Would you like stock android on the S4?

[Faux Carnival]

I actually like Samsung additional features. However, I wish they used no skins. Just add those extras on top of stock Android.

 

[AndroidS3]

The thing is touchwiz doesnt look that good compared to like sense or stock

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Chex313]

Yup.

example: a Galaxy S IV running stock Android wouldn't have S-Voice and multiview.

If you really don't care for those features, you really shouldn't buy that device.

Out of curiosity(Since I have never used it)...what does S-Voice do different then stock JB (Google now, and voice search)

and for the OP question. Yes I would prefer the S4 with stock android. Though I wouldn't buy one at $700-$800, or be under contract for one. I like changing phones roughly every year, depending on the hardware improvements. Still waiting for the perfect phone.

I have to disagree with a lot of folks who have stated that samsung must be doing the right thing with Touchwiz since they sell so many. They could put what ever they wanted on it and because of their marketing power, they would sell just as well to the 90% who wouldn't know Touchwiz from Sense. Its only the 10% of us nerds who know any thing about the firmware and skin's.

I have a brother who hasn't used or changed anything on his and his wife's S3's. They were buying them under contract, asked my advice, and I told him if they wanted big screens get the S3 over the HTC One for the removable battery and SD. Otherwise get an iphone. If HTC had stock Android I would have recommended that for simplicity.

One of these days I'll get together with him and show him what it can do. I think they represent the 90% of buyers.

 

[japetty]

I want my SIV with Touch Wiz...I could go much less with at&t, VZW or one of the other companies junk, let me put what I want on it

 

[STC09]

What are the issues involved with ripping out Touchwhiz and replacing it with stock? I'm happy with my GNex but it won't last forever and I have doubts about another Nexus device on VZW in the foreseeable future.

 

[anon(5384869)]

What are the issues involved with ripping out Touchwhiz and replacing it with stock? I'm happy with my GNex but it won't last forever and I have doubts about another Nexus device on VZW in the foreseeable future.

If there are any stock Android Roms out there for your particular device, you could root an S3 (or S IV) and flash one.

 

[vNaK]

I actually prefer TW over stock android, minus the UI TW has. Stock android has a nice clean UI. But besides the clean UI of stock android, I prefer all the extra features TW offers. Swipe to call/msg is probably one of my favorites. Or move the phone to your ear with the name of the contact opened will automatically call the person. TW has some neat features implemented. Also, I dislike the dial-pad setup stock android has on the Nexus 4. Awful interface, you can't use the dial-pad to type the first few numbers of a phone number to bring up closest matches, have to type the name of person on a keyboard. Samsung's dial-pad a lot smoother to me.

I prefer a mix of aftermarket UI like Nova (which is what I'm using) combined with the features of Samsung/TW. The only thing I don't have now since I'm running Nova, is the page buddy from touchwiz, otherwise everything else appears to be working.

 

[STC09]

If there are any stock Android Roms out there for your particular device, you could root an S3 (or S IV) and flash one.

So the S series is easy enough to unlock and root? The GNex was simple enough but I've read others are quite difficult and significantly delayed because of it.

Saw a post in another forum where FB is baked into the UI (Sense) and cannot be removed short of flashing a new ROM. Considering how FB was always trying to access the GPS on my old Droid, who knows what info is being passed on to FB. This is yet another example of why I have no interest in proprietary UIs.

 

[Alex trebek]

Boring locked in BS for executives and kiddies.
But that's what jailbreaks are for

 

[bp3dots]

No thanks. I'd rather they keep their finite software resources working on adding useful new features, like split screenmultitasking instead of getting bogged down with babysitting multiple versions of software for the same phone just to passify the very few "I want AOSP but I don't want to lose my warranty" folks out there.

They've always got a base version on hand, all it needs is drivers for everything, which they are already putting in anyway to do the TW mods. It's nothing they don't already have on hand at all times, and that their internal dev team has someone already working on.

Also, I said I'd like the option direct from them even if it did void the warranty, simply because their build would be the most likely to actually have all features working.

 

[Tronstar]

For me, I buy a device for the hardware. I can change the software (ROM) to suit however I like. I cannot do that with the hardware.

 

[Suntan]

They've always got a base version on hand,

There's a big difference between "having a base version on hand" and having a base version that is checked and actually ready to be presentable to the customer.

Also, no big company wants to monkey around with the hassles that are entailed with something like "we're ok with you doing this, but it will void your warranty." If nothing else, the initial meeting with the internal lawyers would be so arduous and mind-numbing that most marketing and engineering groups would just throw their hands up and say, "We changed our mind, it's not worth it."

-Suntan

 

[bp3dots]

There's a big difference between "having a base version on hand" and having a base version that is checked and actually ready to be presentable to the customer.

Also, no big company wants to monkey around with the hassles that are entailed with something like "we're ok with you doing this, but it will void your warranty." If nothing else, the initial meeting with the internal lawyers would be so arduous and mind-numbing that most marketing and engineering groups would just throw their hands up and say, "We changed our mind, it's not worth it."

-Suntan

I'm no software guy, so I won't argue the first point, though it seems easy enough.

For the bolded one, any developer edition or factory based unlock method clearly state the voiding of warranty, so that doesn't seem to be the stopper. (At least it hasn't for Moto and HTC)

Either way, it's simply something a few would like to see, for the purposes of speculation in this thread. While it does make choosing a new phone tough for the few of us that care, it's really not that serious

 

[dmmarck]

The argument is that Samsung wants you to buy a Samsung phone and Samsung also wants your next phone to be a Samsung phone. They probably want you to have a Samsung tablet too.

If the user experience is identical to everyone else, your next is less likely to be a Samsung phone.

Again, stock Android isn't a sales driver.

And the existence of TouchWiz (and Sense, and MotoBlur) are very much in the spirit of Android.

It is if you want stock Android.

 

[bp3dots]

It is if you want stock Android.

Yes, but that's a fairly small group, so it's not necessarily worth Sammy's time to make it so. as a separate option, and it isnt in their best interests to do it for the whole line. (Mind you, I'm one of that small group myself.)

 

[dmmarck]

Yes, but that's a fairly small group, so it's not necessarily worth Sammy's time to make it so. as a separate option, and it isnt in their best interests to do it for the whole line. (Mind you, I'm one of that small group myself.)

I agree with you. I just think the statement should be qualified with the facts of the matter:

(1) If you want stock Android, you will buy stock Android.

(2) If you want Samsung, you will buy Samsung.

Stock Android will drive Google device sales, while Samsung will drive Samsung's.

To patently say that stock Android will not drive sales is way too overbroad IMO.

 

[Ry]

It is if you want stock Android.

Sure. If that's the one thing you're looking for, then yes, it is a sales driver for you.

But my point is, stock Android does not equal sales. If stock Android was truly a sales driver, the Nexus One, Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus, and Nexus 4 would all be top-selling Android devices. They're not. Motorola probably sold more Motorola DROIDs and Milestones (the original, A855, A854, A853 models) than those four Nexus phones combined. Samsung has probably sold more Galaxy S3s than all Nexus phones combined.

It's all relative and there are probably numbers that back up my assumption that stock Android is not a major sales driver for the Android phone ecosystem.

 

[dmmarck]

Sure. If that's the one thing you're looking for, then yes, it is a sales driver for you.

But my point is, stock Android does not equal sales. If stock Android was truly a sales driver, the Nexus One, Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus, and Nexus 4 would all be top-selling Android devices. They're not. Motorola probably sold more Motorola DROIDs and Milestones (the original, A855, A854, A853 models) than those four Nexus phones combined. Samsung has probably sold more Galaxy S3s than all Nexus phones combined.

It's all relative and there are probably numbers that back up my assumption that stock Android is not a major sales driver for the Android phone ecosystem.

No doubt. But I'd be hesitant to say that stock Android itself is not the reason behind such figures .

 

[bp3dots]

I agree with you. I just think the statement should be qualified with the facts of the matter:

(1) If you want stock Android, you will buy stock Android.

(2) If you want Samsung, you will buy Samsung.

Stock Android will drive Google device sales, while Samsung will drive Samsung's.

To patently say that stock Android will not drive sales is way too overbroad IMO.

Ah I see what you mean. Although the choice isn't quite the same. Take us VZW customers. I can't sacrifice the network which works for me, and I also cant get a new stock android device. SO, While I want stock, I'll end up with somethine else.

Sure. If that's the one thing you're looking for, then yes, it is a sales driver for you.

But my point is, stock Android does not equal sales. If stock Android was truly a sales driver, the Nexus One, Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus, and Nexus 4 would all be top-selling Android devices. They're not. Motorola probably sold more Motorola DROIDs and Milestones (the original, A855, A854, A853 models) than those four Nexus phones combined. Samsung has probably sold more Galaxy S3s than all Nexus phones combined.

It's all relative and there are probably numbers that back up my assumption that stock Android is not a major sales driver for the Android phone ecosystem.

Good point, but availability and not top end hardware also hurt nexus device sales. It'd be nice to see an actual even match, although I think the advertising alone would still keep Sammy in the lead.

 

[dmmarck]

Ah I see what you mean. Although the choice isn't quite the same. Take us VZW customers. I can't sacrifice the network which works for me, and I also cant get a new stock android device. SO, While I want stock, I'll end up with somethine else.



Good point, but availability and not top end hardware also hurt nexus device sales. It'd be nice to see an actual even match, although I think the advertising alone would still keep Sammy in the lead.

Other than perhaps storage and maybe camera, the Nexus 4 is as best as anything else out there currently IMO.

And BTW, i'm probably in the same boat you are with Verizon...