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Why can't my Android be more like my iPhone

H

henryten

Lurker
Whoa, before you start throwing things at me, I do love my new phone (Galaxy Nexus), but there's one deal breaker that might make me trade it in.

I receive numerous text messages and missed call alerts while the phone is in sleep mode (blank screen). With IOS the information (partial text message, missed call caller ID or phone number) appears right on the sleep screen and nine out of ten times it can wait. I can glance at the screen without having to push a button.

With Android, I need to push the power button and slide down the alert list. Doesn't sound like much but it's the difference between "instant" and interrupt - the difference between glancing at a postcard and having to open an envelope.

I've tried several apps that ALMOST do what I want (e.g. "iPhone Notifications"). Has anyone found the perfect app?
 
I use missed it on WidgetLocker lockscreen. Basically it shows the number of missed calls/messages/emails whatever, then tapping on it either takes you to the SMS list, phone log, or whatever depending on the alert.
 
Android has a much better notification system than iOS, but this is one (of the few) places that Apple has done better in. Obviously you can get an app which can show you notifications in the lock screen but it would be nice if Google could implement this themselves.
 
Really i don't get the point? Android is very customizable system.
Personally i use led indicator for incoming messages.
 
X-Ter said:
Android has a much better notification system than iOS, but this is one (of the few) places that Apple has done better in. Obviously you can get an app which can show you notifications in the lock screen but it would be nice if Google could implement this themselves.
Click to expand...

The problem is that I don't particularly find this feature useful. I could, however, come up with a list of 10 features that I would like to see built into the OS. What I do know is that my list will be different from yours and 100 other people. Now we are asking Google to include several hundred features by default -- most of which you or I will never use -- so we can accommodate everyone's needs by default. We end up with a bloated OS and very little opportunity for developers.
 
henryten said:
... I receive numerous text messages and missed call alerts while the phone is in sleep mode (blank screen). With IOS the information (partial text message, missed call caller ID or phone number) appears right on the sleep screen and nine out of ten times it can wait. I can glance at the screen without having to push a button.

With Android, I need to push the power button and slide down the alert list. Doesn't sound like much but it's the difference between "instant" and interrupt - the difference between glancing at a postcard and having to open an envelope. ...
Click to expand...

Sorry, but that doesn't sound like that big of a deal to me. I use, sometimes, an app. called 'nolock' that means when I press the power button the screen goes straight to the homescreen. That's one less thing for you to do.

Dave
 
I'm the OP. Thanks for your replies and suggestion. It sounds like the SMS issue is soluble but the question of missed calls (showing phone number and/or caller ID)remains open. I'm checking the recommended apps and so far they seem to be restricted to text messages.

I know it doesn't seem very important to many people (everyone has their own priorities), but in my circumstance (and others, I suspect) it makes a big difference whether I can glance at a muted phone on a table (yes, the phone has to be fully muted) while working vs. picking it up and pushing buttons (interrupting conversations and our team's work flow). Especially since 90% of the time, calls and messages can wait. But 10% of the time I need to know IMMEDIATELY.

Again, thanks for any suggestions. They are much appreciated. AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
 
No, it's obviously important. The question is more about whether it should be in the default Android or in third-party apps.
 
Merry Christmas to everybody. I use an app called "Executive Assistant". You can set it as your lock screen and display: missed text, email, calls with caller ID, calendar events, next alarm, facebook, etc. You can add app short cuts and widgets to it as well. My Atrix 4G has a notification light, so if I missed something, I see the different color light flashing, press the power button to wake the phone and see what I missed at a glance. (Without having to unlock my phone.)
 
OP here again. You have all been great with your suggestions. It sounds like the answer is ... almost. There seems to be no app that shows missed call information when the Nexus ICS is in the sleep (black screen) mode. There are apps that accomplish this for texting, but not for missed calls.

Does that pretty much summarize the situation?

Since no such app has been developed, I'm guessing there is some obstacle in Android - or ICS is too new and the developers having discovered this niche.
 
When Android phones are asleep, blackscreen, the screen is turned off, so its impossible hardware wise to have ANYTHING display on it while sleeping. Nokia made its own special screens to be able to display stuff while asleep, which means the screens don't turn off ever. Its a hardware limitation, and if an app tried to keep the screen on in an Android device, battery will die fast. You need to wake up the screen to display information. You can however set the screen to wake up on alerts.
 
Thanks, Chanchan. iPhone turns on the screen to provide that information (heavily dimmed, I believe), but I never had any battery problems. Go figure.....
 
henryten said:
Thanks, Chanchan. iPhone turns on the screen to provide that information (heavily dimmed, I believe), but I never had any battery problems. Go figure.....
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What I was saying was keeping the screen ON ALL THE TIME like the Nokia phones. For some reason they still have better battery life than Android even with that.

Anyway, you can have the alerts set to recur, with the screen lighting up for every alert. For example, you can set the phone to vibrate, ring and light up for every 5minutes if you have an unread message. I am not very familiar with the apps for that since I don't use them, I do have encountered them in the past so I know they exist.
 
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