[greeter] Unique lock screen design w/ circle gestures to unlock

[Peter Bittner]

As a Ubuntu phone user
I want the circle of the lock screen to incorporate all typical, useful features of lock screens
in a refreshing way, so that I can
- unlock the phone with a quick combination-lock-like gesture
- quickly access regularly used, favorite apps or scopes (with a gesture)
- use long-presses in addition to swype gestures for additional functionality
and maybe (optionally)
- provide a clock (and access to the clock app) in the circle
- see currently relevant information otherwise hidden in system indicators (even the music player, if I decide so)
- have an image of my loved one(s) in the circle (like a medallion on top of the wallpaper)

There should definitely be some "circle magic" (in terms of useful functionality, but also in the sense of "beauty").

The circle should be used more to give the Ubuntu phone a distinct identity, the phone should have a unique value proposition, something that the other mobile platforms *don't* do. The circle could definitely be a central differentiator.

Details
=======

There should be more that is done by the lock screen. Here are some discussions we had on the mailing list on the topic:

https://lists.launchpad.net/ubuntu-phone/msg15131.html ("Lock Screen")
https://lists.launchpad.net/ubuntu-phone/msg14913.html ("Ubuntu Touch Lock Screen Concept")
https://lists.launchpad.net/ubuntu-phone/msg14770.html ("Changing Info On The Welcome Screen")
https://lists.launchpad.net/ubuntu-phone/msg16574.html ("Circle on the lock-screen")

Design Suggestion
------------------

http://lucasromerodb.blogspot.com.ar/2013/07/ubuntu-touch-unlock-screen-concept_9.html
http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2013/07/ubuntu-touch-lock-screen-concept
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtYT8qX6TX8 (A myriad of gesture ideas!)

Implementation Suggestion
-------------------------

Technically, this lock screen could be implemented as a "scope" or "plugin" of the Greeter app given the latter is implemented as a Scopes container or similar. Please see bug 1627753 "Greeter should be a scopes app (showing specific scopes)".

[Tomas Öqvist (tomoqv)]

One simple thing that should add distinctive value, especially for us with the Bq Ubuntu case (front with hole cut out for the inner circle), is to add a clock. As it is now, I need to open the case to see what time it is, and even then it is hard to see because the indicator bar is so small.

[Peter Bittner (peter-bittner)]

Interesting idea: Think smart watch! -- What would the UI of a round Ubuntu Touch smart watch look like? I'm saying, when you reduce your phone's screen to the size of a smart watch. Probably like ... the circle lock screen? Ahhh!

What if the circle lock would look like an actual wrist watch face? Convergence down to the size of a smart watch. Be inspired by the beautiful design of Huawei smart watch. http://consumer.huawei.com/minisite/worldwide/huawei-watch/

[Peter Bittner (peter-bittner)]

I would like to take this idea further. From a developer point of view we should have all possibilities there are to plug-in into the greeter. Hence, as a developer you should be able to provide an application / plugin / addon (you name it) that provides:

- attaching background images, videos, animations to the greeter
- unlocking via a pin code
- unlocking via a gestures (circle, swiping, etc.)
- unlocking via fingerprint scan, iris scan, face recognition, DNA whatever (near-term sci-fi stuff)
- unlocking via remote commands and devices (e.g. via smart watch, near-field communication, etc.)
- placing emergency phone calls (included by default for regulatory reasons, obviously)
- etc.

This way the "circle design" could be totally optional, and it could be easily provided by fans of this idea in the Ubuntu community. It would also lead to a flexible, future-proof, clean design and implementation. Only the basis should be provided by "the platform", Ubuntu Touch.

All this "API stuff" is mostly technical, but UX needs to have their say too. Please, go ahead. I'd be happy to see some movement here. Cheers!

[Peter Bittner (peter-bittner)]

In the end, this idea is nothing new. Take a look at the competitors that we play catch-up with. *sigh*
How do they add app updates to the locked screen? (incoming messages and email, music being played, etc.)

There's nothing wrong with providing updates also via the greeter app, apart from the notification area. The greeter could theoretically be interfacing with the notifications. It could even be made a user choice whether to show updates in the greeter only, the notification tray, the audio tray, or all (default).

[Matthew Paul Thomas (mpt)]

These are some cool ideas. But it is not useful to propose six different features in a single bug report, because the probability that all six of them will be prioritized the same way, and implemented at the same time, by the same person, is practically nil. Please report them individually.

[Peter Bittner (peter-bittner)]

I've created bug 1627753 that covers the "API and plugins" idea. (Please cast your vote there too if you care!)

I will now update the bug description above to make it more obvious that this feature request could be implemented as a "plugin" (or "scope") described in that bug.