jamezr
macrumors P6
And that is what is important....you are happy with it. If TW isn't your thing. Hey there are a lot of other choices. Not picking on you personally mind you. Just don't understand the TW hate sometimes. 🙂
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Nexus-N/Pixel XL ( 2016 )
- Thread starter Tig Bitties
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Fernandez21
macrumors 601
I think it mostly stems from older versions, the one I had on my Note 3 was horrible, as much as I liked that phone I ended up getting rid of it 2 months in because touchwiz was just so bloated and hideous looking.
I think that may have been the worst version, as they started to clean it up with the S5 and kept that going through the Note 4 and beyond. And really the latest versions of touchwiz are pretty nice with the right theme. They still have some work to do, started getting major lag with the keyboard after 5 months that required a wipe to fix, but it's one of my favorite skins now.
MRU
macrumors Penryn
If you prefer stock then yes, the 6P is a killer handset and the arrival of the S7 & Edge doesn't change that.
It's very fast, doesn't have any issues with the SD810, finger print scanner is great, speakers very good and screen is one of the best amoleds other than Samsung's. Multitasks like a champion and battery for majority is more than respectable. (Even if mine took a hit with 6.0.1 and isn't as good as when it was on 6.0)
So yeah at $499 it's an easy recommendation if you want a pure stock experience.
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MRU
macrumors Penryn
Swings and roundabouts. Stock androids power managment outside of Doze isn't as good as some third party OEM'S like Samsung, so whilst battery may not be as great as Samsung's, but equally by same token stock android handles things like ram significantly better. So neither is perfect, and essentially it boils down to user subjective preference about which they prefer, neither is right or wrong. They're just different.
AustinIllini
macrumors G5
Not sure why the Nexus 6P and 5X aren't at Best Buy ?
I don't get it. If Best Buy was smart, they should promote and stock a hot geeky device like the Nexus 6P. What's the point of having those small Google kiosks inside BB ? The ones I see, barely have anything on display, and if they do it's like an old Nexus 7 and maybe the Chrome Cast stick thing. Never seen phones in there, and maybe once saw the HTC Nexus 9 there when it was new, but usually nothing new and good.
I also blame Google for that weak presence, not all BB's fault. Google has the money and power to make sure these kiosks are better displayed and promoted better.
I don't get it. If Best Buy was smart, they should promote and stock a hot geeky device like the Nexus 6P. What's the point of having those small Google kiosks inside BB ? The ones I see, barely have anything on display, and if they do it's like an old Nexus 7 and maybe the Chrome Cast stick thing. Never seen phones in there, and maybe once saw the HTC Nexus 9 there when it was new, but usually nothing new and good.
I also blame Google for that weak presence, not all BB's fault. Google has the money and power to make sure these kiosks are better displayed and promoted better.
AustinIllini
macrumors G5
Agreed. The Google section of Best Buy is usually like one Chromebook pictures and a bunch of dusty old Chromebooks. Also like 1000 Chromecasts.
spriter
macrumors 65816
The Nexus 5X and 6P are sold in carrier stores in the UK...at least some of them (usually larger branches).
The issue is Google aren't competing on the promotions front. Every major carrier has the same thing: a couple of display areas, which manufacturers obviously pay for with live, working units (usually Apple, Samsung, maybe Sony and HTC or Huawei), and then a sea of non-descript plastic demo phones with a static sticker for a screen. This is where the Nexus live... in a sea of mid-rangers.
Then throw in the in-store 'experts' walking around in a Samsung t-shirt or whatever and it's easy to see why they don't sell - even when they do get into retail outlets. You really have to know what you're looking for to find a even find a Nexus. Then all you get is a generic spec list, a static display model and, more often than not, a salesperson hinting at whatever the store is paid to push or is more profitable.
Seems a weird marketing strategy to get into the stores only to then completely fail to promote the thing. It's not like Google don't have the funds.
The issue is Google aren't competing on the promotions front. Every major carrier has the same thing: a couple of display areas, which manufacturers obviously pay for with live, working units (usually Apple, Samsung, maybe Sony and HTC or Huawei), and then a sea of non-descript plastic demo phones with a static sticker for a screen. This is where the Nexus live... in a sea of mid-rangers.
Then throw in the in-store 'experts' walking around in a Samsung t-shirt or whatever and it's easy to see why they don't sell - even when they do get into retail outlets. You really have to know what you're looking for to find a even find a Nexus. Then all you get is a generic spec list, a static display model and, more often than not, a salesperson hinting at whatever the store is paid to push or is more profitable.
Seems a weird marketing strategy to get into the stores only to then completely fail to promote the thing. It's not like Google don't have the funds.
Fernandez21
macrumors 601
Yup. Best Buy really should be the place to go if you want an unlocked, unbranded phone. And even better Best Buy should do like Apple and offer a payment plan that includes geek squad protection built in, while still offering the carrier plans. So yeah, you could pre-order the t-mobile version, but for $xx.xx amount a month you can get the unlocked unbranded model with geek squad protection. Its a no brainier. Not sure why they haven't taken advantage of this.
I read that LG are rumoured to be sitting this year out to concentrate on their own brand image. So I guess HTC could make both new Nexus phones if their are 2 new ones this year?
MRU
macrumors Penryn
Or could be the 2015 devices are going to stick around longer, the Nexus 5 was 2 years before it was replaced with the 5X ...
Surf Donkey
Suspended
Or they could stick with Huawei again at least for the larger model. The camera might get even better:
http://www.theverge.com/2016/2/25/11111022/huawei-leica-collaboration-mobile-photography
gotluck
macrumors 603
the biggest reason to go stock android is that your phone will feel new and refreshed 1 year and 2 years from now (and probably perform better than it did day 1).
your skinned phone will feel old next year when it doesnt get the ui update the next gen does and it is mostly a behind the scenes android version update
your skinned phone will feel old next year when it doesnt get the ui update the next gen does and it is mostly a behind the scenes android version update
jamezr
macrumors P6
who keeps there phones that long on this forum? Seriously! 🙂
gotluck
macrumors 603
Me! last two phones have been at least 2 years (been happily off contract since 2 years after iphone 4 release day)
jamezr
macrumors P6
lol...I agree with you that Samsung should make all their revisions of TW available for their older phones. I don't know why they don't do this....
The TW on the S7 should be available to all other Galaxy S models as well.
gotluck
macrumors 603
it creates a situation where the s7 is obviously better than the 6P currently, but in 2 years the 6P will probably be better off, at the very least it will 'run better' (camera and screen quality aside)
Isn't the new version of TouchWiz, which marshmallow coming to the note and s6, similar identical to what we're seeing on the s7 - some minor features?
gotluck
macrumors 603
Ill believe it when I see it!
seems like the s5 is abandoned too, which is too quick IMO
edit: ah i take it back there are rumors of at least a tmobile gs5 marshmallow update
jamezr
macrumors P6
That I am not sure of. But when I had the Note 4 and the S6 came out the TW version were a lot different. The S6 version was nicer. Would have been nice to have it pushed as an update.
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I am not sure about that....why would the 6P run better? The hardware will still be the same. The S7 will be running marshmallow or the next upgrade from that seeing it is 2 years away. The 6P will have the latest Android version no doubt but that doesn't guarantee it will run better.
Look at the Note 5 and the 6P now......
N5 camera is better and the camera software is better...that won't change btw
N5 battery life is better even with TW and the 6P running stock Android.
N5 will still have more features even two years from now.
The 6P will always get the latest Android...but the S7 will get it too...just a lot later 😛
gotluck
macrumors 603
In my experience with stock android device performance increases with updates. In 2 years the gs7 will probably be on android N while the nexus is on android O and looking forward to android P. I would hope google makes significant performance gains in core android over their yearly releases
I hear you on the note 5 vs the nexus 6P, but the nexus 6P should make some gains with android N while the note 5 waits for android N sometime in 2017. Year 1 the skinned device will always win, which is why I dont blame you guys for advocating touchwiz
jamezr
macrumors P6
Correct but the software won't really make the hardware run faster than the current S7?
I mean the Note 5 outperforms the 6P running a software version behind it. The S7 running the same version will no doubt out perform it as well and would protect it against a couple versions in the future anyway.
gotluck
macrumors 603
I would imagine the newer nexus software release would not be faster (like in benchmarking), but likely smoother and with less jank. Not saying touchwiz is laggy.
touchwiz does it first and trailblazes (with better hardware)
stock does it more effeciently (aside from samsungs superior battery optimizations)
That's a relief. I thought I was the only one
I'm pretty sure it is. All the software features (not sure about always on, I heard that they would put it) of the S7 will be on the S6 series. And that Note 4 Marshmallow leak showed the S Pen menu of the Note 4. I think Sammy are doing the right thing finally. I just REALLY wish Samsung would improve with their update timings.
I really love that about the Nexus. The 2-year old Nexus 5 got Marshmallow within a week, while high-end phones released after Marshmallow like the Moto X Force still haven't got it. Still not as good as Apple, but pretty darn good compared to companies like Samsung. I'm still waiting...