Database Info

GooApple V5 issues list

Hello everyone!
First of all sorry for my bad English. I represent smartphones distributor from Kiev, Ukraine. We have contacted with GooApple sales director and have got GooApple V5 sample phone for tests before bulk orders.
All I can say: it's just not ready for international market at the moment and unfortunately they are not very much interested in positive firmware or hardware changes.
They have made firmware ios_11.12.08 for our last recall but non of our issues have been resolved + one added: it doesn't react on first home button push after lock screen, it only shows unlock screen after the second home button push or fast twice push.
Here is our issues list:
Phone's battery draining, runs out too fast!!! After full charge it runs out 75% battery life for 4 hours of usage: 1 call during 5 min., video watch during 8 min., music during 6 min, looking thought photos during 5 min., taking 3 pictures with the camera. 1,5 hour is just for walkthrough over the interface, settings, lock/unlock. 3,5 min. video takes about 5-6% of battery life. And it's without any gaming, internet surfing, making videos. Other time it's just holding.
Screen has some lightness flickering. Backlight blinking, flashing a little bit from the sides and left top corner.
Connect button (in putting Wi-Fi password mode) doesn't work. Just can't connect to any locked Wi-Fi network.
Bad Wi-Fi catch signal even with a close to phone router.
Doesn't remember icons location on springboard bar after moving around and reboot the phone.
Showing the last called phone number in background when sending USSD commands (checking balance or any anything else).
The input keyboard should be the same as iOS with working English and Russian (now it doesn't work) and customization ability in the General folder in Settings.
Booting animation should be the same as iOS with Apple logo only.
Creating folders (put in and put out icons) and moving icons around doesn't work properly.
The font in Calendar, Time, Dial is not the same as iOS.
The sim card pin code enter should be the same as iOS.
How to delete apps like Call Log, PowerOff... chinese QQ and others?
Reminders, Maps, Weather Stocks iReader apps should be in English.
Browser app should be renamed to Safari.
Gallery app should be renamed to Photos.
Phone key at dialpad should be renamed to Keypad.
Must speed up fake iOS usage response, performance.
Must speed up screen rotation/orientation response.
Must replace red ! (exclamation) to the Sending progress bar when sending messages/SMS.
Must replace chinese word to english word Call at the dial pad.
Make possibility of adding your own ringtones in the Settings.
Make double tap or pres hold the home button for multitask, running apps view like on iOS with appear at the bottom of the screen.
Make possibility of completely close/kill apps taking up memory and running in the background.
Make dialing numbers sound quieter (it's set to max by default).
Make lock/unlock sound quieter (it's set to max by default but should be possible to customize).
Make full-screen camera mode when taking photos.
Correct + - add sound mode when playing video, music (quiet sound from 2 to 6 bars and after 6 bars it's big increase in sound).
Remake Videos app (it should redirect/open phone's gallery instead of SDcard content).
Remake YouTube app (it should be in English or redirect/open youtube.com).
WLAN folder in Settings should be renamed to Wi-Fi.
Phone warms up when gaming, talking, videos.
It doesn't recognize sim card enter when ON.
Word Wednesday comes out of the Calendar app icon.
Power On/Off button dangles, swing around with sound.
Upper background part can be seen when charging.
While start pinching any picture from the center it zooms in with imprecision to the side of the picture.
Battery life doesn't shows properly on lock screen (it shows all empty when screen corner shows less of 20% battery life).
It Reboots by itself few times during the day when locking the screen.
If you know any other issues please add them by numbers 39, 40....
Or if you have solutions for any of the issues please also add it by the 1-38 numbers.
I hope we can make it better together!

Possible Solutions to Gooapple V5 issues.
Generally speaking, I don't think that all these reasons are real for every V5 phone around. Did you wipe out every data BEFORE flashing the new rom? If not, certain applications may have been running multiple times (i.e.: Maps in my case when I did that). I am using the android rom (not the iOS one) and I have not all these problems whatsoever.
Possible solutions:
1. Try and see if you have data enabled or GPS is on. This device has a hardcoded (R) Roaming on (i.e. you can't turn it off) plus it's not (yet) capable of 3G data. Turn both of them off while not needing them helps A LOT.
2. Not an issue here with newest android build; maybe your screen has issues. I've had some friends with original iPhones having the same flickering as yours. Turned out to be their retina display.
3. Not true. I'm connecting on both my wifi spots at home both Wep and WAP/PSK. Wifi is low powered though and need you to be NEAR the wifi router / spot (see below).
4. True! Just 5 meters away and a mid-wall makes the difference. They really need to boost their receiver.
5.Try reinstalling AFTER you've made a complete wipe data/factory reset. THEN install the rom. This might fix the issue.
6.I'd really like to see a list of USSD commands if you have one available for this phone... (pm me??? )
7.Same for Greek keyboard. I've overcame the problem by installing Greek Input Method from the market.
8.Heh. +1
9.It works for me for both android and iOS roms.
10,11.I agree.
12.You'll have to be 'root' to do so. The only way I've found to do so is the program superoneclick (google it). After rooting the V5, download from market 'Root Uninstaller'. Works perfectly even with the 'protected apps' like the one you mentioned. I know that you don't have 'market' on iOS rom so here's what I did:
I've had a factory reset first, then installed Android rom and THEN the iOS rom. I've also installed a program called 'Go Launcer EX'. This pops up when unlocking the device asking you what launcher you prefer, this way you have the best of both worlds.
13-16: Agree.
17 & 18: The problem is the retina display with the slow (relatively) 650MHz MTK6573 processor. The G3 (previous model) had a smaller screen that the cpu was able to handle. On android rom things are better though...
19 & 20: Agree.
21: On android you can do so by adding your custom ringtones on a folder called /alarms, /ringtones etc on your sd card. Should work for us too (didn't try it yet).
22. Agree.
23. I am using an app from market called: Advanced Task Manager does the trick.
24-31. Agree.
32. I didn't go that far!!! I guess you're right.
33 & 34. Yep.
35 & 36. I haven't got such a problem. Consider the retina screen of yours has a problem / issue?
37&38. Nope. Works alright here.
Finally another issue with no solution:
39. GPS lock. The GPS won't operate properly in EU (Greece) where I live. Takes forever to find satellites and it won't lock to a fix point even if you wait 10 mins. This is what I'm after right now and if I have a proper solution I'll post it here.
Thanks for putting up this thread Cyber_dude. If you need anything I'll be more than glad to help!

Thanks for your reply.
We have talked with GooApple for about a week now and sure I have made all needed such as wipe data before firmware update. That's because you are basically using Android ROM. Customers buying phones like this one because they just want iPhone for less and want everybody else think they got an iPhone. So using Android on any iPhone replica is just not right. It should run fake iOS and should be at least 60% of the original one. This phone costs $300 icnl. shipping at resellers (price of used iPhone 4 on eBay) and I think user interface should be well polished and flawless for that money.
Yes, Maps on last gooapple_ios_11.12.08 works in English now. But after resolving one problem they made two others, like it doesn't react on first home button push after lock screen, it only shows unlock screen after the second home button push or fast twice push.
1. That's not a solution! Sure I have turned everything like wi-fi, gps... off. But customers want it to be fully functional phone, without thinking: "ohh., have I turned my phone's wi-fi and gps off to kepp the battery alive?" It's shouldn't be like that!
They have you used so low capacity 1050mAh battery. (but we think it's even less). The original iPhone's has 1420mAh. And there are even 2200-2430mAh on the market today. They have changed screen, ram, cpu but keep the same battery. It's just stupid. And it's smaller then iPhone's battery so you just can't replace it. It works maximum up to 3 hours in active usage mode without gaming. (with full brightness on, because turning it less on this screen is just sacrilege).
That's they have answered about that: "when making a phone, we have to consider a lot of things, especially the cost, when everything is as great as iphone 4, the price will be too..."
2. Yes, it's old issue, it resolves after reinstall.
3. It's true. It works on you because your wep password is large then 8 characters. It doesn't work with less passwords like mac or iPhone.
5. Yes, new firmware resolved that.
6. I mean USSD commands for checking balance.
But here is a command to enter EngineerMode: *#67876#*
7. Stock keyboard is a crap. I use Smart Keyboard Pro.
8. I can change robot with apple booting animation but can't change gooapple name at the beginning. I think it's logo.img at the rom zip file. I have tried to delete it and make other changes to the rom but can't sign it. It's always shows sign error at the install.
9. It works but it works very-very badly. Then you are trying to move icon to other position it creates a folder with other icon, it's so annoying.
12. I have also made the root with the SuperOneClick. And delete Chinese apps with Root Explorer.
Thanks for Go Launcer EX advise. What else it can help us with?
17 & 18. They used MTK6513 it's cuted MTK6573 without 3G. It's not the best one anyway.
21. Yes, I also want to try to add custom ringtone to media directory folder.
23. Yes, I also use Advanced Task Killer Pro on gooapple_ios_11.11.30 but they have added double tap home button like iPhone to kill running apps on gooapple_ios_11.12.08
35 & 36. These issues are real and haven't resolved on new roms. That's not screen problem, I can make a screenshot if needed.
37. This one is also real. Can also make a screenshot.
38. Haven't seen this issue on gooapple_ios_11.11.30
39. Maybe you should try to test it in EngineerMode Have you tried to use any other GPS third-party application?
I didn't know about this issue because I haven't tried GPS, no need with this battery.
Do you know how to replace chinese word (Call) to english word Call at the dial pad? Because it's immediately catches the eye when using. I have decompiled the Phone.apk with APK Edit program but all image files are normal over where, chinese word is not an image file. I don't know how to change it.
Just lets keep this thread go by adding new issues and how to solutions.

Got my V5 about 2 weeks ago. Been playing with it for a while - tried both the newer roms and currently running the ios version that is made available about 10 days ago. Been working fine for me, except I may gps is very slow (can take up to 10 minutes for it to find me), and the built in FM Transmitter does not work. I also have various chinese apps which I was not able to delete. I will try the latest rom to see what improvemements it has.
Question, how did you root the phone? I downloaded superoneclick, but keep getting hung on the "waiting for device". I have usb debuggin on, and tried it both with "usb connect" on and off (the setting in the phone to establish a usb connection to a PC). Instead of using this "usb connect" feature, do I need to download some type of usb driver for this phone? If so, can you provide details? I've tried various usb drivers for MT6513 but nothing yet works - even tried something called PDANet which installed some type of software oin the phone and said it was connected, but still the superoneclick failed. Any ideas?
Oh, by the way I found a vending.apk that works on the ios rom. See link below
http://www.mediafire.com/?khpvzmzwwaqyxdm
Thanks

I have uploaded the drivers for GooApple V5, here is the link: http://www.mediafire.com/?h6hr1ckrf3sc7cj
How to root your GooApple V5:
Make sure you use Win XP.
Download drivers file from the link above and unzip it.
Phone Settings -> Applications -> Unknown sources, on
Phone Settings -> Applications -> Development -> USB debugging, on
Phone Settings -> Applications -> Development -> to keep awake, on
Phone Settings -> Applications -> Development -> Allow analog location, on
Connect the data cable, turn on USB storage in the phone.
In the Windows Device Manager (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Device_Manager) find your phone, open properties and install or update the drivers from the unzipped folder.
Reboot your computer.
Now download the SuperOneClick from here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=803682 If you run XP, install .NET Framework v2.0 or above.
Shut down your antivirus/firewall.
Turn off USB storage in the phone. Make sure you do not mount the sd card.
Run the SuperOneClick BOOT process. If it's not success from the first time try it again.
After that install the Root Explorer to your phone, go system/app, push Mount R/W button and delete any app you want.
Thanks for the vending.apk, here are also some tips for it: http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/how-to-install-new-android-market-2-2-6-on-your-device/

Cyber_Dude, thanks for the engineering mode code. You've done a nice job on the rooting info. Just for the story: I've done it on W7, 32bit and worked alright too. Newest superoneclick has the ability to forcibly ask for Admin privileges. Drivers have to be installed manually though.
I've found out into the Engineering menu that there's a CPU Frequency test that reports a high of 806MHz. THAT would be awesome to have when needed. Do you have any *working* utility that is able to over clock the MTK6573 CPU of it? I've tried some from the market but with no luck whatsoever.
Some info on the WiFi boosting would be helpful too. I've been digging into the /etc directory and found out several conf files that may, or may not do the job. I'd rather not alter the values on my own though...
Ah, finally another addition:
There seems to be an issue importing/exporting my contacts from the phone to google.com. Plus the Account and Sync options on the settings menu isn't reporting the respective field (i.e.: only Picassa, books and gmail is able to sync. Contacts is not on the list).
Thanks.

Cyber_dude - thanks for the rooting details. Got my V5 rooted today, and it worked from my vista laptop (didn't need a xp PC). I deleted the 9 chinese apps no problem including the chinese market app.
The vending.apk I provided works whether you root or not - however now that I'm rooted I will keep your instructions in mind if I want to upgrade to a different market version.
I'm still on the Dec1/2011 ios rom - anyone know what the newer ios rom (Dec10/2011) has to offer? I have tons of apps and settings personalized, so I'm not really wanting to wipe the phone to load the latest ios rom unless I know it will have some improvements.
Only problems I still have, which I would appreciate feedback on, are:
1) gps is very slow to find my location (can take up to 30 minutes). Funy thing is that as I scroll on the map it refreshes fast, and I can find addresses and streets, but it just can not find my location?
2) ther built in FM Transmitter does not work - would love to get this working since I do not have bluetooth stereo in the car. FYI - found other fmtransmiiter.apk apps on the net - can I just replace my existing same app on systems/bin to make it work?
Thanks

Have you tried it with the 'new' Android UI ROM? How does it perform? I'd really like to see some videos - youtube only has 13 and I've seen them all ..

DanADaMan said:
Only problems I still have, which I would appreciate feedback on, are:
1) gps is very slow to find my location (can take up to 30 minutes). Funy thing is that as I scroll on the map it refreshes fast, and I can find addresses and streets, but it just can not find my location?
2) ther built in FM Transmitter does not work - would love to get this working since I do not have bluetooth stereo in the car. FYI - found other fmtransmiiter.apk apps on the net - can I just replace my existing same app on systems/bin to make it work?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) Same thing here. From the data sheet (from Mediatek) of the MTK6573 (which this phone has) the update location should be as fast as 10ms (that's 1/100 of a second) so something is DEFINITELY wrong.
2) I think you'll have to 'sign' it somehow. There are some apps that are supposed to provide 'signed' apps but never got to work with one; so I have no experience.
Cheers

macsga, DanADaMan, you are welcome.
I think cpu overclocking is not in time now and it also can make even worse. But we'll be glad if you can find any good, stable working app for that and test it. The only thing need to be overclocked now is the iOS UI, it should have to be polished well to match the original one.
For WiFi boosting, have you tried Wifi Fixer or Wifi Analyzer, you can change your WiFi channels with it.
GPS chipset is very bad. It's just a copy, fake phone, so they have used the cheapest hardware parts for it, we should reconcile to it. Unless they somehow fix it in new firmware, but I don't think it's gonna happen in near future. The main market for this phone is China, so they don't hasten with any international changes. As GooApple sales director said to me: "we sold more then 500pcs aday, should this problem happend to every phone, i think all the phone should return to us". So maybe chinese people are just not as demanding as we are, and they are happy with the phone? Anyway, I think with a good administrative force all listed issues can be resolved in just one week.
By the way, as I know they are planning to produce new phone in January with the 3G support. No info about any other new hardware at the moment.
Meantime we have to add new issues to the list:
39. GPS is very slow to find my location (can take up to 30 minutes).
40. Built in FM Transmitter does not work.
41. Importing/exporting my contacts from the phone to google.com. Plus the Account and Sync options on the settings menu isn't reporting the respective field (i.e.: only Picassa, books and gmail is able to sync. Contacts is not on the list).
42. In last gooapple_ios_11.12.08 firmware it doesn't react on first home button push after lock screen, it only shows unlock screen after the second home button push or fast twice push.
Updates in the last gooapple_ios_11.12.08 firmware:
Increase in task manager.
Blocking state to increase unread text message reminder.
Debug chinese QQ picture upside down.
Some Google applications added (en maps, gmail, voice..)
Task Manager.
Standby SMS prompts.
Double-click the home button shows running/standby apps and kill possibility like in original iOS.
Plus issue 42 added.
I haven't tried all new features in gooapple_ios_11.12.08 I don't want to use it because of the 42 issue. Now I'm using previous gooapple_ios_11.11.30 version. If anyone already installed and running the gooapple_ios_11.12.08 please give us your feedback.
DanADaMan, maybe you should try to make the data backup in stock recovery mode first and install firmware update after that? Maybe this should keep all your apps in and give you the new firmware? (haven't tried by myself)
jontelang, Sure, Android UI works much better with it, but I personally don't want to use it on this phone, it would be too simple and means you gave up making iOS UI ROM better.

As a side note, I've noticed that the phone is able to provide extraordinary 2D & 3D performance. I don't agree with the comment "It's just a copy, fake phone, so they have used the cheapest hardware parts for it, we should reconcile to it." you posted earlier Cyber_Dude, because I've seen cheap devices and this is nothing like it.
I do believe that the dev team has issues supporting the phone chipset due to the novelty that presents at the current time. This processor came out only at the end of June 2011 (fairly new).
News about MTK MT6573 Processor
Monday, June 13, 2011 3:25:26 AM America/Los_Angeles
Since the release MTK MT6516 processor, there is lots of Android phones in the market, which support GSM network and dual SIM card smartphone. But later, when Qualcomm, Broadcom and other smartphone processor manufacturer access into the field, mtk's dimmed. MTK MT6573 is the only hope in the future.
The end of June, 2011, we will share the latest trends with you, with the following new star.
Time: the first smartphone with MT6573 processor has been assembled, the major integrators, solution providers have had contact with, the reaction generally very good, have begun to prepare the relevant program models. As far as know, next month the first smartphone with MT6573 processor will unveiled.
Performance: As MT6573 is positioned in the low-end smartphone, we should not expect performance of deification, but the actual test performance to facilitate more than Qualcomm MSM7227, while MT6573 with the 3D acceleration in the multimedia DSP will give you a surprise. Currently sent to the integrators, solution providers of 3G features are still several prototype debugging.
Programs: MT6573 and MT6516 share same pins, and the both chips can be exchange without any hardware change, this will save cost on design for smartphone manufacturers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Via: http://android-sale.com/blog/news-mtk-mt6573/

macsga, But have you test it side by side with the iPhone 4 (not talking about 4S)?
Sure if comparing with other copies it's a winner. It's the best choice if you want to buy an iPhone replica for the price of the used iPhone 4 and you're not too picky. But it's a huge contrast with the original iPhone 4 UI performance, speed and hardware. And at the present time it's not totally ready for the wide international market due to the all listed issues. That's why I have started this thread, all together we can make it better. Unfortunately GooApple's dev team/engineers do nothing for it, local market and the new phone's version is their main goal at the moment. I know that because I've contacted with the GooApple sales director for the last 3 weeks.
As I have posted before they used MTK6513 it's cut MTK6573 without 3G support. It's good but not the best one. Anyway CPU is not the main problem of GooApple V5. The low capacity battery is much bigger failure. The android-sale.com is just a reseller, they can write anything they want to sell the phones more efficiently.

Hehe, I do have a 4s and (you're right) side by side there's nothing like it. That's why I gave up on iOS UI and turned to the android native one. I do believe that it's a perfect android testbed though. And for 230 Eur (retail price) that the 32Gb model cost me; well I can't really complain.
So; I totally agree! Let's try and make it better
The UI might be faster if you lower the resolution (i.e.: draw @ 480x320 and not the retina native resolution this phone has). It's zoom capabilities should cover the gap and reduce choppiness. Of course, this is just a crazy thought of mine...

macsga, Where have you got it for 230 EURO for 32GB? Official resellers like android-sale.com and rofen.net selling 32GB model for $319.99 (245 EURO) without shipping cost.
How could you lower the resolution? And why? If you want lower resolution you just should buy cheaper GooApple 3G version and it has faster UI response: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqAevweocKs

Cyber_Dude said:
macsga, Where have you got it for 230 EURO for 32GB? Official resellers like android-sale.com and rofen.net selling 32GB model for $319.99 (245 EURO) without shipping cost.
How could you lower the resolution? And why? If you want lower resolution you just should buy cheaper GooApple 3G version and it has faster UI response: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqAevweocKs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got it before the EUR/USD was at 1/1.29 which is what you just calculated . The lower resolution (magnified) would in my opinion give the fast and smooth feeling the 3G has.
As per why I didn't go for the 3G, I did not, because of the retina display the V5 has. The official replacement for a retina display from Apple goes up to 390EUR+pnp, where I got the whole phone for 230 (OK plus 11$ shipping). In the meanwhile I have an android phone to play with (apart from my 4s). Fair deal.

I just wiped the phone and tried to load the ios 12-08-11 rom. Got an error something about not being a signed rom. I reinstalled the ios 12-01-11 ios rom no problem.
Anyone else have problems loading the latest ios rom?
Thanks

is this real?
i have heard that the Gooapple v5 is very good, and it is the same display as the real iphone 4, and can exchange with the iphone 4 display, does this ture?

DanADaMan said:
I just wiped the phone and tried to load the ios 12-08-11 rom. Got an error something about not being a signed rom. I reinstalled the ios 12-01-11 ios rom no problem.
Anyone else have problems loading the latest ios rom?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are newer ones from 2011.12.10 on http://rom.gooapple.com use those. Hopefully you won't have the same issues. Correction: Unfortunately the new Android one is not signed- The iOS though works OK
---------- Post added at 05:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:01 PM ----------
lovebargaining said:
is this real?
i have heard that the Gooapple v5 is very good, and it is the same display as the real iphone 4, and can exchange with the iphone 4 display, does this ture?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it's real. You can watch exchanging one another, on youtube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=s7nUkSdzOqo

The flickering at the corners of the screen is annoying on mine, has this developed from the latest ROM or did you guys see it in previous? I've only had it a few days and updated straight away. I've resorted to the android UI cos the IOS one was sluggish but am more than happy to swap back to help?!
What I did find was GTA III kills this phone. On launch the intro plays but as the game launches the screen goes black and the phone will not respond to any button pressing for an hour, then I think it kills the process and the phone comes back. Just don't try, unless someone can tell me otherwise?
Mine responds on one click of the home button right now but Wireless is pants and so is GPS!
---------- Post added at 09:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:35 PM ----------
How do I tell if I loaded 2011-12-08 or 2011-12-11?
I downloaded them on the 15th and loaded the Android one without any complaints of it being unsigned? Did it over the top of the version it came with though so not fresh install...
EDIT:
Thought it was worth adding how to get into engineers menu:
Dial “*#67876#*”
Is there a way to turn WiFi Tx from 20 to 40 or even more?
I need to root mine still

I never noticed flickering and I have to say that the latest 'iOS' rom is a bit faster on my device resulting in a rather good imitation while the previous was very choppy.
The only drawback is that the UI crashes every now and then. I do like the 'long press' function of the home button that is able to kill apps in the 'official' iOS mode plus I think for the 1st time since I owned this phone that I like more the iOS UI to the android one.
I do have to offer a couple of tips that I found through my xda search:
1. Using a program like Root Explorer (root) you may want to make the following directories as Read Only: /data/tombstones and /data/system/dropbox
This has as a result, that the phone won't be able to log into the main phone memory thus trimming down your available space.
2. *IF* you're using the iOS UI version of the rom you can safely(?) remove the following apps (I state them as bloatware) via Root Uninstaller (root):
-QQ input method and keyboard
-Chinese market
-Chinese Youtube (Yuku)
-Chinese Maps
-Chinese Weather (3 entries, remove all three)
-Chinese iBooks (Google books does the job)
3. Add the following app: Locale Select from the Market and choose your language of choice.
4. If you search the xda site you will be able to find signed Google Apps that (most of them) work with this phone.
Ah, one last thing: I found the best player for playing p0r... erm, Movies, MoboPlayer with the additional ArmV7VFP3 plugin. Supports almost every codec and srt file out there and respective char encodings. Please ignore the message: This program is not compatible with your device. Works like a charm, I swear.
Cheers.

Help, 5.0 702L boot up service issues

I have never had this issue on any other device with 5.0+ and wonder if it is unique to the X2
I can do any app that says start at boot up, e.g., Smart Unlock, and any autostart app, and oftentimes the service will not start at boot up
I have downloaded and tried a number of apps and utilities (about 4 init.d utilities and bootcomnand) and unfortunately no dice. "Autostart and Stay" is the latest.
Not only will the service not startup at boot, even manually started (which like Pavlov's dog I have trained myself to do), it does not "stay" ie keep the apps persistent or working in the background. Padlocking the apps (pulling down vs zooshing up in the multifinder/square box background tasks doesn't keep things executing.
This is a big hassle. I'm rooted and would do a single command line type command in boot shell pro, but don't have a command I can toss in to start the process or app and/or keep the process persistent.
Any help appreciated.

Rudolpht said:
I have never had this issue on any other device with 5.0+ and wonder if it is unique to the X2
I can do any app that says start at boot up, e.g., Smart Unlock, and any autostart app, and oftentimes the service will not start at boot up
I have downloaded and tried a number of apps and utilities (about 4 init.d utilities and bootcomnand) and unfortunately no dice. "Autostart and Stay" is the latest.
Not only will the service not startup at boot, even manually started (which like Pavlov's dog I have trained myself to do), it does not "stay" ie keep the apps persistent or working in the background. Padlocking the apps (pulling down vs zooshing up in the multifinder/square box background tasks doesn't keep things executing.
This is a big hassle. I'm rooted and would do a single command line type command in boot shell pro, but don't have a command I can toss in to start the process or app and/or keep the process persistent.
Any help appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go into phone manager then settings then shortcuts and add the Dropzone shortcut to your home screen. Then open the shortcut and enable everything in dropzone.

That is great advice. There are still nuances about this phone I need to explore. The nuanced nuance was I needed to have the dropzone shortcut (the service was already turned). I also had to protect it so it would run in the background during sleep (?!?) and after that third reboot it booted the service correctly. It seems like a combo of science and mysticism. But it works & thank you!

Rudolpht said:
That is great advice. There are still nuances about this phone I need to explore. The nuanced nuance was I needed to have the dropzone shortcut (the service was already turned). I also had to protect it so it would run in the background during sleep (?!?) and after that third reboot it booted the service correctly. It seems like a combo of science and mysticism. But it works & thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Let's check your energy saving level. Any level higher than lowest one makes problems with prematurely switching off apps.
Energy saving mechanizms are pretty nasty in X2. I have great issues with notifications from WhatsApp and other communicators till I switched energy saving level to the lowest.

trurl3 said:
Let's check your energy saving level. Any level higher than lowest one makes problems with prematurely switching off apps.
Energy saving mechanizms are pretty nasty in X2. I have great issues with notifications from WhatsApp and other communicators till I switched energy saving level to the lowest.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you. I have the energy savings set to "Normal" as the next level seemed to save only 5%. I'm learning something new every day. Thank you.

I'm trying to research the wonders of dropzone. The best I can find is that it allows a small set of apps to allowing floating notifications. Doesn't really explain the ability to get autoboot things to work or other magic. I'm grateful that this and some of the protected app changes are making this androud work like it should (or like other phones) . A slight more battery drain but a worthy tradeoff for tearing my hair out.

Rudolpht said:
I'm trying to research the wonders of dropzone. The best I can find is that it allows a small set of apps to allowing floating notifications. Doesn't really explain the ability to get autoboot things to work or other magic. I'm grateful that this and some of the protected app changes are making this androud work like it should (or like other phones) . A slight more battery drain but a worthy tradeoff for tearing my hair out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you don't mind losing the No Disturb mode, you can delete the whole system manager app from system/app if you're rooted and you won't ever have to deal with the permission problems again.

I'm up for that. Would that kill the app lock also? Would a Titanium freeze do the same? Guess I can give it a shot.

And… it works. App Lock just as if it didn't exist. Will keep Phone Manager frozen for now. Thanks!

And it seems much faster/smoother, which is saying something since it was snappy to begin with.

Rudolpht said:
And it seems much faster/smoother, which is saying something since it was snappy to begin with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah when it's removed it even seems like the battery lasts a little longer. It's something I wish wasn't even included as just a task manager app would have sufficed. You can always delete the PhoneDiagnose and PowerGenieEngine as well. I can also remove them from the Super Slim KangVIP ROM as well if the majority would like that. My goal is a flashable ROM with no bloat that runs fast, gets great battery life and makes it easy for everyone. In fact, I'm going to remove them from my stock debloated ROM's and the KangVIP ROM's from now on due to the fact that a lot of us are having permission issues. I'll have three ROM's for each. A stock original bloated one, a medium debloated one with most of the Chinese apps we don't use removed but all the stock apps like Email will remain and a maximum debloated ROM and all the Huawei apps that can be removed will be.

ajsmsg78 said:
Yeah when it's removed it even seems like the battery lasts a little longer. It's something I wish wasn't even included as just a task manager app would have sufficed. You can always delete the PhoneDiagnose and PowerGenieEngine as well. I can also remove them from the Super Slim KangVIP ROM as well if the majority would like that. My goal is a flashable ROM with no bloat that runs fast, gets great battery life and makes it easy for everyone. In fact, I'm going to remove them from my stock debloated ROM's and the KangVIP ROM's from now on due to the fact that a lot of us are having permission issues. I'll have three ROM's for each. A stock original bloated one, a medium debloated one with most of the Chinese apps we don't use removed but all the stock apps like Email will remain and a maximum debloated ROM and all the Huawei apps that can be removed will be.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really think the third option, thinnest + gaps + ROM switching would be my winner. Thanks.

I could find and freeze Power Genie 5.6.1.11 to freeze but no Phone Diagnose

Ditched (froze) Swype also

Rudolpht said:
I really think the third option, thinnest + gaps + ROM switching would be my winner. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I updated the thread with an Ultra Slim KangVIP and SIM switching fix.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/mediapad-x2/development/rom-kangvip-5-1-1-b108-t3215851

Cool. I have transparent weather clock back working, without phone manager nonsense. This thread has really changed my X2 experience.

Rudolpht said:
That is great advice. There are still nuances about this phone I need to explore. The nuanced nuance was I needed to have the dropzone shortcut (the service was already turned). I also had to protect it so it would run in the background during sleep (?!?) and after that third reboot it booted the service correctly. It seems like a combo of science and mysticism. But it works & thank you!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm having the same problem with some services at boot (I'm not rooted yet). I'm not sure I understand what you're explaining here. I created the shortcut to the dropzone and made sure everything was allowed in there. What do you mean by "I also had to protect it so it would run in the background during sleep"? (How do i do that?) Thanks!

AJ is the expert. Freezing phonemanager was easiest, but may require root. Search under settings (there is a search bar at the top) for "protect" services you can unprotect services that don't need to run in the background. Protect the ones you want to run, but they will use battery. May be in the phone manager app if not under setting

Thanks, I already tried that but I still don't get all the services to start at boot. Looks like rooting and freezing phonemanager is gonna be the only way... Thanks anyway for the help!

Killing phonemanager was the best thing that returned the X2 to an actual android-like device. There are a couple other services to freeze you can go through thread that also help.

[Q] Comparison between Chinese, International and Euro versions

Hi. Like many others, I'm quite interested in the Chinese version of the Mate 9 because of the option of 6GB ram and 128GB memory. As I would set language to English on phone I was wondering if Chinese characters still appear on various screens, like in settings or apps, even though the English language is selected? Is that the case with the International or Euro versions as well? If possible, could folks, with language set to English, show some screen shots to compare what appears on the screen using different models?
The other thing I was wondering is how does having 6GB of ram help improve performance. Is it noticeably better than the 4GB versions? Is the multitasking better? Maybe folks can compare how many apps can be run without the OS killing them off.
Appreciate you comments as it will help me decide which model to buy. Thanks!

If you set the language to English, things showing in Chinese characters will not be a big problem. There are some Chinese language apps included with the Chinese version, but you probably won't use them, except one time to set up Google.
I only have the Chinese version, but there are a couple of people on this forum that have both. Hopefully they can answer your other questions.

duraaraa said:
If you set the language to English, things showing in Chinese characters will not be a big problem. There are some Chinese language apps included with the Chinese version, but you probably won't use them, except one time to set up Google.
I only have the Chinese version, but there are a couple of people on this forum that have both. Hopefully they can answer your other questions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your comments and your efforts here! I guess it would provide an opportunity to learn some Chinese! Do you notice any improvement with multitasking due to having 6GB ram? For example, I have a Note Edge and it has 3GB RAM. Once I start running about 5 or 6 apps the OS will kill some to make room for the next I run. About how many apps can you run in background without the OS killing an app. How Android handles multitasking has always been an issue for me. Although I hear it's better with MM or N as it does a better job of saving changes/settings when it does kill an app now. One more thing. Has the Chinese version received the recent update? Be nice to know how noticeable the camera improvements are. Thanks again!

I'm not able to answer the multitasking part as I only have the 4GB Ram versions of both the international one and the chinese one, although I've never had any slow down nor do I notice any issues swapping between apps but I dare say I don't pay as much attention to it as you do.
The chinese version has received B136 recently, this included the notification updates like the international B126 but also enables the Google Framwork to be re-installed. I do notice some differences, the chinese phone dialer is annoying with it's Yellow Pages lookup - if you start entering numbers you get loads of suggestions appear in chinese. The other big difference is contacts, by default you cannot sync your Google contacts with the phone. I'm not sure if an app on the Huawei app store fixes this though as I've not looked yet. The other difference that I notice is the keyboard, when you enter a password, a different (password only?) keyboard is used which is not part of any keyboard you install (Swype, Swiftkey etc). I think that keyboard is part of their additional security suite installed on the chinese one.
With that said, I'm keeping the chinese one as it's in Mocha gold and I'm going to sell the international one as it's in champagne gold and I prefer Mocha

gnasher666 said:
I'm not able to answer the multitasking part as I only have the 4GB Ram versions of both the international one and the chinese one, although I've never had any slow down nor do I notice any issues swapping between apps but I dare say I don't pay as much attention to it as you do.
The chinese version has received B136 recently, this included the notification updates like the international B126 but also enables the Google Framwork to be re-installed. I do notice some differences, the chinese phone dialer is annoying with it's Yellow Pages lookup - if you start entering numbers you get loads of suggestions appear in chinese. The other big difference is contacts, by default you cannot sync your Google contacts with the phone. I'm not sure if an app on the Huawei app store fixes this though as I've not looked yet. The other difference that I notice is the keyboard, when you enter a password, a different (password only?) keyboard is used which is not part of any keyboard you install (Swype, Swiftkey etc). I think that keyboard is part of their additional security suite installed on the chinese one.
With that said, I'm keeping the chinese one as it's in Mocha gold and I'm going to sell the international one as it's in champagne gold and I prefer Mocha
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your input! From what I can see the GMS installer fixes the contacts issue and presumably the phone dialler issue. Perhaps someone else can confirm.
In regards to multitasking, my experience was that if I put a file editor like Office Suite in background and run several apps and then return to the editor I found that my edits were not always saved. But I think android does a better better job of this in newer versions.
Wondering why you like the champagne gold more than the mocha gold. Is the champagne too glitzy? Just asking as I've never seen either up close. Thanks again!

Well, call me crazy. I bought the Chinese one!

Just got the Chinese version MHA-L00 4/64 in mocha gold. Upgraded to B135 and installed GMS installer. Now be able to use google apps without issues except Google Now, which despite multiple downloading attempts cannot replace the default HUAWEI HOME launcher. Quite frustrating... Contacts and dialer fine.

Seventhwave said:
Just got the Chinese version MHA-L00 4/64 in mocha gold. Upgraded to B135 and installed GMS installer. Now be able to use google apps without issues except Google Now, which despite multiple downloading attempts cannot replace the default HUAWEI HOME launcher. Quite frustrating... Contacts and dialer fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi. Sorry to hear you can't replace launcher. I've been using Total Launcher on my Note Edge for quite awhile. Takes a little work but I like how I can customize screen with it. Hope it will work. I've also ordered mocha gold. If you are in US can you comment which carrier you are on and data speeds? I'm on T-mobile and it appears that the phone has correct bands. But you never know!

If certain launchers aren't working for you, use Nova Launcher. It has a lot of Google's Nougat style implementations.

mscion said:
Hi. Sorry to hear you can't replace launcher. I've been using Total Launcher on my Note Edge for quite awhile. Takes a little work but I like how I can customize screen with it. Hope it will work. I've also ordered mocha gold. If you are in US can you comment which carrier you are on and data speeds? I'm on T-mobile and it appears that the phone has correct bands. But you never know!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I am in the States and I use H2O service which is a MVNO of ATT. The signal and speed are very satisfactory. Will post a speed test result later.
---------- Post added at 07:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:06 PM ----------
opasha said:
If certain launchers aren't working for you, use Nova Launcher. It has a lot of Google's Nougat style implementations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice. Just downloaded Nova launcher and trying it. Somehow I found the phone tends to automatically switche default launcher back to HUAWEI HOME for some reason. Do not it is just mine or generally so...

Seventhwave said:
Yes I am in the States and I use H2O service which is a MVNO of ATT. The signal and speed are very satisfactory. Will post a speed test result later.
---------- Post added at 07:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:06 PM ----------
Thanks for the advice. Just downloaded Nova launcher and trying it. Somehow I found the phone tends to automatically switche default launcher back to HUAWEI HOME for some reason. Do not it is just mine or generally so...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! Very encouraging. Looking forward to the speed test. I can switch to at&t if speeds aren't that great on tmobile.
In regards to the launcher, did you check in settings whether you can set what the default launcher is?

mscion said:
Thanks! Very encouraging. Looking forward to the speed test. I can switch to at&t if speeds aren't that great on tmobile.
In regards to the launcher, did you check in settings whether you can set what the default launcher is?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tested at two different locations and the results were relatively consistent.
Yes I can see my default launcher options in the setting but somehow it automatically switches back after I chose Nova... really weird.

mscion said:
Thanks! Very encouraging. Looking forward to the speed test. I can switch to at&t if speeds aren't that great on tmobile.
In regards to the launcher, did you check in settings whether you can set what the default launcher is?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now I can stably use Nova as my default launcher, but seems that I do not have something like the Now cards from Google Now, which is exactly the reason why I want to use Google Now launcher... need to play with the Nova launcher a little more.

Seventhwave said:
Now I can stably use Nova as my default launcher, but seems that I do not have something like the Now cards from Google Now, which is exactly the reason why I want to use Google Now launcher... need to play with the Nova launcher a little more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go into Gestures - Swipe Up - GOOGLE NOW - works like a charm and much faster. Also, if you hold the home button on any screen you or on, it will google search the most significant thing on the screen. It's highly customizable. That's why many of us have been using it for some time.
Also, thanks for the AT&T speed results. That is really comforting to see!

opasha said:
Go into Gestures - Swipe Up - GOOGLE NOW - works like a charm and much faster. Also, if you hold the home button on any screen you or on, it will google search the most significant thing on the screen. It's highly customizable. That's why many of us have been using it for some time.
Also, thanks for the AT&T speed results. That is really comforting to see!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks. Worked for me to get Google now cards afte upgrading to premium. Will try the search trick.

Seventhwave said:
thanks. Worked for me to get Google now cards afte upgrading to premium. Will try the search trick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are most welcome. Glad to hear it.

Seventhwave said:
Tested at two different locations and the results were relatively consistent.
Yes I can see my default launcher options in the setting but somehow it automatically switches back after I chose Nova... really weird.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! This result is quite encouraging! Wonder if folks can do better around the US. I live just north of DC and can get a little more than 40mbps download speeds on tmobile using a Note Edge. Of course depends on location. Once I get my Mate 9 I'll post speeds.

Hi I just ordered Chinese version MHA-L00 6GB/128GB is there anyway you can test and let me know if you are getting an LTE connection in US, since based on my research Chinese version is not compatible with us LTE bands.
thank you in advance.

I have both US and Chinese mate 9. There are some differences.
1. US version has perfect google play service. All the google apps work fine. Chinese version requires the GMS to be installed by GMS installer. But google play store doesn't download sometimes until reboot. The google now launcher can't be set as default launcher, but after install the google now launcher, my google now app started to work. I believe system updates will fix everything.
2. Chinese version only allows Wechat and QQ to have 2 accounts, but international version allows facebook I believe.
3. Chinese version has more bloatware installed, US version is cleaner.
4. Chinese version has some super useful app like buddy help (remote control other huawei device), skytone (connect to 4G internationally without local sim card, etc). This is the main reason I use chinese model since I travel a lot.
In terms of color, Chinese has more choices. I am using gold chinese phone. My US model is black. I prefer black way more than gold.
In terms of connectivity, they are exactly the same.

Awesome, thanks!

An "evil" APK inside the OS, that drives me crazy

Hi !
I am ex-owner of Nokia 7 Plus and new owner of 8.1. After a few days with this phone, i have noticed, that there's something wrong with multitasking and background services, that are supposed to receive push notifications such as Messenger. Multitasking is a nightmare as compared to Nokia 7 Plus or Zenfone 2. Phone closes running apps and cleans RAM too quickly/ too aggresively. The same thing happens to push enabled apps such as Messenger, Facebook etc. Notifications appear with big delay (up to 5 minutes). I have made a discovery and i have noticed, that Adaptive Battery keeps turning back on itself + according to https://dontkillmyapp.com the problem is that one nasty system APK called "Battery Saving" (com.evenwell.powersaving.g3). I can tell this APK is a troublemaker, because once force closed, problem is gone until next reboot. It can't be disabled permanently. It's frustrating.
The faster Nokia gets rid of this APK or fixes it, the better.

I haven't encountered any delays with respect to the delivery of my notifications. But I do agree that some apps are killed way too early whereas they should be kept in memory. Maybe they are just trying to find a balance between users who want more battery backup and those who need constantly running apps in the background. I do not mind closed apps, but all I want is a whitelist which ensures me that these few apps will never be touched by the battery optimizer.

I don't face any notification delays or anything like that,and apps over a period of time are and should be removed from background ,that aggressive power saving is from Google itslef not from Nokia ,if someone still wants to make it run all the time then select don't optimise from power options it should help

My kids have a 6.1 but don't appear to have this program in their apps listing, so I'm wondering if maybe it's been removed in a monthly patch at some point? If people are still having this problem, have you tried following the instructions on the linked site (dontkillmyapp) to remove it with ADB?

i dont face notification delay... all good

Supposedly Nokia removed the culprit (evenwell) from their devices, so I take it that all is good now? (I will be receiving the 8.1 today, so wanting to make sure I do my homework).

wrp2015 said:
Supposedly Nokia removed the culprit (evenwell) from their devices, so I take it that all is good now? (I will be receiving the 8.1 today, so wanting to make sure I do my homework).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont think so any company can do like this.

light.apps said:
I dont think so any company can do like this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I am glad I returned the device without taking it out of the box because bootloader can't be opened. Got a OnePlus 5T now, so a custom operating system can be installed.

Ok, thanks good for you.
wrp2015 said:
Well, I am glad I returned the device without taking it out of the box because bootloader can't be opened. Got a OnePlus 5T now, so a custom operating system can be installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

There is no such apk called com.evenwell.powersaving.g3 on my Nokia 8.1

It is easy to uninstall those aplications, i have a 7 plus and have uninstalled all evenwell cancer of the phone. Check on Nokia 7 plus forums, you need a pc and copy past a command and that's it.

razor17 said:
There is no such apk called com.evenwell.powersaving.g3 on my Nokia 8.1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe because you have already upgraded to Android 10, which got rid of this package.

General Custom Rom?????

Hello
whats about custom recovery and custom rom like Pocophone F1--------------- for Z Flip 3 .....release?????
Regards

Zipfelino said:
Hello
whats about custom recovery and custom rom like Pocophone F1--------------- for Z Flip 3 .....release?????
Regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure about a custom recovery, but Samsung has posted the required files to build the source if you want to make a custom ROM.

twistedumbrella said:
Not sure about a custom recovery, but Samsung has posted the required files to build the source if you want to make a custom ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TThat,s not polite. If he were a developer he wouldn't ask for one. Zipfelino didnt offend any body. He and me and thousands other members may have the same question. But the brave one had the guts to ask and found a rude answer

luisnica98 said:
TThat,s not polite. If he were a developer he wouldn't ask for one. Zipfelino didnt offend any body. He and me and thousands other members may have the same question. But the brave one had the guts to ask and found a rude answer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suggest you read it again in a casual tone, not the one you used to troll me.
By the way, not every developer fills out the form for a title. It's pretty ignorant to assume someone isn't one because they asked if anyone else had released anything.

Hm... maybe to second the initial request as I understand it, even if it is too early at the moment since the device is merely two months in the market and from what little I understand building e.g. LOS for a new device is a lot of hard work: I am also looking forward (edit: which IMHO includes actively supporting the developer) to see someone more capable of this kind of voodoo than me release a custom ROM for this device before official support will be over
This thing here is the first Android mobile since the Sony XZ1 Compact that I deem "officially trouser pocket compatible" and with a price tag that might become okay for the average user

If you have a USA variant (snapdragon) then I'd suggest not getting your hopes up. Thanks to Verizon (even if they aren't your carrier) the US versions of Samsung phones since the note 8 (I think) haven't been able to be rooted.

d0x360 said:
If you have a USA variant (snapdragon) then I'd suggest not getting your hopes up. Thanks to Verizon (even if they aren't your carrier) the US versions of Samsung phones since the note 8 (I think) haven't been able to be rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I learned this as well when I browsed through the Z Flip 3 section. Even if I don't know the details why it is like that, I think it's really weird that they managed to achieve such crap at all.
Thankfully I live in Germany and have the european version. I would not have bought this phone if I would have found any clue that you might be unable to unlock the bootloader. Been inside the golden cage with the bitten apple, got away, don't want to turn back

FFW said:
Yes, I learned this as well when I browsed through the Z Flip 3 section. Even if I don't know the details why it is like that, I think it's really weird that they managed to achieve such crap at all.
Thankfully I live in Germany and have the european version. I would not have bought this phone if I would have found any clue that you might be unable to unlock the bootloader. Been inside the golden cage with the bitten apple, got away, don't want to turn back
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Turning back sucks lol. I always had rooted phones. It started with the HTC G1 the first android phone. I stuck with Google phones (Nexus 1 through the Pixel XL) or HTC phones like the HTC One M8.
Then I got a note 9 and soon after found out there was no root method for the snapdragon version. Then for some stupid reason I did it again and bought the note 10+...and again with the z Flip3 lol.
Next time I'm making sure I can root before I buy. Thankfully I can use Adguard (website version not store version) and package disabler to block ads, analytics etc at a system level, plus it can act as a firewall.
Then I'll use package disabler to truly disable the bloat and spyware. I wish I could just uninstall it but this is better than nothing.
One thing I really miss is custom roms and Kernel's. I'd love to be able to get rid of Samsung's horrible battery management system. It kills apps that it shouldn't including the alarm clock. Plus Samsung's apps are all pretty much terrible...sigh

d0x360 said:
Turning back sucks lol. I always had rooted phones. It started with the HTC G1 the first android phone. I stuck with Google phones (Nexus 1 through the Pixel XL) or HTC phones like the HTC One M8.
Then I got a note 9 and soon after found out there was no root method for the snapdragon version. Then for some stupid reason I did it again and bought the note 10+...and again with the z Flip3 lol.
Next time I'm making sure I can root before I buy. Thankfully I can use Adguard (website version not store version) and package disabler to block ads, analytics etc at a system level, plus it can act as a firewall.
Then I'll use package disabler to truly disable the bloat and spyware. I wish I could just uninstall it but this is better than nothing.
One thing I really miss is custom roms and Kernel's. I'd love to be able to get rid of Samsung's horrible battery management system. It kills apps that it shouldn't including the alarm clock. Plus Samsung's apps are all pretty much terrible...sigh
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whoa. My first Android was the Xperia XZ1 Compact since I finally decided to kick Apple out now when the first informations about iOS 11 got available. That one served me well, rooted and running Lineage from day one (and still does, big thanks @Flamefire), but the battery has degraded noticeably and Sony obviously built that phone starting with the battery as component no.1 which makes replacing it a royal PITA, which is why I searched for a new pocket compatible daily driver. So here I am...
I see your phone is more or less in the state mine is currently. I had it rooted initially but reset it and decided to try out NetGuard and ADB AppControl and see how far that gets me while keeping the OTA update alive as long as there is no custom ROM available.
Edit: with that nifty guide from @doggydog2 rooting might become more interesting again however, even without a custom ROM. Will need to dig through that one on of the next weekends...

FFW said:
Whoa. My first Android was the Xperia XZ1 Compact since I finally decided to kick Apple out now when the first informations about iOS 11 got available. That one served me well, rooted and running Lineage from day one (and still does, big thanks @Flamefire), but the battery has degraded noticeably and Sony obviously built that phone starting with the battery as component no.1 which makes replacing it a royal PITA.
which is why I searched for a new pocket compatible daily driver, so here I am...
I see your phone is more or less in the state mine is currently. I had it rooted initially but reset it and decided to try out NetGuard and ADB AppControl and see how far that gets me while keeping the OTA update alive as long as there is no custom ROM available.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm gonna check out adb appcontrol and see if it has any extra features over package disabler. I used to have an app like package disabler that would let me go into an apps services and receivers. Then I could disable specific parts of apps. It was fantastic but I can't remember it's name lol.
I have tried netguard and it's not bad but I definitely like Adguard better. It's better designed, works better, has more features etc... But it's not free. I think I paid $35 for 3 lifetime phone licenses during a sale. I also use Adguard on Windows now instead of adblocking extensions. I didn't pay for that one though, I signed up for a beta key, got one and then I just renew it every year.

d0x360 said:
I'm gonna check out adb appcontrol and see if it has any extra features over package disabler. I used to have an app like package disabler that would let me go into an apps services and receivers. Then I could disable specific parts of apps. It was fantastic but I can't remember it's name lol.
I have tried netguard and it's not bad but I definitely like Adguard better. It's better designed, works better, has more features etc... But it's not free. I think I paid $35 for 3 lifetime phone licenses during a sale. I also use Adguard on Windows now instead of adblocking extensions. I didn't pay for that one though, I signed up for a beta key, got one and then I just renew it every year.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem with "not free". I usually donate to the developers of my software unless they say they don't want (yes, this happens as well) - either by buying the enhanced version or by simply sending a donation every now and then, such as for every new released patch level of LOS or so.
ADB Appcontrol is quite nice since it is a PC program and also backs up any software you decide to remove.
AFAIK, Adguard is a DNS-based ad blocker comparable to Pi-Hole while Netguard is a firewall as e.g. AfWall+ (or mimicks that behaviour as much as possible as you can without root)? This would mean the logic behind the program would be different, such as being able to track and set what to block differently for each program.
I will take anotrher look at it though

FFW said:
No problem with "not free". I usually donate to the developers of my software unless they say they don't want (yes, this happens as well) - either by buying the enhanced version or by simply sending a donation every now and then, such as for every new released patch level of LOS or so.
ADB Appcontrol is quite nice since it is a PC program and also backs up any software you decide to remove.
AFAIK, Adguard is a DNS-based ad blocker comparable to Pi-Hole while Netguard is a firewall as e.g. AfWall+ (or mimicks that behaviour as much as possible as you can without root)? This would mean the logic behind the program would be different, such as being able to track and set what to block differently for each program.
I will take anotrher look at it though
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Adguard does have DNS blocking options but it's so much more than that. I'm not sure if there is a free trial period but if there is definitely check it out, I think you will find it really nice. Also anytime you find any kind of issue whether it's a missed overlay on a website or a gap where the ad was you can report it through the app and it's usually fixed in a couple hours. Their response time is insane.
The adblocking options are extensive. It includes all the same filters in ublock origin and then some. You can also disable filters you don't want, make custom filters for literally anything. For example I made a filter that would remove search results for just polygon.com from Google. It also supports custom scripts like the greasemonkey extension.
The firewall aspect is like a genuine firewall. You can fully block an app from net access or set it so it can only use wifi or cell signal or both. There is also a log of every connection (incoming/outgoing) that tells you what app or service is trying to do something and what it's trying to connect to. You can click on an entry in the log and automatically block or whitelist it.
You can even block Google analytics and telemetry for Android itself which is fantastic because they collect tons of info..
In just the last 30 days Adguard has saved me 11.79 gigs of data, blocked 362,763 ads, 17,092 trackers and 2 threats. That's from Android, apps and browsers.
i know I sound like a salesman lol but I genuinely love this app and it has so many options and features that it can do pretty much everything a fully loaded (with necessary extensions) desktop browser can do.
They also have a free vpn that works with the app if you want another layer of privacy and protection.

d0x360 said:
Adguard does have DNS blocking options but it's so much more than that. I'm not sure if there is a free trial period but if there is definitely check it out, I think you will find it really nice. Also anytime you find any kind of issue whether it's a missed overlay on a website or a gap where the ad was you can report it through the app and it's usually fixed in a couple hours. Their response time is insane.
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Thanks for the detailed answer
d0x360 said:
The adblocking options are extensive. It includes all the same filters in ublock origin and then some. You can also disable filters you don't want, make custom filters for literally anything. For example I made a filter that would remove search results for just polygon.com from Google. It also supports custom scripts like the greasemonkey extension.
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Hm... Lets compare.... I use my compiled Pi-Hole list (which includes the AdBlock lists and some others btw) for NetGuard as well, so this is covered for me, even if not as comfortable when it comes to whitelisting for just one given domain (never needed that option until now though, but something to keep in mind)
d0x360 said:
The firewall aspect is like a genuine firewall. You can fully block an app from net access or set it so it can only use wifi or cell signal or both. There is also a log of every connection (incoming/outgoing) that tells you what app or service is trying to do something and what it's trying to connect to. You can click on an entry in the log and automatically block or whitelist it.
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That seems pretty standard for an ad blocker. The question is: can I selectively block or allow a given connection (i.e. URL or IP address) for one single app as I can do with Netguard?
d0x360 said:
You can even block Google analytics and telemetry for Android itself which is fantastic because they collect tons of info..
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I translate this to "can block system apps". That's the case for Netguard as well.
d0x360 said:
In just the last 30 days Adguard has saved me 11.79 gigs of data, blocked 362,763 ads, 17,092 trackers and 2 threats. That's from Android, apps and browsers.
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I think that saved amount of data is more than I use at home and mobile in total in the same time
But yes, I use Pi-Hole at home and for any mobile device that uses my VPN, and its shows an awful lot of connections being blocked, so the basic savings should be the same. Additionally, each browser has its own uBlock Origin instance and some other plugins e.g. to block Youtube ads. Using a computer that does not have this is outright painful.
d0x360 said:
i know I sound like a salesman lol but I genuinely love this app and it has so many options and features that it can do pretty much everything a fully loaded (with necessary extensions) desktop browser can do.
They also have a free vpn that works with the app if you want another layer of privacy and protection.
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That might explain why you get such fast response times in case of issues
Something else, apart from the question above: Can Adguard apply all its filters and then use my private WireGuard VPN Server (not some 3rd party VPN service!) on Android as its only way out into the internet? That is the one obvious downside of not having root at the moment - since Android allows only one VPN being active and Netguard does not interface the WireGuard App, I can only use either my VPN or NetGuard, not both at once as I could with AfWall+ and WireGuard.

Just to add my bucket - I will buy this phone as soon as bootloader unlock, root and custom roms are confirmed (an a working gcam mod). I simply can't imagine using the phone without the benefits of it. I really hope this phone gets support.

eVen123 said:
Just to add my bucket - I will buy this phone as soon as bootloader unlock, root and custom roms are confirmed (an a working gcam mod). I simply can't imagine using the phone without the benefits of it. I really hope this phone gets support.
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The first two are done as long as you buy the european SM-F711B and not that crippled US version (model no. SM-F711U if I am not mistaken). That leaves a ROM (and the GCam mod you mentioned, but I have to admit I have no clue what that one is about). Let's see what the future brings.
Oh, one more thing: I hereby confirm I would happily contribute significantly to a donation for a developer who in turn wants to take the task of creating and maintaining a custom ROM for this phone that supports the outer display and the flip open/close phone function (maybe LOS or Havoc?) but needs money to buy the phone.