I have been using iPhone for a year now and had the opportunity to compare it alongside with my other phone which is an Android. I know I am going to offend a lot of Apple fans but I am going to say it as it is. Maybe my viewpoints are from a geek’s perspective and iPhone is more suited for a regular user.
Why the screen-full of icons?
Who in Apple hates smallcase?
Seen iOS keyboard? IT’S ALWAYS IN UPPERCASE. No I don't mean
Why can’t I go back, why do I always have to start from start?
I know someone loves the concept of a single button but human mind doesn't work like a single button. While reading a message if I come across a web link and I click it, expectedly, it opens Safari and opens the page. After reading the page, unexpectedly, I cannot go back to the message I was reading.
Why oh why do I have to press the Home button, scroll thru my apps, click on the message app again and open the message again, and this is suppose to be user friendly? Oh, don't tell me about double click the home and choose the app from the running apps… just give me a back button (ok, I know you cant give me more than one button, so just give me swipe gesture on the notification bar to go back).
Apple, where is the consistency?
I know that different applications have different features and therefore need for different UI, but even in similar apps (message, mail, phone log) there is no consistency of UI.
Consider this:
In phone log (recent), you can clear all record, you can delete one entry at a time (which wasn't possible until iOS5) but you cannot select multiple entries and delete them at one go.
In messages (SMS), you cannot clear all messages, you can delete one at a time but you cannot select multiple entries and delete them at one go. However, if you open a message trail, you can clear all at a go, select multiple entries and delete them or (of course) delete a single message if you like.
In mail you cannot delete all mail but you can select multiple mails and delete them.
In contact, there is no way to select multiple, or for that matter single contact, and delete. You have to open the contact, tap edit, scroll down before selecting delete contact.
Why can’t we have “Delete all”, “Delete Selected” and “Delete Single” consistently across all apps?
The edit button too is not consistent in its placement. In phone (recent) it appears on the right, in messages (SMS) it appears on the left, in mail it appears on the right.
| App | Edit | Del all | Del Multiple | Del Single |
| Phone (Recent) | Right | Yes | No | Yes |
| Message (List) | Left | No | Yes | Yes |
| Message (Thread) | Right | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Right | No | Yes | Yes |
I am a grown up and I may want to send more than 5 pic
Conclusions
Hey, You don’t have to agree with me but don’t expect me to agree with you either
Agree on the 'press home button for everything' irritation. However keeping it simple has worked for Apple thus far.
ReplyDeleteGive me a mobile OS with utility of Symbian and user friendliness of iOS. Perhaps too much to ask. And no that's not Android.
Agree on most of your irritant points - though some are actually doable (like iOS 5 does have a way of seeing your calendar and unread messages by swiping down the notification area like in Android)
ReplyDeleteI still think there is a lot more maturity in the UI and overall experience in iOS compared to other platforms. Simple things like tethering, VPN connectivity, app store and the way updates are managed, copy/paste with the lens selector, etc are all simple things, but very neatly designed for convenience.