I usually stay up on devices, but my boss just bought a Galaxy Player 5.0, and I had never heard of the thing! And I OWN a Galaxy device...lol
He wants to know if I can do a few things to it;
1. Root (I know I can do that, there are ROMs in the dev section, which only exist w/ root I merely need to search for the root methods, I really don't need help with that)
2. Update to ICS (only if full functionality is there already, he doesn't want to lose any functions on his new device that he hasn't even taken the screen-sticker off of yet lol)
3. Make face-time phone calls/chat (I know I can make wi-fi calls with Groove IP, and maybe face-time with Qik, but wanted to confirm what the common methods were).
So on point 1 and 2, what is the difficulty/risks of rooting/flashing (being samsung, I figure this device is pretty straight-forward like other galaxy devices, but want an opinion from a user), you know this question is more device-specific (locked bootloaders, hboots, etc vary on each device, as well as methods, of course), I'm not looking on advice for rooting/not rooting as a noob
and on points 2 and 3, what are some opinions? Are the ICS ROMs complete...does Qik work for video chat? Is there an alternative to Qik, is there a preferred or most-advanced ICS ROM...basically I just don't have time to do this research myself on a device I don't own, I just want to be able to answer my boss' questions monday
Finally...is there anything particularly impressive that can be done with this device? A feature unique to the Galaxy Player only after it's rooted would be nice..or just standard root-access apps etc? (Obviously no wireless hotspot haha)
Any input would be useful to better my understanding!
Thanks!
luna_c666 said:
I usually stay up on devices, but my boss just bought a Galaxy Player 5.0, and I had never heard of the thing! And I OWN a Galaxy device...lol
He wants to know if I can do a few things to it;
1. Root (I know I can do that, there are ROMs in the dev section, which only exist w/ root I merely need to search for the root methods, I really don't need help with that)
2. Update to ICS (only if full functionality is there already, he doesn't want to lose any functions on his new device that he hasn't even taken the screen-sticker off of yet lol)
3. Make face-time phone calls/chat (I know I can make wi-fi calls with Groove IP, and maybe face-time with Qik, but wanted to confirm what the common methods were).
So on point 1 and 2, what is the difficulty/risks of rooting/flashing (being samsung, I figure this device is pretty straight-forward like other galaxy devices, but want an opinion from a user), you know this question is more device-specific (locked bootloaders, hboots, etc vary on each device, as well as methods, of course), I'm not looking on advice for rooting/not rooting as a noob
and on points 2 and 3, what are some opinions? Are the ICS ROMs complete...does Qik work for video chat? Is there an alternative to Qik, is there a preferred or most-advanced ICS ROM...basically I just don't have time to do this research myself on a device I don't own, I just want to be able to answer my boss' questions monday
Finally...is there anything particularly impressive that can be done with this device? A feature unique to the Galaxy Player only after it's rooted would be nice..or just standard root-access apps etc? (Obviously no wireless hotspot haha)
Any input would be useful to better my understanding!
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. You can root pretty easily. Here's the thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1424358
2. There are a couple of ICS ROMS, not fully functional. Bluetooth and Camera do not work, plus some other minor but significant bugs. Not yet flashable for my taste: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1572835
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1638601
3. Skype usually works wonderfully.
This is the ROM I personally use for the Galaxy Player 5.0: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1465144
This is the Kernel: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1445840
And you overclock with this tool (mine works at 1.4, but it can be stable at 1.6): https://play.google.com/store/apps/...EsImNvbS50ZWdyYWsub3ZlcmNsb2NrLnVsdGltYXRlIl0.
Related thread for overclocking: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1617739
I changed the DPI on this device from 240 to 200 (due to the low native resolution), and it looks a lot better that way. The downside it that you cannot download many apps from the Market, so you better apply that DPI after you download everything you need.
The GPS works even if you don't have an active wireless connection.
That's all I can remember now. I hope it helps.
Muchos gracias mi amigo
To clarify too, the GPS works without a wireless connection, but if you use it for offline navigation you have to download the maps before hand.
Yeah that's pretty standard, I had to do that on my Epic4G
Related
Some months ago I rooted my Vibrant, and realized that was all I had done...rooted it. I had no idea where I was going after that point, so I unrooted and went about my day. I am taking a new approach, I would like some advice in rooting. Pros and cons (other than by rooting I have the chance of REALLY messing things up...i know that thanks.)
I would like to know what exactly rooting does for me, and if there are any articles anyone can point me to I would greatly appreciate the links.
ALSO I am dipping my toes into app development. the best way I could think to do so was with Google Labs App Inventor, but I think ive read that it limits you as far as developing and then sharing through the market, if someone could set me straight on that I would appreciate it, but this also goes in hand with rooting, I have read that alot of people who develop have rooted their phones.
I appreciate any help that you can give me.
Gore
Pro : Access to all the amazing ROMs this community has to offer.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
................................
Shortbus-Driver said:
................................
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, that was helpful...thanks. next?
First off if u didnt want to deal with something u could tinker with u could of gotten a iphone but u didnt? Androids are open source so u can tweak it the way u want it to be, leave it stock or u can add themes to ur stock froyo and make it look like u want it to. But if u want to go all the way and realy make the phone live up to its potential u can root it and do so many amazing things with it once its opened to the power of the Superuser. U can make ur phone run so much faster and once it runs that fast and smooth ull wonder how u lived with that dull slowness of ur phone before. And dont forget all the cool colors u can add to ur phone that dont come with just stock, ginger red theme, high voltage blue and so many more. And then theres the mods that u get with ur phone that the brilliant developers port from other phones. Theres just too many reasons to root and none not to. now u know...LOL
Let me count the ways...
You can install applications that need root:
* AdFree - block in-application ads
* Titanium Backup - backup/restore applications AND their data, and with the paid version you can also backup to your dropbox account
* Root Explorer: Lets you manage files that aren't in your user partition, including the files for the annoyingly loud T-Mobile jingle that plays on boot. Sometimes you do need to start up your phone discreetly, without letting everyone in a 50m radius know you're a T-Mobile customer.
You can also UNinstall applications that you don't need. Don't want T-Mobile TV cluttering your applications list? Gone. Don't want Slacker Radio? Byebye.
Also, you can flash ROMs (or just kernels) that are much faster than the stock, unoptimized Samsung one. There is a thing called the Voodoo lagfix that makes your storage access cached, so applications aren't held up by slow writes when they need fast reads. Some also come with kernels that support Voodoo Sound which makes the audio output sound much better by increasing the sampling rate on the DAC and tying the DAC to the clock to reduce jitter. Definitely a must whether you're an audiophile with $10k cans or just plugging the phone into a sound system.
Let's see, what else. With root, you can also add on wifi tethering without having to shell out more money to use T-mobile's version. You can also install Clockwork Recovery and use it to make a complete backup of your phone, so in case you break it and get another one, just root it, install clockwork recovery, and restore the image and you're back to your old configuration.
So yeah... hopefully at least some of this stuff interests you. If not... well, yeah there's really no point in rooting.
Root becuse your mom told you not to
Not to be rude but if you don't know why you should root then you shouldn't.
OP, if you want an answer to your question, read my Vibrant Guide (why root) and then the Noob root (detailed steps) guide if you need help doing it.
If you read anything on this forum...and still cant figure it out...then give up...you'll never understand
OP, rooting is for those who are not 100% satisfied with there phones. Samsung has given us an amazing device, but fell short in delivering in some areas. Rooting helps us add more functionality & personalization options. If you are happy with the phone and no issues using the way Samsung gave you the phone. Then I do not see a reason for you to root. But if you are like one of us, Then you need to get on the Root train and follow the wonderful guide maintained by "s15274n".
Statutory Warning: Rooting & flashing an android device is a serious addiction. Might lead to serious domestic and or job related issues.
Why shouldn't you?
Unless you want to become a flash junkie with an obsessive need to mod, update, enhance or customize; jonesin’ to flash something every few days, suffering from withdrawals if you ever have to ODIN back to stock due to error (has yet to happen to me, though), scrounging XDA daily for your next hit, do not concern yourself with something like AOSP. Simply turn away and do not look back.
rooting your hpone basically gives you Admin privalages.
You can install custom apps and ROMs with awesome features!
nomadrider123 said:
Not to be rude but if you don't know why you should root then you shouldn't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not to be rude but if you didn't have anything helpful to say then why say anything at all?
Thanks to most!
I thanked those who gave me some helpful advice. I do appreciate the insight. I guess i'll give this another crack.
By the By, with the exception of the handful of mildly entertaining comments, if you didnt have anything helpful to say, why say it? No one should discourage anybody from trying anything. Weighing my pros and cons was just a way to decide if its something I really wanted to mess with again.
SO again, thanks to all who did help, and thanks was given
^ I can't vouch for everyone, but the one you quoted I am confident didn't mean it negatively. Way too hard to decipher words on the Internet.
If you want additional features, you should root. If you are content, do not.
gorealmighty said:
not to be rude but if you didn't have anything helpful to say then why say anything at all?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thing was, nomad had a point. If you genuinely don't know why you should root--and a Vibrant, of all phones--you probably shouldn't. You mention the con of messing up the phone in your original post, and if you don't know the advantages of applying custom ROMs and kernels to the Vibrant, there's a decent chance you may well brick the device.
The Vibrant is a great phone, but tends to be so only after it's rooted and customized. Without the rooting and customization, there are problems with lag, gps, battery life, and myriad other functions.
By rooting and customizing, you're essentially updating the software in various ways that will help ameliorate those issues. My Vibrant was unusable to the point that I upgraded to a Nexus S. However, with the Nexus S, I got comfortable with rooting, unlocking bootloaders, adb, and flashing ROMs and kernels. It became rather routine.
It became routine enough, in fact, that I ended up going back to my Vibrant, because I was comfortable enough to experiment and attempt to make it better than it had been.
But if you don't know that you have to root to correct the lag, say, you may well be better off getting a more midrange Android phone that's more feature than super. You don't want to bork anything, after all.
Just do yourself a favor--understand that rooting and customizing are individual things, and that the forum is great for technical help but less so when you want to know things like which ROM is "best"; there's no such thing. If you root, play with the device, and play with the different ROMs. Give yourself a week where every day you use a different one so you can get a feel for which one's your favorite.
willentrekin said:
Thing was, nomad had a point. If you genuinely don't know why you should root--and a Vibrant, of all phones--you probably shouldn't. You mention the con of messing up the phone in your original post, and if you don't know the advantages of applying custom ROMs and kernels to the Vibrant, there's a decent chance you may well brick the device.
The Vibrant is a great phone, but tends to be so only after it's rooted and customized. Without the rooting and customization, there are problems with lag, gps, battery life, and myriad other functions.
By rooting and customizing, you're essentially updating the software in various ways that will help ameliorate those issues. My Vibrant was unusable to the point that I upgraded to a Nexus S. However, with the Nexus S, I got comfortable with rooting, unlocking bootloaders, adb, and flashing ROMs and kernels. It became rather routine.
It became routine enough, in fact, that I ended up going back to my Vibrant, because I was comfortable enough to experiment and attempt to make it better than it had been.
But if you don't know that you have to root to correct the lag, say, you may well be better off getting a more midrange Android phone that's more feature than super. You don't want to bork anything, after all.
Just do yourself a favor--understand that rooting and customizing are individual things, and that the forum is great for technical help but less so when you want to know things like which ROM is "best"; there's no such thing. If you root, play with the device, and play with the different ROMs. Give yourself a week where every day you use a different one so you can get a feel for which one's your favorite.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
with the initial quote in mind, I understand. But thank you just the same because this is in fact the kind of feedback I was looking for. DID get my phone rooted btw, now im just fighting with rom manager. I'm on my way though
gorealmighty said:
with the initial quote in mind, I understand. But thank you just the same because this is in fact the kind of feedback I was looking for. DID get my phone rooted btw, now im just fighting with rom manager. I'm on my way though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well good luck with it. It's a totally fun, very empowering process. And XDA is the Android equivalent of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; the users here are so knowledgeable and helpful, there's no reason to panic, ever. Pretty much everything you do to your phone will be mostly harmless.
Hi
I'm venturing here for the first time from the HTC section of the site, as I need to find out some information regarding this phone. Hopefully you lot can help me.
My sister has always been an iPhone user, but I've just managed to convince her to give Android a try. She doesn't want to customise her phone in any way whatsoever and just wants something simple. But given the fact I found a decent 12 month contract for either the Samsung or a HTC Sensation XE, and the ridiculously high prices Apple want for their iPhone, she has decided to listen to me and get one of these phones.
One of the major features she was interested in was that the text automatically resizes when you pinch to zoom on the web browser. What I need to know is if there is a stock ROM, as bug free as possible, that includes this feature on the SGS2? Preferably not a CM7 ROM as I think she'd find TouchWiz useful. But if it will only work on a CM ROM, then which is the most stable one? Then I can root it and install the ROM and give it back (and it will never be tweaked again by her). I just don't want her to encounter any lag and bugs which will put her off Android for good and I'll get a big "I told you so."
Alternatively I will just get her the Sensation (which I know has this feature), but tbh I think she would like the Samsung more for the slimness.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
*Edit* Opera Mobile is out of the question because there doesn't appear to be an obvious way of getting it to realise we're in the UK as opposed to the USA, which makes google search a bit useless.
fade2black101 said:
Hi
I'm venturing here for the first time from the HTC section of the site, as I need to find out some information regarding this phone. Hopefully you lot can help me.
My sister has always been an iPhone user, but I've just managed to convince her to give Android a try. She doesn't want to customise her phone in any way whatsoever and just wants something simple. But given the fact I found a decent 12 month contract for either the Samsung or a HTC Sensation XE, and the ridiculously high prices Apple want for their iPhone, she has decided to listen to me and get one of these phones.
One of the major features she was interested in was that the text automatically resizes when you pinch to zoom on the web browser. What I need to know is if there is a stock ROM, as bug free as possible, that includes this feature on the SGS2? Preferably not a CM7 ROM as I think she'd find TouchWiz useful. But if it will only work on a CM ROM, then which is the most stable one? Then I can root it and install the ROM and give it back (and it will never be tweaked again by her). I just don't want her to encounter any lag and bugs which will put her off Android for good and I'll get a big "I told you so."
Alternatively I will just get her the Sensation (which I know has this feature), but tbh I think she would like the Samsung more for the slimness.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
*Edit* Opera Mobile is out of the question because there doesn't appear to be an obvious way of getting it to realise we're in the UK as opposed to the USA, which makes google search a bit useless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not being funny mate but you could of just googled the topic you are asking for and actually read reviews regarding the phones that you are talking about and could see the features that each phone is providing. anyway the pinch to zoom that you are talking about is a standard feature in all android phones if i am not mistaken. so no matter what rom you decide to flash you will have that option.
Now tell your siste the s2 is the phone to have for now...Then as you already know how to root phones install the latest stock rom from Intratechs thread. I would suggest any KL1 roms. Then flash jkay mods and then flash the ICS theme by Vertumus and your sister will love you forever.
Stock roms are pretty bug free and no need for tweaking..
EDIT: Stock browser is good enough and you can pinch to zoom also or use Maxthon browser from the market.
Suarez7 said:
Not being funny mate but you could of just googled the topic you are asking for and actually read reviews regarding the phones that you are talking about and could see the features that each phone is providing. anyway the pinch to zoom that you are talking about is a standard feature in all android phones if i am not mistaken. so no matter what rom you decide to flash you will have that option.
Now tell your siste the s2 is the phone to have for now...Then as you already know how to root phones install the latest stock rom from Intratechs thread. I would suggest any KL1 roms. Then flash jkay mods and then flash the ICS theme by Vertumus and your sister will love you forever.
Stock roms are pretty bug free and no need for tweaking..
EDIT: Stock browser is good enough and you can pinch to zoom also or use Maxthon browser from the market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your reply. The thing is, she has to decide in the next day or so which one to get, because we get the impression this 12 month contract offer won't last too long. I know a fair bit about the Sensation XE, but from what I've read about the SGS2, it doesn't seem to natively support text reflow like other Android devices.
Threads like this gave me the impression:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/archive/index.php/t-1062327.html
http://androidforums.com/samsung-galaxy-s2-international/350823-how-get-text-reflow-working.html
She doesn't really want to have to double tap to resize text. Also, I think she would just prefer to stick with the stock browser. If I was getting the phone for myself, I would trial and error every ROM and decide for myself but instead with this, I'll only have a few hours at most to sort it out for her and give her the phone. So definitely don't have time to be looking at every ROM and deciding.
It would certainly be easier getting the Sensation, but I'd rather get her the Galaxy S2, even though I personally chose an EVO 3D over it. (for a ridiculously cheap price too)
Thanks for your suggestion, and I will definitely be looking into that ROM if she gets the GS2
Man, just get her the S2 and don't do anything to it. It doesn't really need anything. And yes, pinch to zoom works in the browser, same as it did when I was using the S1.
Seriously, for her purposes don't put a custom rom on it. If you want to root it, install kies program (for drivers, comes with the phone) then Odin (flashing program/tool) and flash cf root. That way you will have cwm recovery and you can backup the current rom if you ever do flash custom.
Sent from my GT-I9100
sxi200 said:
Man, just get her the S2 and don't do anything to it. It doesn't really need anything. And yes, pinch to zoom works in the browser, same as it did when I was using the S1.
Seriously, for her purposes don't put a custom rom on it. If you want to root it, install kies program (for drivers, comes with the phone) then Odin (flashing program/tool) and flash cf root. That way you will have cwm recovery and you can backup the current rom if you ever do flash custom.
Sent from my GT-I9100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not pinch to zoom I'm talking about. I'm talking about text reflow when zooming in on the browser. The reason I'm also considering the Sensation is because I find the Sense UI a hell of a lot better than the alternatives. With the Sensation I won't need to change anything, but with the Samsung I'm hearing it doesn't reflow text in the browser, which, in fairness, will suck bigtime.
If this big ommision can be sorted out easily without having to use other browsers, then I'd happily get her a GS2. But, for everything else, I've always thought the Sense UI is great, even if the GS2 is slimmer, has a better screen and is more powerful.
I am more than a little cofused regarding the functionality of Google store/Market after root of an android device. I have read seemingly cotradictory posts, some say there is no problem some give work arounds involving Roms. A newer post seems to indicate Google has done something that only alows Chinese android devices to use Market after rooting. Which is true? Do all devices even act the same?
I have an Archos that needed a fix to get it at all but I had not heard that Market didn't work after root until a friend mentioned it a couple of days ago.
Was this something Google did with intent?
My new Phone
Unlocked Bell Galaxy SIII (I747)
on AT&T
WavyA70 said:
I am more than a little cofused regarding the functionality of Google store/Market after root of an android device. I have read seemingly cotradictory posts, some say there is no problem some give work arounds involving Roms. A newer post seems to indicate Google has done something that only alows Chinese android devices to use Market after rooting. Which is true? Do all devices even act the same?
I have an Archos that needed a fix to get it at all but I had not heard that Market didn't work after root until a friend mentioned it a couple of days ago.
Was this something Google did with intent?
My new Phone
Unlocked Bell Galaxy SIII (I747)
on AT&T
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have used a number of Android devices, and while I have not rooted all of them, I do know that there are no problems witch accessing the Play Store with those that I HAVE rooted. You see, in this world of rapidly changing technology, humans are overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information they have to learn or process just to operate a simple device that is used for making calls. So, at times like these, there are people who tend to take advantage of the not-so savvy users and play with their mind by telling them that this won't work or that won't work. You can call them practical jokers or whatever.
In essence, rooting is nothing but gaining "root" privileges; that is, you take control of the device. The Play Store is nothing but a front-end for users to download apps which they would otherwise have great difficulty finding or getting to work. The Play Store doesn't do much. It download's the app that you want from it's servers and initiates the Package Manager to install the downloaded app.
Rooting does nothing to the Play Store. It is in fact a completely different scenario altogether. You GRANT the phone root privileges, and that may mostly be to modify system files. Other than that, "root" does nothing at all on your device. Rooting your device installs a Superuser app. This app is the GUI frontend that gains the root privilege after you give it permission.
Now, I don't know if Play Store has been officially launched in China or not. If it isn't, then rooting your device is the only way to get Play Store to work. It usually includes a modified version of Play Store that tricks the Google server into thinking that you aren't in China, even though you are.
So, you can root your device, at no cost to the access to the Play Store.
I hope this helped you.
Playstore/market after root?
gadgetroid
Thanks so much for your answer. I had asked a friend if he had rooted his phone (Sprint SIII) and he told me he did not want to loose the Store.
I said I did not think he would, but when I tried to confirm that I started to get really confused (doesn't really take much). I really did not want to mislead him. Is it possible that I have conflated what I have read about rooting with flashing a Rom?
WavyDroid said:
gadgetroid
Thanks so much for your answer. I had asked a friend if he had rooted his phone (Sprint SIII) and he told me he did not want to loose the Store.
I said I did not think he would, but when I tried to confirm that I started to get really confused (doesn't really take much). I really did not want to mislead him.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's no problem at all. The thing in the Android world is that there are just too many devs who have their own ways and opinions of going about stuff. And then, there're the taggers on, like me, who haunt the developer threads and pick up 25-50% of stuff (and mind you, they hardly understand about 10% of the stuff ) and THEN form their OWN opinions and spread around half-truths to their friends to show that they KNOW something about developing, although in reality, they don't. Thankfully, this hasn't happened in Linux or Symbian.
Is it possible that I have conflated what I have read about rooting with flashing a Rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that is possible. You see, the majority of the custom ROMs out there for devices that are popular are either AOKP, CM7 or CM7 based. Stock ROMs differ greatly from the formers. Flashing an update.zip that contains the permissions and superuser.apk and flashing a custom ROM like CM7 are almost same. So it's VERY possible that you might've been confused, of course! And also, most of these aftermarket ROMs like CM7, MiUI and AOKP require you to flash "gapps.zip" which contains all the Google applications. If you do not flash that zip, THEN you will end up not having access to Play Store.
Hope this helped you.
Ahha!!:good:
Now if I can only get my main computer to talk w/ my SIII I can try my hand at this myself
i am buying a new phone, the S8+ to be exact, and there have been a lot of new developments (problems) when it comes to rooting your device. i've been rooting my smartphone devices for over 10 years because i love the freedom it brings (er, brought). Now i read things like Netflix, Snapchat, and AndroidPay not working on rooted devices. So i am wondering what people's experiences have been like. Any regrets? Are the trade-offs worth it to you? Is it worth being able to uninstall bloatware and install custom ROMs if a lot of other features and apps will stop working? i know most of this is personal preference but would like to know more about what other people have experienced.
billybag said:
i am buying a new phone, the S8+ to be exact, and there have been a lot of new developments (problems) when it comes to rooting your device. i've been rooting my smartphone devices for over 10 years because i love the freedom it brings (er, brought). Now i read things like Netflix, Snapchat, and AndroidPay not working on rooted devices. So i am wondering what people's experiences have been like. Any regrets? Are the trade-offs worth it to you? Is it worth being able to uninstall bloatware and install custom ROMs if a lot of other features and apps will stop working? i know most of this is personal preference but would like to know more about what other people have experienced.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First and foremost, if you plan on getting a US variant, meaning it will have a SD835 in it, Root is unlikely to come soon for it, This doesn't mean it won't happen, just not soon. Now if we're talking international, the ones that ship with an Exynos in it, they're rootable now.
Now, with that out the way let's get into the questions you've asked. There will indeed be a selection of apps that will not work when rooted these days because of "SafetyNet" check failure. Some of the biggest would be Snapchat and Android pay, However they will work with the assistance of Magisk which will allow SafetyNet to pass it's check, Same goes for most apps that fail to work because of root presence.
Heading back to what I first mentioned now, Rooting a Samsung device of recent years comes with some pretty notable cons to it, These would include loss of KNOX, I'm not sure what your stance on security is but if security is a concern to you, losing KNOX is not good. Another big and notable con is you will lose all Samsung pay support permanently, Actually to be honest both of the latter are permanently lost once rooted. If these things aren't a concern for you then by all means root away.
On to other things now, Rooting these days doesn't present as many attractive things as it use to, especially on a Samsung device. Most OEMS have given alternatives to many of the things a user couldn't do without root before. Currently there is no Xposed on Nougat and above, it's being worked on but there is no foreseeable date that can be given on when it will be completed.
So all in all, Until root is achieved for the Snapdragon variants, I'd hold off on a purchase of an S8. If we're talking Exynos variants then by all means get one, as I've said they're rootable right now. But don't let that be the ray of sunshine, though they're rootable, They're in infact an Exynos and Samsung is unwilling to provide source code to their Exynos chipsets. Which basically means to you that custom ROMs will be limited to rehashes of the stock ROMs with a couple mods if possible, AOSP such as Lineage and others like it are next to impossible to happen on Exynos without​ a source code to work from. It has been done before but the resulting roms took a long time to develop and either were extremely buggy or were just simply not usable for daily use.
I'm pretty sure I've hopefully covered every aspect I could but if you've got any more questions I'll surely answer them.
I apologise for this being so long lol.
Perfect. Thank you, this helped a lot.
billybag said:
Perfect. Thank you, this helped a lot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad I could help, Again sorry it was a lengthy response but it was necessary to cover all of it.
I've purchased 3 androids I'm the past several years, and I feel the reason I dislike them is because I can't ever get them running stock Android. This of course is my first goal, but the barrier to entry just seems ridiculous. Of course I've tried googling, for many many hours, and probably longer than that cumulatively. However, the phones I have aren't too popular (currently on a Samsung Galaxy Express 3, still have a 2015 Moro G somewhere), and I think their root/custom ROM guides aren't too prevalent.
I would like to understand what I'm trying to accomplish though, just so I have a better shot googling the information. From what I understand, I need to root the phone and then install a custom recovery, at which point I need to use a custom ROM built for that specific phone and.. I've never really got close to that so I don't know much beyond that. Feel free to correct me on what I have do far, but please use links to text as my internet doesn't work too well with AT&T's prepaid unlimited plan.
I assure you I have tried finding guides for this, but they are either high overviews that aren't specific or video-only. Thanks for any direction, I'd really like to make my phone usable. The Samsung keyboard is atrocious, not to mention the bloat
Sorry to bump, but still lost as ever. I did find an interesting quirk and thought it could get some more minds interested though. This is essentially a Galaxy S2, could I use the same tools as that for the Galaxy J1?