That Android’s official motto is Be Together, Not The Same is no coincidence. Unlike what happens in other platforms such as iOS, in Android it is possible to find thousands of models of devices totally different from each other, with very different technical sheets, and software that, despite being based on the same operating system, include functions or additions that we will not find in the rest of the models.
One of the aspects that make Android devices so different from each other are known as customization layers. In this guide, we are going to explain everything you need to know about them, so that you can choose for yourself which one is the best for you.
What is a personalization layer?
If no mobile phone included a customization layer, Android would be a very boring world, made up of hundreds of different devices, but which would end up offering a very similar experience, with little or nothing to distinguish itself from the rest.
But the open philosophy of Google’s operating system allows device manufacturers to modify many aspects of Android at will, such as the user interface, pre-installed applications, or default settings, as well as other more advanced modifications that go from the way notifications are managed or the use of system resources.
This set of modifications made by brands are usually included under the same brand, and this is how the layers of personalization are born. Each layer is present in most devices from the same manufacturer, and with each new version of Android the elements that make up the layer are updated to adapt to the changes introduced by Google in its operating system.
What layers of customization are there?
Within the Android device industry, it is possible to find a large number of customization layers of different types. At the end of the day, there are as many layers as there are manufacturers because no matter how small, they all make some changes to the operating system when developing the software that their phones will use.
Of course, not all layers are the same. Some try to go unnoticed by introducing very little changes to offer a purer Android experience, as is the case with the customization layers of brands like Sony or Motorola – so much so, that these layers do not even have a name.
Other brands, on the other hand, make their layers of personalization a brand to exploit when promoting their products, and whose modifications make the similarities with respect to the cleaner versions of Android basically nil. Normally, it is the Chinese firms that bet on this type of layer, although we can find others that follow this same path as the almost disappeared HTC with HTC Sense.
And now that we’ve learned more about personalization layers, it’s time to examine some of the most popular out there today. They are as follows:
ASUS: ZenUI
The ASUS customization layer is one of the most evolved in recent years. With the ASUS ZenFone 6 released in 2019, the company introduced a much cleaner look than previous versions, more similar to Android in its stock version.
But despite its resemblance to AOSP, ZenUI, currently in version 7, introduces very useful functions that are not present in other Android phones.
Neither “Pixel ROM”, nor “Pixel Experience”: the personalization layer of Google Pixel mobiles does not have a name – or, at least, not that we know of.
But the myth that says that “the Pixels use a pure Android version” is not true either. The reality is that Google terminals have a layer full of functions and additions, in some cases exclusive to Pixels, which are not available on other mobiles.
Huawei / Honor: EMUI
A firm that is committed to the extreme customization of the software of its phones is Huawei. So much so, that the company has plans to stop using Android and switch to HarmonyOS, its own operating system, maintaining the same layer of customization: EMUI.
EMUI is currently in its version 11, and it is a layer that, for years, has resembled the style of iOS. It is a layer that has its own alternative applications to those of Google.
Motorola
Don’t be fooled by its great resemblance to “stock” Android: Motorola’s mobile software hides several aces up its sleeve, such as Moto Actions, a series of quick adjustments that allow you to get more out of the company’s terminals.
For many, Motorola’s customization layer is one of the best we can find. Too bad the company doesn’t have a particularly good reputation for keeping its devices up to date to the latest versions of Android.
Meizu: FlymeOS
Like the vast majority of layers developed by Chinese manufacturers, Flyme, Meizu’s layer, bets on an aesthetic very different from that of stock Android. It is colorful and full of animations, with alternative applications to those of Google and elements inherited from iOS.
LG: LG UX
LG is another of the brands that are committed to offering highly personalized software, with a colorful aesthetic and that in a way reminds us of iOS.
The latest version of this software is LG UX 9, and it is based on Android 10.
OnePlus: OxygenOS
OnePlus began its adventures with Android using the Cyanogen ROM in its first mobile. From there, it went on to develop OxygenOS in parallel with HydrogenOS, its customization layers geared towards the western and eastern markets respectively.
For years, the firm has offered a layer whose appearance resembled that of “pure” Android, although the rest of the elements of the system were very different. Now, the OxygenOS interface has evolved with its version 11, to the point of being one of the most different layers to stock Android that exists, with features that make it a layer much more similar to Samsung’s One UI.
OPPO: ColorOS
OnePlus’ sister firm OPPO also has its own customization layer: ColorOS. It is a software that in recent years has been simplified, going from being a very overloaded layer to a much simpler one, but still with an interface that is far removed from the lines of “pure” Android.
Realme: realme UI
Being the sub – brand of OPPO, it’s no wonder that I have actually used the customization layer from its parent company since its inception. However, at the time it decided to add an extra layer of customization on top of ColorOS , which the company refers to as realme UI.
This layer inherits many features of OPPO’s software, although it introduces utilities that device users had actually requested from the company.
Samsung: One UI
In its day known as TouchWiz, Samsung’s personalization layer is probably one of the ones that has evolved the most over the years.
It started out as a heavy, feature-packed cape that many deemed unnecessary, with a rough and unkempt design. Now One UI is one of the most refined and cohesive-looking layers we can find.
It is still not perfect: its performance, especially on less powerful mobiles, leaves something to be desired, and the company continues to have a problem with bloatware.
Sony
Following a similar path to Motorola, Sony opts to offer a clean and light experience with Android , inherited from AOSP and without too many additions that dirty the interface.
Live: OriginOS
Vivo has taken advantage of its landing in Europe to announce to the world its new experience with Android, called OriginOS.
OriginOS differs from the rest of the layers by offering a dynamic design, with “tiles” of different sizes on the home screen that in a way resemble the aesthetics of the now-defunct Windows Phone.
With OriginOS, Vivo is committed to offering a feeling of extreme fluidity through careful animations, and by incorporating features of iOS and other layers from China.
Xiaomi: MIUI
Next to EMUI, MIUI is very likely the most well – known customization layer of all. It is the software that Xiaomi has been using for years on its phones, with an appearance similar to that of iOS and dozens of extra functions that we cannot find in “stock” Android.
MIUI, like many other Chinese layers, MIUI has at times been criticized for its way of managing system resources and notifications, or for including advertisements that, fortunately, can be disabled.
However, the latest version of MIUI also includes features that we would love to see on other models.
What are the best customization layers on Android?
Choosing one layer of personalization or another comes down to personal taste and objective opinions. After all, not everyone looks for the same thing in their mobile software, and there are those who prefer a layer packed with features and utilities over a cleaner and lighter one.
However, if history has taught us anything, it is that the layers that choose to fully customize the Android experience are the ones that first end up showing their most serious problems in terms of memory or resource management, notification management or updates that do not arrive.
Of course, it should not be generalized either: layers such as MIUI, One UI or OxygenOS, despite their great aesthetic and operational differences with stock Android, offer decent support even for the most affordable models of their respective brands.
Can you remove or change the customization layer of an Android for that of another brand?
Perhaps on some occasion you have wondered if it is possible to change the personalization layer of your mobile for that of another brand. And the answer is yes… although it depends.
And, although there are Android ROMs based on layers such as MIUI, Flyme or the Pixel software, most of them are only available for the most popular mobiles on the market, or those that have a good independent development community behind them.
But if what you want is to change the personalization layer of your mobile in a way as simple as if it were installing an app, I am afraid that this is an option that does not exist today. Luckily, we will always have the infinite customization options that the Google operating system offers us.