ZTE Blade aka DELL XCD 35 aka Orange San Francisco Thread
- Thread starter bigbyte
- Start date
- Status
^ Been using it for a day now. Here are the initial impressions.
+ Very good performance, faster than 2.2 ROMS, within the OS and the apps too
+ Lots and lots of customization options
+ Notification LEDs now stay on if you have a missed notification, not like before where it works only for 5 secs.
+ Profile feature is useful, just like how it was in Symbian. I missed this badly in Android.
- No USB tethering yet
- Accelerometer is laggy, so problems with games using it, though absolutely no problem for normal usage
If you can live with the 2 negatives mentioned, you should surely give it a try. Working very well for me until now at least.
+ Very good performance, faster than 2.2 ROMS, within the OS and the apps too
+ Lots and lots of customization options
+ Notification LEDs now stay on if you have a missed notification, not like before where it works only for 5 secs.
+ Profile feature is useful, just like how it was in Symbian. I missed this badly in Android.
- No USB tethering yet
- Accelerometer is laggy, so problems with games using it, though absolutely no problem for normal usage
If you can live with the 2 negatives mentioned, you should surely give it a try. Working very well for me until now at least.
raksrules
Oracle
Can you please elaborate more on what customization options are available vis-a-vis 2.2 ROMs ?
Also with faster means, the way menus and apps open / close, swipes between menu pages and all ??
Also as i know USB tethering is not available as of now, but i can still very well use my phone to be charged from PC USB as well as do data transfer between phone and PC ?? (noobish query i know :ashamed: )
Also with faster means, the way menus and apps open / close, swipes between menu pages and all ??
Also as i know USB tethering is not available as of now, but i can still very well use my phone to be charged from PC USB as well as do data transfer between phone and PC ?? (noobish query i know :ashamed: )
^ Faster means IMO the apps are running a lot faster. Gallery for example, loads all pictures in a jiffy. Within the OS too in the menu, app drawer etc, I notice considerable improvement in performance. BTW using launcher pro now. ADW EX is also said to be very good with CM7.
Only USB tethering is not available. You can charge through USB and also transfer data.
Regarding customization options, there are a lot. I'll mention a few.
There's an inbuilt call blacklist within the OS (not sure if it was there in 2.2 ROMS). Also, the power widget offers to display almost every component to be turned on or off, silent/vibrate etc. This required a separate app in 2.2 ROMS. You can set default install location for apps, to be internal memory or SD card. You can choose to hide or display battery %, clock in status bar, notification bar power widget etc. You can choose to hide or display call button in call logs, change the call log time format to exact times or relative times (relative times example 'missed call 2 hours ago' like in 2.2 ROMS).
Comes with theme chooser app. Options like vibrate on answer/vibrate on hangup/vibrate on call waiting etc. Menu button unlock, and different lockscreen unlock settings, music controls on lock screen, lockscreen gestures. Profiles are inbuilt into the OS. Also there's DSP equalizer settings.
There are many more such little things that you can change and if you play with it, you can make it a lot close to what you want it to be than other ROMS.
Only USB tethering is not available. You can charge through USB and also transfer data.
Regarding customization options, there are a lot. I'll mention a few.
There's an inbuilt call blacklist within the OS (not sure if it was there in 2.2 ROMS). Also, the power widget offers to display almost every component to be turned on or off, silent/vibrate etc. This required a separate app in 2.2 ROMS. You can set default install location for apps, to be internal memory or SD card. You can choose to hide or display battery %, clock in status bar, notification bar power widget etc. You can choose to hide or display call button in call logs, change the call log time format to exact times or relative times (relative times example 'missed call 2 hours ago' like in 2.2 ROMS).
Comes with theme chooser app. Options like vibrate on answer/vibrate on hangup/vibrate on call waiting etc. Menu button unlock, and different lockscreen unlock settings, music controls on lock screen, lockscreen gestures. Profiles are inbuilt into the OS. Also there's DSP equalizer settings.
There are many more such little things that you can change and if you play with it, you can make it a lot close to what you want it to be than other ROMS.
raksrules
Oracle
^^ This list sounds very impressive and makes me want to move to CM7. I think i will take the plunge. Btw somewhere in the modaco forums it was mentioned that 7.0 stable is NOT final :S
But whatever it is, the only feature i loose if i come to 7.0 is USB tethering which i any ways dont use.
Also i can always go back to SS RLS4b (will take nandroid backup offcourse) if i dont feel comfortable with CM7.
Btw had you done the transfer of cache to SD Card mod and if yes then how and what you did in this rom to make that cache thing run fine ?
Just installed the cache2tmps using CWM ?
But whatever it is, the only feature i loose if i come to 7.0 is USB tethering which i any ways dont use.
Also i can always go back to SS RLS4b (will take nandroid backup offcourse) if i dont feel comfortable with CM7.
Btw had you done the transfer of cache to SD Card mod and if yes then how and what you did in this rom to make that cache thing run fine ?
Just installed the cache2tmps using CWM ?
^ Yes, you can always restore your nandroid backup if you didnt like it.
What's the cache thingy? :ashamed: Don't know anything about it. Will check it out. BTW, I haven't repartitioned my phone memory, it's default if what you're referring to is related to that.
What I did was, I wanted the phone to be totally clean as I'm flashing after a long time and will be using CM 7 final for few weeks before updating. So I wiped data/cache and also formatted the SD card to remove any stale data of apps from previous ROM. Just backed up my pictures, music etc. and moved them back to SD card after flashing.
What's the cache thingy? :ashamed: Don't know anything about it. Will check it out. BTW, I haven't repartitioned my phone memory, it's default if what you're referring to is related to that.
What I did was, I wanted the phone to be totally clean as I'm flashing after a long time and will be using CM 7 final for few weeks before updating. So I wiped data/cache and also formatted the SD card to remove any stale data of apps from previous ROM. Just backed up my pictures, music etc. and moved them back to SD card after flashing.
raksrules
Oracle
^^ Yes i am talking about the repartitioning of the internal memory so that we get about 100 MB for the data and installing of apps to internal memory. It basically reduces the cache to 2MB from 42 MB (stock) and redirects the cache to SD card causing market to NOT break.
Me too will format the SD card (after backup ofc) before installing.
Me too will format the SD card (after backup ofc) before installing.
raksrules
Oracle
^^By any chance did you restore you google accoounts data etc using titanium backup after ROM flashing ?
Just speculating. I suggest you do a complete wipe and then install the ROM again and during startup it will prompt you to add a google account which after adding will link your google account with your phone.
Just speculating. I suggest you do a complete wipe and then install the ROM again and during startup it will prompt you to add a google account which after adding will link your google account with your phone.
raksrules
Oracle
Ok so yesterday night i switched off SS RLS4b and switched on CM7 stable.
Here are my findings...Long read
1. Everyone says it is fast, yes it is but since i am using GO launcher EX which may be bit slower, i dont really fill that great of a difference
2. I checked using quick info app and it said that there are 9 sensors, i guess in Froyo there were less than this or may be i am mistaken.
3. I am guessing that CM already has a script embedded in the ROM which redirects the cache to internal memory. This is because quick info says i have total of 322 MB cache and i have 159 MB free which is same stats as of internal memory. Good for us. I know this is fine since i yesterday downloaded simultaneously angry birds, angry bird reo and season and it downloaded fine. Because if cache thing was screwed up, market apps wont have downloaded (above some size that is)
4.There is an option to see the battery level as icon or percentage. This is good since i had previously installed battery indicator app to see that.
5. I am not sure what is wrong with the signal bars / E/H data indicators. Just that sometimes they are white (greyish) and sometimes Green in colour. Not sure why.
6.There is a cyanogen settings which enables us to highly customize the phone.
7. There are multiple lock screen style. Just for eye candy.
8. Profiles - How much i missed this. Thanks CM
9. Apps storage - Can select internal, sd or auto
10. No ZTE smart dialer - I was so used to in SS but have to live without. May install Go contacts for that.
11. The power widget is embedded in notification bar which i did miss in SS (when switched from FLB). But the appearance for me is not pleasing. It should have been similar to the power widget we get on screen.
12. Tried angry birds, rio and NFS shift..they are running fine. Did not notice much accelerometer issue with NFS.
May add more later as i find.
Here are my findings...Long read
1. Everyone says it is fast, yes it is but since i am using GO launcher EX which may be bit slower, i dont really fill that great of a difference
2. I checked using quick info app and it said that there are 9 sensors, i guess in Froyo there were less than this or may be i am mistaken.
3. I am guessing that CM already has a script embedded in the ROM which redirects the cache to internal memory. This is because quick info says i have total of 322 MB cache and i have 159 MB free which is same stats as of internal memory. Good for us. I know this is fine since i yesterday downloaded simultaneously angry birds, angry bird reo and season and it downloaded fine. Because if cache thing was screwed up, market apps wont have downloaded (above some size that is)
4.There is an option to see the battery level as icon or percentage. This is good since i had previously installed battery indicator app to see that.
5. I am not sure what is wrong with the signal bars / E/H data indicators. Just that sometimes they are white (greyish) and sometimes Green in colour. Not sure why.
6.There is a cyanogen settings which enables us to highly customize the phone.
7. There are multiple lock screen style. Just for eye candy.
8. Profiles - How much i missed this. Thanks CM
9. Apps storage - Can select internal, sd or auto
10. No ZTE smart dialer - I was so used to in SS but have to live without. May install Go contacts for that.
11. The power widget is embedded in notification bar which i did miss in SS (when switched from FLB). But the appearance for me is not pleasing. It should have been similar to the power widget we get on screen.
12. Tried angry birds, rio and NFS shift..they are running fine. Did not notice much accelerometer issue with NFS.
May add more later as i find.
Use Go Contacts....even on SS I am using Go Contacts as I find the ZTE Smart DIaler to be pre-historic !
So time to do a nandroid backup and go for CM7 now
Btw recharged Tata Docomo for Rs 500 recharge online and I got 1000 minutes of local/STD/Incomining Romaing calls + 1024 MB data (500MB normally + 500MB bonus till April 30th)...getting mad speeds of 3 Mbps and above on phone itself
....this was a MNP ported no so in addition to that 200 SMS Local/National free per day without any charge whatsoever + Local/STD Calls @ 1p/2 sec + Tata to Tata all India local/STD calls at 1p/10 sec :OOn top of that say you recharge Rs 1000 you get Rs 1200 balance in main account usable for lifetime. Surely Docomo is kicking some real a$$
raksrules
Oracle
Phone is connected to PC for charging. It rebooted itself 
Will try using phone for next couple of days and if not satisfied, will move back to SS RLS4b
Too bad i have not taken a nandroid backup of SS before so it will be a task to reinstall all apps and everything.
--- Updated Post - Automerged ---
Also there seems to be no way of forcing 3G only mode (WCDMA only) as it was there in SS. The only workaround seems to be.
Untick the "Use only 2G networks" in settings
In the notification power widget settings, also choose the switch 2G/3G thing and in that do a 3G only to force 3G else many a times in case 3G is not available connection falls back to EDGE
--- Updated Post - Automerged ---
@Supra
I find scrolling through the contacts in GO contacts laggy. Same case with you ? I have little over 150 contacts but still.
Will try using phone for next couple of days and if not satisfied, will move back to SS RLS4b
Too bad i have not taken a nandroid backup of SS before so it will be a task to reinstall all apps and everything.
--- Updated Post - Automerged ---
Also there seems to be no way of forcing 3G only mode (WCDMA only) as it was there in SS. The only workaround seems to be.
Untick the "Use only 2G networks" in settings
In the notification power widget settings, also choose the switch 2G/3G thing and in that do a 3G only to force 3G else many a times in case 3G is not available connection falls back to EDGE
--- Updated Post - Automerged ---
@Supra
I find scrolling through the contacts in GO contacts laggy. Same case with you ? I have little over 150 contacts but still.
N
NotMyRealName
raksrules said:
I haven't tried the latest versions but earlier, the signal bars would turn green when there was active data transfer via mobile-internet. turns white/gray when idle.arun687 said:
- Status