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
  On 10/05/2018 at 19:41, 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

Expand  

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.

  On 11/05/2018 at 12:44, 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.

Expand  

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
  On 11/05/2018 at 13:10, 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 :)

Expand  

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. 

  On 11/05/2018 at 13:16, 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. 

Expand  

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
  On 11/05/2018 at 13:26, 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.

Expand  

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.

  On 11/05/2018 at 13:38, 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.

Expand  

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

  On 11/05/2018 at 13:46, 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

Expand  

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.

  On 11/05/2018 at 14:24, 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.

Expand  

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

 

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

  On 11/05/2018 at 14:34, techbeck said:

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

Expand  

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.

  On 11/05/2018 at 14:40, 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.

Expand  

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.

  On 12/05/2018 at 12:54, 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.

Expand  

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.

  On 12/05/2018 at 16:44, 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.

Expand  

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 12/05/2018 at 22:12, 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?

Expand  

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 14/05/2018 at 13:08, 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 :)

Expand  

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?

  On 15/05/2018 at 13:23, 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?

Expand  

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

    • Intel's 20-core Ultra 7 processor is now available with a massive discount by Taras Buria The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K, Intel's latest 20-core desktop processor, is getting more affordable. Now, the chip is available on Amazon with a 36% discount, saving you $144, which you can spend on a higher-spec graphics card, better cooling, a bigger SSD, or some new games. If you want to build a computer with the discounted Intel Core Ultra 7 265K, you will need a motherboard with the LGA 1851 socket and 800 series chipset. The Core Ultra 7 265K has 20 cores, 8 of which are performance cores, and 12 are efficiency cores operating at lower clocks for less demanding tasks. Performance cores have the maximum clock speed of 5.4GHz, while efficiency cores peak at 4.6GHz. However, the processor is unlocked, which means you can push those clocks higher if you have enough cooling and a motherboard that supports overclocking. Speaking of cooling, the processor has a TDP of 125W. A cooler is not included in the box, so do not forget to add one to your shopping cart. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K has 30MB of level 3 cache (L3). It works with DDR5 memory (rated for 6,400 MT/s) and has a built-in graphics at 2GHz, which is enough for image output, media consumption, and all sorts of tasks that do not require a lot of GPU power. There is also a neural processing unit with 13 TOPS, which can handle on-device AI processing. Intel Core Ultra 7 Desktop Processor 265K 5.5 GHz - $259.99 | $144 off on Amazon US This Amazon deal is US-specific and not available in other regions unless specified. If you don't like it or want to look at more options, check out the Amazon US deals page here. Get Prime (SNAP), Prime Video, Audible Plus or Kindle / Music Unlimited. Free for 30 days. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • It's stuff like this countries like Denmark are giving up by switching to Linux. Good luck to them.
    • I think a big part of it is developers have grown themselves too big and ballooned their budgets. It's the only way to show endless growth to investors between releases. Then they make massive investments in games designed for the bottom line hoping players follow instead of designing them for the players and hoping the bottom line follow in the way smaller, indie developers do. This often causes the games to fail to hook players. Instead they need to streamline development, lower budgets and sales forecasts, actually listen to gamer feedback, realize that social media doesn't dictate real world gaming tastes and habits, and overall learn to adapt instead of regurgitating the same formulas over and over.
    • Yea, I don't buy new, I always wait for games to be on clearance. I thank those with money and time to waste for funding the fun I'll have for a fraction of the price.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      bukro earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Year In
      Wulle earned a badge
      One Year In
    • One Month Later
      Wulle earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Month Later
      Simmo3D earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      Simmo3D earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      552
    2. 2
      ATLien_0
      243
    3. 3
      +FloatingFatMan
      166
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      121
    5. 5
      Steven P.
      95
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!