> Android is still ugly, but it’s much less ugly than it was a few years ago.
It this opinion common? Trying friends' iOS devices, I can't say I've ever thought "gee, this is so much prettier than my Android phone".
It this opinion common? Trying friends' iOS devices, I can't say I've ever thought "gee, this is so much prettier than my Android phone".
I hated android based on my experiences early on. Then I tried a Galaxy Nexus on ICS. Almost overnight I dumped my iPhone and switched.
I still love it, but it's got a way to go.
The only time I've seen it amongst Android devs is for that alarm clock app [1], whereas it's a regular talking point about iOS apps (the latest being Paper discussing their colour-picker [2]).
[1] http://dewith.com/2012/an-android-design-process/ [2] http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/31/3578672/paper-1-3-color-p...
Granted, the community is smaller and the starting point is substantially lower (e.g. getting developers of iOS ports to read the Android design guidelines in the first place), but it is the same kind of culture.
Things aren't perfect, but things are getting better and we are starting to see a community come together that wants strong, high quality design.
When I use Android it feels like it puts a lot of flexibility and choice in my hands, that I can probably do more with it that I can with iOS but that there's additional work involved in that, both in that customisation but also the small amount of additional drag that comes with the additional choices available.
When I use iOS it feels like there's more simplicity but if I don't like that simplicity then tough. Don't like the iPhone? Tough. Want better integration between apps and services? Tough.
Personally my position right now is that I want iOS (I have kids, a job, a house and a million other things that take time and I have no additional bandwidth to invest in getting something just so, even if there would be benefit in doing so).
Ten years ago that wouldn't have been the case and I'd have found Android a more compelling choice and would have revelled in the flexibility, the handset options and everything else.
But overall that choice seems good for all of us. Better two visions offering genuine options than two identakit versions of the same thing, or worse still one monopoly player and no choice.
The Nexus version of Android is what it should be. It looks great. It's clean. It's functional. It's even better than iOS is.
If Android devices weren't blocked from receiving software updates and the stock Google experience was the default, Apple would have a much tougher fight.