TimeScape removal*Speedboost* + removal of other apps - XPERIA X10 General

By removing:
- TimescapeLargeUI.apk
- TimescapeLargeUIThemeBlue.apk
- TimescapeLargeUIThemeGreen.apk
- TimescapeLargeUIThemeIndigo.apk
- TimescapeLargeUIThemeOrange.apk
- TimescapeLargeUIThemeSakura.apk
- TimescapePluginManager.apk
- TimeScapeProvider.apk
...in the system/app directory with root explorer(mount r/w) or other root file managing software. Just deleting these apps alone allow you to GREATLY increase the snappieness(get it...snapdragon) of the X10. Personally I find that it is a useless App that bogs down the phone more then it's worth. Once you have uninstalled it then restart the phone. Ensure that before you remove Timescape that you don't remove any other files at the same time before restarting as this will eliminate the possibility of the timescape removal creating an error.
Do not remove gtalk.apk, or any other google apk's as you are risking messing up some features (Market for example)
Other apps I have found are safe to remove: *UPDATED LIST*
- backupandrestore.apk (Second-party app from the market or Titanium backup works better than this default app)
- Calculator.apk (For the most part a very basic calculator, A free Scientific calculator app from the market is worth the download if needed.)
- Any of the Language* apk's (chinese, danish, korean, japanese) *LatineIME.apk is for the default android keyboard(not the initial one you have when you first get your phone, you will only know about it if you changed it)
- Emanual.apk (Not required unless you really need it, you can still access it from the SE X10 support area on their website if needed)
- EManualLauncher.apk (part file for Emanual.apk, remove aswell)
- Facebook.apk (Facebook is for the sad and lonely, I don't care what kind of burrito Sh!t's your having at 4AM)
- LearningClient.apk (Word memory, it works as a word learner when word suggestions are enabled on the keyboard, when typing in a word it sometimes switches to the "correct" word that it thinks after pressing the space button. When you backspace to get the word you wanted to appear again This service looks at that word and if it use more than once on intentionally then it will remember that and give you the option of that word in the suggestions. Thought I might answer that one since people have asked) *If you don't use word suggestions since it slows down texting then you can remove this.
- moxiermail.apk (Gmail.apk or another email app from the market are definitely better than moxier)
- Officesuite.apk (Not the full version, download the full version)
- OMAClientProvisioning.apk
- playnowappinstaller.apk (If you don't use it then toss it, not that interesting) 1
- playnowback.apk (If you don't use it then toss it, not that interesting) 2
- playnowclient.apk (If you don't use it then toss it, not that interesting) 3
- qcsemcservice.apk
- quadrapop.apk (boring game, good for a day or two but then you find better)
- SemcCheckin.apk
- SemcEmailLargeui.apk (along with the email.apk)
- SemcSetupWizard.apk (I set it up already and the only way I would need it again is if I reflashed and I would have all default apps again anyways)
- SetupWizard.apk (part of the previous Semc...apk)
- SnsContactImageCacheProvider.apk
- StatusSwitch.apk
- usersupport.apk (just not needed in general)
- uWlopProvider.apk
- wisepilot.apk (No need if you have Google Maps, Google Earth, Garmin, TomTom, etc)
- youtube.apk (If you have full episodes or movies on your phone and just don't use youtube then theres no need for this bogware)
By deleting these apps I have sped up the X10 so much I'm amazed at how much of a difference I've seen...maybe even a speed increase X10. I can now say I am fully happy with this phone.
List of features working...but faster.
Phone calls
Contacts
All games that normally worked anyways
Camera
HD recording
Settings menu
Wifi
Phonebook
Messaging
Alarm clock
Browser
Calendar
Gmail
Latitude
GMaps
Market
Media Scape
Navigation
Places
Voice Dialer
...everything...I've done my research. Any apps unlisted just means I have deleted them myself, doesn't necessarily mean their not working.
I currently have 183.21MB used with 169.41MB free. Not bad I'd say.

I await your post in about one day asking for the Timescape APKs because you can no longer make phone calls.
You've probably created a placebo effect. You only think the phone is faster. Run benchmarks, then see how the phone operates. You may think deleting browser.apk or dialer.apk is a good idea now, but when you're in an emergency and the phone won't work, you can't blame anyone but yourself.
Also: You don't know what people need/want from their phone, so it's best to not act so superior. (especially because you're far from the first to delete apps from their phone.)

I have looked into what files I can delete and I have also had to re flash because of my curiosity. Since your obviously the degrading type I can see you have an obvious lack of respect for someone who has done the research and the hit and miss troubleshooting of finding out what a general audience would want to possibly remove if not needed. Not everyone has facebook, or uses youtube. I personally prefer using youtube on my monitor compared to a smaller more costly device such as a data restricted cell. I don't use twitter, facebook, or any timescape dependent service as sms/mms are handled through the default sms/mms app that then forwards it's data to timescape. I wouldn't be in the aerospace industry(military to boot) if I have no idea what I am doing. Since I was smart enough to back up all the default app .apk's after a fresh flash then I know I will not be asking you for any of the apk's, your useless comment doesn't carry any weight.
*I was on the phone when I removed the timescape app since it is not tied to the dialer service.

No point in starting an arguement.
But, not everyone is you. If I'm on a long train ride, the ability to watch YouTube videos is a lifesaver. Obviously one could watch on a monitor, but I don't have that option when I'm not at home. The point of a smartphone is to be able to do things you can do with a PC, when you're not at home.
Timescape is tied to many more things than you think, at least in 1.6. Maybe SE removed those dependencies in 2.1, but if you're deleting the major marketing point of the phone, why did you buy the phone to begin with? Just food for thought. Not looking to start fights.

iead1 said:
No point in starting an arguement.
But, not everyone is you. If I'm on a long train ride, the ability to watch YouTube videos is a lifesaver. Obviously one could watch on a monitor, but I don't have that option when I'm not at home. The point of a smartphone is to be able to do things you can do with a PC, when you're not at home.
Timescape is tied to many more things than you think, at least in 1.6. Maybe SE removed those dependencies in 2.1, but if you're deleting the major marketing point of the phone, why did you buy the phone to begin with? Just food for thought. Not looking to start fights.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry but i know many people who have unistalled Timescape (even Mediascape) since they have 2.1 with no issues at all.

The main purpose of buying the phone for me was not for the software SE has built on top of android(Timescape/Mediascape), but more for the hardware achievement that Sony has produced by packing so much functionality into one mobile device.
Just having android without any manufacturer modification still gives a ton of room for growth and possibilities to be seen. My goal was to supply a list of apps that are safe to delete without disturbing the stability or functionality of the phone as a whole, while providing another easy work around. These apps I know, as I have tested with 3 phones now, do not effect the user experience greatly. Since I have removed the apps I have had no problems with data, texting, phone calls, boot loops, the market, or browsing. Pick and choose which apps you need and don't need but from what I have removed I'm getting a greater user experience based on performance and alternative functionality.
Games and third-party apps still work fine, but are now faster.

Swifty76 said:
The main purpose of buying the phone for me was not for the software SE has built on top of android(Timescape/Mediascape), but more for the hardware achievement that Sony has produced by packing so much functionality into one mobile device.
Just having android without any manufacturer modification still gives a ton of room for growth and possibilities to be seen. My goal was to supply a list of apps that are safe to delete without disturbing the stability or functionality of the phone as a whole, while providing another easy work around. These apps I know, as I have tested with 3 phones now, do not effect the user experience greatly. Since I have removed the apps I have had no problems with data, texting, phone calls, boot loops, the market, or browsing. Pick and choose which apps you need and don't need but from what I have removed I'm getting a greater user experience based on performance and alternative functionality.
Games and third-party apps still work fine, but are now faster.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. There are many more apps you can delete with no issues, it depends only if you're gonna use them or not.

Swifty76 said:
The main purpose of buying the phone for me was not for the software SE has built on top of android(Timescape/Mediascape), but more for the hardware achievement that Sony has produced by packing so much functionality into one mobile device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you were looking for functionality, you bought the wrong device. Single touch, 65k color screen and 384MB of RAM? Not what I'd call the pinnacle of technical achievements.

The number of dependencies in 1.6 where removed in 2.1 as most of the initial software on the phone are layers. Sony stated that they learned from 1.6 by not going too deep into the core of android but more by means of creating "layers"(boot apps) on top of the core system.
Since they switched to layers they created the possibility to give rooted users the option of choosing alternatives to the initial software. The obvious apps you can remove if unused are facebook and youtube as they are obvious non dependents.(Facebook does have a slight dependency to timescape, but with timescape removed then that issue is not relevant)

iead1 said:
If you were looking for functionality, you bought the wrong device. Single touch, 65k color screen and 384MB of RAM? Not what I'd call the pinnacle of technical achievements.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the price to features ratio and the features they have included (8.1 MP Camera, 720P recording, 1Ghz processor, 4.0" tft screen + others) It is as functional as I need. Multitouch will eventually find it's way to the phone one way or another. Also on a 4" screen the difference in colors is unnoticeable side-by-side to other devices that I have checked out. RAMS not an issue with a decent task manager.

I bought the phone to be a android phone.. not some piece of infected bloatware.
I want my phone phone to be mine not SE's..
So if you don't want to remove time scape... then ignore this thread.

OmegaRED^ said:
I bought the phone to be a android phone.. not some piece of infected bloatware.
I want my phone phone to be mine not SE's..
So if you don't want to remove time scape... then ignore this thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly my thoughts. The biggest performance jump I saw from deleting any of the apps was by taking out timescape. I bought the phone because it was android and because a majority of hardware is quality. I didn't buy it because it was SE, that just happened to come with it.

Swifty76 said:
Exactly my thoughts. The biggest performance jump I saw from deleting any of the apps was by taking out timescape. I bought the phone because it was android and because a majority of hardware is quality. I didn't buy it because it was SE, that just happened to come with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey Swifty76, do you mind feeding us an update for say maybe the next week or two on the performance of your phone? Just a quick so far it been perfect OR crap I had to reflash because my phone messed up. Reason im asking is because I would remove alot of those apps you listed, but I don't need my phone messing up on me...so just keep us posted on how its going and if all is well Ill go for it to. Thanks for the post.....try to keep an eye on the camera for pictures and video as thats important to me.

uhhh... so i have to root my phone to remove those apps, right?

iead1 said:
Timescape is tied to many more things than you think, at least in 1.6. Maybe SE removed those dependencies in 2.1, but if you're deleting the major marketing point of the phone, why did you buy the phone to begin with? Just food for thought. Not looking to start fights.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol if anyone bought an x10 for timescape nor mediascape
Sent from my X10i using XDA App

Yeah you have to root your phone to be able to properly uninstall a majority of these apps. The camera is working great so far on all 3 phones. The camera is saving and viewing properly as well. I would recommend the 3D gallery as a picture viewer. Winamp or poweramp are good for the beats.
Haven't found a decent video player yet, anyone know of some good ones?

Swifty76 said:
Haven't found a decent video player yet, anyone know of some good ones?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only video player worth installing is RockPlayer

ProBoner said:
The only video player worth installing is RockPlayer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree.
For video--- RockPlayer
For Pictures--- Gallery or JustPictures (it has One Touch zoom that works great)
For Music--- PowerAmp (simply amazing!)

OBS dont remove gtalk, it will couse a lot of problems, trust me, if you did, read here forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=6822850

fuusuke said:
Lol if anyone bought an x10 for timescape nor mediascape
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've said it probably three hundred times on these forums: We are NOT the target audience for this phone. The phone sells to millions, each who bought it for different reasons. I regret my purchase, as now Docomo is releasing Japanese-market focused Android phones, instead of the world-focused X10.
But yeah, to the OP, my point was, you can't just delete everything in one go, say performance is awesome 20 minutes later. There's just no way to tell how the phone will do after a week or two in this state. Maybe it really is that much faster, which would be nice. But, to prematurely say it's amazing then find out later that something doesn't work properly would suck. And, from reading XDA, people always delete things they need and come back and whine about them because they didn't back up properly.

Related

Comprehensive list of Nexus One and Android suggestions/issues

Hey guys,
so one day I was wondering that we should start a thread on the main issues of the Nexus One and Android. I thought it would be nice if everyone posted an issue or an idea that would be relevant to Google to implement on the next version of Android. I've named some (I am on stock FRF91 btw, so some issues may not affect all users):
Nexus One Specific:
-enable custom trackball and led colors notifications without the need to root (there's an app called Trackball Alert by lilHermit [see http://www.appbrain.com/app/uk.co.lilhermit.android.TrackballAlert ] that does exactly what I mean but you need custom roms to use it)
-720p video recording (already achievable with Cyanogen's mod, but could use Google's help with the drivers and to up the overall quality of the video)
-fix multitouch (I know ClearPad 2000 is not very good at dealing with multitouch but there is room for software/driver optimization)
-improve touchscreen subtle delay after touch (again, maybe a ClearPad 2000 issue, not sure about it)
-trackball wake and unlock for non-rooted users (is it THAT hard to implement?)
General Android:
-enable horizontal homescreen without having to use a dock
-improve kinetic scrolling on the maps app (not really an android issue, it's app-specific)
-isolate images and video files of apps from the gallery app (it is really annoying to see completely unrelated pics from apps in the middle of the pics you've taken with ur camera or copied from ur pc)
-remove the ****ty compression from the pictures on the gallery, contact pictures and album covers
-make the gallery 24 bit colors again (it was 24 bit on 2.1, but they screwed up on froyo [even on FRF91])
-improve the music player (much needed)
-add swipe left and right gestures to switch between emails, songs (just like in the stock news app)
-smoother transition between homescreens and smoother launcher (improve overall FPS rate on the system)
-better live wallpaper performance (using LWP generally slows the system down)
-tabbed browsing (like Dolphin Browser), better history and bookmark handling (bookmarks synchronazation with firefox, chrome, safari and maybe even ****ty ie)
-both the gmail and the email apps need an overhaul, 1st: it is SLOW. It takes AGES to open an email with images even on a fast wifi connection. 2nd. threaded view. C'mon one of the great things about gmail are threaded emails but you cant take advantage of it on your android phone? 3rd. UI overhaul.
-itunes-like, offline backup, firmware updating, music, photos and video syncing (ok, I know I'm prolly getting flamed for this one, but I honestly believe that even with all the efforts from Google to make everything clound-based, I still see the necessity of having an offline organization tool)
-custom account sync time (set a schedule for auto syncing contacts, agenda, etc...)
-enable online browsing and managing of apps, music, photos, contacts, call log... all in a single website, like Microsoft wants to implement on Windows Phone Series 7 (see http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/13/windows-phone-live-to-offer-remote-wipe-location-and-sync-for/ )
-Keyboard and Languages:
-tweaks on the keyboard including multitouch support (like the Droid X)
-make the keyboard not take the whole screen (eg. you can see the actual app you're using while typing instead of seeing only the text box - really needed for chatting apps)
-portuguese dictonary (I'm from Brazil, but I mean adding more languages to Android's dictionary) [the OS is already available in portuguese]
-more voice commands (like the iphone) with support for more languages
-Marketplace:
-better looking games and apps (this issue goes much deeper then just the UI)
-isolate the CRAPPS (soundboards, sexy japanese girl wallpapers, 50 cent ringtones, etc) in a different category
-create an approval process (completely debatable, but if it's ever created, it should not ressemble apple's flawed approval process and should not run away from Google's open philosophy)
-improve developer finantial gains with their apps (see: http://www.androidpolice.com/2010/07/05/report-over-half-of-all-android-apps-are-free/ ; http://www.androidpolice.com/2010/0...gaming-on-android-and-how-openfeint-may-help/ ; http://www.androidcentral.com/can-developers-make-money-android-market-mobilebeat-2010 ; http://nanocr.eu/2010/06/27/googles-mismanagement-of-the-android-market/ )
-find a way of reducing pirated and stolen apps (for example, blocking backing up paid apps: today, users can simply buy an app from the market, back it up using astro or some other tool, then they uninstall it to get a refund then they'll install the backed up app and keep both the money and the app)
-better organisation of cateories and better browsing and searching (search suggestions)
-GODDAMN GOOGLE MAKE THE MARKETPLACE PAID APPS AVAILABLE IN MORE COUNTRIES
-The comment below was copied from Android Central, originally posted by credo on Tue, 07/13/2010 - 12:08, as I thought he had some great insights on the market from a developer's point of view (see: http://www.androidcentral.com/can-developers-make-money-android-market-mobilebeat-2010#comment-47392)
" 1) Being able to purchase an app off the web. The big reason I have for this is marketing -- currently there's no good place for me to link a banner ad or other promotion to. This means the user has to manually search for my app in the marketplace to buy it, or scan a QR code. Not exactly impulse-purchase friendly. This is being taken care of with 2.2, but it won't be something I can rely on for a long time after that (the vast majority of the phones would need to be on 2.2).
2) Better descriptions in the listings. Not even much longer necessarily, but a dedicated changelog space (for example) would be fantastic, especially if it maintained history. Dedicated space to link to a video, or a free/paid version, etc could help a lot.
3) Tagging for the listings ("aquarium", "live wallpaper", "fish", "etc"). Currently, not only am I limited to 325 characters (about 30 of which have to go to my current changelog entry) but that couple of sentences I DO have had better include as many relevant search terms as I can manage! A place to enter a dozen or so tags would go miles to making the description space good for actual description. Come up with a big list of standardized tags and put them in a drop-down to help keep it organized.
4) The ability to respond to comments. I mean really, if I'm the developer let me post comments/replies freely. I'm thinking the eBay feedback mechanism here. It's agonizing to see somebody post a blatantly wrong negative comment and there's nothing meaningful I can do about it.
Personally, I've been doing okay with the market overall, but that's because I've focused on something of a niche with some definite consumer appeal (I've made several live wallpapers, like Silhouette, Galactic Core, City at Night, Aquarium Live Wallpaper, etc. Check here if you're interested.). It IS hard to find things on the market and with only the 325 character description to convey ALL your information, it's hard to explain all your features even when the customer does find your item."
That's it guys, hope you like the idea. Waiting for users input.
EDIT: Mods, please feel free to move this post if deemed necessary. I was not quite sure about where I should post it.
Wow. I like the ideas but to this point Google hasn't exactly been interested in acting upon any request, no matter how obvious, necessary or simple, and that's an ass load of requests. But sure I agree 720p recording and all the rest would be great.
wholeheartedly agree with you on every point...
Google is a few major DUH points from having a relatively perfect OS...some things just make zero sense whatsoever...like not having a simple add button and a check box contact list to send a text to more than one person in the stock app...1.0, 1.1, 1.5, 1.6, 2.0, 2.0.1, 2.1, 2.2 and still this simple feature has not been implemented.
also the music player is ridiculous...seriously...like for real...wtf?
Hey so you're Kittehface.
Good list.
Please add:
-GODDAMN GOOGLE MAKE GOOGLE VOICE/GOOGLE NAVIGATION AVAILABLE IN MORE COUNTRIES.
Granted more countries are having navigation but most Asian countries are still left in the dark.
Launcher pro transitions is so much smoother between home screens, it must be hitting 60 fps easily. Google could easily fix their stock launcher to match it
fiuza91 said:
-both the gmail and the email apps need an overhaul, 1st: it is SLOW. It takes AGES to open an email with images even on a fast wifi connection. 2nd. threaded view. C'mon one of the great things about gmail are threaded emails but you cant take advantage of it on your android phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No threaded view? Uh, what?
fiuza91 said:
-fix multitouch (I know ClearPad 2000 is not very good at dealing with multitouch but there is room for software/driver optimization)
What exactly is wrong with it. i havent had any issues, but other people seem to
-improve touchscreen subtle delay after touch (again, maybe a ClearPad 2000 issue, not sure about it)
same as above
-trackball wake and unlock for non-rooted users (is it THAT hard to implement?)
this is more of a feature. the trackball is pressed easier than the power button, meaning the screen can be turned on by accident and use more battery
General Android:
-isolate images and video files of apps from the gallery app (it is really annoying to see completely unrelated pics from apps in the middle of the pics you've taken with ur camera or copied from ur pc)
This is the fault of the app developer. They need to a) use googles API for external storage and b) they need to put a .nomedia file so it doesnt show up in in gallery or music player
-better live wallpaper performance (using LWP generally slows the system down)
i personally havent had an issue with this either
-tabbed browsing (like Dolphin Browser), better history and bookmark handling
i personally dont think tabbed browsing is that great on mobile devices. i would like a dedicated button to show open windows next to the bookmark button though
-both the gmail and the email apps need an overhaul, \ 2nd. threaded view. C'mon one of the great things about gmail are threaded emails but you cant take advantage of it on your android phone?
AFAIK threaded emails have been there since atleast 1.5. I have it on FRF91 for sure
-enable online browsing and managing of apps, music, photos, contacts, call log... all in a single website, like Microsoft wants to implement on Windows Phone Series 7 (see http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/13/windows-phone-live-to-offer-remote-wipe-location-and-sync-for/ )
This is coming with gingerbread
-Keyboard and Languages:
-make the keyboard not take the whole screen (eg. you can see the actual app you're using while typing instead of seeing only the text box - really needed for chatting apps)
froyo has this in browser, i think other apps have to be updated for this not sure
-more voice commands (like the iphone) with support for more languages
there are a lot of voice commands that work fine with the voice dialer (but they still require manual confirmation)
-Marketplace:
-better looking games and apps (this issue goes much deeper then just the UI)
lol if its about looks then its about UI. Android has already added opengl libraries. devs just need to use them now
-create an approval process (completely debatable, but if it's ever created, it should not ressemble apple's flawed approval process and should not run away from Google's open philosophy)
cant be open AND have an approval process
-improve developer finantial gains with their apps (see: http://www.androidpolice.com/2010/07/05/report-over-half-of-all-android-apps-are-free/ ; http://www.androidpolice.com/2010/0...gaming-on-android-and-how-openfeint-may-help/ ; http://www.androidcentral.com/can-developers-make-money-android-market-mobilebeat-2010 ; http://nanocr.eu/2010/06/27/googles-mismanagement-of-the-android-market/ )
Just because they are free doesnt mean that there is no incentive to have paid apps on market, people will buy better products. i do agree that they could be better paid for ads though
-find a way of reducing pirated and stolen apps (for example, blocking backing up paid apps: today, users can simply buy an app from the market, back it up using astro or some other tool, then they uninstall it to get a refund then they'll install the backed up app and keep both the money and the app)
This is already implemented......
-The comment below was copied from Android Central, originally posted by credo on Tue, 07/13/2010 - 12:08, as I thought he had some great insights on the market from a developer's point of view (see: http://www.androidcentral.com/can-developers-make-money-android-market-mobilebeat-2010#comment-47392)
"
2) Better descriptions in the listings. Not even much longer necessarily, but a dedicated changelog space (for example) would be fantastic, especially if it maintained history. Dedicated space to link to a video, or a free/paid version, etc could help a lot.
dedicated changelog space is provided in the version area of the market. most devs dont know how to use it though =/
4) The ability to respond to comments. I mean really, if I'm the developer let me post comments/replies freely. I'm thinking the eBay feedback mechanism here. It's agonizing to see somebody post a blatantly wrong negative comment and there's nothing meaningful I can do about it.
gingerbread
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agree with most of the points though
trackball wake and unlock for non-rooted users (is it THAT hard to implement?)
this is more of a feature. the trackball is pressed easier than the power button, meaning the screen can be turned on by accident and use more battery
- True, but we should be one to decide that right? At least give us the choice.
fiuza91 said:
-horizontal homescreen (you can have it with custom launchers, but would be nice to see Google implementing it with some cool transitions)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Horizontal homescreen is already in stock standard android 2.2. Without any custom launcher. It is just that you need to dock the N1 in the car dock, before it will activate. Point is - it is there - issue is that you cannot activate it outside the car dock.
4) You CAN post comments on your own application and you have been able to on every version of android. It's a bit messy but it works:
Firstly, log in to your google account on your phone and try to purchase your own application. It should say something about it failing. Then, close and re-open the market, navigate to your app and, hey-presto, you can comment
I noticed that most of your points are not "issues" but "suggestions for improvement".
If so please change the post title.
Paul22000 said:
No threaded view? Uh, what?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's threaded view on the Gmail app, but not on th email app. I know threaded view is something from Gmail but it would be nice if implemented on the email app (I don't know if requires any server-based modification so I don't know if it's possible)
logger said:
Horizontal homescreen is already in stock standard android 2.2. Without any custom launcher. It is just that you need to dock the N1 in the car dock, before it will activate. Point is - it is there - issue is that you cannot activate it outside the car dock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right. Edited my post.
Meltus said:
4) You CAN post comments on your own application and you have been able to on every version of android. It's a bit messy but it works:
Firstly, log in to your google account on your phone and try to purchase your own application. It should say something about it failing. Then, close and re-open the market, navigate to your app and, hey-presto, you can comment
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't you think there should be a way of doing it "natively"? I'm sure it would help devs out a lot.
britoso said:
I noticed that most of your points are not "issues" but "suggestions for improvement".
If so please change the post title.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right. Call me an idiot but I can't see any way of changing the thread title. And, "suggestions for improvement" suggest there's something not quite right about whatever, so it is an issue nonetheless.
fiuza91 said:
You're right. Call me an idiot but I can't see any way of changing the thread title.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Click Edit, then change the title.
---
In any case, the only issues I see with the Nexus One are the touch screen is terrible (have to turn off/on to recalibrate lower right corner of screen; multi-touch axes snap together) and the four soft buttons are not aligned correctly with their respective labels.
Other than those two, the Nexus One is downright amazing in my eyes. Everything else is software, which can and will be fixed over time, either by Google or by developers like Cyanogen. ie Nexus One first to receive 2.2, probably the first to receive Gingerbread etc.
Aside from the touch screen being subpar, almost everything else you mentioned is more of a suggestion rather than an issue, as britoso mentioned.
I'm not sure if they can even fix the screen issues with the nexus one. Because I don't really see anything wrong with the phone except for the horrible touchscreen.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Mokurex said:
trackball wake and unlock for non-rooted users (is it THAT hard to implement?)
this is more of a feature. the trackball is pressed easier than the power button, meaning the screen can be turned on by accident and use more battery
- True, but we should be one to decide that right? At least give us the choice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol if we had a choice for every little setting in android, then we would be flooded with the amount of settings available in the ROM. people are already complaining about how you have to have a "PhD in Computer Science" (i call BS. I only have a bachelors in SE ) to use android...adding more options will make people think WTF
most people want someone else to take care of everything for them and give them a product that "just works" (i hate you steve jobs)
Paul22000 said:
Click Edit, then change the title.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had already clicked edit, but I can't change the title.
By the way, thanks for the input everyone! This is part of what makes a community like XDA great.
fiuza91 said:
I had already clicked edit, but I can't change the title.
By the way, thanks for the input everyone! This is part of what makes a community like XDA great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
make sure you not hittin quick edit lol. it should be under title
flybyme said:
make sure you not hittin quick edit lol. it should be under title
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Found it. I had to click "edit post" twice actually. I know that me not being able to change a simple title sounded noob, but I was just blind or something lol
logger said:
Horizontal homescreen is already in stock standard android 2.2. Without any custom launcher. It is just that you need to dock the N1 in the car dock, before it will activate. Point is - it is there - issue is that you cannot activate it outside the car dock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can someone write application to emulate that the phone is in car dock without physically being in the dock?, this will enable the horizontal stock features

Dad's not happy

Hi there,
my dad sold his iPhone 3GS for a Samsung Galaxy S i9000. Coming from an iPhone, I first had to show him the amazing richness of possibilities you have on Android compared to an iPhone and after he overcame his old knowledge of "one button, one app", he was quite pleased with some of Androids merits. However, all in all, he's missing some important features he used to have on his iPhone and he has some problems:
A) Most important of all, pretty much a deal breaker if he can't get it fixed soon: SIP. We tried several different clients, and for example we even tried the latest (non-market) version of csipsimple and we found bug reports for the Galaxy S and adjusted the mic/speaker volumes accordingly but it's still really bad: For local calls the quality is reasonable. It's a bit stuttery at times but people can talk. It's much worse than on his iPhone though. But what's really annoying him is the fact that calls to foreign countries are a no-go. The added quality drop to long distance calls make it very hard for the other party to hear him (All over wifi btw). Please, does anyone know a sure-fix, exact-settings-listing for some SIP app for Android?
B) Also a very important thing to him is a calendar. But both the Samsung calendar as well as the original Android one don't have a good week-view. The original one doesn't have one, the Samsung one doesn't show titles on tasks. I find it ludicrous, it's just boxes without titles... Ideally, he wishes to have a week view similar to what I have on my N900:
Sorry, can't embed the image because I'm a new user:
h t t p ://login.icu.uzh.ch/~archer/Screenshot-20101116-182459.png
There's more but especially the SIP is really bugging him. He absolutely needs it to work reliably or he'll need to sell the device.
Thanks.
TB2 said:
Hi there,
B) Also a very important thing to him is a calendar. But both the Samsung calendar as well as the original Android one don't have a good week-view.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. Try Calendar Pad from the market in week view
What exactly is SIP? According to wiki, it's just a voice over internet protocol. Can you not use skype?
my wifi signal on 2.1 and 2.2 are the same. cellphones are not the same as laptop that has higher power to transmit data far away and and large space for antennas for receiving signal. if you look at wifi routers they got huge antennas. i don't think you can fit that in a phone.
i read a few months ago that iphone has problems on signal bcause of bad design : )
if you want software you've got a lot of choices in the market.
Try Sipdroid.
http://www.appbrain.com/app/sipdroid-voip-video-calling/org.sipdroid.sipua
all off topic comments trashed
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=9283203
Um... Poor daddy? Sorry cheeky I know but sgs is for people who like to tinker and find cool mods even simple apps like the plethora of gre calendar apps he could use right now. Seasoned iphone users especially of the older generation often don't get, the nerdy thrill that we do with the customisations and work necessary to fully realise the potential of sgs and andriod in general
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
TB2 said:
Hi there,
...................
A) Most important of all, pretty much a deal breaker if he can't get it fixed soon: SIP. We tried several different clients, and for example we even tried the latest (non-market) version of csipsimple and we found bug reports for the Galaxy S and adjusted the mic/speaker volumes accordingly but it's still really bad: For local calls the quality is reasonable. It's a bit stuttery at times but people can talk. It's much worse than on his iPhone though. But what's really annoying him is the fact that calls to foreign countries are a no-go. The added quality drop to long distance calls make it very hard for the other party to hear him (All over wifi btw). Please, does anyone know a sure-fix, exact-settings-listing for some SIP app for Android?
......................
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use Sipdroid and VYKE as SIP provider. No echo, no cutting and only 30 seconds to set up. Can use WiFi or 3G. I do not use any PBXes.
the latest custom ROMs are really showing Pro
and performances are very quick
I'll recomend installing the DOC's ROM for SGS and use SipDroid for the voice chat
there are tons of Calendar options in the market, just take your time to review which one you like best
TB2 said:
Hi there,
..................
B) Also a very important thing to him is a calendar. But both the Samsung calendar as well as the original Android one don't have a good week-view. The original one doesn't have one, the Samsung one doesn't show titles on tasks. I find it ludicrous, it's just boxes without titles...
..............
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try Egg 'n stone CalWidget. You can customice as You like. Size the Widget 4x1, 4x2, 4x3, 4x4......, choose a calander to view (MyCalendar, Google Calender.....), how long time ahead, layout and colors as You like, transparancy, and it's free.
I guess if Your father is a former iPhone user, he does not know how a widget work, try to explain to him.
Allright thanks everyone for the suggestions!
Dad's pleased with CalendarPad. Nice overview and the widget does a good job as well.
We installed sipdroid today and for local calls it seems to work well. Will check soon if we have the same problems as with csipsimple regarding long distance calls.
By the way... What is it with the "want an iphone, get an iphone" attitude in this forum. I clearly mentioned that he likes some of Android's merits and I asked two specific questions which I think I can expect from any modern smartphone, not just the iphone (working SIP and flexible calendar), the second of which btw is a downside of the iPhone because of all the sandboxing going on on an iphone. Anyway, you seem to be pretty quick on the "it's an iphone-loser" button.
Anyway, I've got a third and fourth question:
C) Is it normal that the battery lasts about 1.5 days with no IM or SIP services running? Only a calendar and the shipped-with weather widget. Is there some hack to improve battery life beyond just turning all the features off?
D) He's having serious stability issues at times. It happens that the device freezes when plugging it into USB or at different random times. At those times, the button lights would stay on with the screen being black. Long-pressing the power button fixes it. At different times it's a bit jerky. For example you would unlock the screen (gesture code) but then the screen would remain black for a few seconds and maybe the lock screen would show up again. Is this normal on android in general or has it to do with what Samsung pushed into its distro? Btw his mobile is branded by Orange and ships with some additional crap. Could this cause the problem? What's the easiest way of getting a fresh and simple Samsung or pure Android distro on it? I see there are lots of "mods", but I think we don't need any sort of mod, just a plain and stable OS.
Thanks.
To improve battery life, try turning off "Wireless location" in settings. However the battery life, even with various optimizations, is nowhere as good as iPhone 4.
The delays and stuttering you are experiencing is probably due to file system lag. Samsung uses RFS which is their own version of file system based on FAT32. Unfortunately that causes the phone to lag from time to time, usually when opening new applications or performing multiple I/O tasks. This can be fixed by installing one of the many lag fixes available. I use "One click lag fix" which you can download from the Market, but you will need to root the phone to apply it. There are several other alternatives which you can find in the "Development" forum.
Jamm59 said:
Try Egg 'n stone CalWidget. You can customice as You like. Size the Widget 4x1, 4x2, 4x3, 4x4......, choose a calander to view (MyCalendar, Google Calender.....), how long time ahead, layout and colors as You like, transparancy, and it's free.
I guess if Your father is a former iPhone user, he does not know how a widget work, try to explain to him.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What exactly is google calendar, cant find it in the market. It would be great to have a calendar sync with my google account like my contacts as I've missed a couple of appointments when switching to a new phone and having no backup on calendar...
TB2 said:
Allright thanks everyone for the suggestions!
By the way... What is it with the "want an iphone, get an iphone" attitude in this forum.
C) Is it normal that the battery lasts about 1.5 days with no IM or SIP services running? Only a calendar and the shipped-with weather widget. Is there some hack to improve battery life beyond just turning all the features off?
D) He's having serious stability issues at times.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, glad CalenderPad worked out for your dad.
At times, android lovers seem to suffer from the Calimero effect
Your battery life could be a bit better, but not much. 1,5 days is considered normal, most of us have the goal to get through a full working day (and tinkering evening...) with one charge.
The stability issues are 90% Samsungs fault, because they did a less than perfect job on the software. HTC does a better job out of the box software wise. Indeed, a lagfix will most probably cure the symptoms, i have good experience with the Voodoo Lagfix. Instructions are easy, and can be found at project-voodoo.org.
To get rid of the Orange branding, you could flash an unbranded stock Samsung Rom from samfirmware.com (Link, you need to create an account for the link to work). The first time i flashed a ROM, it was nerving. But as long as you know how to get into recovery mode (and checked that Recovery Mode is available!) you should be fine. Just remember to disable/revert any lagfixes before flashing another ROM or Kernel to be safe.

My switch and why...plus some questions. Thanks.

Well, even though I actually don't have a problem with WinMo 6.5 outside of a few minor annoyances I've decided to make the switch over to Android...guessing NAND...though, still looking to here about WinMo 7...
I'm just noticing that there is more support and apps being developed for Android and the future of my HD2 suddenly shows more growth...have my fingers crossed waiting for Netflix to resolve the DRM issues they have with Android!
I was always waiting for a solid Android build that actually replaced WinMo (NAND is finally here). During that time I used WinMo and actually liked it. First thing I will miss is the customization. I don't think there's another Mobile OS that beats it in that department...and I REALLY like customizing.
I've been using Android more now and still don't understand how the NAND will work. Have read a lot...as far as installing, that won't be a problem with me. My questions start with customizing. Where will the media folder be? Is there a folder on the SD card that Android associates ring tones with? I make my own ringtones as mp3 files, so i need to know the structure of how Android handles media. WinMo was simple. Also, the Android build I was using did not support USB without major hickups...well...it just didn't work. I'm not going to assume all Android builds are like this, but can I expect Android to be able to link via USB and I can work with it as a storage device and create folders and organize in this manor?
I know you guys work hard and appreciate it, so please do not take this the wrong way. Which Android build is the most stable at this time with all features working? I ask this cuz I notice there tends to be some builds that come along much slower than others and bugs as well as a lack of hardware support can occur. Is there a build that's considered stable and all hardware is supported?
I've basically been trying to make Android provide the same experience as far as apps and ease of use I had with WinMo...I think I'm there.
Does Android have a set structure with Wallpapers...ringtones...documents and such? Example...does each file type have its own folder on the device or storage card in which Android associates the tools which manages them? I always keep my device clean and move all files to the card that don't NEED to be on the device. Is this possible with Android?
Android play well with Microsoft Docs?...Word?
I've always felt that Android ran smoother than WinMo 6.5. I noticed after a while it can get a little sluggish. Is Android like that? I believe Android is Linux base? I'm expecting memory management to better. On PC, I'm use to any Unix based OS to out perform WinAnything with resource management.
I also noticed something strange about some of these apps in the Android market. One, a lot of adds within the apps. Two, a lot of these apps tend to require access of priveledge areas that can be security risks...to make it worse you fine yourself saying why a browser would need access to anything else outside on internet and maybe GPS. Other apps have access to areas that make no sense to me.
Are their security issues with Android...it's market...or apps?
That's all i can think of now. Didn't have a moment to proof read, so please excuse me. Have to take care of a few things. be back shortly.
Thanks.
WOW! What can I say... Ditto. I love WinMo, but I'm fearful that I'm watching it's death rattle. Win Phone 7 seems like a illegitimate infant in a world of fast moving, focused, college freshmen (albeit, not the brightest).
I had a lot of reservations with switching from WM. Mainly related to the phone being able to handle work related stuff. So I too ran WM and android on SD. I must admit though, that after having run android for almost 2 months without loading WM, (I basically pretended I had bought a new phone and forgot all I could do with WM), I had figured out work-arounds and got it running more than sufficiently. The only problem I had was having to back-up the SD in fear of a random reboot corrupting the data.img. Now with NAND, it's no longer a problem. I can honestly say that the switch was easy, and I'm glad I no longer have winmo in my life.
IMO Android is a far superior OS, and I can't sing it's praises enough.
As for all the questions:
Media folder is built like this:
media
->audio
->->alarms
->->notifications
->->ringtones
->->ui
Different folders are available for their obvious uses (i.e. go into ringtone selection, and you don't get the ui folder listed).
USB is more than stable (for me at least), never had a problem since NAND. Having most stuff moved to SDCard the phone hates it when I plug it in as a disk drive, (widgets disappear etc.) but within a minute of unplugging it it's back to normal.
I personally feel the desire build are the best, however as for more stable? I believe we are reaching a plateau where stability is the norm. I have tried nexus builds, and have had no problems with them either, it's just personal taste. The HD builds (Desire HD Base) are a little more 'experimental' but with reading, you'll learn what works on each build, and what doesn't. Figure what's important to you, and check.
The best advice I can give is get hold of SPB Backup (For WM). Do a full backup. Then jump in at android's deep end. (After reading how obviously). If you don't like it, re-flash winmo, redo your backup, and it's like you never left. You won't regret it though.
Man I'd love to dump WM as well, bu I can't bear the thought of all the days going by where I can't be the dude on the bus who reboots into ubuntu to pass the time...sigh.
MattOG said:
The best advice I can give is get hold of SPB Backup (For WM). Do a full backup. Then jump in at android's deep end. (After reading how obviously). If you don't like it, re-flash winmo, redo your backup, and it's like you never left. You won't regret it though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Microsoft My Phone actually does fine with all the backup I need.
I'm still wondering about security issues. Example: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-20026804-83.html
Also, hit a bump in the road. It would seem that Android doesn't support the Mugen 2600 Extended battery!
The primary security issue with Android isn't Android or Linux, it's Google. Google's security is very problematical, Gmail has been hacked (as has Gmails security software) by someone.*
*Some think it's the Chinese government, the official Chinese response is, "No, it's just kids" but since all hacked accounts we know about have been dissidents, the government theory looks pretty solid....
The primary issue is NOT Google. It's the user.
If you're loading up banking apps on a device that you could lose, be stolen, or bluetooth hacked, then don't blame anyone but oneself.
I've yet to know anyone who's been phone-hacked if that's any consolation.
As a former hd2/android user Id have to say It makes the entire experience of the phone better.
I think it also depends on what you are use to. as far as customizing I would venture to say that there is just as much customization with winmo as there is android. Though id have to say I found myself looking for skins more often than not cause winmo was so ugly to me.
I enjoy having almost direct access to all my data without it having to look like winphone7.
As far as security I think its always been tighter because most people were on different types of phones. now that we have blackberrys and iphones and android phones I think possible viruses will show.
I believe google has a built in kill switch for rogue apps. Also if you buy apps from the legit market you should have no problem!
Ok two things that I'm trying not to get frustrated about before I put a little research into it...
First, why in the world does Android want to crop every image instead of using the entire image as a wallpaper?
I even have wallpapers that are the exact size of the display and Android still wants to crop a small portion of that image?....help please...
Second, why can't I get a simple widget or window dedicated to favorite contacts, such as sense in WinMo does without having to pay for it?
Android doesn't have a simple tool that allows you to setup a favs like Sense does in WinMo? There's this LaucherPro that wants to charge me to do so?
Thanks
Why does Photoshop Express require access to personal information, phone calls and full internet access?
Devils1stBorn said:
Why does Photoshop Express require access to personal information, phone calls and full internet access?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
checking the install notes It says
the only one that bothers me is the it reads contact info.
the phone state is different than phone info. it basically should shut down when you recieve a phone call. why it needs access to your contacts is why im uninstalling it.
I can also set basic contacts by long pressing a blank spot on the screen and selecting shortcuts>contacts>the actual contact.
wallpaper I believe if you set the picture with the proper resolution it shouldnt crop it
Devils1stBorn said:
Ok two things that I'm trying not to get frustrated about before I put a little research into it...
First, why in the world does Android want to crop every image instead of using the entire image as a wallpaper?
I even have wallpapers that are the exact size of the display and Android still wants to crop a small portion of that image?....help please...
Second, why can't I get a simple widget or window dedicated to favorite contacts, such as sense in WinMo does without having to pay for it?
Android doesn't have a simple tool that allows you to setup a favs like Sense does in WinMo? There's this LaucherPro that wants to charge me to do so?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. You can just expand the crop window so it encapsulates your entire wallpaper, if it indeed is in perfect size. Keep in mind the crop window is sized for 3 homescreens or 5 or however many you have, so if your perfect size is for just one screen (480x800) you'll have a bit of a problem there.
2. You can just place contacts on the desktop. That's the closest you'll get without paying for this in LauncherPro. While you're at it, even if you don't want to pay - get LauncherPro and replace the default Launcher already. You'll love its speed superiority immediately.
A lot of devs put permissions on to prevent possible problems, also, not sure if it relates to android, but I know some permissions are needed for things that you would not normally relate them to, possibly things like automatically pausing operations when a call comes in etc...
schunniky said:
1. You can just expand the crop window so it encapsulates your entire wallpaper, if it indeed is in perfect size. Keep in mind the crop window is sized for 3 homescreens or 5 or however many you have, so if your perfect size is for just one screen (480x800) you'll have a bit of a problem there.
2. You can just place contacts on the desktop. That's the closest you'll get without paying for this in LauncherPro. While you're at it, even if you don't want to pay - get LauncherPro and replace the default Launcher already. You'll love its speed superiority immediately.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I figured out the contacts on desktop, thanks though!
As for the wallpapers, I do try to expand the Window and it never completely encapsulates the entire image. I just dont get why Android doesn't allow the Wallpaper to remain static while your homescreens maneuver over it.

Buyers guide (Galaxy S2 review vs iPhone4)

Hi guys,
I thought i share my thoughts and experience with people who have not decided which phone to buy. Maybe my input will make the decision easier (or maybe it will confuse you even more hehe).
Also I am hoping people with Android experience maybe can assist me with some of my negative bullets. I'm very new to Android so i apologies for my mistakes in my so called review/comparison.
And lastly i dont want to start any fanboy android vs iOS. This is just my personal view of the two phones/OS'es. Its maybe a bit unfair since i been using iPhone for the last 3 years and Android for only a week but still some of the bullets are independent of that. Any how lets dig into it, First i take the negative side of SGII and next the positive sides.
(maybe my topic is a bit misleading but below some of the items are compared against iPhone but i wont write all the plus/negative for iPhone since the SGII list is already pretty big and i want to focus on SGII which i hope can replace my iPhone)
- When i exit USB mode (where i can access the SD card) i cant find a way to reconnect it without cable unplug->plug. Is there a way i missed?
- Browser doesnt word wrap the text/column so good on table tab. I had a side by side comparison with my iPhone4. On iphone the whole article including images are resized and the text is fully readable. On Galaxy S2 images are not resized and text is readable but just barely. So the whole screen real-state is not fully utilized with the lower resolution and bad browser formatting.I have tested Opera also but the whole word wrapping experience left a very bad taste in my mouth. It was the worst experience ever, the article jump up and down every 5 sec or so, i think the browser got confused for some reason and couldnt decide how to format the page (this was when double tapping).
- Default browser crashes (go to qj.net where i usually visit to read about games).
- Text selection is a pain sometimes. First problem is that in every app it behaves differently. Second problem is that the process to select a text isnt so smooth.
- Confused about task and background proceses that start magically! When using taskmanager i can see mostly 2-3 tasks there and this makes sense. Now using other task killers suddenly they show 10-15 tasks. I understand these are background task but its beyond me why some of them suddenly are there. Like Kies, this should never be started unless i am using Kies. I can see now why my battery goes dows so fast (well compared to iPhone again). Why is there so many tasks started and why cant i control them from vanila Android. This should be a must. I dont want to root my phone to do the basic settings.
- Pretty much all application is downloaded can only be installed on phone memory. Why doesnt Google enforce developers to adapt to new versions of Android is beyond me.
- I havent found a way to backup everything on the phone (including applications and their save data) to my pc/mac. Without this i dont like to experiment rooting and other shizzles.
- Apps are not as smooth and functional on GS2 compared to iPhone4. Ex: Tunein Radio, i cant skip to next song. Ex2: ign app (iphone) allow for daily videos while the Android version is very poorly done and dont have any videos. Feels like Everything works just a little better on iPhone compared to Android phones.This is something most people cant understand if they havent had iPhone for a long time i think.
- Slow battery charging. I usually start charing at around 20% battery left. In one hour GS2 reaches around 40-50% while iPhone goes to 80%
- Headset lacks volume + next/back track when playing music.
- Creating folder through Kies Air not possible. for ex in media make a folder called movies.
- Drag&Drop in Kies air missing.
- When uploading a file through Kies Air there should be a progress bar, now it just looks busy and you dont know if its uploading or it hangs.
Ok now to some good sides on the Galaxy S2:
+ Brilliant screen (even if i think resolution could be better)
+ Flexibility and open market for every sort of application. Much like windows here you can add more functionality and make the phone very personal.
+ Excellent codec support. It plays pretty much everything i through at it. Well done Samsung.
+ Very good camera (even better then iPhone i admit)
+ Very good video recording (also better then iPhone)
+ Very light
+ Feels pretty good in your hand (even though i’m afraid one day the backvocer will break, i had a Nokia N95 and one day the smal plastic edges broke when i was opening the cover. Same thing will happen ti GS2 i’m sure)
+ Expandibale uSD.
+ Very cool fearure called Kies Air where i can access most studd through browser. (this can also be added to minus since it doenst work perfectly everytime i tested but the potential is there)
+ Nice features like pinch effect for desktop + many nice widgets.
+ I think you can make proper call recording on SGII (CallRecorder) but havent confirmed myself yet.
Lastly i like to say SGII is a wonderful phone and i really really want to use it as my primary phone. The one thing i hope Samsung fixes that will make me more loyal to Android is the default browser. The text wrapping must be improved and the browser more stable. I like the smoothness of the default browser and this is the most used part of the phone and so far my iPhone is better but i hope 2.3.4 update maybe can improve this.
Any input, tips, tricks are welcome. I really appreciate your help.
Hopefully this will help you, at least in some areas (i numbered them in the order that you have used):
1) using developer mode at least (i prefer it as its faster and more compatible than samsung's stuff) you can mount/umount at will the card on the pc via the phone without unplugging
2) You may want to try Opera Mobile, it seems to do a very good job at this. I'd like to see this in the stock browser too, but hey, this is Android, you have the choice to change the browser if you like ;-)
3) Well, same thing I guess. 2.3.4 may improve stability but the rest, I don't know, I wouldn't bet on it. I like Firefox quite a bit as well, but text wrapping is odd on it.
4) Android issue =/
5) I wouldn't use any task killer. Check the active apps and uninstall any app that doesn't behave (keep only the ones you REALLY need that still do stuff in the background, like email etc, but not too many). Seems to work a zillion time better for battery life. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a decent way to enforce such a policy.
Regular background tasks are not necessarily ever active. It just means they're frozen in the background and do nothing. As long as they do nothing it's fine, it's just faster to start them again (instant, in fact). The issue is really when they're activating every XX minutes while in the background.
6)Doesn't matter, the recent samsung phones such as the SGS2 have a HUGE internal memory compared to other phones, you'll never have space issues for that imo.
7)Install a kernel with CWM and then, boot in recovery and run a nandroid backup. It will create the backups on your sdcard. Copy them to your PC. Also, copy /efs using tools or manually..
You can restore using a CWM kernel later on and nandroid restore.
You can also use stuff like TitaniumBackup, but it's not nearly as thorough as nandroid backup (which is doing basically disk images, while Titanium and other such apps just copy app/settings)
8)Trollish subject. Some apps are superior on Android, some are superior on iOS. Heh SGS2's browser speed eats my IP4 for breakfast for example. If the same Android app doesnt have the feature of the iOS app, complain to the dev or find another app.
9) it's true it's like that, nothing you can do about it (technically, something could be done but that's probably not wise at all)
10) Use another music player, such as PowerAmp if you like. There's (many, many) other possibilities as well. It also let you boost the volume higher than the stock max volume (although I find stock to be loud enough)
11) Don't use KIES air to do that then ;-)
12) Likewise. There are apps like KIES air, you might want to try them btw. Make a little search, I dont have the name in mind, but they do exist, others will probably point them out
13) I do get a progress bar that moves, maybe a browser issue. Anyway, see point 12)
Cheers for the answers and help. I write the comments inline below.
bilboa1 said:
Hopefully this will help you, at least in some areas (i numbered them in the order that you have used):
1) using developer mode at least (i prefer it as its faster and more compatible than samsung's stuff) you can mount/umount at will the card on the pc via the phone without unplugging
A: i did test this mode but it asked me to unplug the cable also, same thing for MTP. Dont you get that?
2) You may want to try Opera Mobile, it seems to do a very good job at this. I'd like to see this in the stock browser too, but hey, this is Android, you have the choice to change the browser if you like ;-)
A: As mentioned i already tested this. Opera does some things better and some things worse. For instance visiting one of my favorite sites like Engadget.com the whole page jump up and down when i zoom in a little. To be honest the stock + Opera feel very bad compared to iPhones browser. I hope Opera or Samsung improve on this area. This is the most used feature for me.
3) Well, same thing I guess. 2.3.4 may improve stability but the rest, I don't know, I wouldn't bet on it. I like Firefox quite a bit as well, but text wrapping is odd on it.
A: Lets hope so
4) Android issue =/
A:
5) I wouldn't use any task killer. Check the active apps and uninstall any app that doesn't behave (keep only the ones you REALLY need that still do stuff in the background, like email etc, but not too many). Seems to work a zillion time better for battery life. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a decent way to enforce such a policy.
Regular background tasks are not necessarily ever active. It just means they're frozen in the background and do nothing. As long as they do nothing it's fine, it's just faster to start them again (instant, in fact). The issue is really when they're activating every XX minutes while in the background.
A: Yes true, i think Android just shows to much info for regular user. I have to see past the background tasks perhaps. Also some appz you can not remove like the hubs and such. Sure i can root and hack but i'm not so interested to do so just yet. Maybe when i'm a bit more user and understand Android better
6)Doesn't matter, the recent samsung phones such as the SGS2 have a HUGE internal memory compared to other phones, you'll never have space issues for that imo.
A: Actually i got over 12Gig of Appz on my iPhone so 16Gig (or actually 12Gig which is free) isnt all to much when you have navigator (3,5Gig) and games and blogs and such. But sure its enought for a time to come. The bottom line is Google must be tougher with the market otherwise the fragmentation will just grow.
7)Install a kernel with CWM and then, boot in recovery and run a nandroid backup. It will create the backups on your sdcard. Copy them to your PC. Also, copy /efs using tools or manually..
You can restore using a CWM kernel later on and nandroid restore.
You can also use stuff like TitaniumBackup, but it's not nearly as thorough as nandroid backup (which is doing basically disk images, while Titanium and other such apps just copy app/settings)
A: Thanks for the tips, i will write it down. As said i dont dare yet to mess with hacking but soon i was actually considering using the TitaniumB , hear its easy to use.
8)Trollish subject. Some apps are superior on Android, some are superior on iOS. Heh SGS2's browser speed eats my IP4 for breakfast for example. If the same Android app doesnt have the feature of the iOS app, complain to the dev or find another app.
A: I'm noob on what is there on the market so i'm sure there are many awesome apps on Android but when comparing the same app on Android vs iOS the Android was inferior. That was what i was comparing.
Another thing i dont really experience is the speed. To be honest i dont see such a huge speed difference when using my Wlan at home. But maybe you are right
9) it's true it's like that, nothing you can do about it (technically, something could be done but that's probably not wise at all)
A: I guess your right. On the other hand it could be possible a fw update could adjust some values for the current input, this could be a software limitation also i think. Lets hope
10) Use another music player, such as PowerAmp if you like. There's (many, many) other possibilities as well. It also let you boost the volume higher than the stock max volume (although I find stock to be loud enough)
A:Thanks for the tips will test this. Actually this is same thing as the copy/paste issue. I expect the behaviour to be the same no matter application (coming from iOS) but here it seems its application to application. This offer more freedom to developers for sure but it will also generate crapy software and result in a bad user experience. It would be so much better if there were a set of rules that all developers should follow on certain areas (this one is one such area).
11) Don't use KIES air to do that then ;-)
A: hehe true but this is the official way so i thought it should have been well tested and all
12) Likewise. There are apps like KIES air, you might want to try them btw.
Make a little search, I dont have the name in mind, but they do exist, others will probably point them out
A: Will do.
13) I do get a progress bar that moves, maybe a browser issue. Anyway, see point 12)
A: Strange, have to test again on IE which i hate, i use Firefox only. Also tested Safari on my mac.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks again for your input mate. Back to play more with my GSII
Applications can also be installed on the external sd card.
Applications and I also believe their user data are backed up on google server. So if you factory reset the phone and sync with google, it will download all previous apps.
About the slow charging - are you on old firmware version or do you charge over USB?
Creating a folder through kies air is not possible, that is correct. To be honest I am happy that there is even an app which allows to copy media etc. over wifi, you know there are phones which don't have that, for example the iPhone.
All apps I am using are working fine. If an app is not stable it's developer's fault, not the phone.
Ios is from 2007.. android 09.. 1-2 years between them. just think how far android have gone the last year.. give it 2 years and then compare it to iphone 4 in it current state.. well yes i know android is older.. but the initial realse was around 08-09 and IOS june - 07.
and yes.. so far iphone fits those who just want it to work better.. that means ppl not that used to computers etc.
and currently i dont own an iphone but i got a first generation ipod touch.. and yes even that stoneage IOS thing does alot of things better then my S2..
bah but this iphone vs android is getting old its a subject that can go on forever and ever..
well ill stick with my laggy android.. well i've been told by my iphony friends that its laggy.. i just dont see it
vampyren said:
Hi guys,
Any input, tips, tricks are welcome. I really appreciate your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice overview.
IMO S2 is the best phone on the market now. But due to appl's hype, n matter what hardware specs they release, the iphone will always be superior to ANY phone. They could release an iphone with 1st gen hardware, and it will still make more sales than sgs2.
But, slowly more and more ppl are moving towards androi, and apple are losing sales. they even copied bb and android in ios 5..
Also coming from an iPhone 4 to the GS2 I can safely say that I don't miss the iPhone at all which I thought I would.
Having owned a Nexus S in the past and feeling a bit bewildered as there was a lot of stuff within the OS which felt unpolished and unfinished and now 2.3.3 is like night and day for that and it feels much more like a complete OS to me.
@OP give it time there will be a lot of things you can do with your new phone which would require rooting on your iPhone 4
The world of apps and widgets and customization is at your finger tips so jump right in and enjoy
My phone is running ADW Launcher EX with 90% icon dock size, 5x5 grid for homescreen, transparent drawer and miui weather
The only thing you might miss is the app store and iTunes integration (if you use it), other than that the Galaxy S II has it beaten quite comfortably.
@zxz0O0:
OOH that is cool , i think some option about it but didnt think it was what i thought it was nice to have it confirmed. Then this is pretty much what Apple is adding into iOS now with the cloud thing. Pretty cool Android has it already. By the way why do people use program like TitaniumBackup when there is google sync ? is there any limitation to the cloud backup? will all games data, programs data, settings be backed up or just Android OS stuff?
About FW i use the latest i think KE7 i think its called but i read there is a new one coming out next week so hoping for better battery life.
And your last point is something we can debate about for a long time but my view is that if you dont have strict rules developers do what ever they want and can let their app go without update. On the other hand if Google enforce some guideline like having option to install to SD card developers must go by that or their application is removed from market. In the end users will benefit and the platform will grow. But this is my view alone.
@olyloh6696:
I dont think its just hype really. I mean we are comparing a year old phone to SGII here and they are pretty much head to head in most scenarios i tested. But i see your point and i do agree that Android has a charm about it. I love the moving background, i love the whole flexibility to do what you want with the interface. Specially SGII's support for codecs so i dont have to spend 2 day re-encoding all my movies etc. So there are definatley benefits with Android but iOS has the benefit to be easy and working perfectly with the functions it offers from the get go. I think its a matter of preference and more advanced users will move to Android (a bit like me).
@daleski75:
Yupp i think i just need to play with it more and get used to the eco system
I think i will harass Opera developers to fix the formatting thing on the webpages now
Thanks for your input guys, gonna go out and take a walk now, later.
There are also many other good browsers, xscope, miren and dolphin hd to name a few, they all have their own way to format the page and all are pretty good many have different options too for formatting and text wrapping (I believe the default samsung browser also has some options)
also I believe google sync doesnt save all app data (eg angry birds progress is not saved)
That is correct...Google Sync doesn't backup app data (like your Angry Birds scores). This is where Titanium Backup (commonly abbreviated to as TiBu) comes in. It "sort of" does cloud backup (via Dropbox), but its strength really shows when you start installing/changing/updating custom ROMs. Typically, it's used to backup your apps and their data to a folder on your SD card. I can also do some pretty advanced stuff that you probably wouldn't use much (if at all). In my view, the strength is it's ability to deal with batch jobs. For example, before installing a new ROM, I backup all user installed applications (non-protected ones, anyway) with only a couple clicks. Restoring is just as easy, provided you have the paid version (it allows for hands-off batch restore of your apps). Another cool feature it has is "freezing" apps. Say you root your phone and may want to clean some carrier crapware off of it, but aren't *totally* sure. You can freeze those apps...they stay installed and can be defrosted at any time, but they won't be available for use until you do.
Also, I agree with you that a lot of iOS apps are much better than their Android counterparts. I believe this is the case for one main reason: there are tons of people using Android and tons of people on iPhones...you can essentially count on one hand the number of iOS phones Apple has to support, and they are all sold by Apple. Now, look at the number of Android phones and devices and their individual specifications...that makes developing apps for Android pretty complicated. Devs have to take into account different CPUs, memory limitations, and the biggie--SCREEN DIFFERENCES! However, I like being able to run an app developed for a phone on my Honeycomb tablet. Yeah, it may be ugly (not necessarily), but it almost always works! I have a network tool I use that only shows up on about 1/6th the screen of my tab, but I don't care...it still does the job.
Don't forget another important aspect of the Android vs. Apple thing...Apple has control of their devices and their operating systems, and the cell phone carriers don't have control over when Apple releases an update. On the Android side, you have some manufacturers that are prompt with getting an update ready, and those who abandon their devices after they leave the store shelf. Not only that, but those who do release updates, and most do, have to deal with the likes of AT&T and Verizon and everyone else here in the US. Each company wants a ROM customized only for them, and sometimes the manufacturers actually have to pay the cell companies to push out updates. This is what causes the splintering of Android, but openness is what gives it its strengths.
As a general rule, I find that the more "techy" people like the Android OS, since you can customize it and tweak it like crazy. Those who aren't quite as savvy will probably like iOS more (there's less to screw up and they all look the same). Please don't flame me for saying that...it's just a general observation that has many exceptions.
Well that's my two cents. Maybe it will be helpful in some way? <*schrugs*>
Brad
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA Premium App
There is no practical comparison possible between the mentioned phones.
Appreciate the explanation brad, TB is a nice tool indeed
Just one point, In regard to customization i can pretty do anything also when i jailbreak the iphone which is even simpler then rooting Android and what all techies do anyway with their Android phones
But i agree Android has its charm with the more open eco system.
The 2 area i wish to have before it gets perfect is the browsing and more resolution for the big ass screen (4.3)

[Suggestion] Rom testing protocol.

In short: The main purpose is to create a list of testing protocols to prevent time and brain lost, which could maximized the efficiency/chance of create a most stable rom and minimized the bugs and bragging sound from tester.
Today just check in the forum, got a fancy idea through my mind.
After seeing many tester having trouble with new rom and some apps can't open or FC or whatsoever, May be we need to build out a testing protocol such as like set a test range, from apps to game, from system to UI, from camera to video, to provide convenient list of test standard for developers. (I mean the testing plan/protocol)
I'm not bragging about our developers are careless or something like that, they are amazing but still human, and sometimes they need to rush out the rom for the other but accidently slip through their mind, therefore need to spend extra time to create hotfix or upload entire rom again to the cloud. Plus, we can gather many tester perspective to united in one plan, therefore we can eliminate the smallest bugs as possible.
My first roughly plan of testing standard, just a roughly examples of the list, not my real consideration. But If everyone is supporting this plan, everyone can contribute which apps should be test and which apps are always got problem and need to keep in check list.
Apps:
flash light
operamini
astro
barnacle wifi
Gapps:
market
Gmail
youtube
Gmaps
gallery
G+
Launcher:
launcher pro
launcher 7
ADW EX
hardware:
back key
volume key
power key
center key
camera key
system apps:
setting apk
timescape apk
alarm apk
So, any thought?
thanx a lot
evildante said:
thanx a lot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gosh it just an example list alright? I need many people and dev to approve and helps so i/we can put the real effort on it.
Good idea!
I understand that chefs have a lot of things very complicated to test.
Here are some items that I always test when I try new roms:
- Web browser without flash player.
- Web browser with flash player.
- Sending SMS / MMS (very important for me).
- Pictures in all resolutions.
- Install apps from the Market (facebook is often a source of problems).
- Stability of the 3G / wifi.
- Responsiveness to enter menus and screens.
LOOK ,
This is approved
But your whole idea is that devs forget some useful things
Ure right devs do forget WiFi tether and astro ...
But including them increases the ROM size . Not a very big issue
I really don't get you buddy
sent from my Android powered smart phone
Flash light? What do you mean? Using the phone as a flashlight or photography flash?
I had a Mitsubishi phone once, that had such a bright blue screen, you could use it for a flashlight, and the X10's screen is great in the dark as one, too.
MMS/SMS, 3G/H/E, phone calls, import of vcf files for contacts, restore of apps and data with either TI or MyBackup, Bluetooth stack. Camera, Gallery, Music. Some sort of standard email/some standard sync. Anything else is a problem with the app.
spaarc said:
LOOK ,
This is approved
But your whole idea is that devs forget some useful things
Ure right devs do forget WiFi tether and astro ...
But including them increases the ROM size . Not a very big issue
I really don't get you buddy
sent from my Android powered smart phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look, i like this idea. The devs are not god, they are human. I hope you get what i mean.
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
Yup I do get you ,
But nothin good work
sent from my Android powered smart phone
spaarc said:
Yup I do get you ,
But nothin good work
sent from my Android powered smart phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just what do you mean by that?
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
Thanks
Thanks for your suggestion

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