Wake up, Cupertino
Talking about the mobile devices scenario, Google’s Android operating system has helped it to gain a solid headstart over Cupertino-based Apple as well. According to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, Android moved far ahead of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iOS, as devices powered by Android grabbed a 51.2% share of overall smartphone sales in the US, as compared to 43.5% for iOS-powered devices, in the period between December 2012 and February this year. And now, research firm IDC has recently predicted that tablets powered by Android will move ahead of Apple’s iPad in terms of sales this year. That has never happened since the latter’s launch in 2010. And even if we discount the data, a simple occurrence such as the recent Apple Maps fiasco provides evidence enough of just how popular Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) services such as Maps, Gmail, YouTube and Chrome are among traditional iPhone users.
But, the most important difference between Google and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) till now has obviously been in the area of innovation. Google has certainly had a headstart recently with the Google Glass, Google Fiber and possibly, the ‘X’ phone, if the rumors about the latter are indeed true. Apple is, unfortunately, still stuck with bringing out updated versions of the iPhone and the iPad. And please don’t say that a ‘cheaper iPhone’ would be a completely new thing altogether. The pressure’s certainly on Tim Cook – perform or perish. That’s Apple’s hard reality now.
The future is truly exciting
Coming back to Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) and its futuristic products, I do have my reservations about whether or not the Google Glass will succeed, given the privacy issues involved and also the simple fact that some of us would not prefer being seen wearing a pair of (hi-tech) glasses, which is what it’s really all about. But then again, if the ‘X’ phone turns out to be truly shatter-proof and also offers a unique user experience, then this will turn out to be a great product in the end. I’m sure Google will leave no stone unturned in those directions.
Finally, once users start experiencing the amazing bandwidth speeds of Google Fiber, and realize how it will boost their multitasking abilities, some of them won’t mind paying a premium for such services. After all, it’s hard to believe Google won’t commercialize the Fiber experience, given its immense potential as a future revenue stream. Oh, and did I mention that high-end products such as the Chromebook Pixel can only serve to complement this terrific online connectivity? The verdict is clear. Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) should not only be a big addition to your portfolio, it’s actually something that needs to be treated as a ‘financial performance booster’ for quite a few years to come.
The article This Is Why Google’s Dominance Is All Set To Continue originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Subhadeep Ghose.
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