Do any of the roms here work (easily) with Google Fi? - Samsung Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra Questions &

I just got an S20 5G from Google, model G981U1. I'm coming from another Google fi phone, an LG g7 thinq, and apart from the terrible battery life, aging os (android 9) and general slowness, it is way better in the UI department.
I'm particular, the Samsung phones out of the box don't come with a way to access visual voicemail features, even though they are "designed for Fi." plus the Samsung ui hides or moves half the system setting I want changed. The LG phone I had before had a more or less stock android ui, and I liked that MUCH better.
Are any of the rom releases here "compatible" with Fi, in that they come with the stock Google phone and message apps baked in, which I believe allows visual voicemail/wifi calling to work?

Related

Define "the Google Experience"

Maybe I'm missing something. People talk about The Google Experience a lot in this forum. For me that sounds like saying "I don't install programs on my PC because I like the pure Windows experience."
I guess for me, the Google Experience just means that AT&T doesn't get to molest my phone with their apps, weird settings or worst of all, imprint their name indelibly on the front of my phone. To a much lesser extent, it means that I don;t have to worry about TouchWiz.
Is there more to it than that? What does it mean to you?
For me, it means Android as Google designed it, rather than how manufacturers think it should be to separate their phones from the competition and it means an unlockable boot loader out of the box without having to register with the manufacturer. It also means no carrier pre installed apps except stuff necessary for the phone to operate on their network.
When you buy a PC, you don't get manufacturer customized versions of Windows. You get the same Windows no matter what system you buy, so manufacturers compete on hardware, extras, etc. Sure, manufacturers pre load apps on Windows installations, but the fundamental UI remains the same.
Unfortunately the only way to get Android the way Google designed it is to either get a Nexus, or get some cheap budget Android device that uses the stock UI because its hardware can't handle anything more than that.
It's a shame that for each new major version of Android, Google needs to issue a Google-experience de ice to showcase the raw vanilla UI, but alas that's reality.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
You mean pure Android Experience.
But I agree with you on most counts.
Pure Google experience is just that, pure.. Foundation for customization. Everything is built on top, if you strip any android phone down to the bones you''ll get get pure android, AOSP sitting on top of the Kernel. Some like it, some don't, some prefer something else. That's the way I look and understand it maybe I'm wrong in thinking this way.
Most of the replies have focused on the Android experience. I think the Google experience can also mean that you use many of the Google services (search, reader, drive, gtalk, voice, etc). Using all of this is easier on an Android phone vs iOS because of the apps and single sign on.
Simply put, not only do carriers install apps and themes, such as their custom interfaces (touch wiz sense); but they go further into the operating system. They edit and tweak various code in the underlying OS (framework kernel mods), block stock features like AT&T removing the option to install non market apps. Install tracking software however invasive you allow yourself to believe it to be (carrier iq). Ultimately these developers for the carriers and manufacturers might not be as good as the Google developers. Having used a phone both with and without having carrier iq installed (og epic) i know it performed significantly faster sans the carrier code. Pure google is just that, the code and features that Google released, not touched by outside developers which a majority of its code is still in every spin off to be found. The question is does your potential rom enhance that experience or hinder the phone from what it performed stock.
Sent from my Sprint Galaxy Nexus
-Everything i post is opinion based on my experiences and should be taken a such.
dreamsforgotten said:
Simply put, not only do carriers install apps and themes, such as their custom interfaces (touch wiz sense);
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Carriers do not install custom interfaces, the OEMs do. The carriers can decide the layout, color scheme, and features of the interface, but the skins and overlays are all on Samsung, HTC, Moto, etc. There was a regional carrier that had a phone with the stock Google experience on a device that was skinned on other carriers, so the carrier can also specify to remove the overlays as well.
As for what Google Experience is, look at stock ICS and that is the Google experience. Nothing on the phone that isn't coded by Google,except for a couple items from VZW on their Nexus, which are easily disabled and removed with no change in functionality. All apps come from Google that are installed, and if you want more features or functionality, you choose it from the market or elsewhere. You don't use other services if you don't want to, and you aren't forced to have them either.
Its more of a minimalist philosophy. Simplistically having nothing but the core functions I use, which happen to be a load of Google apps, is what its all about. Then having all that extra ram resources not wasted on crap and fully available to my usage needs only. Its the less is more theory, elegant yet functional on the basic core stuff.
RogerPodacter said:
Its more of a minimalist philosophy. Simplistically having nothing but the core functions I use, which happen to be a load of Google apps, is what its all about. Then having all that extra ram resources not wasted on crap and fully available to my usage needs only. Its the less is more theory, elegant yet functional on the basic core stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is pretty right on. I think you will find, generally, that the people who like stock Android like it because they subscribe, as Google does, to the design philosophy that less is more. Therein lies my problem with custom Android implementations, both at the OEM and open source level. So many of them throw in everything AND the kitchen sink. I find that pointless.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Archpope said:
Maybe I'm missing something. People talk about The Google Experience a lot in this forum. For me that sounds like saying "I don't install programs on my PC because I like the pure Windows experience."
I guess for me, the Google Experience just means that AT&T doesn't get to molest my phone with their apps, weird settings or worst of all, imprint their name indelibly on the front of my phone. To a much lesser extent, it means that I don;t have to worry about TouchWiz.
Is there more to it than that? What does it mean to you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google Experience:
GSM Quad/Pentaband
Completely Unlocked (fastboot oem unlock)
No bloatware or custom skins
Instantly getting the newest Android version
----
This is basically what defines the "Google Experience"
There are also many specific things about the phone that add to the Google Experience.
oldblue910 said:
This is pretty right on. I think you will find, generally, that the people who like stock Android like it because they subscribe, as Google does, to the design philosophy that less is more. Therein lies my problem with custom Android implementations, both at the OEM and open source level. So many of them throw in everything AND the kitchen sink. I find that pointless.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It actually goes with Google's whole design. Ever notice how most Google services like Gmail are functional but not really flashy so much and sometimes a tad bland, like Gmail for many years in the beginning. More about simple to use rather than fancy and fully loaded. This is slowly changing though.
In my opinion, having a Nexus device is a much better experience than using a device that has had an AOSP ROM ported or kanged. I can't remember which phone(s) it was but I remember a carrier adding apps to an AOSP ROM as well as another one themeing their overlay to look like it AOSP. Lame.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
DeezNotes said:
In my opinion, having a Nexus device is a much better experience than using a device that has had an AOSP ROM ported or kanged. I can't remember which phone(s) it was but I remember a carrier adding apps to an AOSP ROM as well as another one themeing their overlay to look like it AOSP. Lame.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The HTC G2 (great phone BTW) and LG G2X both ran stock Android builds, but they were loaded up with T-Mobile bloatware. Maybe those are the phones you were thinking of?
Google Experience to me:
Turning a phone on without having to see a app draw full of apps that are trial versions or just plain bloat (Verizon loads Tunewiki on my Thunderbolt by default, I will never touch this app but unless I root there is absolutely no way to remove it, it will inevitably launch and eat up my resources, not cool).
Not seeing some OEM skin. I like android's stock look, I like that I can get different launchers to change it up a bit but stock android is still the best to me. If I need extra features there is always the Play store, where I can download what I WANT, not be forced to have widgets out of the ass that I will never use.
I really feel like I could go on forever but I will stop there and just get to the point, when I turned on my Nexus I saw an open canvas, there was nothing on it but I could see the potential. If I wanted to keep it to only a few apps I could, if I wanted to load it with features and apps and go the whole 9 yards I also could. Basically to me the "Google Experience" is choice. Being able to turn the phone on and just do what I want with it without being told you have to use this skin or you have to have these apps preinstalled. Yes I know I can root (And always do) to remove the bloat but that doesn't remove the OEM skin (Unless I install a kanged AOSP ROM which almost always have a bug or two) but why should I have to? This is my phone, right? I just payed up to $700 to own it, I should be able to do what I want with it from the get go, and make it mine.
Sadly, not enough people see Android for what it is. The see bloated up phones, that run slow 2 months down the road, they see 4 different "Versions (OEM skins)" of Android and don't know which is which. They don't experience Android as it was meant to be experienced, which to me is way better than any iProduct could ever be.
For me the Pure Google Experience means being a good 'lil soldier and using my phone in such a way that adds useful info to their databases.
My Google Experience :
US first
Rest of the world : months later

LG Stock without LG look

I have a lot of experience with Linux but despite having similar roots, Linux and Android are certainly very different beasts so I have a pretty noob question...
Would it be technically possible to easily create a ROM based on LG Stock, like Fulmics, but without the LG style and bloat? Basically LG Framework and camera but the rest (settings, dialer, icons, everything else) is pure stock Android.
For doing that You have to port google stock android app to lg g3 or theme the apps you need....i think so
Hi there. Your over-complicating the issue.
The best way to go about this would be to root your phone, freeze bloat-apps (I use system tuner pro to disable the annoying sms that my carrier sends through broadcast channel) and then install nova-launcher or something of the sorts. I now completely switched over to CM.. still on 12.1 though, as 13 is a tad buggy atm.
Not sure on how to go about the settings menus and stuff modification, but maybe someone else has figured that one out.
As for creating an entire rom based on LG's, I'm more worried about the legal constraints than anything else... their software might be android in its core, but it's still proprietary.
Maybe you can learn more if you start helping developers with current ROM's. I've always wanted to but never had the time.
Teoritically It is possible porting LG ui and camera to cm but no one will do it because framework need do much sources otherwise it will fc
Its not even worth the work
Hi
sebatox said:
Teoritically It is possible porting LG ui and camera to cm but no one will do it because framework need do much sources otherwise it will fc
Its not even worth the work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was thinking the other way. Taking a stock based ROM like Fulmics have done but stripping out the hideous LG tweaks such as the oversized navigation soft-touch buttons and the ugly status bar icons.
Also replacing LG Dialer, calculator, calendar, email, etc with the normal Android ones.
xposed all the way plus fulmocs 3.5 mm on d850 g4 tweakbox gravity box and android theme engine
TheMadScientist420 said:
xposed all the way plus fulmocs 3.5 mm on d850 g4 tweakbox gravity box and android theme engine
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I wanted to try an avoid xposed if poss because it messes up Snapchat but it may be the unavoidable way to go.
true it sucks too cause when it come to lg. The g2 g3 and id say so on that stock roms are better in my opinion but i dont use a lotta app most people do i dont facebook i dont even really know whT snap chat is lol im old fashioned face book is the devils tool no good will ever come of it.
Stock rom without personalization layer
It would be interesting to have a stock rom and delete completely its layer of personalization (LG UX 3.0) and have pure android without customization. Is there any possibility to delete your personalization layer? In this aspect, the rom wins much fluidity. One of the main disadvantages of using rom like cyanogenmond, is the loss of the quality of the camera (Due to the framework of LG) but its fluidity and performance is extraordinary.

Is Oxygen OS as good or better then MIUI?

In comparison to Xiaomi's MIUI how is the Oxygen Os?
Does it have...
Call recording option in dialler without any third party software.
Something like a security app to clean cache, scan for virus's and grant permission for apps.
Inbuilt backup and restore option which backup all user data plus apps user made data to cloud.
Power options to change power saving profile according to time and restart the sevice automatically at given time like 6am.
And if you have used both MIUI and OOS... who do you think is better?
TheTempleRunner said:
In comparison to Xiaomi's MIUI how is the Oxygen Os?
Does it have...
Call recording option in dialler without any third party software.
Something like a security app to clean cache, scan for virus's and grant permission for apps.
Inbuilt backup and restore option which backup all user data plus apps user made data to cloud.
Power options to change power saving profile according to time and restart the sevice automatically at given time like 6am.
And if you have used both MIUI and OOS... who do you think is better?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get a Mi phone for all those features plus a mi phone will have better support for miui roms. Oxygen os is close to stock with some little functional tweaks. it doesn't have anything fancy like miui. But if you would ask me which rom is better i would say oos. it's simple clean less gimmicky. Hope this helps you.
Hi,
If you want to try MIUI, I suggests, buy Mi5... A MIUI port won't stable than an original one.
From my perspective: MIUI is really beautiful... If you see the screenshots.... You should try it. I think, everyone tried at least once... But for daily driver? No way. If you ever used AOSP based roms (oos, cm, etc), you won't use MIUI. I'm 80% sure, that you'll replace the original launcher. Than you'll sick some annoying incompatibles... Just look at MIUI forums. Problems with pop-up windows (for example Facebook messanger), problems with Android Pay, etc, etc.
I was ordered Mi5 (4/128G), but it went to out of stock, so I got refund... That was my luck. Now, I'm a happy OP3 user, and I don't need MIUI... That's my opinion.
As someone who previously always used stock or near stock ROMS, I currently own a Xiaomi Mi5. I ran with Miui for about a few weeks, but it really frustrated the hell out of me. Yes it looks nice, but I was always finding background apps just randomly stopped working or you had to allow extra security settings. I tried Google Now Loader on it, but that randonmly stopped working. In the end, I've flashed CM on it. So much better.
Going from a stock or near stock rom to MIUI is like going from Android to Apple. I will be returning my Mi5 to stock and selling on, as I now have a OP3 on the way.
Another reason - community support for OP3 is already strong. The Mi5 support thread is a joke.
TheTempleRunner said:
In comparison to Xiaomi's MIUI how is the Oxygen Os?
Does it have...
Call recording option in dialler without any third party software.
Something like a security app to clean cache, scan for virus's and grant permission for apps.
Inbuilt backup and restore option which backup all user data plus apps user made data to cloud.
Power options to change power saving profile according to time and restart the sevice automatically at given time like 6am.
And if you have used both MIUI and OOS... who do you think is better?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
why dont you try the hos
for me OOS is better than miui. as i prefer stock android ui than heavily skinned miui.
MIUI 8 is cool- looking, feature-rich, but i just dont like the ios lookalike UX.
I have bad experiences with Oxygen in OP1 and 2, always uses CM or H20 ,
but if you are wondering about phones which running those 2 OS - Xiaomi mi5 and OP3, i think i should go for OP3, MI5 looks cheap with white color,and huge bezels
All the features you mentioned are available in the Chinese rom for OnePlus phones. Call recording is there, extra app permissions lockdown, etc. You'll have to install GApps manually if you need it.
The OP3 isn't on that page yet but should be soon.
Hope to See a miui rom for the op3 soon. Now using the mi launcher on it.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using XDA-Developers mobile app
I think both are not compareable. They try to reach different goals (MIUI feature rich and pretty colorful while OOS wants to add some features but stay close to stock). It depends mainly on the user.
I will be happy with tweaked OOS once my device will be delivered while you can count on custom ported MIUI roms. There's not that better one imho
CrashTestDroid said:
All the features you mentioned are available in the Chinese rom for OnePlus phones. Call recording is there, extra app permissions lockdown, etc. You'll have to install GApps manually if you need it.
The OP3 isn't on that page yet but should be soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It mean "call recording" is not available in Oxygen?
I expect your answer to flash Oxygen. My OP3 is running H20 and if it isn't "call recording", i will not flash.
all oxygen is is stock android with a few apps from oneplus. plus it supports layers themeing. so yes IMO its almost as good as getting a nexus and much better than miui.
OOS on a Mi5?
I'm not sold on the aesthetic and a couple aspects of the OP3, I quite prefer the Mi5. I'm strongly considering attempting to load OxygenOS onto the 4/128gb Mi5 as my next phone and it sounds like people in this thread might have direct experience with this setup.
Any thoughts/tips? I unfortunately can't wait for the new Nexus phone(s) but I'm also considering a couple phones from ZTE & Huawei...
Thanks
Porting OxygenOS would be hard and pointless at this point, because Mi5 doesn't even have kernel sources and a working AOSP ROM. If you really want iOS lookalikes, I would recommend OPPO phones. They didn't release flagship for a couple years, but at least they know how to develop software well. R7 Plus has even Cyanogenmod 13, I believe.
Keij0 said:
Porting OxygenOS would be hard and pointless at this point, because Mi5 doesn't even have kernel sources and a working AOSP ROM. If you really want iOS lookalikes, I would recommend OPPO phones. They didn't release flagship for a couple years, but at least they know how to develop software well. R7 Plus has even Cyanogenmod 13, I believe.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks but I specifically don't like iOS and wanting a phone that doesn't look like an iPhone is part of the draw towards the Mi5. That R7 Plus is an interesting phone, but for me the screen is too big and the CPU & GPU are quite subpar.
No one who makes a smartphone for the US has made one with the specs I'm looking for. OP3 falls short, the Nexus 6P is too far behind now, I find the Galaxy S7 to be hideous, the G5 was a disappointment. The HTC 10 is the closest bet but it's battery life sucks probably due to its pointlessly 4K screen.
The Huawei P9, Honor V8, ZTE Nubia Z11, and the Mi5 Pro are my top contenders at the moment, but there's no way I'm using their own OSs.
IMO Samsung is a big disappointment, because of their weird things like Knox.
boy i hate miui.. its known to bring gingerbread memory leak issues to marshmellow ! hahaha on the mi5 it restarts apps unnecessarily lol
Gingerbread didn't have memory leaks... or I've not experienced them while I was using it. In comparison, lollipop and above always had them on my Z2. That's why I started porting SailfishOS
Simontjee said:
Hope to See a miui rom for the op3 soon. Now using the mi launcher on it.
Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using the Mi launcher too. The look and feel of Miui and the best of OOS or Exodus Rom
OOS is great out of the box - stock Android with goodies (and useful goodies at that). Really stable and fast.
And since it's very near to stock Android, many Xposed modules work, so you can customize it much very easily.
It is beyond me why someone could prefer MIUI over that.

[ROOTED] Android 11; how to install older version of google maps?

rooted/magisk samsung S21+ ...stock rom
stock version of google maps removed with titanium backup.
trying to install many different old versions (in the 9.x and 10.x range) just says 'app not installed' ...what the hell is going on here?
Android 11 scoped storage perhaps.
Try coping it off another device running on R with ApkExport then transfer it to the victim device.
11 just sucks elephant balls bad
scoped storage? sounds like got some searching to do.. i also have a rooted LG V30 that i could maybe grab stuff off of. thatd be my only other play to make though..
sraenn said:
scoped storage? sounds like got some searching to do.. i also have a rooted LG V30 that i could maybe grab stuff off of. thatd be my only other play to make though..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're stuck with scoped storage with/after Android 11. It's not fully active on Android 10, at least with older apps. My old copy of WPS office app runs fine on Q. I will continue to test my N10+/Q vs my N10+/PIE variant to see it's effects if any. So far it hasn't raised its ugly head on the Q variant, but I have played with it more then a few hours.
If you could use a rom version of Q or Pie that be best.
Workarounds for it on 11 exist to some extent but without apps coded well with special permissions it will make them useless. It's already causing issues with photo apps (even on Pixels), file explorer apps, any apps that needs access to large user databases.
Do a Google search for scoped storage sucks.
Let me know how Android 11 works for you, good or bad.
Typical battery life on my Pie variant are as follows with a 4300 mAh battery:
7-12%@hrSOT typically 8% for browser and 11% for web vids.
>.5%@hr with tap on AOD at night with cell/internet not disabled.
The Q variant seems to be better or similar but haven't ran it long enough to really know for sure. It's running cool though and not using excessive CPU cycles. Both are optimized almost the same including a package disabler. Q seems a bit snappier, but it's a fresh load vs a 1.5year old load with heavy use.
crap. that kinda sucks. honestly the battery life on my phone is doing well, granted i dont have much on it and the heaviest use it sees is watching youtube (vanced of course). maybe its time to look around for a good android 10 rom, eh..
sraenn said:
crap. that kinda sucks. honestly the battery life on my phone is doing well, granted i dont have much on it and the heaviest use it sees is watching youtube (vanced of course). maybe its time to look around for a good android 10 rom, eh..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you can find a good Android 10 rom, flash it, not losing hardware functionality. That's a tall order. The cam and display firmware will likely be the most troublesome aspects as the stock rom was built on Android 11.
After you clean up the bloatware Samsung usually builds good stock roms. Problem is Google only gives so much leeway to vendors modifying whatever base Android version it's running on.
Android 11 is a mess, Samsung had limited options and couldn't clean it up completely without disabling major "improvements" that are core elements of that OS.
The base Android OS is off the rails, dragging down Samsung with it.

How are newer versions of the stock rom these days?

I'm currently on the summer 2021 release of the Verizon stock rom based on Android 11 and ONE UI 3.1, but have been hearing about newer versions based on Android 12. I'm fairly happy with the performance of the existing combination, (the speed and battery life are nothing short of epic) but have never found a solution for the longstanding bug where audio playback inside of Shazam is choppy.
My question to the community is if newer builds of the stock rom fix the choppy Shazam audio playback, and also, whether or not they break the Wichita version of the Google Camera app, which I rely on extensively (unless there's a less-broken distribution that I haven't heard about yet, in which case, lay it on me!).
Well, I finally bit the bullet and chomped down all the dirty/in-place updates for both the stock rom based on Android 11 and Android 12. After I inserted a T-Mobile-branded sim card, it set off a whirlwind of changes, including switching the stock rom from the Verizon rom to the T-Moible one all by itself somehow. Lots of nasty packages to disable, but it calms down well enough after doing so. Among other things, the T-Mobile stock rom is extremely aggressive about software updates. I let it push me around this time, but after getting through the batch, I did disable the obnoxious & pushy updater.
I can confirm that choppy Shazam audio was fixed by one of those (can't remember which one) and that the Google Camera app still works in the new rom, so that's a win. The sidecar widgets are degraded, and the little animation that appears when power is connected looks kind of weird, but everything else is alright, except for the horrible widget shaping on the newer stock Samsung launcher. Also, the friendlier band switching menu is stripped out, requiring use of the dialer code to prompt the more primitive one.
If anyone was on the fence about it, as long as you're okay with those minor caveats, I'd recommend going along for the upgrade.

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