Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google: Who Will Win?
As we near another turn of the decade, various brand names (e.g. Myspace, Blackberry, etc.) have been weeded out of the game, and it has finally become clear who the top players are in the future’s media landscape: Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google. Although these four firms have differing roots and humble beginnings, their paths are starting to cross as they race to create the next big thing, and to ultimately run the media landscape of the future. In this essay, the technologies and contested boundaries between Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google will be discussed, as well as the potential outcomes that could determine the winner in the race to the top.
Contested Boundaries
As mentioned above, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google are playing in each other’s courts by offering similar services and products to diminish the influence of their competition. Amazon, originating as an ecommerce company, has made its way into entertainment by offering a video streaming service known as Amazon Prime Video, as well as a digital media player called the Amazon Fire TV Stick. Comparable to the Fire Stick is Apple’s version of a digital media player known as Apple TV, from which Amazon Prime Video can actually be streamed.
Along the lines of video streaming, Google owns the largest video hosting website in the world: YouTube. YouTube is widely used for music listening purposes; music videos, lyric videos, live music performances, and entire albums are available on YouTube. Apple’s media player Apple Music and its media library iTunes are also meccas for music listening. Further, Google and YouTube are used all around the world for entertainment, learning, and news purposes – much like linear television but with more user control. Facebook, the world’s largest social networking website, is used quite similarly because its users can stay in touch with their friends while simultaneously sharing videos, images, news stories, and articles. Facebook’s content is tailored to its users’ interests and search history, which is an algorithm both Google and Amazon utilize in their search functions and feeds as well.
Emerging (or Fledgling) Technology
As illustrated with the various examples above, it is clear that the competition is heavy for Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google. Perhaps the biggest competition on the market between the four firms right now are voice control devices. Google has the Google Home, Amazon has Alexa and the Amazon Echo, and Apple has the Siri remote that accompanies Apple TVs. Voice control features have also been developed into Apple’s iPhones with Siri, and into other smartphones with the “Ok Google” voice command. Further, Facebook Messenger now offers various “chatbots” that can send you daily reminders and can answer your questions. There are chatbots that can update you on the news and the weather, while other chatbots can order tickets for you or answer your health questions.
Lastly, the latest trend that the four firms are just beginning to dive into is the technological realm of augmented reality (AR). Thus far, this technology is hands-free and tends to take the form of glasses: Google currently has Google Glass, which is essentially a smartphone in your glasses. Additionally, Facebook and Apple were both rumored to have begun development of AR glasses this year. Amazon took a different route, however, by introducing a 3-D, AR feature customers can use via the Amazon smartphone app to view how products will look in their home or workspace before they purchase it.
Will There Be a Winner?
It seems that the collective mission of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google is to create an accommodating experience so that users hardly have to lift a finger or give a second thought when engaging with their technology. The four firms are also working to expand their influence so that they can ultimately cover all technological bases and become the predominant firm.
It is hard to say whether one firm will dominate the rest because Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google are experts in their respective fields. To elaborate, Facebook overshadows Google+ in social networking, Apple’s iPhones have dominated the smartphone industry while the Google Pixel fell short, and Amazon’s Alexa is doing far better than the Google Home. However, Google covers so much more technological ground than the remaining three firms do. In fact, Google is even developing a technology called the Loon Balloon, which will bring internet service to remote places (so, Google is literally covering the most ground). Google is a player in voice control, AR, social networking, smartphone development, search engineering, and computer manufacturing - which is more than Amazon, Apple, and Facebook can say.
Although each firm is likely to see much more growth, success, and technological development in the future, if a winner were to be picked it should be Google. Google’s Loon Balloon alone demonstrates their vast influence in domestic and international markets. Also, the extent of their technological influence allows great accessibility in the United States and abroad. Despite Google’s vast and lasting influence, it is likely that Amazon, Apple, and Facebook will still have their fair share in any given boundary in the next ten or twenty years. The competition right now between Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google is hot, but it is steady.