hating "stock" android

ash_scotland88

ash_scotland88

ash_scotland88

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1 Jul 2007
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I have just got a moto x force, it's not 100% stock but it's pretty damn close. And I am finding it really restrictive compared to my LG G3.

-The Google search bar can't be removed without installing a custom launcher.
-The battery % cant be accessed without enabling a hidden menu (which my phone wasnt wanting to do) or installing an app
-The App drawer is automatically arranged in alphabetical order and scrolls like a website, i like having the seperate pages meaning I can organise apps into catagories.
-Standard email app is G-mail, which I hate and don't use the email address anyway. I was actually fond of the other standard app and worked well for me with two accounts set up.
-Calander widget only shows the day, again I liked the week long view on the homepage.
-Talking of which new homepages could only be added to the right (or so i found), not the left. Again it comes down to change but I have the main page and left or right depending on widgets.
-Standard clock has not weather function, glad I bought beautiful apps when I had an HTC wildfire.

I'm sure there's more, and yes it may be down to just change. And some of these can be "solved" with apps. But to me I wouldn't buy a car then expect to pay more for what I think should be standard. Stock android seems basic, very basic. Yet Google appears to want to track and integrate everything more than any other phone maker who customises their software.

It's a shame, as I got the phone due to it's rugged qualities and large battery which suits my job. Maybe LG has spoilt me and I'm going from a high end car with options to a base spec Dacia (keeping with the car anology) and as such I need to learn to use custom apps again. Who knows, but only having it for 24hours I want to return it and get a G5 for my sins of owning a G3 with "every" common issue- failing digitizer and loose usb charger.
 
That the beauty of stock Android though, it's a blank canvas without any added crap and you can do what you want with it however you want to do it.

There are some system UI tweaks that apps can't do which are nicer on branded versions though I'll admit, but not the end of the world.
 
stock Android is amazing, would sooner have that, than all the crap other phone makers add to it
 
Yeah as others have said I'd rather have stock, then you can add to it. But I guess we shouldn't be surprised when people actually like some of the stuff manufacturers add, and find it useful, not everyone wants to have to add loads of stuff.

Oh and yeah, Nova.
 
MichaelAwkward said:
That would be generally true a few years ago, but today most of the manufacturers additions are quite useful.
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Indeed, minimal yet still useful is the trend with the big OEMs these days (except LG, they just don't give a damn). Samsung have Good Lock which brings vanilla SystemUI with additional features not found on stock, Sony has the Concept program, Moto has a near stock UI anyway.
 
You have got used to the way the LG customised UI works which is different to the default operation if stock Android.

Everything on your list can be solved by installing some apps or changing some settings, which is exactly what had been done on your LG, it's just LG had done it for you.

The reason people like stock Android isn't because its great as is (its not), it's because you can make it whatever you want.

So to use your analogy, LG provide you a Mercedes E Class while stock Android is a bare rolling chassis and a warehouse full of every possible optional part available to build whatever you want. If you like the E Class that might be a bit of a pain, but not everyone wants an E Class.
 
Nova should be the default bundled launcher on every phone. Most would never guess my phone was a Samsung by just looking at how the software is set up really. Make your Android how you want, this isn't iOS :p
 
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Google have clearly not bothered to invest any time in making the stock launcher any good, as they know others already a wealth of better options out there.
 
Why would they the stock launcher is absolutely fine for the mass market who just want to pick up a phone and have it work, it's clean and easy to use without a myriad of options to confuse people.

Then like you say there's plenty of "better" options for those of us who want to customise to the nth degree.
 
I'm not over keen on stock and in my experience each new iteration of android understandably has a list of issues and problems so the fast updates aren't as attractive as they were a few years ago.
 
Richy888 said:
What is this menu button you speak of?
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It used to be in Android until v4 came out which got rid of it for the recent apps button. The menu key, if your phone still has the functionality, can be used to open the "3-dot" menus in current Android apps. Pretty pointless to have now.

As for the topic, I've always been a big advocate of stock android, mainly for its perceived responsiveness, lack of bloat and the relative consistency of its design. However, I've now gone for an S7 Edge with Touchwiz. I'm not missing stock that much, I can make it look very similar even without rooting, and the phone itself is, so far as I can tell, far superior to something like a Nexus 6P in pretty much every area, even speed. Quite often, its a case of making a choice of good hardware, not quite as good software, or the other way around with phones. This time, I've gone for the hardware. Despite not being a fan particularly of touchwiz, it's still proving to be a pleasant experience.
 
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