A few questions about the S3 Mini

[expat42451]

After having my Motorola Atrix 4 G stolen a few days ago on the Metro here in Quito Ecuador, I purchased an S3 mini. So far it is a great phone but I have a number of questions since I am a new user to the Galaxy and new to this version of Android......

The Galaxy I purchased is model number GT-I8190L. It is running Android version 4.1.2. The phone was purchased where I currently am in Quito Ecuador. It is an open phone i.e. not tied to any service provider (here that would be Claro or Movistar). I have a Claro chip in the phone and a pay as you go data and voice program with Claro.

Questions are as follows-

1) Is there any way short of rooting the telephone to get rid of the bloatware i.e. Chat On, Game Hub and so forth.

2) IS there any way to get rid of programs permanently? I have tried dragging the icons from the "Applications" section to the garbage can and it does nothing. Additionally I tried an Office Suite program that I ended up not liking and in spite of dragging the icon to the garbage it remains. Things like the Samsung Apps, Suggest &c I would like to get rid of in addition to the office suite. Do the developer options have to be on to make this happen? Or does the phone need to be rooted?

3) I have the phone encrypted. I have not encrypted the external SD card. I did this pretty much first hour or so I owned the phone so I did not have any opportunity to use the phone to any extent before the encryption. Question is- does encrypting the phone seem to create any additional overhead i.e. for example CPU or battery use?

4) I use MapFactor Navigator extensively since the Open Street Maps can be made to reside on the external SD card, saving internal space and obviating the need to be in cell phone range of anything to have functional map program (and there are a lot of places here in Ecuador where there is no coverage). On the Atrix, even when the screen would switch off, Map Factor would continue to run in the background- when turning the screen on, the satellite constellation would still be locked and the position would still be current. Under 4.1.2 on the Galaxy S3 mini platform, after being in standby for a short period of time, when waking the phone, the program must start from scratch to capture the satellites. I asked about this on the Map Factor forum and all they could suggest was to work with power management settings which are from what I am able to tell, non existent except for screen and CPU settings under power management menu. Is there another way to do this? Ay suggestions"

Finally- I have a pay as you go data program here for times when I am not in Wi fi range. I like the mini feature where most everything can be toggled from the pull down menu. However I have noticed that with mobile data on, sync can't be switched off unless I switch mobile data off first, then switch sync off and then mobile data back on. Or in other words the two do not seem to work independently of each other. Any workaround for this?

I like the phone and the Android version. Also I very much appreciate the forum here with the information available...... I read on Androidcentral extensively before deciding to purchase the S3 mini. The expertise here is deeply appreciated.

Warmest Regards from Quito Ecuador and many thanks for the interest and read.

Expat42451

 

[Bagman58]

Hi Expat, The only possible solution to get rid of the office app would be to reset your phone to factory state or "out of the box condition", Your phone may offer to back up everything and you should make sure you don't select the option to back up otherwise the office program may be downloaded again, With regards to the inevitable bloatware that is pre installed all you can do is un install the updates for the these apps or have a look at rooting your phone but you would have to get expert advice on this!!, I'm in the same boat I would love to get rid of the built in apps but because they are part and parcel of the firmware I will just have to put up with them, Let us know how you get on with the phone reset, Regards from a miserable, overcast south wales.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[GSDer]

1) Is there any way short of rooting the telephone to get rid of the bloatware i.e. Chat On, Game Hub and so forth.

Bloatware cannot be removed from the phone, but some of it can be disabled:
- go to Settings -> Application manager -> ALL
- scroll down until you find an item that you consider to be bloatware (be careful in your selections - disabling some items can have unintended consequences)
- select it and when it opens, click the 'Disable' button
-- in some cases the button will say 'Uninstall updates'; select this, and once the updates are uninstalled, then select the 'Disable' button
-- in some cases the 'Disable' button will be greyed out - if that's the case, all you can do (without rooting) is to hide the app in the Apps Drawer

For bloatware that cannot be disabled, you can at least hide it so that you don't have to look at it:
- from any Home screen, access the Apps Drawer by selecting the grid of dots (Apps) in the lower right corner
- press the Menu button
- select 'Hide applications'
- select each item that you don't want to show up in the Apps Drawer
- select the 'Done' button in the upper right

2) IS there any way to get rid of programs permanently? I have tried dragging the icons from the "Applications" section to the garbage can and it does nothing. Additionally I tried an Office Suite program that I ended up not liking and in spite of dragging the icon to the garbage it remains. Things like the Samsung Apps, Suggest &c I would like to get rid of in addition to the office suite. Do the developer options have to be on to make this happen? Or does the phone need to be rooted?

In order to delete apps that you've installed on the phone, there are three main ways to accomplish that:
1. On your PC, open a web browser and navigate to the Google Play Store, login, and then you can review the apps that you have installed and uninstall them
2. Open the Google Play Store app on your phone
- swipe in from the left edge of the screen and select 'My apps'
- the default view is INSTALLED apps; scroll down and select any app that you want to remove
- select the "UNINSTALL" button
3. Navigate to Settings -> Application manager
- the default view is DOWNLOADED apps; scroll down and select any app that you want to remove
- select the 'Uninstall' button

As noted previously, you can't uninstall any of the bloatware, but you can disable much of it, and what you can't disable you can hide.

You don't have to have Developer options enabled to uninstall any apps that you have installed.

If you want to completely remove the bloatware then the phone has to be rooted, but I would counsel against that.

 

[expat42451]

Bagman58 and GSD'er

Thanks to you both for the kind interest and instructions.....this version of Android is quite a bit different from what was on my older phone so the pointers on doing the tasks are much appreciated. I still have not been able to make MapFactor continue to run in the background - I imagine if I rooted the phone and installed ADB on the laptop I could maybe figure that out...or maybe not - but I don't think I am going to try to hack a new phone while on the road.

As an aside, I called Otterbox this morning via Skype and was told they don't have a Defender case for the S3 mini. I had one on my Atrix and someone stole a brand new looking phone in a case that was a disgrace..... the Otterbox kept the phone absolutely pristine during 18 months of backpacking here in South America-So I don't know what I am going to do for a Defender like case or something equivalent..... plenty of really great cases around for the S3 and S4 but the mini...well.


Again many thanks for the kindness and interest.

Expat42451

 

[GSDer]

Regarding your issue with Map Factor - if you look in Settings, under the Device heading, do you see 'Power saving mode'? If so, be sure it's turned off.

The only other thing I can think of is that the memory on the S3 Mini is limited, and that the app is being swapped out of memory and is having to restart completely. Sorry, I haven't used that app on my S3 so I can't compare results with you.

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM 10.2 using Tapatalk 4

 

[expat42451]

GSD'er

Thanks for the suggestion- I also thought of that and the setting either way seems to make no difference. Times like this I would be tempted to swap the thief the mini for my Atrix..... I end up hitting the standby switch on the right side of the mini more times than not inadvertently which is a pain. The Atrix had the fingerprint reader on the top of the case in the recessed power/standby switch and now I have to enter a password instead of a fingerprint to start the phone. No automatic brightness has turned out to be a lot more of a pain than I thought it might. The mini is a neat platform but it seems like Samsung could have done a number of things to make it a whole lot better. One wonders why they didn't use the front mounted camera as a light sensor to control screen brightness.

Ah well enough complaining. Thanks again for the help. I m really tempted to root it and put another ROM on here but again, traveling its a little more difficult particularly if there are problems.

Expat

 

[GSDer]

now I have to enter a password instead of a fingerprint to start the phone

Depending on your security comfort level there are apps out there that can help minimize the amount of time you have to spend entering your PIN/password. I use
Delayed Lock: http://market.android.com/details?id=de.j4velin.delayedlock2
Delayed Lock WiFi-Plugin: http://market.android.com/details?id=de.j4velin.delayedlock.plugins.wifi2
I use the Wi-Fi plug-in so that when I'm on my home Wi-Fi network it just bypasses the lock screen prompt. The main app has other plug-ins that might suit your needs; there are also other apps that do similar things if you have a Bluetooth connection to your headset or car.

I'm sure if you do a little digging you'll find something that'll balance your security needs with ease of use.

(BTW, I don't know what the price point of the S3 Mini was, but the Nexus 5 is a great phone at a smoking price.)

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM 10.2 using Tapatalk 4

 

[expat42451]

GSD'er

Thanks for the suggestion. I looked at Delaylock2- it would work for what I want only according to the Play Store page, it won't work on an encrypted phone. The Atrix was somewhat protected with the fingerprint scanner but aside from that not much. After having changed a few passwords here and there after the theft, I decided to encrypt the S3 mini. I am going to look further for a security solution to the lock screen grind but thanks for thinking about it and the suggestion.

The S3 mini was $330 here for a new "open" phone. That was the best price I found in Quito. Depending on where you shop, the same phone is $100 more i.e. $450. Everything electronic here is expensive as hell unfortunately. Items can be ordered from the US but when they come in country, customs sometimes charges 50% duty I am told.The Nexus 5 looks awesome but I imagine it will cost close to $700 here. Without a flight back to the US there isn't any way I am aware of to have it or any other phone cheaper.

I ve been looking over the XDA postings on the S3 mini. Some people in various places are talking about the mini not getting 4.2 or any later version of the stock OS and comments about it being at the end of its support lifecycle...... I like custom ROMs - I did some of that on the Atrix before I left the US. I am again tempted to do it here but aside from being on the road and having to depend on the phone for daily use and navigation I am running a Mac laptop which complicates getting tools. I probably could use Boot Camp and put Windoze on here as well but things are prone to get exponentially more complicated......

Again thanks for the kind suggestion and help. I am going to do some more digging for a solution to the lock screen grind. Any further comments or suggestions please feel free to make them.

Expat

 

[GSDer]

Drat! I misplaced the link to a tool called 'Framaroot' (just Google it if you're interested) - it's available on XDA, and is an app that you install which may allow you to root your phone without the need for a PC. I don't know what effect having the phone encrypted would have, if any.

Good luck and stay in touch.

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM 10.2 using Tapatalk 4