The Ultimate Android Ui Comparison: 6 Major Systems Compared

Every time we hear about a smartphone, we hear about its user interface (UI) too. Many devices run Android, but what do people mean when they say the HTC 10 has Sense UI and the Galaxy Note 5 is using TouchWiz? I'm here to clear up the confusion and show you how some common user interfaces differ in our Android UI comparison.

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What is a UI?
Firstly, what do we mean by a userinterface? Though Android appears on all ofthese devices below, it comes in differentguises. The Nexus 5X, and all other Nexusdevices, have the 'stock' version of Android, which other smartphone manufacturers use to create their own versions.

These own-brand versions of Android are sometimes known as 'forked' versions.


All of these phones run Android, but they don't all look the same. / © ANDROIDPIT
Why not use the same UI on all devices?
Device manufacturers use their own UI for many reasons, but mostly for branding. The customizable nature of Android means original equipment managers, or OEMs,have an opportunity to add their own stamp to the software: in design and features. 

In reality, these different user interfaces don't have a huge impact on your overall experience, they all allow for most of the same things, it's just about the packaging and the bundled apps that come with them.


iOS (left), TouchWiz (middle-left), Xperia UI (middle-right), stock Android (right). / © ANDROIDPIT
It's important to understand that third-party UIs often differ between devices of the same manufacturer. TouchWiz on the SamsungGalaxy S5 looks different to how it does on the Galaxy S7: even if both UIs arebased on the latest version of Android.

Similarly, and though it may seem obvious, different versions of the stock Android interface have different looks (i.e. Android Lollipop looks different to Android Marshmallow). 

Major Android UIs
Below we have a list of some of the majorAndroid UIs and a look at their appearance and functionality. Hit the quick-links to jump straight to a section.

• Samsung TouchWiz
• Sony Xperia UI
• HTC Sense
• LG LG UX
• Huawei / Honor Emotion UI
• Google / Nexus Stock Android

TouchWiz 
TouchWiz is Samsung's custom Android skin. Loved by some, hated by others, this interface is so ubiquitous that it's often what comes to consumers' minds first when thinking of Android, even though it's very different to the stock version.

Samsung's current TouchWiz directionfocuses on an azure-blue palette finished with shades of white and gray. Like it or not, this interface is present on all devices in the Samsung range – be it tablets or smartphones – whatever the budget.


TouchWiz is based on AndroidMarshmallow 6.0.1 on the Galaxy S7. / © AndroidPIT
The lock screen features a simple clock, date and battery percentage if you're charging. The home screen icons and buttons have a clear Samsung flavor, with its typical flower image on the Gallery app and simple yellow Messages icon.

Note that the app drawer is set to the bottom right of the display rather than the mosttypical location at the bottom center, and the Google search bar hovers in the middle of the device, rather than at the top. 


The TouchWiz app drawer. / © AndroidPIT
The symbols which represent the home screens currently in use are also Samsung'sown: the main home screen or landing screen (typically the one containing the default weather widget and clock) is represented by a house icon. The news menu, delivered by Flipboard on the leftmost screen, is shown as two sideways bars, while the other home screens are depicted as dots. 

Meanwhile, the application drawer has a transparent background, unlike many otherinterfaces, and scrolls horizontally.


These Samsung icons are unmistakable. / © AndroidPIT
The notifications panel contains what might be the biggest visual difference when comparing this UI to others. The date hangs in the upper left corner and options buttons can be found below on a sliding line (whichcan be used to reveal even more options). A display brightness bar sits underneath.

Samsung's TouchWiz is characterized by its gray, white and blue colors, all of which are clearly visible in the quick-settings menu: which contains Samsung's distinct, circular icons.


Samsung's color-coordinated settings menuis another staple of its devices. / © AndroidPIT
The alarm, contacts and phone apps also house adjustments and Samsung makes use of a handful of its own features like Smart Manager which (a cleaner/booster type app) and gestures. 

Xperia UI
Xperia UI is Sony's user interface. Like TouchWiz, it's a different aesthetic to stock Android and thus quite polarizing. 

Since Sony phones do not have a physical home button, its Return, Home and Recent apps buttons are included as part of the software interface. These are represented bya triangle, pentagon and square.


Xperia UI based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow on the Xperia X. / © AndroidPIT
Like most manufacturers, Sony uses its own custom icons, with reworked logos for calls, messaging and contacts. The app menu is located at the bottom center of the device,and the different home screens are portrayed as dots above it. Unlike Samsung, HTC and LG, Sony's UI doesn't include a newsfeed on the leftmost screen. 


Mostly circular icons for Xperia UI. / © AndroidPIT
Sony's wallpapers consist of a range of bold colors, but its menus are presented in a dark charcoal, with a transparent app drawer like TouchWiz.

Xperia UI packages a few of Sony's own media apps like Music, Album, Video, as well as the 'What's New?' Sony-branded store. 


Notifications and quick-settings follow stock, but the settings menu is very different. / © AndroidPIT
Sony's notifications shade and settings menu are essentially the same as the stock Android version, but the settings menu is very different. Here you will find Sony's own themes store, some advanced audio options (including an EQ), and extensivebattery saving features. 


Xperia UI has one of the fanciest lock screens. / © AndroidPIT
Of course, one of Sony's major focuses is on camera software, with manual and auto modes as well as a slew of dedicated settings and plug-ins.

Sense
Sense is the user interface of Taiwanese manufacturer HTC. HTC's set of icons and widgets take on a flat, Material Design style aesthetic in its latest version – and it's the most similar it's been to stock Android for a while.

The recent apps menu, notification shade and quick settings menu all stick very closely to the stock look, but it's home screens and app drawer are distinct.


HTC Sense is based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow on the HTC 10. / © AndroidPIT
HTC has a dedicated news feed on its leftmost screen known as Blinkfeed, whichcan be personalized to show topics you're interested in. Meanwhile, Sense has a vertically scrolling app drawer, with a dark gray background, supporting something of a 'business' feel. 


A dark app drawer and square buttons for the sophisticated M10. / © AndroidPIT
Like on TouchWiz and Xperia UI, Sense has a themes store so that you can customize thesmartphone. 

Sense's settings menu is largely the same as stock, aside from some the inclusion of some dedicated additions like the BoomSound menu for customizing sound profiles.


The recent apps menu sticks close to stock. /© AndroidPIT
Sense features its own battery saving features, gestures, and device transfer options to get content from another phone (say, if you upgrade). These settings contain some strong additional features to the standard Android package.

LG UX
LG UX is LG's UI and one of the first things which comes to mind when using an LG phone is the strange mix of default wallpapers. Things have improved with the LG G5, but the standard green-to-purple fade (see below) is still slightly awkward.


LG UX based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow on the LG G5. / © AndroidPIT
The LG G5 makes use of flat, square icons and – like Emotion UI listed below – lacks an app drawer. This means that all of the apps you download on the LG G5 appear across your home screens. 


Black and white outlines feature in the LG UX settings menu. / © AndroidPIT
The notifications panel has some slight differences to stock Android. At the top left, we find the date and time as well as a shortcut to the settings, followed by several quick-access buttons on a sliding bar. The brightness setting can be found here as well.


LG's QSLIDE Apps is a shortcuts toolbar where you can open certain apps in a separate window. / © AndroidPIT
LG doesn't allow you to enable or disable mobile data directly from the quick access bar by default, but you can drag and drop the feature into it if you wish. LG UI alsomakes use of a left-screen feed called 'Smart Bulletin', which by default includes updates from apps like Calendar, Music, Evernote and LG Health. 

EMUI's features at the link.


The Emotion UI lock screen. / © AndroidPIT
The shape and color of its icons change depending on the models, but Huawei generally makes use of square borders (with rounded corners) and white or beige colors, not unlike Apple's mobile software. 

Its lock screen, however, is one of the more unique among mobiledevices and can be used to access additional functions like a flashlight, or sound recorder. 


A simple, mostly white settings menu, not unlike one of its competitors. / © AndroidPIT
There's no smoke without fire and, in a number of ways, EMUI it still lags (pardon the pun) behind its Android counterparts. But Huawei has made great strides in recent times and, given its increasing popularity, there's no doubt that it will continue to address these concerns in the future.

[paste:font size="5"]Android N in depth for months now, so you can hit the link to find out all of the important details. 

[paste:font size="5"]Which interface is the best?
The question is too subjective to answer: each user has their own unique tastes and expectations. It may sound like a cop-out but one of the great strengths of Android is that it offers such a variety of interfaces to choose from.

Most people favor the interface as Google intended: stock Android. But I always liketo see what little additions OEMs include in their software.