The need for AOSP Android

I have a Note II. My wife gave it to me as a birthday gift. To be honest, I was so the one to suggest the Note II as the gift. But having used the original Galaxy S, the S2.... I was aware of what I was getting in to. I'm talking about TouchWiz. What Samsung were now referring to as the Nature UI was something that was smooth, not slick like stock Android, but pretty responsive nonetheless.

Since this was a present from my wife, I had to think twice before tinkering with the device. I am an ex phone flashing addict who would try out different ROMS on his devices and play with them for a while before moving on to something else. This habit had existed right from the days of my first Windows Phone, the Xperia X1.

So one fine morning, getting tired of all the videos of the stock Android on the Nexus 4, I dove in to flash Cyanogen Mod 10.1 onto the Note II. It had some graphics glitches which have been getting sorted out over the course of the last few months. I am a regular updates from the nightlies.

It happened that one of my friends, someone who usually enquires about any device I might have to sell off (since I'm buying a new device) asked me to suggest a new device with his budget around ₹25k. With friends in the UK soon heading down to India on holiday, I suggested that he have someone get the Nexus 4 for him. It would cost him ₹23k (based on the current exchange rate) and would fall well within his budget. The best part was that this was a device well worth the price and effort spent and getting it.
I met him yesterday, after our mutual friend had brought the device. I immediately fell in love with the Nexus 4. I was so excited that I even offered to exchange devices, with him getting my higher spec'd and costlier Note II and me getting his brand new Nexus 4. He said he would love it but he thought the Note II was an unwieldy device and thus the exchange was halted.

But come to think of it, the only thing he has in his favour is that he will get the next Google update when it becomes available. I'll have to wait for mine. Till then, I get the same performance, better pictures and damn good battery life.

I guess I am right to stick with this device and forego any device change till the next Nexus hits the stores.