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Android Phones too complex for some?

Coming from a Palm PDA, the functions and apps weren't all that hard for me. The worst part of Android is organization. Each phone maker seems to do the settings differently, then adding carrier preferences. The Palm was easy, BB a close second..

How to set ringtones is one example. If you are not using MP3, it can really vary. I use MID. I will like a song, but not having a vocal as a ringtone.

The Vulcan is finding it much harder. He had trouble with believing the gyro, although impressed by it, and he can't even HOLD the phone without hitting a button.
 
Not owning an iPhone, I have to guess that the principle reason droids seem more complex, given the infinite combinations of hardware and software availble, they are. They don
 
I am not sure I'd agree that Android phones are too complex to use. I came to Android from Symbian and it was not a big deal. BUT...yes, matters quickly become complex (for the average user) when the business of flashing ROMs etc. comes into play. I would even hazard a guess that changing the user interface (using launchers etc.) may prove to be complex for people who are reticent about playing around with their devices. Aside from this, no...I don't think Android devices are complex to use.
 
I would say that the iPhone is also too complicated for some. I have members of my family who are constantly asking me or someone else to train them on how to use any aspect of the iPhone beyond making calls. I don't think it would be any different had they used an Android phone instead.
 
I don't see how Android is complicated.. if somebody wants it to be as simple as an iPhone just tell them to open their app drawer.
 
Yea i dont think android is complicated for the laymens at all.....funny enough. I just bought my moms a Transform Ultra and i havent really heard from her.. figured she would be calling me left and right.....
:idea: unless she cant figure out how to call me....
 
considering how many people I know that have an android smart phone, and don't have a clue what an app is, and they don't want to learn because they think it's illegal (yes.really) or strictly for programmers...
Yeah. They are way too complicated for the people that admit defeat before giving it a chance.
Now that I think about it, they are way too complicated for me, too. But that doesn't stop me from rooting and flashing them.

The whole secret, is this place. These forums.
If more people knew about places like this, less people would be so confused, even scared, of these wonderful little game changers.
(though it can take awhile, a lot of reading and dedication. And your loved ones may leave you... The dog may starve...Heck, YOU may starve before you can breakaway from these, sometimes. Like a Lays potato chip. Just want to try one more app... Then I'll sleep...
 
Waterbeds1 said:
Yea i dont think android is complicated for the laymens at all.....funny enough. I just bought my moms a Transform Ultra and i havent really heard from her.. figured she would be calling me left and right.....
:idea: unless she cant figure out how to call me....
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I didn't say that, Mrs.(her name here)
But what your son said was really, really, funny!
 
zuben el genub said:
Coming from a Palm PDA, the functions and apps weren't all that hard for me. The worst part of Android is organization. Each phone maker seems to do the settings differently, then adding carrier preferences. The Palm was easy, BB a close second..

How to set ringtones is one example. If you are not using MP3, it can really vary. I use MID. I will like a song, but not having a vocal as a ringtone.

The Vulcan is finding it much harder. He had trouble with believing the gyro, although impressed by it, and he can't even HOLD the phone without hitting a button.
Click to expand...

The Vulcan?
spock.jpg

Can't imagine him having difficulty with an Android phone.
 
He's an EE and "logical" Also worked as a Project Manager. Doesn't lose his temper, usually unemotional. Things have to be done in HIS order or they don't compute.
Plus we own a Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Nomad.

I got him a cell phone - apparently just giving him the manual didn't do much. He actually called the office and asked me how to answer the thing. I kept telling him it was his choice.
You could open it, or push the talk key, or there was one other way it could be programmed. He didn't seem to get the fact that he had a choice. By his was of thinking answering was like an electrical switch - either current flows or it doesn't. Finally, I told him to ask daughter, or RTFM.

I had the office phone on speaker.

We did have to ask daughter to help with some manuals. The idiots would set 5 point type.
She's nearsighted and could read it.

We did have a long discussion on the gyro. He had to read it for himself. He was convinced the phone was too small for one. He was used to dealing with gyros in 2 dimensions and forgot about the third one - altitude.
 
In ways, yes Android can be too complex for some users...I'd prefer to say consumers.

Lets remember, not every single smartphone owner comes to these forums. Most of those users never even have seen a forum before.

With that said, Android IS more complex due to its openiness. Compared to iPhone, the options are almost limitless. You jailbreak an iPhone, get some free apps, and thats about it.

With Android, you root, get free apps, get into clocking, different ROMs, Kernels...the options are way more varied.

I'd say a high percentage of users want a phone that texts, send pics/updates to Facebook/Twitter, and makes the occasional phone call. They hardly even know what theyre missing when it comes to Android OS.
 
dmast205 said:
Alot of the frustration with Android is due to the myriad devices, ui's, builds, etc. The iphone is the iphone. Before the Bionic, my first device was an Eris. If I had judged Android based on that, I would have jumped to Apple. While I don't use all the features of the Bionic, it's still an excellent device.Also, using these forums will make the experience less frustrating.
Click to expand...

I have to agree. The iPhone has a very unique ecosystem. Apple has one phone and that's it and usually one version of iOS. This ecosystem contributes to the "easiness" of the iPhone. Software and Hardware controlled by one company.

Google makes Android which is a very good mobile OS. But, they do not control the entire ecosystem like Apple does. How many phone makers out there use Android as their OS? Hence the fragmentation and differences that compound the difficulties. For example: iPhone has only one way of presenting the apps. How many ways are there in Android? This can overwhelmed some people. And on top of that, you have the carriers imposing on the phones as well.

And I fully agree with previous posts: a lot of people do not need a smartphone (like my wife), but they have one.
 
evotitans said:
In ways, yes Android can be too complex for some users...I'd prefer to say consumers.

Lets remember, not every single smartphone owner comes to these forums. Most of those users never even have seen a forum before.

With that said, Android IS more complex due to its openiness. Compared to iPhone, the options are almost limitless. You jailbreak an iPhone, get some free apps, and thats about it.

With Android, you root, get free apps, get into clocking, different ROMs, Kernels...the options are way more varied.

I'd say a high percentage of users want a phone that texts, send pics/updates to Facebook/Twitter, and makes the occasional phone call. They hardly even know what theyre missing when it comes to Android OS.
Click to expand...

Tell me. I have a friend that bought the EVO when it first came out.
She hasn't done much with it - just uses it to check ebay, text, and make phone calls. She'll see something on my phone and wonder why she can't do it. Her phone can - she just can't grasp the way to do it.
 
I think there are 5 types of people when it comes to smartphones:

The ones that know they could never use one because they are too complicated for them. These types don't get the fascination with them, and believe that their flip-phone does just as good of a job at talking on.

The ones that think it looks really cool, and want to show it off to their friends. These people will brick their phones later, because they have enough curiosity to get them into trouble, but too much cool to ask for help.

The ones that will use much of what it has on it, but won't download apps. These types generally don't want to learn about the endless customizations or programs at their disposal, and don't want any help. These types generally will try to act like they know their phone pretty darn good to their friends that they know can't correct them about anything they say their phone can do.

The ones that realize and really appreciate the endless possibilities, and strive to learn all they can about them. They want to flash custom ROMs, even if they aren't exactly sure what one is. I put myself in this group.

The computer experts that like to rip everything out of them and build there own stuff to put back in. These guys can pretty much do anything to an Android. Sometimes I think that the only thing that slows them down is waiting for the technology to catch up to their ideas.
Hopefully, these types won't chose to go to xda with their talent, because it's these guys that teach us guys in this place, and newbie chitchatting isn't well received over there.

But, someday...
 
sleedeane said:
I think there are 5 types of people when it comes to smartphones:

The ones that know they could never use one because they are too complicated for them. These types don't get the fascination with them, and believe that their flip-phone does just as good of a job at talking on.

The ones that think it looks really cool, and want to show it off to their friends. These people will brick their phones later, because they have enough curiosity to get them into trouble, but too much cool to ask for help.

The ones that will use much of what it has on it, but won't download apps. These types generally don't want to learn about the endless customizations or programs at their disposal, and don't want any help. These types generally will try to act like they know their phone pretty darn good to their friends that they know can't correct them about anything they say their phone can do.

The ones that realize and really appreciate the endless possibilities, and strive to learn all they can about them. They want to flash custom ROMs, even if they aren't exactly sure what one is. I put myself in this group.

The computer experts that like to rip everything out of them and build there own stuff to put back in. These guys can pretty much do anything to an Android. Sometimes I think that the only thing that slows them down is waiting for the technology to catch up to their ideas.
Hopefully, these types won't chose to go to xda with their talent, because it's these guys that teach us guys in this place, and newbie chitchatting isn't well received over there.

But, someday...
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I would like to think that I fall in the category that I marked in bold...like you. But I have not rooted either my tab or my phone. To root my tab would be irresponsible because the device does not belong to me but was given to me by my workplace. I have not rooted my phone (Samsung Galaxy Fit) because the little that I have read about associated ROMs tells me that there are some niggling problems - like the camera not working and some issues with wifi. Now if I could find a ROM for the phone, I'd probably root and flash. There is one other thing - I usually like to maintain the validity of the device-centric warranty, which in the case of my phone has just expired. So much for my side of things.

On the general points made by you - as I mentioned in a previous post above - I think the issue is that the business of rooting and flashing ROMs is wat lends to the perception that Android devices are complicated to deal with. The truth however is that an average user does not really need to root or flash their devices.
 
kristalsoldier said:
I think the issue is that the business of rooting and flashing ROMs is wat lends to the perception that Android devices are complicated to deal with. The truth however is that an average user does not really need to root or flash their devices.
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This place did it to me.
I started out just wanting a phone that could take better pictures than my Motorola Razor.
But then I got curious about what an app was. I found this place and asked a few questions. The more I read, and asked questions about, the more neat things I was learning I could do with it (Optimus T).
This went on for 3 or 4 phones (each more capable than the last) and as many years.

But something kept bothering me. And kept bothering me.
It was my self-esteem taking a beating.
It seemed like I was the only guy in the forum that hadn't "rooted" his phone yet.
I didn't know exactly what rooting meant, and knew the phone worked just fine the way it was.
But that wasn't the point. My problem was that if everybody else was rooted but me, then they must all be smarter than me.
I either had to accept that I am not of average intelligence, or root.

How faceless people in a virtual world could have such a grip on me, I don't know.
Yes I do. This place is awesome!
And these people don't mess around. They know their s***. After a year or two visiting this place, you can't help but learn something.
I can't imagine how much IT Tech would charge to teach me what these guys do for free.
A few more years and a few more phones later, and I am painfully aware that everybody but me is flashing ROMs now...
Here we go again!
But after four successful roots, I still remembered the first one, and how it felt like such an accomplishment after all the fear. I liked it!
My first ROM flash was a perfect success.
The second one got a little hairy and pretty scary for a moment, loss of a little data. But these guys pulled me through.
It only got a little patchy because I wasn't sure of something, but didn't want to ask a dumb question (about changing folder names. You can't just go around doing that!)
So I climbed back up onto my horse and flashed again. Easier and easier, just like they said.

No. Root and custom recoveries aren't necessary. These phones are pretty magnificent just like they are. And not too complicated for everyday use.
But hang around here long enough, and your curiosity or fascination, whatever it is, just might get the better of you.
It's happened to many a lesser educated Android enthusiast then yourself, and they just might have developed the next program or kernel you decide to put on your phone.
In here, anything is possible!
 
sleedeane said:
T
No. Root and custom recoveries aren't necessary. These phones are pretty magnificent just like they are. And not too complicated for everyday use.
But hang around here long enough, and your curiosity or fascination, whatever it is, just might get the better of you.
It's happened to many a lesser educated Android enthusiast then yourself, and they just might have developed the next program or kernel you decide to put on your phone.
In here, anything is possible!
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more! Well said!
 
When it comes to rooting - the actual act isn't too hard. It's the instructions I'm leery of.
When I first rooted the Galaxy S4G, I had the same problem as other users - something didn't work right after rebooting the phone. The writer of the tutorial forgot to say that you needed to reboot the computer, too.

I've seen other tutorials that leave out a step - either the writer was in a hurry or assumed everyone knew, or they write in cellphonese. Some of which is unintelligible.

I'm not pushing CM, but they have one of the best written tutorials on their wiki.
Someone must have really studied technical writing. I wound up installing CM7 since I could understand the steps. If all tutorials were written that way, maybe less bricked phones.
 
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