[Q] IR Blaster on custom ROMs - AT&T Samsung Galaxy S 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshootin

Just wondering if there is a specific answer as to whether the IR blaster will/can work in custom ROMs.I have read/heard that in some ROMs, like CM 10.1 I believe, that it doesn't work "yet". So should I assume that it's catch-as-catch-can?
For full disclosure, I'm still using my N4 but am strongly considering grabbing an S4, primarily because I can't stand the N4 battery life anymore, want LTE again ( I had an S3 briefly) and a better camera would be nice. But, I will almost certainly root and flash something more stock but definitely want to keep the IR functionality.
Thanks in advance for the help.

It's highly unlikely that custom non-TouchWiz roms like CM10.1 will be able to use the IR blaster. I'm hopeful that the upcoming Google Edition of the GS4 will have functionality so it can be ported to AOSP roms.

snakecharmer23 said:
It's highly unlikely that custom non-TouchWiz roms like CM10.1 will be able to use the IR blaster. I'm hopeful that the upcoming Google Edition of the GS4 will have functionality so it can be ported to AOSP roms.
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Really? I'm not a developer by any stretch, but does that mean that they have no way of accessing the hardware? What if you were to use a 3rd party remote app, like Peel?

Push the SamsungWatchOn app to your phone and see if it works.

C13v3r0n3 said:
Push the SamsungWatchOn app to your phone and see if it works.
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Click to collapse
It doesn't. I tried it. There are no drivers for the IR Blaster. I would say unless the Google edition has it we are SOL. No apps work it that I tried, and I tried most all of them in the Play Store.

The Google edition of the S4 will not use the Samsung apps or make use of some of the hardware from what I understand. No S-view or gestures or temp sensors or IR or any of that. Which is a huge bummer if you ask me. We don't need T-Wiz but make use of the hardware and capabilities at least.

Just do yourself a favor and download Smart Remote. Problem solved.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

justlaxin13 said:
Really? I'm not a developer by any stretch, but does that mean that they have no way of accessing the hardware? What if you were to use a 3rd party remote app, like Peel?
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I'm no dev either.... but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!
I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that the Google version won't leave half the hardware useless.

my comment is not to bash, it's just my opinion. i get that people want to run stock android because they are used to it from other devices or they may just like the look and feel of it. i like stock android also, just not on my gs4. there is hardware on this phone that stock android can not take advantage of. like all the sensors and aspects of the camera. i just cant bring myself to have stock android knowing that i paid for a phone that can do other things yet i cant use those other things. i dont know what the google edition of gs4 will have, but something tells me it will just be like us putting an aosp rom on our devices right now and not having the drivers to take advantage of the other aspects of the phone hardware. makes me feel like why did i buy this phone with these sensors on it if i cant use them? i should have instead got a different phone that has a 1080p screen with a quad core cpu with ext sdcard, minus the extra gs4 hardware that makes it unique, so that the stock android can take full advantage of.

What about touch squid? Does that work?
Sent from my GT-N7100

@rbiter said:
What about touch squid? Does that work?
Sent from my GT-N7100
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no ir blaster driver in rom = no app that can run the hardware. needs to be a touchwiz based custom rom. like mdob rom.

I'm 100% positive they will make use of the IR Blaster or atleast include simple drivers for developers to run with.
Let me make this clear, Samsung is NOT going to produce the device with an IR device on the developer edition if they don't plan on giving Google drivers. As if Samsung is gonna waste money on perfectly good IR Blasters to never ever be used....
It's either gonna have the IR Blaster and have simple functionality, or the hardware will be scrapped to save money.

snakecharmer23 said:
I'm no dev either.... but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!
I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that the Google version won't leave half the hardware useless.
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WELL you might as well cross your fingers, toes, eyes, and hold your breath.

ZPaul2Fresh8 said:
Just do yourself a favor and download Smart Remote. Problem solved.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium
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Samsung includes an 'irda' driver in their open source, isn't that the driver? If that's the case, couldn't someone compile that driver into a kernel and then we could use apps like Smart Remote?

No rom will work if the Samsung Framework is not installed. If it were as easy as just installing the IR driver in the ROM, i'm pretty sure all roms would be compatible with it by now, or some dev would create a patch for it

Nothing to see here you need Touchwiz to use it. I would not bet on the Google edition having it. Google will not have all the bells and whistles like everybody things.
You need ir blaster stick with stock rom and forget the rest.

The framework is definitely needed for stuff like WatchOn or anything that calls the IR Blaster through the framework, but an app like SmartRemote that calls the hardware directly through the drivers wouldn't need the framework.
I didn't look too much at the irda drivers but I an fairly certain that one could just compile support for that in and if the app is non-samsung that the support should be there the same as any external ir blaster.

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Thermalwolf said:
I'm 100% positive they will make use of the IR Blaster or atleast include simple drivers for developers to run with.
Let me make this clear, Samsung is NOT going to produce the device with an IR device on the developer edition if they don't plan on giving Google drivers. As if Samsung is gonna waste money on perfectly good IR Blasters to never ever be used....
It's either gonna have the IR Blaster and have simple functionality, or the hardware will be scrapped to save money.
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I doubt the actual hardware will be scrapped. This would require a change to their hardware manufacturing process which will be a costly change for them. It seems that the Qualcomm S4s are almost completely identical less firmware and software changes, which would occur after the hardware build.
Because the production volumes of the S4 are so high, the cost of adding these sensors is probably trivial, either cents or fractions of a cent per unit. Changing the production lines to modify the manufacturing, after all of the labor, QC, etc., is likely to cost more per phone than simply including the part, at least at the production volumes we can reasonably expect to see.
Given the volumes on this edition of the S4 will most likely be nowhere near the volumes of the ATT or VZW standard models, the cheapest way for Samsung to create this SKU would be to re-badge the existing hardware with the vanilla software. After all, this is exactly what they did with the i337m.
Of course, this doesn't guarantee drivers will be available for the IR. However, this model is targeted to the enthusiast market, and they would likely see sales of the new SKU cannibalized by other models if they didn't include basic functionality.
After all, why would I buy the Google edition with no IR support when I can go buy the T-Mobile model, with a choice of carrier subsidy, if the end result is essentially the same? I could just buy that one and flash CM10 or equivalent if I don't get IR either way, and I can get that from my friendly neighborhood retail outlet.
Since this model seems to be marketed to enthusiasts, the amount of loss they would sustain by not including an IR driver could be substantial enough that it wouldn't make economic sense to have created the additional SKU in the first place.
Again, this is all speculation, but this is where I'd place my bet. Now watch, since I've stated this, Murphy's Law will kick in and I will be completely wrong...
Sent from my SGH-I337 using XDA Premium HD app

Well if the follow the HTC model the IR blaster will just be disabled
Wayne Tech Nexus

Related

Hmmm...no Touchwiz afterall?

Seems LG knows something Samsung doesn't? They say Google not allowing ui over lay on honeycomb at this time... Maybe vanilla 3.0 after all?
http://phandroid.com/2011/03/24/lg-says-google-wont-allow-custom-uis-on-honeycomb-samsung-says-huh/
Sent from my Tab using XDA Premium App
This is very interesting. Because Samsung was verrrryyyy careful to note that TouchWiz4.0 would be coming to "some devices" in "some markets". and wouldn't even hint at which those were.
Also it should be noted that they're calling TouchWiz4.0 a "UX" or User Experience, rather than a UI (User Interface). Although this is kinda stupid because they're re-skinning basic Honeycomb UI elements like the back/home/multitasking buttons and the entire settings menu, etc. Sounds like a UI more than a UX to me.
Sounds like they're going to try and develop TouchWiz4.0 and then fight Google on it. If anything, Google will push it back until they just include a few widgets and call it a day. I'm perfectly okay with this.
This sounds awesome btw, and I hope Google follows through with it. Its good for them to try and protect Android as a brand and keep it from getting bastardized by all the manufacturers and carriers.
You guys should remember that Samsung has previously squeezed through Google's rules. Google tried to stop Android from being put on tablets too early by not allowing GAPS (Google Apps, e.g. the Market) to be shipped on those devices, however there was an exception to this rule and surprisingly enough it was the original Galaxy Tab. I also believe the Notion Ink Adam had the market installed, but I don't know how they managed that one.
If what LG states is true, Samsung and maybe even other major manufactures like HTC do not have to follow this rule. I assure you, TouchWiz will somehow make it to these tabs somehow, Samsung seems to be special.
martonikaj said:
This sounds awesome btw, and I hope Google follows through with it. Its good for them to try and protect Android as a brand and keep it from getting bastardized by all the manufacturers and carriers.
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I totally agree. I think it would be great for Google to be firm footed about this. It's mainly the UI customisation that has caused so many manufacturers to cancel or postpone Android OS updates. I don't care if a manufacturer can produce a better UI than stock, I'd still rather have stock so that OS updates can be more timely.
Manufacturers can still customise the UI/UX somewhat via the application layer and their own widgets. Look at Launcher Pro for example.
I think Google need to create a supported mechanism for manufacturers to customise/skin/theme Android via official API calls. This gives manufacturers the differentiation they want and keeps everyone working ontop of official API calls.
Google should simply require that any modifications to the stock Android Experience be made "optional" by the manufacturers. Everybody wins.
RickBaller said:
Google should simply require that any modifications to the stock Android Experience by made "optional" by the manufacturers. Everybody wins.
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This. That way Samsung can advertise it all they want in promotional material etc., but there is a switch in the settings menu to turn it all back to stock. Maybe this will be Samsung's compromise, who knows. It sounds like Google would prefer if it was stock and no questions asked. Manufacturers can customize all they want with widgets and apps, just leave the OS stock!
What people don't realize is that as long as carriers have any part of the update process, you will always get updates late. Why do you think the iPhone has no carrier logo, no carrier apps, and all updates are through iTunes? Apple knows that carriers are slow as **** and mess up everything they touch.
ryude said:
What people don't realize is that as long as carriers have any part of the update process, you will always get updates late. Why do you think the iPhone has no carrier logo, no carrier apps, and all updates are through iTunes? Apple knows that carriers are slow as **** and mess up everything they touch.
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Yeah I totally agree. Having firmware that toggles between stock and custom sounds like it will take even longer to release that the custom firmwares of today. The only way it could work is. If Samsung release them separately. Stock would be released first. They can then take as much time as they need to release their custom variant. That would be best of both worlds. Having said that I still think i'll be using home brew roms from xda as it will be tonnes better than what samsung produce.
Android should have a central repository like Ubuntu so it's always up to date on every device. Google made a mistake not doing something like that in the beginning. Now it's probably too late.
"An LG spokesperson." Yeah, dunno if I would actually believe this person. It's like asking a retail salesman at the store when the release date is for the new phone.
Also, do you guys really want to loose Touchwiz? Besides the rfs file system which is still yet unknown, I wouldn't mind Touchwiz if it includes all the codecs. The Vibrant was a beast of a media player right off the bat and if I get a tablet, I would want it to play anything from the get go. Although, the other topic posted a video saying the Touchwiz update would be optional so who knows.
DKYang said:
"An LG spokesperson." Yeah, dunno if I would actually believe this person. It's like asking a retail salesman at the store when the release date is for the new phone.
Also, do you guys really want to loose Touchwiz? Besides the rfs file system which is still yet unknown, I wouldn't mind Touchwiz if it includes all the codecs. The Vibrant was a beast of a media player right off the bat and if I get a tablet, I would want it to play anything from the get go. Although, the other topic posted a video saying the Touchwiz update would be optional so who knows.
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That's a good point about the codec support. What's involved with Samsung adding codec support? Is it a case of just having the codec files added to the Android OS or does it require native modules to be installed within the Android OS? I guess it's the UI elements I have the most issues with TouchWiz. Non-UI elements that enhance the phone such as additional codecs are a welcome benefit. They probably add hardly any extra time to incorporate into a stock Android OS release.
Techno79 said:
That's a good point about the codec support. What's involved with Samsung adding codec support? Is it a case of just having the codec files added to the Android OS or does it require native modules to be installed within the Android OS? I guess it's the UI elements I have the most issues with TouchWiz. Non-UI elements that enhance the phone such as additional codecs are a welcome benefit. They probably add hardly any extra time to incorporate into a stock Android OS release.
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I think he's just saying that Samsung has more incentive to add in the codec support if they're going to customize with TouchWiz4.0.
Although I'd like to see them add the codec support either way considering they could use it as a huge selling point.

pls help me to decide.....

should i buy this phone????
is it worth buying????
Only you can decide that. Watch the video reviews on YouTube and read the reviews all over the web.
Sent from The Bacon Pope's Oppo Find 5
IMHO:
Very good value because of a) price, b) build quality, c) support, both from the manufacturer and ROM teams.
If you're only going for the raw power of the devices, there are cheaper alternatives having the same/very similar specs, but they lack in built quality and support. Or if you need more software feautes, you've got to pay more for HTC/Samsung.
I voted for the "underdog" since I don't like the big companies throwing out device after device and not giving proper support and I only payed ~80€ more than for a Nexus 4, getting double the RAM and a better display - besides, I'd be interested in a Google Edition from HTC/Samsung, but they won't arrive here any time soon.
Besides, I don't know a single task, except maybe hardcore gaming(which I wouldn't want to do on a phone), that doesn't work just fine with any recent phone, so imho it's all about personal preferences.
S.D.Richards said:
IMHO:
Very good value because of a) price, b) build quality, c) support, both from the manufacturer and ROM teams.
If you're only going for the raw power of the devices, there are cheaper alternatives having the same/very similar specs, but they lack in built quality and support. Or if you need more software feautes, you've got to pay more for HTC/Samsung.
I voted for the "underdog" since I don't like the big companies throwing out device after device and not giving proper support and I only payed ~80€ more than for a Nexus 4, getting double the RAM and a better display - besides, I'd be interested in a Google Edition from HTC/Samsung, but they won't arrive here any time soon.
Besides, I don't know a single task, except maybe hardcore gaming(which I wouldn't want to do on a phone), that doesn't work just fine with any recent phone, so imho it's all about personal preferences.
Click to expand...
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is this good to go for nexus 4 rather than this phone???????
burninghouse said:
is this good to go for nexus 4 rather than this phone???????
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Click to collapse
Up to you.. Do you plan on flashing and modding your phone with custom kernels, ROMs, and recoveries? The N4 has a lot more development but the Find 5 has an incredible outlook on 3rd party development. So far I've seen 2 ads for the Find 5 from OPPO showing off custom ROMs running on them such as Official CyanogenMod 10.1 support and PAC ROM.. (I think the other was PAC ROM) so that right there is something to take into consideration should you need to return your device for any reason. No more flash counters or flashing back to stock..even though that's as easy as flashing their official firmware via .zip file that they release. Can even be flashed with CWM or TWRP. I won't try to butter up the software, because well... It needs work. But, with CM support and constant updates from the OEM, this is a phone to consider. Hardware wise... Fantastic, tough to beat, and the camera is a beaut!
sent from my

So is this tablet Dead on Arrival?

I REALLY want to get this tablet. Mainly because Google has pissed me off with their Nexus 10 (2013) release secrecy and because this is just a beautiful tablet with a lot of great features. But what makes me feel like it might be a wasted investment is the lack of developer support. We have a root method that trips Knox and absolutely 0 roms after a month.
$600 is too much for a device that's this unpopular among developers. The one developer we do have working on this, is even contemplating returning it for a Nexus 10 (2013). So my question is,
Do all Android devices take this long to gain developer momentum? Will things be radically different in a month or two (e.g. full proof root methods, toolkits, and loads of Roms?)
If it's not this tablet, then it's sitting around like a dunce and waiting for Google to stop playing games with the next Nexus release. Nothing else Android is worth it IMO and I rather go tablet-less than ever purchase Apple's gestapo iOS device again.
As an owner of the Note 10.1 2014, I only bought this because of the S Pen which I rely on heavily for work. If I was buying just a general tablet for using around the house and whatnot and didn't care about the S Pen, I would wait for the new Nexus 10. If the main purpose of your purchase is note taking, then go right ahead and buy the Note 10.1 2014 without hesitation. The Nexus 10 won't be able to take notes like the Note 10.1.
I don't think it's worth putting up with all the Samsung crap if you are going to have the Nexus 10 as an alternative that can meet your needs. Seeing what they did with the Nexus 5 and 7, I'm pumped about the Nexus 10 even though I'm not buying one.
As far as support goes, I have no idea. Sorry.
shall tedoed
Stocklone said:
As an owner of the Note 10.1 2014, I only bought this because of the S Pen which I rely on heavily for work. If I was buying just a general tablet for using around the house and whatnot and didn't care about the S Pen, I would wait for the new Nexus 10. If the main purpose of your purchase is note taking, then go right ahead and buy the Note 10.1 2014 without hesitation. The Nexus 10 won't be able to take notes like the Note 10.1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It wouldn't be my main purpose, but I love the idea of taking notes as well as annotating books that I'm reading. Tell me about your experience with it's note taking capabilities. Does it feel as effortless as writing on paper? Between a notepad and pen and this device would you rather jot down notes on the Note 10.1 based on what feels better?
EDIT: Also, are you by any chance rooted? If so, hows that working out for you? Does it feel like any other rooted android device? Any limitations that don't exist elsewhere? It just boggles my mind that the Note 3 has taken off with full proof root methods and roms, but this is stuck in no mans land.
I'd love to hear others answer these questions as well.
The Note has only been available in Germany for about a week or two and in other countries too. Most people buy it specifically for the note taking abilities and are happy with the touchwiz stuff, like me.
I rooted it, there are no restrictions that I know of. All in all this is one of the best devices I have owned so far. It becomes extremely fast once you disable a bunch of samsung apps and stuff you don't need. Love the multiwindow for productivity and the S-Pen is superb. I use it for taking notes at university, reading pdf's (not really annotating them) and just for general browsing and watching youtube. If you don't really need the S-Pen then maybe get an AOSP-ish device like the Nexus 10. I rely on the S-Pen, any other tablet without would be totally useless for taking notes in lectures and generally for studying.
unless you have a need for the pen/digitizer combo then you don't need this expensive device. the original note 10.1 took a good while to get some devs. i think there were only 3 when i sold mine. unless you get the "cheap" android tablet that all the cool kids get then you may not get much dev support. this is one expensive tablet to mess up modding and slap that knox warranty void and it'll scare a few guys/gals away.
There are only so many developers and with as many Android devices that out there, makes it difficult for developers to buy and develop for. We'll get developers, just will take time. Phones will get developers first because they are more essential than tablets, which are still considered luxury items. There really isn't much that I'm waiting for a ROM to fix and feel that Samsung has moved fast in updating this tablet. MuIti-user was added with the last update.The only thing I want is to have more options to run multi-window with.
Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk 4
vdc530 said:
EDIT: Also, are you by any chance rooted? If so, hows that working out for you? Does it feel like any other rooted android device? Any limitations that don't exist elsewhere?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can do the same things as on any other rooted device and the SM-P605 LTE model can be rooted via "Root de la vega".
This method directly patches the system partition and does not trip Knox.
Sometimes a little additional tweaking is needed because the new Notes also come with SELinux.
I haven't felt a real need to root my 2014 Note 10.1 yet, but it is somewhat strange to see such a wonderful, capable light-weight device getting so little attention.
I expect a price drop soon, with the iPad Air now looming mostly over it. I have little doubt that developers and the public will come to know this tablet for what it is in coming months. Since I have few complaints the way it works now, apart from the knox warranty thing, the only thing remaining is improved compatibility of some apps + games.
When I created this thread I was leaning away from getting this tablet. But you guys have really turned my opinion around. Also, on top of these responses I've found out that the device includes such things as an IR blaster (I'm not mistaken right?) which is something that won't exist on the Nexus. Also, the dimensions of the device are the same as the iPad 4, but with a larger 16x10 screen. I might hate a lot of what Apple does, but I agree with the dimensions of the iPad being a nice fit for a tablet, minus the 4x3 screen (what decade is this lol). Every single 10" Android tablet is long and short making books look weird when in portrait mode.
All that on top of the S-pen, multi-window, hard buttons instead of a navigation bar and a fully functioning root has got me really interested now. So, I contacted Amazon to see if they'd extend their $50 gift card promotion to the black 32gb version (currently only for the 16gb white) and they said that they'd be happy to make an exception, but they'd have to run it by their promotional department first. I expect to hear from them within the next 24-48 hours.
Long story short, Iooks like I'll be joining your ranks guys
P.S. if you guys have other things to add about the device, I'd love to hear it. Been checking up on this thread constantly. :good:
Agreed. Honestly all it needs is the bloat removed and with root you can do that through titanium.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
I don't get it... The device is a failure because there is no developer action? In pretty happy with my note and much like my s3 and Gnex before it I wouldn't run 3rd party software on it anyway. I would, however, root and de bloat if I could do it without tripping Knox.
SomeGuyDude said:
Agreed. Honestly all it needs is the bloat removed and with root you can do that through titanium.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. Is there a guide about what I can remove through Titanium? I've rooted my tablet but with hat it does, I'm not really asking for much. It was great out of the box.
icebergisonfire said:
Agreed. Is there a guide about what I can remove through Titanium?
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Click to collapse
This. We definitely need to put together a de-bloat guide. It's the very first thing I do with my android devices. I wonder if we can use the Note 3's information to compile a list?
icebergisonfire said:
Agreed. Is there a guide about what I can remove through Titanium? I've rooted my tablet but with hat it does, I'm not really asking for much. It was great out of the box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I seem to remember a topic with apps which can be disabled, without root. Not many posts there yet. Will look it up..... Done
There are 2 in fact:
- Disabling Apps
- [Q] Removing Bloat...
vdc530 said:
I REALLY want to get this tablet. Mainly because Google has pissed me off with their Nexus 10 (2013) release secrecy and because this is just a beautiful tablet with a lot of great features. But what makes me feel like it might be a wasted investment is the lack of developer support. We have a root method that trips Knox and absolutely 0 roms after a month.
$600 is too much for a device that's this unpopular among developers. The one developer we do have working on this, is even contemplating returning it for a Nexus 10 (2013). So my question is,
Do all Android devices take this long to gain developer momentum? Will things be radically different in a month or two (e.g. full proof root methods, toolkits, and loads of Roms?)
If it's not this tablet, then it's sitting around like a dunce and waiting for Google to stop playing games with the next Nexus release. Nothing else Android is worth it IMO and I rather go tablet-less than ever purchase Apple's gestapo iOS device again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had both the original Samsung tab 10.1 and. Galaxy note 10.1. Both tablets needed development and rooting straight out of the box. They were both lacking in functionality and had significantly more lag. I rooted and installed custom roms for those devices because it was needed. I can honestly say for me at this point there is no absolute need for any rooting or rom develppment. Although people say there is lag on this device, this device with nothing but 3 software updates from samsung is leaps and bounds faster and more responsive than my previous develpoed devices. This is the product Samsung should have come out from the beginning. There are a couple things that can be done to increase speed such as installing nova launcher but these are minor things anyone can do. Hope this helps to change your mind
Have lost interest in rooting/custom ROMs since benefits like free WIFI tethering can be achieved without it with toggle widgets, Jelly Bean support debloating by disabling apps, etc. while there are benefits to staying stock such as to avoid invalidating warranty, maintaining stability and features like multi-window multi-tasking. Once Google include built-in support for wireless bluetooth PS3 game controller to replace root required SixAxis controller app it erases any need to root/custom ROM for me. So, this is a non-issue when I get the Note 12.2 Snapdragon 800.
mi7chy said:
Have lost interest in rooting/custom ROMs since benefits like free WIFI tethering can be achieved without it with toggle widgets, Jelly Bean support debloating by disabling apps, etc. while there are benefits to staying stock such as to avoid invalidating warranty, maintaining stability and features like multi-window multi-tasking. Once Google include built-in support for wireless bluetooth PS3 game controller to replace root required SixAxis controller app it erases any need to root/custom ROM for me. So, this is a non-issue when I get the Note 12.2 Snapdragon 800.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wait...how do you get the PS3 game controller to work without root? I want to sue mine but do not want to root the tablet. Does it automatically set up the joysticks too or does it use them like a D-pad? It didnt pair when I tried it. Thanks for any tips!
vdc530 said:
It wouldn't be my main purpose, but I love the idea of taking notes as well as annotating books that I'm reading. Tell me about your experience with it's note taking capabilities. Does it feel as effortless as writing on paper? Between a notepad and pen and this device would you rather jot down notes on the Note 10.1 based on what feels better?
EDIT: Also, are you by any chance rooted? If so, hows that working out for you? Does it feel like any other rooted android device? Any limitations that don't exist elsewhere? It just boggles my mind that the Note 3 has taken off with full proof root methods and roms, but this is stuck in no mans land.
I'd love to hear others answer these questions as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I absolutely LOVE it for note taking capability. The trick is finding the note taking app that works best for you. I personally love Quill but other people like other apps. I hate S Note though. It should be called Sh!t Note. I've been taking notes for over a year and have not touched a paper notebook since I bought the original note 10.1. My personal recommendation for screen protector is ArmorShield because it is kind of squishy which gives you a little more drag and I think makes it feel more natural. I have all of my notes in one place, tagged and organized. My co-workers have a pile of notebooks and sticky notes with no idea where anything is. It's a beautiful thing and my notes will never be heaving than 1.2 lbs. The best part is that the width of the screen in landscape is the width of a regular sized sheet of paper. The new high res screen and better S Pen makes for some beautiful notes. I could not recommend more for note taking. I love it. It's been a game changer without a doubt. I has completely redefined how I work and what I can do. I literally have the equivalent of having a notepad with a camera attached to it. I'm doing things at work my co-workers can only dream of.
I wish I had this in college honestly. I'd have a folder of files instead of 4 boxes full of notebooks.
I rooted it. I disabled knox and s finder with titanium backup. With the latest update and having root which allows me to use the 3rd party apps I need to make this tablet usable, I actually love using it. Before I could mod it though, I wanted to break this tablet in half. I hated being forced to use the physical buttons in the center and S Finder replacing Google Now. Rooting is super easy for the wi-fi edition if you don't care about tripping the warranty bit. I imagine with each update it's only going to get better. It took the original Note 10.1 4 months before Samsung finally optimized everything and squashed the lag. I'm hoping the same thing happens with the 2014 edition.
I'm still annoyed Samsung is using a phone notification shade instead of the new tablet one Google designed but I can live with it. It just looks absolutely ridiculous. I'm hoping Samsung will eventually fix that in an update but I doubt it. Samsung may know how to add valuable features, they have no clue when it comes to software design it seems.
My view of this tablet is very negative for non-note takers because i think you can have a better cheaper experience elsewhere. But for people doing note taking, it has few peers. My wife's Surface pro 2 can also do some amazing things for note taking with Office 2013, but she paid 3x what I paid and has to deal with different set of trade-offs. It's in a completely different class.
Hope that helps.
atg284 said:
wait...how do you get the PS3 game controller to work without root? I want to sue mine but do not want to root the tablet. Does it automatically set up the joysticks too or does it use them like a D-pad? It didnt pair when I tried it. Thanks for any tips!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wireless bluetooth PS3 controller support via SixAxis app still requires root until Google add built-in support in future Android release. For now, PS3 controller works with USB cable without rooting.
mi7chy said:
Wireless bluetooth PS3 controller support via SixAxis app still requires root until Google add built-in support in future Android release. For now, PS3 controller works with USB cable without rooting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah I see. I guess I was hoping google already had support for it and I don't really want to root right now :/
I did play around a little bit with it directly plugged in but the joysticks did not seem to work. Also with it plugged in do you need an app to map the buttons? if so, which one is the best for that? When I tried playing Asphalt 7 I did not see a section in the settings for controller support :/
Thanks a ton for any help!

[Q] IR Blaster/Universal Remote Apps?

Has anyone found a good app that works with the Note3 IR blaster? I haven't been able to get WatchON to work with my phone/tv combo and am looking for something that works well... Any help would be much appreciated!
don't know which is the best because I don't have any issues with Watchon but I'd start here
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=ir%20blaster&c=apps
which tv do you have ?
Smart IR Remote
Smart IR Remote works great and has nice widgets. Watch On blows...
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.remotefairy
FruitBowlMafia said:
Smart IR Remote works great and has nice widgets. Watch On blows...
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.remotefairy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it worth the $7? If it is I'll buy it... I usually prefer free but if it's a genuinely good app i'll throw some money at it
SomeFknGuy said:
Is it worth the $7? If it is I'll buy it... I usually prefer free but if it's a genuinely good app i'll throw some money at it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Works great with our Note 3, well worth it I've already forgotten I paid 7 bucks.
@SomeFknGuy i sent pm look
SomeFknGuy said:
Is it worth the $7? If it is I'll buy it... I usually prefer free but if it's a genuinely good app i'll throw some money at it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It works fantastic, and their support is top-notch. I worked with them all summer on bugs, etc.
If you have access to an HTC One, the hardware IR implementation on it supports code learning, so you can "teach" it commands. I had to do this on some devices I had remote controls for that were not supported. I created a device, learned the codes, and then did a backup of my config within the app. I then restored that backup to my various devices with IR ports (Note 3 included) and it worked like a champ.
Smart IR takes Watch On to school in every respect. EASILY worth the cost if IR is really important to you.
robroy90 said:
It works fantastic, and their support is top-notch. I worked with them all summer on bugs, etc.
If you have access to an HTC One, the hardware IR implementation on it supports code learning, so you can "teach" it commands. I had to do this on some devices I had remote controls for that were not supported. I created a device, learned the codes, and then did a backup of my config within the app. I then restored that backup to my various devices with IR ports (Note 3 included) and it worked like a champ.
Smart IR takes Watch On to school in every respect. EASILY worth the cost if IR is really important to you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this.
htc one tv remote is 10x better then note 3. i will have to try this app though maybe it will make note a little better and closer to htc one
Galaxy s4 universal remote works pretty good for me
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk 2
WatchON has been great for me. I've been able to fully control every IR device I've come in contact with (including a 17-year-old DVD player). Can't beat it for free.

NFC support

This is probably a stupid question, but does anyone know of a custom ROM that does, or possibly will in the future, support NFC?
What so need of that crap?
NFC technology is just like infrared. Beside getting faster connection, it does not have that much advantage.
ashishwebmail said:
NFC technology is just like infrared. Beside getting faster connection, it does not have that much advantage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android Pay for a start.
I highly doubt that a custom ROM would ever support NFC on the G4 Play - as far as I'm aware of doesn't have the hardware to support it in the first place.
I suppose if someone did a hardware mod like attaching an NFC chip and antenna to the battery cover and hooked it up through the USB port, but that's all I could come up with.
irony_delerium said:
I highly doubt that a custom ROM would ever support NFC on the G4 Play - as far as I'm aware of doesn't have the hardware to support it in the first place.
I suppose if someone did a hardware mod like attaching an NFC chip and antenna to the battery cover and hooked it up through the USB port, but that's all I could come up with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The G4 Play does have NFC... At least, mine does
Right, so I guess not all models have it... I've got an unlocked XT1607 (2GB/16GB, US) and it doesn't have it.
Found a bit more info - I guess some of the non-US versions might have it (the XT1604 comes up), but I haven't seen it at all in the one that I've got here.
That's what I get for assuming they all didn't have one since most of the hardware specs seem to be shared otherwise...
Its a little odd, really, some having it but others not. I had presumed the only differences between them were storage capacity since that's a common theme among manufacturers and their device variants.
MrNudge said:
Its a little odd, really, some having it but others not. I had presumed the only differences between them were storage capacity since that's a common theme among manufacturers and their device variants.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
from my understanding US doesn't have NFC, all others do. I found out when I bought mine. Sales person assured me it had NFC. Of course I went to set it up in the store and it wasn't there. Wasn't a dealbreaker for me but it would have been nice to have.
Yes, some version of G4 Play has NFC. For example my XT1604 is 16GB storage, 1 GB RAM and NFC inside. It is model for EU region.

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