Stock android?

[iviv]

My ipod is on it's last legs, and I currently have a rather low spec Samsung Ace GT-7500. So I'm going to kill two birds with one stone and combine the two. Which wasn't going to be a problem until I tried my Dad's Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet. After almost a year spent getting comfortable with my Nexus 10 and the stock android system, trying to find things on the tab was annoying, and I imagine it will be similar on the phones, though naturally they will be designed for the smaller form factor.

If I want a stock OS, is my only option to buy the Nexus 4? Or wait for the Nexus 5?
If it is possible to mod other phones to a stock Android, what would be the best option circa £200?

 

[grudas]

nexus 4 is your best option for that price.. but you won't get a new one these days unless google go ahead and re-release it at the dropped price with 4G

 

[this_is_gav]

If I want a stock OS, is my only option to buy the Nexus 4? Or wait for the Nexus 5?
If it is possible to mod other phones to a stock Android, what would be the best option circa £200?

The HTC One and the Galaxy S4 both have 'stock experience' alternatives (perhaps US-based only, but you can install the roms on European phones), though they aren't kept up-to-date by Google, and rely and HTC and Samsung updating them, which inevitably means you'll seldom have the latest OS, just like their Sense and Touchwiz brothers.

You've got roms like Cyanogenmod which offer a near-stock experience (which as far as I'm aware means basically different wallpapers and boot themes, but otherwise it's stock), and roms based on such roms which give the same experience, but add optional goodies like Pie controls. Not every phone is supported perfectly, indeed most phones will be missing things such as the FM radio, but older phones, such as the Galaxy S3 tend to work fine (I think the Samsung-based radio doesn't work, but ones off the market do? As far as I'm aware, everything else works fine).

Your safest bet is the Nexus range of course, but if you research there are alternatives.

 

[iviv]

nexus 4 is your best option for that price.. but you won't get a new one these days unless google go ahead and re-release it at the dropped price with 4G

Is it looking around £290 for the Nexus 5? How does a phone that big feel compared with a more 'normal' 4"? The measurement is diagonal, so there's not actually going to be too much change in the width, I'd assume?

 

[Orcvader]

Current rumours actually points it to be smaller than the Nexus 4 (which is actually 4.7"). A recent leak points it to $349, which converts to £216, and then adding the usual extra I'm guessing it will be ~£260 for the 16gb version.

You can always root and slap on something like Cyanogenmod for the pure Android experience, but as mentioned before it won't be the latest Android version. You can probably experiment it with your current Ace if you feel like it, although it is rather low spec.

 

[this_is_gav]

You can always root and slap on something like Cyanogenmod for the pure Android experience, but as mentioned before it won't be the latest Android version. You can probably experiment it with your current Ace if you feel like it, although it is rather low spec.

Have to say the nightlies (based on the latest Android version) that Temasek uses for his Galaxy S3 roms are rock solid for me. Absolutely solid.