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Lenovo Switches To Stock Android For All Future Smartphones (ndtv.com)

Posted by msmash on from the going-to-basics dept.

Lenovo is canning its Vibe Pure UI Android skin in favor of the stock version of Google's mobile OS for its future smartphones, starting with the upcoming K8 Note, according to an interview from Gadgets 360 with Anuj Sharma, Lenovo India's head of marketing. From a report: Lenovo has confirmed that going forward, it will be abandoning its Vibe Pure UI Android customisation which ran on top of its recent Android smartphones in almost all markets. "What we have done in last 11 months is we looked at what we had in terms of software perspective. We have been close to the consumers and we saw what they were asking for. There was a certain trend and we have now decided to cut the Vibe Pure UI off from our phones. So you will now get the stock Android which consumers have been asking for," Sharma told Gadgets 360.

6 of 80 comments (clear)

  1. Stock LineageOS by Artem+S.+Tashkinov · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I'd be glad if they switched to LineageOS or even became a patron to this Android fork.

    Pure Android (even version 8.0) is still very limited.

  2. This is one of Lenovo's smarter moves by ITRambo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's about time. I wish all smartphones stopped adding bloat, but made their UI options available for download for anyone that preferred them.

  3. Such wasted effort and time investment by m0gely · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I've never understood the time and resource investment made into duplicate functionality. If it was an improvement over stock it could be understandable, but most of the time it seems at best the no compelling change, just different, and often worse. Does less in some important way, or looks/functions amature like. I already have a firewall. I already have a calendar, email app, photo manager, diaper, whatever. These companies spend millions over time reinventing the wheel. People just download the gmail app anyway. Don't use their sync, use ours! Sheesh.

    1. Re:Such wasted effort and time investment by JohnFen · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I suspect that manufacturers consider this a part of branding. They want something that sets their phones apart from other Android phones, and the most visible differentiator is a different UI.

  4. In other news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Lenovo makes Android SmartPhones!

  5. Re: Translation by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 5, Insightful

    >Android manufacturers can't differentiate themselves on hardware.

    Yes they can.

    Sim slots : More is better.
    Externally accessible storage slot : Have one or more.
    Headphone Jack : I hear they are popular among people with ears.
    Replaceable batteries : This is a no brainer.
    Bigger battery options : This is also a no brainer.
    Hardware credentials : MFA sucks without it.
    USB-C with full support for the power delivery specification : It's past time.
    Physical isolation for dual personalities (like for access to a work network).
    Stock Android is a good feature too, why don't more do it?

    --
    I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.