Android UI boss: Android only ‘a third of the way’ to where it should be
Google’s (GOOG) Android platform has made great strides since it launched four years ago. It has grown to become the most widely used smartphone OS in the world by a staggering margin, and the look and feel of the platform have shifted dramatically in recent years. While Android 2.3 Gingerbread is still the most popular version of Android by a landslide, the most recent build — Android 4.1 Jelly Bean — is heralded as the most refined version of Google’s mobile OS to date. Even still, however, Android isn’t yet where Google wants it to be.
“It’s true, we still have a lot of work to do,” Google’s Senior Director of Android User Experience wrote on his Google+ page in response to a critical comment. “Personally I feel like I’ve gotten only about a third of the way to where I want to be with regards to consistency, responsiveness, and polish. Better get back to work!”
Android 4.1 was first unveiled in June, and it brought with it a number of great enhancements including enhanced voice recognition and search capabilities, Google Now and a number of tweaks aimed at making Android more fluid and responsive. While the newest version of Android has been well received by users, it is currently only found on 1.2% of Android devices worldwide.
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