Yea, I could go through each and every post of every thread, bt instead of taking several days to do that, figure I will take the shortcut and get with you guys first.
I will be getting my Thunderbolt by Tuesday, and want to jump right into customizing (a little bit, no unlocking!), and downloading and installing the apps I need!
So my question to everyone, (coming from an Imagio), what apps do you recommend? What widgets? And what about different clocks and other things?
I notice there are some with text clocks and calendars, I would really like that. Is that something easy to install?
And what about modding so that I can throw alot of stuff on the SD card instead of stacking up my phones memory? Any suggestions there?
Same question regarding performance, there are several apps that run in the background, and I hear that they are not able to be shut off (except for what the XDA wiz kids have come up with) in order to save battery life. Is that correct? If so, can I shut them down or remove them?
What about skype, does it come with it installed or not?
Thats all I got for now, I am sure there will be more! So any advice and suggestions would be great.
You guys really helped make my Imagio last this long, looking forward to working with you guys on a brand new phone.
Brightness Level widget, LTE OnOff
Veridor said:
Brightness Level widget, LTE OnOff
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with both of these as they will help you with your batt life a bit.
As for the text clock/calendar, that is also a must have for me (Minimalistic Text) all of these are easy to install just look for them in the market.
Beyond that, i don't do much more to my phone beside using Launcher Pro and the widgets that come with it.
Clock/Weather Widgets: Beautiful Widget or Fancy Widget
Calendar: Agenda Widget
Home screen replacement: ADW or LauncherPro (I prefer ADW)
SMS Replacement App: Handcent SMS
Clock replacement: Alarm Clock Plus*
Ringtone finder: Zedge
Wallpaper finder: Flikie
Email replacement app: K-9 Mail
Browser replacement: Miren Browser
File Browser Replacement: OI File Manager
Weather app: Weather Bug or The Weather Channel
Hope these help!
JerryA said:
And what about modding so that I can throw alot of stuff on the SD card instead of stacking up my phones memory? Any suggestions there?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Install everything in your internal memory. It's MUCH faster than the SD Card. For media (MP3s, videos, etc.) you don't have much of an option unless you unlock it - those go on your SD Card. And even if you unlocked it, I'd still recommend you put them there.
JerryA said:
Same question regarding performance, there are several apps that run in the background, and I hear that they are not able to be shut off (except for what the XDA wiz kids have come up with) in order to save battery life. Is that correct? If so, can I shut them down or remove them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uninstall as much of the pre-installed software as you can that you won't use. That said, you'll be stuck with most of the bloat. However, it's not really a problem - it's pretty smooth and performs pretty well, stock.
Lastly, BEWARE of anybody who tells you to install a tool like Advanced Task Killer. This tool will NOT speed up your phone - it will just slow you down a bit (probably not enough for you to notice) but it will drain your battery even faster than normal. The battery life on this phone is bad enough - you don't need to make it worse!
For best results and maximum customizations, I suggest you root your phone, if not to load a custom-super-themed-decked-out ROM then at least to load a standard debloat-deodex ROM.
nerozehl said:
For best results and maximum customizations, I suggest you root your phone, if not to load a custom-super-themed-decked-out ROM then at least to load a standard debloat-deodex ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I must disagree, honestly. Stock Sense, while it is a bit bloated, it is by no means laggy. If somebody isn't comfortable with rooting, and doesn't have a pressing need to root, then I don't think they should root their phone. It adds risk, headaches, and concerns to make something, that is already fast, faster. If somebody should root their phone, it should be for more of a reason than, "well, it seems like a good thing to do".
[edit] Although, you are right. If you want "best results and maximum customizations", then yeah, rooting is required. But it didn't sound like that the OP wants. It sounds like the OP wants to know how to customize it well without rooting. That's my interpretation, and why I disagreed with you suggesting the the OP root and flash roms.
Just my $0.02 worth.
Jaxidian said:
I must disagree, honestly. Stock Sense, while it is a bit bloated, it is by no means laggy. If somebody isn't comfortable with rooting, and doesn't have a pressing need to root, then I don't think they should root their phone. It adds risk, headaches, and concerns to make something, that is already fast, faster. If somebody should root their phone, it should be for more of a reason than, "well, it seems like a good thing to do".
[edit] Although, you are right. If you want "best results and maximum customizations", then yeah, rooting is required. But it didn't sound like that the OP wants. It sounds like the OP wants to know how to customize it well without rooting. That's my interpretation, and why I disagreed with you suggesting the the OP root and flash roms.
Just my $0.02 worth.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea, its not that I don't want to, because I really would love to, but the wife was pissed that I unlocked my Imagio, and blames that on the problems I have had, so a deal was made, I take my kids upgrade, transfer to mine, and get the new Thunderbolt provided I DONT unlock, root, jailbreak, or do anything that allows me to customize it beyond what the original design allows.
Yea, fine, sounds fair. So what I am looking for is just those things that I can download and install that are 'authorized', so to speak, from Verizon and HTC.
Maybe when she upgrades she will want to see what can be done (she is due in a few months) and thats when I will have to 'show' her!
Thanks again guys for all your help, one more day!
Heres the jist of the ones I use on a regular basis:
Utilities
Amazon App Store
Titanium Backup (requires root)
Root explorer (requires root)
Shoot Me (requires root)
QR Droid
Recalls.gov (I got kids lol)
Fancy Widget Pro
iCorps (Marine Corps App)
Social
Facebook
Foursquare
Skype
eBuddy
WordPress
Ventriloid
XDA
SMS
Handcent usually
Trying out chompSMS atm
Entertainment & Themeage
Zedge
Pandora
HBO Go
Soundhound
Finances
USAA
PageOnce Pro
Ing Direct
Progressive Insurance
Shopping
Key Ring
ShopSavvy
Amazon.com
Kayak
Craigsphone
News
NYTimes
Engadget
Health & Fitness
CardioTrainer
Libra (Weight Log)
Games
Robo Defense
Farm Frenzy
Flight Control
Collapse
Angry Birds
Angry Birds Seasons
Angry Birds Rio
Doodle Jump
Fruit Ninja
Words Free
Related
Hi all,
Just updating this as a little source of info incase anyone else searching finds my experience helpful!:
- Rooting: Decided not to do this until it's clear if offical updates work with it or not.
- Contacts: Created a google account which now syncs perfectly with the phone. All contacts are stored on the web account, so clearing the phone during resets isn't a problem - just put the Gmail details back in and everything is cool again
- File Manager: Using ES File Explorer from the market place (Free), works perfectly and lists all the files on the SD card.
- Network Usage: Using NetCounter from the market place (Free), works perfectly just keeping tabs on how much data has been sent over the cell or Wi-fi; breaking it down for usage on a daily basis, weekly, monthly and total. Also seems to support alert notifications so you can have your phone warn you when you've reached a certain amount of data.
- Case / Screen Protectors: Found a few online and Amazon however yet to purchase any (there are some reviews saying the rubber cases are too tight on the phone and start rubbing the surface colour off them.
Original Post
=========
This is somewhat crossposted as I don't know if this is a more suitable board.
Anyhow! I've been stuck with a XDA Exec for a number of years however today, after it started sending emails with text messages, I've ordered a new HTC Hero on Orange in order to replace the rubbish WM OS which was giving me no end of problems.
To cut to the chase I'm wondering when I get my device is there anything in particular worth doing, newbie questions I know but we all have to start somewhere! For example:
- Is it worth rooting? What exactly does rooting the device then allow me to do? (I've come across the process for doing it multiple times but I'm still none the wiser as to what this enables the handset to do)
- In line with the above is there anything worth doing to the device during setup to improve it's overall usability / performance?
- Are there are any particular apps that are worth putting on to improve performance? Giving control over the CPU maybe?
...etc
Any general advice for a new handset would be appreciated as I know there are some brilliant minds here (just finding all the relevant information is sometimes tricky!)
All the best,
Temjin
Yes a few things
before you start up the device create a google account online first, ie create a google email address eg. [email protected]
Then make sure you setup the phone with this address when it starts up, otherwise you may have problems accessing the market like me haha.
Copilot is a must its an excellent program, just as good as tomtom if not better.
i installed solitare as well cos i missed it off my old diamond.
As for rooting i as yet have not done so because there seems to be no real reason so far, installing apps and modding the phone is simple by adding widgets etc.
The phone runs as smooth as day straight out the box for me, but my phone is unbranded.
Hope that helps
Not much point to rooting yet, unless you want to have hundreds of apps installed (app2sd).
I would recommend that you remove the "people" widget as it is really not hugely helpful and slows the phone down a lot, especially when swiping from screen to screen. If you experience lag, you can also try removing the large clock widget and peep. Without these, the phone is much faster. (it's kinda sucky having to remove them but to be honest I'd rather a more responsive phone, personally). Check out http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=544958
Try to avoid using task managers and task-killers as these will cause more trouble than they are worth - let android manage processes and memory by itself.
Finally, don't go wild installing apps. Certain apps such as monitoring widgets cause havoc with the battery life, so install apps one or two at a time so that you will notice if performance or battery life suddenly plummets.
kiz said:
Finally, don't go wild installing apps. Certain apps such as monitoring widgets cause havoc with the battery life, so install apps one or two at a time so that you will notice if performance or battery life suddenly plummets.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you advice if NetCounter or BatteryWidget eats a lot of battery?
mystaka said:
Can you advice if NetCounter or BatteryWidget eats a lot of battery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NetCounter is OK, I haven't noticed any drop in battery life using it.
Oh when hard reseting
When you hard reset your phone if you ever need to, remove your simcard then put it back in after the reset, otherwise you lose you sim contacts like i have!!!
Hi guys!
I got my Hero on Tuesday and so far I'm absolutley loving it (although coming from WM 5.1 doesn't take much to beat ).
I've got a few more questions:
- When synced with Google Contacts a home address on the Hero is listed under "Find Home". This cuts the address short, is there a way of making it making the address field more presentable?
- Is there any native way for seeing how much data has been downloaded (gotta be careful of my tarrif limit!) or is there a simple app for this purpose?
- Is there anyway of browsing file directories?
- Is there any sort of protective cases or screen covers for the Hero?
In case it helps any other people who are looking for starter information:
- Rooting: Decided not to do this until it's clear if offical updates work with it or not.
- Contacts: Created a google account which now syncs perfectly with the phone. All contacts are stored on the web account, so clearing the phone during resets isn't a problem - just put the Gmail details back in and everything is cool again
Thanks!
~ T
Temjin said:
- Is there any native way for seeing how much data has been downloaded (gotta be careful of my tarrif limit!) or is there a simple app for this purpose?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NetCounter is lightweight, to the point and very effective
Temjin said:
- Is there anyway of browsing file directories?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need an app, there is no native explorer. I have found ES File Explorer to be the best free explorer. It supports SMB network shares with ease too. No need to go through the hassle of connecting by USB and mounting the SD card to xfer files... you can just pull files directly over your network.
Hi Kiz,
Those two apps work fantastic! Thanks!
After doing the rounds installing Auto Nooter on several NookColors, I thought I'd make a quick list of apps that are essential to have for any new installation. I'll update this list as needed, but hopefully it will provide new rooted users a good jumping point to get a nicely functioning device.
This list is geared towards the new rooted NookColor user who runs stable builds / auto nooted builds. If you just bought a Nook Color and haven't rooted yet, go see Guide to Nook Color Rooting. Many of these apps below will fix problems with the stock rom.
The list isn't really targeted for the Nookie Froyo bootable SD card, so if you have one, take what you will.
If you're a hip person and run custom roms or the like, you may find these useful, too! (Using ClockWorkRecovery or other roms is currently not documented in the Nook Color rooting guide. Don't attempt unless you're able to fix if things break.)
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Home Switcher - Say you accidentally set your home to not Softkeys before you got a launcher? Go grab home switcher and fix it!
ADWLauncher, or other Home screen. You need some place to run everything from. ADW Launcher is a great first step, and you can always change later.
AppBrain - An app market add-on that manages your apps for you. Much more comprehensive than current market.
Fancy Widget - Gets you started with an all-in-one clock widget you can add to your launcher, since ADW doesn't give you one by default. Add Fancy Home from the widgets menu for the comprehensive widget.
SoftLocker - Keeps wifi from bugging during a sleep by forcing sleep mode to only turn off screen. Yes, this will drain more battery, but the NC battery is huge, and not having to forcefully reconnect at every wake is worth it for people dealing with bugs. You may have to relaunch SoftLocker at reboot to get it to work properly, but that's a one-time thing per session.
DolphinBrowser HD, Miren Browser, etc. - There are plenty of better web browsers than the built-in one, mostly supporting multitouch, tabs, and more.
Root Explorer - Costs $4 at the time of this post. If you're going to spend any money on an android app, this should be it. A file management tool that is a million times better than others, since you can do a lot of simple root activities on device quickly without needing adb. It's really a very good and important to have app.
Astro File Manager - Another good file manager, but doesn't support Root. It's really good for simple file system management where you don't want to run the risk of breaking anything. Also, it can somehow install apk packages in the worst of conditions where other installers fail.
Titanium Backup - good for backing up data, or wiping data from a buggy app that keeps crashing
Thumb keyboard - $1.65 at time of posting. possibly the best keyboard for the nook. Beautiful display, customizable key and row height. Make sure to suppress full screen in options. Any keyboard requires some setup process to install via Terminal. See Replacing the Default Keyboard (You can use the terminal app below. Your app location should be /data/app/com.beansoft.keyboardplus.apk . Copy that to /system/app and use NookColor Tools to set the keyboard. This will make the market think the app isn't installed, but it works!)
Disk Usage - shows a visual representation of disk space at a glance. great app for finding where your space went!
GScript - lets you automate scripted commands. good for devs.
Android Terminal - lets you enter commands directly. good for devs.
adbwireless - adb connections over wireless. very convenient.
ROM Manager - An important app if you're using one of the newer experimental builds running from ClockworkModRecovery. If you don't know what this is, forget I even said anything about this app... Or read this link if you're really interested in some cutting edge build stuff, but ignore it if you just want a working device and you've auto nooted.
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Any apps you'd like to recommend for this list for the newbies out there? Post below what you think is important for people to have. This is for essentials, only, not optional apps like games or live wallpapers.
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<also reserved>
Great list, here's a few more.
Miren browser - polished 3rd party browser with some awesome features. Slick menus and swipe to go forward and back sold me.
Thumb keyboard - possibly the best keyboard for the nook. I'm currently using the honeycomb skin and it looks fantastic. Customizable key and row height. Perfect for my huge thumbs.
Astro - file manager, compression handler, app installer,image and sound player....all around a badass app essential to any android device.
Also wanted to mention that root explorer is excellent. Forget logging on your computer to modify a file. I changed my nook hardware keys in a minute or so using root explorer. Great app.
Dont forget rom manager and the knowledge of howto make a nandroid with it
Nookie Froyo 0.6.8 (zoom2)/Tapatalk Pro
DROPBOX...Move .apks, music, movies, new flashables, ANYTHING, from phone, PC, or another Nook to yours. Should be 2nd on list beside Root Explorer (IMHO).
Sent from my PC36100
Great list. Consider adding Tasker. Total device automation.
Can anyone recommend a good ram manager? I have autokill but I notice it does not kill everything and says my ram available keeps going down until I reset my nook. (gradually but still kind of annoying)
darkhunter139 said:
Can anyone recommend a good ram manager? I have autokill but I notice it does not kill everything and says my ram available keeps going down until I reset my nook. (gradually but still kind of annoying)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are on the stock os 1.1 (Eclair 2.1) you may want to look into Advanced Task Killer. If you are on Froyo or higher you shouldn't use this. Android will do a good job taking care of itself.
That said, I reboot my Android devices once every couple of days. I notice that keeps it running pretty well.
I actually have been using advanced task killer on froyo. Will that hurt anything?
I found WiFi Explorer (FREE) or Pro ($1.60) very useful to move files between my computer and NC without a cable.
Besides some of the other great apps people have said I would add 'Pulse' as an RSS reader. It looks so good and a great way to get your news!
lyam23 said:
Great list. Consider adding Tasker. Total device automation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tasker turns a smartphone into a SMART phone.
I thought about getting it to try to enable a numeric lock code, and trying on my DX, it does work with one of the Locale plugins, but it's a bit flaky. I was gonna set the Nook so that if it was within range of my WiFi at home or at work, it would not have the lock code, but everywhere else, it would be enabled.
darkhunter139 said:
I actually have been using advanced task killer on froyo. Will that hurt anything?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes....You are running froyo...android 2.2 and above optimizes running apps/services...don't mess with it...keep one around if you have to kill a rogue app on the fly, but dont let it run continuously....
Sent from my PC36100
mazook98 said:
DROPBOX...Move .apks, music, movies, new flashables, ANYTHING, from phone, PC, or another Nook to yours. Should be 2nd on list beside Root Explorer (IMHO).
Sent from my PC36100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lyam23 said:
Great list. Consider adding Tasker. Total device automation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
plus one for both of these
Tapatalk or XDA devs Android app for reading this site, duh! hehe
Two great app to how!
I would only add two additional apps to this great list...
Sqlite Editor and Task killer, great apps to have on a newly rooted nook color!
I would strongly recommend the following:
Moon+ Reader for reading ebooks
Perfect viewer for comics
Epistle for taking notes (synchronises with dropbox)
I use ATK a lot on my DroidX with Froyo, if not it just keeps on getting slower and the battery drains quickly. What happens is some apps keep transmitting even though you closed them. For example, USA Today app I believe keeps sending fresh news articles even after you close the app as it's still running. So keeping it alive when you may not look at it until a few days later is wasteful of battery life and slows other stuff you want to do. Was it works with 2.1, I don't think so, I believe ATK is just as relavent now than then.
The app you really need to get after Angry Birds is Paper Toss.
File Expert?
I use File Expert for managing my files on my nook. It's free, has an option to run as root, and has a built in network interface that works out of the box. Plus having a back button right on the UI makes it easier than using any of the soft keys hacks... I can't post links, but the package is called "xcxin.filexpert" on the market.
So I've had my gtablet for a little while and found some things I really like. I'm going to list them, and maybe say why. There are a couple things I couldn't get working. Really though, my purpose with this post is to see if anyone knows about anything really cool I'm missing!!!
The ROM: Calkulin's 1.1 - this ROM has been great. VERY responsive compared to TNT lite, a couple of the CM's, and Vegan that I have tried. I'm also running it with Clem's kernal. Still haven't been able to change anythign to fix the random shut off problem, but it restarts pretty quickly and I'm still getting 10+hrs batt life if I just leave the screen on when I'm at school.
Thumb Keyboard: From the market - this keyboard is awesome. It costs a couple bucks, but it's worth it. The keyboard is optimized for tablet use (ie - letters on the sides, so you're not reaching over the middle). Using it for a week now with no complaints.
ADW Launcher: I paid. Used it on my fascinate. Like it on my tab. Are there launchers optimized for tablets or anything cool/unique?
Hard Keyboard: it's a "genius" USB keyboard. It was 18 bucks. Kids at school make fun of me for having a corded keyboard but I don't care. It's light weight and works well.
Calibration.ini on my SD card. IT'S LIKE A DIFFERENT SCREEN!
Carbon Fiber Pattern Stick on from Ebay everyone else seems to have found. Like it a lot.
Market fix, although once in a while appbrain has an app the market can't seem to find. No real complaints yet though.
My biggest complaint is a widget problem - the Widget for SPRINGPAD does not exist! It's not even on the list. I wish I could find it.
I really enjoy using OFFICESUITE for taking notes in class and it supports keyboard shortcuts like copy/paste, save. 30 day trial is nice, too. RepliGo Reader has been my go-to pdf reader (I read a lot of those in PT school). Alkilido (sp?) Ebook reader is my go-to for ebook readers. Dropbox, and the titanium media sync for dropbox is great! I've been switching between Firefox Browser and Miren Browser for web browsing, but haven't found a browser for the tablet I'm completely sold on.
What i'd really like to find is a stylish looking folding case I've read through the posts and I'm not really excited about anything I've seen on amazon or etsy.
I guess my big question is: am I missing out on anything really cool?
Nice timeline of what you've done. Looks like you've tweaked the system to your liking.
As I thought about things you might have missed, it occurs to me that there isn't any one or several things you just have to do. It's more about the process of tinkering and playing with a new toy.
as for ROMs, I've tried TNTL, Vegan 5.X, and currently Vegan Ginger. They've all been great. Each has their own little quirks, and if you put made me use one or the other, I would be less upset about the actual choice, than the lack of choice.
I guess all I'm saying is just keep tinkering. Make sure you get comfortable with CWM backup, and flash away into new territories.
bah stupid forward button
Only thing I did in addition to those things was d isable the hard menu buttons on the side (I kept hitting them when I didn't want to) using button remapper and used button savior to make software keys that are easy to use.
As far as accessories VS dropped the ball in that area, from what I can see they are getting a nice penny from slapping their name on the tablet and paying for someone to update it a few times and they'll quit supporting it. I don't expect to see any "official" items for this tablet no matter what VS says.
A cool home launcher that's been optimized for tablets is VTL. Check it out in the Gtablet Apps section of XDA. It's based on ADW and is a work in progress but runs really well.
vtl is awesome but it doesnt play nice with caulkins
What is the "calibration.ini" all about? I am running TnT lite (though I an a CM7 fan on my phone), love almost everything but the viewing angles so if you have something that helps I'd love to know about it.
Thanks!
Create a file on the SD card called calibration.ini if you are unhappy about he responsive ness of your screen. I was, and the difference it made was like it became a completely different device!
Better yet, download this App and calibrate at will:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=934500
The 'problem' with calibration.ini is that if you leave it on the SDcard, it recalibrates everytime you reboot. Not a problem unless you happen to be touching the screen while it does it!
With this app you can run the calibration at will.
Zaphod-Beeblebrox said:
Better yet, download this App and calibrate at will:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=934500
The 'problem' with calibration.ini is that if you leave it on the SDcard, it recalibrates everytime you reboot. Not a problem unless you happen to be touching the screen while it does it!
With this app you can run the calibration at will.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the first thing I tried. Unfortunately, like some others on here, it did not fix the screen at all time. It worked the first day, but not anytime afterward for me. I then tried the .ini file fix, perfect!
I did the ini before I saw an app was released. Deleted after boot n its worked well since but thanks a lot! Can anyone recommend a good mobile web browser? I'm using Miren and Firefox. Tried skyfire and don't much care for the dolphin apps.
biggggant said:
vtl is awesome but it doesnt play nice with caulkins
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you be more specific? I'm running Calkulin+Clemsyn Froyo combo and VTL is included in that ROM. Seems to work as advertised for me.
Great thread OP!
Im running skyfire for now as my browser. Firefox all the way for my macbook and pc! The reviews for firefox in market make me not want to bother. Is it any better than skyfire? Only thing that bugs me is can't delete tabs, you've got to wipe cashed or after a reboot they are gone.
So what's the issue with the calibration of screen? Is this something everyone with a Gtab should do? Only just out of bootup is my screen unresponsive.
EDITI ran it and can now tell a huge difference! Everyone run the app that was posted.
Can't wait to run VTL once launcher widgets work.
Running rockplayer with no more HD playback issues so far (wish VLC would put out an app).
Ive noticed FF renders some pages a little smoother, is a big different from Loren or skyfire. But it takes a little longer to lad.
Hello,
i rooted my phone not too long ago and i love it!!!! i tried BAMF 3.0 and i didnt like it much at all, it was choppy but i got it to be smooth with changing the cpu, well as of now i am just rooted and my question is: what apps do u recommend(rooted) ? i got rom manager already ^^ and also, what is some roms outs their that u like? and why? im looking for a new ROM but dont know where to continue xD
and also, is there an app that hides all my apps on my screens? ive searched but no luck, kind of like in which on a computer we can view, or not view desktop icons
As far as apps; Titanium Backup will let you back up apps and data, RootExporer will let you access files you couldn't otherwise (be careful with both, you can delete or uninstall things you shouldn't), wifi tether will let you tether over wifi I recommend version 2.0.7 (google it), those are the biggies anyways. Check my sig for my ROM recommendation, links included. This setup has offered bulletproof stability for me and the best battery life I've seen. Of course phones and opinion vary so try a few and see what you like. As far as that last part, I have no idea.
Are you talking about temporarily hiding the widgets and icons, per permanently?
If temporarily, why not just set up a blank screen? Stock sense came with several desktops with a widget, or two. All you'd have to is remove some not by long pressing on them.
Robert
[]QUOTE=fdp55;15629866]...is there an app that hides all my apps on my screens?[/B] ive searched but no luck, kind of like in which on a computer we can view, or not view desktop icons[/QUOTE]
Ty both of u, definitely will check ur info!
And I don't want to delete them permanently, just not visible, I've searched and I can't find any at all, and yea deleting is always good, I've just always like hiding icons on my computer, and i'd like to also on my tb xD
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA Premium App
if you mean hiding apps in the app drawer, I think you'll need a different launcher like LauncherPro or ADW. I don't know that there's any way to hide apps in the drawer of the sense launcher
OP, Das Bamf 3.0 is a great rom, but I don't like it either!
I have tried 6 roms on the TB and finally found the right one for me, which given your description sounds like it might be perfect for you as well.
Liquid Thunderbread (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1160637)
This is a VERY stripped down and fast rom. Also it is AOSP instead of Sense based and is only 66 mb!
It is awesomely fast and smooth without any of the BS, I seriously cannot recommend it enough. I like it so much that I made my first rom based donation to the developer and plan on doing so again if they continue updating.
Let me know what you think if you decide to give it a shot.
Im on synergy and i love it. its speedy quick but still lets you keep a lot of the fancy stuff. also the battery is great on 4g or 3g, wifi is a little lacking. and an app you should definitively download is setcpu ( i think its free if youve signed up for xda here) itll let you overclock or set up underlcoking for when your screen is off etc.
on my older incredible, i had an ad-block app (got it from the app market). it blocked the banner ads that are in a lot of the apps.
I was waiting to buy the upcoming iPhone (Blasphemy!) but I just love how unique Find X is. It is going to be up for pre-order next week and I need some advice from you users.
- How durable is that 'mechanism'?
- Are you guys able to replace the stock launcher with something like Nova or Ruthless launcher with google now feed?
- Does the surface of the retracting mechanism get covered with dust over time?
- Have any other serious complaints about the phone in general?
Thanks in advance. Will really appreciate your input. Cheers!
prophet558 said:
I was waiting to buy the upcoming iPhone (Blasphemy!) but I just love how unique Find X is. It is going to be up for pre-order next week and I need some advice from you users.
- How durable is that 'mechanism'?
- Are you guys able to replace the stock launcher with something like Nova or Ruthless launcher with google now feed?
- Does the surface of the retracting mechanism get covered with dust over time?
- Have any other serious complaints about the phone in general?
Thanks in advance. Will really appreciate your input. Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- How durable is that 'mechanism'?
Seems pretty solid but we won't know for a while!
- Are you guys able to replace the stock launcher with something like Nova or Ruthless launcher with google now feed?
Try looking in the forum, about three posts down in the "Killing apps" thread
- Does the surface of the retracting mechanism get covered with dust over time?
Not so far but, it looks pretty easy to clean the dust away
- Have any other serious complaints about the phone in general?
Power management is a B*&CH. See the same thread about "Killing Apps"
https://forum.xda-developers.com/find-X/help/killing-apps-screen-off-arghh-t3818105
Monty Burns said:
- How durable is that 'mechanism'?
Seems pretty solid but we won't know for a while!
- Are you guys able to replace the stock launcher with something like Nova or Ruthless launcher with google now feed?
Try looking in the forum, about three posts down in the "Killing apps" thread
- Does the surface of the retracting mechanism get covered with dust over time?
Not so far but, it looks pretty easy to clean the dust away
- Have any other serious complaints about the phone in general?
Power management is a B*&CH. See the same thread about "Killing Apps"
https://forum.xda-developers.com/find-X/help/killing-apps-screen-off-arghh-t3818105
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for the response. I have used ColorOS recently (Oppo Realme 1) and the Background app management was too aggressive.
prophet558 said:
Thanks a lot for the response. I have used ColorOS recently (Oppo Realme 1) and the Background app management was too aggressive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, it's on some sort of power trip (literally, in both senses of the phrase). That said, if you read through the thread i created, following a firmware upgrade yesterday and after a "settling period" things have been almost faultless today. My phone has been faultless and even thrown in a couple of reboots to challenge it and still been OK. My last problem of Gmail being forced to drop to 15 minute syncs instead of Push also seems to have resolved itself.
Now, i'm not sure if this is some sort of OS learning which apps I use, the firmware or just plain luck (or a combo) but, i'm now very happy with the device.
If you want your own launcher, it is entirely possible, as is removing the bloat (i'm running Nova) and there is no need to register with Oppo either. The link to achieve that is also in the thread I linked to.
I have no idea about battery life as when I'm at work it sits in a dock and then when i'm at home, it's also mostly in a dock so, battery life isn't really a concern but, i guess I'll find out this weekend!
prophet558 said:
I was waiting to buy the upcoming iPhone (Blasphemy!) but I just love how unique Find X is. It is going to be up for pre-order next week and I need some advice from you users.
- How durable is that 'mechanism'?
- Are you guys able to replace the stock launcher with something like Nova or Ruthless launcher with google now feed?
- Does the surface of the retracting mechanism get covered with dust over time?
- Have any other serious complaints about the phone in general?
Thanks in advance. Will really appreciate your input. Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1: The mechanism feels very durable, and 95% of the time the camera pops up fast. I have encountered 5% of time when the camera would pop up but the camera app takes an additional second or two to load.
2: nope. Unable to use nova launcher unless you into adb and do all types of advanced phone geek thing or something.
3: there's noticeable dust on my camera module but doesn't seem to be a big deal.
The big issue with this phone you should take note is, like many Chinese roms, push notifications are delayed or broken if the app has been closed or in background too long. There is a work around for this -- you have to go to settings and turn battery optimization off AND lock the app in the app overview window. This is of course, not ideal and annoying as hell. Currently I only have crucial "must get notifications on time" apps locked, such as whatsapp, wechat and Gmail. So for the most part I can use the phone fine. But I do miss all other notifications such as airbnb messages, Facebook messages, LinkedIn messages, until I open those apps again. I could lock all of them down too, but I don't want to have like seven apps running in background at all times.
This is a problem with many Chinese version of Chinese phones. I don't know why they think battery optimization so aggressive it kills notifications is a good thing.
prophet558 said:
I was waiting to buy the upcoming iPhone (Blasphemy!) but I just love how unique Find X is. It is going to be up for pre-order next week and I need some advice from you users.
- How durable is that 'mechanism'?
- Are you guys able to replace the stock launcher with something like Nova or Ruthless launcher with google now feed?
- Does the surface of the retracting mechanism get covered with dust over time?
- Have any other serious complaints about the phone in general?
Thanks in advance. Will really appreciate your input. Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) Stock Android provides for incoming notifications to be seamless (automatic by default, individual 3rd party app settings may be different by default, but, can be easily toggled on). Oppo has severe restrictions on this, limiting to 5 user installed apps to start automatically on boot & 5 apps total to be locked in recent memory.
So, a high horsepower phone is basically muzzled, if you can deal with the angst of wondering if you're going to get timely notifications...... Perhaps if you use the stock email & messaging apps, these will likely work, but, I would steer clear of those....
2) No NFC, so, no tap to pay apps will work.
3) No VoLTE, no VoWI-FI
4) No status bar notification icons, no LED notification indicator.
5) If you use T-Mobile Digits & it isn't a top 5 protected app/one of your precious 5 to auto start on boot, it will log you out of the app on reboot & it will not work until you set it up again, resulting in missed messages & phone calls.
6) 3rd party clock apps: Again, if it's not a protected top 5 app, it will not keep proper time, resulting in missed alarms..... The stock clock works, but, it is a bare bones app at best, no snooze adjustment, locked into 5 minutes, SERIOUSLY?
7) Ad Blockers will work, but, intermittently, again, the top 5 protected app thing & even then, Oppo will kill it off at some point, resulting in having to restart the blocking.
8) If you choose to use a 3rd party launcher, you again lose some functionality. I use Chrome & frequently place shortcuts on my desktop from it.
NOT ON THIS PHONE, another swing & a miss....
9) Bluetooth devices:
Generally they work fine,but,if the device has a companion app,prepare for it (the app) to not work properly.
Example(s):
I have a pair of Jabra Elite Active 65t earbuds,pair-up & work fine,but,the companion app will not work,as it requires a plug-in app to fuel it. These various "plug-in" apps are typical & the companion apps work fine elsewhere,but,not on this phone.
Reason being,the "plug-in" app does not have a user interface,so,you cannot make the app a top 5 protected app to gain functionality,it simply won't work at all.
Ditto for smartwatches such as the Samsung line-up, for the same reason,no notifications,worked one day for me & broken the next,before & after the most recent Oppo update. That results in the Samsung smartwatch getting a lobotomy,only able to keep time & nothing more.
10) Package tracking apps:
Again,the top 5 protected thing,no timely updates & even then,mine simply did not refresh automatically,had to be done manually.
I could go on, but, in a nutshell, you're forced to make sacrifices as soon as you start using the phone. If this was a entry level/low storage/low RAM device, that's one thing.
But, it's not, basically a Lamborghini running on two cylinders, that's not what I paid for & why I sold mine 5 days after the most frustrating phone experience I've ever seen....
Sent from my HUAWEI BKL-L04 using XDA Labs
Monty Burns said:
Yeah, it's on some sort of power trip (literally, in both senses of the phrase). That said, if you read through the thread i created, following a firmware upgrade yesterday and after a "settling period" things have been almost faultless today. My phone has been faultless and even thrown in a couple of reboots to challenge it and still been OK. My last problem of Gmail being forced to drop to 15 minute syncs instead of Push also seems to have resolved itself.
Now, i'm not sure if this is some sort of OS learning which apps I use, the firmware or just plain luck (or a combo) but, i'm now very happy with the device.
If you want your own launcher, it is entirely possible, as is removing the bloat (i'm running Nova) and there is no need to register with Oppo either. The link to achieve that is also in the thread I linked to.
I have no idea about battery life as when I'm at work it sits in a dock and then when i'm at home, it's also mostly in a dock so, battery life isn't really a concern but, i guess I'll find out this weekend!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's very reassuring for me. Are you able to view the screen on time in this device? (Dunno why colorOS hides that).
radioraheem2 said:
1: The mechanism feels very durable, and 95% of the time the camera pops up fast. I have encountered 5% of time when the camera would pop up but the camera app takes an additional second or two to load.
2: nope. Unable to use nova launcher unless you into adb and do all types of advanced phone geek thing or something.
3: there's noticeable dust on my camera module but doesn't seem to be a big deal.
The big issue with this phone you should take note is, like many Chinese roms, push notifications are delayed or broken if the app has been closed or in background too long. There is a work around for this -- you have to go to settings and turn battery optimization off AND lock the app in the app overview window. This is of course, not ideal and annoying as hell. Currently I only have crucial "must get notifications on time" apps locked, such as whatsapp, wechat and Gmail. So for the most part I can use the phone fine. But I do miss all other notifications such as airbnb messages, Facebook messages, LinkedIn messages, until I open those apps again. I could lock all of them down too, but I don't want to have like seven apps running in background at all times.
This is a problem with many Chinese version of Chinese phones. I don't know why they think battery optimization so aggressive it kills notifications is a good thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the response. Hope backgeound app management better with the Global ROM.
The international version goes on sale in India and the Philippines today. We should soon get an idea of what the phone is capable of when it isn't hobbled by the oppressive Chinese firmware.
KOLIOSIS said:
1) Stock Android provides for incoming notifications to be seamless (automatic by default, individual 3rd party app settings may be different by default, but, can be easily toggled on). Oppo has severe restrictions on this, limiting to 5 user installed apps to start automatically on boot & 5 apps total to be locked in recent memory.
So, a high horsepower phone is basically muzzled, if you can deal with the angst of wondering if you're going to get timely notifications...... Perhaps if you use the stock email & messaging apps, these will likely work, but, I would steer clear of those....
2) No NFC, so, no tap to pay apps will work.
3) No VoLTE, no VoWI-FI
4) No status bar notification icons, no LED notification indicator.
5) If you use T-Mobile Digits & it isn't a top 5 protected app/one of your precious 5 to auto start on boot, it will log you out of the app on reboot & it will not work until you set it up again, resulting in missed messages & phone calls.
6) 3rd party clock apps: Again, if it's not a protected top 5 app, it will not keep proper time, resulting in missed alarms..... The stock clock works, but, it is a bare bones app at best, no snooze adjustment, locked into 5 minutes, SERIOUSLY?
7) Ad Blockers will work, but, intermittently, again, the top 5 protected app thing & even then, Oppo will kill it off at some point, resulting in having to restart the blocking.
8) If you choose to use a 3rd party launcher, you again lose some functionality. I use Chrome & frequently place shortcuts on my desktop from it.
NOT ON THIS PHONE, another swing & a miss....
9) Bluetooth devices:
Generally they work fine,but,if the device has a companion app,prepare for it (the app) to not work properly.
Example(s):
I have a pair of Jabra Elite Active 65t earbuds,pair-up & work fine,but,the companion app will not work,as it requires a plug-in app to fuel it. These various "plug-in" apps are typical & the companion apps work fine elsewhere,but,not on this phone.
Reason being,the "plug-in" app does not have a user interface,so,you cannot make the app a top 5 protected app to gain functionality,it simply won't work at all.
Ditto for smartwatches such as the Samsung line-up, for the same reason,no notifications,worked one day for me & broken the next,before & after the most recent Oppo update. That results in the Samsung smartwatch getting a lobotomy,only able to keep time & nothing more.
10) Package tracking apps:
Again,the top 5 protected thing,no timely updates & even then,mine simply did not refresh automatically,had to be done manually.
I could go on, but, in a nutshell, you're forced to make sacrifices as soon as you start using the phone. If this was a entry level/low storage/low RAM device, that's one thing.
But, it's not, basically a Lamborghini running on two cylinders, that's not what I paid for & why I sold mine 5 days after the most frustrating phone experience I've ever seen....
Sent from my HUAWEI BKL-L04 using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really appreciate the response. That seems a lot of sacrifices which I can make except for the Smartwatch thing. Do you think the Wear OS watches will crippled the same was as the Gear ones? (Despite Wear OS being a single app with no companion apps unlike the Gear)
prophet558 said:
Really appreciate the response. That seems a lot of sacrifices which I can make except for the Smartwatch thing. Do you think the Wear OS watches will crippled the same was as the Gear ones? (Despite Wear OS being a single app with no companion apps unlike the Gear)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you don't make it a "Top 5 Protected" app, count on it not syncing properly/automatically.
krabman said:
The international version goes on sale in India and the Philippines today. We should soon get an idea of what the phone is capable of when it isn't hobbled by the oppressive Chinese firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They have given a tentative delivery date - 5th of August on Flipkart (India).
Screw it I just pre-ordered it (Bordeaux Red). Shipping starts from 4th of August. Hope the phone gets relatively better with the Global Indian ROM. Thank you all for your inputs.
Does it has hi dac like vivo nex ?
rowihel2012 said:
Does it has hi dac like vivo nex ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No it doesn't.
KOLIOSIS said:
If you don't make it a "Top 5 Protected" app, count on it not syncing properly/automatically.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As a Wear OS user (Polar M600) i can absolutely CONFIRM what Koliosis is saying and this is not just limited to Samsung Watches.
That said, my watch has been fine now for 2 days and, even after a reboot, the same apps are still auto-run and remain locked. I actually like this solution now BUT, why the FRACK have they restricted it to only 5 apps!?
Anyway, as an example, my locked and running fine apps are:
Wear OS
The Crypto App (so it's widget runs OK - take note, to run a widget, the PARENT app needs to be locked sometimes)
WhatsApp
Gmail
Google Calendar (again, for it's widget)
Now, for me, this is perfectly OK and I have no need to even want to lock other apps (like Facebook) as i'm not interested however, you need to assess YOUR needs which may be more apps.
edit: Oh, oddly, i've got the Sony Experia clock widget installed and that runs perfectly even without being locked and I've no idea why!
Also, I've got the red and it looks stunning. Easily the best looking phone i've ever owned. You'll be happy with the physical design.
prophet558 said:
They have given a tentative delivery date - 5th of August on Flipkart (India).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here, will share my inputs once I receive the device :fingers-crossed:
Funk Wizard said:
Same here, will share my inputs once I receive the device :fingers-crossed:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looking forward to it....
I'd be open to getting the phone again,provided the version you'll be getting won't be locked-down,as far as Auto-Start/RAM/recents/app permissions go.
If you've perused the threads here,you're aware of the limitations the users have with the Chinese version,I sure hope your experience is leaps & bounds better.............. :good:
KOLIOSIS said:
Looking forward to it....
I'd be open to getting the phone again,provided the version you'll be getting won't be locked-down,as far as Auto-Start/RAM/recents/app permissions go.
If you've perused the threads here,you're aware of the limitations the users here have with the Chinese version,I sure hope your experience is leaps & bounds better.............. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If these restrictions do not exist on a non-Chinese version, I'll be flashing as soon as it is possible and a method is detailed!
KOLIOSIS said:
Looking forward to it....
I'd be open to getting the phone again,provided the version you'll be getting won't be locked-down,as far as Auto-Start/RAM/recents/app permissions go.
If you've perused the threads here,you're aware of the limitations the users have with the Chinese version,I sure hope your experience is leaps & bounds better.............. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am positive for a better experience on the Indian version which is already better in terms of bloat and hopefully we can do a workaround for the other issues. I will keep you posted. Currently it's a long wait as the tentative delivery is 5th August so I'll share my inputs after playing with the machine for a couple of days
Many thanks for your inputs so far and the adb workaround for bloat.
Sent from my OnePlus6 using XDA Labs