Chances of support for custom ROMs? - Nubia Red Magic 3 Questions & Answers

I'm very tempted by this phone, and from the looks of it this seems to hit the jackpot in terms of performance per dollar, but I still need to know if this phone has any chance of supporting a custom ROM such as LineageOS.

Hi,
As much as I hate saying this : I think chances are poor.
But you can already install TWRP and root it, which is already quite nice.
And it is already quite close to AOSP I think... so if you can root it, you can add features that are missing
Regards.

Related

To root or not to root?

I know this question has been asked like a bajabber 2395293 millions times.
But my point is, is losing official OTA updates from Google worth the rooting?
EG: When Flash 10.xx arrives and the Nexus lands some major updates, what are the chances that rooted users get screwed over?
Considering that OTA updates get incorporated into custom ROMs anyway (and usually before they're officially out), it's not like you will be missing out on anything.
This is best asked in Q&A. It all comes down to personal preference. We can't tell you what you should do.
chowlala said:
I know this question has been asked like a bajabber 2395293 millions times.
But my point is, is losing official OTA updates from Google worth the rooting?
EG: When Flash 10.xx arrives and the Nexus lands some major updates, what are the chances that rooted users get screwed over?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
maybe you should first post in the correct sub-forum?
and we dont lose any good things that come from those updates. Our beloved chefs will cook them right in along with their own nice extras.
All OTA updates will be in our custom ROMS.
All your OTAs are belong to us.
Heh. Oops. My bad. Sorry for posting in the wrong section. 2am and I've been boggling it over and over bout rooting vs official ota updates. And also about security issues. Not sure if rooting makes the N1 more vulnerable or not...
Mod: Please move this to appropriate section, thanks. =)
Best choice I ever made was rooting. It has made my phone 100 times for fun!
i don't see the point of rooting at this point
the only benefit i see is storing apps to SD
cupojoe said:
i don't see the point of rooting at this point
the only benefit i see is storing apps to SD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sure you've done all your research, considering this is your first post and you joined this month....
Rooting opens you up to Undervolting to save battery, Tethering, Apps unavailable to non-rooted devices, some really great themes, and more... To say that A2SD is the only benefit is rather insulting to our faithful Devs...
Heck... My main reason to root was to leave behind the look of the stock N1. It's a great device and all, but the UI certainly looks better w/ a lil' NexTheme 1.9 action.
Oh yeah... And Rooting lets you show off your phone via SS's. That's always quite enjoyable imo.
cupojoe said:
i don't see the point of rooting at this point
the only benefit i see is storing apps to SD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What exactly will you see as a "point".. honestly trackball colors, and Desire ROMs are enough to convince me to root. Along with unlocking the extra RAM.. and then other benefits that are included with root access. Such as themes, overclocking, and what not, there already seems to be enough reasons to become a superuser.
Just root it already, unless it's above you tech level; then don't. My nexus is a beast running Cyanogen's latest mod, you may be skeptical about claims that the phone can perform snappier, but it's all true and after experiencing the light I will and can never go back to a stock rom. Not to mention the added functionality, trackball colors and frequent new updates and modifications. You know what to do .
Do it....... Dooooooo ittttttttt!!!!!!!!!!
Eclair~ said:
What exactly will you see as a "point".. honestly trackball colors, and Desire ROMs are enough to convince me to root. Along with unlocking the extra RAM.. and then other benefits that are included with root access. Such as themes, overclocking, and what not, there already seems to be enough reasons to become a superuser.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good call! Forgot all about the Trackball... Can't use Desire due to fail Bluetooth in the car... But I'm happy enough on Stock Launcher w/ CM5041. Extra RAM as well..
People who don't root, seriously don't know what they're missing. And it'll only get better.
And heck... What's the negative? Oh no?!!? Warranty issues. I'll take the extra fun n games for that risk.
Hehe. I already rooted like 10 mins after asking this question. But everyone who rooted is right.
There's so much more monsterifficness beneath the stock. Almost as if Google already knew how extreme it would be and deliberately tempted us to root by setting it below maximum potential.
Can't wait to see what the Nexus can continue to do with awesome the awesome modders here!! =)
I'm waiting for the next OTA update before I start playing around with root and ROMS. Customization looks fun but I want to see what performance increases Google can bring after updating to the new kernel for full RAM (hopefully they do this next update anyway). Probably won't be any different than what's out now, but the only thing that I'd really want is HTC music and Modaco's mod is still in the alpha stages.
Rooting is definately a good move, but it is not for everyone, i would suggest against people egging others on to root. Rather, direct them to the available information on the benefits and dangers of rooting, and let them decide.
pongalong said:
I'm waiting for the next OTA update before I start playing around with root and ROMS. Customization looks fun but I want to see what performance increases Google can bring after updating to the new kernel for full RAM (hopefully they do this next update anyway). Probably won't be any different than what's out now, but the only thing that I'd really want is HTC music and Modaco's mod is still in the alpha stages.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uh... most custom ROMs now run on .32 or .33 kernels. As in, more RAM. Loooots of RAM. (I have about 191 MB free on a fresh boot, etc.) Paul's Desire ROM is only still in alpha because bluetooth doesn't quite work, but otherwise it's very functional and pretty well-optimized.
grainysand said:
Uh... most custom ROMs now run on .32 or .33 kernels. As in, more RAM. Loooots of RAM. (I have about 191 MB free on a fresh boot, etc.) Paul's Desire ROM is only still in alpha because bluetooth doesn't quite work, but otherwise it's very functional and pretty well-optimized.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know that current custom ROMs already have a big performance boost (RAM) from the current stock. I believe that ROMs also have .apks that are optimized and probably a bit zippier than unmodified ones. I only meant that if the next OTA with the new kernel gives enough of a performance boost, then custom ROMs won't be for me (until much later in the game anyway).
Whats stopping me are the touchscreen issues,,, no one can still definitively say if it's HW or SW. I need to retain the option to send it in for a warranty swap if it gets worse.

Nexus 6 Custom ROM Recommendations

Hello,
I'm basically looking for custom rom recommendations. I have had my Nexus 6 for almost a month now and I have been running it stock, rooted with TWRP. This is my first Android phone. (Previous IOS / iPhone User from 3G to the 6)
These are the features that I would require:
STABILITY! I don't want a rom that is going to be laggy, crashing, rebooting, etc.
Layers Support? (I wan't to run a dark theme, which I believe requires layers?)
Nav Bar Control. I would like to be able to modify / hide the nav bar to avoid burn in.
Status Bar Control. I would like to modify status bar. Battery % placement, etc.
Double Tap to Wake / Sleep
Reboot option when holding power button rather than just power off
Notification LED Control Built In
That is about it I guess. I would like a ROM that provides all of these features "baked in". If the ROM does not have all of these, I don't feel it is worth flashing from stock. I am mainly looking at "The Pure Nexus" and "Chroma" roms, which if I am not mistaken both offer all of the features I listed? Does anyone want to be so kind as to give me the pros and cons between these two? I am open to other roms as well as long as they offer the features listed. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe most custom roms offer the features I listed?
I have manually flashed system images (MRA58K, MRA58N, MRA58R) but I have never flashed a custom rom. So I do not know much about them. To be honest I am happy with stock and perfectly content. I just think it would be nice to gain the extra features that I listed.
Rektifying said:
Hello,
I'm basically looking for custom rom recommendations. I have had my Nexus 6 for almost a month now and I have been running it stock, rooted with TWRP. This is my first Android phone. (Previous IOS / iPhone User from 3G to the 6)
These are the features that I would require:
STABILITY! I don't want a rom that is going to be laggy, crashing, rebooting, etc.
Layers Support? (I wan't to run a dark theme, which I believe requires layers?)
Nav Bar Control. I would like to be able to modify / hide the nav bar to avoid burn in.
Status Bar Control. I would like to modify status bar. Battery % placement, etc.
Double Tap to Wake / Sleep
Reboot option when holding power button rather than just power off
Notification LED Control Built In
That is about it I guess. I would like a ROM that provides all of these features "baked in". If the ROM does not have all of these, I don't feel it is worth flashing from stock. I am mainly looking at "The Pure Nexus" and "Chroma" roms, which if I am not mistaken both offer all of the features I listed? Does anyone want to be so kind as to give me the pros and cons between these two? I am open to other roms as well as long as they offer the features listed. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe most custom roms offer the features I listed?
I have manually flashed system images (MRA58K, MRA58N, MRA58R) but I have never flashed a custom rom. So I do not know much about them. To be honest I am happy with stock and perfectly content. I just think it would be nice to gain the extra features that I listed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will get the same answer everyone gets. Try them out and make up your own mind. To be honest if you are content then stay stock. Flashing roms is not really something to do and forget about. All custom roms are always beta releases. No matter what the thread says. As this is a development forum you will find that rom devs like to experiment and that means somethings get broken while other things get fixed
if i were you, if your happy with stock, leave it stock..
if you like something different, then its for you to find out. if you got problems, u can always ask (or do search)..
same thing as development, if it aint broken, dont break it.
zelendel said:
You will get the same answer everyone gets. Try them out and make up your own mind. To be honest if you are content then stay stock. Flashing roms is not really something to do and forget about. All custom roms are always beta releases. No matter what the thread says. As this is a development forum you will find that rom devs like to experiment and that means somethings get broken while other things get fixed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess I was expecting this type of answer, which makes sense to me now that I think about it. I will just have to try some out and go from there. I mean, that is what having a Nexus device is all about? When I finally made the switch from IOS to Android (3 weeks ago) it was for a Nexus Device for a reason. I did want stock android, for a nice clean UI with no bloatware. However, I also made the switch because I wanted further customization. I was / am content with stock, but after having my Nexus 6 for a few weeks there are some additional features and customization that I would like. So I have half of what I wanted already, and its time to go get the other half!
Off I go, to brick my phone!
haha... J/k.
Rektifying said:
I guess I was expecting this type of answer, which makes sense to me now that I think about it. I will just have to try some out and go from there. I mean, that is what having a Nexus device is all about? When I finally made the switch from IOS to Android (3 weeks ago) it was for a Nexus Device for a reason. I did want stock android, for a nice clean UI with no bloatware. However, I also made the switch because I wanted further customization. I was / am content with stock, but after having my Nexus 6 for a few weeks there are some additional features and customization that I would like. So I have half of what I wanted already, and its time to go get the other half!
Off I go, to brick my phone!
haha... J/k.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many people make the same mistake thinking the nexus is all about flashing roms. It really isnt. It is a developmental device for developers to test their apps out on without all the OEM BS messing things up.
Where the nexus devices really shin is if you are looking to get into development. Then it is the perfect device. You dont have to deal with all the closed sourced binaries and source code from other OEM devices.
Dont be afraid to brick, It happens to everyone. My advise is stay away from the toolkits until you can do what you need to by hand. All toolkits do for new users is make things worse if things go wrong.
I ran stock on my device which I just recently got for less then a day myself.
Well I just flashed my first custom rom, ever in my life! Went smooth as silk. I did a nice full wipe in TWRP. I then installed "The Pure Nexus Project" rom, followed by their google apps. I kept the same kernal I was using. It is just the modified stock kernal that allows root, provided by chainfire in method 1 of his rooting android 6.0 thread.
So far I am pleased! Just being able to have my battery percentage NEXT to the battery icon made it all worth it. LOL
zelendel said:
Many people make the same mistake thinking the nexus is all about flashing roms. It really isnt. It is a developmental device for developers to test their apps out on without all the OEM BS messing things up.
Where the nexus devices really shin is if you are looking to get into development. Then it is the perfect device. You dont have to deal with all the closed sourced binaries and source code from other OEM devices.
Dont be afraid to brick, It happens to everyone. My advise is stay away from the toolkits until you can do what you need to by hand. All toolkits do for new users is make things worse if things go wrong.
I ran stock on my device which I just recently got for less then a day myself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your advice. I am currently not using any toolkits, nor do I plan to. I would like to be at least somewhat in control when I flash my device. lol. I am a pretty big techy, and I do have some coding in my background. I manually flashed my Nexus 6 to 6.0 straight out of box with no issues. Fastboot and ADB commands were stupid easy to figure out. I am still pretty noob to Android though. I just never really got into phones and such before. I just bought every new iPhone on release and used it. (3G to 6) I finally got sick of IOS and wanted something I could have fun with and tinker. That is why I went with a Nexus device. Well, actually mainly for the stock, clean Android experience, but tinkering as well.
As someone who's tried every combinations of ROM/kernel for the N6, I prefer Cataclysm with Uber Despair or Elite kernel. Definitely the smoothest, feature-filled experience I've had especially on Marshmallow.

Root/Custom ROM/Bluetooth/DRM issues (Stop me buying an iPhone 6s!)

Hi guys,
My knowledge of ROMs and rooting isn't the best so please bare with me if this question seems dumb. And before anyone says, I have read this thread (and countless others) but would like some clarification.
I've always wanted to install CyanogenMod to my Z3 Compact because my car, an E46 BMW has not been able to pair with my phone since 4.2.2 when a change to bluetooth.default.so was made - Cyanogenmod has the fix.
I have seen recent posts on this forum that suggest if the phone is rooted and a custom ROM is installed, I'm still able to maintain my camera quality which previously was limited (fish-eye effect and low light poor quality) due to the loss of DRM'd software due to a DRM restore fix created by one of the forum members. Is this correct? This was the only thing that ever stopped me rooting my Z3 as camera quality is of high importance to me.
I've been using an iPhone 5s since my screen smashed last month and I planned to buy an iPhone 6s this weekend but if it seems I can use the Z3 Compact for all purposes ( In-car Bluetooth, stable Android, good camera and battery life) then I will definitely get the screen repaired tomorrow!
Thanks in advance.
This is a link explaining the Bluetooth issue I'm talking about.
tsmr said:
Hi guys,
My knowledge of ROMs and rooting isn't the best so please bare with me if this question seems dumb. And before anyone says, I have read this thread (and countless others) but would like some clarification.
I've always wanted to install CyanogenMod to my Z3 Compact because my car, an E46 BMW has not been able to pair with my phone since 4.2.2 when a change to bluetooth.default.so was made - Cyanogenmod has the fix.
I have seen recent posts on this forum that suggest if the phone is rooted and a custom ROM is installed, I'm still able to maintain my camera quality which previously was limited (fish-eye effect and low light poor quality) due to the loss of DRM'd software due to a DRM restore fix created by one of the forum members. Is this correct? This was the only thing that ever stopped me rooting my Z3 as camera quality is of high importance to me.
I've been using an iPhone 5s since my screen smashed last month and I planned to buy an iPhone 6s this weekend but if it seems I can use the Z3 Compact for all purposes ( In-car Bluetooth, stable Android, good camera and battery life) then I will definitely get the screen repaired tomorrow!
Thanks in advance.
This is a link explaining the Bluetooth issue I'm talking about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is true, I am using DRM fix for my Z3c because I didn't backup my DRM keys (duh!) and the camera quality seems perfect, although the fix says it also restores X-Reality and whatnot but I haven't got to get the engine working, I fixed that with Color Control to match my saturation and colors needs...
As for the Bluetooth issues, I've kinda experienced problems with it too, I have a Bluetooth gamepad, and whenever I'm playing an Android game that supports controllers, it disconnects, but when I play on emulators it doesn't happen... I don't know if there's a fix for that but oh well.
DRM fix works only on stock based roms and on Concept roms.
It doesn't work on custom roms like Cyanogenmod.
istux said:
DRM fix works only on stock based roms and on Concept roms.
It doesn't work on custom roms like Cyanogenmod.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. I don't actually need CyanogenMod, I just need to be able to edit the bluetooth.default.so file as per the thread I linked so that in-car Bluetooth works with my handset. Is this possible whilst maintaining camera quality?
Also when you say 'only works on stock based ROMs' - does this mean that I could install stock Android 6.0 to my device with a custom bluetooth.default.so file, then install the DRM fix and it will work as normal? This would be amazing!
PS. What is a Concept ROM?
I'm so sorry for asking what are most probably stupid questions but I'm fairly new to the Android scene thus still learning.
Of course its possible, you don't need unlocked bootloader to edit system files lol. Unlock bootloaders are used to install custom kernels or firmwares not made by Sony, like CyanogenMod or AOKP and etc.
Concept, is the "Alpha" Edition of Marshmallow that Sony plans to ship out within the next few months, they let a select a number of people to test out the rom and help them debug it. I don't recommend installing it as it is near beta stage and the number of bugs really don't make it suitable as a daily driver for you phone, stick with Lollipop until we get the official stable update unless you know what you're doing.
Good luck!
Revontheus said:
Of course its possible, you don't need unlocked bootloader to edit system files lol. Unlock bootloaders are used to install custom kernels or firmwares not made by Sony, like CyanogenMod or AOKP and etc.
Concept, is the "Alpha" Edition of Marshmallow that Sony plans to ship out within the next few months, they let a select a number of people to test out the rom and help them debug it. I don't recommend installing it as it is near beta stage and the number of bugs really don't make it suitable as a daily driver for you phone, stick with Lollipop until we get the official stable update unless you know what you're doing.
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for explaining what Concept is. I guess that's not something that I need right now! To clarify; are you saying that to be able to edit system files, I don't need to unlock my bootloader? I was under the impression that to do this I'd need to:
a) Unlock bootloader.
b) Root device.
c) Access/edit the bluetooth system files.
Any advice on the steps I need to take to have my Z3 Compact work with my car whilst maintaining original camera quality would be much appreciated!
PS. Due to the prompt, positive responses in this thread, I've just taken my Z3 to a local to store so the screen can be repaired. Thanks all for the help - such good folk!
tsmr said:
Thanks for the reply. I don't actually need CyanogenMod, I just need to be able to edit the bluetooth.default.so file as per the thread I linked so that in-car Bluetooth works with my handset. Is this possible whilst maintaining camera quality?
Also when you say 'only works on stock based ROMs' - does this mean that I could install stock Android 6.0 to my device with a custom bluetooth.default.so file, then install the DRM fix and it will work as normal? This would be amazing!
PS. What is a Concept ROM?
I'm so sorry for asking what are most probably stupid questions but I'm fairly new to the Android scene thus still learning.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you need only the root in order to work on that bluetooth file, you can do it without unlocking the bootloader.
Follow this tutorial: http://forum.xda-developers.com/z3-compact/general/how-to-root-backup-drm-keys-t3013343
You will be able to get root without losing DRM keys and else you will make a backup of DRM keys So, if in the future you need/want to unlock the bootloader, you have a safe copy of your keys. :good:
istux said:
If you need only the root in order to work on that bluetooth file, you can do it without unlocking the bootloader.
Follow this tutorial: http://forum.xda-developers.com/z3-compact/general/how-to-root-backup-drm-keys-t3013343
You will be able to get root without losing DRM keys and else you will make a backup of DRM keys So, if in the future you need/want to unlock the bootloader, you have a safe copy of your keys. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much. Will try this in the morning and hopefully I will be able to use Bluetooth in my car once again!
tsmr said:
My knowledge of ROMs and rooting isn't the best[...]I have seen recent posts on this forum that suggest if the phone is rooted and a custom ROM is installed, I'm still able to maintain my camera quality[...]camera quality is of high importance to me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My suggestion (solely based on the points your described):
Either get a Z3c and stick to stock ROM
Or get an iPhone (seriously)
Now don't get me wrong, I am not being against custom ROMs. I am running CM myself and the first think I do before buying any android phone is to check if it has official CM support But you need to know that custom ROMs come with their own cost, and it depends whether you're willing to pay the price.
Reasons for my suggestion to you is that the road to unlocked bootloader and custom ROMs is a rough one. You'll be adding more mods and flashing more updates and you quickly end up with a phone which gets into the way and needs constant maintenance. Then there are issues with warranty, security, bugs, etc. Checking the forums for changelogs, kernels and ROMs will become a normal routine.
If you're regular user who wants his/her phone to just work, accept one of my suggestion and save yourself some pain. However, you might choose to be adventurous, then welcome to the community
PS: I'm myself exploring Z3c and iPhone 5s for my next phone.
Honestly, the road to rooting and properly running a rooted software is really not that long and rocky if you follow the linked thread perfectly. You also don't NEED to unlock the BL to get most of the advantages (there are many pre-rooted customized ROMs available without needing an unlocked BL). Follow the thread, stick to a good stable ROM or customization (I'm on Max Fury right now and she did some amazing work, check it out), and you'll be just fine. My BL is not even unlockable, doesn't bother me one bit. You can use Nova for a more Google-ish feel, and Sony's 5.1.1 is already pretty good at not being "Sony-fied".
Anyhow, this is the best phone I've ever owned, not looking back (I've had MANY more than just in my signature).
hv6478 said:
NOTE: annotated snippets from original comment
- if you follow the linked thread perfectly
- you also don't NEED to unlock the BL to get most of the advantages (it's upto you to figure out that just which advantages follow under that "most" category)
- follow the thread
- stick to a good stable ROM or customization (it's upto you to figure out whether you need a rom or customization)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. This proves my point even more! Now just compare this to getting a phone that just works
Although ROM customization is a beautiful and powerful idea, it's not for everyone, and comes at a cost (read: complexity). If anyone is ready to handle the complexity, please dive right in
Please don't mistake me. I'm not trying to disrespect the devs or offend custom ROM users, I'm both. I'm just trying to list down the pros and cons.

New user coming in, wondering what I should do with this guy.

Hello! I'm essentially a new user for things like rooting and all that crazy rom stuff when it comes to android. I've only ever used my Huawei Mate 8 to do things like rooting, twrp and rom installation. Xposed bricked the phone whenever i tried to do it so i just rooted stock and left it. I'm lookin to get this dude to be fast and have nice battery life so i can hang on to it for a year or so. I was wondering what things i should do to achieve this while keeping it safe from bricking and doing other weird things to it. For instance, Im not sure what is wrong with my mate 8. But even though twrp works on it, i cannot install any roms on it. The roms never load in and on a backcheck i can see that the storage space is unused. Just not sure what happened.
What things do you guys do to keep the phone running well for a long time? Keep it fast and smooth. Ive never used xposed before so I would have to explore that. I really only use root to modify the kernel to save a bit of battery. I dont really want to go crazy but if i could squeeze an average of 6-8 hours of screen on time with this dude I would do all the crazy things.
Consider me a new user due to the very low support with the Mate 8. Havent really explored android as much as i wish i could have with that phone.
This is a new phone. So no stable or official ROM is available yet. And many xposed modules don't work. We don't even have xposed for Nougat. Whereas most of the custom ROMs available are of Nougat.
Also, we'll mostly get an update this week.
I'd wait for the update. In the mean time, there'll be new ROMs. And the existing ones will be less buggy.
There phone is anyway blazing fast and gives a great battery backup. Even if you keep it in battery saver mode, it's quite fast
But if you feel restless, rooting, flashing ROMs, etc is quite easy. You just need to read about it before doing it. You can always ask anything over here. The are many awesome people here willing to help you out. It's your call. You get to revert back to stock ROM anyway.
Is the nougat beta better than marshmallow? Battery life better or worse or same-y? I'm trying to get the most I can before receiving this phone.
sriharshasv said:
This is a new phone. So no stable or official ROM is available yet. And many xposed modules don't work. We don't even have xposed for Nougat. Whereas most of the custom ROMs available are of Nougat.
Also, we'll mostly get an update this week.
I'd wait for the update. In the mean time, there'll be new ROMs. And the existing ones will be less buggy.
There phone is anyway blazing fast and gives a great battery backup. Even if you keep it in battery saver mode, it's quite fast
But if you feel restless, rooting, flashing ROMs, etc is quite easy. You just need to read about it before doing it. You can always ask anything over here. The are many awesome people here willing to help you out. It's your call. You get to revert back to stock ROM anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
RR and tesla is currently out for our device and they are official release plus they are pretty stable
Isus <3 said:
RR and tesla is currently out for our device and they are official release plus they are pretty stable
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, my bad. Tesla is official now.
But the fact remains that both are buggy. There's some important feature not working properly in all roms.

5 Things Keeping Me Away From Custom Roms

Since I got my first android phone I always loved custom roms. They really changed your phone out of the box. But it seems like with the 6T that has kind of changed.
1. AOSP Gestures
Compared to OOS, AOSP gestures are terrible in the sense they feel "stiff". OOS gestures are smooth and easy to get accustomed to. Although there are apps to kind of replicate it, on AOSP it still doesn't feel the same. The little things like the animation of the app minimizing when you swipe up to the app switcher make a difference.
2. Fingerprint Reader
This is a very hit or miss subject with more misses than hits. I guess this can be chalked up to implementation still being fairly new, but I have tried so many roms and the FP reader works well until it doesn't. And when it doesn't work, it is bad. Screen flickering/darkening, random reboot, & a number of other weird glitches have deemed it unstable for me. Of course the alternative is to use a pin or something, but why if it is there?
3. Nothing "Just Right"
I used to have a Samsung Galaxy and that device had a number of roms for exactly what you wanted. With the 6T it seems like you only have two options. Either you get a stable stripped down rom, that offers nothing special except moving the clock around on the status bar, or you can get a rom w/100+ features and customizations that crashes at least 10 times a day. There doesn't seem to be a rom that has the balance of useful features and stability.
4. Custom Rom ➝ OOS = WIPE EVERYTHING!
I like trying new roms. Keeping my phone fresh and different is exciting, but it is now more difficult than ever it seems. Going from Rom to Rom is easy, but if I ever want to get back to OOS that usually involves wiping all data or even whipping out the good 'ol MSM tool because something went wrong. This whole new A/B Partion recovery nonsense has put a road block into this. There are 100s of instructions on how to make and restore a nandroid backup, but nobody has been able to do it.
5. No More Innovation/Uniqueness
It seems like every 6T rom is just a 'copy & paste' job with a different name. Gone are the days of groundbreaking roms and features. Dynamic System Bars, Pie Controls, Theme Engine, etc... these are just a few things that used to be unique and game changers. Now it's just moving icons around and remapping buttons.
I know this will all change, but for now OOS + Root + Magisk is more than enough.
ogkillergreen said:
Since I got my first android phone I always loved custom roms. They really changed your phone out of the box. But it seems like with the 6T that has kind of changed.
1. AOSP Gestures
Compared to OOS, AOSP gestures are terrible in the sense they feel "stiff". OOS gestures are smooth and easy to get accustomed to. Although there are apps to kind of replicate it, on AOSP it still doesn't feel the same. The little things like the animation of the app minimizing when you swipe up to the app switcher make a difference.
2. Fingerprint Reader
This is a very hit or miss subject with more misses than hits. I guess this can be chalked up to implementation still being fairly new, but I have tried so many roms and the FP reader works well until it doesn't. And when it doesn't work, it is bad. Screen flickering/darkening, random reboot, & a number of other weird glitches have deemed it unstable for me. Of course the alternative is to use a pin or something, but why if it is there?
3. Nothing "Just Right"
I used to have a Samsung Galaxy and that device had a number of roms for exactly what you wanted. With the 6T it seems like you only have two options. Either you get a stable stripped down rom, that offers nothing special except moving the clock around on the status bar, or you can get a rom w/100+ features and customizations that crashes at least 10 times a day. There doesn't seem to be a rom that has the balance of useful features and stability.
4. Custom Rom ➝ OSS = WIPE EVERYTHING!
I like trying new roms. Keeping my phone fresh and different is exciting, but it is now more difficult than ever it seems. Going from Rom to Rom is easy, but if I ever want to get back to OOS that usually involves wiping all data or even whipping out the good 'ol MSM tool because something went wrong. This whole new A/B Partion recovery nonsense has put a road block into this. There are 100s of instructions on how to make and restore a nandroid backup, but nobody has been able to do it.
5. No More Innovation/Uniqueness
It seems like every 6T rom is just a 'copy & paste' job with a different name. Gone are the days of groundbreaking roms and features. Dynamic System Bars, Pie Controls, Theme Engine, etc... these are just a few things that used to be unique and game changers. Now it's just moving icons around and remapping buttons.
I know this will all change, but for now OOS + Root + Magisk is more than enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Fluid navigation gestures
2. Hit or miss on OSS
3. AOSIP
4. Reboot recovery... Factory reset.. Flash OOS..flash twrp reboot
5. AOSIP brings stability and android q features.. Kinda still agree with you though
Just my little 2 cents from when I was still rocking the 6t. I have 7pro now but thankfully AOSIP is already there too. But I can only imagine that development here has only dug further and provides an even better experience since I was here last
Lol. Oos sucks. Try aosip, you won't be disappointed.
Oos all the way! I have tried most custom roms, and while most are really good, but can't get through a day without jonesing to get back on Oos. I breathe a sigh of relief when I'm back using their gesture nav. We need to find ATL4ANTIS and beg him to build a CATACLYSM rom for the 6t! That rom on the Nexus 5 is still to this day the best custom i have ever used!
I have to agree with the OP, I've been flashing ROMs going back to the mytouch 4g and htc hero. Honestly this is the first phone I've owned where I really haven't felt the urge to go beyond root and substratum for more theming options of third party apps. It's nice there are some options out there, but OOS is there first rom I've used that felt mostly complete and not something patched together from bits and pieces. It's fast and smooth and battery is pretty good right out of the box. I keep ending up back on OOS, throwing on few root apps, change up the theme a bit and throw a slightly and I mean slightly better kernel and call it good.
Gotta respect your point of view,nicely written article.
Tho I'm using OmniRom Treskmod at the moment. OOS has also come a long way from what it was during Oreo days and safe to say you can easily live without a custom ROM on a 1+ device. The reason I'm using Treskmod atm because I was bored of OOS UI. Might be switching back to OOS soon
Cataclysm rocked. Loved that on my old Nexus 6.
The main reason I don't root, unlock, custom rom is I'm just too flippin' old and tired at the end of the day to
jack with it anymore. I use to flash all sorts of custom roms, back in the days of my HTC tilt phones, but since
android 4.3, I haven't felt the need to root or custom flash.
Hey, at least we have the ability to do so, but for me, end of the work day and weekend, I rarely touch my phone.
The main reason I don't switch to a custom rom is AOSP Gestures
I mostly agree with you! I like flashing ROMs but always come back to oos after a week max.
There are always some hiccups here are there, some are worse than others. Oos is just what I consider as stable.
ogkillergreen said:
Since I got my first android phone I always loved custom roms. They really changed your phone out of the box. But it seems like with the 6T that has kind of changed.
I know this will all change, but for now OOS + Root + Magisk is more than enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OOS is a tight, well-designed OS.
For now, OOS, TWRP, and Magisk are sufficient for me.
@ogkillergreen;
Here is my question to you...
What are you looking for as far as unique features.
Scott said:
@ogkillergreen;
Here is my question to you...
What are you looking for as far as unique features.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some of the things I looked for was better battery, lockscreen mods such as lockscreen rotation, changing of lockscreen shortcuts. Bring able to change location of status bar elements. Blurring if background for recents UI, quick settings UI. General ability to customize. Granted OOS doesn't have most of these, but it brings enough to the table that I'm not feeling the urge to go through all the steps needed to get them with a custom ROM. The ROMs I have tried while all good, tend to feel like something is lost in translation. May not be your experience but hey... It's how I feel. Out of all the stock ROMs on all the various flavors of devices I've owned going back to the HTC MyTouch 4G with Sense 1, OOS is the only one that has just enough customisation in it whilst remaining out of my way.
I don't necessarily disagree with you. I just wondered what features he was looking for that are not in ROMS now. You gave great examples. Especially the lock screen one, I have not seen that one before.
I Couldn't Agree Any More with You
I was going to share a post very similar to this one of these days sooner or later and you basically took the words right out of my mouth.
Back before I got the OP6T, I loved rooting and installing custom ROMs on my previous phones, all the way back from my Moto X (Original) Developer's Edition, to the LG Nexus 5X, and to the LG G6 (this one was a toughy), I enjoyed trying out different custom ROMs and seeing their unique features or customizability that they could bring to the table.
But with Oxygen OS, I just keep coming back to it! At first I couldn't quite place what it was exactly, but it's just as OP put it. The gestures (so nice. Fluid is a good alternative, but I don't think it quite compares to OP's nav gestures. Sure some customizability would be nice, but it just works.) The FP reader is kind of a big one and even though FP support was eventually brought to custom ROMs, they're still iffy and buggy. I thought at first I wouldn't mind them, and I didn't, but I just missed it in the end. With the nothing "just right" is what I agree with the most. OOS just feels something unlike other stock firmwares out there and it just feels smooth. One example is Nova Launcher. I've been such a huge fan of Nova for so long and the customizability is amazing, but the OnePlus launcher also replaces it for me! It all kind of "just works". For your point on going from custom ROM to OOS wipes everything, I've always accepted the fact that if I'm switching ROMs around, an easy mistake comes with a wipe, so I don't mind that. And with your fifth point, I think that's only because of us growing old of what seemed new or was more active while it existed. Newer updates for Android with security hinder modding and though we keep finding new ways to root and mod, it often just pushed developers away. Hopefully we'll see more innovation, but for the time being I do feel like it's in a state of limbo, or at least slowing down.
I will put in one more chance into AOSIP as people are saying, but right now, OOS with theOneOS, Magisk, Root, and EdXposed satisfy my needs.
I also see people asking OP what they seek in custom ROMs and from my point of view, I seek some originality and uniqueness. Something that persuades me to keep utilizing that ROM instead of pushing me away. I love customizing and ROMs like RR, Omni, BootLeggers are good examples but they lack a solid foundation of what they used to be. They're just cherry picked mods from other custom ROMs, or unofficial ports with stability improvements but that also comes rarely.
One more comment and to close it off: I'm a consumer. I believe that I definitely do know that I have an above average knowledge of how Android, modding, and all that works. I do know that it is hard work to code and create custom ROMs. I haven't personally contributed in doing anything because I simply don't have the time. I'd certainly try to if I did have the time, but I don't. It is appreciated for devs to release custom ROMs, but I feel like it is lacking. I don't mean any offense to anyone, and I hope people do respond in order for conversation or argument. I'd like to see what other people think.
TL;DR: OnePlus somehow just sucks me back into OOS in every way possible. Custom ROMs feel lacking.
@ogkillergreen i couldnt agree more. I laughed at my friend who jumped to One Plus before me when he told me how amazing OOS was. When I got the OP6t, i was blown away at what OP has done. I have been flashing ROMS and mods since the OG Droid Days. Never have I kept a stock rom as my main, not to mention as my preference. On the 6t, while ive tried most roms, its not been worth the trade-offs yet. the clock in status bar on oos bugs the pi$$ out of me. (align right would have been a good option for one plus to put in) but if thats my only gripe in UI, its near perfect *for me*. Every custom rom i tried drank battery compared to OOS. Especially compared to OOS with Omega kernel. my best battery life on an android device ever was with the 5/29 build of omega on stock 9.0.14.
I get it, though. Some people are convinced AOSP-based is always better, more feature laden, and simply faster. I was one of those people. The OP6T has swayed my opinion forever. Stock is no longer a dirty word to me. Especially when coupled with a few magisk modules and Omega kernel.
Scott said:
@ogkillergreen;
Here is my question to you...
What are you looking for as far as unique features.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not so much of unique features, it's more of just frustration in seeing the same features on every rom. Before I open a thread for a rom I already know what will be on the features list. You could post a features list from a rom and I would not be able to tell you which rom it's from. I am looking for something that stands out from the rest, but not in a gimmick like way.
ogkillergreen said:
It's not so much of unique features, it's more of just frustration in seeing the same features on every rom. Before I open a thread for a rom I already know what will be on the features list. You could post a features list from a rom and I would not be able to tell you which rom it's from. I am looking for something that stands out from the rest, but not in a gimmick like way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BootLeggers has some sick themes and other UI Related stuff up its sleeve it also has Minimal Customization and is Stable. If you want a good Custom ROM I'd recommend BootLeggers. But yeah Stock OOS Beta + Magisk & Subs is enough for me.
Surprised you haven't mentioned loss of Widevine L1 as the number one reason to stick with stock OOS
doomwithdon said:
Surprised you haven't mentioned loss of Widevine L1 as the number one reason to stick with stock OOS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that is always a good reason to stay stock, but don't you lose that by just unlocking your bootloader?

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