Develop Bugs

Nexus One envy...it's misplaced.

I've just come from Engadget where an announcement of Gingerbread has been leaked. This is forecast for Q4 2010 and the consensus is collective pity for anyone "saddled" with HTC's Sense UI or similar manufacturer skins.
But what is the pity about? Apparently our inability to update to the latest and greatest firmware instantly leave us at a disadvantage. We miss out.
On what?
So far I've seen these features that may be in 2.2:
USB tethering
Wifi hotspot
Enabling of FM radio
JIT processing for more speed
Install apps to SD
Flash 10.1
OK, a couple of those are big news..but we've had no details on Flash and so far from all the demos it seems to run on 2.1 just fine.
Many have already gotten apps to SD by whatever means, and others are yet to face it as an issue.
We could all use the extra speed, but the Desire is hardly slow.
I personally have no need for a portable hotspot as bluetooth tethering works fine for me...it's no big loss.
The rest of the additions HTC has already been including for quite a while now. Where is the equal envy of all the features people with Sense have been enjoying while stock Android users have gone without? It all seems rather childish to cling to numbers when in reality stock 2.1 has less features than 1.6 with Sense on top.
For the majority you're happy with your phone right now. An extra feature added elsewhere should not suddenly make you think your phone is rubbish if it still performs the same functions you were happy with yesterday.

Gingerbread is 2.3.
FroYo is 2.2 and comes with all the stuff you listed. It's due next week.

mcgon1979 said:
Gingerbread is 2.3.
FroYo is 2.2 and comes with all the stuff you listed. It's due next week.
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Yes...you're telling me this because?

Aitese said:
Yes...you're telling me this because?
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I think he is saying it because 2.2 FroYo should be coming to the Desire, which includes all the features you listed above so we don't miss out of anything. Maybe a slight delay while they work Sense UI into 2.2

Yes, I know this...but I was talking about the general sense that the delay is some sort of disadvantage...no one sees Nexus Not having all the features we have as a disadvantage.

Aitese said:
Yes...you're telling me this because?
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sorry. your post was unclear. It seemed you were referring to Gingerbread as 2.2.
so I guess your just saying that your happy enough with 2.1 with sense and not having 2.2 is no big loss? Ok I understand.
I really don't think it will be too long before Desire gets 2.2 anyway. Not like the HERO update. I think this will happen faster due to the promise of 10.1 Flash etc. I agree with you though about your comparison of 1.6 with sense having more than 2.1 vanilla android. I have used the Nexus one and I found it very plain compared to the Desire. I think Android is an excellent OS, but it really is like a scaffolding. The Sense widgets and UI make the experience in my opinion.

Aitese said:
Yes, I know this...but I was talking about the general sense that the delay is some sort of disadvantage...no one sees Nexus Not having all the features we have as a disadvantage.
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Fair point, i would personally hate not having Sense in exchange for being able to upgrade firmware a few days/week early.

Marvinfin said:
Fair point, i would personally hate not having Sense in exchange for being able to upgrade firmware a few days/week early.
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Click to collapse
But that is exactly the sort of attitude I'm questioning. You'd rather you didn't have Sense now (so in other words you would rather have not had the features Sense gave you) so that you could have those same features tomorrow? Despite the fact you;d been enjoying said features for weeks before?

Not what i'm saying, i said i would "hate not having sense" instead of being unable to upgrade a few days quicker. I don't mind having to wait, never said i did. But if it came down to never being able to upgrade firmware or keeping Sense, i would almost defiantly prefer a up-to-date and newer firmware which like you said might include feature we already had plus likely to include even more features and additions.

Ah yes...I misread.
Also, I wonder where this belief that the 2.2 update will hit phones next week comes from. The history of Android has shown the SDK is released first for devs and manufactures WELL before the OS ever hits a handset.

Aitese said:
no one sees Nexus Not having all the features we have as a disadvantage.
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Click to collapse
That's because the Nexus One can quite easily gain pretty much all of the features we have by flashing a Desire ROM.
There is only one real reason for Nexus One envy, and that is its unlocked bootloader.
Regards,
Dave

I tried using a couple of different launchers recently, and I just couldn't live without the sense widgets. They're cool.
My only issue with sense is the dock at the bottom of the screen. Could be a lot more functional and less ugly... I really like the one in LauncherPro.
That said, if a 2.2 update is not forthcoming in a timely fashion I'll be ditching sense and flashing a custom rom.

foxmeister said:
That's because the Nexus One can quite easily gain pretty much all of the features we have by flashing a Desire ROM.
There is only one real reason for Nexus One envy, and that is its unlocked bootloader.
Regards,
Dave
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Click to collapse
And which Nexus One features have we not been able to get by similar means? I have voice search, we've striped out the 3D gallery and had a hacked Navigation app well before Google turned on the UK servers. Hence my belief the moaning about HTC is misplaced.

I just recently returned the Nexus One because -
1 - Didn't like the stock Android UI.
2 - The tactile buttons were not as great as having the hard buttons on the Desire.
3 - Sense UI IMHO is a lot better then having to flash ROMs.
4 - Bluetooth is a must for me.
5 - Immediately had some reboot problems out-of-the-box
If it came down to up-to-date software (FroYo 2.2) over Sense UI...I would chose Sense, but everyone has their preference.

Aitese said:
And which Nexus One features have we not been able to get by similar means?
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Click to collapse
As I said in my post, the unlocked bootloader! It is the only one that matters.
Regards,
Dave

For every man that uses the Desire ROM on his Nexus One, the nexus one users give in that the Desire is a superior overall experience (due to sense.)
IMHO.

Just by the way, has HTC ever released an updated official ROM with a new version of Android for any of its handsets?

for me, the nexus one is still superior to the desire.
only the ability to unlock the bootloader on the nexus beats all the advantages of the desire ( if it has any).
Seriously, i believe sense is a more polished UI but some are so useless. Examples are the messages and mail widgets. who actually reads sms and mails by swyping to the screens for the corresponding widgets . or do you actually click on the respective icon on the homescreen.
The extra ram on the desire shouldnt be taken into consideration as the bloated sense accounts for that.
For some of you who say that custom 2.2 will be there for desire before htc. well i kinda agree but i am also sure that most of them would be full of bugs. having the kernel source doesnt necessarily mean that porting the froyo would be a piece of cake!
and that too only if a stable root is achieved. Cause if things stays like how it is, i am sure that most of us will end up with the USB/SD..... brick problem. This is just a question of time.

Just by the way, has HTC ever released an updated official ROM with a new version of Android for any of its handsets?
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Yes.
The G1 and the Magic got upgrades to 1. 6, and the Droid Eris and Sprint Hero upgrades to 2. 1 (with the GSM Hero coming June).
Regards,
Dave

What's the use of this unlocked bootloader for most / average users?
Why is it a big deal for you?
About 2.2, I like the ability to run apps from SD Card ... Flash 10.1 is a nice bonus if the hardware acceleration works.
foxmeister said:
As I said in my post, the unlocked bootloader! It is the only one that matters.
Regards,
Dave
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Click to collapse

Please help me make a decision

Hello, I am a Sensation XL user and I have the opportunity to switch to a GNex(trade). The reason I would switch to Nexus is the SA HD screen, dual core a9cortex, better gpu, really good looking and working OS. I am currently worried about the lifespan of my SXL since it packs a single core snapdragon and a poor WVGA resolution.
The reason I wouldn't switch is a few sense goodies such as swiping to text, smartdialing, facebook integration, editing media etc. along with losing my iBeats earphones and a really good looking design.
I kept telling myself I do not want the trade but the small resolution, ugly looking fonts and icons and periodical Sense lag keeps haunting me. I don't like rooting, I like having things as stock as possible.
Please help me decide I'm very unsure what to do!

people here are trying to port Sense 4.0 on the Nexus and you're trying to get rid of it?
anyway, you should try the different Sensation 4.0.3 ROMs out there before giving up on it.
if you like plain ICS, you can have it on the Sensation as well...both phones are good. If you like Sense, wait until HTC One series comes out and sell your SXL then.
either way, you can't avoid rooting...you can install the ARHD or InsertCoin's ROMs which are as stock as possible on HTC but definately faster...no Sense lag.
you still have a lot to explore on your phone
LE: nevermind, the ROMs i mentioned above are for Sensation, not S XL
but i think HTC released official ICS for you?

zerozoneice said:
people here are trying to port Sense 4.0 on the Nexus and you're trying to get rid of it?
anyway, you should try the different Sensation 4.0.3 ROMs out there before giving up on it.
if you like plain ICS, you can have it on the Sensation as well...both phones are good. If you like Sense, wait until HTC One series comes out and sell your SXL then.
either way, you can't avoid rooting...you can install the ARHD or InsertCoin's ROMs which are as stock as possible on HTC but definately faster...no Sense lag.
you still have a lot to explore on your phone
LE: nevermind, the ROMs i mentioned above are for Sensation, not S XL
but i think HTC released official ICS for you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not really that good with the whole root/flash s-off stuff. Even if I dug in this new universe I know there are plenty of problems since there isn't anything official about these homebrew roms. I like my phone but I'm not pleased with the low res and choppy user interface. Maybe Nexus doesn't have the problems htc has with the sense ui (even though my XL has sense 3.5 which should be theoretically faster). My next phone will not be an htc since i've had only htcs since 2010 and am fed up with the looks of it.

G-XtremE said:
I'm not really that good with the whole root/flash s-off stuff. Even if I dug in this new universe I know there are plenty of problems since there isn't anything official about these homebrew roms. I like my phone but I'm not pleased with the low res and choppy user interface. Maybe Nexus doesn't have the problems htc has with the sense ui (even though my XL has sense 3.5 which should be theoretically faster). My next phone will not be an htc since i've had only htcs since 2010 and am fed up with the looks of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then I would go with the galaxy nexus if I were you. It basically has everything you are looking for. And if you decide to learn to root/unlock boot loaders and what not, the nexus is the easiest to learn with (my opinion) . I think if you go with the galaxy nexus , its a win-win. Good luck
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Gn vs droid razr

Hey guys I have a question for you users of the GN... have any of you went from a RAZR to it? How does everything work? I know it has ICS and I am dying to get it on my RAZR, but I was just wondering if you guys can help me decide on which phone to either keep or if i should get the GN?

I own both, I prefer the gnex, much much better development support, and IMO more fun to use.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA

can you elaborate? I'm an android noob (iPhone convert) and never have rooted, etc on my android phones...

The GNex is much more hacker friendly which allows you to work with the OS of the phone. Motorola has a reputation of locking their phones down like fort knox so you cant mess with the internals.

So what are some good things about like rooting and roms? Like I said.. NOOB
Sent from my DROID RAZR

Droid Razr = LAG LAG LAG!
GNexus = 0 Lag, Super smooth and very snappy

There are soooo many comparisons of these two phones on the internets.

What's the best things about rooting?
Sent from my DROID RAZR

matesims23 said:
What's the best things about rooting?
Sent from my DROID RAZR
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google search the benefits of rooting.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

matesims23 said:
What's the best things about rooting?
Sent from my DROID RAZR
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
having "administrator" access to the phone ...
flashing custom roms with more software development and features
root apps such as LBE privacy guard (must have for me)
fun
doing anything you want with the phone, you are only limited by your knowledge or lack there of

One way to look at it is when Google builds Android they build it for the Nexus models. Then they release the code, the other manufactures then modify the code to work with their hardware.
Now since you are on the Verizon version they modify google's code for their network so you would not have the 100% pure code, only about 98%. It would be purer than Motorola's build.
Also the Razor is a closed platform hardware wise. This is a really good video about the Razor. http://www.xda-developers.com/android/droid-razr-unboxed-the-xda-way-xda-tv/

I think I'm gonna try the nexus
Sent from my DROID RAZR

matesims23 said:
can you elaborate? I'm an android noob (iPhone convert) and never have rooted, etc on my android phones...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting (completely different from jail-breaking), allows the user to run super user commands on their cell phone. Super user commands and apps generally have much more access to system files, allowing for overclocking (if the kernel supports it), free wifi tethering, and so on. Unlocking the bootloader allows for flashing custom ROMs on the device. Flashing can be done on a locked device, but no kernels (hence no overclocking) can be flashed. This also causes custom ROMs without their own kernel to generally be less stable than those for an unlocked bootloader device. Rooting is necessary for any Android power user, though a bootloader unlock may not always be necessary. Custom kernels often provide massive boosts to performance and add new features, so it is strongly recommended.

Thanks that helps a ton!!! That's the answer I was needing
Sent from my DROID RAZR

matesims23 said:
What's the best things about rooting?
Sent from my DROID RAZR
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting gives you admin access to your phone so you can do whatever you want. We'd never buy a computer without admin access, should be same on a phone.

RogerPodacter said:
Rooting gives you admin access to your phone so you can do whatever you want. We'd never buy a computer without admin access, should be same on a phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand now ... been doing a ton of reading about roms and such
Sent from my DROID RAZR

I have both as of this minute and I will sell one of them soon. I prefer the gnex but damn does it poor signal compared to my razor.
I don't even have service on my gnex in areas that I have 2 bars on my razor.
I just flashed leaked radios on my gnex and it didn't help. I only use 3g as no 4g at home yet.
I will prob keep the gnex though and hope for a signal fix cause the gnex is faster and just a nicer phone IMO.

...radios? your on the verizon nexus right? arent the leaked radios just for the sprint phones?

The Nexus line is Google's own idea of what an Android device should be; they are the ONLY handsets that are supported directly by Google. Consequently, Nexus phones have an Apple-like software support cycle (say what you want about Apple, the 3GS got iOS 5 before my Droid Charge even got Gingerbread) and huge dev support. Keep in mind that a Nexus phone is never designed to push the bleeding edge; it may have some neat new features, but they're never designed to be powerhouses (some say the N1 was, but IMO it was just in the right place at the right time). A Nexus device is the bone stock Android experience, an exemplar to the rest of the manufacturers on just what an Android device should be.
To summarize:
1.) The absolute best official software support you can get in the Android world, and among the best 3rd party dev support. While some devices released this year will be lucky to get ICS and/or Jelly Bean, you can pretty much rest assured that the GNex will go well into Key Lime Pie officially.
2.) Internal hardware chosen for STABILITY and EFFICIENCY, rather than bleeding edge, untested (and usually buggy) performance. That said, while it isn't cutting edge, the GNex has very solid hardware, and performance is always snappy and smooth.
3.) Usually has some neat perks that most other phones don't have. In the Gnex's case, it's the BEAUTIFUL 720p AMOLED+ display, NFC support, the ultra-fast camera, and of course Ice Cream Sandwich.
After using a plethora of other non-Nexus Android devices, I got absolutely fed up with the apathy that the manufacturers and carriers have toward updating their handsets. The last straw was, as I mentioned, my Droid Charge. Even though Verizon considered it the flagship 4G LTE phone well into last September, it was released with an out-of-date OS to begin with (Froyo; GB had been out for well over half a year already). It didn't get GB until after it had been replaced as a flagship phone, and then was (and remains) ineligible for an update to ICS even though ICS was released only six months after the Charge was released! What the hell is that!?
Never again. Nexus or bust. Trust me, you'll be happy with the GNex.

This helps me a ton.. trying to trade now
Sent from my DROID RAZR

HTC: Sense is better than stock android

Bwhahahahahaha
http://blog.laptopmag.com/htc’s-sense-guru-stock-android-4-0-just-not-good-enough
Thought you guys might need a good laugh today

Gotta appreciate the confidence.
captcha: 30 arvits

"According to Drew Bamford, HTC’s AVP of user experience...."

When I read this article I'm reminded of what it sounds like when the teacher is talking to charlie brown.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

well is the same as every mother thinks his ugly kid is the most beautiful in the world

He says,
"There are some subtleties to our design that I think make an improvement over the ICS design. For example, when you press that recent apps button, the current app zooms out and then moves over to the right so that the one that’s in the center was the previous app. And then probably 80 percent of the cases, at least, you’re switching to the most recent app, the previous app, and in that case ***you just press right in the center and there you are. So it actually optimizes for that most common case of going to the most recent application.***"
Huh. Kinda like with stock ICS where the last app is right in the bottom right where my thumb already is?

Yes I agree, HTC Sense is better then stock Android. I bought Nexus to use it with CM9 and AOKP, stock Nexus sucks....One S/X is much better

kolyan said:
Yes I agree, HTC Sense is NOT better than stock Android. I bought the Nexus to use it with CM9 and AOKP, stock Nexus is awesome....One S/X is terrible....
Click to expand...
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I fixed your post for you .
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium

kolyan said:
Yes I agree, HTC Sense is better then stock Android. I bought Nexus to use it with CM9 and AOKP, stock Nexus sucks....One S/X is much better
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Click to collapse
Good for you. CM9/AOKP are based off of Stock(and look very much like stock from what I've seen). Personally, Sense has always seemed like it tried to hard to look "elegant", but came out looking cartoonish. The added features didn't really seem all great either. Mind you, this is from my experience with the HTC Rezound. Plus, simple tasks like changing a ringtone was awkward and didn't work well. They never stuck.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

The recent apps window in Sense 4 is One (heh) of the few features I genuinely dislike about it.
A key point of the menu is to access apps you have been previously using. As the article says, In Sense 4, you can see one full app screen, and the edges of the two on either side. In stock ICS you get four full apps shown. Sure, HTC's one looks nice, but it's far less practical, regardless of what the guy who designed it claims. Add some fancy reflections to the stock ICS and it'd look every bit as flashy, too.
And don't get me started on white menu backgrounds. They look nasty, and now I can't use them in the dark without going blind!
The guy even says they didn't have long to tinker with it. Google, on the other hand, has been iterating this UI for a long time. They didn't just make a utilitarian, functional UI at the last minute to get ICS out the door. The fuss they made over Roboto should tell you that much.

Coming off of 3 years of using Sense (had the Hero, Evo 4G and Evo 3D), Sense is nice to look at--but if you want a quicker, more streamlined experience, then stock Android is the way to go. I missed it way too much after I got rid of my G1 a couple years back.
Stock ICS > Sense 4.0.

Coming from a sensation 4g using ARHD, there are a few sense features that google should pick up on.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA

well he does work for HTC, so I could imagine they are proud of their work, it is the prettiest overlay for android and its has some useful widgets

Reading off of many reviews about Sense 4 (particularly The Verge's) many say that it does not bring anything new to the table that stock ICS already has.
Plus, many of the things Sense has can be implemented via third-party apps anyways. I never understood their need to insert their proprietary software in the device. Seems so limited and closed. Part of the reason why I hated Sense 3/3.5 on my EVO 3D.

IMHO, Sense was relevant and useful prior to ICS. Now, it just looks dated.
I appreciated sense on my Dinc but would never install a rom with Sense 4.0 on my Gnex.

Sense influenced the evolution of android back in its pioneering days. Since google hired Mathias duarte from webos to apple-ify the interface to make it more elegant and intuitive, there's no need for sense. I wish that these companies would just stick to proprietary apps or something for differentiation rather than screwing with the os. The only thing lacking from ics stock is pull down toggles and customize able nav bar icons. Aokp and some others solve that without ruining ics.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

What made sense amazing however is what it did for windows phone before android came out or just after. It actually made that crap useable.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Jayrod1980 said:
What made sense amazing however is what it did for windows phone before android came out or just after. It actually made that crap useable.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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Ahhh....
*reminisces about Touchflo3D days*

chlehqls said:
Reading off of many reviews about Sense 4 (particularly The Verge's) many say that it does not bring anything new to the table that stock ICS already has.
Plus, many of the things Sense has can be implemented via third-party apps anyways. I never understood their need to insert their proprietary software in the device. Seems so limited and closed. Part of the reason why I hated Sense 3/3.5 on my EVO 3D.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Marketing, that'd the only idea i can think of why the manufactures put it on, if they all ran vanilla (oh what a world it would be) they just pick thier style and run with it to separate themselves from other Android phones
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Isn't it true that having an HTC phone means, if you root, that you always have the choice of stock android or sense? Something any other phone lacks.

[Q] Time to upgrade........

OK, its time to upgrade my trusty DHD.....
...but what gets my hard-earned (no, really) pennies?
To me there are 4 options........
1) HTC One X
2) Samsung Galaxy Note
3) Wait until the 30th and get the Samsung Galaxy SIII
4) Keep the DHD for another 12 months and benefit from a cheaper contract.
So, if it was your pennies getting spent, where would they be going?
I'm going to post this question in the HOX, SGN, and SGS3 forums too, to (try to) get a balanced view.

I was already to get the Note, then I picked one up and it's a Samsung. It was like Agent J and the noisy cricket. The One X still pisses me off with it's non removable battery and no external storage slot. The SGS III will be a Samsung. I don't understand why their phones feel so cheap. HTC's plastics aren't that toy-like.
Sprint's Evo LTE gives me hope though. It's nearly a One X with a bigger, though still not removable, battery and it has a micro sd slot. Maybe the next upgrade for the "flagship" will get them also.
Just my thoughts but I guess I would wait to see what else is coming. The SGS III may be better than I think or maybe something else can make me a fool.
I'm liking ICS on it now and it will only get better when the official update comes out.
Sent using the power of the dark side.

Thanks BLG - I know where you are coming from.
Having owned 5 HTC devices on the spin, I feel a little grubby myself considering Samsungs! ;-)
However, here lies part of the problem - I think I'm bored of HTC, and the One X and One S are just so.... safe looking. Where is the design flair? Plus, I've never been much of a ROM flasher (although I did put Vegacomb on my tablet), preferring to have a device that works rather than list the compromises and things which dont quite work properly, so stock Sense is now getting very stale indeed.
Maybe I need to turn to the dark side briefly just to satisfy my curiosity that the grass isnt always greener?

I'm sure I will go wrap my mitts around the SGS III asap. I just want my next device to look, feel and dammit, smell better than what I have. Besides, touchwiz is just
UGLY.
Sent using the power of the dark side.

4) I would keep the Desire HD for another 12 months and flash a custom android 4 Rom with sence 4.0 when we get the official 3.0 kernel.
Sent from my HTC Desire HD A9191 using xda premium

Muikkuman said:
4) I would keep the Desire HD for another 12 months and flash a custom android 4 Rom with sence 4.0 when we get the official 3.0 kernel.
Sent from my HTC Desire HD A9191 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmmm, an interesting alternative, there. Whatever I decide, I'll probably keep the DHD anyway and use it as a test device for flashing/generally mucking about.
I've decided (with a feeling of I'm cheating on a loved one) to get a Note online, then I can return it under distance selling laws if I find it unbearable to live with.
Genuinely, many thanks to all who have contributed to this thread. Your insight has been much appreciated.
Rob

Muikkuman said:
4) I would keep the Desire HD for another 12 months and flash a custom android 4 Rom with sence 4.0 when we get the official 3.0 kernel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is my strategy, too
Peter
DHD with Redemption 1.1 by The Collective

4) Keep the DHD for another 12 months and benefit from a cheaper contract.
Current Quad Core are based on A9, wait till the next wave when they are based on A15

RobTheRover said:
Plus, I've never been much of a ROM flasher...preferring to have a device that works...
Maybe I need to turn to the dark side briefly just to satisfy my curiosity that the grass isnt always greener?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you say dark side, meaning Apple of course, have you ever considered Windows Phone? I'm much the same as you. Although playing around with the various DHD custon ROMs and having the freedom of Android has been enjoyable; I'm now thinking I just want a phone that works and doesn't need to be mucked around with. Was tossing up Windows Phone, maybe the HTC Titan as an upgrade. Thoughts?