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[request] [option] Show top status bar

asked 2014-12-06 14:50:20 +0200

pulsar gravatar image

updated 2014-12-06 15:02:31 +0200

I find constantly having to peek for the time, battery charge, or connection status to be the worst usability problem in sailfish.

Please provide an option to dedicate some real state at the top of the screen to always show this, as usually found in other platforms.

It would also be a good idea to also provide some quick way of switching between both modes.

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14

For me it is the exact opposite. When I really need the time I can peek it, but it doesn't clutter my screen else.

forgrimm ( 2014-12-06 15:04:49 +0200 )edit
2

That's why I said option. I would also like the extra real state if I did not need to constantly monitor status.

pulsar ( 2014-12-06 15:11:51 +0200 )edit
6

I personally think that a user should be able to modify a system to his/her pleasing and interact with it in however form he/she wishes. The problem of adding an option for everything directly to the OS is that it adds complexity to the system, it becomes harder to test and to maintain. I therefore think it would be better to add this kind of functionallity and customization through pluggins or tools like patch manager or something like the gnome tweak tool. I think Jolla should concentrate in implementing their vision, but at the same time leave a door open for users that wish to tweak the UI as they please. I know this might not he possible at the moment, since the UI is not open source, but I think that would be a more robust solution than making everything optional.

shfit ( 2014-12-06 15:27:18 +0200 )edit
3

What of that status do you monitor constantly? I check the battery usually once a day. In the evening either I load it (<35%) or go for another day (>35%). The time is going the same speed, even if don't watch it constantly. And the phone will give you popup's if you have a bad connection. For unread messages/mails there is the status led flashing. You don't even need to activate your display. I'm just curious: What do you need to monitor all the time? :)

forgrimm ( 2014-12-06 15:27:44 +0200 )edit
2

+1 For an unofficial patch manager solution. That way, everyone can come up with own solutions, that are not (yet) matching the sailfish way.

forgrimm ( 2014-12-06 15:28:49 +0200 )edit

5 Answers

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14

answered 2014-12-06 15:12:13 +0200

To elloborate a little bit more on that... Not having the status bar always visible is a key design feature of sailfish os. It's about being minimal and efficient and not about using the screen for something you need only 1/100 of your time.

Sailfish OS is unlike for sure. But that's the idea, there are lot of android phones around. Why do another copy of these? If someone likes there concept, you can buy one of these.

To your idea: A quick way to toggle both modes: This would also need some action from your side, so what is easier then in comparison to just peeking? ;-)

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1

It is the opposite of efficient for me. I would not be switching the whole time, just that if I went into some very wide webpages, I would like to boost the real state then. Now that I think of it, it should automatically hide the status bar in landscape, and show it again in portrait.

pulsar ( 2014-12-06 15:18:33 +0200 )edit

So adding a status bar would make SF an Android clone?? Is not having a status bar the main differentiator? Being "unlike" does not mean to avoid proven concepts just for the sake of being different! There should be a permanent status bar with all the vital information as longs as there is no app in the focus!

Stefanix ( 2015-01-18 22:11:52 +0200 )edit
6

answered 2014-12-06 16:51:15 +0200

r0kk3rz gravatar image

Sounds like you would be interested in Nemo Glacier when its ready for prime usage, which is exactly the point in an open system like SailfishOS.

The Jolla designers have a particular style for Silica, and are unlikely to compromise their vision or have 100 different customization options. If you don't like it, that's fine, so just like some people have a preference between Gnome and KDE (for example) you can choose the one that fits you the best.

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1

Good, but if I buy a phone it should be good enough just relying on the features provided by the vendor, and not having to hope that some freebie third party software fixes it.

pulsar ( 2014-12-06 17:04:46 +0200 )edit
3

"some freebie third party software"

you do know that SailfishOS is built upon free software right? and shares a lot of things with nemo mobile, the same guys who are writing the Glacier UI?

With other phones you are mostly stuck with whatever the vendors designers had in mind, so I don't see the Jolla Phone particularly deficient in this regard.

r0kk3rz ( 2014-12-06 17:17:29 +0200 )edit
3

I did not buy Jolla because it is based on Linux, I bought it to have a strong European platform again. While I agree that Apple does whatever the heck they want, the average person wants something that just works, they are not going to put up with uncertainty for idelogical reasons.

pulsar ( 2014-12-06 17:34:17 +0200 )edit
1

@pulsar - The current system of peeking to see status works. The status area of a Jolla phone is much larger and doesn't cram the icons tightly. The readability is wonderful.

vattuvarg ( 2014-12-07 13:39:59 +0200 )edit
1

If it worked for me I would have not asked for this.

pulsar ( 2014-12-07 13:49:48 +0200 )edit
5

answered 2014-12-06 17:12:53 +0200

vattuvarg gravatar image

The tiny indicator option
Why not have a tiny one-or-two-pixel indicator sliding on one side of the display? Not to be touched, just an indicator. A switch would decide what to monitor.

Choose among...

  • Battery level
  • Reception quality
  • Download percentage
  • Timer countdown percentage
  • More

...and that switch could be added to each ambience.

If J2 supports low power mode then the tiny indicator could be present there too.

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Only one status is not enough. And sometimes one needs to check the time very frequently. Is this just to make it different? I don't see a problem with a lack of vertical space in portrait mode, especially if it is an option. One or two horizontal pixels might be too much on the other hand, given that 9:16 screens are already too thin.

pulsar ( 2014-12-06 17:24:16 +0200 )edit

I'm talking about a tiny dot, not a line. Different colours could be used to have more than one status dot, perhaps?

vattuvarg ( 2014-12-06 17:44:24 +0200 )edit

It might be explored as a different lower priority option that some people might like, but it doesn't help in a situation where you must frequently look at the time, at a minimum.

pulsar ( 2014-12-06 19:55:46 +0200 )edit

I'm hoping to get a low power mode on an amoLED display for that. ...on both J2 and J3.

vattuvarg ( 2014-12-06 20:03:46 +0200 )edit

@pulsar, are you sure you really need "to check the time very frequently" and cannot instead just set a throwaway alarm/timer (which has a nice side effect that you don't need to look for time at all and don't need to remember the target time)?

tanriol ( 2014-12-06 20:49:02 +0200 )edit
1

answered 2014-12-07 13:22:26 +0200

sirzero1997 gravatar image

why would you want to constantly look at those status when the those pixels could be saved for something more . For instance : a larger and cleaner homescreen

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I would not look at them constantly if I did not have to.

pulsar ( 2014-12-07 13:50:57 +0200 )edit
1

I would like to add battery level and mobile connection strenght to home screen(first page you see when unlocking phone),that would be great to have them at same place where time and date and bluetooth and so on is.

sweden man ( 2014-12-07 15:10:17 +0200 )edit
1

so you're like peekin for time , battery and connection status every minute!?

sirzero1997 ( 2014-12-07 15:47:54 +0200 )edit

Time even less than that sometimes.

pulsar ( 2014-12-07 15:49:32 +0200 )edit
0

answered 2018-12-11 22:22:10 +0200

BeniS gravatar image

I started the same feature request here https://together.jolla.com/question/195579/icons-on-top/ but it was closed.

I also think that the missing notification bar is a serious usability issue in Sailfish OS. I would expect that it should be offered at least as option to be activated in the settings.

In my opinion, the most important thing is the battery indicator. If i use a messenger app this indicator would be very useful and it's simply a waste of time to need to swipe for checking battery status and therefore the need to interrupt my chats. I think it's not the aim of Sailfish OS to be so cumbersome.

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5

I disagree. What is problem to peak? It's better that it's hidden because it just saving space of screen for more content. And also looks better Imo. It's stupid to show statusbar always because it's not necessary..

Jk ( 2018-12-11 23:05:11 +0200 )edit
3

What about to let the user decide whether he wants the status bar or not? The swiping is annoying and only wasting time. With status bar the space loss is minimal and i can take always a quick look on battery status, time and cellular reception.

BeniS ( 2018-12-11 23:59:36 +0200 )edit
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Asked: 2014-12-06 14:50:20 +0200

Seen: 1,135 times

Last updated: Dec 11 '18