We're all seeing fancy phones with accelerometers that can proudly switch between landscape and portrait modes coming out these day, regardless of whether they have a kb or not. That got me thinking. Why do phones have a portrait mode at all?
A major reason is historical, of course, and the current rational is "it's always been done like that". There was never a landscape candybar phone. I suspect this has something to do with the positioning of an old text-only screen above the keypad.
But now this is no longer applicable with the advent of screens that are also the input method. For some tasks, landscape is clearly superior (watching videos springs to mind). Some favour portraits - notably, some text lists. Others are completely orientation-agnostic (like home screens).
Physically, holding a device horizontally is no harder that doing go vertically and the thumb can easily reach all parts of regular-size phones' screens. Landscape orientations can be additionally used double-handed.
So far, the match is "even", but still, portrait seems to hold a dominant position. As we use our devices more for media (which prefers landscape) and text-input (same, via a physical or virtual keyboard). I do think, when using my phones, that more can be done sensibly in a landscape mode. Landscape screens also approximate our computer monitors more closely, which may make future convergence easier.
Any thoughts about how the future of mobile screen orientations will go?
I only use landscape mode on my phone for video since the top and bottom bars eat up too much real estate in that mode.
orientation can be changed under settings
and even if it don't keep it after a soft-reset
it would be pretty easy to make a program
which put it back to landscape
but many programs would not be compatible
and as stated no real benefit apart from video
and games being as most devices buttons are laid out
I only use landscape mode on my phone for video since the top and bottom bars eat up too much real estate in that mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm thinking though that because of the way the phone was developed. If they wanted to, UI designed would quite easily put at least the top bar on one side. The bottom bar would be more tricky though. I suspect you'd do away with it and opt for a different navigation/menu paradigm. Or at least make fuller use by offering more menu options when there's more space available.
and as stated no real benefit apart from video
and games being as most devices buttons are laid out
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is what I'm not so sure about. These two are true, of course, but I suspect that the more we start inputting text on our devices, the more we'll use a landscape-style keyboard. When you start doing that in the calendars, SMS apps and other everyday tasks, having a phone in landscape suddenly becomes more appealing. 90% of the time I'm starting up my Tytn, it's to do something that requires some kind of text input. When this is the case, I'm wasting time starting in portrait then moving to landscape.
This is why I prefer CLAMSHELL devices or anything with a slide out tilting keyboard that would allow the screen to orient itself to landscape view. Unfortunately, there are no good clamshell out there except for an outdated HTC Universal.
Related
While driving home I got an idea to remove the lag in Tomtom 7 on the Touch pro by using an optical trick. And I need your advice....
In tomtom you can choose an image as the pointer of your location on the map (by default blue pointer). Some posts in this forum stated that the real position is at the tip of the pointer, where this used to be in the 'center' of the pointer. Still some people have to deal with lag.
Now my idea: what if we change the default icon by a custom made icon of which for example the lower half is transparent, while the upper half is the default pointer. The resolution of the image that represents the icon would be a number of pixels higher (width stays the same) and it would be the questions whether Tomtom allows larger images to be read as icon.
But: assume it works, in your screen the blue pointer would move a but to the top of your screen, like as if it reduces your lag.
Probably there are other complications (like what wil happen during a turn, would it look like your position is outside the road....??), but it is just an idea.
My favorite idea I heard was to have a 5-10 meter pole (or whatever your lag is) mounted to the front of your car with your phone stuck to it and then have a pair of binoculars next to you so you can actually see the screen
But seriously, have you not noticed that when you stop driving the position reported is very close to where you actually are. With your suggestions this would change and IMO not be good.
I resolved my lag issues with my diamond (and I'm sure many others have as well) by using the latest versions of iGO8 and using it in 2D mode. I swear, I have no lag now what so ever. The same can't be said for in Tomtom but TTN7 is rubbish compared to iGO8 anyway IMHO .
GFXboost also apparently improves the visual performance of iGO8, so another point to consider .
I'm wondering if there are any apps that adjusts or replaces the auto rotate feature in android. I often find myself in situations where the orientation switches on me when I'm laying on my side or when I'm trying to see the screen because of an unexpecting notification, phone call or I'm just trying to get the phone out of my pocket.
I like to see an app where the orientation will only change if the specifide angle, tilt and time conditions are met. For example, if you want to switch from landscape to portrait. you hold it at a very exact angle of orientation (ie 90°+/-1°) at a specifide tilt (ie between 15° and 90°) for a specifide time (ie 500 ms) and then it will change from landscape to portrait mode.
I also like to see a setting were it will turn off auto rotate when the tilt goes beyond 90°, like when you lay down on your back.
-------------------------------------
Sent via the XDA Tapatalk App
I agree.
I find if I put the phone horizontally on a table it often will go into landscape mode. It is quite a pain to worry about the angle I put my phone on a table.
Customizing the tilt variables would be awesome.
I am still looking around the internet for a solution. If you find one let me know.
The TF101 suffers from reduced frame rate when you're using it in portrait orientation, this can be observed when you are on the launcher swiping left or right. Compare this to landscape mode where its a lot smoother.
This problem extends into running apps in portrait orientation.
Its my understanding that the Xoom does not suffer from this phenomena, does anything know why? They are both spec'ed exactly the same, this is a problem for me as some games are more suited to portrait play but the performance hit is significant.
Even the on-screen keyboard is slow to react.
Time to trade up?
Have you noticed the windows store only views in landscape, even if you rotate your Surface and auto rotate is on(and works for other apps). I have noticed some other apps that don't work in portrait mode (Primetube). I understand that landscape mode is kind of the surface, but we should be able to use the orientation we want.
Annoying.
It's a lot of extra work for the developer to handle different aspect ratios. Some apps do it well, to be sure, but it's not a small thing that you're asking for. Often it means pretty much re-writing the layout code. This is especially true if they want to support different screen widths in different ways (at 768px, a Surface RT in portrait mode is going to have a very different amount of horizontal screen real estate than the 1080px of a Surface Pro).
So, with all the sensors and bio metric measures going on in our smartphones, many of them being more gimmicky than useful, paired with our constant need for big screens, how about improving the one handed usage of our future devices?
I mean, for starters, app menus aren't properly designed for one handed usage. Many require you to swipe from the left edge oh the screen to right to bring out a menu located on the left of your screen, starting from top to bottom.
Now you try reaching the top left corner menu of your handy smartphone without having to hold your phone in an uncomfortable, dangerous way (danger of dropping it) to reach the option you want to manipulate, be it the inbox, or recent messages, or compose an email, all of those options are usually located top left corner.
I know there are some solutions, some very archaic, like iPhone Plus' solution, that turns the big screen into a small one, or the more usual one handed keyboard found on your every Android phone.
But in my experience these solutions are not optimal, because, for example, in my Xperia, I have to go through like 3 clicks to turn the keyboard into a smaller one handed variation. Non optimal for quick access.
Why don't we have menu lists start from bottom to top so they are more within reach of our available hand/thumb? Why don't they design adaptable apps?
And that's where sensors come in, how come we don't have sensors in our smartphones that detect the with which hand we are holding our phone?
Be it left or right handed, in order to accommodate menus and tools within reach of your thumb, and have the interface of our smart apps adapt quickly and automatically to the hand we are holding our phone with, relying on sensor information. Be it the keyboard, email app, camera, or whatever your mind is capable of imagine.
Because let's be real, sometimes we quickly pull out our phone with either hand that's available on the go, and seamless access I think is needed in our everyday fast lives.
What do you think of this idea? Is it remotely doable? I'm no developer, but everyday usage create needs that are easily covered with current tech I think. I want to hear your thoughts.
I have worked with android sensors but I cannot imagine what kind of sensor the phone would have to have to detect if you are holding the phone with left or right hand. However somehow I imagine that this kind of sensor would not be difficult to make.
Someday I want to be a designer solving this kinds of problems and improving user experiences even by small amounts.
I think a touch sensor on the bezels would be enough.
DrKrFfXx said:
I think a touch sensor on the bezels would be enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also envisioned something like this first. Now however I and thinking that maybe proximity sensor could be used to recognize the thumb.
Shouldn't be too hard to detect which hand you're using based on touches on the touchscreen when you scroll.
Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk