Does it make sense to change ROM with an update coming?

[beef5stew]

So I'm rooted, and doing some system exploring. I want to do MORE with the system, but I have found that the BIONIC has a few stability issues, not enough to make me get a new phone, but enough that I would like to get the maintenance update applied when it comes out (looking like next month.)

On the other hand, I'm hearing some great things about some of the ROMs out there. I'd really like to start using them (at least until CM7 is available), but I haven't seen anything that would indicate they help with stability issues.

So, do I rom after update, or jump in now.

 

[wseyller]

When it comes to issue that are caused from kernel and/or radio then most of the roms will not make any difference. For example the issues with data dropping out or switching between 3g/4g.

However there are version of updates to the kernel and radio that can be obtain through harsher methods. It is not something you would do unless you are absolutely sure you know what you are doing and you realized what could happen to your phone. I have not found 100% for sure evidence yet that you can go back to the current stock firmware. You could be stuck outside the upgrade path. There may be no recovery available for a semi-brick. I am still researching about it myself. If you want to find more about it then look for things such as ".893 OTA". "Cheesecake". "Forever Root"

 

[Averix]

I suggest you wait patiently. There are a lot of issues bouncing around on different forums with the rooting not being permanent, causing bricking after the update, getting off the standard update path, etc. Likely will be an official OTA release within a couple weeks and then the real work of figuring out what will work and what won't happens.
Based on all the battery life and stability comments concerning the 893 update, it sounds like you'll want the update, radios and all.

 

[wseyller]

I did finally flash the 893 OTA a few hours ago. It when well so far. I'm at my office and what I noticed so far is that the 4g is stable as it used to not be. Before I had two or three bars inside the building and full bars outside. The 4g would drop out after a few minutes to an hour. It was annoying at best. With the update I have had stable 4g for hours and I get more bars inside (full bars most of the time. If I walk around maybe 3 at worst.

The real test is when I get home because I am right on the edge of 4g service. At home is last at most 15 minutes and only 1 bar.

Also here is how to supposedly get back to the upgrade path:
How to get your phone back on the upgrade path...

 

[KillerG]

When it comes to issue that are caused from kernel and/or radio then most of the roms will not make any difference. For example the issues with data dropping out or switching between 3g/4g.

However there are version of updates to the kernel and radio that can be obtain through harsher methods. It is not something you would do unless you are absolutely sure you know what you are doing and you realized what could happen to your phone. I have not found 100% for sure evidence yet that you can go back to the current stock firmware. You could be stuck outside the upgrade path. There may be no recovery available for a semi-brick. I am still researching about it myself. If you want to find more about it then look for things such as ".893 OTA". "Cheesecake". "Forever Root"

Glad you found this out. But for some people, some clarification would be a good idea. The .893 OTA is an early version of that same maintenance update we're all talking about, but you have to use the "Cheesecake" app to get it. That means you need to be stock, bloated, etc, (and XDA has a great thread if you need to flash back to stock, I did it yesterday to update to .893), but so far I've seen much better performance out of the Bionic. A little better battery life as well. I am running TH3ORY ROM v2.0 though, which enhances it a little more. It's great, I recommend it if you want to go through the trouble of doing the Cheesecake update

 

[Fable]

p3DROID has also released the full ota which can be applied as an update.zip for those not wanting to cheesecake. You can get the file over at mydroidworld, but you still need to forever root if you want to stay rooted on it or any other ota.

 

[wseyller]

p3DROID has also released the full ota which can be applied as an update.zip for those not wanting to cheesecake. You can get the file over at mydroidworld, but you still need to forever root if you want to stay rooted on it or any other ota.

I used the zip for myself and I also am running theory 2.0. You can't go fully back to stock though, but instead there is a way to go back to the .886 system but you still have .893 radio and kernel. You end up with a hybrid. But it does get you back on the upgrade path.

In the early stages of all this if you lost root or you didn't properly do forever root before flashing .893 then you were stuck without any root privileged. Of course now there is a way to root again if you mess up. There is a method using Linux and a method for windows/mac soon.

 

[Averix]

Since I'm looking at getting another phone shortly, I went ahead and did the 893 stock update with no rooting/ROM changes. No problems updating. Still testing, but at least the camera is way faster in most cases. Doesn't take forever to launch, focus, or take a pic. No network drop outs since doing it yesterday afternoon either. When this comes out for the general public, people should be a lot happier.