Getting the Stock Android Experience on Top Notch Hardware

Most people would tend to agree that the Android smartphones released by Samsung lead the rest of the pack in terms of specifications which can be a big attraction for the geeks. Whilst the physical design may leave something to be desired with the plastic casing enduring since the original Galaxy S there’s little doubt that the grunt in the latest generation of handsets is quite formidable.

Anyway, if there is a turn off with Samsung devices it would be the TouchWiz interface. Some people love it and others not so much (I’m in this boat). The major gripe I have with any Android customisations on a handset is that it slows down the speed at which operating system updates are released from manufacturers to carriers and then eventually to end users. Meanwhile, Google Nexus devices receive operating system updates very quickly after being generally released.

Of course, if you wanted to the stock Android experience on non-Nexus hardware you can generally update the ROM manually but for novices this can be tricky and even for those that have some experience it is still a bit of a hassle. Plus, manufacturers may claim that you will void the warranty if you overwrite their customised ROM.

What ever to do?

Well, it seems that Samsung is releasing a “Google Edition” or “GE” version of its Samsung Galaxy S4 handset in June 2013 which will feature stock Android, completely void of TouchWiz and all other Samsung customisations. This is an interesting move as it could provide a decisive, preemptive strike against a stock Android Motorola handset and a refreshed Nexus 4/5 handset with potentially superior hardware. Given the choice, I would perhaps go with the Galaxy S4 over the other options. This is also perhaps a good step towards reducing OS fragmention as far as the Android platform is concerned.

Anyway, if you are considering an upgrade to your Android handset in the near future. then you might want to wait it out just a bit and see what pans out in the next month or so.

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