Standardization, why can't we have some?

[3rdpig]

I'm not talking about making every phone identical, but for God's sakes, why can't we get simple things like the power button and USB port location and orientation standardized? Would it be that hard?

For example, my Droid 2 had the power button on the top right, my Bionic has it top left. The USB port on the D2 is high on the left with the large side facing the user. On the Bionic it's low left with the small side facing the user. And this is from the same manufacturer!

It seems like a minor thing, but I've had to modify or replace my car holder and desktop holder to accommodate the differing locations when otherwise they would have worked fine. And I know damn well I'll have to do it again for the next phone.

And I want the camera button back dammit!

Ok, I'm done now. I feel somewhat better for having ranted. :-[

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

There are many factors. Carrier request, internal layout of the PCB, and, yes, accessory makers. If things were in a standard place you'd have no reason to replace all the accessories you bought 10 years ago! Accessory sales is a huge industry, and the last thing they want is standardization of the things you mentioned.

 

[droidmyme]

Lol. FWIW, I am totally with you OP. This just seems like one of those obvious good ideas. I dont expect every phone to be 100% standard, no. Maybe just a few small things would be nice though

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[Ry]

There are many factors. Carrier request, internal layout of the PCB, and, yes, accessory makers. If things were in a standard place you'd have no reason to replace all the accessories you bought 10 years ago! Accessory sales is a huge industry, and the last thing they want is standardization of the things you mentioned.

Actually, if things were more standard, accessory makers would probably make more for Android phones. They love churning out iPhone accessories.

 

[Ry]

Lol. FWIW, I am totally with you OP. This just seems like one of those obvious good ideas. I dont expect every phone to be 100% standard, no. Maybe just a few small things would be nice though

Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk 2

I'd argue that since the DROID Bionic, Motorola has done a good job with the micro USB and micro HDMI ports on their webtop-enabled devices.

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

Actually, if things were more standard, accessory makers would probably make more for Android phones. They love churning out iPhone accessories.

Which has a non standard connector...

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[droidmyme]

Which has a non standard connector...

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Yeah but it's Apple. C'mon dude...

;P

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[Ry]

Which has a non standard connector...

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And? There are probably more devices out that use that connector than Android phones in the world.

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

But every Android phone has a USB connector. Just make everything work with that. AND it's already a standard.

 

[Ry]

But every Android phone has a USB connector. Just make everything work with that. AND it's already a standard.

Of course USB is already a standard.

I'm speaking on volume.

And more than just connectors. Look at how many docks and cases there are for iOS devices.

If Android became "more standardized" in the OP's sense, there would be less choice.

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

Of course USB is already a standard.

I'm speaking on volume.

And more than just connectors. Look at how many docks and cases there are for iOS devices.

If Android became "more standardized" in the OP's sense, there would be less choice.

Wouldn't that be more choice? Unless I'm reading it wrong. More standardized would give me more options, since more companies accessories would work with my phone, correct? There are a ton of iPhone accessories for this very reason. A company can make a speaker dock and know that there are millions of potential customers. Not so with Android, which is really one of it's big downfalls. You have to get a really popular Android phone to get the cool stuff.

 

[Ry]

Wouldn't that be more choice? Unless I'm reading it wrong. More standardized would give me more options, since more companies accessories would work with my phone, correct? There are a ton of iPhone accessories for this very reason. A company can make a speaker dock and know that there are millions of potential customers. Not so with Android, which is really one of it's big downfalls. You have to get a really popular Android phone to get the cool stuff.

I was referring to choice in the number of different form-factors that Android manufacturers would produce.

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

I was referring to choice in the number of different form-factors that Android manufacturers would produce.

Got it. Then yes it would be. But having less than a bajillion phones come out in a year wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, either.

(not sure on the spelling of bajillion)

 

[davidk365]

This is what Android is about: choices/differentiation/do whatever you wish to do
This is one of the reasons why iPhone so successful.
I understand why a lot of people have switched to Android and didn't like it.
People don't like changes. People (nowadays) don't like to adapt to changes.
But we are human. We have to learn to adapt.
People today are so used to being habitual.
Imagine the cave men just lived and moved on, and didn't learn to adapt to the environment around them.

 

[_Zguy__]

Well to standardise they would have to agreebon where to place buttons.
I would say power button right side, volume left micro usb bottom headphone either top or bottom, but plenty others would disagree
Everyone points to apple as standardised but there are differences between ipod touch, iphone and ipad

 

[3rdpig]

I wouldn't Android to go the way of the iPhone, with everything exactly the same and all the connectors proprietary. That would take a lot of the fun and excitement out of it, at least for me.

But it also seems counter productive to me to have things so hugely varied. Just look at screens, 3.5", 4.0" 4.3", 4.65", 4.8", 5.3", etc, etc. There must be a 8 - 10 different screen sizes. This alone keeps accessory costs up and availability down. And when a new phone comes out it can be weeks before accessories appear. And once your phone is 6 months old it's dropped from inventory and forgotten.

I don't have any answers and I'm not sure anyone does, what with so many manufacturers making so many phones and all vying to hold the top spot, if only for a few weeks.

On a better note, I found a neat car mount from Ram Mounts called the X grip. It holds any phone securely from my Droid 2 with no case all the way up to my Bionic in a Trident Aegis case.