All Things Android - Apps, Phones, Tablets - Discussion

Ouch, although...I did say "that meets your needs" in the reply XD. The Merge, although now a mid-range phone, wasn't when it was announced, and I'd rather have a great keyboard and run a tad slower than the rest of the phones out there than be relegated to a touchscreen.

Yah, I mean..they advertised it in the freakin paper, sent supplies to stores and ...and now it's pretty much stillborn. Such a depressing lack of organization. And now I'm stuck waiting for a Droid 3 that I'll end up begrudgingly using.

Look VZW (and i know...they wont listen): HTC Arrive/7 Pro....shove Android on it....and sell it.

I'd be scrounging up money for one, guaranteed.

 

^ LOL XD .

 

Apparently not, running CM7 Nightly #61 (2.3.4), I see it on market.

 

Very interesting. Very.

 

Maybe it's something to do with carriers? Tried using Market Enabler?

 

Your processor might not be the right kind. I know Firefox 4 won't appear in the market for me and I get the same incompatibility message if I try to manually access it on my Intercept because my phone doesn't have the right CPU.

 

Motorola Announces “Plans For Intentions” to Bring Gingerbread Update To The Atrix

LOL... moto fail

 

Is there a way to get WidgetLocker to act as the default lock screen on startup? As it is, when I start/reboot my Intercept, I only have the default lock screen until I manually start WidgetLocker from my app drawer. I checked the settings, and there doesn't seem to be anything about setting itself as the default lock screen, or starting on boot. The only thing I saw that might be relevant was a "disable default lock screen" option, but that forced "easy wake" on, which means my phone will be woken up by ANY hardware button, not just the end button, and I do not want that.

I don't get it...isn't the Gingerbread update a good thing?

 

A gingebread update would be a great thing.... but “We haven’t announced timings but we have announced plans for the intentions” is pretty pathetic. They don't have plans to update it, but plans to have intentions to update it? lol.. that is a failure.

 

Is there any way I can make the stock Messaging app look like it used to on Eclair? That's one of my main gripes about FroYo; the all-white theme of the Messaging app is hideous compared to the black theme of the Eclair version that fit nicely with all the black menus and everything else...this current theme just looks out of place.

I've been using Handcent SMS, but I'm getting sick of it. It slows down my phone an unbelievable amount.

Spoiler

Messaging on 2.1:



On 2.2:

 

^^

I'd love to know about that as well. The whole white background thing really screws with the design feng shui of the rest of my phone!

 

In the meantime, I downloaded Go SMS Pro, another free messaging replacement on the Market. I'm quite happy with it so far; it does pretty much anything Handcent can do and then some, yet it's much more efficient and doesn't hang my phone up like Handcent did. There's also no annoying ads in the menus, despite being a free app.

It's just as customizable as Handcent, with different themes and customizable colors and message styles, and a pop-up window for new messages when you're not in the actual Go SMS app.

It also has a few extras, like integration with Facebook chat via an optional plugin. And it has a "Lite mode" feature that disables some of the more advanced stuff in exchange for less resource usage, but even my crappy Intercept doesn't need this, since it works so well by default.

Also, does anyone know how to get contact photos to sync in the stock messaging app? Most of my contacts have photos in my contact list, and they show up perfectly in calls and in both of the 3rd party messaging apps I've used, but all of my conversations in the stock messaging app just show the default Android photo.

 

Open stock SMS app -> hit "menu" button -> settings -> scroll down -> check "black background"

At least I have those settings running Cyanogen mod 7.0.2 (2.3.3).

 

+1 Just tried this after reading your message and it's much liter than Handcent! Damn my old Motorola Droid was laggy with Handcent.

 

Yea, it looks like they modified an XML making the background black. The Cyanogen ROM's have that as an editable feature. You can change black to white and vice versa.

So you need a black background or a white background? I can post up the APK for the AOSP messaging app (that's what you guys are running), so you can drop it in /system/app.

CM7 is something wonderful, IMO. Everything that's not there, that should be there in OEM ROM's is there in CM7. IMO, it's almost how Android should be.

The Go Team is pushing out some really nice freebee's here lately... like Go SMS.

 

Unfortunately I couldn't find that option on stock 2.2

Right, we're wanting the stock messaging background to be black, instead of the white background that 2.2 uses. If it's as simple as drag and drop, I'd jump for joy!

 

LOL. You have to be rooted... but otherwise, yep, it's copy-n-drop. I'll get the black background version up on my server in a bit.

 

Here's the AOSP MMS App. Black background version.

- Download Here -

Delete the Mms.apk in your /system/app and drop this one in it's place. You may have to go to your settings->applications and force stop the one you have before you can delete it.

 

Thanks HAL! Do I have to rename it to Mms.apk, or is it fine as Mms_aosp.apk? For that matter, does it specifically need to be in /system/app, or can I just install it like a regular app?

Cyanogenmod looks nice, but unfortunately it doesn't exist for my Intercept. >_<

Any idea how to get contact photos to sync right with the default messaging app? That's one thing that never worked in either 2.1 or 2.2, and if I could get that working, I'd do away with third-party messaging entirely.

 

Not sure about the name (can't remember) but it needs to be in system/app because it's a system app (or whatever it's called like stock camera and dialer), not just a regular app. You will need to enable -rw in order to replace your original mms app. Try a file explorer like "File expert".

Navigate to system/app -> menu button -> more -> mount -> mount as read write

 

I've got Root Explorer and I mounted /system/app as RW, and I placed HAL's Mms_aosp.apk in there and deleted the original Mms.apk, but it won't run. It tries to install for about a second and says "Application not installed". I've tried this with /system/app mounted as RW and as RO. Now I have no stock messaging app.

EDIT - I renamed HAL's Mms_aosp.apk to just Mms.apk, which is the same name as my original Messaging app. Now it appears in my app drawer again, but when I launch it, it hangs for a minute and then says "The application Messaging (process.com.android.mms) has stopped unexpected. Please try again" with the only option being to force close. I replaced it with a backed up copy of my original Mms.apk, and it works fine again. But now I can't mount /system/app as RO again; I hit the button and nothing happens. >_<

MOAR EDIT - ok, I got /system/app remounted as RO, I had to force restart Root Explorer. So yeah, how do I replace the stock Mms.apk with the one HAL gave me? If I try to actually install it, Android gives me a warning about replacing a system app, which I accept, but it fails anyway. If I rename the app and just replace the stock Mms.apk with it, it force closes on launch.

 

Have you restarted your phone?

 

Not yet. I kinda rely on it for internet

Should I restart after deleting Mms.apk and then try to install yours again?

 

That would be my suggestion. Drop it in /system/app and reboot. Don't try opening it till you reboot.

Each OEM build is different, though this usually works just fine.

You may want to delete your cache if you can, in recovery, while you're at it.

EDIT: Mastershoom, you've been quiet for a while. I hope you didn't run into a bootloop or something!

 

Ohs noes.
He's still stuck.

I didn't get a chance to do it last night, but thanks for the upload HAL.

 

No probs... Just hope you have better luck, that is _if_ Mastershroom ran into trouble. That is the exact apk I use almost daily with all my ROM's.

Sidenote: It seems the GS2 is using another high-end audio chip. The Maxim MAX98089. It looks REALLY nice. And this is coming from someone who uses a Wolfson/Voodoo combination on a daily basis. The Wolfson already blows away my notebooks... sad really that my phone ends up sounding better than actual computers with HD Audio.

 

Ok so I just got my bro's old Motorola Droid phone and was wondering about rooting. I've read up a little on what it is and how you do it but was wondering what methods are easier/safer? Once I do that, what do most people here do? Install a custom ROM? My phone is feeling it's age and I wanted something a little snappier. Also, there are a bunch of apps that came with Verizon/Motorola that I don't use and would like to remove them to save space.

 

You, sir, need to talk to booboo12. He's still rockin the OG Droid. Quite a phone, that one. IPS panel, PowerVR, and CortexA8. Nice. I bet you'd love CM7.

 

Relax, I just went to bed. I had class at 8 in the morning

Anyway, I deleted the stock Mms.apk, put your Mms_aosp.apk in /system/app in its place, and rebooted. "Messaging" was still in my app drawer, but I opened it and it's still the white FroYo messaging app, even though Root Explorer says Mms.apk is not in /system/app.

I tried to run Mms_aosp.apk and once again, it asks me if I want to replace the system app and I say ok, but it fails anyway.

In /system/app, right next to the stock Mms.apk there was another file called Mms.odex...does that have anything to do with why I can't seem to replace the app?

EDIT - never mind, derp. Apparently the app you gave me has an option for black background, which is off by default even though the box is checked, so I unchecked and rechecked it, and now it has a black background...but it kind of looks only halfway done, if you know what I mean. For example, the "New Message" button is still white, and the colors in the actual message conversations are weird. It really looks nothing like my old Eclair messaging. And contact photos STILL won't sync.

And switching between black and normal backgrounds seems to screw up all sorts of stuff. With the normal white background, about half the conversations have white text on a very light gray background. When I switch it to black background, about half have very dark grey text on black. And it changes randomly every time I switch.

Looks like I'm sticking with Go SMS Pro after all >_<

 

Gah. Ring the idiot alert...

<--- Idiot #1

OEM builds are always ODEX'd. You have to de-ODEX to use external apps... so basically you can't use the app I posted, sorry. I completely forgot about that.

 

The new Xperia Mini and Mini Pro look pretty decent - 1GHz QSD8255 powering an HVGA screen should fly...

 

Ha! You got that right! Fly would be an understatement. An MSM7227 made quick work of HVGA... I can't imagine.

 

Samsung's Infuse 4G coming to AT&T May 15th for $200 -- Engadget

Infuse coming may 15th for $200. I really do not understand the pricepoint, and why it is launching with froyo

Im guessing the new samsung event Samsung's got another event this month | Android Central will be to announces US carrier variants of the s2

 

In that case...

<--- Idiot #2 for being as dumb as I am about my phone

So, what the hell does my build being ODEX'd mean, and what is de-ODEXing and how do I do it?

 

^ You have to install a Custom ROM. Custom ROM's are de-Odex'd.

 

LOL. Basically, with Android, the app specific settings are stored alongside the app, and in OEM builds case... .odex. .odex files are essentially all the app settings that go with the similar named app. De ODEXing is taking that .odex file and placing it inside the actual .apk for the app. But to de-odex you have to tell the OS where to look for app prefs. If one app has a .odex, they all have to have .odex's. That's why you can't just run one non de-ODEX'd apk.

There are some apps you run from your computer that will de-ODEX your phone for you though. Let me find them and I'll post them up.

 

I haven't heard of any good custom ROM's compatible with the Intercept; the few I've seen from Google searching are meant specifically for the Sprint version of the Intercept, not my Virgin Mobile model. Do you have any recommendations (or HAL, for that matter)?

What exactly are the benefits and downsides of de-ODEXing? Will it have any impact on my phone's performance? Any risks involved?

 

It will be marginal, but performance should increase.

Sidenote... Infuse 4G vs GS2!! Check that size difference out!

 

Fixed... shame on you

 

It's been a lOOOOng day.

ROFL! Thanks for pointing that out though!

 

When you take the battery out, the Galaxy S2 feels hollow.
It's mentally light.

 

I know right.

IMO, it's almost like there's a premium light, and a premium heavy. Samsung and HTC, respectively.

The Infuse is no different. It's big, but it's crazy light.

 

that thing is HUGE

 

That's what she said.

Sorry... having Michael Scott withdrawals since he is done with the office

 

This is the 4" Captivate vs the 4.3" Inspire. <--Got it right that time. LOL.



Just imagine what the Captivate looks like next to a 4.5" phone. It's shocking to see actually. It's tiny.

 

LOL crap i didnt see that coming

Damn lol, yeah i cant imagine. thats crazy.

As much as i like big screens, idk 4.5" might be a bit excessive and hard to fit in pockets i would like a 4.3 though might be getting one in the next two months though

 

There's 'premium' heavy and 'I'm going to accidentally snap this in two next time I pick it up' light


I have to be honest and say that I disagree with your about the feel of the handset, the fit and finish. It's not on a par with Apple.
It's simply too light, when you pick it up, it doesn't feel like £500 of phone in the same way the iPhone4 does.

 

Hmm... I guess I should have said, premium build quality... not necessarily build materials. Though the GS2 is quite solid for being as thin and plastic as it is. It's actually got a magnesium allow frame, like the GS1. Same for the Infuse.

The Apple feels like what it costs, in the hand though... I agree.

 

The feel of the iPhone4 very nearly persuaded me to go down the iOS route instead of Android.

I'm glad I didn't though.