iPhone 6

[Dave]

Tried Shuttle+?

Ive installed Shuttle, and will give it a go.

 

[Hush9300]

No sane person should enter their password before they've committed to purchasing something. I didn't say that search results only presented one app - I said (twice) that only one result is displayed at a time. Obviously you can scroll away to see the other results, but it's a slow and cumbersome way to search the store.

The article you linked that reckoned that some iOS apps are unmatched on Android was talking BS. I would use Falcon Pro over Tweetbot, DigiCal+ over Fantastical and Tasks over Clear.



Android has a bunch of excellent music players. Poweramp, Rocket Player, Shuttle and some others. Rocket Player is probably the best app of them, and iSyncr is the best iTunes syncing app by far. I also use DI.fm (which has a turd of an iOS app), RadioTunes (sister service of DI.fm, so same story) and Simfy.

I don't dislike iOS because things aren't where I'm used to. I couldn't care less where UI elements are placed - what I care about is how easy the apps are to use. iOS apps are not easy to use, and in most cases it's impossible to make a case for the design choices being very good.

I've read this BS since yesterday... How can you make an argument about bad design when Android is littered with it? No tab bars for quick/easy navigation in an app because the virtual buttons eat up that portion of screen real estate which leads to app navigation options being hidden under an ellipses button or presented in horizontal lists under the navigation bar at the top? This is especially cumbersome due the shear sizes of Android phones being produced lately.

You might find that iOS users prefer to navigate apps the way they've become accustomed to, as I do. I can't wrap my head around some of the UI choices Android makes but I don't go around soiling the threads.

 

[cerebus]

I've read this BS since yesterday... How can you make an argument about bad design when Android is littered with it? No tab bars for quick/easy navigation in an app because the virtual buttons eat up that portion of screen real estate which leads to app navigation options being hidden under an ellipses button or presented in horizontal lists under the navigation bar at the top? This is especially cumbersome due the shear sizes of Android phones being produced lately.

You might find that iOS users prefer to navigate apps the way they've become accustomed to, as I do. I can't wrap my head around some of the UI choices Android makes but I don't go around soiling the threads.

Even Lollipop is rampant with bad design choices and several that feel like they should have been resolved years ago and stick out painfully.
-The decision to integrate Chrome tabs as single pages in multitasking view is jarring and I never got used to it.
-The fact that if you have a custom keyboard you continually get popups asking which default keyboard you want to use.
-The way the notification bar at the top is always junked up with like 10 icons.
-The popups every time you plug the phone into a PC.
-The vast, tundra-like swathes of wasted white space that only increase as the screen size grows.
-The arbitrary popups that ask which link you want to open an app in, then ask if you want to do it once or always in a separate step, even if you've already made that assignment in a previous section of the OS.

 

[Slootvreter]

-The decision to integrate Chrome tabs as single pages in multitasking view is jarring and I never got used to it.

Yeah I don't understand the way the developers think sometimes. Make a ridiculous change and call it an improvement.

-The fact that if you have a custom keyboard you continually get popups asking which default keyboard you want to use.

Not sure what you are talking about. I don't get a pop-up, but there is a little keyboard in the notification tray allowing me to choose. So nothing intrusive or preposterous.

-The way the notification bar at the top is always junked up with like 10 icons.

Again, not sure what you are talking about. This can be disabled in the apps that put the icons there.

-The popups every time you plug the phone into a PC.

It happens when you change modes on the phone.

-The vast, tundra-like swathes of wasted white space that only increase as the screen size grows.

Oh the drama. The screenshot shows a menu. What would you like to have in those tundra-like swathes of wasted space?

-The arbitrary popups that ask which link you want to open an app in, then ask if you want to do it once or always in a separate step, even if you've already made that assignment in a previous section of the OS.

I have noticed this my old SG3, and my friend complains about this on his Note 3, but this never ever happens on my LG G3, unless I have installed another app that can also, for example, edit photos. (Hope this makes sense ) So this seems like a Samsung issue. I'm over Samsung.

 

[PostmanPot]

I can't wrap my head around some of the UI choices Android makes but I don't go around soiling the threads.

Typical Apple user, minding your own business...

 

[cerebus]

Not sure what you are talking about. I don't get a pop-up, but there is a little keyboard in the notification tray allowing me to choose. So nothing intrusive or preposterous.

Can't quite remember but it always irritated me just very slightly.

Again, not sure what you are talking about. This can be disabled in the apps that put the icons there.

Eh I mean the status bar. You know, where you have every single thing that's happening in Android being shown crammed onto a few pixels of space. Downloads, failed downloads, debug mode, emails, warnings, the works.

Oh the drama. The screenshot shows a menu. What would you like to have in those tundra-like swathes of wasted space?

The screenshot is taken from an Anandtech article complaining about the lack of information density across the OS. It's illustrating a single page but it's really an issue everywhere. I'm not trying to be dramatic; I actually stopped noticing it and the trade-off is that lots of white looks cleaner whereas the iOS approach can appear cluttered.

I have noticed this my old SG3, and my friend complains about this on his Note 3, but this never ever happens on my LG G3, unless I have installed another app that can also, for example, edit photos. (Hope this makes sense ) So this seems like a Samsung issue. I'm over Samsung.

This was on my G2 running Android L.

 

[Bryn]

I've read this BS since yesterday... How can you make an argument about bad design when Android is littered with it? No tab bars for quick/easy navigation in an app because the virtual buttons eat up that portion of screen real estate which leads to app navigation options being hidden under an ellipses button or presented in horizontal lists under the navigation bar at the top? This is especially cumbersome due the shear sizes of Android phones being produced lately.

You might find that iOS users prefer to navigate apps the way they've become accustomed to, as I do. I can't wrap my head around some of the UI choices Android makes but I don't go around soiling the threads.

The virtual navigation buttons disappear for any task where you'd want full screen, like games, photo viewing or video watching. The virtual buttons were the best thing to happen to Android. It's not about being able to return home so much as it's about being able to multitask at lightning speed with the app switcher. On iOS you either have to double tap the home button or return home and launch the app you want. It's not possible to multitask on iOS like it is on Android.

The majority of apps on Android, and 99% of the quality apps you'd actually want to use, either present the settings/preferences/options as a vertical ellipsis or within a swiping side panel. That's the design language of Android, and I don't think I have an app on my phone that doesn't conform to it. Finding settings in Android is very easy, and consistent across apps.

'Sheer size' of Android phones? In case you hadn't noticed, there's a 5.5" iPhone now and it's larger than most 5.5" Android phones. Apple's hand was forced because the demand for large screens is so big. If you think this is a negative point then you're just being a technophobe.

Even Lollipop is rampant with bad design choices and several that feel like they should have been resolved years ago and stick out painfully.
-The decision to integrate Chrome tabs as single pages in multitasking view is jarring and I never got used to it.
-The fact that if you have a custom keyboard you continually get popups asking which default keyboard you want to use.
-The way the notification bar at the top is always junked up with like 10 icons.
-The popups every time you plug the phone into a PC.
-The vast, tundra-like swathes of wasted white space that only increase as the screen size grows.
-The arbitrary popups that ask which link you want to open an app in, then ask if you want to do it once or always in a separate step, even if you've already made that assignment in a previous section of the OS.

The Chrome tab thing is extremely useful if you don't let Chrome accumulate a hundred tabs. I don't understand why some people never close tabs when they're done with them, and evidently neither does Google. There should be an option for the feature though, and you can be sure than such an option will come with an update.

I've literally never had a popup pestering me about what keyboard to use. You must be using a dodgy keyboard or have a setting very wrong.

My notification bar has never had more than the basic icons in all the years I've used Android. Time, battery, wifi or signal, alarm and then just the icons for waiting notifications like missed calls and messages. iOS takes up more space because it feels the need to spell out the name of your wireless carrier, in case you weren't already aware.

The default app settings are intentionally very specific in Android, and I'm glad for that. That said, once I've said 'always', I'm not pestered again. I don't see the issue here, because after you've had a phone for a few days you've already made your selections and don't see those options again.

My settings menu isn't white and the font sizes aren't tiny like in your screenshot, and have never been. In iOS you're stuck with whatever Apple gifts you with. On Android you can tailor the experience to your liking.

USB notifications are an option. Just turn it off. My setting is still on the default and I don't get a popup, just an update in the notification bar that briefly flashes and leaves a small USB icon.

 

[Slootvreter]

Can't quite remember but it always irritated me just very slightly.

Different stokes, I suppose. I also have not found any use for this. Perhaps there are specialized keyboards for certain purposes one might want to use, who knows.

Eh I mean the status bar. You know, where you have every single thing that's happening in Android being shown crammed onto a few pixels of space. Downloads, failed downloads, debug mode, emails, warnings, the works.

I know exactly which space you are talking about It's only crammed if you want it like that. Mine only has battery, signal strenght, 3G/Wifi and alarm clock in it. Before the Lollipop upgrade, it would have a notification icon for WhatsApp, occasionally one for Instagram, and very seldom one for Google Play. So I don't see the problem.

The screenshot is taken from an Anandtech article complaining about the lack of information density across the OS. It's illustrating a single page but it's really an issue everywhere. I'm not trying to be dramatic; I actually stopped noticing it and the trade-off is that lots of white looks cleaner whereas the iOS approach can appear cluttered.

This is not a problem for me. I am not sure what the alternative would be though. I can fit more icons on my G3 desktop than on my S3. Not that I do, I dislike clutter.

This was on my G2 running Android L.

Can't comment on this, the G3 is my first LG and I have never had this problem, but I know exactly what you are talking about.

What does bother me about iOS is how you have to attach photos or files to media or import it into applications. Android is simply long-press and share and choose the app, not so with iOS. Also not a biggie if you're an Apple fan.

 

[Lord Flacko]

Some of you guys and writing essays.

 

[Maverick Jester]

Just a comment- interesting that iOS users bemoan Android's virtual buttons when they don't have a dedicated back button? It's maddeningly frustrating to me.

 

[backstreetboy]

-The decision to integrate Chrome tabs as single pages in multitasking view is jarring and I never got used to it.

 

[Maverick Jester]

-The decision to integrate Chrome tabs as single pages in multitasking view is jarring and I never got used to it.

You can disable that option in Chrome.

-The fact that if you have a custom keyboard you continually get popups asking which default keyboard you want to use.

No, it's not for the default keyboard, it's for the keyboard you'd like to use at that specific time. If you don't want it, remove all other keyboards.

-The way the notification bar at the top is always junked up with like 10 icons.

That's the purpose of the bar. Just manage your notifications.

-The popups every time you plug the phone into a PC.

Which popup is this? Notification bar message?

-The vast, tundra-like swathes of wasted white space that only increase as the screen size grows.

That's not a bad design choice, it was purposefully done. It was meant to spread out text and feel more airy compared to Holo.

-The arbitrary popups that ask which link you want to open an app in, then ask if you want to do it once or always in a separate step, even if you've already made that assignment in a previous section of the OS.

The intents picker is a powerful tool, and will only ask you to confirm a default if another app was installed that can perform the same activity after you've already set a default (for example, opening certain URLs via Chrome, Tapatalk or whatever other app can utilise the links).

 

[Lord Flacko]

Just a comment- interesting that iOS users bemoan Android's virtual buttons when they don't have a dedicated back button? It's maddeningly frustrating to me.

Back button is not necessary. The onscreen navigation buttons work just fine.

 

[cerebus]

Just a comment- interesting that iOS users bemoan Android's virtual buttons when they don't have a dedicated back button? It's maddeningly frustrating to me.

Again, it's muscle memory. The navigation is contained directly in the app, and if you go out of the app it's just the home button. The back button can also lead to inconsistencies that I complained about in a previous thread. iOS8 also has a nifty swipe back to previous page feature. But, the back button in Android is nice when you get used to it because you never have to search the screen for navigation cues (Tapatalk's navigation in iOS is a fricking nightmare).

 

[Maverick Jester]

Back button is not necessary. The onscreen navigation buttons work just fine.

As do the onscreen buttons found on Android.

Again, it's muscle memory. The navigation is contained directly in the app, and if you go out of the app it's just the home button. The back button can also lead to inconsistencies that I complained about in a previous thread. iOS8 also has a nifty swipe back to previous page feature. But, the back button in Android is nice when you get used to it because you never have to search the screen for navigation cues (Tapatalk's navigation in iOS is a fricking nightmare).

There is an element of bad design there, to have the back button located on the top-left corner of the screen.

But as you've mentioned- muscle memory. Applicable to all UI gripes for any OS.

 

[cerebus]

As do the onscreen buttons found on Android.

Then why duplicate them with a button that may act differently to the onscreen one? How do you enforce consistency?

There is an element of bad design there, to have the back button located on the top-left corner of the screen.

But as you've mentioned- muscle memory. Applicable to all UI gripes for any OS.

Well, it's obviously not entirely muscle memory. There are good and bad design choices. Some areas of iOS are bafflingly thickheaded (why no 3g toggle in control centre???). But it really takes several weeks to get used to a new system, or more depending how long you've been immersed in it.

 

[Maverick Jester]

Then why duplicate them with a button that may act differently to the onscreen one? How do you enforce consistency?

Because not all devices have onscreen buttons. The familiarity comes in the app layout, meaning that transitioning from device to device is seamless.

Well, it's obviously not entirely muscle memory. There are good and bad design choices. Some areas of iOS are bafflingly thickheaded (why no 3g toggle in control centre???). But it really takes several weeks to get used to a new system, or more depending how long you've been immersed in it.

No, it's not, but most gripes are borne out of being used to a specific UI flow.

I still think that Ubuntu Touch had the best UI concept- gestures are more intuitive than button pressing.

 

[Hush9300]

The virtual navigation buttons disappear for any task where you'd want full screen, like games, photo viewing or video watching. The virtual buttons were the best thing to happen to Android. It's not about being able to return home so much as it's about being able to multitask at lightning speed with the app switcher. On iOS you either have to double tap the home button or return home and launch the app you want. It's not possible to multitask on iOS like it is on Android.

The majority of apps on Android, and 99% of the quality apps you'd actually want to use, either present the settings/preferences/options as a vertical ellipsis or within a swiping side panel. That's the design language of Android, and I don't think I have an app on my phone that doesn't conform to it. Finding settings in Android is very easy, and consistent across apps.

'Sheer size' of Android phones? In case you hadn't noticed, there's a 5.5" iPhone now and it's larger than most 5.5" Android phones. Apple's hand was forced because the demand for large screens is so big. If you think this is a negative point then you're just being a technophobe.

Your issue is with bad design and ease of use. I have just pointed out a glaring UI element flaw in Android based on the virtual buttons. The majority of iOS apps make use of the tab bar for quick and easy navigation like Tweetbot, Facebook, Dropbox. These navigation elements are presented and bottom of the screen for easy switching of tabs and in the bulk of the iOS apps it includes a settings option as well. Look at Dropbox on Android... All your tab options are situated in the top left of the navigation bar which on iOS is reserved for "back" and the right side reserved for your "share" options. Edge swiping left to right on iOS takes you back as well and edge swiping on the opposite end takes you forward again... Not to some hidden navigation and settings options.

Have a look at the Android Skype app... Navigation elements placed on top of the virtual buttons in a blue bar. It makes for a convoluted mess all in the name of what you term as quick multitasking. Is double pressing a button at centre stage really that much harder than pressing once?

As for the size, the reason I brought it up is because 90% of the population cannot reach navigation elements that high on the screen with one hand... But you're audacious enough to talk about bad design.

 

[Dolby]

Typical Apple user, minding your own business...

Tell him his phone is simply average though, and all hell will break lose!

How dare anyone refer to an iPhone as only average?!

 

[Maverick Jester]

Your issue is with bad design and ease of use. I have just pointed out a glaring UI element flaw in Android based on the virtual buttons. The majority of iOS apps make use of the tab bar for quick and easy navigation like Tweetbot, Facebook, Dropbox. These navigation elements are presented and bottom of the screen for easy switching of tabs and in the bulk of the iOS apps it includes a settings option as well. Look at Dropbox on Android... All your tab options are situated in the top left of the navigation bar which on iOS is reserved for "back" and the right side reserved for your "share" options. Edge swiping left to right on iOS takes you back as well and edge swiping on the opposite end takes you forward again... Not to some hidden navigation and settings options.

Have a look at the Android Skype app... Navigation elements placed on top of the virtual buttons in a blue bar. It makes for a convoluted mess all in the name of what you term as quick multitasking. Is double pressing a button at centre stage really that much harder than pressing once?

You're basing UI flaws of the OS on elements of individual applications? :wtf:

Oh, and yes, from a fundamental UX perspective, pressing a button twice instead of once is harder.

EDIT: On your bemoaning of the edge swiping in Android- again, Android has dedicated back button, and does not need to utilise edge swiping to go back. iOS does not.

As for the size, the reason I brought it up is because 90% of the population cannot reach navigation elements that high on the screen with one hand... But you're audacious enough to talk about bad design.

So it's OK for iOS to have fundamental UX elements, such as a back button, at the top left corner of the screen, while it is incorrect for some Android apps to have additional feature buttons there? Your argument makes no sense.