Confused about the whole Samsung s4 fever

[EdwardTodorov]

Hi guys, I am new to androidcentral forum, but I am not so new to android. Before my s4 I possessed nexus 4. It will sound weird but I love TouchWiz. Here, I said it! When I had my nexus I was always in finding the best custom rom. My daily life was busy of constantly searching the best apps and roms for my phone. I am a civil engineering student and my job isn't related with android at all lol. Pure android isn't the thing which suits me, I understood that after I bought my s4.
Now, I don't feel flashing any roms, enjoying the s apps and using my phone as its supposed to be. I am more than satisfied with the TW customisation. I am curious, are there any people who are like me. Who prefer to stick to what the manufacturer had built in and take a full advantage of what they paid for. I am confused because I see a lot posts related with custom roms and mods. Are these people doing that for hobby or their job is related with programming or etc. I will appreciate any any comment on the topic. I am also curios about how people use their phone in their daily life. For example I use my phone for music, camera, planing my day, taking quick notes and sorting my shopping list, keep in touch with my close people, using social apps and etc. How about you?

 

[rdubmu]

I perfer LGs interface the most. I love how you can customize it and not have to put a new launcher or rom on it to make it look a little different.

 

[Haalcyon]

Welcome to Android Central!

I'm quite fond of TouchWiz myself. So much so, that all my Android devices are Samsung. However, different strokeez for different folkeez. Some like stock android just like some people like brussel sprouts or liver or okra.

 

[clevin]

I do, I find Google default ui mousing a lot of functions. I am also getting more worried with Google' s moves to trap users into its system and put its hands on every aspect of my Internet life.

@T-Mobile GN3

 

[ladyhaly]

I'm pretty much like you, OP. As long as I can install the apps I want and put any SIM card I want on my phone, I'm pretty satisfied. There was only one time when I rooted my phone and that was when I got a HTC ChaCha. I did it only so I could make Link2SD work on it. All my other phones are flagships and I haven't messed with their stock OS. Not even to root them.

I am a nurse. I use my phone to listen to music, for health and fitness (music therapy, running, and other exercises), photos, reading... Pretty much anything I can think of. I'd even sketch using one of those sketching apps if I could only find an S-Pen for my S4.(I'm buying the Note 4 next time for that purpose.) The only thing I don't like about Touchwiz is the lack of a search button in the app drawer. Google Search takes seconds to launch so I would prefer it if the app drawer had a search thing, like Sense.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

 

[EdwardTodorov]

I would suggest you to sort your apps alphabetically an then create folders into your app drawer. It's far more easy to find apps

 

[keyzlife]

I'm pretty much like you, OP. As long as I can install the apps I want and put any SIM card I want on my phone, I'm pretty satisfied. There was only one time when I rooted my phone and that was when I got a HTC ChaCha. I did it only so I could make Link2SD work on it. All my other phones are flagships and I haven't messed with their stock OS. Not even to root them.

I am a nurse. I use my phone to listen to music, for health and fitness (music therapy, running, and other exercises), photos, reading... Pretty much anything I can think of. I'd even sketch using one of those sketching apps if I could only find an S-Pen for my S4.(I'm buying the Note 4 next time for that purpose.) The only thing I don't like about Touchwiz is the lack of a search button in the app drawer. Google Search takes seconds to launch so I would prefer it if the app drawer had a search thing, like Sense.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

If you press the menu soft key from the home screen, you can access the search feature.

Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Samsung Galaxy ? S4 using Tapatalk Pro

 

[shanghaichica]

Welcome to Android Central!

I'm quite fond of TouchWiz myself. So much so, that all my Android devices are Samsung. However, different strokeez for different folkeez. Some like stock android just like some people like brussel sprouts or liver or okra.

I am the same . I like touchwiz and all my android devices are Samsung. I had an original nexus 7 at one point but couldn't get into stock android so got rid of it.

Posted from my Galaxy Tab 2 10.1

 

[salutcemoi]

Recently got my S4

When I had the HTC One S, I rooted it and flashed the latest and greatest AOSP roms; then I got bored with AOSP and the last few ROMS I played with were Sense based ... more features that's for sure

I thought I would root my S4 and flash the hell out of it - since rooting Samsung phones and flashing ROMS is easier vs HTC (I have the Canadian S4 which has an unlocked bootloader) - but I'm pretty satisfied with it unrooted/stock

Once in a while I switch to Nova Launcher or change the system font, but that's about it

 

[EdwardTodorov]

I have to say honestly that i never thought, Samsung is the best smartphone manufacturer out there. I was always finding their phones so confusing. So many models they have on the market. But oh god, the GALAXY line, its just perfect. Think about it. Okey nexus 5 costs around 350$, its 7-8 months newer than the galaxy, but when you think more, Samsung is offering you the whole package, not only a hardware. Its offers you and unique experience with your device. How many people here are developers and their work is related with programming, a few maybe ! The whole TouchWiz UI is so well build and without any bugs. The comes with preloaded apps, yes and what ? Most of them are fully functional and useful. That way you wont need to search for apps in the play store and doubt on which one to pick, am I right ?

 

[EdwardTodorov]

Samsung doesnt offer only a pure hardware, they offer much more. Their sofware is one of the most pricey things in your phone. Which other one has so many useful build in apps. You dont need to search the whole play store and wonder which app to pick.Instead, Samsung did that for you and you can just enjoy your phone ! Thats what i like most.

 

[Tsepz_GP]

I thoroughly enjoy using TouchWiz. I came to Samsung in 2011, when I was upgrading from my SE Xperia X10, I had had enough of SE/Sony's update policy, had tried all kinds of crazy custom ROMs and mods and was just frustrated, then I got a GS2 and never looked back. I tried one custom ROM on my S2, Slim Bean, but I missed TW so much, and I've been happy with TW ever since.

I like what Samsung have done with Android in TW, from Multi view multitasking, multi item clipboard, the productivity S Apps e.g. S Memo, the, the large amount of Video codecs they throw in for the video player, the TW Music Player etc...

I use my GS4 for the same things as OP, from keeping in-touch with family and friends, social media, listening to music taking notes, web browsing, taking pics, viewing documents, Emails, grocery list, even use the IR Blaster when I lose my remotes or just too lazy to get up and get them as my phone is always near me.

 

[ladyhaly]

If you press the menu soft key from the home screen, you can access the search feature.

Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Samsung Galaxy ? S4 using Tapatalk Pro

Still launches Google Search which takes around 5 seconds or so, depending on my network connection. Most of the time when connected to my carrier, it takes around 10 seconds or more. Still inconvenient for me.

I managed to get around this by dedicating one of my homescreen panels to organized folders of my most used and recently installed apps.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

 

[coinmanmat]

Ive used every generation of the Galaxy S. I guess you could say im a fan of Samsung because I really do love their products. As for TouchWiz and the Galaxy S4 I think Samsung went just a tad bit overboard with software features.

Im using a Galaxy S4 (GT-I9500) as my current device and I love the phone. It does everything I need it to do and more of course. Since the S4 was announced I have always thought all of those "air" gestures and features were gimicky and they can at times seem half-baked and impractical. So I dont use them, I have no problem at all using my S4 like I would any normal phone so I never see the need to use the "air" features. I think the only feature I actually use is multi - window because it can be quite useful at times.

Overall I am happy with the device and I really dont have any major complaints against it. I am looking forward to seeing what Samsung does with the next generation Galaxy S device. I hope that they put less of an emphasis on jamimg the device with as much software and features they can and more of an emphasis on improving the features they already have.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[garublador]

For example I use my phone for music, camera, planing my day, taking quick notes and sorting my shopping list, keep in touch with my close people, using social apps and etc. How about you?

That's pretty much exactly how I use my phone as well. I use Nova launcher to make the phone look how I want and Tasker and several plug-ins to make it work how I want, but I haven't found any need to root or change ROM's. The whole point of Android is to be customizable on several different levels, so whether or not it's "pure" doesn't really matter to me. They purposefully designed it so that things could be added and changed, so when someone add or changes things I consider that to be as "pure" of a use of Android as what you see on a Nexus device. Different Nexus devices even have different versions of Android on them, so there isn't really a "pure" version, anyway.

 

[GrooveRite]

I've been using Samsung phones since this.....

......Bonus points if you can remember the model number!!

 

[DaMaRa1109]

My biggest gripe with TW is the little hiccups and stutters through out the UI. Granted they have gotten much better , smoother , faster. Also I think Samsung is due for a icon / ui refresh. A little flatter icons a little too cartoonish for me . But for the most part I like Tw and all the custom software. Better to have options then to not !

Oh and the gallery needs to be simplified it's awful

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Cowboy8467]

Ha ha I had that one, wasn't it the A-900?

 

[ladyhaly]

Ive used every generation of the Galaxy S. I guess you could say im a fan of Samsung because I really do love their products. As for TouchWiz and the Galaxy S4 I think Samsung went just a tad bit overboard with software features.

Im using a Galaxy S4 (GT-I9500) as my current device and I love the phone. It does everything I need it to do and more of course. Since the S4 was announced I have always thought all of those "air" gestures and features were gimicky and they can at times seem half-baked and impractical. So I dont use them, I have no problem at all using my S4 like I would any normal phone so I never see the need to use the "air" features. I think the only feature I actually use is multi - window because it can be quite useful at times.

Overall I am happy with the device and I really dont have any major complaints against it. I am looking forward to seeing what Samsung does with the next generation Galaxy S device. I hope that they put less of an emphasis on jamimg the device with as much software and features they can and more of an emphasis on improving the features they already have.

Posted via Android Central App

Indeed. I never even actually bothered trying out the Air Gestures feature... It's convenient that the options are there but they are not necessary to me. What pulled me to the S4 at the time was actually SmartStay since I do a lot of reading the the option to crank the screen sensitivity up if you were using gloves. The removable battery as well and the AMOLED screen. And multitasking. I've had HTCs during the previous years and have been pretty happy with them but I just wanted something new... And HTC quite disappointed me with how the One X handled multitasking. It was aggressively turning things off if I so much as switched to another app, unless the app had an ongoing notification to prioritize it and keep it going. I multitask a lot, switching from one app to the next, listening to binaurals such as with Natura Sound Therapy, with up to 4 or 5 apps at a time and I didn't like it. So... For a change I went with the S4. The only disappointment I have had is with the battery defect issue, since I was one of the affected. I had to bother going to Manila to buy a new battery and it was hard finding one since everyone was out of stock. Other than that, everything is great and is working as it should.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

 

[Algus]

If Samsung ever unlocks wallpaper scroll, I won't have to bother with Nova anymore.

Glad you guys are so happy with what Samsung delivers out of the box but installing custom ROMs and launchers aren't all about getting away from what Samsung delivers. Enabling root offers some very useful functions, particularly for power users. I still use a lot of Samsung software on my Note 3 and consider it an important part of the experience. There is some third party software I use though and that probably won't change now since I've been buying content elsewhere.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4