Stock vs Mod: Android

We all know that Android is quickly becoming the norm in our portable OS world. It's dynamic, customizable and responsive. Clearly is has already dethroned iOS, which in my opinion is a good thing; iOS is boring and unimaginative, even with the "colourful" updates that iOS 7 brings.

What's interesting about Android though is the fact that it is an open source project, meaning that developers can modify the OS to their own liking. This is seen in many Android devices, which include smartphones, superphones and tablets. One of the most popular mods to Android belongs to Samsung, more specifically the Galaxy S4. The interface is colourful and easy on the eyes (which is a good thing considering the design of the phone to be anything but that). Other companies including Sony and LG also have their own version of Android to accommodate their software and features, which for the most part can be a good thing.

On the other hand, Google still has the unmodified version of Android. This stock version is available not only on the Nexus brand devices, but several phones and tablets that are sold as "Google Play Editions", meaning that they are not attached to any carrier or brand and do not have company software installed into the OS.

Stock Android has several advantages over modified versions. The biggest being that updates are never an issue. Nexus brand devices get updates first before any other device, along with any other "Google Play Edition" version devices. There is also the comfort that with Stock Android, you get a clean slate to modify to your own liking, without being overloaded with features and abilities that in my personal opinion, can be too overwhelming to consumers (then again, it's that idea of having so many features that attract those users in the first place).

Now, I could try to convince you that Stock Android is better, but then again; it really doesn't matter. The reason why is because Android gives you the ability to choose what you want to have happen on your device, without the restricting chains that exist in iOS. It can be said without a doubt that Android IS better than iOS. What we need now is a competitor like Ubuntu OS or the newly arrived Firefox OS to act as competition for Android. I say that because competition allows for new innovations to arise, and new innovations allow for technology to become better and that is a win-win scenario for the consumer.