Android L - All the little things...

[0000757]

Not to mention because of the fact that third party apps can be made default, this addresses many things that are "missing" in Android. I've had a phone rotation lock toggle in my pull down shade for years on Android.

But anyway, I suspect chrf097 isn't here to really discuss Android L.

Why should I have to install 3rd party apps to get basic features? I'm a person who likes to have as little installed on my phone as possible. I don't want to junk up my phone with random 3rd party apps with system privileges I may not even want them to have.

I don't care if 3rd party apps do it, I don't care if an OEM does it. I don't want to use a 3rd party app or have to rely on an OEM's system-hogging skin to get a basic feature.

I'm so excited for Android L and everything it's adding has actually made me have second-thoughts about going to back to the iPhone. Knowing my Moto X is going to have Android L with everything I've wanted is being added to the basic OS level. I don't have to rely on ugly apps with unneeded privileges to do basic tasks for me anymore.

For example, yeah I can download a rotation lock app, but I don't want to have to rely on a widget or constantly open an app to do it, because it doesn't make it anymore useful than going into settings.

Technically for DND I have Motorola Assist but there's no manual activation. That's something I heavily use on my Mac and when I had my iPhone, so I'd like that on the basic OS level.

Because I think something should be integrated at the basic OS level and I find it ridiculous it's taken this long automatically means I just want to start trouble? No. Yeah I think it's ridiculous but at the same time I'm very excited because literally almost every single issue, concern, or frustration I've had with Android is fixed in Android L and I'm more excited about getting my hands on Android L than I am getting Yosemite or iOS 8 or anything else computer related.

I just hate skins, I want a stock OS and I don't want to rely on 3rd party apps to give me basic functionality is all.

 

[Cnasty]

Was for me and many other Note 3 owners in regards to battery life and other little things that suddenly occurred when the Kit Kat download was made available.

 

[Dustman]

Overall i like it but hate those playstation navigation buttons.

Really? I thought they instantly dated the old ones.

 

[gotluck]

Was for me and many other Note 3 owners in regards to battery life and other little things that suddenly occurred when the Kit Kat download was made available.

Yea, samsung really screwed up their note 3 kit kat update

That's not really a kit kat issue though, because other devices don't have those issues.

 

[Cnasty]

I shouldnt have painted with such a broad brush but for me it really soured me on Android and the experience on such a great phone in the Note 3.

 

[gotluck]

I shouldnt have painted with such a broad brush but for me it really soured me on Android and the experience on such a great phone in the Note 3.

yea you definitely aren't the only note 3 user soured

 

[mib1800]

Android L is really not relevant in its vanilla form. You guys are debating over something which will be deployed in a very small portion of Android handsets.

I think Google should just give up UI portion of the os if it can't enforce it across manufacturers. No manufacturers will likely to roll out the L as it is. This is the fact we know.

 

[Lloydbm41]

Android L is really not relevant in its vanilla form. You guys are debating over something which will be deployed in a very small portion of Android handsets.

I think Google should just give up UI portion of the os if it can't enforce it across manufacturers. No manufacturers will likely to roll out the L as it is. This is the fact we know.

Well, except for Android One, Android Silver, Motorola, Nexus and all GPE devices. Other than those, you are right.

 

[AustinIllini]

Well, except for Android One, Android Silver, Motorola, Nexus and all GPE devices. Other than those, you are right.

Stop it with your "logic" and "facts"

 

[Fanaticalism]

Well, except for Android One, Android Silver, Motorola, Nexus and all GPE devices. Other than those, you are right.

The One doesn't exist yet but if history is any indicator all of those manufacturers combined do not equate to even one... Samsung. Combine HTC and LG and forget about it, not to mention those that sit at the bottom but make up a large portion of the android market like ZTE, Xiaomi and Hauwei.

 

[nfl46]

I finally got to use Android L, and I love it. I cannot wait for the final version this fall. Luckily for me, all of my apps work except Dropbox. Whew. Hopefully, they release an update.

 

[Lloydbm41]

The One doesn't exist yet but if history is any indicator all of those manufacturers combined do not equate to even one... Samsung. Combine HTC and LG and forget about it, not to mention those that sit at the bottom but make up a large portion of the android market like ZTE, Xiaomi and Hauwei.

So just because fewer handsets are sold with the vanilla version of Android means that those tens of millions of people should be without the option? That Google should let Android be run by Samsung, simply because it has the largest marketing budget? That's only relevant thinking if you live in Apple's world.

 

[Oletros]

I will never understand the "if you can't reach the 100%, ditch it"

 

[CyanLite]

5 and 6 can be done on Windows?

By the way, 7 has been there since 1.5

7 doesn't work anymore and doesn't link in with third party APIs. It's pathetic compared to WP8.

Yes, 5 and 6 can be done on Windows.

 

[Fanaticalism]

So just because fewer handsets are sold with the vanilla version of Android means that those tens of millions of people should be without the option? That Google should let Android be run by Samsung, simply because it has the largest marketing budget? That's only relevant thinking if you live in Apple's world.

Not the argument at all. Point is that google should attempt to corrale all the different skins on android to allow a unified experience as to make all the research and development relevant on a grander scale. There's no reason manufacturers couldn't layer their features over the stock os while maintaining performance and design language consistency.

 

[SpoonCody]

Not the argument at all. Point is that google should attempt to corrale all the different skins on android to allow a unified experience as to make all the research and development relevant on a grander scale. There's no reason manufacturers couldn't layer their features over the stock os while maintaining performance and design language consistency.

I agree and disagree. I'd love to see Android more united, yet at the same time, being open to different skins is what makes it special, too.

Millions of people use TouchWiz satisfyingly, even happily. Might sound strange to us, but comparatively, most are perfectly fine with it not looking like stock. Many might even enjoy using all those extra features that TouchWiz offers. The Note series in particular comes to mind. People love the stylus and its extra features, split screen mode, etc. By comparison, stock can seem lacking, even boring (to some degree, I agree with this, which is why I love my Moto X).

I'm not necessarily making a case against you. Just saying it's not really that dire for Google to reign in Samsung or any of the other OEM's skins. It's sort of what they want Android to be. For those who prefer stock or stock-like experience, the Nexus line, Android Silver potentially, GPE's, and Moto or Sony skins will do the trick.

 

[Sylon]

The keyboard is available in the Google Play Store and from what I've noticed from using it so far is that it looks really nice, but I'm fat-fingering letters a lot more than usual.

 

[SpoonCody]

The keyboard is available in the Google Play Store and from what I've noticed from using it so far is that it looks really nice, but I'm fat-fingering letters a lot more than usual.

I've been using it too and I really like it. The animations look great and everything feels really responsive and reliable.

One thing I wish Google would do is let you resize the keyboard. Sort of like how Swiftkey allows for "small, medium, big". I think that'd help.

 

[AustinIllini]

I finally got to use Android L, and I love it. I cannot wait for the final version this fall. Luckily for me, all of my apps work except Dropbox. Whew. Hopefully, they release an update.

Funny thing about dropbox is it still backs up all my stuff from my phone, but I can't open the app.

 

[Neverbepeace]

Don't know about gifs, but regular photos can be sent using Chomp as the default SMS app.

Thanks.....was hoping they added this feature as I love sending gifs.

 

[Vegastouch]

White and Blue color themes are working with the Android L keyboard. I prefer the material one.

 

[SpoonCody]

White and Blue color themes are working with the Android L keyboard. I prefer the material one.

I am loving the Material keyboard. It's hands down the best keyboard I've used. Smooth, reliable, great animations, smart. Everything feels good.

I only wish it would maybe add a few more extra features, though, like keyboard resizing.

 

[gotluck]

ive been digging the new material theme keyboard too
feels snappier maybe?
i like the press and hold for numbers on the top row
swiping is smoother imo