The "scrolling smoothness" issue - Nexus 7 vs iPad 2

[douglerner]

While you can see from my numerous posts that I have become a huge Nexus 7 and Android fan, and I think the Android OS is superior to iOS in that it lets you get more things done, I have to say that the scrolling experience in the iPad 2 is still better than in the Nexus 7.

I don't know if it is the OS or the apps themselves, but scrolling seems to be more "picky and sticky" on the Nexus 7 than on the iPad. The apps I use are things like Chrome, FaceBook, Zite, Currents, HuffPost, etc.

On the Nexus 7 the scrolling experience is a tad jerky. And sometimes if you are scrolling by touching in "not quite the right place" you have to try again. This never happens in the iPad 2 in mobile Safari or those same iOS version of the above apps. Scrolling is always smoother on the iPad 2.

I'm not saying the experience on the Nexus 7 is bad, I'm just saying, despite all its other benefits, it isn't as smooth an experience as the iPad 2 when using apps with scrolling. I wonder why that is so?

I've seen some online lab tests reporting the same thing with game apps.

What do others think?

doug

 

[tr-1]

I don't know why it's specific to those apps but it certainly isn't the case for every scrolling app.
The worst offender is Chrome and it's surprising since it's Google's baby, so to speak. If you think it's jerky now, you should have seen it a year ago.... They are improving it though

 

[jerrykur]

I don't think so, but perhaps that is because I have a iPad 3. The retina display takes a lot of GPU/CPU cycle to drive and things are sometimes all that smooth. In contrast my Nexus 7 is smooth as glass. When I get the iPad 5 I will interested to see if Apple smoothed things out and compare to my Nexus 7.

 

[douglerner]

I don't know why it's specific to those apps but it certainly isn't the case for every scrolling app.
The worst offender is Chrome and it's surprising since it's Google's baby, so to speak. If you think it's jerky now, you should have seen it a year ago.... They are improving it though

Yes, Chrome scrolling on the Nexus 7 could definitely be smoother.

doug

 

[douglerner]

I don't think so, but perhaps that is because I have a iPad 3. The retina display takes a lot of GPU/CPU cycle to drive and things are sometimes all that smooth. In contrast my Nexus 7 is smooth as glass. When I get the iPad 5 I will interested to see if Apple smoothed things out and compare to my Nexus 7.

Interesting. I haven't really tried the iPad 3. Next time I'm in a store I'll compare. I wasn't enticed by the iPad 3, despite the retina display, because it got heavier and takes more time to charge than the iPad 2.

doug

 

[TraderGary]

Doug, just so you feel better about your choice, "retina display" is a marketing term and not a technology. Apple's retina display is nothing more than a high resolution IPS display just like the IPS display on the Nexus 7. Except that the iPad 3 resolution is 262 ppi whereas the Nexus 7 resolution is higher at 323 ppi. Your N7 actually has the sharper screen.

Nexus 7 (2013)

 

[douglerner]

Doug, just so you feel better about your choice, "retina display" is a marketing term and not a technology. Apple's retina display is nothing more than a high resolution IPS display just like the IPS display on the Nexus 7. Except that the iPad 3 resolution is 262 ppi whereas the Nexus 7 resolution is higher at 323 ppi. Your N7 actually has the sharper screen.

Nexus 7 (2013)

I feel fine about my choice.

I'm just trying to be objective about the positives and negatives.

I don't have an iPad 3. I still have the older iPad 2.

When I notice the higher PPI advantage is when looking at the iPad Mini. The Nexus 7 2013 display is a lot nicer. You can see the individual pixels on the iPad Mini, which is a bit annoying to look at in the store. The same is true for the iPad 2, but for some reason it's not as glaring. Maybe unless you are comparing them side-by-side it doesn't make much difference.

Well, I'm rambling here.

doug

 

[physioprof]

The iPad Mini screen is abysmal.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[douglerner]

The iPad Mini screen is abysmal.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using AC Forums mobile app

Yes, I wasn't pleased by how the iPad Mini screen looked at the store.

I was thinking about the scrolling on the Nexus 7. Like I said, it's not "bad" - but it's not as "smooth" as on the iPad 2. We know that the resolution on the Nexus is much better. It is a beautiful screen. And we know the cpu is faster, and that it has much more memory. So I wonder what the cause could be. Something fundamental in the screen technology itself?

doug

 

[tflash]

It makes it hard to evaluate the interface responsiveness if the touch screen is as flaky as the new N7.
To scroll properly you have to drag your finger across the screen. If the screen connects and disconnects sensing the touch during a 'drag' it makes it look like software lag.

 

[UJ95x]

While you can see from my numerous posts that I have become a huge Nexus 7 and Android fan, and I think the Android OS is superior to iOS in that it lets you get more things done, I have to say that the scrolling experience in the iPad 2 is still better than in the Nexus 7.

I don't know if it is the OS or the apps themselves, but scrolling seems to be more "picky and sticky" on the Nexus 7 than on the iPad. The apps I use are things like Chrome, FaceBook, Zite, Currents, HuffPost, etc.

On the Nexus 7 the scrolling experience is a tad jerky. And sometimes if you are scrolling by touching in "not quite the right place" you have to try again. This never happens in the iPad 2 in mobile Safari or those same iOS version of the above apps. Scrolling is always smoother on the iPad 2.

I'm not saying the experience on the Nexus 7 is bad, I'm just saying, despite all its other benefits, it isn't as smooth an experience as the iPad 2 when using apps with scrolling. I wonder why that is so?

I've seen some online lab tests reporting the same thing with game apps.

What do others think?

doug

I think it's the other way around from my experience. I've used the N7 for a while (not mine) and it scrolls smooth, no stutter or "lag." Ever since the iOS 7 update my iPad 2 isn't anywhere near as smooth as the N7. Could be the software update not being optimized as well but I definitely think the Nexus is a lot more smooth and consistent

 

[douglerner]

Well, like I said, the Nexus 7 is definitely not bad at all. It just seems like side-by-side scrolling experiences in Chrome on the Nexus vs Safari on the iPad 2, or in similar apps like Zite or Facebook that scrolling is smoother on the iPad 2.

The effect is admittedly subtle. I don't think anybody would pick up the Nexus 7 and think, "Oh. This has scrolling problems." Far from it. It's just more obvious if you go back and forth between devices. Much like the beauty of the screen itself. I think the iPad 2 screen looks great. But if I do a direct comparison with the iPad 3 screen or Nexus 7 screen the difference is awesome.

All said, I reach for my Nexus 7 multiple times each day now, and often let my iPad 2 sit for days at a time without touching it. I think that says it all right there.

I don't want anybody thinking of purchasing a Nexus 7 to read my thread here and then not purchase because of this. I give the Nexus 7 a five-star review.

In fact, for my next smart phone (in another year) I will seriously consider whatever Android models are available there instead of upgrading my current iPhone 5 to whatever iPhone is available then.

doug

 

[jerrykur]

Doug,

If the rumors are correct, you might consider the new iPad mini with a retina display that is supposed to be announced on the 22nd. If the leaks are correct it has the A7 chip that is in the iPhone 5s. That system has a very fast GPU which should be more than enough to handle the increase in resolution created by the Retina display.

Assuming the larger iPad 5 is announced I plan on getting one for one of daughter's birthday. (and a Macbook Pro 13 Retina for me!).

Jerry

 

[douglerner]

Doug,

If the rumors are correct, you might consider the new iPad mini with a retina display that is supposed to be announced on the 22nd. If the leaks are correct it has the A7 chip that is in the iPhone 5s. That system has a very fast GPU which should be more than enough to handle the increase in resolution created by the Retina display.

Assuming the larger iPad 5 is announced I plan on getting one for one of daughter's birthday. (and a Macbook Pro 13 Retina for me!).

Jerry

And don't forget my birthday is June 3.

doug

 

[anon(5780458)]

Java needs to die. Anything Java lags. Java on desktop lags (Eclipse), Java on phones lags worse. No amount of on-paper comparisons will ever make Java applications as a whole run as smooth as native code.

Java apps on a top of the line desktop with a native OS like Windows lag. Half of the Android OS is Java...

A $100 Windows phone is smoother than an $800 Android phone.

 

[kenyee]

Java apps on a top of the line desktop with a native OS like Windows lag. Half of the Android OS is Java...

Technically, it's translated to Dalvik or ART. Windows Phone actually runs C# and .Net which is also a JVM, though it feels faster (same as most Windows desktop apps nowadays)...

 

[barth2]

Hi, I was just going to post something a long the same line about n7.2 vs iPad 3.

I can't tell if iit is the nexus or android because this is my first android device ever, but the touch/scrolling is at once too fast sometimes and sticky and other times. like many times I tap something on the n7 and nothing happens and I'm like, are my fingers too calloused or what? But I switch to the iPad and it's fine.

I run the multi touch test app and it sees my touches fine, so doesn't seem like a hw problem.

I think the problem is android apps are not consistent in how they interpret touch. Too sensitive at times yet unresponsive at other times. Somehow, the touch UI doesn't feel transparent. On iPad, I don't think about it except when it's a graphic heavy page and everything slows down, but I expect that.

Mind you, the nexus is FASTER. My iPad is almost 3yo now. But the iPad feels like a luxury sedan whereas the nexus feels like being in a porsche with a driver who hasn't quite mastered stick shift, if you know what I mean.

 

[jerrykur]

Technically, it's translated to Dalvik or ART. Windows Phone actually runs C# and .Net which is also a JVM, though it feels faster (same as most Windows desktop apps nowadays)...

Small technical nit. No JVM for the Windows lanaguages and .Net libraries,since JVM=Java Virtual Machine. As with Java language code, VB.net, C#, etc are compiled in a bytecode which is executed on a virtual machines, but the implementation of the VMs is considerably different .

 

[jerrykur]

Mind you, the nexus is FASTER. My iPad is almost 3yo now. But the iPad feels like a luxury sedan whereas the nexus feels like being in a porsche with a driver who hasn't quite mastered stick shift, if you know what I mean.

I have noticed the same thing even with the iPad Air. The iPad feels to me like the old smooth scroll that used to be on terminals. It made everything looks smoother, but sacrificed some performance to achieve it. But, this seems to work well for Apple and is in keeping with their desire for a smoother/consistent user experience.

 

[anon(5780458)]

Small technical nit. No JVM for the Windows lanaguages and .Net libraries,since JVM=Java Virtual Machine. As with Java language code, VB.net, C#, etc are compiled in a bytecode which is executed on a virtual machines, but the implementation of the VMs is considerably different .

.NET WinForms uses native Win32 API to render buttons, textboxes and some controls. The application code is .NET but the UI is (mostly) native with callbacks to your .NET event handlers.