My interest in this phone has dropped considerably after seeing how Samsung butchered L. Android L is going to be its biggest release, fast and beautiful. TW will make it slow, ugly and barely looking different. And on top of it Verizon will get it months later.
There will be no custom roms that are stable, even if anyone manages to get around locked bootloader.
Its a pity such great hardware will get destroyed by Samsung and Verizon's crappy software and policies.
I won't say I love TouchWiz, but it hasn't been butchered.
There was a time where TouchWiz improved stock Android. Sure, those days are over, but at least Samsung is showing that they are listening to consumer feedback.
Hardware improvements. And the software has gotten to looking better.
I understand TW isn't everyone's cup of tea, but the hate it gets is irrational. By this point in time it should be crystal clear that:
1. TouchWiz isn't going anywhere.
2. Google wants OEMs to skin Android if they choose. That's why they create design guidelines in the first place.
3. If it wasn't for Samsung, it may have taken even longer for stock Android to add quick toggles and other little improvements Android didn't initially have.
Again, I don't love TW, or any other skinned version of Android, but truth be told, they all look fine.