The interface Android is gradually evolving from version to version, which is welcome. But in recent years, a mass of rudiments has accumulated in it, which made sense in past eras, but are completely unnecessary now. But no one is in a hurry to get rid of them …
Mobile world gladiators
They say that childhood should be happy. The green robot was definitely out of luck with this. Youth Android took place in the arena of the Colosseum, and its development most of all resembled a race for survival. The winner was waiting for a rain of gold coins and a standing ovation from the audience, the losers – the whistle of deceived fans and injuries incompatible with life.
In those days, flaws Android were perfectly visible to the naked eye. And looking at the competition of mobile operating systems, the audience enthusiastically chanted: 'Run faster! Jump higher! Turn on your brains! '. All this was obvious to the development, but they could not take a break for a year or two, as they should plan and think over everything. Pit stops in the Colosseum were not provided, and one had to learn a small robot literally on the run.
Android had more than enough rivals, and they were not at all peaceful. At the beginning, there was not enough space in the arena and dirty tricks were actively used – kicks, trips, stabs in the back. MeeGo did not manage to survive even before entering the arena, Symbian soon died with a knife in his back, Windows fell exhausted from a chariot rushing at full speed. Firefox OS, Bada and BlackBerry OS have been trampled by competitors. Tizen, Ubuntu Touch and Sailfish OS were able to get off the ground and leave the arena on foot, but now they have nothing to do in the Colosseum. The most that shines for them is the work of a night watchman in smart TVs, watches or narrowly specialized phones.
A few years later, only iOS and Android remained in the arena. Two young but experienced gladiators who managed to survive where much stronger, more skilled and eminent fighters broke down. Since the start of the race, they have become noticeably stronger, smarter and more experienced. And they adopted a lot both from their rivals and from each other. For a long time there is no reason for them to listen to the uninvited advice of the audience, they have proven in practice that they know their business better than others.
Winners are not judged
If childhood Android turned out to be extremely stormy, then youth turned out to be very calm. Of the competitors, only iOS remained, with which he no longer had to fight seriously. There is still enough space for two mobile operating systems in the world, and in recent years they are not so much fighting as just showing off their muscles.
Now, when rushing ahead headlong no longer makes sense, Android decided to take a break and rest. Think about where to go next, focus on small details, for which there was never enough time before.
Probably not bad. But still, in my opinion, in recent years Android has become too cautious. Even against the background iOS, which was once considered conservative. A lot of things in the OS are not contested simply because they have successfully existed for years. Although in fact, venerable age is more of a hindrance than a dignity. After all, these solutions were developed at a completely different time and for completely different smartphones.
Below I want to talk about those moments that confuse me personally in Android. By no means claiming objectivity and not trying to assert that all this is the ultimate truth.
Design price
The interface is what really matters. The smartphone should be convenient to use, otherwise everything else does not matter anymore. A device that is inconvenient in everyday use will not be saved by the fastest processor, additional cameras, or fashionable retina scanners.
The interface Android is gradually evolving from version to version, which is welcome. But in recent years, a mass of rudiments has accumulated in it, which made sense in past eras, but are completely unnecessary now. But no one is in a hurry to get rid of them.
The main problem is that originally Android was designed for compact smartphones and was not designed for modern 'shovels'. But they, despite their huge size, also sometimes have to be operated with one hand. For example, when standing in public transport and holding onto the handrail. Or carry a bag in your other hand. Even when you just type the answer on the go. At such moments, sometimes you want to spit on everything and go for iPhone SE. Working with which does not resemble finger stretching exercises.
'Crutch' as a solution
Google is in no hurry to do something about this, which forces manufacturers to come up with their own solutions. For example, the compact mode of operation, in which the image takes up only 3.5 – 4 inches of the entire display. Usually you can turn it on with one or two touches. For example, on smartphones Huawei, all you need to do is slide your finger over the block of on-screen keys.
The second option is support for additional gestures that help you perform common actions and eliminate the need to reach for the top edge of the screen. For example, in order to open the shutter of the notification panel in the shell MIUI, it is enough to make a vertical swipe anywhere on the desktop.
A multifunctional floating button is popular in Chinese smartphones, which can be positioned anywhere on the screen. It can be used to launch applications, work with the clipboard, disable and enable wireless interfaces, and so on.
I have nothing against such solutions, in some situations they really turn out to be very convenient. But you need to understand that this is a “crutch” – an attempt to eliminate the problem with improvised means without seriously reworking the interface. This way you can deal with its consequences, but not with the cause.
Quick Switch Panel
I don’t remember who came up with the idea of placing the switch icons in the 'curtain' of the notification panel. But the decision turned out to be so successful that everyone quickly adopted it. It took one to two seconds to adjust the brightness of the display, turn on Wi-Fi or turn off automatic screen rotation. And the users definitely liked it.
In modern 'shovels' it has become much less convenient to reach the top edge of the screen. And at some point, fast switches were no longer so fast. Of course, it's still better than going into the settings section. But such a system is far from ideal.
In LeEco smartphones, I came across a very interesting idea. In the 'curtain' of the notification panel, the shell designers left only the notification cards themselves without anything superfluous. And the switch icons have moved to the task manager menu, which is invoked by pressing the corresponding touch button.
In words, such a solution may seem strange, but in reality it is really very convenient. Basic actions such as enabling / disabling wireless interfaces, adjusting the screen brightness, controlling the player, launching a calculator or flashlight are now easily performed with one hand. I finished testing LeRee Le 3 two months ago, but I still find myself trying to open the tap control center on the touch button.
Ergonomics of applications
In every second application, controls are located at the top of the screen. Including, in branded applications of Google itself. It is extremely inconvenient to work with them holding the smartphone with one hand. Even when it comes to trivial actions, such as creating a new tab in the browser, moving selected letters to another folder or quickly returning to the current calendar date, you have to either dangerously intercept your smartphone or reach for the cherished button with your other hand. But all these problems could be easily avoided by simply moving the buttons from the top of the screen to the bottom.
Interestingly, in earlier versions of the same HTC Sense, this was exactly the case. And I don’t remember that someone would have complained about such a decision. On the contrary, Sense in those ancient times was considered almost an example of functionality and style.
Uniform style
Something that will never be in Android. Google loves to change both the interface design of the OS itself and branded applications. And this applies not only to the appearance, but also to the location of the controls, support for gestures and more. Often, the company's applications do not follow their own guidelines. Against this background, demanding something from third-party developers is simply pointless.
Are you used to the fact that you can update the feed with a vertical swipe? In Google Play, for this, you again need to point your finger at a special icon. Have you gotten used to swiping away unnecessary 'cards' with one gesture? In Google Now, they are now firmly glued to the screen.
Little things? Maybe. But when there are a lot of such little things, they start to get very annoying. Especially when you consider that the next update may change everything once again.
Hidden settings
A modern phone should work perfectly out of the box and should not confuse a new user with thousands of options scattered over a couple of hundred menus. But this does not mean at all that advanced users need to take away the possibility of fine tuning. You can always find a reasonable compromise. In recent versions of the OS, this compromise has become a special section of hidden settings, not intended for the eyes of inexperienced beginners. Here are just the options there while the cat cried.
Many users are annoyed by uninformative folder icons, white background of the application menu and other similar things that can be easily changed in many third-party shells. In 'clean' Android this is not possible. The system will easily allow you to change the entire launcher as a whole, but it will not allow you to customize individual interface elements. What's stopping you from adding these standard options to the hidden settings section is a mystery.
Instead of an afterword
These are the changes that I would like to see in Android P. Although I understand in advance that there is little chance of this. As a child Android he rushed forward at full steam, every now and then managing to jump above his head. Now, in the absence of tough competition, he has no incentive to change dramatically. On the one hand, there is no risk of breaking your neck. On the other hand, it is very easy to lose shape, which then cannot be restored.
I am sure that my list has caused only one bewilderment among many and from Android P most of the readers expect completely different things. Now it is customary to talk about artificial intelligence, neural networks, virtual and augmented reality, flexible tablets and other fashionable things. Bright and arrogant, like a gypsy dress. Or, on the contrary, complain about the fundamental impossibility of any innovation. With the fanaticism of the Holy Inquisition, anathematizing everything that happened after iPhone 3Gs.
Well, everyone is entitled to their opinion. But the story, which has long decided to develop in a spiral, cannot be argued.
Sooner or later, one of the gladiators of the Colosseum will show the audience, eager for spectacles, a fundamentally new trick. And for the coming years will become her idol. Maybe it will be Android. Maybe iOS. And perhaps, no one knows a newcomer today. What exactly he will conquer the public, now no one knows. But one thing is for sure: the Colosseum arena is not a place for fancy tricks. Everything is much simpler, tougher and much more effective here.
Looking at the first iPhone, most of the 'geeks' just wry their mouths contemptuously. After all, they all had that 'sharpened' interface and an application store. Where is the revolution that fans are talking about on every corner? Touchscreen phones have been around since 1994, and third-party apps work just fine on any Nokia smartphone. What is there to admire at all? The future belongs to real innovations – communicators with expansion modules, powerful qwerty sliders, 3D cameras and 3D screens. And this “apple” absurdity is just a marketing exhaust, from which tomorrow there will be no trace left.
Life very quickly put everything in its place. By clearly demonstrating that user experience is a much more important thing than all the technical 'chips' put together. I would like to believe that while chasing fashion trends, the developers Android will not forget this lesson. Otherwise, sooner or later someone will remind them of it.