Database Users

[Q] Best ROM for me?

Hey all, I know this is yet another "best rom" thread but please bear with me. I just got my Nexus 7 and I'd like to get this setup for my wife for non-geeky use by this weekend.
I'm mostly looking for stockish but I want theme chooser capabilities. Otherwise, rooted stock would be good for me. Is CM my best bet (going with the assumption that Paranoid and AOKP are "too full" of features)? Or is there another obvious option? Ultimately, stability/battery life/etc. are priorities here and I hear latest stock software isn't the best in those areas (am I wrong?).
Thanks!!

Jaxidian said:
Hey all, I know this is yet another "best rom" thread but please bear with me. I just got my Nexus 7 and I'd like to get this setup for my wife for non-geeky use by this weekend.
I'm mostly looking for stockish but I want theme chooser capabilities. Otherwise, rooted stock would be good for me. Is CM my best bet (going with the assumption that Paranoid and AOKP are "too full" of features)? Or is there another obvious option? Ultimately, stability/battery life/etc. are priorities here and I hear latest stock software isn't the best in those areas (am I wrong?).
Thanks!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're kind of wrong as stock is nearly perfect and it's problems have nothing to do with battery or performance. See: 4.2 update
Roming a Nexus device.. Interesting choice. CM is alright. Taught my girlfriend how to use it.
Just root stock IMO as CM always has some bug or a few.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

Smoothrom is best with tablet ui well at least for me, make sure to use franko kernel, better for your battery life:good:

[Q] Looking for advice on S4 ROM

Hi all,
I once more turn to XDA gurus for some advice and also questions. Let me start with saying that I have very basic experience with android phones: my main phone is an iPhone but I love to play with Android devices to fill in the iOS blanks. I own a Samsung Infuse (with a custom ROM but very unstable) and briefly had an HTC One but returned it.
Anyway, I bought an AT&T S4; it's unlocked and works great. However I'm in Canada on Rogers and couldn't care less about the bloatware installed on it. Here come the questions:
- Does anyone know of a way to install the stock Rogers ROM on this phone (more like where to get it)?
- Alternately, would you recommend to install another ROM?
Here's the thing: a week after I bought mine, Google announced the Google editions; would have known I would have waited to get that.
- Would it be recommendable to flash the Google ROM on my phone?
- Would there be a way to install some of the Samsung SPKs on such a ROM (I could never seem to do it on my Infuse)?
I know how to flash a ROM, and it's well documented in the Forums. I'm more after opinions; my experience with flashing ROMs on my Infuse has been spotty at best. Seems like no matter what I did, the phone would become unusably unstable after a while. This scares me because it seems like the Infuse is one of the most modded phones out there... The S4 is very impressive and I don't want to hinder it's performance in any way.
If none of this is doable/recommendable, then I might sell this one and pay the extra $100 and get the Google edition.
I appreciate any input!
Thanks

Well, I know it's not polite to bump your own post, but I would really appreciate some feedback.
And actually I'll add a bit more to it: let's say I either try the Google ROM or decide to buy a Google Edition, there are some pretty cool apps included with the Samsung version (such as multi window and air gestures). Is it possible to have those available on the Google Edition/ROM?
Thanks and sorry again for my lack of knowledge in the area...

technosinner said:
Well, I know it's not polite to bump your own post, but I would really appreciate some feedback.
And actually I'll add a bit more to it: let's say I either try the Google ROM or decide to buy a Google Edition, there are some pretty cool apps included with the Samsung version (such as multi window and air gestures). Is it possible to have those available on the Google Edition/ROM?
Thanks and sorry again for my lack of knowledge in the area...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Consensus with the GE ROMs for the S4 are that they're WAY too stripped down in comparison to other AOSP options (of which GE is NOT, it's actually TW disguised as AOSP). I, personally, would avoid using GE and instead opt for something like AOKP if you want that same feel. I just flashed FoxHound and really like the hybrid aspect of it in the fact that you keep all the gimmicky TW features (the hover and voice stuff as well as multi-window), the menu structures are similar, but it brings all the bonuses that having an AOSP ROM does. There are some extra steps involved which @Axman has taken his time to explain (you have to manually input your APN), but the end result is worth it.
Good luck and read around.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

well spoken my friend. Thanks

Thank you very much for the clarification. I was actually in the process of reading Axman's posts. To be honest I'm totally overwhelmed. I didn't imagine it to be so complicated; I'm really torn between ROM and keeping stock because of the TW cool stuff... I will keep reading around as all good n00b should.
Thanks!

technosinner said:
Thank you very much for the clarification. I was actually in the process of reading Axman's posts. To be honest I'm totally overwhelmed. I didn't imagine it to be so complicated; I'm really torn between ROM and keeping stock because of the TW cool stuff... I will keep reading around as all good n00b should.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's much less complicated than it seems, but you do need to follow the steps as outlined or you could end up with anything from a borked flash to a bricked phone depending on what you're trying to do. I recommend playing with a i337m ROM that is TW-based for your first, just to get the hang of things as it'll provide the least steep learning curve. Go for these steps at first:
1. Enable Developer Options (go to Settings/About/tap on build until it says they're enabled)
2. Run one click root/recovery from Adam Outler
3. Transfer and flash ROM of your choice
Just know that people flash for different reasons ranging from wanting less bloat to more battery life to a morbid case of flashaholism (such as myself and @TheAxman). There's nothing saying you have to go balls to the wall here and you may find yourself completely happy with the stock ROM and a better kernel. Just read up and it'll make perfect sense.
Last word of advice: have Odin and the stock ROM on hand so you can flash back to stock if necessary. Some ROMs don't play well when flashed on top of others, even if you do a full wipe.
Sent from my SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

I was actually in the exact same situation as you.
However, I decided to flash a TW based ROM to keep all the cool Samsung features.
I'd recommend any of the Stock Based ones here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2312444
Just do your research and look for the features you need.

Thanks a lot guys! I'll be doing some reading but at least I know where to look.
One last thing: I keep seeing this loki thing around. Since I'm on an att version I got that I need it, but what exactly is it and where can I get it? I see a lot of references to it, but I can't seem to find a download link or a tutorial on it...
Thanks again!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

Don' t take the loki thing and run with it..if you are rooted and have recovery installed, flash the rom of choice and use a att kernel that already has been loki'ed.
Simple. That way you will never go wrong.
The Ax says this is my method of choice. Could care less about loki.

I recommend cm10.1 . It is aosp based, tins of features, fast, and just nice to use. I use it on my att sgs4 right now. It is nightly release but it is VERY STABLE. Ge is just tw with an aosp fanboy shirt on .lol.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app

[Q] New to S4 (T-Mo), looking for opinions

Hey all
I'm coming from the Amaze, and before that, the Nexus One and the G1. I like the camera app on my S4, and i haven't tried S-Voice yet. Outside of these features though, i'm not sure i care for the original stock rom. I saw a poll for what everyone thought was the best Rom for the i9500, i was wondering about opinions of the i9505 variant.
Looking for really good battery life, all the features of the stock camera (if not more) and better responsiveness than the stock rom. I figure i should stick with TW based roms for now until i find apps that can replace them. My main purpose in this phone was the ability to run mirrorlink to my car's stereo, so i can't loose that either.
So then, what is everyone's favorite TouchWiz based rom? Or, if you prefer, what rom has at the very least the same features as the stock rom for the camera? Is there something that equals s-voice? Can i still mirrorlink with that rom?
thanks all!

A Murder of Crows said:
Hey all
I'm coming from the Amaze, and before that, the Nexus One and the G1. I like the camera app on my S4, and i haven't tried S-Voice yet. Outside of these features though, i'm not sure i care for the original stock rom. I saw a poll for what everyone thought was the best Rom for the i9500, i was wondering about opinions of the i9505 variant.
Looking for really good battery life, all the features of the stock camera (if not more) and better responsiveness than the stock rom. I figure i should stick with TW based roms for now until i find apps that can replace them. My main purpose in this phone was the ability to run mirrorlink to my car's stereo, so i can't loose that either.
So then, what is everyone's favorite TouchWiz based rom? Or, if you prefer, what rom has at the very least the same features as the stock rom for the camera? Is there something that equals s-voice? Can i still mirrorlink with that rom?
thanks all!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First off there is a whole separate section for t mobile variant discussions that will give you a lot more relevant information for the t mobile device.
Second, threads about what the best ROM are generally are not welcome on xda because it is an impossible question. Only you can decide what the best ROM is for you. What makes battery life great on my ROM might severely limit your ability to use it the way you prefer. Everything depends on your taste, and how you use the phone. The only way to decide what ROM is best is to start flashing them and testing.
Sent from your phone. You should be careful where you leave that thing.

Skipjacks said:
First off there is a whole separate section for t mobile variant discussions that will give you a lot more relevant information for the t mobile device.
Second, threads about what the best ROM are generally are not welcome on xda because it is an impossible question. Only you can decide what the best ROM is for you. What makes battery life great on my ROM might severely limit your ability to use it the way you prefer. Everything depends on your taste, and how you use the phone. The only way to decide what ROM is best is to start flashing them and testing.
Sent from your phone. You should be careful where you leave that thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not a newb to xda. I didn't ask for a best, i asked for opinions of favorites. I feel there is a BIG difference there. Now, i did mention that i saw a poll for what people thought was the best rom for the non-T-Mo variant, but that only inspired this thread in part.
Hopefully i can get some real responses regarding what other people find as their favorite roms based on the criteria i'm looking for, or reasons why another rom is their favorite in general. I don't really have the time to sit and flash roms all day long anymore.

home & business daily use - best stable/released custom rom?

good morning, I'm Francesco from Italy and I'm new tot his forum. my Samsung I9505 warranty expired a few days ago and now I'd like to install a custom rom to exploit better its potential. at this moment what is in your opinion the best custom xda rom for my mobile? mine is a daily use for home (mainly) and business, so I need a mod that keeps the mobile stable, safe and fully working (4G, wi-fi, bluetooth, car audio integration, etc.). if needed I can provide more info about the device, it's my first time on this forum and I don't know well what/how to ask. thanx so much.

Stability is really depends more on your device and usage than on the ROM.
From my time here, in the S4 forums, I have learned that each device is unique in its own way and behaves differently.
In other words, what works for other might not work for you and vice versa.
You should know that pretty much all Android 6 ROMs have Bluetooth problems. The only one with working Bluetooth might be Dirty Unicorns, but you will have to see for yourself.
Otherwise you will have to stay on Android 5.1 ROMs.
There are no Android 5 ROMs that are still being updated, except for TouchWiz ROMs.
So, that being said, for Android 5 I would recommend the GPE ROM. There are two. One is untouched and the other is slightly modified. I only ever used the slightly modified one and it always worked great for my needs.

good morning.
thank you very much, that's exactly what I needed to know. the modified one is JFLTE-GPE by Danvdh
?
just another question: to flash a new rom must I unlock the bootloader first? if yes, better Fastboot or Odin?

frac82 said:
good morning.
thank you very much, that's exactly what I needed to know. the modified one is JFLTE-GPE by Danvdh
?
just another question: to flash a new rom must I unlock the bootloader first? if yes, better Fastboot or Odin?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, that's the modified one.
Only Verizon and AT&T have locked bootloaders.
If your model is anything other than the above mentioned companies, then it doesn't have a locked bootloader.
So you just flash recovery and flash the ROM.
Or root first if you need to backup your apps.
TWRP recovery is recommended. But be warned, it seems to have a problem with TouchWiz ROM backups.
If you backup your stock ROM, and restore at some point, you will get lots of errors.

after erasing and reinstalling which app for camera/address book/sms did you start to use? is there a "pack", an "all-in one-" set nor do I have to choose and install one by one at my taste...?!?

You say you use the device for work?
Does that involve connecting it to a secure business server?
If it does, then most business servers will be able to detect modifications on a device and will not allow connection of said modified device.

My S4 is a dual boot using the Dual Boot Patcher tool. I have a virtually empty TW ROM as my primary, and CM13 with 100+ apps as my secondary, this is what I use day to day. Why? Two reasons:
a. Daily, I prefer to use clean Android. I love Samsung devices, but I much prefer a Nexus style experience.
b. Rarely, I need to use the amazing S4 camera, and for that, the free camera apps just won't do. I've started using 'A Better Camera' but this is paid and it's not perfect by a long shot.
Having a dual boot also gives me some flexibility with things such as battery life etc. I expect my day to day ROM to use more, what with all the apps, whereas if I switch to my clean ROM, it will last an incredibly long time, especially when it's in my pocket.
For me, CM13 and AOSP are stable enough to use day to day and really, the only thing holding them back is the fact you can't load the TW camera. Nobody's fault I guess.

keithross39 said:
You say you use the device for work?
Does that involve connecting it to a secure business server?
If it does, then most business servers will be able to detect modifications on a device and will not allow connection of said modified device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I sometimes read business e-mails via Lotus/Outlook app, that's all; let's hope this won't start the firewall!
skezza said:
My S4 is a dual boot using the Dual Boot Patcher tool. I have a virtually empty TW ROM as my primary, and CM13 with 100+ apps as my secondary, this is what I use day to day. Why? Two reasons:
a. Daily, I prefer to use clean Android. I love Samsung devices, but I much prefer a Nexus style experience.
b. Rarely, I need to use the amazing S4 camera, and for that, the free camera apps just won't do. I've started using 'A Better Camera' but this is paid and it's not perfect by a long shot.
Having a dual boot also gives me some flexibility with things such as battery life etc. I expect my day to day ROM to use more, what with all the apps, whereas if I switch to my clean ROM, it will last an incredibly long time, especially when it's in my pocket.
For me, CM13 and AOSP are stable enough to use day to day and really, the only thing holding them back is the fact you can't load the TW camera. Nobody's fault I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
too complicated... one droid is enough for me... :angel:

Hi everyone am new here is, there a touch wiz androind 6+ rom for our s3?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA-Developers mobile app

HIS YB said:
Hi everyone am new here is, there a touch wiz androind 6+ rom for our s3?
Sent from my GT-I9300 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These are the S4 forums.
The S3 forums can be found here

frac82 said:
after erasing and reinstalling which app for camera/address book/sms did you start to use? is there a "pack", an "all-in one-" set nor do I have to choose and install one by one at my taste...?!?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just to share: the answer to this question of mine is Kushan Rom v.9.0.

custom roms for this device worth it?

should i bother with the limited selection of roms? which one is also good?

drckml said:
should i bother with the limited selection of roms? which one is also good?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's all pretty much the same for me. Just different interface/some customizations, battery life between stock rom and CM13/LineageOS.
I flashed pretty much most of them stock, Cm13, Google Edition, Turbo rom. It depends what you like I think, everyone is different.
I like Cm13 by the Spainish team this tread: https://forum.xda-developers.com/le-pro3/how-to/cm13-0-lex720-team-superluminal-t3523391
I am running this rom I found it good: T.A.R.S-Dev-23S by Steve: http://tars-lepro3.blogspot.com.es/2017/02/tars-23s-beta-dev-para-lepro3-x720.html.
And Turbo rom I flashed few of them maybe the K6 was good, not sure you can still download it as the tread been closed.
7.1 Rom just one available I haven't try it yet. The custom roms are better than stock I think for speed,performance, sound etc.

Lineage or Turbo
drckml said:
should i bother with the limited selection of roms? which one is also good?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Compared to the overbloated stock, I would also say that all custom roms are an improvement. I started with Cydras google edition, 2 Turbo versions but for the longest time and still am on the official lineage which has it's flaws, but all combined is not far from great.
Imo this could still be consolidated, there are some obviously very skilled developers involved but they do - to me as a noob - not seem to fully benefit from each others discoveries. Why would you need more than one great marshmallow and one great nougat rom(at some point in the future when they manage to get the camera working) which can then, as it always could, be customized to a very far extend?
I hope that at some point they will do some combined version - looking at what different parts and functions some of them managed to exceed expections, if that was combined... Well, I like to dream about it ...