TouchWiz vs. STOCK

[Roundpotato]

Thats a very good question I am too wondering about that. Can someone answer that.

Of course you can; they're not based on the launcher.

 

[Paul627g]

Regardless of you throwing a custom launcher like Nova or Action on the device there is still plenty of Touchwiz running. Touchwiz is way more than just the launcher, it's built in and on top of vanilla android so it's not something you can simply turn off by changing your launcher.



Sent from my HTCONE using AC Forums mobile app

 

[Raptor007]

TW is not the worst UI/UX available and while I wish it was stock UI/UX it never will be. The upside is you can add any launcher you want and that will help. You can make a few tweaks in developer mode to also fix the so called lag, which from my experience is myth than reality. I have owned more than a couple of Galaxy devices and never had an issue where I felt the device was sluggish.

 

[kinster02]

I don't find TW that bad as everyone's makes it out to be and prefer the extra features over stock. I just recently installed Nova launcher pro which I only purchased a few years ago due to the 25 cent Android sale and decided to use it for the first time on my Note 2. I like it so far and it doesn't take away the features I like on TW.

 

[ki11ak3nn]

The customizable settings tabs in notification bar alone is worth having TW.

Posted via Android Central App

Well I'm running AOKP's Milestone 1 on my GNex and I love being able to customize my notification bar. So I'll probably give TW a try and like you guys said if I don't like it then just use Nova.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4

 

[trandz]

I usually turn down the animations, etc. in the dev settings. I do not hate TW I hate the lag it brings. The features especially with the Note line is bar-none. However, the S4 couldn't keep up navigating the phone like my Moto X can.

 

[HNNNNNGHHH]

Touchwiz vs. Stock (AOSP)? :-\

It really depends on your usage preferences. TouchWiz has more features but such can bog down performance and updates for it are few and far between due to heavy OEM skinning. AOSP android (commonly mislabeled as 'stock') is the pure android experience: while there's no shortage of functionality, there's no exclusive features on it as of late (Unless you're using a custom AOSP ROM. In that case, there may be features not initially included in the AOSP code)

 

[Etios]

Stock FTW, Touchwiz lags like hell.

 

[Aquila]

As an system, Stock seems to run much smoother, offer more flexibility for modification and has a more consistent appearance throughout the OS. TouchWiz is brings some added features, but the majority of them could easily have been implemented as apps rather than baked in, so the aesthetics and lag of TouchWiz are that much more offensive because they are needless.

It's really unfortunate to see the combination of Apple cloned icons mixed with a hybrid of Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich animations and notification elements.

At this point, 2 years into "HOLO" (22 months, whatevs), why are we not seeing that consistent UI element across the board? I've never seen anyone buy an HTC specifically for the clock widget, nor a Samsung device for the neon green battery icon, or any other distinctive variation from classic.

 

[dancing-bass]

I've been running pure AOSP/Stock on my Gnex. I had the oppertunity to play with a Note 2 (TouchWiz) for a few hours. The for me the thing that turned me off most was the disgusting shade of green alont with the overall visiual look. I didn't have the oppertunity to explore all the deep dark corners of it, but based on my few hours with it, here's my take. And realize it was a few hours in the evening on a brand new device, not one loaded with apps during a workday. Anyway, my though is this:

TouchWiz is ok. Personally if I could take the features it offers, esp with the S-pen, but leave it looking like pure AOSP/Stock/Holo instead of the brutal icons and ugly green... I'd be ok wiht that. I didn't experience lag (nothing near as bad as my Gnex anyway) and it seemed to perform well. I just find it ugly, but for me a phone is a tool -- hardware -- and I'll wory about function over visual appeal any day. For me color scheme and icons are the visual, lag would fall into the function side of things (just to be clear)

Sorry for the typos. Typing in a dark room withmy son a few feet away. Don't want to turn on more lights and wake him up

 

[monsieurms]

Hey guys I'm coming from a GNex and I've never used a TouchWiz device before. How different is it than stock?? And should I keep using Nova Launcher?? I'd like to give TouchWiz a try, but if it's as horrible as people say then it's back to Nova for me.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4

Here's another naysayer, at Cnet on Touchwiz:

How the Samsung Galaxy S4 tempted me from the iPhone 5 | Common Sense Tech - CNET News

That said, I'm quite content with my phone. I love the physical home button. I love many of Samsung's features (like the "hover" feature). I have no problem with many of the apps like Watch-on, which works flawlessly for me.

Many of them are things I can't imagine using, to be sure. Will anyone ever use Group Play more than once, just to try it out? It seems like a ridiculous plan, as opposed to just setting up a bluetooth speaker. But hey, maybe someone has a use. I also don't quite understand why they need things like S-Translate. I will say I appreciate that I could download an extra module add-on (88 megs) for specific languages and voice settings. At this point, I probably like it a bit better than Google Translate, but they are pretty close to identical programs. Similar, their notetaking program--nice enough, but hey, there's Evernote for free.

N.B. I have yet to notice any of the dreaded lag complaints. You can turn off animation in developer options.

All that said, you can pick and choose what to use and the interface for me works great.

 

[torndownunit]

I don't have a Note 3, but as a newer Android user, I find the thread interesting. I wouldn't call my S4 'laggy'. Buy, when I use my Nexus 7 (2012), which is my only experience with 'stock' android, I do find it to be a lot peppier. I find navigating around it simpler as well which also makes things seem quicker.

I pretty much feel like a lot of other posters in that there are TouchWiz features I like... but I just wish I could delete the ones I don't like. The amount of apps I will never used, combined with the ones from my provider (rogers) I will never use is kind of crazy. I just like things to be 'tidy', and I'd like to remove stuff I will never use.

I am still fairly new to Android, and I am researching the options as far as rooting it. It's just the world of ROM's is a little overwhelming to a newb.

 

[kgbkny]

There's a lot of people who hate Touchwiz because they are the equivalent of Hipsters and they think it makes them cool to hate on anything that's not basic Android.

Touchwiz is good and Samsung adds a lot of features. If you really don't like it you can just install another launcher... no big deal.

Posted via Android Central App

I prefer stock Android and am about as far away from a hipster as can be. Not only do I not like TouchWiz, I don't like any manufacturer overlays. I've tried them all and they are just not for me. After all, that's one of the reasons I invested in a Google Edition S4.

 

[mhans311]

I'm not seeing all this lag everyone is talking about. I haven't had a hiccup in my 2 months with the note 2.

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[meyerweb#CB]

It's really very simple. There's no right or wrong answer, it's all about personal preference. If the phone comes with TW, try it and decide for yourself. If you don't like it, you can install Nova.

This really shouldn't be a big deal. The great thing about Android phones, compared to IOS or Windows, is the extreme level of customization available. Make your phone work for YOU, and who cares what anyone else likes.

 

[JungleLarry]

My biggest issue with TouchWiz is that many of the features included just end up running into themselves. I've been using Samsung devices for the last couple of years, and as great as they are, TouchWiz is just a catastrophe in my eyes. I'd much rather have something closer to stock Android, but that's my personal preference.

Some people claim that TouchWiz is great for the "average consumer" because it includes lots of tricks and gizmos that those people might like. In my experience that might be true...if they actually knew how to navigate the clutter to use them.

I'd like to see Samsung take a more selective approach to their UI in the future, rather than just shoehorning features on top of old iterations.

 

[blitz118]

It's really very simple. There's no right or wrong answer, it's all about personal preference. If the phone comes with TW, try it and decide for yourself. If you don't like it, you can install Nova.

This really shouldn't be a big deal. The great thing about Android phones, compared to IOS or Windows, is the extreme level of customization available. Make your phone work for YOU, and who cares what anyone else likes.

You are absolutely right, but people will make it a big deal. If you don't like touchwiz, then just get another manufacturer's phone besides Samsung. There are so many phones to chose from, and no one is forcing them to buy the Note 3.

 

[DS1331]

The only thing with samsungs gimmicks is that any phone can download most of these features on the app store but the Samsung's come with them built in, same with that new knock knock feature on the g2, an app in the app store has that but it's always easier out of the box

Sent from my HTC One

 

[Haalcyon]

Here's what I appreciate about Samsung & TouchWiz

OTG support. On my Nexus 7 you have to buy a $4 app and hope it works.

Micro SD cards. You don't realize how much you appreciate it until you use a device that doesn't have it, like the Nexus 7.

Font support. Easily changing the system font (Settings -> Displays -> Fonts) I didn't realize this was a Samsung feature until I used some non-Samsung devices. Perhaps there's an app to be found that makes this as simple as it is on Samsung devices.

The Nexus 7 is still a good little tablet for the money (...and so is the Sony Xperia Z tablet for that matter) but they really made me appreciate the features of TouchWiz.


Sent from my S4/Note 8.0/Nexus 7

 

[Raptor007]

TW itself isn't always the issue, its the extra built in apps and features that users simply don't use that are a waste and may or may not be hogging resources. Given they take .5GB of RAM just to run the system bothers me but we simply won't see Samsung drop it, I would like to see a much better job of memory management from them and a way to reduce clutter at times. I would also like to delete the GARBAGE the carriers put on the phones.