What your likes and dislikes about android?

[Wildo6882]

Well, almost all devices are going to compromise on ONE thing. Nexus 5 = battery life. Moto X = Camera G3 = Skin

If Samsung made a GPE S5 that would probably come close to what you want.

Sent from my Galaxy S4 running SlimKat 4.4.4

Yeah, that's my biggest issue. Always one thing really compromised on. I actually think the G3 GPE would probably be what I'd want. I want on-screen buttons.

 

[UJ95x]

Yeah, that's my biggest issue. Always one thing really compromised on. I actually think the G3 GPE would probably be what I'd want. I want on-screen buttons.

Yeah, that would be awesome too. They made a GPE G Pad, but they haven't made a phone like a Samsung did. Don't know why Sammy skipped the GPE S5. Guess the 4 didn't sell well.

Sent from my Galaxy S4 running SlimKat 4.4.4

 

[Charlie Byun]

easy access but security sucks. If i don't need to develop android app, i probably bought i-phone.

 

[unydroid]

easy access but security sucks. If i don't need to develop android app, i probably bought i-phone.

Yep, from the security side, it looks bad. Not enough transparency on what is going on in the background. And even if it was transparent what apps were doing, the carrier still might be logging everything you do.

 

[monsieurms]

I love pretty much everything except it needs to be a little more secure!

Posted via the Android Central App

I'd still like an easier way of doing a complete backup--one touch, image backup--without rooting.
I don't much care about the update issues. As often as not after updating, I wonder why I bothered. Being a couple of months late doesn't kill me.

Others have mentioned the many good points--customization, diversity, choice. If there is a market imperative someone's missed--like screen size a few years back---someone in the Android world will address it.

I like the Google integration,too. It's changed the way I compute.

 

[bearda]

Yep, from the security side, it looks bad. Not enough transparency on what is going on in the background. And even if it was transparent what apps were doing, the carrier still might be logging everything you do.

App security is one thing (which I agree needs some work), but my chief concern is device security. Because of the lax practices for firmware updates the vast majority of Android devices in the field have some number of well known exploitable bugs. It's not just the carriers that perpetuate the problem, it's the OEMs as well. I have a Moto X purchased directly from Motorola (referred to as the T-Mobile version at times, but I've never used it on AT&T. It's really just the straight up unlocked version). Although Motorola has been acknowledged as one of the better OEMs in terms of updates they don't have any plans to release 4.4.4 for the unlocked Moto X. It's not worth their time because the only difference between 4.4.3 and 4.4.4 is single security fix. I can understand that from a business perspective, but from a network security perspective there's now an unpatchable vulnerability I need to mitigate.

It's great that Google has been addressing API fragmentation through the use of Google Play Services, but they really haven't done squat to address platform security fragmentation. Say what you will about Apple, but on an iOS device at least someone has to go to some effort and use a 0-day instead of being able to pick from a library of documented issues patches in AOSP but unavailable to most devices.

 

[Slashyou]

Yup. That's what I'm doing

Sent from my Galaxy S4 running SlimKat 4.4.4

Me too

 

[Slashyou]

I actually prefer touchwiz over stock
The layout and design is much better to me

Posted via Android Central App with my Samsung Galaxy S5

But it slows your phone.

 

[petvas72]

Coming from iOS I would like to see the following features added to Android:
- Mail.app as polished as the iOS equivalent with support for all kind of clients.
- Full backup/restore using the cloud. Currently there is no way to completely restore an Android device from a backup.
- Better security
- Better designed apps, more control from Google.
- Automatically release updates on the same day on all devices, independent of the skin they have.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[vtpmt81]

Coming from iOS I would like to see the following features added to Android:
- Mail.app as polished as the iOS equivalent with support for all kind of clients.
- Full backup/restore using the cloud. Currently there is no way to completely restore an Android device from a backup.
- Better security
- Better designed apps, more control from Google.
- Automatically release updates on the same day on all devices, independent of the skin they have.

Posted via the Android Central App

You summed it up perfectly. Android needs to do a better job with backing up apps - Apple does this very well with iCloud/iTunes. The only way to get a complete phone backup is to root and use an app like Titanium Backup.

Google needs to have a bare minimum of specs required for Android devices. If devices don't meet these requirements then Google shouldn't offer their services on that device. I am tired of junk devices still being released by OEMs that offer a terrible experience.

If you want faster updates - then Google needs to require OEMs to release system apps like Samsung's SmartStay or HTCs Blinkfeed or Motorola's Assist to the Google Play store. It is okay for these apps to only be compatible with that OEMs phones though. I think this will really speed up the updating process.

 

[A895]

As many have stated, I like Android for its customization and freedom it provides. In particular the ability to root and make system modifications if you wish. Also, as an IT Pro (17+ years now) it's the most intuitive to me compared to any other mobile OS.

My biggest dislike is there isn't a native way to control Android OS updates without rooting your device and killing the OTA updater. IMHO, Google needs to build that into the OS like Microsoft does with Windows so users have more control over the update process. As it is now, without root and killing the updater, you're at the mercy of Google, the OEM, or your carrier. Your device may get updated in the middle of the night (or worse; a time when you need to use it) whether you wanted it to or not. Many times that results in the user spending an inordinate amount of unplanned time troubleshooting and trying to fix a problem the update introduced to what was otherwise previously a problem free working device.

Another one is the way Google automatically pushes out updates to Google Play Services behind the scenes without the user's knowledge as if it's their device and they can make any change to it anytime they wish. This is the type of behavior Microsoft got into big trouble with in the past with Windows Update.

Google Services is their app and they can update appropriately whenever they want. The rest of the stuff I agree with about updates as there are some people who do not want to update. Aren't you still on 4.1.2.?

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[bembol]

I love that I can customize it. I hate updates, when announced I want it the next day or week not months.

"I'll put up color bars before I'll put you in front of our cameras." MacKenzie (The Newsroom, HBO)

 

[A895]

Understood. I just don't like the idea of anything updating without my explicit permission. It's a big reason I don't fully trust Android/Google and won't use my mobile devices for anything of sensitive nature (ex. financial). Whereas with my Windows systems, I can set them up to where NOTHING updates unless I configure it to or explicitly allow it to happen.

Yes, my Note 2 is still on 4.1.1, my OG Note 10.1 is on 4.1.2 and OG Nexus 7 on 4.1.2. All still run like a top and I have no want or need for any features that may be available in newer OS versions. If ain't broke....

As for me, I want a more secure presence in regards to online, and right now I am between get a high end Android device and locking it down (no Google Services) or getting a BlackBerry. Might get a BlackBerry Classic, but the PassPort looks nice too and I may get a HTC one M8 with windows or get the Android version. Still figuring it out.

For now I actually like KitKat because it made thing a a lot soother on my RAZR M because otherwise, I was just content on 4.1.2. check out my old post from TheVerge:

http://mobile.theverge.com/2014/4/12/5607444/what-did-we-really-gain-with-kitkat

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[tonyfromuk]

The UI design is kinda bad in my opinion, dont like boxy buttons

 

[arkuaticx]

I love that Android is basically a free platform to expand upon the software. However it can be quirky at times but that's all understandable!

 

[12er]

What I like about Android: I like the openness of the system, that it's based on a linux kernel, and hardware made for Android. Before Android mobile devices were a major pet peeve. That changed with my first Android phone dramatically. The Samsung Galaxy S II smartphone surprised me in many ways ; 1 gigabyte ram?! a dual cpu with over 1 gigahertz?? and apps and data, which I can transfer via usb, and so on ... are you kidding?? This was, what I thought ... Numbers I would have been happy about twelve years back on my old PC.
But good things seldom come with things I really dislike: First of all I am feeling tracked when carrying my smartphone around with me. I can't really get done any work with my Android device, I tend to waste my time using my smartphone, watch videos or play small games. And when programming with the Android Development Tools I came accross some parts in the api which I considered to be really ugly. Why the hell use a tab host? I just want to add some Views or Viewgroups to some tabs. Opening menus programmatically requires ugly workarounds. Very often methods are deprecated although only their names changed. And getting taking photos programmatically to work accross many devices proofed to be horrific. But maybe I will find out that I just didn't know Android well enough.

 

[slennon]

Can't restrict some permissions for application.

 

[rews]

My dream OS would have the complexity, capabilities and functions of android coupled with the maintenance free performance of iOS/WP

 

[littlegreenbob]

As a developer I dislike the rapid changes from one update to the next. And also the way they deprecate common functions. I have found that every time I try a tutorial a key feature is deprecated and its a nightmare trying to find the accepted practice

That aside its a good, accessible platform

 

[DLGames]

What i like the most about android is that you can customize it in your favor and in the way that suites you best, the fact that you can choose from a different variety of stores and find something new every day.
My dislike about the android is that it's not that secure and after a while it kinda crushes
But overall its the best