Related
1. INTRODUCTION
This phone doesn't really have any developers at the moment and I struggled and spent a lot of time to hack it like I wanted. Here's what I have so far.
1.1 Root
You can choose to use either KingUser or SuperSU, but you must initially root using iRoot therefore KingUser will be installed.
1.2 Custom Recovery
Haven't succeeded in building a custom recovery that works yet
1.3 Xposed Framework
Because I have miserably failed at building a custom recovery, I could not install Xposed framework, however I found a way to do this without custom recovery!! by using an app called Flashfire, from the developer Chainfire (maker of SuperSU).
2. FULL TUTORIAL
2.1 Before you begin
PLEASE READ THIS, TO HELP ME IMPROVE THIS PROJECT!!
I am not sure whether this phone has a notification light or not, there is an LED (called breathing light by the manufacturer), that lights up when charging. There are also settings to activate/deactivate the LED for missed calls, SMS and emails. However I'm not sure it works for every app. I DID see the LED flashing when I got some LINE messages maybe 5% of the time, but I have no idea why I sometimes see it, sometimes don't. It's possible that either:
1- The phone uses the LED only for SMS, missed calls and emails
2- The phone has a notification LED but one of the many root applications/Xposed modules is confusing it.
3- The phone doesn't have a notification LED and one of the many root applications/modules is trying to make it work, but isn't always successful.
So if you read this, could you please make some notification tests before doing anything else and post back your observations here? This way if the LED lights up for Facebook, LINE, WhatsApp, etc, we can try to figure out what app is blocking/enabling the LED for the benefit of all.
And then of course, there's the blablabla that I'm not responsible if your phone explodes after following this guide, but I don't see how you could possibly mess it up with such a simple tutorial.
2.2 Root the phone
Download iRoot from the downloads section and install it on your Windows PC
Turn on USB debugging in the settings->developer options, if you don't see developer options:
Go in Settings->About phone
Tap Build number 5 times until a message tells you that you are now a developer
Turn on unknown sources in settings->security
Plug your phone in your computer and make sure you allow access to your computer when the popup opens on your phone and tick the always box
Run iRoot and click on the ROOT button, wait for the app do finish everything (phone will reboot multiple times, and it might fail the first time, so you would have to repeat this process multiple times until a success message shows up)
2.3 Replace Kingroot by SuperSU (optional, but needed to flash Xposed)
In the the download section, get Supersume.apk and install on your phone
Launch Supersume, allow root access and tap the big blue button.
Wait for the application to finish everything, then clean up any bloatware application iRoot might have installed. You can also remove Supersume, won't be needed ever again.
Finally, you will probably have to open SuperSU and update the binaries with the "normal" mode (as we don't have a custom recovery yet anyways).
2.4 Install the Xposed Framework (SuperSU required for this, KingUser will not work)
I suspect that there are 2 different versions of this phone (hence the title of the thread), so it's possible that you might have to install the 32bits version of Xposed or the 64bits, depending on which version you have. Check section 3 below for more information.
Install the latest version of FlashFire
Install the Xposed installer on your phone
Save the latest Xposed framework on your sdcard:
This one if your phone is 32bits (The one I used for Vphone)
This one if your phone is 64bits
Open FlashFire and allow root access
Tap the red (+) button at the bottom
Tap Flash ZIP or OTA
Select the file you just downloaded
Make sure that Auto-mount is unchecked then tap the check-mark at the top right
Tap the EverRoot and make sure nothing is selected there, then click the check-mark again
Tap the lightning button at the bottom. You will get a black screen then it will start flashing, so don't panic
3. PHONE INFORMATION AND SIDENOTES
3.1 Introduction
This phone seems to have 2 variations
The NO.1 X2i that comes in black or yellow
The Vphone X3 that comes in black or Orange.
I ordered directly from NO.1 by emailing their representative, asked for the yellow one but they sent me the orange Vphone instead it seems. This is when I learned about the existence of the Vphone variation I'm not sure if they tried to rip me off because the Vphone is not as good as the NO.1, or whatever reason they sent me the wrong phone. Other than the color, I could see from Google Image search that they look exactly the same, except for the logo on the back that either says NO.1 or Vphone (see in the what I mean in the screenshots section, sorry can't put them here, link expires after a few minutes).
3.2 Thoughts/Opinions about the phone
I switched to that phone from the Doogee DG700 because I wanted an IP68 solid waterproof phone with Android 5.1 that eliminates most of the 5.0 bugs Google introduced. However I have to say I was a bit disappointed by both Lollipop 5.1 and the company that sold me the phone (whether it was their fault or just bad luck.. I don't know).
3.2.1 What I like about the phone:
So far, "seems" to be waterproof, but I'm a bit afraid to try to submerge it completely for a long period of time, after my incident with the Doogee DG700
I like the "rubbery" surface underneath and on the sides, so it's doesn't slip if you put it on the side or stays in place if you leave it on the dashboard of your car (to some extent).
So far, it seems quite responsive and fast
Some people might disagree, but I like how the back-cover is solidly fixed with screws, not with flimsy snaps like most phones
Because of the rubbery case, the camera lens, screen and the rest of the phone are not getting scratched or visually worn off like other phones because whatever position it's put on a surface, it will always be the rubbery surface that will be in contact., not the screen, camera lens, sides.
The rubber covers for the headphone and USB plugs makes you feel like even radiations won't get inside. It's nice to see this, compared to the crappy plastic protectors on the DG700 that would always fall off and felt sluggish when you opened it to plug your headphones.
3.2.2 What I don't like about the phone:
The headphone jack hole is narrow, so only the headphones provided fit in the hole. I thought I had to buy an adapter but luckily after carving the sides of my headphone plug with a knife, it could fit in the phone.
It is big, very big. I measured 5.5 inches before buying it but was still surprised by its size. Some people call it a phablet on internet (phone + tablet). I am tall and have large hands so it's not so bad, but a friend of mine bought the same one and her friends are always laughing at her because it's huge in her hands hahaha!
It seems like the phone doesn't support fast charge (to be confirmed). I know that slow charge is better for the battery, but it was nice to have my DG700 charge 50% in 30 minutes when I was in a hurry.
No backlight on the hardware buttons. I don't even understand how come Mediatek still makes chips that don't include this basic functionality. It is so extremely annoying in the dark and it really pisses me off. El Cheapo
The notification LED (breathing light) Seems to be malfunctioning 95% of the time (to be confirmed with other testers). See section 2.1 Before you begin for more info and please report your results if you have this phone.
It might be Android 5.1's fault, but the battery does drain quickly. 10%-15% overnight with the screen off. It's still new so I'm trying to figure out which wakelock is causing this to try and stop it, but so far no love. I tried Xposed module Smart Network but it keeps turning on the wifi automatically for no reason. DS Battery Saver is outdated and all other apps that restrict the radio when the screen is off don't turn on the radio periodically to check for new messages. On my previous phones, I would lose 0% or 1% overnight while the screen was off with smaller batteries. This is the phone with the largest battery I ever had and it drains the quickest. My friend reported the same, he battery doesn't last long (unrooted phone). Who's fault is it? Fake 4500mAh battery? Android 5.1's power management? A specific app? I'm still working on it.
The area for the screen on the phone and the actual AMOLED screen are misaligned.. sign of bad manufacturing. So this means that if you look perfectly perpendicularly at your phone, you see a black bar at the bottom, and a little bit of the top is missing, hidden under the plastic. So you must tilt it backwards a little bit. This is not so bad and is possibly only bad luck with my phone, but is worth noting and highly unprofessional.
3.3 X2i vs X3 Waterproofing differences
The NO.1 .1 X2i claims to be IP68 on its website while the Vphone X3 claims to be IP67 on its website. Yet the Vphone X3 still has the IP68 markings on the back cover... Sorry if I offend Chinese readers, but this is typical Chinese misinformation, crappy websites and attention to details that frustrate us. There is no way to verify this and the representative I talked to was not aware of that and could not answer my questions, which to ns I'm afraid of testing to submerge my phone in water.
3.4 X2i vs X3 Processor differences
The NO.1 .1 X2i claims to have a 64bits 1.3GHz processor on its website while the Vphone X3 claims to have a 32bits 1GHz processor on its website. Once again, I have no idea if that's a mistake or the 2 versions have different processors.
I have verified on the Vphone X3 specs with 3 different apps: AnTuTu Benchmark, CPU-Z and CPU X and they all give out 1GHz as the clock speed, however CPU-Z says the architecture is MT6735 while AnTuTu Benchmark/CPU X both specify MT6735P and finally the scatter file from Vphone's official website says: "platform: MT6735M" :silly: AnTuTu Benchmark also informs that the processor is 64bits, but that Android 32bits is installed... (more mindfuck) and to add to this, I had to install the arm32 Xposed framework on a supposedly arm64 processor.
So now, we might have 3 different architectures: MT6735, MT6735P, MT6735M of 32bits OR 64bits respectively on Android 32bits OR 64bits. Info about these processors is scarce, vague and non-uniform so I can't really tell the difference. I wrote to Mediatek, hopefully they will answer. According to one website, MT6735P is better because it has integrated graphics... true? not true?
Anyways, here's more potentially true/false info on the MT6735M and MT6735P that say 1GHz clock and don't specify 64bits (so usually means 32bits), plus the specifications of the MT6735 on the official MediaTek website.
By the way, this website even advertises the phone as being a 1.3GHz Octa Core!!!
So anyways, I included screenshots of my tests in the screenshots section of the project. It would be nice if anyone with the NO.1 X2i could test as well and send me the screenshots or let me know so we can see the difference.
3.5 Stock Firmware
The NO.1 website doesn't have the stock firmware to download as I'm writing this, but the Vphone has the stock firmware (although it is not the latest build that it came shipped with). The firmware from the Vphone website is called "NO1", so I'm inclined to think it would work with both phones. I have tried flashing this firmware on my phone, but nothing happened.. this could be due however to the fact that the MTK drivers don't work properly on Windows 10. Anyhow, you can find in the downloads section a care package that contains the original archive from Vphone that contains the firmware, SP Flash Tool 5.1352.01, the drivers + the latest build I found on 4PDA + a folder containing custom recoveries I have tried to start with to make my own (all failed).
4. REFERENCES
4.1 Original post where I found the Supersume.apk instructions
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=67792321&postcount=9
4.2 Original post where I found the Xposed instructions
http://www.andromods.com/apps-mod/easy-install-lollipop-xposed-framework-without-twrp-cwm-recovery.html
4.3 Xposed thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3034811
4.4 Flashfire thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/general/paid-software/flashfire-t3075433
4.5 Original 4PDA thread where I found the latest original firmware
No idea where this guy took it, but it's the exact same build that my Vphone came with
http://4pda.ru/forum/index.php?showtopic=742407&view=findpost&p=50532543
XDA:DevDB Information
No.1 X2i / vPhone X3 Workshop (SuperSU root + Xposed framework Lollipop 5.1), Device Specific App for all devices (see above for details)
Contributors
NaturalBornCamper
Version Information
Status: Beta
Created 2016-09-02
Last Updated 2016-09-19
NaturalBornCamper said:
Well damn.... All the instructions I put here have disappeared GRRR!!
Will add these back when I'm not angry anymore, or if someone asks for them
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you repost the TUT please?!
I've been looking for an IP67/68 phone for some time now. The Blackview BV6000 was the contender, but alas, no Notification LED, just as the Doogee T5 dropped out of the lineup for the same hardware issue.
Doogee claims the T5 is an upgrade from the Titans2 DG700 that HAS a Notification LED,,,,,, stupid, really stupid miss on the hardware development (the DG700 I dropped due to your rant about the overall build quality and other claims regarding the same issues).
How can both manufacture's miss such a small, yet vital item as the Notification LED?, I'm not an under 25 that constantly walks about day and night with my phone in my hand, I'm a mature, home owner that has other interests than FB and Twit. I put my phone down to charge, or go on to my other hobbies or interests, I may look at it every 30 min or so to see if there has been a call/text/push. Both 5" phones have respectable hardware (CPU/GPU/RAM/ROM), but missed the LED on board? ... WTF!
So now I'm considering this phone, and would like to read the TUT if you repost it please.
Also, please tell me if this phone has the Notification LED, its visible on some of the stock pictures, and some not, its the final build I'm interested in.
AND ... have you located any parts for this item? On AliExpress a buyer had the item shipped to him with the SIM/SD back cover missing one of the 2 tabs to hold it in place. I really don't want to go through the BS of a full return for a small user replaceable item, or screen.
TY .... :highfive:
UnableToResetOldProfile said:
Can you repost the TUT please?!
I've been looking for an IP67/68 phone for some time now. The Blackview BV6000 was the contender, but alas, no Notification LED, just as the Doogee T5 dropped out of the lineup for the same hardware issue.
Doogee claims the T5 is an upgrade from the Titans2 DG700 that HAS a Notification LED,,,,,, stupid, really stupid miss on the hardware development (the DG700 I dropped due to your rant about the overall build quality and other claims regarding the same issues).
How can both manufacture's miss such a small, yet vital item as the Notification LED?, I'm not an under 25 that constantly walks about day and night with my phone in my hand, I'm a mature, home owner that has other interests than FB and Twit. I put my phone down to charge, or go on to my other hobbies or interests, I may look at it every 30 min or so to see if there has been a call/text/push. Both 5" phones have respectable hardware (CPU/GPU/RAM/ROM), but missed the LED on board? ... WTF!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hear you friend! I like to have a LED for the exact same reasons! And if you are waiting for a message while talking to a friend, it is so impolite to check your phone every minute instead of just saying "excuse me" when the LED finally pops up and you can check your important message!
Anyways, I can't answer for sure about the notification LED (they call it "breathing light" on the Vphone), as I already messed up my phone by trying to flash custom recoveries that failed, installing tons of root applications and Xposed modules so now it's misbehaving . Anyways I completely re-wrote the entire project post with TONS of new info for you to make your decision, be sure to check the section about the notification LED to understand what I mean by "not being able to answer your question properly". I also wrote down other info/concerns/things I like or don't. I will update as I get more info, an answer from Mediatek (if I get any), and feedback from other people who have the same phone as so far, it seems like I'm the only one that has it.
UnableToResetOldProfile said:
So now I'm considering this phone, and would like to read the TUT if you repost it please.
AND ... have you located any parts for this item? On AliExpress a buyer had the item shipped to him with the SIM/SD back cover missing one of the 2 tabs to hold it in place. I really don't want to go through the BS of a full return for a small user replaceable item, or screen.
TY .... :highfive:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's pretty funny hahaha! I hadn't seen that post before buying this phone but I wouldn't be too concerned as this is probably not specifically that brand's fault as it is EVERY SINGLE DAMN Chinese product. They say something that isn't true because they have bad English, because they aren't competent enough or just plainly lie... and the quality is never the same (You just have to trust your luck that your product isn't a bad one, that was made by a trainee intern after his wife cheated on him and divorced). That's the risk of buying "made in China", lower cost at the risk of getting one of "these" bad ones.
A professional ukulele maker once told me that every time you buy a ukulele "made in China", you might have an excellent one that sounds better than most, or have a crappy one that sounds like Celine Dion on PCP. So basically you buy 5 times the same ukulele and keep the best
Anyways, nope I haven't located any parts as I didn't check, didn't need any replacement with my phone yet. However when I got pissed off at the company for sending me the Vphone X3 instead of the NO.1 X2i, they proposed me to send it back and get a refund (which I didn't I'm done with the trouble). So I'm pretty sure that this guy can just ask the rep, or the seller to get a new one. Chinese often have ****ty English and bad product representation, but they usually know that the damage you can potentially do by posting bad reviews about their product will cost them more than sending a replacement
NaturalBornCamper said:
"sounds like Celine Dion on PCP"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aaaaah Ha Ha Ha ..... Cat getting run over by a car, then backed over for good luck .....
Only a non 'Québécois' Canadian will really understand this ....
***EDIT***
> 3.4 X2i vs X3 Processor differences <
The actual proof my be in opening up the phone and looking at the processor for an identification.
They may have messed with the chips firmware and flashed incorrect information if they customized it, this may cause the different software to identify the chip differently, and the SOC to behave erratically due to poor programing.
This trickery happens with cheep mSD Cards all the time (I use h2testw for capacity verification) as they flash 32gb on a 8gb card.
I managed to grab the No1.X2i's ROM as a pre-purchase base as this phone is still a consideration.
The ROM is 'NO.1 X3 Firmware 3.21-1'....(V0.1 D160307_img)
What is the current version?....(V13 D160524_img)
Given enough time, I answer my own questions....:silly:
So, Devicespecifications lists the 2 phone as identical:
http://www.devicespecifications.com/en/comparison/d39a75047
***ADDITION TO POST***
So it appears that other people have the same wonky results as you, this person tested with CPUZ and AIDA64, it shows a MT6735/6735P respectively, but both results show that it is Revision r0p4, he posted a review on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/D2toE3o0C2M
Also, the it appears that only missed calls/sms and alarm/charging/low battery is supported. There should be no notification for Play Store app updates or app push notifications .... or eMails?!
What exactly is the Alarm Notification?, is this your wake up alarm clock alarm?
I'm not sure we can trust the devicespecifications.com website however, as I'm sure you already know
They seem to have differences which are probably due to missing information, like for the IP68 certifications differences and the missing Gorilla Glass from the X2i.. They also seem to say that the processor is 1.3GHz but not a single app marked the processor as 1.3GHz. By the way, MediaTek never answered as expected. And another sideline, I found another app that lists the chipset as MT6735M, so we now have apps that give all 3 versions of the chipset woot! No way to know which is real.
On a sidenote, it might be my fault with the constant messing up and flashing prior to successful rooting and Xpposed installation, but I have battery problems. At around 35-40%, the battery goes instantly to 15% then starts going down 1% per 15 seconds until it reaches 0% and shuts down. It happened 2 times now so I'm re-calibrating my battery (which makes sense with all the flashing and restoring previously saved system partitions) and will see if the problem persists, but it's possible I got a typical case of the Chinese-crappy manufacturing gamble. Shipped with a faulty battery, faulty battery connection, etc.
For the BreathLight, yes I had seen these settings.. however I DID get the flashing light for BOTH Facebook Messenger and LINE applications. So it is not only for SMS, emails, missed calls. I think it is for every notifications but I messed it up somehow with an root app or Xposed module as the LED really works randomly and hasn't worked yet for a missed call or SMS (but I had only 2 since I got the phone, nobody uses regular SMS or calls in Taiwan, everything is internet-based.
And I have no idea what is the "alarm" setting for the BeathLight.. It would make no sense if it was for the Alarm Clock since the screen turns on anyways.. So I'm wondering if it's for "Android Alarms", such as "wakelocks", which would mean toggling this on/off would activate the notifications for all other apps. This way, you could have the LED light up only for SMS and missed calls but not for other notifications (alarms). Does that make sense to you?
I'm thinking that the 'Alarm Notification' is just that, when you have an alarm set, be it a count down timer or alarm clock, the LED flash's?! Possibly a low battery alert as well?!
IDK.......(?)
***EDIT***
Did you notice that CPU-Z lists the Architecture as 3x Arm Cortex-A53, and AIDA64 lists the Architecture as 4x Arm Cortex-A53 ...(?)
I'm using AIDA64 from now on.....LOL!
UnableToResetOldProfile said:
I'm thinking that the 'Alarm Notification' is just that, when you have an alarm set, be it a count down timer or alarm clock, the LED flash's?! Possibly a low battery alert as well?!
IDK.......(?)
***EDIT***
Did you notice that CPU-Z lists the Architecture as 3x Arm Cortex-A53, and AIDA64 lists the Architecture as 4x Arm Cortex-A53 ...(?)
I'm using AIDA64 from now on.....LOL!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
An LED for an alarm would be pretty useless hahaha! If they did that, I really don't see the point.
Yeah, I noticed for CPU-Z... I uninstalled all the apps to figure out what's in my phone hehhee
NaturalBornCamper said:
An LED for an alarm would be pretty useless hahaha! If they did that, I really don't see the point.
Yeah, I noticed for CPU-Z... I uninstalled all the apps to figure out what's in my phone hehhee
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually I would like an alarm LED, it would indicate, with the screen off, that my alarm was set for the next morning. It would also be nice if they used a RGB LED, then you could allocate Blue, or any other color for different notifications.
Nobody else has chimed in regarding this phone, you must be the only person that's bought it?! You must feel special to be the only kid on the block with one........:laugh:
Whats the biggest mSD card that worked in the phone ... 64, 128 ... ?
NOT 4500mAH battery!
THIS DOES NOT HAVE A 4500mAh BATTERY
THIS HAS A 3200mAh BATTERY
Also, it does not have a compass!?
I found this thread at 4PDA: http://4pda.ru/forum/index.php?showtopic=742407&st=40
Post #49 & 51
This makes the KENXINDA W8 a much better choice, it has the same size battery, but it has the compass, back-lit keys, quad-core, 128gb expandable mSDHD-XC, better gpu, better RAM but alas, a crappy camera, just adequate.
Same price range.
This phone is garbage.....Don't waist your money.
I can verify that the battery is only 3200 mAh. No1/vPhone has come out and lied about the capacity.
This phone uses a 19mm headphone jack, not the standard 14mm.
This phone uses a 10mm mUSB jack, not the standard 6mm.
This phone is not waterproof without the plugs seated. The connections are not injection molded into the frame , the water has direct access to the inside without them in place. This makes the phone useless with headphones attached in a wet environment.
I can not use any of my headphones or USB charging/data cables.
The 19mm mUSB's are not available locally for me and not available from the manufacturer, or the reseller. I can't find the 19mm mUSB cables on eBay/AliExpress/Banggood or China Express (others as well).
The phone was shipped with 2 invalid IMEI numbers.
SIM 1: 356666666666666
SIM 2: 356666666666668
These generic numbers are used on phones that have their legitimate IMEI's taken for phones that are stolen, or, used on cheep counterfeit phones that do not have legitimate IMEI's registered to the database, or, are used on phones that are stolen.
These particular 'generic' numbers are BLACK LISTED as a 'LOST OR STOLEN PHONE' here in Canada.
This 'New' phone will not connect to any service provider here in Canada.
The last phone I sent back to China for a refund, the seller abandoned the item, he refused it and it sat undelivered, there was never a refund issued as the item was not delivered(AliExpress reseller).
To have it returned to me would cost me another 50 bucks....190+50+50=300 bucks (+/-).
I will get screwed out of my $190.00 ether way, if I keep it or send it back.
Sending it back will cost me another $50.00 on top of the $190 as well........
DO NOT BUY THIS BRAND OF PHONE (No1 is parent company).
The Kenzinda W8 or W9 appear to be a better item, but there is little or no support from the manufacturer for this item as well.
Great research and thanks for sharing NaturalBornCamper!!!
After doing some research myself, I also have cool stuff to add.
Here is TWRP 3.0.2 attached, downloaded from https://4pda.ru/forum/index.php?showtopic=742407&st=200
It wasn't easy to get through the 4pda.ru registration captcha, I had to learn some russian.
I installed it and flashed supersu.zip from it, so I was finally able to get rid of the noisy boot animation, adding debug.sf.nobootanimation=1 at the end of /system/build.prop
I just made a nandroid backup to a microsd card, and a "Phone tools" backup, so I can recover my imei if something bad happens in one of my flashing adventures.
Short howto: Install vcom drivers and download SP_Flash_Tool from https://spflashtool.com/
Uncompress TWRP-3.0.2-Vphone-X3.zip
Run flash tool.exe, and load the scatter file included in TWRP/MT6735M_Android_scatter.txt
This will load the partition schema, and autoselect the twrp recovery.img for download. Just click on Download icon on top, start your phone and when you see OK on the screen you are done.
Hi Everyone. I've read a lot of posts here and elsewhere on this issue, but have been unable to solve it, and Sony phone support suggested I post a question. So here goes...
I have a Z3 (D6653) on Android 6.0.1. A month out of contract with my telcom (Telstra), I started having trouble pulling down the notification drawer. Originally it was just slow, then only possible from the home screen and within a day altogether impossible.
I reset the device to factory, but this didn't help.
I used the native diagnostic tool to test the touchscreen and it showed a narrow, very uniform unresponsive band at the top of the screen. About 2-3mm. The uniformity of the band, which suggested to me (right or wrong) that it may be a software issue, not a hardware issue.
So I tried to flash a custom ROM, but although I was able to unlock the bootloader, I was unable to access recovery mode. (I've flashed custom ROMs before, but it's not something I've ever found trouble-free.) After about 8 hours trying all the usual methods, and all the unusual ones, I gave up and started looking at recovery apps.
But recovery apps all require root, so I decided to pursue that course. But without recovery, I couldn't root the device the normal way, so I decided to try Kingroot. After a few false starts, it eventually said it had successfully rooted the device, and Root Checker said it had too. But I was still unable to install a custom recovery with an app. Which left me with nowhere to go.
And now Root Checker is saying the device is NOT properly rooted, Kingroot basically spins, and I haven't been able to unroot with SU or anything else I've tried (not many attempts).
And now at least one app (Pokemon Go) won't work because it thinks the device is rooted.
So I'm now using a floating app to pull down the notification drawer, and I've got all the apps that most often give me notifications sitting directly on my home screen, rather than in folders. I know none of this is the end of the world, but it interrupts my workflow and, thus, my overall productivity. Also plays havoc with my OCD!
Sony support said it's no longer covered by warranty because I rooted it, and although they can probably fix it, it'll take up to a month, and will cost somewhere between $50-$250. I could buy a replacement phone for not much more!
Any ideas on where to go from here? Should I just get a local mobile repair shop to replace the touchscreen? Or is my suspicion right and it's more likely to be the OS? And if the OS, how do I get to recovery?
Thanks heaps, in advance.
Cheers
Glenn
divinewrite said:
I used the native diagnostic tool to test the touchscreen and it showed a narrow, very uniform unresponsive band at the top of the screen. About 2-3mm. The uniformity of the band, which suggested to me (right or wrong) that it may be a software issue, not a hardware issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just about guarantee you that it's a hardware problem, this has happened to me twice on 2 different display panels, through some research this problem happens only on sony phones.
Normally cracking the screen will trigger this problem (Even the smallest of cracks will) but in some cases it will do it on it's own. I think (correct me if I am wrong) sony purposely made this happen possibly to make money on the unfortunate ones who have cracked the screen and caused the digitiser to become slightly unresponsive or not work at all (Thus needed repair and most will go to sony to do so).
I ended up blowing up the phone (Not kidding, I put it in a old microwave and the battery exploded) because it was a pain to run AOSP/CM roms on there and it was gonna cost me quite a bit to fix again so I said fk it and happily destroyed it with a couple of mates (I don't suggest doing this I was just sharing my experience/feelings with this problem {and more}).
I'd suggest selling it (If possible) and getting a new phone, even a phone with the same specs will be better due to sony being... well... sony.
I'm quite happy with my new Moto G4 Plus that runs considerably better than my old Z3 (And the battery lasts longer too ).
What's the deal with the Samsung Galaxy A41?
For reference:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_A41
https://www.samsung.com/A41
There is no XDA-Forum for this smartphone
There also seems to be no community for this phone.
Searching the internet for A41 compatible Custom ROMs ends in less than nothingness even in the darkest corners.
What's going on? The phone is on the market since March 2020. The phone is pretty good in specs (middle-class).
AND it is the ONLY phone under 200 bucks today that is NOT larger than 150mm in length and therefor usable in pockets.
I don't get it why it doesn't get the same attention as the other competitors in the same price class.
Can anybody enlighten me what's happening?
Please XDA mods and admins, if this is just a mistake, please open a samsung forum for the A41!
yepp - I have such an 'outbreak of hell' product - still struggling to root this beast. 90% of the references in the i-net are fake/copied from other Axx or just bla-bla.
Up to now odin (different versions) seems only to be able to flash Samsung CRAPROM (needed it several times after ended bricked)
- magisk patched boot img not working/ending up in boot-loop,
- magisk patching AP dies before finishing (img is 3.5GB instead 4GB)
Samsung - not a success story
avalanche1609 said:
Up to now odin (different versions) seems only to be able to flash Samsung CRAPROM (needed it several times after ended bricked)
- magisk patched boot img not working/ending up in boot-loop,
- magisk patching AP dies before finishing (img is 3.5GB instead 4GB)
Samsung - not a success story
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
omg.. I was hoping to be able to root the phone at least with magisk.. but what you say doesn't sound well. I saw all those copy-paste tutorials for A41 on the internet too.. thought at least something gotta work.
I still don't get it. this should be a popular phone by its smaller size, low price and good super amoled display.
unbelievable there is no community, roots, custom roms, or at least discussion threads.
friends are getting a few A41 phones.. now that'll be a funny mess to root and handle. :/
@avalanche1609 just curious, you said you let magisk patch AP and it dies before finishing (3.5gb/4gb).. why did you let it patch the 4gb AP file? isn't the way to root the phone with magisk like:
-> get the same original firmware that is currently installed on the phone and extract the boot.img.tar from it.
-> copy that to you phone, let magisk patch the boot.img.tar (about 20mb in size)
-> copy patched_boot.img.tar to you pc
-> flash patched_boot.img.tar from pc with odin back to your phone in download mode (using AP(!) not BL in odin) and that file is about 20mb, not more!
shouldn't that be it?
why did you let magisk patch a 4GB AP?
also: which odin3 version did you use? 99% floating around are fake and malicious, all these 3.14.4 verisons are fake.
If you can unlock the bootloader you're already half way there. Then boot into a TWRP using fastboot boot recovery.img and flash Magisk from there. You might also have to disable DM verity somehow.
Good luck
lebigmac said:
If you can unlock the bootloader you're already half way there. Then boot into a TWRP using fastboot boot recovery.img and flash Magisk from there. You might also have to disable DM verity somehow.
Good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
unlocking the bootloader should be no problem as far as I heard. but I also heard there is no TWRP version that actually really supports the device (and encryption afterwards). installing twrp with fastboot could be possible, also booting TWRP with fastboot could be possible, but for what? just for installing magisk that way? Isn't the other way easier? -> installing magisk manager, patch the boot image, and flash it back? especially when there is no fitting TWRP version anyway?
Zirila said:
unlocking the bootloader should be no problem as far as I heard. but I also heard there is no TWRP version that actually really supports the device (and encryption afterwards). installing twrp with fastboot could be possible, also booting TWRP with fastboot could be possible, but for what? just for installing magisk that way? Isn't the other way easier? -> installing magisk manager, patch the boot image, and flash it back? especially when there is no fitting TWRP version anyway?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The samsung brick is rooted now - one successful act of self defense !
- the newest magisk from github (21410) is able to do the job of patching.
(feeding magisk only with an extracted boot.img doesn't work! six different odin versions (<3.14.4) are not able to flash the created boot-image tar file)
- Magisk definitely needs the complete extracted 4GB AP file from the stock firmware - and the canary/github version of magisk is able to patch it (without crashing) and created 4GB patch.tar-file which odin accepts.
fastboot isn't an option - the device is detected but nothing else works/is implemented by samsung
If there is a suitable TWRP around - let me know.
avalanche1609 said:
The samsung brick is rooted now - one successful act of self defense !
Spoiler
- the newest magisk from github (21410) is able to do the job of patching.
(feeding magisk only with an extracted boot.img doesn't work! six different odin versions (<3.14.4) are not able to flash the created boot-image tar file)
- Magisk definitely needs the complete extracted 4GB AP file from the stock firmware - and the canary/github version of magisk is able to patch it (without crashing) and created 4GB patch.tar-file which odin accepts.
fastboot isn't an option - the device is detected but nothing else works/is implemented by samsung
If there is a suitable TWRP around - let me know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's great news! So there actually is a way to get root on A41 and I'm glad it worked out fine for you so far.
I'm eager looking forward to root one of them for myself, I guess in a few days I'll have the chance to do so (I'll report then).
I'll take your advice and look for the latest magisk build from github.
It still looks very strange to me that magisk requires more than the boot image to patch. maybe it has something to do with dynamic partitions/ram disk the phone might use or the like. idk. maybe it then needs these files also. or probably the firmware is a little bit different from the one installed on the phone. I'm just guessing, not knowing. At least it works and when it takes to patch a 4gb file, well, then let it take that much.
That's the point where it'd be fine to have a XDA A41 forum with community and already people with experience, since it's a phone almost 1 year old now..
regarding the suppported TWRP version.. idk.. I would just trial and error things out. maybe it works with the latest version already. But better check it out before you plan to use the phone regularly..
I also don't know much about the fastboot options, I thought it works like usual as long as the bootloader is unlocked.. but flashing TWRP with odin or the twrp app itself could work too.
oh and the original question from the opening thread still remains open:
where is the community? where are the custom roms?
avalanche1609 said:
[...]
fastboot isn't an option - the device is detected but nothing else works/is implemented by samsung
If there is a suitable TWRP around - let me know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh right. I forgot that Samsung intentionally cripples the fastboot for its users... How awesome.
Hi all!
I have one of these since a couple of days and I have to say it is a really nice phone with a really bad issue: the jpg compression is super aggressive and photos that should look great given the lens and sensor look bland and smudgy. As far as I understand, there is no camera api2 exposed at all by default. All camera apps that I have tried produce worse images and gcam does not work (I have tried about 20 different ones, for Mediatek and otherwise). If Samsung could just let me bump up JPEG quality to 95% I would be completely satisfied with this phone, but I guess that would never happen.
I therefore wonder, is there any chance that your success rooting the phone could lead to bumping up the JPEG quality of the stock camera app, eventually expose camera api2 or somehow allow us to install a version of gcam down the line?
Cheers!
I bought a new Galaxy A41 for 180€ and I'm just setting it up.
I want to share my thoughts so far about:
the hardware, the software, things like rooting.
The Installation and Software:
The phone starts and already wants to trick you into signing data collection agreements (Terms of Service (not optional), marketing, analytics, 3rd party shares (3 optional)).
If you select by common sense and only check ToS you'll get fooled when you check the last radio button which says "I've read all of the above and agree (..)" which enabled all optional radio buttons again right before you click next. What a dirty play.
Also it is not possible to skip the WiFi selection screen ("skip" is greyed out) making it impossible to setup the phone without internet access. This has nothing to do with FRP, this is before anything google related is setup. Samsung clearly states it requires internet to setup the phone and install necessary provider software. Once it gets internet it gets activated and the "skip" option becomes clickable after the next factory reset. This practice makes me really angry. It's obviously the price you pay when you buy a low- to mid-range class phone - you'll pay the rest with your personal data.
I setup the phone without creating google and samsung accounts (I never got one of these anyways) and got to the home screen. If you havent enabled WiFi yet, there aren't many apps at all pre-installed, just a few useful and a few bloatware apps (like Facebook, MS Office, etc).
If you give it WiFi however, it kinda explodes with leeching, loading and updating Apps you never asked for. Only some of these can be "disabled" and only some of them can be "uninstalled" the normal way. Some of the unwanted you can't uninstall nor disable. (This is where you wish you had root access)
The phone had Security Patch Level installed from August 2020. Making OTA firmware updates 3x (about 1-3gb) will get you to Sec.Patch Level November 2020 which is the latest available OTA (we have February 2021 now). That's not a good sign IMO.. so it's already a few month behind the patch cycle..
So, software wise there aren't many useful apps for me installed, really just the utter basics and much more 3rd party bloatware and Samsung nonsense apps. It's not as much as with the Poco X3, but still much...
The Hardware:
The super amoled display is the biggest feature of the phone. and it's really great, the colors, the viewing angle, the brightness.. all top notch.
Battery is with only 3500mA/h not that big, but it's astonishing strong and it holds up the uptime it promises so far. I can only hope it stays like that even after a few years.
The size of the phone is what actually made me buy this phone. its the only phone under 6.5" under 200€ and not older than a year. all newer phones are bigger. The size is great, it's slim, but long. (6,1" ~15cm long)
I didn't expect it to be that heavy, though. well, the weight is not really heavy, but compared to older phones it is a good bit heavier.
The Camera is just Mediocre, I already knew this from reviews before but playing around with it and seeing the results underscores it. The final pics alltogether look always a bit washen out if you zoom in. There aren't enough professional advanced settings in the camera settings compared to open camera or mx camera. you have to stick with what you get. The Sensor of the camera is despite 48mpixels only mediocre. the widescreen lens is a nice feature but quality wise not that good either. Selfie cam is subjectively good enough though.
HDR setting and results are a joke compared to mx camera.
Rooting:
I actually planned to root the phone with magisk and installing TWRP. However, I ended up not rooting or installing TWRP at all. The reasons are various.
First, It's possible to unlock the bootloader in developer settings (after the phone called home..). You'll get a nagscreen every time you boot the phone up after it's unlocked. From this point on you might be able to root the phone with Magisk (following the advices a few posts above), but it'll probably trigger and brick KNOX status.
I decided to NOT do that and relocked the bootloader, because there seems to be no lively community for this phone, there are no Custom ROMs available nor any custom bootloaders. And I might want to sell the phone again if it doesn't fit my likings and that'll be more difficult with broken KNOX status. Also that way I can get OTA stock updates as long as the phone is supported.
There is also no supported version of TWRP for the A41. And TWRP on phones like this is tricky as you can read at the A40 TWRP page: TWRP A40 read chapter "This device uses system-as-root in an A-only partition configuration." Also the device is using File Based Encryption and not Full Disc Encryption. I don't know if TWRP works with that environment at all yet.
So currently the only benefits of getting root would be to be able to completely uninstall some bloatware. The rest (firewall, adblocker, backups, etc) is pretty much possible without root access.
I really hope this phone is able to get custom ROMs and community in the future, though.
korpenkraxar said:
Hi all!
I have one of these since a couple of days and I have to say it is a really nice phone with a really bad issue: the jpg compression is super aggressive
Spoiler
and photos that should look great given the lens and sensor look bland and smudgy. As far as I understand, there is no camera api2 exposed at all by default. All camera apps that I have tried produce worse images and gcam does not work (I have tried about 20 different ones, for Mediatek and otherwise). If Samsung could just let me bump up JPEG quality to 95% I would be completely satisfied with this phone, but I guess that would never happen.
I therefore wonder, is there any chance that your success rooting the phone could lead to bumping up the JPEG quality of the stock camera app, eventually expose camera api2 or somehow allow us to install a version of gcam down the line?
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I exactly know what you mean as I watch the pics I just made with the same phone. I don't know if you could change anything in this regard after rooting but it actually looks to me like it's rather the built in camera sensor that makes the quality not that good and not so much the jpeg compression. It doesn't really look like jpeg artifacts, it's more like a washen out painting. I doubt you'll get anything better by rooting the phone, but thats just guessing. Also: did you check out the Image format options? "4:3" vs "4:3 48mpixels"?
Hi!
I checked out all the various formats and played around with the ISO settings grabbing some indoor pics in a relatively poorly lit environment.
First, it is a shame that the HDR is inactivated when using the "4:3 48mpixels" mode or PRO mode because I kind of like that HDR effect otherwise. It seems to me like the aggressive compression automatically kicks in on ISO levels 400 and above, while levels 100 and 200 look alright to me: edges with high contrast look more natural and I find the "natural" pixel noise more tolerable than the washed out smudge effect from the compression.
A "4:3 48mpixels" photo with ISO 200 looks acceptable IMHO and with a little bit of tweaking in Snapseed, I was quite pleased with the result. More grain and a bit darker than what I get from a Zenfone 5 with GCam, but tolerable for a modern phone.
With "4:3 48mpixels" ISO 200 we get quite large file sizes and there is no pixel binning or HDR, but for those random pics that I would like to share with friends in social media, this mode is ok.
Overall, the screen and form factor of the phone is great and it is a fun and comfortable one to use, aside from the camera snafu. I suspect there are some artificial configuration restraints here put in by Samsung. I stand by my original remark that a higher JPEG compression ratio would be great. No idea if it can be configured via root.
As a side note, coming from a Pixel 1 and then a Zenfone 5, it is amazing how well GCam captures photos...
Has anyone rooted successfully?
Reading elsewhere, it's hinted people managed to do it.
Zirila said:
the ONLY phone under 200 bucks today that is NOT larger than 150mm in length
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The A40 is even better in this regard, but is sadly underspeced.
Zirila said:
currently the only benefits of getting root would be to be able to completely uninstall some bloatware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And call recording, I believe?
Got the phone yesterday (about 120$) and got it rooted with Odin and Magisk took a little back and forward.. been a while sines I have been on Samsung phone.
I like this small cheap compact phone, tired of the big bricks.
Was installing from a new phone with latest update from Samsung.
So wrote a small guide to help out..
Everything on phone will get wiped/factory reset , so take backup , you have been warned.
Take no responsibility of brick etc. (or typos!)
!PLEASE CHECK WHAT VERSION PHONE YOU HAVE MINE IS SM-A415F AND THE GUIDE WAS WRITTEN FOR THAT PHONE!
Quick guide:
1* On PC or phone download you stock firmware for you region: https://samfw.com/firmware/SM-A415F
My was NEE witch is Nordic Europe.
Unpack or Transfer the AP_* file to you phone, i used microsd so didn't unpack on phone.
(sd card need to be exFAT , you can format to that in Windows, so it cant handle big files over ~4GB)
2* Install lates Magisk manager from https://github.com/topjohnwu/Magisk/releases/latest (Used v22.0) on phone.
Install Magisk patch the AP_* file from before
Transfer it back to PC, we will use this later!
3* Start phone, (if new phone don't bother sign in google/samsung etc.. it will all be wiped/factory reset!)
Enable Developer mode:
Setting, about device tag 7 times on Build..
(If its not shown connect to the internet and wait ~5min..)
Check "OEM unlocking" , "USB debugging".
4* Turn off the phone, press volume +/- while you connect PC to Phone with USB-C.
When screen "WARNING...Custom OS can cause problems.." press and hold Volume +, and press Volume + to confirm what you are doing!
Let it reboot.
5* Enable Developer mode:
Setting, about device tag 7 times on Build..
(If its not shown connect to the internet and wait ~5min..)
Check to see if "OEM unlocking" is greyed out enabled , check enable"USB debugging".
6* Turn off the phone, press volume +/- while you connect PC to Phone with USB-C.
Press Volume +(don't hold like last time.)
7* On PC open latest Odin (used v3.14.4) from https://odindownloader.com/ (no sure it that the official site but what i used, please let me know if there is a better one.)
Unpack the folder to your PC hard drive and start Odin3*.exe, uncheck "Auto reboot" make sure "F.Reset Time" is checked.
Use the original firmware files from (1*) "BL, CP, CSC" BUT the AP_* that you transferred from Phone.
Press start and hopefully you will get a "<OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 1 / failed 0)" when it's done!
Restart phone.
I had to download magisk and install it again but everything seems to be working..
Cheers
Minuz said:
Got the phone yesterday (about 120$)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only $120 ?!
hkjo said:
Only $120 ?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
128$ to be exact.
Samsung - Køb nyeste Galaxy telefoner her - CBB Mobil
Samsung har nogle af de mest populære mobiler. Find bl.a. Samsung Galaxy i stort udvalg, og få en ny mobil til Små Priser her.
www.cbb.dk
Don't think you can order from out side of Denmark. you can always move
@Minuz
Half the price? The ad there might actually be truthful: 800 DKK instead of the normal 1800. Not bad, unless you have to commit to the operator. Are they clearing the stock to make room for the disappointing A42?
Is Samsung's call recording enabled on the NEE firmware? Any idea if one can flash stock firmware from other regions?
@hkjoThey have similar deals every month, getting customers, cleaning storage for "older/cheap" phones witch are flooding the market atm.
No binding of to the cellphone company, but i'm pretty sure you have to be a danish citizen.
Can see any record options in call settings or phone options, but with root it should be possible to find a app.
-
Regarding of the experience so fare on the phone is great.. coming from a Xiaomi Note 9 Pro , Samsung S10+.
I really like this compact phone, it does everything i need.
The sound is not the best and the plastic back tend to vibrate with the sound from the speaker, but a case will help that.
Update : Had some problems with a danish authentication app Nemid but got it working!
Having some ustabile crashes witch is all on me trying to get a authentication app to work on root phone.. doing some less stable solution.
Got the authentication app working on previous rooted phones, but something is triggered on this phone/software.. With may be the reason for me not using this phone in the future.
(App Nemid)
Hopefully there will come some custom roms or workaround.
Well hello you all!
Actually I'm lucky to now finally find some other people with the same phone...
So about my little story in the Android universe:
--- Skip if not interested ---
Spoiler: Little story
Coming from a Samsung S3 to an OnePlus 3T. I rooted the OP3T and installed Lineage OS some years ago.. I traded it in for an iPhone 6S from my mom and giving the OP3T to my sister.. I just had enough of this Android because you often get stuck with something, the apps are less mature and it just all feals like you always need to be enthusiastic about the phone.. So I had a lucky year with the iPhone but somewhat I wanted to get an Android device again. Then I found a refurbished Google Pixel - 1st Gen, 2 years ago and bought it for 200€. The battery seemed to be pretty ripped since the phone had to be in the package for months or even years.. Since I didn't want to have the reseller sent me a new phone with maybe similar problems I decided to repair it on my own..
I then damaged the display in the process, needed to replace it as well with the battery and in the end spent about 350€ for the Pixel... I was kind of pissed but it was a nice phone.. Until I dropped it and the display was completly dead but wasn't shattered last year.. So then I just thought I had enough of smartphones and went with a rework of the Nokia 8810 (the 4G edition) and my iPad until I then decided in September 2020 that I needed a new phone. I somehow could still get the Pixel to work but didn't want to spend 150€ again for replacement parts. For the same phone which wasn't better since then.. But the chip the Snapdragon 820 is pretty neat, 4GB RAM enough and the camera great. Just the Display isn't that nice and modern looking... Maybe I should have gone that way..
--- End of my story what was before my A41 ---
So then I did some research - which phone looks nice for less than 300€, isn't big - since big screen phones are just bulky and you need two hands and I don't like that..
I found the A41 and thought since I don't do gaming and stuff on the phone, just a bit Twitter and messaging, it should be fast enough. Turns out after now several months of use since September 2020 it feels often slow.. I as well didn't like many Samsung Bloatware stuff but somehow got it configured that I don't bother that much now.. But I always wanted to have a custom ROM and it's just frustrating to do research on the device and just finding crappy articles as someone before mentioned.. You just get redirected etc... or find websites with auto generated content.
So to my experience so far:
Coming from the Pixel (and the iPhone 6S) I just have to say the camera is crap. I just don't like it and I think they shouldn't have gone with the trend and go for dual or even triple cameras. But with one lens and doing that one great. I share the criticism that the 48MP mode is somehow the one you want since the images look blurry when not using this mode. But then you don't have HDR as said, cant zoom in (software design isn't great here - you could switch to not 48MP here but now...) and images need to be taken with a calm hand because they often are blurred otherwise. And even then: The images are just in every point then those from the 12MP pixel. (In general this is easy to be explained bc each pixel has less light and is smaller resulting in less quality of the information per pixel. And if this is just really bad you need great software and often bigger sensors to don't just shrink the pixel size on the sensor..)
The chipset as mentioned: Ok, but somewhat sluggish... It feels pretty slow and everything in the UI seems to be a bit delayed on the screen.. But you just get used to this.. (Which still doesn't make this a good point)
I then had issues for months with my GPS module which often seemed to not work but then suddendly worked and I don't know why... Since then everything seems to be working fine regarding to locations.. It did work sometimes before and was pretty accurate but it just didn't work in 90% of the situations I tried it..
I actually like the display and battery. Both are great, I get maybe 60-70% usage per day and this is great. The display is also pleasing and I like the size although it could be a bit smaller..
The reason why I found this thread now is my latest problem though..
Since 2 months or so I tried to install an update but it just doesn't work. I somewhere found a OTA file (I think sammobile and I hate it that I needed to register there and Samsung isn't providing the files on their own).. And after booting into recovery and starting to sideload it... It just keeps stuck there as well with just 0%... I just hate this phone now and don't want to use it anymore since it just has no community, it feels sluggish sometimes, the camera isn't great and it's a Samsung phone with no possibility for a custom ROM...
What are your thoughts? Where do you agree - should I maybe try to just wipe it, sell it for 100€ on ebay and repair my old pixel? I just thought I might be luckier with that one ... Or maybe get an iPhone again but then.. those are even used that expensive, but just are so good usable in everyday use.. I am a pretty technical competent person, used Linux for like 3 years on the Desktop with no windows on dual boot don't have any problems solving most problems with software what so ever.. But I just don't want to run into problems with the devices I use daily and need to be reliable. If I want projects to waste my time I find them. I install software on servers and configure them.. But this phone and android in general... I sometimes like it, but then I feel like I need a brake and use something that has less bugs.. (up to the point that I like it again.. I'm pretty ambivalent on that topic)
@atriom
If it's working now, why waste time on trying to update?
Minuz said:
Can see any record options in call settings or phone options, but with root it should be possible to find a app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought it'd be easier to use semi-official means to enable recording, rather than root.
Found a thread listing Samsung country codes where recording is enabled, but the list is pretty slim. Intersecting it with the list of countries in which this phone is available (based on one of the firmware sites), I think there's actually no official version with recording enabled.
I'm not sure if that rules out official recording. Maybe CSC selection is generic and not per phone, so all countries would be available.
Just wanted to find some opinions on what to get basically it's been awhile since I was on her and my note ten is having the cold battery can't charge issue so Im looking what to replace it with and need root and loved the functionality of a fully unlocked bootloader but I missed the great speeds of a US phone since I'm in the US so wonder what I shoud do?
Too cold, won't charge?
You think it's a mobo failure on the 10+?
I've never seen that warning. Use something like DevChek to view all the sensor temperatures.
May just be a battery failure. They're good for about 2 years on a heavily used phone, my lasted 1.5 years and failed.
I'm looking at getting a second Note. My choices are another 10+ or a new 20U. It will likely be another 10+; it a solid, stable, fast phone with no glaring issues. If still running on Pie, that's a huge plus, Android 10 and especially 11 just suck. I don't have high hopes for 12.
So if it's the battery or C port PCB*, just replace and wait for the 2022 Note release.
From what I've read the Snapdragon has a better chipset architecture and instruction set.
They seem to be notoriously hard to root. Probably not a good choice for rooting.
I know you can optimize a stock 10+/Pie, not sure how well that will go with Android 10 and above. Some of the functionality isn't there for valuable 3rd party apps like Karma Firewall's logging feature. You can still use Package Disabler or ADB edits to kill the bloatware though.
On newer high dollar phones is many ways rooting is a liability especially with warranty/insurance and you lose Knox, Samsung Pass etc if you use that junk. There are those especially on this forum that swear by it but won't acknowledge their cost in time (which can be and typically is huge) and inconvenience.
Stock Androids/roms are easier to troubleshoot and more secure. If there are issues with a stock setup there will be thousands or more with the same issue making solutions more likely and easier to find. With a custom setup you are on your own which can quickly implode into a time sucking blackhole in more ways than there are stars.
If I was going to root it be an older Note... not a brand new one... risk/time vs reward.
*the C port PCB may have a temperature sensor, not sure. It can cause a lot of bizarre issues in seemingly unrelated systems like internet connection, I know that for a fact. Make sure if you do replace it you get the exact PN that on that PCB or it will not function properly! Both the battery and C port PCB are relatively easy to replace with the proper tools and skillset. Both are cheap, under $50. Make sure you replace the back cover OEM seal with the same or equivalent if you open it up. Do not use generic double sided adhesive tape!
And the award for Longest Post Title and Longest Run On Sentence In A XDA Post goes to...
*Nervously opens envelope*
@ressegger !!!
*Raucous applause*
ressegger said:
Just wanted to find some opinions on what to get basically it's been awhile since I was on her and my note ten is having the cold battery can't charge issue so Im looking what to replace it with and need root and loved the functionality of a fully unlocked bootloader but I missed the great speeds of a US phone since I'm in the US so wonder what I shoud do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes ,
i had this same issue of yours ,
"to cold to charge" can't charge ,
notice/issue .....many years back .
Can't remember which device of mine it was , think it was a Samsung Tablet A 2016 .
Anyway ,
Took devices to Samsung Service Centre.
It was the USB charging port .
They did not charge me much for the repairs .
Got it fixed and device charging normally / working fine afterwards.
My point is whatever you do or decide do not "throw/give "device away .
It's a small fix.....!
good luck
I am running the US snapdragon spammy 20 - ultra rooted up with boot loader unlocked thanks to afane and his advanced bros, although due to the lock down on many features such as scoped (controlled) storage preventing apps from being installed outside of the control room (googel store), did I mention notification sound got locked down too?
Hi. I'm not your typical noob person, I simply haven't had an issue I couldn't find a solution for that required me to come to XDA in a very very long time.
Long story short, I got the Galaxy S8+ 5G tablet brand new from T-Mobile in less than a week.. immediately noticed issues with swiping/glide on both Samsung and Gboard keyboards(Gboard is my STRONG preference for a long time now)
This is brand new out of the box, before a screen protector was added or any apps installed. Still did all the standard trouble shooting - installed update, no dice. Force closed each keyboard, wiped cache and data on each keyboard, tried turning sensitivity off and on and.. no dice. Restarted into boot mode and wiped cache.. most of these things not really something that should apply to a brand new out of the box tablet except update and factory reset - both of which I did, neither of which, nor anything else has helped.
I even added a tempered glass screen protector thinking it's TOO sensitive, and even after that, and again trying to toggle sensitivity setting in the settings.. still just will not swipe.
I type this currently on my Samsung Galaxy S20 FE5G absolutely flawlessly. I can type without looking at the phone at all and type near perfect accuracy with just the occasional need to choose a different word in the suggestion bar.. that is using Gboard "glide". The tablet using Gboard bloating mode is almost an identical match to the size of this keyboard and would make it a nearly *perfect* way of typing just as quickly and accurately on the new tablet.. I understand that some of the accuracy comes from use of the keyboard and locally stored into but.. the tablet types gibberish half the time. If I push FAR harder than I should have to while gliding, a few words may work.
Called T-Mobile Saturday, had a warranty replacement sent(God I didn't want a refurbished device) because the only natural conclusion I could come up with is the digitizer has an issue, maybe during shipping.. etc. I don't know..
Got it last night, booted it up, this time I made them include a "invisible shield glass fusion+" screen protector which went on flawlessly and should have no effect on typing at all.. and it's got the same EXACT issue. Maybe a HAIR better, but still completely unusable in my opinion.
I want this for work, the tablet and this phone and a 4k Chromecast, with features like dex, second screen, etc.. there's just about no scenario I can think of where this WON'T be beneficial in any support scenario..
T-Mobile already wants to give me the tablet for free, I've had so many issues with them for so long they switched me to a "business select" package only certain managers can apply, and I get unlimited everything for each device at $25 per device.. forever. No matter how many.
No discounts for auto pay or mass numbers or.. just a flat number that beats the company I was going to switch to when I unlocked my phone 12 days ago.
But I've been a customer customer for 8 years and a T-MOBILE customer since before the first iPhone smartphone was released.. even a few years before that when the best phone you could get had a slide out keyboard and basic touch functions..
So they are supposed to be calling me within the hour, I expected to see numerous threads or posts about this issue, because clearly it isn't ME..
I find some other links I've tried fixes from like:
Strange Gboard bug temporarily breaks glide typing, here's how to fix it [Update]
Over the past 24 hours or so, users have started noting a strange issue with Google’s Gboard keyboard on Android,...
9to5google.com
And see this post of Galaxy phones describing exactly the same issue
https://www.reddit.com/r/GalaxyS22/comments/u8y4cz
and describing it happening with a specific update..
I've got 2 devices, the first is brand new and factory reset as of last night, has a glass screen protector, and the refurbished one in front of me with the same issue.. I've restored data so I can continue using it, but tried all the SAME fixes and nothing.. and T-Mobile is calling in 45 minutes or so.
Obviously I'd like to keep the brand new device rather than the refurbished one- but IS THERE A FIX, or anything I can do with them on the phone.. I got a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse and aftermarket case.. I can type using the keyboard obviously, but I typically can type WAY faster with Gboard the way I am on my phone right now..
I tried doing searches on XDA but it seems like their search functionality has changed for the worse in the years I haven't been here.. that or I can't find the advanced search and forum search I KNOW I used to use daily.. not in the app, the mobile page, or desktop version.
And because it isn't worth it's own post I'll ask one more question -originally I had them send me a Galaxy tab 7 FE 5G becauseb the S20 I'm using still works so well and it was only $100 if I added the line.. and it's just an oversized worse version of my phone.(but don't recall it having this issue now that I think about it) Which is why I'm here now with this tablet..
The problem created by that is I can't tell the pen for that tablet and the new one apart, and here https://m.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=11342&idPhone2=10922# it is showing the new one has less latency, Bluetooth, etc..
Part of the reason they are calling this morning is they were like "oh, just keep the Galaxy tab 7 for free, on us"
Me: "I don't want that oversized garbage, that's why I'm ordering the 8+!"
T-Mobile guy: "Oh, well then return the 7 and you can have the 8+ on us!"
Then I've been trying to get a shipping label for 11 days now, only to find out that he never put in the system that I wanted to return the device and he already voided out the equipment plan for it.. meaning I'm stuck with a tablet I don't even want- and can't tell which s-pen is supposed to be the better pen!
I mean, the chance I'll lose one is so high I won't return the pen and keep it as a backup.. but.. I'd still like to know how to tell the difference, when I attach either one it connects with no issue and I can't find anywhere that shows the pen type connected!
I'm so sorry this is so long, but like I said.. I normally do not need to come here and get my issues resolved myself, it's what I do for work.. and I haven't needed to root/rom a device in so long that I just kinda.. stopped.
(But I'm not going to lie, I got super excited when I came here and there seems to be the option to root/ROM and that it seems like a well supported device in that way! I've kind of dreaded KNOX because previously I never could.. but I'll look into that later once I fix my CURRENT issues..!)
Best I can do as far as pic of S-Pens https://photos.app.goo.gl/pfqKMiiG49L21gx7A