I find it fascinating to watch Apple, Android and Windows fight it out. Not too long ago, Windows 8 was launched and the first thing that catches everyone's attention would be the "flat" and "Metro" (that's what they call it I think) user interface. The colours and typography are what really draws people into taking a second look at the new Windows smartphones. But still, the design itself is not enough to make me walk a few more steps to fiddle with the phones on display. It looks cool, how you can scroll through the front page and have all your notifications, mail and what not. But I'm too much of a neat freak, it still looks a little too cluttered and I feel like I don't have a good grasp on where everything is.
Just yesterday, Apple launched the new iOS 7 – that I am excited about hehehe – which looks pret-tee damn similar to Windows 8. Isn't it funny how they went from all skeuomorphism and 3D and oh-look-I'm-writing-on-a-real-notepad and glossy app icons to just as flat as Windows 8? I guess it's time they changed it up a little because I think we are all honestly a little bored. Our user interface has looked the same since I had my first iPhone 5 years ago. Well, I don't deny the disappointment I felt when I saw how similar it looked to Windows 8, but I saw the iOS 7 video on the Apple site and they won me over. *surrender*
And Android… I don't mean to diss them but I'm really not digging the green robot thing. Black and green is just too Ben 10 for my liking. Not to mention, they like to overcomplicate matters by having a million and one pages on the home screen. The interior and plasticky exterior design just isn't sleek enough for me. And their menu has a black background and white words that gives me a headache… I don't see how Android phones (as many (old) people claim) are more user-friendly than iPhones, other than the fact that iPhones require iTunes which can be pretty complicating for the old peeps. They kinda do better with the old drag-and-drop system. Oh and their new S4, the whole "I just swipe my hands in the air and my image will scroll" thing. Really? Is this really necessary?
It isn't just Android that's coming up with all these unnecessary bits and pieces that they just chuck into the OS to entice people. I haven't even effectively used Siri more than once (that's just cause they don't understand our accent but honestly I'd rather just tap on the screen to call my mom). Truth is we don't need these lame functions and they take up precious battery. But oh well, everyone's just trying to be fancy.
