The Google+ app finally became available for the iPhone at the App Store after launching for Android some time ago and as one might expect the apps to be not identical.
Interestingly, at the Android Market, the app description very smartly starts with the disclaimer that “Google+ is still in active development and not yet available to everyone. You need an invitation to sign in.”
Meanwhile, the App store includes no such disclaimer but start with the features and selling points of why a person might want the app (“Google+ makes sharing the right things with the right people a lot simpler. Huddle lets you send super-fast messages to the people you care about the most”).
This lack of disclaimer led to many negative comments and one-star ratings within reviews noting that people are not aware they need an invitation to sign up for Google+.
For Android, the content rating is “High Maturity.” Apple’s App store states: “Google+ is only available for users 18 and older.”
In our quick comparison of Google+ app on Android to iPhone, we noticed several slight differences:
- Android Circles screen has the count in Circles while iPhone has the count and (tiny) photos of those in the circles.
- Android has Circles & People options on bottom of screen, iPhone places them at the top.
- Android has more options in “settings,” such as who can message you, Huddle notifications, instant photo/video upload options in the App, iPhone settings are only Help Feedback, Privacy Policy,Terms of Service.
- On Stream page, Android integrates instant photo (Take Photo, Select Photo) via icon at top of screen, iPhone has no such feature. Apple has the photo option only within the Photos menu.
Otherwise, the look and feel is pretty much the same for both apps.
Anyone notice anything else in the new iPhone app? Like it, hate it, neutral?
Chuck Martin is author of The Third Screen; Marketing to Your Customers in a World Gone Mobile, The Smartphone Handbook, CEO of Mobile Future Institute, Director of the Center for Media Research at MediaPost Communications and a highly sought-after mobile marketing speaker.
