Ignoring app selection and device availability, Android is the least pleasant

[poofyhairguy]

Is there any way to get the device to use the navigation button areas for display? But yeah, a few changes and it is better.

Like hide the bar?

 

[shortylickens]

I still dont like OP's title.

Its like saying "ignoring safety features and reliability, Toyota makes the worst cars".

 

[Seven]

The OP has a good points.

The touchwiz out of the box experience is quite horrible.

 

[ControlD]

The OP has a good points.

The touchwiz out of the box experience is quite horrible.

That must be why Apple sued Samsung for copying iOS so hard lol.

But seriously, besides the bloat I find TW to be just fine it out of the box.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

SwiftKey let's you choose between 5 keyboard sizes. Is the smallest one still too big for you?

The next step down should be fine IMO. My reasons for not using Swiftkey are not really regarding the size. It's more the fact that the numpad is unchangeable for now and there are still very few customizations. I noticed that more and more 3rd party keyboards are allowing for resizing. The main concern is with the AOSP Keyboard which IMO is a bit too tall on a 5" screen.

Complaining about inaccurate typing because the keyboard isn't small enough...

I do believe I've seen it all now.

Oh here we go again. You want to be disingenuous about the whole issue, just like when some people acted like the whole Apple vs. Samsung lawsuit was regarding rectangles? Please. My point was that as screen sizes grow it also changes the typing experience. Sure, small buttons aren't ideal, but nor are giant buttons. There's a happy medium for one thing. If you have something to discuss or to actually refute regarding my argument, feel free to bring it up. Plus, if my argument is such a joke, then why do many 3rd party keyboards offer a resizing option?

 

[zerogear]

Like hide the bar?

In Gravity Box you can enable the use of Immersion mode for any app.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

The next step down should be fine IMO. My reasons for not using Swiftkey are not really regarding the size. It's more the fact that the numpad is unchangeable for now and there are still very few customizations. I noticed that more and more 3rd party keyboards are allowing for resizing. The main concern is with the AOSP Keyboard which IMO is a bit too tall on a 5" screen.



Oh here we go again. You want to be disingenuous about the whole issue, just like when some people acted like the whole Apple vs. Samsung lawsuit was regarding rectangles? Please. My point was that as screen sizes grow it also changes the typing experience. Sure, small buttons aren't ideal, but nor are giant buttons. There's a happy medium for one thing. If you have something to discuss or to actually refute regarding my argument, feel free to bring it up. Plus, if my argument is such a joke, then why do many 3rd party keyboards offer a resizing option?

Giant buttons are great, my Note 3 is by far the easiest phone to type on i have used, although my Nexus 7 is better still.

 

[QueBert]

Good thing that is far down on the list on what determines how good a mobile OS is, behind: functionality (Android wins), app selection (Android 2nd to iOS), flexibility (Android wins), and diverse device options (Android wins).

Depends on how you define functionality, my Pioneer head unit integrates flawlessly with my iOS devices, but hardly works with Android. Same with some of my studio equipment. For what I do on a day to day basis Android really isn't an option because nothing I own that electronically communicates with my phone is Android compatible.

Outside of diverse device options which is clearly Android, everything else you mentioned is ymmv.

 

[Red Storm]

Oh here we go again. You want to be disingenuous about the whole issue, just like when some people acted like the whole Apple vs. Samsung lawsuit was regarding rectangles? Please. My point was that as screen sizes grow it also changes the typing experience. Sure, small buttons aren't ideal, but nor are giant buttons. There's a happy medium for one thing. If you have something to discuss or to actually refute regarding my argument, feel free to bring it up. Plus, if my argument is such a joke, then why do many 3rd party keyboards offer a resizing option?

I know I came off as harsh, but there is not much of an actual size difference in the keyboards going to a larger phone, you make it sound like it is an actual inch taller which it clearly is not.

It reminds me of the people who claim they keep accidentally hitting Home with on screen nav buttons. It's an obvious exaggeration because there's a clearly defined dead zone between space and Home. You can't press the home button unless you really mean to.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I know I came off as harsh, but there is not much of an actual size difference in the keyboards going to a larger phone, you make it sound like it is an actual inch taller which it clearly is not.

It reminds me of the people who claim they keep accidentally hitting Home with on screen nav buttons. It's an obvious exaggeration because there's a clearly defined dead zone between space and Home. You can't press the home button unless you really mean to.

I think the issue for me is that you don't need to be an inch off to hit the wrong key. You're right it's getting slightly taller only bit by bit, but with the Nexus 5 I noticed that using Kii keyboard decreasing to 95% (the default 100% is already shorter than the AOSP keyboard) allows in better accuracy already. It's not straightforward in that large keys = bad. The Nexus 7 for example works great for me, but I imagine that's because the side bezels give me some room for my fingers to stretch out. On a phone, my fingers are kinda cramped together, especially now that we've moved to 16:9. It's a bit harder to move the thumb around that much.

Furthermore, it might also be sensitivities and keyboard tuning. The Google keyboard to me isn't really optimized for speed typing as much as say Fleksy or Swiftkey. With those two, I find that I never get any missed spaces even without having to resize the keys.

Depends on how you define functionality, my Pioneer head unit integrates flawlessly with my iOS devices, but hardly works with Android. Same with some of my studio equipment. For what I do on a day to day basis Android really isn't an option because nothing I own that electronically communicates with my phone is Android compatible.

Outside of diverse device options which is clearly Android, everything else you mentioned is ymmv.

To me this is less a software issue than it is an accessories issue. If you have one model to develop accessories for, it's very straightforward. It's the same reason you see cars with iPod docks, and so many cases readily available for iProducts, but on the Android front, you get very few cases and almost no docks. I don't know anyone who uses any other method to connect their phones except aux cable for Android. It's kinda the same reason why all those fitness bands only started working on iOS first, and a few work for Android now, while a few others are still holding out.

 

[Ravynmagi]

Is there any way to get the device to use the navigation button areas for display? But yeah, a few changes and it is better.

I use Hide Soft Keys and love it. It does require root access and I think it costs a two or three dollars (there is a free version that can be tried).
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gmd.hidesoftkeys

I love this app. It hides the three navigation buttons and when I need them I just swipe up from the bottom of the screen to show them. I could also hide the top menu bar, but prefer having that visible all the time so I can easily see the clock and battery life.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Depends on how you define functionality,

Agreed. I define functionality as:

Maximum flexibility as a general purpose device.

So, for example, an x86 Windows desktop is the most functional device ever according to my definition. It can run tens of thousands of apps that can do almost anything the hardware is capable of.

In my same example, something like a calculator is a very non functional device- all it can do is math.

On that scale, Android is so functional it is almost a x86 Windows desktop. Like halfway there. No other mobile OS comes close to that- iOS because of the walls of the garden and Windows Phone because third parties haven't fleshed out the full capability.

 

[QueBert]

Agreed. I define functionality as:

Maximum flexibility as a general purpose device.

So, for example, an x86 Windows desktop is the most functional device ever according to my definition. It can run tens of thousands of apps that can do almost anything the hardware is capable of.

In my same example, something like a calculator is a very non functional device- all it can do is math.

On that scale, Android is so functional it is almost a x86 Windows desktop. Like halfway there. No other mobile OS comes close to that- iOS because of the walls of the garden and Windows Phone because third parties haven't fleshed out the full capability.

by your analogy iOS should be the most functional as it has the most, and the best apps. Last time I checked Android has the same garden walls, I mean outside of a few rinky dink off brand app stores, you can only get apps from Play right? And it's not like my HTC One can run non Android apps. So basically if I was to buy a Nokia Lumia tomorrow I'd have to rebuy my apps. Sounds like Android's a walled garden too.

 

[Ravynmagi]

by your analogy iOS should be the most functional as it has the most, and the best apps. Last time I checked Android has the same garden walls, I mean outside of a few rinky dink off brand app stores, you can only get apps from Play right? And it's not like my HTC One can run non Android apps. So basically if I was to buy a Nokia Lumia tomorrow I'd have to rebuy my apps. Sounds like Android's a walled garden too.

Apple has to approve of an app before it's allowed into the store. And I believe developers have to pay a $100 fee each year to be able to publish apps (sure it's minor, but still).
And you can't side load apps. So you can't ask someone to build an app and post the install file for you to put into your Dropbox and install on your iPad.

Android seems to let everything in (as long as it gets past their malware scanner) and seems to only boot apps out after the fact if it's reported to be a violation. So it sounds like it's easier to get published. And there is no fee to publish an app.
And stock Android allows for side loading apps, so anyone could by-pass the Play Store and share apps they've built with others if they choose to.

Not saying Google doesn't have it's own walls, but they are much smaller than Apples.

 

[Zaap]

by your analogy iOS should be the most functional as it has the most, and the best apps. Last time I checked Android has the same garden walls

You completely missed his point (probably purposefully.) iOS has artificial hardware limitations imposed by Apple that Android doesn't. Pretty much no one denies this, otherwise there'd be no need for and no such thing as a "jailbreak".

 

[QueBert]

You completely missed his point (probably purposefully.) iOS has artificial hardware limitations imposed by Apple that Android doesn't. Pretty much no one denies this, otherwise there'd be no need for and no such thing as a "jailbreak".

Not going to deny that, I jailbroke my iPhone, but I also rooted my HTC One. I know I know, the 2 are NOTHING ALIKE. Every Android person has told me this. I don't quite understand the logic, but a million people have harped that into my head.

 

[Zaap]

I don't quite understand the logic, but a million people have harped that into my head.

Not surprising.

I'm sure you had to root the HTC just for basic functionality. Sure.

 

[QueBert]

Not surprising.

I'm sure you had to root the HTC just for basic functionality. Sure.

I had to root it to back it up, because Google offers no PC software that will do this. I'd sayin honestly, backing up my phone ranks among the most basic functionality there is in my eyes. I mean my iPhone does it every time I plug it into my PC and run iTunes. I guess instead of Titanium I could do a nandbackup, but that would require more work than me just rooting my phone.

 

[desura]

So um,

After spending a little time messing with custom keyboards...

The android now has the *best* keyboard of the 3 devices. It's that Touchpal X keyboard which has the most subtle vibrate on press, arrow cursor keys, adjustable size, word suggestion, it's really not even close. The Android runs away with the prize by a a lot. I'm even considering selling one of my devices now that the Android improved so dramatically.

 

[tsupersonic]

What phone are you using? I have nothing but positive response using an HTC One and Nexus 5. The Nexus 5 is super smooth in terms of scrolling, not even an iPod 5G can match it. The stock keyboard is leaps and bounds better than iOS or WP - especially the swype like feature which works very well. Most Android phones are also physically bigger than iPhone, so makes typing so much easier.

Music on lockscreen was integrated as long as you're using stock music player/GPM.

Apps make or break an ecosystem. WP is super restrictive for me, can't even do a simple VPN/SSH, and app selection is the worst.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

I had to root it to back it up, because Google offers no PC software that will do this. I'd sayin honestly, backing up my phone ranks among the most basic functionality there is in my eyes. I mean my iPhone does it every time I plug it into my PC and run iTunes. I guess instead of Titanium I could do a nandbackup, but that would require more work than me just rooting my phone.

Why would you need pc software to back up a phone? I could wipe my Note 3 now and I wouldn't lose any of my data.

 

[desura]

Moto X.

 

[npaladin-2000]

Helium backs up to your Google Drive or an SD card, and doesn't need root (though it works better with root, admittedly).

 

[zerogear]

I don't know about you, but being able to restore either TitaniumBackup or Nandroid backup is more than worth having to root. iTunes backup is not even comparable with its shoddy implementation.

 

[poofyhairguy]

by your analogy iOS should be the most functional as it has the most, and the best apps.

Sure, of the types of apps Apple will allow in the iTunes store it has the best apps. The issue with iOS is that Apple is so strict about what is allowed. Apple only lets you have what they feel is useful. Google lets you have anything that isn't malware or infringes copyright.

On top of that, as mentioned, I can sideload whatever I want in Android. Then the walls go away. iOS won't let you do that.,

It ends up being a huge difference. I mean, iOS doesn't even let you have a file manager without jailbreaking. Even Chrome OS gives you that. iOS is maybe the least functional major OS by my defnition.

Last time I checked Android has the same garden walls, I mean outside of a few rinky dink off brand app stores, you can only get apps from Play right? And it's not like my HTC One can run non Android apps. So basically if I was to buy a Nokia Lumia tomorrow I'd have to rebuy my apps. Sounds like Android's a walled garden too.

Android does have some walls on their Play Store garden that are a LITTLE bit more strict than the wild-west ecosystem that is Windows x86. Unlike Windows, Google tries to take out the malware. But again, you can sideload all the malware that you want.

Otherwise you aren't talking about walls on the garden, you are talking about software platforms. That is a little different to me.

I don't dock points from a x86 Windows machine just because it can't run OSX apps. Much like an x86 Windows computer I can run alternative platforms if they are open (I can load Ubuntu on a Windows PC and my Galaxy S4), but the fact I can't run apps designed closed platforms isn't really the point I am making. It is more about for that platform, how open and restricted is it?

And even if I did dock points, Android still comes out on top. Only with Android devices can I load alternative OSes. Windows Phone and iPhones are locked to their OS, either of which is more limited than Android.

I get that some people don't care about functionality as I defined it- they wouldn't max out an Android phone OR a Windows x86 PC. But for those that can, that power is appreciated.