Woke up this morning to my Galaxy Camera 2 claiming it was downloading a new software update (~130mb). Of course, there's no mention anywhere in the update process for what is included in this update, but I can definitely tell you that it's not Kitkat (sadly). Unfortunately, I didn't check version numbers prior to accepting the update (sorry), but here's the version numbers after the update:
Build Number:
JSS15J.GC200XXUCNK4
Kernel version:
3.0.31-2807772
[email protected] #1
Sat Nov 29 15:55:43 KST 2014
That's the same Build Number we've had since like April 2014, but the kernel definitely seems to have been updated. Maybe they finally fixed the loss of Google account settings issue??? I appreciate updates, but I really wish they would inform the customer better on what these updates fixed.
Ironically, for the first time in a long time, my Camera 2 had lost its Google Account settings when I turned it on this morning....haha.
Oh, I reside in Florida, USA. Not sure who else in the world is receiving the update, but according to SamMobile.com the Camera 2 update was hitting other locations around the globe starting 12/18/2014, but there's no mention of it hitting the USA at all.
Need to know if it's root able.
cantenna said:
Need to know if it's root able.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as this fixes the problem of losing the Google account, I have no reason to root the camera. Plus, I still have this weird hope that Samsung will actually release a Kitkat update for it (haha), and with there basically being ZERO development for this device on XDA, I don't want to be stuck not able to update.
Well, it's been almost a week since this update and it's also been a week of heavy Camera 2 use with the holidays. I haven't lost Google settings even once.
Thus far my camera hasn't lost my Google accounts, and by now it surely would have happened
Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk
internetpilot said:
As long as this fixes the problem of losing the Google account, I have no reason to root the camera. Plus, I still have this weird hope that Samsung will actually release a Kitkat update for it (haha), and with there basically being ZERO development for this device on XDA, I don't want to be stuck not able to update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eh...
I didn't waste my time getting the Galaxy Camera 2, just got the One.
I understand your stress though.
Someone needs a swift kick in the butt so we can get development going for both devices.
Sent from my LG-P920 using XDA Free mobile app
hmm am glad to see an uphdate still, though im really really hoping for lollipop which should allow RAW access for the camera.
mark2410 said:
hmm am glad to see an uphdate still, though im really really hoping for lollipop which should allow RAW access for the camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Assuming you do get it, could we transfer it over to the Galaxy Camera One, Wi-Fi Edition?
I don't like to be the rude one. But at this point, someone has to help root the Wi-Fi Only version, and come up with a Custom Recovery.
Not only this, but we need to see Devs, but we've got people sitting and pointing fingers instead.
I wanna see a ROM putting us all on a better version, or something more come to all the cameras.
Sent from my LG-P920 using XDA Free mobile app
hmm, really wouldnt have thought so, its probably possible given the hardware similarities but i think that given the camera 1 and 2 have been such unpopular devices they havent warranted their own listings here i wouldnt hold me breath. the key to getting a ROM for a device is someone who is techy enough to do wanting to use one. i for one might like the camera but i would have absolutely no clue how to make a rom for it.
hmm surely there must be a dev out there who likes photos.
mark2410 said:
hmm, really wouldnt have thought so, its probably possible given the hardware similarities but i think that given the camera 1 and 2 have been such unpopular devices they havent warranted their own listings here i wouldnt hold me breath. the key to getting a ROM for a device is someone who is techy enough to do wanting to use one. i for one might like the camera but i would have absolutely no clue how to make a rom for it.
hmm surely there must be a dev out there who likes photos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Camera 2 has gotten support, but not what it needs.
And honestly, Developing ROMs isn't too difficult, I just don't have the time for it.
Sent from my EK-GC110 using XDA Free mobile app
The reason why you would want to root the camera is because you can instal Link2sd and Foldermount, with these two apps you can install theoretically 128G of apps
cantenna said:
The reason why you would want to root the camera is because you can instal Link2sd and Foldermount, with these two apps you can install theoretically 128G of apps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why would anyone want to put 128GB of apps on a camera? I mean, a tablet or phone, okay...but a camera? I just don't really see the practical purpose for that. The biggest storage hog on my tablet/phone is music and movies, and neither of those require the device to be rooted to store them on the external SD card.
Again, with the way Samsung is really clamping down on not allowing OTA's to be delivered to even just rooted devices, and with the basically non-existent development support for this device, I won't be rooting it until I'm 100% certain that there's no OTA update coming for it, and even then I would only root it if someone put out a reliable custom Kitkat or Lollipop ROM for it. Honestly, if Samsung won't update it, then I'm really not holding my breath that some 3rd-party dev ever will.
Ouya-XD said:
The Camera 2 has gotten support, but not what it needs.
And honestly, Developing ROMs isn't too difficult, I just don't have the time for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It would be a heckuva lot easier to port a Camera 2 ROM over to the Camera 1 (rather than develop a ROM from scratch for either camera model), but even that hasn't been done. I don't think there's ever going to be any original development on these devices (like a CM11 or CM12). Developing ROMs isn't terribly difficult, but it's not easy either, especially not on a device that is so driver dependent like these cameras are. Just about every Android device I've owned (phone or tablet) has problems with the camera not working in some way (if not completely) on any original development project. What good is a camera with the latest Android OS if it causes the camera function not to work or even not work reliably?
I think we need to face it, folks -- these cameras are pretty much as-is. At best we're highly dependent on whatever Samsung gives us.
Nope, I disagree. Rooting this camera is a damn good idea for so many reasons. Most tablet or phone dont have a miro HDMI, My camera, I can install apps without deleting and its not just a camera, its an android device by Samsung that comes with a micro hdmi and with a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, well if you have ever thought about buying an android TV box, this is a better replacement, it performs much better than majority on the market.
And yes I agree that stock ROMs with stock drivers perform better but asop base ROM do perform much better in terms of speed in gaming and applications. What about a multi ROM solution to allow you multi-boot i.e. boot stock from internal nand and asop lollipop from from external SD, now that would be a sweet setup!
hmmm i get your point but for me, the camera is a camera. ive got a tablet for tablety things, a phone for phoney things so what i want is camera focused and to have dropbox autoupload everything nicely.
thats the anly reasen im so fussed that i want it to get lollipop as it should then get RAW capabilities. while i realise it may not happen i will vote with my wallet. this is my first real samsung device (galaxy nexus doesnt count) and while i love oled screens and removable batteries if samsung abandon the camera, well i will abandon them. its really that simple, if they wont support devices going forward then i wont buy any other android devices from them.
if only google put out a Nexus Camera.
NK4 and rooting
I just finished the upgrade to NK4. I was trying to keep root through survival mode in Superuser Pro, but I ended up having to reroot. The upgrade via kies took about a hour. I attempted to re-establish root via Superuser but was unable to do so. I ODIN'ed the CF-autoroot onto the camera and reinstalled Superuser. I now have a NK4 rooted camera.
Since the discussion seems to have shifted to the rational for rooting, here's my take. First, it should be noted that root <> custom recovery. We do not have custom recovery for the GalCam2, so installing alternative ROM's, if available is not an option. So, why root? For me, it's Xposed modules; specifically pie controls(mmmm, pie). I've had several digital cameras over the years. In fact, when I bought this camera, I had a year old samsung camera. Why this camera? It's android, so I can to many things that would be not be possible on other cameras in this price range, like say using different camera apps.
So, if you're rooted on NC2, fear not. The water's OK over here on NK4.
cantenna said:
Nope, I disagree. Rooting this camera is a damn good idea for so many reasons. Most tablet or phone dont have a miro HDMI, My camera, I can install apps without deleting and its not just a camera, its an android device by Samsung that comes with a micro hdmi and with a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, well if you have ever thought about buying an android TV box, this is a better replacement, it performs much better than majority on the market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, of course you can disagree, but I still think you're stretching your camera well beyond practical purpose. Cameras are quirky enough on their own (especially ones with Android OS) -- it's probably not a good idea to use it so much for non-photography purposes because when you wear it out from overuse with all these extraneous functions you're not just going to be out an Android TV device -- you're going to be out a $400 camera. Android TV boxes can be had for as cheap as US$25 and are practically disposable at that price.
Incidentally, I have a HDMI dongle (that uses a standard, readily available fullsize HDMI plug/cable) that I use on my Galaxy Note 2 phone and/or my Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 tablet all the time (typically when on vacation watching movies on the hotel TV). Not to mention $30 Chromecast can be used wirelessly. All of this without overusing my $400 camera, so that the next time I want to use my camera it won't have a low battery, scratched up screen, or otherwise screwed up or acting quirky from rooting it.
cantenna said:
And yes I agree that stock ROMs with stock drivers perform better but asop base ROM do perform much better in terms of speed in gaming and applications. What about a multi ROM solution to allow you multi-boot i.e. boot stock from internal nand and asop lollipop from from external SD, now that would be a sweet setup!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, it's all about what's your priority purpose for this device. I bought this device to use as a internet connected camera -- I didn't buy it for playing games or running non-photography related apps. I don't want to have choose which OS I'm booting to....I just want to turn the camera on, take some pics, and be able to immediately upload them somewhere. As long as that's working, then in my world there's really no need to actively look for alternative solutions that are just going to potentially mess that simple process up.
Again, there's a reason why I'm here on XDA -- I've rooted (and usually ROMed) every other Android device I've owned. I'm even currently running CM11 on my Galaxy Note 2 at the expense of losing some of the S-pen features because it runs so much faster that it's like I got a completely new phone. But I just don't see any reason for rooting (or especially ROMing) the Camera 2.
10amla said:
Since the discussion seems to have shifted to the rational for rooting, here's my take. First, it should be noted that root <> custom recovery. We do not have custom recovery for the GalCam2, so installing alternative ROM's, if available is not an option. So, why root? For me, it's Xposed modules; specifically pie controls(mmmm, pie). I've had several digital cameras over the years. In fact, when I bought this camera, I had a year old samsung camera. Why this camera? It's android, so I can to many things that would be not be possible on other cameras in this price range, like say using different camera apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's actually very good to know for future reference that NK4 is rootable. That's likely the last update we'll see for this camera knowing Samsung.
I actually don't always use a custom recovery on my Samsung devices. Since most root methods, ROMs, and even the recoveries themselves are flashed via Odin, there's really not a pressing need for a custom recovery. I've even encountered a lot of quirkiness with most custom recoveries (Philz, CWM, TWRP) when it comes to Nandroid backups (especially reliable restores), so I never rely on them and instead just reflash the ROM, allow Google to restore system data, and then restore personal apps/data with TitaniumBackup. Plus, even if you're rooted, as long as you have the stock recovery you can USUALLY take any OTA updates. I emphasize USUALLY because my Note 10.1 2014 Ed tablet is rooted but running stock recovery and the latest bug-fix update will not flash because they claim my tablet has been modified.
I guess I've never felt the need for pie controls because I haven't used the stock launcher on any Android device I've ever owned. The Camera 2 camera app interface is already pretty sweet with the on-screen dial menus. Like I said above, I'm not just globally adverse to rooting (far from it), but I just have yet to find any reason to root this camera, especially now that the latest update seems to have corrected the stupid vanishing Google Account settings issue.
Now, if someone ever comes up with a fully functioning Lollipop ROM for this camera, you'll quickly see me singing a different tune, but until then....
internetpilot said:
Well, of course you can disagree, but I still think you're stretching your camera well beyond practical purpose. Cameras are quirky enough on their own (especially ones with Android OS) -- it's probably not a good idea to use it so much for non-photography purposes because when you wear it out from overuse with all these extraneous functions you're not just going to be out an Android TV device -- you're going to be out a $400 camera. Android TV boxes can be had for as cheap as US$25 and are practically disposable at that price.
Incidentally, I have a HDMI dongle (that uses a standard, readily available fullsize HDMI plug/cable) that I use on my Galaxy Note 2 phone and/or my Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 tablet all the time (typically when on vacation watching movies on the hotel TV). Not to mention $30 Chromecast can be used wirelessly. All of this without overusing my $400 camera, so that the next time I want to use my camera it won't have a low battery, scratched up screen, or otherwise screwed up or acting quirky from rooting it.
Again, it's all about what's your priority purpose for this device. I bought this device to use as a internet connected camera -- I didn't buy it for playing games or running non-photography related apps. I don't want to have choose which OS I'm booting to....I just want to turn the camera on, take some pics, and be able to immediately upload them somewhere. As long as that's working, then in my world there's really no need to actively look for alternative solutions that are just going to potentially mess that simple process up.
Again, there's a reason why I'm here on XDA -- I've rooted (and usually ROMed) every other Android device I've owned. I'm even currently running CM11 on my Galaxy Note 2 at the expense of losing some of the S-pen features because it runs so much faster that it's like I got a completely new phone. But I just don't see any reason for rooting (or especially ROMing) the Camera 2.
That's actually very good to know for future reference that NK4 is rootable. That's likely the last update we'll see for this camera knowing Samsung.
I actually don't always use a custom recovery on my Samsung devices. Since most root methods, ROMs, and even the recoveries themselves are flashed via Odin, there's really not a pressing need for a custom recovery. I've even encountered a lot of quirkiness with most custom recoveries (Philz, CWM, TWRP) when it comes to Nandroid backups (especially reliable restores), so I never rely on them and instead just reflash the ROM, allow Google to restore system data, and then restore personal apps/data with TitaniumBackup. Plus, even if you're rooted, as long as you have the stock recovery you can USUALLY take any OTA updates. I emphasize USUALLY because my Note 10.1 2014 Ed tablet is rooted but running stock recovery and the latest bug-fix update will not flash because they claim my tablet has been modified.
I guess I've never felt the need for pie controls because I haven't used the stock launcher on any Android device I've ever owned. The Camera 2 camera app interface is already pretty sweet with the on-screen dial menus. Like I said above, I'm not just globally adverse to rooting (far from it), but I just have yet to find any reason to root this camera, especially now that the latest update seems to have corrected the stupid vanishing Google Account settings issue.
Now, if someone ever comes up with a fully functioning Lollipop ROM for this camera, you'll quickly see me singing a different tune, but until then....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stretching beyond practice purpose is what makes android, android. Samsung makes good hardware, this camera will never fail from overuse and $25.00 android boxes perform like $25.00 android boxes.
I also do not use the stock launcher on any of my Samsung devices. I use lightning launcher on the camera(as well as my notes). The reason I like pie controls is that you gain extra screen space when you're using the launcher(no nav bar). So far, that's my only use of root, that could change in time; but not having custom recovery makes me very cautious in installing addition items.
cantenna said:
Stretching beyond practice purpose is what makes android, android. Samsung makes good hardware, this camera will never fail from overuse and $25.00 android boxes perform like $25.00 android boxes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you think a multi element autofocus mechanical extending zoom lens and an electronic shutter are never going to fail, then you better start preparing yourself for disappointment in about 2 years. LOL.
My three $25 AndroidTV boxes have been working great for years, running Netflix and Amazon Prime video since day one that I bought them. They're also running Kitkat even though they started out on Gingerbread.
10amla said:
I also do not use the stock launcher on any of my Samsung devices. I use lightning launcher on the camera(as well as my notes). The reason I like pie controls is that you gain extra screen space when you're using the launcher(no nav bar). So far, that's my only use of root, that could change in time; but not having custom recovery makes me very cautious in installing addition items.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure that all of my Samsung devices have been rooted and ROMed using Odin. My first Android device was a HTC EVO 4G, which solely used custom recoveries (unless you just like going back to the dark years of ADB), so the first couple of times I asked devs for a flashable zip, I was all but excommunicated from the XDA forum for such blasphemy. Everyone here seems to do just about everything via Odin, so I don't really sweat not having a custom recovery. Most things that can go wrong (bootloops, soft-bricks, etc.) when mucking around flashing devices are solved via Odin anyway.
Related
Bit of background....
Was never much a fan of android and had just about every iphone from day dot right up until the iphone 5.
I'd Jailbroke all the way through with each device, a lot of tweaks, modding etc.
Started to get very bored of the whole iphone thing but ended up losing it anyway (left it on a train)
That's what made me think, why not try something different? So claimed on my insurance and went for a Galaxy S3.
NEVER MISSED MY IPHONE ONCE. How android has improved over the years.
Loved the functionality of the S3, although not the build so much. Had it rooted with CM, gravity box, adaway and that was me happy.
Was very excited to wait for the M8 and upgraded as soon as it came out, wasn't disappointed, LOVE IT!
Fantastic build quality, great looks, great spec. Could hardly fault it anywhere.
Decided to jump in and root it to get some of my favourite things.... That's where my disappointment began
Unlike the Samsung, everything seems really difficult to achieve, some things impossible.
Unlocking the boot loader is a fairly long process but it was fairly straight forward... Job done
Rooting, fairly straight forward... Job done
HERES WHERE THE NOT SO FUN PARTS STARTS...
Adaway, kinda works but not. Keep having problems with it being disabled on boot up and not being able to copy host files
From my research it seems to be a problem with s-off not being active although I'm not sure?
Tried the s-off process and at the end was told it won't work on my device, no one seems to know exactly why?
Another app I wanted was gsam battery, again... Kinda works but not. Standard stats work but more advanced won't.
Tried the root companion, can't get that to work at all.
Something else I really wanted was gravity box through xposed. That won't work with sense.
In order to get that I believe I have to flash another rom that dos'nt have sense, think that only leaves the google play edition rom?
That I believe also loses me blinkfeed and ultra power saver which are both pretty good.
Not sure if I need s-off for that, if I do I can't get it anyway
May main reason for root was for gravity box and adaway, one of which I kinda have and one I don't have at all.
So overall, very disappointed now
Just thought I'd share my experience as it might help others decide on purchase choices.
Also if anyone has any tips to get around my issues I'd really appreciate it
its for those reasons i now leave my phones stock. i used to customise my windows phones to get them to work but since switching to android i just use them and update the stock software when they become available. i also have an m8 and i have only installed gsam, chrome and epson printer apps. that is all i have needed so far. i seem to be able to do everything i need to do without any more apps installed. i had a htc one x previous and sensation before that and had so much stuff on them that they were litterely full of apps. i will probably end up adding heaps of apps as time goes on but the stock setup on the m8 is very powerful and capable (not to mention fast). i would recommend just installing the stock rom back and use it for a while. is there really any advantage to rooting these anyway.
boofhead said:
its for those reasons i now leave my phones stock. i used to customise my windows phones to get them to work but since switching to android i just use them and update the stock software when they become available. i also have an m8 and i have only installed gsam, chrome and epson printer apps. that is all i have needed so far. i seem to be able to do everything i need to do without any more apps installed. i had a htc one x previous and sensation before that and had so much stuff on them that they were litterely full of apps. i will probably end up adding heaps of apps as time goes on but the stock setup on the m8 is very powerful and capable (not to mention fast). i would recommend just installing the stock rom back and use it for a while. is there really any advantage to rooting these anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Xposed framework would be a huge advantage to me to get rid of annoying things, some small some not so small.
Even the volume warning really annoys me, there's no way to disable it without xposed working
Also on my s3 I moved the close all apps button to bottom left, much easier for me being a lefty
Hi, ads can be blocked through modified hosts file (you can search how to do that). Have you tried a custom ROM with root already done. I use Venom and have always used adaway, both s-on and s-off with no issues.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using xda app-developers app
bah77 said:
Bit of background....
Was never much a fan of android and had just about every iphone from day dot right up until the iphone 5.
I'd Jailbroke all the way through with each device, a lot of tweaks, modding etc.
Started to get very bored of the whole iphone thing but ended up losing it anyway (left it on a train)
That's what made me think, why not try something different? So claimed on my insurance and went for a Galaxy S3.
NEVER MISSED MY IPHONE ONCE. How android has improved over the years.
Loved the functionality of the S3, although not the build so much. Had it rooted with CM, gravity box, adaway and that was me happy.
Was very excited to wait for the M8 and upgraded as soon as it came out, wasn't disappointed, LOVE IT!
Fantastic build quality, great looks, great spec. Could hardly fault it anywhere.
Decided to jump in and root it to get some of my favourite things.... That's where my disappointment began
Unlike the Samsung, everything seems really difficult to achieve, some things impossible.
Unlocking the boot loader is a fairly long process but it was fairly straight forward... Job done
Rooting, fairly straight forward... Job done
HERES WHERE THE NOT SO FUN PARTS STARTS...
Adaway, kinda works but not. Keep having problems with it being disabled on boot up and not being able to copy host files
From my research it seems to be a problem with s-off not being active although I'm not sure?
Tried the s-off process and at the end was told it won't work on my device, no one seems to know exactly why?
Another app I wanted was gsam battery, again... Kinda works but not. Standard stats work but more advanced won't.
Tried the root companion, can't get that to work at all.
Something else I really wanted was gravity box through xposed. That won't work with sense.
In order to get that I believe I have to flash another rom that dos'nt have sense, think that only leaves the google play edition rom?
That I believe also loses me blinkfeed and ultra power saver which are both pretty good.
Not sure if I need s-off for that, if I do I can't get it anyway
May main reason for root was for gravity box and adaway, one of which I kinda have and one I don't have at all.
So overall, very disappointed now
Just thought I'd share my experience as it might help others decide on purchase choices.
Also if anyone has any tips to get around my issues I'd really appreciate it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry but i dont understand what problems you actually have or what you done/expect from your phone
Adaway and GSAM battery stats works perfectly on all custom roms for M8 without issues.
And roms like our Viper ONE M8 provides endless customization and tweaking options, can you tell me what can you do with that gravity that you cant in viper rom?
Gravity Box wouldn't work on a Sense based rom anyways. I think the main source of your issues is the lack of research (user error).
rquinn19 said:
Gravity Box wouldn't work on a Sense based rom anyways. I think the main source of your issues is the lack of research (user error).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What parts don't? I haven't gone incredibly far into GB, but the NavBar tweaks worked for me and I'm on Viper, a Sense-based Rom.
ivicask said:
Sorry but i dont understand what problems you actually have or what you done/expect from your phone
Adaway and GSAM battery stats works perfectly on all custom roms for M8 without issues.
And roms like our Viper ONE M8 provides endless customization and tweaking options, can you tell me what can you do with that gravity that you cant in viper rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been looking at viper actually, considering flashing tonight
I mainly wanted to move the close all apps button to the bottom left rather than top right
Stop the volume warning popping up when increasing volume
Have the pull down go straight into settings rather then having to use 2 fingers
I had all that through gravity box on my s3.
I'm guessing they won't all be on viper but as viper isn't sense gravity box should work anyway, is that right?
bah77 said:
I've been looking at viper actually, considering flashing tonight
I mainly wanted to move the close all apps button to the bottom left rather than top right
Stop the volume warning popping up when increasing volume
Have the pull down go straight into settings rather then having to use 2 fingers
I had all that through gravity box on my s3.
I'm guessing they won't all be on viper but as viper isn't sense gravity box should work anyway, is that right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First off: Sense isn't TouchWiz. All features of GravityBox which work on TouchWiz or AOSP wont always work on Sense.
Plus, Sense 6.0 is still VERY fresh and the devs of GB and similar are still looking into what can be done on Sense and what not.
Viper is already heavily customizable and may already feature most of the things you want. Then there is always GPE which replaces Sense with Vanilla Android most GravityBox features will work with - Tho you need to know that some exclusive features like a couple of camera things, dot view etc wont work as extensive as on Sense anymore.
Its all a matter of what you really need and what you really wanna do. I for one prefer to stick to Sense which is mostly stock (InsertCoin) with some customizable settings - keeps the system cleaner and snappier IMO.
You decide :good:
Try4Ce said:
First off: Sense isn't TouchWiz. All features of GravityBox which work on TouchWiz or AOSP wont always work on Sense.
Plus, Sense 6.0 is still VERY fresh and the devs of GB and similar are still looking into what can be done on Sense and what not.
Viper is already heavily customizable and may already feature most of the things you want. Then there is always GPE which replaces Sense with Vanilla Android most GravityBox features will work with - Tho you need to know that some exclusive features like a couple of camera things, dot view etc wont work as extensive as on Sense anymore.
Its all a matter of what you really need and what you really wanna do. I for one prefer to stick to Sense which is mostly stock (InsertCoin) with some customizable settings - keeps the system cleaner and snappier IMO.
You decide :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many thanks for the response, I will have a look into the different roms more over the weekend
I guess I was too naive, only on my 2nd ever android phone and that's from a hell of a lot of phones I've owned in the past
I guess I was thinking along the lines of a one android fits all but that's quite clearly not the case, there are lots of differences between one android phone to another
bah77 said:
Many thanks for the response, I will have a look into the different roms more over the weekend
I guess I was too naive, only on my 2nd ever android phone and that's from a hell of a lot of phones I've owned in the past
I guess I was thinking along the lines of a one android fits all but that's quite clearly not the case, there are lots of differences between one android phone to another
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hehe well yeah, every Android phone can be quite different to each other. Its with the hardware already. On the iDevices, its all streamlined and almost everything will work on the different iPhones. Its convenient, but nothing for me - I am a modder and toy around alot, and thats where Android kicks in.
Some things on Android can be annoying, since there are much more differences in Hardware and Software among all the devices running Android, but it actually can be quite interesting to see what all the talented Android Developers come up with.
I hope you find what you are looking for. The M8 is a hell of a great device and dispite of being so new, alot of customizations are already possible.
rquinn19 said:
Gravity Box wouldn't work on a Sense based rom anyways. I think the main source of your issues is the lack of research (user error).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong, working just great with my SENSE rom.
Thread closed as it is an off-topic thread.
Ghost
Hello everyone. I've been using the stock firmware since i bought the phone but currently thinking to try cynogenmod.
What i want to ask is, does it worth to install CM as Sony's stock rom is pretty good both performance/battery consumption and UI wise, compared to many other phone like samsung which i never quite liked.
Will it improve the battery life which is sony has already done a good job on stock firmware and what other benefits will i get?
Thanks in advance.
Brick3 said:
Hello everyone. I've been using the stock firmware since i bought the phone but currently thinking to try cynogenmod.
What i want to ask is, does it worth to install CM as Sony's stock rom is pretty good both performance/battery consumption and UI wise, compared to many other phone like samsung which i never quite liked.
Will it improve the battery life which is sony has already done a good job on stock firmware and what other benefits will i get?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try to use stock based rom if u don't want to loose drm keys. As cm requires an ub phone.
Brick3 said:
Hello everyone. I've been using the stock firmware since i bought the phone but currently thinking to try cynogenmod.
What i want to ask is, does it worth to install CM as Sony's stock rom is pretty good both performance/battery consumption and UI wise, compared to many other phone like samsung which i never quite liked.
Will it improve the battery life which is sony has already done a good job on stock firmware and what other benefits will i get?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CM based roms have terrible camera performance. U will lost ur drm keys. Its contains ur camera clarity, bravia engine and so.. So better stick with stock Sony. But performance wise CM is best..
Brick3 said:
Hello everyone. I've been using the stock firmware since i bought the phone but currently thinking to try cynogenmod.
What i want to ask is, does it worth to install CM as Sony's stock rom is pretty good both performance/battery consumption and UI wise, compared to many other phone like samsung which i never quite liked.
Will it improve the battery life which is sony has already done a good job on stock firmware and what other benefits will i get?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In Sony world, it is mostly personal preference. If it was a Samsung phone I would no doubt say "go for it and never look back". For a Sony, it is just you have more than one option.
What you get with Sony's stock over a pure(ish) Android;
-Options to have ClearAudio+ and XReality technologies which helps to improve music and image quality respectively from Sony.
- Stamina Mod. Without turning up and down bars into orange
- Picture correcting software which is heavily integrated into original camera software and protected by famous DRM keys. It helps smoothing the noise on the photos, coming mostly from lack of enough light. Especially night shots really benefit from it (difference not so visible on day light).
- FM Radio and some software of Sony like Playstation center and internal backup and restore software, also an Antivirus if anyone is interested in.
Bad side of Sony's software over Pure Android:
- the theme you apply directly effects the top bar. I love red and red-like colors but I don't wanna use my whatsapp with a cherry red line on top. I was hoping that would change in 5.1.1 but no luck.
- standby drain is high if no Stamina is on. Something between 5-10% over night. That's absurd considering the usage drain is fairly good.
- all those beautiful camera options only limited to 8mp option. 12mp is just pure photo (still combined with Sony's correction software if DRMs are active)
- when I try to fast scroll, sometimes the launcher jumps two pages at a time but that happens only going to the right, not happening when going to the left
- I don't know if it's only my phone but most of the time turning on the WiFi is not enough for it to auto connect to a remembered network. I have to open the network list and click on it to connect.
So, what CM or other pure Android-based ROMs offer:
- visual consistentcy among all the apps and menus. Once use stock Android you understand how odd the later added apps look in modified versions. For example Google photos and Google calendar has very familiar look and feel and behaviours. So once you get used to them you can immediately and efficiently start using Google Messages too. However that is not the case with Sony's Album or Walkman app no matter they have their functional advantages.
- super fast, super light, super light on the battery.
- sound and camera may need some fine tuning to reach to Sony level but it is possible as this device have is well known by developers and shares a very generous, open code. For example OpenCam app is perfect for doing anything you want to do with your camera, and it also comes without Mp limitations.
- there are some neat additions to original Android like theme engine or assigning volume keys to change the song or reordering the tiles on the top bar.
- per app ops to limit untrusted apps' intentions.
- more options through Xposed as it is created from a widely shared code.
The cons:
- since most of the works are based on nightlies, sometimes things can be broken for a couple of days or something working might stop working after an update. So you must decide between a tester and a careful everyday user who comes one or two days after the testers on the update schedule.
- you should find you DRM keys a safe place before unlocking your bootloader (I keep mine on Google drive) as they will be gone in order to be able to install a non-Sony ROM.
- camera quality may degrade if you are fan of super auto mod especially (personally, not).
- Xreality will not be there as it is a Sony extension. However I personally think this beautiful screen does not need any tuning to show the beauty of anything.
- no FM radio or pre installed anti virus software.
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Free mobile app
_delice_doluca_ said:
In Sony world, it is mostly personal preference. If it was a Samsung phone I would no doubt say "go for it and never look back". For a Sony, it is just you have more than one option.
What you get with Sony's stock over a pure(ish) Android;
-Options to have ClearAudio+ and XReality technologies which helps to improve music and image quality respectively from Sony.
- Stamina Mod. Without turning up and down bars into orange
- Picture correcting software which is heavily integrated into original camera software and protected by famous DRM keys. It helps smoothing the noise on the photos, coming mostly from lack of enough light. Especially night shots really benefit from it (difference not so visible on day light).
- FM Radio and some software of Sony like Playstation center and internal backup and restore software, also an Antivirus if anyone is interested in.
Bad side of Sony's software over Pure Android:
- the theme you apply directly effects the top bar. I love red and red-like colors but I don't wanna use my whatsapp with a cherry red line on top. I was hoping that would change in 5.1.1 but no luck.
- standby drain is high if no Stamina is on. Something between 5-10% over night. That's absurd considering the usage drain is fairly good.
- all those beautiful camera options only limited to 8mp option. 12mp is just pure photo (still combined with Sony's correction software if DRMs are active)
- when I try to fast scroll, sometimes the launcher jumps two pages at a time but that happens only going to the right, not happening when going to the left
- I don't know if it's only my phone but most of the time turning on the WiFi is not enough for it to auto connect to a remembered network. I have to open the network list and click on it to connect.
So, what CM or other pure Android-based ROMs offer:
- visual consistentcy among all the apps and menus. Once use stock Android you understand how odd the later added apps look in modified versions. For example Google photos and Google calendar has very familiar look and feel and behaviours. So once you get used to them you can immediately and efficiently start using Google Messages too. However that is not the case with Sony's Album or Walkman app no matter they have their functional advantages.
- super fast, super light, super light on the battery.
- sound and camera may need some fine tuning to reach to Sony level but it is possible as this device have is well known by developers and shares a very generous, open code. For example OpenCam app is perfect for doing anything you want to do with your camera, and it also comes without Mp limitations.
- there are some neat additions to original Android like theme engine or assigning volume keys to change the song or reordering the tiles on the top bar.
- per app ops to limit untrusted apps' intentions.
- more options through Xposed as it is created from a widely shared code.
The cons:
- since most of the works are based on nightlies, sometimes things can be broken for a couple of days or something working might stop working after an update. So you must decide between a tester and a careful everyday user who comes one or two days after the testers on the update schedule.
- you should find you DRM keys a safe place before unlocking your bootloader (I keep mine on Google drive) as they will be gone in order to be able to install a non-Sony ROM.
- camera quality may degrade if you are fan of super auto mod especially (personally, not).
- Xreality will not be there as it is a Sony extension. However I personally think this beautiful screen does not need any tuning to show the beauty of anything.
- no FM radio or pre installed anti virus software.
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks delice_doluca. That was just the answer I was looking for.
A few things I want to say:
-You've said that the camera is limited to 8 mp but I didn't get what you meant. I can go up to 20.7 mp.
-Cm and other rom's light weight, fast performance is due to the lack of unnecessary bloatware but I dont see how its one of their strengt as you can remove those bloatwares on stock ROM too with root access.
-There's a security software inside Cm as you said but the only difference is that its built in. On stock ROM you just download it manually and besides i'm pretty sure the security programs you're going to download from by kaspersky, avira etc will be a lot better than the cm one. Again I don't think its an advantage either. Im tryong find some good reasons to justify installing cm but I just can't find besides some minor ones as many features that is considered strength of cm you can also do it on stock ROM and im wondering why do some people prefer using cm?
Brick3 said:
Thanks delice_doluca. That was just the answer I was looking for.
A few things I want to say:
-You've said that the camera is limited to 8 mp but I didn't get what you meant. I can go up to 20.7 mp.
-Cm and other rom's light weight, fast performance is due to the lack of unnecessary bloatware but I dont see how its one of their strengt as you can remove those bloatwares on stock ROM too with root access.
-There's a security software inside Cm as you said but the only difference is that its built in. On stock ROM you just download it manually and besides i'm pretty sure the security programs you're going to download from by kaspersky, avira etc will be a lot better than the cm one. Again I don't think its an advantage either. Im tryong find some good reasons to justify installing cm but I just can't find besides some minor ones as many features that is considered strength of cm you can also do it on stock ROM and im wondering why do some people prefer using cm?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- Camera is limited to 8mp if you want to apply scenes or choose another mode like HDR. When 20.7mp chosen, all you can do is to take the photo without any ambient or method oriented tuning. (no big deal actually, I shot at 20.7 Mp and tune it in my computer layer. However I wished there was HDR on 20.7 mp)
- do not think bloat ware only as additional apps. There are also background services, running under the OS, or other methods of the OS handling the user's or automated requests. I am not an Android developing master but I can give an example from Linux world. Last month Linux Mint released a new version and they announced their desktop environment (Cinnamon) was now using %40 less CPU even thought it had introduced more effects and options to the user. The trick was to calculate desktop's actions more efficiently and in a more harmonic way so the processes would not fight with each other. So they have knocked the CPU's door at more empty times and less frequently.
Stock Android is tailored by one team, with the same goals at their heads. Sony has another team who is also dressing it and tailoring some parts again. The Sony team is supposed to know what the first team intended and how good they are so they can make the modification exactly like they desired. However now the hybrid OS is designed by two different teams with (maybe entirety) different goals in minds. Don't get me wrong, Sony is the closest and most friendly team to the original Android project and to Google but still it is a complex effort and simplicity is everyone's friend in complex jobs.
- About the security software. Stock Sony ROM is the one which comes with security software (McAfee I guess). CM is open as a nature and you can limit user apps one by one (which is possible where root access exist, regardless of the ROM). My thinking is, all the Antivirus software is unnecessary in Android world. The one and only protection is common sense (simply don't install or clock everything )
What I have been writing should not make you want to install CM BTW CM or other stock Android - like ROMs exist mostly for the people who are saying "I wish that was the next Nexus device, like Xperia Nexus". Basically, for an Xperia device, wanting to install stock Android is just about personal joy or habits coming from another stock Android device (mostly a Nexus).
Don't look for bigger reasons as you probably will not find. All you need to have in your mind is liking stock Android more than Sony's Android and some free time to build your own device experience.
Ps: stock Android term is used for Google's own Android which is not touched by any other company (Sony, Samsung, HTC etc.)
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Free mobile app
_delice_doluca_ said:
- Camera is limited to 8mp if you want to apply scenes or choose another mode like HDR. When 20.7mp chosen, all you can do is to take the photo without any ambient or method oriented tuning. (no big deal actually, I shot at 20.7 Mp and tune it in my computer layer. However I wished there was HDR on 20.7 mp)
- do not think bloat ware only as additional apps. There are also background services, running under the OS, or other methods of the OS handling the user's or automated requests. I am not an Android developing master but I can give an example from Linux world. Last month Linux Mint released a new version and they announced their desktop environment (Cinnamon) was now using %40 less CPU even thought it had introduced more effects and options to the user. The trick was to calculate desktop's actions more efficiently and in a more harmonic way so the processes would not fight with each other. So they have knocked the CPU's door at more empty times and less frequently.
Stock Android is tailored by one team, with the same goals at their heads. Sony has another team who is also dressing it and tailoring some parts again. The Sony team is supposed to know what the first team intended and how good they are so they can make the modification exactly like they desired. However now the hybrid OS is designed by two different teams with (maybe entirety) different goals in minds. Don't get me wrong, Sony is the closest and most friendly team to the original Android project and to Google but still it is a complex effort and simplicity is everyone's friend in complex jobs.
- About the security software. Stock Sony ROM is the one which comes with security software (McAfee I guess). CM is open as a nature and you can limit user apps one by one (which is possible where root access exist, regardless of the ROM). My thinking is, all the Antivirus software is unnecessary in Android world. The one and only protection is common sense (simply don't install or clock everything )
What I have been writing should not make you want to install CM BTW CM or other stock Android - like ROMs exist mostly for the people who are saying "I wish that was the next Nexus device, like Xperia Nexus". Basically, for an Xperia device, wanting to install stock Android is just about personal joy or habits coming from another stock Android device (mostly a Nexus).
Don't look for bigger reasons as you probably will not find. All you need to have in your mind is liking stock Android more than Sony's Android and some free time to build your own device experience.
Ps: stock Android term is used for Google's own Android which is not touched by any other company (Sony, Samsung, HTC etc.)
Sent from my D6503 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess i'll continue to use stock ROM as i'm happy with it.
Thank you so much for this detailed answer.
why is the multi tasking so bad on cm11?
Do you get camera 2 api on cyanogens rom? If be prepared to swap if they did for manual focus
cm has media skip buttons function., that alone makes me prefer it more
I was contemplating the same as the OP. After reading the replies here I've decided to look at other options for installing a custom ROM without unlocking the bootloader.
You guys have provided some really good info in this thread, I wish others could be as informative.
Thanks
Cm is good for my nexus5, but seems it is not so good for my z2
I'm intrigued by these custom ROMS for the Galaxy S4, but I want to know what I'd be getting into if I used one.
What, if any, hardware features of the S4 would I be giving up? With the stock firmware, the phone can take temperature, humidity, and barometric readings. Are those sensors still enabled?
Are all the camera features in the stock ROM enabled, including panoramic camera?
Where do I find a list of bugs in the released ROM?
Robert3750 said:
I'm intrigued by these custom ROMS for the Galaxy S4, but I want to know what I'd be getting into if I used one.
What, if any, hardware features of the S4 would I be giving up? With the stock firmware, the phone can take temperature, humidity, and barometric readings. Are those sensors still enabled?
Are all the camera features in the stock ROM enabled, including panoramic camera?
Where do I find a list of bugs in the released ROM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sensors will always be installed since they're hardware feature but if software doesn't support it it won't work last time I tried it doesn't
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
Robert3750 said:
I'm intrigued by these custom ROMS for the Galaxy S4, but I want to know what I'd be getting into if I used one.
What, if any, hardware features of the S4 would I be giving up? With the stock firmware, the phone can take temperature, humidity, and barometric readings. Are those sensors still enabled?
Are all the camera features in the stock ROM enabled, including panoramic camera?
Where do I find a list of bugs in the released ROM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bugs can be found listed in the rom threads.
Unfortunately bugs can differ from user to user. So it's more of a trial and error process. You'll have to find a rom that appeals you, flash it and test for yourself.
In terms of features, you will be giving up the air gestures, the smart stay crap (which never worked for me), and Samsung's camera app.
The CM camera app isn't that advanced. It does have some features, but not as many as the Samsung camera app. And yes, it does have a panorama option.
I've never actually used any of those environmental readings sensors, nor have I seen anybody else mention anything about them in rom threads or in any rom review I saw.
You give up some stuff, but you also gain some stuff. There certainly is a performance improvement over stock firmware. Ram consumption is also lower (I generally have around 1.2 GB free ram), meaning you could do more multitasking.
If you rely on those Samsung features, then stay on the stock rom and just root it.
For me, custom ROMs nearly always beat stock roms, hands-down, and this has held true from my old ZTE blade (Orange San Francisco), two Galaxy S2s, and my S4, probably down to the greater level of user-input that goes into them, rather than the design-by-committee process that OEMs use to try & impose their brand over the vanilla Android os.
I only moved to this S4 (i9505) within the past month or so, so the experience is still quite fresh in my mind...
I agree with much of the advice of the "try it and see" variety, but I also understand that for some of us, we only have the one phone, so when you're using it as your daily device, you don't always fancy going on a magical mystery tour of trying out multiple roms, if it's likely you're just going to go back to the rom you got rid of, and have a massive task of putting everything back the way it was, having wasted a day of experimenting...
1) I hated the bloat that came with the Sammy rom - sure, there's a tool (debloater) that can block certain apps from running, and if rooted, can remove them from the phone - along with a "safe-list" of apps that you can safely remove without breaking any features of the phone.
The bloat isn't just a problem for OCD-esque reasons, these apps take up space, they can run at inopportune times, update themselves using your data, eat up clock time and generally get in the way of having a device that only does what you want it to, when you want it.
Most custom roms tend to give you a (mainly) clean slate to work from, allowing you to pick & choose the functionality you want by installing apps manually - so (like me for example) if you only want to access gmail through your web browser (just like you would on a PC), and don't want a half decade's worth of emails syncing between your device memory & the web, you don't end up with multiple email clients on the handset all clamoring to be by synced 24hrs a day...
Battery life is a MAJOR factor here - I saw a big improvement after debloating the stock rom, and even better since going to CM12.1....
2) Cyanogen (like most custom roms) give more options regarding features that the stock roms bake-in.
For example, heads-up notifications are screwy in the Sammy roms - I'd get a notification of an SMS received in the notification bar. I'd drag-down, double-tap it, but then I'd have to manually un-lock the screen before the SMS app popped-up and displayed the message. Some people hate heads-up notifications full-stop.
Seemingly minor features like these, that after a while begin to really bug you are often controllable in custom roms like CM, or just plain old implemented better, after real-life user input and advice has been given.
3) User control; It's silly how much additional control you can gain from a well thought out custom rom, and the popular ones tend to be well thought out (as they garner a lot of user-input).
For example, in CM you have a additional control over root access in the device settings, fine-tune the interface and gives more fine control over many aspects of the device that if you're used to the Sammy rom you'd think can't actually be accessed...
As to what you'd give up - other users have pointed that out.
All I can say is I'm quite demanding and I've found nothing that I can't do if I need it - for me it has only been a positive.
Some people say the CM camera is less sophisticated than the Sammy one - I personally prefer the simplicity; There's an abundance of high-end camera apps for those times you want to take a studio quality photo, with detailed light readings, composition aids, etc... But mostly when you're taking a quick phone-cam shot, the ease of use is the main factor (and who doesn't tweak their photos at home with photoshop anyhow?)
So a simplecam as the default and the option to go high-end later is for me, the better way round....
I know some of this has strayed slightly off the specific questions you asked, but having made the same change you're thinking of in the past few weeks, I thought that giving some food for thought might be appreciated... Hope it helps...
I very much appreciate the replies. This is the kind of help that's so valuable. Just to clarify something, if an app makes use of hardware features on the S4, it should work as well with the custom ROM as the stock ROM? My motivation in asking all this is that Southern California Metrolink introduced an app to buy train tickets, but it doesn't work with Android 4.4.4. So I want to upgrade. Thanks again.
Unless the app has root restrictions, it should work.
Changing to custom roms you would only lose most Samsung features, mostly because the touchwiz stuff needs the touchwiz framework to function.
That ticket app is not an exclusive thing. It also uses NFC I guess, or a QR scanner. So, as long as NFC or the Camera works you should be fine.
If worse comes to worse, you can always flash back the stock firmware.
Approximately one month ago, I sent my phone in to Sony for repair service. The top speaker was not functioning properly. They fixed the speaker, but also updated my phone to Lollipop which caused me to lose root access. I've been rooting my phones since I first discovered it in 2010. I originally planned to immediately re-root my phone, but remembered that I can finally have access to Android Pay by keeping the device as-is. So, I decided to keep the phone without root and here's what I've discovered a month later:
The first week was the hardest - I forgot just how many of the tweaks I use required root access. This week was a rude awakening for me as I searched endlessly for alternative non-root methods to tweak my device. But almost every search resulted in either no results, or methods that simply didn't work. The toughest part was being re-introduced to that annoying Mobile Radio Active bug the still plagues Lollipop builds and not being able to fix it using the well-known root method.
After going through the 5 stages of grief, I finally accepted that there was only so much I could do with my device without root access and became at piece with my new root-less lifestyle. I noticed that my device felt just a bit more responsive without 30 Xposed modules installed. It was also somewhat freeing to know that I didn't have to keep trolling the xda forums every day to see if there was a new mod that someone developed that I could try. I've also been introduced to a number of apps in the Play Store that I otherwise would have overlooked. Since I can't tweak any of the system files of my phone, I have compensated by downloading new launchers, icon packs, and widgets to help satisfy my cravings to tweak.
Now that a month has passed, I think I'm willing to continue without root a little while longer. I do miss my xloud speaker mod, my camera mod, my system UI mods, and my brighter flashlight mod. But I've managed to survive just fine without them so far. Unfortunately though, the main reason for not rooting my device this time around (Android Pay) is the one feature I haven't used once since I got my phone repaired! The only times I really spend money is either at the local grocery store (they only accept physical cards), or at the gas pump (same thing). I don't frequent places such as walgreens, mcdonalds, or Panera Bread enough to take advantage of Android Pay as much as I originally hoped. It kinda sucks to finally have access to such an easy way to pay (chip cards SUCK) and not actually use it. lol
So there you have it, my story of being without root. Could you do it? Have you tried it?
PuffDaddy_d said:
Approximately one month ago, I sent my phone in to Sony for repair service. The top speaker was not functioning properly. They fixed the speaker, but also updated my phone to Lollipop which caused me to lose root access. I've been rooting my phones since I first discovered it in 2010. I originally planned to immediately re-root my phone, but remembered that I can finally have access to Android Pay by keeping the device as-is. So, I decided to keep the phone without root and here's what I've discovered a month later:
The first week was the hardest - I forgot just how many of the tweaks I use required root access. This week was a rude awakening for me as I searched endlessly for alternative non-root methods to tweak my device. But almost every search resulted in either no results, or methods that simply didn't work. The toughest part was being re-introduced to that annoying Mobile Radio Active bug the still plagues Lollipop builds and not being able to fix it using the well-known root method.
After going through the 5 stages of grief, I finally accepted that there was only so much I could do with my device without root access and became at piece with my new root-less lifestyle. I noticed that my device felt just a bit more responsive without 30 Xposed modules installed. It was also somewhat freeing to know that I didn't have to keep trolling the xda forums every day to see if there was a new mod that someone developed that I could try. I've also been introduced to a number of apps in the Play Store that I otherwise would have overlooked. Since I can't tweak any of the system files of my phone, I have compensated by downloading new launchers, icon packs, and widgets to help satisfy my cravings to tweak.
Now that a month has passed, I think I'm willing to continue without root a little while longer. I do miss my xloud speaker mod, my camera mod, my system UI mods, and my brighter flashlight mod. But I've managed to survive just fine without them so far. Unfortunately though, the main reason for not rooting my device this time around (Android Pay) is the one feature I haven't used once since I got my phone repaired! The only times I really spend money is either at the local grocery store (they only accept physical cards), or at the gas pump (same thing). I don't frequent places such as walgreens, mcdonalds, or Panera Bread enough to take advantage of Android Pay as much as I originally hoped. It kinda sucks to finally have access to such an easy way to pay (chip cards SUCK) and not actually use it. lol
So there you have it, my story of being without root. Could you do it? Have you tried it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you allready sign up with the AR?
I for myself could not life without root, cause all the bloating stuff would made me crazy. I want my rom as small as possible. Once I've found a very good and stable Rom I just went cold turkey from XDA, and coming only back when there's a major update. Then the whole process of finding the best rom (install, reflash, bootloops, flashing, bootloops, flashing etc begins again. But when there is the final small rom working like a charm I dissapear again...
I love Sony's design, but thinking of getting me a Nexus when I'm upgrading for a new phone next year. Allways first new updates, little bloatweare and easy to root etc.
I can't imagine my Z3C without root, stock UI and everything is so simple without the Xposed mods and all the other tweaks
Been running without root since I joined the original concept and the only thing I miss is the ability to add reboot and use titanium backup
Sent from my SGP512 using Tapatalk
this is my first smarthphone that I dont root. Before I had a Xperia S and a Xperia T2 Ultra. My Z3C has been running really good, so I dont feel the need to root it
Juampo-CHILE said:
this is my first smarthphone that I dont root. Before I had a Xperia S and a Xperia T2 Ultra. My Z3C has been running really good, so I dont feel the need to root it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here, I had Galaxy S II and Nexus 4 before Z3c. I had to root both phones and play with custom kernels to get better battery life and fix problems that manufacturers didn't. Z3c just works.
I can't use my phones without root because of one reason: skip music tracks with volume buttons. This is the most important module functionality for me.
Adaway is the only reason I root
The Transporter said:
Adaway is the only reason I root
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In app adds don't bother me that much. They're usually just a small, unobtrusive banner at the bottom of the screen. However, browser based add (especially on mobile sites) are the worst! They make the webpage take 2-3 times as long to load and sometimes, the adds consume the entire screen. Fortunately, AdBlock browser has been a great non-root solution for me.
Guys, try NoChromo browser, it removes all ads from the web pages. You can get it here on XDA: http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/apps-games/app-nochromo-wild-browser-appears-t3130776
It is just like normal Chrome browser but without annoying ads.
I've used my phone without root since Marshmallow Concept, then updated to official Marshmallow and the only thing I missed from rooting was Adaway and Xposed with GravityBox (to modify the timeout of annoying heads up notifications).
I was only waiting for a custom MM rom to appear for Z3C, that's why I remained totally stock, now I'm happy with SliMM
This is extremely subjective. I can't live without root, it would consume me little by little from the inside. Not being fully satisfied by the experience provided by my phone would definitely sadden me day by day until the point I would get a different one. It's very known that most human minds do have a tendency to accept the unacceptable after a while though. Personally Android Pay is not a feature I would exchange for 30 other features/customizations offered by root access.
bottomline: I'm not a tiny bit eager to go back to an experience without root access simply because it is too good to be taken away from me.
The Transporter said:
Adaway is the only reason I root
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldn't have said it better myself. Using the hosts file to block ads is so effective and clean.
I think xposed doesnt ruin battery life at all. Btw, the reason i root is Titanium and adaway.. i often change my phone, so Titanium is a lifesaver!
I was on the Concept program and lived without root for some months, the first time in many years I had done so.
However now that official MM is out and is rootable, I've ditched concept and made my own pre-rooted version of MM. The ability to tweak system processes and remove bloatware/unwanted system apps is a must for me!
I was without root during Marshmallow Concept (4 months about), with benefit to get monthly updates...
Since I came back to beta I decided to root again for the following reasons:
- Adaway application first !!!!
- Never lose data with full backups of applications
- Viper4Android sound mod
***Update***
Well, it's been approximately 3 months since I've opted NOT to root my device and I must say that I'm starting to crave that rooted goodness once again. Here's what I miss most:
- Increased speaker volume
- Increased flashlight brightness
- Hardware shortcut to turn on flashlight
- General system UI tweaks
But, I'm trying to stay strong and stay stock as long as possible. Despite the rare usage of Android Pay, I do enjoy how much safer it is vs swiping a physical card, and its a heck of a lot faster than inserting those stupid chip cards. WIsh me luck.
I buy z3c yesterday i came from Nexus 5 . My z3c 5803 has mm official . A guide update to all in One root recovery ?
Sent from my D5803 using XDA-Developers mobile app
You can increase the flash brightness? Is that even possible? How?
Lazer72 said:
You can increase the flash brightness? Is that even possible? How?
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The device has to be rooted and you simply edit the build.prop files. There is a thread in the cross-device development section that walks you through it.
I just bought a Sprint V20 and so far I have been looking through the roms and non are without bugs or problems. Which rom would you guys use and is it really that much better to root the phone over stock ?
Mine was lagging horribly and the battery was draining really fast.
I rooted and it has been so much better.
DevDigital's Sprint roms have been flawless for me. Not a single hiccup.
Just don't factory reset within twrp or you'll end up in a bootloop. Not bricked but aggravating.
I've had mine since Black Friday and still haven't rooted. I'm enjoying the phone despite the lack of data tethering. Is there a way to set the wide angle camera as the default camera so that 3rd party apps use the wide angle rear camera instead of the current primary? I'd enjoy the phone that much more if that were possible.
For me it's worth it just for adaway.
Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk
Yushawan said:
Is there a way to set the wide angle camera as the default camera so that 3rd party apps use the wide angle rear camera instead of the current primary?
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There is no way. At least for Tmobile's variant. However, it only take a second to either zoom out or just click the icon and it will both take you to widescreen. I find zooming out easier for me. I dont know why
I personally only root to control programs that we should be able to control anyway (aka facebook), I get annoyed at how programs continually relaunch themselves without my knowledge.
That being said at this time I haven't rooted mainly because I've only had the phone for a month and I want to make sure that the phone works properly for at least 6 months.
Right now I am running greenify to attempt to control apps that think my personal phone is their playground to do whatever they want.
If I was younger and not dependent on my phone for a lot of things (business and organization) I would try other builds people have made but since I need reliability above all I personally tend to stick to stock builds.
Sent from my LG-H918 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
midmadn said:
Mine was lagging horribly and the battery was draining really fast.
I rooted and it has been so much better.
DevDigital's Sprint roms have been flawless for me. Not a single hiccup.
Just don't factory reset within twrp or you'll end up in a bootloop. Not bricked but aggravating.
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Click to collapse
I may try this soon. I just hope DevDigitals Sprint roms are stable. I use Black Player as my music player for the gym and the camera is awesome for my Cruise I'm taking in April.
It still looks like people are having issues with DevDigitals rom. The data and texting issues. Are all these issues solved in V6.5 ? I use my phone for work and cant take the chance of it not answering a call or a text. Is the new V6.5 working as a daily driver for Sprint users ?
no issues at all on 6.5 for most.....
people sometimes don't read/search anymore
I did post once that I was having data issues but it was no fault of DevDigitl's great rom.
It was my wifi wasn't shutting off and I had previously signed into xfinity wifi. Every time I got anywhere near an xfinity wireless connection, (which is every other house in Boston) it would try to connect.
I'm still learning LG. Been on Samsung for a long time.
I firmly believe the rare connection issues are user error. Once the rom is installed you just need to click update profile and then update prl once.
It's worth rooting
Settings/Developer Options/Tick on "Force GPU Rendering" this should make this beast smoother/snappier" If root available try L Speed/Entropy/fstrim apps found on Play Store! LG V20 & LG G5 are snappy beasts, well optimised with Snapdragon 820 and is better than Samsung.
my LG-V20 was also laggy and draining battery quickly. i finally rooted my phone and it is 100% better i am currently using Maximum OvrDriVE Rom. its extremely nice. so if anyone else has the lag/battery drain quicker i suggest rooting your phone should fix. its been about 2 weeks and still doing great also so.
If you want a stable amazing ROM the NotSoStock ROM is the only option....
Don't hesitate just do it. You won't regret it.