We've already seen an early leak of Samsung's skinned Android 4.0 build, and now it looks like we're getting a peek at what Motorola plans to do: Droid-Life just posted up an an early leaked build of Ice Cream Sandwich for the GSM Droid RAZR. The shots we're looking at only show some slight tweaks over stock ICS — Motorola's using mostly its own icons, and that lock screen is totally different — but it's clear that work hasn't been finished yet. We'll how far from stock Motorola goes with the final build; hopefully the company has decided to pull back after skinning the RAZR's current Gingerbread build far beyond the boundaries of sense and good taste.
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Google paid billions of dollars for Motorola Mobility and we still cannot get stock Android on these phones?
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:02 PM EST reply Recommend (13) Flag actions
Google doesn’t own the company until they get approval from the EU. And even then, Andy Rubin claims that Motorola won’t be influenced by Google in any way (which I find just silly for them to say).
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:04 PM EST reply Recommend (21) Flag actions
Motorola will be influenced when their software division is released.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 2:14 PM EST reply Recommend (3) Flag actions
Having to adblock your avatar is getting annoying.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 4:51 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions
It’s too bad there isn’t an ignore list.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 5:39 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
That is not what Andy Rubin said; he said that the fact that google owns (or will own) motorola will not be taken into account when the next “nexus partner” will be chosen. Of course Google will decide how motorola is operated, since they will be the same enterprise.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 2:26 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions
Death to motoblurg.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:09 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
*MotoWhateverTheFuck
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:12 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions
no and quit asking.
Carriers don’t want stock android and the carriers are the customers.
until that changes, the skinning will continue.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 2:00 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions
Not every country in the world operates on carrier subsidized models. Here in India, we pay the full price of the phone!
Posted on Jan 27, 2012 | 11:41 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Google doesn’t own them yet. And even if they did, they’d be far from influencing their products.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 3:58 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Why OEMs shouldn’t make stock phones
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 6:16 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
They should.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 8:59 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
Samsung/HTC I can understand but Moto? Google should position them as a stock Android OEM
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:03 PM EST via mobile reply Recommend (4) Flag actions
thus ruining the relationship with every other OEM
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:05 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Not at all. They are free to place vanilla Android on their devices as well.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:09 PM EST reply Recommend (5) Flag actions
Or, modify it in ways that actually enhance the product. You know, actually make it better….
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:30 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Samsung has always been pretty good at adding functionality, I’ll admit (t9 dialer, video codecs, better camera software), but I will never understand why these companies think they need to change the aesthetics. They’d be differentiating themselves from the rest of the market just by NOT making visual modifications.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:44 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
At this point, it is easier to argue that vanilla Android (ICS) is better looking than most skins. In the past it was easier to say that it ran smoother without the bloat. Using GingerBread or Froyo after using ICS is not visually easy to stomache. If Android stock keeps gaining momentum so that the OEMs cannot keep up, they may forgo that altogether.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:47 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions
the HTC sense seems to be really popular, I’ve seen the sense theme available for all other phones.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 2:54 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions
Eh what? For Google it doesn’t really make sense to put money into customization of Android, and the OEMs have one less ‘custom android’ vendor to compete with. Win-win, I say.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:13 PM EST via mobile reply Recommend Flag actions
Moto would be ran autonomously. I think by going stock it would be a big FU to the OEMs because a tight Google/Moto intergrated phone would easily be the best (in theory) Android phone. Android is a numbers game. Pissing off OEMs would likely lead to them going in harder on WP7. Google has to really be careful with this.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 6:19 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
These are giant companies not forum commenters
As long as they’re making money I doubt they will care enough to make a bunch of windows phones that are less likely to sell
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 9:19 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
But OEMs love to skin Android. It’s seen as a competitive advantage. Why would they hate Googorola for not doing so?
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:31 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Google kills Motoblur:
Samsung, HTC execs: heh heh motorola cant differentiate themselves from the other (0) manufactures doing stock. derp.
Reality: Motorola stops losing money because people actually want to buy their phones.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 6:31 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Why do you guys call every Android flavor that does not look like the Nexus Flavor a Skinn? Its not! A Skin is a bunch of differnt Icons etc.
With that logic, would you call Google Chrome a skinned Safari?
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:05 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
Amazon’s version of Android used on Kindle Fire is not a skin.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:06 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
Agreed, its more like an distribution of Android.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:08 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
Actually if you take a look at the system/framework/framework-res.apk file its plain to see that all they do is alter a few drawables and layout files. It is a skin, in every way.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:10 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
If that’s the only file you look at, sure. However they call it an “experience”, Samsung w/ TouchWiz, HTC w/ Sense, etc. They’re not merely skins. Samsung adds a bunch of stuff like browser customizations and additional codec support. They add additional apps and tweaks that do require the TouchWiz framework to work. HTC does it too.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:24 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
I wouldn’t know, I flash my phones almost immediately to CM7.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:40 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
But even CM is not stock Android. They add their own enhancements. I would rather see all the OEMs differentiate and add features than have every phone run stock AOSP. I have a Galaxy Nexus and my girlfriend has an EVO 3D. She prefers Sense. For people who want stock Android they can buy a Nexus, but I dont think the OEMs should all run stock Android as one of its greatest strengths is customization.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 2:09 PM EST via mobile reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
The UI is stock android with the option to skin it yourself, it adds helpful options to the settings menu aswell.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 2:23 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Fine, sell it skinned but don’t lock the bootloader and fight us every step of the way if we want to put a version of Android that is more like AOSP than you care to offer.
It’s simple, we let you choose to add your customization…we should be able to choose to replace it.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 2:30 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
dont know about Amazon, but both TouchWiz and Sense really replace almost every App and every widget, plus have their own Ecosystem and SDK. Its almost like a now Operating System that happens to run Android Apps and Google Services as well, which is nice. As the word skin implies only changing the surface, this is clearly more. No matter whats written in any framework whatever files
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:56 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
seeing as chrome is not based on safari but both are based on chromim, i would say there’s no logic there at all. if anything safari on windows is a skinned version of chromium.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 4:34 PM EST via mobile reply Recommend Flag actions
Motoogle
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:06 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Googorola
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:32 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions
Motorola, an independently operated subsidiary of Google.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 2:33 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
googorola wins.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 2:55 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Oh my god, kill it with fire!
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:08 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions
Why oh why can’t they just leave ICS alone? it was pretty the way it is naturally lol. I seriously do not care for all of these skins, especially the samsung’s skin for android (haven’t seen their ICS skin, i might like it)
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:09 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions
Those icons look hideous compared to those on the Galaxy Nexus
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:13 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
Yeap. ICS is beautiful. Best looking mobile OS out there today. I am not including webOS though.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:22 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
ICS looks great, but I would only use the term beautiful to describe Windows Phone 7
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 2:43 PM EST via mobile reply Recommend Flag actions
My crappy xoom got the ICS update, doesn’t really seem very different to me, unless the phones got a different version. My HTC is too old and crappy to get any updates so I don’t know.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 2:57 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
ICS is of course a refinement to Honeycomb. For me it was an upgrade from Gingerbread and the update is much appreciated. :)
Posted on Jan 27, 2012 | 11:40 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Compared to Samsungs 4.0 skin, motorola has already won in my opinion. Let’s hope the final version leaves the ICS design in place like it seems to do now.
I was hoping OEMs would use ICS as the moment to take a step down. But Samsung failed to do so. Looks like Moto is on the right track.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:14 PM EST reply Recommend (2) Flag actions
I wish everyone would leave the status bar alone, it is supposed to be completely black.
That’s going to look lovely in a holo dark app, a gradient appearing out of nowhere.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:15 PM EST reply Recommend (4) Flag actions
No way! Gradients are so cool!
:|
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:42 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
If its messing with the holo its gotta go!
ICS looks too good to have itself fuglied by a bored, underpaid graphic designer.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 2:01 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
I don’t mind customizations as long as the focus is tho improve the Android experience rather than provide a “different” experience.
This doesn’t look too bad, it seems they’ve kept ICS for the most part. The lock screen looks like it’ll have additional launch options, so that’s good. I’m not liking the icons one bit, hopefully they make them better or just go with the regular icons.
I would personally like to see more customization options, similar to the ones that you would in Launcher Pro for example. I like ICS, but I also wouldn’t mind getting rid of that search bar.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:17 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Trebuchet and CM9 as a whole sounds right up your ally.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:18 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Ever heard of Nova Launcher? It’s a gift from heaven.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1389071
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:31 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Except OEMs do think they are improving Android. Your standard is a rather slippery slope. I would be happy if a high end phone besides the Galaxy Nexus ran stock Android with only performance tweaks and left the visual aspect of ICS alone.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:50 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
They believe they are improving in the sense of providing a different experience. I actually don’t mind the improvements certain skins have added (T9 dialing for example), but they won’t ever release a skin that looks like stock android. For them, it has to look entirely different.
Posted on Jan 30, 2012 | 5:00 AM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Doesn’t look as bad as previous Moto skins…
I understand the OEM’s saying that they need their skins to differentiate, which is fine, but I think Google should at least mandate that skins be made optional. They should come with an on/off switch at the very least.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:20 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
It’s been noted by Sanjay Jha that most customizations are a result of carriers “not wanting seven stock Android devices on their shelves”.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:51 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Android is already complicated for the avg user as it is, asking them if they want stock/skinned android is not the way to go since they probably dont undertand what it means
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 9:08 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
I hope my bionic gets ICS the same time as the razr.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:24 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
besides wishing for an unlock to the bootloader. I do want ICS for my photon as well. considering there’s such limited android development on it.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:28 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Fix this sentence: “We’ll how far from stock Motorola goes with the final build.”
Have no idea what you’re trying to say. Don’t you have editors or proof-readers?
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:30 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
Add a “see”. :)
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:40 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
kinda shocked that error(s) would slip by nilay
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:49 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
lol, just made an account to say exactly this… (not as rudely tho mind you…)
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 2:02 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
I’m a veteran poster, I can say what I want. Either way, it’s Nilay. He don’t beat around the bush, so why should I?
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 2:28 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
That actually looks quite nice. It’s pretty much stock ICS with a few icon changes and a difference lock screen. If your desire is to make it look like stock then it should be very easy.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:52 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
I’m not a fan of android but that doesn’t look bad at all. Way better than the skins we have on pre-ICS devices.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 1:53 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
I want a double-barreled mic in my Google search bar. Cool customization, Motorola.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 2:30 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
If it’s only the icons, I won’t mind.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 2:38 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Decided to read an Android article. Where are the Apple people? That’s right, they aren’t here other than me because they don’t care. Find one Apple article where Fandroids aren’t all over it in a swarm.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 2:56 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
why’d you have to go there? couldn’t leave a good thing alone?
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 2:58 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
FYI apple just surpassed exxonmobile as the world’s most valuable publicly traded company in the world.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 2:59 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
LOL The Apple scout / sacrificial lamb decides to launch the first salvo unprovoked.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 6:39 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Everyone needs to stop crying about Android customization at this point. Buy a phone with stock, a phone with an unlocked bootloader, a phone which has changes to stock you can live with, or just switch to the iPhone/WP7/Blackberry. OK maybe not Blackberry.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 3:07 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
It’s 2012.
Why haven’t manufacturers realised that no one wants their awful software “improvements”?
Give us stock android, for the love of god. Give us updates as soon as they are ready, for the love of god. Support your phones for at least 24 months, for the love of god.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 4:33 PM EST reply Recommend (1) Flag actions
Carriers don’t want stock android.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 5:03 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
If you have some, I’d love to see some evidence that consumers don’t want Android skins. And that’s actual consumers, not tech enthusiasts. I have yet to see a shred of evidence that consumers as a group 1) know what Android skins are; 2) care what Android skins are; 3) don’t want them. My impression is that none of these things are true.
We already know that carriers like skins.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 7:55 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Just get the nexus. And stop whining if u want stock android or else just root the damm phone
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 9:09 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Rooting a phone doesn’t get rid of anything. :|
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 9:58 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
I, for one, honestly think that “Ginger-Blur” is pretty awesome and I like what I’m seeing with their Blurred rendition of ICS so far. I’m probably the only one that thinks this and if so, then so be it! =P
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 4:47 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Listen to the consumers! WE DON’T WANT YOUR FRIGGIN SKIN!!!
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 5:35 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Majority of the consumers arent saying it, the geeks/nerds are thats why nexus devices sales are so poor and thats why they dont listen to us
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 9:10 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Do yourself a favor and relax. No one’s forcing you to buy this phone.
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 6:09 PM EST reply Recommend Flag actions
Motoblur…. Ewwwwwwww
Posted on Jan 25, 2012 | 7:26 PM EST via mobile reply Recommend Flag actions
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