Hi all, just got my Nexus 5.
What kernel/ROM combo should I use for best battery life and stability?
Do I lose 'OK Google' by going custom?
I've never understood people that install a custom ROM on a Nexus phone. The biggest selling point of a Nexus device is the fact that it comes with a stock experience right out of the box. If you are going to install a custom ROM that will be farther away from stock than the way it shipped what is the point?
The installed software was the main reason I got the Nexus 5 in the first place.
There are some features people like that you can't get on stock android, I get that but like you said the whole point of a nexus is to run stock.
The point is that, with a Nexus, you have an official AOSP build specifically optimized for your phone.I've never understood people that install a custom ROM on a Nexus phone. The biggest selling point of a Nexus device is the fact that it comes with a stock experience right out of the box. If you are going to install a custom ROM that will be farther away from stock than the way it shipped what is the point?
The installed software was the main reason I got the Nexus 5 in the first place.
Exactly. Take CM for an example or any AOSP-based ROMs. They take AOSP and add on features. While there might be bugs in adding custom quick tiles or notification toggles, generally those have been ironed out already.The point is that, with a Nexus, you have an official AOSP build specifically optimized for your phone.
Many/most phones with custom roms use generic AOSP with somewhat hacked in drivers and such, and thus don't work 100% all the time, usually with camera drivers and bluetooth.
With a Nexus you can ignore that and only work on the extra features, without having to try and merge device specific drivers that may or may not be stable.
slide2wake kills your battery on the Nexus 5.
It's pretty big and there's an explanation why. However things may have changed since I used it in December, but the cause for s2w and dt2w to drain is that the digitizer doesn't properly shut down when the LCD goes off. There's also some additional drain because the LCD is electrically tied to the digitizer in the Nexus 5. In the Nexus 4 I believe it was easier to implement without causing massive drain.Some people has that problem, I don't. I tested my phone with and without this feature and I don't see much difference. It wasn't very scientific they way I ran the tests, just normal usage and by the end of the day I usually ended up around the same % left.
For sure it use battery but it my case the feature is worth it.
It's pretty big and there's an explanation why. However things may have changed since I used it in December, but the cause for s2w and dt2w to drain is that the digitizer doesn't properly shut down when the LCD goes off. There's also some additional drain because the LCD is electrically tied to the digitizer in the Nexus 5. In the Nexus 4 I believe it was easier to implement without causing massive drain.
I've never understood people that install a custom ROM on a Nexus phone. The biggest selling point of a Nexus device is the fact that it comes with a stock experience right out of the box. If you are going to install a custom ROM that will be farther away from stock than the way it shipped what is the point?
The installed software was the main reason I got the Nexus 5 in the first place.
I look at it exactly opposite as you.
Nexus phones are incredibly easy to unlock/root. Nexus has the biggest developer community.
Sticking with AOSP based ROMs maintain a clean, bloat-free stock look and feel if you don't go nuts with it.
Why wouldn't you want to unlock/root/ROM?
This. All of it.For me Stock + Root + Xposed Framework + GravityBox and a few others filled any need that I might have needed for a custom rom. I just don't see a point for flashing another ROM anymore. Although I have flashed a custom kernel and undervolted.
I look at it exactly opposite as you.
Nexus phones are incredibly easy to unlock/root. Nexus has the biggest developer community.
Sticking with AOSP based ROMs maintain a clean, bloat-free stock look and feel if you don't go nuts with it.
Why wouldn't you want to unlock/root/ROM?
I don't agree that Xposed replaces custom ROMs. Custom ROMs are still more efficient in terms of having all the options there. Furthermore, Xposed is not compatible with ART (not a concern with me), and it's a potential for a massive security failure.This. All of it.
While vanilla KitKat is quite good, there're still some neat functionality added with custom ROM, kernel. I rooted my Nexus 5 mainly for these reasons:
- PA Rom: they're pretty close to stock and don't add hundreds of gimmicks features. I like they way they implement immersise mod with pie and the pull down toggle.
- Pie : see above. Pie is essential for me since I don't need navigation bar and gain much screen estate. You will gain muscle memory very fast and don't really need to look at it to use it anymore. It's faster for me to use Pie then navigation buttons (why need transparent navigation bar ?) This is a killer feature.
- Change LCD density (build prop) to gain some more screen estate. For Nexus 5, the majority prefer 400, I use 440, the default is 480.
- Custom kernel: I don't buy into the battery gain stuff, I use custom kernel play with gamma profile and tune my screen to my liking. The other thing is the ability to use slike2wake or doubletap (LG knock on feature). I prefer slike2wake.
- You can have all these features with only a root phone and apps + modified stock kernel or use custom ROM + custom Kernel with these built in.
Nexus 5 + PA Rom + Franco Kernel modified kernel (include slide2wake) + ART runtime give me a really really good result.
Plus, it's not 100% there yet. For example the "Halo" mods that let you get close to what Paranoid Android has is no where close. You can't swipe down and dismiss the Halo notification for example. Xposed doesn't have quiet hours yet, which is immensely useful with CM. It's just nice to know that things are baked into ROMs.
Like I said it's cleaner to do it in a ROM. You can specify to disable haptic feedback, vibrations, notification light, etc. Maybe that's all doable in Tasker, but to have yet another app run in the background is less than ideal.Last I read, Halo was being discontinued by PA -- which really doesn't matter much to me, as I didn't really care for it. Quite hours - takes literally 1 minute to create a Tasker task for it.
Like I said it's cleaner to do it in a ROM. You can specify to disable haptic feedback, vibrations, notification light, etc. Maybe that's all doable in Tasker, but to have yet another app run in the background is less than ideal.
I'm not saying there aren't alternatives, but I personally like it all baked into a ROM. The less additional apps I need, the better.
You don't need the navigation bar? How do you get to your home screens, go back and display the recent apps? Also, I'm curious of your definition of "much screen space". It doesn't take up that much space. Having that extra space on the home screen wouldn't provide much of an advantage, in some cases you will have to scroll a tiny bit more... big deal. For things like games and video the navigation bar is hidden anyways. I've never understood people's hatred of the on even navigation bar.
I have the exact opposite opinion. I want the OS to be as minimal as possible. That way you only have the added stuff if you actually WANT it. If you keep adding stuff to the OS so you don't have to download a new app(is that really so hard?) then you end up with things like TouchWiz. The running in the background part isn't even a real issue because even if it is in the OS something is still happening in the background. What does it matter if it is an OS process or a 3rd party app that is doing the work in the background? It's still happening either way.