# [Buying advice]Budget 450-500USD, need waterproofing, wireless charging, rooting (A MUST!), and custom rom support. Been out of the phone loop.



## remixedcat (May 11, 2019)

As the topic title indicates. Need something also a decent upgrade from my Nexus 6 (64GB/ATT) Qualcomm cpu/gpu a must. No exy or MT.

I'd like to go with a custom ROM. Samsung is getting more and more restrictive. I've looked into S8+/S9+ and note variants but there's a limitation of 80% battery life for the kludgy custom rom situation..,

Are Samsung's newer stock ROMs any better than the hellacious S4's??? 

BRANDS OFF LIMITS: HUAWAWEI/ZTE/XIOMEI.


----------



## er557 (May 11, 2019)

head over to xda developers, see what are common popular phones to root and mod, I have a marshmallow version device myself(android 6), dont miss the security updates and using a custom launcher and recovery, all is well and i dont miss any feature, but usually a newer android version vs. customization and unlocking counteract each other.

Edit: heading over to xda myself now, need to find out if i can install root and xposed on my car head unit stereo...


----------



## biffzinker (May 11, 2019)

Have you looked at the new Pixel 3a or 3a XL phones Google just released? The reviews I've looked at have been positive.

$399 for the 3a or $479 for the 3a XL

Comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 670.



			https://store.google.com/product/pixel_3a


----------



## er557 (May 11, 2019)

That phone does not have any options of root or custom kernel, and it will take time to have them if any
The only resource I found regarding this is

__
		https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/9y4f7u
OP stressed that he needs advanced tinkering.


----------



## biffzinker (May 11, 2019)

er557 said:


> That phone does not have any options of root or custom kernel, and it will take time to have them if any
> The only resource I found regarding this is
> 
> __
> ...


How about the Asus ZenFone 5Z?








						ZenFone 5Z (ZS620KL)｜Phones｜ASUS USA
					

ZenFone is an extraordinary smartphone that combines stylish design with the latest high-end components and software. Take superb quality photos, play the latest mobile games on the go, and much more, with a phone that truly sets you apart from the crowd.




					www.asus.com
				




Would seem there is custom rom activity @ xda developers.





						Asus Zenfone 5Z Forum on XDA Developers
					

The Asus Zenfone 5z is a 6.2" phone with a 1080 x 2246 pixel display. The Snapdragon 845 chipset is paired with 4/6/8GB of RAM and 64/128/256GB of storage. The main camera is 12+8MP and the selfie camera is  8MP. The battery has a 3300mAh capacity.




					forum.xda-developers.com
				




Asus's where to buy links to Newegg priced at $399








						Asus Zenfone 5Z ZS620KL 4G LTE Unlocked Cell Phone 6.2" Silver 64GB 6GB RAM - Newegg.com
					

Buy Asus Zenfone 5Z ZS620KL 4G LTE Unlocked Cell Phone 6.2" Silver 64GB 6GB RAM with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!




					www.newegg.com


----------



## R0H1T (May 11, 2019)

I'm not sure you can get water proofing & wireless charging at or under $500, these are *premium* features for premium phones although some obscure brand could offer them at much cheaper prices.


----------



## remixedcat (May 11, 2019)

R0H1T said:


> I'm not sure you can get water proofing & wireless charging at or under $500, these are *premium* features for premium phones although some obscure brand could offer them at much cheaper prices.


well I found em on some S8/+ and S9+ on amazon with those features. just that the battery life limitation is a major issue. 

The pixel 3's notch is comically YUUUUUGE! that notch put the XL in the name lmao.


----------



## silentbogo (May 11, 2019)

er557 said:


> That phone does not have any options of root or custom kernel, and it will take time to have them if any
> The only resource I found regarding this is


That's the problem with all modern android phones: wanna use NFC payments - make sure that OEM lock is ON. My friend recently bricked his Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s, cause his chinese version (fake international) came with OEM unlock and root right from the package, and he couldn't use GooglePay.
Also, some apps that heavily rely on security will not work on a phone with OEM unlock. And once again - I mean all modern phones, not just Pixel.



remixedcat said:


> Are Samsung's newer stock ROMs any better than the hellacious S4's???


I have an S9[G960F/DS] on my desk right now (it's a work device, personally I hate Samsung). From what I can tell, it's even worse on newer ones. Anything from S7 upwards may flag warnings with Knoxx (sammy security subsystem). Stock firmware is pretty much AOSP with the regular Samsung crapware. There are some neat custom features, but for most people(like me) they are more of a burden.


----------



## Deleted member 24505 (May 11, 2019)

silentbogo said:


> That's the problem with all modern android phones: wanna use NFC payments - make sure that OEM lock is ON. My friend recently bricked his Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s, cause his chinese version (fake international) came with OEM unlock and root right from the package, and he couldn't use GooglePay.
> Also, some apps that heavily rely on security will not work on a phone with OEM unlock. And once again - I mean all modern phones, not just Pixel.
> 
> 
> I have an S9[G960F/DS] on my desk right now (it's a work device, personally I hate Samsung). From what I can tell, it's even worse on newer ones. Anything from S7 upwards may flag warnings with Knoxx (sammy security subsystem). Stock firmware is pretty much AOSP with the regular Samsung crapware. There are some neat custom features, but for most people(like me) they are more of a burden.



Samsung are over rated, crap battery, bloatware, sloooooow updates, useless edge screen, tell me one useful edge app? fragile as fook, i see sooooo many s7,8, and even 9's with cracked screens, it's fine if you want a big ugly case on it, but most don't.


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 12, 2019)

remixedcat said:


> As the topic title indicates. Need something also a decent upgrade from my Nexus 6 (64GB/ATT) Qualcomm cpu/gpu a must. No exy or MT.
> 
> I'd like to go with a custom ROM. Samsung is getting more and more restrictive. I've looked into S8+/S9+ and note variants but there's a limitation of 80% battery life for the kludgy custom rom situation..,
> 
> ...


Oneplus is an excellent option.


----------



## flmatter (May 12, 2019)

echo'ing @lexluthermiester  said oneplus


----------



## Upgrayedd (May 12, 2019)

tigger said:


> it's fine if you want a big ugly case on it, but most don't.


Ugly or nah?


----------



## biffzinker (May 12, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> Oneplus is an excellent option.


At one point in the past yes, now not so much. There's better alternatives to Oneplus.



Upgrayedd said:


> Ugly or nah?
> View attachment 122790


Here's another option in place of a bulky case. @tigger 








						dbrand » Official Shop
					

dbrand is the global leader in device customization. Founded on 11.11.11. Run by robots.




					dbrand.com


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 12, 2019)

biffzinker said:


> At one point in the past yes, now not so much. There's better alternatives to Oneplus.


Have you used one recently? If so, what didn't you like?


----------



## biffzinker (May 13, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> Have you used one recently? If so, what didn't you like?


I bought a OnePlus One way back (still have the One,) and loved the phone on it's price to performance ratio but the recent price creeping up to flag-ship level had me looking at their competitors.

This recent lack of water resistance IP rating has me wondering if the OP might be better off with another brand.


> Unlike many high-end smartphones on the market, OnePlus phones have never had official IP ratings for water resistance. But as the price of OnePlus devices has crept up − going from “flagship killers” to bona fide flagships − this has started to look like a bigger shortcoming.
> 
> As such, OnePlus received some criticism when it recently revealed that it was not going to IP classify the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro. Co-founder Carl Pei posted a statement on OnePlus’ official forum, accompanied by a video (embedded below), in an attempt to justify the decision.
> 
> ...


----------



## moproblems99 (May 13, 2019)

remixedcat said:


> As the topic title indicates. Need something also a decent upgrade from my Nexus 6 (64GB/ATT) Qualcomm cpu/gpu a must. No exy or MT.
> 
> I'd like to go with a custom ROM. Samsung is getting more and more restrictive. I've looked into S8+/S9+ and note variants but there's a limitation of 80% battery life for the kludgy custom rom situation..,
> 
> ...



HTC's were always mod friendly back when I was doing that.  I also liked that their recovery partition was isolated and didn't require flashing when switching roms so if it fails it is easier to recover.  I believe Samsung has the recovery flashed when you do a rom.

Any specific reason you want to root it?  You are getting more problems then you solve.  Android especially since their app store is...special.


----------



## flmatter (May 13, 2019)

biffzinker said:


> lack of water resistance IP


But even Samsung and Apple have warranty disclaimers that if the phone is water damaged it will not be covered by warranty. So why the need for an IP rating and the need for such? Pay extra money for an IP rating just to be out of a phone that has water damage because it went for a swim however brief or long.  I understand it is Linus's Blanket to have and IP rating but no warranty covering the IP is lazy. That means they paid for a rating that they are not willing to stand behind.  At least with my Moose Lights if they fail because of water, I can send them back for new ones under warranty.


----------



## AhokZYashA (May 13, 2019)

how about xiaomi mi9?

or you can find some older sony for a cheaper price (XZ1/XZ2)
no wireless charging though for them sonys


----------



## remixedcat (May 13, 2019)

moproblems99 said:


> HTC's were always mod friendly back when I was doing that.  I also liked that their recovery partition was isolated and didn't require flashing when switching roms so if it fails it is easier to recover.  I believe Samsung has the recovery flashed when you do a rom.
> 
> Any specific reason you want to root it?  You are getting more problems then you solve.  Android especially since their app store is...special.


Need ad block and tether.


----------



## silentbogo (May 13, 2019)

remixedcat said:


> Need ad block and tether.


There are many adblockers that don't require root. Which specific one are you using.
Also, what's tether?


----------



## remixedcat (May 13, 2019)

silentbogo said:


> There are many adblockers that don't require root. Which specific one are you using.
> Also, what's tether?


wifi hotspot


----------



## silentbogo (May 13, 2019)

remixedcat said:


> wifi hotspot


I thought you meant some super-special app. In this case, you don't need root at all. I think the only phone I had in recent years that had this feature disabled/limited, was my brother's Verizon-locked LG G5, for which I only needed root to fix one line in build.prop. All normal(non-contract) phones should have USB tethering and Wifi hotspot working out of the box.
I assume you are in US?


----------



## remixedcat (May 13, 2019)

yes, carriers are a you know what here..


----------



## moproblems99 (May 13, 2019)

remixedcat said:


> Need ad block and tether.



I haven't needed root for tether for years and someone else already mentioned ad blocker not needing it.  I personally think you are better off without root.  If you go root, I would checkout HTC phones but I don't know if they have had anything worth while for a few years.  They were always mod friendly though.


----------



## remixedcat (May 13, 2019)

moproblems99 said:


> I haven't needed root for tether for years and someone else already mentioned ad blocker not needing it.  I personally think you are better off without root.  If you go root, I would checkout HTC phones but I don't know if they have had anything worth while for a few years.  They were always mod friendly though.


adblockers without root use a vpn, I often VPN into my home connection, however vpn drains battery faster. The only HTC phone I have had was a windows mobile (pre metro) lol.


----------



## dj-electric (May 13, 2019)

If you need to browse without ads just use Brave or something. Your requests for the infinity gauntlet of phones for 500$ is a tough one


----------



## dgianstefani (May 13, 2019)

Galaxy S9.


----------



## remixedcat (May 13, 2019)

dj-electric said:


> If you need to browse without ads just use Brave or something. Your requests for the infinity gauntlet of phones for 500$ is a tough one


Ads drain battery baaad. I need more than just browser blocking


----------



## er557 (May 13, 2019)

some ads enable certain apps to work, including web pages, it usually is not an intrusion, certainly not a battery drain in today's technology


----------



## Deleted member 67555 (May 13, 2019)

Don't most carriers give you hotspot now?
I think they all limit or throttle videos over the network.
I don't bother with root anymore...
Truth be told I got a $100 discount for having Amazon apps preinstalled on my phone...it was easy to disable all of them.
I think you just search on Amazon for Android phones with Alexa.. I paid $179 for a moto G6 with Alexa


Anyways here is literally the best phone in your price range





						Amazon.com: Razer Phone 2 (New): Unlocked Gaming Smartphone – 120Hz QHD Display – Snapdragon 845 – Wireless Charging – Chroma – 8GB RAM - 64GB - Mirror Black Finish: Gateway
					

Buy Razer Phone 2 (New): Unlocked Gaming Smartphone - 120Hz QHD Display - Snapdragon 845 - Wireless Charging - Chroma - 8GB RAM - 64GB - Mirror Black Finish: Cell Phones & Accessories - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases



					www.amazon.com


----------



## Gasaraki (May 13, 2019)

flmatter said:


> But even Samsung and Apple have warranty disclaimers that if the phone is water damaged it will not be covered by warranty. So why the need for an IP rating and the need for such? Pay extra money for an IP rating just to be out of a phone that has water damage because it went for a swim however brief or long.  I understand it is Linus's Blanket to have and IP rating but no warranty covering the IP is lazy. That means they paid for a rating that they are not willing to stand behind.  At least with my Moose Lights if they fail because of water, I can send them back for new ones under warranty.



Because water resistant IP ratings prevent water damage? It's not like water resistances in phons is for them, it's for the end users.


----------



## remixedcat (May 13, 2019)

The Razer phone looks good so far


----------



## moproblems99 (May 13, 2019)

remixedcat said:


> The Razer phone looks good so far



I don't see any IP ratings and hopefully it is better than their PC products but overall looks like a decent phone.


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 21, 2019)

jmcslob said:


> I don't bother with root anymore...


That is a mistake..



jmcslob said:


> Anyways here is literally the best phone in your price range
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This is not..


----------



## Papahyooie (May 22, 2019)

The best thing you will ever get in that price range is the Pixel 3a. Someone said on page 1 that it didn't have root... it's a google phone. Of course it has root, as long as you buy it direct from google. Unlocked bootloader is about 3 taps away, run a root script, done. It can't get easier.


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 22, 2019)

Papahyooie said:


> The best thing you will ever get in that price range is the Pixel 3a.


That is not a good phone. No microsd for starters...


----------



## R-T-B (May 22, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> That is a mistake..



Meh.  Custom firmware support is more important to me than root too.  It's part of why I like moto phones...  many of them are bootloader unlockable and they list which ones openly.  You can thereby use Project Treble to load whatever you want, really.



lexluthermiester said:


> That is not a good phone. No microsd for starters...



I have always hated that about pixels.  If it weren't for that they'd be pretty decent though.


----------



## Papahyooie (May 22, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> That is not a good phone. No microsd for starters...


"That is not a good phone" is objectively false. Fair point about the micro SD card. Also, not in the OP's requirements, so irrelevant.


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 23, 2019)

Papahyooie said:


> "That is not a good phone" *is objectively false*. Fair point about the micro SD card. Also, not in the OP's requirements, so irrelevant.


Not really. Not the only complaint, it also does not have a great battery nor great battery life. The Pixel 3a XL would be a MUCH better phone because of the larger battery(22%) if not for the lack of microsd.




__





						Google Pixel 3a - Full phone specifications
					






					www.gsmarena.com
				







__





						Google Pixel 3a XL - Full phone specifications
					






					www.gsmarena.com
				




My latest personal fav is the Blackberry Key2




__





						BlackBerry KEY2 LE - Full phone specifications
					






					www.gsmarena.com
				



But if the OP doesn't want to the physical keyboard the Evolve X is excellent as well;




__





						BlackBerry Evolve X - Full phone specifications
					






					www.gsmarena.com
				



This one has the Qualcomm SDM660 Snapdragon 660 SOC and with a 4000mah battery will last all day long with heavy use. EDIT; This one is confirmed water resistant.

EDIT;
Was looking for something else on Gearbest and found this;


			https://www.gearbest.com/cell-phones/pp_009343162472.html
		

Xiaomi is actually one of the few very respectable Chinese brands. Worth a look. I know you said the company was not under consideration, but they've come a long way recently..


----------



## Papahyooie (May 23, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> Not really. Not the only complaint, it also does not have a great battery nor great battery life. The Pixel 3a XL would be a MUCH better phone because of the larger battery(22%) if not for the lack of microsd.



"Does not have great [insert whatever feature]" compared to what? An 800-1000 USD phone? You do have to take market segment into account. The truth is, while the Pixel 3a does lack some features, it's punching against 800 dollar phones, not the 400 dollar phones in its price range. It ticks all the boxes the OP wants except waterproofing, which can be fixed with a case. And it is ENORMOUSLY more capable phone than anything in that price range with a waterproof certification rating. 

Pixel 3a's battery lasts longer than a day of full use. I don't think anything past that could be considered a benefit for normal use, and the OP didn't mention abnormally large battery as a requirement. The Pixel 3a has a faster processor and gpu than either of the blackberries. And once again, the OP did not mention a concern for an SD card slot. You're hawking a phone you like without addressing the OP's concerns. He didn't mention SD card slot as a requirement, so why would you compromise other aspects of what makes a phone good, for an SD card slot? You're more worried about hawking your favorite phone than the subject of the thread.


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 23, 2019)

Papahyooie said:


> Pixel 3a's battery lasts longer than a day of full use.


Rubbish. One of my employee's has one and the thing barely gets him through lunchtime.


Papahyooie said:


> the OP didn't mention abnormally large battery as a requirement.


No, but just because it wasn't stated doesn't mean it's not worthy of serious consideration.


Papahyooie said:


> And once again, the OP did not mention a concern for an SD card slot.


See above. And both Blackberry models are water resistant. Hell even the Priv was water resistant. No phone is water "proof", I don't care what the certifications say..


Papahyooie said:


> You're more worried about hawking your favorite phone than the subject of the thread.


No, I'm recommending good phones with good to great specs & features at a reasonable price point that meet the one major requirement the OP stated, *Qualcomm SOC*. @remixedcat didn't state that it had to be the fastest SOC made, just has to be Qualcomm. Condition met. As for the rest of the mentioned desired features, the Evolve X has wireless charging, is unlocked and can be rooted.


----------



## SoNic67 (May 23, 2019)

I am using an S10 right now, unlocked version. Since the S7,  I feel that I don't need to fudge anymore with unlocking the bootloader... Did that on Moto and Asus and I was disappointed.
Apps that I don't need? Disabled.
Ad blocker? For browsers, checked. For apps? In house I use the PiHole as DNS server that takes care of that.
Thethering? Works. Sometimes you need to check with your cell provider TOS, if not allowed (for free) they might catch you and terminate the service. Just go on a different provider, that has better TOS.
Also, Samsung Pay can work with magnetic POS too, not only NFC ones. That's a big plus to me... swing the face of the cashier at Walmart when he says "phone pay doesn't work" and I reply " Your iPhone doesn't, Samsung does" is priceless.

IMO, if I like an app, I pay for the pro version, without ads.
Also, I use as much as possible wired WiFi at my house, I don't abuse the cell provider terms and conditions.


----------



## Papahyooie (May 23, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> Rubbish. One of my employee's has one and the thing barely gets him through lunchtime.
> 
> No, but just because it wasn't stated doesn't mean it's not worthy of serious consideration.
> 
> ...


1. Anecdotal. Tell your employee to stop installing crapware games with popup ads that drain the battery. Everyone else in the world so far disagrees with you. 
2. True, but you can't have everything in a $400 package.
3. They're water resistant, ok. They're also slow as hell by comparison. Buying a mid-2017 SoC in 2019 is just stupid. My recommendation would be to pick the thing that CAN'T be fixed by an accessory, rather than compromise speed and power in exchange for water resistance, that can be fixed with a simple case. If the OP is adamant against using a water resistant case, then I suppose your recommendation might be the best he/she can do. But my opinion stands: it's ridiculous to sacrifice speed for water resistance.


(EDIT: moreover, @OP, you're coming from a Nexus 6. I assume you love your Nexus 6 because, who doesn't ever?... The Pixel line is as close as you'll come to the Nexus line. It's a more than worthy successor, coming from a Pixel 3 owner.)


----------



## bug (May 23, 2019)

remixedcat said:


> Ads drain battery baaad. I need more than just browser blocking


No they don't. Scripts do. Use AdBlocker and NoScript and surf like there's no tomorrow. You can even let AdBlock's unobtrusive ads on.


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 23, 2019)

Papahyooie said:


> 1. Anecdotal. Tell your employee to stop installing crapware games with popup ads that drain the battery. Everyone else in the world so far disagrees with you.


Yeah, cause *that's* what going on. While you're at it, can I get tomorrows Power-Ball numbers from you?


Papahyooie said:


> 2. True, but you can't have everything in a $400 package.


What was that a response to? TPU's reply system is excellent, learn how to use it.


Papahyooie said:


> They're also slow as hell by comparison.


*There's* your "Anecdotal" statement. Performance is relative. However, while the Snapdragon 636 might be a bit on the mid-range side, the 660 and 675 both are easily in the upper tier range. None of them will have any issues running today's range of apps & features and all of them are energy efficient.


Papahyooie said:


> But my opinion stands: it's ridiculous to sacrifice speed for water resistance.


Your opinion, and not a very good one. If the OP works in or will use the device in an environment which is subject to frequent water exposure, water resistance is an important feature which can not be understated.

You're making assumptions and making very little in the way of useful suggestions.


----------



## Papahyooie (May 23, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> Your opinion, and not a very good one.



Considering I have experience developing custom roms for Android, I'd fancy my opinion on what phones are good for it or not holds some weight. You're not obliged to agree, sure. I don't expect you to. But at least be civil. I expressed my recommendation, you expressed yours. I, however, did not directly quote you and attack your opinion. How's about we stick to answering the question in the thread, and stop the back and forth chit chat, eh? The OP will decide what's important to him. Have a good day.


----------



## remixedcat (May 23, 2019)

I need the water resistance and it needs to be more than splashproof. my hand eye coordination is getting worse due to my disability, so I need it to be tough.. I've seen so many cases fail hard. 

If the phone has 128GB storage I won't need an SD card as bad. 

I do want more RAM than my 3GB on my Nexus 6. Stuff bloats after a while. 

headphone jack I can actually live without in leiu of water proofing and getting more RAM. 


but rooting is very important. can't go changing carriers all the time. need this phone to be avalible all times due to doctors calling a lot. changing carriers and wating for ports takes forever. need the hotspot for emergencies. I'm normally within wifi range when I go around town but for longer car rides I need it.



bug said:


> No they don't. Scripts do. Use AdBlocker and NoScript and surf like there's no tomorrow. You can even let AdBlock's unobtrusive ads on.


a lot of ads pull gps and that drains battery


----------



## SoNic67 (May 23, 2019)

"Need the hotspot for emergency". Huh? Like 911 emergency? Hotspot is used only when you use the phone to give Internet to a laptop or tablet.

My experience: I am on TotalWireless, running on Verizon's network. Hotspot works on S7, S9, S10 unlocked or Verizon firmwares. VoLTE is working too (absolutely needed on Verizon because they will shut down CDMA this December).

Rooting added only problems to my other phones.


----------



## remixedcat (May 23, 2019)

I need to sometimes use a laptop or tablet over LTE and I don't want it to tattle lol.


----------



## R-T-B (May 23, 2019)

remixedcat said:


> I need to sometimes use a laptop or tablet over LTE and I don't want it to tattle lol.



Most carriers include tethering free now.  There's no real way to stop it from counting against your data though.


----------



## remixedcat (May 23, 2019)

some detect and then shut off data... don't want that.


----------



## flmatter (May 24, 2019)

How about Catipillar Phones ?  Might not be the latest greatest but rugged yes.


----------



## remixedcat (May 24, 2019)

flmatter said:


> How about Catipillar Phones ?  Might not be the latest greatest but rugged yes.


much XDA activity in case I need help? their forum is being very slow for some reason...

as for the ruggedness.... I can deal with cases to protect against that well, however waterproofing fails more cases before scratches/cracks do.


----------



## flmatter (May 24, 2019)

XDA Catipillar forums  a number of pages there. I would dare to say decent to average support. I noticed some rooting questions in there as well for newer models.  I just skimmed the first 2 or 3 pages


----------



## remixedcat (May 24, 2019)

just hope they figure something out for root by x-mas-ish when I plan on getting the phone... Just throwing ideas out now to budget more precisely...


----------



## moproblems99 (May 24, 2019)

remixedcat said:


> some detect and then shut off data... don't want that.



I don't think rooting your device is going to stop the carrier from detecting tethering and shutting it down.  Your carrier either allows it or it doesn't.  Root isn't going to change that.  Wouldn't it be pretty easy to determine if your carrier allows tethering?


----------



## R-T-B (May 24, 2019)

moproblems99 said:


> I don't think rooting your device is going to stop the carrier from detecting tethering and shutting it down.  Your carrier either allows it or it doesn't.  Root isn't going to change that.  Wouldn't it be pretty easy to determine if your carrier allows tethering?



There used to be a "provisioning bit" the carrier could set to allow tethering.  Root would let you bypass that and tether, but it won't stop them from realizing a metric button of data is being siphoned.


----------



## moproblems99 (May 24, 2019)

R-T-B said:


> There used to be a "provisioning bit" the carrier could set to allow tethering.  Root would let you bypass that and tether, but it won't stop them from realizing a metric button of data is being siphoned.



While I don't know (clearly), I would be willing to bet that is not the only way they know.  It has been a really long time since I bothered with rooting and flashing.  Nothing against the developers but I always found the roms to be generally buggy.  This didn't work.  That didn't work.  Video was recorded upside down...couldn't send text messages through native apps.  Need a special apn...

Way more trouble than it was worth.  Fun no doubt.  But not great for a daily.


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 24, 2019)

Papahyooie said:


> I, however, did not directly quote you and attack your opinion.


You recommended the Pixel 3a, a bad choice considering the needs of the OP. I'm not going to apologize for pointing that out. If a Pixel is going to be recommended, the 3a XL is the MUCH better model, but a bit expensive.



flmatter said:


> How about Catipillar Phones ?  Might not be the latest greatest but rugged yes.


Here's the more reasonably priced model;








						Cat® S41 Smartphone | Cat Phones USA
					






					www.catphones.com
				



Water resistant up 2 meters for 60 minutes. Catch is, it's got a Mediatek SOC. I personally don't understand the issue with Mediatek, they have some excellent SOC's.

However, the next model up has a Qualcomm SD630;








						Cat® S61 Smartphone | Cat Phones USA
					






					www.catphones.com
				



That one is water resistant up to 3 meters for 60 minutes.

Amazon, Ebay, Microcenter, B&H and Fry's all have them.
@remixedcat Remind us all, are you in the USA or in the UK? Can't remember...


----------



## R-T-B (May 24, 2019)

moproblems99 said:


> While I don't know (clearly), I would be willing to bet that is not the only way they know.  It has been a really long time since I bothered with rooting and flashing.  Nothing against the developers but I always found the roms to be generally buggy.  This didn't work.  That didn't work.  Video was recorded upside down...couldn't send text messages through native apps.  Need a special apn...
> 
> Way more trouble than it was worth.  Fun no doubt.  But not great for a daily.



You are complaining more about custom roms than root, honestly.  And project Treble fixed a lot of that, because it's now basically up to the vendor to build the driver framework, and the rom is just a UI on top.


----------



## biffzinker (May 24, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> Catch is, it's got a Mediatek SOC. I personally don't understand the issue with Mediatek, they have some excellent SOC's.


Something to do with their lack of releasing source code which makes custom roms a difficult task.


----------



## R-T-B (May 24, 2019)

biffzinker said:


> Something to do with their lack of releasing source code which makes custom roms a difficult task.



Yep.  They thumb their nose at the GPL and blatantly violate it with every release.  It's really an ethics concern, and also just sucks for custom roms.


----------



## moproblems99 (May 24, 2019)

R-T-B said:


> You are complaining more about custom roms than root, honestly.  And project Treble fixed a lot of that, because it's now basically up to the vendor to build the driver framework, and the rom is just a UI on top.



Correct.  I am complaining about roms and not rooting.  That said, most roms are rooted and most are done at the same time anyway.  Rooting is opening yourself up to problems you don't need.  You gain (mostly) nothing and now run a privileged user in a (comparatively) wild west.  Yes you can remove bloat but you can simply buy a phone that doesn't have it to begin with.



lexluthermiester said:


> Rubbish. One of my employee's has one and the thing barely gets him through lunchtime.



My Pixel 3 lasts two days.  Not sure how the 3a and 3 batteries compare.  Maybe mine lasts longer because because my phone and head aren't joined with my rectum.


----------



## R-T-B (May 24, 2019)

moproblems99 said:


> Maybe mine lasts longer because because my phone and head aren't joined with my rectum.



Come now.  That was completely unnecessary.  Let's keep this civil.


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 24, 2019)

moproblems99 said:


> My Pixel 3 lasts two days. Not sure how the 3a and 3 batteries compare. Maybe mine lasts longer because because my phone and head aren't joined with my rectum.


He uses his a fair amount while on the job. I'd say normal use. Of course there is this development;








						Some users report that their Pixel 3a and 3a XL phones are experiencing random shutdowns
					

Several Reddit users (via Android Police) report that their Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL phones have been experiencing random shutdowns. These are said to be occurring...




					www.techspot.com
				



He's been having that problem lately. Been trying to talk him into a Blackberry Key2 as he does a ton of texting and has big hands like mine. He borrowed my Priv for a week and liked it. But we're off topic, I digress..


----------



## moproblems99 (May 24, 2019)

R-T-B said:


> Come now.  That was completely unnecessary.  Let's keep this civil.



That wasn't really intended for anyone in particular.  More of the current culture where you can't buy groceries without people blaring music from their cart, yelling into at the checkout line, or killing people while they are driving because they can't put it down.

Apologies for the seeming attack on lex's employee.


----------



## er557 (May 24, 2019)

moproblems99 said:


> That wasn't really intended for anyone in particular.  More of the current culture where you can't buy groceries without people blaring music from their cart, yelling into at the checkout line, or killing people while they are driving because they can't put it down.
> 
> Apologies for the seeming attack on lex's employee.




I spend my time 30% galaxy phablet, 30% desktop pc,  30% car android head unit,  30% smart tv,     5 minutes sleep.

Gaming, eat, sleep, repeat...


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 24, 2019)

moproblems99 said:


> Apologies for the seeming attack on lex's employee.


No offense taken. Some people do walk around with their heads up their bum while glued to their phone.


er557 said:


> I spend my time 30% galaxy phablet, 30% desktop pc, 30% car android head unit, 30% smart tv, 5 minutes sleep.


That math doesn't work, even if you account for overlapping..


er557 said:


> Gaming, eat, sleep, repeat...


Ah 1994, that was a good year..


----------



## remixedcat (May 24, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> You recommended the Pixel 3a, a bad choice considering the needs of the OP. I'm not going to apologize for pointing that out. If a Pixel is going to be recommended, the 3a XL is the MUCH better model, but a bit expensive.
> 
> 
> Here's the more reasonably priced model;
> ...


USA


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 24, 2019)

remixedcat said:


> USA


Cool, you've got great options then.


----------



## SoNic67 (May 24, 2019)

remixedcat said:


> some detect and then shut off data... don't want that.


Then don't get that carrier. Also, they can detect it even if you are rooted most of the time - based on TTL values in the packet.
Only "unlimited" plans are stingier with the tethering now days, because... their "no limit". There are people that try to use the cell as whole house Internet and that's not what a cell connection is ready to do. Not until 5G.


----------



## bug (May 25, 2019)

lexluthermiester said:


> Cool, you've got great options then.


That's debatable. From the other side of the pond, having to let the carrier bastardize your OS in order to sell you a phone doesn't look like a great option


----------



## lexluthermiester (May 25, 2019)

bug said:


> That's debatable. From the other side of the pond, having to let the carrier bastardize your OS in order to sell you a phone doesn't look like a great option


The Cat phones are unlocked and unaffected by carrier whims, so that is not a problem. I personally only buy unlocked phones from sources other than carriers. Remixedcat is likely doing the same for similar reasons.


----------



## remixedcat (Nov 25, 2019)

any updates on this? any developments on roms/root/new thoughts or devices? got the money saved!


----------

