[Vorkosigan]

I don't like the interface in general.

1. BlackBerry and Apple use a single plane for all the apps and home screen, I find this simple and clean. Android has 2 planes Home screen and app drawer.

2. Open apps in BlackBerry are also on the same plane through active tiles, this gives easy app switching useful information from tiles and easy access to shut apps and save memory and battery in one easy accessible location.

IOS and android require a certain action to access the app switcher, and a separate interface "widgets" to get quick info.

Device search and hub etc...

Dunno...

BB10 feels more efficient hence easier.


Posted via CB10

This is exactly what has annoyed me about Android - but too other ppl that's the customisable aspect that they enjoy.

I've always liked that BlackBerry phones are ready to go with every app I need for full productivity built in. And the idea of having to use a 3rd party mail client especially makes me shake my head. I actually really struggled with that on Windows phone before finally giving up and going back to my Z10.

My phone needs to do email, calendar, text, calls and reminders really well built in. There may be an app for that, but I shouldn't have to be beholden to a 3rd party client for those very basic utilities.

Posted via CB10

[ajgftw]

I don't like the interface in general.

1. BlackBerry and Apple use a single plane for all the apps and home screen, I find this simple and clean. Android has 2 planes Home screen and app drawer.

2. Open apps in BlackBerry are also on the same plane through active tiles, this gives easy app switching useful information from tiles and easy access to shut apps and save memory and battery in one easy accessible location.

IOS and android require a certain action to access the app switcher, and a separate interface "widgets" to get quick info.

Device search and hub etc...

Dunno...

BB10 feels more efficient hence easier.


Posted via CB10

1. welcome to android, which of the 100+ replacement launchers would you like me to suggest you use?

2. I totally agree, but also....I don't......I really enjoyed using my classic and how it managed open apps and the live tiles, really cool. but I was just as efficient on my android device, maybe even a little more efficient.

regarding battery and memory concerns, android has excellent battery and ram management built in (wait for android marshmallow and it gets even better).

[ssbtech]

I am really curious here I am no programmer by any means, if android is so amazingly customizable and so easily manipulated than why has this not been done so that those blackberry users can truly have the best of both worlds, all the millions of games from the play store with a fully customized bbos theme on top(the BBOS 10 look and fee gestures and all ).

Posted via CB10

I think when people say Android is easily customized, they mean things like installing different email apps or file managers, not that the UI can easily be re-arranged to bring menus down to the bottom and make the device easier to use.

I don't know how many times I've picked up a Samsung or LG Android phone only to swipe at it and flip through empty app pages with goofy animations going on and popping bubble noises. Yes, I know that stuff can be turned off, but it makes for a sloppy, cluttered experience. Most people I know with Android based phones haven't turned off that stuff.

Look at the problems being reported in the forums about the Hub and email integration and simple things like missing file managers and not being able to attach a Dropbox file to an email. While one person might call this customization, I call it fragmented and broken right out of the box.

[ajgftw]

I am sorry. I did not explain myself very well. No disrespect intended. What I meant was simply and user applied theme. My question stems from the pluthera of users that have stated how easy it is alter the OS. Also taking into account that android is an open source operating system. Please correct me if that last part is irrelevant to my question lol.
Also I am speaking about solely about android itself regardless the manufacturer

Posted via CB10

even though android as an OS is open source (AOSP), the customization potential of any one iteration of the OS depends entirely on the device and manufacturer. on the Priv there is no theme engine built in and no root access, so you are limited to what 3rd party apps will allow you to change regarding the UI and visuals (which doesn't extend far beyond icon packs and custom launchers).

However, on my rooted Sony phone running a custom rom with a theme engine, I could (if I was at all creative) make a theme to make my phone look a lot like BBOS.

am I getting close to answering your question???? haha

[matt4pack]

Slide out menus slide out. You dont have to tap an icon just slide left to right.
!

Not sure what you mean here. You have to hit the icons which are at the top.

[Fr3lncr]

The general consensus from the network of people I know is that bb10 is more complicated than android an definitely more complicated than ios. When bb10 first came out, everyone that tried the phone couldn't figure things out until explained to them and it took them a while to get the hang of it.

Once people figure it out though, I think they find it easier or more efficient but the initial uptake for bb10 I think is still harder for most than android.

We take for granted bb10 because we have been using it for so long but like with any os, you just need time with it to find your way around. I personally find android and bb10 structured very much the same way with regards to settings and such... or say they have a similar logic. Compare that to say windows phone, I absolutely despise the settings as nothing seems to be ordered or presented in a way that makes sense. Even ios settings I find unnecessarily complicated for such a 'user oriented ' os.

[ssbtech]

Not sure what you mean here. You have to hit the icons which are at the top.

If there's a burger menu icon thing at the top, then you can usually slide the panel out from anywhere on the left edge of the screen, you don't have to hit the button. This is true of many android apps running on BB10 too.

But this, IMO, is another "sloppy" design choice. Why have a menu button if you don't have to use it? If the bar at the bottom of the screen is already home to the PlayStation buttons (It's just missing an X) then there's space to fit in the menu/overflow buttons too. It's a waste of space and contributes to the cluttered feel of the OS.

[ajgftw]

I think when people say Android is easily customized, they mean things like installing different email apps or file managers, not that the UI can easily be re-arranged to bring menus down to the bottom and make the device easier to use.

I don't know how many times I've picked up a Samsung or LG Android phone only to swipe at it and flip through empty app pages with goofy animations going on and popping bubble noises. Yes, I know that stuff can be turned off, but it makes for a sloppy, cluttered experience. Most people I know with Android based phones haven't turned off that stuff.

Look at the problems being reported in the forums about the Hub and email integration and simple things like missing file managers and not being able to attach a Dropbox file to an email. While one person might call this customization, I call it fragmented and broken right out of the box.

I agree with you entirely, the openness of Android is its biggest strength and its biggest weakness.
Because the manufacturers can change it how they want, you could line up 10 different devices from 10 different manufacturers that all claimed to be "android devices" and you would get 10 different user interfaces.

Blackberry is just another manufacturer with their own spin on things, and for some daft reason they left out a basic file manager and released a phone running an outdated version of android that is known to have issues with external SD card access. (fixed entirely in marshmallow btw)

and for what it's worth, depending on device (not the Priv), you can most certainly move elements of the UI around to suit your own tastes :-)

[deadcowboy]

I just played with the Priv at my local Att store (for about an hour, so I know the OS pretty well). Some things are better on the Priv than BB10, surprisingly. But on the whole, Android is a cluttered mess of an operating system, with poor navigation, and ugly animations/design flourishes). It's a bad OS, but BlackBerry has implemented some nifty and useful features.

Posted via CB10

[vladi]

I am really curious here I am no programmer by any means, if android is so amazingly customizable and so easily manipulated than why has this not been done so that those blackberry users can truly have the best of both worlds, all the millions of games from the play store with a fully customized bbos theme on top(the BBOS 10 look and fee gestures and all ).

Posted via CB10

Cause it's not. It's very fragile due to complexity and some sort of idiotic and illogical approach at the low level. Theoretically you can do whatever you want to it but when you change or add something it affects other thing and so on and then you end up with a buggy and laggy version of Android.

I have a strong belief that Google is trying everything not to have Android modified by manufacturers hence the reason why they are not rewriting anything at the bottom. They optimized Android for "google edition" which ended up being the best working edition of Android to date and they have already made users to ask for stock Android over any other iteration.

[Kurdis Blough]

If there's a burger menu icon thing at the top, then you can usually slide the panel out from anywhere on the left edge of the screen, you don't have to hit the button. This is true of many android apps running on BB10 too.

But this, IMO, is another "sloppy" design choice. Why have a menu button if you don't have to use it? If the bar at the bottom of the screen is already home to the PlayStation buttons (It's just missing an X) then there's space to fit in the menu/overflow buttons too. It's a waste of space and contributes to the cluttered feel of the OS.

An icon which indicates that there are menu options is sloppy?

An icon that basically means swipe left to right cause there are options is sloppy design?

An icon that basically means swipe left right cause there are options which are hidden is sloppy design?

An icon makes the os feel cluttered?

You are reaching

!

[ssbtech]

An icon which indicates that there are menu options is sloppy?
An icon that basically means swipe left to right cause there are options is sloppy design?
An icon that basically means swipe left right cause there are options which are hidden is sloppy design?
An icon makes the os feel cluttered?
You are reaching
!

You're not understanding me.

There's the three buttons at the bottom of the screen, taking up space. Then at the top of the screen, you've got menu buttons, taking up more space. It's unnecessary to take up all this space and push buttons out of reach. BlackBerry's implementation of putting the menu and overflow buttons at the bottom of the screen with other "quick action" buttons makes sense because it puts most of the buttons together and leaves more space for the application.

The Android approach takes up too much room with redundant functions. It's sloppy.

[BerryRipe]

If I'm not entirely mistaken android has an option to make the overall ui more simple right? I recall seeing that option in the display section I believe but that could be an LG thing as I haven't seen it on a Samsung.

Posted via CB10

[BBerryPowerUser]

It does.

Heck, there is even an app to make your Droid interface look and FUNCTION exactly like a Windows Phone. No joke. I used to use it. And it WORKED GREAT. It's one of the reasons I opted to buy a Windows Phone years ago.

The key to Droid, it's OPEN. You can make the UI look different than just about any other user with infinite combinations of apps, themes, widgets and UI apps to overhaul the general look, like the Windows Phone UI App. That's what I like about Droid. That and the HARDWARE based BACK and MENU buttons. iPhones big home button is fine, but I am constantly searching for BACK and MENU items within the apps themselves and they are never where I think they are. Plus, you can't hide apps on iOS. They dump on the screen regardless. Yes, you can put them in folders, but they are still on the screen per se. Droid has them hidden if you wish in an Apps menu. I like that.

[snow2deep]

I agree it's cumbersome to navigate the priv and the settings aren't as intuitive. I think the inability to add your own ringtones for phone, alarm, text is a poor experience. I like the design, apps but I can't get even out of the box notifications working on every app nor can I find a way to include Facebook contacts in contacts app. Can't view my photos by date taken they are just a mess and w 1800 will take a bit to clean out. I I want BlackBerry to succeed and love the apps store but I'm not willing to hand over everything to Google and not be able to shut off things I don't want them having access to in my life. Getting a classic and will hope enough adopt it to succeed so Os 10 comes out on a new device.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[Adam Frix]

From what demos I've seen, iOS and BB10 seem logically laid out. BB10 especially so. Android seems like a jumbled mess to me.

Posted via CB10

BB10 is no better than Android or Windows Phone 8.1. It's just an OS that does pretty much the same basic things for you, albeit hobbled by what it is at its core.

I will tell you this: BB10 is crap compared to legacy BB. Those things just worked, and worked superbly. BB10 was a ground-up effort to compete with Android and iOS--and do so using THEIR rules. That's why BB10 is, frankly, an utter mess overall. You can't join the game late and try to play by rules that others have defined. You'll lose every time, and BB10 is proof of that.

I could rock a legacy BB, one-handed. I didn't care about anything but email, notes, and a little web browsing. BB always "got" enterprise, something that (a) Android and iOS never did, and (b) BB started to forget in BB10 as they tried like crazy to go after the consumer market (without realizing that was a failed effort from the moment it began).

Adding core BB stuff to Android was the right move. Make Android enterprise-aware, and give it a toolset that's aimed squarely at enterprise users.

[Adam Frix]

I agree it's cumbersome to navigate the priv and the settings aren't as intuitive. I think the inability to add your own ringtones for phone, alarm, text is a poor experience. I like the design, apps but I can't get even out of the box notifications working on every app nor can I find a way to include Facebook contacts in contacts app. Can't view my photos by date taken they are just a mess and w 1800 will take a bit to clean out. I I want BlackBerry to succeed and love the apps store but I'm not willing to hand over everything to Google and not be able to shut off things I don't want them having access to in my life. Getting a classic and will hope enough adopt it to succeed so Os 10 comes out on a new device.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

what do you mean, you can't add your own ringtones?

Of course you can. It's WAY easier than you think--maybe that's tripping you up.

(Now go look up how to add ringtones to, say, an iPhone 4--you'll laugh yourself silly.)

[ssbtech]

I will tell you this: BB10 is crap compared to legacy BB. Those things just worked, and worked superbly. BB10 was a ground-up effort to compete with Android and iOS--and do so using THEIR rules. That's why BB10 is, frankly, an utter mess overall. You can't join the game late and try to play by rules that others have defined. You'll lose every time, and BB10 is proof of that.

BB10 is hardly a "mess". Legacy BB *used* to be good for enterprise, but as we all know enterprise needs have changed almost as quickly as home users.

[NightFire]

I'd like to think of it as more customizable...but I'm up for the challenge!

Posted via the BlackBerry Priv

[ssbtech]

Many Priv users seem to recommend ES File Explorer so I thought I'd give it a go on my Z30.

When I'm not dropping the phone trying to reach the menu bar at the top, frankly it's a cluttered mess of junk nobody needs. WTF is there a "Weather" section in a file manager? Why is it identifying my "Downloads" folder as being 400MB of junk that needs to be deleted? Why can't I click the little down-arrow for Bookmarks without hitting the orange gift shop button that takes me to an app store of some sort? And it looks like I've fallen into a giant bucket of Jellybeans with the colour scheme.

I'm sorry, but it's one of MANY example of how Android encourages absolutely terrible, messy, cluttered app design.

[ajgftw]

Many Priv users seem to recommend ES File Explorer so I thought I'd give it a go on my Z30.

When I'm not dropping the phone trying to reach the menu bar at the top, frankly it's a cluttered mess of junk nobody needs. WTF is there a "Weather" section in a file manager? Why is it identifying my "Downloads" folder as being 400MB of junk that needs to be deleted? Why can't I click the little down-arrow for Bookmarks without hitting the orange gift shop button that takes me to an app store of some sort? And it looks like I've fallen into a giant bucket of Jellybeans with the colour scheme.

I'm sorry, but it's one of MANY example of how Android encourages absolutely terrible, messy, cluttered app design.

Not sure how this magical "android" presence makes developers design their UI a certain way. Googles Material design guides are very simple and easy to use, but no can force a developer to use it.

Personally I don't like ES file manager, but let's just make sure we are blaming the right thing for you don't like it.

I am currently using Solid Explorer of anyone needs an alternative with a great UI.

[1Criz]

Is inconsistent and it's UX, modelled on Symbian (app drawer, widgets ) is cumbersome.
The Chinese manufacturers did actually good job on iPhonising it.
Also to each it's own, but after gesture based OS, buttons fixed on the screen feel so last decade...

Posted via CB10

[ajgftw]

Depends how you use it, easy enough to hide the navbar and use gestures to navigate and interact with apps.

[rsrocha]

Moving from bb10 to android you get your head messed up because not everything is integrated, you need to go through many apps to get the job done, the options are not concentrated in one place, every app does his thing differently...

It's not the operating system that gives one workflow. You make your own workflow because android gives you so many options.

Moving from samsung to blackberry android is easier because of the almost stock experience.

All in all its android, its just like that.

Posted via CB10

[Adam Frix]

BB10 is hardly a "mess". Legacy BB *used* to be good for enterprise, but as we all know enterprise needs have changed almost as quickly as home users.

BB10 tried, and utterly failed, to address both consumer and enterprise needs.

BB10 isn't what BB is supposed to be. It's just the ONLY thing people have had for a few years, so they think and act like BB10 *is* BB.

BB10 isn't BB any more or any less than Priv is BB.