I was surprised to notice that there is no official version of Lineage OS for the Pixel. Then looking around it just seems like there aren't that many ROMs for the Pixel. And I'm surprised to see that a year after release there still seem to be difficulties with root and using TWRP.
Am I right in perceiving that the Pixel has gotten less development interest than Nexus devices of the past? If so, why?
I ordered a Pixel 2 (to replace my Nexus 4--which has offical lineage support) and was assuming that it would get all the usual developer love that I've exeperienced in the past. Now I'm a bit worried that it will be difficult just to root it and do nandroid backups.
Thanks for any thoughts and observations.
I think they are having issues with the increased security and dual OS partitions. Will take some time.
scottjal said:
I think they are having issues with the increased security and dual OS partitions. Will take some time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I saw that the dual partitions are an issue and the dm-verity check (don't quite understand what that is). But still, the Pixel has been out for a year. Nexus phones usually had tons of development by that point. I imagine if the devs were really into this phone there would be more interest. Especially the lack of official Lineage OS support, the most fundamental of all ROMs. There are unofficial versions of Lineage OS for the Pixel, so it works. I guess that's why I was starting to get the impression that the Pixel is not that popular with the devs (compared to past Nexus devices).
Price doesn't help either, I'm less likely to mess with a phone that costs a grand. Also prices it out of the hands of those that just want to tinker.
I also wonder how much baseline performance plays a role. The Pixel is really quite great out of the box, it's the first phone I've owned in recent times that I haven't had the desire to root, mod, rom, etc. custom roms are generally known to improve the end user experience, can't say that has been my experience on the Pixel and that's a big reason why I've decided stock is best for me.
mlin said:
I also wonder how much baseline performance plays a role. The Pixel is really quite great out of the box, it's the first phone I've owned in recent times that I haven't had the desire to root, mod, rom, etc. custom roms are generally known to improve the end user experience, can't say that has been my experience on the Pixel and that's a big reason why I've decided stock is best for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me ROMs have never been about performance, they are about features. They often have more privacy features and remove some of the pernicious behind the scenes stuff. There are more options for quick settings tiles. You can control the notification LED better. I don't want a total makeover; I'm happy with basically stock Android. But there are a lot of little things that are improvements to me. I guess this is why I especially like Lineage OS, since it is not a heavily modified OS. Also you sometimes get updates for security problems sooner (the once a month standard from Google is pretty lame--in Linux security patches are pushed out the day they are ready). As for rooting, it lets you use the iptables firewall in the Linux kernel and programs like adaway, as well as a root file manager (there are many times I find it useful to browse the system files); there is Titanium backup that is so much more powerful than any other backup tool that requires root; and a rooted device can also often get around issues with tethering. And having a custom recovery like TWRP allows nandroid backups, which have saved me from disaster so many times. So I think even on a phone like the Pixel, there's a lot to be gained from ROMs, rooting, minor mods, a custom recovery.
Anyway, I guess maybe it is just about the cost of the Pixel. Or perhaps the complexity of the dual partitions--are the Pixel phones the only ones that do this? I wonder what new phones get the most developer attention these days, if it's not the Pixels.
No, there's significantly less development, regardless of what a few users say (when I mentioned it a week ago after coming from a 6P, people were shocked when I said there's no development lol). I had to point out that 5 ROMs does not even compare to the 30 ROMs of the 6P.
At first, the pixel seemed like a downgrade to me. But after using it a week or so, it is a little smoother I got, and has better battery life, which is awesome. But those are about the only pros. Camera on mine is the same quality as the 6P, and I can't get used to the crappy downfiring speakers (last 2 devices had dual front facing).
All in all, it's an ok phone. It's about 2" taller than it should be, due to Google love affair with gigantic bezels. Haha. But sometimes using a bezeless phone one handed if tough, because your thumb can't reach the navbar.
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
cb474 said:
For me ROMs have never been about performance, they are about features. They often have more privacy features and remove some of the pernicious behind the scenes stuff. There are more options for quick settings tiles. You can control the notification LED better. I don't want a total makeover; I'm happy with basically stock Android. But there are a lot of little things that are improvements to me. I guess this is why I especially like Lineage OS, since it is not a heavily modified OS. Also you sometimes get updates for security problems sooner (the once a month standard from Google is pretty lame--in Linux security patches are pushed out the day they are ready). As for rooting, it lets you use the iptables firewall in the Linux kernel and programs like adaway, as well as a root file manager (there are many times I find it useful to browse the system files); there is Titanium backup that is so much more powerful than any other backup tool that requires root; and a rooted device can also often get around issues with tethering. And having a custom recovery like TWRP allows nandroid backups, which have saved me from disaster so many times. So I think even on a phone like the Pixel, there's a lot to be gained from ROMs, rooting, minor mods, a custom recovery.
Anyway, I guess maybe it is just about the cost of the Pixel. Or perhaps the complexity of the dual partitions--are the Pixel phones the only ones that do this? I wonder what new phones get the most developer attention these days, if it's not the Pixels.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While custom ROMs may not be about performance to you, I know that it is to others. I think there are a lot of variables at play, and I don't discount the out of the box experience as one of them. Take that custom ROMs are prone to decreased stability, especially with the Pixel and the argument for advantages of custom ROMs gets diminished fairly quickly. Unless of course you must have all the frivolous tweaks at the cost of stability and performance.
mlin said:
I also wonder how much baseline performance plays a role. The Pixel is really quite great out of the box, it's the first phone I've owned in recent times that I haven't had the desire to root, mod, rom, etc. custom roms are generally known to improve the end user experience, can't say that has been my experience on the Pixel and that's a big reason why I've decided stock is best for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, this phone is pretty hard to improve on. I'm missing all the flashing and tweaking but I'm coming to the conclusion that stock is the ticket. The stock firmware doesn't feel like a compromise anymore, it feels like it works best. With payment via phone and bank accounts on board, security is also an issue I've not worried about before but I guess I need to deal with.
mlin said:
While custom ROMs may not be about performance to you, I know that it is to others. I think there are a lot of variables at play, and I don't discount the out of the box experience as one of them. Take that custom ROMs are prone to decreased stability, especially with the Pixel and the argument for advantages of custom ROMs gets diminished fairly quickly. Unless of course you must have all the frivolous tweaks at the cost of stability and performance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't say no one cares about performance. In fact, I only said that there are a lot of things ROMs do other than performance, so even if that issue is less with a phone like the Pixel, it hardly negates the many and varied reasons that people like ROMs. So I was just suggesting that reducing it all to performance as the fundamental issue, I think, oversimplifies how varied and complicated the custom ROM community of users and devs is.
Anyway, my main question in the OP wasn't really why do people like or dislike custom ROMs, nor was it do they think they are unnecessary for the Pixel. My main question was, do people think my perception is correct that devs are less interested in the Pixel than in past Nexus phones?
Personally, I believe not all developers are created equal. The pixel design and new os introduced complexities beyond the abilities of the cut and paste developer. The truly talented developers are either still hard at work or have concluded, no not worth it.
Who knows?
There are many roms out there. There are just not on xda anymore.
Development is just so much harder on the pixel, so we need to wait till the first running custom rom is out there so the other devs can pick from there. It's already been working hard on it.
Development is not so high cause a dev need the device and not every dev has the money to buy a 1000 $ device every year.
Hopefully some developers fell into some pixels when Google started giving them out as replacements for 6Ps. We'll have to wait and see.
I still suck at G+. I can't get the hang of how to search it for roms, or even how to actually get the rom, when I know a developer has one on their page. I wish Google could have tried out the service before they released it, maybe they would have noticed how difficult it can be - or maybe it's just the developers and how they organize their page...who knows.
Sent from my SM-T330 using Tapatalk
Related
I'm new here, just wanted to say thanks for providing such a great place for HTC EVO information.
I came from the iPhone 3G to the HTC EVO a week or so ago. I had my 3G jailbroken for the main reason I wanted access to applications Apple didn't allow. However, I do love tweaking my phone and it was fun having root access to the file system to put in custom ringtones, etc..
Now that I'm on Android, I have access to any application I want without having to do anything special (main reason I switched, despite the obvious difference in the number of apps available on Android). I love the idea of custom ROMS, but right now it seems a lot of them have various issues like battery drainage or 4G not working correctly.
I'm aware that HTC just recently released the EVO source so it will take some time to migrate code over to improve performance but right now I just don't see much of advantage in rooting your phone. Custom boot loaders are cool, and a few apps seem nice to have if you are rooted, but not much else.
Am I missing something or will is it really not worth wiping all your data and rooting your phone right now? Is it just a matter of some time before the ROMs to improve on such a new phone?
there are pros and there are cons sure.
some roms will boast a better battery life, some will boast better performance, what have you.
many people root just so they can use wireless tether which is as good as any reason to root.
ive personally found the custom roms have cool features which will in the end detract from the main idea its a phone and at the end of the day (For me, where phones and data connection are important) needs to work as a phone.
Im currently using baked snack and i find it provides a better battery life than other roms ive tried, and i can wireless tether which for me is enough at the moment.
edit to say:
over time the roms will get better, more features will be implemented, more options available and better overall performance. the devs here are amazing they really truly are and the only direction to go at this point is up.
Can anyone confirm there HOX hasnt set on fire? Just kidding - I started this thread because I want to know if other user experiences on different Roms are the same as mine.
Firstly / CyanogenMod base roms - super fast lag free but for me super hot cpu and massive battery drain. I mean massive, not usable prob 8-10 hrs if you dont use. 4-5hrs if you turn the screen on for 30-40 minutes and when you do the cpu gets hot, really hot. 75 degree Celsius. Battery hot as well. My experience is based on paranoid android and it tends to get hot while charging as well. I do not think heat is a very good compatriot to your hardware.
JB Sense roms - cool battery & great endurance times. Havent had to check on cpu temp because all great in this department, BUT not without problems in other area's. "Laggy", not any improvement from ics if anything worse. Leedroid was better than the current sense base rom i have now. But InsertCoin JB out dose ICS in the battery life. Wifi hogging which there is now a supposable fix with the latest firmware update. But it doesn't take much reading within the JB forums to find new sets of problems with the new firmware update. Which brings me to my conclusion.
Trade offs - all in all when you take into account the hassle of firmware updates that resolve one problem but bring another and the list of differences between JB sense base and CyanogenMod base roms, for me there always seems to be this trade off. There's sacrifices and consequences to both sides of the fence. IF only the developers could merge these two different bases we would have a wonderful android experience. At the moment I am finding this all to be too much work. The constant updates, full-wipes, re-flashing, trials and more trials all adds up to a lot of time and effort and is only going to drive me away from the beautiful, lovely HOX. I have the nexus 7 which does not give me all the work. You try the roms of choice and are able to live with it. Now I am thinking the nexus 4 is the way to go.
I cannot write code and know nothing about developing and I know the developers answer to all this is the hboot firmware and htc as the problem. But I question you this if you are a developer listening. Why is there a fence between CyanogenMod and Sense when both of you are using the same firmware? If one of you brought the two together you would make a killing.:highfive:
Off subject - what does Member - OP mean. On Probation.
cm10 runs great for me, but it would be nice if the compass worked
Sent from my One X using xda premium
seltheair said:
cm10 runs great for me, but it would be nice if the compass worked
Sent from my One X using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes another trade off. I cannot live without sense camera and descent weather app.
HTC kernels have the best battery life, so until the HTC JB kernel source code is released, AOSP based ROMs will likely have worse battery life.
As much as everybody likes to deride HTC coders, they actually do a pretty good job. You may also find that the AOSP governors are geared more for performance than battery life, and changing the governor might help.
Ultimately battery life and performance IS the trade-off. Of course, pure optimisations are always possible, but often it's just moving the trade-off point.
BenPope said:
HTC kernels have the best battery life, so until the HTC JB kernel source code is released, AOSP based ROMs will likely have worse battery life.
As much as everybody likes to deride HTC coders, they actually do a pretty good job. You may also find that the AOSP governors are geared more for performance than battery life, and changing the governor might help.
Ultimately battery life and performance IS the trade-off. Of course, pure optimisations are always possible, but often it's just moving the trade-off point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your explanation. It goes a long way in helping understand, especially the point moving the trade off point.
I know the developers are very skilled and I am not clever enough to deride them. But from a consumers point of view, unless you buy a fully unlocked device you are in for a long sometimes arduous learning curb especially if you unlock your device in preparation for using these custom Roms.
I among st my friends was the first to discover this world of android. Cant remember the htc phone it was on at the time, it was a bit sluggish. But immediately I new it was a winner. Soon as google linked there name to a phone i knew it was time to jump on board with the nexus one. I think there may have been 5-10,000 apps.
Hell a lot of people if not most cannot afford the time or energy to learn. I have found it fascinating but also have now realized how much time android consumes. To much.
My opinion for what its worth, can only see this not getting any better. And unless one jumps back into the nexus range, windows is looking like the better deal. Windows is sure to gain market share and along with it comes all the apps. Almost guaranteed with windows and its structures will see far less aggravation and things will just work and at speed. There wont be these trade offs. Android needs to pull it together and change strategy fast because on the present cause that big lump Steve Balmer was right. Android is just darn to complicated for most users.
Its not complicated and its fun but im sad to say, there comes a time when there is no time and you are going to want something that just works and it still isn't Apple.
Androids future should be getting rid of these trade offs. 75-80 degree Celsius should not exist as a trade off for performance and please don't say try another kernel.
Change course- make things just work! Stop these half baked Roms. Give us the real thing. I would be happy to pay for that......
veroby said:
Thanks for your explanation. It goes a long way in helping understand, especially the point moving the trade off point.
I know the developers are very skilled and I am not clever enough to deride them. But from a consumers point of view, unless you buy a fully unlocked device you are in for a long sometimes arduous learning curb especially if you unlock your device in preparation for using these custom Roms.
I among st my friends was the first to discover this world of android. Cant remember the htc phone it was on at the time, it was a bit sluggish. But immediately I new it was a winner. Soon as google linked there name to a phone i knew it was time to jump on board with the nexus one. I think there may have been 5-10,000 apps.
Hell a lot of people if not most cannot afford the time or energy to learn. I have found it fascinating but also have now realized how much time android consumes. To much.
My opinion for what its worth, can only see this not getting any better. And unless one jumps back into the nexus range, windows is looking like the better deal. Windows is sure to gain market share and along with it comes all the apps. Almost guaranteed with windows and its structures will see far less aggravation and things will just work and at speed. There wont be these trade offs. Android needs to pull it together and change strategy fast because on the present cause that big lump Steve Balmer was right. Android is just darn to complicated for most users.
Its not complicated and its fun but im sad to say, there comes a time when there is no time and you are going to want something that just works and it still isn't Apple.
Androids future should be getting rid of these trade offs. 75-80 degree Celsius should not exist as a trade off for performance and please don't say try another kernel.
Change course- make things just work! Stop these half baked Roms. Give us the real thing. I would be happy to pay for that......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I first got my HOX (I had it pre ordered) and I unlocked and tried my first ROM, viper X or leedroid I think (can't remember) , since then and the available roms now, there is a HUGE improvement. Just the fact that I can install another OS on my phone is awesome...Give it time and there will be perfect Roms. But that said, any software, there are bound to be some bugs.... Yes it is time consuming testing different roms but you can generally find out from the forum if its worth the effort before downloading and flashing...
Sent from my HTC One X using xda app-developers app
shinigamikris said:
When I first got my HOX (I had it pre ordered) and I unlocked and tried my first ROM, viper X or leedroid I think (can't remember) , since then and the available roms now, there is a HUGE improvement. Just the fact that I can install another OS on my phone is awesome...Give it time and there will be perfect Roms. But that said, any software, there are bound to be some bugs.... Yes it is time consuming testing different roms but you can generally find out from the forum if its worth the effort before downloading and flashing...
Sent from my HTC One X using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you saying you have experienced some of the bugs. Would be nice to know which one's. I love and enjoy my hox as well but there comes a point with time. You obviously have lots of. My prediction is windows is coming and rather than taking a huge bite of Apple it will be at androids expense. These Roms are to buggy.
Hi folks, I purchase a LG Nexux 5X and will arrive soon and was wondering where should I start modding it.
I have done several mods in other phones and on the gear 2 neo, so I know how to use odin and some adb functions.
I usually don't tamper with a new phone unless it is really slow or annoying me with some bug, but would like to know if there are some minor tweaks I can begin to tinker with that will enhance my overall experience with this phone.
Thanks in advance
Best Regards.
-Ich
Icharius said:
Hi folks, I purchase a LG Nexux 5X and will arrive soon and was wondering where should I start modding it.
I have done several mods in other phones and on the gear 2 neo, so I know how to use odin and some adb functions.
I usually don't tamper with a new phone unless it is really slow or annoying me with some bug, but would like to know if there are some minor tweaks I can begin to tinker with that will enhance my overall experience with this phone.
Thanks in advance
Best Regards.
-Ich
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Getting my Nexus 5X tomorrow but currently use a Nexus 5. With any Nexus you want to start off with setting up the Android SDK and all the Nexus drivers on your computer so if something does go south, you are ready to fix it with the factory images. The first thing I am going to do with mine is put Android N on it since I haven't had the chance to try it yet. Then root and most likely be happy with that for a while. Since Android N will probably be officially released soon, I'm sure that's when a lot of stuff will start happening around here. Hopefully Xposed will get updated to work with it. If so, that will be my setup. Stock, rooted and Xposed. That's basically what I have been running on my Nexus 5 for a while now. But if you want to try out custom ROMs, there are those too.
jsgraphicart said:
Getting my Nexus 5X tomorrow but currently use a Nexus 5. With any Nexus you want to start off with setting up the Android SDK and all the Nexus drivers on your computer so if something does go south, you are ready to fix it with the factory images. The first thing I am going to do with mine is put Android N on it since I haven't had the chance to try it yet. Then root and most likely be happy with that for a while. Since Android N will probably be officially released soon, I'm sure that's when a lot of stuff will start happening around here. Hopefully Xposed will get updated to work with it. If so, that will be my setup. Stock, rooted and Xposed. That's basically what I have been running on my Nexus 5 for a while now. But if you want to try out custom ROMs, there are those too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your reply. good advice to save the original rom image! I will probably root too, because I usually OC my phones hopefully that won't be so much a hassle.
If I were you, I wouldn't OC at all. Snapdragon 800 series likes to overheat and throttle itself, making it slower than usual.
Icharius said:
Hi folks, I purchase a LG Nexux 5X and will arrive soon and was wondering where should I start modding it.
I have done several mods in other phones and on the gear 2 neo, so I know how to use odin and some adb functions.
I usually don't tamper with a new phone unless it is really slow or annoying me with some bug, but would like to know if there are some minor tweaks I can begin to tinker with that will enhance my overall experience with this phone.
Thanks in advance
Best Regards.
-Ich
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the N5X for several months.
I previously had the N4, N5, and OnePlus One (still have it, wife uses it).
I used stock, I used to flash ROMs at least twice a week minimum (same on the other devices). Various ROMs, to test their performance, their tweaks, their perks, their battery life... you name it.
However, flashing ROMs and trying out various mods feels very much like living on the road with your backpack on, rather than staying at home and having a steady job. Because while flashing ROMs, you don't always re-install all the things you had (Even if you backup with Titanium Backup, as some things don't survive data restore very well). Last week I made the decision to go stock and stay stock (well, not really, I went stock Android N Preview 5, which will receive OTA to full Nugget in about a month).
I have to tell you... I don't quite feel any difference other than losing a feature or two. Speed is still great; snappiness is snappy, no bugs and no issues. It feels great even though its encypted (by default), while all this time I was certain being un-unecrypted made the device any snappier; that was just a placebo I guess.
So yeah, you can go ahead and flash a custom ROM (or many of them!), but don't do it for improved performance. Stock performance is truly awesome, and while some ROMs make it better, for sure - it's not THAT better, not in any noticeable way. Do it for features, do it for fun, do it for curiosity, DO IT! But just know the simple truth that Stock Android 6 and definitely 7 are so good and bug-less, that there is no need to get customized to resolve any bugs or performance issues; there are none.
thenessus said:
I have the N5X for several months.
I previously had the N4, N5, and OnePlus One (still have it, wife uses it).
I used stock, I used to flash ROMs at least twice a week minimum (same on the other devices). Various ROMs, to test their performance, their tweaks, their perks, their battery life... you name it.
However, flashing ROMs and trying out various mods feels very much like living on the road with your backpack on, rather than staying at home and having a steady job. Because while flashing ROMs, you don't always re-install all the things you had (Even if you backup with Titanium Backup, as some things don't survive data restore very well). Last week I made the decision to go stock and stay stock (well, not really, I went stock Android N Preview 5, which will receive OTA to full Nugget in about a month).
I have to tell you... I don't quite feel any difference other than losing a feature or two. Speed is still great; snappiness is snappy, no bugs and no issues. It feels great even though its encypted (by default), while all this time I was certain being un-unecrypted made the device any snappier; that was just a placebo I guess.
So yeah, you can go ahead and flash a custom ROM (or many of them!), but don't do it for improved performance. Stock performance is truly awesome, and while some ROMs make it better, for sure - it's not THAT better, not in any noticeable way. Do it for features, do it for fun, do it for curiosity, DO IT! But just know the simple truth that Stock Android 6 and definitely 7 are so good and bug-less, that there is no need to get customized to resolve any bugs or performance issues; there are none.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree. I used to root and ROM the crap out of phones but with the 5X I've stayed stock. Yeah, I see more ads now and miss Viper4Android but I spend no time F-ing with the phone and all the time just using it. No gyrations to go though to install monthly security updates or trying to get banking apps to work with root (like Android pay). Try it stock for a while.
przemcio510 said:
If I were you, I wouldn't OC at all. Snapdragon 800 series likes to overheat and throttle itself, making it slower than usual.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was reading that thermal problem post, it does present an issue to me because when I ride a bike I usually have the phone on the handle in a rubber case exposed to the sun and the heat that can easily reach over 35°. Thanks for the heads up.
thenessus said:
But just know the simple truth that Stock Android 6 and definitely 7 are so good and bug-less, that there is no need to get customized to resolve any bugs or performance issues; there are none.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hear you, I have prolonged the life of my smartphones more than it should, by tweaking and using customs roms. I have had only 2 other SP in the spam of 6 years and had never had to be subject to a phone/data plan. I just ride the wifis signal or pay per use the 3g signal. Even-thought this LG is not a big inversion in itself, I hope I can squeeze several years of it and the old practice of using custom roms, seems kind of pointless or not worth the trouble considering as you say the stock is as good.
adobeman said:
Agree. . Try it stock for a while.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh I will! there's so much I can do with it as it is, it seems.
Hi all,
For about 8 years I've enjoyed having Android devices and modding them. I've been on ATT during most of that time and have gone with whatever flagship Samsung had at the time. My current device is a very dated GS5 and honestly from the locked bootloader to what I feel is disappointing hardware I decided a while ago that I would be trying a different manufacturer next. Right now ATT's android offerings are lacking to be generous. So I decided to buy the first off contract phone in a while an unlocked Moto Z Play.
I decided a long time ago that the best thing to do was purchase a flagship model no matter what but the lack of a headphone jack in the force and the battery capacity of the Play made me go this route. I don't do mobile games I just want a seamless experience from apps to browsing content heavy Internt pages.
If I do a total strip, unlock, root and flash of my Moto Z Play using a stable kernel and good ROM build will it make me feel good about my purchase?
Thanks in advance
Considering how the phone at stock is and what you want from it: "I just want a seamless experience from apps to browsing content heavy Internt pages", how is it not performing that?
Your post is very confusing. Other than it not being a "Flagship" phone, you offer no actual issues you are having with the z Play. Here's what I like about The Z Play. Like you, I only ever had Flagship Sammys. My last 2 Were Note 7. After I returned it I decided to get this phone to hold me over until the Note 8. This battery is insane. Yesterday I had almost 7 hours of SOT and the battery was at 50%, the screen brightness at 50% as well . Other than heavy gaming, there's no noticeable difference in the chip performance from the 820 in the Flagship phones. The stock system /UI takes a little bit to get used to if you had one of the more recent Samsung phones, which you haven't. The battery mod I got with this phone is great for a little extra juice on the rare occasions I need it. Overall, this is a solid phone with a great price tag.
Unless you have a particular need for a root-required feature (ad blocking options, certain apps) or you aren't willing to wait a little bit for Nougat, you probably will lose more than you gain by rooting and romming. Unlock kills your warranty, and depending on where you go ROM wise, you'll lose Android pay and anything else that requires safety net, unless you go one of the few routes that seem to support magisk.
Performance wise there doesn't appear to be much gain at this point, and if you go to a non stock based custom ROM, you may have camera issues, and you definitely lose Moto mod support.
The stock ROM on this phone is pretty clean, just includes the Moto stuff that is pretty functional for minimal overhead for most people, and you can always turn it off if you don't like it. Throwing in an SD card more than makes up for the small amount of extra storage you gain from a mild debloat.
Based on your post, I didn't see anything that indicates you would benefit from root and ROM. Keep it stock. It's awesome.
The MZP is a great performer and everything is smooth, except demanding 3d games (regular 3d games are just fine). Don't recommend messing with the firmware
Also, wait till you see how long it goes on a charge
It's the most powerful 32-bit phone ever.
Judging by the tone of some people I guess I stepped on some toes. I'm sorry if my post triggered you.
I don't even have the phone yet so yeah, maybe it'll be everything and more I could ever dream of in a device right out of the box. Who knows.
Thanks to the folks who provided some helpful info I very much appreciate it.
adam_l_c said:
Judging by the tone of some people I guess I stepped on some toes. I'm sorry if my post triggered you.
I don't even have the phone yet so yeah, maybe it'll be everything and more I could ever dream of in a device right out of the box. Who knows.
Thanks to the folks who provided some helpful info I very much appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will not be disappointed. This is the first phone I have where I don't really see the need to change anything. Buttery smooth, great battery out of the box and it has nougat already.
Maybe root to install adaway but i now use dns66 thanks to whoever recommend it to me a few days back and that too is gone.
I'm used to owning Nexus phones.
The Moto Z play combines raw Android along with Moto actions which are pretty great. It's a premium feel, build and design. I average between 10-14 hours SOT....The battery life is untouchable
vietkao said:
Maybe root to install adaway but i now use dns66 thanks to whoever recommend it to me a few days back and that too is gone.
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It was me. Glad to hear it is working fine for you.
There are still two points which make rooting advantageous if you are not interested in modifying the system. First is, backup is difficult if you have no access to your own data stored by the apps. There is a way (adb), but it is not that convenient compared with Titanium backup. Second is, if you copy or move files, the timestamp can't be kept without root. You can't sort files by age once you move them, and syncing and revision control gets more difficult.
@adam-l-c I'd also say stripping should be done carefully if it is really seen as necessary. There often are services waiting for another service. If you only disable or remove one service and don't recognize the dependant, it may cause system load. You seem to have an idea what you're doing, so I wish you good luck and would be glad to hear what you find is really worth disabling. The device is working smooth as it is, at least for me (still using Marshmallow).
Believe it or not I gave my unlocked pixel XL to my wife and took her Moto z play. I needed proper ms exchange services that AOSP doesn't have. Nougat would be nice. The pixel camera is slightly better. The z is pretty heavy but built like a tank. Typical Moto. I don't notice the lower res screen or slower processor. I live in a world of good enough apparently.
tag68 said:
It was me. Glad to hear it is working fine for you.
There are still two points which make rooting advantageous if you are not interested in modifying the system. First is, backup is difficult if you have no access to your own data stored by the apps. There is a way (adb), but it is not that convenient compared with Titanium backup. Second is, if you copy or move files, the timestamp can't be kept without root. You can't sort files by age once you move them, and syncing and revision control gets more difficult.
@adam-l-c I'd also say stripping should be done carefully if it is really seen as necessary. There often are services waiting for another service. If you only disable or remove one service and don't recognize the dependant, it may cause system load. You seem to have an idea what you're doing, so I wish you good luck and would be glad to hear what you find is really worth disabling. The device is working smooth as it is, at least for me (still using Marshmallow).
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ADB backup does not work on the lastest Moto phones, AFAICT. Ditto Helium which is just a front end for same. ADB disable apps quit working with one of our patches, December I think, VZW anyway.
TY for DNS66 mention.
To Op,
Moto pulled a whopper on this phone. While the screen brightness is better for daylight viewing on the sisters and they have VR and better gaming. Yet I would not trade to those.
adam_l_c said:
Judging by the tone of some people I guess I stepped on some toes.
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You're not stepping on anyone's toes. Sounds like you're a bit sensitive.. People are just saying how good the phone is and I agree with them.
It's fast, battery life is damn good, and Moto actions are pretty awesome.
Nice performance
Awesome battery life
Gaming is also fine
I am about to get a pixel 3a as i was told it has a good modding scene and was wondering where to start the process when i get the phone, My endgoal is a custom Rom running that doesnt effect any of the stock features but adds a bit of personalisation and Root so i can get apps that require it
sorry if this comes across demanding im just lost in all the forums
You were horribly misinformed. The 3axl is a great phone but has little modding support compared to other phones. You basically have 2 solid custom rooms and about 3 custom kernels. I came from an n6 way back when and they're is no comparison for modding.
That said i personally believe the reason there is less modding on this phone is twofold
1) it runs really well on stock... No glaring issues that need fixing
2) this is not and never will be a nexus, the target audience is different. This is supposed to Target the audience that wants a good quality phone with a great camera and no muss no fuss.
adm1jtg said:
You were horribly misinformed. The 3axl is a great phone but has little modding support compared to other phones. You basically have 2 solid custom rooms and about 3 custom kernels. I came from an n6 way back when and they're is no comparison for modding.
That said i personally believe the reason there is less modding on this phone is twofold
1) it runs really well on stock... No glaring issues that need fixing
2) this is not and never will be a nexus, the target audience is different. This is supposed to Target the audience that wants a good quality phone with a great camera and no muss no fuss.
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If i still wanted to root the phone just for a few root apps are they supported (wifikiller, lucky patcher, greenify)
and if not how is the normal pixel 3 modding
JamBox. said:
If i still wanted to root the phone just for a few root apps are they supported (wifikiller, lucky patcher, greenify)
and if not how is the normal pixel 3 modding
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I am seeing a pattern in your questions. On the 3a xl with pure stock most people can see 6 hours sot or so. With just a custom kernel some have seen 8. Thus, most, myself included, no longer mess with those programs any more.
Btw, i wouldn't mention lp again in forums you might get banned
Yeah, battery life is so stellar on this phone, don't need greenify and apps like that. I don't even check betterbatterystats anymore since I don't have battery anxiety or reason to research battery usage.
The fact that there is no working TWRP is probably the biggest reason the modding community for this phone is so limited.
DriveEuro said:
Yeah, battery life is so stellar on this phone, don't need greenify and apps like that. I don't even check betterbatterystats anymore since I don't have battery anxiety or reason to research battery usage.
The fact that there is no working TWRP is probably the biggest reason the modding community for this phone is so limited.
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I disagree. My last phone was an og pixel xl. It still had twrp far as i know and it also had fairly limited custom rom support. Either way this is a fantastic phone but may not be the right choice for a flashaholic.
This phones biggest strength is that it has great battery and camera and it just works.