Here Are All The Major Android Skins Currently Available

One of the best things about Google’s Android OS is how diverse and customisable it is. With every new smartphone manufacturer, there is a different flavour of Android available. It often differs on features, looks and sometimes by overall performance too. But with so many different Android skins present, it can get confusing to differentiate between them. To make you understand better, we have compiled a list of all major Android skins that are currently available in the market.

Stock Android / Pixel UI

Stock Android is the OS in its purest form, without any customisation or bloatware. After the arrival of the Google Pixel, the definition of Stock Android has changed, as it offers a little customisation on its own. But the closest a skin is to the Pixel devices, the more stock it is considered. The advantage of having a stock Android skin is that the device will be work smoothly for a longer period as it is without any bloat or unnecessary software. Devices with stock skin are also believed to get faster system updates, but that is completely dependent on the smartphone OEMs.

Android One

Android One was earlier launched to cater to devices with humble specifications to run Android OS better and to increase the life span of the devices. The certification has since expanded to mid-range devices like the Xiaomi Mi A2 and flagship smartphones like the Nokia 9 PureView. Devices running Android One software have a clean, bloatware free UI with the promise of software updates for two years. It is considered to be the next best thing after Pixel UI.

OxygenOS By OnePlus

Argued by many as better skin than Stock Android, OxygenOS found on OnePlus devices is known for its fast animations and a UI that is close to stock. Although it has a few customisations up its sleeve, most of them are useful, nifty additions to the vanilla Android experience. Devices with OxygenOS has been also known to get faster updates and longer software support. This makes it one of the most sought after skins in the Android world.

OneUI By Samsung

Taking charge from Samsung’s infamous ExperienceUI, OneUI is a refreshing take on the company’s vision for an Android skin. The Android skin was announced last year and has lately made its way into current Samsung devices like the Galaxy S10. It focusses on better one-handed usage and easy accessibility. The company has been notoriously late in providing a software update to its devices. But with no history to OneUI and updates, it will be interesting to see how Samsung takes it forward.

EMUI By Huawei

Largely inspired by Apple’s iOS software for iPhones and iPads, EMUI is an Android skin developed by the Chinese electronics giant Huawei. There are a lot of customisations available in the skin and it offers a substantial amount of bloatware. But, the aggressive RAM and Battery management of EMUI is considered one of the best in the industry; and improves the usability of its devices by a fair margin. However, Huawei is not very quick with updates and a heavy skin like EMUI only bogs it down from proving them faster.

MIUI By Xiaomi

One of the more easily recognisable Android skins, Xiaomi’s MIUI is another lookalike of iOS. The skin lacks any app drawer support and has a tonne of bloatware. It is though, heavily customisable and has a lot of features for everyone. The battery management is also considered excellent on MIUI. However, it is infamous for advertisements inside the UI and has been continuously criticised for the same. 

ZenUI By Asus

One of the lesser known Android Skins, ZenUI is seen in most Asus smartphones. It offers a lot of customisations and not a lot of bloatware. The UI is also very clean and doesn’t differ much from Stock Android. It is one of the better skins in the market although the software updates on Asus devices are not as frequent.

LG UX

LG devices have had great hardware and specifications but have been constantly criticised for their software. The LG UX is the main culprit behind it. It draws close inspiration to iOS and while it does offer an app launcher, the UI itself is cluttered and confusing. The software updates on LG devices have also been increasingly sparse in recent times.  

Sony Xperia UI

The Xperia UI was known as Sony Timescape when it was launched. It has been since made closer to stock Android, and provides a clean and smooth experience with minimal bloatware. The battery management on the Xperia UI is one of the best in the market and the software update on Sony flagships has also been consistent. While the Android skin is one of the best out there, it is bogged down by the company’s underwhelming devices.

ColorOS By OPPO

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ColorOS by OPPO is another Android skin trying to imitate Apple’s iOS. It is a substantially heavy skin and is seen on OPPO and Realme devices. While it offers a lot of features and customisations, the UI is cluttered and can get confusing at times. The Android skin is also not the one to get fast software updates. With the advent of the latest ColorOS 6.0, the company has finally added an application drawer that was highly requested by the consumers.