Database Users

Canadian Moto X First Impressions

Hey all,
I managed to get a Canadian Moto X. I noticed there are other dumps from Verizon and AT&T. Would anyone be interested in the Canadian system dump?
I've never done a system dump, but I doubt it's something I can't do. If anyone is interested, and can point me to the right direction; I'd be more than happy to supply the dump.
Tried following this guide:
http://www.ehow.com/how_12211911_system-dump-android.html
But I can't get it to work. Seems I need su/root access. I'll research further, but would be faster if someone can point me to the right direction!
Edit: Photo attached. Cuz someone will eventually say "Pic or it didn't happen".

Which store/location did you yet it from?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Enhanced said:
Which store/location did you yet it from?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Futureshop at North York.

hidea said:
Hey all,
I managed to get a Canadian Moto X. I noticed there are other dumps from Verizon and AT&T. Would anyone be interested in the Canadian system dump?
I've never done a system dump, but I doubt it's something I can't do. If anyone is interested, and can point me to the right direction; I'd be more than happy to supply the dump.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am sure people will be interested in it eventually when more people start to get their phones. I'd tell you how to do it myself but I have no idea either lol.

jonnyg1097 said:
I am sure people will be interested in it eventually when more people start to get their phones. I'd tell you how to do it myself but I have no idea either lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I agree. Since you are probably the first person in the world to have the phone, you should give us your impressions and such first!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Enhanced said:
Yeah I agree. Since you are probably the first person in the world to have the phone, you should give us your impressions and such first!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Brief history:
Major iOS nerd. Made my living from iOS dev (didn't sell apps, but worked on projects on the iOS platform). Always have been an Android follower, though. Have all the Nexus devices, but they always end up sitting in the drawer. Owned a few non-Nexus phones, HTC, Commtiva (uggh), Samsung Galaxy S3 & S4.
Quick overview:
• The white is nice, but I can see it getting dirty quick. The surface of the backplate is very smooth to touch. Somewhat slippery (doesn't offer traction whatsoever) despite having a weaved carbon fibre look, I expected it to feel a bit "rough", like unpolished CF.
• Device itself feels magnificent. Has a substantial feel to it, yet it weighs less than the Nexus 4. The device is heavy at the top (speaker top), which I find to be a clever design, it rests on my palm better as it would rest on the middle & index fingers better. That dimple in the middle, feels awesome too. It's the equivalent on dimples on keyboards (F & J keys), it's there to let you know how to hold the phone the right way.
• Speaking of palm, I have a slightly larger than average palm size, and the device feels just right. It's not overly big. Which is one of the primary reasons why I wanted to check out the phone. The 4.7 display feels oddly more fitting, than the Nexus 4, thanks to the much smaller bezel. Less shimmying the device to reach the back button.
• Had a tad bit of problem setting up Touchless Control, because it was so fussy about zero ambience noise. Had to find a dead silent room. Way too fussy.
• Active Notifications, something I can't live without anymore; and it's only been a day! I think this is a very Apple-ish feature; except Motorola beat them to it (or Apple isn't into AMOLED screens).
• Battery life, I don't know. Seems to hold longer charge better than my S4. I intentionally let the phone run without charging it since last night. I wanted to see a real life test. I'm sure the smarter guys/reviewers will be doing a much more through/scientific test than I will be.
• The additional features (Assist, Switcher, Motorola Connect) are quite useful and not gimicky! I didn't read any reviews prior to getting the phone (that's just how I roll) and I was pleasantly surprised to see Assist! If you're unfamiliar, it's a Do Not Disturb app, similar to iOS 6's, with additional features (mute during meetings, driving mode). Implementation is quite the same as iOS 6's.
• The OS feels very AOSP. There's some random customization here and there, but very very bare. I can't find any thing that is not within the Holo guideline. It's super responsive, despite being a dual core CPU. Motorola must've done some major optimization to get 4.2.2 to run like this. It feels faster than the TouchWiz ROM on the S4; probably because Moto X isn't bloated.
• Another nice surprise is to see a "Google" folder on the home screen. All of the Google apps, preloaded. It might be a turn-off for some, but I thought that was a nice addition. I mean, Motorola being a Google company…
• There are a few visual glitches, Navbar being semi transparent and if that's intentional, then it's not "right" because most wallpapers don't fit the 4.7", leaving a good 20 DIP solid black navbar.
• I'm not used to seeing a carrier label on the top left corner. Nexus 4 didn't have this. I much prefer not to see this at all.
• Oddly enough, I have not seen any Rogers' bloat! There is a teensy bit of hope!
Edit:
• My phone says "eh" and "aboot".

thanks for the info! i went to rogers here in ottawa and they had one black one left, but they wouldnt sell it outright to me, so im trying to find one

hidea said:
Brief history:
Quick overview:
• Active Notifications, something I can't live without anymore; and it's only been a day! I think this is a very Apple-ish feature; except Motorola beat them to it (or Apple isn't into AMOLED screens).
• There are a few visual glitches, Navbar being semi transparent and if that's intentional, then it's not "right" because most wallpapers don't fit the 4.7", leaving a good 20 DIP solid black navbar.
• I'm not used to seeing a carrier label on the top left corner. Nexus 4 didn't have this. I much prefer not to see this at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Active notifications: Do you ever find the "pulsing" to be annoying? For example, if you have the phone face up on your desk, is it annoying to have to wait until the active notification lights up before you can check your messages/know if you have a message at all? I love the concept of active notifications, but I want to be able to not wait for it to come up.
Nav bar: I think that's intentional. No way they would overlook that part. I never liked the transparent nav bar anyways.
Carrier label: I've seen some reviews or videos that didn't have the label on the top left and am disappointed that it's there. I'm sure I would find it annoying as well so hopefully we can find a way to nuke it.
TIP: Maybe you should renamed this thread into the impressions thread? I could see it taking off. Or maybe just copy your post into a fresh thread with an appropriate title? Be a good place to aggregate all the impressions for this strange phone that many people are unsure of buying.

Enhanced said:
Active notifications: Do you ever find the "pulsing" to be annoying? For example, if you have the phone face up on your desk, is it annoying to have to wait until the active notification lights up before you can check your messages/know if you have a message at all? I love the concept of active notifications, but I want to be able to not wait for it to come up.
Nav bar: I think that's intentional. No way they would overlook that part. I never liked the transparent nav bar anyways.
Carrier label: I've seen some reviews or videos that didn't have the label on the top left and am disappointed that it's there. I'm sure I would find it annoying as well so hopefully we can find a way to nuke it.
TIP: Maybe you should renamed this thread into the impressions thread? I could see it taking off. Or maybe just copy your post into a fresh thread with an appropriate title? Be a good place to aggregate all the impressions for this strange phone that many people are unsure of buying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pulsing: Not at all. It's a good design, IMHO. if the screen is off, then there's nothing to worry about. Look at it from the "no news is good news" perspective. The same design as LED blinks! Since you asked, it's clever (IMHO) that you would have to grab your phone for the screen to display the time. At least I don't have to press the lock screen button to check the time.
Nav Bar If this is intentional, then that's a very strange design decision. My live wallpaper won't fit flushed against the 1280 height. :sad:
Carrier Label Yea. I can't wait for a root access! Need to get rid of this bloody thing. Check screenshot. BTW, I unlocked my phone, that's why it's showing as Koodo.

hidea said:
Pulsing: Not at all. It's a good design, IMHO. if the screen is off, then there's nothing to worry about. Look at it from the "no news is good news" perspective. The same design as LED blinks!
Nav Bar If this is intentional, then that's a very strange design decision. My live wallpaper won't fit flushed against the 1280 height. :sad:
Carrier Label Yea. I can't wait for a root access! Need to get rid of this bloody thing. Check screenshot. BTW, I unlocked my phone, that's why it's showing as Koodo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've always made my LED "always on" instead of pulsing. Guess I'd have to change my habits with the X. And like you said, maybe it's for the better that I don't constantly jump to my phone. As an additional question: if you have an outstanding notification, how often/in what intervals does it pulse? Does it pulse slower as the notification is not checked after a while? If you have no notifications at all, how often does it pulse? (Sorry, just very intrigued by these notifications)
The transparency of the bar is intentional, but I assume the wallpaper isn't isn't and it would actually be odd that they overlooked that part. This isn't an issue for me though as I always hide by nav bar and use LMT.
And yeah, I would definitely need to get rid of that label...ugh. Question, what is up with your homescreen? Can't be a ROM cause it's too early so is it some launcher?

Enhanced said:
I've always made my LED "always on" instead of pulsing. Guess I'd have to change my habits with the X. And like you said, maybe it's for the better that I don't constantly jump to my phone. As an additional question: if you have an outstanding notification, how often/in what intervals does it pulse? Does it pulse slower as the notification is not checked after a while? If you have no notifications at all, how often does it pulse? (Sorry, just very intrigued by these notifications)
And yeah, I would definitely need to get rid of that label...ugh. Question, what is up with your homescreen? Can't be a ROM cause it's too early so is it some launcher?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Additional Questions: Let me investigate this further. I need to study the behaviour anyway (I'm a UX guy).
Edit: With 2 different types of notifications, the screen pulses every six seconds-ish. I could be wrong, but I haven't seen the screen pulse/breath without any pending notification.
What is it with my homescreen that you find odd? The lack of icons? I just picked an empty page. I'm running Action Launcher.
Edit: yea, it's an Action Launcher issue, wallpaper not fitting correctly. The native launcher fits the wallpaper flushed! Sorry, Moto! I spoke too soon!

hidea said:
Additional Questions: Let me investigate this further. I need to study the behaviour anyway (I'm a UX guy).
What is it with my homescreen that you find odd? The lack of icons? I just picked an empty page. I'm running Action Launcher.
Edit: yea, it's an Action Launcher issue, wallpaper not fitting correctly. The native launcher fits the wallpaper flushed! Sorry, Moto! I spoke too soon!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah good to know about the wallpaper.
And yeah, I just never seen that launcher before so the widgets looked interesting. Always been a Nova guy.
I'll be awaiting your notification behaviours.

Enhanced said:
Ah good to know about the wallpaper.
And yeah, I just never seen that launcher before so the widgets looked interesting. Always been a Nova guy.
I'll be awaiting your notification behaviours.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Edit: With 2 different types of notifications, the screen pulses every six seconds-ish. I could be wrong, but I haven't seen the screen pulse/breath without any pending notification.
Edit 2: I just saw it breathe, without any pending notification. I can't time it. I'm distracted very easily! Sorry (I think it's past the sixty second mark?)

hidea said:
Edit: With 2 different types of notifications, the screen pulses every six seconds-ish. I could be wrong, but I haven't seen the screen pulse/breath without any pending notification.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting.
Is it possible to make the AN (active notification) show up by quickly covering the light sensor and then uncovering it? This would simulate taking the phone out of your pocket. I assume it works, but wonder how well. Could be a nice little trick to get the AN to pop.

Enhanced said:
Interesting.
Is it possible to make the AN (active notification) show up by quickly covering the light sensor and then uncovering it? This would simulate taking the phone out of your pocket. I assume it works, but wonder how well. Could be a nice little trick to get the AN to pop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems like a combination of a few sensors. Covering the device doesn't activate AN. However, moving it about will bring up AN. So, gyroscope based?

hidea said:
It seems like a combination of a few sensors. Covering the device doesn't activate AN. However, moving it about will bring up AN. So, gyroscope based?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah that's pretty cool. Just shake the phone to show AN. Works too I guess.

I can't stress how COOL the Touchless feature is! I mean, EAT YOUR HEART OUT, SIRI!
Too bad I can't call it something else, other than "OK Google Now". I'd do HELLO MOTO for ****s and giggles.

hidea said:
Edit: yea, it's an Action Launcher issue, wallpaper not fitting correctly. The native launcher fits the wallpaper flushed! Sorry, Moto! I spoke too soon!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're a horrible reviewer, no cookie for you!
More seriously, thanks for posting about this. I'll throw in some more questions:
- You say the back is smooth, but is it soft-touch or a hard surface?
- How much free space was there before you put Action Launcher on it?
- Some reviews noted that whites have a pink tint to them - is this true for yours?
- How's the speaker phone sound quality?
- Do you connect it up to your work email? If so, does Assist allow you to stop it from synching overnight?

thedosbox said:
You're a horrible reviewer, no cookie for you!
More seriously, thanks for posting about this. I'll throw in some more questions:
- You say the back is smooth, but is it soft-touch or a hard surface?
- How much free space was there before you put Action Launcher on it?
- Some reviews noted that whites have a pink tint to them - is this true for yours?
- How's the speaker phone sound quality?
- Do you connect it up to your work email? If so, does Assist allow you to stop it from synching overnight?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
-smooth hard surface. Not rubberized.
- space wise? 10GB
- mine is neutral white. There's a pearl effect.
- I'll test speaker!
- assist doesn't stop syncing. Only suppressing notifications.
Thank god I don't write reviews for a living! I'd be out on the street, not being able to afford the cheapest phone plan here in Canada

hidea said:
Pulsing: Not at all. It's a good design, IMHO. if the screen is off, then there's nothing to worry about. Look at it from the "no news is good news" perspective. The same design as LED blinks! Since you asked, it's clever (IMHO) that you would have to grab your phone for the screen to display the time. At least I don't have to press the lock screen button to check the time.
Nav Bar If this is intentional, then that's a very strange design decision. My live wallpaper won't fit flushed against the 1280 height. :sad:
Carrier Label Yea. I can't wait for a root access! Need to get rid of this bloody thing. Check screenshot. BTW, I unlocked my phone, that's why it's showing as Koodo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the first impressions, I am getting more and more excited for the phone as I read more of what you write. But I was wondering though how you went about unlocking your phone? You didnt have to do it through the carrier did you?

ZGPAX Smart Watch

I found this model can be purchased for aliexpress.
what think?
http://armdevices.net/2013/10/14/zgpax-smart-watch-mt6577-95-bulk/

adonleice said:
I found this model can be purchased for aliexpress.
what think?
http://armdevices.net/2013/10/14/zgpax-smart-watch-mt6577-95-bulk/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm actually going to purchase one here shortly.... curious to see if it can run 3rd party launchers well with smaller homescreen grids. They need to create a seperate thread for this !

hi you can do a review thanks

looks interesting, would like to know if it's a good companion watch, with a decent amount of watch faces

adonleice said:
hi you can do a review thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
JarlSX said:
looks interesting, would like to know if it's a good companion watch, with a decent amount of watch faces
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just got it in... trying to root and all that.. but it's AWESOME! 100% Cool as hell. trying to find a comptible launcher and such.
***EDIT UPDATE*** so ADW i have working VERY smooth... eats up a little more memory though so loooking around for launcherpro and other small ram users
***EDIT UPDATE 2 **** have rooted the device using Framaroot... superuser works... already using root tools great

hi BigBison420
oh it looks nice, where did you buy it? hot time the shipping?the battery works well?a lot of thanks

adonleice said:
hi BigBison420
oh it looks nice, where did you buy it? hot time the shipping?the battery works well?a lot of thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
get it from eCrater.com from Tech Direct i believe it's called... it will be $177 total (including shipping) but i got mine in 3 days.... I ordered Thursday of last week Very good seller
I have been emailing manufacturer's because they are apparently working on software to use with the device to pair to the phones. There are no current apps that utilize call handling from Phone to Watch so the device is more of a standalone device for now. Plays videos, good camera, touch functionality is good, it got a little bit hot while i was runing ADW launcher so i uninstalled that... stock launcher runs fine. Charges fast - FM radio feature is pretty damn cool however you have to use stock headphone it comes with as antenna, they plug in via micro usb. Overall great build quality... Looks like an HTC One LOL

Looks good
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium HD app

hi how many hours work the battery thanks

adonleice said:
hi how many hours work the battery thanks
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Click to collapse
In the video, the person said that the battery will last 1 and 1/2 days. (Not a China dude but I still understand their Singlish)
Btw the battery life is probably the same for other similar smart watches unless they have battery tweaks like the Qualcomm toq and the pebble smart watch which reduces or fully disables touchscreen and colour

Well the battery life i don't know because i haven't killed it yet..... The battery meter goes up and down QUITE a bit though so i can't get a real good read on the battery gauge, which is kind of frustrating...
So far i've rooted and changed the boot animation with rom toolbox pro. I cannot get the stock lock screen clock and launcher to go away tho, even after changing the filenames in /System/App which leaves me boggled. I am running ADW and a large digital clock on my homescreen and would rather unlock to that then the analog clock.

If you guys are interested, i did a quick review of the watch i will upload to youtube tonight and make new thread with video

BigBison420 said:
Well the battery life i don't know because i haven't killed it yet..... The battery meter goes up and down QUITE a bit though so i can't get a real good read on the battery gauge, which is kind of frustrating...
So far i've rooted and changed the boot animation with rom toolbox pro. I cannot get the stock lock screen clock and launcher to go away tho, even after changing the filenames in /System/App which leaves me boggled. I am running ADW and a large digital clock on my homescreen and would rather unlock to that then the analog clock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thinking of buying this at Chinavasion for £92, Is it worth it and did you manage to do a review, Many thanks

Here ya go
http://youtu.be/NgHMAffmk9w
<iframe width="640" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/NgHMAffmk9w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Sent from my GT-N7105 using xda app-developers app

BigBison420 said:
Here ya go
http://youtu.be/NgHMAffmk9w
<iframe width="640" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/NgHMAffmk9w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Sent from my GT-N7105 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are its capabilities as far as connecting to a phone

Short review
I just received mine in the mail and must say, I'm pleasantly surprised. Build quality is excellent. The screen is bright and hires enough to be able to read everything. Wifi is stable and quite good, in contrary top most other China devices I have (mostly JXD). Of course the keyboard is a bit cramped and hitting the right letter is a gamble but the screen is sensitive and it doesn't take a strong touch.The interface is very smooth and responsive. I have installed a few apps which work well. The only thing that keeps crashing is Skype, which is weird as it came with the watch. There seems no way to use Google Now either (it keeps crashing) which is a pity as I don't want to even think about searching with the on-screen keyboard. The loudspeaker is okay (not great). I haven't tried using it to call anyone yet, that will be next on my list. I just noticed that the watch doesn't take micro sim cards. That quite surprising for such a small device. Now I'll have to go out and buy a regular sim card. I'm not a big fan of adapters.

singapura said:
I just received mine in the mail and must say, I'm pleasantly surprised. Build quality is excellent. The screen is bright and hires enough to be able to read everything. Wifi is stable and quite good, in contrary top most other China devices I have (mostly JXD). Of course the keyboard is a bit cramped and hitting the right letter is a gamble but the screen is sensitive and it doesn't take a strong touch.The interface is very smooth and responsive. I have installed a few apps which work well. The only thing that keeps crashing is Skype, which is weird as it came with the watch. There seems no way to use Google Now either (it keeps crashing) which is a pity as I don't want to even think about searching with the on-screen keyboard. The loudspeaker is okay (not great). I haven't tried using it to call anyone yet, that will be next on my list. I just noticed that the watch doesn't take micro sim cards. That quite surprising for such a small device. Now I'll have to go out and buy a regular sim card. I'm not a big fan of adapters.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It looks like a nice device I'm torn between buying this watch or just waiting around for the kickstart project Neptune Pine. Which seems to be a much more polished product

I'm also thinking about getting this or the neptune but the Pine looks so big it will make my already small wrists tiny!
I like the idea of the Pine but think I might go for the ZGPAX....

ShawnnKushh said:
What are its capabilities as far as connecting to a phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The thing is that its recognized by bluetooth as a phone so there is file transfer capability but not call handling or notification handling until the manufacturer releases an app to provide support for this... I would advise anyone who purchases to try and contact the manufacturer and get this info. Ive been looking a week now for an app in the store but have found nothing.
Sent from my GT-N7105 using xda app-developers app

hi bigbison
wait news thanks

I don't know what to think about this Nexus.

I have had almost every Motorola Droid since the Original. I was so excited when they announced Motorola was getting this years Nexus. Last week when my Droid Turbo's glass broke again I was givinn the opportunity to have the Nexus. I jumped at it.. Now I'm thinking I made a mistake.. I actually miss all of moto's skin or Moto Blur . This naked android is a nightmare ! First off my Calendar no longer has a search feature( if it does I can't find it. Texting someone who've you've recently call is nearly impossible unless I enter the number manually, I'm forced to use the google camera and google photos. All these years I was lednto believe that the manufacturers skins were bad .. I'm thinking they aren't so bad after all...I'm hopping I can find some exposed mods to help me here I'm having a terrible time making the transition from my Droids to Vanilla android.

They each (AOSP vs manufacturer's skins) have their advantages. For me, I was sick of being many months behind on Android versions.
You'll be able to find lots of tweaks to help. You might also try Benzo or Chroma ROMs.

And I am someone that every non nexus I have had I put aosp on as soon as I could love me some vanilla
Sent from my SM-T800 using XDA Free mobile app

tombaldwin6 said:
I have had almost every Motorola Droid since the Original. I was so excited when they announced Motorola was getting this years Nexus. Last week when my Droid Turbo's glass broke again I was givinn the opportunity to have the Nexus. I jumped at it.. Now I'm thinking I made a mistake.. I actually miss all of moto's skin or Moto Blur . This naked android is a nightmare ! First off my Calendar no longer has a search feature( if it does I can't find it. Texting someone who've you've recently call is nearly impossible unless I enter the number manually, I'm forced to use the google camera and google photos. All these years I was lednto believe that the manufacturers skins were bad .. I'm thinking they aren't so bad after all...I'm hopping I can find some exposed mods to help me here I'm having a terrible time making the transition from my Droids to Vanilla android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Search in Calendar is right in the top level menu, just above the first separator (Schedule...Day...3 Day...Week...Month....Search). Assuming you mean Google Calendar, which is stock.
Click on the contact image to bring up the contact, and the text icon is on the right. Click on the number to bring up a redial menu. Its not labeled or anything, but once you know its super easy.
Why are you forced to use Google's camera? It sucks. I use Snap Camera. Google photos sucks, too. Actually, all galleries suck compared to QuickPic. And I use SugarSync for backup because it copies the photos to a specific directory on my main PC.
And other than maybe the dialer, I used these same apps when I ran a TW ROM on my old S4. The more open API standards of Android generally allow you to use best in class apps no matter what OEM skin is in place. Also...dialers can be replaced, too. I just don't use them enough to care much.

tombaldwin6 said:
I have had almost every Motorola Droid since the Original. I was so excited when they announced Motorola was getting this years Nexus. Last week when my Droid Turbo's glass broke again I was givinn the opportunity to have the Nexus. I jumped at it.. Now I'm thinking I made a mistake.. I actually miss all of moto's skin or Moto Blur . This naked android is a nightmare ! First off my Calendar no longer has a search feature( if it does I can't find it. Texting someone who've you've recently call is nearly impossible unless I enter the number manually, I'm forced to use the google camera and google photos. All these years I was lednto believe that the manufacturers skins were bad .. I'm thinking they aren't so bad after all...I'm hopping I can find some exposed mods to help me here I'm having a terrible time making the transition from my Droids to Vanilla android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You aren't actually experiencing problems, you're still in the learning phase. Once you have it figured out, you'll be good to go.
I actually like the Droid Turbo immensely. My issue with it was pretty much that it doesn't work on my carrier's network (UMTS/AWS). The international version "Moto Maxx" was very appealing, but hard to get your hands on and really not all that much support.
** I favor, slightly, the smaller screen + bigger battery.
The calendar search has been explained.
Text to a caller is easy; In your dialer RECENTS list, click on the CONTACT ICON at the LEFT SIDE of the log line, and then press the "messaging" button on the top-right of the drawer that pops up from the bottom of the screen. Bang, you're in Messaging and that contact is selected.
Not sure what problem you have with the google camera application, works pretty well for me.
But yeah, photos[+] is a horrid piece of spyware crap that deserves to burn in hell.
You can disable photos by dragging it from the launcher drawer to the top of the screen "info" and pressing "disable".
THEN you can install the proper AOSP gallery, which I've rigged up to install as an external apk;
https://github.com/lbdroid/Android-Binaries/blob/master/Gallery2.apk
OR if you prefer to compile it from source yourself to reassure yourself that I didn't add any spyware to it;
https://github.com/lbdroid/android_packages_apps_Gallery2
* note: compiling that requires NDK

Thank you for the links to a gallery app. I'm gonna trust you and use the first link.. You wouldn't want to spy on my pics unless you like hot blonds and camaros (my girlfriend and my car ). That is all I take pics of for the most part.

tombaldwin6 said:
Thank you for the links to a gallery app. I'm gonna trust you and use the first link.. You wouldn't want to spy on my pics unless you like hot blonds and camaros (my girlfriend and my car ). That is all I take pics of for the most part.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't trust him.
I installed that .apk and my phone blew up.
:crying::crying::crying:

You literally named issues that can almost all be fixed by using a different app instead of the one you are using. And I'm too lazy to name them all. But you didn't complain about the huge screen which is nice to not hear

Nickchapstick said:
You literally named issues that can almost all be fixed by using a different app instead of the one you are using. And I'm too lazy to name them all. But you didn't complain about the huge screen which is nice to not hear
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IKR I'm short person well below average. And I use 6in screen one handed no problem. Y is everyone so scared of it?

Exel said:
Don't trust him.
I installed that .apk and my phone blew up.
:crying::crying::crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol

hdtechk said:
IKR I'm short person well below average. And I use 6in screen one handed no problem. Y is everyone so scared of it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

tombaldwin6 said:
I have had almost every Motorola Droid since the Original. I was so excited when they announced Motorola was getting this years Nexus. Last week when my Droid Turbo's glass broke again I was givinn the opportunity to have the Nexus. I jumped at it.. Now I'm thinking I made a mistake.. I actually miss all of moto's skin or Moto Blur . This naked android is a nightmare ! First off my Calendar no longer has a search feature( if it does I can't find it. Texting someone who've you've recently call is nearly impossible unless I enter the number manually, I'm forced to use the google camera and google photos. All these years I was lednto believe that the manufacturers skins were bad .. I'm thinking they aren't so bad after all...I'm hopping I can find some exposed mods to help me here I'm having a terrible time making the transition from my Droids to Vanilla android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I concur with some other folks here, it sounds like you need Chroma. IMHO the best way to describe Chroma is a vanilla version of Android with all of the little niceties added back in.

IMO the google camera has been slightly faster at responding (focusing, snapping, opening, etc) since the update to 5.1 (I have used both stock 5.1 and now cleanrom). Before that I used open camera, and still like it for the features.

MunkinDrunky said:
IMO the google camera has been slightly faster at responding (focusing, snapping, opening, etc) since the update to 5.1 (I have used both stock 5.1 and now cleanrom). Before that I used open camera, and still like it for the features.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was just updated.

I guess were using the term "Hot blonde" very loosely these days...
---------- Post added at 07:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:44 PM ----------
If you miss something like moto blur your right Nexus phones are not for you. I personally DESPISE anything other than stock android. Theyre all ugly as **** and full of useless gimmicks.

chrisnk204 said:
I guess were using the term "Hot blonde" very loosely these days...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice car though.

brizey said:
Search in Calendar is right in the top level menu, just above the first separator (Schedule...Day...3 Day...Week...Month....Search). Assuming you mean Google Calendar, which is stock.
Click on the contact image to bring up the contact, and the text icon is on the right. Click on the number to bring up a redial menu. Its not labeled or anything, but once you know its super easy.
Why are you forced to use Google's camera? It sucks. I use Snap Camera. Google photos sucks, too. Actually, all galleries suck compared to QuickPic. And I use SugarSync for backup because it copies the photos to a specific directory on my main PC.
And other than maybe the dialer, I used these same apps when I ran a TW ROM on my old S4. The more open API standards of Android generally allow you to use best in class apps no matter what OEM skin is in place. Also...dialers can be replaced, too. I just don't use them enough to care much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I myself don't mind the Google camera but ya quickpic gallery is pretty amazing I love it as well
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app

huh? I think she's pretty damn hot!

chrisnk204 said:
I guess were using the term "Hot blonde" very loosely these days...
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Click to collapse
Oh snap!
Sent from my Chroma-powered Nexus 6

Will the PRIV be rootable?

I got the priv and it's my third day using it and man do I miss my s5, most importantly TOUCHWIZ. I had Samsung since 2010 so it's so weird to me. But my s5 was getting really laggy and slow. I'm kinda regretting the priv because I miss switching batterys, I hate being connected to an outlet and I miss having root. Would the priv be able to get root at least? I wanted something new but this is not my cup of tea. If there's no root then I'll just end getting the note 4 with removable battery and SD slot.

LuisAGee said:
I got the priv and it's my third day using it and man do I miss my s5, most importantly TOUCHWIZ. I had Samsung since 2010 so it's so weird to me. But my s5 was getting really laggy and slow. I'm kinda regretting the priv because I miss switching batterys, I hate being connected to an outlet and I miss having root. Would the priv be able to get root at least? I wanted something new but this is not my cup of tea. If there's no root then I'll just end getting the note 4 with removable battery and SD slot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am also hoping there is a non tethered root method discovered for the Priv. I think there might be but I know it will be difficult. Many well known devs have already commented even before the Priv that root access will become more difficult with MM.
Just curious but what exactly are you missing about touchwiz? I have a several Samsung devices & one of the first things I like to do is rip touchwiz out & either leave functions disabled or replace it with an alternative solution. I just never liked the cost of lag that running pure stock left you with.
If you let us know specifically what your missing we may be able to offer 3rd party solutions you might actually find superior to what you get with touchwiz.

I like the weather and clock all in one and how everything is more simple. This BlackBerry android is really complicated and boring. I never really liked stock Android, Nexus and so on.

LuisAGee said:
I like the weather and clock all in one and how everything is more simple. This BlackBerry android is really complicated and boring. I never really liked stock Android, Nexus and so on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The weather and clock combo is a simple fix. You can take your pick of hundreds of options in the PlayStore.
The simple maybe a bit harder. Samsung really did dumb things down on their devices. (apple of Android)

zelendel said:
The weather and clock combo is a simple fix. You can take your pick of hundreds of options in the PlayStore.
The simple maybe a bit harder. Samsung really did dumb things down on their devices. (apple of Android)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that's true, I can't believe all these apps on here on my PRIV are like all downloaded from the Google Play. They really got into te agreement that they were using android on their phone.

LuisAGee said:
Yeah that's true, I can't believe all these apps on here on my PRIV are like all downloaded from the Google Play. They really got into te agreement that they were using android on their phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure what you're trying to communicate here but I especially love the fact that BlackBerry is actively trying to bring the best they have in smartphone tech to the Android platform.
I don't find it complicated at all. In fact I find out exactly the opposite. The shortcuts they add to the launcher & keyboard alone have saved me tremendous amounts of time. I admit I send allot of emails & text messages but I actually like to work on my phone [emoji1]
I think you hit it in the spot when you pointed out that you never really liked stock Android which is not really a BlackBerry thing. Sure they could have done more to customize the interface like Samsung did with Touchwiz but until the Note 5 came out I really hated how slow & laggy Touchwiz made my past Samsung phones. It made my a Note 4 upgrade to lollipop so slow I had to wipe the phone & go back to kitkat.
I'd also recommend getting Chronos widgets from the Playstore. They have a great time, date, calendar combo widget.
Don't get me wrong because I think the Priv is far from perfect. I would have really preferred the following items
* removable battery
* fingerprint scanner
* DTek software that could actually block application permissions so that I have total control over my personal info
* more control over the launcher functions like the bottom screen gestures
* more control over the edge screen options & functionality
* more control over the productivity tools
* Developer Edition Priv hardware with unlocked bootloader & root access so XDA can help fix the things preventing the Priv from being the must-have smartphone device it can be!
* the rest of the missing BB7.1 & BB10 missing features & gestures [emoji1]

TechKnowGrappler said:
Not sure what you're trying to communicate here but I especially love the fact that BlackBerry is actively trying to bring the best they have in smartphone tech to the Android platform.
I don't find it complicated at all. In fact I find out exactly the opposite. The shortcuts they add to the launcher & keyboard alone have saved me tremendous amounts of time. I admit I send allot of emails & text messages but I actually like to work on my phone [emoji1]
I think you hit it in the spot when you pointed out that you never really liked stock Android which is not really a BlackBerry thing. Sure they could have done more to customize the interface like Samsung did with Touchwiz but until the Note 5 came out I really hated how slow & laggy Touchwiz made my past Samsung phones. It made my a Note 4 upgrade to lollipop so slow I had to wipe the phone & go back to kitkat.
I'd also recommend getting Chronos widgets from the Playstore. They have a great time, date, calendar combo widget.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nvm youre right, Im starting to get used to this phone but theres alot of stuff I have questions for. Do you know where the screen shots go because I can not find them on photos. I just really wish the phone had a removable battery and it wouldve been perfect but oh well I just ordered a Auckey portable charger and Auckey fast charger and Ima see how that goes. Also is there any way to leave the back, home and clear apps always up instead of it dissapearing?
I feel like this phone is going to be one good ass phone for awhile either way.

LuisAGee said:
Nvm youre right, Im starting to get used to this phone but theres alot of stuff I have questions for. Do you know where the screen shots go because I can not find them on photos. I just really wish the phone had a removable battery and it wouldve been perfect but oh well I just ordered a Auckey portable charger and Auckey fast charger and Ima see how that goes. Also is there any way to leave the back, home and clear apps always up instead of it dissapearing?
I feel like this phone is going to be one good ass phone for awhile either way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can view screenshots through Photos. Click on the three lines at the top left and then you can change the view to device files. You'll then see your screenshots.
I don't think you can set the home and back buttons to always on which is probably a good thing the next time you go watch a video or some other action that might have those in your view.

LuisAGee said:
Nvm youre right, Im starting to get used to this phone but theres alot of stuff I have questions for. Do you know where the screen shots go because I can not find them on photos. I just really wish the phone had a removable battery and it wouldve been perfect but oh well I just ordered a Auckey portable charger and Auckey fast charger and Ima see how that goes. Also is there any way to leave the back, home and clear apps always up instead of it dissapearing?
I feel like this phone is going to be one good ass phone for awhile either way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Screenshots go into the subfolder called screenshots that is under the pictures folder
Pictures/Screenshots
I loaded & use the ES file manager app for all my needs
---------- Post added at 12:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:06 PM ----------
LuisAGee said:
Also is there any way to leave the back, home and clear apps always up instead of it dissapearing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure what you mean here. Mine stays up unless I am in an app that does full screen mode like YouTube or the Gallery in full screen picture mode.

LuisAGee said:
I feel like this phone is going to be one good ass phone for awhile either way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't agree more [emoji16]

Blackberry's first update.
How are you guys liking the first update?

TechKnowGrappler said:
Not sure what you mean here. Mine stays up unless I am in an app that does full screen mode like YouTube or the Gallery in full screen picture mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And even if you're in an app that's full screen, if you swipe up/in from the bottom of the device, the buttons appear again for use.
LuisAGee said:
How are you guys liking the first update?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So far, it's a great improvement on all fronts, of particular note, the issue with multiple keypresses on the PKB has been resolved, so now I can truly touch type again at speed without fear.

Artemis-kun said:
And even if you're in an app that's full screen, if you swipe up/in from the bottom of the device, the buttons appear again for use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know of a way to do exactly what you're looking for but what I have done as a work around is use an app called All in One Gestures to setup gestures that I use to initiate a Home, Back, Last App navigations by swiping the edges & corners of the screen
---------- Post added at 04:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:10 PM ----------
LuisAGee said:
How are you guys liking the first update?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Priv has been working much better after this update
I was having trouble with writing to my ext sdcard with exfat but after the update all my issues have disappeared

TechKnowGrappler said:
I don't know of a way to do exactly what you're looking for but what I have done as a work around is use an app called All in One Gestures to setup gestures that I use to initiate a Home, Back, Last App navigations by swiping the edges & corners of the screen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, I wasn't directing my comment at you, it was for the original person you responded to. It's a native Android function since... I think kitkat to do the swipe in from the bottom edge of the screen to bring up the softkeys whenever you're in fullscreen modes.

24 hour first impressions

I've had the Pixel 2 a little over 24 hours now.
Okay. More like 36.
Here are my initial impressions...
Mod edit, removed link

"After my first day, I can say that I love the direction Android is heading in. It’s becoming more customizable by the minute, and with each update, things just keep getting smoother."
You lost me there. Android is less and less customizable after each new version, sadly.

Adding battery percentage ON the battery icon, selecting dark/bright theme, home screen widgets, just to name a few features we had but don't have anymore for whoever knows what reason. Even that damned search bar is always there, there is no option to remove it, even though I used it 0 times, so "customizable search bar" is just marketing BS to make you feel it is customizable...

IVBela said:
"After my first day, I can say that I love the direction Android is heading in. It’s becoming more customizable by the minute, and with each update, things just keep getting smoother."
You lost me there. Android is less and less customizable after each new version, sadly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IVBela said:
Adding battery percentage ON the battery icon, selecting dark/bright theme, home screen widgets, just to name a few features we had but don't have anymore for whoever knows what reason. Even that damned search bar is always there, there is no option to remove it, even though I used it 0 times, so "customizable search bar" is just marketing BS to make you feel it is customizable...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Valid points, I suppose. But the Pixel 2 will surely have a solid development community, so these things will all still be customizable - it will just require jumping through more hoops than it should.

Nfc issue with clicking is really off-putting and has soured my initial excellent first impression of it. Battery is ridiculously good and I hope the nfc thing is software.

IVBela said:
Adding battery percentage ON the battery icon, selecting dark/bright theme, home screen widgets, just to name a few features we had but don't have anymore for whoever knows what reason. Even that damned search bar is always there, there is no option to remove it, even though I used it 0 times, so "customizable search bar" is just marketing BS to make you feel it is customizable...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The search bar isn't a feature of "android" though. It's a feature of Google's Pixel launcher, so this isn't a lack of customisation in Android but in this specific app that Google make for their particular phones (not as part of the OS).
If you want rid of it, use a different launcher. It's what I'm doing.

Large Hadron said:
The search bar isn't a feature of "android" though. It's a feature of Google's Pixel launcher, so this isn't a lack of customisation in Android but in this specific app that Google make for their particular phones (not as part of the OS).
If you want rid of it, use a different launcher. It's what I'm doing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't get me started on becoming harder and harder to root the device, losing one of the core concepts of Android then. I just listed a few points that quickly came to my mind. By the way, using another launcher most likely disables the Google Now pane (or how it is called by now...) as far as I know.
Anyways, each their own. I feel it's going the wrong direction in terms of customization.

davwman said:
Nfc issue with clicking is really off-putting and has soured my initial excellent first impression of it. Battery is ridiculously good and I hope the nfc thing is software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NFC issue with clicking? Can you elaborate? I don't use NFC very often, outside of a few Android Pay payments here and there, so I haven't experienced this yet.

IVBela said:
Don't get me started on becoming harder and harder to root the device, losing one of the core concepts of Android then. I just listed a few points that quickly came to my mind. By the way, using another launcher most likely disables the Google Now pane (or how it is called by now...) as far as I know.
Anyways, each their own. I feel it's going the wrong direction in terms of customization.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With Nova launcher, you can keep the swipe to the left foot Google now and hide the persistent search bar.

Has anyone else had random shut downs?

IVBela said:
Don't get me started on becoming harder and harder to root the device, losing one of the core concepts of Android then
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is it becoming harder and harder to root? Other than we don't have TWRP yet.

foosion said:
How is it becoming harder and harder to root? Other than we don't have TWRP yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First it just broke OTA, then came forced SELinux, then this SafetyNet thing first only if modified something, now even if just unlocking bootloader. All their justification was "increased security". Thank you, but I can protect myself.
Got a refurbished Nexus5x after my original one bootlooped, on this the bootloader can't even be unlocked... yay!

t2jbird said:
Has anyone else had random shut downs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2 here in the first hour of use, wasn't really do anything at the time. The last time I clicked a folder on the home screen and down it went. Hopefully this was just a one time thing (2 times).

guysalami said:
2 here in the first hour of use, wasn't really do anything at the time. The last time I clicked a folder on the home screen and down it went. Hopefully this was just a one time thing (2 times).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had about 10 so far in my first 72 hours when performing random tasks, such as taking pictures. Support asked me to uninstall Twitter, but gave me $25 Google play credit for the inconvenience.

t2jbird said:
I've had about 10 so far in my first 72 hours when performing random tasks, such as taking pictures. Support asked me to uninstall Twitter, but gave me $25 Google play credit for the inconvenience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not a good sign, nice of them to give you a credit though. I don't have twitter installed here.

guysalami said:
Not a good sign, nice of them to give you a credit though. I don't have twitter installed here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So far no shut downs but not sure I'm willing to give up Twitter.. it works fine on all my other devices.

t2jbird said:
I've had about 10 so far in my first 72 hours when performing random tasks, such as taking pictures. Support asked me to uninstall Twitter, but gave me $25 Google play credit for the inconvenience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude that is seriously scary... You think it's your phone or something with Twitter?

cap1tal1sm said:
Dude that is seriously scary... You think it's your phone or something with Twitter?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm honestly not sure. It's been annoying and it appears to be random... It's happened with no background apps open while I'm scrolling through photos. The screen freezes for about 5 seconds and then cuts off instantly. Then it will turn back on after about a minute.

davwman said:
Nfc issue with clicking is really off-putting and has soured my initial excellent first impression of it. Battery is ridiculously good and I hope the nfc thing is software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had my Pixel 2 since Thursday last week. NFC was on by default and I have not noticed with the many calls I have made with the phone since I got it.
IVBela said:
By the way, using another launcher most likely disables the Google Now pane (or how it is called by now...) as far as I know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nova Launcher support it.

davwman said:
Nfc issue with clicking is really off-putting and has soured my initial excellent first impression of it. Battery is ridiculously good and I hope the nfc thing is software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can also hear the clicking. It is constant but only noticeable when holding the phone to my ear.
I will say that this is the most impressive camera I've ever used on a phone though.