1. mvsalvino's Avatar
    I understand BlackBerry's decision to keep Android pretty much stock - and agree that it's a smart move. From what I understand, they have their own BlackBerry launcher that enables some of the Android customizations.

    My thought is, given that a lot of people (a.k.a. every iPhone user) sees Android as a cluttered mess of a UI, would it make sense to make the BlackBerry launcher much more of a skin with a UI similar to BB10?

    I believe that would truly give the best of both worlds. Stock Android with the ability to enable the BlackBerry launcher to have a cleaner UI. I honestly think this would lead to greater adoption by us BB10 holdouts, and more importantly open the door for iPhone converts!

    Something as simple as BB10/iOS (let's be honest their UIs both have very similar layouts) with hub on left, open apps in middle, and app drawer on right, and removal of widgets, search bars, etc. It could even be an external app and they could leave current BlackBerry launcher as-is.

     C L A S S I C
    11-19-16 11:40 AM
  2. ray689's Avatar
    "Cluttered" mess is the buzz word for those who haven't actually used android. You ask them what that means and none can actually tell you. They just heard the term elsewhere.
    As for BlackBerry making some addition to their launcher, i think it would be nice to see as long as it doesn't affect performance which could be why BlackBerry stuck to a close stock android experience.
    Uzi, Bbnivende, TgeekB and 2 others like this.
    11-19-16 12:20 PM
  3. silversmith75's Avatar
    I wish they would skin it more to bb10. I really don't like the way the os operates I prefer active frames to the open app page on Android. I know a lot complained about only 8 open apps but it good doesn't use up a lot of resources. And the hub being integrated into the os would be awesome. And would be a selling point as it's a different android experience

    #luvmybb10os
    11-19-16 12:52 PM
  4. silversmith75's Avatar
    And I really wish they would get rid of the home button. ( the Bain of my insistence). Seriously why is it so hard for people to grasp gestures? I wish they would make.ot more like bb10

    #luvmybb10os
    Last edited by silversmith75; 11-20-16 at 12:08 AM.
    11-19-16 01:03 PM
  5. DrBoomBotz's Avatar
    And I really wish they would get rid of the he button. ( the Bain of my insistence). Seriously why is it so hard for people to grasp gestures? I wish they would make.ot more like bb10

    #luvmybb10os
    What button?
    jaydee5799 likes this.
    11-19-16 01:19 PM
  6. 00stryder's Avatar
    Home button, I'm guessing.
    11-19-16 01:23 PM
  7. DrBoomBotz's Avatar
    Home button, I'm guessing.
    This is my second Android and no home button. Android is not just one experience.
    TgeekB and jaydee5799 like this.
    11-19-16 01:39 PM
  8. conite's Avatar
    I wish they would skin it more to bb10. I really don't like the way the os operates I prefer active frames to the open app page on Android. I know a lot complained about only 8 open apps but it good doesn't use up a lot of resources. And the hub being integrated into the os would be awesome. And would be a selling point as it's a different android experience

    #luvmybb10os
    The Android app switcher screen on BlackBerry Android devices is essentially identical to the active frame screen on BB10. Just faster.
    Bbnivende likes this.
    11-19-16 01:44 PM
  9. The Commander's Avatar
    The Android app switcher screen on BlackBerry Android devices is essentially identical to the active frame screen on BB10. Just faster.
    Faster? How can android App switcher is faster then BB10 App switcher if u simply swipe up on BB10 and click on another open app, and on android u click the app switcher button and find the app in tonnes of open apps? BB10 App switcher is faster then android App switcher I would say.
    11-19-16 04:06 PM
  10. conite's Avatar
    Faster? How can android App switcher is faster then BB10 App switcher if u simply swipe up on BB10 and click on another open app, and on android u click the app switcher button and find the app in tonnes of open apps? BB10 App switcher is faster then android App switcher I would say.
    The layouts of both are the same. A screenfull of open app thumbnails.

    Press the square instead of swipe up. That's the only difference.

    BlackBerry Android is faster for two reasons: ALL apps are running natively, and more CPU horsepower.
    Bbnivende and Rello like this.
    11-19-16 04:12 PM
  11. ray689's Avatar
    Faster? How can android App switcher is faster then BB10 App switcher if u simply swipe up on BB10 and click on another open app, and on android u click the app switcher button and find the app in tonnes of open apps? BB10 App switcher is faster then android App switcher I would say.
    If you want to get Technical, a swipe up is not as fast a click on the square.
    11-19-16 04:35 PM
  12. 00stryder's Avatar
    This is my second Android and no home button. Android is not just one experience.
    I didn't say physical home button, nor do I think he meant that. The software circle button is essentially a home button.
    11-19-16 07:17 PM
  13. ray689's Avatar
    I didn't say physical home button, nor do I think he meant that. The software circle button is essentially a home button.
    Not essentially. It is a home button. No disputing that.
    11-19-16 11:41 PM
  14. silversmith75's Avatar
    I should have been more clear. Any button physical or or not that returns you to a main page. I consider a home button. Which I absolutely hate.

    #luvmybb10os
    Randy Spear likes this.
    11-20-16 12:13 AM
  15. mvsalvino's Avatar
    "Cluttered" mess is the buzz word for those who haven't actually used android. You ask them what that means and none can actually tell you. They just heard the term elsewhere.
    As for BlackBerry making some addition to their launcher, i think it would be nice to see as long as it doesn't affect performance which could be why BlackBerry stuck to a close stock android experience.
    Cluttered is a matter of opinion. I've used android from gingerbread through lollipop, UI is inconsistent and sometimes a chore to navigate in my opinion. At least compared to BBOS, BB10, Meego, and more recent versions of iOS. I realize there are others who like it though.

     C L A S S I C
    silversmith75 likes this.
    11-20-16 12:23 AM
  16. ray689's Avatar
    Cluttered is a matter of opinion. I've used android from gingerbread through lollipop, UI is inconsistent and sometimes a chore to navigate in my opinion. At least compared to BBOS, BB10, Meego, and more recent versions of iOS. I realize there are others who like it though.

     C L A S S I C
    Like i said, what does that mean? What is a chore for you?
    Last edited by ray689; 11-20-16 at 09:33 AM.
    11-20-16 12:28 AM
  17. cribble2k's Avatar
    I think people are confused about what launchers in Android are about.

    The point is not to make Android look and work like BB10, the point is that launchers add customizations that may not be available on the stock Google launcher.

    That said,

    - Android does not support active frames as seen in BB10. Some of us found the active frames unless.

    - You can still have screens with app icons,which can be sorted into folders, if you didn't want to use the app drawer.

    - People with rooted Marshmallow Android, can use GMD Gesture Control to make system wide gestures. This app is broken in 7.0.

    - 'Peek' is not needed on Android, as there is the notification drawer, which is always available with a swipe down.

    Serious Android users use Nova Launcher anyway.
    11-20-16 12:49 AM
  18. Bbnivende's Avatar
    Serious Android users ... do not come on CB. I tried Nova. No big deal if you ask me.
    11-20-16 01:20 AM
  19. Prem WatsApp's Avatar
    If you want to get Technical, a swipe up is not as fast a click on the square.
    But no aiming required. That's the convenience... :-D

    �   "BB10 dead?" - "Let's dance the Danse MacaBBRY! ... or is it..?" ;-D   �
    11-20-16 02:25 AM
  20. DarkJoker33's Avatar
    Or action launcher instead of Nova.

    I've used both and found Action launcher as capable if not more so for my needs.
    And could be fully tweakable to BB10 like standards minus getting rid of the standard home back and recents keys.
    11-20-16 10:11 AM
  21. ssbtech's Avatar
    "Cluttered" mess is the buzz word for those who haven't actually used android. You ask them what that means and none can actually tell you. They just heard the term elsewhere.

    Due to the customizability of Android (skinning), OEMs have typically made Android into a cluttered mess.

    There's a movement in UI design towards very poor separation of on-screen elements. Buttons don't look like buttons but rather simple text labels. Layering in UIs make it harder to distinguish between pop-ups and actual content. An example of this was a Samsung device I was helping an older couple set up. There was a licence agreement pop-up, but the "accept" and "decline" buttons were separated from the content of the agreement with no bounding border or background. The app's interface bled through this pop-up message and made it hard to distinguish the agreement from the app, and made locating the accept/decline buttons harder to locate.

    This overall "flat" design that many devices are moving too may provide a nice crisp interface for some people, but many others regard it as a difficult to navigate pain in the arse. When you start introducing things like the Facebook chat heads that float around on the screen overtop of whatever you're working with, it gets even more messy.

    Those with failing eyesight need not apply at all.
    11-20-16 11:16 AM
  22. Bbnivende's Avatar
    Yes those with failing eyesight should skip the iPhone altogether. I like the BlackBerry launcher that can be simple or complex depending on what you want.

    Prefer the back button, apps drawer and open apps button over the iOS approach.
    Last edited by Bbnivende; 11-21-16 at 01:49 AM.
    11-20-16 12:05 PM
  23. ray689's Avatar
    Due to the customizability of Android (skinning), OEMs have typically made Android into a cluttered mess.

    There's a movement in UI design towards very poor separation of on-screen elements. Buttons don't look like buttons but rather simple text labels. Layering in UIs make it harder to distinguish between pop-ups and actual content. An example of this was a Samsung device I was helping an older couple set up. There was a licence agreement pop-up, but the "accept" and "decline" buttons were separated from the content of the agreement with no bounding border or background. The app's interface bled through this pop-up message and made it hard to distinguish the agreement from the app, and made locating the accept/decline buttons harder to locate.

    This overall "flat" design that many devices are moving too may provide a nice crisp interface for some people, but many others regard it as a difficult to navigate pain in the arse. When you start introducing things like the Facebook chat heads that float around on the screen overtop of whatever you're working with, it gets even more messy.

    Those with failing eyesight need not apply at all.
    You do realize had Facebook actually made an app for BB10 ever they likely would have included chat heads. It's a feature of the app not Android. And you can turn it off.
    11-20-16 12:40 PM
  24. ssbtech's Avatar
    You do realize had Facebook actually made an app for BB10 ever they likely would have included chat heads. It's a feature of the app not Android. And you can turn it off.
    I'm saying that clunky/cumbersome design is a common trait found throughout the Android ecosystem and this is one example of that.
    11-20-16 12:47 PM
  25. DamianWarS's Avatar
    I understand BlackBerry's decision to keep Android pretty much stock - and agree that it's a smart move. From what I understand, they have their own BlackBerry launcher that enables some of the Android customizations.

    My thought is, given that a lot of people (a.k.a. every iPhone user) sees Android as a cluttered mess of a UI, would it make sense to make the BlackBerry launcher much more of a skin with a UI similar to BB10?

    I believe that would truly give the best of both worlds. Stock Android with the ability to enable the BlackBerry launcher to have a cleaner UI. I honestly think this would lead to greater adoption by us BB10 holdouts, and more importantly open the door for iPhone converts!

    Something as simple as BB10/iOS (let's be honest their UIs both have very similar layouts) with hub on left, open apps in middle, and app drawer on right, and removal of widgets, search bars, etc. It could even be an external app and they could leave current BlackBerry launcher as-is.

     C L A S S I C
    Custom skin is only going to push blackberry into a deeper niche market which android was suppose to open up. Stock feel is the best and most responsible option.
    11-20-16 01:30 PM
63 123

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