Database Users

Is the Atrix that Bad?

This is the phone I was waiting to get. Received good reviews at majority of sites.
But reading about all the nightmares on every forums, all the bugs, everyone returning/exchanging it,etc.
I played with one at store for over an hour and it seemed very quick with not too many problems. I liked but its not enough time to see all the problems.
The Bell store here is selling it for $0 now on a contract. That's how desperate they are to get rid of it.
So in 10 days the price was already chopped twice.
Am I really going to have to go thru 5 units to find a decent working one?
I can live with a locked bootloader for now but everyday a new issue seems to be coming up.
It seems like this phone is a year away from being done/updated.
What are the main problems/defects I should check on before exchanging for another to make sure I'm not stuck with a crappy model.
Thanks.
Wished Motorola would get their heads out their asses with all their products.
Come out with something good then they do everything they can to **** it up somehow. You can tell them you'll sell millions of their crappy stock and they still would not unlock the bootloader. That's how seriously stupid they are.
btw, I'm actually a Motorola shareholder. Thankfully Motorola Solutions is not a complete loser.

I came from a captivate and Nexus one. I dont have any glaring issues - theres ALWAYS *****ing for every phone whenever its released. Take everything you read on forums with a grain of salt.

I've never had one issue with mine. People just like to ***** no matter how great the device is.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA Premium App

I have had ZERO problems with my phone out of the box. Same goes for 2 other people I know personally.
One just doesn't like Blur.
My brother used it as his primary computer since he got it and can't stop extolling the virtues of Webtop.
He's an IT professional and coordinated a 13+ site migration from one network to another ALL from the Laptop dock.
Some of the sites he was at didn't have wifi so he was using webtop over AT&T for his ONLY connection.
Said he spent more time trouble shooting his laptop the one day he forgot the charger for the Laptop Dock then he spent troubleshooting the phone or laptop dock for the entire 2 weeks.
If citrix is a big part of your life this phone could revolutionize your life.

No problems here. I haven't experienced any bugs except for the touch screen wigging out after a 12 second hold in one place.
It is a little disconcerting that Bell has decided to drop the price only a few weeks into launch. I hope the community stays strong because I intend on keeping it.

Ditto for me -- I'm using an unlocked AT&T version on Rogers network in Canada --- absolutely LOVE the phone. Came from a Galaxy-S, Captivate, and iPhone 4 before that.
This is the best one by far, and the best android implementation so far for me.

$0 on contract!?! holy ****. just get it!

KingKuba13 said:
This is the phone I was waiting to get. Received good reviews at majority of sites.
But reading about all the nightmares on every forums, all the bugs, everyone returning/exchanging it,etc.
I played with one at store for over an hour and it seemed very quick with not too many problems. I liked but its not enough time to see all the problems.
The Bell store here is selling it for $0 now on a contract. That's how desperate they are to get rid of it.
So in 10 days the price was already chopped twice.
Am I really going to have to go thru 5 units to find a decent working one?
I can live with a locked bootloader for now but everyday a new issue seems to be coming up.
It seems like this phone is a year away from being done/updated.
What are the main problems/defects I should check on before exchanging for another to make sure I'm not stuck with a crappy model.
Thanks.
Wished Motorola would get their heads out their asses with all their products.
Come out with something good then they do everything they can to **** it up somehow. You can tell them you'll sell millions of their crappy stock and they still would not unlock the bootloader. That's how seriously stupid they are.
btw, I'm actually a Motorola shareholder. Thankfully Motorola Solutions is not a complete loser.
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andy2na said:
I came from a captivate and Nexus one. I dont have any glaring issues - theres ALWAYS *****ing for every phone whenever its released. Take everything you read on forums with a grain of salt.
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captaincanada84 said:
I've never had one issue with mine. People just like to ***** no matter how great the device is.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA Premium App
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Click to collapse
andy2na and captaincanada84 are right, some people will ***** just to *****. With that said, I have done my fair share of "complaining" but it's based on my opinion. You really can't go to a forum and ask people if you should buy something because you are going to get both sides of the fence. Just browse the forum and pay attention to what people are praising about and what people are complaining about and try to decide from that. It's really going to come down to YOUR preference.

I love my atrix.
My only problem is the facebook contact sync because of moto blur, I am having some issues with it not updating my contacts pictures.
Battery life is awesome I am sometimes in disbelief how long the battery lasts 1 day + with everything on and actually using the phone which is a must..
My phone doesn't randomly reboot I don't know about other people.
As for the locked bootloader I'm not in a rush. I have launcher pro and root so thats all I need.
Previous phones. G1, Nexus one, Dell Streak.

Dude what Bell store is that? It's still $69.95 on the Bell site.

You just need to remember that nobody goes to a forum to state that everything is working perfectly, they only post when they have a problem. So, you have to keep that in mind.
I've been running my Atrix since it was first released and it's been very stable. My only issue is it seems to not like my AT&T microcell too much. I get dropped connections when on my microcell. Works fine eveywhere else. It's a huge improvement over my Nexus 1.

Also think about how many people are using the phone that don't read forums... So far I am extremely happy with this phone. I usually hate upgrading because there is always another phone better right around the corner, but you'll find yourself waiting forever in that case. My only dislike is the facebook integration in blur breaking contact syncing.
Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

Starholdest said:
Dude what Bell store is that? It's still $69.95 on the Bell site.
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Yes, please tell. I know a lot of people looking for an Atrix right now and would kill for that. If I weren't on a great retention rate plan with Rogers I'd get that in a heartbeat.

Thanks for replies everyone.
I think a lot of the negativity is people trying to trash a new device or envy. Plus it gets popular to trash any locked phone these days.
I've been waiting to get this phone since it was announced. The 4" screen seems perfect in size. Had no problem looking at the pentile graphics.
Its just scary to see the price drop so fast, it rarely happens here in Canada unless something is a super flop like the Samsung Tab, idk.
But I'm mostly going to get it in a few days and hopefully there's a good future with it and developers on here. Always learn something new. Some people are just to lazy to play around with the phone to get the max out of it.
How is the overheating? It seemed rather warm at the store.

Starholdest said:
Dude what Bell store is that? It's still $69.95 on the Bell site.
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It was in a Bell store in London Ontario.
Dude at Future Shop said he'd be match the 0$ too.
Makes me think twice when stores do that compared to whinny kids on forums because money talks and its obviously not selling that well.

KingKuba13 said:
It was in a Bell store in London Ontario.
Dude at Future Shop said he'd be match the 0$ too.
Makes me think twice when stores do that compared to whinny kids on forums because money talks and its obviously not selling that well.
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Yea I asked Bell why the price drop to $69.95 and they said "because we like to give our customers a discount", which is total BS, but it's not like they're going to flat out tell me the device is a flop.
If you want to pick it up I would suggest getting it soon because according to the Bell reps I talked to the sale ends on March 31st.
Elliott

Patience All devices are judged pretty harshly at the beginning.. You just got to reap from the benefits with a slashed price!

I'm completely happy with mine- it's fast, the screen is beautiful and it's got more internal storage than I need. If you're not a fan of motoblur, gingerblur will make you happy!
Go ahead and take the plunge.

Starholdest said:
Yea I asked Bell why the price drop to $69.95 and they said "because we like to give our customers a discount", which is total BS, but it's not like they're going to flat out tell me the device is a flop.
If you want to pick it up I would suggest getting it soon because according to the Bell reps I talked to the sale ends on March 31st.
Elliott
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Click to collapse
Its hard to believe they'll put it back to the original price after the "sale" with all the new other smartphones coming but who knows.
More worried about Bell taking forever with updates. This with 2.3 and then 2.4 will just scream.

i love this phone to death.
best phone i have ever had.
The ability to turn into a PC is the biggest plus. This phone has so much potential. Honestly what motorola does with the bootloader and such sucks, but so long as we can at least root/sideload, personally, I am completely fine with that.
Motorola also stated that every one of their phones in the future will have webtop. So I will be sticking with motorola android phones (specially once Tegra 3D comes out) for a while until a better company has a similar PC like feature embedded on the phone. Can't go wrong with the powerful atrix! Emulators and games run SO smooth... love it.

I feel like at&t doesn't actually want me to upgrade.

Lg Optimus G - Locked bootloader
Htc One X+ - Locked bootloader.
Galaxy note II - Out of my price/size range regardless of bootloader.
Xperia TL- Locked bootloader
Galaxy S3 - may grab but, not really thrilled about it like I would have been a few months back.
Nexus 4 - not paying 400$+ for 16 gb of memory and lack of LTE.
I really don't feel like I'm being *that* picky with what I want... Dev Support, better battery life than my captivate, a nice (preferably ips) screen. Either 32 gigs of memory or expandable storage.. and ideally LTE.
Anyone else out there feel kinda like they don't have any "real" options for their next device? I'm stuck on a family plan at the moment and feel like at&t is trolling me to be quite honest.

I feel the same here. I'm not upgrading anytime soon at all. My s2 should last me until I find a good fit for me.
Sent from my SII(i777) SuperNexus 4.1.2 10/17/12 build

Shawn said:
I feel the same here. I'm not upgrading anytime soon at all. My s2 should last me until I find a good fit for me.
Sent from my SII(i777) SuperNexus 4.1.2 10/17/12 build
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It's a real shame too. There are a lot of nice phones being locked down for no real clear cut reason.
I mean I understand that they will sell regardless of whether or not I buy any given phone.. but, it just seems like a waste of their time/energy to lock up a phone when all it does is discourage users from upgrading.

Snow_fox said:
.. but, it just seems like a waste of their time/energy to lock up a phone when all it does is discourage users from upgrading.
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People like us are not the norm. Probably an iOS fart app has more downloads than the xda android app. The people who are being discouraged essentially don't exist to them.

post-mortem said:
People like us are not the norm. Probably an iOS fart app has more downloads than the xda android app. The people who are being discouraged essentially don't exist to them.
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While you are probably right on both accounts... I do think it's incredibly sad on all accounts.
They
A. spend money to lock down the bootloader. Even if it's not a lot it's still money.
B. Loose out on customers like me and you and the few who refuse to buy anything that won't get ROM updates for 2 years.
It's spending money to lose money for no real good reason. And while you're right, we don't exist to them in a lot of ways.. they still look for every possible way to get in our pocket and want every dime we have.

Snow_fox said:
While you are probably right on both accounts... I do think it's incredibly sad on all accounts.
They
A. spend money to lock down the bootloader. Even if it's not a lot it's still money.
B. Loose out on customers like me and you and the few who refuse to buy anything that won't get ROM updates for 2 years.
It's spending money to lose money for no real good reason. And while you're right, we don't exist to them in a lot of ways.. they still look for every possible way to get in our pocket and want every dime we have.
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Click to collapse
A. is not necessarily true, because I'm pretty sure they hand out free phones to people who come in with their Android device "that just happened to shut off on them one day." Locking the bootloader cuts down on these numbers and saves them money in the long run.
Either way, AT&T has pretty much super phones from every major Android manufacterer, so you might want to take advantage of that. Also, the Galaxy S3 is a few months old - so what? Why is that impacting your decision on getting it? If I may, #firstworldproblems. I say go for it with incredible development support since that really appears to be the most open.
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium

Also not upgrading anytime soon, but for another reason. As it turns out, I went through 3 devices from sept 2011 thru 0ct 2012.
But yes, nothing coming out appeals to me. I fear the new nexus will be too massive for me, and I don't want any mfg/carrier controlled device.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

gagdude said:
A. is not necessarily true, because I'm pretty sure they hand out free phones to people who come in with their Android device "that just happened to shut off on them one day." Locking the bootloader cuts down on these numbers and saves them money in the long run.
Either way, AT&T has pretty much super phones from every major Android manufacterer, so you might want to take advantage of that. Also, the Galaxy S3 is a few months old - so what? Why is that impacting your decision on getting it? If I may, #firstworldproblems. I say go for it with incredible development support since that really appears to be the most open.
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
There are a number of phones out there that are incredibly hard to brick past the point of repair.
"Average Joe" is going to be scared off by the possibility of a voided warranty and having to do anything requiring any level of technical skill. I don't really think locking down the bootloader saves them nearly as much money as they would like to believe. People are either going to be scared off and not mess with it, or they are going to be angry at you for not fully supporting your phone in any way shape or form.
You also say AT&T has super phones from every major manufacturer, yet the only one you listed with an unlocked bootloader/ample dev support is the S3.. I hardly think that qualifies as a serious or decent selection of "super phones" to pick from. Unless you mean "they have a bunch of phones that will be dropped in terms of support after 6 months."
And you can #firstworldproblem all day long. You're on the internet. The fact that we are even discussing this on the internet means it's a pretty high chance of being a first world issue. Being completely blunt, if you were to argue it's not even a problem I wouldn't really disagree because, quite frankly it's a luxury device and not a lack of water needed for survival.
On the flip side, if you are going to choose to discuss an issue, why not keep it relevant? Even if it is non-existent in scale as far as problems go, we can still discuss whatever we want last I checked.

jordanishere said:
Also not upgrading anytime soon, but for another reason. As it turns out, I went through 3 devices from sept 2011 thru 0ct 2012.
But yes, nothing coming out appeals to me. I fear the new nexus will be too massive for me, and I don't want any mfg/carrier controlled device.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's my understanding the new nexus will be about the same size as the Gnex or AFAIK it is.
I don't care if it has carrier branding, I just want the ability to install the latest version of Cyanogen until I'm eligible for a new device.

Snow_fox said:
There are a number of phones out there that are incredibly hard to brick past the point of repair.
"Average Joe" is going to be scared off by the possibility of a voided warranty and having to do anything requiring any level of technical skill. I don't really think locking down the bootloader saves them nearly as much money as they would like to believe. People are either going to be scared off and not mess with it, or they are going to be angry at you for not fully supporting your phone in any way shape or form.
You also say AT&T has super phones from every major manufacturer, yet the only one you listed with an unlocked bootloader/ample dev support is the S3.. I hardly think that qualifies as a serious or decent selection of "super phones" to pick from. Unless you mean "they have a bunch of phones that will be dropped in terms of support after 6 months."
And you can #firstworldproblem all day long. You're on the internet. The fact that we are even discussing this on the internet means it's a pretty high chance of being a first world issue. Being completely blunt, if you were to argue it's not even a problem I wouldn't really disagree because, quite frankly it's a luxury device and not a lack of water needed for survival.
On the flip side, if you are going to choose to discuss an issue, why not keep it relevant? Even if it is non-existent in scale as far as problems go, we can still discuss whatever we want last I checked.
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Dude.. please. Chillax. I'm not arguing with you, simply stating my thoughts. No need to get aggrivated
I'm letting you discuss... when did I say you couldn't.....? I have my $.02 too, though.
By the way, when I said #firstworldproblems it was meant as a joke, not as an insult. I have them too, you know
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium

gagdude said:
Dude.. please. Chillax. I'm not arguing with you, simply stating my thoughts. No need to get aggrivated
I'm letting you discuss... when did I say you couldn't.....? I have my $.02 too, though.
By the way, when I said #firstworldproblems it was meant as a joke, not as an insult. I have them too, you know
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium
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I am not aggro'd just discussing for the most part.
I more went off on a tanget and never reigned in the train of thought.

Snow_fox said:
I am not aggro'd just discussing for the most part.
I more went off on a tanget and never reigned in the train of thought.
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Sorry mate, it just seemed like you got angry at me.
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium

gagdude said:
Sorry mate, it just seemed like you got angry at me.
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium
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Oh no, I just have adhd tendencies like rambling.
At any rate, I am really hoping LG decides to throw out some way to unlock the bootloader. I'd really love to have a quad core device with an IPS display this time around.
I don't have anything against the SAMOLED displays but, I would personally prefer a sharper image to a more saturated image.

AT&T Atrix 4g user here...having a tough time deciding what to upgrade to as well. I've toyed with the idea of the One X and the SGS3 but neither excites me too much. Optimus G is very temping from a hardware perspective, but LG's lack of update support and a locked bootloader are a real put off. Will probably just end up grabbing an sgs3 because it will have the most rom support of any at&t phone.
I would prefer a nexus...but I just can't afford to spend $350+ on a phone.

My family plan on AT&T is breaking up. I've decided to go T mobile prepaid with the new Nexus, my dad, getting a job at US Cellular, will get a free plan there along with a $200 discount (he chose the S2) and my mom is sticking with AT&T for the iphone 5
Well good riddance, I had no service in various parts of school and at the local mall
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium

jhotmann said:
AT&T Atrix 4g user here...having a tough time deciding what to upgrade to as well. I've toyed with the idea of the One X and the SGS3 but neither excites me too much. Optimus G is very temping from a hardware perspective, but LG's lack of update support and a locked bootloader are a real put off. Will probably just end up grabbing an sgs3 because it will have the most rom support of any at&t phone.
I would prefer a nexus...but I just can't afford to spend $350+ on a phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would wait for a little while at least and see if the Optimus G gets an unlocked bootloader.. it would be godmode then. But, I have to wait till Dec 1st anyway.
gagdude said:
My family plan on AT&T is breaking up. I've decided to go T mobile prepaid with the new Nexus, my dad, getting a job at US Cellular, will get a free plan there along with a $200 discount (he chose the S2) and my mom is sticking with AT&T for the iphone 5
Well good riddance, I had no service in various parts of school and at the local mall
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
Not entirely a bad thing.. Tmo has great selection of phones and AFAIK is a little more open with bootloaders and stuff.

I'm only getting the Nexus 4 because my current phone is pretty beaten and battered by now. (not to mention 2 years old)

.

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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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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Click to collapse
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.

Is the Note 4 the last great dev friendly Samsung phone for the near future?

The S7 and S7 edge has a locked bootloader for US versions, and conceivably the same for the upcoming Note 6. S6, S6 edge, note 5 have no removable storage/batteries.
Awesome development on the Note 4 here, and if we possibly get Android N, I can't see myself leaving the Note 4 for a long time.
Btw, seems like LG G5 has an unlockable bootloader but it's not possible to load a custom recovery. Not good. Seems like preventing customization is becoming a trend with the newer US phones. Of course there's still the Nexus but the hardware is only ok IMHO

I'm actively looking for a dual OS phone, contract ends Cyber Monday so I got some time. so far the only decent one I've seen is the Meizu Pro 5 n can't remember exactly why but something about it kept me looking elsewhere lol

I'm keeping both of my note 4's until i know for sure if the N6 bootloader is locked or not. I plan to stay on the N4 and continuing making roms as long as I can and until I have to upgrade my phone due to it being too outdated.

The Note 4, the last great phone Samsung ever made.
Sent from my SM-N910P using XDA-Developers mobile app

tx_dbs_tx said:
I'm keeping both of my note 4's until i know for sure if the N6 bootloader is locked or not. I plan to stay on the N4 and continuing making roms as long as I can and until I have to upgrade my phone due to it being too outdated.
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Yeay!! Thanks for giving us hope tx.
I have no desire to switch phones anytime soon. I love my note 4. It does everything I need it to do and when the battery dies I'll get a new one and the phone will be new again.

This is the best phone ever! Its Limitless!

deeken said:
Yeay!! Thanks for giving us hope tx.
I have no desire to switch phones anytime soon. I love my note 4. It does everything I need it to do and when the battery dies I'll get a new one and the phone will be new again.
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Click to collapse
i have been pondering this question since first getting the note 4 . I love everything about it, but after lollipop caused touch screen issues and battery discharge, i thought i might have to go all in for something else- tried the G4 which was def a beast but it cant stand up to this powerhouse and with marsh 6.0 falling from the heavens... everything has been fixed, including the lack of response in the screen(entire top/left corner). if i have to i will buy note 4 replacements until the software starts falling short

I have a good idea. For those of us who want to stick with the N4 due to the locked bootloaders on the new devices, just put insurance on your line and keep using the N4. By the time your N4 finally dies or if you lose or break it, you can get a insurance replacement and most likely will be given a N5 or whichever device is comparable and available at the time. Most likely there won't be anymore refurbished N4's by then. The deductable is still cheaper than the 2-year new contract prices of new high-end smartphones and cheaper than paying out installments for those who do that. So it will all work out for the better if you just wait it out and see how devices & bootloaders turn out.

My wife just got a new Note 5 for a broken Note 3!
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

kcsween said:
The Note 4, the last great phone Samsung ever made.
Sent from my SM-N910P using XDA-Developers mobile app
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Click to collapse
So my wife's note 4 died and our insurance gave her a note 5. She admits she is non-techie and only uses basic functions and yet she still misses the note 4 functions and hardware (custom rom, IR). Long live the Note 4 and roms from tx_dbs_tx!!

You guys are lucky my note 4 stopped working and they replaced my phone with another note 4 . It took 3 days to come to the sprint store it was refurbished too
Sent from my SM-N920P using XDA-Developers mobile app

A replaceable batter is a must! On heavy use days I have to swap out batteries by mid-afternoon. Not to mention the fact that by the end of year one your original battery doesn't last as long as it used to. I've always had to get a new battery or two before needing a new phone.
Sent from my SM-N920P using XDA-Developers mobile app

tx_dbs_tx said:
I'm keeping both of my note 4's until i know for sure if the N6 bootloader is locked or not. I plan to stay on the N4 and continuing making roms as long as I can and until I have to upgrade my phone due to it being too outdated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you, a few months ago I upgraded from my Note 2 to the Note 4 and other than missing the dual modem (LTE while using calls), this is the best Android phone I have had. I plan to stick with it until theres no life left as I cant stand the stock OS's (other than the ones you touch) so I cant see myself ever using a stock phone.
If they begin to lock the bootloaders everywhere, this will royally suck for Android. The best thing about Android is the freedom so I hope these asshole manufacturers and carriers listen to their customers before they are no longer customers.

The bootloaders can be unlocked with a little time and effort. However, there is only a very small number of people with the skills to to it. My advice would be to research these talented people and support their efforts in advance

tx_dbs_tx said:
The bootloaders can be unlocked with a little time and effort. However, there is only a very small number of people with the skills to to it. My advice would be to research these talented people and support their efforts in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I am either getting a developer edition of whatever phone is available at the time or move to the Nexus and use vanilla AOSP.
sent from my droid

I find this article to be quite amusing:
http://www.sammobile.com/2016/05/10/the-galaxy-note-4-is-not-the-last-great-note-samsung-ever-made/

beezar said:
I find this article to be quite amusing:
http://www.sammobile.com/2016/05/10/the-galaxy-note-4-is-not-the-last-great-note-samsung-ever-made/
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Click to collapse
Interesting read, I personally didn't know the EXTSDCARD changes and sealed the battery. Dumb dumb dumb, hopefully Samsung figures out in time for my upgrade or I'm buying a Nexus.
sent from my droid

Long story short, I updated my old note 4 from OB7 five weeks ago to marshmallow, and hated it. My replacement note 4 from Sprint had marshmallow on it, so went to 5.1.1 OG5, due to that being all I could downgrade to, and hated it as well.
After 5 weeks of being miserable, I finally made it back to OB7 via a custom rom and OB7 modem, but still on OG5 bootloader.
So, due to me not liking either 5.1.1 or 6.0.1, I will keep my note 4 until I am forced off of it, due to network changes. I will then migrate to Apple.
I didn't like the last two versions of android, so I have zero faith in Android N and being able to root a sprint note 6.

qwash6563 said:
Long story short, I updated my old note 4 from OB7 five weeks ago to marshmallow, and hated it. My replacement note 4 from Sprint had marshmallow on it, so went to 5.1.1 OG5, due to that being all I could downgrade to, and hated it as well.
After 5 weeks of being miserable, I finally made it back to OB7 via a custom rom and OB7 modem, but still on OG5 bootloader.
So, due to me not liking either 5.1.1 or 6.0.1, I will keep my note 4 until I am forced off of it, due to network changes. I will then migrate to Apple.
I didn't like the last two versions of android, so I have zero faith in Android N and being able to root a sprint note 6.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why go to Apple? That's the worst thing you could do. You couldn't pay me to use those overpriced pieces of trash.
sent from my droid

What is the Future of this phone as of now ?

I've had this phone about 3 months now and thought it was going to be good in the dev community but as im seeing now it seems all dev for this phone is dead or dying, so what hope is there that we will have any roms or new mods for this phone?Yes i understand about the locked bootloader but i was looking at the note 7 forum and they have roms for there phone and the note 7 came out after the 7 edge? i would just like to know in everyone's opinion should we be waiting and hoping for someone to break the codes and unlock our phones true potential or just shut my mouth and sit back and take what i've got and be happy with it. Don't get me wrong i commend the Echoe rom team and all the hard work they did for us and that should not be overlooked. All im saying is what do we need to get this phone poppin like all the other phones ?
Thanks
A New S7 Edge Owner

I guess all we could do is hang on to this one and trade it in or sell it when the S8 comes out and maybe we won't get screwed on the next model.

I was thinking about trading it for one of the new Google Pixel XL phones, but they aren't going to have an SD slot. I think I am still going to trade it for something else though... having a hard time figuring out what I want that's comparable.

If you're looking for a mod friendly device, you should look elsewhere. With a locked bootloader, you're not going to get much dev support. Having said that, I would say that the future of this phone is bright. I can honestly say that I see no reason for me to mess with the system. It's excellent as it is.

slayerh4x said:
I was thinking about trading it for one of the new Google Pixel XL phones, but they aren't going to have an SD slot. I think I am still going to trade it for something else though... having a hard time figuring out what I want that's comparable.
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Click to collapse
The Google pixel will be a joke. You'll see iphone 7 Will be years ahead of it. And I'm a android guy
Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

Yea, hate to say it, but Google should stick to making software. Either that, or actually develop the production capacity to do your own manufacturing or at least quality control, instead of farming it out to random Chinese manufacturers. My only experience with Nexus is the Nexus 5, but that device was awful. In fact, I can't think of a single redeeming quality of that device.

I'm selling mine and going back to the Note 4

slayerh4x said:
I was thinking about trading it for one of the new Google Pixel XL phones, but they aren't going to have an SD slot. I think I am still going to trade it for something else though... having a hard time figuring out what I want that's comparable.
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Click to collapse
The V20 seems like a nice alternative
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

minhajmsd said:
The V20 seems like a nice alternative
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
yeah. I'm thinking about the OnePlus 3, the support for that phone seems very good. Plus it is not too expensive. I wonder what my options are for switching phones, I don't think T Mobile will take back my phone and stop charging me my monthly device installment.

Yeah, I think you have to wait a bit more to be eligible for jump
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

Wow you guys amaze me, I guess if it isnt made out of glass and metal with diamonds on it then its not worthy for you. I've had the nexus 5, 6 and 2013 7, and although this is a nice phone. Id take the functionality and stability of a nexus any day. You do not know what you are talking about if you really think this phone or an iphone is worlds ahead of a nexus. Yeah, the nexus 5 was cheap feeling, it was $350 brand new, and it was the most reliable phone I've ever had. And I've had a couple iphones, you guys either don't know what your doing or got a bad device.

Andromendous said:
Wow you guys amaze me, I guess if it isnt made out of glass and metal with diamonds on it then its not worthy for you. I've had the nexus 5, 6 and 2013 7, and although this is a nice phone. Id take the functionality and stability of a nexus any day. You do not know what you are talking about if you really think this phone or an iphone is worlds ahead of a nexus. Yeah, the nexus 5 was cheap feeling, it was $350 brand new, and it was the most reliable phone I've ever had. And I've had a couple iphones, you guys either don't know what your doing or got a bad device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been a nexus user since the Nexus 5 launched. and a CM user for years before then. the S7 edge is my first Samsung device (and only because I got it for free), because I have always felt the same way about Samsung as I do about apple. all hype, all trend, ignorant (non-power-user) fanbase. Samsung is literally the apple of Android, if you know what I mean. I'll never own another Samsung device after this one.

minhajmsd said:
The V20 seems like a nice alternative
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you think the bootloader will be unlocked? I'm still kinda new to Android and the first recent one I got was this S7 Edge. The V20 does look really nice though, hope it is released soon.
I also like the HTC 10 because there is a ton of stuff for it. The Viper rom looks awesome, pretty crazy they have OTA updates for the rom.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/htc-10/development

slayerh4x said:
Do you think the bootloader will be unlocked? I'm still kinda new to Android and the first recent one I got was this S7 Edge. The V20 does look really nice though, hope it is released soon.
I also like the HTC 10 because there is a ton of stuff for it. The Viper rom looks awesome, pretty crazy they have OTA updates for the rom.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/htc-10/development
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Click to collapse
Typically LG doesn't lock their bootloaders, and since its going to be the same phone internationally its dev community may be loads better.
Sent from my SM-G935T using Tapatalk

A few developments in the last month:
Unified 935U based roms - This will be great as the unification of US rom development (and the ability to have VOLTE) will make life better for US S7 users as they will have the newest rom of the 5 options running.
Note 7 release: The Note 7's UI seems better (samsung has already started promised to unify the UI in android 7) and the rom has been ported (same chipset).
Enhanced T-mobile Support on international models: Wifi calling/Volte has now been ported to the International (935F) model, at least if rooted. I switched as the Exynos version is faster and has better battery life (and the gap is greater in rooted versions than stock) and a stronger development community including Note 7 ports.

rp3 said:
A few developments in the last month:
Unified 935U based roms - This will be great as the unification of US rom development (and the ability to have VOLTE) will make life better for US S7 users as they will have the newest rom of the 5 options running.
Note 7 release: The Note 7's UI seems better (samsung has already started promised to unify the UI in android 7) and the rom has been ported (same chipset).
Enhanced T-mobile Support on international models: Wifi calling/Volte has now been ported to the International (935F) model, at least if rooted. I switched as the Exynos version is faster and has better battery life (and the gap is greater in rooted versions than stock) and a stronger development community including Note 7 ports.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so we should all get the Exynos version and call it a day is what you saying then ?

Icebluemale30 said:
so we should all get the Exynos version and call it a day is what you saying then ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Goodness no. If you root and just care about speed, battery and custom rom options on android 6/touchwiz (and don't care about US warranty support), I would say yes.
If you care about warranty support, want an unrooted phone (or the ability to root without tripping Knox), want to use Samsung Pay or like T-mobile's financing options, The US model is definitely the one. It also has more upside
Long Term, Samsung's Android 7 may see a boot-loader unlock option, which would jump start CM/kernel development (cutting the performance gap between the phones and giving people who like Samsung's industrial design but not their software design a good solution). Next month, there will be Nexus phones running SD820, which will continue the advantage Qualcomm based roms have in custom development.

I'm going to be patient. This is a book I've read before. The fact is that the S7 edge will have the bootloader unlocked eventually.

axne1 said:
I'm going to be patient. This is a book I've read before. The fact is that the S7 edge will have the bootloader unlocked eventually.
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Click to collapse
i hope you are right i hate to get a new phone i really like my S7 Edge

axne1 said:
I'm going to be patient. This is a book I've read before. The fact is that the S7 edge will have the bootloader unlocked eventually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only fact here is that nobody really knows what may or may not happen. Wishful thinking is one thing, but it is far from fact.
---------- Post added at 06:46 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:36 AM ----------
Andromendous said:
Wow you guys amaze me, I guess if it isnt made out of glass and metal with diamonds on it then its not worthy for you. I've had the nexus 5, 6 and 2013 7, and although this is a nice phone. Id take the functionality and stability of a nexus any day. You do not know what you are talking about if you really think this phone or an iphone is worlds ahead of a nexus. Yeah, the nexus 5 was cheap feeling, it was $350 brand new, and it was the most reliable phone I've ever had. And I've had a couple iphones, you guys either don't know what your doing or got a bad device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Nexus 5 was an awful device, with awful battery life, awful display, awful speaker, and awful camera. It was quick with stock Android, but it literally had no other redeeming qualities. Mine has been used as a paperweight, to keep papers from flying off my desk when my windows is open. I am not joking. I will take an Apple device over the Nexus 5 any day, and I can't stand Apple. And yes, I have an Apple device too. I have not had any other Nexus devices, and probably never will. Samsung devices have treated me very well over the years so I am sticking with them. And honestly, the GS7 is an excellent device all around, I couldn't care less about a locked bootloader. The days of spending hours/days flashing ROMs are behind me. I have more important things to do with my free time. So before you go off and make blanket statements such as "we don't know what we are doing," consider the fact that some of us don't share the same interests as you. The majority of the world wants a device that works out of the box and doesn't know what a bootloader is, much less that it can be locked or unlocked. You, and this community, are a tiny minority of smartphone users. And guess what, there are companies that cater to you as well. Don't be pissed at Samsung for delivering what their customers wanted.