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Poll: Stock Android or Android With A Skin?

HTC Sense is one of the most extensive Android user interface “skins” or “overlays” or whatever you want to call them. I also think it’s the best. However, I know there are many of you out there who abhor all skins and want the pure Google experience or nothing else. There are pros and cons to both.

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Now that Sprint and Samsung have released the pricing and availability for the Galaxy Nexus on the Now Network ($199, April 22) the battle between the quintessential Google phone and its biggest Sprint competitor is about to heat up. I’m talking about the HTC EVO 4G LTE, of course, which will also cost $199 but won’t be available until May.

Read: Sprint Galaxy Nexus Launches April 22nd, Pre-order Today

The two phones don’t have much differentiation on the hardware side — similar size displays, dual-core processors, even similar dimensions — but the software side is a different story. The Nexus runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich “stock”. Meaning it’s the operating system just as Google made it. The Evo runs on Android 4.0 as well but with the HTC Sense 4.0 user interface.

Read: Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE vs Sprint Galaxy Nexus

HTC Sense is one of the most extensive Android user interface “skins” or “overlays” or whatever you want to call them. I also think it’s the best. However, I know there are many of you out there who abhor all skins and want the pure Google experience or nothing else.

[polldaddy poll=6142369]

Ice Cream SandwichThere are pros and cons to both.

Phones that run stock Android, most notably the Nexus devices, are almost always updated faster than phones with a skin. And the more extensive the skin, the longer the update process seems to take.

Plus, if you’re a fan of the aesthetics of Ice Cream Sandwich you won’t be happy to see them ruined by HTC Sense, which looks very much the same across different versions of Android.

One big advantage skins like HTC Sense bring to the equation is making Android easier to use. For instance, HTC’s widgets put almost any function or setting one or two taps away instead of making you root through multiple layers of menu.

HTC One X - HTC Sense 4.0 Widget Browser List

HTC Sense 4.0 Widget Browser List

Then again, a bad skin can make Android even more annoying to use and ugly to boot. Think of the old MotoBLUR before Motorola finally got their act together.

Which experience do you prefer? Would you rather have a skin from HTC, Samsung, Motorola etc. or Android just the way Google built it? Take our poll and tell us why in the comments.

12 Comments

12 Comments

  1. ubuniz

    04/16/2012 at 10:29 am

    I do like the functionality that skins bring but would prefer the speed of stock roms. Although now phonnes are powerful enoug to compensate. Great poll. Hopefully the companies will take notice.

  2. Arlen Tsao

    04/16/2012 at 12:44 pm

    With the exception of HTC Sense, I would always choose stock Android. I’ve played with skins from HTC, Motorola, Samsung and LG. I must say I love Sense, but really, really dislike the rest. Stock Android is a great experience, but Sense really adds simplicity and eye-candy.

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