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Is the concept of Android's navigation bar broken?

https://plus.google.com/+MarcKrenn/posts/eo6GWmCsrHk said:
(This is an open letter to the Android Design Team regarding the current state of the navigation bar. Long read ahead, you've been warned )
Dear Android Design Team,
I've always been a strong believer in Android's navigation concept and I'm confident it's a corner stone of Android's success. Sure, it might not be the most elegant or transparent solution ("What exactly will happen if I tap on the Back-button?"), but it just works perfectly 99% of the time and that's quite an achievement!
I personally see Android's Back- and Home-button as the ESC-button of the smartphone and tablet generation - even more than Apple's ever so awkward one-button-does-all-solution. Back and Home not only act as universal panic button and therefore reduces the user's fear of doing something wrong but they also make Android more consistent, easier to use across all the different apps (you don't have to search the app-dependent Back-button/solution - if there is one) and they reduces the user's cognitive load, freeing up their cognitive resources for more important tasks.
However, the way we access those wonderful functions - Back, Home and Recent Apps - is completely broken, for three main reasons:
1. Roughly speaking, it's always there when I don't need it, significantly reducing the active screen estate by 48dp, and when it's not there - for instance in fullscreen apps - I realize I'd need it. Yikes! Yes, it sounds paradoxical, but if you think about it, you come to the conclusion that the navigation bar probably doesn't belong on the screen.
Now, I know your reasoning behind the decision to scrap hardware navigation buttons altogether, but maybe the current visualization and placement of the navigation bar is just not optimal.
2. Talking about the placement of the navigation bar, it's probably the worst aspect about it's current implementation. Placing the bar on the bottom of the screen makes it nearly impossible to reach it without hassle - at least when navigating the phone with one hand, which should be considered the standard way of using a phone. At best, the over 90°-movement of your thumb looks and feels awkward, however for most people, especially younger and older ones, reaching the Back-button with their thumbs is just an impossible task. And the bad news don't stop here: The bigger the screen, the worse it gets, making 5"+ phone impossible to navigate with one hand, no matter how great your motor functions are.
I know, it isn't as aesthetically pleasing as the current implementation, but for the sake of ergonomics the current navigation bar should rather be located at the top of screen rather than at the bottom. And the order of the buttons should be altered: The Back-button, which is undeniable the most used one, should be the easiest to reach, so it should belong to the top right (for righties at least).
3. As mentioned above, the current Back-button doesn't provide any visual cues of what's going to happen next, when tapped. The user might ask himself:
"Will I go back within my current app, or will it send me back either to another app or my home screen?"
Since those cues are missing, people have to either remember their previous navigational history as a mental map (unnecessary cognitive load!) or they simply won't know what is going to happen if the tap the button, resulting in fear of doing something potentially wrong.
...
Here's my proposal
Okay, now let's stop criticizing the current implementation, since we all know it's easy to criticize but way harder to come up with better solutions. I tried my best though and came up with a different approach to navigating the Android OS. It's in a form of a video mockup and you can watch it enclosed to this post. Please read my annotations in this video.
I'm using this very kind of navigation - sans the visualization, of course - since I got my Nexus 4 over a year ago, using an app called GMD Gestures while hiding the navigation bar.
And well, it's a blast. It's way faster, ergonomic and simply better than any other current solution available right now - like, for instance the "pie navigation" implemented in some ROMs, which has some major interference with existing apps. I'd like to ask you to try it out yourself using GMD Gestures. After a day you won't go back to the standard navigation bar, I promise.
To wrap it up, here's a short list of pros and con of my proposal:
Pros:
+ coherently visualized, making it more graspable compared to other solutions
+ again, more ergonomic than the standard implementation
+ apps are always fullscreen and there's no need to swipe the navigation bar up when needed
+ 99% software based - only a tiny physical or visual cue must be added to the hardware itself to mark the start area of the gestures
+ conception-wise it integrates nicely into the idea of the beloved card-style apps like Google Now, G+,...
+ only very minor interference to current apps
+ adapts nicely to the various requirements of differently skilled users (see video annotations)
Con:
- small learning curve, like with all gestures, but you guys have never been too afraid of that, right?
...
It'd be really cool to hear back from you guys and pals just to let me know what you think. Thanks for reading and watching my stuff and I wish you
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,
Marc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Picked that one up on G+ and I think he might be on something. You may check out the comments here.

Amazing concept!!! I would love to see this implemented in a rom. The only problem is the learning curve for regular users.

Great!
Just great!! :good:

Learning curve too steep. This is good for "power users" but not for everyone.

[Q] App/Panel ideas for the Edge screen?

I'm not a developer or programmer (although I could learn how to, but by the time I figured out how to create a program, the Note Edge 3 would be released), but being an end user of the phone and with first hand experience, I can always comes up with ideas that may improve the functionality and accessibility of the device. Below are some of the ideas on different panels/apps that I think can greatly improve the functionality of the Edge screen.
Music Control - This definitely needs to happen. It would be amazing to be able to control your music app (play, pause, stop, fast forward, rewind, etc.) while using your phone for other tasks without having to open up the music app.
Multi-Window Functions - Why can't we use the edge screen as the multi-windows toolbar? Instead of having to hold the back button for the toolbar to appear, we can just drag the apps from the Edge screen and start multi-windows.
Task List - Tasks on the Edge screen where we can tap it to mark it as complete and a new task will show up. This could also be a shopping list and will most definitely be useful for Black Friday.
Bubble Level - There's a ruler...why can't there be a bubble level too?
Battery Bar - I know there's a battery bar at the top of the screen, but it would be nice to have a larger battery bar that's actually color coded based on the percentage of life left. And it could also displays percentage of battery life as well as remaining usage time.
Fantasy Score Updates - I play Fantasy Football and Basketball and would love to see updates on my Fantasy scores without having to open up the Fantasy apps.
What do you think of some of the ideas? Do you have any ideas you would like to share? Hopefully a developer/programmer will read this thread and create some of the highly requested/useful panels/apps for the Edge screen.

There is a thread with a list going. My company will be building a suite of apps that accomplishes many of these items.

jribbe101 said:
There is a thread with a list going. My company will be building a suite of apps that accomplishes many of these items.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have a link to the thread by any chance? And what's the name of your company so that I may follow the progress of the suite? Thank you in advance.

When I first saw the edge, the first thing I thought of was my fantasy team lol. Fantasy points would be amazing. Yahoo already has a sports ticker, I'm unsure if Yahoo has any api that will allow other apps to pull points, but that would be so amazing.
I like the idea of a bubble level too. Seems like a no-brainer now that you mentioned it.
I'd like to see web browsers take advantage of the edge and place navigation buttons there so you wont have to hit menu->forward or menu->reload or menu->load desktop site anymore.
I'm also interested in being linked to that other thread with edge app ideas as well, please

ok dudes, let me get some of this work off my plate tonight and tomorrow, I'll probably make an official post or something for this. I responded to a few people in different threads so I went quickly and copied them here to give you guys something to ponder on, and add suggestions. This is a aggregation of things requested.
Ultimately the goal is to make apps that make it productive for business, and then make a few extra general apps. I was thinking a suite of 4-6 depending on the complexity to build.... which given how I design, the apps are usually complex to build. But with the limited space and functions of what we are making, these may not be to bad on time.
Some of these apps may exist, but I won't have my phone til Monday to see what comes preloaded. If I feel there is a lack of functionality, like in the messaging widget I'll build a better mousetrap.
WIDGETS
1. A rss feed type panel where user could add their own feeds.
2. A To Do list (integrates with outlook... so it can pull my data from there)
3. Messaging alert and reader. -- (so you can switch between sms/email/etc and use your finger to swipe left/right like a ticker to read the messages.. and maybe swipe up and down to cycle messages... still in thought)
4. Level tool
5. Music controls while using the phone
6. Twitter timeline
7. A converter tool.
8. Ir favorite channel edge panel
9. swipe or knock to turn screen on
feel free to add on!

Thanks for the reply.
So the Edge has an IR Blaster? If that's the case, I'd go further than just a favorite channels bar and add Volume up/down/mute as well as power too.

seeking said:
So the Edge has an IR Blaster?
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Click to collapse
No idea... its something another user asked for.

seeking said:
So the Edge has an IR Blaster?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, both the Note 4 and Note Edge come with the IR Blaster. It has been confirmed by many Tech and phones sites.
seeking said:
When I first saw the edge, the first thing I thought of was my fantasy team lol. Fantasy points would be amazing. Yahoo already has a sports ticker, I'm unsure if Yahoo has any api that will allow other apps to pull points, but that would be so amazing.
I'd like to see web browsers take advantage of the edge and place navigation buttons there so you wont have to hit menu->forward or menu->reload or menu->load desktop site anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You and me both! The first time I saw it presented at CES 2013, I said to myself that it would be neat to see Fantasy updates on that side of the screen while at the bar or pub. lol.
And yes, I would love to have all the browsers navigation bar on Edge, it would make web browsing so much better and more efficient.
@jribbe101
Thanks for listening to the community feedback on creating apps for the Edge, I greatly appreciate it and I'm sure I'm not the only one! I look forward to supporting your company in the near future and am excited to experience your apps firsthand.

no problemo. Speaking of a fantasy widget... I am currently working on something that would probably blow y'alls minds, lol. I'm designing the UI now, and will have a running beta for March Madness and TNT (cable channel). So maybe I will integrate it with the edge... A small easter egg for our "limited" community

jribbe101 said:
no problemo. Speaking of a fantasy widget... I am currently working on something that would probably blow y'alls minds, lol. I'm designing the UI now, and will have a running beta for March Madness and TNT (cable channel). So maybe I will integrate it with the edge... A small easter egg for our "limited" community
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be fantastic! I look forward to seeing it in action, hopefully soon!

jribbe101 said:
ok dudes, let me get some of this work off my plate tonight and tomorrow, I'll probably make an official post or something for this. I responded to a few people in different threads so I went quickly and copied them here to give you guys something to ponder on, and add suggestions. This is a aggregation of things requested.
Ultimately the goal is to make apps that make it productive for business, and then make a few extra general apps. I was thinking a suite of 4-6 depending on the complexity to build.... which given how I design, the apps are usually complex to build. But with the limited space and functions of what we are making, these may not be to bad on time.
Some of these apps may exist, but I won't have my phone til Monday to see what comes preloaded. If I feel there is a lack of functionality, like in the messaging widget I'll build a better mousetrap.
WIDGETS
1. A rss feed type panel where user could add their own feeds.
2. A To Do list (integrates with outlook... so it can pull my data from there)
3. Messaging alert and reader. -- (so you can switch between sms/email/etc and use your finger to swipe left/right like a ticker to read the messages.. and maybe swipe up and down to cycle messages... still in thought)
4. Level tool
5. Music controls while using the phone
6. Twitter timeline
7. A converter tool.
8. Ir favorite channel edge panel
9. swipe or knock to turn screen on
feel free to add on!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi jribbe101,
Its great to see you're giving user suggestions serious consideration. Can't wait see some of these ideas come alive. These apps potentially makes the edge seriously useful.
Good luck!

invisiblesense said:
Hi jribbe101,
Its great to see you're giving user suggestions serious consideration. Can't wait see some of these ideas come alive. These apps potentially makes the edge seriously useful.
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, all these reviews talking about it being a gimmick.. I can actually see some good use for that screen in my daily business scenarios that would make small things more efficient. So, maybe we can make them eat those words @[email protected]!
Which forum should I post my thread on? General or Q&A? I'm going to start the new thread with this username and want to make sure it's under the right area. It will be a starter thread to aggregate ideas to pick which apps should be made.

Yes it has an IR blaster and comes with Smart Remote app (the same thing that was on the note 3 just renamed and themed a bit)
I was the one asking for frav Ch. IR. I think it would be cool to just swap over and tap the top 5 ch you watch.
There could also be one for vol up and down or even channel.
For those that arent use to the power button on top. You can get a screen off/power off app from the market and short cut it to the edge.
So far there isnt much i can think of for apps for the edge. Most of the stuff i can think of would have to be updated via the main app.
i.e.
facebook status scrolling,
ebay ending soon count down
TV guide reminders

I would love to be able to put any app that I have in the drawer to the edge screen instead of just the basic ones. Then you can put any of your favorite apps or most used apps in edge screen for easy access, or more sports ticker options for sports scores, yahoos one basic doesnt have any NCCA college football options.

Probably not the right thread but it's Q&A so I thought I would give it a shot , problem is I can't get the side panel to turn on without turning on the whole screen , I've read and read , your supposed to just activate it by running your finger or thumb up and down the side panel , but no matter what I do I can't get it to work without turning on the whole screen , am I missing something , I couldn't even get the night clock to work as it is supposed to , now to be fair I haven't had the phone for even 24 hrs yet , but have set everything up and messed around with it for a few hrs ...? Stumped ....any help or suggestion's would be greatly appreciated , I'm beginning to think I got a lemon , Thank's in advance ....

Philly Jim said:
Probably not the right thread but it's Q&A so I thought I would give it a shot , problem is I can't get the side panel to turn on without turning on the whole screen , I've read and read , your supposed to just activate it by running your finger or thumb up and down the side panel , but no matter what I do I can't get it to work without turning on the whole screen , am I missing something , I couldn't even get the night clock to work as it is supposed to , now to be fair I haven't had the phone for even 24 hrs yet , but have set everything up and messed around with it for a few hrs ...? Stumped ....any help or suggestion's would be greatly appreciated , I'm beginning to think I got a lemon , Thank's in advance ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have a Note Edge yet for reference, but I recall reading somewhere that you can "wake" the Edge panel by swiping your finger right and then left on it. Then once you wake it, you can use your thumb to swipe up and down to look at the different panels.

I do not believe that the edge panel turns on with the main screen still off.

seeking said:
I do not believe that the edge panel turns on with the main screen still off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it does. With the screen off, swipe back and forth on the sharpest part of the curve. That's the most sensitive part of the edge display. That will turn on the clock/notifications/weather (wait a bit, and it'll start scrolling to show your notifications). To access your panels, slide left or right on the edge as you would when the screen is on. once again the sharpest part of the curve is most sensitive.

jooniloh said:
Yes, it does. With the screen off, swipe back and forth on the sharpest part of the curve. That's the most sensitive part of the edge display. That will turn on the clock/notifications/weather (wait a bit, and it'll start scrolling to show your notifications). To access your panels, slide left or right on the edge as you would when the screen is on. once again the sharpest part of the curve is most sensitive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can confirmed that this works. Just put your thumb on the edge screen with your thumb covering the whole side of the edge, and slide/drag it up and down.

working on the EDGE ALERT for messages...

Which of s7 features do you like the most

Game Launcher
Hyperlapse
Motion panorama
Quick Call
Bye-Bye-App-drawer
New Edge UI
Always On Display

Motion Panorama.

too many to list. but I guess off the top of my head:
the display:
literally the best consumer display in the world with virtually perfect professional reference level color fidelity, paper-like clarity with no diagonal edge bias (due to innovative proprietary diamond subpixel arrangement), infinite contrast and eye punching brightness that maintains perfectly even saturation and contrast unlike with lcd. Moreover the Screen calibration feature allows for various color space standards which is a must-have for professional photography or graphic work. Extremely High sensitivity screen allows for gloved use. Only just enough bezel to allow for screen edge swiping with a case installed leaving the device as narrow as possible making it much more nimble for one handed use and a bit less pants pocket stretching. Always on display is great as it allows me to check the time, date and notifications without having to turn on my phone--far superior in so many ways to the old way of decoding the color and speed of the flashing led.
Samsung pay:
their proprietary technology allows the device to simulate a magnetic card swipe which works anywhere unlike android pay and apple pay which only work on certain terminals. It constantly amazes everyone.
IP68 water and dust proof:
As beautiful as the S7 is it is indeed a fingerprint magnet. This is a problem with many phones so stylishly slick but unlike other phones when the S7 loses its lustre you can simply rinse it off under the sink and polish it off with a bath towel--good as new.
Powered USB otg with support for so many add ons:
gaming controllers, midi keyboards, file storage, keyboards, mice. I was surprised to find that I can charge another device with my phone and even spin up and operate a USB hard disk without any need for additional power cables.
the camera:
so amazing I use it for augmented vision. Not only can I inspect from the distance whether that little spot on the wall is a fly or a spider without getting off my lazy ass but I can see and read things where it would otherwise be far too dim for my eyes to see without need for additional lighting. Oh yea, and it also takes amazing pictures in just two clicks. I never miss a shot because even in the rare times when I would I can rely on motion photo to reverse time and recapture the picture just how I wanted. The expanding library of camera modes just kick it over the edge of awesomeness. In real world use I tend to switch between auto, pro, rear selfie, slow motion, and gif maker. I use burst a lot too which is available whenever you press and hold the shoot button.
ui:
I've found split screen and pop up mode more and more useful for working with and between multiple apps. Web browsing and reading while streaming music or watching YouTube and/or chating just feels great. I use my laptop so little these days which is so much better for my posture. Text selection is also improved paired with the hypersensitive screen. You can rely on the precision of the tip of your thumbnail and not the blunt tip of your finger. The adjustable dpi hack gives you more work space immediately expanding the usefulness of large screen.
I haven't even begun to touch on so many other things but I can definitely go on if anyone wants me to.
This is by far the most satisfied I've ever been with a phone and I've been using smart phones since when they were called PDAs. I never thought I'd be so satisfied with a non rooted android device but I don't find myself missing anything except perhaps the stereo sound hack and the Xposed framework but with all the features I'm discovering and looking forward to the gear vr Im sure I'll find enough ways not to care.

I don't use any of the features you listed, but i'd say my favorite "features" are (no particular order)
-Double tap home for camera shortcut
-Theme engine
-Split screen
-triple tap home for one handed use
Best hardware features are easily the screen and the camera. Build quality is amazing, honestly feels better in the hand than metal IMO, and IP68 is just an awesome feature to have.

Samsung has activated Display scaling in the newest Galaxy S7 firmware, it gives the user greater control over how much information is packed onto the screen.

That one isn't hidden anymore. Nice!
Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

jamesava said:
Samsung has activated Display scaling in the newest Galaxy S7 firmware, it gives the user greater control over how much information is packed onto the screen.
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Click to collapse
how do you get to that setting?

konoplya said:
how do you get to that setting?
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Click to collapse
In the display menu if you received the last update, otherwise you have to download Nova Launcher and activate through a specific nova action (you can then uninstall Nova).
Steps to follow :
Step 1: Head on over to the Google Play Store and download Nova Launcher
Step 2: Launch Nova Launcher. There's no need to set it as a default.
Step 3: Do a long-press on the home screen and tap on Widgets.
Step 4: Look for the Activities widget and bring it to the home screen.
Step 5: Look for Settings and tap on .DisplayScalingActivity. This will create a shortcut on the home screen.
Step 6: Tap on the newly created shortcut. There you have it, the option to go either Standard or Condensed.

exploreresp said:
In the display menu if you received the last update, otherwise you have to download Nova Launcher and activate through a specific nova action (you can then uninstall Nova).
Steps to follow :
Step 1: Head on over to the Google Play Store and download Nova Launcher
Step 2: Launch Nova Launcher. There's no need to set it as a default.
Step 3: Do a long-press on the home screen and tap on Widgets.
Step 4: Look for the Activities widget and bring it to the home screen.
Step 5: Look for Settings and tap on .DisplayScalingActivity. This will create a shortcut on the home screen.
Step 6: Tap on the newly created shortcut. There you have it, the option to go either Standard or Condensed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the last update you're talking about is the one from T-Mobile? I have T-Mobile and I got one update from Samsung and one from T-Mobile.

Nop, it's a Sammy update that began to roll out a couple days ago fixing some side touching issues, photo stuff too and a lot of other things too

S7 here..Stock..TouchWiz Launcher..T-Mobile carrier
#1 Feature: Samsung Pay. When I saw my wife use her Note 5 to pay at WalMart, my MotoX Pure suddenly became obsolete.
#2. SD Card has returned. 32GB onboard isn't sufficient for me and now with 128GB extra, I'm content.
#3, Android 6.0.1. Battery Optimizations net me 20 total hours on battery with a 4-6 hour Screen On Time. Wow!
#4 Gear VR compatibility. I have the VR and it is stunning and so next-generation.
#5 Speaker is loud. While not idea for cranking up the tunes, it's perfect for voice calls and voicemail.
#6 SideSync and SmartSwitch. These two apps fill in the features that iTunes backup and Continuity brought to iOS.
#7 TouchWiz is scaled down enough to not get in the way of using the phone. Still packed with options, but it works right out of the box.

Feature Requests - (I see you essential team)

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

Android 11 for Fold 2

Does anyone have a port of a rom from say the S20 for Android 11 on the Fold 2 I want those new features.

Would have been nice if Samsung did a Android 11 beta with the Fold 2 as well and not just the S20.

I hear you. You would think Samsung's most expensive phone would get the best service. Samsung should have a team working to get it out FIRST. I know they had to make some major changes, but Android 11 adds a lot of the multi screen stuff native.
Samsung said the the phone needs extra attention so it will be later. (From a Samsung Tweet).

AquaticXi said:
Does anyone have a port of a rom from say the S20 for Android 11 on the Fold 2 I want those new features.
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Click to collapse
Let the S20 owners "test" all the bugs in the beta and give us Fold2 owners a stable build for Xmas

JagXK8 said:
Would have been nice if Samsung did a Android 11 beta with the Fold 2 as well and not just the S20.
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Click to collapse
The Note line doesn't even get the beta.

It's simply because the S20 series phones have the largest user base, so it makes sense to target them for the best possible and consistent bug reporting.
Samsung users don't really see the huge benefits of each iteration of Android, because generally new features have already appeared within OneUI. Seems Google take on cool Samsung features each year
So I am much more interested in what OneUI 3.0 is going to bring to the table (following info is from September 2020, so more features and amendments are likely since this release):
One UI 3.0 based on Android 11 – Beta Changelog September 2020
Home screen
Touch and hold an app to add an associated widget
Turn the screen off by double-tapping on an empty are of the Home screen. You can turn this on in Settings > Advanced features > Motion and gestures.
Lock screen
Dynamic Lock screen now has more categories,, and you can select more than one.
Lock screen widgets are improved.
Quick panel
See your conversations and media more conveniently in their own sections when you swipe down from the top of the screen.
AOD
Always On Display widgets are improved.
Accessibility
Get quick access to the most important accessibility settings during device setup.
Get recommended accessibility features based on what you use.
Set the Accessibility shortcut more easily in settings.
Sound detectors now work with your SmartThings devices such as TVs and lights to give you more visible alerts when the doorbell rings or a baby is crying.
Samsung Keyboard
You can find the keyboard in settings more easily under General management in Settings, and the settings have been reorganized to put the most important ones first.
Samsung DeX
You can now connect to supported TVs wirelessly.
New touchpad multi-gestures let you change screen zoom and font size more easily.
Internet
Added ability to block websites from redirecting you when you tap the Back button.
Added warnings and blocking options for websites that shot too many pop-ups or notifications.
Rearranged menus to make things easier to find.
Added several new add-ons, including one that translates websites.
Added option hide the status bar for a more immersive browsing experience.
Increased maximum number of open tabs to 99.
Added ability to lock and reorder tabs.
Improved design for tab bar which is now supported on all devices.
Ended support for Samsung Internet edge panel.
Contacts & Phone
Added the ability to edit multiple linked contacts at one time.
Added an option to help you quickly delete duplicate contacts.
Enhanced the search experience.
Extended the storage period of the Trash bin from 15 to 30 days.
Phone/Call background
Added the ability to customize the call screen with your own pictures and videos.
Messages
Created a Trash bin to store recently deleted messages.
Call & Text on other devices
Added the ability to turn Call & text on other devices on or off with Bixby Routines.
Calendar
Events with the same start time are now shown together in month and agenda view.
Reorganized options for adding and editing events.
Improved layout for full screen alerts.
Reminder
Improved layout for full screen alerts
Digital wellbeing and Parental controls
Added trends to your weekly report. You can see how your usage has changed since the previous week and check your usage time for each feature.
Added phone usage time while driving to the weekly report.
Added a lock screen widget so you can check your screen time without unlocking your phone.
Added separate profiles for personal and work modes so you can track your screen time separately.
Camera
Improved auto-focus and auto exposure functionality and usability.
Improved stabilization when taking pictures of the moon at high zoom levels.
Photo editor
Added the ability to revert edited pictures back to their original versions.
Bixby Routine
Grouped preset routines help you get started quickly and learn how to build your own routines easily.
You can now see what actions are reversed when a routine ends.
New conditions have been added, such as a specific start time, the disconnection of a Bluetooth device or Wi-Fi network, a call from a specific number, and more.
New actions have been added, including talking to Bixby and accessibility actions.
You can add a customized icon for each routine and add routines to the Lock screen for quick access.
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Hex Themes users have to think that way used for theme installation is hacky. There is a big chance new iteration of OneUI will block it and there will be no way to apply it any more.

I wish OneUI would let you use Icon Packs from the Google Play Store, like OxygenOS on 1+ phone does. These icons from the Samsung Theme store are pretty terrible and they dont cover as many icon as the Icon Packs do.

CtK4949 said:
I wish OneUI would let you use Icon Packs from the Google Play Store, like OxygenOS on 1+ phone does. These icons from the Samsung Theme store are pretty terrible and they dont cover as many icon as the Icon Packs do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It can be initially tedious but using Nova Launcher allows you to customize your icons. So if you have some preferred set of icons (even like iOS ones from the JB community) you can manually apply them and save a back up.

burrzoo said:
It can be initially tedious but using Nova Launcher allows you to customize your icons. So if you have some preferred set of icons (even like iOS ones from the JB community) you can manually apply them and save a back up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem is that Nova forces the cover display to mimic the main display layout, which forced either poor use of the real estate on the main display, or extremely cramped cover display. On top of that, Nova + native gestures don't work too well and is a bit buggy. I've learned to appreciate Samsung's default home and use GoodLock + hex to make small changes.
But if OneUI were to allow us to use icon packs from the play store - I'd be absolutely besotted and would never even think about using Nova again. I hate ugly icons so much that I'm using Samsung's browser (which admittedly isn't bad at all since it works well on the Fold 2) because I hate looking at Google's ugly icon on my dock. I'll occasionally use Nova since it's already setup, but I miss bug-free native gestures + the awesome animations that come with the stock launcher.

burrzoo said:
It can be initially tedious but using Nova Launcher allows you to customize your icons. So if you have some preferred set of icons (even like iOS ones from the JB community) you can manually apply them and save a back up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would use Action Launcher, but it doesn't work that well on this phone.
Sent from my SM-F916U1 using Tapatalk

AhsanU said:
The problem is that Nova forces the cover display to mimic the main display layout, which forced either poor use of the real estate on the main display, or extremely cramped cover display. On top of that, Nova + native gestures don't work too well and is a bit buggy. I've learned to appreciate Samsung's default home and use GoodLock + hex to make small changes.
But if OneUI were to allow us to use icon packs from the play store - I'd be absolutely besotted and would never even think about using Nova again. I hate ugly icons so much that I'm using Samsung's browser (which admittedly isn't bad at all since it works well on the Fold 2) because I hate looking at Google's ugly icon on my dock. I'll occasionally use Nova since it's already setup, but I miss bug-free native gestures + the awesome animations that come with the stock launcher.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm looking into cloning KLWP as I've heard you can use a separate Preset on the cover so as not to have the issue you spoke about (& still use Nova).
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