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What can Android learn from Apple?

tpottebaum said:
Android needs a better music player. The default player (or anything else in the market, for that matter) doesn't even come close to the iTunes + iPod experience. I'm trying to choose between an Android advice and an iPhone right now, and that's one of the main factors I'm looking at.
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I'd be more interested in better audio output via the hardware, which isn't Android but rather the components chosen by the manufacturers.

iTunes is something I hate with a passion WRT my iPad. And I owned an iPod once. Not sure what experience you are referring to, other than the rotary control, which again is hardware. A software player pretty much just needs to play, pause, stop, scan, skip, repeat, shuffle, playlist, sort by metadata, show cover art, which the default player does. Widget form is nice, in addition to the lockscreen presence. My 3rd party player also has an equalizer that you can even set on a song-by-song basis.

Not seeing what's so great about Apple's flavor of mp3 playback....
 
For me, it's just easier to use. The whole system seems more fluid and refined. I feel like I'm pretty representative of the general population when it comes to this. All of my friends with iPhones use the phone as their music player, but most of my friends with Android phones (including myself) carry their iPod around with them.

Edit: however, this could just be because we all grew up with iPods and take a while to get used to anything different.

How do you transfer music on to your phone? Do you use something like DoubleTwist?
 
novox77 said:
I'd be more interested in better audio output via the hardware, which isn't Android but rather the components chosen by the manufacturers.

iTunes is something I hate with a passion WRT my iPad. And I owned an iPod once. Not sure what experience you are referring to, other than the rotary control, which again is hardware. A software player pretty much just needs to play, pause, stop, scan, skip, repeat, shuffle, playlist, sort by metadata, show cover art, which the default player does. Widget form is nice, in addition to the lockscreen presence. My 3rd party player also has an equalizer that you can even set on a song-by-song basis.

Not seeing what's so great about Apple's flavor of mp3 playback....
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I agree. The iTunes "experience", for me, is something to avoid. Zune is a far better model, in both hardware and software - it's just branded horribly. Microsoft will be rebranding Zune sometime next year, or late this year.

Android could use a better media management system, but dragging and dropping works for me. The media player itself is fine. It's not perfect, but it does the job. I guess Honeycomb's music app is much improved, so I'm sure we'll see that come to fruition on phones.

If you grew up on the iPod then I can see finding it difficult to go another route, but I've never personally been attracted to the iTunes environment.
 
tpottebaum said:
For me, it's just easier to use. The whole system seems more fluid and refined. I feel like I'm pretty representative of the general population when it comes to this. All of my friends with iPhones use the phone as their music player, but most of my friends with Android phones (including myself) carry their iPod around with them.

Edit: however, this could just be because we all grew up with iPods and take a while to get used to anything different.

How do you transfer music on to your phone? Do you use something like DoubleTwist?
Click to expand...

I think in many cases, especially comparisons between Mac OS X and Windows, the gripes about the other comes from lack of familiarity of how things work. You get used to one way, and the other way seems unintuitive. I consider both OS X and Windows to be powerful and useful, but I find Mac OS to be very unfriendly to me. Nothing "just works" as advertised. I have friends that made the switch with relative ease, so it could just be me.

In many cases with iTunes, if you give in to how Apple wants you to use it, it becomes much friendlier. And if you came from that environment, you probably already use the software the way it was intended. For Windows users who never used iTunes or an operating system that abstracted away the file system, it is very hard to accept. I NEED a file system for a computer to make sense to me. Without it, I feel like I'm at the mercy of the software, a position I hate to be in. That's why I will likely never consider switching to Mac OS X or iOS.

To answer your question, all of my music metadata has been updated with mp3tag. I transfer my music to my phone by mounting the SD card as a mass storage device and dragging/dropping via Windows. Meanwhile, my player PowerAMP allows me to sort/playlist by metadata or by folder. I have about 8gb of music on my phone, some of which I access by folder, some by metadata. I've heard about Doubletwist, but I've never had a need for a piece of software to manage my music between PC and phone. All the music I want is already on the phone, and I can access it with my player the way I want to.

I also don't see a need for Syncing tools. My phone came with HTC sync, which I promptly deleted. Most of my useful data like email, calendar, etc are already being synced with Google. There's nothing between my phone and PC that I need synced. I don't even see how my phone and my PC are related. And that's also the reason why I hate how iTunes was mandatory to operate an iPad. It forced the iPad to be associated with a PC and not be a standalone device.
 
novox77 said:
I NEED a file system for a computer to make sense to me. Without it, I feel like I'm at the mercy of the software, a position I hate to be in. That's why I will likely never consider switching to Mac OS X or iOS.
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I know this is off topic, but what is the file system on OS X, or lack thereof? It just seems alien to me. How can you not have a file system?! :eek: lol

Seriously though, how do you organize files on OS X?
 
OK, thought I'd give my 2c...

I love Android, but I just wish there was some unified approach to hardware interface.

I have an iPod that I can take anywhere, and think it's great because of that. I just would love to replace the iPod with my Android phone, but I don't see it ever happening.

I go to the gym, and I can plug my iPod into a lot of the exercise machines and listen to music or watch videos. I can't do that with my Android device...

I get in my car and hook the iPod up to the stereo so I can listen to music or my kid can watch a movie from the iPod, and I can control everything from the head unit. With my Android device I can listen to music with limited controls, but no movies...

I stayed in a hotel recently and the clock radio had an iPod dock. The best option for Android would be an aux input...

I have a small DVD player with a screen that I travel with. Even that has an iPod dock so I can watch movies and listen to music. For Android there's... You guessed it, an aux input for music!

I could go on and on...

My wife and I switch cars, and we both have the same stereo, so we just hook up our own iPods... That's the thing Apple have nailed, and it's available with all the iPhones, also... The ubiquitous iDock interface! Pure genious! Virtually all type of electrical device can be had with an iPod/iPhone interface.

With Android there's aux, usb (mostly micro usb, but again what does that dock with and maintain great integration?), and maybe hdmi, if your lucky (and the hdmi interfaces aren't all to the same standard), and bluetooth...

I would just love a consistent and widely adopted Android interface that is adopted by manufacturers of other products!

Rant over... xD
 
The only thing I can think of is improve the graphics on games and the phone in general. Make it look snappier and more vibrant. I love my Nexus One to death, and with each update I see games running quicker and smoother (obviously the hardware isn't the issue :D). Just make it so games run super smoother and Fruit Ninja/Whatever game doesn't slow down a bit when i'm cutting through 6 fruit on the screen to get a combo.
 
TheBrit said:
Two words: Best Buy - in the UK anyway. This retailer is new to our shores and brings a breath of fresh air in that everything is there to be tinkered with rather than a collection of dummies bolted to the shelf...the worst example being Tesco.
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PC World, Currys, Comet, Vodafone, Three, O2, Orange, T-Mobile all do this (the last ones sometimes only if you ask)
 
They need to work on uniformity, a lot on battery percentage control, multitasking, and push notifications. I never get notifications on my device for facebook, twitter(sometimes), games like words for friends, ect. Ect. Moto droid froyo here.
 
Apple's default email app for the iPhone makes my android default app look foolish. Theirs is so much more polished, I would love to see Android catch up in this area.

Yes, K9, maildroid, etc. are great alternatives but they still look and feel nothing like Apple's mail app.

And yes a ton of people hate iTunes but you will have to admit it's a great way to centralize (and more importantly) backup all of your settings and apps.
 
I'd love to see the nexus phone be the answer to iPhone. Basically make the nexus the flagship for android, and create the nexus for all providers. So when a new iPhone comes each year so shall the nexus :) Google has stood behind there nexus phones I think to bring it to next level they need offer the phone on more than Tmo. Just like the iPhone is offered by more than one carrier now. Plus lets be honest at least the iPhone started on the 2nd largest network not the last in US.
 
1. 2D hardware acceleration
2. Ability to install more than 200 apps, internal memory is way too small on most phones, app2sd helps a little but I want to be able to install every app I see which I think is currently possible on iphone? as it uses a single partition/data source.

I think that's it, everything else is arguably available, coming soon or rubbish.


Some responses to others:

All the manufacturer overlays complicate things, lack of updates mean devices get left behind.
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I agree but how do you propose manufacturers differentiate themselves?
I mean look at the current honeycomb tablet offerings from LG, Samsung and Motorolla, they are all exactly the same, the only reason you would choose one over the other is because you like the company however, if one company offerred something additional like sense, people may have more reason to choose that over the others.
If they make sense into something that is separate from the OS, it could easily be ported to any device reducing the consumer's desire to go with any particular company.

Retina Display
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QHD > Retina's non standard res

Apple are pretty good in that OS updates generally work pretty well on all but the earliest iPhones. How many Android devices are still running 1.6 or 2.1?
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None of the older idevices get the latest updates, this includes ipods.
The 3G doesn't get multitasking or gamecentre when it can obviously handle it, this is simply because Apple is forcing you to upgrade to a newer device.
With google devices, even the HTC Magic/Hero gets 2.1+ from official channels.
Sure, some devices take too long but that's another issue. Can you imagine if the nexus didn't get gingerbread simply because they want to force you to upgrade..
Also, the iPod touch 2g had to actually pay to receive an update.

Hardware standards
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Why would you want all devices to look the same? This only becomes a problem if you change devices but it's not like it's hard to learn the new layout.


1) Ability to start/activate a phone w/out a gmail account.
Apple has an enterprie roll-out tool that allows iPhones to start w/out using iTunes.
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Isn't this alredy possible? don't you simply press skip?
Are you sure applers can start / use an iphone without an itunes account?
My friend got an ipad as a present and we couldn't even turn it on because it has to be plugged into a computer and connected to an itunes account.
 
Some of these posts seem to echo my sentiments regarding the Android platform, but I would still like to add a few thoughts to the discussion. Granted, some of the things I'm going to say have been mentioned before in this thread, however I'll go ahead and reiterate those points just for the sake of emphasis.

1) Polished finish--on the surface, this is where Android can improve the most. In my experiences with IOS, each successive iteration of the platform always seems smoother than any Android released in a similar frame of time. In deed, previous generations of IOS seem to outstrip even the most recent Android releases, which typically boast hardware that put old IOS devises to shame. Though I'm really not qualified to comment on the more technical aspects of programming, from what I'm able to gather, the discrepancy between the two experiences relate back to the issue of hardware acceleration. Honeycomb is supposed to have employed such measures in order to add polish to the tablet experience, and, although it is noticeably smoother than any Android-powered smartphones I've seen, next to the iPad or iPhone, a device as impressive as the XOOM looks sluggish and unfinished. If Google has any intention of promoting their products as high-end luxury devices (in the way Apple has), then this problem would seem to be the most pressing.

2)Fragmentation--I don't think this point requires any explanation, but I like explaining things, so I'll do it anyway. If a new iteration of Android OS is released, those in ownership of devices with the specifications to handle the upgrade should have immediate access to it. I don't necessarily think that Google should demand that its manufacturers run vanilla or nothing else--such a viewpoint ignores the competition that exists between Android's manufacturers that has contributed to the improvement of the platform in recent years--but that every user should have the option to adopt the stock Android experience in the place of custom user interfaces, and they shouldn't have to resort to rooting their handsets in order to do so. Not only would this preserve the competition between manufacturers, and add to the spirit of openness that has made Android so awesome, it would also help to greatly reduce fragmentation between devices with comparable specs, and allow a middle-of-the-road option for those who wish to update, but don't necessarily want to risk bricking their phones to do so.

3) Secondary point related to points 1 and 2: Widgets--in addition to providing the middle-of-the-road option for consumers, Google really should include better widgets with stock Android. It seems to go without saying, but the biggest advantage that Android has over IOS is the ability to customize. All attempts by Apple to provide this same experience are paltry in comparison to what can be achieved with an Android device. Nevertheless, consumers should not have to depend on the custom interfaces of manufacturers in order to fully recognize the potential of their devices. Moreover, if consumers did have the option to run stock Android instead of custom UI's, they shouldn't have to sacrifice these enhancements in order to take advantage of the latest iterations of the OS.

4) Hardware--when you interact with a device made by Apple, you know it's worth something. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for certain Android devices.

I realize that every device associated with the Google brand doesn't have to be the Aston Martin of next-generation technology; and I recognize the competitive advantage that comes with producing entry-level devices, but at the same time, there are very few Android devices that are on par with the iPhone and the iPad aesthetically, and there is something to be said for Apples perfectionism in this arena.

5) Exclusivity--No, I'm not talking about the partnership that once existed between AT&T and Apple. What I am talking about is the ability to use Google-made apps on Apple's devices. Maybe the implications of what I'm suggesting would unnecessarily hurt Google where it counts, but why give Apple the advantage of utilizing Google applications when Apple has yet to express that same willingness? What's more, Google should use their apps as grounds to bargain with Apple to allow compatibility between iTunes and Android powered devices. I will concede that such an agreement would extinguish any hopes of Google producing any such service of their own, but given all of the options to download music for free (even in the Android Market), I don't think the revenue that would result from a Google-branded music client would outweigh the appeal and revenue gained from Google-powered phones with iTunes compatibility.
 
Stuntman said:
I'm not entirely convinced that Apple's devices are any more stable than my Android phone. I have some minor issues with my Android, but from the people I know who have iPhones, they have similar minor issues.
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Agreed. One of my co-workers had enough problems with his iPhone 3GS that he got it replaced under warranty, and even the new one gave him some issues. Meanwhile, the Droid X that he finally bought to replace it has given him no problems.
 
behelit said:
1. 2D hardware acceleration
2. Ability to install more than 200 apps, internal memory is way too small on most phones, app2sd helps a little but I want to be able to install every app I see which I think is currently possible on iphone? as it uses a single partition/data source...
Click to expand...

I agree with your first issue, I'd like to see hardware acceleration also. It may already be in some of the newer Android devices, I really don't know. But I sure would love to see that become standard.

Your second issue is covered... on newer, higher end Androids anyways. My DX has 8 gigs of internal memory and a 16 gig card that I can swap out to a 32 gig card. Click on my sig and you'll see I have 193 apps currently (just got rid of a bunch) and still have tons of internal storage left!

And the newer phones like the Atrix, Bionic, Thunderbolt, etc... have even more. So I think they've made that issue a thing of the past.
 
Stuntman said:
I'm not entirely convinced that Apple's devices are any more stable than my Android phone. I have some minor issues with my Android, but from the people I know who have iPhones, they have similar minor issues.
Click to expand...

Definitely, apple devices have plenty of problems I don't know how/why android became 'a buggy os' in the minds of the general public.
Eg:
-Some Apple apps crash and stop working after the device has been updated to a newer version.
-Syncing issues with iTunes
-Buttons stop working
-Apps dissapear etc etc..

tpottebaum said:
Android needs a better music player. The default player (or anything else in the market, for that matter) doesn't even come close to the iTunes + iPod experience. I'm trying to choose between an Android advice and an iPhone right now, and that's one of the main factors I'm looking at.
Click to expand...

I hear this so often but I have no idea what the stock player is lacking, do you know?
What makes the apple version any better?
I know one thing that apple's player doesn't do, show folders as albums.

theGOAT said:
1) Polished finish--on the surface, this is where Android can improve the most. ...
although it is noticeably smoother than any Android-powered smartphones I've seen, next to the iPad or iPhone, a device as impressive as the XOOM looks sluggish and unfinished. If Google has any intention of promoting their products as high-end luxury devices (in the way Apple has), then this problem would seem to be the most pressing.
Click to expand...

Have you used a XOOM? All I've heard from reviews is that it is ultra fast and smooth mainly thanks to 2D hardware acceleration.
Even running honeycomb on my nexus is amazingly smooth when scrolling etc.

theGOAT said:
2)Fragmentation--I don't think this point requires any explanation, but I like explaining things, so I'll do it anyway. If a new iteration of Android OS is released, those in ownership of devices with the specifications to handle the upgrade should have immediate access to it. I don't necessarily think that Google should demand that its manufacturers run vanilla or nothing else--such a viewpoint ignores the competition that exists between Android's manufacturers that has contributed to the improvement of the platform in recent years--but that every user should have the option to adopt the stock Android experience in the place of custom user interfaces, and they shouldn't have to resort to rooting their handsets in order to do so. Not only would this preserve the competition between manufacturers, and add to the spirit of openness that has made Android so awesome, it would also help to greatly reduce fragmentation between devices with comparable specs, and allow a middle-of-the-road option for those who wish to update, but don't necessarily want to risk bricking their phones to do so.
Click to expand...

Nice idea.

theGOAT said:
4) Hardware--when you interact with a device made by Apple, you know it's worth something. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for certain Android devices.
...
there are very few Android devices that are on par with the iPhone and the iPad aesthetically, and there is something to be said for Apples perfectionism in this arena.
Click to expand...

You don't like the arc? galaxy s II? Nexus S designs? They are all pretty awesome imo.
Blogs and people all said that the 2g/3g and 3GS were 'sexy' but to me it looks like a brick.

theGOAT said:
5) Exclusivity--No, I'm not talking about the partnership that once existed between AT&T and Apple. What I am talking about is the ability to use Google-made apps on Apple's devices. Maybe the implications of what I'm suggesting would unnecessarily hurt Google where it counts, but why give Apple the advantage of utilizing Google applications when Apple has yet to express that same willingness? What's more, Google should use their apps as grounds to bargain with Apple to allow compatibility between iTunes and Android powered devices. I will concede that such an agreement would extinguish any hopes of Google producing any such service of their own, but given all of the options to download music for free (even in the Android Market), I don't think the revenue that would result from a Google-branded music client would outweigh the appeal and revenue gained from Google-powered phones with iTunes compatibility.
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True on the app sharing but they just want more advertising / information gathering.

You can already sync with itunes plus most people think it's horrible. I'm in IT and I can't even work out how to use it. If I run it on my laptop I can't use any other program until I restart because it hogs all resources, even after I close it.
Google are also bringing their own music/book service.
 
Like iOS, I wish Android updates were out of the hands of the carriers. The fact that an update has to change hands so many times and gaining weight along the way is my biggest pet peeve.

Carriers have no incentive to update devices they've already sold. Sure, they may provide minimum effort bug fixes but hoping your device gets a major update is a crapshoot. All of the carriers love to advertise the hell out of some up and coming device so they can sell more phones and sign more contracts. After someone upgrades, they're on the hook for 2 years at a carrier.

My next phone will either be a Nexus device or I go back to a "dumbphone."
 
melantus said:
Google has stood behind there nexus phones I think to bring it to next level they need offer the phone on more than Tmo. Just like the iPhone is offered by more than one carrier now. Plus lets be honest at least the iPhone started on the 2nd largest network not the last in US.
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This is a very good point. The iPhone in Canada is available on all of Canada's 3 major networks (Bell, Rogers and Telus) as well as some subsidiaries (Fido, Virgin).
 
I just noticed that when I use pinch-to-zoom on my Evo, I can't scroll the screen while pinching. This is something my iPad does and it's nice since I can also center my content while zooming. Hopefully this is addressed in a newer Android version.
 
The only two things Android needs to learn from Apple:

* Marketing techniques. Android needs to figure out how to convince users that faults in design are actually benefits.
* OS Updating. There needs to be a unified: You must update your devices to the current OS.
 
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