Android L vs Windows Phone 8.1: Guess who's catching up

In Android L, the Phone application is unified with the contacts list so all our calling needs are met by a single app. Opening it up displays our call log, our last contacted number, our favorites, and a neatly organized list of contacts with a profile picture at the side. The search bar lists results from our contacts, but can also search Google's directory for nearby businesses, which is pretty neat.

In contrast, Windows Phone 8.1 has the Phone and contacts apps (the latter is called People) separated. The Phone app is pretty simple, with our call log, favorites, and contacts listed alphabetically. Using the search bar we can find contacts by entering either of their names. The People app is separate since it is more than just a manager for our contacts. It also serves as a hub listing our friends' activity on social networks and lets us interact with their posts. It is a different approach and definitely not a bad one.

Hangouts is Android L's default SMS application. It handles both plain ol' text messages and IMs sent through Google's service, as well as audio and video calls over the internet. With the risk of repeating ourselves, Windows Phone 8.1 is keeping things simple with its no-hassle texting application. It is made for texting and that's pretty much it. In both platforms we may attach our location to the outgoing message.

The on-screen keyboard on Android L now has a simpler layout and has retained its great accuracy. It speeds up our typing with its word predictions, and fans of alternative input methods may use the keyboard's swipe mode. The keyboard in Windows Phone has always been a very accurate one, and it is about to get even better in Windows Phone 8.1. The platform's latest version adds Word Flow, which works just like the swipe method in Android. It isn't available on our demo unit, however, so we can't give it a try at this time.

Google Now, Android's virtual assistant, is an intelligent tool that attempts to provide relevant information at the right time. It does that by analyzing the user's search habits, location patterns, and by integrating with core Android apps and services. So for example if you have a flight coming in a day, Google Now will provide you with flight updates ahead of time. If you visit the same place over the weekend, Google Now will give you a traffic update before you even ask for it. 

Also, Google Now responds to natural language queries and commands. You may ask it to dial or send a message to a contact, to give you a weather forecast, or to set a reminder or to take down a note, to give a few examples. What's more, Google Now can be accessed from any screen thanks to an always-on voice command. As long as the phone is not on stand-by, that is.

With Windows Phone 8.1, Microsoft is introducing us to Cortana – a personal virtual assistant made to respond to natural language commands, much like Google Now. Similarly, she is able to look into the user's contacts, emails, calendar and other personal information in order to perform whatever action she's been instructed to do. For example, you may ask Cortana to initiate a call, to set an alarm, or to read your last email. But she's been also designed to integrate with third-party apps and services, such as Skype, Hulu Plus, or Facebook. 

Google's Chrome mobile web browser has established itself as one of the best of its kind. It isn't only fast, but also highly functional and pretty easy to use. What's more, it can sync with other devices on which the same user is running Chrome – you may have access to your tabs and bookmarks on multiple devices, basically. And if you need to save up those megabytes, the browser comes with the option to have pages compressed before they are downloaded. But Internet Explorer 11 on Windows Phone 8.1 is a browser that shouldn't be underestimated. The latest version of Microsoft's mobile browser features unlimited tabs, optional data compression (which works pretty much like Chrome's), and a reader mode, which hides all pictures and leaves only the body of articles for easy reading. The latter is a handy feature – definitely one that Chrome can learn from its counterpart. Alas, unlike Chrome, Internet Explorer 11 won't inflate text for easier reading without having to zoom in.

The stock camera in Windows Phone 8.1 seems to be a pretty basic one and it is easy pretty to use. At the side of the screen we have quick buttons for taking a photo, a video, or a burst sequence of images. There are some settings that you can adjust manually, but these are found in a menu that takes a few taps too many to get to. Additional modes can be downloaded separately from the Marketplace, if you're feeling brave enough to experiment. However, if you're an owner of a Nokia Lumia phone, you'll find the Nokia Camera app pre-installed. It is a welcome upgrade over the stock camera application, adding quick access to true manual controls – focus, exposure, ISO, shutter speed, and color temperature – for those who know how to use them. Those who don't can simply leave them in their default auto setting.

Google Camera, which is the default camera app in Android L, offers little in terms of manual controls. But it is easy to get the hang of and features a handful of cool modes, including panorama, Photo Sphere, HDR+, and Lens Blur. We gave it a review not long ago, so check it out if you're curious to learn more.

Once in the Android photo gallery, you're presented with a thumbnail view of all your photos. If there's anything that you've stored in Google's cloud, it will be listed for you as well. Now would be a good time to mention that photos can be backed up automatically for safety's sake. Photos can be shared straight from the gallery app or edited using the rich selection of image processing tools. 

The Windows Phone 8.1 gallery is similar to Android's. Images are grouped by date taken and uploaded up to OneDrive where they're safe from being lost. You may easily share images on your favorite social networks with a few taps. The only thing we wish the app had more of are image editing tools beyond cropping, rotating, and an automatic fix.