Database Info

Is this a good phone to buy?

Long story short, I hard bricked my Evo 3D because I flashed the boot image to the wrong partition by not properly editing the updater-script when trying to port Jellybean (very developer NOOB move even though I'm not one by a long shot). So I'm thinking about buying one on Amazon to tie me over until my upgrade next year, because right now, my parents' only option (until I get the money) is to let me use a Blackberry, its torture (-_-)... I've read up on this and I am thoroughly impressed with the specs given it was released in 2010, plus it has ICS Officially. So I just have a handful of questions!
1. How is the Developer scene here? Is it still very active?
2. How good are the 3G speeds on this (I'm not getting 4G)
3. How is battery life
4. Is the phone easily breakable (this determines if I buy a case or not upon my ordering)
5. Can I still have me an awesome gaming experience? I am the Asphalt 6 and Shadowgun type of guy, so gaming is a must.
6. How quickly can someone fill up that 512MB space? and has someone made script that moves the WHOLE app to an external SD or repartitioned the space to give 1GB space?
I'll be sure to add more questions should they come up...
Now I have read that this has no SD card slot, and this would have been a problem. But as of recently, I have become a cloud kid. My Music is on Google Play Music, I have a couple of Movies and TV Shows on my SD Card but I can put those on my box cloud storage, that means that I can use all 16 GB for Game caches and the few movies and shows I frequently watch.
I just want to know your opinion, and the pros and cons of the phone, alongside the questions I asked. Thanks in advance!

Developer scene is still pretty solid. Expect an additional boost in a few weeks when Jelly Bean arrives. 3G speeds and reception should be decent so long as you have a decent provider, it is more dependent on them than on the phone. Battery life is mediocre, though you can pull off 4 hours of screen time a day with a little bit of effort (and compromise). It is generally a pretty stubborn phone. It won't break straight off the bat, but being plastic it will tend to scratch easily from rough surfaces. The screen can take a fair bit of abuse so don't be scared about the lack of "gorilla glass" branding, plus it's curved which is both great to touch and means it's less prone to scratched glass. I've found a case to be good due to the phone being slippery, but have since decided to use it without one. If you intend to root the phone i'm sure the gaming experience will be a good one, and likely even more so with jellybean - though there are certain games that won't even install (some tegra and tablet based games i think, i don't game that much on the phone so don't take my word on this).
As for storage, you have 16GB in the phone classified as "sdcard". It is built in and non-replaceable, with no external sdcard slot. It is partitioned primarily into /system, /data and /sdcard. /system holds the android operating system and is plenty big enough even for development purposes. /data is approximately 1GB and holds the data for apps only, so you have 1GB worth of apps which you can keep installed on the phone. The /sdcard partition is around 15GB and formatted as FAT32, so you can throw all of your music, photos, videos and sd2ext (built in, not a seperate app) apps here, so any larger games would be thrown onto the sdcard if you choose so, generally giving plenty of room. The only drawback for me, personally, is the lack of room for music - but you seem to have yourself sorted there.
And as i said above, if you really want to get every benefit from this phone it should be unlocked and rooted. It loves being free. Otherwise it's just a Galaxy S.

Harbb said:
Developer scene is still pretty solid. Expect an additional boost in a few weeks when Jelly Bean arrives. 3G speeds and reception should be decent so long as you have a decent provider, it is more dependent on them than on the phone. Battery life is mediocre, though you can pull off 4 hours of screen time a day with a little bit of effort (and compromise). It is generally a pretty stubborn phone. It won't break straight off the bat, but being plastic it will tend to scratch easily from rough surfaces. The screen can take a fair bit of abuse so don't be scared about the lack of "gorilla glass" branding, plus it's curved which is both great to touch and means it's less prone to scratched glass. I've found a case to be good due to the phone being slippery, but have since decided to use it without one. If you intend to root the phone i'm sure the gaming experience will be a good one, and likely even more so with jellybean - though there are certain games that won't even install (some tegra and tablet based games i think, i don't game that much on the phone so don't take my word on this).
As for storage, you have 16GB in the phone classified as "sdcard". It is built in and non-replaceable, with no external sdcard slot. It is partitioned primarily into /system, /data and /sdcard. /system holds the android operating system and is plenty big enough even for development purposes. /data is approximately 1GB and holds the data for apps only, so you have 1GB worth of apps which you can keep installed on the phone. The /sdcard partition is around 15GB and formatted as FAT32, so you can throw all of your music, photos, videos and sd2ext (built in, not a seperate app) apps here, so any larger games would be thrown onto the sdcard if you choose so, generally giving plenty of room. The only drawback for me, personally, is the lack of room for music - but you seem to have yourself sorted there.
And as i said above, if you really want to get every benefit from this phone it should be unlocked and rooted. It loves being free. Otherwise it's just a Galaxy S.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And my decision was solidified with the acquisition of jellybean. I can get a gnex experience for the most part without having to shell out so much money. I just need a gaming device (I'm going to buy chainfire for the coupe of tegra games I want) and an entertainment hub. I will buy a case asap, probably a ballistic case, an some other stuff, thank you so much
Sent from my Full Android on SMDKV210 using xda app-developers app

One more thing to point out though, if you end up getting the 4G version (the only CDMA version, which i think is what Sprint uses) it may take longer to get JB and I can't comment on CDMA networks 3G. It will be approximately on par with most other phones running on the same network, though.

ognimnella said:
I just want to know your opinion, and the pros and cons of the phone, alongside the questions I asked. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Nexus range is the first to get the Jelly Bean update, so it's certain that Google is paying extra attention to it.
As a friend of mine (also owning a Nexus S) pointed out, the development activity is one of the best out there.
In terms of performance, I was happy with it in 99% of time, you can't pretend the same performance as a quad core phone but overclocking the phone at a safe 1200mhz makes it significantly faster.
All in all, it is a very good phone for the price you pay.
Good luck and let us know if you decided getting the phone.
Sent from my Nexus S using xda app-developers app

Harbb said:
One more thing to point out though, if you end up getting the 4G version (the only CDMA version, which i think is what Sprint uses) it may take longer to get JB and I can't comment on CDMA networks 3G. It will be approximately on par with most other phones running on the same network, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am aware of Sprint and their inability to push updates properly, so it's expected. I will be rooted and running a slim ICS Rom anyway
, so I can just install JB after they get the update it in rooted Rom style.
whoisrikk said:
The Nexus range is the first to get the Jelly Bean update, so it's certain that Google is paying extra attention to it.
As a friend of mine (also owning a Nexus S) pointed out, the development activity is one of the best out there.
In terms of performance, I was happy with it in 99% of time, you can't pretend the same performance as a quad core phone but overclocking the phone at a safe 1200mhz makes it significantly faster.
All in all, it is a very good phone for the price you pay.
Good luck and let us know if you decided getting the phone.
Sent from my Nexus S using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got a little excited yesterday and decided to do research on some other phones that could be possible contenders, but this phone takes home the crown. My parents said that because I broke the phone, I cover the expenses. So I did the math.
If I get a galaxy nexus now:
I have to buy out my contract ($100), and then buy the phone ($150) = $250
If I buy a galaxy S III now:
I have to buy out the contract (same) and buy the phone ($200) = $300
if I buy this phone:
But it from Amazon ($150) and transfer my number (free) = $150
The numbers say it all. I will get this phone . Plus, I want a nexus 7, so I need to save as much money as I can. I will wait until next year to get my upgrade to the gnex
Sent from my GTablet using xda app-developers app

[Q] Battery life experiment on Nexus 5

Hi guys, I'm sorry my first post isn't a contribution, but a question.
I basically need to know -realistically-, how long (as an estimate) will the battery last if the only app being used NON-STOP is Tunein Radio, on a stock ROM, with as little side processes running as possible, meaning, no games, or apps pushing data, or unnecessary widgets and such.
Now, before you think of me as an egotistic, demanding, unclear, and confusing user, let me explain my dilemma in more detail for the few willing to read (thanks for that btw):
I don't consider myself a cheap person, in fact, I admit I am guilty of buying few -unnecessary- gadgets in the past, only for pleasure, and unproductive distraction. However, I have managed to get my money's worth, or my investment back off mostly every material possession in some way or another... for example, I have only paid for one cellphone in full retail price in my life, which was the old Motorola Razor, which I was able to sell for the same or higher price or exchange, for all future phones I had, including the Apple ecosystem with the jailbreak scene, even though I'm fairly young.
I have owned big, and top of the line android cellphones before, learned how to root, flash, and brick them to revive them with much joy (loved the original Evo 4G), and my current cellphone is an LG Motion 4G on Metro PCS.
The phone was FREE on a third party promotion, it's processor is almost as good if not better, than the S3 on the same carrier, and feels just as smooth, and has lots of developer support...hate being tied down to a carrier, and it just so happens that after 2012, the Metro PCS coverage in my area improved a LOT, so I can browse the web and stream radio shows nonstop at work with 2.1Mbps down on 3G!!! (I disabled it's 4G LTE capabilities to save battery), and all of this, on a 40$ a month plan. I even got used to it's smaller screen size, and liked it better than any of my old fetish big screen phones that seem ridiculous now.
All of this is nice, and all, but even after deoxing it, debloating it, and using a strict manual task manager, underclock it, and using an extended internal battery (the fat ones), I just get 3 hours and 40 minutes of NONstop Tunein Radio alone, and nothing else.
I realize I ask too much of this little guy that it's done more than expected, so I'm pondering on getting a Nexus 5, and see the difference.
I already purchased an Anker® Astro 3E 10000mAh Dual USB Backup External Battery Pack, but I want to ask nonetheless

Looking for a New Phone, Suggestions?

Sorry if this in the wrong section, but I figured this or the OT would be the best section to post.
Anyhow, as the title suggests, I am in the market for a new phone. I am currently using the S4 (rooted) but I feel it is time to retire the device from my point of view (even though it's great).
What I am looking for:
-Phone that works on Verizon's network, contract/off doesn't matter.
-Something rootable OR I at least have to be able to use hotspot (for free on Verizon) and it would be nice to be able to use Titanium Backup. Setting off knox would probably be fine..
-Would love to have a removeable battery and SD Card slot. Even better if it had USB 3.0, but not necessary.
-If no removeable battery, then a full day (of actual use) is the biggest determinant.. as I would rather just carry a spare battery on me then anything. Quick charge would be nice if missing a battery.
-If no removeable SD, then 32GB +, otherwise 16GB.
-Ultra Power Save mode would be nice, but I am not sure if other brands other than Samsung offer that?
-Brand doesn't matter. I would've just upgraded to the Edge but it wasn't rootable (unless you had the Dev version last I checked) and the S6 got rid of the removable battery/SD card.. so..
-A *good* main camera is a big deal to me. Doesn't have to be the greatest but this is half the reason I am upgrading from the S4.
-Would like to see a quad core (at least) with 3GB + of RAM.
-Something running android obviously. And connecting with my LG Urbane is a necessity (given I think all android phones (4.2+) support wear, but I am not sure if any phones have more of an issue with their bluetooth radio's/drivers).
Honestly I would be half tempted to just upgrade to the S5 but considering that is already "outdated" I hate to stick myself in the same predicament. But I also understand it would be more worthwhile to just upgraded to the next (year-old) device after every year, rather than paying a premium for features most people don't even understand yet
Sorry for the large list of wants, but I have not stayed updated with any of the flagships except from Samsung and Apple, let alone many of the new(er) companies. I will likely search when I get free time, but I like to hear other's opinions about phones they actually used. Especially from users on here compared to i.e, at Verizon
Thanks

-HTC One M8/M9:
-32GB Storage
-Mirco USB
-Ultra Power Saver Mode
-I use Clean Master, and my phone lasts from 6:45AM-8/9PM
-Free Root
-Non User Serviceable battery
-Decent Camera
-Easy Root
-THE FKING RED M8 LOOKS SEXY
-Charges Pretty Quick
-Over all. Good phone.

There's a dedicated thread for such questions here,
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1620179
Thread closed.
Darth
Forum Moderator

(Q) Upgrading Hardware S5

does anybody know how to upgrade the component like cpu,ram,and internal storage?im very happy if somebody know it and can teach me to replace and upgrade the component,actually im now have working on body s5 that might be have 2017 body but the frame still plastic and the back cover is glass (acrylic),and yup bringing water proof not water resist,anybody if know the way as the gift i will give the full project if its actually tested

It is only phone, not computer.

WOW
Am not even sure if this is a true project to get into. In order to put the CPU onto the board, is with Very expensive, and special equipment. Plus, am not even sure if you can even get an actual new CPU ! OH, and IT Will Not FIT !!!
Better to save your pennies, in time, maybe a manufacturer comes out with something truly better. That will save you more $$$ then trying to actual put a 836 on to the 801 board (see line>"it won't fit")
Don't mean to come off rude, mean or hateful, here. I am sure you mean well. However, maybe you did not really give this much thought, before asking.
just really think that it will not work out, sorry, don't mean to pop your bubble on this.

No you can't upgrade your phone because everything is soldered on a PCB. But you can:
- expand internal storage with an SD card (I would recomend using Link2Sd to move apps entirely to the SD)
- increase RAM using Swap File and Swap partition (You could damage your SD Card and it wouldn't give you a huge performance boost because the "new" RAM is bottlenecked by the SD Card writing and reading speed)
- overclock your CPU using a custom kernel (You need to flash a custom kernel)

kiza1 said:
does anybody know how to upgrade the component like cpu,ram,and internal storage?im very happy if somebody know it and can teach me to replace and upgrade the component,actually im now have working on body s5 that might be have 2017 body but the frame still plastic and the back cover is glass (acrylic),and yup bringing water proof not water resist,anybody if know the way as the gift i will give the full project if its actually tested
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Buy a new phone

^^^ buy the S6 or s7

russy23 said:
^^^ buy the S6 or s7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your best bet is to post this question within one of the following threads that is specific to your question.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1846277
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1620179
Good Luck!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I DO NOT provide support via PM unless asked/requested by myself. PLEASE keep it in the threads where everyone can share.

I still have Galaxy S5 but it is getting unbearable now with performance and reliability.
Battery is shot, green flickering, random freezes, old hardware and software, recent key is a dud.
I think its time for the Galaxy S9+, I just hope that root becomes available for it.
Also changing carriers from AT&T to T-Mobile
Thanks for the guys that did give us root and some support for this aging phone

no the reparatur man in my country can do it but i still can't believe it.simple if you need to change that,you must be edit the firmware

davidalindsey said:
I still have Galaxy S5 but it is getting unbearable now with performance and reliability.
Battery is shot, green flickering, random freezes, old hardware and software, recent key is a dud.
I think its time for the Galaxy S9+, I just hope that root becomes available for it.
Also changing carriers from AT&T to T-Mobile
Thanks for the guys that did give us root and some support for this aging phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my s5 flickers in yellow and it randomly restarts...

russy23 said:
^^^ buy the S6 or s7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it is a US variant, only the S6 would be a good bet, as it still have a unlocked bootloader..S7 is locked down tight. I had the S7 and got rid of it within a yr, and downgraded to the S5. Best choice for what I do.. If the Op is not into rooting and installing custom roms, then almost any phone with better specs will be better than the S5.

I bought a new S5 when they first came out and it is the worst phone I have ever had, a true lemon. It has spent more time in a drawer and in the shop than in use. Some time back, I was looking at the broken down phone and decided to have a second new main board installed. If it dies again, it will go in the trash can. It does have a GREAT camera. After it had a new mainboard, everything works except screen rotation, I have no idea why the screen rotation doesn't work, but it's not a big deal. The battery life is poor. I then discovered the Ultra power saving mode. With light use, the battery now will last for a week between charges. I leave the battery saver on full time unless I want to use the Internet. My Xiaomi Mi A1 is now my backup. It is much faster, much better battery life and I think it is a better phone. Unfortunately the S5 camera is better and the call quality seems better. Since my main use is calls and the camera, I'll be using the S5 until it dies again. I also have a Huawei tablet that is much faster than the Samsung S5. The 8.6 inch tablet is also much faster than my older Acer laptop. I no longer carry the laptop along when travelling. I am now a fan of Chinese phones and refuse to pay the premium price for Samsung or especially Apple. I should add that the Xiaomi camera is capable of taking good pictures, BUT, not every time.

@kiza1 @davidalindsey @glalt
The problem is touchwiz. I have resurrection remix 7.1.2, 8.0 was a little laggy, on my s5 and it flies and it awesome and absolutely necessary. Marshmallow of any kind will allow SD to add internal storage. I used cm13 prior and it was great as well.
When I left the stock touchwiz, I was embarrassed I used it for so long without a custom OS. The stock operating system is a straight up hindrance to this device and it's abilities. The bloatware is gross and Samsung really knows how to ruin a device with software and awful operating systems.
Stock is embarrassing on this device, it's terrible. I cannot express my happiness when I left and how sad and disgusting touchwiz was for this device. There are no words for it.
I spent a year with that crap before i got brave enough to:
Install Odin to computer.
Download twrp for s5, flash with Odin.
Download ALL roms, boot to recovery, flash one
Play, repeat with ROMs until finding my favorite

My S5 has spent more time in the shop than in use. If I had it to do over again, I would have scrapped it when the first main board failed. As it was, I couldn't bring myself to throw away the expensive phone. I replaced the mainboard twice and replaced the battery. It is now still working but the screen rotation quit working, battery life is pathetic and it is slow. The only good thing about it is the camera. I am now an Xiaomi fan. The much cheaper Mi A1 is a lot faster and it has great battery life.

1. Upgrade battery
Because it has a removable battery, it is possible to upgrade the battery. I have a third party battery and case from Anker. They made it especially for the S5. With the Anker battery, I get nearly 3 times battery life. The downside is that the phone becomes about 3 times heavier.
2. Upgrade Storage
Obviously the S5 supports SD card, but many apps can't write to the SD card, UNLESS you format it adoptable storage. If you format as adoptable storage, then any application can write to it freely. Formatting the SD card as adoptable storage is not supported by the default system tools. You may need root access to perform this format, or adb access. I have my 64GB SD card formatted as adoptable storage, and apps can write anywhere on the SD card. As a bonus, this type of formatting frees up storage space in the phone to allow installing more/bigger apps.
Hopefully somebody can provide links on how to find these upgrades. I hope these suggestions help.

When I left the stock touchwiz, I become embarrassed I used it for so long with out a custom OS. The inventory running system is a straight up issue to this tool and it's talents solution. The bloatware is gross and Samsung virtually knows how to damage a tool with software and awful running structures.

hfueui6748 said:
When I left the stock touchwiz, I become embarrassed I used it for so long with out a custom OS. The inventory running system is a straight up issue to this tool and it's talents solution. The bloatware is gross and Samsung virtually knows how to damage a tool with software and awful running structures.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using Touchwiz on my rooted Tmobile S5 and it runs like a charm. The carriers run Samsung's software by adding bloat to it.

(Discussion) Is This the End of the Line?

I thought nothing could replace my bootloader unlocked and rooted LG G3 running SkyDragon and the Xposed framework. Then came my US996 V20 factory unlocked, rooted and also with Xposed framework. This phone nearly had it all for me. I wanted FM radio but all attempts at getting it with Verizon as a carrier were unsuccessful. But I still loved and love myV20! Now is a very sad time for me because my 2.5 year old V20 is showing signs of advanced age. One of the primary reasons for choosing it was the replaceable battery. I don't give a rat's rear end about waterproof design, selfie cameras, using near field to pay for purchases or fingerprint unlocking but apparently the marketplace is driven by those desires. I do care about the ability to root and unlock the bootloader and, above all, the ability to replace the battery in any phone I own. Looks like I'm screwed on the latter!
If I bite the bullet on replaceable battery but absolutely must have root, what are my primary options? I would really like to hear from you guys and perhaps start a discussion on this subject. I paid $800 for my V20 and think it was nearly worth it but I do not have to have a flagship, especially when prices are getting absurd. I also would prefer a phone physically no larger than the V20 (absolutely loved the G3 sizewise!) and require a display that is visible in sunny outdoors. I would also like to be able to use my 256 GB SD card. I know my quest is practically hopeless but when the time comes I would like to get a phone that I feel I haven't paid for a lot of those trendy features I don't want or will never use.
Sorry about the rant – but the current state of affairs sucks, imho! BTW, 5G will "never" get to my area either but most of my usage is WiFi and I have a Gigabit FiOS connection but my V20 does not do well in the WiFi speed category.

PhoneBill said:
I thought nothing could replace my bootloader unlocked and rooted LG G3 running SkyDragon and the Xposed framework. Then came my US996 V20 factory unlocked, rooted and also with Xposed framework. This phone nearly had it all for me. I wanted FM radio but all attempts at getting it with Verizon as a carrier were unsuccessful. But I still loved and love myV20! Now is a very sad time for me because my 2.5 year old V20 is showing signs of advanced age. One of the primary reasons for choosing it was the replaceable battery. I don't give a rat's rear end about waterproof design, selfie cameras, using near field to pay for purchases or fingerprint unlocking but apparently the marketplace is driven by those desires. I do care about the ability to root and unlock the bootloader and, above all, the ability to replace the battery in any phone I own. Looks like I'm screwed on the latter!
If I bite the bullet on replaceable battery but absolutely must have root, what are my primary options? I would really like to hear from you guys and perhaps start a discussion on this subject. I paid $800 for my V20 and think it was nearly worth it but I do not have to have a flagship, especially when prices are getting absurd. I also would prefer a phone physically no larger than the V20 (absolutely loved the G3 sizewise!) and require a display that is visible in sunny outdoors. I would also like to be able to use my 256 GB SD card. I know my quest is practically hopeless but when the time comes I would like to get a phone that I feel I haven't paid for a lot of those trendy features I don't want or will never use.
Sorry about the rant – but the current state of affairs sucks, imho! BTW, 5G will "never" get to my area either but most of my usage is WiFi and I have a Gigabit FiOS connection but my V20 does not do well in the WiFi speed category.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought an Essential phone and then moved to a new Mi mix 2S and both have been great replacement for the V20.
The new Mi 9 is also a great alternative
Sent from my Mi MIX 2S using Tapatalk

OnePlus is also very good, that's where I moved to from V20 and S8+.

No matter what people say I'll stick with my us996 and f800k.......this ticks all the boxes for me.

Same problem I have with all the new devices. I tried the non-replaceable battery in a Nexus 6. Never again. Sucks when it dies, and they all will. It's just chemistry. And you can't get known good quality cells, just random China crap that is completely unknown. Perhaps a bigger name flagship like the S8 would have some options for good quality cells. Everyone else gets the rejects. It's a bit harsh, but I've personally tested random batteries and they are nearly universally crap that don't meet the stated capacity and lifetime. Not just in a phone either, real discharge testing. There are a couple decent manufacturers, but you pay more and they don't make batteries for every device, they just can't. Particularly when "normal" people don't go opening up a glued together device to replace the battery.
I get that my desires mean I'm not the "mass market". But it would be nice to have a couple options to pick from. Maybe just a big and small? I like larger devices, but not everyone does.
If they want more than about $300, I demand replaceable batteries, expandable storage, and headphone jack. And, most important, root. If I don't have root, I don't own the device. If I don't own it, I'm not paying nearly a grand for it. Hell, I got all that on my V20 for about $400. Sadly, at the moment there is no upgrade path. The best thing is, the things I ask for are cheap as hell, maybe $5 total in quantity, so the potential profit margin is huge. Everyone is just too busy trying to look like Apple. If I wanted that, I'd have already bought an iPhone.

stinka318 said:
No matter what people say I'll stick with my us996 and f800k.......this ticks all the boxes for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally agree. The V20 is the last of it's kind and they did most things right for it's time.. it even has an IR blaster, which I use as a universal remote. Like it's been mentioned before: the replaceable battery, expandable memory, quad dac+3.5mm jack, and decent all around specs for it's time makes this phone one of a kind. They don't make phones like this anymore, at least on the hardware level. Even though we all complained about LG and their crappy software updates, at least I gotta give credit to LG for making a phone like this (hardware wise).
Hopefully the dev community keeps it running for some time, in retrospect, this phone is a legend.