Database Users

Need your thoughts & opinions...

A little background first. VZW is my only option due to my line being a corporate line. Roughly a year and a half ago, I got fed up with the crappy phone choices (only blackberry at the time), so I just started buying my own and calling the 3rd party service that runs our wireless operations and telling them "I just got a new phone, could you please do an ESN swap?". That has always worked. Recently, the phone choices have gotten much better and include a variety of BB, Android and iOS devices now. Over the last few years I've gone from DINC (personal device I had since it first came out) to blackberry to DINC2 to iPhone4 to currently the Razr M. Now with SIM cards it's super easy for me to use whatever device I prefer.
Here's my current "dilemma". I have a retail Razr M (which I picked up shortly after release). Definitely loving this phone and couldn't be more happy to be back on Android after a brief hiatus to iOS. Had to give it try. Big believer in "you can't bash something without trying it". But damn iOS gets boring fast. Ha! I was excited about the M due to it's smaller footprint AND high end internals. The only thing I don't like is the locked bootloader. I was quite the crack flasher with my DINC and DINC2. The locked bootloader has led me to have interest in the S3. But I've always had an aversion to large screen phones. I like to be able operate my phone one handed. So now I have a brand new S3 sitting on my desk and I'm unsure what to do with it. I'm really enjoying my M and Jelly Bean is (almost officially) here. But I'm very interested in some CM10 or AOKP. I definitely prefer the AOSP stuff.
So the question is, do I continue my "don't bash it without trying it" theory and move over to the S3 for some AOSP love??? Or stick with the M and live with whatever fate that lies ahead?? I can only keep one. Will sell the other.
(sorry for the novel)

hokieputter said:
A little background first. VZW is my only option due to my line being a corporate line. Roughly a year and a half ago, I got fed up with the crappy phone choices (only blackberry at the time), so I just started buying my own and calling the 3rd party service that runs our wireless operations and telling them "I just got a new phone, could you please do an ESN swap?". That has always worked. Recently, the phone choices have gotten much better and include a variety of BB, Android and iOS devices now. Over the last few years I've gone from DINC (personal device I had since it first came out) to blackberry to DINC2 to iPhone4 to currently the Razr M. Now with SIM cards it's super easy for me to use whatever device I prefer.
Here's my current "dilemma". I have a retail Razr M (which I picked up shortly after release). Definitely loving this phone and couldn't be more happy to be back on Android after a brief hiatus to iOS. Had to give it try. Big believer in "you can't bash something without trying it". But damn iOS gets boring fast. Ha! I was excited about the M due to it's smaller footprint AND high end internals. The only thing I don't like is the locked bootloader. I was quite the crack flasher with my DINC and DINC2. The locked bootloader has led me to have interest in the S3. But I've always had an aversion to large screen phones. I like to be able operate my phone one handed. So now I have a brand new S3 sitting on my desk and I'm unsure what to do with it. I'm really enjoying my M and Jelly Bean is (almost officially) here. But I'm very interested in some CM10 or AOKP. I definitely prefer the AOSP stuff.
So the question is, do I continue my "don't bash it without trying it" theory and move over to the S3 for some AOSP love??? Or stick with the M and live with whatever fate that lies ahead?? I can only keep one. Will sell the other.
(sorry for the novel)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd say stick with the phone you like better. Yesterday I was analyzing what I'm missing without root (I'm on team EOS 3.0 on my Xoom) and I couldn't really come up with much. One of the biggest pluses: WiFi tethering, now can be done with any app on verizon because of that lawsuit. Other than that, TiBu is a loss, and maybe some OCing and performance but I mean I loaded up the phone and its still buttery smooth with good battery. Definitely the interface modding and some fun bells and whistles are missing without custom rom but it doesn't really add up to much.
The s3 is gigantic and more expensive. I'm happy with my choice.
Sent from my Xoom using xda app-developers app

Unfortunately, the two phones you've chosen represent opposite ends of the "experience spectrum" - so personal preference is going to play a big part. The only real thing the S3 has over the M that's not subjective is a better camera, and 2gb of ram vs. 1. The rest will depend on your preferences. Yes, the S3 will have more dev support. But the M won't be without it, either - root should be closer, though not guaranteed, based on a comment by P3 last night - but obviously rooting and romming are not always correlated.

Dyelon said:
I'd say stick with the phone you like better. Yesterday I was analyzing what I'm missing without root (I'm on team EOS 3.0 on my Xoom) and I couldn't really come up with much. One of the biggest pluses: WiFi tethering, now can be done with any app on verizon because of that lawsuit. Other than that, TiBu is a loss, and maybe some OCing and performance but I mean I loaded up the phone and its still buttery smooth with good battery. Definitely the interface modding and some fun bells and whistles are missing without custom rom but it doesn't really add up to much.
The s3 is gigantic and more expensive. I'm happy with my choice.
Sent from my Xoom using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree the S3 is gigantic. I also was trying to come up with things I miss by not having root and couldn't really come up with much that seemed overly important. All were smaller bells and whistles type things. Blur on this phone is very minimal, which I like and is a big plus (for me). I'm really enjoying the M. And love the size. I too am having a smooth experience with pretty solid battery life. No issues whatsoever thus far. Best bet is to probably stick with the M. I got a good deal on the S3 and should have no trouble getting back what I paid, maybe more.
Plus, I've been wanting a Nexus 7...

jntdroid said:
Unfortunately, the two phones you've chosen represent opposite ends of the "experience spectrum" - so personal preference is going to play a big part. The only real thing the S3 has over the M that's not subjective is a better camera, and 2gb of ram vs. 1. The rest will depend on your preferences. Yes, the S3 will have more dev support. But the M won't be without it, either - root should be closer, though not guaranteed, based on a comment by P3 last night - but obviously rooting and romming are not always correlated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, they are definitely very different experiences. My preference has always been for smaller, easily pocketable phones. Which exactly describes the M. I don't need/want a tablet in my pocket.
I agree about the camera, but overall the M hasn't really let me down. Sure it would be nice to have a better camera, but it's not a deal breaker for me. You just have to know the limitations that you're working with. And the extra ram would be nice too. But not sure either are worth giving up the form factor that I prefer.
And I have been following the dev support of the M closely as well. I saw the comments by P3 and his team. They are very promising. And definitely helping to influence my ultimate decision. Honestly, I don't really need (or want) to be able to flash billions of roms. Just looking for a (close to) stock experience that is snappy, fully functional and bug free. Which is what I've got right now with the M. Still running the stock ICS, have not updated to the JB leak.
(I think I'm confirming my gut feelings / answering my own questions as this thread moves along... Thanks for the dialogue)

The simplest choice would seem to be ordering a Developer Edition RAZR M. If you really like the M but want the ability to fiddle, that's your route. There are already recovery and root images available for it and I think the devs will be supporting it for a while especially since the RAZR HD and HD MAXX are also running the same internals.
As for the SGSIII - Verizon is the only carrier that doesn't sell it with an unlocked bootloader so technically you'd need to buy the developer edition of that to get what you want anyway.
Neither the RAZR M nor the SGSIII Dev Editions are available via Verizon subsidized contracts.
Personally I think Sammy missed the boat. If the SGSIII Mini did what the RAZR did (same internals with smaller screen) they might have won me over, but they really skimped on the thing. What a shame.
Just my $.02.
I'm a runner and a cyclist, so the smaller the better which is why I loved my Atrix 4G (which is now running JB). The RAZR M is a narrower phone with a bigger screen. It's great to simply stow and go.

Well, now that the M has root, I think your decision is a lot easier. I would say that seeing CM9 and/or 10 is a likely bet. However, the problem now is that anything after that may not run optimally, since the bootloader is still locked and we won't be able to run a kernel optimized for the newest version. That's the problem with my Pro. Somebody ported CM9 and an AOKP ICS ROM for it, and while it does run, it's not as good as it could be. We're still stuck on the Gingerbread kernel.

freak4dell said:
Well, now that the M has root, I think your decision is a lot easier. I would say that seeing CM9 and/or 10 is a likely bet. However, the problem now is that anything after that may not run optimally, since the bootloader is still locked and we won't be able to run a kernel optimized for the newest version. That's the problem with my Pro. Somebody ported CM9 and an AOKP ICS ROM for it, and while it does run, it's not as good as it could be. We're still stuck on the Gingerbread kernel.
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Click to collapse
I'm really hoping we can bust the M open over the next year or so =/
Sent from my XT907 using xda app-developers app

mk1151 said:
The simplest choice would seem to be ordering a Developer Edition RAZR M. If you really like the M but want the ability to fiddle, that's your route. There are already recovery and root images available for it and I think the devs will be supporting it for a while especially since the RAZR HD and HD MAXX are also running the same internals.
As for the SGSIII - Verizon is the only carrier that doesn't sell it with an unlocked bootloader so technically you'd need to buy the developer edition of that to get what you want anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Verizon's bootloader can be unlocked with a single app from the play store. Super easy. The development on the S3 phone has been amazing thus far - currently on Liquid Smooth. I'm also considering switching to a smaller phone however and the M seems to be the only phone that's small with power. Following rooting and modding very closely on this phone before making the switch as I have gotten used to all the aokp+CM10 mods in the many S3 roms I've flashed.
You make an excellent point about the Razr HD and HD Maxx, I hope that helps this phone in the mod scene.

aznguyen316 said:
Verizon's bootloader can be unlocked with a single app from the play store. Super easy.
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Click to collapse
That's why I said "technically"
But I do agree it is easier on the SGSIII. Part of that is that HTC and Samsung have not taken the time to build system safeguards into their products the way Motorola has.
Browser vendors take pride in the headaches they cause to hackers trying to find vulnerabilities. Handset manufacturers, IMO, should be thinking the same way. With all the personal data on your phone, do you really want to be able to unlock it and obtain root from an app in the Play Store?
This is one of the reasons I like Motorola devices, despite the very limited flexibility.

mk1151 said:
The simplest choice would seem to be ordering a Developer Edition RAZR M. If you really like the M but want the ability to fiddle, that's your route. There are already recovery and root images available for it and I think the devs will be supporting it for a while especially since the RAZR HD and HD MAXX are also running the same internals.
As for the SGSIII - Verizon is the only carrier that doesn't sell it with an unlocked bootloader so technically you'd need to buy the developer edition of that to get what you want anyway.
Neither the RAZR M nor the SGSIII Dev Editions are available via Verizon subsidized contracts.
Personally I think Sammy missed the boat. If the SGSIII Mini did what the RAZR did (same internals with smaller screen) they might have won me over, but they really skimped on the thing. What a shame.
Just my $.02.
I'm a runner and a cyclist, so the smaller the better which is why I loved my Atrix 4G (which is now running JB). The RAZR M is a narrower phone with a bigger screen. It's great to simply stow and go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The M is my first ever Motorola device. It's also my first device running ICS or JB (there were a few of us on here that had issues running ICS on our DINC2s). Spent a little time messing around installing the JB leak and flashing back to stock just to get used to using the stock recovery, fastboot etc. With wifi tether now working on the stock ROM and the ability to disable bloatware in ICS/JB, combined with the very minimal Blur skin, I don't really see the need to root this device right away. Plus, you really can't do everything you'd want to do without an unlockable bootloader. So I agree, the Developer Edition is the way to go if you want to ultimately fiddle with things at some point down the road. May have to pick one up at some point.
Couldn't agree more on Sammy missing the boat. The SG3 Mini would have won me over too if they hadn't watered it down. Maybe we'll see a slightly improved device ending up on VZW? I presume it will eventually come to VZW. Does that SoC they're using even support LTE? Who knows. Maybe wishful thinking. I love the M anyway. But it's always nice to have more options to consider.

mk1151 said:
With all the personal data on your phone, do you really want to be able to unlock it and obtain root from an app in the Play Store?
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Click to collapse
Good point. I don't..

I've definitely made my decision (which was realistically already made, just need to confirm). Let me know if you know anyone looking for a brand new blue SG3.

hokieputter said:
Good point. I don't..
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Click to collapse
Well plenty of people have done it. Check the forums over there. There are other applications that can do it for u on your own pc if u wanted too. Just saying it's available now. Plus doesn't rooting your phone technically make it a little less secure anyway? That's what blizzards authenticator has lead me to believe Haha. But the point was a locked bootloader isn't end of the line.
VZW-S3 on CM10 via tapatalk

[Q] Unhappy with the S4: Worth returning for Dev Edition HTC One?

TLDR: I'm thinking of returning a GS4 for a HTC One Dev Edition, hoping to get advice, see bullets below, thanks
My old phone broke last week, and I had to run out and get a new one on short notice (didn't have time to fully research). I read some basic comparisons and went with the Samsung, primarily because I wanted a replaceable battery and more storage with the SD card option, it was faster, and it had some extra features.
Now I'm experiencing a bit of buyer's remorse. After more research, it seems there's several different versions of the GS4, and I'm starting to feel like I'm paying a premium price for a "second best" handset, as a more powerful processor is available in other countries. To me, if I'm buying Samsung's most expensive unit (the Note is sort of a tablet so I don't count it), then I want to get the best tech on the market. Come to find, the "best" version is Korea-only. The HTC One, as far as I know, is the best HTC offers, and is lower-price than the Samsung.
Other things are bothering me too: the SD card support is great, but the phone puts almost everything on internal storage; the GS4's camera may have a lot of mega-pixels, but overall I find it's quality to be worse; the build quality makes the phone feel fragile; it's just a tiny bit too big; all those advertised smart gestures only work in a few specific apps, and even then, don't always work right; etc. There's a lot of good things about it, to be sure (stellar battery life, even with all the TouchWiz wastefulness), but I'm starting to wonder if I would be happier with a One. Additionally, I want to be able to flash custom ROMs to my phone, and after reading some posts here and on other forums, it seems a locked bootloader may cause issues for me in the future even if I can root and flash either device now.
So, I'm considering returning it and getting a One. I'm in the US, on T-Mobile (GSM), but if I'm going to make this change and give up SD support (or "SD support," I should say), I want a 64 GB version out of the box, and an unlocked bootloader. In case you missed the title, that means the Developer Edition available direct from HTC.
My Concerns:
If I get the One from HTC, it won't have T-mobile software. This means no wifi calling (something I need). Could I just flash the T-mobile ROM to get it?
Does anyone have the Dev Edition running on T-mobile? Does it work with the network (HSPA, LTE, etc.)? It's missing the 1700 band like the Google and ATT editions, but I'm not sure if that matters.
Will the Developer edition have any difference in terms of custom ROM support, compared to the "nexus" version or a normal T-mobile version?
If I do stick with the GS4 (T-Mobile SGH-M919), or get the "standard" T-mobile HTC One, can I just root / flash that, unlock the bootloader, and basically have the google version? Or do I have to forever worry about issues because the phone can never truly be unlocked? Or a high risk of bricking from flashing / unlocking the bootloader? (I'm reasonably technical, but new to the process overall).

Just Another User said:
TLDR: I'm thinking of returning a GS4 for a HTC One Dev Edition, hoping to get advice, see bullets below, thanks
My old phone broke last week, and I had to run out and get a new one on short notice (didn't have time to fully research). I read some basic comparisons and went with the Samsung, primarily because I wanted a replaceable battery and more storage with the SD card option, it was faster, and it had some extra features.
Now I'm experiencing a bit of buyer's remorse. After more research, it seems there's several different versions of the GS4, and I'm starting to feel like I'm paying a premium price for a "second best" handset, as a more powerful processor is available in other countries. To me, if I'm buying Samsung's most expensive unit (the Note is sort of a tablet so I don't count it), then I want to get the best tech on the market. Come to find, the "best" version is Korea-only. The HTC One, as far as I know, is the best HTC offers, and is lower-price than the Samsung.
Other things are bothering me too: the SD card support is great, but the phone puts almost everything on internal storage; the GS4's camera may have a lot of mega-pixels, but overall I find it's quality to be worse; the build quality makes the phone feel fragile; it's just a tiny bit too big; all those advertised smart gestures only work in a few specific apps, and even then, don't always work right; etc. There's a lot of good things about it, to be sure (stellar battery life, even with all the TouchWiz wastefulness), but I'm starting to wonder if I would be happier with a One. Additionally, I want to be able to flash custom ROMs to my phone, and after reading some posts here and on other forums, it seems a locked bootloader may cause issues for me in the future even if I can root and flash either device now.
So, I'm considering returning it and getting a One. I'm in the US, on T-Mobile (GSM), but if I'm going to make this change and give up SD support (or "SD support," I should say), I want a 64 GB version out of the box, and an unlocked bootloader. In case you missed the title, that means the Developer Edition available direct from HTC.
My Concerns:
If I get the One from HTC, it won't have T-mobile software. This means no wifi calling (something I need). Could I just flash the T-mobile ROM to get it?
Does anyone have the Dev Edition running on T-mobile? Does it work with the network (HSPA, LTE, etc.)? It's missing the 1700 band like the Google and ATT editions, but I'm not sure if that matters.
Will the Developer edition have any difference in terms of custom ROM support, compared to the "nexus" version or a normal T-mobile version?
If I do stick with the GS4 (T-Mobile SGH-M919), or get the "standard" T-mobile HTC One, can I just root / flash that, unlock the bootloader, and basically have the google version? Or do I have to forever worry about issues because the phone can never truly be unlocked? Or a high risk of bricking from flashing / unlocking the bootloader? (I'm reasonably technical, but new to the process overall).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you do your research the quad core beats out the big little in some areas and vice versa.
The Qualcomm one though much bigger dev support and with the Google edition S4 coming out custom aosp roms are just over the horizon.
I would hold onto that sgs4,specially if it has unlocked bootloaders.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

Hell no **** the s4 I hated that phone and I had it before I switched to the one but to each their opinion
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

SlimJ87D said:
If you do your research the quad core beats out the big little in some areas and vice versa.
The Qualcomm one though much bigger dev support and with the Google edition S4 coming out custom aosp roms are just over the horizon.
I would hold onto that sgs4,specially if it has unlocked bootloaders.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. It's true the performance is close, but the "8 core" is the stronger version (longer battery life, better GPU, and a better DAC). But it's not night and day, and it's arguably the same / less than the hardware difference between the GS4 and HTC One anyway. More a principle thing I guess, just bothers me that I'm paying top dollar and not getting "the best." You say it has bigger dev support (I've also seen that stated elsewhere), but what about compared to the One?
My understanding is that the bootloader on my model is in fact locked (SGH-M919 / US T-Mobile version). Not sure if unlocking them is an easy matter (I know it's much more risky than just flashing a ROM; messing up the bootloader can really brick a phone, so I'm a little nervous about doing that). I suppose another option is to get the Google GS4 with an unlocked bootloader when that comes out in a few weeks...

The One has great dev support. Like really great. Maybe not as good as the S4, but definitely sufficient enough. It will be getting official paranoid android which I'm excited about. And yes the S4 is bootloader locked. Don't know if it's unlock able yet. Personally I'd say get the one. But that's because I bought the phone and if someone buys a phone, they will defend it as the best. I pretty much bought it for the same reasons others did. Beautiful design, Amazing speakers, high performance, and sense 5 is actually gorgeous. And I didn't want the S4 because of gimmicky features that make you look weird in public (people look at you weird when you swipe your hand over your phone) and are also slow to react, touch wiz is disgusting, and I'm also one of the people that can't stand plastic. I think if you were to flash a t mobile rom you'd get wifi calling working. You could ask someone in the dev section if they bother to answer you. I known for trickdroid in 5.6.0 and below you would pick your carrier and it would have a few adjustments made for whatever you picked (life wifi calling). But 6.0 is based off 4.2.2 and HTC made it so the ROM picks what it needs I think depending on your CID or what you picked as your carrier at setup. I think it's worth a shot to get it though.
Sent from my HTC One 801e using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Just Another User said:
TLDR: I'm thinking of returning a GS4 for a HTC One Dev Edition, hoping to get advice, see bullets below, thanks
My old phone broke last week, and I had to run out and get a new one on short notice (didn't have time to fully research). I read some basic comparisons and went with the Samsung, primarily because I wanted a replaceable battery and more storage with the SD card option, it was faster, and it had some extra features.
Now I'm experiencing a bit of buyer's remorse. After more research, it seems there's several different versions of the GS4, and I'm starting to feel like I'm paying a premium price for a "second best" handset, as a more powerful processor is available in other countries. To me, if I'm buying Samsung's most expensive unit (the Note is sort of a tablet so I don't count it), then I want to get the best tech on the market. Come to find, the "best" version is Korea-only. The HTC One, as far as I know, is the best HTC offers, and is lower-price than the Samsung.
Other things are bothering me too: the SD card support is great, but the phone puts almost everything on internal storage; the GS4's camera may have a lot of mega-pixels, but overall I find it's quality to be worse; the build quality makes the phone feel fragile; it's just a tiny bit too big; all those advertised smart gestures only work in a few specific apps, and even then, don't always work right; etc. There's a lot of good things about it, to be sure (stellar battery life, even with all the TouchWiz wastefulness), but I'm starting to wonder if I would be happier with a One. Additionally, I want to be able to flash custom ROMs to my phone, and after reading some posts here and on other forums, it seems a locked bootloader may cause issues for me in the future even if I can root and flash either device now.
So, I'm considering returning it and getting a One. I'm in the US, on T-Mobile (GSM), but if I'm going to make this change and give up SD support (or "SD support," I should say), I want a 64 GB version out of the box, and an unlocked bootloader. In case you missed the title, that means the Developer Edition available direct from HTC.
My Concerns:
If I get the One from HTC, it won't have T-mobile software. This means no wifi calling (something I need). Could I just flash the T-mobile ROM to get it?
Does anyone have the Dev Edition running on T-mobile? Does it work with the network (HSPA, LTE, etc.)? It's missing the 1700 band like the Google and ATT editions, but I'm not sure if that matters.
Will the Developer edition have any difference in terms of custom ROM support, compared to the "nexus" version or a normal T-mobile version?
If I do stick with the GS4 (T-Mobile SGH-M919), or get the "standard" T-mobile HTC One, can I just root / flash that, unlock the bootloader, and basically have the google version? Or do I have to forever worry about issues because the phone can never truly be unlocked? Or a high risk of bricking from flashing / unlocking the bootloader? (I'm reasonably technical, but new to the process overall).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i sold my galaxy s4 to get the One. i reccomend u get the tmobile one,i had the dev edition on tmobile and had issues with signal,it didnt work well.if u get
tmobile version u can flash international roms,
Get the htc one dude,the s4 lags soo much .

Just Another User said:
Thanks for the reply. It's true the performance is close, but the "8 core" is the stronger version (longer battery life, better GPU, and a better DAC). But it's not night and day, and it's arguably the same / less than the hardware difference between the GS4 and HTC One anyway. More a principle thing I guess, just bothers me that I'm paying top dollar and not getting "the best." You say it has bigger dev support (I've also seen that stated elsewhere), but what about compared to the One?
My understanding is that the bootloader on my model is in fact locked (SGH-M919 / US T-Mobile version). Not sure if unlocking them is an easy matter (I know it's much more risky than just flashing a ROM; messing up the bootloader can really brick a phone, so I'm a little nervous about doing that). I suppose another option is to get the Google GS4 with an unlocked bootloader when that comes out in a few weeks...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not all of that is true. I've been hanging out in the S4 forums. The Big.Little chip isn't that great. It doesn't have better battery life and some of the guys found out the Big.Little isn't even implemented right. It's not saving as much battery as it's suppose to or does it function like how its presentation presents it.
The GPU on the S600 actually performs better in certain areas than the Octa does.
The CPU is minimal
The DAC tested my GSMArena performed pretty well. It's not on par with Wolfson, but it did pretty well.
And if you have 4G LTE, then it's a no brainer.
Your bootloader isn't locked. YOu can actually unlock that phone with a few dialer codes too and it could be used internationally. And that version can already flash international roms.It sounds like you need to do a lot more research. About 75% or more own the S600 versions and development is going to boom and I mean BOOM! As in explode with this version. Compared to the one, I can't really say, but lets do the math real fast. The one sold about 5 million. The S4 has sold around double of that. And 75% of that is 7.5 mil that own the S600 versions. So development sounds like it will be great on both.
I'm going to put it this one. Benchmarks don't mean squat. If you have 4G LTE, the latency is a lot better and your apps that require a data connection will actually load quicker and be more faster due to loading data faster. Benchmarks don't keep that into account. Other than that, what is the octa going to do? Open a app a few milliseconds, and I mean a very few milliseconds faster but take longer to load the internet?
What matters is functionality. Functionality that has to do with the user experience and physical experience such as screen, sound, which one gives you a better data connection, etc. Don't make a decision on these minimal differences in benchmarks.

I was VERY torn between the two. I went to the AT&T store more then once to fiddle with the devices first hand. I went through review after review on youtube and online. There were two things that sold me on the One over the GS4. First was the speakers. They just plain ROCK! No question. And the second was the fact that every time I went into the store to use the GS4....it has HORRIBLE wake lag. I mean HORRIBLE. That too me was unacceptable on any device, let alone a flagship model...
So, I came home with the one. BUT, it wasnt without issue. The phone was perfect in every way....except for the camera. My camera was stuck (no stabilization). It would take horrible blurry photos no matter what I did. ALWAYS would blur one side of the picture. Messed with it for about a week, finally took it back into the store and swapped it out for another. Now, she takes great, clear pictures!
I couldnt ask for a better phone then the HTC one to be honest.........and that is coming from someone who was a HUGE Samsung fan, and didnt ever think they would buy another HTC due to Sense. Sense 5.0 is just plain awesome!
The HTC One does infact.....ROCK!

SlimJ87D said:
If you do your research the quad core beats out the big little in some areas and vice versa.
The Qualcomm one though much bigger dev support and with the Google edition S4 coming out custom aosp roms are just over the horizon.
I would hold onto that sgs4,specially if it has unlocked bootloaders.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
When did you get your HTC one? What do you think of it?
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

barondebxl said:
When did you get your HTC one? What do you think of it?
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
What' sup Baron, I knew you were around these forums. I got it last weekend and I like it a lot. But there are small things i miss on the galaxy line. I'm going to be getting a SGS4 at the end of this month sometime.
Things I like about the HTC One:
1. Not just the build quality, but it seems the software is very optimized. Keep it "simple stupid" really helped guaranteed a great user experience. I was afraid of all the S4 lag stories.
2. Costco has the phone for $129.99 with a accessories kit.
3. The stereo speakers facing you is great. It literally sounds like it's double the decibels now that the speakers actually face you. I have to admit I have been startled by my notifications at work.
4. It really takes advantage of the bass in my car. I listened to Daft Punk and it's much better than my Wolfson SGS3 i9300.
I haven't tried flashing yet though. I'm sure I will flash Android Revolution HD when I finally get bored.
Things that kind of bug me:
1. I haven't gotten the update yet, but not having a menu button is bugging me since a lot of old apps have that huge menu button at the bottom.
2. I miss simple features such as headphone notifications. I walk my dogs everyday and wish notifications would come through my headphones. Maybe a custom rom will bring this feature.
3. The SGS line had custom vibration notification.
4. The notification light is really tiny.
There's pretty much a lot of little features I miss on the SGS4 line. Like swiping in the dialer to call or message. Smart stay! Task manager option in the multitasking window, etc.
I feel like the HTC One and SGS4 are tie neck and neck. But at Costco, the HTC One is $70 cheaper and that's quite a bargain!

SlimJ87D said:
What' sup Baron, I knew you were around these forums. I got it last weekend and I like it a lot. But there are small things i miss on the galaxy line. I'm going to be getting a SGS4 at the end of this month sometime.
Things I like about the HTC One:
1. Not just the build quality, but it seems the software is very optimized. Keep it "simple stupid" really helped guaranteed a great user experience. I was afraid of all the S4 lag stories.
2. Costco has the phone for $129.99 with a accessories kit.
3. The stereo speakers facing you is great. It literally sounds like it's double the decibels now that the speakers actually face you. I have to admit I have been startled by my notifications at work.
4. It really takes advantage of the bass in my car. I listened to Daft Punk and it's much better than my Wolfson SGS3 i9300.
I haven't tried flashing yet though. I'm sure I will flash Android Revolution HD when I finally get bored.
Things that kind of bug me:
1. I haven't gotten the update yet, but not having a menu button is bugging me since a lot of old apps have that huge menu button at the bottom.
2. I miss simple features such as headphone notifications. I walk my dogs everyday and wish notifications would come through my headphones. Maybe a custom rom will bring this feature.
3. The SGS line had custom vibration notification.
4. The notification light is really tiny.
There's pretty much a lot of little features I miss on the SGS4 line. Like swiping in the dialer to call or message. Smart stay! Task manager option in the multitasking window, etc.
I feel like the HTC One and SGS4 are tie neck and neck. But at Costco, the HTC One is $70 cheaper and that's quite a bargain!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to see you here! I hear you. I tried the S4 for a week, it's a good phone but good lord does it stutter a lot. That is unacceptable to me, we have crazy specs and jelly bean. I can't wait for you to try the S4 and give your opinion. Mine? The One is the better flagship for this year.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2

barondebxl said:
Good to see you here! I hear you. I tried the S4 for a week, it's a good phone but good lord does it stutter a lot. That is unacceptable to me, we have crazy specs and jelly bean. I can't wait for you to try the S4 and give your opinion. Mine? The One is the better flagship for this year.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I'll be rocking both of them for a little while. Hopefully HTC continues to improve Sense to have more features. I've been keeping up with Naruto too. It's been a up and down excitement and disappointment to me. It's been entertaining, but not good writing haha.

Tis' a device comparison thread which is not allowed (see http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2158159). As can be seen, there is some subjectivity with regard to which is better (and come on, you're not going to get a fair comparison if you post in the HTC One forum ). There's sufficient advice here anyway, so I'll close this thread.

any word on bootloaders?

I'm not getting a N3 until it's cracked or they release a Dev edition. I'd love to see a crack though. Now that it is out, I'm hoping a crack was developed and just kept under wraps
Seriously, any buy if you can't mod?

Out of curiosity, what part of the locked bootloader is causing you to make that decision?

customization
I had a locked device. No custom roms no custom kernels. OC, UC undervolting etc.
I prefer to try different roms and have the experience I want not what VZW thinks I need.
From them I only need a sim they get a monthly fee for that. The device is mine. fully paid period.
If developer edition gets released only few people will get that, so the support for the device will be minimal if the mainstream device remains locked.
I hope that verizon goes VOLTE and then Goog will have lte support for them the way they are doing with Nexus 7.
N3 looks dimmer and dimmer.
Abe

abe_cedar said:
I had a locked device. No custom roms no custom kernels. OC, UC undervolting etc.
I prefer to try different roms and have the experience I want not what VZW thinks I need.
From them I only need a sim they get a monthly fee for that. The device is mine. fully paid period.
If developer edition gets released only few people will get that, so the support for the device will be minimal if the mainstream device remains locked.
I hope that verizon goes VOLTE and then Goog will have lte support for them the way they are doing with Nexus 7.
N3 looks dimmer and dimmer.
Abe
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If a workaround Is created, you can flash custom kernals, roms, etc
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk 4

abe_cedar said:
I had a locked device. No custom roms no custom kernels. OC, UC undervolting etc.
I prefer to try different roms and have the experience I want not what VZW thinks I need.
From them I only need a sim they get a monthly fee for that. The device is mine. fully paid period.
If developer edition gets released only few people will get that, so the support for the device will be minimal if the mainstream device remains locked.
I hope that verizon goes VOLTE and then Goog will have lte support for them the way they are doing with Nexus 7.
N3 looks dimmer and dimmer.
Abe
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was said device a motorola device? Motorola is notorious for not releasing Kernel source code for their locked devices. Samsung, however, has already released the verizon galaxy note 3 kernel source code. Given someone creates a good bootstrap recovery that supports kexec, custom roms with custom kernels will be completely doable even with a locked bootloader. Furthermore, with the hardware in the phone and the availability of customization apps on the store, even on a stock ROM with just root, you can freeze the bloat and customize it almost as much as you can with a custom ROM. If you're seriously thinking you'll "Need" to overclock a 2.3 GHz quad-core processor for anything beyond epeen benchmarks, then I'll giggle a little bit.

Banggugyangu said:
Was said device a motorola device? Motorola is notorious for not releasing Kernel source code for their locked devices. Samsung, however, has already released the verizon galaxy note 3 kernel source code. Given someone creates a good bootstrap recovery that supports kexec, custom roms with custom kernels will be completely doable even with a locked bootloader. Furthermore, with the hardware in the phone and the availability of customization apps on the store, even on a stock ROM with just root, you can freeze the bloat and customize it almost as much as you can with a custom ROM. If you're seriously thinking you'll "Need" to overclock a 2.3 GHz quad-core processor for anything beyond epeen benchmarks, then I'll giggle a little bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually wannna do some underclocking if need be to save battery, but with how advanced the processors are today, they are already programmed to run super efficiently.
Sent from my Verizon Galaxy Note 3

People have reported a solid day's life with typical use, that's good enough for me. I'm always in a situation where I have a charger readily available if I need one.

armus said:
I'm not getting a N3 until it's cracked or they release a Dev edition. I'd love to see a crack though. Now that it is out, I'm hoping a crack was developed and just kept under wraps
Seriously, any buy if you can't mod?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PM keymaster911...he has the bl unlocked, and root.

The T-Mobile version came with unlocked bootloader. Don't know why Verizon & AT&T want so much control over our expensive toys.

How can I tell if my bootloader is locked without messing up the phone? Who knows maybe it's unlocked?? Or maybe Verizon skipped this phone!
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk now Free

Banggugyangu said:
Was said device a motorola device? Motorola is notorious for not releasing Kernel source code for their locked devices. Samsung, however, has already released the verizon galaxy note 3 kernel source code. Given someone creates a good bootstrap recovery that supports kexec, custom roms with custom kernels will be completely doable even with a locked bootloader. Furthermore, with the hardware in the phone and the availability of customization apps on the store, even on a stock ROM with just root, you can freeze the bloat and customize it almost as much as you can with a custom ROM. If you're seriously thinking you'll "Need" to overclock a 2.3 GHz quad-core processor for anything beyond epeen benchmarks, then I'll giggle a little bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Motorola indeed. No more moto for me..
need. not per se.
On my N2 saber kernel, with some tweaking ( slight voltage changes and some governor touches and yes oc at 2GHz ), gives me the best performance( subjective definition, but good battery life and no lag).
Droidstyle said it best If beans106 gets us a custom rom for N3 I am in. Some nice kernels would be good too. saber, devil etc
I would love to be in last years boat when adam unlocked it(N2) in 4 days and had casual up and running . Adam said no more sammy... sad
( qcom snapdragon and qfuses) .

abe_cedar said:
If developer edition gets released only few people will get that, so the support for the device will be minimal if the mainstream device remains locked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is my question. I would use an upgrade to buy a phone and sell it, then use that to get a developer phone. But after I got it, will there be anything I can do with it? Seems like the developer phones only get development if the main phone is unlocked, which then negates the need for a developer phone. Maybe we need a forum devoted solely to Verizon Developer phones from now on.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk now Free

jackdubl said:
This is my question. I would use an upgrade to buy a phone and sell it, then use that to get a developer phone. But after I got it, will there be anything I can do with it? Seems like the developer phones only get development if the main phone is unlocked, which then negates the need for a developer phone. Maybe we need a forum devoted solely to Verizon Developer phones from now on.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk now Free
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hadn't thought of that. I guess the S4 gets some Dev love because some folks were able to unlock it early on. If the N3 is never cracked, devs may well just pass this thing up.
Why do I want an unlocked bootloader? Recovery and backups. I want to mod and flash until my eyes bleed. I love seeing my device running a new ROM, even if I hate the way the ROM looks - it's new and different. I get bored with a device that just is. I demand change. If I must be stuck with a device's frame for a few months (that's about as long as I can hold onto one before wanting to change it) then I want new software - daily! I guess this is the definition of a crack flasher. Damn it feels good to be one though.
Can't wait to see who will be the first to post in the Dev section. How many hours will the phone be out when the first post is made? My money is on 96 hours

So jealous of looking at T-Mobiles and Sprints Android Development sections... SO JEALOUSSSSSSSS :silly:

I would just like to know what the interest level is for our wonderful devs out there.
Are there some die hards working day and night to crack this thing? Or is it a collective "meh" thanks to VzW locking us down.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk now Free

It seems clear to me that Verizon phones aren't going to be cracked anymore, but they offer a developer phone for just about every model now. I'm honestly kinda shocked we all haven't just migrated to them, instead of even discussing cracking the standard phones. They give us exactly what we want: fully unlocked Verizon phones. If our whole Verizon section of the community would just accept that developer phones are the best option, it would greatly help us Verizon folks.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 4

your not thinking about all the subsidized people
jackdubl said:
It seems clear to me that Verizon phones aren't going to be cracked anymore, but they offer a developer phone for just about every model now. I'm honestly kinda shocked we all haven't just migrated to them, instead of even discussing cracking the standard phones. They give us exactly what we want: fully unlocked Verizon phones. If our whole Verizon section of the community would just accept that developer phones are the best option, it would greatly help us Verizon folks.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not every one here can fork 700 + for a phone that is a dev edition. the majority of ppl here are using subsidized and with the unlimited glitch , more ppl jumped on that price. Dev phones are not covered by verizons warranty either.

jmichaels1982 said:
not every one here can fork 700 + for a phone that is a dev edition. the majority of ppl here are using subsidized and with the unlimited glitch , more ppl jumped on that price. Dev phones are not covered by verizons warranty either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everyone can get a subsidized phone and just sell it for full price, then get the dev phone, can't they? That's what I'll do. Just an extra step. And the phone is covered by the same 1 yr warranty from Samsung that a phone from Verizon is. Just a standard one-year manufacturer's warranty, like just about every piece of electronics that exists has. Difference is Verizon would deal with Samsung if the phone were subsidized, you deal directly with Samsung for the dev phone.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 4

not the same
jackdubl said:
Everyone can get a subsidized phone and just sell it for full price, then get the dev phone, can't they? That's what I'll do. Just an extra step. And the phone is covered by the same 1 yr warranty from Samsung that a phone from Verizon is. Just a standard one-year manufacturer's warranty, like just about every piece of electronics that exists has. Difference is Verizon would deal with Samsung if the phone were subsidized, you deal directly with Samsung for the dev phone.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No verizon warranty is a bit different. they will send you a refurbished no questions asked. and they can send you virtually unlimited ones the first year ( i replaced my rezound 5 times and my s3 three times all within one year because it was all under the rezounds one year warranty ) The manufacturer warranty has to investigate the device and until they fix it , you are on your own . and then they may send you a refurbished.
And the whole thing with selling the phone , it might be ok to you , but the hoops scare ppl .

If Verizon is doing this to run me off, it's working. Spring sucks but t-mo shows some promise. Now I just have to talk the wife into letting me.

Note 3 Purchase Regrets... should I stick with it?

Soooo, I recently purchased a Note 3 and I'm MOSTLY happy with a lot of things about the phone... BUT the idea that we may never get an unlocked bootloader (SOOO annoying, had a Thunderbolt for the last two years and was really looking forward to getting CM again!) is making me question whether I should stay with my new phone or not. Looking for a little advice on keeping the N3 or getting something new:
Pros:
1.) The hardware is incredible. Coming from the Thunderbolt, this thing is insanely fast.
2.) The screen is awesome. The size doesn't bother me at all.
3.) Battery life!
Cons:
1.) Touch Wiz. I used to own an original Droid and LOVED the OS, eventually switching to CM for added features. Most of the stuff I dislike I can turn off, but there's a lot of bloat and dumb ideas here. (Why Samsung makes me turn up the volume and say I won't explode my head every time I plug in headphones is insane... I'M PLUGGING IT INTO MY CAR AND I'M NO LONGER 12 YEARS OLD.)
2.) The screen isn't big enough to use as an e-reader. This is not a huge issue, I had just HOPED it would be... BUT, since that's the case, I could easily switch to another phone and get a tablet too and not feel bad about it.
3.) Gaming... again, I had hoped the N3 would be able to provide gaming and e-reader and phone all into one device, but Android games are really just too shallow for me.
Soooo, what it really comes down to is if you guys think this device will be unlocked down the line OR if you think I could adjust it to make a more stock android/ AOSP/ CM type experience. If I was able to put CM on here I would be sitting pretty. I'm just worried it will turn into a situation like the Thunderbolt with limited updates and no real way to get new software...
If I did get a new phone, what would you guys recommend? I'm looking at the HTC One, Nexus 5, LG G2 and Galaxy S4. I haven't yet looked into which ones have fully unlocked bootloaders with decent roms, but that would be a deal breaker.
Thanks for any and all help, you guys are awesome!!

It sounds (to me) like you should get rid of it and get a phone that you can put CM on. I, personally, have never been a fan of CM. I like miui (haven't had that working 100% on a phone for probably 3 years now though) or heavily modded stock roms more. But as far as speed and battery life. This thing is awesome. Big screen is a + for me too. And it's got more features than I care to use or learn which is also a + I guess.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

Ultimately it all comes down to what you want. I mean, if it doesn't live up to your standards why keep it? It's your money to spend how you see fit. Buy something you feel will be worthwhile. If you're looking for the original Android experience the Moto X is a sweet phone and easy to carry and use.
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA Premium HD app

Should I be able to sell this one for a decent price? It's basically brand new, always had a case and screen protector...

profman03 said:
Should I be able to sell this one for a decent price? It's basically brand new, always had a case and screen protector...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a little FYI, i came to the note 3 from a razr maxx, also a locked bootloader using safestrap. It is an officially supported device in the CM build. Sure an unlocked bootloader is great no matter the phone, but a really solid phone can sometimes trump that one little perk. Just a different opinion for your process. Good Luck.

This thread will probably be closed and moved to the sticky, but here are my 2 cents.
Out of all the cons presented, the only one that can be fixed well is the "TouchWiz" problem. The other phones either have smaller displays and Android's game market isn't even close to that of iOS, and doesn't seem like it will be soon. I think the LG G2 is the best choice for you (if you are fine without removable battery and microSD). Same Snapdragon 800, similar large 1080p display (I personally prefer it more because it is nearly impossible to get an AMOLED without black marks or unevenness), and also a large battery. Check out their development, it has a lot of exciting stuff going on and CM11 is right now a WIP. I'd say it still has a lot of potential to grow further, and its already a great community now.
Personally, I wasn't that overwhelmed by the N3 (probably because I had the N2). Looking back, I would have taken the G2 (and the $100 savings at the time) but I was an unlimited glitch purchase and don't have much time to customize my phone anymore. I flashed like mad on DInc, GNex, and Note 2, but right now having a device that isn't wiped every week is what I need. In fact, I finished a whole month on the Android 4.0+ Data Usage page for the first time ever.

Yeah, didn't know if this was the right place to post this, so then I copied and pasted it into the Q&A forum... and was going to delete this... now I can't figure out how to delete either thread! Ah well, if there's a major issue, I'm sure a mod will just close it.
Thanks for the input. I'm certainly not sold on getting rid of my N3, just looking into it. As stated, there are a lot of things I love about this phone, and if I could make it better that would be great.
Yeah, the "cons" really aren't cons, but things that I had HOPED the phone would be able to do, but can't. This just makes me feel OK about switching to a smaller phone and then getting a tablet as well.

changt34x said:
This thread will probably be closed and moved to the sticky, but here are my 2 cents.
Out of all the cons presented, the only one that can be fixed well is the "TouchWiz" problem. The other phones either have smaller displays and Android's game market isn't even close to that of iOS, and doesn't seem like it will be soon. I think the LG G2 is the best choice for you (if you are fine without removable battery and microSD). Same Snapdragon 800, similar large 1080p display (I personally prefer it more because it is nearly impossible to get an AMOLED without black marks or unevenness), and also a large battery. Check out their development, it has a lot of exciting stuff going on and CM11 is right now a WIP. I'd say it still has a lot of potential to grow further, and its already a great community now.
Personally, I wasn't that overwhelmed by the N3 (probably because I had the N2). Looking back, I would have taken the G2 (and the $100 savings at the time) but I was an unlimited glitch purchase and don't have much time to customize my phone anymore. I flashed like mad on DInc, GNex, and Note 2, but right now having a device that isn't wiped every week is what I need. In fact, I finished a whole month on the Android 4.0+ Data Usage page for the first time ever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to agree. I love the phone but my flashaholic status is slowly going away. When I had the TP, TP2, Evo, Evo 3D and Rezound I'd have a new rom almost every three days. Depending on what the devs put out. I have never been an AOSP guy so CM never really meant alot to me. I understand that guys want flexibility. I have heard guys say they couldn't stand sense on HTC just as people want TW off their phone. I love the N3 and it's a nice step up from the S3 I had previously. I might kingo and safe strap once I'm done moving just because but I'm really kinda liking not wiping and restoring my phone all the time too. I may have to change my xda button in my signature to just senior member..
Sent from the Note 3 of the Afro Samurai

I came to the note 3 from note 2. I want super impressed coming from n2, but ultimately will keep the n3 and sell my n2. I have to all out because every time I touch my n2 I miss it. I just think it feels better in my hands them does the n3.
I'm so over flashing. I was flashing a new rom at least twice a week. I'm happy with tw. Flashing, imo, is a complete waste of time. To me it kind of sounds like you're trying to talk yourself out of the Galaxy Note 3 and into a different phone simply because the boot loader is locked. If that is the case then yes I would try a phone that you could flash. I happen to have a Galaxy Note 2 with an unlocked bootloader and a stock rom on there if you are interested and it has all kinds of accessories.
Sent from my SM-N900V using xda app-developers app

There are some great points in this thread. I have a note 2 that is pretty new to me. I absolutely love the phone and while I like the unlocked status, I feel I can get most of what I want from a phone with root and xposed modules. I like CM and AOSP ROMs, but the camera quality and options never seem as good with those builds. As a father, the camera has become one of the most important features of my smart phone. That said, I'm considering selling my N2 and HTC One and getting an N3, essentially committing to no more flashing.
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

profman03 said:
Yeah, didn't know if this was the right place to post this, so then I copied and pasted it into the Q&A forum... and was going to delete this... now I can't figure out how to delete either thread! Ah well, if there's a major issue, I'm sure a mod will just close it.
Thanks for the input. I'm certainly not sold on getting rid of my N3, just looking into it. As stated, there are a lot of things I love about this phone, and if I could make it better that would be great.
Yeah, the "cons" really aren't cons, but things that I had HOPED the phone would be able to do, but can't. This just makes me feel OK about switching to a smaller phone and then getting a tablet as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You had the exact same phones as me minus the tp.
Tp2, evo, evo 3D, rezound, N3.
Galaxy Note 3, HTC Rezound, HTC Evo 3D, HTC Evo, HTC Touch Pro 2, LG Voyager

Well, before I make any decisions I'm going to root and install xposed and see if I can get all the functionality I want that way. I'm still not too familiar with it since it wasn't a thing on the Thunderbolt... BUT, it looks like it can do a lot of things I want.

From what I have seen so far with this phone is a root with some theming is plenty. Just flashing kernels never really (to me) felt like they did anything. I came from the s3, so just rooting debloating with some greenify makes this phone amazing.
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

I say keep your Note 3, root it, freeze/remove bloatware, and customize with Wanam Xposed. As far as your "CONS" go, it sounds like you're going to need a tablet in addition to the Note 3. What kind of gaming are you looking to do? Do you just want something that has a bigger screen/better hardware?
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

profman03 said:
Well, before I make any decisions I'm going to root and install xposed and see if I can get all the functionality I want that way. I'm still not too familiar with it since it wasn't a thing on the Thunderbolt... BUT, it looks like it can do a lot of things I want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Between freezing bloat and xposed framework, its my opinion that custom stock based ROMs are starting to become obsolete. AOSP is a slightly different story.
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

Just rooted, put xposed on there and wanam. Now I'm adjusting settings and debloating... things are looking up.

I'll sell u my mint verizon note 2..already unlocked running beans right now.

mlin said:
Between freezing bloat and xposed framework, its my opinion that custom stock based ROMs are starting to become obsolete. AOSP is a slightly different story.
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 Imo custom stock roms were never considered actual developing in the early android days. They were more so considered themes and the guys creating them were called Chefs. Something changed in the last couple years...however AOSP is were "real development" exists. Xposed app has pretty much shifted things back the other direction allowing the end user to modify a stock rom fairly easy. That combined with a few apps like Ninja morph to modify the framework.res files and the end user can create a custom stock rom fairly easy. I mainly run beans because of the AOSP themeing and I tweak the rest in myself. Dont take me wrong I appreciate guys like Beans because its time consuming doing the things he does.

Anyone interested in trading for a verizon lg g2? Already rooted, too...
Sent from my GT-N5110 using xda app-developers app

After messing around with root, and xposed for a while, I'm less concerned that there won't be enough support on this device to do the things that I want. I do have a few more questions, though:
1.) Has anyone started a list of all the apps that come on the stock rom and which we can freeze or delete entirely? (I will happily start this thread if there's interest and support for it.)
2.) Does anyone know how to prevent the volume getting reduced after plugging in headphones? I use my phone for music in my car and would really appreciate it if I didn't have to turn up the volume every time I plugged it in. (Wanam has an option to prevent the warning pop up, but the volume still gets reduced.)

Some Thoughts As The Note 3 Becomes Less Relevant

Hello, my name is Firefishe.
I've had my N900A Note 3 since early 2012. Since that time, I've been watching these forums, and the developer community in general, to see what might happen given time for this handset, in terms of customization.
These are key areas for me:
1. Unlocked Bootloader by now
2. Elimination of Knox Corporate Security software for non-corporate users, meaning, most of us.
3. Active ROM Development by the community for this handset. AOSP, here, not just TouchWiz.
Because this is an old handset by technological standards now, I would take the line that no one really gives a flying frack about the bootloader on this thing.
However, even if this is so, why can't I find any relevant information on this one subject: "N900A Bootloader Unlocking."
That subject, when searched, seems to do nothing but bring up ancient hits that have nothing of value, speculation, and other tripe.
I, for one, want to experiment. However, I can't afford the full price of a Nexus 5 or I would have purchased one long ago. I have to buy on contract, and AT&T has the best coverage in my area.
Also, I enjoy my S Pen. (Old Palm Pilot user here.)
So I'm stuck.
Or am I?
Part of the joy of electronics use is making the most if older-but-still-useful hardware. The Note 3 is still a quad core. It handles any game or program I want to use just fine, with no problems.
Is there no one who is working on this device, anymore?
Does any dev on this site have any insight that can be provided as to why this device's bootloader hasn't been unlocked, yet?
Anyway, I'd like to know if there is any private advancement being done on this subject, and would like a private email from anyone who cares to respond.
<firefishe AT Gmail DOT com>
I'm planning on having this handset for some time yet, and long to see Paranoid Android running on it.
If anyone can assist me with this, it would be greatly appreciated.
Best Regards,
-Firefishe

When I bought my Note 3 this June, I was coming from the Galaxy S3, which I had long ago rooted, unlocked, and was running Cyanogenmod on. Little did I know that unlocking the bootloader was not a common thing. And it seems to be becoming less common.
Imagine my surprise when I got home with my new Note 3 and went to the Cyanogenmod site to download and install. I learned a lot in the next few days about bootloaders, Knox, etc. I also learned that the phone I had just entered a two-year contract with was not what I wanted. At least not software wise.
Every day I do a search for Android Unlock Bootloader and check the news of the last 24 hours, hoping for some glitter of hope. I see newer phones, like the LG G3 and Nexus 6, offering bootlader unlocking. I see companies working hard to give their customers what they want - a phone that they can do anything with. And I see Samsung and AT&T doing the opposite - pushing more secure, unbreakable software and bloat out, usually months after their competitors have brought the latest Android OS to their flagship devices.
I did catch a glimpse of hope with Towelroot, and now my phone is rooted. Back in August I caught another glimpse of hope when Dan Rosenberg spoke at the Blackhat conference, saying that any Android bootlader could be unlocked thanks to a security exploit in Snapdragon processors. That hope was quickly diminished by Dan himself when he said not on the Note 3, and Qualcomm said they already patched the exploit.
And just last month I learned of Safestrap and the many ROMs offered as an alternative. I am now running my Bloat 3 on @bri315317 's fantastic Dynamic Rom Xtreme. This is about as close to an unlocked AOSP experience as you can get on the Note 3.
But still every day I search news for any sign of an unlocked bootlader for my phone. Older phones are being exploited. Newer phone as well, usually by the phone makers themselves. But still AT&T and Samsung refuse to give their customers what they want. Complete use of a product that we bought.
So this will be my last Samsung phone. Had I been a bit more patient I would have bought a Nexus 6. For now I have a year and a half to go with my Samsung and AT&T locked device. At least there is a viable alternative with Safestrap and ROM makers like Brian et al.

I sold mine yesterday for "pennies". AT&T Note 3 is the working "brick" phone w/o unlock bootloader. It's a very nice but completely useless for XDA folks. Back to my T-M Galaxy s2 for now. Just wondering what to buy next.

jondoe27 said:
I sold mine yesterday for "pennies". AT&T Note 3 is the working "brick" phone w/o unlock bootloader. It's a very nice but completely useless for XDA folks. Back to my T-M Galaxy s2 for now. Just wondering what to buy next.
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Lol gave up note 3 for s2. I wouldn't do that I'm thinking about getting an Optimus G, even to this day excellent development, but I probably wouldn't sell the note 3 yet tho. I would Odin it back to stock and use the Optimus G for aosp and stuff

We have roms. And KitKat. I'm fine with my note 3 and my note 4 Rom. If u don't know by now, there's a thread in Q&A about flashing other carrier roms. I actually don't mind using Safe strap, it's safer and works fine for my flashing habit. I love my Note 3, and I feel its still one of the best around!

The note 3 came out September of 2013....
Sent from my XT907 using XDA Free mobile app

Thanks For Replying
Thanks to everyone who's replied to this thread.
Your comments are appreciated.
-Firefishe

@Firefishe, are you running the stock ROM or have you flashed one of the custom ROMs?

Loved this phone, but with the random reboots, ****ty customer service, locked bootloader and bloat I'll never buy another Samsung or AT&T device again. Count on that.

This is completely speculation but I think this is going to happen down the road. There will come a time where companies will start to lock ALL their bootloaders. Some XDA users will exploit a few workarounds and when they do, those companies will try and "buy them off". If it happens it will take away the "rebels" and add to their "army" and after a while some of the greats on XDA will be working against XDA because of all the money the corporate companies will offer them. Don't get me wrong, there will be some absolute rebels that won't "defect" but at the end of the day it's all about money and trust me if a company is offering you 75 to 100k+ to "defect"and make their security software stronger. It's hard to turn down money of that nature. Just saying though
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Free mobile app

They aren't rebels and we aren't the rebellion.
Of course the higher end devs here will tend to end up in programming jobs that directly relate. Hashcode and geohotz are two amazing examples of that.
And now that it is becoming harder and harder to hack some of these devices a few devs can only justify that time with a paycheck. After all if it took 4 guys 4 hours a night for 4 months at what their pay rate of say $40 an hour you're looking at a $76,800 project.
In the end you are right, we will wind up being mostly safestrap and root for the locked devices and full Roms for the specialty devices.
Sent from my XT907 using XDA Free mobile app

Exactly.......... whatever he bought in January 2012 must have been a Note since the even the Note 2 was not out before September/October 2012 (I think). I love the Note 3 and with Safestrap and Odin, we can choose between several Kitkat NC2 (4.4.2) roms and use NJ5 (4.4.4) roms including those running Note 4 apps. I was tempted to get the Note 4 but after hearing about the advance specs of the Note 5 (like over 700 ppi display and 4 gigs of ram among other enticing specs). I think I can wait until next September.!

There are always will be competition between amateurs and pros. This forum is the one of the prove. Besides that there is a plenty ambitions ppl who do this just because they like and can. Another thing the companies always are looking for a new recruits to replace a current staff (just cheaper for the business). And don't forget about a competition between big (and small) brands. They will do everything to survive.
Just mine 2c.
---------- Post added at 05:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:10 PM ----------
optimusv45 said:
Lol gave up note 3 for s2. I wouldn't do that I'm thinking about getting an Optimus G, even to this day excellent development, but I probably wouldn't sell the note 3 yet tho. I would Odin it back to stock and use the Optimus G for aosp and stuff
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Click to collapse
I really like a NOTE 3 just not AT&T brand. And it was kinda useless for me and I barely used it.
I wanted to buy NOTE 4 from T-MOBILE but they didn't want to sell it to me because I'm on prepaid.

I think that as long as there is a community of people looking to fully own their device there will be someone willing to give them what they want.
Some companies could create a brand around a community of smartphone users that really want to own their device and modify it as they wish.
I think the Nexus line is one such example.
If there is demand for something someone, somewhere will provide it.
Are there any business type people here? Anyone that would know or want to start a start up that offers complete freedom to own their device? Sometimes you have to be the change you want to see.

Already been done. It is called one plus one.
Sent from my XT907 using XDA Free mobile app

Why do you folks sound so desperate? I'm gonna play you some of my sad banjo music. Lmao [emoji23]
There will ALWAYS be root and ROMs. Making it sound like a battle. Rebels and armies and all that. There is always nexus devices and t-mobile and international phones and other options. Cyanogenmod is coming along the way now and more companies are going to throw it on their devices. Start with oneplus one and we will see more. Just chill out and enjoy safestrap and whatever rom you got running at the moment. You got a device that is not really that far from the note 4, only a few little differences that are not that big of a deal. I mean, I know people that are still running S2 and even older devices just fine. I love my note 3 and won't change it for a while. I AM able to buy the note 4 or any other "flagship" out there, but I really see no point in that. 1080p display with quad core processor and you name it.
from my note 3

Running stock. Rooted. Updated to Safestrap Recovery 3.75 recently. Played around with Dynamic Kat Extreme, but am now back on stock.

mrkhigh said:
The note 3 came out September of 2013....
Sent from my XT907 using XDA Free mobile app
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I stand corrected.

jondoe27 said:
There are always will be competition between amateurs and pros. This forum is the one of the prove. Besides that there is a plenty ambitions ppl who do this just because they like and can. Another thing the companies always are looking for a new recruits to replace a current staff (just cheaper for the business). And don't forget about a competition between big (and small) brands. They will do everything to survive.
Just mine 2c.
---------- Post added at 05:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:10 PM ----------
I really like a NOTE 3 just not AT&T brand. And it was kinda useless for me and I barely used it.
I wanted to buy NOTE 4 from T-MOBILE but they didn't want to sell it to me because I'm on prepaid.
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If you're paying full price and the local dealer won't sell it to you, try another store or buy it off Amazon.
Local dealers, in my experience, aren't always the brightest of beings.

K-alz said:
Why do you folks sound so desperate? I'm gonna play you some of my sad banjo music. Lmao [emoji23]
There will ALWAYS be root and ROMs. Making it sound like a battle. Rebels and armies and all that. There is always nexus devices and t-mobile and international phones and other options. Cyanogenmod is coming along the way now and more companies are going to throw it on their devices. Start with oneplus one and we will see more. Just chill out and enjoy safestrap and whatever rom you got running at the moment. You got a device that is not really that far from the note 4, only a few little differences that are not that big of a deal. I mean, I know people that are still running S2 and even older devices just fine. I love my note 3 and won't change it for a while. I AM able to buy the note 4 or any other "flagship" out there, but I really see no point in that. 1080p display with quad core processor and you name it.
from my note 3
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Click to collapse
I guess if I wanted to be status quo, I would not have started a thread like this.