Sensation XL runs 3.5 but Thunderbolt can't?

[Blueydwlf]

http://www.androidcentral.com/hands-htc-sensation-xl

Obviously I know the Bolt can run Sense 3.0/3.5 based on custom ROMs. What I'm getting at is if a single core phone like the Sensation XL (which has the same amount of RAM as the Bolt btw) comes preloaded with and runs 3.0/3.5 fine, why the hell cant HTC give it to us? Basically why does HTC hate the Thunderbolt? lol Anyone else have any thoughts?

 

[spartanguy81]

Sense 3.5 was built for single core phones.

What makes you think thunderbolt won't get sense 3.5?

 

[Blueydwlf]

Well for starters we got bumped from Sense 2.0 to 2.1 with the Gingerbread update. Why bother with that if they planned to update us to 3.5? Wouldnt it be simpler to go straight to 3.5 and bypass 2.1 alltogether?

 

[spartanguy81]

Well for starters we got bumped from Sense 2.0 to 2.1 with the Gingerbread update. Why bother with that if they planned to update us to 3.5? Wouldnt it be simpler to go straight to 3.5 and bypass 2.1 alltogether?

Why even give us gingerbread? Why not wait for ics and skip straight to that? Because if you keep waiting, eventually you get nothing.

 

[Mortiel]

Well for starters we got bumped from Sense 2.0 to 2.1 with the Gingerbread update. Why bother with that if they planned to update us to 3.5? Wouldnt it be simpler to go straight to 3.5 and bypass 2.1 alltogether?

Sense 3.5 was designed *after* the Gingerbread update was almost completed for the Thunderbolt. It may get it later on, same as the Incredible 2, but for now its Sense 2.1.

Personally, I want Sense 9.0 with its laser-grid holographic interface, but that's me.

 

[Blueydwlf]

I guess it just seems like they could have had a build of 3.5 ready for the Bolt by now if they wanted to. We've known about it for a while now and they have several phones launching with it now. I also seem to remember reading a few days ago that the Desire S (or one of the newer European models) got a software update that included Sense 3.0/3.5. I'll have to try to track down that article and post it here.

 

[Blueydwlf]

Official OTA Update For Desire S… With Sense 3.0!! | xda-developers

 

[Chance]

For the people saying what makes you think we won't get it... I could have sworn HTC posted only works with dual core back a couple months ago. That are thunderbolts didn't have the required specs to run it. And now this xl works... Well that just doesn't make sense.

 

[recDNA]

Obviously 3.5 uses even more processing power? Would you want to slow down your phone just to prettify the ui?

 

[spartanguy81]

Obviously 3.5 uses even more processing power? Would you want to slow down your phone just to prettify the ui?

This is incorrect.

HTC said sense 3.0 required dual core (obviously it doesn't really)...

Sense 3.5 was designed to be less intense on the CPU and ram.

Gingerbread has been out for a long time, as well as sense 2.1, why didn't they give usthese a long time ago? Because HTC and Verizon move like molasses. Sense 3.0 has been available for the thunderbolt for a long time, unfortunately we won't get it officially. Sense 3.5 has only recently been available for the thunderbolt, so no reason to think Verizon and HTC will give it to us anytime soon, but also no reason to think we won't get it at all.

 

[Blueydwlf]

Obviously 3.5 uses even more processing power? Would you want to slow down your phone just to prettify the ui?

First Ive read multiple times now from multiple places that Sense 3.5 was designed run smoother and be less of a resource hog than 3.0. Second the Sensation XL has the same amount of RAM as the Bolt and I believe the same processor as well, if not then they are nearly identicle. (Both are single core Snapdragons) If you follow the link I posted above of the XL hands on, it runs great and he even mentions it in the video.

 

[recDNA]

And does it use less resources than 2.1? I'd shut off sense entirely if I could. I want ALL phone resources devoted to what I need them for at the moment.

 

[Mortiel]

And does it use less resources than 2.1? I'd shut off sense entirely if I could. I want ALL phone resources devoted to what I need them for at the moment.

It will never work that way... Android 2.0 and above, and many other operating systems in both mobile devices and computers, will load up common apps and fill up RAM upon boot up until a certain threshold is hit (usually 70-80%), then it stops. Any new applications loaded are put at the top and the oldest unused apps are killed to maintain that threshold. The UI, as well as bloatware, gets a mandatory class in priority, so it takes precedence unfortunately. A heavier UI like Sense does eat up more RAM by itself, leaving less of apps. This is why AOSP Android is more resource efficient, and bloatware is bad. The UI takes up less RAM so there is more available for apps and services.

This is why app killers are about useless on Android 2.0+. Even if you kill apps, the OS fills the RAM back up until it hits that threshold.

 

[spartanguy81]

And does it use less resources than 2.1? I'd shut off sense entirely if I could. I want ALL phone resources devoted to what I need them for at the moment.

You should be using a nexus. Or running an AOSP rom.

I'm not sure what you're doing on your phone? I'm not doing rocket science, so I've always got plenty of RAM to spare...CPU running at 1.4 ghz doesn't hurt...

 

[Blueydwlf]

And does it use less resources than 2.1? I'd shut off sense entirely if I could. I want ALL phone resources devoted to what I need them for at the moment.

I kind of see where you're coming from but I'm also wondering why you bought a Sense phone if you clearly dont want Sense. As for those of us that dont mind or might even like Sense, why not have the best version of it possible. 3.0/3.5 run great, look great, and offer more features. HTC hub and even HTC video would be nice to have as well.

 

[recDNA]

At the time it was the only 4g phone available and rumors were that everyone would lose unlimited data who didn't upgrade before some data (7/1?).

Instead everyone was grandfathered but it was too late for me. Otherwise I defi itely would have waited for bionic. I prefer motorola to htc.

 

[qbngator]

So, are Sense 3.0 and/or 3.5 available as stand-alone ROMs?

 

[spartanguy81]

At the time it was the only 4g phone available and rumors were that everyone would lose unlimited data who didn't upgrade before some data (7/1?).

Instead everyone was grandfathered but it was too late for me. Otherwise I defi itely would have waited for bionic. I prefer motorola to htc.

Lol...whatever they call moto blur now is way more of a memory and CPU hog than sense is...do you know what you really want in a phone?

Development for HTC phones is easier also, so you tend to see more options if stock is not for you.

 

[spartanguy81]

So, are Sense 3.0 and/or 3.5 available as stand-alone ROMs?

Stand alone from what? Can't have sense without Android. There are several sense 3.0 roms available, and at least two (if you count chingy's) sense 3.5 roms available for thunderbolt.

 

[recDNA]

Lol...whatever they call moto blur now is way more of a memory and CPU hog than sense is...do you know what you really want in a phone?.

Yup, a motorola. Next time i'll wait.