Database Users

Google Pixel ROM Reviews

Hey guys,
I used to do ROM Reviews for the Nexus 6 a long time ago but got carried away with work and had to slow down (we all know how much time and effort it can take to wipe and restart with a new ROM). I feel like the reviews helped spark discussion and the responses to the reviews really helped me understand what factors mattered most to the average user.
Anyways, is there any interest in me starting this up for the Pixel? I've used PureNexus for quite some time now and feel like I have a very good grasp on it in terms of features and performance. I'm downloading and configuring Hexa tonight, so I can start with a comparison (outside of stock). If there's interest, I'll plan to post the first review at the end of this next week (around 3/4 Feb).
EDIT: I'm going to wait on this until the GApps issues all get ironed out. I'd love feedback on which ROMs to try, so I can start with the ROMs people want first.

Could use some in-depth reviews here. Perhaps a comparison to stock.

CyberLykan said:
Could use some in-depth reviews here. Perhaps a comparison to stock.
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Any ROM preference for the first one?

phishfi said:
Any ROM preference for the first one?
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Hexa would be nice. I've been contemplating flashing it but would like a review to compare it with PN
Sent from my Pixel using XDA Labs

S8ntsHaz3 said:
Hexa would be nice. I've been contemplating flashing it but would like a review to compare it with PN
Sent from my Pixel using XDA Labs
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So I tried installing Hexa last night. Coming from PureNexus, I played it safe and wiped everything first, didn't even install TWRP (just used fastboot to boot into TWRP every time). Still, I had nothing but issues with Google Play services. I'm also not a fan of all the AOSP apps that LineageOS includes. I wish there was an option during set up where it asks if you want to keep them, so users can decline the ones they'll never use (I'm fine with them including the essentials, like "Messaging", but I can't stand having the AOSP Email app and a bunch of other).
I then tried to install Oct-N, with a number of issues again.
If/when I do this, I'm going to have to wait until the process becomes less painful. I liked PureNexus a LOT, but for the moment (I'll keep trying next weekend) I'm going to stick with stock w/ root.

phishfi said:
So I tried installing Hexa last night. Coming from PureNexus, I played it safe and wiped everything first, didn't even install TWRP (just used fastboot to boot into TWRP every time). Still, I had nothing but issues with Google Play services. I'm also not a fan of all the AOSP apps that LineageOS includes. I wish there was an option during set up where it asks if you want to keep them, so users can decline the ones they'll never use (I'm fine with them including the essentials, like "Messaging", but I can't stand having the AOSP Email app and a bunch of other).
I then tried to install Oct-N, with a number of issues again.
If/when I do this, I'm going to have to wait until the process becomes less painful. I liked PureNexus a LOT, but for the moment (I'll keep trying next weekend) I'm going to stick with stock w/ root.
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Have you tried Dirty Unicorns yet?
Sent from my Pixel using XDA Labs

for me its either pure nexus or dirty unicorns. DU has a few more options and better battery life currently. at least for me. the pixel doesnt have anywhere near the dev community the nexuses or oneplus3t have. but ill take what I can get.

fix-this! said:
for me its either pure nexus or dirty unicorns. DU has a few more options and better battery life currently. at least for me. the pixel doesnt have anywhere near the dev community the nexuses or oneplus3t have. but ill take what I can get.
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I don't think that's necessarily true. The Pixel's system is completely different from either of those devices, and it's taking significantly longer for the devs to sort out all of the kinks. It doesn't help that it's MUCH more consumer-focused than any of Google's previous phones or tablets.
I tried DU a long time ago on an older device, but not on my Pixel. Maybe I'll try that next. Does DU have a thing against sharing their builds on XDA?

phishfi said:
I don't think that's necessarily true. The Pixel's system is completely different from either of those devices, and it's taking significantly longer for the devs to sort out all of the kinks. It doesn't help that it's MUCH more consumer-focused than any of Google's previous phones or tablets.
I tried DU a long time ago on an older device, but not on my Pixel. Maybe I'll try that next. Does DU have a thing against sharing their builds on XDA?
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I dont think a lot of devs have the pixel or xl. they are pretty expensive. but yes I know the new partition scheme is a pita. thats why we dont have a stable twrp yet. ive yet to see another person with a pixel despite it selling well. I mostly see samsungs and iphones.
im not sure what the beef is with DU and xda. they are at devbase. I didnt join the site, just bookmarked for the builds.

fix-this! said:
I dont think a lot of devs have the pixel or xl. they are pretty expensive. but yes I know the new partition scheme is a pita. thats why we dont have a stable twrp yet. ive yet to see another person with a pixel despite it selling well. I mostly see samsungs and iphones.
im not sure what the beef is with DU and xda. they are at devbase. I didnt join the site, just bookmarked for the builds.
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Fair point, especially if they enjoy the Nexus 6P...

Can you get Oct-N to work and leave a review? Seems interesting.

i have been running DU since it was released and recently flashed purenexus almost a week ago. while the 2 roms have similar mods i feel DU had better battery life. both roms run smooth but battery life is the deciding factor on which rom to use as a daily driver.

Question

I am about to get a Axon 7 within a week and I am curious to know which rom(s) are useful for everyday usage aka daily driver rom.
There are tons and I am all confused about the matter.

The custom ROM support for this device isn't great, but it does have all the popular ones like ResurrectionRemix, LineageOS, AICP and AospExtended. My favourite at the moment is DARK ROM which is basically LOS 14.1 with some additional modifications; like the UI sounds from the Google Pixel, OMS theming support and unlocking after boot without PIN number. Once LOS 15 (8.0 Oreo) is released I will switch to that and use it as my daily-driver until the other custom ROM's also upgrade to Oreo.

P650SE said:
The custom ROM support for this device isn't great, but it does have all the popular ones like ResurrectionRemix, LineageOS, AICP and AospExtended. My favourite at the moment is DARK ROM which is basically LOS 14.1 with some additional modifications; like the UI sounds from the Google Pixel, OMS theming support and unlocking after boot without PIN number. Once LOS 15 (8.0 Oreo) is released I will switch to that and use it as my daily-driver until the other custom ROM's also upgrade to Oreo.
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Thank you for the reply.
It's a bit of shame that the support isn't there since this phone is really amazing.
Out of all roms you mentioned which one is the most stable and less "bloated" one?
I have no problem with stock but there is some issues that I am wondering if custom roms have fixed, like dropped calls(think it's software that messes with signal, never happened before) and random low volume.

cirnocirno said:
Thank you for the reply.
It's a bit of shame that the support isn't there since this phone is really amazing.
Out of all roms you mentioned which one is the most stable and less "bloated" one?
I have no problem with stock but there is some issues that I am wondering if custom roms have fixed, like dropped calls(think it's software that messes with signal, never happened before) and random low volume.
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Yeah, it's unfortunate that there isn't better support for this phone. I didn't realise when I bought it about a month ago that the situation was like this. Even my ZUK Z2 had a better community behind it which surprises me.
The most stable and least bloated ROM is definitely LineageOS, as that's the closest you can get to stock Android in the form of custom ROM's with just a few additional mods. DARK ROM as I mentioned before is just LineageOS with some extra enhancements. Both are stable but if you're after an officially-supported ROM with proper OTA updates, then LineageOS is the best option. I would recommend flashing Magisk v14.0 afterwards if you're interested in root support.

Over the last few months, ROM teams began feature locking and doing final Nougat builds to start work on Oreo. This period always leaves us dry for a time being. I've seen dry spells like this since KitKat. I anticipate a wave of ROMs in the coming months. Until then, there is a fine selection of ROMs to choose from. I do agree that the selection is a bit sparse compared to other phones. There is just enough to satisfy a flashaholics urge to tinker.
Let's hope the coming surge is better than the last.

P650SE said:
Yeah, it's unfortunate that there isn't better support for this phone. I didn't realise when I bought it about a month ago that the situation was like this. Even my ZUK Z2 had a better community behind it which surprises me.
The most stable and least bloated ROM is definitely LineageOS, as that's the closest you can get to stock Android in the form of custom ROM's with just a few additional mods. DARK ROM as I mentioned before is just LineageOS with some extra enhancements. Both are stable but if you're after an officially-supported ROM with proper OTA updates, then LineageOS is the best option. I would recommend flashing Magisk v14.0 afterwards if you're interested in root support.
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I guess I will be using LineageOS, I am just too excited with this phone don't want to spoil myself and brick.
Cablespider said:
Over the last few months, ROM teams began feature locking and doing final Nougat builds to start work on Oreo. This period always leaves us dry for a time being. I've seen dry spells like this since KitKat. I anticipate a wave of ROMs in the coming months. Until then, there is a fine selection of ROMs to choose from. I do agree that the selection is a bit sparse compared to other phones. There is just enough to satisfy a flashaholics urge to tinker.
Let's hope the coming surge is better than the last.
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I am not a flashaholic but I know that most fixes are always done in custom roms or they optimize battery stuff, user experience and the ability to have custom kernel and schedulers are always welcome.

Cablespider said:
Over the last few months, ROM teams began feature locking and doing final Nougat builds to start work on Oreo. This period always leaves us dry for a time being. I've seen dry spells like this since KitKat. I anticipate a wave of ROMs in the coming months.
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Good point. I keep forgetting the fact that most of the ROM teams are working on their final builds of Nougat and beginning progress with Oreo. At the moment it does feel like there is a slight lack of development, but like you said there is still a decent selection to choose from. (Lineage, AEX, AICP, RR, etc.) I did expect LineageOS 15 to have arrived already after seeing the screenshots and estimate of 1-3 days in the development thread, but that was of course 3 weeks ago and unfortunately it ended up getting delayed quite substantially. (I'm sure our patience will be rewarded though, if it means a more stable first release!)
The next few months should be exciting and i'm definitely looking forward to it, but for the moment it is a difficult time for us 'flashaholics' awaiting the initial builds of Oreo. I should probably indulge myself in another hobby rather than obsessing about when Android 8.0 will arrive on the Axon 7.

You're not alone. I look forward to testing and whatnot. I hope this phone can taking a beating like my beloved LG G3 did. RIP little buddy.

What guide should I look at to install custom rom?
I got a ZTE Axon7 A2017G

Also just noticed with stock rom playing games really drains the battery fast, REALLY fast. Every 3rd min is a 1%.
Another funny thing I noticed is that with stock rom if I press a folder and then exit the folder and then press again, the whole launcher crashes and restarts.
Oh and I noticed that the wifi connection isn't stable.

I don't get that behaviour with my A2017G. What ROM is it on ? Mine is Nougat B04 (AU).

robbow said:
i don't get that behaviour with my a2017g. What rom is it on ? Mine is nougat b04 (au).
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zte a2017gv1.2.0b02

Also I am curious to know. How do I gain back fastboot?(FIXED THIS)
So I am curious about roms/kernels.
I want to try a rom/kernel but I have been seeing there are a few roms that have something called "callbug" where the speakers make noise when a call is going on and when answering the mics are muted or call will be interrupted, no idea tbh.
So I would like to avoid a rom with such bug.

What is the most bug free custom ROM for Axon 7?

I'd love to get some totally un-biased views here, including pros and cons. This will probably also help others given the current circumstances and wading through old threads containing up to 4000 posts is a real PIA. Current info condensed into one new thread would be great and not introduce clutter in the ROM threads.
Given that even if we get Oreo, there will most likely be no further official updates, just wondering, from all of you who have used many ROMs, what is an honest view of which ROMs are nearly bug free? Are any bug free? For me stuff like call and camera issues are a total deal breaker. I use my phone for personal and work, including interstate and minor overseas travel. Not going to even install any ROM that is compromised in some way.
I put OmniROM MM on my Oppo Find 7 and that was fantastic. It even got updated to Nougat and I think still has updates so I reset it to a non rooted, stock (Omni) state and passed it on to my eldest daughter. It's being enjoyed and well used still.
I'd really like to get that kind of service life from my Axon 7 as it is a very good phone still.

I reccomend Oreo AEX,although i heard that dualsim is not currently working

Just like asking "what are the best headphones?", or "what are the best speakers?", the only real way to tell how well a certain ROM will work for YOU on YOUR PHONE is to try it. Even between phones of the exact same model, there will always be different experiences across users. Backup, wipe, flash & see if the features/performance you find are what work for you.

Well that won't be happening. I use it for work. Can't be flashing it all the time. Just needs to work and leave it alone.

RobboW said:
Well that won't be happening. I use it for work. Can't be flashing it all the time. Just needs to work and leave it alone.
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I'd use raystef's stock based roms then, check them out.
Most are nougat, one is oreo beta, pick your poison.

I've had really good experiences with Official lineageOS. It has been a seamless process without any hitches. I'm personally waiting for the official release of lineageOS 15.1 (if and when it comes out). I've installed lineage on various devices and have been super happy with all of them. My Moto G Titan feels like a new phone after I've installed it.

Victor13f said:
I've had really good experiences with Official lineageOS. It has been a seamless process without any hitches. I'm personally waiting for the official release of lineageOS 15.1 (if and when it comes out). I've installed lineage on various devices and have been super happy with all of them. My Moto G Titan feels like a new phone after I've installed it.
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It's very device specific though. Sometimes a custom ROM (such as LOS, OMNI etc) will work well on one type of phone and be buggy on a different one. Not all phones work the same on them and I think the Axon 7 is one of those that ends up with buggy ROMs. The camera and DAC are complications that can be hard to get running well, also dual SIM can be an issue and I use it all.
If it's a choice between custom with bugs or stay on stock Nougat I would stay stock.

RobboW said:
If it's a choice between custom with bugs or stay on stock Nougat I would stay stock.
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The feedback on LOS doesn't seem to be too bad and I do understand that since I am also still stock but the problem is that the stock ROM is filled with bugs aswell. The screen brightness bug I get sometimes, the call bug, my Google play store crashes often, my GPS doesn't work properly etc etc. Those are all bugs the stock ROM itself has.

What's the best Galaxy S8 ROM for a former OxygenOS user

Hi there guys. So, for the ones that are promptly telling me to search the forum, I'm already say I tried and it was overwhelming to me. A lot of options here and I'm confused. I'm away from modding for quite a while, I think the basics are still the same, but the options are crazy, there are a lot.
The context is... My OnePlus 5 battery is dying and I got a S8 (SM-950FD) from a family member, but the OneUI, honestly, is pure garbage on nitro, there's an ad for McAfee on it for crying out loud. Also, it's not as fluid as the OxygenOS on my OnePlus and I'm missing some options, like the one to disable mobile data usage in the app data options, OneUI disables only background data usage, not enough for me. And I bet that there are apps to do that, but than, I think it's more bloat anyways, having a set of apps to each do just it's one thing.
But so far, the one that I'm kinda inclined to use is LineageOS 17.1 (lineage-17.1-20201215-UNOFFICIAL-dreamlte), but I'm still insecure about it. I chose this one because it seems that everything is working, and that's very important, because I'm going to use it every day in it's plenitude.
So... what ROM that fully work can I use that is not bloated and let me kill network data for specific apps?
Thank you all who took the time

Hi, you should try Havok OS v3.12.
Everything works fingerprints, face unlock, navigation gestures...except VOLTE but it doesn't really matter.

mizifih said:
Hi there guys. So, for the ones that are promptly telling me to search the forum, I'm already say I tried and it was overwhelming to me. A lot of options here and I'm confused. I'm away from modding for quite a while, I think the basics are still the same, but the options are crazy, there are a lot.
The context is... My OnePlus 5 battery is dying and I got a S8 (SM-950FD) from a family member, but the OneUI, honestly, is pure garbage on nitro, there's an ad for McAfee on it for crying out loud. Also, it's not as fluid as the OxygenOS on my OnePlus and I'm missing some options, like the one to disable mobile data usage in the app data options, OneUI disables only background data usage, not enough for me. And I bet that there are apps to do that, but than, I think it's more bloat anyways, having a set of apps to each do just it's one thing.
But so far, the one that I'm kinda inclined to use is LineageOS 17.1 (lineage-17.1-20201215-UNOFFICIAL-dreamlte), but I'm still insecure about it. I chose this one because it seems that everything is working, and that's very important, because I'm going to use it every day in it's plenitude.
So... what ROM that fully work can I use that is not bloated and let me kill network data for specific apps?
Thank you all who took the time
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I feel your pain about trying to find info on this forum. Overwhelming is a nice way to put it. It's a bloated mess.

Benjamin2557 said:
Hi, you should try Havok OS v3.12.
Everything works fingerprints, face unlock, navigation gestures...except VOLTE but it doesn't really matter.
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But does Verizon work on it? I had issues with havoc on a galaxy s9

Owgo said:
But does Verizon work on it? I had issues with havoc on a galaxy s9
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It should I believe

RR pie ve4...

This thread is actually my deep down heart voice! We actually get the same issues ; Perfection. Like in every ROM we undoubtedly find a bugs which made us want to change to any other better ROM. Today, i actually decided to make an account to ask some questions. Currently i'm using HadesROM but i found some bugs like the Phone Call (incoming and outgoing) are does not work :/
Kinda frustrated

Currently I'm focused on playing with the new Pixel 6 but my daily use device is still S8 running LineagOS with root access.
I haven't messed around with other ROMS much on the S8 so am not a good resource however I've been reluctant to go past LOS 17.1 because of the monthly OTA updates. So convenient I didn't bother to update or change anything...
Oh and I don't run Gapps at all either.

axelmasok said:
Currently I'm focused on playing with the new Pixel 6 but my daily use device is still S8 running LineagOS with root access.
I haven't messed around with other ROMS much on the S8 so am not a good resource however I've been reluctant to go past LOS 17.1 because of the monthly OTA updates. So convenient I didn't bother to update or change anything...
Oh and I don't run Gapps at all either.
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Send me link to the lineage os 17.1 you are using. I am using Samsung S8 g950f tired of the whole mess on 1ui

lineage-17.1-20200415-UNOFFICIAL-dreamlte.zip
and
Magisk-v23.0.apk
Should be plenty of links to these. The exact versions I started from. You can probably start from something newer.

The Safety Patch level of havok os v3.12 is 05.12.2020. Isn't that very dangerous?

Simi2437 said:
The Safety Patch level of havok os v3.12 is 05.12.2020. Isn't that very dangerous?
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no

Should I root and flash?

I'm about 2 years into my ownership of Moto G7, and have yet to root or install any custom ROM, so I'm running the latest OTA update of Android 10. In recent weeks, I'm really starting to notice a big slow down. So looking for quick and honest advice: will it be worth the time and effort to root and flash a custom ROM? Will that noticeably improve my performance and make me happy continuing to use this phone for a while? What's the best custom ROM for this phone right now? Thanks!

Probably should have stopped OTA updates on the last good version. Updates kill phones.
If the OS is fast, stable and fulfilling its mission... let it be! I'm still running on Pie on my 10+, no updates for over 1.5 years... and zero issues.
Security simply isn't an issue with Androids most times even with outdated firmware unless you do something stupid.
My current OS load is over a year old...
Try a factory reset if you haven't done one since a major firmware update. That may resolve the issues.

...or find whatever is slowing u down. or I can recommend Lineage OS 18...constantly updated and polished...lots of users hence good support!

I'd say yes, but have a backup phone. Maybe have a plan to buy a new one if this fails. It has been two years since I rooted my black/blue one and I haven't regretted it. Some of my apps require it.
I just got another one like it only in white that's badly broken. I have tried to root it but I'm tired and pain meds are making my mind unclear. I did unlock the bootloader without any trouble. Mainly I wanted it so I could change its battery without damaging it, then decide if I want to change the battery in the black one or take it to a shop.
If I can bring the project phone up to speed I'll run it with my secondary line.
In short, though, yes. Be sure to back it up first, as this will delete all user data. The G7 64 ROM / 4 RAM is a very capable phone even as old as it is.

Finally mustered the courage and did it. So far, so good. Glad I did. Thanks for the advice!