Turning sour on my S4 - AT&T Samsung Galaxy S 4 General

I have had the S4 for almost a year, and at the moment I am not sure if I would want to buy a S5.
Like the screen, the size, the weight, quality of build, and everything except for the home button, that was an unnecessary concession to the Apple fanboys.
What is turning me off is the fact that I am stuck with the TW roms. Usually, 9 months into a new phone I would start looking around for custom Roms and I would get another year of happy ownership out of my phone.
Stuck with TW, I am getting annoyed with the overbearing software.
I dislike is that every time the phone screen turns off, I need to swipe to unlock it after hitting the power button. Really like the feature where I could set a delay time there.
Also, I dislike the dialer. Too many screens to wade through. Ending a call always leaves me wondering why I ended up on the screen I am at.
And then this World Clock, for some reason I am looking at the screen of the World Clock way too many times. During phone calls, and also at other times.
Then, bluetooth voice dialing with Google Search is a complete downgrade from what it used to be. Samsung S-voice is no better. Pretty much unusable the way it is. So, now I am wading through screens to make phone calls, while driving. I guess the coders used to implement functionality like that are all kids and they never make phone calls.
Then the mess with upgrades, almost a Gig to download is a major inconvenience on our slow DSL connection. I think it probably downloaded 4 GB of interrupted files, each time it started again. End up driving 30 minutes to find an AT&T support center and let them do it.
Samsung Health has become more annoying than ever with the 50% progress message.
Every time there is an update, AT&T messes with the tethering security, spend too much time trying to figure out how to 'fix' that.
Just a general feeling of unhappiness, my apologies for the rant.
I have not looked at other phones, so I don't know if I can do better with another brand.

Amen. ..........
via S4 @ XDA Premium 4

wavemaster00 said:
everything except for the home button, that was an unnecessary concession to the Apple fanboys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never owned a single Apple product and I wont buy an Android phone without a home button.
I stopped reading after that, just sell your phone and get another brand, you have plenty of options.

I'm thinking htc m8 for you, but not so sure about that ultra pixel camera. It sounds better in theory than it actually is. What's nice about that phone is they added sd cards. What's not so nice is no removable battery, I guess if you want a removable battery, Samsung is your only option now.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

I flashed GE on my ATT S4 about 7 months ago and couldn't be happier. It got rid of all the TW and Samsung junk, battery is great and it flies. I was thinking about upgrading but I'll hold on to this phone for a while longer, no complaints.

Relayers said:
I never owned a single Apple product and I wont buy an Android phone without a home button.
I stopped reading after that, just sell your phone and get another brand, you have plenty of options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I meant the physical home button, as opposed to the two other buttons.

Sledutah said:
I flashed GE on my ATT S4 about 7 months ago and couldn't be happier. It got rid of all the TW and Samsung junk, battery is great and it flies. I was thinking about upgrading but I'll hold on to this phone for a while longer, no complaints.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is GE an option for me now that I am on mk2?
Does tethering work?

wavemaster00 said:
Is GE an option for me now that I am on mk2?
Does tethering work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure. Here is a list of ROMs that you can use with mk2.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2616221
I don't see any GE ROMs. I've had good luck with shoman roms (TW) in the past.

You have to use a touchwiz ROM with mk2. The boot loader is locked down like Alcatraz. It pisses me of so much. It's gross like the phone has an std or something. Don't buy an s5. It's hardware is not an improvement and it's likely to have a similar bootloader.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Please use the off topic thread for this discussion...http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2433789

Related

Another Good Bye thread

Hey guys... well I didn't want this to be another "**** you Motorola, I'M OUT!" thread, instead I wanted to let you guys know how I got my A2 replaced and say thanks to a few people.
I'm currently on my 4th A2 and this one is starting to exhibit all the same signs that the 2nd one did (audio from the speaker is bad, random restarts etc.) I've been with AT&T since it was AT&T then bought by Cingular then back to AT&T, so I have a little clout with them. I've also made sure to document with them every issue both locally here at the repair center and with phone support.
I called up AT&T 2 nights ago and went through the usual run around. I let them know I had already done a factory restore and all the other scripted steps and the problem persists. FInally I got them to agree to replace the phone. They initially offered me a Galaxy sII or an Atrix HD. The rep stayed on the phone for 15 minutes quietly and patiently waiting while I researched each phone's specs and reviews. I told them I needed to think about it and research each phone. I was none too happy about this because when I bought my phone I had an entire store to choose from, but now they were only offering me choices of 2 phones, neither of which I would have chosen from the current crop. I asked them if I could call back with a decision but the rep informed me that "other call centers" don't have the same abilities she did at this call center but that she could call me the next day at a specific time.
When she called back I explained my frustration again with only being able to choose from another locked down Motorola phone or a last generation Samsung, and politely asked for a manager. She put me on hold and came back to tell me that it was in the middle of a shift change and that the sole manager was on a call with another customer BUT she had asked him for another option of phone and he agreed to an HTC OneX. I accepted and they even waived the expedited shipping fee.
So I'm leaving this bastard device in the dust but wanted to say a HUGH thank you to to entire community before I left. Thanks to Jim, rdavisct, Apex-Strider, and everyone for being a great community that stuck together despite being abandoned by Motorola.
TL;DR: AT&T is giving me an HTC OneX because the Atrix2 is a steaming pile of poo, and thanks to everyone here for being awesome.
Sorry about your experience but it's not representative of the A2. You were just terribly unlucky to get 4 lemons in a row! Anyway, great deal you extracted for yourself. Enjoy your new phone.
Man you guys(customers in the us) are really kings! Cant expect anything like that here, even if its a legit problem they will tell you that there is a liquid damage and its not covered under warranty.. thats how bad customer care is in india.
Speak only when it improves on your silence.
athani said:
Sorry about your experience but it's not representative of the A2. You were just terribly unlucky to get 4 lemons in a row! Anyway, great deal you extracted for yourself. Enjoy your new phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am sorry to say but it is kinda normal.... I have had 7 A2s now, 4 of them were my fault because of the BL stuff and the other 3 were just issues with the phone itself.
Hahaha...great score, One X? Nicccee. Sorry to have ya leave but I'm sure your not lol. Good luck in the future and enjoy the new toy!
Sent From My Rooted Motorola Atrix 2/MB865 Runing SuperCharged V7-Speed Boosted-OC'd at 1.2 GHz (ICS, 4.0.4)
dont forget the american One X is only dual core afaik
techsavvy.jaz said:
Man you guys(customers in the us) are really kings! Cant expect anything like that here, even if its a legit problem they will tell you that there is a liquid damage and its not covered under warranty.. thats how bad customer care is in india.
Speak only when it improves on your silence.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats exactly what the samsung reps said about my fathers s2 when i took it to them for battery drain.
Sent from my MB865 running on ICS leak
anikadam said:
Thats exactly what the samsung reps said about my fathers s2 when i took it to them for battery drain.
Sent from my MB865 running on ICS leak
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
did you ask your father about the water damage? what about the indicators?
no offense but out of 90% phones i've seen that had battery drain, the water sticker was red.
Wow... good deal on the one X!
I bought my A2 new and NEVER had an issue that wasn't my fault (recently accidentally deleted the home launcher app so now I'm forced to run a play store launcher).
The only thing that bugs me bout this phone is that locked BL and no official ICS.... other than that great phone!
Enjoy!
Sent from my MB865 using xda app-developers app
gabo_e30 said:
Wow... good deal on the one X!
I bought my A2 new and NEVER had an issue that wasn't my fault (recently accidentally deleted the home launcher app so now I'm forced to run a play store launcher).
The only thing that bugs me bout this phone is that locked BL and no official ICS.... other than that great phone!
Enjoy!
Sent from my MB865 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I find hard to believe the histories of this people saying that they are going for their 4, 5 or even 6 device and all of them gave them problems, i think they just dont understand that android is a very unstable OS and if they install a lot of apps from the play store (a lot of them crash sometimes) and also are trying to install custom roms and other stuff it is obvious they are gonna get some kind of random reboot or any other issue, but that does not mean that the phone itself is bad.
now some people may kill me for saying this, but i think atleast untill gingerbread, android is far away from iOS (i dont know about ICS), say all you want that apple dont let you do this and that, but iOS is just a great OS, even from its first version was as smooth as "project butter" in jelly bean or even more. before i had my atrix i just had a "regular phone" and an ipod touch 4g, its been hard to get used to android. is a little laggy, the web browser is not even closer to the browser in iOS (i dont really care about flash) and the famous widgets of android are just crap, the so called super customization is not more that a bunch of ugly widgets on the screen that just make the phone looks "dirty" , windows phone gave a much better and elegant solution for widgets.
everyone is always hating on apple here, and there are some reasons to hate apple, i agree, but for the most part the iphone has been ahead of android phones since always.
there, i said it!
rodmc123 said:
I find hard to believe the histories of this people saying that they are going for their 4, 5 or even 6 device and all of them gave them problems, i think they just dont understand that android is a very unstable OS and if they install a lot of apps from the play store (a lot of them crash sometimes) and also are trying to install custom roms and other stuff it is obvious they are gonna get some kind of random reboot or any other issue, but that does not mean that the phone itself is bad.
now some people may kill me for saying this, but i think atleast untill gingerbread, android is far away from iOS (i dont know about ICS), say all you want that apple dont let you do this and that, but iOS is just a great OS, even from its first version was as smooth as "project butter" in jelly bean or even more. before i had my atrix i just had a "regular phone" and an ipod touch 4g, its been hard to get used to android. is a little laggy, the web browser is not even closer to the browser in iOS (i dont really care about flash) and the famous widgets of android are just crap, the so called super customization is not more that a bunch of ugly widgets on the screen that just make the phone looks "dirty" , windows phone gave a much better and elegant solution for widgets.
everyone is always hating on apple here, and there are some reasons to hate apple, i agree, but for the most part the iphone has been ahead of android phones since always.
there, i said it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try being a dev and trailblazing and NOT bricking a phone. So next time be more careful what you say you are not talking to a bunch of noobs here. Your dev team is also here reading an helping...
You are about to be attacked alot worse than this by others so just be prepared!
jimbridgman said:
Try being a dev and trailblazing and NOT bricking a phone. So next time be more careful what you say you are not talking to a bunch of noobs here. Your dev team is also here reading an helping...
You are about to be attacked alot worse than this by others so just be prepared!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my comment it is not about the devs here, it is about an OS. i really don't understand your reply. i really appreciate the work of the android communities for trying to make the user experience on adroid better so if you misunderstood what i said, it was nothing against devs.
I don't do any dev work because I don't have time to learn, hold a full time job in a completely unrelated field, and raise my 18 month old daughter. I'm on my third A2, both previous ones had factory issues(refurbs through insurance replacement). The phone does have issues, but anyway, nice score on the onex and enjoy!
Sent from my MB865 using xda app-developers app
Congrats on the sweet upgrade. Jealous....
I had a similar issue with my HTC Vivid. In my case it was a software flaw that when you get into an edge area it trys to hit HSPA+. Like you they didn't offer me anything. I hit an AT&T Corporate store. The day I hit this store a district manager was there. At no point did I get mad just voiced my displeasure. They did me one better by allowing me to take any phone so I took the Note. I passed on S3 even. Given my HTC issues I wasn't taking the One X.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
souljaboy said:
dont forget the american One X is only dual core afaik
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah I got all excited for a second thinking it was Quad core. Even still, it's a nice upgrade that I don't have to pay a penny for and that doesn't extend my contract.
souljaboy said:
dont forget the american One X is only dual core afaik
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
rodmc123 said:
I find hard to believe the histories of this people saying that they are going for their 4, 5 or even 6 device and all of them gave them problems, i think they just dont understand that android is a very unstable OS and if they install a lot of apps from the play store (a lot of them crash sometimes) and also are trying to install custom roms and other stuff it is obvious they are gonna get some kind of random reboot or any other issue, but that does not mean that the phone itself is bad.
now some people may kill me for saying this, but i think atleast untill gingerbread, android is far away from iOS (i dont know about ICS), say all you want that apple dont let you do this and that, but iOS is just a great OS, even from its first version was as smooth as "project butter" in jelly bean or even more. before i had my atrix i just had a "regular phone" and an ipod touch 4g, its been hard to get used to android. is a little laggy, the web browser is not even closer to the browser in iOS (i dont really care about flash) and the famous widgets of android are just crap, the so called super customization is not more that a bunch of ugly widgets on the screen that just make the phone looks "dirty" , windows phone gave a much better and elegant solution for widgets.
everyone is always hating on apple here, and there are some reasons to hate apple, i agree, but for the most part the iphone has been ahead of android phones since always.
there, i said it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My first A2 died less than a month after I got it. It flat out died, no power no boot up. Nothing. I took it back to best buy.
My 2nd A2 developed an issue after 4 months of use where any audio from the external speaker would distort worse and worse during use (I use my phone as a GPS unit. I'm new to Seattle.) and then eventually cut out entirely. I work nights and one night it did this to me on the way home. I had to detour from my usual route home due to massive construction. I didn't notice that the GPS had stopped talking until I was 7 miles past my exit.
My 3rd A2 had almost no WiFi connectivity. I could be sitting feet from my router and it would register almost no connectivity. I verified this with a WiFi analyzer, WiFiFoFum and speedtest.net.
My 4th A2 (this one) is starting to have the same audio distortion and is constantly rebooting. Not force close but a hard restart. AT&T sent me a battery first but the problem continues.
The Android OS is NOT an unstable OS, and for even suggesting that you've lost all credibility. I've played with custom Roms since my PocketPC days and I know when to screw with them and when not to. After my 2nd A2 I stopped with all of that except for rooting so I could install a few apps that require it. With my last A2 I've been COMPLETELY stock, not even a root to make sure that if there was another problem it was with the phone and not something I've done.
I have an iPhone for work and my A2 for personal use. Each phone is different but saying one OS is better than another is ignorant. They are tools that do different things, saying one is better than another is like saying that a wrench is a better tool than a hammer without giving the context for what you are using it for.
voodoomurphy said:
My first A2 died less than a month after I got it. It flat out died, no power no boot up. Nothing. I took it back to best buy.
My 2nd A2 developed an issue after 4 months of use where any audio from the external speaker would distort worse and worse during use (I use my phone as a GPS unit. I'm new to Seattle.) and then eventually cut out entirely. I work nights and one night it did this to me on the way home. I had to detour from my usual route home due to massive construction. I didn't notice that the GPS had stopped talking until I was 7 miles past my exit.
My 3rd A2 had almost no WiFi connectivity. I could be sitting feet from my router and it would register almost no connectivity. I verified this with a WiFi analyzer, WiFiFoFum and speedtest.net.
My 4th A2 (this one) is starting to have the same audio distortion and is constantly rebooting. Not force close but a hard restart. AT&T sent me a battery first but the problem continues.
The Android OS is NOT an unstable OS, and for even suggesting that you've lost all credibility. I've played with custom Roms since my PocketPC days and I know when to screw with them and when not to. After my 2nd A2 I stopped with all of that except for rooting so I could install a few apps that require it. With my last A2 I've been COMPLETELY stock, not even a root to make sure that if there was another problem it was with the phone and not something I've done.
I have an iPhone for work and my A2 for personal use. Each phone is different but saying one OS is better than another is ignorant. They are tools that do different things, saying one is better than another is like saying that a wrench is a better tool than a hammer without giving the context for what you are using it for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
but if you use your wrench as a hammer it's the best of both worlds.
voodoomurphy said:
My first A2 died less than a month after I got it. It flat out died, no power no boot up. Nothing. I took it back to best buy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Water damage, or bad quality chinese soldering work. Or maybe you cooked it(see last paragraph).
voodoomurphy said:
My 2nd A2 developed an issue after 4 months of use where any audio from the external speaker would distort worse and worse during use (I use my phone as a GPS unit. I'm new to Seattle.) and then eventually cut out entirely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flat out busted your speaker membrane, if you cant hear it near 70% volume, just plug it in your car audio. Wouldn't be surprised to hear you had your car radio on, and the you had the 0.1w phone speaker competing with it.
If you've ever seen a proper gps unit, take note of the size of the speaker on it, its massive compared to the one on your phone.
voodoomurphy said:
My 3rd A2 had almost no WiFi connectivity. I could be sitting feet from my router and it would register almost no connectivity. I verified this with a WiFi analyzer, WiFiFoFum and speedtest.net.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your phone's antenna wasn't plugged in properly. It was probably a refurb(but not necessarily), the shoulder of your antenna plug got popped out of place when they put the case back. Sloppy work from the (refurb) facility - wasn't tested properly.
voodoomurphy said:
My 4th A2 (this one) is starting to have the same audio distortion and is constantly rebooting. Not force close but a hard restart. AT&T sent me a battery first but the problem continues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You didnt learn from your mistake last time - I don't blame you, you didnt know what happened - and busted the speaker again. Keep in mind some apps like the gps(or roms like sc) one can have the volume boosted, just because the max has been put there, doesnt mean you should run it near it. The bass boost options dont do it alot of good either, it puts a huge extra strain on it and I doubt there's at least a software crossover in the thing.
About the reboots, could be anything, for example, if you live in a hot area, it can easily happen that your phone overheated while installed on your windshield.
You know there's a saying, if you're always clear by means of yield(give way) signs, but get into 10 car accidents a year, you're probably still doing something wrong.
voodoomurphy said:
My first A2 died less than a month after I got it. It flat out died, no power no boot up. Nothing. I took it back to best buy.
My 2nd A2 developed an issue after 4 months of use where any audio from the external speaker would distort worse and worse during use (I use my phone as a GPS unit. I'm new to Seattle.) and then eventually cut out entirely. I work nights and one night it did this to me on the way home. I had to detour from my usual route home due to massive construction. I didn't notice that the GPS had stopped talking until I was 7 miles past my exit.
My 3rd A2 had almost no WiFi connectivity. I could be sitting feet from my router and it would register almost no connectivity. I verified this with a WiFi analyzer, WiFiFoFum and speedtest.net.
My 4th A2 (this one) is starting to have the same audio distortion and is constantly rebooting. Not force close but a hard restart. AT&T sent me a battery first but the problem continues.
The Android OS is NOT an unstable OS, and for even suggesting that you've lost all credibility. I've played with custom Roms since my PocketPC days and I know when to screw with them and when not to. After my 2nd A2 I stopped with all of that except for rooting so I could install a few apps that require it. With my last A2 I've been COMPLETELY stock, not even a root to make sure that if there was another problem it was with the phone and not something I've done.
I have an iPhone for work and my A2 for personal use. Each phone is different but saying one OS is better than another is ignorant. They are tools that do different things, saying one is better than another is like saying that a wrench is a better tool than a hammer without giving the context for what you are using it for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the audio distortion seems to be a relatively known issue with the atrix 2, and most of the issues you name here seems to be software related rather than hardware.
and yes, android it is unstable compared to iOS, i have not tried Windws phone enough time to give an opinion.. in this few weeks with android i've had more crashes with apps and little issues than i had with iOS in months.
maybe the kernel itself doesn't fully crash, it is linux after all, but i repeat atleast untill gingerbread (i have not tried ICS or jelly bean yet) android has a lot to improve.
and i do not agree that "they are tools that do different things" , they are basically smarthphones that do the same things in different ways and yes, i can find one better than the other, it is a PERSONAL OPINION after all.

Upgrade from S3?

I have an S3 right now, that has an unlocked bootloader, and is rooted. I'm getting tired of the S3, and would like to get an upgrade. The S5 is totally locked down, so that's not an option, since I want an unlocked bootloader. From what I've read, I can unlock and root the M8, but will I be happy with the phone coming from a Samsung?
lennie paz said:
I have an S3 right now, that has an unlocked bootloader, and is rooted. I'm getting tired of the S3, and would like to get an upgrade. The S5 is totally locked down, so that's not an option, since I want an unlocked bootloader. From what I've read, I can unlock and root the M8, but will I be happy with the phone coming from a Samsung?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love the M8, but there is a root method for the S5.
http://m.ibtimes.com/geohot-towelroot-exploit-roots-galaxy-s5-devices-att-verizon-1602368
brholt6 said:
I love the M8, but there is a root method for the S5.
http://m.ibtimes.com/geohot-towelroot-exploit-roots-galaxy-s5-devices-att-verizon-1602368
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Root yes, unlocked bootloader, no.
lennie paz said:
Root yes, unlocked bootloader, no.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, thats why I only mentioned root. I didn't know if you were aware that you could at least get root access. That would make me assume they're looking for another exploit, though. Anyways, the M8 is a great phone. Sense is a lot less cartoonish than Touchwiz in my opinion.
lennie paz said:
I have an S3 right now, that has an unlocked bootloader, and is rooted. I'm getting tired of the S3, and would like to get an upgrade. The S5 is totally locked down, so that's not an option, since I want an unlocked bootloader. From what I've read, I can unlock and root the M8, but will I be happy with the phone coming from a Samsung?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's quite a change coming from TouchWiz to Sense at first, you might even at the first look of it think you made a mistake as I thought I did but I ended up loving mine after using it for an hour. First time I played a song with this phone my mind was blown and it was sold to me LOL, absolutely stunning! & if you don't like Sense you can just flash an AOSP ROM which is as far as I know, normal non themed Android. I highly expect you to like it after a bit of use though, I tried an AOSP ROM few days ago and couldn't stand the lack of double tap to wake or some of the other Sense features I had gotten used to and came to love. But yeah anyways I came from an S4 and switched because the bootloader was locked and I'm very satisfied with my M8, maybe just because my bootloader was once locked for an eternity but still, great phone and one hell of a blast!
S1L3nTShaDoWz said:
It's quite a change coming from TouchWiz to Sense at first, you might even at the first look of it think you made a mistake as I thought I did but I ended up loving mine after using it for an hour. First time I played a song with this phone my mind was blown and it was sold to me LOL, absolutely stunning! & if you don't like Sense you can just flash an AOSP ROM which is as far as I know, normal non themed Android. I highly expect you to like it after a bit of use though, I tried an AOSP ROM few days ago and couldn't stand the lack of double tap to wake or some of the other Sense features I had gotten used to and came to love. But yeah anyways I came from an S4 and switched because the bootloader was locked and I'm very satisfied with my M8, maybe just because my bootloader was once locked for an eternity but still, great phone and one hell of a blast!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had a Droid Incredible 2 back in the day, and I was fine with Sense, so that shouldn't be an issue. I thought I had an upgrade available, but one if my kids must have used it. Our next upgrade isn't until Nov, so I guess I have to wait.
I just did the swap today. Not going to look back to Samsung for a while. This phone is sweet!
My girlfriend has the S5 and I have the M8. They are both great phones and there are things about the S5 I wished the M8 had but I am more than happy with my M8. I don't like the touchwiz UI. That's for sure.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using XDA Free mobile app
I came from the S3. I do not like Samsung, but the S3 was okay. It just had a bad radio. Samsung only let US Cellular upgrade so many, and US Cellular basically decided which accounts they could afford to lose, and replaced those accounts' S3s. Mine was one they decided they could lose. And they did. Now I have an M8.
First thing you're gonna notice, it's a taller phone. The screen is not noticeably bigger, but the body is taller. The speakers, front camera, and the HTC vanity bar all add to the height. No Home button in front (this isn't a second-rate iPhone clone, LOL) and the Power button is on the TOP. Yeah, have fun with that if you don't have large hands.
Second, it's slippery. Metal comes with a price, and your phone sliding out of your hand is your price. Once you've wooed all your friends with your shiny new metal phone, put a case on it. Or at least a wrap. You WILL need a case if you want to use a FlyGrip with it. Not many do but I do, so I thought I'd point that out. I like the kickstand aspect. My M8 is standing next to my keyboard. Looks amazing on my desk. Also holding it with the FlyGrip (which should be positioned below the HTC logo, and above the bottom strip—no more Verizon 4G LTE logo!) the top button is easier to hit.
No more removable battery. You can break the connection to the battery by holding all three buttons (Volume up, volume down, and power) for 10-15 seconds. I've had to do this a few times.
The M8 can be rooted, but there are extra steps. HTC uses a feature called S-On to protect the bootloader (HBOOT). So you need to temp root (via an app called weaksauce), gain S-Off, flash a recovery, flash SuperSU, then remove weaksauce. Don't follow my instructions; instead look for the thread on it. And on top of all that HTC locks the system directory. The stock/rooted ROM takes care of that for you, but it can be an annoyance. Like you can't use AdAway because it wants to write to system, and AdAway won't mount system as r/w. One solution I have found is, install Xposed, and that mounts system as r/w. When Xposed wants to reboot, switch to AdAway and let it do its thing. It will succeed. THEN reboot. But only the stock ROM you root yourself has this problem. There's a stock rooted ROM that has this dealt with. And then there's CleanROM which I haven't tried yet, but it's basically, as I understand it, the stock/rooted ROM but with a lot of the crap taken out.
TouchWiz is... okay, "If you can't say something nice don't say anything at all." So I will just say it is not a nice OS. Sense is very elegant, but limited. BlinkFeed is cool if you like the news feed thing. I personally don't. I'd rather just go to the sites I read in my browser. I don't need a feed built into my launcher. But at this point, I actually prefer Sense to the AOSP-alike ROMs. Sense works. The AOSP-alike ROMs, at this point... don't. They have various issues that you may or may not want to live with. But I'm not knocking any developer—I am sure they are all working hard to give you the best experience. Just keep in mind that this is a 3-month old device. Right now everything is wild, wild west in terms of development. The best ROMs are Sense-based because that's what's stable. That said, we do have a GPE (Google Play Edition) port and that's what I'm running now. I opted for stock everything in the Aroma installer and it's not 100% stock (the original is made by a team called SkyDragon, and they put some of their branding in it) but for the most part it's turned my M8 into a Nexus phone. And stock Android is really cool. But it's not without its faults. For example it handed over the audio from Poweramp to a call, but when the call was done, it crashed and I needed to three-finger-salute it back to life. That's not uncommon.
I think the Galaxy S3 was more stable on the software side, but then again I did not own one until ~11 months after release. And then waited a month to get into custom ROMs. When this phone's development community gets strong, I think we'll have it real, real good.
Oh, and about the speakers, yes they are as awesome as you think, but they won't blow your mind like a car stereo or boom box. Maybe a $30 Walmart CD player. But for a phone, that's impressive. Just my opinion, but polyphonic ringtones still sound the best. Search Zedge for "8 bit" and see what comes up. I have the Game of Thrones intro rendered in MIDI for my ringtone. There are two I've heard. I'm using the good one. For my wife, I'm using a MIDI render of the Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan) theme. It's really good. Sounds amazing with these speakers. But I'm old school, I think a ringtone should be a ringtone and not a part of a song. I don't think any small speakers have the range to appreciate music. But maybe I'm just a snob. I want to watch a movie on mine, and see what that is like.
Anyway, the S3 is a 2 year old phone now. If you get good signal on yours, you don't really need to trade up. It runs KitKat just fine. It's gonna get L, at least unofficially if not officially. But if you want the new shiny, in my opinion the M8 is the best Android smartphone on the market right now. The 3GB G3 might beat it, but I think that QHD screen will work against it in terms of battery life. The M8, by the way, has excellent battery life.
So..just before I pull the trigger on the m8. Would you guys say I'd be making a wise choice staying with Verizon if they'll give me the 6gb deal for coming off unlimited data. I don't need unlimited. WiFi is fine for me. It's either that deal or I jump ship and try another carrier with a nexus 5. I'm leaning towards the m8. Is there a chance that Verizon will lock it down like they did the s3? I have had the s3 since released and its unlocked and everything but my power button is wonky now. Opinions please!
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
silver04v said:
So..just before I pull the trigger on the m8. Would you guys say I'd be making a wise choice staying with Verizon if they'll give me the 6gb deal for coming off unlimited data. I don't need unlimited. WiFi is fine for me. It's either that deal or I jump ship and try another carrier with a nexus 5. I'm leaning towards the m8. Is there a chance that Verizon will lock it down like they did the s3? I have had the s3 since released and its unlocked and everything but my power button is wonky now. Opinions please!
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually I think the Firewater exploit was fixed on the newer M8's...not sure but I think so? Ask around and confirm whether I'm right or wrong before you buy it though. Got that information from 2 separate places and multiple people who have brand new ones saying it's not working.
S1L3nTShaDoWz said:
Actually I think the Firewater exploit was fixed on the newer M8's...not sure but I think so? Ask around and confirm whether I'm right or wrong before you buy it though. Got that information from 2 separate places and multiple people who have brand new ones saying it's not working.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might be right. I got my red one a week and a half ago and was able to use weaksauce and firewater. It's on the latest firmware too. I haven't updated it at all.
Edit: I'm on hboot version 3.16 which should have been what the phone came on.
So what does that mean exactly? I wouldn't be able to unlock it or root?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
silver04v said:
So what does that mean exactly? I wouldn't be able to unlock it or root?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should be able to. S-off, unlock and root.
brholt6 said:
You should be able to. S-off, unlock and root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so confused now. haha at first he said I might not be able to cause of a new boot loader. but you're saying I should be ok? I seen there's a new thing called sunshine?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
silver04v said:
so confused now. haha at first he said I might not be able to cause of a new boot loader. but you're saying I should be ok? I seen there's a new thing called sunshine?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just got mine a week an a half ago. I used Weaksauce and Firewater to s-off and unlock. I don't see why it wouldn't work for you unless there's a new hboot I don't know about. But one from Verizon probably wouldn't be updated
Ok. Think I'm going for it. Looks like there's a purchasable apk sunshine for soff on the new one if I'm reading right..idk this will be my first HTC device. Its a bit different than im used to.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 02:57 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:56 AM ----------
brholt6 said:
I just got mine a week an a half ago. I used Weaksauce and Firewater to s-off and unlock. I don't see why it wouldn't work for you unless there's a new hboot I don't know about. But one from Verizon probably wouldn't be updated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how can I know if it has the boot loader that is unlockable with the weak sauce and firewater?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
silver04v said:
So..just before I pull the trigger on the m8. Would you guys say I'd be making a wise choice staying with Verizon if they'll give me the 6gb deal for coming off unlimited data. I don't need unlimited. WiFi is fine for me. It's either that deal or I jump ship and try another carrier with a nexus 5. I'm leaning towards the m8. Is there a chance that Verizon will lock it down like they did the s3? I have had the s3 since released and its unlocked and everything but my power button is wonky now. Opinions please!
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the s3 since the day it came out and loved it. I decided to switch mainly for the updated modem. It made a huge difference I went from getting on average 15 down and 10 up to averaging 35 ish down and 20 ish up it changes day to day but never goes below 25 now. Outside of metropolis il close to were I live I hit 58 down and 32 up. The pping however didn't change and it holds at 70 most days for that reason alone it was worth it for me to make the switch. Granted I live in a low population area so that makes a big difference. The buttons take a lot of getting used to. I do like the double tap to wake up it makes up for having to hit the top of the phone to wake the screen. I don't really care for the BlinkFeed myself but I have nothing go wrong with it. My battery life lasts about 12 hours but I am always on my phone if I'm not on my phone I have my hotspot on for my laptop. As for upgrading with Verizon I skipped it all together and just bought the phone outright to keep my unlimited contract. It is well worth doing in my opinion. But like I said I use my phone a lot and there has been moths that I go over 6 gigs. Over all I like the m8 a lot better than the gs3. After a week of having it you get used to the button layout....Although I still have problems trying to hit the spacebar and hitting the home button instead.

Coming from galaxy s5. Thinking of switching to m8 some questions

Had my second s5 for 10 days now and having same slow data issue/network disconnects. How is the m8 as far as can I buy one and root and unlock it even if it might be a newer firmware now? I see the development is a whole lot better here than the s5. Or I might just fix my broken s4 and go back to that. Thanks
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
cell128 said:
Had my second s5 for 10 days now and having same slow data issue/network disconnects. How is the m8 as far as can I buy one and root and unlock it even if it might be a newer firmware now? I see the development is a whole lot better here than the s5. Or I might just fix my broken s4 and go back to that. Thanks
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Coming from an s5 myself, I gotta say I love the m8. No slow data or wonky disconnects. And it's easy as pie to root, if you're willing to pay for sunshine?
I came from a galaxy to the m8 and have no complaints. The m8 seems much sturdier than my galaxy. I love that the screeen doesn't go all the way to the corner, as I've had some fractures to my screen in the past from corner impacts with my galaxy. Got my phone about a month ago so I would assume it's the newest model still. I temp rooted with weaksauce, ran firewater with adb and achieved root and s-off. Some people are having problems with firewater though, in which case you have to buy sunshine for $25 and will achieve the same thing.
Hope this helps with your decision
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using XDA Free mobile app
I came from the S3. Was running CM11 and the phone still great. It was hard to give up really. I've had my M8 for a couple weeks now and I love it. Had it unlocked and s-off with Sunshine the second day. Running Sinless ROM now. Its a great phone, blazing fast and actually the camera is pretty decent. Being one a GPE ROM I thought that the Google camera was garbage but with fv5 camera is great. I would highly recommend it.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2
Like others have said, plan to pay $25 for SunShine. If you can S-OFF with the free tools, that's great (I was able to) but you just might have to pay. Consider that before jumping. S5 can be rooted for free with TowelRoot, then you can flash TWRP/CWM and be on your way.
The big thing about coming from any Samsung to anything else is you will automatically get better signal. Samsung goes to the dollar store for their radios/modems, and they buy refurbished to boot. (Not literally, but it seems like it.) I came from the S3 on a different carrier. Night. And. Day. I went from having to put my phone in the kitchen windowsill to make or receive calls. Now I can make or receive calls in bed. Part of that is Verizon's network, as opposed to the other one... but Samsung radio quality (or rather the lack thereof) is well documented. The S5 is newer, but the S3 was widely considered the best smartphone of all time for a good little while there.
To its credit, the S3 seemed to have better ROM compatibility. Except when it didn't. Most of the time it was just fine running AOSP-based firmware. Then it would act up. "Cannot connect to camera." Reboot. Get a few more pictures, then it happens again. Reboot. And it would always do it at birthday parties when I really needed a dependable camera. But for the most part it was golden. The One M8? Just doesn't feel right using anything but Sense. I don't use Blinkfeed and I think I'm about to replace their locker with WidgetLocker, and I wish I could replace their quick settings toggles (I really just want flashlight and screen off in there), but the ROM itself (well, CleanROM) is rock solid. It's no longer like, "My phone is okay, but _____," it's more like, "I have the best smartphone on the market."
Have you ever seen an ad for a smartphone, looked at yours and said, "Gee, I wish I had THAT phone?" Or maybe not an ad, maybe a spy show, something like 24? When the latest season of 24 started, I had my Galaxy S3, and they're up there rocking Galaxy S5, iPhone 5S, and I forget what else... I think it was a Windows Phone 8.1 model... and it's like, "Okay, my phone's 2 years old, of course the spies on 24 have better phones." But then I got my One M8, and it's like, "Wow... I have a better phone than Chloe O'Brian, or any of the CIA/Secret Service people... Nobody on this show has a better phone than I do." It's a good feeling, to see someone rocking an awesome phone on TV, and to be able to think, "Mine's better." Or maybe it's just me. And I'm usually not like that.
Dark Reality said:
Like others have said, plan to pay $25 for SunShine. If you can S-OFF with the free tools, that's great (I was able to) but you just might have to pay. Consider that before jumping. S5 can be rooted for free with TowelRoot, then you can flash TWRP/CWM and be on your way.
The big thing about coming from any Samsung to anything else is you will automatically get better signal. Samsung goes to the dollar store for their radios/modems, and they buy refurbished to boot. (Not literally, but it seems like it.) I came from the S3 on a different carrier. Night. And. Day. I went from having to put my phone in the kitchen windowsill to make or receive calls. Now I can make or receive calls in bed. Part of that is Verizon's network, as opposed to the other one... but Samsung radio quality (or rather the lack thereof) is well documented. The S5 is newer, but the S3 was widely considered the best smartphone of all time for a good little while there.
To its credit, the S3 seemed to have better ROM compatibility. Except when it didn't. Most of the time it was just fine running AOSP-based firmware. Then it would act up. "Cannot connect to camera." Reboot. Get a few more pictures, then it happens again. Reboot. And it would always do it at birthday parties when I really needed a dependable camera. But for the most part it was golden. The One M8? Just doesn't feel right using anything but Sense. I don't use Blinkfeed and I think I'm about to replace their locker with WidgetLocker, and I wish I could replace their quick settings toggles (I really just want flashlight and screen off in there), but the ROM itself (well, CleanROM) is rock solid. It's no longer like, "My phone is okay, but _____," it's more like, "I have the best smartphone on the market."
Have you ever seen an ad for a smartphone, looked at yours and said, "Gee, I wish I had THAT phone?" Or maybe not an ad, maybe a spy show, something like 24? When the latest season of 24 started, I had my Galaxy S3, and they're up there rocking Galaxy S5, iPhone 5S, and I forget what else... I think it was a Windows Phone 8.1 model... and it's like, "Okay, my phone's 2 years old, of course the spies on 24 have better phones." But then I got my One M8, and it's like, "Wow... I have a better phone than Chloe O'Brian, or any of the CIA/Secret Service people... Nobody on this show has a better phone than I do." It's a good feeling, to see someone rocking an awesome phone on TV, and to be able to think, "Mine's better." Or maybe it's just me. And I'm usually not like that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a zip file that will add the flashlight and other tiles here somewhere
Came from the S3. It was a great phone but after switching to the M8 don't miss my S3 or Sammy and their locked down crap anymore.

Returned my Flex 2

you know, I have been with LG for quite some time now, but I do have to say that the LG G Flex 2 was a huge disappointment. I have owned the G2, Original G Flex, G3 and the Flex 2 and it was by far the worst phone. I absolutely loved my G2 and then got the Original Flex to try out and loved it (except for the screen res and burn in effect). When the G3 came out I loved it but had a few problems, like sticking with the SD801 was a bad decision and made the phone laggy due to the screen, and there were ways to speed it up and it turned out to be a great phone.
But now that LG has started to gain popularity with their mobile devices, I am worried that they are going to let it go to their heads and start cutting corners. I am going to try LG one more time to see how they handle this disappointment, and trust me they know this phone bombed because the world has let them know how bad it really is. I hope that the G4 is going to blow everyone away and restore all of us die hard fans' faith in the company. I know alot of people are going to this from the G2, and are disappointed in the speed of the phone. so if you dont mind a big phone, I went with the Nexus 6 and could not be happier, this phone blows me away by how fast and responsive it is. this phone is a Rooting Person's Dream lol
I do have to say i will miss my LG, but for people out there wanting to upgrade now, I think if you can wait just alittle bit longer, then wait. this phone isnt worth the upgrade and wait for the G4. but if you are looking for an amazing phone, I have to say go with the Nexus 6
You should have hung in there for the update it runs fantastic now all the transitions are smooth and the phone is very good now
Nexus 6 was just too big for me.
If your only issue with the phone was the lag then you should have waited a bit..., I personally love this phone.
Sent from my LG-H959 using XDA Free mobile app
Here too.
Love this phone now
Only the battery life is not the best
D4rk_nVidia said:
Here too.
Love this phone now
Only the battery life is not the best
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was all the lag fixed with a firmware update, then?
Not all but the most.
I'm on 10b and its good now.
10d is better but not available for Vodafone germany. The software/ui wasn't optimized for the snapdragon 810.
Gta San Andreas runs very smooth with max settings
I personally haven't had a lot of lag. But I just got my phone 4/4 and the update had already been released. What I do have is battery issues. Neither my nor my friends phone will read my samsung 64 GB sd card and infact if i put the card into either phone it immediately corrupts the data forcing a reformat.
This combined with the relatively absent dev community is likely going to force me into a Galaxy s6 on the 10th
That being said There are some things this phone did completely right and I wish Samsung would have stepped their sh*t up a notch.
Frankly the current offerings fail to excite me and these upgrades feel lackluster.
From my galaxy s5 with a sweet Dev community to the G flex 2 with *cricket cricket* no dev community.
TBH if i didn't have the above mentioned issues and little things
(for example smart remote not deploying into notification panel despite the fact that i chose home wifi and was connected to it., The youtube app not letting me pause a video.) That may be Lolliflop issues and I would be surprised if a lot of those type of bugs go away when 5.1 hits.
Lately Android seems to trying to be more iPhone like meanwhile apple is stealing Android features by the bushel and becoming more android like.
I will likely never buy an apple product do to the lack of transparency and also hatred for the walled garden.
That being said android needs to wow me. I kind of wish I had waited to pull the trigger on upgrading but I traded in my phone after a year with sprint and now Have to take a step up.
It looks like it's going to be an s6 for me.
But I curse the loathsome curr dogs Samsung for taking away my microSd and My removable battery.
But alas I need to get a real phone with a dev community.
Or else start learning to dev myself.
phelony said:
I personally haven't had a lot of lag. But I just got my phone 4/4 and the update had already been released. What I do have is battery issues. Neither my nor my friends phone will read my samsung 64 GB sd card and infact if i put the card into either phone it immediately corrupts the data forcing a reformat.
TBH if i didn't have the above mentioned issues and little things
(for example smart remote not deploying into notification panel despite the fact that i chose home wifi and was connected to it., The youtube app not letting me pause a video.) That may be Lolliflop issues and I would be surprised if a lot of those type of bugs go away when 5.1 hits.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have problems with lag, battery or the other problems your phone has. Did you try a factory reset?
I agree the lack of devs is discouraging.
Stank0 said:
I don't have problems with lag, battery or the other problems your phone has. Did you try a factory reset?
I agree the lack of devs is discouraging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think a lot of dev are waiting to see if this phone bootloader will be unlockable because the first og G Flex was able to be rooted but the bootloader was locked on tight that's the reason it also lacked in the development section.
Stank0 said:
I don't have problems with lag, battery or the other problems your phone has. Did you try a factory reset?
I agree the lack of devs is discouraging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have done a few resets and my big gripe
Is still the sd corruption and random glitches
yellowman82 said:
I think a lot of dev are waiting to see if this phone bootloader will be unlockable because the first og G Flex was able to be rooted but the bootloader was locked on tight that's the reason it also lacked in the development section.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The s5 had knox and it was still defeated. If enough devs get this phone ( big if) someone will defeat it.
If i were lg i would be trying to do everything I could to move phones.
That would include pandering to the modders.
Lets be honest here most of us here on are the most tech savvy people in our family/friend circles.
At least i am. And all my friends and family follow my lead as far as phones.
Everybody has a galaxy s5 in my family. It's because I recommended it to them. I definitely can't recommend LG based on the super locked boot loader. Nor the issues I've had. Tbh im prob returning for an s6. As long as bootloader is unlocked.
phelony said:
I have done a few resets and my big gripe
Is still the sd corruption and random glitches
The s5 had knox and it was still defeated. If enough devs get this phone ( big if) someone will defeat it.
If i were lg i would be trying to do everything I could to move phones.
That would include pandering to the modders.
Lets be honest here most of us here on are the most tech savvy people in our family/friend circles.
At least i am. And all my friends and family follow my lead as far as phones.
Everybody has a galaxy s5 in my family. It's because I recommended it to them. I definitely can't recommend LG based on the super locked boot loader. Nor the issues I've had. Tbh im prob returning for an s6. As long as bootloader is unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your right but it's very risky for these devs to just put out the cash for a phone that your to not sure is going to succeed in the development department especially with the locked boot loader. The original Flex was a nightmare when it came down to development but overall the phone was great so I stuck with it for a whole year.
I was waiting for the flex 2 but saw too many reasons to not get it so I decided to buy the nexus 6 right out for $500 brand new sealed and I don't regret it at all and plus I still have my upgrade available so I could use it for a device well worth in quarter 4.
phelony said:
I have done a few resets and my big gripe
Is still the sd corruption and random glitches
The s5 had knox and it was still defeated. If enough devs get this phone ( big if) someone will defeat it.
If i were lg i would be trying to do everything I could to move phones.
That would include pandering to the modders.
Lets be honest here most of us here on are the most tech savvy people in our family/friend circles.
At least i am. And all my friends and family follow my lead as far as phones.
Everybody has a galaxy s5 in my family. It's because I recommended it to them. I definitely can't recommend LG based on the super locked boot loader. Nor the issues I've had. Tbh im prob returning for an s6. As long as bootloader is unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey guys, Sorry havent had the chance to check in, but I am glad that most have had updates to fix alot of the problems. I am on sprint and 9 times out of 10 sprint is the last to provide any updates for a phone for some reason. I really did like the phone and im sure I will try LG again in the future, but I didnt want to be stuck with a phone I was having so many issue's with until they decided to throw out an update, and we know sometimes that can be months. The Nexus 6 is big but I love it and the battery life is ALOT better than my G3 and the Flex 2, but nothing has beaten the G2. I sure wish LG could find a way to bring back the best of performance and battery life like they did on the G2.
just out of curiousity, are any of you guys on sprint? I was just curious if sprint did release an update
harvickgm said:
Hey guys, Sorry havent had the chance to check in, but I am glad that most have had updates to fix alot of the problems. I am on sprint and 9 times out of 10 sprint is the last to provide any updates for a phone for some reason. I really did like the phone and im sure I will try LG again in the future, but I didnt want to be stuck with a phone I was having so many issue's with until they decided to throw out an update, and we know sometimes that can be months. The Nexus 6 is big but I love it and the battery life is ALOT better than my G3 and the Flex 2, but nothing has beaten the G2. I sure wish LG could find a way to bring back the best of performance and battery life like they did on the G2.
just out of curiousity, are any of you guys on sprint? I was just curious if sprint did release an update
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep. Released an update and phone running great. Hope you enjoy whatever older model you got. Peace.
Sent from my LGLS996 using XDA Free mobile app
shuka325 said:
Yep. Released an update and phone running great. Hope you enjoy whatever older model you got. Peace.
Sent from my LGLS996 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure he will with all the development that's going on on that device lol.
Took mine back and got me a note 4 . Sold my nexus 6 for the flex 2 because i didn't like it and i hated the flex2 more than the nexus6 . This could have been a killer phone
yellowman82 said:
I'm pretty sure he will with all the development that's going on on that device lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh yes, loving the development on this phone. im constantly trying new roms and kernels.. havent seen support like this since the OG Evo.
But also, I have multiple lines on my account, so I get a new phone every six months. so while you are still using this I will have probably gotten three phones to your one. Peace
harvickgm said:
oh yes, loving the development on this phone. im constantly trying new roms and kernels.. havent seen support like this since the OG Evo.
But also, I have multiple lines on my account, so I get a new phone every six months. so while you are still using this I will have probably gotten three phones to your one. Peace
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea I'm the same too been flashing ROMs from left to right can't seem to just stay on one lol too many are usually popping out or updating.
yellowman82 said:
Yea I'm the same too been flashing ROMs from left to right can't seem to just stay on one lol too many are usually popping out or updating.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea, i cant seem to make up my mind so i just try them all... lol
but coming from LG's I hate how the USB OTG doesnt auto mount thru the UI, I loved that feature. and Stickmount is ok but it still doesnt make it work with all apps
also, just out of curiousity... I have had LG for awhile and liked the UI, but the Flex 2 was the first time it was just super laggy and I never really cared for other launchers, but now that I have the Nexus 6 and have been playing with Stock Google and AOSP roms, I didnt care for the Google Launcher so I started playing with others and really like Apex. It works great for me and I can customize and setup just how I like..
So has anyone with the Flex 2 tried any other launchers on it and if so how did it work. was it an instant transformation or was there still some issues?

How far behind am I?

I haven't had to root anything since the Evo 4g I used to have and its been shoved in a backpack with an extended battery for the past 2 years. I had several G1's, several old school Nexus devices and 3 or 4 Captivates. Couple of HTC devices thron in for good measure too.
I work for AppleCare and have had an iphone for the past 3 years but its gotten to the point where they are basically, blah. Just...nothing special about them. Long story short, i traded a 6 plus for my new S7 and couldn't be happier.
Questions: How afr out of the loop am I? I've used Odin but it was new when I stopped flashing.
-Is there anyting to gain from flashing/rooting besides debloating?? That was the main reason several years ago, that and trying to OC the processors. Hell, with quad cores and 4 gigs, who needs to OC anymore?? lol
Anyway, hope that makes sense and I look forward to being an active member once again.
thegreatkazoo said:
I haven't had to root anything since the Evo 4g I used to have and its been shoved in a backpack with an extended battery for the past 2 years. I had several G1's, several old school Nexus devices and 3 or 4 Captivates. Couple of HTC devices thron in for good measure too.
I work for AppleCare and have had an iphone for the past 3 years but its gotten to the point where they are basically, blah. Just...nothing special about them. Long story short, i traded a 6 plus for my new S7 and couldn't be happier.
Questions: How afr out of the loop am I? I've used Odin but it was new when I stopped flashing.
-Is there anyting to gain from flashing/rooting besides debloating?? That was the main reason several years ago, that and trying to OC the processors. Hell, with quad cores and 4 gigs, who needs to OC anymore?? lol
Anyway, hope that makes sense and I look forward to being an active member once again.
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Click to collapse
First off let me say welcome back to the awesome side
As to what you're missing, it really depends on what you need from your device. While most of the features you'd need root to obtain are now a part of stock android, there are still a few things missing like ad blocking, or an awesome sound mod like v4a. And even then, some root apps/mods don't play nicely with Touchwiz.
My advice is to browse though the s7 forums and see if anything entices you that's worth rooting for.
Freewander10 said:
First off let me say welcome back to the awesome side
As to what you're missing, it really depends on what you need from your device. While most of the features you'd need root to obtain are now a part of stock android, there are still a few things missing like ad blocking, or an awesome sound mod like v4a. And even then, some root apps/mods don't play nicely with Touchwiz.
My advice is to browse though the s7 forums and see if anything entices you that's worth rooting for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its good to be back. mt wife still has her 6 plus but she's swapping it tomorrow for an s8. shes hella excited.
i remember tethering being a huge driver for rooting becuase carriers didnt see the usage. I have 14 gigs of hot spot that doesn't use my actual cell data so i don't guess i need to root. lol
I would love get all the crap off and go vanilla Nougat but i doubt its possible at this time. Thats about all i would want. pure google.
thegreatkazoo said:
its good to be back. mt wife still has her 6 plus but she's swapping it tomorrow for an s8. shes hella excited.
i remember tethering being a huge driver for rooting becuase carriers didnt see the usage. I have 14 gigs of hot spot that doesn't use my actual cell data so i don't guess i need to root. lol
I would love get all the crap off and go vanilla Nougat but i doubt its possible at this time. Thats about all i would want. pure google.
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Click to collapse
I believe the s7 forums have a decent amount of stable AOSP ROMs. I've not been over there in a while but you can take a look.
Vanilla android is very possible to obtain. But you might need to get your hands a bit dirty. As you're probably aware how tightly Samsung has been locking down "their" devices as of late.
Freewander10 said:
I believe the s7 forums have a decent amount of stable AOSP ROMs. I've not been over there in a while but you can take a look.
Vanilla android is very possible to obtain. But you might need to get your hands a bit dirty. As you're probably aware how tightly Samsung has been locking down "their" devices as of late.
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Click to collapse
oh yea. I've kept up with all the news about locking bootloaders and what not. wish they would just put vanilla on them and just sell the phone for what it is, a phone. i don't mind getting dirty to be honest.
i remember when the capivates first came out they were supposed to be unbrickable. come to find out, they could be bricked, but a guy on here made a rig with a diode in a usb csble and it unbricked it. that was some cool stuff. lol
thegreatkazoo said:
oh yea. I've kept up with all the news about locking bootloaders and what not. wish they would just put vanilla on them and just sell the phone for what it is, a phone. i don't mind getting dirty to be honest.
i remember when the capivates first came out they were supposed to be unbrickable. come to find out, they could be bricked, but a guy on here made a rig with a diode in a usb csble and it unbricked it. that was some cool stuff. lol
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Click to collapse
I hear TW isn't as bad as it was once. But I guess that's subjective. I do agree with you though. And stock android would just fly on Samsung's hardware.
Those were the days.
The users here on xda have always found a way. Whether it be unlocking a device's BL, rooting it, unbricking it, or even bricking it
They've done it all.
Freewander10 said:
I hear TW isn't as bad as it was once. But I guess that's subjective. I do agree with you though. And stock android would just fly on Samsung's hardware.
Those were the days.
The users here on xda have always found a way. Whether it be unlocking a device's BL, rooting it, unbricking it, or even bricking it
They've done it all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i honestly love this phone.
its quick, great camera, expandable storage and looks awesome. I've got a 128 gig sd card in right now but ill be picking up another card so this one can go back in my laptop.
i have never minded touchwiz but its came a long way. a long long way.
one thing i would love to do, since i tether so much, is to have a tether option on the home screen(like a little switch) instead of having to go into settings-connections-tether in order to turn it on.
thegreatkazoo said:
i honestly love this phone.
its quick, great camera, expandable storage and looks awesome. I've got a 128 gig sd card in right now but ill be picking up another card so this one can go back in my laptop.
i have never minded touchwiz but its came a long way. a long long way.
one thing i would love to do, since i tether so much, is to have a tether option on the home screen(like a little switch) instead of having to go into settings-connections-tether in order to turn it on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm actually planning on getting one myself. Further down in the year though. The device is absolutely beautiful.
Most of the toggles/widgets on the playstore are dated. So they might not support newer versions of android. Especially the heavily modded TW. This app looks fairly recent though. So give it a shot
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.painless.pc
Freewander10 said:
I'm actually planning on getting one myself. Further down in the year though. The device is absolutely beautiful.
Most of the toggles/widgets on the playstore are dated. So they might not support newer versions of android. Especially the heavily modded TW. This app looks fairly recent though. So give it a shot
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.painless.pc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i just want to be able to flip a switch and turn on tethering. lol
no more, no less.

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