Questions, comparisons and differences between Windows Phone vs iOS vs Android

AppleScruff1 · Apr 23, 2014

I am in the market for a new phone and I am open to any of these OS's at this point. I have some questions and probably others do do in comparing these three systems. I think this could be a helpful thread and I want to keep it from turning into a flame fest.

The Windows phone app always defaults to call history and it seems there is no way to change this. You must then select the keypad. Android and iOS go to the keypad. For those using Windows phones, do you find this annoying or is it easy to get used to?

Also, there doesn't seem to be any way to change text size in Internet Explorer like you can in iOS (Safari) and Android (Chrome). Is this a limitation of the browser or the OS? I did a test loading MacRumors on the Lumia Icon, iPhone 5S and the Galaxy S5. Believe it or not, the text was larger and easier to read on the iPhone than the other two, even though they have larger screens. I found the Galaxy and the Icon displayed the site as it is on a desktop where the iPhone displayed the main articles without the stuff on the right side margin. Why is it this way? Is it the difference between Chrome, IE and Safari?

I'll start with these two questions and see where it goes from here. I appreciate any input and I hope others will also ask some questions too. Thanks.

ozaz · Apr 23, 2014

Can't answer the Qs in the OP as I'm not experienced with WP.

But would like to ask a Question: I know from experience that downloading a file onto my phone to subsequently transfer to my laptop (eg if I'm somewhere with no wifi) is trivial on android and annoying difficult on iOS. How is it on WP?

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Another couple of questions......

As far as I have been able to tell, two of my favourite aspects of iOS are not available on other mobile platforms.
* System-wide define option when selecting a word.
* iTunesU

Is there a comparable define word feature on Android/WP?
Is there a comparable service to iTunesU available through Android/WP

Lloydbm41 · Apr 23, 2014

AppleScruff1 said:
I am in the market for a new phone and I am open to any of these OS's at this point. I have some questions and probably others do do in comparing these three systems. I think this could be a helpful thread and I want to keep it from turning into a flame fest.

The Windows phone app always defaults to call history and it seems there is no way to change this. You must then select the keypad. Android and iOS go to the keypad. For those using Windows phones, do you find this annoying or is it easy to get used to?

Also, there doesn't seem to be any way to change text size in Internet Explorer like you can in iOS (Safari) and Android (Chrome). Is this a limitation of the browser or the OS? I did a test loading MacRumors on the Lumia Icon, iPhone 5S and the Galaxy S5. Believe it or not, the text was larger and easier to read on the iPhone than the other two, even though they have larger screens. I found the Galaxy and the Icon displayed the site as it is on a desktop where the iPhone displayed the main articles without the stuff on the right side margin. Why is it this way? Is it the difference between Chrome, IE and Safari?

I'll start with these two questions and see where it goes from here. I appreciate any input and I hope others will also ask some questions too. Thanks.

The phone automatically goes to the phone history for some reason. No idea why, but it isn't much of a hassle.
Yes, you can change the size of the text in internet explorer. It is under settings and then advanced settings. See image below.

As for display size on IOS, it may appear that the text is larger, but less is displayed on the screen. This requires a ton of scrolling left, right, up and down. Not the best experience.

AppleScruff1 · Apr 23, 2014

Lloydbm41 said:
The phone automatically goes to the phone history for some reason. No idea why, but it isn't much of a hassle.
Yes, you can change the size of the text in internet explorer. It is under settings and then advanced settings. See image below.

As for display size on IOS, it may appear that the text is larger, but less is displayed on the screen. This requires a ton of scrolling left, right, up and down. Not the best experience.

Thank you very much! I'll check this out in the next day or so when I get to play around with an Icon or 1520.

A couple of new questions. The buttons on the Lumia are all on the right side. Have you had any trouble with accidentally turning the phone off while holding it or taking it out of your pocket? I see that many other phones have the on/off button on the top. Is it a problem or nothing to worry about?

Those of you with the 1520, Icon, Galaxy, Note 3, M8 etc, how do you carry your phone? Do any of you use a holster with a belt clip?

Lloydbm41 · Apr 23, 2014

AppleScruff1 said:
Thank you very much! I'll check this out in the next day or so when I get to play around with an Icon or 1520.

A couple of new questions. The buttons on the Lumia are all on the right side. Have you had any trouble with accidentally turning the phone off while holding it or taking it out of your pocket? I see that many other phones have the on/off button on the top. Is it a problem or nothing to worry about?

Those of you with the 1520, Icon, Galaxy, Note 3, M8 etc, how do you carry your phone? Do any of you use a holster with a belt clip?

If you look in my signature, you'll see that I have a lot of phones that I alternate using. Right now I use my 1520 exclusively. The buttons on the right are no issue at all for me, but it may be an issue for you. On IOS you get used to hitting the power button on the top. On Android, you get used to taping the top right corner. Tapping the side of the phone is no different when you get used to it. I have a case on my 1520, stop no accidental presses at all. I also really like a full time shutter button on the bottom right for taking pics.

And if you have a 1520, I can guarantee you won't be using a belt clip. It's way, way to big.

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ozaz said:
Can't answer the Qs in the OP as I'm not experienced with WP.

But would like to ask a Question: I know from experience that downloading a file onto my phone to subsequently transfer to my laptop (eg if I'm somewhere with no wifi) is trivial on android and annoying difficult on iOS. How is it on WP?

----------

Another couple of questions......

As far as I have been able to tell, two of my favourite aspects of iOS are not available on other mobile platforms.
* System-wide define option when selecting a word.
* iTunesU

Is there a comparable define word feature on Android/WP?
Is there a comparable service to iTunesU available through Android/WP

Moving files from a PC to Windows phone is as simple as plugging it in to a USB port. Doesn't get any simpler.

AppleScruff1 · Apr 23, 2014

Lloydbm41 said:
If you look in my signature, you'll see that I have a lot of phones that I alternate using. Right now I use my 1520 exclusively. The buttons on the right are no issue at all for me, but it may be an issue for you. On IOS you get used to hitting the power button on the top. On Android, you get used to taping the top right corner. Tapping the side of the phone is no different when you get used to it. I have a case on my 1520, stop no accidental presses at all. I also really like a full time shutter button on the bottom right for taking pics.

And if you have a 1520, I can guarantee you won't be using a belt clip. It's way, way to big.

I was only curious about turning it off accidentally, not with getting used to the button placement. I just thought that you may be more likely to press it accidentally when holding the phone vs it being on the top. How/where do you carry your 1520? Can you put it in your pocket? What kind of case do you use? Again, thank you for the replies.

MRU · Apr 23, 2014

AppleScruff1 said:
I was only curious about turning it off accidentally, not with getting used to the button placement. I just thought that you may be more likely to press it accidentally when holding the phone vs it being on the top. How/where do you carry your 1520? Can you put it in your pocket? What kind of case do you use? Again, thank you for the replies.

I put my 1520 in my pockets. Depending on pants (whether jeans, trousers or tracksuit) there can be some outer hang but not by any significant margin. It is big, and I likely will trade it in when the lumia 930 launches here.

AppleScruff1 · Apr 23, 2014

MacRumorUser said:
I put my 1520 in my pockets. Depending on pants (whether jeans, trousers or tracksuit) there can be some outer hang but not by any significant margin. It is big, and I likely will trade it in when the lumia 930 launches here.

I'm guessing the back pocket? And no problems with turning it off by accident?

Fanaticalism · Apr 23, 2014

I just use an S-View cover with a glass shield on my Note 3 and it goes right into my pocket.

AppleScruff1 · Apr 23, 2014

Fanaticalism said:
I just use an S-View cover with a glass shield on my Note 3 and it goes right into my pocket.

Front or back pocket?

Lloydbm41 · Apr 23, 2014

AppleScruff1 said:
I'm guessing the back pocket? And no problems with turning it off by accident?

I put it in my front pocket and I have not had any accidental turn on's or off's. I use a TPU case that I got off of AMazon. It is this one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GI2O4L0/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Fanaticalism · Apr 23, 2014

Depends on what I have in my pocket at the time but at work it's always in my front pockets.

AppleScruff1 · Apr 23, 2014

Lloydbm41 said:
I put it in my front pocket and I have not had any accidental turn on's or off's. I use a TPU case that I got off of AMazon. It is this one:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GI2O4L0/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Fanaticalism said:
Depends on what I have in my pocket at the time but at work it's always in my front pockets.

Thanks to both of you for your replies. So the big phones are doable in a front pocket. If I go Windows, it will be either the Icon or the 1520, but I have to switch carriers if I go that route.

I'd like to hear some feedback on Samsung and TouchWiz. I've only played with the Galaxy and Note for a few minutes a couple of times. No one has explained TouchWiz to me, so I've done it just by experimenting. My initial impressions are that it has many layers and it would take some getting used to. Again, initial impressions are that it isn't as intuitive to me as WP and iOS, but to be fair I have much more experience with iOS. The HTC M8 seems to have less layers or whatever you want to call it than the Note 3 and S5. I also noticed a delay on the S5 when pressing the home button, it seems to hang sometimes, almost to the point of pushing the button again because I didn't think it registered the first time. I didn't notice this on the M8 and I honestly can't remember if it did on the Note. I have looked at so many phones!

What are the advantages to TouchWiz once you get used to it? The Moto X seems far simpler and cleaner in comparison.

jamezr · Apr 23, 2014

AppleScruff1 said:
Thanks to both of you for your replies. So the big phones are doable in a front pocket. If I go Windows, it will be either the Icon or the 1520, but I have to switch carriers if I go that route.

I'd like to hear some feedback on Samsung and TouchWiz. I've only played with the Galaxy and Note for a few minutes a couple of times. No one has explained TouchWiz to me, so I've done it just by experimenting. My initial impressions are that it has many layers and it would take some getting used to. Again, initial impressions are that it isn't as intuitive to me as WP and iOS, but to be fair I have much more experience with iOS. The HTC M8 seems to have less layers or whatever you want to call it than the Note 3 and S5. I also noticed a delay on the S5 when pressing the home button, it seems to hang sometimes, almost to the point of pushing the button again because I didn't think it registered the first time. I didn't notice this on the M8 and I honestly can't remember if it did on the Note. I have looked at so many phones!

What are the advantages to TouchWiz once you get used to it? The Moto X seems far simpler and cleaner in comparison.

I just went through this myself.....I just bought a Lumia 1520 a few days ago.
First observations....
The phone is big...but not too big. I actually like it better than the Note 3 i had.
The 1520 is very fast with topnotch hardware.
I can sync it with my MBP using an app from the App store called "Windows Phone". It syncs music and playlists and pictures. The live tiles in 8.1 are awesome! Love this feature. But now onto apps.....apps do not behave the same as on IOS or Android. Some of the settings and customization are not there. I use Chrome on all my devices. But can't get it on WP8. I can't even get IE to import my bookmarks from chrome. Even after copying them to Onedrive. there are apps that will do it but they don't do it very well.
Battery life on the 1520 is great. Right now i have 67% left and it has been off the charger since 5AM and it says I have 16 hours left!
One big gripe i have is with the buttons on the right side of the phone. That side is rather busy....it has the volume rocker button and the screen wake/sleep button and camera button. I find myself hitting the camera button all the time when picking up the phone or taking it out of my pocket. It then activates the camera app....very annoying.
I have had much time to experiment with the camera but......first impression is I the camera on the GS5 is better. Hope that helps.....

MRU · Apr 24, 2014

AppleScruff1 said:
I'm guessing the back pocket? And no problems with turning it off by accident?

No front pocket.

AppleScruff1 · Apr 24, 2014

jamezr said:
I just went through this myself.....I just bought a Lumia 1520 a few days ago.
First observations....
The phone is big...but not too big. I actually like it better than the Note 3 i had.
The 1520 is very fast with topnotch hardware.
I can sync it with my MBP using an app from the App store called "Windows Phone". It syncs music and playlists and pictures. The live tiles in 8.1 are awesome! Love this feature. But now onto apps.....apps do not behave the same as on IOS or Android. Some of the settings and customization are not there. I use Chrome on all my devices. But can't get it on WP8. I can't even get IE to import my bookmarks from chrome. Even after copying them to Onedrive. there are apps that will do it but they don't do it very well.
Battery life on the 1520 is great. Right now i have 67% left and it has been off the charger since 5AM and it says I have 16 hours left!
One big gripe i have is with the buttons on the right side of the phone. That side is rather busy....it has the volume rocker button and the screen wake/sleep button and camera button. I find myself hitting the camera button all the time when picking up the phone or taking it out of my pocket. It then activates the camera app....very annoying.
I have had much time to experiment with the camera but......first impression is I the camera on the GS5 is better. Hope that helps.....

Thanks for the input, it is appreciated. I'd like to hear more about how it compares to the Galaxy S5 and how WP8 compares to KitKat in general too. What are your thoughts on TouchWiz, etc.

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MacRumorUser said:
No front pocket.

Thanks. And how about accidental button presses?

chagla · Apr 24, 2014

AppleScruff1 said:
I am in the market for a new phone and I am open to any of these OS's at this point. I have some questions and probably others do do in comparing these three systems. I think this could be a helpful thread and I want to keep it from turning into a flame fest.

...

I'll start with these two questions and see where it goes from here. I appreciate any input and I hope others will also ask some questions too. Thanks.

I believe there are replacement phone apps for windows phone. Each one behaves differently. So you can try a few.

Windows phone is really fast, extremely simple, support memory expansion. good windows/microsoft/office integration. App market is still limited but it's growing fast. If you use google products a lot, you will feel the need!

Ios is also great. like windows, it's fast and straightfoward to use. more apps than windows phone. iphone lacks memory expansion and IOS has many limitations.

overall I would say go for Android. you can really personalize it. nearly anything you don't like can be replaced. browser, keyboard, font, theme etc etc. android works more like a computer but its not complex to use though. it has the power and freedom. you can use it as is OR you can make it your own. there are some really cool apps. if u have a minute, take a quick look at the apps on my signtaure at play.google.com

AppleScruff1 · Apr 24, 2014

chagla said:
I believe there are replacement phone apps for windows phone. Each one behaves differently. So you can try a few.

Windows phone is really fast, extremely simple, support memory expansion. good windows/microsoft/office integration. App market is still limited but it's growing fast. If you use google products a lot, you will feel the need!

Ios is also great. like windows, it's fast and straightfoward to use. more apps than windows phone. iphone lacks memory expansion and IOS has many limitations.

overall I would say go for Android. you can really personalize it. nearly anything you don't like can be replaced. browser, keyboard, font, theme etc etc. android works more like a computer but its not complex to use though. it has the power and freedom. you can use it as is OR you can make it your own. there are some really cool apps. if u have a minute, take a quick look at the apps on my signtaure at play.google.com

Thanks. I'll check those out. What are you using for an Android phone?

jamezr · Apr 24, 2014

AppleScruff1 said:
Thanks for the input, it is appreciated. I'd like to hear more about how it compares to the Galaxy S5 and how WP8 compares to KitKat in general too. What are your thoughts on TouchWiz, etc.

----------

Thanks. And how about accidental button presses?

I generally I do not like TW...I always use Nova launcher for Samsung phones.
I found WP8 to be very smooth and fast. It is moving in the right direction and the MS seems to be committed to more development and speeding up the update releases cycle.

Cortana is better than Google Now in my opinion. It rivals Siri and may be just a little better in my tests.
The browser....I do not use IE. I use Chrome...but you cannot get Chrome on WP8. No big deal....but it (or my lack of knowledge) will not let me import my bookmarks from Chrome to WP8. I even exported them to Onedrive and copied them to the SD Card...but no luck so far.
My biggest annoyance with the 1520 is not the size of the phone but the button placement. With all the buttons on one side...I am constantly hitting the camera button by mistake. I am not sure if I am going to keep the 1520. I may just wait for the Icon/930 to come to AT&T later this year to complete my WP8 experience. hope this helps.....

Stuntman06 · Apr 24, 2014

AppleScruff1 said:
Also, there doesn't seem to be any way to change text size in Internet Explorer like you can in iOS (Safari) and Android (Chrome). Is this a limitation of the browser or the OS? I did a test loading MacRumors on the Lumia Icon, iPhone 5S and the Galaxy S5. Believe it or not, the text was larger and easier to read on the iPhone than the other two, even though they have larger screens. I found the Galaxy and the Icon displayed the site as it is on a desktop where the iPhone displayed the main articles without the stuff on the right side margin. Why is it this way? Is it the difference between Chrome, IE and Safari?

Have you tried any other web site? I found with Phonearena.com, the text is just really small on Safari on the iPhone compared to Chrome on the Galaxy S3. I also just tried Macrumors.com and at least for me, the text on Chrome is bigger than on Safari.

One thing with Chrome is that you can configure it to inform the web site that you are a PC and not a mobile device. For certain web sites, you may want the page rendered as if you were on a desktop. I recommend you set it not to do this as for most sites, it is better to view it as a mobile device.

AppleScruff1 said:
I'd like to hear some feedback on Samsung and TouchWiz. I've only played with the Galaxy and Note for a few minutes a couple of times. No one has explained TouchWiz to me, so I've done it just by experimenting. My initial impressions are that it has many layers and it would take some getting used to. Again, initial impressions are that it isn't as intuitive to me as WP and iOS, but to be fair I have much more experience with iOS. The HTC M8 seems to have less layers or whatever you want to call it than the Note 3 and S5. I also noticed a delay on the S5 when pressing the home button, it seems to hang sometimes, almost to the point of pushing the button again because I didn't think it registered the first time. I didn't notice this on the M8 and I honestly can't remember if it did on the Note. I have looked at so many phones!

I personally don't see too much difference in using Touchwiz on the Galaxy S3 and Sense on my old Desire Z. It's just going to take a little while to get used to where everything is and get used to the differences in how to do things. I actually use Nova Prime launcher on my GS3. The home screen configuration is Nova, but some of the other settings I see are still TouchWiz like the controls on the dropdown notification view.

I would say it just takes some time to get used to navigating a different OS and UI. I'm used to Android and I just recently got an iPhone for work. I found that I was quite lost trying to navigate iOS. All of the settings are organised differently than what I'm used to.

What are the advantages to TouchWiz once you get used to it? The Moto X seems far simpler and cleaner in comparison.

When I first switched from my Desire Z to a GS3 two years ago, I make use of 2 features in TouchWiz that was not available in Sense on the Desire Z. Orientation lock and voice actions.

On TW, I can access the screen orientation lock via the notification drop down screen. This made it convenient for me. This feature is now available on iOS 7 from the control panel when you swipe from the bottom. On Sense, I had to use a widget on my home screen. This meant I had to exit the application, go to my home screen to toggle the lock and then go back into my app. On TW, I don't have to exit the app and it was more convenient to get to the toggle. It's been 2 years since I used Sense, so I think Sense or even stock Android has this feature now as well.

The other feature I use is the voice actions. For certain controls, you can simply say something instead of actually touching your phone. For instance, when my alarm goes off, I can just say, "stop" or "snooze" to stop or snooze my alarm. I can also take a picture by saying "shoot" or "cheese" instead of pressing the shutter button on the screen. The alarm shutoff is the most useful, so I won't have to reach more my phone in a sleepy state and risk knocking it onto the floor.

For the most part, stuff is just organised differently with TW or Galaxy phones. The back button is on the bottom right instead of bottom left on most other Android phones. Stuff like this just take getting used to.

AppleScruff1 · Apr 24, 2014

jamezr said:
I generally I do not like TW...I always use Nova launcher for Samsung phones.
I found WP8 to be very smooth and fast. It is moving in the right direction and the MS seems to be committed to more development and speeding up the update releases cycle.

Cortana is better than Google Now in my opinion. It rivals Siri and may be just a little better in my tests.
The browser....I do not use IE. I use Chrome...but you cannot get Chrome on WP8. No big deal....but it (or my lack of knowledge) will not let me import my bookmarks from Chrome to WP8. I even exported them to Onedrive and copied them to the SD Card...but no luck so far.
My biggest annoyance with the 1520 is not the size of the phone but the button placement. With all the buttons on one side...I am constantly hitting the camera button by mistake. I am not sure if I am going to keep the 1520. I may just wait for the Icon/930 to come to AT&T later this year to complete my WP8 experience. hope this helps.....

Does the Nova launcher replace TouchWiz? Do you download it from Googleplay?
I have only seen Cortana demoed in person and I have watched a few videos online. Honestly, Siri doesn't impress me. Even on my iPad Air, Google voice is much more accurate for searches. And I have found it to be very accurate when I have played around with in stores.

I think WP8 feels very fast and smooth, it certainly loses nothing to iOS in that regard. I like the 1520, but it may be a bit too big. The Icon seems like a good size. I am currently with Verizon, so I'd have to switch to AT&T for the 1520. But I would consider switching as long as the coverage is equal. T-Mobile is out for me and I wouldn't consider Sprint.

AT&T and Verizon really seem to push the Galaxy S5, but for some reason I'm not feeling it. For Android phones, I like the HTC M8, Nexus 5, and Moto X. Maybe I'd like the Google Play Edition of the S5 or a customized version to get rid of TouchWiz, or learn how to use TW. I won't consider the current iPhone, but maybe the 6 will be bigger and better. But then again, it will probably be 2 months or more before you can just walk in and buy one. I won't buy it without seeing it first. And it will probably come with iOS 8, and their are still a few things that need fixed in iOS 7.

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Stuntman06 said:
Have you tried any other web site? I found with Phonearena.com, the text is just really small on Safari on the iPhone compared to Chrome on the Galaxy S3. I also just tried Macrumors.com and at least for me, the text on Chrome is bigger than on Safari.

One thing with Chrome is that you can configure it to inform the web site that you are a PC and not a mobile device. For certain web sites, you may want the page rendered as if you were on a desktop. I recommend you set it not to do this as for most sites, it is better to view it as a mobile device.

I personally don't see too much difference in using Touchwiz on the Galaxy S3 and Sense on my old Desire Z. It's just going to take a little while to get used to where everything is and get used to the differences in how to do things. I actually use Nova Prime launcher on my GS3. The home screen configuration is Nova, but some of the other settings I see are still TouchWiz like the controls on the dropdown notification view.

I would say it just takes some time to get used to navigating a different OS and UI. I'm used to Android and I just recently got an iPhone for work. I found that I was quite lost trying to navigate iOS. All of the settings are organised differently than what I'm used to.

When I first switched from my Desire Z to a GS3 two years ago, I make use of 2 features in TouchWiz that was not available in Sense on the Desire Z. Orientation lock and voice actions.

On TW, I can access the screen orientation lock via the notification drop down screen. This made it convenient for me. This feature is now available on iOS 7 from the control panel when you swipe from the bottom. On Sense, I had to use a widget on my home screen. This meant I had to exit the application, go to my home screen to toggle the lock and then go back into my app. On TW, I don't have to exit the app and it was more convenient to get to the toggle. It's been 2 years since I used Sense, so I think Sense or even stock Android has this feature now as well.

The other feature I use is the voice actions. For certain controls, you can simply say something instead of actually touching your phone. For instance, when my alarm goes off, I can just say, "stop" or "snooze" to stop or snooze my alarm. I can also take a picture by saying "shoot" or "cheese" instead of pressing the shutter button on the screen. The alarm shutoff is the most useful, so I won't have to reach more my phone in a sleepy state and risk knocking it onto the floor.

For the most part, stuff is just organised differently with TW or Galaxy phones. The back button is on the bottom right instead of bottom left on most other Android phones. Stuff like this just take getting used to.

Thanks for your input. If I go Windows, Chrome isn't an option now and it might never be, who knows for sure? I am impressed with Google Now, much more so than Siri. Just playing around with it it has been more accurate than Siri, and I have Siri on my iPad. I noticed that about the back button, but like you said, changing your OS takes some getting used to. The is no back button on the iPhone and iPad, and IMO, it is a big omission.

MRU · Apr 24, 2014

AppleScruff1 said:
[/COLOR]

Thanks. And how about accidental button presses?

Haven't had any.

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AppleScruff1 said:
Does the Nova launcher replace TouchWiz? Do you download it from Googleplay?

To a superficial extent. It replaces the home screen management system / GUI. In fact that's exactly what it is 'a home screen replacement only'...

However everything under the hood and running from the home screen is still Samsung's Touchwiz.

Touchwiz skin is everywhere, in the settings, in the notification bar, in the stock apps like dialler, s-planner calendar, gallery, calculator etc... None of those things change when you use a home screen replacement launcher such as Nova.

Neither does it stop lots of Samsung apps running / cache in the background. You may be able to disable some of these, many you can not.

Personally for me I actually don't mind Touchwiz home screen itself. It's everything underneath that you can't change that bugs me. (The inconsistency of the GUI between all the stock elements). None of those change when you utilise a different launcher.

AppleScruff1 · Apr 24, 2014

MacRumorUser said:
Haven't had any.

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To a superficial extent. It replaces the home screen management system / GUI. In fact that's exactly what it is 'a home screen replacement only'...

However everything under the hood and running from the home screen is still Samsung's Touchwiz.

Touchwiz skin is everywhere, in the settings, in the notification bar, in the stock apps like dialler, s-planner calendar, gallery, calculator etc... None of those things change when you use a home screen replacement launcher such as Nova.

Neither does it stop lots of Samsung apps running / cache in the background. You may be able to disable some of these, many you can not.

Personally for me I actually don't mind Touchwiz home screen itself. It's everything underneath that you can't change that bugs me. (The inconsistency of the GUI between all the stock elements). None of those change when you utilise a different launcher.

What phones do you currently have?

MRU · Apr 25, 2014

AppleScruff1 said:
What phones do you currently have?

Lumia 1520
Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition
HTC ONE M8

AppleScruff1 · Apr 25, 2014

MacRumorUser said:
Lumia 1520
Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition
HTC ONE M8

I have looked at the M8 and the S5 along with the Windows phones. Personally I prefer the M8, but a GPE S5 would probably be more appealing to me. Which of these is your favorite? Pros and cons of each? Pure Android vs Sense vs Windows? M8 camera vs the others? Sorry for so many questions, I guess a mini review and comparison would be most helpful.

Questions, comparisons and differences between Windows Phone vs iOS vs Android

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