Matias Duarte, Android’s Director of User Experience, answers important Nexus questions

Living in this day and age definitely has its perks. Whereas 10 years ago we’d never be able to interact with engineers and designers of the products we use, these days it’s relatively easy. Take Matias Duarte, for example. Android’s Director of User Experience took to Google+ to tackle fans’ burning questions regarding the newly announced Nexus products.

One question he addressed first was about the new system button placement on Android 4.2 tablets. If you’ve noticed, Google has thrown out the old system/notification bar of older tablets and instead have incorporated a Nexus 7-like experience. This was an obvious move to keep user experience consistent when switching amongst devices, which I happen to be a fan of. Part of brand loyalty is knowing exactly what to expect no matter which device you pick up. Bravo, Google.

 
Another issue he took on may be of interest to a lot of you. Why no SD card on Nexus devices? In Matias’ own words, he addresses that below:

Everybody likes the idea of having an SD card, but in reality it’s just confusing for users. If you’re saving photos, videos or music, where does it go? Is it on your phone? Or on your card? Should there be a setting? Prompt every time? What happens to the experience when you swap out the card? It’s just too complicated.

There you have it. It’s all about streamlining the user experience and possibly making the Nexus brand more appealing to the casual crowd. Probably not the worst business decision.

source: +Matias Duarte