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[Q] Best Stock Android ROM?

Hey guys, apologies if I'm not posting in the best possible section for this, but I've been wondering for a while.
I've been getting sick of TouchWiz. Not just the launcher (I got Nova the moment I could, and am still using it) but the customizations of the phone itself and the small annoyances that Verizon baked in, such as the always-on WiFi indicator. I've been debating going to a stock ROM for a long while, and I've made my decision to break free of the ridiculousness that is Verizon and Samsung's customizations, as they've made the phone slow, and I know it can run much better than it is right now. So here's my question:
What's the best stock Android ROM currently? I'd preferably want one that is
Being currently developed. I don't want a ROM with a lazy developer. (If ROMs are a few weeks late, I won't mind, but I don't want to be waiting forever to get the next .1 added to my version number.
Quick and minimal. Literally as close to stock Android as it can be. If there are things that need to be kept, such as the camera app, that's fine, but I'd like to rid myself of as much TouchWiz as I can.
Free of bugs. I know most ROMs aren't perfect. I'm fine with that. I need something to work as a stable daily driver, and I don't much care to hop on the next nightly I can find.
On the latest version of Android without bugs.
I have experience with rooting and flashing with Odin, but I haven't done it in a while, so if the method to root+flash is more than a one click or a couple of console commands, I'd like to be guided if possible. I have no want to brick my phone, as you can well imagine.
Also, if there's a list of stock ROMs for the Verizon GS3, I'd like to be pointed in that direction, if possible.
Thanks! I hope to hear from someone soon!

Not being rude but, if you were to take the amount of time you put into making this thread and actually looked throughout the forums you'd find a thread already on this or get this, you could go to the development threads and read the ops. Mind blowing right?
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Yeah, I know that. I could surf through bunches of ROMs, but I posted here as a question for community feedback on a bunch of them, that might help me make a decision.
Is asking for opinions and information less efficient than going through a list that's new territory for me?
I'm not stupid. I want advice and info from experienced users. Is that so hard to ask for?

Great thread idea. Surprised no one else has done this.
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You described most of the roms that this phone has. Most give you an option to keep phone stock, Based on each thread, they're all amazing to use daily. As far as being on the latest version you simply have to look at the thread title.
You'll definitely need to go through several threads and try them out to see what suits your needs best. It's not an easy task when there are several awesome developers on your phone!

farenteria said:
You described most of the roms that this phone has. Most give you an option to keep phone stock, Based on each thread, they're all amazing to use daily. As far as being on the latest version you simply have to look at the thread title.
You'll definitely need to go through several threads and try them out to see what suits your needs best. It's not an easy task when there are several awesome developers on your phone!
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Click to collapse
Thanks! Didn't know I was delving into such a huge bunch of ROMs. Back in the X and Droid 2 days, I had to surf through a bunch of different ROMs that really weren't reliable. I know things have changed, but this seems pretty extreme.
If you know of any, which ones have you heard are the, well, "god-tier" ROMs? Any developers who are notable that I should check first?
Thanks again!

I wouldn't judge god tier roms, I'm happy to say that all of these roms on this device forum are just as reliable, it's only a matter of how your phone plays with the rom you end up choosing, since all devices play differently. Even if these threads are meant to be locked since they bring nothing but just opinions.
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I will say that there isn't a rom that is the best. It is all about your preference. I have had bad experiences with Synergy,Axis and CleanRom doesn't mean that these are sh***y roms.

Addiso said:
I wouldn't judge god tier roms, I'm happy to say that all of these roms on this device forum are just as reliable, it's only a matter of how your phone plays with the rom you end up choosing, since all devices play differently. Even if these threads are meant to be locked since they bring nothing but just opinions.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
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Well, I was just looking for information on the best Roms for the GS3, but since all of the Roms are apparently great, could you list a couple? Even if they aren't "god-tier", are there at least some that fit the qualifications and are well known? I know there's not going to be a "These are the best ROMs ever" list, but are there a few that are highly maintained, or some developers that are well known besides CyanogenMod?
Sorry if I seem new to this whole thing.

Barebones stock is pretty much all I've been for almost a month, and at this point I'm not ashamed to admit I'm a flashaholic, but i only flash his updates (andybones) and the great news is that he keeps the rom consistent in updates and solid Smoot performance.
Also hypredrive just got updated to rls 15 and that's another amazing rom that gets a monthly update and its worth the wait and a very determined developer.
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buckoman said:
Thanks! Didn't know I was delving into such a huge bunch of ROMs. Back in the X and Droid 2 days, I had to surf through a bunch of different ROMs that really weren't reliable. I know things have changed, but this seems pretty extreme.
If you know of any, which ones have you heard are the, well, "god-tier" ROMs? Any developers who are notable that I should check first?
Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should give every rom a go, but you can start testing with Synergy. Try it for a week, and then test another rom

Sorry, "Best" is a term that is subjective and can only be defined by the individual, the post above/before me is a good idea.
XDA is not a support site, users are expected to use and test on their own.
Best Rom Threads = Closed Threads

[Discuss] Which are you more excited about, TW 4.3 or AOSP 4.4?

So with the probability that we'll be getting OTA 4.3 soon and the official 4.4 nightlies bound to start anytime, which are you most looking forward to?
I love the features of TouchWiz, but I've migrated to CyanogenMod since 4.1.2 feels really dated now.
Which features do you like about your respective favorite and why?

32BitWhore said:
So with the probability that we'll be getting OTA 4.3 soon and the official 4.4 nightlies bound to start anytime, which are you most looking forward to?
I love the features of TouchWiz, but I've migrated to CyanogenMod since 4.1.2 feels really dated now.
Which features do you like about your respective favorite and why?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
im exited about touchwiz, yes you can start calling me names now but i like the features on it, i dont care about that customization like in CM i want the features, like how i can wirelessly stream content to my tv without any additional hardware
by the way its a Sony tv not samsung :good:
and a bunch more good stuff

markdapimp said:
im exited about touchwiz, yes you can start calling me names now but i like the features on it, i dont care about that customization like in CM i want the features, like how i can wirelessly stream content to my tv without any additional hardware
by the way its a Sony tv not samsung :good:
and a bunch more good stuff
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not here to make fun. I think TW has as many benefits as AOSP does, just for different reasons. :highfive:
Just wanted to see what everyone else's thoughts were.

I am running CM 11 and I have enabled ART. I was excited about TW but as of right now I am just happy with how stupid fast this is.
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I have owned my s3 since release. I have ONLY ran AOSP since day 1. Haven't even tried TW hell I might like it.
Will defiantly move to 4.4 once there are cherry picks. I enjoy aosp so to answer your question 4.4!
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Questions go in Q&A and help section.
Please do not check the box "yes this is a question" as it puts a [Q] in the title and then those get moved to Q&A
I have edited your title to read [Discuss], although the whole AOSP vs., TW subject has been beaten to death
It is just a matter of preference and many of these threads can be found across XDA
Friendly Neighborhood Moderator

4.3 TW to be honest
Want to see if it boosts Quadrant benchmarks since the CM11 builds certainly haven't

Who cares if the quadrant score isn't higher? As others have said, 4.4 is insanely fast! I don't need a score to tell me that. 4.3 TW may have higher quadrant scores but it won't touch 4.4 AOSP for real life speed. Apps open instantaneously, lag is nonexistent... What are you looking for?
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LLStarks said:
4.3 TW to be honest
Want to see if it boosts Quadrant benchmarks since the CM11 builds certainly haven't
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Click to collapse
Ofc TW will bench better since they "cheat" to boost scores in certain benchmarks.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7384/

Actually Ubuntu Touch is what i wan't the most

I like TW. I have been running carbon since goodness is MIA. I can say I look forward to a new TW. I miss some of the features.

Tough question. If we even see TW 4.3 anymore, I'd say that. I was on the cm11 builds for a few days, and like most aosp roms, it is plagued by camera quality and data issues. Data is fine in good service areas, but low/fringe areas struggle, then it murders your battery. I had to come back to TW for stability. I know cm11 is young, but even some aosp 4.2 and 4.3 roms give me similar results with the camera and data issues. Just my experience.
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kidhudi said:
Actually Ubuntu Touch is what i wan't the most
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Click to collapse
+1
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As much as I'd love to use CM11, I can't stand the AOSP camera and that is why I use Touchwiz. CM11 looks so good though, and apparently has something called "ART" which apparently is good, so I will probably flash a CM11 rom to give it a try, but will end up reverting to Touchwiz like always because of the camera.

joshua5683 said:
As much as I'd love to use CM11, I can't stand the AOSP camera and that is why I use Touchwiz. CM11 looks so good though, and apparently has something called "ART" which apparently is good, so I will probably flash a CM11 rom to give it a try, but will end up reverting to Touchwiz like always because of the camera.
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Click to collapse
Exactly like me. I don't even like the TW interface, but the camera and data issues always make me come back. I tried CM11 over the weekend, and it was really smooth. ART is pretty cool, too. Makes the apps launch almost instantly, but isn't compatible with all apps. Makes for a lot of troubleshooting and xda reading. What made me switch back to TW was when my girlfriend and I were literally right next to each other using our phones, she had 4G (Galaxy S4) and I had no data. It never came back until we moved to an area with a little better signal.
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joshua5683 said:
As much as I'd love to use CM11, I can't stand the AOSP camera and that is why I use Touchwiz. CM11 looks so good though, and apparently has something called "ART" which apparently is good, so I will probably flash a CM11 rom to give it a try, but will end up reverting to Touchwiz like always because of the camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ART is not part of CM , its a experimental runtime environment that Google has inserted into 4.4 . At this point it's mainly experimental for developers. Many / most current apps don;t support it.
If you don;t like the way TouchWiz looks , you can run any other launcher on a TW ROm and have the best of both worlds, stability and all features working with a different UI appearance.

DigitalMD said:
ART is not part of CM , its a experimental runtime environment that Google has inserted into 4.4 . At this point it's mainly experimental for developers. Many / most current apps don;t support it.
If you don;t like the way TouchWiz looks , you can run any other launcher on a TW ROm and have the best of both worlds, stability and all features working with a different UI appearance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just my .02 but the TW vs. AOSP was never just about appearance. It was more about the amount of "bloatware" on TW roms that some never use or see any need for. Most of the Samsung features and apps fall into the this category.

I just went back to a TW ROM due to way too many random reboots, shoddy data, and mediocre camera quality. It's a love hate relationship, because the only thing I like about TW is the data and camera, while the UI and buttery smoothness of AOSP is what I really enjoy. TW ROMs always lag for me. If only we could have both together...
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Juice3250 said:
Just my .02 but the TW vs. AOSP was never just about appearance. It was more about the amount of "bloatware" on TW roms that some never use or see any need for. Most of the Samsung features and apps fall into the this category.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apps you don;t want are easily removed or frozen. They don;t hurt anything just sitting there anyway. The Custom TW ROMs have the useless items removed while retaining the good stuff like All Share and the IR Remote functions. They also add the options to install themes, lots of 4.3 and 4.4 features etc. That's why there's not a lot of excitement about 4.3 or 4.4, we already have most of it.

I am excited for both.
I really wish there was working multiboot for the d2vzw, though. When I'm traveling, I'd rather be on TW because I find battery life and camera quality are much better. Otherwise I'm on AOSP.

[Q] Best 4.4 ROM?

I am currently on SlimROM 2.2 and I've been on Slim since beta 2. I absolutely love SlimROM but I really want to try 4.4. Should I wait till next week when SlimKAT beta releases or should I try out one of the already available 4.4 ROMs? Which 4.4 ROM do you like best and why?
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KitKang, @mastamoon's builds, @sspencer10's builds. All are great
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Hopefully this thread doesn't get shut down. I like the objective discussions on roms. Helps make decisions.
Anyways, I've tried all but the new gummy rom, and I've had the best luck with mastamoon's. Hit 5 hours of screen on time (probably 15 total on the charge). All the 4.4 roms are pretty smooth, to be honest. They do have the typical aosp issues of wonky camera's/galleries and signal issues in low signal areas. Also a bit different navigating to the SD card. I'm back on tw right now for stability, but will probably get my flashing fix again in a week or so.
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kude87 said:
Hopefully this thread doesn't get shut down. I like the objective discussions on roms. Helps make decisions.
Anyways, I've tried all but the new gummy rom, and I've had the best luck with mastamoon's. Hit 5 hours of screen on time (probably 15 total on the charge). All the 4.4 roms are pretty smooth, to be honest. They do have the typical aosp issues of wonky camera's/galleries and signal issues in low signal areas. Also a bit different navigating to the SD card. I'm back on tw right now for stability, but will probably get my flashing fix again in a week or so.
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Click to collapse
Threads like these are always shut down as this is a development site meant for those who are making the ROMs ,apps and mods. The community helps with getting these things to work and with solving problems you may have with the ROMs, apps and mods. I am sure one of the moderators will mention something similar before closing it down. I personally wouldn't mind helping but I have read these types of threads and they usually lead to unnecessary debates.

Yeah this is gonna turn into an argument about roms. I would say try Slim Kat beta since ur on Slim already. Otherwise I would go with Invisiblek's builds or my current Paranoid Android 4.0

Definitely agree with you both. These usually turn into fan boy brawls, although I wish they didn't. It's nice to simply hear someone else's experience with a rom. However, even that has to be taken with a grain of salt because of user error, different phone, bad downloads, etc. So many variables. I just don't like it when someone says "just try it" when simple friendly Q & A in a forum may help someone make a decision that ultimately benefits them. I read a crap ton of each thread before I go asking noob questions, but sometimes it's nice to defer to someone who's been running that rom for a while to answer, especially if you haven't been. Many times the op instructions are outdated and people say "what you want is 10 pages back, read it why don't you." I have no problem with someone asking nicely looking to gain knowledge about any of this stuff on the site. To expect someone to read everything is a bit ridiculous. That's why these discussions, if handled correctly, are nice. Just my two cents.
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All the above, and the fact that XDA is not really a support site. Users need to try them all to make this determination on their own.
And, yes...thread is closed.

Whats the most sold KitKat Rom right now?

I'm on Gummy Nightly 4.4.2 and I'm looking for something more stable. Life is a bit hectic right now so I'm not able to constantly flash a new rom.
What has been the best 4.4.2 rom that you've had the most success with?

to each there own .
moderators dont like these types of threads cuz they cause arguments

Beanstalk and Liquidsmooth! Waiting for the Pac-Man release!

If life is to hectic to find a rom I suggest stock.
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I'm liking my PA 4.4 pa_d2vzw-4.0-BETA-20131208 that one it seems to be the only one with a functional camera so far.

GlitchMob said:
Whats the most sold KitKat Rom right now?
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Click to collapse
Define "most solid"...
All you are going to get is people's limited opinions. Plus, if someone has only used 1 or 2 different ROMs - vs ALL of the ones available - they really can't comment

hallstevenson said:
Define "most solid"...
All you are going to get is people's limited opinions. Plus, if someone has only used 1 or 2 different ROMs - vs ALL of the ones available - they really can't comment
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I meant to say "stable" I just want a rom where the basic functions like Camera work and I'm able to use instagram etc without it crashing. Gummy is fine, but not being able to use the camera is a big thing. I would like a multi-window feature that Hyperdrive has, but I'd like to stay at 4.4.2.
Also, no I will never go back to stock. As for those who have used one or two different roms their opinions are still valid. They can say whether it was stable or not.

twistedillutions said:
to each there own .
moderators dont like these types of threads cuz they cause arguments
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Click to collapse
Lol what do all the nerds start typing in caps lock? its a thread dude in the appropriate area.

GlitchMob said:
I meant to say "stable" I just want a rom where the basic functions like Camera work and I'm able to use instagram etc without it crashing. Gummy is fine, but not being able to use the camera is a big thing.
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Click to collapse
A ROM with a non-functioning camera would never even get consideration from me ! Same applies to ROMs with no working data. Does the Gummy thread tell you the camera doesn't work ? I'd hope so !!
For what it's worth, I've tried the following KK ROMs (with my opinion/comments):
Beanstalk (Gideon's build) - good ROM, no complaints that I can recall.
Omni (Gideon's build) - too plain or simple (or boring) for me. Didn't have a few features that I've grown to like (I blame PAC for that !!). It was stable though.
LiquidSmooth (both the LS team version and Gideon's) - my preferred ROM at the moment. Runs fine, everything works, and has many of the features I like. Between two builds a week and a half apart, I see add'l things added too.
ParanoidAndroid (notta's build) - can't recall any details at the moment.

I suggest trying ParanoidAndroid 4.0 BETA. Yes, it is a beta but it is very stable. I have been using it since Notta switched to 4.4.x. The are still working out small bugs (like every other KK ROM), but like I said, it's very stable.
It does not have multi-window. For that I suggest Omni ROM. I've been using that on my ASUS TF300T and it works awesome!

As evident by some above commentary, XDA is not a support site and users are expected to test all Roms to make their own, independent, determinations as to what is stable for them.
Thread closed.

Best rom nexus 5,

Hello, im looking for good rom, smooth, fast, stabile like rock. No crashes, less bugs, and hope no random shutdowns or reboots. I cant find one, tell what you think.

Sounds like you've tried a lot of them. I run stock 4.4.4 and it's been the best for me.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

It's hard to answer if we don't know what you've already tried and why each didn't measure up.

Stock is what you're after then.
Plus before the wannabe forum police all start to chime in and shout, best threads aren't allowed. Expect a mod to shut this down very soon.

radicalisto said:
Stock is what you're after then.
Plus before the wannabe forum police all start to chime in and shout, best threads aren't allowed. Expect a mod to shut this down very soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best thread are being allowed for the time being
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jd1639 said:
Best thread are being allowed for the time being
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh dear... I dread to think of the threads.
@ OP
Stock still is the best option though :good: - Or try a stable ROM like Slim, Paranoidandroid, Vanir, Rastakat.

I had some problems with stock, random shutdowns, cant find reason for that, but shutdowns mosly happen when phone is fully charged

Yep. The "no best threads" sticky was just recently removed.

Sorry about this best, didnt know that, but thats ok, i didnt know how to tell that what rom do i want, so i used best

gefilus said:
I had some problems with stock, random shutdowns, cant find reason for that, but shutdowns mosly happen when phone is fully charged
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bizarre behaviour, tried a fresh flash on a factory image?
like I said, give Slim, Omni, Paranoidandroid, rastakat or Vanir or something similar a whirl. Rastakat is close to stock, as is PA and Omni, Slim and Vanir are a bit more customisable. All are good ROMS though. So have a tinker and see which you like. Of course there are more stable one's also, like Purity, OptiPurity and a few others.

gefilus said:
I had some problems with stock, random shutdowns, cant find reason for that, but shutdowns mosly happen when phone is fully charged
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's probably app related. I've never had a random shut down on stock
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

What about liquid smooth?

gefilus said:
Hello, im looking for good rom, smooth, fast, stabile like rock. No crashes, less bugs, and hope no random shutdowns or reboots. I cant find one, tell what you think.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One persons best ROM will be another persons worst ROM. So there is no such thing as a "best ROM". Stick with stock and, for customization, root and use Xposed. It's pretty much your safest bet.

gefilus said:
What about liquid smooth?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Liquid is a good ROM, but it can have issues due to the constant development on it. I personally have never had issues with it, but in their thread a lot of people do have issues. Have a scan thru the last 5-10 pages of their thread and decide which build is suitable for you if you like it.

PA has changed dramatically now FYI, it's completely different to what it once was. However if you don't like PA then that obviously isn't the choice for you currently. Give Slim a whirl, Fast, smooth, stable and their thread is the best one on XDA also. And support like no other.

Will test it

Yes best threads are allowed....but the bottom line will always be, see what's best for you, cause everyone has their own needs and tastes.
Start flashing. ?

For me the best ROM is stock without all Google apps and with Motorola's gallery.

Best ROM is kind of subjective....
Right about now, most have the same features active display and such. Beanstalk, PAC man, cataclysm, purity, Mahdi, and a few I'm missing are really great. Well to me that is...
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stock rom