Database Develop

Should Samsung ditch touchwiz?

No doubt Android L will becoming to the S5 sometime nearer Christmas, but should they ditch touchwiz in favor of a more stock looking android and give you the option to download things you want ie the camera software, or even a touchwiz launcher should you wish to use it.
Basically making it more like how Motorola works with the Moto X ect.
That way those of us that want a more stock looking setup will be happy as we be able to choose what we want to install, plus it would make it alot better when it comes to updates as won't have to wait nearly as long as we have to do now when a new version or update is released.
Should Samsung go this route, i think it make google happy if they did.

ixon2001 said:
No doubt Android L will becoming to the S5 sometime nearer Christmas, but should they ditch touchwiz in favor of a more stock looking android and give you the option to download things you want ie the camera software, or even a touchwiz launcher should you wish to use it.
Basically making it more like how Motorola works with the Moto X ect.
That way those of us that want a more stock looking setup will be happy as we be able to choose what we want to install, plus it would make it alot better when it comes to updates as won't have to wait nearly as long as we have to do now when a new version or update is released.
Should Samsung go this route, i think it make google happy if they did.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don`t think thats going to happen i think. They will maybe restyle TW more and make it even flatter and neutral but they will keep adding the features/gimmicks because they think it adds value to android. And thats allright if users only had the option to turn off these features they don`t need that would add real value for most of us.

I don't think Samsung should completely ditch their skin and added software, but they should at least remove some of the useless features and tone it down a little bit. Also a new name would be nice. Touchwiz just sounds awful, I've never been a fan of it.

I come from Sense 5 and I don't dislike touchwiz, it's far better than stock and I don't think Samsung will leave it

As said above as long as you remove it, it's fine. I've always been on Nova Launcher

We must consider Terrain Home as alternative! It's not bad :cyclops:

It won't happen.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

IMHO I like TW. But I've installed solo launcher which is I can switch the launcher anytime.

ixon2001 said:
No doubt Android L will becoming to the S5 sometime nearer Christmas, but should they ditch touchwiz in favor of a more stock looking android and give you the option to download things you want ie the camera software, or even a touchwiz launcher should you wish to use it.
Basically making it more like how Motorola works with the Moto X ect.
That way those of us that want a more stock looking setup will be happy as we be able to choose what we want to install, plus it would make it alot better when it comes to updates as won't have to wait nearly as long as we have to do now when a new version or update is released.
Should Samsung go this route, i think it make google happy if they did.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, diversity is a good thing a Google stated more than once that it likes what OEMs do with Android.
And no, you can't choose between stock camera and TW camera, "skins" are more like completely different versions of Android.
Plus we all know that what delays updates more is the crap carriers throw on users' heads.

xaznxplaya said:
As said above as long as you remove it, it's fine. I've always been on Nova Launcher
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Touchwiz is not just a launcher though. I think touchwiz gets a rough ride due to its past history. I posted a similar post today. Touchwiz used to be bad back in the days of s1. Now though it's actually quite good. It adds a lot of useful features, a lot of which are what effectively makes an s5 an s5.
Remove it and you just have a glorified Nexus. In my opinion if that's what you want you should juts save money and buy one instead of buying Samsung
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Goldie said:
Touchwiz is not just a launcher though. I think touchwiz gets a rough ride due to its past history. I posted a similar post today. Touchwiz used to be bad back in the days of s1. Now though it's actually quite good. It adds a lot of useful features, a lot of which are what effectively makes an s5 an s5.
Remove it and you just have a glorified Nexus. In my opinion if that's what you want you should juts save money and buy one instead of buying Samsung
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed but TouchWiz is still ugly though

Jonny said:
Agreed but TouchWiz is still ugly though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The fact that you can't move the app button in the dock kills it for me. I have to resort to a third party launcher to get that functionality.

I hate touchwiz but this is obviously a very subjective subject.
I don't like the colours, or the way it sits heavily on top of what is the fastest, cleanest version of android (AOSP)
I personally don't use any touchwiz features either except from quick glance (which is actually more of a hassle than useful so I might just disable it) however I'm running alliance with all the other bloat disabled. I do however like allshare with the way it connects seamlessly to my (Sony!?) TV and suppose air view can be handy when scrobbing through video.
If stock android included allshare and air view I would be set!

No they shouldn't. It's what makes Samsung devices different from other devices, just like how Sense makes HTC devices different from other devices. If you don't like touchwiz, buy another device or flash another ROM or build your own ROM
---------- Post added at 12:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:49 PM ----------
trevagreene said:
The fact that you can't move the app button in the dock kills it for me. I have to resort to a third party launcher to get that functionality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just flash another region's firmware.

Hellscythe said:
No they shouldn't. It's what makes Samsung devices different from other devices, just like how Sense makes HTC devices different from other devices. If you don't like touchwiz, buy another device or flash another ROM or build your own ROM
---------- Post added at 12:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:49 PM ----------
just flash another region's firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea, but that only allows the ability to change the icons in the dock, but not the actuall app draw icon in the dock. That is hard locked to the right.

Honestly they should give out the software as a factory thing, but make the stock AOSP available on their website with all the drivers and junk included. That way people who wanted the stock experience could have that, and people who wanted the TW experience could have that. It would honestly be the best of both worlds.

Sparatan117 said:
Honestly they should give out the software as a factory thing, but make the stock AOSP available on their website with all the drivers and junk included. That way people who wanted the stock experience could have that, and people who wanted the TW experience could have that. It would honestly be the best of both worlds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But why should they when there are other devices that come with AOSP?
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Because it's your device?
If you're going to sell a device to people, make it so they can do whatever they want with it. Don't tell them " here you go, now you can only do what we want you to do with it" like Apple. That's like saying " you can buy this horse, but you can only ride it with this saddle."... doesn't that seem inherently wrong?

No not when there is a stable full of similar horses with no saddles that people can pay a lot less to go and ride
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Sparatan117 said:
Because it's your device?
If you're going to sell a device to people, make it so they can do whatever they want with it. Don't tell them " here you go, now you can only do what we want you to do with it" like Apple. That's like saying " you can buy this horse, but you can only ride it with this saddle."... doesn't that seem inherently wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ya but samsung still has to warranty it, what if your custom software breaks the camera and because there are the drivers out there, you think your phone has a problem
samsung would have had to fix a mistake brought upon by yourself and samsung as a company can not do that, they need consistency, something that they can easily fix if its broken with software they know and approve of. its kind of like modifying a car, if you mod a car, you run the risk of losing warranty, if honda were to warranty cars that blew up because they were modified, honda would go out of business, its basically the same thing here

Nexus 5 just became less unique

I completely understand why Google did this but one thing I liked about the N5 was how it had features other phones didn't. One big one just went bye-bye. http://gigaom.com/2014/08/01/the-go...ailable-for-almost-all-modern-android-phones/

GNL has been available for other devices for a while now.
The apk has been floating around the web since the N5 was released or shortly there after.
I still think the nexus line of devices are still very unique in that they get the fastest updates and developer support is second to none!
If there is a particular developer's work you like to follow, make sure to support him/her to show them your appreciation! :thumbup:
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk 2

Agreed with giant22000. N5 is best

peach007 said:
Agreed with giant22000. N5 is best
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't get me wrong, I love the N5 and have been nothing but pleased with it since I got mine. I liked the fact that I had a launcher that others did not and could not have without going out of the way to get it. Now it is much easier to install for users and I would expect it to pop up more in the wild than previously seen.

pistl_pete said:
Don't get me wrong, I love the N5 and have been nothing but pleased with it since I got mine. I liked the fact that I had a launcher that others did not and could not have without going out of the way to get it. Now it is much easier to install for users and I would expect it to pop up more in the wild than previously seen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I felt like that with the new google camera. I thought they were just going to update it for the N5 but they ended up releasing it for a lot of phones. However, maybe that will speed up new updates for it since it's not just for one phone.

PsychDrummer said:
I felt like that with the new google camera. I thought they were just going to update it for the N5 but they ended up releasing it for a lot of phones. However, maybe that will speed up new updates for it since it's not just for one phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only the Nexus 5 can use "HDR+" (HDR isn't anywhere near the same as "HDR+"), which is closed source (and also limited to Google Camera).

This has been available for a while now. I was running it on my Galaxy Nexus back in the day and, when it hit Google Play, many GPE devices were able to install it too. Now it’s even available on a lowly iPhone (some more detail at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Now).

I'll file this thread under "slow news day."

Honestly I hardly ever used the GNL

Lethargy said:
Only the Nexus 5 can use "HDR+" (HDR isn't anywhere near the same as "HDR+"), which is closed source (and also limited to Google Camera).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah good point. I mean I'm over it now lol. I remember being a bit upset about the lens blur. Even though a lot of cameras have that feature already.

The launcher is by far the furthest thing from making the Nexus 5 what it is.

TheLastSidekick said:
The launcher is by far the furthest thing from making the Nexus 5 what it is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This. I actually don't like it at all. Nova all the way.

I hated the exclusive feature of GEL or GNL whatever it's called. Let it be open to all(without side loading)

Why are you upset that others have the option of the launcher ... Sorry but that seems childish

O.T. Less unique is also impossible. Something is either unique or not. There is no halfway.

You bought a phone with unlimited customization capabilities and you whine that the stock launcher for it, the phone that is the DEVELOPMENT device, for the entire Android ecosystem, has been made available to other Android devices?
First World Privilege Problems?
Kids these days...

The nexus series is always unique as it always gets the latest & the greatest android. Google had no plan of making the launcher a nexus 5 only thing. Even in the worst case, I'm sure Google would have at least supported the launcher on the older nexus phones officially. All of it was a part of Google's plan. First they saw how people received the launcher on the nexus 5. Following all the hype, they eventually made it available to all the devices out there.
Remember, Google's primary aim is to make all of its services available to all of its users. That's why they built android. They used android to reach their users & to make their services available to them easily & efficiently.

This really only applies to most of us that mod or like to customize our phones. IMO those people probably already use GOOGLE NOW Launcher anyways on whatever custom ROM they are running. I really dont see how this makes the phone less unique. Apps are not unique, the actual phone is what makes it unique than other phones on the market.
my 2 cents

Android isn't the same what it used to be and it's boring modding it now.

Hey All!
I've been a user at xda since 2009 (I lost my old account's password). And I was deeply in love with it and all the people.
MY EXCITING XDA EXPERIENCE-
1) Galaxy Y
I got here when I bought my first Android device Samsung Galaxy Y (S3560)*(Totoro) in 2010 when I was 11 and in 8th grade. It has Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread. But I wasn't happy as most games like Temple Run and Subway Surfers didn't run on it due to it being Armv6.
And somehow, I found a youtube video which linked to xda where it explained if I rooted and upgraded my device, it would've got m running all my favorite apps! I was happy and then I learnt upgrading and all. I never knew that there was a fake ICS Update with build.prop modded on it and believed it to be original
It wasn't easy. I ended up bricking my device and crying all night unable to fix it. My dad took it to Samsung and they repaired it and warned me never to do this again or it will get spoiled forever. I got **** scared and never touched it for another 6 months until curiosity struck me when I got a notification of an ICS Mod (I still didn't read the log and thought it to be real). And I ended up bricking it again. I was so scared. Later I found out Odin. Yup. Odin was literally an angel that saved my life and boom! I had my original device back! I tried thrice and then got the ICS mod! It looked so cool that I used to stare at my phone for days without doing anything. Later I installed an unstable CM9 which was original but didn't have Bluetooth, WiFi, Mobile Network, Brightness, Sound, and Playstore working. It was useless. I got to know that Broadcomm didn't release the drivers and needed large donation to do so. I never got to know about it.
I ended up trying hard to install GTA, etc on it but everything failed.
2) Blackberry Playbook
Now this wasn't on xda I believe when I got it. My father bought it as a gift in 8th grade. It had almost nothing except NFS Undercover. I heard that you could install Android on BB Playbook by rooting it and all once it has OS ver. 2.0.4 or 2.0.6. But I already upgraded it to 2.1.x. Now I felt like breaking my head because there was no going back.
3) MOTO G (XT1033) (Falcon)
This was my first google device and I was so happy to get it because it was super mod friendly. I got it after my 10th board exams in 2014 and I loved it through and through. Suddenly upgrading from 2.3.6 (Galaxy Y) to 4.4.4 with a bigger screen and armv7 processor was heaven! I enjoyed it a lot and loved it! It was like a treasure for me. I had to slap myself 4 times when it came to me through Flipkart online shipment. And I installed tons of mods on it. i loved it. Especially the android 5.0 part.
4) MOTO G4 Plus (XT1064) (I dont even know it's developer name)
I got it when I completed my 12th grade
Now comes the boring part. The phone was capable of multitasking, etc but it was still boring. This is the only device that I haven't unlocked the bootloader yet. Why?
NOW COMES MY POINT ABOUT ANDROID BECOMING BORING -
The phone Moto G4 had everything I needed. 32 GB, great camera, great RAM, great processor and only 208.30$. Great deal. It's still with me and I'm in College B. Tech. 1st year doing Electrical Engineering. But I've lost the excitement of modding and rooting. Have I grown up? Newer versions of Android do not interest me. I remember waking up till midnight 3 to watch the unveiling of android 5.0! Loved it but now it's all done. BORED!
Maybe because we have everything that we need in android.
And I do not know what more can be added to android to make it interesting. CyanogenMod used to excite me with its features but I don't feel like I need them now. Everything seems so changed.
Do you guys think it i common to feel like this? Or I'm a special snowflake who is a boring person....

Dude even I have left flashing ROMs. I have HTC Desire. Even I feel that rooting, modding, theming android is waste of time. I am not happy with stock ROM, but now I also dont want to go back and start the flashing game and install CM. Got tired of this. I have also lost interest in Android versions. They nowadays are pretty much same eg: Lolipop=Marshmallow=Nougat (90% are same).

Mr.KM said:
Dude even I have left flashing ROMs. I have HTC Desire. Even I feel that rooting, modding, theming android is waste of time. I am not happy with stock ROM, but now I also dont want to go back and start the flashing game and install CM. Got tired of this. I have also lost interest in Android versions. They nowadays are pretty much same eg: Lolipop=Marshmallow=Nougat (90% are same).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So did ICS = JB = KK.
You cannot expect radical changes in open source software such Android or Linux distros . They need some time to settle in. Although the UI is pretty much the same with different versions of Android, under-the-hood, the features are pretty exciting :laugh: . I used to have a mindset that Lollipop == Marshmallow, but the native Google API support for Fingerprint was darn exciting. before Android M, OEMs used to have their own APIs for fingerprint support, but when Google introduced the FP API, you can now authenticate purchases using your FP rather than entering that darn password. You just need to save your FP once and it used to work everywhere. The Doze feature in Android M was awesome, although it can be achieved in L using apps, it was a big reason for me to uninstall 'Boosting apps' from my friend's phone. Now the doze feature got even better in android N.
The reason why '90% of the code are the same' is because it is an Open source and is an update, not a complete rewrite of the code.
That '90%' is the 'Android part' and the remaining '10%' is the 'update part'.
Fun fact: Human gene is 98% similar to Gorilla gene. That 2% difference makes us humans .

T.Ru said:
So did ICS = JB = KK.
You cannot expect radical changes in open source software such Android or Linux distros . They need some time to settle in. Although the UI is pretty much the same with different versions of Android, under-the-hood, the features are pretty exciting :laugh: . I used to have a mindset that Lollipop == Marshmallow, but the native Google API support for Fingerprint was darn exciting. before Android M, OEMs used to have their own APIs for fingerprint support, but when Google introduced the FP API, you can now authenticate purchases using your FP rather than entering that darn password. You just need to save your FP once and it used to work everywhere. The Doze feature in Android M was awesome, although it can be achieved in L using apps, it was a big reason for me to uninstall 'Boosting apps' from my friend's phone. Now the doze feature got even better in android N.
The reason why '90% of the code are the same' is because it is an Open source and is an update, not a complete rewrite of the code.
That '90%' is the 'Android part' and the remaining '10%' is the 'update part'.
Fun fact: Human gene is 98% similar to Gorilla gene. That 2% difference makes us humans .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That made a lot of sense though! But I don't give a damn about FP and wallet (I've never done online purchases). I feel my interest towards games going down as I'm growing up as well.( It's so boring to grow up )
Anyways, I hope Google changes the UI in the next update. Never felt so bored. And most of the CM themes are pretty old and not innovative. You'll get bored after 2 days of installing themes and will want to revert back.
I really do hope Google changes the UI. I'm desperate for some new UI now. Not 1 or 2 apps but the whole thing like it was from KK to Lollipop and GB to ICS! Yummy!

[email protected] said:
That made a lot of sense though! But I don't give a damn about FP and wallet (I've never done online purchases). I feel my interest towards games going down as I'm growing up as well.( It's so boring to grow up )
Anyways, I hope Google changes the UI in the next update. Never felt so bored. And most of the CM themes are pretty old and not innovative. You'll get bored after 2 days of installing themes and will want to revert back.
I really do hope Google changes the UI. I'm desperate for some new UI now. Not 1 or 2 apps but the whole thing like it was from KK to Lollipop and GB to ICS! Yummy!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can feel you, the urge, passion or whatever-you-call-it for modding have definitely come down. I don't know if it is because of the age or is modding is becoming easier and easier. Back then was the days of CWM and CM10 while Paranoid Android was for the elite devices. Now you can find modding easier than ever, everything is just a few clicks away. You can find each and every ROMs for each and every device, which made the whole fun of modding only for the end results rather than the sheer fun of the process of modding.
I remember when I got my first Android device, a tablet with Allwinner A13 chipset with a single core processor and 512 MB RAM. Before I got that tablet I was using Nokia N70 and Nokia E71, both based on Symbian S60 OS. I learned a lot about 'hacking the phone' (it's just like rooting but allows you to install apps not signed by Nokia) app signature, app installation and modifying the system partition. So when I got my tablet, modding it came to me naturally. It was a device totally off the RADAR of android devices, but fortunately, it came with a pure AOSP version of Android without any manufacturer modifications in it which made it a tad bit easier for me to mod that tablet. I discovered rooting, apps to bypass in-app purchase called as 'Freedom' (Lucky patcher got this feature long after freedom was released), Xposed modules and Game guardian. All these mods and apps let me enjoy my device without getting bored. But it was not enough for me, then I came to know about custom ROMs, there is no custom ROM available for my device, I did vague searches on Google and got links to some 5 ROMs made specifically for my chipset (not my device). I tried all of 'em but they had a lot of bugs etc. So I went back to the stock firmware by doing a fastboot flash. At the same time I also discovered ADB, I still remember when my little brother entered the wrong pattern more than 40 times, and when there was no other way, I used ADB to disable screen lock and factory reset my device. I did the same for two of my friends.
And that's how I came to learn a lot about Android.
BTW,
Now look at any kind of Android modding, there is some kind of 'one-tap' app available. Take, for example, Enabling Google Assistant on non-pixel devices, you have to edit your build.prop manually but there are 5+ apps available on Play store that does the same thing. There is no hard work involved, and the end result will always be underwhelming unless you yourself mod your system.
One of the best thread I came across recently was enabling Pixel's Round icons on other 7.1 devices. It requires you to decompile and recompile your framework.res file. Now that's what I call as real modding. Although the result is minor and can be easily achieved by installing a third party app and applying a custom icon pack, the sheer feeling of accomplishment you get by modding is just unparallel.
And one last thing,
The best modification you do for your phone is getting back the new features of the new Android version in your current Android version.
A thousand thanks to Xposed and N-ify
Thanks for reading till the end, signing off -Thiru

T.Ru said:
I can feel you, the urge, passion or whatever-you-call-it for modding have definitely come down. I don't know if it is because of the age or is modding is becoming easier and easier. Back then was the days of CWM and CM10 while Paranoid Android was for the elite devices. Now you can find modding easier than ever, everything is just a few clicks away. You can find each and every ROMs for each and every device, which made the whole fun of modding only for the end results rather than the sheer fun of the process of modding.
I remember when I got my first Android device, a tablet with Allwinner A13 chipset with a single core processor and 512 MB RAM. Before I got that tablet I was using Nokia N70 and Nokia E71, both based on Symbian S60 OS. I learned a lot about 'hacking the phone' (it's just like rooting but allows you to install apps not signed by Nokia) app signature, app installation and modifying the system partition. So when I got my tablet, modding it came to me naturally. It was a device totally off the RADAR of android devices, but fortunately, it came with a pure AOSP version of Android without any manufacturer modifications in it which made it a tad bit easier for me to mod that tablet. I discovered rooting, apps to bypass in-app purchase called as 'Freedom' (Lucky patcher got this feature long after freedom was released), Xposed modules and Game guardian. All these mods and apps let me enjoy my device without getting bored. But it was not enough for me, then I came to know about custom ROMs, there is no custom ROM available for my device, I did vague searches on Google and got links to some 5 ROMs made specifically for my chipset (not my device). I tried all of 'em but they had a lot of bugs etc. So I went back to the stock firmware by doing a fastboot flash. At the same time I also discovered ADB, I still remember when my little brother entered the wrong pattern more than 40 times, and when there was no other way, I used ADB to disable screen lock and factory reset my device. I did the same for two of my friends.
And that's how I came to learn a lot about Android.
BTW,
Now look at any kind of Android modding, there is some kind of 'one-tap' app available. Take, for example, Enabling Google Assistant on non-pixel devices, you have to edit your build.prop manually but there are 5+ apps available on Play store that does the same thing. There is no hard work involved, and the end result will always be underwhelming unless you yourself mod your system.
One of the best thread I came across recently was enabling Pixel's Round icons on other 7.1 devices. It requires you to decompile and recompile your framework.res file. Now that's what I call as real modding. Although the result is minor and can be easily achieved by installing a third party app and applying a custom icon pack, the sheer feeling of accomplishment you get by modding is just unparallel.
And one last thing,
The best modification you do for your phone is getting back the new features of the new Android version in your current Android version.
A thousand thanks to Xposed and N-ify
Thanks for reading till the end, signing off -Thiru
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mate, you've got an excellent point. Modding is not modding anymore. It's one touch and boom! You get CyanogenMod. It used to be fun to try and use CWM and get the result but now.... It's too easy. That's what's made it boring. Also, I'll try a few mods later. You actually motivated me! Thanks.
-Yash

It got so boring. Now as an adult I just want something that works. Ip7
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What kind of software updates/support can we expect from Xiaomi?

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!

It's back to Oreo and this time it's forever

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