Related
I want to start of by saying I mean no disrespect to all the devs/cooks here. I appreciate and love all of their hard work.
Now, after flashing countless amounts of roms/kernels and always having some type of problems like GPS, small mms, random force closes, etc. I went back to complelty stock and wow... My phone is smoother than I ever remembered. My data speeds seem a little faster and GPS locks on faster than ever. Battery life is a LITTLE worse than custom roms but I figure I spend less trying with the screen on trying to get stuff to work so it evens out.
Well I just thought I would share my experience. If you are like me ALWAYS trying to find the perfect Rom/kernel combo that just works, then try stock one more time. It just might surprise you
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA App
Been reading alot about the whole process of rooting and flashing over the last few days, and I must say I join your conclusion somehow. Instead of seaching for minor improvement that sometimes set you back in other fields, why not just use the Stock options that the producer can stand by.
Even so I can totally understand the willingness to try and make a product better, and understanding it in the best possible way. That beeing said, I hope they still continue the great work with making custom roms to further push the limits of our device.
Hansge.
If you're happy with the factory ROM, then a custom one isn't necessarily better. One of the things I like about Android though is the freedom to use my phone the way I want to, and that includes custom ROMs if one better suits my requirements. It's all about choice.
most people simply want to remove the BLOAT that comes with stock roms so basically once you receive the opportunity to root you simply freeze the BLOAT with titanium backup and keep the stock rom. I personally like AOSP and most phones don't come with AOSP out of the box unless it's a Nexus so I always end up flashing a custom rom. But I can say that I was running CM7 on my Sensation and became sick of the browser freezes and I went back to stock for a few days and LOVED it eventhough I hate HTC Sense LOL it was just nice to have a phone in which EVERYTHING worked as
it was intended
I personally think a custom kernel has more influence on daily use then custom rom. The differnce between zram and no zram where huge for me on gingerbread.
Custom isn't for everyone
The stock ROMs are usually the best option for most users. Pretty much the same as any custom vs. stock situation. My co-worker is using a ROM that blocks all data usage except from the browser. He loves it. His battery lasts two days without effort and he doesn't miss a thing. Personally, I'd go nuts if that was the stock ROM, but it is good for him.
Have to agree that it's really about choice.
If the missing features are ones you never use then you haven't really lost anything.
I had my Sensation running on a custom ROM within hours of buying it and I've never looked back (though that may be to my disadvantage since I have no point of comparison).
xdacbibbs said:
The stock ROMs are usually the best option for most users. Pretty much the same as any custom vs. stock situation. My co-worker is using a ROM that blocks all data usage except from the browser. He loves it. His battery lasts two days without effort and he doesn't miss a thing. Personally, I'd go nuts if that was the stock ROM, but it is good for him.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could create a situation like that by rooting and setting up DroidWall.
I too agree with RestInPieces209.
Really love what the cookers here on xda are doing though!
Tried several custom roms and there always were a couple functions that weren't working properly. Now, since one week back on stock and S-on, most stable and complete rom there is. Eagerly waiting for ICS
if it wasnt for these roms... i would get to damn bored of my phone really quickly... would spend a lot of money buying a new phone as soon as im bored with it..
I can bare the small errors i get, fc etc.. as soon as its up to date, new improvements both visually and functionality. i mean, i got beats on my sensation (non XE) it looks good to have, but also better sound. I got original 1.5Ghz dual core instead of downclocked (by HTC) 1.2GHz... i still got approx 30-40hrs of battery. and thats good!
i can only praise custom roms! thanks devs!
edit:
HTC arent dumbasses themselfs - they know how to make a great phone. they make phones they think as many as possible would like - with all their criteria; stability, good battery, performance etc. By trying to fullfill everyones wishes, somethings are being sacrificed ( such as 1.5GHz for better battery).
Thats why custom roms exists, so you can adapt the phone to your needs...
I would agree with the OP so far in terms of my Sensation, but my previous phone (ZTE Blade) was MASSIVELY improved with custom ROMs.
Some people are obsessed with perpetually messing about with their toys, regardless of the benefits/hassles. Almost always men.
Also, I guess that as phones (fancy ones such as the Sensation) get fancier and faster, so the law of diminishing returns applies regarding tweaks.
It boils down to preference really. Installing roms from other phones or customized ones so you can enjoy the full experience of your phone is just a choice. Like I the stock rom on the Sensation but then they came out with the Sensation XE with beats audio and I love to listen quality music. So then that rom was perfect for me.. My .02 cents.
championadam said:
I would agree with the OP so far in terms of my Sensation, but my previous phone (ZTE Blade) was MASSIVELY improved with custom ROMs.
Some people are obsessed with perpetually messing about with their toys, regardless of the benefits/hassles. Almost always men.
Also, I guess that as phones (fancy ones such as the Sensation) get fancier and faster, so the law of diminishing returns applies regarding tweaks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. My old phones like the og droid, Eris, D2 global, etc were all improved with roms. But htc did a really good job on the sensation. After flashing the stock Rom and installing 2 ota updates that they have released it is smooth as butter. Even texting this message on my phone seems faster and more accurate than I ever remember.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA App
Not to mention the legendary HD2... From boring windows 6.5 to android to windows 7.5 mango... That's when I got hooked
Sent from my PG41200 using XDA App
It honestly boils down to pure preference. Specifically for the Sensation, most people like custom ROMS because they hate HTC Sense. So they are willing to deal with FC's and less stable ROMS just so they can never see Sense again
Since I cannot stand the sense ui yes, custom romd are better. I have no issues with cyanogen mod. I suppose I could always use stock rooted and a custom launcher though.
Sent from my Incredible 2 using XDA App
Custom ROMS are basically for people that want something different on their phone. Stock ROMS are reliable, stable, and provide default phone usage. On the other hand, stock ROMS (depending on what the developer has done to it) can change the way things looks, are, feel, and work. Some also have the capability to make your battery life last longer than the stock ROM. Custom ROMS are better or suck compared to stock ROMS in their own ways. It's just up to you, to decide which ROM fits your needs and expectations. Developers have this thing called a changelog that lists EVERYTHING that they have tweaked, changed, or improved since they created the ROM. It's best to look at and read it, to see if you like what they did to it/changed, or what it makes your phone capable to do. To me, it's all about what you REALLY want on your phone and all about researching the custom ROMS.
Hope I helped even a little. PEACE!
Ok, so im moving from the htc sensation XE to the HTC one.
During my time with the sensation, i pretty much put on every rom/kernal/patch etc and the in the end, im posting this from a stock rom.
Why?
Well, i found that not one custom Rom worked 100%. The CM ROMs especially, with poor camera, poor scrolling and poor telephone.
ARHD became unbearable, with FC's and Permission bugs, the Sense 4 ROMs were slow and on and on.
Coming back to stock, after using ROMs which (apparently ) have been super optimised, I don't notice much difference in performance tbh. Battery life is similar, speed is similar etc.
YMMV on this one, but whatever.
In fact, the stock Rom just works
So, fast forward to two more iterations f the smart phone, and I believe the immense power now available should mean that the "optimization" ROMs, CM etc are becoming pointless. There is ample power to run the stock Rom no matter how bloated it is.
Some exceptions would be a slow roll out of updates from your carrier though.
Anyway, after flashing so much, and reverting back to stock, I'm not going to be in a rush to put a custom Rom on the One when it comes.
Even rooting it, I may hold off for a while. I'm just not sure these days what the point is.
Why knacker up the warranty?
Pah!
Different people have different uses/needs. All custom ROMs pretty much worked on my HD2 (although it's an exception since it originally had WinMo) and all of them work smoothly on the N4. Different devices also have different bugs, so you can't base the entire decision on your experience with only one device. As for why you'd want to flash one if you're OK with performance, the answer is that some of them have tonnes of features and UI enhancements. Take PA over stock 4.2.2 for example, or an AOSP based ROM over TouchWiz.
I have been thinking the same for all the reasons mentioned. I would like Titanium and Nandroids and some status bar themes. But, otherwise, for me, custom roms may not offer much. And, they do seem to have their own quirks. The stock roms and better processors now days can stand on their own for most folks. Having flashed hundreds of roms, there has been many occasions were I did something and said "Oh S--T" I am bricked. Luckily I have always been able to recoup. I am looking at the One and S4 and may root after a bit, but may not flash a custom rom. My One S had no issues running with the bloatware. But, who knows after so much flashing it may be hard to stop.
Superpiper1972 said:
Ok, so im moving from the htc sensation XE to the HTC one.
During my time with the sensation, i pretty much put on every rom/kernal/patch etc and the in the end, im posting this from a stock rom.
Why?
Well, i found that not one custom Rom worked 100%. The CM ROMs especially, with poor camera, poor scrolling and poor telephone.
ARHD became unbearable, with FC's and Permission bugs, the Sense 4 ROMs were slow and on and on.
Coming back to stock, after using ROMs which (apparently ) have been super optimised, I don't notice much difference in performance tbh. Battery life is similar, speed is similar etc.
YMMV on this one, but whatever.
In fact, the stock Rom just works
So, fast forward to two more iterations f the smart phone, and I believe the immense power now available should mean that the "optimization" ROMs, CM etc are becoming pointless. There is ample power to run the stock Rom no matter how bloated it is.
Some exceptions would be a slow roll out of updates from your carrier though.
Anyway, after flashing so much, and reverting back to stock, I'm not going to be in a rush to put a custom Rom on the One when it comes.
Even rooting it, I may hold off for a while. I'm just not sure these days what the point is.
Why knacker up the warranty?
Pah!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is where alot of people get confused. The point of making a custom rom was never for everyday people to be flashing them, They were for developers to try new things and see what they could make happen. Does this break things? Yeah from time to time but that is all part of learning.
That's all true also DK. It does depend what we want from phone and if we want the risks of flashing. I have done it long enough and maybe just getting old and tired. It takes a lot of time to keep up with the roms and not have to rely on others for all your info. Although XDA was/is a dev forum, it has also benefited in member growth with all the people now interested in flashing.
I think it is more likely with the new phones that some will not see the need to flash a custom rom as much as they wanted/needed to say 3-4 years ago.
Either way it is still a personal choice and more than likely I will still flash whether I need to or not--
rugmankc said:
That's all true also DK. It does depend what we want from phone and if we want the risks of flashing. I have done it long enough and maybe just getting old and tired. It takes a lot of time to keep up with the roms and not have to rely on others for all your info. Although XDA was/is a dev forum, it has also benefited in member growth with all the people now interested in flashing.
I think it is more likely with the new phones that some will not see the need to flash a custom rom as much as they wanted/needed to say 3-4 years ago.
Either way it is still a personal choice and more than likely I will still flash whether I need to or not--
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh trust me If it wasnt for the crapware and bloat OEMs added to their devices and the absolute UGLY look to them I may not feel a NEED to flash a custom rom but with the listed things for me it is still very needed. Mainly the UGLY. I can deal with a bit of lag but it better be good looking while it lags lol
agreed--
Hi,
I am really set on a note 3. However doing some research reading on xda, which I usually do before buying, I get scared buying one.
Knox, bad audio on either speaker or phones, bad metal rim, multitouch problems, bad camera, artifacts on the screen, the list keeps growing the longer I read up on this device.
How subjective are these things I read?
Can anybody convince me the note 3 is still androids flagship to have.
EJ
The Netherlands
Sent from my GT-P6800 using xda app-developers app
i can honestly say its the best phone ive ever had. i did have a few niggles with it at first but i decided im not going to keep it stock so i rooted it and installed a custom os and ive never looked back. ive added some audio tweaks, added my carriers modem and csc plus a few other tweaks. i have no problems with multi touch. camera is the best camera i have ever used. much much better than my 14mp digital camera that cost me £200. i have tripped my knox but im not interested. if i break it then its tough luck to me.. the pro's of rooting and modding it made it worth while. the phone itself is so thin and lightweight and there's plenty of cool cases that keeps it looking good. i use the screen with full brightness and it looks amazing. battery life is very good too, especially on some of the custom roms.
i did a lot of research on other phones that are currently out and this pissed all over them. so im happy.
i have a uk n9005 model that came with uk btu firmware and im now running x-note v4 but for me i think v3 performed much better than v4 for signal and performance. don't know about anyone else but that's just my preference.
KevandLynds said:
i can honestly say its the best phone ive ever had. i did have a few niggles with it at first but i decided im not going to keep it stock so i rooted it and installed a custom os and ive never looked back. ive added some audio tweaks, added my carriers modem and csc plus a few other tweaks. i have no problems with multi touch. camera is the best camera i have ever used. much much better than my 14mp digital camera that cost me £200. i have tripped my knox but im not interested. if i break it then its tough luck to me.. the pro's of rooting and modding it made it worth while. the phone itself is so thin and lightweight and there's plenty of cool cases that keeps it looking good. i use the screen with full brightness and it looks amazing. battery life is very good too, especially on some of the custom roms.
i did a lot of research on other phones that are currently out and this pissed all over them. so im happy.
i have a uk n9005 model that came with uk btu firmware and im now running x-note v4 but for me i think v3 performed much better than v4 for signal and performance. don't know about anyone else but that's just my preference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi which audio tweaks do you use? I've tried viper on my 9005 bit seems a bit unstable at present .
KevandLynds said:
i can honestly say its the best phone ive ever had. i did have a few niggles with it at first but i decided im not going to keep it stock so i rooted it and installed a custom os and ive never looked back. ive added some audio tweaks, added my carriers modem and csc plus a few other tweaks. i have no problems with multi touch. camera is the best camera i have ever used. much much better than my 14mp digital camera that cost me £200. i have tripped my knox but im not interested. if i break it then its tough luck to me.. the pro's of rooting and modding it made it worth while. the phone itself is so thin and lightweight and there's plenty of cool cases that keeps it looking good. i use the screen with full brightness and it looks amazing. battery life is very good too, especially on some of the custom roms.
i did a lot of research on other phones that are currently out and this pissed all over them. so im happy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sums up my thoughts, too. Great phone.
People will more often post with problems than with praise - it's one of the reasons for the forum. :good:
There are already a lot of threads with the exact discussion(s). Please search, read and ask questions in the existing threads.
So, just received my new OPO yesterday in the mail. Immediately I unlocked it and rooted it. Then I went into doing some research about which ROM/kernel combination is the best on this forum. I don't know too much about flashing and all of that so I didn't want any ROMS that were too different from the vanilla (stock) lollipop look and feel. I've watched videos and flashed CM12 nightlies (including installing CyanDelta, to update the nightlies) and the AK kernel which a lot of people have been using. I have a couple questions for you and would appreciate it if you could respond to each of them stated bellow:
1. The camera on this ROM seems to be pretty poor. The stock camera app (not the google camera app) takes pictures but the quality is poor. I'm coming from an iphone 5 which had a worse spec'd camera but the performance was better. I'm guessing its the software behind IOS that made it good. But is there a ROM or something i could do to improve the camera's image quality? It looks good before taking it but after wards when i go back to look at the photo it comes out terribly blurry. I need to figure this out and see if its a defect in my unit or if its normal.
2. Which ROM/kernel do you suggest as something stable. I want one with good battery life but still gives me buttery smooth performance. I also want it as stock lollipop as possible. I'm currently running CM12 nightly (2/21) with AK kernel as stated before. And which kernel settings do you suggest?
3. I use WugFresh's bacon tool kit to flash roms and to root and everything and i was wondering if there was a way to have an app automatically install roms and kernels for me. I've heard of Titanium Backup but i'm not too familiar with its features. Can you suggest a program or app that would make the process simple and user friendly?
Before flaming me please understand that I HAVE read through many posts and ROMS and would personally like to have my questions answered in one complete post.
Thank you!
served24 said:
So, just received my new OPO yesterday in the mail. Immediately I unlocked it and rooted it. Then I went into doing some research about which ROM/kernel combination is the best on this forum. I don't know too much about flashing and all of that so I didn't want any ROMS that were too different from the vanilla (stock) lollipop look and feel. I've watched videos and flashed CM12 nightlies (including installing CyanDelta, to update the nightlies) and the AK kernel which a lot of people have been using. I have a couple questions for you and would appreciate it if you could respond to each of them stated bellow:
1. The camera on this ROM seems to be pretty poor. The stock camera app (not the google camera app) takes pictures but the quality is poor. I'm coming from an iphone 5 which had a worse spec'd camera but the performance was better. I'm guessing its the software behind IOS that made it good. But is there a ROM or something i could do to improve the camera's image quality? It looks good before taking it but after wards when i go back to look at the photo it comes out terribly blurry. I need to figure this out and see if its a defect in my unit or if its normal.
2. Which ROM/kernel do you suggest as something stable. I want one with good battery life but still gives me buttery smooth performance. I also want it as stock lollipop as possible. I'm currently running CM12 nightly (2/21) with AK kernel as stated before. And which kernel settings do you suggest?
3. I use WugFresh's bacon tool kit to flash roms and to root and everything and i was wondering if there was a way to have an app automatically install roms and kernels for me. I've heard of Titanium Backup but i'm not too familiar with its features. Can you suggest a program or app that would make the process simple and user friendly?
Before flaming me please understand that I HAVE read through many posts and ROMS and would personally like to have my questions answered in one complete post.
Thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Changing ROMs will have no effect on the camera performance. I had taken some really outstanding photos with this camera though, and so have many others (there's a photo sharing thread in the general section if you'd like to see them). Can you show some examples of bad photos you've taken?
2. There's an entire thread dedicated to this subject, it's a sticky in the general section. Take a look if you really want guidance. But you must remember it's impossible to answer because what one person likes the next person will hate. You're just going to get one hundred different opinions. The moral of this story? Test for yourself and find out.
3. Why are you using a toolkit in the first place? It really isn't necessary. Plus, it's allowing you to do things to your device without actually knowing what's going on. You're bypassing some really crucial learning and experience, and it's this much needed experience that will get you out of trouble in future. Which leads me to the next point, toolkits cause problems, just look through the q&a section and you'll see thread after thread of people saying "I was doing X with this toolkit and now my phone won't boot". Flashing ROMs is simple, flashing kernels is simple, even using fastboot to flash the stock images is simple, a monkey could do these things. It might seem daunting at first but after a couple of times you'll be completely comfortable doing it. Noobs use toolkits, and those noobs that continue to use toolkits will continue to be noobs unless they take some initiative and get their hands a little dirty. If you need help I have a very easy to understand guide thread here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2839471
Anyway, there are apps that will flash ROMs for you, but do not use them. They are unreliable and end up bricking phones. It only takes a minute to flash a ROM/kernel in your recovery anyway, and at least you know you're doing it right.
That should answer all of your questions, and if you have any more please do ask.
Transmitted via Bacon
---------- Post added at 04:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:46 PM ----------
One thing I forgot to mention. Titanium Backup is probably the single most important app you can have on a rooted phone. It has nothing to do with flashing ROMs, bit it's incredibly important if you are flashing ROMs. You can use it to backup your user apps (along with their data) so when your switch ROMs you can just restore those app backups easily. It has the ability to backup system apps and system data too, but this is something that should generally be left alone when switching ROMs unless you want major problems.
Transmitted via Bacon
CM12 + AK + ColorOS Camera Port
MrColdbird said:
CM12 + AK + ColorOS Camera Port
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is actually EXACTLY my current build. I love the camera too. My battery life is pretty good. Performance is good. What's the difference between ak and Franco kernel? Also, what kernel settings are you running on? What's your battery life on average?
You're a power user. Can the Huawei Nexus 6P keep up? Rate this thread to express how "healthy" the development scene is for the Huawei Nexus 6P. A higher rating indicates available root methods, kernels, and custom ROMs.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Just starting with little choice but still about a week into the release so not bad so far. Can't wait for another month or so
Quicker than almost any other!
Well, this is a Nexus device, need i say more?
There are starting to be more and more, but even at the start we had two or three of the communities best. Very very nice.
I had an LG G2 and was fully functional. I bought this Nexus 6P and the glassholes put me back into beta status by blocking HDMI-out. Try to go to a friend's house and watch a movie with them that you have on your phone. A complete ****e shyter move on the part of Google. Much more than "a little bit ****y." This has nothing to do with Chromecast. The phone needs to be sold with a Justin Beiber sticker on it, because it is made for pubescent girls (hang in there girls, it has got to get better).
puritan007 said:
There are starting to be more and more, but even at the start we had two or three of the communities best. Very very nice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This.
XDA_RealLifeReview said:
You're a power user. Can the Huawei Nexus 6P keep up? Rate this thread to express how "healthy" the development scene is for the Huawei Nexus 6P. A higher rating indicates available root methods, kernels, and custom ROMs.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
puritan007 said:
There are starting to be more and more, but even at the start we had two or three of the communities best. Very very nice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We've got flar2, franco, imoseyon, I think AK got one too. Then ROM side zephiK and Beanstown106.
These are all notable mentions
OK
Ok:good:
It's not that "healthy" for the following reason:
a. the device is just almost 4 months old
b. not all dev's afford the device (but the price is better thank other)
c. too many optimization and changes needed for some ROMs
PaulDnoOb said:
It's not that "healthy" for the following reason:
a. the device is just almost 4 months old
b. not all dev's afford the device (but the price is better thank other)
c. too many optimization and changes needed for some ROMs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's right to have better view in this subject we should wait a little bit.
It's amazing compared to samsung devices etc
I don't know about you guys but I'm VERY pleased with the performance of stock 6.0.1 and stock kernal. For tweaks and mods, Xposed is utilized. Haven't though about flashing a different ROM since I got the phone two weeks ago. I'm sure that'll change here shortly though lol
Pain-N-Panic said:
I don't know about you guys but I'm VERY pleased with the performance of stock 6.0.1 and stock kernal. For tweaks and mods, Xposed is utilized. Haven't though about flashing a different ROM since I got the phone two weeks ago. I'm sure that'll change here shortly though lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol on my first day with this phone ive tried every rom haha. I'm back to stock with custom kernel.it flies
I'm using Cataclysm with Franco kernel, but thought of going stock + franco + Xposed to give me some of the things Cataclysm has.
Not sure.....
its starting to blossom tho its too early to tell
Thx to all developers, I tried the stock firmware for about a week, then I tried PureNexus with ElementalX kernel, really amazing.
Loving every minute with this device.
Einwod said:
Loving every minute with this device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
me too, best Android phone I've had
That was actually the main criteria that made me buy this device, which didn't have the best perf/price ratio.
And now I'm not seeing so much skilled devs or ROM for the device so that's actually scaring me a bit. Could be due to holidays or because N was released but not all of its sour ce code.
For all the rest (incl. stock ROM..) I'm very pleased.