Google Nexus 6 What's the difference between skinned vs. stock Android?

[Bigballer]

re: What's the difference between skinned vs. stock Android?

I can never recommend an android phone with a skin.

It's simply nexus, GPE, moto, or oneplus. But never ever a skin. Bogs down the phone wayyy too much

 

[clevin]

re: What's the difference between skinned vs. stock Android?

When the NSA is connecting to the phone all the time, it generates hella wakelocks.

2300 mah, dude.

Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk

It doesn't take a genius to understand all the fancy features of Google Launcher rely on background network activities, and guess what, it uses battery to do those things.

Try saying "okay Google" with no data and see what you get.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[ffejjj]

Well I've come from a long line of htc phones and Sense is very neat so to speak. I never had a camera complaint while owning one

Then I got the G3

The LG skin or user interface has been updated with the G3 and it's really a pleasant experience. I do use a launcher atop the skin like many others as well, Adw launcher Ex. http://adwthings.com/launcher/

The skin is still present most noticeably in areas like the notification panel, dialer, messaging app... The launcher just allows more modifying (to of the iceberg here). On top of all that I'm rooted with Xposed module which is a whole other topic. Off track now

Back to the G3 itself

Camera is top notch and out performs the Htc One in light and low light situations.

Speaker is among the loudest on a cell phone with good quality. The M8 has better quality but not as loud

Screen is a toss up, I like them both

I've had no issues with the build quality of my G3, rather fond of it actually but htc's have been the most durable phones I have personally used.

Anyway I went with the G3 and love it

Posted via Android Central App

 

[rrballer11]

re: What's the difference between skinned vs. stock Android?

I'm an iPhone user, since the iPhone 2, and I'm going to jump to Android for my upcoming purchase (contract ends October 2nd). I've been doing a ton of research and I'm getting more confused as I go. At first I had narrowed it down to the S5, G3, or M8, but I kept reading gripes about the (respectively) Samsung, LG and HTC skins and kept reading platitudes about "stock Android", which raises the possibility that I would include Moto X and Nexus 6 (if it's happening) into my consideration.



Questions:
1. How annoying are the skins, really to a non-power user (keeping in mind that I'm coming from iOS)?
2. How likely is the release of the (consensus "stock Android" superstar) Nexus 6 in 2014?
3. If you're me, coming from iOS, with a perfectly usable iPhone 5 and a contract up in October, do you jump in one of the flagships (S5, G3, M8) or hold out for the next Nexus (or the Moto X? or something else?)?

Thanks in advance!

Andy

Alot of Iphones users talk trash about andriods, but most have never used a "stock Android", Stock is the way to go unless you like samsungs layout or lets say LG's or maybe you love their phones?

For example: Nexus line is like saying the Iphone line, direct updates/support from Google and NO skins 100% stock.

 

[Ry]

Re: What's the difference between skinned vs. stock Android?

More than a skin though.

 

[LeoRex]

Re: What's the difference between skinned vs. stock Android?

Calling them skins is misleading. OEM builds replace a significant amount of Android code with their own stuff... Hundreds of megabytes worth.

Sense, Touchwiz and Optimus all are completely different versions of Android, not just themes, widgets and launchers.

 

[Vic Rivera]

Re: What's the difference between skinned vs. stock Android?

So, I'm getting the consensus is no skin gives you a better android experience on all aspects of the phone.

Am I in the ballpark?

Phone junkie

 

[GSOAT]

Re: What's the difference between skinned vs. stock Android?

I'm the one who started this thread, so I still haven't navigated an Android phone, let alone a stock Android device and a device with a skin, but it sounds like the answer to your question is "it depends on what you value in your 'phone experience'". Are you a minimalist? Do you value a seamless operating system (as opposed to having apps take a bit longer to load)? If you answered yes to those questions, then stock Android sounds like your thing. Conversely, if you prefer something with more ornament, something arguably better looking (i.e. if you aren't a minimalist), with some standard widgets, maybe you would prefer skins. I think the people on this forum are pretty experienced with Android, and like most people like that, they prefer the bare bones stock Android experience, so there seems to be a bias on that side (in this forum), which may downplay the benefits of the skins (although everyone seems to universally hate the Samsung skin).

Coming from an iPhone myself, I expect to go with either the Nexus or the Moto X for more or less the stock Android experience. iPhones are pretty minimalist phones in my opinion, to this will probably be an easier transition for me.

 

[LeoRex]

Re: What's the difference between skinned vs. stock Android?

So, I'm getting the consensus is no skin gives you a better android experience on all aspects of the phone.

Well, it is certainly the most refined experience. I've run phones that run the gamut, from the heaviest (SIII) to the lightest (Nexus). I can tell you that the closest a phone gets to AOSP (Android Open Source Project, the base for all Android phones), smoother, more responsive, and cleaner looking it'll be. But there are some benefits. I moved from a Nexus 5 to a LG G3 and I'm quite satisfied with my decision, even though I do miss the smoothness and fluidity of the Nexus 5.... what I gained in the G3 more than makes up for the occasional bump.

Coming from an iPhone myself, I expect to go with either the Nexus or the Moto X for more or less the stock Android experience. iPhones are pretty minimalist phones in my opinion, to this will probably be an easier transition for me.

You'd have no issues transitioning to an HTC, Samsung, LG, Sony, etc.... All make excellent phones with great performance and great features and all will work well out of the box, whether you want to customize them heavily or not. Go to a store than has several on display and play with them.... the differences aren't as huge as they are made out to be... their steering wheel, gas and brakes are in the same spot. The Nexus line is typically the gold standard when it comes to Android, but the OEMs certainly all hold their own.

 

[Robbie317]

Re: What's the difference between skinned vs. stock Android?

Skins seem to eat up a bunch of the phones available (or lack of) Memory...

 

[LeoRex]

Re: What's the difference between skinned vs. stock Android?

Skins seem to eat up a bunch of the phones available (or lack of) Memory...

They most certainly do... I'm not referring to the bloatware apps that OEMs and carriers add. I'm talking about framework changes..... all that stuff has to get loaded into memory and it does take its toll on certain functions. Task switching for instance. The more memory you have available outside of the base OS, the more apps Android can keep in memory, the quicker you can switch.

Which is a shame. The whole point of KitKat was Project Svelte, streamlining Android to allow it to run better on lower-spec'd hardware and a smaller memory footprint. As much as I love my G3, LG could have done a better job of leaving Android alone. There are a couple of AOSP ROMs for the G3 in their early stages...I've loaded them to see how the progress was and although they aren't ready for a daily driver, they are FAST. Everything; opening apps, the drawer, settings, task switching.... all pretty much instant and teflon-like in movement. Once they get a few issues ironed out and a working camera, I'll probably run it for a bit.

Think about that for a second.... a couple of dudes working in their spare time can put out an OS that runs circles around the version that was developed by a multi-billion dollar company. How is that possible? Because they leave well-enough alone. OEMs don't have to go fussing around and re-inventing the wheel.

 

[Robbie317]

Re: What's the difference between skinned vs. stock Android?

They most certainly do... I'm not referring to the bloatware apps that OEMs and carriers add. I'm talking about framework changes..... all that stuff has to get loaded into memory and it does take its toll on certain functions. Task switching for instance. The more memory you have available outside of the base OS, the more apps Android can keep in memory, the quicker you can switch.

Which is a shame. The whole point of KitKat was Project Svelte, streamlining Android to allow it to run better on lower-spec'd hardware and a smaller memory footprint. As much as I love my G3, LG could have done a better job of leaving Android alone. There are a couple of AOSP ROMs for the G3 in their early stages...I've loaded them to see how the progress was and although they aren't ready for a daily driver, they are FAST. Everything; opening apps, the drawer, settings, task switching.... all pretty much instant and teflon-like in movement. Once they get a few issues ironed out and a working camera, I'll probably run it for a bit.

Think about that for a second.... a couple of dudes working in their spare time can put out an OS that runs circles around the version that was developed by a multi-billion dollar company. How is that possible? Because they leave well-enough alone. OEMs don't have to go fussing around and re-inventing the wheel.

My original EVO and my GS3 were both rooted to remove not only the bloat but the "Skinned" OEM Software.... My first Android phone was the Nexus One and I just loved so called "Vanilla" android.... so when I got my EVO I just couldn't stand the HTC Sense software and then I couldn't stand the Touchwiz software.... I skipped the Nexus 4 because it was without LTE support and was very happy to get the Nexus 5....

I have noticed they've done much better with custom ROM's these days.. I remember with my original HTC EVO you had to constantly keep up with the updates on your own and it was almost too much work....

I think I read that even though Android is "FREE" Google is starting to put more strict rules on what MFG's can and cant' do in regards to skins in the future... will be interesting to see how that works.... They do it to try and stand out vs the other MFG's... but most of it is just a gimmick.... The weather animation in sense was COOL the first 4 or 5 times you pulled it up to show people and then eventually you got tired of it (quick like I might add)

Just slowing the phone down and taking up memory....

 

[jidery]

Re: What's the difference between skinned vs. stock Android?

Stock is how Google intended it

 

[ultravisitor]

Re: What's the difference between skinned vs. stock Android?

How annoying are the skins, really to a non-power user (keeping in mind that I'm coming from iOS)?

All I have to say is I have used skinned devices. Once I tried a stock version of Android, I decided I would probably never go back to using a device that had a skinned OS.

 

[LeoRex]

Re: What's the difference between skinned vs. stock Android?

I think I read that even though Android is "FREE" Google is starting to put more strict rules on what MFG's can and cant' do in regards to skins in the future..

Yeah... it ties into Google Services.... if an OEM wants to include Google Services with their builds, which everyone does, they have to follow certain rules. I think I read that another OEM, ZTE I think, has decide to go the Moto route and tread lightly on stock Android. I'm hoping that is contagious though, since Android L looks really slick and it'd be a shame if they screw it up.

I have noticed they've done much better with custom ROMs these days.

Oh, they most certainly are. Many custom releases are starting to resemble their own forks.... with originally developed features and some slick addons and improvements... many even have automatic OTA updates. Maybe it was a coincidence, but it seems that KitKat made devs lives a little easier.... there was an explosion of cool, custom stuff once KK got released.

 

[Vic Rivera]

Re: What's the difference between skinned vs. stock Android?

So can you customize a stock android?

And what is a launcher?

Phone junkie

 

[Golfdriver97]

Re: What's the difference between skinned vs. stock Android?

So can you customize a stock android?

And what is a launcher?

Phone junkie

A launcher is like changing the interface upon which you use the device. A different launcher can add more option to customize your phone. I am not sure what you mean by customizing stock Android. Can you make an example of what you would like to see?

 

[LeoRex]

Re: What's the difference between skinned vs. stock Android?

So can you customize a stock android?

And what is a launcher?

Phone junkie

A launcher is just the program that controls how your homescreens and your app drawer look and function.... Like a window manager in linux. The underlying operating system doesn't change.

Stock android is readily customized, with the right app. Launchers are the easiest way... But there are some apps, like the Xposed Framework, that can change near everything, even low level stuff.

 

[Vic Rivera]

Re: What's the difference between skinned vs. stock Android?

So, in your opinion, what is the best stock android?

Phone junkie

 

[LeoRex]

Re: What's the difference between skinned vs. stock Android?

So, in your opinion, what is the best stock android?

Phone junkie

Well, if you consider it stock, the new Moto X... Otherwise the nexus 5.