Related
Bit of background....
Was never much a fan of android and had just about every iphone from day dot right up until the iphone 5.
I'd Jailbroke all the way through with each device, a lot of tweaks, modding etc.
Started to get very bored of the whole iphone thing but ended up losing it anyway (left it on a train)
That's what made me think, why not try something different? So claimed on my insurance and went for a Galaxy S3.
NEVER MISSED MY IPHONE ONCE. How android has improved over the years.
Loved the functionality of the S3, although not the build so much. Had it rooted with CM, gravity box, adaway and that was me happy.
Was very excited to wait for the M8 and upgraded as soon as it came out, wasn't disappointed, LOVE IT!
Fantastic build quality, great looks, great spec. Could hardly fault it anywhere.
Decided to jump in and root it to get some of my favourite things.... That's where my disappointment began
Unlike the Samsung, everything seems really difficult to achieve, some things impossible.
Unlocking the boot loader is a fairly long process but it was fairly straight forward... Job done
Rooting, fairly straight forward... Job done
HERES WHERE THE NOT SO FUN PARTS STARTS...
Adaway, kinda works but not. Keep having problems with it being disabled on boot up and not being able to copy host files
From my research it seems to be a problem with s-off not being active although I'm not sure?
Tried the s-off process and at the end was told it won't work on my device, no one seems to know exactly why?
Another app I wanted was gsam battery, again... Kinda works but not. Standard stats work but more advanced won't.
Tried the root companion, can't get that to work at all.
Something else I really wanted was gravity box through xposed. That won't work with sense.
In order to get that I believe I have to flash another rom that dos'nt have sense, think that only leaves the google play edition rom?
That I believe also loses me blinkfeed and ultra power saver which are both pretty good.
Not sure if I need s-off for that, if I do I can't get it anyway
May main reason for root was for gravity box and adaway, one of which I kinda have and one I don't have at all.
So overall, very disappointed now
Just thought I'd share my experience as it might help others decide on purchase choices.
Also if anyone has any tips to get around my issues I'd really appreciate it
its for those reasons i now leave my phones stock. i used to customise my windows phones to get them to work but since switching to android i just use them and update the stock software when they become available. i also have an m8 and i have only installed gsam, chrome and epson printer apps. that is all i have needed so far. i seem to be able to do everything i need to do without any more apps installed. i had a htc one x previous and sensation before that and had so much stuff on them that they were litterely full of apps. i will probably end up adding heaps of apps as time goes on but the stock setup on the m8 is very powerful and capable (not to mention fast). i would recommend just installing the stock rom back and use it for a while. is there really any advantage to rooting these anyway.
boofhead said:
its for those reasons i now leave my phones stock. i used to customise my windows phones to get them to work but since switching to android i just use them and update the stock software when they become available. i also have an m8 and i have only installed gsam, chrome and epson printer apps. that is all i have needed so far. i seem to be able to do everything i need to do without any more apps installed. i had a htc one x previous and sensation before that and had so much stuff on them that they were litterely full of apps. i will probably end up adding heaps of apps as time goes on but the stock setup on the m8 is very powerful and capable (not to mention fast). i would recommend just installing the stock rom back and use it for a while. is there really any advantage to rooting these anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Xposed framework would be a huge advantage to me to get rid of annoying things, some small some not so small.
Even the volume warning really annoys me, there's no way to disable it without xposed working
Also on my s3 I moved the close all apps button to bottom left, much easier for me being a lefty
Hi, ads can be blocked through modified hosts file (you can search how to do that). Have you tried a custom ROM with root already done. I use Venom and have always used adaway, both s-on and s-off with no issues.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using xda app-developers app
bah77 said:
Bit of background....
Was never much a fan of android and had just about every iphone from day dot right up until the iphone 5.
I'd Jailbroke all the way through with each device, a lot of tweaks, modding etc.
Started to get very bored of the whole iphone thing but ended up losing it anyway (left it on a train)
That's what made me think, why not try something different? So claimed on my insurance and went for a Galaxy S3.
NEVER MISSED MY IPHONE ONCE. How android has improved over the years.
Loved the functionality of the S3, although not the build so much. Had it rooted with CM, gravity box, adaway and that was me happy.
Was very excited to wait for the M8 and upgraded as soon as it came out, wasn't disappointed, LOVE IT!
Fantastic build quality, great looks, great spec. Could hardly fault it anywhere.
Decided to jump in and root it to get some of my favourite things.... That's where my disappointment began
Unlike the Samsung, everything seems really difficult to achieve, some things impossible.
Unlocking the boot loader is a fairly long process but it was fairly straight forward... Job done
Rooting, fairly straight forward... Job done
HERES WHERE THE NOT SO FUN PARTS STARTS...
Adaway, kinda works but not. Keep having problems with it being disabled on boot up and not being able to copy host files
From my research it seems to be a problem with s-off not being active although I'm not sure?
Tried the s-off process and at the end was told it won't work on my device, no one seems to know exactly why?
Another app I wanted was gsam battery, again... Kinda works but not. Standard stats work but more advanced won't.
Tried the root companion, can't get that to work at all.
Something else I really wanted was gravity box through xposed. That won't work with sense.
In order to get that I believe I have to flash another rom that dos'nt have sense, think that only leaves the google play edition rom?
That I believe also loses me blinkfeed and ultra power saver which are both pretty good.
Not sure if I need s-off for that, if I do I can't get it anyway
May main reason for root was for gravity box and adaway, one of which I kinda have and one I don't have at all.
So overall, very disappointed now
Just thought I'd share my experience as it might help others decide on purchase choices.
Also if anyone has any tips to get around my issues I'd really appreciate it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry but i dont understand what problems you actually have or what you done/expect from your phone
Adaway and GSAM battery stats works perfectly on all custom roms for M8 without issues.
And roms like our Viper ONE M8 provides endless customization and tweaking options, can you tell me what can you do with that gravity that you cant in viper rom?
Gravity Box wouldn't work on a Sense based rom anyways. I think the main source of your issues is the lack of research (user error).
rquinn19 said:
Gravity Box wouldn't work on a Sense based rom anyways. I think the main source of your issues is the lack of research (user error).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What parts don't? I haven't gone incredibly far into GB, but the NavBar tweaks worked for me and I'm on Viper, a Sense-based Rom.
ivicask said:
Sorry but i dont understand what problems you actually have or what you done/expect from your phone
Adaway and GSAM battery stats works perfectly on all custom roms for M8 without issues.
And roms like our Viper ONE M8 provides endless customization and tweaking options, can you tell me what can you do with that gravity that you cant in viper rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been looking at viper actually, considering flashing tonight
I mainly wanted to move the close all apps button to the bottom left rather than top right
Stop the volume warning popping up when increasing volume
Have the pull down go straight into settings rather then having to use 2 fingers
I had all that through gravity box on my s3.
I'm guessing they won't all be on viper but as viper isn't sense gravity box should work anyway, is that right?
bah77 said:
I've been looking at viper actually, considering flashing tonight
I mainly wanted to move the close all apps button to the bottom left rather than top right
Stop the volume warning popping up when increasing volume
Have the pull down go straight into settings rather then having to use 2 fingers
I had all that through gravity box on my s3.
I'm guessing they won't all be on viper but as viper isn't sense gravity box should work anyway, is that right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First off: Sense isn't TouchWiz. All features of GravityBox which work on TouchWiz or AOSP wont always work on Sense.
Plus, Sense 6.0 is still VERY fresh and the devs of GB and similar are still looking into what can be done on Sense and what not.
Viper is already heavily customizable and may already feature most of the things you want. Then there is always GPE which replaces Sense with Vanilla Android most GravityBox features will work with - Tho you need to know that some exclusive features like a couple of camera things, dot view etc wont work as extensive as on Sense anymore.
Its all a matter of what you really need and what you really wanna do. I for one prefer to stick to Sense which is mostly stock (InsertCoin) with some customizable settings - keeps the system cleaner and snappier IMO.
You decide :good:
Try4Ce said:
First off: Sense isn't TouchWiz. All features of GravityBox which work on TouchWiz or AOSP wont always work on Sense.
Plus, Sense 6.0 is still VERY fresh and the devs of GB and similar are still looking into what can be done on Sense and what not.
Viper is already heavily customizable and may already feature most of the things you want. Then there is always GPE which replaces Sense with Vanilla Android most GravityBox features will work with - Tho you need to know that some exclusive features like a couple of camera things, dot view etc wont work as extensive as on Sense anymore.
Its all a matter of what you really need and what you really wanna do. I for one prefer to stick to Sense which is mostly stock (InsertCoin) with some customizable settings - keeps the system cleaner and snappier IMO.
You decide :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many thanks for the response, I will have a look into the different roms more over the weekend
I guess I was too naive, only on my 2nd ever android phone and that's from a hell of a lot of phones I've owned in the past
I guess I was thinking along the lines of a one android fits all but that's quite clearly not the case, there are lots of differences between one android phone to another
bah77 said:
Many thanks for the response, I will have a look into the different roms more over the weekend
I guess I was too naive, only on my 2nd ever android phone and that's from a hell of a lot of phones I've owned in the past
I guess I was thinking along the lines of a one android fits all but that's quite clearly not the case, there are lots of differences between one android phone to another
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hehe well yeah, every Android phone can be quite different to each other. Its with the hardware already. On the iDevices, its all streamlined and almost everything will work on the different iPhones. Its convenient, but nothing for me - I am a modder and toy around alot, and thats where Android kicks in.
Some things on Android can be annoying, since there are much more differences in Hardware and Software among all the devices running Android, but it actually can be quite interesting to see what all the talented Android Developers come up with.
I hope you find what you are looking for. The M8 is a hell of a great device and dispite of being so new, alot of customizations are already possible.
rquinn19 said:
Gravity Box wouldn't work on a Sense based rom anyways. I think the main source of your issues is the lack of research (user error).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong, working just great with my SENSE rom.
Thread closed as it is an off-topic thread.
Ghost
Woke up this morning to my Galaxy Camera 2 claiming it was downloading a new software update (~130mb). Of course, there's no mention anywhere in the update process for what is included in this update, but I can definitely tell you that it's not Kitkat (sadly). Unfortunately, I didn't check version numbers prior to accepting the update (sorry), but here's the version numbers after the update:
Build Number:
JSS15J.GC200XXUCNK4
Kernel version:
3.0.31-2807772
[email protected] #1
Sat Nov 29 15:55:43 KST 2014
That's the same Build Number we've had since like April 2014, but the kernel definitely seems to have been updated. Maybe they finally fixed the loss of Google account settings issue??? I appreciate updates, but I really wish they would inform the customer better on what these updates fixed.
Ironically, for the first time in a long time, my Camera 2 had lost its Google Account settings when I turned it on this morning....haha.
Oh, I reside in Florida, USA. Not sure who else in the world is receiving the update, but according to SamMobile.com the Camera 2 update was hitting other locations around the globe starting 12/18/2014, but there's no mention of it hitting the USA at all.
Need to know if it's root able.
cantenna said:
Need to know if it's root able.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as this fixes the problem of losing the Google account, I have no reason to root the camera. Plus, I still have this weird hope that Samsung will actually release a Kitkat update for it (haha), and with there basically being ZERO development for this device on XDA, I don't want to be stuck not able to update.
Well, it's been almost a week since this update and it's also been a week of heavy Camera 2 use with the holidays. I haven't lost Google settings even once.
Thus far my camera hasn't lost my Google accounts, and by now it surely would have happened
Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk
internetpilot said:
As long as this fixes the problem of losing the Google account, I have no reason to root the camera. Plus, I still have this weird hope that Samsung will actually release a Kitkat update for it (haha), and with there basically being ZERO development for this device on XDA, I don't want to be stuck not able to update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eh...
I didn't waste my time getting the Galaxy Camera 2, just got the One.
I understand your stress though.
Someone needs a swift kick in the butt so we can get development going for both devices.
Sent from my LG-P920 using XDA Free mobile app
hmm am glad to see an uphdate still, though im really really hoping for lollipop which should allow RAW access for the camera.
mark2410 said:
hmm am glad to see an uphdate still, though im really really hoping for lollipop which should allow RAW access for the camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Assuming you do get it, could we transfer it over to the Galaxy Camera One, Wi-Fi Edition?
I don't like to be the rude one. But at this point, someone has to help root the Wi-Fi Only version, and come up with a Custom Recovery.
Not only this, but we need to see Devs, but we've got people sitting and pointing fingers instead.
I wanna see a ROM putting us all on a better version, or something more come to all the cameras.
Sent from my LG-P920 using XDA Free mobile app
hmm, really wouldnt have thought so, its probably possible given the hardware similarities but i think that given the camera 1 and 2 have been such unpopular devices they havent warranted their own listings here i wouldnt hold me breath. the key to getting a ROM for a device is someone who is techy enough to do wanting to use one. i for one might like the camera but i would have absolutely no clue how to make a rom for it.
hmm surely there must be a dev out there who likes photos.
mark2410 said:
hmm, really wouldnt have thought so, its probably possible given the hardware similarities but i think that given the camera 1 and 2 have been such unpopular devices they havent warranted their own listings here i wouldnt hold me breath. the key to getting a ROM for a device is someone who is techy enough to do wanting to use one. i for one might like the camera but i would have absolutely no clue how to make a rom for it.
hmm surely there must be a dev out there who likes photos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Camera 2 has gotten support, but not what it needs.
And honestly, Developing ROMs isn't too difficult, I just don't have the time for it.
Sent from my EK-GC110 using XDA Free mobile app
The reason why you would want to root the camera is because you can instal Link2sd and Foldermount, with these two apps you can install theoretically 128G of apps
cantenna said:
The reason why you would want to root the camera is because you can instal Link2sd and Foldermount, with these two apps you can install theoretically 128G of apps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why would anyone want to put 128GB of apps on a camera? I mean, a tablet or phone, okay...but a camera? I just don't really see the practical purpose for that. The biggest storage hog on my tablet/phone is music and movies, and neither of those require the device to be rooted to store them on the external SD card.
Again, with the way Samsung is really clamping down on not allowing OTA's to be delivered to even just rooted devices, and with the basically non-existent development support for this device, I won't be rooting it until I'm 100% certain that there's no OTA update coming for it, and even then I would only root it if someone put out a reliable custom Kitkat or Lollipop ROM for it. Honestly, if Samsung won't update it, then I'm really not holding my breath that some 3rd-party dev ever will.
Ouya-XD said:
The Camera 2 has gotten support, but not what it needs.
And honestly, Developing ROMs isn't too difficult, I just don't have the time for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It would be a heckuva lot easier to port a Camera 2 ROM over to the Camera 1 (rather than develop a ROM from scratch for either camera model), but even that hasn't been done. I don't think there's ever going to be any original development on these devices (like a CM11 or CM12). Developing ROMs isn't terribly difficult, but it's not easy either, especially not on a device that is so driver dependent like these cameras are. Just about every Android device I've owned (phone or tablet) has problems with the camera not working in some way (if not completely) on any original development project. What good is a camera with the latest Android OS if it causes the camera function not to work or even not work reliably?
I think we need to face it, folks -- these cameras are pretty much as-is. At best we're highly dependent on whatever Samsung gives us.
Nope, I disagree. Rooting this camera is a damn good idea for so many reasons. Most tablet or phone dont have a miro HDMI, My camera, I can install apps without deleting and its not just a camera, its an android device by Samsung that comes with a micro hdmi and with a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, well if you have ever thought about buying an android TV box, this is a better replacement, it performs much better than majority on the market.
And yes I agree that stock ROMs with stock drivers perform better but asop base ROM do perform much better in terms of speed in gaming and applications. What about a multi ROM solution to allow you multi-boot i.e. boot stock from internal nand and asop lollipop from from external SD, now that would be a sweet setup!
hmmm i get your point but for me, the camera is a camera. ive got a tablet for tablety things, a phone for phoney things so what i want is camera focused and to have dropbox autoupload everything nicely.
thats the anly reasen im so fussed that i want it to get lollipop as it should then get RAW capabilities. while i realise it may not happen i will vote with my wallet. this is my first real samsung device (galaxy nexus doesnt count) and while i love oled screens and removable batteries if samsung abandon the camera, well i will abandon them. its really that simple, if they wont support devices going forward then i wont buy any other android devices from them.
if only google put out a Nexus Camera.
NK4 and rooting
I just finished the upgrade to NK4. I was trying to keep root through survival mode in Superuser Pro, but I ended up having to reroot. The upgrade via kies took about a hour. I attempted to re-establish root via Superuser but was unable to do so. I ODIN'ed the CF-autoroot onto the camera and reinstalled Superuser. I now have a NK4 rooted camera.
Since the discussion seems to have shifted to the rational for rooting, here's my take. First, it should be noted that root <> custom recovery. We do not have custom recovery for the GalCam2, so installing alternative ROM's, if available is not an option. So, why root? For me, it's Xposed modules; specifically pie controls(mmmm, pie). I've had several digital cameras over the years. In fact, when I bought this camera, I had a year old samsung camera. Why this camera? It's android, so I can to many things that would be not be possible on other cameras in this price range, like say using different camera apps.
So, if you're rooted on NC2, fear not. The water's OK over here on NK4.
cantenna said:
Nope, I disagree. Rooting this camera is a damn good idea for so many reasons. Most tablet or phone dont have a miro HDMI, My camera, I can install apps without deleting and its not just a camera, its an android device by Samsung that comes with a micro hdmi and with a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, well if you have ever thought about buying an android TV box, this is a better replacement, it performs much better than majority on the market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, of course you can disagree, but I still think you're stretching your camera well beyond practical purpose. Cameras are quirky enough on their own (especially ones with Android OS) -- it's probably not a good idea to use it so much for non-photography purposes because when you wear it out from overuse with all these extraneous functions you're not just going to be out an Android TV device -- you're going to be out a $400 camera. Android TV boxes can be had for as cheap as US$25 and are practically disposable at that price.
Incidentally, I have a HDMI dongle (that uses a standard, readily available fullsize HDMI plug/cable) that I use on my Galaxy Note 2 phone and/or my Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 tablet all the time (typically when on vacation watching movies on the hotel TV). Not to mention $30 Chromecast can be used wirelessly. All of this without overusing my $400 camera, so that the next time I want to use my camera it won't have a low battery, scratched up screen, or otherwise screwed up or acting quirky from rooting it.
cantenna said:
And yes I agree that stock ROMs with stock drivers perform better but asop base ROM do perform much better in terms of speed in gaming and applications. What about a multi ROM solution to allow you multi-boot i.e. boot stock from internal nand and asop lollipop from from external SD, now that would be a sweet setup!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, it's all about what's your priority purpose for this device. I bought this device to use as a internet connected camera -- I didn't buy it for playing games or running non-photography related apps. I don't want to have choose which OS I'm booting to....I just want to turn the camera on, take some pics, and be able to immediately upload them somewhere. As long as that's working, then in my world there's really no need to actively look for alternative solutions that are just going to potentially mess that simple process up.
Again, there's a reason why I'm here on XDA -- I've rooted (and usually ROMed) every other Android device I've owned. I'm even currently running CM11 on my Galaxy Note 2 at the expense of losing some of the S-pen features because it runs so much faster that it's like I got a completely new phone. But I just don't see any reason for rooting (or especially ROMing) the Camera 2.
10amla said:
Since the discussion seems to have shifted to the rational for rooting, here's my take. First, it should be noted that root <> custom recovery. We do not have custom recovery for the GalCam2, so installing alternative ROM's, if available is not an option. So, why root? For me, it's Xposed modules; specifically pie controls(mmmm, pie). I've had several digital cameras over the years. In fact, when I bought this camera, I had a year old samsung camera. Why this camera? It's android, so I can to many things that would be not be possible on other cameras in this price range, like say using different camera apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's actually very good to know for future reference that NK4 is rootable. That's likely the last update we'll see for this camera knowing Samsung.
I actually don't always use a custom recovery on my Samsung devices. Since most root methods, ROMs, and even the recoveries themselves are flashed via Odin, there's really not a pressing need for a custom recovery. I've even encountered a lot of quirkiness with most custom recoveries (Philz, CWM, TWRP) when it comes to Nandroid backups (especially reliable restores), so I never rely on them and instead just reflash the ROM, allow Google to restore system data, and then restore personal apps/data with TitaniumBackup. Plus, even if you're rooted, as long as you have the stock recovery you can USUALLY take any OTA updates. I emphasize USUALLY because my Note 10.1 2014 Ed tablet is rooted but running stock recovery and the latest bug-fix update will not flash because they claim my tablet has been modified.
I guess I've never felt the need for pie controls because I haven't used the stock launcher on any Android device I've ever owned. The Camera 2 camera app interface is already pretty sweet with the on-screen dial menus. Like I said above, I'm not just globally adverse to rooting (far from it), but I just have yet to find any reason to root this camera, especially now that the latest update seems to have corrected the stupid vanishing Google Account settings issue.
Now, if someone ever comes up with a fully functioning Lollipop ROM for this camera, you'll quickly see me singing a different tune, but until then....
internetpilot said:
Well, of course you can disagree, but I still think you're stretching your camera well beyond practical purpose. Cameras are quirky enough on their own (especially ones with Android OS) -- it's probably not a good idea to use it so much for non-photography purposes because when you wear it out from overuse with all these extraneous functions you're not just going to be out an Android TV device -- you're going to be out a $400 camera. Android TV boxes can be had for as cheap as US$25 and are practically disposable at that price.
Incidentally, I have a HDMI dongle (that uses a standard, readily available fullsize HDMI plug/cable) that I use on my Galaxy Note 2 phone and/or my Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 tablet all the time (typically when on vacation watching movies on the hotel TV). Not to mention $30 Chromecast can be used wirelessly. All of this without overusing my $400 camera, so that the next time I want to use my camera it won't have a low battery, scratched up screen, or otherwise screwed up or acting quirky from rooting it.
Again, it's all about what's your priority purpose for this device. I bought this device to use as a internet connected camera -- I didn't buy it for playing games or running non-photography related apps. I don't want to have choose which OS I'm booting to....I just want to turn the camera on, take some pics, and be able to immediately upload them somewhere. As long as that's working, then in my world there's really no need to actively look for alternative solutions that are just going to potentially mess that simple process up.
Again, there's a reason why I'm here on XDA -- I've rooted (and usually ROMed) every other Android device I've owned. I'm even currently running CM11 on my Galaxy Note 2 at the expense of losing some of the S-pen features because it runs so much faster that it's like I got a completely new phone. But I just don't see any reason for rooting (or especially ROMing) the Camera 2.
That's actually very good to know for future reference that NK4 is rootable. That's likely the last update we'll see for this camera knowing Samsung.
I actually don't always use a custom recovery on my Samsung devices. Since most root methods, ROMs, and even the recoveries themselves are flashed via Odin, there's really not a pressing need for a custom recovery. I've even encountered a lot of quirkiness with most custom recoveries (Philz, CWM, TWRP) when it comes to Nandroid backups (especially reliable restores), so I never rely on them and instead just reflash the ROM, allow Google to restore system data, and then restore personal apps/data with TitaniumBackup. Plus, even if you're rooted, as long as you have the stock recovery you can USUALLY take any OTA updates. I emphasize USUALLY because my Note 10.1 2014 Ed tablet is rooted but running stock recovery and the latest bug-fix update will not flash because they claim my tablet has been modified.
I guess I've never felt the need for pie controls because I haven't used the stock launcher on any Android device I've ever owned. The Camera 2 camera app interface is already pretty sweet with the on-screen dial menus. Like I said above, I'm not just globally adverse to rooting (far from it), but I just have yet to find any reason to root this camera, especially now that the latest update seems to have corrected the stupid vanishing Google Account settings issue.
Now, if someone ever comes up with a fully functioning Lollipop ROM for this camera, you'll quickly see me singing a different tune, but until then....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stretching beyond practice purpose is what makes android, android. Samsung makes good hardware, this camera will never fail from overuse and $25.00 android boxes perform like $25.00 android boxes.
I also do not use the stock launcher on any of my Samsung devices. I use lightning launcher on the camera(as well as my notes). The reason I like pie controls is that you gain extra screen space when you're using the launcher(no nav bar). So far, that's my only use of root, that could change in time; but not having custom recovery makes me very cautious in installing addition items.
cantenna said:
Stretching beyond practice purpose is what makes android, android. Samsung makes good hardware, this camera will never fail from overuse and $25.00 android boxes perform like $25.00 android boxes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you think a multi element autofocus mechanical extending zoom lens and an electronic shutter are never going to fail, then you better start preparing yourself for disappointment in about 2 years. LOL.
My three $25 AndroidTV boxes have been working great for years, running Netflix and Amazon Prime video since day one that I bought them. They're also running Kitkat even though they started out on Gingerbread.
10amla said:
I also do not use the stock launcher on any of my Samsung devices. I use lightning launcher on the camera(as well as my notes). The reason I like pie controls is that you gain extra screen space when you're using the launcher(no nav bar). So far, that's my only use of root, that could change in time; but not having custom recovery makes me very cautious in installing addition items.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure that all of my Samsung devices have been rooted and ROMed using Odin. My first Android device was a HTC EVO 4G, which solely used custom recoveries (unless you just like going back to the dark years of ADB), so the first couple of times I asked devs for a flashable zip, I was all but excommunicated from the XDA forum for such blasphemy. Everyone here seems to do just about everything via Odin, so I don't really sweat not having a custom recovery. Most things that can go wrong (bootloops, soft-bricks, etc.) when mucking around flashing devices are solved via Odin anyway.
just got my Phab 2 from lenovo today. trying various methods and will report if anything works.
kingoroot - no
Well just made it through my first day of using the phab 2.
Some good, some bad.
Battery life is not what I expected. 100% to 50% from 10am to 8pm. Moderate usage, Waze navigation for about 10 minutes. I came from a Huawei mate 2, so my standards are pretty high.
Some glitches setting up Bluetooth with Microsoft sync. Would not reconnect after initial setup without turning car off. Although, I will note that sync has had its own issues.
No root means no app settings, everything is too big.
The stock launcher is outrageously boring and not customizable. I could not find any real settings to adjust icon size, or even to change icons.
Now for the good:
Overall Android build is very stable and quick, no hangups with many apps running.
Display is very crisp for being a low-end model, and includes settings to adjust tone and color intensity.
Very little bloatware.
Camera is actually pretty good. Not perfect, but ok for 200$.
Plenty of good comments about 6.0, as I came from 4.3, but I'll spare the entire Android review.
But, this is what makes me never want to buy a Lenovo phone again. I called lenovo to get some basic specs on this phone that were not verified online. I went through 10 minutes of automated dialog and 5 different phone numbers. No one knew who to talk to about this phone. They're so focused on the big customers that they forgot to provide any support for what may be their biggest seller? On top of that, the guy I finally got in contact with at technical support was baffled that I would call about something other than a desktop or laptop, and did not have the information about this device on hand. This isn't a problem, as I got what I needed, but it almost seemed like no one was aware that this device was even available yet. Nothing in their support site references it, no real technical detail available, etc.
Anyways, I digress. There aren't many other 6.4inch phones available, so I can't complain too much. Overall, Im enjoying the experience. Plus, it gets attention.
Where did you get this... I've been looking to get one but haven't found a source...I'm assuming you're saying battery life is weaker than on the HAM2? Thanks again
TVCCS said:
Where did you get this... I've been looking to get one but haven't found a source...I'm assuming you're saying battery life is weaker than on the HAM2? Thanks again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Directly from lenovo. Yes, but the ham2 is pretty much the top tier in terms of battery life.
After a few days with it, I can go all day with Bluetooth Pandora, 2+hours straight of screen on time, 30 mins of Waze and have 40% left. I'd say it's doing pretty good for a standard phone. A few issues I've had are, the stock alarm app notification gets stuck and cannot be dismissed on occasion. A restart fixes this. Bluetooth AND Microsoft Sync have to be reset when a failed connection happens (this also occurred on my ham2, but only once every 2 months. This is once a day.) There are always 2 network icons in the notification bar for some reason.
On the up side, the camera has proven to be excellent in standard lighting. Pictures take a while to 'click.'
Touch response is very clean, will say I'm impressed with either the phones accuracy or androids ability to detect where a touch was meant.
My biggest pet peeve is also one of my favorite features. The navigation buttons are so dim that you can't see them in the daytime, but they're also so close together for such a large phone. But, this gives you plenty of room to grasp the phone without exiting an app by mistake, or bringing up a menu midst message.
Anyhow, I'll gladly answer any questions anyone has.
Thanks for the info... Lenovo doesn't have a place to order it yet for the U.S., at least that I can find.
Here ya go:
http://shop.lenovo.com/us/en/smartphones/phab-series/?menu-id=phab_series
I'm expecting mine today/Monday. Can't wait to get back into a proper-sized large phone. I've missed them since I sold my Sony Z Ultras...
Yeah I saw them on sale now, thanks. Can someone who has one please post a full Antutu benchmark score with 3D? The reports I've seen on the MTK8735 suggest a benchmark of around 31000, which isn't terribly impressive, but I'd like to see it on this device specifically. Thanks!
TVCCS said:
Yeah I saw them on sale now, thanks. Can someone who has one please post a full Antutu benchmark score with 3D? The reports I've seen on the MTK8735 suggest a benchmark of around 31000, which isn't terribly impressive, but I'd like to see it on this device specifically. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Obligatory text, image attached
alaska100 said:
Obligatory text, image attached
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks much.
alaska100 said:
just got my Phab 2 from lenovo today. trying various methods and will report if anything works.
kingoroot - no
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any luck with rooting your phab2? I cannot find any method.
Is there any method to root lenovo phab 2?
How are the AR features? Any of them useful?
this version does not have AR features. You're looking for the Plus/Pro or w/e.
We're going to need to get a read back of the ROM from SP Flash tool to get root I think. What we really need is a TWRP build. I've tried quite a few variations for our chipset but haven't found one that even remotely boots yet.
hopefully we some others engage. i've got stuff I need to do with this phone, a few of which require root access of some kind.
Synman said:
We're going to need to get a read back of the ROM from SP Flash tool to get root I think. What we really need is a TWRP build. I've tried quite a few variations for our chipset but haven't found one that even remotely boots yet.
hopefully we some others engage. i've got stuff I need to do with this phone, a few of which require root access of some kind.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope you find a way to root phab 2. Why would they lock down the fastboot? Isn't the android open source? Slowly becoming like iOS.
fast boot isn't locked down, nor is the boot loader (once you unlock it). The problem is none of the MTK tools that I have are working like they are supposed to.
I've started a DEV thread with the stock images attached. Perhaps someone else will have better luck
Synman said:
fast boot isn't locked down, nor is the boot loader (once you unlock it). The problem is none of the MTK tools that I have are working like they are supposed to.
I've started a DEV thread with the stock images attached. Perhaps someone else will have better luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My device is from Philippines. I unlocked the bootloader, but from recovery I cannot access bootloader. Device would not let me choose bootloader even though has the option, and from fastboot reboot, the device would not reboot.
the boot loader IS fast boot. Lenovo devices are notorious for allowing you one fast boot command per boot into the loader.
Synman said:
the boot loader IS fast boot. Lenovo devices are notorious for allowing you one fast boot command per boot into the loader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what do you mean by one fast boot command per boot into the loader?
You can only issue a single fastboot command before having to reboot back into the boot loader to issue another.
Just left my local Walmart and seen they had the new versions out already. 99$ for the 8 inch and 129$ for the 10.1. Anyone get one yet? If you do let us know how the performance compares to the previous tablets
twfs said:
Just left my local Walmart and seen they had the new versions out already. 99$ for the 8 inch and 129$ for the 10.1. Anyone get one yet? If you do let us know how the performance compares to the previous tablets
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
New Amazon HD 8 comes out June 3rd starting at $90 US. Looks like better specs than the new Onns. Downside is dealing with FireOS as a bootloader unlock is unlikely.
Anybody have any actual specs on the display resolutions for both the 8 and the 10.1?
GilmourD3 said:
Anybody have any actual specs on the display resolutions for both the 8 and the 10.1?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just bought the 8", 1280x800
Update
twfs said:
Just left my local Walmart and seen they had the new versions out already. 99$ for the 8 inch and 129$ for the 10.1. Anyone get one yet? If you do let us know how the performance compares to the previous tablets
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just purchased the 10." version and has updated to the latest Android 10 right out of the box.
Good look on the screen and rapid page load on Chrome.
Will try rooting it here shortly and report back.
Update: Latest A 10 version:Security patch level 5 March 2020
Device Info HW indicates resolution: 1200 x 1920
kerry49 said:
Just purchased the 10." version and has updated to the latest Android 10 right out of the box.
Good look on the screen and rapid page load on Chrome.
Will try rooting it here shortly and report back.
Update: Latest A 10 version:Security patch level 5 March 2020
Device Info HW indicates resolution: 1200 x 1920
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kinda curious about battery life too. They are advertising quite a improvement in that category
twfs said:
Kinda curious about battery life too. They are advertising quite a improvement in that category
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Give me a couple of days on that and I'll let you know...
I will say that so far on a scale of 1 to 10, I'll give it an 8.5 to 9. Seems well worth the $129.00 price for what I'm going to use it!
Is the bootloader unlocked on the new Onn tablets?
Bootloader lock
pharpe said:
Is the bootloader unlocked on the new Onn tablets?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have enabled it in dev options but have not gotten to run adb commands on the bootloader yet. Maybe tomorrow or this weekend.
I am really hoping to at least root it even if I can't install twrp in recovery!
Will advise ....
Android 10 is a bit different when it comes to flashing
Hopefully you can unlock bootloader and grab boot.img and patch it with Magisk, and flash under recovery like fastbootd even flashing command stays the same
Unlocking bootloader
Unfortunately I can not get Win 7 to recognize the tablet. I have followed the instructions but updating MTK driver installation keeps complaining of lack of .inf file.
May try to access bootloader from Debian and see if that works.
Update on battery life .... I have not plugged it in since yesterday and have used it lightly. Still showing 80% so might have to run a movie to tax it.
Update:
I am unable to access the tablet via adb in Win 7 or Debian. Can't get Debian to recognize the unit in fastboot. Yield to those more knowledgeable
Update 2:
Ran this heavy this weekend and it went to 20% battery after 7 hours so not too bad. I still have not gotten win 7 to recognize the tablet in fastboot. This may be the first Android (10) that I own that isn't rooted. The damned ads are killin me!!!
Update 3 (4 June 20):
I have given up on rooting for fear of bricking the tablet. I have, however, installed the Blokada app and it at least blocks the annoying ad images on web browsers. Downside ... the ad text shows but I can live with that.
Battery life is still excellent so I'm gonna leave it "as is" for the moment.
So I didn't realize this was the latest tablet and attempted to root it via the older 8" tablet boot.img. The tablet won't boot now, does any have the stock boot.img? thanks!
pendleton_33312 said:
So I didn't realize this was the latest tablet and attempted to root it via the older 8" tablet boot.img. The tablet won't boot now, does any have the stock boot.img? thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any luck finding any stock images for these tablets? I have the 10 inch 2020 tablet and have AOSP's generic images on the tablet -- I thought I could pull the boot.img from that tablet (both prior to and after rooting it with magisk) and use it on another one of these ONN tablets...
... but I seemed to caused the tablet not to boot (can still get into fastboot/recovery).
I just wanted to pull the stock image from it so I could reflash my tablet and return this one, but looks like it might get returned in this state. I reached out to Walmart to see if they would share the stock firmware and they asked for my email but I haven't heard anything yet.
Fastboot works 10.1 ver 3gb mem
mingkee said:
Android 10 is a bit different when it comes to flashing
Hopefully you can unlock bootloader and grab boot.img and patch it with Magisk, and flash under recovery like fastbootd even flashing command stays the same
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Adb doesn't work, but fastboot works
I bought it yesterday 10.1 inch, and to me it feels ok 3 gb, , and I'm able to get unlocked , fastboot , but I had different adbs installed on my PC , first one wouldn't unlock it, second one would...so I even see it on booot, your tablet can't be trusted error , but I cannot for the life of me get adb to recognize it..tried every driver I found, Linux Ubuntu as well, all fastboot commands seem to work fine, strange! If someone helps me find a stock image for it, i will will majisk the boot.img, and push it,, but I can't find it.. adb devices never show anything tried win7, Linux Ubuntu laptop, and win 10..
It scrolls strange with chrome, on internet , but not terrible, feels nice to me overall, help me find stock, and I will post screenshots , and tutorial but that's where I'm at, I have no need for twrp, just want root to remove these 3 or 3
4 Walmart apps....thanks...
Bootloader
jdills1196 said:
Any luck finding any stock images for these tablets? I have the 10 inch 2020 tablet and have AOSP's generic images on the tablet -- I thought I could pull the boot.img from that tablet (both prior to and after rooting it with magisk) and use it on another one of these ONN tablets...
... but I seemed to caused the tablet not to boot (can still get into fastboot/recovery).
I just wanted to pull the stock image from it so I could reflash my tablet and return this one, but looks like it might get returned in this state. I reached out to Walmart to see if they would share the stock firmware and they asked for my email but I haven't heard anything yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here is a vid so you know I'm not a troll
Bootloader unlock proof:
https drive.google.com /file/d/1eKFrWD6FtkzwD0NC_aT6Ri3VovXZiJMF/view?usp=drivesdk
(I'm a new junior member, so I can't link the video url, you will have to rename the above link - properly)
Also found you can disable and remove Walmart adds, which is a plus, still cant get adb to recognize, refer to my last post, but can unlock bootloader: fastboot worked for me, so patiently waiting for a stock image, as I can't backup my boot.img without adb not detecting the device..seems doesn't matter if rooted or not as my main goal was to disable and hide Walmart shortcuts(which it lets you do in the Apps), I don't see adds on 10.1 in chrome , as the last guy said, maybe that's an 8 issue. Google browser is buggy though..overall I like it..but I'm no gamer,hope that helped someone
---------- Post added at 02:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:41 PM ----------
Lastly, if you have big hands it feels amazing for the size, if you set to auto rotate, Portrait is how I like it (then flip when you watch YouTube), but if you have small hands and want to type, I think it's better not to buy this device...not designed right for small hands and on screen typing....just my Take
Just wanted to add my 2p to this thread:
Got this tablet a few weeks ago and have been using it fairly regularly. I can say with some certainty that, for $130, the 10.1" tablet is fantastic value for money. I say the 10.1" because it has the benefit of having 3GB of RAM. I would be hesitant to purchase the 8" as it only has 2GB.
The screen is very nice, battery life has been adequate for my uses (do not consider that an in-depth analysis), and the MTK chip inside the thing has hardware decoding for almost all major codecs. I did have to switch to SW decoding for some 10bit HEVC content I was watching last weekend, but the tablet actually handled that really well, and I didn't notice any hitches or slowdown even with the content being 1080p.
One downside, however, is that this is definitely a budget device when it comes to CPU performance. For the vast majority of thing you don't notice, but for heavier sites (such as, for e.g., Autotrader) really slow things to a crawl. Those are definitely the exception rather than the rule, though, with Autotrader being the only one that impacted me personally. And even then, there is an app for that.
Even though I am someone who used to root these devices a lot, all of the features present in Android 10 means I really don't feel the need to do that anymore. Any built-in apps can be easily "disabled", even if they can't be uninstalled (but with 32GB of onboard storage, I really don't think that would effect anyone that much). This is also entirely stock Android, so that's nice compared to the competing Fire tablets.
One thing that I do wish could be easily disabled is the little "Walmart logo" navigation icon. Again, all bloat can be removed so it's really nothing more than an eyesore. But I am exceptionally picky with that kind of stuff, so if that is the only thing I have to complain about, I will consider this tablet in good shape!
Agree with u!
I just think it feels amazing, and hate fireos, but agree with you, I'm happy with Netflix and YouTube and duolingo, so I don't know the others..and language learning audio books. ....doesn't need rooted,. But, I like making backups and making it mem light as possible..gonna try to use that FWUL to get Adb , working, still can load image.bin for root, whenever we find a stock, as fastboot works.. but even if not, this feels solid, once you disable like 6 crappy programs ..I really like it, even if it never gets rooted..I disabled all Walmart apps and a couple others like YouTube music, and went light on Google play store, no updates/sync running , happy with it.
9/10 for what I need it for..once you get used to typing and scrolling, and ooohh that sweet battery life!
I was just hoping I could find a stock image before return policy.
Update Walmart button hide Android 10
Hide Walmart button by enabling "Gesture Navigation" Android 10 fearure , FYI, takes a few min to get used too, dragging up,, but issue gone, and I prefer this swipe now better...
I knew you said it bothered u
Army701 said:
Hide Walmart button by enabling "Gesture Navigation" Android 10 fearure , FYI, takes a few min to get used too, dragging up,, but issue gone, and I prefer this swipe now better...
I knew you said it bothered u
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stock boot and recovery images are in the stock images thread, I posted the 10 pro last night.
I can't get root on either the 8 or 10 pro. Patching the boot image doesn't work, device bootloops. If it's a non A/B, system as root device, then I'd patch Recovery and boot that way, but it didn't work either.
I'm not sure how to get root working.
Is bootloader unlocked ?
And , did you disable secure boot first , with fastboot? I'll help you as much as I can
---------- Post added at 02:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:41 PM ----------
try to flash a magisk patched boot.img as:
fastboot --disable-verification , in front of your patched boot.img (or whatever it's named mijisk edited)**" also don't know exact command offhand , something similar?
If I boot in recovery, I see secure boot enabled
Also, are you able to go back to stock? Or is it all ****ed up now
Keep me updated as I got a week left to return it, also thinking of other solutions...
Hi,
I have a couple of these 2017 fire HD tablets all rooted and experimenting with various OS's on them.
I've been working on a processing.org sketch on android for a couple years now and running into some unique FPS issues.
When I run Lineage 2022 May edition, the app runs at roughly ~22FPS
When I run the same app on 5.6.2.0_Fire_HD_10_optimized_pre_rooted_stock_rom-signed.zip I get roughly ~40 FPS.
**Side note, I built a quick sketch to post here with source code and APK but when I run it on both tablets, they are both 60FPS.. which leads me to believe something else is going on weird. The sketch just dumps a bunch of circles on the screen and displays FPS in biggen font.
Is there anything I can do to provide someone details for research or help me in troubleshooting?
I'm tempted to try a old lineage build like
[discontinued][ROM][unlocked][suez] Lineage-12.1 [05 MAY 2020]​Generally just work my way up to later and later builds and figure out where it broke and stay there.
Technically I don't NEED to run lineage, but I would like really any version of any OS for the fire HD that runs quickly. It doesn't need to be the latest.
I just need something with some customizability.. run app on USB power, auto power off tablet when USB power is removed... I haven't got that far yet.. but my requirements are minor.
Additionally.
Could someone provide some links to all the various os packages I can try installing?.. Not sure if it would be helpful, but a pinned post with just url's to all?
So far I have seen latest MAY 2022 release of Lineage, then these hacked older versions of the fire OS software. Is there any others?? Please link below I'd like to try them out.
Thank you,
Take care.
any news here ?
I haven't seen anything. I was just scooping up all OS releases and running a test sketch on each one.. I can publish a simple APK file if people want to try this out. But really there are better benchmarking apps out there, mine was just simple like draw a bunch of circles on a screen and print the fps.
Thanks... I'm going to install Lineage, so if you want to me compare....
targa said:
Thanks... I'm going to install Lineage, so if you want to me compare....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Targa,
I made a post on Reddit a while ago with the same subject and realized I didn't update the thread here.
This is what I tried.
5.6.2.0_Fire_HD_10_optimized_pre_rooted_stock_rom-signed.zip I get roughly ~40 FPS.
lineage-12.1-20200505-UNOFFICIAL-suez.zip ~locked at 44FPS. oldy thou.
lineage-14.1-20190926-UNOFFICIAL-suez.zip ~locked at ~48 FPS, less oldy.
*These aren't links.
As far as the OS is concerned, with what I am using the tablet for, I really do not care which one to use.
I have some basic requirements in which I'm guessing that any of them will work.
*I need a method to power on the device when USB power is applied.
* This app would auto start that I specify.
*When usb power is removed, the tablet would turn off.
I'm putting this in a car and writing some custom processing.org sketch and since the tablet is in a 3d printed caddy like thing, I don't have easy access to the power button and need things to be automated, I also don't want to have to touch the screen to launch something. Perhaps wishful thinking.
Thanks.
crap, I bricked by tab while trying to bring it to Lineage... Guess I need to open it now.
Thanks.
Is it the waiting for bootrom message? if it is plug in the usb leave it at the waiting for bootrom message on the terminal and hold the power button on the tab, it should take 5-15 seconds and it will then just say "remove short" which in the scheme of things there was no short. just hit enter and continue. I've done 3 of these tablets.
Yes, I managed, thanks for the hint (even if I already managed before, it was described in one of the threads).
targa said:
Yes, I managed, thanks for the hint (even if I already managed before, it was described in one of the threads).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No worries, I think a lot of times its hard to write guides. I tend to be overly verbose when explaining things to help with a lot of the back and forth. Habit I guess..
likwidchz said:
Hi Targa,
I made a post on Reddit a while ago with the same subject and realized I didn't update the thread here.
This is what I tried.
5.6.2.0_Fire_HD_10_optimized_pre_rooted_stock_rom-signed.zip I get roughly ~40 FPS.
lineage-12.1-20200505-UNOFFICIAL-suez.zip ~locked at 44FPS. oldy thou.
lineage-14.1-20190926-UNOFFICIAL-suez.zip ~locked at ~48 FPS, less oldy.
*These aren't links.
As far as the OS is concerned, with what I am using the tablet for, I really do not care which one to use.
I have some basic requirements in which I'm guessing that any of them will work.
*I need a method to power on the device when USB power is applied.
* This app would auto start that I specify.
*When usb power is removed, the tablet would turn off.
I'm putting this in a car and writing some custom processing.org sketch and since the tablet is in a 3d printed caddy like thing, I don't have easy access to the power button and need things to be automated, I also don't want to have to touch the screen to launch something. Perhaps wishful thinking.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you find the "perfect" Software for your hardware?
@targa which Lineage OS version did you find to be more stable? I am going to change from stock because of compatibility issues... My primary requirement is reading and watching, after getting used to higher refresh rate displays I feel its too odd to use something with lower framerates, so I want to know more about it. also I bricked my suez(FireHD 10)... and if someone can help me a lil bit please feel free to send a message.
Rex218 said:
@targa which Lineage OS version did you find to be more stable? I am going to change from stock because of compatibility issues... My primary requirement is reading and watching, after getting used to higher refresh rate displays I feel its too odd to use something with lower framerates, so I want to know more about it. also I bricked my suez(FireHD 10)... and if someone can help me a lil bit please feel free to send a message.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi there,
Honestly, I would try them all. My only test scenario was a single app I am making for a personal project.
My requirements were pretty low. Wireless needs to work, it needs to not drain power and decent frame rate in my app. Sound isnt required.
My results were pretty mixed and when it boiled down to it. It almost didn't make much of a difference. Because I don't need a lot of features, I would probably stick with the oldest release, and the sound patch to allow head phones to work.
Which is why I would say try them all. The latest does not always mean the best in my opinion. Feel free to prove me wrong here, I am up for discussion.
Thank you,
Take care.
Hi,
my tablet is now on Lineage and I'm happy with it. But my use cases aren't really extensive, I basically use it so that my kids can watch videos and earplays and some games. But for sure it's a lot better and newer than FireOS. I believe headphones did work so far.