Rooting: Are there any benefits other than running custom apps? - Nexus One Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I didnt know where to search for this answer. I had a nexus one and sold it and i wanted another so i just bought one on ebay. What are other advantages to rooting if i have no interest in custom ROMs. i searched and found bits and pieces of an answer to my question but what i am looking for is a consolidated concise answer from you knowledgeable forum members.
Thanks
P.S. if this question has already been answered, please direct me that way

tarusdg said:
I didnt know where to search for this answer. I had a nexus one and sold it and i wanted another so i just bought one on ebay. What are other advantages to rooting if i have no interest in custom ROMs. i searched and found bits and pieces of an answer to my question but what i am looking for is a consolidated concise answer from you knowledgeable forum members.
Thanks
P.S. if this question has already been answered, please direct me that way
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you search, you can direct yourself.

I would consider pointless and a waste of the warranty. There aren't a lot of mods in the dev section that will work on a stock (non-custom rom), so you wouldn't really be gaining anything there.

david1171 said:
I would consider pointless and a waste of the warranty. There aren't a lot of mods in the dev section that will work on a stock (non-custom rom), so you wouldn't really be gaining anything there.
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Click to collapse
thanks for your honest answer

tarusdg said:
thanks for your honest answer
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Click to collapse
Sorry man, just saw that I said would work, what I meant was wouldn't work. A lot of the mods are built from source code that isn't compatible with stock ROMs.

Themes, Trackball Notification colors, Trackball Wake, Updated Launcher... Those are a few I can think of, off the top of my head.
Oh oh, you can install "WaveSecure" as a System application. Thus making it more difficult to remove from the phone. (Can't just go visit the market to remove )
Edit:
Screenshots via ShootMe, N1 Torch (Hey... I did have to use this when my workplace hallways were lacking power... Otherwise I'd consider it a novelty)

Why do you not want a custom ROM? if you are worried about the UI, cyanogen mod is identical to the stock UI (minus a few colour changes), but adds a whole lot more functionality and memory. The only advantage i can see having a rooted phone with stock over cyanogen is that you will still recieve OTA updates.

liam.lah said:
.. . The only advantage i can see having a rooted phone with stock over cyanogen is that you will still recieve OTA updates.
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... of which are usually leaked well beforehand and integrated into a ROM, before the official OTA goes out.
Personally, it was the CyanogenROM that made the risk of rooting worth it. There's plenty of great apps and utils out there that require root, but none (even cumulatively) worth risking $530 to get.
If you're not interested in the ROMs, then take the blue pill.

being able to push the track ball to turn the phone on was plenty reason for me ;o

The decision to root was a hard one for me also, but let me go down the reasons why I loved that I did it.
1) Auto-Rotating launcher. Landscape view is pretty friggin sweet. Plus all my iphone friends get so jelous when I want to show them something so i just flip my phone and my screen rotates 180 degrees. Coolest thing ever...
2) Colored trackball notifications. I don't know about you, but i like that i know what a notification is before i ever take the time to turn the screen on.
3) SetCPU. I made a profile so that when my screen is off, my processor runs slower, thus giving me more battery life.
4) N1 Torch. Turns the N1 into a great flash light.
5) Launcher with shortcuts. I didn't really have a problem with the dots, but having 4 shortcuts to apps there so that they are on every homescreen is very nice.
6) I now have a black notification bar at the top rather than a grey one. This makes the phone alot sexier...
7) Modifcations to HTC_IME. I love the transparent background. This only words if clicker.apk and htc_ime.apk are in the system/app/ folder which you can only modifiy with root access.
8) nandroid backup. very nice.
9) Wake screen on trackball push. Good little shortcut which makes things a little easier.
10) *most important reason* The overall speed of my phone is so much faster... On the stock rom is was plenty fast and i had no complaints, but now it is even more so. The bakedgoods rom is like putting a supercharger in your phone.
The decision to root was a hard one for me, but looking back, I have only 1 regret. Not doing it sooner

jz9833 said:
The decision to root was a hard one for me also, but let me go down the reasons why I loved that I did it.
1) Auto-Rotating launcher. Landscape view is pretty friggin sweet. Plus all my iphone friends get so jelous when I want to show them something so i just flip my phone and my screen rotates 180 degrees. Coolest thing ever...
2) Colored trackball notifications. I don't know about you, but i like that i know what a notification is before i ever take the time to turn the screen on.
3) SetCPU. I made a profile so that when my screen is off, my processor runs slower, thus giving me more battery life.
4) N1 Torch. Turns the N1 into a great flash light.
5) Launcher with shortcuts. I didn't really have a problem with the dots, but having 4 shortcuts to apps there so that they are on every homescreen is very nice.
6) I now have a black notification bar at the top rather than a grey one. This makes the phone alot sexier...
7) Modifcations to HTC_IME. I love the transparent background. This only words if clicker.apk and htc_ime.apk are in the system/app/ folder which you can only modifiy with root access.
8) nandroid backup. very nice.
9) Wake screen on trackball push. Good little shortcut which makes things a little easier.
10) *most important reason* The overall speed of my phone is so much faster... On the stock rom is was plenty fast and i had no complaints, but now it is even more so. The bakedgoods rom is like putting a supercharger in your phone.
The decision to root was a hard one for me, but looking back, I have only 1 regret. Not doing it sooner
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Click to collapse
Most of the benefits you just mentioned require custom ROMs if I'm not mistaken. The thread only wanna stick with stock ROM. I'm noob btw.

EdwardUong said:
Most of the benefits you just mentioned require custom ROMs if I'm not mistaken. The thread only wanna stick with stock ROM. I'm noob btw.
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Click to collapse
only reason 10 requires a custom rom.

WiFi TETHERING!!!!!!!

apps on the sd. I still ran out if memory installing the apps I use regularly. That is the main reason for me. Enabling all the phones memory was a big reason too. Plus who needs a warranty with insurance?

if you have no interest in custom ROMS, i think it would be a waste of warranty... unless you want to install any apps which require root access (like N1 Torch)... or the several modded/developed system apps that require rw access to the system partition which you can only get using insecure boot... so make ur choice... the N1 stock is great... the N1 cooked... wayyy better than the best!!!

Its in my sig now

I think its funny how people complained that the MT3g, cliq...yadda yadda didnt have enough speed..SO they put in a snapdragon...and people are still not happy. Voiding your warranty is certainly good enough to keep me from rooting my phone for a flashlight, or a trackball color change...Whoop dee doo. When we rooted the mytouch...etc, they had legit reasons. Mutli touch, speed, space saver, cool themes, and tether. They only thing that the nexus doesnt have now is tether. So In due time I will def go back to the rooting field, but not at the cost of voiding my warranty.
But then again the HTC warranty is a joke. I am not sending you my phone and waiting for you to fix a problem that shouldn't have been there in the first place, then wait for you to send it back. Screw that, I would rather pay my deductible and get a refurb.
Contradicting..
But everyone has their own opionon. Oh and just an FYI, from experience HTC can tell if its been rooted

spazoid said:
I think its funny how people complained that the MT3g, cliq...yadda yadda didnt have enough speed..SO they put in a snapdragon...and people are still not happy. Voiding your warranty is certainly good enough to keep me from rooting my phone for a flashlight, or a trackball color change...Whoop dee doo. When we rooted the mytouch...etc, they had legit reasons. Mutli touch, speed, space saver, cool themes, and tether. They only thing that the nexus doesnt have now is tether. So In due time I will def go back to the rooting field, but not at the cost of voiding my warranty.
But then again the HTC warranty is a joke. I am not sending you my phone and waiting for you to fix a problem that shouldn't have been there in the first place, then wait for you to send it back. Screw that, I would rather pay my deductible and get a refurb.
Contradicting..
But everyone has their own opionon. Oh and just an FYI, from experience HTC can tell if its been rooted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like this post It's like you speak my thought out loud
I'm still sticking with my stock setup until I get bored and wait til the time comes
I'll be playing with custom ROMs and hack the heck out of my Nexus

spazoid said:
I think its funny how people complained that the MT3g, cliq...yadda yadda didnt have enough speed..SO they put in a snapdragon...and people are still not happy. Voiding your warranty is certainly good enough to keep me from rooting my phone for a flashlight, or a trackball color change...Whoop dee doo. When we rooted the mytouch...etc, they had legit reasons. Mutli touch, speed, space saver, cool themes, and tether. They only thing that the nexus doesnt have now is tether. So In due time I will def go back to the rooting field, but not at the cost of voiding my warranty.
But then again the HTC warranty is a joke. I am not sending you my phone and waiting for you to fix a problem that shouldn't have been there in the first place, then wait for you to send it back. Screw that, I would rather pay my deductible and get a refurb.
Contradicting..
But everyone has their own opionon. Oh and just an FYI, from experience HTC can tell if its been rooted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, HTC is smart and like any other company, would like to avoid warranty claims. So I believe they do check every phone to make sure it's not rooted.
I see you point, but I just don't quite agreed with it... but hey, that's my opinion vs. yours and no one's gonna win this battle ;-p).0 But quite frankly, I don't think I'd enjoy my N1 half as much if it was not rooted... I like the stuff Cyanogen ,Enomther, Paul & the other amazing devs have done... I like to fiddle around with the phone... try out new stuff... experiment... the same thing I would do with any linux box... even did it on the Motorola Linux phone I previously had...
So it all boils down to opinion... if you like to fiddle around, root it... if you like the mods, root it... else stick with stock...

craigacgomez said:
Yes, HTC is smart and like any other company, would like to avoid warranty claims. So I believe they do check every phone to make sure it's not rooted.
I see you point, but I just don't quite agreed with it... but hey, that's my opinion vs. yours and no one's gonna win this battle ;-p).0 But quite frankly, I don't think I'd enjoy my N1 half as much if it was not rooted... I like the stuff Cyanogen ,Enomther, Paul & the other amazing devs have done... I like to fiddle around with the phone... try out new stuff... experiment... the same thing I would do with any linux box... even did it on the Motorola Linux phone I previously had...
So it all boils down to opinion... if you like to fiddle around, root it... if you like the mods, root it... else stick with stock...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love to expiriment and root just not this early.

Related

N00b question

I have my HTC Vogue Touch flashed to android... Just foud out I have a free upgrade from Sprint and thinking about the HTC Hero..
doing some research before I get it as I love customizing this stuff and there looks to be plenty of ROMs here...
my first question being: aside from apps2sd what is the main reason for booting these ROMs? It even looks like the camera doesn't work in many of them. (which surprised me considering the phone is droid - stock)..
second question: I can see the rooting guides but not how to flash the HERo to any of these ROMs.. or am I missing something here?
Thanks..
Sputnikk23 said:
I have my HTC Vogue Touch flashed to android... Just foud out I have a free upgrade from Sprint and thinking about the HTC Hero..
doing some research before I get it as I love customizing this stuff and there looks to be plenty of ROMs here...
my first question being: aside from apps2sd what is the main reason for booting these ROMs? It even looks like the camera doesn't work in many of them. (which surprised me considering the phone is droid - stock)..
second question: I can see the rooting guides but not how to flash the HERo to any of these ROMs.. or am I missing something here?
Thanks..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
get the evo or wait for the galaxy s pro
The Hero is still a worthy phone.
thanks for the advice..
an explanation as to why would be nice
and an answer to my other inquiries as well if possible..
i do love my hero but if i had an upgrade right now i wouldnt go to a "last gen" phone
evo is a step up from the hero in every spec and is 4G!!!!!
the samsung galaxy will be very comparable to the evo but seems a little faster on the processing side
most of these roms are 2.1 which is complete exept for a couple bugs here and there. The roms that are dev'ing are the 2.2 roms which needs to be made from the ground up.
Sputnikk23 said:
I have my HTC Vogue Touch flashed to android... Just foud out I have a free upgrade from Sprint and thinking about the HTC Hero..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sweet good for you!
doing some research before I get it as I love customizing this stuff and there looks to be plenty of ROMs here...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
we do have a ton of roms...
my first question being: aside from apps2sd what is the main reason for booting these ROMs? It even looks like the camera doesn't work in many of them. (which surprised me considering the phone is droid - stock)..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the custom roms are faster/better than the sprint rom.
the camera works in all the roms as far as i know? there was a time when the camera didn't work because HTC were being Dbags and withholding the kernel source, but toast solved that problem. the only rom atm without camera AFAIK is the froyo dev build.
second question: I can see the rooting guides but not how to flash the HERo to any of these ROMs.. or am I missing something here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
once you root if you use the guides then they will show you how to flash a updated/custom recovery. then flashing roms is easy. boot into recovery and choose
Code:
flash update.zip
BOOM isn't that easy.
Thanks..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
welcome.
Sputnikk23 said:
I have my HTC Vogue Touch flashed to android... Just foud out I have a free upgrade from Sprint and thinking about the HTC Hero..
doing some research before I get it as I love customizing this stuff and there looks to be plenty of ROMs here...
my first question being: aside from apps2sd what is the main reason for booting these ROMs? It even looks like the camera doesn't work in many of them. (which surprised me considering the phone is droid - stock)..
second question: I can see the rooting guides but not how to flash the HERo to any of these ROMs.. or am I missing something here?
Thanks..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
question 1. besides apps2sd the main reason for booting roms is looks and customization in my oppinion. you can change around the keyboard the lock screen the menu options even remove the terrible bloatware included on the phone. plus an upside is speed - remove the files eating all your battery life and take that battery life and put it to overclocking the cpu.
as for the camera i don't know what you are talking about. almost every rom i've installed has the camera working correctly. sometimes a file is removed to make the phone run faster and the camera doesn't work but most of the times the camera is fixed pretty fast.
question 2. rooting your phone gives you access to files on your phone otherwise not able to delete. i.e. bloatware. by rooting your phone you can remove these files or adjust them how you want. now the ROM is a customization of android x.x that you flash to your hero that otherpeople have customized themselves. like removing the bloatware for you or using a custom kernel to make your phone run faster. or just changing around the entire look of android.
The Hero is a fantastic phone and can do many things. i would say upgrade and don't look back. but if you want a snapdragon CPU get the Evo. which is also an awesome phone. (but quite a bit more expensive)
lv2bll said:
get the evo or wait for the galaxy s pro
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Click to collapse
totally ignore the last part. Samsung is terrible also am I crazy or doesn't need to be in a different section?
I see someone else posted about the camera..
Every single current rom we have, has a working camera. Aside from froyo 2.2, that hasnt been publicly released yet (it will soon though).
And rom currently up-to-date within the past month, should have everything working. You might run in to a few bugs, but most are user errors or can be simply fixed.
The hero is still a great phone with many months left in it. The Evo though is still the #1 choice, and i would get one if i could.
And person above me.. No you are not crazy. Should be in general section or Q & A
lv2bll said:
get the evo or wait for the galaxy s pro
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Click to collapse
vetvito said:
The Hero is still a worthy phone.
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Click to collapse
both of these statements are completely true.
the Hero is actually quite awesome, lots of potential in it still, and my guess is the 2.2 will run on it just swimmingly.
that being said... if you can get one cheap, do it! But frankly, if you have upgrade credit coming to you, use it on a newer gen phone... or I would anyway. sadly, there will be less ROMs/mods/community/whathaveyou for it, balanced by a sense of adventure exploring new territory with other ROMflash addicts and ROMcookers!
thatguythatdid said:
totally ignore the last part. Samsung is terrible also am I crazy or doesn't need to be in a different section?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ya know what? your right!
Hero's a great phone.
Unbeatable combination of style, size, power, and functionality.
EVO's only better if you have no aesthetic considerations to ahm... consider.
thedudejdog said:
sweet good for you!
once you root if you use the guides then they will show you how to flash a updated/custom recovery. then flashing roms is easy. boot into recovery and choose
Code:
flash update.zip
BOOM isn't that easy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
still a bit confused. probably will make more sense once I get the phone.
for instance i'm looking at this guide: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=583291
point me to another one if there is something better...
I assume I put the ROMs on the SD card (andboot folder maybe? thats what it was on my vogue) and going into recovery console to select the "flash update.zip" will wipe the phone and install the custom ROM?
also, where can I gain clarification on these new acronyms to me such as JIT?
I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually.. Afterall, I am a certified MS Server Admin and CCNA network admin.. hhaha
thanks for your help. great community here. hopefully i'll be sticking around.
Sputnikk23 said:
still a bit confused. probably will make more sense once I get the phone.
for instance i'm looking at this guide: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=583291
point me to another one if there is something better...
I assume I put the ROMs on the SD card (andboot folder maybe? thats what it was on my vogue) and going into recovery console to select the "flash update.zip" will wipe the phone and install the custom ROM?
also, where can I gain clarification on these new acronyms to me such as JIT?
I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually.. Afterall, I am a certified MS Server Admin and CCNA network admin.. hhaha
thanks for your help. great community here. hopefully i'll be sticking around.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that guide is old.
THIS ONE
will work for 2.1 which is what the hero has now.
you can google JIT. google google google. all the questions have been answered at some point or another, its better to read someone's post than make a new post about the same thing thousands of other people have already asked about.
Ok found it. At first all I got were links to roms with JIT on it.
So after rooting, I basically get back into the recovery console and select flash from zip sdcard? Heck of alot easier than the Vogue I tell you that...
Thanks for the link
Another edit: Do the custom roms have multiple home page screens you can scroll to? On my vogue 1.6 droid I have like 5 home screens I can put shortcuts on. I just watched a HTC hero video on sprint and on the customizing video it didn't look like that was there.
I'm not saying the Hero isn't a good phone.. I'm saying if you have an upgrade, get the Evo or you'll be upset later. The phone is so much faster... 4g.. double cameras..big screen...
Bad better life, and it's a brick. I wouldn't use an upgrade on an old gen phone.
I just become a Sprint Preferred or whatever.. by having a plan over $70 and paying on time for 6 months.. I get my free upgrade in February. I definitely won't even consider the Evo.. I'll be looking at the next big thing.
Sputnikk23 said:
Ok found it. At first all I got were links to roms with JIT on it.
So after rooting, I basically get back into the recovery console and select flash from zip sdcard? Heck of alot easier than the Vogue I tell you that...
Thanks for the link
Another edit: Do the custom roms have multiple home page screens you can scroll to? On my vogue 1.6 droid I have like 5 home screens I can put shortcuts on. I just watched a HTC hero video on sprint and on the customizing video it didn't look like that was there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there are 7 screens you can put apps and widgets on. 1 home then 3 to the left and right.
Remember the movie Mad Max? Or was it the Road Warrior? It doesn't matter. The quote is still valid.
Speed is a question of money. How fast can you afford to go?
If you can afford it, get the Evo. If you want a cheaper, yet still awe phone, get the Hero. Then use your savings for a bigger SDHC card and Bluetooth headphones and other coolness.
I agree that the phone has a lot left in it, but a lot of devs from several phones have jumped shipped to the Evo. I'm sticking with my Hero for another year atleast, unless a real good deal comes up.
If you want to save money I would get ther Hero as it it a lot cheaper than the Evo and you will also save the $10 extra a month. That and the Evo is too damn big. To me it was uncomfortable to hold and use with one hand.
Not only can you flash /install new roms, but with a little research you can mod the rom your self and theme it how you want. Also wireless tether is awesome and the Overclocking and Undervolting is making the phone better and faster.
Ok so I spent a few days trolling.
Looks like I'm going to have to flash the old RUU since I did the 2.1 update, then follow guide, then the custom ROM.
Question though, I'm stuck on picking one: Some are very nicely featured but I don't like the default look on any of them or the themes available in a 2nd/3rd post of the ROMs thread; generically speaking, is any themes compatible with any ROM? For instance, the Cyanogen mods you can Google to dark corners of the internet...

How reliable is this phone?

I found one on Craig's List and my girlfriend desperately needs a new phone. I plan on sticking to stock OS and not rooting or customizing it because it's for her and I don't want to risk bricking her.
I just want to know, how reliable is this phone?
Personally, this is my last Samsung phone. So... I wouldn't recommend it.
Essenar said:
I found one on Craig's List and my girlfriend desperately needs a new phone. I plan on sticking to stock OS and not rooting or customizing it because it's for her and I don't want to risk bricking her.
I just want to know, how reliable is this phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got a Captivate for my gf and she loves it, but the stock OS pissed her off due to lagging and bloatware.
We installed Cognition 2.3b8 which was very easy and now she really loves it as her daily driver. All you do is put an update.zip for Clockwork on the root of SD. Reboot into oem recovery, reinstall packages twice to get to Clockwork, then wipe data and flash Cognition. Couldn't be easier.
Honestly, if you can find a Nexus One for AT&T (if you have AT&T the T-mobile version will be Edge only!! You need an AT&T Nexus One) I think that's your best bet, but with a little bit of modding and care the Captivate is a great phone. My gf LOVES the giant screen and beautiful display.
That said, the more I learn about it the more pissed off I am with Samsung. Different revisions, ODIN, Kies, Download Mode, etc. Rooting this thing is way more complicated than it needs to be. I'm running a MT4G and SOOOO glad I didn't buy the Vibrant. Shudder...
The only problem I've ever had with my cappy is the GPS, which, after reading the GPS fixes thread has been absolutely perfect.
To me this is the perfect phone. Fast, reliable, pretty. I don't even want anything faster anymore. If phones peaked in speed right now and started focusing strictly on battery life (I get about 1.5-2 days right now, I'd like to get 3-5), I'd be perfectly happy with that.
Craig's List? Buyer beware!
Here is where I am at:
This phone is probably not the best choice if you are planning on giving it to your wife without a custom ROM. If you plan on giving it to you wife with a ROM it is a good choice regardless of what ROM you choose however it is better if you use one that is as close to stock as possible: cognition, perception, or Andromeda (1.00).
cappysw10 said:
Craig's List? Buyer beware!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got several great phones off CL. Do your due diligence as a buyer and you'll be just fine.
If you can get it for a decent price, then go for it.
Here's a simple pro & con list:
Pros
-Super AMOLED screen makes pictures and videos gorgeous
-1 GHz Processor that can be overclocked to 1.28GHz (stable) and undervolted to improve battery performance
-The xda devs are constantly providing the Captivate support that Samsung has failed to give us.
-Did i mention the Super AMOLED screen? Yes, yes I did.
-Swype makes texting a lot more fun to type on the phone once you get past the 1-minute learning curve
Cons
-Developed by Samsung and so the customer support for the phone is terrible
(see: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=913045)
-The stock AT&T Rom is filled with bloatware that takes up space and attempts to get you to spend more money on AT&T services.
-AT&T has disabled the ability to sideload apps (install apps from outside of the market) on the stock ROM, and so you won't be able to install third-party apps if/when you come across them.
-No official 2.2 froyo release from Samsung, despite promises from them as well as AT&T to have it released by the end of 2010 (this is when the store rep told me to expect the update when i bought my phone. derp).
-Some GPS Issues
Conclusion based on my personal opinion.
Overall, I love this phone and I'm glad I chose it over the iPhone 4 due to the ridiculous customization available. However, if not for the xda devs creating amazing custom ROMs, I would have probably returned it for the original Jesus phone.
My advice? Get the phone, pick out a launcher from the market (LauncherPro, ADW Launcher, or for the minimalist: Zeam) and grab handcent while you're at it. Then give her the phone and she should be happy with it.
More advice? Sure. Root the phone, flash Cog 3.02 onto it with the firebird 2/Glitterball kernel and JK4 modem.
Sorry if this post seems a bit jumbled and scattered. I'm currently doing about 4 different things at once and posting from my Computer Class at the local community college haha
Dont' buy it. GPS problems, shutdown issues, and, based on the general lack of reliability so far, probably more issues to come as the phone ages. If it weren't for the beautiful display and the custom ROMs here on xda I'd have little good to say about my phone. Since you don't plan on modifications the screen is really all you'd get. Does that screen outweigh the hardware problems I've noted?
Phateless said:
Rooting this thing is way more complicated than it needs to be.
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Click to collapse
SuperOneClick -- The program is called "SuperOneClick". That is literally all it takes to gain root on a SGS phone. So, personally, I think rooting is not nearly as complicated as it could be!
yourname146 said:
SuperOneClick -- The program is called "SuperOneClick". That is literally all it takes to gain root on a SGS phone. So, personally, I think rooting is not nearly as complicated as it could be!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let me rephrase that. Custom ROMs are more complicated than they need to be. I've used SOC on my MT3G, works well. It's ODIN, Kies and manually flashing modems and kernels that annoys me. I've flashed radios and roms on my mt3g and I'm comfortable with fastboot and adb so I'm not a total noob. HTC just seems simpler to me, but maybe that's because I'm used to it.
The only beef I have had with this phone is the GPS issue. otherwise it's a great phone. Beautiful screen, sleek design and fast with a good ROM such as Cognition.
I've decided I'm either going to get her a Nokia N900 or an iPhone (some variation). I can't put a phone in her hands with such a gamble on the GPS (There's no guarantee the fix works and no way to identify which Captivates will work and won't work). Especially since this phone is purchased used and won't have a warranty on it.
I wish her sister would make up her mind about AT&T. If she decided to stay with AT&T I could just buy her something new. If she decided to leave AT&T, I could buy her a new Android device with another carrier.
Essenar said:
I've decided I'm either going to get her a Nokia N900 or an iPhone (some variation). I can't put a phone in her hands with such a gamble on the GPS (There's no guarantee the fix works and no way to identify which Captivates will work and won't work). Especially since this phone is purchased used and won't have a warranty on it.
I wish her sister would make up her mind about AT&T. If she decided to stay with AT&T I could just buy her something new. If she decided to leave AT&T, I could buy her a new Android device with another carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can tell you from experience, **** AT&T! T-mobile has buy one get one free for MT4G right now, I have no clue why on earth you would want to stay with AT&T.
Seriously, I have been with T-mobile for 5 years and I'm in love with their service. Every time I call I get an AMERICAN rep on the phone in 5 mins tops.
pizz0wn3d said:
If you can get it for a decent price, then go for it.
Here's a simple pro & con list:
Pros
-Super AMOLED screen makes pictures and videos gorgeous
-1 GHz Processor that can be overclocked to 1.28GHz (stable) and undervolted to improve battery performance
-The xda devs are constantly providing the Captivate support that Samsung has failed to give us.
-Did i mention the Super AMOLED screen? Yes, yes I did.
-Swype makes texting a lot more fun to type on the phone once you get past the 1-minute learning curve
Cons
-Developed by Samsung and so the customer support for the phone is terrible
(see: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=913045)
-The stock AT&T Rom is filled with bloatware that takes up space and attempts to get you to spend more money on AT&T services.
-AT&T has disabled the ability to sideload apps (install apps from outside of the market) on the stock ROM, and so you won't be able to install third-party apps if/when you come across them.
-No official 2.2 froyo release from Samsung, despite promises from them as well as AT&T to have it released by the end of 2010 (this is when the store rep told me to expect the update when i bought my phone. derp).
-Some GPS Issues
Conclusion based on my personal opinion.
Overall, I love this phone and I'm glad I chose it over the iPhone 4 due to the ridiculous customization available. However, if not for the xda devs creating amazing custom ROMs, I would have probably returned it for the original Jesus phone.
My advice? Get the phone, pick out a launcher from the market (LauncherPro, ADW Launcher, or for the minimalist: Zeam) and grab handcent while you're at it. Then give her the phone and she should be happy with it.
More advice? Sure. Root the phone, flash Cog 3.02 onto it with the firebird 2/Glitterball kernel and JK4 modem.
Sorry if this post seems a bit jumbled and scattered. I'm currently doing about 4 different things at once and posting from my Computer Class at the local community college haha
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a very fair and accurate assessment.
Absolutely get this phone if you're comfortable rooting the phone and installing custom ROMs, launchers, etc. The phone will run markedly better than stock and will be a dream to use.
If you're not technically inclined, and need rely on $am$ung and AT$T for your firmware updates, get a different android phone. Updates are either never coming or will be over half a year behind and quite possibly bugged and broken even if you do get them.
kingtz said:
This is a very fair and accurate assessment.
Absolutely get this phone if you're comfortable rooting the phone and installing custom ROMs, launchers, etc. The phone will run markedly better than stock and will be a dream to use.
If you're not technically inclined, and need rely on $am$ung and AT$T for your firmware updates, get a different android phone. Updates are either never coming or will be over half a year behind and quite possibly bugged and broken even if you do get them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks
I feel like I should mention that I'm now using Exists Suckerpunch kernel and it's... Well... Amazing. OC/UV support with speedmod's battery battery tweaks is pretty much the best thing ever. And exists (pretty cool guy, eh made my favorite kernel ever and doesn't afraid of anything) updates so often I barely have time to find and complain about any bugs that happen to slip past.
This phone is quite captivating indeed.
Herp derp Captivate XDA App
Phateless said:
I've got several great phones off CL. Do your due diligence as a buyer and you'll be just fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too. That said out of the box the Captivate is a very frustrating phone to use. The GPS is spotty and You won't have full access to it's super fast Gee Bees unless you install a custom ROM.
I ended up getting her an iPhone. I know guys, I know.
To be honest, I didn't feel comfortable giving her a phone with spotty GPS as this will be her primary GPS unit.
Reading the custom rod and GPS thread gave me no assurance that doing the fix and rooting with a custom rom would fix the issue.
I have enough problems dealing with my MyTouch 4g that you may see me on a Bionic or iPhone with Verizon anyway.
But thanks for the advice. I may root and mod her sisters Captivate to score points because I heard she has had for warranty replacements lol.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
gunnyman said:
Me too. That said out of the box the Captivate is a very frustrating phone to use. The GPS is spotty and You won't have full access to it's super fast Gee Bees unless you install a custom ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agree.
Essenar said:
I ended up getting her an iPhone. I know guys, I know.
To be honest, I didn't feel comfortable giving her a phone with spotty GPS as this will be her primary GPS unit.
Reading the custom rod and GPS thread gave me no assurance that doing the fix and rooting with a custom rom would fix the issue.
I have enough problems dealing with my MyTouch 4g that you may see me on a Bionic or iPhone with Verizon anyway.
But thanks for the advice. I may root and mod her sisters Captivate to score points because I heard she has had for warranty replacements lol.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been keeping my eyes open for an iPhone4 for my gf as well for the same reasons you mentioned. There's also an AT&T iteration of the Evo coming soon. That might be a good device for her.
Phateless said:
I got a Captivate for my gf and she loves it, but the stock OS pissed her off due to lagging and bloatware.
We installed Cognition 2.3b8 which was very easy and now she really loves it as her daily driver. All you do is put an update.zip for Clockwork on the root of SD. Reboot into oem recovery, reinstall packages twice to get to Clockwork, then wipe data and flash Cognition. Couldn't be easier.
Honestly, if you can find a Nexus One for AT&T (if you have AT&T the T-mobile version will be Edge only!! You need an AT&T Nexus One) I think that's your best bet, but with a little bit of modding and care the Captivate is a great phone. My gf LOVES the giant screen and beautiful display.
That said, the more I learn about it the more pissed off I am with Samsung. Different revisions, ODIN, Kies, Download Mode, etc. Rooting this thing is way more complicated than it needs to be. I'm running a MT4G and SOOOO glad I didn't buy the Vibrant. Shudder...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really??? Rooting this is as easy as switching off your phone and rebooting. With all the easy stuff available right here in this forum and tons on the net... it is a breeze to root and flash a custom ROM.

[Q] Getting an IS tomorrow or on monday...

But, where should I start?
Is it really necessery to flash a custom ROM, or is this phone snappy enough with Sense (but I'll probably use GoLauncher or LauncherPro, I only use 1 homescreen...)?
Which tweaks are really necessery to make the phone's battery survive for more than 24 hours, when texting pretty much?
Perhaps the phone's battery survives even though I text a lot (between 100-500 texts/day, depending on how bored I am)?
How's the vibrator in this phone, can I have it in silent mode and have it in my pocket and actually notice when I get a text?
My current phone's vibrator is pretty crappy.
I've been browsing this forum for some time now but haven't found anything that answers my questions... I come from an Acer Liquid A1, without CM7 or MIUI that phone is probably one of the worst phones ever done. But, I sure hope this community is just as active as the one the Liquid had, and still have
(lol, "is this a question?" eh, it's many questions... )
oh, and one more thing; is this device brickable? or can you always reset it to default, like with the liquid? if something f...s up you can always boot into bootloader and reflash a *.bin
Help a newbie to get started, and flashing things and stuff is nothing new. Only the way to root it is new for me... :/
Regards,
Me
(hopefully I haven't missed a thread that answers all my questions, but of what I've found I haven't found anything that actually helps me. if I've missed it, just link to it and remove this thread )
Splux said:
But, where should I start?
Is it really necessery to flash a custom ROM, or is this phone snappy enough with Sense (but I'll probably use GoLauncher or LauncherPro, I only use 1 homescreen...)?
Which tweaks are really necessery to make the phone's battery survive for more than 24 hours, when texting pretty much?
Perhaps the phone's battery survives even though I text a lot (between 100-500 texts/day, depending on how bored I am)?
How's the vibrator in this phone, can I have it in silent mode and have it in my pocket and actually notice when I get a text?
My current phone's vibrator is pretty crappy.
I've been browsing this forum for some time now but haven't found anything that answers my questions... I come from an Acer Liquid A1, without CM7 or MIUI that phone is probably one of the worst phones ever done. But, I sure hope this community is just as active as the one the Liquid had, and still have
(lol, "is this a question?" eh, it's many questions... )
oh, and one more thing; is this device brickable? or can you always reset it to default, like with the liquid? if something f...s up you can always boot into bootloader and reflash a *.bin
Help a newbie to get started, and flashing things and stuff is nothing new. Only the way to root it is new for me... :/
Regards,
Me
(hopefully I haven't missed a thread that answers all my questions, but of what I've found I haven't found anything that actually helps me. if I've missed it, just link to it and remove this thread )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think you need a custom ROM. See if the battery is good enough for your needs. Remember to drain the battery completely multiple times to "train" it.
On another note, why get such an expensive phone, just for texting? It's going to drain a lot of battery while you are looking at the screen. Might as well go for a feature phone imo.
You should easily get 24 + hours if all you do is text mainly. Just remember to turn data off. It will help make your battery last longer.
Sent from my HTC Incredible S using XDA Premium App
sdxda said:
I don't think you need a custom ROM. See if the battery is good enough for your needs. Remember to drain the battery completely multiple times to "train" it.
On another note, why get such an expensive phone, just for texting? It's going to drain a lot of battery while you are looking at the screen. Might as well go for a feature phone imo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, my current phone dies pretty quickly when texting a lot. Today it went from 60% down to 5%, and I woke for 11hours ago and have been texting ppl since then.
And I'm buying a new phone since my 4 touch-buttons on this one is getting really weird, they only work sometimes and yesterday they all died so I was stuck in a conversation and had to reboot to get out of it.
And sending texts and stuff is what I mainly do, of course I browse the Internet, play games and everything. During school and such I only text people, and a lot. So I pretty much needs the phone to make more than 24hours without charging it, even though I text a lot and listen to music.
@NardVa;
Won't be a problem. Already thought of that
Thanks for the replies
sdxda said:
I don't think you need a custom ROM. See if the battery is good enough for your needs. Remember to drain the battery completely multiple times to "train" it.
On another note, why get such an expensive phone, just for texting? It's going to drain a lot of battery while you are looking at the screen. Might as well go for a feature phone imo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was going to suggest flashing, the stock rom is garbage for battery life. Android Revolution HD seems to be one of the more popular choices, but of course Cyanogen Mod is there if you decide the Sense UI isn't your thing
swatsor said:
I was going to suggest flashing, the stock rom is garbage for battery life. Android Revolution HD seems to be one of the more popular choices, but of course Cyanogen Mod is there if you decide the Sense UI isn't your thing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've made up my mind now, I'll use the official GB ROM for a couple of days/weeks/months (basically untill I'm tired of Sense 2.1) and then flash a Sense 3.0 ROM and hopefully I can understand which one of all those RUU's that's made for Europe too when I'm bored of Sense 2.1
You don't happen to know how it is with bricking this phone? Can you always reset it to stock, or can you actually brick it for real so it's 100% unusable?

Now I understand why people don't like android...

Hello all, I know this will sound like a rant against the phone but in reality I just want to know if others share my opinion or if I'm alone on this one thus making the "problem" me.
I recently bought an HTC sensation 4g and I have a problem called companies customizations!
My problem with sense is that it has tons of apps that I don't need: ereader, stock; or other that I need but are bloated: weather.
It's probably a seller to see big cloud on such a great screen, but on the long run I wished it opened up immediately with the hourly forecast and less fullscreen animation to drain battery.
I heard a lot of my friends that didn't like android (mostly hated samsung or htc) and I never understood why. My nexus one with stock android wasn't the prettiest phone to look at (compared to iphone) but with some customization it was quick, usable and provided more functions than pretty graphics. But now I know! With loads of extra useless apps and their contents or awkward design choices (like the not very friendly coverflow looking thing to choose backgrounds and such). Yesterday I heard from my friend that his girlfriend galaxy s came with avatar and they had a long struggle trying to remove it from the phone sd card because they didn't care about it. When I checked the phone the avatar icon was still there since they're not very tech-savvy.
Don't get me wrong I don't hate my phone, the hardware is great, the screen is better than I expected, I love android, but that extra stuff that I really don't need should have an easy way to come off, it should not be installed in a way that I can't remove it without rooting. No wonder why people hate android... it's because they mistake android for the extra load it comes with it that slows down the phone, uses their monthly data and drains their battery. Apple doesn't do that and there's a reason "normal" people tend to pick up an iphone so quickly.
I wish there was an official way to ask companies to make all this stuff optional! Please don't think that I have it with HTC or sense, I'm referencing sense because that's what I experienced this problem with. Let me know what you think maybe if others have this issue with companies, we could organize a petition or something?
That's not android its more of a service provider and hardware supplier way of getting a cut from development companies .my Samsung had a heap of unwanted bloatware and service provider crappy useless battery consuming memory hogging apps the best thing i ever did was root this phone no more random reboots battery improved by 50% and everything on the phone is what i want on it not something that the companies think or want you to have on it .So with all that said if you have patients and can do some searching on the xda forums you will find a solution to what you want to achieve on your device .Believe me if you like it now you will love it when you get it the way you want it.
Hope that help .
I moved from iphone 4 to the SGS2.
One thing i know whatever i do to this phone it can be fully restored back to stock and the warranty will still be there providing i don't brick the phone
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Mustoura said:
That's not android its more of a service provider and hardware supplier way of getting a cut from development companies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He said that himself
DBBGBA said:
I love android, but that extra stuff that I really don't need should have an easy way to come off, it should not be installed in a way that I can't remove it without rooting. No wonder why people hate android... it's because they mistake android for the extra load it comes with it that slows down the phone, uses their monthly data and drains their battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I could not agree more with the OP. I used Nexus 1 builds on my HD2 for about 8 months and loved it. I've now got a Samsung Galaxy S2 (I just wanted a newer, faster phone, but with the same size screen), and despite being a great phone I found myself longing for that AOSP experience. I tried a couple of AOSP ROMs in the SGS2 forum and breathed a sigh of relief at how much difference they made, but they unfortunatly aren't currently stable enough to use day-in-day-out. So I've recently gone down a different route - MIUI. I've literally only done it today, and so far I'm loving it.
Anyway, I digress. There should be some manufacturers out there that recognise this gap in the market and sell basic Android phones, with no other crap on them. I know Google do that (obviously), but I wish more did the same. People shouldn't have to know how to flash a ROM or root and freeze apps, just to get the best possible basic Android experience available.
Rant over
Point taken and yes i agree.
I missed that bit as I'm half asleep
Wow i just had a read over again i apologies that i missed that whole section lol sorry for telling you how to suck eggs
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Mustoura said:
Point taken and yes i agree.
I missed that bit as I'm half asleep
Wow i just had a read over again i apologies that i missed that whole section lol sorry for telling you how to suck eggs
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Heh. I have a sneaking suspicion that you're not the 1st person to comment on a post after not reading it correctly. I reckon in the history of the internet it's happened at least 3 times
Id like to see a major manufacturer do a little experiment on there next big handset.
Supply two different versions, one with there overlay and one aosp fresh from the oven, see which one sells.
I know they are only trying to add functionality to the device but they could at least write there apps properly so they dont cause wakelocks and hog resources, hell there's a whole forum full of very competent developers im sure would be happy to help
@johncmolyneux
off topic but have you tried the latest Cm7 for the SGS2? the latest nightly is pretty complete, the devs have done a stand up job. Keep it aosp baby
mynamesteve said:
@johncmolyneux
off topic but have you tried the latest Cm7 for the SGS2? the latest nightly is pretty complete, the devs have done a stand up job. Keep it aosp baby
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've not, but I've shied away from non-standard ROMs normally. After the very favourable MIUI experience I may well give CM7 a play. I did have a sort of CM ROM on my HD2 for a while, but it looked and played pretty much like AOSP, but was blue instead of green.
Thanks for the advice
johncmolyneux said:
I've not, but I've shied away from non-standard ROMs normally. After the very favourable MIUI experience I may well give CM7 a play. I did have a sort of CM ROM on my HD2 for a while, but it looked and played pretty much like AOSP, but was blue instead of green.
Thanks for the advice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was the same meself tried a few out and stuck with Villain, been testing CM out occasionally to see how development is going and very impressed! if i'm not mistaken Miui is based on CM so if thats working for you its party time
the main thread with the download link is in the Q&A thread in Q&A, just so you know
Was rocking Hyperdroid Cm7 on my HD2 too so i know the feeling
I think I just officially hijacked this thread! sorry OP
That's why I have a g2x, pretty much vanilla android. But then again, just take all that crap off yourself or flash a custom rom.
Sent from my LG-P999 using xda premium
What would really be the difference in the phones if they were all AOSP? Sure they've got different hardware specs, but if all had the same hardware, it'd be nearly impossible to know the difference.
Overstew said:
What would really be the difference in the phones if they were all AOSP? Sure they've got different hardware specs, but if all had the same hardware, it'd be nearly impossible to know the difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, that is a very valid point. People would end up buying phones purely on colour and shape, if the hardware was close enough and they were all AOSP. I do like mynamesteve's suggestion of manufacturing 2 devices - 1 with their own software and 1 with basic Android, but I can't see anyone really doing that unfortunately. I guess there isn't really a practical solution to this. Not that I can think of, anyway.
Incidentally, I like your avatar. Homage to The King. He may be dead, but his burgers most certainly are not!
Overstew said:
What would really be the difference in the phones if they were all AOSP? Sure they've got different hardware specs, but if all had the same hardware, it'd be nearly impossible to know the difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure you get it Sir!
aosp = stock android = no bloatware
Standard and fast for you to add what YOU want, not have crappy coded apps forced on you that are difficult to remove.
Simples
I agree...
But I think this Operating System Fragmentation is a USA problem. Sure it happens elsewhere. The problem is the carriers use the bloatware and other specialty apps as a revenue stream. So far, Apple is changing that game and Google is doing what it can but with so many handsets and the open nature of Android it's really hard to control. I won't say anything about the closed ecosystem Apple has built vs the Android Market since both have redeeming qualities as well as flaws.
I have 3 phones on my account, all android. All were rooted on first day out of the box and had all that bloatware removed, including Inception which took up too much space on the memory card.
I wish the USA would take the approach found almost everywhere else. You pick your phone, then you pick your carrier. There's lots of great stuff going on elsewhere in the world like NFC, handsets that aren't gimped by the carrier... etc.
Just IMHO.
Cheers
johncmolyneux said:
Actually, that is a very valid point. People would end up buying phones purely on colour and shape, if the hardware was close enough and they were all AOSP. I do like mynamesteve's suggestion of manufacturing 2 devices - 1 with their own software and 1 with basic Android, but I can't see anyone really doing that unfortunately. I guess there isn't really a practical solution to this. Not that I can think of, anyway.
Incidentally, I like your avatar. Homage to The King. He may be dead, but his burgers most certainly are not!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But really deep down arn't they all just android?
I will admit the overlays draw customers, I was drawn in by sense bk in the winMO days (RIP) but other than some fancy widgets its really not much better than stock.
I understand they get paid for most of the note/ereader/Doc Dre beats headphone rubbish that gets shipped so things will most likely not change
but thank you for treasures like this website.
I know tings i.e. rooting can be daunting for the beginner but if ya follow the guides and read, ya never know you might even learn something (John this wasn't directed at you at all just peeps in general i know your a kick ass developer, i read it bk n thought wtf lol)
TLDR:read it
mynamesteve said:
But really deep down arn't they all just android?
I will admit the overlays draw customers, I was drawn in by sense bk in the winMO days (RIP) but other than some fancy widgets its really not much better than stock.
I understand they get paid for most of the note/ereader/Doc Dre beats headphone rubbish that gets shipped so things will most likely not change
but thank you for treasures like this website.
I know tings i.e. rooting can be daunting for the beginner but if ya follow the guides and read, ya never know you might even learn something (John this wasn't directed at you at all just peeps in general i know your a kick ass developer, i read it bk n thought wtf lol)
TLDR:read it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To a certain degree, yes, but the SGS2 doesn't even have the stock Android launcher available, never mind the cluster of Samsung apps that everyone seems to be freezing straight out of the box. Samsung have pretty much made it their own device, which is obviously fine, and it's still a very stock-looking experience, but just freezing apps doesn't make it AOSP unfortunately.
I think (italics because I'm not sure) that a lot of people would learn more about their device if it was a bog-standard stock Android experience from day 1. They'd try different apps and launchers etc.. I've got a friend with a Desire HD and he's never even opened the Market app. He's 0% techie, so fair enough he's not gonna undervolt and overclock the thing, but he didn't even realise he had a satnav device! I don't want to turn this into a xxx manufacturer against yyy manufacturer, but certain other devices on the market are popular because of what they can do. I think Android is being sold short by not making it obvious how far it can go. That, I believe, is partly down to having a device loaded with apps that obscure the possibilities.
Rant over
BTW, thanks for the compliment, but I'm simply a developer. This place has far more kick ass developers than me!
I have to say, if it wasn't for HTC I wouldn't have an android phone.
Tried a Nexus ROM on my HD2, really hated it. Tried the SGS2, really couldn't get on with it (nice screen though).
I can understand and respect that many people do like aosp, and I'm glad that we have the options available to us.
My stock sensation is fast and sense 3 is lovely and polished.
I really wish carriers (apparently mostly in the US) didn't take a fast phone and turn it into something reportedly sluggish though.
johncmolyneux said:
To a certain degree, yes, but the SGS2 doesn't even have the stock Android launcher available, never mind the cluster of Samsung apps that everyone seems to be freezing straight out of the box. Samsung have pretty much made it their own device, which is obviously fine, and it's still a very stock-looking experience, but just freezing apps doesn't make it AOSP unfortunately.
I think (italics because I'm not sure) that a lot of people would learn more about their device if it was a bog-standard stock Android experience from day 1. They'd try different apps and launchers etc.. I've got a friend with a Desire HD and he's never even opened the Market app. He's 0% techie, so fair enough he's not gonna undervolt and overclock the thing, but he didn't even realise he had a satnav device! I don't want to turn this into a xxx manufacturer against yyy manufacturer, but certain other devices on the market are popular because of what they can do. I think Android is being sold short by not making it obvious how far it can go. That, I believe, is partly down to having a device loaded with apps that obscure the possibilities.
Rant over
BTW, thanks for the compliment, but I'm simply a developer. This place has far more kick ass developers than me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sadly no it doesnt make it aosp and as the user above pointed out theres a lot of fragmentation in android, manufactures are messing with the core of the system and not just building an overlay/launcher.
Sometimes this works sometimes this doesn't i do feel alot of the resources could be used to better the stock system, better all round compatibility, better drivers and make android better for all there users. but thats like asking for world peace, and im no CEO of a major corp so what do i know
But i know how it works in the real world, i gave my sister my HD2 and she doesnt care what Rom is on there as long as it looks nice and everything is there out the box. (cant believe i gave her the most versitile handset on the planet with that attitude but thats beside the point )
The OS ease is very important to people and i understand that for a non-tecky, i think that is also part of the reason why we cant have stock out the box, the 'mobile market' needs the icon on his device to begin with so the manufacturers try to supply that, but do it very badly.
Phew! sorry about that.
I also much prefer AOSP.
I loved sense on winmo but I absolutely detest the android equivalent.
Touchwiz is just plain vile and as jcm mentioned the SGS2 is lacking that really stable aosp experience....
Luckily though if your unhappy with your phone and need to make changes then your in the right place
No I haven't missed the op's point about wanting more customisation out of the box but I just wanted to make the point that every single resource you need to achieve whatever you want to do with your phone (within reason) is right here under your nose.
I now have a rom for my phone that is (nearly) exactly how I want it, no Touchwiz, less bloat, all the cool little tweaks that our talented devs have given us and all it took was one day of reading and a lot of trial and error...... it was fun too.
Sure I cheated and used a kitchen but hey, gotta start somewhere right.
Anyway I digress, my point is that we can all wish for HTC/samsung etc to start catering for our every need until we are blue in the face but they won't.
Sometimes you just have to roll up you're sleeves and do things for yourself.
Sent From My Fingers To Your Face.......
conantroutman said:
I now have a rom for my phone that is (nearly) exactly how I want it, no Touchwiz, less bloat, all the cool little tweaks that our talented devs have given us and all it took was one day of reading and a lot of trial and error...... it was fun too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And are you planning on releasing this? You've had my dev work. It's only fair I have yours
johncmolyneux said:
And are you planning on releasing this? You've had my dev work. It's only fair I have yours
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually I very nearly did but you know how many zip file heroes there are in that section. Do we really need another?
That and I'm too lazy to update it for each new firmware that trickles out.
I think I will release one though, probably with a very tongue in cheek OP....
And yes, I and a lot of others had many, many hours of enjoyment from your work so thanks for that
Sent From My Fingers To Your Face.......

Whether to root my Nexus 6? been on the fence for a while

I never rooted / jailbroke any previous devices but can't make up my mind on whether to do it with my N6.
I primarily never fiddled with rooting / jailbreaking in the past because of all the warranty issues in addition to pretty much any device-related product / app usually saying "you're on your own" to customers with rooted or jailbroken devices.
Not a huge issue for me now, as my phone's warranty was voided when I had to send it in for "repairs" after it broke (ie got a replacement phone in exchange for my broken one from motorola).
I'm incredibly intrigued by the countless perks that come with rooting such as customization, permissions, turning off encryption, and so on. However, I love my phone the way it currently is, and as a result am a bit hesitant to set it all up again / risk messing something up since I would need to learn how to do it (ie read one of the many useful guides on these forums).
Besides having better control over every part of the phone, the other main appeal of rooting for me is being able to get rid of the AT&T bloatwear on the phone. I absolutely hate AT&T and would love to rid myself of their presence in my life, even if just by a small amount.
So the issue is:
currently very content with my non-rooted N6 vs. love customizing / controlling everything on my device and hate AT&T with a burning passion, but would have to spend ample time learning how to properly root the phone / set everything up.
If anyone has any opinions I'm all ears. Do you know of a reason I should definitely not root the device that I'm unaware of? Did rooting your phone make your experience with your device so much better that you wouldn't even consider going back to a non-rooted device?
Opinions / thoughts are welcomed as I am pretty much just thinking out loud with this thread anyways :laugh:
Hard part is getting drivers installed but there is an all in one tool kit that does it all for you. Stalk lollipop is missing lots of key features like kill all apps button, and free hot spot. Roms fix this also having all volume sliders is great.
phallb said:
I never rooted / jailbroke any previous devices but can't make up my mind on whether to do it with my N6.
I primarily never fiddled with rooting / jailbreaking in the past because of all the warranty issues in addition to pretty much any device-related product / app usually saying "you're on your own" to customers with rooted or jailbroken devices.
Not a huge issue for me now, as my phone's warranty was voided when I had to send it in for "repairs" after it broke (ie got a replacement phone in exchange for my broken one from motorola).
I'm incredibly intrigued by the countless perks that come with rooting such as customization, permissions, turning off encryption, and so on. However, I love my phone the way it currently is, and as a result am a bit hesitant to set it all up again / risk messing something up since I would need to learn how to do it (ie read one of the many useful guides on these forums).
Besides having better control over every part of the phone, the other main appeal of rooting for me is being able to get rid of the AT&T bloatwear on the phone. I absolutely hate AT&T and would love to rid myself of their presence in my life, even if just by a small amount.
So the issue is:
currently very content with my non-rooted N6 vs. love customizing / controlling everything on my device and hate AT&T with a burning passion, but would have to spend ample time learning how to properly root the phone / set everything up.
If anyone has any opinions I'm all ears. Do you know of a reason I should definitely not root the device that I'm unaware of? Did rooting your phone make your experience with your device so much better that you wouldn't even consider going back to a non-rooted device?
Opinions / thoughts are welcomed as I am pretty much just thinking out loud with this thread anyways :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reasons i rooted.
1. titanium backup
2. MCR Control (Reverse order of nav buttons. my thumb is too short for back button and i use one handed)
(double tap to wake)
(battery percent in notif bar)
3. Notification light (light flow enables it)
4. Cabinet beta or root browswer
I might be missing something... but those things benefit me on the daily.
this thread should go into the help/q&a section, not into general..
edit.. it got moved to the right place
Read every post on rooting and watch every video at least two times. Download all files to a folder on your desktop ask all the questions you need to ask then jump in. A phone with an unlocked boot loader is the best place to start rooting. If your phone boot loops cause you messed something up don't worry you can come back from that.
lngwca said:
Reasons i rooted.
1. titanium backup
2. MCR Control (Reverse order of nav buttons. my thumb is too short for back button and i use one handed)
(double tap to wake)
(battery percent in notif bar)
3. Notification light (light flow enables it)
4. Cabinet beta or root browswer
I might be missing something... but those things benefit me on the daily.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. I think I already bought that app months ago on accident haha maybe I can finally use it if I root.
2. left handed here, didn't even realize how much of an issue it would be if the button was on the other side, that would be a must if I was right handed lol. Also double tap to wake is something I would love to have.
3. I miss that ittle light, then I saw the LED light when I dropped my first N6 and the screen shattered..not how I wanted to be reunited with it lol. Wouldn't mind seeing it without having to shatter my screen :laugh:
all very helpful, thanks!
bulvine420 said:
Hard part is getting drivers installed but there is an all in one tool kit that does it all for you. Stalk lollipop is missing lots of key features like kill all apps button, and free hot spot. Roms fix this also having all volume sliders is great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
volume sliders is pretty high up there on the list of reasons I am so tempted to undertake the project of learning how to root. From what I've read so far it seems there are two methods for rooting that most people use, one of which is the all in one tool kit you mentioned? I'll have to check it out in more detail.
bulvine420 said:
Read every post on rooting and watch every video at least two times. Download all files to a folder on your desktop ask all the questions you need to ask then jump in. A phone with an unlocked boot loader is the best place to start rooting. If your phone boot loops cause you messed something up don't worry you can come back from that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that would be the plan if I end up rooting. When it comes to tech I get fairly OCD about knowing it all before I start fiddling with something. I've irreversibly broken enough programs / gadgets in my time to know that the slow and studious approach always wins
planning on going through the guides and videos on these forums with a fine-tooth comb once I've had more coffee lol.
phallb said:
I never rooted / jailbroke any previous devices but can't make up my mind on whether to do it with my N6.
I primarily never fiddled with rooting / jailbreaking in the past because of all the warranty issues in addition to pretty much any device-related product / app usually saying "you're on your own" to customers with rooted or jailbroken devices.
Not a huge issue for me now, as my phone's warranty was voided when I had to send it in for "repairs" after it broke (ie got a replacement phone in exchange for my broken one from motorola).
I'm incredibly intrigued by the countless perks that come with rooting such as customization, permissions, turning off encryption, and so on. However, I love my phone the way it currently is, and as a result am a bit hesitant to set it all up again / risk messing something up since I would need to learn how to do it (ie read one of the many useful guides on these forums).
Besides having better control over every part of the phone, the other main appeal of rooting for me is being able to get rid of the AT&T bloatwear on the phone. I absolutely hate AT&T and would love to rid myself of their presence in my life, even if just by a small amount.
So the issue is:
currently very content with my non-rooted N6 vs. love customizing / controlling everything on my device and hate AT&T with a burning passion, but would have to spend ample time learning how to properly root the phone / set everything up.
If anyone has any opinions I'm all ears. Do you know of a reason I should definitely not root the device that I'm unaware of? Did rooting your phone make your experience with your device so much better that you wouldn't even consider going back to a non-rooted device?
Opinions / thoughts are welcomed as I am pretty much just thinking out loud with this thread anyways :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have made your mind up already, if you on the fence, your ready to root!
Read http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6/general/how-to-nexus-6-one-beginners-guide-t2948481 and this http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6/general/guide-flash-factory-images-nexus-6shamu-t2954008
Download one of the adb/fastboot lite zips, I will look for one for you (try this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=42407269#post42407269), it just loads whet you need. Then make sure you can connect to your phone, read the 2 links and after some minor settings to your phone, plug it into your PC, go to the dir you dl'ed adb/fastboot to and do "fastboot devices" if you see your device your ready to go. It may not be as easy as that, but its a 1x setup and sometimes it is that easy. Don't use an "all-in-one" tool, you won't learn anything and when you need to know exactly what step to do and you can't use a tool, you will be stuck, its not that complex.
Unlock; you will have to set everything up again, sorry. But if your gonna un-encrypt, do it now. Then root and flash a custom recovery, TWRP. Once you have that setup, boot into the recovery and do a backup. Boom, you can always flash that and your back to where you were. Now try some roms, I'm partial to BlissPop, so many features its insane, I'm also partial to Lean kernel, but Franco is great, but try em out. Flash the Rom/Kernel, you don't like it, restore your backup and your ready to start again.
If your on this site, your hooked, just do it and you won't be sorry, well you may get hooked and become a crack rom'er.
Ehem, crack. Flasher.
I have owned a LOT of phones. I used to root all of them. I haven't bothered with the N6. Just no need for me with 5/L.
I have also found that many times rooting has had adverse affects on the device that outweigh any benefits. Just me though.
thepolishguy said:
I have owned a LOT of phones. I used to root all of them. I haven't bothered with the N6. Just no need for me with 5/L.
I have also found that many times rooting has had adverse affects on the device that outweigh any benefits. Just me though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel the same way. I owned a galaxy nexus. I was a notorious crack flasher and ultimately in the end the device stopped turning on. Being that lollipop is incredibly buggy, I'm going to stay away from flashing.
I've never rooted before myself until now on the n6 and I really can't go back to no root. For me it was mainly for adaway, greenify, and titanium backup. But now that I've used them I don't care much for greenify and titanium, but adaway alone is worth it. I also discovered the super awesome LMT pie plus removing the soft keys, that's one mod I can't live without now.
Seiga said:
Being that lollipop is incredibly buggy, I'm going to stay away from flashing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would think this would be one of the reasons TO flash.
Sent from my SinLess Shamu
jackpollard said:
You have made your mind up already, if you on the fence, your ready to root!
If your on this site, your hooked, just do it and you won't be sorry, well you may get hooked and become a crack rom'er.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I stumbled upon this site from another.. Once I started reading and seeing what could be done and more reading, I had to try it. I love the ease at which it was rooted; thank you Chainfire... The tricks it does are amazing. :good:
thanks everyone, as some have guessed I think I'm leaning towards rooting at this point. Just need to read up so I know what I'm doing and then find the time to sit down and do it.
All of your feedback and personal experiences / suggestions is really helpful since I'm so new to this topic (rooting and all it entails). Please feel free to keep the opinions, favorite apps / features / why you root or dont root, etc coming.
I've decided not to root at this time, maybe down the road though I'm sure I will. Being on Sprint, my previous phones were the Hero, Evo 4G and then the Note 2, I found myself rooted and running roms soon after buying the phones. My only problem(if it was a problem) I was bored of Sense and Touchwiz rather quickly and loaded up aosp roms within a month or two of owning the phones. Hence why I now have the Nexus 6.
It'll be nice for awhile to not worry about small bugs with my phone, changing kernels, setups.... not that anything runs without bugs but at least I won't worry about it as much.
But if you're interested in having complete control over the phone, I would root asap!!
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

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