Android Tablet OS/Customization Thread


Recommended Posts

I decided to get a small Android tablet to have a little something different than iOS. I got the 2017 Samsung Galaxy A 8". Really nice little device. I am not a fan of the Touchwiz stuff though. The last Android tablet I had was the awesome Nexus 7 and I loved vanilla Android. Is it possible to install vanilla Android on a Samsung device? And can I install Oreo? Right now it is on Nougat 7.1.

totally an option to install vanilla android.

 

the XDA forums are going to be your best friend for tutorials and available roms :)

 

https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-a

  • Like 3
17 hours ago, Brandon H said:

totally an option to install vanilla android.

 

the XDA forums are going to be your best friend for tutorials and available roms :)

 

https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-a

Thanks for that @Brandon H. Think it will perform better without the touch wiz garbage? I did try out a couple launchers last night - the Microsoft one and Nova and both improve the device quite a bit.

3 minutes ago, patseguin said:

Thanks for that @Brandon H. Think it will perform better without the touch wiz garbage? I did try out a couple launchers last night - the Microsoft one and Nova and both improve the device quite a bit.

It's probably a combination of the lower spec hardware and TouchWiz. 

 

I think it's all now pretty painless to change over the ROM, give it a go and see how it feels. Worst case you revert back. :)

  • Like 2

yeah even in the latest versions TouchWiz is still garbage IMO and slows everything down

 

a custom ROM with possibly a custom Kernel as well will have that thing performing like a champ :)

  • Like 1
5 minutes ago, Brandon H said:

yeah even in the latest versions TouchWiz is still garbage IMO and slows everything down

 

a custom ROM with possibly a custom Kernel as well will have that thing performing like a champ :)

See I've heard (not used) otherwise. It's obviously nowhere near as good as stock but they've massively improved what once was the wart of the Samsung phones. 

6 minutes ago, dipsylalapo said:

See I've heard (not used) otherwise. It's obviously nowhere near as good as stock but they've massively improved what once was the wart of the Samsung phones. 

and that's why I say IMO, I agree that it's improved but I still think personally that TouchWiz is one of the worst when it comes to the OEM skins.

  • Like 2
10 minutes ago, Brandon H said:

and that's why I say IMO, I agree that it's improved but I still think personally that TouchWiz is one of the worst when it comes to the OEM skins.

Yeah I liked everything about the device except for Touchwiz so that's what I want to get rid of asap. Performance is OK but I didn't expect a $200 tablet to perform like my iPad Pro anyways. If I could install Oreo on it and squeeze out some better performance, it would be great.

3 minutes ago, patseguin said:

Yeah I liked everything about the device except for Touchwiz so that's what I want to get rid of asap. Performance is OK but I didn't expect a $200 tablet to perform like my iPad Pro anyways. If I could install Oreo on it and squeeze out some better performance, it would be great.

most are Nougat but i definitely saw some Oreo ROMS on XDA for the Tab A so you should be golden on that front.

 

for root/bootloader unlock:

https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-a/how-to/root-t3674409

 

unofficial Lineage build: https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-a/development/rom-lineageos-15-1-android-8-1-20171223-t3723952

37 minutes ago, Brandon H said:

most are Nougat but i definitely saw some Oreo ROMS on XDA for the Tab A so you should be golden on that front.

 

for root/bootloader unlock:

https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-a/how-to/root-t3674409

 

unofficial Lineage build: https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-a/development/rom-lineageos-15-1-android-8-1-20171223-t3723952

What is LineageOS? Just the guy's name for a custom Oreo build or something? Sorry for noob questions, Android is still new to me.

6 minutes ago, patseguin said:

What is LineageOS? Just the guy's name for a custom Oreo build or something? Sorry for noob questions, Android is still new to me.

LineageOS is the successor to CyanogenMOD
They're the most renowned community run customized AOSP build.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LineageOS

4 minutes ago, techbeck said:

Cant you just install a new launcher?  Would be easiest thing to do if you do not like TW.

yes but he wants Oreo which isn't officially available for the A tablet

 

LineageOS looks to be the only Oreo option right now for it.

22 hours ago, Brandon H said:

yes but he wants Oreo which isn't officially available for the A tablet

 

LineageOS looks to be the only Oreo option right now for it.

I started reading up on Lineage but chickened out fir fear of bricking my tablet. I tried a whole bunch of launchers and Apex gives me a nice experience. I find the speed and responsiveness of the tablet a little lacking which is why I thought maybe a vanilla Android install might be a good idea.

3 hours ago, patseguin said:

I started reading up on Lineage but chickened out fir fear of bricking my tablet. I tried a whole bunch of launchers and Apex gives me a nice experience. I find the speed and responsiveness of the tablet a little lacking which is why I thought maybe a vanilla Android install might be a good idea.

with the ODIN tool even bricking can be repaired from quite easily

 

I had the original Nexus 7 tablet which used the odin tool for flashing, it's easy to use and can get you out of soft bricks in a pinch.

 

check out the root link i posted above; if you're comfortable with those steps then you won't have any problem :)

 

https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-a/how-to/root-t3674409

 

it's looks like the method in this thread doesn't even wipe current data which is a plus if you only want the root

 

edit: yeah TouchWiz is all over the system, it's more than just the home screen launcher so a vanilla experience would definitely help a little more.

5 hours ago, Brandon H said:

with the ODIN tool even bricking can be repaired from quite easily

 

I had the original Nexus 7 tablet which used the odin tool for flashing, it's easy to use and can get you out of soft bricks in a pinch.

 

check out the root link i posted above; if you're comfortable with those steps then you won't have any problem :)

 

https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-a/how-to/root-t3674409

 

it's looks like the method in this thread doesn't even wipe current data which is a plus if you only want the root

 

edit: yeah TouchWiz is all over the system, it's more than just the home screen launcher so a vanilla experience would definitely help a little more.

Maybe I'll consider trying it after all. The overall performance of the tablet is kind of laggy. I am fairly certain it is the Samsung bloatware. If I just want to install vanilla Nougat can I do that without using Lineage?

This is a great thread. You guys should consider pasting some of these links/comments to an android tablet OS / Customization thread! (Y)

On 5/12/2018 at 5:12 PM, patseguin said:

Maybe I'll consider trying it after all. The overall performance of the tablet is kind of laggy. I am fairly certain it is the Samsung bloatware. If I just want to install vanilla Nougat can I do that without using Lineage?

nougat should have some pure AOSP builds listed on XDA, it's only Oreo that has unofficial support thanks to Lineage. (even being unofficial i doubt you'd have issues, the community is pretty good about releasing builds in a stable state as you can read from the comments in the threads :) )

 

AOSP is the pure vanilla android release by google which most custom roms are based off of in case you were wondering :)

On ‎5‎/‎14‎/‎2018 at 9:08 AM, Brandon H said:

nougat should have some pure AOSP builds listed on XDA, it's only Oreo that has unofficial support thanks to Lineage. (even being unofficial i doubt you'd have issues, the community is pretty good about releasing builds in a stable state as you can read from the comments in the threads :) )

 

AOSP is the pure vanilla android release by google which most custom roms are based off of in case you were wondering :)

The tablet is a bit slow for me to really enjoy it. I am really digging Android though. I love the customizability. I was thinking about returning the Tab A 8" and buying an S3. Ever used one?

1 hour ago, patseguin said:

The tablet is a bit slow for me to really enjoy it. I am really digging Android though. I love the customizability. I was thinking about returning the Tab A 8" and buying an S3. Ever used one?

yeah that's the problem with the budget tablets sadly; they function 'decent' on their initial factory release os version but degrade in performance fast with each update :/

 

don't have a samsung tablet myself but anything E series and above should perform well. the A series is really their lowest budget range so it performs mediocre at best as you've noticed.

edit: though it looks like the E series hasn't been refreshed in a few years so the S tabs look to be the way to go if you don't want lag :)

  • Like 2
  • 1 year later...
  • 2 years later...

I do not know if launchers are within the purview of the discussion, but I use the Microsoft Launcher on nearly all of my Android devices (excluding my Sony Xperia smart phones). The layout of OneUI 4 on a Samsung Galaxy seemed close to what Microsoft Launcher could provide, but there was no way to move the apps button to the center of the dock. I also find that it is trivial to restore layouts across devices since the launcher supports exporting them to cloud stores or local stores.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • My father still uses a programme written in dbase3. Still manages to work with a little help from dosbox. 
    • Microsoft hides these secret Windows 11 performance boost settings available on every PC by Sayan Sen Windows enthusiasts often look for ways to extract as much performance out of their systems as possible, and it's often the case that they try and do so while trying to minimize the heat and power consumption. This is especially relevant in the case of mobile Windows PCs since laptops and notebooks tend to get hot and management of that heat and power is harder in such a form factor. As such users often turn to techniques like under-volting which can be used to squeeze out the maximum capabilities of a chip while also maintaining lowered power levels. There are official apps from AMD and Intel with the likes of Ryzen Master and XTU (Extreme Tuning Utility). While these are quite handy, most enthusiasts probably prefer to dig into the BIOS and play around with settings there like Curve Optimizer on Ryzen, which lets users set various frequency-voltage scaling values. These are essentially called P-States. If you are not familiar with them, Processor Power Management is done through Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) P-states and C-states. While P-states or performance pwoer states handle CPU voltage-frequency scaling, C-states deal with CPU sleep states so that some of the CPU functions, which are not necessary at that moment, can be disabled. The P-states and C-states work together to make the processor run more efficiently. It helps the OS and apps determine which cores can be parked and which should be boosted. Of course not every user is an enthusiast or knows the technicalities and integrities of how things like overclocking or undervolting work. Thankfully for them Windows itself offers something pretty cool, though it is hidden by default on all systems. By default, Windows only has two P-States, "Minimum Processor State" and "Maximum Processor State." However, this can be changed with a Registry trick to expand the options under a secret "Processor performance boost mode" dropdown. This essentially enables the HWP or hardware P-States available on a device, and these are not controlled just by the OS itself as the underlying hardware gets involved too. In total there are five Processor Performance Boost Mode profiles that control how Windows requests and allows CPU turbo/boost behavior under the different power policies. They are: Disabled: In this mode, processor boosting is effectively turned off. The CPU will avoid entering turbo or boost frequencies and instead operate closer to its base frequency ceiling. This can significantly reduce power consumption and heat output, but at the cost of reduced burst performance and responsiveness in short workloads. Enabled: This is the standard behavior where boost functionality is allowed under normal conditions. The processor can opportunistically increase frequency when workload demands it, balancing performance gains with power and thermal constraints as managed by the system. Aggressive: Aggressive mode favors performance more heavily, allowing the CPU to enter higher boost states more readily and sustain them longer. This should in theory improve responsiveness under bursty or heavy workloads but increases power draw and thermal output compared to the default enabled behavior. Efficient Enabled: This mode still allows boosting, but with a stronger bias toward energy efficiency. The system attempts to use boost more selectively, avoiding unnecessary frequency spikes when the performance gain is marginal. Efficient Aggressive: This is a hybrid approach where boost is still performance-responsive, but the system continuously weighs efficiency more heavily than in Aggressive mode. It aims to deliver noticeable performance improvements while reducing wasted power in less demanding scenarios. Here's how to enable the Processor performance boost mode: Open Registry Editor: Press Win+R, type regedit, and click OK. Go to: HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\PowerSettings\54533251-82be-4824-96c1-47b60b740d00\be337238-0d82-4146-a960-4f3749d470c7 (where HKLM stands for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE_) Modify the value of Attributes from 1 to 2 (you can find modify option by right-clicking) After that, exit Registry, you should now be able to see the new "Processor performance boost mode" dropdown menu: As you can see there are now five new P-States or CPPC states or power profile available that help define the boost mode processor setting on your PC. Wrapping it up here's a quick run-down of the settings as defined by Microsoft itself. Setting Description Disabled The corresponding P-state-based behaviour is disabled. Collaborative Processor Performance Control (CPPC) behaviour is disabled. Enabled The corresponding P-state-based behaviour is enabled. CPPC behaviour is Efficient Enabled. Aggressive The corresponding P-state-based behaviour is enabled. CPPC behaviour is Aggressive. Efficient Enabled The corresponding P-state-based behaviour is Efficient. CPPC behaviour is Efficient Enabled. Efficient Aggressive The corresponding P-state-based behaviour is Efficient. CPPC behaviour is Aggressive. Aggressive At Guaranteed Windows calculates the desired extra performance above the guaranteed performance level, and asks the processor to deliver that specific performance level. Efficient Aggressive At Guaranteed Windows always asks the processor to deliver the highest possible performance above the guaranteed performance level. In the next part we shall be comparing these settings to explore how much of a benefit or regression they can provide in terms of performance and power efficiency. If you decide to change the values on your system and are experiencing problems like crashes or an overheating PC, make sure to revert the steps back to the original state.
    • I think he means you haven't reviewed previous UFC games. Of course it doesn't matter... Every time you just report on something that involves the President even if just simply what happened you guys usually get accused of being anti-Trump. We live in fun times.
  • Recent Achievements

    • One Month Later
      Leroy Jethro Gibbs earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Conversation Starter
      flexorcist earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • One Month Later
      AndreaB earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Month Later
      agatameier earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      agatameier earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      518
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      198
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      147
    4. 4
      ATLien_0
      93
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      77
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!