Database Users

G3 Vs G4, what is the best?

Hi Guys,
I just bought a Italian S200 but it is SPL 2.09.0000 (so I think G3).
I have the chance to take it back to the shop and try to buy another one (maybe G4).
What is the best thing to do?
Is better have a G4 or G3?
Thanks!!!

G3/G4 specifies the type of DOC (DiskOnChip) flash memory installed in the phone. I have had experience with both as my JAMin originally had a G3 DOC but got a G4 DOC as part of main-board replacement. From the user's point of view it makes no difference which type is installed. For the more curious "hacker" it makes some difference as a phone with the G4 flash memory complicates life a bit with regards to unlocking, downgrading etc.

Thanks!!!
But if all the new models have an G4, this means that in the future the last roms will be only for that DOC (DiskOnChip)?

and what's better?
thx.....

digifan, it depends on what you want - the latest - or - the most hackable. G3 seems to be the most hackable from what I can tell.

TheBrit said:
digifan, it depends on what you want - the latest - or - the most hackable. G3 seems to be the most hackable from what I can tell.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so G3 is easy to update rom or do anything, isn't it ?
thanks, TheBrit

A few questions about the phone

Hi,
My questions are:
1 - Does any variant of the phone have NFC?
2 - I read that some people have issues with their GPS? Is that a manufacturing defect and only present in random units?
3 - Does anybody know how to reflash stock ROM for harpia? Because somebody might want to reflash stock ROM for some reason (not restore from TWRP backup), but wouldn't know how. I don't own the phone yet, but I am planning on buying it, so a guide would be useful to be made if somebody knows how to do it and is willing to make one as a seperate thread
Thanks in advance!

if you looking to buy, please wait for g5 play.

lazydesi said:
if you looking to buy, please wait for g5 play.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why though? I think the G4 play is a great phone, not gonna use it for things like heavy gaming after all.

lazydesi said:
if you looking to buy, please wait for g5 play.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why? What differences will there be?

proudlytm said:
Why though? I think the G4 play is a great phone, not gonna use it for things like heavy gaming after all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
screen will be 1080p
sd 430 chip
releases with nougat ( may get android O support)
will come with updated gps

I can quick whip up a guide soon on how to restore to the stock rom, I've done it several times before. Also, one perk to potentially waiting for the G5 to be released is it might drop the price of the G4 Play a small bit making it a better deal. Also most light casual gaming is very smooth, things such as Alto's Adventure, Dots, etc. I personally recommend it, mainly due to seeing how development is starting to pick up nicely (big thanks to all the debs too). Heck, the 2013 Falcon model of the Moto G is still getting a decent bit of Nougat roms, and it launched with Jellybean on it when I owned one

fireball0093 said:
I can quick whip up a guide soon on how to restore to the stock rom, I've done it several times before. Also, one perk to potentially waiting for the G5 to be released is it might drop the price of the G4 Play a small bit making it a better deal. Also most light casual gaming is very smooth, things such as Alto's Adventure, Dots, etc. I personally recommend it, mainly due to seeing how development is starting to pick up nicely (big thanks to all the debs too). Heck, the 2013 Falcon model of the Moto G is still getting a decent bit of Nougat roms, and it launched with Jellybean on it when I owned one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's great! :good:
About the price dropping of G4, that doesn't really bother me, because I just want to buy the phone ASAP to stop using my old replacement phone! I also like the fact that the phone has official Lineage ROM status
I've watched some videos of gaming on the phone and the frame rates look high enough! :good:
Do you have any information about the GPS problem some people are complaining about? Do you have any personal experience with it?

proudlytm said:
That's great! :good:
About the price dropping of G4, that doesn't really bother me, because I just want to buy the phone ASAP to stop using my old replacement phone! I also like the fact that the phone has official Lineage ROM status
I've watched some videos of gaming on the phone and the frame rates look high enough! :good:
Do you have any information about the GPS problem some people are complaining about? Do you have any personal experience with it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just got the guide completed, here's the link for anyone who wants it. Make sure you don't get the Amazon or Verizon variant because currently I don't think there are any methods of unlocking the bootloader right now. I don't have an problems with my GPS signal, it seems there must just be the occasional bad unit.

proudlytm said:
Do you have any information about the GPS problem some people are complaining about? Do you have any personal experience with it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A lot of phones are shipping with GLONASS disabled on the GPS chip. That's why the GPS sucks outright. This is Lenovo's problem and they themselves have no idea how to fix it. So far, I've only heard of a Moto G5 and G5 Plus (no play edition), but if Lenovo makes the same mistake, they'll run the entire product line into the ground.

mkollersms said:
A lot of phones are shipping with GLONASS disabled on the GPS chip. That's why the GPS sucks outright. This is Lenovo's problem and they themselves have no idea how to fix it. So far, I've only heard of a Moto G5 and G5 Plus (no play edition), but if Lenovo makes the same mistake, they'll run the entire product line into the ground.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see.. Well, hope I don't happen on such unit..

fireball0093 said:
Just got the guide completed, here's the link for anyone who wants it. Make sure you don't get the Amazon or Verizon variant because currently I don't think there are any methods of unlocking the bootloader right now. I don't have an problems with my GPS signal, it seems there must just be the occasional bad unit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much for this. I really haven't been hesitant in the past but with this phone I'm a bit worried to dive right in.. This should definitely help out.

fireball0093 said:
Just got the guide completed, here's the link for anyone who wants it. Make sure you don't get the Amazon or Verizon variant because currently I don't think there are any methods of unlocking the bootloader right now. I don't have an problems with my GPS signal, it seems there must just be the occasional bad unit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes now I think I have got a bad unit. 15 days are over and now I know Amazon will refuse to replace. Though I would go for replacement of the gps device. I am facing some serious problems with it.

Best Device To Get Access To Android?

Hi guys,
I'm currently using an iPhone and an iPad as my main phone and tablet but I still want access to Android. I enjoy trying customs ROMS and rooting and all of that stuff that ANDROID allows you to do and so I'm looking for an affordable device - nothing fancy - that will allow me to explore Android. Someone suggested that I get the Moto G5 Plus as it's affordable and a capable device.
I'd be getting the 32 gb international version. My questions are:
1) Is this the best/most affordable device to experience android on?
2) Can it be easily rooted?
3) Can I use custom ROMS?
This is the version that I'm considering buying:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B01N5...dpPl=1&dpID=51riiKk3VNL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1
I also recently got an Amazon Fire HD 10 hoping to install custom ROMS on there, but as of right now, that's not possible.

razers7t8 said:
Hi guys,
I'm currently using an iPhone and an iPad I enjoy trying customs ROMS and rooting and all of that stuff
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How can you enjoy flashing roms on iphone?
that's impossible

siddhesh9146 said:
How can you enjoy flashing roms on iphone?
that's impossible
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi guys,
I'm currently using an iPhone and an iPad as my main phone and tablet but I still want access to Android. I enjoy trying customs ROMS and rooting and all of that stuff that ANDROID allows you to do and so I'm looking for an affordable device - nothing fancy - that will allow me to explore Android. Someone suggested that I get the Moto G5 Plus as it's affordable and a capable device.
I'd be getting the 32 gb international version. My questions are:
1) Is this the best/most affordable device to experience android on?
2) Can it be easily rooted?
3) Can I use custom ROMS?
This is the version that I'm considering buying :
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B01N5...dpPl=1&dpID=51riiKk3VNL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1
I also recently got an Amazon Fire HD 10 hoping to install custom ROMS on there, but as of right now, that's not possible.

siddhesh9146 said:
How can you enjoy flashing roms on iphone?
that's impossible
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OP probably means they've had Android phones in the past and enjoyed rooting/custom ROMs/etc with them.
Best Cheap Android Phones of 2017 [Android Central]
They just rated Moto G5 Plus as best overall and I've seen several other articles also listing it at the top or very highly.
OP's linked 'standard/no-ads' model technically meets all three criteria, but I can't say if 2 GB RAM takes adequate advantage of all it offers. My 4 GB XT1687 model runs the latest Android 8.0/8.1 64-bit ROMs with very good performance & battery life, plus they provide the latest security patches while Stock is still at Android 7.0 with several month old security patches.

Dahenjo said:
OP probably means they've had Android phones in the past and enjoyed rooting/custom ROMs/etc with them.
Best Cheap Android Phones of 2017 [Android Central]
They just rated Moto G5 Plus as best overall and I've seen several other articles also listing it at the top or very highly.
OP's linked 'standard/no-ads' model technically meets all three criteria, but I can't say if 2 GB RAM takes adequate advantage of all it offers. My 4 GB XT1687 model runs the latest Android 8.0/8.1 64-bit ROMs with very good performance & battery life, plus they provide the latest security patches while Stock is still at Android 7.0 with several month old security patches.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! How about this phone? It's cheaper, has more ram and a better display.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B0169...blackberry&dpPl=1&dpID=41-frWt48FL&ref=plSrch

Deleted.

After doing some research, I've narrowed my choice down to these two phones:
Moto G5 Plus 64GB and 4GB RAM
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01MU7MK6E/ref=twister_B01NCYZTP4
And
Moto G5S Plus 32 GB and 3 GB RAM.
https://www.amazon.ca/Motorola-Gena...&qid=1514406800&sr=8-1&keywords=Moto+g5s+plus
Which is the better buy?

4gb with 64gb, pretty future proof, and G5plus camera constantly reviewed as better overall than the newer S version.
Mind you if you do not care about camera, then S case + sceensize are better

Smeagal192 said:
4gb with 64gb, pretty future proof, and G5plus camera constantly reviewed as better overall than the newer S version.
Mind you if you do not care about camera, then S case + sceensize are better
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I ordered the Moto G5S Plus 32 GB with 3 GB of RAM. I can't wait to root and try out some ROMS!

G4 Play alternative?

Hello folks, sorry if this isn't the right forum,
I really love the Moto G4 Play for its battery life especially, but as many of you know the GPS works very bad.
Do you know any other phone similar to the G4 but with a decent GPS?
Thanks a lot in advance

crazypixel said:
Hello folks, sorry if this isn't the right forum,
I really love the Moto G4 Play for its battery life especially, but as many of you know the GPS works very bad.
Do you know any other phone similar to the G4 but with a decent GPS?
Thanks a lot in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Moto E4 XT1768 is an excellent choice given your criteria. Very similar to the G4 XT1607 but with fingerprint scanner, front flash, Android 7.1 stock, and reliable, fully functional GPS hardware. Also sports a slightly faster chipset. Most E4 variants are bootloader unlockable.

crazypixel said:
Hello folks, sorry if this isn't the right forum,
I really love the Moto G4 Play for its battery life especially, but as many of you know the GPS works very bad.
Do you know any other phone similar to the G4 but with a decent GPS?
Thanks a lot in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you using a custom ROM? If so, which one?

crazypixel said:
Hello folks, sorry if this isn't the right forum,
I really love the Moto G4 Play for its battery life especially, but as many of you know the GPS works very bad.
Do you know any other phone similar to the G4 but with a decent GPS?
Thanks a lot in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Spouse cracked the screen on their G4 Play and the estimated repair cost was higher than the original purchase price so we went shopping for a new phone.
Got a Nokia 3.1 and like it a lot. GPS seems to work very well. Comes with Android One so it is very much a stock Android experience. It is Android v8.0 (Oreo) based on Treble with a guarantee of system and security updates for several years.
I am still using my G4 Play but am a bit envious.
p.s. I got a Bluetooth GPS receiver and paired it with my G4 Play so I have decent satellite based location now.

xMotoDA said:
Are you using a custom ROM? If so, which one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The latest resurrection remix

Thanks all for your answers

n76 said:
Spouse cracked the screen on their G4 Play and the estimated repair cost was higher than the original purchase price so we went shopping for a new phone.
Got a Nokia 3.1 and like it a lot. GPS seems to work very well. Comes with Android One so it is very much a stock Android experience. It is Android v8.0 (Oreo) based on Treble with a guarantee of system and security updates for several years.
I am still using my G4 Play but am a bit envious.
p.s. I got a Bluetooth GPS receiver and paired it with my G4 Play so I have decent satellite based location now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, seems a nice mobile, hows the battery life?

crazypixel said:
Thanks all for your answers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For consideration: https://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_3_1-review-1795p6.php
I'll further qualify my previous E4 suggestion with a bias toward the Qualcom chipset. E4 comes in several flavors; do your homework if you go this route.

crazypixel said:
Thanks, seems a nice mobile, hows the battery life?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery life seems reasonable. I'm not the person using it so I haven't fully characterized it.
Davey126 said:
For consideration: https://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_3_1-review-1795p6.php
I'll further qualify my previous E4 suggestion with a bias toward the Qualcom chipset. E4 comes in several flavors; do your homework if you go this route.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That review seems a bit brutal. I suppose this depends on where you live too: The phones the author of that review like are not available in retail stores near me. The choice for me was between a Moto G6 flavor and this Nokia as that was all the store had in the general price range that were carrier unlocked.
The Moto was more expensive, had a screen size that was bigger than desired. And I've come away with a bad taste about Moto's update history. The Nokia's Android One claims updates for a couple of OS releases and several years of security updates and, near as I can tell on the Internet, they seem to be honoring that.
Use of a MediaTek process was a bit of a issue for me too. But that seems to come into play more for custom ROMs and, at least at present, this phone is likely to be kept stock.

n76 said:
Spouse cracked the screen on their G4 Play and the estimated repair cost was higher than the original purchase price so we went shopping for a new phone.
Got a Nokia 3.1 and like it a lot. GPS seems to work very well. Comes with Android One so it is very much a stock Android experience. It is Android v8.0 (Oreo) based on Treble with a guarantee of system and security updates for several years.
I am still using my G4 Play but am a bit envious.
p.s. I got a Bluetooth GPS receiver and paired it with my G4 Play so I have decent satellite based location now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Everything about new Nokia phones sounds great except the inability to unlock the bootloader. You'll get updates for several years, but what after those years or if something wrong happens with Nokia? You'll be stuck on an old version with no security patches until someone finds a bootloader unlock vulnerability

xMotoDA said:
Everything about new Nokia phones sounds great except the inability to unlock the bootloader. You'll get updates for several years, but what after those years or if something wrong happens with Nokia? You'll be stuck on an old version with no security patches until someone finds a bootloader unlock vulnerability
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, lack of an official bootloader unlock is an issue. There seems to be a way to do it on the Qualcom based Nokia phones but the 3.1 is MediaTek based and I haven't noticed a way to do it on those.

G5 newbie with 2 questions...

I'm thinking of picking up a new G5 Plus to have as a backup because i'm seeing signs that my LG G2 is giving out (yes i'm still using a phone from 2013). The reason I don't want a G6 or 7 is I really like a 5.2" screen. It's the perfect size for my hands and I don't want something bigger. I have a couple of questions though.
1.) Is the G5 Plus still a good phone in 2019 in terms of performance? I don't do anything crazy with my phone. I just want something reliable.
2.) I've seen a bunch of different threads about getting root and unlocking the bootloader, but they are old and I don't know which one to follow. Is there a consenus on which is the best method\tools to use to unlock the bootloader and achieve root so I can install custom ROMs? I don't need directions because I have experience rooting phones so I understand the terminology. I just want to know who's steps to follow to do it properly because I haven't needed to root a phone for 5+ years now.
I think that's all I need for now. Probably will have more questions once I get the phone and start to use it. Thanks for any info...

flyinjoe13 said:
I'm thinking of picking up a new G5 Plus to have as a backup because i'm seeing signs that my LG G2 is giving out (yes i'm still using a phone from 2013). The reason I don't want a G6 or 7 is I really like a 5.2" screen. It's the perfect size for my hands and I don't want something bigger. I have a couple of questions though.
1.) Is the G5 Plus still a good phone in 2019 in terms of performance? I don't do anything crazy with my phone. I just want something reliable.
2.) I've seen a bunch of different threads about getting root and unlocking the bootloader, but they are old and I don't know which one to follow. Is there a consenus on which is the best method\tools to use to unlock the bootloader and achieve root so I can install custom ROMs? I don't need directions because I have experience rooting phones so I understand the terminology. I just want to know who's steps to follow to do it properly because I haven't needed to root a phone for 5+ years now.
I think that's all I need for now. Probably will have more questions once I get the phone and start to use it. Thanks for any info...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1.) Yes. It's my daily driver and still does a great job.
No need for me to purchase another device.
2.} PM me when you have the phone, I'll guide you through the steps of unlocking/rooting/decrypting. I wanted to release an actual tutorial but had the feeling it may not be needed anymore but it's almost ready.
Sent from my Moto G5 Plus using XDA Labs

Wolfcity said:
1.) Yes. It's my daily driver and still does a great job.
No need for me to purchase another device.
2.} PM me when you have the phone, I'll guide you through the steps of unlocking/rooting/decrypting. I wanted to release an actual tutorial but had the feeling it may not be needed anymore but it's almost ready.
Sent from my Moto G5 Plus using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you. I will do that when it comes in. Will be a couple of weeks because I leave for a vacation in a few days and won't get a chance to play with it until then.