6 Best Android Phone UI and Skins (2023)

Stock Android: The Pure Android Experience

Stock Android is one of the most popular and loved UI out there. Even when paired with an entry-level or mediocre processor, the Stock Android UI performs better than most of the customized skins. To be precise, Stock Android forms the base of all the skins that we see on different phones. When you put some extra features and customizations on the Stock UI, it forms other skins which are comparatively heavier, make your phone a bit slower, and take some extra internal storage space too.

When talking about the Stock Android or Pure Android UI, it is used by only a few brands on the market as of now. Brands like ASUS, Motorola, Micromax, and Nokia are found more often using this UI and these are the same brands that are known for better performance phones, except Nokia, of course. Even though these brands add a pinch of customization at the top, it isn’t a lot and thus, these brands offer an experience that is closest to Stock Android. So all in all, the pure Stock Android UI is meant to be used by those who care about the overall efficiency of their phones rather than extra features. Here are some pros and cons of the Stock Android UI:

Pixel UI: Slightly Customized Stock Android Experience

Users often confuse the Pixel UI with Stock Android and do not notice the small changes between them. The Pixel UI is developed by Google and it offers some customization features on every Google Pixel phone thus, it is one of the best UI available in the Android world. It offers the speed and better performance of Stock Android and includes enough features for users to not get bored of the skin. Also, Pixel phones get many such elements that never make it to other Android phones. These features are usually AI-based and the Google Assistant works much better on Pixel phones thanks to the Pixel UI. So think of this UI as a clean skin, just like Stock Android with some added benefits. But, it still isn’t close to some heavier skins such as ColorOS and MIUI. Here are some pros and cons of the Pixel UI:

OxygenOS: Clean and Smooth UI in OnePlus Phones

Ever since Oppo’s subsidiary made its way into the smartphone market, OnePlus has been in the limelight. Even when it made some not-so-good phones, one thing that the majority of users praised it for is and always has been its UI, the OxygenOS. It is considered to be one of the cleanest and lightest Android skins on the market. In its initial days, the OxygenOS was much closer to Stock Android but days passed and now it’s much closer to being the next ColorOS. It offers numerous features while still being lighter than many other skins out there. Thus, this UI has a separate fanbase. Though, in recent years, we have seen OnePlus lacking in many ways. From not providing timely updates to Oppo’s interference in the brand, these small things can waver a user’s trust in the company and that’s why many OnePlus users are now switching to different brands. Also, OxygenOS is becoming more and more like ColorOS even though the two brands have called off their merger. Here are some pros and cons of the OxygenOS:

One UI: Samsung’s Own Android Skin, Loved By Many

One UI is among those few Android skins that have a huge fanbase. Users often find the One UI quite appealing, thanks to its curved interface and app icons. We all know that the app icons on Samsung phones look quite different and better than the rest. Also, the UI is full of interesting features and has a plethora of customization options. Moreover, it is a smooth skin that is preferred and used by many young and old people alike since it has new trendy elements for youngsters and ease of use for the old generation. But, the same UI works terribly with an entry-level phone/processor. As the UI is full of features, it is quite heavy and thus you’d want to use a phone with a better processor if you really want to get a Samsung phone. Since the brand understood this thing too, it even rolled out the One UI Core skin for entry-level phones which has very few features from the original One UI. But, this UI too wasn’t such a good idea. Here are some pros and cons of the One UI:

ColorOS: One of the Best Looking and Most Feature Full UI

Who else remembers those days when ColorOS tried its best to look like iOS? During that time, nobody would have thought that the ColorOS would take such a big turn. The skin was already not so close to Stock Android and with time, the distance just increased drastically. Then too, Oppo’s ColorOS is one of the most loved Android skins in the Android world. When compared to other UI, it offers the most customization options. You can literally customize its interface in uncountable ways and combinations. Also, just like One UI, it is full of bloatware. Thus, if you get a low-end Oppo phone, it will most likely not be able to work efficiently with the ColorOS. But when paired with decent hardware, ColorOS is quite fun to use. Also, Oppo has become much better at giving timely updates lately and this shows that the UI may get better in the coming days. Do check out the pros and cons of the ColorOS:

MIUI: Most Favourite and Hated UI

MIUI is probably the most controversial UI on the market. You either love MIUI with everything you have or you hate it the most, there’s nothing in between. MIUI is a really heavy UI and we have seen Mi and Poco devices struggling because of it. Even with decent specifications, an Mi or Poco phone may start lagging in day-to-day tasks, thanks to MIUI. But, the reason for it being so heavy is the n number of features it has. No other UI comes even close to MIUI when we talk about features. It has some of the best features on any smartphone. Users often prefer Mi phones over others because of the same reason. For example, after the Android 11 update, most of the phones started to have Google Dialer on them. This prevented users from recording a call without informing the other person, to whom they’d be talking. Even though brands like Samsung and Vivo skipped the Google Dialer in some of their phones, the rest got it anyhow. MIUI on the other hand never got the Google Dialer and even now you can record a call without informing the other person. But, still, this UI is not suitable for anyone who prefers performance over customization. Forget performance, we have seen many Mi phones being bricked because of the MIUI and thus, it is an unstable UI that you would either love a lot or would not use ever. MIUI is a nightmare for low-end, and midrange processors. But yeah, when used with flagship processors, MIUI is probably one of the best Android skins, thanks to its huge arsenal of features. Here are its pros and cons arranged for your reference: