No aosp roms on the s4.

[croppz]

The Devs dropped CM support for the DNA as soon as it came out too. We have a couple guys working on unofficial builds but we wont see aosp for quite a while.

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Android Central Forums

 

[Aquila]

Ill buy a nexus when theres one worth buying.

Since you seem to be on AT&T, until the S4 actually drops, I'd say the Nexus 4 is the best phone available to you. When it drops, then the S4 is spec'd better, but I'd wager the experience is better on the Nexus and since it's half the price, in my opinion the N4 is still the better value. I'm guessing you value different things than I do ...

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

Ill buy a nexus when theres one worth buying.

Buying a non-Nexus with the sole (or at least a high probability) purpose of putting an AOSP ROM on it is, to me, ludicrous. If you want stock Android that bad then a Nexus it shall be. The experience will be BETTER than any other phone with a (honestly) hacked AOSP-based ROM put on it.

Why people say "oh man I love the [insert name of phone here]" and then completely change the experience is beyond me. Either hardware matters enough to keep less than ideal software on it, or software matters enough to sacrifice on the hardware side. And really, the hardware of the N4 was top shelf when it was released, and has only been surpassed recently.

If you buy a phone with Sense/Touchwiz/Blur/etc on it, then strip all that away, you're losing many of the reasons that made you want the phone in the first place. Unless, like I said, you're willing to make some major sacrifices on the software side. I know from experience, for example, that the camera experience on the One X with an AOSP-based ROM isn't anywhere near as good as with a Sense ROM. I've heard the same about Touchwiz and the S3. Makes sense, since the proprietary licensed part of the processing algorithms can't be used.

 

[sabret00the]

We're talking about a single team here. Most devices don't have official CM seniors as developers and yet they have official CyanogenMod builds. The interesting question is, did they each get ty super long contracts or are they moving away from Samsungs?

 

[LordVader13]

Only if my countries cell providers would bring the Nexus 4 into the country. The morons said there is no market for it, people are losing their minds.

 

[LordVader13]

Does this mean no Root for the S4 also? I cant not have root. After buying all those apps that need root (and loving them) (Titanium backup etc.)

 

[neiljay6]

I could not care less. If I want the stock look and operation of android I have the option to install nova or many other launchers. I and the other people I know who like Samsung's phones in general really don't care or will never want to root or install a custom launcher.

 

[Subliminal]

It's sad really. The S3 has AOSP roms on it, but they...well, they aren't the best. Apparently the RIL is not released, so they have to hack away at the radio code to get it to work...and then it just works moderately ok...I haven't been able to keep an AOSP rom on my s3 for more than a few days, because inevitably I'll end up somewhere, sitting with a bunch of folk and be the only one without a signal.

 

[hotbbq]

Buying a non-Nexus with the sole (or at least a high probability) purpose of putting an AOSP ROM on it is, to me, ludicrous. If you want stock Android that bad then a Nexus it shall be.

Unless of course you want an LTE device with an AOSP ROM. Or you buy a used phone for super cheap and want a stock-sh experience (that's what I did with my EVO 3D). Or your device is EOL'd (like my EVO 3D) and the only new software you are going to get is from third party devs.

Why people say "oh man I love the [insert name of phone here]" and then completely change the experience is beyond me. Either hardware matters enough to keep less than ideal software on it, or software matters enough to sacrifice on the hardware side. And really, the hardware of the N4 was top shelf when it was released, and has only been surpassed recently.

See my previous statements. The beta builds of CM 10.1 are leagues better than the stock software for my EVO 3D. The only that doesn't work is the 3D features, which almost no one used to begin with.

If you buy a phone with Sense/Touchwiz/Blur/etc on it, then strip all that away, you're losing many of the reasons that made you want the phone in the first place.

Err, not really. I was leaning to the S4 over the One as my upgrade only because I thought the third party support would be greater on the S4. Now, I'm more inclined to get the One. Would I rather have a beastly spec'd Nexus device with LTE, absolutely. I'd still put AOKP or CM on it, though, as they take stock and make it even better.

 

[friguy3]

Ugh, being on verizon really limits you since theres all this question of the One coming to big red and now with this...I hope the MotoX makes it to big red (as id assume it would with the moto verizon love afair) because no way Id get the S4 without develper support.

 

[thebizz]

I have not run cm or aokp since last summer when I got rid of the sgs2. I missed the great camera on the evo lte and s3 that the stock firmware provided. I was hoping we would get the nexus 4 on sprint but I don't see that happening. So now I'm going to the s4 or HTC one. Which ever one I get I will still not flash and aosp rom on it because I don't want to loose features for stock android ui

 

[sooner7]

Buying a non-Nexus with the sole (or at least a high probability) purpose of putting an AOSP ROM on it is, to me, ludicrous. If you want stock Android that bad then a Nexus it shall be. The experience will be BETTER than any other phone with a (honestly) hacked AOSP-based ROM put on it.

This is very true, but on some devices AOSP is near perfect, like the U.S. S3 variants. Either way, nexus isn't available to everyone and the snarky attitude from people here about "going GSM and finally getting a nexus" gets kind of old. Some want AOSP on other hardware, on their CDMA carrier...

I like having near bug free AOSP on my s3, then switching back to a modded TW ROM. Don't see any Nexii doing that.

 

[Robbzilla]

That doesn't make any sense. Worth is a subjective term. Maybe you can start by telling us what makes phone worth buying for you.

CDMA would be a nice start.

 

[tekhna]

Wow. Well, guess I'm keeping my GS3.

 

[BK Phil1]

Looking more and more like an Optimus G for me. Or maybe a Sony?

I'd love to get a Nexus or a One, but since expandable storage is non-negotiable for me (I use my device almost exclusively underground and in other environments with zero connectivity) those are off the board.

I'd like a removable battery too, but I'll probably have to bend on that issue.

 

[STC09]

Buying a non-Nexus with the sole (or at least a high probability) purpose of putting an AOSP ROM on it is, to me, ludicrous. If you want stock Android that bad then a Nexus it shall be.

If there's a better solution for VZW users, let's hear it. The other carriers simply don't have the network coverage I need and I have zero interest in proprietary UIs, but the chances of another CDMA Nexus are very low.

 

[TabGuy]

That doesn't make any sense. Worth is a subjective term. Maybe you can start by telling us what makes phone worth buying for you.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

Here are my non-negotiable requirements for a phone. Very simple, really: 1) It must work on Verizon LTE. 2) It must have a removable battery.

AT&T has no coverage in my house, I have to stand out in the street to get coverage. I also do a lot of wifi tethering and I can eat through a battery in several hours.

After living with a Galaxy Nexus for the last 16 months I can say that I really, really miss removable storage. It would be nice to have an SD card slot but it's not a deal breaker, just a real annoyance.

Other than those items, I can be very flexible on what a Nexus phone should be.

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

If there's a better solution for VZW users, let's hear it. The other carriers simply don't have the network coverage I need and I have zero interest in proprietary UIs, but the chances of another CDMA Nexus are very low.

Here are my requirements for a phone. Very simple, really: 1) It must work on Verizon LTE. 2) It must have a removable battery.

Other than those two items, I can be very flexible on what a Nexus phone should be.

What's wrong with the Galaxy Nexus? If software really is your focus it still runs 4.2.2 perfectly fine. It also has a very healthy developer community behind it. Reality is this, Google will build a device if the carriers want it, and my guess is that Sprint and Verizon haven't shown any interest. There's no money it for them, since they can't put all their carrier bloat on it and make changes to the software (those two little things on the VZW GNex notwithstanding).

I'm not advocating switching to GSM (though, if coverage is there and you want a Nexus 4, then, well....), but reality is that Samsung isn't as developer friendly as people think. There are other companies that are quiet about it, but really do embrace the "hacking" community.

I'm also not saying that there aren't phones out there that have perfectly functional and working CM (or other AOSP-based) ROM's. There are. Most members of the "official" CM team are brought on board AFTER they have a working build running on a phone and have shown the ability to squash bugs and maintain the build for the device (don't believe me, do some Googling). One thing is certain, though, and that's that even they start with Nexus devices. I'm not really surprised, and neither should anyone else be.

Everything is about trade-offs and compromises. Unfortunately it will be like for a while.

 

[STC09]

What's wrong with the Galaxy Nexus?

That's what I'm currently using but looking down the road, there's nothing until perhaps when VoLTE replaces CDMA. I've also read that the GNex is no longer sold by VZW, so the plan in case of a catastrophic failure in mine was to get an S4 and rip out touchwiz.

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

If there's a better solution for VZW users, let's hear it. The other carriers simply don't have the network coverage I need and I have zero interest in proprietary UIs, but the chances of another CDMA Nexus are very low.

That's what I'm currently using but looking down the road, there's nothing until perhaps when VoLTE replaces CDMA. I've also read that the GNex is no longer sold by VZW, so the plan in case of a catastrophic failure in mine was to get an S4 and rip out touchwiz.

You could always get the S3 and do the same thing. Or buy a used Gnex.