Switched to Android today

[zkSharks]

The driver and setup process can be frustrating. Assuming you'll be using a Windows machine, be sure to first uninstall all drivers for any Android/Samsung/LG/whatever devices and reboot. Then install the drivers from here. Reboot, connect the device, and hopefully you'll see it listed when you run the 'adb devices' command. You can also use the toolkits to do much of the process, but it's still advised to remove any existing Android-related drivers first.

 

[techydavid]

Ooooh yeah.

From mah shiny new Nexus 5

 

[techydavid]

The Note 3 comes loaded with a ton of bloatware, even for a Samsung device. This is what drove me away from getting one. See the following for a listing of the bloatware and means for disabling some of it:

http://www.droidviews.com/remove-bloatware-on-samsung-galaxy-note-3/

Regarding OS updates on any Samsung device, they are notoriously poor in providing them in a timely manner. I've waited as long as a year for Samsung to push an update, and then it was still an older version. Frustrating to say the least.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4

I just counted it's 83. whoa.

From mah shiny new Nexus 5

 

[dancing-bass]

The driver and setup process can be frustrating

Still rocking my Galaxy Nexus (my first Android device!!) I spend a few hours every night for a week reading and re-reading how-to's and what-if articles before I jumped in. It STILL took me 4-5 hours to get my computer (Win7 desktop) and my Gnex to play nicely. Once I accomplished that, unlocking and rooting took about half an hour as I recall -- including a coffee/cigarette break!

Sad to hear that drivers are still such an issue, but once that is solved the rest is easy

I still use Wug's toolkit (for my Gnex and my N7 (2012) tablet). I kinda-sorta understand the ADB commands but using a toolkit makes sure I don't break anything. I've even used Wug's to recover my phone when I accidently wiped the OS (and everything else!) off my phone.

With a Nexus, if it turns on, you've got a good chance of being able to get it operating again. Other phones -- not so much! Good luck with your N5!

 

[chadthebuilder]

Still rocking my Galaxy Nexus (my first Android device!!) I spend a few hours every night for a week reading and re-reading how-to's and what-if articles before I jumped in. It STILL took me 4-5 hours to get my computer (Win7 desktop) and my Gnex to play nicely. Once I accomplished that, unlocking and rooting took about half an hour as I recall -- including a coffee/cigarette break!

Sad to hear that drivers are still such an issue, but once that is solved the rest is easy

I still use Wug's toolkit (for my Gnex and my N7 (2012) tablet). I kinda-sorta understand the ADB commands but using a toolkit makes sure I don't break anything. I've even used Wug's to recover my phone when I accidently wiped the OS (and everything else!) off my phone.

With a Nexus, if it turns on, you've got a good chance of being able to get it operating again. Other phones -- not so much! Good luck with your N5!

Even if it doesn't turn on there's still a good chance that I can be working again (as long as it's a software issue). I really don't understand how some people are having hard times getting their Nexus devices to work with their PC's. When I first got my Nexus 7, I just plugged it in, Windows automatically downloaded driver software, and five minutes later I was on my way to rooting it. Maybe I just got lucky?

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[anon(847090)]

The hardest part in rooting a Nexus is downloading and installing the drivers. Other than that, it takes less than a few minutes to root.

Sent from my mobile device using an app.

Agreed. Rooting mine took 3 hours of frustrating reboots and driver installs and uninstalls. Got it to work and it was well worth it.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

The driver and setup process can be frustrating. Assuming you'll be using a Windows machine, be sure to first uninstall all drivers for any Android/Samsung/LG/whatever devices and reboot. Then install the drivers from here. Reboot, connect the device, and hopefully you'll see it listed when you run the 'adb devices' command. You can also use the toolkits to do much of the process, but it's still advised to remove any existing Android-related drivers first.

with mac the whole rooting process is much more simplified. I use to deal with all those drivers and installs and it was painful

Install JDK then Android SDK, update drivers, install them, update fastboot.. it was painful. (obviously you can download just fast boot but i usually dont trust external source)
with mac/linux all you have to do is download SDK and extract

 

[Alain_A]

I thought I've a you tube demonstrating how to root samsung with out tripping knox. there is a video on that.
and how to revert to factory reset with knox returning to zero

 

[jj14x]

with mac the whole rooting process is much more simplified. I use to deal with all those drivers and installs and it was painful

Install Java then Android SDK, update drivers, install them, update fastboot.. it was painful. (obviously you can download just fast boot but i usually dont trust external source)
with mac/linux all you have to do is download SDK and extract

You really don't need to install java (at least on Windows). Just download/extract the SDK (slim one is sufficient), install drivers (if needed), and use fastboot from command prompt.
Java (not the drinking variety of course) is banished from my home

 

[jj14x]

I thought I've a you tube demonstrating how to root samsung with out tripping knox. there is a video on that.
and how to revert to factory reset with knox returning to zero

Unless something changed in the past month:
Currently, the only way to root S4 without tripping Knox is if you are still on 4.2 - you can install the 4.3 OS update without updating the Samsung bootloader - or just go to a custom ROM
There is no known way (currently) to reset Knox once it has been tripped.

If you know differently, and can provide instructions on how to do that, that's be awesome.

 

[JeffDenver]

So I decided this morning that I was finally make my switch from Apple to Android. I'm enjoying Android in general but I fear I may have chosen the wrong phone to do it with. This morning I purchased the note 3. The phone is definitely packing the specifications that I'm looking for... But Samsung really gives me the same feeling of being "locked down" in a sense.

Samsung makes great hardware and has a lot of features. But you pay for it by being forced to use their custom skin, called Touchwiz. It is baked into the OS and you can't really "uninstall" it.

I love Samsung because they include things like removable batteries and SD. But I hate Touchwiz so much I can't buy their stuff.

So I'm having a bit of buyers remorse. I've watched further reviews and weighed my options. It seems the nexus 5 would be my best choice. I want full flexibility, latest updates, root access, a good camera, no ****ty bloatware and smooth buttery performance.

Then you want the Nexus 5. It has all those things.

Do I have to worry about the nexus line when it comes to rooting?

No. It is quite easy to root compared to other phones.

But the whole reason I chose Nexus was because I won't have to root. On other phones, the main reason I wanted to root was to get Vanilla Android back and free myself from their vendor skin pollution. The Nexus is pure by default, so there is no real reason to root.

I did finally root just so I could tether without T-Mobile knowing about it. If it were not for that, I would have no reason to rot at all.

Will I constantly be playing cat and mouse to keep my updates coming?

Updated a rooted phone can be a hassle. Generally if you are not running stock-everything you need to flash updates manually. I have had lots of issues getting OTAs to work on rooted phones before.

Fortunately, Nexus is the template for Android. So it will always (always) get updates before anyone else. My sister's Note 3 is just now getting to 4.3. I have been on 4.4.2 for a long time now.

 

[JeffDenver]

The nexus from Google is unlocked with a locked bootloader?

As far as I know, no phones come unlocked. This is for your own protection, so someone can't snake a virus or something in there.

But the Nexus was very easy to unlock. Just typing a single command line in the Android SDK. On many phones it is more involved than that.

I do like the performance of the Note... but the slow updates, bloatware, and inability to root without screwing over my warranty are a heavy turn off for me. Shame on Samsung!

My sister loves the Note 2. But she doesn't have a problem with touchwiz.

The Nexus 5 will beat the performance on the Note when it comes to the UI. There is no Android phone I have ever seen that is as smooth as the Nexus 5. I had an Asus Transformer that I recently installed a vanilla Android ROM on...the difference is night and day. It is like a new tablet. When relieved of the burden of Vendor Skin pollution, it is amazing how much better the same hardware performs.

 

[anon(847090)]

You really don't need to install java (at least on Windows). Just download/extract the SDK (slim one is sufficient), install drivers (if needed), and use fastboot from command prompt.
Java (not the drinking variety of course) is banished from my home

you need JDK(I didn't actually mean Java) before you can install SDK windows installer

 

[jj14x]

You don't 'need' JDK for the slim SDK (the slim one just has the essential components for fastboot).
[GUIDE] Nexus 5 - How to Unlock Bootloader, Install Custom Recovery and Root - xda-developers
See step 1 (towards the end), for a link to the slimmed down package. I know it works because I used it (without installing java/jdk/jre)

I don't use a Mac, but from what I've read, on a mac, you usually don't need to install JDK because apple used to bundle Java into their OS till snow leopard, and when folks upgraded to Lion, it wasn't removed (Java is not bundled into clean Lion installations.
Regardless, I'm sure that even on a Mac, you can get fastboot to work without java (or JDK) - don't ask me how, but if it can be done on Windows, I'm sure it can be done on other OS as well

 

[anon(19759)]

I'm holding onto the phone and getting used to Android as a whole as I wait for my Nexus 5 (which I ordered this morning 32gb black). I can't wait! ;-)

I do like the performance of the Note... but the slow updates, bloatware, and inability to root without screwing over my warranty are a heavy turn off for me. Shame on Samsung!

Nope. Shame on you. Clearly you know more than the average smartphone user, yet you did not research any of this before buying the Note 3? Samsung doesn't make any claims that you can root, unlock the bootloader or be assured of timely updates. These are all plain facts that can be found before buying a Samsung Note 3. Samsung has a very specific idea of what they want the Galaxy experience to be, and you can't blame them for you not doing your homework. Clearly you belong with a Nexus. Good luck with the 5 when it arrives.

 

[Alain_A]

Unless something changed in the past month:
Currently, the only way to root S4 without tripping Knox is if you are still on 4.2 - you can install the 4.3 OS update without updating the Samsung bootloader - or just go to a custom ROM
There is no known way (currently) to reset Knox once it has been tripped.

If you know differently, and can provide instructions on how to do that, that's be awesome.

what about those video???? I never rooted.....so I'm not an expert...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTCH0gmRT0A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVVdiMBD5Kg

 

[JAG21979]

Check out the Moto X...

 

[jj14x]

what about those video???? I never rooted.....so I'm not an expert...

If this works for the S4 too, that's great! (just read up a little more about kingo - over on xda, there appears to be some concerns about the application sending IMEI and some other info over to their servers during the root process - maybe that's been corrected)
I'm not exactly sure what kingo application is doing - maybe it isn't loading the new bootloader, or maybe they found some other exploit.

Research it more, try it out and see whether it works

 

[Alain_A]

If this works for the S4 too, that's great! (just read up a little more about kingo - over on xda, there appears to be some concerns about the application sending IMEI and some other info over to their servers during the root process - maybe that's been corrected)
I'm not exactly sure what kingo application is doing - maybe it isn't loading the new bootloader, or maybe they found some other exploit.

Research it more, try it out and see whether it works

what about the other video?

like I said I am not an expert in rooting.

so let me know

 

[jj14x]

what about the other video?

like I said I am not an expert in rooting.

so let me know

I see two videos in your post. One for rooting, one for unrooting. I have used neither of these, so can't say if it will work or not. Sorry. (If you had a question about the Nexus 5, I may know more)
Hopefully others will chime in, or post your question in the S4 thread

 

[flick0416]

If root access and prompt OS updates are priorities for you, you literally cannot find a better phone than Nexus. The N5 is definitely the best Nexus phone to date too. I think you'll enjoy it. It seems you're open to learning a new system too, so just give it time to get fully acclimated. Feel free to post questions or issues you run into too. I've found the overall Android community to be very helpful.

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