Getting my V10 today - Verizon LG V10

What are the top 5 things I need to know before I open the box?

swing4thefence said:
What are the top 5 things I need to know before I open the box?
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So I decided (and you cannot begin to fathom how painful this choice was) to skip root and update to marshmellow.
Android pay being excluded due to root was bad enough, but Pokemon Go was the straw that broke the camel's back.

The camera and audio on this phone are awesome...as is root.
If you don't have root, there is honestly not much reason to have this phone IMO.
Or if you got a super deal on it, that would be a good reason too, and it does look cool and is well-made.

whitehawk66 said:
The camera and audio on this phone are awesome...as is root.
If you don't have root, there is honestly not much reason to have this phone IMO.
Or if you got a super deal on it, that would be a good reason too, and it does look cool and is well-made.
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It is a very nice looking phone and does seem well made. I LOVE the fingerprint reader. it works so fast and seamless. Not like my old S5. this is the first non-Samsung phone I've had in 4 years and let me just say It feels so good not to look at another TW interface.I was eligible for a subsidized upgrade through Verizon and my choices came down to this or the Moto Z. I finally chose this because 1: 64 GB, 2. Headphone Jack, and 3. Regular micro USB connection.

LG is lacking in support lately. 6.0.1 has been available since December 2015 and they sent 6.0 in May of 2016 then another update in July 2016 and it still isn't 6.0.1.

swing4thefence said:
It is a very nice looking phone and does seem well made. I LOVE the fingerprint reader. it works so fast and seamless. Not like my old S5. this is the first non-Samsung phone I've had in 4 years and let me just say It feels so good not to look at another TW interface.I was eligible for a subsidized upgrade through Verizon and my choices came down to this or the Moto Z. I finally chose this because 1: 64 GB, 2. Headphone Jack, and 3. Regular micro USB connection.
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I think you made the right choice. Get an Obliq case and glass screen protector and you're good to go

whitehawk66 said:
I think you made the right choice. Get an Obliq case and glass screen protector and you're good to go
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Those Obliq cases are nice looking but I already bought a Rugged armor case (otter knockoff) on Ebay. I don't like the glass screen protectors though. I tried one once on a previous phone and it broke within a week. I was glad my phone itself wasn't broken, but what's the point protecting yoru screen from breakage with something that looks broken?
I stick with the plastic screen protectors.

I will only use glass SPs. Most manufacturers such as Tech Armor will replace them for free if they break.
Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk

If you can get a phone WITHOUT v6 (marshmellow) then you have it made.
I loved this phone till I made the dumb ass move and and accepted the v6 update. It borked BT; now everything I connect to is staticy and noisy. It worked perfect before. I called Verizon support about this; they were no help, and didn't care.

Dr. Righteous said:
If you can get a phone WITHOUT v6 (marshmellow) then you have it made.
I loved this phone till I made the dumb ass move and and accepted the v6 update. It borked BT; now everything I connect to is staticy and noisy. It worked perfect before. I called Verizon support about this; they were no help, and didn't care.
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All issues are fixed with 6.0.1. At least on Google's side. LG and VZW refuse to push this update. I've taken to tweeting them almost daily. LG no longer responds and VZW wants to do troubleshooting.
Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk

SprManKalEl said:
All issues are fixed with 6.0.1. At least on Google's side. LG and VZW refuse to push this update. I've taken to tweeting them almost daily. LG no longer responds and VZW wants to do troubleshooting.
Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk
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They will push the update about 3 weeks after you sell the phone. You might see an update. Now that Nougat is live, you should see the update to 6.0.1 in 18 months because Verizon has decided that you as customers do not want to deal with pesky updates and security fixes.
I think I am going to ditch this brick and get a Pixel phone, updates straight from google when they are released. No Verizon branding or bloat if you get it from google.

Related

Joining the G2 ranks!

I've been on my HTC Rezound since late November 2011. It's literally the longest I've ever had a phone, and I wouldn't be changing if mine wasn't starting to really give up the ghost. Within the past two weeks, Bluetooth quit working, it began boot looping, soft keys are becoming unresponsive, etc. Nevermind the battery life issues that have constantly plagued the phone.
So I started researching and not wanting to pay full price for a phone, I know I'm going to be giving up my unlimited data. No biggie, don't use more than 1-2 gigs a month anyway. So I looked at the most obvious options:
SGS4
HTC One
LG G2
The HTC, for as much of a beauty as it is, was almost an instant out. I don't like Sense, and I felt the battery in the phone was undersized. It's other disqualifying factor was what I felt was a smallish screen. So I was down to the SGS4 or the G2. Played with both in store, and the G2 blew me away with how much more responsive it was, brighter sharper screen, and the knock knock feature I fell in love with.
Thought I was going to have to wait a couple three weeks for taxes to roll in, but Verizon ran a special Saturday night on their website for the G2 for free. Couldn't help myself Picking it up on sunday, in white.
First plan -- Debloat. I hate factory and carrier installed bloatware.
Second Plan -- Pop the back plate and White Carbon Fiber Di-Noc from 3M.
Third plan -- enjoy profusely.
Nice choice, you will love it!!!
Verstuurd vanaf mijn LG-D802 met Tapatalk
Whas in same position as u. Ran a sensation xe. Only reason I baugt a new was because I cracked the screen after 2yeara. I really loved sense. HTC one was my first choice then I saw this phone for 100$ less and everything seemed beter.
I don't miss sense and I don't think I ever whill. Only downside whit this phone is the camera. But it has so many other god things so don't mind.
Don't even have to change rom. Just root and install xposee and greenify
Welcome, you will love your g2
Sent from my LG-D803 using Tapatalk
Don't even have to change rom. Just root and install xposee and greenify[/QUOTE]
^^^^^^^^^^this ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^:thumbup:
Sent from my LG-D801 using xda app-developers app
Yeah, I don't think I plan to change roms. I'm not a flash addict. I did it to my rezound because Verizon had that phone so jacked up with bloat it could hardly function. This one I'm hoping to root (today) debloat, check out the modules and see what they offer, and enjoy.
I got it for $10 after it was all said and done. I was pretty perturbed with Verizon for charging a $30 upgrade fee. I've NEVER paid an upgrade fee unless I was doing an early upgrade. I called them and griped this morning, they're giving me $20 of it back as a statement credit. $10? I accept that.
Can you post a link of the carbon fiber?
Sent from my LG-D802 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
vPro97 said:
Can you post a link of the carbon fiber?
Sent from my LG-D802 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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Just check ebay for white 3m Di-Noc and it'll come up. I think what I'm going to do is get a spare back panel, cover it, and then get a very thin hard case and cover that. I get the dropsies now and then and would rather have a TPU type case over the phone to protect the corners.
So I have my new phone but I'm disgruntled already. Irritated is more like it. Not at the phone, I'm happy to have it, but I'm avoiding messing with it right now. Flipping Verizon FORCED me to activate it on the spot in the store. I was like "What? Why?" and couldn't get a straight answer. That put me in a bind because I hadn't backed up my Rezound stuff yet, my wifi doesn't work, and now I'm kind of pinched because I have no data connection either. I wanted to simply email backups around and continue using it until I had the G2 ready to go, set up as I wanted it. Not the case now, which is why I'm so irritated. I even asked about reactivating my Rez and he said I can, but I'd have to bring hte G2 back into the store to have a new Sim card put in because you can only activate it's sim card once. Seriously?
Am I the only one that would be bugged by actions like this? I simply wanted to walk in, pick up my phone, take it home, set it up to MY preferences, then activate it, and I can't even do that now.
Called Verizon customer service and straightened everything out. All is well, I'm running my Rezound right now and slowly setting the G2 up.
Ordered Zagg HD Screen Protector, Incipio Feather case, generic ebay Rubberized two piece case, and 1sq of white 3M Di-Noc carbon fiber vinyl. Now I wait.........and in the interim, on to the rooting. I will have it rooted by midnight and starting the app removal process. So much freaking junk!
Fastbird said:
Called Verizon customer service and straightened everything out. All is well, I'm running my Rezound right now and slowly setting the G2 up.
Ordered Zagg HD Screen Protector, Incipio Feather case, generic ebay Rubberized two piece case, and 1sq of white 3M Di-Noc carbon fiber vinyl. Now I wait.........and in the interim, on to the rooting. I will have it rooted by midnight and starting the app removal process. So much freaking junk!
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I said I didn't care to ROM mine either but you really should take a peek at the Flex ROM thread. I really enjoy it over stock. I believe it is titled Flex ROM 1.4.2 if you decide your interested. Enjoy your new G2!!!
Surfman423 said:
I said I didn't care to ROM mine either but you really should take a peek at the Flex ROM thread. I really enjoy it over stock. I believe it is titled Flex ROM 1.4.2 if you decide your interested. Enjoy your new G2!!!
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I'll take a peek. I really like most of the embedded LG features (so much nicer than HTC's Sense stuff IMO) so if it doesn't give that or anything else up, worth a look I guess.
ROOTED! That was probably the easiest root I've ever completed. Ok, so I've only done 3. OG Droid, HTC Rezound (that phone was a disaster for support), and this.
And I'm becoming more and more enthralled with the phone already. Wireless data transfer thingy with my computer works like a champ. Actually has a settable quiet mode so I don't get notifications between hours I set. And so much other stuff. Just amazing how far these have progressed in 2 1/4 years since I got my Rez.

Shattered my S4 Screen

basically as the title says... I dropped my phone and shattered the screen at the top and bottom corners... it's still operable at the moment but it'll get worse over time. I have an upgrade available on my account that I can use or I could enter the Verizon edge program... I really don't know what i should do. it's obvious the edge program is only useful if I upgrade every ~12 months and I have a tendency to switch phones quite often but with a newborn son I may lose interest in upgrading/getting new phones so much... I'm mostly looking at the HTC M8 only because ive had the galaxy for a while and im ready for something other than touchwiz. use upgrade, pay 250 and sign another 2 year contract or enter Verizon edge program and pay nothing now and be able to upgrade again in a year... opinions?
Go m8 for the unlockable boot loader. Imo
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
TTLayland said:
Go m8 for the unlockable boot loader. Imo
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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any opinion on edge vs upgrade on 2 year contract? I was fortunate enough to keep my bootloader unlocked on my s4 too but it's still restricted development.
There's a ton of ROMs for an MDK s4. With all the unified AOSP ROMs now and the TW patches that allow for almost any Int'l ROMs I don't think there's ever been as many options as now. Just saying that's all. The M8 is cool too though
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Powell730 said:
any opinion on edge vs upgrade on 2 year contract? I was fortunate enough to keep my bootloader unlocked on my s4 too but it's still restricted development.
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Edge is a huge waste of money. Over 2 years you spend approximately $1,100 more than you would by just using your one subsidized upgrade and buying/selling your phones off contract. I can find a breakdown I did with somebody else on here to explain the BS that is Edge.
Sent from my HTC6600LVW using Tapatalk
lol I'd just order a new glass off Amazon for $20.00 but that's just me.
I've done it like 3 times on the S4 and 5-6 times on the S3.
I'm the IT guy for my company so I fix a lot of phones.
It takes patience but there are really good youtube videos out there showing how it's done.
I've got it down to about 45 minutes now.
If you have the skill, you can get new screen and digitizer for $150. That's what I did. There a lot of Youtube videos that shows how.
Yeah I thought about replacing it myself, I know I can... I think I'm just using it as an excuse to change phones ?
I do have the gpe ROM installed, actually love it. I'm just really intrigued by the build quality of the m8.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Free mobile app
Powell730 said:
Yeah I thought about replacing it myself, I know I can... I think I'm just using it as an excuse to change phones ?
I do have the gpe ROM installed, actually love it. I'm just really intrigued by the build quality of the m8.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Free mobile app
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The new crop of phones are only incremental upgrades over the S4.
I'd say, fix your phone. Wait. Get something later toward the end of the year maybe.
For me, it's all full price anyway.
I have unlimited that I'm not giving it up until they take it.
I am about to replace a Galaxy S4's outer glass, just as many others have. The replacement parts are very cheap and atop of that you can take the phone from beat to mint if you put the time in. The outer trim (chrome) is what I want to replace as well but thats a tad more difficult I imagine. Anyway my advice on screen removal is to use a piece of clear tape on the cracked glass before using the heat gun. This will make removal easier and helps to prevent scratches or broken LCD/Digitizer.
last 2 that broke in my house I made profit fixing
I broke mine don't know how but I got a used one off of craigslist its easy to talk people down in price, I just swapped my mobo iin to that and put the new phones mobo in the broken one and sold the broken but still working one for 200 made a 50 dollar profit.
did the same when my sons friend broke my sons s4..
Powell730 said:
basically as the title says... I dropped my phone and shattered the screen at the top and bottom corners... it's still operable at the moment but it'll get worse over time. I have an upgrade available on my account that I can use or I could enter the Verizon edge program... I really don't know what i should do. it's obvious the edge program is only useful if I upgrade every ~12 months and I have a tendency to switch phones quite often but with a newborn son I may lose interest in upgrading/getting new phones so much... I'm mostly looking at the HTC M8 only because ive had the galaxy for a while and im ready for something other than touchwiz. use upgrade, pay 250 and sign another 2 year contract or enter Verizon edge program and pay nothing now and be able to upgrade again in a year... opinions?
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Click to collapse
What ever phone you get, use a downloaded interface... such as Nova Prime. Yeah, it'll cost a few bucks to get into it, but you buy it once and then you use it on every phone you have after that. Why?
A> You learn one interface really really well. This means that over the years you become more comfortable and familiar with it.
B> It is heavily customizable so if you get tired of it, just change the way it looks. This can be kind of daunting if you want to completely customize it the moment you install it, but you don't have to. For me, the most important things were being able to change font sizes, icon sizes and icon spacing. This means I can see more of my background and less of my icons in the way. I make the screen fit me, not the other way around.
C> Once you have it set the way you love it, you wind up upgrading to a new phone... no big deal, you pop in your micro sd card or copy over a directory and you can restore your backed up launcher settings to the new phone. Pretty easy. Then the new phone looks and works much like the old phone did.
D> The customizations on something like Nova Launcher Prime are sick. You can change all the effects and it runs really smooth on my phones over the years. There are other really great launchers out there. I've tried a bunch of them, but nowhere near all of the big ones... so try something different. I stopped trying them when I got Nova Launcher Prime on a "Deal of the day" and I don't regret it.
I've tried using the stock launcher on the last three phones I've had and in 10 minutes I'm downloading Nova and putting it back on when I upgrade. Stock launchers have gotten better, but they are far behind the best custom launchers out there.
Thumbstarrepair.com fixed my wife's S4 for $50. Does it the correct way using LOCA and not cheap tape.
DieselDawg

Thinking about upgrading but never had an LG phone, thoughts?

I have pretty much had note phones since they launched and was all set to get a note 5 when I saw they removed the SD and battery stuff so now I am on the hunt for something else and saw the V10. Does LG try to block rooting phones or anything like Samsung had for security knox? Any major issues or anything come up with this phone or LG? I am a bit set on just getting one since it's one of the few phones that still have some of the features I want but I've never dealt with LG before
I came from the Note series and I'm very happy. Rooting is easy, no knox type security.
Sent from my LG-H901 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
Warrior1975 said:
I came from the Note series and I'm very happy. Rooting is easy, no knox type security.
Sent from my LG-H901 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
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Thanks, at first I was worried about giving up the s-pen before my brain reminded me I hadn't used the thing in four months so the more I look at this phone the more sure I am about grabbing one after work. Since you had a note does this screen seem smaller or did you not even notice the switch?
RiffyDivine said:
Thanks, at first I was worried about giving up the s-pen before my brain reminded me I hadn't used the thing in four months so the more I look at this phone the more sure I am about grabbing one after work. Since you had a note does this screen seem smaller or did you not even notice the switch?
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i believe the screen is the same size, but you have the on-screen navbar rather than the off-screen physical buttons of the Note.
ive been a huge Note fan but i too am considering this device. i saw it in the Tmo store and was immediately drawn to it. i see some users with car bluetooth issues tho, so that's making me hesitate just a tad. but we'll see, maybe we'll both end up getting it. with a plethora of storage and the promo giveaways they are drawing some of us in haha.
YrrchSebor said:
i believe the screen is the same size, but you have the on-screen navbar rather than the off-screen physical buttons of the Note.
ive been a huge Note fan but i too am considering this device. i saw it in the Tmo store and was immediately drawn to it. i see some users with car bluetooth issues tho, so that's making me hesitate just a tad. but we'll see, maybe we'll both end up getting it. with a plethora of storage and the promo giveaways they are drawing some of us in haha.
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Click to collapse
Yeah not gonna lie, I saw the free battery, charger and SD card till the 15th and thought well maybe I should just jump on it. The bluetooth issues seem odd since it's user an older BT and not the new one like the note 5 has but my car is behind the times because I love it far to much so all I got is an aux port which from how the headset line is setup is gonna sound pretty good maybe even not need to edit the volume settings to make it louder like I did with the note 4.
I just really can't accept a phone without a removable battery and an SD slot on it. I know it's not for everyone but when you have had one for years you find it very hard to go without and after poking around on google it seems my choices are slim.
RiffyDivine said:
Yeah not gonna lie, I saw the free battery, charger and SD card till the 15th and thought well maybe I should just jump on it. The bluetooth issues seem odd since it's user an older BT and not the new one like the note 5 has but my car is behind the times because I love it far to much so all I got is an aux port which from how the headset line is setup is gonna sound pretty good maybe even not need to edit the volume settings to make it louder like I did with the note 4.
I just really can't accept a phone without a removable battery and an SD slot on it. I know it's not for everyone but when you have had one for years you find it very hard to go without and after poking around on google it seems my choices are slim.
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Click to collapse
ah, i forgot about good ol' line out. but i dunno, i may get one and just test out everything within my return period.
yeah, non-removable battery makes me nervous, but even tho i had spare batteries for the Notes, i never needed them! but not being able to store everything i want, without an OTG drive, is an inconvenience for sure. keep us posted on what you end up doing..
Edit: by the way, i think LG holds promise. they made the Nexus 4, which a friend of mine used for over 3 years! and i had the Optimus G briefly, buying from a friend to help him with financial problems, and it seemed very solid and was maybe the most powerful phone at the time.
I'm. In the same boat as you guys, needed the storage and battery. As far as the spen, you have the screen capture (which is mostly where I needed to use the spen), where you can write on it with your finger. Not as nice as the spen, but if you want to use a stylus, you have that option.
Sent from my LG-H901 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
YrrchSebor said:
ah, i forgot about good ol' line out. but i dunno, i may get one and just test out everything within my return period.
yeah, non-removable battery makes me nervous, but even tho i had spare batteries for the Notes, i never needed them! but not being able to store everything i want, without an OTG drive, is an inconvenience for sure. keep us posted on what you end up doing..
Edit: by the way, i think LG holds promise. they made the Nexus 4, which a friend of mine used for over 3 years! and i had the Optimus G briefly, buying from a friend to help him with financial problems, and it seemed very solid and was maybe the most powerful phone at the time.
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Click to collapse
I called the shop and will pick one up tonight, I forgot that we can return it in 14 days without any issues so I will just take it for a test drive and see. I keep hearing mixed reviews the more I read of them today.
RiffyDivine said:
I called the shop and will pick one up tonight, I forgot that we can return it in 14 days without any issues so I will just take it for a test drive and see. I keep hearing mixed reviews the more I read of them today.
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ah cool, no restocking fee? i may do the same and will report back.
YrrchSebor said:
ah cool, no restocking fee? i may do the same and will report back.
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Click to collapse
Not if it's within 14 days at least from a real tmobile store. I did it with another phone a few upgrades back and didn't have an issue, just say the phone isn't for you or you can't get signal like on the old phone.
Isn't there a $50 restocking fee? That's what I was always told.
Sent from my LG-H901 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
Warrior1975 said:
Isn't there a $50 restocking fee? That's what I was always told.
Sent from my LG-H901 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
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Yeah I keep reading that and it's the only reason I haven't gone to try T-mobile with this phone (would be coming from AT&T). If I find service isn't what I hope for I don't want to pay that $50 restocking fee.
RiffyDivine said:
I called the shop and will pick one up tonight, I forgot that we can return it in 14 days without any issues so I will just take it for a test drive and see. I keep hearing mixed reviews the more I read of them today.
Click to expand...
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i ended up picking one up myself, and i honestly don't think you'll be disappointed. it's way cool! feature-rich yet seems to maintain a light and snappy feel. and i'm glad to say bluetooth music works fine, it even auto-connects when i start the car, just takes maybe 10-15 seconds longer than my previous Notes.
cliffr39 said:
Yeah I keep reading that and it's the only reason I haven't gone to try T-mobile with this phone (would be coming from AT&T). If I find service isn't what I hope for I don't want to pay that $50 restocking fee.
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They are charging me a restocking fee for returning the Note5. Got the 64 GB one with the wireless charger so I had to pay $215 up front. This phone costs $49 up front (doing jump and monthly installment). Actually saved me money for a phone I enjoy more.
Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk
I was nervous when I jumped from my note 5 a week ago, at first i was more interested in jumping to the galaxy s6 edge plus.for me I always felt the note or edge series can do no wrong, but it felt like the whole time I was being cheated, never understood why til I seen the LG v10 I felt that way. LG is doing the whole more for less thing and I feel more justified paying $600 for a device
Warrior1975 said:
Isn't there a $50 restocking fee? That's what I was always told.
Sent from my LG-H901 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
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There is the fee but honestly if I keep the phone for a week and change I think it's fair. Better 50 and find another phone or 600 for a phone you aren't happy with. Kinda pissed the clerk at the store off when I told him that logic, forgot how much the people in tmobile stores rub me the wrong way till last night. Almost an hour to upgrade my phone, none of that was waiting it was all the sales stick after I said I just want the V10 and nothing else I even said I will pay full price for it right now if you will shut up.
psn1819 said:
I was nervous when I jumped from my note 5 a week ago, at first i was more interested in jumping to the galaxy s6 edge plus.for me I always felt the note or edge series can do no wrong, but it felt like the whole time I was being cheated, never understood why til I seen the LG v10 I felt that way. LG is doing the whole more for less thing and I feel more justified paying $600 for a device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just started playing with it today it feels nicer then my note 4 and a bit quicker but could be I haven't brainraped this phone yet. But from feel and look alone I do think it seems a fair price for what I got and the free stuff LG is also a nice bonus. I hope development on this phone picks up to the same levels as the note did. Damn it samsung why did you have to take away my SD and battery.

Keeping the S7 Without Unlocked Bootloader

I was very excited to see a sale on the S7 at Best Buy and was finally ready to relieve my nearly 4 years old Note II of duty until I came here to look into what mod options were available... only to find that there aren't any yet.
So, for those of you who have bought the S7 and have NOT returned it, what reasons have you decided to stick it out? Were you particularly deep in modding your phone before? Are you just happy with the few tools that have come out so far? Are you holding out hope for an unlocked bootloader eventually?
I haven't completely decided against it, but I'm seriously second guessing staying a Samsung customer after this fiasco. My Note II has been solid and a best, no replacements since I bought it on release, but I am way too into my modifications that I'm not sure I'd enjoy upgrading yet or seeking a third option.
Well I really enjoyed running custom ROMs in the past especially Aosp ones, but the fact that my s5 has cracked screen I not sure I'd want to go back. Since I got the free VR which would be worthless without either S6 or S7, I'm kind of stuck. I mean S6 is no go for me no SD card also IP rating. That aside it isn't to bad I was able to get themed pretty close to Aosp without root and I still have faith that we'll unlock this beast eventually. Samsung can't keep us down.
I came from a G3, before that a Note 2. I came back to samsung because I didn't like anything about the G5 and I was tired of some of the problems in LG's software on the G3. I had both devices rooted running debloated stock roms. The main reason I root is to get rid of apps I cannot uninstall and to block ads while sticking with a stock based rom to be able to use the features the manufacturer built into the software. I am disappointed that we may never get root or an unlocked bootloader as I would like to be able to uninstall some apps like facebook, FB messenger, the 4 amazon apps and the 3 sprint apps I cannot get rid of as well as run an ad blocker.
While I still cannot get rid of ads, There are ways to disable the apps using an app called "Package Disabler Pro" or you can use Gatesjuniors' Debloater which is what I'm using because its one less app on my phone, you can find it here http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/software/debloater-remove-carrier-bloat-t2998294 . I have Nova launcher installed and have no lag, call quality is great, mobile signal strength and speed is better than I've ever had with Sprint. My wifi reception is equally as impressive as I still have very usable wifi 30+ yards away from my router through the walls in my house. My G3 had trouble connecting 10 yards away (another reason I came back to samsung).
All that being said, this is the first phone I haven't rooted within the first week of getting it and honestly, other than an annoying ad occasionally (as most of my apps and games are paid for so I don't get many ads anyway) I really see no need to root this phone at this time. I've had the S7 for 3 weeks now and I love it. Wireless charging is awesome as I haven't plugged it in to charge since the first week and on that note the fast charging is even more awesome as it will charge 50% in 30 minutes. The peace of mind in the fact that if it gets wet its no big deal. The screen and performance is phenomenal. Its so much easier to handle than the Note 2 was, I don't miss the heft of that phone at all. If you can get the Gear VR I highly recommend it, I was not a believer and thought I would just sell it but decided to try it to see if it was any good and it made a believer out of me, the Gear VR is awesome and a lot of fun.
Get the S7, it is a huge upgrade to the Note 2 and well worth it in my opinion.
I've kept it because the only reason I rooted in the first place was the free hotspot, and it's not essential that I have it, so I can go without. I'm also keeping it because it's a huge improvement in specs over the S5 I had before.
Free stuff
I came from a SGS4. Heavily modded, custom rom etc... As someone mentioned earlier, the main reason I rooted was for free hotspot activation (and some other free -cough- stuff). For now, I have the hotspot activated for free without root. Happy as a clam. The phone is fantastic. Even if/when Sprint forces an update and locks down my hotspot mod, I love the phone and would not switch to something else. I can still put free -cough- stuff on my phone without root. I'm sure someone will eventually find a way to root the device.
makane716 said:
I came from a SGS4. Heavily modded, custom rom etc... As someone mentioned earlier, the main reason I rooted was for free hotspot activation (and some other free -cough- stuff). For now, I have the hotspot activated for free without root. Happy as a clam. The phone is fantastic. Even if/when Sprint forces an update and locks down my hotspot mod, I love the phone and would not switch to something else. I can still put free -cough- stuff on my phone without root. I'm sure someone will eventually find a way to root the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well Sprint just pushed an update that gets rid of the ability to mod the phone to use hotpot. The update became available yesterday and it locks down the APN settings to where they are greyed out.
I have had no such update. I just did the mod 1 hour ago. Working fine.
Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 12:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:44 AM ----------
Macguyver said:
I came from a G3, before that a Note 2. I came back to samsung because I didn't like anything about the G5 and I was tired of some of the problems in LG's software on the G3. I had both devices rooted running debloated stock roms. The main reason I root is to get rid of apps I cannot uninstall and to block ads while sticking with a stock based rom to be able to use the features the manufacturer built into the software. I am disappointed that we may never get root or an unlocked bootloader as I would like to be able to uninstall some apps like facebook, FB messenger, the 4 amazon apps and the 3 sprint apps I cannot get rid of as well as run an ad blocker.
While I still cannot get rid of ads, There are ways to disable the apps using an app called "Package Disabler Pro" or you can use Gatesjuniors' Debloater which is what I'm using because its one less app on my phone, you can find it here http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/software/debloater-remove-carrier-bloat-t2998294 . I have Nova launcher installed and have no lag, call quality is great, mobile signal strength and speed is better than I've ever had with Sprint. My wifi reception is equally as impressive as I still have very usable wifi 30+ yards away from my router through the walls in my house. My G3 had trouble connecting 10 yards away (another reason I came back to samsung).
All that being said, this is the first phone I haven't rooted within the first week of getting it and honestly, other than an annoying ad occasionally (as most of my apps and games are paid for so I don't get many ads anyway) I really see no need to root this phone at this time. I've had the S7 for 3 weeks now and I love it. Wireless charging is awesome as I haven't plugged it in to charge since the first week and on that note the fast charging is even more awesome as it will charge 50% in 30 minutes. The peace of mind in the fact that if it gets wet its no big deal. The screen and performance is phenomenal. Its so much easier to handle than the Note 2 was, I don't miss the heft of that phone at all. If you can get the Gear VR I highly recommend it, I was not a believer and thought I would just sell it but decided to try it to see if it was any good and it made a believer out of me, the Gear VR is awesome and a lot of fun.
Get the S7, it is a huge upgrade to the Note 2 and well worth it in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can still block ads without root. adguard.com . Uses a local vpn to filter out the ads. It does consume a small amount of data to do so. Might not be the best choice on low data plans.
I know with the Sprint unlimited anything plan, they made mobile hotspot up to 3GB included. I don't actually use it much anyway, so that may be enough for me. I'm still so very on the fence.
People keep talking about free VR, how did you get it for free??
VassagoX said:
I know with the Sprint unlimited anything plan, they made mobile hotspot up to 3GB included. I don't actually use it much anyway, so that may be enough for me. I'm still so very on the fence.
People keep talking about free VR, how did you get it for free??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apart of a pre-order promo which I would guess is over now.
VassagoX said:
I know with the Sprint unlimited anything plan, they made mobile hotspot up to 3GB included. I don't actually use it much anyway, so that may be enough for me. I'm still so very on the fence.
People keep talking about free VR, how did you get it for free??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm on the Sprint unlimited everything plan. I could not activate the hotspot without the mod. Of course, I activated my phone via website. But then, that's how I got my msl code to mod the apn. Oh well.
El.Dante565 said:
Apart of a pre-order promo which I would guess is over now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahhh, gotcha. Then I guess I'm out of luck on that one. Best Buy has a pretty good promo for $99 right now with a free wireless charger, so I guess that eats the cost of the VR if you wanted to buy it. I'm thinking about it.
makane716 said:
I'm on the Sprint unlimited everything plan. I could not activate the hotspot without the mod. Of course, I activated my phone via website. But then, that's how I got my msl code to mod the apn. Oh well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's strange. Are you on the $75 plan? It's supposed to be included.
VassagoX said:
Ahhh, gotcha. Then I guess I'm out of luck on that one. Best Buy has a pretty good promo for $99 right now with a free wireless charger, so I guess that eats the cost of the VR if you wanted to buy it. I'm thinking about it.
That's strange. Are you on the $75 plan? It's supposed to be included.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I was. Bestbuy did not want to honor the $99.99 sale price with 2 year activation (my current contract had expired at the beginning of the month) as they said Sprint wouldn't let them. So I chewed Sprint up and down until they pushed the upgrade through at $99.99. So I did tge activation swap through the website. Now I see I'm on a DIFFERENT unlimited plan. Some kinda "framily" plan for $30. Oh well. Still unlimited
Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
makane716 said:
I have had no such update. I just did the mod 1 hour ago. Working fine.
Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 12:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:44 AM ----------
You can still block ads without root. adguard.com . Uses a local vpn to filter out the ads. It does consume a small amount of data to do so. Might not be the best choice on low data plans.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I'll give that a shot. I have unlimited data so it's not a worry.
I use about 100gb a month on data with hotspot. S7 not my option anymore. LG G5 is next.
Yeah, I think I'm going to hold off as well at this point. I want to see if they will bend under pressure.
eloko said:
I use about 100gb a month on data with hotspot. S7 not my option anymore. LG G5 is next.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
T-Mobile has announced the LG G5 will have a locked bootloader. Will have to see if other providers will follow suit.
makane716 said:
T-Mobile has announced the LG G5 will have a locked bootloader. Will have to see if other providers will follow suit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What?! Oh man... Tmo and sprint are the unlocked ones.. But if tmo is locked, more likely sprint will...
Seriously?! What are these companies thinking? Do they not realize how much of their sales is due to the modifiable side of their phones?
VassagoX said:
Seriously?! What are these companies thinking? Do they not realize how much of their sales is due to the modifiable side of their phones?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is exactly why I moved from iOS to android. The ability to take 3rd party apps, straight out of the box and modify bloatware, the ui, etc...
Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
makane716 said:
That is exactly why I moved from iOS to android. The ability to take 3rd party apps, straight out of the box and modify bloatware, the ui, etc...
Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first part of this post will be my response to the OP post. The second part will address the user I quoted.
I actually bought this phone because I am losing my desire to mod/flash/root etc. While it's been fun the past 8 years or so, I've realized it has consumed TONS of my time. I can honestly say it got to the point where when I got home, the first thing I would do is get on my laptop or the app and open XDA. Next thing I know I'm flashing a new ROM only to find out in a few days or so that it lacks "this" feature or "that" feature isn't working properly and I'm back on xda looking for something different. It gets old having to reflash the phone because I "couldn't hear outgoing calls" or incoming mms wasn't working. I know seasoned xda members know as well as I that once you tweak one thing it inherently messes up another. Anyhow, this phone is a beast without root. No need for overclock, or even flashing a CM/AOSP rom. If I wanted that I would've picked up a Nexus. As a previous usuer mentioned, adblocking is possible without root as well as hotspot. I'm happy with my S7 and keeping it. Now regarding the user's quote, Samsung is the driver of Android sales worldwide. They want to keep that spot and unfortunately the vast majority of their users don't care about root. Samsung is taking on Apple knuckle to knuckle and in order to win over customers from Apple, they will have to provide the same level of security and functionality as Apple which means no root. Winning over Apple customers will yield them way more profit in the short and long run vs. providing unlock for their "power" users. I'm not cheering on Samsung to continue making their devices "NSA" friendly, but in a world of ever increasing security threats particularly of the cyber nature, rooting will become increasingly more difficult as OEMs try to gain their customers' confidence in the security of their mobile devices.

Overall love

Yes, yes, it's possible to love a phone. Heck, you sleep next to it, don't you? Rate this thread to indicate your love for the Essential Phone, all things considered. A higher rating indicates that the Essential Phone is an incredible phone that you enjoy tremendously. You love it.
Then, drop a comment if you have anything to add!
The release has been plagued with logistical and customer service problems, and the software still has more than its share of bugs to squash, but I love this phone and hope the company recovers from its early stumbles so they can keep pushing more refined versions of what's already stunning hardware. Very happy Essential owner here!
I love everything about the device... that being said, the signal it pulls is less than adequate for daily use. I had to switch back to my s8. T-Mobile service provider
I love this phone. I kind of had a buyers remorse when I first pulled the phone out of the box and it was due to the size of the phone and the fact it felt like I was going back in time to the iphone 4s days but when I compared the screen to my 6p its just as big. I know it says 5.7" but it truly feels like a 4" device. I noticed a few minor scratches to the ceramic coating and GG5 but disappears amongst the glowing beauty of the rest of the phone. The screen on this thing is a joy to look at. I always find myself using apps, etc just to get the full effect of the screen. Once they iron out the software issues this will be the phone to beat imo. It sets the bar. The iphone 8 is said to have a similar screen experience and hopefully more phones are to follow. But after owning this phone I will definitely keep it but I am even more excited for the PH-1.2.
Ps. Its funny to see people do a double take when they first notice the screen, "Is that the new iPhone" , my response is no its my "Ph-1". :silly:
I have had this phone all of 4 hrs and love it.
Sent from my PH-1 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Strangely, the more I use it the more I enjoy it. I'm on TMobile and cell service is similar to my old so. I hope they add wifi calling
Its a step backwards from the S8+ (charging pad, no case available, better screen, image stabilization) but we'll see if my mind changes when the 360 camera arrives later this week.
Its slicker than snot and hard to hold on to without a case, maybe when I get the skin on it that will help....
The big plus is no curved screen, I absolutely hate that on Samsung phones.
I got mine Friday and since I don't have root, it took some time to manually set up things through ADB backup and restore. Some things I had to manually move over. That being said the phone is a work of art. The build quality is second to none.
I wish there were at least some basic cases available. I have a crude skin on the back and ordered a real skin.
I plan to get some acrylic or abs and make a case. I'll bend the plastic under heat and use a Dremel to get everything else aligned..
ndonnine said:
Strangely, the more I use it the more I enjoy it. I'm on TMobile and cell service is similar to my old so. I hope they add wifi calling
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It has WiFi Calling.
Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk
Each phone will get its negative reviews and positive ones too. All comes down to the owner if they love it or hate it. I love it. The software still has some bugs but hopefully it gets ironed out. Definitely not a smooth start for Essential as a new company rolling out a new phone. But i hope after what happen, they improve on it and the successor to this first phone is much better and the overall customer service much more smoother. The phone's camera app isn't perfect but i didn't think it was that horrible like some people on the internet said it was. Its okay...
Hope Android Oreo will roll out soon!!!!
Was going through airport security today and the TSA guy pulled me over. He said he saw the phone and liked it. He wanted to know if that was the new iPhone. Told him it's the brand new PH-1 wrapped in ceramic and titanium!
Sent from my PH-1 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
anandlal said:
Was going through airport security today and the TSA guy pulled me over. He said he saw the phone and liked it. He wanted to know if that was the new iPhone. Told him it's the brand new PH-1 wrapped in ceramic and titanium!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the funniest abuse of TSA power I've heard of in years.
anandlal said:
Was going through airport security today and the TSA guy pulled me over. He said he saw the phone and liked it. He wanted to know if that was the new iPhone. Told him it's the brand new PH-1 wrapped in ceramic and titanium!
Sent from my PH-1 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tell him on his salary, he can't afford it. He'll have you strip searched in no time!
Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk
dpackerz said:
Tell him on his salary, he can't afford it. He'll have you strip searched in no time!
Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And that's not something I want!
Sent from my PH-1 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
ndonnine said:
Strangely, the more I use it the more I enjoy it. I'm on TMobile and cell service is similar to my old so. I hope they add wifi calling
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm on T-Mobile and wifi calling is working for me.
iswope said:
I'm on T-Mobile and wifi calling is working for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I second that. As is VoLTE.
Had the phone for 24 hours and really enjoyed it. Picked it up from my jeans pocket about an hour ago and the phone has gone into a infinite boot loop. Seems to be the powerbutton or what's underneath it that is not willing to play along. Hardware in all its glory but of my over 50-60 phones I have gone through I have never encountered this problem this early on. Pretty ridiculous.
I really love this phone, I'm with T-Mobile and have no problems with signal, data, phone's calls. The touch screen is working properly, WiFi working perfect, no light bleeding effect like other people. To be honest I got my note 8 still unpackaged because this phone is really nice. I know a lot people got upset because the CS communication, but honestly this is a company that is in their infancy. We just have to give time for the company to mature enough to be competing with company's that got years in the business. Just my 2 cents.
Sent from my PH-1 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/0...tes-strong-ceramic-back-easily-broken-screen/
Sent from my PH-1 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Every day, I like this phone more and more. The latest camera update improved the pictures. They're still not great, but they're getting better. I've gotten better at being more precise with my taps, so the touch sensitivity isn't much of an issue. With updates I only see this phone getting better and better. Let's hope Essential gets their act together and stays on top of it. I've made my mind up that I'm keeping it. The look, feel, and build materials elevate this phone above any other model I would consider. Just going to keep my fingers crossed that development starts to happen, but even if it doesn't, I know I'm keeping the phone. That's saying a lot since I've been a flashaholic going back to the original Moto Razr days.

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