Weekly poll: which is the best Android skin?

Okay, it’s time to settle this – which Android skin is the best? Every company has its own implementation (yes, even Google), although some are much more heavily customized than others.

Google is the lead developer of Android and as such it sets the tone for everyone else. It’s not just that: recently we’ve seen features like Circle to Search gain wide adoption by brands.

Samsung is the biggest Android maker in the world and is the developer of the very influential One UI. Android 16’s desktop mode is built on the foundation of DeX and this is not the first time that Samsung has contributed ideas and features to Android.

Xiaomi actually started life by making a custom Android version, the now defunct MIUI. The custom experience is now even more important for the company as it has built a wide ecosystem – from smart home gadgets to cars – that all integrate together.

Oppo develops ColorOS, which it lends to OnePlus. vivo has OriginOS and it lends it to iQOO. Smaller players have their own customizations – some prefer to keep changes to a minimum, e.g. Sony and Motorola, others go a bit further in the name of branding, e.g. Nothing.

Honor has its own platform called MagicOS. The company split from Huawei years ago – Huawei now uses HarmonyOS, which is separate from Android, so we won’t include it here.

And then there are custom ROMs – they are not as popular as they once were, but there are still plenty of people who complain every time a manufacturer locks down their bootloader.

Time to vote – which Android skin is the best? If you don't see your favorite, pick Other and leave us a comment.

Second question: how much do you care about the OS? That is to say, would you avoid buying a phone because it runs an Android version you don’t like? Or do you buy phones specifically because of the custom Android version they run?