Develop Bugs

Motorola Defy worth buying?

Hello guys,
I currently have my good, old, HTC Hero but I think it's time for a change. Is the Motorola Defy worth buying?
I am interested in the following:
1. is it easy to have custom roms?
2. any chance to have a working Gingerbread ROM?
3. are those 512 Mb of RAM enough for these days?
4. should I consider buying Defy or should I just look for another phone?
What's the best Quadrant score you know for Motorola Defy? My record is 428.
Thanks!

If you can wait, I suggest getting the Motorola ATRIX when it comes out at the end of February.
Swyped from my HTC Desire running LeeDrOiD 2.3d with Tapatalk.

I can wait, my Hero is pretty decent at this time. Hummm, but what if the ATRIX will cost 3x or even 4x more than Defy ( I could get a Defy for 240 Euro / 333 AUD )? What's the price that ATRIX is supposed to have at launch?

kastraverde said:
Hummm, but what if the ATRIX will cost 3x or even 4x more than Defy ( I could get a Defy for 240 Euro / 333 AUD )? What's the price that ATRIX is supposed to have at launch?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Supposedly $599 off contract with AT&T, but it won't be outdated for quite a while yet
.
Swyped from my HTC Desire running LeeDrOiD 2.3d with Tapatalk.

Hummm. I hope it will be available worldwide. When I bought my Hero I did so just because my desired phone at that moment, Motorola Droid, was not available in Europe. Right after I bought my Hero, Motorola launched Milestone. I kinda regret not buying the Milestone.
Anyway, my first 4 questions at the first post are still still waiting for some answers, guys. Thanks!

kastraverde said:
Hello guys,
I currently have my good, old, HTC Hero but I think it's time for a change. Is the Motorola Defy worth buying?
I am interested in the following:
1. is it easy to have custom roms?
2. any chance to have a working Gingerbread ROM?
3. are those 512 Mb of RAM enough for these days?
4. should I consider buying Defy or should I just look for another phone?
What's the best Quadrant score you know for Motorola Defy? My record is 428.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Think the ram would be enough for a while, I've seen people posting quadrant scores 1100-1590, the other plus side is the price and the ruggedness of the phone, I'm considering one myself.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

This phone has done nothing but surprise me. i have a samsung epic that is mine personally and the defy is actually owned by my work. This phone easily went head to head with the epic in performance (until the epic got ext 4 hack), and in some cases has actually performed better (ex dungeon defender refused to install on the epic for a long time but have been playing on the defy since it was released).
The only down side is the locked bootloader that makes custom roms (including a GB rom) almost impossible, however there is a great group on here that is willing to help you customize the phone.

kastraverde said:
I am interested in the following:
1. is it easy to have custom roms?
2. any chance to have a working Gingerbread ROM?
3. are those 512 Mb of RAM enough for these days?
4. should I consider buying Defy or should I just look for another phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Not really, due to the encrypted bootloader - it is possible but it makes things much more difficult than on other handsets.
2. Almost certainly not until the bootloader can be decrypted in some way or Motorola release it themselves.
3. Yeah, plenty.
4. You're the only person who can answer that.

Brumble said:
Think the ram would be enough for a while, I've seen people posting quadrant scores 1100-1590, the other plus side is the price and the ruggedness of the phone, I'm considering one myself.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using Mini Info, and my RAM is at a constant 50MB (sometimes less) out of an available 476MB. This phone really knows how to handle stuff. Get it!

512 mb ram is enough to run every application
Standart Quadrant Score is 800 ~ 1000
I see a Guy with a Sense Rom, JIT and OC to 1200 mhz he get 2000+

Hell yeah
sent from my DEFY using XDA App

Yes. Very nice device.

i have an HTC Desire but we got the kids Defys .... must say im very impressed with the defy ... go for it

I got my Defy a couple of weeks ago having spent many hours flashing and re-flashing my Hero with the fantastic roms and kernels built by erasmux, elelinux, radu, Cronos and the others. I have to say I was initially a bit disappointed that I couldn't do the same with my Defy. I did root it and started to tweak it a bit, but to be honest it's such a brilliant phone that there isn't the same imperative as there was with the Hero. For the money you can't get better, and I'm amazed that it's not more widely known. If you read the reviews it's been universally admired, and I've not been disappointed. The screen is outstanding, it's as tough as old boots and it flies, even with Motoblur on it. And if you don't like Motoblur, just remove the widgets and you'll hardly know it's there. It's also a good size - more manageable than some of those 'high-end' phones (Desire HD, Samsung Galaxy S etc) and just as capable.
Can't recommend it highly enough.

shorticus said:
I got my Defy a couple of weeks ago having spent many hours flashing and re-flashing my Hero with the fantastic roms and kernels built by erasmux, elelinux, radu, Cronos and the others. I have to say I was initially a bit disappointed that I couldn't do the same with my Defy. I did root it and started to tweak it a bit, but to be honest it's such a brilliant phone that there isn't the same imperative as there was with the Hero. For the money you can't get better, and I'm amazed that it's not more widely known. If you read the reviews it's been universally admired, and I've not been disappointed. The screen is outstanding, it's as tough as old boots and it flies, even with Motoblur on it. And if you don't like Motoblur, just remove the widgets and you'll hardly know it's there. It's also a good size - more manageable than some of those 'high-end' phones (Desire HD, Samsung Galaxy S etc) and just as capable.
Can't recommend it highly enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Give it some time and the development of roms will pick up because its such a great phone.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

Brumble said:
Give it some time and the development of roms will pick up because its such a great phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There'll still be the bootloader issue though.
Until Motorola follow through on their promise to find an alternative solution to encrypting the bootloader that's more hacker-friendly, if indeed they ever bother to do so, we'll be stuck with custom ROMs that are based on the same version of Android as the official ROMs.

Step666 said:
There'll still be the bootloader issue though.
Until Motorola follow through on their promise to find an alternative solution to encrypting the bootloader that's more hacker-friendly, if indeed they ever bother to do so, we'll be stuck with custom ROMs that are based on the same version of Android as the official ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah but like i said give it time, nothing is going to happen in an instant.

I just got a quadrant score of 897 running at 1ghz. Nothing major. I could get 1500s easy if my gf didn't install so many games anyway, the phone is worth buying and is waterproof as it claims to be
Sent from my MB525 using XDA App

How does Defy handles Flash?

I would say no, if you can wait then wait a bit!
Encrypted boot-loader means you have to hope Motorola release updates. Wait and see of Motorola change their policies about bootloader, they *may* do it after that youtube comment went wild all over the internet and they responded, but they may not either.
I will never ever buy a phone that is locked out this way. Right now all new phones released by Sony Ericcson and Motorola have locked bootloader. So if I were you I'd stick to HTC or Samsung.
I mean look at something like HTC HD2 or HTC Desire, these phones are now pretty old but have multiple gingerbread ROMs, cause they are fully hackable. of course anything that is a Nexus is also hackable and the Galaxy S range from Samsung is good also.
If I needed a phone right now, I'd be looking at the following:
- Google Nexus S
- Samsung Galaxy S
- HTC Desire HD
- HTC Desire Z
They are all known to be hackable and recent models and will perform better than a Hero.

[help] Will the Rezound offer more rom options?

Basically, I'm thinking about trading in my Nexus for an HTC Rezound. Don't get me wrong: I freaking love this phone, and have been dying to get it for months. There's nothing wrong with it.
My issue is that I'm a flash-o-holic. Now that the Rezound has an unlocked boot loader, I'm worried that it will have more ROM options.
With the Rezound, I'll eventually be able to run ISC. it can run sense roms. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like with the Rezound I'd be able to flash everything I could with my Nexus PLUS all of the 2.3 and Sense roms, right? and that means more options.
So, I need some clarification:
Can the Nexus run anything other than 4.0 based roms? (like 2.3 based ones)
Can the Nexus potentially run a Sense rom?
With the bigger development community of the Nexus, am I better of staying where I am?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

I don't think the GNex will have developers that will make ROMs based on older versions of Android... I mean why would they? I feel like the dev community of the Galaxy Nexus will be bigger than the Rezound's. This is a Nexus device and Google has amazing support for their Nexus phones. I doubt the Nexus will have a Sense ROM...
There are plenty of ROMs for the Galaxy Nexus right now... it's just that not all of them are on XDA. Check out Rootzwiki for more ROMs! I recommend axi0m 2.1.
Check out my post here:
http://rootzwiki.com/topic/12696-ro...rnel-12262011/page__view__findpost__p__334056

Stick with what you have, this is the best phone for flashing roms. This will have the best support considering the support it has already.
~Sent from my Galaxy Nexus ~

I had an Incredible before, and was in love with it. GREAT dev community and tons of ROMs and development even to this day. I liked CM7 and MIUI, but I put a huge value on always being able to come back to Sense. One of my concerns with the Rezound is that the development and the development community will die after a couple months and the next bigger, brighter HTC phone comes out.
There's been enough of the Rezound vs Nexus threads and I'm sorry, so I want the focus in this thread to be only on the differences in the development, development communities, and which will have a bigger variety of ROMs...

I honestly feel like the Galaxy Nexus will have more developers because it's a Google phone. It's practically made for developers so I say just stick with this phone. It has the direct support from Google and there is no middle man between software and hardware.

tifford said:
I had an Incredible before, and was in love with it. GREAT dev community and tons of ROMs and development even to this day. I liked CM7 and MIUI, but I put a huge value on always being able to come back to Sense. One of my concerns with the Rezound is that the development and the development community will die after a couple months and the next bigger, brighter HTC phone comes out.
There's been enough of the Rezound vs Nexus threads and I'm sorry. I want the focus if thus thread to be only on the differences in the development, development communities, and which will have a bigger variety of ROMs...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Someone is trying to port touchwiz to the Nexus for God knows why.. I doubt we will ever have sense but I don't see the reasoning you have offered, OP. Saying that you always have sense to go back to to me sounds like you'll always be able to go back to stock sense if an ICS rom doesn't workout or something along those lines.. I know having sense means more options, but anything 2.3 will always be inferior to 4.0 in my eyes.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Not sure why you'd strive to flash 2.3 Sense ROMs on any phone if something newer was available.
You do realize that once HTC starts releasing Sense ICS ROMs, the devs will stop working on the 2.3 ROMs, right?
Just remember, development for a Nexus will always be solid.

ChickenGod said:
There are plenty of ROMs for the Galaxy Nexus right now... it's just that not all of them are on XDA. Check out Rootzwiki for more ROMs! I recommend axi0m 2.1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm on axi0m 2.1 right now... its awesome with tons of options.
there are tons of roms out there for the nexus already, but they're all basically the same. Yes, AOSP vs CM9 has its differences, but they're different hues of the same color. I want colors, dammit! and I'm sure it'll get there...
I guess I'm just worried that it'll always be ICS with some slight twists, instead of 2.3 AOSP vs cm7 vs miui vs sense vs ice, etc. I like the idea of having all of those options
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

i guess I just got used to switching up roms every couple weeks or so with my incredible. I'd run a sense rom for a couple weeks, get bored with it, switch to cm7 for a couple weeks, switch to miui, etc.
I don't like the idea of finding one rom, and sticking with it forever, even if all others are "inferior." I like to mix it up.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

I believe Vicious is working on MIUI for the GNex.

even though the Rezound realistically is the only competition for the Nexus, there:s just the whole "S-OFF" issue. last i heard, they're still trying to acheive that thus no roms yet.

tifford said:
i guess I just got used to switching up roms every couple weeks or so with my incredible. I'd run a sense rom for a couple weeks, get bored with it, switch to cm7 for a couple weeks, switch to miui, etc.
I don't like the idea of finding one rom, and sticking with it forever, even if all others are "inferior." I like to mix it up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Remember that the Galaxy Nexus (specifically the VZW version) hasn't exactly been out long enough for there to be 100's of ROMs. Not to mention that it's the first and only ICS device right now.

ALL Recent HTC Phones now are unlockable courtsey of HTC themselves
Not exactly sure what S-Off is but all recent HTC phones are capabable of an unlockable bootloader thanks to HTC themselves. This includes the Rezound. HTCdev.com
http://www.htcdev.com
http://phandroid.com/2011/12/28/htc-makes-all-handsets-released-since-september-2011-unlockable/
http://androidandme.com/2011/12/news/htc-super-tool-unlocks-bootloader-roots-most-devices/

SamsungVibrant said:
Not exactly sure what S-Off is but all recent HTC phones are capabable of an unlockable bootloader thanks to HTC themselves. This includes the Rezound. HTCdev.com
http://www.htcdev.com
http://phandroid.com/2011/12/28/htc-makes-all-handsets-released-since-september-2011-unlockable/
http://androidandme.com/2011/12/news/htc-super-tool-unlocks-bootloader-roots-most-devices/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They still need s off to be able to fully do everything, all that's doing right now is unlocking part of boot loader but from what I hear they still can't flash custom recoverys. Anyhow I love my G Nex and I came from a Rezound I don't even think about going back at all.
Sent from my Unlocked & Rooted G Nex using XDA App

If Sense means that much to you, maybe you should go with the Rezound (plus it has an amazing screen). Just remember that you won't have access to an optimal ICS build for a while. Sense is cool and all, but ICS is a huge step forward for the android OS.
Plus, the GN will be first in line for all software updates, which will keep its dev community on the bleeding edge. Also, as others have pointed out, dev support will be much stronger (and probably longer lasting) for the Galaxy Nexus.

The Nexus is a dev device... doesn't get more from friendly than this.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Going from ICS 4.x back to anything 2.3.x is like wiping before you poop....pointless!

Nexus has several advantages.
1) bigger screen, hopefully devs will be able to utilize the full screen for all apps
2) virtual keys
therefore even with both having ICS, it won't be exactly the same. (rest of the hardware is debatable as both have pluses and minus - like screen tech/sd card/etc)
Besides, nexus is likely far more popular so the number of devs attracted to this device will likely be much higher.

SamsungVibrant said:
Not exactly sure what S-Off is but all recent HTC phones are capabable of an unlockable bootloader thanks to HTC themselves. This includes the Rezound. HTCdev.com
http://www.htcdev.com
http://phandroid.com/2011/12/28/htc-makes-all-handsets-released-since-september-2011-unlockable/
http://androidandme.com/2011/12/news/htc-super-tool-unlocks-bootloader-roots-most-devices/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sure the manufacturer offers the 'unlock' ability, but the carrier has the final say. both the rezound & the droid razr have the ability to be unlocked, but verizon wont let it happen. so with the rezound, since the devs cant get htc to permit the unlock(again, thank you verizon) they've just been attempting a work around now since the phone's been out and to this day are still struggling with it. so no roms/kernals/etc yet.. just a b.s. "temp root".

voxigenboy said:
sure the manufacturer offers the 'unlock' ability, but the carrier has the final say. both the rezound & the droid razr have the ability to be unlocked, but verizon wont let it happen. so with the rezound, since the devs cant get htc to permit the unlock(again, thank you verizon) they've just been attempting a work around now since the phone's been out and to this day are still struggling with it. so no roms/kernals/etc yet.. just a b.s. "temp root".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude.. the Rezound's bootloader has been unlocked, even on Verizon. They're S-ON but with an unlocked bootloader.

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

[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?

Is the M8 still worth it ?

Hey,
I have been struggling for a few months trying to pick my next phone, I've been using an ancient GS2 for at least 3 years now...
I was gonna go with the 6P but the SD810 is worrying me... And the M9 has that thing as well...
The M8 looks like a good choice.. I just have a few questions :
1- How is the dev community ?
- I usually stick with phones for at least 2 years, and I always like running the latest version of Android...
2- are AOSP ROMs stable ?
Coming from an Exynos device, it had countless issues with AOSP roms,... Lot's of stuff didn't work properly on AOSP.. Is it the same case here or everything is stable enough...
3- Is there any known hardware defective that are known about the phone.. Just to be careful when purchasing
4- How is the battery ? SOT ?
And finally, do you recommend to buy it, or there's better choices out there ?
Cheers..

biascoblix said:
Hey,
I have been struggling for a few months trying to pick my next phone, I've been using an ancient GS2 for at least 3 years now...
I was gonna go with the 6P but the SD810 is worrying me... And the M9 has that thing as well...
The M8 looks like a good choice.. I just have a few questions :
1- How is the dev community ?
- I usually stick with phones for at least 2 years, and I always like running the latest version of Android...
2- are AOSP ROMs stable ?
Coming from an Exynos device, it had countless issues with AOSP roms,... Lot's of stuff didn't work properly on AOSP.. Is it the same case here or everything is stable enough...
3- Is there any known hardware defective that are known about the phone.. Just to be careful when purchasing
4- How is the battery ? SOT ?
And finally, do you recommend to buy it, or there's better choices out there ?
Cheers..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Great dev community(much options), about official software updates, 2 yrs of htc's commitment is ending in March 2016.
2. Most are stable, some MM are stil WIP
3. No hardware issues(like it was on One m7 with camera)
4. Depends on kernel and rom(with doze, battery drain is like 1-3% per night) i get ussualy 5hrs of sot, with tweaks and low brighteness i can get ~7hrs of sot
If you can find some good deal, go for it, great build/sound and fast UI. Camera is meh, but with proper angle and close shots, it's good enough.

Imotep95 said:
1. Great dev community(much options), about official software updates, 2 yrs of htc's commitment is ending in March 2016.
2. Most are stable, some MM are stil WIP
3. No hardware issues(like it was on One m7 with camera)
4. Depends on kernel and rom(with doze, battery drain is like 1-3% per night) i get ussualy 5hrs of sot, with tweaks and low brighteness i can get ~7hrs of sot
If you can find some good deal, go for it, great build/sound and fast UI. Camera is meh, but with proper angle and close shots, it's good enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't really care about official support... I hate Android OEM skins... The first thing I do when I get a new device is usually installing an AOSP based ROM...
Currently, I can get one for around 340$.. That's from a local store..
They are on eBay for 260$~
But I'm from Egypt... So there's shipping and tax and stuff which gonna ramp the price to around 340 as well...
I'll probably go ahead and buy it from the local store...
___
Concerning defective units... Were there any parts that were reported defective on units before... I have people reporting not working mics...
___
and is there multiple models of the phone or is it just one ?

Its still worth it and the device has a official gpe (Google play edition) rom.

biascoblix said:
I don't really care about official support... I hate Android OEM skins... The first thing I do when I get a new device is usually installing an AOSP based ROM...
Currently, I can get one for around 340$.. That's from a local store..
They are on eBay for 260$~
But I'm from Egypt... So there's shipping and tax and stuff which gonna ramp the price to around 340 as well...
I'll probably go ahead and buy it from the local store...
___
Concerning defective units... Were there any parts that were reported defective on units before... I have people reporting not working mics...
___
and is there multiple models of the phone or is it just one ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, there are plenty units out there...USA carriers,DEV Edition, ASIA WWE, WWE international... try to get wwe(unlocked version), btw you can do S-OFF($25) and RUU to whatever you want.

Just a quick viewpoint from me. I hate my M8. For the first 6 months it was great, then I had the camera lens issue (which was easily rectified with metal Polish but shouldn't have been a problem in the first place). Then my vibrate motor packed in. Then it came back to life a couple of weeks later but it folded again and has been dead for the past 4 months. I get random freezes on various roms and the battery gets so hot I can't hold my phone sometimes. Maybe I got a lemon (my wife got an M8 the same time as me, also had the camera lens issue bit nothing else) but it's really hurt my confidence in HTC. I've had HTC handsets almost exclusively for the past 11 years, and given how weak I view the A9 (or X9) I will be abandoning HTC thanks to how poor the M8 has been for me.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Imotep95 said:
Oh, there are plenty units out there...USA carriers,DEV Edition, ASIA WWE, WWE international... try to get wwe(unlocked version), btw you can do S-OFF($25) and RUU to whatever you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, the one am getting is probably the unlocked international...
I'm new to HTC phones here, what exactly is S-OFF and RUU ?! ?

biascoblix said:
Yea, the one am getting is probably the unlocked international...
I'm new to HTC phones here, what exactly is S-OFF and RUU ?! ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
S-off is like 100% unlock, you can flash firmwares, sound mods(with adsp) etc, RUU: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1656721
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

dazultra2000 said:
Just a quick viewpoint from me. I hate my M8. For the first 6 months it was great, then I had the camera lens issue (which was easily rectified with metal Polish but shouldn't have been a problem in the first place). Then my vibrate motor packed in. Then it came back to life a couple of weeks later but it folded again and has been dead for the past 4 months. I get random freezes on various roms and the battery gets so hot I can't hold my phone sometimes. Maybe I got a lemon (my wife got an M8 the same time as me, also had the camera lens issue bit nothing else) but it's really hurt my confidence in HTC. I've had HTC handsets almost exclusively for the past 11 years, and given how weak I view the A9 (or X9) I will be abandoning HTC thanks to how poor the M8 has been for me.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, Interesting.... Yea, HTC currently is in a really bad position, the A9 & X9 are certainly a joke... But I can't really find a good phone with an active dev community with the same price range...

Imotep95 said:
S-off is like 100% unlock, you can flash firmwares, sound mods(with adsp) etc, RUU: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1656721
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do I know if it's S-off or not ?
and if the one i got was "S-on", Is it "S-off"able ?

biascoblix said:
How do I know if it's S-off or not ?
and if the one i got was "S-on", Is it "S-off"able ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure, its s off-able
S-On(security on), S-OFF(seurity off)
Yes, if its new, its S-ON, only dev edition comes with S-Off.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Imotep95 said:
Sure, its s off-able
S-On(security on), S-OFF(seurity off)
Yes, if its new, its S-ON, only dev edition comes with S-Off.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, Thanks very much for your help...
I'll give myself a few days of more research.. but I'm probably going to get it... can't really find another alternative for the same price with an active dev community ..
Thanks again,
Cheers..
and oh, MERRY CHRISTMAS...

biascoblix said:
Hmm, Interesting.... Yea, HTC currently is in a really bad position, the A9 & X9 are certainly a joke... But I can't really find a good phone with an active dev community with the same price range...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that's the bit that sucks the most, after all its the original HTC built XDA that bought this site to light many years ago. That's why I'm leaning closest to the Nexus 6P at the moment as a possible next phone as it doesn't need too much hacking to be what I want it to be. But I'm not 100% happy with the 6P either, but I don't want to wait another year to see if HTC can pull something decent out of their hat. M8 seriously ruined it for me
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

dazultra2000 said:
Yeah that's the bit that sucks the most, after all its the original HTC built XDA that bought this site to light many years ago. That's why I'm leaning closest to the Nexus 6P at the moment as a possible next phone as it doesn't need too much hacking to be what I want it to be. But I'm not 100% happy with the 6P either, but I don't want to wait another year to see if HTC can pull something decent out of their hat. M8 seriously ruined it for me
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really wanted to get the 6P but here's why I didn't..
1- SD810.... Just NO !!
2- A lot... I meant really A lot of defective units.. especially with the screen.. A lot of units are coming with irregular colored screens...
3- Price... yea, surely it's currently priced at 500$... but i'm afraid to use forwarding service to ship it to my country here coz of the huge amount of defective units.. and local retailers here selling it for 650$.. NO THANKS... and I can see you're from the UK, you're getting ripped off.. it's roughly about 700$ for the 6P in the UK !!

biascoblix said:
I don't really care about official support... I hate Android OEM skins... The first thing I do when I get a new device is usually installing an AOSP based ROM...
Currently, I can get one for around 340$.. That's from a local store..
They are on eBay for 260$~
But I'm from Egypt... So there's shipping and tax and stuff which gonna ramp the price to around 340 as well...
I'll probably go ahead and buy it from the local store...
___
Concerning defective units... Were there any parts that were reported defective on units before... I have people reporting not working mics...
___
and is there multiple models of the phone or is it just one ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I switched from the HTC One M7 to the M8 - 2 months ago for the same price of 350$. Got it off Ebay. It was an imported T-mobile version from U.S unlocked, so there is no warranty. If you're getting it at the local store with warranty I'd suggest picking it.
Good stuff I've noticed:
The phones battery is a quite a difference from the M7. The battery is slightly larger and the processor is more efficient. 2 months later with Skydragons Sense Rom with Marshmallow, the battery life is still great.
The M7 gave 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours of On screen time (If I was not gaming much) , while this phone goes beyond 3.5 hours. It lasts over a day with moderate use and gaming.
The phone doesn't heat up crazy like the M7 did. Expect it to get warm, it's metal build.
The speakers are much louder than the M7. Along with this factor and the amazing battery life I was convinced that the phone was worth upgrading to.
The camera is decent and rather nice in low light conditions. However if camera is really important to you I'd suggest avoiding this phone.
HTC Sense is way better than stock android. The launcher itself is so handy. Music player is the best I've used, simple and effective.
The phone feels exotic in the hand, super premium.
Sound output without the equalizer(Boomsound) is hands down one of the best you will get.
Huge development community.
Has SD card support which the previous phone didn't have.
Cons:
Boomsound on earphones and headphones is really atrocious. The Beats Audio which was on the M7 was waaaayyy better! If you get this phone, just turn off boomsound on headphones.
The phone is curvy and hence becomes super slippery, just be careful handing the device, it's prone to slipping out of your hand. Worth mentioning this phone is heavy.
Dual Camera at the back is gimmicky.
Some of the OEM's software is poorly implemented and of late HTC has been messing some of them up. Example: Blinkfeed with ads and recommendations, HTC TV and Notes.
Has on screen buttons instead of the HTC M7's capacitve. And on screen buttons are rubbish.
The speaker grilles trap dirt easier than the previous model, you can however use a tooth brush or needle to clean them.
The power button is on top and a pain to reach. Doesn't help that the phone is taller than the M7 .
The top camera in the back can get damaged due to poor protection as compared to the main camera. You can still click photos, but can't use the dual camera effects. Also you will keep getting an error message "Dual camera is blocked..."
Defective Models: Yes there are models which ship with the dual camera damaged. If you get an opportunity to test out the phone first, check the camera. If you get the dual camera is blocked - just request if he can drop the price for you further. You will still be able to use the main camera.
This phone is not perfect and is HTC's Rough Diamond. With the processor, sound quality and dev support, I'd recommend it.

dar87 said:
I switched from the HTC One M7 to the M8 - 2 months ago for the same price of 350$. Got it off Ebay. It was an imported T-mobile version from U.S unlocked, so there is no warranty. If you're getting it at the local store with warranty I'd suggest picking it.
Good stuff I've noticed:
The phones battery is a quite a difference from the M7. The battery is slightly larger and the processor is more efficient. 2 months later with Skydragons Sense Rom with Marshmallow, the battery life is still great.
The M7 gave 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours of On screen time (If I was not gaming much) , while this phone goes beyond 3.5 hours. It lasts over a day with moderate use and gaming.
The phone doesn't heat up crazy like the M7 did. Expect it to get warm, it's metal build.
The speakers are much louder than the M7. Along with this factor and the amazing battery life I was convinced that the phone was worth upgrading to.
The camera is decent and rather nice in low light conditions. However if camera is really important to you I'd suggest avoiding this phone.
HTC Sense is way better than stock android. The launcher itself is so handy. Music player is the best I've used, simple and effective.
The phone feels exotic in the hand, super premium.
Sound output without the equalizer(Boomsound) is hands down one of the best you will get.
Huge development community.
Has SD card support which the previous phone didn't have.
Cons:
Boomsound on earphones and headphones is really atrocious. The Beats Audio which was on the M7 was waaaayyy better! If you get this phone, just turn off boomsound on headphones.
The phone is curvy and hence becomes super slippery, just be careful handing the device, it's prone to slipping out of your hand. Worth mentioning this phone is heavy.
Dual Camera at the back is gimmicky.
Some of the OEM's software is poorly implemented and of late HTC has been messing some of them up. Example: Blinkfeed with ads and recommendations, HTC TV and Notes.
Has on screen buttons instead of the HTC M7's capacitve. And on screen buttons are rubbish.
The speaker grilles trap dirt easier than the previous model, you can however use a tooth brush or needle to clean them.
The power button is on top and a pain to reach. Doesn't help that the phone is taller than the M7 .
The top camera in the back can get damaged due to poor protection as compared to the main camera. You can still click photos, but can't use the dual camera effects. Also you will keep getting an error message "Dual camera is blocked..."
Defective Models: Yes there are models which ship with the dual camera damaged. If you get an opportunity to test out the phone first, check the camera. If you get the dual camera is blocked - just request if he can drop the price for you further. You will still be able to use the main camera.
This phone is not perfect and is HTC's Rough Diamond. With the processor, sound quality and dev support, I'd recommend it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that detailed comment...
I'm coming from the phone that was barely able to shot decent 720p videos
literally anything would be an upgrade for me... the M8 is great compared to its price...
and the dual camera is a joke, i know that.. I'll probably be running AOSP roms which I don't think utilize it anyway...

biascoblix said:
Thanks for that detailed comment...
I'm coming from the phone that was barely able to shot decent 720p videos
literally anything would be an upgrade for me... the M8 is great compared to its price...
and the dual camera is a joke, i know that.. I'll probably be running AOSP roms which I don't think utilize it anyway...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might want to try a GPE Rom like this instead of an AOSP one.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2706391

dar87 said:
You might want to try a GPE Rom like this instead of an AOSP one.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2706391
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That looks great... Can't wait to get my hands on the phone... I'm gonna be buying it asap..