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This is my first post, so take it easy on me.
I've just received my HTC Hero through the post today. I took out an ultra cheap contract with t-mobile here in the uk. I previously owned an iPhone 3g, and even though the iPhone looks cooler the Hero is a much better phone.
I was wondering if there is anyway to get rid of the Sense UI and stick on the stock version of Android 'donut 1.6' (is that the latest version) in an effort improve the speed.
You shouldn't need to get rid of SenseUI to speed things up - My Hero is running on Modaco ROM and is plenty fast enough!
Have you updated to the 2.73 release from T-Mobile?
This does speed things up a bit from the stock ROM that comes with the phone!
If you want it faster than that - I suggest you Root and put Modaco's latest Rom on your Hero and the you'll have Apps2SD (which speeds things up also)
I find that mine is fast enough for everyday use! I have approx 60 apps installed too.
Hi,
The Hero doesn't run on Android 1.6 it's on 1.5. I agree with the earlier poster if you update to 2.73, it should be quick enough. However if you really want to go to Android, just go to settings, applications, manage applications. Find HTC Sense and clear the the default. Now when you press the home key, you'll get a choice between Sense and Home (android 1.5). Bear in mind if you choose Home, you won't be able to use HTC widgets.
btw it does remember what icons you have etc so i currently have an android set up that I play with occasionally but tend to use Sense UI on a daily basis.
M
Thanks for your replies. I've been using the Hero for a few days now, and i'm quite impressed. However I would like the latest ROM version as i'm currently running build number 1.76.110.6 software version 1.0
I try to update to the latest ROM (2.73.405.5) through HTCs website but when I try and download the file, I get an error message saying 'not suitable for your phone' I'm definitely selecting the right fw and phone so I have no idea what is going on.
Is there anyway I can manually upgrade without using HTCs software? Could it be down to the fact im on T-mobile in the UK? Has anybody else had this problem?
You need the update from t-mob, which should be somewhere on the t-mob forums
or else at the bottom of this list
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=559622
Branwen said:
You need the update from t-mob, which should be somewhere on the t-mob forums
or else at the bottom of this list
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=559622
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh, thanks for the link. I've downloaded the update. Is there anything 'special' i need to do other than follow the on screen instructions? This will be my first ever Hero update and i'm scared of bricking my phone. Will this void warranty?
I forgot to ask in the post above.
Will this update for t-mobile still let me keep the Sense UI?
Yes, but it will wipe the phone so get ready for all your contacts to disappear.
Appreciate your responses in advance guys.
I am new to Android (Nexus One being my first) from a long line of rooted Nokia phones (N73, N86, N81, N95, E61, E71, 5800, E75 and now sick of those products and their manufacturer).
Anyways, my single biggest gripe with the Nexus One is poor use of the trackball notification. The frequency is too low to grab my attention (for emails, IMs, SMS and missed calls) and the color white does not stand out in daylight.
Reading few threads it looks like one has to root the device to get colored lights and custom frequency.
Looking around, it seems there are certain disadvantages which may break or make the deal to root. If someone can validate/substantiate them for me, that would make my decision easier.
1. Lose OTA updates
2. Lose Google Talk/IM application
3. Lose Google Maps application
4. Cannot go back to original stock ROM build (restore to factory virgin with OTA)
5. Cannot go back to 'locked' boot-loader to restore warranty
Are there any other things I should be aware of beforehand in terms of points of no return? Nokias could always be flashed back to original like nothing ever happened.
Thanks again guys!
dextroz said:
1. Lose OTA updates
2. Lose Google Talk/IM application
3. Lose Google Maps application
4. Cannot go back to original stock ROM build (restore to factory virgin with OTA)
5. Cannot go back to 'locked' boot-loader to restore warranty
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Mostly Yes (could be ROM dependent)
2. Mostly No (could be ROM dependent)
3. Mostly No (could be ROM dependent)
4. Yes, you can go back to the original ROM for OTA
5. Not yet, but it's being looked into
Keep in mind though that no full ROMs have released for Nexus, I'm basing 1, 2, & 3 on Dream/Magic ROMs.
The G1/MT3G phones running Cyanogen's ROMs all have the default Google Apps (Google Talk, maps, etc).. it really depends on the ROM, but you can always redownload those apps through the market anyways.
Accused187 said:
1. Mostly Yes (could be ROM dependent)
2. Mostly No (could be ROM dependent)
3. Mostly No (could be ROM dependent)
4. Yes, you can go back to the original ROM for OTA
5. Not yet, but it's being looked into
Keep in mind though that no full ROMs have released for Nexus, I'm basing 1, 2, & 3 on Dream/Magic ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So when I root the Nexus One to get pocket torch and custom trackball colors notifications and blink rates - am I installing a custom ROM at that point for it as well - or just the app with root privileges?
You're just rooting your phone, nothing more, it's like creating an Administrator account on Windows if you want to put it really simply.
Thanks guys this is reassuring.
I've got my nexus rooted and I've got maps & navi working great. Google talk is NP. I don't really worry about the warranty much, if the phone gives me too many problems I can always "lose" the phone. Of course I have to pay, but I love this phone.
Would Cyanogen's Addon stop me from getting OTA updates?
Ssantos6981 said:
I've got my nexus rooted and I've got maps & navi working great. Google talk is NP. I don't really worry about the warranty much, if the phone gives me too many problems I can always "lose" the phone. Of course I have to pay, but I love this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So i'm curious why did you root your phone? What applications are you running right now that you could not run before?
maybe a noob question, but as for the loss of OTA updates, if you simply root and do not load a custom rom couldn't you potentially still receive the updates? i had a sprint hero before switching to the N1 and the dealbreaker for me to root was the wifi tether app. it came in handy a lot, and i was under the impression that i would still be able to receive ota updates, is that not the case with the N1?
reasons for root
Some good reasons to root are:
Super user apps (tether etc., trackball, etc.)
Overclock phone
Custom rom/addon support
And themes once u have a custom rom
And to help u choose. I had the g1 for 5 months as stock and finally took the plunge to root and use cyanogens rom and i have never looked back. There are huge advantages to rooting. I just wish i would have sooner.
So tomorrow I'm going to be getting my first ever smartphone (HTC HD2) and I had a couple questions.
1.) Do I need a 3G SIM card to obtain 3G speeds?
2.) What exactly is a ROM? Anybody know of really good ones for the HD2?
3.) Does the phone freeze often? If so is there a fix for this?
4.) If Windows 7 ever comes out for this phone will I be able to upgrade to it.
5.) Same as above but for Android OS
6.) Are there good apps out there? Like Last.fm, twitter, etc.
7.) Would Android apps work on the HD2?
Sorry for all the questions, just wanted to make one big post so that I didn't have to constantly nag and make other threads.
1.) Do I need a 3G SIM card to obtain 3G speeds?
I don't know the definite answer but I've had my SIM card forever and I get 3G speeds.
2.) What exactly is a ROM? Anybody know of really good ones for the HD2?
It's like installing a new operating system on your computer. But all of the ROMs are about the same, but are customized for different aspects (different versions of Sense (or not at all), what programs the Chef likes, etc). See the ROM section.
3.) Does the phone freeze often? If so is there a fix for this?
Sometimes. No.
4.) If Windows 7 ever comes out for this phone will I be able to upgrade to it.
Officially: No. Unofficially: unknown; don't count on it.
5.) Same as above but for Android OS
Being worked on, could take a looooooooooooooong time.
6.) Are there good apps out there? Like Last.fm, twitter, etc.
That guide in my sig has some decent apps. I know there's a Last.fm app and a good twitter one, but their names escape me.
7.) Would Android apps work on the HD2?
No. Same goes for iPhone apps.
Thanks for the quickly reply, also what do you think of the phone?
I only got to handle it a little bit at the store, should I return it and wait for something else or should I keep it?
I got the phone because I'm stuck on T-Mobile and I like Windows Mobile, and I absolutely love it from a hardware standpoint. Windows Mobile takes a while to grow on you, and if you've ever played with an iPhone it can be quite jarring to use.
If you like tweaking stuff and having more control over your phone, I definitely recommend it. If you like apps, ease of use, and eye candy, not so much..... It's a hard choice I know.
ETA: Personally, I think the keyboard kinda sucks on it, so if you like composing long emails or texting an insane amount, you might want to rethink your choice.
EDIT: Nevermind, I just saw that jdwrrzmm already pointed you to the same place I was anyway
jdwrrzmm said:
I got the phone because I'm stuck on T-Mobile and I like Windows Mobile, and I absolutely love it from a hardware standpoint. Windows Mobile takes a while to grow on you, and if you've ever played with an iPhone it can be quite jarring to use.
If you like tweaking stuff and having more control over your phone, I definitely recommend it. If you like apps, ease of use, and eye candy, not so much..... It's a hard choice I know.
ETA: Personally, I think the keyboard kinda sucks on it, so if you like composing long emails or texting an insane amount, you might want to rethink your choice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
im withJDWRRZMM, i think thought the keyboard sucked, but i like a ton of things about it. ive only had mine for a few weeks, and honestly my first thought was there is not nearly enough to do on this phone (speaking from a non-developer stand point).... but i decided to let it try to grow on me, and the more i read through these forums, the more i like the phone...
like stated above, its not ANYTHING like an iphone(which i jumped from).... but in hind sight, the iphone had to grow on me too... i diidnt like aapple very much, so....
id say give it a few weeks, learn more about it, then make your mind up wether you like it or not...
sorry so much writing
1.) Do I need a 3G SIM card to obtain 3G speeds?
No
2.) What exactly is a ROM? Anybody know of really good ones for the HD2?
ROM is the OS. Good custom roms are energy and englencia stock roms is the latest one
3.) Does the phone freeze often? If so is there a fix for this?
Stock ROM-Yes ; Custom ROM- Yes/No Depends on how stable the rom is
4.) If Windows 7 ever comes out for this phone will I be able to upgrade to it.
If a chef can port it, but it will never be officialy released.
5.) Same as above but for Android OS
Same as above
6.) Are there good apps out there? Like Last.fm, twitter, etc.
Plenty. Liked the apps on the HD2 better than the blackberry's but not better than the iPhone(prob would get killed for this one ) or Anroid
7.) Would Android apps work on the HD2?
Not that anyone knows of
Cool apps I've found while using a Custom ROM
-Wireless Tether (makes your phone a wireless router for your laptop) most custom roms come with this pre installed
-Klaxon ( great custom alarm, Stock alarm sucks. It will shut off fully after a couple snoozes which is bad for me haha)
-BSB Tweaks (great app that lets you tweak your phone without doing it manually)
Hope this helps
Why do people hate the keyboard on this phone? I personally love it a lot better than Androids and Iphones keyboards.
If you want apps check out Omarket, there are a ton of free apps there. Few apps I would recommend would be co0kies home tab for great home customizing and clean RAM for keeping your phone running smoothly.
Coming from a g1, I did not think I would like not having a hard keyboard. I really like the keyboard on the hd2. I also have not had any freeze ups and any of the known lags. Cookies Home Tab is awesome. I would also recommend a good task manager. I use Dutty's and like it.
So I got the phone, I'm liking it so far and I have no freeze ups yet and the keyboard seems very nice.
Just one more thing, I saw that there was ROM update from HTC itself, how do I get the update?
SecrtAgentMan said:
So I got the phone, I'm liking it so far and I have no freeze ups yet and the keyboard seems very nice.
Just one more thing, I saw that there was ROM update from HTC itself, how do I get the update?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried the swype keyboard..that is what I use and it rocks...not many phones have swype so that is nice showoff feature..
Here is the link for the ROM update but you might want to check to see if your phone already has the updated stock ROM installed. But here is the link for the ROMs..you are looking for the 2.13 Go to START/SETTINGS/ABOUTPHONE/SOFTWAREINFORMATION then you will see the ROM version!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=655653
Hope this helps
Yea i have 2.13, what's the swype thing you're talking about though?
SecrtAgentMan said:
Yea i have 2.13, what's the swype thing you're talking about though?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you have 2.13 you should have swype so you can check it out. Open up a text message and hit the keyboard icon on the bottom and once it pops up hit it again but a little to the right of the actual button and a list will pop up and you should select swype.
swype allows you to drag your finger from letter to letter without lifting to spell a word.
Check out videos on youtube by searching swype keyboard
Hey guys,
I broought a desire z nam (Bell mobility branded) over the holidays. This is my first android device, so after a month of using it, I finally feel like I have my bearings for the platform (I'm coming from symbian). However, I have a few questions:
When I brought the phone, it came unlocked (I'm using it on AT&T's network in the US. Does this mean the phone has already been rooted? Is there an easy way I can check on this?
Since I am using the phone on at&t network, how will updates work for me? Is it possible for me to get any OTA updates? Or am I restricted to custom roms for updates? I am a little hesitant to use custom roms, as I need this phone to be reliable above all else, and I keep hearing about how unstable some of those roms can be.
What exactly is Cyberon Voice Commander? I always see it hogging a huge amount of memory in my running apps, and I'm wondering if its one of the base apps included with android. Searching around, it seems that it is used for speech to text, so if I remove it, will voice seach and voice actions no longer work?
Speaking of running apps, is it normal to have 50+ apps running at the same time? This phone boots with a ton of apps already running, and a lot of them seem like system processes. The phone does feel sluggish at time; however, this being my first and only android device, I don't really have a good reference to whether this is normal or not.
The touchscreen seems off. It always tends to register touches slighty above or below where my finger hits (super annoying when you're trying to select something on a list) is there any way to calibrate the screen?
On the subject of screens, is there a way to activate the screen other than pressing the power button? That button is a bit hard to reach for me, especially with 1 hhand operation
Htcsense.com doesn't seem to be working for me. It can't locate my phone, making the phone ring doesn't do anything, and I don't see the menu bar up top. Anyone know what's up with it?
And finally, I'm trying to find a good chinese handwriting input method; the phone comes with pinyin and wubihua input methods on the default htc keyboard, but no handwriting reconginition. The only app I found on the market for it is terrrible at picking up my strokes (HanWriting IME), can anyone recommend anything for it?
Thanks a bunch
I have the same device running on ATT as well.
The phone does not come 'rooted' even if it is an unlocked version. Root allows you to write to the 'OS Partition' on the phone memory in addition to other things. To check if you have root, you need to boot into the recovery mode of the phone. The first line in recovery will read either S-OFF (root obtained) or S-ON (no root). I suggest reading up on 'GFREE' and using that method to obtain root. Visionary is also an option, but doesn't appear to be as 'safe' as GFREE.
As far as I know, we are on our own for OTA updates. I have been using Custom ROMs on my device since about day 3 of owning it and it was the best decision I have made. I currently run CyanogenMod 6.1 and it runs great. Much better than stock. It is VERY stable and I haven't had any issues, everything is working. They are currently developing CyanogenMod 7 (Android 2.3) but it not officially released as stable version yet.
I am not familiar with that Voice Commander app. Check Google.
I don't have 50+ apps running but do have quite a few. Froyo 2.2 (shipped on phone with HTC Sense Skin) is designed to automatically shut down applications that are not being used so they do not eat up system resources. I didn't use stock for long, so I can't say how it performs but I have no lag issues with Cyanogen.
I do recall a 'calibration' option on Stock, but again I didn't use it for long and can't remember where it was.
In Cyanogen mod you can wake up the screen by pressing the track pad. Search in the Themes and Apps section of the Desire Z/G2 forum and there is an application you can install that does the same thing. I think its called Trackpad Wake.
Sorry never used HTCsense.com or any chinese writing apps. For the writing app, you can check the Android Themes/Applications thread from the main forum page. There are lots of other apps discussed there that are no in the Desire Z forum.
Welcome to Android!
Some good answer in the post above. Just to add some additional info:
The Vision Wiki describes how to verify root
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=HTC_Vision
But your phone is likely not rooted. When you buy a phone unlocked, that usually means SIM unlocked, so you can use other SIM cards besides Bell. Cell phone dealers usually just have ways to get the SIM unlock codes for phones, same as the paid SIM unlock services you find on eBay and other places.
All ROMs have bugs, including the "official" ones. In my experience, the custom ROMs usually are more stable and less bugs than the official ones they are based on. In any case, I wouldn't worry too much about OTA updates. If you want to flash an official ROM, they get posted on here faster then you would get them OTA.
I just checked, and I have exactly 50 apps running on my Bell Desire Z (running on AT&T like you). I wouldn't worry about it. As mentioned in the previous reply, Android is designed to keep processes open in the background until the memory is needed, then it kills idle processes as needed.
I've never used a Symbian phone. But the Desire Z is one of the fastest Android phones currently on the market. It gets bogged down a bit by the Sense UI in some conditions (especially if you have lots of widgets loaded). But this is minor, and I have found the performance to be very good overall. If you want some more speed, you can root and overclock the CPU. Overclocking to 1 GHz does not even increase voltage to the CPU, so the effect on battery life and risk is minimal.
HTCSense.com is still a work in progress, unfortunately. The features not working is normal, its not just you.
Cyberon Voice Commander is bloatware pre-installed by Bell. Its supposed to allow you to command the phone (with your voice, obviously) without having to touch the screen to perform certain functions (call or find a contact, play a song, etc.). But its pretty useless, and pure crap, IMO. Even when it recognizes your command, it will often still require touch input to make the selection, which completely defeats the purpose! Its faster to just access the functions the normal way.
Bloatware is part of the ROM, and therefore not completely straightforward to remove. All methods require the phone be rooted, AFAIK. The following thread has a method (using Titanium Backup) to remove most of the bloat.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=831584
I've also found a paid app ($1.99) on the market called Absolute System Root Tool removes the bloatware successfully
As mentioned, there is a hack to make the trackpad button wake the phone. But I couldn't tell if the feature could be removed or turned off, so I haven't tried it yet, personally.
Aha, a fellow Symbian convert! Welcome to the greatest phone ever - like an N97 that doesn't suck. I used to run Symbian-Guru.com - please feel free to PM me with *any* questions, I still love to help folks.
I would *highly* suggest you root your phone, if for no other reason than to dump the bloatware that comes with it and be able to take screenshots and that sort of thing. You may also want to look at the Virtuous ROM - it's a port of the Desire Z ROM that has some extras built-in. I've been using it on my G2 pretty much since I got it and it's fan-freakin-tastic. I easily get 12-15hrs of battery life, and that's with normal usage. It also has trackpad wake built right in - it's awesome.
Most of your other questions were answered above. In any case, welcome to XDA, and to Android.
Thanks for the replies. I'm loving the phone so far; just there's a lot of quirks in android that I'm not used to. That's to be expected with any transition to a different os, so I'm sure ill adapt.
you mentioned offical roms are also posted there as well; will flashing those roms require S-OFF? I might be in the minority, but I actually like senseUI. The only thing I wish I could change would be replacing the customization button on the dock with a browser shortcut. I've tried adw and launcherpro, but everytime I end up missing the htc widgets and going back to sense.
Ill probably start looking into some custom roms. I'm really holding out for the offical 2.3 update though. Ill also have to find a way to revert to the original rom should I not like the new one. I can't seem to find a copy of the original rom from bell to download anywhere; so is titanium backup my only option? Finally if I flash in a new rom, (offical or custom) will I lose my carrier unlock?
Thanks
Before you flash any different ROM you should do what is called a "nandroid" backup of your current ROM via Clockwork Recovery/ROM Manager (which you can install once you have root and S-OFF).
No, flashing a different ROM will not lose your SIM unlock.
If you have SuperCID from gfree, then you will be able to flash different official ROMs, not just the Bell one.
Sent from my HTC Desire Z
makken85 said:
Thanks for the replies.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please hit the "thanks" button on the responses that were helpful to you. So those of use that took the time to answer can increase their thanks meters!
You're not completely alone. I like Sense also! FYI, the Virtuous ROM recommended by orange bandit is a custom one built on the Sense UI. Although I'm probably going to wait until a Gingerbread Sense ROM myself.
makken85 said:
Thanks for the replies. I'm loving the phone so far; just there's a lot of quirks in android that I'm not used to. That's to be expected with any transition to a different os, so I'm sure ill adapt.
you mentioned offical roms are also posted there as well; will flashing those roms require S-OFF? I might be in the minority, but I actually like senseUI. The only thing I wish I could change would be replacing the customization button on the dock with a browser shortcut. I've tried adw and launcherpro, but everytime I end up missing the htc widgets and going back to sense.
Ill probably start looking into some custom roms. I'm really holding out for the offical 2.3 update though. Ill also have to find a way to revert to the original rom should I not like the new one. I can't seem to find a copy of the original rom from bell to download anywhere; so is titanium backup my only option? Finally if I flash in a new rom, (offical or custom) will I lose my carrier unlock?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Virtuous ROM is basically the same as what you're running now, but fully rooted with some improvements here and there (trackpad wake, a bit of overclocking, etc).
There is a Rosie hack to be able to replace the right dock button with whatever you want, here's the link: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=876464
I did it on my Virtuous ROM, works great, though I couldn't stand the simplicity of Sense and went back to LauncherPro, myself.
Hi HTC owners
Soon to be a Legend owner myself I've come across a term known as rooting. This had led me to believe I can "upgrade" whatever default software applications a standard HTC Legend comes with. What exactly can I do to optimize the use of my soon to be HTC Legend to it's full potential?
Thanks in advance
Rooting is to remove the default crap software applications your HTC Legend is loaded with... You cannot remove those softwares without rooting.
Second, there are various ROMs which provide a good balance between performance and features. Choose one that's aligned with your preferences and install it on your phone.
ashkool said:
Rooting is to remove the default crap software applications your HTC Legend is loaded with... You cannot remove those softwares without rooting.
Second, there are various ROMs which provide a good balance between performance and features. Choose one that's aligned with your preferences and install it on your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong, rooting is for you to gain access to root folder which if you're not rooted you can't. Hence the 'Superuser' is. Only after that you can as you say it 'optimize' your phone. A few advice to make you phone run at full speed.
1) Root
2) Install custom ROM (optional but highly advisable)
3) Use SetCPU to set your CPU speed (or use a custom kernel)
4) Advance stuff like S-OFF/Data2Ext and stuff
Hope you'll enjoy your being a Legend owner. If you encounter any problems during those processes do search around for the solution. If you still cannot find it just post it here and we will try our best to help you. Cheer mate.
Thank you for your replies Ashkool and Rajasyaitan
I'll look into rooting, custom roms and the like myself.
Have a great one, HTC is great
CyanogenMOD ROMs are a good place to start