All Android smartphones are touch-screen devices; some -- but not all -- have hardware keyboards, too. All come with a desktop that is made up of a certain number of screens (some Android phones have 3, others have 5, while still others have 7) that you can customize to your liking. You can populate screens with shortcuts to apps or widgets that display news headlines, search boxes, or more. The customization is certainly a bonus; no other smartphone platform offers as much flexibility in setting up your desktop screens to your liking.
In addition to using shortcuts on your various screens for accessing apps and files, Android also offers a comprehensive menu. You access the menu in different ways on different phones, but none of them make it difficult to find. From the menu, you can click on the small but neatly organized icons to access apps and features like the Android Market.
The Android interface will vary slightly from phone to phone, but, in general, the software itself has become more polished looking over time. The first version, which I reviewed on theT-Mobile G1 more than a year ago, was somewhat rough around the edges, appearance wise. The latest version, 2.1, which I tested on the new Nexus One, is far sleeker looking.
But even in its latest version, the Android interface lacks some of the polish and pizzazz found in two of its key rivals: Apple's iPhone OS and Palm's webOS. Both of these platforms look more elegant than Android. The iPhone OS, in particular, is a bit more intuitive to use; getting comfortable with Android can take more time and practice.
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