I'm trying to figure out what the most stable and functional ROM is for my MDK VZW S4. I've tried to research this several times but I find that I have to essentially read through every thread for every ROM, and even then there are things that are left out. My previous phone was a Galaxy Nexus, so I was probably spoiled by the wealth of information about the various ROMs, but there's no reason we can't have a thread like this.
History of my ROM usage with my S4
I started out with Hyperdrive ROMs but later decided I just couldn't deal with TW no matter how much work the Hyperdrive guys did try to clean it up (kudos to them for the best ROM for people stuck with a locked bootloader though!).
Next up I went to Gummy ROM to try out 4.4, which honestly hasn't really impressed me. My GPS never works right, seemingly related to the compass problem? Not sure here, but this is a major deal breaker for me.
Problems I've had and seen mentioned in multiple threads; are these fixed in ANY ROM???
The above mentioned compass problems. I've read about factory calibration issues, I'm going to try a few of those fixes, but I also see a LOT of people saying this is a driver issue? Which is it?
HDR camera doesn't work, attempting to use it just makes solid black pics.
Bluetooth audio playback problems. I've heard this mentioned many times, but haven't had a chance to test myself. This only becomes a big deal for me in the summer when I'm using this feature to stream music to the stereo on my boat.
Thanks!
Dan
Related
OK--people are talking all around this issue, and I am looking for a blunt answer. Hopefully this thread can be found easily via Google.
FACT: The GPS fix for stock Galaxy phones we all know about doesn't work for many people.
FACT: Some custom Vibrant ROMs, like Bionix, claim to have fixed the GPS issues.
QUESTION 1: Is the GPS fix in these custom ROMs the same as the one released by Samsung for the Captivate?
QUESTION 2: If not, can anyone verify the performance of the custom ROM fixes? I have seen threads on this site that suggest the GPS is even worse after using a custom ROM (including Bionix).
I am the minority it seems, but my gps is much worse after flashing Bionix 1.8 and 1.9.1. When I was stock JFD I actually created a thread complimenting my GPS.... and now it's useless. No matter how long I stay outside I can not get a lock.
I am not certain what the issue is, because some on the same ROM claim it is great. Not sure how I lost out.... and not blaming sombionix, his rom is so good I still use it even with this issue (and I consider it a big one).
I do not know enough about what he did, but I don't think much was altered from JI6.
Thanks s15274n!
I am going to do some testing...I have access to a stock Vibrant (with no GPS fix), and a stock Captivate (with recent GPS fix). I will do a "map my run" route with each (using my Nexus One and maybe even my G1 as an experiment control), then root the Vibrant with Bionix Fusion, and post my results--probably here and in a blog post. That will give me 5 separate results to compare.
The screenshots and data output should settle all the BS flying around, although I am sure that some people will claim that their particular phone has no problems whatsoever.
derfolo said:
Thanks s15274n!
I am going to do some testing...I have access to a stock Vibrant (with no GPS fix), and a stock Captivate (with recent GPS fix). I will do a "map my run" route with each (using my Nexus One and maybe even my G1 as an experiment control), then root the Vibrant with Bionix Fusion, and post my results--probably here and in a blog post. That will give me 5 separate results to compare.
The screenshots and data output should settle all the BS flying around, although I am sure that some people will claim that their particular phone has no problems whatsoever.
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Just to add my two cents, I've continued to experience horrible GPS performance despite the fix in JI6. Quite simply, it's unusable if I don't open G-Maps before I drive away from my wirless SSID.
Unfortunately, questions posted here are routinely met with "reflash" and "why can't people search? these issues have been solved a million times!". Most people seem content to assume that since it was fixed on their phone, we're too stupid to figure out how to apply this particular "fix".
This is my fifth phone. My G1, MyTouch, and Nexus One all had GPS' which worked simply and reliably. My Galaxy S phones...not so much. It's gotten to the point where I'm seriously considering paying HTC to fix the busted AMOLED screen on my Nexus One so I can go back to that and sell my Vibrant and i9000 on craigslist.
Sorry for the rant. I only meant to chime in to say "you're not the only one". I'm just frustrated.
I'll be interested to see your results if you go through with your test.
So what are the pros and cons.... I know about the partition. Are they any other issues with the conversion? If you came back from N4 what made you come back? Cos after the SD card, NFC and LTE fix what else was broken? Thanks in advance.
Googler_1976 said:
So what are the pros and cons.... I know about the partition. Are they any other issues with the conversion? If you came back from N4 what made you come back? Cos after the SD card, NFC and LTE fix what else was broken? Thanks in advance.
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My main reason for doing the conversion was to get hybrid ROMs like Rootbox or PACman (which weren't available natively on LGOG at the time). To me, really the only pro is a larger selection of ROMs. This isn't necesarily a better selection, just bigger - it depends on what you are specifically looking for in a ROM as to whether this makes it worth it or not.
With the available fixes already posted, there really aren't any huge cons either - GPS works, camera works, you get full internal storage and external SD support. However, there were cases I ran across where I couldn't get certain fixes working with certain ROMs - things like touch key lights not working and the like. I'm sure they are fixable in these cases, it just takes someone smarter than me to figure out how.
I think the main reason the conversion is frowned upon is that there isn't a compelling, across-all-ROMs improvement or feature that would be available on a converted device that isn't available on the 'native' track. So why risk a brick monkeying with partition layouts and potentially dangerous N4 install scripts (apparently some of them flash using partition numbers rather than names, and this will kill ya dead - gotta read carefully. I never ran across one).
I had minimal issues when running converted ( I think I was running that way for 3 weeks or so maybe?? Can't remember). Most of the issues were things that were more annoyances, rather than real usage problems. However, as my main reason for converting was to get a hybrid ROM, once houstonn brought Rootbox to the LGOG natively, I decided to come back. I'm usually a little short on time, and it was getting difficult to keep up with all the LGOG threads, plus all the N4 ROM threads, plus figuring out how to fix the ROMs for use on the LGOG. It's easy here, a one stop shop for LGOG learning, if you will...
I suspect with the native 4.2.2 stuff running around here now, there will be a steady decrease in the amount of 'development' on conversion stuff - it seems quite a bit quieter now than it was a month or 2 ago. I'd rather stay where the action is, as that's usually where the little remaining issues get solved first.
FWIW, I had no issues either converting to, or back from, N4. The threads here do a good job of spelling out the process - it's just a matter of reading through them enough times to understand what is going on and what to expect at each step.
Thanks for writing up your experience... The main reason I asked this question was... Some of the (if not all of them) AOSP Roms have major issues like if GPS works something else will be broken and if something else worksworks other is broken. But I did not see that in N4 conversion. (At least to my knowledge) I'm just talking about just pure aosp Roms. ..is this a trurt statement I'm making? Thanks in advance.
Googler_1976 said:
Thanks for writing up your experience... The main reason I asked this question was... Some of the (if not all of them) AOSP Roms have major issues like if GPS works something else will be broken and if something else worksworks other is broken. But I did not see that in N4 conversion. (At least to my knowledge) I'm just talking about just pure aosp Roms. ..is this a trurt statement I'm making? Thanks in advance.
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I can't say for certain - most of these 'tradeoff' issues, at least from what I've seen, seem to revolve around which modem you choose to run. I believe, at the moment the only 100% no issue setup is and ICS ROM with ICS modem. I believe these issues persist whether you are on N4 conversion or native LGOG setup - but I could be wrong here.
Here's the basic breakdown - somebody correct me if I'm wrong on these, I haven't run most of these setups personally:
If you run ICS modem on JB ROM, you get broken GPS.
If you run .33 N4 modem you get good GPS and Data speeds, but occasional data drops. Also, apparently you can't make outgoing calls in LTE coverage. You can fix the data connection by toggling airplane mode. This isn't a huge issue for most people, but is for me as I use Google voice and IM apps for messaging (rather than SMS) so if I don't notice the data drop and toggle, I'm missing messages.
If you run ATT JB modem on JB ROMs you get working GPS, decent data speed, and working LTE calling. All Outgoing calls drop to a background process after initiation, so if after hitting dial you need to interact with the call, you have to open the notification drawer and then click on the call to foreground it. Does not impact actual functioning of the call. Network name is reported as 'maritime' rather than AT&T.
I think there's another N4 modem that will work with LTE (.27 maybe - somebody jump in here) so that might be another option...I haven't tried it. there is one N4 modem that breaks LTE support.
I've been almost exclusively on houstonn's RootBox since coming back to native setup - so I may have missed issues with other ROMs - I do try to keep up with all the threads though. Hopefully someone else on one of the others can chime in with other issues, if there are any, that I missed. FWIW, I have never lost GPS on my device...I'm not sure why some have and some haven't...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2270319
One stop shopping for all your radio needs.
Thanks again both of you... t I wanted to know why and I think I got what I was looking for.. Anyway, I guess I will stick with my rooted stock JB for now till some of these issues get resolved. Thanks again for all your time.
I've been having this issue since I first flashed a LiquidSmooth ROM a couple months back, but as I've installed official CM10.1 and AOKP roms, the issue has persisted across them. Currently I have Avatar 2.13b on slot 1, AOSP r6 on slot 2 and LiquidSmooth 2.4 in slot 3 and the problem exists on all 3. Bluetooth will work fine on an initial flash, but a some point later on, it disables itself, and the only way to get it back is to wipe dalvik and reboot. Is this simply an instability of the kexec kernel, or something more. I've seen a few posts related to this, but not enough that it seems like a common issue. Any one else having this problem or any thoughts on why its happening to my RAZR MAXX xt912? Wiping dalvik isn't a huge inconvenience, as I typically only use BT to and from work, but after a long day in the office, not being able to connect my headphones can just add to my frustrations. Any thoughts or help is greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!
Did you ever make any progress on this problem? I'm having a similar, tho not identical, BT problem . . . posted it, hoping to get some idea how to approach it. Thanks
Sorry, no luck yet. Happened today while sitting idle at my desk, no reboot, not even being used. If I run into a solution on another site, I'll update this post
Posted from along the edge of a straight Razr
psudeke said:
Sorry, no luck yet. Happened today while sitting idle at my desk, no reboot, not even being used. If I run into a solution on another site, I'll update this post
Posted from along the edge of a straight Razr
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Too bad. I was hoping to piggyback, or at least get some insight.
I like to think I'm not an idiot, but short of changing hardware I can't think of anything new to even try.
Hello XDA,
Recently I've acquired a Razr (and I must say, this thing's great ), and have gone into my usual habit of slapping on different roms on it much like many of my previous Android devices.
In the process of doing so, I have noticed that many (if not most) of the 4.2/4.3 roms which are AOSP/CM based, they have some issues when recording video. The problem is that upon reviewing a piece of video which had been recorded with the camera, the audio channels are very off center. This led to my realization that the back microphone is the left channel, while the front microphone becomes the right channel.
Although this bug is not very critical, I was wondering if there are any known fixes for this. I have tried googling this problem, but it doesn't seem like many people have noticed/cared about this.
Thanks for reading, hoping that someone could shed some light on this issue!
EDIT: I'm currently running AOKP MR2 with JBX 1.4 Kernel, as well as Artmod 4.31. Artmod does not have this problem as it is stock based.
coming from 4.3, I've been going from rom to rom this week in search of a truly stable kitkat TW rom. I won't lie the roms were great in every way but each of them had a major flaw that caused me to switch (constant crashing, gps not working, wifi not working). I've tried dn3, r3ds, trents, and possibly more I don't even remember. yes I've tried agni. And trust me each time I did extensive thread-searching to troubleshoot my issues to no avail which is why I'm getting frustrated. I'm not asking for much. I just want a rom with a working gps, working wifi, and stability. And by stability I mean not just labeled "stable" but doesn't reboot five times a day and won't shut down in the middle of the night to fail to wake me in the morning. I also need s note 3. I don't even care about anything else, seriously. Has anyone had luck finding a rom with the aforementioned criteria? Thanks.
edit: never mind, finally found one.
R3d its the best.