Google Now on Tap is an Apple-killer but iOS will not go down just as fast

Google's release of the Android 6.0 Marshmallow may bring it closer to dominating Apple, based on its Now on Tap feature, various analysts predict. Initial reviews are in and it seems Android's ability to predict its users need will it be its "nuclear weapon" against Apple. Can Google really hold its ground against Apple once and for all?

For consumers who are comfortable with handing out as much data to Android, the Now on Tap software is a feature they have been waiting for. According to analysts, it is Google's weapon against Apple because the app assistant can predict a user's needs. According to The Wall Street Journal's Joana Stern, “It brings together so many of Google’s talents, including crowd-sourced intelligence, that it’s hard to imagine how Apple could match it."

"Google Now still lives just to the left of the home screen and feeds you a digest of information you are likely to be interested in—weather, directions to next destination, headlines, etc. (In iOS 9, Siri now does a similar thing in a similar spot.) But now, when looking at a Web page, email, text message or more, you can hold down the home button to get Marshmallow to suggest a logical next step," she added.

Google may be on its way in blurring the lines further with Android and iOS but Bloomberg maintains that Apple has an edge when making money. According to the report, Apple's supremacy in earning from its devices and OS comes from its unique brand and business model. After struggling with the iPhone 5c, the company shifted its focus once more developing a highly desirable flagship even at a higher cost.

Kirt McMaster, chief executive officer and co-founder of Cyanogen, shares his insights on how the smartphone market has changed.

“Handsets are commoditised,” he said. “They’ve gone from being technological devices to fast-moving consumer products. It’s like Coke and Pepsi now. That’s the war these companies are fighting. It’s not a sexy business anymore.”

Results from comScore's August smartphone data suggest that Apple leads the pack as the largest OEM. According to the analytic data, Apple has 44.1 percent share of the market.

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