Gather ‘spherical, gang, ‘trigger Granpappy Writerman’s acquired a saucy little story to share.The different day, y’see, I used to be sitting and looking at my pc display — as one does — when a web page got here alongside that made my mouth go agape. Agape, I let you know. Agape! And it wasn’t simply because it was dangerously near lunch time and I detected the scent of hoagie within the air (although if we’re being utterly sincere, that may’ve had one thing to do with it).No, siree — the primary cause was that I had stumbled onto an official Google announcement of a flowery new cellphone widget for its Photos service…on iOS.Now, let me remind you: Google Photos has been obtainable on Android for 5 years. That means Google has had 5 years through which it may have created and supplied a equally pretty widget for these of us utilizing that platform — its personal forkin’ platform, in case you’ve got forgotten, and the most well-liked computing platform on the planet — and but, whaddya get once you attempt to discover a Photos widgets on Android proper now?I’ll inform ya what: bupkis. Nada. Nothin’ in any respect, apart from possibly an implied “eff you” instructed by the absence of any Photos widget, 5 years and working — whereas the iOS model was proudly introduced simply weeks after that working system added widget assist onto its checklist of options.The iOS Photos widget seems to be good — as does the also-not-available-on-Android new “recent songs” widget for YouTube Music, to not point out the extra-spiffy new multifunction search widget added into the iOS Google app — however that is not even the purpose or the reason for my aforementioned mouth-hole agapery (hey, if Google can do all of this, then I can invent a phrase, rattling it). The actual subject is that Google has all however given up on the concept of widgets for Android.But possibly, simply possibly, with Apple now supporting widgets for the primary time and Google galloping over itself to churn out high-quality choices in that area, there’s an opportunity that might change.The Android widget about-faceIt’s straightforward to neglect now, however widgets have been as soon as an necessary a part of Android. They’ve been a core piece of the Android puzzle because the platform’s earliest days, in truth, all the best way again within the historical Android 1.0 period of 2008.For a very long time, widgets served as a differentiating factor — y’know, in comparison with iOS, the place they have been pooh-poohed as an pointless and “inelegant” extravagance up till extraordinarily lately — in addition to serving as an efficiency-enhancing worth addition in and of themselves. ‘Twas a time, even, when apps have been laughed away and lampooned in the event that they did not embrace a thoughtfully created widget as a part of their Android package deal. And you’d higher imagine each one in all Google’s personal apps had a rigorously constructed widget of its personal.Somewhere alongside the best way, although, issues modified. Google stopped emphasizing the provision of widgets on the platform stage, for one, and the corporate additionally appeared to cease placing a lot thought into (or generally even supporting, in any respect) widgets inside its personal functions. Perhaps not surprisingly, third-party builders adopted swimsuit and likewise largely stopped caring, and in consequence, widgets have slowly however absolutely began to really feel like an often thought-about afterthought on Android as an alternative of being the integral a part of the platform they as soon as have been.Now, do not get me incorrect: There are nonetheless loads of distinctive Android widgets on the market. But once you obtain a brand new Android app, it is something however a given that it will have a standout widget related to it. In my expertise, it is typically extra the exception than the rule {that a} third-party app will supply a widget in any respect today. Quite frankly, I’d been questioning for some time if and once we’d see a brand new Android model come alongside that’d quietly drop assist for widgets altogether — a transfer that’d be barely surprising if this weren’t, erm, Google we have been speaking about.I imply, give it some thought: When was the final time we noticed any evolution within the Android widget expertise? Way again in 2011, with the Android 4.0 launch, Google launched assist for scrollable, resizable, and interactive widgets on telephones and redesigned most of its personal home made widgets to benefit from these new powers. It represented an enormous leap ahead from the earlier Android widget expertise and opened up an entire new world of productivity-boosting potentialities, with apps instantly permitting you to search out and work together with particular information on your property display as an alternative of merely displaying you a static view. JR
The final nice Android widget innovation — in Android 4.0, a.okay.a. Ice Cream Sandwich.
In that very same Android model, Google moved widgets from being out of sight and infrequently out of thoughts and made ’em a completely seen a part of the app drawer — current as a separate tab alongside all the usual app icons.JR
Widgets of their (very short-term) high-profile house, proper contained in the app drawer.
That was 2011. What’s occurred since then? Well, two years later and with out clarification, Google yanked widgets out of the app drawer and put ’em again into an out-of-sight, out-of-mind long-press menu. And the precise widget framework has principally remained stagnant, with none extra significant changes, developments, or modifications in what it is in a position to accomplish, ever since.And now greater than ever, it is painfully clear how a lot we have missed out on in consequence.The Android widget revival?There’s no denying it: With Apple’s newest iOS launch this 12 months, we’re seeing what may have been right here within the land o’ Android — what may have been, that’s, if Google hadn’t given up and successfully stopped caring about Android widgets a whopping 9 years in the past.Just take a look at what’s occurring in iOS proper now: Widgets on an iPhone may be stacked on prime of one another so you’ll be able to place a number of widgets in the identical area after which swipe between ’em for space-efficient entry. Apple device-owners may even get pleasure from a particular Smart Stack widget that mechanically predicts what widget is prone to be most helpful at any given second — primarily based on typical app utilization for the time of day or location — after which brings that widget to the highest of its swipeable stack. And builders huge and small are scrambling to return out with their very own efficiency-enhancing widgets, lots of which look fairly darn unimaginable. Some are even from apps which have lengthy existed on Android with none try at widget assist there (here is lookin’ at you, Rachio and Pocket).Now take into consideration if Google had been actively creating the Android widget expertise all this time as an alternative of roughly abandoning it after 2011. We may have this identical form of stuff — and a lot extra! — at our fingertips proper now. One can solely think about the reams of fascinating concepts Google and the businesses round it’d’ve cooked up over all these misplaced years.It’s a missed alternative, unquestionably — nevertheless it is not too late. While it is foolish that it’d take Apple’s embrace of widgets to kick Google again into gear, we have definitely seen comparable issues occur earlier than. Widgets are instantly a high-profile, buzzworthy characteristic on iOS, and if there’s one factor that motivates Google to behave quick, it is avoiding the notion that its working system has fallen behind the curve in some vital measure.And all bitter grapes — er, possibly bitter apples? — apart, on the finish of the day, the tip result’s all that issues. As with nearly each occasion of cross-platform copycatting that we see ‘spherical these components, a competitor embracing an concept and pushing it ahead solely makes everybody else step up their sport, meet up with what’s occurring, and ideally discover new methods to make their very own merchandise stand out additional. And which means we, the people and/or frog-person hybrids that truly use these units on both facet of the working system spectrum, find yourself successful in the long run.As we converse, builders — together with, ahem, Google — are arduous at work devoting their consideration to considerate widget creation. Mainstream phone-owners are within the midst of changing into conscious of what widgets can do for them, due to Apple’s ongoing advertising and promotion. Now it is time for Google to choose again up with what it began — with the benefit it had 12 years in the past after which squandered by letting it fade away, largely unattended — and begin treating Android widgets because the precedence they as soon as have been.I’ll inform ya what, Google: Do this, and we’ll all faux to not make the connection between Apple’s adoption of the characteristic and your sudden renewed curiosity in it in spite of everything these years. Deal?The reality is that reviving Android’s widget system and turning it again into an asset can be an objectively sensible transfer for Google to make. It’d convey recent worth to the Android ecosystem, create additional money-making alternatives for builders, and supply new productivity-boosting potentialities for us humble Android cellphone homeowners. It could be taking part in catch up as an alternative of main the best way at this level, besides, it is higher to try this than to surrender solely.Your transfer, Google. We’re ready — and we’ve been for an excellent, lengthy whereas.Sign up for my weekly publication to get extra sensible ideas, private suggestions, and plain-English perspective on the information that issues.[Android Intelligence videos at Computerworld]
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