I’ve begun testing my apps, products, and services on one of the most popular purchased Android phones: a Samsung A15, and my initial impression of this device - is who designed it.
So I’m an iPhone enthusiast and enjoy the Apple ecosystem - but I’m also one of those who gets frustrated when the tech doesn’t work as expected (which is often). However, I’m not as Apple-biased as you might think.
When the first official Android phone, the G1, was released, I was the first to purchase and use it. I didn’t start using the iPhone to iPhone 6+ - and I loved the transition. The X was also another leap forward in the intuitive, natural design. The Android I’m using during my tests never left the 2000’s.
The amount of “buttons” - even if they are a touch menu at the bottom of the screen - is equally annoying because not only does it feel like a “click” hardware level button, but it takes a substantial amount of the bottom of the screen. This improves my thoughts on the white/black line on the bottom of the iOS screens. Although a swipe-up gesture has been programmed into iOS users, it could go away a few days or weeks after you start using the device.
As a web designer, I love the idea of Chrome powering my web application and services because I don’t have strange, unpredictable behavior caused by Safari (and to be honest, I developed the app on Chrome first because it is much easier to use Web Inspector). That Android device is something else.
Things I don’t like:
Bloatware: Most Androids are still shipped with a ton of bloatware. So much so there is an open-source “Universal Android Debloater” to remove things that keep those notifications coming. Samsung has many services you can’t remove but you can disable. Google, of course, is forcing you to use its services. YouTube can’t be uninstalled - what’s with that? Apple does install many apps, but I don’t feel I get notifications from them until I open them and start using them. But, here is where my bias may come in - I use many Apple Services because I feel like Apple treats me like a customer and not a product (Google & Facebook use your information to sell ads to you.)
The Button Menu Bar: Yeah, that’s what I mentioned earlier. The back button, the Home Screen-looking thing, and the task switcher are all on the bottom of the screen or moved to accommodate the keyboard. I kept getting confused, and I didn’t enjoy it at all. However, in full-screen mode, the entire app takes the screen. It’s great! One thing Apple doesn’t do well is full-screen web content. In Apple’s devices, a small swipe automatically exists on the entire screen, even if it’s a (website) in-game action.
Competing Vendor Apps: The competition on Android is a good thing, except when Samsung and Google offer both the same services and try to compete for your use - without the means to eliminate one of them. Choose one ecosystem, and the other should go away. Apple’s devices are Apple-centric, and Apple customers know that. Sometimes it sucks, but App integration allows you to install the App you like quickly. You can hide (even though it says it’s deleting, I feel like those apps are part of the OS) the appropriate Apple Service app, BUT you can’t hide iCloud just like Google wants you to use its cloud service.
Third-Party Installs: Spotify, Facebook; I was surprised Instagram and TikTok weren’t already preinstalled on the Android. But it does have a much better Application handler. I can uninstall from one central setting pane (and the home screen). Some add themselves back after an update without your consent. Microsoft’s OneDrive installed itself again after I did an update.
Things I Like:
I love the 90hz refresh rate that defaults on most Android devices (actually, many do 120hz). It feels smoother, but parts of the GUI refresh at odd times, making the animations feel a moment out of place, leading to it feeling choppy or late.
Things I wanted to Love but can’t:
Chrome: Yes, because Chrome supports more web styles and is consistent in handling, BUT it is not as private or safe as Safari (maybe just the presentation layer). However, doing preliminary tests, Chrome broke the style with random glitches that felt like video or graphics card rendering problems, not Chrome problems. But this is the type of device that millions have purchased over the last year or so. So it sucks that it has these kinds of issues. Particularly when typing.
Get lost in the settings and not find what you’re looking for: The settings pane in the original Android, from my memory, has everything I needed and provides healthy descriptions. Samsung One’s interface hides the descriptions, and Samsung’s apps appear to be named to convince you that they are a part of the Android OS. My favorite error when I turn off permission: “Disabling this permission could stop your device from working properly.” - AKA, we, the vendor, want you to use our service; please don’t uninstall. Just not as kind worded.
A Cool interface? I was hoping for a new or different interface to give me a new toy to play with, but alas… it’s the same old Android interface with a new Google Today screen that I can’t seem to remove. It feels a decade behind. It just feels old.
It will work for testing apps and services but I’d be frustrated with this device. However the browser is much more stable and consistent than Safari’s WebKit, when it comes to modern or relatively new CSS and seems to have more RAM available for a web app. The “install app” button native in the Chrome menu, makes me soooo happy. It installs web apps like a native app, but the app does show an info bar at the top.
All in all, I’m sure the best Android devices that are available have better experiences although I think they share the same UI pitfalls but I hear Samsung UI is unique to Samsung… unsure what that means and where the difference is. The problem is, this is the device that people are buying and using by the millions. Unlike iPhone 14 or even a lesser iPhone model which seems to offer a better experience, I feel like a lot of people get used to vendors using their phones to sell more products. Not to mention the amount of ads that many get into by installing the wrong apps or forgetting to install an Ad Blocker.
So I’m an iPhone enthusiast and enjoy the Apple ecosystem - but I’m also one of those who gets frustrated when the tech doesn’t work as expected (which is often). However, I’m not as Apple-biased as you might think.
When the first official Android phone, the G1, was released, I was the first to purchase and use it. I didn’t start using the iPhone to iPhone 6+ - and I loved the transition. The X was also another leap forward in the intuitive, natural design. The Android I’m using during my tests never left the 2000’s.
The amount of “buttons” - even if they are a touch menu at the bottom of the screen - is equally annoying because not only does it feel like a “click” hardware level button, but it takes a substantial amount of the bottom of the screen. This improves my thoughts on the white/black line on the bottom of the iOS screens. Although a swipe-up gesture has been programmed into iOS users, it could go away a few days or weeks after you start using the device.
As a web designer, I love the idea of Chrome powering my web application and services because I don’t have strange, unpredictable behavior caused by Safari (and to be honest, I developed the app on Chrome first because it is much easier to use Web Inspector). That Android device is something else.
Things I don’t like:
Bloatware: Most Androids are still shipped with a ton of bloatware. So much so there is an open-source “Universal Android Debloater” to remove things that keep those notifications coming. Samsung has many services you can’t remove but you can disable. Google, of course, is forcing you to use its services. YouTube can’t be uninstalled - what’s with that? Apple does install many apps, but I don’t feel I get notifications from them until I open them and start using them. But, here is where my bias may come in - I use many Apple Services because I feel like Apple treats me like a customer and not a product (Google & Facebook use your information to sell ads to you.)
The Button Menu Bar: Yeah, that’s what I mentioned earlier. The back button, the Home Screen-looking thing, and the task switcher are all on the bottom of the screen or moved to accommodate the keyboard. I kept getting confused, and I didn’t enjoy it at all. However, in full-screen mode, the entire app takes the screen. It’s great! One thing Apple doesn’t do well is full-screen web content. In Apple’s devices, a small swipe automatically exists on the entire screen, even if it’s a (website) in-game action.
Competing Vendor Apps: The competition on Android is a good thing, except when Samsung and Google offer both the same services and try to compete for your use - without the means to eliminate one of them. Choose one ecosystem, and the other should go away. Apple’s devices are Apple-centric, and Apple customers know that. Sometimes it sucks, but App integration allows you to install the App you like quickly. You can hide (even though it says it’s deleting, I feel like those apps are part of the OS) the appropriate Apple Service app, BUT you can’t hide iCloud just like Google wants you to use its cloud service.
Third-Party Installs: Spotify, Facebook; I was surprised Instagram and TikTok weren’t already preinstalled on the Android. But it does have a much better Application handler. I can uninstall from one central setting pane (and the home screen). Some add themselves back after an update without your consent. Microsoft’s OneDrive installed itself again after I did an update.
Things I Like:
I love the 90hz refresh rate that defaults on most Android devices (actually, many do 120hz). It feels smoother, but parts of the GUI refresh at odd times, making the animations feel a moment out of place, leading to it feeling choppy or late.
Things I wanted to Love but can’t:
Chrome: Yes, because Chrome supports more web styles and is consistent in handling, BUT it is not as private or safe as Safari (maybe just the presentation layer). However, doing preliminary tests, Chrome broke the style with random glitches that felt like video or graphics card rendering problems, not Chrome problems. But this is the type of device that millions have purchased over the last year or so. So it sucks that it has these kinds of issues. Particularly when typing.
Get lost in the settings and not find what you’re looking for: The settings pane in the original Android, from my memory, has everything I needed and provides healthy descriptions. Samsung One’s interface hides the descriptions, and Samsung’s apps appear to be named to convince you that they are a part of the Android OS. My favorite error when I turn off permission: “Disabling this permission could stop your device from working properly.” - AKA, we, the vendor, want you to use our service; please don’t uninstall. Just not as kind worded.
A Cool interface? I was hoping for a new or different interface to give me a new toy to play with, but alas… it’s the same old Android interface with a new Google Today screen that I can’t seem to remove. It feels a decade behind. It just feels old.
It will work for testing apps and services but I’d be frustrated with this device. However the browser is much more stable and consistent than Safari’s WebKit, when it comes to modern or relatively new CSS and seems to have more RAM available for a web app. The “install app” button native in the Chrome menu, makes me soooo happy. It installs web apps like a native app, but the app does show an info bar at the top.
All in all, I’m sure the best Android devices that are available have better experiences although I think they share the same UI pitfalls but I hear Samsung UI is unique to Samsung… unsure what that means and where the difference is. The problem is, this is the device that people are buying and using by the millions. Unlike iPhone 14 or even a lesser iPhone model which seems to offer a better experience, I feel like a lot of people get used to vendors using their phones to sell more products. Not to mention the amount of ads that many get into by installing the wrong apps or forgetting to install an Ad Blocker.
Cool-Aid… please compare the A15 with ANY current iPhone that Apple sells new for less than $200… 🤣