Develop Bugs

New to Android, Just got the ZL - questions

I tried out a family member's S4 and I saw the potential that Android had over apple so I got a ZL for my upgrade.
I am a bit new (I've used iphone 4 for the past 3 years). I was wondering if someone can provide me with some sort of guide that I can read about android, and what I should be doing after getting a new phone to ensure it runs smoothly.
my opinion on the phone so far.
the screen is a little bad compared to the S4 screen. The black on the S4 vs the black on this phone are much different but apart from that, they are both teh same. I like the phone so far, I only need to be able to find the apps that I was able to find on ios now.

Well if you come here then do what most of us do after got an android phone...
ROOT it...flash a custom roms, you can get many in here if you search...then you are done...apps in ios sometimes the same in android...
There are some assential app after rooting just be sure to google it or ask here if to know more...
But rooting need a little base knowledge to do and hope if there is a step by step tutorial, be sure to follow them exactly...but rooting or rather unlocking boot loader will cancel warranty..so it's up to you...

gjtalin said:
I tried out a family member's S4 and I saw the potential that Android had over apple so I got a ZL for my upgrade.
I am a bit new (I've used iphone 4 for the past 3 years). I was wondering if someone can provide me with some sort of guide that I can read about android, and what I should be doing after getting a new phone to ensure it runs smoothly.
my opinion on the phone so far.
the screen is a little bad compared to the S4 screen. The black on the S4 vs the black on this phone are much different but apart from that, they are both teh same. I like the phone so far, I only need to be able to find the apps that I was able to find on ios now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the time being, I'd advise against the above poster's suggestions. Don't look into rooting or custom ROMs or anything like that if you're new to Android. Android is a great operating system, highly customisable and more fun in my opinion than iOS. I wouldn't expect you to need to worry about making it run smoothly, for your needs, as the ZL is a powerful phone.
Just search through all the settings menus and enjoy the freedom of choice that iOS never gave you. In the standard Android that comes with the ZL (known as the 'stock' operating system around here) you can't break anything, so have fun with it! Download some apps on the Play store, and build up your knowledge from there.
When you're more familiar with your needs, and Android in general, then maybe you can look into advanced options. But for now, they're really not needed. Welcome to Android!

schnidex said:
For the time being, I'd advise against the above poster's suggestions. Don't look into rooting or custom ROMs or anything like that if you're new to Android. Android is a great operating system, highly customisable and more fun in my opinion than iOS. I wouldn't expect you to need to worry about making it run smoothly, for your needs, as the ZL is a powerful phone.
Just search through all the settings menus and enjoy the freedom of choice that iOS never gave you. In the standard Android that comes with the ZL (known as the 'stock' operating system around here) you can't break anything, so have fun with it! Download some apps on the Play store, and build up your knowledge from there.
When you're more familiar with your needs, and Android in general, then maybe you can look into advanced options. But for now, they're really not needed. Welcome to Android!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you are right, I agree with you.
It's such a pain currently, trying to unlcok my old iphone and transfer contacts/texts to my ZL.. I honestly hate all this bs but its hard to find a free procedure to get all that done

gjtalin said:
you are right, I agree with you.
It's such a pain currently, trying to unlcok my old iphone and transfer contacts/texts to my ZL.. I honestly hate all this bs but its hard to find a free procedure to get all that done
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Heres a good guide to migrate contacts from an Iphone to Android. Im sure similar exists for moving over texts.
If you don't already have a gmail account - you're gonna want one to access the Android Play Store.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-transfer-your-contacts-between-iphone-and-android/

gjtalin said:
you are right, I agree with you.
It's such a pain currently, trying to unlcok my old iphone and transfer contacts/texts to my ZL.. I honestly hate all this bs but its hard to find a free procedure to get all that done
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can download Sony's PC companion software. It has free transfer tools for iPhone users.
Sent from my C6506 using xda app-developers app

needmoregigs said:
You can download Sony's PC companion software. It has free transfer tools for iPhone users.
Sent from my C6506 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that program doesn't work for me.
I honestly thing sony just made up the program and made them crash each time.

gjtalin said:
I tried out a family member's S4 and I saw the potential that Android had over apple so I got a ZL for my upgrade.
I am a bit new (I've used iphone 4 for the past 3 years). I was wondering if someone can provide me with some sort of guide that I can read about android, and what I should be doing after getting a new phone to ensure it runs smoothly.
my opinion on the phone so far.
the screen is a little bad compared to the S4 screen. The black on the S4 vs the black on this phone are much different but apart from that, they are both teh same. I like the phone so far, I only need to be able to find the apps that I was able to find on ios now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome to Android buddy! I came from iOS as well in December, and theres no way i'm ever going back. You should also have no issue finding your apps from iOS, as the google play store is just as good in my opinion. It has all the apps i ever used, plus more.

gjtalin said:
that program doesn't work for me.
I honestly thing sony just made up the program and made them crash each time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bullmud
Sent from my C6503 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

sincere advise give it back mate, it's not that good compared to S4, HTC One, LG optimus G Pro btw I hate S4. If it's a cost thing may i suggest go for LG Optimus G Pro, you get more for your money. That's what I've got and I Ditching my zl

buying a used R800?

is it possible to get a used R800 for around 60 USD?

i don't think so
used xperia plays are about 100$ i think
and also i will tell you don't buy this phone
but an arc instead of this phone
xperia play section is dead

I'm pretty sure you can look on eBay for Plays. The R800x's sell for steroids 60 and below.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

R800x are dirt cheap on eBay, you can get it for even less than $60. It's a lot easier top unlock them the R800a version too.
Don't listen to the guy in second post. Not even sure why you're in a forum of the same device you're telling others to not buy. So what if there are no more updates, doesn't mean the device is useless. Besides it's incorrect to say there are n I devs working on it.
sent via tapatalk

im on this device because i made a mistake
i didnt buy galaxy s2 when i could and now i have to deal with my phone (now the touchscreen is broken and im going to move to nexus 5 soon)
i only told him my experience
when he can buy an arc with the same price what can cause him to buy xperia play?
being much heavier or the old 2.3 android or its ancient kernel?

I bought the Xperia play in August this year because it was a sale (100$) new and I needed a new phone. I actually regret this choice I thought more. Developers would work on this amazing device .

Dont blame it on the devs, blame it on sony for not releasing sources
Sent from my GN5 [D821] using XDA Premium

Be happy that there are devs even making roms for it, you aren't self entitled to any of it.
This phone work fine if you know how to customise it. Unlock the bootloader and install NXT rom, it work great if you don't mind sticking with Gingerbread.
sent via tapatalk

pedyvirus said:
i don't think so
used xperia plays are about 100$ i think
and also i will tell you don't buy this phone
but an arc instead of this phone
xperia play section is dead
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
... i don't.... you realise the arc has no physical controls and will suck for playing games and emulators right?
eksasol said:
R800x are dirt cheap on eBay, you can get it for even less than $60. It's a lot easier top unlock them the R800a version too.
Don't listen to the guy in second post. Not even sure why you're in a forum of the same device you're telling others to not buy. So what if there are no more updates, doesn't mean the device is useless. Besides it's incorrect to say there are n I devs working on it.
sent via tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do need the AT&T version to work with my sim.
i was looking at this one but, wasn't sure if it was stole and or could even be re used.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/att-sony-er...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
friend said if it was stolen it could be blocked form the AT&T network.
Also what features do the modded roms provide? overclocking? are they lighter? support newer apps?

cdoublejj said:
... i don't.... you realise the arc has no physical controls and will suck for playing games and emulators right?
I do need the AT&T version to work with my sim.
i was looking at this one but, wasn't sure if it was stole and or could even be re used.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/att-sony-er...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
friend said if it was stolen it could be blocked form the AT&T network.
Also what features do the modded roms provide? overclocking? are they lighter? support newer apps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have to be careful buying from ebay. There are scenario where you can get a device that work now, then 2months later gets blocked by the carrier because the owner stopped paying his bills.
It's better if its a retailer with good feedbacks and accept returns. If it's possible, ask the person for the imei number so you can check it background, or ask him to check it and post a screenshot. You can check imei and esn numbers via these sites:
http://sndeep.info/en
http://checkesnfree.com
Also if you buy from swappa.com, they auto check imei number for all devices, however, again, it doesn't prevent the phone from being blacklisted if the owner of the phone is still in a contract and stopped paying.
You will want to get the R800a version since the R800i version will not work with 3G for ATT. I have owned all 3 versions, last I check, you can only unlock bootloader from Sony website for the R800i and R800x, not R800a. However, this website can unlock both sim and bootloader for the R800a I believe: http://www.wotanserver.com/en/sony-ericsson/xperia-play-r800/unlock-tool/debranding-flash
You basically get improved performance and more software features with custom roms. From my experience using Gingerbread custom roms like NXT gives best performance. Because lack of support from Sony and Qualcomm, ICS and JB roms aren't as fast.
You can check these guides for all the instruction with unlocking and installing rom: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1836530
You need to unlock bootloader, flash a custom kernel which will have ClockworkMod recovery integrated, boot into CWM recovery and flash the rom. Make sure the kernel you're using is compatible with that rom for it to boot.

eksasol said:
You have to be careful buying from ebay. There are scenario where you can get a device that work now, then 2months later gets blocked by the carrier because the owner stopped paying his bills.
It's better if its a retailer with good feedbacks and accept returns. If it's possible, ask the person for the imei number so you can check it background, or ask him to check it and post a screenshot. You can check imei and esn numbers via these sites:
http://sndeep.info/en
http://checkesnfree.com
Also if you buy from swappa.com, they auto check imei number for all devices, however, again, it doesn't prevent the phone from being blacklisted if the owner of the phone is still in a contract and stopped paying.
You will want to get the R800a version since the R800i version will not work with 3G for ATT. I have owned all 3 versions, last I check, you can only unlock bootloader from Sony website for the R800i and R800x, not R800a. However, this website can unlock both sim and bootloader for the R800a I believe: http://www.wotanserver.com/en/sony-ericsson/xperia-play-r800/unlock-tool/debranding-flash
You basically get improved performance and more software features with custom roms. From my experience using Gingerbread custom roms like NXT gives best performance. Because lack of support from Sony and Qualcomm, ICS and JB roms aren't as fast.
You can check these guides for all the instruction with unlocking and installing rom: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1836530
You need to unlock bootloader, flash a custom kernel which will have ClockworkMod recovery integrated, boot into CWM recovery and flash the rom. Make sure the kernel you're using is compatible with that rom for it to boot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you say that as if it might be difficult or impossible to unlock the boot loader unless i pay some one? also are you saying all the aftermarket roms are slower than the stock rom? does it even mater since it can be overclocked with 3rd party rom?

cdoublejj said:
you say that as if it might be difficult or impossible to unlock the boot loader unless i pay some one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To unlock the bootloader of a R800a there is a unlock code that needed to be purchased from Sony themselves, that is why the service cost money. You either have to go through Sony or pay a third party service, those are the only options.
also are you saying all the aftermarket roms are slower than the stock rom? does it even mater since it can be overclocked with 3rd party rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is not what I am saying, I'm saying GB run faster on this device from my experience only, compared to ICS and newer. There were never any official ICS release for the Play except a beta ICS version which ran poorly, the phone was stop being updated with Gingerbread. Sony and Qualcomm doesn't release some of the required hardware drivers for ICS/JB which is why its hard to make those version run fast.
You should have researched this device a little more before buying.

eksasol said:
To unlock the bootloader of a R800a there is a unlock code that needed to be purchased from Sony themselves, that is why the service cost money. You either have to go through Sony or pay a third party service, those are the only options.
That is not what I am saying, I'm saying GB run faster on this device from my experience only, compared to ICS and newer. There were never any official ICS release for the Play except a beta ICS version which ran poorly, the phone was stop being updated with Gingerbread. Sony and Qualcomm doesn't release some of the required hardware drivers for ICS/JB which is why its hard to make those version run fast.
You should have researched this device a little more before buying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the information and the clarification. This sort of is my research. Half of the research was know what phone i'd want and one that works with AT&T. a side from androids with slide out keyboards this is the only option with physical controls and the only one that has controls good for gaming. that and the fact it has single core and can play games is all i really know about it. i figured it wasp popular enough to have some roms for it but, that's it.
i'll take a look at the cost of the unlock service assuming i don't have to mail it to the UK (live in US). i'll consider the unlock price and try to find a cheap r800a/r800at.
Your info has been REALLY helpful aside from my current crap Pantec P8000 my last serious smart phone was the 2006 Black Jack. Suffice to say iv'e been out of the phone game for a while.

cdoublejj said:
Thank you for the information and the clarification. This sort of is my research. Half of the research was know what phone i'd want and one that works with AT&T. a side from androids with slide out keyboards this is the only option with physical controls and the only one that has controls good for gaming. that and the fact it has single core and can play games is all i really know about it. i figured it wasp popular enough to have some roms for it but, that's it.
i'll take a look at the cost of the unlock service assuming i don't have to mail it to the UK (live in US). i'll consider the unlock price and try to find a cheap r800a/r800at.
Your info has been REALLY helpful aside from my current crap Pantec P8000 my last serious smart phone was the 2006 Black Jack. Suffice to say iv'e been out of the phone game for a while.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You won't have to mail in the device, I didn't use the WotanServer service, but other members have tried with success, it should be something you can do using their software.
The only difficult part is getting the drivers recognized by your PC. I was not able to get the drivers recognized with Windows 8, you might have to use Windows 7 or older. The unlocking software will have the drivers included though. But if you read through the flashing guides I linked it should show you how to install the necessary drivers.
Personally I don't use the Play as my daily driver, but as a back up. A lot of apps I use required Android 4+, and I only feel Android 2.x is fast enough on this device for me, but others might disagree. It's not fast enough to play many of the newer graphic demanding games smoothly, but for 2D and not too demanding games it's a winner.
There are several hardware issues that can occur with this phone like the 'flex cable' going bad, which is the cable that connect between to two halves of the phone. But honestly I've never had that issue from the 5 Play that I used. It's actually one of the more durable smartphone I've used even with the sliding mechanism. If you get protection accessories for it and be careful each time you side out the gamepad it should last. It have one of the most durable microUSB port for an Android phone I think.
Also it have excellent stereo speaker. The R800i/R800a version have pretty decent GPS signal, since it also support GLONASS. The R800x do not support GLONASS and have poorer signal.
My preferred idea is still to buy a cheap Verizon R800x for $60 or less, which bootloader can be unlocked from Sony website. Then buy a better daily driver phone. One thing you should know about the R800x is that it can run any of the GSM (R800i/R800a) Gingerbread roms and most kernels, you lose calling ability with GSM roms but you won't be using Verizon anyway. For ICS/JB/KitKat roms, there are usually CDMA version for it as well. It's pretty hard to brick to this device, you can always use Flashtool to restore factory stock image. I feel the R800x version is fastest since it actually use stock Android, compared to the R800i/a which uses Sony UI overlay. It's "fast" even with stock rom and stock kernel, just rooting and deleting bloatwares are enough. You don't need unlocked bootloader to root.

well if i was gonna carry 2 devices i'd just get a used PSP (possibly for free).
it isn't too bad performance wise i've seen it play crazy taxi and GTA III and jetset radio which are them sot demanding android games i want. i've also seen it play Need for Speed 3 on the PS1 emulator. also you can overclock on the custom roms.
it's also said it has long battery life, i may have read that in this thread 9o've had a long evening). I've replaced a flex cable in A* phone before so it breaks i'm not be SOL.
My newly obstacle is getting it on the cheap.
the only thing i'm un sure about is the on screen keyboard. i have a low resolution device and tend to the use physical keyboard more than the screen. i know R800 is higher resolution than the device i have now so maybe i will be able to cope. not a bad trade off consider all the other pluses and pro vs the cons.
EDIT: too bad they never made the PSP phone 2.

cdoublejj said:
well if i was gonna carry 2 devices i'd just get a used PSP (possibly for free).
it isn't too bad performance wise i've seen it play crazy taxi and GTA III and jetset radio which are them sot demanding android games i want. i've also seen it play Need for Speed 3 on the PS1 emulator. also you can overclock on the custom roms.
it's also said it has long battery life, i may have read that in this thread 9o've had a long evening). I've replaced a flex cable in A* phone before so it breaks i'm not be SOL.
My newly obstacle is getting it on the cheap.
the only thing i'm un sure about is the on screen keyboard. i have a low resolution device and tend to the use physical keyboard more than the screen. i know R800 is higher resolution than the device i have now so maybe i will be able to cope. not a bad trade off consider all the other pluses and pro vs the cons.
EDIT: too bad they never made the PSP phone 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The R800i/a stock keyboards have gesture typing, but its not very good. But you can buy Swype keyboard which is pretty good, maybe Swiftkey support Gingerbread as well. A lot of Play and other Sony devices have a layer of screen protector installed by the manufacturer, removing it can help with the touch sensitivity and sometimes viewing angle.
This device does have decent battery life, but you should get a new battery.

No love for the LG

I love my LG G3 and the pictures it takes, but I would like a little bit more. So I rooted my phone and love the roms that it offers. I just think that every single rom out there is the same with just a different name. All of them are Lollipop. At first I did like Lollipop, but now I'm bored of it. I do install different themes to give it a different look but it still looks the same. All Lollipop roms looks the same and I use one that the Dev updates all the time, which is awesome that he updates and keeps us wanting more. But, I think of unrooting my phone and jumping over to either the new Samsung when it comes out or the new HTC One M9.
I know when the update comes to the LG it'll be just the same. I've seen videos of pretty much nothing new added or anything upgraded. I hope that the LG continues to grow. I'm on t-mobile so I don't have that "Theme" option on my phone so I can't change themes if my phone is un-rooted. We'll see in about a week when these new phones pop up. I will miss the camera on my phone but I didn't get a phone for the just the camera.

I want this 20 seconds of my life back
Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk

Cool story, bro.
johnny quest said:
I love my LG G3 and the pictures it takes, but I would like a little bit more. So I rooted my phone and love the roms that it offers. I just think that every single rom out there is the same with just a different name. All of them are Lollipop. At first I did like Lollipop, but now I'm bored of it. I do install different themes to give it a different look but it still looks the same. All Lollipop roms looks the same and I use one that the Dev updates all the time, which is awesome that he updates and keeps us wanting more. But, I think of unrooting my phone and jumping over to either the new Samsung when it comes out or the new HTC One M9.
I know when the update comes to the LG it'll be just the same. I've seen videos of pretty much nothing new added or anything upgraded. I hope that the LG continues to grow. I'm on t-mobile so I don't have that "Theme" option on my phone so I can't change themes if my phone is un-rooted. We'll see in about a week when these new phones pop up. I will miss the camera on my phone but I didn't get a phone for the just the camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Okay??? Cool story bro. Don't expect much of a change with the newer phones coming out. Seems like you don't even know what you are looking for. You can theme a phone without being rooted. Several programs out there. One is advertised right on this site. Themer

yukkerz said:
Okay??? Cool story bro. Don't expect much of a change with the newer phones coming out. Seems like you don't even know what you are looking for. You can theme a phone without being rooted. Several programs out there. One is advertised right on this site. Themer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do like theming my phone, I've noticed using themer that it won't work for a rooted Lollipop rom, unless they fixed that. I haven't used it in about a couple of months. I sometimes use launchers but whenever I update the rom I would have to install all those apps again and again. So I got tired of doing that so I don't use launchers. I'm leaving my phone plain for now and holding off for the HTC I miss the whole Sense thing.

johnny quest said:
I do like theming my phone, I've noticed using themer that it won't work for a rooted Lollipop rom, unless they fixed that. I haven't used it in about a couple of months. I sometimes use launchers but whenever I update the rom I would have to install all those apps again and again. So I got tired of doing that so I don't use launchers. I'm leaving my phone plain for now and holding off for the HTC I miss the whole Sense thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You want the new m9 or Sammy well you're not giving the G3 a fair battle. If you miss the HTC so much then switch don't hesitate. When the G4 comes out it will blow the m9 and Sammy to dust. If you want to customize so much might as well get a 1+. Stop complaining the G3 is the s**t

Still_living714 said:
You want the new m9 or Sammy well you're not giving the G3 a fair battle. If you miss the HTC so much then switch don't hesitate. When the G4 comes out it will blow the m9 and Sammy to dust. If you want to customize so much might as well get a 1+. Stop complaining the G3 is the s**t
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
I bought a GS1 when it hit the shelves in 2010, paid cash for it. Stayed with Sammy as well - GS2, GN1, GS4 (still my daily driver) and my wife's Note 4. As with any phone, there's a lot to like... and stuff you don't. Recently, discovered you can't get past the bootloader on the Note 4 (Bell). My wife doesn't care, but that would drive me crazy.
Still, after playing with her's for a few months, I still prefer my G3 to a Note 4 or a GS5. It's the perfect balance between those 2, and really not much bigger than my GS4. And the screen is comparable to the Note 4's QHD display.

devonblue4u said:
+1
I bought a GS1 when it hit the shelves in 2010, paid cash for it. Stayed with Sammy as well - GS2, GN1, GS4 (still my daily driver) and my wife's Note 4. As with any phone, there's a lot to like... and stuff you don't. Recently, discovered you can't get past the bootloader on the Note 4 (Bell). My wife doesn't care, but that would drive me crazy.
Still, after playing with her's for a few months, I still prefer my G3 to a Note 4 or a GS5. It's the perfect balance between those 2, and really not much bigger than my GS4. And the screen is comparable to the Note 4's QHD display.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I can relate to you. Never tried an LG phone but after having my G3 for months now I can honestly say it's the best phone I've ever had. With tweaksbox and a couple of other xposed mods this phone has proven worthy. Unless Sammy or any other manufacturer comes out with a game changer the G series is going to be my go to phone. Can't wait for the G4.

The G3 is great don't get me wrong. I'm just picky and wish it can do more. Majority of the LG apps are junk. I do give it to them the camera is really awesome. I think I just get bored fast with these phones. I like to give my phone a different look each time. I know rooting allows me more freedom. I'm a gadget fanatic and just wish for more features or the flexibility of theming the dialer and messaging apps without rooting. If the G4 would come out it'll be great to have those features.

johnny quest said:
The G3 is great don't get me wrong. I'm just picky and wish it can do more. Majority of the LG apps are junk. I do give it to them the camera is really awesome. I think I just get bored fast with these phones. I like to give my phone a different look each time. I know rooting allows me more freedom. I'm a gadget fanatic and just wish for more features or the flexibility of theming the dialer and messaging apps without rooting. If the G4 would come out it'll be great to have those features.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're the type that like customized everything why not get a 1+?

Still_living714 said:
If you're the type that like customized everything why not get a 1+?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know much about the 1+ but I'm hearing lots of good stuff on the new to come out GS6 I'm probably going to hold off until this phone comes out and then see reviews. I went back to stock on my phone and I do miss stock but I don't have that feature of "Themes" in my settings so I can't change the icons. I really don't like launchers, but I do on occasion use Themer.

johnny quest said:
I don't know much about the 1+ but I'm hearing lots of good stuff on the new to come out GS6 I'm probably going to hold off until this phone comes out and then see reviews. I went back to stock on my phone and I do miss stock but I don't have that feature of "Themes" in my settings so I can't change the icons. I really don't like launchers, but I do on occasion use Themer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Give next launcher a try. They have tons of icons you can try ??

Still_living714 said:
Give next launcher a try. They have tons of icons you can try
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I forgot I bought that launcher, I'll give it a try

Potential convert with some questions...

Sup 'droids...
It's time for a new phone and I'm on the hunt doing research. Such a hard choice! I've had a Galaxy S1, S3 and S5 and loved them all so I went and got the S6 the other day without ever reading about it. When I went to install my ROM of choice I found out that Samsung is now officially releasing only the douche ROM...so I returned it 3 days later.
I read that the 5X was going to be released soon and also read some stuff on the Moto X Play (which is what it's called here in Canada, available at Telus). The 5X seems ok...I could potentially wait a month for that delivery (if Telus even carries it), or I could go get the Play or the G4 today--which seems to be the forerunner at this point due to it having slightly better specs than the Play.
My questions relate to custom ROM experiences. I like to have AOSP support with all the fancy settings available to me! I especially like hardware keys. My S3 was able to turn the flashlight on by holding the home key. I know the G4 doesn't have hardware buttons anymore so I'm not even sure if that's a thing. Maybe volume keys instead? That might create problems with track seeking though. Whatever...as long as there are options lol.
So...what kind of experiences--good and bad--have you guys had with this phone? Is there good ROM support? It seems like M will be out soon...does that mean the code will also be available for developers? I see a few ROM's available but unfortunately I can't test them out because I don't actually have the phone.
I'm sure I'll have more questions but thought I'd get a discussion going for those interested in sharing their experiences.
Thanks.

i'm somehow convinced that when the official android M update from LG finally released, the developer scene would start to bud here and there.
but for now, i think the developers are gathering only in some unlocked bootloader variants...

AZDJedi said:
I read that the 5X was going to be released soon and also read some stuff on the Moto X Play (which is what it's called here in Canada, available at Telus). The 5X seems ok...I could potentially wait a month for that delivery (if Telus even carries it), or I could go get the Play or the G4 today--which seems to be the forerunner at this point due to it having slightly better specs than the Play.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The play is a midranger with a good battery not comparable with a flagship like the G4. Maybe you were thinking of the Style or Pure as its known in the US.
My questions relate to custom ROM experiences. I like to have AOSP support with all the fancy settings available to me! I especially like hardware keys. My S3 was able to turn the flashlight on by holding the home key. I know the G4 doesn't have hardware buttons anymore so I'm not even sure if that's a thing. Maybe volume keys instead? That might create problems with track seeking though. Whatever...as long as there are options lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not too much at the moment. Just root. To use xposed entails risk as there is no recovery. Unless you can source a H815 euro variant of the G4.
I'm sure I'll have more questions but thought I'd get a discussion going for those interested in sharing their experiences.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you need from roms ? that stock with root can't give you.

One Twelve said:
What you need from roms ? that stock with root can't give you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll be honest, I was about to use my middlefinger to write an aggressive post for you but the intelligent part of my brain said "STOP! THINK!". So I thought...and thought again. Coming from Nexus devices running CM only, on the G4 I have yet to find a reason to even consider a custom ROM. I sometimes miss the pure Android but that's all about it. It's the first time since my Nokia E72 in 2007 I did not switched a ROM for more than a month. Let's see where this goes. Good point mate!

nitrous² said:
Coming from Nexus devices running CM only, on the G4 I have yet to find a reason to even consider a custom ROM. I sometimes miss the pure Android but that's all about it. It's the first time since my Nokia E72 in 2007 I did not switched a ROM for more than a month. Let's see where this goes. Good point mate!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will you be able to convince the OP of that ?
Otherwise he needs to look elsewhere.

AZDJedi said:
Sup 'droids...
It's time for a new phone and I'm on the hunt doing research. Such a hard choice! I've had a Galaxy S1, S3 and S5 and loved them all so I went and got the S6 the other day without ever reading about it. When I went to install my ROM of choice I found out that Samsung is now officially releasing only the douche ROM...so I returned it 3 days later.
I read that the 5X was going to be released soon and also read some stuff on the Moto X Play (which is what it's called here in Canada, available at Telus). The 5X seems ok...I could potentially wait a month for that delivery (if Telus even carries it), or I could go get the Play or the G4 today--which seems to be the forerunner at this point due to it having slightly better specs than the Play.
My questions relate to custom ROM experiences. I like to have AOSP support with all the fancy settings available to me! I especially like hardware keys. My S3 was able to turn the flashlight on by holding the home key. I know the G4 doesn't have hardware buttons anymore so I'm not even sure if that's a thing. Maybe volume keys instead? That might create problems with track seeking though. Whatever...as long as there are options lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's too early for the G4 now. Currently only the EU H815 model has an unlockable bootloader. LG's official page says more devices will be added to the list soon, but I wouldn't count on that. Since you're from Canada and propably won't get the H815 on contract, it'd be risky. If I had your patience, I'd wait for the 5X. You seem to be an Android purist. I wouldn't want to deal with a device running a custom version of Android. Also, even if CM or any other AOSP ROM would make its way to the various variants of the G4, they're going to have these little issues here and there because of bad or missing documentation from the manufacturer. It'll be a buggy experience overall. For example, I'm sure the camera will be a mess on CM/AOSP/A
AZDJedi said:
So...what kind of experiences--good and bad--have you guys had with this phone? Is there good ROM support? It seems like M will be out soon...does that mean the code will also be available for developers? I see a few ROM's available but unfortunately I can't test them out because I don't actually have the phone.
I'm sure I'll have more questions but thought I'd get a discussion going for those interested in sharing their experiences.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's great so far. Running vanilla Android was a nice experience but I got bored. Having a custom UI with the option to use a custom vanilla Android is the perfect place for me. But as I said, right now I have no reason to go vanilla.

5X = 32gig no sd
G4 = sd
I can't live with 32gig so G4 fills all my needs. Stock too.
Sent from my LG-H815 using XDA Free mobile app

Thanks for the input guy! I'm glad to hear that the G4 won't have much ROM support for some time--not that I'm glad for the *lack* of support, I'm just happy that I was informed of this *before* I made my purchase lol. There are some things that vanilla doesn't seem to offer me. Some features are not needed (pie and other recent/quick access features, and others I can't even think of cos I never turn them on in my current ROM lol); however, the ability to alter the power menu, the ability to add custom hardware keys (mainly for flashlight; if not a hardware key, then at least a toggle in the tray, or in the power menu), status bar changes (clock, color, battery % in numbers, double-tap for screen off), led control, etc (perhaps all these can be altered with apps or via Xposed. @onetwelve You said above there could be problems with Xposed because there's no recovery. You mean TWRP recovery? You can't mean that, so I'm confused :s).
The lack of camera support would suck. I am by no means a photographer; the main thing I use my camera for are taking random photos and also taking quick snapshots that require a fast-focus to be achieved. It's frustrating when camera apps don't work properly. I think pretty much every camera is going to be good enough for my purposes. 21MP vs 16MP = whoopdeedoo.
SD card support is not a concern for me. I've lived with 16GB for years and it's almost never been a problem unless I record a bunch of videos before I get home. I don't put music on my device (only audiobooks). Getting a 32GB internal memory phone would be like landing in a pot of gold haha!
My buddy has been nagging me to get an iPhone 6 and jailbreak it--he says I'll never turn back...but I'm not sure, I love Android and don't really wanna learn a whole new interface.

AZDJedi said:
Thanks for the input guy! I'm glad to hear that the G4 won't have much ROM support for some time--not that I'm glad for the *lack* of support, I'm just happy that I was informed of this *before* I made my purchase lol. There are some things that vanilla doesn't seem to offer me. Some features are not needed (pie and other recent/quick access features, and others I can't even think of cos I never turn them on in my current ROM lol); however, the ability to alter the power menu, the ability to add custom hardware keys (mainly for flashlight; if not a hardware key, then at least a toggle in the tray, or in the power menu), status bar changes (clock, color, battery % in numbers, double-tap for screen off), led control, etc (perhaps all these can be altered with apps or via Xposed. @onetwelve You said above there could be problems with Xposed because there's no recovery. You mean TWRP recovery? You can't mean that, so I'm confused :s).
The lack of camera support would suck. I am by no means a photographer; the main thing I use my camera for are taking random photos and also taking quick snapshots that require a fast-focus to be achieved. It's frustrating when camera apps don't work properly. I think pretty much every camera is going to be good enough for my purposes. 21MP vs 16MP = whoopdeedoo.
SD card support is not a concern for me. I've lived with 16GB for years and it's almost never been a problem unless I record a bunch of videos before I get home. I don't put music on my device (only audiobooks). Getting a 32GB internal memory phone would be like landing in a pot of gold haha!
My buddy has been nagging me to get an iPhone 6 and jailbreak it--he says I'll never turn back...but I'm not sure, I love Android and don't really wanna learn a whole new interface.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no custom recovery as in there is none for the G4 variant you most likely will be getting in Canada, as of now. However, there are reports of an unofficial Bootloader unlock method coming for many variants of the G4. It's important to note that in this case you must not take OTA updates or the unofficial unlock method won't work. Anyway, no need to get into detail much.
There's no need for a custom recovery since flash fire is enough to get xposed working.
Btw. Is that a Rick & Morty reference?

Cool, thanks for the info. So it seems even the G4 won't suffice for me ...guess I'll wait for the X5 and see what happens there. I doubt Telus will carry it so I'll have to buy it outright. Support for that is going to be active and functional?
Never watched Rick & Morty...which did you think I was referencing?

AZDJedi said:
Cool, thanks for the info. So it seems even the G4 won't suffice for me ...guess I'll wait for the X5 and see what happens there. I doubt Telus will carry it so I'll have to buy it outright. Support for that is going to be active and functional?
Never watched Rick & Morty...which did you think I was referencing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess you mean the 5X? In this case, yes, you can expect the great minds of XDA to develop for this device and since the 5X is relatively cheap and people tending towards mid-high-range devices, you can expect a big fellowship in the 5X development section and forum in general.
Nvm, I was referring to the "whoopdeedoo". Realized that "whoopdeedoo" is a very common saying. Just binge-finished Rick & Morty but somehow my brain is still processing the information.
EDIT: A Rick & Morty reference would be like, uh, like "Wubba Lubba Dub Dub", or "Get shwifty" or how much "Schmeckles" does the Moto X cost and so forth. Wait, what?

AZDJedi said:
Thanks for the input guy! I'm glad to hear that the G4 won't have much ROM support for some time--not that I'm glad for the *lack* of support, I'm just happy that I was informed of this *before* I made my purchase lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it certainly pays to do your research before you dive in.
There are some things that vanilla doesn't seem to offer me. Some features are not needed (pie and other recent/quick access features, and others I can't even think of cos I never turn them on in my current ROM lol); however, the ability to alter the power menu, the ability to add custom hardware keys (mainly for flashlight; if not a hardware key, then at least a toggle in the tray, or in the power menu), status bar changes (clock, color, battery % in numbers, double-tap for screen off), led control, etc (perhaps all these can be altered with apps or via Xposed. @onetwelve You said above there could be problems with Xposed because there's no recovery. You mean TWRP recovery? You can't mean that, so I'm confused :s).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
am not too knowledgable on the xposed side of things. it was an interaction i had with someone on youtube and they said if you do not have access to kdz, then in case of a boot loop you would not be able to recover. since you're in canada and the carriers there are no better than us carriers, xposed might not be an option unless you REALLY know what you're doing. There's these TOT's instead so somebody more knowledgeable can answer.
The lack of camera support would suck. I am by no means a photographer; the main thing I use my camera for are taking random photos and also taking quick snapshots that require a fast-focus to be achieved. It's frustrating when camera apps don't work properly. I think pretty much every camera is going to be good enough for my purposes. 21MP vs 16MP = whoopdeedoo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, vendors keep cameras very close to their chest. Only stock based roms will preserve camera or lets say are more certain to preserve it.
other stuff is going to be buggy or not work too well. this is down to developers so you end up using 3rd party cameras but its not the same as stock when it comes to cameras.
The cameras on the nexii are pretty good from what i've heard. But I would contend that the lack of OIS is an egregious omission when the last two nexii had it. Maddening! why go to the trouble to develop such a good camera and leave it out (!!!)
This means you will have to have a good handhold to avoid blur or camera shake indoors or in low light. But if the light is enough i think you will be happy with the nexus cameras. They really have come a long way since the Nexus 4. In good light i would not be surprised to see them rivaling the S6/G4 in terms of preservation of details. They are that good. But unfortunately thats it.
Btw the nexii are 12MP shooters. Don't let the mega pickles bother you just check out the photos at the pixel level and see for yourself.
SD card support is not a concern for me. I've lived with 16GB for years and it's almost never been a problem unless I record a bunch of videos before I get home. I don't put music on my device (only audiobooks). Getting a 32GB internal memory phone would be like landing in a pot of gold haha!
My buddy has been nagging me to get an iPhone 6 and jailbreak it--he says I'll never turn back...but I'm not sure, I love Android and don't really wanna learn a whole new interface.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thought the whole point of getting an iphone is that there is no need to do jailbreaking. not nowadays anyway. why would you want to jailbreak ios9 ?

Root exploit

Has anyone else noticed that root is taking longer and longer to drop? I remember note 3 & 4, root dropped before the phone was put up for sale. I think they phone manufacturers and carriers are making it harder and harder to crack bootloaders. It is sad. We pay hundreds of dollars for a device and it really is not yours. They will tell you what they want and don't want you to do with your device.
Solution...... (yes I am dreaming and understand people will not band together)
We all need to stop upgrading and getting new devices. Hit them in the pocketbook. They WILL change their policies.
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

That strategy will never work with such a popular device. There's too few people who are interested in this. The only thing that would work here is legislation.

It's the nature of Android. Not only are devices more secure, but there's fewer and fewer people who desire to root phones these days. Those that do, have mostly moved over to dev-friendly phones like Nexus, Pixel, OnePlus, etc.

There is already a few private exploits for the s8/s8+ but i doubt they will be released

No more than 10% of Android user even know what root is. Manufacturers could care less if you decide not to buy because of lack of root.

since we can flash un-branded firmware on our devices now, i honestly have no desire to root anymore. The only thing i wish is that somehow get the Wi-fi calling and volte to work with the unbranded firmware.

darthmalus said:
since we can flash un-branded firmware on our devices now, i honestly have no desire to root anymore. The only thing i wish is that somehow get the Wi-fi calling and volte to work with the unbranded firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree. With the unlocked firmware and all the themes in the theme store I have no need to root either. Half of the modifications people make for rooted devices are not exactly stable and will cause all sorts of instabilities with the os anyway. I've been rooting all my devices since the galaxy note, galaxy s days. I find it more useful to actually keep all my data on my device instead of flashing and reflashing all the time lol. ?
Sent from my SM-G955U1 using XDA-Developers Legacy app

That's the reason I gave up on Samsung,need root MagnumOpus, Titanium, ROM and kernel mod etc. Google Pixel XL 2.... Come to butthead
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

llawen said:
Has anyone else noticed that root is taking longer and longer to drop? I remember note 3 & 4, root dropped before the phone was put up for sale. I think they phone manufacturers and carriers are making it harder and harder to crack bootloaders. It is sad. We pay hundreds of dollars for a device and it really is not yours. They will tell you what they want and don't want you to do with your device.
Solution...... (yes I am dreaming and understand people will not band together)
We all need to stop upgrading and getting new devices. Hit them in the pocketbook. They WILL change their policies.
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The majority of users don't know what rooting or a bootloader is, so those of us who like to root our phones, unlock the booatloader, use custom ROMs, etc are a very small percentage of the Android user base. As the software has developed, the reasons some individuals ran custom ROMs has been addressed, and those of us who were once diehard modders have slowly lost interest. I know back in my older Android days (LG G2, Galaxy Note 4, etc) I refused to use a device that wasn't running on a custom ROM. Today, I couldn't care less because the issues that drove me to rooting my device and using custom ROMs are no longer there. If I do get the itch to play around with custom ROMs, I can just buy a Nexus or Pixel device to play around with and my itch is satisfied.
The majority of the user base is your typical user who just wants to use the device. Most users care more about features over modability. And once you try out a few ROMs, it's a vicious cycle. I never had a stable device back in my Android KitKat days because I was swapping ROMs every other day. Part of the reason I intentionally buy devices where the bootloader cannot be unlocked, because I know I'll find myself in that same situation again. So just buying a second device and using that as my play-around device, and using my flashy Galaxy S8+ as my main driver is the best solution for me.

The best reason for no root in my opinion is awesome security. I'm happy to see there is no root just yet. Families who use this phone for bills, money trade, etc. need a solid secure phone. On the other hand if your not using this phone for financial data, than it really does suck. It sucks because of the limitations of theming.
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

I've been rooting for many years. Met a bunch of awesome devs and remained friends with them. I can actually say rooting your device has became a thing of the past. Past few phones I've had I didn't root. Just seems like rooting now causes to many problems which is mentioned up above. It's not stable enough to count on when it's way to buggy. Not saying anything about the devs we have today but the devs even back in the day still had bugs. Just seems staying unrooted is the way to go for more stable unbuggy rom to catch an upgrade for more fixes which are stable and add on's.
Sent from my SM-G955U using XDA-Developers Legacy app

Eh, this is the first phone I've had in the past few years that I didn't feel like I needed to root. My previous phone was a Nexus 6p - while pure android and fast security updates was a definite plus, it just didn't have a lot of little features that I liked: theming, close Recents button at the bottom, stuff like that. And I never really felt that the custom kernels provided much better battery life than the stock kernel, which is the only reason that I flashed them in the first place. I'm pretty happy with the customization features present in Samsung's version of android, so I'm fine staying as is. Just being able to change carrier firmwares is enough for me.

This is also the first phone I haven't rooted on day one since the T-Mobile G1. In addition to the Samsung theme store there is now Substratum for Samsung available of which I am currently using Swift Black from the Play Store. Also on XDA there is a thread where you can use layers on your S8 or S8+. In addition to all of the customization the battery life is better than my rooted Nexus 6, best battery life of any phone I've ever had.

root has been achieved, developers are working the package:
Announced by @BotsOne
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=73336318&postcount=1235

The root package hasn't been released yet has it?

GDane1 said:
The root package hasn't been released yet has it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Root has been released for our phones it's a lot of steps but follow everything as it says in the op and you will be fine I rooted first try
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...root-g955u-g955u1-snapdragon-sampwnd-t3658911

This is the first phone since the T-Mobile G1 that I haven't rooted on day one. I feel that there is no need for root on the S8+, we have the Samsung Theme Store and even better we now have Substratum on an unrooted S8+ plus quite a few layer to use for customization.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/substratum/7-0-substratum-sex-tw-beta-t3620796
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8+/themes/substratum-inversion-ui-overlay-overlays-t3604341

I wouldn't buy a phone that I can't install Viper4android and Ti on it.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

True. Security is incremental: little by little security gets better & better building on previous security features. Root is nice, also true. Bootloader unlock would be awesome for development of custom roms/kernels, etc. Here's to hoping!

Nonsense!
I agree with one of you, we should look for dev friendly device.
But it will be so much pain if you face tons of unfriendly bloatware, overheat device and lag even with 4 or 6gb RAM. No matter what root still essential factor to develop friendly firmware.