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32gb Xoom Showing 4GB Total Space

Dear Fellow Xoom Users,
I have a 32 GB, 3.1 From Factory, 3G Xoom. It is a MZ601 which was bought on a trip to Hong Kong.
It all worked fine untill I succumbed to the bug most of us have and decided to start modding, hacking and tinkering with my Xoom. There is something about the rush of possibly destroying an almost 800 Dollar tablet that cant be matched
I flased the Tiamat 2.0.1 rom and The Xoom Zone one. It all looked good and worked flawlessly. I tried messing with the stock one and creating a custom rom and kernel of my own. I am slowly getting there,I would get to a point where I messed it up, I would use fastboot to get myself back to stock ( 3.0.1 ) with files sourced from;
developer.motorola.com/xoomsoftware
I used the international ROM software, as I didnt know which version of the MZ601 I had coming from Hong Kong. The files posted on motorola funny enough take me to 3.0.1 rather than the stock 3.1 I had out of the box, but a few minutes later, 3.1 comes OTA.
I was checking the 'About Tablet' and noticed something weird with my tablet, it is showing 4GB total space, a little odd for a 32GB tablet no?? (See Pic)
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
What do you guys think...am I just high again and seeing the wrong thing or do you know what the problem is?? When I first got the tablet I loaded about 20GB worth of books, music and videos on it....so i DO REMEMBER it having 32GB!!!
Regards,
Joshua

something wrong. my is 28.32GB, maybe flash wrong?

mhz1000a said:
something wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well you are not wrong there, something is DEFINATELY wrong!! I have probably written something to its memory causing it to now show only 4GB but I was just wondering if anyone would know what.how why etc saving me the time from exploring the issue in hours of Ubuntu terminal command line!!

Maybe old clockwork recovery file and it backed up the whole system image? Make sure u have the latest recovery installed
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App

vlx600d said:
Maybe old clockwork recovery file and it backed up the whole system image? Make sure u have the latest recovery installed
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate your reply!!
Yes I do have the latest CWM Recovery from THIS THREAD so I assume that it is the optimal one to use.
Also, something to note, the above image is from STOCK. To get back to stock, instructions were followed from, developer.motorola.com/xoomsoftware.
4GB is Hilarous, and not matter what I flash, full stock, xoom zone, Tiamat....they all show the EXACT same about screen indicating I have 4GB....
Silly Tablet...

Aeren said:
Dear Fellow Xoom Users,
I have a 32 GB, 3.1 From Factory, 3G Xoom. It is a MZ601 which was bought on a trip to Hong Kong.
It all worked fine untill I succumbed to the bug most of us have and decided to start modding, hacking and tinkering with my Xoom. There is something about the rush of possibly destroying an almost 800 Dollar tablet that cant be matched
I flased the Tiamat 2.0.1 rom and The Xoom Zone one. It all looked good and worked flawlessly. I tried messing with the stock one and creating a custom rom and kernel of my own. I am slowly getting there,I would get to a point where I messed it up, I would use fastboot to get myself back to stock ( 3.0.1 ) with files sourced from;
developer.motorola.com/xoomsoftware
I used the international ROM software, as I didnt know which version of the MZ601 I had coming from Hong Kong. The files posted on motorola funny enough take me to 3.0.1 rather than the stock 3.1 I had out of the box, but a few minutes later, 3.1 comes OTA.
I was checking the 'About Tablet' and noticed something weird with my tablet, it is showing 4GB total space, a little odd for a 32GB tablet no?? (See Pic)
(img removed for quote to stay smaller ~ Cranvis)
What do you guys think...am I just high again and seeing the wrong thing or do you know what the problem is?? When I first got the tablet I loaded about 20GB worth of books, music and videos on it....so i DO REMEMBER it having 32GB!!!
Regards,
Joshua
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You said that you bought this on a trip to Hong Kong. Did you buy it IN Hong Kong or in a store that you can return the device to?
I noticed that you said in your post that you bought if from the factory... But Where?
Reasons I ask --
If bought in Hong Kong, you might have gotten a knock off version of the Xoom.
If bought down the street at a store you can go back to, I would say reflash it with Stock and take it back and demand a refund, repair, or replace (the three R's heh...)
You could have also flashed the device with a bad sector that is suppose to display the size of the internal memory... Keep us up to date on this and I hope all goes well for you... just remember the 3 R's... helped me in many situations...

Bought it IN Hong Kong, from a rather reputable store. If it is a knock off, it is a really good one!! It had everything it should, right down to the stickers. Not a single bit of engrish either. It truly has me baffled, I think it was a poor write which in turn messed up a memory sector as I CLEARLY remember putting on 20 gigs of data before I started messing with custom roms. I shall persevere a tad more and see what I can find.
Sent from my MZ601 using XDA Premium App

Hey Guys - This may sound kinda funny but I have the exact same problem. When i got the tab, it showed the whole 32GB, but after tinkering with it, and after using Tiamat's rom (no blame game here), it shows exactly 4.11GB and the startup screen is gone from a breathing "M" logo to a custom hexagon flash...
HELP!.. Is ther anyway, I can re-partition the internal storage thru fastboot?

EXACTLY my problemmo my man!!! Good to know I am not the only one.
Sent from my MZ601 using XDA Premium App

I wonder if you are going to need to completely re-flash everything to stock, meaning that you would need to wipe everything off the internal SDD. Or maybe the rom was slightly corrupted though download? I would suggest looking into maybe going and seeing how to wipe the full SDD and reformat, partition, and start with a clean Stock Rom? That is the only way that I can see this getting fixed unfortunately... you might have had a weird switch where the OS is on the 28gbs that is free and the 4gbs that are for the OS to be stored as is the internal... (is this even possible?! I have had some weird stuff happen with computers where i have made a 1tb look like a 2 gig hdd... but I'm just saying... it is a possibility and maybe a point in the right direction?)
I would also like to note to Aeren, I was not meaning to say that you did buy a knockoff, I just now there are some out there of many of the tablets... so it was a thought process and I was just playing devils advocate on what could be the troubles... and wanted to make sure it wasn't

Right.. and how would one go about doing that? - i.e., wiping the SDD (truly).. I mean its not like we can plug it into windows and startup partition magic. There has to be a way to actually wipe the entire internal storage and bring it back to factory.
At this point i'd like to say - HELP!..

I, obviously, am curious as to whether I can reformat/partition the internal SSD of my Xoom. I have looked for it in Disk Manager and GParted on Ubuntu to no luck,I am guessing it is hidden for a reason.
I was wondering if anyone had any sort of advice, short of returning it , as to how I may access the 'drive' inside of the xoom so I could partition/format it/look at it/investigate/LOSE MY MIND!!
I guess we could just get a rather large microSD to compensate. :S

Aeren said:
I, obviously, am curious as to whether I can reformat/partition the internal SSD of my Xoom. I have looked for it in Disk Manager and GParted on Ubuntu to no luck,I am guessing it is hidden for a reason.
I was wondering if anyone had any sort of advice, short of returning it , as to how I may access the 'drive' inside of the xoom so I could partition/format it/look at it/investigate/LOSE MY MIND!!
I guess we could just get a rather large microSD to compensate. :S
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will look into this when i get back to my computer... but I am not quite sure... you might be able to do something by looking up how people have formatted their iphones and put android on them, or partitioned the ssd to be allowed to place a dual boot and multiboot os on the system. there have also been people that have placed ubuntu on the rooted systems to run in the back ground allowing people to do a 12.0.0.1 vnc into the os. Looking at all these and seeing how they were able to create these is worth a shot. Another way that could be able to help it move along, is maybe get a terminal emulator and run commands through it and see if there is a way to activate certain command lines... but a novice (not saying you are, just warning is all) should not try this because you can easily brick your tablet...
Also speaking of which... maybe looking at how bricking tablets are fixed might help too? I am sorry taht I can't help any more then suggest at this current moment, I am not at home with my computer to be able to look at links quickly... hurraay mobile browsers haha....
I hope I pointed you into a good direction, I will check back as soon as I can! Good luck!

Hi,
I've exactly the same problem!.
Bought an MZ601 last monday in HK at a big chain with different stores. As the build installed has no spanish language neither spanish keyboard input, I downloaded and fastbooted the EU version from Motorola developers zone.
There is a glitch when flashing userdata.img. The tablet says image file si bigger that partition, so it cannot load it.
Finally, everything seems to be ok, except the memory (in my case is 4,11 Gb!).
I spent lot of time doing different tests and trying with diferent versions. Allways the same result.
My guess is that those two things shall be related (did you experienced also trouble when flashing userdata.img?). As the tablet I bought was brand installed allready in 3.1 and I'm flashing 3.0, maybe partitions have been already shrinked and the old file does not fit.
Anyway, I will keep in contact and hope to find a fix.
Regards

ritter_xoom said:
Hi,
I've exactly the same problem!.
Bought an MZ601 last monday in HK at a big chain with different stores. As the build installed has no spanish language neither spanish keyboard input, I downloaded and fastbooted the EU version from Motorola developers zone.
There is a glitch when flashing userdata.img. The tablet says image file si bigger that partition, so it cannot load it.
Finally, everything seems to be ok, except the memory (in my case is 4,11 Gb!).
I spent lot of time doing different tests and trying with diferent versions. Allways the same result.
My guess is that those two things shall be related (did you experienced also trouble when flashing userdata.img?). As the tablet I bought was brand installed allready in 3.1 and I'm flashing 3.0, maybe partitions have been already shrinked and the old file does not fit.
Anyway, I will keep in contact and hope to find a fix.
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds pretty much EXACTLY what happened to me. Also same thing happened to another user in this thread after flashing Tiamat. I am also not playing a blame game, but I would like to suggest that there is possibly something unique with our HK xooms?? Mine was sourced direct from a genuine Motorola source, so I know its not a case of fakes but maybe the Chinese/hk xoom is different in some way....damn communism. Could there maybe be differences in algorithms, encryption etc due to their restrictiveness in china??
I am using SSH and investigating other methods of getting into the 'drive' so will keep updated,.
Sent from my MZ601 using XDA Premium App

I don't think this problem deals with encryption or so.
As far as I remember, the stock HK version (build H.6.1-17-CN-40) had more features that the actual 3.1 OTA updated. Specially I connected an USB pen and it directly readed it!.
So, what I think is that Moto just released a more avanced version in HK. As it is factory loaded directly in 3.1, probably the size of mtdblock5 has been adjusted to fit with this new release and that's the reason because it cannot load userdata from the downloadable 3.0's from the moto site. I'm not slilled in android but surely this userdata has information used by the system to map memory or to handle storage.
So, I will continue to look for an image that fits, or looking the way to adjust the partition sizes.
Hope a lote we can find a fix for this. I hope this exactli 28 Gb!

ritter_xoom said:
I don't think this problem deals with encryption or so.
As far as I remember, the stock HK version (build H.6.1-17-CN-40) had more features that the actual 3.1 OTA updated. Specially I connected an USB pen and it directly readed it!.
So, what I think is that Moto just released a more avanced version in HK. As it is factory loaded directly in 3.1, probably the size of mtdblock5 has been adjusted to fit with this new release and that's the reason because it cannot load userdata from the downloadable 3.0's from the moto site. I'm not slilled in android but surely this userdata has information used by the system to map memory or to handle storage.
So, I will continue to look for an image that fits, or looking the way to adjust the partition sizes.
Hope a lote we can find a fix for this. I hope this exactli 28 Gb!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you could be right!! It also seems out HK/CN xooms are the only ones without an image on the dev motor site, :-( I am trying to find stock images for our xooms to se if that was the issue....seems as though we had the same thought.
Sent from my MZ601 using XDA Premium App

Right, so nothing?

Right ladies, its is true I got mine from the Motowprd in HK now i'm in Kuwait and been mucking about with the xoom. Anyway, turns out you "can" mount the darn thing in buntu and win7 but whats the point?, it still shows 4.11 GB.
So unless we get a tool command line or not, to partition the drive and format it in the right filesystem, we are - how do i put it?....****ED!

The same problem
I met the same problem. There's something wrong with HK-version MZ601. After rooted , internal memory became 4.2G instead of 28G.

[ROM] Hyundai A7 - first custom rom! POST#6

ok, so i just got this in the mail today (110 bucks on ebay) and i like and i dont like.
i have a rooted nextbook premium 7 (thanks dochoppy!) and i love the np7 for the price. someone steered me toward the A7 and i was feeling a bit rich that night so i bought it. the specs are amazing! i particularly like the front facing camera so this can be used for skype and the speed should be awesome as well, but im not feeling it.
if there is anyone who has this tablet post here so we can encourage some development, im slowly starting to learn some myself but i am in need of lots of help! come on guys lets root this puppy and see what its made of!

wow posted this three weeks ago and no comment?
i guess no one on xda has one of these
well ive been busy with some other projects and just now had some more time to play with this new android toy.
turns out it IS rooted right out of the box, strange but awesome no work needed here!
had lots of issues trying to install the market initially tried lots of .apks and only a few would download when i would open the market it would just force close or would time out.
when i installed any ics gmail i would get the constant fc "android.core...." forget the rest but i remember having this issue on a phone a while back when i removed somethings necessary for android to run properly.
did some research found the manufactures website (if you go here be sure to have google translate ready )
found others having similar problems. turns out just downgrading the firmware fixes much of these issues. go back to 4.0.3 (20120203) and market (play) works flawless!!!!
just needed to download the correct contacts.apk to fix the "android.core..."
now i need to change the buildprop to allow more apps from the market.
also need to find some way to fix this kernel (more like find someone to do it for me ) when i open set cpu all is grand - as soon as i attempt to overclock bam! screen black and everything frozen - hard reset fixes this
root explorer is not finding my sdcard (thinks the nandflash is sd) so im using the file explorer that came with it. not sure if it has r/w option but i think if i need some minor adjustments root explorer can work and rom toolbox appears ok.
anyhow just wanted to post some updates and as soon as i get some more time i will add more detail here. oh and post links if needed too!

still no one....
well im starting to like this tablet more and more, and ics!
i thought i bricked it earlier when i was trying to overclock again (need a new kernel!)
i flashed the 20120203 firmware update again and nothing! tried three or four times and i kept getting stuck at the initial boot/splash screen!
went to the manufactures website and this time there was a new update, and this one had the market preinstalled!
http://www.hyundai-digital.cn/download/?lis=2&cl=2&cid=7
its the 20120329 dated but the build is 20120314 --- so there must be a few weeks of testing before they release to the public, a good thing i assume.
anyway this version seems much better but there still NEEDS to be a custom rom for this tablet! there is so much potential here but linpack only clocks at like 15.5 mflops, neocore scores 63.2 fps (looks good though!) antutu gets 3074
being that this seems hard to brick im going to attempt some tweaks, not a true custom rom but hopefully something better than stock.
if anyone has one of these and has issues with flashing the newest firmware just ask and ill be glad to help!

Picked one up as well. I am told by finless that I should follow the development of the Polaroid tabs (same SoC). Tabletrepublic and Flashmyandroid have dedicated forums with good info for the Hyundai A7. I'm downloading the 314 build right now....
I just received my HDMI adapter yesterday. Watched a Blu-Ray ripped file from the A7 on my 52". WOW!
Update: New ROM fixed errors, but the camera still won't work with supplied software (so no Skype). Netflix plays longer but still eventually freezes (about 10 min).
Update: Re-formatted and re-flashed. Camera works reliably! Skype video works!

ok here is the first custom rom for the hyundai a7! let me just say it isnt too much just the latest firmware minus all the chinese stuff. has full market, superuser and busybox are installed and working and full gapps applied and working strong! ive tested it for about a day now and havent found any flaws but would like a few more to try it.
i take no credit here!!!! this is made by steev a developer over @ flashmyandroid, this is based off his elvish rom for allwinner tablets. so give him a hand!
this is the first step into making your a7 the best tablet for the price around! so test this rom out and see how it works, let me know if there are any improvements/changes you want to see here! here ya go!
http://minus.com/mMQ8obWfa/1f

were to start ?
hi there . i should be getting my Hyundai A7 Tablet in a day or so. and haven’t found much info out there other then the spec.
just joined this site as I’m getting the feeling that it would be able to do what i want out the box.
in the past i have put a dual boot system on my old iriver and also messed about with a psp to play Amiga games .. but from looking around on this web page, everything seems t be way over my head . and haven’t found the link for "Hyundai A7 for dummies" any were .
basically i love my htc desire, and would like the tablet to do much of the same.
browse the net, down load programs off the Google site, and properly will end up doing minor editing on spread sheets and also downloading bit torrents.
and if posoble run some old amiga games
I’m guessing i need to do an update or something to get it to be able to access the Google downloads.
but do i need anything else .
i know that I’m properly way way behind on my tec or playing with operating systems . and properly will never understand all of what opening up an operating system can do,
but do i need to ?
and if so .. where should i start?
as i say .. struggling to find a basic / dummy guide to all this
any help would be most welcome

When you get your a7 play with it for a day and then come back if you decide you want more. I can post details on how to flash the only custom rom for these beast so far. Trutfully as improved it is over the stock os we need a lot more work to make this little tablet fly. If you need help ill post the links and instructions when I'm @ a computer
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium

HELP, TUTORIAL: hyundai a7 custom rom flashing
first of all i want to thanks for the custom rom for the a7 "beast"
if it is possible, please let me know how to flash the a7.
i am basicly on mac, but i have also windows.
are there any mac based android utility ? except video converters any sw is welcomed
Thnx

first get live suit 1.07 here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?idmeiyvr8xbt6rd
then get custom rom here:
http://minus.com/mMQ8obWfa/1f
now make sure you are powered down on the tablet (fully) and not plugged into computer
open live suit (on a pc there may be a mac version havent looked into it)
sometimes a "backup warning" window open , hit no and then move on
next hit the square button in the left corner (looks like cardboard box)
from here direct the file to you custom rom (elvish)
now plug in your a7 to computer, if it automatically powers on shut it back down
take a small pin or whathaveyou to the little hole to the left of hdmi port this is the "update" button
hold down the "update" button as you power on and you will see a window pop up on your computer
click yes to reformat (i always do but you could hit no and it will still update without reformatting)
wait a short time (~2min) untill the progress bar finishes.
tablet will auto reboot when done
yeah! new firmware! your done!
EDIT: here is a video i found for flashing a polaroid tablet with livesuit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL5KnVH6inQ&feature=youtu.be
similar device so i thought it could be helpful to some

bigger battery?
so for i fun i decided to open this tablet up here are a few pics of the inside
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
turns out only one speaker granted it only looked like two from the outside but i did assume there was stereo
with help from finlessbob i was able to determine this is a lithium-polymer battery (lipo)
the dimensions of the current battery are width:2.625" , length:3.2" , height:.2"
it is two batteries strung together so a third battery inline would be optimal. slice this in half and i need:
w-1.3", l-3.2", h-.2"
this approximate of course and could probably get away with large still.
im going to check online and local hobby/battery shops and see if i can find something for under $30
if anyone has something they think might work let me know and ill take a look

just received my Hyundai A7 about 2 weeks ago - I too am more and more impressed with this tablet every time I use it (using Evish ROM). It simply can't be beat for $100 - ICS runs great on it...
My son has since taken owenership of it, but I was thinking of geting another one, just to play with....
If anyone is "on the fence" about whether or not to get one, do it!!
By the way, the plastic film on the front is not meant to be permenant - just a protective sheet. It is a PIA to remove, but I would remove it for sure....

speaker crackle
someone turned me on to a post in german, dont really know who to thank for this
but anyone else her that crack! on the speaker when just navigating?
dont know why i didnt notice this before but directly above the speaker sits the wifi antenna, dumb design that causes interference.
quick fix is to take the speaker and turn it 180 so the wires are facing the other way, then put a small pieces of something in between the speaker and antenna. (they used a utility knife blade) sounds like wifi reception improves too!
anyhow about to try this myself - ill report back with my findings as well as any other tips i find.
original poster ---- http://www.android-hilfe.de/sonstig...ablet-fuer-unter-100-euro-12.html#post2961152

Any word on a WPA_supplicant for Ad-Hoc for this device?

Tybalt39 said:
Any word on a WPA_supplicant for Ad-Hoc for this device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ad-hoc is working fine on mine (I install Elvish custom ROM though).
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk 2

jtrosky said:
Ad-hoc is working fine on mine (I install Elvish custom ROM though).
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NOW I will flash. Thank you!!
Edit: Ad-Hoc working great! Now I can retire my Nextbook.

Hey fellas! Would you happen to know if there is any custom ROM for the A7HD model? I would like to spend the extra $30, to get a Higher res Screen and the other small tweaks

AllAboutAndroids said:
Hey fellas! Would you happen to know if there is any custom ROM for the A7HD model? I would like to spend the extra $30, to get a Higher res Screen and the other small tweaks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've ordered the A7HD and might get it by 15th of May. I really am eager to try this tablet as I think that it will be very competitive in the Market. No custom Roms have been released for this one yet but I think developers can tweak in the Elvish changing the display driver and resolution to fit the A7HD

a few people have been asking how to stop the speaker noise (click!) so i posted an explanation and a link a few pages back. but like i promised i finally got around to take a few pictures of the modification
you can see i moved the speaker 180 so the wires are on the left. i then cut a small piece of plastic (seen someone use a utility knife blade so use whatever you think will work) and placed it above the speaker. this will keep the speaker from interfering with the wifi.
also when you have your tablet opened (its easy just pry around the edges) take a look at the connections, these are terribly soldered. especially look at the usb port there have been some people complaining it broke from the board.
mine seems ok but it may be better to add a little solder now before it were to break off completely if yours looks poor
as for the bigger battery, i havent found a good replacement yet (havent looked hard either i mostly use my NP7) but when i do i will update
and does anyone know if i were to replace this camera with a better one (5mp maybe) would i need to change the software too? i assume there may just be a little bit tweaking the code but it would be nice for this camera is so easy to take out and there seem to e many i could attempt to replace it with, well if anyone has an idea on this let me know

A bought two batteries for galaxy note (not original) on ebay. Their capacity is 2600 mAh for one. Waiting for them. I want to connect them parallelly, and get one battery with about 5000 mAh capacity. Everything must fit.

What are the dimensions?
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium

How many of you are trying/persevering without root?

So for the first time in my Android life (which is now about 6 years), I am trying to persevere without root. Two reasons... Samsung are of course now refusing warranties for rooted devices.... something which I've previously hammered Apple for doing on their iPhone 3G. How the tables have turned eh? Samsung have almost become everything I hated about Apple.
Other reason, I want to see how much Android Pay enhances (or perhaps not) my life. We'll see whether it's worth keeping in a few weeks. Samsung Pay isn't available in the UK, but I'm not convinced it'll bring much to the party, Android Pay has worked everywhere I've tried so far......
So what lovely features have I lost by being unrooted. #
- Well, losing FolderMount is pissing me off a tad. I like all my WhatsApp junk to be automatically saved on my SD. Instead, I have to copy it periodically via Solid Explorer, a bit time consuming. I think I will also miss the fact I cannot run certain software from the SD card. Pain.
- I've lost the ability to tweak and noodle around with kernel settings etc, although perhaps I'm not missing much as I doubt there's much I would change so far. This phone doesn't seem to get hot and it's running fast enough that I don't think any tweaks to internal SDs etc are needed.
.....
Other than that I don't think I'm really missing it at all. Yeah, I would have liked a circle instead of a bloody bar for my battery and stuff, but grand scheme of things, I'm still able to customize the device loads (hence I'm running Now Launcher) and get it how I want it.
We'll see in a few weeks whether I'm still dancing the same tune, but so far, I'm holding on

To root or to not root is the question I have often!
I miss my lucky patch
I miss the hotspot mod
I moss clearing my bloatware rather than hiding it.
I miss a lot
Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

I'm with you on this one Skezza, I was/am mainly holding out for Samsung Pay as I like the integration into the lockscreen so as to avoid having to unlock the phone first. I am in Spain and even though some Banks accept it, mine so far has not :/
Features I am missing from rooting?
Viper4Android!!! Would love to up the sound quality as currently headphone jack output is pretty useless. Using PowerAMP which helps some but its nothing jaw dropping.
Wifi tethering with VPN as I was able to do previously through the app "Wifi Tether Router".
Aside from that, as you say, there is not much else that I would tweak as the phone runs just fine without any performance modding. I would like to edit some visuals here and there such as toggles and battery icon but I can live with the stock look too so no biggie.
Glad to hear that I am not the only one with this dilemma! haha

I have been using root for a while, but have reverted to stock for Android Pay and other non-root features.
I find myself tinkering with the OS less and less as time goes by. I have a bose stereo which makes up for the 'poor' standard output and most of the rooted tweaks I used were cosmetic. There are solutions to most things out there that don't involve root these days too.

I got mine Wednesday at 1pm, was rooted with a custom rom by half past
I'm not worried about the whole custom rom = warranty void issue, i dare them to not replace my phone for a hardware issue i really do, it was the same with the z2, unlock the bootloader = warranty void yet i had mine replaced by Sony 3 times due to hardware issues with no problem. I expect Samsung to do the same, a hardware issue is a hardware issue irrelevant of software
I am using SupermanRom with Magisk currently, Android Pay works for me, FolderMount however does not so i might try out one of the other roms when i have time/ can be bothered

My S7 Edge is my first Android device that I don't feel the need to root and I have had quite a few. I'm satisfied with the performance the way it is. The only thing I miss is Titanium Backup and no bloat ROMs. I really like Samsung Pay and I'm using it more and more often. Also my understanding is that if you have a hardware issue not related to rooting, they cannot deny your warranty.
Sent from my SM-T800 using XDA-Developers mobile app

SomethingCool said:
To root or to not root is the question I have often!
I miss my lucky patch
I miss the hotspot mod
I moss clearing my bloatware rather than hiding it.
I miss a lot
Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have to be careful mentioning LP, although I do miss that too. Not for nefarious reasons either. LP had a great feature in-which it could detach Amazon apps from the Amazon appstore.... I refuse to use the Amazon appstore, but it has apps that Play doesn't
What's the hotspot mod? Surely they've not blocked hotspots on your phone. I thought those days were long gone.
As for bloatware, I've not actually cleared bloatware since the days of the S1, so not sure if I miss that at all.... yet :fingers-crossed:
pp085ster said:
I'm with you on this one Skezza, I was/am mainly holding out for Samsung Pay as I like the integration into the lockscreen so as to avoid having to unlock the phone first. I am in Spain and even though some Banks accept it, mine so far has not :/
Features I am missing from rooting?
Viper4Android!!! Would love to up the sound quality as currently headphone jack output is pretty useless. Using PowerAMP which helps some but its nothing jaw dropping.
Wifi tethering with VPN as I was able to do previously through the app "Wifi Tether Router".
Aside from that, as you say, there is not much else that I would tweak as the phone runs just fine without any performance modding. I would like to edit some visuals here and there such as toggles and battery icon but I can live with the stock look too so no biggie.
Glad to hear that I am not the only one with this dilemma! haha
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is a genuine dilemma for me too haha and many others I guess. The first thing I felt when I got the phone was not "oooooh wow yay, I've got a new phone" it was "****, do I root it or not", and about an hour of thinking whether I should or shouldn't.
Hopefully your bank will get it soon. NFC debit/credit cards are still convenient of course, it's just nice to know that say I walked out the house to get some shopping and whoops, I forgot my wallet, that I could still pay with my phone. I don't know how Samsung Pay works yet, I'll check it out. For Android Pay you have to hold your finger on the scanner then hold the phone to the NFC device.
Funny you mention Viper, I never used it on my S4 (which I ran custom ROMs on from day one). That said, the sound quality was unimpressive. I often listen to music on my phone though.
WiFi Tethering with VPN, very specific feature I guess. I assume there's no unrooted way of doing that then?
NJ72 said:
I have been using root for a while, but have reverted to stock for Android Pay and other non-root features.
I find myself tinkering with the OS less and less as time goes by. I have a bose stereo which makes up for the 'poor' standard output and most of the rooted tweaks I used were cosmetic. There are solutions to most things out there that don't involve root these days too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that's my feeling too. I wanted to see how root was actually helping me, and actually, I've found that perhaps I didn't require root as much as I actually believed. I do remember on the S4 having to hack the telephony file to unlock certain settings for my network operator, but for some reason, they're already unlocked with the S7 Edge so I can simply edit them from the settings menu. There are other things I might have used root for, but in reality, it was merely a convenience as opposed to a requirement. I'm doing alright without it Touch wood. Fingers crossed haha.
Mr.R™ said:
I got mine Wednesday at 1pm, was rooted with a custom rom by half past
I'm not worried about the whole custom rom = warranty void issue, i dare them to not replace my phone for a hardware issue i really do, it was the same with the z2, unlock the bootloader = warranty void yet i had mine replaced by Sony 3 times due to hardware issues with no problem. I expect Samsung to do the same, a hardware issue is a hardware issue irrelevant of software
I am using SupermanRom with Magisk currently, Android Pay works for me, FolderMount however does not so i might try out one of the other roms when i have time/ can be bothered
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahhh haha, fair do man. I was like that with my S4, but I noted before rooting that the S4 had a 8/10 repair-ability rating on iFixit. The Edge is just 3/10. Even replacing the USB port is a horrid task, so the need for that warranty is a bit more apparent. Your problem is that Samsung have written it into their T&C's. Root your phone, they can reject warranty claims. Whether they do is a different matter. HTC were very willing to fix my girlfriends phone, despite the fact it was rooted and had the bootloader unlocked. So it does seem to be on a company by company basis. I don't know how Samsung handle warranty claims when a Knox flag has been triggered.
It's an interesting topic of debate though.

Eddie Hicks said:
My S7 Edge is my first Android device that I don't feel the need to root and I have had quite a few. I'm satisfied with the performance the way it is. The only thing I miss is Titanium Backup and no bloat ROMs. I really like Samsung Pay and I'm using it more and more often. Also my understanding is that if you have a hardware issue not related to rooting, they cannot deny your warranty.
Sent from my SM-T800 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Two interesting points. I also missed TB but I've actually realized many of the features I used TB for were actually completely achievable via an unrooted app or two. A good example, I used to use TB to carry my SMS messages from one phone to another. I've done this for years and have SMS going back as far as 2011. Originally, TB was the only way you could do it, as the tools around that time (like Sprite backup) were utter crap.
I used SMS Backup and Restore, free from the Play Store. Within a few seconds, it had transferred 4600 messages perfectly. No need for TB.

This is the first device I've ever owned that I've not rooted, which seems incredible given my track history! Having come from the HTC Hero to the Sensation to multiples of Galaxys S2/S3/S4/S6, the Notes 3 and 4, the Nexus 6P and now the S7 Edge.
The S7 Edge is the only one I've never rooted, simply because I didn't need to with 4GB of RAM.
The lag I am experiencing is of my own making (thousands of images and 4K videos).
Even though I'd like the latest in ROM innovation from the frankly fantastic developers here on XDA, I also want to be part of the power-users who don't root and get their OTA updates.
It's oddly pleasing.
Just my two cents.
I couldn't care less about Samsung/Android Pay, it personally holds no interest for me, but that's just me.

I'm w/o root on my s7 edge, and I don't miss the rooting days even a bit.
I don't use nfc payment, and frankly speaking, Samsung cloud is top notch for backup purpose. Also, touchwiz never bothered me. Rather, I liked it over Nexus interface due to its functionality.
---------- Post added at 03:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:16 PM ----------
skezza said:
Have to be careful mentioning LP, although I do miss that too. Not for nefarious reasons either. LP had a great feature in-which it could detach Amazon apps from the Amazon appstore.... I refuse to use the Amazon appstore, but it has apps that Play doesn't
What's the hotspot mod? Surely they've not blocked hotspots on your phone. I thought those days were long gone.
As for bloatware, I've not actually cleared bloatware since the days of the S1, so not sure if I miss that at all.... yet :fingers-crossed:
It is a genuine dilemma for me too haha and many others I guess. The first thing I felt when I got the phone was not "oooooh wow yay, I've got a new phone" it was "****, do I root it or not", and about an hour of thinking whether I should or shouldn't.
Hopefully your bank will get it soon. NFC debit/credit cards are still convenient of course, it's just nice to know that say I walked out the house to get some shopping and whoops, I forgot my wallet, that I could still pay with my phone. I don't know how Samsung Pay works yet, I'll check it out. For Android Pay you have to hold your finger on the scanner then hold the phone to the NFC device.
Funny you mention Viper, I never used it on my S4 (which I ran custom ROMs on from day one). That said, the sound quality was unimpressive. I often listen to music on my phone though.
WiFi Tethering with VPN, very specific feature I guess. I assume there's no unrooted way of doing that then?
I think that's my feeling too. I wanted to see how root was actually helping me, and actually, I've found that perhaps I didn't require root as much as I actually believed. I do remember on the S4 having to hack the telephony file to unlock certain settings for my network operator, but for some reason, they're already unlocked with the S7 Edge so I can simply edit them from the settings menu. There are other things I might have used root for, but in reality, it was merely a convenience as opposed to a requirement. I'm doing alright without it Touch wood. Fingers crossed haha.
Ahhh haha, fair do man. I was like that with my S4, but I noted before rooting that the S4 had a 8/10 repair-ability rating on iFixit. The Edge is just 3/10. Even replacing the USB port is a horrid task, so the need for that warranty is a bit more apparent. Your problem is that Samsung have written it into their T&C's. Root your phone, they can reject warranty claims. Whether they do is a different matter. HTC were very willing to fix my girlfriends phone, despite the fact it was rooted and had the bootloader unlocked. So it does seem to be on a company by company basis. I don't know how Samsung handle warranty claims when a Knox flag has been triggered.
It's an interesting topic of debate though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had rooted my s4. Bricked the phone due to my own fault. Samsung replaced the motherboard in warranty.
P.S.- I told them I was updating the phone via Kies and it suddenly stopped working.

skezza said:
Two interesting points. I also missed TB but I've actually realized many of the features I used TB for were actually completely achievable via an unrooted app or two.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have found some non-root apps that kind of does some of the things that Titanium backup does. Like Package Disabler that can freeze apps you don't need but can't delete. So I'm getting use to not rooting. I like just using the phone and not spending so much time and energy screwing around with ROM's and recoveries and constantly flashing this and that.

I rooted my S7 edge because of Pokemon - yeah Im here for the blames.
and I do regret it often, my s7 edge was working absolutely great without the need of rooting.
Yeah, I do hate bloat apps that I have to hide instead of remove but I could live with that, and also the performance even with those bloat just hiding is still top north.
Now Im officially out from using Samsung Pay..which is a huge letdown.

For audio, just use poweramp beta with direct hardware output enabled.
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Good day.
I am too trying to not root.
After recently softbricked my phone, with knox tripped, and had to send to Samsung for repairs (fortunately, Samsung repaired it without charging anything).
Miss Titanium backup, lucky patcher, xposed for greenify and mass storage enabler.
Right now i really wanted to go back to ACP8 firmware, but i don't want to lose all the data from my apps and games.

Hansoliv said:
Good day.
I am too trying to not root.
After recently softbricked my phone, with knox tripped, and had to send to Samsung for repairs (fortunately, Samsung repaired it without charging anything).
Miss Titanium backup, lucky patcher, xposed for greenify and mass storage enabler.
Right now i really wanted to go back to ACP8 firmware, but i don't want to lose all the data from my apps and games.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So perhaps Samsung are less ruthless than I thought?

skezza said:
So perhaps Samsung are less ruthless than I thought?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It really depends on your location how Samsung's service partner or Samsung is going to handle your warranty claim.

got my s7 edge yesterday ... and haven't rooted it yet..usually all my mobiles are rooted within an hour of getting it
planning to be un-rooted for a while..lets see how long i can resist the temptation

I can't live without root, so my S7E is rooted and the flag tripped, and has been since about a week after I purchased it in March. I've had numerous Samsung devices and generally they've been pretty resilient, hopefully that continues.
However, saying that, Samsung's deliberate decision to effectively refuse warranty repairs if a phone is rooted (as these days it's virtually impossible to root these things without tripping Knox) means this is definitely my last Samsung phone.

I'm using this as my work phone as well, so I have Airwatch installed. I'm trying not to root so that I don't have to mess with Root Cloak or be afraid of the possibility that Airwatch will have an update in the future which breaks the root cloak apps.
So far, I miss:
1) Adaway - tried the non-root option where it opens a VPN connection to block ads, I found it slowed down my internet too much to use it 24/7.
2) Moving apps and their obbs to SD - having only 24+gb, have to be picky on how many games I have installed or I'll run out of space very soon.
3) TiBu - Helium is a good alternative, just don't like that I have to connect it to my PC before Helium will start
4) Ability to power off/reboot the phone via an app. I have visions of wearing down the power button too much.

Excellent suggestion, thanks!

[Q] i535 shipped with s968 firmware?? 3 Q?s, Any input Appreciated

Hi Folks ~
I bought a brand new (still in wrapper from china) GS3 from pageplus about 3 weeks ago. The unit itself, shows s968 in the "Device info" however it came packaged labeled i535 ... ?? (the attached screenshot is device info) This is wrapper:
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Should have known if it was $39 retail price, there would be problems.
Presently I have a marginally functional telephone, that MIGHT be repairable by loading the "Right OS and Drivers" (firmware) ...
The "Phone" barely recieves calls, often drops them, incoming callers frequently asking "Are you still there?" This indicates problems with either the HARDWARE radio/antenna, or the FIRMWARE (drivers / OS) for said radio. So, for 2 weeks I've been combing through everything on XDA about "Verizon GS3" ... And have become utterly confused. There are other problems with the "OS" as well, such as it scrambles imported contacts -- to name only one.
QUESTION #1
Is this a carrier problem (pageplus, now owned by Tracfone) a firmware problem -- (Kernel Ver.
3.0.30-1564380-user [email protected], Build No. JZO54K.S6968CUDUANH2) Or a HARDWARE problem (I have read many many complaints about GS3 cdma reception)
No, I haven't done anything to my phone. Presently dont even know if this is firmware repairable, or if I should replace it with (Yet ANOTHER) phone.
Question #2
Experienced users have said the i535 and s968 are using the exact same motherboard and radios, hard ware etc? So, what are the differences between these two "Model designations"?
My understanding is unclear here. From computer building experience, when you have an identical hardware configuration (same combination of components) the unit's are essentialy EQUAL. How does this translate to Android Phones (or the GS3, at least)??
What I presently understand, the i535 and s968 are "Something Like" Equal Computer one running Arch Linux, the other running Ubuntu ? There will be differences in the Kernel, etc... But one can easily wipe the Computer and put Windows on it (ewww!) if need be...
I do understand there is something odd in the GS3 hardware that is "Designed to Self Destruct" and can Perma-Brick an S3 -- if the wrong code (Knox and Friends?) is run through the hardware. At best, all I "Get" is there's some kind of EPROM chip in there that fries? And "Knox" is simply a Malware designed to "Cook That Chip"? Or, was that "Destructable Component" intentionally designed that way?
That's not a trivial question, if the chip/component within the phone is DESIGNED to Brick it, this is a "Security Bonus" ... Very damn hard for a snoop to recover data from a brick! My "opinion" is that KNOX is a malware, there is no such "Self Destruct" hardware... Based on the fact there exists no .APK or APP that could activate "Self Destruct" in the event of theft... MONEY COULD BE MADE with such software, and this hasn't been done.. only reason I have that opinion...
I have read a lot about certain "Baseband" might improve reception --- the basebands are ALL for the i535, my phone is s968. Furthermore, it looks like certain basebands like only some flavors of kernel and firmware...
QUESTION #3
IF rooting and proper firmware might improve these phones (I got 2, my son also has one) I would be grateful if anyone can provide the links for the posts which apply ---- There is an encyclopaedia of info here, but some of it dates back to 2012 and does not apply... I am fairly certain I will need root first, and will have to use Windows ...
If I am succesful in making TELEPHONES out of these "Tin Can on String" toys, I will post my results / process ... at $39 there have gotta be lots of these units out there
ANY input will be appreciated.
THANKS
VW

virginwidow said:
Hi Folks ~
I bought a brand new (still in wrapper from china) GS3 from pageplus about 3 weeks ago. The unit itself, shows s968 in the "Device info" however it came packaged labeled i535 ... ?? (the attached screenshot is device info) This is wrapper:
Should have known if it was $39 retail price, there would be problems.
Presently I have a marginally functional telephone, that MIGHT be repairable by loading the "Right OS and Drivers" (firmware) ...
The "Phone" barely recieves calls, often drops them, incoming callers frequently asking "Are you still there?" This indicates problems with either the HARDWARE radio/antenna, or the FIRMWARE (drivers / OS) for said radio. So, for 2 weeks I've been combing through everything on XDA about "Verizon GS3" ... And have become utterly confused. There are other problems with the "OS" as well, such as it scrambles imported contacts -- to name only one.
QUESTION #1
Is this a carrier problem (pageplus, now owned by Tracfone) a firmware problem -- (Kernel Ver.
3.0.30-1564380-user [email protected], Build No. JZO54K.S6968CUDUANH2) Or a HARDWARE problem (I have read many many complaints about GS3 cdma reception)
No, I haven't done anything to my phone. Presently dont even know if this is firmware repairable, or if I should replace it with (Yet ANOTHER) phone.
Question #2
Experienced users have said the i535 and s968 are using the exact same motherboard and radios, hard ware etc? So, what are the differences between these two "Model designations"?
My understanding is unclear here. From computer building experience, when you have an identical hardware configuration (same combination of components) the unit's are essentialy EQUAL. How does this translate to Android Phones (or the GS3, at least)??
What I presently understand, the i535 and s968 are "Something Like" Equal Computer one running Arch Linux, the other running Ubuntu ? There will be differences in the Kernel, etc... But one can easily wipe the Computer and put Windows on it (ewww!) if need be...
I do understand there is something odd in the GS3 hardware that is "Designed to Self Destruct" and can Perma-Brick an S3 -- if the wrong code (Knox and Friends?) is run through the hardware. At best, all I "Get" is there's some kind of EPROM chip in there that fries? And "Knox" is simply a Malware designed to "Cook That Chip"? Or, was that "Destructable Component" intentionally designed that way?
That's not a trivial question, if the chip/component within the phone is DESIGNED to Brick it, this is a "Security Bonus" ... Very damn hard for a snoop to recover data from a brick! My "opinion" is that KNOX is a malware, there is no such "Self Destruct" hardware... Based on the fact there exists no .APK or APP that could activate "Self Destruct" in the event of theft... MONEY COULD BE MADE with such software, and this hasn't been done.. only reason I have that opinion...
I have read a lot about certain "Baseband" might improve reception --- the basebands are ALL for the i535, my phone is s968. Furthermore, it looks like certain basebands like only some flavors of kernel and firmware...
QUESTION #3
IF rooting and proper firmware might improve these phones (I got 2, my son also has one) I would be grateful if anyone can provide the links for the posts which apply ---- There is an encyclopaedia of info here, but some of it dates back to 2012 and does not apply... I am fairly certain I will need root first, and will have to use Windows ...
If I am succesful in making TELEPHONES out of these "Tin Can on String" toys, I will post my results / process ... at $39 there have gotta be lots of these units out there
ANY input will be appreciated.
THANKS
VW
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First, to truly identify whether the device is I535 or S968C, pull the battery and it will have the true model number on the sticker behind the battery.
If it says I535 but has S968C firmware Then that might be the problem because the modem.img(radio) is different between the two. If it's i535, you need i535 firmware just so that the modem is correct. Don't try to use the I535 modem with the S968C firmware, that will brick the device. Use complete i535 firmware or complete S968C firmware, don't mix elements of one with elements from the other.
Answer #1- it's a carrier issue AND potential a modem difference.
Answer #2 - don't compare PC to android, they are not the same I'm any way and don't use the same rules, same hardware or not. In a general sense android devices with same hardware are somewhat cross compatible in certain elements of firmware but not completely they all have slight differences in stock bootloader, modem and kernel that change the whole ball game.
They have cross compatible system.img but the rest is completely different. There are the very rare few devices with same hardware that can cross flash stock firmware with no issue but 99% of the time it bricks devices.
The major difference between i535 and S968C as far as hardware is that one is 4G(i535) and the other is 3G(S968C has 4G disabled at the hardware level, not software)
The software differences are bootloader, modem and kernel.
The self Destruct chip you mention is called qfuse, it fries the motherboard when software is used that doesn't have the right signature and you can't alter the signature either. Your example of Arch Linux and Ubuntu is not an accurate concept because virtually any PC can use Arch Linux or Ubuntu, this not the case with android. Qfuse can't be defeated either, many, many, many very experienced developers have tried, all they get is a permanent brick.
The way it works is, when the wrong firmware is booted, it fails signature checks and then trips Knox which in turn trips qfuse which fries the motherboard. No way around it so give up on that thought. Yes, it was intentionally designed that way. Knox is not Malware, Samsung put it there from the factory for security reasons. There are apps and softwares that can be used to brick devices but none that do it via Knox, Knox is tripped by attempting to load the wrong firmware at boot (before you get to system where an app can take effect), it's controlled by the bootloader. When it comes to i535, the bootloader is the REAL obstacle, i535 with 4.3 or higher have permanently locked bootloaders that can't be altered or downgraded, in fact, even if you attempt to flash a i535 stock firmware, it will still brick the device if the firmware is older than what is already on the device, for example, if on KK, you can't go back to Jellybean. It's all for security reasons. In the past, devices with locked bootloader could be downgraded to older firmware to allow flashing custom software, the permanently locked bootloader, Knox and qfuse put a stop to all of that, that's why Samsung did it in the first place, they got tired of replacing devices that had been bricked. Yes, basebands and bootloader only want to work with what they are specifically looking for and nothing else.
Answer #3 - custom ROM might help but no guarantees.
Sent from my SM-S903VL using Tapatalk

a novice question about Exynos?

I apologise ahead of time if this is a dumb question but I don't know the answer so I've come here to find out.
I am looking to upgrade from my very old Samsung Note 4 SM-N910V to a newer device that can be rooted. I am considering the Note 20 Ultra but I read that only the phones using the Exynos chipset can be rooted. I am in the US and use Verizon. Will a Note phone using Exynos work for me here in the States?
I love the functionality of my Note 4 and had hoped to stick with the Note line but I am open to suggestions too if anyone has an idea of a better device that performs similar to what I have (something about old dogs and new tricks comes to mind).
Thanks in advance and I apologise again if this is something I am supposed to know already

The Snapdragon variant is preferable but hard to root. I keep my N10+'s stock, use a package disabler and Karma Firewall. They run well.
Android 11 and 12 are dogs. There are still new N10+'s available running on Android 10.
Be careful buying a N20U's or N10+'s, a lot of scamming, misleading specs, etc going on.
Lol, either way brace yourself for future shock.

blackhawk said:
The Snapdragon variant is preferable but hard to root. I keep my N10+'s stock, use a package disabler and Karma Firewall. They run well.
Android 11 and 12 are dogs. There are still new N10+'s available running on Android 10.
Be careful buying a N20U's or N10+'s, a lot of scamming, misleading specs, etc going on.
Lol, either way brace yourself for future shock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. I thought about keeping it stock too. I just don't care for all the bloatware and the crappy updates that are designed to make your phone fail.
Incidentally and regarding updates, I ended up proving this to myself by accident when I bought a replacement Note 4 several years ago after my original quit fast charging after an update and quit reading the sd card. They were separate issues and the phone had one day left on its warranty so they gave me an S7. I hated it and bought another Note 4 on ebay. I started installing updates and discovered that the update after 5.1.1 caused the phone not to fast charge. I reset and tried again, same thing. After a few more attempts, I concluded the update was at fault so I rooted it with the 5.1.1 system and it's been running great since. The update at fault just happened to be released around the same time as when the next Note version was coming out. It could all just be coincidence but there was so much talk about phone companies creating updates that intentionally make your phone run like crap just to get consumers to buy new ones that I felt what I found going on with the update was just another example of the same thing (phone manufacturers deliberately causing phones to fail so consumers will buy more).
Other than replacing screens, I haven't had any problems at all with my Note 4. I would keep it forever if it wasn't for this 5g bs. They already started modifying towers near where I work and I cannot send or receive texts or calls within 3 to 4 blocks of my office. I can have full 4g service with 4 bars but as soon as I try to call someone, the service drops completely and goes to zero bars. When I try to text, I get a message saying there's no service available and the message will be sent when it becomes available. The phone works flawlessly everywhere else in my area but not there. I have complained several times to Verizon but they won't do anything but offer me more crap to buy. So upgrading is unfortunately inevitable.

fosgate3 said:
Thanks for the reply. I thought about keeping it stock too. I just don't care for all the bloatware and the crappy updates that are designed to make your phone fail.
Incidentally and regarding updates, I ended up proving this to myself by accident when I bought a replacement Note 4 several years ago after my original quit fast charging after an update and quit reading the sd card. They were separate issues and the phone had one day left on its warranty so they gave me an S7. I hated it and bought another Note 4 on ebay. I started installing updates and discovered that the update after 5.1.1 caused the phone not to fast charge. I reset and tried again, same thing. After a few more attempts, I concluded the update was at fault so I rooted it with the 5.1.1 system and it's been running great since. The update at fault just happened to be released around the same time as when the next Note version was coming out. It could all just be coincidence but there was so much talk about phone companies creating updates that intentionally make your phone run like crap just to get consumers to buy new ones that I felt what I found going on with the update was just another example of the same thing (phone manufacturers deliberately causing phones to fail so consumers will buy more).
Other than replacing screens, I haven't had any problems at all with my Note 4. I would keep it forever if it wasn't for this 5g bs. They already started modifying towers near where I work and I cannot send or receive texts or calls within 3 to 4 blocks of my office. I can have full 4g service with 4 bars but as soon as I try to call someone, the service drops completely and goes to zero bars. When I try to text, I get a message saying there's no service available and the message will be sent when it becomes available. The phone works flawlessly everywhere else in my area but not there. I have complained several times to Verizon but they won't do anything but offer me more crap to buy. So upgrading is unfortunately inevitable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's the carriers that update trash the phones. AT&T, Verizon are partnered with Samsung and actively spec the firmware. AT&T broke my S4+ with the Lollipop update. It changed the layout from line to a grid one for many system apps making it next to unusable. Yet the newer AT&T models running on Lollipop still had the line format on apps like contacts. So yeah, carriers deliberately break phones...
No root is needed especially on newer phones and may destroy features you want.
You'll want to use a a package disabler though.
You can easily block firmware updates with it.
4G LTE will be around for at least 5 years if not longer. That's not an issue. Not sure what the N4's specs are. The N10+ 4G works fine.
Check Access point names, this is the current AT&T one:
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Try a network reset on your end, clear sim toolkit data and clear the system cache.
Try creating a new profile with the current carrier access point info. Talk to the carrier advance tech support about this. Have them do a network reset on their end.

blackhawk said:
It's the carriers that update trash the phones. AT&T, Verizon are partnered with Samsung and actively spec the firmware. AT&T broke my S4+ with the Lollipop update. It changed the layout from line to a grid one for many system apps making it next to unusable. Yet the newer AT&T models running on Lollipop still had the line format on apps like contacts. So yeah, carriers deliberately break phones...
No root is needed especially on newer phones and may destroy features you want.
You'll want to use a a package disabler though.
You can easily block firmware updates with it.
4G LTE will be around for at least 5 years if not longer. That's not an issue. Not sure what the N4's specs are. The N10+ 4G works fine.
Check Access point names, this is the current AT&T one:
View attachment 5457313
Try a network reset on your end, clear sim toolkit data and clear the system cache.
Try creating a new profile with the current carrier access point info. Talk to the carrier advance tech support about this. Have them do a network reset on their end.xzc
blackhawk said:
It's the carriers that update trash the phones. AT&T, Verizon are partnered with Samsung and actively spec the firmware. AT&T broke my S4+ with the Lollipop update. It changed the layout from line to a grid one for many system apps making it next to unusable. Yet the newer AT&T models running on Lollipop still had the line format on apps like contacts. So yeah, carriers deliberately break phones...
No root is needed especially on newer phones and may destroy features you want.
You'll want to use a a package disabler though.
You can easily block firmware updates with it.
4G LTE will be around for at least 5 years if not longer. That's not an issue. Not sure what the N4's specs are. The N10+ 4G works fine.
Check Access point names, this is the current AT&T one:
View attachment 5457313
Try a network reset on your end, clear sim toolkit data and clear the system cache.
Try creating a new profile with the current carrier access point info. Talk to the carrier advance tech support about this. Have them do a network reset on their end.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On my phone, I do not have an option to reset the network--or at least not one that is easily found. When I go to Settings and then to Backup and Reset, I have an option for "Factory Data Reset" and "Reset settings". I haven't used either because I am worried I will lose root and I don't want to have to go through the trouble of re-rooting it again (I don't even know if I can find the thread I followed when I first did it years ago). I think I would lose root with the first option but I'm not sure about the second. I thought it would be under the "More Networks" option but it isn't. I can't find SIM toolkit under the Manage Applications setting so I'm not sure how to reset it.
I know I've had the phone forever and I probably should know all these details but to be honest, I never needed to do anything like this before. Everything simply worked until mid-July of this year and then suddenly, I had all the problems I described around my office (and it seems to be *only* around my office).

It's in Settings under Connections.
I'm pretty sure my S4+ running on Kitkat had it.
How it looks on the N10+ Pie:

Unfortunately, I do not have an option for Connections. Here's what I have in order as it appears when I scroll...

fosgate3 said:
Unfortunately, I do not have an option for Connections. Here's what I have in order as it appears when I scroll...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I go to Backup and reset, I have this...

Under more networks

blackhawk said:
Under more networks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I thought too but nada...

fosgate3 said:
That's what I thought too but nada...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And under Mobile networks (the next logical place)...

Try this.
Settings> General management>Reset>Reset network settings
It should be on that reset menu above the factory reset option.

I wish I could but I don't have General management settings listed anywhere.
The only option I have to reset anything is under "Backup and reset", where I am given a choice to either do a Factory Data Reset or Reset Settings. I don't know what Reset Settings will do and if it will affect root access so I've never used it.

This is all I have to choose from under Backup and reset...

fosgate3 said:
This is all I have to choose from under Backup and reset...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And when I select "Reset settings", I get this...

So I don't know where I would go to reset my network settings. I don't know why there isn't an option anywhere. As for the SIM toolkit, I don't know where to find it. I know it exists because I can see it listed in an app I use to freeze or remove unwanted programs called Chef's Freezer. But I don't know how to access it, use it, or clear the cache.

fosgate3 said:
And when I select "Reset settings", I get this...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not it.
Just booted and looked through my S4+, nothing.
Guess I'm wrong. Damn that's so painful to navigate and slow compared to my N10+, think I lost a couple IQ points just using it
I'll play with it more latter...

fosgate3 said:
So I don't know where I would go to reset my network settings. I don't know why there isn't an option anywhere. As for the SIM toolkit, I don't know where to find it. I know it exists because I can see it listed in an app I use to freeze or remove unwanted programs called Chef's Freezer. But I don't know how to access it, use it, or clear the cache.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It should show as a system app.

I found the SIM Toolkit. I was looking in the wrong place in app manager. Is it strange that the cache us empty?

And now, as of tonight, it is starting to do the same thing here at my house. When I try to text, I am getting a message stating there's no service in spite of having two bars which is enough to send a text. When I try to make a call, the bars immediately disappear and the call is stuck on "dialing" but us never made. When I hang up, the bars reappear.