My FWIW re my wifes buying the Google XL 6 mo ago. Naked android, no bloat.
- I was shocked how naked android is when you don't have the fixes Samsung (maybe others) put over the sorely lacking android function!!
No little numbers of un-read SMS messages showing on the Texting app. Shocking!!!! How can you use a phone that doesn't help you see what you've missed?
After posting and digging on the android forums, the "experts" where practically bragging "no stinking events, alerts or dumb numbers on our "true" android". OMG what a useless OS for a business person who needs to get to calendar events, jump for the phone when a LOUD alert sound says a text / email / calendar event came in.
Then there's the broken alert noise that is 1/2 loudness the device is capabile of. Broken!
I'll never buy a non-Samsung phone again! I'll suffer with the bloatware and shutup. Grrrrr
I'm an old timer software designer / developer. If this was android 1.0 (more like 0.8) I'd say ok,,,, they'll get to the real purpose of a smart phone, make a person more productive. But this is what? version 6.x or later. WTF!! No sense that androids maturity re business use is so poor.
Sorry for ranting, but this is relavent to this phone since it runs naked android. Good hardware immature OS.