Database Info

/facepalm TouchWiz why do you fail me so?

So...
TouchWiz is terrible.
Exhibit A: You cannot choose specific groups in your Google Contacts. I have so many contacts in my phones that I just do not want, but since the Contacts app in Touchwiz sucks so much, hooray?
Exhibit B: I set locations in my Calendar, but they arent usable. Meaning I cannot click it to jump into maps for navigation (which doesnt really work either). It even shows me a fantastic map and a tick where my location is...WHY CANT I CLICK IT?!?!?! Things I expect to work...epic fail.
Exhibit C: The overlay sucks. Nuff said there.
Anything I'm missing? Probably alot. Any suggestions on work arounds until we see a Cyanogen?

One word:
LauncherPro

Adminkiller said:
One word:
LauncherPro
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What he said.

Launcher Pro won't fix his problems.

There's a couple of problems, but plenty of nice features as well
Swipe the notification for brightness, Swipe contacts for messaging/call, turn bluetooth/wifi/silent/vibrate in the notification bar. Not all bad. Make LP or ADW the launcher, and I think good outweighs the bad for me at least.

I guess I should have prefaced that with I am using launcher pro. Whoops

I agree with eman. I think all the very nice features of touch wiz outweigh the negatives. I would like to see the ability to select which google contact groups get synced. I how the add that in the future.

I've been pleasantly surprised with Touchwiz. Sure there are features that I would like to see implemented, but on the whole I like it. This is surprising to me given all the naysaying from the Android elitists.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Touchwiz on the Captivate sucks bawlz.
Can you say "product maturity issues"
God, how I wish it had Sense. I actually wake up at night wishing for that.

You're complaining about issues that other android phones also have. You may not like the Touchwiz interface, but you can always buy a different phone.

djgleebs said:
You're complaining about issues that other android phones also have. You may not like the Touchwiz interface, but you can always buy a different phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I know, these things are possible on stock 2.1. Correct me if im wrong?
As this is my first android powered phone, I am afraid I do not know.

To reiterate points previosly made by other posters. It's all about Launcher Pro. This is the beauty of Android. KTHXBYE

djgleebs said:
You may not like the Touchwiz interface, but you can always buy a different phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, Steve Jobs

novaIS350 said:
To reiterate points previosly made by other posters. It's all about Launcher Pro. This is the beauty of Android. KTHXBYE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And once again, Launcher Pro wont fix the problems he has with the phone.
Sent from my Samsung Captivate

Soo umm.. What now?

So I recieved my infuse last night, I have downloaded all of my nescassary apps, but now I dont know what to do/or download. Any tips? Or some apps/ themes to download?
Sent from amazingly huge Samsung Infuse.

Next is root your phone and decide if you want to place a custom Rom on your device.
If you want to place a custom Rom - just read the development section for a few days until you get a feel for what going on -then proceed from there..

I was thinking of that, I rooted my lasnt android, and it gave me major problems, lose all contacts, camera not work, bootloop etc...
Sent from amazingly huge Samsung Infuse.

Rooting can *lead* to problems but not actually *cause* problems. Only improper flashing and modding can lead to issues. Good news for you though - rooting is not required to get enjoyment out of your device. I should know. I didn't root my Infuse for the first month I had it. I just didn't see the need to do so.
So, what exactly is it that you're trying to do?

Just make it the most enjoyable and personal as it can get. Im gonna end up rooting it eventually. But not now.
Sent from amazingly huge Samsung Infuse.

return it and get a GSII.

I got it brand new off of craigslist, and I have a gophone. So I cant
Sent from amazingly huge Samsung Infuse.

Ryistech said:
So I recieved my infuse last night, I have downloaded all of my nescassary apps, but now I dont know what to do/or download. Any tips? Or some apps/ themes to download?
Sent from amazingly huge Samsung Infuse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Download Appbrain from the market. It's free. You can see popular apps of the day (I almost always find at least one or two to download whenever I go through the entire list) and it can provide recommendations based on what you have installed.
jhong91 said:
return it and get a GSII.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol.

jhong91 said:
return it and get a GSII.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FAIL .... fail

Okay thanks, ill get that now. Anything else??
Sent from amazingly huge Samsung Infuse.

Ryistech said:
Okay thanks, ill get that now. Anything else??
Sent from amazingly huge Samsung Infuse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look at the "Browse Apps" section of Appbrain as much as you can. The list changes daily. You'll start to pick up on what you want and how to find it.

Okay. That app is pretty cool. Haha. So what about personalize and customization?
Sent from amazingly huge Samsung Infuse.

Ryistech said:
Okay. That app is pretty cool. Haha. So what about personalize and customization?
Sent from amazingly huge Samsung Infuse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to the Themes & Apps section of this forum and find the screenshot thread. It's full of screenshots of other people's customizations. You'll see things you want to do and it'll also spark ideas.

Ive tried that, sadly the ones I like dont have names and were.posted a long time ago
Sent from amazingly huge Samsung Infuse.

Ryistech said:
Ive tried that, sadly the ones I like dont have names and were.posted a long time ago
Sent from amazingly huge Samsung Infuse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The best way to experiment with finding them is to search what it is and peruse the results. If you saw a calendar widget, search calendar widgets (and other search terms that might turn up results) and sometimes you'll be able to find them. Otherwise, just quote the post and ask the name of whatever you want. Sometimes the poster will answer, and often times, if someone else knows, they'll answer.

And another question. When I use different launchers, launcherpro for example, they are all very laggy, so are there themes that dont need launchers?
Sent from amazingly huge Samsung Infuse.

Ryistech said:
And another question. When I use different launchers, launcherpro for example, they are all very laggy, so are there themes that dont need launchers?
Sent from amazingly huge Samsung Infuse.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LauncherPro is a bad example. It hasn't been updated in a year. Try a different launcher. I recommend ADW EX. Lots of people like Go Launcher. You could always stick with the TouchWiz launcher too if you want. There's nothing wrong with the TouchWiz launcher. Themes don't generally require a specific launcher unless their respective dev says so.
Like others have said, the best way to find what you like is to simply try things. Become familiar with tools that you can use to backup and restore your setup in case you run into things you don't necessarily like.

CheesyNutz said:
FAIL .... fail
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In all honesty if I could some how convince Amazon to let me to a return I would probably do the same. Not because of the specs and not because I don't love my Infuse but because there will probably be better community support in the form of more devs and longer support.

CheesyNutz said:
FAIL .... fail
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, true ^ ^ ^ ^
Don't be afraid
eXpeR¡MeNt

beatblaster said:
LauncherPro is a bad example. It hasn't been updated in a year. Try a different launcher. I recommend ADW EX. Lots of people like Go Launcher. You could always stick with the TouchWiz launcher too if you want. There's nothing wrong with the TouchWiz launcher. Themes don't generally require a specific launcher unless their respective dev says so.
Like others have said, the best way to find what you like is to simply try things. Become familiar with tools that you can use to backup and restore your setup in case you run into things you don't necessarily like.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was using launcher pro for awhile and liked it, felt like it wasn't that laggy at all. It just didn't have the ability to customize as much as say ADW or Go, but just before I replaced it they did an update that improved a lot of things, and you can now do mass customization. Currently tho i'm using Crazyhome as my launcher and I really like it.
Don't be afraid
eXpeR¡MeNt

Remove Touchwiz

ok i have looked online and i have seen that on other Samsung android phones you can remove touchwiz by installing a "stock" rom, but to me a stock rom is the one with Touchwiz.... can someone link me to a rom thats stable and doesnt have touchwiz....im new to this phone and been using the inspire 4g but the glass shattered...i understand i will have to root phone that i know but the roms for this phone nobody seems to post pictures of what they look like.

Best rom that's stable and most themed is Sky ice cream rom by Sean. GO flash it hands down the best rom in our dev forum.
blessedswine said:
ok i have looked online and i have seen that on other Samsung android phones you can remove touchwiz by installing a "stock" rom, but to me a stock rom is the one with Touchwiz.... can someone link me to a rom thats stable and doesnt have touchwiz....im new to this phone and been using the inspire 4g but the glass shattered...i understand i will have to root phone that i know but the roms for this phone nobody seems to post pictures of what they look like.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

thanks i just felt wierd coming from inspire thier development area has some really really good roms for that phone, came here and was just overwhelmed with the choices and none seemed to stand out among the crowd. Ill give it a go i just really really despise touchwiz ui and its the reason i normally stay away from sammy phones, that and the fact samsung is extremely slow to put out new os's on their phones if they ever do...got burnt on the Behold 2 never got my update cause they never put it out.

Yap its still young phone and we still have more roms compare to vivid and holiday combine. Once ICS comes than it will be different flashing game haha
blessedswine said:
thanks i just felt wierd coming from inspire thier development area has some really really good roms for that phone, came here and was just overwhelmed with the choices and none seemed to stand out among the crowd. Ill give it a go i just really really despise touchwiz ui and its the reason i normally stay away from sammy phones, that and the fact samsung is extremely slow to put out new os's on their phones if they ever do...got burnt on the Behold 2 never got my update cause they never put it out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

So does the Sky ICS ROM have Touchwiz removed? You state it is themed... but never removed... I just ask because I am very curious about this phone, but depise the iPhone rip-off that touchwiz brings to android.

You won't see touchwiz unless you chose that launcher and if you don't chose that launcher than you won't see touch wiz. You got option there like ICS launcher and every other things like setting, contacts, and stuff is ics themed.
Element_01303 said:
So does the Sky ICS ROM have Touchwiz removed? You state it is themed... but never removed... I just ask because I am very curious about this phone, but depise the iPhone rip-off that touchwiz brings to android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

appdroid said:
You won't see touchwiz unless you chose that launcher and if you don't chose that launcher than you won't see touch wiz. You got option there like ICS launcher and every other things like setting, contacts, and stuff is ics themed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
exactly, you don't need to root or flash a custom rom to get rid of Touchwiz. For example, download "Gingerbread Launcher" and set as default when it prompts you. Turns your phone into a vanilla gingerbread android phone and Touchwiz is gone. I use ADW Launcher Ex and set it to "Fast" preset. Phone absolutely flies and no sign of Touchwiz anywhere. Stock everything for me.

ive been having issues with ever single rom in here. my fav the nexusmod, facebook app doesnt work it makes me use the browser, a few others camera doesnt work or gps doesnt work. or its overclocked which makes the battery die faster. i just want a damn rom thats as basic as it can be but still have everything work... and only reason i hate touchwiz launcher is i dont use the email app and from what i read you cant remove it from that launcher bar.

blessedswine said:
ive been having issues with ever single rom in here. my fav the nexusmod, facebook app doesnt work it makes me use the browser, a few others camera doesnt work or gps doesnt work. or its overclocked which makes the battery die faster. i just want a damn rom thats as basic as it can be but still have everything work... and only reason i hate touchwiz launcher is i dont use the email app and from what i read you cant remove it from that launcher bar.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WTF?
really?
does anyone actually understand that Touchwiz is MORE than a launcher?
and you cant remove it from the launcher bar? where did you hear such asinine things?
its pretty well documented all over the Touchwiz device forums how the launcher bar works....SMH
app drawer
menu button
view type
customizable grid
menu button
edit
drag n freakin drop what you want, where you want
DONE

blessedswine said:
ive been having issues with ever single rom in here. my fav the nexusmod, facebook app doesnt work it makes me use the browser, a few others camera doesnt work or gps doesnt work. or its overclocked which makes the battery die faster. i just want a damn rom thats as basic as it can be but still have everything work... and only reason i hate touchwiz launcher is i dont use the email app and from what i read you cant remove it from that launcher bar.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? I make it my business to never take part in flaming or making a member feel unwanted, but really? What have you contributed to the community to make such a demand? Such a request shows your ignorance towards the hard work and dedication that is put into the work that you use for FREE!
If you are not satisfied with the the work the community provides, don't use it. I speak for the entire development community when I say Restore your device to stock and STFU you ungrateful bastard.
If i offended anyone, I apologize but it's individuals like this guy that make devs feel unappreciated.
Sent from my GT-P7510 using xda premium

Ok, so maybe I'm a bit thik in this smartphone thingie, sorry to post on S II.
I got an i9070 (SGSAdvanced) and I would like to remove Touchwiz, since I got APEX installed. Now... from what I gather here, Touchwiz is a different, more complex animal then APEX and basically can't/shouldn't be removed? If so, does it slow down my phonw, like say... a PC with 2 OS installed(e.g.: Windows7+Ubuntu)?
I got Titanium and RomManager too, all the free versions. I'll gladly pay full versions when I'll be a bit used to them, learning atm, same case with APEX. Altough I don't know what APEX full has extra yet.
Anyway. I thankd the people that answered already, hoping for a YES you can remove, NO, you can't remove, BUT you can make it so it doesn't draw resources, and THIS is the Dumbie link for doing that.

Wtf, you know this thread is a year old? No you can't remove touch and what does tibu and rom manager have to do with it?
What was the best before sliced bread?

nemaca said:
Ok, so maybe I'm a bit thik in this smartphone thingie, sorry to post on S II.
I got an i9070 (SGSAdvanced) and I would like to remove Touchwiz, since I got APEX installed. Now... from what I gather here, Touchwiz is a different, more complex animal then APEX and basically can't/shouldn't be removed? If so, does it slow down my phonw, like say... a PC with 2 OS installed(e.g.: Windows7+Ubuntu)?
I got Titanium and RomManager too, all the free versions. I'll gladly pay full versions when I'll be a bit used to them, learning atm, same case with APEX. Altough I don't know what APEX full has extra yet.
Anyway. I thankd the people that answered already, hoping for a YES you can remove, NO, you can't remove, BUT you can make it so it doesn't draw resources, and THIS is the Dumbie link for doing that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you are in the skyrocket section, you need to go here http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1952. and the answer is yes you can remove touchwiz.

No you cant remove tw from a stock system if you think you can you need to do a lot more digging. Try removing twframework.apk see what happens try removing systemui.apk too while you're at it. Jesus you noobs kill me with false info.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2

mtdew said:
No you cant remove tw from a stock system if you think you can you need to do a lot more digging. Try removing twframework.apk see what happens try removing systemui.apk too while you're at it. Jesus you noobs kill me with false info.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Who said anything about removing either of those files? He can click the link in my last post for a rom without touchwiz. Chill bro

quikt said:
Who said anything about removing either of those files? He can click the link in my last post for a rom without touchwiz. Chill bro
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For clarity, you can't remove it but, you're correct that, you can find roms that don't rely on tw.
What was the best before sliced bread?

I can't understand what you guys are saying about . Why he want to install a new rom ??? Just remove touchwiz using Root explorer like ES File editor and add a custom launcher like Nova . Is that the easy method ???
Sent from my GT-S7562 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

@AlfasPeralassery touchwiz isn't just a launcher. If you try and delete it the whole shebang goes to crap.
Sent from my SGH-I727 using Tapatalk

TheCybertronian said:
@AlfasPeralassery touchwiz isn't just a launcher. If you try and delete it the whole shebang goes to crap.
Sent from my SGH-I727 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hope you are doing well . Sorry if my question was wrong . I can't understand . Touchwiz is a launcher created by samsung for their devices .
Or is touchwiz a rom or kernal ? .I DELETED TOUCHWIZ FROM MY S DUOS . I am using nova launcher succesfully without any error .
Please describe me if my assumption about tochwiz was wrong.

Touchwiz consists of several pieces taking out the launcher is part of it but that doesn't remove touchwiz itself. Touchwiz is deeper than a launcher.
Sent from my SGH-I727 using Tapatalk

Who cares about a locked bootloader any ways.

Yes I love Cyanogen and it would be nice to have a recovery but what about all the great things from TouchWiz.
If Dan does have an unlock and does release it then yes I probably will unlock but I don't think I can part from TouchWiz. Yet...
Since I bought my wife an S4 also we use S-Beam for sharing pictures of the kids a LOT! That brings me to my next point, the camera is ridiculously good. I don't need to mention how handy the multi-window is...
Will probably run modified stock Roms. Comments?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

So far the mods to TW have been quite impressive, Nottach's Framework for example and P-ROM. Still would very much like a true pure Android experience that I can play with and mod myself. Can't do that without the bootloader unlock though but I can definitely live with what we got for quite a while if I had too

ZPaul2Fresh8 said:
Yes I love Cyanogen and it would be nice to have a recovery but what about all the great things from TouchWiz.
If Dan does have an unlock and does release it then yes I probably will unlock but I don't think I can part from TouchWiz. Yet...
Will probably run modified stock Roms. Comments?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a perfect example of not reading the threads. Do you even know what to do with the fix when you see it? will you know how to apply it? Not bashing you, but sir, I think before you even see a fix, you need to read way more, what is Cyanogen? is it some kind of recovery method? answer to your question is yes, it allows to run other modified TW roms also. This ain't no damn iPhone.

TheAxman said:
This is a perfect example of not reading the threads. Do you even know what to do with the fix when you see it? will you know how to apply it? Not bashing you, but sir, I think before you even see a fix, you need to read way more, what is Cyanogen? is it some kind of recovery method? answer to your question is yes, it allows to run other modified TW roms also. This ain't no damn iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uh, I'd listen to your own advice there, chief.
He didn't even have a question, and from the way it sounds he is plenty aware of the difference between a custom ROM and a recovery. What are you talking about?
And OP, I think I'm having the same dilemma...the mods that have come out for TW have been amazing - and honestly I don't know of any specific features on AOSP ROMs that I DON'T have right now.
And let's be real, I enjoy it when people were are like, "ooh, is that an S4?" And I respond by turning off a random TV in the area, or by scrolling through my gallery just by waving my hand. I'd miss that I think
So yeah I'll definitely unlock once available, but I'll most likely stick with stock-based ROMs too.

CPA Poke said:
Uh, I'd listen to your own advice there, chief.
He didn't even have a question, and from the way it sounds he is plenty aware of the difference between a custom ROM and a recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your right, I was actually commenting on his TW opinion, it is a comment. And I prefer TW roms also. more stable.

Choice is always a good thing, just because you have a unlocked bootloader doesn't mean you have to get rid of tw.
For me I always like to just fix what ever I feel is wrong or missing or locked out from a stock rom.
At the end of the day people have to use what makes then happy.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2

TheAxman said:
This is a perfect example of not reading the threads. Do you even know what to do with the fix when you see it? will you know how to apply it? Not bashing you, but sir, I think before you even see a fix, you need to read way more, what is Cyanogen? is it some kind of recovery method? answer to your question is yes, it allows to run other modified TW roms also. This ain't no damn iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you're on crack. LMAO. It hurts to ponder what you THOUGHT you read.
And I did forget to mention the IR blaster. But they're is finally an alternative to SmartON. Try SmartRemote made specifically for the S4 but it is $9.99. It does allow you to make custom remotes so you can place buttons from any device all onto just 1 remote. Also allows custom commands through Pronto HEX codes.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

ZPaul2Fresh8 said:
I think you're on crack. LMAO. It hurts to ponder what you THOUGHT you read.
And I did forget to mention the IR blaster. But they're is finally an alternative to SmartON. Try SmartRemote made specifically for the S4 but it is $9.99. It does allow you to make custom remotes so you can place buttons from any device all onto just 1 remote. Also allows custom commands through Pronto HEX codes.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, I should not have added bourbon to my coffee.

TheAxman said:
Actually, I should not have added bourbon to my coffee.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's all good. I've woken up a few times still half asleep having that same problem.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

ZPaul2Fresh8 said:
Yes I love Cyanogen and it would be nice to have a recovery but what about all the great things from TouchWiz.
If Dan does have an unlock and does release it then yes I probably will unlock but I don't think I can part from TouchWiz. Yet...
Since I bought my wife an S4 also we use S-Beam for sharing pictures of the kids a LOT! That brings me to my next point, the camera is ridiculously good. I don't need to mention how handy the multi-window is...
Will probably run modified stock Roms. Comments?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am surprised to find I am starting to feel the same way. I've modified, configured and optimized the stock ROM quite a bit now and it is running very nicely. Looking forward to flashing a custom recovery so I can backup and restore and experiment with what's out there, but it's going to be a tough decision to run modified stock versus CM. I have also found battery life to be excellent with the Stock ROM.

Been trying out the new Samsung features for a while. To me they're nothing more than gimmicks. They're great for making a cool looking commercial, but mostly useless in real life. Air gestures? Please....I'm an adult, how often are my fingers too filthy to touch my phone? The eye tracking features worked sporadically, at best. And not at all in a dimly lit room. Can't wait to unlock this bootloader, flash a ROM, and get rid the mountain of Samsung bloat apps...not to mention AT&T's contribution to that mountain...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2

ZPaul2Fresh8 said:
Yes I love Cyanogen and it would be nice to have a recovery but what about all the great things from TouchWiz.
If Dan does have an unlock and does release it then yes I probably will unlock but I don't think I can part from TouchWiz. Yet...
Since I bought my wife an S4 also we use S-Beam for sharing pictures of the kids a LOT! That brings me to my next point, the camera is ridiculously good. I don't need to mention how handy the multi-window is...
Will probably run modified stock Roms. Comments?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BlastTyrantKM said:
Been trying out the new Samsung features for a while. To me they're nothing more than gimmicks. They're great for making a cool looking commercial, but mostly useless in real life. Air gestures? Please....I'm an adult, how often are my fingers too filthy to touch my phone? The eye tracking features worked sporadically, at best. And not at all in a dimly lit room. Can't wait to unlock this bootloader, flash a ROM, and get rid the mountain of Samsung bloat apps...not to mention AT&T's contribution to that mountain...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I jump back and forth between these two ends of the opinion spectrum in regards to TW and Samsung's (AT&T's) stock ROM. This is probably the first android phone that I could honestly be okay with never flashing a custom rom on. I will still unlock the bootloader when it becomes available. I will still flash a custom recovery (nandroid backups are a really nice thing to have, and I'm disappointed that carriers don't include this) when it becomes available as well. I *might* flash a custom rom based on the stock rom, but I think I'd rather stick to stock as much as possible, at least for some time.
As for the gimmicky features it comes with, I sort of agree, yet it's fun to show off to friends. I normally keep the gestures and eye scrolling turned off, and I keep the NFC turned off when not in use. I did buy the $9.99 remote app, and I'm surprisingly content with it. I need to offer some feedback about being able to actually drag/drop to change the order of the buttons on the other screen, but otherwise it's so much better than the WatchOn stuff that I have recently frozen using TiBu.
And on to speaking of freezing apps. With root, I'm pretty content. I can use TiBu Pro (to anyone reading this, go buy the Pro version - it's completely worth it!!) to freeze all the bloatware that I don't like. Every few days since I got my phone, I re-evaluate the list in TiBu and check into any blaotware I haven't frozen yet. "Do I need this? Have I used this? Nope! Frozen." I've done this for nearly all of the "Samsung ____" apps, including the Samsung store and all the associated apps (Samsung account, etc.). Did the same for every "AT&T ___" app that it came with - they're all garbage to me. Next on my list to evaluate and possibly freeze is all the printing services - do I really need to print from my phone? Maybe if it were my work phone...
I suppose one good reason I would want to flash a customized stock-based rom would be to free up some space. Having a 16gb version is no different than my S2 was... but I definitely had a few more GB's of room to store all the cool photos. And with larger picture files, and a faster camera, the storage is suddenly a bit more important to me.
And finally, the camera, and its associated apps/modes. I see a lot of people freezing some of the apps that allow some of the cool modes this camera can use. I'm not a professional photographer, but I love taking awesome pictures with this phone. It rival's my wife's Nikon 9300 point-and-shoot, with the exception of the Nikon's zoom lens. But as far as features and quality are concerned, it's possibly better.
This thing has been pretty smooth since day negative-one for me. Even better when we got root and the bloatware was frozen. Even snappier and better on battery once that first OTA dropped. I'm pretty impressed, and it certainly is a huge step up from my S2 running CM10.1.
TL;DR: I really like the stock rom and all the cool things it offers. The performance is great. I do like some of the gimmicky things, even if I rarely use them. With the root ability to freeze things I don't use, I could definitely see keeping this thing "stock" for this device's lifetime.
PS: It's also nice to see the "Official" status, as though I haven't violated the phone too badly...

Couldn't agree more. As you all mentioned, the security of having a custom recovery + Nandroid really opens up a lot of ground for flashing new mods and having the comfort of that fallback instead of only being able to Odin back to stock if I jack something up (which has NEVER happened or anything...lol).

@Aou I too use a Titanium Backup Pro and freeze the bloat. But I kept the Samsung Apps because it had some that you can't find on Google like the Video Editor app.
Let me remind you that the Xposed framework adds new functionality without the need to flash roms. As you can see from the screen shot I was able to mod the screen without touching the framework. Easy and reversible.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

I don't unlock and root my devices to get rid of the stock interface (Touchwiz, Sense etc) i simply do it for a better rom with tweaks that makes it faster and battery life better..
and when i finally get sick of my stock interface ill flash a AOSP rom
i know some people disagree but i think the stock rom on this phone is laggy.. even after disabling S Voice and Smart stay/Air view

Wierd I couldn't add the image.

There we go lol
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

ZPaul2Fresh8 said:
Yes I love Cyanogen and it would be nice to have a recovery but what about all the great things from TouchWiz.
If Dan does have an unlock and does release it then yes I probably will unlock but I don't think I can part from TouchWiz. Yet...
Since I bought my wife an S4 also we use S-Beam for sharing pictures of the kids a LOT! That brings me to my next point, the camera is ridiculously good. I don't need to mention how handy the multi-window is...
Will probably run modified stock Roms. Comments?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dunno if anyone else pointed this out to you yet, but even without s beam, non touchwiz phones still all have Android Beam (you know.. the concept S Beam was based off of?)
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app

BlastTyrantKM said:
Air gestures? Please....I'm an adult, how often are my fingers too filthy to touch my phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
O you must be working in an extra clean environment. I know I don't. My hands get dirty often and these air gestures work for me.
Aside from that, what I am looking forward to is being able to have a pattern unlock And lock screen widgets at the same time. Unless Samsung releases an update for that.

Already a thread on this a few threads away

Conversion i9505 to i9505G - Discussion/Rant

I'm not smart enough to do it myself.. however, I am still amazed that no one has been able to work out how to convert an i9505 into a i9505G. I know the partition layout is different, and I also know that there are ported 4.3 GE roms available.. BUT all of that aside.. has Samsung won the war here?
Which leads me to a separate subject.. but.. their knox efuse.. while it hasn't been long.. it looks like they have won there as well.
In any case.. I'm more interested in the conversion to i9505G. Does anyone know more than I do about the status or possibility of ever being able to convert a i9505 to a i9505G?

Well.. This is not as easy as you may think.
Need someone who has both I9505 and I9505G. Also need special connection to I9505 like JTAG to get direct access to flash. Then using JTAG try to dump whole flash from I9505G and upload it to I9505. And then depend on success and whole result, procedure can be simplified.
But JTAG is required at experiment stage if you are not so rich who can afford to buy tens (if not hundred) I9505 while experimenting

A full conversion (think about bootloader,radio) is not possible.
Samsung secured the bootloader very agressively .

Aerys said:
A full conversion (think about bootloader,radio) is not possible.
Samsung secured the bootloader very agressively .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's why i've mentioned JTAG. Google JTAG if you wanna know what is that.

Aerys said:
A full conversion (think about bootloader,radio) is not possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
People said a reset of the flash counter was not possible.. @Chainfire was able to take care of that just fine..
I doubt it's impossible.. but I wonder how many people have even tried, or if there are even more than a handful of people with the skills needed to make this happen.

xyzulu said:
People said a reset of the flash counter was not possible.. @Chainfire was able to take care of that just fine..
I doubt it's impossible.. but I wonder how many people have even tried, or if there are even more than a handful of people with the skills needed to make this happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried everything except for jtag + bootloader exploit. Even hardbricked my S4 1 time.

Aerys said:
I tried everything except for jtag + bootloader exploit. Even hardbricked my S4 1 time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats very sad to hear, would this mean we will never have a full ported/working edition of google on our phones? shall I sell my phone and move to a nexus? or simply buy the original i9505G?

Noorish said:
Thats very sad to hear, would this mean we will never have a full ported/working edition of google on our phones? shall I sell my phone and move to a nexus? or simply buy the original i9505G?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I sold my AT&T SGH-I337 GS4 and got an I-9505G. Best decision I ever made.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

oldblue910 said:
I sold my AT&T SGH-I337 GS4 and got an I-9505G. Best decision I ever made.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why? Now you cant ever run TW roms now... But on the SGH 1337 you can run both roms

Easton999GS said:
Why? Now you cant ever run TW roms now... But on the SGH 1337 you can run both roms
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't care less about running ROMs. I unlocked the bootloader but otherwise I leave my devices stock and unrooted. I know how to root and install ROMs but once I knew how, my curiosity was satisfied.
Honestly, I have had Nexus devices my entire Android life. I decided to branch out and try a GS4 with Touchwiz. I really liked my I337, so much in fact, that I also ended up purchasing a Galaxy Note 8.0 as well. There are definitely things in Touchwiz that I'd love to see Google add to the stock user experience. I'm referring to things like air view and having separate wallpapers for the home and lock screens. Alas, though, when you've used stock Android as much as I have, it's hard to use anything else.
The only thing I truly miss about Touchwiz is the camera app. The camera was simply amazing. The other things that are important to me, namely the IR blaster and the S-View cover functionality, both work flawlessly on the I9505G.
Sent from my Galaxy S4 GT-I9505G using Tapatalk 4

What i dislike most in stock Android is halo theme. It's really ugly. Micro check-boxes. Ugly seek-bars. Alert dialogs are too flat and sketchy. Halo theme looks more like concept than theme for daily usage.
TouchWiz theme was odd originally in time of SGS2, but it was getting better and better. On SGS4 it's nearly perfect. May be some elements like ViewPager and title bar need to reworks somehow. But overall it's way better theme than Halo. Also, there are many useful addons in TW ROM like quick settings panel, nice looking lock screen with quick launch shortcuts on the bottom, and other small tweaks making TW ROM much more useful than naked Android. And it's easier to remove unneeded apps/services/tweaks from TW ROM than add them into naked Android.
I would think about I9505G over I9505 only as device with bigger user storage running custom TW ROM, but it looks like not much success here.
From other side, you can buy 32GB version of I9505 and don't think about 16GB-only I9505G.
But hey, there are SHV-E330 and GT-I9506 already

sorg said:
What i dislike most in stock Android is halo theme. It's really ugly. Micro check-boxes. Ugly seek-bars. Alert dialogs are too flat and sketchy. Halo theme looks more like concept than theme for daily usage.
TouchWiz theme was odd originally in time of SGS2, but it was getting better and better. On SGS4 it's nearly perfect. May be some elements like ViewPager and title bar need to reworks somehow. But overall it's way better theme than Halo. Also, there are many useful addons in TW ROM like quick settings panel, nice looking lock screen with quick launch shortcuts on the bottom, and other small tweaks making TW ROM much more useful than naked Android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You mean Holo I believe. That's why I use stock Android. TW with its different colors, big buttons that are not even separated from others and mixed styles in applications is really crazy and a pain to use. For people that like to use a phone without distractions it's a plain and simple fail.
Nice to have options as we're all not the same, you keep your TW phone, I will keep my stock Android one.
sorg said:
And it's easier to remove unneeded apps/services/tweaks from TW ROM than add them into naked Android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was taking you seriously until I read this. You think that removing system applications is easier than going to Google Play and download one? Yeah, sure!

jcasares said:
I was taking you seriously until I read this. You think that removing system applications is easier than going to Google Play and download one? Yeah, sure!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah.. It looks like your are really serious talking about replace TW features by 3rd party apps
Which app can replace lockscreen? None. It's impossible by android design. Only can mask some app as lockscreen which is completely different.
Having quick settings panel in on-going notification area? Phh..
If you think, it's not serious, then hold on and think first. May be other person, who is talking about this, knows something you don't know.
I'm not even talking about how serious people who are buying non-Nexus device and then whining about CM/AOSP in half of topics.

sorg said:
Yeah.. It looks like your are really serious talking about replace TW features by 3rd party apps
Which app can replace lockscreen? None. It's impossible by android design. Only can mask some app as lockscreen which is completely different.
Having quick settings panel in on-going notification area? Phh..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're considering rooting a device to freeze/remove system applications. I was talking about simply adding applications to a stock Android from Google Play. I fail to see the former being easier.
And here the "impossible":
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teslacoilsw.widgetlocker&hl=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.j4velin.notificationToggle&hl=en
In any case what you might consider essential I might consider a waste of resources.
That was the point of my post. That's why Android is a success.
And if you don't like to read people talking about changing non-Google devices you might be better off XDA.
XDA Developers was founded for developers by developers. It is now a valuable resource for people who want to make the most of their mobile devices, from customizing the look and feel to adding new functionality.

jcasares said:
You're considering rooting a device to freeze/remove system applications. I was talking about simply adding applications to a stock Android from Google Play. I fail to see the former being easier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are able to create custom ROM then removing unneeded apps (and even editing framework to cleanup from some useless features) is much easier than add absent functionality.
I suppose, we are on XDA, i.e. developer's forum right? If you are talking from regular user point of view who usually don't know what is "root", then it's out of scope of this board. Just buy Nexus device and then you are set.
jcasares said:
And here the "impossible":
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.teslacoilsw.widgetlocker&hl=en
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.j4velin.notificationToggle&hl=en
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've told you already: there is no way to truly replace lockscreen by any other application. Lockscreen is a part of framework, not APK. I'm using android devices not the first year, and believe me, i've tried these apps long long time ago. These apps mimic lockscreen using some security holes in OS, but they are not replacing lockscreen. Actually, device remains unlocked all the time. Also there are many bugs and glitches because such apps trying to suppress original lockscreen with different kinds of success/fail.
As for modifying device: there are many ways to modify and it's not exactly by installing CM/AOSP. You can check my topics to see that i'm not just user.
XDA has been created long time before CM/AOSP and believe me there are many other good ways to modify the device. CM/AOSP have their own dedicated forums and repositories which should suit your needs better than XDA (if you want to compete in pointing directions to others).
P.S.: look into I9505G forum to see how users begging to add samsung's standard camera app which doesn't work on non-TW ROM.
Suggest them to install some app from Google play
The same can tell about video player and amount of video and audio codecs integrated into TW ROM. On TW ROM i can use nearly any music player and able to playback almost any audio and video. On GE ROM you have to find special audio player having support of some specific format, and then try to get used to its bugs without choice to switch to another player. With video player it's even worse...
Also, CM/AOSP usually don't have tight integration when it comes to Hardware 3D acceleration. Some selected devices (usually Nexus and GE devices) have good 3D support, but only some.
The truth is: Some people wanna to install CM/AOSP and then they realize they miss many useful (usually not noticeable when it presents) features. That's why custom TW ROMs are present and have a lot or users.

sorg said:
The truth is: Some people wanna to install CM/AOSP and then they realize they miss many useful (usually not noticeable when it presents) features. That's why custom TW ROMs are present and have a lot or users.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never denied that TW based ROMs have value for some people, just that as well stock Android is much more attractive for others. If not we wouldn't be discussing this and you wouldn't see the kind of activity we see in this forum.
And I still disagree on the "easier" issue but I fail to see any benefit in continuing the discussion.

got a weird question... where's the am/pm display on the 12 hour clock for the i9505G rom that i installed? hmm...

spilksch said:
got a weird question... where's the am/pm display on the 12 hour clock for the i9505G rom that i installed? hmm...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look at the window?

So this really isn't going anywhere?
HTC One has just been fully converted into the GPe.
I was really hoping there was some kind of solution for this conversion
Anyway, thanks for all the hard work guys!
Enviado do meu iPad usando o Tapatalk

andreqm said:
So this really isn't going anywhere?
HTC One has just been fully converted into the GPe.
I was really hoping there was some kind of solution for this conversion
Anyway, thanks for all the hard work guys!
Enviado do meu iPad usando o Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why would you need to ? You have CM/TW/GE to choose from when using the i9505 partition layout. Took us a couple of hours to get KitKat after the GE got it (broodplank delivered AOSP 4.4 even earlier).