Android 5.1 Lollipop - Some Thoughts

I love Android Lollipop to bits. It was precisely the main reason, if not the only one, for me to choose Nexus 6, the pure Android smartphone. But as I have written several times before, it's not perfect. So here's me taking stock of the situation six months later, listing some of the major nitpickings -

Jarring Holo leftovers across the operating system - Try sharing something via Bluetooth without actually turning it on, you will be greeted with a Holo-inspired pop-up. Likewise, while adding or editing a bookmark in Chrome, viewing your sound search history, adding a word to dictionary via Google Messenger and saving or deleting notes and highlights in Google Play Books. Traces of Holo are everywhere.

Holo interface in Bluetooth (first two), Chrome and Sound Search History

The Holo-like tabs in Trusted Credentials, and the peekaboo Holo interface in Messenger and Play Books

Inconsistent Navigation Drawer - Fix this once for all Google, that's all I have to say. It's an eyesore and it's messing with my OCD, driving me nuts. Inconsistent Account Picker - Thanks to a recent YouTube app update (more on this below), the new account picker behaviour is so diametrically different, I begin to wonder if the app was developed outside of Google.

The account picker that gets triggered from the Navigation Drawer in YouTube (right) vs. the general
behaviour (leftmost). In the middle is the account picker before the latest YouTube update.

Inconsistent Share Sheet Menu - Google is introducing a new, simpler share sheet menu with Android M, so I am going to reserve my comments on this one for now.

Botched YouTube Update - So let's talk about the updated YouTube app for Android. Was this new interface redesign necessary in the first place? Does the hamburgerless interface (joins the likes of Google+ to become the second app with no navigation drawer) really allow for simpler navigation? I would be inclined to say no, not because it's inconsistent, but for burying playlists (including Watch Later) down below under Account tab, making it difficult to quickly access them when you need it. Even more frustratingly, the app no longer plays any video in the background, this despite having subscribed to YouTube Music Key. (Scanning through Play Store reviews, I'm at least a little assuaged by the fact that I'm not alone in this regard!)

The new YouTube app

Some odds and ends - The non-centre aligned text in Google Settings' Connected Apps, unreadable shuffle and repeat icons in Google Play Music, and a super-long explanation about location reporting when attempting to use Google Fit app with Location History turned off. Seriously Google, you couldn't make this a hyperlink to your own help page (here, here)? Also, lest I forget, a full Material Design makeover for Hangouts, which despite all the leaks and teases seems to be an eternal wait.

The non-centre aligend text (left), the Google Fit pop-up (middle), and
the barely visible icons for shuffle and repeat in Google Play Music now vs an older version (right)

What's Fixed - The Add/Edit Contact screens, which got rid of those Holo-themed horizontal lines for a more pleasant look.