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As an Android nut and graphic/industrial/UI designer I've been thinking a lot about this recently, and just had to get it off my chest. Here goes:
UI styling should be about the content, not the interface. Glossy elements just distract from their actual content. There should be a move away from what Apple does with iOS (emulating analogue elements digitally) towards what Microsoft did with WP7. WP7 showed that you can have an interface without any sort of shininess/gradient or analogue elements and still have it be completely usable and beautiful at the same time.
But what I'm really interested in is the future of Android. Gingerbread was a great step ahead in terms of UI styling. But I wonder what we will see when Sense UI, Motoblur, TouchWiz etc. are updated to 2.3? Sense is notorious for faux glossiness and TouchWiz is notorious for being plain ugly. Will WP7 and Gingerbread help these companies realize that the trend is moving away from iOS-eque styling and towards WP7-esque styling? Or will they continue to blindly copy iOS and ignore Google's attempts to beautify Android? My guess is that they will eventually catch on, but it might take a while. Perhaps if WP7 takes off and commands a decent market share these companies will take notice. We've already seen previews of Sony Ericsson's 2.3 TimeScape skin and LG's 2.3 whatever-it's-called skin and they both appear to have abandoned Gingerbread's gradient-less notifications bar and title bar and replaced them with gradients. Too bad.
Also, what will Honeycomb bring? We've now seen previews of the tablet version, and I can see many 2.3 styling cues in 3.0. One thing I noticed though is that it uses blue as the 'accent color'. Gingerbread strongly reinforced orange as Android's accent color so I wonder why they would change this. What I'm hoping is that the accent color can be changed- it's certainly plausible, as the accent color seems to play a huge part in the Honeycomb previews I've seen. Or perhaps phones will remain orange and tablets will be blue? It seems like a strange differentiation.
Hints at UI change in the phone-version of Honeycomb include new text-entry fields (looks like the Android keyboard spacebar symbol but stretched), a new look and swiping interaction for tabs within apps (seen in the leaked Music 3.0 app, the 2.1 News and Weather app and the new YouTube app), and like I mentioned, color accents everywhere. Videos of Honeycomb show pop-ups, scroll bars, loading rings/bars and menus featuring the glowing blue accent.
What I'm wondering about is this 'UI overhaul' that everyone is talking about. Is it going to be mostly visual like the stuff I mentioned above or is it going to completely change the UI paradigms of Android? I think a huge change in UI akin to the WM6.5 > WP7 transition would alienate a lot of users and break a lot of apps. Therefore I'm thinking 3.0 is going to be a few tweaks to the interaction part of the UI, but a huge change to the visuals. I predict they will update almost all of the core apps to match the graphics we are seeing in 2.3 and 3.0, to finally put to rest those complaints that Android looks 'hacked together'. The changes in 2.3 were probably a catalyst, to get developers thinking in this new design language. Google needs a name for it, just like WP7 'Metro'. After all it's up to the developers to make apps that match this style.
I'm a Nexus fan and would never buy a phone without stock Android so maybe this is just me dreaming of an end to carrier/manufacturer skins, but what do you think?
As long as it have the look and feel of ADW.Launcher. It can have what ever UI.
chrizzled said:
As an Android nut and graphic/industrial/UI designer I've been thinking a lot about this recently, and just had to get it off my chest. Here goes:
UI styling should be about the content, not the interface. Glossy elements just distract from their actual content. There should be a move away from what Apple does with iOS (emulating analogue elements digitally) towards what Microsoft did with WP7. WP7 showed that you can have an interface without any sort of shininess/gradient or analogue elements and still have it be completely usable and beautiful at the same time.
But what I'm really interested in is the future of Android. Gingerbread was a great step ahead in terms of UI styling. But I wonder what we will see when Sense UI, Motoblur, TouchWiz etc. are updated to 2.3? Sense is notorious for faux glossiness and TouchWiz is notorious for being plain ugly. Will WP7 and Gingerbread help these companies realize that the trend is moving away from iOS-eque styling and towards WP7-esque styling? Or will they continue to blindly copy iOS and ignore Google's attempts to beautify Android? My guess is that they will eventually catch on, but it might take a while. Perhaps if WP7 takes off and commands a decent market share these companies will take notice. We've already seen previews of Sony Ericsson's 2.3 TimeScape skin and LG's 2.3 whatever-it's-called skin and they both appear to have abandoned Gingerbread's gradient-less notifications bar and title bar and replaced them with gradients. Too bad.
Also, what will Honeycomb bring? We've now seen previews of the tablet version, and I can see many 2.3 styling cues in 3.0. One thing I noticed though is that it uses blue as the 'accent color'. Gingerbread strongly reinforced orange as Android's accent color so I wonder why they would change this. What I'm hoping is that the accent color can be changed- it's certainly plausible, as the accent color seems to play a huge part in the Honeycomb previews I've seen. Or perhaps phones will remain orange and tablets will be blue? It seems like a strange differentiation.
Hints at UI change in the phone-version of Honeycomb include new text-entry fields (looks like the Android keyboard spacebar symbol but stretched), a new look and swiping interaction for tabs within apps (seen in the leaked Music 3.0 app, the 2.1 News and Weather app and the new YouTube app), and like I mentioned, color accents everywhere. Videos of Honeycomb show pop-ups, scroll bars, loading rings/bars and menus featuring the glowing blue accent.
What I'm wondering about is this 'UI overhaul' that everyone is talking about. Is it going to be mostly visual like the stuff I mentioned above or is it going to completely change the UI paradigms of Android? I think a huge change in UI akin to the WM6.5 > WP7 transition would alienate a lot of users and break a lot of apps. Therefore I'm thinking 3.0 is going to be a few tweaks to the interaction part of the UI, but a huge change to the visuals. I predict they will update almost all of the core apps to match the graphics we are seeing in 2.3 and 3.0, to finally put to rest those complaints that Android looks 'hacked together'. The changes in 2.3 were probably a catalyst, to get developers thinking in this new design language. Google needs a name for it, just like WP7 'Metro'. After all it's up to the developers to make apps that match this style.
I'm a Nexus fan and would never buy a phone without stock Android so maybe this is just me dreaming of an end to carrier/manufacturer skins, but what do you think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just my two cents here but.... I don't get everyone saying android has no polish. I love my Nexus One, I love stock (vanilla) android. I think Touchwiz is an abomination and said as much when that thread came out to put touchwiz on the N1. Sense is pretty but too bloated in my opinion. Don't get me started on Motoblur... I agree earlier versions of android needed work. >2.2 {in my opinion} Personally I think android is fine. (iOS IS pretty, but so what it's also got an evil ecosystem...) The tweaks done to
2.3 are nice but unnecessary (IMHO). I love the way Android looks.... Oh, and I heartily agree with your statement that "UI styling should be about content...."
Sent from my Llama powered N1 courtesy of the xda app! Llama Power!!
If android could come up with a functional UI I might jump back aboard. Til they do WP7 is the only way to go.
Love the look of stock Android on my Nexus One. Love the new Gingerbread visual tweaks and look forward to the OTA.
HATE 3rd party U.I.
z33dev33l said:
If android could come up with a functional UI I might jump back aboard. Til they do WP7 is the only way to go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android HAS a perfectly functional UI. Thank you.
Sent from my Llama powered N1 courtesy of the xda app! Llama Power!!
Babydoll25 said:
Android HAS a perfectly functional UI. Thank you.
Sent from my Llama powered N1 courtesy of the xda app! Llama Power!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used to think so too... now it just seems laggy regardless of launcher...
z33dev33l said:
I used to think so too... now it just seems laggy regardless of launcher...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What lag? {unless ur using a SGS} I have never experienced this lag u speak of sir. My N1 flies I tell you, flies!!! (I have seen in Samsung's phones however...)
(That is why I don't buy them...)
Sent from my Llama powered N1 courtesy of the xda app! Llama Power!!
Babydoll25 said:
What lag? {unless ur using a SGS} I have never experienced this lag u speak of sir. My N1 flies I tell you, flies!!! (I have seen in Samsung's phones however...)
(That is why I don't buy them...)
Sent from my Llama powered N1 courtesy of the xda app! Llama Power!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didnt notice it on my Nexus one til I got WP7, now I just gave the nexus to my brother... just seems slow and jumbled by comparison
im glad the orange accents are gone in honeycomb, the blue looks way better, also im glad the green icons didnt made the cut, i really hope this look becomes the standard for both the tablet and the smartphone versions of the os
Android is ok but can be boring....
Personally I love the idea to have more than 1 OS on your device, so you can easily change whenever you want
With Matias Duarte on board we should see some drastic changes in the UI in the upcoming versions.
Look at the Honeycomb on tablets, we're now not required to have physical buttons, virtual controls are there, the switch tasking panel now actually shows us the current snapshot of the appss in the background - awesome idea from WebOS if you ask me.
z33dev33l said:
Didnt notice it on my Nexus one til I got WP7, now I just gave the nexus to my brother... just seems slow and jumbled by comparison
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a phone addict and I try out almost every phone and OS that comes out. I still don't see what you are talking about, WP7 didn't feel any faster or more polished. It's got a new look and has some ooomph too it, but nothing that noticeable.
Sent from my Llama powered N1 courtesy of the xda app! Llama Power!!
Babydoll25 said:
I'm a phone addict and I try out almost every phone and OS that comes out. I still don't see what you are talking about, WP7 didn't feel any faster or more polished. It's got a new look and has some ooomph too it, but nothing that noticeable.
Sent from my Llama powered N1 courtesy of the xda app! Llama Power!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As am I and I will still admit that the nexus one was the smoothest experience I recieved from an android phone. In all honesty I never thought I'd jump ship and I thought live tiles looked completely retarded. I didnt really think a GPU accelerated UI would mean anything but it did... its just smoother... virtually lag free and though I'm not trying to insult I dont see how you cant see the difference....
z33dev33l said:
As am I and I will still admit that the nexus one was the smoothest experience I recieved from an android phone. In all honesty I never thought I'd jump ship and I thought live tiles looked completely retarded. I didnt really think a GPU accelerated UI would mean anything but it did... its just smoother... virtually lag free and though I'm not trying to insult I dont see how you cant see the difference....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mean don't get me wrong, live tiles rock (and roll) but maybe it's just my N1 {and Sparky's but I set his up so...}, but I didn't see an overwhelming difference even with the hardware acceleration. I guess it all boils down to (after a certain point) how you have your individual phone configured... I have not yet seen anything worthy of N1 abandonment...t least not yet.
Sent from my Llama powered N1 courtesy of the xda app! Llama Power!!
I thought my N1 was smooth until I tried a Nexus S... now I can't go back.
The Gingerbread stock launcher is silky smooth. WP7 smooth. The scrolling and 3D app drawer is much smoother than LauncherPro or ADW Launcher. Live Wallpapers do not affect performance at all. The new UI elements make android look much more refined. The screen-off animation and the scrolling overshoot glow are amazing. And that's just the UI...
Long live stock Android and Nexus devices!
UI of Android
- The current browser UI is driving me crazy! Especially the back operation could jump to another app is un-acceptable.
- We need to have a mechanism for something like a pop up app. For example, when reading, a quick pop-up to look up a word or access wikipedia. It just need to : select, open with selection. Since Android let all apps open, the user just go back to the last app to continue
- I agree that data is important. The contact is the central of a phone. It can be mail, phone, sms, im, photo, calendar, ... The owner is of-cause need to be part of the contact. And there should be able to browse, jump, classify contacts quickly. I would like to suggest allow tags. An extendable contact db will be very nice.
- Moreover, for tabalet, there should be multi-users, switching profiles, encrypt data, etc. the lock screen should allow change of user
- Please consider the actual usage of a phone or tabalet together with other devices. Android should be part of a bigger system instead of a single computer. Cross interaction with desktop, other tabalets, is a must: ssh should be a standard on every device. There should be neighbour or friends nodes (not people, but devices) that can registers long term or short. There should be a easy way to find the new ip or connection method(bt) for the device. a bluetooth message send to allow register the device and provide a instant connection is good. Porting synergy allow share keyboard, (mouse) and clipboard is good, but need to address the situation where mouse is missing. Send screen shot is useful too. exchange pic, contacts, calendar events, ....
- Make index a ready service, update of index can be done when charging. It can be a mode call sleep, which will do house keeping like : update indexing, clean up space, calculate statistics, exchange data with cloud. The phone would work but will be slow. User can understand that the phone go sleep a while to keep healthy. The index is very valuable : provide fast browsing for things, faster search, and support a multi-dimension browsing experiende.
- clipboard : with multi-history
- Please check lePhone : use of gesture instead of soft key.
- Fast switch between opened apps
- notice : allow user to block call, sms, ... to interrupt. There can be a priority and the user can set the current lock level, priority lower the lock level would not sound, visual or virbaton
- I am not very sure about this : there should be scene : like meeting, driving, atHome, atOffice, etc. which can be auto-detect by various sensers. But too smart a phone can also be troublesome.
allow two phones to compare the app list, find common contacts, temporary play a game with connection (like NDS download play), peer chat (group of devices), share camera, audio, borrow book
current desktop background is not good. Make it easier for user to dress up their phone.
Claystone is a new 3D Android home screen replacement, media player, and launcher. We currently distributing developer preview betas to improve the product and get valuable feedback from the developer community. We are looking for feedback about the UI, stability, and overall functionality before we launch on Android Market.
What is unique about this home screen replacement is a 3D user interface with embedded viewers for video, photos, file browsing, web browser, YouTube, contacts, RSS news feeds, and more. The UI was designed for browsing content while you are viewing content.
Feature Summary
- Android 2.1 and higher home screen replacement
- Smart phone optimized
- 3D interface taking advantage of OpenGL
- Integrated media viewer apps for video, file browser, YouTube, web browser, photos, contacts, RSS reader, with more to come…
- Viewer apps bring functionality to the home screen and extending what you can do directly from your home screen in Android
- Claystone reduces the dependence on starting separate app for each media content type and our goal is to provide a more convenient and integrated experience
Widgets
- The Beta 3 widget experience will be replaced with a more standard widget implementation in Beta 4
Getting Started Tips
- Use the swipe left-right gesture to move through the stacked 3D panels
- The following items on the Home panel allow integrated viewing of content in the 3D interface: YouTube, Video, Photos, Contacts, File Browser, Web Browser, RSS Feeds
- Use the press-and-hold gesture throughout Claystone to access additional functions and options
Claystone is Now Available in Android Market
- Claystone is now available in Android Market
- Search for the keyword "Claystone"
Sounds sweet. I hope it won't force me to use popups for anything?
On my phone HTC HD2 (Android 2.3) will work?
Rosa Elefant said:
Sounds sweet. I hope it won't force me to use popups for anything?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Claystone launches Android Apps full screen and the panels load in a 3D stack that you can scroll through using a left-right finger swipe.
Great, worth a try then thanks!
vespend said:
On my phone HTC HD2 (Android 2.3) will work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android 2.1 and higher are supported so Android 2.3 should pose no issues.
We have tested on HTC devices and the screen resolution is also ideal for claystone.
Let us know if you have any issues.
Doesn't display well on HVGA screen...LG P500
> Doesn't display well on HVGA screen...LG P500
We've been working on getting a bunch more devices to test on. Stay tuned!
Hi. On my Original Droid when a screen is enlarged, it is off to my left and never 100% visible. Also, it was very slow. This may be due to my phone being rooted, but I had to uninstall.
cyanide911 said:
Doesn't display well on HVGA screen...LG P500
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 I can confirm that. The dock icons are huge and the widgets misaligned.
Anyone tried this on a Droid X?
I'm gonna give it a try this evening. I think I tried the earlier beta a few days ago and it had issues as if the screen was off to the left etc. I attributed it to possibly a bad install or something.. I'll give beta 3 a go and report. Screenshot anomolies, etc.
Always a fan of new UI development.
Seems smoother, apps scoll much better-still not fluid yet. Widget screen is bigger. Will give overall in a little while. Limited widgets. Missing recent box-I liked that
On the right track though...
Love the concept of this launcher, but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to get portrait mode working. Using HD2 on 2.3.3 and it is always in landscape, and has no bottom bar.
Try it on the hd2 with cm7 and it work good I would make the 3d windows or what they are called a little bigger and maybe customizable options but other then that good work
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA Premium App
Added Widgets gone after a reboot to be never seen again. <-beta 2 retained these
Still sluggish
Would be nice to be able to resize/move panels
No picture/video bar across top on tablet
SD card (sd2) still not being seen only main storage
You tube still unstable, but better than beta 2
cannot see/launch launchbar
Keep up the good work-it's getting there
unfortunately, I still cannot use this as my daily launcher.
I think you will have more customers if you made a fully customizable one of these...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=13070948
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=907551
On my phone, the window isn't centered, its too far right and down.
Also the dock is huge.
Nevertheless, this is a fresh idea and I see some potential.
Sent from my HTC Legend
It looks nice maybe i will try this on my sgs
Looks a bit like the palm os with the cards. Works fine at all, but it would be nice if the stacks were a little bigger. Maybe it would be possible that the cards go fullscreen when they get focus, and with the homebutton you can make them smaller to see them like its now in standard view.
But thats just a little idea.
Glad to see where this is going.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App
Beta 3
Still off to the left somewhat but better centered. Complicated to figure out. Videos are small and do not play in landscape and it's difficult to tell which windows are open esp difference between home, app..............Editing launcher bar is nice. Is there a settings (not the one for the phone or info for contact available via the app?
Game Discontinued
Small update (v1.0.1):
- Improved the accelerometer speed controls issue
- Should now not show up in google play for screens that are too small (may still occasionally show up)
- Fixed other minor bugs
--
I have also included information as to what each permission does and what it is used for if you are interested.
Now that my phone runs ICS I can really make my next game more efficient
I can't get past the splash screen...
HTC Desire Z
Stock rooted gingerbread
Sense 2.1
EDIT: nevermind... Silent prevented it from launching
———————————————
i didn't mean to flame you, nor to mock you in any kind of way
Force close after selecting a level...
HTC Desire, Runny ROM (Sense 3.5, Gingerbread).
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA
Game is nice? Is it your first game? If it is, good start, however...
Game is laggy (although i played several other "bigger" games with no lag), and glitchy...
Controls can be improved, make it when you hold jump, it'll jump higher, if you just touch it, it'll jump a little...
Yeah, it needs some work ,but not bad
———————————————
i didn't mean to flame you, nor to mock you in any kind of way
Wow that does look pretty nice.
wojtal said:
Force close after selecting a level...
HTC Desire, Runny ROM (Sense 3.5, Gingerbread).
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah it isnt really optimized for absolutely every phone... it is my first game and while making it i have learnt a lot. If it doesnt work, im sorry :S
[edit]
Also thx for the positive feedback
Version 1.0.2:
This version is NOT a feature update, but contains the following improvements:
- Changed onResume() function to prevent black screens / cause less black screens.
- Improved Ad System to feature TapForTap (to promote StarRaider in other apps) and MobFox. The ad is still at the bottom of the screen
--
update may take a while to appear in google play.
Hi, I'm using Google Maps app and I've found out that this phone does not have inertia. Why is this happening? How is it possible, since Maps app is generic for all devices (I'm pretty sure that all the Samsung Galaxy Core 2's have this problem).
No Samsung Music player, weird Touchwiz version, no inertia in Maps... what the hell is going on with this phone?
It seems to be a chinese replica of a Samsung phone that comes without official firmware and weird apps!
rambomhtri said:
Hi, I'm using Google Maps app and I've found out that this phone does not have inertia. Why is this happening? How is it possible, since Maps app is generic for all devices (I'm pretty sure that all the Samsung Galaxy Core 2's have this problem).
No Samsung Music player, weird Touchwiz version, no inertia in Maps... what the hell is going on with this phone?
It seems to be a chinese replica of a Samsung phone that comes without official firmware and weird apps!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Inertia - slide is currently disabled because of the different android OS/API/JS workaraund
https://code.google.com/p/gmaps-api...ed+Summary+Stars+ApiType+Internal&cells=tiles
Why weird apps ? The only thing not fixed enaught from start is boot / recovery.
Other apps are written specialy for this type of phone. A lot of things not needed by release nas been changed by Samsung the references weren't deleted, so don't wory about some chinese leftowers
And about the player : The player is Samsung's and made specialy for this phone, just like the libs for it and all other libs for mix,effects ...
And maps and other apps are not "generic" for all "devices" !
It depends on the phone's API and other compatibility issues and references/components.
I don't know why people always messing about that things, you can always install other launcher/app and make it default or disable app/system package.
StratOS_HTC said:
Inertia - slide is currently disabled because of the different android OS/API/JS workaraund
https://code.google.com/p/gmaps-api...ed+Summary+Stars+ApiType+Internal&cells=tiles
Why weird apps ? The only thing not fixed enaught from start is boot / recovery.
Other apps are written specialy for this type of phone. A lot of things not needed by release nas been changed by Samsung the references weren't deleted, so don't wory about some chinese leftowers
And about the player : The player is Samsung's and made specialy for this phone, just like the libs for it and all other libs for mix,effects ...
And maps and other apps are not "generic" for all "devices" !
It depends on the phone's API and other compatibility issues and references/components.
I don't know why people always messing about that things, you can always install other launcher/app and make it default or disable app/system package.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, here's the story, I had like 1 month ago 3 devices: Samsung Galaxy Young 2, Galaxy Core 2 and Express 2. All of them with Android 4.4.2, with all the apps up to date, and everything mostly the same.
So, Young 2 and Core 2 were almost the same weird experience in terms of software, and the Express 2 was a Samsung like any other Samsung out there, let me explain:
1. Maps in the first 2 devices had no inertia, whereas Express 2 had it. Same app version. Someone explain that to me.
2. Touchwiz in the first 2 devices had this weird version with only 4 icons in the lower bar, different interface, different menu options (worse), and you know, it simply wasn't the same Touchwiz I saw in every other Samsung.
3. No Samsung Music player, what the hell, in the first 2 devices.
4. YouTube app was not the same, yeah, it was different. The search button was in the menu option, while in any other Samsung it was right in the middle of the upper bar/section. Same YouTube app. I had no idea what was going on. Like a week or so, YT got updated and this is fixed now, but anyways, that was really weird.
5. I don't know, those 2 devices had many other different things in settings that made me feel like If I was using a chinese copy of a Samsung phone. I couldn't even put a shortcut to Manage Applications with that weird Mass Launcher version of Touchwiz.
6. The Dialer menu, contacts interface and all of that is simply ugly, poorly implemented (my old Neo V showed contact's pictures in a much higher resolution), it's not the same as all the other Samsung's interfaces.
And also, I have 1 big hardware problem, and I think it's not my phone, but all the Galaxy Core 2's. The touchscreen limit is wrong, it does not recognize the very end of the 4 screen sides (the 4 edges), it only starts to recognize your fingers like 4mm or more from the edge, and that hinders many gestures, specially when scrolling a right side bar, or sweeping from the left to show up a menu, or moving a song's time bar to the beginning (I can only move it to 0:04 sec, cause I can't move it more to the left).
The mix of these bad experiences is what makes me feel like I'm not using a Samsung phone. Besides, the screen of this phone is one of the worst screens I have ever seen. It's way superior the screen of my old Neo V. The viewing angles are a joke, I know it's a budget phone, low-cost and all that, but seriously, the screen is SO awful, you rotate just 1 º your phone and the colors are starting to change and they get distorted. My Neo V was also a budget phone and had an amazing screen. I'm not protesting about the resolution, or colors, they are good enough, I wasn't looking for a Super Amoled screen, but man, this screen is so bad.
Yeah, I know I can install another launcher. Actually the true is that I didn't know 'till I got this phone in my hands. That mass launcher version was so awful that I started reading about Home screen (launcher) and discovered what a launcher was, and "thanks" to the awful Touchwiz version, I'm using Nova launcher, that totally rocks and I really really love it. I don't care about Samsung's player neither, I use jetAudio plus, which is far better, but you know, you don't like when a Samsung phone comes without a Samsung player (just like all the Samsung phones out there). And Maps and YouTube weird behaviors, and a ultra low resolution photos in the Conctacts interface (and when receiving a call too), and all those things make you really question if you're actually using a original Samsung. You gotta think too about the people can't spend time reading and learning what is a launcher and all that stuff.
After a month of use, I can really complain about the horrendous screen and the dialer weird app, though that doesn't remove the very first bad experience. That's all. No, stop, I was forgetting something, If it was't for you, I'd still getting mad at Samsung because when you volume up to 80%, this freaking weird phone shows up a warning saying that listen to loud music can damage your ears. I'm root, I have Gravity Box, and I can completely remove that warning from hell. You can't deactivate it without Gravity Box and being root. That's another BIG joke, man. Samsung, what the hell. Thanks God I found your post and I could root the phone and install Xposed framework.
rambomhtri said:
OK, here's the story, I had like 1 month ago 3 devices: Samsung Galaxy Young 2, Galaxy Core 2 and Express 2. All of them with Android 4.4.2, with all the apps up to date, and everything mostly the same.
So, Young 2 and Core 2 were almost the same weird experience in terms of software, and the Express 2 was a Samsung like any other Samsung out there, let me explain:
1. Maps in the first 2 devices had no inertia, whereas Express 2 had it. Same app version. Someone explain that to me.
2. Touchwiz in the first 2 devices had this weird version with only 4 icons in the lower bar, different interface, different menu options (worse), and you know, it simply wasn't the same Touchwiz I saw in every other Samsung.
3. No Samsung Music player, what the hell, in the first 2 devices.
4. YouTube app was not the same, yeah, it was different. The search button was in the menu option, while in any other Samsung it was right in the middle of the upper bar/section. Same YouTube app. I had no idea what was going on. Like a week or so, YT got updated and this is fixed now, but anyways, that was really weird.
5. I don't know, those 2 devices had many other different things in settings that made me feel like If I was using a chinese copy of a Samsung phone. I couldn't even put a shortcut to Manage Applications with that weird Mass Launcher version of Touchwiz.
6. The Dialer menu, contacts interface and all of that is simply ugly, poorly implemented (my old Neo V showed contact's pictures in a much higher resolution), it's not the same as all the other Samsung's interfaces.
And also, I have 1 big hardware problem, and I think it's not my phone, but all the Galaxy Core 2's. The touchscreen limit is wrong, it does not recognize the very end of the 4 screen sides (the 4 edges), it only starts to recognize your fingers like 4mm or more from the edge, and that hinders many gestures, specially when scrolling a right side bar, or sweeping from the left to show up a menu, or moving a song's time bar to the beginning (I can only move it to 0:04 sec, cause I can't move it more to the left).
The mix of these bad experiences is what makes me feel like I'm not using a Samsung phone. Besides, the screen of this phone is one of the worst screens I have ever seen. It's way superior the screen of my old Neo V. The viewing angles are a joke, I know it's a budget phone, low-cost and all that, but seriously, the screen is SO awful, you rotate just 1 º your phone and the colors are starting to change and they get distorted. My Neo V was also a budget phone and had an amazing screen. I'm not protesting about the resolution, or colors, they are good enough, I wasn't looking for a Super Amoled screen, but man, this screen is so bad.
Yeah, I know I can install another launcher. Actually the true is that I didn't know 'till I got this phone in my hands. That mass launcher version was so awful that I started reading about Home screen (launcher) and discovered what a launcher was, and "thanks" to the awful Touchwiz version, I'm using Nova launcher, that totally rocks and I really really love it. I don't care about Samsung's player neither, I use jetAudio plus, which is far better, but you know, you don't like when a Samsung phone comes without a Samsung player (just like all the Samsung phones out there). And Maps and YouTube weird behaviors, and a ultra low resolution photos in the Conctacts interface (and when receiving a call too), and all those things make you really question if you're actually using a original Samsung. You gotta think too about the people can't spend time reading and learning what is a launcher and all that stuff.
After a month of use, I can really complain about the horrendous screen and the dialer weird app, though that doesn't remove the very first bad experience. That's all. No, stop, I was forgetting something, If it was't for you, I'd still getting mad at Samsung because when you volume up to 80%, this freaking weird phone shows up a warning saying that listen to loud music can damage your ears. I'm root, I have Gravity Box, and I can completely remove that warning from hell. You can't deactivate it without Gravity Box and being root. That's another BIG joke, man. Samsung, what the hell. Thanks God I found your post and I could root the phone and install Xposed framework.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1.Default stock google maps in GC2 is specialy made for different GC2, try deinstaling or disable and install from Market.
2.Same with touchwiz stock, specialy made for GC2 devices
3.GC2 uses specialy made modules, libs and mixer
About other stuff, like "resolution", margin borders,screen grids, effects and transitions, speed between them
Different launcher uses different configs, it's not just touch error or prog error, all can be reset or changed.
I'm not here to judge about that things and what crapy phone I'm using too, just trying to make the best of it, but sometime it is the best to use other progs and see what's the difference and how are things with other apps.
Stock apps/system apps are made specialy for those models.
Have noticed it myself while trying to make updated version of google apps as system apps ( Custom rom - specialy google play services ).
Have noticed that the update version via Market works good, but if you try to update updated version as default system ( as custom rom ) apps you will end with corner, too much dependencies and rechanged or modified libs, modules are "ported" or recreated to GC2 phones, FC problems are literary problem for custom stock roms.
That is the primary deal this types of phones won't stand stable support and updates.
The major problem is that some apps are not generic ( from stock rom ) so they are different and made specialy for this type of model.
API's should work fine and they are carefully indexed, just like apps, but frameworks are not fully compatible or they are partialy ported/recreated/changed to this type of model. Correct me if I'm wrong but don't know how to say it right.
Regards
Since you guys peruse here and reddit.
-Stay awake while reading/holding
The same way the sony xperia series detects the phone is upright and being held, delays the screen time out.
- Setting to adjust the bottom round corner overlays
There two overlays at the bottom of the screen. Would be great to add some setting stop adjust.
-Hide Navbar
Similar to the GS8 That give you granular control over when it's hidden.
-Auto Pin unlock
Again the on the xperia series, the check mark is removed, so once you put the correct pin the phone accepts and unlocks.
More to come....
So most of the things suggested above are actually pretty gimmicky, imo.
Only thing I miss coming from other phones is gesture support for things like camera and flashlight with screen off. Double tap power for camera works fine, but no way to get to flashlight without turning the screen on, pulling down quick toggles, and clicking flashlight. Maybe holding down the volume down button with screen off?
Moto has the best gestures, then oneplus, then everyone else. Unfortunately, there is hardware support required for these to work without killing the battery, so totally understand if we never get gestures like these.
Those are pretty lame requests.. Essential runs AOSP.
A request that are needed & needs addressing:
- manual mode for camera
- hdr auto toggles the flash on??
- release system images already
- beta program/Oreo
- timely security updates (just getting October?)
- fix touch issues and scrolling
- fp scanner causing lockups
Let's get the OS polished and working better before we add more features
tlxxxsracer said:
Those are pretty lame requests.. Essential runs AOSP.
A request that are needed & needs addressing:
- manual mode for camera
- hdr auto toggles the flash on??
- release system images already
- beta program/Oreo
- timely security updates (just getting October?)
- fix touch issues and scrolling
- fp scanner causing lockups
Let's get the OS polished and working better before we add more features
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mean, those requests of yours are already what they're doing, and bug fixes. So like duh list.
As for essential running aosp. They do, and they are already adding stuff on top.
The elegant solution for the status bar is to run devices in full screen, then manually
bring back the nav bar and status bar. So options for that would just be additional to what they are doing.
The rounded corners. They are already overlaying black corners on top. So options for that would just be additional to what they are doing.
Double click power button for cam isn't aosp last I checked.
So hence "feature requests" not just another list asking for "do it faster". :good:
Fix the camera.
Show us you can do this and smash the naysayers. Please don't just throw in the towel and let companies like Razer come in and show you up.
I would like Oreo like everyone else, but keep the guns pointed at the cameras.
There's seriously no rush to race to Essential phone 2.
You have reduced the price and now have the stage yet again. (Not to mention a ton of dedicated customers waiting with faith and phone in hand. )
Seize the moment an knock it out of the park.
This is the perfect time for you to take gobs of consumers away from the Pixel line. Google is against the ropes with its own set of issues.
Now that your price is set where margins are thin, its time to prove your name. Fix the camera and move units like crazy to get it in as many hands as possible.
Essential Phone 2 will help when you user base confidently upgrades ans recommends your product.
I bought an Essential phone for tight finish. (Software & Hardware)
Oreo will clean up a lot of peoples wants.
Again though, make the hardware work to it full potential.
Essential, you put yourself in this position with Stock android promises coupled with exceedingly high end hardware.
If I wanted bells/whistles with headaches, I would have zero troubles finding and OEM for that.
I essentially want you to focus on the hardware and leverage what you have to a higher standard and level.
Fix the EIS
Bring the camera levels to LG G6 results since the parts are the same.
Fix the Camera Icon (The only one you created) - Its ridiculously amateur and sticks out like a sore thumb.
Keep up the AMA's
Stay focused and steady.
Don't just kick the can down the road.
Another point:
I feel you should point out and lean your American roots. Lots of consumers purchase phones from offshoot companies that are created outside of the USA. Subsequently, many of them have been busted by running data collecting and or malicious algorithms.
You will not have more attention than you do now. Get cracking on it and show us what your made of.
Show us you can do this!
I agree totally with Maven1975 this phone is an awesome piece of equipment, I think that the weak link is the stock camera app and the way it processes the photos taken (compression) I have been able to take some pretty good looking photos with the stock app, but both The GCam port and FV-5 take far better pics but why?
Over the past year I owned the G6 which took some really nice pics, I sold it to purchase the S8 which took some amazing pics but I just couldn't deal with the UI of either of those phones even with the themes and the S8 wasn't user friendly for myself because of how I hold a phone I need me some side bezels with how I hold phones. I ended up getting the U11 and I love HTC and the UI but the phone was "big" but it took the best pictures out of the three.
Then the Essential PH-1 came out with it's awesome form factor and amazing quality and design I figured hey it has the same image sensor as the G6 with newer hardware and dual camera setup I bought into the"Image Fusion" hype and figured the photos should be somewhere in between the G6 and U11
Fix the camera, give us a Pro/Manual Mode and Release the System Image
I love stock Android, so keep the updates quick and the owners of this high quality phone will be some of your best advertisement "bang for the buck"
Become part of the development community and make this a "flash happy" phone ..... I come from a time when the HTC Hero had so many options for flashing different roms and apps it was so pleasing make the Essential PH-1 an ICON like the Hero