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[Reviews] HTC Desire (UPDATED 27-APRIL-2010)

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Here are most of the reviews on the net (till now) about the HTC Desire, the first detailed review was by techradar,
First HTC Desire detailed review
Update: here are other reviews that came later on
TracyandMatt
SlashGear
cnet.co.uk
Gizmodo
metro.co.uk
pocket-lint
T3 Review
Knowyourmobile Review
Engadget Review
TrustedReviews, dont trust it though , in the video review the guy says "the desire is not so desirable" Lol
recombu
Mobileburn Review [ Part 1 | Part 2]
android.pocketpc.ch (translated from German)
RegHardware.co.uk (Desire was chosen as regHardware Editor's choice)
Mobile-Review (Russian)
IT PRO Review
PR Frog (Mini review)
tweakers.net (Dutch)
smh.com.au
fluidDynamic.co.uk
ohyeahar (XDA Member)
Telefonino.net (Italian)
areamobile.de (German)
Mobile-users.net: The best smartphone yet?
PhoneArena
GSMArena Review
pocketnow.com review
MobilyZ (Dutch)
Andicampbell (XDA Memeber)
Grigio.org (Italian)
PCPro
Videos (Updated):
Unboxing (and a little bit more) by tracyandmatt
Geekanoids Review ( the guy says he gets 2 full days worth of battery from the first charge )
Up-close with the HTC Desire
19 parts video review (German)
htcMania (Spanish)
HTC Desire benchmarking!
android.hdblog.it (Italian)
Pocketnow.com [ Unboxing | Harware Walkthrough | Sense UI walkthrough]
GSMArena first glance
TechnoBuffalo Desire Walkthrough
ENJOYYY
Update: for people who want to just read the verdict
Techradar Verdict
In short, this is a phenomenal phone - one of the best we've ever had on TechRadar. Usually when we like a phone on the first use, we end up horribly disappointed after a little use - but the HTC Desire kept on performing and achieving when we thought it wouldn't.
The screen is lovely, the design is slick and processor makes everything happen in a flash - all you'd want from a smartphone.
Sure, some people will want slightly nicer design (we'd advise you check out the Legend) or a simpler home screen and richer app store at the moment (look at the iPhone) but as a piece of hardware it's without par in the mobile world.
A stunning phone, and one that will show the world that Android isn't just for the hackers and phone geeks any more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Is it me or they didnt talked at all about the speaker loudness?

wow, that´s one pretty impressed reviewer Oo
"Verdict
In short, this is a phenomenal phone - one of the best we've ever had on TechRadar. Usually when we like a phone on the first use, we end up horribly disappointed after a little use - but the HTC Desire kept on performing and achieving when we thought it wouldn't."
good to know, let´s see what the other reviews will bring..

vegetaleb said:
Is it me or they didnt talked at all about the speaker loudness?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
they did say something about sound quality
The HTC Desire is an upgrade in the media department over the HTC Legend for a number of reasons - the first being the fact it has an upgraded audio performance in the shape of Dolby Mobile enhancement.
This isn't mentioned in the settings or anything, which makes us wonder if it's a big part of the audio experience - but in comparative tests, it seems to offer a richer bass sound and a nice mid range too....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

kirilliz said:
wow, that´s one pretty impressed reviewer Oo
"Verdict
In short, this is a phenomenal phone - one of the best we've ever had on TechRadar. Usually when we like a phone on the first use, we end up horribly disappointed after a little use - but the HTC Desire kept on performing and achieving when we thought it wouldn't."
good to know, let´s see what the other reviews will bring..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
added the verdict in the first post, a spoiler hehe

true indeed... great addition

Eddiemc said:
Read the review, page 8; media... It comes with an 8 gig sd card, so htc just granted your wishes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Handtec and Clove still say its 4 GIG, .. I sure hope for an 8 though

How come they have this phone several days earlier (judging they could test the battery life)?
Is this retail version?
And they did not say about voice-to-text either, thus it is not there ...
Oh well, anyone know how to change the keyboard?

Damn fxxxing gorgeous phone!! love it! hope someone can do a touchscreen test and tell us that it has a perfect screen. can't press the jumping money anymore in my pocket.

gogol said:
How come they have this phone several days earlier (judging they could test the battery life)?
Is this retail version?
And they did not say about voice-to-text either, thus it is not there ...
Oh well, anyone know how to change the keyboard?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes they actually had it for around 3 or 4 days, and they tested it throughly .... I dont think its the final retail version, because *I heard* that the retail versions will be pushed to first of April ...
But who cares ... the most important major thing is, there aret any major bugs reported, within the next few days more reviews will come (and hopefully confirm) that there arent any major bugs/glitches/flaws in the device

I was hoping in that 7 page diatribe they would have made mention of the bootloader. But I suppose the target audience doesn't much care for that information...
Good and thorough review; could have been condensed down to 3 pages though

DAMN I just wanted to post this... then I see somebody already posted it!
I am going to read it now! But I already have seen a few people saying it is a good review ^^

deprecate said:
I was hoping in that 7 page diatribe they would have made mention of the bootloader. But I suppose the target audience doesn't much care for that information...
Good and thorough review; could have been condensed down to 3 pages though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agreed, ... very good review though, considering that there arent a retail versions available yet.
I am waiting for engadget and GSMArena reviews, .. those are what count

XDA mark said:
DAMN I just wanted to post this... then I see somebody already posted it!
I am going to read it now! But I already have seen a few people saying it is a good review ^^
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not fast enough
and yeah its gooood, i almost jizzed myself reading it, jk hehe

irkan said:
*I heard* that the retail versions will be pushed to first of April ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Shame for all the t-mob uk customers (inc me) who will be listening for the postman tomorrow morning.

irkan said:
not fast enough
and yeah its gooood, i almost jizzed myself reading it, jk hehe
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice review indeed. But what I liked even more:
http://www.techradar.com/news/phone...le-phones-in-the-world-today-645440?artc_pg=1
Look who is on number 1!! Damn, can't wait to get this device. And yes, I am awaiting the Engadget and GSMArena reviews, those are usually the best.

Beware ...
http://www.tracyandmatt.co.uk/blogs/index.php/itarsquo-s-htc-desire-time
It’s HTC Desire time!
26/03/[email protected]:33 by James - 262 words
Categories: News, Mobile Phones, PDA's & Accessories
Desire-Brown_Front
This is the one we have been waiting for!
The HTC Desire is now in our possession and over the coming days Matt will be posting the unboxing video and also putting together an in depth and extensive review of the device.
We must however point out a couple of things regarding the Desires out there at the moment, although we certainly do not wish to discredit anyone else's reviews.
We have been informed by a reliable source that some HTC Desires have been out for review for several days now, but these devices did not come from the same source as ours. These early versions did not contain the final ROM that we have been waiting for and I am reliably informed that those devices will have essential features missing. They have also had problems with the OS crashing and serious battery issues which is clearly down to the fact that Google had not completed the ROMS when the devices were shipped.
The batch of HTC Desires that we have had ours from have been in the UK for over a week now but were unable to be released pending the flashing of the final ROM. Its been a frustrating week waiting for Google to authorise the ROM but now its done the fun can begin.
Stay tuned to tracyandmatt.co.uk over the weekend as we will be bringing you some demo videos as well as the usual stuff. Please do interact with us via the forum too!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

gogol said:
Beware ...
http://www.tracyandmatt.co.uk/blogs/index.php/itarsquo-s-htc-desire-time
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah i also saw that, but that does not matter,
What would be the difference, ... maybe few bugs or something, the review was detailed and its great that they did not have any major bugs or issues, even though that its not the final/ultimate retail version

XDA mark said:
Nice review indeed. But what I liked even more:
http://www.techradar.com/news/phone...le-phones-in-the-world-today-645440?artc_pg=1
Look who is on number 1!! Damn, can't wait to get this device. And yes, I am awaiting the Engadget and GSMArena reviews, those are usually the best.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its the best device indeed, I cannot think of any existing/released phone that is better than this one

Yes That's the most important.
irkan said:
yeah i also saw that, but that does not matter,
What would be the difference, ... maybe few bugs or something, the review was detailed and its great that they did not have any major bugs or issues, even though that its not the final/ultimate retail version
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

w p 7.5 thoughts

Hello friends, this is my first post, just thought I'd share a few thoughts about my HTC titan. Coming from an android device (HTC desire running 2.2 froyo) , was immediately impressed by the smoothness and ease of use, and the huge screen is a revelation! I used to have an xda Orbit 2 (running windows mobile 6.1) and there is no comparison, so much better in every way. The android phone scores better than windows phones in that it is so customizable, but I found myself playing with the settings for hours on end without actually using it! A few times I have swapped back to my Desire, but never for long- what I thought was a smooth browsing experience was very jerky, and the flash player didn't help, slowing the phone down whilst loading numerous adverts on each webpage. After a while I found myself getting bored with the metro start screen, and can't wait for the 7.8 update with a busier screen. Android has thousands of apps, 95% of which are garbage. I find I only need a few good apps on my titan- a good you tube app, picasa app being the most important ( I like to upload my pictures an videos to the cloud where they are safe) . I had an issue with outgoing call quality on my titan- my voice was muffled, the answer was to tape over the noise cancelling mike on top of the phone. Also be careful with the case you use- any with metal in them seem to kill the reception. Now I use a rubberized case, my previous leather one (with aluminium stiffening) and my plastic case (with aluminium stuck on the back) are now gathering dust upstairs! Overall, I love this o.s., it may not be as flashy as some, but works. As an aside, I bought the Mugen 1950 ma battery, and the phone lasts two and a half days easily with moderate use- I bought a Mugen 3200 ma battery for my desire, and it only lasts two days!

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Hi++
so you switched to WINDOWS PHONE , congratulation and Welcome to your new community !
and here is HTC titan 7.8 roms :
Sianto Edition AL
EB Edition V2.6
++ HTC TITAN unlocking and SPL guide-1
HTC TITAN unlocking and SPL guide-2
Have fun !!

Hey, thanks for welcoming me Spider-7. And thanks for link to all those roms. I should say tho that I've never flashed a rom to any of my phones, they are all totally stock. I do enjoy the xda site for all its useful info, like tips and tricks, accessories etc. Yes, went from windows mobile to android and back to windows again, windows seems like a professional platform to me. I'll wait for the official update for 7.8 to come, whenever that may be!

markpab said:
Hey, thanks for welcoming me Spider-7. And thanks for link to all those roms. I should say tho that I've never flashed a rom to any of my phones, they are all totally stock. I do enjoy the xda site for all its useful info, like tips and tricks, accessories etc. Yes, went from windows mobile to android and back to windows again, windows seems like a professional platform to me. I'll wait for the official update for 7.8 to come, whenever that may be!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome to WP7 and soon 7.8 have fun

Thanks Dinchy87. Didn't know I'd been a member since 2008- must've joined when I had my windows mobile! Only took me nearly 4 years for my first post!

Welcome
I would recomend checking out the Skydrive App if you are into Cloud backup, It can be used for totaly automatic backup of photos
Mark

Thanks for the tip, but I read somewhere that the photos are uploaded in a lower resolution, don't know if this is right.

Welcome! The Titan is a nice device. I rock a Focus S but I have a Titan too I got repaired for a friend. Both solid units. Some apps to get: Board Express Pro (it runs a bit better on WP than the WP version of the XDA app), Amazing Weather/Weatherflow, Ask Ziggy, Amazon, Gleek! (if you're into Twitter), LinkedIn, Metrotibe, Daily Wallpaper, TurboCam, Photosynth and WPCentral.
Sent from my SGH-i937 using Board Express
---------- Post added at 10:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:08 AM ----------
I meant Metrotube (for YouTube videos)
Sent from my SGH-i937 using Board Express

Hello! Yes, I like the titan very much, just the call quality issues that spoilt it at first. I have the super tube app for watching you tube videos, and is pretty good. Who needs flash!

Just last night I purchased the surf cube browser after using the trial first, and it seems good. More features on the u.i. than internet explorer, you can swipe for favourites or use an onscreen joystick. Tried uc browser too, but was disappointed. Uc was available on android, and was pretty quick. Earlier on I was reading a review of the new Nokia lumia 920. I'm not sure that windows 8 is much of an improvement over 7.5/7.8. Seems more of a refinement than a major step forward. I can't upgrade for 6 months, and I'm not sure that I would. I'm sure everything will run a little quicker with the dual core CPU, and you need that to shoot 1080p videos, but I may wait till windows 9 is out, till the difference in performance is really noticable. Just my thoughts.

For you since you are new to the platform, 7.5 to 7.8 will do just fine. I'd either wait to see what gets put out in the spring before you upgrade, of if you get a lumia 920 on the cheap, then take it. Supertube is a fine app too
Sent from my PI39100 using Board Express

Oh yes, I'd say the 920 is a superb phone for sure. And as time goes on I suppose windows 8 will improve on windows 7 series in one big way- the apps. I just hope that the developers who design apps for 8 will also do the same apps for 7. Though will that be more difficult than it sounds since the o.s. Kernels are different? Forgive me if I'm wrong, these are things I've picked up looking thru xda and WP central forums- and I'm no developer!

markpab said:
Oh yes, I'd say the 920 is a superb phone for sure. And as time goes on I suppose windows 8 will improve on windows 7 series in one big way- the apps. I just hope that the developers who design apps for 8 will also do the same apps for 7. Though will that be more difficult than it sounds since the o.s. Kernels are different? Forgive me if I'm wrong, these are things I've picked up looking thru xda and WP central forums- and I'm no developer!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it wouldn't be so hard if they developed For the 7.x platform as 8.x supports both, but it would mean some features would not be available. If they develops for 8 first and use 8 only functions then they will have to re do it for it to work on 7 costing more time and money. Logically any developer should aim to target 7.x to gain the widest possible user base. Games maybe the exception here but in an ideal world, shouldn't be, it would mean not having cutting edge wp8 game tho which isn't ideal from a selling point of view
Sent from my Samsung Focus S using XDA Windows Phone 7 App

dazza9075 said:
it wouldn't be so hard if they developed For the 7.x platform as 8.x supports both, but it would mean some features would not be available. If they develops for 8 first and use 8 only functions then they will have to re do it for it to work on 7 costing more time and money. Logically any developer should aim to target 7.x to gain the widest possible user base. Games maybe the exception here but in an ideal world, shouldn't be, it would mean not having cutting edge wp8 game tho which isn't ideal from a selling point of view
Sent from my Samsung Focus S using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the thing. Ideally as a dev you code for both, and that's what I've been telling a close friend who wants to get in on WP. But because the market for WP7 was relatively small, if the first wave for WP8 are a smash hit then most will not code for WP7. Devs are in a tricky spot in that if Gen 1 WP 8 doesn't sell, they may be forced to code for Windows 8 only before they come back fully to the WP platform.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Is it correct that 7.8 devices will still be made and sold alongside wp8 devices? If so, app developers would be encouraged to develop for both platforms.

markpab said:
Is it correct that 7.8 devices will still be made and sold alongside wp8 devices? If so, app developers would be encouraged to develop for both platforms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well I thought so, I have no proof but im sure I read somewhere that 7.8 effectively becomes the low end parts

dazza9075 said:
well I thought so, I have no proof but im sure I read somewhere that 7.8 effectively becomes the low end parts
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly what will happen. Nokia's 510 that was recently announced is now the poster child of that. It still is a good idea for devs to code for both, but we will see it they will...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

The more I use my titan, the more impressed I am with it. Lets hope apps keep being developed so these devices can only keep getting better.

markpab said:
The more I use my titan, the more impressed I am with it. Lets hope apps keep being developed so these devices can only keep getting better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm glad you dig the Titan. I've always loved some of the HTC unibody designs, so it is cool for me own one, even though I plan to use it as a backup phone. . Support really depends on how much stuff from WP8 gets ported into 7.8. If there are enough new features, it will hold some over until Gen2 WP8, or WP9.
My issue with HTC over the last few years is that they're releasing too many devices with that "one thing missing" to not make them popular, or releasing the right device a few months later , when the market's moved on. Adding the ****ty aftermarket (comparative to Nokia) and non hacker friendly (comparative to Samsung) support, they cannot help but bleed money...
Sorry for the rant.... The Titan is an excellent Gen 2 WP 7 phone. Let's see what HTC does with its successor...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Oh yes, onwards and upwards! I'm glad that WP hasn't gone the way of android with a new o.s. Upgrade every 6 months- you no sooner get your jellybean powered phone than the rumours start of the new upgraded system with amazing multitasking features , which render your phone obsolete (a friend at work has a Samsung s3 with picture in picture capability, so he can continue watching whatever while he plays with his start screen- wtf! ) no wonder quad core cpu's are so necessary! An excellent improvement for the next upgrade would be an external battery so you don't need to take the back off the phone when the damn thing freezes up! I would call this the Cadbury's chocolate bar upgrade! I don't mean to knock android, but my stock 2.2 desire used to freeze up regularly for no reason at all, and my Titan hasn't frozen once in 6 months. It all comes down to what you like, an if you are happy with whatever phone you have, then I am very happy for you! I can't comment on Apple products, I've never tried one, they really don't interest me. So in short, lets just have upgrades to the o.s. when there is something usefully added, or leave them as they are. P.s. Thanks for the thanks Trappxl!

MediaTek driver sourcecode (want custom ROMs? read this!)

Even though it was said that the Fairphone will be completely open, the sourcecode of the MediaTek chip (MT6589M) is still not available (update: that was true for the time of writing. Luckily as of now, sourcecode is available and a custom ROM is in the making, see Developtment and Original Development Subforums). The link to the linux sourcecode except for the MediaTek part is here:
joemier said:
Here's our next step in providing developer resources. Happy to present to XDA: Fairphone OS Linux kernel source code package. Please let us know issues, problems, questions!
We've put together this package with all our downloads of Fairphone OS and stock Android 4.2.2.
We're eager to see what you all can do with it. Thanks for your patience as we got it up. Enjoy!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great to see that. However, we need MediaTek sourcecode for custom ROMs if we don't want to reverse engineer (which is a lot of hard work and may even be considered a gray area on legality, I think)
Thanks to @dbrgn for bringing this up:
dbrgn said:
@joemier any plans to release the mediatek sources? Without them, not much will happen here...
If I'm not mistaken the mediatek kernel modules were written explicitly for Linux/Android. In which case, according to Linus Torvalds, they would have to be licensed under the GPL license:
That doesn't mean that I would accept just any kind of binary-only module: there are cases where something would be so obviously Linux-specific that it simply wouldn't make sense without the Linux kernel. In those cases, it would also obviously be a derived work, and as such the above excuses don't really apply any more, and it falls under the GPL license.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
(source linuxmafia.com/faq/Kernel/proprietary-kernel-modules.html)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So
Petition for MediaTek to release the sourcecode
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/aosp-support-for-mediatek-devices/
Does anyone know if it's possible to persuade MediaTek to release the code, because they use Linux (GPL)?
Why don't they release the code? Can it be exploited or do they think there is a risk this can be used against them by other companies? Or do they just not care to do a little work?
Sony has managed to release the sourcecode of the MediaTek inside the Xperia C
http://developer.sonymobile.com/dow...es/open-source-archive-for-build-16-0-a-0-36/
So we and Fairphone can do it too!
(Mistake by me, it's just the kernel. Thanks chrmhoffmann for pointing it out)

Yes, we definitely need the full sources. One of the reasons why I bought the Fairphone was its alleged openness. If we can't get the Mediatek sources, the promise of a "completely open phone" is nothing but empty words.

That Sony code is just the kernel. It's clearly stated on that page you link to.
Chris
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

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More threads about this:
Operation RMD - To Support & Reward our MTK SoC Developers: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2164959
OmniROM For MTK Devices: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2483238
MTK 6577 Sources [Complete]: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2560714
MediaTek Contact URL: http://www.mediatek.com/_en/08_info/03_contactUS.php

You guys have to remember any device out of China is not going to be held to the GPL.
Bat cave One

dbrgn said:
Yes, we definitely need the full sources. One of the reasons why I bought the Fairphone was its alleged openness. If we can't get the Mediatek sources, the promise of a "completely open phone" is nothing but empty words.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Promising openness and choosing an MTK chip are completely conflicting right now.
MTK is one of the least open source friendly chipset providers out there.
1) Their kernel is often full of binary blob modules. Sadly, in many cases, blob modules ARE legal. See the infamous Samsung FSR driver on the GalaxyS family.
2) Their kernel source code is a disorganized mess
3) If you have a friendly OEM that will leak MTK's complete Android build tree to you:
a) They will only build as-is with an oddball and VASTLY outdated Ubuntu configuration
b) They're an even more disorganized mess than the kernel sources and will cause severe brain damage if you try to read/understand them without taking breaks to work with a less screwed up source tree
c) Even their OEMs only get statically linked binaries for many components. For example their hwcomposer "source" is just a wrapper around a blob
d) They have yet to support an Android release newer than 4.2 - partly because it looks like they initially wrote stuff for Android 1.x and have never updated their sources properly to fit in with newer versions of Android. (They have been hacking Android sources to be compatible with their junk instead of the other way around). For example, they still don't use device trees.
Even with an OEM that is cooperating significantly with developers (like Oppo), working with MTK devices is slow and extremely agonizing.

Kernel Source ??
Good day everyone,
I was looking around for useful information and I stumbled over this -> https://github.com/varunchitre15/MT6589_kernel_source
Maybe I'm wrong but isn't that what everyone is looking for?
If not... well I'm sorry about pointing out the wrong stuff
Cheers,

ancdix said:
Good day everyone,
I was looking around for useful information and I stumbled over this -> https://github.com/varunchitre15/MT6589_kernel_source
Maybe I'm wrong but isn't that what everyone is looking for?
If not... well I'm sorry about pointing out the wrong stuff
Cheers,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no
Seriously, did you even bother to read the earlier posts in this thread?

Thank you very much for your kind response.
Anyone wants a Fairphone? Gonna sell mine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And it's gone Nexus 5 here I come.

There are new sources posted on the Fairphone website. See the thread with technical details.
Hope it is complete now, as the first compilation attempt failed...

FlamingoKid said:
There are new sources posted on the Fairphone website. See the thread with technical details.
Hope it is complete now, as the first compilation attempt failed...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kernel source is better than many MTK OEMs, but it'll still at best get you custom kernels. AOSP-derivative builds (CM, Omni, etc.) are right now far away.
(In case you haven't figured out - some of the Omni developers have a "complete" MT6589 source tree. I use "complete" in quotes because while it will build 4.2 on a properly configured machine, it is a mix and match of tons of blobs and all sorts of horrible hacks that result in it being a nightmare to integrate into any 4.3/4.4 AOSP-based project. Yes, even with an OEM giving us everything they have access to we're barely able to get 4.4 to boot on MT6589.)
https://gerrit.omnirom.org/#/q/status:open+branch:android-4.4+topic:mt6589,n,z for an example of the terribad hacks required to get it even to boot

Entropy512 said:
...
(In case you haven't figured out - some of the Omni developers have a "complete" MT6589 source tree. I use "complete" in quotes because while it will build 4.2 on a properly configured machine, it is a mix and match of tons of blobs and all sorts of horrible hacks that result in it being a nightmare to integrate into any 4.3/4.4 AOSP-based project. Yes, even with an OEM giving us everything they have access to we're barely able to get 4.4 to boot on MT6589.)
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, so this is more a Mediatek issue (provided with full 'sources' it still is a lot of work)? I'm an enterprise developer (JEE) so kerneldeveloping is new to me. Will check the links in your signature though :good:

Sigh. I think that also the new kernel sources don't work. I can't get it to boot. http://pastebin.com/raw.php?i=4bv6fyWw
The ringbuffer and/or ram console are quite small, so I don't really get much output. Looks like some problem with the dsi/display.
ARRGGHHH...
Chris

I just don't understand the ChiCom's thinking here .... You have a small army of intelligent motivated developers willing and able to extend your code AND your hardware for free ..... and you just sh-- all over them? There is nothing going on inside a Mediatek processor that's unique, groundbreaking or proprietary that's worth protecting. I say that as someone who has been in the field of Industrial and Commercial Process Controls since 1997
It's like they don't really want to make money and I'm afraid they've picked up a bad habit that's plagued the US business community for decades
Penny wise and Dollar foolish .... Save a couple of pennies now and throw way several dollars in the future (For instance it is ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS cheaper to mitigate Pollution at the source than it is to clean up the environmental and health degradation it causes, I've yet to find a single exception to this Rule and the ChiComs are going to learn it real quick the hard way in the very near future)
Can't they see why the Nexus 7 was such a hit? Can't they see how Google took a device that's Margin was so low it was obviously never meant to make real money but since it was so Open it was embraced by the WORLDWIDE community and became a money making best seller. Cripes the biggest downside to a Nexus 7 is that there are so many ROMs and Kernels out there it's hard to choose and takes a week or more of research to cull your way through them
My only conclusion that they are Thieves at heart and thus think everyone else is out to steal from them like the steal from others .... Another bad habit they picked up from US "Corporate-think" .... Or maybe they do such shoddy coding that they are embarrassed to have anyone see it ... nothing pisses off a so-called Professional more than a bunch of 'amateurs' laughing at them and showing them up ....
Plus like any Corporation it's not the better educated engineers and scientists that call the shots but the poorly educated MBA's who don't know a resistor from a capacitor and couldn't even fix a broken flashlight or change their own oil ....

longjohn119 said:
I just don't understand the ChiCom's thinking here .... You have a small army of intelligent motivated developers willing and able to extend your code AND your hardware for free ..... and you just sh-- all over them? There is nothing going on inside a Mediatek processor that's unique, groundbreaking or proprietary that's worth protecting. I say that as someone who has been in the field of Industrial and Commercial Process Controls since 1997
It's like they don't really want to make money and I'm afraid they've picked up a bad habit that's plagued the US business community for decades
Penny wise and Dollar foolish .... Save a couple of pennies now and throw way several dollars in the future (For instance it is ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS cheaper to mitigate Pollution at the source than it is to clean up the environmental and health degradation it causes, I've yet to find a single exception to this Rule and the ChiComs are going to learn it real quick the hard way in the very near future)
Can't they see why the Nexus 7 was such a hit? Can't they see how Google took a device that's Margin was so low it was obviously never meant to make real money but since it was so Open it was embraced by the WORLDWIDE community and became a money making best seller. Cripes the biggest downside to a Nexus 7 is that there are so many ROMs and Kernels out there it's hard to choose and takes a week or more of research to cull your way through them
My only conclusion that they are Thieves at heart and thus think everyone else is out to steal from them like the steal from others .... Another bad habit they picked up from US "Corporate-think" .... Or maybe they do such shoddy coding that they are embarrassed to have anyone see it ... nothing pisses off a so-called Professional more than a bunch of 'amateurs' laughing at them and showing them up ....
Plus like any Corporation it's not the better educated engineers and scientists that call the shots but the poorly educated MBA's who don't know a resistor from a capacitor and couldn't even fix a broken flashlight or change their own oil ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup. This is why Oppo has done so well in the West compared to other Chinese manufacturers despite almost no international marketing efforts outside of social media - Instead of crapping on community developers, they embraced them and we became their evangelists.

A little bit desappointed
My first fairphone is about to arrive and I've been looking for sofware news for weeks. Disappointedly, I've found FairphoneOS is not being Open Source and customizable... Is it true my research conclusion?
Thanks in advance
Lupin

Ubuntu Phone and Fairphone
If have read this article on omgubuntu.co.uk http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2014/02/bq-aquaris-ubuntu-phone-specs and if i read this correctly, the Ubuntu Phone by manufacturer bq will use a MT6589 (without M). This is essentially the same chipset as the fairphone but with a higher clocked gpu. This should ease porting ubuntu for phones to Fairphone i guess. It will be interessting how (and if) Canonical publishes Ubuntufor that phone. It might actually include sources to help porting Ubuntu to Fairphone.
What do you think?

Well, and what do you think about Neo900: http://neo900.org/#features
Yes, I consider this could be considered spam; sorry for that.

Hi all,
anybody seen/tried this: gizmochina.com/2014/03/10/finally-android-4-4-kitkat-is-available-for-mediatek-mt6589-chipset
Could that be good news?

supersn0b said:
Hi all,
anybody seen/tried this: gizmochina.com/2014/03/10/finally-android-4-4-kitkat-is-available-for-mediatek-mt6589-chipset
Could that be good news?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's new?
Search right here on xda.
There are currently two cyanogenmod builds (CM 10.2 - jb 4.3) and (CM11 - KK 4.4) for the wiko stairway MT6589.
Check the miscellaneous android development forums
Regards

Blackphone 2 - Review and basic tech info

Hello guys, i'm new here and registered because I wanted to discuss one of the phones I own.
This thread's objective is to bring attention of Silent Circle's (SGP) Blackphone 2 (BP2) owners because I believe we are few and share ROM-specific information, due to a lack of it on the internet and specially this forum.
Full Stock ROM for this device: http://forum.xda-developers.com/general/general/rom-blackphone-2-t3516909
Specs:
LTE and Worldwide 3G/HSPA+ connectivity
5.5" FullHD Gorilla Glass display, 1080x1920 pixels
Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 Octa-Core Processor ("About" shows MSM8939, but kernel compiled for MSM8916)
3GB RAM & 32GB internal storage
microSD card slot supports additional 128GB
13 MP BSI Camera Sensor (5 MP front)
3060 mAh Battery with Quick Charge 2.0
OS: Silent OS (Android 5.1.1 Lollipop + Cyanogenmod)
Dimensions: 152.40 x 76.40 x 7.90
Currently, I am full of hate for this phone's OS and my first objective right now is to get rid of that useless system called "Silent OS" (formelly "PrivatOS", another clownish commercial fork of AOSP+Cyanogenmod) that is installed on this phone.
I could've simply sold the phone or threw it out, but instead I would like to help other owners and myself since this forum is awesome.
So, here is my little review before I start a thread in the "Upgrading, Modifying and Unlocking" section with info on my AOSP or OmniROM future build.
What drives me to flash a custom ROM at this phone?
Well, there are several reasons:
- improperly realized additional user spaces (actually there are 3), that drain the whole battery in some 20 minutes.
- insane battery drain at all by improperly modded OS.
- phone heats up very much, i believe due to improperly built OS
- it's impossible to get root with a current kernel due to well configured (applauding) SELinux in Enforcing mode that can't be turned off even by modifying the initrd.
- official BP2 representatives say they won't provide any root method.
- camera's FPS is disappointing, so slow, much lag, and even after numerous reports to their support it wasn't improved
- useless "Silent Circle" market with its useless apps (they were supposed to be free when there was Blackphone 1)
- "Silent Phone" application is just a paid analog of Telegram, it can't be removed!
- impossibility of removing the annoying "Google Now" widget from the main screen, even after a bunch of requests to their support since the phone was released.
- I don't want gapps at all and would prefer a clean ROM.
- This OS is full of bloatware.
- Its main unique features such as private user spaces and OS encryption are introduced in Android 6.0 by default
Finally, the main reason I bought it was I heard personally from their former CEO they will bring an active and passive cellular security into this phone, I've made a pre-order when I heard this because this would've beaten all other smartphones on the world.
Now I have it, and it's not 'NSA Proof' at all (as was described in mass media), this is bull**** because THIS PHONE DOESN'T HAVE ANY ACTIVE/PASSIVE GSM COMPLEXES PROTECTION (A5 tracer, UnPing, imsi catcher detector, among others)
Proof: official BP2 team reply on the screenshot => https://s28.postimg.org/7bz8wx3h7/blackphone2.png
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The only way to make your communications secure on this phone is to use their paid app "Silent Phone", by the word of its creators. Lol.
What I dislike in design?
- Your "secure and NSA proof" phone's IMEI is written right on its rear panel! (WTF???)
Cool. So basically, while one of the main requirements to be an NSA-proof phone is ability to change IMEI on the fly, these guys decided just to write it on the back panel and introduced the full impossibility of changing it by not allowing to root the device. GENIOUS!!!
The Open Source part.
Just take a look at this wonderful and promising github repo with their "kernel": https://github.com/sgp-blackphone/Blackphone-BP2-Kernel
Great, isn't it? Looks like they are trolling us or something. I haven't even met a single line in that repo containing such strings as 'BP2' or 'Blackphone'.
"Let's just copy a source from kernel.org and publish it as our device's source code!" - GENIOUS!!!
Bottom line
I haven't described any PROS of this device because they don't really exist and the phone doesn't worth the price it's being sold for without active/passive GSM complexes protection. OS security is a thing that every actual android phone includes by default.
Basically, anyone who wants to use the main features of Blackphone 2 doesn't really need to buy the phone, it's enough to download the app 'Silent Phone' from Play Market and use it
Please post your thoughts/feedback about this device here.

I have one of these in the post from Hong-Kong, I was hoping I wouldn't need to flash a rom. Your post has me worried.
At least I got it cheap.

Well it's not that bad. Despite of my privacy and security based point of view, this device is quite useful for an average user who wants to trust their closed source.
I don't want to discourage users from trusting this company, it's only my point of view because I dont' use the half of functionality of a stock ROM and I can't remove it.
Also, this device is depending on security through obscurity, which is the worst way to do so.
As for an open source lover/activist, I prefer security through transparency and would like to have a custom AOSP/CGM build on this device, which I believe would make it good device.
Don't forget to write your opinion when you get the device!

I'll report back when I've gotten the phone and had a chance to use it a bit.

The full stock rom that you linked in your first post is based on Silent OS 2.0.8. Do you know if anything more up to date has been released?

Reieived yesterday a Blackphone 2. Got it for about 150 USD from Hong Kong.
Latest Silent OS version is 3.0.6a.
The camera app is useless and crap. So that I feel sorry for people who paid 500-600 USD for this phone. Does anybody have an idea how to improve it?

Would like to root blackphone 2 as well
Thank you very much for posting this . I purchased this phone and feel that was a mistake. I did not do enough research first and I thought that I'd root it and then be able to install firewall tools I wanted to.
I have not used the phone at all for many months (really ever) as I was unable to root. If there is anyone who knows how to root, I am willing to do anything. I would gladly install an altered version of this image if that was a way to get root. So seeing this image gives me hope. I don't know enough about rooting android to help unfortunately but please do keep this thread updated if anyone figures out how to obtain root on blackphone 2.

what about the possibility of flashing a custom rom actually ?

I picked on of these up for $100 delivered so would be happy to help test any rom tweaks/development.
Was wondering if it might be a clone (hardware) of another Android device but haven't found anything yet.

No custom rom?

Hi polartux.
As you said:
Currently, I am full of hate for this phone's OS and my first objective right now is to get rid of that useless system called "Silent OS" (formelly "PrivatOS", another clownish commercial fork of AOSP+Cyanogenmod) that is installed on this phone.[...] [...] So, here is my little review before I start a thread in the "Upgrading, Modifying and Unlocking" section with info on my AOSP or OmniROM future build.
How is it going?
I think that you are the only one in the entire internet involved in a Blackphone2 custom rom project. All I can do is offer myself as a tester of your work. Hope you don't give up because this hardware is great and deserves to be used properly (without SilentOS).
Regards.

polartux said:
Hello guys, i'm new here and registered because I wanted to discuss one of the phones I own.
This thread's objective is to bring attention of Silent Circle's (SGP) Blackphone 2 (BP2) owners because I believe we are few and share ROM-specific information, due to a lack of it on the internet and specially this forum.
Please post your thoughts/feedback about this device here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey there
First of all, I feel your pain. This is frustrating to buy any device and discover it's crippled, and that you are not allowed to fix it.
I will try to post some of the discoveries I made soon. Please hold on...
E

Guys, I have no longer the device because I just sold it. I also stopped trying developing the custom ROM because I had not enough support/information. SilentCircle have done everything to be hated by their users/customers, they're just a bunch of businessmen who don't really care about making this phone better.
I also recommend selling yours and buy something else

A litle guide to increase bp2 performance
https://forum.xda-developers.com/an...e-make-bp2-t3735815/post75218344#post75218344

General OnePlus 2.0: Oxygen OS - Color OS merge in 2022

OnePlus’ OxygenOS is going away – and so is Oppo’s ColorOS. The code bases for the two will be joined together to create a unified operating system (which will probably have a catchy name, but that hasn’t been announced yet).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sources:
OnePlus 2.0: OxygenOS and ColorOS will merge to form a unified OS next year
The head of OxygenOS is now in charge of the unified OS, which will be customized for OnePlus devices. OnePlus’ OxygenOS is going away – and so is Oppo’s...
m.gsmarena.com
OnePlus Community
Introducing our new OnePlus Community experience, with a completely revamped structure, built from the ground-up.
forums.oneplus.com
What are your thoughts on this change coming next year?

I can't find a definitive answer yet, but will the new OS be applied to current oneplus models or just new 2022 phones onwards?

hallo dare said:
I can't find a definitive answer yet, but will the new OS be applied to current oneplus models or just new 2022 phones onwards?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will launch on Oneplus10 model and then it will be applied to all previous supported devices (still receiving updates) when they have a version of Android 13 ready. So either very late 2022 or 2023 before older devices see this unified OS.

I think a LOT of people will make rash, early comments before they even know what the unified OS ends up being. Oneplus CEO (Pete Lau) said "OnePlus has a unique group of users, therefore we will customize the unified OS specifically for OnePlus devices to make sure it meets your expectations, for example by keeping it as clean and lightweight as before, and continuing to support unlock bootloaders." Considering those of us in the states only have 2 choices for manufacturers with unlocked bootloaders, I'm fine with all this. If I don't like their new unified OS guess what? I can replace it.

hallo dare said:
I can't find a definitive answer yet, but will the new OS be applied to current oneplus models or just new 2022 phones onwards?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A copy/paste from Android Authority:
Next OnePlus flagship will be the first to come with a new unified OS that merges Color OS and Oxygen OS.
OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 8 series will also get the integrated operating system.
Older OnePlus phones will continue getting their promised Oxygen OS updates.

stazz83 said:
A copy/paste from Android Authority:
Next OnePlus flagship will be the first to come with a new unified OS that merges Color OS and Oxygen OS.
OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 8 series will also get the integrated operating system.
Older OnePlus phones will continue getting their promised Oxygen OS updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I've also seen it where it's being said that the OnePlus 9 series is to get it before the end of this year, so I'd just like to hear something definitive.

I understood that we won't get it this year, but only after the next flagship, at some point in Q2.
This was also announced on the OnePlus blog by Pete Lau:
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stazz83 said:
A copy/paste from Android Authority:
Next OnePlus flagship will be the first to come with a new unified OS that merges Color OS and Oxygen OS.
OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 8 series will also get the integrated operating system.
Older OnePlus phones will continue getting their promised Oxygen OS updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
9 & 8 will get it but not till the android 13 version of it is ready according to phonearena and another site (don't remember now)

I guess the new name might be OxyColOS?

Buslova said:
I think a LOT of people will make rash, early comments before they even know what the unified OS ends up being. Oneplus CEO (Pete Lau) said "OnePlus has a unique group of users, therefore we will customize the unified OS specifically for OnePlus devices to make sure it meets your expectations, for example by keeping it as clean and lightweight as before, and continuing to support unlock bootloaders." Considering those of us in the states only have 2 choices for manufacturers with unlocked bootloaders, I'm fine with all this. If I don't like their new unified OS guess what? I can replace it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree people will be quick to judge before the final product and am happy they will remain committed to unlocked bootloader's. But there are 3 OEMs in the US market for that, since I presume 2nd you're thinking is Google, and 3rd would be Motorola actually. They make you go through additional steps but I've unlocked a Moto G Power 2021 easily and am under the impression they're all similar (though you need an unlock key not dissimilar to carrier OnePlus devices, though easier to obtain)

thats_the_guy said:
I agree people will be quick to judge before the final product and am happy they will remain committed to unlocked bootloader's. But there are 3 OEMs in the US market for that, since I presume 2nd you're thinking is Google, and 3rd would be Motorola actually. They make you go through additional steps but I've unlocked a Moto G Power 2021 easily and am under the impression they're all similar (though you need an unlock key not dissimilar to carrier OnePlus devices, though easier to obtain)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, Motorola can't seem to decide what their stance is on bootloaders. I haven't looked into them in a while since they stopped trying to compete in the flagship market for a few years (I know they're returning). I used to love their devices though. Had the og Moto Droid 1 and tinkered with a few others. Also miss HTC devices of old. I would also like to see how willing they are to support a previously unlocked bootloader phone. Oneplus and Google don't seem to care too much unless you really did something crazy. Also....I try to stay away from carrier versions. US carriers are one of the things really holding us back.

galaxys said:
I guess the new name might be OxyColOS?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Color + Oxygen = CO2
Well, internal name is "OplusOS" (found in Nord 2) but they continue to use OxygenOS

Buslova said:
True, Motorola can't seem to decide what their stance is on bootloaders. I haven't looked into them in a while since they stopped trying to compete in the flagship market for a few years (I know they're returning). I used to love their devices though. Had the og Moto Droid 1 and tinkered with a few others. Also miss HTC devices of old. I would also like to see how willing they are to support a previously unlocked bootloader phone. Oneplus and Google don't seem to care too much unless you really did something crazy. Also....I try to stay away from carrier versions. US carriers are one of the things really holding us back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, I bought a carrier OP9 originally and realized I'd have to wait to pay off + 2 weeks to get bootloader unlocked so I returned and bought unlocked on a credit card w/ similar financing terms. Plus I wanted the green which T-Mobile didn't sell.
Motorola does unfortunately take a hard stance on "this voids your warranty" and require your SN to unlock the bl so no way around the warranty. As much as US carriers suck, they are the easiest way people can afford flagship phones, but it's not like every American needs one, we are sorely lacking good mid-range options, and it's most definitely their fault with their pricing structure and marketing tactics pushing customers to either the lowest- or highest-tier phones

stazz83 said:
Sources:
OnePlus 2.0: OxygenOS and ColorOS will merge to form a unified OS next year
The head of OxygenOS is now in charge of the unified OS, which will be customized for OnePlus devices. OnePlus’ OxygenOS is going away – and so is Oppo’s...
m.gsmarena.com
OnePlus Community
Introducing our new OnePlus Community experience, with a completely revamped structure, built from the ground-up.
forums.oneplus.com
What are your thoughts on this change coming next year?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They already did that with OOS and HOS. The merge made it worse and caused the data leaks. The merge pretty much killed of any remnant of Parandroid code.

Color Oxygen or Oxygen Colors
Oxygen was better...
Color OS was verry clean an slim Os when i test/use it on a HTC phone if i'm not wrong...

If the new merger brings the restrictiveness that Oppo implements, then i will be leaving OnePlus sharpish. By restrictiveness i mean the inability to unlock the bootloader and root etc....

speedyjay said:
If the new merger brings the restrictiveness that Oppo implements, then i will be leaving OnePlus sharpish. By restrictiveness i mean the inability to unlock the bootloader and root etc....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The CEO directly said the bootloader would remain unlockable and has even been mentioned several times in this thread above.

Surprised no one's said Cologen (collagen) yet.
Coxy Lorgen.
It's 2am and I'm delirious.
Honestly, I'm indifferent. Don't know much about ColorOS to begin with. Haven't been super impressed with OOS as of late. As another said, kudos to the team for keeping the bootloader unlocked so we can flash something else.

galaxys said:
I guess the new name might be OxyColOS?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or CollagenOS..
And I should read the entire thread before replying..

ArthritiOS or ColonOS