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Ok so Im sure this will be moved but I wanted my fellow TP 2 owners advice on what would be a good upgrade for moving to an at&t windows phone 7.
I have done some research and believe that the LG Quantum is more to my liking than the HTC Surround or Samsung focus for various reasons starting with the keyboard. I have also found that it offers tethering as well as voice to text which seems to be a cool feature. I have actually held the phone in my hands yesterday and compared to the other wp 7 at&t phones. It will no doubt be a bit different than what Im used to but nevertheless I do like the idea of having the latest and greatest hw and sw.
I am curious if these phones will support Tomtom as I use it all the time. I know that it will have to be jailbroken to load future custom roms but I think I can be patient.
I guess I am just wondering if Im missing something so if you all have any insight I would love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks.
swtaltima said:
Ok so Im sure this will be moved but I wanted my fellow TP 2 owners advice on what would be a good upgrade for moving to an at&t windows phone 7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If this post is moved, it would be because this has absolutely nothing to do with ROM development.
LG phones have been pretty underwhelming in the past. But I haven't seen the Quantum in person, myself. WP7 has already been jail broken, apparently. But the mod community has not traditionally been all that excited about making custom ROMs for LG devices, if I'm not mistaken. Although the scope of this site has been expanding quite a bit recently.
swtaltima said:
Ok so Im sure this will be moved but I wanted my fellow TP 2 owners advice on what would be a good upgrade for moving to an at&t windows phone 7.
I have done some research and believe that the LG Quantum is more to my liking than the HTC Surround or Samsung focus for various reasons starting with the keyboard. I have also found that it offers tethering as well as voice to text which seems to be a cool feature. I have actually held the phone in my hands yesterday and compared to the other wp 7 at&t phones. It will no doubt be a bit different than what Im used to but nevertheless I do like the idea of having the latest and greatest hw and sw.
I am curious if these phones will support Tomtom as I use it all the time. I know that it will have to be jailbroken to load future custom roms but I think I can be patient.
I guess I am just wondering if Im missing something so if you all have any insight I would love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TomTom will not work on WP7 nor will any other progam for windows mobile. WP7 is totally different and for now has a limited amount of programs and it will probably be awhile before we see third apps like we do for WM6.5. I think they are tryin to make it a closed platform like IPHONE and Android where most the apps will be endorsed by and distributed by Microsoft. I am not sure if there is a version of TomTom yet for WP7 but the one u have now will not run on WP7.
porkenhimer said:
I think they are tryin to make it a closed platform like IPHONE and Android where most the apps will be endorsed by and distributed by Microsoft.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android is fully capable of sideloading applications from sources other than the Android Market, including user made apps, beta software, etc. AT&T is the only carrier that has locked down the ability to sideload on their Android phones. Plus, Google is pretty open to what software they will allow on the Market, unlike Apple.
redpoint73 said:
Android is fully capable of sideloading applications from sources other than the Android Market, including user made apps, beta software, etc. AT&T is the only carrier that has locked down the ability to sideload on their Android phones. Plus, Google is pretty open to what software they will allow on the Market, unlike Apple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i never said u couldn't get third party apps i said that android and iphone want all apps to be endorsed and distributed by them. meaning if someone makes an app they want that app to be cleared for sale or download by them on their market. apple and google only make money off of paid apps if they distribute them and the maker of the app will make more money if their app is distibuted by apple or google cause the apps will all be in one place and easier to find which means they will have a better chance of selling. Microsoft wants to do the same thing by putting the majority of the WP7 apps in one place. the reason they even want free apps is cause the longer u look for apps on their stores the greater chance is you will click on an advertisment which pays them a few cents each time someone click on it. thats how all these companies make money. youtube is the worst but maybe the smartest cause they even put advertisments in their clips. they'll do anything to make a few cents but a cut of the money goes to the person who owns the video too. that is enough to make people wanna put their product on these sites and let them distribute it, money.
porkenhimer said:
i never said u couldn't get third party apps i said that android and iphone want all apps to be endorsed and distributed by them. meaning if someone makes an app they want that app to be cleared for sale or download by them on their market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Putting Android and iPhone in the same category as "closed" is an injustice to Android, and not accurate. Yes, Google would "like" for apps to be endorsed by them, and to make money off of them, but they aren't forcing it like Apple is. There is plenty of 3rd party software available, and incredibly simple to install on Android. iPhone has to be jailbroken/hacked in order to do so. And Apple even tried to make it illegal to jailbreak the iPhone, to prevent loading of apps from sources other then their app store.
There are plenty of Android app stores like Handango and Handmark, which Google has completely allowed separate from their own market. Major developers like Gameloft have started their own Android app stores, instead of using the Android Market, and now its rumored that Amazon will also have their own Android app store. To say that Google is limiting the distribution of Android apps in any way is simply not correct.
HTC 7 Mozart
Hi
I have just upgraded from the TP2 to the HTC 7 Mozart. I am happy with the phone. It seems to work very well. As stated WM 6.5 software isn't transferrable and there are very few options for full navigation software at the moment.
I found the software keyboard very easy to use in landscape and certainly much better than anything I had on WM 6.5. I think that WP7, as an OS, has a very good way of recognising the difference between different type of gestures and it seems to "know" when you've made a mistake typing and corrects almost all mistakes automatically.
I still use my TP2 for work, so I will just leave it in the car for Sat Nav purposes.
Cheers
andrew-in-woking
Google till now was making the software to great extent and have also tried to break up the competition through making the smartphone devices too but now it has decided to make its whole new smartphones named as Pixel Smartphones that carries with it the all new software it’s amazing features and the great hardware too. This is the first step of the Google to give up the toughest possible challenge to the competitors as before the devices from Google were carrying the Android software that is also used by the competitors too and hence this makes a great difference in their quality devices. The all new software with some amazing features and apps by Google for the Pixel smartphones manufactured by it only is something new that all the users are wanting to get on their devices but this isn’t possible as the software and apps are meant for the Pixel devices only. There is a Pixel Camera App for the Pixel software of the Google that carries along great camera features could be desired by the users of other smartphones. Here in this article, we have discussed the method through which this could be possible and the Pixel’s camera app on your Android.
Note: I don't know who has ported this Apk But I thought to share with you guys
But this application is working on Arm64 devices...
Download from here: https://www.mediafire.com/?67fy7vddlmcycy2
Press Thanks!!
Xaif said:
Google till now was making the software to great extent and have also tried to break up the competition through making the smartphone devices too but now it has decided to make its whole new smartphones named as Pixel Smartphones that carries with it the all new software it’s amazing features and the great hardware too. This is the first step of the Google to give up the toughest possible challenge to the competitors as before the devices from Google were carrying the Android software that is also used by the competitors too and hence this makes a great difference in their quality devices. The all new software with some amazing features and apps by Google for the Pixel smartphones manufactured by it only is something new that all the users are wanting to get on their devices but this isn’t possible as the software and apps are meant for the Pixel devices only. There is a Pixel Camera App for the Pixel software of the Google that carries along great camera features could be desired by the users of other smartphones. Here in this article, we have discussed the method through which this could be possible and the Pixel’s camera app on your Android.
Note: I don't know who has ported this Apk But I thought to share with you guys
But this application is working on Arm64 devices...
Download from here: https://www.mediafire.com/?67fy7vddlmcycy2
Press Thanks!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does this work on MM ROMs?
Xaif said:
Note: I don't know who has ported this Apk But I thought to share with you guys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's an older version of this app I think:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-5x/themes-apps/mod-google-camera-4-2-nexus-5x-android-t3477980
There is a thread for this here : http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6p/themes-apps/apk-google-camera-4-2-022-135443920-t3482107
This is a Malicious apk DO NOT DOWNLOAD OR INSTALL:
https://apkscan.nviso.be/report/show/31699fad73ffc47bc311df769d6f524f
WOW, please ban this user.
**Hey Guys I found this apk on one site. I thought to share it with you. I didn't know it contains any virus or something**
Please don't download it
Donjuanal said:
This is a Malicious apk DO NOT DOWNLOAD OR INSTALL:
https://apkscan.nviso.be/report/show/31699fad73ffc47bc311df769d6f524f
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it's the same APK that was floating around, the " virus " that was found in it was due to the signing of the APK.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
this is a slightly older version
Before posting something use SEARCH and READ ! That's the basics xda rules ! (and also test by yourself) ...
Google camera thread is in top 5 thread since 3 week in Theme / app section ...
you can't have missed it before posting ...
False positive anyway
Donjuanal said:
This is a Malicious apk DO NOT DOWNLOAD OR INSTALL:
https://apkscan.nviso.be/report/show/31699fad73ffc47bc311df769d6f524f
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
applesuckz said:
WOW, please ban this user.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Xaif said:
**Hey Guys I found this apk on one site. I thought to share it with you. I didn't know it contains any virus or something**
Please don't download it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Long story short, It's false positive, due to the signature. I can't believe this version still present here and there.
Please head to this thread for update. http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-5x/themes-apps/mod-google-camera-4-2-nexus-5x-android-t3477980
I suggest you guys try the latest one, though nothing really new for 6P users.
Should [email protected] valuable for testing? (experiment)
Why shall we do a petition for EMUI interface?
I love huawei and their EMUI. But, there must be lots of improvements so they can get the TOP 1 best custom interface for Android.
1.Let us remove what we want.
Yes. Bloatware is a pain in our heads. For both performance and battery. If we had the opportunity to remove the Google apps that are installed in the system, then it would be a great thing.
2.Equal features on all phones.
I like the features included in EMUI, but there are different features for different phones. For example we don't have the smart touch, some screenshot gestures, night shot and so on. Having them is a MUST DO. And yes, our phone does SUPPORT all the features from other phones (except hardware-related features like honor 8's clickable fingerprint)
3.Optimizations
Emui 5.x already has some performance and battery tweaks already included in the software. But there aren:t enough. We still suffer of battery drain due to bad optimization of the Android System, which can be fixable very easily.
4.Listen to their customers
We all want something, but Huawei doesn't listen. It was a pain that they removed the firmware links from their websites (which it was a bit good to prevent fake software sd card updates), at least to listen to us. I know they want to become a top company, but if they listen to us and give us what we want in the EMUI or phones (as long as they can too.), Then that will be very awesome. Equal features and equal software (like how Apple does to their phones) then Huawei will beat Apple for sure in terms of software "updates"
So, who's with me?
Johnny TDN said:
Why shall we do a petition for EMUI interface?
I love huawei and their EMUI. But, there must be lots of improvements so they can get the TOP 1 best custom interface for Android.
1.Let us remove what we want.
Yes. Bloatware is a pain in our heads. For both performance and battery. If we had the opportunity to remove the Google apps that are installed in the system, then it would be a great thing.
2.Equal features on all phones.
I like the features included in EMUI, but there are different features for different phones. For example we don't have the smart touch, some screenshot gestures, night shot and so on. Having them is a MUST DO. And yes, our phone does SUPPORT all the features from other phones (except hardware-related features like honor 8's clickable fingerprint)
3.Optimizations
Emui 5.x already has some performance and battery tweaks already included in the software. But there aren:t enough. We still suffer of battery drain due to bad optimization of the Android System, which can be fixable very easily.
4.Listen to their customers
We all want something, but Huawei doesn't listen. It was a pain that they removed the firmware links from their websites (which it was a bit good to prevent fake software sd card updates), at least to listen to us. I know they want to become a top company, but if they listen to us and give us what we want in the EMUI or phones (as long as they can too.), Then that will be very awesome. Equal features and equal software (like how Apple does to their phones) then Huawei will beat Apple for sure in terms of software "updates"
So, who's with me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huawei is not going to change anything just because a small group of android modders wants to have more control of their phone.
Just remember that P9 Lite's main consumer target were regular people which don't care about this.
They just want a working phone. Nothing more.
dariomrk said:
Huawei is not going to change anything just because a small group of android modders wants to have more control of their phone.
Just remember that P9 Lite's main consumer target were regular people which don't care about this.
They just want a working phone. Nothing more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have my point.
But still, they promised that they will fix this and that, nothing happened.
One day, they will leave this phone on 7.0 and never ever get updates. I bet that.
Johnny TDN said:
You have my point.
But still, they promised that they will fix this and that, nothing happened.
One day, they will leave this phone on 7.0 and never ever get updates. I bet that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At least they released EMUI 5 kernel sources;
Anyway make a petition, you have my support but still i don't think that this will lead to anywhere.
dariomrk said:
At least they released EMUI 5 kernel sources;
Anyway make a petition, you have my support but still i don't think that this will lead to anywhere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At least we tried.
I mean, i love Huawei since i moved from TouchWiz lag to EMUI....i thought that maybe Huawei will be "community free" (listening to the customers too)
Anyway, how can i do a petition?
Johnny TDN said:
At least we tried.
I mean, i love Huawei since i moved from TouchWiz lag to EMUI....i thought that maybe Huawei will be "community free" (listening to the customers too)
Anyway, how can i do a petition?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Idk, It's your idea anyway
you should rethink what you've posted!
They can't do anything about google apps for example because they are forced to implement them on a system basis - e.g. play store, play services, google photos and so on. Additionally the newer phones just have a different feature set because they run their latest EMUI version - which in my opinion - is thought out pretty well as they have to deliver a premium feel to the end user.. Why a company this big focusses on it? Well, they are pushing their last-available-smartphone-sales through it. Btw, did you ever thought about a hardware dependent feature set? Like those the screen supports and so on.
I have only one addition to your list - project treble for upcomming oreo release (which p9 lite SHOULD get aswell as the Honor 6x receives it by the end of the year).
Regards
OldDroid said:
you should rethink what you've posted!
They can't do anything about google apps for example because they are forced to implement them on a system basis - e.g. play store, play services, google photos and so on. Additionally the newer phones just have a different feature set because they run their latest EMUI version - which in my opinion - is thought out pretty well as they have to deliver a premium feel to the end user.. Why a company this big focusses on it? Well, they are pushing their last-available-smartphone-sales through it. Btw, did you ever thought about a hardware dependent feature set? Like those the screen supports and so on.
I have only one addition to your list - project treble for upcomming oreo release (which p9 lite SHOULD get aswell as the Honor 6x receives it by the end of the year).
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True. Oreo is much important right now.
But still, there are DISABLED USEDFULL features like Night shot, private space, app twin and those gestures from build.prop file. That pissed me off a bit... Because those features work 100% with no issues.
What is the latest stock status of LG V40?
(a pure stock device that has never been rooted, never custom rommed, and updated only trough OTA)
I mean:
- which version of Android does it have?
- what is the latest security patch? ex. March 2019?
- is the user interface just like in V30 with Android 8? (a user interface is like in samsung - TouchWizz, SamsungExperiance, One UI)
- was there ever a change of user interface?
Untouched, pure stock, updated on Verizon, in the US. Whatever launcher comes next, I'm sticking with Nova!
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Sent from my LM-V405 using Tapatalk
Einsteindks said:
Untouched, pure stock, updated on Verizon, in the US. Whatever launcher comes next, I'm sticking with Nova! View attachment 4735851
Sent from my LM-V405 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But can You tell me is it the same user interface as in V30 Oreo? How to check it?
androidbadboy said:
But can You tell me is it the same user interface as in V30 Oreo? How to check it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think youtube reviews would give you a good idea and you can compare yourself by watching it.
Many people here may not have had v30 before.
I dare say, most likely. I never gave it a try, though. Nova a long favorite!
Sent from my LM-V405 using Tapatalk
Not the same as V30. Same as the G7. LG UX 7.0.
Different icons, theme, and upgraded stock apps.
onslaught86 said:
Not the same as V30. Same as the G7. LG UX 7.0.
Different icons, theme, and upgraded stock apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THANK YOU ALL FOR REPLY - ALL GET 1+ THANKS
1. The V30 and V40 user interface is called Nova?
2. I like V30 for NOT being flooded with a lot of options. I like auto everything or minimum settings/options. Is V40 in that way closer to V30 (which has little options) or does it have huge amount of thiungs that can be set? (maybe how much more #)
onslaught86 said:
Not the same as V30. Same as the G7. LG UX 7.0.
Different icons, theme, and upgraded stock apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lg g8 has ux 8.0 and skin is very beautiful
androidbadboy said:
THANK YOU ALL FOR REPLY - ALL GET 1+ THANKS
1. The V30 and V40 user interface is called Nova?
2. I like V30 for NOT being flooded with a lot of options. I like auto everything or minimum settings/options. Is V40 in that way closer to V30 (which has little options) or does it have huge amount of thiungs that can be set? (maybe how much more #)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's still just called LG UX in official documentation.
LG haven't pulled a Samsung or a Huawei. The V40/G7 software really only differs from the V30 in small ways, like the icon pack/theme and upgraded stock apps I mentioned. There are more options for the AoD including a colour picker (which has since been delivered to the V30 with an update in January 2019), the notch background options, the Knock Code entry field is bigger, the wallpaper settings are easier to access, and there's a revamped swipe-up app drawer option. I am a big fan of LG's UX. You won't be missing anything in software from the V30, and what is new is welcome. Themes can now enable the Google Feed if that's of interest.
The new Pie-based UX on the G8 series is nice too.
All phones need taming, no matter the brand, but I find there are fewer steps to get an LG device the way I like it than the myriad of should-be-on-by-default/should-be-off-by-default settings in Samsung/Huawei/Xiaomi et al. For some reason (likely the same reasons Samsung has for doing it) the V40 is set to FHD+ out of the box but that's about it over the V30.
onslaught86 said:
It's still just called LG UX in official documentation.
LG haven't pulled a Samsung or a Huawei. The V40/G7 software really only differs from the V30 in small ways, like the icon pack/theme and upgraded stock apps I mentioned. There are more options for the AoD including a colour picker (which has since been delivered to the V30 with an update in January 2019), the notch background options, the Knock Code entry field is bigger, the wallpaper settings are easier to access, and there's a revamped swipe-up app drawer option. I am a big fan of LG's UX. You won't be missing anything in software from the V30, and what is new is welcome. Themes can now enable the Google Feed if that's of interest.
The new Pie-based UX on the G8 series is nice too.
All phones need taming, no matter the brand, but I find there are fewer steps to get an LG device the way I like it than the myriad of should-be-on-by-default/should-be-off-by-default settings in Samsung/Huawei/Xiaomi et al. For some reason (likely the same reasons Samsung has for doing it) the V40 is set to FHD+ out of the box but that's about it over the V30.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 Thanks TO BOTH
My English is bad so please forgive me if I ask when You mention Samsung/Huawei/Xiaomi do You have on Your mind the tons of options a user has to set in a new phone?
androidbadboy said:
+1 Thanks TO BOTH
My English is bad so please forgive me if I ask when You mention Samsung/Huawei/Xiaomi do You have on Your mind the tons of options a user has to set in a new phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.
There is a difference between many settings that can be changed if you like (choice) and many settings that must be changed for a good experience (design).
The location of those settings and the ease with which they are changed matter also - sometimes a key setting is four or five menus deep on other brands. Samsung used to be bad at this and have improved, Huawei are now the worst offender. System-wide dark mode on Huawei OLED devices is called "Darken interface colours" under settings/battery for example.
For LG the most useful hidden features are rearranging/adding to the navigation buttons, and changing the "swipe to search" on the homescreen from slow "personal" results to fast "full Google search" but Google have broken this last one in their redesign to the Google app.
onslaught86 said:
Yes.
There is a difference between many settings that can be changed if you like (choice) and many settings that must be changed for a good experience (design).
The location of those settings and the ease with which they are changed matter also - sometimes a key setting is four or five menus deep on other brands. Samsung used to be bad at this and have improved, Huawei are now the worst offender. System-wide dark mode on Huawei OLED devices is called "Darken interface colours" under settings/battery for example.
For LG the most useful hidden features are rearranging/adding to the navigation buttons, and changing the "swipe to search" on the homescreen from slow "personal" results to fast "full Google search" but Google have broken this last one in their redesign to the Google app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks again,
so may I ask a bold question like...... Is LG the best at producing simple-settings phones in terms of amount, deep, ease etc. Which other brand is close to LG in the simpleness (excluding Iphone of course)?
androidbadboy said:
Thanks again,
so may I ask a bold question like...... Is LG the best at producing simple-settings phones in terms of amount, deep, ease etc. Which other brand is close to LG in the simpleness (excluding Iphone of course)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, but I don't think there is an objective best at this.
Everyone's needs and preferences are different. What works for you may not work for me, what is simple and easy for you may be complex and frustrating for me. Thankfully the market for smartphones is diverse and competitive, there is a lot of choice.
Evaluating smartphones and their software is part of my work. LG offers me the combination of features and hardware I find most pleasing and useful. Others have their strengths too.
If your priority is as few settings as possible, take a look at Moto/Nokia/Pixel/other vanilla derivatives or iOS. All phones can be used straight out of the box, it is up to you whether that experience is one you prefer or enjoy - Google Photos as the only gallery app for example. LG offers a feature-complete experience similar to Samsung and Huawei, it's just less intrusive and gets out of the way.
Meizu's Flyme and Oppo's ColorOS are simplified. Unfortunately they deviate so far from Android conventions that they are unpleasant to use as features do not work as expected or have been removed entirely.
onslaught86 said:
No, but I don't think there is an objective best at this.
Everyone's needs and preferences are different. What works for you may not work for me, what is simple and easy for you may be complex and frustrating for me. Thankfully the market for smartphones is diverse and competitive, there is a lot of choice.
Evaluating smartphones and their software is part of my work. LG offers me the combination of features and hardware I find most pleasing and useful. Others have their strengths too.
If your priority is as few settings as possible, take a look at Moto/Nokia/Pixel/other vanilla derivatives or iOS. All phones can be used straight out of the box, it is up to you whether that experience is one you prefer or enjoy - Google Photos as the only gallery app for example. LG offers a feature-complete experience similar to Samsung and Huawei, it's just less intrusive and gets out of the way.
Meizu's Flyme and Oppo's ColorOS are simplified. Unfortunately they deviate so far from Android conventions that they are unpleasant to use as features do not work as expected or have been removed entirely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. "Moto/Nokia/Pixel/" - You mean Andoid One phones?
2. "other vanilla derivatives" - what does it mean? what is vanilla?
3. Perhaps I forgot to mention that iOS is out of the question for me.
Oneplus 3T got first beta of PIE..... ONEPLUS 3T..... And we are here with the phone that they stop carrying about months after release and released new bunch of phones already like v40 never happened. I'm disappointed.
Probably brought the Droid curse with me, when I crossed over into LG. Sorry, folks. [emoji53]
Sent from my LM-V405 using Tapatalk
twoxa said:
Oneplus 3T got first beta of PIE..... ONEPLUS 3T..... And we are here with the phone that they stop carrying about months after release and released new bunch of phones already like v40 never happened. I'm disappointed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excuse me dude, but what the heck are You trying to say My English is bad - sorry.
androidbadboy said:
1. "Moto/Nokia/Pixel/" - You mean Andoid One phones?
2. "other vanilla derivatives" - what does it mean? what is vanilla?
3. Perhaps I forgot to mention that iOS is out of the question for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not Android One specifically. There is no such thing as 'pure' Android anymore and never really was, they are all slightly different even between Android One-branded devices. Pixel Android is different from Moto Android is different from Nokia Android. Instead you can group different versions of Android together to get an idea of what they have in common. Moto, Google, and Nokia are all very similar, more in common than not. Vanilla. Bare bones, you need to download a lot of third party apps to get the functionality that's present out of the box from others. If you want fewer options, these are the ones to go for. However, you may find yourself missing some features or apps if you're used to other brands.
Sony and OnePlus are similar as well but they have additional out of box functionality, like dedicated gallery apps instead of just Google Photos.
Then there are the more feature-complete experiences. Samsung, Huawei, LG, Xiaomi. Everything you need out of the box, just add the core third party apps. Can customise more if you need to. Lots of features but they're optional. You get a complete package. This is what most people who aren't smartphone enthusiasts prefer.
Lastly there are the wildly divergent versions like ColorOS and Flyme. Xiaomi's MIUI, Samsung's One UI, and Huawei's EMUI are also quite far removed from the more vanilla versions, but Oppo's ColorOS and Meizu's Flyme are a step beyond. This is because of the Great Firewall in China, all Google services are blocked and local equivalents exist to replace them, along with other localised features relevant to that market. Xiaomi and Huawei do a good job of making a global version that behaves more like other global Android phones, Oppo and Meizu not so much. ColorOS and Flyme will not behave as expected and break/change some basic elements like the way notifications work.
I like LG for the unique features and because it gets out of the way. Samsung's software is full of dark patterns designed to lock you in, and still has lots of questionable functions like Bixby and a Places feature in the dialer. Huawei's is good, but it has gone backwards in the last version. OnePlus is good, Xiaomi is good, both have a lot of options and OnePlus is better 'out of the box'. What you prefer will depend on your specific needs and preferences.
onslaught86 said:
Not Android One specifically. There is no such thing as 'pure' Android anymore and never really was, they are all slightly different even between Android One-branded devices. Pixel Android is different from Moto Android is different from Nokia Android. Instead you can group different versions of Android together to get an idea of what they have in common. Moto, Google, and Nokia are all very similar, more in common than not. Vanilla. Bare bones, you need to download a lot of third party apps to get the functionality that's present out of the box from others. If you want fewer options, these are the ones to go for. However, you may find yourself missing some features or apps if you're used to other brands.
Sony and OnePlus are similar as well but they have additional out of box functionality, like dedicated gallery apps instead of just Google Photos.
Then there are the more feature-complete experiences. Samsung, Huawei, LG, Xiaomi. Everything you need out of the box, just add the core third party apps. Can customise more if you need to. Lots of features but they're optional. You get a complete package. This is what most people who aren't smartphone enthusiasts prefer.
Lastly there are the wildly divergent versions like ColorOS and Flyme. Xiaomi's MIUI, Samsung's One UI, and Huawei's EMUI are also quite far removed from the more vanilla versions, but Oppo's ColorOS and Meizu's Flyme are a step beyond. This is because of the Great Firewall in China, all Google services are blocked and local equivalents exist to replace them, along with other localised features relevant to that market. Xiaomi and Huawei do a good job of making a global version that behaves more like other global Android phones, Oppo and Meizu not so much. ColorOS and Flyme will not behave as expected and break/change some basic elements like the way notifications work.
I like LG for the unique features and because it gets out of the way. Samsung's software is full of dark patterns designed to lock you in, and still has lots of questionable functions like Bixby and a Places feature in the dialer. Huawei's is good, but it has gone backwards in the last version. OnePlus is good, Xiaomi is good, both have a lot of options and OnePlus is better 'out of the box'. What you prefer will depend on your specific needs and preferences.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
An overwhelming reply, fully loaded with info
+1 THANK YOU!!!!
1. I can see in Your sig that You've gone trough pretty much every major category of mobile devices.
2. Did You enjoy IPhones? Why did You abandon them since you' were upgrading to newer hardware versions?
3. What is that vanilla?
4. Can You share your opinon, pros and cons of Huawei Mate 20 Pro cause I read everywhere that it is the best phone right now and it hasn't got any bad opinions?
5. What is it in LG V40 that makes You stay with that phone?
6. I have a huge problem with LG V30, I have left only 3 days to test it. Please give me advice what shall I test to make a final decision: staying with the device or not?
7. Thank You for being here with us
androidbadboy said:
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
An overwhelming reply, fully loaded with info
+1 THANK YOU!!!!
1. I can see in Your sig that You've gone trough pretty much every major category of mobile devices.
2. Did You enjoy IPhones? Why did You abandon them since you' were upgrading to newer hardware versions?
3. What is that vanilla?
4. Can You share your opinon, pros and cons of Huawei Mate 20 Pro cause I read everywhere that it is the best phone right now and it hasn't got any bad opinions?
5. What is it in LG V40 that makes You stay with that phone?
6. I have a huge problem with LG V30, I have left only 3 days to test it. Please give me advice what shall I test to make a final decision: staying with the device or not?
7. Thank You for being here with us
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Happy to help. I work in the industry and am always interested in sharing what I can.
I have used many more phones than are listed in my signature, those are just the ones I have personally owned and used as daily drivers for long periods of time. It may not be up to date, I jumped from V30 to Mate 20 Pro and now to V40.
On iPhones: After Samsung's poor optimisation of software for the large screens of Galaxy Notes + apps of the time being poorly optimised for large screens as well, Apple finally made an iPhone that was large enough for my needs in the 6 Plus. I have owned 6 Plus, 6s Plus, 7 Plus, and 8 Plus, and I have spent enough time with the X/XS Max/XR to know they are not for me. The grass was not greener, just different.
iPhones and iOS are fine. They are functional and reliable, good at doing what things iOS is set up to do well. They are a good choice for people who do not want to spend too much time thinking about or researching their phones, which is fair. iOS is not set up to do many other things well, and both hardware and software iterate slowly. Web browsing is a great example. Apple's professors are exceptionally good and the browsing experience in Safari is very fast and enjoyable, however Safari itself has a dated UI/UX that lags far behind equivalents on Android like Samsung's internet browser. You can use other browsers on iOS, but they are crippled in comparison to Safari, and offer a poor experience - you still cannot set default apps either. Third party keyboards are a mess. Apple's cameras have been left far behind their competition. Their industrial design is dated and inelegant. There are benefits to being in Apple's ecosystem, but the drawbacks are too many, and most notably, the price of entry is far too high. It is not worth it for what you get, especially if you're outside the US and iMessage is meaningless + there are much higher prices and zero warranty/service differentiation.
Google updates core Android apps all the time. Apple updates core iOS apps very slowly. For all the press Apple get for iOS updates, they are slow to make meaningful changes. When there is a major bug, it is difficult or impossible to fix yourself or roll back, you must wait for Apple to patch in weeks or months or longer. iOS 11 was a disaster and ruined my 7 Plus.
I may return to iOS if it gets the massive overhaul it sorely needs, especially to the home screen/launcher experience, and finally gets haptic feedback in the keyboard (Gboard on iOS has just added haptics, although they are poor). I left because Apple has been left behind. It is a good platform, you just need to know what you're getting into.
Vanilla = plain, basic, default. The closest you can buy on a commercial device to AOSP. Now that Google has abstracted so much of Android into Google Services, the base version of Android matters less than ever before, and the vast majority of innovation has been in 'skins' for the last 2-3+ years.
I enjoy and recommend the Mate 20 Pro. It has excellent battery life, ridiculously fast 40W charging that can change how you use a phone (no need to charge overnight when it goes from 30% to 75% in under 15mins), and some very clever camera tricks. The automatic portrait mode is one of the best features, there is no need to manually select portrait mode as the camera will jump straight to portrait by itself when it detects a face. Speaking of faces, Mate 20 Pro has real 3D face unlock, very welcome as I cannot stand the slow and poor under-screen fingerprint sensors (including the Mate 20 Pro's). Kirin 980 is an excellent chipset too. The Mate 20 Pro was the only thing which made me shift from the V30, which remains my favourite phone I've ever used, finally displacing the HTC HD2.
The problems with the Mate 20 Pro for me lie firstly in software - EMUI 9 is not as good or polished as EMUI 5/8, with bugs and jank, and it has now been locked down considerably. First by the region of the unit you buy, and then further by the SIM card inserted. This will determine what software builds you receive and when. It can also break things if you travel and put a different SIM in and receive an update which clashes with the region software to break CTS/SafetyNet/Google Pay. EMUI 9.1 on the P30 series fixes many issues, although it is uncertain if or when this will come to the Mate 20 Pro. You cannot easily switch regions or rebrand either.
In hardware, the screen is not the best, and critically for my needs the haptic feedback is very poor. I spend a lot of time writing email and the like from my phone as it is a work tool as well, and having been spoiled by the advanced haptics in the V30 and several Meizu phones, anything else is bad in comparison. I don't like Samsung's haptics either, and Apple's aren't used in the keyboard. LG's haptics are incredible, and integrating them throughout the UI/UX makes their phones delightful to use.
I missed several other features of the V30, including the excellent Always On Display, the seven-icon dock, double tap to sleep/wake, the thin/light design, the Quad DAC, and the manual camera. The V40 is really only a minor improvement over the V30, with a better/taller screen, boombox speaker, better cameras with telephoto, additional front camera, and SD845. Battery life is thankfully still very good, the haptics are still brilliant. I feel the V30's ergonomics were better than the V40's. The V30 is amazing and should go down in history as one of the most underrated phones to date.
I have specifically chosen the V40 as it delivers several key features that the Mate 20 Pro did not.
As for what else you should test out, that depends what you've tried so far and what you're looking for. How long you will use and keep your phone, and what your budget is, and what is available for you to buy. The V30 is great. The V40 is the V30 with a few improvements. The V50 launches in Korea this month and I would sorely like to own one as it has 855, 4000mAh battery, and LG UX with Pie out of the box - although the larger battery will make it much heavier.
The LG G8s is coming, and I like it more than the smaller G8. OnePlus will have something new soon for sure. Huawei's P30 Pro is compelling, although I prefer Mate 20 Pro for 1440p and 3D face unlock. Xiaomi are good and cheap. Moto are doing interesting things this year. Maybe the Galaxy Note 10 will be good. Etc etc. There is always something new on the horizon.
Hello
A bit of a beginner question.
I am looking for an option to avoid personal data leaks to corporations (paranoid version ). It makes me uncomfortable that every single word I say or text I write is being sent to the servers, being analysed by the online algorithms, etc. I believe that a phone is a personal device, and this is not acceptable.
Which is why I am looking for a phone that would allow to clean up the bloatware and telemetry modules, by either removing them from the stock firmware, setting up restrictive firewall rules, or by installing something like LineageOS or similar.
My question is whether it is reasonable to get the new Pixel 7 (in my area it costs around $600) or would you recommend looking into other models, some chinese models, for a similar price?
I am considering Pixel, as it is known to be one of the best phones in its price range (but as I understand mostly because of the software part, which I would like to meddle with).
Thanks for your opinions!
Yes, the pixel is a great phone. Paranoid Android (privacy ROM) supports it. The pixel is very easy to work with.
thetraveller1 said:
Hello
A bit of a beginner question.
I am looking for an option to avoid personal data leaks to corporations (paranoid version ). It makes me uncomfortable that every single word I say or text I write is being sent to the servers, being analysed by the online algorithms, etc. I believe that a phone is a personal device, and this is not acceptable.
Which is why I am looking for a phone that would allow to clean up the bloatware and telemetry modules, by either removing them from the stock firmware, setting up restrictive firewall rules, or by installing something like LineageOS or similar.
My question is whether it is reasonable to get the new Pixel 7 (in my area it costs around $600) or would you recommend looking into other models, some chinese models, for a similar price?
I am considering Pixel, as it is known to be one of the best phones in its price range (but as I understand mostly because of the software part, which I would like to meddle with).
Thanks for your opinions!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Pixel is, at it's core, developed by Google (which is primarily an advertising company, which is why they have so many great "free" apps, which you pay for with your data), as is Android itself. When you buy a new Android phone, it will come preloaded with multiple proprietary Google apps, which you can not easily uninstall. If you really want a privacy oriented phone, the Pixel with a custom ROM might work. Personally, I use Lineage OS, also for the extra privacy, as it is open-source. Lineage OS does not have any Google apps installed by default, although you can install them if you wish. If you look at Lineage OS's website and click on "GET LINEAGEOS" you can see devices that are supported. Since creating a custom ROM takes time, most of the supported devices are over three years old (yes, the Pixel 7 is not officialy supported). However, certain newer devices are supported, as is my Samsung Galaxy A52 4G (2021), which I run Lineage OS on. You could get the Pixel 7 and run this unofficial build of Lineage OS on it, but if your only getting it because the camera software is good, don't, because your going to remove that software and replace it. Another thing to keep in mind is sometimes the camera support isn't really great with custom ROMs, so do you research to make sure the phone you get has good camera support with whatever ROM you choose. Lineage OS did just develop a much better camera app for it's 20th release, though. Hope this helps, and if you have any questions let me know!
Hi, =)
if privacy is a concern for you, using a Google Pixel device may not be the best option as Google is known to collect user data for targeted advertising and other purposes. You may want to consider other options that prioritize privacy such as phones running on the Android-based LineageOS, or the privacy-focused /e/OS, or a device from a vendor known to prioritize privacy, such as Fairphone or Purism. You may also want to consider alternative operating systems such as iOS or Ubuntu Touch. Ultimately, the best option for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences, so consider your budget and requirements before making a decision.
If you want a device that protects your privacy out of the box with no modification, the Pixel series is not for you. In fact I'm not aware of any OEM Android device that is privacy oriented - Google services by nature depend largely on telemetry and user data for targeted advertising.
That being said, if you want a platform that can easily support a privacy oriented OS, the Pixel is honestly one of the best choices, due to the ease of which you can unlock the bootloader and flash a new OS such as LineageOS, CalyxOS, or others. This means you'll need to familiarize yourself with the concepts of ADB, flashing, bootloaders, etc.
ChristianMorris said:
Hi, =)
if privacy is a concern for you, using a Google Pixel device may not be the best option as Google is known to collect user data for targeted advertising and other purposes. You may want to consider other options that prioritize privacy such as phones running on the Android-based LineageOS, or the privacy-focused /e/OS, or a device from a vendor known to prioritize privacy, such as Fairphone or Purism. You may also want to consider alternative operating systems such as iOS or Ubuntu Touch. Ultimately, the best option for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences, so consider your budget and requirements before making a decision.
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Click to collapse
I happen to have the Librem 5 phone, developed by Purism. Frankly, although it is extremely security and privacy oriented, it currently has many downfalls: high price (starts at $1,999), not many apps (Linux smartphones are pretty new), and the battery lasts less than 24 hours on a full charge (due to not having a good suspend mode, I assume)
V0latyle said:
If you want a device that protects your privacy out of the box with no modification, the Pixel series is not for you. In fact I'm not aware of any OEM Android device that is privacy oriented - Google services by nature depend largely on telemetry and user data for targeted advertising.
That being said, if you want a platform that can easily support a privacy oriented OS, the Pixel is honestly one of the best choices, due to the ease of which you can unlock the bootloader and flash a new OS such as LineageOS, CalyxOS, or others. This means you'll need to familiarize yourself with the concepts of ADB, flashing, bootloaders, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lmao remember “freedom phone” what a joke.
I wonder if even a rooted android phone will not give away all kinds of info. Some roms I presume will mitigate that somewhat, but I feel you are tracked everywhere you go in this world. How about a decent burner or 3? Use it for a week or so then destroy it. And then buy a pixel 7 for the features when you don't care who's looking. And don't forget your paid (forget free) VPN.
@thetraveller1 flash Graphene, relock the bootloader, and you'll basically have state of the art privacy and security on your Pixel 7.
GrapheneOS: the private and secure mobile OS
GrapheneOS is a security and privacy focused mobile OS with Android app compatibility.
grapheneos.org
Thanks everybody for the replies!
As I understand, Pixel remains the most widely supported device by various Custom ROMs, and getting a Chinese smartphone or Samsung would mean I would be limiting the choice of the available/pre-built ROMs as well as future support with security patches?
ethical_haquer said:
You could get the Pixel 7 and run this unofficial build of Lineage OS on it, but if your only getting it because the camera software is good, don't, because your going to remove that software and replace it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand that unofficial means it wasn't built by the LineageOS team, rather by a 3rd party. And it probably means that some functionality may be missing/not working and it's not promised to be getting regular updates as new versions of Android come out (including applying official google security updates) unless I learn to make firmware builds myself?
thetraveller1 said:
Thanks everybody for the replies!
As I understand, Pixel remains the most widely supported device by various Custom ROMs, and getting a Chinese smartphone or Samsung would mean I would be limiting the choice of the available/pre-built ROMs as well as future support with security patches?
I understand that unofficial means it wasn't built by the LineageOS team, rather by a 3rd party. And it probably means that some functionality may be missing/not working and it's not promised to be getting regular updates as new versions of Android come out (including applying official google security updates) unless I learn to make firmware builds myself?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One of the reasons people use custom ROMs is because they often support devices longer then the stock ROM. For example, a device that was only supported by the manufacture till Android 11 could be running a custom ROM on Android 13. Lineage OS official builds get weekly updates; unofficial builds typically still get updates, but not as often. In either case, it is up to the individual that developed the build to provide support, and the more popular a build is, the more likely it is that it will be supported for many years. To answer your questions: no, getting a non-google phone will not necessarily limit custom ROM options, or updates; and getting an unofficial build doesn't mean it wont get updates, but installing updates on unofficial builds requires flashing the new builds manually, which can be a hassle.
thetraveller1 said:
Thanks everybody for the replies!
As I understand, Pixel remains the most widely supported device by various Custom ROMs, and getting a Chinese smartphone or Samsung would mean I would be limiting the choice of the available/pre-built ROMs as well as future support with security patches?
I understand that unofficial means it wasn't built by the LineageOS team, rather by a 3rd party. And it probably means that some functionality may be missing/not working and it's not promised to be getting regular updates as new versions of Android come out (including applying official google security updates) unless I learn to make firmware builds myself?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take a look at Shizuku and the apps that use it like FreezeYou!. MySudo and Insular are another couple to check. You may find a solution without having to switch ROMs.