I think there are a few considerations. First - this is a Garage project, so it's (probably) not being directed by the marketing team. Instead, it's some engineers seeing what's possible Second - it has to feel normal to the Android Users that try it. If it changes what they are used to, they might be put off.
But I agree that it would be interesting to see a Modern UI launcher. I actually rearranged the screens to be a bit more like Windows Phone - swipe left brings up the app list. Swipe right to return to widgets. Another swipe right will bring up "recent" stuff, which isn't on Windows Phone 8 - but there were design concepts and suggestions like that, as alternatives to swiping from the top to bring down the notification tray.
The last time I used Android (around 2011, in the Gingerbread days), there were a few home screen replacements that took heavy inspiration from WP7/8. They didn't fit in with the system as a whole, which was saying something considering how fragmented the UX was in Android (pre-Material) at the time.
Good software should be part of a cohesive whole and maintain the system UX whenever possible, not bring it's own paradigm that overrides it's host.
That said, I'd love it someone tried to revive the ideas behind SlideScreen[0]. Instead of a focus on surfacing apps, the home screen instead focuses on surfacing information (in more of a pull style vs push notifications) and letting the user go from there.
Comments
I think there are a few considerations. First - this is a Garage project, so it's (probably) not being directed by the marketing team. Instead, it's some engineers seeing what's possible Second - it has to feel normal to the Android Users that try it. If it changes what they are used to, they might be put off.
But I agree that it would be interesting to see a Modern UI launcher. I actually rearranged the screens to be a bit more like Windows Phone - swipe left brings up the app list. Swipe right to return to widgets. Another swipe right will bring up "recent" stuff, which isn't on Windows Phone 8 - but there were design concepts and suggestions like that, as alternatives to swiping from the top to bring down the notification tray.
The last time I used Android (around 2011, in the Gingerbread days), there were a few home screen replacements that took heavy inspiration from WP7/8. They didn't fit in with the system as a whole, which was saying something considering how fragmented the UX was in Android (pre-Material) at the time.
Good software should be part of a cohesive whole and maintain the system UX whenever possible, not bring it's own paradigm that overrides it's host.
That said, I'd love it someone tried to revive the ideas behind SlideScreen[0]. Instead of a focus on surfacing apps, the home screen instead focuses on surfacing information (in more of a pull style vs push notifications) and letting the user go from there.
[0] http://slidescreenhome.com/