Is Android lacking when it comes to tablet optimized apps?

[Evoken]

As someone who is planning to buy a Nexus 7 (or 10 depending on what Google presents in their upcoming event), I am wondering if when I get the tablet I wil end up using smartphone apps scaled to fit my tablet for the most part as opposed to apps that are made and optimized for tablets.

I keep hearing this complain about how Android lacks when it comes to tablet optimized apps and how iOS has the clear advantage here. So, how are things really? Is there a serious lack of tablet ready apps or do most of the common apps already have a tablet version?

What has been your experience as Android tablet user?

 

[jjhoneck]

I've heard this, too. After almost 3 months with my Nexus 7, and two years with my (now sold) iPad, I don't know what they're talking about. I've got everything I ever had on the iPad on my N7...

Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[a1kemist]

I don't have any problems on my 7" even if it's not labeled as a tablet version. 10" might be a different story but anything I run on my phone runs fine on the N7.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[Nychotxxx]

I've had all three ipads and still have the ipad 3. I also have a nexus 7. On it i have virtually all of the 149 apps i have on the ipad. Either the same or better on the N7.

 

[jimbarr]

I think it's fair to say that there are many, many Android tablet-optimized apps. It's just that they get lost in the sea of Android phone apps. Apple has a delineation between iPhone and iPad apps, and developers have focused heavily on iPad apps--a platform that is pretty consistent form model to model--resulting in a diverse selection. But Android tablet platforms are very diverse in size and capability, so it's difficult to come up with apps that are compatible, and more importantly, effective on all models. This is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that the consumer has choice, and it drives competition--big win for consumers. The curse is that it becomes a development nightmare when you have to accommodate a myriad of sizes and capabilities, many of which may be completely unknown to the developer. If developers could use the N7 as a reference platform, I'd speculate that its tablet-centric apps could scale nicely to larger forms. That said. platforms like the Nexus 7 are driving a lot of development and updates. This is an obvious win for N7 users, a win for other tablet users who may be able to use the revised apps, and a win for future platforms.

This really is an exciting time IF Google and developers stay on track.

My only real nitpick with tablet apps is that to me, "tablet" doesn't simply mean, "landscape". It means useful on a tablet size in both portrait as well as landscape, taking advantage of the larger form factor regardless of orientation. But that's just me....

 

[Caldera]

Yes, but it's getting better. There's a good article at Ars about this very subject.

 

[phonohead]

I notice how some of the app icons gets sort of "blown" a bit out of proportions, whereas on my phone they are crystal clear. This should be the least of a problem for dev's to fix. Having the apps come with a set of 16x16 to 32x32 sized icons can't be that much of a hassle, regardless of make and model?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[petefromphilly]

There are many tablet optimized apps and more are heading that way..

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[YAYTech]

I've run into very few apps that don't look and work perfectly on my N7. I think the whole "tablet-optimized" thing is blown out of proportion - most apps work just as well on either whether or not they're "optimized". As for app availability, it's pretty much a wash. I know of one app on iOS that I wish was on Android (Square's cash register app), and it seems like I've come across 1-2 others that I can't recall. Most apps are available on both, and some are Android-only and iOS is missing out.

 

[dextorboot]

Agreed. Even in the side by side in todays demo the difference didn't really strike me as significant. I only have 1 app that doesn't look good on the N7 because of the space (it also happens to be the most iPhone like app I have). But considering it's just a portal to a website that I know doesn't have the resources to make tablet specific apps, it's actually easier to just use the website instead of the app. Function-wise it lacks even as a phone app.

 

[Ry]

This is significant, even in landscape.

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

This is significant, even in landscape.

http://d35lb3dl296zwu.cloudfront.net/uploads/photo/image/8954/ipadmini_0598.jpg

http://d35lb3dl296zwu.cloudfront.net/uploads/photo/image/8953/ipadmini_0587.jpg

They cherry picked that.

 

[MJKearney]

Anybody can hand pick anything to make a point. It doesn't necessarily make that point valid. Not every app looks perfect on the N7, but most look very good. Luckily, there are so many apps from which to choose, it's simple to just choose an alternative to the rare one that the developer hasn't yet optimized.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

 

[Ry]

They cherry picked that.

Should I cherry pick more?

 

[Ry]

Anybody can hand pick anything to make a point. It doesn't necessarily make that point valid. Not every app looks perfect on the N7, but most look very good. Luckily, there are so many apps from which to choose, it's simple to just choose an alternative to the rare one that the developer hasn't yet optimized.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Android Central Forums

Yelp, TripAdvisor, Twitter, Facebook, and Dropbox are quite popular apps.

And if a developer hasn't yet optimized their Android tablet version, yes - they are behind.

 

[dmmarck]

I wouldn't consider Yelp, TripAdvisor, Twitter, Facebook, and Dropbox "rare" apps.

Facebook is admittedly very, very poor on Android.

You should cherry pick YouTube and Maps for the next round .

 

[Ry]

Facebook is admittedly very, very poor on Android.

You should cherry pick YouTube and Maps for the next round .

sidenote: Are you using Chrome? I'm getting the double-post thing a lot too.

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

Should I cherry pick more?

Please do.

 

[dmmarck]

Are you using Chrome? I'm getting the double-post thing a lot too.

Yes. It's also affecting Firefox and Tapatalk users.

Instead of using Quick Reply, go to "Advanced." That'll help.

Of course, my muscle memory tells me otherwise...lol

 

[Ry]

Facebook is admittedly very, very poor on Android.

You should cherry pick YouTube and Maps for the next round .

There's a Google Maps app for iPad?