Locate My Buddies (ios 5) As Opposed To Google Range (android)

iOS 5's Find My Friends is visually compelling and simple to use.Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET

When it involves GPS-based buddy-locating apps, you either love them or you don't.

Google has been a big believer on its Android platform for a while, integrating Google Latitude into all of its Android telephones. Apple's iOS 5 replace brings a separate downloadable app, Find My Friends (shortened to Find Friends as soon as it installs).

In many instances, it's any other iOS 5 characteristic that is very just like those current on rival cell platforms, but there are some capabilities all its own. This weekend, I buddied up with a few CNET pals to peer how Find My Friends differs from Latitutde and which of the 2 apps I decide upon. One factor to word: Latitude and Find My Friends most effective paintings within their respective ecosystems.

iOS: Find My FriendsThe free app is straightforward to down load, as soon as you already know to look for it in the App Store. Otherwise you may be looking maps thinking a way to activate the function.

Right off the bat, that is a graphically rich app, with a textured, leather-based-certain appearance in sepia tones. It's also notably simple to navigate, a part of that simplicity attributable to the reality that there may be now not terribly a good deal to do. After all, the number one reason of any location-aware app is so that it will tune in which human beings are at a given time. This, Find My Friends does via studying out a textual content region, and by plotting friends on a (Google) map.

The additional features are first rate: being capable of conceal your area, attain out to pals from the app through textual content (or iMessage), launch a FaceTime call, and get guidelines on your pal's place, for handier assembly-up.

There's additionally a excellent control feature for adding someone temporarily, like for the duration of the path of a 2-hour window, possibly, just to facilitate meeting up that when. As someone who enjoys a private lifestyles, the temporary feature seems the great non-public choice for choosing a assembly factor or collecting a larger group.

The app labored broadly speaking nicely, even though for over an hour, it struggled to find a buddy who ought to certainly see me through the same app on his iPhone 4. At the identical time, I changed into absolutely capable of see the whereabouts of every other pal.

Just a observe that you may add friends through the app by both their Apple ID in case you understand it, or via sending an e-mail to them at any cope with. Later, you are capable of link them to any present touch via the Find My Friends apps.Google Latitude: pretty it ain't.Screenshot by Antuan Goodwin/CNET

Android: Google LatitudeLike so lots of Google's offerings, the Latitude app is part and parcel with Android, and most of the time, it is also preloaded in the Android app tray. Most of the time I forget about it (see above), but this time I unhid my vicinity from the sector.

Latitude's landing web page is a simple, now not particularly fetching, listing that suggests your region, your pals' locations, and different suggested friends you may want to percentage with. There's a button to check in, as well, with greater options to show inactive pals, settings, the map, and so forth from the Android menu button.

It's deeply included into Google Maps, wherein it is treated as a map layer, so you can also get entry to it from the Maps app. Here's what you can do: view area records, send your location to others, and check out Street View at the map. You also can faucet on a chum's icon to call, text, e-mail, or get instructions in your buddy.

In privacy settings, you can pick 3 special ways to document your region, set preferences for Google test-ins, and stop Latitude completely. There's also an choice to get a pal's location up to date in real-time, that is a greater strain in your resources, to make sure, however a accessible option for keeping accurate tabs on a person.

The winnerAs a ways as I'm involved, it's a draw. Both apps can typically do the same fundamental duties of inviting buddies, handling privateness, and monitoring pals on a Google map. Apple all over again rankings massive points on the look, experience, and the layout of its Find My Friends app, however I decide on Google's ability to combine it into Maps, its check-in helper, and its offer to update in actual time.

Apple's temporary invite device, but, suggests extra insight by using acknowledging two matters: humans's squeamishness with regards to completely inviting someone to song you (mine covered), and remembering to show vicinity-monitoring off while you need to stay incognito (me once more).

Google has had the advantage of bringing pal-finding cell before Apple, however Apple has the gain of enhancing on Google in numerous methods. Ultimately, Apple has a long way to visit make its app extra sophisticated for iOS customers who want Google's greater skills, and Google desires to each pretty-up and streamline Latitude, and devise more clever bridges among Google services and the buddy-finding function--perhaps a hyperlink to Places to peer wherepeople should take hold of dinner nearby, for one.