Test Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and Galaxy Nexus

In many ways, the Galaxy Nexus is the iPhone 4S Android. It is manufactured by Samsung, became the first manufacturer Androphones through the Nexus S, the Galaxy S and Galaxy S II. And it is equipped with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest version of the mobile system of Google, and the first to offer a consistent graphics interface. Real rethinking of Android, the Galaxy Nexus is a device ambitious. But is that enough to convince a user to iPhone 4S? The response in our test!
NB: For this test, we adopted the same methodology as that of Nexus. This test, which came after several weeks of intensive use, not intended to be exhaustive, but wants to convey the feel of an iPhone user on some of the most important points in everyday use.

Holo: Android and became beautiful

Ice Cream Sandwich is the first version of Android on which Matias Duarte was able to exert all its influence: the result is called Holo, the new system user interface of Google. Available in two versions, one predominantly black for OLED displays, the other predominantly white for LCD, Holo is far removed from skeumorphisme iOS.

Rather than trying to imitate the real objects, Holo is much more "digital", more abstract. It makes great use of straight lines as separators and frames, with touches of blue as notifications (arriving at the end of a list, scroll position in an element, etc..) And it is true, rather pleasing to the eye and subtle. Holo systematise the use of tabs to separate different parts of the application (like IOS), and adds a large number of animations often fluid and rarely too long. All is not perfect: it is sometimes a bit geeky and complex.

One feels that Matias Duarte (eg Palm) has seen and reviewed Tron, and Holo actually sometimes too. The main problem is the use of virtual buttons instead of physical buttons (an issue already raised by the Amazon Kindle Fire). The home button of the iPhone is certainly not perfect (especially when it stops working properly), but it is still present, and can be operated with closed eyes. The home button Android does only one thing, back to the home screen, but does not always work well: it is often masked by applying from full screen, so you have to type two Once on the screen to return to home.                
Back button always ask as many questions functional: it is both a button "go left" in the chronology of states, and a button to "go up" in the hierarchy of states.

It can sometimes go back in an application, sometimes to return to the home screen, sometimes finally move from one application to another. It's not a drama, but it is often disorienting.

Then the disappearance of the button menu system requires the presence of a button in each application: it is usually in the form of three vertical dots, too difficult to see and whose position exchange between applications, including between those of Google. He also also the tendency to disappear from the screen (for example in the browser: it is on the address bar, which disappears when scrolling).

Everything is not black, however in this matter on Android: the presence of a multitasking button is undoubtedly one of the best ideas of Ice Cream Sandwich (far, far better than double-clicking the home button to iOS). Support convene an illustrated list of recently used applications, a very nice interface and efficient to move from one application to another, but also to close an application (scan to "throw" a card out of the list, something that is reminiscent webOS ... designed by Matias Duarte).