I have an AT&T branded Focus. I am disgusted at how AT&T has been blocking the pre-NoDo update. I don't particularly want to have this crap at every update.
Are any devs working on a any way of flashing a generic rom & getting rid of the AT&T branding?
I hope we can find a way of getting out from under the carrier's thumbs....
SR
No one is working on anything like that. You can check the Focus Windows Phone 7 Development, and its empty.
any working link?
blade725 said:
any working link?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no and there won't be any.
I personally have no clue about where do these ROMs come from, but I'm wondering just why no one is working on the Focus?
Is it really that difficult to crack open, considering that Omnia 7 which is mostly the same has seen a number of ROMs by now.
sydneyrodgers said:
I have an AT&T branded Focus. I am disgusted at how AT&T has been blocking the pre-NoDo update. I don't particularly want to have this crap at every update.
Are any devs working on a any way of flashing a generic rom & getting rid of the AT&T branding?
I hope we can find a way of getting out from under the carrier's thumbs....
SR
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am a bit confused:
1. Why do you want the pre-NoDo update so badly? It doesn't add function you can feel or see. I would be upset if AT&T blocked a major functional update, but I can forgive AT&T on this one.
2. AT&T branding? Really? You can uninstall all AT&T apps, and the focus is as vanilla as they come.
I had other AT&T-branded smartphone devices (the latest being Samsung Captivate), and it's much worse on the Android side: (1) can't uninstall any of the AT&T Crapware, and (2) SW updates came VERY slowly. Only after Android 2.3 Gingerbread (Nexus S) was was out, we got our 2.2 Froyo updates.
It's a good thing Android is open-source and we had custom ROMs to address these problems though.
Right now I don't recommend the Samsung Focus to anyone. This is the only WP7 that do not have any support at all. The only good thing it have is that it is a good looking phone with SAmoled Screen, nothing more. I really regret the day I bough this Crap phone. My next phone will be HTC. HTC owners don't have the same problems Samsung Focus owners are getting. I really don't recommend to experiment with this phone if you don't know what you are doing. You will end with a brick. Also this phone come loaded with a lot of ATT crapware that cannot be removed.
ASPTHEONE said:
Right now I don't recommend the Samsung Focus to anyone. This is the only WP7 that do not have any support at all. The only good thing it have is that it is a good looking phone with SAmoled Screen, nothing more. I really regret the day I bough this Crap phone. My next phone will be HTC. HTC owners don't have the same problems Samsung Focus owners are getting. I really don't recommend to experiment with this phone if you don't know what you are doing. You will end with a brick. Also this phone come loaded with a lot of ATT crapware that cannot be removed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@ASPTHEONE, did you not read the post above yours? You can remove the ATT apps. I have gotten rid of all of mine.
boot screen is still there.
Plus when you 'uninstall' an app, it just hides the shortcut, the files are still there.
The major issue with Samsung Focus is that it has a lot of issues that can be traced back to the crappy ROM/Firmware and since there aren't any ROMs available online (not even stock AT&T ROMs), people like me who own a Focus and aren't in the US are screwed.
Yea im from Australia and its not the best
Vico100 said:
boot screen is still there.
Plus when you 'uninstall' an app, it just hides the shortcut, the files are still there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How often do you stare at the boot screen? Having had the Focus for only a few days, I don't know the ins and outs of the WP7, but it doesn't bother me that the AT&T Crapware isn't uninstalled physically. Are you that desperate to recoup that space? It can't be more than a few MB/app, but I'd be happy to stand corrected if a bigger chunk of FS space can be reclaimed.
By the way, if you hate the AT&T/Samsung so much, I am a little confused as to why you bought the phone, especially when it's intended for the US market, not the Australian.
UzEE said:
The major issue with Samsung Focus is that it has a lot of issues that can be traced back to the crappy ROM/Firmware and since there aren't any ROMs available online (not even stock AT&T ROMs), people like me who own a Focus and aren't in the US are screwed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I sympathize with you, but I don't know how you attribute the issues to the crappy ROM from Samsung. For WP7, there isn't a whole lot of latitude in terms of what an OEM can do to a WP7 ROM. It's tightly controlled by Microsoft.
Also, if you bought a phone from another market (i.e. the Focus is for only AT&T), you assumed that risk and knew what you were getting into. Neither Samsung nor AT&T has any obligation to enable the customer to reflash the phone.
I work in the telecom industry and every OEM is nervous about the end user flashing the phones. They get penalized financially for each device that gets returned to AT&T, and the vast majority of the returns are from an incorrect flashing procedure and/or unapproved ROMs. You can't blame the OEM, MS or AT&T for making it difficult for the end users to flash unapproved ("custom") ROMs.
Enigma00 We need people who can really say something useful. You are acting like if you where the police. He bought the phone because he like it and is not available on his country. AT&T loads the phones with crap-ware everybody knows that. Look the Android phones like the Captivate is fully loaded with the AT&T Crapware and the Windows Phones are not exception. I think you work for AT&T. Get use to people returning the phones because the AT&T crapware make them to try another ROM.
enigma00 said:
I sympathize with you, but I don't know how you attribute the issues to the crappy ROM from Samsung. For WP7, there isn't a whole lot of latitude in terms of what an OEM can do to a WP7 ROM. It's tightly controlled by Microsoft.
Also, if you bought a phone from another market (i.e. the Focus is for only AT&T), you assumed that risk and knew what you were getting into. Neither Samsung nor AT&T has any obligation to enable the customer to reflash the phone.
I work in the telecom industry and every OEM is nervous about the end user flashing the phones. They get penalized financially for each device that gets returned to AT&T, and the vast majority of the returns are from an incorrect flashing procedure and/or unapproved ROMs. You can't blame the OEM, MS or AT&T for making it difficult for the end users to flash unapproved ("custom") ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung Focus is an exception. It is the only phone which supports MicroSD cards so it manages available memory differently. And most of the issues Focus owners are having are because of that. Even though I didn't ever insert a memory card into the Focus, it crashed while I was installing an app and never recovered.
I did know there was a risk getting a foreign phone and I obviously don't expect AT&T or Samsung to just hand over the ROMs. That's why I came to XDA in the first place. Seeking help from the community.
UzEE said:
I personally have no clue about where do these ROMs come from, but I'm wondering just why no one is working on the Focus?
Is it really that difficult to crack open, considering that Omnia 7 which is mostly the same has seen a number of ROMs by now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's probably not that difficult but who is going to spend any time on a phone that doesn't do much out of the box, has a small user base that isn't going to get any larger and runs a system that Microsoft threatens to either change or grind into the dirt (which may be the same thing) any moment? Obviously the answer is "no one" or there would be something available. Personally, I see Microsoft's total inaction as pretty much rendering the Focus obsolete. It's a shame, it's decent hardware, but the system and software support are abysmal. Worse than Windows Mobile, even, and I didn't think that was possble.
ASPTHEONE said:
Right now I don't recommend the Samsung Focus to anyone. This is the only WP7 that do not have any support at all. The only good thing it have is that it is a good looking phone with SAmoled Screen, nothing more. I really regret the day I bough this Crap phone. My next phone will be HTC. HTC owners don't have the same problems Samsung Focus owners are getting. I really don't recommend to experiment with this phone if you don't know what you are doing. You will end with a brick. Also this phone come loaded with a lot of ATT crapware that cannot be removed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You mean HTC phones ARE getting support? I totally gave up on WP7, I have no intention of ever buying another Microsoft mobile device and haven't bothered checking any of the other phone forums so I really don't know what kind of support they get from here, HTC or anyone else. I assumed they were as screwed as Focus owners are.
FWIW, I wouldn't worry to much about being asked about the Focus. I've tried to give mine away at the office and among friends and it's still sitting on my desk, collecting dust. My guess is it'll be in the local landfill in a few more days just because I'm tired of looking at it and being reminded that I actually paid full price for this literally worthless piece of ****.
@ markgamber
I totally understand your frustration with WP7, but find it hard to believe you can't give it away. Bit of a exaggeration I suspect because who would turn down a free phone. If someone offered me a Focus for free what do I have to lose, since I paid nothing for it MS can take as long as they want to update it.
Throwing it away after you've paid for it what's the point? Sure it will give you a few minutes of satisfaction but you will still be out the cash. When NoDo does come out & then Mango who knows you may fall in love with the phone again. I wouldn't buy the phone again or recommend it to anyone, but you already have it so what's done is done.
markgamber said:
I've tried to give mine away at the office and among friends and it's still sitting on my desk, collecting dust. My guess is it'll be in the local landfill in a few more days just because I'm tired of looking at it and being reminded that I actually paid full price for this literally worthless piece of...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I have several HTC Tornado WM 6.x phones, docs, chargers and accessories that I will trade you straight across for your Focus. I am not going back. I will even ship an envelope with return postage.
enigma00 said:
My guess is it'll be in the local landfill in a few more days just because I'm tired of looking at it and being reminded that I actually paid full price for this literally worthless piece of ****.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll be more than happy to take it off your hands, if you really want to part with it
At last HTC WP7 owners are getting a lot better support for their phones than Sammy Focus Phones. They got Custom Roms, and the updates of the OS works. On the Sammy Phones not even the Officials Updates Works. I regret the day I was blinded by the beautiful Super Amoled of the Focus!!
My point was somewhat lost in the discussion. According to Rafael Rivera, the wp7 guru who tracked down the data leak problem, an unbranded phone will receive updates from MS when they are released. Phones branded by a carrier will receive the pre-update when the carrier allows it. That is why Rogers Focuses received the pre-update & ATT Focuses did not. I would like to flash a non-branded firmware into my Focus & get future updates when MS releases them & not when ATT feels like it.
I was wondering if there was any way of tracking down an unbranded Focus rom & flashing my phone.
SR
Related
AT&T officially announced that the Samsung Captivate, AT&T's version of the Galaxy S, is coming soon. They haven't released an official date of price as of yet, but the good thing is that AT&T is finally getting a good android phone with specs that are current and not already a year old.
http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/devices/samsung-captivate.jsp
More to oogle over:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/22/exclusive-samsung-captivate-for-atandt-preview/
Although it's just an test model
tysj said:
More to oogle over:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/22/exclusive-samsung-captivate-for-atandt-preview/
Although it's just an test model
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the fact that their preview unit had a non-hummingbird 800mhz core and was notably sluggish has me a little worried.
so long as there isnt some sort of bait and switch and the final product keeps the hummingbird, then so be it... i am just curious why the 200mhz drop makes such a difference (i know the chipset is part of it, but still).
we shall see. but between it being in the wild and possible root access (to certain kernels) already, im pretty excited.
*nevermind*
I am getting one
Can't wait for them to release it.
I'm glad I found out about it, I almost got an Aria. But this... it's just badass. I have to have it.
I too am holding off on getting an Aria until I learn more about the Captivate. Problem is I've read from many people on various sites and forums that:
1) Samsung's build quality isn't as good as HTC
2) Samsung does have a history of NOT updating their Android devices, where as HTC has said all 2010 phones will get Froyo
I'd LOVE to get the Captivate, but if it's not going to get updates then I'd rather have a phone that does. Sure I could root and hack the rom with a 2.2 rom but that comes with its own set of potential issues.
mkoby said:
I too am holding off on getting an Aria until I learn more about the Captivate. Problem is I've read from many people on various sites and forums that:
1) Samsung's build quality isn't as good as HTC
2) Samsung does have a history of NOT updating their Android devices, where as HTC has said all 2010 phones will get Froyo
I'd LOVE to get the Captivate, but if it's not going to get updates then I'd rather have a phone that does. Sure I could root and hack the rom with a 2.2 rom but that comes with its own set of potential issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd be willing to bet the next build of Android after Froyo will be available by the end of the year or early next year, so Froyo will be old news by this time next year. I plan to at least root my Captivate when I get it, and let's face it, I'll probably flash it. I mean, what's the point of an open-source OS if you're afraid to take advantage of it and mod it? User customizations are kind of the biggest selling point of open-source aren't they? Might as well get an iPhone if you want to wait for official updates. Just my 2 cents.
tonyc0642 said:
I'd be willing to bet the next build of Android after Froyo will be available by the end of the year or early next year, so Froyo will be old news by this time next year. I plan to at least root my Captivate when I get it, and let's face it, I'll probably flash it. I mean, what's the point of an open-source OS if you're afraid to take advantage of it and mod it? User customizations are kind of the biggest selling point of open-source aren't they? Might as well get an iPhone if you want to wait for official updates. Just my 2 cents.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand your point. I use Linux daily so I'm up on Open Source software.
But it's been my experience that sometimes waiting for official updates is better than hacking the device yourself. Now, with that said, I will probably almost certainly at some point root, flash, and hack on the device.
I'd personally like to know that Samsung intends to "futureproof" (for lack of a better word) their latest devices with official updates (unlike the past). To me offering official OS updates when they become available shows that a company cares about it's customers and isn't just ignoring the updates in hopes that they'll upgrade to the latest $200 device they just released.
mkoby said:
I understand your point. I use Linux daily so I'm up on Open Source software.
But it's been my experience that sometimes waiting for official updates is better than hacking the device yourself. Now, with that said, I will probably almost certainly at some point root, flash, and hack on the device.
I'd personally like to know that Samsung intends to "futureproof" (for lack of a better word) their latest devices with official updates (unlike the past). To me offering official OS updates when they become available shows that a company cares about it's customers and isn't just ignoring the updates in hopes that they'll upgrade to the latest $200 device they just released.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. I've also heard bad things in the past about Samsung's updates, or lack thereof. But I think in the case of the Captivate, it will also fall on At&t's shoulders to provide and distribute the update, would it not?
tonyc0642 said:
Agreed. I've also heard bad things in the past about Samsung's updates, or lack thereof. But I think in the case of the Captivate, it will also fall on At&t's shoulders to provide and distribute the update, would it not?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it will be a joint effort on both of their parts, yes.
there is a lot of burned customers in the samsung camp after they repeatedly screwed them by promising updates and then not delivering, so i get the apprehension and avoidance there. personally, though, with a device this nice i will definitely be flashing a custom ROM.
i find no need to lock myself out of features or deal with unnecessary carrier bloatware if i dont have to, and i much prefer the design of most custom ROMs. in this light, people that follow suit will not really be at samsung/att's mercy for updates... so long as there is custom dev support, there will be new updates to install.
that being said, to jump on this device and this carrier with no plans to flash custom ROMs could be considered a gamble, given both of their track records with android... but, from what has been seen, this could be a fresh approach to the OS and sammy/att might do just fine.
i guess we'll see... im just not letting the decision rest in their hands, personally.
Does anyone know if the final build of the phone will have LED flash for camera?
This looks like a great phone to buy. I have unlimited net on my ATT plan so i would love to upgrade from my FUZE to Captivate.
willthebill said:
Does anyone know if the final build of the phone will have LED flash for camera?
This looks like a great phone to buy. I have unlimited net on my ATT plan so i would love to upgrade from my FUZE to Captivate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
all press and images so far indicate that it does NOT have flash NOR a front facing camera, unfortunately :/
the up swing on the camera is that is has good quality and good accessible settings, as well as a night mode for well lit shots in dark environments.
there is another thread about the camera and flash around here with comparison shots between regular and night mode and it is pretty impressive.
I could be wrong, but I don't think AT&T does much in providing updates.
I'm on an old AT&T Tilt, (and an anxious for the Captivate), and have gone down the ROM route (of course this is WinMO), and after messing with 3=4 different highly touted rom builds, I ultimately ended up on the original ROM. Seems custom flashes quite often, well, for the ones I picked anyway, ended up with the developer moving on.
So I am hoping that Samsung supports this. I don't hold much hope for getting updates from AT&T. It would be interesting if others inform us that AT&T does better than I expect.
keener31 said:
all press and images so far indicate that it does NOT have flash NOR a front facing camera, unfortunately :/
the up swing on the camera is that is has good quality and good accessible settings, as well as a night mode for well lit shots in dark environments.
there is another thread about the camera and flash around here with comparison shots between regular and night mode and it is pretty impressive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wow. i didnt even notice that it DIDNT have a front face camera....very disappointed now. I think i'll look for the Galaxy without ATT logo on it if the final build has no front face camera. I was willing to deal with the lack of flash because the built in 16gig memory chip. Now i know ATT will do all possible to cripple perfectly good phones and dumb down Android OS.
The only thing left is to wait and see what the final specs will be. If they cripple the phone more then i'll be switching over to Sprint and getting the modified Galaxy Pro.
*crossing fingers*
Theres a post in this same forum about "night mode" which will increase exposure and allow more light to reach the lens. It actually looks quite better than flash. Also, I have a front facing camera on my phone, and I only use it sometimes as a mirror. Do you have a better intended use for it? ATT doesn't have video calling, and new iphone doesnt have true video calls on it either.
caelestis2 said:
Theres a post in this same forum about "night mode" which will increase exposure and allow more light to reach the lens. It actually looks quite better than flash. Also, I have a front facing camera on my phone, and I only use it sometimes as a mirror. Do you have a better intended use for it? ATT doesn't have video calling, and new iphone doesnt have true video calls on it either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, those night pics in that post look pretty nice. I'm hoping as long as you're not taking a picture in total blackness, it won't be too bad.
The lack of a front camera is disappointing, but I'm guessing that true videoconferencing won't be a reality till we get LTE, which probably won't be widespread till late 2011/early 2012, so I'll just wait till the next generation phone to do so.
My biggest worry is AT&T crippling the phone, and not just software-wise; I got a Nokia E71x after I lost my E71. The AT&T version got rid of the onboard FM radio, and prevented reprogramming the buttons. The Galaxy S has FM radio, if they delete it from the Captivate, I'm taking my business elsewhere.
caelestis2 said:
Theres a post in this same forum about "night mode" which will increase exposure and allow more light to reach the lens. It actually looks quite better than flash. Also, I have a front facing camera on my phone, and I only use it sometimes as a mirror. Do you have a better intended use for it? ATT doesn't have video calling, and new iphone doesnt have true video calls on it either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/messaging-internet/media-entertainment/attvideoshare.jsp
It's not about true video calling through the carrier. The OS provides apps that will allow you to use video chat no matter the device/carrier you're contacting. That's why it's a bit crazy that they'll remove it.
P.S.
This is the first ATT branded phone i'm actually excited about getting since 2005 lol. I actually bought the FUZE from ebay just because it was $200 on ebay last year.
cant wait for this to come out! def gonna be in line for one haha
willthebill said:
http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/messaging-internet/media-entertainment/attvideoshare.jsp
It's not about true video calling through the carrier. The OS provides apps that will allow you to use video chat no matter the device/carrier you're contacting. That's why it's a bit crazy that they'll remove it.
P.S.
This is the first ATT branded phone i'm actually excited about getting since 2005 lol. I actually bought the FUZE from ebay just because it was $200 on ebay last year.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The video share thing is only with certain phones, I think they wont spend the investment to port it to galaxy s. It also only allows one way streaming. AT&T never thinks about us technical users, only non-technical consumers and from that standpoint since they don't have fully functional over the network video calling, why include a front camera?
iPhone's been out for a long time, thats why theres only crappy phones on ATT now. That's about to change thanks to adverts for droid forcing att into the fold.
I read in another forum that they thought rooting of the AT&T Captivate is unlikely, due to its difference from Galaxy S, and that AT&T would prevent that.
Comments?
unlikely....but until someone versed in the skill of rooting gets his hands on the Captivate, it's all speculation i.e. pointless.
I don't think it will make much difference. Sure, ATT tends to lock their devices down... But, that is normally on a general user basis. Think about the iCrap - they were still able to be jailbroken, etc.
If a method of "Root" is found for any of the Galaxy S devices I would think that same method would work on all of them.
However, this is just my opinion and like the previous post stated - until we get one in hand we can't be 100% sure.
As far as the Captivate being a lot different from the other Galaxy S devices... Samsung is pushing to have a "Galaxy S" device on all carriers and in 110 countries. There will most likely be some small differences among the devices. However, it wouldn't seem likely that they would be different enough that one ROM couldn't be used for several different models. Take a look at what CyanogenMod did with their ROM's - slight differences allow for them to be used on two HTC devices and the Motorola Droid. Most Desire/N1 ROMS are almost interchangeable.
If the Galaxy S is anywhere NEAR as successful as Samsung is hoping there will be a LOT of people wanting root and custom ROMS.
Galaxy S Rooted
www.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s-rooted-it-aint-easy
Galaxy S rooted. Good new for Captivate...Hopefully.
The HTC Aria has already been rooted, too. So I don't expect it would take long for the Captivate. Wonder if the addition of the gyroscope would make things more difficult
Only other thing I'd like to see then after the root is a rom to load that is the original, in case of warranty needs.
I am torn between an AT&T Nexus One and a Captivate.
I want to stay with AT&T because the wife loves her iphone. The Captivate would be much cheaper via an upgrade but I dont think I want it if its not going to be able to be rooted.
I am going to wait a couple of weeks and see how the scene looks before jumping on it the first day its available.
Rooting
ewingr said:
Only other thing I'd like to see then after the root is a rom to load that is the original, in case of warranty needs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the way I understand it. you create a backup during the rooting process. So you can restore to original.
Thanks
tysj said:
The HTC Aria has already been rooted, too. So I don't expect it would take long for the Captivate. Wonder if the addition of the gyroscope would make things more difficult
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't have a gyroscope. It has a "six-axis accelerometer" that acts like one. I don't think this is a significant change.
dsjr2006 said:
It doesn't have a gyroscope. It has a "six-axis accelerometer" that acts like one. I don't think this is a significant change.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why are you trading up from N1 to Captivate? N1 is still a really good phone. i hear customization for this phone will take some time before it releases. it took nearly two month to release custom rom for Galaxy S the Euro Version. I think i might wait for the captivate until i there is a good rom to run on.
I also hear that samsung will prevent future updates. in the news froyo will be released but looking at the history of previous android samsung phones, they might not release the update and make customers buy a new equipment.
Also due to some driver encryption, only rom we can customize is the version samsung releases. I hope i am wrong about this cuz i want this phone. but i don't want to buy now and have a outdated phone six month later. Phones like N1 will have new custom rom every time goggle release an update. I also like to get a N1 but ATT version is so expensive.
Ummmm...has anyone forgotten that Samsung has been more cooperative and timely in releasing their kernel and driver source code than most (all?) of their competitors?
I present Exhibit 1 for the SGS:
http://opensource.samsung.com/reception/reception_main.do?searchValue=i9000&method=reception_search
Balthazar B said:
Ummmm...has anyone forgotten that Samsung has been more cooperative and timely in releasing their kernel and driver source code than most (all?) of their competitors?
I present Exhibit 1 for the SGS:
http://opensource.samsung.com/reception/reception_main.do?searchValue=i9000&method=reception_search
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah but this is for the i9000. US version is i897. Is this going to be compatible to US version?
sl8125 said:
Why are you trading up from N1 to Captivate? N1 is still a really good phone. i hear customization for this phone will take some time before it releases. it took nearly two month to release custom rom for Galaxy S the Euro Version. I think i might wait for the captivate until i there is a good rom to run on.
I also hear that samsung will prevent future updates. in the news froyo will be released but looking at the history of previous android samsung phones, they might not release the update and make customers buy a new equipment.
Also due to some driver encryption, only rom we can customize is the version samsung releases. I hope i am wrong about this cuz i want this phone. but i don't want to buy now and have a outdated phone six month later. Phones like N1 will have new custom rom every time goggle release an update. I also like to get a N1 but ATT version is so expensive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not gonna go off of what people have heard or baseless speculation. The N1 is really starting to piss me off with its crappy RF and now that I have my iPhone 4 I'm not liking the N1 too much so I'm hoping this device is going to be much better. I can deal with not having 2.2 right away and I think this phone will sell amazingly well and there will be lots of support official or not so I'm gonna take my chances.
The reason Samsung probably didn't update their previous Android devices is because they were utter crap and anyone buying them should have seen that coming. Why buy a phone that already has last gen hardware and expect to have the latest software?
I personally will be up at the crack of dawn heading to my att store which had a hard time confirming that it was actually going to be released sunday.
I do believe that there will be custom roms available and that for the most part they will be compatible with the various versions of the galaxy S. These samsung phones will probly be the hottest devices on the market for a while and I expect to see a good number of quality devs doing some wonderful things for these phones. Anythings possible with android hell I'm running FROYO on a old tilt
dsjr2006 said:
I'm not gonna go off of what people have heard or baseless speculation. The N1 is really starting to piss me off with its crappy RF and now that I have my iPhone 4 I'm not liking the N1 too much so I'm hoping this device is going to be much better. I can deal with not having 2.2 right away and I think this phone will sell amazingly well and there will be lots of support official or not so I'm gonna take my chances.
The reason Samsung probably didn't update their previous Android devices is because they were utter crap and anyone buying them should have seen that coming. Why buy a phone that already has last gen hardware and expect to have the latest software?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bs. the samsung i8910 which i have was and still is great hardware.. the camera is better than the galaxy.. it also has a flash.. the gps is better than the galaxy.. the cpu is slower 600 vs 1ghz but it is great harware.. just crappy symbian o.s.
garringm said:
I personally will be up at the crack of dawn heading to my att store which had a hard time confirming that it was actually going to be released sunday.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hehe good thing im wfh on sunday am and i live like 2 min away from the ATT COR store...i can drive by and see if there is a line...i think the iP4 is going back...
N1 is not even close to the Galaxy series I have a desire which has 64mb ram than an N1 and it still lags like a mofo. Side by side, desire rather dated seriously.
@ lgkahn Mega-pixels don't mean quality, just take a look at the '8mp' EVO CMOS camera... they're CRAP Any CMOS lens will be crap, hands down. If you want a REAL CCD camera get a real one they're sub $100
If there's a line then you shouldn't have waited. I walked in on Wednesday to a Little Rock store to see one, they offered to sell it to me right then & there but I needed to wait for my wife to make up her mind on what phone she wanted. She verified on Thursday with one of the San Antonio stores that sure, they'd sell it early so on Friday we walked in & walked out with the Captivate, no problem. Asking never hurts.
Samsung Captivate
I have the captivate... I just rooted it however there seems to be no roms out there for it yet... Also I notice that on my wife's Samsung Vibrant using Tmobile when she goes to teh Android market there are certain apps there but when i go to the android market on my captive using at&t i can't find the Mod Install location app or the apps 2 sd ap.... this is strange. anyone have any ideas
ewingr said:
I read in another forum that they thought rooting of the AT&T Captivate is unlikely, due to its difference from Galaxy S, and that AT&T would prevent that.
Comments?
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I have my phone rooted, nandroided, AT&T bloatware removed, sideloading, and ready for a custom froyo ROM. Not many other phones have advanced this far, this quickly into their life cycle. I bet Captivate will be one of the first to get a Gingerbread ROM, if not from Samsung, then from the community, it certainly meets the hardware requirements. Without a locked down bootloader and an eFuse, Captivate (and all the Galaxy S siblings released thus far) are more hackable than their competition, not less.
Dunno if you guys have seen this. I didn't notice because I usually only hang around here but it just got posted to reddit so I saw it.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=913045
If true, it would definitely explain a lot of things. It does make me dislike Samsung, but hopefully the carriers can strong-arm Samsung into doing what everyone else is doing.
Personally, I bought this phone because it was either this or the Droid X, and the difference was that while the DX might have Froyo now, the odds of Motorola putting Gingerbread on it are less than 100%, and the odds of it getting anything after that are even lower, and with the locked bootloader you can't do anything about it. With the Fascinate, at least we can look forward to community built ROMs for some time into the future, definitely past what Samsung is willing to do (I figure they're never going to even consider putting Gingerbread on the Fascinate what with the LTE phones coming out soon, and SAMOLED+ and all that). People should probably avoid Samsung unless they specifically want the nice hardware and easy hacking, in which case it seems like Samsung is the most lax with security so they're the best choice for hacking.
Hmm, very enlightening, of it's true of course. Sounds entirely plausible though. Oh well, I really don't care anymore, not with kaos and friends on the job.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
This is what we all expected.
But the question is... Why was it released with Eclair when Froyo was released before this phone was released.
wasn't the reason it was released with eclair because of the 1.6 ril or whatever? from what i read, the ril would barely work with eclair and no way for it to work with froyo.
my understanding is that a large part of the magic that kaos is doing was to build a functional ril.
They arent building a new ril. They are hacking android around the current crap ril Samsung gave us.
Don't buy it.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
upsidedownaaron said:
wasn't the reason it was released with eclair because of the 1.6 ril or whatever? from what i read, the ril would barely work with eclair and no way for it to work with froyo.
my understanding is that a large part of the magic that kaos is doing was to build a functional ril.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what jt's been doing, and he ended up just hacking the current Samsung RIL to work. And if you follow his twitter, he said that the RIL from Eclair, Froyo, and Gingerbread on the Android side didn't change much which is why they're jumping straight to Gingerbread instead of wasting time with Eclair.
upsidedownaaron said:
wasn't the reason it was released with eclair because of the 1.6 ril or whatever? from what i read, the ril would barely work with eclair and no way for it to work with froyo.
my understanding is that a large part of the magic that kaos is doing was to build a functional ril.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Um, wow, what have you been reading? First off, our phone came with 2.1, not 1.6, so I'm not sure where you got that number from.
Secondly, the reason that we (not Samsung) could not build a ROM not based on the stock OEM ROM was because the source code for the RIL that Samsung provided for the Fascinate was bad code, which made it extremely difficult to create a working RIL what will work with a custom OS. However, jt1134 and punk.kaos were able to reverse engineer the bad code into working code, in order to proceed with ROM building.
This has nothing to do with Samsung themselves though. Samsung built the RIL to begin with, so they most certainly can (and have) created RIL code that works with Froyo, quite a long time ago in fact. They released the Galaxy S line with Eclair because that was likely the newest version available when they began developing the OS for those phones. In order to convert the OS to Froyo to launch it on the phone, they would have had to significantly delay the launch, which was not an option. This is likely why so many phones are released with outdated versions of Android. And I would like to point out that if they just put Google's code on there and didn't insist in polluting it with their own proprietary junk, it wouldn't take so long to release in the first place, and wouldn't be so difficult to upgrade later.
Getting back on topic, I figured that the problem with getting these updates really all comes down to money. People have always had to pay for OS upgrades for PCs, but due to Android and iOS, have now come to expect to receive these updates for free. The problem is, somebody has to develop an upgrade process, and test the heck out of it, and those developers have to get paid. So the OEM pays them, and then naturally tries to pass the cost along to the carrier, because they don't want to work for free. The carrier also doesn't want to pay for the upgrade, but also knows they can't get away with charging their customers for it without significant backlash, so they basically just sit there and hope the problem eventually goes away, or that the OEM will finally back down and release the update for free, which is what's been described as our current situation.
If this is really such a big problem, they could be taking steps to not end up in this situation, such as figuring the cost of these upgrades into the price of the phones and/or rate plans. However, the carriers also have added incentive to not push for the upgrades, because that effectively extends the life of the handset, and they want you to keep buying new hardware all the time, since they make money from selling hardware, and lose money on the free upgrades.
In the end, it's all about money. Thankfully we have such a great community of developers here on XDA that are willing to go the extra mile to not only get us our upgrades, but also add cool features and boost the performance way beyond what the manufacturer gave us. Thanks to that, our hardware's lifetime is determined not by when a carrier or OEM pulls support, but rather by when the devices physically die or break, or the hardware becomes too outdated for the tasks we wish to perform. And this way, through donations, we can pay our developers for good upgrades, not our carrier for crappy, bloated ones.
Im not saying its true but the most legitimate explanation for all this bull**** I have actually heard in a while. So for what its worth Im not going to shoot that down. Possibly true at this point.
Sent from my fascination station using XDA App
ivorycruncher said:
Um, wow, what have you been reading? First off, our phone came with 2.1, not 1.6, so I'm not sure where you got that number from.
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Click to collapse
Mrbirdman said it himself, actually. (1.5, but close enough).
http://twitter.com/#!/_mrbirdman_/status/3002051533479936
Anyway, I don't know whether to believe this but it explains why no US carriers have Froyo yet. It's kind of frustrating that Verizon is the only carrier that hasn't even had a leaked Froyo build it seems. Damn ingrates spoiling leaks for the rest of us.
Ah, I see. Thanks for the link. I admit that tweet came before I followed him on twitter, so I hadn't seen that. I can see how that would complicate matters though.
This is the last farkin' time I ever buy a Samsung phone. Shame on me for believing their lies when they said they'd support it.
If that user is really violating an NDA, he's already fired, and the XDA admins would be hearing from lawyers demanding they remove the thread.
Sounds like it's just more trumped up bull**** designed to stir up the masses. Who knows really, but all I know is I wasn't stupid enough to purchase a phone based on future "promises."
Jake_Mongoose said:
This is the last farkin' time I ever buy a Samsung phone. Shame on me for believing their lies when they said they'd support it.
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Click to collapse
You might wanna rethink that. Why, you ask? Because Samsung puts out some of the best hardware available, especially the screens, and we always have devs that can hack up the code to make it better than it ever would have been with a stock ROM. HTC isn't too bad, though the issue with rooting the G2 is certainly raising some eyebrows, but if you were thinking about Motorola, have fun with your locked bootloader and other fun tricks that attempt to squash community development. Aside from lousy source code, Samsung phones are the easiest to root and customize due to the unlocked bootloader. You can basically just flash anything you want with ODIN, no problem.
It is not necessarily the case in the future because Tab reportedly has locked boot loader. This said people already found workaround, but who knows?..
That is true. Nobody knows what the future holds. In any case, if you have no problem loading custom software from XDA devs on your phone, then OEM software support should not even be on the list of requirements when buying a phone. I now make my phone purchasing decisions purely based on hardware specs and quality. If it's a quality piece of hardware with the features I want, on my carrier of choice (Verizon), I will buy it, regardless of manufacturer or UI. Warranties and insurance work the same no matter who makes it, and software updates come from XDA, so nothing else really matters. But then again, that's just my opinion.
ivorycruncher said:
That is true. Nobody knows what the future holds. In any case, if you have no problem loading custom software from XDA devs on your phone, then OEM software support should not even be on the list of requirements when buying a phone. I now make my phone purchasing decisions purely based on hardware specs and quality. If it's a quality piece of hardware with the features I want, on my carrier of choice (Verizon), I will buy it, regardless of manufacturer or UI. Warranties and insurance work the same no matter who makes it, and software updates come from XDA, so nothing else really matters. But then again, that's just my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, this is how I've decided to make phone decisions from now on as well. As long as the phone's software can be replaced by XDA, I don't care too much about the manufacturer's updates.
J Shed said:
If that user is really violating an NDA, he's already fired, and the XDA admins would be hearing from lawyers demanding they remove the thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is easier to hide posting on a forum than it is sending a tip into an online news outlet, at least in general. Also, by posting it in a forum, it is entirely likely that it will be up for longer than it would be if posted at say, Engadget, because it takes longer for news to show up in major outlets if posted in a forum first as opposed to a news site. If it were posted at Engadget or another tech blog, they are likely watched over very closely for potential NDA breaches, etc. I doubt Samsung looks are random forums/subforums/threads nearly as close.
IF it were $$ couldn't we as users pay like $20 for Froyo...
x 3 million phones = more than enough to pay for DEV
I don't buy it.
Why?
Because these companies work off of contracts. Verizon would know exactly what they were getting into before signing. If Samsung decides to breach said contract, fine, let Verizon sue the hell out of them. Lastly, Verizon would not have sold or marketed docks that rely on 2.2, if they had no intention of releasing it.
Actually one more thing. If US Carriers were refusing, Samsung would halt development. We are seeing new leaks for the other US models all the time, and Verizon is still being worked on (but not leaked).
This is a case of where 2+2=5=false.
Hey my friends. There is chatter that AT&T is rolling out both the Pre Update & the NoDo Update this Monday. Fact or fiction???
Fiction
I'm so disappionted with this whole situation. I hope I'm wrong but you have to look at the obvious. First update on Feb.21, no one got. Then MS said they pulled it for Samsung issues, but then they said they didn't pull it. Day later, MS says they pulled it for Samsung. Cool, no other ATT phone got the update! People asked if ATT was blocking the update, MS said no of course not. Meanwhile, MS issues a statement how 90% of phones got the update. Taking a look on the message boards, shows no one on a US carrier got an update. Since the US makes up about 60% of their phones sales, something is up. Fast forward a week, we have more denials of the update being blocked. Now yesterday, like a kid caught in the cookie jar, we hear that ATT did block it but we really get it this time. Really? Really indeed. Considering this is probably the only update we will ever get, this is disappointing.
I think both are true. When MS got reports of problems they stopped the updates. Now that Omnia 7 & Focus owners outside the US are reporting getting the update I think it's all AT&T causing the delay. I got the original update the first day it was out on Rogers.
bennyj71 said:
I'm so disappionted with this whole situation. I hope I'm wrong but you have to look at the obvious. First update on Feb.21, no one got. Then MS said they pulled it for Samsung issues, but then they said they didn't pull it. Day later, MS says they pulled it for Samsung. Cool, no other ATT phone got the update! People asked if ATT was blocking the update, MS said no of course not. Meanwhile, MS issues a statement how 90% of phones got the update. Taking a look on the message boards, shows no one on a US carrier got an update. Since the US makes up about 60% of their phones sales, something is up. Fast forward a week, we have more denials of the update being blocked. Now yesterday, like a kid caught in the cookie jar, we here that did ATT block it but we really get it this time. Really? Really indeed. Considering this is probably the only update we will ever get, this is disappointing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed all around. I gave up on WM years ago because of the appalling update "cycle" imposed on users by Microsoft and carriers. IF you got an update for your expensive device at all, it usually caused more problems than it solved and was so loaded down by carrier garbage that, more often than not, I'd end up either using a custom system or rolling back to the original. I bought a Focus SOLELY because Microsoft claimed this time would be different. This time updates would be timely and relevant and carriers wouldn't be able to block them simply because they want to sell you another phone and blah blah blah. Well you can sure throw the "timely" bit out the window. According to Microsoft's timetable, the first real feature update will be released Q3 of 2011. That means the carriers will get it Q3 of 2011, not you and I, and that's so far away that it really means that Microsoft has no idea when it'll be ready. It also means that my Focus will be at least a year old by the time the first feature update arrives. I would bet a paycheck that it won't be eligable for the update, too. Why?
Because Microsoft and the carriers have done this before, several times, and it looks like they have every intention of doing it again.
I bought the Focus the day they went on sale. It had a sim card in it for two weeks before I couldn't take it's overwhelming lack of features and stuck it in another phone. I haven't even turned it on in almost a month. Given the constant backpedalling and outright bull**** being put out by Microsoft lately, I think monday is when I finally cut my losses, throw the thing in the trash and be done with it. Enough is enough. I will never again buy a Microsoft mobile device.
Looks like I clicked on the wrong link, I appeared to have accidentally stumbled upon the whiny *****es club.
Thanks
Tim.Smith said:
Looks like I clicked on the wrong link, I appeared to have accidentally stumbled upon the whiny *****es club.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I needed that, it made me smile and I haven't smiled much through this entire fiasco. Am I frustrated, sure. I have a battery icon that flashes and beeps every second and won't allow the screen to shut down. ATT tells me it will be fixed in the update. So I wait and probably have more reason than most to want the update. But, if ATT held this up because of the problems experienced by their Focus owners, then Thank you ATT.
JamesAllen said:
Thanks, I needed that, it made me smile and I haven't smiled much through this entire fiasco. Am I frustrated, sure. I have a battery icon that flashes and beeps every second and won't allow the screen to shut down. ATT tells me it will be fixed in the update. So I wait and probably have more reason than most to want the update. But, if ATT held this up because of the problems experienced by their Focus owners, then Thank you ATT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn that sucks dude. You have a legit reason to complain. Hope you get this update soon and get that **** sorted out. One of the downsides we'll experience jumping on a new platform from the beginning.
Bleeding Edge
Tim.Smith said:
Damn that sucks dude. You have a legit reason to complain. Hope you get this update soon and get that **** sorted out. One of the downsides we'll experience jumping on a new platform from the beginning.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have developed and launched Customer Service for bleeding edge products and services for almost 40 years. I know what to expect and do my homework. I like this phone and OS and will put up with a lot of things to get where it could go. But, in my mind, MS needs to step it up a bit and more importantly, take the influence of the carriers out of the update process and deal with us directly as customers.
JamesAllen said:
I have developed and launched Customer Service for bleeding edge products and services for almost 40 years. I know what to expect and do my homework. I like this phone and OS and will put up with a lot of things to get where it could go. But, in my mind, MS needs to step it up a bit and more importantly, take the influence of the carriers out of the update process and deal with us directly as customers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that is easier said than done. AT&T has the cards and the leverage over the OEM and OS. Unless you're Steve Jobs/Apple. Then you've got the leverage over AT&T.
Honestly, I would gladly pay $500 for an unbranded Samsung Focus so I won't be at AT&T's mercy. Unfortunately, AT&T probably forced Samsung to give them a year-long exclusitivity agreement for the U.S.
You wouldn't believe the BS requirements that AT&T has for some of these phones...
Me, personally, I'm in no dire need for the update so I'm not at all concerned about when it gets released as much as I am knowing that there will be one. It would certainly tick me off if AT&T blocks future updates and would definitely encourage me to go back to unbranded phones.
Michael.
JamesAllen said:
Thanks, I needed that, it made me smile and I haven't smiled much through this entire fiasco. Am I frustrated, sure. I have a battery icon that flashes and beeps every second and won't allow the screen to shut down. ATT tells me it will be fixed in the update. So I wait and probably have more reason than most to want the update. But, if ATT held this up because of the problems experienced by their Focus owners, then Thank you ATT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dude that sounds like a serious issue, why didnt you just ask ATT for a replacement instead of hoping for an update to fix it?
PS. 3/7/2011 12.55PM EST and still no update for my Focus
Warranty
cbebop7 said:
dude that sounds like a serious issue, why didnt you just ask ATT for a replacement instead of hoping for an update to fix it?
PS. 3/7/2011 12.55PM EST and still no update for my Focus
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did my troubleshooting thing with Samsung, then went to the warranty support group at ATT where they confirmed it was a known MS issue, they were addressing it in the next update, many Focus owners have it. I agreed to wait, see if the update fixes it, if not, return it under warranty.
BTW, there is a video on YouTube of someone with exactly the same symptoms, but his Focus ended up with a melted mini uSB cable connector and a melted mini USB port. The images are startling and the symptoms leading up to the meltdown were exactly like mine.
bjfcm said:
Hey my friends. There is chatter that AT&T is rolling out both the Pre Update & the NoDo Update this Monday. Fact or fiction???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fiction. Microsoft is making a "big" announcment on 3-15. I don't see it being released before then.
Michael-Dallas said:
Me, personally, I'm in no dire need for the update so I'm not at all concerned about when it gets released as much as I am knowing that there will be one. It would certainly tick me off if AT&T blocks future updates and would definitely encourage me to go back to unbranded phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like you Mike, I've given up. If it comes out great, but I'm not expecting it any more.
What will be funny is when this update finally does get released, no sooner than 10 years down the road(sarcasm), and it doesn't even meet the requirements of what most people are expecting.
Tim.Smith said:
Looks like I clicked on the wrong link, I appeared to have accidentally stumbled upon the whiny *****es club.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL, so true so true, maybe I am just lucky, my phone actually works, I only 24gig of ram and not the 40 I want but hey, its a start. My only real complaint is not being able to connect to hidden networks and PCAny has not release a app for it yet.
On the update side, if it gets real bad, we can go old school, go back to flashing devices. I don't care what OS you have, there will be issues and slow and in some cases no turn around for fixes.
There are plenty of issues with the Samsung Focus and WP7 in general, ranging from charing the battery, the battery icon flashing after removing the MicroUSB cable, audio problems with the headset and Bluetooth, SSSLLLLOOOOWWWW performance after exiting an app, etc. just to name a few.
I am trying to keep an open mind about this whole update process. While MS hasn't come out saying that carriers have or have not blocked any update, there are plenty of controdictions being made from MS sources. Some have said that the NoDo update has been done since Dec, yet WP7 needed a "minor update to make sure future updates go more smoothly" and that 90% of phones have recieved the update. Well, I have 3 Samsung Focus phones, none of which has recieved any update thus far. THere are plenty who have said that no one on AT&T has recieved the update, yet Rogers, Orange, etc. users have recieved the update. Carriers are blocking the update in some fashion, and this is what I was affraid of when MS announced this policy. Hell, doesn't anyone remember when Microsoft said that any carrier included software must be NON-Trial, Free, must be run without Internet connectivity, yet none of that is true with AT&T phones???
I want this platform to succeed, yet the first two updates thus far have recieved SSOO much attention, and under such a microscope that MS cannot move at the speed they want to without losing customers. Yeah, you can make all of the comments about how Apple and Google went through the same things, MS needed to learn from their mistakes and how to not make them. It seems that MS is no History Major.
chrislynch said:
There are plenty of issues with the Samsung Focus and WP7 in general, ranging from charing the battery, the battery icon flashing after removing the MicroUSB cable, audio problems with the headset and Bluetooth, SSSLLLLOOOOWWWW performance after exiting an app, etc. just to name a few.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's funny, I don't have a single one of these issues. Not a single one.
Guess I lucked out then
chrislynch said:
.Hell, doesn't anyone remember when Microsoft said that any carrier included software must be NON-Trial, Free, must be run without Internet connectivity, yet none of that is true with AT&T phones???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only thing I remember MS saying about this was that all bloatware would uninstallable. I have never heard of the other things you mentioned
Andrew725 said:
That's funny, I don't have a single one of these issues. Not a single one.
Guess I lucked out then
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hahaha, me neither, add me to the lucky list.
My focus runs as smooth as the day I picked it up. This update drama is entertaining though.
Tim.Smith said:
Looks like I clicked on the wrong link, I appeared to have accidentally stumbled upon the whiny *****es club.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, your mistake. We'll call if we need your opinion on anything important. See ya.
TOA Duck said:
Hahaha, me neither, add me to the lucky list.
My focus runs as smooth as the day I picked it up. This update drama is entertaining though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
None of those problems for me and my Focus either, with the exception of the bluetooth connection in my car being lousy. All in all, I love the Focus. Following the update drama, but not letting it get to me.
I'm a sprint user and I'm torn between getting this and the HTC U11.
I'm concerned about the openness of the device and how supportive it is to a proprietary carrier like Sprint. I've read around but it's month old information so I just wanna make sure:
Is it true that due to the phone's poor sales, there are very little developers?
Being a sprint user, do I have to worry about my own firmware/OS/ROMs/whatever, or can I just flash something like Lineage or Slim and be completely fine across all variants?
As well, is the signal/gps/etc safe if I do a complete OS change like stock to Lineage?
There's a lot of information about stock firmware and open bootloader, there's articles saying that they're currently public but around here I see that they "have yet to be released". Does the lack of awareness have to do with lack of devs or am I missing something?
Sorry if it's questions asked a ton of times but I just want to make sure I have up to date information before I commit to anything, I'm unfortunately a little paranoid. I love the open source community, so I wanna make sure I can utilize it with a pure android experience in even a locked down carrier like sprint. Thanks for the help.
Fivavoa said:
I'm a sprint user and I'm torn between getting this and the HTC U11.
I'm concerned about the openness of the device and how supportive it is to a proprietary carrier like Sprint. I've read around but it's month old information so I just wanna make sure:
Is it true that due to the phone's poor sales, there are very little developers?
Being a sprint user, do I have to worry about my own firmware/OS/ROMs/whatever, or can I just flash something like Lineage or Slim and be completely fine across all variants?
As well, is the signal/gps/etc safe if I do a complete OS change like stock to Lineage?
There's a lot of information about stock firmware and open bootloader, there's articles saying that they're currently public but around here I see that they "have yet to be released". Does the lack of awareness have to do with lack of devs or am I missing something?
Sorry if it's questions asked a ton of times but I just want to make sure I have up to date information before I commit to anything, I'm unfortunately a little paranoid. I love the open source community, so I wanna make sure I can utilize it with a pure android experience in even a locked down carrier like sprint. Thanks for the help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're a little late to the party. You just missed an awesome deal on the phone through Sprint. Today they changed the deal, however if you intend to remain a Sprint customer for the next 18 months, the deal can still be good for you.
Since nobody else has replied so far, and I've been living on XDA ever since I ordered my first Essential, I'll try to answer your questions (plus I don't have anything else to do right now).
"Supportive to a proprietary carrier like Sprint"? Not sure exactly what you mean, it works well on Sprint but it's not a Sprint-only device if/once it's unlocked.
I believe the lack of development is due to the phone being a new phone from an entirely new company combined with a relatively small following at this time. Plus the marketing isn't very good. I've been looking for a phone exactly like this for months and I hadn't heard about until a week ago when I was doing a Google search for new and interesting phones for the 15th time. Also, invisiblek is currently working on Lineage for the phone, and I hear he's really good at what he does.
Why would you have to worry about your own firmware/OS/ROM? My phone, on Sprint, already got two OTA updates. I hear the unlocked ones get updates faster. Once ROMs are available, they should work on Sprint and non-Sprint phones just the same. From what I've read, the hardware is all the same.
Signal/GPS/etc will depend on how good the ROM is, just like any other phone.
Also not sure what you mean about the experience you'll have with a locked down carrier like Sprint. My phone (from Sprint) has stock android with zero bloatware. Well, I take that back, it automatically downloaded one Sprint app when I got home, but I immediately deleted it and it let me. Sprint phones have an unlockable bootloader just like non-Sprint phones. I wouldn't have gotten a Sprint version otherwise. I don't see how anything from Sprint will stop you (and me) from having the same experience I've had on my Moto X2 Pure Edition, which was notorious for having a 99% stock Android experience and an unlockable bootloader out of the box. If anything, the Essential has an even more pure Android experience because my Moto had it's special Moto Actions and the apps that went with them. Though I REALLY wish the Essential had the Moto Actions... I'd be in heaven then.
Maybe I'm looking at it differently because every phone I've ever had has been open and unlocked for development and I don't know what it's like to not be able to root or flash a custom recovery and a new ROM. But If that's what you're worried about, dive in.
Thanks for responding, I'll try to elaborate further:
DrvLikHell said:
"Supportive to a proprietary carrier like Sprint"? Not sure exactly what you mean, it works well on Sprint but it's not a Sprint-only device if/once it's unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a family member who was with sprint for longer than I was, and when I went to look into the development of his phone, they usually separated development of every other phone and sprint's phone. Where the non-sprint alternative got a lot of development, the sprint version stayed pretty inactive. I'm just verifying that it's not the same with the Essential.
DrvLikHell said:
Why would you have to worry about your own firmware/OS/ROM? My phone, on Sprint, already got two OTA updates. I hear the unlocked ones get updates faster. Once ROMs are available, they should work on Sprint and non-Sprint phones just the same. From what I've read, the hardware is all the same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes that's one aspect I was rather confused about, from the reason stated above and other examples I've ran into the past, some carriers lock down their devices and I didn't know if Sprint was the same. It's good to know if I "unlock" the device then I get similar treatment despite being on Sprint. I don't wanna feel left out because I chose a carrier that holds me back y'know?
DrvLikHell said:
Also not sure what you mean about the experience you'll have with a locked down carrier like Sprint. My phone (from Sprint) has stock android with zero bloatware. Well, I take that back, it automatically downloaded one Sprint app when I got home, but I immediately deleted it and it let me. Sprint phones have an unlockable bootloader just like non-Sprint phones. I wouldn't have gotten a Sprint version otherwise.
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I hope I'm not starting to sound redundant but again, but I had a few bad experiences with other carriers who lock down their devices for everything even though it's rather open otherwise. I'm just making sure haha
Thanks for the info.
This phone is what most developers have been pushing for... good hardware, a progressive company and an unlocked bootloader! I would hope that the developers jump on this phone. If not we may never have the opportunity again. IMHO
Fivavoa said:
Thanks for responding, I'll try to elaborate further:
I have a family member who was with sprint for longer than I was, and when I went to look into the development of his phone, they usually separated development of every other phone and sprint's phone. Where the non-sprint alternative got a lot of development, the sprint version stayed pretty inactive. I'm just verifying that it's not the same with the Essential.
Yes that's one aspect I was rather confused about, from the reason stated above and other examples I've ran into the past, some carriers lock down their devices and I didn't know if Sprint was the same. It's good to know if I "unlock" the device then I get similar treatment despite being on Sprint. I don't wanna feel left out because I chose a carrier that holds me back y'know?
I hope I'm not starting to sound redundant but again, but I had a few bad experiences with other carriers who lock down their devices for everything even though it's rather open otherwise. I'm just making sure haha
Thanks for the info.
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Ok, I get where you're coming from now. Like when I was into the Samsung Galaxy S3. Each phone from ATT, TMO, VZW and Sprint had different configurations, different roms and different bootloaders. The VZW S3 bootloader is still not unlockable and is stuck at Android 4.4.2, while the TMO S3 has Android 7.1 via Lineage available for it.
In that respect, the Sprint version of the Essential will have the same developer support that the unlocked version will have. All the bootloaders are the same and are equally unlockable because all the phones are the same. If I remember right, there are a couple labels somewhere in the phone that differ, but that's all. There is just one phone to rule them all, and this is it.