Related
Hello. I have a few questions for JB. I was expecting most of these to be gone, but still haven't found a solution so I thought I'd ask.
So, is there a way to save contacts to google contacts BY DEFAULT?
scooterlord said:
Hello. I have a few questions for JB. I was expecting most of these to be gone, but still haven't found a solution so I thought I'd ask.
So, is there a way to save contacts to google contacts BY DEFAULT?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They do, don't they? I don't think anyone's gonna give you a mod just so you don't have to tap one window before you add a contact
Sent from my rooted P880
I wasn't expecting a mod, maybe something I missed out. That's why I hate my switch from iOS to android. In iOS you have every feature you could have thought to need, just waiting for you to use it.
I'm sorry, but I can't help from laughing at that comment!!
Tcm9669 said:
I'm sorry, but I can't help from laughing at that comment!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:/ laugh all you want. Facts are facts.
scooterlord said:
I wasn't expecting a mod, maybe something I missed out. That's why I hate my switch from iOS to android. In iOS you have every feature you could have thought to need, just waiting for you to use it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're actually kidding right? IOS is the most bland closed featureless system there is. Lets see what android can do that IOS can't
1. Insert SDcard
2. No limits on how big apps are when downloading with 3G
3. Live wallpaper
4. Install stuff from anywhere you want, no jailbreak (root to us) required
5. Better specs, cheaper price
6. Root, roms etc
7. Don't need itunes to move files around
8. Themes
9. £30 to repair in a shop instead of over £100
10. You're in the wrong place to insult android, go away
Sent from my rooted P880
@non4 said:
You're actually kidding right? IOS is the most bland closed featureless system there is. Lets see what android can do that IOS can't
1. Insert SDcard
2. No limits on how big apps are when downloading with 3G
3. Live wallpaper
4. Install stuff from anywhere you want, no jailbreak (root to us) required
5. Better specs, cheaper price
6. Root, roms etc
7. Don't need itunes to move files around
8. Themes
9. £30 to repair in a shop instead of over £100
10. You're in the wrong place to insult android, go away
Sent from my rooted P880
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although I wasn't expecting this kind of answer, I will still reply. I am not a fanboy, both oses have their pros and cons. Hardware-wise, android might be one generation ahead (check your list above), but software-wise it has a long way to mature until it reaches iOS standards.
You might feel like you have freedom, but probably have been visiting this forum waiting for the unlocked bootloader - so, the need to jailbreak is the same as this one. Once jailbroken on the iphone, you have no need of itunes, no need of anything. As for sds, batteris etc, personally I never ran out of data space on my 16gb device.
What android users don't see (or can't accept) for the apple devices are three things.
a) Accessories - tell me if you have found a decent case/car mount/pod base/WHATEVER for your android device.
b) the iOS experience is the same EVERY SINGLE TIME. No lags, no hangups. Once speedy-ALWAYS speedy. Just try one and see. I don't know why android keeps re-optimizing my email, I don't know why sometimes a 4-core cellphone lags to enter the call list, sometimes lags even on the home screen - never happened on my..(wait for it) 3GS!
c) Apple Store is AGES ahead play store - quality stuff ONLY. Keep in mind that devs use iOS to develop and PORT to android later.
As I said.. facts are facts.
Want a closed up featureless OS that is a compleate waste for more powerfull phones?
Check out Windows Phone.
---------- Post added at 01:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:29 PM ----------
scooterlord said:
a) Accessories - tell me if you have found a decent case/car mount/pod base/WHATEVER for your android device.
b) the iOS experience is the same EVERY SINGLE TIME. No lags, no hangups. Once speedy-ALWAYS speedy. Just try one and see. I don't know why android keeps re-optimizing my email, I don't know why sometimes a 4-core cellphone lags to enter the call list, sometimes lags even on the home screen - never happened on my..(wait for it) 3GS!
c) Apple Store is AGES ahead play store - quality stuff ONLY. Keep in mind that devs use iOS to develop and PORT to android later.
As I said.. facts are facts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to say he is right on this one... I have an iPod Touch 4 and it hardly lags with anything.
As for the Store, they have only quality stuff because App Store carefully checks every submission to see if it's worthy to end up there.
Developers pay 100$ to submit an app, so you can bet yourself they will work hard on it.
Android takes 30$ for submission, you can submit an app that only had a big red button to open google and it'll still end up in Play Store.
I had an iphone and I hated it, got straight back to android as soon as I could. What apple really does is block good devs from getting their apps in, look at kaalus having issues with survivalcraft, and they do let junk on there too. Its smooth, but thats it, my o4x is smooth too. I don't give a damn about cases, and as for the bootloader thats unfortunate but I still choose android. Android is open source and its functionality can be expanded a lot more than iphone without even rooting it. Its a closed system designed to filter all your money to apple. And not to mention they break so damn easy!
Sent from my rooted P880
and do you know why devs start dev'ing on iOS phones? cause they're all the same... same size, HW and so on. it is way harder to develop an android app, cause you need to support (LDPI), MDPI, HDPI, XHDPI, completely different chipsets/hardware in general. and another question? do you know why it is "smooth"? because you need to optimize the rom only one time and it fits to all devices. BTW, have you ever seen a real custom rom or even a recovery on an apple device? i haven't.
if you know what you're doing, android is way better than iOS. it can be way smoother and faster. and the most important thing about android: it is OPEN SOURCE.
if you hate android that much, why did you even buy it? you're of course free to leave.
So let's keep it with that and back to topic.
laufersteppenwolf said:
and do you know why devs start dev'ing on iOS phones? cause they're all the same... same size, HW and so on. it is way harder to develop an android app, cause you need to support (LDPI), MDPI, HDPI, XHDPI, completely different chipsets/hardware in general. and another question? do you know why it is "smooth"? because you need to optimize the rom only one time and it fits to all devices. BTW, have you ever seen a real custom rom or even a recovery on an apple device? i haven't.
if you know what you're doing, android is way better than iOS. it can be way smoother and faster. and the most important thing about android: it is OPEN SOURCE.
if you hate android that much, why did you even buy it? you're of course free to leave.
So let's keep it with that and back to topic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not that I hate Android, it's just that I find iOS better in some cases. And that's about it. The phone I got as a gift, and previously being an owner of an android tablet I thought I'd adjust and see great improvements - which unfortunately I didn't. It's just a matter of preference though and it stems from the individual's needs.
As you said, back to topic, is there a solution to what I am asking? I saw my friends Galaxy S3 last night and he selects it only ONCE and it's autoselected after that. So, any ideas?
scooterlord said:
It's not that I hate Android, it's just that I find iOS better in some cases. And that's about it. The phone I got as a gift, and previously being an owner of an android tablet I thought I'd adjust and see great improvements - which unfortunately I didn't. It's just a matter of preference though and it stems from the individual's needs.
As you said, back to topic, is there a solution to what I am asking? I saw my friends Galaxy S3 last night and he selects it only ONCE and it's autoselected after that. So, any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe there is on s3, but not ours as far as I know. I don't see the big deal at all, you got arthritis in your thumb? No but seriously I don't know just tap the option and live with it if someone knows they will surely tell you
Sent from my rooted P880
scooterlord said:
I wasn't expecting a mod, maybe something I missed out. That's why I hate my switch from iOS to android. In iOS you have every feature you could have thought to need, just waiting for you to use it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just wanted to fix this for you, since this is the basis of this argument:
In iOS you have every feature you're used to just the way you like it*.
* - or the way you're used to - sometimes it's hard to tell the difference, since "the way you like it" is usually as good as the best way you found of doing something.. if something better comes along, it becomes "the way you like it".
IMO, the great thing about Android is that you can adapt the features to the way you want it. Same thing goes for LG's UI and Sammy's TouchWiz - if you don't like the things they added to the stock Android, you can install a launcher more suited to your needs (and more flexible too). Same goes for the basic apps for SMS, Email, etc. And you might think the iOS does it right on the first try (as do some Nexus users), but the fact you have alternatives is a plus for me.
And the reason it's not completely Off-Topic is this: the same applies to your question. The S3 might have something done differently than the LG, because they made different design choices. Some people might not liking to have every contact of theirs in their Google account (as many are still distrustful of Google's privacy rules), so LG preferred to have people choose everytime. S3 chose a set-it-and-forget-it POV, which some people might prefer, while others might not. And if you don't like the way it is in the phone you got, just get an app that does it the way you want it.
Or develop it (another HUGE plus for Android, IMO).
skryptus said:
I just wanted to fix this for you, since this is the basis of this argument:
In iOS you have every feature you're used to just the way you like it*.
* - or the way you're used to - sometimes it's hard to tell the difference, since "the way you like it" is usually as good as the best way you found of doing something.. if something better comes along, it becomes "the way you like it".
IMO, the great thing about Android is that you can adapt the features to the way you want it. Same thing goes for LG's UI and Sammy's TouchWiz - if you don't like the things they added to the stock Android, you can install a launcher more suited to your needs (and more flexible too). Same goes for the basic apps for SMS, Email, etc. And you might think the iOS does it right on the first try (as do some Nexus users), but the fact you have alternatives is a plus for me.
And the reason it's not completely Off-Topic is this: the same applies to your question. The S3 might have something done differently than the LG, because they made different design choices. Some people might not liking to have every contact of theirs in their Google account (as many are still distrustful of Google's privacy rules), so LG preferred to have people choose everytime. S3 chose a set-it-and-forget-it POV, which some people might prefer, while others might not. And if you don't like the way it is in the phone you got, just get an app that does it the way you want it.
Or develop it (another HUGE plus for Android, IMO).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very well said. Trouble with apple is it does it one way, and only one way. With android theres several ways to do one thing. The longer you use android the more shortcuts you can learn and it really starts to flow, android grows on you, apple is more noob friendly
Sent from my rooted P880
It's not a big deal but I'd like to automatic save my contacts on google acount or smartphone memory, cause I use to forget to tick the option and my contacts keep beeing saved on the SIM card.
back on topic, default save location
So... I used search and found this iphone rant, instead of trying to post something in a new topic, lets do something insane and try to get an XDA topic back ON topic
Previous phones supported default save locations so I thought i missed something, here are tutorials for other roms:
http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/20432/android-auto-save-contacts-to-phone-or-sim-card-by-default/
http://genius-tips.com/change-default-save-location-for-contacts-in-android/
Why it matters, I quickly save contacts without looking at the location and later discover they are gone, this is because I only show google contacts.
_
Finalbrez said:
I'm considering buying a Galaxy S6. I've barely even used android, but I hate touchwiz already. I hate it for one main reason, the notification tray. I cannot stand that at all. I've looked into a some options for removing touchwiz, such as running an AOSP based rom, but that apparently isn't going to be supported for a while. Is there anyway to get the notification tray to look like a nexus device where a double swipe will get you the toggles? I am currently using an iPhone that has been jailbroken, and have been playing with the SDK. I don't really have a problem building AOSP from source, as long as its relatively simple. If it is not really possible for an AOSP rom to be built on my own, what would an eta be on a AOSP rom for it be?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know of any way to change the notification tray unless you install an AOSP ROM. Which doesn't exist right now. Change home launcher? Of course. Notification tray. Nope lol
Building AOSP from source would be a big challenge as Samsung is known for not providing proper documentation for its Exynos processors. This was the case till the last one, i.e. Exynos 5433. Not sure how it is now. Touchwiz provides a lot of theming options which changes the notification tray.
Please play with one of the phones at a store before considering buying it. Buying it to run AOSP ROMS might be a futile exercise as of now.
_
Finalbrez said:
That's really going to be a deal breaker then. Sadly, it looks like I will be going for an older phone like the Note 4 or Nexus 6.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
while i love my S6...i sure do miss my Note 4. The lack of dev work (which i understand) is hurting my soul lol Not complaining...i cant make a ROM and i strictly rely on their work. I am grateful...but i am also an "addict" and need rom and mod options lol
The g3 broke my flashing addiction so thats no longer a issue for me but I still want to tweak the ui without heavy modding, Samsung us going to give us that option. They have a theming program that will support the s6 this summer. Maybe hold out until that is released and see what it can and cannot do before you commit to a device.
v2.2v said:
while i love my S6...i sure do miss my Note 4. The lack of dev work (which i understand) is hurting my soul lol Not complaining...i cant make a ROM and i strictly rely on their work. I am grateful...but i am also an "addict" and need rom and mod options lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As much as I love my S6 I do miss my Note as well. I got rid of it just as CM went official...
Sent from my SM-G920W8 using XDA Free mobile app
Hey guys, just a quick question, is Cataclysm rom built off of a genuine stock system.img like the ones hosted on the google dev site? Or is some of it AOSP based? And if it is from stock genuine Android, isn't there some kind of legal issue with that? Just wondering this, I use Cataclysm and I LOVE IT! It's my daily driver! Thanks all!
H4X0R46 said:
Hey guys, just a quick question, is Cataclysm rom built off of a genuine stock system.img like the ones hosted on the google dev site? Or is some of it AOSP based? And if it is from stock genuine Android, isn't there some kind of legal issue with that? Just wondering this, I use Cataclysm and I LOVE IT! It's my daily driver! Thanks all!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The dev had an explanation of how it worked on the original thread. Android is open source and google releases sources for all the nexus devices and they also conveniently package them into flashable images to fix things. There was at least 1 release where the dev had to wait for the source to come out even though the factory images were out in order to do anything. So in short no there's no legal issue. The dev used open source files and modified them for non-profit. The reason no one else really does that type of mod is due to the fact that AOSP mods are widespread and people can just use others' code to incorporate them into the rom (or just use CM). Or if the dev is particularly dedicated then they might use an AOSP base because they want to keep up with all the bleeding edge enhancements to android which may or may not have any real benefit. When you target just 1 device by using its stock rom source then the mods have to be made for specifically that device (and why would anyone create code for 1 device when they could just use what works on virtually all devices) though the Nexuses are evidently similar enough to port between them hence the N5, 6, 5x, and 6p versions. The use of the stock source however meant that you kept the "rock solid stability" that Google's team of software engineers created so the dev could focus on adding features because the base he was working on was solid.
StykerB said:
The dev had an explanation of how it worked on the original thread. Android is open source and google releases sources for all the nexus devices and they also conveniently package them into flashable images to fix things. There was at least 1 release where the dev had to wait for the source to come out even though the factory images were out in order to do anything. So in short no there's no legal issue. The dev used open source files and modified them for non-profit. The reason no one else really does that type of mod is due to the fact that AOSP mods are widespread and people can just use others' code to incorporate them into the rom (or just use CM). When you target just 1 device by using its stock rom source then the mods have to be made for specifically that device (and why would anyone create code for 1 device when they could just use what works on virtually all devices) though the Nexuses are evidently similar enough to port between them hence the N5, 6, 5x, and 6p versions. The use of the stock source however meant that you kept the "rock solid stability" that Google's team of software engineers created so the dev could focus on adding features because the base he was working on was solid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So all in all, Cataclysm is using stock Android and not AOSP, but done in a way that there are no legal issues? So in essence, flashing the system.img file from the dev site and adding Cataclysm mod to it is the the exact same difference as using the full Cataclysm installer? No AOSP added?
StykerB said:
.... "rock solid stability" that Google's team of software engineers created
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That has a price:
- white ui, grey text on white bad readable; especially with sunlight;
- white background causes battery drain on amoled displays;
- pesky search bar; not removable or change to transparent;
- no option to change to a dark theme;
- N6 full resolution 2560 x 1440 not used;
- N6 native resolution = 493. G. sets it to 560 dpi;
- no option to kill running apps;
- code to use layers can't be used without rooting;
- G-apps not predestinated for layers.....etc.
NLBeev said:
That has a price:
- white ui, grey text on white bad readable; especially with sunlight;
- white background causes battery drain on amoled displays;
- pesky search bar; not removable or change to transparent;
- no option to change to a dark theme;
- N6 full resolution 2560 x 1440 not used;
- N6 native resolution = 493. G. sets it to 560 dpi;
- no option to kill running apps;
- code to use layers can't be used without rooting;
- G-apps not predestinated for layers.....etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes but would you rather not have something solid for people to build on? some of those things aren't even about stability... like the full resolution thing? assuming you're referring to onscreen buttons, and DPI is always on every device set in multiples of 80 for app standardization reasons. The overlay code for layers wasn't intended to be used for theming. Hence why google only used it for stuff like the ATT boot animation. and Google's apps and OS are separate and shouldn't be expected to adhere to a modding community's theme engine that they don't support. And dark themes were probably a design decision rather than actual stability issue.
StykerB said:
.....some of those things aren't even about stability... like the full resolution thing?....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right my list is not about stability only.
Using the N6 now for more than a year. I've seen a beta version with a dark theme, but it was removed. Why? Stability issues ?
To make the N6 acceptable for my daily use, especially battery life and readability, I had to change a lot of things. That has consequences for the stability. The N6 is still stable but I wouldn't say rock stable.
So all in all cataclysm is built using real Android? The main question in this thread lol But yea, AOSP does have it pros and cons as well as stock, I have to play devils advocate here and say that all roms do have their differences.
H4X0R46 said:
So all in all cataclysm is built using real Android? The main question in this thread lol But yea, AOSP does have it pros and cons as well as stock, I have to play devils advocate here and say that all roms do have their differences.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes what he did was use the stock android package. But make no mistake. AOSP is the real android. There are very few diff between what google releases and AOSP. The main diff is thie closed sourced stuff Google adds.
zelendel said:
Yes what he did was use the stock android package. But make no mistake. AOSP is the real android. There are very few diff between what google releases and AOSP. The main diff is thie closed sourced stuff Google adds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I was never sure just how much stuff is taken out of AOSP, but it's just small differences then. Glad I know that now! And hey, since we're on the subject, how are gapps legal? Aren't gapps those closed source bits that google DOES omit from AOSP? Play store and background things? Like, I know there's some legal thing where gapps shouldn't be preinstalled in an AOSP rom, but what's the grey area with gapps? Thanks again for the detailed description! Learning these things is good lol
If you have a look around, legal means very little here.
Google has only issued a C&D order to CM to not enclude it in their roms. This is why no aosp has them built in by default.
zelendel said:
If you have a look around, legal means very little here.
Google has only issued a C&D order to CM to not enclude it in their roms. This is why no aosp has them built in by default.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL I had a feeling that was the case here on XDA haha but I love Android and the development is HUGE! No other mobile OS can match Google's Android! Thanks for answering my questions man! Appreciate the help! Have a good rest of the night! Or day depending on where you're from, I'm from USA lol
H4X0R46 said:
LOL I had a feeling that was the case here on XDA haha but I love Android and the development is HUGE! No other mobile OS can match Google's Android! Thanks for answering my questions man! Appreciate the help! Have a good rest of the night! Or day depending on where you're from, I'm from USA lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im in the US as well. Well kinda lol I live in Alaska.
Yes it is but that might becoming to an end soon. With more and more people closing off their source. This is a good and bad thing. We will see what happens. Also more and more OEM are gonna lock down their devices so people will have to pic. Things like mobile pay or modding their device.
zelendel said:
Im in the US as well. Well kinda lol I live in Alaska.
Yes it is but that might becoming to an end soon. With more and more people closing off their source. This is a good and bad thing. We will see what happens. Also more and more OEM are gonna lock down their devices so people will have to pic. Things like mobile pay or modding their device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea it's awful that people are making everything closed source! I'm a person who loves to tinker with my things, modded game consoles and phones and all, my hobby haha I just hope Android always stays open source! AOSP anyways. And are they starting to make Android devices more secure and non moddable? I hope the Nexus line always stays developer friendly, because I bought a Nexus for the sake of tinkering with it lol
H4X0R46 said:
Yea it's awful that people are making everything closed source! I'm a person who loves to tinker with my things, modded game consoles and phones and all, my hobby haha I just hope Android always stays open source! AOSP anyways. And are they starting to make Android devices more secure and non moddable? I hope the Nexus line always stays developer friendly, because I bought a Nexus for the sake of tinkering with it lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly. It because of script kiddies. The ones that just build from others source and post roms. Doing nothing but changing some text. To be honest all it would take is Google to stop pushing code to aosp. Android development would die off at that point.
Yeah if you look at things like Samsung, some devices are not even rootable, Sony, if you unlock the bootloader you lose the camera functions, even China based companies are locking bootloaders. Xiaomi just started doing this and have refused to give some the unlock because it goes against their business plan.
As for the nexus. We should be OK but then you have things like the Mm kernel that was a pain to get root on. And you lose mobile payments. Also more and more apps are looking for things like root and xposed and then refusing to work if they are installed.
zelendel said:
Honestly. It because of script kiddies. The ones that just build from others source and post roms. Doing nothing but changing some text. To be honest all it would take is Google to stop pushing code to aosp. Android development would die off at that point.
Yeah if you look at things like Samsung, some devices are not even rootable, Sony, if you unlock the bootloader you lose the camera functions, even China based companies are locking bootloaders. Xiaomi just started doing this and have refused to give some the unlock because it goes against their business plan.
As for the nexus. We should be OK but then you have things like the Mm kernel that was a pain to get root on. And you lose mobile payments. Also more and more apps are looking for things like root and xposed and then refusing to work if they are installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've definitely heard of apps looking for root and for xposed framework (both of which I can't live without and use), and a lot of phones from certain companies are completely out of my interest because of no moddability. I wonder if it's even possible to root newer Samsung phones because of Knox security, and I won't even touch an Xperia, I've heard that they merge a lot of partitions, like boot and recovery and things like that, too confusing and not worth it to me. I just hope Android development stays strong in the Nexus scene at least, I love my Nexus!
Also, why do almost all AOSP ROMs have the "KitKat" sounds? Is that just what's released in AOSP? The "knocking" sounds I mean.
H4X0R46 said:
Also, why do almost all AOSP ROMs have the "KitKat" sounds? Is that just what's released in AOSP? The "knocking" sounds I mean.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be honest I never noticed. I don't use any of the stock sounds.
H4X0R46 said:
I've definitely heard of apps looking for root and for xposed framework (both of which I can't live without and use), and a lot of phones from certain companies are completely out of my interest because of no moddability. I wonder if it's even possible to root newer Samsung phones because of Knox security, and I won't even touch an Xperia, I've heard that they merge a lot of partitions, like boot and recovery and things like that, too confusing and not worth it to me. I just hope Android development stays strong in the Nexus scene at least, I love my Nexus!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont think the Nexus line will see many issues other then root becoming harder to get.
Some Samsung devices cant be rooted. Like my buddy that is a samsung fan has a note 4, note 5 and a few Galaxy s5 in his house and all of them are locked down.
More and more people are too worried about things like warranty to even bother really. I even waited on updating the n6 until root was gotten for it.
Pretty sure those can be rooted but you trip Knox which voids warranty. I haven't looked at Sammy phones since I had my S4 but I know the Note 4 and S5 had ROMs.
HipKat said:
Pretty sure those can be rooted but you trip Knox which voids warranty. I haven't looked at Sammy phones since I had my S4 but I know the Note 4 and S5 had ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope no root for the note 5. Only some can be. The tmobile version doesn't lock the bootloader but the rest do.
As tripping Knox is not an option for many as it voids their warranty but flashing roms does that anyway.
Just got the Mi 8 after 7 years on iPhone.
At first, I felt like MIUI 9's UI was quite dated. Now, MIUI 10 is rocking Material Design that fits better with the rest of Android. Yay!
Having said that, I'm not yet sure what kind of software updates/maintenance to expect from both Google and Xiaomi...
So far, I notice that there are some inconsistencies and annoying bugs due to the MIUI layer. Lack of "Ok Google", One-handed mode tends to stop working, Text to speech is missing, the text editing is sometimes MIUI sometimes Android, etc etc etc... While there are nice things about MIUI as well for sure.
Ok...
Overall, I want to prepare myself for the kind of attention I'll pay to maintain this phone in the next year or two.
Thinking if I should install custom ROMs and how often I should spend the time to customize & fix little things.
Based on your experience with Xiaomi and Android in general, how much will the manufacturer take care of things for me so "it just works"?
Normally I would recommend you to buy a pixel phone, it's the best Android you can have if you use to have iPhone.
Prepare yourself to wait for updates and new features from Android.
The problem with others companies it's that next year you'll have mi9 and they will get there attention, so the updates Will be first to the new versions.
On Google pixel and iPhone that doesn't happen.
To my that's the problem with Xiaomi, Samsung, etc etc
anthroplus said:
Just got the Mi 8 after 7 years on iPhone.
At first, I felt like MIUI 9's UI was quite dated. Now, MIUI 10 is rocking Material Design that fits better with the rest of Android. Yay!
Having said that, I'm not yet sure what kind of software updates/maintenance to expect from both Google and Xiaomi...
So far, I notice that there are some inconsistencies and annoying bugs due to the MIUI layer. Lack of "Ok Google", One-handed mode tends to stop working, Text to speech is missing, the text editing is sometimes MIUI sometimes Android, etc etc etc... While there are nice things about MIUI as well for sure.
Ok...
Overall, I want to prepare myself for the kind of attention I'll pay to maintain this phone in the next year or two.
Thinking if I should install custom ROMs and how often I should spend the time to customize & fix little things.
Based on your experience with Xiaomi and Android in general, how much will the manufacturer take care of things for me so "it just works"?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You probably will get now the next 4 years updates from MIUI, so it's no problem. In the worst case just flash a custom rom if necessary
anthroplus said:
So far, I notice that there are some inconsistencies and annoying bugs due to the MIUI layer. Lack of "Ok Google", One-handed mode tends to stop working, Text to speech is missing, the text editing is sometimes MIUI sometimes Android, etc etc etc... While there are nice things about MIUI as well for sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok Google is broken on many many many devices, even Samsung ones. Voice match is grayed out and you can't voice retrain it.
NightScap3 said:
You probably will get now the next 4 years updates from MIUI, so it's no problem. In the worst case just flash a custom rom if necessary
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool stuff.
So far, I'm getting the impression that Xiaomi is particularly good at software upgrades.
In general, I want updated software regardless of the new stuff coming from Google or Xiaomi.
ArmedandDangerous said:
Ok Google is broken on many many many devices, even Samsung ones. Voice match is grayed out and you can't voice retrain it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see... Seems like I'll have to live with these things related to Android in general.
I'm learning to enjoy using parts that work while training myself to ignore buggy stuff... As if they were never an option.
By focusing on features that work (no more and no less), it's far easier to enjoy this device.
But of course. Easier said than done. There's always temptation to feel FOMO for knowing that these basic things are supposed to actually work.
anthroplus said:
Just got the Mi 8 after 7 years on iPhone.
At first, I felt like MIUI 9's UI was quite dated. Now, MIUI 10 is rocking Material Design that fits better with the rest of Android. Yay!
Having said that, I'm not yet sure what kind of software updates/maintenance to expect from both Google and Xiaomi...
So far, I notice that there are some inconsistencies and annoying bugs due to the MIUI layer. Lack of "Ok Google", One-handed mode tends to stop working, Text to speech is missing, the text editing is sometimes MIUI sometimes Android, etc etc etc... While there are nice things about MIUI as well for sure.
Ok...
Overall, I want to prepare myself for the kind of attention I'll pay to maintain this phone in the next year or two.
Thinking if I should install custom ROMs and how often I should spend the time to customize & fix little things.
Based on your experience with Xiaomi and Android in general, how much will the manufacturer take care of things for me so "it just works"?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome to the world of Xiaomi. Dated MIUI 9? HOW DARE YOU We have a wonderful theme store with tons of themes, something that cannot be said for other manufacturers that have added theme stores or theme apps (cough cough Asus). I'll give you a detailed summary of how things work.
UPDATES, MIUI, ANDROID:
A LARGE majority of Xiaomi smartphone users buy it for the chap price and expect it to work like every other Android smartphone; Android updates bring you features. That is totally fine, but many seem upset when their phone is still rocking an ancient version of Android as compared to other phones (both other brands and Xiaomi phones as well). For MIUI, this is not the case, and again, people still haven't realized this sadly. Xiaomi pushes features and improvements through MIUI versions, so for the most part, Android versions are irrelevant to us. Obviously some features from the Android version are important such as the upcoming support for notches and multiple cameras, but for the MIUI ecosystem, everything you need to for your experience comes in the form of MIUI updates. Focus on MIUI version updates first, unless there is something very important in an upcoming Android version.
FEATURES, IMPROVEMENTS, BUGS and YOU:
Your opinions DO matter, many of the features present on MIUI came from the voiced opinions of users like you and I. Second space, dual apps, themes, etc. Many of the are thanks to what we have made of it. This is the same for bugs. There is a feedback app within the phone which is in the Tools folder of most if not all official MIUI versions. Do provide screenshots and suggestions, they are listening, and I myself have seen bugs I have mentioned be fixed in later versions. Could have been me, could have been millions of people who noticed it as well. I think MIUI 7 was the most successful MIUI version out there in terms of overall stability, but I could be wrong
DEVICE QUALITY:
Obviously cheaper devices will demonstrate that they are cheap at some point. Most Xiaomi phones are solid companions, but the lower priced devices tend to suck at times. I owned the Redmi Note 2, and boy the battery life was dreadfull. Some other mid range devices of theirs have physical issues. I owned a Mi Max, it began to slightly bend like the iPhone 6 Plus. The Redmi Note 3 Pro had what seemed like paint on the antenna areas that was chipping off from just putting it in my pocket. The Mi A1 unfortunately had a major issue with the power button that many experienced, and after a drop in it's case, the screen began to lift slightly. This is not at all to scare you as things happen, and all of those phones were outstanding in terms of performance and battery life. Not to mention that all of these phones have been top notch perfomers (no, thats not a pun). Their flagships are pretty darn good for the price, same goes for quality in these. Another thing to note, flagships have better band support than the mid range or lower end (even if they have a Snapdragon processor). This is why I gave the Mi A1 up. I had LTE, but no data during calls, calls would not come though because of the lack of 3G or even 2G support for my carrier, no VoLTE and so on.
CUSTOM ROMS AND XIAOMI PHONES:
Not a good mix in my own experience, but there are some great roms. It's gotten better now that Xiaomi releases source codes even though it takes them a while, but usually the common issue is a lack of a variety of official roms, with many being buggy ports or so on. I hate LineageOS, but typically other roms use this as a base instead of being built from scratch. This is usually what I have come across Xiaomi phones, but who am I to talk, I love MIUI and have not touched a custom rom on Xiaomi phones since the...well A1 actually. MIUI is not for everyone however. There are some setbacks to some of their featues. The browser app for example is great, but auto playing videos gets very annoying, and it falls behind many other browsers out there (I use Chrome). Heavily modified manufacturer builds of Android such as MIUI usually runs better than custom roms though, so keep in mind that you may not get the 6 hour average of screen on time with heavy usage, or may experience more heat, etc.
THINGS YOU MENTIONED:
Now for some of the specific things you mentioned, MIUI always seemed to want to distance itself from Google, but it has gotten better over time. Look at the Mi A1 and A2 for example. I believe that these features just need better implementing. One thing I miss about stock Android is the newsfeed on the left side of home, like the iPhone. I don't understand why the MIUI launcher even had this section, it is useless as all it does is display things I could care less about, and I have to go to the Google app to access this newsfeed. Text to speech I believe now resides within the Google keyboard? Go to Settings > Additional Settings > Languages and Input > under Input Methods > Gboard > Preferences and enable Voice input key. Now you can tap the mic on the top right of the keyboard and talk to type. The text editing MIUI vs Google part has me confused. I believe it might depend on which app you use? If it's a Google app, it's a Google thing, if it's a MIUI app it's a MIUI thing maybe? If you could give some examples, I could investigate and see if there is a proper workaround.
BONUS:
A few secrets! VoLTE not working for you? Try changing your region to India or Hong Kong. Notifications not arriving on time or at all? This is a default battery saving featue, go to Settings > Battery & performance > under Battery Saver tap Choose apps and look for the app that's not receiving notifications (example Kik) and set to No restrictions. Missing your Facebook (or other app) chat heads? Go to Settings > Permissions > Other permissions and select the app in question. You will see Display pop-up window is disabled (red circle with an "X"), tap it and tap Accept. This is commonly referred to as drawing over other apps. I keep it off since it sometimes becomes a headache for changing other app's requested permissions on the fly. This is something that was added to Android after I believe Android 5.0 or so. It's a "security" feature, but if you just installed a new app lets say, have a Facebook chat head open, and that new app requests permission for contacts or so on, it may tell you to turn off the drawing app to change the permission, so I guess this explains why Xiaomi decided to keep it off by default.
anthroplus said:
I see... Seems like I'll have to live with these things related to Android in general.
I'm learning to enjoy using parts that work while training myself to ignore buggy stuff... As if they were never an option.
By focusing on features that work (no more and no less), it's far easier to enjoy this device.
But of course. Easier said than done. There's always temptation to feel FOMO for knowing that these basic things are supposed to actually work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's actually the first time I've experienced a bug with any of Google's own apps. Frustrating since it's a new phone and I can't use it to it's full extent, but it'll fix itself eventually soon
ArmedandDangerous said:
It's actually the first time I've experienced a bug with any of Google's own apps. Frustrating since it's a new phone and I can't use it to it's full extent, but it'll fix itself eventually soon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looking forward to the fix!
Google Assistant is a major selling point that got me to move from iOS (Siri) to Android.
Thanks for the thoughtful reply!
Crossvxm said:
We have a wonderful theme store with tons of themes, something that cannot be said for other manufacturers that have added theme stores or theme apps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hear you... It's just that I'd rather stick to stock Xiaomi themes as most themes come with hiccups. Could be a couple missing icons or generally hit & miss quality.
In any case, I'm delighted by where MIUI 10 is visually and where it's headed!
Crossvxm said:
For MIUI, this is not the case, and again, people still haven't realized this sadly. Xiaomi pushes features and improvements through MIUI versions, so for the most part, Android versions are irrelevant to us. Obviously some features from the Android version are important such as the upcoming support for notches and multiple cameras, but for the MIUI ecosystem, everything you need to for your experience comes in the form of MIUI updates. Focus on MIUI version updates first, unless there is something very important in an upcoming Android version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great point! I'm embracing this now actually.
MIUI is far better than TouchWiz, EMUI, and whatnot.
It doesn't matter if the updates come from Google or Xiaomi. I just want enough vendor attention so my phone stays secure and generally updated.
If Xiaomi can offer its own flavor of upgrades, I don't really care about missing out on Google's. Especially since I didn't buy the phone from them.
Crossvxm said:
CUSTOM ROMS AND XIAOMI PHONES... so keep in mind that you may not get the 6 hour average of screen on time with heavy usage, or may experience more heat, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm most inclined to keep it simple and just use the latest & greatest stable software from the manufacturer.
My hope is that Xiaomi will take care of me enough so I'd focus on using my phone over trying to do the job that I paid them to do.
Crossvxm said:
One thing I miss about stock Android is the newsfeed on the left side of home, like the iPhone. I don't understand why the MIUI launcher even had this section, it is useless as all it does is display things I could care less about, and I have to go to the Google app to access this newsfeed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I miss it too but I'm learning to accept that configuring this feature on my own is a hassle that I'd rather ignore.
I'd rather enjoy the Poco Launcher, which works well with the rest of MIUI. Without trying to make my phone mimic Google's ways.
Crossvxm said:
Text to speech I believe now resides within the Google keyboard? Go to Settings > Additional Settings > Languages and Input > under Input Methods > Gboard > Preferences and enable Voice input key. Now you can tap the mic on the top right of the keyboard and talk to type.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My problem is getting the phone to read what's on the screen.
I can't summon this button: https://cl.ly/11b07bb89e9b
Crossvxm said:
The text editing MIUI vs Google part has me confused. I believe it might depend on which app you use? If it's a Google app, it's a Google thing, if it's a MIUI app it's a MIUI thing maybe? If you could give some examples, I could investigate and see if there is a proper workaround.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the Google-style text selector appears mostly on Google-made apps and others like Evernote. Mysteriously, Google Search uses the MIUI style highlight buttons (the one with Select, Select All, Paste, etc)
Looking forward to hearing your feedback!
I've given Samsung (and Google) the benefit of the doubt and tried their new phone and new UI software. I returned my S10 and reverted my Note 9 back to Oreo. Now life makes sense again for me. I'm also someone who's guilty of impulse purchases. I'm trying to be better about that. Mobile tech can be addicting.
The new UI on the Note 9 feels like it's been crippled. Like Google, and to a certain extent Samsung, are inching closer and closer to Apple territory. Meaning that they are removing more and more features away and pushing users into tighter boxes. Call recording apps, theming apps, greater control over GPS settings, greater control over camera settings, easier to understand camera settings, and just other faux improvements that leave users feeling like they're using a half-baked OS.
The S10 was fine enough but without the features and apps that I've grown to dearly depend on my Oreo Note 9, I couldn't live with it. It makes me realize that there is no hope that such apps and features will ever make it to the new Note later this fall either.
Not without root. And that means that unless I want to keep this Oreo Note 9 for the rest of its life, any future Note device will have to be Exynos. Which makes me a bit disappointed because the SD chips have been bringing some great features to these phones. But we will never be able to count on reliable unlocking of SD Samsung phones here in North America so from now on it's Exynos for me because I will be relying on root access to get the features that I want but more importantly the features that I NEED.
I'm curious if anyone else feels the same way about this. About Oreo and the direction Samsung and Google are moving from here. I just wish we could stay on Oreo and continue getting security patches and other bug fixes along the way. Without being forced to switch to Pie. I will never understand this need among some users to quickly update to the latest OS version. They feel content to live with bugs in order to use some new features? An OS that's not fully baked in? That's good for them? I don't get it. Not that I'm supposed to get it. Just saying, it seems irrational to me. But that's me.
Something needs to change. Samsung and other parties need to come together and agree to let us unlock and root our phones. If we buy these phones outright, unlocked and outside of carriers, we deserve to do whatever we want with them. And that includes unlocking and rooting. Something needs to give. For a while there, Samsung seemed to be looking at the things people were rooting for and introducing them on their next phones.
But now, it feels like they've moving in the opposite direction. I fear that Samsung will no longer be known as the manufacture that gives its users more features than they need and more options to customize their smartphone experience. It feels as if those days are now over and we will be forced to just accept whatever Samsung gives us out of the box.
Not unlike what iPhone users are forced to do with their smartphone experience.
Long live Oreo! Long live the Note 9!
Why not sell it and get n9600? Snapdragon and rootable.
Best of both worlds.
roaduardo said:
I've given Samsung (and Google) the benefit of the doubt and tried their new phone and new UI software. I returned my S10 and reverted my Note 9 back to Oreo. Now life makes sense again for me. I'm also someone who's guilty of impulse purchases. I'm trying to be better about that. Mobile tech can be addicting.
The new UI on the Note 9 feels like it's been crippled. Like Google, and to a certain extent Samsung, are inching closer and closer to Apple territory. Meaning that they are removing more and more features away and pushing users into tighter boxes. Call recording apps, theming apps, greater control over GPS settings, greater control over camera settings, easier to understand camera settings, and just other faux improvements that leave users feeling like they're using a half-baked OS.
The S10 was fine enough but without the features and apps that I've grown to dearly depend on my Oreo Note 9, I couldn't live with it. It makes me realize that there is no hope that such apps and features will ever make it to the new Note later this fall either.
Not without root. And that means that unless I want to keep this Oreo Note 9 for the rest of its life, any future Note device will have to be Exynos. Which makes me a bit disappointed because the SD chips have been bringing some great features to these phones. But we will never be able to count on reliable unlocking of SD Samsung phones here in North America so from now on it's Exynos for me because I will be relying on root access to get the features that I want but more importantly the features that I NEED.
I'm curious if anyone else feels the same way about this. About Oreo and the direction Samsung and Google are moving from here. I just wish we could stay on Oreo and continue getting security patches and other bug fixes along the way. Without being forced to switch to Pie. I will never understand this need among some users to quickly update to the latest OS version. They feel content to live with bugs in order to use some new features? An OS that's not fully baked in? That's good for them? I don't get it. Not that I'm supposed to get it. Just saying, it seems irrational to me. But that's me.
Something needs to change. Samsung and other parties need to come together and agree to let us unlock and root our phones. If we buy these phones outright, unlocked and outside of carriers, we deserve to do whatever we want with them. And that includes unlocking and rooting. Something needs to give. For a while there, Samsung seemed to be looking at the things people were rooting for and introducing them on their next phones.
But now, it feels like they've moving in the opposite direction. I fear that Samsung will no longer be known as the manufacture that gives its users more features than they need and more options to customize their smartphone experience. It feels as if those days are now over and we will be forced to just accept whatever Samsung gives us out of the box.
Not unlike what iPhone users are forced to do with their smartphone experience.
Long live Oreo! Long live the Note 9!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so what apps made it so that you had to go back to a device supporting oreo?
bober10113 said:
so what apps made it so that you had to go back to a device supporting oreo?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Call recording being the biggest one and overall smaller ways in which the OS is laid out. Like with the camera settings and notifications work.
Not with you on this.
I quite like OneUI.
HuStLaZ said:
Not with you on this.
I quite like OneUI.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's fair. We're all different.
Bought my Note 9 when One UI was just released. Had a lot of trouble with several key apps (banking, mail, weather and some news apps). Had crashes and graphical glitches almost every day and every week a "fatal" crash were I had to restart my Note with a button combination. I was thinking about returning my device. Kept is and installed the latest Oreo 8.1 version. Almost all software problems are gone. For 3 days not a single crash. Keep my fingers crossed
dont know if you guys side loaded the beta update but on a fresh pie install, not updated, i dont have any of the issues reported.
i have to say my experience is totally different. I think OneUI is fantastic and a major differentiator. i think samsung has taken the OS and built on it. I am a phone junkie and regularly look to buy other devices, but this is the first time im sticking to Samsung not only because of HW but now SW.
I'm a happy camper with One UI. Not gonna lie, I loved how Oreo on note 9 looked. But I'm guilty of upgrading phones twice every year. A fresh look gives me no reason to upgrade to S10 lol. I'll wait till note 10 comes out.
bober10113 said:
dont know if you guys side loaded the beta update but on a fresh pie install, not updated, i dont have any of the issues reported.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. My Note upgraded to Pie/One UI immediately after talking it out of the box and setting it up. My user experience with the Note is One Ui only. I've factory reset (deleting data and settings) my Note four times (installed a different set of apps every time) and didn't use a backup (coming from an iPhone) so it was a 100% fresh install. The problems started the same evening, the first crash was within a few hours. With Oreo i'm missing a few features (night mode and lift to wake for example). One Ui is definitely looking more polished.
Friendly reminder, the only constant in the technology world is change. Anyway, Pie takes some getting use to and my biggest complaint is notifications have stopped while my screen is off. I still get calls and texts, but everything else stopped. Android called it Doze and change is inevitable.
https://developer.android.com/training/monitoring-device-state/doze-standby
I like one UI a lot. It's very modern and fluid. I don't have many issues with it. I've disabled updates, though, hoping for root to come soon so I can flash even better customized one UI roms and remove the crap they include permanently instead of just disabling it. That way the phone is lighter and the processor wouldn't have to work as hard.
I get your points, though.
I think I'll go back to Oreo also can't stand not to have my notifications play through the phone when connected to Bluetooth miss way to many notifications. I have to turn off media playback on bluetooth to have notifications play on the phone, and when playing Spotify the notifications interrupt the music hate that.
bligui said:
I think I'll go back to Oreo also can't stand not to have my notifications play through the phone when connected to Bluetooth miss way to many notifications. I have to turn off media playback on bluetooth to have notifications play on the phone, and when playing Spotify the notifications interrupt the music hate that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Finally someone else that has this issue. I thought I was only one..lol
SM-N960U ONE UI PEACAN PIE
butchieboy said:
Finally someone else that has this issue. I thought I was only one..lol
SM-N960U ONE UI PEACAN PIE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did, too, but never paid attention to it and I like it actually. I think it was done purposely so people don't text or check their social media and drive. Phone calls come through no problem.
---------- Post added at 12:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:36 PM ----------
butchieboy said:
Finally someone else that has this issue. I thought I was only one..lol
SM-N960U ONE UI PEACAN PIE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And you of all people shouldn't be texting while driving, and you know why. [emoji23]
K-alz said:
I did, too, but never paid attention to it and I like it actually. I think it was done purposely so people don't text or check their social media and drive. Phone calls come through no problem.
---------- Post added at 12:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:36 PM ----------
And you of all people shouldn't be texting while driving, and you know why. [emoji23]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol...I dont kind sir.
SM-N960U ONE UI PEACAN PIE
butchieboy said:
Lol...I dont kind sir.
SM-N960U ONE UI PEACAN PIE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mhm. I "believe" you. Then why were you concerned about the notifications going through your BT in the car? Haha
To each their own. I'm too old and way too busy now to deal with rooting, customizing, etc. Used to spend hours on it when I was in my 20s, the results were always disappointing. I have only a few requirents. The phone has to be secure (my corporate access apps and email account will not work on a rooted phone), reliable, and I have to have a way to set default apps. Camera has to be good but I don't care much for too many camera features or pro mode. I have a full frame dslr for when I want to take real pictures. And I really don't give a crap about filters. Never used them and never will.
So, apple is out of the question mainly because I can't set default apps (open Google maps instead of Apple maps for example), but I honestly think they are overpriced for substandard tech. And I can't think of any iPhone that comes close to the battery life of the note 9.
In summary, looking back, I don't miss having an unlocked bootloader phone. In fact, I can't think of a single good reason to root anymore. None of the custom roms or kernels are actually an improvement, and in my experience, they never have been. I actually like the new android.
sputnik767 said:
To each their own. I'm too old and way too busy now to deal with rooting, customizing, etc. Used to spend hours on it when I was in my 20s, the results were always disappointing. I have only a few requirents. The phone has to be secure (my corporate access apps and email account will not work on a rooted phone), reliable, and I have to have a way to set default apps. Camera has to be good but I don't care much for too many camera features or pro mode. I have a full frame dslr for when I want to take real pictures. And I really don't give a crap about filters. Never used them and never will.
So, apple is out of the question mainly because I can't set default apps (open Google maps instead of Apple maps for example), but I honestly think they are overpriced for substandard tech. And I can't think of any iPhone that comes close to the battery life of the note 9.
In summary, looking back, I don't miss having an unlocked bootloader phone. In fact, I can't think of a single good reason to root anymore. None of the custom roms or kernels are actually an improvement, and in my experience, they never have been. I actually like the new android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not disagreeing with you but there certainly are still some good reasons (in my opinion) for rooting.
Disabled high volume warrning with headphones (I personally found this very annoying)
System wide ad blocking
More efficient kernels
Use of Samsung's built-in call recorder
Battery charge limiting
The option to install AOSP based ROMs (Although the lack of HWC means battery life is poor)
Biometric unlock after reboot
More theming options
Use any app with the dual app tool