Why people who posses SGS4 keep flashing roms ?

[EdwardTodorov]

I am very interested and want to ask something,people who flash custom roms. Why ? I cant explain that to me. Why when you buy a phone which primary function is to simplify your life and everyday tasks, people still root and flash stock roms, where they lose all of the S4 features. Its noticeable how many hate about the Samsung Android skin is out there ( cant explain that either), is it because people are just to much devoted to the idea of being purists ? I am normal person, who know what root,custom roms and mods means ( i used it a lot when i had a nexus 4 device) but when i got the s4 i just didnt need any of these. Am i the only one who thinks that one phone should serve you well and you should enjoy it instead of constantly flashing buggyy roms, changing the whole look and give up from what the manufacturer had made for you. All in all, you paid not a small price for your device and its not only for the hardware. So what do you thinks guys ?

 

[trucky]

Because it's there. I only flash, root or mod if there is gain, never to lose functionality. I seek to improve on what is already there.

 

[EdwardTodorov]

Because it's there. I only flash, root or mod if there is gain, never to lose functionality. I seek to improve on what is already there.

Okey then, are you using an S4 device ? Can you tell me what bothered you and what you changed about it? Do you use any 3rd-party launcher ? What are your favorite s4 features ? It will be nice to share this

 

[HPferoxCraft]

Who says you have to lose all the features? There are great touchwiz based roms out there. I root to get rid of bloat, to tweak a custom kernel, to invert some system apps to black themes like that ugly phone app, change boot animations, use hotspot, apply sound mods, change fonts and status bar layouts and greatly increase battery life.
Now you don't necessarily need to flash a custom rom to achieve all that, you could just be rooted and flash 20 different things. Or you can flash a ROM that has most of those options baked in so you only have to flash a couple of things, and you may get some added tweeks.
I'm on a custom touchwiz based rom with all the features, plus with a lot more control and customization options. Not looking to update anytime soon.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[argold]

When Google upgraded the phone from Android 4.2.2 to 4.3 they also, without warning or explanation, made the external storage unwriteable by apps. As far as I could learn rooting to repair this vandalism was the only option to restore the phone to its original functionality and so re-enable software.

 

[trucky]

Okey then, are you using an S4 device ? Can you tell me what bothered you and what you changed about it? Do you use any 3rd-party launcher ? What are your favorite s4 features ? It will be nice to share this

Yes, S4 here. I'm a huge proponent of backups. I use Titanium Backup on a regular basis. Also, when rooted you have the ability to perform a nandroid backup, which is a total snapshot of your entire device, except external SD storage. I use Nova launcher, no root required. I also like to eliminate ugly screens from reboots and annoyiing noises, only possible with root.

 

[dwhitman]

I love the S4 hardware: big, big screen; fast processor, thin body, light weight. But essentially nothing in the Touchwiz feature list seemed like anything I'd actually use on a day-to-day basis. YMMV obviously, but to me, it was just a bunch of gimmicks I'd never use.

I rooted and flashed Cyanogenmod to get a close to stock Android experience on this really nice piece of hardware.

 

[flybub]

I came from HTC and have never used TouchWiz. For the first week TW was ok, after that I really started to hate it. There is just too much crap on it using up a lot of resources. I am a stock android guy and I would love for a nexus device to come to Verizon but that will more than likely never happen again. I would flash CM on my S4 if it was possible but mine came with ME7 already installed so I had no way of unlocking the bootloader. So here I am. If I had to do it all over again I would have waited and gone with the Moto X instead of the S4. This could have been a really amazing device but TW is just way too sloppy.

 

[asdfasdfgasdfadfs]

Who says you have to lose all the features? There are great touchwiz based roms out there. I root to get rid of bloat, to tweak a custom kernel, to invert some system apps to black themes like that ugly phone app, change boot animations, use hotspot, apply sound mods, change fonts and status bar layouts and greatly increase battery life.
Now you don't necessarily need to flash a custom rom to achieve all that, you could just be rooted and flash 20 different things. Or you can flash a ROM that has most of those options baked in so you only have to flash a couple of things, and you may get some added tweeks.
I'm on a custom touchwiz based rom with all the features, plus with a lot more control and customization options. Not looking to update anytime soon.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using AC Forums mobile app

Which ROM are you using that has these, I am mainly interest in the Battery life increase, and the Hotspot.

 

[trucky]

My Nova home screen for Mr. Todorov...

 

[EdwardTodorov]

Nice, appreciate this man ))

 

[EdwardTodorov]

I came from HTC and have never used TouchWiz. For the first week TW was ok, after that I really started to hate it. There is just too much crap on it using up a lot of resources. I am a stock android guy and I would love for a nexus device to come to Verizon but that will more than likely never happen again. I would flash CM on my S4 if it was possible but mine came with ME7 already installed so I had no way of unlocking the bootloader. So here I am. If I had to do it all over again I would have waited and gone with the Moto X instead of the S4. This could have been a really amazing device but TW is just way too sloppy.

I have some good news for you buddy

Recently, Samsung's vice chairman & CEO Kwon Oh-hyun did just that. Using a comparison to the 2013 World Series winning Boston Red Sox' pitching staff, Oh-hyun admits that Samsung's software isn't the greatest out there, and that there are certainly areas that need to be improved upon. To do that isn't a small effort, though, and the company is making some mighty big moves to make sure that their software in the future is better than what it is today.

They're doing that by moving half of Samsung's Research and Development (R&D) workforce to the software front. Based on reports, Samsung is spending somewhere over $3 billion per quarter on R&D, so it's pretty obvious that Samsung intends on fixing whatever they think is broken, and doing their best to make everything else just flat-out better down the road.

Lets hope than in 2014 we will see a better and modified version which we will truly enjoy ))

 

[flybub]

I have some good news for you buddy



Lets hope than in 2014 we will see a better and modified version which we will truly enjoy ))

Lets hope this software isn't Tizen. If it is I'm definitely done with Samsung, my fingers are crossed though.

 

[HPferoxCraft]

Which ROM are you using that has these, I am mainly interest in the Battery life increase, and the Hotspot.

I primarily use Triforce 3.1 and Sacs V8. I get the most bang with the ktoonsez kernel though, there are a few nice profiles for it you can load that others have already tweaked that you can use as a starting base. Nothing against other kernels, this one plays the most nice with me and my phone.
Kernels and hot spot mods you should be able to obtain without a custom rom if you don't want one.
I'm on mf9 firmware though, can't comment on any of the mods and such for 4.3 since it's so new and am just following along taking notes.


Sent from my SPH-L720 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[Shanicenicolle]

Who says you have to lose all the features? There are great touchwiz based roms out there. I root to get rid of bloat, to tweak a custom kernel, to invert some system apps to black themes like that ugly phone app, change boot animations, use hotspot, apply sound mods, change fonts and status bar layouts and greatly increase battery life.
Now you don't necessarily need to flash a custom rom to achieve all that, you could just be rooted and flash 20 different things. Or you can flash a ROM that has most of those options baked in so you only have to flash a couple of things, and you may get some added tweeks.
I'm on a custom touchwiz based rom with all the features, plus with a lot more control and customization options. Not looking to update anytime soon.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using AC Forums mobile app

Which rom are you using?

Edit: nvm i read the rest if the thread.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[HPferoxCraft]

Which rom are you using?

Edit: nvm i read the rest if the thread.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using AC Forums mobile app

Yeah and no offense to the other roms, I play with them all, those two I just spend the most time with and have them set up just exactly how I like them.
I dread updating to 4.3 or 4.4 when it comes because I don't want to lose anything I've set up. I might just stay on 4.2 indefinitely.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[salutcemoi]

I rooted and flashed roms on my htc one S, but I haven't even rooted my S4 yet, lol.

I like it the way it is.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[oildale]

I am very interested and want to ask something,people who flash custom roms. Why ? I cant explain that to me. Why when you buy a phone which primary function is to simplify your life and everyday tasks, people still root and flash stock roms, where they lose all of the S4 features. Its noticeable how many hate about the Samsung Android skin is out there ( cant explain that either), is it because people are just to much devoted to the idea of being purists ? I am normal person, who know what root,custom roms and mods means ( i used it a lot when i had a nexus 4 device) but when i got the s4 i just didnt need any of these. Am i the only one who thinks that one phone should serve you well and you should enjoy it instead of constantly flashing buggyy roms, changing the whole look and give up from what the manufacturer had made for you. All in all, you paid not a small price for your device and its not only for the hardware. So what do you thinks guys ?

I don't particularly find that the Samsung Apps do anything I really care for, let alone "simplify my life and everyday tasks." Most of the Samsung "features" reek of pure fluff to me. Ooohh.. I can wave my hand over my phone to see the time and notifications... I rarely need to actually check the time and the multicolor LED gives me my notifications at a glance. Plus don't get me started on the bunch of apps that my cell provider installs as well. So, I rooted my S4 the day after I bought it because I don't like what was installed on it out of the box. As for the "buggy roms" I haven't had a buggy rom yet. I've tried some that didn't have all the features I wanted, but from what I've seen, in general the roms out there are quite solid. Not to mention that by switching to an AOSP rom and ditching TouchWiz, my phone was obviously snappier, even before installing a custom kernel. Just because I paid a good amount of money for something it doesn't mean I have to automatically think everything about it is the best it possibly can be.

Just in case, I run the BeanStalk Build 4.3.1015 rom with the KT-SGS4 Jellybean kernel and it's completely stable, no problems at all.

 

[EdwardTodorov]

I don't particularly find that the Samsung Apps do anything I really care for, let alone "simplify my life and everyday tasks." Most of the Samsung "features" reek of pure fluff to me. Ooohh.. I can wave my hand over my phone to see the time and notifications... I rarely need to actually check the time and the multicolor LED gives me my notifications at a glance. Plus don't get me started on the bunch of apps that my cell provider installs as well. So, I rooted my S4 the day after I bought it because I don't like what was installed on it out of the box. As for the "buggy roms" I haven't had a buggy rom yet. I've tried some that didn't have all the features I wanted, but from what I've seen, in general the roms out there are quite solid. Not to mention that by switching to an AOSP rom and ditching TouchWiz, my phone was obviously snappier, even before installing a custom kernel. Just because I paid a good amount of money for something it doesn't mean I have to automatically think everything about it is the best it possibly can be.

Just in case, I run the BeanStalk Build 4.3.1015 rom with the KT-SGS4 Jellybean kernel and it's completely stable, no problems at all.

Okey, I understand you. Everyone is different, you may not use the S4 features and be more of a speed fan, where other people prefer to have some choice rather than nothing. You know that you can disable and hide all the "bloat" you dont like and dont want. I dont see what you gain with installing a custom kernel. Does your battery not last long enough, because i can get a full day of moderate to heavy use. About the AOSP roms, I am personally not a fan of them ( had a nexus 4 device and ditched it) just find them too broing, but this is me. Everyone is different and use his phone for different needs

 

[HPferoxCraft]

I dont see what you gain with installing a custom kernel.

you get to tinker with undervolting and overclocking, and adjust response times and make performance tweeks. Not for the faint of heart, there's a lot to learn before messing with it.

"Everyone is different and use his phone for different needs "

That about sums it up.
This is still a great phone changing nothing, some of us can't help ourselves though. It's a sickness really.


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