10 Google Products That Are Cooler Than Apple’s Best

by Don Reisinger

Google Glass is arguably the coolest product the search giant is trying to get off the ground. Although we don’t know yet exactly when it’ll launch, Google Glass promises eyewear that will do everything, from providing directions to allowing people to snap photos. It’s a great product, and Apple has nothing to challenge it.

The Google Nexus 10 might surprise folks for being included in this roundup, considering it’s competing against Apple’s iPad. But consider this: The search giant’s device has a slightly larger screen, the latest Android features (more on that in a moment) and a price of only $399. So Google appears to have itself a winner in the tablet market.

Sure, Apple isn’t competing in the ISP market, but Google Fiber shows just how dedicated the company is to innovation. Google Fiber delivers Gigabit Ethernet service, television service and everything else that ISPs would be expected to offer. It’s in testing now, but don’t be surprised if there’s a nationwide rollout at some point in the next few years.

Google Search is another one of those products that Apple just can’t compete against. The offering is the best way to find information across the Web, so Apple has acknowledged that’s the case and has been forced to continue to make Google the default search engine in iOS, despite taking out YouTube and Google Maps. Google Search is simply top-notch.

The Google Play Marketplace is better than Apple’s App Store. There, I said it. The marketplace is closing in on Apple’s store and will eventually have more apps. Plus, the terms for developers to get into it aren’t nearly as onerous as those from Apple. Translation? Google Play is delivering a better all-around experience to app buyers and developers.

Android has quickly surpassed iOS as the best mobile operating system in the business. Yes, it has its security concerns, but let’s not forget that it also comes with several more features, including multiple user support, near-field communication, facial unlock and many others. Android is what iOS should be.

Looking to be a mobile advertiser? Look no further than Google’s AdMob. That platform works across all mobile operating systems and is used by the vast majority of developers. Apple is still trying to compete in the space with iAd, but it’s failing miserably. Apple should just ditch iAd and let Google take over ads.

Google Maps proved its superiority over Apple’s Maps when the latter product was released last year. Apple Maps, which replaced Google Maps in iOS, came with a tidal wave of errors and there were even some towns in wrong places. Apple quickly apologized, but the damage was done, and once again, Google won the day.

Google Docs has Apple’s iWork beat for one simple reason: It’s online. The future of productivity applications must be online, and Google is one of the few companies acknowledging that. Could Google Docs be a little more capable? Sure. But it’s still better than iWork for those hoping to quickly type out a document or add a few things up in spreadsheets.

Google’s Chrome is better than Safari—period. The browser is faster and easier to use. The bar at the top is a handle-all tool that works far more effectively than that in Apple’s product, and it works with a host of useful extensions. Apple’s Safari is truly not the kind of software most people would want to use if given the chance to use Chrome.