Hello all!
Looking for some advice from Android experts on potentially utilizing Android for a super simple but small mobile device.
Particularly looking for advice and/or a direction on which base will probably be best 2.X, 3.X, 4.X as well as what's even possible.
Think of a device the size as an iPod Nano Touch with all the bells and whistles of a smart phone (no screen). Trying to aim for a standby time of 180 hours.
Help!
AK-shay said:
wow 180 hours??
now thats definitely impossible..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
~180 hours standby! this potential device won't see much use, but will still have all the bells and whistles to be utilized by apps/services later down the road.
Goodluck with that
flyrocket said:
Goodluck with that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it's going to happen, just a matter of tweaking and hardware specs.
the device will be on the market in under 12 months. want to embrace the culture here at xda to help it along its way =)
Not ready yet, may be in the future (5 years) for smartphone.
Good
AK-shay said:
wow 180 hours??
now thats definitely impossible..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its very good!
from the research i've gathered, the technology is already there (hardware-wise) - it's all about software/OS and i'm interested in trying Android (if possible) instead of a Real Time OS like ThreadX - due to sheer amount of support
@androidpros would love for some advice!
How minimal are you talking? If you just want great battery life and some texting, why not just get a dumb phone?
MissionImprobable said:
How minimal are you talking? If you just want great battery life and some texting, why not just get a dumb phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the target customer can't use a phone. (even a dumb one)
and dont even think about a smartphone w/ a screen. xD
its tough to see the market potential if you aren't in the market, but think of your grandparents or maybe even parents. as young tech savvy ppl, its easy to say "just make an app for it" but for them, you have to put yourself in their shoes.
imagine putting oven mitts, ear plugs, and have allergies (eyes) at all times and try to work a dumb phone, let a lone a smartphone.
hence - I reiterate: looking to use android but want to get a feel from experts to see if it's possible to strip it down as bare as possible but still be able to be activated to use all of the components in a smartphone (gps, accelerometer, camera, etc...) at a moments notice.
the device would be in standby pretty much at all times, but must either always be somewhat connected to the mobile network (2G, 3G) or connect periodically to the network. all other components would be on demand so not really worried about their battery consumption.
its a very interesting project and if it's possible and we get to product launch. we'll be giving away devices to xda members to hack away at. =D
I think it is impossible! unless u don't use anything except processor
that's the intent. device should last as long as possible in a standby/hibernation state where the processor is in a super low power state(just enough to stay connected to the mobile network)
there are plenty of dumb phones out there that had 300 hours of standby (untouched phone but still connected to network) now of course they had relatively big batteries, but these phones were manufactured years ago. i'd hope by today, we can put together a combination of hardware and software innovation to achieve this goal.
does it need to stay connected to mobile network, or could it just powerup the radio on event?
I am thinking something along the lines of a 3g based safety device, eg device wakes up and calls in to indicate an emergency condition.
something like this would not need to power more than the CPU and some sensors, till the "event" then it could powerup additional hardware.
mervincm said:
does it need to stay connected to mobile network, or could it just powerup the radio on event?
I am thinking something along the lines of a 3g based safety device, eg device wakes up and calls in to indicate an emergency condition.
something like this would not need to power more than the CPU and some sensors, till the "event" then it could powerup additional hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
on the right track. you hit it on the nail in regards to the usecase of the device, however there is a need to be able to ping a device at any time and get a timely status update (including location info) which makes things a little more difficult.
we see two potential routes
1. keep the radio always on and connected (of course battery drain but how bad is it really? - examples being the dumb phones in the past with 300h of standby but still being connected to the networks)
2. have the radios power up every so often to check to see if there is a command awaiting it, if so, execute, if not, power back down.
going route 2 would mean you can't get an on demand ping ability, but worst case, longest wait time = one power down-up cycle of the radio (let's use an example of 5 minutes)
of course, we'd like to go with route 1, but typically in an emergency, its the user of the device that initiates whereas a ping is more for information (parent looking for child or device - yes it might be an emergency, but probably not life-threatening)
You might want to have a look at SONY's $150 android watch.
try "One Power Guard" download from onexuan.com,It can help you extend battery life .
Discuss from http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1889740
Related
I DL'd Quadrant the other day to see what exactly is going on with my phone, between the lag, the messed up GPS/compass, and no word on when we're getting an update to fix all this mess.
And I find that the CPU is only running at 800 MHz. Has anyone else had this problem? Can I fix it w/o rooting?
I'm going to be calling TMo (who I normally have many wonderful things to say about) and chewing some butt, but I want opinions from in here first.
the phone supports variable clock rates so at times it will throttle down and run at lower than 1ghz...same thing your laptop and desktop often do without you being aware of it.
CPU does not run at 1gig hertz all the time, it only runs as fast as it's required. Save's on battery life and with heat issues.
The GPS fix and 2.2 should be released next month. Probably within the first two weeks.
You can overclock your CPU but it will still run scaled and you will need to root. Running at full speed all the time is not good especially with passive cooling.
What the guy said above. NO electronic device runs at max speed all the time.
masterotaku said:
the phone supports variable clock rates so at times it will throttle down and run at lower than 1ghz...same thing your laptop and desktop often do without you being aware of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am aware of the reasons the phone might exhibit this behavior.
However, I've never seen it run at anything BUT 800 MHz, and I've been checking it fairly regularly. This means I'll be doing something with the phone and in the middle of what I'm doing I'll stop and check the CPU speed.
So aside from a general "Yeah dude, you can expect that" has anyone seen their Vibrant run at 1 GHz? Or at a speed other than 800 MHz?
Relikk356 said:
The GPS fix and 2.2 should be released next month. Probably within the first two weeks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a lovely rumor, and I'd love to believe it. However, given Samsung's record of customer support I'm sure you will understand my extremely healthy dose of skepticism.
And I'm afraid that even an official announcement would be viewed with suspicion until I've had the update for a week and had a chance to test it.
Col.Kernel said:
That's a lovely rumor, and I'd love to believe it. However, given Samsung's record of customer support I'm sure you will understand my extremely healthy dose of skepticism.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why you buy this phone if you don't trust Samsung?
After you mentioned this I did check to see and I was able to hit 1g. Used system panel and with that open I quickly scrolled up and down untill I hit 1 ghtz.
Sent from my hSGH-T959 using XDA App
Relikk356 said:
Why you buy this phone if you don't trust Samsung?
After you mentioned this I did check to see and I was able to hit 1g. Used system panel and with that open I quickly scrolled up and down untill I hit 1 ghtz.
Sent from my hSGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because at the time I DID trust them.
Then the Behold II upgrade got canceled, and I got this thing with a non-working GPS. TMobile (despite all the things I love about them) has always had a very hard time getting state of the art phones in for anything other than Windmobile (something I have zero interest in). When they got a 1GHz phone in with a large screen I was there on opening day.
I'm a heavy GPS user and to say that I'm extremely disappointed would be an understatement. I am hoping that a software upgrade will fix everything, but at this point one has not been announced. I would hope that if it were 2 weeks out that more than wishful thinking or internet rumor would surface.
Col.Kernel said:
Because at the time I DID trust them.
Then the Behold II upgrade got canceled, and I got this thing with a non-working GPS. TMobile (despite all the things I love about them) has always had a very hard time getting state of the art phones in for anything other than Windmobile (something I have zero interest in). When they got a 1GHz phone in with a large screen I was there on opening day.
I'm a heavy GPS user and to say that I'm extremely disappointed would be an understatement. I am hoping that a software upgrade will fix everything, but at this point one has not been announced. I would hope that if it were 2 weeks out that more than wishful thinking or internet rumor would surface.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A software update has been announced. It was actually announced 2 or 3 weeks ago via Samsung on Twitter and all of the major tech blogs and sites posted it as well.
Also, people have posted that some newer versions of the firmware in different territories have the problem totally fixed.
Also, remember the G1 had this exact same problem when it was released. 3 months later it was corrected with an OTA. So don't get discouraged.
Seriously of you have problems with gps, go to the development section here and download eugene's rom for vibrant 9. Without any steps messing with configuration through setup menus I just turn on use wireless signal and gps and am locked within 10 meters in only 3-10 seconds. Don't want to root? Grow up its a development board, there is more then over way to "unroot" your phone back to stock and you can then return the phone on any issue you like, thankfully due to rooting and that rom it won't be from gps issues.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
p()()pypants said:
Seriously of you have problems with gps, go to the development section here and download eugene's rom for vibrant 9. Without any steps messing with configuration through setup menus I just turn on use wireless signal and gps and am locked within 10 meters in only 3-10 seconds. Don't want to root? Grow up its a development board, there is more then over way to "unroot" your phone back to stock and you can then return the phone on any issue you like, thankfully due to rooting and that rom it won't be from gps issues.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^ I don't understand why people who don't want to root go on XDA and complain about it. Go to androidcentral or androidcommunity who are sites towards non-rooted (no offense to any of those websites at all).
Every electronic device that gets released will NEVER be perfect because there will always be a problem about it that somebody will always complain about. Samsung has responded to the GPS problem already, it takes time to roll the OTAs out. There is a fix as what "poopypants" said. It's been out.
What's a normal temp for this phone to be at? Mine just got to 105 degrees farenheit. What is too hot for this phone?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
105 degrees is not very hot for any electronics device. A typical CPU in a desktop computer will reach much higher than that.
Typos and other gibberish courtesy of Swype
I have to agree with Col.Kernel to a degree and understand why he feels the way he does. I've had several Samsung devices. Granted my last one was the Samsung Omnia before getting the Vibrant.
But this isn't a Samsung issue only. Between the legal crap, your cell carrier, and the bottom line, your lucky to see any updates to a device they want you to upgrade in 1 - 2 years. I've had way too many phones that were supposed to be getting updates that never did. If the Vibrant gets it then great. If not, then it didnt ruin my day b/c I dont expect it. One good thing about Samsung Mobile is that in the past I've seen them release updates on their website that wasn't authorized or sent OTA thru the cell carrier. That bumps my hope meter up a bit.
Back on topic, I havent noticed my phone staying at 800mhz but this sucker sure does get hot. Especially when plugged in. reminds me of a Dell laptop I used to have that used to burn your legs if you used it in your lap. LoL
hockeyrcks9901 said:
105 degrees is not very hot for any electronics device. A typical CPU in a desktop computer will reach much higher than that.
Typos and other gibberish courtesy of Swype
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't think 105 degrees is too hot for this phone?
I'm tired of the GPS not working accurately on my vibrant. People seem to forget what's the true reason to use a mobile phone in the first place. Who really needs a faster processor and sharper resolution when you can't use it for something as basic as navigation and finding the number and address of your local grocery store?
This is why I have switched to a Garminfone. I do not have to pay for a data plan. Who really surfs the net on a tiny screen? that's what laptops and tablets are for. Can anyone here say their Vibrant GPS works just as accurately as a Garmin device? I want to know if it's because I have an older Vibrant model. Have the new Vibrants fixed the GPS issue completely? My Garminfone is accurate in locating me within 2-10 meters and can find me in 2-3 seconds! Plus it was made to integrate directly with your car, so there is a windshield holder with power outlet.
No real software can truly fix the GPS since it's a hardware limitation. Probably why my Garminfone is heavier. It uses a real GPS, not aGPS! And it's made by Asus which is an excellent brand!
No flaming intended, but HOLY CRAP a Garminfone?
Ouch dude.
You picked a GARMINFONE over an SGS? The ONLY thing that phone does better is GPS.
That being said, the GPS on my Vibrant works great. I have no idea why some Vibrants can't see a bird to save their lives, and some work. Supposedly the newer hardware makes it more likely that it will work.
Good luck with your new GPS that can make phone calls.
LOL at picking a Garminfone over the Vibrant.
On second thought...BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
<composes himself>
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
dominic77m said:
. People seem to forget what's the true reason to use a mobile phone
Who really needs a faster processor and sharper resolution when you can't use it for something as basic as navigation
This is why I have switched to a Garminfone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Weird... I thought the true reason to use a mobile phone.... was to call people??
I thought about the Garminfone briefly before I settled with a Vibrant.
Software updates for the Garminfone are really non-existent and any modding/hacking Roms is almost extinct as well. The device is on life support at best.
That being said I've seen Vibrants with superb 5 second GPS locks by just spending 10 patient minutes doing the GPS hardware fix listed in the sticky.
dominic77m said:
Who really surfs the net on a tiny screen? that's what laptops and tablets are for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do. Everyday. Especially at work.
dominic77m said:
Can anyone here say their Vibrant GPS works just as accurately as a Garmin device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My GPS locks faster and recalculates less often than my Garmin.
dominic77m said:
No real software can truly fix the GPS since it's a hardware limitation. Probably why my Garminfone is heavier. It uses a real GPS, not aGPS! And it's made by Asus which is an excellent brand!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True. There is a hardware issue with the GPS as stated in the sticky in the General Section. But once that issue is corrected the GPS is just as good as any standalone device I've every used. There are about 90 other people who will back me on that too. Oh and my phones GPS is set to Standalone, no aGPS here...
those that are replying, keep in mind....
does you GPS work properly without a Data plan???
my point is, if you're paying an extra $30 a month which is $330 a year for data when there is wifi in just about every mall, mc donalds, star bucks...why even bother?
and on top of that, why pay for data if you already have wifi at home and in the workplace??
Seriously, no one truly browses a full web page on a phone. You do that on a laptop or tablet. The Garminfone has android 2.1. So what is if it doesn't have 2.3? The issue is always going to be T-mobile will be a few builds behind the latest one. Are you really going to save the world with 2.3???
It's all about functionality and value!!!!
I can be in the middle of nowhere and get GPS directions, address and telephone numbers without a data plan! No paying $330 yearly!
So back to my question, does your GPS on your Vibrant work accurately without a data plan or wifi?
omg is this thread for real. me and my wife had a garmin when they first came out cause of the buy one get one deal. we couldnt give those crappy phones back fast enough. really garmin phone why dont you just get a tom tom duct tape it to your vibrant if you want gps so bad.
I looked at the Garminfone for about 10 minutes. I am not going to bash your choice because everyone has different needs for their devices. I will however say that my decision to NOT go with that phone was I read a ton of bad reviews on overall hardware and software issues. Plus I really hardly use GPS unless I am bored.
If you truly need GPS and just use a phone to call and text then that is what suits you best.
Good luck with your purchase, come back in a few weeks and prove us wrong I guess
After reading through this post, I don't why the OP even created this post in the first place when he knows for a fact that our phone requires a data plan for GPS to work. As for me, I am out most of the time and it's just much more convenient for me to use the data plan to go online and email without having to look for a place with wifi. On top of that, my replacement phone sees 11 to 12 birds and locks on to 6 to 8 birds in about 10 to 20 seconds. Maybe the OP regrade switching over and is trying to justify himself for the switch.
he might as well get a cup and string along with a star chart to map with for location for a phone.
dominic77m said:
I'm tired of the GPS not working accurately on my vibrant. People seem to forget what's the true reason to use a mobile phone in the first place.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The irony is freaking delicious.
i see a lot of people here are new to TECHNOLOGY. I've been around computers since the first desktop computer came out. Many on here started using computers only when facebook became popular. The point is, the true value in technology does not lie in paying for a device at it's birth.
I repeat, $330 a year for what???
It's $330 for service...not a device that can be resold and make half your money back in a year. What do you really need so badly to download from the internet that requires you to get a data plan instead of using wifi?
The initial bad reviews for the Garminfone was because it only supported 1.6 at the time. 2.1 isn't that bad. And get this, Garminfone is made by Asus which is the best quality PC brand!
Of course the vibrant is better...well it ought to be if you're paying $330 more a year!!! It all comes down to price! You expect more if you pay more!
If you bought your Vibrant through Tmobile, you could have easily swapped it out for a newer model without the hardware problem at no cost to you. My GPS is working fine, and yes in some cases it fares better than standalone units.
People use their phones for browsing all the time, that's kind of the major point of a smartphone...
As for the data plan, I use Audiogalaxy to stream my entire music collection (upwards of 200 gigs of music) from my computer at home, to my car. How would you do that without a data plan again?
dominic77m said:
my point is, if you're paying an extra $30 a month which is $330 a year for data when there is wifi in just about every mall, mc donalds, star bucks...why even bother?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What about everyone who doesnt have wifi at work. Those who don't visit malls or fast food restaurants. What about the fact then even those who do have wifi at work also have many restrictions to go along with it. I'd rather have the network with me at all times than to have to go somewhere to use the internet
dominic77m said:
and on top of that, why pay for data if you already have wifi at home and in the workplace??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again... You assume everyone has wifi at home/work.
dominic77m said:
Seriously, no one truly browses a full web page on a phone. You do that on a laptop or tablet. The Garminfone has android 2.1. So what is if it doesn't have 2.3? The issue is always going to be T-mobile will be a few builds behind the latest one. Are you really going to save the world with 2.3???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again. I use my phone for full web browsing on a daily bases even at home. As do many others who do too. You shouldnt make statements like that without knowing peoples habbits for a fact.
dominic77m said:
It's all about functionality and value!!!!
I can be in the middle of nowhere and get GPS directions, address and telephone numbers without a data plan! No paying $330 yearly!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool story. Whatever works for you. But don't pretend you know whats best for everyone just because its best for you.
dominic77m said:
So back to my question, does your GPS on your Vibrant work accurately without a data plan or wifi?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again. Yes my Vibrant is just as accurate and in some cases MORE accurate. And it is possible to use the GPS without a data plan.
dominic77m said:
i see a lot of people here are new to TECHNOLOGY. I've been around computers since the first desktop computer came out. Many on here started using computers only when facebook became popular.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
O, rly? Source?
dominic77m said:
I repeat, $330 a year for what???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unlimited access to the cloud and everything that entails, at speeds that are often faster than the average wifi connection. This also works when in a car, on a bus, at the beach, in the mall, in an airport, while doing handstands, practicing your backflips on a trampoline, hell even when I'm walking to the office, dropping my drawers, and dropping a deuce all over my ****ty Asus netbook
dominic77m said:
It's $330 for service...not a device that can be resold and make half your money back in a year. What do you really need so badly to download from the internet that requires you to get a data plan instead of using wifi?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its consistent convenience. Social Networking, streaming radio (including jacked into my car stereo), XDA app, certain games, Market access anytime, etc.
dominic77m said:
Of course the vibrant is better...well it ought to be if you're paying $330 more a year!!! It all comes down to price! You expect more if you pay more!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. You pay less for a less enjoyable experience.
regP said:
Again. Yes my Vibrant is just as accurate and in some cases MORE accurate. And it is possible to use the GPS without a data plan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly, and with Maps 5.0 you have offline route caching, so you can still navigate when you lose data service.
people really need internet on a tiny little device 24/7 for $330?
Sure everything is case by case, but $330 in this economy when MOST people already have wifi. This is how ridiculous cellphone plans are! It use to be a device for talking and now people describe it like a NECESSITY!
This is exactly why Americans are always broke! They don't know the meaning of value. It's one thing that you're Donald Trump, but MAJORITY of people don't need internet service with them 24/7.
If you're using your mobile device for tethering, then that's a good thing...but when you already have wifi at home like most people, this is completely a waste!
Does anyone have proof that the Vibrant GPS works great by itself without a data plan. I'm looking for proof online. Maybe a video or article.
Hey, if the aGPS works like real GPS on the vibrant, I'd completely switch back.
dominic77m said:
people really need internet on a tiny little device 24/7 for $330?.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i only pay 180 a year!! got tmo to lower it to 15 dollars a month when my contract expired and its been that way for 2 years now
dominic77m said:
Hey, if the aGPS works like real GPS on the vibrant, I'd completely switch back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The vibrants GPS can operate in 3 different modes. One of which is STANDALONE. meaning the phone gets its data directly from the sats. Meaning no network connection is needed.
Hi,
I just wanted to report what it is likely to be a bug after the latest update to 4.3
Power-off takes 60 secs vs 7-8 secs before the update.
I read somewhere this is due to the applications to be closed, which obviously was also the case before the update, therefore I don't get it.
I am sure many other people must have the same problem, anybody in this forum found a fix or got any official feedback from Sony regarding this issue?
Cheers
Alex
It's indeeed a bug with the 4.3 update, but nothing to be worried about (I mean, won't cause any problems). Just wait a little bit more so it can fully shut down...
Since in normal operation one never shuts a tablet down, the bug is irrelevant.
Hi,
Maybe is not relevant for you, my tablet, once has been used is powered-off and this may happen multiple times per day, so for me this is very relevant.
I hope Sony will fix this soon.
Alex
kwajongen said:
Hi,
Maybe is not relevant for you, my tablet, once has been used is powered-off and this may happen multiple times per day, so for me this is very relevant.
I hope Sony will fix this soon.
Alex
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do you turn if off so often? There's no need for that.
Sent from my SGP311 using Tapatalk
kwajongen said:
Hi,
Maybe is not relevant for you, my tablet, once has been used is powered-off and this may happen multiple times per day, so for me this is very relevant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then you simply don't have a clue how a mobile device is meant to be used.
hasenbein1966 said:
Then you simply don't have a clue how a mobile device is meant to be used.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a question of perspective, in principle you should never judge someone else's behavior, also because, sooner or later you may discover you were wrong
Regardless, this is a bug, period. This is what I wanted to know, the rest is not important.
For me this topic is closed, unless somebody has something relevant and pertinent to add to my original question.
Thank you
Alex
kwajongen said:
It's a question of perspective, in principle you should never judge someone else's behavior, also because, sooner or later you may discover you were wrong
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In other cases this is right, but in this case you're simply wrong, period. Your habit of turning off the tablet after each use is laughably nooby and BS-y, except if you can name a really good, special reason for that (I take all bets that you don't have one.)
i'm not taking sides, but dam why on earth would you switch your tablet off multiple times a day ? There's no point if you need proof ? Your speaking to it. i know this is a bit of topic, i picked a Core i7 Mac Book Pro. it's a late 2011 model. And that's the year i picked it up 2011 since 2011 i haven't switched of my mac book pro not once, it's always been on standby and mostly plugged into the thunderbolt display.. The battery cycle count is 50 witch shows there's no need to switch off your electronics as the hardware in today's technology is built to be in standby for months and years on end, we live in a fast pace planet, instant use, instant boot.. And switching your electronics on and off wears and tears the hardware much faster.. FACT!
hasenbein1966 said:
In other cases this is right, but in this case you're simply wrong, period. Your habit of turning off the tablet after each use is laughably nooby and BS-y, except if you can name a really good, special reason for that (I take all bets that you don't have one.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A good reason for doing so could be - it's HIS device, not yours!
Call it laughable, BS'y or whatever you want, he can do what ever he want with HIS device - like it or not.
I also turn mine off/restart once a while. Not several times daily, but maybe once/twice a week. It runs better/faster/smother after a restart (my oppinion).
He can do, but then he should not complain.
And we're not talking about one restart every few days, we're talking about restarting for each f*****g use, several times a day!
Wow, this thread is out of control. I use my tablet all day long ... If I had to shut it down after each use I would probably go through the process about 200 times daily and Yes the tablet does take time to shutdown. Thanks god I only shutdown/reboot when I update my SuperSU to make it part of the system files otherwise I would throw it out the window or shoot myself. But since a tablet is meant to stay on Sleep/StandBy, Im not sure Sony would consider this a bug ... If it is, then I have to agree ... at least to me ... irrelevant but I feel for the guy that needs to wait 60 secs everytime he shuts it down after a single use.
Not judging but do you shut down your phone after each call you make? They are the same types of devices.
I just picked one of these up yesterday, the LG Tribute, the Sprint version which is model LS660P (same hardware with the Virgin Mobile version). It's a Snapdragon 400 SoC quad core powered smartphone - it's basically a mix of features between a 1st gen Moto G LTE (the SoC) and the Moto E (removable battery and microSD slot) - it's a CDMA/LTE device only so it's more akin to the Sprint/Boost/Cricket versions of the Moto G I suppose - it does have a SIM card slot but since there's no GSM radio I suppose that's a dead end. It has Sprint LTE support for LTE bands 25, 26, and 41 - it's Spark-enabled as well.
So far in using it I've been extremely pleased with the performance overall considering it's $39.99 right now at many retailers like Fry's and Best Buy (retail is $79.99).
The biggest downside is the 800x480 display resolution but honestly I could care less these days. I just owned an LG G2 and loved it but I had to sell it to cover some bills, and when I saw the Tribute specs and that low price I figured it couldn't hurt to mess around with it a bit.
But in terms of getting it up and running, the first time I powered it up I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this on the Apps screen:
Just that, and nothing else - this thing has zero Sprint bloatware on it, absolutely nothing, and nothing from LG either. Yes it just has 4GB of internal storage leaving about 1.45GB for the user but it's got the microSD slot for storage. I've done all the requisite Google stock apps updates and installed all the apps I've purchased and the free ones I regularly use and I still have 435MB left so I'm good to go. Put my 32GB microSD card in it with 6GB of Opus-encoded audio files, a couple of movies and TV shows, and so far it's been fantastic.
Current battery is showing 37% left from a 100% charge, 12 hours and 3 minutes on, 5 hours and 14 minutes of screen on time so far (and still going because I'm watching Captain America: The Winter Soldier on it and there's 1 hour and 45 mins left in the movie), Wi-Fi has been on the entire time (it's in Airplane mode, however), screen brightness using MX Player is set at 12 (of 15), volume at 15. I use Google Hangouts with Google Voice to make "phone calls" using Wi-Fi so it's in Airplane mode most of the time when I'm at home.
I expect to hit the 7 hours of SOT and this is the first full charge on the device so, consider me a very happy camper.
I know requests have been put into place for Stumproot support so a root could be possible on this device, and I know that LG has posted the 4.4.2 ROM and kernel source code (I grabbed that last night). So here's my question:
Is there anyone out there that might be interested in attempting to develop any recovery for this (assuming we get root at some point), and then perhaps developing some custom ROM for it - seems like it should be a relatively easy thing considering a) we have the full ROM and kernel source even though it's just 4.4.2 at the moment (I would guess LG has no intentions of boosting this to 5.0 so that'll most likely never happen) and b) it's so close to the architecture of the CMDA/LTE version of the Moto G LTE that some kind of port might be possible towards Lollipop if and when that happens...?
Long sentence, sorry about that, I get wordy at times.
But I just figured I'd ask if there's any interest at all. Yes, it's weak on the resolution, yes, it's not a powerhouse device, yes, it's fairly cheap but it's functional and could be an awesome little smartphone with a little "help" thrown its way like a potential for a custom kernel as well to get the quad core and the governor a bit more under control.
I fully suspect this device is easily capable of 7 hours of SOT with such "upgrades" if anyone is interested. I lack the technical know-how and skills to get buried in ROM development much less kernels, so I figured I would toss the question out considering it shares so much common with the Moto G LTE variant + the Moto E's microSD slot potential.
Just curious... any responses are welcome and appreciated, thanks.
Update:
It's even better than I'd hoped...
Almost 8 hours of screen on time - that was a full movie (2 hours 15 minutes long and I let it play the entire thing, first frame to final), 4 TV shows (about 42-45 minutes long each), music playback for almost 1 hour, a few Wi-Fi phone calls using Google Hangouts/Voice, and some web surfing using the stock browser.
$40... absolutely amazing.
I'm just concerned about the amount of CPU time the Android OS shows there - it apparently used as much battery as the screen being on for 7 hours and 38 minutes did so there's something amiss hiding inside. Will be using Wakelock Detector to see if I can detect anything I can disable on the next go considering this was the first full 100% charge and battery test. Just for the record, the Keep Awake time listed on the Android OS battery usage page is 11 hours so it's not idle, there's something going on in there that's using the battery, now I just have to find out what it is. The CPU total time was 4 hours 17 minutes for Android OS.
I'm pretty satisfied, now I wonder what this thing could really be capable of in terms of battery life with a proper custom kernel and ROM. I wonder...
I've been waiting for something to pop up for this phone. I've had it for 2 weeks now. Its great. I agree the battery life is awesome on this thing.
I have the VM version and would be willing to test if someone came up with something.
sigh
Coming from an iPhone so I'm totally new to the android platform but the storage in this thing is severely lacking. I got a micro sd for it, but barely can even get any apps to download due to lack of space. I'm assuming something like this would be helped by a root. It's driving me bananas and making me yearn for my Apple days
Tribute
I also just switched to a Tribute, with KitKat. Was incredibly pissed off to find that Android had crippled the external SD's role. I mean, WTF guys? So now I am on a mission. Every day I scour the interwebs looking for hope that someone has figured out a root exploit for this. I would even settle for being able to flash a custom ROM like Cyanogen. Just so long as I can get PodKicker to save 'casts to the friggin SD card. Is that too much to ask? Anyway, nothing i have attempted so far has worked at all.
Oh, and you got lucky with the no bloatware thing. I got mine through Boost Mobile, and they clotted this damned thing chock full of B.S. To the point that OUT OF THE BOX I couldn't install apps from Playstore without uninstalling previous updates to all the big Google apps. And without Root, I can't get rid of this BoostZone ****e.
I have my doubts as to whether or not this device will get any support here at all at this point (yes I know it's just been a day or so since I made this thread). I didn't even know about the LG L90 till earlier today and when I checked out the specs I realized that it's a better device overall than the Tribute, of course the price reflects the differences as well (larger higher resolution screen, just qHD 960x540 but still it's larger at 4.7" also), with NFC support (I actually make use of that myself), the removable battery/microSD slot, and it's got support here with its own subforum now with a lot of activity (well, a lot for it I suppose) and it even has an IR port for QuickRemote too which is pretty awesome: my Wife is deaf so anytime we go someplace like a Doctor's office or hospital with TVs on, if the captions aren't enabled I turn 'em on with the smartphone. Used to do that with my Galaxy S4 Active in the past, nice to see LG and some other companies are hopping on the "remote control" bandwagon now too.
There's root available and also a bootloader unlock apparently, source code is out and there's work being done so... I wish I had known that before yesterday basically. Fry's, where I got this Tribute, won't do a return on it because I opened the box (and obviously I've done more since I got it too) so that's a wash I suppose. It's still a damned fine little device for $40.
The L90 is "on sale" through T-Mobile's website for $100 with a coupon code right now, I would have grabbed that if I had known about it and the development in progress. Guess I'll have to keep my eyes out next time, might find one used on craigslist soon so we'll see what happens.
I'll keep the Tribute, of course, and keep hoping for a root at some point. I did ask in the Stumproot thread for someone to take a look at it and see what might be possible so, let's keep our fingers crossed.
As for the bloat, I had someone at HowardForums tell me if I activate the phone with Sprint (which I haven't done) that'll install all the Sprint bloatware so, fat chance of that happening I guess. I'll keep it as is and hope for the best.
Anyone working on this? I tried stump, and there are a ton of requests, but no one has said a word about it.
Thanks!
Still hoping but no progress has been reported. It's common knowledge these days that root on newer devices is going to continue to get more and more difficult with the potential that someday we're just not going to be able to do it on most anything. The low price of this one and lack of the high end specs makes most devs (at least in my opinion) not even give a crap about it so, if someone does and we benefit from it, that's awesome.
If nothing happens, it wasn't a complete waste, it's a fine little device with decent processing power and damned great battery life as noted so, $40 was nothing I guess.
Still looking
Still looking for root to the LG Tribute and nothing works. Has anyone heard anything new about it???
Just bumping this to revive interest.
sweetbsting said:
Coming from an iPhone so I'm totally new to the android platform but the storage in this thing is severely lacking. I got a micro sd for it, but barely can even get any apps to download due to lack of space. I'm assuming something like this would be helped by a root. It's driving me bananas and making me yearn for my Apple days
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You so realize you bought a low to mid range prepaid phone right?
I realize that but there has been quite a bit of interest in the model on the internets so unless you have something helpful to add, kindly ignore my post. Thanks.
aburn95 said:
You so realize you bought a low to mid range prepaid phone right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do understand that your comment takes away from the actual thread content, right?
Here is more information about the phone for anyone interested in development:
LG LS660 (LG Tribute) Virgin Mobile.
http://www.lg.com/us/cell-phones/lg-LS660-Virgin-Mobile-tribute
Should I buy this phone and wait for a root?
Or are there other similar price and spec phones that are easier to root?
Do some phones never get rooted?
-snip-
br0adband said:
There's root available and also a bootloader unlock apparently, source code is out and there's work being done so... I wish I had known that before yesterday basically. Fry's, where I got this Tribute, won't do a return on it because I opened the box (and obviously I've done more since I got it too) so that's a wash I suppose. It's still a damned fine little device for $40.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you inform us where you found root & bootloader unlock? I've been on Android for years, but am relatively new to the root/mod side of things.
LiquidRabbit said:
Where did you download this? I am pretty curious.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't own the LG Tribute any longer but the source code was at LG's open source repository for the LS660P (the Sprint variant, but it should be identical to the others I would guess):
https://www.lg.com/global/support/opensource/opensourceList?types=NAME&search=ls660p
emarkp said:
Can you inform us where you found root & bootloader unlock? I've been on Android for years, but am relatively new to the root/mod side of things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly I can't even remember now, I saw some post at one of the other forums (AndroidPolice maybe) that said someone had discovered a working bootloader unlock, I could be wrong in that but honestly I can't recall the specifics at the momemt. As stated, I no longer own a Tribute (nothing at the moment, my sig always reflects what I own at any given time, for the record).
Good luck... it's really a fantastic smartphone for the $40 I paid for it (and Fry's still sells it for that price). I wish there was a GSM model 'cause I'd be all over it in a second flat; can't do much of anything with the CDMA model in terms of getting service here in my area. I won't deal with Sprint for service, and Boost/Virgin Mobile/etc don't have plans that come anywhere near what the $30/month T-Mobile plan does so...
For $35 a month, you get unlimited everything on Virgin Mobile...
For $20, you get 300 minutes and unlimited everything. I stuck with the $20 plan at unlimited everything as I was grandfathered in many, many years ago.
Possible root method?
Hello! I have been using android for a while and just got this phone (LG Tribute, Virgin Mobile). I was researching rooting this, and I found this: youtube.com/watch?v=ZBdrVa_bo5o
It seems to be advertising legit software, etc, but I wonder if this successfully roots the Tribute. On their website (androidphonetransfer_DOTCOM) ,they have a free trial for the software.
I'd like to try it, but I'm not sure if it would mess up my device or not (I'm new to rooting). anyone want to give this a try?
It does not work.
I am also interested. I was looking for a android phone with at least 4.5 inch screen to act as a dedicated gps navigator. LG Tribute fit the bill perfectly. Quad core processor is fast, would be nice to get rid of Sprint activation and clean the device up with a root.
I'm surprised there is not more interest in this phone. The sale price of $40 happens pretty regularly, which IMO is a great deal for this phone.
I got the smart tag with the s21 and I am wondering really what its use could be outside of car keys, purse (I'm not a woman). The only thing I could think of is maybe leaving it in my car when I go out to a large parking lot (malls, etc when pandemic is over heh). I'm really not sure how it works besides its low energy bluetooth and range is ~ 120 meters. Without having to push the button would that work? I'm not sure what the battery life is on this thing.
I know the battery is crazy on it so maybe just 2-4 changes a year maybe.
I wanna try it on the kid and see if I can keep tabs on him when he commutes to school.
I believe it works by using nearby Samsung phones to give you location.
tfn said:
I know the battery is crazy on it so maybe just 2-4 changes a year maybe.
I wanna try it on the kid and see if I can keep tabs on him when he commutes to school.
I believe it works by using nearby Samsung phones to give you location.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, but only if the users of the Samsung phones have opted in to do so. I remember my phone asking me if I wanted to enable something like that. I said no. I bet most people will not do it due to impact on battery.
Bet when Apple comes out with their tags, they won't even give users the option, apple will just have it enabled on all iPhones.