Any debate around Android vs iOS usually boils down to how the latter has an ecosystem where all products work together seamlessly. After years of lagging behind, all the major Android smartphone manufacturers are joining forces to take a jab at AirDrop.
AirDrop is Apple’s proprietary file transfer protocol which can be used between iPhones, iPads and even Macs. This is crucial for a cohesive workflow. While Android has had numerous third-party alternatives to send and receive files, the execution has often been janky. The solution to that might be coming from the smartphone makers themselves.
Last year, Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi announced that they will be working on a unified peer-to-peer file transfer protocol which will work across Android skins. While they make up for the majority of the smartphone market, some notable companies were still left out. That is now changing, as OnePlus, Realme, Xiaomi-backed Black Shark and Meizu are joining the alliance, thus expanding the coverage to over 400 million users globally.
Once the feature is in place, users will be able to transfer large files and folders across devices at speeds of up to 20MBps over a local WiFi connection, which will be significantly faster and more stable than resorting to Bluetooth.
A rollout schedule for the functionality was not mentioned by either of the brands, but considering that they all made the official announcements, the update shouldn’t be far off. This will go a long way in planting Android’s foot as an ecosystem that can work well across devices, regardless of fragmentation.
Huawei Consumer Business Group is also leading the charge to create an alternate app marketplace for Android smartphones with Xiaomi and BBK Electronics, which has also attained fruition.
Samsung and Huawei group remain the last major Android companies that are not a part of this file transfer alliance. Interestingly, both of them already have functioning file transfer systems for their own ecosystem of devices, and even extends to laptops. Onboarding them will be the pinnacle of this alliance.
Via XDA Developers
