Develop Bugs

[Q] Best ROM for Skype?

Hi all
I'm so sick of switching ROMs on my EVO 4G!! My battery life seems to suck no matter which ROM I try. I've tested my battery; it's fine. What I'd like is to be able to use Skype (just chatting; rarely use voice on Skype) with my EVO and get more than 3 hours battery life. I don't use Skype constantly; just want to be able to use the phone for more than a few hours before it becomes a paperweight!
Right now, pretty much as soon as I log into Skype on the EVO the batt drops to 80% and continues to drop every 30 min or so. Forget web browsing or texting; that kills it so fast it's dead in 2 hours.
I'm running Deodexed 4.24.651.1 and have tried Cyanomod, Baked Snack, Stock rooted and they all suck for battery life with Skype.
Maybe I need a different kernel?
Any ideas???
Thanks in advance!

mellie815 said:
Hi all
I'm so sick of switching ROMs on my EVO 4G!! My battery life seems to suck no matter which ROM I try. I've tested my battery; it's fine. What I'd like is to be able to use Skype (just chatting; rarely use voice on Skype) with my EVO and get more than 3 hours battery life. I don't use Skype constantly; just want to be able to use the phone for more than a few hours before it becomes a paperweight!
Right now, pretty much as soon as I log into Skype on the EVO the batt drops to 80% and continues to drop every 30 min or so. Forget web browsing or texting; that kills it so fast it's dead in 2 hours.
I'm running Deodexed 4.24.651.1 and have tried Cyanomod, Baked Snack, Stock rooted and they all suck for battery life with Skype.
Maybe I need a different kernel?
Any ideas???
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe because it's Saturday. I'm surprised they haven't jumped on you for posting this in this section. None of the roms that are gingerbread will have the life you had on 2.2 unless the code gets released and the guys that make kernels can make new ones. Battery life on the roms vary but if it means alot you should try Calkulin's rom. He has an undervolting script built in that may work for you. If you flash a kernel from the 2.2 roms you might get better battery life but something will break in the rom, ie camera.

Awesome development work dude!!!!!! Cant wait to try it out. Where's the download link??

My first idea would be posting in the correct section, or, it sucks that Skype and battery life blow on this rom you developed.
Since that is over, are you wiping properly with a formatall.zip? Are you making sure to flash the correct kernels with the corresponding rom? Are you restoring any data with titanium backup?
Move this to the q&a and you will get the information you are looking for.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

I thought you had to have 10 posts before you could post in the dev section?
simple answer - skype though awesome also sucks.
for example just think about a laptop. my 7 hr macbook pro dies in under 2 hrs when i'm video or phone chatting on skype... shouldn't the same be expected for a cell? you're getting 3 hours, albeit only chatting as you say, but skype has been and remains a highly demanding application which although is convenient and widely used IMO is poorly written considering it's cpu and battery drainage. compared to simple web based google chat w/ video I get far superior battery life. like i said, my opinion, my experience. and yes as mentioned, try undervolting or SBC kernels or both. My EVO has ranged from stock settings 5 hr life to deck's w/ tiamat sbc + vipermod approx 40 hours (the 40 was when it was honestly just idle most of the time, occasional call or text a little bit of browsing, i was sick so on laptop mostly- although typical moderate daily use I would still be above 20% before plug in before sleep)
as long as you mentioned it, anyone happen to know a stable skype apk with video that was pulled? i've tried different sources and a bunch of my usual roms and I either get only back camera for a little then crashing or front camera green fuzziness and crash instantly.

Why is it I needed like 10 posts to post here but this guy can ask questions like this with 6 posts? WTF?

charm1950 said:
Why is it I needed like 10 posts to post here but this guy can ask questions like this with 6 posts? WTF?
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Click to collapse
First off, I apologize for this being here. I THOUGHT I was posting in the Q & A threads so please don't be snarky. I had the other thread open in another browser tab going back and forth looking for input. How it got accepted I don't know; as I said I thought it was going into the QA area. Sorry.
To altman, yes; I am doing a complete format/wipe and only restoring essentials via Titanium.
To 'crammed', try Tango; it's decent video chat, is free and is soon to be released for desktops too so cell to pc video chat will work. Tango is nice that it lets you utilize both front/rear facing cams (and did I mention it's free?). The big problem is trying to chat with folks who don't have cell access/unlimited minutes who need a desktop option like Skype, which is why I use it. With family in Poland and UK, Skype's the best way to stay connected for free for me but again, they don't have the same cellular access/plans so it's not possible to do cell to cell.
Thanks for the input

OP created his/her account before the 10 post restriction went into effect. The change was not retroactive.

tango is cool....i also use ClearSea...it's got the pc support so you can video chat between cell and pc...works pretty nice over 3g...
just an idea....

Decks 1.2.1 stable ROM in "advanced settings" in settings go to performance, go to VM heap set to 48
Savaged Zen 2.2.1 cfs SBC kernel
Battery calibration (market app) follow in app instructions
Setcpu (market app) my settings are 1152 Max 245 min savagedzen governor
Download rom manager and run fix permissions
Let it all sit 3 days, takes kernel that long to set and battery life gets better after a few full charges
I get great battery life. I get upwards of 20 hours easy and I use my phone heavily so, hopefully this will help
Next time please post your questions in the q and a section, dev is for someone who has something they have developed for the community to use. Thanks
Sent from my Xoom using XDA Premium App

You guys sound like he should be hanged for posting here. Lol people make mistakes, it isn't that big of an issue.
If battery life is an issue for you, you have a few options. You can jump to CM7 or Evo Deck and set them up properly. With either of those, you can flash a nice kernel and set clock speeds accordingly. Battery life is going to suck on any 2.3.3 Rom right now, because developers have no access to the source code for the kernel. HTC is taking their sweet time.
However, you can also look into extended batteries. I have a one I found on ebay for about $16, and it's wonderful. The phone has a little bulk now, but I am currently sitting at 16.25 hours off the charger, and I'm at 32%. This is also on Synergy currently, so there is no custom kernel or anything in use.
Just a few thoughts.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

GeneralSky2004 said:
You guys sound like he should be hanged for posting here. Lol people make mistakes, it isn't that big of an issue.
If battery life is an issue for you, you have a few options. You can jump to CM7 or Evo Deck and set them up properly. With either of those, you can flash a nice kernel and set clock speeds accordingly. Battery life is going to suck on any 2.3.3 Rom right now, because developers have no access to the source code for the kernel. HTC is taking their sweet time.
However, you can also look into extended batteries. I have a one I found on ebay for about $16, and it's wonderful. The phone has a little bulk now, but I am currently sitting at 16.25 hours off the charger, and I'm at 32%. This is also on Synergy currently, so there is no custom kernel or anything in use.
Just a few thoughts.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1. It's easy to screw up when you've been up all night downloading and flashing the newest versions of your favorite ROMs or desperately seeking the answers you need. No need to grab your torches once the first 14 people have cried "wrong section" (most of whom then offer advice afterward, enabling much?)

charm1950 said:
Why is it I needed like 10 posts to post here but this guy can ask questions like this with 6 posts? WTF?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a better question:
Why is it that someone felt it necessary to bump a post that clearly was ignored by everyone and put on the second or third page just to flame someone?
This thread went unnoticed with no replies for over an hour and yet someone felt that necessary.
That **** is just as bad as posting in the wrong section, if not worse.

i have been a member of this forum for about a year now. and as you can tell i have very few posts. The ones i do are simply to say thanks to someone who made an awesome rom/kernel/etc. I spend most of the time searching for the answers im looking for. perhaps if you looked in the right section and researched a bit before you continuously flashed your phone you would know what is going on with it.
gotta love people that just jump of the cliff because the guy in front of did...

Check out my sig, AOSP setup would probably help you with battery life. Current radios too

Zac95 said:
Let it all sit 3 days, takes kernel that long to set and battery life gets better after a few full charges
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you elaborate on this a little? I don't necessarily wanna bump this thread, but being a Comp. Sci. major, this seems odd to me.. What does it mean for a kernel to 'set'?
Or are you talking about the collection of data for the accurate battery reading (batters stats)?

mellie815 said:
First off, I apologize for this being here. I THOUGHT I was posting in the Q & A threads so please don't be snarky. I had the other thread open in another browser tab going back and forth looking for input. How it got accepted I don't know; as I said I thought it was going into the QA area. Sorry.
To altman, yes; I am doing a complete format/wipe and only restoring essentials via Titanium.
To 'crammed', try Tango; it's decent video chat, is free and is soon to be released for desktops too so cell to pc video chat will work. Tango is nice that it lets you utilize both front/rear facing cams (and did I mention it's free?). The big problem is trying to chat with folks who don't have cell access/unlimited minutes who need a desktop option like Skype, which is why I use it. With family in Poland and UK, Skype's the best way to stay connected for free for me but again, they don't have the same cellular access/plans so it's not possible to do cell to cell.
Thanks for the input
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tip. I wasn't directing the 10 post mark at you btw, more at moderators/XDA in general. My first account was locked for "spamming" I presume to get 10 posts whereas I actually spent hours answering ppl's questions in the q & a but I guess the short time frame wasn't liked. But I digress, I'm not so in need for cell to cell as much as a nice universal cell to cell/desktop cross platform and unfortunately skype is the most popular. My girlfriend as well as many friends/relatives also don't have the latest phones so the cell to desktop is wanted. for now I'm just sticking to gtalk, with isn't without it's errors either.
muf454 said:
Can you elaborate on this a little? I don't necessarily wanna bump this thread, but being a Comp. Sci. major, this seems odd to me.. What does it mean for a kernel to 'set'?
Or are you talking about the collection of data for the accurate battery reading (batters stats)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
... Kernel to set meaning it takes a bit for it to settle down to the way it will normally function, call it "breaking it in" or like how you gotta drive a car a few thousand miles before your performance and MPG are where the manufacturer claims itll be... Yeah I kinda like the second analogy, go me!
Frequent flashing or flashing too soon sort of doesn't give the rom or kernel a chance because they haven't stabilized, often why some people praise while at the same time others curse a rom/kernel. Myself included :/ yikes. I found that to be true when deck was held up on his updates for almost a week and my phone was amazing, but I updated and went back into the loop of constant flashing so keep that in mind, if you're set on giving s rom and kernel a shot, give it at least a few days of the kind of use you NORMALLY would. If you're playing with it all day and it dies don't call it shotty battery life until you keep it in your pocket most of the day during the week. Not trying to berate anyone, I've done these same things myself, patience is a virtue after all.

reddyfire said:
i have been a member of this forum for about a year now. and as you can tell i have very few posts. The ones i do are simply to say thanks to someone who made an awesome rom/kernel/etc. I spend most of the time searching for the answers im looking for. perhaps if you looked in the right section and researched a bit before you continuously flashed your phone you would know what is going on with it.
gotta love people that just jump of the cliff because the guy in front of did...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol reddy
I DID research the ROMs extensively; that's why I'm frustrated. I've tried so many after reading about how great they are. I'm not saying they AREN'T great either, just not working where I live. There's no 4G coverage already and 3G is spotty. Even if I don't load Skype at all I can't get 8 hours off my EVO before it dies.
When you rely on your phone for business like I do, even without Skype at all, you gotta be able to get through a normal workday or the phone's a pretty paperweight and not much else. Right now, I HAVE to plug it in at work or it won't last 8 hours and that just sux.

mellie815 said:
lol reddy
I DID research the ROMs extensively; that's why I'm frustrated. I've tried so many after reading about how great they are. I'm not saying they AREN'T great either, just not working where I live. There's no 4G coverage already and 3G is spotty. Even if I don't load Skype at all I can't get 8 hours off my EVO before it dies.
When you rely on your phone for business like I do, even without Skype at all, you gotta be able to get through a normal workday or the phone's a pretty paperweight and not much else. Right now, I HAVE to plug it in at work or it won't last 8 hours and that just sux.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well then the issue lies with the network not your Rom
Sent from my Droid DNA with Tapatalk

Battery Drain Solved

Hope this works for others - I've read the other posts but didn't see this posted as a solution, if so, pardon the miss...
I've been using Android since Cupcake (and on the iPhone since the iPhone 3) and am very well versed in the Android "features" which are in general battery draining.
I've owned both the Nexus and the Nexus S.
After buying the GNX I turned it off, came straight home and charged to full before using it. The first thing I did after turning it on was to clear the cache, force close, and disable the Verizon bloatware, including news and weather.
I had all sync options / apps off, 2 Gmail accounts on, and I broke out in a cold sweat every time I turned the screen on, knowing it was going to kill my battery if I dare use the device for its intended purpose, social streaming, news feed reading, games, Netflix, etc.
Like most I was suffering from an abnormal wake time and "Android OS" was consistently the top battery drain in the Battery Panel within Settings.
700 bucks for a phone that I'm afraid to use (without a 50 foot extension cord nearby) doesn't make a whole lot of sense, given I can use all of the above listed features on my iPhone 4 without thinking twice about my battery.
I went back to the Verizon store where I purchased the phone, showed some screen grabs of the battery life I was getting, and asked for a new device, which was met with resistance - from my perspective it was pretty simple, either exchange the device or I'm gonna return it...
With the new phone I decided to try something different. I still shut it off after the purchase was complete, charged to full before using it, disabled the bloatware etc., but I decided to not accept the OS update.
After using the phone without accepting the update I noticed a marked improvement - the first item listed in the Battery Panel within Settings is either "Phone Idle" or "Screen", depending on usage, and "Android OS" is consistently the 4th item in the list, currently using 16% of my resources, with 14 hrs, 24 min of use and 64% remaining on my battery, and a very acceptable wake time.
I should also add that with both phones I had the "Don't keep activities" check box selected within Settings / Developer Options
Now the only real problem I have is the annoying pop up asking me to install the update with every active screen session, sometimes a few times within each session.
So for now, I'm going to hold off on accepting the update, hope I don't accidentally accept, and wait until I hear how well the next OS update is before accepting it.

Tldr: I wiped/reset the phone but didn't update to 4.0.2. Now Android OS does not keep the phone awake.

Easy way to save battery: Put the phone down everyonce in a while. I get a good 7-10hrs out of it everyday.

Sooooo you turned off multitasking, and denied an update. To all the new users I highly suggest you don't do this. Those are developer settings to test apps and killing multitasking is not gonna be beneficial.
Sent from my Google phone

Oh one more thing... change the title... Your misleading people.
Sent from my Google phone

ChongoDroid said:
Sooooo you turned off multitasking, and denied an update. To all the new users I highly suggest you don't do this. Those are developer settings to test apps and killing multitasking is not gonna be beneficial.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, that's all I did, I denied the update and there's a night and day difference between how this phone behaves on 4.0.1 vs. the one I had on 4.0.2
I remember the good ol' days, when folks would come to XDA to offer and receive help from each other...

Funny how people think everything was the fix. You got an entirely new device...don't you think just maybe it could had been that, not the update?
This just in setting my wallpaper to the beach boys fixed it for me
( actually I have never had a wake lock issue... not on 4.0.1 4.0.2 or 4.0.3)
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

this thread is a waste, and ere i was gettin all hopeful! anyhoo, i heard paul got it fixed?

Grims said:
Funny how people think everything was the fix. You got an entirely new device...don't you think just maybe it could had been that, not the update?
This just in setting my wallpaper to the beach boys fixed it for me
( actually I have never had a wake lock issue... not on 4.0.1 4.0.2 or 4.0.3)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah... so much so that I'm not taking any updates until 4.0.3, and only after folks have had a chance to test it out and see how it performs.
Glad the beach boys fixed your issues, sure it wasn't your Justin Bieber ringtones?

This thread is misleading.
I have 4.0.1 and I have that high Android OS Keep awake time issue.
Again, that issue is not about battery life, but the keep awake of Android OS which is unusual.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

I just disabled google+ and vzw backup. Phone is doing far better on battery.
I also run a flat black bg, but i do the with everything.

ProTip - flash android 1.5 cupcake to your nexus for week long battery life.

Tired of guessing, requesting help

I have been reading everyday since the day it came out... the same day I bought it.
Hope you all don't mind but I have quite a few questions/frustrations
1st, Battery life is killing me... cannot make it through a day, I have put my screen on auto which seems a lot dimmer than set to 40 or 60%. All I do is play some solitaire, check mail a lot, a little bit of net, maybe 30 minutes of calls (tops) a few txt msgs, with maybe 2 hours or slightly more of screen time.
External speaker is embarrassing... tried showing a video to a friend with an iphone and felt like flushing the damn phone after he did the same.
Data connectivity is still hit and miss... one minute I have 4 bars of 4G and the next I have none.
I am on (details in sig) 4.0.4 (Craig Gomez version) with the newest radios. The device is a serious work tool for me so I really don't have the time to try different ROMS or kernels all the time... I need it always ready for calls, emails and occasional RDP or Logmein sessions .
For those of you have actually tried many/experienced in the world of various ROMs & kernels... do you have a suggestion of what to do with my setup?
Between the battery and data connectivity I feel the phone is close to crap... my friends with Razors have none of these problems and I feel like I am ready to snap.
BTW... if you could be even more kind... if you have a suggestion on what to run, could you suggest a brief set of instructions... i.e. nandriod, full wipe, install this first that second...
Thanks for any and all help... I sure would like to come up with or remember a reason why I have this and not a razor max.

Do you have the latest radios? That will make a difference. I do know the speaker is weak. There's not much to do but for a volume hack, some roms have it enabled.
Id ask for a replacement phone if battery is that bad and you can't get a decent signal anywhere but other phones can. Sounds like a defective phone.

I've been using Android Revolution for about 2 weeks, and as for today, I don't think there's anything as good as it. It's just like stock, just a little bit faster. I have great battery life, 5 to 6 Hours of screen on time, AutoBrightness, sync on, wifi always on, etc, it's pretty good, you should give it a try.
I've also used AOKP (with FrancoKernel and with stock kernel), and even tho I liked all extra features, in my experience, with screen off, it drains battery a looot faster that stock/ARHD.
I used an app called equalizer to fix the speaker

veloslave said:
I have been reading everyday since the day it came out... the same day I bought it.
Hope you all don't mind but I have quite a few questions/frustrations
1st, Battery life is killing me... cannot make it through a day, I have put my screen on auto which seems a lot dimmer than set to 40 or 60%. All I do is play some solitaire, check mail a lot, a little bit of net, maybe 30 minutes of calls (tops) a few txt msgs, with maybe 2 hours or slightly more of screen time.
External speaker is embarrassing... tried showing a video to a friend with an iphone and felt like flushing the damn phone after he did the same.
Data connectivity is still hit and miss... one minute I have 4 bars of 4G and the next I have none.
I am on (details in sig) 4.0.4 (Craig Gomez version) with the newest radios. The device is a serious work tool for me so I really don't have the time to try different ROMS or kernels all the time... I need it always ready for calls, emails and occasional RDP or Logmein sessions .
For those of you have actually tried many/experienced in the world of various ROMs & kernels... do you have a suggestion of what to do with my setup?
Between the battery and data connectivity I feel the phone is close to crap... my friends with Razors have none of these problems and I feel like I am ready to snap.
BTW... if you could be even more kind... if you have a suggestion on what to run, could you suggest a brief set of instructions... i.e. nandriod, full wipe, install this first that second...
Thanks for any and all help... I sure would like to come up with or remember a reason why I have this and not a razor max.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Autobrightness will kill your battery more than a static 40 or 60%.
2 hours of screen on time seems normal for the Verizon Nexus.
Try the volume + app for your speaker problems.
There are some kernels that have sound boosts built in.
Signal drops means you should exchange the phone. Use the insurance.
Honestly if you hate the phone as much as it sounds, just get a different phone.

joshnichols189 said:
Autobrightness will kill your battery more than a static 40 or 60%.
2 hours of screen on time seems normal for the Verizon Nexus.
Try the volume + app for your speaker problems.
There are some kernels that have sound boosts built in.
Signal drops means you should exchange the phone. Use the insurance.
Honestly if you hate the phone as much as it sounds, just get a different phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perfect response.

Don't get me wrong... I in no way "hate" phone, if I did I would have gotten rid of it.
I'm frustrated not stupid.
I am amazed that Verizon hasn't done something about it... most of the buyers of this phone are not IT savvy rooters... my phone works a lot better than stock, I cannot imagine how frustrated someone on 4.0.2 would be.
Anyway... I am going to take it back to stock and return it... guess I will try it (the new one) out stock but I know I will want it rooted. Guess I'll try some of the suggested software\ROMS.
I wonder what a stock one is coming with these days?

veloslave said:
Don't get me wrong... I in no way "hate" phone, if I did I would have gotten rid of it.
I'm frustrated not stupid.
I am amazed that Verizon hasn't done something about it... most of the buyers of this phone are not IT savvy rooters... my phone works a lot better than stock, I cannot imagine how frustrated someone on 4.0.2 would be.
Anyway... I am going to take it back to stock and return it... guess I will try it (the new one) out stock but I know I will want it rooted. Guess I'll try some of the suggested software\ROMS.
I wonder what a stock one is coming with these days?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never called you stupid.
Stock phones will 99% come with 4.0.2 but like I said, they don't all have the problems you have.. except low speaker volume.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

joshnichols189 said:
I never called you stupid.
Stock phones will 99% come with 4.0.2 but like I said, they don't all have the problems you have.. except low speaker volume.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyone that would keep a phone they hate would have to be stupid
Well... things just changed again.
Just talked with Verizon and he asked if I installed the update pushed out on the 25th? I told him I will give it a shot and get back to them.
Anyone got instructions for reverting back to stock?

veloslave said:
Anyone that would keep a phone they hate would have to be stupid
Well... things just changed again.
Just talked with Verizon and he asked if I installed the update pushed out on the 25th? I told him I will give it a shot and get back to them.
Anyone got instructions for reverting back to stock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check the stickies in the dev forum
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

[Q] Just got an SIII used to be an iPhone user.

Hello all!
So a couple of days ago I traded my iPhone 4S 32GB for an SIII. So far I am quite delighted. It is a bit overwhelming at first and it's still taking time to adjust. I have heard from Reddit that this community is awesome.
Anyways the trade went fine and made sure the name, ID, and the IMEI checked out. I called AT&T and all I needed to do was get a new SIM card due to data plans. I love the new refreshing look and the sharp colors and resolution. The Super AMOLED display is definitely on par with the retina display.
It's still within return policy so I might be able to exchange it with AT&T. Even though I didn't purchase it, but can I exchange it? I have the white color and would like the blue if possible. I have the receipt.
It runs quite hot when I use it for a while but my 4S was hotter.
Battery life is definitely much less than the 4S. How can I improve this? I use a wifi connection at home.
What are some tests or things I can run to make sure everything is working fine before I consider rooting?
What are some optimizations or some settings that are must?
I'm a college student student. What are some essential apps I should get? I also watch a lot of movies and stream music is there something better than Pandora?
I want to do one last factory reset. I installed a lot of applications already like 20+ how can I back these? How can I backup everything and than sync it all again after the reset? I have an SD card.
Are there any good protective cases for the S3? Are the colors interchangeable? I. E. Going from white to blue s3.
Is there any cool tip or trick that I can do with the S3?
Also I have quite sweaty hands. How can I take care of the screen?
Thanks

Without rooting is will be hard to backup your apps. However the play store will show you all previously downloaded apps that's you can 're-download.
What I've known to kill my battery is if I have several apps syncing to the phone, from those apps that you downloaded are they free games that might be getting advertisement.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

main reasons for battery drain:
sync
screen on
4g data
so if you have apps that runs in the background a lot and constantly pushes notifications that will kill it.
being on wifi should save it a bit more than 4g

Welcome =)
Hey, Welcome. I trade my 4S for SIII about a month ago, As you said it is a bit overwhelming at first, but once you get used to it, its just great.
As far as app, goes, just install all the apps you had on iPhone. that's where I started it. Evernote, Pandora, iheartradio, flipboard, facebook, twitter...etc. I got most of the app I used everyday on it, so I felt right at home.
Battery also as you said, take a bit of a hit, i used to charge my phone every other day, now i need to do it every night, thats not really a big deal.
I then rooted my phone, installed CM10 Jell bean and it super great, got rid of all the bloatware that came with stock and Google now + porject butter just make thing so much much easier =).
I always had my iPhone jailbroken so rooting and installing custom rom is not a estrange thing to me, if you are not technical and rather stay in stock, just don't mess with it.

Bronos said:
Hello alooking forward l!
Battery life is definitely much less than the 4S. How can I improve this? I use a wifi connection at home.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A bad signal quality can decrease batter life, have a good reception. Close unopen apps, dim down the screen brightness.
What are some tests or things I can run to make sure everything is working fine before I consider rooting?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can root it anyway, i cant think of any "system checks" per se. if you think its acting up, do a factory reset
What are some optimizations or some settings that are must?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
None i can think of besides discharging your battery to around 20% than fully charge your battery, do this about 3 times. Called battery conditioning.
I want to do one last factory reset. I installed a lot of applications already like 20+ how can I back these? How can I backup everything and than sync it all again after the reset? I have an SD card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All your apps are tied to your google account. When you sign in again to google on your phone after a factory reset apps will start downloading. Make sure you are syncing to google.
Are there any good protective cases for the S3? Are the colors interchangeable? I. E. Going from white to blue s3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Colors are not interchangeable, thats why samsung specifically sells two different colors. If you are feeling like a brave one, you can buy the shell online and rip the phone apart and change it yourself - this is the unofficial route though.

m82a1 said:
A bad sireply. I uality can decrease batter life, have a good reception. Close unopen apps, dim down the screen brightness.
You can root it anyway, i cant think of any "system checks" per se. if you think its acting up, do a factory reset
None i can think of besides discharging your battery to around 20% than fully charge your battery, do this about 3 times. Called battery conditioning.
All your apps are tied to your google account. When you sign in again to google on your phone after a factory reset apps will start downloading. Make sure you are syncing to google.
Colors are not interchangeable, thats why samsung specifically sells two different colors. If you are feeling like a brave one, you can buy the shell online and rip the phone apart and change it yourself - this is the unofficial route though.
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Click to collapse
Hey guys thanks for the fast reply I will do factory reset later as I setup a lot already. What bloatware can I delete that AT&T gave me?

Bronos said:
Hey guys thanks for the fast reply I will do factory reset later as I setup a lot already. What bloatware can I delete that AT&T gave me?
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Click to collapse
Just curious, what but why are you planning to factory reset??

werked said:
Just curious, what but why are you planning to factory reset??
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Click to collapse
Sorry typo... I am not doing factory reset.

Bronos said:
Hello all!
So a couple of days ago I traded my iPhone 4S 32GB for an SIII. So far I am quite delighted. It is a bit overwhelming at first and it's still taking time to adjust. I have heard from Reddit that this community is awesome.
Anyways the trade went fine and made sure the name, ID, and the IMEI checked out. I called AT&T and all I needed to do was get a new SIM card due to data plans. I love the new refreshing look and the sharp colors and resolution. The Super AMOLED display is definitely on par with the retina display.
It's still within return policy so I might be able to exchange it with AT&T. Even though I didn't purchase it, but can I exchange it? I have the white color and would like the blue if possible. I have the receipt.
It runs quite hot when I use it for a while but my 4S was hotter.
Battery life is definitely much less than the 4S. How can I improve this? I use a wifi connection at home.
What are some tests or things I can run to make sure everything is working fine before I consider rooting?
What are some optimizations or some settings that are must?
I'm a college student student. What are some essential apps I should get? I also watch a lot of movies and stream music is there something better than Pandora?
I want to do one last factory reset. I installed a lot of applications already like 20+ how can I back these? How can I backup everything and than sync it all again after the reset? I have an SD card.
Are there any good protective cases for the S3? Are the colors interchangeable? I. E. Going from white to blue s3.
Is there any cool tip or trick that I can do with the S3?
Also I have quite sweaty hands. How can I take care of the screen?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
running the bell version of jb I get 4 hours screen time, 2 hours talk time and 16 hours up time. Nothing special done, just debloated. I never use WiFi either, always on mobile data. Haven't had the same luck with the t mobile version though.
On stock,I would get about 2.5 hr screen, 1.5 talk and about 16hr screen.
These numbers of course are not always the case, but I check everyday at the end of the day and they are almost always pretty close, obviously if your usage varies, than do still your battery life. They have been days where I get 24 hr+ up time and then others where I have gotten 10. Either way, far better than any iPhone I have had (had then all but the 4s)
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda premium

try the LCDTest to check if things are working properly
go into dialer and enter *#0*#. there's various tests you can do to make sure everything is working as it should. to go back from a test, either tap the screen or press back button twice in some cases.

Bronos said:
Battery life is definitely much less than the 4S. How can I improve this? I use a wifi connection at home.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Turn off auto brightness and keep it dimmer. In doors I usually have my brightness at around 25% or 35% and this is more than enough for me. Obviously turn it up if going outside.
Turn off syncs you don't want. I saw that you mentioned that you are on at&t and by default it has pictures to sync with picasa. Turn this off as it'll KILL your data, it'll be uploading your pictures all the time and with cameras getting higher and higher resolutions they make larger and larger files.
Some people say that juice defender is a good app to use to save battery. Personally I never liked apps like it that turn off data/wifi when my phone screen is off because for me it usually takes too long to turn those back on.
Stay away from auto task killers.
Bronos said:
What are some tests or things I can run to make sure everything is working fine before I consider rooting?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No real tests that you need to run.
Bronos said:
What are some optimizations or some settings that are must?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't think of any major settings that are a must to run. I would advise not to use the power saver mode that comes with stock as that thing made my phone a piece of ****.
Bronos said:
I'm a college student student. What are some essential apps I should get? I also watch a lot of movies and stream music is there something better than Pandora?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't think of any major streaming music services that are exclusive to android. There is google play that gives you the option to upload your music from your computer to their cloud and then it'll stream your music to any device you want. I'd say download whatever apps you enjoyed on your iphone as many are on android as well. If you can't find an app do a google search for an equivalent on android.
Bronos said:
I want to do one last factory reset. I installed a lot of applications already like 20+ how can I back these? How can I backup everything and than sync it all again after the reset? I have an SD card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After a factory reset when setting the phone up, it should give the option to have the phone backed up with google. If this is checked whenever you finish the setup it'll start to download the apps you had. I can't remember off the top of my head but I did see a method on XDA front page several weeks ago that gave information on how to back up your apps without rooting, might want to look into that if you don't want to root.
Bronos said:
Are there any good protective cases for the S3? Are the colors interchangeable? I. E. Going from white to blue s3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no easy way to go from white to blue as they are part of the case of the phone. The only way to change without going to the store for an exchange is to rip your phone apart which I would advise doing. There are plenty of protective cases to choose from though.
Bronos said:
Is there any cool tip or trick that I can do with the S3?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't know if it is still around but there was a tips and tricks thread for the S3
Things I can think off of the top of my head:
Swiping the side of your hand(think ninja chop) across your screen will take a screen shot.
Disabling s-voice from using the home button double press will make your home button return you to your home screen faster.
Bronos said:
Also I have quite sweaty hands. How can I take care of the screen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Buy a screen protector is the only bit of advise I can give you.
With all that being said, if you really want to increase battery life I'd advise rooting. This'll give you access to cpu control apps. The s3 is the first phone I've seen which has a cpu governor set to default at performance. The cpu governor is what determines how your cpu will scale it's speeds, ie going from 300 mhz to 500 to 1500 etc. The performance governor will only allow two speeds, the lowest speed and the max speed. This makes your phone very snappy but isn't battery efficient. A cpu app like set spu or voltage control will allow you to change your governor to something that is more kind to your battery.
Feel free to look through the forums for other apps you might want or info. If you're feeling really confident I'd advise trying a custom kernel or custom rom as they'll open up a whole new world to you, just make sure you research on how to recover your phone from a softbrick/return it to stock. I'd also like to suggest you make a nandroid backup of your phone before flashing anything in a custom recovery.
One more thing I would give as advice is to try a different launcher like apex/go launcher ex/nova/adw. These give you themes to modify your phone easily and without root.
I forgot one last thing to add. REDDIT!!!!

[Q] Frustrated newbie needs help

About eight months ago I traded in my Verizon BlackBerry for a Droid Incredible 2, but I still have a LOT to learn, so please bare with me
When I got my Inc2 I immediately got it rooted & flashed with a LOT of help as it took numerous steps and two days to complete. So from day one I've been using Skyraider Zeus, and have really enjoyed it. But recently the battery icon has started turning red with an exclamation point. After having been told by a number of people that this sounded like a battery issue, so I purchased a new battery. Unfortunately that didn't solve the issue. It was then suggested that I flash a new ROM to see if that would fix it. I assumed it would, to an extent, since most ROM's use different battery icon images.
So I traded (begrudgingly) my beloved Skyraider Zeus this weekend for ViperINC 1.3.1. Unfortunately I only used this ROM about 24-hours because I could no longer use wireless tether, which for me was a deal-breaker
I then traded ViperINC for Magnolia 2.1.1, which I very much liked because it was so similar to Skyraider Zeus, and I was once again able to use my wireless tether. Unfortunately I started experiencing the red battery icon issue again, as well as it would not allow me to connect my Google account, thus preventing me from using a lot of features.
So last night I went back to the nandroid backup from over the weekend and am now back to my beloved Skyraider Zeus *SMH*
All this having been said, I have two questions....
First... does anyone have an idea of what could be causing the issue with the battery icon turning red?
Second... can anyone recommend a ROM similar to Skyraider Zeus that can handle my excessive use (email, web, SMS & voice), that supports wireless tether and (if possible) allows me to take screenshots (preferably from the power button like Skyraider)? Oh, and the fewer steps to flash, the better LOL!
Thanks in advance to those who reply!!

JavaBratt said:
About eight months ago I traded in my Verizon BlackBerry for a Droid Incredible 2, but I still have a LOT to learn, so please bare with me
When I got my Inc2 I immediately got it rooted & flashed with a LOT of help as it took numerous steps and two days to complete. So from day one I've been using Skyraider Zeus, and have really enjoyed it. But recently the battery icon has started turning red with an exclamation point. After having been told by a number of people that this sounded like a battery issue, so I purchased a new battery. Unfortunately that didn't solve the issue. It was then suggested that I flash a new ROM to see if that would fix it. I assumed it would, to an extent, since most ROM's use different battery icon images.
So I traded (begrudgingly) my beloved Skyraider Zeus this weekend for ViperINC 1.3.1. Unfortunately I only used this ROM about 24-hours because I could no longer use wireless tether, which for me was a deal-breaker
I then traded ViperINC for Magnolia 2.1.1, which I very much liked because it was so similar to Skyraider Zeus, and I was once again able to use my wireless tether. Unfortunately I started experiencing the red battery icon issue again, as well as it would not allow me to connect my Google account, thus preventing me from using a lot of features.
So last night I went back to the nandroid backup from over the weekend and am now back to my beloved Skyraider Zeus *SMH*
All this having been said, I have two questions....
First... does anyone have an idea of what could be causing the issue with the battery icon turning red?
Second... can anyone recommend a ROM similar to Skyraider Zeus that can handle my excessive use (email, web, SMS & voice), that supports wireless tether and (if possible) allows me to take screenshots (preferably from the power button like Skyraider)? Oh, and the fewer steps to flash, the better LOL!
Thanks in advance to those who reply!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It means the phone can't read the battery information (charge level, temperature, etc)... I would first try pulling out the battery and checking the contacts on the battery and the phone. If they are bent or messed up, return the phone to stock and take it back to Verizon for a replacement.

antoniodz95 said:
It means the phone can't read the battery information (charge level, temperature, etc)... I would first try pulling out the battery and checking the contacts on the battery and the phone. If they are bent or messed up, return the phone to stock and take it back to Verizon for a replacement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply, antoniodz95!
I had a number of people suggest it was a battery issue, but cleaning the contacts didn't solve it, so I just got a new battery. But even with the new battery it still happens. I've had days where it barely happens at all, and then I have days where it will stay red almost all day. So I'm thinking it isn't a battery issue at all, but instead is something with the device itself. Which is why I tried a new ROM over the weekend, but again the issue persisted.
Also, I purchased the device outright from someone, so taking it into Verizon isn't an option. That is why I am hoping someone will know how I can fix it since it doesn't appear to be the battery or the ROM causing it
Thanks again!

Your problem definitely sounds like a hardware issue. It could be as simple as a lose connection on the back side of the battery contacts inside your phone. If it isn't negatively affecting the phone's actual battery life and you don't want to crack open the case, you may just have to accept it's imperfection.
As for Rom suggestions... In all honesty, if SkyRader works for you, stick with it. It really is one of the most complete, thorough, and fully functionl GB-basd Sense Roms available for the phone. You could give UKB Evolution a try. But being ICS-based will lend to some "quirks" that may or may not dissuade you from using it.

My wife's phone has the same issue and it is stock unrooted. If memory serves me correctly doesn't skyraider have the option to hide the battery from the status bar? If so just hide it so you don't see it and maybe get a battery widget. The widget may not work either. My wife's phone works fine so it doesn't appear to affect it. And I agree with the above statement that skyraider is hard to beat. As far as gingerbread sense it is my go to rom. I always keep it on my phone in case my phone acts up and I need something dependable.
Sent from my Incredible 2 using xda app-developers app

Card83 said:
Your problem definitely sounds like a hardware issue. It could be as simple as a lose connection on the back side of the battery contacts inside your phone. If it isn't negatively affecting the phone's actual battery life and you don't want to crack open the case, you may just have to accept it's imperfection.
As for Rom suggestions... In all honesty, if SkyRader works for you, stick with it. It really is one of the most complete, thorough, and fully functionl GB-basd Sense Roms available for the phone. You could give UKB Evolution a try. But being ICS-based will lend to some "quirks" that may or may not dissuade you from using it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply, Card83!
It's hard to say if it's having a negative affect or not. My battery has drained like crazy since day one, but I don't know if it's a normal amount of battery drain or not, nor do I know what causes it. I am a heavy user at times, but there are still those days where it seems to drain much quicker than it should in my opinion. All I do know is when compared to my old BlackBerry, this device is as bad and even sometimes worse when it comes to battery drain.
As far as ROM's go, I think I will just stick with Skyraider unless something really catches my eye, especially since the whole process really isn't all that fun for me LOL!
Thanks again!!
NeverSeparate said:
My wife's phone has the same issue and it is stock unrooted. If memory serves me correctly doesn't skyraider have the option to hide the battery from the status bar? If so just hide it so you don't see it and maybe get a battery widget. The widget may not work either. My wife's phone works fine so it doesn't appear to affect it. And I agree with the above statement that skyraider is hard to beat. As far as gingerbread sense it is my go to rom. I always keep it on my phone in case my phone acts up and I need something dependable.
Sent from my Incredible 2 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the reply, NeverSeparate!
I don't honestly know if it can be hid or not to tell you the truth. But it isn't that it bothers me, it just concerns me is all. Especially when I started looking into possible causes and had even the most Android knowledgeable people I know stumped. But it doesn't appear that there is any cut and dry explanation for it, so I guess all I can do is wait hope whatever it is doesn't get worse.
In the meantime I will be sticking with Skyraider. It was nice having a different appearance for the weekend, but it sure wasn't worth all the function that was lost.
Thanks again!!

Its probably hardware but you might try clearing battery stats in recovery. That will probably not do anything but it won't hurt. For full functionality if you want something different try cm7 or the gb miui.
Sent from my Incredible 2 using xda app-developers app

JavaBratt said:
Thanks in advance to those who reply!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
JavaBratt said:
Thanks for the reply, antoniodz95!
Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
JavaBratt said:
Thanks for the reply, Card83!
Thanks again!!
Thank you for the reply, NeverSeparate!
Thanks again!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*cough* thanks button *cough*

JavaBratt said:
Thanks for the reply, Card83!
It's hard to say if it's having a negative affect or not. My battery has drained like crazy since day one, but I don't know if it's a normal amount of battery drain or not, nor do I know what causes it. I am a heavy user at times, but there are still those days where it seems to drain much quicker than it should in my opinion. All I do know is when compared to my old BlackBerry, this device is as bad and even sometimes worse when it comes to battery drain.
As far as ROM's go, I think I will just stick with Skyraider unless something really catches my eye, especially since the whole process really isn't all that fun for me LOL!
Thanks again!!
Thank you for the reply, NeverSeparate!
I don't honestly know if it can be hid or not to tell you the truth. But it isn't that it bothers me, it just concerns me is all. Especially when I started looking into possible causes and had even the most Android knowledgeable people I know stumped. But it doesn't appear that there is any cut and dry explanation for it, so I guess all I can do is wait hope whatever it is doesn't get worse.
In the meantime I will be sticking with Skyraider. It was nice having a different appearance for the weekend, but it sure wasn't worth all the function that was lost.
Thanks again!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless you are using an official charger, try a different one, in particular, try the one made for our phones...
Sent from my Incredible 2 using xda app-developers app

We have 2 DI2 - one has been running SR Zeus continuously (95% of the time) for 15+ months with no issues, with light usage & minimal mobile data/3G - get 3 days+ of standby as it's mostly on voice calls. Mine has been flashed with variety of Roms sourced from XDA, been running lately on HTCI2-MROM based on CM7, battery life is a notch better or equal to SK Zeus - otherwise, it runs on the following Stock Sense Rom, which has nice tweaks - very similiar and as good as Zeus, if not better. It has given me good battery / standby time - average of 2 to 3 days, 25 to 30 hours if I'm really pushing it (tethering, GPS, video streaming, etc.)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1219471
What Recovery are you using - as others suggested, it could be hardware issues (loose connection/dropped or even (*gasp*) water-damaged pre-owned device that you are now holding, especially with a brand new/fresh battery & HTC's OEM batteries are very good, my old HTC Ozone running Windows 6 is still holding a great charge with its original battery after 4 years.
I would suggest letting the battery drain and fully charge it, go into Recovery & wipe battery stats and use it normally - let it run and stablize for 2 or 3 cycles with the new battery, and see how it go. Keep the "old" battery charged as a spare and carry it with you for the next few days so that you won't be holding a paperweight.
Assumed you are on the CDMA/Verizon side and not using GSM bands - are you using mostly WiFi or 3G, or a mix of both signals - as all of these do affect (depending on signal strength) your battery life, and that your PRL (*228 option 2) are updated on a regular basis. Running background Apps such as FB, Twitter, etc. also do affect how much usable time you get on a charge, as you know.

Have you tried fixing permissions? Could be the issue.
sent from a Carbonated GS3 with KT goodness