It's been awhile that there has been talk about the fragmentation of Android. However, what hasn't been discussed is that the Android user experience are also fragments. Granted, I'm basing my opinions on Android Gingerbread 2.3.5, and not Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, therefore; some of the issues may have already been corrected. The problems are not created by handset makers such as HTC and Samsung, but Android itself. While it is true that Google has made improvements and new features to Android, but the improvements have actually made user's phones feel like a beta piece of hardware. An example of this is the Music app on Android. Originally, users must load their own MP3s and play them with the Music app. Down the road, Google launched the Google Music service which allowed users to stream their own MP3s on Google servers and play them on any Android device. However, instead of replacing the original Music App, they added yet another Music app, but with a different icon. Granted, this allows users a choice of which "Music" app they would like to use, but it also clutters up the app drawer and takes up space on the phone with two "Music" apps. Why not just make one superior solution and leave it at that? Another example of Android OS fragmentation is Videos. This problem has been somewhat rectified, but Android did not originally have a proper app for videos. Some smartphones relied on the "Gallery" app, while others had a Video solution provided by the manufacturer. Google finally released a proper app for videos when they released Android Honeycomb 3.0. The problem is while it works on Android devices 2.2 and up, a lot of phones needed to download this app instead of it being pushed out. This causes a similar problem to the Music app where there is multiple versions of the same app making the device look like a beta device.
The way to fix the problem with Android's user experience looking like a beta device is to create a complete experience that is original to Android. I'm dubbing this as the "Android Experience." The "Android Experience" has a web component, and a smartphone component. Let's start with the smartphone component. Hardware manufactures actually have the smartphone component down better than what Google has done with Android. However, I have seen great improvement with Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, but I will discuss my concept anyways. The smartphone component shall be comprised of two parts. The two parts would be Android Social UI and Android Experience. Android Social UI would be similar to HTC Sense, Samsung TouchWiz, or Motorola Blur. I would of preferred that the Android Social UI be part of the OS, but see a situation similar to what happened with Gmail. (Gmail was originally part of the OS, but because its own app in Android 2.2.) Android Social UI would primarily be a widget that embeds all your contacts, messages and social media together. As I've said before, Ice Cream Sandwich has greatly improved upon this so I won't divulge into this further. The second part is Android Experience. This second part is just as important or more important then the Android Social UI. Android Experience is my idea of how to fix the fragment problem and put Android in a better position to compete with Apple's iOS.
Android Experience is what will put the fragments to an end and set Android apart from Apple's iOS. How would one put an end to duplicate apps whether created by Google or manufacturers? Google needs to allow manufacturers be a bigger part of the coding process. Google can allow them to skin or add features, but not add features that already exist. Android Experience would put Android's Music, Videos, and Market into one app. How would this fix the problem that Android suffered with Android's Music app? "Components" could be added or modified easily and could be updated like how Android Market is updated now. The Android Experience MP3 Player can suggest songs that might interest you in the new Android Market that is part of Android Experience.
With an improved user experience, Google can better tackle the fragmentation issue. What Google can do is to follow what Microsoft has done with Windows Phone to a certain extent. Mandate hardware partners to create three core devices at least once a year, but no more than two in each category. These core devices would be the super smartphone, mid-range, and value models. Next would be the secondary models. Secondary models are models with a target consumer. These models would be something like Samsung Galaxy Note, which is like a smartphone/tablet hybrid, Music oriented, such as the Sony Ericsson Walkman line, or targeted at businesses, such as Motorola Pro. Google should allow more freedom for secondary models , but also disallow them from putting out devices in each category more than twice a year. These are the changes that Google needs to make so that consumers won't feel overwhelmed, manufacturers will put out better devices, and finally be in a better position to compete with Apple's iOS devices.
(Originally created November 27, 2011)
The way to fix the problem with Android's user experience looking like a beta device is to create a complete experience that is original to Android. I'm dubbing this as the "Android Experience." The "Android Experience" has a web component, and a smartphone component. Let's start with the smartphone component. Hardware manufactures actually have the smartphone component down better than what Google has done with Android. However, I have seen great improvement with Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, but I will discuss my concept anyways. The smartphone component shall be comprised of two parts. The two parts would be Android Social UI and Android Experience. Android Social UI would be similar to HTC Sense, Samsung TouchWiz, or Motorola Blur. I would of preferred that the Android Social UI be part of the OS, but see a situation similar to what happened with Gmail. (Gmail was originally part of the OS, but because its own app in Android 2.2.) Android Social UI would primarily be a widget that embeds all your contacts, messages and social media together. As I've said before, Ice Cream Sandwich has greatly improved upon this so I won't divulge into this further. The second part is Android Experience. This second part is just as important or more important then the Android Social UI. Android Experience is my idea of how to fix the fragment problem and put Android in a better position to compete with Apple's iOS.
Android Experience is what will put the fragments to an end and set Android apart from Apple's iOS. How would one put an end to duplicate apps whether created by Google or manufacturers? Google needs to allow manufacturers be a bigger part of the coding process. Google can allow them to skin or add features, but not add features that already exist. Android Experience would put Android's Music, Videos, and Market into one app. How would this fix the problem that Android suffered with Android's Music app? "Components" could be added or modified easily and could be updated like how Android Market is updated now. The Android Experience MP3 Player can suggest songs that might interest you in the new Android Market that is part of Android Experience.
With an improved user experience, Google can better tackle the fragmentation issue. What Google can do is to follow what Microsoft has done with Windows Phone to a certain extent. Mandate hardware partners to create three core devices at least once a year, but no more than two in each category. These core devices would be the super smartphone, mid-range, and value models. Next would be the secondary models. Secondary models are models with a target consumer. These models would be something like Samsung Galaxy Note, which is like a smartphone/tablet hybrid, Music oriented, such as the Sony Ericsson Walkman line, or targeted at businesses, such as Motorola Pro. Google should allow more freedom for secondary models , but also disallow them from putting out devices in each category more than twice a year. These are the changes that Google needs to make so that consumers won't feel overwhelmed, manufacturers will put out better devices, and finally be in a better position to compete with Apple's iOS devices.
(Originally created November 27, 2011)
No comments:
Post a Comment