IOS 8 and Android L, interesting to take long not short

Abstract: In fact, both of the upgrade is very large, it also brings a lot of new ideas, but their innovations can only be said to be equal, and, in one of the interesting points, because in detail, there seems to be some "plagiarism" between the two systems.

Last month, the two big mobile operating systems, iOS and Android, were on the verge of a new version upgrade. Because they are the biggest competitors in the mobile market, it is natural for the outside world to compare the two.

And in the recent days, looking at the initial comparison between iOS 8 and Android L Developer previews, it looks like both upgrades are great, and they bring a lot of new concepts, but in terms of innovation, they're two, and the interesting thing is, Two systems in detail, there seems to be a "copy" of the other side some of the advantages of the place. In addition, the two systems in general there are many places to improve.

Lock screen and main screen

Android's lock-screen interface has changed significantly in the new Android version. First, the system notice will now be shown directly in the center of the screen lock screen, and the user no longer has to stick out his finger as before to pull down the notification panel. This is a popular feature, but it seems to mimic the processing of iOS in the lock screen interface for notifications. In the interaction with the notification, double-clicking the notification in Android L opens the application, and the slide clears the notification; in iOS 8, sliding can be used to reply to a message or to mark as read. Neither of these solutions is a problem to use.

The iOS device will be lit for a few seconds after the notification is received, which may be a favorite feature of some users, because they can instantly browse the notifications. But Android does not have the ability to alert the notification only through the device's LED lights.

The Android L lock screen has a feature that iOS lacks--a shortcut to mobile apps. It allows users to dial contact numbers more quickly. However, the two system can be opened directly from the Lock screen interface camera function.

It is noteworthy that the Android L lock screen no longer supports widgets. Although this change may make some users feel unaccustomed, but then again, the setting and use of the lock widget is not very intuitive. Maybe Google wants to reduce the clutter of the lock screen interface, or simply want to make more room for new phone shortcuts. Interestingly, IOS 8, for the first time, has brought support for Third-party widgets that users can see from the Drop-down notification panel, even in the lock screen.

On the main screen, Android L and iOS 8 didn't change much. However, as people often say, if there is no problem, there is no need to change. Naturally, Android l will attract personalized users, and iOS 8 's personalization features are limited by simplicity.

Notification panel, quick control and multitasking

The notification panel's big change is one of the important upgrades to Android. Notifications are now sorted by importance, and important notices (such as new messages) appear at the top of the list, while those from Third-party applications take a backseat. The IOS 8 notification function is different. New notifications to drop down the notification Panel has a separate label that is assembled according to the application, and the order in which notifications are displayed can be adjusted in the Settings menu.

The Fast Control menu for Android L is also redesigned. As always, users can still find these shortcuts in the drop down panel, but it's a bit confusing that Google has canceled the double finger drop gesture, which can quickly capture these controls. In any case, the new panel is not only more beautiful, but also more powerful. Not only has the display brightness slider been added, but it has also finally led to a button that locks the screen toward it. iOS control center is just as good. The user can open the Panel under any interface and adjust many functions of the system.

Recent apps are also one of the Android L feature upgrades. However, although the interface looks more beautiful, but choose a specific application is a bit cumbersome, because the screen at the same time can not display more than 3 application thumbnails, users need to do more than normal scrolling operations. The recent application of IOS 8 still uses thumbnails + icons to display the most recently run applications, simple but efficient. At the same time, the interface is now also the most commonly used contact list, which is a very useful feature.

Keyboards, dials, and contacts

The redesigned keyboard in Android L is fast and accurate when used. It uses a new "material design" language, but it does not differ in functionality. As before, the Android L keyboard supports word prediction, automatic correction, and sliding input. Apple also has a smart word prediction feature in iOS 8, which picks the right words and learns the user's choice based on the context of the conversation. In addition, IOS 8 will provide support for the third party input method for the first time.

Android's mobile apps are a whole new look, and more useful. Star contacts are organized in a more compact list and closer to the bottom of the screen, making it easier for users to touch them with their thumbs. As in the past, searches in mobile apps not only lead to contact search results, but also to nearby business locations, such as restaurants and hotels. IOS 8 's mobile apps didn't bring any significant changes.

Search and voice commands

Android 4.4 Allows the user to turn on the search function directly via voice ("Ok,google"), but only on the main screen of the system. After this upgrade, users can use the function on any screen, even under the lock screen. In fact, the feature will be consumed by the Android phone before the Android L upgrade, and the unwanted users can easily turn it off. The IOS 8 Siri now adds the ability to listen to voice triggers. As soon as the user says "Hey Siri", she will make a corresponding. But this function only works when the iOS 8 device is connected to the power supply, and if it's normal, it only works if Siri is already turned on.

Camera

Android L uses Google camera as the default camera application for the system. In general, this is an excellent application, very simple to use. The application does not support manual adjustment of the camera parameters, but its built-in shooting mode should be satisfactory to the average user. IOS 8 's camera apps now add the ability to shoot time-lapse video, and users can control the focus and exposure individually, or set timers. Compared to Google cameras, IOS 8 's camera applications are also very easy to use.

Expected

Since two systems are still in beta, we can't tell which ones are doing better. They will also undergo further adjustments and improvements before they are officially released. But if that is their ultimate level, then we can say that these two systems are very close to the performance. All in all, we are generally satisfied with the content of the two-system upgrade, and they deserve our expectation. (Eskimo)