# Android-fi!



## mechgamer123

Hey fellow android users!
 I was surprised there was only one other thread about android, and that was in the days of the G1!
 So this will be a place to post android related questions and cell phone stats.
  
 My setup:
 Nexus 4 16GB running CM11
  
 General info on Android:
 http://www.android.com/
  
 Devices running Android:
 http://www.android.com/devices/
  
 Newest Android Features:
 http://www.android.com/whatsnew/
  
 Devices being sold through Google directly without contracts:
 http://www.google.com/nexus/
  
 Android Blogs:
 http://www.androidcentral.com/
 http://androidandme.com/
 http://www.droid-life.com/
 http://www.androidpolice.com/


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## Lex2

I have too many gigabytes of lossless files I lost the capability to sync ages ago. 
   
  Manual drag and drop works for me. My only exposure to Android is the Gingerbread OS in my Cowon D3. Works fine, though a tad slow due to an aging Telechips processor. These days I just delete FLAC files from the D3 and copy over whatever I want to listen to for that particular day.


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## mechgamer123

Quote: 





lex2 said:


> I have too many gigabytes of lossless files I lost the capability to sync ages ago.
> 
> Manual drag and drop works for me. My only exposure to Android is the Gingerbread OS in my Cowon D3. Works fine, though a tad slow due to an aging Telechips processor. These days I just delete FLAC files from the D3 and copy over whatever I want to listen to for that particular day.


 

 For me, SD cards are too slow to do that, Also, I keep all of my music (Including lots of mp3 files that I have from before I got re-zeros) and so in my case I have to drag and drop every file then add all of them to a playlist, which is difficult when you move a lot of songs.


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## Szadzik

A real Android fan here.
   
  Motorola Milestone 2 running Gigerbread.
  Samsung Glaxy Tab 10.1 with USB connection kit.


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## dyl1dyl

Currently using my Motorola Atrix with the UERMs and Reshelled tf10s, pretty satisfied with the sound so far.


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## jaydome

Got my ATT S2 yesterday, I love it.  Running stock for a few reasons, mainly that TouchWiz 4.0 is the only hardware accelerated UI that exists (both CM7 and MIUI don't support as I'm posting this).  32gb MicroSD and I can't agree with you more on your last point OP.
   
  Is anyone else looking forward to the 27th? I was disappointed they cancelled the event but understand their reasons.  Ice Cream Sandwich is going to be great, and it's been released that the Nexus Prime will be on Tmo/ATT so I may be returning my purchase (buyers remorse 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





)


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## PedroH

Just switched from iPhone4 to Samsung Galaxy S2.  In my opinion this migration was an upgrade.
   
  As the majority of mu music is in ALAC, I have installed PowerAmp and PalyerPro player apps. Both of them play alac and a broad range of other audio files. After testing both apps ended up choosing PowerAmp as the interface is much better and its a quite clever app e.g correcting songs titles.


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## mechgamer123

Quote: 





jaydome said:


> Got my ATT S2 yesterday, I love it.  Running stock for a few reasons, mainly that TouchWiz 4.0 is the only hardware accelerated UI that exists (both CM7 and MIUI don't support as I'm posting this).  32gb MicroSD and I can't agree with you more on your last point OP.
> 
> Is anyone else looking forward to the 27th? I was disappointed they cancelled the event but understand their reasons.  Ice Cream Sandwich is going to be great, and it's been released that the Nexus Prime will be on Tmo/ATT so I may be returning my purchase (buyers remorse
> 
> ...


 
  Are you referring to the launcher when you mention hardware accelerated UI? That's not the Roms fault, that's just an app they include. You won't need hardware acceleration, it's got a dual core processor!

 I'm looking forward to it because of ICS, and it will most likely be coming to Verizon. 
 and there may be a cyanogenmod 8 that I could flash.
   


  Quote: 





pedroh said:


> Just switched from iPhone4 to Samsung Galaxy S2.  In my opinion this migration was an upgrade.
> 
> As the majority of mu music is in ALAC, I have installed PowerAmp and PalyerPro player apps. Both of them play alac and a broad range of other audio files. After testing both apps ended up choosing PowerAmp as the interface is much better and its a quite clever app e.g correcting songs titles.


 

 I like poweramp as well, but I use winamp now that my trial ran out.
  And to everyone who is having trouble syncing any files, I figured out how to do it in winamp. You have to go Preferences->Portables->Advanced and then add ;(filename) to the list such as ;Flac or ;ALAC


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## Anaxilus

Quote: 





szadzik said:


> A real Android fan here.
> 
> Motorola Milestone 2 running Gigerbread.
> Samsung Glaxy Tab 10.1 with USB connection kit.


 

 Interesting, you running the Galaxy tab via kit to a DAC?  
   
  I was about to jump on the S2 bandwagon up to about a week ago till I learned about the Nexus Prime.  Hoping Icecream Sandwhich will let the Prime run as a digital transport.


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## Szadzik

Quote: 





anaxilus said:


> Interesting, you running the Galaxy tab via kit to a DAC?
> 
> I was about to jump on the S2 bandwagon up to about a week ago till I learned about the Nexus Prime.  Hoping Icecream Sandwhich will let the Prime run as a digital transport.


 


  I am hoping ICS will do that and am waiting for the Prime too, will be my Christmas present, even if an early one 
   
  On 3.1 I have not tried yet as I do not have a DAC where I am now, will try in 3 weeks. Someone tried on SGSII and it did not work.


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## techfreakazoid

The Nexus Prime should be announced on Oct 19th so let's keep our fingers crossed that the hardware and ICS address the audio issues and implementations.  Otherwise, Google and its fragmented OEM partners will be so far behind to be able to compete against the MFi connector ecosystem that Apple has built on mobile, CE, auto, and home integration.


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## mechgamer123

Samsung Galaxy Nexus has just been announced and showcased!
  In all honesty, I'm not very impressed with the new features. Many of them really seem to be taken from other platforms and tweaked/slightly improved.
  And the incognito mode and swipe to remove notifications have been in cyanogenmod for a while now...


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## darkninja67

in on this chit
   
  Currently using an HTC Aria on ATT, looking to upgrade to the HTC Vivid if I can get it at the $99 promotional price. Also running an HTC Flyer tablet. Love it so far. Very fast and stable. Will probably grab an Asus Transformer Prime and give the Flyer to the kids. Do not miss Apple products at all. I laugh when my girl has to tether her iPhone in order to update it.


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## Szadzik

I pre-ordered a Motorola Razr and hope to get it within the next few days. I am going on holiday on wednesday, so may not be able to use it until I come back, but really waiting for it.


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## mechgamer123

Quote: 





szadzik said:


> I pre-ordered a Motorola Razr and hope to get it within the next few days. I am going on holiday on wednesday, so may not be able to use it until I come back, but really waiting for it.


 


  Good choice! Although I'm a bit weary of the non-removable battery and moto's bootloader stance (locked up tight) I think it'll be a great device, assuming Motorola doesn't release any debilitating updates that require battery pulling like they did on the droid x.


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## Szadzik

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> Good choice! Although I'm a bit weary of the non-removable battery and moto's bootloader stance (locked up tight) I think it'll be a great device, assuming Motorola doesn't release any debilitating updates that require battery pulling like they did on the droid x.


 


  Non-removable battery is a nonissue for me as I have never used replacement batteries - I use an external power pack that is much more versatile with dual USB outputs. As for bootloader - I am based in the UK and bootloader will be unlockable. ONLY VZW have decided to have it locked completely, all other version will be unlockable.


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## project86

I'm using a Nook Color running MIUI Phiremod v2, and couldn't be happier with it. I can OC to 1.3ghz without issue, though for general browsing I keep it lower to save battery. For phone duty I'm loving my relatively low end LG Optimus V. It's the little phone that could, performing well above what the specs would suggest.

I am just waiting for the day when we can tap the usb out and connect an external DAC. That's really the only thing on my Android wishlist.


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## jmwreck

im using samsung galaxy s-i9000, cyanogenmod 7 stable with poweramp, voodoo control and dsp manager


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## CrystalT

I'm trying to decide if I like my LG Optimus V, or my Sansa E260 better. I'm currently running:
   
  LG Optumus V running IHO CM 7.1, Poweramp 2.1, DSP Settings: Stereo X @30%, Extreme Bass Boost enabled.
  Sansa E260 Rockboxed, EQ off, no replaygain, no crossfeed.


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## project86

Quote: 





crystalt said:


> I'm trying to decide if I like my LG Optimus V, or my Sansa E260 better. I'm currently running:
> 
> LG Optumus V running IHO CM 7.1, Poweramp 2.1, DSP Settings: Stereo X @30%, Extreme Bass Boost enabled.
> Sansa E260 Rockboxed, EQ off, no replaygain, no crossfeed.


 


  Another Optimus V user! How does your do with armature based IEMs? Any hissing or static? I'm on stock firmware and I'm finding it a bit too noisy in some cases but pretty good with dynamic IEMs or bigger cans.


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## CrystalT

Zero noise from my pl11 and 30.

I wamt to run cm7 desperately, but my phone refuses to charge.


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## ZetsuBozu0012

Galaxy S with an external amp (Fiio E7, if you must know  ).
   
  The performance is brilliant, but I'm thinking of getting a dedicated PMP, since I'm trying to conserve the battery on my phone.


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## TheOtus

I have Samsung Galaxy Gio. I use it to do weird things like calls and text messages. Those are ways to communicate with other people also using these portable phones. = ) Well, I sometimes browse the web and use e-mail, must admit.
   
  EDIT: My 500th post!


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## pigmode

I was window shopping a Razr today, and it looked pretty sweet.


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## Huxley

Will be a galaxy nexus when it arrives, should be sent off this friday.
   
  There was a volume issue with a lot of the handsets, that when used in the 900mhz gsm band it would go nuts.
   
  Anyway it's been sorted with a software fix, and reportedly the sq from the hp out is very good!!
   
  Can't wait to amp it up.


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## pigmode

Yeah, I've been doing some research and the G Nexus looks more my speed.


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## Anaxilus

Quote: 





pigmode said:


> Yeah, I've been doing some research and the G Nexus looks more my speed.


 

 I've actually been going the other way.  The hardware is a bit anemic and the benchmarks haven't been too impressive.  Clearly Samsung didn't want to step on their own galaxy S2 toes.  I might just wait for the ICS update or maybe go Windows Mango if the external dock proves useful, doubt it.


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## pigmode

^ I've been reading up on smart phones and as this is my first, I wonder if the android system might be too complicated. Otoh, I think the smaller screen on the iPhone will be a turn off.


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## CrystalT

Android is both extremely open-ended, and simplistic and easy to learn.
   
  There are tons of very well-written guides for the more difficult things.


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## Szadzik

Quote: 





pigmode said:


> ^ I've been reading up on smart phones and as this is my first, I wonder if the android system might be too complicated. Otoh, I think the smaller screen on the iPhone will be a turn off.


 


  If you feel no urge to customize, Android is as simple as any other phone. It has a menu with shortcuts for apps and that is it.


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## project86

Quote: 





pigmode said:


> ^ I've been reading up on smart phones and as this is my first, I wonder if the android system might be too complicated. Otoh, I think the smaller screen on the iPhone will be a turn off.


 


  Android phones come in all shapes and sizes. Some have much smaller screens than iPhone, and some much larger. I find that for my eyes, a 3.2" screen is large enough, but for some people it may be too small. 
   
  I've got some friends and family who are complete technophobes. They have managed to figure out Android just fine. I think you'll be ok.


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## ZetsuBozu0012

+1 the above comments.
   
  In terms of usability, iOS is still a bit ahead of Android in terms of ease of use (I'm an Android fan myself, but there's no denying that the learning curve's a bit steeper).


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## ZetsuBozu0012

Quote: 





project86 said:


> Android phones come in all shapes and sizes. Some have much smaller screens than iPhone, and some much larger. I find that for my eyes, a 3.2" screen is large enough, but for some people it may be too small.
> 
> I've got some friends and family who are complete technophobes. They have managed to figure out Android just fine. I think you'll be ok.


 


  Two things:
   
  1. Nice profile pic. Wonder why it looks so familiar, though?
   
  2. I find it interesting that a technophobe (if that was literal and not hyperbole) would go anywhere _near_ an Android phone in the first place. Just idle curiosity


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## chaoszepp

my past rig: EVO 4G, cyanogenmod 7 and 32gb micro sd.


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## pigmode

Quote: 





project86 said:


> Quote:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 


   
  Thanks, I'm also a technophobe (and habitual late-starter).


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## Szadzik

Quote: 





zetsubozu0012 said:


> 2. I find it interesting that a technophobe (if that was literal and not hyperbole) would go anywhere _near_ an Android phone in the first place. Just idle curiosity


 


  I wondered about the same thing when two of my friends - both completely not into tech stuff - decided to buy Android phones.
   
  I warned them multiple times about possible battery life issues compared to their dumbphones, but still they bought those phones (SE Neo v for the lady and Arc S for the guy).
   
   
  They are extremely happy with the media features too.


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## project86

Quote: 





zetsubozu0012 said:


> Two things:
> 
> 1. Nice profile pic. Wonder why it looks so familiar, though?
> 
> 2. I find it interesting that a technophobe (if that was literal and not hyperbole) would go anywhere _near_ an Android phone in the first place. Just idle curiosity


 


  1) Thanks. It's from the album "Songs to Burn Your Bridges By", from the group "Project 86".
   
  2) I wondered the same thing. I guess people see all the commercials for new phones and such, and they just want to buy. Most of them are surprisingly pleased with their new smartphone, except of course for battery life. Plus it is getting more and more rare to find a basic flip-phone - ask your friends, or go into a store, and you'll see that almost all phones out there are some type of smartphone. I guess people don't want to feel left out.


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## pigmode

^ For me its a technology that's reached a point ,where it probably shouldn't be ignored too much longer. That and the lack of nice basic phones. Talk about being a victim of marketing....


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## CrystalT

**** basic phones, get android.


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## ZetsuBozu0012

Quote: 





crystalt said:


> **** basic phones, get android.


 


  Depends. If it were up to me, I'd carry around an SLR, a HM-801, and a 3g-enabled netbook/tablet (plus a basic phone) if I had enough money and pocket space XD

 Speaking of, I really miss the ol flip phones. In terms of pure style, I actually much prefer my old Motorola RAZR2 v9 compared to my i9000. Specs won out in the end XD


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## mitchcoleman

G2, waiting on the Galaxy Nexus.


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## ZetsuBozu0012

Quote: 





mitchcoleman said:


> G2, waiting on the Galaxy Nexus.


 

  
  I'm gonna get another year or two out of my SGS, so I can't say that I don't envy ya )

 Either way, good luck on your purchase! Any idea if the SQ of the Galaxy Nexus is anywhere near that of the i9000? Not likely, but there's nothing wrong with hoping XD


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## chef8489

I am currently on a HTC thunderbolt. I am switching over to sprint but not sure what I am getting as of yet.

sent from my thunderbolt using tapatalk pro.


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## sari0n

Galaxy S2 is easily one of Sprint's top android phones and the specs are definitely good enough for another year or so.  I'm actually a little bit disappointed with the Nexus Prime, once other phones start getting the ICS update it's probably not going to stand out so much.  
   
  Honestly I feel like right now isn't the best time to get an Android device.  The current top devices are great but have already been around for a while, the Galaxy S2 has been around since spring, I don't know why it took forever for the US to get it.  Almost everything is still all on gingerbread and are generally dual core ~1.2-1.5ghz, just like they've been for the past year.  The Galaxy S2 was released like late spring but for some reason it just took forever for the US market to get it.
  I'm sure by January 2012 there will be Tegra 3 devices and maybe a few other quad core models that probably won't cost that much more than the top models out now.


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## Anaxilus

Well, I gave up waiting on ICS.  I'll have to wait for the Nexus, an overpriced phone w/ specs I don't want.  I'll have to wait for the other phones to get ICS.  I'll have to wait to see if ICS will allow for the phone to serve as a USB digital transport.  I'll have to pay higher monthlys to subsidize the new phone.  Microsoft Win Mobile is getting better but still wants to make me their bitch.  Apple is, well, not part of my universe.
   
  Grabbed a Nokia N8.  
   
  Minuses-Symbian is discontinued.  Screen isn't 4.5" of HD goodness, it's actually smaller than my outgoing touch pro2 by 0.2".  Not the fastest hardware.  Not the newest toy.  No bragging rights. 
   
  Pluses-Bought on sale BF.  No OS glitches yet, runs smoother than I thought w/ its specs.  Awesome Zeiss 12MP camera w/ geotagging.  Digital audio out via USB2go.  Built like a tank, nice design, button layout, card/port access.  Cheaper plan, same features.


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## flaming_june

I'm surprised you went with the n8 with the new meego n9 out now.  I recently got an n9.


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## Anaxilus

Quote: 





flaming_june said:


> I'm surprised you went with the n8 with the new meego n9 out now.  I recently got an n9.


 


  8MP camera, no removable uSDHC, I'm not sure if USB2go is supported still, wasn't listed on the specs.  Plus carrier based, it'll be WinMobile here and I'll have to likely jailbreak it for internet sharing off plan.  If I by it the cost would be more than double what I paid for the N8.  It's a pretty phone though.  
   
  Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on any of that.


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## flaming_june

I'm still lost on how pretty the n9 is to know anything about what you're talking about or how much the n8 was.


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## Szadzik

I got my Moto Razr almost a month ago and am still perfectly happy with it. A real keeper so far and Android is only getting better and better with each version.


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## vrln

Nice thread... 

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk


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## leftnose

Just got my Galaxy S II Skyrocket today.  It's doing its initial charge and then I'll start playing with it!
   
  I do live in an LTE area so I'm looking forward to some serious speed at least until more users show up


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## v2Medic

Galaxy S2 running honeycomb off internal and cyanogen off sd.  Music sounds great with cyanogen mod.


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## caracara08

my evo shift rooted took a swim and the screen wasnt working.  i picked up an epic 4g (not s2) off craigslist to use in the meantime until i switch carriers.  this thing is slow. typing on the physical keyboard leaves out letters and spaces like crazy.  i know my speedy shift has a slower (but newer) processor but it was way faster than this.


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## The Doctor

HTC Vision (A.K.A T-mobile G2) Running a heavily customized Cyanogenmod 7.1 with ICS framework and GUI.


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## johnkim0011

How are ICS roms running?


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## mechgamer123

Quote: 





johnkim0011 said:


> How are ICS roms running?


 


  Right now unless you own a nexus device, ICS roms are pretty buggy, especially if your phone has any features that are not on a nexus phone.


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## Fugue

I have a Droid X--I like it, but lately, the bottom 1/4 of the screen turns light grey and flickers for a while. It eventually clears up, but it's annoying in the interim. Has anyone else had this problem?


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## mechgamer123

Quote: 





fugue said:


> I have a Droid X--I like it, but lately, the bottom 1/4 of the screen turns light grey and flickers for a while. It eventually clears up, but it's annoying in the interim. Has anyone else had this problem?


 


  I didn't have that problem with the X but if you have the extended warranty through verizon, you can call and they will send you out a replacement unit after going through some troubleshooting tips. The thing is, they're out of replacement droid X's now so when I called them with a problem with the X they sent me, they kindly sent me out a droid 3 instead.


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## Paco2k12

Quote: 





caracara08 said:


> my evo shift rooted took a swim and the screen wasnt working.  i picked up an epic 4g (not s2) off craigslist to use in the meantime until i switch carriers.  this thing is slow. typing on the physical keyboard leaves out letters and spaces like crazy.  i know my speedy shift has a slower (but newer) processor but it was way faster than this.


 

 I would look into rooting your Epic.  There are alot of ROMS that resolve the issue with the skipping keys when typing on the physical keyboard, and they also speed up the overall experience of the phone.  Stock Gingerbread was so slow, I couldn't wait until I was able to update to something custom.  And if you get one of the kernels that support Voodoo Sound, then you'll improve the sound on the music player quite dramatically.  Or at the very least, the Epic version of CyanogenMod recently became official and the sound app, DSP Manager, that's included with it will also help if you wanna go that route.  The folks over at XDA have done a great job of keeping this phone competitive and functional, despite Sprint and Samsung's negligence. 
   
  Was just browsing the forums looking for the best music player for my Epic and noticed this.  Thought I'd try to offer a suggestion to help improve what is still a pretty decent phone.  And since your last phone was rooted, that experience should make it somewhat simple to do it for your new one.


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## hien34

Current phone is an HTC Rezound w/unlocked bootloader and CleanRom1.2 (no more Verizon bloat!) - and no - I'm not using the iBeats that came with it!
  HTC announced unlocked bootloaders for a slew of new phones right after Xmas and TBH, I was more excited about this than Xmas!  I really hated the bloatware on the phone and it crippled performance and battery life.  I was about to sell the phone and get a Galaxy Nexus until the unlock was announced - now the phone works much better (no overheating on LTE, better battery life, snappier, etc.)
   
  Big Android fan and I also have:
  Toshiba Thrive (stock - for the missus)
  Nook Color (rooted, CM7)
   
  And I've had:
  Viewsonic Gtablet (rooted, VeganTab)
  Motorola Photon
  HTC Evo 4G
  Tmobile G2
  Tmobile G1
   
  love this forum!


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## music_man

i think i will get this.

http://www.amazon.com/LG-Thrill-4G-Android-Phone/dp/B005BINK4Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1327242303&sr=8-2

what more could one ask for in a free phone? also they assured me it comes with gingerbread out of the box.


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## music_man

well, no one said anything so i got it. i thought it sucked. i also had a brief period with the galaxy nexus. don't believe the hype! read all the reviews. also, the lg nitro kind of blows. amoled screens and pentile kind of blow imo. unfortunately the razr is amoled which just does not look like all it is cracked up to be to me. i feel lcd is better. that puts me to a atrix2 which was also free. it works perfect and is built solid. it is a motorola after all. which indecently is now owned by google. so even if it does not get ics i am sure there wlil be a rom available from some group. anyways, the atrix2 has the same cpu as the nexus and razr at only 1ghz. somehow it benchmarks a tad faster than those too! a good deal for free. it took some trial and error but the job is done for the moment. oh, btw the nexus and nitro are horrible on the battery. especially the nitro. of course there is downside at that speed. what good is your fancy phone when the battery is dead lol. i hope this helps anyone. the atrix2 is not the absolute fanciest phone but it is still a current top phone, it is free and it works.


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## caracara08

glad to see you got a phone you like at a price you like! (free)   im currently with sprint and might be changing in october but not sure to where.  currently using the samsung epic 4g touch and love it. its the first phone ive used that i dont have any complaints about.  absolutely beautiful screen. thin. super fast. large memory inside. very good camera. i thought it was a bit big at first, but now love the size.


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## sari0n

Anyone playing tiny towers?  My battery life halved ever since I started, it's so addicting xD


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## leftnose

Quote: 





sari0n said:


> Anyone playing tiny towers?  My battery life halved ever since I started, it's so addicting xD


 

  
  Make sure you properly close the game.  The game will still proeed even if you close the program.  The Android version is very dissappointing; it's missing a lot of features compared to iOS.


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## sari0n

xD, nah, it's draining the battery because I'm playing it all the time.  I wouldn't say it's disappointing, I do miss some of the features that my friends with iphones have, but an update should come out sooner or later.


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## Soul363

Using the SGS 1 with just 2.3.5 gingerbread base, don't feel like flashing any custom rom as of the moment.
 16gb with 4gb memory card, i was so sad when samsung announced that there won't be ICS for the SGS


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## DivergeUnify

Droid Bionic 32gig extended battery, Zumocast to stream all my music off my PC


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## music_man

i am really sorry to ask an incredibly stupid question. there appears to be no way to close the browser other than to kill the app? in fact i put the app killer on the desktop. all this stuff is running. that is a problem with branded phones. i am not going to flash a custom until ics though. how long do you guys think before miui or cm9 ics hits?


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## sari0n

That's sort of the way that android works, programs are only cleared out of the RAM when it's full and you need to open up a new app.  It shouldn't slow down your phone having multiple apps open in the background.  I actually do use task manager to close too


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## Szadzik

Quote: 





music_man said:


> i am really sorry to ask an incredibly stupid question. there appears to be no way to close the browser other than to kill the app? in fact i put the app killer on the desktop. all this stuff is running. that is a problem with branded phones. i am not going to flash a custom until ics though. how long do you guys think before miui or cm9 ics hits?


 


  Do not worry about apps running in the background. If they are not used, they are hibernated so that opening them takes less time. As long as you reboot your phone every 3-4 days you will be fine - get rid of task killer, you do not need it.


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## dirkpitt45

Quote: 





soul363 said:


> Using the SGS 1 with just 2.3.5 gingerbread base, don't feel like flashing any custom rom as of the moment.
> 16gb with 4gb memory card, i was so sad when samsung announced that there won't be ICS for the SGS


 


  Flashing a new rom is totally worth it. I've got the captivate, and my battery life almost doubled when I switched to Darky's mod from the stock gingerbread. Never went back to stock, running ICS now and haven't run into any serious bugs yet.


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## Anaxilus

Quote: 





> Originally Posted by *dirkpitt45* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> Flashing a new rom is totally worth it. I've got the captivate, and my battery life almost doubled when I switched to Darky's mod from the stock gingerbread. Never went back to stock, running ICS now and haven't run into any serious bugs yet.


 
   
  I take it USB digital out is still enabled w/ your new ICS rom?


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## El_Doug

My new Nexus should be arriving this coming Tuesday - I'm looking forward to Ice Cream Sandwich


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## dirkpitt45

Quote: 





anaxilus said:


> I take it USB digital out is still enabled w/ your new ICS rom?


 


  I'm not sure, I don't have anything to test it with.


----------



## music_man

doug, ics is nice but my nexus was slow and buggy. not worth $300 to me. especially when the atrix has the same guts at 1 ghz for free. the atrix2 has plenty of bugs too but at least it is free. i hope you will post if it works good or bad. i could try it again maybe i just got a bad one. the main problem is it refused to pair with my car(mercedes).
  i really wanted the razr. but i get att for free. the nexus was worth the try for ics though.
   
  oh, when i kill my apps i get 6% cpu with 9 apps running i have 28% cpu. if that matters.


----------



## El_Doug

Mine was only $200, dunno if your 300 was a typo
   
  i'll let you know how it is!


----------



## music_man

it was $300 at best buy. it probably is $200 on amazon or something. i hope i just got a bad one and you can report it is fast and works good because it is the one i really wanted. go ics!
  nice thing about bb is you can bring back 50 of them within 30 days so please let us know. the only thing is as i said att is free for me but still the hardware specs on the nexus are worth it.


----------



## CrystalT

Does CM7 have usb digital out on the Captivate?


----------



## El_Doug

Enjoying ICS a ton.  The Nexus responds a ton faster than my wife's atrix, and my previous razr.  Feels faster than any phone I've used before, and I'm definitely loving the new OS


----------



## music_man

where do you get it for $200?


----------



## chazman1117

Quote: 





anaxilus said:


> I take it USB digital out is still enabled w/ your new ICS rom?


 


  ICS does NOT have digital out enabled....yet. There is a thread on Google Issues requesting that Google enable this feature, it would help if the readers of this thread star this issue to prod Google to do the right thing.
   
  Link: http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=24614

 You must be signed in to your Google account and then click the star in the lower left hand corner.
   
  Also the Nexus world is patiently waiting for Cyanogenmod to release CM9 for the Galaxy Nexus as this ROM would also have digital USB out..........but we must wait untill it is done.


----------



## music_man

nexus already down to $149. tigerdirect. new plan.


----------



## El_Doug

Quote: 





music_man said:


> nexus already down to $149. tigerdirect. new plan.


 


   
   
  on what network? the phone is only $99 on amazon wireless with a new verizon plan


----------



## project86

USB digital out is always just around the corner.... it's one of my few gripes with Android, and the reason I'm sticking with my iPad2 for now.


----------



## Anaxilus

Quote: 





project86 said:


> USB digital out is always just around the corner.... it's one of my few gripes with Android, and the reason I'm sticking with my iPad2 for now.


 

 Same, went w/ a Nokia N8 also for the camera.  Got sick of waiting.  Plus gimping the Nexus hardware to protect the Galaxy SII was the last straw.  I'll worry about it again in another two years.


----------



## LiIy

Theres already a ICS Debloat for Nexus at TeamBAMF. I never really liked CM.


----------



## music_man

yeah, i just saw it was $99 at amazon. a week ago it was $199 there if i remember correctly. a few weeks it should be $50 or free. the thing that gets me is, yes it has ics but it is not their high end phones. the galaxy are. the sii skyrocket is still a better phone sans ics. in fact the razr is probably the best phone according to most professional reviews and it is scheduled to get ics. the problem with these darn things is you either wait forever and have nothing or go get one already. every week there will be a better phone and the one before it will be free. which begs the question, why do they make one sign a two year contract? i suppose if one is a uber geek they just buy unlocked phones and are not locked into a contract. then they can get the latest hardware every week for $600. me personally it is not worth that. they all work ok. i also imagine before i know it i will have ics on any phone. cm etc. thats the great thing about android. windows,apple you get what you see and thats it. well, for the most part i know about jailbreak etc. probably no os upgrades on those though. me personally it is not such a huge part of my life. i know many folks it is like glued to their hand.


----------



## LiIy

Quote: 





music_man said:


> yeah, i just saw it was $99 at amazon. a week ago it was $199 there if i remember correctly. a few weeks it should be $50 or free. the thing that gets me is, yes it has ics but it is not their high end phones. the galaxy are. the sii skyrocket is still a better phone sans ics. in fact the razr is probably the best phone according to most professional reviews and it is scheduled to get ics. the problem with these darn things is you either wait forever and have nothing or go get one already. every week there will be a better phone and the one before it will be free. which begs the question, why do they make one sign a two year contract? i suppose if one is a uber geek they just buy unlocked phones and are not locked into a contract. then they can get the latest hardware every week for $600. me personally it is not worth that. they all work ok. i also imagine before i know it i will have ics on any phone. cm etc. thats the great thing about android. windows,apple you get what you see and thats it. well, for the most part i know about jailbreak etc. probably no os upgrades on those though. me personally it is not such a huge part of my life. i know many folks it is like glued to their hand.


 

  
  RAZR Maxx is more durable aye. 2011 as we saw had an insane launch lineup of phones but not many stood out, HTC at least has already said & I hope others follow suite that they will be focusing on creating less models, but ones that stand out. Thus... Quality over quantity.


----------



## gore.rubicon

I dont know if anyone's said it yet, but man do I love my HP Touchpad running Alpha CM7, can't wait till a beta, or a higher end CM9. Pretty much the best bang for your buck for a tablet


----------



## sharkz

I love my Touchpad more than I thought I would ever even like a tablet. Running Xron 2.8 until someone manages to fix the hardware video codecs on ICS so Netflix works. About 90% of what I do is Netflix, e-books, comics, or surfing the net and it does all of these things really well. The hardware on the thing is twice as robust as many tablets selling for 2x what I paid for it. Definitely the best thing I have bought in a long time and I am really looking forward to getting to play around with the ClassicNerd ICS build when it supports Netflix.


----------



## gustavQ

Quote: 





gore.rubicon said:


> I dont know if anyone's said it yet, but man do I love my HP Touchpad running Alpha CM7, can't wait till a beta, or a higher end CM9. Pretty much the best bang for your buck for a tablet


 


  But the HP Touchpad don't have WebOS? The alpha CM7 is a custom version of WebOS or is Android?


----------



## gore.rubicon

dual boot, cm7(android 2.3.7)


----------



## dirkpitt45

My touchpad randomly died last week. Tried everything and nothing would wake the thing up. Still under warranty at least, so HP's sending me a new one.


----------



## sharkz

Yes, as Gore mentioned, you dualboot WebOS and Android. Although honestly, since I installed Android about a month and a half ago, I haven't booted into WebOS once. Although there are some nice features there (multi-tasking with cards, some nice interfaces, etc).

 Since HP released a lot of their Android development yesterday, I am hopeful that solid fixes will be here soon for the hardware video codecs and camera issues. I guess we will have to wait and see what the devs can work out.


----------



## Jon L

I need to get a new phone, with Verizon, which has the best coverage in my area.
   
  Nexus Prime vs. Razr Max?
   
  When is Razr Max supposed to get ICS update, which would be the swing vote, given the huge battery size of Max and 8 MP camera.


----------



## music_man

razr max is what i would want with ics. i have to use att though for work. i got atrix2 and just hope there will be a ics rom. moto is my favorite brand.


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





jon l said:


> I need to get a new phone, with Verizon, which has the best coverage in my area.
> 
> Nexus Prime vs. Razr Max?
> 
> When is Razr Max supposed to get ICS update, which would be the swing vote, given the huge battery size of Max and 8 MP camera.


 


  I just got the galaxy nexus a couple of weeks ago and I have to say that I'm enjoying ICS, it's much better than any other iteration of android. That being said, if you're interested in doing any rooting/rom'ing then the Gnex is the way to go. The unlockable bootloader and official AOSP code do wonders for custom rom devs. But, if you're not into ROM'ing, I would definitely recommend the maxx, the hardware if far superior to the nexus.


----------



## Jon L

I got the Nexus, which is great.  But I did play with Razr Maxx too, which is one great hardware, but I just can't wait indefinitely for the vague ICS update for that phone.  Besides, Amazon had $100 deal for the Nexus as opposed to $300 for Razr Maxx..


----------



## Szadzik

Quote: 





jon l said:


> I got the Nexus, which is great.  But I did play with Razr Maxx too, which is one great hardware, but I just can't wait indefinitely for the vague ICS update for that phone.  Besides, Amazon had $100 deal for the Nexus as opposed to $300 for Razr Maxx..


 


  Waiting indefinitely? The phone has just been released and you have already been waiting indefinitely?


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





szadzik said:


> Waiting indefinitely? The phone has just been released and you have already been waiting indefinitely?


 


  ICS isn't supposed to come out for any moto devices until summer according to their timeline. Just go with the nexus even though the hardware is inferior. The software size is completely worth it.


----------



## Szadzik

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> ICS isn't supposed to come out for any moto devices until summer according to their timeline. Just go with the nexus even though the hardware is inferior. The software size is completely worth it.


 


   
  For me it is the other way around. If I do not have an SD card I can put loads of stuff on, the phone is basically useless.


----------



## Jon L

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> ICS isn't supposed to come out for any moto devices until summer according to their timeline. Just go with the nexus even though the hardware is inferior. The software size is completely worth it.


 

 Where did you read that?  On Motorola website, it still says "Further details to follow" for Razr Maxx, and "2012 Q2" for regular Razr..


----------



## music_man

i don't really mind. there will be a cm . i am almost sure of that. in fact moto encourages rom's afaik. just don't brick it lol.


----------



## mechgamer123

music_man said:


> i don't really mind. there will be a cm . i am almost sure of that. in fact moto encourages rom's afaik. just don't brick it lol.



Motorola does NOT support dev communities. They were the first ones to introduce locked bootloaders to android and continue to be the only ones that never (except for the atrix) have unlockable bootloaders. The only way around the locked bootloader is with 2nd init, which introduces MANY bugs, as seen on the DROID x, and makes it so that you can't run custom kernels. 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk


----------



## music_man

per motorola update page. atrix2=ics q3 2012. working on unlocked bootloader if provider will allow it. anyhow i am glad it is getting ics from the source. i actually prefer that to a rom.  moto is not one of the companies that usually offers vaporware. so i am assuming it will get it. unless att stops it. which is possible since they want everyone to buy a new phone. i am also kind of assuming they already know att's stance if it is on the scheduled update page. we shall see. nonetheless i like the phone a lot and it was free. i actually feel the razr is too thin. it does have 200 more mhz though. i imagine the atrix2 is overclockable however. i have not even had a need to look into that yet.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Check sig. Unlocked. Rooted. CM 7. Lovin' mobile life.


----------



## project86

I just did a review of the Samsung Galaxy Player 5.0 over at InnerFidelity. Pretty nice device for what it is. Since it was a review loaner, I didn't get to mess with rooting it and trying new ROMs. But I suspect it could be even better once you do those. I'm just glad we have Android based PMP devises hitting the market - they can only get better.
   
  I've noticed that we tend to become snobs pretty quickly with phone specs. "Tegra 2 dual core processor? BORING! No super-ultra-hi-res AMOLED+ display? NEXT!" But these devices can offer solid user experiences with modest hardware when done right.


----------



## ninjikiran

Probably not the right forum but with all the android phones and tablet out there I am having trouble finding one with the BEST audio quality. The T-Mobile Galaxy SII I have is... ok but nothing spectacular.  My nationite nanite N2 soundly beats it.
   
  Video quality is, ok as well.  Overall the T-Mobile G2(HTC-Vision) is a better phone if not for updated hardware and even worst audio quality.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Quote: 





ninjikiran said:


> Probably not the right forum but with all the android phones and tablet out there I am having trouble finding one with the BEST audio quality. The T-Mobile Galaxy SII I have is... ok but nothing spectacular.  My nationite nanite N2 soundly beats it.
> 
> Video quality is, ok as well.  Overall the T-Mobile G2(HTC-Vision) is a better phone if not for updated hardware and even worst audio quality.


 


  If you want a DAP that runs Android, the best for SQ would probably be the iBasso DX100. No phone functionality, but that can be overcome with a wifi connection and the Google Voice app.


----------



## xbugx

Anyone know if the CM9 alpha ICS has line out on the g2x?


----------



## music_man

i don't really care to wait to q3 now that i have thought about it. by then there will be another os! i really hope there is a cm9. although i actually like the small implementation of moto blur on the atrix2. does anyone know if this phone has a locked bootloader? also i was wondering if there is a way to o/c it. probably not if it does have a locked bootloader.


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





music_man said:


> i don't really care to wait to q3 now that i have thought about it. by then there will be another os! i really hope there is a cm9. although i actually like the small implementation of moto blur on the atrix2. does anyone know if this phone has a locked bootloader? also i was wondering if there is a way to o/c it. probably not if it does have a locked bootloader.


 


  The atrix 2, like every other motorola device except for the OG droid and Atrix 1, has a locked bootloader. There are ways to overclock with a locked bootloader, but it takes a special implementation for each phone. Check rootzwiki or xda to see if there's an overclocking module.


  Quote: 





xbugx said:


> Anyone know if the CM9 alpha ICS has line out on the g2x?


 

 Check cyanogenmod's site, Rootzwiki, or XDA developers.


----------



## garysohn

HTC EVO 4G LTE coming to Sprint.  It has Beats Audio!  But just go to one of the Android forums and try to figure out the DAC used.  I haven't seen it.  The fact it has Beats is supposed to be the end of the conversation. I can't even discover if it comes with USB hosting enabled.  It has a fixed battery, but a Micro SD slot is included.  I am not upgrade eligble for another six months, but it is only $200.  Root it and use an Alpen.  Still wish it had decent audio hardware included, though.
   
"Sprint’s first device with HTC’s Authentic Sound experience integrating Beats Audio. The technology enables customers to hear music the way the artist intended with unique audio tuning that delivers thundering bass, soaring midrange and crisp highs. HTC EVO 4G LTE incorporates Beats Audio across the entire phone experience, including playing music stored on the device, streaming from a favorite service" Sprint


----------



## Techno Kid

Believe it or not today I just got the Pantech Burst which is a really nice Android based smartphone they wont brack the bank (msrp $400 but its only $49).  It works just as good as my friends Samsung and Motorola phones and the super AMLOED screen has a great picture.  The 4G LTE and 1.5GHz dual core processor make it very fast and the full web browsing makes it easy.  So far I'm loving this phone but theres still a lot of other thing it can do that I haven't got to yet,  I still can't believe I got a Pantech but if this is where their going then the big boys need to take notice.


----------



## Techno Kid

What the best player you can use on an Android also a good EQ?


----------



## garysohn

Quote: 





techno kid said:


> What the best player you can use on an Android also a good EQ?


 


  IMO Poweramp.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Quote: 





garysohn said:


> IMO Poweramp.


 


  +1


----------



## Jubei

Quote: 





garysohn said:


> IMO Poweramp.


 


  PowerAMP definitely the best overall. n7Player has a very nice interface though, but not as full featured as PowerAMP.


----------



## tylerlong

Here is my sertup:
   
  HTC Indredible 2
  Rooted
  AOSP gingerbread rom
  16gb MircoSD card
  Screen Protector
   
  I want use ICS, but it is too buggy to use as a DD for now.


----------



## rui-no-onna

Set-ups:
   
  Nook Color w/dual-boot CM7 and CM9
  Sandisk 32GB microSD
   
  HP Touchpad 32GB w/CM9 alpha 2
   
  Samsung Galaxy S 4G w/stock Froyo 2.2
  Sandisk 32GB microSD
   
  Samsung Nexus S 16GB w/stock Gingerbread 2.3
   
  Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray
  Sandisk 16GB microSD
   
  Sony Ericsson Xperia Active
  Sandisk 32GB microSD
   
  Both the Galaxy S and Nexus S actually make for decent music players. Alas, battery life leaves a lot to be desired.


----------



## CrystalT

I feel like I've further leveled up my SGS. 
   
  Set up:
   
  Samsung Galaxy S Captivate
  CM7 nightly
  32GB CLASS 2 MSDHC
  Running AirDroid and Droid VNC
   
  With no phone service, I get close to two days of constant use. Through wifi at home, I've essentially turned my SGS in to a dedicated media server. If my external HDD hadn't corrupted, I would have flashed ICS and used USB host to further increase my phones capabilities as a server.
   
  Since I don't have any functioning headphones, it's been plugged in to my home theater.


----------



## DefQon

Stock 2.3.6 Motorola Atrix 2 4G unlocked rooted
  CM7 Motorola Milestone @ 1.2GHZ 74vsel
  CM7 Bricked Motorola Droid 3
  CM7 Motorola Cliq


----------



## DanBa

Apparently, the USB audio feature is enabled on factory Samsung Galaxy S III:
  http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=26757706&postcount=133
   
  "I got my sgs3 a few hours ago and just plugged it into my Topping tp30 USB DAC/amp and it's playing audio through it to my speakers!!!"
   
   
  Affordable hi-fi rig:
  http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-20058833-47.html?tag=txt;title
   
  music stored on SGS3 > SGS3 player > digital audio stream >> USB cable >> USB DAC/amp Topping TP30 >> speakers
   
   
  
  






  
 
  
 
  
 
  
  
  
 Keep lobbying for the Android USB audio standardisation (i.e. USB DAC as a standard USB device, like a USB mass storage device, for Android smartphone/tablet).
  http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=24614&sort=-stars&colspec=ID%20Type%20Status%20Owner%20Summary%20Stars
   
  Vote: Click on the star (it appears after signing in)


----------



## CrystalT

With voodoo you don't need a usb dac. Just go hp out to a receiver, since they have their own dac/amp.

Sent from my LG-VM670 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## DanBa

Contrary to the iPhones, the Android phones don’t have a proper analog line out allowing to bypass the internal amplifier chip.


----------



## DanBa

Samsung Galaxy S III interworks with USB DAC/amp FiiO E7:
http://www.androidnz.net/2012/06/galaxy-s-iii-usb-audio-is-it-really.html
   
  music stored on SGS3 > SGS3 player > digital audio stream >> USB OTG cable >> USB DAC FiiO E7 > amp FiiO E7 >> headphone
   
   
  Samsung Galaxy S III triggers a new era of Hi-Fi for the masses with affordable rig:
   
  . affordable (subsidized) smartphone
   
  . affordable common USB DAC/amp compliant with PC or Mac, like FiiO E7 (us$80)
  http://www.amazon.com/FiiO-Portable-Headphone-Amplifier-Black/dp/B003N0XDT4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1339194973&sr=8-4
  "Clearly, the E7 is priced very competitively, and I consider it a good product — not some cheap Chinese stuff. Not only is the E7 packed with features, it also comes with a solid build quality, and a solid sound quality as well."
  http://www.headfonia.com/fiio-e7-portable-dac/
   
  . affordable headphones, like Digitech Pro Monitor Headphones (us$50), clone of Fischer Audio FA-003, Brainwavz HM5 or Lindy Premium Hi-Fi headphones
  http://www.jaycar.us/productView.asp?ID=AA2065
  "Now that I've had these for a good month I can honestly say they are my 'New' daily headphones! 
  I simple love the music that comes from these headphones.
  They are beautifully balanced with sparkly highs that are not offensive to the ears, mid's that introduces a 'fun' factor to the music for all genres and lastly lows that are firm, bassy and goes amazingly deep with out distorting or overpowering the rest of the music. 
  The clarity is excellent with a very nice sound stage and for a 'closed' headphone they do sound quite open and spacious!
  Isolation is fantastic especially listening to music or playing games at night.
  Comfort is excellent and the 'killer' clamp grip slowly eases after regular use! I've listened to these all night and in to the early morning without wanting to take them off!" 
  http://www.head-fi.org/products/digitech-pro-monitor-headphones/reviews/6900
   
   

   
   
  Keep lobbying for the Android USB audio standardisation (i.e.USB DAC as a standard USB device, like a USB mass storage device, for Android smartphone/tablet).
  http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=24614&sort=-stars&colspec=ID%20Type%20Status%20Owner%20Summary%20Stars
   
  Vote: Click on the star (it appears after signing in)


----------



## mechgamer123

danba said:


> Contrary to the iPhones, the Android phones don’t have a proper analog line out allowing to bypass the internal amplifier chip.


The iPhone doesn't have a true line out either. It's irrevent though, as you've mentioned twice that the gs3 will allow for external dacs.


----------



## project86

That's interesting, and good news... but of course it's just a start to what hopefully will become widespread. Now we need it to spread to multiple phones, and we need them to support more DAC chipsets other than the old PCM270X series. But I'm happy to see some progress, however small it may be.
   
  Can you imagine a time in the future when any random Android device will double as a digital transport? Folks with iPhones are spending big money on something like a Cypher Labs unit, while Android users simply plug in the phone and go. That seems like it would be a big win for Samsung, HTC, and the rest of the Android phone makers, right?
   
  But then you put it in context - those companies sell _MILLIONS _of handsets. Exact numbers are not always easy to find, but I know that Samsung had sold well over 10,000,000 Galaxy S II devices as of late last year. I'm guessing the audiophile community would be a very small percentage of sales in comparison to the overall numbers. So I can see why this feature isn't really given a high priority.
   
  Still, one day it will become widespread, and that will be great for us.


----------



## DanBa

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> The iPhone doesn't have a true line out either. It's irrevent though, as you've mentioned twice that the gs3 will allow for external dacs.


 
   
   
  I think you don’t use the standard technical term “line out”. 
   
  "Line out (signal) refers to an analog electrical signal for connection between audio devices."
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_out
   
  Line out signal refers to an analog signal at the output of the internal DAC of an Android phone (or an iPhone).
   



   
  FiiO E17 manual:
   

   

   
  http://www.fiio.com.cn/product/index.aspx?ID=23&MenuID=020303
   
  The iPhone/iPod/iPad does have a true line out.
  http://www.allpinouts.org/index.php/Apple_iPod,_iPad_and_iPhone_dock
   

   
  "The Apple iPhone 4 Dock features a convenient audio line out port that connects to powered speakers."
  http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC596ZM/B?fnode=MTY1NDAzOQ


----------



## DanBa

Samsung Galaxy S III interworks with Microsoft Digital Sound System 80:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1703218
   
  music stored on SGS3 > SGS3 player > digital audio stream >> USB OTG cable >> USB DAC/amp/speakers Digital Sound System 80
   

   

   
   
   Samsung Galaxy S III interworks with Corsair HS1 Gaming headset:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=27238117#post27238117
   
  music stored on SGS3 > SGS3 player > digital audio stream >> USB OTG cable >> USB DAC/amp/headphone Corsair HS1 Gaming headset


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





danba said:


> Contrary to the iPhones, the Android phones don’t have a proper analog line out allowing to bypass the internal amplifier chip.


 
  Quote: 





danba said:


> I think you don’t use the standard technical term “line out”.


 
  I don't want to derail the thread and start a flame war, but from my experience with my iPod classic 6G, the line out does not bypass the amplifier.
  I understand what a "true line out" is and the iPod does not have one. Instead, it just leaves the amplifier at +0db, where on the iPod, it would control the amount of amplification, from -X db to +X db.
  Also, instead of posting multiple times, it would be better for the sake of the thread (and my email account that I have to subscribe to this thread) if you edited your posts instead of multi-posting.


----------



## ninjikiran

Thisi s great but tbh as a portable music device still leaves alot to be desired.  I am switching to the Lumia 900 as my phone when it comes to t-mobile this summer.


----------



## keroro

so it's only the sIII which is able to support usb dac? It's a haardware thing or software thing? can other android phone do it to?
 any1 happen to try it wiith centrance dacport?


----------



## DanBa

Quote: 





keroro said:


> so it's only the sIII which is able to support usb dac?


 
   
   
  The 1st out-of-the-box (i.e. without modding) Android devices able to support USB audio are:
  http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=24614#c565
  . Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone
  . Archos G9 tablet
   
   
  Quote: 





> *keroro* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> It's a hardware thing or software thing?


 
   
   
  With a USB host-capable Android smartphone, it’s a software thing.
   
  The USB host-capable Android smartphone interacts with USB devices through the USB host controller, a hardware component.
  And the USB audio software modules just use the USB flow of data exchanged between USB host and USB device.
   
  Android relies on Linux for core system services such as driver model. The Linux kernel acts as an abstraction layer between the hardware and the rest of the software stack.
   

   
  Android USB audio software or Advanced Linux Sound Architecture or ALSA is a Linux kernel component.
  http://thewelltemperedcomputer.com/Linux/AudioArchitecture.htm
   

   
  Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich includes the ALSA source code which can be compliant with USB audio class 2 devices allowing for 24 bits / 192 kHz:
  https://bitbucket.org/paulobrien/android_kernel_galaxynexus/src/bc4f9b72a51d/sound/usb/card.c
  "android_kernel_galaxynexus / sound / usb / card.c: "USB Audio Driver for ALSA"
   
  The USB audio is enabled on the Ainol Novo 7 Advanced tablet:
  http://www.slatedroid.com/topic/29289-usb-audio-cards-support-drivers-and-libs/
   
  "We just need 3 base things: 
  1st: USB Host support in Android kernel. 
  2nd. USB audio driver, in kernel, or compiled as a module. 
  3rd. Some logic to switch to USB audio card, or back to internal one."
   
   
  Quote: 





> *keroro* /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> can other android phone do it to?


 
   
   
  We should lobby for that.
   
  For the time being, the standard USB devices for USB host-capable Android smartphones/tablets are only USB hubs, USB mass storage devices and USB class for human interface devices (for example, mice and keyboards).
   
  A lot of people are lobbying for imposing USB DAC as a standard Android USB device, like a standard USB device for every Mac or PC (i.e. we don’t have to request each individual PC manufacturer to add the USB audio capability).
  http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=24614&sort=-stars&colspec=ID%20Type%20Status%20Owner%20Summary%20Stars
  Vote: Click on the star (it appears after signing in)
   
  Google should include USB host (and USB audio) on every new Google "Nexus" device, which is supposed to be a reference Android device for others.


----------



## mechgamer123

It should be pretty easy to talk to aokp/cm dev teams and get them to integrate a USB dac functionality into at least the galaxy nexus...


----------



## project86

Good info, thanks.
   
  I've got the new Meizu MX quad core coming soon, for review over at InnerFidelity. They advertise as having SPDIF out, and are in process of making the cable. I guess it goes through their multi-purpose micro-USB output rather than having a dedicated jack. We'll see how well it does.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Quote: 





ninjikiran said:


> Thisi s great but tbh as a portable music device still leaves alot to be desired.  I am switching to the Lumia 900 as my phone when it comes to t-mobile this summer.


 
   
  I'm getting one tomorrow.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 Shooting for the matte black one. The white one would be my second choice.


----------



## Keller1

Still using my trusty 'ol HD2. This phone is boss. Currently running a CM9 based ICS ROM with fancy resizing options. 
 Ubermusic as music player;
  Will probably get the galaxy note 2 when it comes out, if it has a good DAC, or might wait for the SGS4, no rush.
 I only got 16 GBs of space though, but that's a non-issue considering my files arent lossless (And why should they, the HD2 has a bad DAC)


----------



## Mr.Sneis

Rekindled my appreciation for Android fone recently.  I had a Nexus one running an older Cyanogenmod build which was feeling a bit dated, so I bought a gently used HTC Sensation off of Craigslist for $185 (smoking deal I believe).  I was able to ebay the n1 for $120ish on ebay so it wasn't even that bad out of pocket expense. 
   
  I spent several hours unlocking and rooting the Sensation and have it now running ARHD with bricked kernel and an aftermarket Anker battery.  So far so good, it's lasting me basically 2+ days for casual use on a single charge!
   
  I am using WinAmp which allows me to wirelessly send music from my PC to the phone (it converts FLAC to AAC in the process).  I'm not too thrilled about the speed or reliability of said transfers but do you guys have any audio app or tweak recommendations aside from what I'm currently using?  I don't mind the AAC files actually as they are substantially smaller in size than FLAC and the phone is mostly used as my car's aux. source via miniplug or backup headphone source if I am stranded so it's not expected to be a high-end source or anything.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Quote: 





mr.sneis said:


> do you guys have any audio app or tweak recommendations aside from what I'm currently using?


 
   
  If you want the wireless sync thing over SQ, you could get Spotify installed on your computer and phone. If you want to go with SQ over sync, get Poweramp. You'll just transfer songs with an SD card/USB cable, but, Poweramp does support FLAC and has a bunch of customization options. Get a 32GB micro SD card, and you're good to go.


----------



## Mr.Sneis

I actually used PowerAmp previously on the n1, maybe i will have to give the updated version a go.  I totally missed out on the $49.99 64gb microSD deal last week and kicking myself now that I didn't go for it; currently w/ 32gb but with full on flac files that will go quick.


----------



## DanBa

USB audio output support is added in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/595071/android-phones-and-usb-dacs-how-to-increase-the-issues-priority-with-google/90#post_8490416


----------



## labcoat

Quote: 





techno kid said:


> What the best player you can use on an Android also a good EQ?


 

 Power amp has a good Graphic EQ some swore Neutron sounds better it has a Parametric EQ fewer bands much more flexible.  I'm trying to decide if one is better or ifts just the EQ settigns.
   
  Power amp is better interface easier to use for sure.
   
  R-


----------



## garysohn

doesn't Neutron over sample everything to 32 bit?  In the past something about that sound has bothered me in the Sabre dacs.. Not saying it wasn't a placebo effect, though. Just felt edgy.  Never felt that with 24 bit.  This is just me and I'm not trying to say it is objective.


----------



## labcoat

In my previous post I was trying to decide what I like better then I grabbed my Clip+/E6 combo and I realized I like that a lot better then ether of them.
   
  I just ordered a E11to use with my Samsung G-Nexus may be a waist of money unless Jelly Bean will let me use an external DAC then I need a E7 and that makes it all better IDK...


----------



## ninjikiran

I doubt its going to output at 32-bit, pretty sure thats just processing.  The dac in most phones are probably no greater than 16/48khz


----------



## Tilpo

He guys, just saw this thread. 

I use a Galaxy Note, and I couldn't be more happy with it. Awesome little device. (irony intended)

I picked up a 64GB microSD card from SandDisk to go with it. And I also have three spare batteries I bought from eBay. I always carry two of them with me in my wallet. 
Perfect DAP: lots of storage, and never runs out of battery. 

Currently it's on its way back from a repair center since the 3.5mm jack broke. My HD 25-1 II has a habit of breaking jacks, as it did the same thing on my iPod. I currently use a low profile 3.5mm splitter cable to relief strain from the jack, but it's far from ideal. Any of you guys got a better idea to make the jack survive this time? I could determinate the cable with a straight plug, that should also work, since it's most likely the angled plug that destroyed it.


----------



## ninjikiran

Never runs out of battery?  What "galaxy" are you from?


----------



## Tilpo

ninjikiran said:


> Never runs out of battery?  What "galaxy" are you from?



Like I said, I have three spare batteries. That means I have 4x the normal battery life, which means it can go for quite a while.


----------



## leftnose

ICS released today for my SII Skyrocket.  Now if I can get stupid Kies working properly, I can upgrade!


----------



## ninjikiran

cheater


----------



## leftnose

ninjikiran said:


> cheater



Posted using my SII Skyrocket running ICS!


----------



## Kosmik Panda

What is the best app for music?


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Quote: 





kosmik panda said:


> What is the best app for music?


 
   
  Poweramp, IMO


----------



## Tilpo

j.pocalypse said:


> Poweramp, IMO



I concur


----------



## labcoat

I think I like Power amp better too


----------



## project86

I've been playing with the new Meizu MX-Quad recently - it's obscenely fast. Makes my iPad2 feel sluggish in some ways. It also has SPDIF out via breakout box (coaxial connection) so it will work as a nice transport.
   
  I'll post a link to my review when it is done.


----------



## Baycode

Quote: 





kosmik panda said:


> What is the best app for music?


 
   
  I use SGS2. I have downloaded ICS for it. Made the Cyanogenmod 9. I have tried nearly all the music player software on the market.
   
  Than I emove the Cyanogen 9 from my SGS2. Because it simply made the phone sound digitalised (lost the organic feel).
   
  The best 2 apps for me are:
   
  1. Stock android music player that installs itself directly while installing ICS (4.0.4) (EQ normal, use the Sound Clarity setting enabled).
   
  2. RunHeadPhones (v.2.28) (EQ'ed).
   
  For bass liker android users RunHeadPhones is a must have. It increases mid and sub bass without blocking the mids and highs (doing it without any apparent distortion).
   
  I can clearly state that RunHeadPhones is the best android music player (IMO) for Samsung Galaxy S2.
   
  Poweramp did not work for me. Even the player on the Cyanogenmod 9. They both sounded digitalised.
   
  Also I have to say that my SGS2 sounds better than my Sansa Fuze (Rockboxed). I believe my SGS2 has the Wolfson chipped later version of this phone (previous versions used Yamaha sound chip).


----------



## Techno Kid

Now that I've had my Pantech Burst for a few months I can say that its a really good phone.  It has never frozen or had any glitches and runs super smooth.  What I like most about the phone is the SQ it blows all my other pmp's away (Cowon J3, Fuze, Sony S series).  I never would have thought a phone could sound so much better than a dedicated music player, the clarity and soundstage are the best I've heard and with Poweramp its just awesome.  Some of my IEM's with small to average soundstage like the MG7 sound really nice on the Burst and the soundstage gets much wider and deeper.  I think its a really great phone and for $49 was an absolute steal.
   
  If anyone knows what kind of sound card is in the Burst please post it because I've looked and I can't find anything about it.


----------



## mechgamer123

I just updated my galaxy nexus to jelly bean,
If there is a cm10 port for your device, GO GET IT!
It's much smoother than my previous ics rom


----------



## Tilpo

mechgamer123 said:


> I just updated my galaxy nexus to jelly bean,
> If there is a cm10 port for your device, GO GET IT!
> It's much smoother than my previous ics rom



I've only updated my Note to ICS a couple weeks ago, and now this. :/

Stupid T-Mobile giving ICS on the Note months later after Germany, France and UK already got ICS. :mad:


----------



## Keller1

Quote: 





tilpo said:


> I've only updated my Note to ICS a couple weeks ago, and now this. :/
> Stupid T-Mobile giving ICS on the Note months later after Germany, France and UK already got ICS.


 
  If you're using the n7000 im pretty sure there's a CM10.


----------



## Tilpo

keller1 said:


> If you're using the n7000 im pretty sure there's a CM10.




What's that?

I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to these things. I haven't even taken the effort to root it, since the only things I use it for is read manga, and listen to music while on the go.


----------



## Keller1

Quote: 





tilpo said:


> What's that?
> I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to these things. I haven't even taken the effort to root it, since the only things I use it for is read manga, and listen to music while on the go.


 
  It's cyanogen mod 10, which is a custom rom of jellybean. There's a release for the n7000, which is the model of the galaxy note. But since you havent rooted and arent very knowledgeable you should probably keep away since with the note you can screw up your device fairly easily. Official jellybean is going to take an extremely long while though.
 Also what music players do you guys use? Currently im using ubermusic.


----------



## Tilpo

keller1 said:


> It's cyanogen mod 10, which is a custom rom of jellybean. There's a release for the n7000, which is the model of the galaxy note. But since you havent rooted and arent very knowledgeable you should probably keep away since with the note you can screw up your device fairly easily. Official jellybean is going to take an extremely long while though.
> 
> Also what music players do you guys use? Currently im using ubermusic.



I see. Thank you. 
I might give it a go only if that would make it support USB Audio (on e.g. the new FiiO device made for Android specifically). Otherwise I'll just stick with good 'ol ICS since it's safer that way. 

Poweramp.

I've tried some other free and paid ones, but for some odd reason Poweramp is the only one that doesn't randomly shows my album art as graphical glitches. It was a very weird issue, and maybe it's not even present anymore. However, I simply like Poweramp enough to make it a keeper. I've paid for it after all


----------



## Dutch-Guy

I've got an HTC Sensation running CM9 nightly, waiting for a stable CM10.
  Also purchased an Anker battery (1900 mAh) and a 16GB Class 10 MicroSDHC card.
  Unfortunately my screen is pretty cracked an my SD card holder stopped working a week ago, as soon as I pop it in it pops right back out.
  Good thing I got insurance.
  I've got it for over a year now and I have to say I'm still really happy with it. It's a really good and fast phone thanks to the dual core. With previous phones I used to get bored after 6 months of using it but with this it's still an amazing phone.
  Looking forward to the next year, after that I'll get myself a quad core, or something better.


----------



## EpicPie

Didn't know there was an Android thread on Head-Fi until now. >_<
   
  Currently using a Samsung GS2 (SGH-T989) running CM9 nightly w/ Darkside Venom Aroma 06 kernal. Pretty solid and stable so far, enjoying CM9 over the OTA ICS update with touchwiz.
   
  Waiting for my GS3 to arrive in the mail, pretty excited to upgrade.


----------



## ZetsuBozu0012

Quote: 





epicpie said:


> Didn't know there was an Android thread on Head-Fi until now. >_<
> 
> Currently using a Samsung GS2 (SGH-T989) running CM9 nightly w/ Darkside Venom Aroma 06 kernal. Pretty solid and stable so far, enjoying CM9 over the OTA ICS update with touchwiz.
> 
> Waiting for my GS3 to arrive in the mail, pretty excited to upgrade.


 
   
  Awesome to know, since the S3 comes with a kick-ass Wolfson DAC. I was a bit miffed when the S2's DAC turned out to be really inferior to the one in the i9000 (which is why I'm still using mine, haha), but I'm really tempted to get an S3 now XD
   
  Speaking of, you being an S2 owner and a Head-Fi'er, is the SQ on the S2 really all that bad? I'm just going on what a lot of people have been spreading around the forums, meaning I've never had the chance to try an i9100 out for myself.
   
  Cheers!


----------



## EpicPie

Quote: 





zetsubozu0012 said:


> Awesome to know, since the S3 comes with a kick-ass Wolfson DAC. I was a bit miffed when the S2's DAC turned out to be really inferior to the one in the i9000 (which is why I'm still using mine, haha), but I'm really tempted to get an S3 now XD
> 
> Speaking of, you being an S2 owner and a Head-Fi'er, is the SQ on the S2 really all that bad? I'm just going on what a lot of people have been spreading around the forums, meaning I've never had the chance to try an i9100 out for myself.
> 
> Cheers!


 
  Mostly sound flat, there's no warmth to the output of the sound but overall it's not bad and it still powers my fairly high impedance headphones. I use my Beyer DT990 250ohm cans with my S2 and I don't have any problems with them sounding to quiet, if I want an extra boost of sound I just turn up the preamp to the max in Power Amp.


----------



## ZetsuBozu0012

Quote: 





epicpie said:


> Mostly sound flat, there's no warmth to the output of the sound but overall it's not bad and it still powers my fairly high impedance headphones. I use my Beyer DT990 250ohm cans with my S2 and I don't have any problems with them sounding to quiet, if I want an extra boost of sound I just turn up the preamp to the max in Power Amp.


 
   
  Hmm, wonder if my i9000 can power high-impedance cans that well? I could maybe borrow the demo K701 at the Harman-Kardon shop... nah, that'd be too embarrassing to audition without a proper amp. I know the guy there, and he's a hardcore audiophile; it'd suck if his opinion of me went down by trying out those monsters right out of my phone (yeah, I drop by fairly often to check out new stuff and ask for advice before buying stuff) XD
   
  So it's like the Cirrus chip in the newer iPods? I mean, detailed, clinical, and *sorry* slightly boring?


----------



## mechgamer123

zetsubozu0012 said:


> Hmm, wonder if my i9000 can power high-impedance cans that well? I could maybe borrow the demo K701 at the Harman-Kardon shop... nah, that'd be too embarrassing to audition without a proper amp. I know the guy there, and he's a hardcore audiophile; it'd suck if his opinion of me went down by trying out those monsters right out of my phone (yeah, I drop by fairly often to check out new stuff and ask for advice before buying stuff) XD
> 
> So it's like the Cirrus chip in the newer iPods? I mean, detailed, clinical, and *sorry* slightly boring?



I highly doubt it will be able to power 701s. They will sound absolutely horrible.
I'm not sure what dac it uses but it shouldn't be that bad. IMHO you should focus on a transparent source/amp and colored headphones or vice/versa. But the 701s are definitely an analytical and "sterile" can IMO.


----------



## FCO2013

Yay found an Android thread! I own the Original HTC Droid Incredible, still works like a charm! But lately it's been getting sluggish...I wanted to root it, but I updated to 2.3, which patched the exploit used to root it >.> and I just don't feel like jumping through the hoops to downgrade back to 2.2 to root. *Sigh* oh well, less than a year before my upgrade comes, I want whatever the next Nexus is!
   
  Also, anybody know what DAC is in the OG Droid Incredible? I'm pretty curious.


----------



## ZetsuBozu0012

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> I highly doubt it will be able to power 701s. They will sound absolutely horrible.
> I'm not sure what dac it uses but it shouldn't be that bad. IMHO you should focus on a transparent source/amp and colored headphones or vice/versa. But the 701s are definitely an analytical and "sterile" can IMO.


 
   
  So would that mean that they pair well with coloured amplifiers? From what I recall, tube amps aren't the most neutral, which I suppose is the reason why the K701s usually get paired with them?
   
  What cans in the same price range would you say had the 701's level of detail and soundstaging? Of course, they'd have to be something full-sounding and warm; those have been my preferences of late.

 Off topic, sorry )


----------



## iDriveFerraris

Htc Incredible S running ICS
   
  16gig SD.


----------



## mechgamer123

zetsubozu0012 said:


> So would that mean that they pair well with coloured amplifiers? From what I recall, tube amps aren't the most neutral, which I suppose is the reason why the K701s usually get paired with them?
> 
> What cans in the same price range would you say had the 701's level of detail and soundstaging? Of course, they'd have to be something full-sounding and warm; those have been my preferences of late.
> 
> ...



Hmm, maybe you could try the hd598? Ive heard good things about it, and it will for sure be easier to drive.

On topic: Get jelly bean if you haven't yet!
Even if the cm10 beta for your device is crap, it's still most likely better than ics.
It's so damn smooth!


----------



## ZetsuBozu0012

mechgamer123 said:


> Hmm, maybe you could try the hd598? Ive heard good things about it, and it will for sure be easier to drive.
> On topic: Get jelly bean if you haven't yet!
> Even if the cm10 beta for your device is crap, it's still most likely better than ics.
> It's so damn smooth!




Off topic: I may get the 701s. Sorry, AKG's sound sig is just my type. Call me a fan boy if you will, since it's probably true XD
On topic: Too many features are unstable, like mobile data (which I'm using right now); ICS is good enough for now, at least until a stable CM10 ROM gets released.

P.S.
This being Head-Fi, I almost mixed up the Off/On topics LOL


----------



## mechgamer123

zetsubozu0012 said:


> Off topic: I may get the 701s. Sorry, AKG's sound sig is just my type. Call me a fan boy if you will, since it's probably true XD
> On topic: Too many features are unstable, like mobile data (which I'm using right now); ICS is good enough for now, at least until a stable CM10 ROM gets released.
> P.S.
> This being Head-Fi, I almost mixed up the Off/On topics LOL



Lol!
I might pick the q701s up again In a while to refresh myself With their sig, I dunno...
Anyway, that sucks about cm10. That's why I like my nexus 
Ps. I got to talk to a google employee about android today! It was awesome!


----------



## ZetsuBozu0012

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> Lol!
> I might pick the q701s up again In a while to refresh myself With their sig, I dunno...
> Anyway, that sucks about cm10. That's why I like my nexus
> 
> ...


 
   
  Actually, the fact that the Q series has better bass really makes me want to get them instead of the Ks, but I'm more of an Akiyama Mio fan than a Quincy Jones one 
 Props to you if you get the reference to K-On )

 Nexus... Nexus S or Galaxy Nexus? Speaking of, I used to think of getting a GN instead of an SIII, mostly because I'm not that into TouchWiz. The fact that the SIII has way better specs is somewhat irrelevant, since even my old i9000 is powerful enough for most my needs. Though now I'm leaning towards the SIII because I found out that it's using a Wolfson DAC XD
   
  Awesome! So, how'd the chat go?


----------



## Tilpo

zetsubozu0012 said:


> Actually, the fact that the Q series has better bass really makes me want to get them instead of the Ks, but I'm more of an Akiyama Mio fan than a Quincy Jones one
> 
> Props to you if you get the reference to K-On )
> 
> ...




Akiyama Mio?

Who's that? :rolleyes:


----------



## mechgamer123

zetsubozu0012 said:


> Actually, the fact that the Q series has better bass really makes me want to get them instead of the Ks, but I'm more of an Akiyama Mio fan than a Quincy Jones one
> 
> Props to you if you get the reference to K-On )
> 
> ...



Yes, I see what you did there 
I have the Gnex, but I'd recommend anyone to stay clear of it, especially now that the vzw s3 has an unlockable bootloader with cm10 nighties.
The hardware is crap. The casing, the camera, the display, all suck to be honest.
I'd recommend the s3, load jelly bean, then use it as a music transport to a good powered dac.
And the chat was highly irrelevant. He can't really talk all that much about what anyone does at google anyway.
And if he did say something "classified" I wouldn't want him getting in trouble so I'm not going to say all that much. Basically all he talked about though was college, what to do and what not to do since I'll be heading into college in about a year for some sort of computer related degree...


----------



## ZetsuBozu0012

Quote: 





tilpo said:


> Akiyama Mio?
> Who's that?


 
   
  I take it that you're just messing around with me. At least, that's the vibe I get from the eye roll )
   

 Then again, is the difference in bass really all that huge? I mean, based on reviews I've read (never managed to audition the K701s personally), the bass is actually pretty detailed with good extension; the only real issue with them is that they lack in bass _impact_. I'm not quite a basshead, but I enjoy a bit of kick when listening to rock and the like.
   
  So, how much will I suffer for following my fanboydom? XD


----------



## Tilpo

zetsubozu0012 said:


> I take it that you're just messing around with me. At least, that's the vibe I get from the eye roll )
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Look at my avatar and signature if you want to confirm your suspicions about the eye roll.


----------



## ZetsuBozu0012

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> Yes, I see what you did there
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
   
  Haha, nice to know I'm not the only otaku on this forum 

 Fair enough. The price difference is pretty huge here in the Philippines though, and my i9000 is still running pretty smoothly. Also, I'm gonna have to shell out quite a bit of cash later on (that's taking into account audio-related expenses by the way 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




), so I may skip on the SIII. If the SIV, and there's _bound_ to be one, has a Wolfson DAC as well, then I'm gonna go for it. If not, then I may as well go for the SIII.
   
  Speaking of audio quality, does the WM1811 in the SIII beat the WM8994 in the i9000? I doubt that portable audio could get much better than a Voodoo-modded Galaxy S (unless you count the Burr-Brown in the HM-801 as portable audio, which it is 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




). 
   
  Sounds pretty normal, actually. Though the fact that you got life advice from a guy working at Google is pretty awesome XD


----------



## Tilpo

zetsubozu0012 said:


> Haha, nice to know I'm not the only otaku on this forum



Drop by the anime thread if you want. 
There are lots more of our species there.


----------



## ZetsuBozu0012

Quote: 





tilpo said:


> Drop by the anime thread if you want.
> There are lots more of our species there.


 
  "Species", huh? Nice analogy 
  Anyway, I'm actually a bit surprised that I've missed that thread in the months (I think it's been over a year) I've been on Head-Fi. Thanks for pointing that out!
   
  By the way, no comment on the K701 v. Q701? I'm thinking that after I get a proper amp, either of them is going to be the next step in upgrading my rig.


----------



## phkd

Hi guys,
   
  sorry to break up the anime-love-fest, but I have an android question and I figured this was the place to ask it.
   
  Can anyone share some opinions of the best Verizon Android phone in the US for sound quality? Do any of them have an analog line-out with a decent DAC that bypasses the internal amplifier? Do any of them have a digital line-out so I don't have to care about the DAC?
   
     Thanks in advance!


----------



## mechgamer123

phkd said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> sorry to break up the anime-love-fest, but I have an android question and I figured this was the place to ask it.
> 
> ...



Gs3 and gnex have cm10 builds you can flash to get a digital out to a dac, other than that I believe Samsung usually puts pretty good dacs in their phones, but I know of no androids with a line out or internal amp bypass...


----------



## J.Pocalypse

I thought any Android phone with ICS had USB host option for external DAC use.. Ever since I got my Lumia 900, I've just stopped paying attention.


----------



## mechgamer123

j.pocalypse said:


> I thought any Android phone with ICS had USB host option for external DAC use.. Ever since I got my Lumia 900, I've just stopped paying attention. :rolleyes:



Nope, google started That in jelly bean.


----------



## ImperialX

zetsubozu0012 said:


> Nexus... Nexus S or Galaxy Nexus?




Galaxy Nexus for sure.


----------



## ZetsuBozu0012

Quote: 





imperialx said:


> Galaxy Nexus for sure.


 
  Um, I think I was asking a person about what phone they had (they only mentioned having a Nexus). Either way, I'm going for an SIII myself, once I get enough money


----------



## ImperialX

zetsubozu0012 said:


> Um, I think I was asking a person about what phone they had (they only mentioned having a Nexus). Either way, I'm going for an SIII myself, once I get enough money




I would never get a non-Nexus phone. I hate waiting months before getting Android updates.


----------



## ZetsuBozu0012

Quote: 





imperialx said:


> I would never get a non-Nexus phone. I hate waiting months before getting Android updates.


 
   
  I can somewhat relate, but I'm a bit of a spec freak myself; hard as it is for me to admit, the TI-OMAP in the Galaxy Nexus is leagues behind the Exynos chipset in the SIII. The larger screen, improved camera, and better screen are all pretty nice bonuses as well. 
   
  Honestly though, Both the Nexus One and the Galaxy Nexus were excellent phones at the time of their release. The Nexus S is so far the only pure Google phone that I didn't much care for. I guess it's because while the N1 and the GN had decent, if not better, specifications than their contemporaries, the Nexus S was nothing more than a non-TouchWized Galaxy S. No offense intended to any Nexus S owners, of course.


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





imperialx said:


> I would never get a non-Nexus phone. I hate waiting months before getting Android updates.


 
  Do you have the nexus?
 Have you noticed the horrible housing that is the same cheap plastic crap as my mom's $20 flip phone?
 Have you noticed the horrible camera?
 Have you noticed the horrible display? The pentile display with the checkerboarding drives me nuts
  Also, probably not a problem for you in AU, but LTE murders battery life as well...
  I think if you buy a popular phone with an unlockable bootloader and CM10 support you won't have any need to update 
  IMHO Samsung took advantage of the nexus name and delivered a crappy, overpriced phone. But I still kind of prefer it to my old Moto Droid X...


----------



## ImperialX

Quote: 





zetsubozu0012 said:


> I can somewhat relate, but I'm a bit of a spec freak myself; hard as it is for me to admit, the TI-OMAP in the Galaxy Nexus is leagues behind the Exynos chipset in the SIII. The larger screen, improved camera, and better screen are all pretty nice bonuses as well.


 
   
  Specs don't mean much in the Android world, and we both know this. Android phones are outdated within a few months anyway, so what's the point of buying the latest and greatest? The Galaxy Nexus is available from the Play Store right now for $349 contract-free and unlocked. That's a damn good deal for a phone that's considered the ultimate Android phone a few months ago. 
   
  Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> Do you have the nexus?
> Have you noticed the horrible housing that is the same cheap plastic crap as my mom's $20 flip phone?
> Have you noticed the horrible camera?
> Have you noticed the horrible display? The pentile display with the checkerboarding drives me nuts
> ...


 
   
  Yes, I have the Galaxy Nexus. I also have a Galaxy S3, and an iPhone 4S.
   
  The horrible casing of the Galaxy Nexus? Are you sure you're not talking about the SGS3 as well? Let me tell you think - EVERY Android phone has cheap plastic crap for their cases if it's made by Samsung. The SGS3 isn't ANY better than the GN when it comes to build quality. The ONLY Android phone that has decent construction is the HTC One X.
   
  The horrible camera? Can you show me an Android phone with a GOOD camera then? If you want a good camera on your phone, get the Pureview 808 or even the iPhone 4S, which has a f/2.4 aperture. Yes, the GN has a horrible camera, but are you saying the SGS3 is that much better? Just because it has a few more megapixels doesn't mean it's better glass - because it doesn't. 
   
  The checkerboarding issue with Pentile is extremely overrated. It's almost all in your head. And for the matter, the SGS3 also has a pentile display. Yes, the SGS3 has a slightly better screen. I can see this, but this checkerboarding issue is WAY overblown. If you really want a good screen that has good pixel density, accurate color reproduction and clarity, feel free to get an iPhone 4S. But that's not an Android phone, is it now?
   
  LTE can be switched off, and Android phones all have terrible battery life in the first place. Isn't that why you have removable batteries? So you can hot swap them. I don't know about you, but one battery never lasts me the whole day on my Galaxy Nexus OR Galaxy S3.
   
  Overpriced? The GN at $349 is overpriced? Seriously?


----------



## ZetsuBozu0012

Quote: 





imperialx said:


> Specs don't mean much in the Android world, and we both know this. Android phones are outdated within a few months anyway, so what's the point of buying the latest and greatest? The Galaxy Nexus is available from the Play Store right now for $349 contract-free and unlocked. That's a damn good deal for a phone that's considered the ultimate Android phone a few months ago.
> 
> 
> Yes, I have the Galaxy Nexus. I also have a Galaxy S3, and an iPhone 4S.
> ...


 
   
  Yeah, I agree that specs don't mean as much when a new phone with much more power under the hood will get released in about half a year, but why settle for something inferior when the SIII is as future-proofed now as my i9000 was back in 2010? There's no denying that by this time next year, any phone currently out will be obsolete. It's only a question of _how_ obsolete they'll be by that time.
   
  How's the SQ on the 4S, by the way? I've heard good things about it, but have never had the chance to try it out personally. My mom, who owns a 4S, is kinda attached to it XD
 Is there a noticeable difference between it and the Wolfson in the SIII?
   
  Most HTC phones are built like tanks, to be honest, especially back when they were just a relatively new Android OEM. I guess the Desire's status as Phone of The Year went to their heads, ne?
   
  Back on topic: I agree that the build quality on Samsung phones in general is, well, crap. My i9000 looks like a hobo with all the nicks, scratches, and kinks it's picked up over the past two years, LOL. Then again, most people pick Sammy for their great hardware. Well, either that or Samsung's Apple-esque marketing skills. For the record, I take the time to research stuff before buying 
  
  Also, I actually prefer the feel of the Galaxy Nexus to the SIII. The GN's textured pattern felt way nicer than the glazed finish on the latter phone, and I felt much more secure holding it. By the way, I own neither phone (my i9000 is to date my first and only smartphone, since I'm the type to wear things to the ground before replacing them), but I've had the chance to play with both of them at a nearby store.
   
  Going off on a tangent again: I'd keep my i9000 as a DAP/game machine and get a PureView for daily phone use, just so I can get my hands on that 41MP camera. If only I had the money )

 I also got to play with my friend's PureView, and can personally attest to it's insane picture quality, especially when in 38MP mode (it's physically impossible to use the sensor's full 41MP, due to it's strange shape). Also, I agree that MP is just a single point of reference for judging a camera's quality; I'd prefer an 8MP camera with excellent performance over a 16MP camera with mediocre performance. And just to underline the fact that a higher MP count doesn't necessarily mean better performance, take a look at the HTC Mozart's picture quality.
   
  It's a matter of scree size and marketing, I think. OEMs are currently in a display war, and are doing their best to get the public involved in the mess. I'm perfectly content with a 4" screen with WVGA resolution (and a PenTile matrix to boot), and I can't even tell the difference between the picture quality on the SIII and the GN; 720p resolution on anything under 5" is already overkill, in my book. Also, the additional res is just extra strain on the chipset after a certain point.
   
  I agree about Android phones on the whole having bad battery life (I keep a spare 1500mAh battery in my wallet), though 2.3 and above has made incremental improvements on that front. It's nowhere near the level of my dad's old Windows Mobile 6 PDA (I'm not kidding, he still has his old HTC Touch), but it's bearable now that I'm on an ICS ROM. And yeah, I can get through a whole day on a single charge, sometimes even two. The trick is to remember that it's a phone and not a game machine. The biggest battery drainer in my case is, admittedly, the Music Player 
   
  Compared to a lot of other phones, yeah. A lot of people forget that there's a difference between a feature phone and a smartphone. To illustrate: My classmate, after seeing the new ROM on my phone, wanted me to do the same on her Galaxy Y. I almost felt sorry seeing the crestfallen look on her face >.<


----------



## mechgamer123

imperialx said:


> Specs don't mean much in the Android world, and we both know this. Android phones are outdated within a few months anyway, so what's the point of buying the latest and greatest? The Galaxy Nexus is available from the Play Store right now for $349 contract-free and unlocked. That's a damn good deal for a phone that's considered the ultimate Android phone a few months ago.
> 
> 
> Yes, I have the Galaxy Nexus. I also have a Galaxy S3, and an iPhone 4S.
> ...



Haven't looked at the s3 specs too much, sorry. I do remember the one x having a good camera though.
When I bought the gnex through my carrier it was $300 subsidized by the way, that's my frame of reference.
All these mpbad Samsung phones are really souring me away from android...
I'm genuinely considering an iPhone 5, your above post kind of makes you look like an iPhone fanboy lol no offense though.
I though iOS sucked personally until I got my iPad.


----------



## Whippler

Got my rooted Desire Z running fine. Awesome phone, got couple 3rd party batteries. If i don't have much use, it can last 2-3 days on a single battery. Running mimicry 1.4 rom (ics). Also did the slide mechanism spring replacement on my phone. Wish manufacturers would take hardware qwerty kb phones more seriously, and slab more high end specs in them.
   
  Too bad Nokia went downhill so hard, damn Microsoft. They should have made Meego phones. oh well. Now there's Jolla Mobile raising with Meego, hope they come up with a decent phone, might switch.
   
  Damn Apple suing everybody, now they are getting 5 billion $ from Samsung, tough its not certain yet. Jury may have *uckd up.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Your standards may be unreasonably high, but I'm rather pleased with my Lumia 900, thank you.


----------



## HadenVR

Quote: 





imperialx said:


> Specs don't mean much in the Android world, and we both know this. Android phones are outdated within a few months anyway, so what's the point of buying the latest and greatest? The Galaxy Nexus is available from the Play Store right now for $349 contract-free and unlocked. That's a damn good deal for a phone that's considered the ultimate Android phone a few months ago.
> 
> 
> Yes, I have the Galaxy Nexus. I also have a Galaxy S3, and an iPhone 4S.
> ...


 
  First off..cool down a bit.
  Secondly,
   
  "Specs don't mean much in the Android world, and we both know this. Android phones are outdated within a few months anyway, so what's the point of buying the latest and greatest? The Galaxy Nexus is available from the Play Store right now for $349 contract-free and unlocked. That's a damn good deal for a phone that's considered the ultimate Android phone a few months ago. "
   
  I totally agree with you that the galaxy nexus is a really damn great deal to buy at the time being. GN is the cheapest/ worth the money to buy if a regular smartphone user or android dev.
  Though it's only the software that's special comparing it between the other high-end phones. 
  Eventually the software gets ported/modded by android devs to include better features than stock rom.
   
  I own the GN but sadly, the hardware isnt up par like the any other high end phones.
  As for me I tend to watch 720p mvk files on the GN/ try to play some gpu requiring games/ have gifs(live wallpapers) and widgets running in the home screens which my GN has jellybean installed and the hardware on it yet still shows sluggish performance due to weaker specs while other higher end phones like the galaxy s3 for example performs better BUT, the GN's performance improved a lot thanks to project butter. The software on the s3 is what it's limiting it's performance considering touchwiz is bloated which is why it's better to root and change to a different rom which then performs like a boss and better than the GN. 
   
  And saying specs don't mean much is partly wrong, specs take the role of powering the hardware and usually the better the specs, the better it performance.
  Benchmarking is pointless if that's what you're trying to point out since real-time performance shows the actually performance on a hardware rather than in some numbers. 
  Good specs bring better performance follow up by the software running on the hardware.
   
  "The horrible casing of the Galaxy Nexus? Are you sure you're not talking about the SGS3 as well? Let me tell you think - EVERY Android phone has cheap plastic crap for their cases if it's made by Samsung. The SGS3 isn't ANY better than the GN when it comes to build quality. The ONLY Android phone that has decent construction is the HTC One X."
   
  As for the build quality on the SG3, it is quite solid and not terrible IMO. It may be plastic but the phone feels solid regardless just like the Galaxy nexus but no better though the back of the GN is probably feels better due to not be glossy as hell like with the GS3. The front design on the GS3 IMO is gorgeous but the back of the phone is disappointing; all the glossyness makes the phone appear to look cheap. The HOX in the other hand is great in design though however, itis thicker and feels bigger in one hand than the GS3 with no option of removable battery and mircosd.(which damn, no removable battery=deal breaker for me)
  Hopefully the next time Galaxy it won't be glossy on the back of the GS3 but rather matte; that is if I decide to get one or not.(Nexus has the best software support though.)
   
  "The checkerboarding issue with Pentile is extremely overrated. It's almost all in your head. And for the matter, the SGS3 also has a pentile display. Yes, the SGS3 has a slightly better screen. I can see this, but this checkerboarding issue is WAY overblown. If you really want a good screen that has good pixel density, accurate color reproduction and clarity, feel free to get an iPhone 4S. But that's not an Android phone, is it now?"
   
  As for the screen comparison between the GN and the S3, both are pentile though honestly due to the high pixel density you can't see any small pixels on both unless you get some microscope but on the G3, pixel density is higher and the colors are presented better than the ones on the GN which in result SG3>GN in screen. If anything, pentile screens are not horrible considering they consume less battery consumption.
As for the checkerboarding on the GS3, there should be none if you use a different browser.(touchwiz's browser is the problem as it's not efficient like Chrome/Firefox mobile browsers' performance . You can find external/third party mobile browsers on the Google Play store which I recommend doing as third party browsers are faster than the ones built in any phones usally. I don't have any problems of checkerboards on the browser/using Chrome on my GN.)
As for the iphone 4s' screen may look sharper and present better colors but that is due to the smaller size with the high pixel density of it.
Smaller screens with high pixel density will always appear to look sharper than the one on a larger screen.
If you get the a screen to expand its size larger than what it is originally is, the screen will lose its sharpness/clarity that was seen on the smaller screen.
   
  "The horrible camera? Can you show me an Android phone with a GOOD camera then? If you want a good camera on your phone, get the Pureview 808 or even the iPhone 4S, which has a f/2.4 aperture. Yes, the GN has a horrible camera, but are you saying the SGS3 is that much better? Just because it has a few more megapixels doesn't mean it's better glass - because it doesn't. "
   
  As for the camera on the GS3, the GS3 performance/takes sharper pictures better than the one on the GN due to the higher megapixels on the GS3. (GS3 has a f/2.6 aperture, which isn't too far from the iphone 4s)
  So the pictures taken on the GS3 is noticeably better than the GN which makes the GS3 being able to take decent pictures for a smartphone.
  And really IMO, if someone is that concerned about the quality of the pictures taken, should really buy a dslr and use that to take pictures....(just like how if someone wants better sound on their headphones than the ones currently being used, buy a better headphone.) Smartphones regardless at the time being won't be better than dslrs at taking pictures. (Yes even the iphone 4s)
  But otherwise, GS3 isn't horrible at taking pictures but rather takes decent pictures which so does the iphone 4s.  
  (Info from http://www.e2save.com/community/reviews/samsung-galaxys3-vs-htc-one-x-camera-features/)
 (This videos shows what the SG3 is capable of. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_QNBwvBV4Y&feature=plcp)
   
  "LTE can be switched off, and Android phones all have terrible battery life in the first place. Isn't that why you have removable batteries? So you can hot swap them. I don't know about you, but one battery never lasts me the whole day on my Galaxy Nexus OR Galaxy S3."
   
  You must be using the phone quite a bit but needless to say, no smartphone can last longer than a day if used nonstop.(Even the iphone can't last the whole day with it being used nonstop. had the iphone 3gs i would know)
  What I know is that the GS3 should last longer than the GN considering the GS3 has a bigger battery.
  I in the other hand have pretty decent battery on my GN stock battery. 32 hours standby with 4 hours of screen-on through out regular usage with wifi on. Then on 3G/hspa+ 27 hours standby with the same screen on <- I don't find the battery terrible at all if you ask me..)
  But if I start to use it non-stop, my GN dies within 4-5hours.(barely makes any difference weather being on wifi or data connection)
  Only way to improve battery on smartphones is to turn off whatever you're not using like data connection/gps/bluetooth and lowering brightness of the screen.
  Unlike like ios however, in android roms there are better options saving battery life.
  Just by changing your rom and the kernel running on any android phone will show a difference up to twice in amount of much longer lasting battery life can be than the battery life on stock rom/kernel.
  There are also apps on Google Play which will turn anything off you may not be using at the moment the screen is off which then can be turned on automatically by the app when screen turns on.(Like juice defender) 
  As for why there are removable batteries on a lot of android phone is the choice of options.
  Sure you can swap out battery if you like but not forced to anyways.
  Unlike the iphone or HOX  however, can't even swap out a different battery if it dies or if wanted to more extended usage on it.
   
  Any who, I am ending my informative reply with stating that I hope on the next Nexus(lawl tongue twister xD) the hardware will improve drastically which will then make it the ultimate android phone yet in terms of hardware and software although the nexus is already the ultimate android experience already.
   
  Oh and any one wondering on weather to get the Galaxy Nexus or not, it's a steal for the price only $350(exclude tax and no contract) but there will be a new nexus soon probably around December like the past two years soo honesty your call weather to get the newer nexus or the Galaxy Nexus that has been out for last year.(I would wait lol)
  ________________________________________________________________________________________
  oh and Head-fi still won't let me edit my profile lawl... after all these posts. COMEON MAN LET ME ADD AN AVATAR T-T


----------



## HadenVR

Anyways, here's my set up.
Galaxy Nexus running AOKP Rom 4.1 Jellybean with 007 kernel.
Pretty satisfied with it though am looking forward to new upgrade to either galaxy s3, galaxy note 2, or probably the next nexus phone . Going to decide after the new nexus comes out.
Good to know Sony is in the android game, can't wait to see what type of phones they will bring to the market in the future. Sony Xepria TX is not that bad in design though lacking a little in specs.


----------



## mark2410

Quote: 





imperialx said:


> I would never get a non-Nexus phone. I hate waiting months before getting Android updates.


 
  what he said.
   
  i have a galaxy nexus and a Sensation XE (that i reviewed  on headfi)  and while the xe is a lovey thing it bugs the carp out of me that it doesnt have jellybean.  I, like a i dare say many around here, am a bit of a crazy obsessive person.  i like things to be just so and running on old software drives me mad.


----------



## tool462

Quote: 





hadenvr said:


> Anyways, here's my set up.
> Galaxy Nexus running AOKP Rom 4.1 Jellybean with 007 kernel.
> Pretty satisfied with it though am looking forward to new upgrade to either galaxy s3, galaxy note 2, or probably the next nexus phone . Going to decide after the new nexus comes out.
> Good to know Sony is in the android game, can't wait to see what type of phones they will bring to the market in the future. Sony Xepria TX is not that bad in design though lacking a little in specs.


 
   
   
  How do you like AOKP 4.1?  I ran Milestone 2 (I think) until stock JB came out on my Galaxy Nexus.  So far I enjoy stock JB but love the customization that AOKP allowed.
   
  I get insanely good battery life on stock (rooted, overclocked, undervolted) JB though so not sure how the life is on AOKP.


----------



## Audius

I got the original Motorola Atrix 4G. (The one with the ability to act as a laptop and has a working fingerprint scanner.) Not really going to exchange it anytime soon.


----------



## HadenVR

Quote: 





tool462 said:


> How do you like AOKP 4.1?  I ran Milestone 2 (I think) until stock JB came out on my Galaxy Nexus.  So far I enjoy stock JB but love the customization that AOKP allowed.
> 
> I get insanely good battery life on stock (rooted, overclocked, undervolted) JB though so not sure how the life is on AOKP.


 
  Sorry for the late response as I haven't checked in head-fi for a while xP.
  Personally, I like AOKP 4.1 as it's pretty stabled for a daily driver as I love the customizable options from AOKP compared to stock rom.
  Although there is no Milestone JB AOKP yet, with each official builds being released, there's more customizable options being added that has little bugs not to worry about.
  Though everyone's opinions on customs roms differ to people, so you may have to try it out yourself to see how it is.  
  As far the battery, I've been getting a decent amount of it compared from ICS (4-5 hours non stop on screen with both wifi/hspa, 3hours+ screen on with 24hours+ standby time with both wifi/hspa+) though don't know how it's compared to stock rom as I tend not to be on stock ever xD.
  As for the battery goes, custom rom+custom kernel makes up the battery and can show better results for different phones than being on stock but as I said, you would need to try out these yourself to determine which gives you the better battery life.
  If you need any other help, feel free to PM instead xP.


----------



## tool462

I'll probably check it out, I might try a different rom until a Milestone build comes out.  Been awhile since I"ve used any CM rom so I may give that a shot.
   
  Thanks for the feedback!


----------



## HadenVR

tool462 said:


> I'll probably check it out, I might try a different rom until a Milestone build comes out.  Been awhile since I"ve used any CM rom so I may give that a shot.
> 
> Thanks for the feedback!




No problem, glad it helped. 
Have fun flashing xD.


----------



## Makiah S

Wow you guys seem like MAD andriod Pros
   
  Well I need an Andriod Phone [finally I'm getting a cell phone] And I'd like some help doing reaserach!
   
  My budget is $100 I need an unlocked phone and ALL I need it to do is Browse Internet and run Digitally Imported App [so music]
   
  Now I'm not 100% concerned with Music Quality... as I have portable set ups for that... but it needs to be able to play said music without any hard ware hang up or lagg
   
  Here's what I've found so far... 
   
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 mini pro $120
   
 LG Optimus GT540 Review $130   
I'm open for anything cheaper that will WORK, I live in the US and I'm planning to use a service Called Straight Talk [I'm open to better [and I mean cheaper unlimited data]] services to!


----------



## adamschuetze

I've been on a BlackBerry forever (first one was a 6750, and been using them ever since.  Now I'm using a 9900).  But.. I'd like to try out Android. I messed around with my Dad's Galaxy Tab 10.1 with ICS for a week, and I really liked it.  I'd like to try out a phone.
   
  I'm due for a subsidized hardware upgrade in February 2014, and I plan on getting a BB10 device at that time, but I thought I really should check out the competition.  So I am thinking that in the meantime I'd sell my Bold 9900 (I have a few accessories as well: leather pocket, spare battery, external battery charger, two docks) and buy an Android device (that I could buy directly with the dollars gained from selling my 9900).
   
  Is the Galaxy S2 or Galaxy Nexus the best Android devices of similar vintage to my 9900, that I could conceivably sell my 9900 for, or trade for?  Any other recommendations?  I'm fully okay with rooting a device and installing a non standard ROM.  I can't stand Touchwiz and Sense (that much I know from very brief forays with friends' 1X and GS3), so I'm hoping to use CM or similar, or vanilla JB.
   
  Thanks!


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





adamschuetze said:


> I've been on a BlackBerry forever (first one was a 6750, and been using them ever since.  Now I'm using a 9900).  But.. I'd like to try out Android. I messed around with my Dad's Galaxy Tab 10.1 with ICS for a week, and I really liked it.  I'd like to try out a phone.
> 
> I'm due for a subsidized hardware upgrade in February 2014, and I plan on getting a BB10 device at that time, but I thought I really should check out the competition.  So I am thinking that in the meantime I'd sell my Bold 9900 (I have a few accessories as well: leather pocket, spare battery, external battery charger, two docks) and buy an Android device (that I could buy directly with the dollars gained from selling my 9900).
> 
> ...


 
  If you can find a Gnex for the same price as your 9900, I would recommend it over the SGSII.


----------



## adamschuetze

I like the idea of the Galaxy Nexus, simply because it's going to get all the latest software updates right away.  And no carrier/OEM bloatware.  
   
  What about keyboard models?  I played around with a Droid 4, and the keyboard was pretty terrible compared to the 9900.  Anybody used the Motorola Defy Pro?


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





adamschuetze said:


> I like the idea of the Galaxy Nexus, simply because it's going to get all the latest software updates right away.  And no carrier/OEM bloatware.
> 
> What about keyboard models?  I played around with a Droid 4, and the keyboard was pretty terrible compared to the 9900.  Anybody used the Motorola Defy Pro?


 
  All keyboard models suck. Simply put. The Droid 4 is the best of them by far. I got the D3 as a replacement for my DX before I convinced Verizon to let me have an early upgrade and I hated it!


----------



## Makiah S

I just got a Kyocera Hyrdo with Andriod ICS, so yay for me. The only issue I have with it is I might need a DAC so I can use DI Andriod App with my headphones and it not sound  like complete junk! Or I could get a semi decent pair of Over Ear head phones... *sigh* more money in the end!
   
  Still the Kyocera Hyrdo is water PROOF it's sealed nice and tight, so that's nice! Seeing as I work in a kitchen >.>


----------



## PFULMTL

I'm on an LG Optimus Elite (Virgin Mobile) for a few months now and really thinking of switching because they haven't made an extended battery for it yet.  I really hate charging my phone everyday or having it run out of battery at night when I'm out.


----------



## Makiah S

Quote: 





pfulmtl said:


> I'm on an LG Optimus Elite (Virgin Mobile) for a few months now and really thinking of switching because they haven't made an extended battery for it yet.  I really hate charging my phone everyday or having it run out of battery at night when I'm out.


 
  I think you run into that with alot of phones... also do not OVER charge your phone, leave it on the charger longer that it needs that [as im sure u know] kills the battery!


----------



## gopanthersgo1

I'm rocking this:

Phone: Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket (I don't know if it works with DACs or not)
Rom: CyanogenMod10 Nightlies
Radio: UCLF6
Kernal: Stock CyanogenMod (need to change)
Case: None 
Music Player: PowerAmp (until i find a guide to make Neutron sound good)


----------



## HadenVR

Quote: 





mshenay said:


> Wow you guys seem like MAD andriod Pros
> 
> Well I need an Andriod Phone [finally I'm getting a cell phone] And I'd like some help doing reaserach!
> 
> ...


 
  I would have insistent on waiting and saving more money to buy the Nexus 4 though it seems you've already brought a different phone which I just read from the previous posts xD..(apologies for the late recommendation)
   
  Quote: 





adamschuetze said:


> I've been on a BlackBerry forever (first one was a 6750, and been using them ever since.  Now I'm using a 9900).  But.. I'd like to try out Android. I messed around with my Dad's Galaxy Tab 10.1 with ICS for a week, and I really liked it.  I'd like to try out a phone.
> 
> I'm due for a subsidized hardware upgrade in February 2014, and I plan on getting a BB10 device at that time, but I thought I really should check out the competition.  So I am thinking that in the meantime I'd sell my Bold 9900 (I have a few accessories as well: leather pocket, spare battery, external battery charger, two docks) and buy an Android device (that I could buy directly with the dollars gained from selling my 9900).
> 
> ...


 
  As my post respond is late as ever(sorry for that), if you've yet you get an Android handset I can highly recommend getting a Nexus 4 which is being released on Nov 13th which you buy off contract as the phone's the best bet for the money and the hardware.
  More info can be found here http://www.google.com/nexus/4/
   
  Jesus, I should being on Head-fi more xD..


----------



## NZtechfreak

Wow, how on earth did this thread pass me by until now!
   
  I might be the biggest Android fan in this place!
   
  At the moment enjoying a Note 2, but soon getting a Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XL to try and also the Nexus 4. So far this year I have had: GNex, Note, One X, S3, Note 2, Transformer Prime, Galaxy Tab 7.7, Archos G9 turbo, Huawei MediaPad, Nexus 7. I write stuff about Android at AndroidNZ.net and produce YouTube videos about them on my channel AndroidNZ.


----------



## mechgamer123

nztechfreak said:


> Wow, how on earth did this thread pass me by until now!
> 
> I might be the biggest Android fan in this place!
> 
> At the moment enjoying a Note 2, but soon getting a Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XL to try and also the Nexus 4. So far this year I have had: GNex, Note, One X, S3, Note 2, Transformer Prime, Galaxy Tab 7.7, Archos G9 turbo, Huawei MediaPad, Nexus 7. I write stuff about Android at AndroidNZ.net and produce YouTube videos about them on my channel AndroidNZ.



Awesome! Welcome aboard!
To be honest though, the nexus 4 doesn't look all that good to me. Not only does it not have a microsd card slot, there's also no removable battery or 4G LTE like my Gnex.
Since the Gnex will undoubtedly get 4.2 I think I'll be sticking with it until google announces another nexus phone...


----------



## tool462

mechgamer123 said:


> Awesome! Welcome aboard!
> To be honest though, the nexus 4 doesn't look all that good to me. Not only does it not have a microsd card slot, there's also no removable battery or 4G LTE like my Gnex.
> Since the Gnex will undoubtedly get 4.2 I think I'll be sticking with it until google announces another nexus phone...



 
 I'm in the exact same spot. Gnex will have 4.2 probably before the Nexus 4 comes out even. Not sure when the official source will go up but AOKP said they will be merging 4.2 with their Milestone 1 and it should only take a couple hours to straighten it out once 4.2 leaks somewhere. I would have been more tempted by the Nexus 4 and it's hardware if JB wasn't already so smooth and silky.


----------



## grokit

Just picked me up a Galaxy Tab 2 (7" wifi), subscribed. Incredible bargain at $200 IMO.

I will be syncing iTunes ALAC files with WinAmp for Mac Sync Beta. At least that's the plan.

Exiting the iOS Universe completely...

I still use non-iOS iPods, but ditching iPhone/iPad. I actually prefer my old Nokia Music Phone.


----------



## proton007

Finally! An android thread.
   
  Rooted my S3 with Jelly Bean (Open Kang ROM) yesterday.
   
  Really enjoying it thus far. Google has done a really good job this time in terms of UI. The animations are silky smooth, response is blazing fast.
   
  I'm finally glad to remove the c*ap Samung put on it.


----------



## grokit

proton007 said:


> Finally! An android thread.




I just found it as well, but it is a year old!


I'm very impressed with the battery life of the Galaxy Tab 2. The first thing I did was stream an entire NBA game on it, and it barely dented the battery icon. On the downside, the battery is non-removable.

The main reasons I selected it was expandable memory, and the ability to run Firefox with ICS. Somehow it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside using an open-source OS with a not-for-profit browser.

There's higher-rez screens out there but this one is still really nice looking!


----------



## tool462

Quote: 





grokit said:


> I just found it as well, but it is a year old!
> I'm very impressed with the battery life of the Galaxy Tab 2. The first thing I did was stream an entire NBA game on it, and it barely dented the battery icon. On the downside, the battery is non-removable.
> The main reasons I selected it was expandable memory, and the ability to run Firefox with ICS. Somehow it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside using an open-source OS with a not-for-profit browser.
> There's higher-rez screens out there but this one is still really nice looking!


 
  What about Firefox mobile do you prefer over say, Dolphin HD and/or Chrome?
   
  I have Chrome, Firefox, Dolphin HD, Opera and stock browsers installed and use all of them for a bit when they get updates, but Chrome is now my "go to."


----------



## mechgamer123

I have to agree, google really made jelly bean rediculously smooth. I'd say it's on par with my iPad, which I didn't think would ever be possible...
IMO chrome is the best browser for android and iOS, mostly because you can sync all of your tabs between devices, with 3 computers and 2 mobile devices this is very helpful.
Those of you that got the galaxy tab 2, did you ever consider the nexus 7? Just curious...
And, is anyone interested in the nexus 10? The resolution of that screen being on par with the iPad is catching my attention, but I don't like the overall look of the N10. To me it looks like a child's toy. And I think it deserved something quad core, like a tegra 3 CPU.


----------



## proton007

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> And, is anyone interested in the nexus 10? The resolution of that screen being on par with the iPad is catching my attention, but I don't like the overall look of the N10. To me it looks like a child's toy. And I think it deserved something quad core, like a tegra 3 CPU.


 
   
  I want both the Nexus 4 and 10.
   
  Too bad I already got my S3 a few months back, and rooted it/intalled new ROM, so its almost like the Nexus phones.
   
  The look of N10 is more of a Nexus look (similar to the phones), and I'd say its partly due to the whole design/patent/lawsuit issue, and partly to preserve the Nexus design.
   
  I also find some of the ideas interesting, like front facing speakers.
   
  And then there's the price. I'd say it would be hard to improve design without driving the cost up.


----------



## grokit

tool462 said:


> grokit said:
> 
> 
> > I just found it as well, but it is a year old!
> ...





Is the stock Samsung Android browser Chrome? I liked it better than Firefox for streaming the ball game but I need to spend more time with both of them and I haven't installed all my plugins yet. I like Firefox in principle, mostly because there are so many plugins available on the desktop version where I run the betas. I'm just getting to know all things Android including Firefox so I really don't know yet! 

I also installed LastPass for Android which is a must for Firefox on the desktop, and it comes with it's own browser which also seems interesting. I'll probably end up using whatever works best with my preferred plugins most of the time, but can see using different browsers for different purposes.

_edit:_ I need to watch this video first:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/find-and-install-add-ons-firefox-mobile

One downer: I had to install an archived version of Flash to stream the game, evidently there's no more support for Flash on Android. I just did the 4.04 update along with a firmware update so I hope it still works.


----------



## grokit

mechgamer123 said:


> I have to agree, google really made jelly bean rediculously smooth. I'd say it's on par with my iPad, which I didn't think would ever be possible...
> IMO chrome is the best browser for android and iOS, mostly because you can sync all of your tabs between devices, with 3 computers and 2 mobile devices this is very helpful.
> Those of you that got the galaxy tab 2, did you ever consider the nexus 7? Just curious...
> And, is anyone interested in the nexus 10? The resolution of that screen being on par with the iPad is catching my attention, but I don't like the overall look of the N10. To me it looks like a child's toy. And I think it deserved something quad core, like a tegra 3 CPU.





That's interesting about syncing tabs, I have that with Xmarks but never use it. I was a heavy Chrome user on the desktop for a while, but always turned syncing off anyways. I believe it interfered with Xmarks, which lets me sync bookmarks between different browsers.

I did consider the Nexus 7, it has a better screen than the GT2 and I liked it quite a bit. But the lack of a card slot for expandable storage killed it for me.


----------



## BoneEnterprise

I am currently running an AT&T Samsung Galaxy SII Skyrocket with the SKY-ICS 4.2F6-3.0 (UCLF6) "Dragon" ROM by Seanzscreams at XDA-Developers, keep trying to find a JB ROM I like but can not get over some of the features of it just yet and keep reverting back to ICS, thank God for nandroid backups.
   
  Tempted to pick up a Note 2 but will have to handle one first and make sure it is not overly huge for my small hands.


----------



## ostewart

Hoping to get a Pipo M3 JB tablet next month, would be great.
   
  i have a sony ericsson WT19i which is a pretty good phone, just a shame no JB, just ICS, but ICS is smooth as on it


----------



## adamschuetze

Quote: 





pfulmtl said:


> I'm on an LG Optimus Elite (Virgin Mobile) for a few months now and really thinking of switching because they haven't made an extended battery for it yet.  I really hate charging my phone everyday or having it run out of battery at night when I'm out.


 
   
  When you pick your next phone, check out Seidio's web site.  They make extended batteries for many phone models.  You're not just limited to the OEM extended batteries.  If you must have the biggest battery though, I don't think anything beats the Motorola RAZR Maxx HD.


----------



## adamschuetze

Quote: 





hadenvr said:


> I would have insistent on waiting and saving more money to buy the Nexus 4 though it seems you've already brought a different phone which I just read from the previous posts xD..(apologies for the late recommendation)
> 
> As my post respond is late as ever(sorry for that), if you've yet you get an Android handset I can highly recommend getting a Nexus 4 which is being released on Nov 13th which you buy off contract as the phone's the best bet for the money and the hardware.
> More info can be found here http://www.google.com/nexus/4/
> ...


 
   
  Yeah, the Nexus 4 looks awesome.  $300 for 8GB model on Google Play, wow.  They're really cutting the margins thin.  Problem is, I live in Canada, so I can't buy off Google Store.  How can I buy a Nexus 4 outside of the USA?  I don't want anything to do with carriers, they'll just mess up the Nexus (remember the Verizon Galaxy Nexus?  What a clusterf***).


----------



## adamschuetze

Quote: 





nztechfreak said:


> Wow, how on earth did this thread pass me by until now!
> 
> I might be the biggest Android fan in this place!
> 
> At the moment enjoying a Note 2, but soon getting a Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XL to try and also the Nexus 4. So far this year I have had: GNex, Note, One X, S3, Note 2, Transformer Prime, Galaxy Tab 7.7, Archos G9 turbo, Huawei MediaPad, Nexus 7. I write stuff about Android at AndroidNZ.net and produce YouTube videos about them on my channel AndroidNZ.


 
   
  When you say "you have had", have you sold these other devices yet?


----------



## adamschuetze

Quote: 





nztechfreak said:


> Wow, how on earth did this thread pass me by until now!
> 
> I might be the biggest Android fan in this place!
> 
> At the moment enjoying a Note 2, but soon getting a Huawei Ascend D1 Quad XL to try and also the Nexus 4. So far this year I have had: GNex, Note, One X, S3, Note 2, Transformer Prime, Galaxy Tab 7.7, Archos G9 turbo, Huawei MediaPad, Nexus 7. I write stuff about Android at AndroidNZ.net and produce YouTube videos about them on my channel AndroidNZ.


 
   
  ps: I just added their RSS feed to Google Reader


----------



## gopanthersgo1

boneenterprise said:


> I am currently running an AT&T Samsung Galaxy SII Skyrocket with the SKY-ICS 4.2F6-3.0 (UCLF6) "Dragon" ROM by Seanzscreams at XDA-Developers, keep trying to find a JB ROM I like but can not get over some of the features of it just yet and keep reverting back to ICS, thank God for nandroid backups.
> 
> Tempted to pick up a Note 2 but will have to handle one first and make sure it is not overly huge for my small hands.




CM10, is perfectly stable, and awesome for my Skyrocket! Have you tried it out yet?


----------



## NZtechfreak

Quote: 





adamschuetze said:


> When you say "you have had", have you sold these other devices yet?


 
   
  Yep, all sold on. Note II is my daily driver, nothing else out there can replace it now (or in the near future either I expect). Samsung has me captured with their support for USB audio and continued support of external card slots.
   
  Oh, and thanks for subscribing to our feed  We're not prolific since we're a small team of people with regular jobs and family and such like, but we produce some pretty good content including some of the best reviews on the internet.


----------



## mark2410

the 4 looks nice but no removable battery, me no buy then.
   
  presently my GN barely gets through a day even if i never pick it up once so no way in hell am giving up the ability to have a spare battery in my bag.


----------



## mechgamer123

mark2410 said:


> the 4 looks nice but no removable battery, me no buy then.
> 
> presently my GN barely gets through a day even if i never pick it up once so no way in hell am giving up the ability to have a spare battery in my bag.



I think companies now either expect you to be right next to chargers all the time or carry around one of those enormous mobile charging packs...
That's what I've done with my GN and had moderately good results...


----------



## mark2410

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> I think companies now either expect you to be right next to chargers all the time or carry around one of those enormous mobile charging packs...
> That's what I've done with my GN and had moderately good results...


 
  then the bleat "oh but customers say they want thinner phones when we ask them"  yes you fcuktards thats because you just ask if they want thicker or thinner phones.  you dont ask if they want thin and 20 minutes of battery life or thicker but could actually make it through a day of use!!!!
   
   
  i mean has anyone ever looked at a modern smart phone and gone " oh my god its so thick, i couldnt possible use that!"  or "oh the battery life on this phone is just too much, id really prefer less." 
   
  i think not,


----------



## mechgamer123

mark2410 said:


> then the bleat "oh but customers say they want thinner phones when we ask them"  yes you fcuktards thats because you just ask if they want thicker or thinner phones.  you dont ask if they want thin and 20 minutes of battery life or thicker but could actually make it through a day of use!!!!
> 
> 
> i mean has anyone ever looked at a modern smart phone and gone " oh my god its so thick, i couldnt possible use that!"  or "oh the battery life on this phone is just too much, id really prefer less."
> ...



YES!!! That gave me a good laugh on a not so great day, thanks!
The problem with portable chargers is that there isn't something the size of an LOD that goes from USB to micro USB,ni have to use really long cables, and I always get the feeling that if I charge it in my pocket I'm going to break off the connector and break the phone's USB connection.

Hmm, my mom's line is eligible for an early upgrade... What should I get for a new Verizon phone???


----------



## grokit

I can't imagine the battery in my Galaxy Tab 2 ever running out, unless I tried to stream video all day long or something. But it would be nice to be able to remove it to stop a process if needed.


----------



## adamschuetze

mark2410 said:


> the 4 looks nice but no removable battery, me no buy then.
> 
> presently my GN barely gets through a day even if i never pick it up once so no way in hell am giving up the ability to have a spare battery in my bag.




Galaxy Nexus has a Samsung extended battery available, also Seidio makes one. It would help your problem, which is especially bad on the verizon Gnex.


----------



## HadenVR

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> Awesome! Welcome aboard!
> To be honest though, the nexus 4 doesn't look all that good to me. Not only does it not have a microsd card slot, there's also no removable battery or 4G LTE like my Gnex.
> Since the Gnex will undoubtedly get 4.2 I think I'll be sticking with it until google announces another nexus phone...


 
  Ever since after the Nexus S, Google decided/pretty much stated they will not implant external microsd card slot due to wanting more control over security in the phone as having external microsd cards doesn't give full permission/control over it, wanting to encourage users to use the cloud for external storage(though this isn't best ideal for everyone like for those who majority have data limits or slow speeds), and not to confuse users with the storage. More explanation about no sd card can be read at below link.
http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/10/30/matias-duarte-answers-questions-about-jelly-bean-ui-and-the-lack-of-micro-sd-cards/
   
  As for the LTE, the only explanation why this isn't there at the moment though may change in the future is due to Google not liking the limitations/restrictions carriers ask of Google (there are speculations the SoC on the Nexus 4 supports LTE though not active when launched). 
  One example; take a look at how Verizion did the Galaxy Nexus with the updates(and adding Verizion bloatware) compared to the GSM Galaxy Nexus, the update for jellybean(4.1) on the GSM Galaxy Nexus was pushed out in the second week of July after the Google IO event while the Galaxy Nexus on Verizion's network update was pushed on the last week of Sept(three months for the update it took on Verizon's Galaxy Nexus).
  Sources: http://www.gsmarena.com/android_41_jelly_bean_rolling_out_to_gsm_galaxy_nexus-news-4502.php
http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/21/verizon-galaxy-nexus-finally-lands-jelly-bean-update/
   
  Now for the thoughts of the cosmetics with the Nexus 4 is a personal preference though the build quality is no doubt improved over the Galaxy Nexus acordding to one of the first few hands-on/review of the Nexus 4.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/2/3589280/google-nexus-4-review
   
  Lastly, the non-removable back is another personal preference which is not going to be a deal breaker for everyone.
  Personally, I am completely fine/go through the whole day with my stock battery that came with the Galaxy Nexus though if I require a lot more battery usage like on a trip or if I'm not going to be near a wall outlet for a bit, I just simply use a mobile battery charger on to go which I would plug it in with the phone to the external battery/charger and leave it in the bag or pocket as it's quite small and isn't a hassle to carry around with. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005K7192G/ref=noref?ie=UTF8&psc=1&s=wireless
  Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> I have to agree, google really made jelly bean rediculously smooth. I'd say it's on par with my iPad, which I didn't think would ever be possible...
> IMO chrome is the best browser for android and iOS, mostly because you can sync all of your tabs between devices, with 3 computers and 2 mobile devices this is very helpful.
> Those of you that got the galaxy tab 2, did you ever consider the nexus 7? Just curious...
> And, is anyone interested in the nexus 10? The resolution of that screen being on par with the iPad is catching my attention, but I don't like the overall look of the N10. To me it looks like a child's toy. And I think it deserved something quad core, like a tegra 3 CPU.


 
  If the Nexus 10 had a quad core instead of the CPU that currently implanted, the resolution of it would not be the same because at the time being, there is no other CPU that supports the Nexus 10's resolution of 2500 x 1600 beside the Exynos 5250 which is what the Nexus 10 runs by.
  Although it's a dual core, the 1.7 Ghz Cortex-A15 and the Mali-T604 performs better than the Tegra 3.
  CPU wised is 15-20% better while the GPU is able to easily beat the Adreno 320 so Mali-T604>Adreno 320>Tegra 3. 
  More info/Source: http://www.androidauthority.com/arm-a9-vs-arm-a15-87559/
   
  Now if you excuse me, time to play some League! ;D!


----------



## mark2410

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> Hmm, my mom's line is eligible for an early upgrade... What should I get for a new Verizon phone???


 
  none.  now i clearly am not in the US but i firmly believe that most of the us problems with mobile networks are primarily their fault.  they and their cdma network locks consumers to the network even though you own the phone.  this means the us market has no freedom of movement save att and tmob.  att is big enough to realise it can get away with the same behaviour and screw the consumer too because they expect to be treated that way.   so id suggest if you can go right to tmob, buy the phone yourself (nexus 4 looks great and stupid cheap atm) and then get a sim only plan and stop getting screwed.  imo verizon = the root of us mobile pricing.
   
  over here im sitting on a rolling payg bundle that is just going up to £12 a month for which i get unlimited data (though they forbid tethering, they cant stop you but threaten to cut you off if you do) still i regularly do about 8gb a month.  250 min of calls, unlimited texts and unlimited free calls to the same network. 
  Quote: 





adamschuetze said:


> Galaxy Nexus has a Samsung extended battery available, also Seidio makes one. It would help your problem, which is especially bad on the verizon Gnex.


 
  i dont like sedio anymore, partly because they are one of these US companies that sees no life out side the US.  that and their GN case i did buy is crap.  the thing is gigantic and clearly meant for what i  can only assume is for the fat verizon version.


----------



## mechgamer123

hadenvr said:


> Ever since after the Nexus S, Google decided/pretty much stated they will not implant external microsd card slot due to wanting more control over security in the phone as having external microsd cards doesn't give full permission/control over it, wanting to encourage users to use the cloud for external storage(though this isn't best ideal for everyone like for those who majority have data limits or slow speeds), and not to confuse users with the storage. More explanation about no sd card can be read at below link.
> http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/10/30/matias-duarte-answers-questions-about-jelly-bean-ui-and-the-lack-of-micro-sd-cards/
> 
> As for the LTE, the only explanation why this isn't there at the moment though may change in the future is due to Google not liking the limitations/restrictions carriers ask of Google (there are speculations the SoC on the Nexus 4 supports LTE though not active when launched).
> ...



Wow, that was an excellent post! Thank you very much!


----------



## HadenVR

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> Wow, that was an excellent post! Thank you very much!


 
  no problem glad that helped, just doing a favor for the community.


----------



## proton007

I think I'd wait for Anandtech's review. The rest are just FUD.
   
  Guess what, there was an article i saw on one of those tech blogs. The new iPad Mini has smaller pixels than the older iPad, because it has a smaller screen and the same res.
   
  Oh my god! I never new that was possible. How did they do that! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



   
  If this kind of cr** makes it into their news, its clearly biased.


----------



## mechgamer123

proton007 said:


> I think I'd wait for Anandtech's review. The rest are just FUD.
> 
> Guess what, there was an article i saw on one of those tech blogs. The new iPad Mini has smaller pixels than the older iPad, because it has a smaller screen and the same res.
> 
> ...



Yeah, I looked at a comparison with the nexus 7 and the N7 was twice as fast in the benchmarks.
I have to laugh at people that try and justify the lower resolution display by saying its because it's "cheaper."
Cheaper than the iPad, yes, but not cheaper then virtually every other tablet in the competition.


----------



## proton007

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> Yeah, I looked at a comparison with the nexus 7 and the N7 was twice as fast in the benchmarks.
> I have to laugh at people that try and justify the lower resolution display by saying its because it's "cheaper."
> Cheaper than the iPad, yes, but not cheaper then virtually every other tablet in the competition.


 
   
  I think I've presented this before, but I present before you the most mathematical way to predict review scores from these sites. I got this off the interweb.
   
   

```
1. Is it an Apple product? 2. If yes, randomly choose a score between 8 and 10 3. If no, randomly choose a score between 5 and 7 4. Is it a non-Apple product that competes with an Apple product ? 5. If yes, lower the score with 3 points 6. Does the device have geek-appeal? 7. If yes, randomly add 1-3 to the score 8. Was the device created by a company whose CEO said not-so-nice things about our master Steve? 9. Then lower the score with 2 points. 10. Is it an Microsoft product? 11. Then lower the score by 2
```


----------



## proton007




----------



## tool462

Quote: 





proton007 said:


> I think I'd wait for Anandtech's review. The rest are just FUD.
> 
> Guess what, there was an article i saw on one of those tech blogs. The new iPad Mini has smaller pixels than the older iPad, because it has a smaller screen and the same res.
> 
> ...


 
   
  Unfortunately Anand himself has become pretty pro-Apple so his personal Android and non-Apple tablet reviews are pretty personally biased.  If you are wanting Android reviews, hope that someone other than Anand writes it.


----------



## BoneEnterprise

nNoQuote: 





gopanthersgo1 said:


> CM10, is perfectly stable, and awesome for my Skyrocket! Have you tried it out yet?


 
  Nope, for whatever reason I have not been able to get into the CM ROMs.


----------



## mechgamer123

Updated the OP so that it is hopefully a little bit more helpful...
  Anyone get the new Nexus 4 or 10?


----------



## neurofone

I have the new Nexus 4 sitting here next to me. It arrived on Friday.


----------



## gopanthersgo1

neurofone said:


> I have the new Nexus 4 sitting here next to me. It arrived on Friday.  :bigsmile_face:


Does it have USB Audio out?


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





neurofone said:


> I have the new Nexus 4 sitting here next to me. It arrived on Friday.


 
  How do you like it?


----------



## neurofone

I really like it.  As all the reviews suggest, it feels like a more premium phone compared to the Galaxy Nexus (my previous phone).  It's very fast and fluid, and the screen is very nice.  The glass tapers around the edges, giving it a great feel when you swipe left to right.  The battery life seems really good, easily goes for a day.  
   
  The software update to 4.2 needs some work.  The keyboard is great with built-in "swype-like" gestures.  The lock screen is a bit of a mess and seems like a rush job.  I'm sure it will improve with some minor updates down the road.
   
  Regarding USB audio output.  I plugged in my ODAC+O2 via an OTG cable and nothing.  I didn't expect it to work.  That's the only DAC I have to try out unfortunately.


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





neurofone said:


> I really like it.  As all the reviews suggest, it feels like a more premium phone compared to the Galaxy Nexus (my previous phone).  It's very fast and fluid, and the screen is very nice.  The glass tapers around the edges, giving it a great feel when you swipe left to right.  The battery life seems really good, easily goes for a day.
> 
> The software update to 4.2 needs some work.  The keyboard is great with built-in "swype-like" gestures.  The lock screen is a bit of a mess and seems like a rush job.  I'm sure it will improve with some minor updates down the road.
> 
> Regarding USB audio output.  I plugged in my ODAC+O2 via an OTG cable and nothing.  I didn't expect it to work.  That's the only DAC I have to try out unfortunately.


 
  It's because the ODAC needs an external power source. You would need to get a USB hub with an AC adapter or something similar to get it to work with an Android device.


----------



## neurofone

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> It's because the ODAC needs an external power source. You would need to get a USB hub with an AC adapter or something similar to get it to work with an Android device.


 
   
  Yeah that's what I've heard as well.  Sorry can't try anything else and I don't have a USB hub.


----------



## ImperialX

You're not alone, neurofone! Here is my new toy.


----------



## mechgamer123

imperialx said:


> You're not alone, neurofone! Here is my new toy.



You have the iPhone 5 and nexus 4????? :jawdrop:
How are you liking them so far?


----------



## ImperialX

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> You have the iPhone 5 and nexus 4????? :jawdrop:


 
   
  iPhone 5 is the superior phone, but it cost more than 2x more. The Nexus 4 is easily the better phone if you include value for money.


----------



## neurofone

Quote: 





imperialx said:


> iPhone 5 is the superior phone, but it cost more than 2x more. The Nexus 4 is easily the better phone if you include value for money.


 
  Cool ~ maybe you can try out the N4 with a DAC ?


----------



## Cptn Crunch

PSA for Canadian Nexus 4 owners and possibly other countries that use AWS/band 4 (1700/2100 Mhz). A few little tweaks and you can enable LTE on your phone. It's only confirmed to be working in Canada so far. Currently it won't work in the States (except possibly AT&T in a few areas) but apparently T-Mobile has plans to use those bands in the future for LTE.
   
  Here's a couple links and an XDA thread on the topic in case you feel like testing it out:
   
  http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/23/nexus-4-lte-working-canada/
  http://www.anandtech.com/show/6474/nexus-4-includes-support-for-lte-on-band-4-aws
  http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2007943
   
  I didn't get a Nexus 4 specifically because it lacked LTE support so I can't offer any experience with this. I just signed a shiny new contract for my shiny new Note 2 (no regrets - I freakin love this phone!).
   
  Anyways, here's the usual spiel: If you chose to try this, you do so at your own risk. This was only discovered yesterday and confirmed today so nobody really knows what effect this might have on your device yet. Certainly, battery life is likely to be an issue. And since this phone wasn't intended for LTE there might be a few other quirks that haven't been uncovered yet. If I had a Nexus 4 I'd probably keep an eye on XDA for a few days and try it myself after more people have tested it out.


----------



## neurofone

Quote: 





cptn crunch said:


> PSA for Canadian Nexus 4 owners and possibly other countries that use AWS/band 4 (1700/2100 Mhz). A few little tweaks and you can enable LTE on your phone. It's only confirmed to be working in Canada so far. Currently it won't work in the States (except possibly AT&T in a few areas) but apparently T-Mobile has plans to use those bands in the future for LTE.
> 
> Here's a couple links and an XDA thread on the topic in case you feel like testing it out:
> 
> ...


 
  Thanks!  It's a neat finding, and seems Canadians are quite lucky at the moment if they have this phone.  Hopefully the T-Mobile USA LTE rollout will happen soon.
   
  Back to the topic on hand, anyone try a USB DAC with the Nexus 4 yet?


----------



## neurofone

BTW: No out of the box USB-OTG support on the Nexus 4.  So there goes all hope for a USB DAC being recognized on a stock device.  We'll have to wait and see if developers can work around this with custom kernels/ROMs.
   
  http://blog.gsmarena.com/nexus-4-does-not-support-usb-otg-despite-google-saying-otherwise/#disqus_thread


----------



## tool462

neurofone said:


> BTW: No out of the box USB-OTG support on the Nexus 4.  So there goes all hope for a USB DAC being recognized on a stock device.  We'll have to wait and see if developers can work around this with custom kernels/ROMs.
> 
> http://blog.gsmarena.com/nexus-4-does-not-support-usb-otg-despite-google-saying-otherwise/#disqus_thread



 
 Who buys a Nexus 4 to use it with the stock ROM?


----------



## neurofone

Quote: 





tool462 said:


> Who buys a Nexus 4 to use it with the stock ROM?


 
   
  Ha, actually I would argue that the Nexus experience is so good out of the box, that there's no need for custom ROMs for almost all users (exceptions would be tinkerers and overclockers).
   
  I used to crack flash ROMs all the time, but really nothing beats the pure experience from Google in terms of stability and fast updates.  
   
  I see custom ROMs as more useful for the poor souls that are stuck with an Android phone that is skinned with TouchWiz, MotoBlur, Sense, etc, and they want to have a more stock-like experience.  
   
  I'm already on a Nexus device, and I get that awesome experience out of the box.  I haven't seen any features in the custom ROM world that I really would choose over having the stock ROM.  
   
  Now if some genius developer comes up with a USB DAC supported kernel, then I'll be first in line to flash it, but until then, the reason I bought Nexus is to have the pure Google experience and fast updates.  If I had bought an SIII, I would have flashed CM10 on it as soon as I opened the box


----------



## mechgamer123

I have to say that the number of ROMs and customizations make it worthwhile to flash.
There's so many cool little tweaks you can do, such as changing The color of soft keys, or having a separate lock screen wallpaper, or custom vibrations, or custom notification light colors that I can justify flashing custom ROMs on my nexus.


----------



## gopanthersgo1

The only reasons I don't want to root and install Cyanogen is there is not a 4.2 version, and I love the stability, which is much better than Cyanogenmod 10 on my Skyrocket, which rstarts all the time, though that could just be the nightlies


----------



## proton007

Quote: 





gopanthersgo1 said:


> The only reasons I don't want to root and install Cyanogen is there is not a 4.2 version, and I love the stability, which is much better than Cyanogenmod 10 on my Skyrocket, which rstarts all the time, though that could just be the nightlies


 

 You can get the AOKP rom, its 4.2.1, works fine on my S3.


----------



## wavid

my zte blade is on its last legs, whats the new budget highly modded android out now? the zte blade was great for what it was, especailly all the mods


----------



## neurofone

Quote: 





wavid said:


> my zte blade is on its last legs, whats the new budget highly modded android out now? the zte blade was great for what it was, especailly all the mods


 
   
  Take a look at this link that offers the best choice phone at various budget levels:
  http://androidandme.com/2012/12/reviews/best-unlocked-android-phone-for-any-budget-december-2012/


----------



## mechgamer123

wavid said:


> my zte blade is on its last legs, whats the new budget highly modded android out now? the zte blade was great for what it was, especailly all the mods



You might want to look into the Galaxy nexus, I believe you can find one with a few scratches for around $150.


----------



## wavid

actually there is a deal for a sanfrancisco 2 (zte blade s) for like £50.. £17 cashback so thats £33 if it goes through...plus it comes with WeSC headphones which i could sell....
  think im going to go for it....its a slight upgrade to the ZTE Blade but its such a good deal


----------



## mark2410

isnt the Huawei G300 and the almost released G330 the current best cheapo's?


----------



## gopanthersgo1

Don't know if this should be in the Android thread, but I'm instaling Ubuntu on my Nexus 7 at the moment.


----------



## labcoat

Interesting a dual boot tablet would be cool.  I want to work android/Ubuntu dual boot on a older laptop.
   
  R-


----------



## gopanthersgo1

I do know that you can dual boot on the Nexus 7, but I want all 32 gigs to be for Ubuntu, as humble bundles take up space


----------



## tool462

Quote: 





gopanthersgo1 said:


> I do know that you can dual boot on the Nexus 7, but I want all 32 gigs to be for Ubuntu, as humble bundles take up space


 
   
  My Nexus is waiting at home for me, came yesterday.

 Will you let me know how the touch screen controls work with most Humble Bundle games?  I'll be flashing ROMs too much for a couple months to try Ubuntu I'm sure.


----------



## gopanthersgo1

tool462 said:


> My Nexus is waiting at home for me, came yesterday.
> 
> 
> Will you let me know how the touch screen controls work with most Humble Bundle games?  I'll be flashing ROMs too much for a couple months to try Ubuntu I'm sure.


I took it off, battery SUCKED! It did work with USB DACs though.


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





gopanthersgo1 said:


> I took it off, battery SUCKED! It did work with USB DACs though.


 
  Hmm, I can only imagine how much battery a full desktop OS would suck down on a tablet...


----------



## neurofone

Quote: 





gopanthersgo1 said:


> I took it off, battery SUCKED! It did work with USB DACs though.


 
  Wait, what worked with USB DACs ?   Are you saying the Nexus 4 works with USB DACs ?  If so, which ones did you try?


----------



## gopanthersgo1

neurofone said:


> Wait, what worked with USB DACs ?   Are you saying the Nexus 4 works with USB DACs ?  If so, which ones did you try?


No, the Nexus 7 did... when it ran with Ubuntu Linux instead of Android, it's a desktop OS. The DAC was some Creative USB go pro one.:rolleyes:


----------



## neurofone

Quote: 





gopanthersgo1 said:


> No, the Nexus 7 did... when it ran with Ubuntu Linux instead of Android, it's a desktop OS. The DAC was some Creative USB go pro one.


 
  Oh darn.  Okay


----------



## Keller1

Looking to update my mobile setup as well. Currently rocking the HTC hd2 with an installation of windows 7.8. This thing is really showing it's date. It really doesn't do anything other than browsing and phone work with the exception of the occasional app. Looking to get an updated Android phone, any specific recommendations? Looking mainly for something that will not cost me too-too much.(As in, a max of 300$) Perhaps a used One X?


----------



## gopanthersgo1

keller1 said:


> Looking to update my mobile setup as well. Currently rocking the HTC hd2 with an installation of windows 7.8. This thing is really showing it's date. It really doesn't do anything other than browsing and phone work with the exception of the occasional app. Looking to get an updated Android phone, any specific recommendations?


I'm wanting the Note 2, hope that helps!


----------



## Keller1

Quote: 





gopanthersgo1 said:


> I'm wanting the Note 2, hope that helps!


 
  Edited my post to be more specific, the note 2 is way too much in terms of price, else i'd get it.


----------



## gopanthersgo1

keller1 said:


> Edited my post to be more specific, the note 2 is way too much in terms of price, else i'd get it.


Oh, I thought you were getting a contract renewed with it, sorry.


----------



## mechgamer123

keller1 said:


> Looking to update my mobile setup as well. Currently rocking the HTC hd2 with an installation of windows 7.8. This thing is really showing it's date. It really doesn't do anything other than browsing and phone work with the exception of the occasional app. Looking to get an updated Android phone, any specific recommendations? Looking mainly for something that will not cost me too-too much.(As in, a max of 300$) Perhaps a used One X?



How about a nexus 4?


----------



## gopanthersgo1

mechgamer123 said:


> How about a nexus 4?


This.


----------



## neurofone

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> How about a nexus 4?


 
  The Nexus 4 is the phone to get.  $300-$350 unlocked and direct from Google.  So you get pure Android experience and direct updates from Google.  You can pair it with a prepaid plan from StraightTalk with an AT&T or a TM SIM card, and pay just $45/month for unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, and 2GB of data, with no contract.   If you don't use many minutes, you can go with a TM prepaid plan like I do: $30/month for 100 minutes, unlimited texts, and 5GB of data, with no contract.   There really is no better deal out there right now for a high end phone and tons of carrier and plan options.  I recommend you visit reddit and go to the Android and Nexus4 subreddits to get more info !


----------



## Keller1

Quote: 





neurofone said:


> The Nexus 4 is the phone to get.  $300-$350 unlocked and direct from Google.  So you get pure Android experience and direct updates from Google.  You can pair it with a prepaid plan from StraightTalk with an AT&T or a TM SIM card, and pay just $45/month for unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, and 2GB of data, with no contract.   If you don't use many minutes, you can go with a TM prepaid plan like I do: $30/month for 100 minutes, unlimited texts, and 5GB of data, with no contract.   There really is no better deal out there right now for a high end phone and tons of carrier and plan options.  I recommend you visit reddit and go to the Android and Nexus4 subreddits to get more info !


 
  Aye, that was what i was looking at. Then I realized it's not available in my country. The nexus 4 costs an unreasonable amount here, just as the gnex did ( 50ish dollars less then the s3, at the time)


----------



## nelamvr6

OK, I guess I have to muster in this thread, I am a huge Android fan!  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



   
  My current phone is the Droid DNA, and yes, it is worth every penny and yes, that 5" 1080p screen is marvelous to behold!  Prior to that I had a TBolt and an OG Droid.
   
  I also have a Nexus 7 that I love dearly.


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





keller1 said:


> Aye, that was what i was looking at. Then I realized it's not available in my country. The nexus 4 costs an unreasonable amount here, just as the gnex did ( 50ish dollars less then the s3, at the time)


 
  Hmm, well if you can't pay that much, then maybe you should look at a used one X. Or even a used gNex.
  Quote: 





nelamvr6 said:


> OK, I guess I have to muster in this thread, I am a huge Android fan!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
  How is the battery life and 16GB of memory treating you?


----------



## nelamvr6

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> How is the battery life and 16GB of memory treating you?


 
   
   
  I would like more storage, I have to admit that.
   
  But the battery life has been a very pleasant surprise!
   
  I was doubtful when I read the battery specs before it hit the streets.  And I did hold the DNA and the Samsung Note II in my hands before deciding on the DNA.  The Note II has a lot of great specs, including a much bigger battery, but it is way clunkier than the DNA. The DNA seems absolutely sleek when compared side by side!
   
  But I have not once had a battery charge not last at least a full work shift.  I don't spend all day watching videos or playing games. If you do things like that then you may have batter life issues with this phone.  But if most of your work day you spend working, then you won't have any issues.  I read and respond to emails and texts all day long, cruise the Internet on break, and I have always had at least  15% battery left, usually more, when I get home at night.


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





nelamvr6 said:


> I would like more storage, I have to admit that.
> 
> But the battery life has been a very pleasant surprise!
> 
> ...


 
  Huh, that's interesting to hear. I was interested in either getting the Note II or DNA earlier this month, but then I realized that I'm satisfied enough with my Nexus for now... And then I spent all my money on headphones, haha
  Though that does sound very nice. When I was working over the summer, my gNex couldn't go a full day of work on 4G before it would die, even with the extended battery.


----------



## nelamvr6

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> Huh, that's interesting to hear. I was interested in either getting the Note II or DNA earlier this month, but then I realized that I'm satisfied enough with my Nexus for now... And then I spent all my money on headphones, haha
> Though that does sound very nice. When I was working over the summer, my gNex couldn't go a full day of work on 4G before it would die, even with the extended battery.


 
   
   
  I've heard that the radios are now unified, so 3g/4g and switching between has less of an impact on battery life.
   
  I can't say everything is 100% perfect though, my Hotspot has been a bit flakey at times.  But knowing HTC like I do I'm sure they'll release an update that will improve things...


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





nelamvr6 said:


> I've heard that the radios are now unified, so 3g/4g and switching between has less of an impact on battery life.
> 
> I can't say everything is 100% perfect though, my Hotspot has been a bit flakey at times.  But knowing HTC like I do I'm sure they'll release an update that will improve things...


 
  Huh, I guess that probably means 4G battery life is better and 3G battery life is worse? Oh well, sounds good to me.
  Let us know if they fix it with an update...
  Have you tried using a root app like wifi tether off of the market, or is that what you're using?


----------



## nelamvr6

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> Huh, I guess that probably means 4G battery life is better and 3G battery life is worse? Oh well, sounds good to me.
> Let us know if they fix it with an update...
> Have you tried using a root app like wifi tether off of the market, or is that what you're using?


 
   
  No, my phone isn't rooted.  I'm just using the stock hotspot app.
   
  I was into rooting a lot when I had my OG Droid, mostly for overclocking. But I've really not felt a need to overclock a phone since I had the TBolt, and I actually like Sense, so I'm not looking for another ROM.  And being rooted can be a big PITA at times, like getting OTA updates for example.


----------



## neurofone

Quote: 





nelamvr6 said:


> OK, I guess I have to muster in this thread, I am a huge Android fan!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
   
  Sweet. Do you happen to know if the DNA has been rooted yet?  And does it have CyanogenMod support yet?  The hardware looks great, but I wouldn't be able to stand the HTC Sense GUI.  I really prefer the stock Android look.
   
  EDIT: Just saw your above post that you haven't rooted.  Glad to hear HTC Sense is working well for you.


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





neurofone said:


> Sweet. Do you happen to know if the DNA has been rooted yet?  And does it have CyanogenMod support yet?  The hardware looks great, but I wouldn't be able to stand the HTC Sense GUI.  I really prefer the stock Android look.
> 
> EDIT: Just saw your above post that you haven't rooted.  Glad to hear HTC Sense is working well for you.


 
  I believe Htcdev's web bootloader unlocker works on the DNA, so I would guess that the DNA can be rooted and ROM'd.


----------



## nelamvr6

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> I believe Htcdev's web bootloader unlocker works on the DNA, so I would guess that the DNA can be rooted and ROM'd.


 
   
   
  I believe that some brave souls over at XDA have it rooted, but I don't know if there are any ROMs for it yet.
   
  I may consider rooting it if there ever comes a one click method.  But I think I'll keep my ROM stock.  I guess I'm one of the few who really likes Sense...


----------



## mechgamer123

nelamvr6 said:


> I believe that some brave souls over at XDA have it rooted, but I don't know if there are any ROMs for it yet.
> 
> I may consider rooting it if there ever comes a one click method.  But I think I'll keep my ROM stock.  I guess I'm one of the few who really likes Sense...



Yeah, If I remember correctly the current root method broke something...
Actually, a lot of something's...


----------



## ninjames

I keep thinking to myself "one of these days I'm going to wake up and my Nexus 4 will no longer seem amazingly sexy to me."
   
  It never happens. It's such a great phone, and with the Moga controller, I don't even use my portable gaming systems anymore lol.


----------



## mechgamer123

ninjames said:


> I keep thinking to myself "one of these days I'm going to wake up and my Nexus 4 will no longer seem amazingly sexy to me."
> 
> It never happens. It's such a great phone, and with the Moga controller, I don't even use my portable gaming systems anymore lol.



I have to agree. The nexus 4 looks really good. Even the galaxy nexus looks pretty sexy on the outside (at least from the front), and ever since the JB update, it's been sexy on the inside too!


----------



## ninjames

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> I have to agree. The nexus 4 looks really good. Even the galaxy nexus looks pretty sexy on the outside (at least from the front), and ever since the JB update, it's been sexy on the inside too!


 
  Yeah it just screams "premium" inside and out. Then again, my phones before this were the Kyocera Zio, Huawei Ascend II and Samsung Exhibit II so maybe I'm just easily impressed. :] First high-end phone. The Nexus 4 launch was an absolute disaster though. Said they would be launched at midnight ET, then they said 3 a.m. ET, then it was going to be 9:00 a.m. ET for sure, and tons of people went to sleep, and I stayed up - they released at 8:30 a.m. ET instead, so tons of people who went to sleep with their alarms set for 8:55 a.m. missed out big time.


----------



## DeadlyNeodymium

Sometimes I wish I had gotten the nexus 4, but I ended up getting a Razr HD.  It's pretty nice too.  I had to put safestrap and root it to get rid of all the stock bloatware though.


----------



## grokit

A weird thing happened when I updated my 7" Galaxy Tab 2, almost all of the bloatware on the home screens went away. I can re-add icons for what I actually use manually, so it's worked out very well. Now I can find exactly what program I want to use quickly.


----------



## DeadlyNeodymium

grokit said:


> A weird thing happened when I updated my 7" Galaxy Tab 2, almost all of the bloatware on the home screens went away. I can re-add icons for what I actually use manually, so it's worked out very well. Now I can find exactly what program I want to use quickly.



That's weird. I just installed a custom rom.


----------



## Nixon

My Galaxy Note broke the other day. Wouldn't turn on one morning. Fortunately it's under warranty so hopefully it'll be fixed for free. Or hopefully they'll have ran out of the original model and give me a Note 2 instead. It'll mean I can use an external DAC on my phone at last


----------



## neurofone

Good news (sorta) for many of you.  Looks like a 3rd party developer has written a USB audio driver from scratch for Android (3.x and higher) to get USB digital audio in/out finally working.  It appears to be working on many different Android devices and USB DACs.  Unfortunately the playback is pretty limited to just choosing single tracks.  Hopefully this is just a first step to future development.  
    
  http://www.extreamsd.com/USBAudioRecorderPRO/  
    
  Frequently updated list of supported devices (scroll to bottom for most recent lists):  [size=small]http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=24614[/size]


----------



## nelamvr6

Have you guys seen this?
   
http://www.droid-life.com/2013/01/03/reduce-device-lag-on-nexus-7-and-others-with-seeder-application/#more-94361
   
  Pretty interesting stuff!


----------



## wuwhere

Quote: 





nelamvr6 said:


> Have you guys seen this?
> 
> http://www.droid-life.com/2013/01/03/reduce-device-lag-on-nexus-7-and-others-with-seeder-application/#more-94361
> 
> Pretty interesting stuff!


 
   
  Well I've heard of random number or random number generator but random data to reduce lag time from the kernel or real-time OS, that is news to me.


----------



## mechgamer123

nelamvr6 said:


> Have you guys seen this?
> 
> http://www.droid-life.com/2013/01/03/reduce-device-lag-on-nexus-7-and-others-with-seeder-application/#more-94361
> 
> Pretty interesting stuff!



Looks cool! I installed it on my Gnex, I'll let you know if it has any effect in a few days...


----------



## gopanthersgo1

What's a great ROM I can run on my N7 that supports 3rd party kernels?


----------



## neurofone

You should be asking this at a place like reddit.com/r/nexus7
   
  Personally, I run CM10.1 on my Nexus 7.  It's the most "professional" and best balance between new features and stability, IMHO.


----------



## gopanthersgo1

neurofone said:


> You should be asking this at a place like reddit.com/r/nexus7
> 
> Personally, I run CM10.1 on my Nexus 7.  It's the most "professional" and best balance between new features and stability, IMHO.


I decided on AOKP... seems stable and fast!


----------



## mechgamer123

Everyone who's rooted should check this out:
  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.grilledmonkey.lagfix&feature=more_from_developer#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEwMiwiY29tLmdyaWxsZWRtb25rZXkubGFnZml4Il0.
  Subjectively, my galaxy nexus seems a bit faster.


----------



## NZtechfreak

Got an HTC Butterfly and Nexus 4 this week (to go with me Note 2 and Pureview 808). Note 2 still the best Android device available IMO (and I've actually d ownership experience with nearly all the high-end ones). Battery life kills the Butterfly, rather pathetic. It does support USB audio though, which is a massive plus (more limited support than Note 2 and prone to interference from data connections, which the Note 2 isn't). So three of my phones have USB audio #happy


----------



## gopanthersgo1

nztechfreak said:


> Got an HTC Butterfly and Nexus 4 this week (to go with me Note 2 and Pureview 808). Note 2 still the best Android device available IMO (and I've actually d ownership experience with nearly all the high-end ones). Battery life kills the Butterfly, rather pathetic. It does support USB audio though, which is a massive plus (more limited support than Note 2 and prone to interference from data connections, which the Note 2 isn't). So three of my phones have USB audio #happy


How many phones do you need??????


----------



## DefQon

Awaiting on the new Xperia Z I've pre-ordered. Nexus 4 and Photon Q incoming next week (for cooking ROM's and apps development).


----------



## NZtechfreak

gopanthersgo1 said:


> How many phones do you need??????




I review them for my blog and YouTube channel, good to stay current. YouTube channel revenue covers their cost.


----------



## gopanthersgo1

nztechfreak said:


> gopanthersgo1 said:
> 
> 
> > How many phones do you need??????
> ...


Okay. makes since. Do you enjoy it? Or has it become a hassle?


----------



## NZtechfreak

Quote: 





gopanthersgo1 said:


> Okay. makes since. Do you enjoy it? Or has it become a hassle?


 
   
  I enjoy it still, only wish I had more time for it, between work and family things are fairly hectic even before blogging!


----------



## mechgamer123

Hmm, I got a USB OTG cable today to test OTG on the Fiio E07k... It didn't work, but I was running 4.1.2. So I upgraded to the latest AOKP that's 4.2.1. Hopefully this will work...


----------



## funkthumb

I have a note and a note2, will the fiio e07k work with these?  whtever i do, i can't seem to connect to their website. anybody know anything about this combination?


----------



## mechgamer123

funkthumb said:


> I have a note and a note2, will the fiio e07k work with these?  whtever i do, i can't seem to connect to their website. anybody know anything about this combination?


The E07K should work with the note 2 in theory, without usb audio recorder pro, but I'm not sure if the original note will work.


----------



## jkxs

I have a Note 2 running on CleanROM and loving it!


----------



## mechgamer123

I updated my Galaxy nexus to 4.2.1 the other night... It's awesome..


----------



## Keller1

i'mma still looking for something to replace my hd2 with, seeing as there's lots of you guys with multiple phones makes me wonder - anyone willing to part with one? 
 Posted a thread up in the source component trade section (And my profile) if anyone's interested.

 Other than that, anyone played super hexagon for android yet? really damn addictive is what that is.


----------



## tool462

Quote: 





keller1 said:


> Other than that, anyone played super hexagon for android yet? really damn addictive is what that is.


 
   
  Too busy playing GTA III with a PS3 controller on the Nexus 7 to try Super Hexagon


----------



## ninjames

Fiancee and I both dropped out phones at the same time, totally by accident, to the hard wood floors. My Nexus 4 doesn't have a scratch on it, but her GSIII screen broke in three different places and the digitizer was also toast. $200 repair, yep yep.


----------



## gopanthersgo1

How?!? At the same time?


----------



## tool462

Quote: 





ninjames said:


> Fiancee and I both dropped out phones at the same time, totally by accident, to the hard wood floors. My Nexus 4 doesn't have a scratch on it, but her GSIII screen broke in three different places and the digitizer was also toast. $200 repair, yep yep.


 
   
  For the record, a screen + digitizer is easy to repair and costs about $9-12 for the parts and tools if you do it yourself.
   
  Check iFixit before you pay ANYONE to repair ANYTHING electronic.


----------



## ninjames

Quote: 





tool462 said:


> For the record, a screen + digitizer is easy to repair and costs about $9-12 for the parts and tools if you do it yourself.
> 
> Check iFixit before you pay ANYONE to repair ANYTHING electronic.


 
  No way. I can't do it. I have no ability with things like that. Too small, too precise, not for me.


----------



## blackmarket

i've had my galaxy s2 fly out of my jacket pocket while i was biking (i was doing a 180 on my mountain bike so my phone literally flew out of my pocket) and hit the pavement before. thought my phone was done for and picked it up expecting a shattered screen but it only suffered a couple scratches and a dent. pretty amazed that my phone even survived that. just updated to 4.1.2, pretty fast and smooth.


----------



## ninjames

Quote: 





gopanthersgo1 said:


> How?!? At the same time?


 
  To my eternal shame, she dropped hers, I laughed at her, and then dropped mine.
   
  Also, to everybody in this thread, I'm starting a mobile app/game review/editorial website and I'm looking for passionate, interested people to potentially write for me and help manage. Being up front about it: no pay in the beginning, but I'm treating it like an actual, factual business and if ad buys become a real thing then it becoming an actual employed position is a huge possibility!
   
  Just thought I'd ask here. If I can muster up a tiny fraction of obsession with mobile apps/games that the users of Head-Fi have for headphones (myself included, obviously), I'd be doing well :]


----------



## gopanthersgo1

ninjames said:


> To my eternal shame, she dropped hers, I laughed at her, and then dropped mine.
> 
> Also, to everybody in this thread, I'm starting a mobile app/game review/editorial website and I'm looking for passionate, interested people to potentially write for me and help manage. Being up front about it: no pay in the beginning, but I'm treating it like an actual, factual business and if ad buys become a real thing then it becoming an actual employed position is a huge possibility!
> 
> Just thought I'd ask here. If I can muster up a tiny fraction of obsession with mobile apps/games that the users of Head-Fi have for headphones (myself included, obviously), I'd be doing well :]


I might be interested in doing this with my free time...


----------



## ninjames

One aspect that could definitely tie into our obsessions are things like mobile media players, equalizers, and even best games to play with headphones, etc etc. Just one aspect of the site.
   
  For the record, the site will be called "Bustin' Apps" at bustinapps.com


----------



## gopanthersgo1

ninjames said:


> One aspect that could definitely tie into our obsessions are things like mobile media players, equalizers, and even best games to play with headphones, etc etc. Just one aspect of the site.
> 
> For the record, the site will be called "Bustin' Apps" at bustinapps.com


Seems fun... I'll wipe my phone first... maybe benchmarking different roms as well?


----------



## ninjames

Quote: 





gopanthersgo1 said:


> Seems fun... I'll wipe my phone first... maybe benchmarking different roms as well?


 
  Definitely benchmarking with some of the top phones with the top games and such is an awesome idea. Anyway, if you're really serious shoot me a PM (same for everyone). The more, the merrier. I'm hoping to launch the site by the end of February and I'm in the process of building it with my staff (currently around eight people) right now.


----------



## NZtechfreak

Quote: 





ninjames said:


> Fiancee and I both dropped out phones at the same time, totally by accident, to the hard wood floors. My Nexus 4 doesn't have a scratch on it, but her GSIII screen broke in three different places and the digitizer was also toast. $200 repair, yep yep.


 
   
  Total luck of the draw, depends how they strike the surface. Nexus 4 isn't particularly more durable at all, possibly the opposite in fact with the glass in its construction - numerous stories of it shattering are out there too...


----------



## ninjames

Quote: 





nztechfreak said:


> Total luck of the draw, depends how they strike the surface. Nexus 4 isn't particularly more durable at all, possibly the opposite in fact with the glass in its construction - numerous stories of it shattering are out there too...


 
  I disagree. While the glass back is prone to cracking and breaking - it wasn't the smartest design choice - the Nexus 4 overall is a much sturdier phone than the GSIII. Samsung is my favorite electronics company, but they make their phones out of cheap material and whereas I can drop mine and crack my back over and over, a GSIII can be absolutely done for without much force at all.


----------



## outmywindow

^^ FWIW, I've had my Samsung galaxy ace dropped onto a marble floor and it survived the fall without a single scratch. Just goes to show that not everything depends on the build quality or design of the phone. Although it does matter whether or not one has their phone inside of a case or not when things go awry


----------



## Parall3l

SIII owner here. Tried the Nexus7. Feels nice, but the screen size is too small for me. Maybe a Nexus 10 with Ubuntu would be nice (inb4 heresy).


----------



## mark2410

question, thinking of getting rid of my ipad and getting a nexus 7 but concerned i may find it too small, anyone else make that transition if so how you find it?


----------



## 10068

I own the Galaxy S III (with T-Mobile USA) and I am absolutely dumbfounded why this phone is so popular. It's garbage, and almost as buggy as my G2 which is saying a lot.

 Charging 400$+ for it is laughable.

Is everyone just a total and complete moron or is there something I'm missing?


----------



## LFF

Quote: 





sduibek said:


> I own the Galaxy S III (with T-Mobile USA) and I am absolutely dumbfounded why this phone is so popular. It's garbage, and almost as buggy as my G2 which is saying a lot.
> 
> Charging 400$+ for it is laughable.
> 
> Is everyone just a total and complete moron or is there something I'm missing?


 

 I have a Galaxy S III (with Verizon) and it's a fantastic phone. I have yet to experience a major issue with it.
   
  Could be your phone or your provider. I was with T-Mobile for over 10 years. I stuck with them for the last three only due to contracts...their service has become the worst and their phones never worked properly.


----------



## proton007

Quote: 





sduibek said:


> I own the Galaxy S III (with T-Mobile USA) and I am absolutely dumbfounded why this phone is so popular. It's garbage, and almost as buggy as my G2 which is saying a lot.
> 
> Charging 400$+ for it is laughable.
> 
> Is everyone just a total and complete moron or is there something I'm missing?


 

 Not sure about buggy, I didn't have any issue with my International SIII. I didn't like TouchWiz though, so I put the AOKP ROM. Enjoying the google experience ever since.
   
  Talking about everyone being a moron, I feel everyone is nowadays. My parents were amazed to hear my phone takes 3 hours to charge and lasts a day at max. Compare this to simple phones that take half an hour to charge and last 3 days.
  Somewhere in the past 3-4 years it seems the customers have accepted a one day battery life, as long as the phone has a retina display. When customer priorities change, so do manufacturers.


----------



## tool462

Quote: 





sduibek said:


> I own the Galaxy S III (with T-Mobile USA) and I am absolutely dumbfounded why this phone is so popular. It's garbage, and almost as buggy as my G2 which is saying a lot.
> 
> Charging 400$+ for it is laughable.
> 
> Is everyone just a total and complete moron or is there something I'm missing?


 
   
  Ditch TouchWiz immediately and load up CleanROM, AOKP (my suggestion) or another popular one and profit.


----------



## LFF

I need to install the Carbon rom on mine.

 I haven't had any problems with it stock though.


----------



## 10068

Yeah definitely going to ditch stock when I have time to do it. Probably in the next few weeks.

LFF has the right idea, the issues are probably just the ridiculous software it comes with.

I have many friends who use CyanogenMod, how do those others you guys mention compare to Cyanogen?


----------



## proton007

Quote: 





sduibek said:


> I have many friends who use CyanogenMod, how do those others you guys mention compare to Cyanogen?


 
   
  Basics are all the same. You can take a look at any extra enhancements the ROMs provide, and the under-the-hood features like speed governors and clock settings.


----------



## neurofone

Quote: 





sduibek said:


> I own the Galaxy S III (with T-Mobile USA) and I am absolutely dumbfounded why this phone is so popular. It's garbage, and almost as buggy as my G2 which is saying a lot.
> 
> Charging 400$+ for it is laughable.
> 
> Is everyone just a total and complete moron or is there something I'm missing?


 
   
  Well since the SIII is one of the top rated phones out there, I think either your phone is defective or you are definitely missing something (or the moron).   You should not experience any bugs with it, and if you do, you may have a defective phone or require a factory reset due to a bad app install.  It certainly is not "garbage".  You should take some time to figure out what's wrong with it and return it if necessary for a replacement or repair.  Some people don't like the Samsung TouchWiz interface and will flash a custom ROM, but even if you leave the phone stock, it's considered one of the best phones out there.   T-mobile service is fine in urban locations, I've been with them for over a decade without any complaints.  They keep getting better as they expand their relatively fast HSPA+ coverage and will soon also provide LTE in some markets.  So no, everyone is not a complete moron, and in fact the SIII is one of the best phones money can buy, it's the flagship Samsung phone (until the S4 of course)   
    
  Personally I now have a Nexus 4 with T-Mobile's $30 prepaid plan and would never go back to a contract plan.


----------



## tool462

Quote: 





sduibek said:


> Yeah definitely going to ditch stock when I have time to do it. Probably in the next few weeks.
> 
> LFF has the right idea, the issues are probably just the ridiculous software it comes with.
> 
> I have many friends who use CyanogenMod, how do those others you guys mention compare to Cyanogen?


 
   
  Cyanogen is often the "base" for these custom builds, but I've never had good battery life with any straight Cyanogen ROMs.  I prefer AOKP in that regard, same or more customization options and seems to play nicely with any kernel I feel like trying.
   
  Currently running AOKP 4.2.2 with AK Pirates 687 Kernel.  I run at 1350MHz on stock volts and down to 180MHz idle with 780mV.  Phone lasts a very long time, I toggle LTE off when I'm not using it.  The LTE toggle is right in the navbar if you have a custom ROM, quite nice.
   
   
  Quote: 





neurofone said:


> Personally I now have a Nexus 4 with T-Mobile's $30 prepaid plan and would never go back to a contract plan.


 
   
  /jealous
   
  Trapped in Verizon's grasp right now.  Have been thinking about selling my GNex to fund an "early termination fee" and buy a Nexus 4


----------



## ninjames

Yeah TouchWiz is really, super awful and the phone is much more smooth, crisp, and glitch-free with a stock-like rom on it. When I go from my Nexus 4 to the TouchWiz GSIII I feel like I'm surrounded by bloat.


----------



## gopanthersgo1

Are we ever going to do that review thing?


----------



## ninjames

Quote: 





gopanthersgo1 said:


> Are we ever going to do that review thing?


 
  PM'd you. I totally forgot that I'd recruited some people from Head-Fi.


----------



## L0SLobos

How many people here still have Galaxy nexus's besides me and mechy? GN users unite!


----------



## proton007

Quote: 





l0slobos said:


> How many people here still have Galaxy nexus's besides me and mechy? GN users unite!


 

 I really wanted the Nexus 4, but it seems the carriers are biased towards all Nexus phones. They always arrive late at my place, sometimes by 6 months or more. By then, other brands have already released phones with better hardware.
  When I bought my GS3, the only other phone was the Galaxy Nexus, and the Nexus 4 was rumored to be released soon. Its still not available here.


----------



## neurofone

Quote: 





proton007 said:


> I really wanted the Nexus 4, but it seems the carriers are biased towards all Nexus phones. They always arrive late at my place, sometimes by 6 months or more. By then, other brands have already released phones with better hardware.
> When I bought my GS3, the only other phone was the Galaxy Nexus, and the Nexus 4 was rumored to be released soon. Its still not available here.


 
  Can't you buy it direct from Google?   
   
  Also I just wanted to mention that the Nexus is not about the "latest hardware". You'll always find better hardware, but the Nexus is about official fast OS updates from Google, un-modified Android, no bloatware, and easy development, all right out of the box.


----------



## tool462

Quote: 





l0slobos said:


> How many people here still have Galaxy nexus's besides me and mechy? GN users unite!


 
   
   
  I do.
   
  Ditching Verizon soon (hoping to get out of my contract with no fee) and getting a Nexus 4 with T-Mobile no contract $30/mo "unlimited" plan.


----------



## proton007

Quote: 





neurofone said:


> Can't you buy it direct from Google?
> 
> Also I just wanted to mention that the Nexus is not about the "latest hardware". You'll always find better hardware, but the Nexus is about official fast OS updates from Google, un-modified Android, no bloatware, and easy development, all right out of the box.


 

 I can't, Google doesn't ship it outside the US. Anyways now I have the GS3, rooted with AOKP rom.
   
  About hardware I agree, but it makes sense if you can get the Nexus phones closer to their release date. There's no use in getting one when the next Nexus device is going to be released soon.


----------



## L0SLobos

Quote: 





proton007 said:


> I can't, Google doesn't ship it outside the US. Anyways now I have the GS3, rooted with AOKP rom.
> 
> About hardware I agree, but it makes sense if you can get the Nexus phones closer to their release date. There's no use in getting one when the next Nexus device is going to be released soon.


 
  Does AOKP have the newly finished calculator stock app from Cyanogenmod? That's a must for me since it now supports graphing functions, has binary hex conversion and matrices.


----------



## proton007

Quote: 





l0slobos said:


> Does AOKP have the newly finished calculator stock app from Cyanogenmod? That's a must for me since it now supports graphing functions, has binary hex conversion and matrices.


 

 Yep. Using that one.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

I love my Nexus 7 ( 4.2.2 ). I take it with me every where. My wife has a GS3 ( 4.1.1 ) and loves it. As far as DACs go, her phone supported my uDAC right away. Meanwhile, my N7 doesn't, which is really weird to me. I do have USB Audio Recorder PRO but it's not very user friendly. Not it's main purpose though, _playing _music. Anyway, once it's available, I'm going to jump on one of those HTC One's. I'm pretty over my Lumia 900, except for being able to have the entire map of the US available to me, offline.


----------



## ninjikiran

Note 2 pairs really well with the 770pro/32 Anniversary. (in stock form has just enough power to give them room for volume)
   
  Many of these new phones sound really good, good enough to not make me miss my desktop setup when I am away from it.  Sure my desktop setup is better, but for casual listening its not ear deafening day and night.  It hits all the points it should, just a few gradations lower.
  
   
  One of my reasons for sticking to the stock is the spen features.  I just run a different home replacement and simple dialer widget which is much faster than any stock dialer.  The stock messenger app is ok, I only use gosms for themes.  Stock keyboard is better laid out on the note 2 than any other replacement.  Tbh, after playing with the S3, nothing beats typing on a screen of that size.  Its like perfect for my fingers(which are small).  And obv nothing beats the keyboard on the t-mobile G-2 for comfort, and the G-1 for functionality.


----------



## Jesterphile

Quote: 





tool462 said:


> I do.
> 
> Ditching Verizon soon (hoping to get out of my contract with no fee) and getting a Nexus 4 with T-Mobile no contract $30/mo "unlimited" plan.


 
  I also had a Galaxy Nexus GSM before I got my Nexus 4. Both great phones!


----------



## mechgamer123

So has anyone taken Google up on the offer of storing all your music in the cloud for free? I believe it's for the first 10,000 songs or something crazy like that...
  Also, does anyone know of a good way to load music onto an android device in MP3 V0 from ALAC in iTunes???


----------



## labcoat

I did it for the GF I uploaded FLAC files I think it auto converts to MP3 I though it sounded like poop just my personal experiences I would give it a whirl and see how you like it.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

I can confirm that streaming your collection from the google music app sounds like poop. About the same as hearing a song on the radio.

Going to that, from a FLAC file is a night and day difference, IMO.

Maybe download your favorite songs to your phones internal storage and just stream the rest for background noise.


----------



## rexirius

Just got a 32-gig Nexus 7. Lots of space for FLAC files. Audio from the headphone jack on the HD598 is OK, not great. I suppose the 3.5mm jack is analogue only, but I wonder if there is a way to extract digital audio out of the micro USB for a portable DAC/amp?


----------



## labcoat

no and I think the docking contact on the NEXUS7 are analogue as well, possibly line out


----------



## Tangster

Quote: 





rexirius said:


> Just got a 32-gig Nexus 7. Lots of space for FLAC files. Audio from the headphone jack on the HD598 is OK, not great. I suppose the 3.5mm jack is analogue only, but I wonder if there is a way to extract digital audio out of the micro USB for a portable DAC/amp?


 
  Root it.
  This kernel: mehrvarz.github.com/usb-host-mode-power-management-nexus7  + ROM of your choice + USB OTG cable = Allows for you to connect a USB DAC without rebooting every time. Works with my E07K and Topping D1.


----------



## rexirius

Quote: 





tangster said:


> Root it.
> This kernel: mehrvarz.github.com/usb-host-mode-power-management-nexus7  + ROM of your choice + USB OTG cable = Allows for you to connect a USB DAC without rebooting every time. Works with my E07K and Topping D1.


 
   
  Thanks for the info, exactly what I was looking for!  However, will play around for a while with the stock OS before rooting


----------



## neurofone

rexirius said:


> Just got a 32-gig Nexus 7. Lots of space for FLAC files. Audio from the headphone jack on the HD598 is OK, not great. I suppose the 3.5mm jack is analogue only, but I wonder if there is a way to extract digital audio out of the micro USB for a portable DAC/amp?




Actually there is a way with the nexus 7. You need to flash a custom kernel that supports it. Last I checked there was one by Poitee that supported USB audio. There are likely others. Here it is: http://rootzwiki.com/topic/30129-kernel-nexus-7-cifsnfsusb-otg-gpu-oc-cpu-oc-072912/


----------



## rexirius

Quote: 





neurofone said:


> Actually there is a way with the nexus 7. You need to flash a custom kernel that supports it. Last I checked there was one by Poitee that supported USB audio. There are likely others. Here it is: http://rootzwiki.com/topic/30129-kernel-nexus-7-cifsnfsusb-otg-gpu-oc-cpu-oc-072912/


 
   
  Thanks, Neurofone! This, and the one posted earlier by Tangster, give me two alternatives to try!


----------



## Dutch-Guy

I've switched to a Sony Xperia P since my Sensation was stolen.
  Maybe I'll put CM9 on it this weekend, and does anyone know which DAC it has?


----------



## mechgamer123

So, the photobucket app for android decided to eat through half my battery the other day, so it got uninstalled...
Are there any other good android apps for uploading photos to a server where then can be somewhat privatized while still being shareable without much difficulty?


----------



## Tangster

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> So, the photobucket app for android decided to eat through half my battery the other day, so it got uninstalled...
> Are there any other good android apps for uploading photos to a server where then can be somewhat privatized while still being shareable without much difficulty?


 
  Google+


----------



## J.Pocalypse

The app "USB Audio Recorder Pro" forces audio out from the USB port. Playback is not its primary function so the UI is a bit clunky, but, it works. I've tried it with my uDAC and M50s and works like a charm.

No root required.


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





tangster said:


> Google+


 
  Google Fanboy... -_-
  Can you even upload G+ pics via URL to a site like head-fi?
  Quote: 





j.pocalypse said:


> The app "USB Audio Recorder Pro" forces audio out from the USB port. Playback is not its primary function so the UI is a bit clunky, but, it works. I've tried it with my uDAC and M50s and works like a charm.
> 
> No root required.


 
  Too bad we can't convince the dev to implement some sort of root, system level app that does that across all of android...


----------



## Tangster

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> Google Fanboy... -_-
> Can you even upload G+ pics via URL to a site like head-fi?


 
   


Spoiler: Yes


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





tangster said:


> Spoiler: Yes


 
  Sweet... And it comes loaded on my phone already! Awesome!


----------



## hodgjy

My trusty flip phone from 2005 finally died, so I made the jump to my first smart phone.  Got an LG Optimus L9 with 4.0.4 on T-mobile.  Love it so far!


----------



## kramer5150

Is there an Android AP that provides MAC iOS / iTunes seamless connectivity?
  In other words, plug the Android device into a mac, boot up itunes and the device is readily accessible in iTunes just like an ipod or iPhone?
   
  thanks


----------



## hodgjy

I would speculate that this would be more of an iTunes plugin than an Android app.  And we all know how controlling Apple is.  If such a plugin did exist, it would likely be disabled with every point release of iTunes.
   
  Saying that, though, for this to work (which it should if designers made it), it would require both the iTunes plugin and the Android app to communicate with iTunes.
   
  Quote: 





kramer5150 said:


> Is there an Android AP that provides MAC iOS / iTunes seamless connectivity?
> In other words, plug the Android device into a mac, boot up itunes and the device is readily accessible in iTunes just like an ipod or iPhone?
> 
> thanks


----------



## gopanthersgo1

kramer5150 said:


> Is there an Android AP that provides MAC iOS / iTunes seamless connectivity?
> In other words, plug the Android device into a mac, boot up itunes and the device is readily accessible in iTunes just like an ipod or iPhone?
> 
> thanks


Does Isyncr work that way?


----------



## neurofone

There are a ton of options to sync iTunes with your Android phone.  Google is your friend here.  Just remember that you won't be able to play any DRM-protected iTunes content on your Android phone.


----------



## akash neagi

just read the S4 and Xperia z comparison on gsmarena......
  looks like the S4 just beat the z......
  here is the link:
  http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s4_vs_sony_xperia_z-review-915p6.php


----------



## mechgamer123

Any programs that can sync with itunes and force it to convert ALAC files to MP3 or AAC?


----------



## iamitman

Looking to move from iphone to something like S4 or Htc one. How about these two? What you prefer?


----------



## dryvadeum

iamitman said:


> Looking to move from iphone to something like S4 or Htc one. How about these two? What you prefer?




Samsung all the way as they're built with better functionality and software tweaks. HTC are trying too hard to produce a stylish phone.


----------



## DefQon

Yeah HTC use to be top of the game now they have run out of ideas.


----------



## DefQon

Skip out both and wait till better phones come out around June.


----------



## hodgjy

HTC has too many problems breaking Android apps.  Stick with known Android phones like Samsung or LG.  The T-Mobile Nexus 4 is supposedly the best Android hardware out there.


----------



## Szadzik

Quote: 





defqon said:


> Skip out both and wait till better phones come out around June.


 
   
  What other manufacturers that count will be releasing flagships? Sony just started shipping theirs, and HTC are about to start. Samsung has announced S4. Who else can come up with something worth a mention? Motorola, maybe?


----------



## DefQon

The next Nexus is around the corner. An update to the XZ is coming out soon almost near Q3 (new phone), HTC potentially, Sharp and the possibly a new LG Optimus. iPhone 5S is also coming out in Q3 as well.


----------



## tool462

Nexus 4 is the only phone to get right now in my opinion. Soon it will be the HTC One (with a custom ROM to ditch Sense immediately) or an S4 with a custom ROM as well.
   
   
  Buying an Android phone based on what the carrier or phone maker does to the AOSP experience is about the dumbest thing you can do.


----------



## Jesterphile

Quote: 





tool462 said:


> Nexus 4 is the only phone to get right now in my opinion. Soon it will be the HTC One (with a custom ROM to ditch Sense immediately) or an S4 with a custom ROM as well.
> 
> 
> Buying an Android phone based on what the carrier or phone maker does to the AOSP experience is about the dumbest thing you can do.


 
  A lot of people like the added features from the manufacturer skins. My mum likes Sense and I know a few people who like Touchwiz
   
  I, like you, prefer stock android. Unfortunately we're a minority.


----------



## dryvadeum

Quote: 





jesterphile said:


> A lot of people like the added features from the manufacturer skins. My mum likes Sense and I know a few people who like Touchwiz
> 
> I, like you, prefer stock android. Unfortunately we're a minority.


 
  I'd have to say Touchwiz is probably the least offensive and intrusive UI. I don't like how a portion of your screen is taken up by the home buttons on stock Android. It reminds me of the silly menu button on the HTC One X.


----------



## Jesterphile

Quote: 





dryvadeum said:


> I'd have to say Touchwiz is probably the least offensive and intrusive UI. I don't like how a portion of your screen is taken up by the home buttons on stock Android. It reminds me of the silly menu button on the HTC One X.


 
  If they weren't on screen the screen would be smaller to accommodate though. I understand your point though, I also think the menu button is ridiculous on the HTC Phones.


----------



## dryvadeum

Quote: 





jesterphile said:


> If they weren't on screen the screen would be smaller to accommodate though. I understand your point though, I also think the menu button is ridiculous on the HTC Phones.


 
  I'd definitely like to see another Galaxy Nexus though.


----------



## Jesterphile

Quote: 





dryvadeum said:


> I'd definitely like to see another Galaxy Nexus though.


 
  I'd like to see a HTC Nexus which replaces their stupid capacitive buttons with on screen ones. Another Samsung Nexus would be good but I'd prefer to see a rotation between manufacturers each year for the nexus devices. Then again - if a company is going to make a rubbish phone, maybe not....


----------



## DefQon

Quote: 





tool462 said:


> Nexus 4 is the only phone to get right now in my opinion. Soon it will be the HTC One (with a custom ROM to ditch Sense immediately) or an S4 with a custom ROM as well.
> 
> 
> Buying an Android phone based on what the carrier or phone maker does to the AOSP experience is about the dumbest thing you can do.


 
  LOL, doesn't sound like you've ever used Motoblur. Those stock rom features mentioned above are actually not bad.


----------



## dryvadeum

Quote: 





jesterphile said:


> I'd like to see a HTC Nexus which replaces their stupid capacitive buttons with on screen ones. Another Samsung Nexus would be good but I'd prefer to see a rotation between manufacturers each year for the nexus devices. Then again - if a company is going to make a rubbish phone, maybe not....


 
  HTC dropped the ball long ago and I doubt they'll be fit to play for a while. They really need to drop the unibody designs and bring back expandable memory and replaceable batteries. Plus the way they have named their line up is just confusing e.g. One X, One X+ and now the One? That seems a bit backwards to me.


----------



## DefQon

+1 to that. HTC has been out of the android competing game for quite a while now. Frankly said they are losing a large portion of the android market compared to other manufacturers though not as bad as Motorola.


----------



## Jesterphile

Quote: 





dryvadeum said:


> HTC dropped the ball long ago and I doubt they'll be fit to play for a while. They really need to drop the unibody designs and bring back expandable memory and replaceable batteries. Plus the way they have named their line up is just confusing e.g. One X, One X+ and now the One? That seems a bit backwards to me.


 
   
  Quote: 





defqon said:


> +1 to that. HTC has been out of the android competing game for quite a while now. Frankly said they are losing a large portion of the android market compared to other manufacturers though not as bad as Motorola.


 
  I agree that HTC has dropped the ball; but I feel that some collaboration with Google on a device might help them find their way again.
   
  I prefer having a removable battery too. Expandable memory is also a good thing (but apparently too hard to use for average joe)


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





jesterphile said:


> Quote:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
  HTC should really get a crack at building a nexus device again... I've been impressed with the build quality of HTC's flagships more than any other manufacturer. However, it would have to have a removable battery for me to even consider buying it :/


----------



## gopanthersgo1

Anyone else getting the S4 on release day?


----------



## Jesterphile

Quote: 





gopanthersgo1 said:


> Anyone else getting the S4 on release day?


 
  I've been weighing up getting an S4 and selling my Nexus 4 - I think I'm leaning towards keeping the nexus atm


----------



## dryvadeum

I want to get an S4 but I'm not sure it'll be that much of an upgrade over my S3. Considering they're going to include a few of the software tweaks with the next android 4.2 update available to the S3, I'm not sure it's really worth it.


----------



## gopanthersgo1

dryvadeum said:


> I want to get an S4 but I'm not sure it'll be that much of an upgrade over my S3. Considering they're going to include a few of the software tweaks with the next android 4.2 update available to the S3, I'm not sure it's really worth it.


It'll be a huge upgrade over my S2 Skyrocket... HORRID phone! Battery literally lasts like 4 hours if I actually use it for 30 minutes, then close out all apps...


----------



## xxicrimsonixx

Running T989 with All Star Rom 4.1.2.


----------



## DefQon

An S4 won't be much of an upgrade compared to the S3. Both phones will and has endless support with ROM's due to it's unlocked bootloader and easy portability of aosp rom's etc. But seriously the S4 looks the same as the S3 just 0.2 inches bigger.


----------



## dryvadeum

Quote: 





defqon said:


> An S4 won't be much of an upgrade compared to the S3. Both phones will and has endless support with ROM's due to it's unlocked bootloader and easy portability of aosp rom's etc. But seriously the S4 looks the same as the S3 just 0.2 inches bigger.


 
  But with a full HD screen and better battery life.


----------



## Jesterphile

Quote: 





dryvadeum said:


> But with a full HD screen and better battery life.


 
  Has better battery life been shown in tests yet?


----------



## dryvadeum

Quote: 





jesterphile said:


> Has better battery life been shown in tests yet?


 
  I don't think so but hopefully being that it's 2600mah it'll provide a bit more juice even with the full HD screen.


----------



## akash neagi

Hey will the s4 non US....
Have a wolfson dac?
And how do I know for sure that my s3 has a wolfson dac?


----------



## Jesterphile

Quote: 





dryvadeum said:


> I don't think so but hopefully being that it's 2600mah it'll provide a bit more juice even with the full HD screen.


 
  I'd say it will be marginal at best... Any real increase will be via software tweaks that will hopefully also make their way to the S3.


----------



## dryvadeum

Quote: 





jesterphile said:


> I'd say it will be marginal at best... Any real increase will be via software tweaks that will hopefully also make their way to the S3.


 
  Yeah true. I just want a new toy lol.


----------



## Jesterphile

Quote: 





dryvadeum said:


> Yeah true. I just want a new toy lol.


 
  Won't the LCD2's be enough?


----------



## dryvadeum

jesterphile said:


> Won't the LCD2's be enough?




Nothing is ever enough, you know that


----------



## DefQon

Get some Stax 009 + a BHSE, then it will surely be enough.


----------



## dryvadeum

defqon said:


> Get some Stax 009 + a BHSE, then it will surely be enough.




I'm not sure about that. Jester and I are pretty bad influences on each other lol.


----------



## dalb

Can't wait for the S4 to come out in Australia. I was interested in the HTC but it's just missing some things I want, plus that ugly beats logo on the back. Yuck.


----------



## FlyingFungus

I'm using (and currently posting from) the Note II. I'm loving it although it has its small issues.


----------



## gopanthersgo1

Getting a S4 when it comes out... is there a date yet?


----------



## mechgamer123

gopanthersgo1 said:


> Getting a S4 when it comes out... is there a date yet?



Depends on which carrier you want.


----------



## gopanthersgo1

mechgamer123 said:


> Depends on which carrier you want.


AT&T


----------



## mechgamer123

gopanthersgo1 said:


> mechgamer123 said:
> 
> 
> > Depends on which carrier you want.
> ...


I wanna say it's either already out our on the verge of being out in the next few weeks.


----------



## dalb

The s4 released in Australia via Telstra at select stores yesterday for anyone in aus. Comes out fully on Tuesday


----------



## Orakurumi

I've auditioned my htc one for a little this wk - i'm quite happy with the ohm output so far ^^ anyone have a comparision of the new phones & how much they drive ^^


----------



## Orakurumi

Yup trying to ignore the beats logo ;; lol


----------



## NZtechfreak

Got my S4 yesterday, get my One tomorrow.


----------



## gopanthersgo1

nztechfreak said:


> Got my S4 yesterday, get my One tomorrow.


The one is $50 cheaper than the S4 with a contract... teacher got it due to that fact.


----------



## Gruffnutz

Quote: 





dalb said:


> Can't wait for the S4 to come out in Australia. I was interested in the HTC but it's just missing some things I want, plus that ugly beats logo on the back. Yuck.


 

 So, as usual, Australia gets the borked US quad-core Qualcom processor version with the integrated (read crap) DAC while Europe gets the octo-core CPU and the Wolfson DAC.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




   
  No S4 for me then until the Euro spec ones are available secondhand.  Why would I 'upgrade' to a phone that sounds way worse than my trusty HTC Desire?


----------



## dalb

ordered the HTC one today, should get it soon. pretty excited. played with an S4 and the One today and much preferred the One surprisingly


----------



## FlyingFungus

Both the S4 and HTC One look good...but im still very happy with my Note 2 to upgrade. 

I'll wait for the Note 3 or whatever it will be called


----------



## gopanthersgo1

flyingfungus said:


> Both the S4 and HTC One look good...but im still very happy with my Note 2 to upgrade.
> 
> I'll wait for the Note 3 or whatever it will be called


Yeah, I wish the S4 had a bigger screen...  But great phone, battery might not be the best, but it lasted a while while feeding 2 different USB DACs (The Creative one (I wasn't an audiophool at the time! ) which the phone powered, and the E7 while on "Don't charge through USB").


----------



## grokit

Anybody know if the upcoming Firefox phone will output USB digital audio?


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





grokit said:


> Anybody know if the upcoming Firefox phone will output USB digital audio?


 
  I seriously doubt it considering it will be a first generation device.


----------



## grokit

I would say that the developer models were the first generation; evidently they were very well received.


----------



## FlyingFungus

gopanthersgo1 said:


> Yeah, I wish the S4 had a bigger screen...  But great phone, battery might not be the best, but it lasted a while while feeding 2 different USB DACs (The Creative one (I wasn't an audiophool at the time! ) which the phone powered, and the E7 while on "Don't charge through USB").




Haha I know, I'm not sure if I could go back to a smaller screen  

I find the battery is great if you turn off Data and Wi-fi when you don't really need it. Than the battery lasts quite a while.


----------



## gopanthersgo1

flyingfungus said:


> Haha I know, I'm not sure if I could go back to a smaller screen
> 
> I find the battery is great if you turn off Data and Wi-fi when you don't really need it. Than the battery lasts quite a while.


will have to do... Also, all the NFC, Bluetooth, and random hand control things might wear on the battery... :rolleyes:


----------



## FlyingFungus

gopanthersgo1 said:


> will have to do... Also, all the NFC, Bluetooth, and random hand control things might wear on the battery... :rolleyes:


Ya those too but its the wifi and data that are the real killers I think.

Most of that I have off and don't use anyway (maybe I should lol). I do, however, leave my screen brightness max all the time.


----------



## gopanthersgo1

flyingfungus said:


> Ya those too but its the wifi and data that are the real killers I think.
> 
> Most of that I have off and don't use anyway (maybe I should lol). I do, however, leave my screen brightness max all the time.


I keep my brightness on auto... max might wear down a bit too much power... (It did on my S2 Skyrocket...) that phone was COMPLETE JUNK!


----------



## FlyingFungus

gopanthersgo1 said:


> I keep my brightness on auto... max might wear down a bit too much power... (It did on my S2 Skyrocket...) that phone was COMPLETE JUNK!


I honestly don't notice too much of a difference in battery power when I had it in auto compared to max.


----------



## gopanthersgo1

flyingfungus said:


> I honestly don't notice too much of a difference in battery power when I had it in auto compared to max.


well, the skyrocket had a VERY inefficient screen... I'll keep the S4 on max unless I know I won't charge for a while (on campout).


----------



## dryvadeum

Quote: 





gopanthersgo1 said:


> well, the skyrocket had a VERY inefficient screen... I'll keep the S4 on max unless I know I won't charge for a while (on campout).


 
  Is the S4 really that much better than the S3?


----------



## gopanthersgo1

Never had the S3,but the S4 is great, real big step up from the galaxy s2 Skyrocket!


----------



## Orakurumi

I switched from apple for aptx lol - i know the s4 has it too but those phablets too big for me >.<

I would def put out top $$ for a perfect DAC/Amp phone tho *_*


----------



## dalb

The HTC One is a brilliant phone.


----------



## FlyingFungus

dalb said:


> The HTC One is a brilliant phone.


Looks like a really nice phone for sure. Really nice screen, fast and looks like a piece of art. Im a samsung fan though. The S4 looks like it has more features plus the removable battery.


----------



## dalb

Yes I looked at the Samsung too. But Telstra (the major telco here in Australia) offer a 24 month warranty on the phone including the battery. Also I saw most of the Samsung features as gimicky and bloat. The Samsung ran with noticeable lag when I tried it. Also the screen really isn't great, terrible under direct light and can't show whites well. Lastly I know it has expandable storage but the 16gb only comes with about 7gb of actual usable memory. Seeing as apps can only be stored on internal memory and not the sd card and that I download a lot of music to my spotify app that wouldve been an issue. Sorry if that all came across as too critical or aggressive I just spent a while thinking about the phone and wanted to get a bit of that out there.


----------



## NZtechfreak

Small correction ~9GB of internal storage free on the S4, 2GB makes a wee bit of difference, although still insufficient and a misstep from Samsung not releasing it as 32GB in the base model. I wouldn't recommend an S4 unless you get the 32GB model myself. That said, users with SD cards who don't play storage intensive games will find even the 16GB model sufficient.


----------



## FlyingFungus

dalb said:


> Yes I looked at the Samsung too. But Telstra (the major telco here in Australia) offer a 24 month warranty on the phone including the battery. Also I saw most of the Samsung features as gimicky and bloat. The Samsung ran with noticeable lag when I tried it. Also the screen really isn't great, terrible under direct light and can't show whites well. Lastly I know it has expandable storage but the 16gb only comes with about 7gb of actual usable memory. Seeing as apps can only be stored on internal memory and not the sd card and that I download a lot of music to my spotify app that wouldve been an issue. Sorry if that all came across as too critical or aggressive I just spent a while thinking about the phone and wanted to get a bit of that out there.


Ya I notice lag with my Note 2...and the poor screen quality in sunlight.


----------



## Tman5293

Does anyone else here use their phone with a USB DAC? Both my Galaxy SIII and ASUS Transformer Prime can output audio over USB. I'm curious to see how many other people use this feature. It's great in my opinion. I get the same audio quality on my phone/tablet that I get on my computer. I've read that not very many people are able to get it working properly. I use it on Android 4.2.2 RootBox ROM (AOKP/Cyanogenmod/Paranoid Android).


----------



## NZtechfreak

Quote: 





tman5293 said:


> Does anyone else here use their phone with a USB DAC? Both my Galaxy SIII and ASUS Transformer Prime can output audio over USB. I'm curious to see how many other people use this feature. It's great in my opinion. I get the same audio quality on my phone/tablet that I get on my computer. I've read that not very many people are able to get it working properly. I use it on Android 4.2.2 RootBox ROM (AOKP/Cyanogenmod/Paranoid Android).


 
   
  Check the Android USB audio thread in the Portable Sources forum, lots of us doing that.


----------



## gopanthersgo1

S4 supports USB recording and output.


----------



## tool462

Finally got my Nexus 4 setup how I want with PACman 22 ROM on T-Mo's $30 "unlimited" plan.  I paid $23 for $30 refill cards on eBay.
   
  Hard to beat $23/mo for fast data and no contract.
   
  That way I can grab the "Nexus 5" or whatever they call it, when it comes out and flip my old Nexus 4 for $200+ on eBay


----------



## rolph

htc one s + cm10.1 + poweramp + lossless(flac) + sr60i


----------



## Teraflame

I got my galaxy S3 a couple weeks ago but the audio quality is terrible. Whenever I play music I hear random noise, its never clear. Especially apparent in lower volumes. 

Is something wrong with mine or do all S3s suffer this?


----------



## rolph

try poweramp for music files, it uses custom sound libraries. 
maybe it would work for you.


----------



## SecondZephyr

Thought this would be the right place to ask this:
 Is there any way to make the volume up/down increments in Android smaller? I have a Samsung Galaxy Exhilarate - and I don't know if this is the same for all Android devices, but there's only 15 increments from muted to full volume. That's not many. Often times, I find that a track is too loud at one level, but the level just below it is too quiet...

 I don't have this issue with my iPod Touch. Not only are there more increments, but you can always touch-and-drag to what volume level you want.
 Is there any way to get around this in Android?


----------



## Hutnicks

Quote: 





secondzephyr said:


> Thought this would be the right place to ask this:
> Is there any way to make the volume up/down increments in Android smaller? I have a Samsung Galaxy Exhilarate - and I don't know if this is the same for all Android devices, but there's only 15 increments from muted to full volume. That's not many. Often times, I find that a track is too loud at one level, but the level just below it is too quiet...
> 
> I don't have this issue with my iPod Touch. Not only are there more increments, but you can always touch-and-drag to what volume level you want.
> Is there any way to get around this in Android?


 

 Not that I know of. Digital volume controls are usually built into the chipset so the number of steps is fixed to whatever the manufacturer sets it to.


----------



## SecondZephyr

But see, the weird thing is that the Rockbox for Android port that's in development (with builds available online) has way more than 15 increments. The only reason I don't use Rockbox is because the GUI is really convoluted and not fluid, and it crashes here and there.

 It makes me think that there's got to be some way to get around it - even if it has to be done in some unorthodox way on the developer's side of things...


----------



## Hutnicks

Quote: 





secondzephyr said:


> But see, the weird thing is that the Rockbox for Android port that's in development (with builds available online) has way more than 15 increments. The only reason I don't use Rockbox is because the GUI is really convoluted and not fluid, and it crashes here and there.
> 
> It makes me think that there's got to be some way to get around it - even if it has to be done in some unorthodox way on the developer's side of things...


 

 Yeah if you go under software control sure. I thought you were actually talking about the buttons on the unit themselves. There may be a software shim out there to do just that.
   
  Neutron player is the way to go on the 'droid. Not intuitive in any way but performance and reliability wise A1.


----------



## Tman5293

So here's something I'm pretty excited about. I just updated my ROM to the newest nightly and now I have HALO from Paranoid Android. I don't know if it's been mentioned in this thread before but HALO creates a bubble on the edge of your screen that manages notifications by opening up the app for the notification in a window on top of whatever app you are already running. The great thing about this is that you can open any app with HALO and use the full app on top of any other app you might already be running. This is the greatest form of multitasking I have ever seen on Android. Check it out:


----------



## CrystalT

Does anyone know what the l300 uses for its dac? I get no noise out of the hpo with sensitive in ears. Quality is on par with my clip zip and zune hd. 

Sent from my SPH-L300 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## mabus627

So who's dropped a new rom onto their phone?
 If so what's the Phone make an model, and what's the Rom?
  Along with that, If you haven't put a new rom on: What's your make and model, are you rooted and what launcher do you use?

 Not sure if all this has been asked, but I thought it'd be nice to get all of it asked at once, just as a survey kind of thing.


 Sprint Galaxy SIII (d2spr), Haven't dropped a new rom on yet, though I've been eyeing CarbonRom quite a bit, but I am rooted and I'm Nova at the moment.
 I'm kind of scared to flash a new room to my SIII, given that the first time I gave it a go, I was using an incompatible rom (didn't know it at the time. Thought I had the i9300 and d2spr) and hard brick.
 Thankfully it was literally hours after I got the phone and was able to take it to Sprint and get an exchange, telling them that the update that was shot out to the Sprint SIII flashed wrong and caused the problem. (Fraud I know, but It was not even two days later, Didn't have the the $150 to shell out...)

 I know everything shoudl turn out fine now that I know the rom is at least compatible with my phone, and I've flashed new roms on several different devices. The knowledge of hard bricking is still there...


----------



## CrystalT

I have the Samsung galaxy victory. Rooted, running default launcher. I want to drop a new Rom, but the phone has very little development done to it. 

Sent from my SPH-L300 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Tman5293

Quote: 





mabus627 said:


> So who's dropped a new rom onto their phone?
> If so what's the Phone make an model, and what's the Rom?
> Along with that, If you haven't put a new rom on: What's your make and model, are you rooted and what launcher do you use?
> 
> ...


 
   
  Let me help you out here. I have a rooted and flashed AT&T Galaxy SIII. You need to check out the ROM I'm using. It's called RootBox and is a combination of AOKP, Cyanogenmod, and Paranoid Android. Those three are the most popular Android ROMs out there. This ROM that I run takes the best features from all three of them and puts them together into one ROM.
   
  This is the RootBox website: http://rootbox.ca/
   
  Here is the XDA thread for your phone: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2268993
   
  When you're flashing, don't forget to flash the Google apps (gapps) after you've flashed the ROM or bad things will happen. With this ROM you only need to do this the first time you flash the ROM. This ROM has a unique backup feature where it saves the gapps when you flash a newer version of the ROM to update. Also I recommend flashing the latest nightly as it runs completely stable and has the most features. The stable builds are usually way behind as far as new features go. I'm running the latest nightly on mine as a daily driver and it works just fine.


----------



## Audio-Omega

Samsung Galaxy S3 4G here.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



  How do I turn off the music and video player ?  They are still running in the background when I hit pause.


----------



## Accoun

You can go to settings -> applications. I think swiping them off the "last opened" list works as well. 
But generally, you shouldn't most of the time.


----------



## Audio-Omega

Thanks.  This phone has more processing power than my home computer.


----------



## tritonesub

Quote: 





mabus627 said:


> So who's dropped a new rom onto their phone?
> If so what's the Phone make an model, and what's the Rom?
> Along with that, If you haven't put a new rom on: What's your make and model, are you rooted and what launcher do you use?
> 
> ...


 
  Really, hard bricking your phone is really... well, hard. Unless you've flashed the wrong radios or kernel, flashing the wrong rom really shouldn't do that much damage. Couple that with making daily nandroid backups, and you should be set for life. Soft bricks sure are annoying though.
 Sprint Galaxy Nexus here, I'm pretty sure I've run just about every rom available. For the last month or so I've stuck with good ol Cyanogenmod and that's almost as smooth as it gets. Vanir and Carbon are both smoother and faster than CM, but Vanir has some odd bugs and pretty poopy battery life, and Carbon runs hotter than the sun and burns me. (((((((


----------



## tool462

Nexus 4 running latest PACMan ROM nightly with Franco.kernel.
   
  Love the display color choices/calibration in Franco's kernel.


----------



## mechgamer123

Any better phones out there for Verizon in the near future? Might get a new phone as a birthday gift


----------



## AladdinSane

HTC One.

Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk HD


----------



## Quartz67

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> Any better phones out there for Verizon in the near future? Might get a new phone as a birthday gift


 

 The S4 or HTC One are the ones to beat.  I own an S4 personally and would recommend it.


----------



## DefQon

Newer stuff coming out in a few months that will put both the One and 4 outdated.


----------



## mabus627

tman5293 said:


> Let me help you out here.



I know of most of the roms which I can get for the SIII d2spr. I've lookdd around understand the process, have a custom recovery, so on and so forth. I'm just worried I'll do something stupid on accident.



tritonesub said:


> Really, hard bricking your phone is really... well, hard.



Well. lkke I said in my original post, I flashed the rom for a i9300 not the d2spr which are different in terms of certian hardware.
That said I looked at Carbon and was going to flash that until I saw it gets crappy battery life.


----------



## Aaron94

Anyone else around here use a Galaxy S4?


----------



## gopanthersgo1

aaron94 said:


> Anyone else around here use a Galaxy S4?


Me!


----------



## Aaron94

gopanthersgo1 said:


> Me!




I knew I wouldnt be the only one, but Im still glad to know there are others.

Ive got a Spigen case and screen protector, plus a 32gb micro SD, and custom nova launcher on mine, how bout you?


----------



## gopanthersgo1

aaron94 said:


> I knew I wouldnt be the only one, but Im still glad to know there are others.
> 
> Ive got a Spigen case and screen protector, plus a 32gb micro SD, and custom nova launcher on mine, how bout you?


I have a flip cover, 8GB SD card and am rooted, deodexed, blah blah blah, etc... And have Nova launcher and nottach xposed on mine.


----------



## dalb

Quote: 





defqon said:


> Newer stuff coming out in a few months that will put both the One and 4 outdated.


 
  For example?
  Possibly the Galaxy Note 3, although based on what's known so far it will not 'outdate' either phone, and will be very similar. Also, it could be considered a different part of the market with the screen that size.
  Also possibly the Motorola X, but the specs there aren't outdating them either.
   
  Really not sure where you're coming from.


----------



## tool462

Quote: 





dalb said:


> For example?
> Possibly the Galaxy Note 3, although based on what's known so far it will not 'outdate' either phone, and will be very similar. Also, it could be considered a different part of the market with the screen that size.
> Also possibly the Motorola X, but the specs there aren't outdating them either.
> 
> Really not sure where you're coming from.


 
   
  I thought I must have missed something too.
   
  LG Optimus G2 or Nexus 5 maybe, but they don't have all that much over the One/S4.  Same display but Snapdragon 600 at best, definitely considered same generation in my opinion.


----------



## mechgamer123

I'm waiting for the Motorola X right now. Seems like it will be pretty good for the price. Since I still have a few months on my contract, it would be really nice if I could get it for under $300 off contract. Even if the phone isn't a powerhouse, it'll probably be better than my Galaxy Nexus which has been lagging to hell over the past few months or so...


----------



## tool462

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> I'm waiting for the Motorola X right now. Seems like it will be pretty good for the price. Since I still have a few months on my contract, it would be really nice if I could get it for under $300 off contract. Even if the phone isn't a powerhouse, it'll probably be better than my Galaxy Nexus which has been lagging to hell over the past few months or so...


 
   
   
  My wife has my old GNex now and running AOKP Milestone 1 (newer Nightly builds should be just fine) with Franco Kernel (probably Milestone 2) and it is silky smooth.  OCed and undervolted at all speed phases no problems.


----------



## mechgamer123

tool462 said:


> mechgamer123 said:
> 
> 
> > I'm waiting for the Motorola X right now. Seems like it will be pretty good for the price. Since I still have a few months on my contract, it would be really nice if I could get it for under $300 off contract. Even if the phone isn't a powerhouse, it'll probably be better than my Galaxy Nexus which has been lagging to hell over the past few months or so...
> ...


I honestly think just using the phone and installing/uninstalling apps can slow it down. I also wonder if a few of the apps I have that are supposed to speed up the phone don't slow it down in the long run... 
Also, chrome has been going slow with the last few updates so I downloaded opera today. Liking it much more.


----------



## tool462

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> I honestly think just using the phone and installing/uninstalling apps can slow it down. I also wonder if a few of the apps I have that are supposed to speed up the phone don't slow it down in the long run...
> Also, chrome has been going slow with the last few updates so I downloaded opera today. Liking it much more.


 
   
  Yeah I agree, same thing with computers.
   
  I flash ROMs enough to not notice, but I do highly recommend the "stable" AOKP release.


----------



## phillyd

Pipo Max M9
Cortex A9 Rockchip RK3188 Quad core @1.6GHz
2GB DDR3
16GB Flash memory
10.1" IPS


----------



## mechgamer123

phillyd said:


> Pipo Max M9
> Cortex A9 Rockchip RK3188 Quad core @1.6GHz
> 2GB DDR3
> 16GB Flash memory
> 10.1" IPS



That doesn't look like android to me!


----------



## phillyd

lol oops!


That's better


----------



## Snyper0012

Htc one v o/c to 1.4ghz Lol everyones running dual/quad cores im stuck on one :/ next phone hopefully a nexus4 just because nothing else beats it in terms of price/performance ratio.


----------



## DefQon

Why would anyone want a Motorola? Unless you won't be flashing roms or rooting due to the savagely locked down bootloaders. 

@poster asking about new phone. Sorry I'm not allowed to say anything else as I know people who work in the mobile industry and receive information directly from manufacturers about possible new releases and tech demos, due to NDA policies it is kept confidential, all I can say is new Samsung, Moto, Sony and few other non-big brands.


----------



## dalb

defqon said:


> Why would anyone want a Motorola? Unless you won't be flashing roms or rooting due to the savagely locked down bootloaders.
> 
> @poster asking about new phone. Sorry I'm not allowed to say anything else as I know people who work in the mobile industry and receive information directly from manufacturers about possible new releases and tech demos, due to NDA policies it is kept confidential, all I can say is new Samsung, Moto, Sony and few other non-big brands.




People are interested in Motorola because it's the first phone they're releasing since being bought by Google. 

And about the new phones, OK... As I said the galaxy note 3 doesnt outdate the S4 or One, I also don't see Sony releasing another flagship so quickly. But, hey, I'm no insider.


----------



## ostewart

I've recently got a Nexus 7 32gb running on AOKP ROM and Franco kernel.

And just got a Nexus 4, only 8gb version, which will also be running on AOKP ROM soon.

Nexus 4 is brilliant in terms of price-performance.


----------



## mark2410

meh, motorola have made it abundantly clear over the last few years they have no interest outside the US market.  the Milestone (what they called the Droid here) was abandoned on launch and the phone i at the time wanted the motorola pro never ever came here.  im really not sure i have any confidence that a motorola device will get any support here so i cant say it makes me want to buy one.


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





mark2410 said:


> meh, motorola have made it abundantly clear over the last few years they have no interest outside the US market.  the Milestone (what they called the Droid here) was abandoned on launch and the phone i at the time wanted the motorola pro never ever came here.  im really not sure i have any confidence that a motorola device will get any support here so i cant say it makes me want to buy one.


 
  Frankly, I'm looking forward to the Moto X. I think things have changed now that Google owns Moto. Now the only two questions I have are: Can 16GB of storage hold me over, and will it be a significant upgrade from my Galaxy Nexus?
   
  Also, I must say I really want the new Nexus 7. In no way do I really need one (I use my iPad probably <1 hour a day) but gosh darnit do I want one...


----------



## J.Pocalypse

I'd like the new Nexus 7, but my current 32 GB version suits me just fine. 

Looking forward to the Nexus 4 I'll hopefully be getting in the coming days though.

Getting the latest Android version the soonest does trump raw horsepower, IMO.


----------



## sari0n

The new Nexus 7 isn't terribly amazing in my opinion.  It's pretty much got the same specs as the one year old Nexus 4, but with a nicer screen.  1920x1200 is pretty sweet but not phenomenal, plenty of phones have that kind of resolution in a smaller space nowadays.  The best thing about the new Nexus 7 is the price, and 4.3 should be sweet too.


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





sari0n said:


> The new Nexus 7 isn't terribly amazing in my opinion.  It's pretty much got the same specs as the one year old Nexus 4, but with a nicer screen.  1920x1200 is pretty sweet but not phenomenal, plenty of phones have that kind of resolution in a smaller space nowadays.  The best thing about the new Nexus 7 is the price, and 4.3 should be sweet too.


 
  The 1920x1200 screen is phenomenal IMO. It has a density of 323 PPI, which is even better than the iPad Retina display and also beats out the Nexus 10. Sure, it's not going to beat 4" 1080P phones, but you really don't need the crazy 400ppi they have either.
   
  Also, nice avatar


----------



## tool462

Quote: 





sari0n said:


> The new Nexus 7 isn't terribly amazing in my opinion.  It's pretty much got the same specs as the one year old Nexus 4, but with a nicer screen.  1920x1200 is pretty sweet but not phenomenal, plenty of phones have that kind of resolution in a smaller space nowadays.  The best thing about the new Nexus 7 is the price, and 4.3 should be sweet too.


 
  It is a generational refresh and the increased CPU and GPU performance is nothing short of impressive for just a "refresh."
   
  The display, the SoC and the Wifi chip alone in one device for $229 is "amazing" to me.
   
  Not to mention the much faster storage and RAM performance and the addition of TRIM to the eMMC to maintain storage speeds when you start filling it up.


----------



## Accoun

Oh wow, my cheap ass POS phone (Galaxy Mini 2) finally got a decent port of Cyanogen Mod (as in: a release that doesn't have features like camera or bluetooth missing). CM10, though - but the port dev will probably apply the fixes to CM10.1 and AOKP ports as well.
   
  Downloading now, to have it, just in case. Not exactly sure if I'm gonna flash it (will wait till morning, when I cool down :3), but I don't think I have much more too lose than time spent flashing and later restoring the stock rom in case of not liking CM.


----------



## mark2410

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> Frankly, I'm looking forward to the Moto X. I think things have changed now that Google owns Moto. Now the only two questions I have are: Can 16GB of storage hold me over, and will it be a significant upgrade from my Galaxy Nexus?
> 
> Also, I must say I really want the new Nexus 7. In no way do I really need one (I use my iPad probably <1 hour a day) but gosh darnit do I want one...


 
   
  well yes but i see your location is in a land where moto will actually release it and support it.  like i said they have made it repeatedly clear they have no interest in the UK or europe, its that total lack of support that makes it a non issue for me.


----------



## mechgamer123

Fair enough.
  Truth be told, I thought today's Motorola X launch was a letdown. I was expecting the next Nexus, but it looks like an overpriced, underspec'd phone Google is trying to sell to hipsters. (Why would you ever market to hipsters, everyone knows Android is too mainstream for them! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





)


----------



## Snyper0012

They have the nokia wp line and ios 7 for them already...and plus rooting solves many problems anyways if you dont like your phone


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Is that what we're doing now? If there is a product we're not quite happy with, we say it's marketed to "hipsters"?

Yawn..


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





j.pocalypse said:


> Is that what we're doing now? If there is a product we're not quite happy with, we say it's marketed to "hipsters"?
> 
> Yawn..


 
  Have you looked on the website at their marketing materials? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



http://www.motorola.com/us/consumers/Moto-X/moto-x,en_US,pg.html


----------



## mark2410

tbh its looking like they are hanging their hat on the "its american" to sell it.  that should not be its primary selling point. 
   
  i dont know what they are doing, its like motorola has an aversion to making money. 
   
  its also not helping that my GN is getting on and im beginning to feel i need to think about getting a new phone.  going to need sometihng with 4g support as it should be about to become a realistic option in the uk once 3 and Giffgaff get going.  hmph.  atm the only phone that ticks my 4g and removable battery boxes is the S4.  thas it, a variety of one and it has me unexcited.


----------



## neurofone

Hey Android and head-fi fans, check out the newly announced LG G2.   According to the press release:
   
_"The LG G2 is the first smartphone on the market today to feature 24 bit/192kHz Hi-Fi playback that reproduces studio-like quality sound, far superior to a CD. "_
   
  I look fwd to hearing the reviews of this !   I wonder what sorta DAC and amp are in there, and whether it will support USB DACs like Samsung is doing.


----------



## razor5cl

To me the Nexus 4 still rules the roost one year later. Sure the HTC one or GS4 have more raw grunt but at this level you really don't need more. Best priceerformance ratio, good build and easy to root unlike some phones (*cough* Samsung *cough*).


----------



## DefQon

Motorola hasn't brought anything fresh to the table since the Atrix. Look elsewhere if you want a phone that is easily rootable, receive on time and promised OTA updates and an unlockable bootloader.


----------



## razor5cl

Yeah I remember being really stoked about the Matrix and its blazing fast CPU. The this with that is that CPU speeds are always increasing. Look at the Atrix now. Its hardly all that. In a year the GS4 will be the same. Not bad, just eh.


----------



## DefQon

Quote: 





razor5cl said:


> Yeah I remember being really stoked about the Matrix and its blazing fast CPU. The this with that is that CPU speeds are always increasing. Look at the Atrix now. Its hardly all that. In a year the GS4 will be the same. Not bad, just eh.


 
  Indeed, the Atrix was revolutionary on it's own when it first came out, packing the then promising Tegra chipset and a finger scanner. It's still a no slouch in terms of speed and every day multi-tasking, unless you're running crap loads of apps at the same time and syncing data into the cloud, a dual core phone is all that you need. Anything more is just for e-peen extension, something to brag about and benchmarking, same applied for all other computing hardware/electronics out there. 
   
  The sad thing about phones and computers it that they are obsolete as soon as a newer product come out. With audio, this is not necessarily true at times.


----------



## dalb

Quote: 





defqon said:


> Motorola hasn't brought anything fresh to the table since the Atrix. Look elsewhere if you want a phone that is easily rootable, receive on time and promised OTA updates and an unlockable bootloader.


 
  You don't think Motorola will be supplying OTA updates on time on their new devices now that they are owned by Google?


----------



## razor5cl

defqon said:


> With audio, this is not necessarily true at times.




I wish more tech stuff was like audio. People still use decade old gear


----------



## neurofone

Quote: 





dalb said:


> You don't think Motorola will be supplying OTA updates on time on their new devices now that they are owned by Google?


 
   
  Yeah, the Moto X is a new chapter for Motorola.  I expect it to receive relatively fast updates, similar to the Google Experience phones, but not as fast as the Nexus phones of course.  And I expect it to be easily rootable, but I haven't seen any mention of it yet.  I think it will be a big seller among average folk, especially with the customization options.  The geeks may not go for it, but the average joe will really like it.


----------



## razor5cl

^^^^^^ +1


----------



## DefQon

Quote: 





dalb said:


> You don't think Motorola will be supplying OTA updates on time on their new devices now that they are owned by Google?


 
  I've been an android user since the first Motorola android phone, the Cliq/Dext many moons ago, I alongside with other small time dev's on modmymobile played around with ROM's back in the days when everyone was so agitated with receiving the 2.1 Eclair updates for there 1.5 Donut devices, this was the days of no simple flash your ROM through CWM etc we have now, we had to use adb commands to push and pull files and flash manually through RSDLite. I then moved onto the Droid/Milestone, then Droid 2/3/X etc etc to the Atrix, Photon and then Atrix 2 last year than the Razr. Throughout the period I was a Moto fanboy, no more and no longer as Moto never promised on time OTA updates, NEVER and locked down there devices after so many lies the companies told the public.
   
  They finally delivered 2.1 Eclair to Oceania user on the original Cliq, almost 8 months after the annoucement, the same said for the Droids I've owned. The Atrix 1 was about the only phone that received it's promised update within 6 months worth of waiting period compared to the usual 8 months and beyond. Then Google bought Motorola because Motorola was going to go bankrupt, lack of marketing, locking down devices to the bone when competitors of the time (LG and Samsung SG1) were easily rootable, flashable and unlockable with better features.
   
  Google's acquisition of Motorola had nothing to do with them pushing out on time OTA updates, Google had nothing to do with Motorola besides just owning the company, this is fact. Then the Atrix 2 came out and before it hit Australian shores, I pre-ordered mine from the States through AT&T (I knew people who worked there), the phone was good but was so good damn locked down, still no unlockable bootloader till this day, I gave that phone away to my dad, just around the time Moto announced that they are not going to deliver 4.2 update for a large list of still new dual core phones (Photon, early Razr and the Atrix 2). Read up XDA forums and be ready to read angry posts and ill-experiences from the Motorola devices section dating all the way back to 2006. Thanks to some devs and the use of kexec (bypassing locked down bootloaders but maintaining the use of all cores on the phones ARM processors) we have newer but buggy/WIP roms for some of the Moto devices, mainly the popular ones.
   
  I'm glad I moved onto the Sony Xperia Z. Motocrap no more!
  Quote: 





neurofone said:


> Yeah, the Moto X is a new chapter for Motorola.  I expect it to receive relatively fast updates, similar to the Google Experience phones, but not as fast as the Nexus phones of course.  And I expect it to be easily rootable, but I haven't seen any mention of it yet.  I think it will be a big seller among average folk, especially with the customization options.  The geeks may not go for it, but the average joe will really like it.


 
  Don't hold your hopes up to high, this exact assumption we've had with Moto has been around back to years and years ago. Every single time I read something about Motorola making a statement that they are going to change and make on time updates, not locked down devices, I just laugh it off as it's all a bunch of lie. Sure for the average joe, if you aren't going to root your phone, flash and customize ROMS, develop stuff and unlock bootloaders, the Moto stuff is fine, other than that look elsewhere.


----------



## ostewart

Hows the Xperia Z working out for you? I was going to get it but didnt have enough money so i got the Nexus 4
   
  Is the Xperia Z easily rootable and flashable?


----------



## DefQon

It's doing great for me. Battery could be better but there is nothing more appealing then Sony XZ's look and premium feel. Had the S4 and HTC1 in my possession as well and they feel like a toy in comparison.

Yes rootable, unlocked bootloader and plenty of roms, 4.3 roms will be out soon. More info on xda.


----------



## DefQon

N4 is also a good phone.


----------



## ostewart

Thanks for the info, my brother has the Xperia Z.
Using AOKP and Franco kernel on N4 and N7, currently under clocking to 1ghz on N4 as I don't need that much CPU for my general use haha


----------



## DefQon

Bump that clock up to 1.5.


----------



## ostewart

Could even bump it up to 1.7 but dont want to damage the processors


----------



## J.Pocalypse

I'm quite happy with my HTC One, thank you very much.


----------



## DefQon

Quote: 





ostewart said:


> Could even bump it up to 1.7 but dont want to damage the processors


 
  It won't damage your processor as long as you have the correct cpu governor setting on and not set to boot on startup. Worse comes to worse, your phone will just automatically restart from a instability or boot loop (which can be fixed by going into the recovery).


----------



## ostewart

Thanks for that info


----------



## razor5cl

Yeah the key to OCing is to do it incrementally and unless you run at 1.7 GHz or something similarly high for like an hour you probably won't damage the CPU.


----------



## DefQon

Pretty much. There is a high chance of instant restart if you set a 1ghz cpu to 1.4 or higher, not to mention the vsel voltages set for each overclock made by the dev. Ocing is useless these days on new android devices since 1.2GHZ is the default for dual and quad core cpu's. Back then it was different, I remember overclocking the 533MHZ Moto Cliq to 714MHZ, man that was a huge oc.


----------



## neurofone

I understand you are bitter and cynical towards Moto, but the Google acquisition is objectively speaking a new chapter for Moto.   We've seen new directions already: the Moto X is a near-stock implementation of Android, with very unique additional features that are being widely praised, along with the customization options during the ordering process for things such as different material and color back panels and custom boot up screens.  I think Google is playing a larger role in Moto then you are giving credit.  Time will tell, but I expect the times of encrypted bootloaders and lack of updates are over for Moto.  They have to be for Moto to become relevant again.
   
  On another topic:  This is head-fi isn't it?  Why isn't anyone talking about the G2's audio capabilities ??


----------



## razor5cl

I thought Google themselves said they were taking a hands-off approach with Moto?


----------



## Achmedisdead

Forgot about this thread.....I have a new phone to post.
   

   
http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/05/lg-optimus-g-pro-review/
   
  My only real complaint? It's hard to answer it when somebody calls.....you have to swipe across the icon on the screen, and it takes me a few times to get it right. I'll probably adjust to it once I've received more calls though.


----------



## neurofone

Quote: 





razor5cl said:


> I thought Google themselves said they were taking a hands-off approach with Moto?


 
  Yeah, I suppose it's all relative.   Hands-off compared to what?  The Nexus line up?  Sure.   I'm sure Moto is getting some benefit from Google-daddy.


----------



## DefQon

razor5cl said:


> I thought Google themselves said they were taking a hands-off approach with Moto?




Hands off my arse, you should follow more about Motorola through there Twitter/company announcements or insiders on XDA.


----------



## Hutnicks

Quote: 





defqon said:


> Hands off my arse, _*you should follow more about Motorola*_ through there Twitter/company announcements or insiders on XDA.


 
   
  Why? They are a dead horse now.


----------



## xkonfuzed

Has anyone tried Cyanogenmod's 4.3 JB? I hear the battery life is superb.


----------



## gopanthersgo1

xkonfuzed said:


> Has anyone tried Cyanogenmod's 4.3 JB? I hear the battery life is superb.


I feel like running that now... If only the S4 didn't suck for modding. :/


----------



## xkonfuzed

gopanthersgo1 said:


> I feel like running that now... If only the S4 didn't suck for modding. :/





At least you don't have a bootloader to unlock


----------



## gopanthersgo1

xkonfuzed said:


> At least you don't have a bootloader to unlock


You little....


----------



## tool462

Quote: 





xkonfuzed said:


> Has anyone tried Cyanogenmod's 4.3 JB? I hear the battery life is superb.


 
   
  I haven't tried it yet, but Cyanogen and battery life aren't usually a common pair.  Tons of variables to consider of course, other than just the ROM.
   
  I'm still going back to Pacman ROM after trying stuff on the N4, Franco Kernel for me since I love the updater and app.


----------



## xkonfuzed

IMO, the most daily driver material ROM is the AOKP. It has the same speed, responsiveness, and stability of a CM Rom with extra awesome customization features. I literally had everything customized, starting from the boot animation to the notification bar's battery icon.


----------



## ostewart

Lover of AOKP here too, fast smooth with excellent customisation. Running on both N4 and N7.


----------



## gopanthersgo1

I just installed Cyanogen... It's AWESOME!


----------



## xkonfuzed

gopanthersgo1 said:


> I just installed Cyanogen... It's AWESOME!




Nice! Tell us how the battery life goes, Im really curious


----------



## gopanthersgo1

xkonfuzed said:


> Nice! Tell us how the battery life goes, Im really curious


Will do! 

(After I finish playing with it for ungodly amounts of time setting it up... )


----------



## DefQon

Don't forget to calibrate your battery and wipe your dalvik cache partition after flashing a CM based ROM.


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





ostewart said:


> Lover of AOKP here too, fast smooth with excellent customisation. Running on both N4 and N7.


 
  Cheers, same here. Still running pretty strong on my Galaxy Nexus.
  What is the cheapest Android device out there that has a micro SD card slot, is rootable, and doesn't have an absolutely terrible DAC? I'd love to use Viper4Android but my Gnex doesn't have enough room for all my music while also having other stuff on it.


----------



## Hutnicks

Quote: 





mechgamer123 said:


> Cheers, same here. Still running pretty strong on my Galaxy Nexus.
> What is the cheapest Android device out there that has a micro SD card slot, is rootable, and *doesn't have an absolutely terrible DAC?* I'd love to use Viper4Android but my Gnex doesn't have enough room for all my music while also having other stuff on it.


 
  Failing that is able to drive an external dac


----------



## mechgamer123

Quote: 





hutnicks said:


> Quote:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
  Cheapest thing I can think of there is a GS3 though, which is still pretty expensive and honestly, a little big for a PMP. I'd feel weird with a gnex in my right pocket as my cell phone and an even bigger device in my left pocket being my PMP.
  Then again, I did see some with broken digitizers on eBay for pretty cheap...


----------



## gopanthersgo1

The CM10.2 had amazing battery, but in the end I decided to switch to Paranoid Android, but since earlier to now with moderate usage, the phone is only at 12%.


----------



## xkonfuzed

gopanthersgo1 said:


> The CM10.2 had amazing battery, but in the end I decided to switch to Paranoid Android, but since earlier to now with moderate usage, the phone is only at 12%.




Cheers for that !  
Might be switching to CM now. 

Oh, and one question for you guys, If I flash a custom ROM on my HTC One, will that get rid of Beats Audio? Because that's exactly what I want.


----------



## DefQon

Quote: 





xkonfuzed said:


> Cheers for that !
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
  The Beat's Audio is a software equalizer plug-in on all ANDROID phones that have the Beat's Audio feature. If the developers didn't re-write the plugin to be supported on a CM ROM chances are you have to wait till it is supported on the CM ROM.


----------



## xkonfuzed

defqon said:


> The Beat's Audio is a software equalizer plug-in on all ANDROID phones that have the Beat's Audio feature. If the developers didn't re-write the plugin to be supported on a CM ROM chances are you have to wait till it is supported on the CM ROM.




I find that Beats Audio actually messes up the SQ, so I'll do anything to get rid of it.


----------



## dalb

Quote: 





xkonfuzed said:


> I find that Beats Audio actually messes up the SQ, so I'll do anything to get rid of it.


 
  You can turn it off in settings.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Has anyone with an HTC One, figured out how to implement the Noozxoide Eizo-Rewire Pro app on the stock ROM?

Love it on my Nexus 7..


----------



## razor5cl

Does it not work on the HTC One?


----------



## xkonfuzed

Doesn't work for me either, you'll have to change the Music Effects to Noozxoide, but there's no option on the One.


----------



## Snyper0012

There is an irs for beats audio in v4a...so it makes more sense to just have v4a


----------



## peter123

xkonfuzed said:


> I find that Beats Audio actually messes up the SQ, so I'll do anything to get rid of it.




Yes.....



razor5cl said:


> Does it not work on the HTC One?




.....and yes , I run CM 10.2 on my HTC One and the Noozxoide app work like a charm with it.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Of course it'll work hardware wise. It's the ROM you have to watch out for.


----------



## mechgamer123

The allure of the Nexus 4 at $250 was too tempting...
 Bye bye Verizon! $30/month for unlimited text, 100 minutes and 5GB of "4G" data versus 450 minutes, 500 texts and unlimited data at $100. Oh, and then I can say goodbye to this POS gnex forever. Or just use it as a media player.


----------



## pwwaring

mechgamer123 said:


> The allure of the Nexus 4 at $250 was too tempting...
> Bye bye Verizon! $30/month for unlimited text, 100 minutes and 5GB of "4G" data versus 450 minutes, 500 texts and unlimited data at $100. Oh, and then I can say goodbye to this POS gnex forever. Or just use it as a media player.


 
  
 mechgamer, who are you using as a carrier for that?


----------



## mechgamer123

pwwaring said:


> mechgamer123 said:
> 
> 
> > The allure of the Nexus 4 at $250 was too tempting...
> ...


 
  
 Probably going to go with Tmobile. They will have terribad service compared to Verizon, but frankly I mostly use my phone while on wifi. And, I'll be moving up to Seattle for college in a bit over one week.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Must be your area you live in. I'm on T-Mobile and have never had a problem with my service


----------



## pwwaring

I hear ya.  I've been thinking about t-mobile myself lately, but hesitant to give up that verizon coverage.  Also very hesitant to give up the SD slot with the Nexus - I'd have one already if not for that.


----------



## mechgamer123

j.pocalypse said:


> Must be your area you live in. I'm on T-Mobile and have never had a problem with my service


 
 I currently live in a pretty rural area. From what I remember, there are at least a few places where GSM phones didn't have service that Verizon did. 
 And it's gonna be slow compared to Verizon's LTE.
  


pwwaring said:


> I hear ya.  I've been thinking about t-mobile myself lately, but hesitant to give up that verizon coverage.  Also very hesitant to give up the SD slot with the Nexus - I'd have one already if not for that.


 
 That's why you get two nexuses! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




 I plan on using my 16GB N4 as a daily driver and my 32GB Galaxy nexus for media.


----------



## DefQon

I hear AT&T is the best carrier out there in the States.


----------



## Snyper0012

Just got the nexus 4 on clearance price of 250$...my first ever flagship for me  android 4.3 here i come.


----------



## Snyper0012

Idk just wondering...im planning to unlock and root when i get it...probably going to run stock 4.3 with franco...hows that sound? Or are there better kernels for stock 4.3m
?


----------



## mechgamer123

defqon said:


> I hear AT&T is the best carrier out there in the States.


 
  
 nononononono, AT&T is second to Verizon.
  
 @Snyper: I dunno, I'll probably just stick with whatever kernel my ROM comes with. Do let us know how Franco works for you though


----------



## J.Pocalypse

I love my One and all, but the little I've heard about it, that nexus 5 could be pretty sweet.

I now know, having the latest version of android means more to me then raw power.


----------



## mechgamer123

j.pocalypse said:


> I love my One and all, but the little I've heard about it, that nexus 5 could be pretty sweet.
> 
> I now know, having the latest version of android means more to me then raw power.


 
 Yup, but at the same time I hope they don't use the same processor on the N5 as the N4. If they give it some cool new thing, I think I'll sell my N4 and grab one.
  
 Blurry Gnex pic of my N4:


----------



## J.Pocalypse

I heard it may have the Qualcomm 800..


----------



## Achmedisdead

j.pocalypse said:


> I heard it may have the Qualcomm 800..


 
  
 Yep, it's rumored to be based on the LG G2 which I believe does have the 800.
  
 I would love a couple days to play with a Nexus device so I can see what the pure Android is like without a manufacturer's skin on top of it. I've had Motorola, Samsung, and LG Android devices but never the pure Android experience.


----------



## mechgamer123

Ooh, that would be nice!
 Hope google can retain the nice price point though...


----------



## DefQon

mechgamer123 said:


> Ooh, that would be nice!
> Hope google can retain the nice price point though...


 
  
 I think Google will be able to, look at the pricing of the past Nexus devices.


----------



## mechgamer123

defqon said:


> mechgamer123 said:
> 
> 
> > Ooh, that would be nice!
> ...


 
  
 Isn't the Nexus 4 the only one they've tried to sell off contract?


----------



## Snyper0012

Just received my nexus and works great  just one problem though. I live in canada and my carrier is telus. I tried taking my old sim and putting it in the nexus, but it says sim card can not connect to selected network...is it too old do i need to get v3 which is sold in telus store? Btw it is allowed to switch sims when buying phones.


----------



## OmarCCX

Did you check the APN and made sure you're using the right one?


----------



## J.Pocalypse

razor5cl said:


> Does it not work on the HTC One?


 
  
 I have discovered that it indeed does. Just download/install it and it's done. Just make the adjustments you like. I discovered this by messing with the line-out options while listening to music on Poweramp with none of it's DSP options enabled. Just adjusted EIZO. It was really noticeable when I checked the option about "Balanced X-EQ". The first option.
  
 I'm assuming once it's installed, your device, weather it has the option to use it in sound settings or not, will just resort to it, by default. Just be sure to turn Beats Audio off, if you have it on.


----------



## mechgamer123

Has anyone figured out a good way to transfer files from iTunes to an Android device while also transcoding the files?
 I want to put my mostly ALAC library onto my Galaxy Nexus in MP3 format and use that as my new media player.


----------



## OmarCCX

Try something like MediaCoder on Windows and Max on Mac?


----------



## J.Pocalypse

What I did; Have all your lossless files on an external HDD and get dBpoweramp Music Converter. Then, in the morning, before you go to school/work or before you go to bed, use the batch convert option and have them saved to your local/internal HDD. Just another option..


----------



## zhenkacode

that's just an app they include. You won't need hardware acceleration, it's got a dual core processor!


----------



## mechgamer123

j.pocalypse said:


> What I did; Have all your lossless files on an external HDD and get dBpoweramp Music Converter. Then, in the morning, before you go to school/work or before you go to bed, use the batch convert option and have them saved to your local/internal HDD. Just another option..


 
  
 The only problem with that is I'd like to export playlists from iTunes as well.


----------



## Netrum

I am currently using a HTC One running Android Revolution 22.0.
 Took me 3 days after buying to install a custom rom.
 With the Galaxy nexus it took 3hours.
 I cant stand running it stock. So much lost potential.


----------



## OmarCCX

netrum said:


> I am currently using a HTC One running Android Revolution 22.0.
> Took me 3 days after buying to install a custom rom.
> With the Galaxy nexus it took 3hours.
> I cant stand running it stock. So much lost potential.


 
  
 I keep thinking about going back to Sense, purely for the camera.


----------



## Netrum

But it is sense, Just not stock.
 So you have everything from both worlds.


----------



## veyrongatti

I just found this thread after 2 years.......... Im running Paranoid Android on my Note 2 ^^


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Anyone else here using 'Nexmusic'? I really dig the ui.


----------



## dalb

The 4.3 update has killed bluetooth keyboard usage with my Nexus 10 (and everyone else according to the internet). Very annoying Google, guess I'll look into rooting it.


----------



## Snyper0012

Nexus 4 here running psx+neo the fastest combination for nexus right now  about 10000 on quadrant, amazing battery life to about 2 days. Supersmooth and sq is great with shuttle+ and viper4android with my sony xb90ex


----------



## J.Pocalypse

The 4.3 update for my HTC one made the quadrant benchmark drop by over 2,000 points. :/

I just like having the toggles in the notification bar now.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

The 4.3 update for my HTC one made the quadrant benchmark drop by over 2,000 points. :/

I just like having the toggles in the notification bar now.


----------



## OmarCCX

I hope Android 4.4 improves the camera app, it's awful.
  
 And today my phone went crazy and sent 60 messages to someone repeatedly. The phone stayed hot for an hour until I realised what it was doing and turned it off.


----------



## razor5cl

What phone do you have?


----------



## mechgamer123

Yeah, I never felt the AOSP camera app was really all that bad.


----------



## OmarCCX

I've got a Google Edition HTC One. Yeah, but the Sense camera is miles better than the stock camera.


----------



## razor5cl

Google needs to step up its international game... Here in the UK we don't get any Moto X or Google Play Edition S4 or HTC One Goodness.


----------



## DefQon

Why not just download some of the good camera apps from the Play Store?


----------



## OmarCCX

defqon said:


> Why not just download some of the good camera apps from the Play Store?


 
 The only one I really liked was Procapture, but it's kinda slow. Focal is also good, but it's buggy at the moment. It's too bad we can't run the SenseCamera APK on GE and that the MotoX camera APK isnt compatible. D:


----------



## White Lotus

HOW DID I ONLY JUST DISCOVER THIS THREAD


----------



## GL1TCH3D

Anyone have news on the google nexus 5?
I think release date is the 28th and I'm all primed for it.


----------



## OmarCCX

I want to know more about Android 4.4.


----------



## razor5cl

omarccx said:


> I want to know more about Android 4.4.




It has Holo light theme on default system apps rather than Holo dark, indications there may be some themeing capability built in and that's about it I think.


----------



## linglingjr

j.pocalypse said:


> The 4.3 update for my HTC one made the quadrant benchmark drop by over 2,000 points. :/
> 
> I just like having the toggles in the notification bar now.


 
 lololol I'm pretty sure that's because a TON of companies (HTC, Samsung, Moto, everything except for the nexus line iirc) got caught "cheating" with popular benchmarking programs.  Basically they had the clock speed max out when any benchmark apps were open (phone would never be working that hard doing any real world tasks)  
  
 I reallly really like the new LG G2,  almost no bezel, almost of the front is surface area is all screen.  But of course I'm not going to be buying one off contract anytime soon... 
  
 EDIT:  Just found one on local craigslist for $380! Even if I could get $250 on ebay for my S3 that's still $130 out of my pocket... Phone prices off contract are just silly and contract prices are even funnier.


----------



## mechgamer123

linglingjr said:


> j.pocalypse said:
> 
> 
> > The 4.3 update for my HTC one made the quadrant benchmark drop by over 2,000 points. :/
> ...


 
 Isn't it rumored that the Nexus 5 is going to be based on the G2?
 Yeah, phone prices are insane. Way too much markup.
  
 Does anyone around here still own a Gnex? I'm thinking of trying to put all my music on it so I don't have to carry an amp and iPod around, but MTP just sucks for transferring files. Is there any sort of trick/hack to make it suck less? If there isn't, I may consider selling it assuming GrooveIP doesn't suck too much battery up on my Nexus 4. I'm guessing the fair market price is about $120 including an extended battery and otterbox commuter case?


----------



## razor5cl

Yes, it is based on the G2, with the Snapdragon 800 I think? And what is so bad about MTP?


----------



## mechgamer123

razor5cl said:


> Yes, it is based on the G2, with the Snapdragon 800 I think? And what is so bad about MTP?


 
 Hmm, first of all, it doesn't show up as a regular mass storage device, so some things don't even recognize it. Second, when any files are being moved to/from the device, it won't let you browse any new directories, it just says "the device is in use." Third, the reliability. When trying to move over a lot of small files, my Gnex generally becomes disconnected (I thought it was just the device going to sleep, but even after I explicitly enabled "Do not sleep when connected via USB" in developer settings, it still loses connection). Finally, the most annoying part about it, on the Galaxy Nexus at least, is the speed. It's horrifically slow, for no good reason. Speeds seem to be much better on my Nexus 4, around 20 MB/s or so depending on the files, but I couldn't sustain read/write speeds from the Gnex of anything over 1MB/s most of the time.


----------



## razor5cl

mechgamer123 said:


> Hmm, first of all, it doesn't show up as a regular mass storage device, so some things don't even recognize it. Second, when any files are being moved to/from the device, it won't let you browse any new directories, it just says "the device is in use."


 
  
 Now that you mention it I have noticed these but they never bothered me. What doesn't recognize your Gnex? 
  
 Quote:


mechgamer123 said:


> Hmm, first of all, it doesn't show up as a regular mass storage device, so some things don't even recognize it. Second, when any files are being moved to/from the device, it won't let you browse any new directories, it just says "the device is in use." Third, the reliability. When trying to move over a lot of small files, my Gnex generally becomes disconnected.



  
 Once again, I've never noticed this with my Nexus 4, although the most I've ever tried to move is about 3-400 MP3 Files. How many files did you try to move when that happened?
  
  
 Apparently CM10 has USB Mass Storage support, although I've never used it.
  
 Page here


----------



## mechgamer123

razor5cl said:


> mechgamer123 said:
> 
> 
> > Hmm, first of all, it doesn't show up as a regular mass storage device, so some things don't even recognize it. Second, when any files are being moved to/from the device, it won't let you browse any new directories, it just says "the device is in use."
> ...


 
 In all honesty, there aren't any programs I really care about that can't access the Gnex, just that I was trying to see what folder was taking up all my space by running WinDirStat and it wouldn't recognize the Galaxy nexus.
 I was originally trying to copy over some game files, in addition to doing full backups of my device, which always seem to go horribly slow. I'm actually doing a full backup as we speak, and it waited on "calculating files" for about an hour before I just cancelled it.
 I found that I can actually use AirDroid even though my PC and phone are on different subnets. Huzzah!
  
 Hmm it looks like that app probably wouldn't work on the Gnex. The author said it wouldn't work on the GS3 or Note 2, which are relatively similar to the Gnex.


----------



## razor5cl

Airdroid is good but I've found the UI bad for moving multiple folders across, I still use it for occasional small files like newly purchased songs though.


----------



## mechgamer123

razor5cl said:


> Airdroid is good but I've found the UI bad for moving multiple folders across, I still use it for occasional small files like newly purchased songs though.


 
 Hehe, turns out I can do much more across multiple subnets than I originally thought; I can actually still use FTP, which seems to be the most reliable way of moving files over to my PC.
 Then when I'm done, I'm going to format everything on the Gnex and start from scratch with some new 4.3 ROM and everything...
  
 Any suggestions for ROMs? Now that I think about it, I may just go with AOSP 4.3...


----------



## J.Pocalypse

I just hope the N5 doesn't have the volume rocker and whatever else on the back, under the camera. I like my buttons where they are.


----------



## mechgamer123

I don't think it will, but I would be interesting in seeing how the buttons on the G2 feel to actually use. And how many times the screen accidentally turns on in your pocket


----------



## razor5cl

> Any suggestions for ROMs? Now that I think about it, I may just go with AOSP 4.3...


 
  
 CM10 is like stock Android on steroids, PA has the cool Halo notifications, AOKP has some good customization, there are countless others, check the ROMs XDA threads/ website.


----------



## mechgamer123

razor5cl said:


> > Any suggestions for ROMs? Now that I think about it, I may just go with AOSP 4.3...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
 At this point, I don't really care about customizations or anything about that, at least on my old Gnex. Right now I just want to wring every ounce of battery life and performance I can since it's just being used as a VOIP phone and maybe a media player soon if I can figure out how to properly sync the darned thing...
  
 Almost tempted to throw Ubuntu touch on it, but I don't think there are really any apps available for it yet.


----------



## gopanthersgo1

mechgamer123 said:


> At this point, I don't really care about customizations or anything about that, at least on my old Gnex. Right now I just want to wring every ounce of battery life and performance I can since it's just being used as a VOIP phone and maybe a media player soon if I can figure out how to properly sync the darned thing...
> 
> Almost tempted to throw Ubuntu touch on it, but I don't think there are really any apps available for it yet.


Runs on Linux so you can like run any Linux app on it if I'm not mistaken, just not optimized and you'd have to do it through terminal.


----------



## gnarlsagan

mechgamer123 said:


> At this point, I don't really care about customizations or anything about that, at least on my old Gnex. Right now I just want to wring every ounce of battery life and performance I can since it's just being used as a VOIP phone and maybe a media player soon if I can figure out how to properly sync the darned thing...
> 
> Almost tempted to throw Ubuntu touch on it, but I don't think there are really any apps available for it yet.


 
  
 I run Shiny on my VZW Gnex. Pretty much stock with absolutely no issues. I run tinykernel because it allows me to adjust contrast, color and governor settings to further improve battery life. Tinykernel also allows the use of PGM Nexus so I can wake up the screen by sliding my finger across it or double tapping it (optional) instead of pushing the power button and eventually wearing it out. 
  
 You can keep it totally stock, but if you want to run a few tweaks without borking things then Xposed framework is the way to do it. It's just an apk that allows for installation of modules (other apks) that offer some cool customizations. I haven't had a single issue with it yet, and my Gnex is running better than it ever has. I attribute part of the butter I'm currently experiencing to completely wiping and formatting my phone a few months ago. The file system on 4.2 and below needs reformatting after a while for a long convoluted reason, but the gist is that it should dramatically increase read write performance. I noticed a huge difference. Nandroids went from taking ~15 minutes to 2 minutes. Hope this helps!


----------



## mechgamer123

gopanthersgo1 said:


> mechgamer123 said:
> 
> 
> > At this point, I don't really care about customizations or anything about that, at least on my old Gnex. Right now I just want to wring every ounce of battery life and performance I can since it's just being used as a VOIP phone and maybe a media player soon if I can figure out how to properly sync the darned thing...
> ...


 
 I was under the impression that Linux programs had to be rewritten to work on ubuntu touch. If that's the case though, I'm sure I can find some sort of Google Voice client for Ubuntu that will run decently.
  


gnarlsagan said:


> mechgamer123 said:
> 
> 
> > At this point, I don't really care about customizations or anything about that, at least on my old Gnex. Right now I just want to wring every ounce of battery life and performance I can since it's just being used as a VOIP phone and maybe a media player soon if I can figure out how to properly sync the darned thing...
> ...


 
 Cheers, that's exactly the info I was looking for! I have been looking into the Xposed framework for not only my Gnex, but my Nexus 4 as well.
 How does one go about formatting the file system? Just wiping data and cache and all that good business?


----------



## gnarlsagan

mechgamer123 said:


> I was under the impression that Linux programs had to be rewritten to work on ubuntu touch. If that's the case though, I'm sure I can find some sort of Google Voice client for Ubuntu that will run decently.
> 
> Cheers, that's exactly the info I was looking for! I have been looking into the Xposed framework for not only my Gnex, but my Nexus 4 as well.
> How does one go about formatting the file system? Just wiping data and cache and all that good business?




Yes wipe everything including the SD card/external storage. One last thing, another sizeable battery improvement comes from disabling location reporting. This stops wake locks caused by Google now's nlp location service. I actually use Google Now every day for directions and reminders, and functionality seems perfect as far as I can tell. 
To disable location reporting go to your app drawer to the program "Google setting", then go to location and uncheck location reporting.


----------



## White Lotus

On my Galaxy S4, I flashed it to Galaxy S4 Google Edition. Pretty much just runs stock Android now. Best choice I ever made - flawless.


----------



## Achmedisdead

white lotus said:


> On my Galaxy S4, I flashed it to Galaxy S4 Google Edition. Pretty much just runs stock Android now. Best choice I ever made - flawless.


 
  
 I've always wondered what the pure Android experience would be like.


----------



## mechgamer123

gnarlsagan said:


> mechgamer123 said:
> 
> 
> > I was under the impression that Linux programs had to be rewritten to work on ubuntu touch. If that's the case though, I'm sure I can find some sort of Google Voice client for Ubuntu that will run decently.
> ...


 
 It's interesting that you mention that. Even though I turned off location reporting in both Google Settings and Maps, I would still have problems with the GPS in maps (I disable GPS in settings when I'm not using it, so it was off at this point) using about 50% of my battery. So, I used Greenify to make it so that the apps can't run in the background, and that seemed to fix the problem.
  


achmedisdead said:


> white lotus said:
> 
> 
> > On my Galaxy S4, I flashed it to Galaxy S4 Google Edition. Pretty much just runs stock Android now. Best choice I ever made - flawless.
> ...


 
 Better, IMO at least.


----------



## White Lotus

MUCH faster, zero bloatware. And not just faster as in "wow, the home-screen scrolling is fast", I mean, everything is faster - opening apps, closing apps, sometimes I even forget that I have 10+ apps open at the same time, and I can still attach files to emails just as quickly.
  
 When I was on the standard touchwiz, I had really nasty problems with the "contacts" app lagging, and a lot of apps force-closed, and just had a lot of moments "waiting" for the phone to realise what it was doing.
  
 Flashing it to just regular old stock Android edition was the best thing I ever did for this phone.
  
 If Quadrant means anything to anyone, here is how my score racked up yesterday:


----------



## mechgamer123

Just reformatted my Gnex. I wiped everything off the virtual SDcard slot. I haven't tried file transfers yet though so i can't comment on if they've improved, but I threw MIUI on it for a change. It's been quite a while (think the days of the Moto Droid (milestone) X getting a bootloader bypass) since I've rolled ROMs. Now that I don't have to worry about transferring apps to the new install, I might just play around with a few more ROMs on it now


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Did a system reset, and my quadrant score is back where it use to be. Stock HTC One, 4.3


----------



## razor5cl

So I finally drew up the courage to flash a custom ROM to my N4, after reading all those horror stories and tutorials. I chose AOKP, and the whole process went surprisingly smoothly and now I'm part of the ROM crowd. I feel like now I've done this once, I can do it as many times I want to.


----------



## gnarlsagan

razor5cl said:


> So I finally drew up the courage to flash a custom ROM to my N4, after reading all those horror stories and tutorials. I chose AOKP, and the whole process went surprisingly smoothly and now I'm part of the ROM crowd. I feel like now I've done this once, I can do it as many times I want to.


 
  
 Congrats! It really is a painless process (usually).


----------



## razor5cl

Yeah I wasn't ready after I managed to **** up rooting on my Nexus 4 and 7. On the 4 I got into a bootloop by flashing an incompatible kernel, then, panic-stricken, I deleted the /system partition. Not to mention the ADB backup managing to fail to backup some apps, as its really hacky. The ROM process went really well though, my Nova Launcher settings, Tasker settings and NFC Task Launcher stuff even backed up.


----------



## mechgamer123

So, Google announced the Nexus 5 and 4.4 today. Thoughts?
  
 I personally want to play around with 4.4 quite a bit on my N4. Not sure if I can justify spending the money on the N5 yet, but dang it looks nice to me.


----------



## linglingjr

I like the look of it and the price even more. Too bad there's no micro sd slot. That kind of breaks the deal for me.


----------



## Accoun

linglingjr said:


> I like the look of it and the price even more. Too bad there's no micro sd slot. That kind of breaks the deal for me.




IKR. You can't expect members support on Nexus phones, Google would *strongly* prefer you to use their cloud services and they're willing to shove it down your throat, like with Google+...


----------



## mechgamer123

I used to complain about the lack of MicroSD cards and even removable batteries, until I actually just learned to deal with it.
 The days of being able to have beautiful, slim looking phones that have removable batteries and SDcard slots are pretty much gone forever.
 ( http://youtu.be/F1bFe4OaENI?t=50s )
  
 I'm kind of getting sick and tired of people complaining about it, especially when Google said they won't include MicroSD card slots in their phones for about 2 years now.


----------



## OmarCCX

Plus, MicroSD is slow as s#it.


----------



## mechgamer123

SD cards caused all sorts of problems, like with OEMs pulling S*** like including 2GB of onboard ROM for apps and the rest in an SD card, and so on. 
 As sad as it is for me, it's honestly more ideal to have a centralized storage system for mobile devices. Android definitely doesn't feel like it was made to support multiple storage devices.


----------



## White Lotus

Sorry guys, SD card slot is a must-have for many users, even if you don't want to think so.
  
 For me, removable battery is much the same.


----------



## DefQon

white lotus said:


> Sorry guys, SD card slot is a must-have for many users, even if you don't want to think so.
> 
> For me, removable battery is much the same.


 
 +1, unfortunately my XZ doesn't have a removable battery.


----------



## Hutnicks

defqon said:


> +1, unfortunately my XZ doesn't have a removable battery.


 

 +2
  
 No gottem, may as well buy Apple


----------



## linglingjr

The only reason why I'm not using their cloud service is because the speeds are absolute trash where I live and I need enough room for all of my music and apps.  I'm fine using google play for music on the go or on other computers (not that much of an audio snob) but waiting for music to buffer 2-5 times each song isn't exactly enjoyable.


----------



## mechgamer123

It's all good, I understand that everyone is looking for different things from a phone. That's why it's so hard to recommend phones to people, because everyone expects something different.
  
 Personally, when I got my Galaxy Nexus, I just learned to deal with the lack of MicroSD card slot by getting an iPod classic for all my music. Then, when I got the Nexus 4 without a removable battery, I got a mobile battery pack. Honestly though, I haven't needed to use it since the battery is so fantastic.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

I'm totally fine with using Google Play Music on my phone. T-Mobile's LTE service is decent enough. Sure, there is about an extra second of buffer time for a song to load verses having the song stored locally, but if I'm listening to music on my phone in the first place, it's not what I'd call "critical listening".


----------



## OmarCCX

I download most of the music I listen to the memory. I currently have cached 16gb of music out of a total of 65gb in my Google Play Music. I just refresh the stuff I download every once in a while when i'm on wifi, I rarely feel like listening to music I havent already downloaded.


----------



## pbcustom98

omarccx said:


> I download most of the music I listen to the memory. I currently have cached 16gb of music out of a total of 65gb in my Google Play Music. I just refresh the stuff I download every once in a while when i'm on wifi, I rarely feel like listening to music I havent already downloaded.


 
 on the internal memory on sdcard slot?


----------



## OmarCCX

Internal memory, 32gb HTC One.


----------



## pbcustom98

thats what i figured. from what i have read this is no way of moving the music to an sdcard for google music. i havent read up on it in awhile though so hopefully they change it or someone finds a way around it.


----------



## DefQon

Anybody here use external batteries for said phones?


----------



## razor5cl

I sometimes carry around an Anker Astro 3E 10000mah battery for my N4, and at home when I can't be bothered to get out the charger and plug everything in. It lets me play more games and not have to worry about having enough battery to last the whole day.


----------



## DefQon

Ever leave it attached to your phone on a full days use?


----------



## mechgamer123

defqon said:


> Anybody here use external batteries for said phones?


 
 I use a Chinese $15 3500mah external battery pack when I think I may be out for a long time, but honestly, battery life is so darned good on the N4 I haven't really had a need for it.


----------



## VXAce

mechgamer123 said:


> I use a Chinese $15 3500mah external battery pack when I think I may be out for a long time, but honestly, battery life is so darned good on the N4 I haven't really had a need for it.




I need one of those charging cases... my Micro-USB port is messed up. So without careful monitoring, the cable pops out really easily. Sadly they are really expensive.


----------



## dalb

Sold my Nexus 10 today and picked up an ipad air. The Nexus 10 was a good machine, but I got sick of the terrible terrible pdf annotation apps and just the general lack of smoothness to its operation and seeing as I mostly use it for study the ipad is a better fit. Oh well.
  
 Still rocking the HTC One and loving it


----------



## razor5cl

defqon said:


> Ever leave it attached to your phone on a full days use?


 
 I tend to run the battery down on my phone and then leave it in my pocket, plugged in, then use it, then charge it etc.


----------



## DefQon

Ok thanks I think I might order one.


----------



## White Lotus

I always carry a fully charged official Samsung battery in my tool bag, for emergencies


----------



## labcoat

white lotus said:


> I always carry a fully charged official Samsung battery in my tool bag, for emergencies


 
 +1 me too but i have a battery sucking galixy nexus


----------



## mechgamer123

vxace said:


> mechgamer123 said:
> 
> 
> > I use a Chinese $15 3500mah external battery pack when I think I may be out for a long time, but honestly, battery life is so darned good on the N4 I haven't really had a need for it.
> ...



Dang, that's too bad... Have you considered just replacing the USB connector?



dalb said:


> Sold my Nexus 10 today and picked up an ipad air. The Nexus 10 was a good machine, but I got sick of the terrible terrible pdf annotation apps and just the general lack of smoothness to its operation and seeing as I mostly use it for study the ipad is a better fit. Oh well.
> 
> Still rocking the HTC One and loving it



I always thought the nexus 10 was a bit underpowered when it came out. That dual core was impressive but it was in an era when everyone had already moved onto quad.
How are you liking the iPad air? I am considering getting one and trading out my iPad 3rd gen, which is a heavy beast.
Then I realize that for the price difference between what I can sell this for and buy an iPad air, I could have a nexus 7, so that's in my sights for Black Friday. 



labcoat said:


> white lotus said:
> 
> 
> > I always carry a fully charged official Samsung battery in my tool bag, for emergencies
> ...



Ahh yes, I always carried around my other Gnex battery in my bag as well. For some reason I don't think power efficiency in idle was the OMAP's strong suits.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

dalb said:


> Sold my Nexus 10 today and picked up an ipad air. The Nexus 10 was a good machine, but I got sick of the terrible terrible pdf annotation apps and just the general lack of smoothness to its operation and seeing as I mostly use it for study the ipad is a better fit. Oh well.
> 
> Still rocking the HTC One and loving it




I like my HTC One, but will get a Nexus 5 when its available for T-Mobile.

As far as Adroid tablets go, is still don't think you can beat the Nexus 7, either year version. I have the 2012 edition, and its still running smooth on everything I need it to do.


----------



## razor5cl

j.pocalypse said:


> As far as Android tablets go, is still don't think you can beat the Nexus 7, either year version.


 
  
 +1. I have a 2012 Nexus 7 and it still works fine now, on 4.2.2, with loads of apps, games, music and movies.


----------



## dalb

j.pocalypse said:


> I like my HTC One, but will get a Nexus 5 when its available for T-Mobile.
> 
> As far as Adroid tablets go, is still don't think you can beat the Nexus 7, either year version. I have the 2012 edition, and its still running smooth on everything I need it to do.




Yes the nexus 7 is a great machine. But I mainly use tablets for reading medical textbooks, journal articles and annotating PDFs and I just need a bigger screen. I'll head back to android in the future probably but right now for work (not media consumption) the iPad is the one to beat in my opinion.


----------



## mechgamer123

Finally got a 4.4 ROM running on my Galaxy Nexus. I have to say the new launcher feels a lot like the iOS interface, compared to previous versions of Android at least. It feels smoother and looks nicer with the larger icons and revised fonts though.


----------



## mechgamer123

j.pocalypse said:


> I like my HTC One, but will get a Nexus 5 when its available for T-Mobile.


 
 Sorry I just noticed this. Why not buy it from Google? It looks like Tmo will be selling the Nexus 5 for $100 more than Google. Unless you were planning on using that jump thing or getting it on a contract or whatever. In that case, carry on.


----------



## razor5cl

Is the stock ROM for 4.4 out yet for mako? What other ROMS have updated to 4.4?


----------



## Achmedisdead

razor5cl said:


> +1. I have a 2012 Nexus 7 and it still works fine now, on 4.2.2, with loads of apps, games, music and movies.


 
 I have one coming next week....can't wait!


----------



## razor5cl

Nice, just be careful you don't get a faulty one, as my first one was, and I had to return it and wait another week, which felt like a year.


----------



## mechgamer123

razor5cl said:


> Is the stock ROM for 4.4 out yet for mako? What other ROMS have updated to 4.4?


 Google hasn't released the 4.4 ROM for the Mako or the Toro, but I have the toro, and there was already a custom 4.4 ROM out for it. No customizations, just stock Android for the most part...


----------



## razor5cl

I did see some of the unofficial ROMs on Google in the past hour. Some of them have the stock launcher rather than the new KitKat one though.Also I'd rather wait for and official one to come out.


----------



## Achmedisdead

razor5cl said:


> Nice, just be careful you don't get a faulty one, as my first one was, and I had to return it and wait another week, which felt like a year.


 
  
 It should be just fine, it's coming from a trusted friend that lives in another city.
  
 I'm curious how different the pure Android experience will be from my Samsung GT-P6210 and LG Optimus G Pro, which are both running 4.1.2, but of course the tablet has Touchwiz and the phone was loaded up with At&T bloatware(most of which I was able to remove or disable). At least I know the Nexus will get updates from time to time.


----------



## razor5cl

In a way you could see the Nexus line a curse, like various Audiophile gear, as when you start using a Nexus phone, you can't go back to any manufacturer bloatware-filled polycarbonate slow-updating mass market slab of a phone again.


----------



## mechgamer123

razor5cl said:


> I did see some of the unofficial ROMs on Google in the past hour. Some of them have the stock launcher rather than the new KitKat one though.Also I'd rather wait for and official one to come out.



Hmm, mine came with the KitKat launcher. I flashed it on my gnex because I don't use it anymore, so I wouldn't be mad if there were bugs or it was crashy. It took me a while to get it working too, since I tried flashing it the first time and it was corrupt, then tried flashing a different version with TWRP, which doesn't work as well, so I eventually got CWM installed and finally got it loaded up using USB OTG.



razor5cl said:


> In a way you could see the Nexus line a curse, like various Audiophile gear, as when you start using a Nexus phone, you can't go back to any manufacturer bloatware-filled polycarbonate slow-updating mass market slab of a phone again.


 Yup, and then you're stuck dealing with stupid things that the average consumer doesn't have to worry about


----------



## razor5cl

mechgamer123 said:


> Yup, and then you're stuck dealing with stupid things that the average consumer doesn't have to worry about


 
  
 Dealing with those things trying to add cool stuff the average consumer could only dream of(or just dismiss as being nerdy 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




)


----------



## gopanthersgo1

Before getting the nexus 5,look up the project ara! ^.^


----------



## mechgamer123

gopanthersgo1 said:


> Before getting the nexus 5,look up the project ara! ^.^


 
 Really Panthers, really?


----------



## gopanthersgo1

mechgamer123 said:


> Really Panthers, really? :blink:


Um, yeah? I just heard about it before I was gonna buy the nexus 5. :/ just wanted to say it was out there


----------



## J.Pocalypse

mechgamer123 said:


> Sorry I just noticed this. Why not buy it from Google? It looks like Tmo will be selling the Nexus 5 for $100 more than Google. Unless you were planning on using that jump thing or getting it on a contract or whatever. In that case, carry on.




I will be using the jump program. I think it runs in 6 month increments. Hopefully, by the time its available, I won't have long to wait.

Unless, the Android 4.4 and Sense 5.5 update _really_ kicks ass. But, I don't see that happening.

Sure will miss the front facing stereo speakers though..


gopanthersgo1 said:


> Um, yeah? I just heard about it before I was gonna buy the nexus 5. :/ just wanted to say it was out there




The *idea* is out there. A final product, if any, won't be for at least a year or two, _if_ we're lucky.


----------



## Vain III

I love technology, especially portable technology like laptops, smartphones, and cameras. You could even say I love it more than headphones. Where I'm an amateur in hifi and would never outs myself as a audiophile--instead I call myself someone who enjoys music and wants to enjoy it on a higher level--I would definitely refer to myself as a technophile.

Currently I have a HTC One S, Lumia 1020, and Oppo Find 5 that I use. In the near future I am getting a Nexus 5 (already ordered) and Oppo N1 (December Release). Plus I'm thinking about picking up Sony's QX10 or QX100 for testing.


----------



## Audio-Omega

How do I clear internet cache without deleting bookmarks on a Samsung S3 ?


----------



## mechgamer123

audio-omega said:


> How do I clear internet cache without deleting bookmarks on a Samsung S3 ?


 
 Is there some kind of proprietary browser on the S3, or is it just using Chrome?


----------



## Audio-Omega

It's the version that comes with the phone.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Settings > Privacy & Security > Clear Cache / Clear History.


----------



## Audio-Omega

Thanks.  It's done through the lower left button.


----------



## White Lotus

Just bought a 64gb Samsung Micro SD for my Galaxy S4..


----------



## Gilftronic

That's pretty sweet White Lotus


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Just got an actual 4.4 OTA update for my 2012 Nexus 7 Wifi. Check your devices if you haven't already.
  
 ..this thing is butter smooth.. 
 .. my navigation bar isn't transparent though. Bummer..


----------



## Achmedisdead

j.pocalypse said:


> Just got an actual 4.4 OTA update for my 2012 Nexus 7 Wifi. Check your devices if you haven't already.
> 
> ..this thing is butter smooth..
> .. my navigation bar isn't transparent though. Bummer..


 
  
 I just got my 2012 Nexus 7 32GB today, and the first thing I did was fire up the update to 4.4. Of course as I was in the middle of that, I had to start working. It's going to be cool learning how this all works.....my first experience with pure Android.


----------



## razor5cl

j.pocalypse said:


> Just got an actual 4.4 OTA update for my 2012 Nexus 7 Wifi. ..this thing is butter smooth..
> .. my navigation bar isn't transparent though. Bummer..




The OTAs don't have transparency. Only the N5 gets that I think. I'll have to update my Nexus 7 2012 now as well. My N4 has AOKP so I guess I'll have to wait for them.


----------



## mechgamer123

j.pocalypse said:


> Just got an actual 4.4 OTA update for my 2012 Nexus 7 Wifi. Check your devices if you haven't already.
> 
> ..this thing is butter smooth..
> .. my navigation bar isn't transparent though. Bummer..


 
 Opt into the Nova Launcher beta via Google Plus and you can get a launcher with transparent nav bar and notification menu.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

I have purchased Nova Launcher Prime. Couldn't find an option for the nav bar transparency. Couldn't find a beta version in the play store either. :/

OK. I just figured it out. Thanks for the tip!


----------



## OmarCCX

I've been checking 10 times a day, everyday, since last week on my GE HTC One.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

I heard our HTC Ones will get it by the end of January. Longer then I wanted to wait, but much sooner then others.


----------



## dalb

Just got 4.3 the other day on my Australian Telstra HTC One.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

I dig it, but put Nova Launcher on right away. Not a fan of a sense 5.

I really love Dashclock on my Nexus 7, but it sucks as a lockscreen widget on the One, IMO. No need to have *two* big a** clocks on one screen.


----------



## dalb

j.pocalypse said:


> I dig it, but put Nova Launcher on right away. Not a fan of a sense 5.
> 
> I really love Dashclock on my Nexus 7, but it sucks as a lockscreen widget on the One, IMO. No need to have *two* big a** clocks on one screen.


 
 No I'll stick with Sense thanks, I used Nova for a couple months got little out of it.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

To each their own. Glad someone like it.


----------



## mechgamer123

Huh, did anyone else just get a 9MB 4.4 OTA update on their Nexus 4?
 I flashed my Nexus 4 via fastboot with the kitkat system image from Google, and for some reason, Google just downloaded and prompted me to install the update today.
 Didn't break anything though, so I'm glad for that.


----------



## razor5cl

I'm waiting for AOKP to update to 4.4


----------



## Snyper0012

If anyone is looking for the Fastest 4.4 rom for nexus 4 i would suggest using psx v1 and neo 17 kernel. Gives you 26k+ on antutu and 10k+ on quadrant...faster than a stock nexus 5...WOW


----------



## mechgamer123

razor5cl said:


> I'm waiting for AOKP to update to 4.4


 
 Same here. In the meantime though, I've updated to AOSP 4.4
  


snyper0012 said:


> If anyone is looking for the Fastest 4.4 rom for nexus 4 i would suggest using psx v1 and neo 17 kernel. Gives you 26k+ on antutu and 10k+ on quadrant...faster than a stock nexus 5...WOW


 
 Are those benchmarks really indicative of actual performance though?


----------



## razor5cl

mechgamer123 said:


> Are those benchmarks really indicative of actual performance though? :rolleyes:




Let's not get into that here. We'll be here for years discussing the merits of Quadrant and the fidelity of phone makers and various other things that anyone can go to XDA to read a 1000 page thread on or something like that.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

^ +1


----------



## OmarCCX

Installed Kit Kat on my HTC One. It's surprising it doesn't come with the Google Experience Launcher, that's essentially what makes Kit Kat, Kit Kat.


----------



## Snyper0012

I am just showing how much more optimized a nexus 4 becomes with a custom rom...really, if you have a nexus 4 there really is no sense in upgrading to a nexus 5 as it is virtually identical in performance. Its not worth the extra 100 imo...since i paid only 250$ for my nexus


----------



## dalb

snyper0012 said:


> I am just showing how much more optimized a nexus 4 becomes with a custom rom...really, if you have a nexus 4 there really is no sense in upgrading to a nexus 5 as it is virtually identical in performance. Its not worth the extra 100 imo...since i paid only 250$ for my nexus


 
 Well that's just not true. Although both phones are exceptional value they're not 'virtually identical in performance'. Maybe to you the improvements aren't worth it, but to other people they might be. For example, full LTE support and a much higher resolution display would be enough for me to spend the extra $100 or so. 
  
 I say this owning an HTC One and loving it and having no desire for either Nexus however.
  
 Edit: just want to clarify that the improvements I mentioned aren't technically 'performance' related, but show that the 5 is a true upgrade with regard to hardware.


----------



## White Lotus

I finally played with a new Nexus, the form factor and display are pretty amazing.


----------



## razor5cl

dalb said:


> Edit: just want to clarify that the improvements I mentioned aren't technically 'performance' related, but show that the 5 is a true upgrade with regard to hardware.


 
  
 Upgrading from an N4 to an N5 for the specs is like upgrading for KitKat. The hardware on the Nexus 4 is perfectly adequate, as all its predecessors have been(people still using the Nexus S with some 4.1 ROMs, custom kernels, etc) and it already has Kitkat. Even if it didn't have KitKat, flashing options are still available.
  
 I agree, the main reason to upgrade to the N5 is the improved hardware, bigger and higher resolution screen, USB OTG(hopefully), more durable and less fragile design, etc.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Can any one tell me why my HTC One with 4.3 can do USB audio ( even with 4.2, actually ), and my 2012 Nexus 7 with 4.4 can't? By this I mean, using a USB DAC with some other music player then "USB Audio Recorder Pro"?

Side note, I have no desire at all to root/unlock my Nexus 7 to make this possible.


----------



## White Lotus

j.pocalypse said:


> Side note, I have no desire at all to root/unlock my Nexus 7 to make this possible.


 
  
 You might have to - but I'm no expert.


----------



## dryvadeum

Any opinions on the LG G2? I was thinking of getting one to replace my S4 due to the supposed better battery life and snappier performance.


----------



## White Lotus

dryvadeum said:


> Any opinions on the LG G2? I was thinking of getting one to replace my S4 due to the supposed better battery life and snappier performance.


 
  
 Did you try putting a standard Android ROM on your S4, instead of touchwiz?


----------



## dryvadeum

white lotus said:


> Did you try putting a standard Android ROM on your S4, instead of touchwiz?




Yeah but I missed a lot of the Samsung features. Plus I found the battery life to be noticeably inferior.


----------



## Achmedisdead

dryvadeum said:


> Any opinions on the LG G2? I was thinking of getting one to replace my S4 due to the supposed better battery life and snappier performance.


 
  
 It's a sweet piece of hardware....great screen, screaming CPU, etc. The button layout is not to some people's liking though. http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/09/lg-g2-review/
  
 I have its predecessor, the Optimus G Pro,  and I enjoy it thoroughly.


----------



## White Lotus

dryvadeum said:


> Yeah but I missed a lot of the Samsung features. Plus I found the battery life to be noticeably inferior.


 
  
 Hmm, which one did you use? My battery life increased significantly.


----------



## OmarCCX

Instead of getting a new phone you could try getting a second battery or an even bigger one.


----------



## dryvadeum

omarccx said:


> Instead of getting a new phone you could try getting a second battery or an even bigger one.




I couldn't be bothered carrying around a spare battery and having to charge it. 

I liked Samsung's voice control specifically of the alarm and some of the smart gestures like smart stay etc. I know there are third party apps that emulate these features but I found it nicer and smoother to have them integrated into the OS.

The button layout of the G2 doesn't bother me. I think its worse to have the power button on top of the phone, plus I tried the knock on feature which works pretty consistently.

The only thing I'm worried about is resale value and how good LG will support software updates. I have a feeling it'll get KitKat and that'll be it.


----------



## razor5cl

dryvadeum said:


> The only thing I'm worried about is resale value and how good LG will support software updates. I have a feeling it'll get KitKat and that'll be it.


 
  
 There's always the long road of AOSPA ROMs. I wouldn't know much about ROMs on non Nexus devices though, since I've seen nothing else.


----------



## dryvadeum

razor5cl said:


> There's always the long road of AOSPA ROMs. I wouldn't know much about ROMs on non Nexus devices though, since I've seen nothing else.




I was tempted to get a Nexus 5 after demoing it in store but I think the battery life and camera would be a let down.


----------



## razor5cl

Yeah generally Nexus devices don't have bad battery life or cameras, just not particularly brilliant


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Given their price point, you can't really pick on camera performance.

Anywho.. Have any other GS4 owners had this happen? A pop up message saying "The mobile network will be unavailable until you restart with a valid sim card incerted"

My wife's phone has been doing this from time to time and she hasn't taken the back of since we got our phones.


----------



## White Lotus

j.pocalypse said:


> Given their price point, you can't really pick on camera performance.
> 
> Anywho.. Have any other GS4 owners had this happen? A pop up message saying "The mobile network will be unavailable until you restart with a valid sim card incerted"
> 
> My wife's phone has been doing this from time to time and she hasn't taken the back of since we got our phones.


 
  
 Not with my GS4, but it DID happen with my old nokia.
  
 Remove the sim, clean it, put it back in.


----------



## razor5cl

Basically, means it thinks there's no SIM card in it.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Well, I was the one that put the SIM in, in the first place and it seemed pretty darn snug. I can't believe that it'd shake it self loose.


----------



## gnarlsagan

Guys, Anandtech smartphone audio testing is out! They have detailed measurements of the headphone outs of the Nexus 5, Note 3, G2, and Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5.


----------



## BaTou069

I had a Samsung Galaxy Nexus but it got stolen after aver a year of use. I'm now two months with the LG G2 and have to say that I feel that I've made the right choice... although I'm a Nexus Fan and I couldn't wait for the Nexus 5 to come.
  
 LG G2:
 PRO:

native support for 24bit files
very powerful device, didn't have any lag issue for a bit more then two months now
very long lasting battery
nice screen
good camera, nice pictures
rootable,a reasonable choice of custom ROMs available
 CON:

not stock android, stock LG Software sucks (change ROM)
stock is full with bloatware
IR blaster weak, got to find the sweet spot in order to make it work
camera has sometimes a slow focus
glossy plastic, fingerprints easy to see on the black model. That's the reason I got a white one, almost nothing to see
large onscreen buttons on stock, reduces the total screen size (unless you mod it of course)
no changeable batttery
no Micro SD slot
  
 I considered two sell it and to buy a N5 instead, but I think the less good camera and battery in the N5 made me think twice
 It's a joy not to need to bring a charger to work, or sometimes just to forget to charge the device over night and having enough juice for half a day.


----------



## Mitchell4500

batou069 said:


> I had a Samsung Galaxy Nexus but it got stolen after aver a year of use. I'm now two months with the LG G2 and have to say that I feel that I've made the right choice... although I'm a Nexus Fan and I couldn't wait for the Nexus 5 to come.
> 
> LG G2:
> PRO:
> ...


 
 Same boat as you dude. I have the gnex right now. While I love it so Im looking for something new. The nexus 5 is so sexy but I cant get it on verizon. I would love to get the G2 but im not sure if I wanna ditch my Unlimited


----------



## gnarlsagan

mitchell4500 said:


> Same boat as you dude. I have the gnex right now. While I love it so Im looking for something new. The nexus 5 is so sexy but I cant get it on verizon. I would love to get the G2 but im not sure if I wanna ditch my Unlimited




Same here. Gnex owner on Verizon. I've been considering selling my unlimited plan for $400 on eBay and switching to t mobile unlimited for the N5. It'd save me like $50 a month. I'm a little bummed about the headphone out of the N5 though. I'm going to check whether or not the channel imbalance can be corrected in software.


----------



## Mitchell4500

gnarlsagan said:


> Same here. Gnex owner on Verizon. I've been considering selling my unlimited plan for $400 on eBay and switching to t mobile unlimited for the N5. It'd save me like $50 a month. I'm a little bummed about the headphone out of the N5 though. I'm going to check whether or not the channel imbalance can be corrected in software.


 
 Exactly. Im paying like $160 a month for 3 lines. 2 with data. on tmobile the same thing is like $90 per month. 
  
 I just looked into that selling plan thing! Thats crazy, makes it worth it even more!
  
 Problem is Im worried about tMobiles service as compared to verizon. Especially their data speeds. 
  
 I heard the nexus 5 has very good audio quality. Whats this headphone problem out you speak of?


----------



## Mitchell4500

Oh also try putting 4.4 on your nexus if you havent yet. Adds a bit of life to it  made me love the phone again. I recommend this rom: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2532320


----------



## mechgamer123

Holy cow, I should have sold my Verizon plan with unlimited data! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




  
 As far as T-mobile's service goes, frankly it's not very good in my small home town, but up here in Seattle where I'm living now (which is where T-mo is headquartered, fwiw) service is not bad. I'm still not using LTE so I can't test that, but HSPA+ works fairly well and doesn't murder my battery.


----------



## gnarlsagan

mitchell4500 said:


> Exactly. Im paying like $160 a month for 3 lines. 2 with data. on tmobile the same thing is like $90 per month.
> 
> I just looked into that selling plan thing! Thats crazy, makes it worth it even more!
> 
> ...




I linked to some Anandtech measurements a few posts back. The N5 has pretty major channel imbalance and distortion at the top 3 volume settings. It may be able to be fixed in software though. I'm waiting to see some definitive results.

Yeah I'll probably put 4.4 on the Gnex very soon. I'm just really happy with 4.3 right now (Shiny) with a few xposed modules, greenify, and the nova launcher beta. I have a kitkat theme that looks very good actually. Are you experiencing any bugs at all with graphics or data? I used to crackflash quite a bit, but nowadays Shinyrom has given me more stability than I've ever had, especially with maintaining Bluetooth connections in my car. Xposed offers a ton of customizability.


----------



## Mitchell4500

gnarlsagan said:


> I linked to some Anandtech measurements a few posts back. The N5 has pretty major channel imbalance and distortion at the top 3 volume settings. It may be able to be fixed in software though. I'm waiting to see some definitive results.
> 
> Yeah I'll probably put 4.4 on the Gnex very soon. I'm just really happy with 4.3 right now (Shiny) with a few xposed modules, greenify, and the nova launcher beta. I have a kitkat theme that looks very good actually. Are you experiencing any bugs at all with graphics or data? I used to crackflash quite a bit, but nowadays Shinyrom has given me more stability than I've ever had, especially with maintaining Bluetooth connections in my car. Xposed offers a ton of customizability.


 
 I used to crackflash too. And then settled on LiquidSmooth 4.3 for a few months. It took a lot of nerve to switch to 4.4 because I tried a 4.4 rom a few weeks back and I didnt like it. To many bugs. Botched interface. Crazy graphic glitches... 
  
 But now with cMetal i have yet to find an imperfection... (actually the screenshot animation glitches but the actual screenshot is still fine). Im very picky about roms because I often get frustrated using something buggy daily. Data is more reliable on 4.4 then on 4.3 for me. 4.3 had tones of problem and stuff switching between 3g/4g. None of that now. Im really loving it.


----------



## razor5cl

I'm currently running AOKP 4.3 with the KitKat Experience Launcher on a Nexus 4. Should I flash 4.4 stock ROM or not?


----------



## OmarCCX

If you like white icons, sure.


----------



## Mitchell4500

omarccx said:


> If you like white icons, sure.


 
 That did drive me crazy for a bit. Especially because on every previous version of android white indicated a problem or lack of connectivity with a signal.


----------



## OmarCCX

Yeah, and now the network icons don't indicate data usage. That was dumb, it was a useful feature.


----------



## gnarlsagan

omarccx said:


> Yeah, and now the network icons don't indicate data usage. That was dumb, it was a useful feature.




Is there a way to enable data usage indicators? It is a useful feature.


----------



## BaTou069

Install the XPosed Framework, there are several modules that can do that


----------



## BaTou069

dryvadeum said:


> The only thing I'm worried about is resale value and how good LG will support software updates. I have a feeling it'll get KitKat and that'll be it.


 
  
 Here in Israel, the G2 dropped in price about 250$ in 2 months....
 And it wasn't cheap in the first place
  
 I have the 16Gig (big error) and now the 32Gig is 250$ cheaper then my 16Gig was....shame


----------



## razor5cl

omarccx said:


> If you like white icons, sure.




I am more partial to the Holo Blue. Are there any serious benefits though?, as to me the Launcher seems where all the meat is.


----------



## OmarCCX

I didn't notice any apparent differences when upgrading to 4.4 on my One until I installed the GE Launcher.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

HTC One? 4.4? When did this happen?


----------



## OmarCCX

Google Edition


----------



## razor5cl

Flashing a stock ROM will be too much hassle for me, I'll just wait until AOKP updates to KitKat, but that may be a long time, as the team themselves have said the initial rollout will be"barebones" as they are cleaning up their codebase.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

omarccx said:


> Google Edition




You're lucky. Sense 5 is awful, IMO.


----------



## dalb

j.pocalypse said:


> You're lucky. Sense 5 is awful, IMO.




Never really understood the hate for Sense 5. I've used Nexus devices with stock and an HTC One with Sense 5. What don't you like about it specifically?

I understand not liking touchwiz (although I understand loving it too), has so much bloat. But Sense 5, just seems like hating because it's not 'pure wonderful magical' stock.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

I think it boils down to the lack of customization options. Oh, and the app drawer scrolls vertically, but at pages at à time, if that makes sense. A smooth scroll, through all my apps would be much appreciated. Not sure why, but of all the things I could nit-pick, that drives me absolutely nuts.

Alas, all is solved, thanks to Nova Launcher Prime.


----------



## dalb

j.pocalypse said:


> I think it boils down to the lack of customization options. Oh, and the app drawer scrolls vertically, but at pages at à time, if that makes sense. A smooth scroll, through all my apps would be much appreciated. Not sure why, but of all the things I could nit-pick, that drives me absolutely nuts.
> 
> Alas, all is solved, thanks to Nova Launcher Prime.




I haven't noticed any extra customization in stock android compared to sense 5. But you're right nova launcher gives a lot of freedom. My main issue with sense is the lame and rigid lock screen which nova launcher dlesnt improve unfortunately


----------



## razor5cl

**cough** WidgetLocker **cough**


----------



## dalb

razor5cl said:


> **cough** WidgetLocker **cough**




Used it. Sucks (on my HTC one). 

If you lock then quickly try to unlock your phone it doesn't load for a few seconds and instead the default lock screen does. Such a bad app and developer support has been bad for a payouts app.


----------



## razor5cl

I've dabbled in it briefly. I never really got into it either.


----------



## Kdavis71

I have the Samsung Galaxy S3 running android 4.3.
  
 I love Android so much. I love it's customization features which you just can't get with Apple. Even got my sister who uses an iPhone wanting a android phone now. She really wants the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Kdavis71, how's your battery life on the GS3? My wife and I have one as a spare phone and the battery is usually dead by 2pm.


----------



## Kdavis71

Well when I first got my GS3 the battery lasted a full day as long as I didn't heavily game on it. Now my battery life is quite terrible probably from leaving it on charger overnight so it's charged in morning and from loading it down with apps. If you want amazing battery life I heard a lot of good things about the droid phones.


----------



## Accoun

Probably not, but does anyone here have Samsung Galaxy S Plus (most people here probably have far better phones, though :-/)? Got one for free and looks like it's more powerful than my superlowbudget Mini 2. The question is, which ROM? Is it worth to install something on the newest versions of Android? 

Also, how's the memcard? I tried to install CM on my Mini 2 and the card didn't work until I reverted to 2.3.6 - don't know if it's a Gingerbread to higher version problem, my model's problem or my exact phone/my configuration.


----------



## Snyper0012

For people in question of flashing 4.4, id say go for it. ART has been released and it makes my phone fly in terms of smoothness on my nexus 4. Sure there are a few incompatible apps but everything is much better now. My battery life has increasef from 3 and 1/2 hours s.o.t to 4 and a half. And o/a temp. Of cpu is decreased. Its a whole diff. Phone now  even some of my nexus 5 friends cant get over the smoothness of my phone lol


----------



## razor5cl

ART isn't available on the N7 2012 though, some things are the same but others are slower(recent app switcher stutters). I haven't tried it on my N4 though.


----------



## DivergeUnify

I just got the Droid Maxx a few days ago.  It's awesome I like it a lot.  Better sound than the Droid Bionic I feel


----------



## veyrongatti

mitchell4500 said:


> Same boat as you dude. I have the gnex right now. While I love it so Im looking for something new. The nexus 5 is so sexy but I cant get it on verizon. I would love to get the G2 but im not sure if I wanna ditch my Unlimited


 
 Nexus 5 owner here just get the G2 and root it 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 Its only a good deal as an unlocked phone


----------



## White Lotus

Anyone tried the JDS C5D here?


----------



## batteraziiz

Just grabbed these little treats:
 CS968 (RK3188) Quad Core Google Android 4.2 OS Cortex-A9 1.6GHz Mini TV BOX
 G910 Wireless Bluetooth Gamepad
 Measy RC11 Android Monitor Wireless Keyboard Air Mouse Remote Controller With Gyroscope

 All from Geekbuying, so I could bundle them all together in the same shipment... An entire android setup that I can stream videos or movies online via XBMC with, Play music and vids off my external HDD on, Use most emulators on (Up to PSX and N64)...
 All for under $150 for the lot. I'm pleased right now. Can't wait for it to arrive so I can start tinkering


----------



## xkonfuzed

Haven't visited this thread in a long time. Anyway, good news. I just installed Cm11 android kitiat 4.4.2 on my Htc One and it is lookin good  keep in mind this is one of their nightlies so its expected to have issues. 

Pro's:
-Everything is faster. Opening apps, loading pictures, opening web pages, viewing stuff, downloading, basically everything apart from the boot up. 
-smooth, not as much hiccups as old CM's. 
-much better battery life.
-super-cool lock animation. 
-customization
-Emojis!!!!!!
-much, much better multitasking. Doesnt lag anymore when im downloading something and using another app. 

Con's:
-Still not suitable as a 'daily driver'
-random restarts (mostly when the phone freezes)
-beats audio is gone, which means the speakers sound like crap
-still some freezes, hiccups.
-hard to install for beginners

And thats about it


----------



## J.Pocalypse

I installed CM11 on my HTC One as well. Agreed, the speakers sound like butt now. Once in a while, I get sound out of just one. I do use it as a daily driver. The random restarts don't happen often enough to bother me. Looking forward to the final version, whenever that shows up.


----------



## TheAnomaly

hey androids!
  
 long-time android user here. have owned a number of different phones over the years. currently using (and loving) the LG G2 with my grandfathered data plan! i only wish it had aosp kitkat...
  
 i've read that people here have mixed opinions on the sound quality of the G2, but from my uncritical listening (some 24/96 files i have floating around) it seemed to sound perfectly fine. loving the battery life, screen size, and OIS camera, too.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

That phony seems to be really liked on the reviews I've read. Really love my HTC One with CM11, but I'm oddly drawn to the Moto X with its "always listening" feature.


----------



## mechgamer123

The other nice thing about the X would be that it seems Motorola (being owned by Google and all) will continue to give it updates, and update it faster than other manufacturers.
 I went to Best Buy the other day and played around with the Nexus 5. Maybe it's because I have a custom ROM and ART on my Nexus 4 (as well as .5x animations) but the Nexus 5 didn't really feel all that much faster than my phone. Plus, it looks like someone was able to tear part of the back off as well... :l
 I was honestly most impressed with the LG G2 and how close the screen was to the edges of the device.


----------



## Audio-Omega

Could Samsung Galaxy Gear function without Galaxy Note 3 ?  It would be nice to use it as a watch and camera.


----------



## White Lotus

audio-omega said:


> Could Samsung Galaxy Gear function without Galaxy Note 3 ?  It would be nice to use it as a watch and camera.


 
  
 I don't think the battery life is very good


----------



## razor5cl

Yeah apparently one day only, and I saw an article on Android Central about using it with a Nexus 5, but I don't know the ins and outs.


----------



## xkonfuzed

About 5 days in with CM11 now,and i don't think it will stay for me very long. The random restarts are getting more frequent, the smoothness and responsiveness is not as good as it was the first day, and the battery life is getting worse  i dont know if its from my device or from the ROM. But imo cyanogen need to hurry up and release the stable or at least monthly version if cm11. Until then, i may switch to another Rom which seems to be quite liked and popular called Android Revolution HD. Its said to a basically a sense 5.5 ui with much better performance and battery life, which is exactly what im looking for. Does anyone have experience with this ROM?


----------



## veyrongatti

xkonfuzed said:


> About 5 days in with CM11 now,and i don't think it will stay for me very long. The random restarts are getting more frequent, the smoothness and responsiveness is not as good as it was the first day, and the battery life is getting worse
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
 What Kernel are you using?


----------



## veyrongatti

Damn I dont feel like getting a custom rom simply because OTA updates are just so much easier.........


----------



## xkonfuzed

veyrongatti said:


> What Kernel are you using?



Cyanogenmod's kernel (same one that came with the ROM)


----------



## Dillan

Thinking about getting a new phone.  Any good droids coming out Q1 2014? (hopefully for AT&T)


----------



## razor5cl

New HTC M8/M9 whatever, basically new HTC flagship coming soon, I think Q1.


----------



## veyrongatti

xkonfuzed said:


> Cyanogenmod's kernel (same one that came with the ROM)


 
 have you tried another kernel?


----------



## Snyper0012

For people here using the nexus4, whats the best 4.4.2 kernel and rom you have used? I am on purity + franco kernel + viper4android


----------



## xkonfuzed

veyrongatti said:


> have you tried another kernel?




Not yet, but i will. Any specific kernels you recommend?


----------



## razor5cl

I like Franco or Trinity Kernel but I'm not sure if theyre available for KitKat.


----------



## xkonfuzed

razor5cl said:


> I like Franco or Trinity Kernel but I'm not sure if theyre available for KitKat.



I did some research about the best kernel in terms of battery life and performance for the One and it seems Bulletproof kernel is pretty good. Flashing it now


----------



## Snyper0012

Ok...i found the best kernel for nexus 4....especially if you are running purity rom. Hellscore has the best battery/performance right now with near 5 hour sot


----------



## mechgamer123

Does anyone else here run Cyanogenmod on their Nexus 4? So far twice this week I've had the phone lock up on me in the middle of the night and my alarm not go off. Not only that, but for some reason I'll be walking to class and the torch app turns on?
 I just wanted to go with CM for stability and upgradability, but it looks like it's not so stable after all... :/


----------



## L0SLobos

Who here is still using a Galaxy Nexus? Because I am, and I'm stuck on this piece of crap until my contract ends August this year. Fk Rogers and the Canadian telecoms in general, 3 years contract with cheapest data plan at $45 is a scam and should be a criminal offense.
  
 Edit: BTW running Cyanogenmod 11 nightlies maguro with new ART runtime and this lil b*tch still lags like a mothafuhka


----------



## Snyper0012

mechgamer123 said:


> Does anyone else here run Cyanogenmod on their Nexus 4? So far twice this week I've had the phone lock up on me in the middle of the night and my alarm not go off. Not only that, but for some reason I'll be walking to class and the torch app turns on?
> I just wanted to go with CM for stability and upgradability, but it looks like it's not so stable after all... :/




I wouldnt touch anything cm based to be honest. Most of the roms are never close to being stable as stock based roms. I recommend using purity, psx or rastakat instead. These roms are the best for stability/performance


----------



## Dillan

Can't wait to get a new phone. 

 Might get the note, not sure.


----------



## DefQon

Which note? Note 4 is coming around the corner in super-size me form-factor.


----------



## Dillan

defqon said:


> Which note? Note 4 is coming around the corner in super-size me form-factor.


 


 Really? 
  
 That would be amazing.  I will probably wait for that then.
  
 Is there an expected release date?


----------



## DefQon

gsmarena.com is your #1 source for that stuff.
  
 I think it's stupid that Samsung is going to be ending up with 10inch phones. Use 2 hands to carry it. Service providers provide a free briefcase to store your phone to endure daily abuse.


----------



## Dillan

Phablets are fun!


----------



## razor5cl

The G Flex would be tempting if it wasn't so expensive and the resolution wasn't so low, and the stock LG skin wasn't so heavy. Now that I think about it its quite flawed, but maybe the G Flex 2 or whatever will be better.


----------



## Dillan

razor5cl said:


> The G Flex would be tempting if it wasn't so expensive and the resolution wasn't so low, and the stock LG skin wasn't so heavy. Now that I think about it its quite flawed, but maybe the G Flex 2 or whatever will be better.


 
  
 Yea the resolution alone would make it more appealing, if higher.


----------



## mechgamer123

snyper0012 said:


> mechgamer123 said:
> 
> 
> > Does anyone else here run Cyanogenmod on their Nexus 4? So far twice this week I've had the phone lock up on me in the middle of the night and my alarm not go off. Not only that, but for some reason I'll be walking to class and the torch app turns on?
> ...


 
 Do those have very much customization though? I love the customization that you can do in CM and especially AOKP.


----------



## xkonfuzed

Just a reminder: if anyone is interested, CM11 just went stable. Grab it before its too late.


----------



## L0SLobos

xkonfuzed said:


> Just a reminder: if anyone is interested, CM11 just went stable. Grab it before its too late.


 
 No it didnt.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

I just installed the M3 Snapshot for CM11 to my HTC One. Seems a bit snappier then the nightly I was on.


----------



## xkonfuzed

l0slobos said:


> No it didnt.


 
 *Correction: Its actually a 'Snapshot', not sure what that means but still smother than nightlies.


----------



## gopanthersgo1

I stick to nightlies updating every 2 weeks or so since I don't like dealing with installing the kernal and setting up xposed everyday with the apps optimizing thing that takes a good while, then update on each snapshot, and then get the stables, seems to work really nice.


----------



## razor5cl

I recently flashed a nightly of AOKP KitKat, from AOKP 4.3. I didn't wipe, so I don't know if it was that or the fact that the ROM is broken, but for me the network icons were always orange, and Chrome kept crashing. Anyway, I'm going to flash it when they reach a milestone, as the nightly didn't have nearly as much custyomization as I get currently.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

(delete - double post)


----------



## J.Pocalypse

gopanthersgo1 said:


> I stick to nightlies updating every 2 weeks or so since I don't like dealing with installing the kernal and setting up xposed everyday with the apps optimizing thing that takes a good while, then update on each snapshot, and then get the stables, seems to work really nice.


 
  When I had Xposed on my phone, after a CM update, all I had to do was reboot the phone and my Xposed settings came back automatically.


----------



## razor5cl

Yeah I flashed through a few ROMs and Xposed stuck through all of them.


----------



## GrmanRodriguez

What headphones have mic support for Android?


----------



## mechgamer123

Every iPhone compatible microphone I've tried (including the earpods) has worked fine on Android.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

grmanrodriguez said:


> What headphones have mic support for Android?


 
 The Klipsch S4-A's are designed to work with Android phones.


----------



## GrmanRodriguez

j.pocalypse said:


> The Klipsch S4-A's are designed to work with Android phones.



What about something over the ear? (budget: $80 to $120)


----------



## mark2410

grmanrodriguez said:


> What headphones have mic support for Android?


 

http://www.head-fi.org/t/695893/jays-a-jays-five-review
  
 there are others of course too but those offfer much customisation button wise.


----------



## batteraziiz

In the living rm I use game systems to watch video, but the setup I use on the TV in the bedroom is an rk3188 quad-core Android mini-pc-box, I bundled it with a Measy RC11 Air Mouse/Keyboard and a G910 Bluetooth controller for emulators and android gaming. Plays 1080p video like a hot damn, too. Whole kit was less than $120. Highly recommend!!


----------



## White Lotus

Post a screenshot of your homescreen!
  
 Here is one I found on reddit:


----------



## J.Pocalypse

_Update, as of yesterday, I've installed CM11 on my N5. I now have USB audio available, just as you would with an iOS device. No special apps ( IE USB Audio Recorder Pro ), for those that weren't aware. Works perfectly with my Nuforce uDAC_


----------



## razor5cl

^^^ that's really nice actually. I like the clean black and white colours. Also that Reddit one is nice and minimalist. I like minimalist, but for me, more is definitely more, so here:


----------



## razor5cl

Nice Illuminati theme.


----------



## LouisLoh

Galaxy Note 3


----------



## Infoseeker

Hey thread. Is there a tutorial on how to get the best sound out of one's android phone?
  
 My headphones sound amazing and dynamic on my wife's Iphone 4S, but sound muddy on my Samsung Note-3.
  
 Is this due to hardware limits of my Note-3? Or are there settings that I need to set?


----------



## razor5cl

Hi. I'm currently writing articles about audio for my blog(axiostech.uk) and I've already written one about audio quality and phones, but mostly aimed at beginners. Now that you mention it I might do an advanced one with info about tweaks and such.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

infoseeker said:


> Hey thread. Is there a tutorial on how to get the best sound out of one's android phone?
> 
> My headphones sound amazing and dynamic on my wife's Iphone 4S, but sound muddy on my Samsung Note-3.
> 
> Is this due to hardware limits of my Note-3? Or are there settings that I need to set?




Throw some flac files on an SD card, play them through the Neutron app and this,https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.noozxoidelabs.eizo.rewirepro and see if your results don't improve.


----------



## SP Wild

I only recently got introduced to smartphones and tablets at my last job where they provided me with one of each, an Iphone 4 and a Samsung Galaxy tab 3 or something like that.  So finally in 2014 I experienced what was introduced in 2007.  And boy...what a shock, I cant't help but feel that it is all over for Microsoft.  My XP installations are all not secure anymore and I'll be actively avoiding Microsoft if I can.
  
 So since that job didn't work out...the shock horror of returning to use a regular number pad phone was overwhelming.  I bought an Iphone 4 from a roomate that upgraded to Iphone 5.  Slowly, I realise the Iphone 4 is old and kinda slow...because after I jumped to smartphone....a lot of my buddies upgraded to Iphone 5....and so it seems, to one up my latest toy.  So it begins...the Iphone 4 of mine has a dodgy back button....the perfect excuse, and I landed myself  Nexus 5, brand new!
  
 I have zero complaints....other than battery life....I charged my old dumb phone twice a week, this thing, prolly cause I cant stop twiddling with it...needs a charge a day!  I did my research before gunning for the Nexus and they said that the pure Android is the way to go.  I guess Google is smart to cater to the struggling class...but if I had the money...I'd go for them Iphone 5s with the fingerprint sensor and also an Ipad Air to replace my XP laptop.  Its a status thing y'know...I wanna be able to flip out the latest Iphone in order to declare that I am better than all you poor ass google users.
  
 Its an age thing as well, I believe...I phone is just a fraction more better to interact with for anyone new to smart phones.  When I was younger....I learned the ins and outs of Windows XP...I can't do that anymore with computers.  Apple is perfect for the person I am today.  Yet I can imagine much preferring android if I was younger.  Nevertheless....I am rapt with the Nexus 5. 
  
 Playing around with my new phone....it starts to make sense, the social behavioural change in the last few years and the falling price of a permanently monitored personal ID number.


----------



## razor5cl

I totally agree with you about XP, I personally learnt computers on it(without internet, Help and Support Center FTW) and nothing today is as easy to learn. On battery life, to be honest all modern smartphones need to be charged once a a day, in fact a whole day's battery life on your usage is usually the benchmark used for smartphones, so be thankful you don't have to charge it on the go.


----------



## White Lotus

@SP Wild - 
  
 I use a Mophie Juice pack on my Galaxy S4. I don't think Mophie has released one for the Nexus 5, but they are good, as they give just that little bit of extra juice to let you do as you please with the phone, without too much worry about battery life.
  
 Also it's pretty non-intrusive and clean.


----------



## Hungryhoss

Got a HTC One M8 a couple of weeks ago, upgrading from my 2 years old Galaxy S3. 

 I am in love.


----------



## SP Wild

white lotus said:


> @SP Wild -
> 
> I use a Mophie Juice pack on my Galaxy S4. I don't think Mophie has released one for the Nexus 5, but they are good, as they give just that little bit of extra juice to let you do as you please with the phone, without too much worry about battery life.
> 
> Also it's pretty non-intrusive and clean.


 
  
 Oh yeah....it integrates in to a protective casing.  That'd be perfect when they make one for the Nexus 5.
  
@Hungryhoss straight to the top of the andoid heap....I know what you mean about that falling in love thing.  I see these things for what they are, a pocket supercomputer....so much faster than my laptop and can do so much more.
  
  
 Did you guys see the wooden Moto X....I need one, then I need wooden headphones to go with it!  Motorola seems OK...I walked into a shop to purchase a Motorola G, and walked away with a Nexus instead. I may have preferred the apple because that's how I learned to use a smartphone...but now I'm gettin more used to android and honestly have no desire to go IOS...I might even look into an android tablet to replace my laptop.  I bought one of them wallet cases and dispensed with my wallet...I also payed 10 bucks for a screen protector and threw that in rubbish pile in frustration....I mean somehow dust gets in it and it looks rubbish...so my screen is bare.


----------



## razor5cl

Which brand was it? Some screen protector brands are good, like Spigen, and you might want to look at glass ones too.


----------



## Hungryhoss

I have the Tech 21 case and screen protector on my M8 - looks and feels great in the hand, with secure protection and no bubbles and crystal clear screen etc.

https://www.tech21.com/


----------



## SP Wild

razor5cl said:


> Which brand was it? Some screen protector brands are good, like Spigen, and you might want to look at glass ones too.




Not sure what brand it was. But it was quite thick. Might have to look into the glass protectors.


----------



## SP Wild

I bought the tempered glass screen protector and several cases to replace the wallet case...the wallet case looked OK for the Iphone 4....but on the N5 it was fundametally a purse...not a wallet.
  
 Soooo, when I started a new job, I got off the train, on the way home.  I now need to catch a bus to get home.  In the morning I got a lift from my room mate to the train station.  Having not caught public transport in over a decade, I have no idea which bus, where or when.
  
 There is this app called trip view for Sydney public transport system...it confuses me severely (I am very tired and brain does not really function correctly).
  
 In desperation...wanting to get home but not sure how, I say 'OK Google'....'take me home'.
  
 I could not believe it...it told me where to go...via google maps, which bus and that the bus would be there in five minutes...it knew where I lived....it even knows where I work.
  
 Mind is seriously blown.  This is the 21st freakin century man!  I am livin in the future!
  
 Today I am proud to be Australian....the new generation of young Aussies make me proud.  Google has been the enabler of many things and I hope the power balance moves away from traditional old geezer corporations to this new generation of better, younger awesomeness!
  
 Until they the Google bots turn on us...I still believe they will!


----------



## J.Pocalypse

Last night, I switched from Delvik to ART. Am I just crazy to think music over Bluetooth sounds worlds better now? 

Listening with Jaybird BluebudsX and have GPM set to highest quality.


----------



## razor5cl

Do you have Xposed installed? If you do then Dalvik is default and switching to ART does nothing, and you indeed are crazy.


----------



## J.Pocalypse

I don't have Xposed installed. I know that it won't work with ART, but I've experienced a battery life increase through out the day.


----------



## saxman717

Any word on when the Note 4 will get the android lollipop update?  Samsung has been really slow in rolling that out....


----------



## J.Pocalypse

saxman717 said:


> Any word on when the Note 4 will get the android lollipop update?  Samsung has been really slow in rolling that out....


 
  
 I can't imagine it'll be that far away. My wife just got Android 5.0 on her S5 via T-Mobile two days ago.


----------



## Greyson

Still carrying my Nexus 4 and still more than happy with it.
  
 I had skipped the 5 with the intention of upgrading to the 6, but unfortunately they decided to jump on the bandwagon of needlessly large phones that wish they were tablets so i've skipped that one too.


----------



## Dobrescu George

if i can straight ask, the best androind device, with the biggest and best screen at the moment is note 4 right?


----------



## mechgamer123

dobrescu george said:


> if i can straight ask, the best androind device, with the biggest and best screen at the moment is note 4 right?


 
 There is also the Nexus 6 to consider, which has the same resolution screen and a similar price, or there's the Oneplus One and Xiaomi Mi Note which aren't necessarily the best, but they should be half the price of the Note 4 and Nexus 6.


----------



## Dobrescu George

i can get some discount on note 4, and it had that amoled tech, which was supposed to be so good. i wanted the phone with the biggest and best colored screen.
  
 to have a point to refference, i can buy note 4 at the exact same price i can buy one plus one.
  
 nexus 6 seems like a bad ideea, since it does not have a memory card slot. on the other hand it had a bigger screen. 
  
 xiaomi note is not alavaible in my country. i would had considered it.
  
  
 it is down to one plus one and note 4 both costing the same amount of money. i really do anime and videos on phone while i travel. i will have an external DAC and AMP android compatible, so SQ is not a problem. i want my phone to last at least 3-4 years if i take care of it, and i do android gaming quite often. i appreciate the advice!


----------



## mechgamer123

Wow, that's a really good price on the Note 4! I guess specs-wise, it would make the most sense to get that. Personally I still can't stand the cheap looking design of the Galaxy smartphones. I do enjoy my Oneplus One and I assume the Nexus 6 and Mi note would be nicer in the hand as well but to each their own. If you can get over the fake leather back and cheap feeling plastic, go for the Note 4. Lack of SD card isn't a big deal to me but to each their own of course. You could probably have a Mi Note imported and still get it fairly cheaply, but not less than that Note 4.


----------



## Dobrescu George

yeah, in my country mobile phone providers give big discount if you buy a smartphone if you continue a service with them for 2 years. i am the type that has the same number for a long time, so i get an advantage. 
  
 i hated samsung devices for a long time, from the sgs1, when i decided to get cowon j3 instead of sgs1. 
  
 but nowdays, i think that samsung has the best to offer for watcdhing movies and anime when i travel by bus. i was also looking at tablets, and theirs seem to have the best displays..
  
 i never had hold a samsung note 4 in hand, so i have no ideea how it feels, and i don't know anyone who would get one. not very popular.


----------



## mechgamer123

Ah, we get discounts for signing contracts here in the US as well, but all the main carriers in the US now offer discounts for not signing a contract (for example I'm saving $30 a month on my plan because both phones are off-contract) or roughly 25% off the bill.
  
 If it costs the same though, and you won't want to upgrade for a while, then you may just want to get the Note 4 on contract.
  
 I might also suggest if you look at tablets to look into Windows tablets. I'm not sure what kind of anime files you play but I have an ASUS Transformer Book T100 that can play 1080p 10 bit FLAC Blu-ray rips while none of my other mobile devices (Oneplus One, iPad 3, Nexus 7) can. The display is the standard 1336*768 but it's IPS and on a 10" screen it really isn't bad at all.


----------



## Mitchell4500

Hey guys I have a LG G3. The sound quality is terrible and im looking to get a new phone. Was thinking about getting the S6 but im open to other options. Im a fan of the Nexus line and usually install some variant of AOSP or CM on my phone. Any ideas stick out to you guys?


----------



## Dobrescu George

mitchell4500 said:


> Hey guys I have a LG G3. The sound quality is terrible and im looking to get a new phone. Was thinking about getting the S6 but im open to other options. Im a fan of the Nexus line and usually install some variant of AOSP or CM on my phone. Any ideas stick out to you guys?


 
 you could consider getting fiio e18 for android instead. i think it beats most phones.


----------



## Mitchell4500

dobrescu george said:


> you could consider getting fiio e18 for android instead. i think it beats most phones.


 
 I was considering that for awhile. But its like for the price I could get another phone (on contract) thats better than what I have and have half as much hardware to carry around. Good suggestion though.


----------



## Dobrescu George

i would have to pay the price of a good phone on contract for e18, but not for a flagship. considering this, some people say that note series of samsung have good headphone outs, and iphones. i had never heared either. i only know e18, and it is just a few steps away from fiio x5, and well above the old x3. i have no ideea how it compares to x3II.
  
  
 I would need some help deciding. I can choose between note4 and huawei ascend mate 7, mate7 costing half the note4's price. I am reluctant to get note4 because i had read in multiple places that the super amoled display gets washed off colors after a while, and in this situation, i might better get mate7, as it already has a bigger screen, and i will be using it for anime a lot..
  
 Anyone has any thoughts on this?


----------



## linglingjr

I just bought an unlocked verizon HTC one max to use on T mobile.  I get super sketchy coverage. most the time it doesn't even work indoors and GPS is completely useless on it.  I really love everything about the one Max, especially its cheap price.  Does anyone know of other 5.9 inch or bigger phones that will actually work 100% on T mobile's bands?  The Mate 7 looks absolutely amazing but I don't know how I'd feel about spending that much.  Will it work with T-mobile?


----------



## mechgamer123

5.9" is a really specific size, I don't know of many other phones that are that big. I would personally maybe look at a used Oneplus One for that price?


----------



## linglingjr

mechgamer123 said:


> 5.9" is a really specific size, I don't know of many other phones that are that big. I would personally maybe look at a used Oneplus One for that price?



 


I just mean that size or bigger. After spending a month with a screen that big it feels so awkward going back to a smaller 4.3 inch galaxy s3. The Oneplus one is only 5.5

I'm almost tempted to wait for the Huawei X2 that's 7 inches but still functions as a "phone"


----------



## mechgamer123

linglingjr said:


> I just mean that size or bigger. After spending a month with a screen that big it feels so awkward going back to a smaller 4.3 inch galaxy s3. The Oneplus one is only 5.5
> 
> I'm almost tempted to wait for the Huawei X2 that's 7 inches but still functions as a "phone"


 
 Sorry, I meant that 5.9" and above is going to be difficult to get, because most phones "only" have 5.5" displays.


----------



## Dobrescu George

linglingjr said:


> mechgamer123 said:
> 
> 
> > 5.9" is a really specific size, I don't know of many other phones that are that big. I would personally maybe look at a used Oneplus One for that price?
> ...


 
 7 inches cannot be hold by one hand. 
  
 on the other hand, huawei mate 7 seems awesome.
  
 i am going to get note4 mostly, because it is so much better than mate7 at everything, but mate7 would remain my second choice, from all phones out there.


----------



## linglingjr

dobrescu george said:


> 7 inches cannot be hold by one hand.
> 
> on the other hand, huawei mate 7 seems awesome.
> 
> i am going to get note4 mostly, because it is so much better than mate7 at everything, but mate7 would remain my second choice, from all phones out there.


 
 I know 7 inches is insane, my family has a nexus 7 :3  
  
 I don't know why anyone would want a 2560 screen on a phone screen... Unless you're trying VR with it.


----------



## Dobrescu George

that is kind of useless, VR does not work that good... i want note4 for to be a little future proof, and it might come usefull to have that pen, i work in a buisness in witch i meet a lot of people and carrying a phone instead of papers for memorizing things for myself sounds great!
  
 also, note 4 has some other very strong points. considering the price difference, as i said, huawei mate 7 would be my second choice any day.
  
 i would not buy anything bigger because it would hardly be pocketable anymore, and i talk kind of much on phone, a little bigger would be too big for me to talk with it. that is why i would not go 7".
  
 for gaming and movies it would be great, but i would rather get a note 4 and a samsung 10" TAB, for super amoled screen, or get a good IPS tablet only for movies while travelling.
  
 i still am going to try to VR with the note 4 i buy, because it can be very fun!


----------



## mechgamer123

dobrescu george said:


> 7 inches cannot be hold by one hand.


 
 Lol I can hold my Nexus 7 with one hand and use most of the screen just fine.


----------



## Seerzors

those are some pretty big hands


----------



## tackytiger

dobrescu george said:


> 7 inches cannot be hold by one hand.


----------



## mechgamer123

You know what they say... 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			






 (Big gloves)


----------



## Dobrescu George

well a 7" phone would be smaller than 7" to hold in one hand, but it still is hard to control the screen with one hand.
  
 for me, every time i tried, i touched the screen in an un-wanted point, because of hand.


----------



## TheGoldenEars

Personally I can't hold with one hand anything above 5.5 inches!


----------



## linglingjr

I wouldn't want to reach top to bottom with a screen bigger than 6 inches.  Even at that size it's sort of uncomfortable.  That still doesn't stop me from wanting the huawei mediapad x2 to use as a "phone"  it's basically a bezel-less tablet.


----------



## Netrum

I am in love with my Sony Z3 Compact.
It is by far the best android phone I have used.
And i just recently got upgraded to Android 5 <3


----------



## edgeno

netrum said:


> I am in love with my Sony Z3 Compact.
> It is by far the best android phone I have used.
> And i just recently got upgraded to Android 5 <3


 


 Kinda know what you mean. My Z2 is less annoying now that it works on a semi-regular basis.


----------



## Dobrescu George

i see a lot of DAPs coming to being Android instead of proprietary firmwares...


----------



## razor5cl

I see this as an unparalleled plus point. 

Rather than having to deal with buggy, broken, nonstandard chinese firmware we can get something that is more polished, customizable and more standard.


----------



## SubSTI

Lenovo Yoga 2 8" / Android 4.4.2 -> UAPP 2.0 -> iFi Nano iDSD -> Fidelio X1 / M1
 Unfortunately Spotify and Synology DS Audio aren't able to use the Nano, waiting for Lollipop


----------



## Koschei

Check me off as another Z3C user. I went International Galaxy S3> Xperia Z1S > Xperia Z3 Compact. The Galaxy S3 had a really cool kernel that let me use a derivative of Voodoo Sound called Googy Max, but I shattered its screen so it had to go. The Z1S could transmit music coming from it via a mod called Spirit Xmit, but it also had to go. Now I'm happy with just Viper4Android on a rooted stock setup, as nowadays you can get pretty much any feature that a rom would have via Xposed additions.


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## Shure or bust

Till you've owned a One Plus one. You haven't owned a real phone. Even after a year of its release, it still out runs the LG G4 and Samsung s6 Edge. My next phone after OPO will be a Linux phone like the *Meizu MX4 Ubuntu edition or something like the Vivo X5 Max or the Marshall London. I wouldn't be surprised if the OPO can last me 5 years.*


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## Infoseeker

I love my OPO, exactly as you said. It has a lot of life with being able to update it. T the Oneplus Two does not seem like a huge upgrade for me compared to just updating my Operating System on the One-model

I wish Saygus would cancel their current delayed phone and release one with a stronger processor.


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## Koschei

shure or bust said:


> Till you've owned a One Plus one. You haven't owned a real phone. Even after a year of its release, it still out runs the LG G4 and Samsung s6 Edge. My next phone after OPO will be a Linux phone like the [COLOR=333333]*Meizu MX4 Ubuntu edition or something like the Vivo X5 Max or the Marshall London. I wouldn't be surprised if the OPO can last me 5 years.*[/COLOR]




What sets the OPO apart from other phones?


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## VXAce

koschei said:


> What sets the OPO apart from other phones?


 
 Price and transparency. It's a very cheap phone that is supported properly, it's not locked by any carrier or idiots that are trying to just milk money. Customization is through the roof software wise, hardware is pretty good, with some compromises. *curses about not having a microSD slot and removable battery*


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## gopanthersgo1

vxace said:


> Price and transparency. It's a very cheap phone that is supported properly, it's not locked by any carrier or idiots that are trying to just milk money. Customization is through the roof software wise, hardware is pretty good, with some compromises. *curses about not having a microSD slot and removable battery*


How do you feel about the Nexus phones? I love my Nexus 6, and while it's more $$$ than the OPO, I love the bigger qHD screen!


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## VXAce

gopanthersgo1 said:


> How do you feel about the Nexus phones? I love my Nexus 6, and while it's more $$$ than the OPO, I love the bigger qHD screen!


 
 Sadly I haven't had any experience with the Nexus 6, but the Nexus 5 is possibly my favorite phone out there. It is built extremely well and has a really good profile. It feels like it should be in my hand. The screen size and dimensions were just right too. Even with my OnePlus One I might not mind swapping for the Nexus 5, even with the outdated specs, if that gets updated holy cow I would get one.
  
 My actual experience with a nexus device is the Nexus 10, a monstrosity of a tablet that was really nice to have but ungodly to carry. It was very nice though... being able to use it as basically a laptop was really nice, in games I could use it to get information on items or whatever, and I could read books or browse the web without feeling cramped. The stock android that came with and the upgrade to Lollipop were good and rather fun. Really liked stock android.
  
 My gripe with the OnePlus One is the camera, for some reason either the software or hardware in my phone or ROM just doesn't cut it properly and photos come out sub-par. I still have yet to find the reason for this.
  
 I should say that I don't find the OPO to be the best phone out there, it's damn good phone, but not the best. I think the Nexus 5 beats out the OnePlus One, and if I could get something like the iPhone 5C with android and none of Apple's idioicy, it would also be better. OPO just has slightly too large a screen and is slightly too thin for me... or I'm just too particular with the way a phone feels in my hand.


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## Shure or bust

Nexus 5 isn't even on the radar for phones. As for the camera issue. User error.


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## VXAce

shure or bust said:


> Nexus 5 isn't even on the radar for phones. As for the camera issue. User error.


 
 It's not user error when a photo comes out extremely grainy under the summer sun in California... and then works perfectly later on. I'm not so new to using a phone/camera that I can't take a picture. I'm still doing my experimentation, I'll eventually get it worked out. And of course the Nexus 5 isn't on the radar for new phones... it came out nearly two years ago.
  
 Also, OnePlus Two hype. I might get the chance to hit up the pop up store in SF, hehe.


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## gopanthersgo1

vxace said:


> It's not user error when a photo comes out extremely grainy under the summer sun in California... and then works perfectly later on. I'm not so new to using a phone/camera that I can't take a picture. I'm still doing my experimentation, I'll eventually get it worked out. And of course the Nexus 5 isn't on the radar for new phones... it came out nearly two years ago.
> 
> Also, OnePlus Two hype. I might get the chance to hit up the pop up store in SF, hehe.


Not sure if the OS they use supports Google's new camera API, but try Manual Camera, it's pretty nice and would allow you to set a fixed shutter time/gain or w/e it's called.


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## Infoseeker

The OnePlus One has a better battery life is the only thing I can say. Other than that, they are both amazing.




gopanthersgo1 said:


> How do you feel about the Nexus phones? I love my Nexus 6, and while it's more $$$ than the OPO, I love the bigger qHD screen!


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## Shure or bust

Try using the OPPO camera mod. Takes better pictures and has a ton of features.


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## VXAce

gopanthersgo1 said:


> Not sure if the OS they use supports Google's new camera API, but try Manual Camera, it's pretty nice and would allow you to set a fixed shutter time/gain or w/e it's called.


 
 This seems to have indirectly fixed whatever was happening. I did a search for Manual Camera, found it and the "compatibility" app,  found out my ROM supported nothing it used. But looking around the Manual Camera stuff I found Open Camera, figured I'd try it, and it seems to work very well. There is nearly zero lag in the display and everything else seems to work fine.
  
 I'm using the Euphoria ROM. CM12 based.
  


shure or bust said:


> Try using the OPPO camera mod. Takes better pictures and has a ton of features.


 
  
 Camera Next Mod is one of the few that works, but the lag is so intense on the display that it is basically unusable to me. I believe that's the same as OPPO Camera Mod, just modified more.


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## Koschei

vxace said:


> Sadly I haven't had any experience with the Nexus 6, but the Nexus 5 is possibly my favorite phone out there. It is built extremely well and has a really good profile. It feels like it should be in my hand. The screen size and dimensions were just right too. Even with my OnePlus One I might not mind swapping for the Nexus 5, even with the outdated specs, if that gets updated holy cow I would get one.
> 
> My actual experience with a nexus device is the Nexus 10, a monstrosity of a tablet that was really nice to have but ungodly to carry. It was very nice though... being able to use it as basically a laptop was really nice, in games I could use it to get information on items or whatever, and I could read books or browse the web without feeling cramped. The stock android that came with and the upgrade to Lollipop were good and rather fun. Really liked stock android.
> 
> ...




That's the exact reason I bought my Z3C. I hate that one handed shuffle you have to do when you are trying to get your thumb some place new on a phablet. Using it two handed is even worse. I'd say the Nexus 5 had the most ergonomic feel, followed by the 2013 Moto X, followed by the HTC One. I picked the Xperia mostly because of the waterproofing over the other devices. It's just so damn cool to not have to worry about taking it in the rain or cleaning it off in a sink. 



shure or bust said:


> Nexus 5 isn't even on the radar for phones. As for the camera issue. User error.




Of course not; it's too old. This year is it's 2nd birthday. It still has a freaking awesome profile in-hand, and in late 2013/early 2014 it was in a price/performance sweet spot that few other phones could beat. The Nexus 5 was a better phone when it came out than the Nexus 6 was when it did, especially considering the price difference. 

Also, the big reason basically all non-Samsung/Apple devices don't take very good pictures is typically the result of the really bad post processing that the phone software typically does, especially in instances where it has to try to brighten the image. 3rd party apps can't access the data coming from the sensor before it gets ****ed with, unless the device in question has Camera2.apk support. This is far from standard. 

HTC, 1+1, and Sony are probably the worst of the bunch about their cameras, possibly matched by Motorola. Hell, Sony even makes the sensors for Samsung AND Apple devices, yet can't seem to make a phone that can take pictures that are half as good.


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## gopanthersgo1

Yeah Motorola is not the best but my GF loves her Moto X (2014) otherwise, it is a nice phone as well. And the one concern I had with the nexus 6 was the size but now there's no way I could use anything smaller. Also, guys, check out Fleksy, it's a super badass keyboard! (the only one I have found better than stock Google.) Once you get used to the swiping at least. The chameleon keyboard theme is awesome too, worth the 3 bucks imho. I have the size to the medium setting and use it without the spacebar and it's so much nicer to use.


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## VXAce

I actually considered getting a Sony phone before, their prices are just so high, and back then they had that silly proprietey stuff.
  
 http://www.amazon.com/DoCoMo-HATSUNE-SO-04E-Limited-version/dp/B00F0CCLDC
  
 The phone I wanted... they used to be 600 USD... haha...
  
 On an unrelated note, I wish someone would pick up HTC's old track and build metal phones again, the aluminum bodies used to be so good, but now they are junk. An AlMg body that has the proper surface area for heat dissipation would be really nice. It's not really a complaint, but the OnePlus One gets rather toasty when playing video on the software decoder or doing intensive tasks and it gets luke warm when you just use it in general, better thermal conductivity would be nice. I hope the OP2 addressed that and has a proper thermal interface...


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## Koschei

vxace said:


> I actually considered getting a Sony phone before, their prices are just so high, and back then they had that silly proprietey stuff.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/DoCoMo-HATSUNE-SO-04E-Limited-version/dp/B00F0CCLDC
> 
> ...




I waited until February of last year and bought my Z3C used for under $400. While that wasn't quite as cheap as something like a Moto G/E or OPO, it was worth it. 

As far as Aluminum unibody construction goes, I couldn't agree more. If the M9 were just a tad smaller, packed at least a decent camera, and had ip67, it'd be the perfect phone.


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## Infoseeker

koschei said:


> I waited until February of last year and bought my Z3C used for under $400. While that wasn't quite as cheap as something like a Moto G/E or OPO, it was worth it.
> 
> As far as Aluminum unibody construction goes, I couldn't agree more. If the M9 were just a tad smaller, packed at least a decent camera, and had ip67, it'd be the perfect phone.




The front facing speakers in the m9 kind of force the phone to be big.


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## mechgamer123

Oh hey, look what thread hasn't had much activity lately!
  
 I totally forgot to post that I've had a Nexus 6P for a few months now. A couple observations about it:
  
 - The camera is pretty nice! Better than anything I've had but definitely not replacing my DSLR anymore.
 - Being an early adopter to USB-C kind of sucks. Accessories are sparse and I have never really struggled to plug my phone in the right way.
 - The AMOLED panel is really nice, I like the oversaturated colors but as with some other panels there's definitely a lot of "ghosting" where if I'm trying to read white text on a black background at 0% at night, I can't read it because it's so blurry while scrolling.
 - Battery life has been pretty consistently terrible for me. Not sure if I got a bad unit or if Google's services are just eating all the battery in the background and not showing it or what. Phone will get hot in my pocket sometimes for no reason.
 - Ambient display is a gimmick. It seems to work 50% of the time when I want it to and 50% when I don't want it to... Apparently my pants were just conductive enough to unlock the phone when ambient display was triggered in my pocket. I thought that was originally the culprit but I turned ambient display off and it still has the same problem with battery drain and sometimes it'll be unlocked in my pocket.
 - After babying it without any case, I have a series of scratches in almost perfect unison on the bottom part of the phone. Not sure how they got there but this clearly isn't indestructible grade aluminum.
 - Lately, the phone has been getting slow and laggy for no reason, no new apps downloaded or anything. 
  
 So, despite all these complaints, I still don't regret getting this phone. Honestly when I look at every other flagship out there it seems to have even worse problems and a lack of software updates and fixes. The reliable software updates have always been my favorite part of the Nexus program.


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## Koschei

Hello Android party people,

If any of you fine folks happen to be rooted, there's an old EQ/sound mod app called Viper that recently got a makeover, and is now very easy to install by just flashing inside your custom recovery. Not only that, but it now comes with some nifty libraries from other devices, as well as Dolby Atmos. 

Link is here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6/themes-apps/viper4android-t2952137

Disclaimer: I don't recommend rooting for the basic user.


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## Hutnicks

koschei said:


> Hello Android party people,
> 
> If any of you fine folks happen to be rooted, there's an old EQ/sound mod app called Viper that recently got a makeover, and is now very easy to install by just flashing inside your custom recovery. Not only that, but it now comes with some nifty libraries from other devices, as well as Dolby Atmos.
> 
> ...


 

 The new viper gets rid of a lot of problems that the S3 and S4 had with it. If you are rooted it's an easy install as well. This is well worth checking out.


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## fuego

Anyone using Zenfon 5 or 2? There's a bug on facebook that it stops working when playing videos.


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## Shure or bust

fuego said:


> Anyone using Zenfon 5 or 2? There's a bug on facebook that it stops working when playing videos.



My ZenFone 2 doesn't have an issue. Just delete Facebook lol


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## fuego

shure or bust said:


> My ZenFone 2 doesn't have an issue. Just delete Facebook lol


 
 lol, i already reinstalled and still same issue. I saw on some discussions online that it was a problem from the last update of zenfon, like its a bug. Anyway, good thing you're not affected by the issue


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## duo8

Anyone here with a 2014 moto x?
Probably the last good moto x.


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## lovelysound

I am using meizu pro5 and it is a great mobile with hifi sound


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## BWAS1000

How many of use here using the cheap Tracfones as DAPs?

I have an LG Sunrise here that ran me $10. Its very useful thus far.

You can grab the LG Lucky, which is the same thing for CDMA networks for the exact same $15

Or you could spend $20 on a Moto E 1st Gen,which imo is the better idea.


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## Spyro-N7

What are top 5 best smartphones for audiophiles? I want to use headphones on smartphone and I got my eyes on Honor 8. Does it really make any difference what smartphone I'd use?


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## Canezila

I have a nexus 6 and, yes, it matters which android phone you get. I can not get my external USB dac to work. Additionally, my high res flacs get converted to 16 bit. It's quite frustrating. It's why some day I will get a ZTE axon 7. I want a phone and dap without limitations.


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## Spyro-N7

Right now I'm reading about HTC 10 claimed also as a smartphone for audiophiles, certified Hi-Res, 24 bit DAC. So far it sounds good.


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## Canezila

I really think the HTC 10 would be a good option. I have not heard it live but they seem to be quality.


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## gopanthersgo1

canezila said:


> I have a nexus 6 and, yes, it matters which android phone you get. I can not get my external USB dac to work. Additionally, my high res flacs get converted to 16 bit. It's quite frustrating. It's why some day I will get a ZTE axon 7. I want a phone and dap without limitations.


Huh, I've had the exact opposite experience. I've never had any issues getting DACs to work with my Nexus 6. About the 16bit, why don't you try Neutron Player? Anyways, I doubt a difference will be heard on a mobile setup, I just convert my stuff to 320bit OPUS, and that's more transparent than what my IEMs can resolve anyways. For desktop though I understand, but I think neutron player + USB OTG to a DAC would suffice. There's also rockbox for android, but I don't know its limitations.

P.S. I just found an article online saying that as of Android 5.0, Android supports audio output up to 24/96.


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## Mikualotic

I use a xepria z5 it is has Hi-Res Audio sticker on it. I use them to directly to power my Oppo Pm3s and they do a good job of that.


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## waylandsmithy

I can confirm that it works, at least with a Sony Z3. It even works with Spotify, which surprised me a bit. I'd read that it wasn't possible with Spotify.


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## wskl

Does anyone have experience with Xiaomi phones?  I was thinking of getting the Redmi 3s Prime mainly because of the large 4000mah battery, but then during my research I found out that MIUI now has a backdoor exploit.  Is it really something to be worried about or 'much ado about nothing'?
   
I remember a couple of years ago, Xiaomi pulled a similar stunt, they were sending texts and photos back to China without the user knowing about and denied that it was happening until a computer security firm stepped in with proof, so I really do not know if Xiaomi can be trusted.


----------



## duo8

wskl said:


> Does anyone have experience with Xiaomi phones?  I was thinking of getting the Redmi 3s Prime mainly because of the large 4000mah battery, but then during my research I found out that MIUI now has a backdoor exploit.  Is it really something to be worried about or 'much ado about nothing'?
> 
> I remember a couple of years ago, Xiaomi pulled a similar stunt, they were sending texts and photos back to China without the user knowing about and denied that it was happening until a computer security firm stepped in with proof, so I really do not know if Xiaomi can be trusted.


 

 Does security and privacy matter to you? Do you store important data on your phone and/or use it for important tasks?
 If yes then avoid.


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## mechgamer123

wskl said:


> Does anyone have experience with Xiaomi phones?  I was thinking of getting the Redmi 3s Prime mainly because of the large 4000mah battery, but then during my research I found out that MIUI now has a backdoor exploit.  Is it really something to be worried about or 'much ado about nothing'?
> 
> I remember a couple of years ago, Xiaomi pulled a similar stunt, they were sending texts and photos back to China without the user knowing about and denied that it was happening until a computer security firm stepped in with proof, so I really do not know if Xiaomi can be trusted.


 
 To be honest I would be wary of any Chinese companies unless you could flash a custom firmware that completely wipes the original firmware. :|


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## wskl

mechgamer123 said:


> To be honest I would be wary of any Chinese companies unless you could flash a custom firmware that completely wipes the original firmware. :|


 
  
 Thanks, I had not thought of custom firmware (I am very much an Android novice), I will look into that.


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## Shayko

I got the chance to try the V20 at CES. I'm now a proud owner of a V10 lol. The amp/dac works great with easy to drive cans and earbuds (VE Line).


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## neddoge

Been using Android since the Droid 1!  I have a Samsung GS4 with Viper running a subset of my FLACs with Poweramp, but my Note 7 on the Alpha Poweramp (more audio output tweaks available for that DAC) is my daily DAP with the Pixel XL as my daily phone. 
  
 I kept the N7 during the fiasco, and it pairs up nicely with my Q1 when I need it for some hungrier cans!


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