Soon to be g3 owner - G3 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I have a few questions. I'm coming from the att note 3, im not new to the custom rom world at all. This will be my first lg phone. Anything I should know about the flashing process with this phone? Are roms universal? Are there any GPS issues?

From the end-user perspective, there is nothing really unique about flashing ROMs. Just load up into TWRP and do the traditional wipe/flash/reboot routine.
The ROMs for different models are not universal. If you have a D855, stick with the ROMs marked as D855 compatible.
GPS seems to be pretty stable in the custom ROMs (or at least the KitKat ones, no idea about Lollipop). They make take a little longer to get a lock than stock, but it works.
Also, one more note, if you have any device except the D851 (T-Mobile variant): be patient with the devs. Though the device has been out for several months, development for it really only just started. The bootloader "unlock" exploit just got released a few weeks ago, so not many custom ROMs are around yet. If you have a D851, this doesn't apply. It is bootloader unlocked from the factory.

fire219 said:
From the end-user perspective, there is nothing really unique about flashing ROMs. Just load up into TWRP and do the traditional wipe/flash/reboot routine.
The ROMs for different models are not universal. If you have a D855, stick with the ROMs marked as D855 compatible.
GPS seems to be pretty stable in the custom ROMs (or at least the KitKat ones, no idea about Lollipop). They make take a little longer to get a lock than stock, but it works.
Also, one more note, if you have any device except the D851 (T-Mobile variant): be patient with the devs. Though the device has been out for several months, development for it really only just started. The bootloader "unlock" exploit just got released a few weeks ago, so not many custom ROMs are around yet. If you have a D851, this doesn't apply. It is bootloader unlocked from the factory.
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I see. So as of right now the tmo variant has the most support since the bootloader was originally unlocked? Also if you've used a device with TouchWiz how is lg's skin compared to TouchWiz on Samsung phones? Are there any annoyances that you have with this phone?

ac3theone said:
I see. So as of right now the tmo variant has the most support since the bootloader was originally unlocked? Also if you've used a device with TouchWiz how is lg's skin compared to TouchWiz on Samsung phones? Are there any annoyances that you have with this phone?
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Click to collapse
LG's skin is much closer to stock Android than TouchWiz, and therefore much cleaner. It also seems to be much less bloated. I still prefer the stock look over either, but that's a personal preference thing.
My only real complaint with the phone is that LG added some serious oversharpening in the low level firmware (where ROMs can't touch). It gives everything this strange halo around it, but it's only noticeable most of the time on text. Many people say that the sharpening isn't there at all, which leads me to think that not all models have it (or maybe you just need good near field vision ).

Related

Should I upgrade to the G3?

Hello everyone!
I currently have a galaxy S4 and don't feel like spending $600 or being on a monthly payment plan via AT&T and was considering just buying a used, last generation phone. I was looking at the Galaxy S5, the LG G3, and a few other ones (maybe Sony's Z3 and HTC's M8). One thing I wish the G3 had was the USB 3.0 charging that the S5 has but, apart from that, the specs on the G3 look awesome! I had a few questions that you guys might be able to answer:
1) Are you happy with the G3?
2) If you were looking to get an older generation phone now, would you get the G3 or another phone?
3) Are the bootloaders locked in the G3? (The S4 had the bootloaders locked in an update so I want to ensure that if this is an issue, I get one that hasn't been updated to a locked bootloader).
If you guys don't mind helping me make the right decision with an upgrade, I'd appreciate it. Thanks a lot!
-Jay
1. I'm over the moon with my g3, as are a lot of users. Now that we've had time to open it up, it's got so much custom rom and kernel availability that I only wish I got off stock sooner. Coming from an s4 to the g3, will make a world of difference. Any battery or performance issues due to the screen can be negated with rooting and using a custom rom that is more optimized than the stock ROM (For an exmple you can go to the g3 Android development section and check out the custom roms and what they look like, as well as the features they pack).
2. I'd get the g3 as a "past generation" phone in a heartbeat, for the reasons above.
3. Yes, the boatloader is locked, LG is notorious for locking their devices bootloaders, but we've been able to achieve root and custom ROM support by Bumping the custom rom images (Signing them with legit tags to make the boatloader think it's official firmware) so at this point I don't think that'll matter at all.
TL;DR: Coming from an S4 to the G3 will be one heck of an upgrade. And, with the custom support, you won't regret it.
iDefalt said:
1. I'm over the moon with my g3, as are a lot of users. Now that we've had time to open it up, it's got so much custom rom and kernel availability that I only wish I got off stock sooner. Coming from an s4 to the g3, will make a world of difference. Any battery or performance issues due to the screen can be negated with rooting and using a custom rom that is more optimized than the stock ROM (For an exmple you can go to the g3 Android development section and check out the custom roms and what they look like, as well as the features they pack).
2. I'd get the g3 as a "past generation" phone in a heartbeat, for the reasons above.
3. Yes, the boatloader is locked, LG is notorious for locking their devices bootloaders, but we've been able to achieve root and custom ROM support by Bumping the custom rom images (Signing them with legit tags to make the boatloader think it's official firmware) so at this point I don't think that'll matter at all.
TL;DR: Coming from an S4 to the G3 will be one heck of an upgrade. And, with the custom support, you won't regret it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the recommendation! I appreciate it!

Will the G4 have a locked boot loader on T-Mobile?

I'm a long time Samsung user and am considering getting my first LG phone. Does anyone know if the G4 will have a locked bootloader or one that will at least be unlockable? My other question is regarding the camera performance. My S5 hasn't seen an AOSP based ROM in about 6 months because of the huge drop in picture quality and I'm wondering if this is also the case with LG phones?
calvin35 said:
I'm a long time Samsung user and am considering getting my first LG phone. Does anyone know if the G4 will have a locked bootloader or one that will at least be unlockable? My other question is regarding the camera performance. My S5 hasn't seen an AOSP based ROM in about 6 months because of the huge drop in picture quality and I'm wondering if this is also the case with LG phones?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're on T-Mobile, you should know they don't lock their phones and/or they are extremely easy to unlock (compared to Verizon and AT&T). As far as the camera goes, the G4's is the best on the market right now. AOSP gets rid of all the extras that come with the stock camera apps, so you'd either have to sacrifice that or deal with stock features.
Dennisg34 said:
If you're on T-Mobile, you should know they don't lock their phones and/or they are extremely easy to unlock (compared to Verizon and AT&T). As far as the camera goes, the G4's is the best on the market right now. AOSP gets rid of all the extras that come with the stock camera apps, so you'd either have to sacrifice that or deal with stock features.
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Click to collapse
I'm aware that I will lose features on the camera but on the S5 aosp camera performance in auto mode is much worse than on the stock ROM and I wasn't too know if that is also the case on LG phones?
calvin35 said:
I'm aware that I will lose features on the camera but on the S5 aosp camera performance in auto mode is much worse than on the stock ROM and I wasn't too know if that is also the case on LG phones?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We'd have to wait and see. Can always ask people in the G3 forums how it was. I know this camera has a manually focus mode (which I'm super pumped for) so that might make a difference? I just PO'd mine now.

LG G4 Stock Android ROM - is there one?

Hi all,
I'm thinking of moving to the LG G4 from my Nexus 6.
The only problem is that I love stock (Vanilla) Android, are there any stock Android ROMs for the LG G4 so you don' have to use LG's skin? But still retain the LG G4 camera?
Thanks,
T-L-H
No, but there is an aosp theme in the theme and app section
Hybrid theme by kickoff
For most of the devices there isn't a way to unlock the bootloader. So that means we can't flash a custom recovery. But for the two models (i think)
that have their bootloaders unlocked they have an alpha version of CM i believe.
OK I am considering trading mine for a g3 if it's really not looking like having a recovery on a Verizon model. Especially considering the disaster it's been after even replacing it and the fact I get maybe 2 hours unplugged (that's with screen all the way down, no 3rd party apps running in the background, and all possible stock apps disabled), but somehow out of nowhere my touch problem disappeared almost completely as long as its unplugged. I know now that charger has alot to do with the touch problem and use a non stock charger and it goes completely nuckin futts and unusable. It's such a bad ass phone if you are lucky enough to get a good one, it's so sad... Why LG released a phone so apparently untested is beyond me they had to have known... Has anyone else had the touch screen issue disappear magically with no type of update or anything being altered?
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Might buy D851: Looking for opinions

Hi folks,
I just dropped my Samsung S4 and cracked the screen. :crying: It still works, but it's time to move on. I never buy new / latest devices; instead I wait and buy last year's model from Swappa or the like, selling my old phone to partially subsidize the purchase. Looks like my S4 is going to the Boneyard.
What I've been looking for is a 2014 model, 5.5" screen, rootable/unlocked bootloader (I like custom ROMs :good: ), phone with a multicolor notification light and good battery. Was thinking to go up to Nexus 6 but it's just too big for me.
The LG G3 looks just about perfect. I've spent the last hour reading up on it. The T-Mo version should work fine for my AT&T service, and it comes unlocked, both SIM and Bootloader. Can any ATT users attest to the phone working well on that network? (EDIT: I googled a bit and found it works fine)
There seems to be plenty of development, though surprisingly I don't see a plain vanilla GPE 5.1.1 ROM out there. Most of the development I see seems to be around AOSP (I'm a fan of SlimROMs and have had good experiences with Dirty Unicorns too, been considering Bliss on other devices). Have I missed a very plain GPE (at least 5.1) compiled for the G3? Doing my research it looks like the latest OTA is still 20G (5.0.1), and it sounds like Marshmallow will eventually come out (I'm not sure I want it...). Would love to hear what the most plain GPE like 5.1 ROM is.
I'd love to hear any experience or recommendations... anybody get a G3 recently and wish they got something else, instead? Or is this a device we can all love for another year or so?
Thanks. I'm itching to pull the trigger and just need some encouragement, or possibly a conk on the head to look into some other phone.
One last question: how intense is the vibrate function on the G3? My S4 isn't strong enough vibrating, and I often miss calls and stuff when I'm in silent/vibrate mode. Looking for something a bit more attention getting if possible!
Marc
I dropped my note 3 for thus phone. Although it's rootable the g3 seems to be fragile when it comes to flashing roms if you don't know what you are doing. Not worse than the note 3 though ( ATT murdered that phone).
Thanks for the reply!
I've gone ahead and purchased the D851. It should arrive today, and I should have it set up later this week. Looking forward to it. I've bought an iCarez 0.2mm screen protector for it and am looking into bumpers/wraps to keep it minty.
I'm a bit concerned since there's no 5.1(.1) GPE ROM available, but many of the Dev'ed ROM options look attractive. I'm going to start by rooting the thing and subtracting bloatware. After that, we'll see... On the S4, the T-Mo boot animation was reason enough to flash a ROM. Loud and annoying.
I'm curious, are you stock, or have you flashed something (if so, which ROM)?
Again, thank you. I appreciate your reply.
I was practically in the same boat. I had a GS4 , but cracked the display, the actual display not the glass, and bought a G3. I replaced the front glass twice before that, its a very fragile phone. But otherwise I loved the S4 for the screen, the plain design, ROMs, expandable storage, and removable battery.
The G3 is very comparable to the S4, the screen I'd say is slight upgrade. You can barely notice 1440p vs 1080p, and I'd say its viewing angles aren't as good, but I still like it over my S4. I'm running paranoid android 5.1.1 on it now. Its similar to AOSP. If you liked the GS4 you'd probably like the G3 but it wasn't that great an upgrade. Still though, its logical to get the G3 if your S4 is broken as its pretty much an S4 with more up to date components and an LG logo on it.
Thanks for the input ! I did buy a G3 and will set it up this weekend. I will look into the ROM you mentioned too.
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I wish I'd seen this sooner. I'd have steered you clear of the G3. Biggest piece of garbage unless you're running boring stock. Even the CM team can't figure out how to make a stable ROM for it... And they've been at it for over a year! Bluetooth audio will never be right, Bluetooth LE will stop working altogether and you'll experience major network connectivity issues... All on day one and with any of the custom ROMs out there. It seems that the LG is so proprietary that nothing can control it aside from the boring, bloated, ugly and battery eating stock.
Aalendi said:
I wish I'd seen this sooner. I'd have steered you clear of the G3. Biggest piece of garbage unless you're running boring stock. Even the CM team can't figure out how to make a stable ROM for it... And they've been at it for over a year! Bluetooth audio will never be right, Bluetooth LE will stop working altogether and you'll experience major network connectivity issues... All on day one and with any of the custom ROMs out there. It seems that the LG is so proprietary that nothing can control it aside from the boring, bloated, ugly and battery eating stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the opinion, but I have to say I'm loving my D851.
I rooted it and installed TWRP straight out of the gate, so that I could make some changes I wanted to (such as uninstalling T-Mobile specific system apps, not needed for me on ATT), but I never even needed to change out the ROM. The phone works great on the stock ROM (minus a few things I manually debloated), and doesn't feel bloated or laggy. I didn't even bother to install the Cloudy ROM (debloated stock).
I did install the Google Now launcher, because I wasn't a fan of the stock UI. I like the things Google Now brings to the table and it cleaned up the UI.
After the first few days I stopped playing around with the phone because everything works great. Bluetooth to my car, no problem, great WIFI antenna and Cell receptivity as compared to my Galaxy S4. Nice screen, battery life is outstanding...
Loving the phone.
Can't disagree with Aalendi more. I've had the 851 for almost 18 months and running SR Lolly V6 - Final on it for the past 6 months. Works perfectly and even though I'm tempted from time to time to "upgrade" to another phone, I cannot find enough differences out there to warrant it. Android 6 is already emerging and I'm waiting to upgrade the ROM when I feel its almost glitch-free (which it's not at the moment. I think you made a fine decision. JM2C
Manual debloat?
I am sorta/kinda new to the ROM party and am able to install TWRP and flash/root my D851. However, I went back to the stock ROM because of Wi-Fi calling and more stable network connectivity than 3rd-party ROMS. My question to you is what do you mean by 'manual debloat'? Is that a function of TWRP or simply removing/disabling apps? Thanks.
Manual de-bloat refers to you being able to remove programs that carriers or manufacturers install on your phone when you first purchase it. Rooting your phone allows you to do this yourself.

Thinking about buying the LG G4.. how stable are the custom roms?

So I finally broke my Galaxy S4 last night, and I'm thinking about buying an LG G4 to replace it. However, the LG UI "improvements" look awful, and I bet I would be changing the firmware pretty soon if I get it. So with that in mind, I'm wondering if I should be buying the phone. Is CM13 or other roms stable enough that replacing the stock rom a good idea on a new phone?
I'm also considering any any other phone in the same price range, including the Moto X Style (Pure).
Unless you're looking to get the T-Mobile (811) or the International EU (815) version, there is no way to install custom roms. Those are the only two unlockable variants.
The other versions are rootable if you stay on 5.1.1 LP, but if you want 6.0 MM, you'll be stuck with the T-Mobile or EU Int version. There is no way to root all the other variants on 6.0
Luckily, I would be getting the 815 version.
As far as I can tell the ROMs based on stock are very stable. You won't even notice the difference. CM and CM based ROMs are the usual. Stable but have a few annoying bugs. I haven't really tried any AOSP so I won't speak for those
Heres my opinion.i have a tmobile version and if i flasha custom rom it seems to drop the bands as i cannot get signal in places where i can on stock based custom roms or pure stock rom.it does not switch between towers properly and i lose the ability to make or recieve calls.when i check phone info on aosp or cm based roms it shows it uses only 4 of the 12 bands i have.
Overlord Yuri said:
So I finally broke my Galaxy S4 last night, and I'm thinking about buying an LG G4 to replace it. However, the LG UI "improvements" look awful, and I bet I would be changing the firmware pretty soon if I get it. So with that in mind, I'm wondering if I should be buying the phone. Is CM13 or other roms stable enough that replacing the stock rom a good idea on a new phone?
I'm also considering any any other phone in the same price range, including the Moto X Style (Pure).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I made the same transition; from Galaxy S4 to Lg G4.
I'm running stock with Xposed. The G4 Tweaksbox app has a themes option and I've got a stock android one applied. It's really stable (I always expect themes to go crazy). The only other thing is the settings. You can get a stock settings mod but I don't really see the point. It works well enough for me and settings isn't really something you'd aim to be going on everyday anyway.
The clip tray is annoying but can be disabled. Add nova launcher and Google keyboard and it's all good. This is a much better solution than a custom ROM. You'll never get this kind of stability. Not forgetting that your camera app and fm radio and others will also be gone.
EDIT:
When buying, make sure the serial number starts with 601 or 602 603... These phones were manufactured this year so hopefully won't have the bootloop bug. If buying 2nd hand, ask the seller for the serial. If they can't provide it, ask for the IMEI and look up the serial number using https://imeidata.net/warranty/lg
There are too many references for 6XX bootloop issues, so I wouldn't recommend LG G4 at all , for custom theming,roms etc. Even after replacing motherboards of 5xx to 6xx, the bootloops are something more common than I used to believe...
personally am very happy with g4(601). best combo for me is Genisys Rom 4.2 + SimpleGX KERNEL (then Tweaksbox, xposed & nova launcher). very stable, no lags, speedy, good battery, amazing camera/lg app. downsides are unlocking bootloader voids warranty & the body corner feels painfully sharp after a while in the hand.
I am happy with the G4 too, 601 as well , but unfortunately that doesn't change the fact that there are many issues with the phone! I hope the OP can enjoy and proceed at his own risk of course!
Thanks for the replies guys! At the moment I think I'm leaning towards the Moto X Style, and will probably order it (at pretty much the same price as the G4) tomorrow unless someone talks me out of it.
Overlord Yuri said:
Thanks for the replies guys! At the moment I think I'm leaning towards the Moto X Style, and will probably order it (at pretty much the same price as the G4) tomorrow unless someone talks me out of it.
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Click to collapse
I'll be honest with you.....my mom has this phone and has massive battery drain issues, where as I have none. If your going for good battery and fast updates than Motorola will be your best bud, but if you don't mind mediocre battery but a kick ass camera then the G4 will be your best bud. PS it's as good as point and shoot this is coming from someone that does photography for a living.
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I also have little to no faith in LG anymore. Moving on to bigger better things but will ride it out until my upgrade is eligible.
Going back to Samsung, Motorola, Huawei or HTC.
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Going to repeat this over and over again, i don't understand those people who after unboxing immediately install custom ROM (What!? you know what you're buying, you support OEM in this case LG, you support their firmware, skin and now you throwing out your money for something else in many cases worse, facepalm) if you want pure Android you buy Nexus, Motorola maybe, that's it, as Google says "Be together not the same". Installing custom ROM's it's like putting BMW rims on Toyota's car... beside that, G4 don't need a custom ROM, just imagine what your going to deal with custom ROM, awful camera, sound issue, lost functionalities, bugs, strange battery drains, degradation in overall battery life and everything for stock Android look? for latest security patches? themes? it's not worth it atleast now, IMO custom ROM's comes in handy when OEM stop's supporting your device with the latest firmware so if i done calculations right you should look for CM for LG G4 when Android 8-9 comes out. All you need is a root and good kernel then comes a good stuff, long story short, CM is a cancer for latest devices, flagships, believe me and don't think i'm condemning CM.
Frant1c said:
Going to repeat this over and over again, i don't understand those people who after unboxing immediately install custom ROM (What!? you know what you're buying, you support OEM in this case LG, you support their firmware, skin and now you throwing out your money for something else in many cases worse, facepalm) if you want pure Android you buy Nexus, Motorola maybe, that's it, as Google says "Be together not the same". Installing custom ROM's it's like putting BMW rims on Toyota's car... beside that, G4 don't need a custom ROM, just imagine what your going to deal with custom ROM, awful camera, sound issue, lost functionalities, bugs, strange battery drains, degradation in overall battery life and everything for stock Android look? for latest security patches? themes? it's not worth it atleast now, IMO custom ROM's comes in handy when OEM stop's supporting your device with the latest firmware so if i done calculations right you should look for CM for LG G4 when Android 8-9 comes out. All you need is a root and good kernel then comes a good stuff, long story short, CM is a cancer for latest devices, flagships, believe me and don't think i'm condemning CM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
I used to be one of those who buys a flagship device, then immediately look for bootloader unlock, root and flash. But after having LG G4 for 3 weeks now, stock MM latest, installed with my needed apps and games, I lost the feel of flashing custom ROMs.
G4 is great as it is, although optimizations can be done, a little upgrade here and there. As long as LG supports G4 with updates and with their accessories, then I'll stay with LG as manufacturer. Of they abandon us (like what they did with G PRO), then I'll switch devices.
LG has been my favorite since 2013.
Overlord Yuri said:
Luckily, I would be getting the 815 version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Be extremely cautious where you get your 815 from. I bought one from Value basket that was advertised as a European Variant for the express purpose of developing a CFW- When it came it wasn't and they refused to exchange it. I've got an email trail as long as your arm trying to get the thing exchanged but they're just con-merchants.
But it's still an awesome phone....
Frant1c said:
if you want pure Android you buy Nexus, Motorola maybe, that's it, as Google says "Be together not the same". Installing custom ROM's it's like putting BMW rims on Toyota's car... beside that, G4 don't need a custom ROM, just imagine what your going to deal with custom ROM, awful camera, sound issue, lost functionalities, bugs, strange battery drains, degradation in overall battery life and everything for stock Android look?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do get your point. Buying the G4 would have been a compromise to get some good hardware for a low price, and I hoped to to sweeten that deal even more by customizing the firmware to my liking. However, I ended up getting a second-hand Nexus 6P instead. :victory:
Overlord Yuri said:
I do get your point. Buying the G4 would have been a compromise to get some good hardware for a low price, and I hoped to to sweeten that deal even more by customizing the firmware to my liking. However, I ended up getting a second-hand Nexus 6P instead. :victory:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Smartest move you could have ever made. LG has left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. Ever since I got my phone back with a new circuit board it feels like a ticking time bomb and I don't use it for anything other than texting, phone use and browsing. How pathetic is that.
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