As early as last October, when I wrote a story of the fine details of the number of native Android system defects of the articles, in which harsh criticisms on the native Android system in user experience UX various deficiencies, after the publication of the article resonates with a lot of users, and even get Google’s response. From then to now has released multiple updates of the Android system, but did not fix all errors, so it’s time to write an article of the fine details of the number of native Android system defects of the sequel.
We are writing this series of articles has two main purposes: first, released the new version of the Android system, but also with more slot points to. Second, since the article was published after many problems have been fixed, as not only is the Android system itself, also includes a number of Google applications.
As with the article on the, I would like to once again stress, criticism is because we care about, error, of course, inevitable, but actively improving. A frank and open discussion in the atmosphere contribute to the Android system we go farther and farther on the road of the future.
Before beginning a new trough, made before we need to summarize the number of issues have been fixed. Android system, after all, one of the advantages that blazing fast speed. In addition to significant system version updates twice a year, Google also Play sporadic release of an update in the shop. I have Android system defects of the articles published, one reason is that you can easily keep track of them, witnessing Android system continue to improve.
Is so far below the repair progress reports, which contain both the issues that have been fixed, as well as problems have not been fixed.
Not fixed: return key
To tell you the truth, completely unpredictable little did return key can be improved. I think we can make the return key was changed to “confusion of any door” keys, and also make a few icons.
Typically return keys are unpredictable due to individual applications of its own problems, but this is no excuse, why did Google set to return keys programmable? This lost unity. I hope the return key in the Android system can, like the return key in the browser, and pressed it always takes us back to the previous browsed pages, no one doubt this.
Then let us look at the return key icon below, do you have any notes, location at the intersection of the lines and arrows have a dark spot, I don’t know how Google’s art team is intended to. Certainly discovered that requires good vision and clear the display. On some Android devices, you will find on the return key just like there are two bad points, if you have OCD, then congratulations, you have tangled.
Not fixed: navigation is still Gingerbread 主题
Google Maps Navigation also did not make any improvements, but one day when developers want to fix it, they will have a good reference, it is iOS version of Google maps.
Late last year, Google’s Maps team released the iOS version of map, as Apple cancels maps Google maps as a primary response. IOS version of Google maps for the new design, full beyond the Android version. Just like in combination with Google maps and Google Now, throughout the application simple, smooth, intuitive, rich gesture, let Android users envious. We want Google to more such applications to the Android platform, the Holo interface has been released for a year, and Google Maps Navigation one of the most popular applications should first Holo interface is on.
Partially fixed: most recently used applications
This is a great improvement, in previous articles I have shown in some applications start other applications of hoax, was recently used by the entire application completely chaotic, corresponding to the icon, name, and the thumbnail I cant do them all. Very pleased to tell you that the problem has been fixed, here are screenshots once when there is a problem.
In the example in the picture above, accessories when you open a picture and then switch to other places, such as the desktop, your recently used applications list will display thumbnail of a Gmail Message, but click on the thumbnail to open the is albums. Thumbnail of the application will not be updated in a timely manner, it is easy to Halo users.
Is now shown in the following figure:
Gmail in 4.2, Gmail with its own dedicated picture browser, when you open a piece of mail in a photo, and then see a list of recently opened applications, will show thumbnails of attachments correctly, instead of the thumbnails of the contents of the message. Easy to get dizzy before the user’s problem has been fixed.
Fixed: icon size inconsistency
In the previous article I pointed out Android system icon size seriously inconsistent, height can be 72 pixels Logo prior to 94 pixels, Loacal icon most shortest Movie Studio icon, has a gap of up to 30%. For the image to show this, I rearrange the icons, alternating the height icon, the effect is as follows:
If you want to fix this problem, you can narrow the small icons, large icons, or zoom, Google’s approach is to modify the small icon. The shortest three icons, Movie Studio, Latitude and the Messenger have been redesigned, here they are before the icon size and contrast:
Now in the new Android system icon size remains the same size, or the very similar size. Movie Studio and Messenger is 87 pixels high, Google+ was 88 pixels high, relative to before there has been a marked improvement. Arrange them together as if you like, the effect is:
Looks better doesn’t it? But out eyes of friends may find, there is a cacophony of icon, is the Camera, its height is only 73 pixels. We all know that cameras are not square, and therefore need not be too tangled, but the new camera icon to be a little shorter than the old, this obviously is a retrograde step.
Second small icon Navigation, only 75 pixels high. But you can also find reasons for it, after all, Google has begun to rewrite the Navigation UI doesn’t it?
Match the icon size is more a great deal of progress, is that users are happy to see, continue to redouble our efforts on picking the shorter icon, Google. Latest shortest icons in order: Camera, Navigation, and Play Movies as well as Drive. Repair Camera icons can be difficult, but believe that the other three are very easy to deal with.
Fixed: Play Shop scroll position
Have been at Play in an stores browse the search results is a very painful thing, when you checked in upon finishing one application and then go back to the search results list, Play shops will not remember until you scroll to location, which will direct you back to the top of the list. This problem has been fixed by now, after we finished viewing an application by pressing the return key, open remained the position in the list.
Fixed: Gtalk Message The useless buttons
Android native SMS application, if you can press a message pop-up menu, select copy, or other operation. But in Google Talk, if you hold a message and it will highlight it blue, but it does not have any popup, it’s very puzzling. We all want to be able to duplicate information in Google Talk, but Google does not do so, but only to cancel highlight, barely passed.
Fixed: deleting interface sometimes popup sometimes full screen
Applied before delete interface is sometimes displayed as a popup, and sometimes it was turned into a full screen. Android 4.2, the “removal complete” interface has been completely replaced by a tiny bubble prompted. This is a tip I love, in many third-party desktop Launcher appears. Finished removing an application now, we no longer have to click on the Confirm button one is useless.
Do you sell cute Google: deletion/calculator Clear button
Android 4.1, calculator clears the button area is too large, not with other keys in the same column. Google reduced the clear button in the Android 4.2 volume, but narrow and a bit too much, it is still not in the same column.
More defects
Never appear in the Android world, only flowers and sunshine, even in Android 4.2 system after it is published there are many unsatisfactory areas. Did not mention some of the shortcomings in the previous article, it is now necessary to take them out, and then there is the new version is released, not all new UI design is fully mature.
Settings shortcuts
May not all friends are found by setting a shortcut for defects, whether used as an icon in the quick settings panel, set will never be included in the list of recently opened applications:
After the completion of a set and left the set interface, list of recently opened applications are unaware of your previous actions. If you do not know, also went to look for it in the list of recently opened applications, must be very puzzled. This problem is not very hard to find.
Set shortcuts to another question is does not have a return button in the action bar. For example, the following two shots, was open as normal on the left, you can in the “Bluetooth” see a return button, right is by means of a shortcut to open, in the “Bluetooth” next to nothing. So you cannot be opened by using the shortcut set to go to the previous level in settings interface.
Google Music A mess
Google Maps is my favorite app, Google Music behind it. But unfortunately I have to in this article for Google Music in a separate section to detail the shortcomings, let’s start with the menu:
Incomprehensible menus
Google Music very confusing menu system, almost incomprehensible, depending on the user’s interface, there will be a total of three different menus, but menu interface which will pop up in which there was no logic.
Figure we can see in the song queue, on three different song list and singers list menu, which are three similar but not exactly the same menu will appear completely random in Google Music. If they differ only by menu order is the difference between, but some songs at the heart of management options will also randomly lost.
Queue interface in the menu mix, delete, and other songs of the singers, but missing the Save to mobile phones. Song list instant mix, deleted from the interface menu, but missing the other songs of the singers, and saved to the mobile phone. Singer interface menu, save to mobile phones and other songs of the singers, but lack the instant mix and delete. We cannot find any reasons for lack of options in the menu, but the option is gone.
Strange is the play menu contains the option for each interface, you simply click on the songs you can play it. Maybe in the right key on your computer this repeated redundancy option appears in the menu, but we don’t want to see on their mobile phones. Each song in the interface pop-up menu preserve the integrity of the same will obviously make the menu longer, therefore unnecessary options like play should be removed.
If you want to know how confusing it is for Google Music, may wish to try the following test: delete a song. Do you think delete options are 1, 2, 3, 44, a drop-down menu in the inside does what? Presumably this issue every Google Music users will encounter, it’s just two singers in the interface menu, two two interface also has thousands of similar menus.
In short you can not find the law, such as delete or save to the location of the mobile medium options are not fixed, so even if used for a long time will not be found looking at the first opportunity, but only looking forward to the randomly generated menu items that they want to find position top points.
Now playing interface features are too weak
Useless now playing interface has further exacerbated the confusion of menu system, management features no songs here.
Interface menus feature only equalizer, instant mix, and help, as well as very strange queue operations. In fact provides clear queue queue and saved exactly these two options can be confusing, because we simply don’t see the queue. Why are we in queue interface at all, clear or save them?
We cannot find the song in the now playing interface management options when users feel: I hate this song, I want to delete it, either: I love this song, I’d like to save it to the phone, or: I would like to add this song to the party list. None of the desired actions we are impossible to implement in a now playing interface, you only have to go to other places while the adventure side was looking for.
I think all options should be about the song operation can be found in the now playing interface, such as delete, save to the phone, added to the queue, add to the list of songs, mixing, singer of all songs. Imagine if we were to read a message, but they need to go back to the Inbox to delete, forward, to restore this information, does a lot of trouble, this is a Google Music playing interface sense.
Screen vertical and horizontal screen mode function completely different
We understand the flaws in Google Music in the vertical screen mode, but when you put the phone horizontally, you will find the software completely changed the look, all the buttons went to a completely different location.
Cross figure is agreed on interface screen and the vertical screen two style mode.
Horizontal scroll bar when the horizontal screen mode, vertical screen mode album no cover. Letter preview scroll bar horizontal screen mode, vertical screen mode does not. Horizontal screen mode there is no status bar, vertical screen mode there is a status bar.
Through horizontal vertical screen mode slide the screen to switch between the different interfaces, including the most recent, album, artist, etc, while the horizontal screen mode is switched through the actions drop down menu bar. Also has a drop down menu in vertical screen mode, but its role has become in all switching between music and music that is stored.
Horizontal and vertical screen mode screen mode the difference is just the tip of the iceberg, in Google in two interfaces, the Music you are almost impossible to find any elements available. Each interface has its own style and its own rules. Sometimes you’ll see four huge screens in the album cover, sometimes you will see a 3D model of album covers, and sometimes no album cover.
Action bar title are forgotten,
This is from the official website of Android designed a very typical example, Google called it a Visual control.
Often there are two versions of the action bar: Gmail version, as information navigation bar, it displays the user’s current location, such as the Inbox, click on the Word will bring up a drop down menu, users can navigate from here to another location, such as all messages, labels, and so on. Play store is another way, where the action bar is used to indicate location, such as my application, settings, and so on.
Google Music is a different story, in some actions in the interface column is used as a navigation, other interface is used as a location, and no action at all in other interfaces. In the diagram above we can see that this should be in an action bar is blank, I think at least is playing or text, such as list of songs to fill it up, than a large white space better.
Tron 主题
When Google Music Publishing for the first time is with Motorola’s Xoom tablet, when Music is the name of Beta by Google. Yes Xoom running Android 3.0 Honeycomb system, based on the Tron inspired theme, dominated by blue hue, is also a very awkward version of the Android system. Google Music in order to adapt to the natural version of the operating system is designed to be a Tron theme. When all the other applications are now improved for crisp, sharp Holo interface, Google Music remain stubborn to stay in Tron.
Tron theme on all Google did not match the Music, Music.google.com looks perfectly normal, white background, black text color, looks better than blue theme pretty much.
Screenshots below is I’m PS one afternoon myself, Google Music in my mind should be some interface touch-like. This interface is pretty easy to use, and its Web applications are matched, look no longer feels like science fiction spacecraft. I think Google Gingerbread theme for Holo Navigation theme, also began to modify the Google Music.
We can hope that Google’s unified design, at least for general users can very easy to use. Determining a fixed style and apply it to interfaces as much as possible. All management options interface you can find all of the songs, and also add them to the playing interface. Application in the horizontal and vertical screen mode screen mode has the same style.
Using the new camera to quickly set up the need for a transparent thumb
Old style native browser’s quick set menu is a very good idea: just to slide your finger from the screen edge, a fan of browser set menus at your fingertips would come out. Slide the thumb to select a setting and then lift your finger. This is a very unique and very human design, take up minimal screen space, but the user experience is very good.
Later, Google Chrome browser, the design applied to the, now in the Android system 4.2, this design was also adopted. But there is a problem, is the popup menu in the camera is not like the browser is fan-shaped, but the entire round, this was a failed design.
Application only takes a few minutes to try out new cameras, you’ll understand why 360-degree quick set menu is a bad idea: you can’t pivot your fingers. Browser quick set menu only half a turn, not obstructed by your fingers, if to pop up on the left side of the screen to the right, if the left side of the screen to the right pop-up, is a perfect design, the menu will never be finger blocking.
Android 4.2 system in the camera application, quick set menu seems to have been designed for users to those long transparent fingers. 360 degree menu means that in at 5 o’clock and 6 o’clock option will be obscured by the fingers of the direction, in the image below in the photo on the right, a total of six quick setup option, guess is obstructed by two is what?
Maybe on the Simulator on the PC side using the mouse operation, the menu looks perfect, but in the actual use is another matter entirely. Work just as well in the native browser’s settings menu, why is messed up?
List of desktop widgets
List is at the core of each application, contact lists, song lists, lists, e-mail lists, and so on, almost every application in the list, and the list will be very long at times. Fortunately Android system is very good at displaying long lists, we have several ways to deal with long lists:
1. list of accelerated scroll can be, whether it is up or down to scroll the list, slide the scroll speed of the screen will gradually accelerate as long as keep.
2. overly long lists tend to have a drag scroll if scroll too much trouble, you can also click and drag the slider, so you can fly in the 1 second from the top to the bottom.
3. If the list is in alphabetical order, are often the first letter will pop up preview, so that you can accurately position.
4. search.
All of these features can help you in navigating a long list, even if you have hundreds of contacts, looking for someone is not very hard. Android system is very good at in addressing the long list, Google is good evidence of that.
In addition to desktop widgets list. Desktop widgets have quite a long list, and every time you install a new application of it are going to be more. I don’t know why Google Desktop Widgets isn’t in any of the above a to scroll in the list of features.
We have no way to quickly scroll through the list of desktop widgets, each page in the list will display thumbnails of six small parts, sliding it back and you will see behind the six small parts. I did not install many applications, only the three-page application, but still there are 15 pages of small parts. This means that if you want to find the latest installation of widgets, sliding screen 15 times total, there is no faster way. And I’m sure there are plenty of people more than the applications that I installed.
Why desktop widget for Android system to abolish all convenient scrolling feature is the list? You cannot be accelerated scrolling, drag the scroll bar slider, and there is no search feature. Page through design is very suitable for application list, arranged very close, but for small parts, do not apply, and often come with multiple small parts, small parts list page displays only six. For example Pure Calendar app comes with 14 small parts, only small parts of this app has more than two pages, which makes small parts list will very quickly become very long.
We can have many choices to make easier to use the desktop widget list, Google has chosen one of the most user friendly slow-minimum of one, simple list copied application, but it does not take into account widget thumbnail the screen area is much larger than the application icon.
Return the key on the lock screen interface bug
During the test, we found that returns after the screen lock key may also be displayed on the soft key bar, and once you find this happens once, so you’ll often see it after.
Notification whether the album column?
Left: from the album icon to start. Right: start photo albums from the camera. Both a notification bar in one that is not. Why hide the notification bar in vertical screen mode? Nexus 4 photographs size ratio is 4:3, while the aspect ratio of the screen is 16:10, so we did not lack display space in the vertical direction. Cross photo album screen mode is always hide the notification bar.
Summary
Although Android 4.2 system has all these defects, but we also have Google engineers work hard to solve the problem. As mentioned earlier, one of the Android systems features improved speed is amazing, in the space of a few years Android has come a long way, and it went well. Android user experience leader madiyasi·duaerte said:
“We do still have a lot of work to do, I think it is neat, smooth and beautiful aspects of the system, we can only achieve the desired goal of one-third, I’ve got to get back to work. ”
Distance really perfect Android system still has a long way to go, particularly picky users like us, so now back to work!
Source: androidpolice