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Hi all, made an account in anticipation of my night spent mucking around with my new Galaxy S4 i9507. I had been reading about people who have had success and some who have had less success with getting custom ROMs on their devices. None said what methods they used, so I decided to compile together what I did today.
UPDATE 3/6/14
I installed a snapshot of CM 11 (KitKat) onto my device with little issues. I'll update this guide with the links to that firmware, and also update the existing links because of changes CyanogenMod made to how they aggregate their S4 devices now. They are treating them all as derivatives of 'jftle', so basically one firmware fits all devices, including the i9507! (even if not official yet).
Please read the bottom of this post if you wish to install KitKat on your device.
CUSTOM FIRMWARE ON SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 i9507 - Aus/HK
Tonight I have managed to root the device's stock firmware (I have the Australian Optus/Virgin device); install ClockworkMod Recovery on the stock firmware, and then use it to install CyanogenMod 10.2.0 (jfltexx) on the device.
If you're looking to root this device, I found that by treating it essentially as an international i9505 I was able to fulfil all three of the things I mentioned above.
UPDATE: THIS WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY AND RESULT IN 'KNOX WARRANTY VOID 0x1' BEING DISPLAYED WHEN YOU ENTER DOWNLOAD MODE ON THE DEVICE. PLEASE BE SURE YOU ARE OKAY WITH THIS HAPPENING BEFORE TRYING THIS FOR YOURSELF. AS IT STANDS, KNOX CANNOT BE RESET, IT IS AT A HARDWARE LEVEL.
[ROOT i9507]
Using Chainfire's guide to CF-Auto-Root in the Galaxy S 4 i9505 Original Android Development section of this forum; I was able to root my device despite it being an i9507. Being a new user, I wasn't sure exactly what things to test out whether the root worked/was permanent, but I did install AdBlock Plus and it asked me for Superuser privileges, then proceeded to work. I also restarted the device and tested whether the root was still present; it was.
[INSTALL CLOCKWORKMOD]
I decided to install CyanogenMod as I have heard from friends that have it; and read online about it being one of the more stable custom ROMs available. It has been a while since I last owned an Android device! So, continuing with my theme of treating this device as being an international i9505, I obtained CM 10.2.0, a stable release of the jfltexx CM, based on from their website (as of December 2013, this was the most recent). Their custom installer app on Windows did not support my phone, so I had to use their guide for manual installation.
Their guide contained steps to installing ClockworkMod Recovery as well as the ROM installation. Following the guide, I installed it without a hitch. When rebooting the phone from ClockworkMod, it prompted me about the fact that the phone may reflash its own recovery tool, but this did not happen. Once again, a success.
[INSTALL CYANOGENMOD]
The last task was to install CM. This was quite an endeavour as I decided to use someone else's Windows 8 laptop (being the only Windows device I had access to at the time) and I forgot how much of a struggle it can be! Again, I used CM's guide to installing 10.2.0 (which by the way is Android 4.3.1, whereas the stock firmware is bloated and heavy at 4.2.2). This went off without a hitch once I reminded myself how the ADT works. I also did as CM suggested and installed the Google Apps pack alongside the ROM.
So, currently this is where I'm at. The device boots and reboots fine. Some users in certain threads had issues with loading 4.4 (KitKat) ROMs or custom ROMs that they didn't allude to the names of, so I don't know if they were having issues with CM or not. There are other threads, but that was the one that kickstarted my attempts to get this all to work. Their issues with the custom ROMs seemed to be related to the 4.4 ROM not recognising the modem of the i9507; I'm not sure why this is but the i9507 was made specifically for Australian/Hong Kong networks so perhaps 4.4 has not been updated yet or something of the like. Anyway, on 4.3.1, or CM 10.2.0, my SMS, calling, and internet are working fine (it displays Virgin Mobile as my carrier). My 4G reception is somewhat iffy in this town (or in particular my house), and the reception seems to be switching between 3G and H so whether that is indicative of 4G not working, I'm not sure. LTE is definitely checked in the settings, however, and my area does have 4G, but my parents' iPhone 5Ss sometimes do not have 4G in this house either. I'll report back tomorrow after having tested the phone for a day to see if the 4G does activate.
As it stands, however, the phone seems to be functioning well. Oddly the Settings report that the phone is an i9505, I assume that's normal as I'm using a ROM for that particular phone!
[CONCLUSION]
So, I hope that anyone who has been looking for a way to remove the carrier/Samsung bloat from their i9507 device will have a good time using the guides I've used. I followed them to the letter and I had no issues.
DISCLAIMER: I had no troubles, but that's not to say you won't either. Please be careful, as you may potentially risk affecting your phone negatively. I'm simply telling you what I did, not giving you a 100% correct and flawless guide that will work no matter what.
Also if you're looking for a 4.4 ROM then you might be out of luck, least till some dev or coder takes notice of this device's existence and helps out to develop a specific way of rooting this phone/installing custom ROMs for this phone. Overall though, it seems to all work fine so perhaps the 4.3.1 CM isn't such a bad thing.
If you try this and want the original firmware back on your phone, use this link. I believe that OPS is the Australian firmware, the other one is for Hong Kong. So, for the second link, HK is Hong Kong, and the one without is for Aus.
UPDATE 3/6/14
I've successfully managed to install a Nightly build of CM 11, based on KitKat. Read my latest post in this forum for more info. I essentially found that upgrading from within the phone itself caused a number of issues so I did a fresh flash. Please note that such a flash of a new OS wipes all personal data but not things like images, videos, etc. I lost all my contacts, SMS, browsing history, apps etc. But my Gallery, Downloads folder, etc remained intact.
I followed my guide to flashing the phone again, but I used a Nightly build of CM 11, based on KitKat. As I write this, there are actually stable versions of CM that you can use in place of the CM 10.2.0 I used in the above guide. If you follow those steps but use this firmware you'll find no issue. Feel free to use CM's guide, but don't, under any circumstances, forget to flash Google Apps to your phone!!!
If you need a hand or want a question answered, feel free to post here and I'll do my best to help you out. Thanks!
kaiserwatson said:
Hi all, made an account in anticipation of my night spent mucking around with my new Galaxy S4 i9507. I had been reading about people who have had success and some who have had less success with getting custom ROMs on their devices. None said what methods they used, so I decided to compile together what I did today.
Tonight I have managed to root the device's stock firmware (I have the Australian Optus/Virgin device); install ClockworkMod Recovery on the stock firmware, and then use it to install CyanogenMod 10.2.0 (jfltexx) on the device.
If you're looking to root this device, I found that by treating it essentially as an international i9505 I was able to fulfill all three of the things I mentioned above.
[ROOT i9507]
Using Chainfire's guide to CF-Auto-Root in the Galaxy S 4 i9505 Original Android Development section of this forum; I was able to root my device despite it being an i9507. Being a new user, I wasn't sure exactly what things to test out whether the root worked/was permanent, but I did install AdBlock Plus and it asked me for Superuser privileges, then proceeded to work. I also restarted the device and tested whether the root was still present; it was.
[INSTALL CLOCKWORKMOD]
I decided to install CyanogenMod as I have heard from friends that have it; and read online about it being one of the more stable custom ROMs available. It has been a while since I last owned an Android device! So, continuing with my theme of treating this device as being an international i9505, I obtained the latest stable release of the jfltexx CM from their website (it was the most recent stable release at the time, may be out of date by the time you get to doing this yourself). Their custom installer app on Windows did not support my phone, so I had to use their guide for manual installation.
Their guide contained steps to installing ClockworkMod Recovery as well as the ROM installation. Following the guide, I installed it without a hitch. When rebooting the phone from ClockworkMod, it prompted me about the fact that the phone may reflash its own recovery tool, but this did not happen. Once again, a success.
[INSTALL CYANOGENMOD]
The last task was to install CM. This was quite an endeavour as I decided to use someone else's Windows 8 laptop (being the only Windows device I had access to at the time) and I forgot how much of a struggle it can be! Again, I used CM's guide to installing 10.2.0 (which by the way is Android 4.3.1, whereas the stock firmware is bloated and heavy at 4.2.2). This went off without a hitch once I reminded myself how the ADT works. I also did as CM suggested and installed the Google Apps pack alongside the ROM.
So, currently this is where I'm at. The device boots and reboots fine. Some users in certain threads had issues with loading 4.4 (KitKat) ROMs or custom ROMs that they didn't allude to the names of, so I don't know if they were having issues with CM or not. There are other threads, but that was the one that kickstarted my attempts to get this all to work. Their issues with the custom ROMs seemed to be related to the 4.4 ROM not recognising the modem of the i9507; I'm not sure why this is but the i9507 was made specifically for Australian/Hong Kong networks so perhaps 4.4 has not been updated yet or something of the like. Anyway, on 4.3.1, or CM 10.2.0, my SMS, calling, and internet are working fine (it displays Virgin Mobile as my carrier). My 4G reception is somewhat iffy in this town (or in particular my house), and the reception seems to be switching between 3G and H so whether that is indicative of 4G not working, I'm not sure. LTE is definitely checked in the settings, however, and my area does have 4G, but my parents' iPhone 5Ss sometimes do not have 4G in this house either. I'll report back tomorrow after having tested the phone for a day to see if the 4G does activate.
As it stands, however, the phone seems to be functioning well. Oddly the Settings report that the phone is an i9505, I assume that's normal as I'm using a ROM for that particular phone!
[CONCLUSION]
So, I hope that anyone who has been looking for a way to remove the carrier/Samsung bloat from their i9507 device will have a good time using the guides I've used. I followed them to the letter and I had no issues.
DISCLAIMER: I had no troubles, but that's not to say you won't either. Please be careful, as you may potentially risk affecting your phone negatively. I'm simply telling you what I did, not giving you a 100% correct and flawless guide that will work no matter what.
Also if you're looking for a 4.4 ROM then you might be out of luck, least till some dev or coder takes notice of this device's existence and helps out to develop a specific way of rooting this phone/installing custom ROMs for this phone. Overall though, it seems to all work fine so perhaps the 4.3.1 CM isn't such a bad thing.
If you try this and want the original firmware back on your phone, use this link or this one. I believe that OPS is the Australian firmware, the other one is for Hong Kong. So, for the second link, HK is Hong Kong, and the one without is for Aus.
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I'll post later tomorrow when I've tested the phone for a day to see if it's still working, and to see if the 4G/LTE does actually work. Fingers crossed nothing goes wrong in the meantime!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had my i-9507 rooted for about a month now with foxhound rom, also on the optus variant.
One thing i've noted is, its next to impossible to update the MODEM for it.
I think because our latest modem for this variant is the one we have stock. And new updates haven't been put in terms of modem specifically for our variant yet.
We should keep this thread stickied for Australian OPTUS GT-i9507 discussion.
OR open up a sub forum for it.
kaiserwatson said:
I'll post later tomorrow when I've tested the phone for a day to see if it's still working, and to see if the 4G/LTE does actually work. Fingers crossed nothing goes wrong in the meantime!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Firstly, thank you for creating this complete description of your experiences with customising the i9507.
Secondly, just wanted confirmation that you do now have the pesky "KNOX WARRANTY VOID: 0x1" displayed when your device is in Download mode, right?
Lastly, any updates, issues? All still working, including 4G/LTE?
Hey sorry its been more than a day, I've been swamped with work, that Christmas time feel.
I do have the Knox 0x1, which I assume means my warranty is void. There's conjecture as to whether that will actually affect warranty for this device in Australia, as I've read up on the Knox system but i think the ACCC would have serious issues with this system actually affecting the warranty. But yes, it would seem my warranty is void, let's hope the phone lasts two years!
I have been able to access 4G, the phone says 4G or LTE, sometimes switching between the two. Again, the reception in the town I'm currently staying in is pisspoor so I can't say for certain whether the antenna/modem is fully functioning to the degree it would be on the stock firmware, but I can definitely access the Optus 4G network.
One issue I did have was that I sent an SMS then immediately turned my screen off, 40 minutes later the message was still 'sending'. I have recreated the same scenario but I haven't been able to get it to happen again, perhaps just a weird tower-side quirk. I know people were having issues with the modem and the phone sleeping but this doesn't seem to be related. Overall I'm really happy with how this has all gone. My battery life has been increased by at least 40% and the phone is so much faster. Very pleased.
kaiserwatson said:
Hey sorry its been more than a day, I've been swamped with work, that Christmas time feel.
I do have the Knox 0x1, which I assume means my warranty is void. There's conjecture as to whether that will actually affect warranty for this device in Australia, as I've read up on the Knox system but i think the ACCC would have serious issues with this system actually affecting the warranty. But yes, it would seem my warranty is void, let's hope the phone lasts two years!
I have been able to access 4G, the phone says 4G or LTE, sometimes switching between the two. Again, the reception in the town I'm currently staying in is pisspoor so I can't say for certain whether the antenna/modem is fully functioning to the degree it would be on the stock firmware, but I can definitely access the Optus 4G network.
One issue I did have was that I sent an SMS then immediately turned my screen off, 40 minutes later the message was still 'sending'. I have recreated the same scenario but I haven't been able to get it to happen again, perhaps just a weird tower-side quirk. I know people were having issues with the modem and the phone sleeping but this doesn't seem to be related. Overall I'm really happy with how this has all gone. My battery life has been increased by at least 40% and the phone is so much faster. Very pleased.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That occurs because the modem signal cuts out after you switch your phone off, or lock it.
This issue can be resolved by updating our modems, but with our current variant we can't update it yet apparently, until the correct new modem for our specific variant has been released.
Hi guys,
I thought I would also post here.
I have the optus 9507 and I tried a couple of different kitkat 4.4 roms. They all worked perfectly except for the fact that they lost data completely as soon as the phone went to sleep. the weird thing is, the phone showed 0 bars but i could take calls just fine, just had data issues.
i tried the slimkat rom and the echoe rom with the same issue
i went back to stock firmware, rooted, ran a debloat script i found on xda, removed a bunch more apps, then unrooted again because i need to run good for enterprise for work.
im getting decent battery life with the debloated stock rom but i would like to move to 4.4 if theres a rom that works. ive been watching the optus and sammobile site hoping there will be a newer modem for the hk version because i think optus will take their time releasing 4.3 for this model.
kaiserwatson said:
Hi all, made an account in anticipation of my night spent mucking around with my new Galaxy S4 i9507. I had been reading about people who have had success and some who have had less success with getting custom ROMs on their devices. None said what methods they used, so I decided to compile together what I did today.
Tonight I have managed to root the device's stock firmware (I have the Australian Optus/Virgin device); install ClockworkMod Recovery on the stock firmware, and then use it to install CyanogenMod 10.2.0 (jfltexx) on the device.
......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your experience sharing,
I also started with Cyanogen and shared about the same experience.
Just didn't know the Knox thing before I started.. should had read up more before doing it.
So you did the Recovery with Heimdall also? What has made you switch to the customized Rom camp
kaiserwatson said:
Hey sorry its been more than a day, I've been swamped with work, that Christmas time feel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, no worries at all, anyone who works weekends can take all the time they need...
But yes, it would seem my warranty is void, let's hope the phone lasts two years!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, I've done some reading also and you're right, it seems to be all conjecture, I really doubt handset warranty refusal can be based on the KNOX Warranty chip. I think the Samsung Enterprise Security Group VP explains it well here.
Overall I'm really happy with how this has all gone. My battery life has been increased by at least 40% and the phone is so much faster. Very pleased.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great to hear, based on this I can ge ahead and 'burn out' my eFuse, happy in the knowledge that my Knox warranty has gone to a good cause. :fingers-crossed:
---------- Post added at 08:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:40 PM ----------
opelcalibra said:
then unrooted again because i need to run good for enterprise for work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can only assume your "enterprise for work" has nothing to do with KNOX, right? Coz that option would be closed for you now...
CuriosityBrah said:
That occurs because the modem signal cuts out after you switch your phone off, or lock it.
This issue can be resolved by updating our modems, but with our current variant we can't update it yet apparently, until the correct new modem for our specific variant has been released.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That odd message not sending was the only issue I've had with this sort of thing; I can still download things, receive messages and calls just fine while my phone is sleeping, how do you know if the modem signal is cutting off? Perhaps it's just a selective thing, not sure. Don't know how to test if it's happening to me because it doesn't seem to be, lol.
opelcalibra said:
I have the optus 9507 and I tried a couple of different kitkat 4.4 roms. They all worked perfectly except for the fact that they lost data completely as soon as the phone went to sleep. the weird thing is, the phone showed 0 bars but i could take calls just fine, just had data issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey mate if you check the forum that I linked to the Knox issue; someone on there posted a fix for sound/WiFi issues post-Knox voiding, maybe that fix'll work for you. Sorry I can't link you to the exact post but it was about 10-20 pages in.
opelcalibra said:
i went back to stock firmware, rooted, ran a debloat script i found on xda, removed a bunch more apps, then unrooted again because i need to run good for enterprise for work.
im getting decent battery life with the debloated stock rom but i would like to move to 4.4 if theres a rom that works. ive been watching the optus and sammobile site hoping there will be a newer modem for the hk version because i think optus will take their time releasing 4.3 for this model.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I reckon they'll take ages, they have pretty much left everyone who's getting this phone in the next couple of months in the dark because of the (as I can tell) severe lack of devs etc in Aus who have Samsung phones and are willing to hack them to the ****. I wish I could help out somehow, but I don't have the time to learn so I figured I'd help out by putting up my experiences. I'm still learning as I go haha.
As for your KitKat problem, I have read that 4.4 didn't do so well in terms of battery life and bloat, what are your reasons for wanting to go to it? I wanted the most recent build also but I figured that if they're still having issues with it then it was better to go with something I knew would work (ie. 4.3.1).
phileasx said:
Thanks for your experience sharing,
I also started with Cyanogen and shared about the same experience.
Just didn't know the Knox thing before I started.. should had read up more before doing it.
So you did the Recovery with Heimdall also? What has made you switch to the customized Rom camp
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I followed the Windows process on the CM wiki to the letter, so yeah I did the Heimdall also.
Mate legitimately I went from my stock firmware taking up so much space on the hard drive to the real lightweight CM, seeing as I haven't bought a micro SD yet that was a big deal. Also battery life was a major reason for me buying the S4 so to be able to further improve it is just hella.
siganid said:
Hey, no worries at all, anyone who works weekends can take all the time they need...
Yea, I've done some reading also and you're right, it seems to be all conjecture, I really doubt handset warranty refusal can be based on the KNOX Warranty chip. I think the Samsung Enterprise Security Group VP explains it well.Great to hear, based on this I can ge ahead and 'burn out' my eFuse, happy in the knowledge that my Knox warranty has gone to a good cause. :fingers-crossed:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In Australia I think we're pretty good. Funny that Samsung and Optus have given us this nice present and it's only a matter of time before someone cracks it open and remains above the warranty voiding
I have read that Knox may be software-based, which would make sense, and maybe it's a matter of time before someone cracks that too. Hehe.
Go ahead, post here if you have any issues and I'll see if I can help you out. What ROM would you be planning on using? A 4.3.x one?
kaiserwatson said:
I followed the Windows process on the CM wiki to the letter, so yeah I did the Heimdall also.
Mate legitimately I went from my stock firmware taking up so much space on the hard drive to the real lightweight CM, seeing as I haven't bought a micro SD yet that was a big deal. Also battery life was a major reason for me buying the S4 so to be able to further improve it is just hella.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome to the rom flashing side
After read up more, I realize Odin is a more popular method for Galaxy S4 flashing,
Besides that, Stock rom battery life should also be all right. Samsung did quite some efforts to make the software user friendly.
Anyway, the Bloatware chunk are really irritating have to say.
because i cant keep still i have flashed my phone again lol.
i flashed the official CM 11 (4.4.2) and gapps for kitkat and all is working awesome so far.
no issues with losing signal when going to sleep. seems very fast. right now im happy with it.
Could someone please find new links for the original software posted in the OP?
Links are dead, would be greatly appreciated! =)
Also, Opelcalibra, you have no issues with network/signal on CM 4.4.2 with the Optus i9507?
I better give it a try then lol
RE: Signal issues
Hi,
I also have the AU i9507 Opus S4, I flashed the Omega based 4.4.2 KitKat (i9505 version) and had wifi problems (Greyed out) I tried various fixes and went back to 4.3 based Omega, this had its problems with cell signal being lost when locking the mobile.
I fixed this by going into settings and experimented with mobile networks i.e. Settings, more networks, mobile networks, network mode and tried all 4x options with (for me at least) the GSM ONLY option selected, great rom and worth losing the 4g which is very patchy in my part of Melbourne.
D
Anyone else had any sort of success rooting this phone without tripping Knox.
Also, is it just me, or does it suck pretty hard that we Aussies get stuck with an inferior version of a phone? (Snapdragon 600 in the I9507 vs the 800 in the other international versions)
Update
Hi
Just wondering if anyone has an update on this? Success or otherwise...
One of the main reasons I'm looking to root is to boost volume levels - I find the volume to be way too low. Does anyone know of a way to do that without rooting? Of course I'd like to remove bloatware but could live with it if volume was fixed.
Thanks in advance.
thestuntman80 said:
Anyone else had any sort of success rooting this phone without tripping Knox.
Also, is it just me, or does it suck pretty hard that we Aussies get stuck with an inferior version of a phone? (Snapdragon 600 in the I9507 vs the 800 in the other international versions)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey bro, no one has cracked without tripping Knox yet because as far as I can tell it's a phone specific fix/hack. So, because our phone is a different and 'rare' model, I doubt that the major heads in the Knox-proofing scene (CF comes to mind) will have the time to make a fix for the knox trip. So for now, either suffer in your jocks (QQ) get a different phone (uh, not likely) or wait for the minute chance that someone actually cares about Aussies )
As for your second point, yeah, it does suck. We get shafted with all sorts of things like prices, release dates, localization...the list goes on. Unfortunately the people who make these ploys know we're desparate and will pay the exorbitant prices anyway :/
jameshef said:
Hi
Just wondering if anyone has an update on this? Success or otherwise...
One of the main reasons I'm looking to root is to boost volume levels - I find the volume to be way too low. Does anyone know of a way to do that without rooting? Of course I'd like to remove bloatware but could live with it if volume was fixed.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey mate, the rooting was probably the easiest part of the whole situation. You can follow my guide in the OP if you're having trouble. Just be aware about the warranty issues etc because your audio issue may be hardware related rather than software? Is the volume issue in the headphones or the speaker? Some apps may not utilise the phones full volume and also be sure to go into the settings of the phone and make sure the volume limiter is turned OFF. This **** me to tears for the longest time but once I figured out what the issue was, all good!
The only thing I'd say is just make sure its not a hardware issue because you don't want to root your phone, find out that it wasn't a software issue, take your phone into Samsung and have them tell you that your warranty is voided because you rooted. Obviously that's a worse case scenario but just be on the safe side.
I hope I helped you guys!
kaiserwatson said:
Hey mate, the rooting was probably the easiest part of the whole situation. You can follow my guide in the OP if you're having trouble. Just be aware about the warranty issues etc because your audio issue may be hardware related rather than software? Is the volume issue in the headphones or the speaker? Some apps may not utilise the phones full volume and also be sure to go into the settings of the phone and make sure the volume limiter is turned OFF. This **** me to tears for the longest time but once I figured out what the issue was, all good!
The only thing I'd say is just make sure its not a hardware issue because you don't want to root your phone, find out that it wasn't a software issue, take your phone into Samsung and have them tell you that your warranty is voided because you rooted. Obviously that's a worse case scenario but just be on the safe side.
I hope I helped you guys!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm fairly certain it's a software issue. I've done a fair bit of reading on it and the low volume is a very common complaint about the S4. My volute limiter is turned off - thanks for that tip though!
I'm going to try to root this weekend. I really hope that it works and I don't have any issues with reception dropping when the phone goes to sleep! Feels risky.
I've changed my firmware from Optus to XSA, but am still on 4.2.2, how do I upgrade now?
Kies says I have the latest release.
has anyone got links to newer modem files for this phone? been given one to update it to 4.4, but i know from experience that doing so without at least a 4.4 GSM modem, it wont behave right.
to the people without working wifi after updating: flash the Ktoonz kernel, he has a fix for that.
Hi All,
I recently updated to the new official 4.3 update from optus in order to update my baseband etc.
Then i immediately updated to the i9505 Goldeneye 4.4.2 rom. Ran a ebloat script to get rid of alot of the extras and its running very nicely.
Since updating the modem I get 4g at home which i never did before.
optus rom here
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/3/?download=27109
flashed via odin (will lose root and custom recovery). re-root and install recovery after flashing this room.
goldeneye rom here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2313469
obviously this will flag knox, mine was flagged long ao
Hello, I'm a newbie and I don't know if this has been posted before.
I was planning to buy Nexus 5 in couple of days but I heard that after 4.4.3 update, the device is experiencing certain issues with WiFi and some other stuffs. My work solely depends upon WiFi . Some say that phone has become a bit laggy too.
Just wanted to ask when I receive my Nexus 5, is it possible to upgrade 4.4 to 4.4.2? Instead of 4.4.3?
PrakharM said:
Hello, I'm a newbie and I don't know if this has been posted before.
I was planning to buy Nexus 5 in couple of days but I heard that after 4.4.3 update, the device is experiencing certain issues with WiFi and some other stuffs. My work solely depends upon WiFi . Some say that phone has become a bit laggy too.
Just wanted to ask when I receive my Nexus 5, is it possible to upgrade 4.4 to 4.4.2? Instead of 4.4.3?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know about others but for me, it actually improved several things, like that bug that let apps running with 0b of ram usage, also battery and I see no lag whatsoever (with any version).
If you reeeeeally want to flash directly 4.4.2 I think that you can either get the older OTA (you can get it here in XDA) or flash the complete stock image 4.4.2, you can download it from Google's official page (Google search nexus stock images).
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
raul90 said:
I don't know about others but for me, it actually improved several things, like that bug that let apps running with 0b of ram usage, also battery and I see no lag whatsoever (with any version).
If you reeeeeally want to flash directly 4.4.2 I think that you can either get the older OTA (you can get it here in XDA) or flash the complete stock image 4.4.2, you can download it from Google's official page (Google search nexus stock images).
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I searched "nexus 4.4.2 update download" on google, it showed something like "factory images for nexus devices". Did u mean that?
As I told you earlier, I'm a newbie. I don't understand properly what you are saying. Can you please explain what to do?
And.. Is there any risk? Installing this cause any problem in the phone? Do mention that..
PrakharM said:
When I searched "nexus 4.4.2 update download" on google, it showed something like "factory images for nexus devices". Did u mean that?
As I told you earlier, I'm a newbie. I don't understand properly what you are saying. Can you please explain what to do?
And.. Is there any risk? Installing this cause any problem in the phone? Do mention that..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you buy a new Nexus 5, it should come with Android 4.4.3. If you have any concerns about the bugs and performance, and would rather have 4.4.2, you can flash that on there instead. Completely stock, original version of Android are called factory images.
Since you're buying it new out of the box, it should be no issues nor risks, with downgrading it to 4.4.2. When you buy it, before you do anything to it, please come back to this forum and explore or ask questions about how to do so. Doing any changes to the phone is much easier when you just bought it. So don't do anything to it, don't install any apps or whatever, other than sign in to your Google account on the first start up. Then come back here and we'll do our best to help you out.
PrakharM said:
Hello, I'm a newbie and I don't know if this has been posted before.
I was planning to buy Nexus 5 in couple of days but I heard that after 4.4.3 update, the device is experiencing certain issues with WiFi and some other stuffs. My work solely depends upon WiFi . Some say that phone has become a bit laggy too.
Just wanted to ask when I receive my Nexus 5, is it possible to upgrade 4.4 to 4.4.2? Instead of 4.4.3?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never had any issues with wifi nor lag even with 4.4.2.
When I took it out of the box I was highly disappointed coming from a S3 and a Note 1. Volume of the speaker was really low and dpi of the screen way to high. Hey, it's a HD screen and I am not blind (yet)
The above issues can be fixed by rooting it and messing with the values. Makes it 100% better.
But, I am still in the process of getting my money back from Google (getting the run around for a month now).
Recording video is useless. In 4.4.2 there was a hiss in the audio which was fixed in 4.4.3. but now recordings sound like they were made underwater. Listen to this with the headphones on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjQYXtU7auM
The optical stabilisation is also bad. The image wobbles and is useless for me as I am grabbing my Note 1 to record video at the moment.
If the above doesn't apply to you, then for the money it is an awesome phone
PrakharM said:
When I searched "nexus 4.4.2 update download" on google, it showed something like "factory images for nexus devices". Did u mean that?
As I told you earlier, I'm a newbie. I don't understand properly what you are saying. Can you please explain what to do?
And.. Is there any risk? Installing this cause any problem in the phone? Do mention that..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah sorry didn't remember the newbie part haha.
Then if you really don't know what I'm talking about, you should stay stock and in the newest version for your phone (right now being 4.4.3).
Usually there is no risk when installing ROMs or other things, however you should just read a lot right now, read what flash is, bootloader, Roms, root, etc. to learn and reduce the risks you might encounter. You can start with the stickies threads in the general section.
When you learn at least the basics, then you can start to worry about what version you can use, what radio, etc.
But first enjoy your phone as is out of the box, it might be better than you think. ?
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
fxdil said:
When you buy a new Nexus 5, it should come with Android 4.4.3. If you have any concerns about the bugs and performance, and would rather have 4.4.2, you can flash that on there instead. Completely stock, original version of Android are called factory images.
Since you're buying it new out of the box, it should be no issues nor risks, with downgrading it to 4.4.2. When you buy it, before you do anything to it, please come back to this forum and explore or ask questions about how to do so. Doing any changes to the phone is much easier when you just bought it. So don't do anything to it, don't install any apps or whatever, other than sign in to your Google account on the first start up. Then come back here and we'll do our best to help you out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just ordered 2 Nexus 5's off of the Play Store last Friday (June 13th). When they showed up they were running 4.4.2. However, they were the Bright Red 32GB ones as the Black 32GB's were out of stock at the time. It now looks like the Black ones are back in stock so it's possible that they have been updated to 4.4.3
Virus.Shell said:
I just ordered 2 Nexus 5's off of the Play Store last Friday (June 13th). When they showed up they were running 4.4.2. However, they were the Bright Red 32GB ones as the Black 32GB's were out of stock at the time. It now looks like the Black ones are back in stock so it's possible that they have been updated to 4.4.3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Odds are no. They most likely won't come with 4.4.3 unless they were made after the update came out. Just try settings/about phone/system updates. There is a refresh button try it once a day update should come soon. I flashed back to stock 4.4.2 and it showed up right away. I haven't seen any of the issues some are taking about. Take it all with a grain of salt no one posts abbot no problems... They only complain about issues.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Hey guys, I would really appreciate some help with this. My phone is often extremely laggy, to the point that when it's asleep and I get a phone call, it wouldn't wake up for me to be able to answer it (even though I can hear it ringing) until the person calling hangs up. I know TW is famous for being slow but this is just ridiculous. The only thing I have running in the background with the exception of normal TW stuff is the DS Battery Saver module (only set to control wifi/Data, not killing apps) and yet often I can see that the phone is using more than 2.2GB of RAM (after I've killed everything in the task manager). How can this be? Surely the system itself doesn't need THAT much RAM? I shudder to think what phones with a smaller RAM are like.
I'm running the Thunderbolt ROM (basically just deodexed stock 5.0.1) with Xposed and the "Fix Lollipop Memory Leak" module. Is there anything else I can do? I love the design of this phone but I am close to getting rid of it and going back to Sony which was always smooth as silk. I would prefer to stick to the Note though since I love the design and extra functionalities but what use are them if I have enough time to make a cup of coffee every time I try to do something?
It must be your Rom. I used to love to installed custom rom on my S1 and S2. But at the end of the day, custom roms are all buggy.
Sent from my SM-N915T using XDA Free mobile app
I would agree with you but if anything, it was worse when I was on stock which is why I decided to try a custom rom (and I tried many buggy ones before settling on this). I'm not someone who spend my time flashing various roms just to experiment, it's usually because I find the performance or features lacking.
Have you tried to wipe everything and odin back to stock? Im on stock, unroot, and I dont have any issues yet.
Sent from my SM-N915T using XDA Free mobile app
Alarmmy said:
Have you tried to wipe everything and odin back to stock? Im on stock, unroot, and I dont have any issues yet.
Sent from my SM-N915T using XDA Free mobile app
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Click to collapse
Same. I just don't even bother with Custom ROMs except if it gives more battery life. KNowing how hard Samsung has worked to make customization harder, I haven't bothered with custom ROMs for my edge.
Also I too have high RAM usage always but it doesn't make my phone any slower or laggier than past Bloatwiz phones. I am on 4.4.4 stock with a bunch of T Mobile stuff disabled.
edo101 said:
Same. I just don't even bother with Custom ROMs except if it gives more battery life. KNowing how hard Samsung has worked to make customization harder, I haven't bothered with custom ROMs for my edge.
Also I too have high RAM usage always but it doesn't make my phone any slower or laggier than past Bloatwiz phones. I am on 4.4.4 stock with a bunch of T Mobile stuff disabled.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I wonder if I should revert back to KitKat. My phone was great when I first got it, even when I had a whole heap of stuff installed. But maybe I'll wait for 5.1.1 first and see if that helps (the 915G still hadn't received 5.1.1 yet).
marcolorenzo said:
Yeah I wonder if I should revert back to KitKat. My phone was great when I first got it, even when I had a whole heap of stuff installed. But maybe I'll wait for 5.1.1 first and see if that helps (the 915G still hadn't received 5.1.1 yet).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I have seen, you can no longer downgrade Android once you update to 5.1.1
Suffice it to say I will see if there is a way to stop my phone from auto updating itself. Kit Kat is working well for me and it retains all the native Edge features that made the Edge different.
I was able to get 6.5 hours screen time with my phone with location turned off and a full day of note taking, facebook, and music
edo101 said:
From what I have seen, you can no longer downgrade Android once you update to 5.1.1
Suffice it to say I will see if there is a way to stop my phone from auto updating itself. Kit Kat is working well for me and it retains all the native Edge features that made the Edge different.
I was able to get 6.5 hours screen time with my phone with location turned off and a full day of note taking, facebook, and music
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
6.5 hours?!? Holy crap, did you play any games at all? I usually last only around 3 hours but that's because I do play quite a lot of games. Anyway, I'm downgrading to 4.4.4 now, hopefully it'll stop acting up.
marcolorenzo said:
6.5 hours?!? Holy crap, did you play any games at all? I usually last only around 3 hours but that's because I do play quite a lot of games. Anyway, I'm downgrading to 4.4.4 now, hopefully it'll stop acting up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. Not really. Like I said, I One Noted all day with my S pen, music, facebook alot and Chrome. I managed battery by using power saving mode, turning off location and turning off sync and turning it on every hour for about 5 minutes to get my emails in.
Today I did gaming and art on my Edge and got about 4 hours
edo101 said:
No. Not really. Like I said, I One Noted all day with my S pen, music, facebook alot and Chrome. I managed battery by using power saving mode, turning off location and turning off sync and turning it on every hour for about 5 minutes to get my emails in.
Today I did gaming and art on my Edge and got about 4 hours
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I've been back on stock 4.4.4 for a few days now. It is simply fantastic! The difference is huge! No problems what so ever now. I would like to stay on this for the life of my phone but I am a little concerned about the lack of security updates (such as Stagefright). What are your thoughts on this?
BTW, I noticed that Android system and kernel often takes up the majority of my battery percentage. Each by between 9-16%. Do you get this as well?
marcolorenzo said:
So I've been back on stock 4.4.4 for a few days now. It is simply fantastic! The difference is huge! No problems what so ever now. I would like to stay on this for the life of my phone but I am a little concerned about the lack of security updates (such as Stagefright). What are your thoughts on this?
BTW, I noticed that Android system and kernel often takes up the majority of my battery percentage. Each by between 9-16%. Do you get this as well?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, thats normal
And don't worry, i got the stagefright update on 4.4.4 and I was on MetroPCS lol. MetroPCS rides on T Mobile, but its just goes to illustrate that you have nothing to worry about. Glad you are enjoying your Note Edge again. Its a shame Samsung forgot they released this beast of a phone. Imagine this thing with the Note 5's but Edged version of the new TW. Nah, makes too much sense for consumers. Doesn't make sense if you are trying to get people to buy new phones.
Anyways just make sure you never upgrade to 5.1.1 That thing is a point of no return
edo101 said:
Yep, thats normal
And don't worry, i got the stagefright update on 4.4.4 and I was on MetroPCS lol. MetroPCS rides on T Mobile, but its just goes to illustrate that you have nothing to worry about. Glad you are enjoying your Note Edge again. Its a shame Samsung forgot they released this beast of a phone. Imagine this thing with the Note 5's but Edged version of the new TW. Nah, makes too much sense for consumers. Doesn't make sense if you are trying to get people to buy new phones.
Anyways just make sure you never upgrade to 5.1.1 That thing is a point of no return
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't even begin to describe how happy I am with my phone right now. I remember a couple of months after I first got it, a friend of mine was watching me use it and commented on how snappy it was. Then more recently, not only did the sluggishness drive me crazy, I was watching others with envy, especially my girlfriend who is rocking my old Z1 Compact which still performs like a little rocket. Anyway, I am now back to loving the Note Edge again. I even prefer it over the new Notes, looks and all.
I just want to ask though, how did you manage to get the Stagefright update without updating the firmware? Software Update in the Settings won't allow me to update at all because "the operating system on my device has been modified in an unauthorised way" (I guess they're talking about the root) and Kies 3 tells me there's a new firmware available which I guess is 5.0.1 again (the N915G still doesn't have 5.1.1 as far as I know).
marcolorenzo said:
I can't even begin to describe how happy I am with my phone right now. I remember a couple of months after I first got it, a friend of mine was watching me use it and commented on how snappy it was. Then more recently, not only did the sluggishness drive me crazy, I was watching others with envy, especially my girlfriend who is rocking my old Z1 Compact which still performs like a little rocket. Anyway, I am now back to loving the Note Edge again. I even prefer it over the new Notes, looks and all.
I just want to ask though, how did you manage to get the Stagefright update without updating the firmware? Software Update in the Settings won't allow me to update at all because "the operating system on my device has been modified in an unauthorised way" (I guess they're talking about the root) and Kies 3 tells me there's a new firmware available which I guess is 5.0.1 again (the N915G still doesn't have 5.1.1 as far as I know).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Um not sure how it works on Sprint or whoever you are on. On MetroPCS/TMobile,it just showed up as an update and updated itself automatically. I didn't actually know what it was till I googled it and people said it was stage fright
I'm in Europe but I bought my phone in Australia unlocked. Maybe I'll just get a virus scanner, that should solve any current and future security issues right?
Sent from my SM-N915G using XDA Free mobile app
marcolorenzo said:
I'm in Europe but I bought my phone in Australia unlocked. Maybe I'll just get a virus scanner, that should solve any current and future security issues right?
Sent from my SM-N915G using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Should. I really don't even know why you're scared. Do you get apps from anywhere besides Google Play Store?
Nah, I mean, some Amazon and Humble bundle apps but that's it. I'm not really that worried, just would prefer to be safe than sorry.
Sent from my SM-N915G using XDA Free mobile app
Should be fine. Not sure how things work with US carier based phones overseas but what I do know is KitKat got the update. I know I did and google says Kit Kat did
edo101 said:
Should be fine. Not sure how things work with US carier based phones overseas but what I do know is KitKat got the update. I know I did and google says Kit Kat did
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, if I can be bothered, I might unroot my phone and see if I can get the update then, then root it again afterwards. Can't be bothered to do it any time soon though
marcolorenzo said:
Okay, if I can be bothered, I might unroot my phone and see if I can get the update then, then root it again afterwards. Can't be bothered to do it any time soon though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, exactly. I wouldn't be worried about your phone at all. Unless you do shady online stuff
With upcoming availability of 6.0 , has anyone tried it yet ?
I wouldn't mind trying it but with Knox and such , I figure why temp the hand of fate after my present run in with 5.1.
It looks like they can root 6.0 .
I don't know if it's available for our phones yet .
Have any of you people done the update yet and if you have , what do you think of it ?
I guess no one has played with it yet?
I believe its not available for our phones yet. As far as I've heard, as of a couple weeks ago, the beta is for Nexus devices only.
I have shamed myself !
I was reading online somewhere that it was out.
I guess that explains it.
I think I read where they already have root for it.
Oh well,this 5.1.1 dog is getting old with all the restarts.
It was good in the beginning though.
Too bad the damned thing fell flat on it's face.
The Radius Kid said:
I have shamed myself !
I was reading online somewhere that it was out.
I guess that explains it.
I think I read where they already have root for it.
Oh well,this 5.1.1 dog is getting old with all the restarts.
It was good in the beginning though.
Too bad the damned thing fell flat on it's face.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It definitely sucks that Samsung has forgotten how special this phone is. That being said, I am contempt with 4.4.4. I don't think the Marshmellow update will be that good for the Edge but I could be wrong. I am hoping I am. Marshmellow with the Edge features integrated like it is in 4.4.4 with the same or better battery life is all I want
I can only see 6.0 being worse with all security crap built into this 5.1.1 over 4.4.4.
I've come to refer to this phone as the "restart retard".
5.1.1 was great when it first was installed on my phone and when it works right,it's fast.
The problem is:
How often does it work right?
I'm good.
Two weeks ago my edge was acting retarded. I sent it back and got a refurbished one (because I refuse to get the new note 5 iPhone clone). My new edge shipped with 5.1.1 installed. Surprisingly I have no issues at all. No restarts or headaches. Fingers crossed. If T-Mobile gives us a crappy marshmallow version - if Samsung even remembers they made the phone - I will have no issues going back to kit Kat because i miss the camera button not being on the edge any longer.
I don't know if you can go back from 5.1.1 to 4.4.4 in your case ?
steve austin said:
e i miss the camera button not being on the edge any longer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, was the best place for it, felt more like a camera there and was easy to access.. On screen is just a ***** of a place to put it...
steve austin said:
Two weeks ago my edge was acting retarded. I sent it back and got a refurbished one (because I refuse to get the new note 5 iPhone clone). My new edge shipped with 5.1.1 installed. Surprisingly I have no issues at all. No restarts or headaches. Fingers crossed. If T-Mobile gives us a crappy marshmallow version - if Samsung even remembers they made the phone - I will have no issues going back to kit Kat because i miss the camera button not being on the edge any longer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was ultimately what made me go back to Kit Kat. I coulda dealt with my notifications popping up on screen every now and then but removing the shutter button from the Edge screen was too much. or someeone with moderate hands, the edge shutter made taking pics and selfies soo fricking easy
Do let us know if you are able to go down to 4.4.4. I would like to play around with some Note 5 Custom ROMs and be able to go back to 4.4.4 stock. Seems to be the best thing this phone ever got from Samsung.
Any word on how long your screen time is on 5.1.1? I only get about 5 hours on 4.4.4 stock. And yeah I also have a TMobile phone running on MetroPCS so basically TMobile
edo101 said:
That was ultimately what made me go back to Kit Kat. I coulda dealt with my notifications popping up on screen every now and then but removing the shutter button from the Edge screen was too much. or someeone with moderate hands, the edge shutter made taking pics and selfies soo fricking easy
Do let us know if you are able to go down to 4.4.4. I would like to play around with some Note 5 Custom ROMs and be able to go back to 4.4.4 stock. Seems to be the best thing this phone ever got from Samsung.
Any word on how long your screen time is on 5.1.1? I only get about 5 hours on 4.4.4 stock. And yeah I also have a TMobile phone running on MetroPCS so basically TMobile
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am getting around four to four and a half hours of screen time at the moment. It does go down to about 4 on most occasions because I do a lot of YouTube. However I really don't care because I carry an extra battery - which I can't do with the note 5. With regards to going back to the KitKat version… below is a message that I got from one of the helpful subscribers on this board who help me out with this a while ago. Actually went back to KitKat about 7 months ago and I had it on my phone that I recently returned. I just have not put KitKat back on the new phone that I got last week I did not feel the need to do it at this point since I'm having no problems right now with the lollipop version that I have. If anything should happen in the next few months where I have to start all over again then I may do this process and go back to KitKat. It is very simple to do and I had no problems with the installation hopefully it works for you as well.
Originally Posted by*nguyen4514
Hello Steve,
To downgrade back to KitKat without tripping Knox, you will need to download an official Samsung firmware. I found official firmware at*www.sammobile.com/firmwares. Type in model number SM-915T and download the most recent version of KitKat. The most recent version of KitKat for the Note Edge on T-Mobile was dated 12-2-2014. Before you are allowed to download files from sammobile, you will need to create a free user account.
When you click on the firmware version you want, there will be instructions that tell you how to install the firmware. When I downgraded, I was told to download ODIN v3.09. I checked sammobile today and it looks like they updated the instructions to include a newer version of ODIN. Sammobile doesn't have ODIN available for download on their website, but I'm sure you can easily find it using Google or asking on XDA.
Here are some tips that is not listed in the instructions on Sammobile. If you follow their instructions and your phone is taking more than 5 minutes to fully turn on (stuck on the T-Mobile logo/screen), you will need to wipe/factory reset your Note Edge. To do this, I pulled out my battery and started my phone in recovery mode (Hold volume up and the home button while turning on the phone). Wipe the cache/factory reset your device and your Note Edge should be up and running again. To make sure that I don't receive OTA updates from T-Mobile, I disabled the software update app.
Remember, when you go through this process, you will lose all pictures/docs/downloads/etc. on your phone. Backup what you need before downgrading.
Good luck with the downgrade. If all goes well, you will definitely enjoy everything that made the Note Edge unique.
Getting really pissed about this broken software. I went to the dark side...
de2000 said:
Getting really pissed about this broken software. I went to the dark side...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Dark Side?
The Radius Kid said:
The Dark Side?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I presume… CrApple?
Yeah, I really hated doing that, but the consistency of performance and firmware updates just can't be beat. Apple Pay is a pleasure to use. The fingerprint scanner is ultra fast. Very good battery life. Yada yada yada... the list goes on. I do miss the Edge's screen color and resolution. I also miss the wonderful alarm clock of the Edge. Perhaps when Marshmallow comes out for it, the new firmware, I hope, will fix all the issues that this past update broke.
What cpu does the note edge have?
Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk
The Radius Kid said:
I don't know if you can go back from 5.1.1 to 4.4.4 in your case ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did not take a look at your comment until today. I was able to go back yo kit kay with the 5.0.1 version of lollipop. Today I tried to dod the same procedure as before and odin gave me a fail notice. I thought it was a debugging issue bit I cut it on and it still did not take. Sis you know why and if so is there a way around it? I should not have opened my big mouth about how smooth things were going. Now after the new update to 5.1.1 I get unsent texts and YouTube can't find a stream half the time. Ou want kit Kat back. FML.
Things are getting interesting.
It seems over at Yellow Bullet forums there's a gentleman who has been forced an upgrade to Marshmallow from Lollipop and it's killing his battery
He says he had auto updates turned off and it was still forced on him.
I understand he's a Verizon customer as well.
http://www.yellowbullet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1661969
This doesn't sound good.
Any Verizon users on here experience the same thing?
Any experiences to tell?
edo101 said:
That was ultimately what made me go back to Kit Kat. I coulda dealt with my notifications popping up on screen every now and then but removing the shutter button from the Edge screen was too much. or someeone with moderate hands, the edge shutter made taking pics and selfies soo fricking easy
Do let us know if you are able to go down to 4.4.4. I would like to play around with some Note 5 Custom ROMs and be able to go back to 4.4.4 stock. Seems to be the best thing this phone ever got from Samsung.
Any word on how long your screen time is on 5.1.1? I only get about 5 hours on 4.4.4 stock. And yeah I also have a TMobile phone running on MetroPCS so basically TMobile
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm getting about 2 hours average screen on time on 5.1.1. HORRIBLE. Im on Sprint
Used to get 4 hours on 5.0.1
Hey all,
I'm thinking of buying a Mate 7 and switching over from my Moto X Pure. Mainly for the size, metal body, and the battery. Right now I can get it for ~$330 on Amazon. The only thing that's held me back is the software. I've read the stock software is very annoying with constant notifications about apps using up too much RAM/battery. But all these reviews were from the phone's release, I haven't been able to find much information since it's been updated to Marshmallow. I typically like very light ROMs like CM but I see there hasn't been a whole lot of development for this phone other than the KangVIP ROM which seems to have a lot of issues. So I guess my question is how do you all like the stock Marshmallow ROM and is it still good on battery life?
Also I've seen a lot of threads about how to downgrade the software to earlier versions of Android, is this just to install an earlier version of Cyanogenmod? I've not been able to find a "why" in all the threads I've seen on the subject. I've found plenty of Chinese phones that are ~6" with a big battery and metal body but LTE bands are always an issue. This is the only phone I've come across that seems to have everything, other than my concerns about the software. I'm also thinking of holding out and seeing if the Asus Zenfone 3 and the LeTV Max Pro end up having U.S. LTE bands.
Anyway, any thoughts or opinions would be greatly appreciated!
It's getting old now, still a really nice phone but I'd be looking at newer devices at this point. People regress to earlier versions of Android as the MM beta releases often dissapoint. I stuck with the latest release of Lollipop as I have some limited functionality with Xposed, got ViPER4Android working etc, it's smooth and stable. Battery is great. It's hard to describe just how much freedom that allows you compared to other devices. My Oppo Find 7 is a nice phone too, but it just doesn't last long enough and being used to the Mate 7, that annoys me greatly. I do find that the oppo at 5.5" is better to handle and fits a pocket easier. That extra half inch really is noticeable on the Mate. It is one device that does feel a little special though. Once it's optimised and personalised, it's gorgeous.
As for ROMs, not going to happen any time soon. I'm happy with stock, rooted and modded. Doesn't worry me apart from limiting lifespan, but if development did take off, I would be happy.
Huawei just don't understand the international market yet and if they did, and fostered good relations and supported development, they would be able to become #1 I think, but at this point their thinking is still very Chinese.
RobboW said:
It's getting old now, still a really nice phone but I'd be looking at newer devices at this point. People regress to earlier versions of Android as the MM beta releases often dissapoint. I stuck with the latest release of Lollipop as I have some limited functionality with Xposed, got ViPER4Android working etc, it's smooth and stable. Battery is great. It's hard to describe just how much freedom that allows you compared to other devices. My Oppo Find 7 is a nice phone too, but it just doesn't last long enough and being used to the Mate 7, that annoys me greatly. I do find that the oppo at 5.5" is better to handle and fits a pocket easier. That extra half inch really is noticeable on the Mate. It is one device that does feel a little special though. Once it's optimised and personalised, it's gorgeous.
As for ROMs, not going to happen any time soon. I'm happy with stock, rooted and modded. Doesn't worry me apart from limiting lifespan, but if development did take off, I would be happy.
Huawei just don't understand the international market yet and if they did, and fostered good relations and supported development, they would be able to become #1 I think, but at this point their thinking is still very Chinese.
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Thanks for the quick reply RobboW! I've always had phones that had a lot of development so I've kind of taken it for granted. A couple years ago I wouldn't have even considered a phone without a lot of development but my ROM addiction has really subsided and I only recently put a custom ROM on my Moto X. Honestly I don't do much customization anymore, the thing that made me apprehensive about the Mate 7 was all the "battery saving" shenanigans. If there's some way to disable those while still keeping good battery life (which definitely should be possibly with the 4100 mAh battery) then I'll be happy with the ROM, provided there's no lag. I don't do any kind of gaming or anything, just browsing the web, videos, texts, and emails, but I can't stand any kind of lag.
Thanks again for your help, it's been a grueling process trying to find a phone that meets all my criteria for a reasonable price. The Mate 7's hardware hits it perfectly, so if I can live with the software I still think it's a good deal.
It sounds like your user case is much like mine then. The Mate 7 (get 32Gb version and insert a 128Gb uSD) should serve you well. Update it from kitkat to lollipop for UI smoothness, unlock bootloader, install TWRP recovery, root and do a little debloat, although there's really not much bloat, install Viper if sound is your thing. You will need a different launcher and icon pack to get away from Huawei launcher which is terrible.
For the notifications, it has a notification manager so you can customise that to your liking. Mine doesn't bombard me with warnings. The battery is awesome, just go to power saving settings, ignore the savings and set it to normal. It still easily goes a day with heavy use.
My son liked mine and wanted to update his galaxy S4 so got a Mate 7 32Gb and I did all these things to his. He has wifi and BT on all day, facebook messenger always on etc and it never has a battery problem. He is still gobsmacked by it. Says it's better in every way to the S4 other than maybe the lack of ir blaster (which he doesn't care about) and amoled screen in the S4 but the Mate 7 screen is really nice anyway. I actually like the IPS panel better than amoled as I think amoled is gharish, too colourful, just not realistic and the IPS seems much nicer, more realistic for photos and video. It's actually a warmish tint, unlike my oppo which has a very stark, cold tint and is harder on my eyes.
You can adjust the screen and I set it to it's coldest but it's still warmer than the oppo.
I've been toying with the idea to go back to using the Mate 7 as my daily phone instead of the oppo. I was going to use the Mate 7 as a tool, like a small tablet because it will be the database and interface (BT) between an electrical test tag machine and a label printer. The camera is really good at macro focus and reads barcodes very well.
I didn't want to talk it up to someone expecting a 6P and lot's of custom roms, but for the price they can be bought for now, and your user case, it will make a great daily driver. Just be very sure it works on the correct bands you need there in the US. It works great here in Australia.
Edit: I'm having an issue with my Oppo where sometimes I can't view an email when others work ok. The Mate 7 doesn't have the issue and I've been going through settings looking for differences as the two phones are set up almost the same. Cannot find the problem so I have my SIM in the Mate again (Titanium Backup is so handy for transfering sms and call data) and will try to get a custom ROM in the Oppo.
The Mate works great. No desire for a ROM in that unless I update to MM when/if I can get a stable final release that is originally OTA.
Well I went ahead and bit the bullet and I'm going for it. I'll probably need to be pointed in the right direction once it arrives as far as which ROM to install and how I go about downgrading it if I need to. Thanks again for your help! I'm excited to check it out.
@RobboW has said pretty much all there is that's worth mentioning about the device. If you're after stellar battery life and a solid daily driver you can't go wrong, but don't expect the flexibility of devices that are more open to customization.
I've updated to the official MM release and have yet to encounter any of the issues people complained about in the beta releases. While the LP release is fantastic (and Viper actually works on it, which I miss), the MM build offers even better responsiveness and an overall better-rounded software experience, although that's not saying I wouldn't flash something entirely different in a heartbeat (if only I could....).
The camera is also not very great. On paper it's decent, but photos almost always come out blurry (as there's no OIS) and washed out. A but of tinkering on Snapseed can make a big difference though, but don't expect anything too great.
If you already bought it I'd suggest that you immediately install a 3rd party launcher of your choice to avoid the stock launcher (which really is horrendous), and then root if that's your sort of thing.
Enjoy!
Scruffykid said:
The camera is also not very great. On paper it's decent, but photos almost always come out blurry (as there's no OIS) and washed out. A but of tinkering on Snapseed can make a big difference though, but don't expect anything too great.
Enjoy!
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Scruffy, set the saturation in the camera app settings a notch higher. You can also set the brightness down a little if needed. I actually find the camera pretty good. It's not a flagship camera but it's also not a cheap one.
I've got my SIM back in my Oppo today, got OmniROM set up pretty nice now. So much better than ColorOS from Oppo. The B331 LP Mate 7 ROM is quite nice for a stock ROM IMO and I'm still happy to keep it. If the Oppo is stable on OmniROM, maybe I'll look at updating the Mate 7 to MM, but not if I can't have Xposed and ViPER4Android......
I'm on Marshmallow on the Oppo now and it's a PIA with some things. File explorers have issues with access, notifications are more intrusive, but it is a nice OS other than that. I actually found Lollipop easier to use.
---------- Post added at 10:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:47 AM ----------
Prozart said:
Well I went ahead and bit the bullet and I'm going for it. I'll probably need to be pointed in the right direction once it arrives as far as which ROM to install and how I go about downgrading it if I need to. Thanks again for your help! I'm excited to check it out.
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It will ship with Kitkat so you boot and see which firmware version it's on and what OTA update it wants to install when it goes online, but don't install it straight away, come back to the forum with the information and then the correct update tree can be looked at.
Don't leave it on Kitkat, IMO, you either use B331 Lollipop or a Marshmallow ROM. Nothing earlier. Some of the MM ROMS do need an earlier Lollipop version to update from, but sometimes you can flash the ROM anyway, as long as the phone is compatible with it.
RobboW said:
Scruffy, set the saturation in the camera app settings a notch higher. You can also set the brightness down a little if needed. I actually find the camera pretty good. It's not a flagship camera but it's also not a cheap one.
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I can't seem to find the settings you're mentioning in my camera settings. Perhaps it was removed on the MM builds? Anyway I think simply installing 3rd party camera software should make a big difference. As you and I both said, most of what's wrong with the camera is software.
Haven't tried MM on my Mate 7 so couldn't speculate, but from Google Play, give Open Camera a try, it's free. See if pics match the viewing angle you expected.
For a paid app, Camera FV-5 is very good. It's supposed to mimmick a DSLR.
Edit:
Just installed Open Camera (by Mark Harmon) on both phones. Works well. Two things I like are the availability of grid lines and a level indicator. Makes quite a difference when doing landscape photography. I live in a seaside town and getting horizon level is so important with shots including ocean. If it had panorama mode I'd be a happy chappy!
I haven't been bothered with camera apps on my Mate 7 as it has a good camera on KK and LP and I had no need to look for better. The Oppo Find 7 is another matter. Oppo camera was good with ColorOS, but now on OmniROM, I needed to look at camera apps, but had already found the others with my previous phone as it was a THL W200 and stock software was pretty crap.
RobboW said:
It will ship with Kitkat so you boot and see which firmware version it's on and what OTA update it wants to install when it goes online, but don't install it straight away, come back to the forum with the information and then the correct update tree can be looked at.
Don't leave it on Kitkat, IMO, you either use B331 Lollipop or a Marshmallow ROM. Nothing earlier. Some of the MM ROMS do need an earlier Lollipop version to update from, but sometimes you can flash the ROM anyway, as long as the phone is compatible with it.
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Alright so it arrived today with KK 4.4.2 build number 120SP04. I went to the updater and it said no updates are available. I don't have a SIM card in it so I don't know if that makes a difference. I didn't realize it didn't have a nano sim slot so I'll have to go to my carrier to get a micro. In the mean time, what are my upgrade paths to a good Lollipop or Marshmallow? I'm in North America and on the main page I only saw update packages for India, Europe, and China I believe. Would I just go with the European ones?
Prozart said:
Alright so it arrived today with KK 4.4.2 build number 120SP04. I went to the updater and it said no updates are available. I don't have a SIM card in it so I don't know if that makes a difference. I didn't realize it didn't have a nano sim slot so I'll have to go to my carrier to get a micro. In the mean time, what are my upgrade paths to a good Lollipop or Marshmallow? I'm in North America and on the main page I only saw update packages for India, Europe, and China I believe. Would I just go with the European ones?
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Will you be using an SD card? Slot 2 takes either an SD or a nano SIM, not both at once though.
That's the same ROM my phone came on. It's the standard international ROM for a non carrier locked TL10 goldie.
It will update to B130 OTA
From B130 I flashed mine to B331 Lollipop (newest lollipop). Just a download of ROM and place in dload folder and point the updater to it, then it does it from within the OS. It won't go past B130 on an OTA.
If you want MM, that needs to be loked at as there are stacks of vesions. I'm inclined to think if it can be flashed up to MM from B331 it's reasonably new. That's my aim. I won't go to an older LP to get up to a buggy old beta MM.
Here's the download link where I got my stable Lollipop.
http://www.carbontesla.com/2016/01/download-ascend-mate-7-full-b331-lollipop-firmware-europe/
It seems to me that Huawei are still slowly releasing updates so I would rather sit on a stable LP and wait for the last MM rather than join the unhappy bunch of early flashers who have bugs or bricks.
B331 LP works well and can get some limited use of Xposed and full use of Viper4android.
You need to keep stock recovery to flash an update but unlocked bootloader is fine, so I'd look to unlock the bootloader after it gets B130 update.
It will have a choppy UI on KitKat, it's normal. Lollipop fixes that.
I reckon you'll last maybe 5 minutes trying to use the Huawei launcher. Don't fight that, just install another, lol. Have to go into settings and choose default launcher in the app management section.
RobboW said:
Will you be using an SD card? Slot 2 takes either an SD or a nano SIM, not both at once though.
That's the same ROM my phone came on. It's the standard international ROM for a non carrier locked TL10 goldie.
It will update to B130 OTA
From B130 I flashed mine to B331 Lollipop (newest lollipop). Just a download of ROM and place in dload folder and point the updater to it, then it does it from within the OS. It won't go past B130 on an OTA.
If you want MM, that needs to be loked at as there are stacks of vesions. I'm inclined to think if it can be flashed up to MM from B331 it's reasonably new. That's my aim. I won't go to an older LP to get up to a buggy old beta MM.
Here's the download link where I got my stable Lollipop.
http://www.carbontesla.com/2016/01/download-ascend-mate-7-full-b331-lollipop-firmware-europe/
It seems to me that Huawei are still slowly releasing updates so I would rather sit on a stable LP and wait for the last MM rather than join the unhappy bunch of early flashers who have bugs or bricks.
B331 LP works well and can get some limited use of Xposed and full use of Viper4android.
You need to keep stock recovery to flash an update but unlocked bootloader is fine, so I'd look to unlock the bootloader after it gets B130 update.
It will have a choppy UI on KitKat, it's normal. Lollipop fixes that.
I reckon you'll last maybe 5 minutes trying to use the Huawei launcher. Don't fight that, just install another, lol. Have to go into settings and choose default launcher in the app management section.
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Awesome, thanks for your help! Since its saying "no updates available" should I manually update it to B130 and then to the link you provided for B331?
And yeah I've already got a launcher I've been using and like, I'm already sick of the stock launcher, lol. Also, strangely, the play store force closes after a few seconds of opening. I'm not too worried about it as I'll very soon be flashing different firmware, but still strange. Also, this is the MT7 L09 version, should I still update B130>B331?
And as far as Marshmallow is concerned I'm inclined to take your path with a stable Lollipop until they get MM all worked out.
Prozart said:
Awesome, thanks for your help! Since its saying "no updates available" should I manually update it to B130 and then to the link you provided for B331?
And yeah I've already got a launcher I've been using and like, I'm already sick of the stock launcher, lol. Also, strangely, the play store force closes after a few seconds of opening. I'm not too worried about it as I'll very soon be flashing different firmware, but still strange. Also, this is the MT7 L09 version, should I still update B130>B331?
And as far as Marshmallow is concerned I'm inclined to take your path with a stable Lollipop until they get MM all worked out.
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L09, well that changes everything. You can go to B522 MM on that already. Update to B331, see how you like it. You can update to B522 from there anyway.
Google Play FC will be it trying to update itself whilst you're using it.
Check your ROM matches the number of the update. There are update notes included with it. If it doesn't match, it will fail to flash once most of the way through it. This is the CUST folder and is ROM specific for different areas of the world. It's where most naive users brick their phone.
For instance, mine is C900B331 and the original would have been C900B120SP04
That C900 is most important.
What many don't realise is that the number of the ROM doesn't always mean newer. It could be for a different region and that region has a different sequence of ROM designations.
RobboW said:
L09, well that changes everything. You can go to B522 MM on that already. Update to B331, see how you like it. You can update to B522 from there anyway.
Google Play FC will be it trying to update itself whilst you're using it.
Check your ROM matches the number of the update. There are update notes included with it. If it doesn't match, it will fail to flash once most of the way through it. This is the CUST folder and is ROM specific for different areas of the world. It's where most naive users brick their phone.
For instance, mine is C900B331 and the original would have been C900B120SP04
That C900 is most important.
What many don't realise is that the number of the ROM doesn't always mean newer. It could be for a different region and that region has a different sequence of ROM designations.
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Thanks to you I successfully updated to B331. I got my launcher installed and now I just need to change the DPI as everything is huge, lol. So now I need to unlock bootloader and root it. But so far everything is smooth, no problems yet.
Edit: Quick question. I went into the APN settings and accidentally clicked on preferred network type. Before I went in there it was set to LTE (and I was successfully connected to LTE) but that wasn't an option to click on when I went into the settings. It's only showing me these three and so I'm not getting LTE anymore. Any ideas?
Check dual card settings for default 4G slot.
Edit: Why am I suggesting that for an L09, lol.
Have you done anything to upset the settings for APN?
Have a look in power saving settings to see if anything there cuts it back to 3G to save juice.
4G really sucks battery compared to 3G.
RobboW said:
Check dual card settings for default 4G slot.
Edit: Why am I suggesting that for an L09, lol.
Have you done anything to upset the settings for APN?
Have a look in power saving settings to see if anything there cuts it back to 3G to save juice.
4G really sucks battery compared to 3G.
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I can't find anything i n the power settings regarding network modes, I believe the only thing I've changed is putting the power plan on Normal and turning off Power-intensive prompt.
Also on the keyboard, the keys aren't vibrating. I went into the keyboard settings and made sure it was turned on. Also tried toggling it off and on with no success. Are there any other vibration settings hidden somewhere that I'm missing?
I wonder if a factory reset is in order. Just to count out any leftovers. I do wonder though, if there is something funny about the bands the carriers allow to work in the US. I often see comments from US XDA members about bands. Like the US is really different than the rest of the world or something.
RobboW said:
I wonder if a factory reset is in order. Just to count out any leftovers. I do wonder though, if there is something funny about the bands the carriers allow to work in the US. I often see comments from US XDA members about bands. Like the US is really different than the rest of the world or something.
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Yeah I may try that when I get home tonight. I need to unlock bootloader and root anyway so that'll wipe it. It's just so weird cause I had LTE up until the point when I went into settings and clicked on WDCMA or whatever and now there's no option to get back to LTE. It's also not connecting via bluetooth to my car. It had no problems connecting to my Moto 360, I don't know what would be different about my car. But it's not detecting it at all. Perhaps a factory reset would help solve that.
I spent about an hour last night reading up on unlocking the bootloader. I tried emailing Huawei and they directed me to log in to my Huawei account and I'd be able to get the code after 14 days. Is there any other way to do this? I mean I can survive a couple weeks without root, but it's not optimal, lol.
Don't root it yet and don't flash recovery.
Unlock the bootloader first. Read the following thread where I show the trick for getting your code easy and free.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/mate-7/general/bootloader-unlock-longer-anymore-t3296725
I've put mine back to stock B331 as much as possible tonight and flashed stock recovery then dirty flashed B331 back over it. About to factory reset it then attempt flashing Marshmallow.
Edit:
Reset went ok.
Edit:
Started the update, got to 96% and failed (CUST FAIL) and rebooted, sat on the start screen for quite a while and then booted. It's on C900B522 Marshmallow but I'm not sure what impact the cust fail has, but it seems to run fine. The dual card management settings are there so it is running as the TL10 that it is, although in settings it's calling itself a JAZZ.
RobboW said:
Don't root it yet and don't flash recovery.
Unlock the bootloader first. Read the following thread where I show the trick for getting your code easy and free.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/mate-7/general/bootloader-unlock-longer-anymore-t3296725
I've put mine back to stock B331 as much as possible tonight and flashed stock recovery then dirty flashed B331 back over it. About to factory reset it then attempt flashing Marshmallow.
Edit:
Reset went ok.
Edit:
Started the update, got to 96% and failed (CUST FAIL) and rebooted, sat on the start screen for quite a while and then booted. It's on C900B522 Marshmallow but I'm not sure what impact the cust fail has, but it seems to run fine. The dual card management settings are there so it is running as the TL10 that it is, although in settings it's calling itself a JAZZ.
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I upgraded to 522 and so far it seems to be working well. Having some problems with Google Play Services (says it needs to update but the option isn't available in the play store) but otherwise seems great. Got LTE back and I've connected via Bluetooth to my car. I'm thinking about upgrading to 560 tonight. So I'm trying to follow your instructions on unlocking the bootloader but I don't understand where I need to go to type in the IMEI. I went to the website and logged in but then it takes me to this page (which doesn't seem to have an English version) and I have no idea where to go from there.