Why a custom ROM instead of debloated Stock? - Droid RAZR M Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I've had my RAZR M since March and love it. So much more powerful than my Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. I'm not new to flashing ROMs or overclocking, having begun my Android experience with the LG Ally and Eclair.
In my previous experience, there was a huge need for customizing the phone because the stock version as provided by Verizon was less than stable and/or slower than desirable. But this RAZR M seems awesome once you get rid of the bloat. I haven't had any issues with lag, connectivity, apps, etc. It's really a decent phone for my purposes.
I have already unlocked the boot loader and rooted it, backed it up, blown it away, customized stock, used Matt's utility to restore it, used rsdlite, etc. I've even scared the crap out of myself with a few soft bricks. Now I want to do more.
When I look at the threads for the various ROMs, I've noticed they are all pretty similar and they all tend to break something. Since most seem to be a derivative of JB, I see little reason to be tempted by them. Just a different roll of the same thing.
Obviously, I'm overlooking something here, some reason other than "because I can" that makes using a custom ROM version of generic JB better than stock JB. How is 4.2.2 different than 4.1.2 for instance? If custom is less stable or has some unresolved feature issues, how is it still better than stock? Is over clocking necessary (as it was with the Ally and the Play), or even noticeable? I would really appreciate some useful and honest feedback here. No wisecracks, please. This is a serious inquiry.
Thank you for your kind attention.
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netizenmt said:
I've had my RAZR M since March and love it. So much more powerful than my Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. I'm not new to flashing ROMs or overclocking, having begun my Android experience with the LG Ally and Eclair.
In my previous experience, there was a huge need for customizing the phone because the stock version as provided by Verizon was less than stable and/or slower than desirable. But this RAZR M seems awesome once you get rid of the bloat. I haven't had any issues with lag, connectivity, apps, etc. It's really a decent phone for my purposes.
I have already unlocked the boot loader and rooted it, backed it up, blown it away, customized stock, used Matt's utility to restore it, used rsdlite, etc. I've even scared the crap out of myself with a few soft bricks. Now I want to do more.
When I look at the threads for the various ROMs, I've noticed they are all pretty similar and they all tend to break something. Since most seem to be a derivative of JB, I see little reason to be tempted by them. Just a different roll of the same thing.
Obviously, I'm overlooking something here, some reason other than "because I can" that makes using a custom ROM version of generic JB better than stock JB. How is 4.2.2 different than 4.1.2 for instance? If custom is less stable or has some unresolved feature issues, how is it still better than stock? Is over clocking necessary (as it was with the Ally and the Play), or even noticeable? I would really appreciate some useful and honest feedback here. No wisecracks, please. This is a serious inquiry.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Sent from my XT907 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally, I just wanted something new and different than stock. I got my M when it first came out and didn't flash any roms until this past month. The big differences that I have noticed running a 4.2.2 based rom are that the camera seems to respond quicker, and when I set defaults they stick through reboot.
The problem with the defaults was one of my biggest gripes with the stock rom. Every time that I would reboot my phone, the defaults would clear and that drove me crazy.
Now as far as problems that I have noticed on the 4.2.2 roms, the only one that I really have is with recording video. It does not seem to want to pick up audio correctly and you can barely hear anything on playback. Also the front facing camera doesn't work for recording videos.
On the plus side of custom roms is that you do get more options to get the ui to look and feel how you want it to. And no, you don't have to over clock on this phone.
The best thing that I could say is flash carbon or pacman rom and play with it for a day or two and see how you like it.

netizenmt said:
I've had my RAZR M since March and love it. So much more powerful than my Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. I'm not new to flashing ROMs or overclocking, having begun my Android experience with the LG Ally and Eclair.
In my previous experience, there was a huge need for customizing the phone because the stock version as provided by Verizon was less than stable and/or slower than desirable. But this RAZR M seems awesome once you get rid of the bloat. I haven't had any issues with lag, connectivity, apps, etc. It's really a decent phone for my purposes.
I have already unlocked the boot loader and rooted it, backed it up, blown it away, customized stock, used Matt's utility to restore it, used rsdlite, etc. I've even scared the crap out of myself with a few soft bricks. Now I want to do more.
When I look at the threads for the various ROMs, I've noticed they are all pretty similar and they all tend to break something. Since most seem to be a derivative of JB, I see little reason to be tempted by them. Just a different roll of the same thing.
Obviously, I'm overlooking something here, some reason other than "because I can" that makes using a custom ROM version of generic JB better than stock JB. How is 4.2.2 different than 4.1.2 for instance? If custom is less stable or has some unresolved feature issues, how is it still better than stock? Is over clocking necessary (as it was with the Ally and the Play), or even noticeable? I would really appreciate some useful and honest feedback here. No wisecracks, please. This is a serious inquiry.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Sent from my XT907 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
on the surface, you are correct. however, there are some custom ROMs that give us JB 4.2.2 before it is officially released to us. here's a link to the new features: http://www.android.com/about/jelly-bean/
so, in addition to the new features, some custom ROMs offer various mods/tweaks. some claim to give better battery performance, others block ads, others reduce lag (although, that is mostly kernel related). so, just as calbrs stated, give one of them a try for a few days (make a nandroid of your current setup first though), and see how you like it.
problem for me though, as much I as should be on 4.1.2, I really enjoy being on the latest/greatest build, as I get to experience more features. and so long as my battery performance doesn't suffer too much, I'll stick on 4.2.2 for now.

Well, I've tried both Carbon and PAC and then settled on PAC. Quite honestly, I don't see a whole lot of actual performance difference. It IS cool to be running a custom ROM though. PIE is a pain as it always seems to pop up when I don't want it but has that What's That factor if you want to wow someone. And I do like having a custom lockscreen. Otherwise.... I guess I don't get it.
But then again, maybe I'm just old! Lol!
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netizenmt said:
Well, I've tried both Carbon and PAC and then settled on PAC. Quite honestly, I don't see a whole lot of actual performance difference. It IS cool to be running a custom ROM though. PIE is a pain as it always seems to pop up when I don't want it but has that What's That factor if you want to wow someone. And I do like having a custom lockscreen. Otherwise.... I guess I don't get it.
But then again, maybe I'm just old! Lol!
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Click to collapse
in terms of 4.2.2 over 4.1.2, correct - it's mostly aesthetics. but the performance is hardly noticeable since the M is already fairly quick.
some custom 4.1.2 ROMs, however, do offer better battery life (in part due to debloating, others have tweaks).
but if the performance difference is negligible to you, then why not stick to 4.2.2?
also, did you try the unofficial AOKP?
finally, some of these custom ROMs also have the latest kernels, which can help in terms of keeping your data connection.

netizenmt said:
Well, I've tried both Carbon and PAC and then settled on PAC. Quite honestly, I don't see a whole lot of actual performance difference. It IS cool to be running a custom ROM though. PIE is a pain as it always seems to pop up when I don't want it but has that What's That factor if you want to wow someone. And I do like having a custom lockscreen. Otherwise.... I guess I don't get it.
But then again, maybe I'm just old! Lol!
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Click to collapse
I'd suggest you try Dhacker29's PA or CM. IMO much snappier than PAC.
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http://translate.googleusercontent....t=1160&usg=ALkJrhjsa98LEgZfFOrbXLlYjfVHcUzQeA
I agree most roms are not as good as stock. The #2 on that poll is here on xda.

Leraeniesh said:
I'd suggest you try Dhacker29's PA or CM. IMO much snappier than PAC.
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CM says its camcorder is broken, so I had not tried it. I can't seem to find PA but I'll look some more.
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netizenmt said:
CM says its camcorder is broken, so I had not tried it. I can't seem to find PA but I'll look some more.
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The OP hasn't been updated in ages. Everything in VM and PA works fine (NFC is a little sketchy)
You can find builds at http://androidhosting.org/Devs/Dhacker29
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Because we can
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PantherVT said:
Because we can
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There... someone finally said it. Probably didn't even read the OP, didja?
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netizenmt said:
There... someone finally said it. Probably didn't even read the OP, didja?
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Of course I read the original post that's why I worded it as I did. Poor attempt at humor or should have thrown in an emoticon to make that clear.
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PantherVT said:
Of course I read the original post that's why I worded it as I did. Poor attempt at humor or should have thrown in an emoticon to make that clear.
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Lol, I was being funny back. Sometimes humor just doesn't come across in texts. It's all good, man!!
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Well, after a week of ROM testing, here is what the results have been so far:
Carbon comes out on top in a very close battle with Slimbean. What made the difference? Support. Slimbean is actually the better of the 2 ROMs in so many areas, but no updates since May 2013 means important tweaks and a functional camcorder are missing. Carbon is kept current, so if something is fixed in the Base version, it won't be long until we see it in Carbon.
I also worked with PAC, Paranoid, AOKP and CM 10.1. Each had its merits but were eliminated for various reasons. I did not look at any ROM that was not a 4.2.2 version.
I must confess, if Slimbean is ever updated to the latest 4.2.2 version, I will be taking another look.
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netizenmt said:
Well, after a week of ROM testing, here is what the results have been so far:
Carbon comes out on top in a very close battle with Slimbean. What made the difference? Support. Slimbean is actually the better of the 2 ROMs in so many areas, but no updates since May 2013 means important tweaks and a functional camcorder are missing. Carbon is kept current, so if something is fixed in the Base version, it won't be long until we see it in Carbon.
I also worked with PAC, Paranoid, AOKP and CM 10.1. Each had its merits but were eliminated for various reasons. I did not look at any ROM that was not a 4.2.2 version.
I must confess, if Slimbean is ever updated to the latest 4.2.2 version, I will be taking another look.
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so what was your reason for eliminating AOKP? this has been the best for me so far. although, I did not give carbon a fighting chance, as on first boot it was extremely laggy. but i'm re-considering....

If you have the time I would love a rom by rom review of what you did and didn't like. I'm in the market for a 4.2.2 rom and don't know where to start. I'm really looking to just settle on one and not have to try out a bunch.
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To be perfectly candid, I really can't say there was anything "wrong" with it. It just didn't catch my attention in the same manner that Slimbean and Carbon did.
Today I realized I did not try Eclipse because I erroneously thought it was a 4.1 or 4.0 version ROM. I'll be giving it a go later tonight.
Quite honestly, I think it all comes down to personal preference more than performance. Depending on what apps you use, they all are pretty similar. What runs better is really more about your own hardware, how you use it, your selection of apps and your expectations as to how the phone ought to perform.
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netizenmt said:
To be perfectly candid, I really can't say there was anything "wrong" with it. It just didn't catch my attention in the same manner that Slimbean and Carbon did.
Today I realized I did not try Eclipse because I erroneously thought it was a 4.1 or 4.0 version ROM. I'll be giving it a go later tonight.
Quite honestly, I think it all comes down to personal preference more than performance. Depending on what apps you use, they all are pretty similar. What runs better is really more about your own hardware, how you use it, your selection of apps and your expectations as to how the phone ought to perform.
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agreed.
Eclipse has both 4.1.2 and 4.2.2 available.
---------- Post added at 01:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:15 PM ----------
Jersey846 said:
If you have the time I would love a rom by rom review of what you did and didn't like. I'm in the market for a 4.2.2 rom and don't know where to start. I'm really looking to just settle on one and not have to try out a bunch.
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I'll give my experience, but to each their own:
PACMan:
most customizable, very stable, worst on battery life, dev is pretty good at posting updates (he only posts when there is a significant update)
AOKP:
very customizable, fairly stable, best battery life, dev is very responsive, interactive, and post updates daily
Carbon:
very customizable, most stable, dev is very responsive, interactive, and post updates daily;
CM10.1:
(stock, basically): haven't tried it
Slimbean:
very customizable, dev is non-existent; however, I gave this a go for about an hour as well, but dismissed it due to lack of customization when compared to PACMan
Orion:
very customizable, very stable, dev is very responsive, interactive, and post updates routinely; however, I gave this a go for about a day, but did not like the blackout themes/sounds/etc. but that was awhile ago, so I certainly owe this ROM another chance
Eclipse:
haven't tried it
Axoim
haven't tried it
JellyBeer
haven't tried it

This is perfect! Before reading this I was leaning to AOKP or Cyanogen. I like how customizable AOKP is and I like the updates and stability from Cyanogen. (from what I've read) I want a rom that is stable stable stable as I wouldn't consider myself a power user. Thanks for posting this!
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See what I mean though. He dismissed Slimbean because it was not as customizable as PACman. I dismissed PACman as being too complicated, too customizable!
Hate to tell you this, Jersey846, but you probably will need to try a few yourself before you know what's right for you.
BTW, thus far Eclipse is proving to be very stable. I haven't had any noticeable lag, signal seems stable and comparable to what I normally see in my area. Looking good so far!
Orion, eh... Have to check that out...
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Related

What is a good ROM for daily use?

I don't have the phone, it's a friends with no tech knowledge so any recommendations would be great. Currently she is running ICS Passion with internet connection issues. So any good daily use ROMs would be great.
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In3rDm0RetHeNu said:
I don't have the phone, it's a friends with no tech knowledge so any recommendations would be great. Currently she is running ICS Passion with internet connection issues. So any good daily use ROMs would be great.
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I would recommend any of the Froyo roms that fishman0919 or Ryder are releasing. They are solid as they come and the GPS works perfectly which can be an issue on the later roms. I'm currently using the Bi-Winning Redux v1 without any problems overclocked to 1.3ghz and everything is buttery smooth and stable.
Yea, I would definitely go with a froyo ROM by fish or ryder man. They are rock solid
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Since you are using an ICS ROM, maybe you can try CM9 nightly, which is stable enough for daily use, even for people with no dev experience.
---------- Post added at 05:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:07 PM ----------
Download CM9 nightly here:
get.cm/?device=vibrantmtd&type=nightly
oasisfeng said:
Since you are using an ICS ROM, maybe you can try CM9 nightly, which is stable enough for daily use, even for people with no dev experience.
---------- Post added at 05:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:07 PM ----------
Download CM9 nightly here:
get.cm/?device=vibrantmtd&type=nightly
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Click to collapse
I don't know man I wouldn't use a nightly if I was looking for stability, the whole point of nightly builds is that they are not stable and stuff gets fixed/broken on a daily basis. If you're really set on ICS go with ICZen, but even that isn't as stable as the froyo roms.
Since your friend is already on an ICS Rom, why not keep it at ICS? ICS is stable. Things that may not work: 911 calling, and GPS
Go ahead and read this and flash it: http://rootzwiki.com/topic/21742-romimm76i-iczen-185-fistful-of-zen-7-12-12-deficient-development/
x80 better than Passion.
You guys say these ICS roms are better than Passion buy I don't even see them on the development section. I'm mainly talking about x10 and ICZen. What's so good about them that make it better than Passion, because I'm using Passion right now and I don't have any problems but I am looking to switch over to active Rooms.
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Shiv4m said:
You guys say these ICS roms are better than Passion buy I don't even see them on the development section. I'm mainly talking about x10 and ICZen. What's so good about them that make it better than Passion, because I'm using Passion right now and I don't have any problems but I am looking to switch over to active Rooms.
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Although I've definitely heard of ICZen, which been my daily driver for months, I'm not too sure I know what rom you are referring to when you say "x10". I've never heard of it nor have I ever used it, thus I can't comment on that rom. However I can comment on ICZen and why it surpasses Passion and its... crumby (I believe that's an appropriate term to use) developers. Yes, Passion was pretty much the first highly popular ICS rom available for the Vibrant. I do give them props for that, however, I'm not sure if you've noticed but Passion is over four months old, development for it has been dropped, and its based on android 4.0.3. In contrast ICZen was last updated two weeks ago, is based on 4.0.4, and comes out of the box running the awesome subZero kernel. Unlike Passion, ICZen is based on AOKP, meaning it has all the bells and whistles that are also found in AOKP. This includes the theme engine, which gives you the ability to theme your phone with the click of a button. You can find a lot of nice themes for the theme engine both here and here. ICZen also sports Rom Control, which gives you more control over your device. The neat tweaks Rom Control offers ranges from being able to change the transparency of the status bar, to changing the battery icon, and even as far as to control the CPU. ICZen also receives support from two intelligent down-to-Earth developers, an awesome themer, and a whole community of people who know what the heck they're talking about. In conclusion, Passion may not have "problems", but don't torture your device with such an outdated rom made by developers many regard as... crumby... and instead get on board with some of the newer roms available! There's ICZen, AOKP, CM9, etc.
Thanks for the reply and I do agree with what you said. Passion is a great ROM but the devs do not give and have left xda. I'm definitely going to move to ICZ today.
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the latest 4.2 slim rom works perfectly for me. I flashed subzero's build No 80 kernel on top and haven't had any problems yet what so ever. Getting 3 days on idle + GPS works even after deep sleep.
Shiv4m said:
Thanks for the reply and I do agree with what you said. Passion is a great ROM but the devs do not give and have left xda. I'm definitely going to move to ICZ today.
Sent from my GT-I900 using xda app-developers app
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Glad to hear you're coming over to the Zen side.
I agree with the earlier posters with the fishman froyo ROMs, as I am still not sure about the stability of ICS roms. For daily use, I would like to have 911 and stable GPS.
I am quoting you not to single you out but to call reference to the same old addage of GPS/911.
You know, it really depends on what you want out of your phone. I mean, you need to ask yourself what do you want your phone to do. Do you want it to be a media hub? Do you want it to be a DLNA device? Do you use it to navigate through sh!tty traffic on your morning commute? These are all valid questions that YOU have to ask yourself.
Now down to brass tax. I agree with N00B's assessment of Passion and ICZen. Passion was all the rage when it first came out because we were lucky enough to get an "official" Froyo build, let alone a couple Kangs of Gingerbread. At that point the Vibrant was dead in the water. Then Neobuddy came out with Passion and all the incremental builds. Yes it was awesome to have an ICS ROM running and working on a device that the manufacturer said could not do it. Fast forward and Team Passion (TP from here on out) put out Euphoria (AOKP based) and was basically caught stealing ROM Control and renaming it Euphoria Control. Amends were made and development went on simultaneously with Passion. That had to leave a bad taste in their mouth because shortly after, TP started putting all their ROMs and work on their own site and not too much more on XDA (hence why many believed that Passion development stopped). BUT, they have put out a new ROM called Chimera which can be found on their website with instructions to flash.
Passion was great-at the time. Now that Google pushed out 4.0.4, there was a large amount of code cleanup that came with the tiny incremental numbered build. This was actually very important for the OS as a whole and now there are several ROMs that are based off the 4.0.4 build (AOKP, CM9, SLIM,...). But Passion is still on the 4.0.3 build. See where N00B was going with this in his post before?
I'm not saying that ICZen will be your best ROM you have ever run and you won't need to flash anything ever again. What I am saying is that if you are going to pick an ICS, at least pick one that is up-to-date, whether it be ICZen, Slim, AOKP/m6 or whatever.
inq8us said:
For daily use, I would like to have 911 and stable GPS.
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Click to collapse
I am quoting you not to single you out but to call reference to the same old adage of GPS/911.
Ahh, GPS. Well GPS is an issue and when the ICS ROMs were being pushed out, it was a hot-button problem for every one of them. Some work with this kernel and some work with that kernel. VIBRANT's GPS SUCKS. Get over it and move on. I say that with the utmost sincerity, meaning if you need to rely on GPS for work or something that is not trivial, get a Garmin or TomTom and use that. This is a phone and not a navigation tool (that is a side item).
911 is an issue and always will be. It just doesn't work right on anything higher than a 2.2 ROM and if it does, then it is sketchy at best. Take your chances and I am not supporting or damning it one way or the other. It is always better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it. Here is my thoughts on Vibrant 911. When I was a kid, I was taught that if something bad happened and you were in a group, you were supposed to point to someone, make eye contact and say, "You, Call 911!". Now if you are in a car wreck or under the docks doing something swarthy, then you have bigger problems that your Vibrant's ability to dial 911. I am not joking and am not implying anything other than if I was ever in trouble and a ROM wouldn't let me dial 911, I sure as sh!t would be on the nearest person to get them to dial it.
Sorry for the long post but here it is.
tl;dr -> Figure out what you want your phone to do and then go from there.
Woodrube, I do agree with you, with respect to what you do want out of your phone. When I interpreted from the OP about using the phone daily, I interpreted it as their primary or possibly the only phone. I could be wrong in assuming this, but that is how I am using my Vibrant. When it is my primary phone, I do want GPS, and definitely 911 to be available. I see that a lot of people here actually use their Vibrant as their 2nd or 3rd phone, therefore, they are loading ICS ROMS and may not care as much about these services.
With GPS, I can see limited use with that. Especially given that google has location services via data. However, I have significantly improved lock once I moved to Bionic, where stock was not getting a lock for over 5 minutes. In a lot of the ICS discussions, I see that GPS either no longer works, or is unstable. That is why I didn't think ICS would be a good daily ROM, but I could be wrong.
As for 911, I understand what you mean, but it is a critical service that I would like to be able to depend on daily. 911 is for an emergency, and unpredictable. It is in these unpredictable times that I do want to have something reliable to depend on, and not depend on someone else who may or may not be there.
GPS is fixable if you mostly use GPS in the car via bluetooth external GPS receiver. You only need phone radio and bluetooth on - everything else off. This not only saves battery for your phone but improve lock and accuracy on gps. I got around 6-10ft accuracy and locked within 1s (the moment I turn it on).
4.0.4
inq8us said:
I agree with the earlier posters with the fishman froyo ROMs, as I am still not sure about the stability of ICS roms. For daily use, I would like to have 911 and stable GPS.
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Click to collapse
try chimera v2.2..this is a killer ROM - A blend of AOKP, CM9 and CNA.
here is the link...http://www.team-passion.com/index.php/roms/galaxy-vibrant/19-chimera-v1-1
For froyo:try fisherman
For GB: try cm7
For ICS: try either iczen (look in rootzwiki) or Chimera 2.2
For jellybean: Try hellybean
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Im in the same boat as the OP. Am currently on ICS Passion and it is becoming painful to live with it anymore. So much lag. To make a call, just to get to the dialer can take me easily 5 plus seconds. When getting a call, the first 30 seconds are just 'Can you hear me now??'. Im just sick of it at the moment and like the OP am looking for something stable for a daily use. It has to be quick, no lags. Dont care about 911 but would be good if it was working and def want GPS working. I am thinking going Slim ICS but not sure yet. Good advice from earlier posts so I will look into a few of those as well
iKoolkid said:
For froyo:try fisherman
For GB: try cm7
For ICS: try either iczen (look in rootzwiki) or Chimera 2.2
For jellybean: Try hellybean
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Click to collapse
Tried to flash hellybean today but couldn't get the radio working. Wifi worked fine but that doesn't help me to make calls. Hard to get any feedback when I'm still trying to get my 10 posts. Back to CM7 aka "battery killer" for now...
Chimera_v2.2_Vibrant by far is the best and stable and fast rom i run into.....

life in the old dog yet

So i took the leap and had a go at rooting my phone yesterday,,, very nervous few minutes waiting for it to boot,,,,, but it did and I'm now rooted , used the AAHK and it was'nt so hard after-all, just follow the effen manual closely.
First rom i've tried is revolution HD and it works beautifully, faster and smoother than before for sure,,, also looking forward to flashing a few other roms .
One thing im not sure about though , ive created a nand backup and just wondered if i need to flash the associated rom before restoring the backup,, or can i just boot into recovery and flash the backup regardless of what rom im running ?
Yup. You can restore the backup at any time. If you have 4ext recovery you can just flash the backup without wiping. It does it automatically. Don't know about cwm...
Sent from a dream.
ta
thanks mate,,
So many roms to try out, not sure where to start, i guess stability is quite important to me and ARHD seems to do that quite well.
michaelopolis said:
thanks mate,,
So many roms to try out, not sure where to start, i guess stability is quite important to me and ARHD seems to do that quite well.
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Click to collapse
Welcome! I was in the exact same position as you 2 months ago, unsure where to start. I remember when stability was important to me... Not sure if you've seen it, but just FYI: the index sticky in the dev forums was very helpful to me when I first rooted.
d
:fingers-crossed:
Just a little advice..
It's always handy to have your apps backed up so that you can restore them to the ROM you are testing.
TitaniumBackup does a great job. You can backup the apps data as well as system data. But if you are restoring them to a different rom, u should not restore all system data because it will mess things up. However, restoring your apps (user apps) with or without data is harmless
Here's the link for the free version: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.keramidas.TitaniumBackup&hl=en
Paid version: https://play.google.com/store/apps/...iY29tLmtlcmFtaWRhcy5UaXRhbml1bUJhY2t1cFBybyJd
Also for your SMS: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.riteshsahu.SMSBackupRestore&hl=en
Welcome to the customized world of Android. Trust me, your experience with Android is going to be completely different now.
michaelopolis said:
thanks mate,,
So many roms to try out, not sure where to start, i guess stability is quite important to me and ARHD seems to do that quite well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try JellyTime (android 4.1.1) and it is very fast n smooth... but wait for R10 release thats due any day as there's a few very minor issues with v9.1.... v10 should be close to perfection.
Sent from my Desire HD using xda app-developers app
I am in a similar position. Recently rooted the DHD and now trying to decipher all the lingo on here and work out which roms to use. Is rather overwhelming.
First one I tried was the IceColdSandwich which was working pretty well till a few days ago when it has slowed down a bit. Im guessing it must be something I did. Gonna clear everything out and try again.
Thanks for the links guys, will check out all the information
Thanks guys for the helpful info,,
After you've flashed a few roms , it's not so difficult after all,, very easy actually,, with 4ext it's easy peasy.
Tried a few different roms now,,, think ARHD is my favorite so far although I tried jellytime and really like it a lot,,,
Love the notifications and overall style of it but not so sure about the camera, gallery and Apollo music apps,, love the HTC camera app.
Tried one of the sense 4 roms and I prefer sense 3.5 actually,,
Will definitely be keeping a close eye on how jellytime develops,,,
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using xda app-developers app
michaelopolis said:
Thanks guys for the helpful info,,
After you've flashed a few roms , it's not so difficult after all,, very easy actually,, with 4ext it's easy peasy.
Tried a few different roms now,,, think ARHD is my favorite so far although I tried jellytime and really like it a lot,,,
Love the notifications and overall style of it but not so sure about the camera, gallery and Apollo music apps,, love the HTC camera app.
Tried one of the sense 4 roms and I prefer sense 3.5 actually,,
Will definitely be keeping a close eye on how jellytime develops,,,
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ARHD gives good stability and battery life, but mike hasn't been able to keep it updated very frequently.
Now he has a lot of other devices on which he released ARHD.
sg4u said:
I am in a similar position. Recently rooted the DHD and now trying to decipher all the lingo on here and work out which roms to use. Is rather overwhelming.
First one I tried was the IceColdSandwich which was working pretty well till a few days ago when it has slowed down a bit. Im guessing it must be something I did. Gonna clear everything out and try again.
Thanks for the links guys, will check out all the information
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some apps slow down the overall ROM, but some ROMs tend to slow down themselves after a couple of days of usage.
It could be that this is ROM related, you could ask in the ROM's thread, maybe someone is experiencing the same thing.
For some of you newer people, you might check out some of the links in my signature which are related to the HTC Desire HD.
well since ive first rooted its been an interesting journey,,, ARHD has been my main rom but ive been playing with jellytime the last few days,, its wonderfull,,,
What a kick in the teeth to HTC ,,, never mind ICS we already running JB , and it runs really well... i dont really see the need to upgrade my phone for another while yet,
i should have rooted ages ago
Trickdroid is a great Rom almost perfect
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using xda app-developers app

[Q] Some questions about installing a custom ROM on my Nexus 4

I know there might be so many threads asking questions about Custom ROMs and mine is going to be no different.
I have few questions about Custom ROMs & Moreover, one of my good friends has been trying to convince me to install a Custom ROM on my Nexus 4. He has done the same on his Nexus 4 and is really happy with it.
First of all, what advantages does a custom ROM has over stock ROM? (a little bit of details would be really really appreciated)
Second, if I am going to install one, I would really love to know what options I have & how much good & bad they are.
At last, I would welcome any other suggestions or tips.
Hope you will have a good day!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2180999
That will help.
Basically all of the ROMs, except that Optimus G port, will be fully functional. Your task will be to try a few, figure out which options you want and decide on the one you want. We cannot tell you what is good for you.
Start with Paranoid Android, CM and AOKP if you want loads of features.
My approach towards custom ROM is more about getting better software on my phone. With Nexus4, you can be assured that you will get the latest software always, but Better? Not always. CustomROM follow non-traditional approach avoiding bloatwares (not any for nexus I believe), optimizing for the performance and/or battery life, providing more functions and S/W upgrades.
I haven't flashed custom ROM yet on my Nexus 4, because simply I don't have any reason for it. I am happy with stock android, with battery life & with the performance of my handset.
Apart from all this, there is one more aspect,'Personal interest'. If you have that, go ahead, there are plenty of good options waiting for your attention on XDA
This will help as well.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2284384&highlight=rom+advantage
2-3 features I absolutely love which will probably never make into stock roms are -
Sweep2wake - buttons have limited life, and because this Nexus 4 doesn't have warranty in India, it matters a lot. I just sweep on the screen to activate it. And tap on a notification to lock it.
Pie Controls (I have completely disabled the navigation bar. I have a full 4.7 inch content screen)
CM Profiles - can't appreciate this enough. Very useful to filter out notifications during night when you want minimal distribution.
Keeping features aside, I have over clocked the cpu to 1.7 Ghz.
And Linaro patches for tool chain with which the rom is compiled, improves smoothness and battery life.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
ankurk said:
I know there might be so many threads asking questions about Custom ROMs and mine is going to be no different.
I have few questions about Custom ROMs & Moreover, one of my good friends has been trying to convince me to install a Custom ROM on my Nexus 4. He has done the same on his Nexus 4 and is really happy with it.
First of all, what advantages does a custom ROM has over stock ROM? (a little bit of details would be really really appreciated)
Second, if I am going to install one, I would really love to know what options I have & how much good & bad they are.
At last, I would welcome any other suggestions or tips.
Hope you will have a good day!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you decide to install ParanoidAndroid you get customizable navbar and notification bar. You can set the heigh of the navbar and also the backgroundcolor and iconcolor for both bars. PA have HybridSettings. You can display the calendar app on your smartphone like it would be on a tablet.
I tried CM and PA and i'm now on PA because of the customisations and the better implemented pie. Both are very stable and the battery is for me like with stock.
But there are a lot of ROMs and like already said you have to find "your" ROM
First of all, I apologize for replying late. Secondly, thanks for your answers, they helped me a lot. I actually have one more question,
I want as much as customization and little bit more battery life, which ROM is really good for that?
Moreover, is there any comprehensive list of custom ROMs for Nexus 4?
Once you go custom rom, you will never return to stock rom. Go for it. You won't regret it.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
ankurk said:
First of all, I apologize for replying late. Secondly, thanks for your answers, they helped me a lot. I actually have one more question,
I want as much as customization and little bit more battery life, which ROM is really good for that?
Moreover, is there any comprehensive list of custom ROMs for Nexus 4?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery life is similar between most roms. Custom kernels play a larger role in battery.
ROMs based on AOKP generally have the most customization settings. These include liquid smooth, carbon, etc...
Heres a directory of roms for the n4, but its best to just go through the Android Development/Original Android Development section and look for one you like.
badboy47 said:
Once you go custom rom, you will never return to stock rom. Go for it. You won't regret it.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I beg to differ
I downgraded my GNex back to 4.1. It lags so badly with 4.2
exb0 said:
I beg to differ
I downgraded my GNex back to 4.1. It lags so badly with 4.2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my gnex flies on 4.2.2.
simms22 said:
my gnex flies on 4.2.2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You must be doing something right then! On CM10.1 , after about a week of usage, it would take me about a minute to start up ANY apps. It's ridiculous. Oh well.
exb0 said:
You must be doing something right then! On CM10.1 , after about a week of usage, it would take me about a minute to start up ANY apps. It's ridiculous. Oh well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i run rasbean/rassaber with the trinity kernel. using the phone(not benchmarking), its hard to tell if its any slower than my nexus 4.
simms22 said:
i run rasbean/rassaber with the trinity kernel. using the phone(not benchmarking), its hard to tell if its any slower than my nexus 4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmm, I'll give it a try. It feels a LOT slower than my N4. Not sure why..
exb0 said:
hmm, I'll give it a try. It feels a LOT slower than my N4. Not sure why..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you try it, let me know how it goes for you, i think youll like it.
simms22 said:
if you try it, let me know how it goes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perhaps in awhile. My girlfriend is using it and she's a huge PA fan. She wiped my phone without me knowing to flash PA.. :C
Sent from Halo.
exb0 said:
Perhaps in awhile. My girlfriend is using it and she's a huge PA fan. She wiped my phone without me knowing to flash PA.. :C
Sent from Halo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ha
Don't want to steal this thread but if you root do you loose any functionality ?for example Google wallet , photosphere or the android beam feature ? I only rooted a g2x and im kind of nervous rooting my nexus 4 especially because it don't have a removable SD card , when you back up your current ROM, do you up load it to a cloud service so you can get it later if needed ?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
g2uzer said:
Don't want to steal this thread but if you root do you loose any functionality ?for example Google wallet , photosphere or the android beam feature ? I only rooted a g2x and im kind of nervous rooting my nexus 4 especially because it don't have a removable SD card , when you back up your current ROM, do you up load it to a cloud service so you can get it later if needed ?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google wallet will warn you. Others would stay.
No, I keep it on the phone or my computer.
Sent from Halo.
g2uzer said:
Don't want to steal this thread but if you root do you loose any functionality ?for example Google wallet , photosphere or the android beam feature ? I only rooted a g2x and im kind of nervous rooting my nexus 4 especially because it don't have a removable SD card , when you back up your current ROM, do you up load it to a cloud service so you can get it later if needed ?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting does not take away anything, except DRM keys.
You can always download factory image and flash it using fast boot. Factory image is available at Google.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

Factory rom stability?

I am coming from an S2 and been considering an S4 and was wondering about the stability of the factory unrooted rom. I have read several complaints early on about freezes, crashes, and lag but was wondering if Samsung cleared that all up on the update that released after the phone was released. I normally root and run a custom rom but probably won't this time because of having a newborn and with working so much I'll just leave it stock for right now. So anyone with an updated stock GS4, I would greatly appreciate some honest feedback about how it is running. Thanks
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda app-developers app
Stock Rom and the Google edition Rom floating around are both very stable
sent from my i377m Google edition
Matridom said:
Stock Rom and the Google edition Rom floating around are both very stable
sent from my i377m Google edition
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He just said unrooted. He means stock ROM as in right when you buy it. The ROM that it comes with. And yes it is stable but could be a little better
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
The stock ROM (in my case - model SGH-I337M, firmware I337MVLUAMDJ) is very stable, I have yet to experience any freezing or force closes. I'm sitting here with about 300 hours of uptime so far, so it's not bad in my opinion.
jetlitheone said:
He just said unrooted. He means stock ROM as in right when you buy it. The ROM that it comes with. And yes it is stable but could be a little better
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm currently supporting about 40 s4 in my company, that are unrooted and unmodified, I know what the stock Rom is and I did provide an answer, that it is very stable. I added the additional information that the Google edition Rom is also very stable
sent from my i377m Google edition
trev869 said:
I am coming from an S2 and been considering an S4 and was wondering about the stability of the factory unrooted rom. I have read several complaints early on about freezes, crashes, and lag but was wondering if Samsung cleared that all up on the update that released after the phone was released. I normally root and run a custom rom but probably won't this time because of having a newborn and with working so much I'll just leave it stock for right now. So anyone with an updated stock GS4, I would greatly appreciate some honest feedback about how it is running. Thanks
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I rooted stock but only disabled apps in factory interface, no other mods. No FCs, freeze or lag. I only reboot if I swap batteries.
My S4 was great before I rooted and son has not rooted and his phone is very stable also. I wouldn't hold back on this phone--it's amazing--
PS: There are always going to be negative posts. But, I think 98% of users love this phone--IMHO
stable yes, there is some lag and lots of useless apps etc. i hate carrier bloatware tho, because i travel a lot. last thing i need is useless apps from cosmote or docomo or wind or att on a phone that i cant get rid of; only reason i rooted the GS3 and Atrix 4G was to eliminate carrier bloat (also SIM unlocked them but that is because i travel internationally 1-2 times a month). The GS4 i wanted a faster ROM and to tweak it for my own reasons.
i didnt have any problems with stock rom stability, and it only lagged here and there and i only noticed it after flashing other roms.
trev869 said:
I am coming from an S2 and been considering an S4 and was wondering about the stability of the factory unrooted rom. I have read several complaints early on about freezes, crashes, and lag but was wondering if Samsung cleared that all up on the update that released after the phone was released. I normally root and run a custom rom but probably won't this time because of having a newborn and with working so much I'll just leave it stock for right now. So anyone with an updated stock GS4, I would greatly appreciate some honest feedback about how it is running. Thanks
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I came from the I777 myself and still have mine as a backup (see my profile for evidence). The I337 (GS4) is extremely stable. Once you've killed most of the bloatware and turned off the air features (believe me, you won't need them), this phone becomes extremely awesome. Aside from the feel, the screen is brilliantly clear, and everything runs smoother and eye pleasant compared to the I777. When I had to send back my S4 for screen repair, going back to the S2 was day and night. Dark lighting, smaller build, and (yes) thicker. The durability of the S2 is nice, but that's all it wins.
Just go for it. You won't go wrong (but do get a sturdy case.)
Sent from my Galaxy S4 on Tapatalk 2
Where?
Matridom said:
Stock Rom and the Google edition Rom floating around are both very stable
sent from my i377m Google edition
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi.
Can you please help me to find the Google edition ROM for i377m?
Yorch82 said:
Hi.
Can you please help me to find the Google edition ROM for i377m?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
a quick look in the development forum would find you the ROM.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2341376
It sees enough activities that it's usually front page. Use at your own risk.
Yorch82 said:
Hi.
Can you please help me to find the Google edition ROM for i377m?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
why don't you look in dev section--
---------- Post added at 08:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:23 PM ----------
Matridom said:
a quick look in the development forum would find you the ROM.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2341376
It sees enough activities that it's usually front page. Use at your own risk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol your wasn't there when I posted, or I am blind
either way, not to hard for OP to look there first--

Possibly loosing CM Support for the Moto X

Not sure what is going on here, but it doesn't look good between dhacker and CM:
http://review.cyanogenmod.org/#/c/65939/
Remove Moto X/Droid Ultra: Maintainer is incompetent
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
jbaumert said:
Not sure what is going on here, but it doesn't look good between dhacker and CM:
http://review.cyanogenmod.org/#/c/65939/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that commit message though lol
Sent from my fingers to your face
XAlexander_AlexanderX said:
that commit message though lol
Sent from my fingers to your face
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OMG, that's hilarious!!
#BlameProTekk
read the last comment, apparently dhacker abandoned cm
Well there goes that.
Sent from my XT1049 using XDA Free mobile app
I pretty sure he's referring to the commit bring abandoned
Well if the support's loose, hopefully they can tighten it back up.
Wouldn't bother me if it did happen though, this is the only phone I've ever had where I prefer the stock ROM (with some xposed tweaks) to a custom, including CM which has been on every device I've owned that it supports.
It was just a matter of time before he lost it again.. Really am surprised it took that long.
Sent from my Moto X
I have not run a ROM yet that didn't have issues its not even worth it with xposed. Since I have some apps that require xposed modules to work I have to run it anyway. So there is no benefit to a custom ROM that since the beginning has been broken ie. No speaker phone camera and video issues. Just don't see the need unless it was flawless. I will say this my phone is much smoother on a custom ROM that is for sure. But no active notifications and touch less control sucks.
Sent from my XT1080 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Well, Active Display and Touchless control were not going to be portable anyway..
Most of the things in GravityBox give a feel of a custom ROM.
One thing I don't understand, why all the hate for xposed modules? I am not too fond that they must exist but don't get why one be be so obverse to running a couple to make life better.
Sent from my Moto X
Once Motorola stops supporting this phone , we will need custom roms to stay updated. And I think AD and TC will be an inbuilt feature in the future versions of android. So I would want dev to go on to keep this community alive.
Ya.. I think that's one of the reasons they bought Moto.. Patents
Sent from my Moto X
You sure this is serious, rather than just joking around or teasing each other?
As far as I know, he's not the kind of guy that takes any type of criticism well.. I've seen his actions all the way back to the days of the droid bionic. He just doesn't have what you'd call an "award-winning personality."
Tag him in this thread and ask him yourself. He might respond.
Sent from my Moto X
DaRkRhiNe said:
Once Motorola stops supporting this phone , we will need custom roms to stay updated. And I think AD and TC will be an inbuilt feature in the future versions of android. So I would want dev to go on to keep this community alive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By that time I'll have a new phone I do hope they figure out how to get the active notifications and touch less control in a ROM.
Sent from my XT1080 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

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