Database Users

Is there a SINGLE rom that will work properly?

Hello XDA'ers.
First let me say that this will be somewhat a post about frustration with Android devices, but it's not meant to be misconstrued as disrespect to those who contribute to the development community. I know you guys work hard at this and I do appreciate your efforts. Your ROMs have been lightyears ahead of what Samsung stock offers.
But with that said, here's my question: is there a single rom that will work properly, is stable, wont crash, etc? I have been through over a dozen different ROMs across two devices, and there's always been something small or large wrong with them. The one I'm using on my i9505 right now is by Antares One and yesterday it decided to show me three or four notifications that "Google Play Services has stopped working" per minute and today none of my SMS messages are being sent.
But it's not limited that, rather, there's always been something or other that the Android ROM didn't like, or I had to find a workaround, or had to completely reflash with something else.
Has anyone experienced this? Why can't Android just be a stable OS? I'm really thinking about switching to a Microsoft phone for my next upgrade.
DJ

Even stock roms have their problems and stability issues. If you look through the Q&A section you'll find several threads about stock rom issues.
It's not Android's fault entirely. It has to do with the phone too. Roms on my device are always stable. Yet another user running the same rom on the same device has various problems.
I am currently running AOSP Marshmallow by the JDCTeam, no problems. Bluetooth works, wifi works, mobile data works, battery is fine (I went to sleep with 70% left and when I woke up 8 hours later it still was at 70%).

the problem here is the impossible fix of many problems by developers..why? many developers are not soft engineer and maybe they dont even know how to program just know how to port and replace files and thats all..a big team for every single phone are just impossible..
so a stable rom will never come..just find the one "flawless" and keep it..
for me the stable roms are not cm..or aosp..stock rom debloated are very stable..like s6 port to s4 and debloated..is a good one

Use stock ROM for stability. Although they are not fast as AOSP but they dont exhibit strange behaviors.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

DJRepresent said:
Hello XDA'ers.
First let me say that this will be somewhat a post about frustration with Android devices, but it's not meant to be misconstrued as disrespect to those who contribute to the development community. I know you guys work hard at this and I do appreciate your efforts. Your ROMs have been lightyears ahead of what Samsung stock offers.
But with that said, here's my question: is there a single rom that will work properly, is stable, wont crash, etc? I have been through over a dozen different ROMs across two devices, and there's always been something small or large wrong with them. The one I'm using on my i9505 right now is by Antares One and yesterday it decided to show me three or four notifications that "Google Play Services has stopped working" per minute and today none of my SMS messages are being sent.
But it's not limited that, rather, there's always been something or other that the Android ROM didn't like, or I had to find a workaround, or had to completely reflash with something else.
Has anyone experienced this? Why can't Android just be a stable OS? I'm really thinking about switching to a Microsoft phone for my next upgrade.
DJ
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like GDReaper said in his post. For us those roms run perfectly fine. Sure there are bugs, but most issues are known before you decide to flash the rom. Besides the obvious bugs that are present there is also the user. A lot of problems are caused by inexperienced users. They don't know how to set up their phone, they flash shady apps, or use modifycations of their own (Xposed for example).
Then they come to XDA and provide no usefull information at all. For example:
"The one I'm using on my i9505 right now is by Antares One and yesterday it decided to show me three or four notifications that "Google Play Services has stopped working" per minute and today none of my SMS messages are being sent."
- For example you say you use a rom by Antares One. This gives us no information at all. He has made like 4 roms for the I9505. What build? What android version?
- Google Play Services has stopped working. What gapps package did you use?
- Have you made modifications of your own?
- Are you running an up to date modem and bootloader?
Also keep in mind that if you use for example a MM build that it's a work in progress. It has to be coded from scratch. So surely there will be some bugs, but you will get the latest Android version in return with all the latest security patches.
This post is not intended to flame you in any way. I think most of your frustration comes from the expectations that you have. You cannot expect that a CM based rom will work flawlessly out of the box. It's a work in progress.

This is a very good observation. I was thinking to write this kind of post in december.
A lot of Roms are abandoned or never pass nightly and you have to flash and flash again. Then suddenly all people jump to MM as if the world is ending tomorow. It is hard to find a good rom starting with Lollipop. I see a lot of people crying after KK stability and downgrading.
People are in a hurry, devs too, to flash the newest rom.
I prefer stability. A phone is not a camera, nor a battle field for flashing.. My 2C opinion.

I like custom roms, but sadly i need stability before customisation or performance. The only rom that delivers in this is Stock TW 4.4.2. If you want to go back to Kitkat use the latest firmware for your region.
It's very hard to deliver stability with a custom rom as stability is achieved through manpower, time and resources, which can't be provided through just donations.

Roms are abandoned because people move to other devices at some point.
And you can't stay on the same android version. Most of the roms are built from other sources. Like Resurrection Remix. The developer is wescrip, and he owns an LG device. The version for our S4 is built from his sources by TJSteveMX. If wescrip switched to Marshmallow it's pretty much impossible to for TJ to keep it Lollipop.

DJRepresent said:
(...)Why can't Android just be a stable OS? I'm really thinking about switching to a Microsoft phone for my next upgrade.DJ
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a more general answer:
In the Android world there is a huge diversity of devices (--> hardware) and Android versions. The next thing, you have to keep in mind: A lot of vendors and telecommunications companies include their modifications into the ROMs.
I think that due to the availability of new devices each year and all these modifications, which also include the full stop in official updates after 6 months after the release of the device, will lead to unstable (official) ROMs.
The community then tries to update the devices in their spare time to the newest versions. But they have to figure out some special settings and modifications per device. And this is a long way as it seems.
In my opinion, you should not blame the community and the developers. I think, it is more Google or the vendors that can´t agree on a good way to distribute newer Android versions (e.g. a new API layer between OS and Hardware).

Updating possibilities for Samsung Galaxy Note 2

My note 2 is updated to 4.4.2. It is rooted. I have Xposed framework installed. I use the phone -as phone, for messaging (WhatsApp), browsing, note taking (Handwritten) - mostly using "Write" APP, and some illustrations using "Write" or sketching Apps. I use Google Handwriting Input as keyboard for English and Marathi (Indian Language).
The software is showing the age and phone has become slow. Cleaning provides some temporary relief. To address this "problem" and to experience the latest version of Android, I'm looking to update it to whatever is possible. I scanned through many threads and found out following:
1. There are quite a few Marshmallow ROMs for Note 2. CM 13 and Resurrection ROMS seem to be most used/discussed. There are few more (like Bliss), based on CM.
2. These ROMs, though provide latest Android version, do not provide the access to S pen.
3. For accessing S - pen DN4 seems to be the most preferred choice. As I understand, It is android version 4.4.4 - not the latest.
4. S-Pen accessibility/functionality is also available through SPenCommand APP (Paid). It's available for CyanogenMod, AOSP and MIUI ROMs.
I'd appreciate any help/suggestions on choice of choice of ROM and any experiences on using SPenCommand with any Marshmallow ROM. Any pointers on what could be pitfalls, or, nasty surprises, in the process are most welcome.
Thanks and Regards
Vikas Garud, Pune, India.

I've tried most of roms available for note 2
Miui/RR Rom/Rubbaband and much more :|
it looks like Eclipse Rom by Ac is the best out there, its based on 4.4.4 but heavily themed like s7/N5 MM .
go for it

Thanks Iskander_mal for sharing your experience!

Eclipse V8

Let me tell you my opinion as a heavy flasher on Note 2, S3 and some other phones that I own.
So we're talking about Note 2 now.
If you need new stuff, very high android experience gor for Unofficial CM13 builds by Trafalgar Square: what's not working now on he's latest build: gps, youtube in Chrome, SD Card as internal storage.
If you want something stable and fast but you don't really need the newest android go for the Official CM 11. You get OTA updates almost every 1-2 weeks and new security updates. Everything I tested so far works there.
In my opinion OCM11 and UCM13 are the best ROMs for you.
Eclipse ROM is themed and optimized with Agni Kernel. I'm not using it. I'm more into stock android because stock is faster.

vdgarud said:
Thanks Iskander_mal for sharing your experience!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome [emoji4]
Sent from my SM-N910C using XDA-Developers mobile app

Thanks once again Iskander_mal. Just one question: Does this support S-Pen? Anything specific (APP?) required for getting the S-Pen functionality for scribbling?
Thanks,
Vikas Garud

Thanks "andrewKode" for detailed response. I am looking for something stable and fast. I'm not looking for cutting edge android features. Official CM11 seems to be the way to go for these requirements. Just one doubt: How do you get the S-Pen functionality? I don't need anything fancy - scribbling on some APP like "Write", or sketching on some APP would be sufficient for me. Off course, anything extra is welcome!
Thanks and regards
Vikas Garud

vdgarud said:
Thanks once again Iskander_mal. Just one question: Does this support S-Pen? Anything specific (APP?) required for getting the S-Pen functionality for scribbling?
Thanks,
Vikas Garud
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I remember when I first flashed CM10 on my galaxy note II back in early 2013, there was an app on Playstore called Papyrus. It almost had same features as the stock note taking app provided by Samsung. You can check it out.

Thanks
najam1 said:
I remember when I first flashed CM10 on my galaxy note II back in early 2013, there was an app on Playstore called Papyrus. It almost had same features as the stock note taking app provided by Samsung. You can check it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I was under impression that the stylus itself may not be supported. I've played around with Papyrus and it's good. I'm not particular about Samsung apps. All that I'm looking for is ability of the styles (S-Pen) to scribble something. Your response has relieved me.
Vikas Garud.

All custom roms support Stylus. Some touchwiz based custom roms also support Air Command features.
Note II was released with android jelly bean 4.1.1 which had a strange bug called Sudden Death Syndrome. That bug prompted me to root my phone and install custom ROM in it. But after flashing CM10 I missed Samsung's note taking app as I was by that time so much used to it. I was also looking for note taking app and came across papyrus.

Can someone help me root my Sprint (boost mobile) note 2? I know nothing about rooting or roms or any of that. Just letting everyone know. I'm not very tech friendly when it comes to rooting, roms, flashing or any of that. Thanks in advance! Oh and what would the benefits of rooting and installing those roms be? I have noticed my note 2 hasn't received any updates from Samsung like the person said it would when I bought it from them??

byrdzhouse7408 said:
Can someone help me root my Sprint (boost mobile) note 2? I know nothing about rooting or roms or any of that. Just letting everyone know. I'm not very tech friendly when it comes to rooting, roms, flashing or any of that. Thanks in advance! Oh and what would the benefits of rooting and installing those roms be? I have noticed my note 2 hasn't received any updates from Samsung like the person said it would when I bought it from them??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your questions are best answered in http://www.xda-developers.com/root/.
Additional help will be available under forums/threads specific to your mobile.
HTH
Vikas Garud.

Marshmallow 5Gghz hotspot / Fast Charging
Im still looking for an appropriate upgrade for my CM 10.1 (4.2.2) install on my n7100.
I'm stuck on it since I've had quite the charging issues over time.
I use NEAK kernel to ensure fast charging (2100 mA) adjustable up to 2900 mA (but I don't know how realistic that is to achieve.
Any ideas on fast charging Kernels/ROMs?
Anyway I'm hoping that a new Marshmallow ROM gives access to establishing a 5Ghz wifi hotspot on the device.
In theory the API from Android 6.0 allows this.
Has anyone tried this OR if using a MM based ROM could you have a look?
I have that feeling though I'm not going to be able to get both

DN4 v2.1 makes you feel that you've got a touchwizz for note 4, seems to works great but I've flashed my efs also after flashing adblock host, wifi is stuck 15mins after boot... otherwise of you like samsung stuuf it's fun. btw I'm a total nub!
Then I've tried CM12.1 lollipop by Ivan, everything works, flashing host file with moab seems to introduce latency... Sometimes it did freeze. at this time VR was broken.
Now I stick with CM13 still by Ivan, even though it's not the latest, everything works flawlessly so far! As usual adding a few MB size file host is not perfect for latency flashed batch cm13, gapps nano, moab after being fully wiped.
Even if VR didn't work, it's no longer an issue.
By the way you may need the latest Bootloader, mine is PC1. There is a cap in BL, once reached a special version, you may not be able the remove it easily. I havent tried to remove that, because I'm a total nub and I've got only my daily device to play with
Globally, I was expecting much more trouble! Just try to fly everthing in a row, otherwise it did added extra freezes and latency in my case

hey i went through same problem as you are now.
i have note 2 and i am running resurrection remix marshmallow and to be honest i think its a better option to run this rom on our ageing device than going for stock 4.4.4 roms.
as for spen functionality ,look at my signature,there is a link that provides alternatives to touchwiz/spen functionality.
Honestly RR-MM is the best rom there for our phone<<<<personal preference of course
just try roms and see what fits your needs.

here is a link, which may help you for spen cynogen or aosp by fizzingbees
http://forum.xda-developers.com/gala...4#post67694564

ever be 6
will there ever be android 6 on note 2?

vdgarud said:
Thanks "andrewKode" for detailed response. I am looking for something stable and fast. I'm not looking for cutting edge android features. Official CM11 seems to be the way to go for these requirements. Just one doubt: How do you get the S-Pen functionality? I don't need anything fancy - scribbling on some APP like "Write", or sketching on some APP would be sufficient for me. Off course, anything extra is welcome!
Thanks and regards
Vikas Garud
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My friend, listen to me. Do not listen to anyone else here. If it wasn't for Cyanogenmod 13 and Android 6.0 I would have thrown my phone into trash by now. It was so bad and crappy and laggy (and all Androids before Lollipop were). You know people at google work hard to issue out new versions of android to improve performance and everything. Lollipop was a huge jump! They (samsung) didn't give us update to Lollipop or newer because you are expected to buy new Note 4 or something.
Recently I had to revert to stock rom (4.4) for a while and I couldn't believe my eyes. It was the same hardware, the same phone! How could just software make such a huge difference?
Now I see you use s-pen and that may be a problem (i lost my s-pen a while ago so I don't know how it goes).
Anyway, install any rom with android 6.0 and you'll see yorself what I'm talking about. If you don't like it you can always go back, but who in the world would do that?

johantje1993 said:
will there ever be android 6 on note 2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
officially no.
unofficially,sky is the limit
---------- Post added at 05:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:30 AM ----------
Transkryption said:
Im still looking for an appropriate upgrade for my CM 10.1 (4.2.2) install on my n7100.
I'm stuck on it since I've had quite the charging issues over time.
I use NEAK kernel to ensure fast charging (2100 mA) adjustable up to 2900 mA (but I don't know how realistic that is to achieve.
Any ideas on fast charging Kernels/ROMs?
Anyway I'm hoping that a new Marshmallow ROM gives access to establishing a 5Ghz wifi hotspot on the device.
In theory the API from Android 6.0 allows this.
Has anyone tried this OR if using a MM based ROM could you have a look?
I have that feeling though I'm not going to be able to get both
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
regarding your battery charging,i just cant begin to understand why you want to charge your battery at such high mah,given that samsung stock kernel charges it around 1800-1900mah. I hope its not a phony kernel feature otherwise its a miracle that your battery hasnt exploded yet.
i am using agni kernel and you can max charge at 2000mah which is pretty fast given my phone charges from dead to 100% in 1 hr 30min.
for 5gh wifi api,i hope you know what you are talking about. i am in no way expert but having a api and actually having a hardware that support and make use of that api are two different concepts.
i have MM ,so if you want me to,i can check it((if you tell me how to))
---------- Post added at 05:45 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:43 AM ----------
Iskander_mal said:
I've tried most of roms available for note 2
Miui/RR Rom/Rubbaband and much more :|
it looks like Eclipse Rom by Ac is the best out there, its based on 4.4.4 but heavily themed like s7/N5 MM .
go for it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dont you feel that eclipse rom is somewhat heavy and slow when compared to RR-MM rom.

New stock A2017U best way from here?

Picked up the $330 deal from Newegg Ebay. The phone is charged and unmodded / not updated. The software it came with is A2017UV1.0.0B27. There is an update pending but I've not applied it yet. I'm well versed with ADB and fastboot coming from a long line of Nexus phones that I always root...
There seems to be lots of ways forward from here but I'd like to see what people recommend. It appears that an unlocked bootloader will make it so future updates cannot be applied. I've always unlocked in the past but I hope to get wifi calling (T-Mobile) in future updates (from what I understand that's on the way but not out yet?). If a non-stock rom allows wifi calling I'd be game for that as I typically am not a fan of how companies bloat the standard android rom.
Main things I want:
TWRP
(seamless?) root (primarily for AdAway and TiBackup)
Band 12
Wifi calling
Remove any potential ZTE spyware
What do you think? Unlock the bootloader and forget future ZTE updates? Keep it locked?
Thanks!

OTA updates work just fine with an unlocked bootloader. They do not however work if the system or recovery has been modified.
I ran stock for a few weeks. Recently switched to resurrection remix. It adds a lot of additional configuration ability. Most of the settings that were/are available in gravity box. GB is no longer possible until xposed is redeveloped for 7.
I'd say unlock the bootloader first, then either try stock or one of the aosp roms. Been on RR for just two days now, first impressions include bettery battery life and faster UI interaction.

gpz1100 said:
OTA updates work just fine with an unlocked bootloader. They do not however work if the system or recovery has been modified.
I ran stock for a few weeks. Recently switched to resurrection remix. It adds a lot of additional configuration ability. Most of the settings that were/are available in gravity box. GB is no longer possible until xposed is redeveloped for 7.
I'd say unlock the bootloader first, then either try stock or one of the aosp roms. Been on RR for just two days now, first impressions include bettery battery life and faster UI interaction.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh... understood. Seamless is the way to go for future updates then. I'll unlock and take that route. Thanks much!

Lost Dog said:
Ahh... understood. Seamless is the way to go for future updates then. I'll unlock and take that route. Thanks much!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My personal experience with Lineage (never tried RR, but I guess it's close to lineage) is overall disappointment. Half of the apps I tried didn't work, especially some 3D games. The stock camera app is unbearably bad IMO, from comparisons I decided to make I hate the overall quality of the photos... ZTE's system is not even close to full of bloatware. The only added out of the box apps are WPS Office which comes in handy, AccuWeather which is kinda questionable, true; ZTE Cares which mostly tells you to reboot your phone if you have a problem (1.14 mb, never open), this WeShare thing that you can ignore completely, and the stock music, browser, etc and Gapps. Even the calculator and some kinda useful apps are all packed on one app, and you can add shortcuts... Can't really say I've seen less bloated phones in the market...
TWRP and root are completely fine on Stock
no idea about band 12
ZTE spyware... The only thing I heard about was the location provider on A2017G which is being changed on the next update. We had Qualcomm IZat (Korea) and we got changed to Tencent (China) so that's kind of a spyware. but you can uninstall that with root
and I understand people who say that the stock ROM is ugly. Just use a launcher.
the only real advantage that I can see is the possibility to use Substratum with a pitch black theme. I could get near to 2 days battery with that stuff.

^^How recently have you tried it?
I'll be out and about tomorrow so will get a chance to play with the camera to see how well it does in RR. I got both the google camera and aosp camera apps installed. We'll see how good/bad the pics come out. I don't expect dslr results out of a cell phone camera anyway so camera quality isn't at the top of the list for me.
Same with games. Can't remember the last one I played on a phone. Most of my use is email/web/navi/voip. Long battery life is at the top of my list. With typical usage, I could go 2 days between charges and still have ~40% remaining. If I get 3 days now with RR with similar usage/sot, I'll be happy camper. Not to mention, the phone is more responsive.
Stock isn't bad until you've tried something else, then you get a feel for how heavy the ui is.
Band 12 is supported on both tmo and att as far as i know. I know i've seen it a few times on att.

Does anyone have an alternative link to the files in this post:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/axon-7/development/wip-axon-7-root-bootloader-unlokced-t3441204
Dev-Host either throws out a ton of spam links or just stalls on the download.

Alright!
I'm on 7.1.1 with backed up stock bootloader and recovery. Rooted with a modified version of Magisk and passing the safetynet check.
So far, signal strength seems good and the addition of wifi calling is fantastic....

I don't have T-Mobile, but I believe the latest update, v. 7.1.1 B19 includes WiFi calling.
ETA: Oops. I guess that's what I get for getting distracted and posting a response an hour after I started it.

Z5 premium security support cut. What now?

As everyone on here probably knows, z5 premium will not be getting any further security updates. Its timing couldn't have been any worse either. When I bought this premium phone (which costs almost as much as a flagship iphone), I didn't expect to have my security updates cut in just 2 years. I was planning to hang onto this phone for a few years until something worth upgrading to came out.
So like many who still own this phone, I am wondering is there anyway to keep my phone secure and still use it? My phone is unlocked and rooted and I am running the latest firmware. I unfortunately didn't back up my drm keys so I had to use the hack method to keep my phones functionality (fingerprint sensor, camera...etc) I'm wondering what is the best close to stock firmware to use to get the latest security updates and also how much functionality is lost by using those? It's to my understanding the camera only works the best with the official camera app and 4k only works on the album app and movie app. Will I lose 4k capability by switching to a custom firmware?
Any insight on any of this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks to all who took the time to read this and a big thanks in advance to anyone who can provide any input.

Mostly updated custom kernel + custom ROMs (Sony Stock ROM + kernel based)
e.g. https://forum.xda-developers.com/z5-premium/development/m-rom-t3781969
and
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=76269595&postcount=418
well, newer custom kernels will have WPA2 KRACK protection, protection/mitigation against Meltdown/Spectre (a class of timing-based) attacks and other fixes & improvements
updated binaries for e.g. wpa_supplicant might be needed but I haven't really looked into those details yet

Thanks. Is it possible to use a custom kernal like the one you provided in your second link with the latest official firmware (32.4.1.54) since I only care about updating my security?

Mike3009 said:
Thanks. Is it possible to use a custom kernal like the one you provided in your second link with the latest official firmware (32.4.1.54) since I only care about updating my security?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sure, flash TWRP (if not already done so),
do a backup of each partition separately (/boot , /data , /system)
and flash the kernel
it'll update /boot and modules in /system

zacharias.maladroit said:
sure, flash TWRP (if not already done so),
do a backup of each partition separately (/boot , /data , /system)
and flash the kernel
it'll update /boot and modules in /system
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate the help and sorry for all the questions. Is backing up the partitions still necessary if I already have a backup of the firmware from xperifirm? Yes I already have TWRP because I used it to root my device. Also I'm assuming the kernal I want is on the first post of the second link you shared with me but there are two files to be downloaded and I'm not sure which to use. I'm on a z5 premium e6853.
Thanks again.

Mike3009 said:
I appreciate the help and sorry for all the questions. Is backing up the partitions still necessary if I already have a backup of the firmware from xperifirm? Yes I already have TWRP because I used it to root my device. Also I'm assuming the kernal I want is on the first post of the second link you shared with me but there are two files to be downloaded and I'm not sure which to use. I'm on a z5 premium e6853.
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just flashed over the first one with fastboot. Worked fine. Security is still showing September 2017 though. Is there anyway I can know if I'm more secure now?

Mike3009 said:
I just flashed over the first one with fastboot. Worked fine. Security is still showing September 2017 though. Is there anyway I can know if I'm more secure now?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you take a look at the source in github
sorry, the ROM base is the same [and thus you're affected by the vulnerabilities, so best would be to re-enable SELinux which gives quite a good protection itself],
kernel-side however got you covered (well, it really depends how much the kernel is patched up).
You, of course, could try out RR, LineageOS which are somewhat more up-to-date (updates stopped being added November / December last year for Android 7.1.y),
but there you'd lose e.g. picture stabilization on video recording, MHL, MirrorLink, superior post-processing on pictures, etc.
The problem with these device (Snapdragon 810) is that Qualcomm dropped support for the msm8994 platform,
and since we're stuck with 3.10 kernel it's a community effort to get it patched up somewhat.
There'd be the possibility to upgrade & port the kernel to 4.4 but since the API, etc. would mismatch and newer drivers are missing it's basically not worth the effort

zacharias.maladroit said:
you take a look at the source in github
sorry, the ROM base is the same [and thus you're affected by the vulnerabilities, so best would be to re-enable SELinux which gives quite a good protection itself],
kernel-side however got you covered (well, it really depends how much the kernel is patched up).
You, of course, could try out RR, LineageOS which are somewhat more up-to-date (updates stopped being added November / December last year for Android 7.1.y),
but there you'd lose e.g. picture stabilization on video recording, MHL, MirrorLink, superior post-processing on pictures, etc.
The problem with these device (Snapdragon 810) is that Qualcomm dropped support for the msm8994 platform,
and since we're stuck with 3.10 kernel it's a community effort to get it patched up somewhat.
There'd be the possibility to upgrade & port the kernel to 4.4 but since the API, etc. would mismatch and newer drivers are missing it's basically not worth the effort
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's too bad. I guess it's as I thought; there's no real perfect solution to staying secure at the time being. Well, thanks for the kernal anyways. I can't believe how much better my phone is now. It has me puzzled why Sony didn't release it like this in the first place.

Mike3009 said:
As everyone on here probably knows, z5 premium will not be getting any further security updates. Its timing couldn't have been any worse either. When I bought this premium phone (which costs almost as much as a flagship iphone), I didn't expect to have my security updates cut in just 2 years. I was planning to hang onto this phone for a few years until something worth upgrading to came out.
So like many who still own this phone, I am wondering is there anyway to keep my phone secure and still use it? My phone is unlocked and rooted and I am running the latest firmware. I unfortunately didn't back up my drm keys so I had to use the hack method to keep my phones functionality (fingerprint sensor, camera...etc) I'm wondering what is the best close to stock firmware to use to get the latest security updates and also how much functionality is lost by using those? It's to my understanding the camera only works the best with the official camera app and 4k only works on the album app and movie app. Will I lose 4k capability by switching to a custom firmware?
Any insight on any of this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks to all who took the time to read this and a big thanks in advance to anyone who can provide any input.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes! sony treated this device as their step son!
released late 2015, hit market 2016, and was already in LEGACY DEVICES in 2017, the whole series discontinued and after many months they released android 7.1.1 and thats it, no more builds or updates!
feel sorry for the device, it has all the premium features but treated badly!
- the 4k capability depends on which 3rd party rom you are using! , btw not many roms are available for z5p

YasuHamed said:
yes! sony treated this device as their step son!
released late 2015, hit market 2016, and was already in LEGACY DEVICES in 2017, the whole series discontinued and after many months they released android 7.1.1 and thats it, no more builds or updates!
feel sorry for the device, it has all the premium features but treated badly!
- the 4k capability depends on which 3rd party rom you are using! , btw not many roms are available for z5p
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Click to collapse
Yeah I know, it's pathetic really. It's still a very current device as it was a very high spec phone when it was released. High spec phones like these don't get outdated that quickly. It's even more insulting that they cut support right as the meltdown vulnerability came out. They knew what they were doing -it's like a forced upgrade. Problem is: there is nothing released by Sony that really surpasses this phone in specs, or at least not enough for most people to be willing to spend all that cash on a new phone when their current one works perfectly. I don't see any compelling reason to run out and get an xz premium unless my phone breaks and dislike the xz2 premium. Oh well, I'll just have to use caution and hope for the best until a phone worth upgrading to comes out or my phone dies. Whatever happens first I suppose. Thanks for the sympathy.

Mike3009 said:
Yeah I know, it's pathetic really. It's still a very current device as it was a very high spec phone when it was released. High spec phones like these don't get outdated that quickly. It's even more insulting that they cut support right as the meltdown vulnerability came out. They knew what they were doing -it's like a forced upgrade. Problem is: there is nothing released by Sony that really surpasses this phone in specs, or at least not enough for most people to be willing to spend all that cash on a new phone when their current one works perfectly. I don't see any compelling reason to run out and get an xz premium unless my phone breaks and dislike the xz2 premium. Oh well, I'll just have to use caution and hope for the best until a phone worth upgrading to comes out or my phone dies. Whatever happens first I suppose. Thanks for the sympathy.
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sony never forgets to disappoint their customers by keep releasing unfinished flagships on the frequency of new bulletins!
whole z series abandoned after z5p due to huge billions of book losses to sony in xperia project. the device should have been with 4gb ram! but instead it was kept on 3gb!
z5p is awesome device, stable, stays in control and maintain itself amazinly!
now xzp came out finally with 4gb ram (should have been 6)
where xz2p is coming with 6gb ram and strange bumpy design and misplaced finger print sensor!
i don't know what sony is up to!

What's really disappointing is the lack of roms being developed. The prices are getting pretty nice right now for the z5 premium after support was dropped making it an attractive, affordable 4k smartphone for new comers. Also for those of us who already own it, having at least one decent rom solution would be really nice. It's pretty sad that I'd have to give up some of the functionality that I paid for in order to continue to keep my device secure. I'm going to stick to official firmware with anti-virus along with this updated kernel and hope for the best. I'd very much appreciate it if anyone finds a good custom firmware solution, to please let me know. Thanks in advance.

YasuHamed said:
yes! sony treated this device as their step son!
released late 2015, hit market 2016, and was already in LEGACY DEVICES in 2017, the whole series discontinued and after many months they released android 7.1.1 and thats it, no more builds or updates!
feel sorry for the device, it has all the premium features but treated badly!
- the 4k capability depends on which 3rd party rom you are using! , btw not many roms are available for z5p
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Click to collapse
zacharias.maladroit said:
you take a look at the source in github
sorry, the ROM base is the same [and thus you're affected by the vulnerabilities, so best would be to re-enable SELinux which gives quite a good protection itself],
kernel-side however got you covered (well, it really depends how much the kernel is patched up).
You, of course, could try out RR, LineageOS which are somewhat more up-to-date (updates stopped being added November / December last year for Android 7.1.y),
but there you'd lose e.g. picture stabilization on video recording, MHL, MirrorLink, superior post-processing on pictures, etc.
The problem with these device (Snapdragon 810) is that Qualcomm dropped support for the msm8994 platform,
and since we're stuck with 3.10 kernel it's a community effort to get it patched up somewhat.
There'd be the possibility to upgrade & port the kernel to 4.4 but since the API, etc. would mismatch and newer drivers are missing it's basically not worth the effort
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How can we enable selinux?

What is the most bug free custom ROM for Axon 7?

I'd love to get some totally un-biased views here, including pros and cons. This will probably also help others given the current circumstances and wading through old threads containing up to 4000 posts is a real PIA. Current info condensed into one new thread would be great and not introduce clutter in the ROM threads.
Given that even if we get Oreo, there will most likely be no further official updates, just wondering, from all of you who have used many ROMs, what is an honest view of which ROMs are nearly bug free? Are any bug free? For me stuff like call and camera issues are a total deal breaker. I use my phone for personal and work, including interstate and minor overseas travel. Not going to even install any ROM that is compromised in some way.
I put OmniROM MM on my Oppo Find 7 and that was fantastic. It even got updated to Nougat and I think still has updates so I reset it to a non rooted, stock (Omni) state and passed it on to my eldest daughter. It's being enjoyed and well used still.
I'd really like to get that kind of service life from my Axon 7 as it is a very good phone still.

I reccomend Oreo AEX,although i heard that dualsim is not currently working

Just like asking "what are the best headphones?", or "what are the best speakers?", the only real way to tell how well a certain ROM will work for YOU on YOUR PHONE is to try it. Even between phones of the exact same model, there will always be different experiences across users. Backup, wipe, flash & see if the features/performance you find are what work for you.

Well that won't be happening. I use it for work. Can't be flashing it all the time. Just needs to work and leave it alone.

RobboW said:
Well that won't be happening. I use it for work. Can't be flashing it all the time. Just needs to work and leave it alone.
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I'd use raystef's stock based roms then, check them out.
Most are nougat, one is oreo beta, pick your poison.

I've had really good experiences with Official lineageOS. It has been a seamless process without any hitches. I'm personally waiting for the official release of lineageOS 15.1 (if and when it comes out). I've installed lineage on various devices and have been super happy with all of them. My Moto G Titan feels like a new phone after I've installed it.

Victor13f said:
I've had really good experiences with Official lineageOS. It has been a seamless process without any hitches. I'm personally waiting for the official release of lineageOS 15.1 (if and when it comes out). I've installed lineage on various devices and have been super happy with all of them. My Moto G Titan feels like a new phone after I've installed it.
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It's very device specific though. Sometimes a custom ROM (such as LOS, OMNI etc) will work well on one type of phone and be buggy on a different one. Not all phones work the same on them and I think the Axon 7 is one of those that ends up with buggy ROMs. The camera and DAC are complications that can be hard to get running well, also dual SIM can be an issue and I use it all.
If it's a choice between custom with bugs or stay on stock Nougat I would stay stock.

RobboW said:
If it's a choice between custom with bugs or stay on stock Nougat I would stay stock.
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The feedback on LOS doesn't seem to be too bad and I do understand that since I am also still stock but the problem is that the stock ROM is filled with bugs aswell. The screen brightness bug I get sometimes, the call bug, my Google play store crashes often, my GPS doesn't work properly etc etc. Those are all bugs the stock ROM itself has.