WARNING: Wall o' text coming up, thank you for reading.
I currently have a Nokia Lumia 800 Windows Phone, and since I like to try different smartphone experiences I consider Android for my next handset.
The thing is, however, that I find Android as an OS to be "hard to see through". What I mean by that is I see smartphones being sold today with older versions of the OS and even some new devices come to the market today with Android 4.1.x (e.g. LG Optimus G if I remember correctly?) when I have heard that 4.2 is the newest version as of this date. I want the newest and best, and I want a smartphone that isn't forgotten and left with old software a month or two after purchase. And I'm not sure how to be sure I get that with Android..?
That being said, there are key features in the user experience that I, due to the fact that I have no experience with Android, don't understand. Widgets for instance. What exactly do you use them for, do you download them separately in the Google Play Store or can any app be put on one of the many start screens as a widget? Speaking of start screens, how many can you have? And what are their purpose really? I know you have access to an app-list like it is for instance seen on iOS, but do the multiple start screens simply serve as alternative app lists where you can put what you desire or is there more to it?
My next concern is about the apps and software on my device. It has come to my attention that currently the only "clean" Android experience comes with the LG Nexus 4, all other manufacturers tend to put their own "touch" on top of the UI, with varied degrees if success, perhaps? This actually leeds back to the question of Android being hard to see through, for when LG, HTC, Samsung, Huawei and many more alter the OS, how can I know what I get? How can I be sure I won't end up with a phone with a lot of potential that none the less runs slowly and is a pain to use due to some weird UI that some geniuses somewhere thought was clever? Is it possible to disable such an UI and simply run the clean Android experience? Not that I don't believe in the potential values of such UI's, I just once again want to be sure I buy a quality product with quality hardware and software.
Lastly, as far as I understand Android is open source (please correct me if I'm wrong) meaning you can change almost anything. To what degree do you use so-called "icon packs", separately downloaded keyboards, launchers and such things? Is it even necessary? It appears to me that the many possibilities can be a weakness in the OS as much as a strength because it can make it difficult for the consumer to find the best alternatives in the myriad of options which in worst case can result in a mediocre user experience, but once again this may very well be because of my lack of experience with Android.
Though I have been active at WPcentral, this is my first post here, so I'll let this serve as an introduction as well. I'm 19, live in Denmark and I hope to engage in interesting debates and discussions about new and interesting trends in the world of the smartphone and tablet and, of course, Android (once I get the hang on things). I don't like fanboyism as I believe in seeing things from different perspectives and in the value of options instead of a one-size-fits-all approach to things. Well, I'll have to admit that I am rather fond of the coloured and re-sizeable titles of Windows Phone, but that is for another forum I suppose. ;-)
I'll see you around. Thank you in advance for answering my questions regarding Android. :-D
I currently have a Nokia Lumia 800 Windows Phone, and since I like to try different smartphone experiences I consider Android for my next handset.
The thing is, however, that I find Android as an OS to be "hard to see through". What I mean by that is I see smartphones being sold today with older versions of the OS and even some new devices come to the market today with Android 4.1.x (e.g. LG Optimus G if I remember correctly?) when I have heard that 4.2 is the newest version as of this date. I want the newest and best, and I want a smartphone that isn't forgotten and left with old software a month or two after purchase. And I'm not sure how to be sure I get that with Android..?
That being said, there are key features in the user experience that I, due to the fact that I have no experience with Android, don't understand. Widgets for instance. What exactly do you use them for, do you download them separately in the Google Play Store or can any app be put on one of the many start screens as a widget? Speaking of start screens, how many can you have? And what are their purpose really? I know you have access to an app-list like it is for instance seen on iOS, but do the multiple start screens simply serve as alternative app lists where you can put what you desire or is there more to it?
My next concern is about the apps and software on my device. It has come to my attention that currently the only "clean" Android experience comes with the LG Nexus 4, all other manufacturers tend to put their own "touch" on top of the UI, with varied degrees if success, perhaps? This actually leeds back to the question of Android being hard to see through, for when LG, HTC, Samsung, Huawei and many more alter the OS, how can I know what I get? How can I be sure I won't end up with a phone with a lot of potential that none the less runs slowly and is a pain to use due to some weird UI that some geniuses somewhere thought was clever? Is it possible to disable such an UI and simply run the clean Android experience? Not that I don't believe in the potential values of such UI's, I just once again want to be sure I buy a quality product with quality hardware and software.
Lastly, as far as I understand Android is open source (please correct me if I'm wrong) meaning you can change almost anything. To what degree do you use so-called "icon packs", separately downloaded keyboards, launchers and such things? Is it even necessary? It appears to me that the many possibilities can be a weakness in the OS as much as a strength because it can make it difficult for the consumer to find the best alternatives in the myriad of options which in worst case can result in a mediocre user experience, but once again this may very well be because of my lack of experience with Android.
Though I have been active at WPcentral, this is my first post here, so I'll let this serve as an introduction as well. I'm 19, live in Denmark and I hope to engage in interesting debates and discussions about new and interesting trends in the world of the smartphone and tablet and, of course, Android (once I get the hang on things). I don't like fanboyism as I believe in seeing things from different perspectives and in the value of options instead of a one-size-fits-all approach to things. Well, I'll have to admit that I am rather fond of the coloured and re-sizeable titles of Windows Phone, but that is for another forum I suppose. ;-)
I'll see you around. Thank you in advance for answering my questions regarding Android. :-D
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