[Q] Why can't I buy (or download) a stock copy of android to install on any device? - Galaxy S II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

This is sort of a technical question regarding the architecture of the Android OS and possibly its licensing, etc... For most Windows computers, you can simply download, or buy a copy of Windows directly from Microsoft, install it on any x86 hardware and it will be fully optimized (speed, battery life, etc...). Why can't Google make a build of Android like this so I can simply buy a copy from them and install it on my phone with OEM hardware overtop of their bloated and skinned version of Android? For example, why can I not buy, say a Galaxy SII, and then buy a copy of 'Vanilla Android' from Google and install it legitimately and have it work? I realize that I can flash a copy of CM7 or some other custom ROM from open source developers but I would like to be able to just simply buy a copy of stock android, directly from Google, install it on my device, and have it work, just like with a Windows computer. Is the reason Google does not do this due to licensing issues? Or is there some other reason for this seemingly obvious solution to all the annoying OEM and Carrier bloatware that most Android phones are subject to?
Note: I realize this question has already been asked but I was hoping for a reason for why Google can't (or won't) provide an alternate build of android that works on all devices in addition to the stock builds that come with phones. As well, why do device manufacturers insist on being total d'bags and not just simply release all the drivers for their phones so we can choose the best phone for the reasons you want to (i.e. speed, build quality, price, specs etc...) and not because of the stupid bloatware or lack thereof?!?

Because, stock Android means absolutely NO drivers installed for a specific device so your phone WILL NOT function (No Touchscreen, No signal, etc). Samsung releases their own firmware after compiling their own Baseband, Kernel and ROM. This contains their touchscreen drivers, wireless drivers, etc. When you change the ROM, you essentially void the warranty, so manufacturers do not encourage it, but they do allow you to combine their components together for you to make your own custom ROM (using their baseband, kernel and/or Samsung official rom as their base roms)
They build their own ROMs so that they know what they are managing, and what they need to fix and update. Also there's also a USP for every product released, let's say, Sony Ericsson's UI with Timescape, Samsung's Touch-Wiz UI, Motorola's Blur, etc. If you want a stock phone then I suggest you go for the Galaxy Nexus, or one of those Nexus phones that Google themselves maintain.
If you want a stock copy of Android OS on the Galaxy S II, try CyanogenMod, it is a custom ROM which is very stock and runs on every device, BUT each device, you need to download a DIFFERENT rom, because their different drivers. If you expect Google to release drivers for each phone for their stock OS'es, they will go insane as their are an uncountable amount of Android devices released on a weekly basis

Great answer Nicholas I read this about an hour ago & spent 10 minutes trying to come up with a detailed answer that would make sense to a user of any experience level. Then I gave up

I'm referring to all smartphones not only SGS2 here.
Ad part 1 - It could be difficult. Every device is different and going this way Google would have to prepare/upgrade it's OS for every device on the market. This is hell of a job, so it's up to device manufacturer or community to do this. I think smartphones differ to much (much more than PCs), so it's not possible to create one system for all. Besides, warranty issues - manufacturer of the device could not be responsible for problems caused by someone else's OS (this is understandable). It's also worth to notice that flashing a smartphone is a process completly different than installing OS on PC as PC cannot be bricked in this process. Give users easy way to flash anything on their phones and you have another gate to problems as they will surely flash everything including windows dlls on their phones. You say that on PC any OS can be installed, I say FOR NOW. In a few years You will have a choice - cheaper PC, windows only, OS only from manufacturer or more expensive one and you install anything You want. Why do you think UEFI was created? It will happen unless PC market collapses, because according to some market analytics we are entering post-PC era and mobile devices will became our main devices.
Ad part 2 - It's just business model. Manufacturer/carrier does not sell You the device (that's how they see it), they sell You some bunch of features and have no interest in You adding more of them to Your device. SGS2 is a flagship phone and it's kernel sources are released. It has unlocked bootloader also. You payed accordingly - so you free to do much more things, and use full hardware potential. With lower-end devices - manufacturers prefer that You buy another device instead of upgrading current one. Market insist on lower prices, but with every device unlocked/released drivers etc. prices would be much higher and smartphones much less affordable. Devices like SGS2 are created for very specific users - power users/devs/businessmans/enthusiasts.
I think that You want impossible. IMHO it's almost miracle that Samsung released some smartphones with unlocked bootloader so You can flash everything You want. (btw. it was the reason for me to choose sgs2). And about that "bloatware obsession" - I just don't understand why some people are sooo obsessive. I don't find some app usefull - I don't use it, period. But TBH I must say that Samsung put some serious s**t preinstalled on SGS2. Sometimes it outranks even worst market junk.

Related

Why would anyone want to upgrade their Android ROM anymore?

It seems that 9 times out of 10 I read about a problem with an android, it's about an OS update breaking things:
"Can't root the latest stock ROM update nohow"
"Latest mfc ROM / CM / etc. incorporated XXX change and now I can't get Viper4Android / AutomateIt / whatever working"
"Latest 5.x ROM now requires root for the same app / action that didn't require root before"
"SELinux / Knox / etc. can't be disabled nohow on the latest ROM"
Personally I got everything working just the way I want on the rooted form of the stock 4.4.2 ROM that came with my LG G Pro 2
--and I'd strangle anyone who hits the update button on it (except I think rooting disabled the OTA update thing)
----and I have half a mind to buy another identical phone for backup, because this phone still seems to be able to go toe to toe with the latest flagships (1080p screen is plenty dense enough for my eyes, 3GB/32GB still seems to be the maximum amount of memory any phone packs, I could care less about new CPUs that eat batteries at the same rate that they increase performance) and more importantly, I'm very pessimistic about the prospects of being able to get Viper4Android, Xposed framework, VolumeSteps+, PBMC Mappings and AutomateIt all working on whatever ROM that comes with whatever next phone I would have to buy when this one breaks.
I read the adventures of those who upgrade their ROM nightly and run into a different compatibility problem every night the way I listen to the ravings of a lunatic walking out of a spectacular train wreck
And I have a friend whom I bought a Sony Z3 for who had gone through trying a dozen different ROMs in a few weeks. It's a brick now
You can argue that the older versions of Android would have more stability and mods, but most end users are not as tech savvy and are less demanding as yourself. All they need is a phone that functions properly for them. Usually developers release updates to fix stuff with the current firmware, so most end users would be tempted to do the update when it comes out. They would be less concerned with things like V4A and custom mods which require more knowledge. As for LG G Pro 2, I wouldn't say it's able to go head to head with other flagship phones, unless you used a custom ROM with it. Specifications wise, it will still lose out to most phones, because no matter how much you attempt to tweak the software, it is still limited by the hardware. Furthermore, when you compare the developer database to Samsung and Sony, LG has a much smaller database as compared to both manufacturers. You can find plenty of custom ROMs for Samsung and Sony phones, but not so for LG phones. Just my two cents.

Good small phone for Verizon/Page Plus? (< 4in)

so for several months now, my mother has been using the LG Vortex, a small Android phone with a 3.2 inch touchscreen. It originally ran Android 2.2, but I've since given it a good old custom ROM, Quattrimus ICS, bumping the OS to, you guessed it, ICS, specifically, CyanogenMod 9. She's used to the OS and the size, but as it is, there are few phones being made to accommodate those people, and as ICS is now legacy by Google, and the microphone appears to be choking on this device, we need a new one.
I have no problem modifying a device to run a newer version of Android if need be, but I'm looking for specific details.
It can not be anything above 4 inches.
It must work on Verizon or Page Plus, or can work with the bands and be flashed.
It must run Android 4.x, or be able to run such versions in a stable way through use of custom ROMs.
That's all that needs to be dealt with. If anyone can help in this case, I would love to see some.

Best phone for rooting and installing custom ROMs

Greetings! My current phone plan is ending (finally!) and I'm looking to get a new phone. I am not an Android developer (though I am keen on getting into that at some point) but I most certainly will root it and install a custom ROM, etc, as I have always done. I need advice on which phone is best for that: has the most extensible developer support and biggest number of custom ROMs (that are not just debloated version of stock). Also, what's the status on Android Pay+root, does it work on any phone? Finally, I need it to have a powerful hardware. I read my options come down pretty much to Nexus 6P, Pixel, HTC 10 and OnePlus 3T (I think all of them, but Pixel, come with Marshmallow but have Nougat updates released.) Their prices are vastly different and most are not available as a phone plan in my country (Australia). I may end up having to buy them as a pre-paid phone from eBay or wherever. What are your thoughts on them when it comes to rooting/modding, hardware prowess and price?
P.S. I use Linux on my PC and laptops, so it would be great if the bootloader unlocking, rooting and flashing of recovery can be done via fastboot and adb. I've only owned Samsung Galaxies so far and had to go through the trouble of installing Windows just to use Odin.
Hi,
For your smartphones choice, I vote for Oneplus.
I have OP3 and tried OOS (stock), ResurrectionRemix and PhoenixExtended ROMS.
OP3 is really well supported by devs and hardware quality is really good for the privé.

Good Android device for modding?

My beloved Nokia N900 linux phone has finally died and now I need something to replace it. All the Linux phones out there are unsuitable for various reasons so it looks like Android is my best option for a new phone.
This is what I am ideally looking for:
Usable as an every-day phone.
Available to purchase right now here in Australia (which rules out things like the pro1-x that isn't actually shipping and the Fairphone that is EU only)
Supports 4G LTE on 2100MHz/18i00MHz/850MHz (since that's what Vodafone Australia is using)
Open and moddable/hackable (i.e. able to replace the kernel and OS with an alternative should I want to do that rather than having to deal with a locked bootloader)
Running a modern version of Android with the Google stuff (i.e. official Google store and maps)
As little bloatware as possible (or at least as little bloatware as possible that I can't actually remove)
All source available as required by the GPL or any other licenses that require source release (I refuse to give my hard-earned money to anyone who profits off intentional copyright violations although it may be impossible to find a device that meets this criteria given how bad most OEMs seem to be at this for reasons I don't understand)
In terms of brands the only one I have an objection to is Sony (I hate Sony in general for reasons I won't go into here)
Oh and if there is a device that meets my other criteria and still has a hardware keyboard (likely to be impossible in 2020) that's even better.
IMHO it is uninteresting which brand/model a new Android device is: IT MUST BE TREBLE ENABLED to be able to install Android GSI versions. FYI: Android GSI is a full OS image that matches the AOSP source code. Actually Android GSI 11 is available.
Is there a database anywhere that lists which devices support Treble (and therefore presumably can have alternative kernels and OS images installed) and/or which companies are doing the right thing and sharing the kernel source as required by the GPL?
A 2-years-old overview here.
As always: GIYF ...
Sounds like anything running modern Android will support Treble (and therefore can presumably have the kernel and OS replaced with alternatives if my understanding of what Treble is is accurate). So that just means I need to figure out how good different device manufacturers are at GPL compliance for the kernel and anything else they need to publish source code for.

Do custom ROMs improve performance?

Years ago I rooted a phone I had to the latest Android, only to find that the hardware wasn't up to running a more complicated OS, even the Cyanogen version that was equivalent to the original Android version didn't exactly breath much life into the old dog.
Given how shockingly poor the experience on my T820 can be on the stock ROM, I find myself once again tempted to give a custom one a go, but was wondering if the newer ROMs place significant additional load on the hardware? Is it worth the effort? Does it make them responsive?
I don't use the tablet for anything heavy-duty; mainly what I want is responsive browsing, Skype and some basic apps...
imacleod said:
Years ago I rooted a phone I had to the latest Android, only to find that the hardware wasn't up to running a more complicated OS, even the Cyanogen version that was equivalent to the original Android version didn't exactly breath much life into the old dog.
Given how shockingly poor the experience on my T820 can be on the stock ROM, I find myself once again tempted to give a custom one a go, but was wondering if the newer ROMs place significant additional load on the hardware? Is it worth the effort? Does it make them responsive?
I don't use the tablet for anything heavy-duty; mainly what I want is responsive browsing, Skype and some basic apps...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@imacleod,
Based on the views and comments I see for custom ROMs for your tablet, this ROM:
[ROM] SM-T820 TWEAKED....................[rom] sm-t820 tweaked
SM-T820 TWEAKED 5.1 ***** PIE ***** 20JUN2020 T820_CTD5_TWEAKED_5.1_DB4_by_rorymc928.zip Based on latest stock CTD5 firmware Tweaked, stable, zip aligned. SU/D Forced encryption disabled Deknoxed Debloated (GPU driver updated to latest...
forum.xda-developers.com
​
appears to be the best choice for improving your tablet's performance. If you are serious about installing it, check out the most recent posts in the thread. You will find a very useful post that goes into great details about how to install the ROM properly.
I feel you regarding sluggish performance on a stock Samsung tablet. I had a Samsung tablet a long time ago and it felt like watching paint dry when I tried to simply play a video. Also, what is it with the HUGE bezel size on Samsung tablets ? I recently bought a Lenovo Tablet and it has a very thin bezel.
In any event, good luck with your tablet !!
Thanks. I was hoping for some feedback from people that had applied a ROM to the S3, whether they found it transformational - or perhaps not - and whether the best idea is to go for the latest and greatest, or stick at the lowest level that's got general support.
I'm not one who's installed a custom firmware, but I see you've not got much response. This device was very expensive at launch, so was a hard reach for many people. Fewer people means fewer developers.
The custom firmware available for this device is quite sparse. In addition, there seems to be troubles getting all of the hardware to work correctly. They're not placing any load on the device as its the same kernel version as stock.
That being said, I do believe the S3 is past its support period, so will not be getting new firmware from Samsung.
Reading the fora for the custom firmware show that the device can be more responsive than stock (as long as you don't need the hardware that isn't working).
Additionally, rooting and debloating the stock firmware has shown increased performance for those who have done it (including myself). I'd recommend this route prior to attempting a custom firmware unless your primary goal is to ditch samsung and google.
undrwater said:
I'm not one who's installed a custom firmware, but I see you've not got much response. This device was very expensive at launch, so was a hard reach for many people. Fewer people means fewer developers.
The custom firmware available for this device is quite sparse. In addition, there seems to be troubles getting all of the hardware to work correctly. They're not placing any load on the device as its the same kernel version as stock.
That being said, I do believe the S3 is past its support period, so will not be getting new firmware from Samsung.
Reading the fora for the custom firmware show that the device can be more responsive than stock (as long as you don't need the hardware that isn't working).
Additionally, rooting and debloating the stock firmware has shown increased performance for those who have done it (including myself). I'd recommend this route prior to attempting a custom firmware unless your primary goal is to ditch samsung and google.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. I did actually take the plunge through the week and installed rorymc928's rom. So far, I'd say that it's more usable than stock - e.g. it's not so slow that entering a PIN after a restart hits the screen lockout out before I'm done - but not overly stunning when browsing (perhaps my expectations are too high). It has made me a lot less inclined to reach for a hammer/put it on eBay, and it may be the best balance between what's available and losing functions/features. If I feel brave I may try a more advanced tinker at some later point in time...
If you want to get an idea what Samsung thought was important for this tablet, watch some HDR content from youtube. Gorgeous!
But... Not really useful. Android tablets are a teeny niche, but someone should be able to produce something for the market!

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