Nougat

I've been using CyanogenMod for years on a variety of phones. I've always had good luck with it. When Google announced that the Nexus 5 wasn't going to be updated to Nougat I decided to do it on my own.

I did my research and decided to do the upgrade between Christmas and New Years.

Then I saw this on 12/24/16: Cyanogen is shutting down all services and nightly builds on December 31st

Bummer.

But then I saw this on 12/28/16: CyanogenMod Is Dead, and Its Successor is Lineage OS

It was going to take Lineage a while to get up to speed but the CyanogenMod blood line was going to survive.

I had time over the holidays so I went ahead and flashed the final nightly of CyanogenMod Nougat. It worked fine.

As I had done previously I had to unlock the bootloader, flash TWRP using Fastboot, flash the CyanogenMod ROM and then the nano OpenGApps. I'm getting pretty comfortable with this.

By mid-January LineageOS had a nightly for the Nexus 5.

To migrate from CyanogenMod to LineageOS (LOS) I had to flash an "experimental" version of LOS and then the signed LOS ROM.

Just as with CyanogenMod this all went well.

The great folks at LineageOS are cranking out "nightlies" for the Nexus 5 every week. There isn't yet an "official" ROM for the Nexus 5 but the "nightlies" have been rock solid.

They have even gotten SafetyNet to run cleanly.

This means that Android Pay works fine.

The Over The Air (OTA) updates to LineageOS have started working and I've OTA updated each week.

Battery life seems generally unchanged from the OEM Marshmallow. I swapped from the PRIV to the Nexus 5 for a week or so but went back when I felt like the camera was much poorer than the PRIV.

Nexus 7 and Lollipop

I've had a 2012 Nexus 7 Wi-Fi since early 2013. It came with 4.1.2 JZO54K Jellybean. I've loved the size and the access to the latest version of Android. I dropped it late in 2013 and replaced the screen myself.

The Android journey has been long. Along he way I upgraded it from 4.1.2 to 4.2.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.4.2, 4.4.3, 4.4.4, 5.0 5.0.2, 5.1.0, and 5.1.1.

This was hard on the Nexus 7. The Internet is full of bad experiences of updating the 2012 Nexus 7 to Lollipop. My experience was pretty much aligned with these.

The Nexus 7 would just crawl. It especially seemed to be slow if you tried to do anything while you were letting the Google Play Store update apps. Once it got slow there was no fixing it. Rebooting didn't help.

But after my experience with adb on my Nexus 5 I got brave enough to reflash the Nexus 7 with 5.1.1 LMY47V.

That process was similarly complicated as the Nexus 5 process. At one point the screen displayed "REBOOT FAILURE." And when it finally came up it was sluggish for several hours.

But the result was well worth it. The Nexus 7 is working fine. Sure it's not as fast as a new Android tablet but its performance is consistently Ok. Not bad for an almost 4 year old tablet.

I left the bootloader unlocked so I'm watching for CyanogenMod to drop Marshmallow.

iPhone 6 - Part 2

This is a continuation of iPhone 6 - Part 1.

Here's the point by point comparison of my Androids and the iPhone 6.

Operating System

Android Lollipop has been through 5.0, 5.0.2, 5.1, and 5.1.1. The "cellular standby" bug doesn't look like it's going to be fixed in Lollipop and my Moto X isn't getting Marshmallow.

The OnePlus One came with CyanogenMod which I originally thought was a plus. It shipped with CM 11S (4.4.4) and was upgraded to COS 12 (5.0) and COS 12.1 (5.1.1) and has gotten no updates since then (i.e. Stagefright).

iOS 9 has had its share of updates as well with 9.0, 9.0.1, 9.0.2, and 9.1.

Incidentally my gazelle iPhone came with a beta release of iOS 9.1 which caused me problems with Location Services.

Battery Life

The Moto X struggles with battery life as a result of the Lollipop "cellular standby" bug. The OnePlus One didn't have the over the top battery life I had expected. Surprisingly the iPhone 6 battery life wasn't as good as my wife's iPhone 5S. Here's my spreadsheet with battery usage.

Default Apps

As I was using Google apps I was worried about the limitations of iOS of setting alternate default apps, e.g. Safari. What I discovered was that while you're within the Google ecosystem Google can handle directing you to the desired Google app.

Ringtones

There are dozens of ways to get ringtones over to an Android phone. When I searched for how to do that on the iPhone I came across this article.

Really, 16 easy steps?

When I reached out to a friend who is very technical and a died in the wool Apple user he replied:

Lastly, while I don’t really recommend iTunes if you can avoid it since it has turned into a bloated pig... I don;t find I have to use iTunes for anything.

But when I pressed him for alternatives:

I have iTunes running on a shared Mac in the house...

You can draw your own conclusions.

I used iTunes and moved my ringtones to the iPhone.

To be continued...

OnePlus One

I volunteered for Motorola's Test Drive of Lollipop 5.0.2 on my 2013 Moto X. Let's just say it didn't go well. After I got the replacement device I got the itch for something new.

I'd bought a couple of OnePlus Ones before and sold or traded them off. In early June, OnePlus started having "flash" sales of the One. I bought a 64GB SandStone Black for $299.

My OnePlus One came with CyanogenMod 11S. OnePlus has had a squabble with Cyanogen and subsequently built their own Android ROM called Oxygen. OnePlus has Lollipop variants of both of these but mine shipped with KitKat 4.4.4. They're promising 5.1.1 "soon." I haven't been in a hurry to flash Lollipop on the OnePlus One.

The OnePlus One goes against my bias toward modest, even small, phones. I'm still struggling with the One's size. The things that sweeten the deal are the gorgeous screen and the long lasting battery.

Source: phoneArena.com

I never had the Moto X battery completely go dead but I found myself "managing" the battery by just not using the phone. I didn't think that was what you were supposed to do with a phone.

The OnePlus One's battery life isn't "magical" but I don't not use it for fear of exhausting the battery. At the end of the day I often find that I have more than 50% battery capacity left. You can watch my battery usage here.

The OnePlus One came with a pair of SIM trays. One for a micro-SIM and one for a nano-SIM so I was able to just slip the nano-SIM out of my Moto X and into the OnePlus One. I did this before I did the initial power up and the LTE has worked perfectly on AT&T.

	Motorola Moto X	OnePlus One
DESIGN
Device type	Smart phone	Smart phone
OS	Android (4.4.2, 4.4, 4.3, 4.2.2)	Android (4.4.4, 4.4) CyanogenMod 11S UI
Dimensions	5.09 x 2.57 x 0.41 inches (129.3 x 65.3 x 10.4 mm)	6.02 x 2.99 x 0.35 inches (152.9 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm)
Weight	4.59 oz (130 g)	5.71 oz (162 g)
DISPLAY
Physical size	4.7 inches	5.5 inches
Resolution	720 x 1280 pixels	1080 x 1920 pixels
Pixel density	316 ppi	401 ppi
Technology	AMOLED	IPS LCD
Colors	16 777 216	16 777 216
Touchscreen	Multi-touch	Multi-touch
Features	Light sensor, Proximity sensor, Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass)	Light sensor, Proximity sensor, Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 3)
CAMERA
Camera	10 megapixels	13 megapixels
Flash	LED	Dual LED
Aperture size	F2.4	F2.0
Focal length (35mm equivalent)	30 mm
Camera sensor size	1/2.6"	1/3.06"
Features	Digital zoom, Autofocus, Touch to focus, Geo tagging	CMOS image sensor, Autofocus
Camcorder	1920x1080 (1080p HD) (60 fps)	3840x2160 (4K), 1280x720 (720p HD) (120 fps)
Features
Front-facing camera	2 megapixels	5 megapixels
HARDWARE
System chip	Motorola X8 (Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro MSM8960)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 8974-AC
Processor	Dual core, 1700 MHz, Krait	Quad core, 2500 MHz, Krait 400
Graphics processor	Adreno 320	Adreno 320
System memory	2048 MB RAM	3072 MB RAM
Built-in storage	32 GB	64 GB
Maximum User Storage	28 GB
Storage expansion
BATTERY
Talk time	12.00 hours
Stand-by time	10.0 days (240 hours)
Capacity	2200 mAh	3100 mAh
Not user replaceable	Yes
MULTIMEDIA
Music player
Filter by	Album, Artist, Playlists	Album, Artist, Playlists
Features	Album art cover, Background playback	Album art cover, Background playback
Speakers	Earpiece, Loudspeaker	Earpiece, Loudspeaker
YouTube player	Yes	Yes
INTERNET BROWSING
Built-in online services support	YouTube (upload), Picasa/Google+	YouTube (upload), Picasa/Google+
TECHNOLOGY
GSM	850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz	850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
UMTS	850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz	850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz
FDD LTE	700 (band 13), 850 (band 5), 1700/2100 (band 4), 1900 (band 2) MHz	700 (band 17), 1700/2100 (band 4), 1800 (band 3), 2100 (band 1), 2600 (band 7) MHz
Data	LTE, HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS	LTE, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS
nano-SIM	Yes	Yes
Positioning	GPS, A-GPS, S-GPS, Glonass	GPS, A-GPS, Glonass
Navigation	Turn-by-turn navigation	Turn-by-turn navigation
CONNECTIVITY
Bluetooth	4.0 EDR	4.0
Wi-Fi	802.11 a, b, g, n, n 5GHz, ac	802.11 a, b, g, n, n 5GHz, ac
Mobile hotspot	Yes	Yes
USB	USB 2.0	USB 2.0
Connector	microUSB	microUSB
Features	Mass storage device, USB charging	Mass storage device, USB Host, USB charging
HDMI
Other	NFC, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync	NFC, DLNA, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync
OTHER FEATURES
Notifications	Haptic feedback, Music ringtones (MP3), Polyphonic ringtones, Vibration, Flight mode, Silent mode, Speakerphone	Haptic feedback, Music ringtones (MP3), Polyphonic ringtones, Vibration, Flight mode, Silent mode, Speakerphone
Sensors	Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Thermometer, Barometer	Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Gesture
Hearing aid compatibility	M3, T3
Other	Voice dialing, Voice commands, Voice recording	Voice dialing, Voice commands, Voice recording
AVAILABILITY
Officially announced	01 Aug 2013	23 Apr 2014

Source: phoneArena.com

As with the Moto X I got a Seidio Spring-Clip Holster (HLSSGT3AS). This holster is for a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 but it fits the OnePlus One fine.

My OnePlus One came with a non-standard build XNF9XBS28K of KitKat. This is apparently a OnePlus internal build that is not intended to reach customers. Unfortunately many of the phones in the flash sales were shipped with this build. The downside is that this build doesn't receive Over The Air (OTA) updates so it won't get Lollipop. The upside is that it is really solid.

I followed the instructions here and flashed Cyanogen OS 12 (5.0.2) and it's as wonderful as I expected.

Oh, and I've installed the OTA Lollipop 5.1 on my Moto X.

Which one am I using?

BOTH!

OnePlus One Doesn't Add Up

I saw my wife staring at her iPhone 4S the other day. I asked her what she was doing. She was reading an e-book on the Kindle app. Lord help her eyes!

This rekindled (pardon the pun) my quest to move her to Android. The new OnePlus One seemed like a good idea: big, fast, pretty, CyanogenMod ...

So I went to eBay and bought an invitation. Currently you can only get the black 64GB model.

It came in a couple of days. I had already been talking it up to her. She wasn't excited but didn't push back.

When it got here it was a different story. She didn't want to transition from iOS.

I knew what was good for me so I let the OnePlus One sit there for a few days. Still no movement.

I posted that I had one for sale on eBay, Google+, Twitter, and Facebook. I got a nibble from a former co-worker who had been playing with one at work.

We worked out a deal and we swapped phones - the OnePlus One for an unlocked 16GB iPhone 5S.

Seemed perfect.

Until she saw it. Her reaction was "The screen is so small." After I climbed down off the ceiling ...

The transition was easy. Well, as easy as anything is that involves iTunes. AT&T was very helpful giving me a new nano-SIM without activating it. Then when I was ready I just called them and it worked. Thanks!

I haven't exposed her to TouchID yet. LTE and 5GHz 802.11n are both nice. And it's light and thin.

Device

Apple iPhone 4S

Apple iPhone 5S

OnePlus One

DESIGN
Device type	Smart phone	Smart phone	Smart phone
OS	iOS (7.x, 6.1, 6, 5.1, 5)	iOS (7.x)	Android (4.4.4, 4.4) CyanogenMod 11S UI
Dimensions	4.54 x 2.31 x 0.37 inches (115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm)	4.87 x 2.31 x 0.30 inches (123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 mm)	6.02 x 2.99 x 0.35 inches (152.9 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm)
Weight	4.94 oz (140 g)	3.95 oz (112 g)	5.71 oz (162 g)
Body material	Glass	Aluminium

DISPLAY
Physical size	3.5 inches	4.0 inches	5.5 inches
Resolution	640 x 960 pixels	640 x 1136 pixels	1080 x 1920 pixels
Pixel density	326 ppi	326 ppi	401 ppi
Technology	IPS LCD	IPS LCD	IPS LCD
Colors	16 777 216	16 777 216	16 777 216
Touchscreen	Multi-touch	Yes	Multi-touch
Features	Light sensor, Proximity sensor, Oleophobic coating	Light sensor, Proximity sensor, Oleophobic coating	Light sensor, Proximity sensor, Scratch-resistant glass

CAMERA
Camera	8 megapixels	8 megapixels	13 megapixels
Flash	LED	Dual LED	Dual LED
Aperture size	F2.4	F2.2	F2.0
Focal length (35mm equivalent)	35.00 mm
Camera sensor size	1/3.2"	1/3"	1/3.06"
Features	Back-illuminated sensor (BSI), Autofocus, Touch to focus, Digital image stabilization, Face detection, Geo tagging	Back-illuminated sensor (BSI), Autofocus, Touch to focus, Digital image stabilization, Face detection, Burst mode, Digital zoom, Geo tagging, High Dynamic Range mode (HDR), Panorama	CMOS image sensor, Autofocus
Camcorder	1920x1080 (1080p HD) (30 fps)	1920x1080 (1080p HD) (30 fps), 1280x720 (720p HD) (120 fps)	3840x2160 (4K), 1280x720 (720p HD) (120 fps)
Features	Digital image stabilization	Digital image stabilization, Picture-taking during video recording
Front-facing camera	0.3 megapixels VGA	1.2 megapixels	5 megapixels

HARDWARE
System chip	Apple A5	Apple A7 with 64-bit architecture	Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 8974-AC
Processor	Dual core, 800 MHz, ARM Cortex-A9	Dual core, 1300 MHz	Quad core, 2500 MHz, Krait 400
Graphics processor	PowerVR SGX 543MP2	PowerVR G6430	Adreno 330
System memory	512 MB RAM	1024 MB RAM	3072 MB RAM
Built-in storage	64 GB	64 GB	16 GB

BATTERY
Talk time	14.00 hours
Stand-by time	8.3 days (200 hours)
Talk time (3G)	8.00 hours	10.00 hours
Stand-by time (3G)		10.4 days (250 hours)
Capacity		1570 mAh	3100 mAh
Not user replaceable	Yes	Yes

MULTIMEDIA
Music player
Filter by	Album, Artist, Genre, Playlists	Album, Artist	Album, Artist, Playlists
Features	Album art cover, Background playback	Album art cover, Background playback	Album art cover, Background playback
Speakers	Earpiece, Loudspeaker	Earpiece, Loudspeaker	Earpiece, Stereo speakers
YouTube player	Yes	Yes	Yes

INTERNET BROWSING
Browser		Safari
Built-in online services support	YouTube (upload)	YouTube (upload), Twitter	YouTube (upload), Picasa/Google+

TECHNOLOGY
CDMA	800, 1900 MHz
GSM	850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz	850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz	850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
UMTS	850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz	850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz	850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz
FDD LTE		700 (band 13), 700 (band 17), 800 (band 18), 800 (band 19), 800 (band 20), 850 (band 5), 900 (band 8), 1700/2100 (band 4), 1800 (band 3), 1900 (band 2), 1900 (band 25), 2100 (band 1) MHz	700 (band 17), 1700/2100 (band 4), 1800 (band 3), 2100 (band 1), 2600 (band 7) MHz
TDD LTE			2300 (band 40), 2600 (band 38) MHz
Data	HSDPA 14.4 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS, EDGE, EV-DO Rev.A	LTE, HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS	LTE, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS
Micro SIM	Yes		Yes
nano-SIM		Yes
Positioning	A-GPS, Glonass	GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning	GPS, A-GPS, Glonass
Navigation	Yes	Turn-by-turn navigation	Yes

CONNECTIVITY
Bluetooth	4.0	4.0	4.1
Wi-Fi	802.11 b, g, n	802.11 a, b, g, n, n 5GHz	802.11 a, b, g, n, n 5GHz, ac
Mobile hotspot	Yes	Yes	Yes
USB	USB 2.0	Yes	USB 2.0
Connector	Proprietary	Proprietary	microUSB
Features	USB charging	USB charging	Mass storage device, USB Host, USB charging
Other	TV-Out, Computer sync, OTA sync	TV-Out, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync	NFC, DLNA, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync

OTHER FEATURES
Notifications	Music ringtones (MP3), Polyphonic ringtones, Vibration, Flight mode, Silent mode, Speakerphone	Music ringtones (MP3), Polyphonic ringtones, Vibration, Flight mode, Silent mode, Speakerphone	Haptic feedback, Music ringtones (MP3), Polyphonic ringtones, Vibration, Flight mode, Silent mode, Speakerphone
Additional microphone/s	for Noise cancellation	for Noise cancellation, Video recording	for Noise cancellation
Sensors	Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass	Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Fingerprint ID	Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass
Hearing aid compatibility		M4, T4
Other	Voice dialing, Voice commands, Voice recording	Voice dialing, Voice commands, Voice recording	Voice dialing, Voice commands, Voice recording

AVAILABILITY
Officially announced	04 Oct 2011	10 Sep 2013	23 Apr 2014

SHOPPING INFORMATION
Accessories	Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic, Dock Connector to USB Cable, USB Power Adapter, Documentation	Apple EarPods with Remote and Mic, Lightning to USB Cable, USB Power Adapter, Documentation
MSRP price			$ 299