Database Users

Question: Prettienss

I just want to start out by saying that this is in no way a knock at any developers, or Google, it's just a question I had. I'd figure it out myself, but I haven't had a chance to delve into Android development yet (too busy with other work) so I thought I'd ask some experts.
I love my Nexus One, and I'm a big fan of Android. I'm blown away how far it's come in such a short time, and how much potential I see in its future. One of the only areas I feel the phone is lacking, is in attractiveness of the OS and apps. I feel that people are drawn to pretty things, and it's one of the reasons that the iPhone is so popular. Apple puts a tremendous amount of effort into aesthetic design of their software, and it shows. From what I've seen so far, I feel like a lot of Android apps (or at least third party apps) are lacking in that design and polish, and in many cases seem to indicate that developers are taking the path of least resistance.
I don't think that Android is ugly whatsoever, but I do feel that most of the apps I've seen are not as pretty as they could be. Sure, the HTC widgets add a lot, but I'm talking more on a fundamental level of design, and I actually have a great example to illustrate where I think things should go.
The Gallery app. This is a beautiful work of design in my opinion. The design of the entire application is simple, yet elegant. I love the rounded, clean look of the icons, and the menus, and the way the pictures are displayed and how you traverse the application. To give a contrast, if I go into one of my favorite apps functionality-wise (Last.fm - who has a gorgeous website and 360 app), I'm totally turned off by the appearance. It's plain, and gray, and drab. It's just got those arrowed clickable areas, and that's about it. Seesmic, another great app, is also extremely drab and unappealing. It gives me a feeling of looking at an application created in Visual Basic 6 (if anyone has experience with this ha!). Heck, they just implemented multiple accounts, and instead of having a slick screen, it's just a list of accounts that probably took 3 minutes to implement. The moment I looked at the screen I thought to myself how this would be the perfect place for a Windows 7ish login screen; an enlarged view of your portrait with your info underneath that allows you to swipe back and forth to choose which account you want to use.
I know this is a long post, but I just wanted to illustrate my feelings. My question; is this a matter of Google not providing the proper toolsets, an abundance of armchair developers who don't have the resources to make pretty UI's/lack of professional developers, or just plain lazy developers?
Any insight would be appreciated. I feel that this is one huge component Google needs to focus on to be able to properly compete with Apple. I can understand in the past allowing the TPM's to customize their builds how they want them to look, but with the launch of the Nexus, I feel it's time for Google to step up to the plate and really focus on the design of their OS.

xSiraris said:
I just want to start out by saying that this is in no way a knock at any developers, or Google, it's just a question I had. I'd figure it out myself, but I haven't had a chance to delve into Android development yet (too busy with other work) so I thought I'd ask some experts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i think you said it yourself, "too busy with other work"

well in terms of Google, one thing I've never regarded them for is design. look at their online presence. it's not all that attractive. functional and optimizable, yes. slick looking, no. but that's their business. Apple really concentrates on the 'feel' of total UX, but at the expense of personalization. Google is more about providing service, but at the expense of design.
that being said, the iPhone OS desktop is looking more and more boring to me all the time. I genuinely like the how Android desktop looks (except for maybe the notification bar).
as for apps, I think the rough edges around Android apps will disappear as Android gains market share. right now, devs don't have all that much incentive to concentrate on Android while iPhone is king. I'm sure inthe next few years it will even out (although I do expect the iPhone to dominate for a good while to come).

j.books said:
well in terms of Google, one thing I've never regarded them for is design. look at their online presence. it's not all that attractive. functional and optimizable, yes. slick looking, no. but that's their business. Apple really concentrates on the 'feel' of total UX, but at the expense of personalization. Google is more about providing service, but at the expense of design.
that being said, the iPhone OS desktop is looking more and more boring to me all the time. I genuinely like the how Android desktop looks (except for maybe the notification bar).
as for apps, I think the rough edges around Android apps will disappear as Android gains market share. right now, devs don't have all that much incentive to concentrate on Android while iPhone is king. I'm sure inthe next few years it will even out (although I do expect the iPhone to dominate for a good while to come).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The OS itself isn't really the issue. I'm talking more the controls provided. I think they could be improved, and I feel they ARE improved in the Gallery app. I'd like to see that kind of design in more apps, as opposed to what I'm seeing in most now. There's certain standards of design that just are not found in most apps outside of the first party ones (I think maps, finance, gallery and the browser are all great looking apps, while Calendar, and Translate could use some work).
And Google may not have had to focus on design to this point, but if they want to go up against Apple, I think they will have to.

I think app wise, its due to Android being open & no one is saying yes or no to apps. Developers can slap a few sounds together & call it a soundboard, there's a new app in the market.
Apple, on the other hand, has the final say. If it doesn't look the way they want or up to their standards, they can turn it down. I bet if Apple just let anyone submit apps at any time, you'd see a lot of crap there too.
Its just a matter of having standards... no one is forcing Android developers to make a pretty app. As cool as it is having an open market, it would be that much better to have some sort of standards.
This just being my opinion of course... I have an iPod touch & ever since Android came out, I haven't bought an app from the app store. If Apple let go of the reigns a little, I think they would be so much better. But I don't like being told what I can & can't have on my phone, which is why my iPod is jailbroken.

Google could do a lot just by making their notification bar/widgets/etc black. This (imho) goes a long way to making android look more like a competitor in the smartphone arena.

Doesn't it also have to do with the "default" button style in Android? This might make no sense so sorry if it doesn't.
Go into calendar and choose New Event from the menu. There you see the "default" buttons for Android which are used throughout - the buttons for the time and date. The little grey ones with the slight gradient. I think that the Android SDK just has very limited built in design tools / default buttons to choose from that just make it uglier. I feel like I saw a demo of the iPhone SDK once and they had like a design screen where you could graphically design the UI and they had a bunch of objects to choose from that you could customize but they were all really nice looking.
Android doesn't seem to have anything like this - no "design" view or anything in the SDK and very limited built in design tools or default objects.

Part of the difference you're noticing is in he two SDKs. The iPhone app design is really locked down in a lot of ways. When building a GUI for the iPhone, you start out with Apple's default set of super shiny buttons so it's difficult to make an app that doesn't look pretty and cohesive. If you do manage to do so, your app isn't approved.
With Android, Google gives developers just a framework. Everything is minimalist and bare. This of course gives developers more freedom to build unique GUIs but like you said most don't and like others said, there is no moderation. Making a truly great GUI is a LOT of work and most devs are just engineers. Only the teams with lots of money hire designers and graphics artists. Both methods have their pros and cons

cboy007 said:
Doesn't it also have to do with the "default" button style in Android? This might make no sense so sorry if it doesn't.
Go into calendar and choose New Event from the menu. There you see the "default" buttons for Android which are used throughout - the buttons for the time and date. The little grey ones with the slight gradient. I think that the Android SDK just has very limited built in design tools / default buttons to choose from that just make it uglier. I feel like I saw a demo of the iPhone SDK once and they had like a design screen where you could graphically design the UI and they had a bunch of objects to choose from that you could customize but they were all really nice looking.
Android doesn't seem to have anything like this - no "design" view or anything in the SDK and very limited built in design tools or default objects.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No one has commented on the Gallery buttons I referenced. I think these are much better looking than the controls found in other apps. If they were to use something more along those lines in other apps, I'd be much happier.
But I understand what is being said, and I hope Google does something about it. I appreciate the freedom they are giving to developers, but appearance counts, and if developers don't have the time or resources to make the pretty GUI's, then Google should provide the tools to help them do so.

I just had an idea that may actually help. One of the things third party developers are complaining about (I'm talking about the professionals here, not armchair) is that their apps aren't being seen, or bought, and getting lost in the shuffle. What if Google created an authorized/registered developer program, where a third party developer could register with Google. At this point, they would be held up to higher standards and practices, but Google would create a separate place on the marketplace, or some way to filter by registered/authorized developers.
The way it is now, everything is getting lost in the shuffle. This method would give the exposure the professionals want, it would improve the quality of apps on the marketplace, all while leaving the open market that exists today.

I agree. Sounds like a good idea--right now, even the most polished, best apps can easily get overlooked if they aren't spammed up on several tech/Android blogs. It's why it took me so long to discover, say, Home++

desktop app browser
also, an online desktop app catalogue would help, simply because there is not enough space on a small screen to display a lot of variety. I guess they want to keep everything on-phone, as opposed to iTunes where you have to be plugged-in to install apps, but they could do something where you choose an app from your desktop browser and it pushes a notification to your phone. then when you go to the notification, it brings you to the app in the market, where you can DL and install it.
this would preserve the ability to get apps on the go if you need them with the expanded view of a desktop, creating more visibility for the apps, without compelling you to connect your phone to your desktop.

S
j.books said:
also, an online desktop app catalogue would help, simply because there is not enough space on a small screen to display a lot of variety. I guess they want to keep everything on-phone, as opposed to iTunes where you have to be plugged-in to install apps, but they could do something where you choose an app from your desktop browser and it pushes a notification to your phone. then when you go to the notification, it brings you to the app in the market, where you can DL and install it.
this would preserve the ability to get apps on the go if you need them with the expanded view of a desktop, creating more visibility for the apps, without compelling you to connect your phone to your desktop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Orrr you can just go to AndroLib.com, scan the app, and donwload it in the market!

Several reasons...
1. Google simply doesnt have a good visual design team or a good visual design lead.
The gallery app looks wonderful becuase it was made by cooliris. Not google.
I admit they have gotten better. The transition to home/apps and live wallpapers are great and have great visual appeal.Standard N1 UI w/a live wallpaper is better looking than iphone and just slightly behind a palm pre. Where as it was way behind in 1.6
So they obviously have tried to focus more on there visuals.
They still have some improvements to make but its always iffy since they dont have a track record for great visuals.
2. The visualtools arent uniform. Thats a good thing for Devs not needing to get "approved" for everything... But it does mean that Iphone apps are drawing from a pool of buttons/icons/layouts that were made by some of the visual people in the business.
3. Even without that the visual people on the Mac/Apple side of things are more talented. To be long winded theres a world of designers and coders. Few VERY few can do both well. Its become clear to me in a short time just how good Android devs are on addressing needs and issues. Heck even the OS experience changes becuase of there talents.
But they cant visually design worth a damned.
Very few apps on iphone even from the jailbreak community seemed as well made or intuitive. Even there hallmark cydia was utter crap. It could be apples closed system of course but just got a sense of clunkiness and low level winmo app making.
4. $$$$$$$
At the end of the day a company or App dev can make beautiful apps on iPhone with little gambling. Its easier to make money in the Apple store thus easier to hire quality visual people to give coders great layouts pieces to work with.
Not much incentive to go hire out some UI designer when you can slap together some easy photoshop stuff yourself.
If Fandango or Directv (just examples) hire some visual dudes to help make its app for iphone..then 6 months later for android the chances are really high hes going to see the lack of Apple given/mandated visuals and realize he has to do everything himself. Unless hes really dedicated hes not going to max out that potential hes going to slap together the best look alike he can.
This has and is happening regularly from what I understand.
Thats it in a nutshell.

[Slate] What's Wrong With Android: If Google fixes one simple thing, its OS will surp

http://www.slate.com/id/2244165/
What's Wrong With Android
If Google fixes one simple thing, its operating system will surpass the iPhone's.
By Farhad Manjoo
Posted Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010, at 5:48 PM ET
Nexus One. Click image to expand.Nexus One When Google launched the Nexus One in January, the company hit on an odd bit of marketing to distinguish the new phone from its rivals. This was a "superphone," Google said—every other cellular device on the market was merely "smart." The designation didn't make much sense—despite what Google would have you believe, the Nexus One doesn't have any major features that set it apart from other top-of-the-line phones. It makes calls, does e-mail, and browses the Web; so do the iPhone, the Palm Pre, various BlackBerrys, and every other Android phone. All top-end smartphones have Wi-Fi, 3G, and GPS. They've all got app stores that can give you access to a wide variety of third-party programs. And though smartphones come in two distinct hardware flavors—either with or without a physical keyboard—they are all very pretty to look at.
If you're looking to buy a new smartphone, then, the most important thing to ask isn't "What does it do?" Instead, it's "How does it do it?" Phones that seem identical on paper turn out to be wildly different once you turn them on. The most important feature on any phone is one rarely mentioned in a spec list: the operating system. If the OS is clunky and overstuffed, like what you'll find on the BlackBerry, you'll have a devil of a time doing everything on your device. If it's stylish and intuitive, like the iPhone's, you'll find your phone a pleasure.
So where does the Nexus One fall in that range? Right near the top. I've been using Google's new phone for a month, more or less as a replacement for my own phone, the iPhone 3GS. Google has described the Nexus One as a kind of concept car for its open-source Android platform—the company designed the phone from top-to-bottom in order to show off how awesome an Android phone can really be. To that end, the Nexus One succeeds. If I were forced to give up my iPhone, I'd replace it with a Nexus One.
But I hope that doesn't come to pass. I like the Nexus One, I really do—but it has a long way to go to catch up with Apple's device.
The essential problem is that Android's interface is much less intuitive than the iPhone's. Much of the OS's functionality is hidden—Android can do a lot, but unlike the iPhone it keeps many of its options stuffed in menu bars. As a result, the Nexus One asks new users to climb a steeper learning curve. You've got to poke around every program to find out how to do its most basic tasks. Even once you've learned the easy stuff, the OS is still a struggle—it takes several steps to do something on Android that you can do in one step on the iPhone.
To illustrate my point, look at both phones' calendar programs. Here are shots of each phone's "month view"—the Nexus One is on the left, and the iPhone on the right:*
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
As you can see, the Nexus One's screen offers a bit more detail than the iPhone's. It gives you a little indicator bar next to each day of the month to show how much of the day has been booked up, while the iPhone adds only a small bold dot on any day with an appointment—which doesn't tell you much in a quick glance.
But say you want to change your calendar—if you need to add an appointment or switch to a daily view, for instance. Even if you've never used one before, it's obvious how you'd do so on the iPhone—every button is right on the screen. To add an appointment, just click the plus sign in the top right corner. To switch to a daily view, hit "Day." To look at another calendar, tap the "Calendars" button.
Doing those same things on the Nexus One isn't as obvious, because many of its functions are hidden in a list of options that require you to hit an additional button first—the phone's universal Menu button, which is not on the screen but under it, one of four built-in buttons below the screen. To add an appointment, you've got to hit Menu first, then click the Plus icon. To switch to the weekly view, do the same thing—first hit Menu, then choose the weekly option. But that's not all: There's another menu button hidden under this menu. When you hit this menu-within-menu, you'll get another list of options, including one to adjust which of your calendars is displayed—an option that, on the iPhone, is presented on the calendar's main screen.
This problem is not confined to the calendar app—it's everywhere on Android, in Google's built-in apps as well as third-party programs you download from the app store. To search for an address in the iPhone's map program, you click the search bar at the top of your screen; to do the same thing in Android's map program, you hit Menu first, then Search. To load a bookmarked Web page in the iPhone's browser, you hit the bookmark icon. To do so in Android, you've got to—you guessed it—hit Menu first, then Bookmark.
Android partisans might counter that you need to learn only one thing to use the phone: When in doubt, hit Menu and everything will be revealed. That's true; after using the Nexus One for some time, I eventually learned to click this universal button when an option wasn't immediately visible. But the constant menu hunting isn't ideal. First, it's a hurdle to new users—it's not obvious that you've got to keep clicking this button to look for features that ought to be highlighted on a single screen. What's more, the hidden menus slow you down. The whole point of loading up the maps program is to look up an address; why would you hide that option under a menu bar?
I think the answer comes down to a philosophical difference between the Apple and Google user interface teams. With the iPhone, Apple is clearly trying to make a complete break with desktop operating systems. The iPhone's Human Interface Guidelines—Apple's instructions for developers creating iPhone apps—are clear on this point, stressing that every iPhone app should highlight its main functions on its main screen, using icons that are easy to understand. "Make it obvious," the guidelines chide developers: "You can't assume that users have the time (or can spare the attention) to figure out how your application works. Therefore, you should strive to make your application instantly understandable to users."
The Android platform is much looser in this regard. Its interface guidelines don't discourage hidden menus: "All but the simplest applications have menus," the interface guide tells developers. In other words, under Android's design philosophy, menus are a natural consequence of complexity—and the more powerful a program, the more likely it is to be stuffed with hidden menus. That's a familiar view of computing, one deeply tied to the interface on the standard PC—after all, every program on your laptop or desktop hides much of its functionality under menus, too.
But that philosophy feels outmoded. We're increasingly abandoning desktop programs for most of our computing needs, and we're replacing them with Web apps or mobile apps that are much more straightforward to use. I rarely reach for menu bars anymore; the programs I use most often these days—Chrome, Gmail, Google Maps, Microsoft Office 2007, and nearly everything on my iPhone—present most of their functions on the main screen.
So come on, Android team— join the menu-free bandwagon! You've got a great OS—with a little work, it could be the best mobile operating system on the market. Wouldn't that be more obvious if you didn't keep everything hidden?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you guys think?
I'll hold my comments/rage in order to start this off objectively...

Basically, he's saying that Android needs to be dumbed down so that, just like the iPhone, it too can be useable by five-year-olds.
No thanks. Having intellectually developed beyond the age of five, I for one am capable of telling four soft buttons apart. A feat one can only expect of mental giants, I know, which I'm sure is asking too much of Apple fansheep.
"You can't assume that users have the time (or can spare the attention) to figure out how your application works. Therefore, you should strive to make your application instantly understandable to users."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Translation: assume everyone is a retard and develop accordingly. Sweet. Seriously, a more intuitive interface is good, but I feel that Android's plenty intuitive as it is. It just happens to offer more options to the end user (and presumably to developers too), which can't just all be vomited onto the app's main screen. I'll go with a greater range of options and customization over a one-button, idiot-proof UI, please.

grainysand said:
Basically, he's saying that Android needs to be dumbed down so that, just like the iPhone, it too can be useable by five-year-olds.
No thanks. Having intellectually developed beyond the age of five, I for one am capable of telling four soft buttons apart. A feat one can only expect of mental giants, I know, which I'm sure is asking too much of Apple fansheep.
Translation: assume everyone is a retard and develop accordingly. Sweet. Seriously, a more intuitive interface is good, but I feel that Android's plenty intuitive as it is. It just happens to offer more options to the end user (and presumably to developers too), which can't just all be vomited onto the app's main screen. I'll go with a greater range of options and customization over a one-button, idiot-proof UI, please.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gotta agree! I read this article last night, and was biting my tongue the whole time. I can't believe the guy had the balls to claim it takes too many key presses to do things on Android compared to the iPhone... Hmmm, lets check that:
He is wrong about making an appointment, in Android you can long press the day and it pops up a short list of options for that day, new event being one of them. I don't see how hard that is, or how it takes too many key presses, and actually it is the same # as the iPhone.
Lets make a phone call... on an iPhone you gotta find the dialer, then search the contact, yada yada yada.... on Android, just tap the contact short cut, or start typing a name in the search bar, or really hard here folks, hold down the search key until voice command turns on, then say "Call John Doe"...
And it goes on and on... Sure, Android has menus giving the user more options, but what is wrong with that? The only thing I agree with is that Android could be a bit prettier, well the 3rd party apps, and it will blow the iPhone out of the water given a little more refinement, especially considering as is it already is better.

pjcforpres said:
He is wrong about making an appointment, in Android you can long press the day and it pops up a short list of options for that day, new event being one of them. I don't see how hard that is, or how it takes too many key presses, and actually it is the same # as the iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
****, since I use a grid calendar widget, I don't even have to load up the calendar app to add new events. I swipe to the homescreen with said widget, press the desire date and voila: a dialog box pops up for me to enter the event name, more or less like the quick add in the full google calendar.
on Android, just tap the contact short cut, or start typing a name in the search bar, or really hard here folks, hold down the search key until voice command turns on, then say "Call John Doe"...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
iPhone users might finally get contact shortcuts on their homescreen in the next iPhone--after three whole years! Revolutionary really, just like copy-and-paste and sending MMS were.

The essential problem is that Android's interface is much less intuitive than the iPhone's. Much of the OS's functionality is hidden—Android can do a lot, but unlike the iPhone it keeps many of its options stuffed in menu bars.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What a load of crap. Seriously. Android is much quicker to use than apple's toy, probably the worst thing about the iPhone is that you have to open an app for EVERYTHING, even to read a tiny little SMS that was just sent to you. Opening apps = time, and is not at all as intuitive as having a custom living screen with the information you want displayed on it.
You're 100% right, pjcforpres. Dumbing devices down does not make them better. There are plenty ways to have an intuitive interface without cutting off options. I'd say the only thing really missing in android at the moment is not a dumb-phone-like drilling of limited options on the main screen, but a dumb-phone-like music player, or at least one with a simple five-band eq... I hope google don't take notice of idiots like the one who wrote that article and work on ADDING functionality to our devices, rather than taking it away.

First he was wrong on two points forgot what they were ((read this yesterday)).
Its amazing how only iphone people want there UI to be simpler. Hitting a Fn menu key is destroying the experience for you ?
Secondly
because many of its functions are hidden in a list of options that require you to hit an additional button first—the phone's universal Menu button,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How the hell is "MENU" something hidden.
His knock is a major plus in UI developing. When you can have a single dedicated button to sub menu options it makes UI creation ALOT easier. Your app will have more real estate to display relevant info and your interface will be less cluttered because of it.
From an OS standpoint the Menu button provides uniformity the Apple OS lacks. Every apps sub menus can be reached by the same button. Iphone the menus and options are often all over the place on apps.
N1 interface took a major leap forward IMO. The news genie app is a prototype to how simple and extremly functional an App can be.
What Android needs is better visual designers. They suck. Almost by default Iapps will have better visual appeal because many of the best graphic designers are already in the Apple ecosystem. They have a better talent pool.
Most apps on Android have the visuals seem almost like an afterthought. Heck even on XDA all the tons of useful apps that people have come up with few if any are actually visually well done. ((PURE apps being one of them)) and frankly even those are barely cracking "good" looking.
The fact they went to cooliris for the gallery , and rumored to be working with coreplayer guys for media player. At least makes me think Google acknowledge there visual appeal shortcomings.
Bottom line Iphone is Mcdonalds , Android is a nice restaurant.
Crying out for in your face menus and narrowed options makes me think you should just get up and go to the fastfood joint down the street.

To be fair this guy is just like me, a clearly longer term iPhone user who when faced with the differences is struggling. In the calendar app for example, yes you have to press an extra button, but in return you get more on the screen, a decent trade off in my opinion (as basically an iPhone fanboy).
It comes down to preference, and to be fair to the guy, he does say that if he had to get rid of the iPhone the N1 would be his pick.
I am trying to hold back on comments while I try to get to grips with Android after a good year plus on the iPhone, and today I used the N1 exclusively, left the 3GS at home.
What I found is that voice dialing is not as good as 3GS version, unless I am doing something wrong which is quite possible, and don't underestimate how useful Universal Search is on iPhone. From the First Home screen, (never more that 2 keypresses away), a single press always give a search function, which allows you to type anything and the list narrows down with each letter. It can be set to search in as many or as few catagories as you want, and in most cases you find what you need within a few letters.
When I saw the tittle of this post, I assumed this was the one thing he was talking about.
grainysand is right about one thing, Apple do take their sweet time to add stuff, but when they do, i.e Cut and Paste and Universal Search, it is class leading.
Kev
Kev

jay_zhead said:
even to read a tiny little SMS that was just sent to you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now come on, if you are gonna pick on something, surely not this?
I have both phones here, so, I sent an SMS from my 3GS to my Nexus One, and made sure the screen was off. OK, so I get the noise and the flashing trackball. The screen does not come on. To read the message I have to Slide the lock over, and then I have to sweep the notifications bar down, and then I can see what the message is.
So I sent an SMS back to my 3GS from the N1, again, I made sure the iPhone screen was off.
I got my alert, it automatically turns my screen on, and the SMS is right there, on the screen, I do not have to OPEN anything at all. If I was away from my 3GS at the time, the message would still be right there when I next turn it on.
So, completely the opposite to what you are claiming. Wanna try again?
Kev

kevwright said:
To be fair this guy is just like me, a clearly longer term iPhone user who when faced with the differences is struggling. In the calendar app for example, yes you have to press an extra button, but in return you get more on the screen, a decent trade off in my opinion (as basically an iPhone fanboy).
It comes down to preference, and to be fair to the guy, he does say that if he had to get rid of the iPhone the N1 would be his pick.
I am trying to hold back on comments while I try to get to grips with Android after a good year plus on the iPhone, and today I used the N1 exclusively, left the 3GS at home.
What I found is that voice dialing is not as good as 3GS version, unless I am doing something wrong which is quite possible, and don't underestimate how useful Universal Search is on iPhone. From the First Home screen, (never more that 2 keypresses away), a single press always give a search function, which allows you to type anything and the list narrows down with each letter. It can be set to search in as many or as few catagories as you want, and in most cases you find what you need within a few letters.
When I saw the tittle of this post, I assumed this was the one thing he was talking about.
grainysand is right about one thing, Apple do take their sweet time to add stuff, but when they do, i.e Cut and Paste and Universal Search, it is class leading.
Kev
Kev
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My problem is that there seems to be know comprehension of what a learning curve is.
Going form a nintendo wii to an xbox 360 is going to be daunting the first few days/weeks...why ? because you can do more. The less you can do the easier you can make things.
You seem to have a grasp of this curve..the writer and many others dont.
My issue is that these guys write blogs posts etc that may get Googles attention. Thus Google starts paying attention to things it doesnt need to change and takes attention from what DOES need changing.
As for you specifically Im glad youre giving it a shot and hope you enjoy it..
The universal search can be customized in the settings menu contacts/apps/songs/web even specific to certain apps.....
It can also be activated with one touch ((magnifying glass button on lower right))
Tap once for quick search , long press for voice search.

I think his whole reasoning just points out how GOOD the menu button is.
When he talks about having ALL of the buttons you need on the screen it just points out that you can have much MORE options with a menu button, the opposite to what he says. Also, when you put ALL of the buttons you need on the screen, you immediately lose a third of the screen.
To search for an address in the iPhone's map program, you click the search bar at the top of your screen; to do the same thing in Android's map program, you hit Menu first, then Search. To load a bookmarked Web page in the iPhone's browser, you hit the bookmark icon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
erm, no thanks. When I open my maps application I don't want to see a thousand options and a huge search bar, I want to see the MAP.
To do so in Android, you've got to—you guessed it—hit Menu first, then Bookmark.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong again... just press the search button. I know 4 buttons gets complicated for the long time iPhone users but even my 4 year old niece can use my sister's G1. (she plays coloroid; opens it herself too).
Edit: I read a post somewhere from an iPhone user using the nexus one saying he couldn't figure out which button to use to complete a task, he found it confusing... What has Jobs done ¬¬

kevwright said:
I got my alert, it automatically turns my screen on, and the SMS is right there, on the screen, I do not have to OPEN anything at all. If I was away from my 3GS at the time, the message would still be right there when I next turn it on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Handcent sms allows you to customize this. You can make your screen turn on and pop up appear , or just in the notification bar.

kevwright said:
grainysand is right about one thing, Apple do take their sweet time to add stuff, but when they do, i.e Cut and Paste and Universal Search, it is class leading.
Kev
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The thing, though, is that such things should have been there from the start. Apple's the king of limiting functions, so that when they finally release basic crap that should never have been left out in later versions, people will cough up money for it and dance for joy--whereas anyone sane would have been fed up with that lack in the first place and ditched Apple a long time ago. Everyone is trying to maximize profits, obviously, but none does it so brazenly and shamelessly as Apple. Their products aren't tools that function. They are status symbols, mostly informing the world that you have more money than sense (or have no understanding of finance management--I've seen tech-illiterate people who aren't exactly loaded go for a Mac because they buy into the advertising campaigns and that "it just works" bull, even though buying a Windows PC with equivalent/better hardware will cost them half the money).
Heck, the iPhone 3GS is still more expensive than an N1 even though it's running on horrifyingly outdated hardware.

I think everyone -who chose a phone with android OS- has enough IQ to hit the menu button for executing off-screen functions. Android offers more than it can show, you can't force-fit everything on the screen.

grainysand said:
Basically, he's saying that Android needs to be dumbed down so that, just like the iPhone, it too can be useable by five-year-olds.
No thanks. Having intellectually developed beyond the age of five, I for one am capable of telling four soft buttons apart. A feat one can only expect of mental giants, I know, which I'm sure is asking too much of Apple fansheep.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't disagree that the menu button is an easy, and intuitive way to use the OS. I also feel it's a benefit because it reduces clutter on the screen. I am able to have the full view of Google Maps at once, as opposed to it being partially covered with a search menu always on the screen.
That being said, your reaction to his comments are indicative of one issue with Android. You're calling people who use iPhones retarded 5 year olds, and you, as a brilliant geek savant, are too elite and exclusive to appeal to the lowly iPhone users. Unfortunately for you, in order for Android to become a successful operating system, it needs to appeal to all walks of life, and make the experience as easy as possible.
The reason most people are afraid of computers is because they are difficult to use, and they don't understand it. More and more people are using Macs, because they feel Macs are easier to use than PC's. The entire reason Linux hasn't taken off as a main stream OS, aside from a lack of push from any one source, is because it's one of the most confusing programs ever created.
Google should do everything it can to make Android as easy and intuitive to use for consumers of all walks of life. If they don't, Android will never succeed, and it will just become a niche OS for geeks just like Linux is.
Unfortunately, just taking this step isn't everything that's needed to make Android successful.
Side note: The author should point out you can long press almost anything in Android to get a menu of options without hitting the menu soft button. That's very intuitive.

xManMythLegend said:
Handcent sms allows you to customize this. You can make your screen turn on and pop up appear , or just in the notification bar.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure thing, I totally appreciate your can change it for Android, just pointing out a frustration of people slagging the iPhone for not having something which is so clearly does have.
I have both an iPhone and the Nexus One, and I feel that a huge number of iPhone haters on here have never ever used one.
Kev

xSiraris said:
You're calling people who use iPhones retarded 5 year olds, and you, as a brilliant geek savant, are too elite and exclusive to appeal to the lowly iPhone users.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On the contrary; the brilliant geek savants are the people who develop and mess with the code. I'm a peon much like anyone else, but you don't need to be a brilliant savant to understand, utilize, and distinguish four buttons. The iPhone OS is useable by toddlers--literally--which is fantastic for toddlers, but it also means you can't do jack-squat with it. Why should everyone be forced to the same level of non-customizable, closed, boring UI? Android's appeal is its options.
Unfortunately for you, in order for Android to become a successful operating system, it needs to appeal to all walks of life, and make the experience as easy as possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At which point do you stop? Does Android need to cater to the lowest common denominator, or does it merely need to gain enough market-share or mindshare to have staying power? Beyond a certain point, you get dumbed-down garbage with no options for anyone: hence non-JB iPhone homescreens all looking identical (and even with themes/backgrounds, they still look essentially the same). If Android's dumbed down to the level where it'll no longer "scare" away people with attention span so short and intellect so limited they can't do anything but interact with a one-button device, where does that leave people who are fine with being able to customize their homescreens how they like, install whatever app they like, and enjoy the extra screen real estate thanks to the presence of buttons?
FYI, my mother's computer-illiterate. She tried my N1 and found it incredibly intuitive. So which breed of utterly, absolutely hopeless morons exactly find Android too complicated to use? Apart from the tool that wrote this article, I mean.
The reason most people are afraid of computers is because they are difficult to use, and they don't understand it. More and more people are using Macs, because they feel Macs are easier to use than PC's.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fantastic. They deserve to pay Apple's stupidity tax.
kevwright said:
I have both an iPhone and the Nexus One, and I feel that a huge number of iPhone haters on here have never ever used one.
Kev
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What a coincidence, because most Apple fanboys have never used anything but Macs and iPhones, but that doesn't stop them from showing up to troll Windows/Android users: anything from "Windows blue-screens five times a day and you need to format a Windows PC every week" or "I used to use Windows but, being retarded beyond belief, got it infected with fifty varieties of malware within five minutes of Internet use. MICROSOFT SUCKS." Not speaking of you specifically (although, haha), but just take a look at any popular tech blog. For every sensible Apple user, you will get twelve more singing panegyrics to the might of Steve Jobs and how Apple devices are the best ever and will never, ever lose their dominance. Uh, apart from the fact that they still don't have a majority market share in the PC sector, but you know. Facts and logic don't feature in fanboy-vision.

xSiraris said:
I don't disagree that the menu button is an easy, and intuitive way to use the OS. I also feel it's a benefit because it reduces clutter on the screen. I am able to have the full view of Google Maps at once, as opposed to it being partially covered with a search menu always on the screen.
That being said, your reaction to his comments are indicative of one issue with Android. You're calling people who use iPhones retarded 5 year olds, and you, as a brilliant geek savant, are too elite and exclusive to appeal to the lowly iPhone users. Unfortunately for you, in order for Android to become a successful operating system, it needs to appeal to all walks of life, and make the experience as easy as possible.
The reason most people are afraid of computers is because they are difficult to use, and they don't understand it. More and more people are using Macs, because they feel Macs are easier to use than PC's. The entire reason Linux hasn't taken off as a main stream OS, aside from a lack of push from any one source, is because it's one of the most confusing programs ever created.
Google should do everything it can to make Android as easy and intuitive to use for consumers of all walks of life. If they don't, Android will never succeed, and it will just become a niche OS for geeks just like Linux is.
Unfortunately, just taking this step isn't everything that's needed to make Android successful.
Side note: The author should point out you can long press almost anything in Android to get a menu of options without hitting the menu soft button. That's very intuitive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im sorry but if a person cant spend a few minutes to learn a phone , or the Android OS is too complicated perhaps a smartphone isnt the right purchase.
Its a basic philosophical difference. Android can be retard simple. It just wont be able to do anything. It cant read ones mind. (yet). So long as there is choice there will be options and a learning curve.
The reason most people are afraid of computers is because they are difficult to use, and they don't understand it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its 2010. If people are afraid of computers theyre in for a complicated frustrating existence.((OR a really easy one ))
The reason Macs are gaining popularity ((as if a 1-2% growth in a 20 year old market is anything to brag about)) is because of PERCEIVED ease.
I cant fathom what kind of human being wouldnt be able to turn on a PC and check there email , play there music , or look at photos.
I have 6 yr old nephews , 43 yr old super computer boob parents , and elderly family members readily and easily using PCs.
The dumbing down of technology to the lowest common denominator is not a good thing.
Fact of the matter is at the end of the day its all about $$$$$
We can argue till the cows come home but at the end of the day theres simply no way for people to know what to do or what they can do on there new phone without someone showing them or them having seen a million commercials showing them what can be done.
THATS why iPhone is so successful $$$$ advertising , plugging your device into peoples heads via tv and print ads.
The Android OS needs to pretty itself up a bit more. But face it VZ proved what a few ads can do for a phone reputation and sales.

grainysand said:
The thing, though, is that such things should have been there from the start.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure they should, I had the original iPhone and hated it, sold it right away.
Then I got the 3G and it was OK, but still not really great.
The 3GS however is just a different tool, it really is. The speed of changing apps, and the ease with which devs seem to have mastered the resume functions really do mitigate the lack of Multitasking in an stock 3GS.
But how about this. Have we all forgotten what phones were about in 2007 when the original iPhone launched? Apart from the Nokia N95 8GB, there were some real stinkers back then.
Also, what do you think about the updates that Apple do deliver? There are not many companies that deliver updates that completely change the experience, and you do not have to upgrade hardware to benefit. Look at Android, only lately have we seen a real effort to update the OS, I think the Hero in the UK still comes with 1.5
grainysand said:
Heck, the iPhone 3GS is still more expensive than an N1 even though it's running on horrifyingly outdated hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the UK they are around that same price. a 16GB 3GS is now £449 without a contract, and £10 more to unlock it. If you are prepared to run it on our O2 network for the first year, the buying price of £449 includes unlimited (real not capped) data on both 3G and wi-fi for the 12 months. O2 is an OK network, I would say much better than AT&T from what I read.
The N1 I just bought was £430 with VAT, and a 16GB memory card is about £30, so a very similar price. I don't think there is anyway you can say 3GS is outdated, after all, how many decent 3D games and FPS do you see on Android?
Please note I do not play games, so don't care about it, just pointing out that the 3GS hardware is not that far behind the N1
Kev

This pisses me off every time I hear "not as intuitive as the iphone."
Intuitive? It's a screen with a bunch of ICONS. It's like having your desktop screen on your computer covered with icons.
And it can't multi-task so how is it easier to do stuff?
The only reason I liked my 3gs was because I had backgrounder + proswitcher (or kirikae) and widgets on my lockscreen and homescreen.
But it was a ***** to set-up the widgets with all the iblanks I had to do.
The Iphone is NOT intuitive, it's just simple. Freaking apple fanboys. *ROAR!*

I'm not going to argue with people who refuse to see another perspective, in particular because they believe anyone who doesn't agree with their perspective is some sort of lesser human being.
I guess the only thing I'd point out is that Apple has sold over 40 million iPhones to date. Android has sold maybe 3-4 million.

People who Switched from iPhone 4 to Focus?

to the people who switched from the iphone 4 to focus. any thoughts?

In the last year and a half, I've gone through a Nexus One, iPhone 4, Samsung Captivate, and now I'm on a Focus.
TLDR version at the bottom, since after writing this out I realized this is a mini essay..
Here are my thoughts:
Android is the OS you should be on if you want (nearly) complete control and lots of features not necessarily supported by your carrier (free tethering!). Unfortunately, assuming you're on AT&T, your options for serious Android phones are limited to a Nexus One or a Captivate. Between the two, I actually preferred the Nexus. Slightly weaker CPU, but you'll get updates pretty immediately, and it's a lot easier to mod that phone vs the Captivate. Also, I never had a single problem with the Nexus One as a GPS unit, but like many others my Captivate was sketchy at best when it came to GPS.
So far, the iPhone in my experience has the best battery life. I never really had to worry about it, and I'm a fairly heavy text/web browser/email user. It's obviously going to have the widest selection of apps, though that didn't necessary mean they were all useful. If games are your thing, the iPhone was also ahead of that by a long shot. However, without jailbreaking, it really is locked down. Tethering through AT&T's rate is a joke, seeing as it uses your already purchased data plan, and outside of changing your ringtones and wallpapers, you're fairly limited in customizations. Despite this, there isn't currently an option to tether at all on WP7.
Now having a Focus with WP7, I can say that the interface is very refreshing. Sometimes I just want to stare at the home screen because 1) the live tiles are cool and 2) the SAMOLED screen is amazing with a black background and brightly colored tiles. The web browsing experience is fast, but noticeably lacking compared to Android and iPhone (due to lack of webkit/html5). It's not a deal breaker by any means, but it was something I noted. The keyboard is about on par with the iPhone.
Build quality compared to the iPhone feels just as sturdy, in my opinion, despite the plastic body. It actually feels better in the hand to me, because of the curve back and slight lip on the bottom. It's also noticeably lighter to hold and carry around. So far the battery is holding up nicely with moderate to heavy text/web browsing/email/staring at pretty tiles.
Call quality was good, found the ear piece to be a bit clearer and louder than the iPhone. The biggest difference for me at the moment is of course the Marketplace. This is where the iPhone's ~4 years on the market really shows the gap. But given that this is Microsoft we're talking about, I don't expect their market to go the way of the Pre (which I also briefly owned) and be a barren wasteland (comparatively).
TLDR
iPhone 4 has ~4 years of exposure behind it with it's marketplace and iOS functionality, and it shows. Focus/WP7 has a fresh UI and is promising with Microsoft backing it. Build quality is very different between the two, but both feel sturdy and reliable. If you're making the leap to Focus/WP7 from an iPhone 4, you shouldn't have any big regrets, so long as you're not tied deeply into the iTunes ecosystem or your life depends on certain iOS only games.

I have both still and am trying one against the other for everyday use for my needs. So far, the Focus lacks on a few things, but no deal breakers, as the functionality should come with future updates like cut and paste.
Since I fired up the Focus, it has given me hope that this OS will give Apple a run for the money.

I like the iPhone 4 but the whole iOS thing has gotten kind of stale for me after 2 1/2 years of iPhones so I bought a Focus to try out and so far so good. It lacks many of the nicities and features in the iPhone but overall it's been easier to use, it's MUCH lighter and doesn't feel like brick in my hand. I'm also a big user of Slingplayer and man, there's no comparison with the video and audio. HD shows up as bright, colorful and full screen and the audio is much louder and more understandable then when using the iPhone or iPad. I still have 3 weeks to return the Focus and I'm not committed yet but it's a damn good Rev 1 phone.

I agree with all of you but for me there have been some things I just don't understand why MS did what they did.
Notifications - There is a noticeable space at the top of the screen that hardly used. It is sometimes used for notifications as in text messages but not for email or twitter notifications.
Keyboard - In portrait its on par with iphone and even MT Android but why not a full landscape keyboard have you guys seen it? The empty space at the top of the screen is there on the side now and wasted.
Phone - 2 keystrokes to get a dialer why and to make it worse why no smart dialing in the dialer. I know you can use the search button but its not the same.
From a hardware perspective the phone is great light and long battery life so far. I just wish MS would have polished it a little more I dont really see a lot of Apple users jumping ship to it. Just my 2cents

boogieboogie said:
to the people who switched from the iphone 4 to focus. any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have both a Droid Incredible and an iPhone 4 and I love the Focus and WP7 interface over both. what I'm having trouble with is the little things that allow you to control the phone more that are still missing from WP7, probably because MS rushed it to get it out before the holidays. What I miss and need on WP7 include:
A Sound Profiler that allows you to control various preset sound modes and volumes for Alarm, ringer, music, system and keyboard clicks...why is this missing
An equalizer in the zune music App
An integrated favorites app for quick dialing. I'm using the tile approach for some contacts, but it does take more real estate than necesary.
Ability to change system font size. Some of the fonts are a bit too large.
Background processing for Facebook, Twitter, and some of those other things that require that.
That ability to connect to hidden Wifi networks! Come on MS this is suppose to be a corporate phone, corporate networks are often hidden. how do you miss that!
Abiltity to fast dial using the number keys in the phone app, ala HTC Sense! Much quicker to look up contacts that way.
Contact Pictures in Call history and SMS. they are everywhere else, why not there.
Native turn by turn directions Like Android has. Come on, this is a big one the iPhone is missing out of the box and MS is making the same mistake.
the notification system is a little wacky on WP 7...if the tiles that are changing are within view, then you are good, or if you are on the lock screen you can see certain things change via the icons at the bottom, but I'd still like to see an android like pull down.
this isn't microsoft, but can someone tell me why Google Reader doesn't format on WP7 and Windows Mobile like it does on the iPhone and Android. It's annoying! and none of the Google Reader market apps like gReadie and WReader work very well....
And why can't I get WP7 on Verizon! the AT&T network seems to be extremely slow, even more so with teh focus than the iPhone.
When will this stuff be fixed!

codyt01 said:
I have both a Droid Incredible and an iPhone 4 and I love the Focus and WP7 interface over both. what I'm having trouble with is the little things that allow you to control the phone more that are still missing from WP7, probably because MS rushed it to get it out before the holidays. What I miss and need on WP7 include:
A Sound Profiler that allows you to control various preset sound modes and volumes for Alarm, ringer, music, system and keyboard clicks...why is this missing
An equalizer in the zune music App
An integrated favorites app for quick dialing. I'm using the tile approach for some contacts, but it does take more real estate than necesary.
Ability to change system font size. Some of the fonts are a bit too large.
Background processing for Facebook, Twitter, and some of those other things that require that.
That ability to connect to hidden Wifi networks! Come on MS this is suppose to be a corporate phone, corporate networks are often hidden. how do you miss that!
Abiltity to fast dial using the number keys in the phone app, ala HTC Sense! Much quicker to look up contacts that way.
Contact Pictures in Call history and SMS. they are everywhere else, why not there.
Native turn by turn directions Like Android has. Come on, this is a big one the iPhone is missing out of the box and MS is making the same mistake.
the notification system is a little wacky on WP 7...if the tiles that are changing are within view, then you are good, or if you are on the lock screen you can see certain things change via the icons at the bottom, but I'd still like to see an android like pull down.
this isn't microsoft, but can someone tell me why Google Reader doesn't format on WP7 and Windows Mobile like it does on the iPhone and Android. It's annoying! and none of the Google Reader market apps like gReadie and WReader work very well....
And why can't I get WP7 on Verizon! the AT&T network seems to be extremely slow, even more so with teh focus than the iPhone.
When will this stuff be fixed!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WP7 is coming to Verizon in January along with turn by turn directions and Flash support.

I've been playing with mine for a couple hours now. I like the device itself but it's probably going back in the morning. Couple thoughts, IMHO:
The back cover is worthless. Cheap. I never know if it's going to break when I pull it off. Having a removable battery again? Priceless. The SIM slot, specifically the contact nodes themselves, are poorly designed and I think mine bent/broke when I inserted and removed my microSIM adapter with my microSIM inside it. That's insane for a new device. They are just three little prongs waiting to break. Love the TILES!!! Love the font and the clean look of the whole OS!!! Gmail refuses to display my full email box. This makes me angry. Love the screen, when displaying the primary colors of tiles and most of the apps. On the other hand I Can't stand the washed out appearance of the IE and the screen when browsing. PTI podcast works, so big points on that one. Contacts sync is annoying, particularly since I don't have anything save for email in my Gmail contacts. My choice, my fault. I don't have a Live account and really don't want one but see no choice to download anything from the Marketplace. This is tomfoolery. Love the lightness of the phone along with the 4 inch real-estate.
Interesting so far but nothing that makes me want to replace my iPhone.

bmstrong said:
I've been playing with mine for a couple hours now. I like the device itself but it's probably going back in the morning. Couple thoughts, IMHO:
The back cover is worthless. Cheap. I never know if it's going to break when I pull it off. Having a removable battery again? Priceless. The SIM slot, specifically the contact nodes themselves, are poorly designed and I think mine bent/broke when I inserted and removed my microSIM adapter with my microSIM inside it. That's insane for a new device. They are just three little prongs waiting to break. Love the TILES!!! Love the font and the clean look of the whole OS!!! Gmail refuses to display my full email box. This makes me angry. Love the screen, when displaying the primary colors of tiles and most of the apps. On the other hand I Can't stand the washed out appearance of the IE and the screen when browsing. PTI podcast works, so big points on that one. Contacts sync is annoying, particularly since I don't have anything save for email in my Gmail contacts. My choice, my fault. I don't have a Live account and really don't want one but see no choice to download anything from the Marketplace. This is tomfoolery. Love the lightness of the phone along with the 4 inch real-estate.
Interesting so far but nothing that makes me want to replace my iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just out of curiosity, where do you keep your phone contacts?

emjee87 said:
Just out of curiosity, where do you keep your phone contacts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my head and in a backup email labeled "contacts" that sits in my inbox. I redraft and resend the email to myself when I need to update any information. I only have about 10-15 or numbers to remember.
I like the OS very much. I think it has great potential, great upside. But the hardware side still leaves much to be desired against the gold standard Apple offering.

bmstrong said:
In my head and in a backup email labeled "contacts" that sits in my inbox. I redraft and resend the email to myself when I need to update any information. I only have about 10-15 or numbers to remember.
I like the OS very much. I think it has great potential, great upside. But the hardware side still leaves much to be desired against the gold standard Apple offering.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"redraft and resend"
What?
Really?

mcmexican said:
I agree with all of you but for me there have been some things I just don't understand why MS did what they did.
Notifications - There is a noticeable space at the top of the screen that hardly used. It is sometimes used for notifications as in text messages but not for email or twitter notifications.
Keyboard - In portrait its on par with iphone and even MT Android but why not a full landscape keyboard have you guys seen it? The empty space at the top of the screen is there on the side now and wasted.
Phone - 2 keystrokes to get a dialer why and to make it worse why no smart dialing in the dialer. I know you can use the search button but its not the same.
From a hardware perspective the phone is great light and long battery life so far. I just wish MS would have polished it a little more I dont really see a lot of Apple users jumping ship to it. Just my 2cents
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree about the notifications. I would of love to seen Twitter or Facebook notification heck even e-mail for that matter pop up and have a option to disable it if need be. I'm sure this is something coming in the future.
Also agree about the keyboard. I am shaking my head and wondering why there is a significant amount of unused space on the screen in landscape mode.
More active live tiles. I would love to have a live tile that would update the weather for me. I'm sure there is a app in the making but it would be nice to see that.
Also...there is no YouTube app? (I'm not talking about the YouTube that brings you to the mobile version of YouTube) Is that just a way for Google to stick it to M$?
Update:
Spoke to soon about the live tile for the weather. Weather bug has an app out for it.

AllTheWay said:
I agree about the notifications. I would of love to seen Twitter or Facebook notification heck even e-mail for that matter pop up and have a option to disable it if need be. I'm sure this is something coming in the future.
Also agree about the keyboard. I am shaking my head and wondering why there is a significant amount of unused space on the screen in landscape mode.
More active live tiles. I would love to have a live tile that would update the weather for me. I'm sure there is a app in the making but it would be nice to see that.
Also...there is no YouTube app? (I'm not talking about the YouTube that brings you to the mobile version of YouTube) Is that just a way for Google to stick it to M$?
Update:
Spoke to soon about the live tile for the weather. Weather bug has an app out for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been using Lazy Worm as my YouTube app in the mean time. It doesn't have all the functionality of the other YouTube apps yet, but it does keep the theme of WP7 and it works well enough.

i know this is an old thread, but i will add my 2 cents.
i owned the 3G, the 3GS, and the iphone 4. the worst of the 3 was the iphone 4. it was practically worthless as a phone. i dropped 80% of my calls with it. i returned it after a few weeks because of this.
the 3G was fine and i owned it for a year and a half, but it was really slow. the 3GS was my favorite by far, and really i have very few complaints with it.
obviously the iphone was revolutionary. it started the wave of multi-touch displays and the app world was pretty phenomenal. but the truth is that technology is uncapped now and apple doesn't have the entire market, nor should they.
while MS has some glitches, they were to be expected. the marketplace doesn't provide the number of apps that the iphone market does, but how cool is it that you get to own a focus now and be on the ground-level and see new and refreshing apps as they come to life? i find that pretty cool.
my main reason for switching was just to do something different, and so far i am very pleased with the phone. i think it does everything the iphone does and potentially more, you just have to be willing to learn new techniques as you would with any new phone.

Gonna try to not repeat what others have already said.
Loving WP7 OS and everything it does. Fresh start, smooth UI and a great design paradigm. Missing some features but nothing has been a deal breaker yet. I can tell it's just a matter of time (short time) and a lot of these features will land in the OS.
Focus is OK. It's not great. I don't like the camera as much as I did on my iPhone 4. I used to take a ton of pics with my iPhone 4 but not as much now with the focus. You have to tinker with the settings to get similar quality pics and even then not all the time. Specially in low light settings, the iPhone crushed the focus clarity-wise. In day light, they are mostly the same.
If I could have WP7 on my iPhone 4, I would be extremely happy. But that's not the case. WP7 is good enough to make up for me missing my iPhone 4's hardware so far though.

The camera is actually the reason I've shelved the Focus until there's an update for it. I have to change a bunch of settings to get a half decent picture out of it and then, of course, it doesn't save those settings so I have to do it....every.....single..........time. Hard to believe Microsoft hasn't released a fix for this by now. Well, no...not really. Typical Microsoft, actually. And the hardware button isn't doing the phone any favors, either. The iPhone's on-screen button is nice because it takes no pressure so the phone doesn't budge when you take the picture. The hardware button means you can't help but move the camera when taking a picture and if it's not taken with plenty of light good luck getting a picture that isn't smeared. And finally there's the complete lack of any real features. No panoramic shots, no effects, nothing. I use the camera all the time and the Focus' software makes it almost useless so I went back to the iPhone.

nazeeh said:
Gonna try to not repeat what others have already said.
Loving WP7 OS and everything it does. Fresh start, smooth UI and a great design paradigm. Missing some features but nothing has been a deal breaker yet. I can tell it's just a matter of time (short time) and a lot of these features will land in the OS.
Focus is OK. It's not great. I don't like the camera as much as I did on my iPhone 4. I used to take a ton of pics with my iPhone 4 but not as much now with the focus. You have to tinker with the settings to get similar quality pics and even then not all the time. Specially in low light settings, the iPhone crushed the focus clarity-wise. In day light, they are mostly the same.
If I could have WP7 on my iPhone 4, I would be extremely happy. But that's not the case. WP7 is good enough to make up for me missing my iPhone 4's hardware so far though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be honest, I have to strongly disagree....I am a photographer, not a pro, but lots of experience and the iphone 4 camera is NOT that good. Im actually able to produce much nicer results with the focus now than my friends iphone 4. Downside is the focus doesn't save the settings you use...which will be fixed. The iphone 4 quality is WAY to oversaturated...Im not saying the focus quality is amazing...but when I change my settings its definetly acceptable quality. EV and ISO can be your best friends when used properly.

to me the focus wins hands down, my friend who is a self confessed iphone/ iphone 4 BIG time fanboy, has had all the other iphones he had got his iphone 4 like a week before he met up with me tooled around on my samsung focus for like a hour packed up his iphone 4 went to at&t store and exchanged it for a samsung focus....

Paolo01 said:
"redraft and resend"
What?
Really?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was my thought maybe it is time for him to setup a Hotmail account,

iPhone vs Focus
I have no regrets switching from iPhone 3GS and 4G to Focus.
They both have pluses and minuses, but I thing WinMo 7 is a new OS and the market place is catching up quickly.
What I miss in WinMo 7 is the customization and low level access (e.g. registry, file system).

Do you own a Focus claim it here tell us what you think?

Samsung Focus​Beautiful, crisp, or a cheap piece of junk. I would like to know.
I would like to know if you own a Focus or are considering purchasing one. I believe that word of mouth is important so I ask the community to place their thoughts about the Focus here. Also I would like just 1 post from each member who is writing their own review. Remember you can edit your post. Help me out and if you actually own a focus let us know in the poll.
Try to look at the below review for a format. Of course it is your review so write it how you see fit.
Top things I love about my Focus:
1. Thin
2. Light
3. Beautiful screen
4. SD expandability
5. Fast and responsive
6. Diagnosis Screen
Top things that need improvement for my Focus:
1. Better SD support
2. Power charging should be on the bottom of the phone
3. Power button should be on the top of the phone or harder to press
4. Screen can scratch all be it very hard to do so.
How is my windows experience on the Focus:
1. Marketplace can be buggy
2. Games are fun and vibrant
3. Programs are stable
What would you like to see improved in you windows experience on the Focus:
1. Need to allow multitasking as an option for GPS and third party audio programs.
2. Wish marketplace would show how many download an app had
3. More live tiles
4. In email adding folders to sync is cumbersome.
Who would you recommend buy this phone?
I would recommend this phone to anyone. This is the best phone I owned.

I pretty much agree with what you posted. I've really come to like WP7 and the Focus although, there is still much work to be done on the OS.
I guess if Samsung had one with a physical keyboard, I'd be all over it.

It's so fluid in motion, readable and highly consistent in design. Overall, I've got to give MS a big thumbs up. The UI is beautiful and functional.
My only real complaint is the occasional marketplace freeze.
I've had a number of android devices and I've had more than one iPhone.. I was ready for something fresh and different.. and so far this is fitting the bill quite well.
Now make with the updates, Microsoft... some new features would be nice.
As for the focus itself, it's a nice piece of hardware. The screen is gorgeous, battery life seems decent, speaker sounds good, calls are clear. It has a little creak do it if I grip it too hard, but it doesn't feel like it's going to break. I'd pretty much put it even with my Samsung Vibrant.. it is plasticky, but it doesn't feel cheap.

I've had my Focus since they released them publicly. The hardware is great overall. I have two iPhones (3G and 4), a Droid, Blackberry 9000 and a new Torch. The iPhone sets the bar high, and in my opinion the Focus easily competes head to head with the iPhone in terms of the screen and performance, maybe even better for speed. So far I haven't had any problems with it, in terms of the hardware. No unexpected reboots or lock-ups. I've soft-reset it a couple times on my own, and did one hard-reset to attempt to get wireless Zune sync working (still doesn't work), but that I'm sure is an OS problem. I do wish Samsung just stepped up with 16GB of NAND storage from the get-go though. Sure, an optional SD card is nice to have, but the way WP7 uses storage it doesn't surprise me people are seeing random crashes and data loss. WP7 essentially combines both storage types as one large storage, but expects performance to be the same and that's not reasonable. There's really no reason why they couldn't make NAND the primary, and SD secondary for more static things like music and documents.
In the beginning battery life was pretty bad. But I think it just took a few charge cycles to correct that. I get almost two days out of it without wifi. With Wifi it drops to maybe a day and a half at most.
The AMOLED screen is just awesome. Clear, bright, smooth.
I'm looking forward to MS releasing a WP7 update though. There are so many little bugs/features that are missing, besides the popular copy/paste that I rarely use anyway.

I agree with the first post.
I (STILL) only get all of one bar of signal in my house with it. AT&T signal was bad seven years ago and hasn't improved which kind of forces me to return it and wait for a CDMA version. At least with Verizon I get three & four bars everywhere in the house. Too bad I have to wait another month or two to get a WP7, because other than not being able to make or receive calls at home I really like the Focus a lot.

Pretty much agree with the first post. I really like this phone.
When reading email, I wish there was a way to make the font bigger that would also word wrap so you don't have to move back and forth to read the email. Either autosize to a larger font with word wrap, or just let me select a larger font size.
I love the voice search! It's worked for me in noisy resturants and standing along side a busy road. Impressive!

I really like my Samsung Focus primarily because in my usage the OS has been stable, fast, and really easy to navigate.
The lack of available applications (for whatever reasons) is a huge issue. I own both an iPhone and Droid X. If I didn't have those phones on which to use apps I think I'd be a little less kind at this moment to WP7 and the Focus
Overall I think what MSFT has TODAY is a great first smartphone for someone who has not used one before.
Will this progress to a serious contender in the smartphone space? I don't know but I'm hoping that it can be one of the top 3.

webdev511 said:
I agree with the first post.
I (STILL) only get all of one bar of signal in my house with it. AT&T signal was bad seven years ago and hasn't improved which kind of forces me to return it and wait for a CDMA version. At least with Verizon I get three & four bars everywhere in the house. Too bad I have to wait another month or two to get a WP7, because other than not being able to make or receive calls at home I really like the Focus a lot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
iPhone's reception fairly blows, also, and AT&T is awful at my house. I bought a zBoost YX-545 GSM/PCS repeater, stuck the antenna in the attic where I get at least a couple reception bars and put the unit in the upper floor of the house. That now gives me 4 or 5 bars throughout the house and yard and helped the iPhone considerably and does just as well with the Focus. If you have any reception at all, this is a better solution than AT&T's hit-or-miss microcell.
Personally, I like the screen and the weight. It's so nice being able to pull it out of my pocket, take a quick glance at the screen to see if there's anything of interest and, if not, pop it right back from where it came. The screen is bright, easily read at arm's length and laid out well. The commercials about "saving us from our phones" actually made sense once I used the phone for a few days. One thing that drove me nuts about the iPhone was the form and weight. It's akin to having a brick in my shirt pocket and the weight makes it practically jump out of my pocket any time I bend over a bit. The Focus has a much nicer form with the rounded edges, it's thin and it's relatively light weight means it's been less prone to wanting to slide out of my pocket. It's being so thin and rounded makes it more difficult to pick up off a flat surface than the iPhone.
I've used iPhones for the past 2 1/2 years and while the iPhone has it all over the Focus as far as functionality, what the Focus currently does is so much easier to do that I believe I'm ready to commit and forget about the 30 day return policy. All in all, the benefits and potential very much outweight the few drawbacks that exist, such as the plastic feel and mediocre reception.
Oh...and the expandable memory is a HUGE plus after 2 1/2 years of a phone I couldn't even open. Yes, I've read that plenty of people have had problems with it but using a Sandisk 8GB class 2 SD card I've been able to put some 10 GB of music on the phone without so much as a single hiccup in any way. I suppose Sandisk is still the best for a reason...accept no substitutes!

JDiddyC Review
(in conjunction with previous noted items)
What I like:
1. Integration of FB, apps and Live Skydrive, etc. Seemless!
2. Ability to customize the tiles on the home screen
3. Live tiles! Need I say more!?
4. Accessing info and sharing is quick and easy
What I don't like / needs development:
1. For the love of God, please let us use Bing Turn by Turn and not PAY for provider specific apps or add-ons!
2. Zune / Music portion needs work
- Channels would be nice
- Why do I have to pay for songs via AT&T when I have zune pass? This should work like market place on the Zune HD!
- Please let me use music I have on the device as a ringtone!?
Overall satisfaction:
LOVE IT! I feel pretty confident that changes to the OS and apps will come in the near future that will hopefully address the few things I don't like. Although I fear there are some agreements with providers around GPS and turn by turn directions that may keep us hacking to get around them.

Top things I love about my Focus:
1. Thin
2. Facebook Integration
3. Beautiful screen
4. SD expandability
5. Xbox Live
6. Fun UI
Top things that need improvement for my Focus:
1. Multitasking or at least backgrounding (i want pandora!!!)
2. When the Screen is locked i shouldnt be able to power off the phone with just the button! Come on now that should be common sense.
3. Flashlight app that acually uses the LED
4. Volume controls that are not all in one (i shouldnt have to turn my phone back up to 30 after playing a games at 10 because the games too loud, in turn making my ringtone way too quiet)
5. Cut, Copy, Paste!!!
How is my windows experience on the Focus:
1. Marketplace and UI can be buggy (especailly when downloading)
2. Games are fun and vibrant but with a lack of games ive grown interested in with other platforms
3. best camera phone implementation with the shutter button and ease.

bump
Can a moderator sticky this

I love the focus ALOT! I bought it outright at Rogers for $630! Its unbelievably fast and smooth....its the most fluid phone I have ever used in my life to be honest....I handed it over to my gf! Why? because I take alot of pictures and video, and so far while the focus has been good at both, it doesn't hold up to my Xperia X10,,,therefore I went back to my X10...but I play with the Focus all day long. If somehow they could write a camera app (like Vignette for android) and make the pictures cleaner in low light then the Focus would be my primary phone hands down.
Overall I'd give this phone a 9.5/10 just because I feel the camera is lacking slightly.

Lovin My New unlocked Samsung Focus
Samsung Focus is the BEST WP7 phone hands down right now! Just wished 3G and MMS would work with my T-Mo service Provider.
Anyone find out how to get into the MFG Mode?
I have been through the whole Diagnosis Mode, changed about every setting i could change and still no MMS.
btw.. thx sandrobber for listing all the codes for the diagnosis menu!

Just bought 3 foci (sp), Originally got one for my step father who had been working on some old handmedowns and wanted a real smart phone of his own and one for my wife who hated her Pure with such a purple passion that I was almost ready to overlook my no Apple rule and get her an Iphone. They both are loving it.
I went ahead and got one for myself. I have to admit I did a lot of waffling between the focus and the quantum.
Personally I think the quantum's size and form factor is slightly superior. It was just the right size to fit in my hand and be worked easily with one hand while the focus is just a tad on the large size to be truly comfortable.
That said I ended up going with the Focus because damn it's a huge gorgeous screen the potential for expansion and general overall ratings it's getting on the hardware side.
My past experience with smart phones has been with winmo and palm OS. Part of my decision to go with the Samsung was because of my experiences with their older smart phones. In fact I just ran across my old I300 the other day while sorting through some old boxes and the damned thing still runs just fine after a quick charge.
Pro's
that huge screen.
smooth seamless performance.
did I mention that huge beautiful screen?
Expandable memory
Con's
Bing button is too damned easy to hit.
form factor is just a tad to big to be used consistently with one hand.
Who thought putting the USB port on the top was a good idea?
Market place is buggy and has locked up on me several times requiring a reset of the device.
Other thoughts
As a former winmo user I'm definitely missing some of the features that I knew weren't going to make it into this os. I still think it was rather stupid to drop active sync and myphone for this platform. I understand some of the rationals but it's still missed.
Same goes for the lack of access to the files system (in particular the lack of drag and drop and real support for SD storage)
That said the phone is incredibly user friendly. My wife who hated the hell out of her Pure took to this thing like a duck to water and she's far from technically competent with this sort of thing in that she's a fairly typical user who's not interested in tinkering with a device just to get basic functionality. as such this works great for her.
For my part I very rapidly got my start page re-arranged the way I liked it with my tiles organized in the manner in which I typically need them.
I'm still learning things about it like it was a bit of a surprise when my step father showed me how to voice dial calls. (so damned easy it never even occurred to me to try.)
So far everyone I've shown the phone to has been impressed (primarily Iphone users) and several have already expressed an interest in switching to WP7 as soon as their contracts come up for renewal. Especially those who aren't using Iphones since they'll be able to keep their old unlimited data plans with these devices.
I have very high expectations for the future of this platform. As soon as MS gets a couple basic features pushed out (copy/paste, task switching) and developers start getting some quality apps out I see this platform being quite competitive with Apple.
I get that there are some things that it's just never going to match winmo on and that functionality will be missed but after watching Apple dominate the market so thoroughly and observing users such as my wife beating their heads against the WinMo experience I can't really fault MS for shifting design philosophy.
Considering the fact that this OS has only been out a couple months I'd say it's off to a nice start. Sure it would have been nice to have had cut/paste and multitasking so I wouldn't have to listen to the apple fanboi's teases (hey at least it's got MMS out the box) but it is a fully functional smartphone right out the box that can already do many things much easier than my old 6.5 phone could.
Now I just have to find a good case for it.

Happy Focus owner, elated to be a part of a truly 'smart'phone era.
This phone was the best investment I ever made.
After purchasing the phone outright from Rogers in Canada, I paid an ebay guy $15 to unlock it.
I came immediately to XDA-Developers for guidance with my new toy. The community here is excellent; with a level of knowledge far beyond my wildest expectations.
Once I followed the advice of everyone here, I was able to unleash the full power of the phone on my preferred network, SaskTel.
Prior to this phone, I got a contract a year ago with a Samsung Omnia. My carrier wouldn't push the OS update, and Samsung didn't offer it direct to consumers. I was forever stuck on a crippled WinMo6.1 OS.
I am looking forward to future updates provided direct from Microsoft. This was perhaps the most significant reason I bought into the idea behind Windows Phone 7 as a future-proof platform.
The reasons I chose the Focus are the same as most around here. The SuperAMOLED screen is just a wonder to behold, and I find myself just scrolling the lists just to see the brilliance of the display in action.
Memory expansion is another boon for this device. Having at least one option in the Microsoft launch lineup with this feature is key to the platform's success. I believe like the handset manufacturers, that everyone has different needs in a device.
Storage is a need some of us have. I like the security behind the S in SD. I believe the way MS implemented the expandable memory is the way to go from a security and usability standpoint.
My final reason for choosing this phone was to test the ability of my service provider to bring alternate devices to the table. My carrier just upgraded to 3G+ from CDMA. Having a SIM based solution opened the Focus as a possibility.
I am satisfied with my carrier's network, and the phone, and the apps.
I looked at the iDevices and Android devices before making this purchase. While the iDevices were pretty much all out of my price range for the flexibility provided, I considered the Samsung Galaxy line.... in particular, the Galaxy S Vibrant (known by other names on other networks, so let's not quibble).
The only thing that kept me from the Android platform was how cumbersome it was to use.
While there are some mobile enthusiasts out there who will claim that the platform is lacking, I have never once been in a situation where I thought to myself, hey I wish I could multitask. Once something draws me away, the back button is right there, my little friend.. who always helps me back to whatever experience I engaged in before the distraction.
Personally I do not care for MMS, as my carrier charges me per use. at that rate, I can use my unlimited data and share over Facebook and SKydrive to those I want to see my photos. As a result I haven't even tested to see if the feature works with my carrier's current APN settings.
My only pain point is that a few of the features that were demoed early in the year, are not yet available in Canada.
For instance, Bing searching does not bring back local maps. The city where I live has too small a population for 2D overhead maps. I find all of this interesting, as I do have birds-eye within the bing maps silverlight experience on the desktop.
Another feature our lovely land to the north is missing is the Zune Pass. I would happily pay for the ability to link Shazam to Zune, unfortunately due what I presume to be legal reasons, the zune pass is not presently available.
===============================
My only hope now is that someone out there will create a Kinect-Based Star-Trek Exploration game that allows me to use my WP7 device as the infamous Tricorder.
I think that would totally kick ass. I'm thinking of a title we'll tentatively name "Star Trek: Red Shirt Adventures" Where you get to explore the worlds of Kirk's day, and all those up until Picard's day.
In this fashion a good story teller could preserve Trek Cannon and shed some light on the rich history to us causal trekkies. Maybe the objective is to burn through 1000 lives in a single play through.... who knows.... it was an idea, which I give openly to the internet to turn around and capitalize on, as I lack the ambition. Surely with XNA architecture as a base on both platforms, this should be doable.

Skex said:
3 foci (sp)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
correct

Finally a phone I love
Even though I've been in IT for 30 years, I had my first taste of smart phone ownership a little over a year ago with a BB Bold. I never needed one, but finally WANTed one. It was okay, but slow and not the easiest thing to type on. On 12/27 I upgraded to a Samsung Captivate. I really like the keyboard, but the darn thing kept powering off all by itself. When I noticed board postings about others' Captivates doing the same thing, I was determined not to play "let's see if this one works" and I traded for a Focus on 12/31. It is absolutely lovely. The only complaints I have are 1) the keyboard is a bit to small and 2) the hidden "diagnosis" settings really need to be easier to access. The good thing about that is I have joined groups like this one, where I am learning things I didn't know I wanted to know!

First day, first customer!!!
I have been a loyal WM/PPC user (iPAQ, Axim, 3125, TD2), and have been waiting for this phone. Having used TD2 and several Softbank (Japan) phones, I desire the following (only):
(a) Smart dial
(b) Toggle switches for Bluetooth/Wifi (like Cookies Home tab) on the Home Screen.
Nevertheless, very happy with my Focus.

Android Gripes blog is seriously pissing me off

EVERYONE has a few gripes with Android...Everyone...however this blog is so biased and uninformative it seriously annoys me.
The first post was about how SOME iOS apps look better than their Android counterparts...a fault entirely with the devs of those apps, not Androids fault...which is obvious but not on that blog...
Then they start posting half truths and lies and it's absurd.
Such As:
one post is entirely opinion based (Android looks like crap)
Another uses the recent Skype scandal as if it is somehow Androids fault that the devs were incompetent.
Another actually disses the notification panel...seriously...
And the most recent one disses flash...as if A) it has to be always on and B) is worse than it is...
the blog is seriously frustrating...
check it out....
android-gripes.tumblr.com

there are iOS haters, so there are Android haters too
don't worry we love our Android.

I agree with houzuoguo. The thing about this blog that will infuriate many is the lack of comments section, each post should open to discussion. It's closed (ahem iOS) and would cater to Apple fanboys.

I blog about my gripes with Android sometimes, but the majority of which are geared at the carriers and manufacturers actions, not Android itself. Android is so customizable, I'd have a hard time believing that Android looks ugly. I also keep my comments section open for discussion which I enjoy. This blog just seems like a shill for Apple.

tkgod said:
I blog about my gripes with Android sometimes, but the majority of which are geared at the carriers and manufacturers actions, not Android itself. Android is so customizable, I'd have a hard time believing that Android looks ugly. I also keep my comments section open for discussion which I enjoy. This blog just seems like a shill for Apple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's what pissing me off the most...the first post I read about devs making android apps look like crap compared to iOS apps...I was like yea, good, bring this to the forefront...but soon after it seemed to be overwhelmed with half truths and lies and just all around BS.
Seriously...the dude who dissed the Android notification panel even went as far as to say that iOS's notifications are better....even the most diehard Apple blog has never said something so retarded before right then.

That blog is full of crap...not even close to being creditable. Android is in 1st place for OS's and continues to rock!

omg he quoted you! (out of context, naturally, him being an iTard)
He does have a right to spew his crap on his blog,twitter and fb. Create a new androidRocks id and challenge every single of his lines, with rock hard evidence.
His biased opinion is clear here (quote), I wont even try to correct him as every single statement is false.
Why do I write this blog?
I have been an user of iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac for years. I like Apple’s products for some reasons and I like Apple’s culture.
I admire what Google has done for the Internet, but I do have some negative opinions on Android. I’m fine with new products coming into the market and competing with Apple’s. What bothers me is that Android gets into the market in an “evil” way - it proposed “openness” and claimed Apple products are “close” so Android is better. This is absolutely nonsense marketing buzz. So sad that a lot of medias also blindly jumped into it. “Openness” is such a vague concept and whatever it tries to say means almost nothing or even something negative to consumers. Smartphones do not need the so called “openness”.
I have constantly heard many gripes about Android. Recently I happened to have access to some Android phones and use them in a daily base. The more I use Android, the more I feel that Android is indeed a half-baked OS, its UX/UI is horrible and various hardwares are poorly designed. It’s true that those phones are working like smartphones, better than feature phones from old school, but they ignore a lot of the details. Just for Google’s own benefit, they helped handset manufactures brutally dumped a huge amount of unpolished devices to the market. They made people think this is how smartphones should work. This is so unfair to consumers. IMHO, it is no different from committing a crime. That’s why I made the cartoon of “Android Gripes” as a Monopoly “Go Directly To Jail” card showing an Android on it.
As much as I believe in Apple, I think everybody deserves great user experience, especially when it comes to phones. I think it is my mission to let more people know that Android does not provide you that. Android only provides inferior user experience. You either admit it and bear with it, or go for better alternatives. That’s why I started writing this blog.
This blog, and related Twitter account and Facebook Page, are all run by myself. I’m not affiliated with Apple Inc. in any way, neither with Google Inc., apparently. I only have very limited time, so I often cite others’ articles and occasionally write down my own experiences and opinions. You may sometimes find my writing sound unusual, that’s because I’m not a native English speaker. I started writing articles in English since not very long ago.
Happy reading and I appreciate your support.
Lastly, competition should always be encouraged. Wish the best to Android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Lol, the way he gets his point across may may appear as bashing, but he isn't entirely lying. Stock Android is hideous, and people only prefer it to anything else because of it's speed. It isn't polished and it simply isn't too lovely. However I do like how Google focuses on "Dark", iOS seems somewhat too bright and colorful. Yes colorful is usually good, but iOS also makes everything shiny, somewhat childish or something... it's hard to explain why I don't entirely like it, but something about iOS in general seems eh to me.
I was going to actually give this guy the benefit of the doubt and assume that he actually wanted to better Android. Then I noticed that he only post news related to Android when it makes Android look bad. Only when it makes Android look bad. What does random news articles have to do with your problems with Android? It also seems to me he hates Android and wants everyone to hate Android as well. Then again, the title of the blog is "Android Gripes", so I guess focusing on the negatives on the OS is the point. Posting how Skype had a vulnerability does seem extremely odd though... it again makes me assume he just wants to create a site to make Android seem pathetic. The "Is Samsung’s New Galaxy Tab Fibbing About Its Figure? And About Those Galaxy Tab Fans…" post is completely irrelevant to the blog. And video of the new, thinner 10.1 tab has been out for a few days: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdu5PVjCGo0, sadly not before that post.
I agree with him entirely from a design standpoint, several Android apps and Android without being properly modified in general is ugly. There is no denying that (well it is an opinion, so you could deny it) but it is also highly customizable -- and it also seems that developers do not try as hard on their Android apps at all. However, I do not like his hate toward Android. He is trying to use every minuscule flaw, or even things that that aren't really even "flaws" of the operating system to make it seem inferior to iOS. I honestly hope such a blog inspires Google to focus a little harder on Android's user interface. Google sucks at this. And they always have.

You will not find a bigger Android guy than me, but I admit, that the design of many of our apps is crap. This is actually why I got into application design. I love Android and want to make it better, and before Honeycomb it didnt look like Google was really making big strides in the design arena. But then again, I dont think they are a very design heavy company as a whole, and there have been numerous stories throughout the years of how their designers get fed up and leave because the engineering heavy company just doesnt seem to understand design as a whole. Fortunately with Mathias Duarte now on board I believe things are going to change quite a bit, and imho already have with some great new ui stuff on Honeycomb.
I dont think the Android phone ui is hideous or anything, but when you have such great functionality as Android has, it really brings you down to see such poopy design sometimes. For instance do a search on "calendar widget." There is only one I would consider being well designed, Pure grid, while the other 200 cal widgets may have great function, but look just awful.
All that being said, if anyone is interested in getting an application designed professionally by my company, feel free to dm me. We have some great stuff coming out for iOS, and since I'm one of two guys at my company that uses Android I would love to get some more Android apps to work on. Plus it would be nice to throw in my bosses face when he bad mouths Android designs

I admit there are more polished looking apps on iPhone over android. But I happen to find stock gingerbread just pure elegant and beautiful. With launcher pro of course, but I find it beautiful. I mean how could stock android be "ugly" and not have iOS ugly as well? Stock android looks way better to me.

AbsoluteDesignz said:
EVERYONE has a few gripes with Android...Everyone...however this blog is so biased and uninformative it seriously annoys me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess the best way to get back at him is to make a blog of your own called iOS-gripes.tumblr.com
As far as the look of the operating system I would have to say that stock Android is nicer than iOS.
Main reasons I ended up switching to the iPhone 4 was due to:
1. HID bluetooth keyboard support built into the OS.
2. Netflix app that streams video.
3. Navigon GPS app for iOS that I actually prefer over Google Maps Navigation (doesn't need data, lane assist, turns down music instead of just pausing it). I tried out the Android version of the app and it seemed really half-assed like how it would talk over the music playing instead of trying to pause it or turn it down so you couldn't hear what it was telling you.
4. Better resale value when selling it on Craigslist. Usually the top android phone gets replaced by something better within 3 - 6 months and the resale value goes down accordingly. With the iPhone there are always tons of sheep wanting to buy yours and its guaranteed to stay at the top of the food chain for an entire year.
I agree though AD the guy is just being a troll and should either be less biased or needs to keep his mouth shut

I in no way deny the fact that iOS apps as a whole are better designed than Android apps...that's a fact...an unfortunate fact, but a fact.
I also think Stock Android is about 2 or 3 steps away from being much better (and from what I've seen and "felt" of Honeycomb it'll be closer once that hits phones).
I just do not like a select few posts which show an obvious bias...
The Samsung post...like that has anything to do with Android.
The Skype post, like that is Androids fault in the least.
The notification panel post which is just ridiculous.
And the snide comments in the article itself.
I respected the blog when I first said it as I felt it was bringing to light a big issue about app quality...then he kept updating it and yea...BS.

Well I have a Nexus One and an iPad2.
Let me just say that I fight with the iPad 2's iOS constantly. And while it may look pleasant, the design and functionality are lacking.
2 Examples that blow my mind:
AppStore: Browsing through tons of pages until I find an app I want to try. Click. Download. Exit. Homescreen... Ok I see it installing. Flip back. Re-Launch AppStore.... oh wait... I'm back to page 1 out of 254,325. Great...
SketchLive HD: Sweet doodle app. Click Send. Pop's up asking to set up an email account. No back button. No exit button. Back to the homescreen. Relaunch SketchLive HD.
This is like this for almost every app. You only have 1 option, the home button. I'm new so I'm exploring lots of apps. Almost every one of them has something that wouldn't allow me to go back... forcing me to close out and relaunch.
My thinking: Android is created by geeky logical coders where functionality > style. Apple is just the opposite where style > functionality.
I'll take functionality any day. I'm glad I never bought an iPhone as my daily communication device as it would be shattered on a road somewhere. Nothing is more aggravating then knowing what you are trying to do, but the software is too stupid to do it.
Here's more: The App Store shouldn't ping me to enter in my password every 15 minutes. It's freaking annoying. iTunes required me to setup a password that has Numbers and Capital and lowercase letters. It's a pain in the butt trying to go through Caps and Numbers on the iPad.
Also: The keyboard is atrocious. Why are the letters Capped when I'm using lowercase? Why can't you press and hold for numbers? Why does it FORCE a capital letter as the first letter of an input box? Very annoying and it makes me want to simply break it.
Apple found the magical formula to polishing a turd, and selling it for butt loads of money. Well played.

Just glanced quickly over at that blog and I agree completely with "Too many apps “live” in the notification panel".. If I want to be 100% sure Android won't kill an app I have to have it as an ongoing notification at ALL times? That is so ridiculous

crachel said:
Just glanced quickly over at that blog and I agree completely with "Too many apps “live” in the notification panel".. If I want to be 100% sure Android won't kill an app I have to have it as an ongoing notification at ALL times? That is so ridiculous
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Notification icons are optional and completely up to the developer, however a windows style "hide inactive icons"/manual configuration will be nice.

britoso said:
Notification icons are optional and completely up to the developer, however a windows style "hide inactive icons"/manual configuration will be nice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
right, but even if the developer allows for no icon, there is still a blank space.. so if you have 2 or 3 ongoing notifications, you might have 2 icons with 1 blank space in between which looks even dumber..

crachel said:
right, but even if the developer allows for no icon, there is still a blank space.. so if you have 2 or 3 ongoing notifications, you might have 2 icons with 1 blank space in between which looks even dumber..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh? In my experience, Apps that have an option on whether or not to display a notification panel icon (like Trillian or Skype) don't leave "blank space" in the notification area, they just aren't present there.
If an app developer opts for a non-visible phantom icon he is probably doing it wrong.

PartyMango said:
Huh? In my experience, Apps that have an option on whether or not to display a notification panel icon (like Trillian or Skype) don't leave "blank space" in the notification area, they just aren't present there.
If an app developer opts for a non-visible phantom icon he is probably doing it wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want your app to avoid potentially being garbage collected by Android you have to have an ongoing notification (running in the foreground) which means an icon or a blank space on the status bar
If the app is not running in the foreground (ongoing notification), Android could possibly see fit to kill it in the event memory is needed elsewhere.. so in this case, you're correct the app wouldn't be present at all

Nevermindz, lol.

crachel said:
If the app is not running in the foreground (ongoing notification), Android could possibly see fit to kill it in the event memory is needed elsewhere.. so in this case, you're correct the app wouldn't be present at all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the information, didn't know about that.
Eclair~ said:
The Speedtest.net app was updated for Android to look exactly like the iOS (which is beautiful) version:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is their new design, Speedtest.net redesigned their website as well. It is very unlikely that this is in any way related to the android gripes post.