Excellent article by @globalmoxie: Designing for Touch
“Stacking controls in a touch interface should always be avoided, especially at screen bottom. Unfortunately, that means Android apps should have their controls at the top of the screen to avoid crowding the system buttons. It’s not ideal: this puts navigation outside the thumb zone, and when you tap a button, the hand covers the entire screen. But it’s better than the alternative, which invites fat-finger errors.”
“For Android, app navigation and controls should float to the top. This is the reverse of the convention for iPhone, where the Home button doesn’t create the same kind of competition as Android’s buttons. Compare the Foursquare app for Android, left, and for iPhone, to see the resulting difference.”
