All Things Android - Apps, Phones, Tablets - Discussion

I think it's pretty interesting. I'm glad that device makers have pledged to roll out updates on a timely manner and hope that more jump on board. It'll be a big way to cure the whole "fragmentation problem" that many complain about.

Google Music Beta = meh. I think digital music lockers were really intended for a earlier time. Streaming directly from the internet is where it's at. Why should I still have a offline music collection in the first place? I'm more of a radio guy and would rather be "fed" my music. lol.

I'm interested in Ice Cream Sandwich and how it'll work UI wise.

These are just my early thoughts, still reading. lol

 

Do you guys know how much bandwidth that Google Music Beta is already pulling?!?!? Gah! People say Android devices don't pull as much bandwidth as iOS users... completely false. Android is now consuming around 10-20MB more per device over iOS devices.

Been too busy to stop in today... still busy, actually.

 

The videos are up of the keynote and stuff.

 

18 months, or whatever it was, does not come to my mind as a timely matter.

 

I would say streaming music is for an earlier time when we didn't have the hard drive space to spare.

Seriously though, there's just something nice about having your own collection that you can organize yourself and play whenever you like, and it doesn't matter if your streaming server goes down. And unless you're streaming FLAC, streaming is generally limited in terms of quality.

Besides, you can't stream vinyl

Anyway, my Intercept has been absolutely flying since I installed bROM 1.1. The touch-sensitive keys no longer take 5-10 seconds to respond after I touch them, and my battery life is greatly improved as well.

 

They said that you can expect timely updates within that timeframe... so you have 1.5 years of guaranteed updates. Past 18 months, it's no longer guaranteed, unless you have an XDA membership.

 

Agreed.

Not to mention my general refusal to use a phone as a media player on ground of sound quality and battery life.

 

Read what hal said below. Nearly 2 years of updates is killer esp. with how fast android is changing.

Yeah for audiophiles and stuff having the files locally would be preferred. Since my droid's jack grew funky, I kinda wish I have more music locally so I could put it on my Sansa Clip elcheapo mp3 player. Time to hit up amazon mp3 I guess.

Glad to hear you found a custom ROM that works well. Still kinda shocked that the moment is so buggy since its pretty much stock. Personally, while I'm digging CM7, I'm still suffering from GB using a lottt of memory so the phone will autoclose like all the programs that are open (including my Trillian session).

Might have to go to Froyo once more.

BTW, Trillian is going completely free, mobile apps included with the launch of 5 today. Its the best IM client I've used on android. Highly recommended.

 

ahh ok, i misinterpreted it lol.

 

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Android + home automation is a dream come true IMO.

 

Now that is an impressive milestone!

 

Really loving this music app. It's 100x more stable than the leak... plus it scrolls much smoother.

 

Google Ice Cream Sandwich coming in Q4 2011 to smartphones and tablets alike -- Engadget

I really hope it will be available for the Xperia arc...

 

Sony IS on the list for the 18 month timely upgrades, so as long as your phone hasn't been out for 18 months when they release it you should get it. If it can handle it.

 

Great! May I see the list?

So, as the Arc was released in April, it means all OS updates and upgrades out there will be available until October 2012?

 

I don't think the details on the 18 month upgrade thing have been nailed down yet...

Google clarifies 18 month Android upgrade program, details far from solidified -- Engadget

 

Can anyone explain the Linpack score of the Optimus Black?! Engadget is getting 12.5MFlops. That phone features a Snapdragon. Even first gen Snapdragon's get at least 25MFlops. It has Android 2.2, so it's not 2.1 dragging it down.

Seriously... WTH? I have no explanation, and hardware is my specialty. It absolutely has to be that LG doesn't have JIT enabled.

EDIT... N/M. It's OMAP. Probably 3630.

 

Even if they are a part of that, when does it start?
Does it include devices already on the market or only ones released after the scheme takes effect?

There are far too many questions unanswered to be able to start to guess which current handsets will be included.

LG Optimus Black P970 - Full phone specifications

 

See my edit? I was under the assumption, for some reason, that the Optimus Black was a Snapdragon device.

http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=specs&id=2708&c=lg_p970_optimus_black

 

I saw your edit, yes.
But you could save yourself a lot of time and confusion in the future by just looking up GSMArena in the first place

PDAdb is pretty good too but I only refer to it when GSMArena doesn't have the information I want.

As I think I posted on here earlier, a combination of Titanium Backup and SMS Backup & Restore is my particular choice.
Titanium Backup is the single best app out there for backing up, removing bloatware etc. But to use it, you need to be rooted.

So, if I were you, I'd root before doing anything else with the phone - that way you won't need to worry about backing anything up.


As for rooting itself, it depends whether your phone is locked to a particular network or not.
If it is, you only have one option and that's GingerBreak. If it isn't, you could unlock the bootloader and use Bin4ry's image flashing method but unlocking the bootloader can't be undone and it means you can't update via SEUS.

Either method is basically completely safe.
With GingerBreak, the only potential issue is that it doesn't work but if that's the case, then nothing happens, so there's no risk of bricking,
With Bin4ry's method, you just flash the handset with a stock image and you're fine.

 

Oh! Thanks for the awesome explainig!

So, rooting is basically unlocking all the phone's capabilities? Like giving full admin access?

Oh and, what's better, in your opinion : stock XPERIA ARC UI, MIUI or CM7? Does installing a custom ROM give the possibility of bricking the phone?

And yes, the arc I want to get is locked ( 100€ cheaper ).

 

Yea, but for some reason I don't look too much into GSM Arena's hardware info. I like them for software reviews. For hardware, I'm all anandtech. I guess it wouldn't hurt to add them to my RSS feeds... I do like their news a good bit.

 

I like anandtech for smartphone hardware, nice and indepth. I happen to know that two of their writers used to be NBR regulars. Actually one of them wrote alot of articles for NBR.

 

Exactly.
It's no coincidence that rooting installs a 'Superuser' app.

At the moment, you have no choice in the matter.
There are no MIUI or CM7 ROMs for the Arc yet, it's all work in progress.

That means, as things stand, you won't be able to unlock the bootloader.
That may have a knock-on effect on the availability of custom ROMs but we just don't know yet.

Certainly, the work at the moment is focused on handsets with unlocked bootloaders because it's simply easier for now.
But that doesn't mean that a method of installing custom ROMs onto bootloader-locked Arcs won't be discovered in the future or that a way of unlocking the bootloaders on all Arcs won't be developed.

I'd never even though to look on Anandtech for mobile phone reviews.
At first glance, they seem to have far fewer reviews as well as focusing on US handsets, which makes it less useful for me.

 

Ah, I see! I believe you have signed up for a CM7 test port for the arc; how is it going?

Oh wow, really? But what does the phone have different vs GSM unlocked phones? What's so different that I wouldn't be able to even install custom ROMs?

But why can't I unlock the bootloader by simply following SE's steps? As I asked, what does the locked phone have? Isn't a locked phone simply prohibited by having another network's SIM?

 

Unlocking the bootloader and Sim unlock are two completely different things.

• If you buy a sim unlocked SE device (not linked to any carrier), SE will provide you with codes and instructions to unlock the bootloader.
  
• If you buy a sim locked SE device from let say, a carrier, then SE will not provide you with the code to unlock the bootloader.

It is up to developers and the like to figure out a way to unlock the bootloader without SE's codes. For many devices (such as HTC), their bootloaders are locked, and devs have figured out ways to unlock them (depending on models). But there are no guarantees.


EDIT: By sim unlocked, I mean unlocked out of the factory, not subsequently.

 

But what is the bootloader exactly? Isn't it like some sort of "mod tools"?

To SE provide the code ( to unlock the download? ), you must say if it's SIM locked or not? Or how does it work?

 

Actually, even if your SE handset is network-locked (SIM-locked), the SE site will let you retrieve your unique unlocking code.

You just won't actually be able to unlock the bootloader - the handset won't boot into the correct mode to allow you to do so.

 

But I still don't understand : what's the bootloader exactly?

Ah that's what the SIM lock does = blocks the bootloader from unlocking. Right?

 

The bootloader is a program stored in ROM memory that starts the boot process by loading other data and programs.

Like JohnnyT said, the SIM lock prevents you from taking a phone you bought on contract to a different carrier. It has nothing to do with a bootloader. Here's an example:

I buy a T-Mobile USA G2X on contract for 199 dollars. Because I've paid that price to agree to stay with T-Mobile for 2 years, the SIM card slot is locked to ensure that only a T-Mobile SIM is used. This is one way to ensure that T-Mobile get's recouped for the subsidy on the device I took advantage of.

Say, a year or so into my contract, I wan't to go to Europe for a month with my G2X. Instead of signing up for international roaming plan, I really want to take advantage of a local carrier's prepaid option to save money. I can phone up T-Mobile and explain I'm traveling and request a SIM Unlock. Once the SIM is unlocked, I can then go on my trip, and once I arrive in the country I visit, swap my T-Mobile SIM for the European SIM (say, IDK Vodafone) and use that for the duration of the trip. I save money by not having to pay for international roaming through T-Mobile USA.

That's SIM unlocking, and one doesn't even have to touch the bootloader to do it.

 

Pocketnow just finished their review of the Samsung Galaxy S II. It's looking like the next leap forward in terms of hardware combining with Android. The browser is incredibly fast, the screen is amazing, and overall, everything about it almost is great.

Samsung Galaxy S II Review

 

Ah, but why can't I unlock the bootloader without unlocking the SIM, as Step said?

So, as a bootloader is a program that allows other ROMs and data that be booted with the phone, then why don't we need the bootloader unlocked when, say, installing CM7?

 

Another glowing review (except for Touchwiz 4.0...) for the GS2. It also mentioned using the AT&T network, so that's a good sign for me at least. Now release in the US...

 

You can't unlock the bootloader of a non OEM unlocked device because................no one have figured out how (yet). Read my previous post again.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

You can't unlock the bootloader unless you have a handset that was sold network-unlocked in the first place.
If you take a network-locked handset and unlock it to work with any SIM, you still won't be able to unlock the bootloader.

The bootloader is exactly the same as it is on a PC, it's very low-level code that, upon startup, loads the OS.
Generally, if you have a locked bootloader, you can only use official ROMs from the manufacturer. If you try and use a custom ROM, the handset simply won't boot.

Generally, you do need an unlocked bootloader to be able to use custom ROMs like CM7 or MIUI.
But sometimes people find ways round the restrictions - for example on the Defy, there is a promising CM7 port that uses a '2nd init' exploit; I don't know the technicalities of it but, basically, it's a way of injecting your own code after the bootloader is finished, thus allowing you to load a custom ROM.


edit: all this information is correct as of now.
Things might change in the future.

 

Oh...

Because 550€ is too much

I mean, the stock Timescape UI is pretty good, isn't it?

 

There's quite a bit of customisation can be achieved even if you have a locked bootloader, you can replace the stock launcher amongst other things.

And there's always the possibility that something will happen in the future that will allow you to load completely custom ROMs.

 

Alright, thanks! Also, can you please name the biggest drawbacks in having a locked phone, OS wise? What's the stock launcher? If CM7 gets ported to the Arc, will I be able to install it?

I also would like to know your experience with the Arc's web browser, UI and overall performance ( if there is any lag ), please

Also, in your opinion, what's better : the Galaxy S or the Xperia Arc?

 

Sim locked - for you, none unless you travel a whole hell of a lot

bootloader locked - like Step said, you won't be able to get custom rom's installed as easily. That's pretty much it IMO. "stock launcher" refers to what comes on the device in this case, so he means the SonyEricsson homescreen and app drawer experience. Indeed, you can easily switch between it and other "replacements" right from app's in the market.

 

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

Samsung is already under NAND shortages, because it was Toshiba's NAND factory that got shutdown... Samsung has been having to share their customer load. Plus we all know what position SE is in with almost their entire lineup.

Sad isn't it?

 

Galaxy S II Overclocked to 1.5GHz: 4000+ in Quadrant! - xda-developers

 

Main: Is the new Android 3.1 Ice Cream...

 

3.1 isn't Ice Cream Sandwich.............................................

 

Android 3.1 Ice Cream Sandwich, One OS Everywhere - TNW Google

 

If you watch the Google I/O (which you can find on youtube). You will see that Google announced the 3.1 update (immediate) for tablets and Google TV. Then they announced Ice Cream Sandwich will be released for Q4 2011, with no specific version number mentioned.


See for yourself.
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Oh! Thank you Johnny!

 

Netflix! I love my Incredible!!

Engadget

 

HTC Merge on Verizon today, but Big Red won't actually be selling it | Android Central

Its come out....but with some catches.

http://thisismynext.com/2011/05/12/google-android-skyhook-lawsuit-motorola-samsung/

Very interesting, and revealing, read.

 

Just watched xperia arc vs Optimus 2X.

The speed on the 2X is much higher, mainly due to Tegra 2, but I feel like the 2X is kind of... Lacking, UI and overall design wise.

I feel the Arc much more... Business-y and showoff-y, due to its unique design.

Thanks for the suggestion though