Android Vs OEM skin vs iOS

There are a lot of phones and tablets being made in todays age, even from one or two companies alone. Some like Samsung put a skin on top and can even go to the extreme and replace google apps, and theres some manufacturers like Google themselves will keep Stock Android, the default android skin, but sometimes a few extra features. I think iOS needs no explaining, if you like it, you most likely have it or have used it before.

So which skin do you like better? iOS, Stock Android, or a companies skin on top of android (and which skin/company would that be)? and if you want, why?


Myself, I have used my dads Motorola, which is very similar to stock android (and im not a fan of it, probably because its mostly google.) I love samsungs skin, OneUI, their app "replacements" are better to me than using everything google, granted its still android phone so it would be hard to completely escape google. It just feels very snappy imo and works great, for me. But everyone has different tastes so thats why i created this thread.

Well, to be honest, the main issue with Android is the Google bloatware. You are, in some cases, forced to have and use Google apps that have no use at all, unlike iOS, who lets the user do whatever they want with their apps. However, Android and its OEM forks have the upper hand in customization, with waaaay more choices than iOS and its rows of icons.
As a Motorola user myself (who has to struggle with both customization and bloatware issues), i think it's mainly a matter of opinion and usage. If you have no issues with bloatware (because, as you mentioned, it's really hard to fully get rid of Google) and you care deeply about the aesthetic aspects of your device's UI, an OEM skin that deviates heavily from the Stock Android's one is the best choice.

my past 2 phones have been Xiaomi and Huawei respectively, thus i haven't experienced stock Android in so long. skinned seems pretty ok for me now, though it did take some time to get used to not having an expanding menu (like when you click the center bottom icon of the screen and it takes you to all the apps).

recently i installed the KISS Launcher on my phone, and it's really helped to hamper me from using it all too much, along with keeping the UI super simple. it's one page, i can't swipe anywhere, and i only have limited space on the nav bar for my favorite apps, so i gotta be smart with deciding which ones to put.

unrelated, but y'all talked about bloatware too, so i figured i should put my 2 cents out there. i hate it as well. i literally don't use 80% of the built in health apps or Google bullcrap that they inject into our phones these days. if only i learned how to properly root my phone to remove them i would, but i'm too scared of bricking it. haven't been updated with that profession since 2016.i long to someday have a phone that is absolutely bone stock, and it's up to us to fill it up with apps we need. mine would be so barren if ever lmao.

I've been through several brands of phones, all with their own skins. Alcatel, Samsung of several generations, Huawei, and OnePlus most recently. Old Samsung TouchWiz is absolute garbage, it was slow and bloated. It got better with the years though and OneUI is not too bad, although I don't own any newer Samsung phones that have it installed. Huawei's EMUI looks pretty, but that's about it. They break a lot of the base Android functionality and it's really not fun to deal with. Alcatel keeps Android pretty stock. minus a few changes here and there, so it's not really that bad. As for OxygenOS, it's really not too bad. They do a lot of customization, but it's manageable. They have some neat features that I do like to use, such as the Always-On Display. I do miss my more stock-like feel though, so I'm thinking I may switch my phone to LineageOS and get that Pixel-like feel once OnePlus doesn't support the 8 Pro for software updates anymore.

Stock Android. I actually like iOS's UI as well, but I dislike Apple, the iPhone, and the walled garden.

Haven't tried all of the Android variants out there, but at the very least I can't stand Samsung's.

I like Samsung's One UI but I like iOS more from the familiarity and simplicity of it. Although I'm not someone who wants a ton of different options for customization.