Samsung's UI will always be better than stock

[Almeuit]

Re: i don't understand why people like Stock Android so much?

what do you think about Google pricing? soon after few years Google will be hitting £1000 and above.

i will understand the high price if Google build they own CPU and GPU. if Google had Google store/shops in every big city. if Google give users 4 years of major updates then the high price tag makes sense.
Powerful AI.

Google software is missing themes store, (dark theme).
Google chrome is missing AD blocker, high contrast mode.
Always on display is not that customisable.
don't understand why Google didn't add wireless charging.

few years back it made sense getting Google Nexus devices because the price was good, other OEM UI skin was really bad, CPU and RAM was not powerful.. but things have changed now.

For you sure. For me I find it worth it.

- powerful AI Google already has

- theme store isn't a big deal for me

- I don't use AOD even on my Samsung phones

- ad blocker is coming to chrome but I use a VPN that does this automatically

- wireless charging wasn't done due to build material. It is a convenient thing but not a "must have" for me.

 

[103Softail]

Re: i don't understand why people like Stock Android so much?

why is it such a big deal? stock experience is kind of boring. take out all the fun stuff and give you only the basic's. Basic phone with a heavy price tag..
OLED screen is cheap aswell.
Don't you think Google is getting abit greedy now?

this is comparing Pixel 2 XL to Note 8 or s8+

Yes I agree with you and some people actually drive Toyota Prius ......each to their own I guess

 

[donm527]

Re: i don't understand why people like Stock Android so much?

In the past the difference between Stock Android and the rest was much clearer to see... Companies like Samsung and HTC and LG created crap like TouchWiz and WebSense that were just terrible and with TouchWiz for example you have the infamous lag in their OS after owning it for a short time.

I personally never cared for TouchWiz and wouldnt never buy a Samsung because of it. The Note 7 was the first Samsung where I thought the UI was clean enough that I was finally willing to buy a Samsung. Before that my first Android was a Nexus 4. When you compare a UI like TouchWiz or WebSense against a clean UI like Stock Android, it's refreshing to have a clean OS like stock android.

Since then, manufacturers have since moved towards cleaner design and it's them that have moved closer to stock android. That's why I think at this point the difference is not that noticeable anymore. Note 8 UI has been great and I think they finally solved their lag issue by doing what they probably should have done a long time ago... add ram.

 

[Aquila]

Re: i don't understand why people like Stock Android so much?

Less bloat, faster, smoother, visually better (IMO), apparently easier to update in a timely manner + this is Android, not iOS. The vast majority of a normal user experience comes from the Play Store, not from the OEM.

Also, giving Samsung (or LG, etc) access to user data means being subjected to their privacy policies, etc. - which, if data privacy and security are important to that user, means giving up the rights to control their own data.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Re: i don't understand why people like Stock Android so much?

If we are comparing the Pixel to all other phones, my reasons why would be this:

1. The ability to alter my device at the ROM level. Samsungs are hit and miss for what can and can't be rooted.

2. Fast updates. The newest OS version isn't necessary, but the security updates are. Depending on your carrier, you can be several months behind.

3. Minimalist design. Sure some people like everything and the kitchen sink included, but not me. The main reason is all those hooks in the ROM take more and more space for the OS.

 

[andrew_ackley]

Re: i don't understand why people like Stock Android so much?

I fell in love with stock Android with the Nexus 6P. Such a smooth and liberating experience! Other phones at the time had janky software and some pretty bad color accents plus updates (particularly security) were very slow. The 6P has a great camera, the first for a Nexus device.

Well, things have changed now. A lot of the jank has disappeared and at least with Samsung, security updates are monthly. Also, having a pixel XL last year, yeah, stock Android get pretty boring. I love theming my Note 8.

Monthly updates with the note 8? Are you kidding?

 

[kj11]

Re: i don't understand why people like Stock Android so much?

I don't get it either. I had a Nexus 7 and it just felt like it was missing things I grew accustomed to.

Stock Android lovers want to push updates as a big reason, but 99% of the stuff in their updates are things Note users have had for years now.

 

[Aquila]

Re: i don't understand why people like Stock Android so much?

Stock Android lovers want to push updates as a big reason, but 99% of the stuff in their updates are things Note users have had for years now.

I like where you're going with this. I definitely don't think it is true... although I think you might be able to make part of this argument if you were talking UI only. But 99% of the things in updates aren't user facing UI sorts of things.

 

[chanchan05]

Re: i don't understand why people like Stock Android so much?

I like where you're going with this. I definitely don't think it is true... although I think you might be able to make part of this argument if you were talking UI only. But 99% of the things in updates aren't user facing UI sorts of things.

Depends on which update we're talking about. For Nougat for example you're right. But for 7.1, all change logs I see make it pretty much unneeded for any Samsung running 7.0

 

[Almeuit]

Re: i don't understand why people like Stock Android so much?

Depends on which update we're talking about. For Nougat for example you're right. But for 7.1, all change logs I see make it pretty much unneeded for any Samsung running 7.0

7.1 ? Pfft we are on 8.1 now .

 

[chanchan05]

Re: i don't understand why people like Stock Android so much?

7.1 ? Pfft we are on 8.1 now .

I have no idea on the change logs for 8.1 so I'll refrain from commenting on that. Those were just examples given.. Honestly it's not like I want the updates. The only updates I'm concerned about are security updates.

 

[jejb]

Re: i don't understand why people like Stock Android so much?

I don't get it either. I had a Nexus 7 and it just felt like it was missing things I grew accustomed to.

Same here. I went from an S5 to a Nexus 6P, because I wanted to be able to root, and that was getting very hard to do on any Verizon phone. And it was easy to root, and a decent phone. But I did not find "pure Android" any better than Touchwiz. I'm not a big fan of many Google apps, so had to install apps to replace them anyway.

Yeah, we got updates pretty regular, but they're a pain to take if you're rooted. And many of them caused apps to go rouge and become battery hogs, until the developer tweaked their apps to conform to the latest releases.

I was very happy to get back to the Samsung family. Just fits me better, and the screens are the best in the business, IMO. I don't have a need to root anymore, so doubt I'll ever go back to a Google phone. Just feels like a step down to me.

 

[Almeuit]

Re: i don't understand why people like Stock Android so much?

I have no idea on the change logs for 8.1 so I'll refrain from commenting on that. Those were just examples given.. Honestly it's not like I want the updates. The only updates I'm concerned about are security updates.

Exactly.. you don't want updates so no matter what your biased to Samsung.

I am biased to Google since I want updates and I use Google apps. I want the OS ones and the security ones and I get both without question. I also see zero reason to swap to Samsung to use their apps that.. the Google ones do for me now.

The s-pen to me is the reason for the Note. If you use that a lot there is simply no replacing it. I can see business people and such absolutely seeing it as a need to sign documents on the go and get stuff done. For those that don't (such as my last Note I pulled out the s-pen maybe twice) it just doesn't offer what I want.

 

[chanchan05]

Re: i don't understand why people like Stock Android so much?

Exactly.. you don't want updates so no matter what your biased to Samsung.

I am biased to Google since I want updates and I use Google apps. I want the OS ones and the security ones and I get both without question. I also see zero reason to swap to Samsung to use their apps that.. the Google ones do for me now.

The s-pen to me is the reason for the Note. If you use that a lot there is simply no replacing it. I can see business people and such absolutely seeing it as a need to sign documents on the go and get stuff done. For those that don't (such as my last Note I pulled out the s-pen maybe twice) it just doesn't offer what I want.

I'll rephrase that. I don't 'need' the updates because as far as I can see, the updates don't give me any additional feature I need or want. So it's not important to me. I could go LG or Sony, not just Samsung. It's all the same to me.

Some updates make under the hood changes that makes the phone faster or perform better. Do I appreciate those? Yes I do. Do I need them enough to make them a point of consideration in purchasing? No I don't. The next phone I buy will have it anyway. I don't purchase a phone with the consideration of what it MIGHT have in the future, I'm getting it for what it gives me at the moment of purchase. I know that whatever flagship I get from whatever brand will get 2 major updates anyway, just in time when I get a new one.

And it's not hardware that keeps me away from going all Google anyway, it's software. They still have no equivalent to SideSync or SmartSwitch.

Plus the fact that Pixels are practically nonexistent in my country so they're never really in the consideration. Moto is present though.

However, while I do prefer the Samsung apps, I still sync them to Google for the fact that I can switch over to any other brand using that. I still do prefer most of Google's services. I just prefer using another's apps to access them.

 

[Almeuit]

Re: i don't understand why people like Stock Android so much?

I'll rephrase that. I don't 'need' the updates because as far as I can see, the updates don't give me any additional feature I need or want. So it's not important to me. I could go LG or Sony, not just Samsung. It's all the same to me.

Some updates make under the hood changes that makes the phone faster or perform better. Do I appreciate those? Yes I do. Do I need them enough to make them a point of consideration in purchasing? No I don't. The next phone I buy will have it anyway. I don't purchase a phone with the consideration of what it MIGHT have in the future, I'm getting it for what it gives me at the moment of purchase. I know that whatever flagship I get from whatever brand will get 2 major updates anyway, just in time when I get a new one.

And it's not hardware that keeps me away from going all Google anyway, it's software. They still have no equivalent to SideSync or SmartSwitch.

Plus the fact that Pixels are practically nonexistent in my country so they're never really in the consideration. Moto is present though.

However, while I do prefer the Samsung apps, I still sync them to Google for the fact that I can switch over to any other brand using that. I still do prefer most of Google's services. I just prefer using another's apps to access them.

Yeah I never said you need them. I said want .

As for me I never use SideSync.. not even truly sure what it is. Doubt I need it since Google handles all my sync needs.

As for the apps..well.. we are going in circles. You like how Samsung does it and I use the Google ones. I just don't see the Samsung ones pulling me over since the Google ones do what I want. You do so... That's the theme of Android.. be together, not the same .

 

[chanchan05]

Re: i don't understand why people like Stock Android so much?

Yeah I never said you need.

As for me I never use SideSync.. not even truly sure what it is. Doubt I need it since Google handles all my sync needs.

SideSync actually isn't for syncing. Sidesync is more of a mirroring program that does more than mirror over cable or wifi. It's like mirroring + Airdroid with special tricks.

Like usual mirroring, it creates a Window on your PC/Mac/Samsung Tablet which shows you the phone screen. Basically controlling it with mouse and keyboard or tablet screen.

What it does beyond mirroring is that you can drag files out of the window to your computer, or from your computer into the Window to send files over. Also, unlike other mirroring apps, this works even if your phone is locked. In a case where for example your phone screen is broken, even if the digitizer is unresponsive, you can plug the phone in through SideSync and everything will be accessible for you to backup.

In fact it doesn't really matter if you don't use it. But you would want to run it once just to have it work if and when your screen gets broke. You neet to set it up once first.

 

[Almeuit]

Re: i don't understand why people like Stock Android so much?

SideSync actually isn't for syncing. Sidesync is more of a mirroring program that does more than mirror over cable or wifi. It's like mirroring + Airdroid with special tricks.

Like usual mirroring, it creates a Window on your PC/Mac/Samsung Tablet which shows you the phone screen. Basically controlling it with mouse and keyboard or tablet screen.

What it does beyond mirroring is that you can drag files out of the window to your computer, or from your computer into the Window to send files over. Also, unlike other mirroring apps, this works even if your phone is locked. In a case where for example your phone screen is broken, even if the digitizer is unresponsive, you can plug the phone in through SideSync and everything will be accessible for you to backup.

Ah .. so yep not for me. I'd have no use for it. I don't have files on my PC that I drag back and forth from my PC. The rare time I do I store it in my Google Drive and remove it from my PC.

My PC is pretty much a gaming only rig.

 

[chanchan05]

Re: i don't understand why people like Stock Android so much?

Ah .. so yep not for me. I'd have no use for it. I don't have files on my PC that I drag back and forth from my PC. The rare time I do I store it in my Google Drive and remove it from my PC.

My PC is pretty much a gaming only rig.

I added a paragraph to my last post.

Basically you would still do better to install it on your PC and phone and run it once, even if you never use it again, as a safety net if your screen ever gets broken.

That is if I understood you right that you have a Note.

 

[Almeuit]

Re: i don't understand why people like Stock Android so much?

I added a paragraph to my last post.

Basically you would still do better to install it on your PC and phone and run it once, even if you never use it again, as a safety net if your screen ever gets broken.

That is if I understood you right that you have a Note.

Not worried about breaking my screen. If so I'll simply grab another phone.

Nothing is on my phone that isn't already syncd to the cloud. . If I was worried I could install a 3rd party and initiate that if I truly wanted so I don't see me needing to go to Samsung to get it.

 

[chanchan05]

Re: i don't understand why people like Stock Android so much?

Not worried about breaking my screen. If so I'll simply grab another phone.

Nothing is on my phone that isn't already syncd to the cloud. . If I was worried I could install a 3rd party and initiate that if I truly wanted so I don't truly see me needing to go to Samsung to get it.

Actually, no third party app can do that with a locked screen. I've tried several and haven't found one that will let you unlock the screen using mirroring without initiating the mirroring first or accepting it on the phone.

I'm sure though everybody has different needs. I just want the safety net even if I might not need it. It's not the first time I tried to recover from Google backup and found that it's not up to date for some reason even if I'm connected online 24/7. Been burned before. Lol.

So now I have multiple redundancies and Sidesync is just another safety net for me.