New to android. Some questions.

[fugitiv3]

hello guys. I was an iphone user and now I am looking into buying an android phone (most probably Samsung Galaxy S4) so that to experience the android feeling. I got some questions that concern me.

1) Will I have to root my android phone so that to install cracked applications?
2) I heard there is a black market like Cydia on iphone. Should my phone be rooted to get this black market?
3) Should I root or not? what do you think?

Any other tips, suggestions will be helpful. Thanks!

[Tweety.Abd]

hello guys. I was an iphone user and now I am looking into buying an android phone (most probably Samsung Galaxy S4) so that to experience the android feeling. I got some questions that concern me.

1) Will I have to root my android phone so that to install cracked applications?

2) I heard there is a black market like Cydia on iphone. Should my phone be rooted to get this black market?

3) Should I root or not? what do you think?

Any other tips, suggestions will be helpful. Thanks!

1. No you won't have to root your phone to install 'cracked' apps. All you have to do is: Settings > Security > [Check] Unknown Sources

2. You do not need any such 'black market' for Android, at least I never needed any for any purposes.

3. Its up to you, but I should caution you that rooting your device may render your warranty void. People root to gain more control over their devices, think of root as 'Administrator' account in Windows. It'll grant you unfettered control over your device, which maybe good or bad depending on how you use it. I'm rooted but I mostly use it for AdBlocker, Spirit FM, SetCPU and few other explorer. And oh, if you wish to get rid of the 'bloatwares' that come preloaded, you need to root your device.

I hope I were able to help, if you have any questions, please let me know.

[fugitiv3]

hello guys. I was an iphone user and now I am looking into buying an android phone (most probably Samsung Galaxy S4) so that to experience the android feeling. I got some questions that concern me.

1) Will I have to root my android phone so that to install cracked applications?

2) I heard there is a black market like Cydia on iphone. Should my phone be rooted to get this black market?

3) Should I root or not? what do you think?

Any other tips, suggestions will be helpful. Thanks!

1. No you won't have to root your phone to install 'cracked' apps. All you have to do is: Settings > Security > [Check] Unknown Sources

2. You do not need any such 'black market' for Android, at least I never needed any for any purposes.

3. Its up to you, but I should caution you that rooting your device may render your warranty void. People root to gain more control over their devices, think of root as 'Administrator' account in Windows. It'll grant you unfettered control over your device, which maybe good or bad depending on how you use it. I'm rooted but I mostly use it for AdBlocker, Spirit FM, SetCPU and few other explorer. And oh, if you wish to get rid of the 'bloatwares' that come preloaded, you need to root your device.

I hope I were able to help, if you have any questions, please let me know.

Thanks a lot for the info you have been helpful. Since I was using a jailbroken iphone before and adblocker was a must that makes me think that I should root my phone plus the "bloatwares" have to be removed. Do you have any special sites where you find applications or guides on how to root etc etc?

[Tweety.Abd]

hello guys. I was an iphone user and now I am looking into buying an android phone (most probably Samsung Galaxy S4) so that to experience the android feeling. I got some questions that concern me.

1) Will I have to root my android phone so that to install cracked applications?

2) I heard there is a black market like Cydia on iphone. Should my phone be rooted to get this black market?

3) Should I root or not? what do you think?

Any other tips, suggestions will be helpful. Thanks!

1. No you won't have to root your phone to install 'cracked' apps. All you have to do is: Settings > Security > [Check] Unknown Sources

2. You do not need any such 'black market' for Android, at least I never needed any for any purposes.

3. Its up to you, but I should caution you that rooting your device may render your warranty void. People root to gain more control over their devices, think of root as 'Administrator' account in Windows. It'll grant you unfettered control over your device, which maybe good or bad depending on how you use it. I'm rooted but I mostly use it for AdBlocker, Spirit FM, SetCPU and few other explorer. And oh, if you wish to get rid of the 'bloatwares' that come preloaded, you need to root your device.

I hope I were able to help, if you have any questions, please let me know.

Thanks a lot for the info you have been helpful. Since I was using a jailbroken iphone before and adblocker was a must that makes me think that I should root my phone plus the "bloatwares" have to be removed. Do you have any special sites where you find applications or guides on how to root etc etc?

You may find all what you need for your Samsung Galaxy S4 here. There are some other ways to block ads without having to root your phone, but I'm not sure if they work as good as AdAway. AdBlock plus does not require root (I think), however I've read people say its a resource hog but with the raw power of your Galaxy S4, that won't be an issue. As for removing Samsung crapware, you need to root your device. Its best to just install a Custom ROM like Android Revolution which are basically stock but tweaked, optimized and enhanced.

Before getting into all this, I'd say that you get familiar with your phone for a few weeks or months before attempting to modify your device since its your first Android experience.

[fugitiv3]

hello guys. I was an iphone user and now I am looking into buying an android phone (most probably Samsung Galaxy S4) so that to experience the android feeling. I got some questions that concern me.

1) Will I have to root my android phone so that to install cracked applications?

2) I heard there is a black market like Cydia on iphone. Should my phone be rooted to get this black market?

3) Should I root or not? what do you think?

Any other tips, suggestions will be helpful. Thanks!

1. No you won't have to root your phone to install 'cracked' apps. All you have to do is: Settings > Security > [Check] Unknown Sources

2. You do not need any such 'black market' for Android, at least I never needed any for any purposes.

3. Its up to you, but I should caution you that rooting your device may render your warranty void. People root to gain more control over their devices, think of root as 'Administrator' account in Windows. It'll grant you unfettered control over your device, which maybe good or bad depending on how you use it. I'm rooted but I mostly use it for AdBlocker, Spirit FM, SetCPU and few other explorer. And oh, if you wish to get rid of the 'bloatwares' that come preloaded, you need to root your device.

I hope I were able to help, if you have any questions, please let me know.

Thanks a lot for the info you have been helpful. Since I was using a jailbroken iphone before and adblocker was a must that makes me think that I should root my phone plus the "bloatwares" have to be removed. Do you have any special sites where you find applications or guides on how to root etc etc?

You may find all what you need for your Samsung Galaxy S4 here. There are some other ways to block ads without having to root your phone, but I'm not sure if they work as good as AdAway. AdBlock plus does not require root (I think), however I've read people say its a resource hog but with the raw power of your Galaxy S4, that won't be an issue. As for removing Samsung crapware, you need to root your device. Its best to just install a Custom ROM like Android Revolution which are basically stock but tweaked, optimized and enhanced.

Before getting into all this, I'd say that you get familiar with your phone for a few weeks or months before attempting to modify your device since its your first Android experience.

Thanks again!! you have been very helpful~ thanks for the link!!

[Tweety.Abd]

hello guys. I was an iphone user and now I am looking into buying an android phone (most probably Samsung Galaxy S4) so that to experience the android feeling. I got some questions that concern me.

1) Will I have to root my android phone so that to install cracked applications?

2) I heard there is a black market like Cydia on iphone. Should my phone be rooted to get this black market?

3) Should I root or not? what do you think?

Any other tips, suggestions will be helpful. Thanks!

1. No you won't have to root your phone to install 'cracked' apps. All you have to do is: Settings > Security > [Check] Unknown Sources

2. You do not need any such 'black market' for Android, at least I never needed any for any purposes.

3. Its up to you, but I should caution you that rooting your device may render your warranty void. People root to gain more control over their devices, think of root as 'Administrator' account in Windows. It'll grant you unfettered control over your device, which maybe good or bad depending on how you use it. I'm rooted but I mostly use it for AdBlocker, Spirit FM, SetCPU and few other explorer. And oh, if you wish to get rid of the 'bloatwares' that come preloaded, you need to root your device.

I hope I were able to help, if you have any questions, please let me know.

Thanks a lot for the info you have been helpful. Since I was using a jailbroken iphone before and adblocker was a must that makes me think that I should root my phone plus the "bloatwares" have to be removed. Do you have any special sites where you find applications or guides on how to root etc etc?

You may find all what you need for your Samsung Galaxy S4 here. There are some other ways to block ads without having to root your phone, but I'm not sure if they work as good as AdAway. AdBlock plus does not require root (I think), however I've read people say its a resource hog but with the raw power of your Galaxy S4, that won't be an issue. As for removing Samsung crapware, you need to root your device. Its best to just install a Custom ROM like Android Revolution which are basically stock but tweaked, optimized and enhanced.

Before getting into all this, I'd say that you get familiar with your phone for a few weeks or months before attempting to modify your device since its your first Android experience.

Thanks again!! you have been very helpful~ thanks for the link!!

You're welcomed, I'm glad I could help. If there's anything you need, just ask out on the forum ;)

[LeetPirate]

I rooted my phone for the same reasons Tweety.Abd mentioned. I use AdAway to hide those pesky ads but note that many apps hardcode the advertisements into the app itself and those you cannot block. I don't recommend the AdBlockPlus non root method because even though the cpu on the s4 is powerful the app will contribute to battery drain so it is much better to use ad blockers that require root access such as AdAway.

One thing you should note if this is important to you, facebook sync is broken on android jelly bean due to bullshit between facebook and google, not sure when or if it will be fixed. Also HD contact pictures do not sync properly so expect your contacts to show up as Tetris blocks when they call, sometimes it sticks sometimes not. Also Google is retarded and you may find your contact photos on your Picasa account instead of your Gmail contact list. Don't get me wrong I am a fan of android but to be fair I thought I would mention the shortcomings that piss me off.

[fugitiv3]

I rooted my phone for the same reasons Tweety.Abd mentioned. I use AdAway to hide those pesky ads but note that many apps hardcode the advertisements into the app itself and those you cannot block. I don't recommend the AdBlockPlus non root method because even though the cpu on the s4 is powerful the app will contribute to battery drain so it is much better to use ad blockers that require root access such as AdAway.

One thing you should note if this is important to you, facebook sync is broken on android jelly bean due to bullshit between facebook and google, not sure when or if it will be fixed. Also HD contact pictures do not sync properly so expect your contacts to show up as Tetris blocks when they call, sometimes it sticks sometimes not. Also Google is retarded and you may find your contact photos on your Picasa account instead of your Gmail contact list. Don't get me wrong I am a fan of android but to be fair I thought I would mention the shortcomings that piss me off.

haha for a moment i thought you were an iphone fan !:P Okay thanks for the infor but all this wont be fixed on 4.2.2?

[RadioActive]

hello guys. I was an iphone user and now I am looking into buying an android phone (most probably Samsung Galaxy S4) so that to experience the android feeling. I got some questions that concern me.

1) Will I have to root my android phone so that to install cracked applications?

2) I heard there is a black market like Cydia on iphone. Should my phone be rooted to get this black market?

3) Should I root or not? what do you think?

Any other tips, suggestions will be helpful. Thanks!

Tweety.Abd and LeetPirate already said most of what I was going to say but there's one more thing I thought I'd suggest.

Since you're coming from iPhone, I suggest you try the MIUI ROM or if you're not gonna root then you can just use their launcher MiHome.

Just my two cents.

Edit: one more thing, unless you're filthy rich or you're gonna get some awesome deal on it, don't waste your money of the S4. I'd suggest the Galaxy S III or even the lesser Nexus 4, either will serve you well for quite some time, trust me on that.

[Tweety.Abd]

Lohengrin is correct. Unless you really want to own Galaxy S4, I'd strongly recommend that you purchase Nexus 4 (16 GB) instead. Its inexpensive and provides the pure unadulterated Android experience. If you wish to buy Galaxy S4, it is by no means a poor phone, just takes much away from the total Android experience that Nexus offers. You may flash ROMs such as CyanogenMod on your S4 if you wish to have total Android experience, but they're not usually stable on Samsung phones, specially ones powered by Exynos. You'll most probably get Snapdragon 600 chipset, so I believe CM should run fine though with certain limitations.

[RadioActive]

Lohengrin is correct. Unless you really want to own Galaxy S4, I'd strongly recommend that you purchase Nexus 4 (16 GB) instead. Its inexpensive and provides the pure unadulterated Android experience. If you wish to buy Galaxy S4, it is by no means a poor phone, just takes much away from the total Android experience that Nexus offers. You may flash ROMs such as CyanogenMod on your S4 if you wish to have total Android experience, but they're not usually stable on Samsung phones, specially ones powered by Exynos. You'll most probably get Snapdragon 600 chipset, so I believe CM should run fine though with certain limitations.

We disagree on the reason though. I don't recommend the S4 because I believe it's a waste of money.

Personally, I've grown to love Samsung TouchWiz especially with JellyBean. While I agree that it comes with a lot of bloatware but it's not hard to remove (once you root obviously) and new devices have so much space/power that it doesn't really matter anymore, at least not like it used to in the past.

Currently I use a GNEX and while I love it, I also HATE the AOSP. It's utterly ugly and feels crippled compared to Samsung's TouchWiz. I know it's light and functional but it's not enough. The difference between the AOSP and TouchWiz is almost like the difference between an army vehicle and a luxury sedan (inaccurate but close enough).

Anyways, that's only my personal opinion. I know a lot of people love AOSP over TouchWiz but I'm just not one of them, perhaps I used Samsung devices for so long (S II, S III Mini and P6200) that I just got so used to them.

[Tweety.Abd]

Lohengrin is correct. Unless you really want to own Galaxy S4, I'd strongly recommend that you purchase Nexus 4 (16 GB) instead. Its inexpensive and provides the pure unadulterated Android experience. If you wish to buy Galaxy S4, it is by no means a poor phone, just takes much away from the total Android experience that Nexus offers. You may flash ROMs such as CyanogenMod on your S4 if you wish to have total Android experience, but they're not usually stable on Samsung phones, specially ones powered by Exynos. You'll most probably get Snapdragon 600 chipset, so I believe CM should run fine though with certain limitations.

We disagree on the reason though. I don't recommend the S4 because I believe it's a waste of money.

Personally, I've grown to love Samsung TouchWiz especially with JellyBean. While I agree that it comes with a lot of bloatware but it's not hard to remove (once you root obviously) and new devices have so much space/power that it doesn't really matter anymore, at least not like it used to in the past.

Currently I use a GNEX and while I love it, I also HATE the AOSP. It's utterly ugly and feels crippled compared to Samsung's TouchWiz. I know it's light and functional but it's not enough. The difference between the AOSP and TouchWiz is almost like the difference between an army vehicle and a luxury sedan (inaccurate but close enough).

Anyways, that's only my personal opinion. I know a lot of people love AOSP over TouchWiz but I'm just not one of them, perhaps I used Samsung devices for so long (S II, S III Mini and P6200) that I just got so used to them.

I believe its a matter of perspective. I could not imagine using my phone with TouchWiz/Nature UI, it ugly for me. I prefer the sleek, slim look of AOSP. But installing an AOSP ROM on S4 would be irrational move since most of the features or selling points of S4 are software features.

[ffi]

hello guys. I was an iphone user and now I am looking into buying an android phone (most probably Samsung Galaxy S4) so that to experience the android feeling. I got some questions that concern me.

1) Will I have to root my android phone so that to install cracked applications?

2) I heard there is a black market like Cydia on iphone. Should my phone be rooted to get this black market?

3) Should I root or not? what do you think?

Any other tips, suggestions will be helpful. Thanks!

re. 1:

no, you can install non-play store apps without rooting by changing a setting

re 2.

no, you can install non-play store apps without rooting by changing a setting

re 3.

I wouldn't; not until you have had your device for a few weeks and know it's working fine and maybe not until someone (probably chainfire) figures out how to erase traces of rooting (he always does though...), check out the xda developers forum

[fugitiv3]

Thanks guys for your answers. Now some more questions:P .

1) Lets say I have rooted my phone. where do I find those apps that need root permissions? for example as Tweety.Abd mentioned above "AdBlocker, Spirit FM, SetCPU"

2) Rooting just modifies/adds files on the OS?

3) Why does rooting it voids warranty?

4) How can you unroot? By just flashing to the original ROM or OS?

Sorry for the noob questions but as you know I am new to this and I need to learn this stuff. Thanks

[Tweety.Abd]

Thanks guys for your answers. Now some more questions:P .

1) Lets say I have rooted my phone. where do I find those apps that need root permissions? for example as Tweety.Abd mentioned above "AdBlocker, Spirit FM, SetCPU"

2) Rooting just modifies/adds files on the OS?

3) Why does rooting it voids warranty?

4) How can you unroot? By just flashing to the original ROM or OS?

Sorry for the noob questions but as you know I am new to this and I need to learn this stuff. Thanks

Hi!

Thanks for the good questions. I'll try to answer them:

1. You can purchase the apps from Google Play Store. If you wish to evaluate the apps before your purchase, you may find them from variety of sources. I've mentioned a few sources, you can check them out here, the list isn't exhaustive, just the few reliable sources. You may find few apps on our forums as well.

2. I'm not sure if rooting modifies system files, but its analogous to going from 'Standard/Limited' user in Windows to 'Administrator' user. You gain total control over your device. As for adding files, you'll have a 'Superuser' app on your app drawer once you've rooted to manage your root permissions, etc.

3. One reason, you gain complete control over device. As a consequence, you may mess up something really bad (deleting/modifying system files), etc. the OEM is not responsible for you actions. In other words, warranty is only reserved for 'factory defects' or any problem that can be traced back to the manufacturer. Another thing, once you've rooted your phone, there's not getting back the warranty, even if you flash the complete stock firmware. However, this may change if Galaxy S4 is supported by Triangle Away - an app which resets the binary counter (something which says you've rooted, or not).

4. ChainFire's SuperSU app provides an option for complete unroot of device. Alternatively, you may flash or "restore" (since you're an ex iPhone user :P) original firmware.

[LeetPirate]

All those apps are on Google Play Store. The apps that require root will tell you in the description. The commercial apps well you would have to search for them on the cracked apps websites.

The S4 has no FM radio hardware from what I have read so no app can magically make FM radio work therefore don't even worry about Spirit FM.

Rooting installs a rooted kernel and su binary which is an executable file in Linux that allows you to switch to root user. "su" is actually a regular command in all Linux OS which is used to switch user to root so this is the only file it adds to the file system. Next you need a superuser app which you can download from the store. I started off with Superuser app by ChainsDD then I migrated to SuperSU by Chainfire and now my current favourite is Superuser by ClockWorkMod. All found on the Play Store so no worries.

Rooting only voids the warranty if they know you rooted it or carry it for service and they see the superuser app or something. I think that flashing through ODIN increases the flash counter on the phone and if they check the counter they will know you third party flashed it and then say you void your warranty. But for flagship phones like S1/2/3/4 you can easily find a signed zip root kernel package that you can flash through the built-in recovery on the phone itself which does not affect the flash counter.

One thing to mention about warranty, some bad install instructions for roms could cause you to accidentally wipe out your /efs folder without a proper backup and then your IMEI is lost, happened to me once with a Captivate but I was lucky I had a backup. Personally if you are unfamiliar with Linux file system I would recommend not using root file explorer apps. Just google "lost imei android rom" and you will see some of the issues people encounter.

I am not 100% sure how to check the flash counter but on a Captivate I saw that when I entered *#06# to check the IMEI it had a /01 after the IMEI and then when I flashed it that number increased to /02. But on my phone which is an old faithful S1 I never saw that extra number next to the IMEI and I have flashed my phone about 25+ times already. I never did much research into warranty voiding and flash counter because it didn't matter to me but the information is out there.

If you flash back the original kernel your phone will be unrooted. SuperSU app has a feature to do a full unroot but I never used it.

To back track a little, I'd have to say I agree with Lohengrin about the user interface, I find AOSP to be ugly too which is why I don't use it, I prefer TouchWiz UI any day. About the bloatware I notice that Samsung stock Jellybean roms are not bloated, the phones that come bloated are the ones you buy from the phone company. I actually use included apps like Samsung AllShare for DLNA streaming, I can stream movies from my PC to my phone with it. The only app I remember being bloat on a Samsung rom was "Layar" which was some useless crap that I deleted.

[ffi]

Thanks guys for your answers. Now some more questions:P .

1) Lets say I have rooted my phone. where do I find those apps that need root permissions? for example as Tweety.Abd mentioned above "AdBlocker, Spirit FM, SetCPU"

2) Rooting just modifies/adds files on the OS?

3) Why does rooting it voids warranty?

4) How can you unroot? By just flashing to the original ROM or OS?

Sorry for the noob questions but as you know I am new to this and I need to learn this stuff. Thanks

re. 2 yes, i don't know exactly which but I guess it depends on the brand/model

re. 3 because some software functions can damage the hardware (like overclocking)

re. 4 it depends on the phone but most brands leave some permanent proof of rooting (ie samsung the flash counter, htc bootloader relocked status)

[fugitiv3]

Thanks guys for the answers once again. If I have any questions I will come back! Thanks again for clearing everything up for me.

[Tweety.Abd]

Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 XXUAMD2 firmware root by ChainFire.

Instructions:

- Download the root package and unzip its contents.

- Run ODIN and and hit the ‘PDA’ button to select the file with the ‘.tar.md5’ extension within the package you just unzipped.

- Enter Download mode.

- As soon as the phone boots, release the power button and follow any on-screen instructions that might appear.

- Connect the phone to the PC, and once ODIN successfully detects the device, hit the ‘Start’ button to begin the flashing process.

Note:

- Make sure ‘Repartition’ is unchecked.

- To enter Download Mode, turn the phone off, then hold down the Volume Down, Home and Power buttons together to boot it back up.

- Does not work on older firmwares and uncertain if it will work on newer builds.

- Only for Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 (Snapdragon 600 SoC)

Download:

- Odin Flashing Tool

- Root File

- USB drivers (Not needed if Kies installed)

Galaxy S4 Breakdown by Countries:

http://goo.gl/6iSFo

Source:

http://goo.gl/tqLQw

[fugitiv3]

Cr.p. my country will get the GT-I9505. I wanted the Octa-Core one. I might buy it from a different country that offers the I9500. Anws thanks again for the info Tweety.Abd!!

[Tweety.Abd]

Cr.p. my country will get the GT-I9505. I wanted the Octa-Core one. I might buy it from a different country that offers the I9500. Anws thanks again for the info Tweety.Abd!!

You're welcomed, and I'm glad I could help. I help I were clear and were able to help you out. If you want to know anything, just ask here on the forums ;)

[DKT27]

Download:

- Odin Flashing Tool

- Root File

- USB drivers (Not needed if Kies installed)

Download links broken.

@fugitiv3: I haven't checked out the performance, but I think overall, Octa core one would be better due to it's lesser power usage. What's important to note is, afaik, even Snapdragon has a power saving core, but that's not exactly specified unless you look at the diagram and that core is just limited to one.

[fugitiv3]

Download:

- Odin Flashing Tool

- Root File

- USB drivers (Not needed if Kies installed)

Download links broken.

@fugitiv3: I haven't checked out the performance, but I think overall, Octa core one would be better due to it's lesser power usage. What's important to note is, afaik, even Snapdragon has a power saving core, but that's not exactly specified unless you look at the diagram and that core is just limited to one.

Thanks a lot DKT27 for the info. I am really interested in buying Galaxy S4 (since I sold my iphone and now am using P990i is driving me crazy!!!). The issue is that my country will most probably bring the Snapdragon model. It will be difficult for me to find the Octa version. So now I will have to think what I will do.

[DKT27]

Another thing to note, Snapdragon might not be all that bad either. Specifically because Samsung's Exynos processors, in past, have given a hard time to flashers / rooters for some reasons. I personally have no idea with them, but have heard so.

Either way, whatever you select, I'm sure you won't be disappointed. :)

[fugitiv3]

Another thing to note, Snapdragon might not be all that bad either. Specifically because Samsung's Exynos processors, in past, have given a hard time to flashers / rooters for some reasons. I personally have no idea with them, but have heard so.

Either way, whatever you select, I'm sure you won't be disappointed. :)

Hehe thanks a lot!! :)