Google now allows users to select 'Night Mode - Blue Light Filter' to use their phones in the dark. I have no idea how useful this is, but it's there nonetheless. My existing Samsung ATIV S is a free download and works well enough in the dark, but it's still not as good as having a regular web browser on my phone. That is, if you can find a free download of the software and install it on your device. I would be interested to know what software developers consider 'free' when the only thing you get for free is a download link.
The problem is that many of these free software downloads will provide limited functionality and aren't compatible with a lot of hardware and devices. Some will allow you to use your Android phone as a cell phone with data plans. But this comes at a high price, and I would rather pay a few dollars for full functionality than a few pounds. Google has made it clear that they want people to use their internet services more than ever, but they want us to do it with applications that are free, rather than the paid versions we're accustomed to. We can all appreciate the need to change with the times, but that doesn't mean that we have to accept inferior products just because the developers do.
The truth is that a lot of free applications are outdated or unfinished by companies that don't want to spend money on their development. If Google wants to win hearts and minds in the UK market, they'll need to consider making a paid version of the Night Mode app. It would also be a great way to encourage developers to make even better applications in the future. It would be nice to see some effort in this direction and I hope the next few months will see a lot more progress being made.
