Google managed to turn Android from a small project to the largest mobile computing platform of the world. This does not mean that Google never made mistakes. Many android device owners probably have complaints about this system. Below we will talk about the main mistakes and how they were corrected.
Google Now ON TAP
Google announced a new Android search element called Now On Tap on the eve of the release of Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Long pressing the HOME button when working with a smartphone offered information that is currently displayed on the screen, and contextual search results. The idea was good, but the implementation was tamed.
The main problem was that it was never possible to say whether this feature makes something useful. Often she just said that there is nothing interesting on the screen. After several attempts, most users stopped working with ON TAP.
Google began to hang on this function all that is possible, in the hope that something is taken. There were screenshots, search on the map, news facilities. It did not help and now on Tap at the beginning of this year was removed.
Pixel smartphones received Google Assistant, which is also launched by long pressing the Home button. After a few months, the assistant switched to all Android smartphones on the versions of Android Marshmallow and the newer, replacing now on Tap. This is a more efficient use of Google Machine Training Opportunities, which will use many third-party services.
Nexus Q
Nexus q was announced at the Google I / O Developer Conference in 2012, all visitors were able to familiarize themselves with this device. It was a device for multimedia broadcasts at a price of $ 300 on a modified version of Android. It has connected to Google account for listening to music, watching movies and video on YouTube. With third-party services, like Netflix, the device did not work, which predicted his fate.
It was the first Android device developed by Google completely independently. From the hardware point of view it was not bad. This is a small metal sphere with a power of 25 W with a connector HDMI to connect to the TV. The software was so limited that Google had to delay the release in July 2012 to improve the product. Users who pre-ordered were able to get the device for free, but its functionality was not updated later. Nexus Q did not reach retail stores and in early 2013 the product was canceled.
This was not Google's latest attempt to break into consumer living rooms. Learning from the mistakes, in 2013 the company introduced the Chromecast, a $35 device with the ability to cast content to TVs. The features here were no more than the Nexus Q, but the low price was the key to success and now it is one of the most successful multimedia products of Google.
Android 3.0 Honeycomb
Until 2010, the Android system did not support tablets, while iPads sold like hot cakes. Several device manufacturers, such as Samsung, adapted Android 2.3 to work on tablets without much success, but Google's first attempt was no better. Android 3.0 Honeycomb was announced in early 2011 with the Motorola Xoom tablet, but was extremely limited.
The system was heavy, unattractive and not even open. It only worked on tablets, so app developers had to create two different versions of the software. At first, only Tegra 2 processors were supported, limiting buyers' hardware choices. All this was the exact opposite of what Android had offered before. Google treated this version of the system as a beta test, resulting in an unappealing consumer product.
After a difficult eight months, Google launched Android 4.0, which could once again run on smartphones and tablets. Only then did the Honeycomb source code become available. There were a few features that would later make their way into Android, like tabbed browsers and screenshots on the recent apps screen.
App Ops Permissions Manager
Android 4.3 Jelly Bean was a minor update to the previous two versions. The most notable feature should not have appeared here at all. This is an advanced permission manager. Google accidentally left a menu called App Ops in the system. After that, the developers blocked access to it in the update, which earned unflattering reviews in the press.
App Ops allowed for manual control of app permissions, which seems like a useful feature. But at that time, applications did not have such an opportunity in their code. Disabling permissions could cause crashes and other annoyances in applications. This menu should not have been available, but it was. It was necessary to find and launch actions for a hidden menu for any number of applications in the Play Store.
In the next update, Google removed this menu, again to the annoyance of some users. Privacy lovers scolded developers, not realizing that the feature was intended for app creators and wasn't ready for mass adoption. The real permission manager appeared in Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
Android Wear 2.0
Smart watches have not yet gained the popularity that manufacturers hoped for. Even Apple watch sales fell short of expectations, so the company doesn't provide statistics. Android Wear was supposed to get a major update last year, but the developer preview garnered extremely negative reviews. Google had to redesign the system, but even in this form it was no better.
It appeared already in 2017 and many users were dissatisfied. Android Wear 2.0 brought a lot of strange changes, like disconnected notifications and disabling Do Not Disturb modes from working in sync on smartphones and watches.
Google should have made smartwatches more attractive with their operating system, but they couldn't. A new version based on Android 8.0 should arrive this year unless delayed again.
