Disappointed with Soft Keys

[Comineeyeaha]

No, that's not the case. Developers, and others, have been criticizing Google hard, and rightly so, about fragmentation. ICS is a step to remove fragmentation. There are two major steps you notice right away.

1. If you've owned more than one Android phone, as I have, you get real frustrated not remembering where the home and back keys are. Each manufacturer puts them in a different spot. In fact, some manufacturers have them in different spots on different models. These keys are used more than almost any on the phone. It drives people crazy. That will NEVER, EVER happen again. Every new Android device, starting with Honeycomb going forward will always have the same back, home and app list button layout. It will be soft buttons so that no manufacturer can arrange them differently. Period. No customization. No more fragmentation.

2. The theme and layout in Ice Cream sandwich is called Holo. Going forward any device Android 4.0 or higher that gets approved for the Android Market MUST adhere to the use of the Holo theme. No Holo theme, no Android Market. Period.

Fragmentation will be dealt with if the device has the Google name and access to the market.

That's not entirely accurate. All this means is that the phone has to follow the same framework and menus, it doesn't mean the end to skinned phones. You will still see OEM skins, but when you have a pop up alert, or when you go in to the settings, that will have the Holo theme. For a good example, take a look at the ICS leak for the SGS2: Ice Cream Sandwich ROM for the Samsung Galaxy S II leaks, TouchWiz included. This leak came out before it was announced that phones will have to adhere to Holo, so it may still see some changes, but if you watch the video on there, pay attention to the settings menu. It has the same layout as the Gnex.

 

[Gnoah]

Root.

hth

 

[TabGuy]

yup, but why can't phones have a dialer amongst the soft keys? That IS the primary function for a phone.

For me, if I make a dozen calls on this phone per month it'd be a big month.

 

[TabGuy]

Then why do people have an aversion to rooting their devices? I mean seriously .. I have root on MY Ubuntu box, root on my MacbookPro, Admin in my Win7 VM and admin on both my Cisco E4200 Wifi/Router and admin on my Comcast Business connection. Why on God's green Earth would I leave root or let myself be at the mercy of a carrier or a manufacturer?

For some of us this is a corporate owned phone. Rooting and violating the warranty may be against corporate policy.

 

[Mr. Orange 645]

Here's my opinion and none of it is meant as disparaging to the OP.

1. I love the soft keys. They are done well and are very responsive. Could they be improved? Sure. Can't everything be improved somehow? But you have to remember the phone is shipped with the stock PURE vanilla Android experience and is made to function out of the box for the average consumer who doesn't root and/or extensively customize.

2. This us a Nexus device, which means that Google left it open to root and customize it however you want. That's the point of a Nexus device. If you don't want to root, then you accept that there are concessions you have to make. But if you really want to change and customize it, then take 15 minutes and root it. More than any other line of phones since the OG Droid, that is exactly what this phone is for.

3. While some people come across as harsh here, I don't think the majority of them are trying to insult youbu saying take the phone back. It may just be that you should wait for a more refined version of the OS to come out on a future phone. As it stands right now, you can't have your cake and ear it too. If you want to customize features at the level of the OS framework, you have to root. Its always been that way. If you don't want to root, then hopefully you can be happy with the stock OS, which in my opinion is a fantastic experience bone stock.

In the meantime, I like to customize and I know this device was MADE to be rooted.

 

[Comineeyeaha]

In the meantime, I like to customize and I know this device was MADE to be rooted.

Click to view quoted image

I like your toggles, where did that come from?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

[Droid800]

Seriously, what research? From what little we knew, we knew the buttons disappeared when video was shown. That's it. There was zero confirmation of editing those buttons other than that they said the search button would be gone and 3 dots would come up. What super knowledge did you have?

And what Nexus owner would say having control over the buttons is to much control.

I'll keep saying tho, it's lack of multitasking as compared to other androids with the previous os, is not good.

It multitasks as well as any other version of android. If apps aren't updated, however, they won't work with it.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

[Pengwn]

I love the soft keys so far!

The only gripe I have with them is obviously, the settings key. The only thing that gets to me is how you never know where the key will be as apps keep switching it from the top to the bottom. Keep it consistent folks!

 

[Gasaraki]

I'm kinda thinking this is 4.0.2 .. ie. the first version with softkeys so who knows what 4.1 or later will bring. To think that one can theme Android without root is pie in the sky wishing because it's never been this way with any part of Android unless one ran a different launcher then the default.

I love my blue keys and circle mods for the battery and the 3G/4G symbols .. really awesome. I'm glad I unlocked it 30 minutes after buying it on release day.

Hey where did you get the 3G/4G symbols? I want to change mine too. I kinda like the Motorola 4GLTE symbol better then these Samsung ones.

 

[yosteve]

It multitasks as well as any other version of android. If apps aren't updated, however, they won't work with

no it doesn't, watch a video then, pause to send a text, you won't be back at the video pause. Try it on a rezound, experia, incredible, it works fine, all previous versions.

To say that it's because the app isn't updated is worse cause you're basically saying the stock browser isn't optimized properly for its own phone.

how do you not know your phone?

 

[mharris7ster]

The soft buttons need to disappear when browsing. Like the original post said, I do not want to web browse on a 4.3" screen. I want to browse on a 4.65" screen. I really hope some one with greater knowledge than me works this out very soon. And BTW, for those of you with those skills, I really appreciate all that you do!

 

[Comineeyeaha]

no it doesn't, watch a video then, pause to send a text, you won't be back at the video pause. Try it on a rezound, experia, incredible, it works fine, all previous versions.

To say that it's because the app isn't updated is worse cause you're basically saying the stock browser isn't optimized properly for its own phone.

how do you not know your phone?

I just tested this exact same scenario, and it worked perfectly fine for me. Ok, I didn't send a text, but I switched over to load a website. I did it with the task switcher, and I also did it by using the home key to go out of each app. Did this a few different ways, and it always took me back to where I was in the video. I even switched over to another app before hitting pause on the video, and it still worked.

 

[yosteve]

I just tested this exact same scenario, and it worked perfectly fine for me. Ok, I didn't send a text, but I switched over to load a website. I did it with the task switcher, and I also did it by using the home key to go out of each app. Did this a few different ways, and it always took me back to where I was in the video. I even switched over to another app before hitting pause on the video, and it still worked.

I meant online video. Like at fox.com

 

[osubeavs728]

I'll keep saying tho, it's lack of multitasking as compared to other androids with the previous os, is not good.

Why haven't you taken your phone back? All your posts are you just whining and trying to get people to hate the "lack of multitasking," which obviously isn't working out for you that great.

 

[davey11]

I like your toggles, where did that come from?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

Those are from AOKP ... doesn't gummy have similar ones?

 

[yosteve]

My intent is for greater understanding of a feature that most android phones have. GNex owners don't even know it exists for some reason. And it's not a preference thing. It's not like a missing button or a skin item. It's basic functionality. I've googled it and apparently no one talks about it.it's not even an issue. I can't be the only one who sees this white elephant in the room.

The phone makes up for it on every other way. That's why i'm keeping it. My battery is also up to 10-15 hours.

Answer me this question have you experienced what i'm referring to while you use the phone.

Start typing something in a browser like on yahoo news, minimize the window to send a text and come back to it and it's gone cause it had to refresh.

We're on the same team

 

[osubeavs728]

I understand where you're coming from, I also understand why you're trying to bring it up. But at the same time if it has to actually be searched for or pointed out, even to people who know more about the phone than most, then it must not be that big of a deal for the majority of users. I've personally never experienced it, or maybe I have? Point is, it's not a big enough deal for ME to have noticed. Although, I'm sure the issue will be resolved with later releases.

 

[dbareis]

when they turn into those little dots, they are hard to see at all

Hate the dots also and I can't see them, if anything they should go a pale grey.

 

[Comineeyeaha]

My intent is for greater understanding of a feature that most android phones have. GNex owners don't even know it exists for some reason. And it's not a preference thing. It's not like a missing button or a skin item. It's basic functionality. I've googled it and apparently no one talks about it.it's not even an issue. I can't be the only one who sees this white elephant in the room.

The phone makes up for it on every other way. That's why i'm keeping it. My battery is also up to 10-15 hours.

Answer me this question have you experienced what i'm referring to while you use the phone.

Start typing something in a browser like on yahoo news, minimize the window to send a text and come back to it and it's gone cause it had to refresh.

We're on the same team

No need to test, but that's because I do this all the time and it works fine for me. As to your video thing, I didn't test that, but I can a little later. I want to mention that I'm doing these things not as a way to say "you're wrong, you're wrong, wrong wrong wrong", I just want to help see if we can find out what's common, and what's an isolated error. I work in tech support, so it's in my nature

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

[jafels]

My intent is for greater understanding of a feature that most android phones have. GNex owners don't even know it exists for some reason. And it's not a preference thing. It's not like a missing button or a skin item. It's basic functionality. I've googled it and apparently no one talks about it.it's not even an issue. I can't be the only one who sees this white elephant in the room.

The phone makes up for it on every other way. That's why i'm keeping it. My battery is also up to 10-15 hours.

Answer me this question have you experienced what i'm referring to while you use the phone.

Start typing something in a browser like on yahoo news, minimize the window to send a text and come back to it and it's gone cause it had to refresh.

We're on the same team

I can type something on a page like this and go to another app...and then come right back and finish typing exactly where i left off......in fact i just started typing this, went to my messaging app texted mh wife and came back and finished using my multitasking....