If there is one feature that Windows Phone is known for, it would be its unique user interface which relies on tiles to provide users with information at a glance. It is pretty clever, unique, and actually pretty neat in terms of layout.In fact Nokia’s X series of Android handsets appear to be running a forked version of Android that sports a Metro-ish UI, but interestingly enough it seems that Nokia does not want Android developers to copy that layout, which we guess is to help reduce confusion between Android and Windows Phone for the less tech savvy out there.
This is according to the Nokia Developer page which has laid out some guidelines for developers looking to create apps for their Nokia X handsets. One of the guidelines reads, “Do not mimic different platforms. People are not used to the interaction paradigms of the other platform; for example, they might consider the Windows Phone panoramic view as uneffective since it does not work satisfyingly in landscape orientation.”
Other guidelines includes asking developers to keep their apps small, preferably under 512MB in the event that it takes up too much storage on the phone, or that its download might be interrupted if the connection is bad or unstable.
Nokia also provides a link to “Android Style” which is basically a link to Google’s own Android Developer page which provides tips on designing for Android. Google has also put in their own guidelines a “warning” not to mimic UI elements from other platforms as well. Perhaps it could be a legal thing to avoid getting sued?
Filed in . Read more about Android, Apps, Nokia and Windows Phone.