Samsung software is so bloated. It adds an additional 3-4gb on top of the OS. No wonder they need expandable storage. Also swapping out stock apps for their apps annoys me to. I used to like their hardware but its touchwiz that keeps me away. Only feature I want of theirs is multiview and speedboost.
You don't have to use touchwiz. I personally use nova launcher with an icon pack or more recently the new Aviate launcher. And some of their apps are pretty damn useful. Or you can just root the phone and delete all the bloatware..
I dont understand the obsession over a finished metal case. Sure, it might "feel" like its a better build, but it doesn't make it better because its made of metal. Samsung builds products its customers demand. Apple builds a product that it believes the customer should want. I understand the market Apple is trying to corner and its great. Unfortunately that market believes superior due to simpleton designs and shallow marketing.
You like that piecemeal put together best hardware and throw on a third party OS with some water proof gimmicks stuff? Use an iPhone and you might understand what synergy means.... And the smoothness of the phone compared to android is much better... I've used both. Elegance and style over samsung any day of the week for me.. It's like Hermes to Coach...
Here's my demo of PACMan ROM on the LG G2. Smooth as ****. Not to say the stock LG ROM isn't smooth itself. It's pretty damn slick; I just prefer AOKP/AOSP ROM over any skinned Android ROM like TouchWiz or whatever LG calls their skin. <iframe width="480" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GElzlhK7XPk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Gimmick? It's one of the key reasons I got it. And I'll take functionality over elegance. I was iphone through 4s before switching to Android with S3. Then just re-upped again with Android with S5.
I use Liquidsmooth on my Verizon GS3. Supersmooth, and other than the camera (TW cameras just seem to be a lot better than AOSP/AOKP... now on Camera Zoom FX) everything seems to run better with longer battery life.
I can tell you have never used a nice android phone extensively. Again, if you're a simpleton who has no desire to bring out the best in an amazing piece of hardware and you only care what your friends might think of your social status, then yes, the iphone is for you. The truth is they are both great pieces of hardware and I would happily take any of the premium phones, regardless of OS or manufacture. At the end of the day, they all pretty much offer the same thing. And if you find the concept of a water resistant phone a gimmick over 'style and elegance', then that speaks volumes on your perception.
I'm actually a SlimROM user, but PACMan would be my second choice. Samsung put a lot of features in their camera app that is absent on AOSP/AOKP ROMs like 4K video recording on the Note 3.
Even if you use Nova, the touchwiz framework is still active underneath. The settings menu also still exists underneath as well. It's a mess. If I had to get a Samsung device, I'd definitely be unlocking and putting a stock ROM of some sort on there.
+1. Telling people to just add Nova launcher doesn't mean you got rid of Touchwiz. I'll never purchase a Samsung phone again. Those phones look like plastic pieces of ****. I can't wait to see what the successor to the Moto X will be. That's easily been the best Android phone I've ever owned despite it only being a dual core phone.
3 phones I have my eyes on. One plus One (pipe dream due to invite system) LG G3 (primarily for the battery life but will probably opt out due to pricing) Moto X+1 (rumors of snapdragon 800 will make it beastly, and if they can add a 3kmah battery, decent camera, and tone down the color saturation on the display, I'll definitely be tempted to get this phone)
It's alright for a mid-range, but the 8GB storage is gonna be the limiting factor. If you don't use many apps and take many pictures, it's fine, but if you do, it's gonna fill up fast. I would suggest a 32GB LG G2 if you want a better phone with the same features. Wait until the G3 launches so the price comes down a bit.
