I'm currently trying to choose my first smartphone, and am having real trouble narrowing it down. At the moment it's between an S3, One X+ or a Nexus 4. However this isn't a versus thread, I'm asking about the development communities for Samsung and HTC devices.
1. Which company (HTC and Samsung) is more supportive to developers, and which flagship phone has the best support from developers themselves?
I'm guessing since the S3 is more popular, it has better developer support, but I also hear that Samsung refuse to release an Exonys source code or something, whereas HTC allows bootloaders to be unlocked, but that doesn't mean it's particularly easy to install custom kernals or roms to HTC devices. Do either of those issues affect the S3 or One X?
2. Which device out of the S3 and One X currently has stable roms that have most original features working (like fully functioning GPS, wifi, camera and all that)?
If I were to get a non-Nexus device, ideally I'd like to flash it back to stock Android to have them as close as a Nexus device as possible, or with a custom rom based on stock android.
3. If you had to order all the manufacturers in terms of the quality and quantity of bug-free custom roms available, and ease of installing them, how would you order it?
For example, Nexus > Samsung > Motorola > HTC > Asus, or whatever.
Also for those asking why I don't simply go for the Nexus 4, it's because the build quality issues frighten me a bit.
Smeghead_ said:
I'm currently trying to choose my first smartphone, and am having real trouble narrowing it down. At the moment it's between an S3, One X+ or a Nexus 4. However this isn't a versus thread, I'm asking about the development communities for Samsung and HTC devices.
1. Which company (HTC and Samsung) is more supportive to developers, and which flagship phone has the best support from developers themselves?
I'm guessing since the S3 is more popular, it has better developer support, but I also hear that Samsung refuse to release an Exonys source code or something, whereas HTC allows bootloaders to be unlocked, but that doesn't mean it's particularly easy to install custom kernals or roms to HTC devices. Do either of those issues affect the S3 or One X?
2. Which device out of the S3 and One X currently has stable roms that have most original features working (like fully functioning GPS, wifi, camera and all that)?
If I were to get a non-Nexus device, ideally I'd like to flash it back to stock Android to have them as close as a Nexus device as possible, or with a custom rom based on stock android.
3. If you had to order all the manufacturers in terms of the quality and quantity of bug-free custom roms available, and ease of installing them, how would you order it?
For example, Nexus > Samsung > Motorola > HTC > Asus, or whatever.
Also for those asking why I don't simply go for the Nexus 4, it's because the build quality issues frighten me a bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm gonna km this now before it turns into what we both know will happen.
I will put it to you this way. No ROM is bug free and never will be. To many personal options for the dev the test out. XDA is not about ROMs. It is about development. While you may think they are the same, they are not. Development is all about trying new things and making new stuff up as you go along. Not how stable you can make a ROM.
Each device has its followers and its fans. You will find most of the OG developers prefer HTC ad this is where we all started. Then enter the android devs they tend to lean to the nexus as it was built to use the open source drivers. Unlike the rest. Samsung makes good screens but the refusal to release the code or anything to help is an end game for most.
People will always jump to the newest thing. This is how they are programmed to be. Get a device that does what you need and the rest will follow
Thread closed
Batcom2
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Your vote is depending on; performance stability(over-clocking), speed(while multitasking, games, Etc), sleekness of phone(screen, colors, crispness), and stability of custom Rom(since not everyone is using the same ROM) and the current Device you are using of course.
If this post is in the wrong location, Moderator please move it to proper location please.
PS PLEASE list your pro and cons about the phone you are using.
I like the hardware of the galaxy s but id prefer a lot more versatility of rom's.
I got to play with a nexus s the other day and fell in love.
All the phones are similar. The G2 and the Nexus S will have stock Android with no skin overlays like the Samsungs and the MT4G. The Nexus S is the only one running the latest Android (Gingerbread) and is probably the only one which will see it officially. The Nexus S will also see a few future upgrades like Honeycomb and whatever is next.
The Samsung Galaxy S is already outdated with the recent release of the Samsung Galaxy S 4G that is due out soon. It basically is a Galaxy S with a front facing camera and ability of 4G (which only the Nexus S lacks).
So it is a crap shoot. I have a Nexus One and we get Google updates all the time whereas other devices will get updates a few times a year. Also having a completely stock Android Experience tailored around your specific phone is awesome.
On the other hand, if you want the best experience, most use Cyanogen roms. They are great because they offer a ton of flexibility and functionality over traditional stock roms. So if custom roms are your thing, then getting constant updates from google really doesn't matter as the awesome devs will disperse the updates to any popular model.
Personally I would pick a Galaxy S if I had to choose out of that list. My Nexus One is plenty awesome still to hold out for something better. The Dualcore phones are due out soon and I think those will be the next standard in Androids.
(this post is a bit long, if you want to read it fast go directly to my questions.)
Hi everyone,
I'm about to buy a phone in order to kind of "fix" myself on a device since I have owned seven phones in the last six months.
I'm considering many devices by many constructors but I would like to have other people opinion about the one to choose.
I'll try to make it short:
To give an idea of my questions right now I will go fast over the experience I had with the main devices I onwed recently.
THE FOLLOWING IS AN UNINTERESTING PART FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS NO TIME TO LOOSE SO SKIP IT IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT A NOOB'S EXPERIENCE
Galaxy Nexus: fastboot is awesome, love the fact it is closer to Google but I was very disapointed when I learned that Samsung modifies even the Nexus's software, cm9 on it is as nice as fastboot. Screen drains to much battery and is not as beautiful as should be with such a high pixel density. Also suprisingly a bit laggy. Had to be sent to samsung it had a problem with the cpu...
Optimus 3D: the 3d is not a joke since it works but... Haven't had this device for long but I was unsatisfied with the stock rom (LG's main problem).
Motorolla Atrix: favorite device! Screen is as beautiful as GN on my opinion, with cm7 or 9 it becomes really nice on sftware too. Battery life is the best point of this device and the best I've had.
Optimus 2x: tried it for a few days, like the nvflash facility and the hardware capacity but only MIUI based on GB was a correct software for me, cm7's not too bad but cm9 is still very buggy.
Nexus S: for the hardware specs it is by far the best on software side, feels more solid than the gn. Battery is just average and speed is not really sufficient for my usage, expecially for switching apps on the stock ROM, cm9 or latest MIUI.
END OF THE UNINTERESTING PART (I hope)
So, here i am with experience from Samsung, Motorola and LG. Hardwarewise I have no problem with LG or Motorola but with Samsung it is less convincing.
Software, I would like to begin to develop for the next device I will get, I am an intermediate developper in Java and a decent Linux user. So it would be nice that the device has open drivers.
Here is my problem, I want to buy a device that I will keep for at least two years, I will try ArchlinuxARM and that kind of project with it.
My hesitation goes between the HTC Amaze 4G at 40$, the Galaxy Nexus at 50$ and the optimus 2x for free. I considered the sIII too but it will be 200$ and it is not worth it for me.
As I am not really confident with the durability of the GN, my mind is more with the Amaze for now but I only tried it in a store with, of course, the stock ROM. The 2x is like the less interesting option, I think.
>>> HERE ARE MY QUESTIONS! <<<
Am I right to think that the HTC Amaze 4G has tougher hardware?
Are the drivers open source or are they going to be soon? I read somewhere on the forum that people were asking HTC to release the sources, is it likely to happen?
What is the state of the ics based ROMs for the Amaze? Stable? Fluid? Comparated with cm9 nightlies on the GN?
Why the * is the Galaxy Nexus laggy?????????????? This device is supposed to be Google's flagship actually but, you know, it is just not as fluid as I think it should be.
The title of this topic is talking about philosophy, it is because I care about the constructor's philosophy. I mean, do you think that one of Samsung or LG or HTC is producing better hardware and/or is easier to fix at home? Do you think one of them is a bit less likely to produce with programmed obsolescence in mind?
Thank you for reading this loong post!
Thank you even more for giving me your opinion!
HTC will only be releasing the source for the kernel. All the other drivers for non Nexus phones are and always will be closed source. If you want to really develop with open source then your best bet is a Nexus.
sent from my cell in Arkham
This is actually quite sad that big companies like that don't participate more into open source software. I understand easily why M$ doesn't but it is harder to understand why the hardware manufacturers don't help the community...
Oh wait I just understood! Other companies that have even worse ROMs than HTC would be able to use their ideas.
I still think that it will change someday in the future. It cant continue like this indefinitely while more and more people learn about thé existence of open source and how better it can be than closed source.
But now I thought I had made a decision and that messes my mind once again I know now that thé Nexus series is the only way to be fully open source but there still is the point of hardware durability and that is somehow mlre important since it stays easier to use and develop for a phone that works!
What about the amount of hardware defects on one and the other?
My GN was overheating a lot, does the Amaze has this problem too?
Sent from my android
Hi
My current device is the Galaxy S3 i9300. I have found that the android development section for the s3 is plagued with limitations due to the manufactures (Samsung & other parties) holding back the sources. This results in lag, glitches etc ...stuff not working as good as it could.
My question is : does the Nexus 5 face the same limitations as the s3 due to google or lg holding sources back, causing things not to be working in custom roms?
I like what I see with the Nexus 5 but I want to be sure that I'm not falling into the same trap again before I buy one
Thanks in advance
You will not see the same limitations you see with the s3 on the n5. Almost everything is open source and you won't see locked bootloader, a bunch of carrier crap, etc
Sent from my Nexus 5
steve.p.russell said:
Hi
My current device is the Galaxy S3 i9300. I have found that the android development section for the s3 is plagued with limitations due to the manufactures (Samsung & other parties) holding back the sources. This results in lag, glitches etc ...stuff not working as good as it could.
My question is : does the Nexus 5 face the same limitations as the s3 due to google or lg holding sources back, causing things not to be working in custom roms?
I like what I see with the Nexus 5 but I want to be sure that I'm not falling into the same trap again before I buy one
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nexus`s are build to be customised, you won`t find KNOX or bootloader unlockcode.bin`s (both will void warranty when triggered) here. Happy flashing mate Read the first 4 threads in the General Section well before you do anything . And don`t use tookits.
You obviously have never owned a Nexus. The Nexus isn't locked down like Samsung, HTC, etc. There are no hurdles to jump over when unlocking or modifying. Google makes there phones this way on purpose. That is why nexus phones are the best for ROMs and other modifications. Get a Nexus 5 and you will see how easy it is.
Nexus phone are developer phones. They're created to be modified, tampered, and messed with. You won't find any limits here, so go mental ?.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
WI FI Direct
But wi fi direct does not work which is really annoying wish i had knew that before i bought my N5 last week i would have gone for the LG G2 which to tell the truth i think is better.:cyclops:
chainsuk said:
But wi fi direct does not work which is really annoying wish i had knew that before i bought my N5 last week i would have gone for the LG G2 which to tell the truth i think is better.:cyclops:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm the opposite of you. I have the G2 but feel like I want a 5.
Sent from my LG-D800
As i say though wi fi direct does not work yet which is annoying im just hoping they fix it soon as its software problem not hardware,apart from that its a nice phone
With a Nexus you can go as far as the mind can see... or as far as its fans want it to go.
Samsung don't release Exynos source. Actually Qualcomm also don't release snapdragon source either.
However, difference being, google releases full AOSP source code for Nexus 5 where as Samsumg does not, so unlike my old GT-i9300, Camera can still work, audio can still work as well as it would on stock. Samsung only release blobs and no HAL so that's why it suffers,
There will always be limitations developing new features on qualcomm devices, BUT existing features on N5 can work as well as stock. No hardware in the android world is truly / fully open source because of the proprietary nature of SoCs, but as long as the AOSP repository includes everythign we need to run that hardware, it's not so much a big deal.
Deleted
KingInTheNorth said:
What is the best device for developing ROMs/Flashing Custom ROMs/Rooting/Has the best support?
I'd like to get started with developing more and I'm going to start buy porting CM12 to a device that is my daily driver for now, but what device should I get that will allow me to maximize on rooting and developing ROMs/Porting features to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is Nexus phone
Nexus phones are made specially for developers. Plus you have a factory image which you can write if something went wrong. Custom ROMs are always on the mark on this phone. And you'll get the earliest update.
May be this help you
Hit thanks button if helped
Nexus 5 and OnePlus One. Both have the advantage over the Nexus 6 in being compatible with KitKat ROMs. The Nexus 5 will have the advantage over the OnePlus One in terms of speed of updates, but that isn't to say that the OPO will be far behind. The OPO is a better phone; better camera, bigger battery, better hardware, etc.
I believe I'll add the HTC One M8 & M9 devices to @Planterz' list.
Usually any Nexus and more importantly XDA!
KingInTheNorth said:
What is the best device for developing ROMs/Flashing Custom ROMs/Rooting/Has the best support?
I'd like to get started with developing more and I'm going to start buy porting CM12 to a device that is my daily driver for now, but what device should I get that will allow me to maximize on rooting and developing ROMs/Porting features to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
all nexus devices are best for development as it is vanilla android, but u could also go for any Samsung devices as there is not much concept of unlocking bootloader.
Hi All,
While I was searching for a new device to purchase, this question popped into my head: how do ROM developers decide which devices to support? Admittedly, this question arose because I wanted to find a phone that would be compatible with the most ROMs and is currently still under active development. But I also am genuinely curious as well.
I'm new to the custom ROM scene and just started researching but from what I can understand, most, if not all, developers are doing this on their own free time without any sort of payment. In that case, I would assume, they would only support devices that they have access to, in other words, devices that are currently using and have used. Additionally, developers are probably tech-savvy so I am also assuming that most developers will choose a phone that they think is best. Although what is best is subjective, I believe that there are a common set of desired features which will lead to a couple of devices being more popular than others. As a result, some phones will see support from a wide variety of ROMs while others will see a few or none at all.
I went through a couple of the ROMs I was interested in from this list (https://www.xda-developers.com/the-most-popular-custom-roms-on-xda/), and found that Nexus 5x was common between them all. I can't recall what phone was popular during 2015 but was this phone really so popular/desired that all ROM developers seems to have one lying around in 2019/2020? Its been past 4 years since its launch and I assume that its specs are very outdated compared to what we have now but it is still being supported by many ROMs. What lead to this phone to become such a commonly supported phone by ROM developers?
The Nexus line was at a good price point, good hardware for the time and fully supported factory images from Google with regular updates, next to impossible to hard brick, worked across multiple carriers worldwide, easy to unlock bootloader, custom recoveries available, and popular following. I'm sure I've missed something [emoji846]
Device's that are only available in a limited market, or are unable to be bootloader unlocked, don't have factory images are difficult to support and have a limited following reduces the likelihood that a person interested in developing will buy that phone.
ktmom said:
The Nexus line was at a good price point, good hardware for the time and fully supported factory images from Google with regular updates, next to impossible to hard brick, worked across multiple carriers worldwide, easy to unlock bootloader, custom recoveries available, and popular following. I'm sure I've missed something [emoji846]
Device's that are only available in a limited market, or are unable to be bootloader unlocked, don't have factory images are difficult to support and have a limited following reduces the likelihood that a person interested in developing will buy that phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you don't mind, could I have your opinion on Moto G5 Plus in regards to ROM support? It appears to be supported by Pixel Experience, AOSP Extended, and ResurrectionRemix so it looks like it has a fair amount of support. However, when I view the top devices page on XDA (https://forum.xda-developers.com/top) I don't see the Moto G5 Plus. Would there be any relationship between the top devices on XDA and devices supported by the most ROMs?
No, there really is not a correlation between the top devices on XDA and ROM support.
The top devices reflects basically the activity within the forum. So new device releases will trigger people's curiosity so even though there may be zero ROM support, the device has activity.
A device like the Moto G5 plus that has been out for awhile, just doesn't have loads of activity in the forums. There is still activity on ROM threads, but it's more sporadic.
Got it, thanks for your help. Looks like I'll just have to keep digging through the forums and rom websites and try to make an educated guess about what device has and will continue having the most rom support.
The lineageOS support for the Nexus 6 is ongoing and that phone was released in 2014. There was a lot of passion surrounding that device, but as developers had their device fail (battery died, screen broken, ect), they moved onto other devices.
My point is, the best you can do is find a popular phone in your price range and hope. The OnePlus series may be worth looking at.