Grass isn't greener on the other side

Zoolok

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Hi all,

I recently switched from Windows Phone/Mobile to Android, after being annoyed with all the issues I had with Windows 10 on my Lumia 1520. It worked ok most of the time, but would suddenly go berzerk and couldn't do even the most basic of tasks, e.g. browsing photos. After spending so much time with Lumias (since Lumia 800), I decided to give Android a try, so I got myself a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ with 64GB of storage.

And, man, that thing is terrible. The phone itself is nice (though not as nice as reviewers would like you to think, especially the home button, which feels very cheap), but the software looks like a clown took a dump on my screen. I think they attempted (and largely succeeded) to take all colours there are and put them in one place. Yes, it works (most of the time - there are issues with the edge screen for instance, it randomly forgets the settings, so I have to re-add the contacts to it, which I gave up after 10 or so tries), but it is ugly as hell. To summarize:

  • The look and feel of TouchWiz (or Android) is disgusting, I can't understand how anyone would like this; it looks like a hyperactive kid's colouring book
  • This thing is preloaded with a ton of Samsung apps which don't do anything remotely useful, but you can't remove them or disable them. For some reason, if I disable Galaxy Apps, my Office apps stop working and I cant even install them from the store (says they are incompatible with my phone), but when I enable Galaxy Apps, Microsoft Office apps start working, too
  • Youtube doesn't work in the background or when the screen is off and there is no way around it. This phone in particular is all about Samsung and Google shoveling their reproductive organs down users throats
  • When no apps are running, the phone uses ~2,5GB of RAM (out of 4GB it has in total). Dafuq?
  • It is not snappy and smooth all the time, it hiccups every now and then, when doing the simple stuff, like opening settings
  • There are too many settings and they are not organized at all; most of them are useless and I don't think anyone would notice if they weren't there; In this aspect especially Windows 10 beats this thing by a mile
  • Edge screen is cool, but it is not used at all... As I said, the Edge Screen app forgets settings randomly and when the screen is off, you can set the edges to show the time (which looks cool), but only for 12 hours a day :D I mean wtf :D
  • The fingerprint scanner sometimes works and sometimes you have to press it 5 times to unlock the phone; I've stopped using it for this reason
  • Tiles are so much prettier and elegant than the 158 million icons you get when you turn this thing on, it's not even a contest. All the available themes (and I've tried many, as well as other launchers) just look childish compared to sheer elegance Windows Phone/Mobile has. I reckon Android (and Samsung) are popular because they look sweet and colourful, and I guess people like that. They are the McDonald's of mobile phones.
  • The screen is nothing special, it is only a little better than my aging Lumia 1520. I had them show same pictures and videos and the difference is hard to notice. Edge's screen also has VERY saturated colours, adding to that cartoonish look.
  • The camera also is not that much better than the one on Lumia 1520. I own a DSLR, so all phone cameras look crap to me, so I might be biased in a way, but in all honesty, the pictures look the same to me on both phones. There is also more control in manual mode on the Lumia than on the Samsung
  • In general, the phone has a lot of "cool" options (like taking a screenshot by wiping the screen with your hand), but these just don't work... Ever.

I'd like to say something nice about the phone, but honestly, this is one of the worst purchases I ever made and I'll see if I can take it back or swap it for something else (a Lumia 950XL, my Android adventure is over; I also had an iPad, but that also looks like a cartoon, though iOS is much easier to use). For the end, here's a screenshot of the messaging app, and how you can set it to look like. It can be a bit better than that, but still loaded with childish colours and silly design:

Screenshot_2016-01-12-11-35-19.jpg

Really? REALLY??

The rest of the "interface" is not much better. I tried putting Cyanogen on it, but it looks like it will never be available, since the phone has a custom Samsung CPU. And as I said, the other "themes" just look a little less terrible, and for many of them you have to pay :D

Anyway, that's all I wanted to say. Is it possible for this thing to grow on me? The only reason to keep it is to not use Windows until all issues have been resolved (this is much more stable, although not perfectly stable, it has its set of issues) and then get rid of this and go back to Windows. But honestly, I'd rather use crappy Windows than stable Clown Poo...
 

Nikolai Kuzbanovsky

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NONE of all the bullets are actual problems with android, or things that windows phone does better.
For example:
-On your windows phone lumia, did the youtube app play when you locked the screen? No, there is no such app. Also I would like to inform you that the bug that a video on the edge browser kept on playing after you locked the screen, this bug has been fixed.
-There is a windows phone launcer for android, you could try it
-You found the settings on the wp convenient?
 

Zoolok

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LOL your opinion won't help in the real world.

Well, I spoke, and saved my soul :)

NONE of all the bullets are actual problems with android, or things that windows phone does better.
For example:
-On your windows phone lumia, did the youtube app play when you locked the screen? No, there is no such app. Also I would like to inform you that the bug that a video on the edge browser kept on playing after you locked the screen, this bug has been fixed.
-There is a windows phone launcer for android, you could try it
-You found the settings on the wp convenient?

Youtube does run in the background or when the screen is off on Windows Phone/Mobile. Not sure what you're on about there, just try MetroTube, for instance. As for the video bug you mention, I also don't know what you mean by that.

About the launcher, it is not the real thing is it, and Edge+ already uses 75% of RAM when no apps are running, so adding a launcher really kills it. There is very little 'premium' feeling about this phone. Finally, yes, the settings in Windows 10 Mobile are convenient, much more so than the ones on Android/TouchWiz.
 

Nikolai Kuzbanovsky

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Youtube does run in the background or when the screen is off on Windows Phone/Mobile. Not sure what you're on about there, just try MetroTube, for instance. As for the video bug you mention, I also don't know what you mean by that.
It does not play on the background on windows 10. It used to play, but sometime last year this changed. So I call it a bug that was fixed. Of course other apps work, I was talking about the edge browser.

About the launcher, it is not the real thing is it, and Edge+ already uses 75% of RAM when no apps are running, so adding a launcher really kills it. There is very little 'premium' feeling about this phone. Finally, yes, the settings in Windows 10 Mobile are convenient, much more so than the ones on Android/TouchWiz.
You must be correct, I have not used a samsung device and I don't know how they feel. I prefer windows, I am just dissapointed that they don't get the job done for me.
Settings is a matter of taste maybe. There is a whole category that saya "extra": How would you find sth that is under extra? On the other hand android is well categorised
 

hprvez

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It does not play on the background on windows 10. It used to play, but sometime last year this changed. So I call it a bug that was fixed. Of course other apps work, I was talking about the edge browser.


You must be correct, I have not used a samsung device and I don't know how they feel. I prefer windows, I am just dissapointed that they don't get the job done for me.
Settings is a matter of taste maybe. There is a whole category that saya "extra": How would you find sth that is under extra? On the other hand android is well categorised


It does play in background.
Extra settings are what's left from windows phone, they'll be replaced eventually.
You can try and try again, android will never be a match nor a threat to windows phone, windows mobile or ios, I know it's easy to vomit some market share number, don't bother
 

Zoolok

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I can't agree that Android (5.1.1, that is what I have on the Edge+) settings are better than the ones on Windows 10, in my opinion they are not even close, but yes, that is probably a matter of taste. I think there are too many features and options on Android and it is very easy to get lost in them. Most of them are gimmicky and annoying (Chatheads, omg), and in general the UI is loaded with silly animations, colours, and so on.

I think Windows Mobile is just more mature and serious in its looks and feel, and much more modern. I will have a very hard time getting used to it.
 

Nikolai Kuzbanovsky

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It does play in background
Edge plays youtube in the background?? You must not have updated for half a year...
There are several threads about this, and I have concluded that it was a bug, or a battle lost to google. (google doesnot want youtube to be played in the background)

see this guy's problem
http://forums.windowscentral.com/microsoft-lumia-535/406689-no-audio-screen-off.html
or those guys
http://forums.windowscentral.com/wi...r-preview/364295-edge-browser-background.html
or how happy is this guy with his premium device
http://forums.windowscentral.com/mi...76-issues-ive-experience-month-ownership.html

I am not a hater, just a really frustrated tech-guy
 
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Laura Knotek

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I think TouchWiz is not representative of Android as a whole, but since Samsung is the main competitor (at least in the US) to the iPhone hegemony, it's good to hear from users of it.

I myself have a Moto X Pure that runs Android 6.0, and my experience has been more positive than yours. It's pretty much "pure" Android, and thus had very few preinstalled apps, and it runs smooth as butter 99% of the time. Maybe you should check out a MotoX Pure or the Nexus phones? Also, YouTube can play under a lockscreen, I installed the YT Music app (from Google) and after installing that the regular YouTube app plays under the lockscreen just fine. Don't know if that will change after the free trial of YouTube Red is over, but I guess I'll find out.

However, after using the Moto X as my only phone for about 6 weeks now, and using my old Lumia Icon only for playing media at home, I've started to really appreciate the things that make W10M stand out.

Like you say, the UI of Android just feels so far behind. The live tiles really make the phone both more fun and more useful. There are the awesome widgets for Android, and they are really handy, especially for music controls, Facebook statuses, etc. I wish that the large tile for Windows 10 Mobile could be interactive in a similar way. However, even without that interaction, it's more fun to use W10M. The widgets take up so much space that I have to use multiple screens for the basic stuff, and constantly have to flip between them. Which is another thing I like about W10M, the horizontal step-less scrolling is really awesome. You can put a live tile just below the main home screen and gently just nudge the screen down to see it, no need to completely flip back and forth between multiple screens all the time. The way that the use of available space is maximized in W10M is such a contrast to Android (and iOS) where there's more unused than used area on the screen.

Also, the action/notification area in Windows 10 Mobile is much more useful than the Android. Right away when you scroll down in W10M you have access to 4/5 of the settings that you choose yourself, and can toggle, for example, cellular data on/off instantly. No such thing in this stock Android (I'm sure there might be apps than can let me do this, but I'm not interested in fidgeting with apps for every little thing).

Overall, I think Android 6.0 is a great, stable, smooth OS and is for the most part a pleasure to use, with an abundance of apps that in most cases work much better than the W10M counterparts (Fitbit is one app that I think is better in W10M so far). I will stick with my Moto X (or other Android) because it's a good phone, I can use all my Microsoft services on it, and in the end it comes down to apps where W10M sadly just can't compete yet.

We all know the app gapp is real, and that W10M currently is too bug ridden. However, the UI and design of W10M is much, much better than both iOS and Android in my opinion. I really think that if Microsoft manages to stick to their plan, slowly get developers on board via universal apps, and have better marketing and sales organization, W10M could eventually be a competitor. As an OS, from the user POV, I think it's already a winne
For the toggles in settings in Android, swipe down from the top of the screen with 2 fingers and you'll see them.
3a82dfb6f6df4340f657f942b343669d.jpg
 

Witness

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Yeah, it's why I went with iOS as the alternative. Your clown poo description is pretty accurate - Android is a mess and if I was in my 20s again, I'd probably be fine with it just because you can tweak the heck out of it. Well, I did that with Windows Mobile... no, not WM as we know it today, Windows Mobile 5.0+ where you could do almost anything you want with it.

Anyways, iOS if you need an alternative. The only complaint then would be that the launcher interface is very dated, but at least it doesn't look like clown poo. :grin:
 

MikeSo

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I think TouchWiz is not representative of Android as a whole, but since Samsung is the main competitor (at least in the US) to the iPhone hegemony, it's good to hear from users of it.

I myself have a Moto X Pure that runs Android 6.0, and my experience has been more positive than yours. It's pretty much "pure" Android, and thus had very few preinstalled apps, and it runs smooth as butter 99% of the time. Maybe you should check out a MotoX Pure or the Nexus phones? Also, YouTube can play under a lockscreen, I installed the YT Music app (from Google) and after installing that the regular YouTube app plays under the lockscreen just fine. Don't know if that will change after the free trial of YouTube Red is over, but I guess I'll find out.

However, after using the Moto X as my only phone for about 6 weeks now, and using my old Lumia Icon only for playing media at home, I've started to really appreciate the things that make W10M stand out.

Like you say, the UI of Android just feels so far behind. The live tiles really make the phone both more fun and more useful. There are the awesome widgets for Android, and they are really handy, especially for music controls, Facebook statuses, etc. I wish that the large tile for Windows 10 Mobile could be interactive in a similar way. However, even without that interaction, it's more fun to use W10M. The widgets take up so much space that I have to use multiple screens for the basic stuff, and constantly have to flip between them. Which is another thing I like about W10M, the horizontal step-less scrolling is really awesome. You can put a live tile just below the main home screen and gently just nudge the screen down to see it, no need to completely flip back and forth between multiple screens all the time. The way that the use of available space is maximized in W10M is such a contrast to Android (and iOS) where there's more unused than used area on the screen.

Also, the action/notification area in Windows 10 Mobile is much more useful than the Android. Right away when you scroll down in W10M you have access to 4/5 of the settings that you choose yourself, and can toggle, for example, cellular data on/off instantly. No such thing in this stock Android (I'm sure there might be apps than can let me do this, but I'm not interested in fidgeting with apps for every little thing).

Overall, I think Android 6.0 is a great, stable, smooth OS and is for the most part a pleasure to use, with an abundance of apps that in most cases work much better than the W10M counterparts (Fitbit is one app that I think is better in W10M so far). I will stick with my Moto X (or other Android) because it's a good phone, I can use all my Microsoft services on it, and in the end it comes down to apps where W10M sadly just can't compete yet.

We all know the app gapp is real, and that W10M currently is too bug ridden. However, the UI and design of W10M is much, much better than both iOS and Android in my opinion. I really think that if Microsoft manages to stick to their plan, slowly get developers on board via universal apps, and have better marketing and sales organization, W10M could eventually be a competitor. As an OS, from the user POV, I think it's already a winner.
 

Alfa Kapa

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Moto G 3rd gen here. (99.8% Stock android)

For me the only things !MISSING! on android is Mytube and readit/ baconit. Call me however you want but those apps are the bees knees and no, I don't prejudge the other apps on the playstore, but I've tried and can't find a decent app for reddit and youtube is not that great by a long shot!!
Well for reddit the closest I can get to readit/baconit is "slide for reddit" which is the only one that don't have adds in the free vesion..
..but it crashes even more than baconit (4.6.0, no offense to Quinn) :p

The play store is maybe the worst performing app in the OS. It lags, stutters, crashes and generally it is pretty painful to use.

The stock android keyboard is way, way, way, waaaay sh*ttier than the windows keyboard.
This is the first thing that struck me and made me appreciate the windows keyboard..
..but, luckily android has a bazillion alternative keyboard and SwiftKey is on par or even better than the kb of w10m.
I seriously can't comprehend how Google put this atrocious keyboard on lollipop!!

Another huge thing (on 5.1.1 lollipop) is the saving location. App data, desktop data, user data, updates, leftovers from apps just fill up the internal space overtime!! ow well, we have micro SDs right...?
WRONG!!
On android only 1 out of 3 apps can save to SD..!
And the worst thing is that all the google services fill up your space overtime, the once that you have to root in order to get rid!
On Android 6 they have "fixed" it with a very strange solution. You can format (adopt) your SD in order to show as internal storage and when you do that, basically your SD has to stay on the device and becomes useless on any other device/ card readers! Good job Google! (I bought an 64Gb xc card just for this, 60gb internal on a moto G sound awesome, I can't help it) :p

I miss being able to pay through carrier billing (Greece is not supported).
Speaking of my country, Google now (in my native language) and every other useless (to me) service is available, things that you can only appreciate if your native language is not English in the Windows mobile world!! Boy I now understand how sci fi is to control the internet with your voice.
Pretty mind bending to be fair :D

That was my beef with the STOCK android. Oh, and the the volume controls on Android 6 is a copy/paste of W10m!

Device wise, the Lumia 730 compared to moto G3 just feels leaps and bounds the better all-around product of the two! (hardware wise)
Even the camera which has HALF the megapickles is so much better and true-er to life. In low/no light moto G is like having a 2mp camera :p
But I don't miss the battery life of the 730 on W10m which was pretty bad.. 4 hours screen on time, while the moto G offers 6-7 hours which comes close to my Lenovo tablet!

So it seems greener on the other side for me. Basically a world filled with pastel color everywhere and eye-catching animations!

But opposed to OP, I had an idea of android (from 1.6 to 4.4.2) and knew what to look for. (stock android, good battery, cheap device)
The OP is an example how not to spent your precious money, no matter what the product is.
Sorry man, but no matter how many people may feel better for their choices based on your bad one, at the end of the day you throw away money on a tech-behemoth (Samsung). A bad choice is a bad choice, no matter what it is.
I hope there isn't late to exchange it with something you actually like!


TL;DR

Above are the bad areas of it, but stock android is pretty much ok.
The title should be " Grass isn't greener on the Samsung side"
Kids, don't throw away your money, do your research. (and this implies to everything)
 

winboy

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To me, both android and ios always looked very cartoony and kiddy and that reason among many others was why I moved to Windows Phone 2 years ago. Never going back.
 

P1ng0fDeath

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Although I think OP's issues are mainly because of the lame Touchwiz, I found this story somewhat entertaining lol. It reminds me of why I wanted to stick with Lumias since I first put my hands on one. Obviously we're lacking apps quantity and quality compared to Android and iOS, but everything else is better on W10M for me.

Anyways, there are definitely better brands out there than Samsung.
 

Zoolok

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Thanks for this thread Zoolok.

Sure, I'm glad you liked it :)

As for all the other comments, yes, it does seem like I picked the worst Android vendor there is. Edge is a beautiful piece of hardware ruined by inexplicable amount of LSD in its software. The curved screen looks really nice, but I think that the new iPhones have an even better one (I haven't been able to see the new Lumias). The camera is 'meh' at best (photos taken in dark are really poor) and that is about it.

That said, even when trying other launchers and trying to set it to look like 'vanilla' Android, the UI is still behind Windows. Stock Android (or the closest I could get to it) is not THAT bad, but it is still outdated.

Compared to Lumia 1520, it doesn't feel like an upgrade at all, with all the little annoyances that it has (and there are a few) and the stuff I lost (no Cortana - not compatible with my device, that alone may be the reason I quit trying, also the battery life on Lumia was much better). I got the option to customize the hell out of the start screen (which I cared about... when I was 20) and a ton of apps I won't use and don't need (but there is no Discovery News, no Readit, and Huetro for Hue is better than Android offerings for Hue).

However, I now have a sensor for oxygen levels in my blood, which is exactly what I was missing in my cellphones all these years :grin:

Bottom line, if you are really going to switch from Windows to Android, don't pick Samsung.
 

GMC262

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"Bottom line, if you are really going to switch from Windows to Android, don't pick Samsung."

Reading the reviews on T-Mobile, a lot of people seem to like the S6 Edge +. And the smartphone camera shootouts I've read place the camera among the best out there at present. If one is thinking of moving to Android, the S7 series is around the corner and Samsung may address some of the complaints (for example, the desire for a more stock Android experience, bringing back expandable storage) that users have expressed with the S6 variants. I do like the fact that Samsung refreshes their line regularly-if the past is any indication, who know when we will see the successor to the 950 series.
 

Zoolok

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Yeah, existing Android/Samsung users. Over-saturated colours seem to be appealing to the masses, you should see the default display settings on this thing. I can tell you the camera isn't anything special. Here is a good light sample on auto:

20160114_144745.jpg

Try zooming in on the book, for instance, to see how little detail it has. The 'A remarkable book' quote is barely recognizable. Low light photos are worse, with little detail.
 

GMC262

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There are some claiming to be former iPhone users who posted positive reviews of the S6 Edge plus. I don't find that hard to believe, Samsung sold the most units worldwide as of Q3 last year.
 

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