What are ROMs, Kernels and why are they useful? - Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Questions and Answers

Hi everyone, so I've recently entered the android world, I've had iOS basically for ever. I've been reading a little into this and on the features but can anyone explain me properly what are ROMs, Kernels? And why are they useful? If I'm satisfied with the looks of my s7e and with the functionalities, should I install another kernel/ROM? As far as I understand, should I be satisfied with both, the only thing that ROMs and kernel can do better is make it faster and use less battery? This is what I managed to gather from what I read but please do correct me if it's not so.
Thanks!

So there are really complex answers (Google those) and a really simple answers. Here they go.
ROMs are operating systems. Custom ROMs are created by other users, as opposed to stock ROMs which are created by the manufacturer of the phone. They replace the operating system on the phone with one with custom functionality. The custom functionality can be as simple as modified cosmetic stuff (themes, fonts), to highly modified functionality with added/removed functionality.
A kernel is a critical part of a ROM. Technically it provides the interface between the hardware and software -- it's the heart of the operating system. Modified kernels let you change things about how the hardware operates (overclocking, etc) that you simply can't do in software.
As you may have guessed, there are advantages and disadvantages to custom ROMs. You can modify functionality of your phone, possibly make it operate more to your liking, but you can also irreparably damage the phone if you don't do it properly.
Long story short, if you're happy with your phone, and you don't have any desire to get into the customization game, then don't worry about custom stuff. Leave that to the tinkerers.

Cinco5 said:
So there are really complex answers (Google those) and a really simple answers. Here they go.
ROMs are operating systems. Custom ROMs are created by other users, as opposed to stock ROMs which are created by the manufacturer of the phone. They replace the operating system on the phone with one with custom functionality. The custom functionality can be as simple as modified cosmetic stuff (themes, fonts), to highly modified functionality with added/removed functionality.
A kernel is a critical part of a ROM. Technically it provides the interface between the hardware and software -- it's the heart of the operating system. Modified kernels let you change things about how the hardware operates (overclocking, etc) that you simply can't do in software.
As you may have guessed, there are advantages and disadvantages to custom ROMs. You can modify functionality of your phone, possibly make it operate more to your liking, but you can also irreparably damage the phone if you don't do it properly.
Long story short, if you're happy with your phone, and you don't have any desire to get into the customization game, then don't worry about custom stuff. Leave that to the tinkerers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I actually enjoy the customisation game, I did download quite a few apps for that and I really like it right now. So in your opinion I should browse all of them being on the lookout for something, for some functionality that I'd like? Would you say that it'd be worth to download one just for the speed and better battery life?
I apologise for the specific questions but as I understand installing one does trip KNOX, the warranty is probably never going to actually be useful but better safe than sorry I guess thanks !

I am a bit of a noob in the android development scene. The last android phone i used was a HTC One M7. I rooted it and flashed multiple roms on it like Viper, MIUI, CM etc. It was quite a simple process once i watched all tutorials etc.
My query is why we havent seen any AOSP based rom developmwnt for s7 like a CM or a MIUI? Thank you for the reply.

A custom ROM on the S7 is basically the original operating system with extra features, they are all based on the "stock" firmware. If you take a look in the development section you'll notice some ROMs with heavier modifications, like debloated versions (with a lot of the system apps removed) or some with a lot of extras, like king ROM. The likes of renovate or superman are like the original ROM but with very few changes, and they might have some optimizations. If you're new to this stuff, and especially on the S7, it's not worth flashing a custom ROM. Stick with the stock firmware and root access if you wish it.

Related

[POLL] Which is the smoothest one?

I have been using Wolf's GB ROM for 10 days now.
It is not only really smoother than stock SE GB rom, but also so stable. Really, it was a child's play for me to install it (actually it was also my first custom ROM) just like using a stock rom..
Now,
I'm happy with this rom at the moment but i want to try a couple more roms. I'm a little bit obsessed about smoothness of the phone.
Which one would you chose as the smoothest if you have to?
Please answer the poll if you have tried at least two of them..
Further reviews, ups and downs and advices are accepted..
1. Wolfs TW Gingerbread ROM
2. Blue Sparks
3. VMOD V5
4. ThGo2
5. Cyanogenmod
First of all, you forgot T.E.A.M. ROM in the poll.
phobias1903 said:
Really, it was a child's play for me to install it (actually it was also my first custom ROM) just like using a stock rom..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the case with all custom ROMs, installing them is as simple as flashing one or two zips in recovery.
I find that installing a custom ROM is actually simpler than flashing stock with SEUS/PC Companion/FlashTool.
phobias1903 said:
Now,
I'm happy with this rom at the moment but i want to try a couple more roms. I'm a little bit obsessed about smoothness of the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my humble opinion, which is based on experience since I myself am working on tweaking stock SE ROM for the past 4 months or so, a stock-based ROM is, at the end of the day, a modified but still stock ROM.
Granted there are the popular "tweaks" which are basically scripts that run on startup to optimise mostly the internal Android task killer and/or some kernel parameters, etc. The very core of the ROM, in most, if not all, cases remains the same. That way, my advice is to find a ROM that combines an acceptable by your personal taste level of "smoothness" (which is a purely relevant term, as it cannot be measured accurately), graphical enviroment and features.
Each user will probably give you a different answer because user experience may differ due to countless factors (apps installed, general way and purpose of using the phone). Gamers would mostly prefer a "stripped" ROM with minimal apps to leave them with space and memory for intense gaming. IMers (people using the phone mainly to communicate by mail, SMS, instant-messaging) will most of the times not notice performance improvements between ROMs because said apps are generally light-weight.
For a totally different experience, for example, Cyanogen could very well be your answer.
It is by default much smoother to SE ROMs, alas there might be things missing or not working at all, along with certain inconveniences.
So, it all comes down to what you want to do with your phone and what you feel is better. As with everything in life, obsession is never a good thing. At the end of the day, you want to be using your phone and not flashing it and setting it up from scratch every other day, right? And, let me say, that a poll will never help you as much as flashing and using the ROMs yourself.
Good luck!
Agreed...
cyanogen is great because it uses minimal system resources. It is a nice light, basic alternative, and therefore is quite fast.
As usual Iris explained it so well that a further answer isn´t really neccesary
Just a few summarised words; When you prefer a ROm where everything is working choose a ROM based on stock because just there everything is working especially the camera. Just there you have the Sony Ericcson camera app where you have features that aren´t available in real Custom ROMS.
In this case I can recommend you T.E.A.M Rom. It is very fast, beautiful and the support is awesome. But yeah....Iris mentioned that, too
When your priority isn´t the camera but best battery life and smoothness I can recommend you Tatsuo´s CM7 ROM running with his own kernel.
And where is MIUI? I happy with this ROM
iridaki said:
First of all, you forgot T.E.A.M. ROM in the poll.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely!
iridaki said:
At the end of the day, you want to be using your phone and not flashing it and setting it up from scratch every other day, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uhm, ... wrong. I want to flash and set it up every other day, sometimes even 2-3 times a day
Admitted, my desire to flash is greatly reduced since I use T.E.A.M ROM. But FXP046 will be a definite go for me and hell, I LOVE to play with many different ROMs. I have to admit that I reduced the apps I always install to a minimum and only install more apps if I plan to stay a little longer (--> T.E.A.M).
So, seeing it from this point of view, I make the worst out of my smartphone because I rarely can use its full potential. But who cares, flashing is fun

[Q] Nexus 4 general questions/comments

Good day Android world. I am (sadly) a noob trying to (nervously, excitedly) step my game up with a new Nexus 4. I have played around with the stock ROM and my smartphone experience for the last week+ transitioning from an ancient blackberry. Below are my preliminary questions/views based on research that I am posing to the community. Many thanks for your help and patience!
- I want to embrace the customization experience and root/flash accordingly. I downloaded the N4 toolkit from dev 'mskip' and the instructions have been very clear. I am just waiting on the update to the toolkit once my donation posts before I plunge in. First basic question: if I root/tinker and then relock bootloader/flash stock ROM, is my warranty still intact? Can't Google detect some trace/fingerprint of my activity that they can use to void my warranty or does relocking/flashing stock really cover me? Has anyone had a warranty experience tested on this basis?
- Can I use the toolkit to do a full NANDROID backup of my device as-is before any root? It mentions an insecure boot image, but when I run the backup, the code says 'adbd can't be run on production builds.' Any suggestions? I doubt I will use my current phone state, but I would love to have the full backup available (just in case) before I wipe the device during rooting.
- My view on performance optimization based on research and N4 use is that I am probably good with the stock ROM, albeit perhaps deodexed and zipaligned (thanks Android wikia for those definitions!), though I get the impression that the Matr1x kernel will help me get more performance and bang for my buck on battery, since my only gripe thus far is battery as I lean on the cloud extensively for music (mediaserver hits my battery, though still secondary to screen). Does anyone think there is a better battery optimizing kernel than Matr1x?
- If I have a slightly modified stock ROM, i.e. deodexed and zipaligned, will Google still provide me with auto-updates to the ROM/OS on a timely basis as with the pure stock users?
- Do I download the custom/stock ROMs to my PC for all customization? Or can I do customization through the phone directly once root is achieved through an app like ROM Manager?
- It sounds like the phone is still faster on stock ROM rather than at least the CM10.1 option? Are there any other custom ROMs that are stable and allow a superior phone performance than the stock? As I said, I will likely keep stock for now because I believe Google has a good handle on their software, but would love to hear your thoughts.
- I am a little hesitant about the overclocking/undervolting that certain custom ROMs/kernels afford based on a couple threads I have read on long-term hardware impacts. The no-frills CPU option does seem reasonable with the Matr1x kernel though. Can anyone share a configuration (deep sleep, etc.) that they think works best for the N4 battery without compromising hardware integrity/durability? I will dig into this once I flash the Matr1x kernel
- Apps: I like Juice Defender, but my battery improvement on stock seems to have regressed a bit since I switched to Go Launcher EX. Is this the reason? Maybe the Switch widget?
Sorry this is so long. Thank you for your time and willingness to help!

[Q] Stock or custom?

Disclaimer: I know what is the best for me and what I want to use. Don't flame me for the title, first read it please.
Let's say we have two options:
1. Stock ROM with applications that add functionality and possibly run in the background, e.g. Power Toggles or Lightflow,
2. Custom ROM with built-in tweaks, like a quick-settings mod or some kind of LED customization.
So, my question is: which is better in terms of everything (available RAM, battery, etc)? Stock software with running apps or custom built-ROM with modifications to the source files? Or are they equal basically? I'd vote for option 2, but honestly, I have no idea, that's why I'm asking. Technical details are welcomed as well as personal opinions.
Pipusz said:
Disclaimer: I know what is the best for me and what I want to use. Don't flame me for the title, first read it please.
Let's say we have two options:
1. Stock ROM with applications that add functionality and possibly run in the background, e.g. Power Toggles or Lightflow,
2. Custom ROM with built-in tweaks, like a quick-settings mod or some kind of LED customization.
So, my question is: which is better in terms of everything (available RAM, battery, etc)? Stock software with running apps or custom built-ROM with modifications to the source files? Or are they equal basically? I'd vote for option 2, but honestly, I have no idea, that's why I'm asking. Technical details are welcomed as well as personal opinions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When speaking of Nexus device, there is no real difference between custom and stock in terms of official apps and bloatware, because of its vanilla (pure android) nature.
The main difference is the ability to control and modify more sides of your ROM. This can easily lead to better performance, battery, and so on because you can customize it by your needs and use.
The only reason, IMO, to stay on stock is if you want automatic updates, remain warrenty Etc. In terms of performance and such it is recommended to flash a custom ROM.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Why don't you just give it a try? They're free. Not like you can't go back.
zephiK said:
Why don't you just give it a try? They're free. Not like you can't go back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Meh, I'm happy with my current ROM, not trying anything. Just had too much time on the train to wonder
I take it you are speaking of approach. I prefer the first. Sure you can get more out of a custom rom, but it comes all at one time in a single flash and you might get things you don't want. I like customizing by installing apks, flashing mods, and applying themes. It is more enjoyable this way and I like the learning involved. Of course, this doesn't mean that I don't flash a custom rom now and then.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4
fernandezhjr said:
I take it you are speaking of approach. I prefer the first. Sure you can get more out of a custom rom, but it comes all at one time in a single flash and you might get things you don't want. I like customizing by installing apks, flashing mods, and applying themes. It is more enjoyable this way and I like the learning involved. Of course, this doesn't mean that I don't flash a custom rom now and then.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is true that custom ROM's bring things that maybe you don't want, but that's why we should search for the correct ROM. In my case, I hate all the Hybrid stuff, so I keep myself far away from ROM's with this, but on the other hand I like Halo and Expanded Desktop. These 3 features are from PA, but I know I don't want this. What should I do?. Look for ROM with these 2. In my case, was Carbon, also because it has AOKP Ribbons which I find pretty interesting.
I think there are not many options about mods and customizations in stock. There is a whole world of possibilities about apps, but certain things cannot be done with stock, so I prefer most of the time custom ROM. Right now I'm on pure AOSP 4.3 and I'm really enjoying the pure Android experience, although I miss some of the modifications of custom ROM's.
@Pipusz
I think myself: why bother to get like 10 apps to make something, when you can have them as part of system?.

Are custom rom's necessary.

OK a philosophical rant.
I've spent hours trying to decide which custom rom to install. Watched all the youtube videos went on all the developers web sites and read hundreds of pages of threads and yet nothing jumps out at me. I was asking myself why do I want a custom rom. So I went through a checklist of what roms offer
1. Remove bloatware - done that through titanium
2. Display customisations - I use sense and nova and various other gui apps that provide many options
3. Tweaks - I have exposed modules - sense 6, gravity box and xsense which give me all the tweaks I need
4. Speed - my phone's running very well.
5. Gestures - I use gmd gestures
Some roms offer hundreds of tweaks. In reality how often and how many would you change. Also while most roms are stable and bugs are fixable, there are many reports of problems and yes I know they do get fixed eventually but losing wifi, carrier access, reboots, bootloops etc can be disconcerting and a common question is how do I get back to stock rom.
I came to the conclusion that the only reason I wanted a custom rom was to see if I could load one and try it out. Seems like a lot of mucking about to achieve, in my case on this phone, very little.
Have i missed the point of roms?
I installed the Android Lollipop custom rom and it was nice. There were two bugs that I encountered and they were 1) no system r/w access and 2) I kept having to dismount and remount my sd card. I tried Cyanogenmod and while it was nice, I missed Blinkfeed.
It's a presonal preference, really. Everybody has their reason for what operating system they run on their phone. As for me, I like custom ROMs because I like to stay on the bleeding edge. If a new version of Android is released, you can guarantee there'll be a custom ROM for it within 1-2 weeks. Even when the OEM has stopped pushing out updates, custom ROMs give the ability to always stay on the bleeding edge. Also, some people dislike the Sense UI. Understandable, since it does slow the phone down just a bit. But really, it' just down to personal preference.
primed1 said:
It's a presonal preference, really. Everybody has their reason for what operating system they run on their phone. As for me, I like custom ROMs because I like to stay on the bleeding edge. If a new version of Android is released, you can guarantee there'll be a custom ROM for it within 1-2 weeks. Even when the OEM has stopped pushing out updates, custom ROMs give the ability to always stay on the bleeding edge. Also, some people dislike the Sense UI. Understandable, since it does slow the phone down just a bit. But really, it' just down to personal preference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe its a Windows vs Mac thing. Its funny you know that I'm an experienced computer teacher and on PCs I always stay up to date and I do like to be on the bleeding edge but when it comes to phones I feel differently but on my Samsung tablet I do have a custom rom. I'm not anti custom rom. Samsungs bloatware is ridiculous, touchwiz is awful and the tablet is very laggy. A custom rom here was absolutely necessary. Now it flies but on the htc one m8, I don't mind sense 6, speed is good and customisations are adequate.
Technically speaking they are not necessary. I prefer stock android to sense.
Also lollipop appears to be a game changer for exposed. It's uncertain the future of exposed.
I know my ROM of choice is miui although it can be a crap shoot to get a stable ROM to my liking so I usually use mi launcher
jbarr3 said:
OK a philosophical rant.
I've spent hours trying to decide which custom rom to install. Watched all the youtube videos went on all the developers web sites and read hundreds of pages of threads and yet nothing jumps out at me. I was asking myself why do I want a custom rom. So I went through a checklist of what roms offer
1. Remove bloatware - done that through titanium
2. Display customisations - I use sense and nova and various other gui apps that provide many options
3. Tweaks - I have exposed modules - sense 6, gravity box and xsense which give me all the tweaks I need
4. Speed - my phone's running very well.
5. Gestures - I use gmd gestures
Some roms offer hundreds of tweaks. In reality how often and how many would you change. Also while most roms are stable and bugs are fixable, there are many reports of problems and yes I know they do get fixed eventually but losing wifi, carrier access, reboots, bootloops etc can be disconcerting and a common question is how do I get back to stock rom.
I came to the conclusion that the only reason I wanted a custom rom was to see if I could load one and try it out. Seems like a lot of mucking about to achieve, in my case on this phone, very little.
Have i missed the point of roms?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once u try Xposed Module Xtended Settings (for Sense 6) u won't need a rom. It's ALMOST got more features than s6tb, xsense, htc one tweaker, gravity box,- ALL COMBINED AND THEN SOME THAT NONE OF EM CONTAIN.... Newest versions up on Play Store (Xposed report has older versions).... With this 1 single mod, I have no need for custom rom. Try it u WILL NOT regret it (or turn back either)
Are custom roms necessary? In my opinion yes they are.
1: some people prefer a pure android experience (me included)
2: some people want certain tweaks, apps, and settings
3: and the MOST important one! Faster updates, and longer device life.
What do i mean by device life? Newest android on phones that the manufacturer phased out. Look at the galaxy s3 running 4.4.4, or the galaxy nexus running 4.4.4 and probably 5.0 now. These devices stopped getting updates from their manufacturers but are still good usuable phones, preventing me from getting a new device.
This is why companies have been locking down bootloaders, to get you to buy a new device for new software when the one you own is perfectly good.
So it comes down to taste, preference, and android version.
jbarr3 said:
Have i missed the point of roms?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Xposed and all these apps which you are using came in very late if you compare them to when custom roms started popping up. Now, me for one prefer to have some of the functionality you use baked into my rom instead of me going to the play store and downloading an app to do so.
R4INS said:
Are custom roms necessary? In my opinion yes they are.
1: some people prefer a pure android experience (me included)
2: some people want certain tweaks, apps, and settings
3: and the MOST important one! Faster updates, and longer device life.
What do i mean by device life? Newest android on phones that the manufacturer phased out. Look at the galaxy s3 running 4.4.4, or the galaxy nexus running 4.4.4 and probably 5.0 now. These devices stopped getting updates from their manufacturers but are still good usuable phones, preventing me from getting a new device.
This is why companies have been locking down bootloaders, to get you to buy a new device for new software when the one you own is perfectly good.
So it comes down to taste, preference, and android version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which rom are you using then?
BTW In Australia we are bypassing 4.4.4 and going straight to 5.0. When I don't know (Jan. was mentioned) but I'll revisit roms when they match my firmware. The point about updates is a good one. I forgot about that.
jbarr3 said:
Which rom are you using then?
BTW In Australia we are bypassing 4.4.4 and going straight to 5.0. When I don't know (Jan. was mentioned) but I'll revisit roms when they match my firmware. The point about updates is a good one. I forgot about that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im running the google play edition 5.0 lollipop leak right now. Hoping the official google play 5.0 update comes this week. Kinda laggy. I tend to run cyanogenmod (cm11) so as soon as cm12 comes out ill be switching to that
R4INS said:
Im running the google play edition 5.0 lollipop leak right now. Hoping the official google play 5.0 update comes this week. Kinda laggy. I tend to run cyanogenmod (cm11) so as soon as cm12 comes out ill be switching to that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flash the antilag fix holyangel posted, it makes things usable imho. Its not 100% gone but its a whole lot better without the fix.
luigi90210 said:
Flash the antilag fix holyangel posted, it makes things usable imho. Its not 100% gone but its a whole lot better without the fix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah i have the tweaks all set. Also switched to nova launcher (ditching google now helps). I really only experience the most lag in chrome and keyboard. I could try a differrnt keyboard i guess but it matches so well.
R4INS said:
Yeah i have the tweaks all set. Also switched to nova launcher (ditching google now helps). I really only experience the most lag in chrome and keyboard. I could try a differrnt keyboard i guess but it matches so well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its funny you say that cause im only experiencing lag on google messanger. Everything else is smooth with the occasional hiccup once and a while.
To add my $0.02 to the topic, i feel custom roms in the sense like CM, AOKP, paranoid android, ect. are not necessary unless you have no way to get pure android on your device. Im running the leaked lollipop rom and im loving it aside from the minor lag issues im experiencing, i feel android has itself to a point where if you need to customize something, you have rooted apps that can do it, there isnt any need to have all these seperate apps baked into a rom when you will only use 1/3rd of the features, its just adding more bloat to what could be a pure aosp rom
luigi90210 said:
Its funny you say that cause im only experiencing lag on google messanger. Everything else is smooth with the occasional hiccup once and a while.
To add my $0.02 to the topic, i feel custom roms in the sense like CM, AOKP, paranoid android, ect. are not necessary unless you have no way to get pure android on your device. Im running the leaked lollipop rom and im loving it aside from the minor lag issues im experiencing, i feel android has itself to a point where if you need to customize something, you have rooted apps that can do it, there isnt any need to have all these seperate apps baked into a rom when you will only use 1/3rd of the features, its just adding more bloat to what could be a pure aosp rom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I do agree, that the feel of stock AOSP is unbeatable, I don't think that AOSP ROMs like CyanogenMod and Paranoid Android are completely useless. They have some features that you can't simply add with an Xposed module, or some root app. Take CM's theme manager, for example. I honestly don't know what I'd do without the theme manager. And Paranoid Android's Hover feature? (Which I guess with Lollipop's floating mode, is now useless), but in KitKat, it was revolutionary. And I'm sure they'll continue to add new, unbeatable features in Lollipop, too. And until they stop adding new features, I don't think it's likely that I'll stop using them.
primed1 said:
While I do agree, that the feel of stock AOSP is unbeatable, I don't think that AOSP ROMs like CyanogenMod and Paranoid Android are completely useless. They have some features that you can't simply add with an Xposed module, or some root app. Take CM's theme manager, for example. I honestly don't know what I'd do without the theme manager. And Paranoid Android's Hover feature? (Which I guess with Lollipop's floating mode, is now useless), but in KitKat, it was revolutionary. And I'm sure they'll continue to add new, unbeatable features in Lollipop, too. And until they stop adding new features, I don't think it's likely that I'll stop using them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hover can be used via gravity box, wanam, and other tool boxes like it, themer however is unique to android but for a user like me who stays with stock themes that feature is moot.
With xposed not working on lollipop i can see where having a feature hardcoded into a rom would be good but thats only if xposed is broken forever.
Thats my $0.02 on the subject though, i personally find no need to run a custom rom on my HTC One M8, lollipop has all the features i use and i only need root to manage my kernel, files(root explorer), sound control, and an app like greenify that forces apps to shut down when not in use to gelp battery life.
bdizzle1686 said:
Once u try Xposed Module Xtended Settings (for Sense 6) u won't need a rom. It's ALMOST got more features than s6tb, xsense, htc one tweaker, gravity box,- ALL COMBINED AND THEN SOME THAT NONE OF EM CONTAIN.... Newest versions up on Play Store (Xposed report has older versions).... With this 1 single mod, I have no need for custom rom. Try it u WILL NOT regret it (or turn back either)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just installed this and your right, its very good but it is missing a couple of my favourite tweaks from my xsense, sense 6 toolbox and gravity box. Using all of these gives all the tweaks you could possibly want,
primed1 said:
While I do agree, that the feel of stock AOSP is unbeatable, I don't think that AOSP ROMs like CyanogenMod and Paranoid Android are completely useless. They have some features that you can't simply add with an Xposed module, or some root app. Take CM's theme manager, for example. I honestly don't know what I'd do without the theme manager. And Paranoid Android's Hover feature? (Which I guess with Lollipop's floating mode, is now useless), but in KitKat, it was revolutionary. And I'm sure they'll continue to add new, unbeatable features in Lollipop, too. And until they stop adding new features, I don't think it's likely that I'll stop using them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CM theme Manager based on T-Mobile theme engine is used by RichmondoUK in his xposed module too
A custom rom is a great thing but not necessary. I wish i had a custom rom on my m8, but since is almost certain that i can't s-off it, i don't wanna risk not been able to update the firmware or to lose wifi or network signal if i upgrade to a rom based on newer firmware. So i'll keep it stock at least until lollipop comes.
I`d like to add something,
Before knowing that GREAT invention called "XPOSED" , custom roms were a must for me and I assume for every android maniac like me. But now things are totally different , with XPOSED u can have customize ur stock rom in all ways . And thus u get all the benefits of both stock roms "stable bug free" and custom roms at the same time. Guys we shud really thank Mr. XPOSED inventor whoever he is. :good::good:
Jabber Abdullah said:
Before knowing that GREAT invention called "XPOSED" , custom roms were a must for me and I assume for every android maniac like me. But now things are totally different , with XPOSED u can have customize ur stock rom in all ways . And thus u get all the benefits of both stock roms "stable bug free" and custom roms at the same time. Guys we shud really thank Mr. XPOSED inventor whoever he is. :good::good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see everyone talking about Xposed.
Given it's uncertain future in Android 5 I'm afraid for the foreseeable you are going to want baked in features on custom ROMs.
I personally cannot wait to see what themers can do with Android 5.0 in the CM theme engine.
Like others I am also waiting for CM12 as it always just feels more snappy than stock.

Do you have Stock or Custom Rom?

Do you have Stock or Custom Rom and why?
The vendor firmware landscape has been increasingly adequate for quite some time, providing multiple viable options for a satisfactory mobile experience - buying a device with the intention to separate from its out of the box experience as much as possible no longer makes a compelling case against the unique, and sometimes identity-forming, features provided as stock.
During earlier years, Android, and mobile firmware in general, was controlled by regulations and risks while expanding an entirely new platform. There is no alternative otherwise, and anything less conservative would border reckless abandon.
This paved the way for many enthusiasts under no control to have immersed themselves into the technology like the career engineers and developers were doing, but with the nearly full freedom to test ambitious ideas and solutions unlike their professional peers, who were often limited to free time and with no expectation of something even as simple as maintaining a message board OP exploring those ideas.
This allowed many of those ideas to manifest and be thoroughly tested by many and with an unmatched diversity of real-world usages and trending philosophies. This is when many projects helped form several of the early features unique to the Android platform, absorbing a substantial portion of the risks without fear of retribution, allowing the vendors to devote more time to polish and fine-tuning and less time devoted to brainstorming ideas and risk scenarios.
This afforded the hobbyists a custom platform having quite the head start and that could distance itself from the vendor experience in features, accessibility, and form.
Custom rom's had a different identity then than custom rom's do now, and that is with good reason as well.
Ignoring the few debatable exceptions, custom rom's are currently little more than variations or slight modifications of vendor firmware or AOSP. I exclude CM/LOS simply because CM was among the hobbyists described earlier.
With the feature gap as narrow as it currently is with Mr. Rom Dev and Mr. Lead Software Engineer, the professionals now enjoy an edge with often unlimited resources available providing an experience that is hard to match or exceed with limited time and resources, so users today understandably gravitate towards the familiar vendor experience with a manageable number of features or tweaks.
Of course, even in a market of no stock, consumer demand still determines the custom software landscape.
The benefit today is that ideas and solutions require an extraordinary amount of ingenuity and progressive thinking to stand out and enjoy active development for more than six months. The breakthroughs are far fewer but they are also more impactful in pushing the platform forward.
Having said all that, my purpose for exclusive use of vendor firmware is for hobbyist development reasons. I see no benefit a custom rom would provide for development. I mean, if it works, great. But, if it works only because of the rom, you have essentially prepared something to share among a fraction of one device's users.
If something fails to implement into the vendor firmware, I move on to something else. If it works great for some custom rom's, "Cool, man!", if not, a user has the choice to use the only firmware a developer could logically assume is in use.
So, put gh down for Stock! :good:
Yes, but with custom rom you can have better battery stats. You can also have fewer google apps.. And many more.
I use xXx NoLimits: a stock-based custom ROM. It meets all of my needs. Therefore, I have no reasons to try anything else.
lazostat said:
Yes, but with custom rom you can have better battery stats. You can also have fewer google apps.. And many more.
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I'm getting 10-12 hours of screen on time and idle time is about .3-.6% drain let hour on stock on OOS. There isn't anything custom out there giving anything better.
Eric214 said:
I'm getting 10-12 hours of screen on time and idle time is about .3-.6% drain let hour on stock on OOS. There isn't anything custom out there giving anything better.
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This.
Getting 10-11h SoT every cycle with stock ROM. Got 11ish hours the other day with almost 3 full days without charging.
Haven't seen anything better or much better then THIS.
lazostat said:
Yes, but with custom rom you can have better battery stats. You can also have fewer google apps.. And many more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stock firmware does not necessarily need to remain "untouched".
Perhaps, a more accurate answer would be that my preference for a foundation on which to tailor to my specific needs is the stock OxygenOS firmware. It is certainly rare for users with root access to refrain from making a single change to the installed rom, be it custom or stock. :good:
With this phone it is the first time I've had to come to accept that stock is king, no custom rom compares to it, I've tried them all (yes this is subjective). Stock + a custom kernel + viper4arise and off I go.
I dont know if you count it as stock or custom since it is both but i use HydrogenOS and my own modification of its stock kernel. Im used to 9 hours SoT+ with .2% standby drain per hour. No performance sacrificed. Ill vote in the poll once u verify which u factor hydrogen os as.
tWoBrO said:
This.
Getting 10-11h SoT every cycle with stock ROM. Got 11ish hours the other day with almost 3 full days without charging.
Haven't seen anything better or much better then THIS.
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ok can you provide more insight? how you get it done......i average about 4-5.5 hours sot over two days........idle drain at1.33 and active at 12.55.
How I get it done? Everyone uses the phone differently, have different apps installed, etc.
Last few days I have used Wi-Fi 99% of the time, always on, Facebook, IG, Tapatalk (a lot), Gmail, Movies HD (a lot), Terrarium-tv (a lot), YouTube, a couple calls and sms here and there, but not much, Messenger, Chrome and app-like-Spotify with bluetooth on the car. I turn on location and bluetooth only when I need it.
Auto brightness is on, always on the low side, dark theme on, turned off vibration on touch (because of the double vibration bug in Oreo), turned vibration of on keyboard touch too (have sound on instead, I like the type writer sound when I type).
Let me see, I do have privacy fix module and sysconfig patcher installed on Magisk. This last one might gave you a boost in battery, but to be honest I don't even know if it actually works.
I would say that having a dark theme, screen brightness on the low side, and not having EVERYTHING turned on all the time are what makes the difference for me. I'm sure if I have bluetooth and location on, for example, all the time, when not needed it, it will cut a my time quite a bit.
Oh, I have notice that talking on the phone takes a lot battery. I don't talk that much on the phone, just those quick 30s-5m calls to ask a quick question or whatever.
I had great battery life out of the box with Nougat, but Oreo really made a huge difference. I'm talking about 2-3h of SoT on Oreo compared to Nougat.
Stock atw and ftw!
Finn the moment the phone I get breathes it's getting a custom ROM.
Always.
For a device like OnePlus 5, a custom ROM isn't really needed since the stock ROM is pretty much debloated and already offers a bunch of features.
Custom ROMs still offer many more features than any stock ROM though. They also get faster updates and for far longer. By the time OnePlus stopped providing updates to this device, custom ROMs will still be updated most probably.
I haven't flashed any custom ROM yet because the stock ROM has almost everything I need. The main reason I flashed ROMs was performance. The OnePlus 5 isn't lacking in this area.
Pure fusion, the Nougat version. It's the smoothest of all ROMs that I tried, has lots of settings and supports stock camera.
Codename Phoenix. Oreo 8.1, Very few bugs and for me a lot better than Stock. From the same dev making Pure Fusion.
CT-CRC said:
With this phone it is the first time I've had to come to accept that stock is king, no custom rom compares to it, I've tried them all (yes this is subjective). Stock + a custom kernel + viper4arise and off I go.
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Click to collapse
How a custom kernel can help? I installed bluspark but i dont see additional settings.. How to make us of it?
CT-CRC said:
With this phone it is the first time I've had to come to accept that stock is king, no custom rom compares to it, I've tried them all (yes this is subjective). Stock + a custom kernel + viper4arise and off I go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Totally subjective and IMHO completely not true, you are hindered without root and without the ability to alter your phone in a positive way, not only for longevity of battery life but also in regards to performance, stability and stamina.
Stock does not compare to custom in any way for me.
Optimized custom rom could be great when the device is old, and no more supported.
Also, back in the days, let say with Gingerbread 2.3.x, not much nice/modded feature were present. Now, from what I can see, stock roms got almost everything.
OP5 is so fast rigt now, even if stock is heavier, we won't see much difference with a lighter rom.
But looking forward for custom roms in 2-3 years.

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