What is the attraction of stock Android over a skin (touchwiz)?

[wuttqq]

I have never owned or had the privilege of using a Nexus device. Its a general consensus that people here prefer stock/pure Android over skins like HTC sense, Samsung touchwiz, etc...

The only phones I have used were Oneplus One (cyanogen) and Galaxy s6 (touchwiz w/ Google now launcher + material theme and nova launcher + material theme). I have also used many iphones but the 6 and 6s do not impress me so I went Android.

From my experience both gs6 and opo OS ran smooth without too many hiccups. The opo had more frequent app crashes but not to the point of annoyance. The gs6 skin was ugly so I installed the material theme and changed the launcher.


What would I gain if I were to go Nexus and stock over my gs6 or something like cyanogen/oxygen?

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[SactoKingsFan]

Fast updates, no carrier bloatware and easy to unlock bootloader and root. OnePlus is almost like having a Nexus device.

 

[gendo667]

I bought my old Nexus 5 a couple of months after release, and it was a beast from the jump. A smooth experience from day one until I upgraded to a G4. No jank, no hiccups. A great experience across the board. Can't say that about any other phone I've had, Android or IOS.

 

[D13H4RD2L1V3]

More of the case of being an uncluttered Android experience.

Simply put, it's the way Google made it, without much bloat and also fast updates.

Also has the least amount of performance issues. Stock Android is lighter than many OEM skins.

 

[LeoRex]

For me, its a combination...

Fast updates and the fact that be officially supported for quite a long time (longer than I will most likely own it). This is becoming more and more important now that cybercrime as shifted its gaze from desktops to mobile. But other than that... there are quite a few people out there waiting on 5.1.1, never mind 6... and quite a few people with relatively new phones who may never see 6.0.
Nexus devices are the most widely supported devices in the custom dev community, so there's a pile of cool stuff that I can play around with (other than just custom ROMs).
The best running devices I've even owned or used have a Nexus tramp stamp on the back.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Some people state that there are no bells and whistles to it; and that is part of what makes it smooth. No extra crap going on in the background. I went from an S3 to the Moto X, and have mainly stayed on the side of Vanilla Android. I tried HTC and stock LG, and honestly don't care for them.

 

[LukeCloudRail]

For me:

I haven't managed to find a non-stock theme that I like with simple appearance.

And as others have said, there is something to be said about having the pure Google experience; it's nice knowing that the device that I use is using an operating system exactly as Google intended.

 

[me23brown]

For me I haven't had stock since my Galaxy Nexus. I've always wanted to go back but since I like larger phones I've had Note's for the last couple of years. While touchwiz has gotten a lot better with the current Note 5 I have, on the previous Notes it bogged down the experience so much I was begging for stock. Since the new nexus wasn't out when I switch carriers I decided to try out the G4. While a great phone I still had issues with LG's skin bogging things down too which made me want stock again. Unfortunately since Google decided not to go the carrier route this time (I really wanted the 6P) I traded in the G4 for the Note 5 and so far so good. I think the 4 GB of ram help the experience with a skinned version of android where 3 would probably be more than enough for stock.

 

[salutcemoi]

Stock Android is boring
My S5 is smooth tbh; no complaints

As for fast updates; they don't mean much nowadays as the OS has matured

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[srkmagnus]

Stock Android is boring
My S5 is smooth tbh; no complaints

As for fast updates; they don't mean much nowadays as the OS has matured

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There are many ways to customize the look of stock Android. The issue is that with OEMs, you are not only talking about the look of the device, you are dealing with the many processes running in the background. Many which are not even used by the user but are still there.

As for updates, it’s beyond the maturing of the OS. You have security updates that are now being pushed monthly to Nexus devices. Not all OEMs have committed to the monthly updates. But even if they did, you still have the issue with carrier delays.

As for the OP's question, I prefer a stock Android experience. Whether it's a Nexus device or other with an as close to stock experience.

 

[LeoRex]

There are many ways to customize the look of stock Android. The issue is that with OEMs, you are not only talking about the look of the device, you are dealing with the many processes running in the background. Many which are not even used by the user but are still there.

Precisely.... Features can be added. Most are just a simple install from the Play Store away. Others require root access or flashing a file... but if there is a feature out there, I can probably load it easy enough. But that's not even the problem. OEMs might add some features or functionality, but its all the weight they add in with it. Libraries, bits in the UI framework, etc. They bog things down a bit... You will never find a device that runs better than an up to date Nexus.

That's why Moto's approach is so awesome. They showed other OEMs that you can add in features without screwing with the OS a ton. I hope that Lenovo doesn't screw that up.

 

[Almeuit]

As others have said I enjoy the fast updates, no carrier bloat, and I like the basic UI versus TouchWiz. Not saying I hate it or anything -- I have used MANY Samsung phones but I do enjoy using my Nexus 6P since as someone else said "It is the way Google made it".

.

 

[salutcemoi]

That's the beauty of Android

We have options

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