Database Users

[Q] Buying the S5

Hi,
Lately I decided to sell my iPhone and move to android.
I've done some researched about the phones, and ended up unable to decide between the S5, LG G3 and the HTC One M8.
Anways, about the S5, putting aside its awesome hardware features, what I am deeply worried about is the software. From fondling with the S4 a while back, and from reading a lot of user feedback, I had come to a realization that it sucks and is super laggy and annoying and is hateful with pratically everyone around the globe.
Now, as an iPhone user migrating to android, I would like my phone's interface to run silky smooth, and thus, my question is this:
With the understanding that touchwiz is ****, will flashing a whole new ROM, or removing the bloat, 'fix' this lag and crappy UI?

Ruttix said:
Hi,
Lately I decided to sell my iPhone and move to android.
I've done some researched about the phones, and ended up unable to decide between the S5, LG G3 and the HTC One M8.
Anways, about the S5, putting aside its awesome hardware features, what I am deeply worried about is the software. From fondling with the S4 a while back, and from reading a lot of user feedback, I had come to a realization that it sucks and is super laggy and annoying and is hateful with pratically everyone around the globe.
Now, as an iPhone user migrating to android, I would like my phone's interface to run silky smooth, and thus, my question is this:
With the understanding that touchwiz is ****, will flashing a whole new ROM, or removing the bloat, 'fix' this lag and crappy UI?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Touchwizz on the S5 is much lighter and snappier then on the S4 and many apps and widgets can be turned off in /settings/apps/all apps. That said you can also debloat/freeze the roms apps with Titanium Backup. Or just flash CM11 or another custom rom and get rid of all the bloatware

Ruttix said:
Hi,
Lately I decided to sell my iPhone and move to android.
I've done some researched about the phones, and ended up unable to decide between the S5, LG G3 and the HTC One M8.
Anways, about the S5, putting aside its awesome hardware features, what I am deeply worried about is the software. From fondling with the S4 a while back, and from reading a lot of user feedback, I had come to a realization that it sucks and is super laggy and annoying and is hateful with pratically everyone around the globe.
Now, as an iPhone user migrating to android, I would like my phone's interface to run silky smooth, and thus, my question is this:
With the understanding that touchwiz is ****, will flashing a whole new ROM, or removing the bloat, 'fix' this lag and crappy UI?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recently did the same - sold my iPhone 5 to my mum and got an S5. I was tossing up between the S5, the HTC One (M8) and the Nexus 5. I ruled out the LG G3 because I thought it would be a bit big and the screen resolution seemed a bit bonkers for a 5.5" screen.
I thought the HTC was the best-looking phone (probably hard to argue with that), but the lack of Qi wireless charging and waterproofing were downsides. What knocked it on the head, though, was the camera - 4 megapixels just seemed woefully inadequate in 2014. I don't know what HTC were thinking. Yes, it does some selective focus thing, but from what I'd heard, it was a bit gimmicky and not always very realistic.
The Nexus has Qi and a better camera, plus it has vanilla Android, a big plus. But no waterproofing. And in Australia, it's only available outright from Google - you can't buy it on a contract AFAIK.
So I went with the S5 for its better hardware (although, personally I don't find it terribly attractive) and easy availability. I don't particularly like TouchWiz, so the plan was always to either (a) install CyanogenMod, (b) hope for a Google Play Edition ROM that could be flashed onto it, or (b) wait for Android L and hopefully less of the Samsung 'goodness' in that.
I'm now running a CM11 nightly and it seems to be working pretty well, although there are a couple of minor things still to be ironed out. And, yes, it's fast, and battery life is improved. I may go back to stock when Android L is released for the S5, but I may just wait for the L-based CyanogenMod.
The finger scanner and heart rate monitor don't work in CyanogenMod and probably never will, but I'm not interested in those. ANT+ is reportedly now included, but I haven't tested it. 4K video capture isn't supported at this stage.

I just bought the S5 Active. I am coming from the HTC One M8. I like the M8 speakers and size. I like the S5 size and camera. I know that the M8 doesn't show any lag that I could see. But I have to give the S5 more time. (Just got it 6 hours ago) :laugh: Still configuring it but I really haven't felt any lag that bothers me, will know in a couple more hours or maybe tomorrow if the wife sends me to bed, :crying:

Ruttix said:
Hi,
Lately I decided to sell my iPhone and move to android.
I've done some researched about the phones, and ended up unable to decide between the S5, LG G3 and the HTC One M8.
Anways, about the S5, putting aside its awesome hardware features, what I am deeply worried about is the software. From fondling with the S4 a while back, and from reading a lot of user feedback, I had come to a realization that it sucks and is super laggy and annoying and is hateful with pratically everyone around the globe.
Now, as an iPhone user migrating to android, I would like my phone's interface to run silky smooth, and thus, my question is this:
With the understanding that touchwiz is ****, will flashing a whole new ROM, or removing the bloat, 'fix' this lag and crappy UI?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just did that very same thing, and now, thanks to AT&T and KitKat, I'm starting to regret that decision.
Be aware that if you buy the S5, you won't be able to root it. The latest kernal version locks you out. I've been searching the web to see if I can find a way to revert the phone to an earlier ROM, and I think I've found a page that explains it. I'm just worried about trying it and bricking a very expensive phone.
If you're thinking that WOW, I have and Android and I'm FREE to do what I want! think again. You're not. While you CAN but a nice big SD chip in the thing, all you can use that for is to store data. Very few apps will actually write to it, although a lot of them will read from it. You can't mod the phone lock screen -- which takes away another major reason why I wanted to switch to it. If you're patient -- and lucky -- maybe your carrier will update to Android L which is supposed to address the SD card issue - - but will, once again I'm sure, make it difficult to root your phone.
I'd post the link to the page with the instructs to revert the rom, but forum rules prevent me from doing so. Sorry. And good luck getting answers.

how to make this phone snapier?...

came back from the one plus 3 as i broke my mic and this dam phone feels soooo slow compare to the one plus 3. is there anyway to make it faster I have animation at 0x.. can I disable apps that take up memory?

egren58 said:
came back from the one plus 3 as i broke my mic and this dam phone feels soooo slow compare to the one plus 3. is there anyway to make it faster I have animation at 0x.. can I disable apps that take up memory?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Warning: the following is not that helpful, hopefully others will give more meaningful replies.
You could do the opposite of what you did: Use a slower phone for about a week, like maybe the Note 7, and then when you come back to the S7e, it will hopefully seem faster. From what I've read, the OnePlus 3 is probably the snappiest Android phone available right now. I wish they made a Google Play Edition S7e.
How was the OP3 on T-Mobile's network, if you don't mind me asking? How did you break the mic?

Dr. Fed said:
Warning: the following is not that helpful, hopefully others will give more meaningful replies.
You could do the opposite of what you did: Use a slower phone for about a week, like maybe the Note 7, and then when you come back to the S7e, it will hopefully seem faster. From what I've read, the OnePlus 3 is probably the snappiest Android phone available right now. I wish they made a Google Play Edition S7e.
How was the OP3 on T-Mobile's network, if you don't mind me asking? How did you break the mic?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One plus 3 is by far the best phone ive used. And the mic broke cuz i dropped it in water. Also on t-mobile it functions just as good as the s7 edge i think it not as good in low signal area but in normal day to day use speed were constantly equal to the s7e. Plus experiencing stock android has definitely pulled me away from samsung. I want to fix it but i cant find a mic on ebay or anywhere. Heck i cant even find a t2 driver at local shops lol

http://forum.xda-developers.com/tmobile-s7-edge/how-to/guide-disable-apps-bloatware-package-t3456446
not sure if you've looked here already, but some say this can improve performance

Not sure if it's possible for a phone to be any snappier than this phone already is. The only time I notice any lag is shortly after a reboot, when loading websites heavy with ads (ad blocker is available for the stock browser and makes a huge difference), or when I just load up navigation. Best advice is to get rid of any apps that are known to be resource hogs and run in the background. So basically all social media apps (Facebook, Twitter, etc), and probably certain games such as that Pokemon nonsense.

It's a Samsung Phone. Look in Package Disabler to see how much stuff/crap Samsung puts in it's phones. Of course it's going to be slow compared to a One Plus 3.

sputnik767 said:
Not sure if it's possible for a phone to be any snappier than this phone already is. The only time I notice any lag is shortly after a reboot, when loading websites heavy with ads (ad blocker is available for the stock browser and makes a huge difference), or when I just load up navigation. Best advice is to get rid of any apps that are known to be resource hogs and run in the background. So basically all social media apps (Facebook, Twitter, etc), and probably certain games such as that Pokemon nonsense.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah... Nexus 5 with Nougat is snappier than my s7 edge. and so is my LG G3 with CM13. 1440p doesn't do the smoothness any favors.

sputnik767 said:
Not sure if it's possible for a phone to be any snappier than this phone already is. The only time I notice any lag is shortly after a reboot, when loading websites heavy with ads (ad blocker is available for the stock browser and makes a huge difference), or when I just load up navigation. Best advice is to get rid of any apps that are known to be resource hogs and run in the background. So basically all social media apps (Facebook, Twitter, etc), and probably certain games such as that Pokemon nonsense.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many people are very sure that several phones are snappier than the S7 edge. Why else would a post like this exist?

Dr. Fed said:
Many people are very sure that several phones are snappier than the S7 edge. Why else would a post like this exist?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because people here have the desire to always try and make things better, even if better can't really be had with current hardware. In any case, I did give the OP suggestions on how to improve performance, unlike your very helpful post.
There are no other ways besides what I suggested. Root actually significantly hurts performance in this device, due to how it is obtained. Ultimately, if the OnePlus 3 is snappier and that's the most important thing to the OP, perhaps he should stick to it.

sputnik767 said:
Because people here have the desire to always try and make things better, even if better can't really be had with current hardware. In any case, I did give the OP suggestions on how to improve performance, unlike your very helpful post.
There are no other ways besides what I suggested. Root actually significantly hurts performance in this device, due to how it is obtained. Ultimately, if the OnePlus 3 is snappier and that's the most important thing to the OP, perhaps he should stick to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You said "Not sure if it's possible for a phone to be any snappier than this phone already is. "
Based on that statement, it sounds to me like you think or thought the S7e is the snappiest phone. My reply to that was in reference to the OP, who clearly thinks the OP3 is faster. It was a rhetorical question.

If you could (for free), would you switch to Galaxy S8+?

I'm switching my Galaxy S6 Edge after long using it and I have 2 main choices: OnePlus 5 (128 GB version) or the Galaxy S8+
The main reasons for me to choose the OnePlus are the faster and cleaner android performance, even though I'm a Galaxy user since the Galaxy 2 I never liked the bloatware and the oxygen OS looks wonderful.
The reasons for taking the S8+ are... Well everywhere I searched and almost any review by people who used them both are saying that it is the best android smartphone there is.
Except the reviews, the camera and amazing display and quality are much better.
After a couple of days, and hundreds of video and written reviews and comparisons I still couldn't choose so I decided to ask here, after you've used OP5 for some time, if someone approached and offered you to switch your OP5 with a S8 for free, would you do it?
Please note that cost is not an issue, here in Israel the S8+ costs about 300 ILS (about $85) more than the OP5 and i can afford it if it's worth it.

Nope. OP5 has far superior battery life, it is faster and dash charging is amazing, more ram and storage and basically Stock Android! The S8 has a better display but I'm OK with 1080p (didn't think I would be coming from 1440p phones) as I don't care about VR. Also, better updates and more frequent to date.

I switched from the S8+, the near stock Android is unbeatable for fluidity and just quality of life. Everything seems more iOS like on stock (or near it) Android. And when I say more iOS like I mean the good things about it, such as the fluidity and overall polish.

I switched from the S8. OS is light-years better. I don't need all the gimmicks and love quick updates. Portrait mode is a plus for taking pics of the family.

I'd trade, try it out for a bit, then sell it for another phone lmao. Maybe a Z2 Play or Mi A1. Who knows?

S8+ is a nice phone but all that Samsung bloat I can't deal with

You probably should ask that question in a more Samsung friendly thread because people here are obviously going to be biased. The OP5 is better if you are into rooting or customizing your phone. But it also has terrible camera software --I could take better low light pictures with my $200 Samsung Galaxy J3. The other thing Samsung phones have going for them is the build quality. I've never owned a Samsung phone that broke before I was ready to replace it. I don't think the OP5 has comparable build quality. But if you like to root your phone and flash custom kernels and ROMs the OP5 may be the best phone on the market.

For the looks yes, I came from a s6 edge+ and my girl has a normal s8, but for overall experience, speed and stuff I would def choose the 5, and if I want looks, I just hold my girls phone for a few sec..

They could pay me money on top and I would never come back to Samsung!

As you may have noticed, most of oneplus's users (including me) see the OP5 as a superior device to the s8.
Most people are not buying this phone because it's cheaper.
Coming from an s4, I was considering the s8 and the oneplus 5. But I am going for the OP5, because I think it's the superior device.

S8 is a good phone but I cannot live with Samsung's software

I haven't used Samsung devices much, but simply because I am able to mod this (custom ROMs, kernels, etc.) with virtually no bloatware and heavy skins (such as TouchWiz) makes this the better option for me.
The S8 does have a nice design though, and from reviews/feedback, seems like it has a better camera as well; but that isn't enough for me to switch over.
The 5 is a great device and I think if you choose it, you won't be disappointed!

Considering the fact that I'm switching from the LAGGY S8+ to the OP5 then I guess the answer to this would be NO

I could go either way except for the fact that I need dual sim cards so I don't have to carry 2 phones. I used an s8 for a couple weeks before switching to the op5. They both have there pros and cons which have all been touched on here. I won't switch but I would be happy with either phone. I think the s8 design is prettier and more impressive but the op5 is easier to use.

I like both.
As stated they both have their pros and cons...
S8+ has got a brilliant camera, sd card support and a heap of hardware features to explore. There is always things to find and surprise. Bixby is a little hard to use unless you have a US accent, I find it doesn't understand Aussie to well but it does learn.
The 4gb of ram is noticeable when you hold the Oneplus up to it though.
Oneplus doesn't have sd card support but does have dual sim support. You are stuck with the internal memory you buy so make sure you account for that. It is quick with 8gb ram and easy to flash/theme and mod .
In the end it depends if you like to be able to change roms and mod easily, though the S8+ isn't too hard after bootloader unlock (you just destroy any chance of Samsung honoring your warranty) or like to play with some cool little features you may or may not get over.
It will ultimately come down to you and how you use your device...
Just to be clear here, asking a dev forum of dedicated phone owners how their phone compares to the "competition" is not really going to get you anywhere. Most will fight tooth and nail defending their vaunted purchase and you will get a very biased opinion...
If you don't believe me, ask how it compares to an Apple... Now I've let loose the cat amongst the very heavily armed pidgeons...

I chose OP5 over an Exynos S8 because Samsung's software is the worst and I've been burned too many times. Price didn't enter the equation.

Same. Money wasn't the deciding factor for me. I had an S6... the ritual of disabling all the bloat got old. Too many gimmicks. Plus lots of RAM makes me happy.
I'd post in the S8 forum and ask why they chose S8, see what their responses are, and see if you value those things.

Home button and phone unlocking is way better on the OP. Infinity display is nice but also very fragile. I went with the OP5 instead of the S8 for these two reasons and never regret. This phone rocks.

Coming from an s6 then the s8 for a couple weeks, the home button is really nice of have. Both phones have equally lightning fast fingerprint sensors. The op5 would be much less likely to break if you accidentally drop it it.
Only big issue is Facebook Messenger is still freezing a lot when typing or just sitting idle. After several updates it's still problematic and it's only happening on my op5. I started just messaging on my old HTC m9 which still works fine, as did the s8 and s6 and even an s4 I just sold.
A Google search hasn't helped so far and I'm away from home on vacation without my m9 so it's getting frustrating.
Other than that it's been basically flawless.

350Rocket said:
Coming from an s6 then the s8 for a couple weeks, the home button is really nice of have. Both phones have equally lightning fast fingerprint sensors. The op5 would be much less likely to break if you accidentally drop it it.
Only big issue is Facebook Messenger is still freezing a lot when typing or just sitting idle. After several updates it's still problematic and it's only happening on my op5. I started just messaging on my old HTC m9 which still works fine, as did the s8 and s6 and even an s4 I just sold.
A Google search hasn't helped so far and I'm away from home on vacation without my m9 so it's getting frustrating.
Other than that it's been basically flawless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[Off topic] For how much did you sell your s4? Thinking of selling it but I'm afraid nobody wants it for a good price (~100$)

Confused... Sell S6E+ and buy S7E?

Hello Masters of Disasters
As I surf all these sites and this forum I couldn't help but notice that Samsung S7 (Edge or non Edge) is getting much more attention from dev teams. It even made it to the official ineageos.org device support list with its both version version. It's hard to find something fitting our model. I hate to break up with S6E+ but it seems to me that I would have much easier time modding, rooting, flashing, installing LineageOs with S7 than with S6E+.
What do You think boys and girls?

It would be only minor upgrade, you won't gain much, better wait price drop and buy Galaxy S8

El Solido said:
It would be only minor upgrade, you won't gain much, better wait price drop and buy Galaxy S8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is absolutely correct, I wouldn't gain much in performance by buying S7, the photo camera is a bit worse in daylight in S7. The menu buttons at the bottom are "melted in the screen" which is a little irritating. S8 is much more irritating because the whole area is the actual screen, no real physical buttons. That's not impressing.
I do very like the look of my S6E+ and I would like to keep my phone cause I think it's balanced perfectly in every aspect (performance, looks, screen size, real-physical buttons, awesome camera).
The only reason for the change is that I would like to have a phone that supports LineageOS or a bunch of mods that can make it free of Google's ads, non-removable aps, privacy etc. nasty violation.
Can someone help or guide me how to achieve these goals without switching to S7?
Thank You for Your Time to read my post

androidbadboy said:
That is absolutely correct, I wouldn't gain much in performance by buying S7, the photo camera is a bit worse in daylight in S7. The menu buttons at the bottom are "melted in the screen" which is a little irritating. S8 is much more irritating because the whole area is the actual screen, no real physical buttons. That's not impressing.
I do very like the look of my S6E+ and I would like to keep my phone cause I think it's balanced perfectly in every aspect (performance, looks, screen size, real-physical buttons, awesome camera).
The only reason for the change is that I would like to have a phone that supports LineageOS or a bunch of mods that can make it free of Google's ads, non-removable aps, privacy etc. nasty violation.
Can someone help or guide me how to achieve these goals without switching to S7?
Thank You for Your Time to read my post
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is unofficial lineageos, I don't know about stability, but rom that i can recommend you is this : https://forum.xda-developers.com/note5/development/rom-n-fuel-xl1-t3609259
It's extra lite, so extremely debloated, no samsung bull****, perfect rom, also battery life is perfect.
Now about google ads, I use AdAway, it requires root ofcourse but it's perfect.

El Solido said:
There is unofficial lineageos, I don't know about stability, but rom that i can recommend you is this : https://forum.xda-developers.com/note5/development/rom-n-fuel-xl1-t3609259
It's extra lite, so extremely debloated, no samsung bull****, perfect rom, also battery life is perfect.
Now about google ads, I use AdAway, it requires root ofcourse but it's perfect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have tried this ROM as well, and can confirm you'll get the best battery life possible from this ROM. No edge features though, so I left it. Lack of support on my 928t has me wanting to upgrade as well, except I won't get and s7 edge since that what I had at first (got rid of it because of locked bootloader). Looking towards an s8+, but then again I'm broke so I guess I have no option but to keep my 6

LEGONIKES said:
I have tried this ROM as well, and can confirm you'll get the best battery life possible from this ROM. No edge features though, so I left it. Lack of support on my 928t has me wanting to upgrade as well, except I won't get and s7 edge since that what I had at first (got rid of it because of locked bootloader). Looking towards an s8+, but then again I'm broke so I guess I have no option but to keep my 6
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you seen/touched S8, worked a bit with it.
I did.
It only does a bit better photos. It's not ergonomic hence problematic. Think twice about that.
But Note 8 on the other hand... wow that's a different story. This phone rocks even it has screen almost all over but non edgy so it saves the day.

X Compact in 2019

Hello all,
I'm looking for a small phone with a headphone jack and good battery life, and it seems like x compact fits the bill.
Is it holding up well in 2019?
How is the battery life?
Should I update the software? (Some people complained about drain issues)
Would you recommend it or should I get something else like moto x4 instead? Thank you.

Battery life is decent, however the phone is laggy and I would not recommend buying it now. It's CPU is just not enough.

moist_line said:
Hello all,
I'm looking for a small phone with a headphone jack and good battery life, and it seems like x compact fits the bill.
Is it holding up well in 2019?
How is the battery life?
Should I update the software? (Some people complained about drain issues)
Would you recommend it or should I get something else like moto x4 instead? Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like it. Depends on your goals... I'm kind of surprised to hear that the cpu is not good enough (above). I guess if you're looking for a major gaming phone that you can watch movies on at the same time or something, maybe it's lacking, but I haven't had any lag issues. I mainly use stock-based rom; if you want to always use some AOSP custom rom, the problem is likely with the rom, not the phone. For the size, you won't get anything better, except maybe the XZ1 Compact, which is pretty similar, but costs more, (and I think a little bigger - not sure). Anything Motorola at this size would probably be a downgrade.
The main thing XC has going for it right now is (almost) official Sailfish OS support, with new updates rolling out now.
Overall it's a great phone, but as things move so fast these days, it probably will slip into obscurity at some point soon...

Thank you guys. I just want want a phone I can easily put in my pocket when I go jogging or outdoors, for google maps and podcasts, not so much for gaming. I also like how easy it looks to replace the battery on it unlike the xz1 c or current phones.

Maciek602 said:
Battery life is decent, however the phone is laggy and I would not recommend buying it now. It's CPU is just not enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well I dont agree with you on that,
Xc is absolutely lag free on Stock Oreo rom, specially for a person who only uses it for daily routines. if you want a perfect phone which is also more durable than xc, you could go for xz1c otherwise X compact is an absolute beauty and beast at the same time!

It's super fast on stock Oreo. Switching apps is super responsive and loading them is very fast. No lag too. Although the screen refresh rate is not that buttery smooth 60fps. Something that Sony did since the Z3 series to conserve battery.
I say avoid flashing custom ROMs for the X Compact, for now. It's one of these phones that just haven't really improve in any way yet when a custom ROM is used, its very laggy.

No problems with my Xperia X Compact. About as small and light a phone as you're likely to find. The battery life is good under Oreo, and the phone functions smoothly, as long as you're not trying to run too many apps concurrently, as the RAM is 3 GB rather than the more typical 4-6 nowadays. You can also obtain the phone for less than $200 new through eBay, etc.
Although others may disagree with me, I felt that in my own side-by-side comparisons with the XZ1C, photos taken with the XC had less of the dreaded "smear" processing in things such as grass and foliage, a problem that most Sony phone cameras share.
I like this phone so much that I bought a spare.
I would not buy a used X Compact, however, as any phone used for 3 years is likely to have a less than adequate battery.

+1 at recommending this phone. Battery life is quite good, no lags in daily use (YouTube vanced, messengers, web browsing, reading pdf,..). Camera is decent. Even though we don't have ufs storage the transfer speed is fine.
I was surprised that it runs faster than my former Zuk Z2 Pro (SD 820, ufs, 6 GB Ram).
Sometimes mine gets unusual warm and drains rather quickly. This happens maybe every 1 - 2 months for no obvious reason and then vanishes again.
Btw. I'm using stock oreo. Only thing that annoys me is too much bloatware. While you can deactivate most, you can't uninstall it (at least I can't without root).

TL86 said:
Btw. I'm using stock oreo. Only thing that annoys me is too much bloatware. While you can deactivate most, you can't uninstall it (at least I can't without root).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ADB shell
pm clear com.sonymobile.entrance
pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.sonymobile.entrance
This works in Oreo
The names of the packages you will get with any package viewer app.
I wasn't able to remove swiftkey - but perhaps I made a mistake in writing the app name. Don't care about it so much.
EDIT: it seems that as the app was waiting to update in Google Play it did not allow to uninstall it for the current user. After I updated it and it went out of the queue, all went fine.
Works fine and I use it as a phone with apps. At home/work I use a wifi only Moto X4 as the display is slightly larger. Could use any tablet of course.

I have found that disabling any app I don't use will, after restoration of the initial firmware-supplied version, leave a "stub", which is often less than 100 kb. This just serves as a location for downloading the latest version in the event that the app is enabled once more. So, practically speaking, you can reclaim most of the space formerly taken by the now-disabled apps. The only app I've had trouble with in a disabled state has been Swiftkey, so I leave it installed and simply select Gboard, which I prefer.