Why Android Tablet Apps?

The iPad currently accounts for 90% of the tablet market, so why bother with Android? More than 20 device manufacturers have now announced Android tablets with prices ranging from 150- 700 USD. Key devices such as the Motorola Xoom are showing top quality design, and impressive hardware specs that are opening up interesting opportunities for our customers. At Golden Gekko, we're confident of strong growth in the Android tablet market over the coming months. Being first to market with quality offerings is a key recommendation for our customers. Supporting tablets, with the correct user experience will pay dividends:

• Impressing early adopters

• Being well situated for the users who are sure to enter the market in 2011

• Increasing your chances of being featured on the Android Market – our experience shows

this can have a huge effect on download figures

Key attributes of the Android Tablet

Golden Gekko has been exploring the tablet focused version of Android (Honeycomb) since it was first released to developers. We have also been observing the adoption of the technology, reviewing apps and experimenting with different user journeys.

The key enhancements, that we see adding true value to the Android experience are:

• We can now take advantage of the extra screen real estate, showing more complex pages. A common example is combining a list view on the left, with a map or details view on the right, allowing the user to browse the items they have, without needing to switch screens.

This level of interaction is simply not possible on smaller, phone sized devices.

• A new action bar has been introduced. This is a big change in the standard Android design pattern. We're also increasingly seeing this being applied to the phone variants of the apps.

Not quite everything is transferable, but it's a slick new option.

• Drag & Drop has been added, allowing for interesting new interaction between components

• Slicker animations are possible thanks to enhanced support from Android, and typically from the enhanced power of the tablet devices. Apps are evolving to feel more interactive with ever more impressive levels of polishing touches.

• We're seeing tablets being used in different ways to our phone apps. Typically, your phone is for when you're on the go, tablets for when can take your time over a coffee or a glass of wine. This allows for more in depth user journeys and more thorough integration with Social networks.

Image: An example screen-shot, showing the split screen approach. Notice the action bar introduced at the top of the screen. The soft keys in the bottom left have replaced the hardware buttons, and rotate with the device.

Key challenges

Adapting to the tablet world requires a fundamental shift in application planning. Many people will use your app on a tablet and on their phone. Ensuring a consistent user experience, while still taking advantage of the device capabilities will be a key factor in the success of your application.

For anyone used to developing iPad apps, the extra device burden that Android brings to the table will also come as a shock. Android tablets are becoming available in all shapes and sizes, with varying screen resolution, OS level and processing power. Thoroughly testing and optimising your apps for the full range of devices is a critical pre-launch step. A few bad reviews from users experiencing bugs or crashes can have a serious impact on the long term success of your app.