[Q] Recommend STABLE Sprint KitKat 4.4.2 NAE ROM?

[rsngfrce]

In my years of rooted phones (Galaxy S2 E4GT, Galaxy S4 (destroyed USB port), Galaxy S4 #2... neither of the S4's have Spark), I have always stuck with stock rooted ROMs. My Sprint Samsung Galaxy S4 is currently on NAE stock rooted TouchWiz with the MF9 bootloader (no-Knox). I have developed a strange issue with loosing my mobile connection and GPS, referenced here: [Q] NAE started loosing mobile connection & GPS? and here: [Q] Loosing mobile connection & GPS. The best suggestion I feel I have received to deal with my issue is to flash a 4.4.2 NAE ROM that already has the Knox removed from it, which means looking for a non-stock ROM, so I am looking for recommendations...

My main priority is STABILITY over bells and whistles. I would prefer a TouchWiz based ROM, because I like the interface, however the only 4.4.2 NAE TouchWiz ROM I find is Negalite WondeROM X, and the developer of that ROM has not posted here since April, so it appears to be abandoned. Also, I'm not so keen on being stuck with a blue theme anyways.

That then leaves me with AOSP ROMs I believe. It occurs to me that because I'm use Nova Launcher, assuming that works under AOSP, rather than the TouchWiz launcher, my interface isn't going to change anyway, correct?

I would prefer to be able to use the KT-SGS4 kernel, only because I like it. I prefer to be able to make choice for myself than to have choices made for me (I might not prefer a ROM that removes a lot of bloatware if I don't consider some of it bloatware, or forces me into a certain color scheme, for example).

So any recommendations for AOSP ROMs that fit my needs? I haven't even started looking yet, but thought I'd throw this out there. CyanogenMod certainly seems to be the most well know ROM (and that is AOSP, correct?), but to my way of thinking, any ROM that needs nightly updates must have a lot of issues that need fixing (correct me if I am wrong about that... and I'm not the nightly flashing type anyways). I have always stuck stock rooted to avoid problems, so I DON'T want flash a ROM that will CAUSE problems! Thanks!

 

[rsngfrce]

Well... I don't seem to be getting much (ANY) response to this. Having looked around myself, I am finding it difficult just finding ANY 4.4.2 ROMs, everything seems to have gone on to 4.4.4. My reason for AVOIDING 4.4.4 at this point is that 4.4.2 is still the official release level for my phone, plus the ext sd card issues I've heard about (which may or may not be an issue). SO... ARE THERE ANY VALID 4.4.2 NAE CUSTOM ROMs to flash? At least tell me that. I still strongly dislike ANYTHING that has NIGHTLY updates. Thanks.

 

[pontif]

Previous versions are Nae based newest 2.0 version is ng2 based

[ROM][NAE/NG2][TW 4.4] [TEAM ACHERON] SuperS4 [ODEXED] UPDATED 8-22-14
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2773162

 

[rsngfrce]

Previous versions are Nae based newest 2.0 version is ng2 based

[ROM][NAE/NG2][TW 4.4] [TEAM ACHERON] SuperS4 [ODEXED] UPDATED 8-22-14
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2773162

I know that, but I'm figuring since my phone hasn't officially received a NG2 update yet (unless I am missing something... I think the Spark version has), I don't want to make that jump yet (stupid or not...)

 

[pontif]

I know that, but I'm figuring since my phone hasn't officially received a NG2 update yet (unless I am missing something... I think the Spark version has), I don't want to make that jump yet (stupid or not...)

Download the older version 1.6 it's nae based. The link is in the OP for older versions. You don't have to take the leap.

 

[rsngfrce]

Well, right now, based on what I have found, or based on recommendations, these seem to be my options:

[ROM][NAE][4.4.2] Negalite WondeROM X | Aroma | Xposed | Performance | Kernel | 04-11

[ROM][NAE/NG2][TW 4.4] [TEAM ACHERON] SuperS4 [ODEXED] UPDATED 8-22-14 (older version 1.6)

[ROM] ***Sacs_Custom_Rom_4.4.2_KITKAT_v6*** (I am still really not clear at all what the features of this ROM are).

[ROM][Official][4.4.2] SlimKat Stable 3.0 (older 4.4.2 NAE version, BUT I cannot find 4.4.2 NAE gapps on their site anywhere).

Does anybody have any opinions?

 

[neswii]

Hey man. I was sort of in the same boat as you. Years of flashing but prefer stock for stability. Lately my s4 felt not only sluggish, but there have been odd jitters in audio, terrible battery life when I'm actually using it very little. So I decided to install CM in a whim.

Last I used CM it was trash. The rom was absurdly unstable and it was just a bad experience, however, with over a year on the market I thought that the S4 version might have changed and be better. And change it did. This rom is better, more stable, absurdly faster, and to top it off battery has improved about 30%. Maybe even more. The system settings are not only extremely decluttered and well laid out, but it also has lots of features that I used apps for, such as NFC profiles baked into the OS.

As for the nightly, I strongly recommend against flashing them, pick the "Stable" version of the rom, the "Milestone" build. Also, CM unified all S4s to 1 master build so our device would be this: http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Jflte_Info That's great news as that means that all of the resources have been focused on one rom and it works very well. No issues with any radios, GPS, BT, WiFi, they all switch on faster than they did on the stock s4 build and GPS locks fast. Everything for me is working perfectly after a week. I advice you flash stock, root, then you flash a recovery(I used TWRP) and do a full wipe, flash the latest CM M build and see for yourself. I'm thoroughly impressed with the ROM, I'm sure you will be too.

 

[rsngfrce]

Thanks very much for the informative post! I will have to give CM a look as you suggest. :thumbup: