Can you install a pure stock android rom on Samsung galaxy S8+?

[thejunglegod]

I miss the fluidity of my Nexus 6P and want that pure android feel. I see a few articles on the fact that it can be done, but it looks much more cumbersome than the procedure on a Nexus 6P.
Is it advisable to do this? Will this cause any problems with regards to phone performance?

 

[Commodus]

I miss the fluidity of my Nexus 6P and want that pure android feel. I see a few articles on the fact that it can be done, but it looks much more cumbersome than the procedure on a Nexus 6P.
Is it advisable to do this? Will this cause any problems with regards to phone performance?

If the bootloader is locked and can't be easily unlocked, you may be stuck.

One concern if you can flash a stock ROM is drivers; it might not be as optimized.

Truth be told, I'd probably be looking at a Pixel 2 XL... display quirks aside, it's the best way to get the performance you want.

 

[NutBucket]

I would guess the S8 has a fully locked bootloader. So basically, can't do it and buy a Pixel.

EDIT: I stand corrected. It seems you can (fairly easily apparently) unlock the bootloader. Again, considering the Pixel2 has the same hardware (more or less), just get that.

 

[thejunglegod]

Hmm, thank you guys. I'll have a look.

 

[gorcorps]

What problems are you having? I had a 6p before getting my s8 and think the s8 is a better experience

 

[NutBucket]

I think he's stuck on the old mentality that TW sucks and you must get rid of it.

 

[gorcorps]

I think he's stuck on the old mentality that TW sucks and you must get rid of it.

I mean it's his phone and he can do what he wants with it, but I honestly couldn't put my finger on a single thing that the 6P did better in the software so it's just odd to pay for a Samsung phone and then take away all of the Samsung features. Apart from not being able to remove a couple of the carrier apps (I can at least disable them).

 

[NutBucket]

Or just buy an unlocked S8 like I did and not have any carrier bloat to worry about....just Bixby!

 

[Pulsar]

The S7 was the first phone I didn't feel the need to root and reimage. With package disabler pro I just disabled the bloatware and was happy. My wife bought the S8, and after a couple dozens times getting frustrated with the virtual buttons I've decided I have zero interest in going that way until I'm forced to.

The only thing I don't particularly like is background services on the S7. None of the apps I've tried closes the background services of the 2 games I like to play - so 14 hours after playing them I'm checking why my phone has slowed down and wondering why the hell the phone insists on keeping those game background services open and running and taking up ram. But I'm a little more anal then most.

 

[Zaap]

My wife bought the S8, and after a couple dozens times getting frustrated with the virtual buttons I've decided I have zero interest in going that way until I'm forced to.

I know how you feel to a degree- at first I wasn't keen on the idea of virtual buttons vs. real.

But it's funny how your perspective changes. Now I'm so used to virtual buttons on my Note 8, that I catch myself swiping up from the bottom of my older button devices and wondering for a second where my damn buttons are and "what's up with this thing?" before I catch myself.

Then I kind of realize... wow, all that bezel just to accommodate these buttons I don't even feel the need for anymore. I'm pretty much sold on virtual buttons- never thought I would be.

There are still a few things I find annoying:
Many times swiping to access them is just damned annoying, depending on the app. In an app like PlayerPro, it takes some accuracy to get the button bar without hitting the progress bar and skipping to some random point in a track.

I can hardly ever bring it up in a browser without an unwanted page scroll.

And so far the worst is an app like True Caller which I use as a dialer. It's super easy to hit the call button while swiping the button bar and dial someone accidentally.

I'm also not a fan of how it stays active under a virtual keyboard, and on occasion I may miss the spacebar and hit the home button- dumping me out of whatever I was typing.

I also wish the buttons weren't always present in Nova Launcher- instead of just swiping up when I need them, so the dock doesn't sit a row up from the bottom. (Edit: just realized Nova fixed this with a setting!)

There's definitely some things to get past, but overall after getting used to the Note 8 I don't actually want to go back to physical buttons on a phone. Worth the minor annoyances so far for the lack of bezel. And yeah... I never thought I'd say that.

 

[ericlp]

Even if you could... the S8 has a lot of NEW hardware, be lucky if even half of the hardware works... I doubt too many people are hacking the S8 to make a better interface. Even the phones like S6 that have been hacked and people putting in new boot loading them, while the interface is snappy, some of the phone features still don't work, nothing is polished... Often it's a hit and miss and lucky the phone doesn't crash.

While it is cool, I would only do this on a backup phone, never your daily driver. I say go for it and try it out, just have a lot of "real expectations". I've done and quickly reverted back. Check out youtube vids of others doing it and there is a risk of bricking the device as well (as make sure you have the exact model) blah blah blah....

Good Luck!

 

[Raduque]

US QUALCOMM SoC models: No.

International Exynos models: Maybe.

I wouldn't do it regardless. You unlock the bootloader and you blow the Knox eFuse. It kills your warranty and permanently disables anything that uses Knox, such as Samsung Health, Samsung Pay, Secure Folder and others. That basically cripples base usage of the device and kills resale value.

AOSP and Google's fork of Android suck anyway.

 

[Yuriman]

I'm pretty happy with the software on my Pixel. I had both an S7 and Pixel for a while, and aside from having more screen real estate on the S7, I preferred the Pixel for most things.

 

[dawheat]

The S7 was the first phone I didn't feel the need to root and reimage. With package disabler pro I just disabled the bloatware and was happy. My wife bought the S8, and after a couple dozens times getting frustrated with the virtual buttons I've decided I have zero interest in going that way until I'm forced to.

I assume she knows she can hard press the location of the home button (whether the virtual button is present or not) to go home? I have mine sent to 'More sensitive' in navigation bar settings and I don't miss the physical home button.