So I played w/a Samsung Galaxy S and all I can say is WTF?!

[Isthmus]

So a friend gets a Galaxy S as his first Android phone and asks me to help him figure it out. Now, I'm not super android man, but I've had a Droid for about 9 months, I've run a number of desktop replacements (currently on LP+), and feel fairly confident that I can work my way around almost any Android Phone. That was until I played with the galaxy S.

All I can say is WTF was Samsung thinking. It's almost like they wanted to build an Iphone but couldn't make up their minds. They Have ****ed with the UI at almost every level. The icons are bigger, buttons are moved around, they even ****ed with the layout of the dialer. Most annoying of course is their app drawer - no center activation button and sideways scrolling? WTF?!?!?!?

the phone was powerful as can be, but I was screaming at all the differences that I could not find to offer an improvement over vanilla android. I just wanted to tell him to install LP+ or get rid of all the Samsung crapware and root the phone to get vanilla.

I'll never understand this insistence on modifying the base OS. Do it if you have to, but at least give users the option to run the "classic" vanilla look.

 

[AndroidSPCS]

Yea I agree.
But people can revert to the stock home using a simple trick under settings..a bit of a hassle, but it does work.

 

[Shocky]

I don't have a problem with the interface, it's pretty simple imo, especially after coming from Symbian. I get confused with the sense UI on my m8's desire so more to do with what your used to imo.

Also they've made a few improvements with the 2.2 release, some changes for the better on the latest beta leaked yesterday so they are addressing some of these, should be released soon.

 

[snapper.fishes]

What about the rest of us that HATE vanilla Android and love Touchwiz? I have used stock android, and I just can't stand it.

It's a matter of personal taste.

 

[takeshi]

I'll never understand this insistence on modifying the base OS. Do it if you have to, but at least give users the option to run the "classic" vanilla look.

Maybe you should read up on the intent behind Android. Google expects OEM's to do this. That, of course, doesn't rule out the possibility of Google Experience phones (e.g. Droid, Nexus One) that ship with the standard OS and no UI.

Though I do agree that UI's should include the option to disable them. However, most enthusiasts are likely to find a way to do what they want.

 

[qwertyaas]

I use launcher pro but I really like the other aspects of touchwiz such as the contacts, dialer, messages, pull down bar...

And its really not difficult to install a new launcher. Market, search, launcher pro or adw. Problem solved.

 

[marefin]

So a friend gets a Galaxy S as his first Android phone and asks me to help him figure it out. Now, I'm not super android man, but I've had a Droid for about 9 months, I've run a number of desktop replacements (currently on LP+, and feel fairly confident that I can work my way around almost any Android Phone. That was until I played with the galaxy S.

All I can say is WTF was Samsung thinking. It's almost like they wanted to build an Iphone but couldn't make up their minds. They Have ****ed with the UI at almost every level. The icons are bigger, buttons are moved around, they even ****ed with the layout of the dialer. Most annoying of course is their app drawer - no center activation button and sideways scrolling? WTF?!?!?!?

the phone was powerful as can be, but I was screaming at all the differences that I could not find to offer an improvement over vanilla android. I just wanted to tell him to install LP+ or get rid of all the Samsung crapware and root the phone to get vanilla.

I'll never understand this insistence on modifying the base OS. Do it if you have to, but at least give users the option to run the "classic" vanilla look.

I don't get what the big deal is with people ranting about the UI on the SGS. I mean if you don't like it, just CHANGE it. Which can be done pretty easily via the Market. I mean when there will always be people who don't like the UI, but there will always be people who have no issues with them. Yes, they could have had an option to change the UI pre-installed, but to my knowledge none of the Android phones do (please correct me if I'm wrong).

I personally haven't had any issue with using TouchWiz, I mean I wasn't fond of it, but I didn't hate it either. I ended up just using LP but then switched to ADW and love it. However, Samsung did do some nice things with the UI. One of them is when you drop down the notification bar you have the option of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Silent, and Vibration. And I really do like that feature. Their widgets aren't as awesome as the HTC widgets but again, all I did was go to the Market and download ones I needed.

Oh and also, you can change the app drawer icon display very easily. All you do is click the menu button and there's an option for view type and you can change it to list. Just because the phone isn't made the same exact way as every other phone doesn't make it bad, it makes it different. Which is the point of Android. To have something that is different. And if you don't like that different setup, then you have the lovely option of changing it.

edit. I have also played around with my friends' Androids (Evo, Nexus, Droid X) and I didn't have any issue figuring out those phones.

 

[melll]

Man I dont get all the hate!

I love the way Samsung Made it. Vanilla would be like watching a girl eat vanilla ice cream!

So boring! Gimmie touch wiz, on my face!

 

[zstef]

What about the rest of us that HATE vanilla Android and love Touchwiz? I have used stock android, and I just can't stand it.

It's a matter of personal taste.

No vanilla on my phone, custom UI FTW!

 

[cleanermonkey]

As many others I too really like the way Touchwiz does it... side ways scrolling ftw! Gives possibility to sort apps by what ever instead of alphabetical in a looooong scrolldown list scroll, scroll, scroll and scroll some more to get to near bottom... in TW just press small dot on top again and you are at your destination (or just next to it). First 3 days I had 7 homescreens and missed the center option... 4 days 4 screens and now 3 screens and las 2 is mainly for search widget, 3banana widget and countdown widgets for various stuff I don't wan't to miss (or just want to look 4ward to) and ofc. other stuff that could very well be skipped all together, but my wallpaper looks better with 3 screens.
so I use the menu and side swipe app pages in Touchwiz all the time. Very simple and easy to use. Please Samsung don't change it just because someone says wtf in CAPS