rtwo2008 wroteI finally received my Nexus 7 2013 model, it's a good device but with some personal shortcomings. The most annoying one of them is that it doesn't support OTG unless you root it. The root process is very complicated, but fortunately a guy on xda-developers made an app that makes it fairly easy but still not quite. The power button is not coming straight out of the device, instead it is 45 degrees tilted diagonally towards the back of the device which makes it really annoying to press.
I absolutely don't like Vanilla android, no matter how much flak touchwiz gets, I still think it is better than the pure android experience mainly due to very very simple but useful features that the android team omitted.
- The battery doesn't show the percentage, there is an app for it, but it can only display it in white (and the bar is in white as well) which means you can only read it when the battery level is below ~40%.
- You cannot add/remove homescreens, you are stuck with 5 at-all-times whether you like it or not.
- You cannot put your apps in folders in the appdrawer (you can organize them in folders on the homescreens though).
- No menu button, you have to click the menu app.
- The drop down bar from the top is split between left and right, and you cannot customize the quick buttons in it.
Of course most of the software problems can be solved with installing third party launchers but I didn't like any of them (nova, apex, etc...)
If I had the choice again, I would hold out for a samsung full HD or 2500xXXXX 7 inch tablet which is scheduled to roll out sometime in 2014.
Well, you are entitled to your opinion.
As for me, I am a Nexus guy, will be for a long time. But, from your review, I noticed that you are not into Rooting and customizing all that much. You cannot call pure Android not good, coz that's where it becomes interesting. Nexus devices are unlocked and open for us to do what we wish with them.
You are an end user, who prefers to use your device as is, which defies the purpose of Android. Samsung devices are "Closed Source" tightly with the horrendous, and extremely clunky skin of theirs. Although I do agree they do add some neat features out of the box, I have seen the Note 3 in action, but sadly it has so much bloat, that it makes it a lag fest and a micro stutter monster. And rooting Samsung devices is as hard as a windows user trying to run Linux.
Furthermore, it clearly shows that you are not into rooting if you found the process of rooting the Nexus hard. I admit, I am a bit more knowledgeable in that, but it took me 5 minutes to root my Nexus 5, which is the same method on all Nexus devices. It's easy, too easy if you ask me, even a child can do it.
Anyway, all am saying is, Android was made to be "Open Source", and Samsung went ahead and closed it tight, which is very bad. And you preferring "Closed Source" to "Open Source" defies the purpose of Android completely. You cannot freely customize Samsung devices, just like iPhones. Yet they are more open.
In conclusion, yes, Samsung OS can be better than Vanilla, but at some point you will hit a brick wall, whereas with Nexus the sky's the limit. You can add all the "Samsung Features", or, at least most of them via Custom ROMs which you don't like to do. So yeah stick to Samsung. Samsung is for you. I agree.
Me = Nexus forever, I like the freedom and openness of it. Plus am a Flashaholic ;)
Peace out.