Database Users

Best phone to buy to build and use the latest android

I am going to buy a new phone, and I was wondering which phone would be the best to buy assuming I wanted to build and install the latest android version on a continual basis?

samsung galaxy s6 is powerfull but it runs android 5.1.1 (latest is 6.0 but android 6 for s6 is in development)

YileKu said:
I am going to buy a new phone, and I was wondering which phone would be the best to buy assuming I wanted to build and install the latest android version on a continual basis?
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go for one plus two or any nexcus seriz ph. ...[emoji106]
Sent from my SM-G7102 using Tapatalk

The best hands down for that is the nexus. No other device can keep up with the updates. Nor are any other devices supported as well as the nexus line for continual updates from google and AOSP.
The worst you can get is samsung or any device based out of China.

Must have not heard of the never dying HTC HD2. Old but still holds on

Sony phones have also get a lot of updates,Sony Z & Z1 have received Android 5.1.1 from the old 4.2 and also I like their design

Custom ROMs for Tab 8 Plus?

Im thinking about getting a Tab 8 plus 4/64 to replace my Nexus 7 2013.
I don't see much development support for the Tab 8 Plus. Great to see TWRP and root.
Do you think there will be an XDA community for this device?
There are so few upgrade choices from the Nexus 7.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

swieder711 said:
Im thinking about getting a Tab 8 plus 4/64 to replace my Nexus 7 2013.
I don't see much development support for the Tab 8 Plus. Great to see TWRP and root.
Do you think there will be an XDA community for this device?
There are so few upgrade choices from the Nexus 7.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There seems to be a problem in terms of availability for the tablet worldwide, which is why very few reports have come through.
I have specifically bought this Tab 4 Plus with WiFi and 64GB storage as a Nexus 7 replacement and I am super happy with the decision. Custom recovery and root works as described. Give it a couple of weeks and I assume there will be a dedicated forum for the Tab 4 Plus here on XDA. And as soon as Lenovo publishes the kernel sources for the device, there will be many custom ROMs to choose from.
Right now, the Android on the device is pretty vanilla and serves its purpose very well.

Giving this thread a bump. Dev support for this device still seems pretty quiet. Been eyeing the 4/64 GB on eBay for $330. It ships from Korea.

DF5JT said:
There seems to be a problem in terms of availability for the tablet worldwide, which is why very few reports have come through.
I have specifically bought this Tab 4 Plus with WiFi and 64GB storage as a Nexus 7 replacement and I am super happy with the decision. Custom recovery and root works as described. Give it a couple of weeks and I assume there will be a dedicated forum for the Tab 4 Plus here on XDA. And as soon as Lenovo publishes the kernel sources for the device, there will be many custom ROMs to choose from.
Right now, the Android on the device is pretty vanilla and serves its purpose very well.
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Click to collapse
Do you know if it passes SafetyNet with Magisk 14.3 and Magisk Hide or if it will require a custom kernel to hide the bootloader status?

Hey, I got myself a Tab 4 8 Plus from South Korea recently - the 4 GB RAM / 64 GB storage version. I've used CyanogenMod and LineageOS for ages on my Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 2013, and I'm a little sad the Tab isn't supported yet. If anyone involved in development is interested, I'd be happy to help however I can with my device. I'm not familiar with Android development, however - I'd totally try and port LineageOS to this if I could.

there's a guy in the root thread that was saying he was starting a debloated ROM. lets see if he delivers. this sure is the best android tablet in the market!

Hi guys, I just got this tablet from singapore seller, but it come with chinese rom,
I'm not familiar with lenovo (use to be xiaomi fans).
Is there any tutorial available to change it to global rom? and is there any forum to discuss bugs on each rom version like on the xiaomi miui forum?
I can't find any donwloadable link in the lenovo web support.
Thanks

I did get a Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus to replace my aging Nexus 7 2013. Unfortunately, that was two months ago now and I'm still using my Nexus as this Tab 4 keeps cooking uSD cards. Apparently it's a known problem, some say hardware, some say software, some claim it was fixed with the December 2017 update, some say it's still there. Either way, I want to root this potentially sweet tablet and drop on Lineage or something custom before I give up on it, but for that I want a decent custom ROM.

enigmo said:
I did get a Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus to replace my aging Nexus 7 2013. Unfortunately, that was two months ago now and I'm still using my Nexus as this Tab 4 keeps cooking uSD cards. Apparently it's a known problem, some say hardware, some say software, some claim it was fixed with the December 2017 update, some say it's still there. Either way, I want to root this potentially sweet tablet and drop on Lineage or something custom before I give up on it, but for that I want a decent custom ROM.
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Click to collapse
Since the source code was published by Lenovo there is now a good chance to get something custom if there will be a developer to help us out building a rom.

I did read a lot of complaints about a lack of source code from lenovo, but it was released in November from what I can see. That's six months ago, so I wouldn't hold my breath for anything useful soon.

This nifty little tablet is really awesome. The almost stock android experience is nice... But the additional customisations of a custom ROM would be helpful. Right now lenovos system UI is quite picky about being modded and would FC when I try to tweak the nav bar.

yes, maybe after oreo update there will be some custom rom...

fivex said:
This nifty little tablet is really awesome. The almost stock android experience is nice... But the additional customisations of a custom ROM would be helpful. Right now lenovos system UI is quite picky about being modded and would FC when I try to tweak the nav bar.
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Click to collapse
I use Xposed and GravityBox to modify the look of the Nav bar.

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
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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.
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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!

What Android version is supported in stock config?

Hey All,
Looking at picking up one of these phones certified refurbished from Amazon for about $170. I'm wondering what version of Android I can expect OR get automatically updated to when I set the phone up?
I really want (need) some of the features in Nougat, but want to make sure it'll get there without me having to relive my youth as a rom chasing nerd (which I loved but am too old to do these days lol).
Any other advice around this phone (or other similar "cheap" deals) people have will be appreciated.
Thanks much!

I wouldn't recommend getting a 6P due to the infamous bootloop issue caused by the Snapdragon 810 processor and the early shutdown issue caused by the battery. Also, it only has about 5 months of support from Google left. After that there will be no more security patches, official updates to Android 9.0, etc.
To answer your question: the 6P will probably come with Marshmallow or Nougat and is upgradable to Oreo.
I'd recommend getting a Google Pixel or Pixel XL. It will come with a least Nougat and is upgradable to Oreo. If you MUST have a Nexus device, the refurbished Nexus 6 my dad got from Amazon recently is pretty good. It came with Nougat installed, but that's the newest version of Android officially available for it.

Thanks for the tips man, I appreciate the advice!

How many tab 2's still living ????

I just wanted to ask how many tab 2's are still living in this world. It's just out of curiosity because I saw 2-3 people still installing custom ROMs. I have one p3100 running lineage 13. Which rom are you on ??????

P5110 with RR 5.7.4 and no gapps. I'm very satisfied with it.
I tried to install Omni rom and Slim rom, Nougat version, but there were too many lags after a while. Maybe I'll try Andy's roms in their Marshmallow version.

I just resurrected my tablet with TWRP 3.4.0, Lineage 14.1 and Open Gapps due to Youtube problems with the original firmware. Working for about 12 hours, so far so good.

TheUrbanMaven said:
I just resurrected my tablet with TWRP 3.4.0, Lineage 14.1 and Open Gapps due to Youtube problems with the original firmware. Working for about 12 hours, so far so good.
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Click to collapse
Yea I know YouTube problems too it just keeps telling update.

P5100 here still working and in use daily. Ahh, yeah... using android 6 and NO GAPPS.

Daily driving SailfishOS for a break from Android, its fun.

My P3113 is still living, but it is suffering from major battery degradation. It has Lineage OS 13. I'm planning to sell it though.

Alotheone said:
My P3113 is still living, but it is suffering from major battery degradation. It has Lineage OS 13. I'm planning to sell it though.
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Click to collapse
Well, do you think someone will buy it now ??? I mean, people today are more keen on buying better phones and tablets with more ram, more storage, android 11, etc. that's why.

Arc android said:
Well, do you think someone will buy it now ??? I mean, people today are more keen on buying better phones and tablets with more ram, more storage, android 11, etc. that's why.
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Click to collapse
It would most likely be sold to a pawn shop.

I"m reviving my p510 using android andi's rom. Curently omnirom 7.1.2 no gapps. Got black line in the middle, and feels very slow (may be because got use to with much more newer phines). Before android andi's rom, it was lineageos and its much much slower until unusable. I think it's got hardware issue somewhere.

mymyway said:
I"m reviving my p510 using android andi's rom. Curently omnirom 7.1.2 no gapps. Got black line in the middle, and feels very slow (may be because got use to with much more newer phines). Before android andi's rom, it was lineageos and its much much slower until unusable. I think it's got hardware issue somewhere.
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Click to collapse
Android 6 is much more smooth than 7, also dont use gapps

Mighty said:
Android 6 is much more smooth than 7, also dont use gapps
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the tip. You're right android 6 no Gapps. Significantly smoother
What Rom are you using now?

mymyway said:
Thanks for the tip. You're right android 6 no Gapps. Significantly smoother
What Rom are you using now?
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Click to collapse
he uses a distribution of linux which is meant for developers like him, not the average consumer.
btw one of the google play store replacement is Aoura store, if you need to know it.
Aurora Store (Android)
An elegant Google Play alternative
aurora-store.en.uptodown.com

TheDoctor46 said:
I just wanted to ask how many tab 2's are still living in this world. It's just out of curiosity because I saw 2-3 people still installing custom ROMs. I have one p3100 running lineage 13. Which rom are you on ??????
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
probably at least 1389

I just revied mine. It's pretty old almost a decade, or IDK even more? Tab 2 7" GT-P3100. I have installed Resurrection Remix by @smart-t78 and Noob Kernel by @bipindr123 because of the sweet 1.2 GHz overclock. I have installed it yesterday. Batteryis alright. extSD card port not working. Ther's a bit orangish tint on top left, but overall usable completely.
There are some stuff though which I want to clear. In the default launcher if you are home screen and rotate your Tab then you have this ugly gray overlay/shadow on left and right side of the screen, I'm trying to get rid of it. Looks like I will need to download a launcher or something. Also want to change the fonts and icon. Just that. Also AdAway is not getting installed, seems like I have to install and older version because it says it cannot parse the APK package while instealling.
I want to use this tab as a secondary monitor to my PC, look for it how to do it, but first theme stuff.
I also will suggest to root your device and then use some kind of kernel editor to choose governor for CPU (default is Interactive which works alright) and also tweet I/O scheduler according to your need. Look for the guides of these things if you are not familiar with the terms.

Just bought a GT2 P5110 for 30€ in almost new condition. Want to upgrade to a custom Rom before I do anything else because this is easier when there is nothing on it.
Research suggests I should stick with Marshmallow - currently going to try RR5.7.4 first with Omni6.0.1 as a reserve (unless anyone has a better experience with an equivalent or newer ROM).
Not sure whether I am going to add Gapps or not yet. I am probably going to want to have (at a minimum) Google Calendar access and perhaps Gmail. What do people recommend?
Any other thoughts on rooting, Magisk, custom kernels etc to get better stability (and performance)?

Protopia said:
Just bought a GT2 P5110 for 30€ in almost new condition. Want to upgrade to a custom Rom before I do anything else because this is easier when there is nothing on it.
Research suggests I should stick with Marshmallow - currently going to try RR5.7.4 first with Omni6.0.1 as a reserve (unless anyone has a better experience with an equivalent or newer ROM).
Not sure whether I am going to add Gapps or not yet. I am probably going to want to have (at a minimum) Google Calendar access and perhaps Gmail. What do people recommend?
Any other thoughts on rooting, Magisk, custom kernels etc to get better stability (and performance)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to do more reading.... As i saw what you wanna do i know you reeeeaaallyyy need readiing like a loooot.... Don't cry later about lags, hangs, reboots, etc....
Tip: WTF gapps???? Realyyy???

drnightshadow said:
You need to do more reading.... As i saw what you wanna do i know you reeeeaaallyyy need readiing like a loooot.... Don't cry later about lags, hangs, reboots, etc....
Tip: WTF gapps???? Realyyy???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is why I posted here. I have done this sort of custom upgrade on other devices but new to Tab 2 - so I want to make sure I am going in the right direction before I make a mistake.
So what is your recommendation? Leave it on the stock 4.2.2?

Protopia said:
This is why I posted here. I have done this sort of custom upgrade on other devices but new to Tab 2 - so I want to make sure I am going in the right direction before I make a mistake.
So what is your recommendation? Leave it on the stock 4.2.2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you can't stop using gapps than yes stay on stock..
If you can live without gapps than you can use any newer ROM and use f-droid store app.

drnightshadow said:
If you can't stop using gapps than yes stay on stock..
If you can live without gapps than you can use any newer ROM and use f-droid store app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am currently on RR 5.7.4 Android 6 with slim gapps and it is very stable, as fast as stock and no lags. But I had to try various Gapps before slim and they all had problems.