OEMS are ridiculous, STOP USING SKINS

[adamvk]

One that that has always pissed me off beyond belief is the skins that manufactuers put on their Android devices. I'll never buy a Samsung product because of this. They have fantastic hardware, but the software they put on there is BUTT ugly. I don't understand why manufacturers can't just use the standard, nicely designed stock Android.

Sorry, that was just me ranting.

But, is there any indication that Ice Cream Sandwich might put an end to that? Does anyone have some insight on this?

I'd like to buy an Ice Cream Sandwich tablet. I really like the Asus Transformer Prime, but the first one had some nasty "improvements" (Like that ugly white keyboard.) The Xoom 2 seems to not stray far from the standard Honeycomb, but it's only a Tegra 2 device.

 

[AndroidSPCS]

I hear you, but there are some OEM add-ons that are pretty nice. Vanilla Android is actually pretty boring, lacking in some cool functionality.

That's the beauty of Android - you can root and put custom ROM on if you please. Manufacturers like Samsung are very developer friendly and do not try too hard to lock down the phones and prevent this from happening.

The alternatives are not much of an option. WP7 - you get the same look and feel as everyone else. iOS...yup...

Android is awesome!!

 

[chanchan05]

OEM add ons actually add more functionality. Me preferably I get a Samsung device and just skin it with a custom launcher to my liking myself. One nice thing about Samsung skinning/modifications is for example, video calling over 3G to any capable device (even an old N70 can be video called from a Sammy) out of the box. HTC phones apparently cant do this (barring XE and XL, have no idea about that) without installing an app like Skype and the receiving end must also have that same app.

Another thing is the contacts app. i very much prefer the TW contacts compared to standard Android contacts. The only thing I dont like about Samsung really is the lack of customization which can easily be solved by a third party launcher.

If you really like standard Android, you can always root and flash, as has been already mentioned by the Guide.

 

[Baldilocks]

I prefer Touchwiz 4.0 over vanilla Android. It just works better, it's smoother and there is a TON more functionality and customization options. The way Touchwiz handles the widgets, shortcuts and applications drawer are light years ahead of plain Android and better than any launcher that I have seen, AND unlike those launchers, don't kill my battery.

Besides, the GS II will outrun any other phone that's running vanilla Android.

So, I respectfully, disagree. I hope Samsung puts Touchwiz 4.5 or 5.0 over top of ICS when they release it for the GS II.

 

[chanchan05]

I prefer Touchwiz 4.0 over vanilla Android. It just works better, it's smoother and there is a TON more functionality and customization options. The way Touchwiz handles the widgets, shortcuts and applications drawer are light years ahead of plain Android and better than any launcher that I have seen, AND unlike those launchers, don't kill my battery.

Besides, the GS II will outrun any other phone that's running vanilla Android.

So, I respectfully, disagree. I hope Samsung puts Touchwiz 4.5 or 5.0 over top of ICS when they release it for the GS II.

Yep. I would really have liked TW...But I have TW3 which does not allow alphabetical arrangement of icons in the app drawer. Nor does it allow customizing the number of columns and rows in the homescreen.

 

[Baldilocks]

TouchWiz 4.0 doesn't either. But I have all my apps in my app drawer in folders. Having to scroll through a long list of app just to find the one you need is a waste of time and counter intuitive.

Makes it a lot easier to go EXACTLY where I want to go.

 

[chanchan05]

TW 3 also doesnt allow folders in app drawer (At least I cant find how). Sure wish my phone gets TW4 with update. I dont wanna flash a custom ROM coz I dont really need it.

 

[thedosbox]

I'm a fan of Sense because of the additional functionality of the keyboard, mail client, and media player over stock versions. And all with a consistent look to them.

 

[aysiu]

But I have all my apps in my app drawer in folders. Having to scroll through a long list of app just to find the one you need is a waste of time and counter intuitive.

You know you can put launchers to your favorite apps on the home screen in vanilla Android, right? You don't have to scroll through a long list of apps to find the one you need.

I have three screens (one main screen and two on the left and right) with my most commonly used app. I guarantee you it's faster for me to swipe left or right to find an app I need than to click into a folder.

 

[chanchan05]

You know you can put launchers to your favorite apps on the home screen in vanilla Android, right? You don't have to scroll through a long list of apps to find the one you need.

I have three screens (one main screen and two on the left and right) with my most commonly used app. I guarantee you it's faster for me to swipe left or right to find an app I need than to click into a folder.

We all do know that. But we also hate cluttered homescreens. Check out the homescreen show off thread and you'll see what we mean.

 

[Baldilocks]

You know you can put launchers to your favorite apps on the home screen in vanilla Android, right? You don't have to scroll through a long list of apps to find the one you need.

I have three screens (one main screen and two on the left and right) with my most commonly used app. I guarantee you it's faster for me to swipe left or right to find an app I need than to click into a folder.

I don't like putting apps all over my screen. That just looks too cluttered to me.

 

[Crashdamage]

Gimme vanilla everytime. And I shouldn't have to root to get it. OEM skins should be optional only.

 

[Shocky]

I prefer TW4 to the stock interface, it looks better and it's very fast on my SGS2.

You don't have to root to change the interface either, there are loads of launchers on the market including stock gingerbread so I don't see what your problem is.

 

[Crashdamage]

I prefer TW4 to the stock interface, it looks better and it's very fast on my SGS2.

You don't have to root to change the interface either, there are loads of launchers on the market including stock gingerbread so I don't see what your problem is.

If you like TW fine. I'm just sayin' such OEM skins should be a choice, not a requirement.

Changing launchers is ok, but does not really result in vanilla Android. OEM-modified apps like email, contacts, calenders, etc. are still there. We should be able to get real, pure vanilla Android without rooting.

 

[A.Nonymous]

As mentioned before, Vanilla is bland, boring and unappealling looking to the average consumer. OEMs skin their phones to make them look better, add functionality and appeal to more consumers.

Honestly, I find the whole debate between vanilla vs skinned very much akin to the Android vs iOS debate. iOS introduces something like pull down notifications and iOS fans crow about how awesome it is while Android users mock them since they've had the same thing for years. ICS rolls out things like the camera on the lock screen, panarama and other features in the lockscreen and a new dialer and Vanilla users go on and on about how awesome these features are while users of Sense, Motoblur and Touchwiz have had them for a long time.

 

[ashykat]

I agree that skins are annoying, but you have to remember at the same time how competitive the mobile industry is, and these skins are another way for the OEM's to differentiate themselves from each other. People love this new Sense because of the added functionality from the lock screen, which may be why they choose an HTC over a Samsung, etc.

 

[Yeahha]

I agree that skins are annoying, but you have to remember at the same time how competitive the mobile industry is, and these skins are another way for the OEM's to differentiate themselves from each other. People love this new Sense because of the added functionality from the lock screen, which may be why they choose an HTC over a Samsung, etc.

Exactly! What is going to sway the average consumer to use phone X over phone Y, it could be Touchwiz or Sense. Each OEM is given the same source to work with they must make their own unique flavor of Android to try to get the user to stick with that specific OEM the next time they upgrade.

 

[Crashdamage]

If manufacturers were really smart they'd offer a choice of vanilla or their skin so they would attract both users who prefer OEM skins AND those who don't.

 

[adamvk]

If manufacturers were really smart they'd offer a choice of vanilla or their skin so they would attract both users who prefer OEM skins AND those who don't.

Exactly. I think there should be an option to turn skins off. I don't find the vanilla android "boring." It's well designed. As a designer I need my electronics to be well designed or I go crazy. That's why after a Samsung Captivate and a Motorola Atrix I gave up and switched to an iPhone. (At the time the Nexus was offered on AT&T yet)

 

[Yeahha]

Yeah I have to agree with that. I can't stand sense so I run AOSP roms but rooting/roming isn't an option to everyone. I would still think having all the bloat from whatever UI would cause a slower phone even if it wasn't in use

 

[Shocky]

If you like TW fine. I'm just sayin' such OEM skins should be a choice, not a requirement.

Changing launchers is ok, but does not really result in vanilla Android. OEM-modified apps like email, contacts, calenders, etc. are still there. We should be able to get real, pure vanilla Android without rooting.

Pure vanilla android is over rated, thanks to Samsung the Galaxy S II has the best stock video player available, the fastest browser and a great music player.

Yes it comes with some stuff we don't need like the hubs but whats wrong with the email and calander Samsung included? they do the job nicely.

Anyway, due to a large community this is one of the easiest phones to root and customize, I know this isnt the case with all phones but with the Galaxy S range it's simple.

 

[A.Nonymous]

If manufacturers were really smart they'd offer a choice of vanilla or their skin so they would attract both users who prefer OEM skins AND those who don't.

Wouldn't work. The average user would not want Vanilla Android or phones like the Nexus line would sell like hotcakes. They'd end up putting out a phone line that no one wanted.

 

[ardchoille]

I hate manufacturer skins, here's why:

I was on the Motorola Cliq XT, I believe it ran android 1.6, and Motorola kept promising us an upgrade. And they kept promising. Then they later came back and told us that implementing their blur skin in the next android version would be too difficult and consume too much in the way of resources.. so we were stuck on android 1.6. Meanwhile, we were losing apps from the market as developers upgraded their apps and dropped support for older versions of android.

I'll never buy another Motorola phone for the simple fact that Motorola made a promise and then broke it.

 

[Saltine713]

I think that if you don't like their skin, don't buy their phone. Simple as that. No need to complain as much as I see here.

Want pure Google? Go Nexus.

I love Sense from HTC. I find that it works very well. I hate Samsung TouchWiz. Pure Google is ok, not a huge fan. Plus Launchers, rooting and ROM-ing can make it better.

 

[Yeahha]

If manufacturers were really smart they'd offer a choice of vanilla or their skin so they would attract both users who prefer OEM skins AND those who don't.

Wouldn't work. The average user would not want Vanilla Android or phones like the Nexus line would sell like hotcakes. They'd end up putting out a phone line that no one wanted.

I think this would be done by including both OEM UI and vanilla Android accessable within a phone not releasing 2 phones one skined the other not

I hate manufacturer skins, here's why:

I was on the Motorola Cliq XT, I believe it ran android 1.6, and Motorola kept promising us an upgrade. And they kept promising. Then they later came back and told us that implementing their blur skin in the next android version would be too difficult and consume too much in the way of resources.. so we were stuck on android 1.6. Meanwhile, we were losing apps from the market as developers upgraded their apps and dropped support for older versions of android.

I'll never buy another Motorola phone for the simple fact that Motorola made a promise and then broke it.

I won't buy another moto phone after having the OG droid and the D2G because of the bootloader they added to their phones although I can see moto saying they will bring an upgrade then not following thru causing some distrust between consumers and the company as well