Resolved If more Android Phones...

[pdqgp]

If more Android phones ran stock Android without manufacturer/carrier skins/bloat do you think Android would dominate the market?

Not any more than they already are. I have a Note 3 and have just replaced using Samsung's TW with Nova Launcher and have entered the developers tool menu to turn off animations. The other bloat that is either running or installed makes no difference to me as I don't notice them and certainly don't use them.

 

[UncleSchnitty]

But you do realize you might be in the minority. Most buy their phones (Nexus 7 is not a phone) based on the features it has to other that differentiate it form any other product. there are several phones that meet your criteria. The Nexus 5, Moto X, HTC M8 Google Play edition, Moto G....just to name a few. Want you want already exists......

I do, all i wanted was to stir up a discussion on what people thought. Im not saying "Im right everyone who doesn't think so is wrong" if thats what I really thought I honestly wouldn't have a reason to post anything. I was mainly interested because I do love a lot of different manufacturers devices however I do not like the skinned androids out there and a main reason is they either update extremely late or just never at all because instead of supporting the device they just come out with a new one and drop the old. So with stock android people would have devices that stay current and more secure longer. IMO

 

[khha4113]

Thats extremely weird preference. You're honestly the first person ever who I hear telling that he prefers TouchWiz.

Honestly... Stock Android and iOS are the best operating platforms available out there for mobile devices. If every Android phone would run stock Android out of the box I'd be extremely happy. Happy about the fact that I wouldn't have to root my phones anymore and flash GPE/stock Android rom to them.

My HTC One M8 turned out to be far better experience with stock Android on it compared to Sense 6. Thought Sense 6 wasn't that bad. Especially if you compare to TouchWiz.

Nothing wrong with your opinion thought. Just feels extremely weird to me.

You do know Samsung is the one that sells most android phones (about 65% of global android marketshare), right? They must have done something right with TW or they wouldn't have sold millions of them. OTH, how many Nexus phones were sold compared to Galaxy lines?

 

[Dontazemebro]

Lol I prefer touchwiz over stock Android and I've been using android since the very beginning. It all comes down to choice. If everything was stock Android, that would defeat the purpose of choice. Yes, you like it but you don't speak for everybody.

 

[Savor]

lol

http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS25037214

2014, Q2 - Android 84% marketshare worldwide.

I think our definitions of "dominate" must be completely different if you do not think Android is already dominating the smart phone market.[/QUOTE ^^] This.

Pre-orders don't mean squat at the overall scheme of things. Meizu MX4 also had 7M pre-orders too.

What is scary is I believe Google wants to expand their lead with Android One. Basically, $100 for emerging markets with stock Android altogether. For the next 5 billion. I wouldn't be shocked if that happens in the next five years. So yes, the OP might get his wish and cheaper too.

 

[Skylitfly]

You do know Samsung is the one that sells most android phones (about 65% of global android marketshare), right? They must have done something right with TW or they wouldn't have sold millions of them. OTH, how many Nexus phones were sold compared to Galaxy lines?

Yes but thats mostly because Samsung has pretty much just as strong brand as Apple these days. They know how to do marketing and make people to buy their products. Samsung puts enormous money to marketing.

How many Nexus 5 ads have you seen? Or HTC ads?

Also most people are ignorant. They don't care about trying out different phones. They care about the fact that they can call, msg and browse web.

Basically, they see Samsung ad, they ask their friend who owns Samsung device but doesn't have knowledge of anything else "Oh, is that a good phone?" Answer is obvious. People are easily fooled by marketing.

And I said this again. It doesn't bother me if you really like Samsung. Thats completely your business and comes down to your personal preference. But personally I have mixed feelings about that.

 

[Robstevo]

If every android did stock, but companies made custom apps etc they I would say android would be a beautiful experience.

Sadly the likes Samsung absolutely rape the android software and make it a bad experience IMO.

I'm an android guy ( although I'm moving to an iphone 6 plus, my first iphone since the iphone 4) , I have had the htc desire, gs2, gs3, note 3, htc one, nexus 5, in the last few years since the iphone 4.

And by far the worst phones I have had have been Samsung, I had the htc one and it's probably my favourite phone ever, it was beautifully manufactured , the soft ware was beautiful and buttery smooth, however the note 3 looked a a beast on paper and on video, got it and 5 months later sold it, the chrome paint was pealing off, performance got bad and no update to kik Kat even though it had been out for almost 7 months.

And that last point is the reason why I will never go back to android unless google finally fixes that problem.


Updates take far too long to roll out, and even when Samsung etc do release it, because of their contracts with carriers, it is the carries responsibility/ decision to decide when they roll out the update. So it has to go through 2 or 3 loops to get one. Major update, unlike iOS were applies presses the button and then boom most of the world gets the update there and then.

Google needs to invent a way to sort out this major problem, and they have took measures in the past like reducing the hard ware needs of android etc but that hasn't fixed a thing.

----------

You do know Samsung is the one that sells most android phones (about 65% of global android marketshare), right? They must have done something right with TW or they wouldn't have sold millions of them. OTH, how many Nexus phones were sold compared to Galaxy lines?

There marketing alone is probably in the billions, which is why Samsung sells the most, they advertise the crap out of there devices, in Australia there is not a day goes by I don't see an advert from Samsung advertising there latest and greatest, and adverts do work, so I'm not surprised they sell the most.

Lg, sony and htc have all made better software for the phones, better materials, some have better specs, but then probably spend 10 percent of the amount Samsung spends advertising.

 

[The Game 161]

Note wouldn't be what it is not stock android so I'm glad what is in place.

 

[ChazUK]

If more Android phones ran stock Android without manufacturer/carrier skins/bloat do you think Android would dominate the market?

I can't help but feel this is a little of what Android One is about (albeit an affordable release).

Stock Android, updated by Google direct from a standard hardware base.
The low-end of Android can be horrid. Look at the Galaxy Young 2.

£83.99 for this handset. http://www.handtec.co.uk/samsung-galaxy-young-2-iris-charcoal-20905.html

Looks like a horrid phone.

You then see the base Android One devices like the Karbonn Sparkle and you get far more for less and at around £65 (around £78 with UK VAT from my perspective) and the low-end should be dominated by these handsets.

Stock Android runs better on lower end devices (proven by the Moto G) so I could only think that people would be better off with a stock experience.

On the high end, it doesn't hurt to have some differentiation that HTC and Sony offer for example.

 

[Shanghaichica]

I can't help but feel this is a little of what Android One is about (albeit an affordable release).

Stock Android, updated by Google direct from a standard hardware base.
The low-end of Android can be horrid. Look at the Galaxy Young 2.

£83.99 for this handset. http://www.handtec.co.uk/samsung-galaxy-young-2-iris-charcoal-20905.html

Looks like a horrid phone.

You then see the base Android One devices like the Karbonn Sparkle and you get far more for less and at around £65 (around £78 with UK VAT from my perspective) and the low-end should be dominated by these handsets.

Stock Android runs better on lower end devices (proven by the Moto G) so I could only think that people would be better off with a stock experience.

On the high end, it doesn't hurt to have some differentiation that HTC and Sony offer for example.

The galaxy young, at least the original was a decent little phone. It was supposed to be something to keep me going for a month after my iPhone was stolen and I was supposed to upgrade to another iPhone. After that I never went back to Apple, instead upgrading to the original galaxy note. However if the same thing happened toda y I'd get a moto G as it offers the best specs at a low price.

 

[Stuntman06]

Stock Android won't make Android dominate the market even more. It's the manufacturers who are successful and use Android that make Android so dominant. Samsung has become dominant and I think it is mostly because of their marketing campaign. I remember when HTC use to do a lot of advertising in Canada. They were the biggest Android manufacturer in Canada for a little while. Then all of a sudden, their ads disappeared and I started seeing Samsung ads all over the place. It didn't take much longer after that before Samsung sales when through the roof and HTC sales went through the floor.

Having a consistent UI between phones is not a selling point. I couldn't care less if someone else's phone that I will probably never use has a UI consistent with mine. When I switch phones and switch brands, it doesn't take me long to get use to the new phone and any UI differences.

Fast updates to me are like spec wars. People want to have the highest number possible whether it is CPU speed or Android version. I've seen Nexus owners gloat about their Android version being a higher number than my Galaxy S3. As long as they fix major bugs quicky, that is all I would care about for the most part. Smartphones are very complex and already are packed with so many features that hardly anyone could make use of them all. Since I got my GS3 over 2 years ago, the only feature that really stood out to me over all of the software updates I got was project butter. I've had quite a few updates and other than project butter, I cannot recall which feature or update really made a significant difference to my phone.

I have used both Sense on an HTC Desire Z and TouchWiz on a Samsung Galaxy S3. Both skins do add some functionality that I do like. I don't know how much these skin impact performance on these phones because I don't have access to the same phone with stock in order to make a good comparison. I don't think I a skin is going to make me buy one phone over the other. Skins tend to be part of the brand image. HTC always seemed to have that large digital display clock for a while there.

At least for me, stock is probably not going to be a huge selling point. I personally don't have any issues with the Sense or TW phones I have used and actually do like some of the features in these skins. Stock will be smoother, but for my everyday use, I haven't been bothered by TW on my phone enough to want it to be smoother than it is.

 

[UncleSchnitty]

If every android did stock, but companies made custom apps etc they I would say android would be a beautiful experience.

Sadly the likes Samsung absolutely rape the android software and make it a bad experience IMO.

I'm an android guy ( although I'm moving to an iphone 6 plus, my first iphone since the iphone 4) , I have had the htc desire, gs2, gs3, note 3, htc one, nexus 5, in the last few years since the iphone 4.

And by far the worst phones I have had have been Samsung, I had the htc one and it's probably my favourite phone ever, it was beautifully manufactured , the soft ware was beautiful and buttery smooth, however the note 3 looked a a beast on paper and on video, got it and 5 months later sold it, the chrome paint was pealing off, performance got bad and no update to kik Kat even though it had been out for almost 7 months.

And that last point is the reason why I will never go back to android unless google finally fixes that problem.


Updates take far too long to roll out, and even when Samsung etc do release it, because of their contracts with carriers, it is the carries responsibility/ decision to decide when they roll out the update. So it has to go through 2 or 3 loops to get one. Major update, unlike iOS were applies presses the button and then boom most of the world gets the update there and then.

Google needs to invent a way to sort out this major problem, and they have took measures in the past like reducing the hard ware needs of android etc but that hasn't fixed a thing.

This is what Ive been talking about

 

[Shanghaichica]

If every android did stock, but companies made custom apps etc they I would say android would be a beautiful experience.

Sadly the likes Samsung absolutely rape the android software and make it a bad experience IMO.

I'm an android guy ( although I'm moving to an iphone 6 plus, my first iphone since the iphone 4) , I have had the htc desire, gs2, gs3, note 3, htc one, nexus 5, in the last few years since the iphone 4.

And by far the worst phones I have had have been Samsung, I had the htc one and it's probably my favourite phone ever, it was beautifully manufactured , the soft ware was beautiful and buttery smooth, however the note 3 looked a a beast on paper and on video, got it and 5 months later sold it, the chrome paint was pealing off, performance got bad and no update to kik Kat even though it had been out for almost 7 months.

And that last point is the reason why I will never go back to android unless google finally fixes that problem.


Updates take far too long to roll out, and even when Samsung etc do release it, because of their contracts with carriers, it is the carries responsibility/ decision to decide when they roll out the update. So it has to go through 2 or 3 loops to get one. Major update, unlike iOS were applies presses the button and then boom most of the world gets the update there and then.

Google needs to invent a way to sort out this major problem, and they have took measures in the past like reducing the hard ware needs of android etc but that hasn't fixed a thing.

----------



There marketing alone is probably in the billions, which is why Samsung sells the most, they advertise the crap out of there devices, in Australia there is not a day goes by I don't see an advert from Samsung advertising there latest and greatest, and adverts do work, so I'm not surprised they sell the most.

Lg, sony and htc have all made better software for the phones, better materials, some have better specs, but then probably spend 10 percent of the amount Samsung spends advertising.

Android would be boring and just like Apple if everything had to be stock. I don't know why the purists insist on imposing stock on everyone.

 

[gotluck]

Android would be boring and just like Apple if everything had to be stock. I don't know why the purists insist on imposing stock on everyone.

Well, I wish OEMS offered a stock rom too, instead of imposing their skin (and bloat) on everyone

I'm sad that really only nexus and moto offer stock, and to a lesser extent htc

still wouldn't be akin to apple, because apple locks down theming / changing launcher etc..

but i hear you, I just wish there were options.. I would much rather have quick updates than any skin features

 

[Shanghaichica]

Well, I wish OEMS offered a stock rom too, instead of imposing their skin (and bloat) on everyone

I'm sad that really only nexus and moto offer stock, and to a lesser extent htc

still wouldn't be akin to apple, because apple locks down theming / changing launcher etc..

but i hear you, I just wish there were options.. I would much rather have quick updates than any skin features

Why but just get a nexus or moto X if you want stock?

I agree about there being options. I wonder why they stopped the Google play editions. That was a win win for everyone.

 

[UncleSchnitty]

Why but just get a nexus or moto X if you want stock?

I agree about there being options. I wonder why they stopped the Google play editions. That was a win win for everyone.

In my case its because build quality, camera optics and actual processing power are much better on other devices. I would Buy the HTC One M8 in a heartbeat if it came running stock android.

 

[jamezr]

In my case its because build quality, camera optics and actual processing power are much better on other devices. I would Buy the HTC One M8 in a heartbeat if it came running stock android.

Well today is your lucky day!!! The HTC M8 does come with stock Android.
So your complaints have been answered......

https://play.google.com/store/devices/details/HTC_One_2013_Google_Play_edition?id=htc_one

 

[Technarchy]

Count me second. I also prefer TW over pure Android. I would prefer a Galaxy Note tablet over my Nexus 7, but I don't use tablets that much to justify spending that much. The S3 and S4 has been my favorite Android devices so far, and I've tried many. Although TW was far from flawless, it has improved greatly to the point that people can only complain about a debatable 2ms lag or the internal space it takes up.

It takes about 20-30 minutes to get Touchwiz tweaked just right, but once that is done, I personally think it's one of the more solid smartphone experiences, especially in the android sphere.

I also like the way it looks. I think most android skins, and especially raw android, look from bland to hideous.

In terms of screens and cameras, samsung is also tough to top, and I use S-Health daily.

It's for for everyone, but it's android. Buy another phone if you don't like it, but raw android is hardly some great golden ticket.

 

[UncleSchnitty]

Well today is your lucky day!!! The HTC M8 does come with stock Android.
So your complaints have been answered......

https://play.google.com/store/devices/details/HTC_One_2013_Google_Play_edition?id=htc_one

I don't know why you think Im complaining when Im really just talking about this. Im actually going to check that phone out ASAP now that I know they made the 2014 model. I just believe that manufacturers would have even more success if more followed suit and gave the option.

It seems like there are people who agree with me. I don't know why you seem to be getting bothered like this topic is the most absurd thing that could have ever been brought up.

 

[jamezr]

But you do realize you might be in the minority. Most buy their phones (Nexus 7 is not a phone) based on the features it has to other that differentiate it form any other product. there are several phones that meet your criteria. The Nexus 5, Moto X, HTC M8 Google Play edition, Moto G....just to name a few. Want you want already exists......

you are just complaining...then what you are complaining about already exists....and it has been pointed out to you several times. yet you still complain about it.

----------

I don't know why you think Im complaining when Im really just talking about this. Im actually going to check that phone out ASAP now that I know they made the 2014 model. I just believe that manufacturers would have even more success if more followed suit and gave the option.

It seems like there are people who agree with me. I don't know why you seem to be getting bothered like this topic is the most absurd thing that could have ever been brought up.

You have been given the exact product you want...yet continue to complain.........Why? I also pointed out to you that there was a HTC M8 Google Play Edition earlier in this thread.....

Quote:
Originally Posted by UncleSchnitty View Post
In my case its because build quality, camera optics and actual processing power are much better on other devices. I would Buy the HTC One M8 in a heartbeat if it came running stock android.
Well today is your lucky day!!! The HTC M8 does come with stock Android.
So your complaints have been answered......

https://play.google.com/store/device...ion?id=htc_one
__________________

EDIT updated GPE link

https://play.google.com/store/devices/collection/promotion_50000c5_partner_us

 

[UncleSchnitty]

you are just complaining...then what you are complaining about already exists....and it has been pointed out to you several times. yet you still complain about it.

----------


You have been given the exact product you want...yet continue to complain.........Why? I also pointed out to you that there was a HTC M8 Google Play Edition earlier in this thread.....

As stated before numerous times Im not complaining, Thank you for showing me a phone I would enjoy and that right now is a good option for me, and Im aware that there are others that offer the same However my original intention of this thread was to see if anyone thought it would be a good idea to have that option on most android phones.

Your post did point out that having stock android does NOT limit features on a phone so why not have the option for the customer? This is android the "open os" so why do OEMs make it so hard to put stock android on their devices?

 

[jamezr]

As stated before numerous times Im not complaining, Thank you for showing me a phone I would enjoy and that right now is a good option for me, and Im aware that there are others that offer the same However my original intention of this thread was to see if anyone thought it would be a good idea to have that option on most android phones.



Your post did point out that having stock android does NOT limit features on a phone so why not have the option for the customer? This is android the "open os" so why do OEMs make it so hard to put stock android on their devices?

So stop complaining and write letters and ask the OEMs. What you wanted already exists. You said you were going to buy it?? So go buy it..... Then we can all wait for your complaints about how featureless vanilla Android is...,

 

[gotluck]

Why but just get a nexus or moto X if you want stock?

I agree about there being options. I wonder why they stopped the Google play editions. That was a win win for everyone.

I do like the moto x and nexus, but I'm very sad the camera , sd card, removable battery, waterproof s5 seems like it will never see stock. Htc one m8 is great, but I'm sad samsung gpe seems dead. There was an article on android police today about android silver being dead too

Htc and moto hopefully will carry on

I guess I'm just sad samsung seems to be abandoning it because I really like my s4 gpe

 

[Tig Bitties]

This pretty much sums it up, and makes sense why 'Silver' isn't happening = blame the evil carriers Plus realistically it would';t sell well anyways, if the carriers were against it.

Android silver said to be on hold, its future uncertain
http://www.androidauthority.com/android-silver-on-hold-526430/

In addition, these sources claim the manufacturers were not too eager to join the program, as they would need to give concessions to Google for advertising. Googlers also believed the program would not succeed in mass markets.

This initiative would be great for the tech geeks, but the consumer wouldn’t be as enticed to patronize it. It’s not like Android One, which is expected to get huge support due to its affordable nature. All of these factors turn Android Silver into a big mass of uncertainty, but we do have the Nexus program and Android One to lean on.

 

[Robstevo]

Android would be boring and just like Apple if everything had to be stock. I don't know why the purists insist on imposing stock on everyone.

Not really because you can still customize the way it looks and acts, but the likes of samsung etc **** around with the guts of the software too much and it just decreases the performance IMO.

The best option would be to have a policy of you have android OS as the Engine, and google build a Kit for Manufactures that they can use to tweak the visual aspect. That way performance stays the same, but visuals are different. And the likes of samsung etc can simply concentrate more in releasing cool apps for there specific phones. and when google release a new OS, they simply replace the engine and all visuals stay the same. Would be really cool. But right now the updating the OS situation is simply not acceptable.