Touchwiz or Launcher

[Jonny Kansas]

I use Google Hangouts for sms.

Sent from my Note 4 via Tapatalk

 

[marthinollys]

Good question.
I'm using the stock SMS (it has a nice pop-up notification , looks fine and works reliably), the stock email for my secondary account (not my favorite UI but it excels on features), and the stock gallery which, surprisingly, is quite good and lightening fast. Also use the stock camera and S-Health. Am using Google calendar but the Samsung calendar is nice also.

With earlier Samsung devices stock apps were often inferior to third party apps but this is no longer true as Samsung continually improves its product. Still, there are excellent alternatives out there if you prefer.

I use the S-Pen features on a daily basis.

Note 4

 

[Ollie]

I had a LG G3 before my note 4, didn't like stuff on so I used nova launcher with chomp sms, and I did it like it. Do you all use stock apps as well or use other messaging apps etc for some. Sorry for sounding dumb I am just generally interested in what other people think and use.

Thanks for making me welcome and answering my questions

I use ChatON by Samsung while inside of the U.S. and Google Hangouts while outside of the U.S. I haven't tried any other SMS apps in forever since those two do what I like very well.

 

[Preach2k]

I use Nova Launcher Prime.

 

[droidprincess]

Welcome to DF! I like using TouchWiz on my Note 4 also.....I was using Hangouts for SMS but switched to the Google Messenger app....it is really nice.

sent from my sexy Note 4

 

[FoxKat]

...if I swipe down from anywhere on the screen, it pulls down the notification bar.

I'd love to have that feature built into my launcher but there's a real easy way to get almost the same functionality...

Drop Down Status Bar - Android Apps on Google Play

Place the link on your desktop near the bottom right (left if you lean that way), and a tap accomplishes the same thing.

Sent from my Droid Turbo on Tapatalk.

 

[Jonny Kansas]

Not to sound like the kind of person mentioned along with that functionality, but I don't have any trouble pulling mine down one handed.

Of course, I have the longest fingers of anyone I know by at least one knuckle...

Sent from my Note 4 via Tapatalk

 

[cr6]

The gestures are all customization, and they work consistently. .

Without a doubt, one of the best features on the pro versions of Nova, Apex & some of the other top launchers is the ability to customize gestures. Having this feature alone makes the cost for the Pro versions well worth the money IMO.

S5 tap'n

 

[bsweetness]

I'd love to have that feature built into my launcher but there's a real easy way to get almost the same functionality...

Drop Down Status Bar - Android Apps on Google Play

Place the link on your desktop near the bottom right (left if you lean that way), and a tap accomplishes the same thing.

I've actually used that app before.. It's great that there's an app for it, but the gesture is so much more convenient. It works anywhere my thumb or finger happens to be on the screen. Even that split second difference is worth it.

Not to sound like the kind of person mentioned along with that functionality, but I don't have any trouble pulling mine down one handed.

Of course, I have the longest fingers of anyone I know by at least one knuckle...

Sent from my Note 4 via Tapatalk

I don't have any trouble reaching the notification bar down one handed either. I have large hands and particularly long fingers, two reasons why I love the Note series so much. There's really not anything I can't do with the Note one handed. That said, the gesture is so convenient. Once you try it and get used to having it, you won't want to be without it.

 

[Jonny Kansas]

I don't have any trouble either. I have large hands and particularly long fingers, two reasons why I love the Note series so much. That said, the gesture is so convenient. Once you try it and get used to having it, you won't want to be without it.

I think that was my problem. I never had the patience to get used to it. I'd accidentally do it enough times & get mad & just shut it off. Haha

Sent from my Note 4 via Tapatalk

 

[FoxKat]

@bsweetness , I agree with your assessment. Humans are creatures of habit mostly, and what is familiar is comfortable. Change brings uncertainty, reduced confidence and usually requires additional effort to once again become familiar. This is why the iPhone took off so quickly and strongly. It was so simple in its intuitiveness that the typical technologically naive could pick one up and start using it with very little learning curve. And yet it brought with it great advancement in functionality and features. It's that tradeoff that made it easy to blend into the users' lifestyles.

In fact, it's usually the question of learning curve versus overall benefits that makes or breaks a successful product or service. If the learning curve is far outweighed by the benefits then people are more inclined to put forth the effort to step out of their shells and be uncomfortable for a while. The end justifies the means.

Sent from my Droid Turbo on Tapatalk.

 

[FoxKat]

I think that was my problem. I never had the patience to get used to it. I'd accidentally do it enough times & get mad & just shut it off. Haha

Sent from my Note 4 via Tapatalk

Jonny, I'm with you here. I felt it was too rich of an overlay and created a self-fulfilling prophecy for me that I wasn't ready to jump into with both feet. Getting too accustomed to, and becoming dependent on the Touchwiz would mean I'd become married to the brand and it would prevent me from exploring other options.

That probably sounds ridiculous to some and it actually sounds rather ridiculous even to me now that I've reread it, but it's hard to explain exactly why and how I feel the way I do about Touchwiz.

I guess I'm not being fair to it since it has changed dramatically since the S4, and the Note is an even more unique implementation of it, especially with the pen. Since I've not experienced the Note 4, I should be more objective. Maybe I'll devote some time to playing with one at a VZW store in the coming days.

Maybe I'll find someone who wants to trade me a Note 4 for the Nexus 6 and I can give it a full run.

Sent from my Droid Turbo on Tapatalk.

 

[mountainbikermark]

Jonny, I'm with you here. I felt it was too rich of an overlay and created a self-fulfilling prophecy for me that I wasn't ready to jump into with both feet. Getting too accustomed to, and becoming dependent on the Touchwiz would mean I'd become married to the brand and it would prevent me from exploring other options.

That probably sounds ridiculous to some and it actually sounds rather ridiculous even to me now that I've reread it, but it's hard to explain exactly why and how I feel the way I do about Touchwiz.

I guess I'm not being fair to it since it has changed dramatically since the S4, and the Note is an even more unique implementation of it, especially with the pen. Since I've not experienced the Note 4, I should be more objective. Maybe I'll devote some time to playing with one at a VZW store in the coming days.

Maybe I'll find someone who wants to trade me a Note 4 for the Nexus 6 and I can give it a full run.

Sent from my Droid Turbo on Tapatalk.

Be careful. The pen can become an addiction.

Support Our Troops !!!
<><
Beast Mode 4

 

[bsweetness]

Jonny, I'm with you here. I felt it was too rich of an overlay and created a self-fulfilling prophecy for me that I wasn't ready to jump into with both feet. Getting too accustomed to, and becoming dependent on the Touchwiz would mean I'd become married to the brand and it would prevent me from exploring other options.

Just to be clear, Johnny and I are presently talking about Nova, a custom launcher, not Touch Wiz.

And one of the reasons why I enjoy Nova so much is because of exactly what you said. It doesn't marry you to a brand of phone manufacturer. Nova can be installed on any Android device and function exactly the same way. As someone who tries a wide range of devices from a wide range of manufacturers, it's nice to know that if I don't particularly care for the launcher of a particular device, I can replace it with something I know I like. I always try the stock software to see what has changed, and sometimes I stick with it. But I can always go back to Nova and restore my personalized setup from a backup and hit the ground running.

There are certainly aspects of Touch Wiz that I like quite a bit. Multi-window and the S-Pen are two of the biggest. One of the great things about a custom launcher is that you can still use pretty much all of the best features of an OEM's skin, but yet still be able to make it your own.

That probably sounds ridiculous to some and it actually sounds rather ridiculous even to me now that I've reread it, but it's hard to explain exactly why and how I feel the way I do about Touchwiz.

I guess I'm not being fair to it since it has changed dramatically since the S4, and the Note is an even more unique implementation of it, especially with the pen. Since I've not experienced the Note 4, I should be more objective. Maybe I'll devote some time to playing with one at a VZW store in the coming days.

Maybe I'll find someone who wants to trade me a Note 4 for the Nexus 6 and I can give it a full run.

Sent from my Droid Turbo on Tapatalk.

Touch Wiz has dramatically changed for the better since the S4. It no longer has page after page of useless features. They've refined it and tones things down. Personally, I'm still not a big fan of it's overall look (which is a big reason why I use Nova ), but Samsung has really honed their skills on a lot of useful features. This is particularly true with the Note series. One of the recurring big complaints many reviews of the Nexus 6 have is the lack of software that takes advantage of its large screen. Four versions in, Samsung has nailed the large screen software.

Maybe I'll find someone who wants to trade me a Note 4 for the Nexus 6 and I can give it a full run.

I'll pick up a Nexus 6 eventually to take it for a spin for a few months (as I will do with several other phones), but I'm not giving up my Note 4.

 

[dlwhtrose]

I am not a touch wiz fan and really never have been. I have had several Samsung and actually have been in and round since the original Droid. I started using GO Launcher Pro and GO SMS back when they came out and have loved them. Being a girly girl I live my bling and changing things up but I'm totally over the net to root my devices. With the GO products you can change the icons and the look of the Launcher and the messaging app without having to root.

Just my two cents.

Sent from somewhere over the Rainbow using tapatalk