The Google Pixel Pill is a refined, premium Android pill, however it’s most likely not truthful to count on it to compete evenly with the iPad. I assume the easy method to have a look at that is that Google has—principally—performed every thing it could actually to supply Android and Pixel followers with a viable various primarily based on their most well-liked platform. However its hyper-focus on panorama consumer experiences could also be its Achilles Heel.
Right here’s an apparent instance. In Google Pixel Pill First Impressions, I discussed the panorama orientation of this gadget, which was apparently necessitated by Google’s resolution to power a dock and good show performance on its clients … which might solely occur if sufficient builders modify their apps to work properly on bigger display gadgets. That’s a whole lot of conditions, and if my expertise crossing the divide between iPhone/iPad and Android has taught me something, it’s that Apple’s developer base is quite a bit faster to behave on the marching orders, whereas these within the Android camp appear to undertake a “adequate” coverage. The end result being that whereas many apps are modified for the distinctive qualities of the iPad, many Android apps aren’t, leading to upsized cellphone apps on tablets and different large-screen gadgets.
In the true world, which means your outcomes will differ primarily based on which apps you utilize probably the most. Google has, after all, performed a superb job modifying its personal apps for tablets—not less than from what I’ve skilled up to now—however most individuals will use different apps. And right here, I’ve already seen blended outcomes.
To display this, let’s step again a bit from the gadget and take into account a typical day. I get up within the morning, make a cup of espresso and sit right down to learn the information. On my iPad Air, this entails waking up the gadget after which calmly resting my finger on the facility button, which features a built-in fingerprint reader, to sign up. That is usually dependable, and I can rapidly transfer on from there.
On the Pixel Pill, this entails waking up the gadget after which calmly resting my finger …. on the facility button … Wait. The place is the facility button? It’s within the mistaken place, that’s the place. On the iPad, the facility button is on the highest proper of the gadget whereas held usually in portrait mode, proper the place it ought to be, within the regular place for this right-handed individual.
On the Pixel Pill, it’s on the left aspect of the gadget, close to the highest, when held in portrait mode. However the Pixel Pill is oriented for panorama; if I rotate the gadget to the fitting and maintain it with two fingers, the facility button is now on the highest proper, the place I can calmly relaxation …. calmly relaxation … the place is the rattling energy button? On the Pixel Pill, it’s flush with the case, not raised, and so it’s tougher to sense with one’s finger. I assume I’ll get used to that over time. Anyway, as soon as I discover it, I can use its built-in fingerprint reader to sign up. It’s early days, however this appears usually dependable, so I can rapidly transfer on from there.
OK, these are simply familiarity points, I assume. I can then rotate the gadget again into portrait mode and begin studying. And in my case, which means studying by the New York Occasions, Washington Submit, Google Information (know-how feed), and Google apps in flip. And immediately I can see the variations between an app that has been personalized for a pill (or different giant display gadget): on the iPad, the New York Occasions app has sections with a number of layouts that properly fill the display actual property, and on the Pixel Pill, it’s only a single column cellphone app, upsized.
To be clear, it’s not unusable. And I suppose if I had by no means used the iPad model of the app, or skilled the web site model, I’d by no means know what I used to be lacking. Too, the precise article studying expertise is nearly equivalent. Solely the Pixel Pill’s barely bizarre taller show and thinner show stands out, and that’s one thing I believe I’d simply get used to over time.
The Washington Submit has the identical subject: the iPad model takes benefit of the scale of the show with completely different layouts for various sections, however the Pixel Pill model is a one-column show of tales. Though right here is an attention-grabbing—and literal—twist: if I change into panorama mode, each apps do provide completely different part layouts. Curious. Or … is that this by design?
Google promoted the truth that it modified its Information app for the pill, however even this app is much less fairly on Pixel Pill. The place the iPad shows articles in alternating units of 1 or two tiles, the Android model is at all times two side-by-side, with no visible break or technique to establish tales which will (or could not) be extra necessary. It’s … nice. However that’s type of the purpose. Android apps are usually simply “adequate” and are hardly ever optimized like iPad apps.
The Google app is even worse. The place the iPad model of this app affords that two-column structure that I simply complained about in Google Information on Android, the Android model of the Google app is just one column (in portrait), with tons of white house on both aspect of every article tile. However right here, once more, one thing attention-grabbing occurs if you change into panorama, one thing I by no means do when studying: it affords a three-column structure. That’s a greater use of house, for certain, however I don’t need to learn particular person articles in panorama, ever.
And that brings us again to my unique level about the important thing distinction between the Pixel pill and the iPad, which is the previous’s reliance on panorama utilization. Panorama is smart for movies and for video games, however it doesn’t make any sense for studying. And studying is what I primarily use a pill for.
Google has performed what seems to be a superb job adapting the Android house display to panorama and portrait mode switches. However there are such a lot of issues about this house display that hassle me. I’ve two climate widgets on the iPad, one for house and one for Mexico Metropolis, and I can’t determine how to try this on Android; I can have as many widgets as I would like, however they’re all for house. You may solely have 6 icons within the Android dock utilizing the default structure, however I’ve 8 on iPad. And it’s not doable to place house display icons proper above the dock: there’s a non-removable search bar in the way in which for starters, however the closest the bottom row of icons can get to that’s over one inch greater. What the what.
Take a look at that hole between the bottom row of icons and the search bar
I can see options to among the points I’ve skilled. For instance, I may enroll my left index finger with the fingerprint reader in order that I can simply flip it on and sign up with my left hand. And admit that many of those points are familiarity primarily based, and that continued utilization will allow muscle reminiscence, and possibly even acceptance. And I actually do respect that Google is making an attempt to do one thing completely different right here, and that it’s latched onto the dock and this good show utilization as a key differentiator. Who is aware of? It could even work.
And it’s a nifty good show. However right here, too, it’s not what I would like: we use our good show as a photograph slideshow about 95 % of the time, and as any empty nester will let you know, seeing photos of your children all through the day is a pleasant coping mechanism. The opposite 5 % is asking Google Assistant questions and casting content material so you may hearken to one thing whereas doing the dishes or no matter.
In my/our case, not less than, the good show is a really particular device and I/we wish it within the kitchen always, not simply when I’m not utilizing the pill and/or have remembered to dock it so my spouse can take pleasure in it as a wise show. In different phrases, this can be a proper device for the job situation: I need a good show and a pill, not one gadget that may carry out each features however solely on the exclusion of the opposite.
(That stated, a dock that permits you to use this factor as a portrait mode good show is likely to be attention-grabbing too. Photograph slideshows may animate to account for thinness, maybe.)
Look, everyone seems to be completely different. The query right here is whether or not there’s a sizable sufficient viewers for a pill that may double as a wise show, or for a wise show that may double as a pill. There could also be. I type of hope there’s. However I want to use this factor simply as a pill. And for that to make sense, it wants a sq. show (with a 4:3 side ratio just like the iPad or possibly 3:2) and never an oblong show, and Android apps should be optimized to work properly in each portrait and panorama modes. Actually, I ponder whether the transfer to a sq. show would merely set off the latter impact. Maybe the Pixel Pill show is so tall and skinny that it simply registers as a cellphone.
Feels like a platform drawback. Which implies it’s a Google drawback.
Extra quickly.