Devices & Their Android OS's - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Ok, I have looked this up as many ways as I possibly could and to no avail.
I am pretty sure the info I am looking for is out there, I am just having the worst time accessing it.
What I would like to know is why certain devices run on certain OS's.
is it just one factor or multiple factors? I suspect the latter[?]
and if so, what factors primarily play a role in deciding what OS goes on what device?
I know what I am asking really serves no purpose to most, but I am one of those who likes to know as much as possible.
much thanks in advance and please do forgive me for the huge lapse

The 1st factor is the device manufacturer. A clear example: SE says that Xperia X8 doesn't support versions above 2.1, so it didn't release actualizations. But now, we have even ICS on X8
The 2nd factor is the availability of drivers for the desired Android version (the drivers can come from a oficial ROM, or from the chipset manufacturer), and/or the coders interested in the device.
For many devices (specially low-end devices) this is the most important factor.

RoberGalarga said:
The 1st factor is the device manufacturer. A clear example: SE says that Xperia X8 doesn't support versions above 2.1, so it didn't release actualizations. But now, we have even ICS on X8
The 2nd factor is the availability of drivers for the desired Android version (the drivers can come from a oficial ROM, or from the chipset manufacturer), and/or the coders interested in the device.
For many devices (specially low-end devices) this is the most important factor.
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hmm, well that is very informative and I thank you

RoberGalarga said:
The 1st factor is the device manufacturer. A clear example: SE says that Xperia X8 doesn't support versions above 2.1, so it didn't release actualizations. But now, we have even ICS on X8
The 2nd factor is the availability of drivers for the desired Android version (the drivers can come from a oficial ROM, or from the chipset manufacturer), and/or the coders interested in the device.
For many devices (specially low-end devices) this is the most important factor.
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Click to collapse
While this is true another factor is the popularity of the device. Why would anyone waste time on developing for a device that no one is interested in? It also depends on the value of the device. Its normal that the high-end ones will receive updates before the mid-range devices. But as the guy above said for xperia the same is with my LG. We also made a half functional ICS and the only big problem is the screen which works only 50%
Sent from my Optimus Me using xda premium

Related

gingerbread 2.4

i tink that LG was waiting for cooking a stock rom based on android 2.4 (instead of the 2.3 promised) because of their similarities, in fact the gpu accelerations for 2D, rumored for the 2.4, can only help our P500 performance.
i hope this, and you?
Ps: i tink that a P500 at 150$ with 2.4 in the very next month can bring android for many doubtful people..
I'm not really keeping my hopes up. I bet the last official update we'll receive is Gingerbread. Most companies focus on their flagship phones, and despite the O1's popularity, I don't think it'll receive much.
Also, IMHO, Google is going too fast. Manufacturers are having a hard time catching up and stuff.
But if you ask me, I'm contented with Froyo. Unless, of course, there's a really badass killer feature available only to future releases.
And I think this should be in the General category
kpbotbot- It's more like manufacturers use the differente Android os'es for marketing uses . Look at samsung , they're waiting to release the native 2.3 devices and bearly then will they release gingerbread for their current flagship : Galaxy S . It's a dirty world .
Yeah. Here's a super thank-able screenshot I took weeks ago
LG and Samsung seem like very different companies. The Optimus line is a very good buy for most carriers. It will convert a lot of users to the Android world like me. LG seems to catter to their users too.
The manufacturers should understand Android devices should follow Googles releases. It seems like most manufacturers just barely make the software and communities like xda do the actual bug fixing and create a more robust system with the custom kernel & ROM releases.
Sent from my VM670 using XDA App
why would companies spend money and time in the software when
communities like xda do the actual bug fixing and create a more robust system with the custom kernel & ROM releases.
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@orlox - Imagine buying a phone that doesn't come with an operating system.
I prefer if companies release only the lifeless phone, and xda would give life to it.
So androids will be much cheaper
ccdreadcc said:
I prefer if companies release only the lifeless phone, and xda would give life to it.
So androids will be much cheaper
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I like the idea!
Post delivered via piece of paper tied to a brick... sorry 'bout the window! XD
The reason I chose this phone is because, for me, it's a small portable computer. If only every bit of hardware of this phone had a corresponding device driver (that we can get hold of), I think there's nothing stopping us from using a full Linux desktop, or other operating systems capable of running on the ARM architecture.
Not so relevant note: Some say the bootloader is locked. True?
kpbotbot said:
The reason I chose this phone is because, for me, it's a small portable computer.
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So true!
I am very satisfied with my first Android experience, in spite of all the bugs and hardware limitations of this cheap phone. Almost anything I needed but couldn't do before on my "dumb" phone became possible with this micro computer. So I don't really care if it's running Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Ice Cream or Milk & Toast & Honey.
You would care if it was running Cupcake.
P.S There really is a possibility for us to get 2.4 on our phones. It is still called Gingerbread but it will support Honeycomb apps.
Sent from my LG-P500 using XDA App
there are some questions to answer, why people buy a smartphone in general. We must see the differences between users who "use" the mobile as a daily instrument, users who use the mobile to play 3D games, users who read in the internet and communicate with it and users who are tweaking/hacking (not so sad as i write here). Most of users are using their device for communication, and so the manufacturers can say "why we should develop so fast as google? Our users doesn't need the new features like NFC or other". When communities like XDA, Cyanogen,CodeAurora,androidcentral or others develop their ROMs to their needs, they should do that - they are users who "want" the features. So, manufacturers can invest more time and money in new devices for more experience and for advanced users (like technical freaks). We (users who are lucky for while) can buy the "new" device at a later time, so we can save some money. Nothing other does LG,Samsung or HTC - they are developing for the feature. The money and time to invest in updates or bugfixes are too much for the most - this could be one reason for hold back updates or dont develop. As a developer i can say, the time to spend for Gingerbread development is not small - i have needed 3 monthes to develop a rom, that have just some bugs, and i've do that for fun. for a manufacturer this is not fun
kpbotbot said:
Yeah. Here's a super thank-able screenshot I took weeks ago
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This makes perfect sense from the carrier's perspective. If people had to pay to upgrade to the next version the carriers might have more incentive; as it is now they aren't seeing any more money so why bother investing time on something that could blow up in their face.
andy572 said:
there are some questions to answer, why people buy a smartphone in general. We must see the differences between users who "use" the mobile as a daily instrument, users who use the mobile to play 3D games, users who read in the internet and communicate with it and users who are tweaking/hacking (not so sad as i write here). Most of users are using their device for communication, and so the manufacturers can say "why we should develop so fast as google? Our users doesn't need the new features like NFC or other". When communities like XDA, Cyanogen,CodeAurora,androidcentral or others develop their ROMs to their needs, they should do that - they are users who "want" the features. So, manufacturers can invest more time and money in new devices for more experience and for advanced users (like technical freaks). We (users who are lucky for while) can buy the "new" device at a later time, so we can save some money. Nothing other does LG,Samsung or HTC - they are developing for the feature. The money and time to invest in updates or bugfixes are too much for the most - this could be one reason for hold back updates or dont develop. As a developer i can say, the time to spend for Gingerbread development is not small - i have needed 3 monthes to develop a rom, that have just some bugs, and i've do that for fun. for a manufacturer this is not fun
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Yeah , bro , but you're one man fighting against the tides . It's bound that LG has at least a reminder of 5 man cell team working on getting gingerbread out . And besides they have other ways of getting info and ironing out bugs faster then you can .
Sad that they didn't place on the internet a god damn ETA by now .... thus I guess may or june might a realistic launch date
Oh and to be on-topic with the thread , I guess we'll see 2.4 by CM7 if any of the legendary devs still take interest in this phone ofc
+1 i second that...plus i heard that not all the code used is even OPEN..I mean mik somewhere mentioned that some libraries had no corresponding code in the source code archive....thats gotta stink plus porting of android is different than developiing Linux Distro..I mean no mailing lists and not such a big community of "porters"....but tahts just my take..
sarfaraz1989 said:
+1 i second that...plus i heard that not all the code used is even OPEN..I mean mik somewhere mentioned that some libraries had no corresponding code in the source code archive....thats gotta stink plus porting of android is different than developiing Linux Distro..I mean no mailing lists and not such a big community of "porters"....but tahts just my take..
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you're right:
many libraries are closed source, it's like a driver from nvidia for Linux X.org.
The only way to port it to a new android version is to test if it works - if not, we have a problem. manufacturer does not support communities, so we have to build many workarounds or rewrite the code so that it works. i would wish, the manufacturers opens their drivers and codecs for playing audio and video - so we can develop faster, more stable and uncomplicated:/
back to topic:
i've readed the last days that gingerbread 2.4 is the internal 2.3.3 - let's check, if apps for honeycomb work on this version: in 2.4 there should be compatibility for the honeycomb apps^^
andy572 said:
you're right:
many libraries are closed source, it's like a driver from nvidia for Linux X.org.
The only way to port it to a new android version is to test if it works - if not, we have a problem. manufacturer does not support communities, so we have to build many workarounds or rewrite the code so that it works. i would wish, the manufacturers opens their drivers and codecs for playing audio and video - so we can develop faster, more stable and uncomplicated:/
back to topic:
i've readed the last days that gingerbread 2.4 is the internal 2.3.3 - let's check, if apps for honeycomb work on this version: in 2.4 there should be compatibility for the honeycomb apps^^
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if everything's open then it is unlikely they make money. Then they close down and there won't be any phone.
Sent from my LG-P500 using XDA App
@yanuk... seems to be like u have not used linux before...Let me tell you how it works...Theres tons of companies (apart from thousands of enthusiasts) that write OPEN SOURCE DRIVERS for their hardware and submit it to the LINUX KERNEL maintainers(Linus torvalds included) example INTEL..If i m buying an ANDROID phone, i only want to pay for the hardware and not software..All drivers developed by the manufacturer shud be open source ..BUt instead its more like an abuse of the OPEN SOURCE community ..HOw CAn devs go ahead and hack the crap out of their phones, when they have trouble even porting newer OSes because of "some f****** proprietary driver" ...Screw the manufacturers ..I wish OPENMOKO had taken off when it had the chance..OPENMOKO = OPEN SOURCE OS +OPEN SOURCE HARDWARE with all datasheets, spec, circuit diagrams available..RUn whatever u possible can run on an it !!! My dream of having a completely Open (gtk runnin) geek device is still very distant..
sarfaraz1989 said:
@yanuk... seems to be like u have not used linux before...Let me tell you how it works...Theres tons of companies (apart from thousands of enthusiasts) that write OPEN SOURCE DRIVERS for their hardware and submit it to the LINUX KERNEL maintainers(Linus torvalds included) example INTEL..If i m buying an ANDROID phone, i only want to pay for the hardware and not software..All drivers developed by the manufacturer shud be open source ..BUt instead its more like an abuse of the OPEN SOURCE community ..HOw CAn devs go ahead and hack the crap out of their phones, when they have trouble even porting newer OSes because of "some f****** proprietary driver" ...Screw the manufacturers ..I wish OPENMOKO had taken off when it had the chance..OPENMOKO = OPEN SOURCE OS +OPEN SOURCE HARDWARE with all datasheets, spec, circuit diagrams available..RUn whatever u possible can run on an it !!! My dream of having a completely Open (gtk runnin) geek device is still very distant..
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Click to collapse
Seems like you have not worked in and managed any technology firms before.
I'm sincerely hoping your dream come true where you will own a successful openmoko company develop cutting edge technology with over 100 staff and offer your sw and hw for free with no claims to patent rights. All the best!
Sent from my LG-P500 using XDA App

[Q] ION vs PMEM What is the difference?

ION vs PMEM
What is the difference?
Google is your friend - http://lwn.net/Articles/480055/
In the case of the Rezound specifically, ION is generally faster and less laggy, but has a purple tinted camera, and no working front camera (for now).
To quote shrike (I hope that's alright)
Originally Posted by shrike1978 View Post
ION is the new unified memory management architecture that Google is advancing. Prior to ION, every SoC manufacturer had their own way of doing memory management. Qualcomm's was pmem, Nvidia's was nvram, etc. It made it's debut as an option in ICS and is preferred in JB. Being unified also means that it is a good candidate for integration into the Linux kernel mainline, which would mean that Android would no longer require it's own separate branch of Linux.
So I've read this but what would that mean in terms of developement? If Android didn't have to be a separate branch of Linux, would it be easier to spread ROMs to all the different phones?
regnsy pronounced
noo_too_droid said:
To quote shrike (I hope that's alright)
So I've read this but what would that mean in terms of developement? If Android didn't have to be a separate branch of Linux, would it be easier to spread ROMs to all the different phones?
regnsy pronounced
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I'm not a dev, but in my understanding the biggest hurdle for porting ROMS is device drivers. It is relatively easy to port a ROM from the HTC One X to the HTC Rezound, because they are made by the same manufacturer, have the same system-on-a-chip manufacturer (Qualcomm) and have a similar stock kernel based on different versions of HTC Sense.
But porting a ROM from, let's say a Samsung Galaxy III is nigh impossible, because it uses a different system-on-a-chip exclusive to Samsung phones and its stock kernel is based on TouchWiz. And even though Android is based on Linux, each of the phone manufacturers have slightly different ways of organizing system files that set the various system options. So a kernel patch that works on one device probably won't work on another. (kernel level features such as GPU overclocking, two-way call recording etc. rely on these system setting files).
Even among phones made by the same company, you may have hardware differences such as different camera technologies, different screen resolutions, etc. that make porting harder.
That's why cyanogenmod, AOKP and MIUI are so valuable and appreciated, because they organize porting of a ROM that, as far as the kernel and GUI are concerned, vary little between devices. However those projects still have to rely on what manufacturers choose to release as open source to develop hardware device drivers to port the ROM to each device.
And then you have the problem of, what level of Android is officially supported by the manufacturer? The Droid Incredible 2, for example, is still waiting for an official ICS release it may never get, which means running Jellybean as it is meant to be run is that much harder. It's hard enough on the Rezound, where we have official ICS kernel source.
That's why I give lots of kudos to people who take custom ROMs like BAMF paradigm, paranoid android and the like that were developed for other devices and port them to the Rezound. And mega kudos to people like chad who can port/re-factor underlying hardware code originally developed for another device to work on the Rezound. We're talking crazy wizard-level stuff like memory management, camera, hardware graphics optimization (Project Butter).
It makes stuff awesomer
wildstang83 said:
It makes stuff awesomer
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An answer i can understand.....thx!
Dcnovicky said:
An answer i can understand.....thx!
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Ha, anytime my friend
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2
brenuga said:
I'm not a dev, but in my understanding the biggest hurdle for porting ROMS is device drivers. It is relatively easy to port a ROM from the HTC One X to the HTC Rezound, because they are made by the same manufacturer, have the same system-on-a-chip manufacturer (Qualcomm) and have a similar stock kernel based on different versions of HTC Sense.
But porting a ROM from, let's say a Samsung Galaxy III is nigh impossible, because it uses a different system-on-a-chip exclusive to Samsung phones and its stock kernel is based on TouchWiz. And even though Android is based on Linux, each of the phone manufacturers have slightly different ways of organizing system files that set the various system options. So a kernel patch that works on one device probably won't work on another. (kernel level features such as GPU overclocking, two-way call recording etc. rely on these system setting files).
Even among phones made by the same company, you may have hardware differences such as different camera technologies, different screen resolutions, etc. that make porting harder.
That's why cyanogenmod, AOKP and MIUI are so valuable and appreciated, because they organize porting of a ROM that, as far as the kernel and GUI are concerned, vary little between devices. However those projects still have to rely on what manufacturers choose to release as open source to develop hardware device drivers to port the ROM to each device.
And then you have the problem of, what level of Android is officially supported by the manufacturer? The Droid Incredible 2, for example, is still waiting for an official ICS release it may never get, which means running Jellybean as it is meant to be run is that much harder. It's hard enough on the Rezound, where we have official ICS kernel source.
That's why I give lots of kudos to people who take custom ROMs like BAMF paradigm, paranoid android and the like that were developed for other devices and port them to the Rezound. And mega kudos to people like chad who can port/re-factor underlying hardware code originally developed for another device to work on the Rezound. We're talking crazy wizard-level stuff like memory management, camera, hardware graphics optimization (Project Butter).
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I'll hit that thanks button just for that essay you typed
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app

[Q] Is It Possible To Run "Windows Phone 8" On Sony Xperia U ?

Is It Possible To Run "Windows Phone 8" On Sony Xperia U ? Waiting For Reply.
retwick said:
Is It Possible To Run "Windows Phone 8" On Sony Xperia U ? Waiting For Reply.
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no
Its copyrighted
Sent from my ST25i using Tapatalk 2
As elwino2.3 pointed out, its copyrighted. But even if it wasn't, the greater problem is how mobile OS are created - they are highly optimised for the device they are being used in, meaning they will only carry drivers specific to the device hardware, completely unlike desktop OS which are created with a ton of UPnP drivers.
Porting is neigh impossible, unless you have the complete hardware specifications(pros, cons, limitations, architectural compatibility etc.) and the firmware driver sources to compile your own. Its one of the reasons why even android devices have their own versions of ICS or JB which are almost impossible to port amongst each other if the underlying hardware is different.

[MTK Devices] Custom ROMs?

I am a device maintainer for Xperia SP's Temasek's Unofficial Build now and is considering getting an Xperia M5 for my next device. There are a few questions i would like to ask about MTK devices.
1. Possibility of Custom ROMs?
Would i be able to build custom ROMs? I have searched around on Github and found M9+ kernel sources released (or rather leaked?) by others. (This device uses MTK Helio X10 btw) However, i don't think they have got it booting.
2. Reliability (Patches and Software Updates)
Would i be able to get Software Updates and Patches from Sony say at least up to Android M?
3. Unlocking BL
Would I be able to unlock BL if Custom ROM could be compiled and booted?
+1
Upcoming Helio X20 is very interesting
Most media tech devices never see full kernel source and if it is leaked it is broken beyond repair. This is why no developer will touch these devices. The best you will be able to hope for is a simple port.
zelendel said:
Most media tech devices never see full kernel source and if it is leaked it is broken beyond repair. This is why no developer will touch these devices. The best you will be able to hope for is a simple port.
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I'm really like in the middle of nowhere cos this is like the determining factor. I have used Sony since Sony Ericsson 2011 series, never used any other brand so i'm really stuck between Android and Microsoft. If simply i can't flash custom roms and do custom stuff, i'm better off with a Microsoft phone or something.
boylush said:
I'm really like in the middle of nowhere cos this is like the determining factor. I have used Sony since Sony Ericsson 2011 series, never used any other brand so i'm really stuck between Android and Microsoft. If simply i can't flash custom roms and do custom stuff, i'm better off with a Microsoft phone or something.
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Just make sure it is not using the mediatech chip and you will be fine. Those chips are normally used in knock off devices and some China based devices where copyright laws don't hold much weight.
zelendel said:
Just make sure it is not using the mediatech chip and you will be fine. Those chips are normally used in knock off devices and some China based devices where copyright laws don't hold much weight.
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Might be considering intel chips (Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML)

Rom

i have heard that Sailfish os is being built for sony X right? So when will it release....im so exciting....
Who you heard it from that it's being built
fezta said:
Who you heard it from that it's being built
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Mate, check this Link for further information.
If you're a fan of Jolla (a mobile platform that's part Linux, part Android and loosely based on Nokia's MeeGo project), good news. The company has announced it will be releasing an official version of its Sailfish operating system for a number of Sony Xperia handsets. The news came from the firm's press event at MWC this morning, and adds a big-name brand to the currently mixed list of devices that the plucky (persistent?) mobile software has officially been ported to.
The first device to work with Sailfish, or rather, the first handset to be shown running it at MWC, is the Xperia X. Jolla says that there will be more compatible models, but the X is what it chose to show it off. Of course, Sailfish is technically available on many devices already, if you're willing to work with an unofficial port, but this time Jolla's partnered with Sony and its Open Device Platform for better compatibility.
Despite Jolla showing Sailfish on a working handset here in Barcelona, it seems there are still a few kinks to iron out. A representative told me features like "double tap" (to wake the device) aren't working yet, and support for 64-bit devices isn't as comprehensive as it is for 32-bit models (if you're into custom software, you'll likely know which yours is).
It's always nice to see alternative operating systems finding their way to mainstream phones, and seeing a Sony Xperia X running something other that the default Android certainly makes it a little bit more eye catching. I tried it for a few minutes and could see that the basic navigation was working no problem. But mostly, if you're into Jolla (which enjoys a steadfastly loyal community), then this is above all a good sign that Jolla's still committed to what it's doing.
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If you want the official version, you'll still have to wait though. Jolla says it won't be out until late spring/early summer.
Regards
Very nice going to have a read up on this later then see what I can find out
I'll have to make my rom quick enough for people to try
No one on xx device will know me but I'm festa20 and can't get on my account. I did team Xperia roms was a long time ago but with the lack of support for this device I'm guna have a dig around with some stuff see what I can make

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