Develop Bugs

[Q] Why A Nexus? Advantages of an OPEN DEVICE??

Hi guys, I have been on this forums for quite a while even though I don't own a Nexus myself. I have been browsing through the development section every day and looking at all the ROMs etc..
I know that everything is open on the Nexus, all the sources, drivers, etc. I know that the advantages of having a Nexus is stock experience, with faster updates directly from Google. But what is the advantage of having an open phone as a user? I don't find much difference between the ROMs for Galaxy S II and the ROMs for the Galaxy Nexus. In fact the Siyah kernel, i think, has many many more features than the most popular kernel on this forums, the Franco kernel.
I am not trying to spark up anything over here. I just want to know what is the benefit of having such an open phone?

Difference between being in a wheelchair in a jail cell, even a jail cell with a window and open field sunny day with your legs running however fast you can. Its like that.
let it be.

@rbiter said:
Difference between being in a wheelchair in a jail cell, even a jail cell with a window and open field sunny day with your legs running however fast you can. Its like that.
let it be.
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I would think that, but I can't see that translating to development. I mean, I must be blind to not be able to see the differences, but I really can't. I don't see any major improvements in the ROMs on the Galaxy Nexus

darkgoon3r96 said:
I know that the advantages of having a Nexus is stock experience, with faster updates directly from Google.
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You answered your own question.

I already had 2 not Nexus Samsung phones and I will never make this mistake again. The lack of updates, the crappy skin that tries to look as the iPhone, etc.
In my experience, the builds from Google are much more stable, fast and reliable. And nothing in TouchWiz add anything that matters to me. To me Android is Nexus, I dont think I will build anything that is not Nexus again (but I really hope that HTC build the next one, I love the build quality of their phones).

martonikaj said:
You answered your own question.
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Haha, that wasn't my question. I am not asking why the Nexus is a better device. I am asking how does opening up the sources and drivers improve on the development...

darkgoon3r96 said:
I would think that, but I can't see that translating to development. I mean, I must be blind to not be able to see the differences, but I really can't. I don't see any major improvements in the ROMs on the Galaxy Nexus
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Sorry man, but in my opinion the stock ICS on the GNexus is miles ahead of any build from the SII.

martonikaj said:
You answered your own question.
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The difference is some stuff on aosp
Roms still don't work on galaxy s2 but everything works on aosp roms on nexus because it's open and drivers and everything is available...
bottom line aokp cm9 etc will give u a better user experience on nexus fewer bugs
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

darkgoon3r96 said:
Haha, that wasn't my question. I am not asking why the Nexus is a better device. I am asking how does opening up the sources and drivers improve on the development...
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Because your Galaxy Nexus comes with stock ICS out of the box. Sorry, but a custom ROM will never be as smooth and nice as the native out of the box OS.

juliano_q said:
Sorry man, but in my opinion the stock ICS on the GNexus is miles ahead of any build from the SII.
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I still don't get why you guys think the Stock is so much better than AOKP? I mean, isn't that very similar to stock?

OK, let me see if I can answer it. I'm not a developer, so take it with a grain of salt.
The phone I had before this was the Samsung Captivate. I bought it August 2010. At the time, it was one of the more advanced phones on the market. However, within about an hour of using it, I realized that the AT&T bloatware was a problem. Though the device had a lot of memory available, the app drawer was harder to navigate because of 15 different AT&T apps on the phone, most of which charged a monthly fee to do what Google's equivalent apps did for free. So, I had to root it.
Things were fine for a couple weeks, but then I noticed that there were several apps that I couldn't download because everyone was on Froyo and I was stuck on Eclair. There was no word when either samsung or AT&T was going to provide me with an update, so I had to take matters into my own hands and get a ROM from someone else. I'm not saying the devs didn't do a good job, but they were hamstrung by both AT&T and Sammy who were not giving them the tools they needed to do the job right the first time.
I should also point out that a lot of these problems were caused by AT&T's insistence that they have their own version of the Galaxy S that was different from everyone else's. Thankfully, all the carriers learned from that mistake.
Over the course of a year and 8 months, I tried at least a dozen different ROMs on my phone to either try to keep up with the changes in the market, or just to keep it from freezing. Even stock Gingerbread had problems, likely because it was rushed out. I finally found a stable build in a ROM that used ICS (ironically, ported from the GNex). So that meant, if not for the great work of Team ICSSGS, my Captivate would NEVER have been a stable phone. All those commercials about being a smartphone beta tester seemed to be designed with the Captivate in mind.
The point of all this: When it came time for me to get a new phone, I was considering waiting for the GSIII, but then Google offered the GNex off contract for $400, a not unreasonable price for the hardware at all, but what I was really paying for was getting off the treadmill. Now granted, at this point I've only had the phone for about a week, but it performs every function I need it to, and AT&T has no say in it. Samsung only had a say in the hardware. And that's how it should be, and honestly why I think Apple had such a marketing edge for such a long time. Apple told AT&T exactly where they can shove their customizations, and now we have Google doing the same, but not publicizing it enough.
TL;DR: Google experience and faster updates. But those are more valuable than you think.

darkgoon3r96 said:
I still don't get why you guys think the Stock is so much better than AOKP? I mean, isn't that very similar to stock?
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You just answered yourself... great roms/builds like aokp would not be possible without the Android Open Source Project. Even after saying that the quality on aosp devices running aokp like the gnex and ns are miles ahead of say the sensation or something along those lines due to the very face the the nexus phones have open source readily available.
Sent from my Maguro Yakju

The open let's you literally change ans re-code any part of the device you want. A touch wiz phone cannot do this cause the code is closed.
Custom roms on other devices are not the same though you may think they are. Most of the time something doesn't work cause it relies on a closed touch wiz framework function that has to be reverse engineered or hacked, or usually never works at all..
You need the kernel source code to really make any legit custom rom, and often have to wait months foe it to be released.
With an open device, you literally can implement anything your imagination can cone up with. No bugs or work a rounds.

In my opinion, there are two major differences:
1. On a Nexus device, you are guaranteed a large developer community. The SGSII may have a large developer community, but that's because it's pretty much of the most popular phones. If you buy something like the Samsung Galaxy Infuse (which several of my friends have) then you won't have nearly as big a developer community as the one for the Galaxy Nexus.
2. It's much much easier to root/customize/flash a Nexus device than any other device. All you need is "fastboot oem unlock" and the phone opens up for you. No need for bootloader downgrading/rooting exploits/HTCDev/manufacturer restrictions. This phone is designed to be a developer device. Also, when you screw up a Nexus, it is much easier to solve problems. Phone not booting? Use CWM. Recovery borked? Fastboot. Fastboot not working? ODIN flash. Lots of fail-safes.

Thanks a lot guys for taking the time just to help me out

I got my gnex last wednesday. No regrets at all, it's an amazing phone. My next phone will definitely be another nexus.

Advantage of having a Nexus?
It is like Burger King, you can have it your own way.

So I caved and bought a Galaxy Nexus - few questions

I know I've made a few topics across XDA (and other forums) regarding my next phone, but after heavy consideration, I ordered a Galaxy Nexus, and the following case in black:
http://www.obostore.com/imak-colorf...slim-case-for-samsung-nexus-prime-p-3941.html
(I just really like the design - not concerned about protection level since I'm great with my tech)
Anyway, a few questions. I've used an AOKP ROM on my G2 with and without a tablet UI for a little bit, so I'm a little familiar with ICS and its features, but one thing I'm not sure of - what apps are specific to ICS and/or the Galaxy Nexus (other than Chrome and Google Wallet)?
Must-have mods/tweaks or ROMs? I haven't delved into it much, but so far, I'm liking ParanoidAndroid for the hybrid phone/tablet support and MIUI v4 for the looks, but looking for anything else is like a needle in a haystack - I have no idea which ROM is actually better/faster than the other.
Disadvantages of rooting the Galaxy Nexus? I know Play Movies doesn't work (but I'm not concerned since I don't use it), but does Wallet still work? Any other apps/functions affected?
Must-have accessories? I'm looking at getting an MHL adapter at some point, but I want to stay away from any docks (at least for the moment) just because of how expensive the official ones are, and not sure if there's any other such accessories I should go for.
Cool housing replacements? I've looked at tear-down videos and the Galaxy Nexus seems really simple to take apart, and I've seen white housing replacements, but I'm wondering if there are any other nice colors available.
Where can I get the official extended battery back/door? From what I understand, the case I'm getting won't fit the new battery door, but by the time I scrounge up the $50 or whatever the kit costs, I'll probably be bored of it and want a new one (not too big on having multiple cases, but I wouldn't mind another nice one just to have a little variety).
Any other things I need to know about the Galaxy Nexus? Don't tell me anything gaming-related - not too concerned both because I'm not a fan of touchscreen gaming, and I intend on getting a used Xperia Play for gaming purposes only.

I forgot to mention that I bought the GSM version off the Play Store.
Anyway, I did a little research, and it seems like everybody prefers the recent JB ROMs - are the JB features/enhancements really that good?

magus57 said:
I forgot to mention that I bought the GSM version off the Play Store.
Anyway, I did a little research, and it seems like everybody prefers the recent JB ROMs - are the JB features/enhancements really that good?
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After installing JB I will never go back...smooth as butter baby!!! Plus google now is sick!

Welcome to the world of rooting
All your questions stem from an assumption / insecurity regarding rooting and trying out things.
There are not that many ROMs out there, learn nandroid, keep a stable copy on the PC. And just try these things out - it's so easy to jump around on ROMs (I've tried 2/3 in one day) that within a few tries you would settle down with something.
Lot of it is subjective, but one thing that remains constant - its safe to root. just follow the guide properly, and do not screw up installing CDMA roms on GSM and other goof ups like that.
happy rooting. (and you can unroot as you probably already know - so its not a one way street)
but then, once u discover the charms - it actually is a one way street
p.s the movies work with root now I believe. I'vent tried but read about it somewhere.

dhruvraj said:
Welcome to the world of rooting
All your questions stem from an assumption / insecurity regarding rooting and trying out things.
There are not that many ROMs out there, learn nandroid, keep a stable copy on the PC. And just try these things out - it's so easy to jump around on ROMs (I've tried 2/3 in one day) that within a few tries you would settle down with something.
Lot of it is subjective, but one thing that remains constant - its safe to root. just follow the guide properly, and do not screw up installing CDMA roms on GSM and other goof ups like that.
happy rooting. (and you can unroot as you probably already know - so its not a one way street)
but then, once u discover the charms - it actually is a one way street
p.s the movies work with root now I believe. I'vent tried but read about it somewhere.
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Click to collapse
Yeah, I'm pretty familiar with rooting and whatnot and have no issues with it, I was just wondering if there's some specific exception against it. And I may just load a few ROMs onto the device and try them out before I put my SIM in and start using it as my phone. Any recommendations (other than something JB-based)?

magus57 said:
Yeah, I'm pretty familiar with rooting and whatnot and have no issues with it, I was just wondering if there's some specific exception against it. And I may just load a few ROMs onto the device and try them out before I put my SIM in and start using it as my phone. Any recommendations (other than something JB-based)?
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if ICS, id say go with AOKP and franco kernel
but im running JB now, and honestly, its amazing (Jelly Belly Rom + franco kernel), ICS feels outdated now lol

HELP
Jo guys this is my first post and i have some questions.
first of all; WHERE THE HACK IS THE FILE EXPLORER!!!!
second thing is: WHY CANT I ARRANGE MY ICONS!!!!!
third is: if i unroot my phone will i get my warranty back (i bought it without a contract)
thanks if i did something wrong plz dont delete or something just tell me what not to do

magus57 said:
Yeah, I'm pretty familiar with rooting and whatnot and have no issues with it, I was just wondering if there's some specific exception against it. And I may just load a few ROMs onto the device and try them out before I put my SIM in and start using it as my phone. Any recommendations (other than something JB-based)?
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AOKP
CM9
and as you noticed, paranoidAndroid is just awesome (based on CM9. its hard to go to any other ROM after the customizations this one offers in using the real estate of your screen)
can try bigxie's APEX, fairly generic and combination of options
then franco kernel, supposed to be one of the fastest and most efficient kernels out there

dhruvraj said:
AOKP
CM9
and as you noticed, paranoidAndroid is just awesome (based on CM9. its hard to go to any other ROM after the customizations this one offers in using the real estate of your screen)
can try bigxie's APEX, fairly generic and combination of options
then franco kernel, supposed to be one of the fastest and most efficient kernels out there
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Click to collapse
Good to know, thanks. Really can't wait for it to come in =P

emran1234 said:
Jo guys this is my first post and i have some questions.
first of all; WHERE THE HACK IS THE FILE EXPLORER!!!!
second thing is: WHY CANT I ARRANGE MY ICONS!!!!!
third is: if i unroot my phone will i get my warranty back (i bought it without a contract)
thanks if i did something wrong plz dont delete or something just tell me what not to do
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1747087
???

Don't mess with ics. Go jelly all the way. Plus like others have stated Google now is insane
DO YOU JELLY?

kevinjgray88 said:
Don't mess with ics. Go jelly all the way. Plus like others have stated Google now is insane
DO YOU JELLY?
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Will do, thanks!

I just got mine last Saturday and ordered these
http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-Sync-2n...567566?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item2c645fe68e
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-Nex...234898?pt=PDA_Accessories&hash=item2c6502abd2
And will mod it as in this thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1726426&highlight=dock
http://www.ebay.com/itm/19066256756...X:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649#ht_3433wt_1163
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261055591684?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649
Total was $60 I think. One desk dock, one night stand dock, Mhl adapter and a second charger, I was going to order off monoprice but it was the same with shipping and I hates one of three cords I received last time, lasted 3 weeks...

thinking of trading my galaxy s3 for a galaxy nexus?

Should i ? Or just keep the s3?
spec wise i would keep the s3 since its more newer than the nexus
I really love flashing roms which the nexus has lots of..
But i did buy my s3 1 month ago so its literally brand new if i do
A trade i dont wanna be waisting my money that i used to get it
So idk should i do a trade??
Any ideas/opinions is greatly appreciated
-thanks

LOL! You sound like a woman.

That would be downgrading. The nexus device is nice but its also dated now. Since you have already got the newest and fastest device on the market, why not just keep it?
The nexus doest grab my attention like the S3 does. The S3 has more features, screen space and ram. But until you try one side by side, you be the judge. Good luck with your choice.

bighulk666 said:
LOL! You sound like a woman.
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Lol & you sound like a retard.. its just a simple yes or no question
Have nothing to say regarding the topic, dont like my post then simply
Ignore it and move on

1SiK1500 said:
That would be downgrading. The nexus device is nice but its also dated now. Since you have already got the newest and fastest device on the market, why not just keep it?
The nexus doest grab my attention like the S3 does. The S3 has more features, screen space and ram. But until you try one side by side, you be the judge. Good luck with your choice.
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Thankyou for your opinion, thats whats making me stuck in the middle.. like you said it is downgrading

This situation was the opposite for me. My previous phone was the Galaxy Nexus. I still have both and comparing side by side, I am happier with the GS3. I also understand that it's kinda "slow" here in terms of development for the GS3 compared to the nexus, but there are several awesome, stable roms from which to choose. Not to mention that it's still early in game and development will definitely kick off in the near future.

Infamous_Cheez said:
This situation was the opposite for me. My previous phone was the Galaxy Nexus. I still have both and comparing side by side, I am happier with the GS3. I also understand that it's kinda "slow" here in terms of development for the GS3 compared to the nexus, but there are several awesome, stable roms from which to choose. Not to mention that it's still early in game and development will definitely kick off in the near future.
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Agree the development for the u.s varient is slow but then again it is still early i dont want to regret it
Later on if i do the trade, maybe i should just stick with the s3.. it is newer better specs bigger screen etc..

I do usually adapt to the lastest and greatest tech and jump around. I see this device lasting for quite some time. I know other such as HTC will make a run for top. But this is my first Samsung device and i am more than pleased. I did manage to drop and crack my screen the day before my otterbox came in. Once it is replaced ill be a happy camper.
Another topic. Rooting the phone. Ive flashed so many roms on my last few phones that I feel compelled to NOT root the S3. The device works flawlessly and i dont want any unstable crashes or lags.
With the updated launchers working so well these days, i can fully customize my phone with out having to root it. Once Jellybean hits there will be nothing better for a while.
Coming from a rooted device, i truely see no need to root. I dont need backups if im not screwing with it. Aside from wifi tethering (which i have) its not required for me.

marcviado said:
Should i ? Or just keep the s3?
spec wise i would keep the s3 since its more newer than the nexus
I really love flashing roms which the nexus has lots of..
But i did buy my s3 1 month ago so its literally brand new if i do
A trade i dont wanna be waisting my money that i used to get it
So idk should i do a trade??
Any ideas/opinions is greatly appreciated
-thanks
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Click to collapse
nooo don't do it!! my buddy has a galaxy nexus and he's always complaining about data speeds, nexus is 21mb while s3 is 42mb modem.. also his has jelly bean but mine is still much snappier and faster.. better camera too, less ram.. smaller screen.. i can go on and on.
SGS3>Galaxy Nexus. Case closed.

1SiK1500 said:
...
Coming from a rooted device, i truely see no need to root. I dont need backups if im not screwing with it. Aside from wifi tethering (which i have) its not required for me.
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After reading your comment I was compelled to check and see how many of my apps require root. Currently only 3 of them do lol. The main reason I rooted my phone was because I did not like the green framework of stock....ICS is beautiful! I won't lie though, it's kind of second nature for me to immediately root even if unnecessary.
Crisisx1 said:
nooo don't do it!! my buddy has a galaxy nexus and he's always complaining about data speeds, nexus is 21mb while s3 is 42mb modem.. also his has jelly bean but mine is still much snappier and faster.. better camera too, less ram.. smaller screen.. i can go on and on.
SGS3>Galaxy Nexus. Case closed.
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Data speeds are subjective. Even though the GS3 is capable of 42mbps I have never even come close to to that; not even the 21mbps that the nexus tops off at. All your other points are solid though.

Infamous_Cheez said:
After reading your comment I was compelled to check and see how many of my apps require root. Currently only 3 of them do lol. The main reason I rooted my phone was because I did not like the green framework of stock....ICS is beautiful! I won't lie though, it's kind of second nature for me to immediately root even if unnecessary.
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Agreed. But runner a nice Apex Or Nova Launcher has changed from what it used to be. Besides i have insurance and a warranty. When i had my sensation, i flashed so many unstable roms, RILs, Radios, That i didnt know if my phone would every fully function again. I dont want to deal with that. I support the Dev community %100. To each their own!

Infamous_Cheez said:
After reading your comment I was compelled to check and see how many of my apps require root. Currently only 3 of them do lol. The main reason I rooted my phone was because I did not like the green framework of stock....ICS is beautiful! I won't lie though, it's kind of second nature for me to immediately root even if unnecessary.
Data speeds are subjective. Even though the GS3 is capable of 42mbps I have never even come close to to that; not even the 21mbps that the nexus tops off at. All your other points are solid though.
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^ very true, but i doubt i would get these kind of speeds on a galaxy nexus... 26 mb.

I've had 3 galaxy nexus pass through my hands. don't do it
Keep the s3
Development is really picking up
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

Crisisx1 said:
^ very true, but i doubt i would get these kind of speeds on a galaxy nexus... 26 mb.
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Wow! Those are impressive! The fastest I have ever gotten was 12mbps....

the main reason why i'd want to root is to just restore my apps and games with the saved settings and data. anyone else root for that reason, to restore titanium backup data?

Cobra281 said:
the main reason why i'd want to root is to just restore my apps and games with the saved settings and data. anyone else root for that reason, to restore titanium backup data?
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+1
...and this is how my crackflashing habit began. lol

Cobra281 said:
the main reason why i'd want to root is to just restore my apps and games with the saved settings and data. anyone else root for that reason, to restore titanium backup data?
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That's mainly why I rooted. I am on stock ROM, just rooted for back ups, plus I needed wifi tethering.

pytyper483 said:
That's mainly why I rooted. I am on stock ROM, just rooted for back ups, plus I needed wifi tethering.
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hah, you just reminded that i also need to root to use the sixaxis controller. playing ps1 games with this much power(a lot more than my old G2) is going to be sweeeeeet

Guys.. what are your thoughts on maybe an unlocked at&t galaxy note or an international one x
I posted my phone on cl to see what offers i get i did get alot of galaxy nexus but i decieded to keep
My s3 over that.. now i got galaxy note and htc one x offers

marcviado said:
Guys.. what are your thoughts on maybe an unlocked at&t galaxy note or an international one x
I posted my phone on cl to see what offers i get i did get alot of galaxy nexus but i decieded to keep
My s3 over that.. now i got galaxy note and htc one x offers
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Click to collapse
the ONE X QUAD CORE is coming to t-mobile, DO NOT trade it for a international version (i had one, 2g makes u wanna cry, esp when you have to find a special sim to use it) . Also the NOTE does not work perfectly (if atnt) so don't bother with that either. Just wait a bit..

[Q's]Looking at getting one of these

Hey all, I've been informed by my carrier (Rogers Canada) that I'm eligible for a phone upgrade- and the Optimus G is one of the cheap options!! I have a few questions for the community before I'm totally sold...
1) How big are the /system and /data partitions? I'm on an old Optimus One and it's PAINFULLY low on storage.
2) Any word on NFC working in CM 10.1? I've done searches and whatnot but it seems to be quite the quandary right now. NFC is a pretty big draw for me and unfortunately I read that the hardware chip is different from the Nexus 4.
3) What is the latest root-able stock ROM? A lot of guides I see advise against going past 4.0.3, but I would like to run 4.1 (Google tells me an update was released in December) .
4) What are the odds of custom kernel/ROM support going forward? I have no idea what the community is like for this phone, and these boards look rather sparse. Hack-ability is a big (perhaps the biggest) feature for me too.
I really am leaning towards this phone- it's either the G or a Note 1, and it's a tad behind the times (dual core, 1 gig/ram). Though the Note 1 does have a really active hacking community.
Thanks to anyone who takes the time to reply. Cheers!

Keep everything stock, just root it and delete all the bloat ware.. works great.

1)On korean version sysyem is 2gb and data 25gb

sunami88 said:
Hey all, I've been informed by my carrier (Rogers Canada) that I'm eligible for a phone upgrade- and the Optimus G is one of the cheap options!! I have a few questions for the community before I'm totally sold...
1) How big are the /system and /data partitions? I'm on an old Optimus One and it's PAINFULLY low on storage.
no idea but it's a 32gb phone, there is probably no problem with it.
2) Any word on NFC working in CM 10.1? I've done searches and whatnot but it seems to be quite the quandary right now. NFC is a pretty big draw for me and unfortunately I read that the hardware chip is different from the Nexus 4.
no rom support NFC or hardware cap keys as of now
3) What is the latest root-able stock ROM? A lot of guides I see advise against going past 4.0.3, but I would like to run 4.1 (Google tells me an update was released in December) .
The latest Rogers is rootable (it's easier to root first and update later, keep root). Korean 4.1 update is rootable so I would guess Rogers 4.1 will also be rootable. We actually have a pretty good Can Dev community.
4) What are the odds of custom kernel/ROM support going forward? I have no idea what the community is like for this phone, and these boards look rather sparse. Hack-ability is a big (perhaps the biggest) feature for me too.
As of now there isn't much custom roms (you can see that yourself) But there is lots of potential.
I really am leaning towards this phone- it's either the G or a Note 1, and it's a tad behind the times (dual core, 1 gig/ram). Though the Note 1 does have a really active hacking community.
Thanks to anyone who takes the time to reply. Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also got a OG from Rogers and I might sell it and just use my N4. Storage is not an issue for me. More money in my pochet in the end and endless community support.

I would get a LGOG. The Note is really old and it's going to be two generations behind once new phones are launched in Q1 2013.

Wow, thanks for the replies! All that's left now is hope Rogers doesn't try and pull a fast one on me.
Update: The phone's on order! Can't wait to play around with my new device.

Densitymax said:
Keep everything stock, just root it and delete all the bloat ware.. works great.
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I tend to agree. I was planning on flashing some ROMs, but after playing around with the phone for a few days, I must say I actually like LG 's Android skin. Not as heavily skinned/modded as Sense, but enough tweaks to add to the stock experience rather than detract from it.
In my opinion anyway.
Sent from my LG E-973 using xda app-developers app

sunami88 said:
Update: The phone's on order! Can't wait to play around with my new device.
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Click to collapse
Once you get it, root it, unlock it and throw the jelly bean Rom on it.. I loved my phone before but I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is better now.. more responsive, some nice built in features and better battery life..
Sent from my LG-E973 using xda app-developers app

I'll probably stick with the stock ROM for a while. It'll be nice when some replacement kernel's start turning up. I use CIFS a lot on my current phone, and I would like to have OTG. Hmm, I might be able to insert the relevant modules once I have root...
Hell, if it ever gets Android 5 officially I might not have to flash a third party ROM at all .

[Q] About to get an SIII! General questions..

Okay so I'm planning on finally upgrading from my Samsung Vibrant(S1) to an S3. I would go to an S4 but it's still a bit too pricey for me. Anyways, I just wanted to know some general tips and such. What is the latest official firmware, some pros and cons of keeping TW, which ROMs should I use, etc. Just any input would be nice! I think I've just about maxed out my Vibrant's potential with it running SlimBean 4.2.2 for the most part, and recently switching over to CyanAOSP. I think it's my phone, but things are still very laggy. So I can't wait for my S3 to come in.
Sorry if this is in the wrong section. First time posting.

You will find out quickly that almost everything here is great. Touchwiz isn't bad on this phone and cm 10.1 has almost all the bugs worked out. So all i can say is happy crack flashing.

Honestly, save a lil more and get the S4. Don't upgrade to last yrs model.
Don't get me wrong, the S3 is a major upgrade from the Vibrant, but I feel like if you have an opportunity to upgrade you should get the very best upgrade available.
Just my 2¢.
Powered by the SGSIII

I would also recommend to save a bit more and get the s4. You have waited this long why not a bit more?
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

Thing is, I'm in desperate need for a phone currently. My Vibrant is becoming unusable and it'll take me a while to save more money. I'm only 16, and the only source of money for me is an annual thing, which is doing the traditional Lion Dance every Chinese New Years. So, by next year's event, I'm sure S5 will be coming about and my Vibrant will definitely be dead by then. So I'm gonna go ahead and upgrade to an S3 now. I really need it to talk to my gf too, since we're a state away. Thanks for everyone's input about going to S4 though.
Btw, I'm guessing it's not possible, but a T-Mobile S3 can't flash ROMs from the i9300 can it? I wanted to try out the recently released GlamourS4 ROM, but I just realized it was in the i9300 section.. Unless the T-Mobile variant is the same model?

limen123 said:
Btw, I'm guessing it's not possible, but a T-Mobile S3 can't flash ROMs from the i9300 can it? I wanted to try out the recently released GlamourS4 ROM, but I just realized it was in the i9300 section.. Unless the T-Mobile variant is the same model?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, do not flash ROMs or kernels from other s3's you will end up with a hard brick!! You can flash ROMs from at&t though.. Verizon and sprint I don't think will brick it, but better stay away..
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

If you're really that tight on money, then maybe you shouldn't root.
And as mentioned above, do not flash anything from the International S3 section.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

limen123 said:
Thing is, I'm in desperate need for a phone currently. My Vibrant is becoming unusable and it'll take me a while to save more money. I'm only 16, and the only source of money for me is an annual thing, which is doing the traditional Lion Dance every Chinese New Years. So, by next year's event, I'm sure S5 will be coming about and my Vibrant will definitely be dead by then. So I'm gonna go ahead and upgrade to an S3 now. I really need it to talk to my gf too, since we're a state away. Thanks for everyone's input about going to S4 though.
Btw, I'm guessing it's not possible, but a T-Mobile S3 can't flash ROMs from the i9300 can it? I wanted to try out the recently released GlamourS4 ROM, but I just realized it was in the i9300 section.. Unless the T-Mobile variant is the same model?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Man, back in my Vibrant days, I would of told you to Odin and flash Bionix by Team Whiskey.
Best Rom I ran back then, couldn't really top that.
But I see what you mean! well enjoy your new toy.
Powered by the SGSIII

Latest update is 4.1.2, which has multi window.
Touchwiz is ok, definitely recommend getting Nova launcher. Rooting is simple, plenty of instructions, follow them and you'll be good.
I definitely don't recommend flashing kernels or roms not meant for t mobile. You don't want to end up with a hard brick phone. Especially your case that you're tight on money. You don't want to pay extra for a repair.
From MY PERSONAL opinion. Wicked v10 and Stockorama are fantastic touchwiz based roms. Solid battery life and super smooth.
Always read the op and hit the search button.
I can't advise much about AOSP based roms since I just started using one two days ago. I'm on Liquidsmooth 2.5 and it's working great so far.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

Ask your parents for the extra money you need.. I'm sure they will be willing to lend you some.
Always go for the best you know?

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707BeastMode707 said:
If you're really that tight on money, then maybe you shouldn't root.
And as mentioned above, do not flash anything from the International S3 section.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm. Care to explain why?
IXChicharitoXI said:
Latest update is 4.1.2, which has multi window.
Touchwiz is ok, definitely recommend getting Nova launcher. Rooting is simple, plenty of instructions, follow them and you'll be good.
I definitely don't recommend flashing kernels or roms not meant for t mobile. You don't want to end up with a hard brick phone. Especially your case that you're tight on money. You don't want to pay extra for a repair.
From MY PERSONAL opinion. Wicked v10 and Stockorama are fantastic touchwiz based roms. Solid battery life and super smooth.
Always read the op and hit the search button.
I can't advise much about AOSP based roms since I just started using one two days ago. I'm on Liquidsmooth 2.5 and it's working great so far.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So 4.2.1 and 4.2.2 are leaks right now? What would be advantages of staying on 4.1.2 until the official release?
Yeah, I've been using Nova on my Vibrant for who knows how long. I love it.
Thanks to everyone for the info about carrier-specific flashing. I wasn't intending on trying it until I got an answer anyways.
So what kind of advantages would I get from TW roms and AOSP roms? I know the Samsung specific things like multiwindow, but what else? Or is just a matter of preference?
wardoc22 said:
Ask your parents for the extra money you need.. I'm sure they will be willing to lend you some.
Always go for the best you know?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Trust me, they won't. I've tried asking for a bit of money so I could get the S3 when it was first released. It'll be the same thing if I ask for a bit to get an S4.

limen123 said:
Hmm. Care to explain why?
So 4.2.1 and 4.2.2 are leaks right now? What would be advantages of staying on 4.1.2 until the official release?
Yeah, I've been using Nova on my Vibrant for who knows how long. I love it.
Thanks to everyone for the info about carrier-specific flashing. I wasn't intending on trying it until I got an answer anyways.
So what kind of advantages would I get from TW roms and AOSP roms? I know the Samsung specific things like multiwindow, but what else? Or is just a matter of preference?
Trust me, they won't. I've tried asking for a bit of money so I could get the S3 when it was first released. It'll be the same thing if I ask for a bit to get an S4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not against rooting, but if you're tight on cash, then maybe you should think twice about it. Accidents can happen, you can accidentally flash the wrong kernel or rom and brick your device. It can be fixed, but it will cost you.

limen123 said:
So 4.2.1 and 4.2.2 are leaks right now? What would be advantages of staying on 4.1.2 until the official release?
Yeah, I've been using Nova on my Vibrant for who knows how long. I love it.
Thanks to everyone for the info about carrier-specific flashing. I wasn't intending on trying it until I got an answer anyways.
So what kind of advantages would I get from TW roms and AOSP roms? I know the Samsung specific things like multiwindow, but what else? Or is just a matter of preference?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The latest official release was 4.1.2 which came out a few weeks ago. It's major improvement imo was multi window. I didn't care about the other features personally.
If I'm not mistaken all AOSP roms are 4.2.2 based.
Advantages for touchwiz roms is great stability. You shouldn't come across many, if any bugs at all. You will have all the gesture features on touchwiz roms. Palm to screenshot, tap to refresh, smart stay, etc. You will have more camera features. Everything should just work.
AOSP have more customization but you will give up Samsung features, downgraded camera imo, and you will likely come across minor issues. Random reboots, flickering issues, etc.
I'm not saying AOSP roms are bad. The community here is great and for the most part there's always a solution. I'm running an AOSP rom and I haven't had any issues so far.
One thing I'll recommend, don't switch between AOSP and touchwiz roms back and forth. You may experience some issues, best to Odin stock from an AOSP rom then flash a touchwiz rom afterwards. It's not difficult, just a bit time consuming.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

Touchwiz isnt horrible, I just don't like it very much. Its stable, but to me its too laggy, that and I can only have 4 rows and columns on the launcher for icons. If you ask me, it wastes screen real estate, but there are alternatives to it.
Overall once you get 4.1.2 running on this phone it becomes very very stable.
If you want another launcher, Nova (Prime version is 4$, Go Launcher Ex, ADW are all fine choices. Just be warned that Touchwiz Widgets (Such as the Touchwiz Calendar, Accuweather) cannot be used with those Launchers. I use Nova Prime (With Teslaunread for unread email and MMS counts), and it is rock solid stable, and also has Project Butter enhancements which just make it so smooth its not even funny.
Granted, there are also replacements for those such as the Weather Channel, Weather Underground, Google Calendar (Which is what I use anyway), and tons more on Google Play
The S3 is a reasonably good phone, and the only phone I would actually ditch it for would be the Galaxy S4: Nexus Edition when it gets released, granted the GS4-N is not LTE compatible, and costs full price (650$ from what I hear), but it will be Pure AOSP.
I like my GS3.
Also dont use the stock music player, believe me, its not that good. Buy/download one of these
Poweramp (4$)
N7Player (also 4$),
Winamp (Free, but has a paid version that removes Ads and unlocks a couple features).
There are many other Music Players. As for Video Players, I use Moboplayer.

Also the i9003 is the international model. No rom for the SGH-T999 will work on the i9003, nor will any rom built for the i9003 work on the SGH-T999. In fact, flashing either of them to the opposite will brick your phone.

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I think Purple Ferret meant to say i9300, not i9003.
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Throwing in my experience with TouchWiz.
The SGS3 is a pretty solid phone, and some of the TouchWiz stuff can get you quite hooked (personally, I like how you're able to flip through the homescreen until you are back at the beginning, and some nice touches they recently included for their file manager like the helix and roll pin scrolling), but it's mostly a matter of preference.
On the other hand, I started having issues with the stock TouchWiz after almost a year of use. It would randomly restart itself from time to time, then all controls became unresponsive after start-up (volume buttons, home button, touchscreen and the soft buttons); only the power button was working. I only got it working again after I did a clean wipe and restored an older backup. Which then inevitably led me to check out custom ROMs.
I never had an Android phone before this one, but my brother had been tinkering with his Vibrant for years now. He was the one that helped me root my SGS3, and he stated that it's a lot easier to do things now than it was back when he first started since there's an app for just about everything needed. (Just to give you a perspective)
Besides, the instructions around here are pretty easy to follow.
And yeah, if you are going for a T-Mobile SGS3, only look for ROMs compatible with SGH-T999 (T999) for T-Mobile (d2tmo).

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I think Purple Ferret meant to say i9300, not i9003.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes exactly, my bad.

Ask your mom or dad or even family members if you can borrow money to buy an S4. I was touching the S4 the other day at Tmobile and it's so fast and smooth makes me wanted it so bad. I think S4 is better than S3. Go for the S4 I would say.

TouchWiz feels too bloaty and laggy for my taste, so I recommend using CM10.1. The smoothness in scrolling and general navigation of the UI are definitely noticeable compared to even the most de-bloated TouchWiz ROM. Just my 2c.