Android: Phone News and Discussion Thread
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
I hope this rumor is not true. 
TMO to get this phone...
http://www.popherald.com/samsung-gal...-revealed/7079
If it's true, it's bad news for TMO peeps since the HTC Sensation has been confirmed to have locked bootloader.
TMO to get this phone...http://www.popherald.com/samsung-gal...-revealed/7079
If it's true, it's bad news for TMO peeps since the HTC Sensation has been confirmed to have locked bootloader.
http://thisismynext.com/2011/05/17/e...ore-infuse-4g/
They're reporting it'll be like the Samsung Infuse 4G except it'll be running a 1.2 GHz dual core snapdragon with a 4.5" SAMOLED+ screen. Specs sound pretty awesome.
Damn. That does sound quite Herculean! I guess I'll have to suffer with my G2 a little longer.
I read somewhere else today that UK will have an NFC capable Galaxy S2 in June.
I read somewhere else today that UK will have an NFC capable Galaxy S2 in June.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=917865
More specifically here:
http://mirror.teamdouche.net/?device=crespo
They're a lot more "unstable" (bugs) than official but they get upgraded every night, hence the name nightly. Read what people are saying in that thread on XDA to get a feel of what is and isn't working.
Suzuka Master
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 9,012
Likes: 439
From: SoCal
ohh didnt see that it was in the nightly's, I'll be fine for now till they implement it to the final build update. I need a stable phone right now. I've had quite a few reboots with my latest ROM/Kernel hopefully this update will fix it.
Thread Starter
Be Strong AND Courageous!
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 9,305
Likes: 43
From: Joshua 1:1-9
Thread Starter
Be Strong AND Courageous!
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 9,305
Likes: 43
From: Joshua 1:1-9
this is so much faster and customizable!
Moderator
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 64,114
Likes: 3,366
From: Not Las Vegas (SF Bay Area)
http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/21/g...ooted-devices/
opps...
Google is blocking Android Market movie rentals on rooted devices because of copy protection
By Richard Lawler posted May 21st 2011 7:33PM
Rooting your Motorola Xoom won't stop you from getting an LTE hardware upgrade, but it will throw up a roadblock if you're trying to watch movies rented from YouTube / Android Market. Android Central points out a Google support document that details the "Failed to fetch license for [movie title] (error 49)" message users will see when they try to play a movie on a rooted Android device. Only Xooms with Android 3.1 have access to the service right now, but once support rolls out to all Android 2.2 or higher devices in a couple of weeks some will have to choose between their superuser privileges and Google's nascent movie offerings (at least until someone figures out a workaround anyway). So far rooting and jailbreaking hasn't put a stop to other movie rental services for mobiles (iTunes, Netflix) so even if Google blames the movie studios for the policy, it seems like an odd restriction for the company behind the "open" platform to have.
By Richard Lawler posted May 21st 2011 7:33PM
Rooting your Motorola Xoom won't stop you from getting an LTE hardware upgrade, but it will throw up a roadblock if you're trying to watch movies rented from YouTube / Android Market. Android Central points out a Google support document that details the "Failed to fetch license for [movie title] (error 49)" message users will see when they try to play a movie on a rooted Android device. Only Xooms with Android 3.1 have access to the service right now, but once support rolls out to all Android 2.2 or higher devices in a couple of weeks some will have to choose between their superuser privileges and Google's nascent movie offerings (at least until someone figures out a workaround anyway). So far rooting and jailbreaking hasn't put a stop to other movie rental services for mobiles (iTunes, Netflix) so even if Google blames the movie studios for the policy, it seems like an odd restriction for the company behind the "open" platform to have.
Like how they did it with Netflix, Google Video Talk and pretty much every other Android app. Just a matter of extracting the APK and changing a few lines of code.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
Again, rooting has nothing to do with piracy. Nor does modifying an app to bypass checking for root access. You could easily sideload APKs, modified and original, without root access very easily with Android as this is the way Google intended it so that anyone who is interested in app development can test those apps on their devices without having to pay a developers fee until they choose to.
Also, you would still have to purchase the video to rent so the movie companies still make money. There is no way to stream the movies without paying beforehand. Besides, who would go through the trouble of recording a stream optimized for mobile screens? I know if I wanted to pirate something, it would definitely not be based on mobile stream. Its a lot easier to rip a superior quality stream from a DVD or Blu-Ray disc than it is to record a crappy quality stream from a mobile device.
Also, you would still have to purchase the video to rent so the movie companies still make money. There is no way to stream the movies without paying beforehand. Besides, who would go through the trouble of recording a stream optimized for mobile screens? I know if I wanted to pirate something, it would definitely not be based on mobile stream. Its a lot easier to rip a superior quality stream from a DVD or Blu-Ray disc than it is to record a crappy quality stream from a mobile device.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
I believe, just like the Galaxy S phones, the difference is in the 3G bands and GSM/CDMA variants for Sprint and Verizon. The international versions will also allow you to make phone calls but if you load that firmware onto the US variants, you can also make phone calls that way if thats important to you. Otherwise, they all have the same CPU/GPU/RAM/Hard drive configurations.
For the Wifi version of the Galaxy Tab, Samsung downgraded parts inside the Tab to make it more cost effective for them without advertising it!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1054872
http://www.carrypad.com/2011/05/02/w...pu-slower-gpu/
Forgot to mention, there's a Gingerbread build out for the Galaxy Tab on XDA and I think CM7 is being built for it so that should make the Tab last a while.
For the Wifi version of the Galaxy Tab, Samsung downgraded parts inside the Tab to make it more cost effective for them without advertising it!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1054872
http://www.carrypad.com/2011/05/02/w...pu-slower-gpu/
Forgot to mention, there's a Gingerbread build out for the Galaxy Tab on XDA and I think CM7 is being built for it so that should make the Tab last a while.
Last edited by CGFebTSX04; May 23, 2011 at 12:34 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
https://market.android.com/details?i...on.permissions
http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/05...p-permissions/
I Shoot with a Camera
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 23,077
Likes: 3,669
From: Vancouver BC
For the Wifi version of the Galaxy Tab, Samsung downgraded parts inside the Tab to make it more cost effective for them without advertising it!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1054872
http://www.carrypad.com/2011/05/02/w...pu-slower-gpu/
) while I do cardio on the elliptical. But will the speed be a factor?
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
$350? That's pretty expensive. Might as well get the ASUS Transformer for $50 more at Best Buy. Then again, I'm not sure what the rates are for Canada. As far as processor goes, using stock TouchWiz, you'll probably notice the speed difference. If you run custom ROMs (not sure how many there are for the WiFi variant), you probably won't notice it. Might want to check out XDA and see which variant they support more. I doubt its the WiFi version unfortunately.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
HTC Sensation review from Slashgear:
Source: http://www.slashgear.com/htc-sensation-review-23153699/
Looks like another solid Android device. Hopefully HTC will allow the bootloader to be unlocked or the devs figure out how to do it.
It’s a good time for Android smartphone fans. The Galaxy S II has already proved that devices running Google’s OS are certainly capable of stepping out from underneath the shadow of the iPhone, and the HTC Sensation is evidence that Samsung’s win can’t be dismissed as a one-off aberration. In Gingerbread form, Android has matured into a stable platform with growing choice in the Android Market to support it.
With strong devices, of course, come difficult decisions, and choosing between the Sensation and Samsung’s Galaxy S II is perhaps the most difficult to-date. Both have their hardware strengths: the Sensation’s qHD display lends itself well to browsing and ebook reading, while the lower-resolution Super AMOLED Plus of the GSII is better suited to multimedia. Samsung offers more RAM and internal storage, but the Sensation never felt at a loss aside from in the benchmarking apps themselves. Meanwhile, HTC Sense feels more thought-out and complete than TouchWiz, and the out-of-the-box experience with the Sensation is more polished than that of the GSII.
Neither is a bad device nor a bad choice; our gut reaction is to think of the Sensation as the consumer’s phone and the Galaxy S II as the Android fan’s phone. Broad brushstrokes do neither any great favors, though. HTC’s attitude to mods may dissuade the Android faithful, but those looking for a solid, well-designed smartphone with a premium feel and refined combination of hardware, software and services will be served excellently by the HTC Sensation.
With strong devices, of course, come difficult decisions, and choosing between the Sensation and Samsung’s Galaxy S II is perhaps the most difficult to-date. Both have their hardware strengths: the Sensation’s qHD display lends itself well to browsing and ebook reading, while the lower-resolution Super AMOLED Plus of the GSII is better suited to multimedia. Samsung offers more RAM and internal storage, but the Sensation never felt at a loss aside from in the benchmarking apps themselves. Meanwhile, HTC Sense feels more thought-out and complete than TouchWiz, and the out-of-the-box experience with the Sensation is more polished than that of the GSII.
Neither is a bad device nor a bad choice; our gut reaction is to think of the Sensation as the consumer’s phone and the Galaxy S II as the Android fan’s phone. Broad brushstrokes do neither any great favors, though. HTC’s attitude to mods may dissuade the Android faithful, but those looking for a solid, well-designed smartphone with a premium feel and refined combination of hardware, software and services will be served excellently by the HTC Sensation.
Looks like another solid Android device. Hopefully HTC will allow the bootloader to be unlocked or the devs figure out how to do it.
Moderator
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 64,114
Likes: 3,366
From: Not Las Vegas (SF Bay Area)
im going to assume 7" cause the other ones arent out yet (i think)
HTC Sensation review from Slashgear:
Source: http://www.slashgear.com/htc-sensation-review-23153699/
Looks like another solid Android device. Hopefully HTC will allow the bootloader to be unlocked or the devs figure out how to do it.
Source: http://www.slashgear.com/htc-sensation-review-23153699/
Looks like another solid Android device. Hopefully HTC will allow the bootloader to be unlocked or the devs figure out how to do it.
I'm sure the dev will figure it out. I'd still rather hold out for the Hercules.
Suzuka Master
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 9,012
Likes: 439
From: SoCal
ok, so instead of going back to stock I might use this rom called iceandfire, based off of CM7.0.3. The only thing I dont really like about switching between ROMS is that I have to do a factory reset!!
But I dunno if i can go back to stock, I just realized I'll be missing out on so many features!!
But I dunno if i can go back to stock, I just realized I'll be missing out on so many features!!
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
AOSP = Android Open Source Project. Basically, everything vanilla Android that's being contributed by the devs and Google which are incorporated into future Android builds. This includes anything that is open source that the devs can use, tweak and distribute and modified to build the custom ROMs.
Deodexed refers to APKs (mainly the APKs in the system folder) being easier to decompile for theming/replacement (the clock colors, status bar background, etc.). It also saves some space as the APKs no longer have to rely on .odex files that go along with the APKs. Theoretically, Odexed ROMs are a bit faster because of the way Dalvik VM works but at the expense of less customization. I say theoretically because that performance difference is very minimal and you'll probably never notice it in real world usage.
Deodexed refers to APKs (mainly the APKs in the system folder) being easier to decompile for theming/replacement (the clock colors, status bar background, etc.). It also saves some space as the APKs no longer have to rely on .odex files that go along with the APKs. Theoretically, Odexed ROMs are a bit faster because of the way Dalvik VM works but at the expense of less customization. I say theoretically because that performance difference is very minimal and you'll probably never notice it in real world usage.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
ok, so instead of going back to stock I might use this rom called iceandfire, based off of CM7.0.3. The only thing I dont really like about switching between ROMS is that I have to do a factory reset!!
But I dunno if i can go back to stock, I just realized I'll be missing out on so many features!!
But I dunno if i can go back to stock, I just realized I'll be missing out on so many features!!
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
HTC on bootloaders:
Source: https://www.facebook.com/notes/htc/u...50305151453084
A lot of people have been bugging them on their Facebook wall and on Twitter about their locked bootloaders. Hopefully, they'll get some sense back into their heads and allow their bootloaders to be unlocked like the new Sony Ericsson phones.
The EVO 3D and sensation will have locked bootloaders unfortunately.
Thanks so much for providing feedback, we hear your concerns. Your satisfaction is a top priority for us and we're working hard to ensure you have great experiences with our phones. We're reviewing the issue and our policy around bootloaders and will provide more information soon. Thank you for your interest, support and willingness to share your feedback.
A lot of people have been bugging them on their Facebook wall and on Twitter about their locked bootloaders. Hopefully, they'll get some sense back into their heads and allow their bootloaders to be unlocked like the new Sony Ericsson phones.
The EVO 3D and sensation will have locked bootloaders unfortunately.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
I signed up for it when I posted the link up here. So if you signed up around that time, you're probably getting it soon. The Music Manager is still uploading my song collection. I started at 5:30 and it is now 8:30. Still has a ways to go. lol. The Music app gets an extra setting once you link it to your account. And yes, it is pretty awesome. Only thing I don't like is not being able to differentiate what's on my SD Card vs. the cloud. Thinking about going pure cloud only and creating playlists on the Music Manager.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
I posted the link before the announcement was made at Google I/O. It was the morning before I/O started. Quality is as good as original as far as I can tell. Streaming is pretty instant. Buffers for 1-2 secs (I'm sure this is dependent on speed connection) then plays the song while it continues to download the rest of the song. You can also pin songs to your internal SD so it saves it to the phone. Also recently played songs are kept in memory but I'm not sure for how long so if you wanted to go a previously played track it doesn't have to redownload it.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
Forgot to add, you can authorize up to 8 devices to access your music. You can access it with any browser or your phone. Also, where you leave off on a song can be picked up on the other devices. My song upload is halfway there. I guess I'll leave my computer on tonight so it can finish uploading all my music. 
Suzuka Master
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 9,012
Likes: 439
From: SoCal
I posted the link before the announcement was made at Google I/O. It was the morning before I/O started. Quality is as good as original as far as I can tell. Streaming is pretty instant. Buffers for 1-2 secs (I'm sure this is dependent on speed connection) then plays the song while it continues to download the rest of the song. You can also pin songs to your internal SD so it saves it to the phone. Also recently played songs are kept in memory but I'm not sure for how long so if you wanted to go a previously played track it doesn't have to redownload it.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 3,539
Likes: 295
From: LA, CA
Uploaded about 2400+ songs. Finished early this morning. Also on the offline cache thing, it downloads the songs to your internal when you're on WiFi so that when you play the song again it doesn't redownload it. I had about 700 MB worth of MP3s after listening to my songs on my internal. There is an option to turn this feature off and you can find the MP3s in com.google.music cache folder on the internal SD and names them as #.mp3. Supposedly, it also deletes the songs when you need the space but I'm not sure how it knows. I have my cache cleaner deleting every 6 hours so I don't worry about these things.
Last edited by CGFebTSX04; May 26, 2011 at 10:44 AM.