Why vanilla Android?

[Gmansurge]

Hey all, can you tell me why it is better to have a phone with vanilla Android. I am eligible for a phone upgrade. I have loved my X and was thinking of getting another Moto. A Bionic or Razr for instance, but I keep reading about how the Prime will be better with ICS. Will I lose anything by going with vanilla Android? If vanilla is better why does Moto and HTC add their UIs?

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[lxJGTxl]

My guess is the fact that vanilla is so stripped down that it helps performance overall, also allows you to add more "you" to it since its stripped down. With that said, I also think moto, HTC, Samsung etc add theirs for a different feel and flavor to their own device so all androids aren't the same out of the box. Also to add their own unique cusomizations to it. Ie. The look, Widgets etc. But this is just my guess.

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[wolstonc]

To me, a non rooter, it means no bloatware.

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[tjk629]

To me, a non rooter, it means no bloatware.

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Not necessarily. Only the NEXUS phones would lack bloat. I've seen a few stock phones with bloat on them.

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[Mark Kropf]

My guess is the fact that vanilla is so stripped down that it helps performance overall, also allows you to add more "you" to it since its stripped down. With that said, I also think moto, HTC, Samsung etc add theirs for a different feel and flavor to their own device so all androids aren't the same out of the box. Also to add their own unique cusomizations to it. Ie. The look, Widgets etc. But this is just my guess.

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Think you bout nailed it.

[sweeeeet]

If you loved the x you'll hate vanilla

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[sbenson]

A vanilla phone is the way Google would want you to have it. Bare bones, no b.s. manufacturer skins, no bloatware, no performance hindrance. If you're a non-rooter, then yes, a vanilla (Nexus) phone is the only way you're going to avoid carrier bloat. But if you're a non-rooter, why the heck would you want a Nexus anyway? The Nexus is the ultimate modder dream phone.

By all means, if you enjoy Moto's non-Blur, Sammy's Touch-wiz or HTC's Sense, then go with those. The performance impact of these skins running on top of Android varies from phone to phone. Some people love the skins, others hate them. Blur gets a bad rap because it's been total crap in the past, but newer versions have been greatly improved. Touchwiz is decent but people complain it looks too iphonish. Sense seems to be the most widely accepted with it's nice widgets and visuals. Really comes down to preference. Vanilla is nice because you can build "YOUR" phone from the ground up with nothing extra lurking in the background.

Something about running a launcher replacement while knowing the manufacturer's skin is still hiding behind and sucking resources never really sat that well with me