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Going through the kernel sources, it's blatantly obvious that they have developed a phone with these specs.
The 9500 is the ja3g and its variants are
ja3gduos_chn_ctc / GT-I959 / China Telecommunications Coorporation
ja3gduos_chn_cu / GT-I9502 / China Unicom.
That's fine and dandy, however the conspiracy theories begin with the LTE versions:
The 9505 also has an Exynos variant as named as jalte and its derivatives are
jalteskt / SHV-E300S
jaltektt / SHV-E300K
jaltelgt / SHV-E300L
jaltedcm / ???
First three for the Korean market, and the latter Japan DoCoMo.
The interessting tidbit about the last four is that they're sourced / defined as derivatives of jalte / GT-9505 which is defined as a TARGET_LOCALE_EUR device.
Now over in the Qualcomm universe of devices, we have the jf* boards:
jf_eur, jf_att, jf_can, jf_cmcc, jf_cri, jf_dcm, jf_ktt, jf_lgt, jf_skt, jf_skt, jf_spr, jf_tmo, jf_vzw.
Now it's pretty obvious that there are duplicate devices for both the bolded markets, again the European, Korean, and Japanese variants.
I'm not claiming anything here; the above may either point out that Samsung will in the future have or replace the Qualcomm devices back with Exynos devices, or it may mean that the source code is older and displays Samsung's device line-up before they switched to Qualcomm. The question is, if they'll continue to source Qualcomm devices for the markets which got them from the beginning.
In either case, it just seems that the S4 is a massive failure for Samsung in terms of a product launch, they released it too early, and due to the apparent manufacturing issues, a big clusterfuçk has emerged in the device lineup in the last minute.
I'm glad they decided to use Qualcomm. It will have a much better community support.
Releasing all devices with Exynos would be a failure IMO for those that want to customize it.
AndreiLux said:
I'm not claiming anything here; the above may either point out that Samsung will in the future have or replace the Qualcomm devices back with Exynos devices, or it may mean that the source code is older and displays Samsung's device line-up before they switched to Qualcomm. The question is, if they'll continue to source Qualcomm devices for the markets which got them from the beginning.
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I agree with this and think that at some point in the SGS4's lifetime there will be a Octa/RF360 LTE variant.
In either case, it just seems that the S4 is a massive failure for Samsung in terms of a product launch, they released it too early, and due to the apparent manufacturing issues, a big clusterfuçk has emerged in the device lineup in the last minute.
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Because there's code in the kernel that point to models that could have been produced and aren't?
BarryH_GEG said:
Because there's code in the kernel that point to models that could have been produced and aren't?
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Are you trying to make a snarky comment again?
Yes, because of that; you don't develop a product and suddenly throw away millions in investment to not use that and then decide to throw free cash at your biggest competitor for the hell of it.
The whole launch just smells of immatureness of the product that was changed in the last minute. The LCD vs AMOLED debacle is also something to consider: initial firmwares were still using the white/bright colour schemes and only as reported, new updated firmwares finally changed that back to black / dark scheme typical of AMOLEDs. This gives weight to the reports that they were almost releasing the device with an LCD screen.
They didn't mention a single word about the CPU during the official launch for a single reason: shame.
AndreiLux said:
Are you trying to make a snarky comment again?
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Actually, no. And I thanked your original post.
Yes, because of that; you don't develop a product and suddenly throw away millions in investment to not use that and then decide to throw free cash at your biggest competitor for the hell of it.
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I'll give you an example of what I've seen from the business side (I'm not a programmer). There are times when the business group hasn't made final determinations about h/w while s/w coding is still preceding. The programmers will include code for multiple options and then either comment out what's not used or just leave it dormant. In the cases I've been party to the code could have been used but the fact it wasn't doesn't indicate some strategic mistake, just that of multiple options coded only one was pursued. Software decisions are usually more flexible than h/w ones.
BarryH_GEG said:
Software decisions are usually more flexible than h/w ones.
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That's fine and valid in the software universe, but not in terms of software that runs hardware (notice I'm not saying "on hardware", I literally mean it runs the hardware) one part goes hand in hand with the other, else you're programming blindly.
They actually have these devices working and developed, just not mass-produced for the public.
I'm quite impressed they've managed to make the jump to 28nm so quickly really. So it doesn't surprise me that there's not that many Exynos chips floating around and won't be for a few months.
If anyone keeps up on graphics cards, you'll know why I'm impressed -- TSMC are pretty hilarious when it comes to shipping silicone on time
And given the above subject, NVidia has been guilty of far more "soft launches" than Samsung is pulling here (eg, BARELY ANY product out in the wild for months after launch).
Whether or not you can call it a failure I guess depends on how much money Samsung will "lose" from shipping the Krait units. Would it have been better to delay the S4 4-6 months so they could ship 100% Exynos? I have no idea here, but all I know is I'm expecting the Note III in 4-6 months, not the S4...
BarryH_GEG said:
I agree with this and think that at some point in the SGS4's lifetime there will be a Octa/RF360 LTE variant.
....
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Yes, but when it does will be later, our eyes will be looking at other devices and to first S6 rumors specs.
For those like me who want to move to S4 has to live with what we have today.
The local buzz for japan (based on regulatory filings) seems to indicate SC-04E model designation, Qualcomm hardware (a major but welcome turnaround), for Japan/Docomo.
Perhaps we'll see a later (mid-fiscal-year) introduction of an Exynos version identically specced to the korean Exynos/LTE version like they did with the S3 alpha.
AndreiLux said:
Going through the kernel sources, it's blatantly obvious that they have developed a phone with these specs.
I'm not claiming anything here; the above may either point out that Samsung will in the future have or replace the Qualcomm devices back with Exynos devices, or it may mean that the source code is older and displays Samsung's device line-up before they switched to Qualcomm. The question is, if they'll continue to source Qualcomm devices for the markets which got them from the beginning.
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If that turns out to be the case that they may replace the Qualcomm variants with Exynos, then I'm glad I got my Snapdragon variant before they do.
evildave_666 said:
The local buzz for japan (based on regulatory filings) seems to indicate SC-04E model designation, Qualcomm hardware (a major but welcome turnaround), for Japan/Docomo.
Perhaps we'll see a later (mid-fiscal-year) introduction of an Exynos version identically specced to the korean Exynos/LTE version like they did with the S3 alpha.
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Click to collapse
^^ I doubt they will do that... And if they do probably only be out in Korea or japan because other Carriers wont bother with it, the reason why the carriers went for the 4G variant of the S3 I9305 is because the S3 didnt have 4G.
And the countries that chose the I9500 S4 dont really have a good 4G network and the ones that chose the I9505 do have a 4G network, The countries with a good 4g network did not choose the I9500 because of the fact they cant market it as being 4G and probably wont make as much sales. The real world consumer (Other then XDA) only cares for the Number 4 after the S ... And 4G is a bonus... If samsung releases another variant and markets it to the carriers as being S4 Octa + 4G, I really doubt the carriers will waste their money as the consumers will basically say "I have the S4 and it is 4G"... They wont understand what Octa is. Plus it would have to be a better Octa version than it is now because in real time usage you couldn't tell any difference with the I9505 and I9500... Only real clear difference is that the I9500 is alittle higher is some benchmarks. But who outside of the community cares about benchmarks.
1 year from now the S5 will be out I think they will concentrate on that
btemtd said:
^^ I doubt they will do that...
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Past history has shown otherwise. Its EXACTLY what was done with the S3 in this market. SC-06D was almost exactly like the AT&T carrier hardware (Qualcomm) and 6 months later same carrier introduced the SC-03E Exynos model.
evildave_666 said:
Past history has shown otherwise. Its EXACTLY what was done with the S3 in this market. SC-06D was almost exactly like the AT&T carrier hardware (Qualcomm) and 6 months later same carrier introduced the SC-03E Exynos model.
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Like I said IF they do it I recon it would only be in japan or korea. I cannot see my country (australia) or many other countries alike taking up the exact same phone and re-advertising it as an exynos... The normal consumer wont have a clue what they are talking about..They may change stock supplies but not market it at all so if someone decides to buy an S4 in 5-6 months it will automatically be shipped as Exynos/LTE, this maybe possible if the only reason samsung went with qualcomm was low stock issues and they needed to meet stock demand by a certain date to make the S4 Launch date happen.. But again realtime performance will be the same.
On the other hand if they do decide to make an update and market it as an update you would like to think it will be more then just a cpu change or slight Over clock .. hopefully its other updates that will see a difference in real time performance because at the moment real time performance is practically identical in the current S4 variants, Exynos & Snapdragon...
In todays fast moving technology world, everyone is intrigued to buy new devices. And this norm is fumed by innumerous manufacturers by releasing products at an insane rate. You have got too many choices and only think to wonder is how much you can afford to pay. Sometimes taking loans is common or simply you take a contract with a provider and regret there is nothing you can do to change your phone afterwards.
Every other day, new features are coming to devices and you wish you had just waited a month to buy the other phone.
Buying the every latest devices is not very wise as you spend alot of your money for just one or two extra features.
SOME CONSIDERATIONS
You must know that in todays phone era, the hardware has gone a long way in comparison with software. My point isnot that software is developing at a slower pace but simply that most of phones available today might never use their full potential in terms of hardware ever. Android Software is going more smooth and promises further improvements even on low end devices. With KITKAT 4.4, Android has gone into a surge to speed up system by 50% and that's just the beginning.
Most of manufacturers are working hard on ONLY hardware. Even phones released two years ago are doing very well till date. If you look into software department and games, you can still play all of latest games on these devices very smoothly. I will give you examples of HTC sensation/Incredible S, Samsung Nexus, SII or any other phone of that time with almost similar hardware. I have checked MC4/Fifa 14/Asphlat 8 personally on all of these devices.
I think to update my Nexus 7 2013 in 2015 and my Nexus 4 Next year (October 2014) while Xperia L around when it is required. Following this scheme I always have the latest device with me and I also do not spend a lot of money. (700-800 British Pounds every three year, considering that I am a Medicine Student and under a lot of loan already). Also what is more to look is that my old devices are still doing a great job. I recently installed CM 10.2(JB 4.3) on my HTC Sensation and it runs just as smooth as Nexus 4/Xperia L for the matter. The software is stable and I can play HD games on 786MB RAM only.
Another point to note is that KitKat 4.4 has only been released for about a week now and I am using 4.3 on my two year old HTC sensation using Custom ROM is simply too cool.
So I WARN you that you need to be smart to buy a new phone rather than spending alot of money on every new phone and never utilising its full potential.
ASK YOURSELF
The most important point you need to consider is WHY EXACTLY YOU WANT TO BUY A NEW PHONE? WHERE your old phone canot be utilised that you must upgrade it.
What would you utilise it for in the LONG RUN? HOW LONG YOU INTEND TO USE IT. WHAT ARE SOME SPECIFIC FEATURES THAT YOU ARE LOOKING INTO BEFORE BUYING.
I know for many looks of a device counts. You want your device to be COOL and feel great in your hand. I agree to the matter but certainly you should never compromise LOOKS with actual performance and hardware. Benchmarks are just a bunch of lies and in real use, they do differ alot and cannot be fully trusted.
I personally give a lot of stress to your HARDWARE and your SCREEN SIZE.
At the moment we are into Octa Core era but have you ever actually thought that if your phone ever used all of these cores at once? I think even Quad Core processors are not fully utilised. Many HD games still just utilise dual core and the rest are off. So in real, many games are not fully using your full phone potential as lack of support from developers or lack of customization to utilise all cores/hardware ! Don't you feel trolled?
Windows phone is fast growing platform but it still lacks a lot what Android offers on the table. I prefer Android over Windows phone any day!
(That's another debate! http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=45932842&postcount=14)
If you just want a simple phone for calls and texts and emails and limited apps, I WILL SIMPLY TELL YOU TO USE WP8 or if you just want to call and text NOKIA 3310 (or any in the sequence) shall suit you.
So going for Quardcores (now i think its justified but if all cores are optimized in every application)/Octacores/64bits is just rubbage and you are just tricked out of money when you have something very latest but developers havenot made anything that it can utilise. So if you are considering a phone to use for next two years, I believe a recognised company's quardcore would be more than enough. A change to this trend in future is inevitable but not enough uptill now to run for the latest device. (Remember Mediatek Octacore can not win from Qualcomm Quadcore, so consider which company to choose)
RAM is very important and I believe this should not be compromised. Many phones will do just great on 1gb ram but I will prefer a 2gb ram if my phone is to be used for two or more years.
GPU This is something really tricky which might FORCE anyone to buy a phone with higher GPU. GPU takes a part of ram and its function is to compute 3D functions and thus is mostly utilised in GAMES. So if you are a gamer, I will suggest you to buy a phone with latest GPU rather than an old one. Xperia L/Xperia P/ Xperia M all share almost the same price. However, Xperia P is an old device while Xperia L is recent. Thus, Xperia L will give alot better performance and more smoothness to your ROM comparatively to Xperia P because it can handle graphics better due to its latest GPU.
SCREENSIZE I personally prefer any device bigger than 4 inch display. 3.5 is just too small for your fingers and 5 is just to big for me. For me, 4.3 to 4.7 is just perfect as not only it is big enough to read/games/emails but also gives you enough for big hands.
Remember to always BUY A DEVICE WHICH IS DEVELOPERS FRIENDLY. You won't find much ROMS for HTC Amaze although it has almost the same specification as HTC sensation.
CORTEX CONSIDERATION When you are buying any phone, we usually just consider the clock speed of processor and usually ignore the technology on which the processor is build on. The processors which are currently being available in the market are Cortex A5, A7, A9, A12 and A15. What does this mean? Consider it this way, it shows the technology they are build upon and using. The Cortex A5 is oldest which cortex A15 is latest.
Lately 64 bits have also being introduced A53 & A57. These out perform the previous ones!
If you are wondering how does this make a difference, well take this as an example : A device running a dual core Cortex A9 1 Ghz would run faster than a dual core Cortex A5 clocked at 1.5 Ghz. This is because as the technology is growing, the architecture of the chips are also changing to improve their performance. As the Cortex A9 uses new architecture, thus many improvements have been made to enhance the device performance. ( Xperia U used 1ghz A9 with 512 Ram whilst Samsung Galaxy Star uses 1Ghz A5 with 512 Ram as well but if you talk about their performance, there is a lot of difference between the two. I have personally used both of them) So always consider a device with higher cortex if you can afford to!
REMOVABLE BATTERY is important for those who want to easily swap batteries or want to use their phones for long period of time. This is just a big draw back for me as I keep three devices and I update each one annually so this means that I need to change my nexus after using it for around 2 years to 3 years. In this time, I need to change my battery as battery does get worn out and damaged. But I just can not easily do that.
You might be wondering, the new ROMS are not available. Well actually they are but custom made. If you check out Android development of these phones, you will be surprised that many developers are giving their best to just work hard on new ROMS and they are all great.
At times you just need to do little tweaks.(Some games aren't available on specific models but those devices are capable of running them very smoothly. Tweaks help in these matters)
Another thing one of my friend asked me to add was about support from different manufacturers to their devices! Well, every company has a different policy of releasing updates for their phones according to their price tag (Flashship, mid end, low end phones). So make sure you consider what is their possibility of being updated to newer version of android if you are looking for STOCK roms coming directly from manufacturers. Samsung for the fact is releasing phones every single day and I think, you can not expect support for its low end phones at all whilst one update for mid ranges and few more high ends/flash ship phones.
Sony on the other hand is always slow with updates but provides open source code at times if it doesnot plan to update the android version.
Motorola starts to amaze me with its policy to update even the lower end phones to Android Lollipop and in my opinion Moto updates the android version more frequently and much quicker than any other manufacturer.
Usually the support is around ONE year to ONE and half year max for Flagship phones; SIX months - ONE year for mid-range phones whilst ZERO to FEW BUG fixing updates for lower end phones!
However, If you got a carrier phone like VODA, AT&T etc, you are pretty much struck with your PROVIDER rather than manufacturer for that fact! Usually these phones come with locked bootloaders which are a tough nut to crack, and thus you can only flash ROMs which are made for LOCKED BOOTLOADERS. Thus, if you can afford it, you should buy a contract free phone straight from manufacturer. This will allow you more freedom to customise your phone to your advantage by flashing ROMS, kernels, mods etc! However, it will simply be useless to a person who is not ready to take the risks!
Android Platform
Android Platform is growing very rapidly and new improvements have been introduced with every new build. I think the only issue now Android is still struggling with is battery life in standby mode which although has been improved quite considerably with Android Lollipop but I think it still needs some work in the future which I am sure Google is looking into very closely.
I think this is enough for you to decide if you really need to buy a phone or not.
GOOD LUCK!
Updates :
Added the following in the guide
*Oems
*Generally how long a phone is updated according to it's class (Flagship, low end or mid range phone)
*Considering the advantage of using newer architecture of processor (Cortex)
*Disadvantages of carrier phones
Any suggestions be welcomed!
PLANNED UPDATES :
What to look for in a phone if you are a Gamer, Text & Call person, Mobile Cinema addict, Internet Browsing Freak etc
Edit it more to be organised and easy to access headings for skimming through
What devices do you use?
@Hnk1, well said.
I am still using my good old HTC Touch HD (Blackstone), now upgraded to WM 6.5, and it is still running great. Gives me more than a couple of days on a single battery charge.
You should mention that some OEMs, like LG, like to pump out flagships phones every 3 month that means that your phone, from LG will not get alot of SW support.
That said, other OEMs have the same philosophy for mid range to low end devices. I am talking about official support, Some devices are lucky and get Custom rom support but then, custom roms are more often than not a compromise and not a solution as they have and always will have bugs.
You cannot have up to date phones, with removable batteries and the best experience. Its a world of compromise, as it is nearly for everything else.
Thanks! Hnk1..
This guide is very is helpful ..
thnx
Thanks. Its very useful
xyz121 said:
Great guide man, Thanks!
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Revontheus said:
What devices do you use?
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chan.sk said:
@Hnk1, well said.
I am still using my good old HTC Touch HD (Blackstone), now upgraded to WM 6.5, and it is still running great. Gives me more than a couple of days on a single battery charge.
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shadowcore said:
You should mention that some OEMs, like LG, like to pump out flagships phones every 3 month that means that your phone, from LG will not get alot of SW support.
That said, other OEMs have the same philosophy for mid range to low end devices. I am talking about official support, Some devices are lucky and get Custom rom support but then, custom roms are more often than not a compromise and not a solution as they have and always will have bugs.
You cannot have up to date phones, with removable batteries and the best experience. Its a world of compromise, as it is nearly for everything else.
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TwinEdge said:
Thanks! Hnk1..
This guide is very is helpful ..
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thereefour777 said:
thnx
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Lukadevilu said:
Thanks. Its very useful
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The guide is updated! Added OEMS and carriers briefly. Also, I added little debate about WP vs Android. People's opinion could be different so I respect that! The whole debate is here :
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2450502&page=1
Secondly, I am glad the guide was a help to all of you! Keep sharing so more people can benefit from it!
I use alot of devices and I borrow many devices from my friends and family to experiment with them! At the moment I am using Xperia L, Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 2013. Other phones are either exchanged, sold to buy a new one, lent so they keep changing time to time as they are for development/experimenting purposes only!
Nice guide.
Lord of the Droids said:
Nice guide.
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I'm glad you liked it
Google's Android One has become one of the biggest technology flops of the year, and possibly of the decade.
Google had the best intentions when the tech mongol launched the Android One: offer standardized, quality devices for low prices in emerging markets. Sadly, not enough people bought into the vision to make it a success. The phone was to be offered to growing markets, focusing on the BRIC countries, reports*Forbes.
Full Article here - http://www.vcpost.com/articles/105045/20151110/google-kills-android-one-program.htm
But Woking fine with my device.
Sent from my Sparkle V using Tapatalk
I will be purchasing the mi4 soon and have a few questions about it.
1.purchasing in the u.s im seeing theres mi4 original and a mi4 LTE, which one has better rom support? Or are they essentially the same and can run vice versa roms?
2.with the mi5 comming out very soon,the mi4 is very cheap..wheres a good place to buy one in the u.s? So far..gearbest,oppomart,ebay,and amazon ive checked with gearbest being the best one ive seen.
3.if i purchase not the LTE varient am i limit to 3g connection? Or H+? For u.s connection.
4.where does xiaomi sit at as far as updates are concerned? Back when the mi4 was released i believe it shipped with 4.4 kitkat? Heading towards end of january 2016 is it still on 4.4 kitkat?
Will be updating this as soon as i find out more questions and concern about the device but for now these are the questions that i need t know. Thanks in advance
1. When it comes to ROMs, Mi3, Mi4W and Mi4 LTE are the same devices, same ROMs will work on all of them, but on some of them, like Cyanogenmod, even while being officialy supported have some problems with LTE connectivity, but all the rest is working perfect. On the other hand, If you are interested in Win10, you have to have a LTE model, WCDMA one is not supported.
2. -
3. Non LTE variant is limitted to 3g, but H+ also counts as 3g xD
4. Mi4 (like all the rest of Xiaomi devices) is getting weekly updates of MIUI, changing some minor things, fixing bugs and sometimes featuring new functionality. Since yesterday, the new MIUI version (6.1.21) based on Android 6.0.1 is available to be flashed, and it's working great for me, AnTuTu score increased from ~42.000 to ~47.000 and the overall performance is great.
Generally I'd recommend you not to play with custom ROMs as far as MIUI features great stability, performance, and uncompareable camera app and photos quality (photos taken on customs are nothing compared to ones taken on MIUI), and, if you can afford, you won't regret spending some more dollars on LTE variant.
I think I've helped you, if you want to know anything more you can write to me, I know how does it feel to be afraid of buying Xiaomi when you haven't ever had one. You seriously won't regret that purchase!
TyMoOteUuSz said:
1. When it comes to ROMs, Mi3, Mi4W and Mi4 LTE are the same devices, same ROMs will work on all of them, but on some of them, like Cyanogenmod, even while being officialy supported have some problems with LTE connectivity, but all the rest is working perfect. On the other hand, If you are interested in Win10, you have to have a LTE model, WCDMA one is not supported.
2. -
3. Non LTE variant is limitted to 3g, but H+ also counts as 3g xD
4. Mi4 (like all the rest of Xiaomi devices) is getting weekly updates of MIUI, changing some minor things, fixing bugs and sometimes featuring new functionality. Since yesterday, the new MIUI version (6.1.21) based on Android 6.0.1 is available to be flashed, and it's working great for me, AnTuTu score increased from ~42.000 to ~47.000 and the overall performance is great.
Generally I'd recommend you not to play with custom ROMs as far as MIUI features great stability, performance, and uncompareable camera app and photos quality (photos taken on customs are nothing compared to ones taken on MIUI), and, if you can afford, you won't regret spending some more dollars on LTE variant.
I think I've helped you, if you want to know anything more you can write to me, I know how does it feel to be afraid of buying Xiaomi when you haven't ever had one. You seriously won't regret that purchase!
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Thankyou very much for the info. You really helped alot. 1 question would you know whereto purchase the back covers for the phone? Ive checked ebay and they only have the wood type material. Or xiaomi didnt fully release it?
I've purchased mine on Aliexpress, the delivery time is not really nice but if you are patient enough you can get a nice cover in quite a low price
TyMoOteUuSz said:
I've purchased mine on Aliexpress, the delivery time is not really nice but if you are patient enough you can get a nice cover in quite a low price
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Thankyou again. Ive just checked on that website and they have all the selection i was looking for. How long did it take for you to recieve it after you ordered from there?
That's a big disadvantage of Aliexpress, IDK how long does the delivery take in US, but to Poland it usually takes 2 weeks. The estimated delivery time can be seen directly on auctions, it all depends on the type of delivery.
As we know India got the Nougat. Brazil did too. EU finally gets it's share.
Nothing in US, except a soak announced by RepublicWireless. On the official Motorola / lenovo forums you can be banned if you talk about sideloading the Nougat on US devices. While Moto allows unlocking the bootloader by providing the unlock codes (in US they benefit from that by canceling the warranty), they frown upon what happens next. Like people will unlock the bootloader just for the pleasure of giving up the warranty, nothing more.
I was a Moto fan, me and my family owned a Moto DEFY XT (557D), MotoX (1st gen), Moto G (3rd gen), Moto E (2015) and now in use we have a Moto G4 Plus and a Moto X Pure.
Sadly, service (updates) for US is now last in line, bad interactions on their forums, no true international LTE bands support (band 20 is ommited from US phones, even if it is becoming one of the most important in EU for CA and rural).
I was planning to get the next Moto G5, but sadly I will have to move to a different company for my next phone.
What's sad is the fact that for each of us that have purchased their last Moto, there are probably 10 people that's never owned a Moto that will buy it. The US is pretty much the backwater for Lenovo and we probably are only a small fraction of their sales.
Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk
At the price point that they try to sell the new Moto they needed loyal customers. The people that hunt bargains will not go for their inflated prices, not when they have likes of ZTE or Alcatel in the stores. Bad marketing strategy.
SoNic67 said:
At the price point that they try to sell the new Moto they needed loyal customers. The people that hunt bargains will not go for their inflated prices, not when they have likes of ZTE or Alcatel in the stores. Bad marketing strategy.
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I usually get a new phone every two years. I have had my G4 for six months, so I won't make any statements about what I will or won't buy at this time since a lot can change in 18 months. But I will say that Lenova is far from being the only manufacturer to drag their feet on updates. And in reality, I really don't care that much about getting stock upgrades since I unlock and customize every device I have. The custom firmwares are usually much better choices IMHO. So when I am ready to get a new phone (or tablet), the custom ROM choices and development activity will influence me more than whether or not the manufacturer is updating in a timely manner. And introductory prices usually fall in time
Custom firmwares are zero without updated blobs for camera, sensors, modem... That requires manufacturer support.
However my beef is mainly that lenovo had put the US market on backburner.
SoNic67 said:
Custom firmwares are zero without updated blobs for camera, sensors, modem... That requires manufacturer support.
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:good:
All very true. But it seems that the updated drivers for various features are made available long before stock ROM upgrades, thus custom ROM's are also available. In five years of using Android smart phones and tablets, I have never had to wait long for decent custom ROMs based on the latest version as opposed to the long delays for stock upgrades by some manufacturers. Huawei and Asus come to mind.
Anyhow, I wasn't trying to negate anyone's position about the current situation. I merely was stating my own personal opinion and what works for me. My own 2-cents worth so to speak.
US soak seems to be older (-13) than what is out now (-14). Probably is somehow related to the RepublicWireless preloaded app.
I would like to try the US soak test. Has anyone have a URL for it? I heard their was issues but sounds like the same issues I read about Nougat. Any truth to that?
I'm using Nougat 14 and it's having battery drain problems, it's general (check Lenovo forums).
Maybe for that reason they didn't update the US version for now.
Anyway it's taking too much time for be an Android version similar to AOSP, other companies like Huawei have very modified versions and are updating more fast.
Maybe Nokia is going to be what Motorola was. I'm going to wait the Nokia 8 presentation for decide if I buy it or a Moto G5 Plus.
pastorbob62 said:
I usually get a new phone every two years. I have had my G4 for six months, so I won't make any statements about what I will or won't buy at this time since a lot can change in 18 months. But I will say that Lenova is far from being the only manufacturer to drag their feet on updates. And in reality, I really don't care that much about getting stock upgrades since I unlock and customize every device I have. The custom firmwares are usually much better choices IMHO. So when I am ready to get a new phone (or tablet), the custom ROM choices and development activity will influence me more than whether or not the manufacturer is updating in a timely manner. And introductory prices usually fall in time
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The main reason I've stuck with Moto so long is the custom firmware options. It's actually unprecedented for me to be still running a stock rom all this time.
Jplabti said:
I'm using Nougat 14 and it's having battery drain problems, it's general (check Lenovo forums).
Maybe for that reason they didn't update the US version for now.
Anyway it's taking too much time for be an Android version similar to AOSP, other companies like Huawei have very modified versions and are updating more fast.
Maybe Nokia is going to be what Motorola was. I'm going to wait the Nokia 8 presentation for decide if I buy it or a Moto G5 Plus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I ran Nougat NPJ25.93-14 for a week and didn't see any battery drain whatsoever. In fact, the battery life was slightly better than any of the custom ROMs I have tried. I would have stuck with it except I missed the advanced boot menu and being able to customize the status bar. Not to mention it still has bloat that I really don't need.