A visual tour of Android's UI

Thanks to the helpful Android OS emulator included with the SDK, we've been able to take a magical journey through Google's new mobile phone platform. We'll just tell you now... the ride was a bit familiar -- but hey, that's what the open source community is there for. Take a look at the gallery and feel the OHA vibes.

Gallery: A visual tour of Android's UI

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[shanoboy @ Nov 12th 2007 2:15PM]

The UI doesn't look like anything special to me. Is there supposed to be anything special about it other than it's open source? I guess that's great in itself, but it still doesn't make me want to run out and buy it.

[Mr.Kaiser @ Nov 12th 2007 2:25PM]

The fact that it is open source, will allow any elements to be changed. This is a great boon for the phone market because now you can buy a phone with the hardware that you want and customize the OS to your liking.

[mlb @ Nov 12th 2007 2:26PM]

I think the point is to show that Android is much more than just "words on paper" as Steve Ballmer so eloquently put it the other day. The UI will look much nicer once the SDK gets out and developers have time to write apps, custom interfaces, etc for their particular handhelds.

[enzo @ Nov 12th 2007 2:57PM]

Also, I'm pretty sure having an open source OS means all you're paying for is the hardware, so a decrease in the initial cost the phone or device.

[Nick @ Nov 12th 2007 3:39PM]

The user interface shown it one of a million options what developers can create. Unlike Windows Mobile, developers will have free reign over the interface and will be able to display information, graphics, and anything they would like without the constreint of a set user interface.

The nice thing is, even though multiple phones will run android, most likely they will all look and function a little differently.

http://htcsource.com

[randy @ Nov 12th 2007 4:00PM]

Agreed. Open system be damned –– this is already a colossal flop. The whole thing is hysterically passé.

I hope Google completely overhauls this UI before lauch. For example, the tiny menus as shown which pop up in the corners of screens which are in themselves only about 2 inches tall are laughably antiquated; what, do I use a stylus? LOL. No, if there is any lesson to be learned from the iPhone, it is that menus should be as freaking LARGE as they can possibly be ––– EVERY PIXEL UTILIZED! Full screen... with fonts large enough to be finger controlled.

Like you said, if the object of this game is to excel at creating an open mobile device (something which Apple has miserably FAILED at, leaving others like Google to step in), then I'm completely perplexed by these stupid screenshots. They reveal absolutely nothing innovative in that regard. They're worthless garbage. They've just wasted everybody's time.

[Baluki @ Nov 12th 2007 4:10PM]

Oh boy! I can't wait until someone makes Android: Vista Edition!

*ducks*

[josh @ Nov 12th 2007 5:25PM]

"The user interface shown it one of a million options what developers can create. Unlike Windows Mobile, developers will have free reign over the interface and will be able to display information, graphics, and anything they would like without the constreint of a set user interface. "

Um, I would say things like the HTC touch and Tmobile shadow sort of demonstrate that the iron hand control of the UI that you assert MS wields may not be as in line with reality as you believe. I'd argue that MS could benifit from exerting more control over application UI design to make a more unified look, but it would be hard for you to argue that is currently what they do.

Personally I don't think this is indicative of the final UI that will appear on the phones. I think it is just an early seed to get developers familiar with Google's Android platform from a coding standpoint rather than a UI standpoint. As for the benifits of an open platform, WM licenses cost mere dollars, has a very robust dev environment, and allows a great deal of customizability, plus comes with a great deal of developer support, so I think google has their hands full making this stand out (making a UI that OEMs don't feel they NEED to change would be a good step over WM, but this isn't that UI).

[Serhei @ Nov 12th 2007 7:26PM]

@josh

The fact that HTC (the people you cite as your example of WinMo customisers) is one of the main companies in this initiative should tell you something about how much they like the process of turning Windows Mobile into something that they can sell on a phone..

[Mike10010100 @ Nov 12th 2007 10:59PM]

What Apple (or some other company) needs to do is suck it up and create another "iPhone" like device, but this time, make it run off of the Android software. Seriously, I don't think that anyone here could argue that the iPhone isn't pretty and that the idea of having no buttons was wonderful for designing new apps that need different keys that would normally be available.

In a perfect world, Apple and Android would work hand in hand, we would have a really sexy phone that ran off of Linux and would be infinitely customizable, and we would all go skipping happily into the sunset, never to hear another word of "God, this phone sucks."

p.s....And DRM would be vanquished.

[Arkbargle @ Nov 12th 2007 2:16PM]

The contacts icon reminds me of something...

[Alex Padilla @ Nov 12th 2007 2:19PM]

and the maps icon looks awfully like Safari...

[rob @ Nov 12th 2007 3:29PM]

it obviously reminds you of an old school contact booklet, since that's what it is

[Will @ Nov 13th 2007 11:36PM]

The interface looks like a nokia s60 OS ripoff.

[Billy @ Nov 12th 2007 2:22PM]

Looks like a real snore to me.

[J3 L U N T @ Nov 12th 2007 2:25PM]

Can we start a ANDROID-LESS Engadget link?

I can see where this is going...

[oshean @ Nov 12th 2007 3:34PM]

Engadget feed without the Android news:
http://pipes.yahoo.com/cleaner/engadgetnoandroid

[Brad @ Nov 12th 2007 3:57PM]

Wow, it hasn't been a week and already someone is griping. It's been a lot longer since the iphone release and still there seems to be 10+ posts daily about the iphone. BOOO

I'm excited for Android - I used to love windows mobile until I outgrew it and realized how constricting, restricting, and SLOW it is. Bring on the tweaking!

[mattydread @ Nov 12th 2007 2:26PM]

I don't get this whole Android OS thing... why is Google's opensource OS better than others besides its brand name? Does it support more phone hardware or something?

[sgt_easton @ Nov 12th 2007 2:29PM]

I think the big deal is that it's going to be a widespread OS and it's not Microsoft or Apple.

[NinjaWombat @ Nov 12th 2007 4:31PM]

To me this is a very exciting development. Mobile OS' are still extremely primitive compared to desktop OS' right now and it's about time that someone came to the rescue.

I think one of the reasons that Linux is not doing so well on the desktop is because of the large application base and high switching costs of leaving Windows and MacOSX (the latter also have quite a few other advantages over Linux). In the mobile space, there are no entrenched operating systems and high switching costs. People would move en mass to a better device if it came along. Android can help improve the mobile experience by giving accessibility to a complete OS to many developers. This strategy has a lot of potential in the long run. There will always be room for other phone OS's, but 5 years from now, I see Android derivatives playing a much more important role in the mobile space than, say, Linux in the desktop space. And having a mobile device will be a lot more fun and useful than it is now.

[Denver_80203 @ Nov 12th 2007 2:27PM]

wow. So far it can do everything my Blackberry could do three years ago.

When will the excitement stop? please. it's so thrilling. wow.

[Reader @ Nov 12th 2007 5:47PM]

Try to step out of your little box and actually put thought into what possibilities Android opens up.

Every year that goes by a company sets the standard for cell phones. At one time it was text messaging, then to camera phones, and more recently multi-touch. This is another big step in the market and will set the precedent that all other cell phones would have to meet to be competitive.

[brad @ Nov 12th 2007 2:28PM]

i was expecting more to be honest. like ZOMG google good....but this 3/5 stars

[Denver_80203 @ Nov 12th 2007 2:28PM]

I should add. wow.

and hey, is the red dot a sign? is the android actually a robot from battlestar galactica? wow.

[etrigan @ Nov 12th 2007 3:47PM]

The red dot looks like HAL. You should only fear it if your name is Dave.

[Baluki @ Nov 12th 2007 4:13PM]

Red glowing eye = HAL
Red streaky dot = Cylon

I hear the latest models look like iPhones now. Nobody is safe!

[etrigan @ Nov 12th 2007 4:27PM]

Make it blink across the screen instead of streak, now you have KITT from Knight Rider. Oooohhhh the possibilites.

[rzlmlchm009 @ Nov 12th 2007 7:20PM]

@ etrigan

Actually, I would be more afraid if my name was Frank. He was the one jettisoned into space.

[sgt_easton @ Nov 12th 2007 2:30PM]

is the red streak supposed to be like a cylon?

[holycow @ Nov 12th 2007 2:31PM]

Android OS = Symbian S60 + a bit of MAC .. not really innovative if u ask me.

[Leopard Nimrod @ Nov 12th 2007 2:39PM]

The lack of vCard support for the Contacts--or even any robustness in that area--will keep me away from this MobileOS.

[Elliot @ Nov 12th 2007 7:58PM]

@Leopard

Is that assumption based on these screenshots?
Or the knowledge that this OS will fundamentally not be able to support it.
Considering that it's opensource, chances are it will support every format worth supporting (give or take a few extra installed modules)
What i'm really looking forward to is a really good syncml implementation on a phone.
syncml is just waiting ready to woop every syncers ass in the galaxy, if only anyone would use it!

[Reasonable @ Nov 12th 2007 2:36PM]

Does the browser do "all internet" like iPhone, or is it the "mobile internet?"

[Johan S @ Nov 12th 2007 2:43PM]

It's the mobile internet because all phone manufacturers (except apple) don't see any reason to put anything higher than QVGA on a mobile phone. And browsing the web proper on a QVGA UI is a real pain.

[Se?Diddy @ Nov 12th 2007 2:49PM]

Android uses webkit, just like Safari in the iPhone.

[Matt @ Nov 12th 2007 3:05PM]

Opera Mini works great on a QVGA screen.

[andi @ Nov 12th 2007 3:09PM]

It's the real Internet, like in many many handsets beyond the crappy iPhone..

JS, you're pretty dumb... do such idiotic replies only after actually knowing stuff.. I for instance have the iPhone resolution on a 2,1 inch screen, and the whole web. with cursor and all...

you're as out-of-date as the iPhone

[theChipmunk @ Nov 12th 2007 4:27PM]

Damn, Johan, you're right! I'd better take this Toshiba G900 and its WVGA (800x480) display back to the shop, because obviously I was lied to - no phone can display more than QVGA!

The irony is that you're posting that kind of comment on a site that reports WVGA and, indeed, VGA screens moderately regularly.

Ugh. Check your facts before you post.

theChipmunk

[Johan S @ Nov 12th 2007 10:14PM]

I already knew there are phones out that have WVGA displays (proof: http://www.engadget.com/confirm/397f3a7fad060273c56663343bbda5a2 ). However, these phones are not widely available in the US. When I said "all", I meant the mainstream manufacturers. And also before someone jumps on me for saying it's the mobile internet .. it really is -- i hated trying to browse full HTML in QVGA.

[Hansi @ Nov 12th 2007 2:36PM]

This seems destined to be the ultimate geek mobile OS, but never take off as a "casual" cell phone OS.

The UI looks OK, there are a few pretty blatantly copied elements from the iPhone (which I think is good), but it could still use some work (which the OEMs hopefully will do)

[uuno @ Nov 12th 2007 2:39PM]

BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Moving on, nothing to see here..

Engadget's Eastern Europe Troll Gang. Trolling since 2007

[Johan S @ Nov 12th 2007 2:40PM]

The UI looks like it encourages QVGA development. That sucks.

[Ash A @ Nov 12th 2007 3:14PM]

When can I put his on my HTC Excalibur? The possiblity of an open-source phone OS *drools*.

[BiG� @ Nov 12th 2007 4:03PM]

Really, really uninspiring. There seems to be nothing in it that hasn't been done by others for a couple years now. Dull, dull, dull!

[decypher44 @ Nov 12th 2007 2:45PM]

Judging from a lot of the comments I have been reading today, I think the Android marketing team has failed. Listen, this is a BASE Platorm (stikll in BETA no less). The UI can be changed, apps will be written, and collaboration will take place between expert and beginner developers from accross the globe. This is Open Source. Those of you that use Firefox - you like it, don't you? With all of the skins, add-ons, user-created utilities... How many times have you been on these boards discussing other phone OSs and how many complaints or public requests are there for apps we would like to see? Now they can be written, now they can be done. The base platform is great with 3D accelaration, 3G, GPS (and wi-fi?). Think of all the possibilities.

[Don WIlson @ Nov 12th 2007 2:48PM]

Sorry, I'll keep my iPhone for now.

[Guzzie @ Nov 12th 2007 3:01PM]

Of course you will.
You're in a two year contract.
Remember?

[MR @ Nov 12th 2007 3:03PM]

I'll second that. This Android thingy actually looks outdated rather than innovative.
Besides, Linux smartphones have been around for some time already and they never really take off. When people buy phones, most could care less about whether it's open source or not.

[Don Wilson @ Nov 12th 2007 3:03PM]

Since I paid $500 for my phone, a $200 fee to get out of it is no big deal at all.