Sunday Debate: Custom ROM vs. Stock Android

18 February 2018
This Sunday we discuss if stock Android or custom ROMs provide better user experience.

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  • D
  • AnonD-628531
  • nE$
  • 18 Feb 2018

It seems people who like Pure Android are very well-mannered...

    • D
    • AnonD-695616
    • Nvh
    • 18 Feb 2018

    Anonymous, 18 Feb 2018touch wiz is very beautiful. you can apply theme up to page... moreA phone is not a toy is a tool ...

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • JpI
      • 18 Feb 2018

      AnonD-696542, 18 Feb 2018Nothing comes close to samsung experience, it's not just ab... moreLaggy ui means best experience now?

      There are too many stuff running background, most can be disabled.

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • UD{
        • 18 Feb 2018

        touch wiz is very beautiful. you can apply theme up to pages in settings and other Samsung apps like sms, keyboard, phone, etc.
        stock android is boring

          • D
          • AnonD-696542
          • rKv
          • 18 Feb 2018

          Nothing comes close to samsung experience, it's not just about Android, Samsung provides the best smartphone experience whether it be against ios or other Android phones. Software is what makes a smartphone as smartphone. We know how expensive can be pc softwares, Samsung provides a huge package of such very premium softwares in its flagship phones. Pure Android lacks the functionalities and user experience.

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            • anon
            • E8F
            • 18 Feb 2018

            Custom ROMs mean you value your time? Talk about a spit-take. I can't even begin to count the hours I've spent over the years trying and flashing different ROMs, kernels, radio firmwares and recoveries, fixing botched flashes (especially this), learning different root methods, backing up to nandroid and to my computer, restoring apps via Titanium Backup, and customizing settings to get things back to the way I like every time I perform a clean flash. I'd have to use a perfectly configured phone 8 solid hours a day for probably a decade before I broke even on time. And that's not even taking into account the generally worse stability and the fact that the camera/radios are usually broken in some way with custom ROMs. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE messing around with my phone, but there's a very valid reason for manufacturers' preference towards stability and usability.

              • D
              • AnonD-543767
              • pVR
              • 18 Feb 2018

              Pure Rom wins. Period. Customzed roms are for 1 bit users. I had been using nexus devices for a long time, then bought a xiaomi with miui. Installed my apps, started to use it, when I recognized, that i have more apps for 1 purpose eg more browsers, more sms / messaging apps, 3 play stores etc. Im advanced user, no problem rooting, hacking any os smartphones, rooted my xiao in a few days, and flashed the purest rom ever seen. Even youtube and gmail have to be downloaded from play store... I just can't compare my phone with the older rom. Much faster, more stable and (since the processes are much less) the batterylife doubled. Just installed a nova launcher, which is way ahead of pixel laucher, only those apps i really use and thats it. + 300 mb free ram, faster, better phone. No more factory ui! Id rather root all my phones and tablets and i go customize them.

                • S
                • Surficial
                • HCh
                • 18 Feb 2018

                Anonymous, 18 Feb 2018To be honest, I'd rather GOOGLE allow you to select what ap... moreGood point, custom roms often let you pick set levels of gapps packages to install. You should be allowed the absolute minimum of play store plus a default keyboard and launcher to start with if you have a specific version of calendar, browser etc that you want.

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • vjw
                  • 18 Feb 2018

                  Some of the Samsung apps like Internet and Samsung Music are actually better than the Google ones. Check out their ratings on Play Store. Samsung Internet allows for adblocking while Samsung Music does what it's supposed to do without the bloated functions found in Google Play Music.

                    YalokIy, 18 Feb 2018How can you call stock ROM custom ? Custom ROM is the one ... moreFirst sane argument in the debate

                      Anonymous, 18 Feb 2018To be honest, I'd rather GOOGLE allow you to select what ap... moreI got the same issue as you. That is why i resorted to rooting and using custom roms like lineage and paranoid

                        Idk why everyone thinks of samsung or miui when mentioning custom roms. Where do lineage os and all go? They will always be better than stock as they build upon stock to improve and add functionality, while also giving greater control over hardware.

                          I've rooted and ran custom roms and kernels ever since my 1st android phone the Xperia x10, everyones got their own choice I just don't prefer stock clean android, but saying that it depends on how much you've spent on a device, if I've paid for a flagship say for example a Samsung, why would you want to run clean android on it, isn't it better just to buy a pixel. The other side of that is that many mid and low tier phones would benefit more and is more cost effective. I've currently got an s8+ and have run custom touchwiz roms which are debloated and also more optimized than what Samsung give out of the box, along with a custom kernel allowing underclock and voltage control I get the best out of my phone, there's some seriously good devs out there, discovering xda back when I had a Windows mobile phone was a godsend.

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                            • Anonymous
                            • B45
                            • 18 Feb 2018

                            Surficial, 18 Feb 2018Near stock, no bloat for speed and stability. Why don't oem... moreTo be honest, I'd rather GOOGLE allow you to select what apps you want. For example, the only Google Apps I touch are G-Board (I know it's a keyboard but it's the best in the business), Android Messenger (until I find a better one that potentially integrates with Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp), Chrome (I prefer Firefox but I digress), Photos (unless Custom has a better Gallery/Video player app), YouTube, Docs/Sheets/Slides (it's free and it works), Maps, Translate (surprisingly great app), and Calendar.

                            I have ZERO use for Play Music, Play Movies & TV, Hangouts, Gmail (I HATE that app; BlueMail and Outlook ftw), and Drive so I'd rather get those apps (with Chrome and Photos if custom has better apps/Firefox) uninstalled. My dream phone is an Android that allows me to uninstall every stock app (except for Play Store obviously) and give me the choice to install them again via Play Store or APK online. Ain't gonna happen but that's just me. That's why I avoid Samsung despite the Galaxy S9+ looking pretty good with its specs.

                              How can you call stock ROM custom ?
                              Custom ROM is the one you flash over the stock ROM!

                                • M
                                • MG7
                                • gMy
                                • 18 Feb 2018

                                I like custom roms if they are miui or emui, otherwise stock android. Most people knowledge is not up to date as there was time when miui was much more buggy below version 7 but presently it has become almost as stable as stock. Similar for emui. In my mia1 I want to enable touch icon lock functionality which is very convenient but not worked with any of the apps in playstore while it is provided inbuilt in miui. Bloatware is very very less and only for those who want different apps than stock for music, notes etc.
                                Stock has only advantage of quick and latest updates. Earlier less bugs was also the pro but now irrelevant.

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • JpI
                                  • 18 Feb 2018

                                  What I dont like about stock :

                                  - App drawer has white background, it looks poor and cheap
                                  - It takes years to absorb features created by OEM.

                                  What I dont like about modified UI:

                                  - When is not just an UI, but based on android like some chinese brands do. Those that look like iOS cheap version.
                                  - Settings too white like Samsung android 7
                                  - Virtual buttons of S8 are ridiculous

                                    AnonD-625430, 18 Feb 2018I've used Android One devices with so called stock or pure ... moreWell said !!

                                    Stock ROM is boring,. Even custom ROM based on AOSP has additional features.
                                    For me the best compromise is stock ROM but with Superuser Access :)

                                      I don't mind custom, if updates aren't slowed too much.

                                        • S
                                        • Surficial
                                        • HCh
                                        • 18 Feb 2018

                                        Near stock, no bloat for speed and stability. Why don't oems have a selection of extra apps to install at the initial set up of a phone?

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