Almost a year in and Im still - Xperia Z3v General

HAPPY!!. I have to say the Z3v has been the most solid phone I have owned out of all the ones I have had and that goes all the way back to that turd the Eris. I really dont see anything in the market thats worth switching to. I gave up on rooting my stuff a couple years ago so Im still without the ability to make calls and surf internet at the same time but that is the ONLY drawback to this phone. Very happy I left samsung for this phone.

Bobby Buggs said:
HAPPY!!. I have to say the Z3v has been the most solid phone I have owned out of all the ones I have had and that goes all the way back to that turd the Eris. I really dont see anything in the market thats worth switching to. I gave up on rooting my stuff a couple years ago so Im still without the ability to make calls and surf internet at the same time but that is the ONLY drawback to this phone. Very happy I left samsung for this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't need to root to get advanced calling. Flash the latest ftf (.509) and you'll be on 5.0.2 There is a workaround that should get advanced calling working.

One of the reasons I dropped Rooting and Roms was it always had some bug or tick that showed up in reliability or I would get busy and be so behind my Ronm was out of date and there was n more support.
Is This .509 going to put me right back there again cause I love the way this phone never fuggs up.

Over a year in and I'm just livid at "Big Head Red" smh!! No support on this phone whatsoever and a broken promise on Lollipop... remember these words... Lollipop update in Early 2015?!?
Granted, I know the update promise was from Sony. FWIW - I heard the update has been available for some time now, but "Big Head Red" doesn't care to act upon it.
Lesson learned - I will never buy a carrier phone again! A Nexus 6p has been ordered and very soon, waiting for software updates will be a thing of the past. Shame on Big Head Red because the Z3v is a really good phone.

Agreed!!!

Traded mine In over the weekend. Had the phone a year and just got pissed and couldn't stand it.
Had to pay 40 dollars to hit 75% on my z3v then they ate the 150 I had left.
Got a note 5 and it is a tremendous upgrade. Nearly the same size with .5 inch more screen. Battery life is consistent where my z3v would get 7 hrs sot then sometimes 2.

krenogin said:
Traded mine In over the weekend. Had the phone a year and just got pissed and couldn't stand it.
Had to pay 40 dollars to hit 75% on my z3v then they ate the 150 I had left.
Got a note 5 and it is a tremendous upgrade. Nearly the same size with .5 inch more screen. Battery life is consistent where my z3v would get 7 hrs sot then sometimes 2.
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Click to collapse
What were you pissed about? Lollipop is available and so is VoLTE. What else are you expecting?

GigaSPX said:
What were you pissed about? Lollipop is available and so is VoLTE. What else are you expecting?
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Voice over Wi-Fi, it just got released on vzw advanced calling 2..0 but only for Samsung S6. Sony Z3/compact has marshmallow already,we don't even have an official lollipop release.

1linuxfreak said:
Voice over Wi-Fi, it just got released on vzw advanced calling 2..0 but only for Samsung S6. Sony Z3/compact has marshmallow already,we don't even have an official lollipop release.
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Voice over WiFi has been out much much longer from T-Mobile. You should be able to tell that Samsung had Verizon up to their necks with bags of cash to have priority on their flagship phones.
Sony's Z3 series having marshmallow is a test run, and of course I understand there still isn't an official Lollipop release for the Z3v. Regardless really, blaming Verizon is what we've been doing and we're still on it, so why bother to stop complaining now?

Related

Farewell :(

I just went out and got the Bionic today, but more importantly I just wanted to thank all of the wonderful and dedicated Eris devs out there. YOU are the reason my eris has lasted this long. I really appreciate everything you have all done, and as soon as I get some money back in my checking since the bionic costs a bit i will send some your way. Thank you everyone, xda has the best community
well that was short lived... i cant stand the bionic and im returning it tomorrow lol. Ill enjoy the eris for another month until the vigor comes out!
crimson12 said:
well that was short lived... i cant stand the bionic and im returning it tomorrow lol. Ill enjoy the eris for another month until the vigor comes out!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what happened??? i've had my bionic for 2 days now and am loving it. i was also loving it that the sales rep actually felt bad for me for having an eris for 2 years, and was floored when i told him that thanks to the devs here, it ran gingerbread very well.
anyway, yes, thanks to the devs and for making the eris a wonderful first android experience!
I just received my Incredible 2 today and I absolutely love it.
Dont say goodbye yet.. Ive had my Incredible 2 for a few monthes now and I still come here, because I still have been flashing new ROMs on my old eris.. been looking for one that runs the best for a phone with no service.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1216600
^^this is very usefull now^^
I love my incredible 2, but I just cant stay away from this eris either.. I think Im hooked..
crimson12 said:
well that was short lived... i cant stand the bionic and im returning it tomorrow lol. Ill enjoy the eris for another month until the vigor comes out!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What were your issues with the bionic? Just curious as it had been a possible option for me.
Later Eris
I had fun with the Eris but I am moving to the Incredible 2. Thank you to everybody and good luck if you still have an Eris.
Sorry for the delay guys, the biggest issue I had with the bionic was the headphone jack issue. For anyone who hasn't heard of this, its that the headphone jack caused a squealing noise whenever it was powered on. Ill see if I can find the thread on the Motorola support board in a bit. Since I use my phone for primarily music either local or spotify, this noise issue was a huge deal. I took it back to the store and they gave me a new one. Turns out that one and the display models all made the sounds. So I just returned the device altogether. for everyone else that its working for, I'm glad you're enjoying it. And to all the devs here thank you so much for keeping my Eris running with the best of them
Sent from my ERIS-ADR6200 using XDA App
Here's the bionic support page in their forums regarding the headphone jack:
https://supportforums.motorola.com/thread/58046
Sent from my ERIS-ADR6200 using XDA App
Oh, yeah. I have heard of that issue now that I think about it. That would definitely bug the heck out of me as well. Haha not patient enough to wait for a fix?
Normally I would wait for the fix, but I was too pissed off having just spent 300$ on a new phone that didn't work up to my standards (which aren't too high given I'm still using the eris ) since I have at least a half hour commute if not longer and I usually fill that gap with music, that particular issue was a huge deal for me. So here I am awaiting the vigor or the prime. I'm a fan of HTC tho so it'll probably be the former
Sent from my ERIS-ADR6200 using XDA App
That's quite understandable. I actually would probably do the same thing. That's why I still haven't upgraded and I've been sitting on an upgrade since the beginning of June (Man, it has been a tough 4 months). If I'm going to drop that much on a phone, I want to absolutely love it. Another reason is because I have not had good luck with getting new phones in the past.
Story time: Started out with the chocolate v2 and then the enV touch on my first upgrade and dreaded them both. Even used old phones from friends in between such as the V, enV, and some motorola flip phone. Never getting a dumbphone again. Ever. Finally bought the Eris off someone on craigslist like a year ago and I had never been happier with a phone (even more so once I rooted it ). Even though the Eris isn't the quickest and most glamorous phone out there, it beats all my past ones by a landslide.
I'm also waiting on the vigor and prime to come out, but for me it will probably be the latter
If the vigor comes out on the 20th (or the 13th perhaps?) I dont know how long ill be able to restrain myself from waiting for the prime. I know I only had the bionic for 2 days, but just those 2 days of 4g made me really antsy (4g coverage here is phenomenal). Im hoping we can get a more definitive prediction on the prime before the vigor is released tho.
PS: Ive had an upgrade since March. I know your pain
I'm in the same boat - upgrade available since August, waiting and seeing. I'm going to see what the big, bad Apple is offering starting Tuesday - if they fix their terrible Gmail support, I may go that way. I definitely will not go Prime if it's true that it has a 4.5" display. 4.3" is bad enough - I want something that fits in my pocket.
I may go Bionic - I really want a phone that has a good radio, since I live in a spot with bad coverage, and HTC doesn't seem to make phones with good radios. I think I can live with a mediocre display - I've had the Eris for 21 months, after all.
doogald said:
I definitely will not go Prime if it's true that it has a 4.5" display. 4.3" is bad enough - I want something that fits in my pocket.
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Click to collapse
I also worry about the size of my next phone. One thing to keep in mind is that for ICS, the screen can take up more of the phone's face since the softkey buttons aren't needed. Since I've also had an upgrade for a long time now, I will definitely be getting either the vigor, prime, or droid hd/razr.
MongooseHelix said:
I also worry about the size of my next phone. One thing to keep in mind is that for ICS, the screen can take up more of the phone's face since the softkey buttons aren't needed. Since I've also had an upgrade for a long time now, I will definitely be getting either the vigor, prime, or droid hd/razr.
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Click to collapse
I used to worry about that, but it seems like the standard for any high end phone has become at least a 4in screen. I guess I've just accepted it lol
Sent from my "end of life" eris
crimson12 said:
I used to worry about that, but it seems like the standard for any high end phone has become at least a 4in screen. I guess I've just accepted it lol
Sent from my "end of life" eris
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Click to collapse
Hmmm, in the same boat - eligible for upgrade again, finally - LOL. Seriously debating to - by locking into another 24 months extension, again - get the "free" INC.2 online via CircuitCity/TigerDirect/CompUSA instead of dealing with Big Red directly as their best direct price is $119 (suppose to be using my last NE2 discount - regular new 2 year price is $149 today ....) and no activation fees - and keep unlimited email & web for smartphone bundle.
If I go with any 4G devices, I will lose UNL data & be capped at 2GB at $30/mo - whereas I get a generous 22% corp. discount for primary FS line & data, so I'm saving quite a bit each month, - DW is on a feature phone (Env3) exempt from data.
Inc.2's bigger 4" screen is just about right and will fit into my pockets, etc. without being bulky - if I go this route although I will miss not having the Eris, getting it rooted & flashing Roms have unleashed its full potential - had people looking over & wondering what I got under "its" skin, etc.
What I've read & understood so far, there're very few returns on the Inc.2 - and virtually no FRU's from Big Red - it's a very good sign so far, 6 months after its launch, so I'm going to chew on it for a while longer during the trip. I just couldn't imagine taking a brand new unrooted, stock smartphone with bloatware on a 10 day trip next week, so I got reasons to hold on to the Eris for a while longer.
Sorry maybe I misunderstood, but why would you have to extend your contract and lose unlimited data?
Sent from my "end of life" eris
crimson12 said:
Sorry maybe I misunderstood, but why would you have to extend your contract and lose unlimited data?
Sent from my "end of life" eris
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Click to collapse
If I renew/extend with 3G devices like the Incredible 2, yes, I get to keep unlimited email & email for smartphone, grandfathered @ $29.99 /mo. plus 22% corporate discount, which is very nice (or stay with the Eris, etc.)
However, I will lose it if I opt for any 4G LTE devices like the T.bolt as I will need to switch to the 2GB+ data bundle & email plan @ $30 /mo. without corporate discount - including the iPhones.
We got solid 4+ bars 3G GSM coverage at the house (from big "A" & T-Mo) and 2G/borderline 3G from big Red, so ....
Oh that's odd. Is it because of the corporate discount? I kept unlimited data when I used my upgrade to get a bionic. (I've obviously since returned it, but was explicitly told I would keep my unlimited)
Sent from my "end of life" eris

Get G2 now or wait for a newer phone?

What do you guys think? Should I get the G2 now or wait until a new phone comes out such as the S5? I know if I keep waiting newer and better devices will keep appearing, but I want to get the best of the best for a 2 year contract and don't want to be disappointed with a phone that has any big flaws.
As far as I know, the G2 has a few flaws I might be bothered with such as games not playing with good fps, the phone getting hot while playing games, video recording quality issues, lag issues in the web browser, and also unsure if LG will be supporting this phone with timely updates. All of these issues I've heard on this forum.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
Well if the S5 is coming in Feb/March/Aprilish like people are saying, thats already 4-6 months into your contract, if it even really comes out. Maybe they will wait until June like previous models, then you are at like 8 months into your contract. Will it have issues? Probably- basically all phones have issues. Are the G2 issues big enough for you to not be happy? Maybe try the phone for 14 days? I have noticed some lag in browsing with chrome. I need to test other browsers to see if there is a better one. I hope LG updates their phone as it's been very well received for the most part.
Phones are outdated so fast these days. I would recommend picking up a G2 for the trial period and see how you like it. There is no harm in that and it may surprise you. If it doesn't, return the phone and keep your upgrade. :good:
Really depends on how bad your current phone is. Current top phones that are in market are LG G2, Note 3, Nexus 5 (not in any particular order). Newer phones that are rumored are S5 and HTC M8, and probably a release date around March or April. If you can wait that long then wait. I jumped from Galaxy Nexus (Vzw), in September to LG G2, simply because it was great looking phone with specs and got for $140 on 2 year contract and I am glad I made that decision, this phone is awesome. Two things I wanted in new phone battery life and speed and this phone does just that.
Yea. I agree with posts above. The newest and best phones are constantly being released so it won't be long for an even better phone to come out. Even if you wait until the s5 comes out an even better phone will be released shortly after. I personally think that the lg g2 is a great phone and I could not be happier with it. This is my first android phone and there is definitely a lot to like about android and the lg g2
Sent from my LG-VS980 using Tapatalk
Some of the issues may be big enough for me, unless there are solutions to them such as software updates from LG. Mainly lag and gaming fps/heat issues. But I understand no phone is perfect. I can't get the nexus 5 because I'm on Verizon and I don't know if I want to switch because of the service and plan I have with them.
If I do a 14 day trial do I get a full refund of my money if I don't like it or do I have to pat anything? I remember one time one of my family members got a phone with Verizon and soon after returned and we had to pay for the use of service or something.
Also I currently have an HTC Rezound.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
I think at this point in the year all of the carriers/manufacturers have their respective big guns out for the holiday shoppers. I really don't expect any other" must haves" to come until sometime first quarter of 2014, so wysiwyg for now.
For me, the time was now, in fact it's been exactly 2yrs; got the og razr the first day, 11/11/11, and moved up to the g2 yesterday (after a lot of research). What did it for me was the Verizon promo that ended yesterday. Got the phone for free and kept my unlimited data? win:win.
Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk
sdsubball23 said:
What do you guys think? Should I get the G2 now or wait until a new phone comes out such as the S5? I know if I keep waiting newer and better devices will keep appearing, but I want to get the best of the best for a 2 year contract and don't want to be disappointed with a phone that has any big flaws.
As far as I know, the G2 has a few flaws I might be bothered with such as games not playing with good fps, the phone getting hot while playing games, video recording quality issues, lag issues in the web browser, and also unsure if LG will be supporting this phone with timely updates. All of these issues I've heard on this forum.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go now and start enjoying. Better phones will always come out. That said I find it hard to believe (phablets aside) any phone in the near future will offer the performance to battery life of the G2. Sure a faster CPU may come out next year, or a phone may have a nicer build/body (HTC), but all around I doubt the Galaxy S5 or new HTC will offer anything of real significance over the G2.
crawlgsx said:
Go now and start enjoying. Better phones will always come out. That said I find it hard to believe (phablets aside) any phone in the near future will offer the performance to battery life of the G2. Sure a faster CPU may come out next year, or a phone may have a nicer build/body (HTC), but all around I doubt the Galaxy S5 or new HTC will offer anything of real significance over the G2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The whole heat issue I think many people misunderstand especially if coming from a lower power phone.
These SoC chips have better GPU than average laptop integrated graphics, high clockspeeds and no room for a heatsink.
It is pushing 2 million pixels to the screen, per rendered frame. Of course its gonna heat up.....as long as it is within SoC thermal limits it is of no concern
I have the G2 and notice none of this game lag or heat issue at all i dunno where you heard this?
I can assure you no phone has better integrated gpu than a laptop.
sdsubball23 said:
If I do a 14 day trial do I get a full refund of my money if I don't like it or do I have to pat anything? I remember one time one of my family members got a phone with Verizon and soon after returned and we had to pay for the use of service or something.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know how it works on Verizon, but with Sprint any phone you purchase has a period of 14 days where you can return it for a full refund. Sometimes companies may charge an activation fee of like 20-35 bucks. All carriers have a sort of "trial period" where you can return the phone, but they may each bit a little different. You could try calling your nearest Verizon store and ask them, or maybe try chatting with support online, or just calling Verizon's customer service number online.
The gaming lag may be isolated to a specific model, or maybe a user made certain tweaks, etc. Also could be app related and require the app developer to make a tweak for a phone, etc. There are so many factors its hard to say, but personal hands on experience is always best.
Totes go for the G2
sdsubball23 said:
What do you guys think? Should I get the G2 now or wait until a new phone comes out such as the S5? I know if I keep waiting newer and better devices will keep appearing, but I want to get the best of the best for a 2 year contract and don't want to be disappointed with a phone that has any big flaws.
As far as I know, the G2 has a few flaws I might be bothered with such as games not playing with good fps, the phone getting hot while playing games, video recording quality issues, lag issues in the web browser, and also unsure if LG will be supporting this phone with timely updates. All of these issues I've heard on this forum.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Take the plunge!! It's a future proofed phone man. I buy and sell phones where I am on craigslist and so have used about 80 different kinds this year. My favourites up till the G2 were the HTC One, Moto X and Optimus G. However upon using the G2 i experienced a fluidity and power I've yet to see matched. I mean sure every phone has is caveats but if theres one thing I know its that galaxy devices are known for there fair share of Lag. You can fix the G2's problems with some tweaks/roms/ settings changes. I've yet to have an overheating device when i play dead trigger 2 and nova 3 but not all devices are the same right, theres a ton of disimilarities even within the same model. If you got the cash go for it or the Nexus 5
I say now. What else do you need in a smartphone? The screen is fantastic, the battery is better than any standard device, the processor will handle anything for a very long time, and the camera is in the top tier.
What else do we need?
Since you are on Verizon, did you see the deal few days ago on G2? It was Free with 2 year contract.
The G2 is bleeding edge right now. There will always be another device "down the road" so you might as well have the best while you can.
sdsubball23 said:
Some of the issues may be big enough for me, unless there are solutions to them such as software updates from LG. Mainly lag and gaming fps/heat issues. But I understand no phone is perfect. I can't get the nexus 5 because I'm on Verizon and I don't know if I want to switch because of the service and plan I have with them.
If I do a 14 day trial do I get a full refund of my money if I don't like it or do I have to pat anything? I remember one time one of my family members got a phone with Verizon and soon after returned and we had to pay for the use of service or something.
Also I currently have an HTC Rezound.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have had not a single problem with my G2 when gaming in fact it is the best phone I've used for gaming by far. As for heat issues there is none. For some people they say it's get so hot that it burns them but for 99% of people it is barely hot to the touch. I guess it depends on your heat tolerance.
craighwk said:
I say now. What else do you need in a smartphone? The screen is fantastic, the battery is better than any standard device, the processor will handle anything for a very long time, and the camera is in the top tier.
What else do we need?
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Click to collapse
Exactly. I don't need a high end phone but I decided to go with the LG G2 because I think it's a very capable well-rounded device. Since I am also locked into a 2 year contract, I'd expect my phone to last at least for the next 2 years and I think it won't be a problem with the LG G2. Some of the mid-range phones I got previously felt dated 6 months later.
There will always be another phone on the horizon. But the G2 and other newer phones will likely have the same 800 processor as the upcoming ones and none of the "big three" out right now would ever be classified as bad phones. Get one now if you need it, or get one later if you want to wait.
I was in the same boat. I was thinking about waiting for the S5 as well, I had been due for an upgrade since June of 2012. I really had an itch to get a new phone so I took the plunge and got the G2. Some places say the S5 will come out in January, what if it comes out in the summer? It's a roll of the dice. One thing that made the decision easier was that this device has the latest hardware. ..
I'm happy with it so far, love the knock on feature, battery and customization.
Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk
Thanks for the advice guys. I'm still indecisive and the other issue I'm struggling with is that I don't really need another smartphone cuz the rezound I have has been working good for me. It's just I'd rather have a faster and smoother phone with better battery life and the latest specs. My rezound lags and the battery is terrible, but it's a great phone.
I was aware of the Verizon deal, but didn't go for the deal. One problem for me money-wise is that even if the phone were to be free, I'd have to pay tax on the full price of the phone because I live in California.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
For anyone wondering if they should get a phone, or wait, just buy the phone you want, not because it's the fastest or newest. There will always be new phones announced, and there will always be rumors. If you keep waiting, you'll never upgrade until you have to. That's what happened to me. I was a long time Motorola user, since the first Droid, but I waited and waited, and waited for the first Moto/Google phone, and was severely disappointed. The only good thing that happened because of all the waiting was I got a G2. Glad I pulled the trigger, and I won't be looking back.
garywojdan81 said:
I think at this point in the year all of the carriers/manufacturers have their respective big guns out for the holiday shoppers. I really don't expect any other" must haves" to come until sometime first quarter of 2014, so wysiwyg for now.
For me, the time was now, in fact it's been exactly 2yrs; got the og razr the first day, 11/11/11, and moved up to the g2 yesterday (after a lot of research). What did it for me was the Verizon promo that ended yesterday. Got the phone for free and kept my unlimited data? win:win.
Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How the hell did you keep your unlimited data? My wife wants a G2 now that shes used mine, but can't upgrade because we're grandfathered in. I had to buy mine off ebay for close to full price.
bullet2300 said:
I don't know how it works on Verizon, but with Sprint any phone you purchase has a period of 14 days where you can return it for a full refund. Sometimes companies may charge an activation fee of like 20-35 bucks. All carriers have a sort of "trial period" where you can return the phone, but they may each bit a little different. You could try calling your nearest Verizon store and ask them, or maybe try chatting with support online, or just calling Verizon's customer service number online.
The gaming lag may be isolated to a specific model, or maybe a user made certain tweaks, etc. Also could be app related and require the app developer to make a tweak for a phone, etc. There are so many factors its hard to say, but personal hands on experience is always best.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe Verizon charges a restocking fee of like $35, but that might be just the 3rd party stores, because I went through Verizon when I exchanged and they didn't charge me an activation fee or a restocking fee. This was through online and over the phone btw.

[Q] Anyone interested in LG Tribute development?

I just picked one of these up yesterday, the LG Tribute, the Sprint version which is model LS660P (same hardware with the Virgin Mobile version). It's a Snapdragon 400 SoC quad core powered smartphone - it's basically a mix of features between a 1st gen Moto G LTE (the SoC) and the Moto E (removable battery and microSD slot) - it's a CDMA/LTE device only so it's more akin to the Sprint/Boost/Cricket versions of the Moto G I suppose - it does have a SIM card slot but since there's no GSM radio I suppose that's a dead end. It has Sprint LTE support for LTE bands 25, 26, and 41 - it's Spark-enabled as well.
So far in using it I've been extremely pleased with the performance overall considering it's $39.99 right now at many retailers like Fry's and Best Buy (retail is $79.99).
The biggest downside is the 800x480 display resolution but honestly I could care less these days. I just owned an LG G2 and loved it but I had to sell it to cover some bills, and when I saw the Tribute specs and that low price I figured it couldn't hurt to mess around with it a bit.
But in terms of getting it up and running, the first time I powered it up I was pleasantly surprised when I saw this on the Apps screen:
Just that, and nothing else - this thing has zero Sprint bloatware on it, absolutely nothing, and nothing from LG either. Yes it just has 4GB of internal storage leaving about 1.45GB for the user but it's got the microSD slot for storage. I've done all the requisite Google stock apps updates and installed all the apps I've purchased and the free ones I regularly use and I still have 435MB left so I'm good to go. Put my 32GB microSD card in it with 6GB of Opus-encoded audio files, a couple of movies and TV shows, and so far it's been fantastic.
Current battery is showing 37% left from a 100% charge, 12 hours and 3 minutes on, 5 hours and 14 minutes of screen on time so far (and still going because I'm watching Captain America: The Winter Soldier on it and there's 1 hour and 45 mins left in the movie), Wi-Fi has been on the entire time (it's in Airplane mode, however), screen brightness using MX Player is set at 12 (of 15), volume at 15. I use Google Hangouts with Google Voice to make "phone calls" using Wi-Fi so it's in Airplane mode most of the time when I'm at home.
I expect to hit the 7 hours of SOT and this is the first full charge on the device so, consider me a very happy camper.
I know requests have been put into place for Stumproot support so a root could be possible on this device, and I know that LG has posted the 4.4.2 ROM and kernel source code (I grabbed that last night). So here's my question:
Is there anyone out there that might be interested in attempting to develop any recovery for this (assuming we get root at some point), and then perhaps developing some custom ROM for it - seems like it should be a relatively easy thing considering a) we have the full ROM and kernel source even though it's just 4.4.2 at the moment (I would guess LG has no intentions of boosting this to 5.0 so that'll most likely never happen) and b) it's so close to the architecture of the CMDA/LTE version of the Moto G LTE that some kind of port might be possible towards Lollipop if and when that happens...?
Long sentence, sorry about that, I get wordy at times.
But I just figured I'd ask if there's any interest at all. Yes, it's weak on the resolution, yes, it's not a powerhouse device, yes, it's fairly cheap but it's functional and could be an awesome little smartphone with a little "help" thrown its way like a potential for a custom kernel as well to get the quad core and the governor a bit more under control.
I fully suspect this device is easily capable of 7 hours of SOT with such "upgrades" if anyone is interested. I lack the technical know-how and skills to get buried in ROM development much less kernels, so I figured I would toss the question out considering it shares so much common with the Moto G LTE variant + the Moto E's microSD slot potential.
Just curious... any responses are welcome and appreciated, thanks.
Update:
It's even better than I'd hoped...
Almost 8 hours of screen on time - that was a full movie (2 hours 15 minutes long and I let it play the entire thing, first frame to final), 4 TV shows (about 42-45 minutes long each), music playback for almost 1 hour, a few Wi-Fi phone calls using Google Hangouts/Voice, and some web surfing using the stock browser.
$40... absolutely amazing.
I'm just concerned about the amount of CPU time the Android OS shows there - it apparently used as much battery as the screen being on for 7 hours and 38 minutes did so there's something amiss hiding inside. Will be using Wakelock Detector to see if I can detect anything I can disable on the next go considering this was the first full 100% charge and battery test. Just for the record, the Keep Awake time listed on the Android OS battery usage page is 11 hours so it's not idle, there's something going on in there that's using the battery, now I just have to find out what it is. The CPU total time was 4 hours 17 minutes for Android OS.
I'm pretty satisfied, now I wonder what this thing could really be capable of in terms of battery life with a proper custom kernel and ROM. I wonder...
I've been waiting for something to pop up for this phone. I've had it for 2 weeks now. Its great. I agree the battery life is awesome on this thing.
I have the VM version and would be willing to test if someone came up with something.
sigh
Coming from an iPhone so I'm totally new to the android platform but the storage in this thing is severely lacking. I got a micro sd for it, but barely can even get any apps to download due to lack of space. I'm assuming something like this would be helped by a root. It's driving me bananas and making me yearn for my Apple days
Tribute
I also just switched to a Tribute, with KitKat. Was incredibly pissed off to find that Android had crippled the external SD's role. I mean, WTF guys? So now I am on a mission. Every day I scour the interwebs looking for hope that someone has figured out a root exploit for this. I would even settle for being able to flash a custom ROM like Cyanogen. Just so long as I can get PodKicker to save 'casts to the friggin SD card. Is that too much to ask? Anyway, nothing i have attempted so far has worked at all.
Oh, and you got lucky with the no bloatware thing. I got mine through Boost Mobile, and they clotted this damned thing chock full of B.S. To the point that OUT OF THE BOX I couldn't install apps from Playstore without uninstalling previous updates to all the big Google apps. And without Root, I can't get rid of this BoostZone ****e.
I have my doubts as to whether or not this device will get any support here at all at this point (yes I know it's just been a day or so since I made this thread). I didn't even know about the LG L90 till earlier today and when I checked out the specs I realized that it's a better device overall than the Tribute, of course the price reflects the differences as well (larger higher resolution screen, just qHD 960x540 but still it's larger at 4.7" also), with NFC support (I actually make use of that myself), the removable battery/microSD slot, and it's got support here with its own subforum now with a lot of activity (well, a lot for it I suppose) and it even has an IR port for QuickRemote too which is pretty awesome: my Wife is deaf so anytime we go someplace like a Doctor's office or hospital with TVs on, if the captions aren't enabled I turn 'em on with the smartphone. Used to do that with my Galaxy S4 Active in the past, nice to see LG and some other companies are hopping on the "remote control" bandwagon now too.
There's root available and also a bootloader unlock apparently, source code is out and there's work being done so... I wish I had known that before yesterday basically. Fry's, where I got this Tribute, won't do a return on it because I opened the box (and obviously I've done more since I got it too) so that's a wash I suppose. It's still a damned fine little device for $40.
The L90 is "on sale" through T-Mobile's website for $100 with a coupon code right now, I would have grabbed that if I had known about it and the development in progress. Guess I'll have to keep my eyes out next time, might find one used on craigslist soon so we'll see what happens.
I'll keep the Tribute, of course, and keep hoping for a root at some point. I did ask in the Stumproot thread for someone to take a look at it and see what might be possible so, let's keep our fingers crossed.
As for the bloat, I had someone at HowardForums tell me if I activate the phone with Sprint (which I haven't done) that'll install all the Sprint bloatware so, fat chance of that happening I guess. I'll keep it as is and hope for the best.
Anyone working on this? I tried stump, and there are a ton of requests, but no one has said a word about it.
Thanks!
Still hoping but no progress has been reported. It's common knowledge these days that root on newer devices is going to continue to get more and more difficult with the potential that someday we're just not going to be able to do it on most anything. The low price of this one and lack of the high end specs makes most devs (at least in my opinion) not even give a crap about it so, if someone does and we benefit from it, that's awesome.
If nothing happens, it wasn't a complete waste, it's a fine little device with decent processing power and damned great battery life as noted so, $40 was nothing I guess.
Still looking
Still looking for root to the LG Tribute and nothing works. Has anyone heard anything new about it???
Just bumping this to revive interest.
sweetbsting said:
Coming from an iPhone so I'm totally new to the android platform but the storage in this thing is severely lacking. I got a micro sd for it, but barely can even get any apps to download due to lack of space. I'm assuming something like this would be helped by a root. It's driving me bananas and making me yearn for my Apple days
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You so realize you bought a low to mid range prepaid phone right?
I realize that but there has been quite a bit of interest in the model on the internets so unless you have something helpful to add, kindly ignore my post. Thanks.
aburn95 said:
You so realize you bought a low to mid range prepaid phone right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do understand that your comment takes away from the actual thread content, right?
Here is more information about the phone for anyone interested in development:
LG LS660 (LG Tribute) Virgin Mobile.
http://www.lg.com/us/cell-phones/lg-LS660-Virgin-Mobile-tribute
Should I buy this phone and wait for a root?
Or are there other similar price and spec phones that are easier to root?
Do some phones never get rooted?
-snip-
br0adband said:
There's root available and also a bootloader unlock apparently, source code is out and there's work being done so... I wish I had known that before yesterday basically. Fry's, where I got this Tribute, won't do a return on it because I opened the box (and obviously I've done more since I got it too) so that's a wash I suppose. It's still a damned fine little device for $40.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you inform us where you found root & bootloader unlock? I've been on Android for years, but am relatively new to the root/mod side of things.
LiquidRabbit said:
Where did you download this? I am pretty curious.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't own the LG Tribute any longer but the source code was at LG's open source repository for the LS660P (the Sprint variant, but it should be identical to the others I would guess):
https://www.lg.com/global/support/opensource/opensourceList?types=NAME&search=ls660p
emarkp said:
Can you inform us where you found root & bootloader unlock? I've been on Android for years, but am relatively new to the root/mod side of things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly I can't even remember now, I saw some post at one of the other forums (AndroidPolice maybe) that said someone had discovered a working bootloader unlock, I could be wrong in that but honestly I can't recall the specifics at the momemt. As stated, I no longer own a Tribute (nothing at the moment, my sig always reflects what I own at any given time, for the record).
Good luck... it's really a fantastic smartphone for the $40 I paid for it (and Fry's still sells it for that price). I wish there was a GSM model 'cause I'd be all over it in a second flat; can't do much of anything with the CDMA model in terms of getting service here in my area. I won't deal with Sprint for service, and Boost/Virgin Mobile/etc don't have plans that come anywhere near what the $30/month T-Mobile plan does so...
For $35 a month, you get unlimited everything on Virgin Mobile...
For $20, you get 300 minutes and unlimited everything. I stuck with the $20 plan at unlimited everything as I was grandfathered in many, many years ago.
Possible root method?
Hello! I have been using android for a while and just got this phone (LG Tribute, Virgin Mobile). I was researching rooting this, and I found this: youtube.com/watch?v=ZBdrVa_bo5o
It seems to be advertising legit software, etc, but I wonder if this successfully roots the Tribute. On their website (androidphonetransfer_DOTCOM) ,they have a free trial for the software.
I'd like to try it, but I'm not sure if it would mess up my device or not (I'm new to rooting). anyone want to give this a try?
It does not work.
I am also interested. I was looking for a android phone with at least 4.5 inch screen to act as a dedicated gps navigator. LG Tribute fit the bill perfectly. Quad core processor is fast, would be nice to get rid of Sprint activation and clean the device up with a root.
I'm surprised there is not more interest in this phone. The sale price of $40 happens pretty regularly, which IMO is a great deal for this phone.

T-Mo Marshmallow update?

Anyone hearing ANYTHING about this update? Not even on T-Mo's software update site is it mentioned. I realize the phone has only been out for several weeks, but shouldn't there even be a mention of it? The G4 and G3 updates are complete - I can't imagine it will take much longer - I hope?
With carriers if you are anticipating an update you will turn old and gray...i've learned the best bet is to not think about it and be pleasantly surprised when it releases
if you get any phone outside of a nexus and expect timely updates...that's your fault (not you specifically...just in general)
jdiddy_ub said:
With carriers if you are anticipating an update you will turn old and gray...i've learned the best bet is to not think about it and be pleasantly surprised when it releases
if you get any phone outside of a nexus and expect timely updates...that's your fault (not you specifically...just in general)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't argue wit that, but T-Mobile has been pretty good about being transparent with updates. Oh well....
As far I know there is still a problem with phone not sending or received mms's on marshmallow and tmobile.
techrider6262 said:
As far I know there is still a problem with phone not sending or received mms's on marshmallow and tmobile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
....just wonderful.
I don't think LG has announced an update for the V10. We'll have to wait for them first...they said it was coming in the next 6 months if I recall correctly.
Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk
Isn't the V10 basically a G4? So if G4 is done, v10 should be shortly.
this is just me but i think they have something planed for the v10 they arent saying, i mean the second screen has so much it could do but it just seems like they didnt finish it. has anyone actually realized that there is a setting to set a background image on the second screen it lets you crop the back ground and everything just doesnt apply to the screen. even sync is different than what i'm use to i mean it doesnt kill the battery like on my note for i never left it on it was a 4 hour difference in battery life now its like 15 to 20 minutes different.
LG said something about early 2016 for the V10 update. Will try to find a reference.
considering newest rumors say that g3 update is comming mid dec. and v10 was originaly slated for late 2015, early 2016, you can expect it(going off rumors and leaks) that it'll happen around end december throughout jan.
i have tmo. and my g3 was updated to lolipop earlier this year around march.. LG said they want to get marshmellow out faster then lolipop was.
wollivierre said:
this is just me but i think they have something planed for the v10 they arent saying, i mean the second screen has so much it could do but it just seems like they didnt finish it. has anyone actually realized that there is a setting to set a background image on the second screen it lets you crop the back ground and everything just doesnt apply to the screen. even sync is different than what i'm use to i mean it doesnt kill the battery like on my note for i never left it on it was a 4 hour difference in battery life now its like 15 to 20 minutes different.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you add a pic\photo in the second screen?
mkrunk12 said:
How do you add a pic\photo in the second screen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it doesnt work yet but the settings for it are already there which is why i said they must have stuff planed for it. i use quickshortcut and found that there is two gallery settings for the second screen the first is the sig and the second lets you crop a picture but it doesnt apply when you hit apply

I'm done with the Z3v and never looking back.

I finally gave up on this phone and couldn't feel better about it. Got it under a 2-year contract via Amazon less than a year ago, and now trading it back into Amazon and buying a Nexus 6 (which is discounted by $400 right now). In the end, I'll be out about $100. But it's worth it in my view to get an actually stable, functional, and supported device.
I won't have to worry about constant overheating, unstable (but dang good looking) picture taking, and terrible battery life issues (4 hours chews through 60% of my charge) any more.
I should have gotten rid of it months ago, when Sony took 59 days to do an in-warranty repair (for constant over heating and poor battery life). Even then, they only sent me a new phone (not a refurb, but a new unit, which surprised me) after I threatened to take them to local court to get my phone back. The new one is starting to have the same issues as the old, and I don't want to go another 2 months of paying for a cell plan while waiting for Sony to make empty promises about 'eventually' repairing my phone.
Speaking of empty promises, I am so looking forward to having a phone that actually receives some semblance of support from the manufacturer. I might lose on this, but I'd make a bet that Lollipop is never coming via OTA update to the Z3v, and I'm sick of waiting. I hope I'm wrong, but I won't have to worry about it in the end. I'll miss the waterproofing, and the 20MP+ camera, but I'll exchange that for a functional, supported, multi-carrier, device.
See you all on the forums, and good luck!
I feel u. I've been waiting on OTA update and they never released it. Same reason y I'm rooted on ? 509. Build. They prob never release it for z3v but I'm just waiting on any new info on roms. ??
Sent from my D6708
jpain3 said:
I finally gave up on this phone and couldn't feel better about it. Got it under a 2-year contract via Amazon less than a year ago, and now trading it back into Amazon and buying a Nexus 6 (which is discounted by $400 right now). In the end, I'll be out about $100. But it's worth it in my view to get an actually stable, functional, and supported device.
I won't have to worry about constant overheating, unstable (but dang good looking) picture taking, and terrible battery life issues (4 hours chews through 60% of my charge) any more.
I should have gotten rid of it months ago, when Sony took 59 days to do an in-warranty repair (for constant over heating and poor battery life). Even then, they only sent me a new phone (not a refurb, but a new unit, which surprised me) after I threatened to take them to local court to get my phone back. The new one is starting to have the same issues as the old, and I don't want to go another 2 months of paying for a cell plan while waiting for Sony to make empty promises about 'eventually' repairing my phone.
Speaking of empty promises, I am so looking forward to having a phone that actually receives some semblance of support from the manufacturer. I might lose on this, but I'd make a bet that Lollipop is never coming via OTA update to the Z3v, and I'm sick of waiting. I hope I'm wrong, but I won't have to worry about it in the end. I'll miss the waterproofing, and the 20MP+ camera, but I'll exchange that for a functional, supported, multi-carrier, device.
See you all on the forums, and good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
enjoy your new phone.. Im sorry about sony if they had my phone for 59 days man thats so bad..I have had my camera say it was hot once when I was running a custom macro mode for like 5 mins that's it. this phone does not have overheating problems I'm sorry you got a crappy one. My Phone has Been on for 10 hours today with maybe 90 mins on screen time I have 90% battery left so..
Wow, what a bad experience you had. It's amazing the drastic differences in experience users can have with the same device. I'm sorry your experience was so terrible. I got my Z3v at launch in October of 2014. While I am beyond frustration (hatred really) for Verizon and the way they screwed us over and lied about this phone to us, it is really the best device I've ever owned. Unbelievable battery life, OS stability, camera etc. Never had a single issue. I really wish everyone who had this phone had the same good luck as I have had. I keep looking at getting a new or different phone, but really this phone does 95% of what I need it to do 100% of the time. It's reliable. It's hard to imagine I could do better in this regard. My brother and nephew have the same phone and they have the same experience as I do. Wish you did too.
I would probably feel just as you do under the same circumstances, so far my Z3v has been a good phone...that is my second one has been. The first one had a on/off button failure after about 6 months and I got a replacement.
I read once that the phone manufacturers are under enough pressure to produce the phones while at the same time getting ready for the next generation of phones that quality control is almost a thing of the past. It's similar to a story told to me by my ex-wife's sister. She worked in Quality Control at Gateway Computers during their peak times. They got so busy that the QC workers only had time enough to boot a system but not take it through any quality checks before shipping. They called themselves the "Boot and Scoot Department".
I had the Z3v and cracked it somehow, so I replaced it with the Nexus 6p. 3 updates already on the 6p in 2 months and only 1 minor update on the Z3v in 1 year - smh.
Most of the blame goes to Big Head Red. I blame Sony a little bit for allowing Big Head Red to control their phones. Apple, Sammie, LG and Moto won't allow Big Head Red that much control.
If something happened to my Z3v, I'd immediately get the Nexus 6P. I will never buy a phone from Verizon again.
Have to agree these phones are buggy, little things that make you want to get rid of them i.e. USB door rubber seal wearing out, camera getting hot, no updates, bootloader locked, volume button and on/off button flaws.
But that said, if the Z5 would work on VZW I would dump this one and grab a Z5.

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