NEW 2017 (or 2018?) Phones to replace 2014 Quark (Droid Turbo/Moto Turbo/Moto Maxx)?

[ChazzMatt]

The pig phone Essential has dropped ANOTHER $50. Best Buy is one step from throwing them in the dumpster.

If you remember, about a week ago Essential dropped the price by $200. Now Best Buy is selling it for $50 LESS than that. I still wouldn't buy it.

No QHD (1440p), no headset jack, no built-in Qi wireless charging, no IP68 or even IP67. Just missing way too much to be a "top tier" phone.

Some tech reporters still try to claim it has QHD but it doesn't. 1440p is QHD, 1325p is almost QHD. Which is emblematic of the entire phone -- it's almost a good phone.

https://www.gsmarena.com/essential_...ce_cut_in_us_now_going_for_450-news-28099.php

https://www.androidauthority.com/essential-phone-best-buy-offer-812587/

 

[jco23]

The pig phone Essential has dropped ANOTHER $50. Best Buy is one step from throwing them in the dumpster.

If you remember, about a week ago Essential dropped the price by $200. Now Best Buy is selling it for $50 LESS than that. I still wouldn't buy it.

No QHD (1440p), no headset jack, no built-in Qi wireless charging, no IP68 or even IP67. Just missing way too much to be a "top tier" phone.

Some tech reporters still try to claim it has QHD but it doesn't. 1440p is QHD, 1325p is almost QHD. Which is emblematic of the entire phone -- it's almost a good phone.

https://www.gsmarena.com/essential_...ce_cut_in_us_now_going_for_450-news-28099.php

https://www.androidauthority.com/essential-phone-best-buy-offer-812587/

something big must be coming for black friday (at least I hope).

but I'm soooo hesitant to get another phone. don't want to lose the features that I enjoy now (wireless charging, 3900 mAh battery, everything working just the way I like it).... all for what, just to be on the latest OS? I feel like I'm most of the way there with Google Assistant and Oreo Launcher on MM....

 

[TheSt33v]

something big must be coming for black friday (at least I hope).

but I'm soooo hesitant to get another phone. don't want to lose the features that I enjoy now (wireless charging, 3900 mAh battery, everything working just the way I like it).... all for what, just to be on the latest OS? I feel like I'm most of the way there with Google Assistant and Oreo Launcher on MM....

If you're totally happy with what you have, why get a new phone?

 

[jco23]

If you're totally happy with what you have, why get a new phone?

what's the fun in sticking with an older device?

 

[ChazzMatt]

If you're totally happy with what you have, why get a new phone?

https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=73906123

Cumulative features that add up over a 3 year period.

 

[jco23]

LG G6 is 50% off at Verizon until Friday.
Very tempting.
When I do a comparison between that, the quark, and pixel 2, the LG appears to be the winner.

Sent from my XT1254 using XDA-Developers Legacy app

 

[ChazzMatt]

LG G6 is 50% off at Verizon until Friday.
Very tempting.
When I do a comparison between that, the quark, and pixel 2, the LG appears to be the winner.

Sent from my XT1254 using XDA-Developers Legacy app

So, you no longer care about root, ROMs, custom recovery, custom kernels?

The 2017 carrier-branded LG flagship phones have ADB flash commands removed. No root, no TWRP on carrier-branded LG G6 or LG V30. (At least no published root, and I'll leave it at that.) 7 months after release even the 2017 "bootloader unlocked" T-mobile LG G6 still doesn't have root or recovery (23 page root pledge thread abandoned as a lost cause).

Only the "open market" officially carrier unlocked versions (North America and for Europe) LG flagship phones have bootloader unlock with full ADB flash commands, as they are placed on the LG Developer Bootloader Unlock list. This is similar to Motorola's bootloader unlock list.

In the past, if you found exploit like "Dirty Santa" -- BOOM -- you could then get root and TWRP recovery even on the LG carrier branded models because the ADB commands were still there. That's how almost all the carrier-branded 2016 LG V20 models have root and ROMs, even though they are NOT on that bootloader unlock list. Exploits were found to root and BOOM. Very similar to your Droid Turbo has root and custom ROM even though it's not on Motorola's approved bootloader unlock list.

Now, starting in 2017, it seems the full set of ADB flash commands are only present on the LG "open market" models.

WHY? An extra security measure to prevent exploits like Dirty Santa or Sunshine app. Even if you unlock the bootloader with an exploit similar to "Dirty Santa", then you probably still can't do anything. You either need root first to get recovery or you need recovery first to get root. Even the T-mobile version can't get root even with an "unlocked" bootloader. (Yes, both the T-mobile LG G6 and V30 both have easily "unlocked" bootloaders, but with no ADB flash commands, it's useless.)

The carriers don't want you to root and have total ownership of your phone, they want to control your phone. So, LG provides phones to the carriers that have that functionality removed, and then provide non-carrier SIM card unlocked "development" friendly phones for those who want that -- which they call "open market" phones, usually one for North American and one for Europe.

Even though there's no development on the carrier-branded LG G6 phones, there's two pages of XDA development on the "open market" LG G6 models (North America US997 and Europe H870. The open market models have TONS of development -- root, TWRP recovery, ROMs, kernels...
_____________________

LG G6 vs LG V30

Now, besides not the carrier-branded LG G6, why not the "open market" LG G6? Because the LG V30 has been released. The specs of the LG G6 are a little lacking compared to the LG V30.

• One, the 2017 LG G6 has "last year's" Snapdragon 821. In their rush to try to beat the 2017 Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ to market, LG was forced to use older Snapdragon 821 instead of the "next gen" Snapdragon 835.
• Two, LG stupidly regionalized the specs. Some regions got 64GB storage, while others got Qi wireless charging and/or quad DAC. You couldn't buy an LG G6 with ALL the advertised specs. It was truly idiotic. U.S. got Qi wireless with 32GB storage and nothing else.

The LG V30 is the phone the LG G6 should have been -- 64GB memory, Qi wireless charging, quad DAC for ALL regions, and Snapdragon 835. The North America "open market" version LG V30 US998 will be released in early December and then placed on the LG Bootloader Unlock list. That's why I'm waiting for the LG V30 US998. (NO, not the U.S. Cellular LS998U --- but the "open market" US998, which will NOT be sold by any carrier.) The North America US998 and the Europe H930 are GUARANTEED to have dev work.

There's also a V30+ -- which has 128GB internal memory, so hoping LG will release that one for "open market" too. But I'm not betting any money. I'll probably have to settle for the 64GB variant.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1357369-REG/lg_lgus998_ausasv_lg_v30_us998_64gb.html?email=

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[jco23]

thanks, I was wondering why I saw some development threads, but no "How to root" threads for the LG G6.
so this just confirms my desire to get the Pixel. I'm not interested in unlocking the bootloader or custom ROMs/Kernels, etc. so long as I get the latest OS releases. I really only want root, which, according to what you typed, is not achieved yet on the LG G6 for my market.

 

[ChazzMatt]

thanks, I was wondering why I saw some development threads, but no "How to root" threads for the LG G6.
so this just confirms my desire to get the Pixel.

I'm not interested in unlocking the bootloader or custom ROMs/Kernels, etc. so long as I get the latest OS releases. I really only want root, which, according to what you typed, is not achieved yet on the LG G6 for my market.

But with our Motorola Quarks and other phones, those two are tied together. You often cannot get root without unlocking the bootloader. I know you know that, but just putting it out there. So many times in the Droid Turbo forum (before Sunshine, and even after Sunshine because they didn't want to pay), many people said "I don't WANT to unlock my bootloader, I just want root!". Well, guess what...

LG phones in the past have been different. There have been exploits in the past to allow root, TWRP, ROMs installation on the LG models like the LG G2 and LG G3 without unlocking the bootloader -- I installed TWRP and ROMs on several AT&T 2013 LG G2 and 2014 LG G3 bootloader locked phones -- but those methods have been thwarted now by this ADB flash commands removal and other security measures. Even with "bootloader unlock" on the 2017 T-mobile LG G6 and LG V30, there's still no root.

I really only want root, which, according to what you typed, is not achieved yet on the LG G6 for my market.

Yes, right now only the "open market" LG G6 (North America US997 and Europe H870) have bootloader unlock, root, ROMs, etc. You can go here and see:

LG G6 ROMs, Kernels, Recoveries, & Other Development

I alluded to this before -- but someone claimed to have rooted the Verizon LG G6, but for their own reasons chose not to publish the method. All I can say is 7 months after release there's no published root for any of the carrier-branded LG G6 due to LG's removal of the ADB flash commands. I'm not going to buy a phone I cannot root on Day 1. I'm not going to buy a phone HOPING I will be able to root it someday.

 

[jco23]

Update: I RMA'd my Pixel 2 XL. Audio issues. All audio coming out of the phone started buzzing even if I was only at 50% volume. I noticed it after I applied a screen protector that used a liquid applicator, but that shouldn't have hurt an IP67 rated phone. The RMA process was really smooth though. Since I was within 14 days of purchase, it was a no questions asked straight return and refund. I've already ordered a replacement. Fingers crossed that I get one of the rare, totally issue-free units. It seems like manufacture dates of October 20th and later are the safest. Mine was October 10th.

looks like root has been achieved on the XL... but you probably already knew that....

 

[TheSt33v]

looks like root has been achieved on the XL... but you probably already knew that....

I did. It was only a matter of time. Google phone = dev phone = yet another reason why I'm on team Pixel. My replacement 2 XL gets here today! Hopefully it's relatively issue-free. I'll post all the details (manufacture date, blue shift presence/severity, presence/absence of black splotches on screen when viewed through polarized sunglasses, functionality of fingerprint scanner, burn-in) when I have them.

 

[jco23]

so it appears that VZW is ramping up for Black Friday. recently, they ran a promo where you get up to $300 on a trade in for the Pixel 2. That stopped briefly, and has now been replaced with 50% off - not a huge difference (just $25 extra) for the 64GB 5" model. i called to ask them to sweeten the pot, but didn't get much (50% off accessories - yay)

but when I called them today to in inquire (playing dumb), they offered me 25% off for the Turbo ($162 value - certainly more than what I would get on swappa).

still holding out for 2 more weeks....

the great advantage of this phone is that I'm not pressed to get a new one, so the deal has to be what I want (and more importantly, what I can afford).

 

[ChazzMatt]

so it appears that VZW is ramping up for Black Friday. recently, they ran a promo where you get up to $300 on a trade in for the Pixel 2. That stopped briefly, and has now been replaced with 50% off - not a huge difference (just $25 extra) for the 64GB 5" model. i called to ask them to sweeten the pot, but didn't get much (50% off accessories - yay)

but when I called them today to in inquire (playing dumb), they offered me 25% off for the Turbo ($162 value - certainly more than what I would get on swappa).

still holding out for 2 more weeks....

the great advantage of this phone is that I'm not pressed to get a new one, so the deal has to be what I want (and more importantly, what I can afford).

Verizon version can't be rooted. It has locked down bootloader like all Verizon phones.

https://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel-2-xl/help/verizon-locked-bootloader-t3691313/page7

You have to buy from Google if you want dev work.

 

[jco23]

Verizon version can't be rooted. It has locked down bootloader like all Verizon phones.

https://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel-2-xl/help/verizon-locked-bootloader-t3691313/page7

You have to buy from Google if you want dev work.

right.... but just putting out there.... I've read where some have gotten theirs from Verizon and were able to unlock it. I'm thinking that it could just be a random device (50/50 shot) or booting it without the SIM card.... but I certainly plan to test before I buy.

 

[NepoRood]

right.... but just putting out there.... I've read where some have gotten theirs from Verizon and were able to unlock it. I'm thinking that it could just be a random device (50/50 shot) or booting it without the SIM card.... but I certainly plan to test before I buy.

When the first gen Pixel came out, the Sunshine team cracked the Verizon bootloader rather quickly. It was so easy, they released the exploit for free. It was quickly patched and no longer works, which is why the Pixel I got from VZW a few months ago went back, I couldn't unlock it.

Since jcase already had an unlocked bootloader, he saw no reason to try and get around the patch. I don't know if he will get a Pixel 2 or not (I can ask him later), but, if he does, it won't be the XL, he has a strangely high hatred for everything LG, lol

 

[TheSt33v]

One shipping delay and delivery to the wrong house later, I finally have my replacement Pixel 2 XL. Here is all the info I can think of.

Model: G011C (Pixel 2 XL Just Black 64 GB)
Manufacture date: October 24th, 2017
Blue shift: Present, but not awful. See attached photos. The photos make it look slightly worse than it is.
Black splotches when looking through polarized sunglasses: Not present. After reading a few forums though, it seems like that issue was caused by certain screen protectors, not by the screen itself.
Fingerprint scanner: Way better than my old one. It hasn't failed to recognize me yet, and I did a bunch of tests of both index fingers.

I am now officially happy! Not with FedEx though. They suck.

 

[jco23]

I recently added the Google Pixel 2 to my VZW cart online, but did not check out. i then get a text from some sales rep nearby telling me to book an appointment to chat about the great items saved in my cart. to me, this is a clear violation of my privacy as i never authorized VZW to contact me like about deals/sales opportunities. so now, the question is, which course of action do I take?

A.) delete the message and move on with my life
B.) reply back and tell off the sales rep
C.) contact VZW and complain - maybe even start a class action lawsuit
D.) reply back and see what kind of deal the sales rep can get me

depending on my mood, I may go with option C.

 

[TheSt33v]

I recently added the Google Pixel 2 to my VZW cart online, but did not check out. i then get a text from some sales rep nearby telling me to book an appointment to chat about the great items saved in my cart. to me, this is a clear violation of my privacy as i never authorized VZW to contact me like about deals/sales opportunities. so now, the question is, which course of action do I take?

A.) delete the message and move on with my life
B.) reply back and tell off the sales rep
C.) contact VZW and complain - maybe even start a class action lawsuit
D.) reply back and see what kind of deal the sales rep can get me

depending on my mood, I may go with option C.

I'm sure you probably agreed to let them do that in some TOS that you agreed to at some point.

 

[ChazzMatt]

I'm sure you probably agreed to let them do that in some TOS that you agreed to at some point.

I know with Straight Talk MVNO, the TOS had all sorts of stuff listed, but then there was an item near the bottom that basically said "We'll do what we want, and we're always right. Even when we're wrong. Deal with it." Of course, stated in verbose legalese.

I dumped them after a year and never looked back.

 

[jco23]

yup. I did see that somehow there were checkboxes selected for contacting me on deals/sales. however, I have never received any until then.