Vanilla android vs Sense

[mindwalker]

Hey guys,

It's not the first time this is asked but maybe in 3 months the opinions about this topic have changed. I'm torn between a Nexus S and an HTC Incredible S. Hardware aside, the main differences are Vanilla android vs HTC Sense.

I've seen youtube videos comparing Sense to Vanilla Android and Sense definitely looks better. On the other hand I'm not sure of how deeply it's changing the way Android is supposed to work. It's not just a skin.. it's adding functionality. What could be in simple terms the advantages of one another ? (for example... can I install swype on HTC or it doesn't allow me.. or is Sense solving the facebook synchronization issue of late, etc)

And, if I do get an HTC, can I remove sense later down the road and install a custom version of stock Android ? (after rooting).
And if I don't like the stock version of Android, can I go back to Sense exactly as it was when I bought the HTC phone ?

I've heard about this Launcher Pro application. Would vanilla android with launcher pro give me all the good looks of Sense without deterring me from faster Google Android updates ?

HTC Incredible S and Nexus S here in europe cost pretty much the same at the moment... and besides the bigger camera, removable SD card and slightly bigger memory the phones are pretty much the same (however I've been reading on the Nexus having poor wireless and GPS reception...)

Thanks for any hints!

 

[frankkduf]

Hey guys,

It's not the first time this is asked but maybe in 3 months the opinions about this topic have changed. I'm torn between a Nexus S and an HTC Incredible S. Hardware aside, the main differences are Vanilla android vs HTC Sense.

I've seen youtube videos comparing Sense to Vanilla Android and Sense definitely looks better. On the other hand I'm not sure of how deeply it's changing the way Android is supposed to work. It's not just a skin.. it's adding functionality. What could be in simple terms the advantages of one another ? (for example... can I install swype on HTC or it doesn't allow me.. or is Sense solving the facebook synchronization issue of late, etc)

And, if I do get an HTC, can I remove sense later down the road and install a custom version of stock Android ? (after rooting).
And if I don't like the stock version of Android, can I go back to Sense exactly as it was when I bought the HTC phone ?

I've heard about this Launcher Pro application. Would vanilla android with launcher pro give me all the good looks of Sense without deterring me from faster Google Android updates ?

HTC Incredible S and Nexus S here in europe cost pretty much the same at the moment... and besides the bigger camera, removable SD card and slightly bigger memory the phones are pretty much the same (however I've been reading on the Nexus having poor wireless and GPS reception...)

Thanks for any hints!

I would recommend Nexus s if you want to be android up to date everytime instead of being stock with foyo.. And I personnaly like so much stock android interface instead of sense... Anyway its not a big problem cause you can anytime install a sense theme!

 

[frankkduf]

(however I've been reading on the Nexus having poor wireless and GPS reception...)

Thanks for any hints!

Don't notice that .. you get just a lower SAR Radiation so a better phone for your healty!

 

[donal_f]

So - after 18 months on the iPhone 3GS and then the iPhone 4, I finally switched to an Android about a month and a half ago. I bought the HTC Desire HD based on reviews. It really converted me to Android and I became a big fan. However, I bought the phone off eBay and hadn't fully appreicated its heft.

So, I just bought the Nexus S - and am delighted by its size and weight (and it looks a lot better). But I have to say I'm really disappointed with Android without the Sense UI. I've got Launcher Pro and Beautiful widgets - but its still not as good as the Sense UI? For example - neither the email icon or the email client displays the number of unread emails? You can't search in the email client? The available widgets aren't as good. I could go on.

I think the Android with the Sense UI is better than the iPhone. But I'm afraid to say that the iPhone is better than vanilla android. Am I missing something here? Why does everyone like the Nexus S so much?

 

[AndreaCristiano]

So - after 18 months on the iPhone 3GS and then the iPhone 4, I finally switched to an Android about a month and a half ago. I bought the HTC Desire HD based on reviews. It really converted me to Android and I became a big fan. However, I bought the phone off eBay and hadn't fully appreicated its heft.

So, I just bought the Nexus S - and am delighted by its size and weight (and it looks a lot better). But I have to say I'm really disappointed with Android without the Sense UI. I've got Launcher Pro and Beautiful widgets - but its still not as good as the Sense UI? For example - neither the email icon or the email client displays the number of unread emails? You can't search in the email client? The available widgets aren't as good. I could go on.

I think the Android with the Sense UI is better than the iPhone. But I'm afraid to say that the iPhone is better than vanilla android. Am I missing something here? Why does everyone like the Nexus S so much?

Those aren't issues you can add the notifications through apps etc. You are missing something. Sense adds memory usage and data usage constantly. I have it on my inspire and don't even use it. I use adw. I miss my vanilla android and it's uncluttered pure canvas. I also miss being up to date. I can modify vanilla anyway I want and when the nexus S arrives on att officially I will be trading my inspire for it

 

[donal_f]

Thanks. Can you tell me what app I can use for email?

 

[jkurl]

My Nexus S will be here today. Well actually fedex tried to deliver it yesterday I was home but the door bell never rang. I am interested in the email app or widget for notifications as well. Spill the bean AC. lol

 

[AndreaCristiano]

I will find it for you brb

 

[AndreaCristiano]

OK there are a crap load so just search Notifier and see which one does it for u. I have the adw Notifier now. There is a gmail Notifier etc.etc.

 

[dhend25]

My Nexus S will be here today. Well actually fedex tried to deliver it yesterday I was home but the door bell never rang. I am interested in the email app or widget for notifications as well. Spill the bean AC. lol

I just downloaded an app from the Market called "E-Mail Notifier". I like it a lot so far. It's free, but not sure it will satisfy all of your particular needs.

dh

 

[jkurl]

I use ADW Notifier w/ widget locker. I am going to try light flow and see if that will work. They have a lite version to try for free so if it works i will buy the paid version.

 

[2FR35H]

So - after 18 months on the iPhone 3GS and then the iPhone 4, I finally switched to an Android about a month and a half ago. I bought the HTC Desire HD based on reviews. It really converted me to Android and I became a big fan. However, I bought the phone off eBay and hadn't fully appreicated its heft.

So, I just bought the Nexus S - and am delighted by its size and weight (and it looks a lot better). But I have to say I'm really disappointed with Android without the Sense UI. I've got Launcher Pro and Beautiful widgets - but its still not as good as the Sense UI? For example - neither the email icon or the email client displays the number of unread emails? You can't search in the email client? The available widgets aren't as good. I could go on.

I think the Android with the Sense UI is better than the iPhone. But I'm afraid to say that the iPhone is better than vanilla android. Am I missing something here? Why does everyone like the Nexus S so much?

Missing out on the purity of android and the smoothness that you don't get from other androids. Maybe you just have to be an android enthusiast to get the love.

 

[donal_f]

Thanks for the tips on email notifiers. Downloading that now.

However, I'm afraid I still don't get it. Been using my Nexus S for a few days now, and would still prefer the Sense UI. When I open my email, it can take up to 20 seconds to show me the inbox. When I search for contacts its very similiar? This performance combined with the lack of functionality are making me think about getting rid of it to be very honest?

 

[AndreaCristiano]

Thanks for the tips on email notifiers. Downloading that now.

However, I'm afraid I still don't get it. Been using my Nexus S for a few days now, and would still prefer the Sense UI. When I open my email, it can take up to 20 seconds to show me the inbox. When I search for contacts its very similiar? This performance combined with the lack of functionality are making me think about getting rid of it to be very honest?

That has nothing to do with your nexus or sense. Your not understanding. Sense is a layer placed atop android. It wouldn't speed anything up. So there must be something wrong with your nexus or your settings are off

 

[quantumrand]

Supposedly Google is adding a condition to those that use the Android platform in future devices. Google doesn't mind if manufacturers add a custom interface to their devices, but they'll have to allow the option to run a completely vanilla interface as well, which will receive timely OTA updates along with all the other vanilla devices on the market.

There's no word on when Google will start enforcing this, but I'd imagine they'll start this new policy with Ice Cream Sandwich. I think it's a pretty good way to do it personally. Kind of a best of both worlds thing.

 

[AndreaCristiano]

Supposedly Google is adding a condition to those that use the Android platform in future devices. Google doesn't mind if manufacturers add a custom interface to their devices, but they'll have to allow the option to run a completely vanilla interface as well, which will receive timely OTA updates along with all the other vanilla devices on the market.

There's no word on when Google will start enforcing this, but I'd imagine they'll start this new policy with Ice Cream Sandwich. I think it's a pretty good way to do it personally. Kind of a best of both worlds thing.

Yep it will start with ice cream and I say Thank God on High. It's about time to end this stupidity called fragmentation

 

[Deleted User]

I have to say I'm really disappointed with Android without the Sense UI. I've got Launcher Pro and Beautiful widgets - but its still not as good as the Sense UI? For example - neither the email icon or the email client displays the number of unread emails? You can't search in the email client? The available widgets aren't as good.

I came to the Nexus S from the HTC Desire and at first I didn't like the lack of Sense. But I've found widgets that do everything Sense offered, like the agenda, weather, and news widgets. I've setup my Nexus S better than what I had setup on my Desire and it's a lot faster than the Desire. I'm quite happy with the Nexus S. And compared to the aweful Atrix, it's faster and has all the settings and options there. The only thing I miss is the notification LED, but tapping the power/wake button does the same thing for me and I'm sure I'll get used to it.

I'm afraid to say that the iPhone is better than vanilla android. Am I missing something here? Why does everyone like the Nexus S so much?

Vanilla Android is just what it means, it's the basic Android experience. You then get to customize it the way you want with widgets and apps. The iPhone is kinda boring out of the box too and needs extra apps installed. No one buys an iPhone and uses it with just what's included - that would be crazy! Same goes for Nexus S.

 

[Deleted User]

Yep it will start with ice cream and I say Thank God on High. It's about time to end this stupidity called fragmentation

I agree...the base OS should always have been the same across all devices.

 

[Deleted User]

HTC Incredible S and Nexus S here in europe cost pretty much the same at the moment... and besides the bigger camera, removable SD card and slightly bigger memory the phones are pretty much the same (however I've been reading on the Nexus having poor wireless and GPS reception...)

I missed this part in my other post, but comparing my Nexus S with my HTC Desire side by side, the WiFi and GPS are just as good. The GPS is just as accurate and fast locking on to signals indoors just fine. WiFi signal strength appears equally strong. The issues I've read about could just be poor samples and those phones are not working properly. So far I've been quite impressed with the Nexus S...battery life is good too and I really like the few extras that Gingerbread has in it. It certainly beats the Atrix I had briefly.

 

[quantumrand]

My first Android phone was the HTC Hero which came with the HTC SenseUI (it may have even been the first Android phone with a custom UI). At first, Sense was great. I loved the look and extra functionality it gave me.

But then came the waiting for an update to Android 2.1. I was of course rooted within weeks of buying it, but I had stuck with relatively stock ROMs. Eventually, a working leak of the 2.1 update was integrated into a custom ROM a good month or two before the official update ever showed up, but by then Android was up to 2.2.

That's when I tried my first vanilla ROM, and I really didn't like it. I missed my fancy weather widget and convenient Facebook syncing and all of that. I knew the market had apps to replace all this, but none were free. I missed Sense enough to switch back to a 2.1 ROM.

Slowly, though, the need for better WiFi tethering and voice recognition got me to try a vanilla ROM again, but this time I decided not to be a cheap skate. I bought Beautiful Widgets and PureGrid Calendar and the full version of Launcher Pro. In total, it cost me less than $10, and they were purchases that I could use no matter which (Android) phone I got in the future. In the grand scheme of things, $10 is a tiny amount to spend.

Then I had the look and functionality I loved from Sense plus the benefits of 2.2, but my Hero was literally 3 times faster than those on stock 2.1 (granted I overclocked it from 528MHz to 792MHz).

Now with my Nexus S, I still have all those same features, didn't have to invest in a single new app, and almost all of my settings actually migrated over automatically (another vanilla benefit).

 

[AndreaCristiano]

My first Android phone was the HTC Hero which came with the HTC SenseUI (it may have even been the first Android phone with a custom UI). At first, Sense was great. I loved the look and extra functionality it gave me.

But then came the waiting for an update to Android 2.1. I was of course rooted within weeks of buying it, but I had stuck with relatively stock ROMs. Eventually, a working leak of the 2.1 update was integrated into a custom ROM a good month or two before the official update ever showed up, but by then Android was up to 2.2.

That's when I tried my first vanilla ROM, and I really didn't like it. I missed my fancy weather widget and convenient Facebook syncing and all of that. I knew the market had apps to replace all this, but none were free. I missed Sense enough to switch back to a 2.1 ROM.

Slowly, though, the need for better WiFi tethering and voice recognition got me to try a vanilla ROM again, but this time I decided not to be a cheap skate. I bought Beautiful Widgets and PureGrid Calendar and the full version of Launcher Pro. In total, it cost me less than $10, and they were purchases that I could use no matter which (Android) phone I got in the future. In the grand scheme of things, $10 is a tiny amount to spend.

Then I had the look and functionality I loved from Sense plus the benefits of 2.2, but my Hero was literally 3 times faster than those on stock 2.1 (granted I overclocked it from 528MHz to 792MHz).

Now with my Nexus S, I still have all those same features, didn't have to invest in a single new app, and almost all of my settings actually migrated over automatically (another vanilla benefit).

This is exactly right! Nexus is the only android line I will purchase. If I want things like those i will buy them. For instance I own Beautiful widgets and ADW EX I can use that anywhere, I mean I use it now on my inspire because I got tired of sense. Vanilla android allows you the most freedom and gives you the best updates