Embed search for contacts

+1

Currently it feels like I'm battling against the phone every time I need to make a phone call. It goes like this:

* Lets say I want to call some family member. My brain tells me to open the dialer app (I'm trying to train it to want to open the contacts app instead, but somehow the dialer is more intuitive)

* Since the dialer does not allow searching for contacts inline (and I don't know the number) I now have to click the button to go to the contacts app;

* Coming into the contacts app (after waiting a while for it to open) now I have to search for the person I want to call;

* After finding the contact I now press the button next to the person's phone number hoping to (finally) start the call. However, what really happens is now I am directed back to the dialer app, now my contact's phone number is there waiting for me.

* Now I have to press the callbutton. At last the call starts!

Can this workflow be improved?

related to bug #1449691

+1

Instead of a text field, it would be more practical to search in the contacts following the groups of letters already on the digits. For example, one can search "Maria" in his contacts by typing "627" 6 for "M", 2 for "a", 7 for "r". Look at the concept I attached to this message.

Moreover, there's a crucial need to simplify the whole process of 'browsing contacts to call'.
On the dial app’s screen, I think the button to access the contacts is too small for such a wide-used function.
Maybe a gesture can replace it:
- 1-finger drag from the bottom of the screen = recent calls
- 2-fingers drag = contacts

I also don't see the usefulness of keeping 2 apps for the same functionnality: contacts and dial app…
To be efficient, one has to keep both of them in the ubuntu quick launch bar. It is a waste of space in this bar, and requires the user to think about which of them to start.

Or even better than the 2-fingers drag:
-display all the contacts in the zone I drew for the concept.
-if the user begins to scroll this zone down and did not enter any number, make it fullscreen.