the motorola milestone was my favourite phone. the retro sci fi looks and awesome keyboard really did it for me. I then decided to upgrade to a more powerful modern phone but because I am in the UK choices were limited. the htc z was not really a big enough leap forward so I tried the latest BB Bold with touch screen and physical keyboard. it lasted 2 weeks and I sold it. There were no other physical keyboard phones out in the UK that were modern specs so I decided to give up and buy a Samsung galaxy note, and then a note 2 which I currently use.
the trouble is I suck at typing on a screen, I NEED a physical keyboard back and have been searching for options. I have settled for two potential sliders, the droid 4 and the samsung relay s t699.
the droid 4 is cheaper for me to find at about £50 or £60 delivered to the UK from the states while the relay is at least twice the price. due to this and my previous love for the OG droid (even with that locked bootloader) I am looking into the droid 4 first.
do you think the downgrade from the note 2 to the droid 4 is gonna be a steep one? I cant look or hold one in person to know because we cant buy them here. I dont mind a bit of a downgrade though because I really want a physical keyboard. I was hoping with a decent rom and other tweaks I could get the most out of a droid 4 and be happy. can some current droid users give me some honest opinions on how they are holding up towards the end of 2014?
many thanks
I can say that I'm really happy with the keyboard of the droid 4. The fact that it a full QWERTY keyboard makes typing quite easy on the phone. You can also install my Hacker keyboard for enabling the rest of the keys.
Performance wise there are still some, and I stress, SMALL issues here and there but nothing serious. I'm using Cyanogen Mod and it works way better than the stock ROM but there are still some small bugs. For example GPS is not working for me, but I haven't really investigated the issue so maybe is fixable, or I did something wrong.
The good thing is that the SafeStrap recovery used for droid is really nice and you can also keep the stock Rom.
So if you want you can choose to boot the stock ROM.
Overall I'm satisfied with the phone and I would recommend you to buy one.
If you have any questions I would be happy to help
many thanks for your reply
can I ask, how bad is the screen? consider I would be coming from a Note 2. A lot of reviews mention ghosting of text when dark text is displayed on light backgrounds. How bad is it? Do custom roms make any difference?
I don't have any issues with the screen, but to be honest I haven't given a close attention regarding what you said.
I'll have a look in the coming days and if I find something I'll post.
mo0n_sniper said:
I don't have any issues with the screen, but to be honest I haven't given a close attention regarding what you said.
I'll have a look in the coming days and if I find something I'll post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi mo0n_sniper,
I've just got a Droid 4, and I'd like to use CM11 too. Do you (or most people) use the official rom from the cyanogenmod site, or use one of the roms posted in the android development section on here?
Thanks
Hi moodroid,
I use the one from the Cyanogen Mod site.
You can follow this howto: http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Install_CM_for_maserati
i like the droid 4 a lot and the keyboard is insanely comfortable compared to droid 3. performance wise id say its a capable phone but if you wanna do higher end gaming on android then its gonna struggle. cm11 has been great to me and GPS works just fine and i dont have any problems with the screen.. honestly i dont ever want to go back to stock or previous versions of android because of how comfortable 4.4 is
you can get the latest builds from the official cyanogenmod site because thats where theyre pushing all the updates
one thing thats a big negative (at least for me) is that droid 4 cant use LTE outside of the US (or verizon) so youll only have 3g.
a secondary negative is battery life but you can have workarounds for that and both of these cons depend on how you intend to use the device
Thanks for your replies. My DROID 4 arrived today and we'll the screen might take some getting used to but I look forward to rooting and flashing a rom tonight!
Any reccomendations for custom ROMs?
Slimkat or latest official CM11 snapshot. I personally use Slimkat with Apex launcher for the low memory usage.
CM12 is close to DD-able, but it has a few bugs and lollipop doesn't bring our phone much over the 4.4.4 roms with ART enabled.
Well I finally got my phone rooted and custom ROM flashed so thanks a bunch fellas!
I rooted following this guy's video [Root] Droid 4 (XT894) Jellybean with SafeRoot as @mo0n_sniper 's link to the cyanogenmod site was bit too much for the brain at the moment, need to learn all the new lingo!
I managed to install [cm-11-20141207-NIGHTLY-maserati] and it seems to be working great! I installed it into the stock-rom slot as I read that it was ok as long as I had a recent version of safestrap. I do have a query though. I come from the Note 2 where there was no such thing as safestrap and having multiple slots for roms. I always overwrote the stock rom and never had an issue. Now on safestrap it appears as though the stock rom slot is not using all of the memory available on the device. I don't want to be able to install multiple roms at once, I would like to use the device to it's full potential, utilising all available memory. What is the best way to do this? Or am I already doing it? What do those partition sizes actually mean? If someone could be kind enough to drop some knowledge that would be awesome!
As I am in the UK I also used [cdma_to_gsm_patch_for_verizon_phones_v3.3_by_mentor] and that let me use my network just fine.
Oh and just incase any other newbies are interested, for GAPPS I used [pa_gapps-modular-pico-4.4.4-20141207-signed] and it works great, just the bare minimum google stuff.
P.S. @mo0n_sniper thank you for your hacker keyboard, I have that running. Can I ask, is there a way to do an exclamation mark without moving both my thumbs over to the left side of the keyboard to hold [shift] and [1]?
Thank you guys, it feels so good to be back on a solid keyboard!
Elanzer said:
Slimkat or latest official CM11 snapshot. I personally use Slimkat with Apex launcher for the low memory usage.
CM12 is close to DD-able, but it has a few bugs and lollipop doesn't bring our phone much over the 4.4.4 roms with ART enabled.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
May I ask what version of slimkat you are running? I had a look but had no idea what to go for. Also what is ART and how does one enable it? Thanks
rattymon said:
May I ask what version of slimkat you are running? I had a look but had no idea what to go for. Also what is ART and how does one enable it? Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://www.androidfilehost.com/?a=show&w=files&flid=8820 from this post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2491855
8.10 is the latest. ART is a new compiler for Android, basically enabling it makes programs load faster as everything is pre-compiled instead of compiled-at-run. It's enabled by default on Android 5.0, but you can turn it on in developer options in 4.4.
Rattymon if u change Safestrap to BootMenu Manager (and Patch it) you can use Cyan11 on unused partitions (like /webtop) and you save a lot of memory (on /sdcard)
Fervi
Do any of you have any problems with the screen?
I bough a D4 from ebay, but the screen on it is just awfull, even compared to my crapiest phones.
I have a very bad ghosting effect. Is there any way to make it better?
Oh and BTW, right now Im using CM12, working great.
BFG9000D said:
Do any of you have any problems with the screen?
I bough a D4 from ebay, but the screen on it is just awfull, even compared to my crapiest phones.
I have a very bad ghosting effect. Is there any way to make it better?
Oh and BTW, right now Im using CM12, working great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah, the screen is naturally crappy like that and there's no way to fix it. Almost all reviewers of the Droid 4 remarked on it's poor screen. I've ordered a Motorola Photon Q with modded sim slot to replace my Droid 4, since it seems like there isn't going to be any Droid 5 anytime soon..
Elanzer said:
Nah, the screen is naturally crappy like that and there's no way to fix it. Almost all reviewers of the Droid 4 remarked on it's poor screen. I've ordered a Motorola Photon Q with modded sim slot to replace my Droid 4, since it seems like there isn't going to be any Droid 5 anytime soon..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you have both phones, can you compare the screens and the bulkiness of each one and tell me if the upgrade is worth it?
I have a kinda broken milestone 1 and its build quality is way better, and also it doesnt feel that heavy on my pocket.
BFG9000D said:
When you have both phones, can you compare the screens and the bulkiness of each one and tell me if the upgrade is worth it?
I have a kinda broken milestone 1 and its build quality is way better, and also it doesnt feel that heavy on my pocket.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure. It's going to be a month or so before I get the Photon Q though, as it's getting mailed from the seller in USA to czech republic for modding then to canada to me. Their form factors are almost the same, the things that will make the upgrade worth it are reduced bezel on the display and the CPU/GPU in the Photon Q is nearly twice as fast. A sim modded photon Q is also definitely more "region free" than a Droid 4 in the sense that you can use it on any american provider as well. When I go down to the US I can't actually use my Droid 4 at all because the roaming is not linked to Verizon, so I get forced to bring another device with me.
They will both be bricks with a case on them, but that's the cost of having a nice keyboard.
Just got my Photon Q modded by CornholioGSM for the SIM slot. He did an excellent job and the slot actually looks like it came from the factory.
For the most part I agree with this guy who's also done a comparison between the Droid 4 and Photon Q: http://forum.xda-developers.com/photon-q-4g-lte/general/photon-q-vs-droid-4-mini-review-t2991956
Build quality is far better on the Photon Q. Buttons feel better and general feel in hand is better. The slider kind of springs all the way open after you've opened it half way which feels nicer than the Droid 4 that requires you to push it all the way. The screen is -a lot- better and doesn't have that noticeable ghosting that the Droid 4 has. The software buttons take up some of the screen space vs hardware on the Droid 4, but in full-screened applications (ie: movie players) the buttons are hidden so you can utilize the 0.3in larger screen, although resolution of the 2 phones is the same 960x540. I also noticed that the Photon Q has pocket detection, I've never seen my Droid 4 instantly turn on the moment I pulled it out of my pocket, but this may be a CarbonROM function on my Photon Q.
Performance difference is night and day. Boot time is roughly 1/3 of the Droid 4. Everything opens quite fast and multitasking is easy. Skype in particular took anywhere from 2-3 seconds to load the interface, while on Photon Q it's less than a second. Camera opens instantly on Photon Q instead of waiting 2-3 seconds like Droid 4. For some reason, the camera has always been very slow for me on the Droid 4 regardless of what ROM I'm using. Quality of pictures is better also, seems easier to get a focused picture.
Ran a few benchmarks..
Droid 4 (Lucize JBX kernel, Slimkat 4.4.4 ART):
Antutu (5.6.1)
Stock (1.2GHz CPU, 307MHz GPU): 14776
Overclocked (1.4GHz CPU, 384MHz GPU: 18296
Geekbench
Stock: 342 single / 636 multi
Overclocked: 394 single / 737 multi
Photon Q 4G (arrrghhh kernel, CarbonROM 4.4.4 ART)
Antutu (5.6.1)
Stock (1.5GHz CPU, 400MHz GPU): 19122
Overclocked (2.0GHz CPU, 480MHz GPU): 21130
Geekbench
Stock: 495 single / 792 multi
Overclocked: 521 single / 832 multi
On Antutu, Photon Q has roughly 50% faster CPU scores, and 100% faster GPU scores. For whatever reason, Photon Q does not gain much from overclocking, while Droid 4 gets a good boost. The storage score is also 50% less than the Droid 4, but since Photon Q has only 8gb internal storage you will probably put most things on SD.. this would be why the Antutu scores are so close, individual scores show the Photon Q is much faster.
It's a shame Motorola never properly marketed either phone to a global audience. Droid 4 being stuck on Verizon in US, and Photon Q being stuck on Sprint (unless modded). Photon Q has almost no value, mine was $70 brand new but I have seen them for $20... which is quite funny because it has the same chipset as the US Galaxy S3 that still sells for about $150 on ebay for some reason.
after struggling to find a fully functional droid 4 from ebay again i considered a photon Q only to learn that its impossible to use it on verizon so droid 4 is the only option for me because im not giving up the unlimited data
everything looks nice except the lack of hardware keys on the screen so pretty jealous.
im assuming the photon q only has 3g outside of sprint like the droid 4 outside of verizon?
Puppymang said:
after struggling to find a fully functional droid 4 from ebay again i considered a photon Q only to learn that its impossible to use it on verizon so droid 4 is the only option for me because im not giving up the unlimited data
everything looks nice except the lack of hardware keys on the screen so pretty jealous.
im assuming the photon q only has 3g outside of sprint like the droid 4 outside of verizon?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, the Photon Q has a Sprint sim hard-soldered to the board, it doesn't even have a sim slot out of the box, so you can't use the phone at all in any other country unless it's roaming from Sprint.
There is a modification you can do to the phone (or have someone else to do it, CornholioGSM did mine for a 70 euro donation) that consists of removing the sprint-sim and installing a sim slot on the board. The Photon Q with sim mod is completely unlocked and the photon Q also has an unlockable bootloader unlike the Droid 4. It should work on Verizon as it supports all the same CDMA/GSM bands as the Droid 4, however you won't get LTE because the photon Q uses an incompatible band.
Related
i am about to buy a smartphone (for the first time since my dumbphone SE W595)
and i want something perfect that'll stay with me like 2 years or so
i checked all of the new phones (Desire + n1 + Galaxy S and millions!) and honestly even with all these teachy stuff and zippy processor .. i didn't like a phone more than the Milestone
Big screen + QWERTY keyboard + pretty good camera for a go-go price !
but .. it was released on the end of 2009 and have a 550MHz (though it can be overclocked anytime) and that locked bootloader (ugh!)
wat i want on a phone is 1-watch movies & videos , 2-loading my almost 5500 set of music in it 3- hardcore 3D gaming , 4-good camera , 5-QWERTY (regular teenager stuff) and Android !
is it really the right phone for me or i should wait for something better (e.g Milestone 2?) (as the international Droid 2) ?
Regards , Mike
I would wait, the milestone has been out for a while now and there should be some new models coming out soon. If I were you I would wait for a new qwerty android phone to be released.
I would also wait. The droid does sound like the perfect phone for you, but the thing is, all the stuff you really look forward to doing kills your battery. I have a rooted droid clocked at 1ghz. Battery life really isn't that great, but overall i sincerely love the phone.
I would wait, too...I have the Milestone, is a really great phone (as you said, big screen+QWERTY is just perfect) but buying it now is pointless, in my opinion. I would suggest to wait for new devices similar to the Milestone to come out and then make a choose.
And the camera isn't that great, really.
Thanks everyone
.. is there any great phones (or leaks) with QWERTYs in the next few weeks which are non-Motorola ? i mean is there any leaks ? (other than that ugly HTC Vision) ?
damn i wish we had a GSM version of HTC Incredible .. it's a perfect phone (only missing a keyboard though)
somebody told me girlfriends are like mobile phones, you only wish for a new and better one, as to what you have.
so there's nothing new about your dilemma.i'd suggest you go for it, because new would come but then it's price will delay or postpone you a prized possession. secondly, nowadays a mobile phone is more worthy if it it's most popular in hacking community, like Xperia X1, in my sane mind i'd never suggest this phone to anyone, but imagine ubuntu and android along with Winmo, the phone is a must have. And my dearest SE P1i.
Go for it, you'd never regret a moment of it am already looking for Xperia X1 and Milestone (second or even third hand).
yeah , your right .. but the thing is .. back in 2008 (when i only knew dumbphones and smartphones prices were a blast) i bought my beloved and now stolen SE w595 .. just a couple a days later , Here Comes SE w902 & samsung i8510 .. a better camera + bigger screen .. stuff
Honestly i felt like my new w595 was turned into bull****! i dont want that to happen next if i buy a milestone
but when i think about it .. it was out for a year .. is there really something new coming ? all the good damn phones comes to the US (droid incredible , samsung epic 4G) while leaving us lay in the dust
everytime i try to convinve myself to buy the milestone by saying (i'm just a teenager .. why would i need a 1GHz CPU and stuff like that ?) but honestly i just can't help it .. for god's sake the galaxy spica is faster than that !
beside that locked bootloader .. when i thought about it for like 2 minutes i say what's the joy having an android when you can't root it/install ROMs ? because back in the days when i had the w595 i used to change themes & flash menus like a maniac !
i've decided to wait for a non-Motorola device , i've taken myself a hour to think about it .. that's my decision .. Thanks everyone !
I literally just picked up the Milestone on Telus two days ago, and don't regret it. It's pretty sweet, and I don't see the Droid X or the Incredible coming (I assume you're in Canada, as you're looking at the Milestone..) any time soon up here.
With the customization and rooting available, it's a pretty sweet phone.
Just me though. Good luck with picking a phone.
The driod 2 is released any day now but I wonder how long we have to wait for a milestone 2
Edit: I bought my Milestone 2 weeks ago. And I love it.
it will outdated in term of operating system, currently we only get android 2.1 which everybody already has 2.2
and next time 3.0 released we can only bite our nail ^^
it will be soon!
Hi guys, actually i've more or less pretty decided to get the milestone already due to it's nice form factor and android, also pretty much i'd like to have a qwerty keyboard for a change.
I'm currently rocking a HD2, and i don't intend to sell it yet. But was interested in android after running froyo 2.2 and sense desire build on it. So i was like pretty much wanting to get an adroid device to play with and see how it goes. No suitable options in the marketplace for nexus 1 and it's way over my budget, i reckon i can get a milestone (brand new) over here in sg for around 550 Singapore Dollars, so i thought i get it! (TODAY, LOL)
So i thought i'd pop by xda for trusted opinions and rooting possibilities, and i'm faced with little support for the milestone as compared to the crazy HD2 forum, LOL. So i'm wondering is it possible to root my milestone? And what do you guys mean by bootloader locked? And why? Pardon me as i'm pretty new to android, had a g1 in the past, but didn't play much with it and sold it, now i'm back! Haha.
I'd appreciate any links to other sites for help and more info and prolly more support than what we're getting here? If you feel uneasy to post, you could pm me. Thanks!!
Any issues i must take note of with buying milestone? Since i read some had wifi and baseband issues, D-pad down button is bad etc. LOL. And the droid's back cover is loose, not sure about the milestone though. Plus is there really a huge difference in droid and milestone when it comes to development/rooting/flashing roms etc.?
The only difference i know of currently is one's CDMA the other's GSM and the droid doesn't support multi-touch natively until the updated the software as well as the droid has got fm radio?
Oh ya, there's no wireless teethering on milestone? Meaning my laptop uses my phone's network?!
Appreciate all advice!!
Sorry for uber long posts!
gabriel.twl said:
Hi guys, actually i've more or less pretty decided to get the milestone already due to it's nice form factor and android, also pretty much i'd like to have a qwerty keyboard for a change.
I'm currently rocking a HD2, and i don't intend to sell it yet. But was interested in android after running froyo 2.2 and sense desire build on it. So i was like pretty much wanting to get an adroid device to play with and see how it goes. No suitable options in the marketplace for nexus 1 and it's way over my budget, i reckon i can get a milestone (brand new) over here in sg for around 550 Singapore Dollars, so i thought i get it! (TODAY, LOL)
So i thought i'd pop by xda for trusted opinions and rooting possibilities, and i'm faced with little support for the milestone as compared to the crazy HD2 forum, LOL. So i'm wondering is it possible to root my milestone? And what do you guys mean by bootloader locked? And why? Pardon me as i'm pretty new to android, had a g1 in the past, but didn't play much with it and sold it, now i'm back! Haha.
I'd appreciate any links to other sites for help and more info and prolly more support than what we're getting here? If you feel uneasy to post, you could pm me. Thanks!!
Any issues i must take note of with buying milestone? Since i read some had wifi and baseband issues, D-pad down button is bad etc. LOL. And the droid's back cover is loose, not sure about the milestone though. Plus is there really a huge difference in droid and milestone when it comes to development/rooting/flashing roms etc.?
The only difference i know of currently is one's CDMA the other's GSM and the droid doesn't support multi-touch natively until the updated the software as well as the droid has got fm radio?
Oh ya, there's no wireless teethering on milestone? Meaning my laptop uses my phone's network?!
Appreciate all advice!!
Sorry for uber long posts!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Man, it's really lacking in support for milestone over here at xda, or there's nothing to support at all? LOL. For the first time, i'm a little disappointed with xda. Hahahaha, i hope people could point me in the right direction for milestone news and tips etc. Anyways, heading to get it now!!
Quick answers:
- You can root the phone, as in, have access to modify the system at root level.
- A locked bootloader means you can't use any other kernels except those signed by Motorola themselves. We're all hoping for methods like 2ndboot and kexec to help us out here
- You can tether via USB,WiFi, or Bluetooth.
i have a Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 with windows mobile.. I originally wanted the Milestone but since i could get the X1 for half the price of the Milestone i decided to get it. I am now in the process of selling the X1 and getting the Milestone (probably next week)
Lesiroth said:
Quick answers:
- You can root the phone, as in, have access to modify the system at root level.
- A locked bootloader means you can't use any other kernels except those signed by Motorola themselves. We're all hoping for methods like 2ndboot and kexec to help us out here
- You can tether via USB,WiFi, or Bluetooth.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I went ahead and get it anyway. Haha. I'm hoping for more support and some flashing goodness soon! Plus 2.2 froyo!! Some issues or concerns i found so far. I realised that the device gets hot pretty easily and not normal kind of heat, rather at the area below the camera at the back when holding landscape. And in gmail app, you can never empty your trash permanently. This kinda sucks, as the trash always restore.
Quick answers:
- You can root the phone, as in, have access to modify the system at root level.
- A locked bootloader means you can't use any other
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I went ahead and get it anyway. Haha. I'm hoping for more support and some flashing goodness soon! Plus 2.2 froyo!! Some issues or concerns i found so far. I realised that the device gets hot pretty easily and not normal kind of heat, rather at the area below the camera at the back when holding landscape. And in gmail app, you can never empty your trash permanently. This kinda sucks, as the trash always restore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
where did you get it for 550? I was at a starhub shop the other day and it wasn't even close to 550.
If you don't want to wait, there's always the Samsung Epic 4G or Galaxy S Pro, whatever it is called in your region. If you don't mind that there is no camera flash.
Sent from my Droid
thepwneddroid said:
If you don't want to wait, there's always the Samsung Epic 4G or Galaxy S Pro, whatever it is called in your region. If you don't mind that there is no camera flash.
Sent from my Droid
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are those phones even out yet ? Would you be able to install custom ROMs for them in the future?
The milestone looks better in my opinion.. (physically) but seeing how its got a locked bootloader... im afraid of buying a phone (with so many options at this day) that could be already stuck on its final OS version.
If only the Xperia X10 had a physical keyboard (i dont like the mini pro version) id probably buy it. I want an android phone with a physical keyboard not only for texting but also for emulators and the milestone seems the way to go ... as its about $420 too. (amazon)
I'm in the same boat as some of you. A former Xperia X1 user who got tired of flashing with ROMs that aren't stable and sluggish. I don't want to get an official ATT phone cause I am on the MediaNet unlimited plan and I like to tether to my laptop. I also like having a QWERTY keyboard and been wanting to try Andriod OS. Some questions:
1) What specifics should I look for to ensure I'm getting the Telus version of DROID and unlocked for AT&T to ensure 3G?
2) I saw recent news that there is no official support for Tethering or wifi router mode on DROID, but are there apps (even the Xperia X1 did).
3) Can anyone tell from just what's listed on Overstock and Amazon whether those phones will work on ATT 3G? Many thanks.
I already sold my X1, been using my old Samsung BLackjack 2....need new phone...SOON!
I am a current Sprint customer with an Epic 4G and I found out I can terminate my contract this month if I so desire.. My only option would be to switch to Verizon with a Droid 4. The network is certainly better and the phone has a better CPU, but I would hate to be stuck with a locked bootloader, no upgrades, and a crappy Motoblur skin on my phone. Has anyone managed to crack this encryption on ANY of these Motorola phones yet??? How about the number of developers working on Moto phones? I see very few posts in this forum section so that is a major red flag to me.
My current phone has fully functional CM9 ICS and a custom kernel -- what are the chances this will EVER happen on the Droid 4? I am guessing Slim to None, but I still have to ask.
With a locked bootloader you will never see custom kernels. However, custom ROMs are already being developed and ported from the Droid Razr. I came from a Droid 2 which had quite a lot of dev support despite a locked bootloader. Was running CM7 when I upgraded to the Droid 4. The only thing really holding the phone back right now is there are no fastboot files that allow you to restore the phone should you screw up trying to run a custom ROM. Root has been achieved and it is quite easy to go in and freeze the bloatware with Titanium Backup and install whatever launcher you choose so you don't have to see Blur. I haven't seen a ton of activity yet on XDA or Rootzwiki but DroidForums.net is buzzing pretty good. Remember the phone hasn't even been out 2 weeks. As soon as fastboot files become available I think you will see quite a bit more going on with custom ROMs for the Droid 4.
In summary, only thing you are really going to give up is custom kernels. Dev support seems decent especially with the ability to port Razr ROMs relatively easily. Root, app freezing, and custom launchers like Go or ADW get rid of most of the Blur.
kwyrt said:
With a locked bootloader you will never see custom kernels. However, custom ROMs are already being developed and ported from the Droid Razr. I came from a Droid 2 which had quite a lot of dev support despite a locked bootloader. Was running CM7 when I upgraded to the Droid 4. The only thing really holding the phone back right now is there are no fastboot files that allow you to restore the phone should you screw up trying to run a custom ROM. Root has been achieved and it is quite easy to go in and freeze the bloatware with Titanium Backup and install whatever launcher you choose so you don't have to see Blur. I haven't seen a ton of activity yet on XDA or Rootzwiki but DroidForums.net is buzzing pretty good. Remember the phone hasn't even been out 2 weeks. As soon as fastboot files become available I think you will see quite a bit more going on with custom ROMs for the Droid 4.
In summary, only thing you are really going to give up is custom kernels. Dev support seems decent especially with the ability to port Razr ROMs relatively easily. Root, app freezing, and custom launchers like Go or ADW get rid of most of the Blur.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the detailed answer... I'm still trying to determine what exactly I will be losing by switching to Verizon (besides unlimited data )
Couple more questions about kernels -- aren't custom kernels necessary for overclocking? Or is there a way to hack the in-memory kernel to allow setcpu to increase the clock speed faster than stock? Also, what is the nature of the moto-lock? Does it just prevent flashing over a certain area of ROM that holds the bootloader, or does it go further than that (like encrypted memory or something)? I thought I heard that devs have found a way to make other Moto-locked devices like the Droid 2 boot the stock kernel from ROM and then load a new custom kernel from the SD card into RAM using kexec.
Oh man, now you are going to expose how little I really know about how all this works! I DO know that you do not need a custom kernel to overclock. There were overclock options on my Droid 2 and I have seen you can use mattlgroff's utility to overclock the Droid 4 already. I am not sure HOW it is done, just that it CAN be done.
Other than that I am not real sure what is involved in getting around the bootloader issue. I think it has something to do with 2nd init? I have heard the term thrown around but honestly could not explain exactly what that does. I assume it is what allows dev's to bypass the locked bootloader which I think is what a bootstrap does.
Probably didn't help too much. Maybe someone with a little more knowledge of the process can give a better explanation. And correct what is probably a horribly inaccurate explanation of bootstrap/2nd init.
kwyrt said:
Oh man, now you are going to expose how little I really know about how all this works! I DO know that you do not need a custom kernel to overclock. There were overclock options on my Droid 2 and I have seen you can use mattlgroff's utility to overclock the Droid 4 already. I am not sure HOW it is done, just that it CAN be done.
Other than that I am not real sure what is involved in getting around the bootloader issue. I think it has something to do with 2nd init? I have heard the term thrown around but honestly could not explain exactly what that does. I assume it is what allows dev's to bypass the locked bootloader which I think is what a bootstrap does.
Probably didn't help too much. Maybe someone with a little more knowledge of the process can give a better explanation. And correct what is probably a horribly inaccurate explanation of bootstrap/2nd init.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, thanks for the attempt to explain, anyway.. I am glad to hear I should at least be able to overclock. And I suppose somebody should be able to come up with a TUN module for OpenVPN support and CIFS module for mounting Samba shares.. So I'll be missing Voodoo Sound/Voodoo Color and... I dunno, that's probably about it? How about tethering, is there a way to tether undetected on a locked Droid phone with Verizon?
NOW the big question is -- Do I really want to sign a 2 year contract with Verizon and commit to 2GB/month data caps with overage fees? That just feels dirty.. What's the point of even having ridiculously fast download speeds if I will hit the cap in the first two days of the month? Does Verizon even offer any plans with more than 2GB/month?
christophocles said:
NOW the big question is -- Do I really want to sign a 2 year contract with Verizon and commit to 2GB/month data caps with overage fees? That just feels dirty.. What's the point of even having ridiculously fast download speeds if I will hit the cap in the first two days of the month? Does Verizon even offer any plans with more than 2GB/month?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have no idea how long it's running for, but right now Verizon is offering to double the cap for anyone you signs a two-year contract:
http://shop.verizonwireless.com/?id=Double Data
That makes the idea of a cap a little more bearable.
If you root your Droid 4 you can tether using an app, bypassing Verizon's BS. I believe there is another thread here devoted to that topic. As far as data goes I know right now Verizon is offering 4GB for the price of 2GB. I was grandfathered in with unlimited but honestly, I don't think I have ever used more than 1GB myself. I would think 4GB would be more than enough for most people. I don't tether that often either though. I am pretty sure Verizon offers other data packages with higher caps but I don't know what the prices are on those. Something ungodly I am sure.
christophocles said:
Well, thanks for the attempt to explain, anyway.. I am glad to hear I should at least be able to overclock. And I suppose somebody should be able to come up with a TUN module for OpenVPN support and CIFS module for mounting Samba shares.. So I'll be missing Voodoo Sound/Voodoo Color and... I dunno, that's probably about it? How about tethering, is there a way to tether undetected on a locked Droid phone with Verizon?
NOW the big question is -- Do I really want to sign a 2 year contract with Verizon and commit to 2GB/month data caps with overage fees? That just feels dirty.. What's the point of even having ridiculously fast download speeds if I will hit the cap in the first two days of the month? Does Verizon even offer any plans with more than 2GB/month?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Theres no source drop yet by Motorola for the D4's kernel. Once there is, I'll be building the TUN/CIFS modules and getting them in the ICS CM9/AOKP builds.
kwyrt said:
If you root your Droid 4 you can tether using an app, bypassing Verizon's BS. I believe there is another thread here devoted to that topic. As far as data goes I know right now Verizon is offering 4GB for the price of 2GB. I was grandfathered in with unlimited but honestly, I don't think I have ever used more than 1GB myself. I would think 4GB would be more than enough for most people. I don't tether that often either though. I am pretty sure Verizon offers other data packages with higher caps but I don't know what the prices are on those. Something ungodly I am sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I can hit 1GB on Sprint's ridiculously crappy 3G network (without any tethering), then I am SURE that I can EASILY hit 4GB on Verizon 4G. It seems like they post falsely high numbers in the speedtest.net app, but the Verizon LTE in my area (really small really crappy little town) hits 30mbit down/5mbit up. That's faster than my Roadrunner "XTREME" landline, lol. So it's still tempting, cap or no cap..
i have been tossing around the idea of dropping my home internet and paying for the tether package from verizon as my main connection
OP, thank you for starting this thread. As another Sprint customer with OG Epic 4g, I am also out of contract and thinking of jumping over to VZW. Tired of Sprint's crappy reception, data etc. etc. I've never gone over 3GB with Sprint anyway, so doubt it will happen with VZW.
It would be nice if someone sticked the step-by-step "how to root Droid 4" for those of us who are not used to locked bootloaders.
r me... know will have trouble moving from Sammy's SAMOLED to something much less great.
welcome to the dark side
the D4 is actually really really easy to root! bookmark this thread for later use
steps
1) install moto drivers on your computer (link provided in thread)
2) turn on debugging on your phone (settings --> applications --> development --> check USB debugging)
3) fire up the utility and follow on screen instructions
4) you have root!
iptables
As far as I remember the Droid 2 Global has a locked bootloader but I have a custom rom on mine and it has iptables. There is hope for the Droid 4 just have to give it time. Don't need iptables if you're on the $55 android plan.
christophocles said:
Couple more questions about kernels -- aren't custom kernels necessary for overclocking? Or is there a way to hack the in-memory kernel to allow setcpu to increase the clock speed faster than stock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't know if you got an answer to this, it's been a while but overclocking is easy. There is a kernel module you can install that creates /dev/overclock that can then be written with new clock data.
Hello. I will be receiving a Droid 3 as a warranty replacement tomorrow. It comes with ICS (Ice Cream Sandwich) pre-installed. I have been searching, and cannot find a way to root the Droid 3.
I am hoping I missed it. If someone can point me to the tutorial for rooting the Droid 3 with ICS, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks in advance.
y0himba said:
Hello. I will be receiving a Droid 3 as a warranty replacement tomorrow. It comes with ICS (Ice Cream Sandwich) pre-installed. I have been searching, and cannot find a way to root the Droid 3.
I am hoping I missed it. If someone can point me to the tutorial for rooting the Droid 3 with ICS, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you hear it will come with ICS...? Because it won't.
I was told this by the Verizon rep. It is a warranty replacement. he specifically said it has ICS on it. No, I am not mistaken. Maybe he was?
Even if it doesn't, I have been unable to find a tutorial for rooting the Droid 3.
I can assure you that it will not be arriving with ICS, I'm sure he must have been mistaken. It will most likely be running Gingerbread 2.3.4 with the 5.6.890 system software.
Anywho... here is the tutorial you are looking for http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1240130
If you do get one with ics on it then I will be calling Verizon and having them replace my phone for one like that
Sent from my XT862 using XDA
leerpsp said:
If you do get one with ics on it then I will be calling Verizon and having them replace my phone for one like that
Sent from my XT862 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you get a phone w/ics system dump before anything else please, if you need a hand lots of people here will help (or on irc) but since moto still has the d3 listed as "evaluating" for ics and haven't even started working on a build I would say the rep is more than likely mistaken. Hopefully not but if moto had an ics build for the d3 I imagine we would have heard about a soak or something. As for your question I would probably try the root for d4 and if that didn't work check out what they're using on the nexus etc
If you do get ICS please tweet Hash. We really could benefit from it.
Sent from my DROID3 using XDA
We would still have a locked bootloader and the same kernel issues though. I'd put money on the rep being wrong, but I'd like to be proven wrong.
so what version of android did you end up getting on the d3?
Sent from my A100 using Tapatalk 2
You folks were right. He was wrong. It has 2.3.4.
It runs pretty fast, compares well to the DX2. I wanted CM ROM on it, but none are completely working. Camera has issues GSM FCs and so forth. I just wish my DX2 would work. Haven't used a physical keyboard in a while either.
What do you folks think of your Droid 3s?
y0himba said:
What do you folks think of your Droid 3s?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought my D3 FOR the keyboard. I came from an enV touch and the thought of a touchscreen keyboard that wasn't 100% perfect made me shiver. Looking back, I would definitely have gone with a SGS II. I didn't know anything about the D3's bootloader being locked and the full touch screen is definitely worth the unlocked bootloader. That being said, I still love the keyboard. It's better than any I have ever used.
I don't hate my Droid 3. It runs my ICS roms rather smoothly and the only thing that I wished worked is Google Chrome. I use the camera but I found that I have not wanted to use the video recorder since switching; even if it DID work.
If you want a CM ROM that is pretty stable, I'd recommend 7.2 found here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1308924
It's a bit more stable than CM9, though it still has some bugs. Stable enough for a daily driver in my opinion.
My d3 is alright but if I was sent one now with any option of sending back either for a different phone or terminate a contract(within 30 days or whatever and setup a new one) I would jump @ the chance, just because its a little old, 1g ram would be nice but imo it's like dual core phones, 1 core is wasted 90% of the time, upgradable to ics would be very nice too, custom kernel would be nicest though(htc,lg etc etc). I guess what I'm saying is its decent but I wouldn't buy one now.
Sent from my XT860 using XDA
I'd say droid 3 is all about the keyboard. Without the keyboard, there would be many better phones. Phones with 1GB ram, unlocked bootloader and a better screen.
However, I'd rather have a keyboard than have those ^ things without a keyboard .
It seems to run faster, and more smooth than my Droid X2. It's ugly though, and it will take some getting used to a physical keyboard again. I have it rooted, radiocom hacked. I want to tweak the camera, but the thread is confusing me a bit as to which zip to use, or which edits to make to build.pro and the XML file. I would prefer to edit rather than install a zip as I don't really want a bootstrap on the phone.
App Brain is making me frustrated though, since Fast Web Installer will not log in.
So far, I am loving this.
Another heartbreak. If D3 doesn't gets ICS by July, I'll let it go.
Sent from my XT883 using XDA
OK, its time to upgrade my trusty DHD.....
...but what gets my hard-earned (no, really) pennies?
To me there are 4 options........
1) HTC One X
2) Samsung Galaxy Note
3) Wait until the 30th and get the Samsung Galaxy SIII
4) Keep the DHD for another 12 months and benefit from a cheaper contract.
So, if it was your pennies getting spent, where would they be going?
I'm looking for views from existing SGN users here. Do you love the Note? Hate it? What do you like most about it, and what drives you potty?
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Rob
I love my note. It's definitely my favorite phone out of the 8 smartphones I've owned (iPhone 2G, 3G, 3GS, 4, HTC Sensation, Samsung Vibrant, LG G2X). The downside? It is the most disappointing phone development wise. There doesn't seem to be any good ROM out there. Stock is painfully slow. There is no CM7 which is really disappointing. Any of the ICS I've seen out has had major problems which is why I haven't upgraded yet. There are horror stories about people bring their phones when upgrading to ICS and so far it doesn't seem to be a small number of people which is really sad. Samsung is JUST rolling out ICS now but I've heard stock ICS is also very slow and if you have CWM on or from what I understand have rooted your phone at all, you run a huge risk of bricking if you try put ICS on.
TL DR; If you don't mind staying stock for a WHILE, get the Note because it's awesome having a huge screen, resolution, and the SPen.
EDIT: Spelling
cruno91 said:
I love my note. It's definitely my favorite phone out of the 8 smartphones I've owned (iPhone 2G, 3G, 3GS, 4, HTC Sensation, Samsung Vibrant, LG G2X). The downside? It is the most disappointing phone development wise. There doesn't seem to be any good ROM out there. Stock is painfully slow. There is no CM7 which is really disappointing. Any of the ICS I've seen out has had major problems which is why I haven't upgraded yet. There are horror stories about people bring their phones when upgrading to ICS and so far it doesn't seem to be a small number of people which is really sad. Samsung is JUST rolling out ICS now but I've heard stock ICS is also very slow and if you have CWM on or from what I understand have rooted your phone at all, you run a huge risk of bricking if you try put ICS on.
TL DR; If you don't mind staying stock for a WHILE, get the Note because it's awesome having a huge screen, resolution, and the SPen.
EDIT: Spelling
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly my thoughts! Thanks for saving me the trouble of typing. I am lazy as hell.
I flashed tons of ROMs and back to stock. At least I won't be bricking my phone this way.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA
To the OP: If I were you, I would get the One X or the S3, depending on the needs. Like I need the sd card and removable battery so it would rather be the S3 for me. Assuming you haven't used the note for long, both these phones must feel great to you. For almost all of us here, they are just too darn small. Once you use a note, you just get addicted to it.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA
Thanks guys. Keep them coming.
I played with the Note and the HOX today and liked them both, but the huge Note battery is drawing me towards it.
I'm 6'1" and have hands like pan-shovels so the size of the Note isnt a -ve to me.
love mine too!
Yeah loving the bigger screen. I'd never go back to something smaller.
On a different note.. (haha) had mine a month and have rooted and switched the rom and Kernel.. wasn't very hard just had to get over the mind set of bricking it.
Buy one!
Note, large screen, s-pen apps (if you're inclined to use them), some good roms, ICS development with the new builds should be on their way soon
the rest? S3, rather than 1x. or at least wait till reviews come out comparing the 2.
wait
wait for Galaxy S3 - I allready have it and It's awsome!!!
RobTheRover said:
OK, its time to upgrade my trusty DHD.....
...but what gets my hard-earned (no, really) pennies?
To me there are 4 options........
1) HTC One X
2) Samsung Galaxy Note
3) Wait until the 30th and get the Samsung Galaxy SIII
4) Keep the DHD for another 12 months and benefit from a cheaper contract.
So, if it was your pennies getting spent, where would they be going?
I'm looking for views from existing SGN users here. Do you love the Note? Hate it? What do you like most about it, and what drives you potty?
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Rob
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Note is fabulous - better than the GNex I came from. Why? The screen principally - the Galaxy nexus screen just seemed so small compared!
I think the answer is this:
1. If you want the latest tech - go for the One X or the S3.
2. However, as it's so early in their life cycle you don't know what problems they will have (other than we already know the OneX has cr*p battery life) and we all know that no phone is perfect. Each phone I've had (and I've had a few) has had it's own unique issue.
3. If screen size is important, forget the other two and go for the Note. There is just simply no question of that (until Note II is announced in future!)
Maybe quad core will be a bit faster than dual core but I doubt it will make much of a difference in everyday use. In any event, I hate TW / Sense etc so always remove that bloatware and, hey presto, android flies on the Note (not that it was sluggish with TW).
And the lack of reliable ICS at the moment? In the words of Catherine Tate (look her up if you're not British!) - am I bovvered? There's such a clamour for it and, yes, it's a bit prettier and more logical in places but GB is absolutely fine for 99.98%.
Just my £0.02. Good luck with the decision.
Edit: Just seen that you're a brit - no need to look up Catherine Tate! More importantly, just realised you've got a DHD. Move on, you won't be disappointed. Sure, tech will move on over the next few monts, years etc but it always does.
apd said:
In the words of Catherine Tate (look her up if you're not British!) - am I bovvered?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We Americans also know who Catherine Tate is, and not just because she's on our version of The Office now
Clicked as soon as you said "am I bovvered?".
Go for the Note,mate. You won't regret it
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
apd said:
The Note is fabulous - better than the GNex I came from. Why? The screen principally - the Galaxy nexus screen just seemed so small compared!
I think the answer is this:
1. If you want the latest tech - go for the One X or the S3.
2. However, as it's so early in their life cycle you don't know what problems they will have (other than we already know the OneX has cr*p battery life) and we all know that no phone is perfect. Each phone I've had (and I've had a few) has had it's own unique issue.
3. If screen size is important, forget the other two and go for the Note. There is just simply no question of that (until Note II is announced in future!)
Maybe quad core will be a bit faster than dual core but I doubt it will make much of a difference in everyday use. In any event, I hate TW / Sense etc so always remove that bloatware and, hey presto, android flies on the Note (not that it was sluggish with TW).
And the lack of reliable ICS at the moment? In the words of Catherine Tate (look her up if you're not British!) - am I bovvered? There's such a clamour for it and, yes, it's a bit prettier and more logical in places but GB is absolutely fine for 99.98%.
Just my £0.02. Good luck with the decision.
Edit: Just seen that you're a brit - no need to look up Catherine Tate! More importantly, just realised you've got a DHD. Move on, you won't be disappointed. Sure, tech will move on over the next few monts, years etc but it always does.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that. I agree with your assessment, especially ICS which is definitely leaving me underwhelmed in terms of how "un-different" (new word!) it is to GB, especially after having used Honeycomb on my tablet for the past 6 months.
I've decided (with a feeling of I'm cheating on a loved one) to get a Note online, then I can return it under distance selling laws if I find it unbearable to live with. I suspect it wont be going back.
Genuinely, many thanks to all who have contributed to this thread. Your insight has been much appreciated.
Rob
I love the large screen and battery of the Note.
The S3 is more future proof, but only because of the processors. RAM is the same.
One thing in the s3's favor is the LED notification light! w00t! I have been missing this on EVERY device that wasn't a blackberry!
The s3 also has a large battery, but .. the Note takes the cake.
The One X is out of the picture. Why? Removable battery. Also, they pushed the device so fast to get it out on the market as one of the first quadcore devices that ... well, to me it doesn't seem that attractive. The s3 on the other hand looks mighty fine!
The Note is awesome for its screen and battery size (as well as the S-Pen).
It's really your call... Sometimes I wish my note were a tiny bit smaller, but I don't regret it when I'm actually using it! hehe.
I upgraded from DHD to galaxy note and can say it was the upgrade. Absolutely amazing display over DHD, much better battery life, faster, smoother, much better camera, etc. When I look back now to already my wife's DHD, it seems to be a nice small phone ... Was able to replace most of work on my laptop with note thanks to Swype ...
I have both on stock ROM, didn't find need to go for ICS on my note. Everything is working flawlessly, maybe will change my mind half year later when there will be more positive reaction from community ... my few cents .
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
One thing that's driving me mad is the sluggishness of the stock Gingerbread ROM. Is the official ICS ROM still sluggish?
If so, would rooting the phone and deleting some of the bloat help? Also, is it possible to remove Touchwiz from the official ROM? I'm a bit scared to try any other ROMs in case I brick my phone.
I've had my note since november and I love it!! The huge screen is so much fun and great to surf the web!!! It doesn't feel bigger in my pocket than my previous phone (iPhone). Even though it has a huge screen the battery life is really good (especially with my actual rom Criskelo)
I haven't tried the other phones you posted but I am still trying to understand why anyone would need a quadcore in his phone today!! I installed spy cpu on my SGN and my CPU almost never rises to 1400MHz so what could anyone do with the extra power maybe 3D games since I don't play any so can't tell about the performances but I doubt it since the note still has one of the best processors out there! The games I play are: solitaire, temple run, fruit ninja,...
joyork said:
One thing that's driving me mad is the sluggishness of the stock Gingerbread ROM. Is the official ICS ROM still sluggish?
If so, would rooting the phone and deleting some of the bloat help? Also, is it possible to remove Touchwiz from the official ROM? I'm a bit scared to try any other ROMs in case I brick my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't really notice the sluggishness, everything seems smooth!! The rom I am using is lighter than the stock rom so there may be a difference! If you wan't to remove Touchwiz you'd better install a new rom on your phone would be easier than to modify the stock rom! In either case you need to root your phone! At first didn't want to do it but in the end I am happy and giving some good feedback about the rom I am using! And the bricking is pretty rare!!
To install a new rom if you literally follow instructions you can't run into problems!! A bit of research and in the end it just takes 10/15min to change rom!
joyork said:
One thing that's driving me mad is the sluggishness of the stock Gingerbread ROM. Is the official ICS ROM still sluggish?
If so, would rooting the phone and deleting some of the bloat help? Also, is it possible to remove Touchwiz from the official ROM? I'm a bit scared to try any other ROMs in case I brick my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's an easy one. Root and install one of the stock rooted GB Roms. No need to 'remove' TW. Just install another launcher (let's not start the 'which launcher is best' argument here) and then set that as default. TW will fade into the background and won't be used and your Note will be faster.
---------- Post added at 04:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:25 PM ----------
zkyevolved said:
The s3 also has a large battery, but .. the Note takes the cake.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only 2100mah I think? Not that big - nearly 20% smaller than the Note.
2) Samsung Galaxy Note
lol I know I am asking a lot but hoping y'all can help
I had the OPO (One Plus One) and the Op2 is not to my liking because my OPO filled up and ran out of storage. I have over 500 apps (don't ask lol) and use a lot of them.
That being said my OPO finally died. After almost 2 years I accidentally lost it in a buggy and the gears got the case and phone quite well unusable. I used to LOVE Samsung because of the external SD and easy ROM flashing with included root (superuser) in the rom. The S6 is nice but here we go again no external SD. The Note 5 is nice, but again no External SD.,
Sooooo.... Onto the Note 4. Quad core because t-mobile does not have the octa-core version for sale. Which is cool in many benchmarks I see ran for it the Snapdragon outperforms the Exyos. Also 4gb memory vs 3gb is not that much to write home about I won't miss too much. PLUS the Note 5 has no IR emitter for remote use so yea. I liked that feature. NOTE 4 IT IS.
The more I read up on it though the more I find issues and I want to be sure I can resolve them NOW vs later. Did many searches here so please do not tell me to search. Been there done that. I am overwhelmed and actually pretty happy that there is so much good development for the phone. But I find myself hours and hours of reading and still on the sideline wondering what I want.
Thus I figured I would ask you all, who have been there done that and find out what the differences are in what I want and what would fit me best. NOTE THIS IS A NOT WHATS BETTER THAN OTHER THREAD - JUST WANT SOME FACTS AND IDEAS WHAT WOULD SUIT ME BEST IN CHOOSING A CUSTOM ROM WITH ROOT ACCESS BUILT IN HOPEFULLY AND A KERNEL TO GO WITH THAT ROM.
I will be adding a zerolemon extended battery. I know after reading I need a Rom and/or kernel that supports this to show the right battery percentage. This has to be factored in.
Here's some other stuff I would like (not need, just a wish list) that may help you find me a nice rom and kernel combo. REMEMBER I AM JUST ASKING WHAT YOU THINK WOULD WORK FOR WHAT I NEED/WANT AND WHY. Thanks in advance for the help.
I would LIKE a nice black background texting and phone and contact look. In my Galaxy S4 I had a few years back one rom I installed was black with neon phone pad keys and a neon look to the contacts and even the texting was black with yellow and blue and red and green text bubbles - was so cool. I HATE white backgrounds or light color backgrounds, but alas if there is nothing avail it is what it is. I do use swiftkey and it has some cool dark keyboards but I mean the actual texting app and phone screen backgrounds.
As stated need a rom/kernel that has extended battery support
Do NOT need all the fancy CPU tweaks. Its cool to overclock and such but not needed. Either way - with or without overclocking is cool. I have rom toolbox pro so I can do most anything in there anyways.
Would LOVE extended volume controls and extended power menu so I have screenshot and boot into recovery and such on the power menu - but hey isn't that what xposed framework is for and I just install an app there that does it. lol Been there done that I LOVE xposed - but if a rom has this built in why not get it and save me a step
Speaking of xposed do any roms have xposed pre-installed? I know, asking for a lot here but if some do please top of the list. Otherwise will install xposed myself That's why I am doing a custom recovery. DO YOU suggest CWM or TWRP or?
NEED TO KNOW HOW ROM WORKS. Some I see are based on 5.1 lollipop some on older 4.4. I am all for upgrading to 5.1 (woohoo) my OPO was on 5.1 and loved it. I am thinking its easy to keep phone NO updates brand new out of box keep the 4.4 stock and put my own recovery and I can use a custom rom to jump to 5.1 so that way there is NO Samsung or t-mobile updates to lock anything. I remember in my Galaxy s4 my 1st one I made the MISTAKE of upgrading the stock o/s then my custom recovery showed the yellow 1 in the corner after I added my custom rom. After that did the rom 1st NO system updates - I figure its best to do the same here with Note 4 right? or??? PLUS I read the note 4 gets kinda buggy on 5.1 so hoping some awesome developers have fixed this and maybe some newer roms or older roms now updated have fixed this and the note 4 does 5.1 as smooth as 4.4 lol
Any other info? I am not locked on the Zerolemon - any ideas there too would help - but amazon has it for $55 now thats cheap for zerolemon and it has a case like otterbox with the belt clip so yayyyy Ultimately I would LOVE a waterproof case with extended battery but been searching a while for that no luck lol.
Thanks again people. I just got tired of searching all the roms and the reading hundreds of posts - some thousands of posts for extended battery support, then there's 100 ideas on best kernel to match and I find myself 20 pages from the last thread trying to see the most recent posts from past month or 2 seeing what is best now vs what was best when the rom 1st came out and comparing which is really best and its just too UGH! I am a technical guy and will be here for weeks checking everything out. I am finally just asking for your advice and what you think is best for what I want and narrow down my search a lil to keep me from being here so long doing it on my own.
MAINLY I AM JUST ASKING AFTER TRYING SEVERAL ROM AND KERNEL COMBINATIONS WHICH DO YOU FEEL ARE BEST SUITED FOR MY NEEDS AND WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND AND WHY - I DON'T WANT THIS IS BETTER THAN THIS JUST RECOMMENDATIONS ON GOOD ROMS WITH A KERNEL FOR THAT ROM OR MAYBE STAY STOCK KERNEL IDK.... U TELL ME WHAT YOU ALL FOUND THAT WORKS GOOD. THAT FIT THE ABOVE CRITERIA AND I WILL LOOK AT ALL AND CHOOSE WHAT I WANT.
you posted a question in the development section. Bruhh
Just read the rom ops
Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk
SelfElevated2 said:
you posted a question in development thread. Bruhh
Just read the rom ops
Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes posted the Q here as my Q is about development (roms and kernels) lol
drtechnology said:
Yes posted the Q here as my Q is about development (roms and kernels) lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lmao. Trust me it's in the wrong place. Development section is for the posting of Roms and kernels. Not questions.
Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 08:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:41 PM ----------
What you want is either note 4 general section or Q and a section
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SelfElevated2 said:
Lmao. Trust me it's in the wrong place. Development section is for the posting of Roms and kernels. Not questions.
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---------- Post added at 08:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:41 PM ----------
What you want is either note 4 general section or Q and a section
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ok ur right I guess lol- they can delete this or keep it - I will repost in another area - the right area
You have an addiction, and the fact that note 4 fulfils and surpases what you are looking for. Want help you 6 months down the road when you discover all the red dots all over ur body and start itching for another phonr. So no matter what section you write this on unless it's from rehab, you will not be satisfied with any answers. Take care and good luck!
drtechnology said:
lol I know I am asking a lot but hoping y'all can help
I had the OPO (One Plus One) and the Op2 is not to my liking because my OPO filled up and ran out of storage. I have over 500 apps (don't ask lol) and use a lot of them.
That being said my OPO finally died. After almost 2 years I accidentally lost it in a buggy and the gears got the case and phone quite well unusable. I used to LOVE Samsung because of the external SD and easy ROM flashing with included root (superuser) in the rom. The S6 is nice but here we go again no external SD. The Note 5 is nice, but again no External SD.,
Sooooo.... Onto the Note 4. Quad core because t-mobile does not have the octa-core version for sale. Which is cool in many benchmarks I see ran for it the Snapdragon outperforms the Exyos. Also 4gb memory vs 3gb is not that much to write home about I won't miss too much. PLUS the Note 5 has no IR emitter for remote use so yea. I liked that feature. NOTE 4 IT IS.
The more I read up on it though the more I find issues and I want to be sure I can resolve them NOW vs later. Did many searches here so please do not tell me to search. Been there done that. I am overwhelmed and actually pretty happy that there is so much good development for the phone. But I find myself hours and hours of reading and still on the sideline wondering what I want.
Thus I figured I would ask you all, who have been there done that and find out what the differences are in what I want and what would fit me best. NOTE THIS IS A NOT WHATS BETTER THAN OTHER THREAD - JUST WANT SOME FACTS AND IDEAS WHAT WOULD SUIT ME BEST IN CHOOSING A CUSTOM ROM WITH ROOT ACCESS BUILT IN HOPEFULLY AND A KERNEL TO GO WITH THAT ROM.
I will be adding a zerolemon extended battery. I know after reading I need a Rom and/or kernel that supports this to show the right battery percentage. This has to be factored in.
Here's some other stuff I would like (not need, just a wish list) that may help you find me a nice rom and kernel combo. REMEMBER I AM JUST ASKING WHAT YOU THINK WOULD WORK FOR WHAT I NEED/WANT AND WHY. Thanks in advance for the help.
I would LIKE a nice black background texting and phone and contact look. In my Galaxy S4 I had a few years back one rom I installed was black with neon phone pad keys and a neon look to the contacts and even the texting was black with yellow and blue and red and green text bubbles - was so cool. I HATE white backgrounds or light color backgrounds, but alas if there is nothing avail it is what it is. I do use swiftkey and it has some cool dark keyboards but I mean the actual texting app and phone screen backgrounds.
As stated need a rom/kernel that has extended battery support
Do NOT need all the fancy CPU tweaks. Its cool to overclock and such but not needed. Either way - with or without overclocking is cool. I have rom toolbox pro so I can do most anything in there anyways.
Would LOVE extended volume controls and extended power menu so I have screenshot and boot into recovery and such on the power menu - but hey isn't that what xposed framework is for and I just install an app there that does it. lol Been there done that I LOVE xposed - but if a rom has this built in why not get it and save me a step
Speaking of xposed do any roms have xposed pre-installed? I know, asking for a lot here but if some do please top of the list. Otherwise will install xposed myself That's why I am doing a custom recovery. DO YOU suggest CWM or TWRP or?
NEED TO KNOW HOW ROM WORKS. Some I see are based on 5.1 lollipop some on older 4.4. I am all for upgrading to 5.1 (woohoo) my OPO was on 5.1 and loved it. I am thinking its easy to keep phone NO updates brand new out of box keep the 4.4 stock and put my own recovery and I can use a custom rom to jump to 5.1 so that way there is NO Samsung or t-mobile updates to lock anything. I remember in my Galaxy s4 my 1st one I made the MISTAKE of upgrading the stock o/s then my custom recovery showed the yellow 1 in the corner after I added my custom rom. After that did the rom 1st NO system updates - I figure its best to do the same here with Note 4 right? or??? PLUS I read the note 4 gets kinda buggy on 5.1 so hoping some awesome developers have fixed this and maybe some newer roms or older roms now updated have fixed this and the note 4 does 5.1 as smooth as 4.4 lol
Any other info? I am not locked on the Zerolemon - any ideas there too would help - but amazon has it for $55 now thats cheap for zerolemon and it has a case like otterbox with the belt clip so yayyyy Ultimately I would LOVE a waterproof case with extended battery but been searching a while for that no luck lol.
Thanks again people. I just got tired of searching all the roms and the reading hundreds of posts - some thousands of posts for extended battery support, then there's 100 ideas on best kernel to match and I find myself 20 pages from the last thread trying to see the most recent posts from past month or 2 seeing what is best now vs what was best when the rom 1st came out and comparing which is really best and its just too UGH! I am a technical guy and will be here for weeks checking everything out. I am finally just asking for your advice and what you think is best for what I want and narrow down my search a lil to keep me from being here so long doing it on my own.
MAINLY I AM JUST ASKING AFTER TRYING SEVERAL ROM AND KERNEL COMBINATIONS WHICH DO YOU FEEL ARE BEST SUITED FOR MY NEEDS AND WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND AND WHY - I DON'T WANT THIS IS BETTER THAN THIS JUST RECOMMENDATIONS ON GOOD ROMS WITH A KERNEL FOR THAT ROM OR MAYBE STAY STOCK KERNEL IDK.... U TELL ME WHAT YOU ALL FOUND THAT WORKS GOOD. THAT FIT THE ABOVE CRITERIA AND I WILL LOOK AT ALL AND CHOOSE WHAT I WANT.
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If you post it in Q&A section, you'll get a lots of good reply & suggestions. About your question:
ROMs:
-TEKXodus N4 (most popular here, you have to flash either Emotion & Beast Mode kernel with it)
-N5 Express
-Maximum OvrDriVE
-ABSTRK Rom
-CM Remix
Kernel option:
-Emotion
-Beast Mode
Please remove the post from here, it looks bad in development section.
mtatohin said:
If you post it in Q&A section, you'll get a lots of good reply & suggestions. About your question:
ROMs:
-TEKXodus N4 (most popular here, you have to flash either Emotion & Beast Mode kernel with it)
-N5 Express
-Maximum OvrDriVE
-ABSTRK Rom
-CM Remix
Kernel option:
-Emotion
-Beast Mode
Please remove the post from here, it looks bad in development section.
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Click to collapse
It does not give me an option to delete my post or I would have. Waiting on a mod to do it
Plus I have this exact same question posted in Q&A - exact copy and no replies at all yet. So I was hoping posting in the correct area would work but alas has not
Thanks for the help. As long as those all do what I mentioned above I will check them all out and see the differences in each outside of what I want and choose what I feel is best! I am thinking, MAYBE if I can find a good Themer for root, I can just upgrade to stock 5.1.1 then root then theme my OS to a dark theme for dialer and sms and such.
AlbGol said:
You have an addiction, and the fact that note 4 fulfils and surpases what you are looking for. Want help you 6 months down the road when you discover all the red dots all over ur body and start itching for another phonr. So no matter what section you write this on unless it's from rehab, you will not be satisfied with any answers. Take care and good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My addiction is finding the perfect phone for what I use them for. I use them for holding my 500+ apps, loads of picture taking, video and movies and just everyday use
If you have not read my original post, The NOTE 5 is out. Sleeker, better body and newer. The Note 4 has a newer, better phone already - or so some think. T-Mobile ONLY has the 32gb. And an unlocked international 64gb or 128gb costs double that of note 4 and still has no SD card slot. On the other hand the Note 4 has 128GB SD and 32 GB Internal for 160 total. More than ANY note 5 will ever have.
Then for the benchmarks, after seeing several antutu and other programs comparing between the 2 phones, I find video and such is way higher on note 4. Sure Note 5 excels in memory but in processor is a lil less. Turns out Snapdragon's 4 core in Note 4 (which is what is in T-Mobile Version) slightly outperforms octa core Samsung Processor in International version. And think of it this way - Octa core breaks tasks up 2 ways 4 cores each. Quad core breaks tasks up into 4 ways single core each. Meaning better battery life as I am using only 1 core at a time for most stuff vs the minimum used ion octa core is 4 cores at once.
I LOVED My OPO - One Plus One - but the lack of an external SD even with all my cloud storage proved a deal breaker and its sad I loved that they were half the price as samsung and just as good The note 4 has SD card, has zerolemon - I will love it for years to come no worries
Depends on what you really want, but for me I like FireKat rom (4.4.4). With LoBoToMy black theme. I also use Xposed modules which work great on 4.4.4. 7 hours SOT is pretty easy on stock battery and one user has hit almost 10 hours (he also posted his method to achieve this and it is not by turning everything off). It's based on TouchWiz so you keep the great camera and spen functionality.
Note that if you are on 5.1.1 DOK2, you cannot downgrade and your options are more limited.
Also, in general, use twrp and cf-autoroot. And just install Xposed yourself.
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Cm 13 Remix if you wants AOSP, it's got a ton of stuff added on top which is why it's "remix". It is probably closet to what would be on a OPO.
TEKHD it you like custom development. His ROM is a Frankenstein version of Touchwiz. Looks beautiful runs great. Great sound enhancing mods.
Also you can try stock systemless rooted, if you just want to get used to TouchWiz.
Really all of the ROMs that have active development right now a good. But the 3 above would be a good place to look first just to narrow down you search.
I am using official CM12. It's not the latest and greatest, but I find CM12 to be nexus stable. I do miss having marshmallow but the CM13 remix rom I had difficulty with getting started.