[no_more_death]

Android innovates on connections between apps more than the interface design itself. For the most part, the interface design is simply a modified desktop approach.

However, I would note that Google changed the old search button into a "swipe up from bottom" approach for Android 4.1. This brings up Google Now + voice search. So there is some "swipe from edge" functionality.

For Ubuntu Phone, the functions of the different edges will take getting used to. Of course, power users will eat it up.