Help How customizable?

[rendez2k]

Hi there, currently an iPhone 4 user but on the verge (maybe tomorrow!) of buying a Galaxy S2 (or possibly a HTC Sensation). My question is, a friend showed my his old HTC today and told me how much could be customized (lock screen, icons, themes etc). It appears the Galaxy comes with Samsungs own UI overlay - how changeable is this? Is it the same as HTC? Keep in mind I know very little at the moment about Android!

 

[daz_2000]

Yep. Completely customisable.

 

[rendez2k]

Thanks - so although it comes out of the box with all the Samsung touch-UI thing, theres no reason why I can't for instance change the lock screen to make it more useful or even look more like the HTC?

 

[daz_2000]

Thanks - so although it comes out of the box with all the Samsung touch-UI thing, theres no reason why I can't for instance change the lock screen to make it more useful or even look more like the HTC?

Yeah, you can clear all the home screens you get up to 7 and can add app shortcuts, widgets folders etc.

Some apps let you do more, like there is a lock screen one. I like multicon which lets you squeeze more app shortcuts onto one screen.

You may want to try another launcher, I think launcher pro is best alterantive to touchwiz.

Just be careful with widgets that they are not effecting your battery too much.

 

[mrvirginia]

Thanks - so although it comes out of the box with all the Samsung touch-UI thing, theres no reason why I can't for instance change the lock screen to make it more useful or even look more like the HTC?

as of right now, you can only change the lock screen to a stock Android one. since the cyanogen team has one, or a few, in their hands now it's really only a matter of time before the guys who mess with MIUI get the device too. i really really loved MIUI when i had my Evo.

otherwise, everything else is extremely customizable like the above said. the dev community has really taken to this phone and i'm very happy about that

 

[daivik]

It's more customizable than HTC.

 

[brykins]

I have changed my lockscreen using WidgetLocker - now have a camera and a Spotify button on there (the two things I often want to start right from picking up the phone).

I have TouchWiz and am liking it over previous experience with HTC Sense, though I also have Zeam Launcher and LauncherPro - I can chop and change "interfaces" at will, so I'd say it's VERY changeable.

 

[xmjox]

I also know very little about Android, and have only had my phone for just under a month, but from interacting on this forum, I have learnt SO much about what you can do with the phone/OS it's incredible I never switched sooner.

WidgetLocker will let you change the lock screen, LauncherPro will let you change the UI from TouchWiz, widgets can be added to any homescreen to get twitter/facebook feeds/sports updates/news/weather/stock info etc., music and video players can be downloaded to use instead of the stock apps...the list is endless.

And the best bit? With Android, this is all LEGAL! I never jailbroke my iPhone and wouldn't want to (as I don't know what I'm doing ), but I imagine Android is like what a jailbroken iPhone is in terms of customisation.

 

[daivik]

I also know very little about Android, and have only had my phone for just under a month, but from interacting on this forum, I have learnt SO much about what you can do with the phone/OS it's incredible I never switched sooner.

WidgetLocker will let you change the lock screen, LauncherPro will let you change the UI from TouchWiz, widgets can be added to any homescreen to get twitter/facebook feeds/sports updates/news/weather/stock info etc., music and video players can be downloaded to use instead of the stock apps...the list is endless.

And the best bit? With Android, this is all LEGAL! I never jailbroke my iPhone and wouldn't want to (as I don't know what I'm doing ), but I imagine Android is like what a jailbroken iPhone is in terms of customisation.

1 MONTH! A* on knowledge!

True. But the equivalent of "jailbreaking" would be "rooting", (apart from most of the time, users desire more freedom, rather than tainting the Apple logo into a "poisoned or black apple" ) And well Google are pretty much, fine with users doing this. They don't mind, because it will only improve the overall OS. And Samsung actually encourage it! This is very bold and has only happened in the last week.

It has sent the GSII, the flagship phone, to one of the head developers of CM7. CM7 is Cyanogen Mod 7 - I don't know much, but I know it's one of the most popular UI's that people who have rooted opt for, if not the most popular!

It's very telling about the two OS's. Android enjoys the marketing and the brand name it gets from simply being Android, having UIs, being on many different phone makes and models and in the mid and high range phones. And also rooting is kinda like "hacking" the phone, yet people don't associate rooting with "hacking". Whereas on Apple...well Jailbreaking a device. Apple want that to be illegal.

SORRY. My constant Apple bashing (on numerous threads) is probably starting to get annoying. I'm gonna try and stop! Honest.

 

[xmjox]

Thanks!

Yeah, I read about Samsung sending the GS2 to Cyanogen. That's really interesting point about Google willing to work with 3rd party developers and listen to their ideas and suggestions, whereas Apple are happy for 3rd party developers to produce apps but only that fit their specification. There are pro's and con's to both sides I guess but Android is definitely more of a free market, as opposed to Apple's dictatorship.

I am a Mac user and I do love Apple, but they are definitely limiting user customisation and want everything to be done their way, which is fine in some instances, but when you see the other possibilties that are out there (especially when it comes to smartphones), it really opens your eyes.

Yeah, from what I understand, "rooting" is similar to "jailbreaking", but my point is that for the 'average' user, you don't need to root on Android to be able to get a lot of functionality that is ONLY available to jailbroken iPhones, which is great for someone like me who is tech-savvy but not tech-clever!

 

[daivik]

Thanks!

Yeah, I read about Samsung sending the GS2 to Cyanogen. That's really interesting point about Google willing to work with 3rd party developers and listen to their ideas and suggestions, whereas Apple are happy for 3rd party developers to produce apps but only that fit their specification. There are pro's and con's to both sides I guess but Android is definitely more of a free market, as opposed to Apple's dictatorship.

I am a Mac user and I do love Apple, but they are definitely limiting user customisation and want everything to be done their way, which is fine in some instances, but when you see the other possibilties that are out there (especially when it comes to smartphones), it really opens your eyes.

Yeah, from what I understand, "rooting" is similar to "jailbreaking", but my point is that for the 'average' user, you don't need to root on Android to be able to get a lot of functionality that is ONLY available to jailbroken iPhones, which is great for someone like me who is tech-savvy but not tech-clever!

Yeah. And jailbreaking. It's a nervous procedure, because you hear stories of devices being bricked, or not working. Or just getting stuck if you do it wrong. Of course the same applies for rooting, but I think, at least on Samsung, rooting doesn't void warranty.