We recently discovered Google’s work on a major visual overhaul of Android. The company gives Android a new layer of paint using the expressive design language of material 3.
This overhaul implies an abusive use of blurred backgrounds, a modified rapid parameter parameter panel and many smaller adjustments. We wondered what readers thought of these changes and published a survey in our related articles. Here’s what you told us.
What do you think of the next revision of the Android user interface?
More than 7,000 votes were counted in this survey and 34.4% of studies Android authority Readers said they liked this change.
Curiously, only a few comments made these changes wholeheartedly, like that of Mosseien Awadh:
I love it! I think it looks very refreshing and modern and released catches the competition but like Google 👍
The reader Jon95Kent also declared his love for the new look:
I love it! This is the change that we have been waiting for from Android 13. Finally, AOSP and the pixels will be as polite as literally all other Android skin (and a bit like iOS also that I don’t mind at all)
User Itsjuger also had positive things to say about this overhaul:
I like most changes. I am an Android stock defender, he is clean and gives you the raw experience of Android. However, personally, I am not the biggest fan (from) the hardware user interface. I understand the lack of simplicity and minimalism, but sometimes I miss the aerodynamic theme as on Vista and Windows 7. I think it would be a good change compared to the current Android skin, but I think that their implementation can always be improved. I think it’s a good step to move forward towards a more recent and clearer user interface *.
In second place, with 26% of the votes, “Android could use a new look, but I am not convinced that that’s all.” This was followed by 20.09% of the readers interviewed saying that the overhaul was an excellent start, but that they wanted even more changes. Finally, 19.49% of the users interviewed estimated that none of these changes seemed necessary and that Google should have maintained the current design.
The biggest problems with the new Android look, according to readers
A notable design choice that has been criticized several times by users was Google’s modified cursors. The Perrigo.Michael user was one of these readers:
Hideous. Are they moving away from rounds in the shape of a rounded pill to more cursors from the early 2000s?
The Rayvenninda reader also considered that it was a step in the wrong direction:
Damn, most of these changes are ugly AF (sic). Especially these new cursors. Most do not have an advantage of use, things seem to use more space and therefore continue to move away from the accessible area. Glad I am on hyperos.
We have also seen many comments from readers who hated blurred effects, making comparisons with iOS, Windows Vista and some Chinese Android skins.
“Since when has Blur has been part of the design of materials? In particular M3? They do their own inconsistent design just to follow the trend,” wrote Ramansg.deep user.
“Please do not let it be true !! Strongly hate these modifications, in particular the fast parameters, the notification panel, the application drawer and the recent applications. All this blur is so ugly and beats the goal of the dark mode a little,” added the user Ecmerritt04.
However, some readers complimented this blurred look, so he did not receive a completely negative reaction.
Some users have challenged the new icons in the status bar, such as the Keitan92411 reader:
The change of state bar is only garbage, but everything else is good. Beautiful look, beautiful change.
It is clear that a large number of readers interviewed do not like these design changes. However, a thin majority of respondents (~ 54%) love it or think it is an excellent start.
