[Q] phone choice - General Questions and Answers

I have been locked into contracts forever and am finally in a couple of months out of contract and plan on purchasing a phone out of contract. I have had mixed experiences with rooting my phones and the ROMs for different models. With my next purchase I would like to pick a phone from a manufacturer that is easy to create stable ROMs and wanted your guys input.
One of the phones I had success with in the past was the original motorola droid and then moved to the xperia play which I couldnt do anything too without paying someone to unlock it, which I never did. I currently have the galaxy s and it seems ok for ROMs, though I read a G+ post from one of the XDA developers that stated samsung was difficult to work with and what they release for code and was a big pain to create ROMs from. He mentioned that Sony mobile was getting much better, but in the past I've leared to loathe Sony. At any rate what manufacturers are currently good to look at for root/romable phones? Also any thoughts on specific phones would be nice to look through.
Currently on my list is the nexus using walmarts sim cards, but am not opposed to looking at almost anything with any vendor. Unfortunately Tmobiles not in my area, because that seems like a good place for plans.
Thank you

I'm basically researching what phones will be easily rootable and will/have ROMs and is also a fully featured phone so I can use all the new tech that has come out lately. Thank you

Xceptiona1noob said:
I have been locked into contracts forever and am finally in a couple of months out of contract and plan on purchasing a phone out of contract. I have had mixed experiences with rooting my phones and the ROMs for different models. With my next purchase I would like to pick a phone from a manufacturer that is easy to create stable ROMs and wanted your guys input.
One of the phones I had success with in the past was the original motorola droid and then moved to the xperia play which I couldnt do anything too without paying someone to unlock it, which I never did. I currently have the galaxy s and it seems ok for ROMs, though I read a G+ post from one of the XDA developers that stated samsung was difficult to work with and what they release for code and was a big pain to create ROMs from. He mentioned that Sony mobile was getting much better, but in the past I've leared to loathe Sony. At any rate what manufacturers are currently good to look at for root/romable phones? Also any thoughts on specific phones would be nice to look through.
Currently on my list is the nexus using walmarts sim cards, but am not opposed to looking at almost anything with any vendor. Unfortunately Tmobiles not in my area, because that seems like a good place for plans.
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try something like Xperia Sola or GO but if you have a little more money buy Xperia Z ...Theese phones are good to customize as I have been trying and almost everything works...include custom kernels etc.
I have now Xperia Sola and I have set up new custom rom http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2227059 currently waiting for V4 update but V3 works like a charm on it...no lags .. free to customize really good one. Maybe some HTC One will be good but I am fan of Sony

I disagree
Oriann said:
Try something like Xperia Sola or GO but if you have a little more money buy Xperia Z ...Theese phones are good to customize as I have been trying and almost everything works...include custom kernels etc.
I have now Xperia Sola and I have set up new custom rom http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2227059 currently waiting for V4 update but V3 works like a charm on it...no lags .. free to customize really good one. Maybe some HTC One will be good but I am fan of Sony
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the Sony Xperia Sola would be a poor choice, he is thinking about the nexus which is high end compared to the Sola, besides, the Sola is a pain to root (personal experience) while the nexus would by far be the most moddable and developer friendly device....
Xceptiona1noob said:
I read a G+ post from one of the XDA developers that stated samsung was difficult to work with and what they release for code and was a big pain to create ROMs from.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Samsung Galaxy S4 has been out for a very short period of time, and it already has root methods and custom ROMs, if you go for Samsung you won't be dissappointed...just choose your ROM carefully...starting out with the basic cyanogenMod is great....
BTW the Nexus is an awesome device!
P.S: Youtube would be your friend on how various devices can be customised

This is the sort of thing I'm nervous about http://www.geek.com/android/att-will-sell-the-galaxy-s4-with-a-locked-bootloader-1553657/
My old Xperia play had a locked bootloader.
Is there a place to look for best phones for putting mods on? it seems like such a crap shoot, I might decide on the S4 and then just by going through ATT I screw myself even though initially I think its just like the other vendors models.
-----
in reality I know my only safe choice is nexus, I just wish there was more out there.

Xceptiona1noob said:
This is the sort of thing I'm nervous about http://www.geek.com/android/att-will-sell-the-galaxy-s4-with-a-locked-bootloader-1553657/
My old Xperia play had a locked bootloader.
Is there a place to look for best phones for putting mods on? it seems like such a crap shoot, I might decide on the S4 and then just by going through ATT I screw myself even though initially I think its just like the other vendors models.
-----
in reality I know my only safe choice is nexus, I just wish there was more out there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you considered something not so mainstream like the Oppo find 5 ??
This is one great phone...see reviews and specs...
Also it has lots of development and capabilities...
BTW if the bootloader of the Samsung S4 is locked...developers will find various ways to unlock it....i don't think you should consider this also because of how the S4 is so popular...
Do your searches and studies...and i hope you make a good decision that you will be comfortable with....

I would be very interested in somthing like the oppo 5. Thanks for the heads up.

You really can't go wrong with the nexus.
The one is also available unlocked from htc.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

Related

Buying a new phone in large impressive market...Opinion?

G'day everyone reading this. I've been in the market for a new mobile for quit sometime now, and tomorrow I'm finally committing myself to a nice little plan for 24month which includes a $0 handset. Yes its time to ditch the HTC Blackstone Touch HD. It was good phone, but lately I want to smash it against a wall.
I've narrowed my choices down to 2 phones...the Samsung Galaxy S and the Xperia X10 with android 2.1...before you ask, "what the hell are you thinking with this choice," let me tell you, its the best avail on this particular plan--I can't talk myself, (or my wife for that matter) into spending tons more on a plan thats not nearly as good in value, for a better/top of the range handset. Unfortunately.
Now from my research the main disappointment with the X10 is the stock 2.1 android (which can be flashed to froyo or gingerbread i think) and of course that plastic screen.
As far a capabilities, correct me if I'm wrong but its running the same hardware as the new HTC incredible S which runs beautifully straight out of the box.
I like the dedicated camera button, camera performance, and overall design of the handset.
Now the Galaxy...well, a lot of great reviews, awesome screen, cool interface,beautiful handset, plain and simple. My main disappointment has to be no flash and 'plasticy, elcheapo back cover.
What do you guys think? I come to xda for advice because its you guys know ur phones and I've gotten alot of valuable info from this site!.Much appreciation in advance!!!
suxelexus said:
G'day everyone reading this. I've been in the market for a new mobile for quit sometime now, and tomorrow I'm finally committing myself to a nice little plan for 24month which includes a $0 handset. Yes its time to ditch the HTC Blackstone Touch HD. It was good phone, but lately I want to smash it against a wall.
I've narrowed my choices down to 2 phones...the Samsung Galaxy S and the Xperia X10 with android 2.1...before you ask, "what the hell are you thinking with this choice," let me tell you, its the best avail on this particular plan--I can't talk myself, (or my wife for that matter) into spending tons more on a plan thats not nearly as good in value, for a better/top of the range handset. Unfortunately.
Now from my research the main disappointment with the X10 is the stock 2.1 android (which can be flashed to froyo or gingerbread i think) and of course that plastic screen.
As far a capabilities, correct me if I'm wrong but its running the same hardware as the new HTC incredible S which runs beautifully straight out of the box.
I like the dedicated camera button, camera performance, and overall design of the handset.
Now the Galaxy...well, a lot of great reviews, awesome screen, cool interface,beautiful handset, plain and simple. My main disappointment has to be no flash and 'plasticy, elcheapo back cover.
What do you guys think? I come to xda for advice because its you guys know ur phones and I've gotten alot of valuable info from this site!.Much appreciation in advance!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Galaxy S (captivate) has a metal back cover...maybe verizon's version is different. The GS has a ton of developers working for it!
yea, must be a little different over here, has pretty cheap frame. still, the same insides though...I decided to put everything on hold atm, would rather wait for a dual core device, spend a little extra outright, and save myself the commitment of a contract!
Sony will be releasing an update for the X10 to bring it onto Android 2.3 this summer
suxelexus said:
yea, must be a little different over here, has pretty cheap frame. still, the same insides though...I decided to put everything on hold atm, would rather wait for a dual core device, spend a little extra outright, and save myself the commitment of a contract!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my opinion Motorola Droid 2 rulezz
Markie76 said:
Sony will be releasing an update for the X10 to bring it onto Android 2.3 this summer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
-Hell yea....That's great because I thought eclair was there final update, without having to flash etc. U see a lot of complaining about the phone on the net, but I personally think its one of the cooler phones on the market.
jimyy said:
In my opinion Motorola Droid 2 rulezz
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Might have to look into that...One thing I do know is I have to get out of this crap HTC Blackstone. Just stopped recognizing me sd card, and suddenly running retardedly slow...about to smash it! hahaha...seriously dude.

[Q] Do you buy phones for custom ROMs?

How many phones do you have? Do you buy a separate phone to install custom ROMs?
I have only one and for last few months I am playing with custom ROMs. It is great when you give new life to older phone, like mine. Motorola Defy+ with Quarx custom kernel and CM10 4.1.2. Like new phone. :good:
I just have one, but I change my custom romantic weekly. it's fun
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app
Just one. Can't afford two lol
Sent from my HTC One S using xda app-developers app
Three, all have custom ROMs. Captivate Glide, Samsung Infuse 4g, and my gs2. The gs2 is all I use right now, the others are laying on the desk. Might sell them.
Sent from my SII(i777) SuperNexus 4.1.2 10/17/12 build
I have two...Samsung Infuse and HTC Vivid. As you can see by my signature...i get devices to mess around with and try may hand at developing
(nowhere near a developer yet...but one day )
but i just love android in general...if i could afford it i would get sooooo much more phones lol
Think my signature says it all.
Back from the days of WM it's always been a thought before purchase.
Ignore current device as it's a get thru.
Previous have been s620/Rhodium/Rapael/ZTE Blade/DHD/SGS2/XT910 "there are others"
All of them had been customised and not just via flashing ROMs as back when time was not so valuable my time was taken in Kitchens editing resourses but now minimal I'm happy just to have tether work lol
Sent from my MotoMB511 using xda premium
Custom ROMs are the best
If I could afford multiple devices, I would buy separate phones for ROMs:laugh:
stylez said:
Think my signature says it all.
Back from the days of WM it's always been a thought before purchase.
Ignore current device as it's a get thru.
Previous have been s620/Rhodium/Rapael/ZTE Blade/DHD/SGS2/XT910 "there are others"
All of them had been customised and not just via flashing ROMs as back when time was not so valuable my time was taken in Kitchens editing resourses but now minimal I'm happy just to have tether work lol
Sent from my MotoMB511 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow we have shared alot of the same devices
Now to stay on post. I never buy a phone based on custom roms. Why you ask? Well here is the thing. Developers are always looking for the next big thing and change phones often. No promise that there will be custom roms for it. So I set out to get a phone that will suite my needs. Making sure it has an unlocked boot loader is all I need. If I want a custom rom bad enough then I will make it myself.
Sent from Arkham
The phones I've got are Sony Xperia S, SGS2 & SE Xperia X8.
Although I only use the X8 now and again when I'm bored and wanna test on it. Apart from that, it doesn't get used
I definitely don't buy a phone based on the custom ROMs available. The Xperia S kinda proves that because there's not too much available for it really.
When buying a phone, it's gotta have whatever I'm specifically looking for at that time. In regards to ROMs I'm not really too fussed because a good phone with a crap ROM is still much better than a crap phone with a brilliant ROM.
"My badboy megazord whip's got more features than iOS5"
yes, because Arc stock ROM has lot of redundant apk
zelendel said:
Wow we have shared alot of the same devices
Now to stay on post. I never buy a phone based on custom roms. Why you ask? Well here is the thing. Developers are always looking for the next big thing and change phones often. No promise that there will be custom roms for it. So I set out to get a phone that will suite my needs. Making sure it has an unlocked boot loader is all I need. If I want a custom rom bad enough then I will make it myself.
Sent from Arkham
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ez
Keeping it on topic that should have been my answer ya brain pilpher...... :silly:
Sitting in the shadows i see.........
Juz one device...n playing with it n custom roms...grt...
Sent from my GT-S6102 using Tapatalk 2
Lee Frederickscii said:
How many phones do you have? Do you buy a separate phone to install custom ROMs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have three phones. Iphone 3g, Gamsung galaxy sII and huawei u8836d dual sim. For the two android phones i use custom roms ( due to : root , titanium backup, tweaked kernel etc..)
yup
one phone.........surely for custom roms:good:
hope many at xda use it for the same:laugh:

[Q] Some basics I need covered :)

Hi,
So I'm new to Android, and I've only had a Nexus 7 for a week (I sold it) which I rooted and had some custom roms for.
I wanted the Xperia Z, but it's shape is too square and thus bulky. I like that this Razr HD is a bit water resistant, has excellent battery, the keflav back, and is a less cumbersome size.
But- i'm concerned as this device isn't one of the more popular. Does this mean i will have to wait much longer for upgrades even if rooted? And less support in future? could some apps not run/be designed for this device?
Basically- Im someone who keeps their phone for ages. Im still using a jailbroken 3GS happily. As much as i dont like apple- its good that i can always run the latest OS...
Just wanted thoughts on all this. Cheers
ycon said:
Hi,
So I'm new to Android, and I've only had a Nexus 7 for a week (I sold it) which I rooted and had some custom roms for.
I wanted the Xperia Z, but it's shape is too square and thus bulky. I like that this Razr HD is a bit water resistant, has excellent battery, the keflav back, and is a less cumbersome size.
But- i'm concerned as this device isn't one of the more popular. Does this mean i will have to wait much longer for upgrades even if rooted? And less support in future? could some apps not run/be designed for this device?
Basically- Im someone who keeps their phone for ages. Im still using a jailbroken 3GS happily. As much as i dont like apple- its good that i can always run the latest OS...
Just wanted thoughts on all this. Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Official upgrades for android devices are at the whim of the manufacturer and the carrier unless we're talking about a nexus device which gets updates directly from Google. On Verizon updates typically take longer to come out due to what they say is extensive testing, but recently they've been better about it imo. Unofficial updates are governed by the amount and quality of developers on that particular device. For moto phones we have a nice core of developers that keep us up to date. Now that the newest moto phones have had their bootloaders unlocked, development has really picked up. The development scene on Android is a lot different and more complicated then the Apple side. Due to the amount of high end android devices that are released every year the development scene moves pretty quickly. That isn't to say older devices aren't dev'd for but it is a possibility to consider. In the moto world devices as far back as the droid 3 are still actively supported. Many of us started out with moto and have never left.
Don't worry about the apps. Unless the device falls really behind in the os version all apps will be supported. It's not like apple where if your phone doesn't have the latest update a third of the apps don't work. There are apps coded specifically for features only available on the latest Android version but those are very few due to people wanting to make money lol.
sent from my xt926 RAZR maxx hd
Cheers for that really helpful response.
It all seems pretty good to me with app compatibility.
So- if I understand correctly, if I unlock the bootloader & root my phone, I wont have to rely on Moto/my carrier for the OS updates?
Are there any other general things I should know before saying no to more mainstream (GS4) device?
Cheers
ycon said:
Cheers for that really helpful response.
It all seems pretty good to me with app compatibility.
So- if I understand correctly, if I unlock the bootloader & root my phone, I wont have to rely on Moto/my carrier for the OS updates?
Are there any other general things I should know before saying no to more mainstream (GS4) device?
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes to your first question. Technically you would only need root to stop carrier updates but none of the new roms are being developed for locked devices.
Firstly know that the HD has basically the same innards as the gs3 except with 1gb less ram and a less impressive camera. The two monster phones out/coming out right now are the gs4 and the HTC one with a new nexus hopefully out soon. The gs4 represents some of the best hardware available (with newer still coming out later this year) and will have a lot of Dev focus. Out of those 3 phones Verizon will only be getting the gs4 most likely. In terms of what phone to get I would say you need to physically handle each before making a decision. If you must be on Verizon then the gs4 would be a great choice but some people don't like the build materials and feel of the phone (similar to gs3). People sticking with moto appreciate the solid feel, excellent materials, amazing radio strength, and battery life.
sent from my xt926 RAZR maxx hd
koftheworld;4080229The gs4 represents some of the best hardware available (with newer still coming out later this year) and will have a lot of Dev focus. Out of those 3 phones Verizon will only be getting the gs4 most likely. In terms of what phone to get I would say you need to physically handle each before making a decision. If you must be on Verizon then the gs4 would be a great choice but some people don't like the build materials and feel of the phone (similar to gs3). People sticking with moto appreciate the solid feel said:
Cheers for that. I am not on Verizon (I'm in Australia), I'll buy the phone unlocked.
I have had a look at the GS4, HTC One and Razr all together.
The GS4 is my favourite in terms of size, but I'd rather sacrifice the power (Quad core) for the longer battery, better call reception, stronger build, and lower price of the Razr HD.
I might jsut have to wait for the new Nexus phone to come out. I've heard Google will be subsidizing it, so the price might be right.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Future Samsung Purchases

This S4 boot loader debacle has turned me against U.S. carrier based phones. I can't giving $600+ for something as they please without our permission. I'll have to investigate/research which International version I want to buy.
I was aware of it. The seller I bought it from does care about these matters. I bought as it as a learning experience. I sure aren't trying to start any arguments or fights. I was just hoping it could be discussed normally.
scott14719 said:
How do you interpret that as smugness? Did you not see the emoticons in my post?
Actually this is the kind of thread people start that are only looking for arguments. It adds nothing to the community. However, I understand your frustration with Samsung and I am sure others feel the same way. But don't think it's OK to post your opinion about a subject and it isn't OK for others to do the same. Not everyone's opinion is going to be the same as yours and creating a thread like this invites ALL opinions on the matter. That is why it's better to not make them in the first place.
Personally (again, my opinion), I knew the phone had a locked boot loader when I bought it. So I am sorry you were lied to about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I didn't see the emoticons. I guess I wasn't expecting your response. Sorry!
Your best bet is to stop buying AT&T contracts, as it's they who request for the lock and it's not like Samsung is gonna turn down millions of dollars because a couple thousand modders disagree :/
sholsten said:
This S4 boot loader debacle has turned me against U.S. carrier based phones. I can't giving $600+ for something as they please without our permission. I'll have to investigate/research which International version I want to buy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wait for the lg optimus g2 or the moto x. those phones look amazing. they might come with an unlocked bootloader. i was just pondering this the other day. ive only purchased two new phones that were not samsung in my smartphone history. that was the iphone 4s (which i traded for a skyrocket) and the htc surround (wanted to give wp7 a shot). ive had other htcs and one sony. but they were craigslist deals. my next phone is most likely going to be the g2 or moto x. i think its about time for me to give someone else a fair shot.
Thermalwolf said:
Your best bet is to stop buying AT&T contracts, as it's they who request for the lock and it's not like Samsung is gonna turn down millions of dollars because a couple thousand modders disagree :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have an AT&T contract. ST is cheaper per month.
sholsten said:
This S4 boot loader debacle has turned me against U.S. carrier based phones. I can't giving $600+ for something as they please without our permission. I'll have to investigate/research which International version I want to buy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that the S4 has made me a heretic in XDA's eyes. The stock experience, especially after this update, has been marvelous. I've had a bunch of Android devices since 2010 and this is the first time that I think futzing around with custom ROMs is mostly useless. Sure, it's locked down, but it works great. I just shake my head seeing bug reports on the dev threads and wonder why an end user would want to cripple functionality on one of the best phones yet.
Anyway, maybe I got most of the flashing out of my system with my Nexus One and then later with the hooptie Viewsonic gTab 10.1. I think now that the platform is maturing and devices become even more complex, flashing homebrew ROMs will start to fall out of style.
Just my BTC .02, though. I'd like to see amateur/recreactional custom Android development to continue to thrive, though--perhaps on the next to wave of wearable computing and the like. I just want my bling phone to work as advertised.
Er, sorry for droning on.
burhanistan said:
I think that the S4 has made me a heretic in XDA's eyes. The stock experience, especially after this update, has been marvelous. I've had a bunch of Android devices since 2010 and this is the first time that I think futzing around with custom ROMs is mostly useless. Sure, it's locked down, but it works great. I just shake my head seeing bug reports on the dev threads and wonder why an end user would want to cripple functionality on one of the best phones yet.
Anyway, maybe I got most of the flashing out of my system with my Nexus One and then later with the hooptie Viewsonic gTab 10.1. I think now that the platform is maturing and devices become even more complex, flashing homebrew ROMs will start to fall out of style.
Just my BTC .02, though. I'd like to see amateur/recreactional custom Android development to continue to thrive, though--perhaps on the next to wave of wearable computing and the like. I just want my bling phone to work as advertised.
Er, sorry for droning on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. Thanks for your input. I have a whole another perspective now.
burhanistan said:
I think that the S4 has made me a heretic in XDA's eyes. The stock experience, especially after this update, has been marvelous. I've had a bunch of Android devices since 2010 and this is the first time that I think futzing around with custom ROMs is mostly useless. Sure, it's locked down, but it works great. I just shake my head seeing bug reports on the dev threads and wonder why an end user would want to cripple functionality on one of the best phones yet.
Anyway, maybe I got most of the flashing out of my system with my Nexus One and then later with the hooptie Viewsonic gTab 10.1. I think now that the platform is maturing and devices become even more complex, flashing homebrew ROMs will start to fall out of style.
Just my BTC .02, though. I'd like to see amateur/recreactional custom Android development to continue to thrive, though--perhaps on the next to wave of wearable computing and the like. I just want my bling phone to work as advertised.
Er, sorry for droning on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know to be honest I hope your right. Custom roms and XDA were never really ment for the normal person. Only for those that wished to learn to do development and programing. With Android flashing a device became the cool thing to do. Now we see less real development then ever. So I really hope your right.
Wayne Tech Nexus
zelendel said:
You know to be honest I hope your right. Custom roms and XDA were never really ment for the normal person. Only for those that wished to learn to do development and programing. With Android flashing a device became the cool thing to do. Now we see less real development then ever. So I really hope your right.
Wayne Tech Nexus
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't have said it any better. It won't be long til we see roms named "swag" or "#yolo" or even named "freelilwayne". Everyone just expects everything to work 100% with no development. All I see are now spammers for apps and themes or someone asking why something doesn't work even though there are 48 other threads about it. I miss the old XDA.
Sent from my SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
toxicpaulution said:
I couldn't have said it any better. It won't be long til we see roms named "swag" or "#yolo" or even named "freelilwayne". Everyone just expects everything to work 100% with no development. All I see are now spammers for apps and themes or someone asking why something doesn't work even though there are 48 other threads about it. I miss the old XDA.
Sent from my SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Q & A section in this forum is nearly unusable. There are a few legitimate threads, but almost exclusively it is filled with the same (sometimes noob) crap over and over again all because they are too lazy to do a little searching and reading. And like you said, several of the same questions (that have already been answered) all on the first page or two. Sometimes it's not even the noobs doing it. And that's not taking into consideration the multitudes of the same types of posts (needless questions) being posted in the General section. So I agree, there should be some type of test(s) that people need to pass before they can even enter XDA at this point.
sholsten said:
I don't have an AT&T contract. ST is cheaper per month.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mean don't buy anything branded from AT&T or Verizon or any carrier whose device is locked. If you went with the T-Mobile model you wouldn't have been locked down.
Honestly I felt the same way initially. Then I asked myself what Android company am I going to buy then?
HTC - they typically have locked boot loaders (though the One does not)
Moto - Nope always locked and they don't make any cool phones right now.
LG - locked typically
Sony - wouldn't know since they have like No US phones.
So would I rather pay $600 for a phone with boot loader unlocked or $200 for a locked one, I pick the $200. I am assuming must people would also.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
My take; I have had AT&T locked phones in the past and usually someone finds a way to either hack the bootloader or make a bypass, it just takes a lot more time. Still fun to have the phone and customize. Then I've also paid the big dollars and bought the international version unlocked phone. It was great because of lots of customizing, and support however if you run into a warranty issue you are screwed. Unless you know someone in the country your phone came from. I have an international SGS3 but a couple small glitches in the graphics and the worry of the bad system board that causes the instant black screen of death (or whatever it was) I started looking at the S4. I was ready to buy another international phone but it came down to features and actual function. I wanted 4G LTE. Well back when I bought the S3 there were 2 international SGS3 phones. I bought the one with LTE first (9305) turns out the frequencies the phone runs for 3G+ did not work with AT&T in the US. I had to sell it on eBay, forget having LTE, lose a gig of Ram and get the 9300. Then I decided about going back to AT&T and get S4 because I would be covered under warranty and I get all the features that are going to work where I live. Cool thing is its the same hardware as the 9505 so there's still quite a bit of customizing with the SGH-I337. For me it will come down to the features and what works for me in my area. I learned the hard way with the SGS3. Frequencies and no warranty.
Sent from my GT-I9505 converted SGH-I337
sholsten said:
This S4 boot loader debacle has turned me against U.S. carrier based phones. I can't giving $600+ for something as they please without our permission. I'll have to investigate/research which International version I want to buy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just buy a canadian version, they have identical hardware and you will know will have full compatibility with american wireless networks
I feel cheated. I paid $650 out of contract to AT&T for this phone coming from a iPhone, a locked platform I was getting tired of, especially with Jailbreaking becoming harder on it, for the reason to "play" with my phone. With a locked bootloader, and a carrier locked, I cannot do that.
In the world of DRM losing ground you would think they would learn? Moto dropping their locked boot loaders... DRM being removed from Google Play Music and iTunes... people are sick of it adding complication to their lives. I had a P3113 Galaxy Tab 2 7" WiFi only and loved it because of how open it was. Currently running CM10.1.2 on it. Yet their phones are so locked down.
It's not entirely Samsung's fault. AT&T requests a locked bootloader. Samsung provides. A bug around it is found, Samsung has to patch it from a security standpoint. Not their fault. However with the popularity of this phone they could have easily said "No locked bootloaders" and shoved it down AT&T and other carriers throats if they had the balls to do it.
WoodburyMan said:
I feel cheated. I paid $650 out of contract to AT&T for this phone coming from a iPhone, a locked platform I was getting tired of, especially with Jailbreaking becoming harder on it, for the reason to "play" with my phone. With a locked bootloader, and a carrier locked, I cannot do that.
In the world of DRM losing ground you would think they would learn? Moto dropping their locked boot loaders... DRM being removed from Google Play Music and iTunes... people are sick of it adding complication to their lives. I had a P3113 Galaxy Tab 2 7" WiFi only and loved it because of how open it was. Currently running CM10.1.2 on it. Yet their phones are so locked down.
It's not entirely Samsung's fault. AT&T requests a locked bootloader. Samsung provides. A bug around it is found, Samsung has to patch it from a security standpoint. Not their fault. However with the popularity of this phone they could have easily said "No locked bootloaders" and shoved it down AT&T and other carriers throats if they had the balls to do it.
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Click to collapse
They were not gonna miss out on the millions of devices sold just for the .1% of people that mode the device. That is why they came out with the GE versions.
Wayne Tech Nexus
zelendel said:
They were not gonna miss out on the millions of devices sold just for the .1% of people that mode the device. That is why they came out with the GE versions.
Wayne Tech Nexus
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Click to collapse
True enough. Had I known about the Google Edition I would have waited a bit. If I really wanted I could buy it and sell my current SGH-I337 for a little less than I bought it for. However I kinda wanted to retain the ability to run full Touchwiz / Stock based roms easily.
I'm still happy as I am now running CM10.1 on my phone, and running Goldeneye ROM if I want a stock full Touchwiz ROM. Flash AMF3 model.. and keeping my AMDL Odin package safe. Just had I bought the phone with AMF3 on it I would be totally turned off and be unusable for me because of patched Loki.
personally, i mod or mess with everything. camera rigs i do myself, computers i build myself. cars i mod (and have rebuilt one with help) myself. my house i work on or change.
it is a fundamental hallmark of humanity that we change our environment and create or modify tools around us to suit our needs. so flashing ROMs or trying to customize or even just tinker with these devices is, in my opinion, simply an extension of what it means to be human, to create, express, and change. anything that limits that creativity is a bad thing IMO.
this is where locked bootloaders, fragmentation, and endless carrier variants become bad things, and where i do like apples' approach; one nearly universal product (hardware wise other than LTE/GSM/CDMA or storage size). However, apple is horrible for locked down software.
i will always root/unlock my phones as long as that is possible, because i can. i will always build my own computers, because i can. and i will always drive stick and for sure it wont be stock either; because i can.
Thermalwolf said:
I mean don't buy anything branded from AT&T or Verizon or any carrier whose device is locked. If you went with the T-Mobile model you wouldn't have been locked down.
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Click to collapse
Thanks. I didn't realize T-mobile wasn't locked. I wish I'd known when I bought mine.
I wonder if things will stay the same on near new models like the Note 3.

This phone is depressing! A few thoughts and ramblings...

First off let me say that I love this phone. The build quality while not the best is good enough and the materials used come together very nicely. The Moto X also has all the features I am looking for (quick charge, nice screen, stereo front facing speakers, expandable storage and unlocked and rootable!).
So why am I depressed about it?
The phone seems to not be as popular as it deserves and with that it doesn't get the massive amounts of support of other inferior devices. After owning this phone since October I have tried my hardest to grow to love the stock firmware as it is so close to google's. However (I'm not sure how many of you will agree with me here), I am very fond of CM and seeing that the Moto G 2015 has been officially supported for what feels like forever now I'm not sure the Moto X will ever be.
I know there are dedicated individuals working hard to further development projects for this device and I am very grateful for that. It just feels like the community for this phone is very small which has caught me off guard because the device seemingly has everything most people could want.
Anyways, I'm not entirely sure why I wrote this but I'd like to hear your guys' thoughts and opinions.
I agree with you that I was assuming there would be way more support for this phone and I also though it would be easier to mess with as far as rooting and such. I'm no developer or self proclaimed rooting expert but it seems like if you are on android 6.0 stock it's not that easy to get rooted or downgrade to 5.x and root. I thought being unlocked and so near stock that this would all be a breeze but ever since I unrooted and upgraded to stock 6.0 rooting again is a pretty big undertaking. I'm not complaining here I do really like the stock OS but I love messing with the OS too. Here's to hoping some time in the near future there is a solid root option for stock 6.0
When I first seen the title I was like 'really'?/But as iv read further , there's one spot on point I agree with you on...
I expected the this phone to be one of the more popular, development wise, rom wise.
So when I first came to XDA and looked in the Moto X Pure section, WOW, I was sadly SADLY surprised.
3 CURRENT ROMS. are you joking me?
I told my self once the kernel source(or whatever) was released, THAT'S when things would change, that is when the list would grow..... IT HAS NOT THO....
THIS has been a let down. When I buy a phone, I want to be sure bec to me, its a hassle to do Re-Sale on EBay or Swappa or CL, Its just a hassle, I don't want to do it, Unless I absolutely have to. SO I'm sticking with the phone I buy most likely. So I'm sticking with it.
I could have spent 100 more to get the 6p, but at that time, everyone was talking DOWN the 6p, plus its a tad too big for me, I didn't want it then. Given the unpopularity in development this phone surprisingly is, it would be nice to have the 6p, but to me, going through the resale hassle, I think I'll pass.
Lastly, to the OP of this Post. I agree on one point, its very very surprising the unpopularity of the phone STILL. It's almost unexplainable.
Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
Ive been a long time lg and htc user prior to this.... Yes theres few roms but heres my take.... while lg g2 g3 g4 have lots of roms activities and users... Let me tell you how it works... First most of the ppl on there only complain about bugs and how they bricked their phones or complain of the hideous lg stock rom lag and interface... Then they flash bug filled. Aosp roms and complain about bugs and camera etc..... Wit moto x ppl dont have to be active in the forum bc first.. Stock rom is aosp... ....... Everything just works and feels great... And you can falsh optimized stock rom and ull have stability of stock roms+fluidness of aosp roms...(no need for users to stick around to complain... They jt flash they're rom and are of to enjoy it) You jt cant lose with this phone!!!! I appreciate the heck out of my fone and of mostly intelligent satisfied users!!!! Im my opinion this phone is second to only the nexus 6p right now.... And well the reason i have this is bc i got it for a measly 83$ on a amazing deal on ebay... Anyways. Thats alll... My opinion is complete
Edit.... Oh and ive nvr owned a phone with a signal quality even close to this one... Its baffling how much better it is then it was on my m8 or g3 or g4...
I came from the LG G4, what they did there is they got a well known Cyanogen Dev to agree to support that device if they helped him get it.
They got Codeworkx, (a great developer btw) and he jump started development right away squashing bugs left and right.
Maybe they can do that here? get a well known Developer to agree and see if they can get donations going for him.
I know things like this have gone down south before with devs not commiting and dropping/selling the device right away.
But there are good devs are there that are commited but just dont have funds to get devices.
Historically, the moto x line has never had much development. My own personal opinion is because there isn't much need: updates come fast, stock moto features are excellent, and performance tends to be very good and there is very little bloat. Other than the nexus line, where the devs have source code to work with, devices that come with good software tend to get less developer interest.
Obviously there are exceptions to this, just my observations after owning many phones over the years.
I just got the X for my dad and i believe its perfect for him (not so sure about the large display though), but he won't be messing around with ROMs and stuff.
However, I simply can't decide between this and the 5x for myself (6P is out of my budget). I love everything the X Style offers but I dread that I will soon get bored of the stock experience and crave for the bells and whistles that custom ROMs offer. The downside to flashing a ROM on the X is you lose out on Moto Display, Voice, Actions, and Assist--is that not the case? If I'm not mistaken, isn't Moto's implementation of these features significantly better than those found in CM?
I will echo what's been said and maybe add some points of my own. I love this phone I do, and maybe the fact that it has no issues is the issue but I also love seeing what else there is out there as far as rom's etc. I have yet to even root/unlock this phone because I almost see no major reason. I mean major, I know there's some xposed modules and whatnot but I used to love/hate trying out new roms just to see what they're like even with the bugs. I've moved on from the whole hack your phone scene but only because it seems to be less and less fun. Maybe the fact that the moto x pure is great as is, is the issue. No reason to really change anything. It's a good problem to have I guess.
roofrider said:
I just got the X for my dad and i believe its perfect for him (not so sure about the large display though), but he won't be messing around with ROMs and stuff.
However, I simply can't decide between this and the 5x for myself (6P is out of my budget). I love everything the X Style offers but I dread that I will soon get bored of the stock experience and crave for the bells and whistles that custom ROMs offer. The downside to flashing a ROM on the X is you lose out on Moto Display, Voice, Actions, and Assist--is that not the case? If I'm not mistaken, isn't Moto's implementation of these features significantly better than those found in CM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Moto's implementation is MUCH better than you'll find on any rom and/or xposed module. You will not find touchless display and moto voice that work well anywhere else. Also, you can get bells and whistles by installing gravitybox on stock-based roms. I've ran cm12.1/13 on my oneplus one for nearly a year and since switching to the moto x with gravitybox, I don't miss a thing.
Google~Android said:
Ive been a long time lg and htc user prior to this.... Yes theres few roms but heres my take.... while lg g2 g3 g4 have lots of roms activities and users... Let me tell you how it works... First most of the ppl on there only complain about bugs and how they bricked their phones or complain of the hideous lg stock rom lag and interface... Then they flash bug filled. Aosp roms and complain about bugs and camera etc..... Wit moto x ppl dont have to be active in the forum bc first.. Stock rom is aosp... ....... Everything just works and feels great... And you can falsh optimized stock rom and ull have stability of stock roms+fluidness of aosp roms...(no need for users to stick around to complain... They jt flash they're rom and are of to enjoy it) You jt cant lose with this phone!!!! I appreciate the heck out of my fone and of mostly intelligent satisfied users!!!! Im my opinion this phone is second to only the nexus 6p right now.... And well the reason i have this is bc i got it for a measly 83$ on a amazing deal on ebay... Anyways. Thats alll... My opinion is complete[emoji14]
Edit.... Oh and ive nvr owned a phone with a signal quality even close to this one... Its baffling how much better it is then it was on my m8 or g3 or g4...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good points. I do wish we had a bit more variety rom wise tho.
Yeah 6p was just out my price range at the time, and also it wasnt as popular of a Choice at its launch as its been more recently.
For me specifically, I consume a lot of media, so speakers are a bit more important to me than some others, and was close to the most important feature I was looking for. I came from the htc M7, so when I heard the MXPE, I was not disappointed. As someone else said, this phone probably has the best speakers on a phone, even the 6p...... based on reviews and YouTube videos only.
Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
Theres not much to fix on this device, if and when CM gets official, you will see more rom in the dev section.
I love this phone that it doesnt get in my way and works just how I want it, heck I dont even keep tapatalk on my phone anymore since I never need to come here look for fixes or improvements
it is just 6months of release.. i think rom numbers and kernel numbers will improve over time...also the processor is almost new...there is very less work on msm8992...
also no vendor gives updates so fast.
LGs,HTCs,Samsungs take forever to update
emoney1219 said:
I agree with you that I was assuming there would be way more support for this phone and I also though it would be easier to mess with as far as rooting and such. I'm no developer or self proclaimed rooting expert but it seems like if you are on android 6.0 stock it's not that easy to get rooted or downgrade to 5.x and root. I thought being unlocked and so near stock that this would all be a breeze but ever since I unrooted and upgraded to stock 6.0 rooting again is a pretty big undertaking. I'm not complaining here I do really like the stock OS but I love messing with the OS too. Here's to hoping some time in the near future there is a solid root option for stock 6.0
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unlock the bootloader, flash twrp through platform tools(adb-fastboot), flash chainfire supersu systemless root, it takes 10 min.
Yes, there are less ROMs compared to many other phones, but you must consider that most other phones don't come with a nearly pure Android experience. Those custom ROMs all try to focus on AOSP/CM builds that provide a pure Android experience along with extra features. This phone just doesn't need that as much.
Personally, I use to love flashing different ROMs to find the one that provides the best performance and feature set combination. This phone already has the performance, and Xposed and Layers provide all the features and custom look as desired. We also have a few solid kernels, too.
If you need a lot of ROMs, pick a phone that has a manufacturer-built version of Android that developers want to replace or a Nexus phone
Sent from my XT1575 using XDA Free mobile app
The stock ROM, rooted with Xposed and GravityBox can cover most of what a custom ROM can give you. And without the bugs.
Faint333 said:
First off let me say that I love this phone. The build quality while not the best is good enough and the materials used come together very nicely. The Moto X also has all the features I am looking for (quick charge, nice screen, stereo front facing speakers, expandable storage and unlocked and rootable!).
So why am I depressed about it?
The phone seems to not be as popular as it deserves and with that it doesn't get the massive amounts of support of other inferior devices. After owning this phone since October I have tried my hardest to grow to love the stock firmware as it is so close to google's. However (I'm not sure how many of you will agree with me here), I am very fond of CM and seeing that the Moto G 2015 has been officially supported for what feels like forever now I'm not sure the Moto X will ever be.
I know there are dedicated individuals working hard to further development projects for this device and I am very grateful for that. It just feels like the community for this phone is very small which has caught me off guard because the device seemingly has everything most people could want.
Anyways, I'm not entirely sure why I wrote this but I'd like to hear your guys' thoughts and opinions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not depressing if you have Xposed framework and VZW Unlimited Data. I may keep this phone for 1-2 years instead of upgrading every 6 months.
I agree, just got this phone the other day and i thought there'd be a lot of rom support, easy rooting, more mods, etc. Kind of a shame for a very good phone.
About the camera
My main complaint about this phone after owning a LG G4 and Galaxy S6 is the lack of the camera 2 API. Why after virtually bringing this feature on board of the Google Nexus 6 and claming that this phone have a comparable camera to last year's flagships, they take away something out, that us owners are more than capable of taking advantage. The camera is good, but could be better, and if they don't feel like doing it we should've been able to do something about it. Dumb move Motorola.
One problem with this phone is that it has to have qcoms multi Sim implementation. So you will not see (m)any AOSP based ROM's.
This because it is a lot of work to make multi Sim work. And yes the implementation of Qualcomm multi Sim is different then the aosp implementation.
You will only see CM based custom ROM's or stock based modifications. CM based ROM's because CM has a lot more resources to integrate this.
(I tried to get omnirom working, but ran into the multi Sim problem).
the design was good but i got tired of the lag and overheating, even on the s808 chip. went to the iphone 6s for 2 months then im back on droid but with a nexus 6p. best device ive had, no lag or overheating, great support. maybe the OP should consider buying it.
---------- Post added at 10:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:02 AM ----------
JOSE89178 said:
I agree, just got this phone the other day and i thought there'd be a lot of rom support, easy rooting, more mods, etc. Kind of a shame for a very good phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
alot of it has to do with levono buying moto and the uncertain future of the moto line. plus the fact moto seems to drop support easily.

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