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Rant

Android starting to look like Windows Phone

Aug 15, 2012 7:24PM PDT

Hello there!

I'm surprised no one brought this up here yet, but since Ice Cream Sandwich, I've been noticing Windows Phone-esque designs in Android's interface. At ICS's release I thought Google might have just been inspired by Windows to polish their interface, but after Jelly Bean came out, I became certain something else is up. Here are my observations:

1. Squares started appearing in many areas. The once-curvy icons are now sharp squares. The Play Store, the Gallery, and several other places look like WP's Start screen.
2. The Roboto font strongly reminded me of WP's Zegoe.
3. The People App and the People Hub could be twins.
4. Android is having white circular buttons like Windows Phone. Examples are the media controls, which were once rounded squares.

I've been seeing Windows Phone cues in other OS's as well, such as Firefox OS and Blackberry 10. Do you think it's copying or just mere coincidence? Did Microsoft patent this design language? If Microsoft didn't, I'm fine with other companies copying. But it's it's patented, I hope Google, Firefox, and Blackberry would pay for it, because designing a UI that works takes money and effort, and it would be unfair to Microsoft for competitors to easily get profit for free from something Microsoft found.

What do you think?

Discussion is locked

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I think it's a non issue.
Aug 16, 2012 3:58AM PDT

You can skin it as you like. Some forget that.
Bob

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It's not that.
Aug 16, 2012 6:46PM PDT

I understand where you're coming from, but it's not that I feel "ugh, I don't like Android looking like Windows Phone because I don't like Windows Phone." In fact I like WP. Assuming Metro UI is patented, it's simply unfair for Google and other similar companies to use someone else's work, not give him or her credit, and make money off it. If I was the Microsoft employee who created Metro UI and Google uses it without my permission, after which they get market share because of it, then they say that they having nothing to do with my design(a la Samsung vs Apple), I would definitely be ticked off.

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What about that other patent?
Aug 17, 2012 1:16AM PDT

The one about skinning the OS. I can't find it but imagine if they pressed on with that one?

For now, at least with Android you can skin it as you like. I don't know if you can with the new Windows 8 Phone.
Bob

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I am not agree.
Aug 22, 2012 7:33PM PDT

I guess saying that Android is copying UI of Windows is not fair enough with Google.
Though I agree that there are some icons which looks similar to windows phone, but that's not enough for saying that Android is copying content or UI from Microsoft.

Moreover, little bit similarity you'll find in almost all brands products the best example I could quote is Samsung and Apple.
There are many features which first Apple introduced in its iPhone and later on we found the same in Samsung Galaxy series.

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You have a point.
Aug 24, 2012 9:14PM PDT

It does seem like I'm being unfair to Google too much. It's just surprises me that Google went to a very different and very Metro-y style after Windows Phone Mango became popular through Mango. All right, I'll give Google the benefit of the doubt. But if Android starts having monochrome tiles, I'm coming back. Grin