Related
I know this question has been asked like a bajabber 2395293 millions times.
But my point is, is losing official OTA updates from Google worth the rooting?
EG: When Flash 10.xx arrives and the Nexus lands some major updates, what are the chances that rooted users get screwed over?
Considering that OTA updates get incorporated into custom ROMs anyway (and usually before they're officially out), it's not like you will be missing out on anything.
This is best asked in Q&A. It all comes down to personal preference. We can't tell you what you should do.
chowlala said:
I know this question has been asked like a bajabber 2395293 millions times.
But my point is, is losing official OTA updates from Google worth the rooting?
EG: When Flash 10.xx arrives and the Nexus lands some major updates, what are the chances that rooted users get screwed over?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maybe you should first post in the correct sub-forum?
and we dont lose any good things that come from those updates. Our beloved chefs will cook them right in along with their own nice extras.
All OTA updates will be in our custom ROMS.
All your OTAs are belong to us.
Heh. Oops. My bad. Sorry for posting in the wrong section. 2am and I've been boggling it over and over bout rooting vs official ota updates. And also about security issues. Not sure if rooting makes the N1 more vulnerable or not...
Mod: Please move this to appropriate section, thanks. =)
Best choice I ever made was rooting. It has made my phone 100 times for fun!
i don't see the point of rooting at this point
the only benefit i see is storing apps to SD
cupojoe said:
i don't see the point of rooting at this point
the only benefit i see is storing apps to SD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sure you've done all your research, considering this is your first post and you joined this month....
Rooting opens you up to Undervolting to save battery, Tethering, Apps unavailable to non-rooted devices, some really great themes, and more... To say that A2SD is the only benefit is rather insulting to our faithful Devs...
Heck... My main reason to root was to leave behind the look of the stock N1. It's a great device and all, but the UI certainly looks better w/ a lil' NexTheme 1.9 action.
Oh yeah... And Rooting lets you show off your phone via SS's. That's always quite enjoyable imo.
cupojoe said:
i don't see the point of rooting at this point
the only benefit i see is storing apps to SD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What exactly will you see as a "point".. honestly trackball colors, and Desire ROMs are enough to convince me to root. Along with unlocking the extra RAM.. and then other benefits that are included with root access. Such as themes, overclocking, and what not, there already seems to be enough reasons to become a superuser.
Just root it already, unless it's above you tech level; then don't. My nexus is a beast running Cyanogen's latest mod, you may be skeptical about claims that the phone can perform snappier, but it's all true and after experiencing the light I will and can never go back to a stock rom. Not to mention the added functionality, trackball colors and frequent new updates and modifications. You know what to do .
Do it....... Dooooooo ittttttttt!!!!!!!!!!
Eclair~ said:
What exactly will you see as a "point".. honestly trackball colors, and Desire ROMs are enough to convince me to root. Along with unlocking the extra RAM.. and then other benefits that are included with root access. Such as themes, overclocking, and what not, there already seems to be enough reasons to become a superuser.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good call! Forgot all about the Trackball... Can't use Desire due to fail Bluetooth in the car... But I'm happy enough on Stock Launcher w/ CM5041. Extra RAM as well..
People who don't root, seriously don't know what they're missing. And it'll only get better.
And heck... What's the negative? Oh no?!!? Warranty issues. I'll take the extra fun n games for that risk.
Hehe. I already rooted like 10 mins after asking this question. But everyone who rooted is right.
There's so much more monsterifficness beneath the stock. Almost as if Google already knew how extreme it would be and deliberately tempted us to root by setting it below maximum potential.
Can't wait to see what the Nexus can continue to do with awesome the awesome modders here!! =)
I'm waiting for the next OTA update before I start playing around with root and ROMS. Customization looks fun but I want to see what performance increases Google can bring after updating to the new kernel for full RAM (hopefully they do this next update anyway). Probably won't be any different than what's out now, but the only thing that I'd really want is HTC music and Modaco's mod is still in the alpha stages.
Rooting is definately a good move, but it is not for everyone, i would suggest against people egging others on to root. Rather, direct them to the available information on the benefits and dangers of rooting, and let them decide.
pongalong said:
I'm waiting for the next OTA update before I start playing around with root and ROMS. Customization looks fun but I want to see what performance increases Google can bring after updating to the new kernel for full RAM (hopefully they do this next update anyway). Probably won't be any different than what's out now, but the only thing that I'd really want is HTC music and Modaco's mod is still in the alpha stages.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uh... most custom ROMs now run on .32 or .33 kernels. As in, more RAM. Loooots of RAM. (I have about 191 MB free on a fresh boot, etc.) Paul's Desire ROM is only still in alpha because bluetooth doesn't quite work, but otherwise it's very functional and pretty well-optimized.
grainysand said:
Uh... most custom ROMs now run on .32 or .33 kernels. As in, more RAM. Loooots of RAM. (I have about 191 MB free on a fresh boot, etc.) Paul's Desire ROM is only still in alpha because bluetooth doesn't quite work, but otherwise it's very functional and pretty well-optimized.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know that current custom ROMs already have a big performance boost (RAM) from the current stock. I believe that ROMs also have .apks that are optimized and probably a bit zippier than unmodified ones. I only meant that if the next OTA with the new kernel gives enough of a performance boost, then custom ROMs won't be for me (until much later in the game anyway).
Whats stopping me are the touchscreen issues,,, no one can still definitively say if it's HW or SW. I need to retain the option to send it in for a warranty swap if it gets worse.
I bought my gf a Sprint Hero to see if she likes using Android. Might buy an Evo or whatever comes next if she likes the platform (this is her first smartphone, I've been using them for a loooong time - since the iPaq days!)
Anyway, the used one I bought her has stock 1.5 ROM on it, and I know that the Sprint 2.1 ROM is also available. I've searched all over and see mixed opinions on if its worth upgrading or not. A lot of bugs seem to crop up in the 2.1 version, but also some new features and better app compatibility in the market.
I'm a long-time HTC device user, but always WinMo, so I'm no stranger to flashing/modding etc. But I don't want to get into that at all with her phone, she'll get angry if I try to do something and then something else breaks, so I just want whatever stock ROM "just works" best. I don't want to have to "maintain" this device.
Any advice is appreciated, thanks in advance.
Hi there. As far as what "just works"...I have used both 1.5 and 2.1 stock...some people have experienced multiple problems. I used 2.1 stock for awhile before rooting...and quite honestly, the only problems I had was occasional lag...not drastic like some have reported....and rapid battery drain. I've since rooted 2.1 and use an overclocked kernel. Now, with GPS location off (still use cell service loc.), and no task killer whatsoever...i get almost 24 hours of battery with moderate to high usage. I experience no lag whatsoever. And, quite honestly, the rooting process and installing the OC'd kernel are VERY easy. I don't know about your girlfriend, but the skeptics I know...given a few days running straight stock unrooted...came back in a couple days begging me to root and make their Hero "run like mine".
Thanks for the info. I might go that route. Are you running a ROM with Sense? Did you just root the stock Sprint Sense ROM and OC it?
Any more help would be appreciated, like I said I've done a lot of ROM flashing and modding in the past but always on WinMo, I'm new to Android but have been reading up on these forums so I think I have a good sense of what needs to be done now. I'm not afraid of rooting / flashing processes, but I really don't want to put on ROMs where little weird glitches are going to piss her off. I don't mind dealing with that on my own phone, but this really does need to be a one-time job where I can just had it off to her and never have to deal with it again
I am running a ROM with Sense. It's the actually the HTC ROM that has been rooted. Here is a link to the thread. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=703267 It runs sweet. I also formatted the stock 2gb SD card to ext for use with Apps2SD and it worked flawlessly after flashing the ROM. There are plenty of straightforward instructions here in this forum. Like I said, I think your g/f will be very pleased with the speed and battery life using this message. I flash a couple roms now and then to try something new, but always come back to this 'cuz it "just works".
1.5 is faster & more stable imo...but outdated. 2.1 provides a few new features but it's really up to her which one she wants to use. try them both out.
for 2.1 id use the stock rooted sprint rom
for 1.5 id suggest the pancake rom.
If you flash one of the OC kernels, just know that not all phones can handle the OC speeds, especially on bootup. If you decide to flash an OC kernel, MAKE SURE you nandroid backup first in case that phone goes into bootloops or freezes after the new kernel. Start with the 691mhz one just to test, then if all is good you can move up to 710mhz or 768mhz if you want more.
Also, to answer your initial question, I personally think stock 2.1 is much better overall than 1.5. Without even considering OC kernels, extra apps, widgets, etc....Android 1.5 didn't even have native CDMA support, so it had to contain a lot more code/tweaking for our Sprint build, which is why it runs so slowly and laggy. 2.1 includes CDMA support which automatically makes the code smaller and it means the OS automatically runs more quickly and smoothly on almost all HTC Heroes.
The only big consistent issue I've heard of on stock 2.1 is terrible Bluetooth functionality. Most other issues are hit or miss cases that aren't very common.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for the info, this has all been helpful.
To update, I dove in and just updated to the latest 2.1 Sprint official ROM (.6). I don't really think she has a current need to be rooted, as she doesn't use many apps, and doesn't need tethering.
If the need arises in the future for these things, I'll just flash the ROM linked above, or flash back to .5, root, and re-flash. Maybe by then there will be a root for .6 anyway and it will be even easier yet.
I'd also like to post my experience with 1.5 vs 2.1 I am not sure why everyone feels 2.1 is so much slower. I'm guessing it's because they haven't applied the .6 patch, which in addition to fixing the root exploit, also adds a bunch of speed enhancements in the UI.
2.1 is much faster on her phone than 1.5, especially scrolling in long lists, using the dialer, and even swiping between homescreens. She's quite happy with it, and I don't have to hack any fixes due to broken stuff in ROMs, so I'm happy too
I'm liking Android enough that I think I'm willing to buy another phone to play with, I got sick of dealing with flashing and hacking on my WinMo devices, so I went to iPhone. But I want a new Android HTC phone to play with, I think I'll buy a Nexus One or something.
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Hi there, I have an Incredible S with Android 2.3.3 and Sense 2.1. It was originally locked to Virgin (canada) but I unlocked it and now it's on Rogers. The phone says there is no software updates.
It gets the job done as basically all I'm using it for is text and phone.
I am a complete newbie and know nothing about RUU's, radios, kernels, and other stuff I've read on here.
I have seen many threads about people having upgraded to ICS and find their phones laggy, the screen gets stuck, ect.
My question is, if you have upgraded, was it worth it, or do you wish you never had done it?
I would enjoy having the latest, but not very technical inclined.
Thanks, and I appreciate you feedback.
If you're happy stay where you are.
I have tried most of the roms and some are laggy some are not. I'm on Nik's Project X with the Redux kernal and love it. Ice cream sandwich is a lot nicer to use than Gingerbread, easier to look at and a lot easier to set up to suit what you want.
But again it really is personal preference.
Sent from my HTC Incredible S using xda premium
Yeah, it really is personal preference.
I am currently on Nik Project X and it is running extremely smoothly...
I guess the only reason you would like to upgrade to ics is purely for compatibility, as much of the newer apps are going to jellybean and ics, rather than gingerbread. The official OTA was quite laggy when i got it, so i rooted and switched to a custom rom. Also, if you install a custom radio, network signal could dramatically increase or dramatically decrease. So beware what radio you are flashing. Also, flashing a radio is very risky, so beware!
In the end, it is your choice. If you are just using your phone purely for text and calling, then you can stick with gingerbread, but people like me who are using their phone and discovering it's capabilities, it is probably better if they upgrade..
I agree Pic.
My suggestion would be to install a good recovery. And make a nandroid backup. That way if it goes wrong you can go back to where you were!
Then load a rom in and play. I could never in back to 2.3! Or even sense 2.
And yes, Project X is smooth and to my way much better.
Sent from my HTC Incredible S using xda premium
Depends on the ROM. I'm on MIUI GB and recently tried MIUI v4 only to find it a laggy POS for the most part. From what I understand the stock ICS ROMs that are rolling out from most manufacturers can be quite laggy. I think this is something to do with how ICS manages memory. Custom ROMs can get around this, so it'd be worth experimenting.
Compatibility probably won't be an issue for the time being. I seem to recall that something like 80% of Android phones are still on Gingerbread, so making an app only run on ICS or JB would seriously limit your market.
Regarding flashing a new radio I'd say that, unless you have good reason to want to change (really poor signal etc), I wouldn't bother. I'm not sure the risks outweigh the reward, if everything is fine with the version you already have.
Put it this way - the reason I rooted my phone was because HTC updated the ROM and my phone ground to a halt. Flashing a custom ROM transformed my phone back into a speedy machine, and added a whole bunch of additional functionality that I now can't live without!
Fair enough,
If u do not want to flash a custom rom, then u can flash a stock rom.. For some reason it is quicker than ota and it maintains s-off...
Your choice in the end buddy
Sent from my HTC Incredible S
Thanks for the responses and experiences guys!
I guess I'll stick with what I have until I've done more reading and am more confident.
Thanks again
funlog said:
Hi there, I have an Incredible S with Android 2.3.3 and Sense 2.1. It was originally locked to Virgin (canada) but I unlocked it and now it's on Rogers. The phone says there is no software updates.
It gets the job done as basically all I'm using it for is text and phone.
I am a complete newbie and know nothing about RUU's, radios, kernels, and other stuff I've read on here.
I have seen many threads about people having upgraded to ICS and find their phones laggy, the screen gets stuck, ect.
My question is, if you have upgraded, was it worth it, or do you wish you never had done it?
I would enjoy having the latest, but not very technical inclined.
Thanks, and I appreciate you feedback.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are no "over the air" (OTA) updates from Bell/Virgin, but HTC have released an ICS update on their developer site:
http://mobilesyrup.com/2012/10/02/h...for-incredible-s-users-on-its-developer-site/
Just filter on device "Incredible S", carrier "HTC" and region "CA". The downloaded file is an RUU, which will do all the work of updating your phone to Android 4.0.4 and Sense 3.6.
I applied the update yesterday without any issue, though did a full reboot (remove battery) in order to clear out some initial sluggishness.
FWIW, my thoughts:
+ new text message conversation UI is nice, with each message in it's own little piece of paper
+ text message timestamps are correct on rogers (i.e. don't need to download "SMS time fix")
- some of the animations are a little overdone
= the tile-based approach to rendering pages means initial loads are blurry, but scrolling is fine once the page has finished rendering
++ no Bell bloatware
+ new gmail app is much much better
- not sure I like the new phone answer/decline UI when the screen is locked
+ htc mail app handles multiple accounts better than the gingerbread version, though now that the gmail app is usable, this isn't a big deal for me
- htc calendar widget is white text on black background, I preferred the old version
- lost access to various htc-specific apps/widgets, so you'll need to find replacements on the play store
+ play store app replaces the market
Overall, I'm happy with the update.
This old preview will give you an idea of what Sense 3.6 looks like: http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/13/htc-sense-3-6-preview/
Go for Nik Project X,
Even though you are light user (like me), you will enjoy very light and smooth user interface and also sense 4.0
Also, ICS will come with all its hidden benefits...no need to list down I guess....
I also have a Virgin Mobile IncS unlocked and now on the Rogers network. I'm currently using Nik's IncS Jellybean rom and it has been incredibly stable for me and I am using it as my daily rom. It's not perfect, but it's an excellent rom.
If you're concerned about the feedback on ICS/Jellybean, but still want to explore rooting, why don't you try some of the Gingerbread roms? CM-7.2 is one of the most stable roms out there and has quite a few features that are not present in the stock rom. If you don't want to lose Sense, there are quite a few roms in development that might meet your needs. There are even a few that are based on the official ICS rom.
Hi guys, well I bit the bullet and loaded the stock ics ruu from htc site. Have not rooted or s-off yet as I don't feel confident enough yet.
So far, about a week in and it is very fast. I have to admit, I don't notice too much of a difference because I am such a basic user.
But it has got rid off quite a few things I never used, so it is leaner. So I'm happy I did it, and want to thank everyone for their opinions and help. :good:
Up top, this isn't a "best ROM" or "what should I run" sort of thread. It's also a topic that can easily provoke rage so please don't think that I'm trying to convince anyone of one thing or another. This is just me being curious.
After starting with Android a few years ago, I've noticed an increasing amount of "flashing fatigue" setting in lately. Sure, I'll root (because I have a lot of utility apps that require root), but the appeal of custom ROMs is fading fast. The Google Edition port was my latest (and longest standing) ROM for my One, and before that I'd tried one or two stock-derivative ROMs (save one bad AOSP experience back when we had sleep of death going on). I'm back to stock now, and trying a "fuller" experience (no launcher replacement, etc.-- minus root, again, for some XPosed tweaks like disabling the NFC icon).
This phone's now been out a while, so I'm curious: how many of you have "settled down" so to speak on one side or the other?
The first Android I owned was an Epic 4G and then Epic 4G Touch. Both left a ton to be deaired from a software standpoint and I easily flashed 3 dozen or more different roms between those two phones.
Flash forward to the HTC One and I've never felt the need to leave the stock ROM. I do use the Google Experience Launcher and have replaces some of the stock apps with better versions from 3rd party devs, but honestly I don't really see a point. Performance, battery life and functionality all seem to have hit a perfect balance with this phone. And like you suggested, the fatigue of flashing is really heavy these days especially since I'm not looking to fix a flaw or add a feature. Although once a working KitKat ROM hits us I will probably root and flash just to get a feel. Though admittedly I've always found the bone stock look of Android to be lacking visually.
Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk
The very first phone I flashed over to a custom firmware was the LG G2X from T-Mobile. The android experience on that phone was very tasteless and bloated. Support from LG was less than non-existent. I found that I couldn't really stand using the phone on stock so I flashed a few different roms until I landed on eaglesblood. Although there was a lot broken on eaglesblood, I found it an upgrade to stock. Fast forward like Adam described and I have been on the HTC One for nearly 6 months. In that time I have flashed perhaps a few custom roms. In the end, I reverted back to stock. The One is a solid phone from both a software and hardware stand-point. I find myself checking my BlinkFeed a few times an hour and if I am on a senseless ROM I feel lost without it.
Tl;dr I have no need to ever leave stock. Stock rooted is good enough for me.
Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk
I've been running RageOne and have found it to be more than enough from what I need for my HTC one
Same here. I started with Hero, then Evo Shift, Evo 3D, Evo 4G LTE and now The One. I previously always rooted and flashed multiple roms until found one that like and stable enough for daily use. With the One, I honestly haven't done nothing to it. I find it prefect for everyday use. No problem was so ever. At times I feel weird because I never had an HTC or android phone for less than a week without rooting it and etc, but with the One no need since good as is.
I know also pending amount of developers we have currently since most leave to develop in other phones or carrier based phone model is what we can choose from roms available which is less than the other carrier model.
Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk
The HTC One is my first non Nexus smartphone, so dealing with all the bloat that comes with Sense and stock has been hard for me. When I was using my Nexus S 4G I used Slim Rom and loved it for its minimal nature and stuck with it. Slim bean 4.3 stable has been a great rom for me, though now that the 4.4 builds are out I've found them more suitable for a daily driver. Slimkat is awesome and I personally cant wait for it to reach stable. Minimal is my cup of tea, add in Google Experience Launcher and I'm one happy guy.
I had a Hero, then a whole bunch of Shift4G's. Rooted all of those because I could make them noticeably faster, increase the battery life, and get rid of apps I didn't use.
With the One, it's already fast enough that I wouldn't notice an increase much. The battery life is great for the way I use it, I recently had a stretch that was nearly 40 hours off the charger (obviously I didn't use it a heck of a lot during that time). And being able to hide the apps I don't want from the app drawer means I forget they're even there. Because of that, I haven't seen a good reason to put a different ROM on this phone...yet