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Hello everybody...XD
I've been trying the "new" port of Cyanogenmod 9 (ICS), from the following topic:
[DEV][WIP] Ice Cream Sandwich Port (AOSP/CM9)
And after some weeks of dayly usage of build 4 with Update 1 i've decided to make a review of it.
The original post has a list of working and not working features, so first of all i'm going to comment and complete the ROM issues:
Bluetooth: It's not possible even to turn it on, so if you really use the bluetooth, forget it.
Wifi AP: The native tool doesn't work at all. The ROM includes the app Wifi-Tether, through this app you are able to turn on the Wifi-AP, other devices can see and connect but that's all, you can't actually use the internet .
Calendar: In the raw ROM it's not possible to syncronize your google calendar account, it can be solved by installing the GAPPS: link GAPPS...Thanks Halco (it also fixes a google+ app issue)
Camera(Photo): You can took photos but you can see them only after they are saved, through the gallery app, i mean the camera app has no live preview of the photo, only a black screen.
Camera(Video): You can't record videos period.
Videos: You can't watch videos, even youtube videos, youtube crashes when it attempts to reproduce the video.
Games: Forget every application which demands high processing .
Issues I've faced during usage:
Sometimes the phone crashes when you remove the power cable;
You cannot natively sync your facebook contacts (I've used this appfacebook contact-Sync.=P);
Sometimes all of a sudden the phone freezes, and you need to reebot it ;
It can take a bit to open the App Draw if you join the Apps and Widget Tabs, if you face this slowness go to Settings->Laucher->App Draw and uncheck Join with Apps;
The Data Usage (a native tool that keeps a track of your data usage) doesn't work;
Those were all the problems i had with this ROM, but all the other amazing Ice Cream Sandwich features are fully operative, so if you just like me don't use those missing tools go ahead it is a legendary SO with dozen of little features that make all the difference, all with an smooth interface...XD
Well this review is my attempt of a useful way to say thank you to the Developers...
Nice review, and yes you can post market links, just not links to warez websites.
Cheers
Sent from my GT-i9003 powered by MIUI
thanks!
perhaps you can try the newest arakmar kernel with openFIMG update and tell us if sth changed
download: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12943198/openFIMG_Arakmar_signed.zip
source: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1539922
Use this link for GApps : http://goo-inside.me/gapps (Ever updated)
j4m said:
thanks!
perhaps you can try the newest arakmar kernel with openFIMG update and tell us if sth changed
download: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12943198/openFIMG_Arakmar_signed.zip
source: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1539922
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i've just installed...soon I post my experience
actually you should use latest openFIMG update with arakmars G3mod kernel. it improves overall performance and data usage feature works with the new kernel.
general assumption: when doing a review you might want to say some positive stuff about the ROM as you only said which features don't work. overall performance is good on ICS though trebuchet launcher consumes a lot of CPU power (but it's version 0.1, so there will be improvements anyway). there's no word on battery life, too, which is quite good for ICS.
[edit:] oops I was to slow
Good review,but to many problems,i will instal it in the future,ICS is amazing,
I like to add some more bugs
vibibs said:
Hello everybody...XD
I've been trying the "new" port of Cyanogenmod 9 (ICS), from the following topic:
[DEV][WIP] Ice Cream Sandwich Port (AOSP/CM9)
And after some weeks of dayly usage of build 4 with Update 1 i've decided to make a review of it.
The original post has a list of working and not working features, so first of all i'm going to comment and complete the ROM issues:
Bluetooth: It's not possible even to turn it on, so if you really use the bluetooth, forget it.
Wifi AP: The native tool doesn't work at all. The ROM includes the app Wifi-Tether, through this app you are able to turn on the Wifi-AP, other devices can see and connect but that's all, you can't actually use the internet .
Calendar: In the raw ROM it's not possible to syncronize your google calendar account, it can be solved by installing the GAPPS: link GAPPS...Thanks Halco (it also fixes a google+ app issue)
Camera(Photo): You can took photos but you can see them only after they are saved, through the gallery app, i mean the camera app has no live preview of the photo, only a black screen.
Camera(Video): You can't record videos period.
Videos: You can't watch videos, even youtube videos, youtube crashes when it attempts to reproduce the video.
Games: Forget every application which demands high processing .
Issues I've faced during usage:
Sometimes the phone crashes when you remove the power cable;
You cannot natively sync your facebook contacts (I've used this appfacebook contact-Sync.=P);
Sometimes all of a sudden the phone freezes, and you need to reebot it ;
It can take a bit to open the App Draw if you join the Apps and Widget Tabs, if you face this slowness go to Settings->Laucher->App Draw and uncheck Join with Apps;
The Data Usage (a native tool that keeps a track of your data usage) doesn't work;
Those were all the problems i had with this ROM, but all the other amazing Ice Cream Sandwich features are fully operative, so if you just like me don't use those missing tools go ahead it is a legendary SO with dozen of little features that make all the difference, all with an smooth interface...XD
Well this review is my attempt of a useful way to say thank you to the Developers...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like to add some more bugs,
- During the call when you press any key to interact with IVR the phone call goes to mute.
- Phone became very slow when you using is continuously.
A lot of faults but not much said about the features that are working so just thought I would go a bit further....
Widgets in appdraw
You can now view all widgets in the app draw without having to add them to the home screen, this is a staple feature of ICS and has been ported beautifully, it gives you a grid size in the draw too so you can see sizes.
Folders on homescreens
You can pile apps ontop of eachother to create folders so you can have all your messaging apps (whatsapp,fbmessenger, smmsmms) in one place. just click on it and it will open the folder to make your choice. it makes finding things quickly very simple, especially if you have alot of apps.
Apex Launcher
Apex launcher is a replacement launcher for trebuchet and helps run the new OS butter smooth. it also a little more customisable and user friendly and runs the best on this port. if you want fast and smooth, download it and push it to system/app for all functions
notification bar
the notification pull down bar on the port is alot more customisable than anything on GB or earlier OS's. add a weather option to it for a really sexy look.
Once installing the new gapps, they work absolutely fine, still a few syncing issues but all in all a decent attempt, the calendar especially is cleaner and more user friendly than previous builds.
extended power menu is working brilliantly, can go straight into download or recovery mode which i believe is now touch screen if i remember correctly... (please correct if wrong) and connecting to wifi is fast and reliable. There are many more things that really do show a huge amount of promise in this build, it is clear that given a little time and help with resources, these dev's are going to pull off what i personally didnt think possible. ICS ON G3!! D
Did some testing
I tested a view tastes of CM9. Was quite happy with the latest builds, however discovered a small issue that makes it a bit difficult to operate. I will describe it, hope this helps the developers.
First: Wifi, data is all working quite well, calender worked as I needed.
After flashing the rom CM9 systems work fine for about a day, after that when the phone goes into sleep you can wake it up, however the digitizer does not show any sign of life.
The screen however is fully functional, buttons operate.
After some random button pressing the digitizer migt start working, sometimes a reboot is the only solution.
However after a reboot sometimes it operates for half an hour and shows up problems with the digitizer again. I had this on both the G3 phones I owe (use one for testing).
Why it operates the first day after flashing without a problem is a little weird.
For the moment I'm back on Dutchmod 5.3
I lost the market (play store) after installing the G-apps given in the first post.
Looks like the G-apps from the above link is de-Odex.
Can any one give me a link to the odex G-apps?
Anandababu153 said:
I lost the market (play store) after installing the G-apps given in the first post.
Looks like the G-apps from the above link is de-Odex.
Can any one give me a link to the odex G-apps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think gapps has odex and deodex apps
It is the ROM which is odexed and deodexed.
It works for icsforg3 build 4 so you can install it on any odex ROM
Sent from my GT-I5800 using XDA
First of all, please allow me to express that this method is not taken from somewhere else or not required any expertise to implement. This is just based on to remove heavy TW applications, and find better replacements for them. Mainly, this is not a mod at all
I am sharing this method because it is tried by lots of people and they conveyed their appreciation for overall performance and battery life increase.
As a start, either Flash a fully Stock odexed Rom or flash a TW based Custom Rom.
Then root it, and flash a performance kernel. Preferably H.O.C Hello World Kernel v1.3.7b.
Make a Full Nandroid Backup including /preload partition. I bear no responsibility for any lost info or broken device. (Actually it is impossible to break the phone by implementing this method but who knows
Then install Titanium Backup. Backup all user and system apps.
These are all kind of prerequisites. There we start now
First thing to be done is to get rid of TW Launcher. IT is hell of a burden for whole system. Best replacement for me is Nova Launcher. You choose your own. After you settle with new launcher and rest assured that it is OK, freeze TW via TB. Thanks to this step we have gained more than 50 mb of RAM
Second thing is to get rid of is Gallery. Due to Facebook, Picasa, G+, etc. integration Gallery is always working background and pushes system very hard. Best and fastest replacement is stock Android/Google Camera and Gallery. Here is the link: http://db.tt/L1ip1Inp Flash it via Recovery. This will install system folder. You can find preload variations on the net.
After you install the zip, set video recording resolution to 480p. Otherwise it gets stuck. When you confirm that media scanner is completed and Camera is working including whole features, then you can freeze and/or delete stock gallery and camera apps.
The other wise thing to do to lighten the rom would be deleting some bloatware, actually all bloatwares . Start with ad apps, and continue with live wallpapers and live wallpaper chooser. After that, you can delete Samsung scloud agents. If you are not using them, it will be wise.
Other apps to be deleted could be FM Radio, Google Play Music, etc. The ones you are sure that you are not using. Actually to give a complete and proper list is unfortunately impossible. Cause it is dependent to tastes and choices. For example, I don’t use All Share and Group Play, so I even deleted them. On the other hand, you may be using them. So even if I tell you what I have deleted, it may not work for you.
You can also delete some widget apps like Favorite Apps, contacts, etc. They consume RAM. Get rid of them. If you are not using stock keyboard, then get rid of Samsung IME, swype. Also you can delete street view, double clock, digital clock, etc. You decide it. There are lists floating around in which you can find the app safe to remove.
Any app not essential for system can be deleted. If you are hesitant whether an app is obligatory for system working or not, then just freeze it So that you can defreeze it later on if you face any problems.
I would strongly advise you to get rid of Play Store, Hangout, Play Music, Play Services. If you need GTalk, here it is: http://db.tt/6NKHZMvV (Replace it with Hangout apk (don’t know the name) and set the permissions. If you cannot find a replacement for Play Market, try 1Mobile. It is free. No warez either. Afterwards you won’t need Play Services. System will be free of another heavy duty as well
Now, we set our Rom according to your taste and needs. System is a lot lighter now. It is time to implement some mods.
Search for Direct Injection tweak on xda. Flash it via CWM right away. Let the phone boot.
Then, install Seeder from xda also. Choose all 3 options, set it to moderate and Turn it ON. Reboot the phone again.
After, install No Frills CPU from 1Mobile (we deleted Play Store ). Set governor as HYPER, and scheduler as row. Max Freq: 1,2GHZ; Min:200 MHZ. Tick applying settings on boot. Then activate your Battery Saving Mode.
Finally, go to recovery. Wipe Cache and Dalvik Cache. Let the phone reboot and settle for 30 minutes.
Enjoy the fastest Rom ever
Please do not report battery life before 3 full cycle.
Regards.
Nice guide. Cause you did more than me. But for the launcher, if you don't use widgets and just want ultimate simplicity get Sicksky launcher https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sicksky its the next generation zeam launcher. For me nova launcher still takes up a lot of space due to its number of features. So after reading the whole thread I realised that stock android is the best.
Juhan Jufri said:
Nice guide. Cause you did more than me. But for the launcher, if you don't use widgets and just want ultimate simplicity get Sicksky launcher https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sicksky its the next generation zeam launcher. For me nova launcher still takes up a lot of space due to its number of features. So after reading the whole thread I realised that stock android is the best.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for reply and advise.
Though I need weather, mail and calender widgets. I dont know if I can use thim with SickSky but if they dont work with it, then sorry
Actually my RAM usage is around 550-650. Itmeans there is a lot of room for Nova Even if you limit background processes via Developer Options by three or two, you will se a noticable RAM usage decrease. Try it now
But still, there may be lots of additions to this. So whoever comes up with a new advise is more than welcomed
This should be a contribution thread, I hope.
I actually love TW starter but will try other things you said.
nice guide though:good:
TW Launcher is the best, I tried almost all launchers but the satisfaction and ease I get with TWL none can provide even if its a little heavy on ram but really not that heavy to make your system laggy.
Overall your motto to keep the rom lite and fast looks good to me but removing Play Store is a crime don't do that. lol
v4uluv2004 said:
TW Launcher is the best, I tried almost all launchers but the satisfaction and ease I get with TWL none can provide even if its a little heavy on ram but really not that heavy to make your system laggy.
Overall your motto to keep the rom lite and fast looks good to me but removing Play Store is a crime don't do that. lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is not working where I live
Google doesn't allow us to use it unfortunately.
Are you saying google is commiting a crime
I think rather than cut down every feature on your phone easier to pick up a nice Nokia 3600 or something like that going back to 20th. century.
straycat said:
I think rather than cut down every feature on your phone easier to pick up a nice Nokia 3600 or something like that going back to 20th. century.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't cut here, just replace.
I mean, there is nothing missing here for me as a smart phone. And whenever i need, lets say all share, i can defreeze and use it.
Nothing is missing on my end.
Cheers.
Intro
I recently decided to do an experiment and see what (android) life would be like without google. I'll admit that I haven't completely ditched google altogether, and I'm not 100% sure I'll never go back to using google apps again in the future. I still use google search and gmail on my pc for example.
I welcome anyone who wants to add their experiences or comments.
I'll start by saying that my motivation to try android without google was more to do with increeasing battery life and reducing data consumption. Others may be more interested in privacy/security and this is another benefit in reducing your reliance on google. It is debatable how much privacy you will gain by not using google, but it depends on how far you go with the idea.
My experience with google play services is that it is a bit of a battery drainer and is occasionally unstable on some custom roms. What I've found so far is that without play services, the battery consumption(both SOT and with screen off) is much better. I do use greenify as well. The downside is that some apps(even mainstream apps you wouldn't expect) only run properly with google play services installed.
So, what I did is install a custom rom(in my case Slimsaber 4.4.4; you can use your preferred rom), without gapps. I'm using 1Mobile Market for my app store, HERE maps for maps/gps. You can download any music or books you have on Play and use 3rd party players/e-readers.
To sync my contacts and calendar, I have found Fruux is an excellent alternative to google sync.
I've found most of the apps I normally use are available on 1Mobile app store, but as I said some of them don't work without play services.
More to come......
App Store
One of the most obvious and hardest things to replace is the Google Play Store.
I've started with 1Mobile Market, which is a great alternative to Play. It boasts over 800,000 apps available and is free to install. The good thing about this one is they have a lot of the "mainstream" apps you would also find in the play store. Just download the apk and install with a file explorer(needs root permission), or adb. Others include F-Droid and Amazon app store. Here is a nice article on other app stores(with download links).
Search for "google play store alternatives" for other options
One thing you may need to do is allow apps from unknown sources, which is normally under Settings -> Security or Settings -> Developer options
Contacts and Calendar
Like a lot of users, I am using gmail and had my contacts and calendar events backed up with gmail as well. It's very convenient(especially if you test out new roms frequently) to be able to just flash gapps after a new rom and your contacts are all there. I have found Fruux is just as good for syncing contacts and calendar events. Or you can export the contacts from gmail as a .vcf file and import the file in your contacts app.
YouTube
You can use youtube without play services by using a modified version by Paraphron here on xda. The only down side is you won't be able to use your google account to sync(or add any account), so subscribing to channels etc is not possible(at least for me). The app is here. Make sure you thank Paraphron if you like his work.
Search bar widget
There are numerous search bar options. Different browsers have there own search bar, as well as 1Mobile app store to name a few. I've started using DuckDuckGo. It claims never to track you or your usage, so a big upside in privacy, but no personalized searches.
Maps
I read somewhere you can use google maps without play services, but I haven't tried. I'm using HERE maps, which so far has been just as good, maybe a little less smooth when scrolling the map
Conclusion
What I have found is the battery life is greatly improved without play services running on my i9100(at least 50% better SOT). For me the upsides outweigh the downsides.
Upsides
MUCH better battery life, both in deep sleep and screen on time
better stability, no more "google play services has stopped" or sudden/extreme battery drops
less data consumption(not measured)
Easy flashing a new rom. Just backup, wipe and flash the rom. Reboot
Downsides
Extra steps when installing a new rom(see next post)
Some non-google apps don't work without play services(so far I've found very good alternatives to ones I used)
Limited access to google apps
Extra steps when installing new rom
Manually install file manager(depends on the rom; you may not need to do this if the rom comes shipped with a good file manager with root access)
I use Es file explorer to install my backed up user apps.
https://f-droid.org/
Updated
Some screenshots of battery life on AOKP-6.0.1(stock kernel, default clock speed and gov/i/o scheduler)
I was easily able to get 5 hrs SOT on slimsaber 4.4.4(with dorimanx 10.50v005, default settings)
very interesting, I still have to learn how to setup cal/cardDAV to sync my contacts and calendars...
moly82 said:
very interesting, I still have to learn how to setup cal/cardDAV to sync my contacts and calendars...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for late reply, I've started using Fruux. It works similar to sync from google. Your contacts and calendar events are saved periodically, and synced every time you flash a new rom and you can choose how often you sync. I've found it works very well as an alternative to google(sync) without having to use google play services.
On this device, my battery is still far better without gapps/play services, and is the primary reason(pretty much the only reason) I am continuing without them. I really don't miss google apps, but that's just my usage
hi. i used fruux in the past, but had to dismiss it because I occasionally had some problems when adding new contacts failing to add properly.. I am using another rom right now so I am trying it again as I write... let's see if it will work fine... hopefully.. as I hate all gservices! will report
moly82 said:
hi. i used fruux in the past, but had to dismiss it because I occasionally had some problems when adding new contacts failing to add properly.. I am using another rom right now so I am trying it again as I write... let's see if it will work fine... hopefully.. as I hate all gservices! will report
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I noticed in the fruux settings you can choose how often to auto-sync. By default is once a day. Maybe you could make that more often.
I added a contact yesterday and checked on my pc(by logging in on their webpage) while I was working out how to import from my .vcf file, and it had synced successfully. Hope it works well for you this time.....
Edit: You probably know already, but you need to change the account to fruux from local at least in the aosp contacts app when you add a new contact otherwise it won't sync
noppy22 said:
I noticed in the fruux settings you can choose how often to auto-sync. By default is once a day. Maybe you could make that more often.
I added a contact yesterday and checked on my pc(by logging in on their webpage) while I was working out how to import from my .vcf file, and it had synced successfully. Hope it works well for you this time.....
Edit: You probably know already, but you need to change the account to fruux from local at least in the aosp contacts app when you add a new contact otherwise it won't sync
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes i know that thanks. I have only fruux account enabled and visualized and of course I'm adding new contacts to fruux account. Nevertheless in the past new contacts sometimes simply could not be added properly in phone's address book... Let's see now how it goes with this second attempt in this almost 100% aosp rom I'm using.. Hope it works flawlessly as this is a very good solution and would be a great alternative for google sync... Will report!
Suscribed! Hi, there! What a great post! :highfive: I hate Google Play Services and the only reason I keep them is for contact and calendar sync. Currently, I have a Moto G 2014 and CM12.1. I REALLY want to get rid of GPS. Whenever I have the time, I'll clean flash and test :victory:. Keep up the good work! :good:
So far so good using fruux for my contacts, calendars and tasks sync
As play store replacement i use apkpure app
Don't miss gapps/services at all :good:
moly82 said:
So far so good using fruux for my contacts, calendars and tasks sync
As play store replacement i use apkpure app
Don't miss gapps/services at all :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great! What about RAM consumption as a background service? I really think that's Google Play Service mayor problem. TIA!
You mean frrux?
Very low here, less than 10mb..
Hey @noppy22
I really envy your battery life.... Well though I'm not a battery kind of guy but your battery usage really got me to reconsider the potential of ROM without Gapps.......My battery is about 3.5 years old and has now puffed a little (I've been trying to find a replacement but in our country we get cheap chinese stuffs which are not good and I've asked refund after a couple of them did not work and yes Amazon and ebay are NOT here to offer us OEM and Anker Batteries.... )..... If I use it too much I probably have to charge at least twice a day.....On light usage (just xda labs, youtube, viber, etc. and NO FB) I can hardly get 1.5 hrs. of SOT and max of 8 hrs of overall backup....Well that's when I used GApps....The only reason I use it is to sync my contacts though I do back it up now and then with 3rd party softwares...... I'm trying fruux at the moment to see how much it can offer to me to sync my contact....What I wanted to know is how much apps do you install and do you use Xposed?
@ssanjy
I can honestly say that using gapps on MM roms on the i9100, I used to get maybe 1.5-2.5 hrs SOT max. I found even without wakelocks, the battery usage with google play services(gps) was a lot more when using normal(xda, youtube, news) apps. When I tried without gps I found that my battery usage was about 50% better. Thats just my experience. And yes, it definately helps to have a healthy battery.
I don't use xposed or any heavy apps/games. Just greenify. Some apps are more battery-friendly than others to use, but I haven't noticed the amount of apps installed making any difference in battery performance. I have about 30-40 apps
My procedure for flashing new roms now is using es file explorer to backup my user apps, then just flashing the new rom and selecting all the apps in the backup folder(in es file explorer) and installing. It's pretty much the same as other backup tools or play store, only you need to press install for each one.
The important points I would make is :-
Check you don't have any major wakelocks
It is almost entirely pointless comparing SOT or battery performance between two users/devices. It depends on apps used, battery integrity, and even network variables(I find sometimes a weak network signal drains more).
Edit: Interestingly I find on other devices like i9195, not using gapps doesn't give me the same dramatic improvement in battery life.......
Rom without Gapps is excellent..... Fluent and battery friendly....I got 2.5 hrs SOT with 13 hrs overall battery after a long time.... I'm on Skin Saber 4.4 by fusion jack..... Will try MM shortly...
Sent from my S II using XDA Labs
ssanjy said:
Rom without Gapps is excellent..... Fluent and battery friendly....I got 2.5 hrs SOT with 13 hrs overall battery after a long time.... I'm on Skin Saber 4.4 by fusion jack..... Will try MM shortly...
Sent from my S II using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm happy that you are getting better battery performance.
I found slimsaber to be perhaps the best custom rom out there for battery. Don't be surprised if MM roms are slightly worse for SOT
noppy22 said:
I'm happy that you are getting better battery performance.
I found slimsaber to be perhaps the best custom rom out there for battery. Don't be surprised if MM ROMs are slightly worse for SOT
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup.... KitKat experience is also very good... Better than lollipop..... Last time i was on kk, it was with NeatROM and it was excellent too....I think I'll be sticking to it for while and test MM later....I was hoping to get doze advantage in MM and see how much it affects....
I remember that there was a time when I flashed ROM without Gapps but I had problem syncing contacts and wanted play store,. Play newsstand and YouTube badly.... So I flashed Gapps..... For now there periodic backup with Super Backup is getting things done for me... I'm using Aptoide for apps, Flipboard for news And using modded YouTube.... For the first time in years of flashing I'm without xposed and I'm not missing it too.... Will experiment with xposed soon to see how it affects....
Sent from my S II using XDA Labs
Hi all. I recently purchased a unlocked 16GB Samsung Galaxy i9000 because of the sound quality, expecting it to make it my main phone for daily use.
I've tried all CM and CM-based roms for it, expecting to keep it up to date. Developers have made a great work porting the roms and I can do nothing but praise what have they done.
But it's an old phone meant for apps of years ago, and now it's time to retire it.
I install facebook lite, tweetcaster, spotify and waze, and these are apps that create a zillion files for caching purposes and when I open them they take ages to load and more than desired, hang the phone.
512MB of ram and what I think is the speed of internal eMMC (moviNAND or whatever) are the reasons of this.
I tried different filesystems tuning their features but no. It's a hardware issue and this is what it is. WYSIWYG.
My brother has a Sony Z2 and this guy makes app fly. Not only more RAM and better processor, but a faster internal speed make the things happen as they should be.
So... bye, bye. SGS. You won't believe it, but I'm back to my HTC Chacha until I find a new phone that keeps up to what I need.
Good luck !
Hey
I think you should give a try to cm11. The latest beta from the website is amazing
Here you go : http://www.cmxlog.com/11/galaxysmtd/#cm-11-20160320-NIGHTLY-galaxysmtd.zip
I never had this speed even on gingerbread.
Tried omni but it was too slow and not enough ram to handle it, my phone was warmer.
Give it a last try. And flash nano or pico arm version of gaaps if you need it.
Link : http://opengapps.org (make sure using arm;4.4; and then select nano or pico)
Seems like without the phone is more fast but nowadays everyone need google just for some applications or restore contacts, i am wrong ?
The only downside of this rom is the battery..
You have to try to disable services from google play services (keep it awake : off and wake : off, and disable the "ok" google now in options of Google.
Plus disable the system service to keep it awake (yes, turn it off). Everything must be done in parameters>privacy>3 dots>show system app except for google now.
Now I can easily read webpages with my galaxy s, or listen to webs radio using applications, sms, call, it's fast as hell !!! Also use Waze but it's slow on start, this device handle it at his best).
And trust me when i say i'd never had this speed.
Was coming from a old mackay rom (thx for his job) didn't used the phone again till now, and believe me this is incredible.
Seems like kk is the last good version that can be done on galaxy s without freezes/and having enough ram :good:
Hope it helps
Malbo06 said:
Hey
I think you should give a try to cm11. The latest beta from the website is amazing
Here you go : http://www.cmxlog.com/11/galaxysmtd/#cm-11-20160320-NIGHTLY-galaxysmtd.zip
I never had this speed even on gingerbread.
Tried omni but it was too slow and not enough ram to handle it, my phone was warmer.
Give it a last try. And flash nano or pico arm version of gaaps if you need it.
Link : http://opengapps.org (make sure using arm;4.4; and then select nano or pico)
Seems like without the phone is more fast but nowadays everyone need google just for some applications or restore contacts, i am wrong ?
The only downside of this rom is the battery..
You have to try to disable services from google play services (keep it awake : off and wake : off, and disable the "ok" google now in options of Google.
Plus disable the system service to keep it awake (yes, turn it off). Everything must be done in parameters>privacy>3 dots>show system app except for google now.
Now I can easily read webpages with my galaxy s, or listen to webs radio using applications, sms, call, it's fast as hell !!! Also use Waze but it's slow on start, this device handle it at his best).
And trust me when i say i'd never had this speed.
Was coming from a old mackay rom (thx for his job) didn't used the phone again till now, and believe me this is incredible.
Seems like kk is the last good version that can be done on galaxy s without freezes/and having enough ram :good:
Hope it helps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just installed CM9.1 ICS and seems pretty fast even if I didn't used the phone very much, is the 11 faster?
Honestly i can't compare i never tried.
Is the browser fine ? And do you get some little lags after 2-3 apps in background ?
Thanks. As I wrote, I tested many roms. Yes, CM11 works wonders, but battery drain is huge. Having the phone on the hand while screen is on and seeing after 10 minutes that 10%-15% is gone...
Yes, with no gapps (I don't use them) and freshly installed, it works wonders, but when installed, the mentioned apps slows down the thing a lot.
Selled it today to someone that wanted nothing but whatsapp.
Malbo06 said:
Hey
I think you should give a try to cm11. The latest beta from the website is amazing
Here you go : http://www.cmxlog.com/11/galaxysmtd/#cm-11-20160320-NIGHTLY-galaxysmtd.zip
I never had this speed even on gingerbread.
Tried omni but it was too slow and not enough ram to handle it, my phone was warmer.
Give it a last try. And flash nano or pico arm version of gaaps if you need it.
Link : http://opengapps.org (make sure using arm;4.4; and then select nano or pico)
Seems like without the phone is more fast but nowadays everyone need google just for some applications or restore contacts, i am wrong ?
The only downside of this rom is the battery..
You have to try to disable services from google play services (keep it awake : off and wake : off, and disable the "ok" google now in options of Google.
Plus disable the system service to keep it awake (yes, turn it off). Everything must be done in parameters>privacy>3 dots>show system app except for google now.
Now I can easily read webpages with my galaxy s, or listen to webs radio using applications, sms, call, it's fast as hell !!! Also use Waze but it's slow on start, this device handle it at his best).
And trust me when i say i'd never had this speed.
Was coming from a old mackay rom (thx for his job) didn't used the phone again till now, and believe me this is incredible.
Seems like kk is the last good version that can be done on galaxy s without freezes/and having enough ram :good:
Hope it helps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Introduction
I have spent too many hours trying to find the perfect ROM to install on my Samsung Galaxy S6 phone. My goal was to find an ultra debloated ROM without any Samsung or Google stuff with the bare minimum. Turns out, it's impossible. I also wanted to use something new that went out of the normal boring stuff we are used to see. The ROM and Kernel selection is just enormous. I also needed to address a very specific issue which is to maintain the cell phone up to date with the latest ROM it can take to be stable and usable while being able to install the latest version of apps from Google Play. I have a SIM card but I never recieve any phone calls on it and it's an international card that I cannot use without high fees. It's basically used when my wife, from another country, needs to contact me via SMS. So phone calls using the default call app is just useless for me.
Apps that I excessively use
So here is the list of apps that I use, or shall I say, OVER-use:
Facebook Messenger (video calls)
Grandstream Wave - GS Wave (All my phone calls using SIP service)
Camera app (My wife is in another country for now so pictures and videos is our way of communicating)
Microsoft Launcher (the only free launcher having a good balance between customization and those notification dots)
Banking apps (2 major ones, 1 credit card app, PayPal and Xoom)
Games (2 to 4 mostly from AI Factory and 1 from Facebook app)
Facebook, Reddit and Discord
GMail
Total Commander + LAN plugin
Magisk (latest available version on GitHub)
AdAway (latest available version for ROM version installed, removes pretty much all the ads in my games and apps)
Google Play (Obviously)
Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Edge browser (depended on my mood as long as I was NOT using the infamous Google Chrome or Samsung Browser)
Open Camera (Only on AOSP roms or Stock roms higher than v7.0)
Problems / Issues / Bugs / Missing configs
After all of my tests, here is the list of all problems I have encountered under which ROM versions:
No floating video call window when call is unfocused. When unfocused, other person sees black screen until I get back the video call in full screen focus - Facebook Messenger (Stock rom v7.0) this issue does not happen on roms higher than v7.x, floating video call is possible with v8.x and higher roms.
Dark mode unavailable or requires heavy tweaks to fake or achieve a similar effect in OS, example, dark mode in the system settings menus - System configuration menus (Stock rom v7.x)
Camera's picture taking is not syncing with flash, therefor, picture is taken WITHOUT the flash leading to dark pictures - Default camera app (Stock roms higher than v7.0 and all AOSP roms)
Lower than usual voice recording audio - Facebook Messenger (sending a voice recording), Default camera app (all AOSP roms)
Unable to see the internal storage of my device in Windows Explorer - LineageOS roms (some custom roms do work that are not pure LineageOS)
Bluetooth connecting but no audio is directed to the device - Facebook Messenger and all other system sounds and music (AOSP roms higher than v7.x)
Bluetooth causes Facebook Messenger to drop connection when in use with BT device. Once disconnected, call ceases to drop - Facebook Messenger (AOSP roms)
Apps and system a tiny bit less responsive - Facebook game Words with Friends, Home screen and configs (Stock rom v7.0)
Contacts not syncing - GS Wave (AOSP roms with Open GApps Pico and Nano)
Username and passwords not automatically filled from stored passwords in Google account - Facebook, Reddit (All roms)
GMail dark mode and dark mode option unavailable - GMail (Stock rom v7.x)
Some games do not install or simply unavailable from Google Play - Super Mario Run (Highly debloated Stock rom v7.0)
Initial setup crashes after configuring the first time wifi connection, Google's update checking fails (AOSP roms with Open GApps)
When resizing the DP from 360 to 480 in the developper options, keyboard does not stretch to the entire screen width - System (Stock rom v7.x)
Lack of keyboard customization such as enabeling the numbers row instead of integrating them in the letter keys with long touch - System (all AOSP roms)
Random reboots or total system freeze. Very minimal and rare, not enough to remember too much about it, but still happened - System (Stock rom v7.0 other than SamStock)
Tests
My phone: Canadian Flat SM-G920W8
As of today, I have tested Ultimate Nougate, Oreo, Unofficial Lineage OS 14.1-17.1, FlynOS, NexusOS, S8 ports Note 8 ports, ViperOS, Marduck, SamStock, DotOS plus many other derivatives of LineageOS 16 and 17.1. If a rom was not mentioning compatibility with W8 version, I'd try using a compatible Kernel which seems to make the roms work and boot properly but most of these tests were performed with roms that stated supporting the T or W8 variants.
First test was to actually go through the Install process which Ultimate Oreo and 1 or 2 others failed. The amount of failed installs is very neglectible. Next was to actually boot into the OS. I got a few boot loops due to Kernel incompatibilities, again, just 1 or 2 failed REALLY and a few others were my fault for installing a wrong Kernel. So nothing to mention here too. Next was to actually be able to use the Camera app without doing anything else. All AOSP roms failed this. I simply opened the app, enabled flash and took a picture in a dark place. Picture has never been taken properly. Camera flashes correctly but picture is taken AFTER the flash turns out. Open Camera with the Camera API 2 enabled solved this issue.
Is was now left with rooting my phone. Note that most Stock roms and some AOSP roms have their own pre-built root which I utterly hate. Magisk is available and easily installable and works super fine so I do not need an old outdated version of Super SU or Magisk pre-installed. If the rom had Magisk pre-installed, I'd simply flash the Magisk app over it before booting to be at the latest version. I also needed to install Open GApps on AOSP roms and configure it. This was much easier to do when having a first time NO OPEN GAPPS intial boot. Basically, boot the first time without Open GApps, then reboot and install Open GApps and reboot to system, this resolves the wifi issue.
After all of this, it's time to let Google Play update everything it has to before starting to use Google Play and installing our apps. Turns out that I hate pretty much all of the launchers out there. They all have weird lacks. Lack of options, lack of configuration or no support for notification dots or a payment is needed to unlock this feature, lack of icon and folder lables. I tried the major ones and I even installed the hacked version available as torrents and I was not impressed by any one of them. Microsoft Launcher is the best one I know that offers enough options to configure what I want AND enables notification dots freely. The only last thing they could make available is the possibility to configure folder background colors and transparency and icon styles. To my opinion, that's all that's missing. I DO NOT use gestures so no comment on this.
Verdict
I absolutely NEED my bluetooth to work and I need this camera app to work flawlessly. This means that I am left with one single option. That is:
Stable Stock (Touchwiz based) rom version 7.0 (Nougat)
I tested some nice ones but again, I run into some issues, therefor:
MY RECOMMENDATION: SamStock ROM
ALTERNATIVELY, My Re-Pack of the above ROM: SamStock ROM (Lightly Debloated)
The only Problem I fell upon is the download which required me to use a separate download manager to download this rom from Android File Host. I also am displeased that SamStock DOES include his own version of Magisk integrated inside the rom so after rom installation, I have to flash MY version of Magisk immediately before booting. This rom is also completely Stock which means NO debloating, Everything is there, from Samsung apps to Google apps. Knox is the only thing that got removed. So this is also a very big file to download, almost 2gb when some roms go far below the 1gb size. So it's probably the most space greedy rom out there, but it's also the one I have the least problems with.
Why not the other roms such as Marduk? Because they are not 100% stock, they are moded stock roms with the author's personal touches and possible kernels. The customized roms brought some awkward issues at moments and made the phone unstable with some rare but random reboots and total freeze requiring me to hard reboot the phone using "Volume Down + Home + Power". Some others just had a weird issue where some apps and games were not available to download on Google Play while as with a same v7.0 rom like SamStock, these were available for download.
As for AOSP roms, the camera and bluetooth issues are just too major to make the roms usable on a daily basis. Open Camera DOES resolve the camera image issue but does not resolve the low volume issue.
I hope this will help any of you out there to clarify your decision on what to install. I did my job in trying pretty much all I could download from XDA for my version of the phone. I recon that some exceptions may happen and that you may have not run into any of the issues I listed. Please feel free to comment.
Reference and downloads
If you want a good list and explanations and valuable links for downloads, please checkout the website I dedicated for the Canadian model but also valid for other variants: http://dr.mywebcommunity.org/g920w8/
Website last update: 2021-09-01
Website update notes
2021-09-01
• Added my own "SamStock ROM (Lightly Debloated)" in the list
• Added "Recommended" tags in the "Downloads and links" section
• Added my recommended android launcher "Microsoft Launcher" in the apps list
Mod-coversation removed following up a personal conversation. Thank you XDA mods for your concerns about your online community!
I updated the website to include more information and added a few more links in the Downloads section. I also added a small menu to to make the navigation in the Downloads and links section a bit easier.
I also added a small text file listing the apps that can safely be removed in zipped Stock ROMS. Here's the direct link, it's also available in the "Downloads and links" section: http://dr.mywebcommunity.org/g920w8/debloat/debloat_safe.txt