What are your impressions of Android L?

[VDub2174]

If you're watching the livestream of Google I/O, what do you think of Android L as they discuss it more?

Google announces the next version of Android

 

[trido#AC]

I like what I see.Do I need to worry if today I go buy the Samsung S5 ATT will ATT/Samsung updated it to L latter?
Or way way too soon to tell?

 

[thatguy97]

Too soon but I'm sure we'll get it remember it comes in the fall so I think the s5 will get the update in early 2015 that's just a prediction depends on carriers updating their bloat

Posted from my Nexus 7 2013 or Samsung galaxy S5

 

[Ccota08]

I like it, but it'll be weird getting used to having Chrome tabs in the Recents menu.

Also, I'm a bit confused as to why they changed the home button icon to a circle.

 

[Ry]

I like the new multitasking interface. Visually, L looks evolutionary rather than revolutionary. But I think that's a good thing.

 

[diarm]

looks good to me. as others have said, parts of it look a lot like sense 6.
project volta looks the most promising aspect for me and if we get little else but a decent battery improvement i'll be very happy.

 

[draconianchaos]

I'm intrigued. Laptop was dead when I woke up so I'm waiting until the entire keynote is available to rewatch. Excited for multi device integration.

 

[anon(8730639)]

It's meh. Better than iOS 8, but I don't like all of the new visual tweaks that they did (software buttons look really ugly) and I don't like that Google is also filing up my recents with stuff besides apps (not everyone uses Chrome). Things like Art being the default runtime and unlocking with a smart watch are great, but the big problems of Android are still there. The problems that Android has are still there and seems like Google isn't trying to fix them and is instead focused more on pushing Google services on everyone. For people who prefer other services to Google services, Android is becoming a worse and worse platform to be on. For those who are fine with how Android is now, L is great, but for those who don't like the path that Android is going, L isn't so good.

 

[austriak]

looks good to me. as others have said, parts of it look a lot like sense 6.
project volta looks the most promising aspect for me and if we get little else but a decent battery improvement i'll be very happy.

Project Volta sounded great until he said it added only 19 minutes of use to his nexus 5. Doesn't seem to improve battery that much.

Overall, after watching Apple's WWDC and Google's I/O, I come away thinking that ios is becoming a little bit more like android and android is becoming a little bit more like IOS.

 

[spawndoodling]

Really impressed (also, while the Back-home-multitask button layout seems a bit odd, it actually looks nice). I think it's a beautiful design upgrade for Android and brings more consistency into the UI. Google Now is awesome and Google has been veering in the cards direction for nearly a year and a half now, so Android has, even in Stock form, looked inconsistent. L really seems like a streamlining of Android's design philosophy.

That being said, I'm a full package guy! I want hardware. And good hardware too. I feel like the writings on the wall for Nexus, but if Android Silver is indeed a real thing, everyone better be bringing it. Stock Android plus an awesome camera with OIS, a low-power battery saving feature, MICROSD, and IP67 would seal the deal.

One of the reason why I've stuck with Samsung and TouchWiz all these years is that my objections to software are nowhere near as intense as my objections to hardware. The Nexus line has looked compelling, but I still have reservations. So this is an exciting step, but I'm still waiting for a Nexus worthy of flagship status.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk

 

[Ray Morgan1]

Opinions on Android L's UI?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5CC65O9g6Q

What are your opinions on Android L? I personally think it's very clean cut and neat, what do you think?

Video above is a DEMO of the UI incase you haven't already seen what Android L will look like

 

[scipper77]

Re: Opinions on Android L's UI?

The only feature that really caught my eye was the ability to never have a lock screen based on personal identification. It would be awesome if you could carry a little token in your pocket that prevents your phone from locking on you. I just reset an old ipod and it is nice not having to enter a password to use it. If I didn't use my phone for work I probably wouldn't use a lock screen.

I do like the 3d effects but that just seems like a way to require devices to need more ram and faster processors. It never fails, with every new generation of android, there is an old generation of devices that are too old to make the jump, making them obsolete by tech standards. Something tells me the jump to "L" will be the straw that breaks the camels back for many devices lie the nexus 4 and maybe the galaxy S3.

 

[nickb64]

Project Volta sounded great until he said it added only 19 minutes of use to his nexus 5. Doesn't seem to improve battery that much.

I think he said 90 minutes

 

[Aquila]

I think he said 90 minutes

We all heard different things . Haha I heard 90%!

Nexus through spacetime

 

[draconianchaos]

I think he said 90 minutes

He did say 90. More importantly that was with the extended battery saving mode enabled. There wasn't commentary on how much project Volta in L on its own increased usage over previous versions of Android.

 

[Alex_Hong]

I quite like the design update actually. It's simpler, cleaner, and more focused. At first glance there seems to be a lot more space as elements seems to be more spaced out, and there seem to be less content in one screen compared to before. But it might not be such a bad thing. It gives more focus to the content that matters. Sure, some of the animation and transitions are a little superfluous, but it gives the UI a sense of liveliness and flow. If they don't take up much resources, sure, why not. I think overall it looks cleaner than Apple's iOS 7/8. Not hundred percent sure about the playstation-esque soft keys though. But I think i'll leave my final judgement until I can play with it myself.

 

[JRDroid]

Re: Opinions on Android L's UI?

It never fails, with every new generation of android, there is an old generation of devices that are too old to make the jump, making them obsolete by tech standards. Something tells me the jump to "L" will be the straw that breaks the camels back for many devices lie the nexus 4 and maybe the galaxy S3.

Well, yes. That is how technology works. You have to leave legacy devices behind to move forward. By the time L launches this fall, the Nexus 4 will be 2 years old and the GS3 will be 2.5 years old. Considering Google and Samsung both only promise 18 months of support, I doubt the GS3 will get it. Nexus 4 might, I give it like a 40% chance.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Prinny Mask]

Re: Opinions on Android L's UI?

The only thing I don't really care about is the geometric onscreen buttons. They look fine in context of their new design language, but I think 2/3 of the buttons used right now are simply better. The tilted triangle as the back button is an improvement; I don't think the looping arrow ever really looked that great on any device that had a modified version of it; but you can still pretty much tell its purpose is to go back. Not the home or recent apps buttons though. Like I said, they look fine in the video, but it's just that if I didn't know better I'd look at it and wonder what the hell a circle and a square is supposed to do. Of course anyone would figure it out after a few presses, but the buttons right now look a little like a home and a window on top of another. You can at least give a good guess to what they are based on that. The new recents menu even looks more like the old button than the menu does right now. Everything else looks great though.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

I love the UI improvements. Android is now becoming pretty much the prettiest mobile OS ever made (I think it already is, actually.)

I also love the performance and battery improvements. ART, 64-bit and Project Volta all appeal to me. Plus, the deep integration with other Androids like Android Wear, Auto and TV.

One thing I'm not so sure about are the on-screen button designs. Looks kinda cartoony to me. If we could change the design of them, it would make it more appealing. Just my 2 cents.

One more thing is that will some of us get those UI goodies on devices with OEM skins? I hope HTC and others gives us some of that UI Candy on updates and Google give us updated versions of their apps with the new UI.

Overall, an incremental but exciting update. I'll be looking forward to this update soon, mainly for ART. Goodbye Dalvik. Thanks for serving us for years.

 

[anon5664829]

Amazing design.