As of late Google and Apple have been competing fiercely with each other. First with the smart phones (Nexus One vs iPhone). Now with the pad devices (Google Pad vs iPad). But Google will not win this battle unless it makes a significant investment in the user experience. And I mean the entire user experience from the point of purchase to actual use.

Brick and Mortar vs Online Only

When Google started selling the Nexus One phone they made one big assumption- humans won’t need them. They assumed consumers would go online, purchase the phone, and only contact Google via email. Big mistake.

Apple catches a lot of flack from some portion of the technology segment because it tightly controls its distribution and support network. Need to buy an iPhone? Go to the Apple store. Need to get support, schedule an appointment at the Genius Bar in the Apple Store. Making the assumption that people will not really need face-to-face interaction to buy or especially receive support is a big oversight. Google has since gone back to the drawing board to figure this essential component of service and distribution out. The Social Web was in an uproar about slow responses to support and poor reception. Apple already thought through these challenges.

Enhancements vs Feature Load

Google invests a lot of money into packing their offerings with lots of features. It’s as though they look at the iPhone and say to themselves, “what can we do to add another this or another that”. Where Apple’s approach is how can we make better what we already have. There’s a big difference there.

It’s easier to add features than it is to make enhancements. First, in order to enhance you must believe that you have the right foundation to begin with. And you have conducted enough research to know what to change. Feature loading on the other hand doesn’t require a good foundation. You can simply code around unstable parts of the platform. Enhancing is more like delicate surgery. Apple wins hands down here.

The Interface

Have you used an iPhone and a Nexus One phone? Two year olds can use an iPhone; I’ve seen it. However, hand them a Nexus One phone and they can’t get past the unlock screen function. The icons are too small. You can load moveable backgrounds that interact with touch. Yes these backgrounds are cool but they interfere with readability and ultimately affect usability. Go online and conduct a few searches and you’ll find many complaints about the Nexus One user interface. Don’t assume that because it’s an iPhone competitor that it will be as good as or mimic much of what works well on the iPhone. Apple continues to refine their offering.

The iPad

Many people think that the Google competitor to the iPad will put the iPad debate to rest. Google took the iPad form factor, copied it and loaded the Android OS on it. See they assumed that the appeal of the iPad was the form factor- so they copied it. I see it all the time on the Web. People copy a concept and assume that it will achieve the same success. I’m not talking about patterns here. The fact that the iPad is the size of a book is not why it works so well. It’s the processor, the product design, the queues from the iPod Touch, the screen technology, etc.

Apple had a good and proven model to build upon- the iPod Touch. The fact that a two year old could use one meant that a two year old could likely use the iPad. The same iconography, control bars, menu bars, touch, and sound are all replicated. Physically moving an iPod means it affects the app on the screen, same goes for the iPad. See, Apple simply enhanced what they already had. They knew it worked well- it was proven. Google doesn’t have that legacy to build on. And copying the iPad form factor will not make it successful.

Although we at Modal focus more on the Web space- web sites, web apps, and iPhone apps; much of the knowledge we gained is transferrable to product design.

Take a lesson from these mega giants of technology. A great user experience will overcome a robust, feature-rich product with a poor experience every time.

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