The French and Prussians has both adopted loose-order formations to take best advantage of their breech-loading rifles, respectively the Chassepot and the Dreyse needle gun. In this respect it was somewhat similar to fire and movement tactics, but carried out in larger units. The French were also considerably less astute at it than the Prussians: their tactics were inherently defensive and built around the idea of assuming a favourable dug-in position to make maximum use of the superior firepower provided by the Chassepot (the Dreyse in contrast really was showing its age by this point) and the Mitrailleuse (a primitive machine gun). The Prussians recognised this and operated around the principle of seeking to overcome French positions from the flanks rather than a frontal assault (sound advice that was not always followed in the field). Prussia also had enormously superior artillery - steel-barrelled breech-loading Krupp pieces that were quicker to fire and more accurate than the cast-bronze muzzle-loaders still being used by France.

Sources:

Geoffrey Wawro, The Franco-Prussian War