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I have been using the HTC evo on sprint for 2 years. My girlfriend saw the note and fell in love, and I was intrigued by the huge screen, since I use my phone more as a smartphone and less as an actual phone. So we went to ATT and bought a couple and are giving them a try, but haven't cancelled our sprint yet. She seems to like it a lot, haven't heard a complaint yet.
Out of the box, I was impressed with the screen for sure. Didn't liek the way the default browser handled zooming/word wrap on a lot of web pages, but a new browser fixed that. Battery life was good, but not great compared to what I was used to on some roms on my rooted evo. I am trying to learn to use the S-pen more. I haven't been blown away by the Note, but my Evo sure does seem small now.
I have been itching to root this thing and start installing some roms, but obviously wanted to wait until I was sure I was keeping it.
A couple questions, if I stay with ATT, I will be porting my sprint number. Will rooting the phone or installing a rom cause any issues with the porting of my old number? The Evo was super easy to root and flash roms, and also super easy to unroot in case it ever needed service, which it hasn't yet. Is it just as easy to root/unroot the Note? More concerned about the unrootingt, I am sure I can figure out the root process from the stickies, but I didn't see anything for unrooting, maybe I missed it. Just want to make sure I can get the phone serviced if I need to.
Thanks!
mike208 said:
I have been using the HTC evo on sprint for 2 years. My girlfriend saw the note and fell in love, and I was intrigued by the huge screen, since I use my phone more as a smartphone and less as an actual phone. So we went to ATT and bought a couple and are giving them a try, but haven't cancelled our sprint yet. She seems to like it a lot, haven't heard a complaint yet.
Out of the box, I was impressed with the screen for sure. Didn't liek the way the default browser handled zooming/word wrap on a lot of web pages, but a new browser fixed that. Battery life was good, but not great compared to what I was used to on some roms on my rooted evo. I am trying to learn to use the S-pen more. I haven't been blown away by the Note, but my Evo sure does seem small now.
I have been itching to root this thing and start installing some roms, but obviously wanted to wait until I was sure I was keeping it.
A couple questions, if I stay with ATT, I will be porting my sprint number. Will rooting the phone or installing a rom cause any issues with the porting of my old number? The Evo was super easy to root and flash roms, and also super easy to unroot in case it ever needed service, which it hasn't yet. Is it just as easy to root/unroot the Note? More concerned about the unrootingt, I am sure I can figure out the root process from the stickies, but I didn't see anything for unrooting, maybe I missed it. Just want to make sure I can get the phone serviced if I need to.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey so, I recently switched from Verizon to AT&T. I kept my old number and rooted my note within three days of getting it. Haven't experienced any issues whatsoever and I think you will be blown away once you get hip deep into the Roms that are available. The only problem that I have come across is that I can't stop flashing new roms now.
But, it is super easy, really great guides on here and on Youtube if you're the visual type. I don't think you'll regret it. My only advice is just reading through the threads (or at least the last few pages) before flashing just to see the experiences of others and what to expect before you give it the go ahead. The rooting guides have guides toward the bottom on how to unroot and that's on youtube too.
Hope that helped.
-Lora
Ph0n3D0rk said:
Hey so, I recently switched from Verizon to AT&T. I kept my old number and rooted my note within three days of getting it. Haven't experienced any issues whatsoever and I think you will be blown away once you get hip deep into the Roms that are available. The only problem that I have come across is that I can't stop flashing new roms now.
But, it is super easy, really great guides on here and on Youtube if you're the visual type. I don't think you'll regret it. My only advice is just reading through the threads (or at least the last few pages) before flashing just to see the experiences of others and what to expect before you give it the go ahead. The rooting guides have guides toward the bottom on how to unroot and that's on youtube too.
Hope that helped.
-Lora
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Click to collapse
I had rooted my evo and flashed so many roms I can't even count. So it's not that rooting/flashing scares me, and I am sure I can figure it out with the guides just fine. I was more worried about voiding my warranty or whatever. More so with this phone then with my evo for some reason.
There is an Odin image somewhere on these forums that will get you back to stock. It's pretty easy to do.
So far, this phone is the best phone I've ever had.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717
yes you can restore your phone to stock if needed (warranty is only reason I can think of). You can do it w/your PC and the stock ROM file as you can see in one of the forum stickies, I think the development forum.
Just get on one of the latest ICS leaked ROMS...I highly recommend the OnlyOne ROM/MOD since it is the based on the latest leak with a few key mods/etc added. Runs gREAt. And has some Samsung Galaxy III add-ons ported (i.e. new Touchwiz UI, S Note, S Voice, tethering). The OTHER ROMS are also solid and have more theming and custom stuff.
Get a PC then use it to Root, install CWM and then install your ROM of choice.
I like staying on Stock stuff and tried to on my Note for a few weeks but there were too many benefits to rooting, etc.
Have fun. Again...the ICS Leaked ROMS are sweet.
The Note, and most Samsung phones for that matter, are among the hardest to hard brick and some of the easiest to return back to stock as a result. Samsung phones are also very easy to root. The Note is no exception. As others have stated, we have an ODIN package to bring you back from everything but a hard brick. And you're not likely to do that so long as you stay on these forums and not the n7000's. That's pretty much the only way people have bricked their devices beyond saving. And even then you can send a hard brick in to some site and save it with JTAG repairs for $50, which is much cheaper than a replacement phone.
Also, in addition to the stock ODIN package, we have a flash counter reset, do ATT will have no indication you ripped whatsoever. People have returned their Note with the flash counter tripped, and had no issues, but it doesn't hurt to be careful. By using the ODIN package and flash counter reset, your warranty is again valid, so you really have nothing to worry about.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
Best thing I've done was root and flash this yesterday. The stock experience was driving me crazy (came from a flashed atrix). I say go for it and don't look back. This phone was pretty easy to root and flash.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
Alright you all have convinced me. Off to read the root stickies/guide.
This is the method I want, correct? Looks like the other one isn't meant for custom roms, just to gain root access and leaves the flash counter at 0.
a. Flash counter raising: see here (http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1504218)
mike208 said:
Alright you all have convinced me. Off to read the root stickies/guide.
This is the method I want, correct? Looks like the other one isn't meant for custom roms, just to gain root access and leaves the flash counter at 0.
a. Flash counter raising: see here (http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1504218)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No need to worry about the flash counter. There's an easy method to reset it and go back completely stock.
My suggestion: flash cwm, root, flash one of the awesome ics roms, and worry about going back to stock later. Totally worth it.
Flapjaxx'a ROM is what I'm currently running and it's up there for the smoothest and best Android experience I've seen through 3 Android phones and many other friends' phones. It's seriously like iOS/WP7 smooth for me. And great battery life. Wouldn't trade my Note for a damn thing. =].
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
welchertc said:
No need to worry about the flash counter. There's an easy method to reset it and go back completely stock.
My suggestion: flash cwm, root, flash one of the awesome ics roms, and worry about going back to stock later. Totally worth it.
Flapjaxx'a ROM is what I'm currently running and it's up there for the smoothest and best Android experience I've seen through 3 Android phones and many other friends' phones. It's seriously like iOS/WP7 smooth for me. And great battery life. Wouldn't trade my Note for a damn thing. =].
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Touch or non touch CWM?
mike208 said:
Touch or non touch CWM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Either is fine. I use non touch because it's what I used on my captivate and infuse and I'm used to it, it has never failed me. I've never used touch, but apparently it's just as stable. It's really a matter of preference add far as I'm concerned and whether you like using the volume and power buttons or your screen.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
Holy crap this backup is taking a while. They never took this long on my evo. Maybe 2-3 minutes max. This one has been going for 5-10
mike208 said:
Holy crap this backup is taking a while. They never took this long on my evo. Maybe 2-3 minutes max. This one has been going for 5-10
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's about what it was for me. Nothing to worry about
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
welchertc said:
That's about what it was for me. Nothing to worry about
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wasn't worried, just complaining, lol. I got the itch to flash and backing up is slowing me down, lol. It's done now, roms flashed, rebooting...
mike208 said:
Wasn't worried, just complaining, lol. I got the itch to flash and backing up is slowing me down, lol. It's done now, roms flashed, rebooting...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gotcha. Which one did you go with?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using Tapatalk 2
mike208 said:
Holy crap this backup is taking a while. They never took this long on my evo. Maybe 2-3 minutes max. This one has been going for 5-10
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine easily took 10-15mins (or so it felt). Same thing for my Touchpad.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
Stock gingerbread is leggy as hell. I put the OnlyOne ics rom on and it at least doubled the speed. Running launcher 7 also.
---------- Post added at 10:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:06 AM ----------
Stock gingerbread is laggy as hell. I put the OnlyOne ics rom on and it at least doubled the speed. Running launcher 7 also.
erick161 said:
Mine easily took 10-15mins (or so it felt). Same thing for my Touchpad.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HYFR Only One. I was hoping the GSIII add ons would wow me more, but S-voice seems only ok. Haven't really messed with S-Note yet. But battery life seems amazing.
I suggest going with team perfections objection. Been running it since I rooted and romed her. Runs smooth and can easily get through the day with music running nonstop. Welcome and I hope you enjoy your stay.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
After a few days of playing with my S4 I would have to say I'm not very happy with it. My smart stay setting don't work but maybe a 1/4 of the time if that. My voice commands don't work but half the time and I get a bit of lag from time to time. I've always used the stock browser in the past cause of flash player and now that don't work right, along with every now and then not being able to click links like its lagging but yet the url, bookmarks, Window manager, and menu button work. Plus the battery life hasn't been to great but that may be me being used to the note 2 battery. If anyone else is getting the same thing or knows of fixes please let me know. I have had these problems on fully stock, rooted with stock debloated, and now on rooted stock. Should I just wait and see what roms come out or should I try to return it and if I should return it is there a way back to non rooted fully stock? Thank you for your time.
edit 5/30: i just got done formating the int and ext storage to start from scratch. after that i noticed hyperdrive was just released so i installed that. phone softbricked cause i tried to install the ads mod from the app he has on the rom. was getting missing file errors and i/o error when tring to restore/wipe/install anything. did the no-wipe factory image and had to wipe data and factory reset after to get it out of bootloop. now im back and phone seems to be running great (but not sure about the voice commands and smart screen stuff just yet). i think my problem was i didnt change the save folder for titanium backup to sd card and i had some rom backups in the int. storage. figured this out when i went to make a backup and it said not enough memory. so if your having problems with lag double check your int. storage to make sure you have plenty of space.
Sounds like every S 4 I have ever seen.
joeyx2 said:
After a few days of playing with my S4 I would have to say I'm not very happy with it. My smart stay setting don't work but maybe a 1/4 of the time if that. My voice commands don't work but half the time and I get a bit of lag from time to time. I've always used the stock browser in the past cause of flash player and now that don't work right, along with every now and then not being able to click links like its lagging but yet the url, bookmarks, Window manager, and menu button work. Plus the battery life hasn't been to great but that may be me being used to the note 2 battery. If anyone else is getting the same thing or knows of fixes please let me know. I have had these problems on fully stock, rooted with stock debloated, and now on rooted stock. Should I just wait and see what roms come out or should I try to return it and if I should return it is there a way back to non rooted fully stock? Thank you for your time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cleanrom would be nice right about now but I heard it will be a while till he can get his hands on one. Looks like I may have to just wait it out for some roms to come out And hope the wonderful devs can get this thing running good. God knows verizon cant do it.
joeyx2 said:
Cleanrom would be nice right about now but I heard it will be a while till he can get his hands on one. Looks like I may have to just wait it out for some roms to come out And hope the wonderful devs can get this thing running good. God knows verizon cant do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looking at his site, he got his donations, and was about to purchase the device. He should just be waiting for its arrival. Give it a week or two and he will likely have a ROM cooked
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Thanks for the heads up! I ran it on my note 2 and loved it. Can't freaking wait!
Glad I brightened things up a bit for you!! Heck I am looking to upgrade soon and am considering the gs4. Been testing the waters in anticipation. I ran one of scotts roms years ago on my Optimus S (moved to the nexus s 4g, to currently the epic 4g touch) and he made a solid rom then, I know that.
I came from a note 2 as well. I can't wait for custom roms. The stock rom Sucks. I miss clean rom and beanstown but I'm sure everything will be here soon because the S series devices always have more development because they're more popular and more of an everyone phone unlike the note which isn't for everyone.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
I've seen none of that. This phone hasn't lagged once. Huge upgrade over my Galaxy nexus.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
I've noticed the Verizon S4 lags when compared to the T-Mobile variant.
the issue with links you cant click is an bug browser freezing up.hopefully they will fix it soon.temp u can clise tge broswer and then fire back up and it should work.
I wonder in Verizon applied the latest update like all the other carruers did that took care of lag etc...I remember something in early may that the other carriers were getting an update to address the lag issue and since our phones were just released last week...it may be a little bit before Verizon catches up.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2
The Galaxy S3 was the first android phone that I could say finally solved the laggyness that has been there since the droid. I have an iphone 5, S3, and the S4. The S4, at least mine, is clearly faster then my S3, and the even the iphone (which has always been pinnacle of non lag phones)......can't even compare with the S4 smoothness, and that is saying something.
I hate lag, hated it since the OGDroid, and can see immediately. I'm sorry you're having issues with you're S4, but I really don't know what alternative phone you could buy as of now.....because, if i'm not mistaking, the S4,HTC One or Iphone.....are the only phones you can buy with the least amount of lag as of todays date.
Best of luck to you.
Well I need to do some more testing with the voice command. I went outside today (were is bright) and noticed that some of the clear stickers on the side of the phone were still there. Just not to sure if the ones I pulled off was covering the mic. If it's better from here on out I will definitely feel like a de de deee.
edit: still having a little of trouble but it may have to do with background noises and the phone volume being all the way up.
Tks
joeyx2 said:
Cleanrom would be nice right about now but I heard it will be a while till he can get his hands on one. Looks like I may have to just wait it out for some roms to come out And hope the wonderful devs can get this thing running good. God knows verizon cant do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tks for the tip.
SCDroid said:
I've seen none of that. This phone hasn't lagged once. Huge upgrade over my Galaxy nexus.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here.
I turned off all the Air gestures, and other 'features' that I don't need or care about and switched to ADW EX launcher.
Very pleased with the S4.
I'm happy with my GS4. No issues with me. My battery has been treating me much better compared to my old LG Revolution. I haven't noticed any lag on my phone and that's something I noticed all the time on 2.3.6
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
That sucks. I'm glad I haven't had any issues.
I kept reading posts about the S4 being laggy, so I was a little worried when I picked mine up yesterday. Luckily, I seem to have a lag free version.
I came from an iPhone 5, and this S4 is much faster. Prior to that I had a gnex, and there is night and day difference between that and the S4.
Omg, Clean Rom is coming!!!!!! I cant wait, his roms are seriously top notch, I have renewed faith!!!!
Sent from my Tf700T CromiXd
imablackhat said:
I came from a note 2 as well. I can't wait for custom roms. The stock rom Sucks. I miss clean rom and beanstown but I'm sure everything will be here soon because the S series devices always have more development because they're more popular and more of an everyone phone unlike the note which isn't for everyone.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are you guys talking about here, you can run other carrier roms, what is your hold up? You can run any rom the ATT I337 can, to include sprint and t-mobile roms. you just need to use the loki patch (verizon) within the recovery apps. Smile and start here...Cheer up Charlie!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2295557
I just got back home with my shiny new S4 and I can't wait to get the thing rooted and rom'd. But! Before I take the dive, I'd like to test the waters of this lovely phone's community.
If you have a few minutes to spare:
- What rom/kernel are you using? Why?
- What is one thing that you wish you knew about the S4 before flashing?
Thanks!
- EJ
.Ejekt said:
I just got back home with my shiny new S4 and I can't wait to get the thing rooted and rom'd. But! Before I take the dive, I'd like to test the waters of this lovely phone's community.
If you have a few minutes to spare:
- What rom/kernel are you using? Why?
- What is one thing that you wish you knew about the S4 before flashing?
Thanks!
- EJ
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before you get to excited, you might want to check what firmware version you have.
riker147 said:
Before you get to excited, you might want to check what firmware version you have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was painfully vague. Care to elaborate?
.Ejekt said:
That was painfully vague. Care to elaborate?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I know (which I'm not 100%sure since I'm on mdk) you cannot flash custom roms yet if on the latest update (mj7 with Android 4.3) If you're lucky enough (unlikely) to get one with me7 firmware, you can flash custom roms with safestrap. This phone is not doing so well in the development area as I expected it would before release. Hopefully someone can figure out a way around the locked down bootloader
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2
.Ejekt said:
That was painfully vague. Care to elaborate?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That makes it painfully obvious that you haven't read much around here.
What you first need to know is what firmware version you have. That determines what you can do.
What you asked is equivalent to saying that you have a car then asking what you can do to improve it - no data on what year or model, or what you want to do. Without that info, how can anyone help you? If you can't even be bothered to figure out what build you have to start with, nobody can suggest anything to help you.
Evocm7 said:
As far as I know (which I'm not 100%sure since I'm on mdk) you cannot flash custom roms yet if on the latest update (mj7 with Android 4.3) If you're lucky enough (unlikely) to get one with me7 firmware, you can flash custom roms with safestrap. This phone is not doing so well in the development area as I expected it would before release. Hopefully someone can figure out a way around the locked down bootloader
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I managed to figure that out a couple minutes ago. I actually got pushed to ME7 while I was rooting my S4 (ironic?) and was able to stop it after that. So, it seems I was one of the lucky(ish) ones. Would've been nice to stay at MDK, but SafeStrap seems to be one hell of a tool.
.Ejekt said:
I just got back home with my shiny new S4 and I can't wait to get the thing rooted and rom'd. But! Before I take the dive, I'd like to test the waters of this lovely phone's community.
If you have a few minutes to spare:
- What rom/kernel are you using? Why?
- What is one thing that you wish you knew about the S4 before flashing?
Thanks!
- EJ
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey there... I remember you from the Fascinate forums. I finally ended up getting an S4 about 2 1/2 months ago and for the most part it's a great device, but you can't expect near the same freedom as you had with the Fascinate.
When I got mine I ended up with ME7 so it sounds like you're in the same boat. I have mine rooted, but decided not to use Safestrap because of the limitations it brings (mainly the storage issue). I'm pretty happy with how I have mine set up and it's pretty snappy overall, but I really do wish I had gotten an MDK in order to really flash roms like I used to on my Fascinate.
If you choose to use Safestrap then go nuts and I hope you find some roms you like (Hyperdrive seems to get the most love around here from what I've noticed). I'll just quickly list off the modifications I did to mine that got it to where I like it:
-Froze all bloat with Titanium, including the SDM 1.0 (to prevent unwanted updates)
-Got rid of e911 icon and ongoing WiFi notification
-Installed the International Voice Dialer with call recording
-Installed Volume Boost mod (increased it around 50% over stock)
-Installed Xposed Framework so I could use Greenify features
-Used Greenify to hibernate all misbehaving apps (examples would be Facebook and Google Play Store) (... this increased battery life A LOT)
-Installed AdAway (adblocker)
-Turned all animations down to .5 in developer options and disabled all hovering effects on the lock screen
Doing all that really made this thing a lot better than it was, but I'm still hoping for a true bootloader unlock to start playing with it more. I have found a lot of the Touchwiz features to be quite useful, like the voice control stuff, camera app, etc, so I would probably stick with a modded Touchwiz rom if I had the option. Good luck.
edit: Oh and another thing you might not be aware of - the camera is set to 9.5MP by default in the app, you need to go into settings to use the native 13MP resolution.
One thing to note that no one mentioned (and in case you didn't read elsewhere) is that with SafeStrap you can not use ROMs with custom kernels. So that means no AOSP based ROMs like CM, Carbon, PACman and others since they are all using a custom kernel. At least until they get KEXEC working with SafeStrap (if they get it working). So basically you can only use modded TW roms with a stock kernel.
Hi all!
I've been an S3 user for a little over 1.5 years; been a native of the Sprint forums (although my Sprint S3 is flashed to Page Plus).
Now that VZW has made their prepaid plan a lot more competitive and included LTE, I'm planning on making the jump, and picking up an S4 in the process. The $ cost to me will end up being negligible, as I'm able to sell my S3 and mostly make up for the expense of the S4.
I've loved my S3 - I run a rooted stock 4.4.2 rom, debloated all the samsung & sprint crap via titanium, and a ktoonsez kernel that's been tweaked to work well with my phone - and it functions perfectly - still fast, great battery life for a ~2 year old phone, etc. Been around android for some time now (first phone was the OG incredible), so am perfectly comfortable tweaking and such, however I don't want to spend too much time doing so.
I'm reading about the S4 and curious if it's worth the upgrade. I've heard several people online complain about the verizon 4.4.2 update causing overheating and issues with the phone. If I root, debloat, and run a quality custom kernel, am I likely to have issues?
I only use my phone for web browsing, calendaring email, texting, and talking - no gaming. I'm mainly looking forward to having the nicer screen and camera, and the likely possibility of a few more Android updates (which the S3 is unlikely to get). Honestly I'd love to have the next Nexus or something that runs closer to stock, but don't have the luxury to wait around for that phone (and I want to stay on vzw's network).
I've been doing some reading around your forum and am just curious as to your thoughts on the jump S3 -> vzw S4! Pros & cons?
Thanks much,
-Dirk
VZW has it locked down. You can root & perhaps a custom rom using Safestrap. But only TW based roms & some Xposed framework customization. Just about 0 choice on kernels. (unless you can get hold of one with MDK bootloader, - - then you are golden.)
wtherrell said:
VZW has it locked down. You can root & perhaps a custom rom using Safestrap. But only TW based roms & some Xposed framework customization. Just about 0 choice on kernels. (unless you can get hold of one with MDK bootloader, - - then you are golden.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh. I was planning on picking up one of the manufacturer refurb ones ($200) thru vzw's site. I'm assuming those will all be on whatever the newest bootloader version is ... this is disappointing (don't really mind running stock, just need to be rooted).
But really no kernels work on the newest OTA?
EDIT: Wow, just read the "Customizing your vzw S4" post ...
If the bootloader isn't "I545VRUAMDK" you have a locked bootloader and can only use Safestrap to install custom ROMs. Custom recovery is not possible. Attempts to install custom recovery will soft-brick your phone and require you to re-flash a stock ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is very unfortunate. Hmm, now I'm not so sure about this purchase. Assuming the S4 gets Android "L", do you think the device will be locked down again and root will be removed permanently?
dirkdigles said:
Huh. I was planning on picking up one of the manufacturer refurb ones ($200) thru vzw's site. I'm asking those will all be on whatever the newest bootloader version is ... this is disappointing (don't really mind running stock, just need to be rooted).
But really no kernels work on the newest OTA?
EDIT: Wow, just read the "Customizing your vzw S4" post ...
That is very unfortunate. Hmm, now I'm not so sure about this purchase. Assuming the S4 gets Android "L", do you think the device will be locked down again and root will be removed permanently?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are a lot of great roms you can run and yes you can obtain root with the newest version nc5. Easy as pie with towelroot. Don't even need a pc. Safestrap 3.72 is what you will need if you get the latest version. You could check out swappa if you want a MK2 or maybe even a MDK. Safestrap has its own recovery and works just fine. Most of the people on here use Safestrap. You would be happier if you found one running 4.3 as opposed to 4.4.2 because of better battery life but NC5 (4.4.2) works fine and is a lttle faster probably.
dirkdigles said:
That is very unfortunate. Hmm, now I'm not so sure about this purchase. Assuming the S4 gets Android "L", do you think the device will be locked down again and root will be removed permanently?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's the bad part about safestrap vs. a custom recovery? I still see CM11 for the S4. Is it a lack of backups or something?
Flowah said:
What's the bad part about safestrap vs. a custom recovery? I still see CM11 for the S4. Is it a lack of backups or something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Safestrap enables you to flash roms on a locked bootloader which is pretty cool. Unfortunately the big limitation is basically that you can't touch the kernel on a locked bootloader without kexec support ( which will probably never happen) so the only roms you can flash have to be based on the same firmware that your phone has stock. No AOSP roms at all or TW roms that are newer than an OTA and no custom kernels.
All the AOSP roms you see are for MDK and Dev edition phones.
Flowah said:
What's the bad part about safestrap vs. a custom recovery? I still see CM11 for the S4. Is it a lack of backups or something?
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If u don't have mdk firmware safestrap only option and no cm or asop roms.
sent by safestrap powered echo v26
I'm pretty happy with my phone. It's not a huge jump from the s3. I am rooted on 4.4.2 and flash roms with SS. You can flash aosp look alike roms. Also, my battery life is just fine!
s4 upgrade not worth it
dirkdigles said:
Hi all!
I've been an S3 user for a little over 1.5 years; been a native of the Sprint forums (although my Sprint S3 is flashed to Page Plus).
Now that VZW has made their prepaid plan a lot more competitive and included LTE, I'm planning on making the jump, and picking up an S4 in the process. The $ cost to me will end up being negligible, as I'm able to sell my S3 and mostly make up for the expense of the S4.
I've loved my S3 - I run a rooted stock 4.4.2 rom, debloated all the samsung & sprint crap via titanium, and a ktoonsez kernel that's been tweaked to work well with my phone - and it functions perfectly - still fast, great battery life for a ~2 year old phone, etc. Been around android for some time now (first phone was the OG incredible), so am perfectly comfortable tweaking and such, however I don't want to spend too much time doing so.
I'm reading about the S4 and curious if it's worth the upgrade. I've heard several people online complain about the verizon 4.4.2 update causing overheating and issues with the phone. If I root, debloat, and run a quality custom kernel, am I likely to have issues?
I only use my phone for web browsing, calendaring email, texting, and talking - no gaming. I'm mainly looking forward to having the nicer screen and camera, and the likely possibility of a few more Android updates (which the S3 is unlikely to get). Honestly I'd love to have the next Nexus or something that runs closer to stock, but don't have the luxury to wait around for that phone (and I want to stay on vzw's network).
I've been doing some reading around your forum and am just curious as to your thoughts on the jump S3 -> vzw S4! Pros & cons?
Thanks much,
-Dirk
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I have the samsung galaxy s4 on verizon and i wouldnt say the upgrade is really worth it from the s3. If you want to stay with samsung go with the s5 with all the newest specs. Then once you get it, if you dont like the soft ware then just flash a stock s3 rom to it and it wil be like your s3 just work a lot more efficient. In short, it is not worth the upgrade from GS3 to GS4.
joshm.1219 said:
Safestrap enables you to flash roms on a locked bootloader which is pretty cool. Unfortunately the big limitation is basically that you can't touch the kernel on a locked bootloader without kexec support ( which will probably never happen) so the only roms you can flash have to be based on the same firmware that your phone has stock. No AOSP roms at all or TW roms that are newer than an OTA and no custom kernels.
All the AOSP roms you see are for MDK and Dev edition phones.
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Click to collapse
Just an fyi for people, this isn't totally true. In the general section there is a thread about running a 4.4.4 GPE rom. I've been on the 4.4.3 version for a few days and it's great. With gravity box I can get it set up almost like a custom rom. There are a few bugs but nothing that is a deal breaker (for me)
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
rrrrrrredbelly said:
Just an fyi for people, this isn't totally true. In the general section there is a thread about running a 4.4.4 GPE rom. I've been on the 4.4.3 version for a few days and it's great. With gravity box I can get it set up almost like a custom rom. There are a few bugs but nothing that is a deal breaker (for me)
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Yes that's true, seems like only a few of you really have it working flawlessly though.
joshm.1219 said:
Yes that's true, seems like only a few of you really have it working flawlessly though.
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Click to collapse
I haven't been following the thread that closely, didn't realize. There are definitely issues (no usb connection is a big one) but after losing my mdk phone 2 months ago on a warranty issue, i love this rom.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I am just curious as to how long everyone waited before rooting their Nexus 6P? I received mine Monday evening and I am still stock. I wanted to enjoy stock Android before rooting. I came from a Verizon Note 4 with all the bloat and garbage I just wanted to go back to basics for a bit before indulging in root. I haven't had a rooted phone in over a year because Verizon & Samsung blocked that ability. I love having the freedom of an unlocked phone and the ability to root & do as I please with my device!
As soon as I took it out of the box, had a glass of wine, and logged on to XDA!
mikespe said:
I am just curious as to how long everyone waited before rooting their Nexus 6P? I received mine Monday evening and I am still stock. I wanted to enjoy stock Android before rooting. I came from a Verizon Note 4 with all the bloat and garbage I just wanted to go back to basics for a bit before indulging in root. I haven't had a rooted phone in over a year because Verizon & Samsung blocked that ability. I love having the freedom of an unlocked phone and the ability to root & do as I please with my device!
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Click to collapse
I got mine back in November and never rooted. I really like stock Marshmallow and couldn't find any roms/features or exposed modules that make me want to root. Plus, I think that I am one of the very few people who really like Android Pay and once you root, Android Pay is gone. I used to root all my devices (since the Nexus One), because there were some many issues with Android at the beginning, but now I think that Android is truly stable. I will suggest that you try stock for a while and see how you like it.
cgjjaf said:
I got mine back in November and never rooted. I really like stock Marshmallow and couldn't find any roms/features or exposed modules that make me want to root. Plus, I think that I am one of the very few people who really like Android Pay and once you root, Android Pay is gone. I used to root all my devices (since the Nexus One), because there were some many issues with Android at the beginning, but now I think that Android is truly stable. I will suggest that you try stock for a while and see how you like it.
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Click to collapse
No ad blocking of any sort??
Within minutes of taking it out the box.
Gotta have root. Especially for titanium backup no other app is as consistent as it IMO
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
No rooting and don't need it. I unlocked boatloader right away though so I can flash updates when and as I please. I'm all set.
I wish there were a 1-Click root for the Nexus 6P...I'm on a Mac and I am having a hell of a time trying to figure it out. No real tutorials for Macs
At first boot. Booted straight to bootloader ?
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Not long. Within the first few hours. I played with stock a little first before messing around with the bootloader.
steviemch said:
Within minutes of taking it out the box.
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THIS!
Ran stock for day of two to make sure everything was working ok then it was rooted
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
After 1month just because I wanted to give Franco kernel a spin (God bless high brightness mode!). Actually, this is the first android phone (amongst the many I have owned) that lasted *that* long without root!
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
2 days
Spent a good 3 or 4 months without root. Had no issues with stock, but wanted a bit more control so I gave in. Not regretting rooting at all. Battery life and performance have seen a big improvement.
I haven't rooted after 2 weeks. That may be a record for me, but I'm using Project Fi and am a little worried about messing with too much. Also, I like stock Marshmallow. Usually I go close to stock Android with custom ROMs, and it doesn't get much more stock than this!
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Immediately. I didn't want to load my phone with stuff and then have to wipe it when I unlcoked the bootloader.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
mikespe said:
I wish there were a 1-Click root for the Nexus 6P...I'm on a Mac and I am having a hell of a time trying to figure it out. No real tutorials for Macs
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Click to collapse
Start a thread and I'll see if I can help you out. For reference, I use OSX 10.10.5. I have unlocked my Nexus 5X and flashed December and January factory images using OSX. I have heard 10.11 is trickier to get working ADB/fastboot though.
Edit: just posted in the thread you created hours ago
Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
Rooted when I got mine.
First boot.