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Pixels don't run 'stock Android' and Google needs to give its software skin a public name
It's not called Pixel Experience even if you want it to be
There was a time when Google's phones actually ran "stock Android." The company's Nexus phones (which were released between 2010 and 2015 and preceded Google’s Pixel line) were specifically made as development devices, followed documented behaviors, and ran software that was very close to the barebones AOSP experience — the version of Android developed by Google that all other skins and companies build on top of.
Seven OxygenOS features we hope to see in stock Android someday
Good artists copy... you know the rest
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Much more than hardware, OnePlus has matured on the software front in its relatively short existence in the smartphone space. In all these years, OxygenOS has embraced some neat little features that, in their own imperceptible ways, make our lives much easier. We’ve always liked how OnePlus handles customizations and its myriad of accessibility features. Now that some of these OxygenOS elements have lately been creeping into stock Android, we’re left wanting more.
The days when third-party battery-saving apps were necessary to hit a satisfactory number of hours off a single charge are long behind the vast majority of Android users, thanks to improvements like Doze and Adaptive Battery. But in some cases, this measure of progress has become something of a Pyrrhic victory, with useful background processes carelessly destroyed and developers taking the brunt of user ire. Well, the Urbandroid team — the gang behind apps Sleep As Android, Twilight, and others — doesn't plan on going quietly into the night. In fact, they're going on the offensive with a new informational website where the most flagrant OEM offenders are shamed and users and developers are educated.
Even stock Android isn't perfect. While the lack of a heavy-handed skin is welcome, many users will find shortcomings (whether personal or widely acknowledged by the user base at large), that they'd like to tweak. Those users will be glad to know that the one and likely only Essential Phone, one of the few stock Android devices on the market, is now supported by TWRP.
I still remember when we used to bicker over iPhone vs Symbian, before Android took over the second part of that argument. I also remember when Xenon vs LED flash was the most controversial discussion in the smartphone world for several years - some of you may have been toddlers when that started. And I remember when apps weren't a thing, when 3G was the hottest novelty, when we thanked our lucky stars because companies stopped using massive proprietary charging and earphone ports, and when a smartphone with a 2.8" display (Nokia N95 8GB) counted as monstrous. Nowadays, we feel cheated when the second back lens in a phone doesn't bring a lot of improvement, or when the display's color shifts at an angle as if everyone is side-glancing at their phones all the time, when a device has a MicroUSB port and not USB-C, or when it takes a fraction of a millisecond longer for a swipe to register. Look, there was a time when you had to manually switch between WiFi and 2G every single time. We're too spoiled now.
Confused nostalgia. It's hard to find another way to describe my feeling right now as I sit down to write this Nokia 8 review. For those who don't know my history, my career covering mobile devices started with a personal blog in 2006 and a Nokia 3250 XpressMusic. For several years, I was Dotsisx (.sisx), a nickname that evokes how much I was involved with the Symbian OS. I reviewed phones, I covered events, I spent hours daily looking for the best apps and games. Even when the first iPhone launched and Android started making waves, I was a Symbian user through and through. It wasn't until late 2010 when, along with my Symbian-Guru.com partner Ricky Cadden, we foresaw the demise of Symbian and Nokia that I moved on to Android. It was an ugly breakup, the kind where dirty laundry gets aired in public and covered by Engadget but where you have so much love left that you're walking away bitter, knowing you've given it your absolute best and that there's nothing left there for you. The future lies elsewhere.
I've had the Nokia 8 for a little over a week and have run Android 7.1.1 on it out of the box. Yesterday though, Nokia announced a beta labs program to test out Oreo on the Nokia 8 and I instantly jumped at the opportunity. After downloading and installing the update, the Nokia 8 booted into Android 8.0 and I started looking for the small changes that Nokia has implemented this time around.
Xiaomi phones always have the same problem. While the company's devices have generally great specifications and design for the price, the software experience is usually not very good. If you've read one of our Xiaomi device reviews, or used one of the company's phones yourself, you probably know what I'm talking about.
It's easy to forget here in the West that Lenovo still makes its own phones (versus relying solely on Motorola). Despite that, the Chinese company just announced its newest device, the K8 Note. It comes with some decent specs, an attractive price, and stock Android 7.1.1.
Perhaps the most common complaint about Android phones is that the software doesn't always hit the heights of the hardware. It's true of many flagship phones from a variety of OEMs, and one of the culprits is usually bloated custom UI skins. In trying to differentiate their devices, many phone makers end up diminishing the overall software experience. Companies like Sony and Motorola have been rightly praised for their use of near stock Android on their devices, and it seems that Moto's parent company Lenovo is now ready to follow suit.
Sundar Pichai made a series of statements at recode's Code Conference yesterday that seem to have the internet aflutter. Pichai claimed that Google would be adding more software features to future Nexus devices, specifically: "You’ll see us hopefully add more features on top of Android on Nexus phones... There’s a lot of software innovation to be had."
Will A Samsung Galaxy S4 "Google Edition" Be Unveiled At I/O 2013?
Among dedicated Android fans, there is a consensus that stock Android is the best experience. That being said, not everyone is smitten with the Nexus hardware.
Among dedicated Android fans, there is a consensus that stock Android is the best experience. That being said, not everyone is smitten with the Nexus hardware. A new option for conflicted users is rumored to be dropping tomorrow at Google I/O. A version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 – dubbed the Google Edition – could be released with the latest version of stock Android on board.
AT&T Drops The Price Of The HTC First To $0.99, Probably The Best Damn Phone You'll Find For A Dollar
When I reviewed the First, I realized it was much, much more than just a Facebook experience device. Sure, it's sporting Home out of the box, flashes
When I reviewed the First, I realized it was much, much more than just a Facebook experience device. Sure, it's sporting Home out of the box, flashes a Facebook logo during the boot process, and is adorned with that same logo on the back, but it's not just about Facebook. This little diamond in the rough is running stock Android 4.1.2 beneath Facebook Home, so you're quite literally three (or so) taps away from a Nexus-like experience.
If you like Nexus tablets, Vizio is gunning for your wallet. Today, the company announced a duo of tablets running stock Android. The first is most similar to the Nexus 10: a 10" display with the same retina-melting 2560x1600 resolution, only this one is powered by a Tegra 4 processor. Kal-El may not be a slouch, but let's be real. It's hard to not envy the 72 GPU cores that Wayne is packing.
It's been quite some time since we first heard rumblings of the PlayStation phone. The concept - a high-end Android phone mashed together with familiar PlayStation controls - seemed like one that could revolutionize gaming on Android. In theory, this device could have done just that.
If you've been thinking about picking up the Nexus S 4G on Sprint, then now is the time to go for it, because Wirefly has a deal that's hard to resist. You can get this stock Android beauty for $99 with a new two year agreement, or by adding it as a new line on a family plan. This is indeed a killer deal on an amazing piece of hardware.