Will Android L keep you on Android?

[Black Magic]

So you don't know that "the presence of so many options has seemed to be more of an excuse for Google not to have to bother with the stock apps because they'll just get replaced anyways"?

Gotcha.

All you're pointing out is Google is improving Android. That's like me saying, wow, Apple must've not cared about improving their keyboad because they knew they'd eventually allow for third party keyboards.

Rubbish. Google is improving Android as they should be. Have you not watched those interviews/articles/videos about how Material design came to be? Google didn't just suddenly wake up from a dreary daze of "hey we don't need to do anything cause third party defaults! Hooray" and suddenly decided to get their act together.

In fact, if anything, they've been constantly improving their default apps. Gmail, the keyboard (as you pointed out yourself), Chrome, Google Maps, Translate, Google Now, etc. etc. all year long via the Play Store.

You're talking rubbish now. "The presence of so many third party options seems to be more of an excuse for Google not to bother with their stock apps"? Utter rubbish.

I thought you were actually going to point me to something you read or heard about or an interview where a Googler said something about third party options. I didn't realize you were going to cite rubbish.

It seems like you are just looking for a fight. JRSWIZZLE never attacked Android and just voiced his thoughts. He even tried to wrap it up nice and clean but you keep pushing. You keep nitpicking trying to find something to dramatize. Let it go.

 

[jrswizzle]

It seems like you are just looking for a fight. JRSWIZZLE never attacked Android and just voiced his thoughts. He even tried to wrap it up nice and clean but you keep pushing. You keep nitpicking trying to find something to dramatize. Let it go.

I just bought a Nexus 5 and use it everyday on the Android L developer preview. I wouldn't have done ANY of that if I hated Android and wanted to attack it....

Thanks for the assist.

 

[SpoonCody]

Uhh, of course I don't.....I don't work there. I was stating my opinions. I thought that was relatively clear....you know after I've repeated over and over that I'm stating my opinions and preferences?



There's a difference between what has been relatively evolutionary to completely overhauling the design and standardizing various things across the OS. I think Android L is a much bigger update than say Kit Kat was.



Nothing about any of these companies is "sudden". I never said so. Simply that I think Android L marks the beginning of Vanilla Android as its own consumer option rather than just a Nexus/developer version to be tweaked.

Obviously this has been in the works for quite some time.



Some more than others. Mail still sucks - though Gmail is apparently very nice. Over the last few months they've been busy updating them all to the new design language. You're taking my general statements and trying to apply them to each individual app. Some have been updated more than others. All-in-all, Android L is bringing about a major change. That's my point.



That's my opinion. I don't think Vanilla Android has ever been looked at on the same level as skinned Android. It was seen as a "blank canvas". I think Android L changes that - Vanilla Android will be Google's Android. This started before L, but I think L is the full realization of their vision.



If I had a source, I would've cited it. Sorry you think my opinion on the matter is "rubbish". Not sure what about it specifically makes you feel that way. I think it's pretty clear Google is doing more for L than they have in the past. We can speculate as to why, but I think my theories are pretty good.

Regardless of the motivation, the result will be a more polished Vanilla Android experience. I'm excited about it.

Gotcha.

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It seems like you are just looking for a fight. JRSWIZZLE never attacked Android and just voiced his thoughts. He even tried to wrap it up nice and clean but you keep pushing. You keep nitpicking trying to find something to dramatize. Let it go.

Looking for a fight? No. Looking for clarity. To more or less say "it seems third party default apps has allowed Google to be lazy about their default apps" is quite an opinion that, I think, warrants clarification.

 

[Black Magic]

Gotcha.

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Looking for a fight? No. Looking for clarity. To more or less say "it seems third party default apps has allowed Google to be lazy about their default apps" is quite an opinion that, I think, warrants clarification.

It's his opinion. What more clarification do you need? Are you expecting an official write up on Google's website stating his opinions are indeed fact? Let's be serious here. This is a message board where opinions are shared and should be welcome.

 

[jrswizzle]

Gotcha.

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Looking for a fight? No. Looking for clarity. To more or less say "it seems third party default apps has allowed Google to be lazy about their default apps" is quite an opinion that, I think, warrants clarification.

It's his opinion. What more clarification do you need? Are you expecting an official write up on Google's website stating his opinions are indeed fact? Let's be serious here. This is a message board where opinions are shared and should be welcome.

Hey Gents - I think we've got it squared away now. Let's all be civil

 

[SpoonCody]

It's his opinion. What more clarification do you need? Are you expecting an official write up on Google's website stating his opinions are indeed fact? Let's be serious here. This is a message board where opinions are shared and should be welcome.

Do you know what a question is?

Yes, this is a message board of opinions. So can we not ask about how one arrives at opinions? Especially one so outrageous as saying it seems Google has been lazy with their default apps because of the ability to allow third party defaults?

 

[SpoonCody]

Was there anything regarding Photos versus Gallery app for Android L? Does anyone know? It annoys me there are two of the same apps. I actually think Photos is terrible, but it looks like they'll be transitioning to that more likely than not?

Did Google detail anything about that for Android L?

 

[apolloa]

Or download one of many one-click root kits.

No one has made one of these for the 2012 Nexus 7 running 4.4.4 though. I looked the other day, you have to do it the manual way which is fine, but it then seems a lot more tricky to 'unroot' the device if you want to get OTA updates etc back again.

anyway...

I ditched my iPhone 5 because I hated iOS7, I got a nexus 5 because I already had my 2012 Nexus 7, now i also have an iPad Mini Retina and whilst it's good, it certainly won't make me ditch Android anytime soon..... iOS7 still has a lot of bugs, like why do I need several different volume settings? Ringer? Sound Effects? Android just has.. the Volume...

And I am very much looking forward to Android L and the performance enhancements it should bring.

 

[Jibbajabba]

why do I need several different volume settings? Ringer? Sound Effects? Android just has.. the Volume...

Err what ?

 

[Lloydbm41]

Err what ?

What is that? Cause that isn't stock Android volume control? Is that from Samsung Galaxy S2 or some old Touch wiz UI?

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Was there anything regarding Photos versus Gallery app for Android L? Does anyone know? It annoys me there are two of the same apps. I actually think Photos is terrible, but it looks like they'll be transitioning to that more likely than not?

Did Google detail anything about that for Android L?

Gallery is gone in L. There is only Photos. That said, I'm sure Samsung, HTC and the other OEM's will add their own Gallery.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Whilst L looks nice, I'll be using a Samsung device as my daily driver so I'm not likely to see a lot of the new features. Maybe I'll buy a nexus 7 to play around with it.

I've updated the play store and I must say I do like the material design lay out.

 

[Stooby Mcdoobie]

What is that? Cause that isn't stock Android volume control? Is that from Samsung Galaxy S2 or some old Touch wiz UI?

It is also in stock/AOSP under the Sound -> Volumes setting.

 

[apolloa]

Err what ?

Yeah, that's in the settings menus where it belongs, in iOS you are randomly presented with different volumes depending on the screen when you adjust the volume, their is no central place for volume settings in iOS. Its stupid.

 

[SpoonCody]

Gallery is gone in L. There is only Photos. That said, I'm sure Samsung, HTC and the other OEM's will add their own Gallery.

Then I hope Photos is a lot better in L, because Photos currently sucks.

Thankfully I can use and set QuickPic as default; it's a superior gallery system in nearly every way compared to Photos.

Photos crashes when playing videos, too, which I don't understand.

 

[Lloydbm41]

It is also in stock/AOSP under the Sound -> Volumes setting.

Yes, well aware of that. What I was getting at was the guy showing a pic of volume control that looked very dated and not stock Android, but rather a skinned version.

 

[Stooby Mcdoobie]

Yes, well aware of that. What I was getting at was the guy showing a pic of volume control that looked very dated and not stock Android, but rather a skinned version.

Looks like touchwiz KitKat to me. Skinned, yes, but not dated.

 

[JaySoul]

Then I hope Photos is a lot better in L, because Photos currently sucks.

Thankfully I can use and set QuickPic as default; it's a superior gallery system in nearly every way compared to Photos.

Photos crashes when playing videos, too, which I don't understand.

Photos is getting worse and worse, so frustrating. Actually makes me miss iOS.

 

[jrswizzle]

I'm having a ton of connectivity issues with the dev preview of L. Not all that encouraging considering the Nexus 5 had a bunch of wifi/cellular issues when KitKat first came out.

Gonna go back to my Lumia for now until Android L is officially released. If I find the time, I may flash back to the latest KitKat, but at this point, I just don't feel like it.

The iPhone 6/iOS 8 is too close.....right now I'm just excited for that. Not going to sell the Nexus 5, but likely won't be using it much, if at all, when I get my hands on an iPhone 6.

 

[gotluck]

Yea I've heard the developer preview has slews of issues. Would really reserve judgement for now. I believe the preview was already weeks behind the internal version when it was released.

 

[Vegastouch]

Hmm I haven't had connectivity issues on mine running KK. Not sure i like this Android L dialer as well either. The call logs isn't as good as it was. I'm sure it will improve though.

I'm probably not going to get a iPhone but I will check it or anyways. Will still be too limited for me.

 

[SpoonCody]

Photos is getting worse and worse, so frustrating. Actually makes me miss iOS.

Yea, Photos is all sorts of stupid.

 

[Jibbajabba]

What is that? Cause that isn't stock Android volume control? Is that from Samsung Galaxy S2 or some old Touch wiz UI?

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Note 3. Had that on my S3,4,5 and now Note 3 and Nexus 7 for it too. All the way from 4.0 to 4.4

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Looks like touchwiz KitKat to me. Skinned, yes, but not dated.

Not skinned at all. Stock .. JB, KK .. Looks all the same. Seems like not many people here checked the volume settings .... Ever

 

[Dontazemebro]

Yes, well aware of that. What I was getting at was the guy showing a pic of volume control that looked very dated and not stock Android, but rather a skinned version.

He was showing off touchwiz. That's how it looks on the Note 3.

 

[jrswizzle]

Yea I've heard the developer preview has slews of issues. Would really reserve judgement for now. I believe the preview was already weeks behind the internal version when it was released.

Oh sure - I'm still looking forward to trying out the final release. I was always going to buy an iPhone. Just at this point, I can't keep using it as it's messing with my daily use.

 

[Lloydbm41]

Note 3. Had that on my S3,4,5 and now Note 3 and Nexus 7 for it too. All the way from 4.0 to 4.4

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Not skinned at all. Stock .. JB, KK .. Looks all the same. Seems like not many people here checked the volume settings .... Ever

You don't seem to realize that the picture you showed is not stock Android. It is Touchwiz volume control, skinned and based off the old Gingerbread design. Hell, stock JellyBean didn't even look that blocky.

This is stock Android L and KitKat:

This is Jelly Bean:

Ice Cream Sandwich: