The Hard Back Button and the Problem of Inconsistent Function on Android

[piye]

Android phones feature a set of hardware buttons across the bottom: Back, Menu, Home, and Search (not necessarily in that order). Home functions like the iPhone button of the same name, ripping you back to the “desktop” screen. Search gives you a global search which grabs at contacts, apps, emails, and other data functioning like a (slow) double click of the iPhone Home button. Menu is actually rather clever, it functions as a neat way to hide a set of contextual commands offscreen. The problem I have is with the Back button, not so much its existence but its implementation.

The issue is inconsistent function, that is, when I press the Back button more than once it’s hard to know where it will take me. The reason for this is rooted in the philosophy behind Android’s app management and multitasking. On Android you can open an app and then open another app while the first remains open. This creates the possibility of going back to the first app. But Android doesn’t actually see apps, rather it sees parts of apps called activities. An activity is a small part of an app, for example message composition might be an activity in a twitter client app. The Back button takes you back not to your last app but your last activity. As you move from app to app your chain of activities flows behind you like the light off a Tron motor bike. The Back button can take you back through those screens. Sometimes however I want to go back in an application’s local sequence (from compose message to contacts list for example) and end up instead moving back globally and out of my application altogether.

[hayZ]

Dude, one of the reason I don't like the Iphone is because of there being no dedicated back button...its so ****. having a back button makes everything so easier, instead of having to reach on the top left hand of the screen you have the back button on the bottom right of your device which makes it easier to reach and also does not take up useless space on your screen like the IPhone which already has a small screen compared to some of the phones coming out now.

[piye]

The resolution of the iPhone screen is unmatched still after it having been out so long, so the screen size isn't an issue. The dedicated back button should be a good thing but it is poorly handled on Android.

[DeadLikeMe]

Two presses of the back button would take you to your home screen on ICS from anywhere

Also, the Galaxy Nexus with that AMOLED blah blah screen totally blew iphone out of the water in terms of display quality so I dunno what you're talking about there.

Edit: oops I was thinking of the home key. I don't use the back button hardly at all. I only use back in browsers and have never had an issue.

[Easy-E]

my biggest issue with my android phone is the voice command. it is placed right next to common keys and freezes up the entire phone for several seconds when clicked. If Android's keys were more responsive to the touch, this would not be as big of a problem either, i assume.

[Earl-Hickey]

I'd rather eat skunk diarrhoea than use an overrated piece of **** like the iphone

End thread

[COVID-19]

Android phones feature a set of hardware buttons across the bottom: Back, Menu, Home, and Search (not necessarily in that order). Home functions like the iPhone button of the same name, ripping you back to the “desktop” screen. Search gives you a global search which grabs at contacts, apps, emails, and other data functioning like a (slow) double click of the iPhone Home button. Menu is actually rather clever, it functions as a neat way to hide a set of contextual commands offscreen. The problem I have is with the Back button, not so much its existence but its implementation.

The issue is inconsistent function, that is, when I press the Back button more than once it’s hard to know where it will take me. The reason for this is rooted in the philosophy behind Android’s app management and multitasking. On Android you can open an app and then open another app while the first remains open. This creates the possibility of going back to the first app. But Android doesn’t actually see apps, rather it sees parts of apps called activities. An activity is a small part of an app, for example message composition might be an activity in a twitter client app. The Back button takes you back not to your last app but your last activity. As you move from app to app your chain of activities flows behind you like the light off a Tron motor bike. The Back button can take you back through those screens. Sometimes however I want to go back in an application’s local sequence (from compose message to contacts list for example) and end up instead moving back globally and out of my application altogether.

LOL.........Apple got it right the first time...........KISS.

[Jadon]

Android phones feature a set of hardware buttons across the bottom: Back, Menu, Home, and Search (not necessarily in that order). Home functions like the iPhone button of the same name, ripping you back to the “desktop” screen. Search gives you a global search which grabs at contacts, apps, emails, and other data functioning like a (slow) double click of the iPhone Home button. Menu is actually rather clever, it functions as a neat way to hide a set of contextual commands offscreen. The problem I have is with the Back button, not so much its existence but its implementation.

The issue is inconsistent function, that is, when I press the Back button more than once it’s hard to know where it will take me. The reason for this is rooted in the philosophy behind Android’s app management and multitasking. On Android you can open an app and then open another app while the first remains open. This creates the possibility of going back to the first app. But Android doesn’t actually see apps, rather it sees parts of apps called activities. An activity is a small part of an app, for example message composition might be an activity in a twitter client app. The Back button takes you back not to your last app but your last activity. As you move from app to app your chain of activities flows behind you like the light off a Tron motor bike. The Back button can take you back through those screens. Sometimes however I want to go back in an application’s local sequence (from compose message to contacts list for example) and end up instead moving back globally and out of my application altogether.

The resolution of the iPhone screen is unmatched still after it having been out so long, so the screen size isn't an issue. The dedicated back button should be a good thing but it is poorly handled on Android.

Having owned both the I Phone 4 IOS 5.1.1 and S3 ICS, the S3 is hands down better.

Two back buttons on my phone take me to the home screen and only it, so no confusion for me. I find the back button very useful, when on a browser for example, the back button is great because all browsers have back buttons at different locations.

I use two browsers, one for flash player capabilities to watch videos on World Star Hip Hop and Cam4 for nude shows (Which I could not on the I phone because no flash), and the other for social networks like twitter.

The back button on browsers on the I phone are all over the place. I like the fact that a browser has quick access to multiple pages on one page, as opposed to Safari where you have to minimise them and scroll.

The home button is a double tap for S Voice, and a 1 full sec hold for applications. Works great for me.

Task Bar in the Droid allows you to actually delete all of the apps. Not on IOS, you need to manually delete everyone. They do use RAM and can contribute to crashing apps. Why can't you delete them all at once if you wanted to? If you press the home button too slowly, it doesn't go to the task manager but the home screen. You need to be the right speed or it fails to do what you want.

The left button goes to search and settings. This saves me time on finding the settings app, and is a lot more fluid. Also the search on the I phone by pressing twice slowly is annoying if you want to go back to the screen you were on before. You can't, it will be the home screen. On the Droid you are still there after your search and can continue with whatever you had planned.

In gaming the back button saves you logging out by trying to find the exit key or whatever. You can press back, or the menu button and quickly save. It is a lot easier than finding a key on the screen where the touch has to be precise.

You mention resolution and how the I Phone is old and doesn't matter, well it does. The screen is huge on my S3 and going back to the I Phone is sickening and a joke. The resolution is slightly better but the S3 actually looks better for colour and movies. It has 4 options to adjust colours, not the brightness but the actual colours, from pale shades for movies, to very vibrant shades for perhaps pictures. I put my phone next to the 4S and people are impressed with how my screen is in size, but also the vibrant colours it has.

IOS on the I phone was very bad for the lack of a back button. I would browse top 150 apps for example, and download something. It will not let me carry on, I will be taken to my screen for apps. I go back to the app store and I must click top 25 or whatever, I can not just go back to carry on where I left off. That is annoying. Android allows you to carry on, and if I play a game during the download, it does not stop unlike the I Phone which will pause the download.

I have not had any issues with the buttons, it is in fact a bonus, and after clearing my I Phone from texts and contacts etc... I missed the back button a lot.

Even notifications on the Droid allow you to turn sound off, WIFI etc... it makes life just a little bit easier because these small things count. I can't seem to find out how to add those on IOS5 as standard. I had to jailbreak my phone which allowed me to do it with a swipe with another programme, but that is 'illegal' to Apple and voids warranty.

The only real good thing about the I Phone is how it holds its value when you realise how crap it really is and sell it. Luckily a lot have not used an Android phone before I guess because they would soon dump the basic I Phone.


Just my two cents.

[Terrel]

Having owned both the I Phone 4 IOS 5.1.1 and S3 ICS, the S3 is hands down better.

Two back buttons on my phone take me to the home screen and only it, so no confusion for me. I find the back button very useful, when on a browser for example, the back button is great because all browsers have back buttons at different locations.

I use two browsers, one for flash player capabilities to watch videos on World Star Hip Hop and Cam4 for nude shows (Which I could not on the I phone because no flash), and the other for social networks like twitter.

The back button on browsers on the I phone are all over the place. I like the fact that a browser has quick access to multiple pages on one page, as opposed to Safari where you have to minimise them and scroll.

The home button is a double tap for S Voice, and a 1 full sec hold for applications. Works great for me.

Task Bar in the Droid allows you to actually delete all of the apps. Not on IOS, you need to manually delete everyone. They do use RAM and can contribute to crashing apps. Why can't you delete them all at once if you wanted to? If you press the home button too slowly, it doesn't go to the task manager but the home screen. You need to be the right speed or it fails to do what you want.

The left button goes to search and settings. This saves me time on finding the settings app, and is a lot more fluid. Also the search on the I phone by pressing twice slowly is annoying if you want to go back to the screen you were on before. You can't, it will be the home screen. On the Droid you are still there after your search and can continue with whatever you had planned.

In gaming the back button saves you logging out by trying to find the exit key or whatever. You can press back, or the menu button and quickly save. It is a lot easier than finding a key on the screen where the touch has to be precise.

You mention resolution and how the I Phone is old and doesn't matter, well it does. The screen is huge on my S3 and going back to the I Phone is sickening and a joke. The resolution is slightly better but the S3 actually looks better for colour and movies. It has 4 options to adjust colours, not the brightness but the actual colours, from pale shades for movies, to very vibrant shades for perhaps pictures. I put my phone next to the 4S and people are impressed with how my screen is in size, but also the vibrant colours it has.

IOS on the I phone was very bad for the lack of a back button. I would browse top 150 apps for example, and download something. It will not let me carry on, I will be taken to my screen for apps. I go back to the app store and I must click top 25 or whatever, I can not just go back to carry on where I left off. That is annoying. Android allows you to carry on, and if I play a game during the download, it does not stop unlike the I Phone which will pause the download.

I have not had any issues with the buttons, it is in fact a bonus, and after clearing my I Phone from texts and contacts etc... I missed the back button a lot.

Even notifications on the Droid allow you to turn sound off, WIFI etc... it makes life just a little bit easier because these small things count. I can't seem to find out how to add those on IOS5 as standard. I had to jailbreak my phone which allowed me to do it with a swipe with another programme, but that is 'illegal' to Apple and voids warranty.

The only real good thing about the I Phone is how it holds its value when you realise how crap it really is and sell it. Luckily a lot have not used an Android phone before I guess because they would soon dump the basic I Phone.


Just my two cents.

End of mo****ing thread.

Would have been good if you posted from your actual account though.

[Jadon]

LOL.........Apple got it right the first time...........[COLOR="Black"][B]

First time? I original had no Video calling, MMS, had no Blue Tooth, and even Face Time needed WIFI.

When I am making a long post, I also hated the fact that I needed to hold the part of the text and drag down. With Android, you can scroll up and down your post in the post box naturally. Why does Apple make things harder?