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Android |OT4| I/O Silver

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catmincer

Member
After owning the galaxy nexus, LG G2, Z1 and now z2.

ON Screen buttons still sucks!! Seriously what advantage does on screen button has over physical/capacitive buttons? I really can't think of any advantage...and it seem like only Google diehards are the only ones that like it for no apparent reason. Um yeah waste of screen space 98 percent of the time...

Agree. I really prefer capacitive buttons too. You don't get your full 5 inches with on screen buttons.
 

markot

Banned
Firefox for Android is rubbish.

Screenshot_2014-05-04-08-01-34.png.png


Why the hell does it do that? why can't all the text be the same size? Also, pin-zoom or bust.
Why are you using desktop GAF on mobile?
 

tzare

Member
After owning the galaxy nexus, LG G2, Z1 and now z2.

ON Screen buttons still sucks!! Seriously what advantage does on screen button has over physical/capacitive buttons? I really can't think of any advantage...and it seem like only Google diehards are the only ones that like it for no apparent reason. Um yeah waste of screen space 98 percent of the time...
I like them, feel more responsive to me than hw buttons. I don't know why. I disliked them when i bought my xperia T, but once i got used to them, now nexus5, can't go back. Plus they disappear when needed, and when present, like when browsing, they aren't an issue at all.
However one plus one solution is the best of both worlds.
 

markot

Banned
Firefox still feels slower then chrome

also for some reason chrome uses more battery now, 'chrome' and now 'sand box' is showing up in my battery detailed details.
 

Eanan

Member
Welp, reached my 20k song limit on Google Music.

Now to start buying albums off the play store when they are on sale for 99p. Saw today that Katy B's album is 99p so bought that.
 

Bboy AJ

My dog was murdered by a 3.5mm audio port and I will not rest until the standard is dead
Woke up to find my Nexus 5 in a boot loop. Wiped it clean but it still loops. I have to RMA this sucker.
 

Bboy AJ

My dog was murdered by a 3.5mm audio port and I will not rest until the standard is dead
tried flashing factory image? look for it on xda.

Just did it. It works. Baller, thanks. I think franco kernel is the culprit, but that's weird because the kernel is still the same as it was last week. No issues until I woke up this morning. Huh.

I'm still going to RMA the phone.
 
I like them, feel more responsive to me than hw buttons. I don't know why. I disliked them when i bought my xperia T, but once i got used to them, now nexus5, can't go back. Plus they disappear when needed, and when present, like when browsing, they aren't an issue at all.
However one plus one solution is the best of both worlds.


But they aren't more responsive and they don't dissappear when needed, it only sometime disappear when viewing videos...

Seriously there's no advantage having on screen buttons...
 
So I just checked my GS5's battery graph and it shows that the stock dialer app "Phone" used up 35% of my battery! I never saw anything like this on any of my previous android phones. Does anyone know what could be causing this?

Edit: I haven't made a single call yet too :\
 

tzare

Member
But they aren't more responsive and they don't dissappear when needed, it only sometime disappear when viewing videos...

Seriously there's no advantage having on screen buttons...

It is subjective, probably, but i also use daily a Samsung galaxy note 8, an s4+, and an optimus G. My experience is better with my nexus5. And they disappear for full screen content like pics and videos or reading books. Elsewhere ain't an issue at all unless losing a line of text in a web page is an issue.
Plus unless screen is fucked, they are more reliable than hw ones. And can be changed or modified by software,, like lg that allow different layouts.
I also find them easier to reach since they are slightly above the bezel.
But as i said, one plus one is the way to go, capacitive buttons with the option to disable them and use on screen ones.
 
Why does it take so long of CyanogenMod to come up with Android Kit Kat? It's been six months since it came out and CM 11 still isn't out
 

voodooray

Member
Why does it take so long of CyanogenMod to come up with Android Kit Kat? It's been six months since it came out and CM 11 still isn't out

I've been running nightlies of CM11 on both my Nexus 10 and Galaxy Note 2, and they've been stable for the past few months of my using them.
 

mturco

Member
But they aren't more responsive and they don't dissappear when needed, it only sometime disappear when viewing videos...

Seriously there's no advantage having on screen buttons...

I'm going to assume you meant when they're not needed... but yes, they do disappear when they're not needed. They get automatically hidden in video apps, reading apps, games, etc. It's great.

Another advantage is that when the screen is off, the front of the phone is completely black which looks awesome.
 
Parents are getting interested in tablets and I don't know what to suggest to them between an ipad and an android device.

Right now with android I can see the advantage of price and possibly a storage card slot. Any suggestions on tablets cheaper than $330 that I can compare and make my choice on?
 
Parents are getting interested in tablets and I don't know what to suggest to them between an ipad and an android device.

Right now with android I can see the advantage of price and possibly a storage card slot. Any suggestions on tablets cheaper than $330 that I can compare and make my choice on?

Just tell them to get an iPad
 

Bboy AJ

My dog was murdered by a 3.5mm audio port and I will not rest until the standard is dead
Parents are getting interested in tablets and I don't know what to suggest to them between an ipad and an android device.

Right now with android I can see the advantage of price and possibly a storage card slot. Any suggestions on tablets cheaper than $330 that I can compare and make my choice on?

Just get an iPad.
 
I'm going to assume you meant when they're not needed... but yes, they do disappear when they're not needed. They get automatically hidden in video apps, reading apps, games, etc. It's great.

Another advantage is that when the screen is off, the front of the phone is completely black which looks awesome.

Its not great at all..I'm browsing GAF right now, the buttons are still there and wasting space....majority of the apps don't make them disappear and wasting space...so overral they are just wasting space while I'm using the device.

Um..the front of the phone looks awesome when its off? So? Am I suppose to stare and use my phone while its off?

BTW I just got a 2nd gen 32 gig nexus 7 for 160 sealed and brand new, is that a good deal?
 

Bboy AJ

My dog was murdered by a 3.5mm audio port and I will not rest until the standard is dead
The android equivalent isn't cheaper? I thought the storage card slot would be a big advantage, and for my parents I think the only apple advantage is the status of it being an apple device.

What do they need storage for? Android is cheaper but iPad is better for most. Easier to use.
 

Pooya

Member
The android equivalent isn't cheaper? I thought the storage card slot would be a big advantage, and for my parents I think the only apple advantage is the status of it being an apple device.

Are your parents good with computers and such? or are they completely new to this whole thing? iPad is better suited in this case. They won't need that extra storage.

This was my experience observing my mom using a samsung tab and ipad. They will like the ipad better because it's more simple.

Also, don't get them something small, not ipad mini or nexus 7 and the like. Go full size. You can get brand new 4th gen ipad for 400 bucks now or even cheaper at times. Good choice.
 
Ok I'll consider apple. Ya caught me, I'm paying for it, hence my hopes for a cheaper alternative~ Thank you everyone, for your advice.
 

mturco

Member
Its not great at all..I'm browsing GAF right now, the buttons are still there and wasting space....majority of the apps don't make them disappear and wasting space...so overral they are just wasting space while I'm using the device.
Wait, why would you expect/want them to disappear in the browser? They disappear when it's logical for them to disappear (i.e., watching video, reading a book, playing a game). I don't see what the issue is here.

Um..the front of the phone looks awesome when its off? So? Am I suppose to stare and use my phone while its off?
Not sure if serious. It looks cool. Not seeing how this is a bad thing...

BTW I just got a 2nd gen 32 gig nexus 7 for 160 sealed and brand new, is that a good deal?
Yeah, that's a very good deal.
 
Wait, whyappld you expect/want them to disappear in the browser? They disappear when it's logical for them to disappear (i.e., watching video, reading a book, playing a game). I don't see what the issue is here.




Not sure if serious. It looks cool. Not seeing how this is a bad thing...


Yeah, that's a very good deal.

The thing is 5 inch screen is not really 5 inch then if it's only 5 inch during videos/picture and some apps. Most apps don't make the screen buttons dissappear like documents and pdf apps. When I got the Z2 I downloaded a dead pixel tester app, and the menu wouldnt go away.
 
I think software buttons are superior. I can't stand hardware/capacitive buttons because they are always too far down on a device, and I can't customize nor add functionality to them like with software buttons. Plus idiots like Samsung put the back button on the wrong side.

Now I can maybe understand someone making a case against software buttons on the stock firmware that ships with most phones, but once you use a custom ROM, and see all the customization options available, it's easy to see why software buttons are better. Though I still think they're better even without running a custom ROM. The tiny amount of space they take up is a non-issue.

All this shit's subjective anyway though. I think hardware buttons are shit. Others love them. Opinions.
 
Wait, why would you expect/want them to disappear in the browser? They disappear when it's logical for them to disappear (i.e., watching video, reading a book, playing a game). I don't see what the issue is here.

#1 thing to do in a browser is read web pages. wasted space is wasted space.



Parents are getting interested in tablets and I don't know what to suggest to them between an ipad and an android device.

Right now with android I can see the advantage of price and possibly a storage card slot. Any suggestions on tablets cheaper than $330 that I can compare and make my choice on?
they shouldn't have any issues with Android tablets really. what phones do they have?



I think software buttons are superior. I can't stand hardware/capacitive buttons because they are always too far down on a device, and I can't customize nor add functionality to them like with software buttons. Plus idiots like Samsung put the back button on the wrong side.

Now I can maybe understand someone making a case against software buttons on the stock firmware that ships with most phones, but once you use a custom ROM, and see all the customization options available, it's easy to see why software buttons are better. Though I still think they're better even without running a custom ROM. The tiny amount of space they take up is a non-issue.

All this shit's subjective anyway though. I think hardware buttons are shit. Others love them. Opinions.
yeah, can't customize hardware buttons in custom roms... oh wait...
 

mturco

Member
The thing is 5 inch screen is not really 5 inch then if it's only 5 inch during videos/picture and some apps. Most apps don't make the screen buttons dissappear like documents and pdf apps. When I got the Z2 I downloaded a dead pixel tester app, and the menu wouldnt go away.
Those are poorly designed apps then. From my experience most apps do hide the buttons when appropriate. It's never been an issue for me. As for the screen size, you're losing 48px to the nav bar. Is it really that big of a deal?

#1 thing to do in a browser is read web pages. wasted space is wasted space.
Come on, you don't seriously think this is valid logic, do you? So all apps should just run in fullscreen at all times?
 
Those are poorly designed apps then. From my experience most apps do hide the buttons when appropriate. It's never been an issue for me. As for the screen size, you're losing 48px to the nav bar. Is it really that big of a deal?


Come on, you don't seriously think this is valid logic, do you? So all apps should just run in fullscreen at all times?

Um...all app do run full screen when a device doesn't have on screen buttons.

Majority the top popular apps on playstore doesn't make the on screen button dissappear...so that's wasted space
 

Doopliss

Member
Those are poorly designed apps then. From my experience most apps do hide the buttons when appropriate. It's never been an issue for me. As for the screen size, you're losing 48px to the nav bar. Is it really that big of a deal?

Come on, you don't seriously think this is valid logic, do you? So all apps should just run in fullscreen at all times?
Not quite. On the Nexus 5 the navigation bar takes up 155520 pixels.

But honestly the extra portrait height isn't that important for most uses. With CM I can force immersive mode at any time so it's never really a problem. I do wish manufacturers would take the opportunity to reduce bottom bezel though.
 

Groof

Junior Member
Software keys solve one very important thing: one (three, rather) less thing that can break. It's better for manufacturers because they don't have to make inane parts and bits and it's way better for consumers because they won't have to spend money and time on sending their device in because the menu button broke/gave up.
It's not only better for usability, but also economically.

Therefore #teamsoftbutt until the day I die.
 
I think software buttons are superior. I can't stand hardware/capacitive buttons because they are always too far down on a device, and I can't customize nor add functionality to them like with software buttons. Plus idiots like Samsung put the back button on the wrong side.

Now I can maybe understand someone making a case against software buttons on the stock firmware that ships with most phones, but once you use a custom ROM, and see all the customization options available, it's easy to see why software buttons are better. Though I still think they're better even without running a custom ROM. The tiny amount of space they take up is a non-issue.

All this shit's subjective anyway though. I think hardware buttons are shit. Others love them. Opinions.

Samsung puts the back button on the right because that's where it was on Gingerbread and before. Google moved the back button to the left after Ice Cream Sandwich removed the hard menu button. Samsung is simply doing it the way it used to be, but people who actually used Android before ICS know that Samsung aren't idiots.
 

mturco

Member
Not quite. On the Nexus 5 the navigation bar takes up 155520 pixels.

Not quite. The height of the nav bar on the Nexus 5 is 72px due to the way Android scales. The screen is 1080px wide.
72 * 1080 = 77,760 pixels used by the nav bar.

The Nexus 5 has 2,073,600 total pixels (1080 * 1920).
77,760 / 2,073,600 = 3.75% of the screen is used by the nav bar

Um...all app do run full screen when a device doesn't have on screen buttons.

Majority the top popular apps on playstore doesn't make the on screen button dissappear...so that's wasted space
Well you either "waste" screen real estate or you "waste" space below the screen. Either way you need to put the buttons somewhere.
 
Where is stable CM11?

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet” – Romeo & Juliet

As part of my daily CM routine, I am constantly looking around for the general opinion pieces of what and how we are doing, not because of vanity, but because its the most direct way for me to figure out what topics I should discuss in future posts.

With the release of M6 (and even earlier in the CM11 cycle) I began to see this sentiment of “why haven’t they hit [a build labelled] stable yet?” followed immediately after by “why are [CM] so slow now?”. I had hoped that much of this discussion was curtailed by the M4 Post-Release entry, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. So, attempt #2:

Don’t expect a build labelled ‘stable’. The ‘M’ builds have supplanted our need for such a release. This also means you will not being seeing ‘RC’ builds.
http://www.cyanogenmod.org/blog/cyanogenmod-11-0-m6-release

Well, that pretty much answers my question.
 
yeah, can't customize hardware buttons in custom roms... oh wait...
Not even close to the same extent as with software buttons. The little you can do is usually not worthwhile. I'd even guess most ROMs don't even include much, if any hardware button customization.

Samsung puts the back button on the right because that's where it was on Gingerbread and before. Google moved the back button to the left after Ice Cream Sandwich removed the hard menu button. Samsung is simply doing it the way it used to be, but people who actually used Android before ICS know that Samsung aren't idiots.
I've used Android since Gingerbread. Thought the back button on the right side was stupid back then as well. Google and everyone else corrected a wrong. Samsung still chooses to live in the past. The way it used to be is not always the best, nor the way it should and needs to be.
 
The way I see it is that since most people use their phone with their right hand, having the back button on the right would make it easier to reach when using the phone with one hand.
 

Groof

Junior Member
The way I see it is that since most people use their phone with their right hand, having the back button on the right would make it easier to reach when using the phone with one hand.
With software buttons you can let the user decide, like LG does.
 

Husker86

Member
The thing is 5 inch screen is not really 5 inch then if it's only 5 inch during videos/picture and some apps. Most apps don't make the screen buttons dissappear like documents and pdf apps. When I got the Z2 I downloaded a dead pixel tester app, and the menu wouldnt go away.

You should have downloaded my pixel checker app and then the nav bar would have been hidden!
 
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