Database Users

[Info] Xperia Tablet Z: The best stock firmware for power and performance

** DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A DEVELOPER. I DO THIS AS A HOBBY AND SHARE MY FINDINGS IN CASE SOMEONE ELSE FINDS THEM USEFUL. **
** THIS WORKED ON MY DEVICE BUT IT MAY NOT WORK ON YOURS. APPLY AT YOUR OWN RISK **​
Background:
Tablet Z is an amazing device. I have had a number of different Android devices with comparable specs but nothing has come close to this one in overall performance, durability, build, and stability. The question that I did not find an answer for and made me write this info piece is: what is the best stock ROM for this tablet that can offer the best overall stability and power consumption. Note that a lot of what follows are matters of opinion and personal preferences and you should probably tweak based on your specific needs. So first some basics.
Basics:
There is an empirical finding that the best performance is achieved from the ROMs that are available about six months to a year after the release of any given device and here is the justification. The device is initially shipped with the Android version available at the time of the release. This initial version is invariably buggy because the fast design cycles of these things do not allow a comprehensive test drive by the vendor. So the consumers report the bugs, they get patched, and about 6 months later everything is wrapped into the next version of Android and pushed as an update. This second ROM release is much more stable than the first one but still lacking a few things here and there, which brings us to the next major ROM that will fix most everything.
By this time we are 6 months to a year into the life of the product and the market is now seeing other devices with higher processing power and better specs. The Android releases at any given point in time are tweaked towards the expected performance of the devices that are available at that time. So the next update for your now-more-than-a-year-old device will have nicer features but it is geared towards other devices that are faster and better than yours. So now you upgrade to the third release and you will find that while all the initial bugs are gone the device is laggy and the battery goes down faster than it used to. Most devices don't have a straightforward procedure to downgrade to an older version (at least for the common user) and therefore you will just write this off as your device being too old and slow and then you will be likely convinced by a Sony salesperson to buy the next generation tablet and that is the end of that.
The key is to identify that sweet spot where the OS is stable and fast and tweak the performance there and NOT upgrade anymore. Let me say something about software upgrade while I have your attention. I have sadly found that a lot of people upgrade their phone/tablet OS without really knowing why they do it. Sometimes it almost looks like a fashion trend that since my neighbor is running his/her phone on Kitkat I must upgrade from Jellybean too. This often results in a slowdown of your system and sometimes even makes it impossible to do cool stuff such as rooting your device, because new updates close loopholes and vulnerabilities.
Xperia Tablet Z Stock Roms:
Before we get into that, let's mention the non-stock Roms such as AOSP and CM and their derivatives. There may be a compelling argument for certain cases where for example the vendor either heavily loads the device with bloatware that is difficult to remove or a custom Rom is needed to improve power or increase the performance by overclocking and whatnot. This is very true of some Samsung models with great hardware that are actually degenerated to slow devices with over-bloating and a little help from possessive phone operators like AT&T. However, this is not particularly true for Sony, or at least not yet. The Sony bloat is minimal and easy to remove and what Sony packs with the OS, such as multi-window, remote control, and Bravia engine, are in fact quite useful especially if you are using the device in a Sony ecosystem like with a big screen TV. Besides, Sony is very open-source friendly so there are not a whole lot of locked down features that you may need a custom ROM to get around. So I will limit this discussion to Sony's official Rom releases.
XTZ was initially shipped with 10.1.C.0.344 Android 4.1.2 in the US. Within a few months they upgraded it and if you like most people bought your tablet in the summer of 2013 it probably came with 10.1.C.0.370. This was to fix a touch sensitivity problem and improve WiFi. No update however is complete without limiting the ability of the user to root the device so Sony patched a vulnerability that allows the method of rooting you find inside the menus of Flashtool. Soon another vulnerability was discovered and a piece of code was written by Doomslord which would remain the only safe way to root XTZ until Towelroot was born. The update also removed the ability to choose the number of active cores, which was not the end of the world of course.
This release arguably has the best user interface which located the important touch keys on the bottom left and right sides of the screen, which is easy to operate when you grab the tablet with two hands. However, it had a few performance issues. For example, adding a weather widget would introduce a visible lag when swiping the home screen. It didn;t take long before users started nagging on different forums about how they are not running the latest Android version and how Sony should release it ASAP,... and Sony did.
Android 4.2.2 (10.3.1.C.0.136) removed the nice tablet UI. Soft button keys were now at the bottom center of the display with nothing on the left and right sides, which makes it awkward to grab the tablet with two hands and operate these keys at the same time. The notification area that was previously on the bottom right hand side would now be relocated to the top banner which resulted in a loss of screen real estate, and this pissed off a lot of users including yours truly. In all fairness it was not Sony's fault because this was a decision made by Google to unify tablet and phone interfaces beyond 4.2.2. Sony did their best to give something back (Quick Settings option in top notification bar) and mitigate the lost screen area (Semi-transparent bar in lockscreen). Then there were added features like multi-user support, ability to change the length of “preview time” after shooting a snap from camera, widgets on both homescreen and lockscreen,Video Unlimited movie app integration, updated media apps, my Xperia app to track the tablet in case it is lost, and official support 64 GB SD card.
The initial 4.3 release (10.4.B.0.577) changed the UI to a white theme that looks a lot like Xperia Z1 and Z Ultra: new improved smart camera app and new Xperia wallpapers (like Xperia Z1). A cool feature was added that allows the downloading of themes which change the navigation bar and status bar colors, and the soft keys icons as well. New keyboard app was added with one-hand keyboard settings. Also, a Windows Tethering option made it possible to pair the tablet with Windows 8.1. All welcome options which made most of us get over the grudge caused by the removal of the Tablet UI. Screen was calibrated for a brighter display and restricted profiles settings added more control of the multi-user feature.
The best feature which went unnoticed by many was the new version of Battery STAMINA Mode. Not that the older one needed any serious make-over but this one offered even a longer battery life. By now, almost all the lag observed in earlier versions were gone. For example, the weather widget would no longer self-update until the swiping was complete and this provided a significant smoothness in home display transitions. Finally, the 4.3 update 10.4.1.B.0.109 reduced the display flickering, improved battery life, shortened shutdown times, and fixed a problem which made it possible to use Bluetooth without losing WiFi.
Sometime in May of 2014 Sony released the long-awaited 4.4.2 Kitkat update (10.5.A.0.230) and this was when things started to go south. Sure, there where enhancements in camera app, ability to add emojis to messages, screenshots via the power menu, updates to Email, Calendar, and other apps, and good looking live wallpapers. But nothing could hide the fact that the tablet was now visibly slower and the battery would drain much faster. Sony admitted that the battery drain is a real problem and traced it to a buggy version of the Google services, which the user could uninstall or disable but that didn't make the update any faster.
The fact is, Xperia Tablet Z has a snapdragon S4 running at 1.5GHz, which from an antutu score perspective sets it at around the 20-21k mark. For comparison consider the Tablet Z2 with a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 801 with an antutu score in the 35000 range and that is really the type of system that the Sony Kitkat update should run on. That's why the tablet becomes so sluggish after the kitkat upgrade. The transitions are visibly slow and even if you disable live wallpapers and other things the settings menus will remain slow. In fact the antutu score after this upgrade drops sharply to around 18000.
Sony eventually released Kitkat 4.4.4 with 10.5.1.A.0.283 in late summer of 2014 and updated that a month or two later with a limited release of 10.5.1.A.0.292 in Nordic countries. These update are more fluid than 4.4.2 with much less lag in different programs. All Kitkat releases have been plagued by a sever battery drain due to a malfunctioning of Google Play services, which is resolved if you update this app to 5.2.08 after the firmware installation. 4.4.4 is still slower in Antutu scores compared to 4.3.
And the winner is...
4.4.4, followed by 4.3.
With the latest Kitkat update (4.4.4) I found that after patching the Google services and minimal debloating the tablet will last 78 days (more than two and half months) in standby. That is pretty impressive. See the screenshots (under Attached Thumbnails). So if you decide to go with 4.4.4, to get the most out of your battery:
1- Upgrade Google Play services to 5.2.08.
2- Go to settings:
Wifi -> Advanced -> Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep -> Never
Wifi -> Advanced -> Scanning always available -> off
Wifi -> Advanced -> Wifi optimization -> on
Power management -> Stamina Mode on and queue background data
3- Disable Google+ and Hangouts (and play store, if you don't use it). I suggest turning off both "Remotely locate" and "allow remote lock" options under Android device manager in Google settings.
4- Uninstall (via Titanium backup) or remove from /system/app and priv-app SonyEntrance.apk and UpdateCenter.apk. If your tablet is wifi only do the same for SemcTelephonyProvider.apk, Stk.apk, phone-usage.apk, and SemcPhone.apk.
The 4.3 update 10.4.1.B.0.109 provides a good battery life too. In standby it can last about 55 days without a recharge (see 1.jpg and 2.jpg). In camparision, the 4.4.2 release lasts about 40-45 days under similar testing conditions. To install 4.3 you can either use this long procedure: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2772943 which gives you a pre-rooted 4.3, with the added benefit of a nice recovery image, or flash a stock ftf and root it with towelroot. Either way you need to learn and use flashtool because this update is no longer available through Sony's update channels. If you decide to go with 4.4.4, to get the most out of your battery:
1- Root and disable non essential programs either using Titanium backup or other methods that require a knowledge of the terminal emulator. On an SGP311 For 4.3 what you typically disable is the following (the list is different for the LTE version!):
B2bCustInstaller, com.sonyericsson.startupflagservice, Crackle, Facebook, FBiX Post Viewer, Gmail (and use the stock Email client if you have want to check your gmail), Google Play Books/Games/Magazines/Movies/Music, Google+ and Hangout, Let's start PSM, McAfee Security, Mobile Data, Mobile Network, Configuration, Netflix, POBox Touch (unless you use Japanese keyboard), Reader, Sim Lock, Sim Toolkit, Social Engine, Socialife, Twitter, Video Unlimited, Wisepilot (which doesn't work anyway!), Xperia AppShare, Xperia Calendar Sync, Xperia Friends' music, Xperia Music Likes, Xperia Social Engine Photos/Sharing (all of them), Xperia Chinese keyboard, Xperia with Facebook and Twitter.
2- Then go to settings:
Wifi -> Advanced -> Keep Wi-Fi on during sleep -> Never
Power management -> Stamina Mode on.
I tried programs like Juice Defender but it seemed that in the presence of Sony's Stamina mode none of that is necessary.
One last detail. As you can see in the picture mobile data is still burning 3% although I froze/disabled it in Titanium. The reason is that while freezing an app prevents it from starting at boot-up, the binary is still in the storage and other apps can still invoke it. If you want that portion to go down to zero you will need to uninstall the app in Titanium (or delete/rename the app to disable it, which requires knowledge of the terminal emulator.)
Update: Sony released 5.0.2 with 10.6.A.0.454 in late spring of 2015 and 5.1.1 in September. The standby battery life is nowhere near the latest 4.4.4 or 4.3.
So that is it folks. Give it a try and see it for yourself. At the end of the day, regardless of the firmware, this is an awesome tablet which will still be around after all of its peers are gone and forgotten.

Thanks for your reply. In general i agree with you that the most stable and responsive (fluid) was 10.4.1.B.0.109 on SGP311/312 and 10.4.1.B.0.101 on SGP321. However you can perform fresh install of 10.5.A.0.230 KitKat, make some performance-wise adjustments/remove-freeze bloatware and you will have practically the same performance. As i did it, i can't distinguish between 4.4 and 4.3 in performance at least visually, however it shows a little bit less score in Antutu, 21500 for JB, 20800 for my adjusted KK, but it doesn't really matter.

This is a great post. Thank you. I noticed the performance since installing KitKat has been sluggish too. I haven't tried optimizing it much, haven't had time, but I'm going to try that before downgrading to 4.3. The animations and transitions are so sluggish its annoying. Makes me want a new tablet to be honest heheh.

Great post! Although I'm still loving 4.4. I really missed immersive mode since I've had Nexus phones.. Anyway after fixing the settings app the other 'glitches' in kitkat weren't noticeable. Battery life's awesome since most of the not needed things are disabled/uninstalled.
I get 3-4 days with moderate to heavy use with about 9-10 hours of screen on time. It's really an indoor tablet for me so the brightness can be as low as minimum with no impact on visibility.
I bought my tablet without thinking 6 months ago but I honestly have 0 regrets. It's a truly amazing multimedia device.

Too bad Cyanogenmod 11 is in a poor state with still buggy nightlies and no proper milestone releases...
And I agree Kitkat feels a bit sluggish on the tablet, especially when you compare it to a Snapdragon 801 phone.

Dzhedaj said:
Too bad Cyanogenmod 11 is in a poor state with still buggy nightlies and no proper milestone releases...
And I agree Kitkat feels a bit sluggish on the tablet, especially when you compare it to a Snapdragon 801 phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Snapdragon itself it a way way more faster chip. Also Sony don't really bother with OS optimizations for old devices.

As per my opinion since i updated .233 update via flashtool that Lag and sluggishness is gone perfectly
http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-tablet-z/general/ftf-4-4-10-5-0-233-sgp321-3at-t2789187
Alongwith a little mod with beats audio improves the internal speakers upto 100dbi more who feels tab internal speaker volume is low.
Update to .233 and enjoy the tab to its full capacity
Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk 2

Thanks for the write-up.
I'm a noob that's researched this to death, and this adds some clarity to whats becoming more murky as I read.
Will probably try to optimize 4.4.2 1st before attempting your link (I'm hoping a couple of other posters on this thread can point me in the right direction - question forthcoming but could you clarify 'or flash a stock ftf and root it with towelroot'? Sorry for the noob question, but 'root after flash' and 'what specific stock ftf' has me lost. Thanks
---------- Post added at 08:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:09 PM ----------
Rootk1t said:
Thanks for your reply. In general i agree with you that the most stable and responsive (fluid) was 10.4.1.B.0.109 on SGP311/312 and 10.4.1.B.0.101 on SGP321. However you can perform fresh install of 10.5.A.0.230 KitKat, make some performance-wise adjustments/remove-freeze bloatware and you will have practically the same performance. As i did it, i can't distinguish between 4.4 and 4.3 in performance at least visually, however it shows a little bit less score in Antutu, 21500 for JB, 20800 for my adjusted KK, but it doesn't really matter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have a link to the method by which you optimize?
Thanks

gmore1 said:
Thanks for the write-up.
I'm a noob that's researched this to death, and this adds some clarity to whats becoming more murky as I read.
Will probably try to optimize 4.4.2 1st before attempting your link (I'm hoping a couple of other posters on this thread can point me in the right direction - question forthcoming but could you clarify 'or flash a stock ftf and root it with towelroot'? Sorry for the noob question, but 'root after flash' and 'what specific stock ftf' has me lost. Thanks
---------- Post added at 08:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:09 PM ----------
Do you have a link to the method by which you optimize?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i installed 4.4.4 which is already optimized by sony. Antutu benchmark +2000 scores comparing to 4.4.2:victory:

Rootk1t said:
i installed 4.4.4 which is already optimized by sony. Antutu benchmark +2000 scores comparing to 4.4.2:victory:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You've given me even more homework, but I greatly appreciate the response
I currently have a stock (unlocked/unrooted) Tab Z and if I understood the 4.4.4 posts I've read, the best method to keep root(towelroot for 4.4.2+older) and files is install via OTA which requires an unlocked bootloader, which requires a code from Sony so.... a brief summary of steps to keep my unit as 'open/versatile' as possible here would be....
1:Get code from Sony
2:Unlock bootloader
3:Install Flashtool and root via towelroot (the order here is not important?)
4:Back up files
5:Install 4.4.4 via OTA
Done?
And then I'm left to be able to move back and/or install older firmware?
If this is a PITA to answer, I understand - appreciate any help

gmore1 said:
You've given me even more homework, but I greatly appreciate the response
I currently have a stock (unlocked/unrooted) Tab Z and if I understood the 4.4.4 posts I've read, the best method to keep root(towelroot for 4.4.2+older) and files is install via OTA which requires an unlocked bootloader, which requires a code from Sony so.... a brief summary of steps to keep my unit as 'open/versatile' as possible here would be....
1:Get code from Sony
2:Unlock bootloader
3:Install Flashtool and root via towelroot (the order here is not important?)
4:Back up files
5:Install 4.4.4 via OTA
Done?
And then I'm left to be able to move back and/or install older firmware?
If this is a PITA to answer, I understand - appreciate any help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Be AWARE !
Before unlocking bootloader BE SURE TO BACK UP YOUR TA PARTITION OR YOU WILL LOOSE DRM LICENCE KEYS FOREVER !!!
Google "Sony DRM TA backup" to find more information.

gmore1 said:
You've given me even more homework, but I greatly appreciate the response
I currently have a stock (unlocked/unrooted) Tab Z and if I understood the 4.4.4 posts I've read, the best method to keep root(towelroot for 4.4.2+older) and files is install via OTA which requires an unlocked bootloader, which requires a code from Sony so.... a brief summary of steps to keep my unit as 'open/versatile' as possible here would be....
1:Get code from Sony
2:Unlock bootloader
3:Install Flashtool and root via towelroot (the order here is not important?)
4:Back up files
5:Install 4.4.4 via OTA
Done?
And then I'm left to be able to move back and/or install older firmware?
If this is a PITA to answer, I understand - appreciate any help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no! no need to unlock bootloader to root device and get OTA.

Rootk1t said:
no! no need to unlock bootloader to root device and get OTA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GretaLewd said:
Be AWARE !
Before unlocking bootloader BE SURE TO BACK UP YOUR TA PARTITION OR YOU WILL LOOSE DRM LICENCE KEYS FOREVER !!!
Google "Sony DRM TA backup" to find more information.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK.
I won't be 'developing' anytime soon, so no need to unlock. I just thought in order to access anything newer than 4.4.2 OTA from Sony would require it.
Thank you both and sorry again for the ?'s, but this has been WAY more involved than the days of rooting my Photon
Will continue my research on OTA 4.4.4.
---------- Post added at 12:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:42 AM ----------
OK,
No 4.4.4 for SGP312 yet so I guess just be patient and make sure I'm rooted and backed up?
Any link for optimizing in the meantime still appreciated - many searches and I can't find anything.

gmore1 said:
No 4.4.4 for SGP312 yet so I guess just be patient and make sure I'm rooted and backed up?
Any link for optimizing in the meantime still appreciated - many searches and I can't find anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/xpe...oot-4-4-4-kitkat-sgp311-10-5-1-0-283-t2875885
http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-tablet-z/development/root-sp321-ftf-10-5-1-0-283-t2873377

Rootk1t said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/xpe...oot-4-4-4-kitkat-sgp311-10-5-1-0-283-t2875885
http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-tablet-z/development/root-sp321-ftf-10-5-1-0-283-t2873377
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK
I was aware of 4.4.4 via FT and PC, but based on a post I had read in another thread, thought only OTA would allow one to maintain root after 4.4.2...
I should have read further into that thread.
This should do it -Thanks again Rootk1t

Can I just clarify... in the first post, it says "On an SGP311 what you typically enable is the following..." Do I take it that should say disable, not enable?
I also noticed that I don't have B2bCustInstaller, but I do have B2bCertInstaller and B2bCustomSetupWizard. Are either of those two, the same as you mentioned?
This latest update (10.5.1.A.0.283) has introduced some annoyances with video playback, so I am trying to get rid of useless apps etc... in the hope that one of them clears things up.

LeeC22 said:
Can I just clarify... in the first post, it says "On an SGP311 what you typically enable is the following..." Do I take it that should say disable, not enable?
I also noticed that I don't have B2bCustInstaller, but I do have B2bCertInstaller and B2bCustomSetupWizard. Are either of those two, the same as you mentioned?
This latest update (10.5.1.A.0.283) has introduced some annoyances with video playback, so I am trying to get rid of useless apps etc... in the hope that one of them clears things up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1- Thanks for pointing out the typo. I fixed it in the text.
2- You don't see B2bCustInstaller because Sony disables it by default, but it is still in your system. Leave the other two apps be. They will be dormant.
3- What annoyances are you referring to? I may be able to help if you are more specific.

najoor said:
1- Thanks for pointing out the typo. I fixed it in the text.
2- You don't see B2bCustInstaller because Sony disables it by default, but it is still in your system. Leave the other two apps be. They will be dormant.
3- What annoyances are you referring to? I may be able to help if you are more specific.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My tablet is primarily a video playback device for the music videos I collect. Before this update, video playback was smooth, after this update, it's just not quite right. What makes me think it's the update, is that I use MX Player Pro, and the video playback isn't smooth in that either. The Sony Movies app is all over the place with playback. One update it's fine, next update it's bad, then it might be okay again, but this update it's just not quite right. It was during a bad period that I decided to get MX Player Pro, which seemed much better... but now it's suffering the same problem.
To most people, it would probably look fine, but as a graphic artist, I find I'm very susceptible to the slightest irregularity in playback. As it affected two players, I presumed that it was a background service or something that was affecting resources enough to affect video decoding.
I would also just like to say thanks for providing that list. My tablet used to take just over an hour to recharge 10% of the battery life back. In just over 6 hours last night, it recharged 80%. So that's a major plus point in my book, so thank you for your efforts. :good:

LeeC22 said:
My tablet is primarily a video playback device for the music videos I collect. Before this update, video playback was smooth, after this update, it's just not quite right. What makes me think it's the update, is that I use MX Player Pro, and the video playback isn't smooth in that either. The Sony Movies app is all over the place with playback. One update it's fine, next update it's bad, then it might be okay again, but this update it's just not quite right. It was during a bad period that I decided to get MX Player Pro, which seemed much better... but now it's suffering the same problem.
To most people, it would probably look fine, but as a graphic artist, I find I'm very susceptible to the slightest irregularity in playback. As it affected two players, I presumed that it was a background service or something that was affecting resources enough to affect video decoding.
I would also just like to say thanks for providing that list. My tablet used to take just over an hour to recharge 10% of the battery life back. In just over 6 hours last night, it recharged 80%. So that's a major plus point in my book, so thank you for your efforts. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure you can fix this by just disabling background processes. Sony's Kitkat release is slower at its core than 4.3 and that can be seen and quantified in an Antutu benchmark. Give it your best shot but your best bet is to downgrade to 4.3.

najoor said:
I'm not sure you can fix this by just disabling background processes. Sony's Kitkat release is slower at its core than 4.3 and that can be seen and quantified in an Antutu benchmark. Give it your best shot but your best bet is to downgrade to 4.3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right, I disabled loads of stuff last night, and the problem frustratingly remains.
I'd ideally downgrade to 4.2, because I think 4.3 is where Sony removed the screenshot option (before cunningly adding it back in 4.4 as a "new feature"), isn't it? I use that a lot, because my eyes aren't that good, and when you hit a website that blocks pinch-zooming, or you get an app that has text that is too small, like Google Earth, I frequently need to capture the screen and zoom in.
Of course, the problem with this solution is that downgrading to a specific rom version, for a specific version of the tablet, in a specific territory, is not that simple. I'll have to spend some time collecting the required files and instructions, then wait for a good day (mentally), to give it a go.

Sonys Bootloader Unlock Page Updated With Warning About Camera Performance

"Certain pre-loaded content on your device may also be inaccessible due to the removal of DRM security keys. For high-end devices running recent software versions, for instance Xperia Z3, the removal of DRM security keys may affect advanced camera functionality. For example, noise reduction algorithms might be removed, and performance when taking photos in low-light conditions might be affected. The secure user data partition may also become inaccessible, and you will not be able to get any more official software upgrades if you unlock the boot loader."
http://developer.sonymobile.com/unlockbootloader/unlock-yourboot-loader/
So there you go folks officially confirmed again to anybody in doubt.:good:

It would be nice to have an exploit so we can root, without losing those DRM keys.

NRG1975 said:
It would be nice to have an exploit so we can root, without losing those DRM keys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fingers crossed. This is such an awesome phone and even knowing this in advance, I would still buy the Z3 Compact over everything else because there's nothing on the market that comes close, IMO.

Bounty is available to unlock and keep functions
I'm sure this will help the cause: http://forum.xda-developers.com/z3-compact/general/bounty-root-unlocking-bootloader-method-t2940539

Oh well... I'll just wait one year or two before unlocking it, until then I'll try to survive with the intrusive apps

question: If I flash a custom rom, I will lose camera functionality anyways, right? What if I use a different camera-app? Does the Sony app produce the best pictures?
Hope you guys can help me out here

No, camera will still work. It's just the low lighting algorithm that's lost, which is meant to give better quality pictures in low light. I've rooted and personally don't see any difference in picture quality if flash is used.
Just to add... Since I've rooted i have deleted some built in Sony crap which freed up space and ram, to me... My phone feels faster and I'm sure battery is even better. Ive also installed viper4android which has greatly improved the sound on the phone. Definitely not regretting rooting but that's just my opinion.
Cheers

thanks for your reply. It is good to hear that there are people out there that have root and are happy with it. Personally, I will root as soon as I get the phone (which should be around monday).
I'm aware that the camera still works. I was just wondering if different camera apps produce different quality pictures (with and without root). In that case I wouldnt care about loosing DRM keys because I will probably install CyanogenMod anyway.

Is there any AOSP 5.0.X build signed by Sony? Which you can flash without unlocking the bootloader or something like that..
(I don't like modded roms, just the basic aosp builds).
I am asking this because I read here that aosp is available for this phone:
http://developer.sonymobile.com/knowledge-base/open-source/open-devices/latest-updates/
And I want to buy the next Z compact because I want a 720p small phone instead of a 1080p lesser big one.
But only if AOSP Android is available. (Since I've been using a Nexus for a few years)
Sent from my Nexus 5

thesebastian said:
Is there any AOSP 5.0.X build signed by Sony? Which you can flash without unlocking the bootloader or something like that..
(I don't like modded roms, just the basic aosp builds).
I am asking this because I read here that aosp is available for this phone:
http://developer.sonymobile.com/knowledge-base/open-source/open-devices/latest-updates/
And I want to buy the next Z compact because I want a 720p small phone instead of a 1080p lesser big one.
But only if AOSP Android is available. (Since I've been using a Nexus for a few years)
Sent from my Nexus 5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Shortt answer is no there is not an AOSP build signed ny Sony.
Youll need to unlock, if you really want stock. Sony's optimisations are useless on Aosp ROMs so if that's all you want to run then losing DRM keys is not a big issue unless you wanted to return to a Sony ROM.

5.1 Update coming early 2015

Just read on android pit.com
Our source has informed us that Android 5.1 will be launched by the end of February 2015, and a second, completely separate source that is also privy to important information regarding Android updates, confirmed it. Not only that, this is allegedly a rather large update with many interesting new features! See the changelog below:
Silent mode added after missing on Android 5.0
General improvements in system stability
Improved RAM management
Fixes for sudden app closures
Improved battery management
Excessive consumption of network devices when used Wi-Fi fixed
Issues with wireless connections fixed
Problems with Okay Google function solved
Notifications problems solved
Some sound problems experience by certain devices fixed
Other improvements and changes
Changes in the Material Design color palette (after users complaints, possibly for a higher version though)
So far there is no information about functions that it might bring, but we'll be sure to report on those as soon as we hear it.
Android 5.0 was a fantastic update, however it did bring its own list of issues, which we covered how to fix in our Android 5.0 Lollipop common problems and solutions article. That being said, Android 5.1 could get rid of many of the problems we saw here!
Android 6.0: let’s invent the ultimate Android OS
Android 5.0.1 Lollipop update: when will my device get it?

I wonder if that means ok Google will finally work with all aosp roms. I've tried the suggested fixes and the best I've been able to get is it works on any screen but not with screen off. Kind of defeats the purpose when you are trying to use it hands free while driving.

i'll believe it when i see it from Google...

kingston73 said:
I wonder if that means ok Google will finally work with all aosp roms. I've tried the suggested fixes and the best I've been able to get is it works on any screen but not with screen off. Kind of defeats the purpose when you are trying to use it hands free while driving.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only ROM I've seen that OK google works with screen off is sinless ROM, because its based off of googles IMG rather than aosp. Pretty solid ROM, you should give it a shot.

I'm really pumped for the Other improvements and changes. I've been wanting this feature for a long time.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

IDK?
Mr Ian B said:
Just read on android pit.com
Our source has informed us that Android 5.1 will be launched by the end of February 2015, and a second, completely separate source that is also privy to important information regarding Android updates, confirmed it. Not only that, this is allegedly a rather large update with many interesting new features! See the changelog below:
Silent mode added after missing on Android 5.0
General improvements in system stability
Improved RAM management
Fixes for sudden app closures
Improved battery management
Excessive consumption of network devices when used Wi-Fi fixed
Issues with wireless connections fixed
Problems with Okay Google function solved
Notifications problems solved
Some sound problems experience by certain devices fixed
Other improvements and changes
Changes in the Material Design color palette (after users complaints, possibly for a higher version though)
So far there is no information about functions that it might bring, but we'll be sure to report on those as soon as we hear it.
Android 5.0 was a fantastic update, however it did bring its own list of issues, which we covered how to fix in our Android 5.0 Lollipop common problems and solutions article. That being said, Android 5.1 could get rid of many of the problems we saw here!
Android 6.0: let’s invent the ultimate Android OS
Android 5.0.1 Lollipop update: when will my device get it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I can tell and this being my first Nexus device, development is rather slow. Also to me the whole lollipop android seems very unpolished and lack luster. So many fixed things that cannot be changed without a lot of people in this community doing a lot of work. Simple things like hiding navigation bar and being able to select what one wants on the navigation bar are sorely missing and should be standard on Android. No notification LED, what the ****, even my HTC HD2 had that working and available, in fact that phone was one of the easiest and most customizable phones I've ever owned.
There are so many seemingly standard and simple things that seem to have been left out and on top of that locking the bootloader from the get go just does not scream please feel free to customize me. I thought the Nexus would be a device that, like android would support open source and many wonderful improvements by community users. I don't know, but if I was not told this is a Nexus device, I would swear it was a branded phone of a much less expensive manufacturer. I will keep it until the next update, but if they don't add even the most basic features, and some open source customizations ability to it, I guess I will have to leave the fold. Yes, this phone did not make me a fan of any kind. Nice specs, but not utilized to their full potential and one of the worst experiences out of the box. Makes me appreciate the polish of Samsung, HTC, LG and others.

vvveith said:
As far as I can tell and this being my first Nexus device, development is rather slow. Also to me the whole lollipop android seems very unpolished and lack luster. So many fixed things that cannot be changed without a lot of people in this community doing a lot of work. Simple things like hiding navigation bar and being able to select what one wants on the navigation bar are sorely missing and should be standard on Android. No notification LED, what the ****, even my HTC HD2 had that working and available, in fact that phone was one of the easiest and most customizable phones I've ever owned.
There are so many seemingly standard and simple things that seem to have been left out and on top of that locking the bootloader from the get go just does not scream please feel free to customize me. I thought the Nexus would be a device that, like android would support open source and many wonderful improvements by community users. I don't know, but if I was not told this is a Nexus device, I would swear it was a branded phone of a much less expensive manufacturer. I will keep it until the next update, but if they don't add even the most basic features, and some open source customizations ability to it, I guess I will have to leave the fold. Yes, this phone did not make me a fan of any kind. Nice specs, but not utilized to their full potential and one of the worst experiences out of the box. Makes me appreciate the polish of Samsung, HTC, LG and others.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Slow amigo? We got root and ROMs and twrp all in less time than Samsung devices simply to get root.
Polish takes more than 1 month since hardware release. This device is brand spanking new on an entirely new and unfamiliar code base.

I had a note 4. It's a great phone feature wise however performance wise the nexus blows it out of the ball park. No lag whatsoever, i do hear the odd crackle from the speaker when starting it up and when the unlock/lock sound plays but that's it. Hope the sound improvements mentioned in the change log will address that. Looking forward to it.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

sweet that means I'll get 5.1 on my nexus 6 same time as I get 5.01

I hope this is true.

I'm hoping that the color palate change will add a darker material design. I always like the holo dark, and switching to the high contrast material design was pretty big. I like in google keyboard you can change it to dark material in the settings, but I'd like to see that on a stock ROM. (I'm waiting for a big ROM like CM, PA, Slim, or Omni to release stable, because I love the features, but I require ota )
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app

ignoring the fan boy post above yours.
l3uddz said:
I had a note 4. It's a great phone feature wise however performance wise the nexus blows it out of the ball park. No lag whatsoever, i do hear the odd crackle from the speaker when starting it up and when the unlock/lock sound plays but that's it. Hope the sound improvements mentioned in the change log will address that. Looking forward to it.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the crackle to, thought it was another feature. Just like the disabled LED. It also does that when it's been asleep for a while and someone calls. The ring tone is distorted until the phone? wakes. Let's hope? that many people here will work long and hard to make this phone? better.

mjs2011 said:
I'm really pumped for the Other improvements and changes. I've been wanting this feature for a long time.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol

vvveith said:
I have the crackle to, thought it was another feature. Just like the disabled LED. It also does that when it's been asleep for a while and someone calls. The ring tone is distorted until the phone? wakes. Let's hope? that many people here will work long and hard to make this phone? better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my completely uneducated opinion that sounds like a very solvable issue with audio processor priority.

i just want wifi calling....

vvveith said:
I have the crackle to, thought it was another feature. Just like the disabled LED. It also does that when it's been asleep for a while and someone calls. The ring tone is distorted until the phone�� wakes. Let's hope�� that many people here will work long and hard to make this phone�� better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is his post a fanboy post? It's literally spot on. The Nexus 6 is BRAND NEW. I mean, the phone went on pre-order late October and very few have been able to get their hands on one because of it's unavailability. Despite that, we have plenty of action going on in development. It seems like you haven't bothered to check.
Also, reading your posts lately on the forum, it seems like you 'ignore' everyone that disagrees with you. Then you call others 'fanboys'.
Anyone see a problem with that?

I would love to see official supported notification LED or improved ambient display. So I wanna have a recognizable notification method of i don´t stare permanently on my mobile and don´t have to pick up.

Jrmiller said:
i just want wifi calling....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use hangouts and hangouts dialer and Google voice.
Sent from my N6 via Tapatalk

Silent mode at long last.

jamcswain said:
I'm hoping that the color palate change will add a darker material design. I always like the holo dark, and switching to the high contrast material design was pretty big. I like in google keyboard you can change it to dark material in the settings, but I'd like to see that on a stock ROM. (I'm waiting for a big ROM like CM, PA, Slim, or Omni to release stable, because I love the features, but I require ota )
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems really odd that Google releases a dark version of android back in version 4.0 but uses LCDs on their reference phones, but now they release 5.0 with bright colors and use AMOLED. It seems it should have been reversed.

Questions about Cyanogen

I'm intrigued by these custom ROMS for the Galaxy S4, but I want to know what I'd be getting into if I used one.
What, if any, hardware features of the S4 would I be giving up? With the stock firmware, the phone can take temperature, humidity, and barometric readings. Are those sensors still enabled?
Are all the camera features in the stock ROM enabled, including panoramic camera?
Where do I find a list of bugs in the released ROM?

Robert3750 said:
I'm intrigued by these custom ROMS for the Galaxy S4, but I want to know what I'd be getting into if I used one.
What, if any, hardware features of the S4 would I be giving up? With the stock firmware, the phone can take temperature, humidity, and barometric readings. Are those sensors still enabled?
Are all the camera features in the stock ROM enabled, including panoramic camera?
Where do I find a list of bugs in the released ROM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sensors will always be installed since they're hardware feature but if software doesn't support it it won't work last time I tried it doesn't
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

Robert3750 said:
I'm intrigued by these custom ROMS for the Galaxy S4, but I want to know what I'd be getting into if I used one.
What, if any, hardware features of the S4 would I be giving up? With the stock firmware, the phone can take temperature, humidity, and barometric readings. Are those sensors still enabled?
Are all the camera features in the stock ROM enabled, including panoramic camera?
Where do I find a list of bugs in the released ROM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bugs can be found listed in the rom threads.
Unfortunately bugs can differ from user to user. So it's more of a trial and error process. You'll have to find a rom that appeals you, flash it and test for yourself.
In terms of features, you will be giving up the air gestures, the smart stay crap (which never worked for me), and Samsung's camera app.
The CM camera app isn't that advanced. It does have some features, but not as many as the Samsung camera app. And yes, it does have a panorama option.
I've never actually used any of those environmental readings sensors, nor have I seen anybody else mention anything about them in rom threads or in any rom review I saw.
You give up some stuff, but you also gain some stuff. There certainly is a performance improvement over stock firmware. Ram consumption is also lower (I generally have around 1.2 GB free ram), meaning you could do more multitasking.
If you rely on those Samsung features, then stay on the stock rom and just root it.

For me, custom ROMs nearly always beat stock roms, hands-down, and this has held true from my old ZTE blade (Orange San Francisco), two Galaxy S2s, and my S4, probably down to the greater level of user-input that goes into them, rather than the design-by-committee process that OEMs use to try & impose their brand over the vanilla Android os.
I only moved to this S4 (i9505) within the past month or so, so the experience is still quite fresh in my mind...
I agree with much of the advice of the "try it and see" variety, but I also understand that for some of us, we only have the one phone, so when you're using it as your daily device, you don't always fancy going on a magical mystery tour of trying out multiple roms, if it's likely you're just going to go back to the rom you got rid of, and have a massive task of putting everything back the way it was, having wasted a day of experimenting...
1) I hated the bloat that came with the Sammy rom - sure, there's a tool (debloater) that can block certain apps from running, and if rooted, can remove them from the phone - along with a "safe-list" of apps that you can safely remove without breaking any features of the phone.
The bloat isn't just a problem for OCD-esque reasons, these apps take up space, they can run at inopportune times, update themselves using your data, eat up clock time and generally get in the way of having a device that only does what you want it to, when you want it.
Most custom roms tend to give you a (mainly) clean slate to work from, allowing you to pick & choose the functionality you want by installing apps manually - so (like me for example) if you only want to access gmail through your web browser (just like you would on a PC), and don't want a half decade's worth of emails syncing between your device memory & the web, you don't end up with multiple email clients on the handset all clamoring to be by synced 24hrs a day...
Battery life is a MAJOR factor here - I saw a big improvement after debloating the stock rom, and even better since going to CM12.1....
2) Cyanogen (like most custom roms) give more options regarding features that the stock roms bake-in.
For example, heads-up notifications are screwy in the Sammy roms - I'd get a notification of an SMS received in the notification bar. I'd drag-down, double-tap it, but then I'd have to manually un-lock the screen before the SMS app popped-up and displayed the message. Some people hate heads-up notifications full-stop.
Seemingly minor features like these, that after a while begin to really bug you are often controllable in custom roms like CM, or just plain old implemented better, after real-life user input and advice has been given.
3) User control; It's silly how much additional control you can gain from a well thought out custom rom, and the popular ones tend to be well thought out (as they garner a lot of user-input).
For example, in CM you have a additional control over root access in the device settings, fine-tune the interface and gives more fine control over many aspects of the device that if you're used to the Sammy rom you'd think can't actually be accessed...
As to what you'd give up - other users have pointed that out.
All I can say is I'm quite demanding and I've found nothing that I can't do if I need it - for me it has only been a positive.
Some people say the CM camera is less sophisticated than the Sammy one - I personally prefer the simplicity; There's an abundance of high-end camera apps for those times you want to take a studio quality photo, with detailed light readings, composition aids, etc... But mostly when you're taking a quick phone-cam shot, the ease of use is the main factor (and who doesn't tweak their photos at home with photoshop anyhow?)
So a simplecam as the default and the option to go high-end later is for me, the better way round....
I know some of this has strayed slightly off the specific questions you asked, but having made the same change you're thinking of in the past few weeks, I thought that giving some food for thought might be appreciated... Hope it helps...

I very much appreciate the replies. This is the kind of help that's so valuable. Just to clarify something, if an app makes use of hardware features on the S4, it should work as well with the custom ROM as the stock ROM? My motivation in asking all this is that Southern California Metrolink introduced an app to buy train tickets, but it doesn't work with Android 4.4.4. So I want to upgrade. Thanks again.

Unless the app has root restrictions, it should work.
Changing to custom roms you would only lose most Samsung features, mostly because the touchwiz stuff needs the touchwiz framework to function.
That ticket app is not an exclusive thing. It also uses NFC I guess, or a QR scanner. So, as long as NFC or the Camera works you should be fine.
If worse comes to worse, you can always flash back the stock firmware.

New Xperia Project

Hey Folks,
I just ordered a XZ Premium yesterday, which will come till this Weekend. First Thing to do is updating and unlocking the Bootloader, before checking out how actual SONY Stock Firmware looks like nowadys (My last SONY was a Z3). After that comes the next important Step. Contributing to the XZ Premium Forums.
I'm not sure what will be better or makes more Sense. The Options are:
-A new AOSP based Project for Xperia Devices
-A new Stock ROM Project (Snappatch Xperia Stock Exclusive)
-A new Patch for a own AOSP based Project (Combing the first two Options somehow)
If You want to know what the Patch is, just check out My Signature where You will find the Link to My actual Thread. I'm just really happy to get a XZ Premium (Since i don't like the XZ2 and prefer the XZP Design over the XZ1 Design), and can't wait to work with it and share the Results with You! Let Me know what You think which is mostly needed or what would make the biggest difference (Upgrade) to Your Device...
BR

Miustone said:
Hey Folks,
I just ordered a XZ Premium yesterday, which will come till this Weekend. First Thing to do is updating and unlocking the Bootloader, before checking out how actual SONY Stock Firmware looks like nowadys (My last SONY was a Z3). After that comes the next important Step. Contributing to the XZ Premium Forums.
I'm not sure what will be better or makes more Sense. The Options are:
-A new AOSP based Project for Xperia Devices
-A new Stock ROM Project (Snappatch Xperia Stock Exclusive)
-A new Patch for a own AOSP based Project (Combing the first two Options somehow)
If You want to know what the Patch is, just check out My Signature where You will find the Link to My actual Thread. I'm just really happy to get a XZ Premium (Since i don't like the XZ2 and prefer the XZP Design over the XZ1 Design), and can't wait to work with it and share the Results with You! Let Me know what You think which is mostly needed or what would make the biggest difference (Upgrade) to Your Device...
BR
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I gotta say im very happy to hear that!
well most of the community here just want google camera working properly without losing drm keys and to have a native 4k screen option or 1080p/120hz hdr and all that stuff
so as i understood unlocking bootloader loses drm keys so flashing aosp roms with google camera doesnt make the camera better due to loss of drm (as noise reduction is lost along with the drm)
if its just possible a way to keep drm while having aosp that way we would have a God level of a camera, coming with 4k/1080p-120hz options that would do it! this phone would be the best for long time
but i guess its impossible to combine those features together which hurts me a lot knowing what potential this device has but cannot be used to the fullest...
any way thank you for joining in i love how developers here are very helpful and doing a great job
so to show my love to them im willing to donate cash to whoever makes a rom with all these features up and running, and there are other people too who are willing to do the same
so good luck dev <3 much love

madshark2009 said:
I gotta say im very happy to hear that!
well most of the community here just want google camera working properly without losing drm keys and to have a native 4k screen option or 1080p/120hz hdr and all that stuff
so as i understood unlocking bootloader loses drm keys so flashing aosp roms with google camera doesnt make the camera better due to loss of drm (as noise reduction is lost along with the drm)
if its just possible a way to keep drm while having aosp that way we would have a God level of a camera, coming with 4k/1080p-120hz options that would do it! this phone would be the best for long time
but i guess its impossible to combine those features together which hurts me a lot knowing what potential this device has but cannot be used to the fullest...
any way thank you for joining in i love how developers here are very helpful and doing a great job
so to show my love to them im willing to donate cash to whoever makes a rom with all these features up and running, and there are other people too who are willing to do the same
so good luck dev <3 much love
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the nice and quick response! As a ex Xperia Usera am i aware of the benefits and cons of unlocking the Bootloader. I remeber well how the Camera stopped working on the Z1 after unlocking the Bootloader and the lack the of Camera2 API. And it looks like it isn't much better these Days.
A thing i really miss here is the choice to have a locked Bootloader with at least Root to save the DRMs and to be able to use modified Stock. With My Patch would this End in endless Options and Ways of Optimizing/Customizing the Firmware without loosing any Features. But this is something i don't count on anymore (Android is a Fort Knox since Marshmallow/Nougat)...
How does it actually looks like on AOSP? The Camera works and has legacy Camera2 API Support? Lost Features are the Super Slow Motion Recording and Noise Reduction? The added 120Hz Mode and 4K / HDR Features seem to be there...!?
Well, i'm still not sure what to do. I see a lack of Stock ROMs on the Xperia Forums (I worked on this last Night but was unable to extract the sin Files), but i see also how AOSP has enhanced on Xperia Devices. We don't have treble Support on the XZ Premium but the XZ1 is already able to use Unified AOSP Builds and almost everything is working well thanks to the great Devs and of course SONY. And i'm sure AOSP will ever be a important alternative to Stock (Smaller, faster, fresher)...
So which Way should i go? I'm planning for Years to create a AOSP based close to Google Firmware like OS, but Stock is just looking great too on Xperias. And the DRM Fix is allowing to use all the Features on Stock for now!?
Hmm... Sorry for the many Questions! :angel:

first welcome..great to see devs have an interest in this device. I'm sure you will love it. only thing i would wish for is to have google camera work on it. as for custom roms ,not well versed in that scene,, its my first ever android device to still getting to grips with it.

kibet85 said:
first welcome..great to see devs have an interest in this device. I'm sure you will love it. only thing i would wish for is to have google camera work on it. as for custom roms ,not well versed in that scene,, its my first ever android device to still getting to grips with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks
Couldn't live without a unlocked Android anymore. Android User since around 8 Years here (Made some Holidays on iOS and Windows). And i'm glad to be back on Xperia. Hope You enjoy it as much as i do and will with the XZP But to understand that right, what's the actual Point with the Google Camera? I managed to gain some extra functionalities in the Past, but how does it actually looks like after installing the Stock Google Camera (Or even the Modded Ones)?
Is it full functional? Are the Pixel (2) Configs working? Differences between Stock and AOSP? Would love to take a look on the Camera Part overall. I want to shoot great Results with My new Baby so it's also important for Me...

Miustone said:
Thanks for the nice and quick response! As a ex Xperia Usera am i aware of the benefits and cons of unlocking the Bootloader. I remeber well how the Camera stopped working on the Z1 after unlocking the Bootloader and the lack the of Camera2 API. And it looks like it isn't much better these Days.
A thing i really miss here is the choice to have a locked Bootloader with at least Root to save the DRMs and to be able to use modified Stock. With My Patch would this End in endless Options and Ways of Optimizing/Customizing the Firmware without loosing any Features. But this is something i don't count on anymore (Android is a Fort Knox since Marshmallow/Nougat)...
How does it actually looks like on AOSP? The Camera works and has legacy Camera2 API Support? Lost Features are the Super Slow Motion Recording and Noise Reduction? The added 120Hz Mode and 4K / HDR Features seem to be there...!?
Well, i'm still not sure what to do. I see a lack of Stock ROMs on the Xperia Forums (I worked on this last Night but was unable to extract the sin Files), but i see also how AOSP has enhanced on Xperia Devices. We don't have treble Support on the XZ Premium but the XZ1 is already able to use Unified AOSP Builds and almost everything is working well thanks to the great Devs and of course SONY. And i'm sure AOSP will ever be a important alternative to Stock (Smaller, faster, fresher)...
So which Way should i go? I'm planning for Years to create a AOSP based close to Google Firmware like OS, but Stock is just looking great too on Xperias. And the DRM Fix is allowing to use all the Features on Stock for now!?
Hmm... Sorry for the many Questions! :angel:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats the thing, what I understood is aosp doesnt have legace camera2 API support, no super slow mo, no noise reduction (as drm is lost).
as for screen options 4k HDR or 1080p 120hz seem to show in options but people and devs say its not actually working, as after they choose an option and restart they claim to nothing changing.
these are the main reasons why people here hesitate unlocking the bootloader, as there is no camera2 API support on aosp so you get google camera but lose noise reduction and so many other camera features.
and there is no additional features that aosp give, neither of 4k nor 120hz work, so there is really no point of unlocking, if any thing its not just useless but also worsens...
and while still having drm, google camera has no support for max resolution (only 8mp) and does not have HDR+ option
so here to sum up:
2 thing that will make this community love you so much
1) fully working google camera while still having drm (or drm patch for that matter if its impossible to backup drm)
2) screen options of [email protected] or [email protected]
if you can do that in aosp build thats the best
if you can do it in stock based build, also great
but as I saw your snappatch rom it looks very nice but yet again, unless it has those 2 things, unlocking bootloader and going through this much trouble is useless in my opinion
so good luck bro I really appreciate your collaboration

Miustone said:
Thanks
Couldn't live without a unlocked Android anymore. Android User since around 8 Years here (Made some Holidays on iOS and Windows). And i'm glad to be back on Xperia. Hope You enjoy it as much as i do and will with the XZP But to understand that right, what's the actual Point with the Google Camera? I managed to gain some extra functionalities in the Past, but how does it actually looks like after installing the Stock Google Camera (Or even the Modded Ones)?
Is it full functional? Are the Pixel (2) Configs working? Differences between Stock and AOSP? Would love to take a look on the Camera Part overall. I want to shoot great Results with My new Baby so it's also important for Me...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the thing about google camera is in the HDR+ algorithm. its an incredibly easy way to produce some stunning photos. for HDR+ to work,, it needs the full camera2api and support of RAW images. currently, Sony use some kind of legacy camera2api and doesn't support RAW, So most ports are limited to 8mp and HDR+ doesn't work.

madshark2009 said:
thats the thing, what I understood is aosp doesnt have legace camera2 API support, no super slow mo, no noise reduction (as drm is lost).
as for screen options 4k HDR or 1080p 120hz seem to show in options but people and devs say its not actually working, as after they choose an option and restart they claim to nothing changing.
these are the main reasons why people here hesitate unlocking the bootloader, as there is no camera2 API support on aosp so you get google camera but lose noise reduction and so many other camera features.
and there is no additional features that aosp give, neither of 4k nor 120hz work, so there is really no point of unlocking, if any thing its not just useless but also worsens...
and while still having drm, google camera has no support for max resolution (only 8mp) and does not have HDR+ option
so here to sum up:
2 thing that will make this community love you so much
1) fully working google camera while still having drm (or drm patch for that matter if its impossible to backup drm)
2) screen options of [email protected] or [email protected]
if you can do that in aosp build thats the best
if you can do it in stock based build, also great
but as I saw your snappatch rom it looks very nice but yet again, unless it has those 2 things, unlocking bootloader and going through this much trouble is useless in my opinion
so good luck bro I really appreciate your collaboration
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
kibet85 said:
the thing about google camera is in the HDR+ algorithm. its an incredibly easy way to produce some stunning photos. for HDR+ to work,, it needs the full camera2api and support of RAW images. currently, Sony use some kind of legacy camera2api and doesn't support RAW, So most ports are limited to 8mp and HDR+ doesn't work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SONY really HAS to include Camera HAL3 in the Future... Looks like the XZ2 will have the same Issues, but i wonder how hard it can be to change the Software of the own produced Hardware!? The Xperia Cameras would be outstanding against Others running AOSP, but even with all the Developer Support are they missing this Important Point...
I really hope i can gain some nice Results on Stock, otherwise would i like to try out Porting the SONY Camera App(s) to AOSP (With working Noise Reduction) which would even without HAL3 Support end in better Results as without HAL3 on AOSP/Google Camera Apps. Could be something for Xperia Cross Device Development, but i don't know yet if this is even possible without Porting the half of the Xperia Stock Systems to AOSP...
Can't wait to get My Hands on the XZP... Checking the Shipping State all 10 Minutes
https://nolp.dhl.de/nextt-online-public/set_identcodes.do?lang=de&idc=JJD1405123613478
Bit worried about the coming Camera Quality but i'm looking forward to get the best out of our Devices! Treble would also be something nice to have... Has anyone checked the Partition Table of the XZ Premium to see if there is a chance for a Vendor Partition!?

I think if you create a stock based rom with ported xz2 features and native 4k, you are doing the best and it most be easier and more stable than a aosp.

Blackghosthm said:
I think if you create a stock based rom with ported xz2 features and native 4k, you are doing the best and it most be easier and more stable than a aosp.
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Click to collapse
Yeha, i was thinking about to deliver Stock again (Since SONY Stock is also really good except of the End of Support with Updates at any Point). But that means pretty Device Specific Work (Lot of Work). I could ease the Things on Stock up if i would deliver real Stock (Barely Debloated) flashable ZIPs for Xperia Devices besides doing the Snappatch for Xperia (Debloating, Adding, Root, Features, Google App Replacements, Mods and such).
I see there is also actually no alternative to this "Turbo ROM" i've taken a look on. And to be honestly, i don't see Me using this ROM. So a Stock Flashable with some Extra Features and deep going Optimizations from the Patch could be something great in My Eyes. I could also extend the Support with that up to other Xperia Devices like the XZ1 and XZ2 (If the need is there).
Let's see what i'm able to do after getting My new Baby. I'm full of Hopes that i rock this Device for all of us here :fingers-crossed:

madshark2009 said:
due to loss of drm (as noise reduction is lost
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Click to collapse
I used to run an old build of AOSP to test out the 120 hz feature (though it's bugged. Sony devs are aware of this and I filed an issue in their github). The noise reduction was albeit the same. AFAIK the pictures you take will just show a green picture if you don't have the drm keys (at least the fix). But the noise reduction is still quite the same. However, I did not test that completely, just from memory.
As for topic, I'd rather go stock. The google camera isn't really something I'm after, but that's just me. I'm slowly teaching myself how to port stuff from other phones, specifically the new XZ2. I'd rather have stock + your patch + xz2 goodies, maybe?

iArvee said:
I used to run an old build of AOSP to test out the 120 hz feature (though it's bugged. Sony devs are aware of this and I filed an issue in their github). The noise reduction was albeit the same. AFAIK the pictures you take will just show a green picture if you don't have the drm keys (at least the fix). But the noise reduction is still quite the same. However, I did not test that completely, just from memory.
As for topic, I'd rather go stock. The google camera isn't really something I'm after, but that's just me. I'm slowly teaching myself how to port stuff from other phones, specifically the new XZ2. I'd rather have stock + your patch + xz2 goodies, maybe?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yah in stock based the fix works good
But in aosp that doesnt work

iArvee said:
I used to run an old build of AOSP to test out the 120 hz feature (though it's bugged. Sony devs are aware of this and I filed an issue in their github). The noise reduction was albeit the same. AFAIK the pictures you take will just show a green picture if you don't have the drm keys (at least the fix). But the noise reduction is still quite the same. However, I did not test that completely, just from memory.
As for topic, I'd rather go stock. The google camera isn't really something I'm after, but that's just me. I'm slowly teaching myself how to port stuff from other phones, specifically the new XZ2. I'd rather have stock + your patch + xz2 goodies, maybe?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Getting XZ2 Features on the XZ Premium sounds Good to Me. Smart would be to integrate the Ported Content into the Patch so People can add it or just keep it Original with a untouched Stock Firmware (System+Boot). But i wonder...
madshark2009 said:
Yah in stock based the fix works good
But in aosp that doesnt work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does it mean that the Camera does not work without this DRM Fix (Which isn't TWRP flashable (Without a PC))?
And AOSP has a working Camera out of the Box but without Camera2 API and with Noisy Pictures!? Just want to make sure i got it right before flaming about the lack of a mobile DRM Fix (Which could be included in ROMs, or simple be a Flashable ZIP for on the go)
Something i don't want is the need for a PC after flashing anything. I test so often My changes with Clean Flashs over the Day that it would kill Me to use Windows with this DRM Fix over and over again >.<

When you wana fix drm keys on stock or stock based rom you need twrp+flashable kernel (you can find it in afs)+flashable magisk+drm fix flashable file thats all so quickly without pc.
Im do it all the time in all oreo firmware.

Blackghosthm said:
When you wana fix drm keys on stock or stock based rom you need twrp+flashable kernel (you can find it in afs)+flashable magisk+drm fix flashable file thats all so quickly without pc.
Im do it all the time in all oreo firmware.
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Click to collapse
So there no need for the XperiFix Tool all the Time? Can You give Me any Links to it? I don't see the need to include it into the ROMs itself, but i would really like to take a look on what it does (Especially since Magisk in involved somehow). Maybe is there a way to get the Noise Reduction on a AOSP Port of the SONY Camera App. Can't say anything about this yet...

Kernel link:https://androidfilehost.com/?fid=673791459329069491
Drm fix link:https://mega.nz/#!LRoFkSDA!bOsnRRE1gRpAZ0su-bZMfUjvMB7aRkLEc3V63bOuKnM
You dont need xperifix but if you flash stock rom with flashtool you need to flash twrp in fastboot and if you want twrp you can download it from here:https://dl.twrp.me/maple/twrp-3.2.1-0-maple.img.html

Blackghosthm said:
Kernel link:https://androidfilehost.com/?fid=673791459329069491
Drm fix link:https://mega.nz/#!LRoFkSDA!bOsnRRE1gRpAZ0su-bZMfUjvMB7aRkLEc3V63bOuKnM
You dont need xperifix but if you flash stock rom with flashtool you need to flash twrp in fastboot and if you want twrp you can download it from here:https://dl.twrp.me/maple/twrp-3.2.1-0-maple.img.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for sharing this with Me! Since this includes a Kernel am i wondering what's changed on the boot.img to get the Fix working. And it's dated on 2017 and still working on newer Firmwares?
I just extracted the latest G8414 .145 Firmware. Would be cool if i could Patch the kernel for the fix so that we can run the latest Kernel with it...

Yes it works,this is canbe good.

Miustone said:
So there no need for the XperiFix Tool all the Time? Can You give Me any Links to it? I don't see the need to include it into the ROMs itself, but i would really like to take a look on what it does (Especially since Magisk in involved somehow). Maybe is there a way to get the Noise Reduction on a AOSP Port of the SONY Camera App. Can't say anything about this yet...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes and no. On an old version of the hack, you can just flash the drmfix. However, on the new xperifix software, it seems to also change a few file attributes. Not really sure about that though.
Androplus' kernel (kernel.andro.plus) is always updated to the latest version. You can flash that and do the old method of the drmfix (flashing) instead of the xperifix. I've tried that before but it seems to not work. I probably missed a step anyways.

iArvee said:
Yes and no. On an old version of the hack, you can just flash the drmfix. However, on the new xperifix software, it seems to also change a few file attributes. Not really sure about that though.
Androplus' kernel (kernel.andro.plus) is always updated to the latest version. You can flash that and do the old method of the drmfix (flashing) instead of the xperifix. I've tried that before but it seems to not work. I probably missed a step anyways.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im tried androplus kernel and it doesn't fix drm keys.