Installing Android on an Android-less device - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi,
I am thinking about buying a GP90 LCD projector, which comes in two flavors: The default version with Android 4.4 preinstalled, and a cheaper version with no Android preinstalled.
Can someone help me understand what my options are with the cheaper version? Am I right that it would be either risky or impossible to install some "general" Android version on the projector, so that most likely I'd have to get the stock version (which I probably won't be able to obtain anywhere) or install a custom ROM that has been tailored to suit this exact device (which probably doesn't exist)?
Thanks!

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[Q] Upgrading Android on a chinese tablet

Hello,
I would like to buy the cheapest tablet I can find. I found an eBay insertion featuring a Chinese tablet running Android 2.1.
While I wait for the seller to provide me (if known) some information about brand and model name to find more information about this device, I would like to ask a couple of questions that might sound stupid a little for you experts, but as I don't know much about the Android OS I'm still going to ask (if this was WinMo, I already knew the answer was NO)
1. Is it possible to upgrade Android to a newer version, ie. Gingerbread or even Honeycomb, on any device that supports it? Like, some kind of software upgrade tool? Or, how could somebody make an upgraded ROM without spending months in reasearching, experimenting and breaking?
2. Is it possible at least to root devices like the one I mentioned?
Thank you

[Q] Phones with untouched Android

Hello,
Can someone tell me which other phones than Google Nexus S, Galaxy Nexus and LG Nexus 4, has the original Android?
I saw a lot of phones that I don't know anything about them, like Huawei or other asian models.
I want to buy one without any added software from the manufacturers and hopefully to receive the new official updates as soon as possible.
Thank you.
The Nexus line (the phones you already mentioned, and a couple way older devices) comes with untoched, stock android. However, you could always choose to get any popular phone, and put a custom rom on it. That means you'll pick a version of android to put onto your device. A good custom rom to put onto your device would be CyanogenMod. It comes with no bloatware (added apps by the manufacturer), and if you dislike any app that comes with it, you'll just be able to uninstall it. CyanogenMod updates usually a couple of months after the official new version of android has been released, and from my experience that's always way faster than waiting for the manufacturer's version.
So, you could just get a nexus-device, which'll have the latest updates as soon as they're available and come with pure android without bloatware. Or, if you prefer having another phone, you could see which devices are supported by your custom rom of choice, buy the device and put the custom version of android on it.

[Q] ZTO N1 PLUS - ROM information for generic Chinese tablets

Hello, and thanks to all who take the time to read this and offer their support.
To everyone else... just hello.
Okay.
I have a few of those cheap Chinese 7" tablets so common on e-Bay these days. For the price, most of these are okay and seem to run fairly well "as-is" without having to spend a lot of time rooting them or installing CFW. This one however is just a little bit different.
Here's the deal... The tablet I'm going to be addressing in this thread has a ROM that was not customized for the retailer very well. The particular combination of apps and services it has causes the tablet to perform horribly. I'd really like to change this. The problem is however that because there are so many of these around these days, many of these generic units have not been "developed." Because of this, rooting these devices or replacing the ROM's is often very difficult if not downright impossible. At times, even identifying the specifics of the hardware. This tablet is one of those.
I've tried just about everything I can think of to simply modify the ROM it has in a way that would make it work better, but there are a few apps installed that are locked and impossible to modify or remove. I've come to the conclusion at this point that if possible, installing a custom ROM is going to be the only way to "fix" it. I have been able to root the device, but I have not been able to replace the recovery app , nor have I been able to identify a ROM that might be able to be installed once I do.
What I need from you folks.
If I supply every scrap of information I can come up with about this tablet, would someone please be willing to tell me which ROM just might work, and how I can use the recovery app that's installed to install it? If so, thank you.
Here's the information.
Options available in the installed recovery app.
A. Apply update from ADB
B. Apply update from external storage.
C. Apply update from cache.
Here's the tablet information.
Brand: ZTO
Model: N1 PLUS (Generic Chinese 7" tablet)
Android version: 4.1.1
Baseband version: v0.4rc3
Kernal version: 3.0.8+
Build number: N1 PLUS_wifi-7601_V4.1.1 JR003C 20131202
And again, Thank you.

Android OS on projectors like the Nebula Mars

]The Nebula Mars, which is made by an offshoot of Anker, comes with a custom OS running on Android 4.4. For the unfamiliar, it offers a decent projector in a small size, combined with a battery for portability.
Since this isn't a phone running a typical phone ROM, I'm hesitant to root it and start tinkering, but the stock OS and software is absolute crap. The system allows updates and installation of APKs, but the company says they have no intention of issuing a firmware/ROM update.
Any advice on where to find others who have this device and are also interested in modifying the OS or updating to a newer version of Android? Any recommendations on approaches to non-destructively modifying the OS? I don't think it has a separate partition for restoring prior ROMs, and I'm just inexperienced enough that I'd end up bricking it.
Same question about the Nebula Mars Lite model
So I webd to Walmart and found that they sell the lite model for $349. The problem is that there is no android at all. I am not sure if the hardware is any different because both models look identical. I wonder if there is a way to either install the original mars OS on it or something better ie costom rom of some kind.
Hey ! I'm also interesting in upgrading the OS of my nebula Mars... Any news for this project? Thanks !
PashaFish said:
So I webd to Walmart and found that they sell the lite model for $349. The problem is that there is no android at all. I am not sure if the hardware is any different because both models look identical. I wonder if there is a way to either install the original mars OS on it or something better ie costom rom of some kind.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just grabbed the Lite version ($180 at my walmart) and it looks like it is running android (lollipop it looks like, PC shows "lollipop" when connected to the wifi settings page) but it's locked away behind it's launcher...
that's all I was able to figure out.
Nebula Mars 2 is on the market with Android 7.1. Anyone trying to port it to Mars 1 please?

ELC Tablet - RockChip RK3399

This is probably a long shot but I'll try....
We're rolling out some bedside entertainment tablets but they arrived from China (ELC) with Android 7.1.2. We need them running at least Android 11. We've reached out to the vendor that sold them and have been getting the run around for months. They tell us it's possible but they're waiting on ELC to provide the update. I've gone to ELC directly as well but nothing there either.
Since these are based on a RockChip 3399 chip (I have root and an unlocked bootloader) is it possible to upgrade these on my own with a stock image? I honestly have no idea if this can be done but figured I would try here for any input. We're really having a hard time with both companies...
Thanks for any help!
To clarify things: Stock ROM is the ROM that comes with device when getting released / shipped. You've to flash a suitable Custom ROM by means of a matching Custom Recovery in order to ugrade current device's Android.
Did you ever find a suitable custom ROM? I have no idea how to ‘match custom rom recovery’. Everywhere I look seems to talk about radio units. I have a tablet too and it has NO discernible device name or model that is recognisable .. tried to download a rom or two and they don’t finish pushing through ADB so I’m assuming I need the right ROM..

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