Not all Android phones have a phone button. The G1 does, the Nexus One (which I have) doesn't. Mostly, there isn't really a standard for what an Android phone should look and operate like. I don't really expect this between manufacturers, but even within manufacturers there can be pretty significant differences between devices.
Also, because Android doesn't have a particularly strong stance on how UIs should work and should be laid out, there also hasn't been a very strong stance on how buttons on the phone should be laid out and what the device should look like. For instance, the back button can change functionality quite a bit between apps. Or also, the G1 has a camera button but the nexus one (foolishly) doesn't. Most devices have a UI completely unrelated to the phone hardware.
I wouldn't just pick on Android but I think it's a problem that Windows and Linux have had as well. The experience just isn't that cohesive and it makes them more difficult to use. I'm not really a fan of Apple, but it's definitely one place where they've put in a lot more work than others.
Shouldn't there be significant differences between devices? What's the point in a single manufacturer making multiple devices if they're all exact clones of each other.
Apple isn't necessarily more cohesive, they make a single model of phone. By definition, everything they do is 100% cohesive.
> Apple isn't necessarily more cohesive, they make a single model of phone. By definition, everything they do is 100% cohesive.
There are five iOS devices (iPhone 3GS/4, iPod Touch 2nd/3rd generation, iPad). Two of those are phones and the rest aren't, but only because they can't make calls. Who wants to do that, anyway?
Making different devices that are being sold at the same time serving different types of usage scenarios is a good thing in my view. But that's not what CitizenKane was getting at I think.
The issue is that providing a physical back button or not isn't meant to facilitate different types of usage. It's just constantly changing the way the exact same things work for no reason other than, I don't know, maybe just time passing?
It's similar to notebook keyboards. I have never bought a notebook that had the keys in the same place as the one I bought before. Every time I have to relearn. It's just a waste of time. Hardware designers should have an idea about what they're trying to achieve when they change something and that has to have something to do with what the software does. I totally agree with CitizenKane on that one.
> The issue is that providing a physical back button or not isn't meant to facilitate different types of usage.
It may facilitate different form factors and different price points. I suspect most Android phones are used the same, but people prefer different sizes of devices. I prefer having a hardware keyboard but currently most devices do not have one.
> I have never bought a notebook that had the keys in the same place as the one I bought before... when they change something and that has to have something to do with what the software does.
I'm not sure how the keyboard layout has anything to do with the software running on your laptop?
>Or also, the G1 has a camera button but the nexus one (foolishly) doesn't.
Note that a trackball press will take a picture on both of these devices (and because of the shitty design of the regular camera button on my G1, I end up using the trackball anyway).
Also, because Android doesn't have a particularly strong stance on how UIs should work and should be laid out, there also hasn't been a very strong stance on how buttons on the phone should be laid out and what the device should look like. For instance, the back button can change functionality quite a bit between apps. Or also, the G1 has a camera button but the nexus one (foolishly) doesn't. Most devices have a UI completely unrelated to the phone hardware.
I wouldn't just pick on Android but I think it's a problem that Windows and Linux have had as well. The experience just isn't that cohesive and it makes them more difficult to use. I'm not really a fan of Apple, but it's definitely one place where they've put in a lot more work than others.