contrary. For Google to do this is to recognize this integration of Apple. It’s the competition that will make Cupertino want to improve even more to maintain the advantage. And if with this Android users manage to improve their experience, that’s even better.
In Applesphere | I tried to communicate with my friends only with iMessage. This is what we liked and what we missed
In Applesphere | The major social tools are being restructured. Apple lacks the margin to have its own
