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Android and Wear OS are getting a redesign

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Re: Android and Wear OS are getting a redesign

#71

Post by ranger_danger »

Ajedi32 wrote: post #16
ndneighbor wrote: post #9

The number one issue I have with Android is that while this looks cool, because of the fragmentation of the OS delivery between vendors- I have no idea which phone or timeframe when I could see the rollout of Material 3 Expressive. More than 10 years later, shopping for an Android phone with the latest OS is a nightmare. Android leadership keeps on getting shuffled around, Google changes priorities every 6 months it…

If you care about always having the latest software with the latest Google features just get a Pixel. 7 years of OS and security updates: https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/4457705?hl=en Google doesn't control what other vendors do; that's the beauty of open source. (You can argue how open Android really is these days but it's still more open than iOS.)

> that's the beauty of open source

Many would argue that that kind of fragmentation is also its biggest downfall.

Re: Android and Wear OS are getting a redesign

#72

Post by vvillena »

bigstrat2003 wrote: post #42
karlgkk wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I have no idea which phone or timeframe when I could see the rollout of Material 3 Expressive. Not a problem with a pixel > More than 10 years later, shopping for an Android phone with the latest OS is a nightmare Not a problem with a pixel > They will need to improve on their ecosystem commitments Not a problem with a pixel

A headphone jack is unfortunately a problem with a pixel. Otherwise I would still own one. I had a Pixel 1, then a pixel 3a, then Google decided to get rid of a basic feature that every phone should have. So I stopped buying them.

For everyday use, wireless headphones offer a superior experience simply due to the lack of a cable, and for the cases where an audio output is desired, it should be easy to connect the phone to an audio interface. Is any of this a problem in the Android ecosystem?

Re: Android and Wear OS are getting a redesign

#73

Post by throwaway127482 »

dr_kiszonka wrote: post #53

In human–computer interaction, baby duck syndrome denotes the tendency for computer users to "imprint" on the first system they learn, then judge other systems by their similarity to that first system. The result is that "users generally prefer systems similar to those they learned on and dislike unfamiliar systems". The issue may present itself relatively early in a computer user's experience, and it has been observ…

Are you gonna clarify at all how this is relevant to the original article...?

Re: Android and Wear OS are getting a redesign

#74

Post by II2II »

aucisson_masque wrote: post #60
Ajedi32 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you care about always having the latest software with the latest Google features just get a Pixel. 7 years of OS and security updates: https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/4457705?hl=en Google doesn't control what other vendors do; that's the beauty of open source. (You can argue how open Android really is these days but it's still more open than iOS.)

Pixel have other issue, quality control and run on Samsung exynos hardware with bad performance and connectivity. I'd argue that Android is technically more open than iOS but in practice it isn't. Google have dark pattern and elaborated ways to get Android user to stay in the 'walled Google play service garden'. Like when you install a third party store and Google play protect warns you it may be insecure. Or having…

> Pixel have other issue

Every product is going to have issues in one form or another. The question is which issues affect your personal use of the product. I'm too new to Pixel to comment on whether switching to it is a good or a bad thing in my case, but I have been happy with the trade-offs so far. Ironically, one of the reasons why I went with a Pixel was to avoid much of the Google software ecosystem.

Re: Android and Wear OS are getting a redesign

#75

Post by echoangle »

kridsdale3 wrote: post #52
saubeidl wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be fair, as of late, iOS has been copying Android more than the other way around - think notifications and widgets.

Those were both more than 10 years ago.

Not really, the proper widgets people mean were introduced in iOS 14 which was 5 years ago.

Re: Android and Wear OS are getting a redesign

#76

Post by gumby271 »

bsimpson wrote: post #8
awill wrote: post #3

So many people I work with (in tech) were on Android for years, and all eventually switched to iOS. My biggest issue with Google is they aren't convicted in anything they do. They just guess, or try 5 different things, and see what sticks. That makes it a mess for users, as the UX constantly changes. I also can't understand why Google decided a circular face made sense for Wear. It's good for analogue watches, and ga…

Google gave out the HTC Evo at I/O in 2010, which was what got me to switch to Android. At the time, it had a much bigger screen than an iPhone and gave you more control over the device. It could play Flash games/apps, and let you use the apps/keyboards/etc you wanted without a company's blessing. Apple is a lot more open now than they used to be, in ways that might have driven power users to Android before.

I'm curious, how would you say they're more open these days? I've always resisted iOS since I can't do the most basic thing on it which is install software independent of the manufacturer saying I can. If that changes I'd be interested, but do you think Apple is moving in that direction?

Re: Android and Wear OS are getting a redesign

#78

Post by no_wizard »

krackers wrote: post #43
saubeidl wrote: post #6

I wish Google would stick with a design paradigm for a bit for once. It's not just their own apps that need updating, it's everyone else's, too. Most of which will never happen, so users are stuck in a hodgepodge of several generations of different design paradigms. Material was fine. So was Material 2. So was Material 3. So is Material 3 Expressive, I guess. Just stick with something!

Current "material design" is the anthesis of what "material design" was originally supposed to be.

Which was what exactly? I always felt they had a nebulous definition

Re: Android and Wear OS are getting a redesign

#79

Post by idontcareatall »

wiseowise wrote: post #13
saubeidl wrote: post #6

I wish Google would stick with a design paradigm for a bit for once. It's not just their own apps that need updating, it's everyone else's, too. Most of which will never happen, so users are stuck in a hodgepodge of several generations of different design paradigms. Material was fine. So was Material 2. So was Material 3. So is Material 3 Expressive, I guess. Just stick with something!

They've been copying iOS for years, time to bring some of that Windows "consistency" into the mix.

It's astonishing that anyone can say this with a straight face. Just unbelievable the effect Apple has on some people. Gruber finally getting disenfranchised. Eeven my most annoying/obsessive iOS-fan friends have admitted that they are jealous of my camera, my ability to do real multi-tasking, upload photos with the screen off, have the audio and BT audio work reliably. It's just stunning what some iOS users don't know.

Re: Android and Wear OS are getting a redesign

#80

Post by homebrewer »

tifik wrote: post #31
awill wrote: post #3

So many people I work with (in tech) were on Android for years, and all eventually switched to iOS. My biggest issue with Google is they aren't convicted in anything they do. They just guess, or try 5 different things, and see what sticks. That makes it a mess for users, as the UX constantly changes. I also can't understand why Google decided a circular face made sense for Wear. It's good for analogue watches, and ga…

Storytime: my partner used to be a long time Samsung fan. She had the phone, tablet, headphones and watch and probably more gear that I don't even know about. Then she moved to Canada with me. Because of how poor the QA in their ecosystem is, after an update her latest-model Samsung watch couldn't pair with her one-year-old model Samsung phone, which severely diminished its usefulness (this was a heavily reported iss…

Here's a counterpoint: Apple has no official presence in my country and if you have any problems with their products, you will be told to go pound sand. This is in spite of them being significantly more expensive than in countries like the US (where they already cost at a premium).

On the other hand, a guy I know well bought a mid-tier consumer Samsung SSD in China a few years ago (970 Evo IIRC), run it into the ground doing video encoding pretty much non-stop, contacted the official Samsung retailer in our country asking for a replacement, and they seemed happy to accommodate him.

YMMV. From my point of view, Korean companies seem much more customer-oriented overall.

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