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Alphabet (GOOGL) Boosts Google Photos With Recent Upgrades

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Alphabet’s (GOOGL - Free Report) division — Google is consistently adding innovative features to its photo-sharing and storage-providing app, Google Photos.

According to 9TO5Google, Google is preparing to roll out the Memories section with added vertical-swipe gesture in Google Photos for Android users.

The recent feature shows an aesthetic and smoother vertical-scroll gesture for switching between image and video flipbooks.

Moreover, Google is rolling out a feature named Shared Memories on Android, through which users will be able to share photos and videos with friends and family.

With the help of these capabilities, Google focuses on providing an enhanced experience to the users of Google Photos. This is expected to boost the app’s adoption in the days ahead.

Growing Google Photos Initiatives

Apart from the recent move, Google enhanced Google Photos with a pop-up UI, allowing users to share photos and videos directly from the photo-sharing app’s library.

Google also introduced a set of Real Tone filters in Google Photos to let users show their actual complexion.

Additionally, Google released a Google Photos tool for Android and iOS users, with the help of which users can delete media in albums and view the date and location while browsing.

These growing endeavors will continue to help Google drive momentum among Android, iOS and web users.

This, in turn, is likely to be reflected in the performance of the Google Services segment, which will benefit Alphabet’s overall financial performance.

Google Services generated $62.8 billion in revenues (90.2% of total revenues) in second-quarter 2022, up 10.1% from the prior-year level.

Moreover, strengthening financial performance will aid GOOGL in winning investors’ confidence in the near term.

Shares of GOOGL have been down 32.3% in the year-to-date period, outperforming the Computer and Technology sector’s decline of 34.6%.

Competitive Scenario

However, Alphabet faces intense competitive pressure from other technology giants like Microsoft (MSFT - Free Report) and Apple (AAPL - Free Report) , which are witnessing solid momentum among customers on the back of their photo-sharing and storage services.

Microsoft has lost 29.4% in the year-to-date period. MSFT’s Microsoft OneDrive lets users easily store and share photos, videos, documents and more from any device.

Security-conscious users can access Microsoft OneDrive’s subfolder Vault, which provides end-to-end encryption for important files. MSFT customers using the free OneDrive plan can store five files in the vault, whereas premium customers can keep unlimited files.

Apple, which lost 15.2% in the same time frame, offers its affordable, feature-rich and highly secure photo management application — Apple Photos. It has a Shared Albums option, letting users share photos and videos with selective people.

Further, Apple Photos is integrated with iCloud, offering a seamless cloud storage backup and syncing solution across iOS, macOS and iPadOS.

Microsoft and Apple’s growing efforts are expected to remain a threat to Alphabet’s position in the photo management market.

Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider

Currently, Alphabet carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

Investors interested in the broader Zacks Computer & Technology sector can consider the better-ranked stock, Monolithic Power Systems (MPWR - Free Report) , holding a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Monolithic Power Systems has lost 25.6% in the year-to-date period. The long-term earnings growth rate for MPWR is currently projected at 25%.

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