Database Users

Option for regular android by all companies...

I feel like a lot of the issues that have been caused with android could be solved by this simple solution, if every company gave the option to allow us to use their custom android, or we could also have the choice of having just plain vanilla android. This would be easy for them, and would also solve a great deal of user issues...

fiscidtox said:
I feel like a lot of the issues that have been caused with android could be solved by this simple solution, if every company gave the option to allow us to use their custom android, or we could also have the choice of having just plain vanilla android. This would be easy for them, and would also solve a great deal of user issues...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree.....one thing that bothers me about android is all the manufacturers adding there custom skins on top of the android platform...while there sometimes nice...they also have a tendency to bog down the system and cause lag.
Perfect example, and Im sure youll love to hear this is "Timescape" haha.
But I guess one thing that seperates my phone from "his" phone is the custom skins that they use.
But the option for "android at its purest" should be there for ALL devices.

to be honest i don't see how this can benefit all user groups
the problem we have with our x10s now is not that we have a totally customised firmware, it's the fact that we have an encrypted bootloader, which samsung/htc/some other manufacturers don't have.
the only solution is either sony ericsson somehow unlock the bootloader for us or we crack the code that locks up the bootloader.

aR_ChRiS said:
to be honest i don't see how this can benefit all user groups
the problem we have with our x10s now is not that we have a totally customised firmware, it's the fact that we have an encrypted bootloader, which samsung/htc/some other manufacturers don't have.
the only solution is either sony ericsson somehow unlock the bootloader for us or we crack the code that locks up the bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im pretty sure were on our own for cracking the bootloader

I think that offering Vanilla android for those that want it would be good. I can't think of a reason why SE (or anyone else!) couldn't do that.

aR_ChRiS said:
to be honest i don't see how this can benefit all user groups
the problem we have with our x10s now is not that we have a totally customised firmware, it's the fact that we have an encrypted bootloader, which samsung/htc/some other manufacturers don't have.
the only solution is either sony ericsson somehow unlock the bootloader for us or we crack the code that locks up the bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
people that don't root would be able to still get a regular version of android with everything working...

fiscidtox said:
I feel like a lot of the issues that have been caused with android could be solved by this simple solution, if every company gave the option to allow us to use their custom android, or we could also have the choice of having just plain vanilla android. This would be easy for them, and would also solve a great deal of user issues...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi all, i think the manufactures should kkep the option of personalize their product,but google should have some regulations for android in order to work better,i'm not an expert but in that way al of us win.
regarding the problems with cracking the x10 bootloader,i dont expect it woul be easy for the coming xperia family,so after i see how good are the htc or samsung new smart phones i'll be buying one,too bad coz i have been using sony ericsson phones for the last 5 yrs and no problem,even with the x10 i have no real problems but the fact that it can't be fully custumize it really bothers me since that is the whole point of an android phone,isn't it? peace.

cracking bootloader is next to impossible coz Sony has learnt from past and now they dont take any chance.
Sent from my X10i

kunalgahlot said:
cracking bootloader is next to impossible coz Sony has learnt from past and now they dont take any chance.
Sent from my X10i
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While i have such a bad feeling i know your right......I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that "special thread" to be posted one day.
Sent from my X10i using XDA App

aR_ChRiS said:
to be honest i don't see how this can benefit all user groups
the problem we have with our x10s now is not that we have a totally customised firmware, it's the fact that we have an encrypted bootloader, which samsung/htc/some other manufacturers don't have.
the only solution is either sony ericsson somehow unlock the bootloader for us or we crack the code that locks up the bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh yes but the kernal was changed when we flashed 2.1 right? What he's saying is that they could release vanilla like that. Then if they choose they could provide an option for their custom firmware. But the key with this is that even if they didn't want to keep making custom firmwares for a phone they are phasing out supplying a working vanilla wouldn't take near the effort to implement for further updates. So they could release se custom 2.1 as their final release but still provide vanilla 2.2, 2.3 etc.
Sent from my Delorean using a flux capacitor!

I agree that the phone companies want to keep their customizations as it's what differentiates them from the competition, and gives the device its own identity. Google is making improvements to allow Android to work around the skins to avoid the phone companies having to scramble behind them with every update.
I am sure someone, possibly Google, will shortly be coming out with a fully generic "developers" device just as you described.

agentJBM said:
I am sure someone, possibly Google, will shortly be coming out with a fully generic "developers" device just as you described.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android Dev Phone

There is an option for that, if you want pure vanilla, either go to an ice-cream stand or Nexus S
Companies do the customization to differentiate their devices from others
But it's not a bad idea though
Sent from my X10i using XDA Premium App

MJ_QaT said:
There is an option for that, if you want pure vanilla, either go to an ice-cream stand or Nexus S
Companies do the customization to differentiate their devices from others
But it's not a bad idea though
Sent from my X10i using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My whole point is you would still have the option to have their custom skin though! You just wouldn't be lost in the dust with updates b/c of companies choosing not to update their skins however, or if a skin was terrible you wouldn't have to root (for those less tech savvy folk)

They ( all companies ) fixed that problem with 2.3
So everything now works with Android's applications instead of creating different application that works independently ( similar to mediascape in 2.1 )
So with or without root you can choose your favourite app as default
I understand what you meant, giving an example, companies can have an easy setup on first start with two options like ( option A: use vanilla UI, option B: use manufacturer's UI ) so everyone can go with what he/she wants
Sent from my X10i using XDA Premium App

What then would happen with the customizations for the hardware such as the camera? I can't see SE for example putting a 8 megapixil camera in a device and then not supporting its features.

All it would need would be the camera drivers. That wouldn't be any work for their dev team...

Following along...if they had done this with the X10, what you would have would still be vanilla 2.1 with the bootloader locked or no? The bootloader and camera drivers would still be needed for any custom ROMs.

Yes.... Do you understand this thread? Instead of having a slow bogged down customized android version you could choose to have plain vanilla instead. It would solve a lot about issues like lagging, and also for updates (they could easily send out a vanilla update, would bypass the "development time" everyone uses to excuse sony for stopping at 2.1).
The company putting their camera drivers into it wouldn't be any work (if that would even be needed, freex10 and wolfbreak's cm both have better quality camera than stock 2.1)...

That first sentence wasn't necessary. It only shows how limited your social skills are in an open discussion, especially one that you started.
Yes, I understand the thread. Did you understand my post is the question? I was asking if you meant the vanilla version would be current regardless of what version the skinned version, because now you're adding that they would be two separate ROMs, rather than a bogged down laggy version and the vanilla version as you put it. Gezz.

[RANT] Really Disappointed There is no "Google Experience" ROM from SONY

When I bought the XZ a deciding factor was Sony's support for the dev community. I could almost bet money on having a Google Experience ROM released after snails like Samsung and HTC joined in... I thought having an AOSP page and all, Sony would be a step ahead of the pack. Not so.
The end-of-June event came and went, and no word on a Google Experience/Nexus ROM from Sony. I was so hoping the days of nightlies are behind me but seems like they are just starting. This is my first and most likely last Sony phone...
Anyone else feel this way?

Nope - I couldn't be less interested.
Just buy a Nexus if you want that minimalist stuff.

I still think that there will be a "google Z" some time this summer

so u made guess that sony would release an aosp rom and got the phone on that basis?
personally couldnt give a monkeys about aosp roms, after using them on the galaxy note, personally I found them they are not as good as a stock based rom, if you want a nexus like experience then to be honest you need to stick with the nexus range of phones

Why? To have a phone with less features and a less polished UI? No thanks. Sony's software is great (both the functionalities and the design).

They released the AOSP sources, have you seen the Carbon ROM? It doesnt get better than that. Hopefully, AOSP sources will be released for 4,3. And possibly 5,0. But wouldn't get my hopes upfor that though.

Nexu$ said:
When I bought the XZ a deciding factor was Sony's support for the dev community. I could almost bet money on having a Google Experience ROM released after snails like Samsung and HTC joined in... I thought having an AOSP page and all, Sony would be a step ahead of the pack. Not so.
The end-of-June event came and went, and no word on a Google Experience/Nexus ROM from Sony. I was so hoping the days of nightlies are behind me but seems like they are just starting. This is my first and most likely last Sony phone...
Anyone else feel this way?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, what exactly do you expect to gain from the release being from Sony? What is wrong with the current state of CyanogenMod? (hint, those sources can be used to compile pure aosp should you wish to have that instead)
Sent from my C6603 using xda app-developers app

Your irritated after a month thank God your not a UK unbranded user then. Aosp builds have nothing. The best Roms add features not take away
Sent from my Xperia Z

there is xperia z google edition coming some time.
http://www.androidcentral.com/google-edition-sony-xperia-z-coming-soon

I've owned a nexus 4. Galaxy nexus.... The so called Google experience is bland end empty. I've grown to appreciate phone makers apps and ui.
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium

I've owned a Nexus 4 and run cm on an s3 amongst others. Also owned many htc over the years. At first I was pissed off that my phone doesn't have an unlockable boot loader but the more I think about it the more I'm liking the Sony experience. Few things I would change but they are very small things. Best phone I've owned in quite a while.
Sent from my C6603 using xda premium

If you want AOSP, just use my ROM:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2305427
It's perfectly stable and based on Sonys 'AOSP-Blobs-v3' release. (But uses the camera + gralloc blobs of the 4.2.2 leak - the camera blobs are not included in the aosp-blobs release probably due to licensing issues)

Wow, what an interesting roster of replies! Thank you.
The stock SONY ROM is perhaps best for the Walkman and Camera features, both of which I will miss should I go custom ROM... OK, why pure Google? I find it slim, fast and good on battery. Also, updates come as they are released, so no months of waiting.
Valid point there, on why-not-Cyanogen. IMHO, the best custom ROM out there.
I see 4.2.2. is being pushed out globally now (I mean the stock ROM) but alas, cannot see it in updates. Is there a way to "force" the pickup OTA? Is there another way to trigger the OTA update other than flashing with FlashTool?
Thanks again for all who replied!

Nexu$ said:
Wow, what an interesting roster of replies! Thank you.
The stock SONY ROM is perhaps best for the Walkman and Camera features, both of which I will miss should I go custom ROM... OK, why pure Google? I find it slim, fast and good on battery. Also, updates come as they are released, so no months of waiting.
Valid point there, on why-not-Cyanogen. IMHO, the best custom ROM out there.
I see 4.2.2. is being pushed out globally now (I mean the stock ROM) but alas, cannot see it in updates. Is there a way to "force" the pickup OTA? Is there another way to trigger the OTA update other than flashing with FlashTool?
Thanks again for all who replied!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can root and use build prop editor to change your customisation number to one that has the upgrade (a Generic is probably best) and then update it via PC Companion. Then root again using Doomlord's tool and change your customisation back. That is what I did. There are instructions on how to do so on the thread for the Generic Spanish .423 ftf. It isn't OTA technically, but near enough and you don't lose anything apart from root for 5 minutes until you reroot it.

Nexu$ said:
I see 4.2.2. is being pushed out globally now (I mean the stock ROM) but alas, cannot see it in updates. Is there a way to "force" the pickup OTA? Is there another way to trigger the OTA update other than flashing with FlashTool?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OTA updates always come later. Did you check with Sony PC Companion? If it's not available there, that means your firmware customization hasn't been updated yet (see list). You can simply choose a different customization from that list and use one of these methods to install it:
1) Look for an FTF on this forum and flash it with Flashtool.
2) If your phone is rooted, follow part A of this guide, and you'll be able to update using Sony PC Companion.
nikc0069 said:
Then root again using Doomlord's tool and change your customisation back. That is what I did.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should not change your customization number in build.prop if you're not going to download and flash that new customization!

Apollo89 said:
You should not change your customization number in build.prop if you're not going to download and flash that new customization!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? What is the downside to this? I haven't seen any issues with it but I'm happy to be educated I just changed mine back from the Spanish generic to the customization of my actual provider.

nikc0069 said:
Really? What is the downside to this? I haven't seen any issues with it but I'm happy to be educated I just changed mine back from the Spanish generic to the customization of my actual provider.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Build.prop should match to the firmware currently installed. If an update has been released for your original branding, then you can change the number back and flash that customization if you like.

Apollo89 said:
Build.prop should match to the firmware currently installed. If an update has been released for your original branding, then you can change the number back and flash that customization if you like.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK that's cool but is there any actual downside to only this entry not matching?

nikc0069 said:
OK that's cool but is there any actual downside to only this entry not matching?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could be, and there certainly isn't any benefit to it. You should not mess with build.prop unless you exactly know what you're doing. Did you know that you can even brick your phone by changing/removing the wrong values in build.prop?

Apollo89 said:
Could be, and there certainly isn't any benefit to it. You should not mess with build.prop unless you exactly know what you're doing. Did you know that you can even brick your phone by changing/removing the wrong values in build.prop?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did, I'm pretty conservative with my changes- just this and enabling the NFC icon. I will pop it back though when I get a chance thanks.

Returned my Z3 today, waiting for the nexus 6

The Z3 was an excellent phone was incredible battery life but keeping this short and sweet I returned the device due to the lack of root support. I will be patiently waiting for the Nexus 6 and using my Galaxy S3 in the mean time.
Like I said, excellent phone but heavily let down by no root support.

You could've waited bro.
Anyways, you going for Nexus. Have fun

this is a topic for the nexus forums...
Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

iBuzman said:
this is a topic for the nexus forums...
Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey,
I just wanted to tell people who are browsing the Z3 threads a reason why someone like myself has returned the Z3, I thought maybe people who are undecided on there device might like to know that I have returned mine with reason!

^^ fair enough.. but if we are trying to be informative: there is root if you unlock bootloader, and sony do empower you to unlock bootloader; you have returned due to not being willing to lose functionality by losing drm keys if you unlock, not because of lack of root.
and I'm pretty sure nexus exactly the same eg only root through insecure kernel flash after bootloader unlock lol (not really arguing with you, just reserve the right to troll somebody who has jumped ship [emoji12])
Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

iBuzman said:
^^ fair enough.. but if we are trying to be informative: there is root if you unlock bootloader, and sony do empower you to unlock bootloader; you have returned due to not being willing to lose functionality by losing drm keys if you unlock, not because of lack of root.
and I'm pretty sure nexus exactly the same eg only root through insecure kernel flash after bootloader unlock lol (not really arguing with you, just reserve the right to troll somebody who has jumped ship [emoji12])
Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See the thing is I bought the Z3 intending to get a vanilla version of Android flashed on to it just because I thought the device looks stunning.
I'm not being funny but I really cant see this ever happening for this device.

yeah it will, sony open source their stuff.. I think it will come down to unlock bootloader or not (especially on lollipop)
Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

I'm sure they will manage to unlock it, may not be easy obviously.
Getting S-Off on HTC Butterfly was a chore but it was eventually done.

FudgyBadger said:
The Z3 was an excellent phone was incredible battery life but keeping this short and sweet I returned the device due to the lack of root support. I will be patiently waiting for the Nexus 6 and using my Galaxy S3 in the mean time.
Like I said, excellent phone but heavily let down by no root support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You make me curious, is all Google phone (nexus series) easy to root/develop ?
Nexus 6 size (bigger than note 4) kinda a deal breaker for me.

Yes, Nexus phones are easy to root and develop for. Kind of the purpose for them, stock android and easy to develop for.
I am still considering the N6. I have the Z3 and I like it, just want root. Being on T-mobile means it won't be easy, and will become even more difficult once lollipop comes out. If the N6 was a 5.5" device or lower, my mind would be made up already.

1. Why not buy a D6603 which can be rooted?
2. What's the difference between the stock ROM + a AOSP based launcher like Nova or Apex or even the Google Now launcher and vanilla Android?
At the end of the day, what device you choose to buy is completely up to you, but I get the feeling a lot of people harp on "vanilla android" just for the sake of it.

se1000 said:
1. Why not buy a D6603 which can be rooted?
2. What's the difference between the stock ROM + a AOSP based launcher like Nova or Apex or even the Google Now launcher and vanilla Android?
At the end of the day, what device you choose to buy is completely up to you, but I get the feeling a lot of people harp on "vanilla android" just for the sake of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because we wanted wi-fi calling and band 12. 32gb internal was a nice bonus too. I don't care as much about vanilla as I do root. However I haven't tried other launchers outside google now, but it lags too much. I'm overall fine with sonys stock rom. I just like using xposed and the Z3 needs the sound mod imo, which needs root. Its the Z3 on tmo or N6 for me, as I want band 12 and wi-fi calling more than I want root.

If you stuck around, the problem would have been solved. Exactly the same issue plagued the Z1 with its launch, but Sony sorted it within a month or two.
Have a look at this page:
http://developer.sonymobile.com/unlockbootloader/unlock-yourboot-loader/
Sony actively supports your ability to flash custom ROMs and so the problem with the camera would be solved with an update.
Sent from my D6603 using XDA Free mobile app

Johann_London said:
If you stuck around, the problem would have been solved. Exactly the same issue plagued the Z1 with its launch, but Sony sorted it within a month or two.
Have a look at this page:
http://developer.sonymobile.com/unlockbootloader/unlock-yourboot-loader/
Sony actively supports your ability to flash custom ROMs and so the problem with the camera would be solved with an update.
Sent from my D6603 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure Sony does, but that doesn't mean tmo does. Sony won't fix the ringtone/notification issue....they never did on the Z2, we all used the sound mod. I'll likely stick with the Z3 though and hope for some luck with root on LB into 5.0.

I like this phone so much and it's killing me to use it without root + recovery.
I really do hope to see the root without unlocking bootloader so soon, If you are working on doing this or you know someone please make sure that we do want to see that coming ASAP!. Unlocking it is like a serious risk to me.
Any phone without root will suck so bad.

Root is an addition to any phone, but to say that it would suck without it is utter nonsense... Sony's sw is pretty light, they keep things pretty basic. Of course there are mods and being able to remove certain apps (and change the dpi) would be great, but even without it the z3 is one hell of a phone.
You buy a phone in it's current state, sure you can hope for things, but buying the Z3 in it's early stages you know there will be issues (such as no root in the beginning with a LB, and who knows if ever). The Nexus 6 is another type of device for me, more in the ranges of the Note and for me simply way to big.

dagrim1 said:
Root is an addition to any phone, but to say that it would suck without it is utter nonsense... Sony's sw is pretty light, they keep things pretty basic. Of course there are mods and being able to remove certain apps (and change the dpi) would be great, but even without it the z3 is one hell of a phone.
You buy a phone in it's current state, sure you can hope for things, but buying the Z3 in it's early stages you know there will be issues (such as no root in the beginning with a LB, and who knows if ever). The Nexus 6 is another type of device for me, more in the ranges of the Note and for me simply way to big.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I meant by any phone will suck because that u almost can't remove ads from apps or put some files in the sd card and edit them.
the Z3 is a good phone and will be perfect when you have root without losing DRM keys. I'll wait for our hero to make that happen!

Sony are awful for custom ROM's and Root etc. Too many features lost due to unlocking bootloader, and there will never be enough or decent enough ROMS to bother.
That said, the phone is perfectly useable without having to root.
---------- Post added at 01:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:20 PM ----------
theikhaled said:
I meant by any phone will suck because that u almost can't remove ads from apps or put some files in the sd card and edit them.
the Z3 is a good phone and will be perfect when you have root without losing DRM keys. I'll wait for our hero to make that happen!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
File commander will copy files to SD card allowing you to alter them.

Jonathan-H said:
Sony are awful for custom ROM's and Root etc. Too many features lost due to unlocking bootloader, and there will never be enough or decent enough ROMS to bother.
That said, the phone is perfectly useable without having to root.
---------- Post added at 01:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:20 PM ----------
File commander will copy files to SD card allowing you to alter them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also any app can save to their Android/data folder on the SDCard. I like FX file explorer so I just keep my files there. But if I need to edit something, I can move it with File Commander ICE.

se1000 said:
1. Why not buy a D6603 which can be rooted?
2. What's the difference between the stock ROM + a AOSP based launcher like Nova or Apex or even the Google Now launcher and vanilla Android?
At the end of the day, what device you choose to buy is completely up to you, but I get the feeling a lot of people harp on "vanilla android" just for the sake of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a D6603 with LB can i root it already? please tell me how. or did you mean that you can root it with an UB?

No ROMs so far?

Hey guys. I came over to see how many ROMs this phone has, and I was astounded to see the forum empty. Since this phone is supported by the open device program, I'd have thought there would be a vibrant developer community.
What's up with this? No developer interest?

Z5c is also supported by AOSP and there's also not much custom ROMs I guess so far biggest issue is this device is quite new and not so many devs bought it

That's surprising. It's the first time I've seen a device with full kernel support but still not much development.
Usually it's the other way around. Sources are fudged or not released, but developers still find ways to work around it.

andy356 said:
That's surprising. It's the first time I've seen a device with full kernel support but still not much development.
Usually it's the other way around. Sources are fudged or not released, but developers still find ways to work around it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah the device is very good for development even better than Z5c because it does not have any heating issue, but still nothing
I guess we should wait and see if android 7 makes any difference...

Sony wiping camera keys at the time of bootloader unlock (the camera is a huge selling point for the phone) might have to do with this, it's very likely that devs would want to get TA backup working before focusing on developing ROMs for the phone. But since there aren't any devs here working on that either, we might simply have been doomed as well. The only custom ROM I've found so far was an AOSP Marshmallow build made by FreeXperia, plus Sony's device files released for building AOSP M and N.

Also supposedly 7.0 is around the corner so the few that are thinking about roming may be waiting until after its release. Time will tell.

I think the XC will get zero dev support. You can kinda see a trend in the developers support: I had the z3c which had tons of support, now when I look at the z5c forums there are only very few roms, and for the xc not even one developer has posted something yet. until it won't get easier to unlock and root the xperia phones without messing up the DRM protection there won't be a lot of support. I'm thinking about buying the z5c just for that reason.

:/ This is so bad on Sony's part. They try to give the impression that they're so pro development and pro custom ROMs, but then they mess up the camera if people actually want to do something.

andy356 said:
:/ This is so bad on Sony's part. They try to give the impression that they're so pro development and pro custom ROMs, but then then they mess up the camera if people actually want to do something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if someone doesnt find a exploit to root on locked bootloader then nobody will be able to backup ta data. i wont buy a sony phone if rooting means loosing features of the phone.
z3c has support because the giefroot was once found and this enabled all dev to backup ta data with drm. even if they decided to unlock bootloader they were still able to restore ta and lock again bootloader.
sony's aosp way is almost useless for the majority of people. when samsung was at s1/s2/s3 you could flash what you want and no feature was lost as they was nothing related with drm but now there you also have knox and efuse. if you root you will even loose guarantee and this is not reversible.

I guess it's better to look for a Z3 Compact then. I don't want to deal with this DRM nonsense.
Thanks for all the info, guys. I appreciate it.

andy356 said:
I guess it's better to look for a Z3 Compact then. I don't want to deal with this DRM nonsense.
Thanks for all the info, guys. I appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i bought a refurbished z3c again and had my battery replaced just because the z5c has this ****ty 810 snapdragon and the x compact a weird vibration motor (too loud) and several other reasons (no root on locked bootloader) and im fine.
ok maybe i get no nougat on this but i dont care because im still on kitkat because this has best battery handling and all apps are still working on kitkat.

Yeah Z5 compact is out of the picture because of the snapdragon 810. Otherwise my second choice after X Compact would have been that. Oh well. Z3 Compact serves the purpose just as well.

x10isrooted said:
i bought a refurbished z3c again and had my battery replaced just because the z5c has this ****ty 810 snapdragon and the x compact a weird vibration motor (too loud) and several other reasons (no root on locked bootloader) and im fine.
ok maybe i get no nougat on this but i dont care because im still on kitkat because this has best battery handling and all apps are still working on kitkat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah as long as roms go, xperia x compact is out of choices but this phone is gonna get nougat and maybe android 8(or whatever version it's gonna be) so I would say go for it, Im really enjoying screen quality on this baby

I built CM13 but I'm not allowed to post in the dev section because I'm not cool enough
Source is at github: heicrd (just drop the local_manifests in, lunch cm_kugo-userdebug, mka bacon)
Flash zip with CM recovery (AndroPlus's TWRP doesn't work too well) or flash images with fastboot
I would post build links but I'm not allowed to post links either
Working:
Cellular/Data (had to switch APN from ATT Gophone to ATT Nextphone for my gophone sim in order to get data)
WiFi
Fingerprint Scanner
Camera
BT
SELinux
Not working (PATCHES WELCOME):
FM Radio (/dev/radio0 is missing)
Music (audio_hw_primary: start_output_stream: cannot set device: Invalid argument)
Not tested:
NFC
Encryption
Special thanks to Sony-Kitakami for serving as a reference

@EliWallace That's great news! All you need to become member is 10 posts, which you can easily gain from participating in the forum. Then you can post in the dev section.
It's good to see someone take the initiative. I would have liked to do it too, but my knowledge is limited to Android customisation and adb/fastboot commands. :/
I'm sure the other members here would be willing to give you a hand in beta testing and general feedback.

@EliWallace And please make sure you take care of GPL compliance from the very beginning. Devs and mods here take it very seriously. Don't want to see possibly the only custom ROM being bogged down by such pointless issues. Good luck!

andy356 said:
@EliWallace And please make sure you take care of GPL compliance from the very beginning.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Should be fully gpl compliant (source hosted on github: see first post). Most of it is just rebasing Sony-Kitakami commits to Loire/kugo or cherry-picking upstream commits (as described in the Sony aosp build guide; I didn't write a single line of original code).
In other news, Bluetooth works but fmradio does not.
andy356 said:
Devs and mods here take it very seriously. Don't want to see possibly the only custom ROM being bogged down by such pointless issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As they should.

EliWallace said:
I built CM13 but I'm not allowed to post in the dev section because I'm not cool enough
Source is at github: heicrd (just drop the local_manifests in, lunch cm_kugo-userdebug, mka bacon)
Flash zip with CM recovery (AndroPlus's TWRP doesn't work too well) or flash images with fastboot
I would post build links but I'm not allowed to post links either
Working:
Cellular/Data (had to switch APN from ATT Gophone to ATT Nextphone for my gophone sim in order to get data)
Audio
WiFi
Fingerprint Scanner
Camera
Not tested:
BT
NFC
Encryption
Special thanks to Sony-Kitakami for serving as a reference
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're cool enough to me Eli Do you know if the DRM kernel patch work for the XC?

charliebigpot said:
You're cool enough to me Eli Do you know if the DRM kernel patch work for the XC?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting that the camera is working on your build. I build Aosp 7.0 and everthing is working but not the camera and deep sleep (only if bluetooth is enabled, but i think they have fixed it today).
You are mixing the kernel (from android 6.0/7.0) with device tree from android 7.1 and the camera is working.

@EliWallace Post 6 of the most random comments here if needs be. We need you in Dev asap
Great work!!

Z5 premium security support cut. What now?

As everyone on here probably knows, z5 premium will not be getting any further security updates. Its timing couldn't have been any worse either. When I bought this premium phone (which costs almost as much as a flagship iphone), I didn't expect to have my security updates cut in just 2 years. I was planning to hang onto this phone for a few years until something worth upgrading to came out.
So like many who still own this phone, I am wondering is there anyway to keep my phone secure and still use it? My phone is unlocked and rooted and I am running the latest firmware. I unfortunately didn't back up my drm keys so I had to use the hack method to keep my phones functionality (fingerprint sensor, camera...etc) I'm wondering what is the best close to stock firmware to use to get the latest security updates and also how much functionality is lost by using those? It's to my understanding the camera only works the best with the official camera app and 4k only works on the album app and movie app. Will I lose 4k capability by switching to a custom firmware?
Any insight on any of this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks to all who took the time to read this and a big thanks in advance to anyone who can provide any input.

Mostly updated custom kernel + custom ROMs (Sony Stock ROM + kernel based)
e.g. https://forum.xda-developers.com/z5-premium/development/m-rom-t3781969
and
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=76269595&postcount=418
well, newer custom kernels will have WPA2 KRACK protection, protection/mitigation against Meltdown/Spectre (a class of timing-based) attacks and other fixes & improvements
updated binaries for e.g. wpa_supplicant might be needed but I haven't really looked into those details yet

Thanks. Is it possible to use a custom kernal like the one you provided in your second link with the latest official firmware (32.4.1.54) since I only care about updating my security?

Mike3009 said:
Thanks. Is it possible to use a custom kernal like the one you provided in your second link with the latest official firmware (32.4.1.54) since I only care about updating my security?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sure, flash TWRP (if not already done so),
do a backup of each partition separately (/boot , /data , /system)
and flash the kernel
it'll update /boot and modules in /system

zacharias.maladroit said:
sure, flash TWRP (if not already done so),
do a backup of each partition separately (/boot , /data , /system)
and flash the kernel
it'll update /boot and modules in /system
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I appreciate the help and sorry for all the questions. Is backing up the partitions still necessary if I already have a backup of the firmware from xperifirm? Yes I already have TWRP because I used it to root my device. Also I'm assuming the kernal I want is on the first post of the second link you shared with me but there are two files to be downloaded and I'm not sure which to use. I'm on a z5 premium e6853.
Thanks again.

Mike3009 said:
I appreciate the help and sorry for all the questions. Is backing up the partitions still necessary if I already have a backup of the firmware from xperifirm? Yes I already have TWRP because I used it to root my device. Also I'm assuming the kernal I want is on the first post of the second link you shared with me but there are two files to be downloaded and I'm not sure which to use. I'm on a z5 premium e6853.
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just flashed over the first one with fastboot. Worked fine. Security is still showing September 2017 though. Is there anyway I can know if I'm more secure now?

Mike3009 said:
I just flashed over the first one with fastboot. Worked fine. Security is still showing September 2017 though. Is there anyway I can know if I'm more secure now?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you take a look at the source in github
sorry, the ROM base is the same [and thus you're affected by the vulnerabilities, so best would be to re-enable SELinux which gives quite a good protection itself],
kernel-side however got you covered (well, it really depends how much the kernel is patched up).
You, of course, could try out RR, LineageOS which are somewhat more up-to-date (updates stopped being added November / December last year for Android 7.1.y),
but there you'd lose e.g. picture stabilization on video recording, MHL, MirrorLink, superior post-processing on pictures, etc.
The problem with these device (Snapdragon 810) is that Qualcomm dropped support for the msm8994 platform,
and since we're stuck with 3.10 kernel it's a community effort to get it patched up somewhat.
There'd be the possibility to upgrade & port the kernel to 4.4 but since the API, etc. would mismatch and newer drivers are missing it's basically not worth the effort

zacharias.maladroit said:
you take a look at the source in github
sorry, the ROM base is the same [and thus you're affected by the vulnerabilities, so best would be to re-enable SELinux which gives quite a good protection itself],
kernel-side however got you covered (well, it really depends how much the kernel is patched up).
You, of course, could try out RR, LineageOS which are somewhat more up-to-date (updates stopped being added November / December last year for Android 7.1.y),
but there you'd lose e.g. picture stabilization on video recording, MHL, MirrorLink, superior post-processing on pictures, etc.
The problem with these device (Snapdragon 810) is that Qualcomm dropped support for the msm8994 platform,
and since we're stuck with 3.10 kernel it's a community effort to get it patched up somewhat.
There'd be the possibility to upgrade & port the kernel to 4.4 but since the API, etc. would mismatch and newer drivers are missing it's basically not worth the effort
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's too bad. I guess it's as I thought; there's no real perfect solution to staying secure at the time being. Well, thanks for the kernal anyways. I can't believe how much better my phone is now. It has me puzzled why Sony didn't release it like this in the first place.

Mike3009 said:
As everyone on here probably knows, z5 premium will not be getting any further security updates. Its timing couldn't have been any worse either. When I bought this premium phone (which costs almost as much as a flagship iphone), I didn't expect to have my security updates cut in just 2 years. I was planning to hang onto this phone for a few years until something worth upgrading to came out.
So like many who still own this phone, I am wondering is there anyway to keep my phone secure and still use it? My phone is unlocked and rooted and I am running the latest firmware. I unfortunately didn't back up my drm keys so I had to use the hack method to keep my phones functionality (fingerprint sensor, camera...etc) I'm wondering what is the best close to stock firmware to use to get the latest security updates and also how much functionality is lost by using those? It's to my understanding the camera only works the best with the official camera app and 4k only works on the album app and movie app. Will I lose 4k capability by switching to a custom firmware?
Any insight on any of this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks to all who took the time to read this and a big thanks in advance to anyone who can provide any input.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes! sony treated this device as their step son!
released late 2015, hit market 2016, and was already in LEGACY DEVICES in 2017, the whole series discontinued and after many months they released android 7.1.1 and thats it, no more builds or updates!
feel sorry for the device, it has all the premium features but treated badly!
- the 4k capability depends on which 3rd party rom you are using! , btw not many roms are available for z5p

YasuHamed said:
yes! sony treated this device as their step son!
released late 2015, hit market 2016, and was already in LEGACY DEVICES in 2017, the whole series discontinued and after many months they released android 7.1.1 and thats it, no more builds or updates!
feel sorry for the device, it has all the premium features but treated badly!
- the 4k capability depends on which 3rd party rom you are using! , btw not many roms are available for z5p
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I know, it's pathetic really. It's still a very current device as it was a very high spec phone when it was released. High spec phones like these don't get outdated that quickly. It's even more insulting that they cut support right as the meltdown vulnerability came out. They knew what they were doing -it's like a forced upgrade. Problem is: there is nothing released by Sony that really surpasses this phone in specs, or at least not enough for most people to be willing to spend all that cash on a new phone when their current one works perfectly. I don't see any compelling reason to run out and get an xz premium unless my phone breaks and dislike the xz2 premium. Oh well, I'll just have to use caution and hope for the best until a phone worth upgrading to comes out or my phone dies. Whatever happens first I suppose. Thanks for the sympathy.

Mike3009 said:
Yeah I know, it's pathetic really. It's still a very current device as it was a very high spec phone when it was released. High spec phones like these don't get outdated that quickly. It's even more insulting that they cut support right as the meltdown vulnerability came out. They knew what they were doing -it's like a forced upgrade. Problem is: there is nothing released by Sony that really surpasses this phone in specs, or at least not enough for most people to be willing to spend all that cash on a new phone when their current one works perfectly. I don't see any compelling reason to run out and get an xz premium unless my phone breaks and dislike the xz2 premium. Oh well, I'll just have to use caution and hope for the best until a phone worth upgrading to comes out or my phone dies. Whatever happens first I suppose. Thanks for the sympathy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sony never forgets to disappoint their customers by keep releasing unfinished flagships on the frequency of new bulletins!
whole z series abandoned after z5p due to huge billions of book losses to sony in xperia project. the device should have been with 4gb ram! but instead it was kept on 3gb!
z5p is awesome device, stable, stays in control and maintain itself amazinly!
now xzp came out finally with 4gb ram (should have been 6)
where xz2p is coming with 6gb ram and strange bumpy design and misplaced finger print sensor!
i don't know what sony is up to!

What's really disappointing is the lack of roms being developed. The prices are getting pretty nice right now for the z5 premium after support was dropped making it an attractive, affordable 4k smartphone for new comers. Also for those of us who already own it, having at least one decent rom solution would be really nice. It's pretty sad that I'd have to give up some of the functionality that I paid for in order to continue to keep my device secure. I'm going to stick to official firmware with anti-virus along with this updated kernel and hope for the best. I'd very much appreciate it if anyone finds a good custom firmware solution, to please let me know. Thanks in advance.

YasuHamed said:
yes! sony treated this device as their step son!
released late 2015, hit market 2016, and was already in LEGACY DEVICES in 2017, the whole series discontinued and after many months they released android 7.1.1 and thats it, no more builds or updates!
feel sorry for the device, it has all the premium features but treated badly!
- the 4k capability depends on which 3rd party rom you are using! , btw not many roms are available for z5p
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
zacharias.maladroit said:
you take a look at the source in github
sorry, the ROM base is the same [and thus you're affected by the vulnerabilities, so best would be to re-enable SELinux which gives quite a good protection itself],
kernel-side however got you covered (well, it really depends how much the kernel is patched up).
You, of course, could try out RR, LineageOS which are somewhat more up-to-date (updates stopped being added November / December last year for Android 7.1.y),
but there you'd lose e.g. picture stabilization on video recording, MHL, MirrorLink, superior post-processing on pictures, etc.
The problem with these device (Snapdragon 810) is that Qualcomm dropped support for the msm8994 platform,
and since we're stuck with 3.10 kernel it's a community effort to get it patched up somewhat.
There'd be the possibility to upgrade & port the kernel to 4.4 but since the API, etc. would mismatch and newer drivers are missing it's basically not worth the effort
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How can we enable selinux?