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Hi guys,
Yesterday I hard bricked my GS4 trying to update it to marshmellow. The repair will cost $40 and this is after I spent $110 replacing the digitizer. I decided to give up on that device (It was getting a bit beat up anyway).
Walmart is currently selling the ATT version for $250. I bought it but now I am wondering if it is still worth the value now (late 2015). The S4 was starting to show its age especially with the bloatware which is why I was attempting to upgrade the OS. What better place to ask this than a forum full of tech geeks like me who have actually used the device!
So, what do you guys say? Is it worth it now to buy as a daily driver? What do you guys think of the cost? How is the custom rom community? I saw that Samsung EOLed it at 5.0 but what are the chances custom roms will keep going for a few more versions? I have just started to browse this section of xda. The S4 was a hassle especially if people accidentally upgraded it to Lollipop. I know I followed the directions to a T but I still go the hard brick so I am hesitant to attempt to mess around with a Samsung device again.
If anyone has experience with the S4, how is the experience compared to it?
Sorry if this stuff was recently asked, I just quickly browsed the front page of this section
I just got rid of s4 for note 3 also (got mine used £100) note is fantastic but I think you should read read and re read before jumping in. How did you hard brick s4 can you enter bootloader or recovery. As for note 3 I'm running phonesis 5.1.1 as primary and marshmallow test build as secondary rom.
Just get rooted and get a good backup (including efs) and you will be fine
I just really hated the bloatware on the s4 and I thought it really slowed the phone down. My S4 is completely unresponsive, When I plug it into my comp it reads it as an unknown qualcomm device. Do you feel like you could use the note 3 as a daily device for another year?
Yes most definitely nice speed boost from s4 2gb to 3gb makes everything that bit smoother. Stick note5 port on it
Well I don't know which version of S4 you had, but I had the Exynos version and believe me when I say this the software was diabolical, I don't rememeber what version of Android it was, probably KitKat 4.4.2, in any case there was no support for that phone, and had to sell it. Then that hatred of TouchWiz continued in me, and I moved to M7, then sold it in less than couple of months, then bought Moto X 2013, which I literally enjoyed for first two three months, until I realised how pathetic the display was, so sold it and then bought Note 3 last year November, and believe me when I say this, I absolutely love this phone. KitKat was excellent, and despite what people say about ofiicial Lollipop 5.0, I love it too, I don't find any bugs at all! Just wished Xposed was as good as it was on KK. Anyway, for me this phone is performing excellently on 5.0, and especially with Shinto kernel, super smooth.
So if you are not hell-bent with Marshmallow, can live with 5.0 TouchWiz LP, then yes, go on. I believe even with this iteration of Android this phone can run smooth for at least another 5-6 months. Then there are custom ROMs like you said. CM13 is already there, Android 6.0 and all that, I will never touch it, but you know if its your cup of tea, its there. There are Note 5 5.1.1 ports are there as well. Also there are two or three very good to great kernels out there. So I believe if you can live with a decent enough speced phone, then go on, but practically no, I don't think one should get a Note 3 at the end of 2015, especially when Note 4 is really cheap nowadays, and even Note 5 is becoming cheaper gradually, though I am not a fan of it.
I will probably keep using this phone until S7 is announced, then I will have glimpse whether Samsung will bring back user removable battery and IR blaster or not, and I will make my decision accordingly.
I'm guessing the chances of bootloader unlock are pretty slim. Chances for root maybe decent, but hard to say at this point in time.
The Verizon S6 was a little bit sad with the locked bootloader, but at least PingPong gave us root. Does anyone here know about PingPong and whether or not the creators of it will attempt to address root on the S7?
Maybe all the S5 owners that held out when the S6 released will have interest in the S7 and maybe we could get a bounty started for bootloader unlock. Or is the security so sound that it's not worth the effort because it's too hard to crack?
I already ordered the Verizon S7 Edge anyway, so I guess my fate is sealed.
Don't even count on it. If you're thinking about getting a Verizon model just assume it's locked for life.
If you care about rooting and unlocked bootloaders over hardware get a Nexus 6P. Consider ourselves lucky that the last few Nexus phones work on Verizon. If only Samsung had the balls to sale one universal unit running stock Android and unlocked bootloaders. I would kill for that phone.
It seems like it gets worse with each device Samsung releases. I do care about root, and custom roms are nice, but I like the Samsung hardware a lot, so I'm torn. If I had extra money, I'd get a Nexus 6P, but as it is, I got an S7 Edge for $192 spread out over 2 years if I so choose. That sexy hardware combined with a free $300 smart watch (Gear S2) for $8/mo versus Nexus 6P that I'd have to buy outright = tough choice, so I went with Samsung and am hoping it gets rooted. Until it gets root, I won't be able to use Tasker which affects my daily life, so I need to figure out an alternative to Tasker for what I'm using it for now. On the other hand, at least Samsung Pay will still work...quite a small and meaningless consolation.
The fact is, S6 got root which gives me hope that the S7 will, but I am okay without it....I guess. Man, I despise Samsung and Apple for this crap, but their hardware is so nice.
It's really not Samsung's fault, Verizon asked them too. It's usually not like that on T-mobile
Sent from my SM-G925V using Tapatalk
cdmoore74 said:
Don't even count on it. If you're thinking about getting a Verizon model just assume it's locked for life.
If you care about rooting and unlocked bootloaders over hardware get a Nexus 6P. Consider ourselves lucky that the last few Nexus phones work on Verizon. If only Samsung had the balls to sale one universal unit running stock Android and unlocked bootloaders. I would kill for that phone.
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This. If it weren't for Samsung pay, I would consider other phones. Samsung pay is seriously the killer feature in the US though.
Lets hope for the best, but I am guessing root only.
I can almost guarantee you that the S7 and Edge won't get even root. Many people don't care anymore as much as they used to because phones these days don't require root as much as they did before.
Honestly the only reason I would need it is to force uninstall all of the bloat, but we have Package Disabler for that which does almost the same thing except it doesn't free up the storage space.
Less than zero.
There will probably always be a root, just takes time and man power to do it.
Just like how Apple always tries to make their phone invulnerable to jailbreaking, but yet people always find a way.
True.. if there's enough intresting and a bounty I bet it could happen. Nothing is bullet proof. ...
Argyrus said:
There will probably always be a root, just takes time and man power to do it.
Just like how Apple always tries to make their phone invulnerable to jailbreaking, but yet people always find a way.
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Click to collapse
Sorry to burst your bubble but the past 2 generations of Verizon Samsung phones have yet to receive root. It is not going to happen with the implementations put in by Google to verify the system upon booting. The note 5 never saw root, the s6 only shortly saw root on early shipping firmware, and the Note 4 never saw root after KitKat. Just letting you know so that you don't get your hopes up.
You will have to have an unlocked bootloader from here on out unless something huge happens.
jal3223 said:
Sorry to burst your bubble but the past 2 generations of Verizon Samsung phones have yet to receive root. It is not going to happen with the implementations put in by Google to verify the system upon booting. The note 5 never saw root, the s6 only shortly saw root on early shipping firmware, and the Note 4 never saw root after KitKat. Just letting you know so that you don't get your hopes up.
You will have to have an unlocked bootloader from here on out unless something huge happens.
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Click to collapse
Past 2? I am sorry but my Galaxy S6 Edge has root..
I've rooted every phone I had until the DT2 and now my s7e. since I can now disable bloat and it not show up any longer I don't really miss root. And with the SD card storage isn't a problem.
Argyrus said:
Past 2? I am sorry but my Galaxy S6 Edge has root..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Argyrus said:
Past 2? I am sorry but my Galaxy S6 Edge has root..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, forgot to mention that one when I mentioned the S6. They both got root on the shipped firmware, but after it was patched no phone after that has gotten root. The note 5, or the edge plus. I'm not trying to be negative, I'm just really upset about the situation of the root possibilities of all the new locked down phones. I really wanted a Note 5 but it was also said to be basically impossible by the community so it saved me time and money. I was just trying to do the same for others.
jal3223 said:
Sorry, forgot to mention that one when I mentioned the S6. They both got root on the shipped firmware, but after it was patched no phone after that has gotten root. The note 5, or the edge plus. I'm not trying to be negative, I'm just really upset about the situation of the root possibilities of all the new locked down phones. I really wanted a Note 5 but it was also said to be basically impossible for the community so it saved me time and money. I was just trying to do the same for others.
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Click to collapse
It is not impossible, just many people don't want to spend the time to root the Verizon or AT&T, why would they if they can easily root and mod the ones with unlocked bootloaders.
Look at Apple, for example, they try really hard to make their phones hard to jailbreak, but yet people find ways to do it.
Argyrus said:
It is not impossible, just many people don't want to spend the time to root the Verizon or AT&T, why would they if they can easily root and mod the ones with unlocked bootloaders.
Look at Apple, for example, they try really hard to make their phones hard to jailbreak, but yet people find ways to do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ya there doesn't seem to be much effort put into Samsung + Verizon devices anymore. I can see why, like you mentioned about locked bootloaders, but there are large swaths of users in the US that really don't have the option to get unlocked Samsungs. Like in my entire state, we have to get Verizon unless we want sub-par coverage, and then it's AT&T with locked bootloader, too.
I'll just keep my fingers crossed but am doing okay without root so far (about 14 hours in with my S7Edge).
If you're a betting man these are the odds I'll give you:
Root 1:10
Update to N before S8 release 1:500
Unlocked bootloader 1:9999999999
Any development 1:99999999999
If we do get root there will also likely be a patch issued to remove the exploit.
Get used 6.0.1 and bloatware.
Speaking of bloatware did you notice the two square inches in the notification shade dedicated to quick connect? It's unremoveable.
We should put up a bounty, I'd definitely be willing to donate!
squallz506 said:
If you're a betting man these are the odds I'll give you:
Root 1:10
Update to N before S8 release 1:500
Unlocked bootloader 1:9999999999
Any development 1:99999999999
If we do get root there will also likely be a patch issued to remove the exploit.
Get used 6.0.1 and bloatware.
Speaking of bloatware did you notice the two square inches in the notification shade dedicated to quick connect? It's unremoveable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The quick connect is removable from the notifcations, you just have to press the arrow and then edit to turn it off.
squallz506 said:
If you're a betting man these are the odds I'll give you:
Root 1:10
Update to N before S8 release 1:500
Unlocked bootloader 1:9999999999
Any development 1:99999999999
If we do get root there will also likely be a patch issued to remove the exploit.
Get used 6.0.1 and bloatware.
Speaking of bloatware did you notice the two square inches in the notification shade dedicated to quick connect? It's unremoveable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Two ways to remove it, dropdown your notifications and edit the quick toggles. The option to turn off is at the bottom.
You can also disable the quickconnect app as well.
So today I switched over to the Galaxy Forever plan with sprint and will be receiving the S7 Edge in the next few days. My Note 4 was by far one of my favorite phones thanks to the amazing people in this section. ESPECIALLY @tx_dbs_tx!!!!! You my friend are one of the most amazing developers this site has. The Note 4 section is extremely lucky to have you. I hope to see you in the S7 Edge section one day soon because your work is some of the best. I will be keeping my Note 4 as I do own it. So if any devs need testing done feel free to PM me. I'm willing to test anything once I have my new S7. But I just want to say thank you to all the people who helped make the Note 4 an amazing phone. You guys are the real MVPs
Thanks for the kind words man. I have a feeling i will have my hands in the S7 guts fairly soon. I'm gonna build a new S7 port when I can get apktool working for samsung MM.
I have faith in our devs getting root. And maybe even a bootloader unlock from Samsung. There is an up roar about the locked bootloader and so many people returning their S7. Samsung almost has no choice.
I think it would have been better to wait for note 6 . I personally have used S6 edge and S6 for a few days and come back to Note 4. Maybe the s7 will be not as dissapointing as S6. Anyways enjoy your S7.
Strongly considered getting an S7 for the wife, but heard the battery was disappointingly mediocre on the Snapdragon S7 / S7 Edge
saw the s7 for the first time today...that is one sexy phone...just cant pull the trigger with root and lock bootloader.
My battery life & performance so far is amazing. Don't listen to all the reviews just yet. I think some people are just not fully using the phone to its potential. Loving it so far ?
Invisibility said:
My battery life & performance so far is amazing. Don't listen to all the reviews just yet. I think some people are just not fully using the phone to its potential. Loving it so far ?
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Click to collapse
That's promising. How does the battery life compare to the Note 4?
beezar said:
That's promising. How does the battery life compare to the Note 4?
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Click to collapse
Pretty good for me. I used package disabler to get rid of stupid bloat apps.
I also heard there's some other settings to disable to improve it more but haven't gotten around to that yet
So if i am reading right u said sprints s7 version has a locked bootloader hmm
Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk
They all do except international
Update on battery life
I've heard alot of negative posts about the locked boot loader so zero lemon battery was purchased and im going to hold onto my note 4 for a little longer
A friend of mine asked yesterday which phone I think he should upgrade to from the Note 3. Despite all of the newer editions from LG, HTC, and Samsung, I still feel that for power users the Note 4 is hands down the best Android phone ever made for Verizon.
The list of benefits for the Note 4 is plethora: Root. Unlock Bootloader. Replaceable battery. SD card support. MHL. USB on-the-go. IR blaster. Great ROM support up to MM. S-pen.Wireless charging option. Gorgeous screen. Incredibly durable build quality.
Unless I am mistaken, this combination of benefits is not available on any other Verizon phone.
Don't for get about the nexus 6. In my opinion that's the only device that can even come close to the newly rooted and BL unlockable N4! I had a nexus 6 and it's a bad ass device and fast as hell all around great phone. Only thing I didn't like was the N6 didn't have SD card slot, and N6 doesn't have type C plug,like the rest of the devices have. I only got the nexus 6 because I wanted root and the option to BL/unlock. Not being able to do that to the N4 at the time is what kept me away from it. Now I have the LG v10 (VZW) it's rooted but in my opinion that's all it's ever gonna get and I'm still on 5.1. MM doesn't have root yet for v10. I want a note 4 really really bad.
Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk
I had the v10. Nice phone. As is the G5. The ability to "learn" IR codes is great with LG.
I use the s-pen far too often, though. I sold it and got developers N4.
Retail N4 are quite cheap... temp root while unlocking bootloader is a pain but the result is fantastic!
I just recently had a warranty exchange and they offered me anything from a note 5 down and I had to go for the N4. With the bl unlocked, this is the device to have. I only wish more developers would return. Let's face it, the N5 wasn't a big improvement and only recently got root. Roms may be a long time coming. The n7 is right around the corner and rooting that will probably take a year or better. Roms are anyone's guess. Now I do want the n7 but only with root and roms. The N4 had both already and room to grow.
The few ROMS we have are quite good. I still use Jasmin and love it. CM13 coming along nicely.
I wouldnt say it's King of the Hill anymore but it's still better than 90% of all smartphones. The simple fact that it has a removable battery AND expandable storage is a rare and desirable combination.
I sold my note 4 DE before the retail was unlocked and tried the nexus 6p with project fi, and while the 6p is great, fi sucked compared to the verizon MVNO for coverage. Since the 6p doesn't have two radios, I couldn't get simultaneous voice and data using the vzw mvno on the 6p, so I have purchased a note 4 retail and converted it to DE and I'm a happy camper again
Truth is retail DE is better than true DE. You don't get the brightness slider and mic issues.
BinaryDemon said:
I wouldnt say it's King of the Hill anymore but it's still better than 90% of all smartphones. The simple fact that it has a removable battery AND expandable storage is a rare and desirable combination.
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Click to collapse
Root, unlocked bootloader, SD, battery, IR blaster, MHL video out, USB-OTG... can you show me what else offers that?
I just bought and unlocked bootloader on 2 note 4s and I am thinking I will agree that this will be the best because of its versatility for a long time. U forgot it also has quick charge and from what I've read works with the smart dock (which is great on its own). I'm going to sell one of them. I'm thinking it'll be worth at least 50-100 more on swappa work the unlocked bootloader. What do u think?
Quick charge and media dock for sure work. I use them often. Another unmentioned perk is the audio latency that allows the note 4 to be used with mics and guitar pickups. Never really advertised but great nonetheless.
Most ppl on swappa dont care about BL unlock...
Compared to the hardware specs of most of the recent flagships, the Note 4 holds up well.
Besides, mine is paid for.
Telemachus said:
Quick charge and media dock for sure work. I use them often. Another unmentioned perk is the audio latency that allows the note 4 to be used with mics and guitar pickups. Never really advertised but great nonetheless.
Most ppl on swappa dont care about BL unlock...
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Click to collapse
I upgraded from the Note 2.
Back in the day I pre-ordered three note 4's One DE and two Retails. I could never really sync them together because they were on different ROMs. Now that the retail is rooted I can clone them with TWRP so I always have a up and running back- up. I use them for business and security so a replaceable battery is essential. I can't be tied down to a battery charger. I go through three to five batteries every day. We need to erect a statue to beaups for unlocking the bootloader of the Verizon Note 4. He is almost like a god. Thanks a million.
doctor-cool said:
I upgraded from the Note 2.
Back in the day I pre-ordered three note 4's One DE and two Retails. I could never really sync them together because they were on different ROMs. Now that the retail is rooted I can clone them with TWRP so I always have a up and running back- up. I use them for business and security so a replaceable battery is essential. I can't be tied down to a battery charger. I go through three to five batteries every day. We need to erect a statue to beaups for unlocking the bootloader of the Verizon Note 4. He is almost like a god. Thanks a million.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, my DE doesn't work as well as my retail. Brightness slider issues on several ROMS and worse mics. Ppl cant understand me on speakerphone...
Telemachus said:
Unfortunately, my DE doesn't work as well as my retail. Brightness slider issues on several ROMS and worse mics. Ppl cant understand me on speakerphone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nothing wrong with my DE it is in mint condition. The screen brightness is week due to two years of use. One of my Retails is corrupted it lags. I rooted with Knox Security active and it got f-ed up but it's under Samsung factory warranty so I need to figure out how to make a claim.
Likely you just need a different kernal. Multisystem kernel fixed lagging for me.
Telemachus said:
Likely you just need a different kernal. Multisystem kernel fixed lagging for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
now that you mentioned it the multisystem kernel maybe what caused the problem now I may somehow need it. I'll give it another try. Thanks
doctor-cool said:
now that you mentioned it the multisystem kernel maybe what caused the problem now I may somehow need it. I'll give it another try. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
]please let us know your success as I have the same problem
Telemachus said:
Unfortunately, my DE doesn't work as well as my retail. Brightness slider issues on several ROMS and worse mics. Ppl cant understand me on speakerphone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take the plunge at least update your bootloader to BPA lollipop bootloader. Look up a YouTube video on how unlock the phone after you flash the retail firmware to get fimiliar with what you have to do. I had an issue with the first attempt after I rooted that it would bootloop. It required another flash of the retail firmware and I was good. I'm updated to cpd1 mm bootloader. I'm gonna find some good s7 ports eventually to work for our phone. I got you guys.
I did finally take the plunge and convert my DE into a retail.
With the coming and explosive goings of the Note 7, and the flop that was the Note 5, I still hold that the Note 4 is the King of Verizon Android phones.
With CM nougat builds, and great 6.0.1 Roms, the Note 4 offers more than any other phone on the market.
LG v20 is the only thing that comes close, but the lack of S-pen is a deal killer.
Long live the Note 4!!
Well I figured it was time to upgrade finally from my S5. Got the new S8.... and now my hand/thumb has to do yoga each time I want to pull the notifications bar down.... and I'm unsuccessful the majority of the time. The S8 is really just TOO tall and narrow.... The other issue I had with the S8 was the aspect ratio, wtf is up with 18.5 by 9 aspect ratio? All my videos and apps have black bars now!
These 2 issues, (phone too tall/narrow & aspect ratio) are why I'm debating going with the S7. I just got some hands on with it in the store and it feels a lot easier to get to that notification panel since the screen doesn't go all the way to the top. It's also a tad bit wider making it feel more sturdier. I have to say, I do not like the direction phones are going if they are going to be this tall and narrow to where you need TWO hands.
Anyway, coming to this forum I'm very glad to see the S7 community is thriving and root access appears to be very easy and there are a lot of dev support, including my favorite S5 rom, Stranglite. WOOOHOOO.
Does anyone know if there is suppose to be a new LG, Moto, or HTC around the corner I should wait for instead of going with the S7? I'm going to give the S8 a week to try, before turning it in for my S5 or the S7, so we'll see.
Considering I have know idea of any new flagship phones coming out I would go with the s7. It is a solid phone with no real drawbacks except the locked bootloader. That's why I recommend that you go with the G930F since I see that the bootloader will be unlocked anytime soon on the Us models.
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
Theroose said:
It is a solid phone with no real drawbacks except the locked bootloader. That's why I recommend that you go with the G930F since I see that the bootloader will be unlocked anytime soon on the Us models.
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as it can be rooted and I can flash roms, I'm okay with it. Thought the bootloaded needed to be unlocked for that to happen, guess not. I see a bunch of roms and root guides for the S7 in the dev forums below.
DFA1 said:
As long as it can be rooted and I can flash roms, I'm okay with it. Thought the bootloaded needed to be unlocked for that to happen, guess not. I see a bunch of roms and root guides for the S7 in the dev forums below.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I wouldn't call them full fledged ROMs considering they are just slightly modified stock firmware with some minor tweaks, but nothing compared to an actual custom Rom. There is also no custom recovery
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 12:10 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:08 AM ----------
Trust me get the international version. I regret my decision of getting the Verizon model on launch. It's been over a year and still no unlocked bootloader. Words can not explain my frustration.
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
You couldn't pay me enough to get the S8 for the reasons you quoted.
That being said...
There isn't a lot of custom ROM development for the S7 but don't let the fact that the ROMs available aren't full blown ROMs hold you back.
Stang5litre's ROM is highly customizable and has a ton of options. That and using FlashFire there isn't much you can't do with it. Granted, an unlocked bootloader would be great but it hasn't happened yet and it doesn't look good.
Another alternative for your S8, if you use Nova Launcher you can set a gesture (swipe down) to bring your notifications down but it will only work from the main screens of the phone.
Sent from a galaxy far far away
gadget! said:
Another alternative for your S8, if you use Nova Launcher you can set a gesture (swipe down) to bring your notifications down but it will only work from the main screens of the phone.
Sent from a galaxy far far away
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey now! That might work. I've purchased Nova a while ago, just hadn't used it in a long time. Still would have an issue with reaching the buttons once the notification bar is pulled down.
I am scared all future phones are going this tall/narrow way
My opinion probably isn't popular. If it were me, I would still get the s7 but I would not root it. I think the way the phone behaves with the fixes etc rooted make the device worse than stock. I've had this phone for coming up on a year and a half and second to my Sony z3v this is one of the best smoothest and fastest experiences I have had on a stock device. Just get the cheapest sim unlocked one you can get and flash the 930U firmware, and it can be used on every US carrier.
JediDru said:
My opinion probably isn't popular. If it were me, I would still get the s7 but I would not root it. I think the way the phone behaves with the fixes etc rooted make the device worse than stock. I've had this phone for coming up on a year and a half and second to my Sony z3v this is one of the best smoothest and fastest experiences I have had on a stock device. Just get the cheapest sim unlocked one you can get and flash the 930U firmware, and it can be used on every US carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My only downside to rooting is not being able to use android pay. The free apps, game trainers, and wifi teether make rooting worth it for me.
I'm not worried about unlocked carrier phones, Verizon had the best coverage here in the US. Now if the unlocked works overseas I'd be game, but aren't these phones all global anyway?
Sent from my SM-G950U using XDA-Developers Legacy app
I haven't rooted either. It just doesn't get anything extra for me, but I do miss using TiBu though. But, with most phones these days, they come with excellent backup software that backs up the data/settings of the apps so I can easily restore if I have to wipe the phone for any reason.
Went with S7 flat. So much happier with its design and form factor. I can use one hand to for everything again.
The S8 infinity screen is a waste, especially since 99% of people use cases that negate the infinity look/feature .
Sent from my SM-G930V using XDA-Developers Legacy app
SM-G930 series vs. S8
DFA1 said:
As long as it can be rooted and I can flash roms, I'm okay with it. Thought the bootloaded needed to be unlocked for that to happen, guess not. I see a bunch of roms and root guides for the S7 in the dev forums below.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unlocking the S7 series does not require root (this is especially true of the NA Snapdragon models) as there is actually a firmware switch right in the phone for this (OEM Unlock); once I unlocked via this switch, I started using U firmware (my particular phone is the unique-to-VZW gold SM-G930V model; however, it is running the May 17 SM-G930U firmware for the Tracfone S7; I switched to this firmware because I'm considering taking this S7 to Tracfone to replace my GNex which is there now). Rooting the phone is a separate process from unlocking it. The fact that the two ARE separate is what has driven folks buggy - we got used to having to do them at the same time. While you must have an unlocked phone to root it, you can unlock an S7 a lot easier than rooting it.