Android : Why tamper ?

[Dolby]

Surely it'll be better for everyone involved if manufacturers don't tamper with Android?

I was reading the 4.3 update on the S3 and there a number of bugs which caused them to delay the roll out. It took Samsung 3 weeks to sort them out and they started roll out again ... but some people still complained about phoned that wouldn't boot up etc.

Users complain of bloatware and the Play versions with vanilla Android are often snapped up when they're lauched as well. Other users (Sony) seem to complain that Sony forgets them and they never get new updates once they have the phone.

Isn't it easier for the manufacturers to simply leave it alone ... ?

 

[Fulcrum29]

Like removing marketing gimmicks? The Samsung playground...

 

[Maverick Jester]

The different OEM's offer their own skins to differentiate themselves from their rivals. Or else, what use would multiple Android vendors be?

I'm not a fan of the skinned versions of Android, but they do all have their own set of attractive features over stock Android. The end user normally does not care for these things.

 

[koeksGHT]

Hate it.. shi77y Samsung app store..

 

[Dolby]

The different OEM's offer their own skins to differentiate themselves from their rivals

Hardware specs ... processor, camera, aesthetics, warranty/guarantee, quality/longevity

The software side seems a nightmare for everyone involved. Samsung need to hire devs and - the time around for sure - created bugs and it needs to be corrected. By this stage, it's already all over the web and everyone knows the company messed up.

Same with Sony - they hire their own devs but already 'word' is that they're lazy? and one can never expect upgrades.

From a consumer side, bloatware, lagginess due to it and constant waits.

It just seems a nightmare for the entire channel

 

[ngwe23]

The different OEM's offer their own skins to differentiate themselves from their rivals. Or else, what use would multiple Android vendors be?

I'm not a fan of the skinned versions of Android, but they do all have their own set of attractive features over stock Android. The end user normally does not care for these things.

I agree with you 100%. Samsung sold a lot of phones because of their S features, even though I think they are gimmicks. But guess what gimmicks sell phones. I also happen like HTC Sense 5. The features such as Zoes that come baked into the phones are neat.

 

[Maverick Jester]

Hardware specs ... processor, camera, aesthetics, warranty/guarantee, quality/longevity

Doesn't necessarily work- Sony and HTC, with superior hardware, aesthetics and build quality, are massively outsold by Samsung. The HTC One and Xperia Z1 are some of the best looking and fantastically built devices being sold, yet are killed by the S4.

The software side seems a nightmare for everyone involved. Samsung need to hire devs and - the time around for sure - created bugs and it needs to be corrected. By this stage, it's already all over the web and everyone knows the company messed up.

This is the same for any company, really. And the only people who take notice of it are the technically-minded. Most consumers don't care.

You should see the hysteria when Google gets something wrong in stock Android, though...

Same with Sony - they hire their own devs but already 'word' is that they're lazy? and one can never expect upgrades.

Actually, Sony have turned that around- they have more devices in the AOSP programme than the other vendors. Their upgrade cycles are also a lot better than their competitors now.

From a consumer side, bloatware, lagginess due to it and constant waits.

It just seems a nightmare for the entire channel

I dunno- over 40 millions S4's sold, says to me that most consumers don't have much issue with it.

I do agree with you that some OEMs screw up the software. I couldn't use a Samsung device again, because of their crap.

 

[biometrics]

Since I got the Nexus 7 I'm likely to go for the Nexus 5 come upgrade time next year. Currently have a Note 2.

 

[kingrob]

Most of the manufacturers build extra features into their phones, like Samsungs' SPen, which won't work with plain vanilla Android.

Smart dialer, SPlanner, SNote , video player, fm radio, music player widgets, etc. Air Command on Note 3, and many more.

I prefer the Samsung Touchwiz UI to plain Android.

 

[BigAl-sa]

Most of the manufacturers build extra features into their phones, like Samsungs' SPen, which won't work with plain vanilla Android.

Smart dialer, SPlanner, SNote , video player, fm radio, music player widgets, etc. Air Command on Note 3, and many more.

I prefer the Samsung Touchwiz UI to plain Android.

+1, especially if you have a Note device with the s-pen. That double tap while holding the s-pen button is wonderful!

 

[Dolby]

I prefer the Samsung Touchwiz UI to plain Android.

Barring the S pen - can you not download half those apps, like the planner and music widget?

The thing is it's at the expensive of being a few generations behind current software and lagginess due the bloated programs you cannot remove.

I was looking forward to upgrading my S3 this morning (albeit a generation behind), but after reading that Samsung needed to halt the rolls out and then the constant issues, I'll rather stick with what I Have

 

[Tsepz_GP]

Most of the manufacturers build extra features into their phones, like Samsungs' SPen, which won't work with plain vanilla Android.

Smart dialer, SPlanner, SNote , video player, fm radio, music player widgets, etc. Air Command on Note 3, and many more.

I prefer the Samsung Touchwiz UI to plain Android.

+1

I once envied Nexus users as a Xperia X10 owner between 2010 and 2011, they had the updates on time and their phones ran beautifully, I remember drooling over the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. I remember loading stock Android 2.2.1 and 2.3 ROMs on my X10, just to get a taste of the Nexus experience, I then got the Galaxy S2 and was simply gobsmacked by how much functionality Samsung had thrown into it. From a very informative Task Manager, a Clipboard with memory, a built in Notes app that synced to my Samsung account etc etc... I then tried a few Stock Android4.0 ROMs but I simply couldn't live without TouchWiz.

I remember eventually trying a Galaxy Nexus in real life and realising how empty and basic stock Android is :/ on the other hand each year TouchWiz has taken leaps in functionality, the Multi Window multitasking feature that came 1st in the Note 2 and then was brought to the S3 and became standard in Samsungs is just one of many reasons I can't leave TouchWiz. I look at stock Android now and think "Blehh...thats bland".

Samsung are good with updates though compared to the likes of Sony, LG and HTC, I can't think of one 2012 customised flagship model of those OEMs that is on Android4.3, yet Samsung has the GS3 and Note2, although the GS3 I9300 update hasn't gone smoothly, they've already pushed out two revisions.

I'd love for my GS4 to get the latest and greatest Android build the day Google release it, but if that means going Nexus or Play Edition??? Then no thanks, I'll wait

 

[kingrob]

I made my Note 2 into a S4, just for kicks.

 

[Tsepz_GP]

Didn't know you gotta Note2 KingRob, Congrats!
Lol, very nice work there must look incredible on that 5.5" display

 

[kingrob]

Didn't know you gotta Note2 KingRob, Congrats!
Lol, very nice work there must look incredible on that 5.5" display

Got it free with my Telkom Mobile Smartplan 150 contract in October.

The display is absolutely gorgeous.

 

[TJ99]

Hardware specs ... processor, camera, aesthetics, warranty/guarantee, quality/longevity

This.

Problem is, these days the hardware is often mostly the same, for example everyone using the Snapdragon chips, and the displays are all made by Samsung or LG (or licensed by them). So they try and add all kinds of software gimmicks to make their products seem different.

I'd love it if they all came with vanilla Android and got updated directly from Google, or at least gave us the fricken choice of switching from their bloated custom ROMS to AOSP without waiting for someone to crack the bootloader, rooting and all that jazz.

Edit: As has been mentioned, the extra Samsung functions are great, such as the S-Pen, but again, we should have the choice.

 

[phoneJunky]

Barring the S pen - can you not download half those apps, like the planner and music widget?

The thing is it's at the expensive of being a few generations behind current software and lagginess due the bloated programs you cannot remove.

I was looking forward to upgrading my S3 this morning (albeit a generation behind), but after reading that Samsung needed to halt the rolls out and then the constant issues, I'll rather stick with what I Have

While I am on cm, the s planner is the app i miss the most. It really is much better than the replacements on on the market.

It is the only reason why I flash back to stock sometimes

 

[rorz0r]

The S planner is definitely one of the more decent Samsung apps. I use business calendar pro though.

 

[Vis1/0N]

With Google messing around with external storage issues, USB host, battery stats,privacy settings etc... I would want the manufacturer to be responsible for the features I bought the device for.

For example, I dislike the new play store that was released earlier this year. I went back to the factory one but then play services updated it to the new store and now I have to live with it. Google gives us no choice sometimes. Having the latest updates is nice but then when working stuff breaks I would rather not have the update.

At least with the manufacturer updates they are legally responsible for keeping the features you bought the device for. They have to tinker, and this improves Android with their speculative features. Ahem multiwindow.