Coming from pure Android, will TouchWiz drive me crazy?

tx_tuff

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I have a GN (got it on release day) which is my first Android phone coming from BlackBerry. I love using Pure Android and am really used to it, and by the way have never had any problems with this phone like others have. Will TouchWiz just drive me crazy? I have tried to help some friends with their Motorolo phones and I know it is not TouchWiz but I found it weird and hard to find things with the skin overlay on the phones.

Also well Google Now be on the phone or just S Voice?

And does the camera have Photo Sphere? Haven't seen it in any videos showing the camera app.

Between the specs, screen, and battery have me so, just worried about leaving Pure Android. So would love to hear everybodies thoughts.
 

madlaw1071

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I have a GN (got it on release day) which is my first Android phone coming from BlackBerry. I love using Pure Android and am really used to it, and by the way have never had any problems with this phone like others have. Will TouchWiz just drive me crazy? I have tried to help some friends with their Motorolo phones and I know it is not TouchWiz but I found it weird and hard to find things with the skin overlay on the phones.

Also well Google Now be on the phone or just S Voice?

And does the camera have Photo Sphere? Haven't seen it in any videos showing the camera app.

Between the specs, screen, and battery have me so, just worried about leaving Pure Android. So would love to hear everybodies thoughts.

I like Touchwiz. If you don't like it, use a launcher or a ROM, problem solved.

It will have both Google Now and S Voice.

I don't believe it will have photosphere.
 

smooth4lyfe

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I like Touchwiz. If you don't like it, use a launcher or a ROM, problem solved.

It will have both Google Now and S Voice.

I don't believe it will have photosphere.

Photosphere will still be there if you use a launcher, it doesnt remove any features from the camera of the phone
 

Suda

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I can answer this one, not really. You'll notice that there's obviously more of what could be considered "bloat" compared to stock, but that's about it. But the good thing is that you don't have to use any of it if you don't want to, it can all be turned off and ignored. It's just different I'd say but not too different to where it's foreign. Really, the only true negative that could be taken away from it is getting updates through Samsung instead of Google themselves. But I'm sure that's something you've already factored in.

And yes, it has photosphere. It's instead called "360 photo".
 

tx_tuff

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I can answer this one, not really. You'll notice that there's obviously more of what could be considered "bloat" compared to stock, but that's about it. But the good thing is that you don't have to use any of it if you don't want to, it can all be turned off and ignored. It's just different I'd say but not too different to where it's foreign. Really, the only true negative that could be taken away from it is getting updates through Samsung instead of Google themselves. But I'm sure that's something you've already factored in.

And yes, it has photosphere. It's instead called "360 photo".

Yeah I'm not worried about bloat, I'm on Verizon so I know it's just part of the deal. Also being on Verizon even with the GN updates are slower. Good thing the S4 is coming with 4.2.2.
 

tx_tuff

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Forgive me for sounding stupid but I have never used another launcher. I'm guessing I can use another launcher with rooting the phone? And what exactly does the new launcher do? Does it just hide TouchWiz?
 

fivefwdgears

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This has been my same worry. I've started on WP (HTC Mogul) to my Palm Pre to my current NS4G and I LOVE stock Android. I am eligible in a week to upgrade and am probably going to jump on the S4 (too impatient to see what the Nexus or Motorola phones will be) but have been on the edge all because of TouchWiz.

My girlfriend has the S3 and I think it's okay and I guess I would just get used to it but I just love the simplicity of stock Android.
 

Suda

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Forgive me for sounding stupid but I have never used another launcher. I'm guessing I can use another launcher with rooting the phone? And what exactly does the new launcher do? Does it just hide TouchWiz?

You can download launchers from the Play Store. And yes, all it does is hide TouchWiz. You can also cover up TouchWiz and still use its features.
 

jtc276

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I have a GN (got it on release day) which is my first Android phone coming from BlackBerry. I love using Pure Android and am really used to it, and by the way have never had any problems with this phone like others have. Will TouchWiz just drive me crazy? I have tried to help some friends with their Motorolo phones and I know it is not TouchWiz but I found it weird and hard to find things with the skin overlay on the phones.

Also well Google Now be on the phone or just S Voice?

And does the camera have Photo Sphere? Haven't seen it in any videos showing the camera app.

Between the specs, screen, and battery have me so, just worried about leaving Pure Android. So would love to hear everybodies thoughts.

It definitely could drive you crazy but I've always found TouchWiz to be the least invasive of the skins in the past. I'm not sure if that will be true with the S4, but I would bet on it not being radically different. Of course it will look different, but that's another story. I currently own a Nexus 4 but I've used TouchWiz in the past and find it to be relatively smooth and intuitive.

Galaxy S devices do have Google Now along with S Voice. To get to Google Now, you hold the home button. When you do this your multitasking apps will appear (nearly identical to AOSP) and three options will also appear at the bottom of the screen. I'm not sure what the other two are, but one of them is Google Now. To use S Voice you simply double press the home button. But unless S Voice has improved any, it's nothing compared to Google Now.

I don't think the camera has photosphere but it's apparently supposed to receive an update with a feature called Samsung Orb which is essentially the same thing.

Leaving AOSP isn't that terrifying as long as you keep your Nexus device. You can always use the one that suits your needs for whatever day is ahead of you. And, eventually, there will be CM and AOKP roms available if you want an AOSP experience on the S4.
 
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LoganK

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You can download launchers from the Play Store. And yes, all it does is hide TouchWiz. You can also cover up TouchWiz and still use its features.

Just to make it explicit, you don't need to be rooted to install a new launcher. Once installed, you'll hit home, and it'll ask you what you'd like to use. It's very similar to installing a new web browser.

(In the old days, Samsung would lock users out from changing the launcher, but their policy has since changed. Hopefully due to outcry at that terrible practice.)

I personally use Apex Launcher on nearly everything as it is very close to the stock launcher, but includes an option for vertical scrolling in the application drawer. (Plus, some really nice transition effects.)
 

dak74

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I am in a very similar position to the original poster, I had a HTC Droid Incredible (the first ones with the Amoled screen), which I moved to CM7.1 after about a year or so and then had a GN from release date, so have been on stock (or CM) android for some time. I have a galaxy tab 7.7 so have some touch wiz experience, and I don't it, and I always use Nova launcher anyway, so the home screen/app drawer is not an issue.

It's more things like, for example, the phone app, the tabbed buttons at the top, you cannot swipe left/right to move between them, you must press the button, it seems, well so old school now in the ICS/Jelly Bean world.

I spent 1/2 hour in the ATT store today comparing the HTC ONE and GS4 side by side, I still love the AMOLED Screens, and this one is the best one so far, though HTC Is clear very good too, but blinkfeed aside (I will still use a launcher) the one felt a more stock like UI, the old dialer from my DINC is thankfully gone. I also think some of the settings screens look too big for this large a screen, it's like it's still designed for 480x800 screens.

My GN just feels slow compared to either of these phones, but I don't know which one will be less of a shock, coming from a nexus device in terms of the basics of the UI.
 

Parafly

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This is my #1 concern coming from stock 4.2.2 on my gnex. I really don't give a crap about any of the Samsung baked in apps at all.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
 

planoman

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It takes a while but it has some useful features. I actually like touchwiz and my Nexus 4 too. What will drive you crazy is the bloatware. Get ready for up to 15 apps etc.

Sent from my Nexus 4
 

rushmore

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Touchwiz has evolved nicely IMO and not a resource hog as in the past. What probably WILL get on some people's nerves to induce crazy is the low storage available. Less than 9.7gb free and store sales staff incorrectly telling people you can install apps to the sd card IS crazy.
 

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