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Hi all,
New to Android here. Just got a AT&T Galaxy S II Skyrocket after 4 frustrating years with iPhones.
So far I really like Android, especially that it lets you change what you don't like. I do feel that both devices are unacceptably tethered to their respective corporate landlords - and google is not necessarily better than apple in that respect - but Android lets you change that more readily. For instance myphoneexplorer lets you sync with outlook pretty flawlessly if you don't care to upload your info to google's "cloud", etc.
OK, I'm done ranting now but I do have 2 specific questions:
1. My particular SIISR does not display a visual reminder nor sounds a loud enough alarm when (a) I get a text, or (b) a calendar event comes due. It just makes a ridiculously soft noise that I miss every time I'm not standing in an empty recording studio, and even worse when I pull the phone the screen is dark so I have no idea what the feeble alarm was about. I expect the same level of alert as when I get a call, i.e. the lock screen lights up and I can read / snooze / dismiss as the case may be. This is really pretty amazing that such dirt-basic functionality is not included in the software, at the very least easily enabled in Settings. Am I really expected to turn on the phone and pull down the Notifications curtain to find out what is going on? If there is no workaround this will be a showstopper for me and I'll have no choice but to return the phone.
2. I like the idea of upgrading to a rom like cyanogen when it becomes available for the SIISR, but I am concerned about how at&t cottons up to having rooted and OS-reflashed devices on its network and what they might do about it, and more specifically what happens when updates are pushed down the pipe. What is you guys' real world experience with that?
Thank you for your feedback! I'd really like to stick with my new Android phone!
you go into setting and the sound option. click on volume and make sure it maxed out, then click notification ringtone and you can change the sound.
As for visual reminder its at the top left of the screen. Text shows an envelope and calender alert a different icon.. I use handcent for sms and it works way better than stock program.
Not sure if BLN works on the this model but try it. it will leave your softkeys lit when you have a text.
you can try different lock screens via golocker so that you dont have to unlock your phone to see what the alert was but to actually read the alert or know more than if it was a message or email or phone call you have to unlock it for security reasons as perhaps you get confidential material that not just ANYONE should see.
as for rooted and custom firmware its safe, and prevents stock updates from your provider. as android is opensource you are allowed to customize it.
As to #1, you can change the notification sound both in your email settings and in the phones settings/sounds area. As to it being a dark screen when you go to check it.. thats one of the downsides to this particular model, no notification LED.. there is an app on the android market called NoLED that will put a little picture on the black screen to make up for it. BUT I cannot vouch for whether or not it drains battery (my chief concern), just have to try it out.
#2 I've been on AT&T with a rooted/flashed phone of various models since 2008 and I've never had them notice/say anything. It does void your warranty flashing, but there are ways of getting it back to stock if you do end up needing that. At the moment on this phone I believe you can't get it *perfectly* back to stock, but just have to give the devs here time and it will be available eventually.
*NoLED is on my list of apps to check battery usage, I'll get on it and post again tomorrow
while the forums are a great resource for things, you will get answers faster if you just google (or youtube) things like 'how to change android sms sound'
jacobharasimo said:
Not sure if BLN works on the this model but try it. it will leave your softkeys lit when you have a text.
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Sounds even better than NoLED.. givin that a try too
sulpher said:
Sounds even better than NoLED.. givin that a try too
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BLN requires a kernel that supports BLN, its only a matter of time when one of these great devs on here creates one.
Handcent SMS (free in the market) has the option to have your message pop up and remain on your screen until you cancel it. Almost like the iPhone.
As what Jacob said, when you are running a rooted device, you are most likely running a custom Recovery like CWM. Its actually the custom recovery that prevents you from getting the updates Over The Air. HOWEVER, the way the devs work... those new updates will generally be available for you way before your carrier sends it to your device. So rooted or not, you're gonna wanna root it anyway cause you'll end up being one of the few who wont have ICS, or whatever.
cue_32 said:
BLN requires a kernel that supports BLN, its only a matter of time when one of these great devs on here creates one.
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Da_G supports it - look in the dev forum.
fedupey1 said:
2. I like the idea of upgrading to a rom like cyanogen when it becomes available for the SIISR, but I am concerned about how at&t cottons up to having rooted and OS-reflashed devices on its network and what they might do about it, and more specifically what happens when updates are pushed down the pipe. What is you guys' real world experience with that?
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Click to collapse
Like it was said, you won't get updates from AT&T, but why would you want AT&T updates to overwrite your Cyanogen ROM?? When you flash Cyanogen (or any ROM), you follow that ROM and reflash when updates are available. So instead of relying on AT&T for updates, you'll rely on the developer of the ROM for updates. Also, as long as you're not trying to exchange the phone or anything like that, AT&T has no right to tell you how to use your phone. Root it, flash it...throw it against the wall...it's yours. Do what you want. Now, when you try to warranty your wall smashed phone, you better hope you have a stock AT&T ROM on there if it powers up. Every time I've warrantied a phone, it's been dead, so it didn't matter. If it won't turn on, they can't tell what ROM you have, and really, most of those "techs" just want to give you a new phone and get you on your way. Personally, I've never had a problem getting a new phone.
#1 go into sms press settings in there change your SMS ringtone. If you want an iPhone SMS type of visual reminder (bubble alert) download SMS popup from the market tinker the settings to your liking.
I'll suggest every new iPhone to android user to read the phones manual or Google your questions before jumping to conclusion that android doesn't have this and that. Most likely it does. You can customize android how ever You want.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using xda premium
Has anyone had experience with the Chinese GO Launcher and the widgets that come with it? They look pretty cool, and it seems they have the functionality I'm missing.
btw I can understand the "read the manual first" comments; I did read the manual and, not unpredictably, it said nothing about functionality that doesn't exit.
Thanks for all the input so far everyone!
I recently upgraded from the iphone to the Skyrocket, and am loving it. I wasn't sure whether I was going to like it the first few days, but now when I pick up my husband's iphone it seems like a toy compared to the Skyrocket.
I just started using Go Launcher Ex two days ago. It has a lot of slick and useful features. I haven't finished exploring all of the options available, but so far I'm enjoying the themes, locker options, and SMS pro. It's easy to try Go, and you always can uninstall it if you don't like it. I did have to redo my widgets after installing it, but that was actually kind of fun with the new theme I installed.
Not a huge deal but something to keep in mind with GO launcher.. recently noticed with system panel that GO launcher drains battery excessively when the phone is idle (device on but screen off), so i switched to launcher pro which drains FAR less with the screen off. The app is nearly the same as far as functionality, with one or two exceptions that can be added by purchasing the the pro version if you really need them (resizing widgets). I decided it was worth it to use less battery.
*note, im a battery stickler.. I can't stand any extra drain
more then happy to help you out.
fedupey1 said:
Has anyone had experience with the Chinese GO Launcher and the widgets that come with it? They look pretty cool, and it seems they have the functionality I'm missing.
btw I can understand the "read the manual first" comments; I did read the manual and, not unpredictably, it said nothing about functionality that doesn't exit.
Thanks for all the input so far everyone!
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I know switching from the Iphone to Android is a big change. I was so confused for about a week. Anyways, if you want I would be happy to answer any questions you may have about your phone. I use the Go Launcher and Go SMS , I know a lot about them. Anyway just PM me if you'd like.
it has been my experience, because all returned/exchanged phones are sent out for reconditioning, att nor does the manufacturer care what OS modification has been performed on the phone. I returned my cappy at the atrix launch and asked specifically about the issue of "stock" or not, then I handed my serendipity cappy right over. Never heard back from att since and I'm still upgrading phones today without any heat. no worries.
sulpher said:
Not a huge deal but something to keep in mind with GO launcher.. recently noticed with system panel that GO launcher drains battery excessively when the phone is idle (device on but screen off), so i switched to launcher pro which drains FAR less with the screen off. The app is nearly the same as far as functionality, with one or two exceptions that can be added by purchasing the the pro version if you really need them (resizing widgets). I decided it was worth it to use less battery.
*note, im a battery stickler.. I can't stand any extra drain
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Click to collapse
Good to know, thanks for the info. I'm really happy with Go launcher, and in fact have noticed much better battery performance than I had previously with a live wallpaper. But I'll look into launcher pro if the battery performance is a problem in the future.
i can confirm that Go Launcher DRAINS battery very much.....but i still use it i like to functions.
just letting you know
I installed GO Launcher EX, it looks very cool; polished and very usable UI is a massive improvement. I recommend it. Ditto GO Dialer / contacts, a huge improvement over stock. GO calendar widget is OK but not fabulous; it looks good though with the Transparency theme. GO locker was pretty but rather useless, I uninstalled it.
Installed SMS popup, works excellent. I'm happy with it. Who knew I'd get excited over functionality that used to be standard 6 years ago.
Then for my calendar I looked for an iPhone type of visual reminder (bubble alert) that wakes up the phone and displays even when the screen is locked. I only found two:
- Calendar Snooze, of which I am currently running the free version. It does the job, but it's sort of aesthetically challenged.
- The pathetic Nudnik, which I uninstalled immediately. It looks like it was designed by a pre-schooler.
Now I need to resolve my lock screen issue, then I'll be content (it locks up immediately whenever I press Power although I set the delay to 10 mins in Settings).
I think I'll give Cyanogen a whirl if it becomes available for Skyrocket.
Try iPhone Notification.
Alright, so with the recent Root for the AT&T HTC One X I was wondering if there is a way for me to replace the current (ugly) status bar HTC put on this beautiful phone with the stock ICS status bar and notification shade. There are some apps in the Play Store that let you alter the appearance on the status bar, but they run in the background and seem to just run over the status bar (sometimes it flashes and you see the default one). I'm still not up to par with all this rooting stuff (coming from a jailbroken iPhone and messing with Windows Phone 7 only gives me minimal experience with Androids take on things) and am not sure if this is possible with a locked bootloader. if you could go one step further and tell me how to strip Sense from the UI altogether without an unlocked bootloader I would be forever in your debt.
So if you thought tl;dr then: Can/how do I replace the stock status bar+notification shade with the stock ICS versions?
Thank you so much for any help you can provide!
Edit to add: I saw in some of the other threads for the international One X that there are transparent status bar tweaks, but those require flashing. Am I to assume the original question I posed is impossible without the ability to flash as well?
Unfortunately, were going to have to wait until the bootloader is unlocked, to allow custom ROMs to be installed, or someone figures how to deodex the stock system to allow developers to easily theme.
As for removing sense, i dont know what APKs you would have to delete for it. I do know that if you download an alternate launcher, such as apex launcher or nova launcher, you will not see sense widgets and you can hide the sense apps in the app drawer in apex and nova launcher pro.
Mosch26 said:
Unfortunately, were going to have to wait until the bootloader is unlocked, to allow custom ROMs to be installed, or someone figures how to deodex the stock system to allow developers to easily theme.
As for removing sense, i dont know what APKs you would have to delete for it. I do know that if you download an alternate launcher, such as apex launcher or nova launcher, you will not see sense widgets and you can hide the sense apps in the app drawer in apex and nova launcher pro.
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I figured the bootloader would get in the way I wasn't sure if there was a way to modify the look of the OS (the core UI I should say) without requiring a custom ROM.
Currently I'm using Apex Launcher Pro and its pretty amazing, still Sense abounds outside of the homescreen.
ErikWithNoC said:
I figured the bootloader would get in the way I wasn't sure if there was a way to modify the look of the OS (the core UI I should say) without requiring a custom ROM.
Currently I'm using Apex Launcher Pro and its pretty amazing, still Sense abounds outside of the homescreen.
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Click to collapse
Yeah, my best advice is to just give it some time, the phone has only been out on AT&T for 3 days now. I know developers are already working on an unlock for the bootloader now.
Mosch26 said:
Yeah, my best advice is to just give it some time, the phone has only been out on AT&T for 3 days now. I know developers are already working on an unlock for the bootloader now.
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Yup I was surprised to see the root to be honest. I appreciate all the work the devs are doing and can't wait to see what they do with this device.
it is possible, actually, without being able to flash. last night i spent time just changing up some icons and replacing those lame emoticons with ICS Android blacked out ones. looks tons better. i used adb to pull/push back to the phone. i'm currently trying to figure out how to theme the HTC Skins...particularly the dock bar. maybe i should take a look in the international HOX threads to see if anyone has done this
Really don't understand what all the fuss is about re. the release of Lollipop. When looking at some of the options under "Settings", for example, there are some things that are missing that KitKat had. Selecting the font you wanted to use, for example. Seems like there are less options to control your phone.
Maybe there are some other things under the hood that make Lollipop better, but I'm not seeing it on the surface!
There are somewhat less options now but its a different look and feel. Folks get bored and need something new.
MaverickCoast said:
Really don't understand what all the fuss is about re. the release of Lollipop. When looking at some of the options under "Settings", for example, there are some things that are missing that KitKat had. Selecting the font you wanted to use, for example. Seems like there are less options to control your phone.
Maybe there are some other things under the hood that make Lollipop better, but I'm not seeing it on the surface!
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Click to collapse
Simple answer is no.
Loss of xposed framework support is huge too.
MaverickCoast said:
Really don't understand what all the fuss is about re. the release of Lollipop. When looking at some of the options under "Settings", for example, there are some things that are missing that KitKat had. Selecting the font you wanted to use, for example. Seems like there are less options to control your phone.
Maybe there are some other things under the hood that make Lollipop better, but I'm not seeing it on the surface!
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Click to collapse
I'd have to agree that , no, there isn't anything magical about it really. I like the look, but something similar could easily be achieved with the proper themeing/ROM combo. The animations are nice, but I usually turn them off anyways. There may be some "under the hood" changes but nothing that will drastically change the user experience. Honestly, I think smartphones as a whole have hit a plateau. Minus some tweaks here and there, nothing really innovative has come along in some time. Perhaps the industry rushed towards advancement too fast. I think this is evidenced by the fact that how many pixels a manufacturer can cram into a screen, how awesome a selfie camera is and now animation styles have become selling points. Just my opinion though.
bjoostema said:
I'd have to agree that , no, there isn't anything magical about it really. I like the look, but something similar could easily be achieved with the proper themeing/ROM combo. The animations are nice, but I usually turn them off anyways. There may be some "under the hood" changes but nothing that will drastically change the user experience. Honestly, I think smartphones as a whole have hit a plateau. Minus some tweaks here and there, nothing really innovative has come along in some time. Perhaps the industry rushed towards advancement too fast. I think this is evidenced by the fact that how many pixels a manufacturer can cram into a screen, how awesome a selfie camera is and now animation styles have become selling points. Just my opinion though.
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Looks like the unlocked developer edition m8 getting the lollipop today.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using XDA Premium HD app
Call me a cranky old man. I don't like Lollipop. Have it running on my Nexus 7 (FHD) and another device I'm testing. Just a few things I don't like:
1. Used to be easy to EITHER swipe for notifications OR quicksettings, now what used to be simple takes at least two-taps
2. The dialogue for which app to use is at the bottom of the screen and looks like it's "falling off" the screen instead of in the middle.
3. Really not happy about the need to decrypt on boot (for some devices). It's just too darn easy for someone with evil intent to completely wipe another person's device "just for a hoot."
4. I do not see a speed increase with ART that makes it worth losing Xposed Framework.
5. Material design does not require Lollipop; it's just window-dressing and styling.
That's just off the top of my head. Every couple of days have to put the test device down and return to my M8 for the look and feel I like.
Newer isn't always better.
hgoldner said:
Call me a cranky old man. I don't like Lollipop. Have it running on my Nexus 7 (FHD) and another device I'm testing. Just a few things I don't like:
1. Used to be easy to EITHER swipe for notifications OR quicksettings, now what used to be simple takes at least two-taps
2. The dialogue for which app to use is at the bottom of the screen and looks like it's "falling off" the screen instead of in the middle.
3. Really not happy about the need to decrypt on boot (for some devices). It's just too darn easy for someone with evil intent to completely wipe another person's device "just for a hoot."
4. I do not see a speed increase with ART that makes it worth losing Xposed Framework.
5. Material design does not require Lollipop; it's just window-dressing and styling.
That's just off the top of my head. Every couple of days have to put the test device down and return to my M8 for the look and feel I like.
Newer isn't always better.
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Specifically relating to your first point, I'm not sure what you mean. On Lollipop, you can pull down the notifications menu with a single finger or go straight to quick settings with 2 fingers. Just like Jellybean and KitKat. If you use the single finger swipe down to access notifications on Lollipop, you can simply swipe down again to access quick settings. On JB/KK, you had to tap a button to get to quick settings after pulling down the notification shade with 1 finger. Since the 2-finger gesture to go straight to quick settings still works in Lollipop, I'm really not sure I understand what's so inconvenient about how it's implemented vs JB & KK.
maxpower7 said:
Specifically relating to your first point, I'm not sure what you mean. On Lollipop, you can pull down the notifications menu with a single finger or go straight to quick settings with 2 fingers. Just like Jellybean and KitKat. If you use the single finger swipe down to access notifications on Lollipop, you can simply swipe down again to access quick settings. On JB/KK, you had to tap a button to get to quick settings after pulling down the notification shade with 1 finger. Since the 2-finger gesture to go straight to quick settings still works in Lollipop, I'm really not sure I understand what's so inconvenient about how it's implemented vs JB & KK.
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Sometimes the other three fingers are busy ?
One thing that kinda bugs me is that the notifications overlay the top part of the screen so if you are trying to type there (chrome) and someone is texting you like crazy it gets annoying quick.
maxpower7 said:
Specifically relating to your first point, I'm not sure what you mean. On Lollipop, you can pull down the notifications menu with a single finger or go straight to quick settings with 2 fingers. Just like Jellybean and KitKat. If you use the single finger swipe down to access notifications on Lollipop, you can simply swipe down again to access quick settings. On JB/KK, you had to tap a button to get to quick settings after pulling down the notification shade with 1 finger. Since the 2-finger gesture to go straight to quick settings still works in Lollipop, I'm really not sure I understand what's so inconvenient about how it's implemented vs JB & KK.
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Well smack me upside the head. Had no idea about the two-fingered pull down.....
My name is Harold and I'm a flashaholic.....
I think it's great. I'm running stock Lollipop (GPE), not the Fauxpop that just got released today for the international M8. KitKat is just the latest build of what started in 2011, about three and a half years ago. With Lollipop, we're living in 2015. It's really a lot of little things, though. ICS was, too, when it was new. The big changes came with Jellybean.
Regarding Xposed, none of the blame for that is on Lollipop. The Xposed developer had, I don't know, but I'm sure it was over a year, probably more, since ART came out, to get it working. He/They wanted to wait for the release of Lollipop to port it to ART. Now, having had all this time, it's all on them. But if Xposed was that good, and Xposed was open source, where's the community in porting it to ART on their behalf? Seems to me that not that many people even want Xposed. The supply follows the demand. Google isn't lifting the smallest finger to fight Xposed. They don't care. And apparently neither do the developers. Or maybe Lollipop's market share is too small. Last I heard, it was still under 0.1%.
Yeah, Lollipop's great. I might sooner go back to KitKat than switch to an iPhone, but vs switching to Windows Phone I might have to think about it. Realistically on my M8, I'm never going back to Android 4.x. It isn't worth considering. It's like, why would you go back to Windows XP? Sure, it was stable, but so is 7. So is 8.1. Hell, even the 10 tech preview is good enough for most people. Why would you go backwards? Or to put it another way, why would you make your phone all retro? Retro games are cool. Retro cars are cool. And retro music, or more precisely, classic rock, is cool. But personal computer operating software? Not just no but hell no. Give me the latest code I can safely and securely run.
Seriously... HTC One M8... On Verzion... Running the GPE... I have the best phone, on the best network, running the best software. I envy no phone... okay, the Nexus 6 just a little, but it's too big. M8's a little too big. I think the HTC vanity bar should have been at the top. Better thumb reach. But really, nobody's got it better.
no worries, lollipop will be great
Awwww - now that's just plain cruel! Share or shut up [emoji14]
I'm still sitting on 4.4.4 as I was waiting for some bugs to be squashed in Lollipop. Initially my thoughts about Lollipop were probably like most tech addicts, "newer is better." But in reading more in depth about the changes, I'm not impressed. So I pulled the trigger anyway on my LG Google Play Tablet (not my Nexus 5 phone.) And, I was not impressed at all.
- The notifications on the pull-down and lock screen are BUTT UGLY with the white background.
- No lockscreen widgets (which I use Widget Locker anyway, but still)
- No Xposed Framework compatibility (this one is a BIGGIE)
So I'm on the fence about upgrading my Nexus 5. Can someone tell me specifically what is so much better that it would justify overlooking these drawbacks (and other's I didn't mention) and upgrading now instead of waiting for a better version or at least until Xposed Framework supports ART?
jazee said:
I'm still sitting on 4.4.4 as I was waiting for some bugs to be squashed in Lollipop. Initially my thoughts about Lollipop were probably like most tech addicts, "newer is better." But in reading more in depth about the changes, I'm not impressed. So I pulled the trigger anyway on my LG Google Play Tablet (not my Nexus 5 phone.) And, I was not impressed at all.
- The notifications on the pull-down and lock screen are BUTT UGLY with the white background.
- No lockscreen widgets (which I use Widget Locker anyway, but still)
- No Xposed Framework compatibility (this one is a BIGGIE)
So I'm on the fence about upgrading my Nexus 5. Can someone tell me specifically what is so much better that it would justify overlooking these drawbacks (and other's I didn't mention) and upgrading now instead of waiting for a better version or at least until Xposed Framework supports ART?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only things that are better is more security loops fixed by google
I personally really like lollipop. It feels a lot more snappy than KitKat. Given that I know exposed framework issue is due to switch to art and the Dev can't find docs on it.
shinji257 said:
I personally really like lollipop. It feels a lot more snappy than KitKat. Given that I know exposed framework issue is due to switch to art and the Dev can't find docs on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm curious what "more snappy" really means. Has anyone done any before/after timing comparisons to see how much faster it really is? Would it be any faster than going into Developer Options on 4.4.4 and turning ART on?
I said it feels more snappy as in visually. I think someone benchmarked between kitkat and lollipop on a device an found that lollipop actually ran a little slower in some spots. I think lollipop has only a couple of odd quirks. The biggest one being the lack of a sound toggle button in the notifications area.
Until Xposed works with ART, I cannot possibly upgrade. There are two things I like about Lollipop - 1) the notification pop ups and 2) the soft keys, which I can later customize with gestures. XPrivacy is the biggest deal for me, followed by APM+, App Settings and Secure Settings.
Hello everybody!
I'm interested in buying the Mate 8 but still have a few question I weren't able to find answers to.
I currently own a Nexus 5 and like the clean look of stock Android.
First questions are in regards to themes.
1. Do they still apply when you change the launcher or this somehow linked to the EMUI stock launcher?
2. Can you change the dropdown menu (notifications and quick settings) with these themes, too, in order to make it more like stock Android? Screenshots of the dropdown menu are rarely given.
3. How easy is it to create themes by oneself?
All in all I'd like to have a clean stock look as especially these bubbles around the icons are a pain to my eyes.
I would prefer to NOT have to flash a custom ROM.
The second part of my questions is in regard to Google Now.
1. Do you have the Google Now cards available?
2. Is Google Now on Tap working?
I hope you guys can enlighten me
Thanks in advance! :fingers-crossed:
SCHMANKii said:
Hello everybody!
I'm interested in buying the Mate 8 but still have a few question I weren't able to find answers to.
I currently own a Nexus 5 and like the clean look of stock Android.
First questions are in regards to themes.
1. Do they still apply when you change the launcher or this somehow linked to the EMUI stock launcher?
2. Can you change the dropdown menu (notifications and quick settings) with these themes, too, in order to make it more like stock Android? Screenshots of the dropdown menu are rarely given.
3. How easy is it to create themes by oneself?
All in all I'd like to have a clean stock look as especially these bubbles around the icons are a pain to my eyes.
I would prefer to NOT have to flash a custom ROM.
The second part of my questions is in regard to Google Now.
1. Do you have the Google Now cards available?
2. Is Google Now on Tap working?
I hope you guys can enlighten me
Thanks in advance! :fingers-crossed:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Do they still apply when you change the launcher or this somehow linked to the EMUI stock launcher?
EMUI themes still apply when you change launchers. You can set your custom icons on the launcher desktop, but the themed icon will still appear in other places like the recent apps screen or in notifications. So you will still see ugly rounded square or circle boarder with your icons outside of your launcher desktop. Fortunately this can be solved by installing custom EMUI theme with stock icons, which you can find here: http://foerster.io/hack-huawei-enable-pure-icons-with-no-borders-backgrounds-etc/
2. Can you change the dropdown menu (notifications and quick settings) with these themes, too, in order to make it more like stock Android? Screenshots of the dropdown menu are rarely given.
Themes can change the dropdown menu to a certain extent, mostly changing the shortcut icons. I've yet to see any theme that can make the dropdown menu look completely stock, I don't think it's possible because they operate differently. To me the EMUI dropdown UI looked decent enough (albeit in a different style) so I don't mind it so much.
3. How easy is it to create themes by oneself?
Don't know, never tried it myself.
1. Do you have the Google Now cards available?
I have the international version of the phone (L29), most google services are pre-installed including google now cards. If you get the Chinese version you'll have to install google services yourself, which I heard is a fairly easy process.
2. Is Google Now on Tap working?
You can turn on the now on tap function in google cards settings, but it doesn't seem to work when I long press the home button.
Please note that I'm still on an early EMUI build (B103) and have not yet received any OTA, I don't know if later updates changes anything.
Overall I did get a fairly decent looking UI running on my mate 8. Some UI elements will remain in EMUI style (most notably recent apps and notification dropdown and settings screen) as you can't change those without a custom ROM or at least some root hack, but I don't mind those too much, in fact I liked some of the EMUI design. The worse part of EMUI 4.0 is the launcher and the forced icon background on 3rd party apps, but like I said earlier these can all be averted with 3rd party launcher and custom theme. If you're a diehard fans for the "stock-look" who won't accept any non-material design element then this may not be good enough for you, but it is good enough for me.
@beachletter
Thank you a million times, Sir!
So did I get this right and you also tried to achieve a more or less stock look?
If so, could you please provide screenshots of your dropdown menu and maybe of your homescreen?
Did you own a Nexus phone before the Mate 8, too?
Regarding the dropdown menu of notifications: if I understand it correctly it's more or less working like a timeline, not like on other phones. This can't be changed, can it? I guess I know the answer as themes are supposed to only change the look and not the way things work, but yeah...
This is what my ui looks like after getting custom launcher and material design icon theme.
Sent from my HUAWEI NXT-L29 using XDA Free mobile app
SCHMANKii said:
@beachletter
Thank you a million times, Sir!
So did I get this right and you also tried to achieve a more or less stock look?
If so, could you please provide screenshots of your dropdown menu and maybe of your homescreen?
Did you own a Nexus phone before the Mate 8, too?
Regarding the dropdown menu of notifications: if I understand it correctly it's more or less working like a timeline, not like on other phones. This can't be changed, can it? I guess I know the answer as themes are supposed to only change the look and not the way things work, but yeah...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like stock icons and stock recent apps screen, but for notification and quick settings drop down I actually liked EMUI's implementation. I used CM and other near-stock rom in my previous phones.
See the post above for screenshots.
Alright, thanks again!
Now I have most of the information I can possibly get to make the right decision. Hopefully I will
Okay, so I've bought a Mate 8 to test things.
While it is really well designed, is nice to hold and snappy as well, I still can't get myself to like the software that much.
I have tried to apply the theme @beachletter provided but it somehow doesn't apply correctly and therefore many icons still have that bubble around it (e.g. Chrome, Play Store). Dialer and Contacts are still the same icons.
Regarding Google Now on Tap: this functionality was added with B152 firmware update which immediately showed up while setting up the device.
Additionally I have to say that the horizontal scrolling in the recent apps menu is even more unintuitive than I've thought it would be.
SCHMANKii said:
Okay, so I've bought a Mate 8 to test things.
While it is really well designed, is nice to hold and snappy as well, I still can't get myself to like the software that much.
I have tried to apply the theme @beachletter provided but it somehow doesn't apply correctly and therefore many icons still have that bubble around it (e.g. Chrome, Play Store). Dialer and Contacts are still the same icons.
Regarding Google Now on Tap: this functionality was added with B152 firmware update which immediately showed up while setting up the device.
Additionally I have to say that the horizontal scrolling in the recent apps menu is even more unintuitive than I've thought it would be.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's strange, on my phone the dialer and contacts have separate icons (although I usually don't use contacts because I can quick dial any name in dialer to search my contact list) , and I don't see any icon background/border for chrome or play store.
Maybe you should check out the newest version of the theme here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/general/rooting-roms/hack-enable-pure-icons-borders-t3315731
and FYI the launcher I use is NOVA Prime
Good to know google now is back in B152. Unfortunately my phone doesn't get any OTA update above B103 yet. But at least there's no camera focusing issue on my phone, even with B103.
beachletter said:
That's strange, on my phone the dialer and contacts have separate icons (although I usually don't use contacts because I can quick dial any name in dialer to search my contact list) , and I don't see any icon background/border for chrome or play store.
Maybe you should check out the newest version of the theme here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/general/rooting-roms/hack-enable-pure-icons-borders-t3315731
and FYI the launcher I use is NOVA Prime
Good to know google now is back in B152. Unfortunately my phone doesn't get any OTA update above B103 yet. But at least there's no camera focusing issue on my phone, even with B103.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not that bad anymore. I installed Nova Prime as well and added icon packs to fit my preferences.
But with the new theme it's working, even in the status bar! Thanks for providing the link!
SCHMANKii said:
It's not that bad anymore. I installed Nova Prime as well and added icon packs to fit my preferences.
But with the new theme it's working, even in the status bar! Thanks for providing the link!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually I just switched to this theme which seems to have a more comprehensive set of material design icons:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/mate-7/themes-apps/theme-material-emui-predaturd-p-kulkes-t3265917
You may want to give it a try.