That is the question.
On a regular tablet this is an easier decision to make (I have a custom ROM on my Asus TF101) as the differences between stock ROMs and custom ones are mainly to do with performance and removal of bloatware. With the Note series though, there are apps and services that are specificly designed for use with the spen.
I plan on being an heavy spen user. It is the main reason I want to get the tablet (that and the ideal screen size).
I was hoping to get the pros and cons about going for a more barebones ROM (once stable builds become available) vs the functionality added to the OS by touchwiz and some of Samsung's apps.
I dont think i'd be fused about losing multiwindow, airview, quick command. the screen is only small so there isnt much you can fit on half of it and i dont mind losing the other small benefits if it means i can have a leaner and faster ROM.
I could take or leave S planner. I'll most likely use the google calendar anyway.
I want a good note taking app though and my time with s note has made me a fan of it. i like the ability to copy an image from any screen and append it to a note. Is this function available in any of the custom roms or apps on the older Notes?
Other than note taking, i plan on using it as a sketch pad, inking and colouring tool and may be (if possible) try and start making some smallish comics with it.
I also like the IR remote and apps.
I guess my question is... is it better, from your experience, to try a barebones ROM and add the functionalities i'm after, or stick with the stock ROM and disable the functionalities im not interested in (hoping that I may see an increase in performance and battery life)?
I will probably root and overclock the CPU either way and if a kernal becomes available that improves performance I will probably end up flashing that as well (the overclocked GPU on my TF101 kernel has allowed me to install and play games that were previously unavailable. The difference between stock and what I run now is night and day but alot of that is probably the differences between ice cream sandwich and jelly bean).
Thanks
There are plenty of note taking apps out there. I know you will lose some of the spend functionality if you use an AOSP ROM, but you don't need to go to that extreme. You can run a deflated stock ROM and free up a ton of space, and probably save some battery life, while retaining all the features of a stock Note 8. Thats what I plan on doing, just like I did with my Note 2.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
Related
I'm not a PRO in Android but still, why do some people say "Stock is the way to go"? Because of stability? Less bugs?
it just works.
Because a group of coders have decided what you can or cannot do; took away your freedom. As such, we are human beings and like being confined within boundaries.
So some people like going back to stock.
If you have chosen android, root and go custom and just muck about and explore and learn; the possibilities are endless
Mike556 said:
I'm not a PRO in Android but still, why do some people say "Stock is the way to go"? Because of stability? Less bugs?
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Click to collapse
me personally, it isn't worth trading speed and stability for a few extra buttons. but this is all opinions. maybe you should try a few things and form your own opinion of it and not worry about it.
Mike556 said:
I'm not a PRO in Android but still, why do some people say "Stock is the way to go"? Because of stability? Less bugs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because no feature in a custom ROM is worth the time it will take constantly set it up, troubleshoot, endless flashing, and OCD like symptoms.
Stock JB is just too good to mess with it. I unlock and root my devices once I stop getting official updates. I have tried many ROMs, kernels on my GNEX and Nexus 7 and I always go back to stock.
Locked bootloader, no root, encrypted. It just feels good. Plus, if you purchase a new device, all you would have to do is login to your Google account and voila!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
Stock ROMs are great, when JB first came out and before there were AOSP builds I rocked a rooted + BB stock image for a few weeks and thought it was great. I was able to fill in a lot of the missing ROM customization with apps (quiet hours, battery %, toggles, etc...). Smooth, fast, and reliable.
At the end of the day however a ROM built from AOSP source with some tweaks on top is the way to go for me.
Because stock is actually a really good stable feature-rich software package.
Stable, fast, no weird scripts nor heavily themed just pure android experience
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
for me, it just worked. Nothing had to be fiddled with and no headaches about small details. Being able to enjoy your device for what it is, is such a great feeling compared to constantly flashing updates and whatnot.
I run TSF shell launcher so no need for UI tweeks and stock is fine although I do mix it up with a Franco kernel.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
I love stock ROMs. I wish more devs would simply tweak and compile straight aosp ROMs instead of cramming them full of features. Variety is a nice novelty but it wears off quickly reboot after reboot and fc after fc.
And on the same note I know its personal preference, but stock android looks so sleek and clean now that all themes seem just plain ugly. And it seems like most devs either include the theme engine or do some theming of the ROM itself. Just too much going on and affects performance/stability in my opinion.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
LAst time i pointed out this fact, that i like stock more than custom rom (on GNEX), i was told to get iCab and to buy Iphone....
I like stock... Rooted, so i can remove search bar (only that). I can customize in perfect way, without obligation to flash constant updates, without getting fc-s, without taking care which kernel fits best etc...
I've been looking at the pictures of some home screens which look spectacular, I just want your opinion. I've just sold my iPhone 5 for Galaxy S3 i9305 LTE and I'm already amazed at being able to do so much. One thing that annoyed me with iPhone was the need to jailbreak if you wanted to do anything, so android is perfect and I think my phone set up with Nova Launcher Prime looks terrific.
Do I really need to go any further as I'd hate having to go back in the jailbreak business.
You and try it out no one is stopping you and I suggest that there is better performance for the phone so it is good
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Pie8er said:
I've been looking at the pictures of some home screens which look spectacular, I just want your opinion. I've just sold my iPhone 5 for Galaxy S3 i9305 LTE and I'm already amazed at being able to do so much. One thing that annoyed me with iPhone was the need to jailbreak if you wanted to do anything, so android is perfect and I think my phone set up with Nova Launcher Prime looks terrific.
Do I really need to go any further as I'd hate having to go back in the jailbreak business.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do what you want if you find you want xxx and it requires root then its your choice .
Point to note no root then no XDA Developers exists .
jje
I believe it is a matter of personal preference. This phone is one of the best, so no, there is no need for a custom Rom if it covers all of your needs as if. Just have in mind that some custom roms will give you a performance gain but will break some other stuff. I am not against custom, I've used them since I bought my Spica but this is the first one I do not see the need to go the custom Rom way
Enviado desde mi GT-I9300 usando Tapatalk 2
Personally, I rooted my previous phones (and my Galaxy Tab) to increase their performance. However, he S3's performance - and come on, dude, you have the LTE version - is worlds apart to that of my previous phones. I still don't see the need to customize it.
However, this is coming from someone who doesn't really mind the TouchWIZ interface that Samsung made. If you really want a stock Android experience, then root, and then install a custom rom.
To be totally honest, don't think a custom rom is needed. That said, some mods DO make it better by a fair bit. For a phone that boasts 1Gb of ram it falls really short on multitasking. It just seems to close any app that stays in the background for a while even if it's memory wasn't needed. Rarely though, it will work properly for some reason. Haven't tried better memory managment mods (will do at some point) but this is the only really important one i'd like stock to do better.
There's also another grey area. Not really a custom rom but the latest samsung leak for the international version make it worlds apart from stock ICS, performance and functions wise. You'd need to get it from unofficial channels since it's a leak and hasn't been officially released yet AND in some countries may never be or just be really delayed for some reason. To install it, of course, you'd have to dable into "jailbreaking" (man i hate this term) business since it isn't official.
Also, in this latest leak, i'm also looking forward to that mod that adds all apps to multiview (haven't installed it yet). Everything else i'd use to want from a custom rom (mainly on my SGS), samsung has just about delivered: configurable toggle buttons, long press toggle to quickly access settings, smart stay/rotate, really smooth UI with touchwiz (even if it redraws often albeit less in this latest ROM), LOADS of ways to ease up your how you interact with your phone (gestures, motions, etc), loads of convenient menus everywhere, etc. Even if something is not to your liking there's a very high chance you can customize it or just get a free app from the market to make it to your liking, most of the time not requiring a rooted phone.
TL: DR: Nop, don't think so. I'd change minor stuff though
Simply necessary to set 240 DPI...320 is for my grandma.
NO...period. ..
sent frm 3rd rock...
Interesting subject..
In reality no, there no need for a custom rom.. its simply an avenue to save time. Eg. If you find yourself installing a multitude of different mods/tweaks everytime you update your phone then a custom rom would suite you because they come installed by default.
If you like as close to the stock experience as possible then by all means no a custom rom is not needed.
In reality a custom rom is simply a collection of mods cooked together by the dev.. roms share very similar mods/tweaks with perhaps some cosmetic differences.
The phrase "jailbreak" originated because of the stock iOS experience being so restricted.. in the Android world the stock experience is the complete opposite, it allows you to do a large range of things although the only thing you may have to do to completely take advantage of your device is root it.
Perhaps this thread should of went into the Q/A area.. but nether the less good subject.
Pie8er said:
I've just sold my iPhone 5 for Galaxy S3 i9305 LTE
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Click to collapse
We need more people like you in this world! Come join us in the Galaxy S3 general discussion thread!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1889453
Also, in my opinion, there is no need to root the S3. Samsung have done an amazing job with it! It has great features and you can do so much without having to root. If you like the flavour of custom ROMs, though, you'll need to root. Just check them out and see what suits your everyday needs!
Enjoy!
kaynpayn said:
To be totally honest, don't think a custom rom is needed. That said, some mods DO make it better by a fair bit. For a phone that boasts 1Gb of ram it falls really short on multitasking.
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Click to collapse
If you see the OP he actually bought the I9305 which is 2GB ram.. So its good with multitasking. And to the OP you are in the wrong Forum there is a I9305 q/a forum now if you read the forum headings. And about the custom rom, Just go about your way and use your phone normally now if you come to a roadblock or hiccup or want to try tweak it in anyway thats when you start looking into customizing or getting another rom and see if it runs smoother
I had a captiva, and rooted it and constantly played with it (changing roms / themes etc., I mean I must have flashed different ROMs 2-3 times a week). Had a blast, became a hobby. Got the Note 2 last November, and am toying with rooting that also. However, my question is will I lose S pen functionality, and other touch wiz features. And, are there a lot of roms out there like the Captiva had, and themes?
Ive read that some say not to root as the phone is fine as is. This phone is a beast unto itself, but I am starting to have issues, like hitting the back button and nothing happens. When I go to contacts and scroll down, it speeds up and seems to scroll by itself, then goes back to the top.
Appreciate any input.
Thanks.
I find that cm and non touchwiz ROMs don't have the same battery life as touchwiz does, anything that is non touchwiz you will loose s pen features and the touchwiz features as well. Best way to find out is to root and rom you phone and mod it to Ur taste. Not everyone will have the same expirience so best to try yourself,
Sent from my SGH-T889 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
But you can use apps from the market as replacement for s-note, etc. The pen will work in EVERY rom.
As ranger stated. .spen features are fully functional in any rom for this device using the proper apps and settings. .
Regarding battery life on AOSP/AOKP....I will disagree that equal or better battery life cannot be obtained over TW roms...
My current AOSP setup produces 10-12% better battery life than the stock touchwiz bloated rom. ..(latest UCAMH3)...And performance is noticeably improved using an OS roughly 1/4 the size of stock builds. .
Anyone claiming poor battery life using current AOSP builds may want to rethink the settings being used. ..
Late generation AOSP is fast and stable. ..leaving the user wanting nothing including spen when running the device properly. ..
Leave overclock alone. ..leave voltage changes alone. ..and leave the GPU alone. ...After all. ..it's a note 2 quad. ...not a Ferrari. ..
TW builds that are stripped and chipped will be excellent performance based builds. ..but again. ...After you strip a stock build down. ..your only an inch away from AOSP anyway. ...g
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I'm really stuck between I'm being short sighted and naive, and XDA is just full of people who do things simply because they can. I know my latter argument will sound aggressive, but it's not intended to wound.
I see the CM threads. I see lots and lots of excitement over CM. But I couldn't care less. I come from a phone that HAD to have CM (note 1 / i717). Touchwiz was outdated and horrendous on it. But with the Note 3 + wanam, I really can't come up with any reason to flash CM. The few cases I've seen are being able to do things w/o xposed, but if I already have xposed set up.. what problem am I solving? And beside, with things like Tinted Bar module, I'd be running the framework regardless.
Also, with my i717, touchwiz was (post 4.0) extremely slow. I could see if our touchwiz was slow, but having debloated it myself, I can't imagine things being faster. Again, sorry about the perceived tone, but I completely dismiss all the "wow this is fast!!!!" posts as placebo (as the recent exposure to build.prop fakeness so eloquently demonstrated). We have, arguably, the fastest phone that can be purchased. With the most RAM. What's CM going to do for me switching between Gmail and Chrome? Shave off 50ms? As if my eyes can notice that.
And since I hate, hate, hate on /r/Android when someone posts some "convince me to.." threads, let me be clear, I'm genuinely curious if people have legitimate reasons to be excited about CM. Things I'm simply not aware of or grasping. I get the -- I'm bored and I'll flash because I flash because flash because TWRP because Android -- but beyond that, why? Why are we so bonerific for CM?
Yes we do do things simply because we can and that is a benefit of a open system instead of a closed system like ios. But that is not the sole reason why people get excites for cm. For me now that we got cm that means we will have more Roms and development for our device. Also the reason why I prefer aosp over touchwiz the feel of the device after I customize it. For example I turn off my hardware keys and replace then with softkeys in a setup of phone, back/kill app, home, recent/menu and chrome. Now add halo on top of that and for me I have a much more fluid experience.
i hate touchwiz,i hate the look,the feel,the flow of it. I love the nexus line of phones,but i was a large screen,i have to have an sd card slot,so for me, getting a note, and installing cm on it is my perfect phone. Im not worried about it being faster, this phone is stupid fast. i dont use any touchwiz feature, and i dont want them taking up space. I hate the stock touchwiz pull down,so i love not having to use it. Its just a personal preference to me. I also love the faster updates from having a stock android experience.
I'm kind of in the same camp as OP when it comes to CM. I do get excited about it just cause it means that development is growing for our phones and its always neat when new rom comes out, but every time I flash a CM rom I always end up back on TW because I take a ton of pictures and CM's camera suuuuuuuucks. I also always end up missing S-note. Some phones run way better on CM but like you said, ours are robust enough to run anything.
I have the i717 as well and used CM on it since I got it plus used CM on my TouchPad before that. I like the consistency that using CM on all my devices provides. I don't like TW either, the color scheme is ugly and the stock apps aren't my favorites either. I love the holo theme of AOSP. So why did I bother with the Note 3 when the Nexus 5 has pure AOSP already? I don't see a phone with anemic, limited, non-replaceable storage or battery as a good power user device. I also love the stylus but not for writing as much as using it as a precision cursor for remote desktop. The Note 3 hardware is awesome and I loved my Note 1 with CM so I wanted a Note 3 with CM. I'm also a strong believer in transparency and open source = higher quality code and AOSP ROMs usually reflect that apart from some hacks to interface with proprietary blobs. I like the customization as well and while you can get by with stock firmware and lots of mods it ends up being very hackish and not all free or open source like a proper source built ROM.
Sent from my SM-N900T using xda app-developers app
The joy of the hole thing is you can try anything you want, however, being critical of materials here is really not what XDA is for. Either use the stuff here, contribute to the cause, and learn about development along the way.
and then, there is this thread here too...http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2532873
Hey folks!
Been a long user of Xperia Arc S (2011, official updates never got past crappy 4.0.4), now it is time to upgrade. I was looking at something in medium price range, Note 2 caught my eye. The Development section appears to have great activity as well, so guess this phone does sure have some after-market worthness. Still I thought to ask you, how happy are you with your devices.
First, if I am actually going to buy this phone, is there any difference between the colors? Do the materials differ? Is the grey one also more fingerprint and dirt prone than the white one?
How powerful are the CPU and GPU on the phone? Can these take some stress or are they under continuous pressure by the firmware? By that I mean, how well is the firmware optimized? How many user apps can the phone run in addition to system apps before I should start rooting and throwing out some unnecessary crap? Or should I directly move to a custom ROM (might want to explain regarding the counters and official firmware issues)?
Looking in the General section, I see the Android 4.3 update has brought many negative emotions to the forum due to missing features and worse user experience. As I checked from my operator, the phone is sold with 4.1.2 on it. Is it worth to upgrade to 4.3 (I wonder if the update has any major positive sides as well)?
I have played around a lot with ROMs and kernels and basebands and stuff on Xperia models, but I am completely new to the Samsung world of smartphones, thereby any kind of feedback (I won't mind critism either ) is certainly welcome.
That's it for now, I will shoot more questions once I get some!
Hi and welcome,
I love my Note II and had it since Feb 13. It is still fast and does everything. I even love the 4.3 update ,though I'm not on stock, bu on Criskelo ROM, it is much more fluid than 4.1.2 and I consider 4.3 a great update. If you look at the forums you will find a lot of poeple have problems with 4.3, but IMHO, much more don't have any problems. There is a topic on "report bugs" for 4.3 and voting and more people say it's stable than that they have problems. From my experience, since Criskelo is almost stock with Note 3 pack and couple of tweaks that you really should have on any rom (and can install manualy) - the battery is the same as on 4.1.2 and the ROM feels more fluid. I don't see why STOCK one wouldn't feel faster too.
There is some bloat, but that is easily removed, by freezing in Titanium backup, but most of the apps Samsung packs in TW ROMs are useful, IMHO. All sw for S-Pen, multiwindow, Find my phone service (really useful!!), etc. If you have Samsung TV - even more useful software So I froze just a couple of apps that I really don't need.
So I'd suggest you flash EITHER pre-rooted de-KNOXed stock, or some custom ROM. I read that DM and Phoenix are great too, but I am so much satisfied with Criskelo that I have doubts I'll be moving anywhere (well, maybe just for a test spin, but after a BACKUP)
So - 1) root, 2) flash custom recovery 3) backup whole ROM to SD card 4) erase+factory reset, 5) flash MJ5 bootloader (KNOX free), and then pick a ROM to flash. They mostly have AROMA installer so are flashed from recovery (custom ROMs, that is). I dunno about stock.
Just stay away from official 4.3 because it has KNOX which can void your warranty or prevent you from changing bootloader etc. Just use MJ5 bootloader, it is a bootloader for 4.3 which doesn't have KNOX.
Also, custom have 1 big adavtage for me - Note 3 software (It is stable!!).
Cheers,
D.
All right, thanks for the answer. Any more feedback?
Also, any recommendations regarding the color of the phone?
Awsome Note II
Note II seems to be one of the most interesting and customizable devices on the market now and thanks to the devs of custom roms you will be surprised how powerful and changeable this phablet is. Even after more than a year it can compete with many new devices.
Touchwiz and its S-Pen-features are unique :good:
Just take a short glimpse around on other devices here on XDA and you will see that there are only a handfull which have similar amount of custom roms and mods.