HTC One Google Edition Pros/Cons/Thoughts Discussion

[Ry]

Comes down to what you want in your device. Do you want a bloated, carrier controlled version or a stripped down non branded version?

Me I run a Nexus and when people ask me why, I answer because I like the easy unlock/root/flash and enjoy. I can add much of the same goods piece by piece as a branded device running whatever skinned UI.

I think the same kind of applies here with these Google Edition devices, my only concern still is unlike the Nexus line there is no guarantee that there will be true AOSP support or even official factory images released.

Seems the whole "carrier controlled" piece is mainly a US issue though.

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[Aquila]

Exactly. People are never satisfied. They hate touchwiz or sense but want stock android to include some features of either. Well duh. This is why Samsung and HTC feel the need to improve on android. You can't come on here talking about how much you hate the skins but want certain features on stock. It's obvious that sense and touchwiz improves android in a lot of ways for most users and it's funny how geeks won't admit it yet clamour for features.

Stock android ain't all that great.

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Why can't we ask them to develop the features outside of a separate UI? I don't understand why we think of them as the same thing. There may be an argument that it's more efficient to run those things if they're directly supported by additional or modified code, but I have a hard time believing that it's impossible to distinguish.

 

[Paul627g]

Seems the whole "carrier controlled" piece is mainly a US issue though.

True.

 

[omniusovermind]

Exactly. People are never satisfied. They hate touchwiz or sense but want stock android to include some features of either. Well duh. This is why Samsung and HTC feel the need to improve on android. You can't come on here talking about how much you hate the skins but want certain features on stock. It's obvious that sense and touchwiz improves android in a lot of ways for most users and it's funny how geeks won't admit it yet clamour for features.

Stock android ain't all that great.

Sent from my HTC One using Android Central Forums

Count me as separate from that category you lumped people into. Yes I prefer stock. I love being able to enjoy total freedom from carriers like iPhones do. Yes I also dislike the glitches that come along with skinned androids. Yes I'm tired of having to turn to ROMs.

But no I DON'T clamor for skinned android features. I think you're missing the point. I don't care if zoes or beats is on the next Nexus 5 because the hardware was never built for it in the first place. The HTC One hardware is built for it so for that phone specifically here's one of two things I would call the optimal solution:

a) design the HTC One GE with a standard camera instead of the existing one which was designed around Sense 5 or,

b) make the software for the existing hardware available as a separate installable download

 

[PhyscoAssassinX]

And then it costs regular/full price, giving complainers more to complain about.

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But Lets be honest here, most people who care about a pure google experiance are smart phone junkies, i have friends who have a S3 and dont even relize that they have a skin over android. As far as pricing goes, i would've payed full price for the one just so i wouldnt have to extend my contract with sprint but i just couldnt see much of a selling point coming from my Evo Lte but thats IMO

 

[Farish]

I like these, not for the devices, but for the trend it seems to be uncovering. I still dream of a day where Samsung creates is features as apps, that can be an appeal to buy their hardware, but not require a completely different UI in the form of TouchWiz or Sense to function. If the skins would be skins (themes or launchers) and allow consumers full choice in how they use their device. Sell it with the Sense launcher enabled and defaulted out of the box, but leave AOSP underneath with full functionality due to the features being apps for those that want it to find and enjoy.

The problem with the instant Samsung does this, they will start losing all brand differentiation. The modified apks would show up online and now other phone makers could have the touchwiz experience.

 

[omniusovermind]

The problem with the instant Samsung does this, they will start losing all brand differentiation. The modified apks would show up online and now other phone makers could have the touchwiz experience.

That's an excellent point because the OEM's will never go for that. I saw another comment/suggestion as an alternative that I found interesting: Provide an option to switch between using the skin UI and Stock UI. I say "interesting" in a casual kind of way because that's also something the OEM's would never go for because it wouldn't be something they'd dedicate the resources required to do so.

I find Jerry's take on this pretty close to how I feel about it:

100% agreed. These "Nexus experience" devices have zero appeal to me. If I want a plain Google Android Nexus Experience, I'll get a Nexus that Google updates directly. I like my HTC One just the way it is

I agree with this because I feel there's simply too much shoe-horning that needs to be done in order to match a phone who's hardware is specifically designed around their skins to make it worthwhile on stock Android. Nexus phone hardware is specifically made to run stock, but the hardware on these GE phones is originally specifically made to run their modified versions of Android. The deal breaker for me for the S4 and One phones boiled down to buttons. I prefer the standard back-home-multitasking button layout the most for jellybean. That basically leaves the Xperia phones as matching my preference, but they didn't put the newer chips in those so that was also a no-go (not worth my while to switch from a N4 to an Xperia just for a 0.3" larger screen and LTE). Now my future upgrade resides in what either Motorola comes out with or the Nexus 5.

 

[scorpiodsu]

Why can't we ask them to develop the features outside of a separate UI? I don't understand why we think of them as the same thing. There may be an argument that it's more efficient to run those things if they're directly supported by additional or modified code, but I have a hard time believing that it's impossible to distinguish.

We can but that's why HTC has sense and Samsung has touchwiz. Google is clearly not interested in those things. If they were then the stock apps would be better. They just want you to use their device and services and let you find the apps from someone else.

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[scorpiodsu]

Count me as separate from that category you lumped people into. Yes I prefer stock. I love being able to enjoy total freedom from carriers like iPhones do. Yes I also dislike the glitches that come along with skinned androids. Yes I'm tired of having to turn to ROMs.

But no I DON'T clamor for skinned android features. I think you're missing the point. I don't care if zoes or beats is on the next Nexus 5 because the hardware was never built for it in the first place. The HTC One hardware is built for it so for that phone specifically here's one of two things I would call the optimal solution:

a) design the HTC One GE with a standard camera instead of the existing one which was designed around Sense 5 or,

b) make the software for the existing hardware available as a separate installable download

I agree with you last point. I wish that it was possible during setup you could select plain stock or sense and then the phone would load accordingly.

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[return_0]

A response to the "why can't you just root the regular version?" argument:

Yes, this is somewhat valid, but remember two things:

• Rooting a smartphone voids its warranty. With the GE and Nexus phones you can have AOSP with a warranty.
• Yes, you will get faster updates with a rooted skinned phone than with an unrooted one, but you still will not get updates as fast as GE or Nexus phones.

 

[scorpiodsu]

But Lets be honest here, most people who care about a pure google experiance are smart phone junkies, i have friends who have a S3 and dont even relize that they have a skin over android. As far as pricing goes, i would've payed full price for the one just so i wouldnt have to extend my contract with sprint but i just couldnt see much of a selling point coming from my Evo Lte but thats IMO

Agreed. I went in the att store the other day to pick up another One. The rep assumed I was upgrading. I told him no, buying full price. I said to him "you guys must rarely get people that come in and pay full price for a phone because yall assume I'm upgrading". He said "almost never". I know he was probably exaggeratting but general consumers definitely don't care to drop 600 on a phone.

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[Ry]

True.

While people want to spin TouchWiz and Sense as carrier-mandated interfaces, the reality is Samsung and HTC want them (probably more) than carriers. Samsung wants people to buy a Samsung phone.

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[Farish]

While people want to spin TouchWiz and Sense as carrier-mandated interfaces, the reality is Samsung and HTC want them (probably more) than carriers. Samsung wants people to buy a Samsung phone.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Android Central Forums

Carriers don't care about interfaces, they only care about how much of their own branding they can get on the phone or the apps they get pushed to market. You bet that on the Verizon version of the S4, the only reason why all those Amazon apps are on there is because Verizon is getting paid for every install.

 

[Paul627g]

I agree completely. Carriers have nothing to do with the UI skins. That is all on the OEM, BUT carriers " at least in USA/Canada " do dictate how long it takes to get an OEM approved update out to us. They do their own internal testing, add their bloat and in some situations they mess it up ! LOL.

 

[CSI Guy]

I would consider this phone only if it came in 32 gig version. I love my current One.

 

[omniusovermind]

While people want to spin TouchWiz and Sense as carrier-mandated interfaces, the reality is Samsung and HTC want them (probably more) than carriers. Samsung wants people to buy a Samsung phone.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Android Central Forums

It's not that they're carrier mandated, it's simply that OEM phones still need to pass through carriers for updates, and OEM phones until now all also happen to be skinned

 

[Ry]

I agree completely. Carriers have nothing to do with the UI skins. That is all on the OEM, BUT carriers " at least in USA/Canada " do dictate how long it takes to get an OEM approved update out to us. They do their own internal testing, add their bloat and in some situations they mess it up ! LOL.

Not all the carrier's fault though. The OEM has to assign resources to develop and test that the Android framework update doesn't break any of their enhancements too.

 

[Ry]

Carriers don't care about interfaces, they only care about how much of their own branding they can get on the phone or the apps they get pushed to market. You bet that on the Verizon version of the S4, the only reason why all those Amazon apps are on there is because Verizon is getting paid for every install.

Carriers somewhat care about the OEM's interfaces. It's another differentiator between the many Android phones on the shelves.

 

[Farish]

Carriers somewhat care about the OEM's interfaces. It's another differentiator between the many Android phones on the shelves.

They don't really get much into the skinning of it though, which was my point. Verizon and ATT S4 is a good example of this. The skin didn't change, but certain features did, such as Blocking mode or calling Easy mode, Starter Mode on Verizon.

I was hoping when Apple had bullied the carriers to accept more of unified standard and them controlling the updates, other manufacturers would do the same. Apple is becoming more and more the exception and I wish what they did was the rule.

 

[Ry]

They don't really get much into the skinning of it though, which was my point. Verizon and ATT S4 is a good example of this. The skin didn't change, but certain features did, such as Blocking mode or calling Easy mode, Starter Mode on Verizon.

I was hoping when Apple had bullied the carriers to accept more of unified standard and them controlling the updates, other manufacturers would do the same. Apple is becoming more and more the exception and I wish what they did was the rule.

My point is that carriers want TouchWiz and Sense just as much as Samsung and HTC want TouchWiz and Sense. Carriers aren't the sole reason why TouchWiz exists. And because TouchWiz exists, updates won't come immediately like Nexus devices.

And with Google updating a lot of beind the scenes stuff without updating Android, system updates just aren't as important when it comes down to features.