[Q] First time Non Samsung User...Why Cyanogen on Nexus? - Nexus 7 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I have been a Samsung user since the Captivate. I understand the use for Cyanogen on those devices to rid them of all things Samsung. But this device is already vanilla. As I was not a Cyanogen user and am not now on the NOte 2 because I need what the Note offers natively and I like the Samsung apps and native driver support for things like the FM Radio and S Pen apps.
That said I bought the Tab 2 7 that did not have the Samsung apps that needed those drivers so I flashed Cynogen and liked it ecept for the BT issue on 4.2. (Which I realize is not a Cyanogen issue).
That all said I have a Nexus on the way and wonder what are the benefits of Cyanogen on an already Vanilla OS? What am I missing here. Google apps is the necessary "bloat"
Not sure what ROM I will rin but I know I will root and flash as usual but outside of rooting and flashing CWM the clear benefits escape me.
What am I missing?

Because nothing is perfect, including google's AOSP. I'm a big fan of the built-in OTG USB storage via the android vold. A lot of people are getting boners over the chronus widget. It has a nice filebrowser that isnt all bloated up like so many other ones. And the power-widget-pulldown thing is coming together nicely.

gianptune said:
Because nothing is perfect, including google's AOSP. I'm a big fan of the built-in OTG USB storage via the android vold. A lot of people are getting boners over the chronus widget. It has a nice filebrowser that isnt all bloated up like so many other ones. And the power-widget-pulldown thing is coming together nicely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks
So Nexus 7 does nOt have native support for OTG USB? I thought the Nexus Media Importer was a native OTG application? I normally use Nova and Root Explorer regardless of the ROM. I guess I am just trying to wrap my head around the custom ROM thing on a Vanilla, non Samsung device.

Been wondering the same thing. Had the Captivate and now the Infuse. Rooted my Nexus 7 today. No it sure the reason for other Roms like my Samsung phones. Been working on reading up on that.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

Cause CM isn't vanilla. It's a custom ROM with a lot of features.

Cyanogen mod is a custom ROM, modified with may improvements and tweaks. It has always been a custom ROM, from the early G1 days up until now. It brings with it numerous speed and functionality tweaks, not to mention themes and many other customisation features that are not available in stock android.

IIIIkoolaidIIII said:
Cyanogen mod is a custom ROM, modified with may improvements and tweaks. It has always been a custom ROM, from the early G1 days up until now. It brings with it numerous speed and functionality tweaks, not to mention themes and many other customisation features that are not available in stock android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for a more detailed explanation. . Been flashing Samsung TW ROMS since the Captivate, Always enjoyed the extras without losing the Samsung Apps I liked (or needed for the phone hardware function).
I Never was a flashaholic so I stayed away from Works in Progress and "nightly flashing" , I would find a Developer I like and stick with it.
I did not try Cyanogen until the TAB as it had no hardware feature dependent on Samsung drivers I could not live without. . I liked it. AOKP seems to be a more customizable Cyanogen based or type ROM. Now with the Nexus coming I can compare the TAB side by side and decide to keep one and sell the other, The custom ROMs will have a large say in which one I keep. I never run Touch Wiz or Trechbet and likely will stay with Nova regardless of which Tablet or ROM I decide on.
I did not get the 3G version of the Nexus though so the TAB has an edge in that regard. The screen is washed out though compared to my Note and THAT is disappointing. Want to see it next to the Nexus.

Related

[Q] The state of custom ROMs for Nexus 7, and forcing tablet mode?

After receipt of my first Nexus 7 last week I can say I'm extremely pleased with my purchase and first foray into the tablet world.
What I'm not so pleased with is the lack of tablet view on many apps. The way things are displayed often leaves a lot to be desired on such a beautiful display.
As I understand it, there are several ways you can fool the UI into going into tablet mode on a system or per app basis, using either hacks or custom ROMs.
Ideally I would like to be able to flash my nexus 7 with a custom ROM like Paranoid Android, however as I am new to the scene, I thought it worth finding out:
1) How stable are the ROMs available for the Nexus 7? I've heard paranoid android does dpi per app, does this work well?
2) How many apps actually take advantage of the tablet UI? ie. if I do mod my nexus7 will it make that big a difference?
3) Are there any good reasons (except warranty) to leave my tablet running stock?
nemof said:
After receipt of my first Nexus 7 last week I can say I'm extremely pleased with my purchase and first foray into the tablet world.
What I'm not so pleased with is the lack of tablet view on many apps. The way things are displayed often leaves a lot to be desired on such a beautiful display.
As I understand it, there are several ways you can fool the UI into going into tablet mode on a system or per app basis, using either hacks or custom ROMs.
Ideally I would like to be able to flash my nexus 7 with a custom ROM like Paranoid Android, however as I am new to the scene, I thought it worth finding out:
1) How stable are the ROMs available for the Nexus 7? I've heard paranoid android does dpi per app, does this work well?
2) How many apps actually take advantage of the tablet UI? ie. if I do mod my nexus7 will it make that big a difference?
3) Are there any good reasons (except warranty) to leave my tablet running stock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1 - Some of the ROM's are very stable, I would stick with a well known dev such as Football or Faux (yes I know faux is kernels). So paranoid android is probably a good route to go down.
2 - In my experience, only the most well known apps, such as G-Mail, Hotmail etc take advantage of the Tablet mode, but more may come when tablets take a bigger chunk of the market, which they are beggining to do so, and fast !
3 - I wouldn't leave it stock if I was you, I would definatly root for OTG etc, but the stock ROM etc is buttery smooth and I couldn't imagine using a custom ROM.
THE ONLY CUSTOM ROM THAT HAS EVER !!!! MADE ME FEEL LIKE USING A CUSTOM ROM IS ViperX, and they don't do a tablet ROM I don't think.
Hope this helps.
The M-series release of CM10 is quite stable. And the default phablet mode of n7 is quite good actually, at least for me personally.
Tapatalked from my Ace 2
Paranoid android works perfectly for me
A combo of SmoothROM and 'bricked' kernel have been fast and stable for me in the past
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1899024
The Bricked Kernel dev is also hard at work on a new feature for his kernel, this apparently doesn't affect the device sleeping.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RbmIWnh_MUo
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1920628&page=29

[Q] Any real advantages with custom ROMs on a Nexus?

I'm getting my Nexus 4 in about a week and couldn't be more excited.. I used to use an old Motorola Defy on which I ran a slightly buggy CM10 ROM, which was anyday better than the Froyo with MotoBlur it came with. So it made sense to run CM10.
A friend of mine who recently bought a One X decided to flash custom ROMs and despite trying a few ROMs, he claimed that the original Sense ROM was the smoothest. Is that complete bull****? I mean, does the stock N4 ROM work the best compared to the custom ones on here?
And considering the fact that the next version of Android may be around the corner, should I just stick with the stock ROM and wait for an OTA update?
I just want the smoothest experience possible. Not looking for huge list of customizations or anything.
Depends on what you want. If you want slightly better battery life or fancy having more options to tweak as in hardware then a custom rom is the way to go. If you're happy with stock then stay stock. I've unlocked, and rooted my N4 but have kept the stock rom for now. It's just nice being rooted to allow you to back up your apps + DATA which you can't fully do when your unrooted. Plus once your unlocked your bootloader and rooted the world is your oyster, so to speak. At least maybe try rooting and a custom rom or two then if you don't see any real advantage you can always go back to stock rom, unroot then lock your device and have it back to factory default. That way you'll get your OTA updates once more.
My reasons for custom rom
- need full screen for games
- 2g/3G toggles
- custom colors
- ability to under volt etc
- themes
And don't compare custom roms between nexus devices and others
They are lot stable and fully Aosp supported
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
first i would say stock rom runs super smooth, super responsive
but like the previous post, i do like the FULL SCREEN FEATURE for games and for anything else you would want more screen real estate for ex, web browsing, movies, or to just have a different sort of UI with no nav or status bar and just pie
but then again pie is just a launcher, but you would need a custom rom for full screen, nav and status bar customization
Kernels are something else, ive been using franco kernel since day 1 for all my devices (nexus 4,7,10) super stable and very CONSISTENT with me and by that i mean i never run into random problems with my phone its always running the same.
its all about personal preference.
A lot of people say there is no point in using custom ROMs on a nexus. But I disagree. Custom ROMs give you the stock ASOP experience that you want in addition to extra features that make it so much better. I could not live without all the features CyanogenMod offers; they have become so useful and convenient that it would be hard to stick with stock Android. For example, customizable notification LED, screen off music controls, tweakable lock screen, modifying quick setting toggles, expanded desktop, call blacklist etc.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD
I think custom ROMs and kernels are the only way to go.
-Sent from Marino's Nexus 4-
I Am Marino said:
I think custom ROMs and kernels are the only way to go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This. I mean Google does a good job already with the stock ROM/Kernel (way better than OEM's and their skinned garbage and slow updates), but custom Kernels and ROMs take it further.
Stock on a Nexus? I don't know why anyone would miss out on all that custom loveliness.
At the very least unlock the boot loader and root it as soon as you get it to save the bother later of backing up all your data.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
I did it specifically for LTE. The customizations are just a nice bonus.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
The Nexus devices are the ones which made more sense to get Custom ROMS, because they are open source.
Cotufas said:
The Nexus devices are the ones which made more sense to get Custom ROMS, because they are open source.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most would argue that OEM skinned devices make more sense to have custom ROM's/Kernels due to all the bloatware typically installed, and lack of quick system updates. Nexus devices in-particular have a clean stock Android experience, and fast updates straight from Google.
Custom ROM's and Kernels just happen to be far easier on Nexus devices since they're AOSP supported and have Kernel sources directly available.
You must be a Happy Flasher to enjoy this developer device!
The full screen mode might be worth the jump. Didn't know stock didn't have the feature. I've seen a little bit of that PIE controls thing. Not sure if it's actually that user friendly, but I might give PA a shot.
My only gripe is with the fact that, since the rumored 4.3 is around the corner, I might have to go through the process of putting stock back for the OTA update. If it's coming by next month, I might just keep it stock anyway.
Either way, thanks for your replies! Appreciate it.. My previous phone's threads weren't anywhere as active as it is on here
Looking forward to my nexus! (Getting it in less than a week now!)

First Nexus, any suggestions on first rom to try?

Also, how about a rom that could be used as a daily driver for the wife?
Carbon Rom. If its your wife's phone, chances are she doesn't know how to root and do all that fancy stuff.
Just leave her phone stock unless you want to claim responsibility for anything that she does.
The one in my signature is nice and simple. But I'm with the guy above, if she doesn't know much about technology the stock AOSP rom already on there is already pretty clean and free of bloat.
Course on the other hand, my mom isn't too technical and she's running SlimBean 6 on her Galaxy Tab 2 7.0" just fine. (plus I got it all pink-color themed including the navigation buttons the way she likes it, lol).
CM 10.1 should be everyone's first ROM imho. It's stable and adds more features on the default ROM
Sblast said:
CM 10.1 should be everyone's first ROM imho. It's stable and adds more features on the default ROM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So is every other rom for the Nexus 4. A unstable rom for N4 is very rare because N4 is a aosp device and has all the binaries available whereas non nexus devices do not.
Make yourself a open book and don't limit yourself to only Cm. Cm o's very strict on their guidelines and don't want to add a bunch of features compared to their old days like Cm7.
Try carbon. It has features all from cm, aokp, paranoid android, etc while being a very speedy rom. You're missing out on a lot of extra goodies such as navigation bar height, halo etc.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
zephiK said:
So is every other rom for the Nexus 4. A unstable rom for N4 is very rare because N4 is a aosp device and has all the binaries available whereas non nexus devices do not.
Make yourself a open book and don't limit yourself to only Cm. Cm o's very strict on their guidelines and don't want to add a bunch of features compared to their old days like Cm7.
Try carbon. It has features all from cm, aokp, paranoid android, etc while being a very speedy rom. You're missing out on a lot of extra goodies such as navigation bar height, halo etc.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not from my experience, but good luck.

Discussion: TouchWiz 4.1.2 vs. Android 4.3

Hello.
I'm in the mood for some discussion. Currently waging which rom to install on my note 2, TouchWiz or latest android (4.3). How would you people rate a 4.1.2 rom built on correct sources against the latest version of Android? Performance, battery and user friendly wise.
Bring it on!
/pemell
I think I know where your going with this but it might turn into something bad. Like comparing roms I think is against the rules.
Comparing Touchwhiz to AOSP usually depends on the needs of user.
I prefer TW than AOSP for the note because if the note 2 pen and camera but hey to each their own!
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
Which ROM even has 4.3 on the Note 2? CM? I've looked around a little bit but haven't really seen much information in regards to that.
edit: Got my own question answered, disregard this post, I suck at searching.
@jetbruceli it's not about comparison of roms, I would like to discuss platforms in regards of performance, battery and user friendly factors.
@Clyzm there is some, for exempel the unofficial builds of cm 10.2 and paranoid android.
I'm thinking that TouchWiz will serve me good battery wise. For you who currently runs this what is your battery % drain per hour?
pemell said:
@jetbruceli it's not about comparison of roms, I would like to discuss platforms in regards of performance, battery and user friendly factors.
@Clyzm there is some, for exempel the unofficial builds of cm 10.2 and paranoid android.
I'm thinking that TouchWiz will serve me good battery wise. For you who currently runs this what is your battery % drain per hour?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that's comparing ROms.
stock vs aosp. Then you will ask which one.
It's better to try on your own.
For Me stock odexed rooted with a lot of bloatware removed works the best
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
pemell said:
It's not about comparison of roms, I would like to discuss platforms in regards of performance, battery and user friendly factors.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's not really a lot to discuss because the differences from 4.1>4.2>4.3 really aren't that earth shattering. Especially when you factor in Samsung's s/w modifications. Of the three, 4.1 is considered the most stable with 4.2 having a bunch of issues; some being corrected with 4.2.2 and others not (BT). 4.3 corrects the BT issue which Samsung had already fixed by using their own BT s/w in their 4.2.X ROMs.
Here's a summary of a great 4.1<>4.2 comparison done by Android Authority. A lot of what they are describing doesn't really affect TW-based devices and is more aimed at Nexi users.
So many of the goodies that you love from Android 4.1 Jelly Bean have been carried over to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Most of the stock apps and widgets are similar in both Android versions. To the eyes, there’s no big change in Android 4.2 at all. But, some new significant features and some minor alterations make Android 4.2 sweeter and fun. Here is a brief list of new features from Android 4.2 Jelly Bean:
Support for multiple users (for Android tablets)
Multiple lockscreen pages with widgets Wireless display
Revamped Camera app Photo Sphere HDR Mode (for supported devices)
New Clock app Quick Settings pull-down menu Daydream Gesture typing
Additional options in Developer Options
Magnification Gestures and Explore by Touch accessibility features
Security enhancements
UI design changes
Placed side by side, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean shows a slightly modified and slightly upgraded version of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
http://www.androidauthority.com/android-4-1-vs-android-4-2-jelly-bean-149740/​
As for 4.2>4.3 the changes are even fewer.
http://www.android.com/about/jelly-bean/
4.1 is as solid as a rock on the N2 and the new features in 4.2/4.3 are either not that significant or wouldn't apply to a TW-enabled device. I'm looking forward to 4.2/4.3 (supposedly Samsung's skipping 4.2) coming to the N2 primarily to get some of Samsung's "S" additions that were introduced on the SGS4. But I’ll probably get a N3 which will most likely be on 4.3 before the N2 gets upgraded. Of the native Google features the one I'm most interested in is the more flexible lock screen with widget capabilities. Now that Android is mature the days of radically new versions coming out multiple times a year are pretty much over. 4.1 was introduced in June 2012 and here it is August 2013 and the evolution across 4.1/4.2/4.3 is pretty minor.
Some like the Touchwiz functionalities and it supports multi window and s- features. AOSP has other stuffs. basically depends on what u want and what you like
coolkratos said:
Some like the Touchwiz functionalities and it supports multi window and s- features. AOSP has other stuffs. basically depends on what u want and what you like
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I just flashed cm10.1 nightlies and found it super smooth and very well bare for the most part.
Like it felt stripped to the core but super fast and there was no real complaint on my part. You end up with more memory to use and of course it's almost pure stock android with some tweaks. I especially like the blue halo theme!
Now back to Touchwhiz I found myself loving it more than AOSP mainly for this device.
Having s pen related apps and gestures makes it an easy choice. We have pop note and other goodies from the pen.
Air gesture and even without the pen we have built in features like multiwindow and a much better camera experience.
Over all I think when we get 4.3 Touchwhiz, most of the other than users of aosp will switch!
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
I like the ProBam ROM, the s-pen features work and it has lots of free RAM. with all apps running the ram usage is around 1.2gb used
jetbruceli said:
Well I just flashed cm10.1 nightlies and found it super smooth and very well bare for the most part.
Like it felt stripped to the core but super fast and there was no real complaint on my part. You end up with more memory to use and of course it's almost pure stock android with some tweaks. I especially like the blue halo theme!
Now back to Touchwhiz I found myself loving it more than AOSP mainly for this device.
Having s pen related apps and gestures makes it an easy choice. We have pop note and other goodies from the pen.
Air gesture and even without the pen we have built in features like multiwindow and a much better camera experience.
Over all I think when we get 4.3 Touchwhiz, most of the other than users of aosp will switch!
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
coolkratos said:
I like the ProBam ROM, the s-pen features work and it has lots of free RAM. with all apps running the ram usage is around 1.2gb used
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Plus with Odexed TW, I believe in my OPINION, that's its the smoothest experience!
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
jetbruceli said:
Plus with Odexed TW, I believe in my OPINION, that's its the smoothest experience!
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't say I tried ROMs for Samsung, but while I had HTC I did flash a lot - since DHD wasn't getting JB and I experimented a lot with JB ROMS. IMHO, all the "smoothest experience" stuff and how this ROM is better than the other is ONLY due to the fact that when you flash it - your phone is EMPTY. This is also the fact when we buy our phones and we go ooooohh and aaaahhh, how smooth it is. Then, after few months, we fill 'em up with al sorts of widgets and background running processes and they're not so smooth anymore. IMHO, no matter what ROM you use, the performance will always be the same, no matter what. OK, it might be slightly better or worse, but so little that you won't be able to tell. That's why I use stock ROM, since it has most functionality. I just know ANY ROM will be slow after x months of use....
dalanik said:
Can't say I tried ROMs for Samsung, but while I had HTC I did flash a lot - since DHD wasn't getting JB and I experimented a lot with JB ROMS. IMHO, all the "smoothest experience" stuff and how this ROM is better than the other is ONLY due to the fact that when you flash it - your phone is EMPTY. This is also the fact when we buy our phones and we go ooooohh and aaaahhh, how smooth it is. Then, after few months, we fill 'em up with al sorts of widgets and background running processes and they're not so smooth anymore. IMHO, no matter what ROM you use, the performance will always be the same, no matter what. OK, it might be slightly better or worse, but so little that you won't be able to tell. That's why I use stock ROM, since it has most functionality. I just know ANY ROM will be slow after x months of use....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well that's why when I flash a new ROM. I wait a day after to determine the speed and stability.
Anyone can say this or that about a ROM or system but in the end its about the user. And I use my device like no other. So performance and stability are the main factors for me!!
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
I'm also a big fan of stock, rooted. Custom roms are fun and all yet there are times where you will hit issues because the Dev made a mistake or a change inadvertently affected something else. In my experience the improvements in battery life are negligible at best and at the end of the day I need my phone to be reliable. My latest experience with a custom rom has me with a phone which won't wake from deep sleep if I put it in airplane mode. I'm just waiting to get back home from a business trip and then the first thing I'll be doing is reverting my phone to stock. The last thing I need is a phone which randomly dies in my when I'm away from my laptop and regular access to a high speed Internet connection. These days I'm able to travel light. Besides clothes a note 2 and a note 8 are all I need to get things done but they must be reliable above all else.
Sent from my GT-N7100
If you have been on 4.2.2 on an S4 u would not expect to see much other differences on the android front except added security. Whatever goodies samsung adds to the note 3 I would expect to see on the note two update. Therefore we will know nothing until September October.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
I'm running unofficial Cyanogenmod 4.3 on my N7105 and must say it's suprisingly stable. Of course there is a long way to go before it can serve as a daily driver, but it's amazing these guys can do so much in such a short time.
Apart some issues with camera , the cm 10.2 is really smooth and battery life is very ok for me.

Are custom rom's necessary.

OK a philosophical rant.
I've spent hours trying to decide which custom rom to install. Watched all the youtube videos went on all the developers web sites and read hundreds of pages of threads and yet nothing jumps out at me. I was asking myself why do I want a custom rom. So I went through a checklist of what roms offer
1. Remove bloatware - done that through titanium
2. Display customisations - I use sense and nova and various other gui apps that provide many options
3. Tweaks - I have exposed modules - sense 6, gravity box and xsense which give me all the tweaks I need
4. Speed - my phone's running very well.
5. Gestures - I use gmd gestures
Some roms offer hundreds of tweaks. In reality how often and how many would you change. Also while most roms are stable and bugs are fixable, there are many reports of problems and yes I know they do get fixed eventually but losing wifi, carrier access, reboots, bootloops etc can be disconcerting and a common question is how do I get back to stock rom.
I came to the conclusion that the only reason I wanted a custom rom was to see if I could load one and try it out. Seems like a lot of mucking about to achieve, in my case on this phone, very little.
Have i missed the point of roms?
I installed the Android Lollipop custom rom and it was nice. There were two bugs that I encountered and they were 1) no system r/w access and 2) I kept having to dismount and remount my sd card. I tried Cyanogenmod and while it was nice, I missed Blinkfeed.
It's a presonal preference, really. Everybody has their reason for what operating system they run on their phone. As for me, I like custom ROMs because I like to stay on the bleeding edge. If a new version of Android is released, you can guarantee there'll be a custom ROM for it within 1-2 weeks. Even when the OEM has stopped pushing out updates, custom ROMs give the ability to always stay on the bleeding edge. Also, some people dislike the Sense UI. Understandable, since it does slow the phone down just a bit. But really, it' just down to personal preference.
primed1 said:
It's a presonal preference, really. Everybody has their reason for what operating system they run on their phone. As for me, I like custom ROMs because I like to stay on the bleeding edge. If a new version of Android is released, you can guarantee there'll be a custom ROM for it within 1-2 weeks. Even when the OEM has stopped pushing out updates, custom ROMs give the ability to always stay on the bleeding edge. Also, some people dislike the Sense UI. Understandable, since it does slow the phone down just a bit. But really, it' just down to personal preference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe its a Windows vs Mac thing. Its funny you know that I'm an experienced computer teacher and on PCs I always stay up to date and I do like to be on the bleeding edge but when it comes to phones I feel differently but on my Samsung tablet I do have a custom rom. I'm not anti custom rom. Samsungs bloatware is ridiculous, touchwiz is awful and the tablet is very laggy. A custom rom here was absolutely necessary. Now it flies but on the htc one m8, I don't mind sense 6, speed is good and customisations are adequate.
Technically speaking they are not necessary. I prefer stock android to sense.
Also lollipop appears to be a game changer for exposed. It's uncertain the future of exposed.
I know my ROM of choice is miui although it can be a crap shoot to get a stable ROM to my liking so I usually use mi launcher
jbarr3 said:
OK a philosophical rant.
I've spent hours trying to decide which custom rom to install. Watched all the youtube videos went on all the developers web sites and read hundreds of pages of threads and yet nothing jumps out at me. I was asking myself why do I want a custom rom. So I went through a checklist of what roms offer
1. Remove bloatware - done that through titanium
2. Display customisations - I use sense and nova and various other gui apps that provide many options
3. Tweaks - I have exposed modules - sense 6, gravity box and xsense which give me all the tweaks I need
4. Speed - my phone's running very well.
5. Gestures - I use gmd gestures
Some roms offer hundreds of tweaks. In reality how often and how many would you change. Also while most roms are stable and bugs are fixable, there are many reports of problems and yes I know they do get fixed eventually but losing wifi, carrier access, reboots, bootloops etc can be disconcerting and a common question is how do I get back to stock rom.
I came to the conclusion that the only reason I wanted a custom rom was to see if I could load one and try it out. Seems like a lot of mucking about to achieve, in my case on this phone, very little.
Have i missed the point of roms?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once u try Xposed Module Xtended Settings (for Sense 6) u won't need a rom. It's ALMOST got more features than s6tb, xsense, htc one tweaker, gravity box,- ALL COMBINED AND THEN SOME THAT NONE OF EM CONTAIN.... Newest versions up on Play Store (Xposed report has older versions).... With this 1 single mod, I have no need for custom rom. Try it u WILL NOT regret it (or turn back either)
Are custom roms necessary? In my opinion yes they are.
1: some people prefer a pure android experience (me included)
2: some people want certain tweaks, apps, and settings
3: and the MOST important one! Faster updates, and longer device life.
What do i mean by device life? Newest android on phones that the manufacturer phased out. Look at the galaxy s3 running 4.4.4, or the galaxy nexus running 4.4.4 and probably 5.0 now. These devices stopped getting updates from their manufacturers but are still good usuable phones, preventing me from getting a new device.
This is why companies have been locking down bootloaders, to get you to buy a new device for new software when the one you own is perfectly good.
So it comes down to taste, preference, and android version.
jbarr3 said:
Have i missed the point of roms?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Xposed and all these apps which you are using came in very late if you compare them to when custom roms started popping up. Now, me for one prefer to have some of the functionality you use baked into my rom instead of me going to the play store and downloading an app to do so.
R4INS said:
Are custom roms necessary? In my opinion yes they are.
1: some people prefer a pure android experience (me included)
2: some people want certain tweaks, apps, and settings
3: and the MOST important one! Faster updates, and longer device life.
What do i mean by device life? Newest android on phones that the manufacturer phased out. Look at the galaxy s3 running 4.4.4, or the galaxy nexus running 4.4.4 and probably 5.0 now. These devices stopped getting updates from their manufacturers but are still good usuable phones, preventing me from getting a new device.
This is why companies have been locking down bootloaders, to get you to buy a new device for new software when the one you own is perfectly good.
So it comes down to taste, preference, and android version.
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Which rom are you using then?
BTW In Australia we are bypassing 4.4.4 and going straight to 5.0. When I don't know (Jan. was mentioned) but I'll revisit roms when they match my firmware. The point about updates is a good one. I forgot about that.
jbarr3 said:
Which rom are you using then?
BTW In Australia we are bypassing 4.4.4 and going straight to 5.0. When I don't know (Jan. was mentioned) but I'll revisit roms when they match my firmware. The point about updates is a good one. I forgot about that.
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Im running the google play edition 5.0 lollipop leak right now. Hoping the official google play 5.0 update comes this week. Kinda laggy. I tend to run cyanogenmod (cm11) so as soon as cm12 comes out ill be switching to that
R4INS said:
Im running the google play edition 5.0 lollipop leak right now. Hoping the official google play 5.0 update comes this week. Kinda laggy. I tend to run cyanogenmod (cm11) so as soon as cm12 comes out ill be switching to that
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Flash the antilag fix holyangel posted, it makes things usable imho. Its not 100% gone but its a whole lot better without the fix.
luigi90210 said:
Flash the antilag fix holyangel posted, it makes things usable imho. Its not 100% gone but its a whole lot better without the fix.
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Yeah i have the tweaks all set. Also switched to nova launcher (ditching google now helps). I really only experience the most lag in chrome and keyboard. I could try a differrnt keyboard i guess but it matches so well.
R4INS said:
Yeah i have the tweaks all set. Also switched to nova launcher (ditching google now helps). I really only experience the most lag in chrome and keyboard. I could try a differrnt keyboard i guess but it matches so well.
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Its funny you say that cause im only experiencing lag on google messanger. Everything else is smooth with the occasional hiccup once and a while.
To add my $0.02 to the topic, i feel custom roms in the sense like CM, AOKP, paranoid android, ect. are not necessary unless you have no way to get pure android on your device. Im running the leaked lollipop rom and im loving it aside from the minor lag issues im experiencing, i feel android has itself to a point where if you need to customize something, you have rooted apps that can do it, there isnt any need to have all these seperate apps baked into a rom when you will only use 1/3rd of the features, its just adding more bloat to what could be a pure aosp rom
luigi90210 said:
Its funny you say that cause im only experiencing lag on google messanger. Everything else is smooth with the occasional hiccup once and a while.
To add my $0.02 to the topic, i feel custom roms in the sense like CM, AOKP, paranoid android, ect. are not necessary unless you have no way to get pure android on your device. Im running the leaked lollipop rom and im loving it aside from the minor lag issues im experiencing, i feel android has itself to a point where if you need to customize something, you have rooted apps that can do it, there isnt any need to have all these seperate apps baked into a rom when you will only use 1/3rd of the features, its just adding more bloat to what could be a pure aosp rom
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While I do agree, that the feel of stock AOSP is unbeatable, I don't think that AOSP ROMs like CyanogenMod and Paranoid Android are completely useless. They have some features that you can't simply add with an Xposed module, or some root app. Take CM's theme manager, for example. I honestly don't know what I'd do without the theme manager. And Paranoid Android's Hover feature? (Which I guess with Lollipop's floating mode, is now useless), but in KitKat, it was revolutionary. And I'm sure they'll continue to add new, unbeatable features in Lollipop, too. And until they stop adding new features, I don't think it's likely that I'll stop using them.
primed1 said:
While I do agree, that the feel of stock AOSP is unbeatable, I don't think that AOSP ROMs like CyanogenMod and Paranoid Android are completely useless. They have some features that you can't simply add with an Xposed module, or some root app. Take CM's theme manager, for example. I honestly don't know what I'd do without the theme manager. And Paranoid Android's Hover feature? (Which I guess with Lollipop's floating mode, is now useless), but in KitKat, it was revolutionary. And I'm sure they'll continue to add new, unbeatable features in Lollipop, too. And until they stop adding new features, I don't think it's likely that I'll stop using them.
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Hover can be used via gravity box, wanam, and other tool boxes like it, themer however is unique to android but for a user like me who stays with stock themes that feature is moot.
With xposed not working on lollipop i can see where having a feature hardcoded into a rom would be good but thats only if xposed is broken forever.
Thats my $0.02 on the subject though, i personally find no need to run a custom rom on my HTC One M8, lollipop has all the features i use and i only need root to manage my kernel, files(root explorer), sound control, and an app like greenify that forces apps to shut down when not in use to gelp battery life.
bdizzle1686 said:
Once u try Xposed Module Xtended Settings (for Sense 6) u won't need a rom. It's ALMOST got more features than s6tb, xsense, htc one tweaker, gravity box,- ALL COMBINED AND THEN SOME THAT NONE OF EM CONTAIN.... Newest versions up on Play Store (Xposed report has older versions).... With this 1 single mod, I have no need for custom rom. Try it u WILL NOT regret it (or turn back either)
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Just installed this and your right, its very good but it is missing a couple of my favourite tweaks from my xsense, sense 6 toolbox and gravity box. Using all of these gives all the tweaks you could possibly want,
primed1 said:
While I do agree, that the feel of stock AOSP is unbeatable, I don't think that AOSP ROMs like CyanogenMod and Paranoid Android are completely useless. They have some features that you can't simply add with an Xposed module, or some root app. Take CM's theme manager, for example. I honestly don't know what I'd do without the theme manager. And Paranoid Android's Hover feature? (Which I guess with Lollipop's floating mode, is now useless), but in KitKat, it was revolutionary. And I'm sure they'll continue to add new, unbeatable features in Lollipop, too. And until they stop adding new features, I don't think it's likely that I'll stop using them.
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Click to collapse
CM theme Manager based on T-Mobile theme engine is used by RichmondoUK in his xposed module too
A custom rom is a great thing but not necessary. I wish i had a custom rom on my m8, but since is almost certain that i can't s-off it, i don't wanna risk not been able to update the firmware or to lose wifi or network signal if i upgrade to a rom based on newer firmware. So i'll keep it stock at least until lollipop comes.
I`d like to add something,
Before knowing that GREAT invention called "XPOSED" , custom roms were a must for me and I assume for every android maniac like me. But now things are totally different , with XPOSED u can have customize ur stock rom in all ways . And thus u get all the benefits of both stock roms "stable bug free" and custom roms at the same time. Guys we shud really thank Mr. XPOSED inventor whoever he is. :good::good:
Jabber Abdullah said:
Before knowing that GREAT invention called "XPOSED" , custom roms were a must for me and I assume for every android maniac like me. But now things are totally different , with XPOSED u can have customize ur stock rom in all ways . And thus u get all the benefits of both stock roms "stable bug free" and custom roms at the same time. Guys we shud really thank Mr. XPOSED inventor whoever he is. :good::good:
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I see everyone talking about Xposed.
Given it's uncertain future in Android 5 I'm afraid for the foreseeable you are going to want baked in features on custom ROMs.
I personally cannot wait to see what themers can do with Android 5.0 in the CM theme engine.
Like others I am also waiting for CM12 as it always just feels more snappy than stock.

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