Despite the inevitable smartphone OS wars, it’s safe to say that both Android and Apple’s iOS are capable operating systems with their own set of strengths and weaknesses.
It’s often that the two look at each other’s finest features and find ways to incorporate them into their own platform. At the end of the day, this benefits users across the board who gain access to an enhanced mobile experience.
For reference, Google is already working on an Apple Handoff-like feature for Android, which should bring better cross-device integration. This, for example, could let you start a task on a Pixel smartphone and seamlessly pick up exactly where you left off on your Pixel Tablet.
It isn’t entirely clear when the functionality will make its way out to users. However, what’s clear is that Google isn’t stopping there — it also seems to be borrowing iOS’ Contact Poster feature.
For those unaware, Apple introduced Contact Posters with iOS 17. As the feature’s name suggests, it allows you to assign your contact card your chosen name and photo. Think of it as a social media profile card, but for Apple’s native apps like FaceTime and iMessage, and even regular iPhone-to-iPhone calls.
Users get the option to customize their card with custom photos, memojis, emojis, and monograms for text. This new card is visible to others that have you saved in their contact list, essentially replacing the old small thumbnail picture look. Your contacts then have the option to tweak the appearance of your card and name as per their wish, but this, in no way, affects your original Contact Poster.
Google could borrow the Contact Poster design for its own aptly-named Calling Cards feature
<string name="change_photo_calling_card_heading">Picture and calling card</string>
<string name=”use_calling_card_as_photo_body_text”>Set this image as both a contact picture and calling card</string>
Spotted by the folks over at Android Authority in the Google Contacts app (v4.55), Google has added code strings that directly allude to the Calling Cards feature. “Picture and calling card,” and “Set this image as both a contact picture and calling card,” read the strings.
Great, so Google is working on a Contacts app feature that would allow users to set a custom image as a contact picture and a calling card image. This alone, however, does not scream “iOS Contact Poster competitor.” For that, you need to combine the strings with additional findings from Google Play Services and from a new Calling Card activity. The latter highlights activities like “CallingCardFontData” and “CallingCardFullScreenImageData,” both of which allude to iOS-like custom functionality.
Similarly, strings in Google Play Services highlight that the feature will be able to save Calling Cards to the cloud and sync them across your devices.
It’s worth noting that Google is yet to officially comment on the feature, and for all we know, Calling Cards might not be similar to iOS’ Contact Posters at all. The fact that references to the feature have made their way to the Google Contacts app means that we should learn more about the feature relatively soon.
