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Hi,
I am new posting in the forum, i am a defy usser too of course, i bought my defy to another user time ago with CM7
and until now i did not updated as i was a bit scary,
i updated reading the guide and success in first attempt on eerything,
such a difference from 2.3! finnally the scroll works quite smooth between screen, i gues its something already pressent since 4.1 with project butter and so on,
however i must say
1) look like its a bit slower, it reacts a tiny litle bit laggy is show some menus, is not just instant response sometimes, but nothing to really complain a lot it work quite well, Quarx is making such a big effort and time investing in keep our Defy's alive that i just need to mention it and say lottt of hanks,
2º) I bought a Jiayu G2F for my mother (it works damn quick) and it found they added an option to record the radio sound, and i was expecting to find such options also available in 4.4 but i did not, its there any way to record radio sound or maybe add this option to future versions?
3º) I was a bit scared to update to 4.4 due the fact that usually new O.S. ask for heavy resources, but after read that 4.4 was supossedly more optimized for low hardware, then i tought it should maybe even take less ram than andoird 2.3, and now that i have it installed i see it takes quite a lot, its over 4XX mb with almost nothing opened, is that normal?
4º) What about the option to select in the screen the zone you want the camera to focus? i found its pressent in the G2F mentioned above, and i dont find it in the 4.4, is the hability to focus determined zones of the camera something just possible in case that the camera hardware allow it? or its a software related function?
5º) I installed kitkat with minimal gapps, and once verything working i installed google voice, but i still don't success to add the microfon in the keyboard in order to write anywere while talking,
well, in fact i did, as when i press "," keyabord it appears a pop up menu with the microfon but it just dont work when i select it that way
in cm7 i remember to have a dedicated button that always worked andi miss it, maybe some one can help me there
6º) If i have the config menu opened and then i open the top bar slide down menu and i change some option from there, like enable bluetooth, i close the slide menu and i see in the config menu that the button is still "off"
i must close and open again the config menu in order to see it "on" if i enable it from the other menu,
could be nice to make it auto to update so everything takes works and updates at same time and avoide confusions,
thanks
While trying to check all the new options i see, i just found a bug in the stock launcher,
looks like its called Trebuchet,
If you open the launcher options and lick in the 3 dots over "Widgets" you get some extra options to play with
if you select "CM HOME" in the 2º option, the launcher will enter in the loop hope of errors and will not allow you to come back,
you must go to applications and search for "Trebuchet" and then press "remove data" of this application,
it will come to alive again,
can anyone confirm this bug? i did not find it in the bug list and i am not allowed to post in the developers forum yet
spalnndsstest said:
While trying to check all the new options i see, i just found a bug in the stock launcher,
looks like its called Trebuchet,
If you open the launcher options and lick in the 3 dots over "Widgets" you get some extra options to play with
if you select "CM HOME" in the 2º option, the launcher will enter in the loop hope of errors and will not allow you to come back,
you must go to applications and search for "Trebuchet" and then press "remove data" of this application,
it will come to alive again,
can anyone confirm this bug? i did not find it in the bug list and i am not allowed to post in the developers forum yet
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was confirmed a week back, but not yet added to the buglist.
how its possible android or cyanogenmode still got lack of a feature to record calls by default?
the new options menu to touch camera settings is something related to 4.4 or to CM11 ? its so unconfortable as you can't go back to change other options, it force you to re open it again, its minimallist and compact, but no sense to have such minimalist menu for an option that always end up removed to make the foto,
i also feel the battery drains quicker with 4.4 that with 2.3
In my opinion the CM7.2 is the most stable ROM for Defy, the CM1x are still under development
yes it was working more quick everything,
not smooth, was jerky but at least moved over menus and open applications quite a bit more quick,
thats sad, i expected better performance in newer versions,
overall... there is not any way to make the defy run as it should, it more powerfull than my old celeron 500 mhz and is not yet enough for move android... i guess theproblem is the software, like always, if anroid were programed in ASM, everything would fly... no need for quad cores, octa cores and so on...
I'm not sure that newer version could be faster. Newer version have more and more functions, more advanced GUI, more features - but CPU/GPU/memory remains this same, old one..
This guide was designed for S10 series, but the majority of the Guide of course is applicable to all android Pie devices as if based on apks and adb debugging, you shall test at your own desire. For adb debugging to be enabled, go to: About Phone > built number > tap until you unlock "developers option" go back and and inside "developers options" enable "adb debugging" from there.
First and foremost, I would like to express how I am amazed with the level of customization you can do without root on a Samsung nowadays, as I've been an android/samsung user for quite some time its really something to consider.
Okay, now lets cut the chase. What I really did is to put together different applications, tips and miscellaneous information together in order to achieve what I felt the most customized Device possible without root and that I think lots of users could still absorve all or at least part of this guide in their own devices.
1) First, what I did what to go through the Battery Optimisation Guide by @Corv0, which honestly speaking led me to an average of 9-10 SoT.
1.1 Even though people talk alot how they liked OneUI I cant change from Nova Launcher, its simply the ultimate Launcher experience. I recommend getting the prime version, totally worth it and you get it for life.
1.2. If you are used to Adway, you know we can't live anymore without it, but in times without root, Blokada is for me the best alternative. I also found it better and more stable than Adhell and does not need key update every now and then, thats lame!
2)If you like music and once used Ressurection Remix roms, you must have fallen in love with Pulse music bar. It simply reinvigorates the navigation bar. As an alternative I must suggest the well known Navbar app. For me its a must to change navigation bar color and enable their music visualizer.
3) If you once used xposed in a samsung, you might remember the Samtweak, and now you can have it in Pie without the need of root with great function like 180 degrees reverse (which I find very useful when using headphone jack so it does not bother you against the chest for instance), volume warning, navigation and status bar hide, etc
4) Another must in S10 plus is to use Button Mapper. Some may talk about Bixby Action app, but Button mapper is the ultimate deal with many more options, check video link.
5) Okay this is more of a personal preference, which is my case I can say: sometimes I use it, sometimes I don't. If you didn't like/ didn't get used to the front camera cutout I strongly suggest to use Status Bar and change status background color to black. I find it do the job of hiding the front camera pretty decent and improved a lot indoor and low light experience as you cant see the cutout almost never.
6) Last (so far) but not least important, if of course the installation and usage of Nice Lock (for the ones without access to Good Lock). I think we may can it as an official customization app for samsung devices. It almost made me remember Rice tweaks app. I personally like to use 7.1) Task Changer mod to change recent apps back to vertical. 7.2) Navistar to fully customize the navigation bar with different icons and 2 more buttons. The rest I didn't really use it but I suggest you install them all and see what's useful to you.
I will record a video and post it here (probably tomorrow) to show all these changes and tweaks I did and how they actually appear on my device.
------- v2 (April 26th):
Actually these are "tweaks" I had already done before v1 but simply forgot to mention on the original post however to keep things in order I will continue the numbering:
7) Bloatware removal, this is another must you have to do, specially when talking about samsung, with is known for the amount of apps its included from stock. And within this link you can easily do it through adb shell. Big thanks to @Neo3D for this amazing guide.
7.1) Once you "debloat" your device, make sure you deinstall/deactivate youtube standard version as well, and install the well known and amazing Youtube Vanced (Non Root version of course). In addition, set it as standard so it will be fully integrated to the links.
Well those are my suggestions for the customization of s10 without root (so far). If you have more tips please comment down below.
Video is up, check comment for exact cue by "tweak": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_giH6O6-Pdo
Great guide for the S10 XDA gang! Kudos
Nice guide.
Thanks
Sent from my SM-G9750 using Tapatalk
Doesn't bloat removal cause more battery drain? I mean when the phone tries to find a certain package and cannot it is starting to heat up and etc
I started out early in the process and I was able to get Adhell running .... Seems like maybe my battery was worse after Adhell. Wondering if you guys thought, based on this guide, I should get rid of Adhell and go more this direction (for ad blocking and app/bloatware freezing) ?
FlatOutRU said:
Doesn't bloat removal cause more battery drain? I mean when the phone tries to find a certain package and cannot it is starting to heat up and etc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Should be the other way around bro...
jcrompton said:
I started out early in the process and I was able to get Adhell running .... Seems like maybe my battery was worse after Adhell. Wondering if you guys thought, based on this guide, I should get rid of Adhell and go more this direction (for ad blocking and app/bloatware freezing) ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried both and found blokada much more stable. You can try and compare yourself, its way easier to install and get it running as well.
Also, using Blokada and it works well...
Knox bloatware removal
if the s10+ com.samsung.android.knox.containercore isn't installed at 0 then how can I remove the number one bloatware I so desired to remove?
BossEgan said:
if the s10+ com.samsung.android.knox.containercore isn't installed at 0 then how can I remove the number one bloatware I so desired to remove?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Search Cswm app manager (for Samsung) on play store
Good!!
Hi Guys,
This thread is made to improve and get the best overall experience from this device since it's the best android phone of 2019
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GUIDE: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BEST ROM: For the best smoothest experience i HIGHLY RECCOMEND to all the LATEST WW ROM! Why i reverted back to ww?
Simply because of better google integration,minimal stock UI, sometimes faster app launch and installation( because there are no installation scanner like cn roms),full language support and working notification/youtube on lockscreen! I fixed the higher latency by changing launcher and for better performance and fps on games, ENABLED X MODE! You can enable it with notification toogle!
CPL LAUNCHER: The best stock feeling launcher ever made, smoother than NOVA! Based on pure AOSP code, it's the customized pixel launcher.
If you want a costant buttery smooth animation like IOS , select the ZOOM animation because the stock animation is too much fast and not costant at 120fps . New chinese updates don't allow you to change launcher!! GLOBAL ROM fix this problem!
# Make sure before disable the launcher to have already an installed launcher! Disable both asus launcher and armory gate, however you will face ui crashes!!!
#When you use a third party launcher and you DISABLE with a ROOT APP cn launcher and armory gate , you will have the OREO multitasking back!!! Amazing since it's fast,stock and buttery smooth. PIE asus multitasking is glitchy and unresponsive sometimes. (RECCOMENDED)!
link for disable applications: https://apkpure.com/it/disable-application-root/com.iamaner.oneclickfreeze
DARK 120HZ CHROME: The stock chrome support both dark mode and 120hz. Don't forget to NEVER UPDATE chrome or you will get back to 60hz locked. I notices that the famous " 120hz FLASHES " are caused by chrome 60hz and when you go home the UI bumps to 120hz and causes the flashes!!!! it's fixed by using 120hz chrome and 120hz for all system!!!
To enable dark MODE: go on chrome, type chrome://flags and search dark UI . ENABLE that and reboot chrome. Close it from multitasking and open it again. Now on chrome setting you can enable DARK MODE!!!
BLACK THEME/FIX THEMES: Use the CLASSIC black theme to have a stock user interface and save battery life . In cpl launcher, use black theme enabled for app and menu. I reccomend starless amoled wallpaper app for background. it' s a cool app with wallpaper motion scrolling inbuild to avoid static image. To fix themes on WW rom, you need root: use file explorer, navigate to vendor,factory,COUNTRY. Open that file and change from CN to WW. Now go on system/etc/Asusthemes/themes and delete the "HIDDEN" file. Reboot!
BLACK GBOARD: Go on google keyboard setting and set black theme to save battery life and avoid burn in!
X MODE: X mode for overall usage will ramp up the frequencies of all cluster to 1200/1300 mhz and help smoothness a lot ( no dropped frames in general) but with high cpu usage, battery may suffer and drain little bit faster ! i put some images attachment below. The first image is with X mode enabled, the second disabled. I reccomend to ENABLE it. Don't worry for battery, you have a 6000mah and it didn't drain too much. This frequency is used by most oem to implement TOUCHBOOST and make the UI smoother. Costant frequency fix scrolling lag and responsivness. You will have a costant 120hz experience. BYE BYE iphone
ROOT/UPDATE STATUS: There is a telegram group with some updates regarding firmware like the 21 images or RAW files. For root you can download the image from asus website and extract with payload dumper in order to access to boot.img , so you can patch it with magisk. Right now i reccomend to all to stay to latest WW rom for reason written before!
From my experience, this phone will receive android 10 maximum and after Asus will stop the updates and only release security patches. This is the history of gaming phones, but in my opinion stay to stock android 9 firmware is the best option if you want the best performance. The stock initial firmware will be always the FASTEST: try to compare an iphone 6 with ios 8 an another with ios 12. You will notice the difference in day to day usage!
GCAM: Google camera is available on telegram group but still in beta. On the latest beta version everything work fine except slowmotion
If you want to enjoy to telegram group, there are also available firmware updates,themes...
this is the link: https://t.me/rogphonevietnam2
DEBLOAT: You can easily remove lots of system apps with root like gpay,gfilm,gmusic( you can reistall from playsore if you need) and consume less ram, in order to get a clean stock user interface ! i HIGHLY RECCOMEND to use black youtube vanced to avoid burn in and save battery!
USEFUL TIPS AND TWEAKS:
lower the brightness as much as possible, keep autobrighness ON and 15 sec timeout to avoid burn-in. 120hz help to refresh pixels quickly!
change wallpaper sometimes to avoid static images retention and use GESTURES! Use full immersive mode to avoid navbar and status bar BURN-IN!
use vibration strenght maximum at 75% for every section
for the best audio experience i highly reccomend ROCK/POP PROFILE with +12 bass and +5 high notes
PROTECT YOUR PHONE WITH SHOCKPROOF CASE, TEMPERED GLASS AND TRASPARENT PLASTIC ADHESIVE on backlight logo since if you broke/scratch the phone you must send to china for repair or asus center
Thank you, have a nice day!
That Chrome apk doesn't seem to work, when I try to install it, it tries to install then just says "app not installed". I even tried uninstalling all the updates to the built-in chrome app and disabling it.
bluegizmo83 said:
That Chrome apk doesn't seem to work, when I try to install it, it tries to install then just says "app not installed". I even tried uninstalling all the updates to the built-in chrome app and disabling it.[/QU
you need to be on CN rom because there are no inbuilt chrome and specific support for dark mode on chrome
you are on ww
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you provide the exact firmware version you are referring to? I updated the phone with OTA could I roll back? Thanks! Greetings from an Italian in California Ciao e grazie!
AdamxDesolator said:
Can you provide the exact firmware version you are referring to? I updated the phone with OTA could I roll back? Thanks! Greetings from an Italian in California Ciao e grazie!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ciao
you need to dowgrade and restore to 28/8/2019 version RAW file
CN_ZS660KL_16.0621.1906.24_M3.13.33.19-ASUS_1.1.102
you can find from asus thread
Thx any way to get google drive backups working on the cn version? Thx!
@Alessandro999
Did you figure out a way to remove the Chinese letters in Contacts App and Calendar App?
JazonX said:
@Alessandro999
Did you figure out a way to remove the Chinese letters in Contacts App and Calendar App?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
for now i didnt tried yet.. more locale 2 and all other langauges apps translate 80/85 % of all system
its impossible to translate 100% system unless you have a global rom
for my is more than enough because i use english and italian
one thing that i notice
with updates of china it s impossible to change launcher or remove it without facing ui crashes
the first cn rom didnt have this problem.. asus want cn rom remain with cn apps and launcher
ww probably will be a better solution
Alessandro999 said:
USEFUL TIPS AND TWEAKS[/FONT]:
lower the brightness as much as possible, keep autobrighness ON and 15 sec timeout to avoid burn-in. 120hz help to refresh pixels quickly!
change wallpaper sometimes to avoid static images retention and use GESTURES!
use vibration strenght maximum at 75% for every section
for the best audio experience i highly reccomend ROCK/POP PROFILE with +12 bass and +5 high notes
cinematic display profile is reccomended for all activities like gaming, video or general usage!
PROTECT YOUR PHONE WITH SHOCKPROOF CASE, TEMPERED GLASS AND TRASPARENT PLASTIC ADHESIVE on backlight logo since if you broke/scratch the phone you must send to china for repair or asus center
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Man 15 second screen timeout, that's gotta be some sorta joke.
Mankind created tools to serve him, not for him to serve the tool. 15 second timeout seems like me serving the tool.. I use 2 minute on my current phone but I feel like I could tolerate 1 minute even though it would still annoy me knowing that I changed my will to "serve" the tool
Feel me?
heynando said:
Man 15 second screen timeout, that's gotta be some sorta joke.
Mankind created tools to serve him, not for him to serve the tool. 15 second timeout seems like me serving the tool.. I use 2 minute on my current phone but I feel like I could tolerate 1 minute even though it would still annoy me knowing that I changed my will to "serve" the tool
Feel me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this can help you to avoid burn in, it' s your choice
#update 1
-the 28/8 chinese rom is the latest update that allow you to disable china launcher and replace with third party launchers!!! It s stable fast and smooth.No bugs for now. i reccomend this version!
-On WW rom armory gate is connected to this launcher, if you disable you ll face ui crashes. And if you open armory gate it will restore stock lancher on ww rom
-injustice 2 on ww or cn for some people stuck at 100% loading screen. Tried all, even unistalling and remove google account. NOTHING! But i fixed with this trick:
you need root. factory reset the device, create an obb folder and put data and apk inside. install it.. the game will work for now, so exit from the game and backup it with lucky patcher!! THIS BACKUP WILL FIX THE GAME STARTING FOREVER if you face stucking after rebooting/lost obb folder for some reason/logging with google or update the game!!
This thread looks very complete and with great tips and tricks. I'm bookmarking it for when I receive my phone. I specifically asked the seller to keep the CN rom on it as I understand it can be switched to english. I don't mind some chinese characters, plus I rock a second phone so if need be, I'll Google Translate on the fly the first few times.
Anyway, thanks a bunch for all this precious info!
WhyKlwd said:
This thread looks very complete and with great tips and tricks. I'm bookmarking it for when I receive my phone. I specifically asked the seller to keep the CN rom on it as I understand it can be switched to english. I don't mind some chinese characters, plus I rock a second phone so if need be, I'll Google Translate on the fly the first few times.
Anyway, thanks a bunch for all this precious info!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no problem, yes cn rom support english and chinese
you can use more locale multilanguages app to add more languages!
my reccomendation is stick to 28/8 update until asus release first android 10 update
maybe things will became better
Hey is the Chinese Tancent 128gb UFS 3.0 ?
heynando said:
Hey is the Chinese Tancent 128gb UFS 3.0 ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it is.
Rashad83 said:
Yes it is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would you be so kind to benchmark it and share with us the screenshots of the writing and reading speeds? Thanks anyways!
I use this app to measure https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.a1dev.sdbench
heynando said:
Would you be so kind to benchmark it and share with us the screenshots of the writing and reading speeds? Thanks anyways!
I use this app to measure https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.a1dev.sdbench
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here you go (X Mode Off)
From another benchmark app"Cross Platform Disk Test", more detailed( X Mode Off)
From another benchmark app"Cross Platform Disk Test", more detailed(X Mode On). The results seem worse with X mode On, weird!
hi all
for those lucky to have received their s20+ - please share what u like or dislike most about the phone
and what phone you've moved from
would be interesting to know if there are any common dislikes like camera, battery reception etc?
In my short usage so far, the camera is not a masive upgrade coming from huawei mate 20 pro....in fact it is a slight downgrade in some scenarious. Battery with 120hz cannot last me full day but i am a heavy user...everything else is absolutely superb!
Hi,
My biggest gripe is the movement of the volume buttons to right side of phone.
When trying to hit power button I seem to always hit volume down button.
Ken
On s10+ I had android 10 gestures. And I had swipe back over keyboard enabled. That worked so well. Its not here on s20+ for some reason and its driving me crazy!!!!!
Sent from my [device_name] using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Not liking:
- Same old, small and unreliable FP sensor that is used in the S10, Note 10 series even though Qualcomm announced 17x larger next gen 3D Sonic Max in 2019's end.
- Finding battetylife(Exynos) at 120Hz RR somewhat similar to Galaxy S9+(I simply didn't like the batterylife of Exynos S9+). Keeping at 60Hz resolves this issue but that's not what we would like to do at all. Improvement is expected in coming days but it doesn't seem to take a pretty big leap.
- AR zone, Bixby app, Galaxy store app -> bloatwares that can't be disabled officially and Samsung daily, Briefing bloats that can't be uninstalled officially
..etc.
Liking:
- Single or Double pressing Sidekey -> opening of bixby is not compulsory anymore as the dedicated bixby button is gone (while coming from S10+).
- Live transcribe (Android's Live caption) -> it's pretty useful.
- OneDrive cloud service to sync Gallery, which wasn't the case with S10 series . It's just that I like Onedrive more than Samsung Cloud for various reasons..
- Google Duo baked into the calling app, it's a smart move, to my eyes. [..like Facetime @ ?].
- Centered front camera module - it's way less intrusive in comparison to the top right pill shaped module of S10+.
- The curvature on the sides has reduced in a way that it doesn't bother like before, feels right.
- LinkedIn and Office mobile app bloats are gone, in S10+ we had to disable them.
etc..
im liking everything so far LOL
looking to see if i get any 5G on my vodafone but their signal is **** even for London
Last week EMUI 12 made its debut on my phone with some cosmetic improvements. The following are my thoughts on it as a 2 year user of huawei products. This should help users evaluate the attributes EMUI 12 offers to help them decide whether or not its worth to upgrade....
Control Center, Notification Area & Media Player
While my initial impressions of the control center were good they later turned poor with its function relative to the notification area from which it is split. Admittingly, it is a stunning feature visually no one can deny. But while both notification area and control center do not occupy the same space, many users are unimpressed and agape in frustration. To paraphrase a user regarding it, "its something we got to get used to."
At first I was disappointed by this split personality. But after a week playing with it, I'm still trying to get used to it. Although its somewhat convenient to swipe left to right at the top to switch between the two spheres, the smartest thing huawei should have done was extend this back and forth swiping to the bottom where its most frequently needed and far more accommodating. Had huawei added this functionality a lot of users would not be complaining about it especially since this is a tall phone with a big real estate display and one shouldn't have to suffer to reach all the way up with both hands. Just one swipe down for the control panel and another swipe across at the bottom to alternate between it and the notifications area on which your fingers rest naturally would have done the trick!
Regarding the controversial media player widget, the aim of its placement in the control panel is to add accessibility to MP3. Although admittingly it is wise to situate it there for easy access for media, the problem emerges when you must use huawei's own proprietary media player in order to play songs. Your favorite third party music players like Spotify and PlayerPro are not supported, sadly. Removal of the widget from view is not possible so it lingers in the corner like a dead satellite in orbit uselessly taking up unnecessary space.
Very disappointing that huawei failed to see this given their vested time in making the EMUI 12 project solid for its users. Perhaps this is a feature huawei may add in future updates.
Visuals
Noticeably, the screen is brighter under manual brightness setting which is a good plus. Images are evidently sharper than what they were under EMUI 11. However, auto brightness is still enabled by default at bootup which is another annoyance.
Concerning the font style huawei has imposed, unfortunately, there's no way to change that since it is etched in by corporate de facto decree. Yet another hindrance. Also, the feature to change the font size globally failed to impress since there was really no problem with the font size before.
Battery
On average, I charge my Mate 20 X every 5 - 7 days. After about a week's use of EMUI 12, I did notice slight battery improvement. It's not exactly earth shattering gain in juice but its nonetheless a slight enhancement since this is a phone whose battery life many have complained about for the past 4 years ever since it was first introduced to the public.
Sound
Sound quality is the same as in previous version iterations. It is much louder which is a tad ok despite the fact that it has always been loud. However, making a loud phone louder is barely considered an improvement.
'Double Tap to Wake' Feature
Huawei yet again omits the 'double tap to wake' feature about which folks have grumbled the phone lacks and needs. It would be enjoyable to possess it since the grand majority of the smartphones in the world have this feature already baked in from jump. Yet again, huawei continues to stick to their script of ignoring users' complaints and suggestions of improving this phone.
Other Issues
We all love notifications as a heads-up system that we can't do without. For comfort's sake, they must strike a delicate balance between short and informative without being overbearing. However, the frequent annoyance of 'network location' notifications that pokes at folks ad nauseum plagues their experience. Add to that, the sticky 'display over other apps' notification adds pain to injury especially when you cannot swipe these types of notifications away. Instead, you either grin and bear it or install from the playstore an app that removes them. The only issue with that is, the app will not be permitted to remove these notifications at boot up due to security restrictions introduced to Android versions 8 or 9 - the same security restrictions that by the way force these notifications in the first place. In such a case at boot up, you monotonously open up the app at each and every power cycle to zap them. This can prove to be a headache with automatic scheduled power management set on a daily basis but it's the only fix available given the system impediment.
Wishful thinking would have one fantasize about using powerful ADB commands to possibly cure the situation at the source. Unfortunately, not even it can help. The ideal way to resolve it without use of pesky 3rd party apps is by rooting the system. Regrettably again, huawei shamelessly decided to lock the bootloader of this 4-year old Mate 20 X with the advent of EMUI 10 preventing full benefits of rooting that otherwise extend the phone's hidden features, including bypassing the aforementioned annoying system-imposed security measure.
As for the multi-window dock that pops out from the side on EMUI 11, suggested apps never got pinned to the top as they unfortunately do now by default on EMUI 12. This adds unnecessary clutter to an already slim dock which might drive people to install 3rd party dock alternatives.
Personal Thoughts on Huawei
Unfortunately, in their eternal holy quest to emulate the iPhone o/s, huawei continues to repeat the crucial mistake of not adopting what huawei customers truly want to see on their huawei phones; instead, it prefers to prioritize its needs ahead of those of its loyal base. A real killjoy. Unlike samsung, they keep ignoring customers at the expense of their annoyances and stick them with whatever they think they want, even offering cheap incentives as compensation: the old stick and carrot trick. Huawei should keep it Android, not iPhone.
This is surely not the first time huawei shakes its finger at huawei customers after begging its software team to introduce long sought after features in future upgrades. It's actually a historical, ongoing internal problem the company is too stubborn to understand let alone address. Huawei, not Trump, was and is the reason behind the company's market share decline, fed up customers are switching to other competitive phones and struggles to keep up with major industry peers. To suggest that huawei is not a champion of the consumer is by far a gross understatement.
As one may have already observed, the word "annoyance" never ceases to spread its tentacles throughout this review. If you can deal with the drawbacks inherent in EMUI 12 then go for it, upgrade. If not, stay with EMUI 11 as it's still a "relatively" good version that makes people thankful they didn't upgrade.
Personally, I can tolerate EMUI 12's shortcomings to a certain point. Continued lack of much needed and missing features makes me doubt its keep and gives me reason to switch to either the Note 20 Ultra or S22 Ultra eventually. As always, blame huawei for it!
stick to EMUI11.
What exactly is a "sticky 'display over other apps' notification"?
zlaer said:
Last week EMUI 12 made its debut on my phone with some cosmetic improvements. The following are my thoughts on it as a 2 year user of huawei products. This should help users evaluate the attributes EMUI 12 offers to help them decide whether or not its worth to upgrade....
Control Center & Notifications Area
While my initial impressions of the control center were good they later turned poor with its function relative to the notification area from which it is split. Admittingly, it is a stunning feature visually no one can deny. But while both notification area and control center do not occupy the same space, many users are unimpressed and agape in frustration. To paraphrase a user regarding it, "its something we got to get used to."
At first I was disappointed by this split personality. But after a week playing with it, I'm still trying to get used to it. Although its somewhat convenient to swipe left to right at the top to switch between the two spheres, the smartest thing huawei should have done was extend this back and forth swiping to the bottom where its most needed and far more convenient. Had huawei added this functionality a lot of users would not be complaining about it especially since this is a tall phone with a big real estate display and one shouldn't have to suffer to reach all the way up with both hands. Just one swipe down for the control panel and another swipe across at the bottom to alternate between it and the notifications area on which your fingers rest naturally would have done the trick!
Very disappointing that huawei failed to see this given their vested time in making the EMUI 12 project solid for its users. Perhaps this is a feature huawei may add in future updates.
Visuals
Noticeably, the screen is brighter under manual brightness setting which is a good plus. Images are evidently sharper than what they were under EMUI 11. However, auto brightness is still enabled by default at bootup which is another annoyance.
Concerning the font style huawei has imposed, unfortunately, there's no way to change that. Sadly, it's etched in by corporate decree. Yet another annoyance. Also, the feature to change the font size globally didn't impress since there was really no problem with the font size before.
Battery
On average, I charge my Mate 20 X every 5 - 7 days. After about a week's use of EMUI 12, I did notice slight battery improvement. It's not exactly earth shattering gain in juice but its nonetheless a slight enhancement since this is a phone whose battery life many have complained about for the past 4 years ever since it was first introduced to the public.
Sound
Sound quality is the same as in previous version iterations. It is much louder which is a tad ok despite the fact that it has always been loud. However, making a loud phone louder is barely considered an improvement.
'Double Tap to Wake' Feature
Huawei yet again omits the 'double tap to wake' feature folks about which have grumbled the phone lacks and needs. It would be enjoyable to possess it since the grand majority of the smartphones in the world have this feature already baked in from jump. Yet again, huawei continues to stick to their script of ignoring users' complaints and suggestions of improving this phone.
Other Issues
We all love notifications as a heads up-system we can't do without. For comfort's sake, they must strike a delicate balance between short and informative without being overbearing. However, the frequent annoyance of 'network location' notifications that pokes at folks ad nauseum plagues their experience. Add to that, the sticky 'display over other apps' notification adds pain to injury especially when you cannot swipe these types of notifications away. Instead, you either grin and bear it or install from the playstore an app that removes them. The only issue with that is, the app will not be permitted to remove these notifications at boot up due to security restrictions introduced to Android versions 8 or 9 - the same security restrictions that by the way force these notifications in the first place. In such a case at boot up, you have to monotonously open up the app at each and every power cycle to zap them. This can prove to be a headache with automatic scheduled power management set on a daily basis but it's the only fix given the system impediment.
Wishful thinking would have one fantasize about using powerful ADB commands to possibly cure the situation at the source. Unfortunately, not even it can help. The ideal way to resolve it without use of pesky 3rd party apps is by rooting the system. Regrettably again, huawei shamelessly decided to lock the bootloader of this 4-year old Mate 20 X with the advent of EMUI 10 preventing full benefits of rooting that otherwise extend the phone's hidden features, including bypassing the aforementioned system-imposed security measure.
As for the multi-window dock that pops out from the side on EMUI 11, suggested apps never got pinned to the top by default as they unfortunately do now on EMUI 12. This adds unnecessary clutter to an already slim dock which might drive people to install 3rd party alternative docks.
Personal Thoughts on Huawei
Unfortunately, in their eternal holy quest to emulate the iphone o/s, huawei continues to repeat the crucial mistake of not adopting what huawei customers truly want to see on their huawei phones; instead, it prefers to prioritize its needs ahead of those of its loyal base. A real killjoy. Unlike samsung, they keep ignoring customers at the expense of their annoyances and stick them with whatever they think they want, even offering cheap incentives as compensation: the old stick and carrot trick.
This is surely not the first time huawei shakes its finger at huawei customers after begging its software team to introduce sought after features in future upgrades. It's actually a historical, ongoing internal problem the company is too stubborn to understand let alone address. Huawei, not Trump, was and is the reason behind the company's market share decline, fed up customers switching to other competitive phones and its struggles to keep up with major industry peers. To suggest that huawei is not a champion of the consumer is by far a gross understatement.
As one may have already observed, the word "annoyance" never ceases to spread its tentacles throughout this review. If you can deal with the drawbacks inherent in EMUI 12 then go for it, upgrade. If not, stay with EMUI 11 as it's still a "relatively" good version that makes people thankful they didn't upgrade.
Personally, I can tolerate EMUI 12's shortcomings to a certain point. Continued lack of much needed and missing features makes me doubt its keep and gives me reason to switch to either the Note 20 Ultra or S22 Ultra eventually. As always, blame huawei for it!
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Click to collapse
I have been searching for reviews on EMUI 12 and I'm so happy I found this one. I'm using a Mate 20 Pro. I think EMUI 12's Control Panel is rubbish. I can't stand the fact that there is a music player "widget" there that doesn't even link to my default player, and when my bluetooth is on, the icon is too big so the "h" at the end of the word "Bluetooth" goes onto the next line which (as a designer) I think looks horrific. Then, to touch on the split betwen the notifications and the ctrl panel... As someone with small hands, this is impossible to navigate with one hand. I really hope that Huawei listens to the rants I have been posting all over and reverts some of these annoyances back to their perfectly functional predecessors... So other than these complaints, the UI is fine... It looks pretty but it needs inprovement.
ming64 said:
stick to EMUI11.
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Sounds good!
RemoWilliams said:
What exactly is a "sticky 'display over other apps' notification"?
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'Display over other apps' notification is one that "warns" you of a 3rd party app that displays its elements as an overlay over other apps.
Miss Gray said:
I have been searching for reviews on EMUI 12 and I'm so happy I found this one. I'm using a Mate 20 Pro. I think EMUI 12's Control Panel is rubbish. I can't stand the fact that there is a music player "widget" there that doesn't even link to my default player, and when my bluetooth is on, the icon is too big so the "h" at the end of the word "Bluetooth" goes onto the next line which (as a designer) I think looks horrific. Then, to touch on the split betwen the notifications and the ctrl panel... As someone with small hands, this is impossible to navigate with one hand. I really hope that Huawei listens to the rants I have been posting all over and reverts some of these annoyances back to their perfectly functional predecessors... So other than these complaints, the UI is fine... It looks pretty but it needs improvement.
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Click to collapse
Appreciate your praise of my review. Aiming to please and educate folks out here.
Honestly, the control panel isn't entirely a horrible idea had huawei made it an effort to invest the proper time and research needed to make it function seamlessly with other apps and ergonomically finger-wise. Regrettably, its become a novelty to some, a little shop of horror for others - at this point it is more the latter.
Dolefully, huawei is not known for analyzing minute nuances of detail - which in many cases outstrips major ones - needed to make a great product function the way it should to the satisfaction of users. It doesnt understand how to get the drop on tech in step with other phone companies. They dont know how to ride the wave. Personally, I wish the company dissolves into utter extinction never to resurface its ugly head again as a text book example for teaching companies how not to run a company!
Installed the damn thing cos it kept bugging me to do so. And boy, yes, did they mess up the swipe down panel. Control panel looks like **** (at least give us an option to remove that music player crap!). And I'm right handed, so everytime I want to swipe down to see the notifications, I need to move my hand to the left of the screen. Utter crap. The swipe down panel was perfectly fine as it was, no need to mess it up like this. Other things I don't like: desktop icons are bigger. Would like to set it back to their previous size, but I haven't been able to find out how to do it, or if it's even possible. Furthermore, I fail so see the added value of the new "enlarge folder" thing. I didn't have any problems with the way it was before. All in all, totally unnecessary update for me. Only good thing is that it bumped the security patch from June 2021 to Feb 2022.
Just noticed: when setting an alarm, hour no longer changing when you're setting the minutes and crossing the 60 minute mark. Good to keep in mind, to avoid unpleasant surprises. They should have put effort instead to allow for setting default ringtone for new alarms, and also for the option to have vibration off by default.
RemoWilliams said:
Just noticed: when setting an alarm, hour no longer changing when you're setting the minutes and crossing the 60 minute mark. Good to keep in mind, to avoid unpleasant surprises. They should have put effort instead to allow for setting default ringtone for new alarms, and also for the option to have vibration off by default.
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Click to collapse
Actually, thats a handy upgrade in EMUI 12. Under EMUI 11, I made mistakes setting the time which caused embarrassment with missed scheduled meetings because changing the minutes "beyond 60" also changed the hour without my awareness.
RemoWilliams said:
Installed the damn thing cos it kept bugging me to do so. And boy, yes, did they mess up the swipe down panel. Control panel looks like **** (at least give us an option to remove that music player crap!). And I'm right handed, so everytime I want to swipe down to see the notifications, I need to move my hand to the left of the screen. Utter crap. The swipe down panel was perfectly fine as it was, no need to mess it up like this. Other things I don't like: desktop icons are bigger. Would like to set it back to their previous size, but I haven't been able to find out how to do it, or if it's even possible. Furthermore, I fail so see the added value of the new "enlarge folder" thing. I didn't have any problems with the way it was before. All in all, totally unnecessary update for me. Only good thing is that it bumped the security patch from June 2021 to Feb 2022.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The EMUI 12 upgrade is an iphone clone with minute internal tweaks.
Concerning your complaint about the control center, currently I'm testing all the system's APKs using ADB and have so far isolated about 60 of them for the purpose of upping battery juice. If I do come across an APK that's responsible for the control center I will alert you so you can remove that package. But honestly, I dont think it helps to remove it since the control center is a mutually exclusive feature from the notif area which cannot function either on its own or if it can it would lack the necessary panel upon which all the widgets of the present control panel are shown (i.e., wifi, bt, data, etc). Stay tuned.. will let you know.
zlaer said:
Actually, thats a handy upgrade in EMUI 12. Under EMUI 11, I made mistakes setting the time which caused embarrassment with missed scheduled meetings because changing the minutes "beyond 60" also changed the hour without my awareness.
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Click to collapse
Yes, true, that's handy. But not if you've been used to the old behavior for years
zlaer said:
The EMUI 12 upgrade is an iphone clone with minute internal tweaks.
Concerning your complaint about the control center, currently I'm testing all the system's APKs using ADB and have so far isolated about 60 of them for the purpose of upping battery juice. If I do come across an APK that's responsible for the control center I will alert you so you can remove that package. But honestly, I dont think it helps to remove it since the control center is a mutually exclusive feature from the notif area which cannot function either on its own or if it can it would lack the necessary panel upon which all the widgets of the present control panel are shown (i.e., wifi, bt, data, etc). Stay tuned.. will let you know.
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Click to collapse
Being able to swap notification panel and control panel would suffice for me. I need the notification panel on the right hand side!
RemoWilliams said:
Installed the damn thing cos it kept bugging me to do so. And boy, yes, did they mess up the swipe down panel. Control panel looks like **** (at least give us an option to remove that music player crap!). And I'm right handed, so everytime I want to swipe down to see the notifications, I need to move my hand to the left of the screen. Utter crap. The swipe down panel was perfectly fine as it was, no need to mess it up like this. Other things I don't like: desktop icons are bigger. Would like to set it back to their previous size, but I haven't been able to find out how to do it, or if it's even possible. Furthermore, I fail so see the added value of the new "enlarge folder" thing. I didn't have any problems with the way it was before. All in all, totally unnecessary update for me. Only good thing is that it bumped the security patch from June 2021 to Feb 2022.
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Ah, icon size can be adjusted: Settings > Home Screen & Wallpaper > Home Screen settings > Icon size.
RemoWilliams said:
Ah, icon size can be adjusted: Settings > Home Screen & Wallpaper > Home Screen settings > Icon size.
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Very good. Thinking about selling my 20 X and buying a note 20 ultra. It's about time
Sounds like an unmitigated disaster
MSK1 said:
Sounds like an unmitigated disaster
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If you're referring to EMUI 12, I kind of agree.
zlaer said:
If you're referring to EMUI 12, I kind of agree.
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Yep.
It's a shame... Was looking forward to that update
MSK1 said:
Yep.
It's a shame... Was looking forward to that update
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We all were.. Youre not the only one.
MSK1 said:
Sounds like an unmitigated disaster
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"Disaster" is a bit harsh IMO. After having used EMUI 12 for 10+ days now, for me, it has one positive aspect (updated security patch), and one negative aspect (split notification/control panel, with the notification panel being on the left side instead of the right). All other changes either don't bother me, or I don't really notice in my daily use.