Google will slug it out with Apple in the smartphone market and this early it look like that the Nexus 2016 will boast of game-changing features lacking on its iOS rival. Thanks to the newly-revealed Android N, the upcoming Pure Android flagship by Google has a better chance of beating it next iPhone foe.
And there are four ways that the Nexus-iPhone 2016 showdown could play out in Google's favor:
Virtual reality
Google's I/O 2016 introduced Daydream, which sets the stage for Android device users to experience virtual reality or VR. Daydream as a platform will provide app developers the tools for users to immerse in a VR world, thanks for the most part of the same capabilities hard-coded with Android N.
As expected, first to get a taste of VR on Android N are Nexus device users, likely via the Nexus 2016 family of devices that will come out soon. To date, the iOS 10-powered iPhone 7, carries no hints of the same killer features.
Application preview
Instant Apps is also a new Android N component that allows the preview or testing of applications prior to actual purchase or download. With the feature, Android fans are given snapshots of an app before taking the plunge thus minimizing the disappointment factor.
No clue yet if the Apple App Store on iOS 10 will have the same service add-on.
Multitasking on smartphone
Apple has introduced Split Screen with iOS 9.xx but limited its access to the big screen devices or specifically the later versions of iPad and the iPad Pro. The multitasking feature, for now, is not available for iPhone users.
Not in Android's or more is in Nexus user's case as Google knows that mobile devices nowadays have screaming viewing windows that can accommodate two app screens at the same time. So the two-window apps on Android N will implement across the board.
Seamless system update
Starting with Android N, the upcoming Nexus and Android-based devices will get their system updates minus the interruption. Google engineers programmed the OS updates and security patches to be downloaded silently, saved in a separate partition and install at the next reboot. The whole process is performed on the background that it is nearly a seamless update experience.
It remains unclear if the iPhone 7 on release date will have the same update procedure as the previous builds - an update prompt is presented to users and once the process is started the screen goes blank for some minutes while working on the whole update episode. Not the case with the Nexus 2016, according to Google.