Several questions about the Droid Ultra - Droid Ultra Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Is this the same phone as the Motorola Droid Maxx?
If it is, then can it be rooted?
Can someone clarify for me about the situation with the bootloader? I'm seeing threads talking about an unlocked bootloader? Is this new? Does this apply to non-developer editions? Which versions does it work with?
None of the above has been made clear in any of the previous threads.

1. Essentially, they are the same, except for the Maxx has bigger battery (and some older Maxx have bigger storage space).
2. Root is possible for devices with 4.4.2 or older version, I think. Newer 4.4.4 can only be partially rooted (write protectionn is still on).
3. Unlocking can be done on certain sw versions with sunshine app. Download it, install it and it will check if your phone can be unlocked. If yes, it will cost you $25 (well worth it). If you can unlock bootloader, you can root it by flashing supersu. Sunshine does not work currenty on phones with 4.4.4.

I have the Maxx and my wife has the Ultra. They are pretty much the same noting the differences nagim posted - be aware that bigger battery in the Maxx does equal a slightly thicker device but not a huge difference. The Ultra also does not include QI charging ability. Additionally, if you want to use magnets to enable dock modes, the Ultra only has Car Mode, but the Maxx and have Car and Desk/Nightstand mode as well (just reverse the magnet to switch which one is enabled). Both are solid devices, but I would lean towards the Maxx for the substantially better battery and full feature set even if you don't anticipate wanting all of the features.

Related

[Q] Differences between AT&T G3 and LG's normal G3

I got a G3 two days ago and I keep reading reviews to see what I don't know about my device yet. It's quite feature packed, after all. One thing I saw in a review was mention of "smart bulletin," which I don't have on my phone or in the Home Screen page of the settings menu. There is also no brightness slider in the notification shade.
Aside from all the AT&T bloatware, are there any other important differences between our G3 and, say, the international version? I'm just wondering if, in the future, I'm going to want to root and put on a non-AT&T based ROM to get the full experience.
Oh, and while I'm at it, the AT&T version didn't come with headphones. If you were on a budget (like I am) and you wanted a "matching" set of headphones for your phone (like I do), what would you get? Preferably something with a button I can use to pause/skip the music I'm listening to when need be.
the smart bulletin from what I can gather is just another screen that displays LG health data and tips to use the phone. I don't need either so it doesn't bother me.
one difference hardware wise is that our version does not support qi wireless charging, only pma. which currently severely limits your options if you're interested in this.
as far as headphones I don't use them very often either so can't help you there unfortunately.
the bootloader is locked so really your only options are root and xposed framework, so you can tweak that way until either LG provides a way to unlock the boot loader or a workaround can be found a la safestrap or equivalent.
None of the US versions come with headphones it seems. I had lots of pairs laying around, so I haven't needed to buy a pair specifically for the G3.
As already noted, the biggest difference between the AT&T version and all the other versions is that Qi wireless charging will NOT work on the AT&T version. This means that if you want to have wireless charging, you must buy the official AT&T Powermat Circle case which has a Powermat charging coil in it. None of the other wireless charging cases will work because they all have Qi charging coils. Don't get fooled even if the seller claims their Qi case works with the AT&T variant (LG-D850). Most sellers don't actually know that the AT&T version is different.
diehardbattery said:
the smart bulletin from what I can gather is just another screen that displays LG health data and tips to use the phone. I don't need either so it doesn't bother me.
one difference hardware wise is that our version does not support qi wireless charging, only pma. which currently severely limits your options if you're interested in this.
as far as headphones I don't use them very often either so can't help you there unfortunately.
the bootloader is locked so really your only options are root and xposed framework, so you can tweak that way until either LG provides a way to unlock the boot loader or a workaround can be found a la safestrap or equivalent.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the smart bulletin is actually a drop down menu that's in the stock clock widget that comes with the phone, its kinda neat but i changed it cause i don't need the info that it displays.
bolillo said:
the smart bulletin is actually a drop down menu that's in the stock clock widget that comes with the phone, its kinda neat but i changed it cause i don't need the info that it displays.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, no that is called Smart Notice. But on non AT&T phones it does integrate with Smart Bulletin. The AT&T version does have the option of displaying the LG Health part of it, but for some reason, not the tips. So, you get half of Smart Bulletin? Smart Bulletin is pretty much what I said it was for non AT&T phones. See this video for reference.
http://youtu.be/rh3ytGTBPNg
diehardbattery said:
Actually, no that is called Smart Notice. But on non AT&T phones it does integrate with Smart Bulletin. The AT&T version does have the option of displaying the LG Health part of it, but for some reason, not the tips. So, you get half of Smart Bulletin? Smart Bulletin is pretty much what I said it was for non AT&T phones. See this video for reference.
http://youtu.be/rh3ytGTBPNg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oooo now i see well i didn't use the lg health stuff cause that lagged the ui a lot so i said nope so i didn't even get to check that out, thanks for the vid
Sent from my LG-D850 using XDA Free mobile app

Prospective new s3 user here - root, tethering, ROM on 4.4.2?

I'm currently on a Moto x (2013), coming from a Galaxy Nexus. I switched because I needed a faster phone, and the GN hardware is just too dated. The moto x seemed perfect, until I found out I can't tether, root, or unlock the bootloader to save my life.
That being said, I'm in the market for a Verizon S3, which will likely already have 4.4.2 installed. My main concern is root access and native hotspot tethering (unlimited data). The following are what I have found thus far:
1) root: http://www.andromods.com/root-unlock/sch-i535-vzw-galaxy-s3-kitkat-rooted-nc1-ota.html
2) tethering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxBRrsucdLo <---- the guy who created the vid doesn't have VZN, so was hoping someone here can verify if that works.
3) bootloader: I found nothing on unlocking a VZN bootloader, but this is the least of my concerns
4) ROM: http://forum.xda-developers.com/gal...nt/rom-superliterom-v1-0-i535vrudne1-t2805797
My assumption was always that an unlocked bootloader was necessary to flash ROMs through custom recoveries. I'm unfamiliar with safestrap, but I'm all in for a bit of reading and enlightening.
Again, I don't necessarily need a custom ROM or bootloader. My main concerns are still tethering (main priority) and root access (second priority)
Thanks all, and I definitely appreciate any help at all!
rice923 said:
I'm currently on a Moto x (2013), coming from a Galaxy Nexus. I switched because I needed a faster phone, and the GN hardware is just too dated. The moto x seemed perfect, until I found out I can't tether, root, or unlock the bootloader to save my life.
That being said, I'm in the market for a Verizon S3, which will likely already have 4.4.2 installed. My main concern is root access and native hotspot tethering (unlimited data). The following are what I have found thus far:
1) root: http://www.andromods.com/root-unlock/sch-i535-vzw-galaxy-s3-kitkat-rooted-nc1-ota.html
2) tethering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxBRrsucdLo <---- the guy who created the vid doesn't have VZN, so was hoping someone here can verify if that works.
3) bootloader: I found nothing on unlocking a VZN bootloader, but this is the least of my concerns
4) ROM: http://forum.xda-developers.com/gal...nt/rom-superliterom-v1-0-i535vrudne1-t2805797
My assumption was always that an unlocked bootloader was necessary to flash ROMs through custom recoveries. I'm unfamiliar with safestrap, but I'm all in for a bit of reading and enlightening.
Again, I don't necessarily need a custom ROM or bootloader. My main concerns are still tethering (main priority) and root access (second priority)
Thanks all, and I definitely appreciate any help at all!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Root is still possible. Tethering *USED* to work on stock by using the FoxFi app. I haven't tested it in quite some time though. There's a limit for the free version, use it for testing though.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA Free mobile app
I actually made the jump already. Sending this from my s3, boot loader unlocked, twrp, and running cm11.
Thoroughly enjoying this! Tether is flawless too
rice923 said:
I actually made the jump already. Sending this from my s3, boot loader unlocked, twrp, and running cm11.
Thoroughly enjoying this! Tether is flawless too
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do tell how. Especially if you did start with a Verizon galaxy s3 sgh-i535 that was not rooted and was running on stock Verizon Android 4.4.2
To clarify, I bought it set up this way. I knew clearly well that I wouldn't be able to get any of this with stock 4.4.2.
On the other hand though, the camera won't focus correctly when taking pics, and the charging is ridiculously slow. My only two complaints
rice923 said:
To clarify, I bought it set up this way. I knew clearly well that I wouldn't be able to get any of this with stock 4.4.2.
On the other hand though, the camera won't focus correctly when taking pics, and the charging is ridiculously slow. My only two complaints
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey Rice,
I'm still on the GNex, but my wife just offered up her old GS3. It's still on 4.1.2 unlocked, rooted. I'm working on bringing it up to speed...still reading....
P.S. Is there no kernel fast charge option?
Rushead said:
Hey Rice,
I'm still on the GNex, but my wife just offered up her old GS3. It's still on 4.1.2 unlocked, rooted. I'm working on bringing it up to speed...still reading....
P.S. Is there no kernel fast charge option?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I remember seeing you around MWs FML thread! 5.0 is looking decent over there, so I'm very happy for them.
If you get the chance, I'd definitely recommend CM11. It make me feel like I'm running a nexus device again, except significantly faster than the gnex with a better camera.
Regarding the charging speed, I don't think it's a kernel issue. With the phone plugged in, I keep getting notifications that it's being disconnectedAnd reconnected spontaneously. I've done some reading and and it seems there is a bit of oxidation or hardware issue within the charging port. The port also requires soldering of the mother board to change. I've resorted to ordering some qi chargers[emoji106]
As for the camera, this seems to be an old issue of cm11. I flashed a camera fix zip, but to no avail. The focus issue seems to be problematic only at macro distances though. I can't find a fix besides touching to focus prior to taking macro shots
Rushead said:
Hey Rice,
I'm still on the GNex, but my wife just offered up her old GS3. It's still on 4.1.2 unlocked, rooted. I'm working on bringing it up to speed...still reading....
P.S. Is there no kernel fast charge option?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With 4.4.2 if that's what your referring to you can't change the kernel like those of us who are unlocked
From my CM11 S3
ShapesBlue said:
With 4.4.2 if that's what your referring to you can't change the kernel like those of us who are unlocked
From my CM11 S3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it's 4.1.2 I put her on Andy bonestock years ago and never touched it again.
Rushead said:
No, it's 4.1.2 I put her on Andy bonestock years ago and never touched it again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then yes there are several kernel options for fast charge. I know of lean kernel and ktoonsez off hand that are
From my CM11 S3
Don't want to start a new thread even though the title is irrelevant at this point, but was hoping someone could chime in regarding the camera auto focus issue. The camera focuses beautifully when I touch the screen, or when I allow it to autofocus. When I proceed to take the pic, it will try to focus again and take the pic right as it's completely blurry. This happens on both the stock CM11 camera and google camera.
I tried to flash the zip mentioned here http://forum.cyanogenmod.org/topic/85493-camera-wont-focus-cm11/ and nothing has improved.
Does anyone have any insight about this? These symptoms are identical to what many have mentioned in the thread above, so this is certainly not an isolated incident. Thoughts or input?
Who reads titles anyway?
I flashed Slim, and messed around with the camera a little, but I had wifi issues and am in the process of flashing cm11 11-09.
On Slim, the camera seemed to work fine. I took some "macro-esque" shots of text that came out pretty good (at least as good as the GNex, if not better).
I'll let you know how it fares with cm11...
So far, camera FCs on hitting the "No Thanks" button for location reporting.
OK, Camera is now functional (probably didn't wait long enough for the phone to settle on initial setup). The quality is mediocre. I'm still messing with it and will report back.
switching phones, want to keep/root the old Galaxy s3 as a lab/toy
Have an old Verizon Galaxy S3. Just got a new TMo Sony Xperia Z3 (which I am liking so far).
Will soon disconnect my Verizon service. Would like to root the S3 and use it wifi only as a experiment/toy thing, since there's no trade in value (cracked screen).
Possible? Cyanogenmod recommended?
I'm a total n00b at all this, and would steer totally clear of it for my main driver. But since I don't really NEED this phone anymore, thought this would be a safe way to dip my toes in. If I brick it in the process, no great loss.
Any advice or links would be much appreciated. Definitely want it to keep working as a wifi device and not brick once I cancel my Verizon service. Would be cool to be able to play with some of the fringier apps that require root. Those are my only requirements. Camera, cell service, etc all unnecessary. But do need wifi and don't want to create a big vulnerability to the rest of my home wifi network from this device once I'm done.
Thanks again!
evbb, depending on your current OS version, you might be able to root. If you are on the most current official OS, then you will likely just be staying with that.
Rushead, any update on how CM11 11-09 is going? If everything looks stable, I think I'll make the jump to that build.
Update about my charging times: The phone seems to charge at a normal rate if I use a 12V car charger made by Griffin (item does not specify amperage). I don't believe amperage has antying to do with my situation, as I've been yielding miserably slow charge times with the Nexus 7 (2.1 amp) charger. The phone is also very picky with cables. I've used 4 different AC adapters so far in different combinations with 4 different USB cables. I don't know what to think of my charging situation anymore...
When my wife had the phone it was extremely loose as far as cables went. I could use virtually any cable whereas my GNex is super picky.
I haven't had much time to mess with the camera yet. I'm using it as a WiFi device, too, so I can't comment on data, signal, etc. But so far it seems pretty stable. The battery drain is excessive imo. On standby for most of the day, battery was dead by 10pm. That's factory kernel.
For those looking for a decent tethering app there's one on sale, free on the Amazon app store. Easy Tether is the name of the app. It's free 11/14 & 11/15
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=amb_lin...d_t=101&pf_rd_p=1973721462&pf_rd_i=2350149011
From my CM11 S3
rice923 said:
I've used 4 different AC adapters so far in different combinations with 4 different USB cables. I don't know what to think of my charging situation anymore...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should try a very specific type of cable. The problem is the fact that you use a data cable at all. What I use is an aftermarket universal USB cable and it has the detachable tip for other phones. What this does is force the phone in "Charging (AC)" mode no matter what charger you use. Attached are 2 pictures to help identify exactly the kind of cable to solve your issue. I can charge my 7000 mah battery attached to my phone in 5 - 6 hours. A 2100 ah battery should be 1 - 2 hours with this.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA Free mobile app
Some chargers identify as a USB hub rather than an AC adapter, and others do not. This is why on some chargers, it still charges slow. If ever the phone thinks it is on USB, it will not allow more than 650mah to pass through the cable. So even if you had a 10amp charger, it would not use that much if it identified as a hub.
Using the cable I mentioned removes the ability for any charger to send the identifier info to the phone. Reason? You are missing the data+/- cables that data is transmitted through. Only the +/-5v wires remain.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using XDA Free mobile app
But why would the phone have a constant disconnection and reconnection while being plugged in? That's the part that confuses me.
Regardless, I just received my qi charge in the mail! It's been pretty nice so far! I'm happy to answer any questions about it if anyone is interested
Rushead, wanted to give you a heads-up about the latest CM11 build I used. I clean flashed 11-15 and everything was great except for the camera, which consistently gave me a "cannot connect to camera" error. Otherwise, it seemed like a great build with some great options. I gave up and clean flashed 01-15. Camera is all great except for the autofocus issue mentioned before. GPS lock is great, and battery life is loads better than my GNex days.
Regarding my qi chargers, I am pulling a net positive charge of 315mA on my house charger (Nexus 7 2.1amp AC adapter). This is with the phone turned on, connected to Wi-Fi, screen off, and doing nothing.
My car qi charger is doing about the same. I ran the GPS with screen on (auto brightness) and the charger only charged the phone 3% in 2 hours with screen on and GPS running the whole time. I might switch the DC socket to the included one to see if I get better results.

What's the best rooted user experience for a G930V?

Hi everyone,
I have a Verizon S7 flat (G930V). I bought it sometime mid-2016 and it's rooted with the eng kernel on 6.0.1. The baseband is G930VVRU4API3. The bootloader is locked and obviously that's very limiting.
I really enjoy the added functionality that comes rooting, but sometimes the phone hangs randomly and becomes unresponsive seemingly for no reason. I was wondering if there's a better experience to be had by updating to 7.0+, preferably with root.
What are my options now in Q4 of 2017? What's the deal with the "U" firmware? Is there a non-eng way of rooting or any one that doesn't bog down the phone so much, or is non-rooted the only way to go? Can I go from where I am now to where I want to be without wiping my phone, or is that needed/recommended?
Sorry for all the questions. For my past Android devices this info was pretty cut and dry, but it's hard figuring out what's the latest or more well received methods for this device. I love the phone, but going forward I don't think I'll choose Samsung if I want any sort of freedom (basically stuck with Verizon US, though).
Thank you for any direction you might be able to provide me.
I tried rooting with eng.boot kernel on my 930U but didn't like it - too much lag, very noticeable. And battery life was also worse, so I returned to stock.
I guess Verizon debloated hybrid ROM (or something like that can't remember exactly) would be good variant for you to go if you decide upgrading to nougat. I personally tried it hoping I would get 6 hrs SOT but got only very small positive difference in terms of battery life - "android system" is always on top positions in battery stats.

What is a good hackable phone for using Frida?

I'm currently trying to get a rooted phone capable of installing Frida to use for reverse engineering.
I tried to root my spare phone (an SM-G925A) but it has a locked bootloader. So, I'm thinking about buying a phone specifically for this purpose.
Can anyone recommend me a model of phone that meets the following criteria:
Cheap
Low memory is OK (will not need to store any music, pictures, videos)
System-less root is possible (unlocked bootloader)
Supports most proprietary apps (rule of thumb: android 5.0+)
battery doesn't matter
screen doesn't matter
carrier doesn't matter, will only be used on wi-fi
thanks

In us but allways got exnos version cause I require root but hated the lack of carrier aggravation. Now seems snapdragon is root able. Whitch to get

Just wanted to find some opinions on what to get basically it's been awhile since I was on her and my note ten is having the cold battery can't charge issue so Im looking what to replace it with and need root and loved the functionality of a fully unlocked bootloader but I missed the great speeds of a US phone since I'm in the US so wonder what I shoud do?
Too cold, won't charge?
You think it's a mobo failure on the 10+?
I've never seen that warning. Use something like DevChek to view all the sensor temperatures.
May just be a battery failure. They're good for about 2 years on a heavily used phone, my lasted 1.5 years and failed.
I'm looking at getting a second Note. My choices are another 10+ or a new 20U. It will likely be another 10+; it a solid, stable, fast phone with no glaring issues. If still running on Pie, that's a huge plus, Android 10 and especially 11 just suck. I don't have high hopes for 12.
So if it's the battery or C port PCB*, just replace and wait for the 2022 Note release.
From what I've read the Snapdragon has a better chipset architecture and instruction set.
They seem to be notoriously hard to root. Probably not a good choice for rooting.
I know you can optimize a stock 10+/Pie, not sure how well that will go with Android 10 and above. Some of the functionality isn't there for valuable 3rd party apps like Karma Firewall's logging feature. You can still use Package Disabler or ADB edits to kill the bloatware though.
On newer high dollar phones is many ways rooting is a liability especially with warranty/insurance and you lose Knox, Samsung Pass etc if you use that junk. There are those especially on this forum that swear by it but won't acknowledge their cost in time (which can be and typically is huge) and inconvenience.
Stock Androids/roms are easier to troubleshoot and more secure. If there are issues with a stock setup there will be thousands or more with the same issue making solutions more likely and easier to find. With a custom setup you are on your own which can quickly implode into a time sucking blackhole in more ways than there are stars.
If I was going to root it be an older Note... not a brand new one... risk/time vs reward.
*the C port PCB may have a temperature sensor, not sure. It can cause a lot of bizarre issues in seemingly unrelated systems like internet connection, I know that for a fact. Make sure if you do replace it you get the exact PN that on that PCB or it will not function properly! Both the battery and C port PCB are relatively easy to replace with the proper tools and skillset. Both are cheap, under $50. Make sure you replace the back cover OEM seal with the same or equivalent if you open it up. Do not use generic double sided adhesive tape!
And the award for Longest Post Title and Longest Run On Sentence In A XDA Post goes to...
*Nervously opens envelope*
@ressegger !!!
*Raucous applause*
ressegger said:
Just wanted to find some opinions on what to get basically it's been awhile since I was on her and my note ten is having the cold battery can't charge issue so Im looking what to replace it with and need root and loved the functionality of a fully unlocked bootloader but I missed the great speeds of a US phone since I'm in the US so wonder what I shoud do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes ,
i had this same issue of yours ,
"to cold to charge" can't charge ,
notice/issue .....many years back .
Can't remember which device of mine it was , think it was a Samsung Tablet A 2016 .
Anyway ,
Took devices to Samsung Service Centre.
It was the USB charging port .
They did not charge me much for the repairs .
Got it fixed and device charging normally / working fine afterwards.
My point is whatever you do or decide do not "throw/give "device away .
It's a small fix.....!
good luck
I am running the US snapdragon spammy 20 - ultra rooted up with boot loader unlocked thanks to afane and his advanced bros, although due to the lock down on many features such as scoped (controlled) storage preventing apps from being installed outside of the control room (googel store), did I mention notification sound got locked down too?

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