All Things iOS - Apps, iPhones, iPods, iPads - Discussion

iOS 7.0.1 is already being pushed to users.

 

This is where Apple really has an advantage. Everyone has day-one glitches, but Apple can get the fixes out to all users within a week. If they had to go through Verizon, it might be what, two months before these patches got to the end-user?

 

^^^Yup. The advantages of closed OS and low (if not 0) fragmentation.

 

This is why I like Apple/Microsoft in a major sense. They control the software and essentially the hardware (Microsoft had minimum hardware requirements for WP7/WP8. If I ever do get another Android phone, it will have to be a Nexus device, I hate bloated UI's.

 

Can't you modify Android's UI?

 

Yeah, you could root it and flash CyanogenMod...if you don't mind voiding the warranty. And if you're not afraid of a half-dozen pitfalls in that process that can brick your phone. And if you don't mind CyanogenMod's own problems, like the GPS failing to function or sound playback issues.

Before I got an Android phone, from reading forums, it sounded like in about two minutes, any trained ape could get rid of Sense/Touchwiz/whatever on their phone. Owning one, and being pretty comparable to the mass-market in terms of tech ability (don't build my own desktop PCs, don't understand what exactly a "kernel" is outside of the corn context, etc), it's pretty much impossible.

 

Unless you actually like Touchwiz (like me ), AOSP is the only viable option. The pitfalls aren't nearly as serious as they're made out to be. It's more because there are some really dumb oafs out there who don't read directions and then are completely surprised when their Android goes catatonic.

"Ooopsey me! I pulled my battery out while the ROM was still flashing cause it was taking too long. Haw haw haw!"

The function failures will occur in any device when it's not running it's OEM software. The number and severity is dependent on the ROM's engineers ability to tailor the AOSP ROM to each individual device. And make no mistake, CyanogenMod does need to be tailored to basically each individual device since each one has different hardware parameters it needs to account for. PS, a CPU kernel can be thought of as the bridge between the hardware and the software. Educate yourself: Kernel (computing) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But to answer Qing Dao's question: Yes, you can modify any Android's UI to tailor it to your liking. That's the benefit of an open source OS. But as Tsuname has pointed out before, it takes a serious understanding of java (and possibly linux) to achieve the UI look you'd want. Plus one would have to put an inordinate amount of time into the customization. There are those on XDA whom are dedicated enough to make ROMs with UIs closer to what an individual user would want. But to modify a UI further for one person's personal preference? Who's got the time for that?

 

And you are exactly the type of person that the newly funded Cyanogen team is targeting. Download an app from the Play Store, run it and follow the prompts. Super simple. Phones with locked bootloaders are a hairy subject, and IMHO shouldn't be supported at all.

 

Even if the new project simplifies installation, there's still the bugginess. I like the fact that my GPS works; I actually use turn-by-turn navigation on my phone a lot. Screwing up audio playback would be a deal-breaker. CyanogenMod has a very bad reputation on these two points.

I may not like the "look" of TouchWiz, but if a Galaxy S3 is more stable, less buggy, and more practical with factory software instead of CyanogenMod, you bet I'm going to keep using TouchWiz. I even gave up on third-party launchers because, while Nova Launcher Prime offers a better "look" and more customization, it kept making my widgets glitch out and TouchWiz Home doesn't.

 

LMAO. Since when, and on what device? Surely not the US GS3. Never had a single problem with my US AT&T version, or my i9300.

 

Its a common complaint I've heard about devices that have switched to CyanogenMod. I don't know if the US Cellular GS3 is one where it happens, but they are complaints I've heard a number of times about CM in general.

Even here, in this thread, radji noted that function failures of one sort or another could be expected when you moved away from factory software.

Sent from my Galaxy S III using Tapatalk 2.

 

Why should people be rooting and flashing custom ROMs on their phones to get an optimum experience? My girlfriend's mom has a T-Mobile variant of the Galaxy S 4, and it LAGS with all of Samsung's crapware on it. My iPhone runs smoother with far inferior specs. This is why I like the iPhone and Nexus devices, it should be fast and responsive out the box.

 

Switched to CyanogenMod on my phone and surprisingly it's less glitchy than the standard TouchWiz install. No GPS issues, much better battery life with same workflow, and if anything, better audio playback. It was actually a simpler process than I had imagined.

Also really liking the update process. Simple, straightforward.

Only 2 things that I miss:
1.- For whatever reason, USB flash drive mounting isn't working for me. Relatively minor, but it would be good to have as I did use that a couple times.
2.- No ISO settings in stock CyanogenMod camera app.

 

Not to turn the iOS thread into an Android one, but you should...

Spoiler

 

You don't need to unlock the bootloader, root, nor flash a custom ROM to install a third-party launcher, replacing or being in addition to the stock UI on the phone. Also I don't know about your girlfriend's mom's phone, but on mine in the programs menu I can disable the manufacturer's built-in programs that I don't want to use.

Besides, although I am using the stock firmware, I rooted my phone and it could not have been simpler. I didn't even need to unlock the bootloader. I just downloaded a free program, plugged in my phone to my computer, and after the phone rebooted a few times, it was done. Jailbreaking my iPod was more of a chore, but the effect was the same, I could run more software on my devices.

 

People act like rooting and flashing is some arcane process that requires the sacrifice of a dozen virgins during the fall equinox in the center of a goats blood pentagram or something. It's a process that is really easy for anyone with the patience to follow a couple pages of instructions and with a decent knowledge of computers. Some phones even have one-click utilities for it. There's really no need to be dramatic about it. It's also extremely unlikely to perma-brick your phone.

 

People keep complaining about the A7's 64-bit arch.

PEOPLE... it's called moving technology forward. Even Intel's Atom, which is a direct competitor, features 64-bit support and is limited to 2GB of RAM. The thing that Apple is showing, that even Windows 7/8 still haven't exposed in mainstream, is that there's quite a little performance boost from just using the extra x64 instructions. To keep on keeping on with i686/32-bit is asinine. The architecture as a whole needs to move forward, and Apple is doing just that with ARM. I saw this coming a mile away with Android, because the Galaxy Note III has 3GB of LP-DDR3 RAM. That's borderline without using PAE, which with a modern platform is completely unnecessary.

So while the Android world is scrambling to get 64-bit going in any fashion (even with 64-bit support from the OS), Apple and iOS/apps will be well into 64-bit.

 

@hockeymass:

Average consumers don't want to root even if it's easy. They want an out-of-box phone.

Simplicity sells. Just because it's simple for *you* doesn't mean it's simple for everyone.

I've jb'ed my iPhone but mainly because I hate the stock keyboard and I wanted to tether <tetherpoliceshieldactivated> but I don't want to root/mod my Note2 phone because I don't feel like going through that for stuff that may or may not work.

 

Nobody HAS to root, I never said that. All I said is that the arguments against it are way overblown. Let's all stop being dramatic.

 

I have friends who say making their own clothes is easy and the complaints about how hard it is are way overblown. Same with friends who maintain their own cars. Repair their own plumbing in their homes. Build their own cabinets in their kitchen. Retile their own bathrooms. Build their own PCs. Hunt their own meat. Grow their own vegetable garden. Install their own software on their smartphones.

The truth is, in 21st century society, you can probably figure out one or two of these things in addition to the demands of your day job. But you can't do it all. So even though most people can do each of these things if you ignore the other demands on their time/knowledge/brainpower, most people aren't going to be able to do all of these things. And if you just try to dabble in any of these things without (a) being someone for whom it comes naturally, or (b) spending the time to learn what you're doing, you can give yourself a lot of heartache. I personally am not one of the people who has done the last category.

PS. I have tried to root my Kindle Fire, twice, carefully following instructions. Failed both times. It doesn't come naturally to me and despite spending some time on it, it simply is beyond my present ability. On the other hand, I'm probably a better shot with a shotgun than 99% of people here. Maybe if I had spent all that time at the trap range brushing up on my l33t Android skills instead, I could root a device successfully. But I can't do it all.

 

If you want a fully functional Android OS, don't buy a Kindle Fire in the first place. The only reason I rooted my phone was to install some other programs that required root access, but those same types of programs would be a no-go also on iOS without jailbreaking. But when I did root the phone, I used a one click utility that got the job done in 5 minutes.

But regardless, you don't need to root Android to take care of what 99% of people complain about. I changed my phone's UI and disabled (although not deleted) all the phone's bloatware. It is as easy as installing an app and navigating the settings menu....

My girlfriend got me an Android tablet last Christmas. I wasn't particularly fond of it and it seemed like crap compared to the iOS of my iPod. It was only months later that I found out how easy it would be to customize everything and make it exactly how I wanted it. I found out that it was already rooted, not that I did anything that required root permissions, but apparently a large number of tablets come rooted from the factory. I changed the UI and customized it. I also got rid of anything I didn't like. I installed different keyboards so that I could finally type in Chinese with it. I couldn't believe that I hadn't even tried anything before. All I did was search on google for what apps I should install, then I installed them on my tablet and tweaked the settings. It was only a few hours of work, but my tablet felt like a new beast and was exactly how I wanted it to be.

 

Or we could continue being super dramatic. I rooted my Galaxy Nexus in a half hour or less without a one click tool AND I'm an excellent shot. Guess that makes me superman. Not really sure why all of this is relevant to iOS. Also not sure why everyone thinks you need to root just to change anything on your phone.

 

#1 iOS 7 complaints in the workplace: Parallax.

LOL.

 

Are they unaware that you can turn it off?

 

Don't bother trying to root a Kindle Fire. That'd be like trying to trip a bear trap without getting cut off at your ankles.

I haven't found a way to turn if off...yet. If you know a way HockeyMass, pleas share. Parallax (or whatever HTC called it) was also present on the Sense 4.0 UI. Great in principle, poor in execution. Would make the home screen and icons all skewed constantly. Thankfully there was a framework mod on XDA to turn it off. Haven't seen a mod for iOS yet to deactivate Parallax yet, but I'm sure there will be once someone figures out where the off switch is.

 

Go into Accessibility Settings. Reduce Motion = On

 

You can't turn it off completely. Settings > General > Accessibility, turn on Reduce Motion.

We had to train our help desk to walk any callers through turning it off when they started getting a surge of calls from remote employees asking about it.

 

That turns off the parallax wallpaper shifting... but all the other "vertigo" inducing effects are still there 226.42%.

They're really not that bad, IMHO, and they kind of show you what "layer" you're jumping into.

 

What else are people complaining about? The zoom?

I'm sure we're going to see an update soon, but there are people who will literally complain about anything (there are people who claim to be allergic to electricity and wifi).

 

My only complaint is the font size. But it's probably the same size as iOS 6 font.

 

My cousin's iPhone 4S is having connectivity issues with iOS 7. She'd send me a text, it wouldn't arrive. She'd send it again, it would delivered 5-6 times to the recipient. Didn't happen on iOS 6.

 

There was a 7.0.2 update today? Did she update today?

 

Probably not. I will let her know. I know 7.0.1 was being pushed. Didn't realize 7.0.2 was already released.

 

I had an issue like that with my GNex, I think it has more to do with SMS than the iPhone itself.

 

Yea, that's a network issue. It's been happening a lot lately, on several carriers. Seems like a routing issue. Somewhere along the route, the message is getting duplicated.

 

So after over 10 years I switched off of Sprint.

I had thought that my subpar data connection was because of the phone (the Moto Xprt) but after switching to the iPhone 5S, I realized that it wasn't the phone, it was the network. Not only could I not get LTE, but the Sprint 3G was barely faster than their 1x, couldn't even download apps. To prove it, I got the same phone on TMo and it was night and day. Not only could I get LTE everywhere but even TMo's "4G" (HSPA+) was faster than anything I got with Sprint.

I've been happy with Sprint but I'm not paying the $10 premium data charge for non-premium data service. And now with TMo and Jump, not only am I not on a contract, but I can upgrade in 6 months (or more likely 1 year when the iPhone 6 comes out).

 

Coincidentally, Brighthand just did an article on how much Sprint data coverage sucks (the Ativ S Neo review).

Sent from my Galaxy S III using Tapatalk 2.

 

What's your plan features and pricing. I too am getting tired of the Sprint "Is it Now, yet? Almost..." network. They have just been rolling out LTE coverage in my area. Some points I get great speed and coverage, others not so much. Like at work. Bad coverage and speed. Home, no coverage or speed. I will jump ship for the right price, I just don't want to have to worry about data overages. Don't really care about throttling since I secretly suspect Sprint does that even though they say they don't.

 

Yeah while my GF has been on Sprint, I've never actually seen her GS3 utilize Sprint's fledgling LTE network. There's a reason they can offer unlimited, unlimited slow data.

 

More like floundering.

 

Anyone looking to jump ship should consider Straight Talk and Net10.

They now offer LTE and an official 2.5GB soft cap. Unlimited 2G after that.

 

Aio Wireless is another one to look at too...unlimited talk/text and 2GB LTE data for $55, 7GB LTE data for $70.

 

Yeah, I'm actually on their $40 plan this month. The throttled data after 250MB isn't bad, but I'm probably go to switch to Net10.

Unlike Straight Talk and Net10 though, iPhones have to unlocked.

 

@radji:

I was on the Sprint 450+300 bonus minutes+unlimited everything else for $59.99 + $10 premium data (when I switched to the iPhone, I wasn't charged the $10 on the Xprt because it was 3G only).

I am now on the TMo Simple Choice Unlimited everything which is the same at $70. The caveat is I pay $22 per month for the iPhone for 24 mo installments with $199 down. On Sprint, it was just $299 down (32gb) so my monthly is actually more with TMo.

I'm also paying the extra $10 for Jump, which allows me to upgrade 2 times a year. Sprint has a similar plan called One Up that doesn't cost anything, discounts the $80 to $65 and instead of $299 down for a limited time it's no down but with crappy data connection (I'm in SoCal), it doesn't really matter that it's cheaper. The $10 Jump also includes device insurance which is an extra $11 from Sprint so there is a small savings there.

So all in all I'm paying about $100/mo but I'll be able to get the 6 when it comes out next year. I would have probably done Sprint's One Up program because it would have saved me about $200 upfront, but like I said... no LTE in my area and even worse, bad 3G.

 

Holy Crap! You're all in SoCal?

I don't feel so alone anymore.

I'm paying the $69.99 + $10 for the Premium Data for the Everything 450. It has served me well. I was able to get an Airrave from Sprint at no charge cause I whined aboot having to pay $10 a month extra when I couldn't even get a CDMA signal at my home. LTE is now just being rolled out to the greater San Diego area, but Sprint is still not prevalent enough in my area to make a difference (even though I do get an LTE signal at my house...but not a CDMA signal).

For now, I've decided to wait with Sprint until my contract is up in 2014. Now that they've got Japanese Overlords, they can't slow play their Network Vision, especially their LTE expansion and back-haul upgrade. $99 is what I pay per month for my plan. I got my SGS3 last black Friday. And that's usually how I go with getting a new phone. I wait until it's on sale for dirt cheap. When my contract is up, I will evaluate their coverage vs T-Mobile's, and see which plan will be more efficient in the long run. I wouldn't mind spending $10 more per month on T-Mobile if it meant I get better coverage.

PS: all Sprint 3G is bad 3G

 

i'm thinking about getting a new tablet. when's the new iPad come out and anything new with it?

 

Hardware leaks suggest that the next iPad will go to thin bezels on the sides (the left and right when in portrait, not the top and bottom) like the iPad Mini, making it more compact and easier to palm without sacrificing screen size. Haven't heard anything besides that yet.

 

Personally, without the bezels on the Retina iPad, it would be unusable. Where would you grip it?! BEZELS SERVE A PURPOSE. I don't know why everyone, is so gung-ho to get rid of them.

On TV's, that can work... on tablets and phones? No. It's just not functional design in the slightest.

 

This is why bezel needs to be reduced.

 

With the iPad Mini, Apple shows hands cradling it from behind when held in portrait, and pinching the bezel when shown in landscape. If the leak that the iPad will get Mini-like bezels, I'm guessing they'd expect you to do something similar.

Apple - iPad mini - Every inch an iPad.