Touchwiz...

[Aquila]

Actually most people obviously don't agree, since more people buy these phones then buy Nexus. But what's great about Samsung is the theme engine, so if you think the icons are too cartoonish, you just change the thing. Can't change the theme on Nexus though.

Posted via the Android Central App

Sales and any one feature that you prefer do not have any correlation. If it's not true for display quality or storage options or battery life or camera quality, then it definitely isn't true for UI and icons.

 

[meyerweb#CB]

Guys, sorry to bump my question, but I'd really like to use the Touchwiz dialer on my new phone. It is ergonomically perfect to swipe to initiate a call and to write a text. As this phone is my first Android (I was using a Samsung Wave with bada 1.2), I hoped that here I can find someone with some experience with these apps. Still TIA for your help.

If you don't have a Samsung phone, you're unlikely to get the Touchwiz dialer to work on whatever you do have.

 

[meyerweb#CB]

Sales and any one feature that you prefer do not have any correlation. If it's not true for display quality or storage options or battery life or camera quality, then it definitely isn't true for UI and icons.

Well, a very large number of phone buyers either don't find Samsung's icons cartoonish, or they like cartoonish. If the icons really bothered lots of people, they'd probably buy a different phone.

Honestly, some of the things people on these forums worry about, and argue about as passionately as if it were religion, the typical phone buyer couldn't care less about. All my icons aren't the same? Some have backgrounds and some don't? Horrors! I suspect if you asked 100 people on the street about their icons, 98 of them couldn't tell you if they had backgrounds or not, if they were different, inconsistent shapes or not, or what colors they were. And if you then pointed it out to them, they'd say something like "Are you serious? Who cares? As long as I can recognize each icon and it opens the right app when I tap on it, that's all that matters. Are you crazy?"

 

[Aquila]

Well, a very large number of phone buyers either don't find Samsung's icons cartoonish, or they like cartoonish. If the icons really bothered lots of people, they'd probably buy a different phone.

Honestly, some of the things people on these forums worry about, and argue about as passionately as if it were religion, the typical phone buyer couldn't care less about. All my icons aren't the same? Some have backgrounds and some don't? Horrors! I suspect if you asked 100 people on the street about their icons, 98 of them couldn't tell you if they had backgrounds or not, if they were different, inconsistent shapes or not, or what colors they were. And if you then pointed it out to them, they'd say something like "Are you serious? Who cares? As long as I can recognize each icon and it opens the right app when I tap on it, that's all that matters. Are you crazy?"

I'd agree with that, but I think I'd guestimate the impact of icons on sales volume to be less than .01%. They could do literally anything to the icons and most people either won't notice or won't care. And for those that do care, they probably also are the same people that know they can change it - and will change it, or they're the people that dislike sometime else about the softare and weren't going to buy that device anyways.

 

[love4speechless]

I actually like TW now. Much better than in the past, especially with the theming options.

I find myself rotating it with Nova and Google Launchers. When I find a need for change I switch to another for awhile. When I really want a change I switch phones to my 6P and then back to the edge after a week or so. I also get my iOS fix using my iPad.

Nova doesn't work on my phone properly. I've had to revert back to using TW because when I had Nova on my phone the screen shock in one of games and apps would randomly open without me doing anything. So far I haven't experienced that on TW

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

Samsung and Google have a very close relationship. That matters.

Samsung comes up with ideas and ways to implement them on their high-end devices. Then Google and Samsung get together on features that are worth putting into Android at the OS/core level, and the best engineers from both companies figure out how to fix issues that would make them run poorly on phones without the best hardware on the planet.

Samsung can then take those changes and incorporate them back into Touchwiz with their own enhancements. Everyone wins, and we get to continue to hash out how other people spend their money in ways we don't "approve of".

Buy those Samsung phones. Love those Samsung phones. You're doing it right.

 

[erasat]

I will only say this, people, most of them from forums like this one and Most reviewers (until S6 Note 5 and S7's TouchWiz versions) had always mentioned TouchWiz as a Con, well, after more than 12 flagship phones in the last 3 years, from most Android OEMs like Sony, HTC, LG, One Plus, Motorola and Samsung, I've always appreciated what TouchWiz has brought to the Android world, basically I've preferred it to all other skins and a lot more than Vanilla Android. It seems that finally Google gave up and since latest Android versions and soon N, is incorporating things that Samsung has developed and incorporated into TouchWiz for years now.

I just got the HTC 10 on Saturday, traded the S7 with the Jump on Demand and kept the S7 edge (best phone I've had in my life) and I'm testing it since then so it's been my daily driver since Saturday and boy... People talk trash about TW and praise Sense and first thing they say is that is a Pro when compare it to any Galaxy phone, wow, in simple words, I hated M7's Sense and I simply hate this version even more, first thing I did after a couple of hours trying was to install Nova, a launcher that I stopped using since I got the S6 and it's themes.

HTC themes are a joke, really can't say which is uglier, default UI or all themes I tried. Basically vanilla Android quick toggles and Settings menu, so from people that comes from TouchWiz that's simply lacking and boring. Icons are horrible for me and the weather widget... Samsung one put it to shame. For last, that app drawer scrolling vertically, mehhhh.

If it wasn't for Nova I'd return it already, so with Nova it's a keeper as its a very good phone with a solid build, still not the best for me, S7 edge is the clear winner in all areas that matters to me plus the extra unique Samsung features such as Samsung Pay and Quick Connect, and the extra things that are not on HTC 10 like the Multi windows, wireless charger and water resistant. Only thing I like more on the HTC 10 is that it's not a fingerprint magnet, not a deal breaker for me, but very nice on the HTC.

But talking about UI for now, I must honestly say that you don't know how good and convenient Touch Wiz is as a whole until you try something else and begin missing the unique Samsung features.

 

[RichBrown68]

I will only say this, people, most of them from forums like this one and Most reviewers (until S6 Note 5 and S7's TouchWiz versions) had always mentioned TouchWiz as a Con, well, after more than 12 flagship phones in the last 3 years, from most Android OEMs like Sony, HTC, LG, One Plus, Motorola and Samsung, I've always appreciated what TouchWiz has brought to the Android world, basically I've preferred it to all other skins and a lot more than Vanilla Android. It seems that finally Google gave up and since latest Android versions and soon N, is incorporating things that Samsung has developed and incorporated into TouchWiz for years now.

I just got the HTC 10 on Saturday, traded the S7 with the Jump on Demand and kept the S7 edge (best phone I've had in my life) and I'm testing it since then so it's been my daily driver since Saturday and boy... People talk trash about TW and praise Sense and first thing they say is that is a Pro when compare it to any Galaxy phone, wow, in simple words, I hated M7's Sense and I simply hate this version even more, first thing I did after a couple of hours trying was to install Nova, a launcher that I stopped using since I got the S6 and it's themes.

HTC themes are a joke, really can't say which is uglier, default UI or all themes I tried. Basically vanilla Android quick toggles and Settings menu, so from people that comes from TouchWiz that's simply lacking and boring. Icons are horrible for me and the weather widget... Samsung one put it to shame. For last, that app drawer scrolling vertically, mehhhh.

If it wasn't for Nova I'd return it already, so with Nova it's a keeper as its a very good phone with a solid build, still not the best for me, S7 edge is the clear winner in all areas that matters to me plus the extra unique Samsung features such as Samsung Pay and Quick Connect, and the extra things that are not on HTC 10 like the Multi windows, wireless charger and water resistant. Only thing I like more on the HTC 10 is that it's not a fingerprint magnet, not a deal breaker for me, but very nice on the HTC.

But talking about UI for now, I must honestly say that you don't know how good and convenient Touch Wiz is as a whole until you try something else and begin missing the unique Samsung features.

Well said. I'm also a big fan of TouchWiz. With stock Android, what do you get? White, white, white everywhere. It's positively blinding. Sure you can install Nova Launcher and get rid of the white in the app drawer if you want, but not in the pull-down notification shade. And not in the system apps. When are you install a TouchWiz theme, it themes everything. The stock launcher for Nexus phone does not even let you create folders inside the drawer , something I've come to rely on with TouchWiz. Again, I know you can do that with Nova Launcher, but I find their implementation more complicated than the TouchWiz way.

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

But talking about UI for now, I must honestly say that you don't know how good and convenient Touch Wiz is as a whole until you try something else and begin missing the unique Samsung features.

This is it, in a nutshell. Samsung brings a lot to the table. If you like (or need) what they offer, why not take advantage of that? If you don't, buy something else.

That's why there are over 4,000 different models of Android device out there. We shouldn't want anything done differently on that front.

 

[love4speechless]

I will only say this, people, most of them from forums like this one and Most reviewers (until S6 Note 5 and S7's TouchWiz versions) had always mentioned TouchWiz as a Con, well, after more than 12 flagship phones in the last 3 years, from most Android OEMs like Sony, HTC, LG, One Plus, Motorola and Samsung, I've always appreciated what TouchWiz has brought to the Android world, basically I've preferred it to all other skins and a lot more than Vanilla Android. It seems that finally Google gave up and since latest Android versions and soon N, is incorporating things that Samsung has developed and incorporated into TouchWiz for years now.

I just got the HTC 10 on Saturday, traded the S7 with the Jump on Demand and kept the S7 edge (best phone I've had in my life) and I'm testing it since then so it's been my daily driver since Saturday and boy... People talk trash about TW and praise Sense and first thing they say is that is a Pro when compare it to any Galaxy phone, wow, in simple words, I hated M7's Sense and I simply hate this version even more, first thing I did after a couple of hours trying was to install Nova, a launcher that I stopped using since I got the S6 and it's themes.

HTC themes are a joke, really can't say which is uglier, default UI or all themes I tried. Basically vanilla Android quick toggles and Settings menu, so from people that comes from TouchWiz that's simply lacking and boring. Icons are horrible for me and the weather widget... Samsung one put it to shame. For last, that app drawer scrolling vertically, mehhhh.

If it wasn't for Nova I'd return it already, so with Nova it's a keeper as its a very good phone with a solid build, still not the best for me, S7 edge is the clear winner in all areas that matters to me plus the extra unique Samsung features such as Samsung Pay and Quick Connect, and the extra things that are not on HTC 10 like the Multi windows, wireless charger and water resistant. Only thing I like more on the HTC 10 is that it's not a fingerprint magnet, not a deal breaker for me, but very nice on the HTC.

But talking about UI for now, I must honestly say that you don't know how good and convenient Touch Wiz is as a whole until you try something else and begin missing the unique Samsung features.

I'm confused why you say "app drawer scrolling vertically mehhh" when Nova also scrolls vertically and you are using it

 

[chanchan05]

I'm confused why you say "app drawer scrolling vertically mehhh" when Nova also scrolls vertically and you are using it

Because you can change it in Nova. I have Nova set to scroll sideways on my setup. You can't change it in the Google Launcher.

 

[love4speechless]

Because you can change it in Nova. I have Nova set to scroll sideways on my setup. You can't change it in the Google Launcher.

Can you please tell me where that setting is in the Nova setting? I prefer horizontal to vertical too. Learn something new every day xd

 

[chanchan05]

Can you please tell me where that setting is in the Nova setting? I prefer horizontal to vertical too. Learn something new every day xd

Long press back button/go to app drawer > Nova Settings > App and Widget Drawer > App Drawer Style

I suggest you check out Nova Settings. There's so much you can do.

 

[love4speechless]

Long press back button/go to app drawer > Nova Settings > App and Widget Drawer > App Drawer Style

I suggest you check out Nova Settings. There's so much you can do.

There is so much to learn on an android phone. I have had Nova Prime all this time and didn't know I could do that lol

 

[erasat]

I'm confused why you say "app drawer scrolling vertically mehhh" when Nova also scrolls vertically and you are using it

I was talking about the HTC Sense App drawer, no way to change that, at least in Nova you do.

 

[JCasares]

My first android phone was a Samsung, the second another Samsung and after that one no more. I agree with you that the Touchwiz interface is ugly and sometimes distracting. It has no coherence so far, some things are plain and some others are colorful. Some things are modernly designed and some old school. To me it looks like something unpolished (like the first Andorid iterations), but that doesn't mean that it can't be for other people the beauty itself. I agree with someone here that Android did something right: "choice".

I respected Samsung because of their hardware design but I also despise them because of their drawbacks. I had a lot of issues with both the S2 and S4 I had. Mostly camera crashes, radio instability, regularly becoming hot as hell; that added to my disliking of the interface. I ended putting CyanogenMod on them and started to understand why the standard Android interface was better (for me at least).

I also started to learn the concept of simplicity over feature bloat on apps (this also traduce to feature bloat on the phone, I never used Samsung features... they were mostly gimmicks). I started using Google Keep, a really simple note taking app, and I finally learned that I don't need one hundred features I will most probably won't use. What I do need is having the information everywhere and not worrying about moving my data or losing it.

Fast forward to today. I don't like the current Nexus phones lineup because of their design and hardware specifications but I do want a bare Android experience.I'm not like some people here that don't need to have an updated phone. I can stand some months of delay but I can't be using an OS that it's a year behind. That's what Samsung means and it still happens for the people I know that use an S6 nowadays. They are still waiting for Marshmallow to be released for their carrier.

So I ended buying an unlocked phone with no carrier tie and with a closer bare Android experience. That's the Moto X Pure. And I can say some 8 months later that I'm not regretful. I do like the hardware, despite being heavier and that I don't have a notification led (I do not like active display). I left camera crashes, radio instability and a lot of other issues in the past.

So, I do think that Touchwiz is an abomination. Both design and feature wise. I already left Samsung in the phone arena, I'm changing my TV to SONY because they decided to overprice their options and left Android TV out of the equation. There is only a Samsung refrigerator left at my house that will most probably be replaced by another brand in a couple of years.

 

[SR45]

Guess you haven't used the Galaxy S7 which has less of the Touchwiz garbage than when you had one years prior. It has changed you know. When I had the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge I saw absolutely nothing wrong with Touchwiz.

 

[ThrottleJohnny]

Well yes, common thing. 98 percent of the people who bash TouchWiz haven't used the S7. Which is why although I respect their experience with it (S4 was terrible), they sound incredible dated.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[aldo82]

The s7 edge has actually got me back into Samsung. I'm looking to get my dad a new tv and Samsung is currently the frontrunner as I've been so happy with my edge that I'd like to give their other products a go

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[chanchan05]

My first android phone was a Samsung, the second another Samsung and after that one no more. I agree with you that the Touchwiz interface is ugly and sometimes distracting. It has no coherence so far, some things are plain and some others are colorful. Some things are modernly designed and some old school. To me it looks like something unpolished (like the first Andorid iterations), but that doesn't mean that it can't be for other people the beauty itself. I agree with someone here that Android did something right: "choice".

I respected Samsung because of their hardware design but I also despise them because of their drawbacks. I had a lot of issues with both the S2 and S4 I had. Mostly camera crashes, radio instability, regularly becoming hot as hell; that added to my disliking of the interface. I ended putting CyanogenMod on them and started to understand why the standard Android interface was better (for me at least).

I also started to learn the concept of simplicity over feature bloat on apps (this also traduce to feature bloat on the phone, I never used Samsung features... they were mostly gimmicks). I started using Google Keep, a really simple note taking app, and I finally learned that I don't need one hundred features I will most probably won't use. What I do need is having the information everywhere and not worrying about moving my data or losing it.

Fast forward to today. I don't like the current Nexus phones lineup because of their design and hardware specifications but I do want a bare Android experience.I'm not like some people here that don't need to have an updated phone. I can stand some months of delay but I can't be using an OS that it's a year behind. That's what Samsung means and it still happens for the people I know that use an S6 nowadays. They are still waiting for Marshmallow to be released for their carrier.

So I ended buying an unlocked phone with no carrier tie and with a closer bare Android experience. That's the Moto X Pure. And I can say some 8 months later that I'm not regretful. I do like the hardware, despite being heavier and that I don't have a notification led (I do not like active display). I left camera crashes, radio instability and a lot of other issues in the past.

So, I do think that Touchwiz is an abomination. Both design and feature wise. I already left Samsung in the phone arena, I'm changing my TV to SONY because they decided to overprice their options and left Android TV out of the equation. There is only a Samsung refrigerator left at my house that will most probably be replaced by another brand in a couple of years.

S6 already has MM for quite a while now. Anybody still not using MM is just unlucky their region got the later draw in the regional lottery of who goes first, or has to blame their carriers.