Google requiring default 'Holo' theme in Android 4.0 - Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Google requiring default 'Holo' theme in Android 4.0 devices for Android Market access. I know its more for 3rd party apps, but this is the first true step in a consistent UI across different devices. LOVE IT.
http://http://www.theverge.com/2012/1/3/2680410/google-holo-theme-android-4-0-required

As most outlets have reported, this isn't going to do anything to stop Sense, TouchWiz, MotoBlur, etc.. It'll help with 3rd party app consistency but we'll still see horrible UI overlays, and those are the big things that make Android inconsistent.

Yeah, this makes me happy. The annoying part of trying to design a nice UI around the standard Android widgets is that unless you have every device skin available for testing, you have no idea how it is going to look, requiring developers to design their own UI elements just for a consistent look.

martonikaj said:
As most outlets have reported, this isn't going to do anything to stop Sense, TouchWiz, MotoBlur, etc.. It'll help with 3rd party app consistency but we'll still see horrible UI overlays, and those are the big things that make Android inconsistent.
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+1
true

babluc said:
Google requiring default 'Holo' theme in Android 4.0 devices for Android Market access. I know its more for 3rd party apps, but this is the first true step in a consistent UI across different devices. LOVE IT.
http://http://www.theverge.com/2012/1/3/2680410/google-holo-theme-android-4-0-required
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Click to collapse
One too many "http://"s there
Try this:
http://www.theverge.com/2012/1/3/2680410/google-holo-theme-android-4-0-required
Terminators run on Android...

Define horrible UI overlays. Everyone has their own stylistic touches and it just so happens that Sense is all about adding gradients and aligning itself closer to the light Holo theme. While this is great news for consumers everywhere with the chance to de-Sense, de-Motoblur, de-TimeScrape and de-Touchwiz their phones, you have to be more excited about the fact it'll promote more consistent designing of apps in the market and that's something to get excited about. There are a good few apps that just have an out of place feel.

Related

am i the only one who likes moto blur?

i have heard alot of hate for moto blur reading reviews on tech blogs and in forums which has always put me off a motorola. however now i have the defy i actually think that blur improves the android experience since its not massivly skinned and you can still tell its android but with a few nicer tweaks
granted the home screens are a heap of **** but nothing that cant be solved but .ADW launcher and the new ex is phenomenal
also ive heard it is a bit of a data hogger but just set it to wi fi only and job done
appart from that their are alot of nice improvments over stock
I think the social network intergration is brilliant and better and easyer than stock
plus the keyboard is much better than stock and better than gingerbreads aswell
the usb managment is better
stock wi fi teathering
i think nicer lock screen
better camera app
better sync with computer and that in browser thing is very nice
all in all i think moto have done a nice job and dont think it deserves the bad stick it gets
what are your thaughts?
Nope!! me to!
Isn't bad at all!! but... it's kite laggy...
but... LauncherPRO or ADW are more complet than default BLUR.
BLUR Consumes a looot of memory by the face, need a good optimitzation.
It's ugly though
Also I'm not sure if the keyboard has anything to do with Motoblur? The Defy does come with the Swype keyboard pre-installed though, you might be referring to that.
The only moto keyboard I have seen is on the chinese rom.
I like the messing tools and widget...some other stuff as well....if it didn't bog down the phone so much it would be okay.
Sent from my MB525 using Tapatalk
The 'Multi-touch keyboard' app is from Motorola and defiantly one of the best I've used...
I like motoblur in general. Could go higher on the "cute" factor, but it gets the job done.
sarge78 said:
The 'Multi-touch keyboard' app is from Motorola and defiantly one of the best I've used...
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i agree i think it is the nicest on android and swype is a nice addition ad well
scrannel said:
I like motoblur in general. Could go higher on the "cute" factor, but it gets the job done.
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yeah i think the home screens and widgets dont look ideal and could use a bit of polish their seems to be little consistency their perhaps
I like Motoblur as a whole. The social networking widgets are great, but there's some minor things missing. I'd like to be able to divide the applications into categories such as LG's Optimus phones (I've an Optimus One as well). I tried the LG launcher on the Defy and it works good, however I prefer the Motorola widgets.
ADW feels a little too heavy for my taste.
Swype is great though, not really a Motorola only feature but still awesome that it's built in. Compared to HTC's phones... well I'd like to see some HTC Sense system with the pinch to zoom - viewing all homescreens at once feature.
dave79 said:
well I'd like to see some HTC Sense system with the pinch to zoom - viewing all homescreens at once feature.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats available in adw
could you post the lg launcher ive never used an lg android and was close to getting the optimus 1 just fancied the defy a tiny but more
Well, the interface is not that bad. I don't think it is ugly. But I found it unresponsive and laggy, at best. So I went for go launcher.
The message app is quite nice, but I don't use it because I miss the gmail threaded view.
The same goes for the social network app. Links cannot be opened directly making the app completely unuseful, since I have to use another one or the browser to read the complete post.
News widget does not support google reader.
Another big defect in my opinion is the missing opportunity to update system apps. For instance amazon mp3 does not support my locale, and I cannot update it.
Moreover system apps are triggered even if they are not used, sucking system resources. I have installed auto starts and found out it was a complete mess, but cleaning that is a hell of a job, and it's risky.
All in all blur looks unoptimized and half cooked so I think I will go for the deblur rom as soon as I get a win xp machine. I don't feel like experimenting with sbf_flash on linux; in the end this is my first android...
Sent from my MB525 using XDA App
Even if you like Blur, it's impossible to argue against the fact that the implementation is shoddy.
You remove the widgets from the homescreen but it still runs a bunch of processes in the background, absolutely no need to do so.
The likes of the facbook integration in the contacts list is utterly lazy and uesless.
Motorola should offer people the ability to either disable Blur or flash official Blur-free ROMs.

Google Fighting Back Against Custom UIs

Looks like Google is getting sick of carriers and manufacturers messing with their hard work.
http://androidcommunity.com/google-...theme-requirement-for-market-access-20120103/
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
I hope this sticks. Im sick of Touchwiz
Fantastic.
At first I thought this might chap the asses of Motorola, LG, Samsung and (especially) HTC...but it doesn't seem to be saying "NO CUSTOM UI FOR YOU"...which is probably smart. Since there are many app markets now--an especially notable contender being Amazon--handset makers may not give a ****...though to volley it back again perhaps that would lose them any lawsuit insulation Google may (or may not) have been giving them.
daneurysm said:
Fantastic.
At first I thought this might chap the asses of Motorola, LG, Samsung and (especially) HTC...but it doesn't seem to be saying "NO CUSTOM UI FOR YOU"...which is probably smart. Since there are many app markets now--an especially notable contender being Amazon--handset makers may not give a ****...though to volley it back again perhaps that would lose them any lawsuit insulation Google may (or may not) have been giving them.
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Verizon tried that with the fascinate and an LG phone, and it didn't work out too well for them. , it seems like the future ui's will be limited to just a launcher and apps, which can easily be replaced with stock.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
I hope they stick to it. This would be great.
kingsway8605 said:
Verizon tried that with the fascinate and an LG phone, and it didn't work out too well for them. , it seems like the future ui's will be limited to just a launcher and apps, which can easily be replaced with stock.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
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...so no mucking with the framework beyond what something in an apk and/or widget could provide?
I will pray that this is the case.
I'm not so hopeful.
Either way, if they got pissed enough at google it wouldn't be the same as the Bingification of a couple phones by the carrier--though that is always a (remote) possibility. They could use Google for default search (I'm sure Google would still prefer it), they just couldn't use GAPPS or put a Google logo on the thing. I'm sure you know all of this already...But, alternate apps are available and alternate markets exist....big ones, notable ones with big names behind them (ahem, Amazon and a handful of much smaller fish)....I think the only thing Google might bring to the table for their compliance is implied or actual protection in the WW3 of lawsuits crisscrossing the industry.
But, whatever about that tech-navel-gazing... I hope what you suggest is true. I read the article and got nothing more than "key aspects" of the UI should stay mostly stock, if thats cool....unless Google is planning on putting the screws down, which I pray they do.
Its about God damn time. Scratch touchwiz, sense, and MAP.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
This doesn't prevent companies from using a custom UI. It only assures developers that stock UI assets are there.
^^^THIS^^^
What about device themes?
We have no desire to restrict manufacturers from building their own themed experience across their devices. In fact we’ve gone further to make this even easier. In Android 4.0’s API (level 14) we’ve added a new public theme family to complement the Holo family introduced in Android 3.0: DeviceDefault. DeviceDefault themes are aliases for the device’s native look and feel. The DeviceDefault theme family and widget style family offer ways for developers to target the device’s native theme with all customizations intact.
Formally separating these theme families will also make future merges easier for manufacturers updating to a new platform version, helping more devices update more quickly. Google’s Nexus devices alias DeviceDefault to the unmodified Holo themes.
source
so what this say is we will have touchwiz, and htc will have sense. but developers can call on the holo theme for their apps and the framework will be there.
Good, I'd love for it to stay vanilla.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App
Maybe I don't understand what the article is saying. Are they saying that places like settings will stay where as the dialer and contacts will be different?
ddrt said:
Maybe I don't understand what the article is saying. Are they saying that places like settings will stay where as the dialer and contacts will be different?
Click to expand...
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Flash a theme in the xda theme section to get an idea of what a theme changes. Google has their official ics theme called Holo. They are saying this theme has to be used if the manufacturers want to have gapps.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
daneurysm said:
Fantastic.
At first I thought this might chap the asses of Motorola, LG, Samsung and (especially) HTC...but it doesn't seem to be saying "NO CUSTOM UI FOR YOU"...which is probably smart. Since there are many app markets now--an especially notable contender being Amazon--handset makers may not give a ****...though to volley it back again perhaps that would lose them any lawsuit insulation Google may (or may not) have been giving them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just have to go on record by asking...
Daneurysm, did i not forsee this (Google market and app restrictions) as being the strategy to enforce less manufacturer meddling in our conversation a week or two ago?
And that it would be subtle, and in baby steps?
I called it
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
kingsway8605 said:
Flash a theme in the xda theme section to get an idea of what a theme changes. Google has their official ics theme called Holo. They are saying this theme has to be used if the manufacturers want to have gapps.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not "used" its saying the theme must be left in framework for apps devs to call upon it for their apps. read the whole article, lol.
We have no desire to restrict manufacturers from building their own themed experience across their devices. In fact we’ve gone further to make this even easier. In Android 4.0’s API (level 14) we’ve added a new public theme family to complement the Holo family introduced in Android 3.0: DeviceDefault. DeviceDefault themes are aliases for the device’s native look and feel. The DeviceDefault theme family and widget style family offer ways for developers to target the device’s native theme with all customizations intact.
cordell12 said:
not "used" its saying the theme must be left in framework for apps devs to call upon it for their apps. read the whole article, lol.
We have no desire to restrict manufacturers from building their own themed experience across their devices. In fact we’ve gone further to make this even easier. In Android 4.0’s API (level 14) we’ve added a new public theme family to complement the Holo family introduced in Android 3.0: DeviceDefault. DeviceDefault themes are aliases for the device’s native look and feel. The DeviceDefault theme family and widget style family offer ways for developers to target the device’s native theme with all customizations intact.
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Ah, so they're saying "you can have your themes but leave ours there". That's a great standard of practice. I wonder why it wasn't always this way?
squshy 7 said:
I just have to go on record by asking...
Daneurysm, did i not forsee this (Google market and app restrictions) as being the strategy to enforce less manufacturer meddling in our conversation a week or two ago?
And that it would be subtle, and in baby steps?
I called it
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you called this weeks ago. We had 4 pages of me and you pontificating back-n-forth on the ramifications Google enforced stock ICS, etc, et al, ad nauseam....and this was in fact your premise.
I just hope you were right about the rest of the progression...baby steps indeed.
ddrt said:
Ah, so they're saying "you can have your themes but leave ours there". That's a great standard of practice. I wonder why it wasn't always this way?
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The thoughts on this is to stop the Fragmentation, and make it easy for app devs to have one app for all devices.
read the whole article... http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2012/01/holo-everywhere.html
cordell12 said:
not "used" its saying the theme must be left in framework for apps devs to call upon it for their apps. read the whole article, lol.
We have no desire to restrict manufacturers from building their own themed experience across their devices. In fact we’ve gone further to make this even easier. In Android 4.0’s API (level 14) we’ve added a new public theme family to complement the Holo family introduced in Android 3.0: DeviceDefault. DeviceDefault themes are aliases for the device’s native look and feel. The DeviceDefault theme family and widget style family offer ways for developers to target the device’s native theme with all customizations intact.
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You're so smart, thanks for clarification. The OP made it sound much different than it actually is.
.: sent from my Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch :.
I personally am a fan of touchwiz 4+... what I would like to see is users given the option when they set up the device (IE when you enter google acct, etc) on whether to use the TW interface, or stock Android. I think that would be the perfect medium to satisfy all.
daneurysm said:
Yes, you called this weeks ago. We had 4 pages of me and you pontificating back-n-forth on the ramifications Google enforced stock ICS, etc, et al, ad nauseam....and this was in fact your premise.
I just hope you were right about the rest of the progression...baby steps indeed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am hopeful as well...just play your cards right Google.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

Why doesn't Google just add the best features of all these ROMs into native Android?

Why doesn't Google just add the best features of all these ROMs into native Android?
It's so stupid that people have to root their phones in order to get these features. I understand that maybe Google doesn't want Android to seem overly complex, but have a Customization area all in a submenu that you can unlock buy sliding Customizations to ON.
Things like this (in order of necessary > bloat):
Global volume rocker as cursor movement keys (hope this baby is patented so Apple doesn't steal it!)
% battery icon
Brightness slider toggle + AOKP toggles!!!!
Screenshot on Power Menu
Volume panel
Custom targets on lockscreen ring
Custom notification LED colors >> this would really make the hardware unique from Apple and it's really handy, esp when you're in meetings / theaters / church / or any quiet time; the different color assignments are really useful! Even vibrate is now disruptive in meetings.
Weather on lockscreen
Show notification count
Custom colors for Nav Bar
I don't think that's so much that it would overwhelm the average user. Whenever a family member or friend sees our phones, they want me to root theirs and make it the same.
Maybe someone at Google can get this message and we can see this in 4.2? They could release it as a "Android Power Toys" add-on type marketing the way Microsoft did with Windows?
I'm sure there are a number of reasons. First many of these things can be done with third party apps. Google mainly keeps to things that have to be built into the os, or related to Google services.
They have incorporated some features like additional lock screen targets, some toggles on tablets, resizable widgets, ect. It sounds like themes may be coming in 4.2 too.
Another thing I've noticed is while these features are great, they do slow things down a bit, so they may not be beneficial to everyone.
I'm fine with getting these features from other sources of they can put out things like project butter and Google now.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
A lot of what you listed up there I would term bloat, lots of unnecessary options for features I don't want.
Toggles are the exception, I'd love to see a really nice AOSP toggle implementation. I think most normal users would like that too.
Copywrite violations.
I think an easy explanation may be, because the Nexus line is currently only two devices (including the N7). Nexus owners comprise a very small segment of the Android population, and Google develops the device with root users, ROM devs, and themers in mind...meaning, they know we're going to change our devices ourselves (which is part of the fun), so they may not find all of those changes necessary for the Nexus line.
As it pertains to Android in general, I think manufacturer skins (Touchwiz, Sense, Blur) would be the primary deterrent. Google would spend all that time, developing features, that manufacturers would either alter or delete entirely, meaning Google had wasted time and man-hours on developing those additions.
However, word on the street is that LG is getting the Nexus next, but that all manufacturers will also have the ability to make a Nexus device, provided they follow Google's guidelines. This means Nexus devices in the hands of more end users, and possibly, an increased impetus for Google to incorporate some of the features you mentioned. I think we'll see 4.2 and 5.0 implementing some massive changes to the system, in regards to customization and personalization.
Personally, I would like to see the launcher improved. There's no reason why Google couldn't spend a little more time, and create a customizable launcher, like Nova or Apex. That would be a massive improvement IMHO, and one that every user could benefit from. The current launcher is nice, but I know very few rooted users who actually prefer Launcher2 to either of the aforementioned launchers.
Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2
I wonder if they are not included for the sake of simplifying the OS for the average user. It's a lot easier to get someone to just add a widget to add functionality than to explain to them how to enable weather on the lock screen or how to pick which pull-down toggles they want. A lot of those options are redundant because you can access them with widgets on the launcher.
redwingfaninnc said:
I wonder if they are not included for the sake of simplifying the OS for the average user. It's a lot easier to get someone to just add a widget to add functionality than to explain to them how to enable weather on the lock screen or how to pick which pull-down toggles they want. A lot of those options are redundant because you can access them with widgets on the launcher.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That makes sense, but honestly, how many Nexus owners do you know that fit into the "average user" category? I know 35 people who own a Nexus device, and only 3 of them aren't rooted. In general Android terms, you're probably 100% correct though...most "average users" would not know what to do with some of those changes, and many would consider them bloat. Geez, Google's even removed Maps from Gapps, because people thought it was bloatware, so they are sensitive to that issue.
Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2
Remoteconcern said:
A lot of what you listed up there I would term bloat, lots of unnecessary options for features I don't want.
Toggles are the exception, I'd love to see a really nice AOSP toggle implementation. I think most normal users would like that too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, what prompted this post was the AOKP toggles, that's what people like the most when they see mine and my gf's phones.
Also, I agree that it's bloat. But, that's why they can release it in the Play Store as a "Power Toys for Android" add-on. It makes it easy for average users to get access to these features and they don't have to root and they don't have to play the milestone game waiting for a stable daily driver.
jjhiza said:
I think an easy explanation may be, because the Nexus line is currently only two devices (including the N7). Nexus owners comprise a very small segment of the Android population, and Google develops the device with root users, ROM devs, and Turner's in mind...meaning, they know we're going to change our devices ourselves (which is part of the fun), so they may not find all of those changes necessary for the Nexus line.
As it pertains to Android in general, I think manufacturer skins (Touchwiz, Sense, Blur) would be the primary deterrent. Google would spend all that time, developing features, that manufacturers would either alter or delete entirely, meaning Google had wasted time and man-hours on developing those additions.
However, word on the street is that LG is getting the Nexus next, but that all manufacturers will also have the ability to make a Nexus device, provided they follow Google's guidelines. This means Nexus devices in the hands of more end users, and possibly, an increased impetus for Google to incorporate some of the features you mentioned. I think we'll see 4.2 and 5.0 implementing some massive changes to the system, in regards to customization and personalization.
Personally, I would like to see the launcher improved. There's no reason why Google couldn't spend a little more time, and create a customizable launcher, like Nova or Apex. That would be a massive improvement IMHO, and one that every user could benefit from. The current launcher is nice, but I know very few rooted users who actually prefer Launcher2 to either of the aforementioned launchers.
Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The launcher is a great idea too. I forgot to mention that. However, Nova launcher is easy for the average user to install. You don't even need to be rooted.
Neo3D said:
The launcher is a great idea too. I forgot to mention that. However, Nova launcher is easy for the average user to install. You don't even need to be rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very true, but most normal Android users simply run the out-of-the-box setup from day one, until the day they upgrade. If Google took the time to build a slightly better launcher, those of us who want extra customization (grid size, icon editing, etc) can have it, while those who run stock from day one, won't even notice the changes, because they'll never use them.
Looks like Google might be one step ahead of us.
http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/1...oject-roadrunner-updated-google-play-and-now/
"Customization Center"?
That would be sweet if it were true and included some of these awesome ideas that custom ROM devs have come up with.
That's generally how it works, Google borrows from developers and OEMs' UIs.
Sent from my ADR6400L using xda app-developers app
jordanishere said:
Copywrite violations.
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What copyright? If i remembered correctly all custom ROMs are open sourced, which means copyright doesn't apply.
Do correct me if i'm wrong.
jimmyco2008 said:
That's generally how it works, Google borrows from developers and OEMs' UIs.
Sent from my ADR6400L using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
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This is it right here. Let the devs do the muscle and brain work and Google cherry picks what they think should be the next evolution of android.
The great thing about open source is that sharing is what it is all about. If you don't like sharing, then there are two other clubs to join. Both of which could be more awesome if they didn't take the mine all mine approach.
...
@rbiter said:
This is it right here. Let the devs do the muscle and brain work and Google cherry picks what they think should be the next evolution of android.
The great thing about open source is that sharing is what it is all about. If you don't like sharing, then there are two other clubs to join. Both of which could be more awesome if they didn't take the mine all mine approach.
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, all about the cherry picks.
Perfect example is SMS quick reply, I'd say that's a dead cert as the immediate reaction to JB notifications was fantastic but let me do even mooaaar!!!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
They can't just slap every option in the world in. You'd have a bloated mess. (That's part of why skins are so bad... feature overload).
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
Most of those things can be do e from an app, maybe Google let's the door open to the free market and get devs to earn money making these addons.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Besides, if Google took all the best features from our ROMs, nothing would hardly ever need updating in future versions.
I Am Marino said:
Besides, if Google took all the best features from our ROMs, nothing would hardly ever need updating in future versions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I think its important to note that even if Google wanted to implement some of these features commonly found on custom ROMs that it'd take more than just one version of Android to bring them in.
jjhiza said:
I think an easy explanation may be, because the Nexus line is currently only two devices (including the N7). Nexus owners comprise a very small segment of the Android population, and Google develops the device with root users, ROM devs, and Turner's in mind...meaning, they know we're going to change our devices ourselves (which is part of the fun), so they may not find all of those changes necessary for the Nexus line.
As it pertains to Android in general, I think manufacturer skins (Touchwiz, Sense, Blur) would be the primary deterrent. Google would spend all that time, developing features, that manufacturers would either alter or delete entirely, meaning Google had wasted time and man-hours on developing those additions.
However, word on the street is that LG is getting the Nexus next, but that all manufacturers will also have the ability to make a Nexus device, provided they follow Google's guidelines. This means Nexus devices in the hands of more end users, and possibly, an increased impetus for Google to incorporate some of the features you mentioned. I think we'll see 4.2 and 5.0 implementing some massive changes to the system, in regards to customization and personalization.
Personally, I would like to see the launcher improved. There's no reason why Google couldn't spend a little more time, and create a customizable launcher, like Nova or Apex. That would be a massive improvement IMHO, and one that every user could benefit from. The current launcher is nice, but I know very few rooted users who actually prefer Launcher2 to either of the aforementioned launchers.
Sent from my SCH-I800 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahhh jjhiza. Havent seen one of your essays since the droid3 days aha
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

What would you do...for a "Kit Kat" bar???

http://www.android.com/kitkat/index.html
Well if past versions are any indicator...I think I would save my money and buy a TWINKIE instead!!! Come on...give me a break already. If its the same old bland and black ui with widgets that do not match over all ui theme,the usual google bloatware,ui issues going nack to version 1 regarding how the launchers do not properly format wallpapers to screen in landscape mode..if it even supports landscape mode..,calendar with a widget that does not even include a full month calendar...generally very basic over all. I will hold off on jumping on this bandwagon until I get the "experience" that awes me vs causes me to snore. They should call it Lemon instead.
Have a free KitKat guys !
http://www.androidauthority.com/kitkat-giveaway-262396/
Rumor is they chose Kit-Kat because they're breaking away the core apps from the OS into the Play Store - so "break me off a piece".
staknhalo said:
Rumor is they chose Kit-Kat because they're breaking away the core apps from the OS into the Play Store - so "break me off a piece".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like Google Keyboard. Someone was talking about Google Camera as well. Google Launcher would be nice =D
i would like to see google take this opportunity not just as a marketing scheme to pull in more money but also really bring android up to par with iphone in the user experience area. an interface that is eye catching like sense but actually optimized to run smoothly on any device..can be done with what they have now actually,the themers pull it off for the most part..so they could also. andtoid needs to take that next step..not just be a bunch of marketing crap with absolutely no substance. and stop with the .1,.2,.3,.4,.5....etc releases..really. Release a STABLE operating system that actually works well enough to do everyone until the next release. That gives time to really develop new things instead of focusing on small updates that amount to nothing in the end. Kit Kat,Butterfinger, Hershey's...I dont give a damn what you call it..just make it good.

[Q] Can the LG G3 have stock/vanilla Android installed on it?

I don't like phones that have anything on top of android, like Touchwiz for Samsung phones or HTC Sense on HTC phones. I noticed the LG G3 also has something on top of Android, so can that be removed and/or have regular Android installed on it?
U need a nexus
When we get aosp for it ya. As of right now, no.
Sent from my LG-D851 using XDA Free mobile app
The G3 UI is barely different than the Nexus UI.
There may be a possibility AOSP will be ported in because the bootloader is unlocked.
Remember though, aosp doesn't have anything built in to utilize the IR blaster or knock on/off and the like. So, unless you can find 3rd party apps that take care of that, you'll lose out on built in features of the G3.
partylikeaninjastar said:
The G3 UI is barely different than the Nexus UI.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you blind?
gotzaDroid said:
Remember though, aosp doesn't have anything built in to utilize the IR blaster or knock on/off and the like. So, unless you can find 3rd party apps that take care of that, you'll lose out on built in features of the G3.
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Click to collapse
Knock on can be added at the kernel level. IR Blaster support is native in KitKat.
partylikeaninjastar said:
The G3 UI is barely different than the Nexus UI.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh? LG Home Launcher is completely different than stock Android.
Installing Google Now Launcher is the easiest way to run stockish setup. I'm sure there are tons of vanilla themes for all the popular launchers as well if aesthetics are what you're going for
joshnichols189 said:
Knock on can be added at the kernel level. IR Blaster support is native in KitKat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you noticed that kernel support for knock-on always drained battery on other devices? The same will apply to the G3. Use of the low-power cores that the G3 uses for knockon is closed source and the source is only released to OEMs. Technically, all snap 800+ devices have the low power cores, but it's up to the OEM to enable them.
Kernel hacks to enable knockon keep the real cores awake while the phone is off, which is what causes the battery drain.
Not to mention, any third-party IR tool will never be nearly as good as the stock LG one.
joshnichols189 said:
Are you blind?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you?
xlxcrossing said:
Huh? LG Home Launcher is completely different than stock Android.
Installing Google Now Launcher is the easiest way to run stockish setup. I'm sure there are tons of vanilla themes for all the popular launchers as well if aesthetics are what you're going for
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here are the differences between a stock ROM vs skinned:
Launcher - most people run alternative launchers anyway so this is a moot point. And the Google Now Launcher is overrated anyway.
Native Dialer/Contacts app - not a huge deal.
Settings menu - besides the color, the only thing really different about LG settings is that it defaults to tabbed view which works a lot better at getting you to the settings you want quickly without having to scroll through a long list. If you like having to scroll through every single setting you don't need at the moment, however, you can switch to list view.
Keyboard - personal preference. I've been using SwiftKey since Gingerbread and it's my opinion that it's leagues better than the Google keyboard. I also think the LG keyboard is a step above Google's.
Native email and SMS apps - I've only ever used Gmail so I can't comment on LG's email vs Google's. We for the a messaging app, I'm pretty sure that Hangouts finally replaced it as the default (which I've been using since my Nexus 4).
Lock screen - I prefer LG's with or without knock code. Native shortcuts on the lock screen beats Google's plain lockscreen with only a camera shortcut.
Native camera/gallery - Google camera is available in the Play Store and I'm pretty sure Google got rid of the gallery app in favor of Google+ Photos. I don't see anything that makes the Google Camera better unless you take a lot of photo spheres.
Quick settings - first of all, stock Google quick settings are nearly useless since they're shortcuts, not toggles, and you can't change them. Quick settings is one of the biggest reasons to have a custom ROM on a Nexus phone. I like the style of LG quick settings because it's similar to CM's.
Did I miss anything?
Yeah, so I like I said, LG isn't that far from stock. It adds a ton of useful features over the bare bones that is stock while not differing too much in appearance. Besides, most of your time spent on your phone is in various apps that are all identical regardless of which device you're on.
The fact that you could write such a long post on the subject of them being so alike sorta disproves the idea that there's little to no difference between them. Of course Android features remain unchanged across different builds. Technically you could say any OEM skin over Android is "just like" stock based on this argument. It is in the sense that that they all add to the aesthetic of Android, but in essence there's basically stock android, vanilla, GPE, what have you and, well.....everything else.
xlxcrossing said:
The fact that you could write such a long post on the subject of them being so alike sorta disproves the idea that there's little to no difference between them. Of course Android features remain unchanged across different builds. Technically you could say any OEM skin over Android is "just like" stock based on this argument. It is in the sense that that they all add to the aesthetic of Android, but in essence there's basically stock android, vanilla, GPE, what have you and, well.....everything else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Supporting my stance with examples doesn't disapprove anything.
partylikeaninjastar said:
Supporting my stance with examples doesn't disapprove anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Support your point you did not. Do a write up on your favorite apps and features you did. I'm glad you like your LG software, not the issue at hand though. The OP was asking about vanilla android and you essentially told them "why there's no difference". They are in search for something specific not to be swayed into liking what they currently have.
xlxcrossing said:
Support your point you did not. Do a write up on your favorite apps and features you did. I'm glad you like your LG software, not the issue at hand though. The OP was asking about vanilla android and you essentially told them "why there's no difference". They are in search for something specific not to be swayed into liking what they currently have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't do a write up of my favorite feature. I compared what little differences there are stock vs LG, backing up my claim that "LG isn't that far off from stock." I never claimed there was no difference — I said there is very little. And, what little differences there are, are minor since more time is spent in apps and system apps that define stock vs non are often replaced. I could switch to my Nexus 5 or 7 right now, continue this discussion or go back to what I was doing and the experience would be nearly identical (the not identical part being my screen's appearance when I press my recent apps button after I hit reply here).
So I'll continue to say, the LG UI isn't all that different from stock. Unless all you do is make calls and change settings. In which case, it's completely different.
KiNG OMaR said:
Have you noticed that kernel support for knock-on always drained battery on other devices? The same will apply to the G3. Use of the low-power cores that the G3 uses for knockon is closed source and the source is only released to OEMs. Technically, all snap 800+ devices have the low power cores, but it's up to the OEM to enable them.
Kernel hacks to enable knockon keep the real cores awake while the phone is off, which is what causes the battery drain.
Not to mention, any third-party IR tool will never be nearly as good as the stock LG one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, no it does not. Kernel enabled wakeup only has a noticeable effect on battery on the Nexus 5 for the reasons you state, because the cores do not sleep. On every other phone the cores can sleep and battery drain is negligible. Smart IR is 100x better than Quick Remote, Quick Remote sucks to be honest.
partylikeaninjastar said:
Are you?
Here are the differences between a stock ROM vs skinned:
Launcher - most people run alternative launchers anyway so this is a moot point. And the Google Now Launcher is overrated anyway.
Native Dialer/Contacts app - not a huge deal.
Settings menu - besides the color, the only thing really different about LG settings is that it defaults to tabbed view which works a lot better at getting you to the settings you want quickly without having to scroll through a long list. If you like having to scroll through every single setting you don't need at the moment, however, you can switch to list view.
Keyboard - personal preference. I've been using SwiftKey since Gingerbread and it's my opinion that it's leagues better than the Google keyboard. I also think the LG keyboard is a step above Google's.
Native email and SMS apps - I've only ever used Gmail so I can't comment on LG's email vs Google's. We for the a messaging app, I'm pretty sure that Hangouts finally replaced it as the default (which I've been using since my Nexus 4).
Lock screen - I prefer LG's with or without knock code. Native shortcuts on the lock screen beats Google's plain lockscreen with only a camera shortcut.
Native camera/gallery - Google camera is available in the Play Store and I'm pretty sure Google got rid of the gallery app in favor of Google+ Photos. I don't see anything that makes the Google Camera better unless you take a lot of photo spheres.
Quick settings - first of all, stock Google quick settings are nearly useless since they're shortcuts, not toggles, and you can't change them. Quick settings is one of the biggest reasons to have a custom ROM on a Nexus phone. I like the style of LG quick settings because it's similar to CM's.
Did I miss anything?
Yeah, so I like I said, LG isn't that far from stock. It adds a ton of useful features over the bare bones that is stock while not differing too much in appearance. Besides, most of your time spent on your phone is in various apps that are all identical regardless of which device you're on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you delusional? Look at the two side by side and tell me they look similar.
---------- Post added at 06:15 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:10 AM ----------
partylikeaninjastar said:
I didn't do a write up of my favorite feature. I compared what little differences there are stock vs LG, backing up my claim that "LG isn't that far off from stock." I never claimed there was no difference — I said there is very little. And, what little differences there are, are minor since more time is spent in apps and system apps that define stock vs non are often replaced. I could switch to my Nexus 5 or 7 right now, continue this discussion or go back to what I was doing and the experience would be nearly identical (the not identical part being my screen's appearance when I press my recent apps button after I hit reply here).
So I'll continue to say, the LG UI isn't all that different from stock. Unless all you do is make calls and change settings. In which case, it's completely different.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey that's weird, the messaging app looks nothing like the AOSP app. You know what else looks different? Gallery, Browser, everything about the settings, the status bar does NOT conform to having a quick settings panel separate from notifications, the dialer has tabs but looks completely different, the keyboard is different, the stock email app is different, hell the lock screen is different. Even the recent panel is nothing like stock, or the initial button layout. These are all things that OEMs change and it is 100% false to call Optmius UI close to stock android with so much of the system UI changed. Like someone said, every OEM skin is close to stock android according to your logic.
joshnichols189 said:
Are you delusional? Look at the two side by side and tell me they look similar.
---------- Post added at 06:15 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:10 AM ----------
Hey that's weird, the messaging app looks nothing like the AOSP app. You know what else looks different? Gallery, Browser, everything about the settings, the status bar does NOT conform to having a quick settings panel separate from notifications, the dialer has tabs but looks completely different, the keyboard is different, the stock email app is different, hell the lock screen is different. Even the recent panel is nothing like stock, or the initial button layout. These are all things that OEMs change and it is 100% false to call Optmius UI close to stock android with so much of the system UI changed. Like someone said, every OEM skin is close to stock android according to your logic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I put my Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and G3 side by side, and press home, they would all look exactly the same. If I start using all three exactly how I normally use them, they'll still look exactly the same. Because I use the same apps on all of them. Through regular use, the only differences are the lock screen when I turn my screen on, the quick settings when I pull down the notification tray, and how recent apps are presented when pressing the recent app button. In normal use, there are hardly any differences. I use my phone. I use apps.
And did you even bother to read anything of what I posted? I mentioned the messaging app. I also mentioned how Google is moving away from it in their Nexus devices (everyone's obsession) and having Hangouts as the default. I couldn't even begin to tell you what the stock SMS app looks like on the G3 since I only use Hangouts.
I also mentioned the Gallery app and how that's another thing Google is moving away from in their Nexus devices in favor of Photos integration in Google+.
Browser, admittedly, I did neglect to mention. I only use Chrome so it didn't occur to me. I did ask if I missed anything, though, so don't get your panties in a bunch.
I also compared and contrasted the Settings (seriously, go back up and actually READ my post), as well as Quick Settings, Dialer, email app, keyboard, lock screen, and the recent panel. Look, if you're going to sit here and try to have an argument with me, at least look at what I posted. You're the kind of person who reads a news headline and instantly jumps to conclusions.
Let me repeat my original statement: the LG UI isn't that different from stock Android.
I know reading comprehension isn't your strong point, but that simple lone acknowledges that there are differences between the two. It's not claiming they are equal. It's simply stating that they are not vastly different. Yes, they are different. I'm very aware of that, coming from three Nexus devices. I'm saying they are not that different and that the differences are even less when you're using your phone.
partylikeaninjastar said:
If I put my Nexus 5, Nexus 7, and G3 side by side, and press home, they would all look exactly the same. If I start using all three exactly how I normally use them, they'll still look exactly the same. Because I use the same apps on all of them. Through regular use, the only differences are the lock screen when I turn my screen on, the quick settings when I pull down the notification tray, and how recent apps are presented when pressing the recent app button. In normal use, there are hardly any differences. I use my phone. I use apps.
And did you even bother to read anything of what I posted? I mentioned the messaging app. I also mentioned how Google is moving away from it in their Nexus devices (everyone's obsession) and having Hangouts as the default. I couldn't even begin to tell you what the stock SMS app looks like on the G3 since I only use Hangouts.
I also mentioned the Gallery app and how that's another thing Google is moving away from in their Nexus devices in favor of Photos integration in Google+.
Browser, admittedly, I did neglect to mention. I only use Chrome so it didn't occur to me. I did ask if I missed anything, though, so don't get your panties in a bunch.
I also compared and contrasted the Settings (seriously, go back up and actually READ my post), as well as Quick Settings, Dialer, email app, keyboard, lock screen, and the recent panel. Look, if you're going to sit here and try to have an argument with me, at least look at what I posted. You're the kind of person who reads a news headline and instantly jumps to conclusions.
Let me repeat my original statement: the LG UI isn't that different from stock Android.
I know reading comprehension isn't your strong point, but that simple lone acknowledges that there are differences between the two. It's not claiming they are equal. It's simply stating that they are not vastly different. Yes, they are different. I'm very aware of that, coming from three Nexus devices. I'm saying they are not that different and that the differences are even less when you're using your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's nice how you immediately jump to assumptions and insults, shows how big of a person you are. No I did not bother to read your full post because your argument is fundamentally flawed. You just admitted in your post that you use the same apps on both phones and don't even know what the G3 messaging app looks like. Take a look at Optimus UI and its versions of the AOSP counterparts and tell me they are not that different. It is obvious even looking at the default home launchers they are vastly different. It's also obvious if you are using the same replacement apps on both they will look the same, that's not the point. If you use the same replacement apps on an HTC with Sense or a Samsung with Touchwiz of course you will have the same experience.
joshnichols189 said:
It's nice how you immediately jump to assumptions and insults, shows how big of a person you are. No I did not bother to read your full post because your argument is fundamentally flawed. You just admitted in your post that you use the same apps on both phones and don't even know what the G3 messaging app looks like. Take a look at Optimus UI and its versions of the AOSP counterparts and tell me they are not that different. It is obvious even looking at the default home launchers they are vastly different. It's also obvious if you are using the same replacement apps on both they will look the same, that's not the point. If you use the same replacement apps on an HTC with Sense or a Samsung with Touchwiz of course you will have the same experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm jumping to assumptions because your replies only demonstrate that you saw that you had a disagreement with me and didn't bother read past that. Which you confirm. We're done. If you can't bother to even read what I have to say before, then I can't be bothered to continue to have this one sided discussion. Go about your day.
partylikeaninjastar said:
I'm jumping to assumptions because your replies only demonstrate that you saw that you had a disagreement with me and didn't bother read past that. Which you confirm. We're done. If you can't bother to even read what I have to say before, then I can't be bothered to continue to have this one sided discussion. Go about your day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent copout.
johnael7 said:
I don't like phones that have anything on top of android, like Touchwiz for Samsung phones or HTC Sense on HTC phones. I noticed the LG G3 also has something on top of Android, so can that be removed and/or have regular Android installed on it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eventually we'll have aosp, and alot of LG features wont work, some people will get working but most will not.
And to be honest the UI isnt ugly in anyway its nice and i can live with it along with all the features it presents, should try to like it since we wont have AOSP for whileeeeeeeeeeeeeee

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