Note 3 vs Note 4 for modding and in general

[prkfsz]

Hi all.

Have been modding and playing around with Note 4 and the emmc fault is a bi*ch. If it works, you never know when the damn thing will stop functioning. And the phone itself is always a bit buggy with custom roms. I noticed that several people here compare it to Note 3 and mean that Note 3 overall has certain advantages, easier to modd, less buggy, and of course, is not plagued with emmc fault. Don't get me wrong, i have several units and i really like the damn thing.

So i would like to ask all you who actually HAVE experience of both, write here a line or two, and compare those two. Which one is actually more thankfull for modding? N4 being of course newer, but does it make that big of a dirfference?

 

[Qosmio-]

Hi, i don't have an note 3, i have and use a note 4, very happy with the phone running android 6.01 heavy customized and with the best kernel (ram Kernel v8.1 never had any issues with emmc or any other for that matter, it runs very smooth with no problems, battery last for a week, standby 0.4% per hour.

 

[prkfsz]

Ok. Difficult to make comparison then since you have no experience with Note 3, but thanx anyway.

Sounds good tho. May I ask then how your setup looks like, since having a battery last for a week is really an achievment?

 

[Qosmio-]

System:
I Installed stock PHN DRI2 Build with ram Kernel v8.1 removed a lot of user apps that i don't need and also a lot of system apps that drain your battery, i use magisk for root and have two modules in use GPU Turbo Boost (not sure if this does anything but i leave it anyway installed) and Swap Torpedo (no swap file that saves battery) i use for tweaks the L Speed app and some build.prop tweaks most of them are from goldeneye rom.

Apps:
I use Ungoogled Chromium, this browser is memory and battery friendly as it does not call home all the time and i don't use social media apps as they are all battery hogs, i have about 50 apps installed and i use afwall for firewall and as email i use exchange push email with stock email client.

I tried almost every rom available for the note 4 910F but all suck in battery or the pen is not working, with a lot of trial and error in debloating the rom i stick with the one i have now, i am running it for 3 years and i am a happy camper. I love this phone with the pen the screen size and the exchangeable battery, it runs for a week with one charge 7 days with 3 hours and 43 minutes screen on, the onscreen time (backlight slider at 1/3 and dark color wallpaper) is about 7 hours in one go and it uses 0.4 battery per hour in standby (measured with GSam Battery Monitor since 1 year). I had newer phone they are all made of glass, no battery exchange and no earphone connector. Long story short, great phone . If you like to have the build.prop tweaks i can give them to you. The L speed app you can download from XDA https://forum.xda-developers.com/f/l-speed.6156/ .

Cheers

 

[prkfsz]

System:
I Installed stock PHN DRI2 Build with ram Kernel v8.1 removed a lot of user apps that i don't need and also a lot of system apps that drain your battery, i use magisk for root and have two modules in use GPU Turbo Boost (not sure if this does anything but i leave it anyway installed) and Swap Torpedo (no swap file that saves battery) i use for tweaks the L Speed app and some build.prop tweaks most of them are from goldeneye rom.

Apps:
I use Ungoogled Chromium, this browser is memory and battery friendly as it does not call home all the time and i don't use social media apps as they are all battery hogs, i have about 50 apps installed and i use afwall for firewall and as email i use exchange push email with stock email client.

I tried almost every rom available for the note 4 910F but all suck in battery or the pen is not working, with a lot of trial and error in debloating the rom i stick with the one i have now, i am running it for 3 years and i am a happy camper. I love this phone with the pen the screen size and the exchangeable battery, it runs for a week with one charge 7 days with 3 hours and 43 minutes screen on, the onscreen time (backlight slider at 1/3 and dark color wallpaper) is about 7 hours in one go and it uses 0.4 battery per hour in standby (measured with GSam Battery Monitor since 1 year). I had newer phone they are all made of glass, no battery exchange and no earphone connector. Long story short, great phone . If you like to have the build.prop tweaks i can give them to you. The L speed app you can download from XDA https://forum.xda-developers.com/f/l-speed.6156/ .

Cheers

Thank you very much for the offer, but build props are way over my experience level, i think.
Btw, love the phone for the same reason as you do.

Besides, i am quite happy customer also, running @AnonVendetta s version of really bareboned stock 6.01. No Google, microG instead. No root. Not many apps. I probably could get a week out of a battery also with light use that i usually do. But i use Signal, and i just yesterday discovered that the damn thing just chugs battery like mad if you don't have Play Service installed. So with it installed i get at best a days use, with very light using of the phone.

 

[Unidave199]

I am currently rocking a Note 3 on Sprint and running Android 10 (Superior OS) and works great. All the convencience of Android with my removable battery and IR blaster (yes I use it for multiple TV's in multiple buildings I control). I use the S-Pen on Squid to take notes and jot down info and even mark up pictures so don't need Air Command. I sync with my FitBit Versa and run multiple smart home devices from the phone (including my whole home entertainment with the PEEL app).
The only 'complaint' I have is the bluetooth. There was a major problem past Android 7 of geting the thing to work. It does now. Voice and music work good. But occassionally it will just drop the device it connects to. I will re esablsih about 10 seconds later but still, that loses the lock on my Jeep radio and therefore keeps allowing the screen to lock. This is a minor annoyance but does need to be mentioned.

I JUST bought a Note 4 so thinking of loading LOS 17 on it and see how it goes. However I see most people here just kept stock Marshmellow. I dunno aobut that... isnt the UI buggy and limiting?

I look forward to any advice I can get!

 

[Qosmio-]

Hi Dave,

I also use the IR remote for all my home appliance (dvbviewer TV on my pc, living room and bedroom tv and Bose audio system, i use the ir plus app great remote control app and it still gets updates, about the roms available for the note 4 i have the snapdragon version and i have tried all roms but i stay on stock 6.01 the MM version is not buggy at all, it never have problems, hangs crashes or reboots, i use the stock launcher smooth and fast, the UI interface is not important, the apps i use are all in dark mode, for me it's important i can use it the way i like it and it does. NOTE 4 still rocks like a champ with all the advantage it has. If this one breaks i will look for a other note 4, no newer phone for me. I dont know what version you have but try some rome you will see you will go back to 6.01 mm, its rock solid and battery friendly. Bluetooth on the note 4 sucks for battery use but does not crash or breaks anything, i have a gear fit2 pro but i dont connect it with the phone all the time just to sync .

Cheers

 

[prkfsz]

I am currently rocking a Note 3 on Sprint and running Android 10 (Superior OS) and works great. All the convencience of Android with my removable battery and IR blaster (yes I use it for multiple TV's in multiple buildings I control). I use the S-Pen on Squid to take notes and jot down info and even mark up pictures so don't need Air Command. I sync with my FitBit Versa and run multiple smart home devices from the phone (including my whole home entertainment with the PEEL app).
The only 'complaint' I have is the bluetooth. There was a major problem past Android 7 of geting the thing to work. It does now. Voice and music work good. But occassionally it will just drop the device it connects to. I will re esablsih about 10 seconds later but still, that loses the lock on my Jeep radio and therefore keeps allowing the screen to lock. This is a minor annoyance but does need to be mentioned.

I JUST bought a Note 4 so thinking of loading LOS 17 on it and see how it goes. However I see most people here just kept stock Marshmellow. I dunno aobut that... isnt the UI buggy and limiting?

I look forward to any advice I can get!

For me LOS17 was a no go because of the SIM issue and lack of encryption. I saw other having other issues. If i were you and needed something newer than marshmallow, then i would try LOS16. I found that one to be very stable, no issues so far for my use. Will perhaps migrate to that one with my daily driver in a while, when stock starts failing.

As for stock 6.0.1, not sure where you heard it was buggy?! I read that marshmallow was if not the least buggy Android OS ever and that is also my experience, at least on Note 4. I totally agree with @Qosmio-. It is the most rock solid rom i have ever had on a device. NEVER had any bugs, issues or anything. Battery friendly. I find launcher smooth, and run UI in 'easy mode', which i find the most appealing, colorwise and all. The perfect OS basically, if there ever was one. I have heard people starting to find apps that are no longer supported, but all apps that are important to me still work.

but wait - you use PEEL app as remote?
Wasn't that completely hidious advertisment-prone bloatware that was utterly unpleasant to use?

 

[Unidave199]

but wait - you use PEEL app as remote?
Wasn't that completely hidious advertisment-prone bloatware that was utterly unpleasant to use?

I only meant 'buggy' as outdated and unable to use the full Google Assistant features etc... Thats why I moved to newer ROMS Not as smooth and primitive features. I should try myself before I speak the negative about it!

So let's talk about PEEL.
The magic is to use this with Titanium Backup. I must say, PEEL can be set up to use and manage "scenarios" (Home, Work, Friend's House etc). If you set it up..
1.go in and click to NOT auto detect WiFi connections
2.disable advertising and lock screen and persistant notifications for 30 days.
3. Set up a Custom Remote Scenario
4. Create a Widget for the App to default on Custom Remote
3. Do a TB of the app!

I have found, on the newer ROM's it stays Ad Free.. but if it gets weird to annoying just do a TB restore "data only" and then you are golden!


Ive tried lots of other 3rd party apps but I keep going back to PEEL. It stays ad free and as a remote (not as a channel guide) it works exremely well, is desined well and functions well.

Hit me up if you want more specifics! Maybe I should start a 'how to' thread..

Dave

 

[Unidave199]

i stay on stock 6.01 the MM version is not buggy at all, it never have problems

Arent you worried about Security Updates?

 

[Qosmio-]

Arent you worried about Security Updates?

No not at all, i protect my use of internet at home and phone ( i am system engineer for 35 years so i know what i can and can't do), if you look what still need to be patched for android Exploits vulnerability-list , every new or old version of android user is @ risk. When connected with my phone to internet via my provider it will change the phones ip address every 15 minutes, i use a firewall (afwall) on my phone and disabled ipv6, i am connected to my home with openvpn to pfsense firewall for internet access and i use my own MS exchange mail server and dns server resolver with ad and privacy telemetry filter with pfblocker. There are things you don't do with old version of android and that is visite websites that are shady, porn websites and browse without a strong ad blocker or privacy filter.