Related
Well, as much as I love my Tab 7 Plus I've just about had it with Samsung. I'm getting rid of it, selling it on ebay with the official book cover/case. The money I get for it will go towards the new Google Nexus tablet due out at the end of this month.
For what it's worth, I've learnt a lot about tablets and Android from some very clever people on this part of the XDA forum and I'd like to thank them for the help...
Maybe I'll bump into some of you guys on another part of this forum in the future
I can't say I blame you...
BTW, as much as I do/did like the official book cover case, mine is beginning to fall apart at the corners (of the flap that covers the screen). I haven't been very hard on it, it mostly stays at home. It just turned out lower quality/less durable than it appears.
Mine is going on EBAY today aswell - my Sony Tablet S is a much better bit of kit.
Bye bye Samsung.
Can't say I blame you. I bought the tablet with the ICS update in mind, but Samsung has really been disappointing. Thinking about selling mine too...
I've just installed AOKP on my little girls (my old) P1000. With it running ICS 4.0.4 it seems to be so responsive compared to gingerbread that was on it. It feels like a completely new device. A lot if things (UI responsiveness, task switching, etc) seem to be on par (and in some cases surpass) with my P6200 now. It's actually a joy to use again and it's also a constant reminder of what I'm missing out on.
Not that I am pro Apple or IOS, but this graphic from the recent WWDC 12 keynote tells the overall story pretty well.
I am very disappointed in Samsung and most other tablet and handset brands upgrade schedules as well. They'd rather you purchase a new product rather than support the one, in some cases, you just bought.
I am pretty certain I won't bother to purchase another Samsung product
My GT-6210 is now on Ebay, selling with root and my own personal optimisations.
Huh? what's so bad about the tab? It runs just fine with honeycomb once you get rid of default launcher
I did the same thing 7 months ago. I had a acer a100 and I sold it on Ebay because of the locked bootloader. I month later they found a workaround to the bootloader issue and now have CM9 on it.
With the money I sold the A100 I bought the p6210 and figured the Samsung would be not far behind with the ICS update. Now I am still waiting for ICS on the Samsung and Acer has released ICS on the A100 months ago. I am afraid that if I sell the Samsung that they will release the update, so I am sticking it out.
Like I did with my phone two versions ago I will only buy Nexus devices. If google releases a Nexus tablet that is Wifi only I will get it and not worry about future updates.
VitaZora said:
...this graphic from the recent WWDC 12 keynote tells the overall story pretty well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not thrilled about the delay either, but this graphic does *not* tell the entire story. See, for example, here: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/12/psa-which-ios-6-features-can-my-device-run/
Sure, almost all devices receive the new version of iOS... but none besides the newest hardware *really* get it.
CrisisCorE said:
Huh? what's so bad about the tab? It runs just fine with honeycomb once you get rid of default launcher
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Who said there was anything wrong with the Tab? It's a great piece of kit.
It's Samsung themselves who are the problem.
bittersound said:
Who said there was anything wrong with the Tab? It's a great piece of kit.
It's Samsung themselves who are the problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is not the answer. Why do you want ICS so badly? Is it something essential for your tablet? Honeycomb+TZ and ICS+TZ really look the same. So no visual differences. Why do you need ICS? Because of face unlock? Because of an ability to swipe apps from multitasking menu? Why?
Everything ICS offers is already in HC, or it's just not important.
The only thing that is reasonable to desire - more battery life and more speed. Both are already very nice in HC. My 6201 can stand for 7 hours with 3G on + GPS + Games + Movies + Internet surfing. And it's very, very fast, faster than my 3VO on ICS with overclock (2 cores @ 1.7ghz).
So can anybody tell me just one reason, besides the reason above, why would you really need ICS? I dare you.
So just calm down, stop this crap and do like me: just be happy using your gt7+ with HC, not thinking about ICS. Android 4.0 will eventually come to our device, and before it happened, let's forget about it.
Adiost said:
This is not the answer. Why do you want ICS so badly? Is it something essential for your tablet? Honeycomb+TZ and ICS+TZ really look the same. So no visual differences. Why do you need ICS? Because of face unlock? Because of an ability to swipe apps from multitasking menu? Why?
Everything ICS offers is already in HC, or it's just not important.
The only thing that is reasonable to desire - more battery life and more speed. Both are already very nice in HC. My 6201 can stand for 7 hours with 3G on + GPS + Games + Movies + Internet surfing. And it's very, very fast, faster than my 3VO on ICS with overclock (2 cores @ 1.7ghz).
So can anybody tell me just one reason, besides the reason above, why would you really need ICS? I dare you.
So just calm down, stop this crap and do like me: just be happy using your gt7+ with HC, not thinking about ICS. Android 4.0 will eventually come to our device, and before it happened, let's forget about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are very rude and aggressive, there is no call for it.
I didn't say I wanted ICS "so badly" either? Are you the type who just likes to get cross about things?
I'll say (for the last time) in plain English... I am frustrated with Samsung's perceived attitude and stonewalling when it comes to sharing information and basic after-sale care.
Now, I cannot speak for anyone else on this forum but for me if I get dissatisfied with a company then I take my customer elsewhere, and in this instance this manifests itself with me selling my current tablet to purchase one from another manufacturer.
That is all. If you can keep the dialog friendly I'd be grateful.
Best regards
I'm not going as far as selling my 7.0 Tab - I know Ics will come to it eventually. But once the 7 inch Nexus tab hits, I'll be using that as my daily use tab, and the Galaxy will be demoted, like the red headed stepchild it is, to a universal remote and little childs plaything until one of my kids runs over it with a bicycle or something.
Hardware is only compelling up to a certain point.
@bittersound
I couldn't agree with what you've said more.
I bought this device expecting it to be lagfree, or at least given the system spec and the price, even when the default launcher is removed, rooted and tweaks, it's still bad.
My Sony Tablet S is a better device, and for the same price it came with the IR Blaster, better gaming performance with a Tegra 2 CPU, Play Station certification, it too has the small apps bar and includes the mini browser, calculator and remote control.
It's ICS, I can swipe to close apps, force GPU rendering, the web browsing is smoother and the camera is alot sharper and a higher quality.
I bought the Samsung as I bricked my Sony - but when ICS came out I was able to un-brick it, so my Samsung is now on Ebay, I will not be buying another one tablet from them.
Adiost said:
This is not the answer. Why do you want ICS so badly? Is it something essential for your tablet? Honeycomb+TZ and ICS+TZ really look the same. So no visual differences. Why do you need ICS? Because of face unlock? Because of an ability to swipe apps from multitasking menu? Why?
Everything ICS offers is already in HC, or it's just not important.
The only thing that is reasonable to desire - more battery life and more speed. Both are already very nice in HC. My 6201 can stand for 7 hours with 3G on + GPS + Games + Movies + Internet surfing. And it's very, very fast, faster than my 3VO on ICS with overclock (2 cores @ 1.7ghz).
So can anybody tell me just one reason, besides the reason above, why would you really need ICS? I dare you.
So just calm down, stop this crap and do like me: just be happy using your gt7+ with HC, not thinking about ICS. Android 4.0 will eventually come to our device, and before it happened, let's forget about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I want my damn lockscreen music player for Google Music.
i won't satisfy with u~~~
Adiost said:
This is not the answer. Why do you want ICS so badly? Is it something essential for your tablet? Honeycomb+TZ and ICS+TZ really look the same. So no visual differences. Why do you need ICS? Because of face unlock? Because of an ability to swipe apps from multitasking menu? Why?
Everything ICS offers is already in HC, or it's just not important.
The only thing that is reasonable to desire - more battery life and more speed. Both are already very nice in HC. My 6201 can stand for 7 hours with 3G on + GPS + Games + Movies + Internet surfing. And it's very, very fast, faster than my 3VO on ICS with overclock (2 cores @ 1.7ghz).
So can anybody tell me just one reason, besides the reason above, why would you really need ICS? I dare you.
So just calm down, stop this crap and do like me: just be happy using your gt7+ with HC, not thinking about ICS. Android 4.0 will eventually come to our device, and before it happened, let's forget about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if HC compare with ICS nothing diff., why release a new ICS???
btw, sure now we hv a good tablet, but not every one will be satisfy the best
tablet now we hv, right?
when samsung update ICS for Our Tab+(but asus TF101 already hv), I THINK a new Jelly Bean 5 its time to release... (i,m fell like a donkey)
say truth, i hv no choice to choose other tablet with phone in 7", if "have" i never buy samsung again~~~
i'll stay for next tablet nexus 7" by asus.
I'm sure ICS would be somewhat better, and yes it sucks that samsung hasn't released it yet, but I'm already happy with my 7+ so I'm not exactly in a rush either.
Adiost said:
So can anybody tell me just one reason, besides the reason above, why would you really need ICS? I dare you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because some people are never happy with what they have. In a few months after ICS drops they'll be *****ing because Jellybean isn't being developed for this tab. My philosophy has always been if you don't like it learn how to fix it yourself, its not all that difficult if you really want to learn. I'm perfectly happy with this as it is, it does everything I want it to do. If your not happy with it sell it, get something you like, and move on. I should add that HTC, Motorolla and the rest of the manufacturers aren't any better than Samsung in fact some are far worse with locked devices and not releasing code.
i sold my HTC Wildfire S last December 2011 because HTC doesnt want to unlock our bootloader.. Few days after I sold my Wildfire S and got this tab they unlocked the bootloader.. anyway I'll try to stick with this tab for the meantime.. I'm really not in the hurry to get ICS. I'm not gonna let go of this tab easily. So far it works well for me..
I was originally thinking about getting an international Galaxy Tablet, but as much as I'd like a tablet as a phone...I know it's not the ideal solution for multiple reasons (lack of warranty, primarily).
Anyway, a friend can get me one brand-new for $250, and it'd be a decent upgrade from my HTC G2. I know development for it isn't the best, and ICS probably won't arrive at least for another month (and it'll suck going back to Gingerbread after having used ICS for a bit on my G2), but I don't want my G2 to completely crap out and have to buy a new phone on a whim like that (and it'd be nice to have the G2 available as a backup).
Not interested in the Galaxy II (I get that it has better features, but it just looks/feels so cheap to me), and the Galaxy III is a nice phone, but I won't use half the features/power and it'd be an extra $100 or so. Nothing else on T-Mobile really appeals to me.
That being said, other than the previously-mentioned lack of development, are there any issues with the Blaze that I should know about? Or any major reason (other than development) that I should go with the GS3 instead?
If you've only ever used a AOSP style CM capable device (like me) you may regret going to something that only runs TouchWiz. Sure, you can change the launcher, uninstall swype and install the better version, and root it to uninstall a bunch of apps you don't want/need... but there are other things you can't change.
The lock screen, phone call screen(s) and some other things are remarkably slow and unresponsive, and is this ridiculous attempt to bring ICS looks and features to a poor gingerbread implementation. I don't understand how a company can make a phone with dual 1.5Ghz cores perform some things so slowly when my 1Ghz MT4G was responsive as hell. The phone feels "nicer" in the hand than some other samsungs I've held but that's about all it has going for it. Oh, and it supports T-Mobile's WiFi calling.
And yeah, the development is going REALLY slow and will likely remain so, even with the generous help of the guys that are making moves on this phone now.
If I had the choice again, I wouldn't. I will never again purchase a phone that isn't already supported by some AOSP style ROM. I thought root was enough and I'd get by with it, but I was wrong.
But that's just me.
dr4stic said:
If you've only ever used a AOSP style CM capable device (like me) you may regret going to something that only runs TouchWiz. Sure, you can change the launcher, uninstall swype and install the better version, and root it to uninstall a bunch of apps you don't want/need... but there are other things you can't change.
The lock screen, phone call screen(s) and some other things are remarkably slow and unresponsive, and is this ridiculous attempt to bring ICS looks and features to a poor gingerbread implementation. I don't understand how a company can make a phone with dual 1.5Ghz cores perform some things so slowly when my 1Ghz MT4G was responsive as hell. The phone feels "nicer" in the hand than some other samsungs I've held but that's about all it has going for it. Oh, and it supports T-Mobile's WiFi calling.
And yeah, the development is going REALLY slow and will likely remain so, even with the generous help of the guys that are making moves on this phone now.
If I had the choice again, I wouldn't. I will never again purchase a phone that isn't already supported by some AOSP style ROM. I thought root was enough and I'd get by with it, but I was wrong.
But that's just me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well then, wasn't exactly expecting to hear that on this of all boards - it's definitely good to hear, though, as I didn't realize how serious reviews were about the device being bloated like that.
My only other choice I'd be remotely interested in would be the HTC Amaze, and not that I don't like HTC, but I've read the battery life isn't the best, and there's issues like backlight bleeding and whatnot. I guess I'll just wait to get the GS3 and hope there aren't any major issues.
Yeah, sorry
For the price, if the community were more active, I'd say it's a great deal. But if it isn't active now, the sad truth is that it won't get more active down the road. And I wouldn't wait for the likes of me to actually succeed in getting CM9 running on this thing...
As a comparison, the HTC One S has been around half as long and has like 10x the interest and activity. Just walk around their XDA Android Dev subforums and you'll see what I mean. Mind you, the 1S has the same CPU, memory, and other misc. features. The storage and battery are fixed, but that's the only downside. It's got a slimmer package and more accessories available. The blaze is dead in comparison.
TouchWiz just irritates me, but I make do with the phone, and maybe I'm being picky. Ask if you can test drive the thing... insert your sim and make/answer some calls... do some basic things and just know that's pretty much how the device will always be. If you could live with that, then so be it.
For a T-Mobile compatible phone, I'd just get a new Galaxy Nexus, or a 1S. The Galaxy Nexus will be the first to run Jelly Bean, and you'll also have support for a fairly long time from the likes of the CM team and AOKP, et al. It has some great features too. Just food for though
dr4stic said:
Yeah, sorry
For the price, if the community were more active, I'd say it's a great deal. But if it isn't active now, the sad truth is that it won't get more active down the road. And I wouldn't wait for the likes of me to actually succeed in getting CM9 running on this thing...
As a comparison, the HTC One S has been around half as long and has like 10x the interest and activity. Just walk around their XDA Android Dev subforums and you'll see what I mean. Mind you, the 1S has the same CPU, memory, and other misc. features. The storage and battery are fixed, but that's the only downside. It's got a slimmer package and more accessories available. The blaze is dead in comparison.
TouchWiz just irritates me, but I make do with the phone, and maybe I'm being picky. Ask if you can test drive the thing... insert your sim and make/answer some calls... do some basic things and just know that's pretty much how the device will always be. If you could live with that, then so be it.
For a T-Mobile compatible phone, I'd just get a new Galaxy Nexus, or a 1S. The Galaxy Nexus will be the first to run Jelly Bean, and you'll also have support for a fairly long time from the likes of the CM team and AOKP, et al. It has some great features too. Just food for though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess I'll try and look into the Blaze in person more before I totally dismiss it, then. After hearing numerous issues with the 1S (between random reboots, screens failing, really hot temperatures, data/service issues, and even stuff as weird as the capacitive buttons being completely unresponsive - all reasons people have returned it, according to a friend at T-Mobile), I'm staying away from it, at least for the moment; I like everything else about the phone, however, and don't care about lack of expandable storage or removable battery. Not a fan of the lack official accessories (and accessory choice in general), however, compared to most Samsung phones.
And nothing against the Nexus but...it just doesn't appeal to me. I can understand any of the numerous reasons to go for one, but it just doesn't stand out to me in any way; I'd much sooner get the Galaxy S 3 for the better specs and camera alone.
magus57 said:
I guess I'll try and look into the Blaze in person more before I totally dismiss it, then. After hearing numerous issues with the 1S (between random reboots, screens failing, really hot temperatures, data/service issues, and even stuff as weird as the capacitive buttons being completely unresponsive - all reasons people have returned it, according to a friend at T-Mobile), I'm staying away from it, at least for the moment; I like everything else about the phone, however, and don't care about lack of expandable storage or removable battery. Not a fan of the lack official accessories (and accessory choice in general), however, compared to most Samsung phones.
And nothing against the Nexus but...it just doesn't appeal to me. I can understand any of the numerous reasons to go for one, but it just doesn't stand out to me in any way; I'd much sooner get the Galaxy S 3 for the better specs and camera alone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe the Nexus also has various issues. I honestly don't understand where are all the pessimism is coming from. We are getting the official ICS update, so CM9 is likely to get to us. We are also funding a developer to help him buy a Blaze and improve his ROM. I'll admit the development is slow, but that's to be expected for a carrier specific device that got no advertising. Descent due development will come in time I think.
Sent from my SGH-T769 using xda premium
dr4stic said:
If you've only ever used a AOSP style CM capable device (like me) you may regret going to something that only runs TouchWiz. Sure, you can change the launcher, uninstall swype and install the better version, and root it to uninstall a bunch of apps you don't want/need... but there are other things you can't change.
The lock screen, phone call screen(s) and some other things are remarkably slow and unresponsive, and is this ridiculous attempt to bring ICS looks and features to a poor gingerbread implementation. I don't understand how a company can make a phone with dual 1.5Ghz cores perform some things so slowly when my 1Ghz MT4G was responsive as hell. The phone feels "nicer" in the hand than some other samsungs I've held but that's about all it has going for it. Oh, and it supports T-Mobile's WiFi calling.
And yeah, the development is going REALLY slow and will likely remain so, even with the generous help of the guys that are making moves on this phone now.
If I had the choice again, I wouldn't. I will never again purchase a phone that isn't already supported by some AOSP style ROM. I thought root was enough and I'd get by with it, but I was wrong.
But that's just me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's funny, but that's exactly how I feel about my Blaze. I thought rooting it to get rid of all the bloat would be enough, but I want more, and there just isn't more out there, despite the efforts of our lovable and hard working dev's. And you're right - the call screen sometimes just isn't responsive at all and I wind up being unable to answer calls, especially if it's coming from an app I'm already running, such as a game. So from now on I'm coming to XDA and doing developmental research before getting a phone. Right now I'm leaning towards a Galaxy S2 (even though the S3 is a faster phone and all - it just does not feel right IMO).
While the lack of development is discouraging to "early" adopters, I really love the form factor (can't stand the 4.3" screens or bigger) and the build quality is surprisingly nice.
Having used CM before on another device, it is weird not having it on here. The lack of customizability is a bit frustrating. But I'm patient. I really think the price point, performance potential, and friendly size will make this a winner once ICS and the appropriate sources/information are released.
So I got a chance to play with one a little bit (basically brand-new, just factory reset)...I'm not seeing the sluggishness/delay you guys are talking about, particularly with the phone calls (receiving or placing). Maybe I'm just used to the delay/sluggishness on my G2 that I don't notice it, but I'd imagine removing all that bloat (and removing stuff like built-in ringtones) would help a decent amount...
magus57 said:
So I got a chance to play with one a little bit (basically brand-new, just factory reset)...I'm not seeing the sluggishness/delay you guys are talking about, particularly with the phone calls (receiving or placing). Maybe I'm just used to the delay/sluggishness on my G2 that I don't notice it, but I'd imagine removing all that bloat (and removing stuff like built-in ringtones) would help a decent amount...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I have none of the sluggishness issues either. Stock may be bloated but its pretty damn snappy. I've used a MT4G with CM7 and my Blaze is much more responsive overall, it even handles flash without breaking a sweat.
I'm really happy with this phone despite not having much rom support. Coming from a defy there are two things that I don't miss: battery pulls and random reboots. Never happens on this device. For me that makes it worth giving up AOSP...at least for now.
Sent from my SGH-T769 using Tapatalk 2
Just out of curiosity - I've heard that internally there are many similarities between a Blaze and a Galaxy S2. Has anyone ever tried throwing an S2 ROM on their Blaze and, if so, what were the results? Just curious.
Sent from my SGH-T769 using xda premium
sparkie6point0 said:
Just out of curiosity - I've heard that internally there are many similarities between a Blaze and a Galaxy S2. Has anyone ever tried throwing an S2 ROM on their Blaze and, if so, what were the results? Just curious.
Sent from my SGH-T769 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
they are similars but don't recommend something like that iif you don't know what might happen. Because flashing wrong kernel/rom can brick peoples phone.
sent from my batcave
sparkie6point0 said:
Just out of curiosity - I've heard that internally there are many similarities between a Blaze and a Galaxy S2. Has anyone ever tried throwing an S2 ROM on their Blaze and, if so, what were the results? Just curious.
Sent from my SGH-T769 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The B4G is specifically very much like the T-Mobile GS2 (The T989). They are both based on the msm8660_surf board, with the same CPU, GPU and many of the same sensors. There are differences, specifically with the panel (display) and a few of the sensors. The differences are enough that it doesn't quite work on our device. Yeah, I've tried ;-)
What I've been doing is specifically trying to port a number of the things for our device into the ICS kernel available for the T989. My goal is to come up with a bootable ICS kernel for our device. I think that's gonna be the biggest stepping stone to a working CM9 or AOKP build for our phone.
The B4G has nothing other than specs in common with the other SGS2 phones on the market, save for maybe the AT&T SkyRocket. They all use different CPU's and GPU's on a different platform all built by Samsung... and thus different sensors.
I've had a lot of phones starting with the Nexus One (actually the Eris but I try to forget). So far the only issue I see is the ability to "crack flash". IMO sooner or later you'll have a phone that just won't have every developer swooning over it. if for no other reason than there are so many phone out there. (remember the threads when the Nexus came out?)
I bought this phone because it met all of my needs and had good specs. I had the G2x and the Sensation (sold on gave another to my son) but ths phone is better. The extra Ram is noticeable difference IMO and the size of the phone is right for me.
We could have all opted for the Galaxy SII and I'm sure everybody looked at the threads and saw what was going on so........participate........and relax a little.........the phone works very well.
Hi,
So I'm new to Android, and I've only had a Nexus 7 for a week (I sold it) which I rooted and had some custom roms for.
I wanted the Xperia Z, but it's shape is too square and thus bulky. I like that this Razr HD is a bit water resistant, has excellent battery, the keflav back, and is a less cumbersome size.
But- i'm concerned as this device isn't one of the more popular. Does this mean i will have to wait much longer for upgrades even if rooted? And less support in future? could some apps not run/be designed for this device?
Basically- Im someone who keeps their phone for ages. Im still using a jailbroken 3GS happily. As much as i dont like apple- its good that i can always run the latest OS...
Just wanted thoughts on all this. Cheers
ycon said:
Hi,
So I'm new to Android, and I've only had a Nexus 7 for a week (I sold it) which I rooted and had some custom roms for.
I wanted the Xperia Z, but it's shape is too square and thus bulky. I like that this Razr HD is a bit water resistant, has excellent battery, the keflav back, and is a less cumbersome size.
But- i'm concerned as this device isn't one of the more popular. Does this mean i will have to wait much longer for upgrades even if rooted? And less support in future? could some apps not run/be designed for this device?
Basically- Im someone who keeps their phone for ages. Im still using a jailbroken 3GS happily. As much as i dont like apple- its good that i can always run the latest OS...
Just wanted thoughts on all this. Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Official upgrades for android devices are at the whim of the manufacturer and the carrier unless we're talking about a nexus device which gets updates directly from Google. On Verizon updates typically take longer to come out due to what they say is extensive testing, but recently they've been better about it imo. Unofficial updates are governed by the amount and quality of developers on that particular device. For moto phones we have a nice core of developers that keep us up to date. Now that the newest moto phones have had their bootloaders unlocked, development has really picked up. The development scene on Android is a lot different and more complicated then the Apple side. Due to the amount of high end android devices that are released every year the development scene moves pretty quickly. That isn't to say older devices aren't dev'd for but it is a possibility to consider. In the moto world devices as far back as the droid 3 are still actively supported. Many of us started out with moto and have never left.
Don't worry about the apps. Unless the device falls really behind in the os version all apps will be supported. It's not like apple where if your phone doesn't have the latest update a third of the apps don't work. There are apps coded specifically for features only available on the latest Android version but those are very few due to people wanting to make money lol.
sent from my xt926 RAZR maxx hd
Cheers for that really helpful response.
It all seems pretty good to me with app compatibility.
So- if I understand correctly, if I unlock the bootloader & root my phone, I wont have to rely on Moto/my carrier for the OS updates?
Are there any other general things I should know before saying no to more mainstream (GS4) device?
Cheers
ycon said:
Cheers for that really helpful response.
It all seems pretty good to me with app compatibility.
So- if I understand correctly, if I unlock the bootloader & root my phone, I wont have to rely on Moto/my carrier for the OS updates?
Are there any other general things I should know before saying no to more mainstream (GS4) device?
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes to your first question. Technically you would only need root to stop carrier updates but none of the new roms are being developed for locked devices.
Firstly know that the HD has basically the same innards as the gs3 except with 1gb less ram and a less impressive camera. The two monster phones out/coming out right now are the gs4 and the HTC one with a new nexus hopefully out soon. The gs4 represents some of the best hardware available (with newer still coming out later this year) and will have a lot of Dev focus. Out of those 3 phones Verizon will only be getting the gs4 most likely. In terms of what phone to get I would say you need to physically handle each before making a decision. If you must be on Verizon then the gs4 would be a great choice but some people don't like the build materials and feel of the phone (similar to gs3). People sticking with moto appreciate the solid feel, excellent materials, amazing radio strength, and battery life.
sent from my xt926 RAZR maxx hd
koftheworld;4080229The gs4 represents some of the best hardware available (with newer still coming out later this year) and will have a lot of Dev focus. Out of those 3 phones Verizon will only be getting the gs4 most likely. In terms of what phone to get I would say you need to physically handle each before making a decision. If you must be on Verizon then the gs4 would be a great choice but some people don't like the build materials and feel of the phone (similar to gs3). People sticking with moto appreciate the solid feel said:
Cheers for that. I am not on Verizon (I'm in Australia), I'll buy the phone unlocked.
I have had a look at the GS4, HTC One and Razr all together.
The GS4 is my favourite in terms of size, but I'd rather sacrifice the power (Quad core) for the longer battery, better call reception, stronger build, and lower price of the Razr HD.
I might jsut have to wait for the new Nexus phone to come out. I've heard Google will be subsidizing it, so the price might be right.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Blaze friends,
I'm looking for a budget device for some family members and am curious if the Blaze still fits the bill. I'll be able to buy them new at $130 off contract and am looking to upgrade from a Galaxy S 4g, mostly because they're having some hardware issues.
My goal is something less than $150 and I think this is the best Android option I'm able to find. I'm mostly considering this or a Lumia 521 (no need to warm me about WP8 ).
Also, if you guys still suggest buying a Blaze, could you also recommend a rock solid ROM (stock is a valid option if y'all say it's good) that won't require regular tech support?
Many thanks from a Nexus/AOKP guy!
-Jax
Jaxidian said:
Hi Blaze friends,
I'm looking for a budget device for some family members and am curious if the Blaze still fits the bill. I'll be able to buy them new at $130 off contract and am looking to upgrade from a Galaxy S 4g, mostly because they're having some hardware issues.
My goal is something less than $150 and I think this is the best Android option I'm able to find. I'm mostly considering this or a Lumia 521 (no need to warm me about WP8 ).
Also, if you guys still suggest buying a Blaze, could you also recommend a rock solid ROM (stock is a valid option if y'all say it's good) that won't require regular tech support?
Many thanks from a Nexus/AOKP guy!
-Jax
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recommend getting this phone! It's amazing. Especially with all the new ROMs we are receiving from the amazing developers on here! A good solid ROM is Dirty Unicorns (my opinion) but it would vary among other users. Always read the bug list though. Its fairly stable now and I'm sure most of the bugs are squashed. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask this spectacular community!
xWolf13 said:
I recommend getting this phone! It's amazing. Especially with all the new ROMs we are receiving from the amazing developers on here! A good solid ROM is Dirty Unicorns (my opinion) but it would vary among other users. Always read the bug list though. Its fairly stable now and I'm sure most of the bugs are squashed. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask this spectacular community!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you. I really appreciate the feedback!
Jaxidian said:
Thank you. I really appreciate the feedback!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this phone is good and bad.
figure out if you need the size. If you don't want to go larger, this is about the best phone you can find.
There are some restrictions though. This isn't one of the mainstream CyanogenMod phones so doesn't get updates as fast as some others, even older ones. Also since it's been orphaned by Samsung, we probably will have a kernel problem within the next few generations of OS.
Also. The tiny internal storage has been a problem. Mostly this means you have to use a SD card and then install a 3rd party Camera app to allow for storage to the SD card, which can't be done automatically. I'd suggest Snap Camera or Camera JB+ for this (both $).
I have one with a cracked screen that I'm selling for $50. It's on T-Mobile right now though.
I wouldn't pay $130 for it since they are going on Craigslist for about $90 in good or near new shape. But I'm okay buying and selling used and do it regularly so that's a factor.
Overall. I'd go with a SGS II instead of the Blaze if size and the small price difference isn't a big deal for you. The SGSII has similar specs and a larger screen but with better XDA support as well as a lot more people out there with them, so the community is a bit stronger.
Just my not so humble opinion.
Just bought this phone for $130 new from HSN for my mom (her very first smartphone). What's the latest official update for this phone, I know it at least has ICS correct? Is it still stuck on that or has it been officially updated to JB? Thanks guys!
mackster248 said:
Just bought this phone for $130 new from HSN for my mom (her very first smartphone). What's the latest official update for this phone, I know it at least has ICS correct? Is it still stuck on that or has it been officially updated to JB? Thanks guys!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're stuck on ICS unless you go aftermarket. They've stopped releasing updates for this phone. That said, ICS isn't too shabby.
Jaxidian said:
You're stuck on ICS unless you go aftermarket. They've stopped releasing updates for this phone. That said, ICS isn't too shabby.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks man! Tempted to root it... But I suppose ICS will suffice.
mackster248 said:
Thanks man! Tempted to root it... But I suppose ICS will suffice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it were for me, I'd root it. If for somebody I don't want to provide tech support for, I'd leave it.
Jaxidian said:
If it were for me, I'd root it. If for somebody I don't want to provide tech support for, I'd leave it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol yeah my thoughts exactly. Does it require a micro SIM or regular one?
mackster248 said:
Lol yeah my thoughts exactly. Does it require a micro SIM or regular one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Regular
I'm in the same boat as mackster in that I bought it on HSN and am now waiting for the shipment... on the bright side it's not for my mom.
I'm not one to spend as mush as I might on a laptop for a phone so this will be a step up from my Exhibit II 4g from two years ago. Faster processor and larger screen... I'm happy with that for $129.00
I've rooted and tried various roms on my Exhibit so I'm scannig the roms availalbe here now. If anyone has already done the heavy lifting I'm open to suggestions for your opinions on the best rom. My needs in order of importance are:
1. STABILITY
2. Battery life
3. Photos (and ability to save to external DS)
4. Bloat removal (in rom if possible)
4. Wi-Fi calling still functioning
5. Root would be nice (i have many apks)
6. Mapping (aka driving directions) works
I see many roms listing problems with the compass and the camera. I guess I would like a newer version of droid but if ICS meets all of my above needs then I'd be perfectly happy with that too.
Anyone have suggestions?
I have a feeling that you should be looking at mature ICS ROMs. I don't have the phone so I can't say for sure, but that's my gut feeling based on your requirements.
If I remember right, you might want to stay on stock ics. Wifi calling is a no-go on jb. Not sure if it's up and running on jb 4.3, but know for sure it's not on 4.1.2.
Sent from a Blazing PACMAN devouring ALL...
njstein said:
If I remember right, you might want to stay on stock ics. Wifi calling is a no-go on jb. Not sure if it's up and running on jb 4.3, but know for sure it's not on 4.1.2.
Sent from a Blazing PACMAN devouring ALL...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think WiFi Calling has been ported to any non-stock-based JB ROMs for any devices. Definitely not available for general use.
Thanks for the replies... I don't suppose there's a bloatfree stock ROM like I had found for my Exhibit? Otherwise I guess it's time to dust off Titanium and start freezing/uninstalling bloat
gmolds said:
Thanks for the replies... I don't suppose there's a bloatfree stock ROM like I had found for my Exhibit? Otherwise I guess it's time to dust off Titanium and start freezing/uninstalling bloat
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are several AOSP-based options. I can't vouch for the quality of them so you'll have to play with them to find out. But I'd stick with what seems like mature ICS offerings though.
Where is this thank button... I don't seem to see it.
Found it
I'm looking for a replacement for my daughters current tablet. She has a 2012 Nexus 7.
Would the TF300T still be a worthwhile upgrade? They're selling rather inexpensively for $100 refurbished.
I know cm has a 12.1 rom for it, how does the tablet run with Lollipop?
Thanks!
Don't. It has lollipop but the whole thing is very slow.
Chris
Sent from my ahong89_wet_jb2 using Tapatalk
Runs well on KatKiss Lollipop and Katsmallow, but don't know how it compares with Nexus 2012.
Read the comments in development section for ROMs
I have both the Nexus 7 (2012) and the TF300T. My Nexus 7 doesn't get used as much these days, since it has a lot of lag with lollipop on it. I did turn off a lot of sync options on it and that helped with some of the lag.
I mostly use my Transformer. With Katkiss lollipop on it, it is very responsive and works much better than the Nexus 7. I haven't tried katkiss marshmallow on it yet, but the fact that there is still development support going on in this forum, it has a good amount of life left to it. Katkiss seems to have better features than CM 12.1.
Thanks for the information guys. I appreciate it!
Works great w/ katkiss use it everyday. It has a tegra3 GPU and over clock's the 4-core CPU flawlessly (1.7 GHz?)
Sorry if dbl post
cg.voabc said:
I'm looking for a replacement for my daughters current tablet. She has a 2012 Nexus 7.
Would the TF300T still be a worthwhile upgrade? They're selling rather inexpensively for $100 refurbished.
I know cm has a 12.1 rom for it, how does the tablet run with Lollipop?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been using my TF300T for 3-1/2 years now. Every so often I get the bug to shop for a new tablet. After trying a few of the "Latest technology" I have concluded that there is nothing on the market that tops this tablet. I am currently running the latest Katshmallow OS (010). If I had a need for another one I would buy it without a second thought.
I am sure this will not always be the case, and I don't do any heavy gaming or video viewing so results may vary depending on how you use it. But for now and given the price I would say, "Go for it!"
---------- Post added at 10:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:38 AM ----------
chrmhoffmann said:
Don't. It has lollipop but the whole thing is very slow.
Chris
Sent from my ahong89_wet_jb2 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haven't found this to be the case at all. Do you even own this tablet? Just curious.
Yes, I own the tablet and I am the cyanogenmod device maintainer.
I think that this device is utter crap and there are gazillions of tablets which work much better than this one.
If keyboard is a must, then you have much less choices I agree.
This tablet (like the nexus 7 (old version), and other transformers) suffer from underperforming nand flash storage. Just try to Google it. My guess is that katkiss and other roms perform better than CM because they overclock and because they switch off the sync after writes, so the nand performance issues show a bit less frequently.
(No criticism: katkiss is very well maintained - he does a great job and its maybe the only way to keep the device usable).
Chris
Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk
chrmhoffmann said:
Yes, I own the tablet and I am the cyanogenmod device maintainer.
I think that this device is utter crap and there are gazillions of tablets which work much better than this one.
If keyboard is a must, then you have much less choices I agree.
This tablet (like the nexus 7 (old version), and other transformers) suffer from underperforming nand flash storage. Just try to Google it. My guess is that katkiss and other roms perform better than CM because they overclock and because they switch off the sync after writes, so the nand performance issues show a bit less frequently.
(No criticism: katkiss is very well maintained - he does a great job and its maybe the only way to keep the device usable).
Chris
Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can google any device on the market and find negative reviews about it. But, in 3 years of using this tablet, I have been very pleased with it, at least since I moved away from stock, (which I did within a month of purchasing it). And since Katshmallow came out I have been even more impressed with the performance of this "underperforming" device.
I am also aware of the common complaints against it. Whatever the reasons for my personal experience with it, I have no major complaints against it. It runs all of the apps I use quite well with no lag or crashes. I watch Netflix and Hulu videos on it without any stuttering or buffering. It syncs with my Bluetooth devices and the audio works well. I don't do any gaming with the exception of HayDay and Pyramid Solitaire, so possibly that makes a difference.
Maybe I got lucky and have an exception to the rule. I'm sure there are other newer tablets on the market that outperform it. But as it stands now, based on my personal experience, if this tablet dies today, I would do everything I could to find another of the same model.
On another note, I appreciate the development done with CyangenMod for all Android devices. Without that development, a lot of the other custom ROM's would not exist. Thank you for your contributions to that development.
All of that said, I guess we just have to agree to disagree about the TF300T.
Well I bit the bullet and purchased the Lenovo Tab2 A10-70F tablet for both kids. They won't get them until Christmas but I've been setting them up and upgraded them to Lollipop. My experience so far is that it's a nice tablet. I get the feeling this will be to the kids what the 2012 Nexus was to me when I first got it which was an amazing tablet!
Thanks for the input guys; I do appreciate it!
chrmhoffmann said:
Yes, I own the tablet and I am the cyanogenmod device maintainer.
I think that this device is utter crap and there are gazillions of tablets which work much better than this one.
If keyboard is a must, then you have much less choices I agree.
This tablet (like the nexus 7 (old version), and other transformers) suffer from underperforming nand flash storage. Just try to Google it. My guess is that katkiss and other roms perform better than CM because they overclock and because they switch off the sync after writes, so the nand performance issues show a bit less frequently.
(No criticism: katkiss is very well maintained - he does a great job and its maybe the only way to keep the device usable).
Chris
Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was about to pull the trigger on one of these that includes the keyboard on Ebay for $100 until I read this. What tablet would you recommend that fits this criteria:
1. $150 or less
2. 9-10" screen
3. 16GB+ storage
mikecantreed said:
I was about to pull the trigger on one of these that includes the keyboard on Ebay for $100 until I read this. What tablet would you recommend that fits this criteria:
1. $150 or less
2. 9-10" screen
3. 16GB+ storage
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I stand by my previous posts and say that for $100.00 you can't go wrong with this tablet. And having the keyboard as well makes it an even better buy. I would pay twice that without hesitation. It will top anything new on the market at much higher prices. The caveat is you need to use a custom ROM to see the best performance. I highly recommend KatKiss 6.0 I have been using it for a couple of months now and have no regrets whatsoever. Prior to that I used KatKiss 5.1 and was quite pleased with it too.
The bottom line is unless somebody uses a tablet regularly there is no way they can give an accurate review on it. I've used this table for 2-1/2 years REGULARLY AND DAILY and other than the short time I was on stock I have never regretted buying it.
pastorbob62 said:
I stand by my previous posts and say that for $100.00 you can't go wrong with this tablet. And having the keyboard as well makes it an even better buy. I would pay twice that without hesitation. It will top anything new on the market at much higher prices. The caveat is you need to use a custom ROM to see the best performance. I highly recommend KatKiss 6.0 I have been using it for a couple of months now and have no regrets whatsoever. Prior to that I used KatKiss 5.1 and was quite pleased with it too.
The bottom line is unless somebody uses a tablet regularly there is no way they can give an accurate review on it. I've used this table for 2-1/2 years REGULARLY AND DAILY and other than the short time I was on stock I have never regretted buying it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good deal thanks. Do you think it's worth paying an extra $50 for the TF-700t?
mikecantreed said:
Good deal thanks. Do you think it's worth paying an extra $50 for the TF-700t?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely not! I bought a TF700 for my wife about a year after buying the TF300T thinking I would be getting a faster and more capable tablet. After about a month of frustration she tossed it aside and went back to her Kindle Fire HD because it was a total piece of crap, crashing constantly and locking up at every turn. . I tried several different custom ROM's with no improvement. I finally tried KatKiss 5.1 v30 and it was usable but it sits on my nightstand gathering dust. I thought I may have gotten a lemon but after I read through pages of posts and it seemed to be issues that are very common on the TF700.
It's an amazing tablet, thanks a lot to Katkiss it is running as smooth as ever but personally I must say the tablet factor for me has worn out it's welcome it's great for consuming stuff but my next "tablet" is probably going to the SP 4 but not before MS has fixed their software bugs of course.
One thing that still stands out for me is the amazing batterly life and Asus is probably one of just a few companies having done the keyboard attachment thing right. I cringe everytime when I'm looking a t Google's pixel C attempt I mean wtf 3 "slides" to position this thing? lol and at that price I'd rather pay twice as much for me the SP 4.
The screen resolution is just decent but if you buy it make sure to root it, unlock the bootloader and install Katkiss it's the best available ROM (thanks so much) and set the cpu speed to around 1600, otherwise typing won't be a good experience. Oh and make sure to let it run out of battery after the first full charge.
yeah, asus has produced fairly good products overall in the past ~20 yrs. more often than not they do a good job at introducing proper 'consumer demo' additions to products that usually lead into the next gen. cycle, preferably.
pastorbob62 said:
I can google any device on the market and find negative reviews about it. But, in 3 years of using this tablet, I have been very pleased with it, at least since I moved away from stock, (which I did within a month of purchasing it). And since Katshmallow came out I have been even more impressed with the performance of this "underperforming" device.
I am also aware of the common complaints against it. Whatever the reasons for my personal experience with it, I have no major complaints against it. It runs all of the apps I use quite well with no lag or crashes. I watch Netflix and Hulu videos on it without any stuttering or buffering. It syncs with my Bluetooth devices and the audio works well. I don't do any gaming with the exception of HayDay and Pyramid Solitaire, so possibly that makes a difference.
Maybe I got lucky and have an exception to the rule. I'm sure there are other newer tablets on the market that outperform it. But as it stands now, based on my personal experience, if this tablet dies today, I would do everything I could to find another of the same model.
On another note, I appreciate the development done with CyangenMod for all Android devices. Without that development, a lot of the other custom ROM's would not exist. Thank you for your contributions to that development.
All of that said, I guess we just have to agree to disagree about the TF300T.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tend to agree, but as you said, without the stock ROM. Before, with the stock OS it was almost unusable. Now with
KatKiss MM 6.0 I'm happy with the table. It isn't as snappy as my wifes new Galaxy Tab 10.1, but it is good enough
till I can replace it with a better model.