Discussion and testing on features and known&potential issues

[EskeRahn 5,471]

4 hours ago, Noob said:

Not software features, but 2 small things that bug me about the phone:

- That IMEI sticker on the back.  I wish it was somewhere less easily visible, like the flap that shows the CE logo when the keyboard is opened (if you don't know why this isn't so nice read the discussion in this thread

It is hard to place a sticker anywhere on this device, where it is easily readable (I think that is a US FCC requirement), and yet not easily readable by others. Actually the support plate is the most easy place for others to read from when you use the device in public - unless you put your fingers there of course.

Users outside the US you just remove (and keep) the sticker - I have done that.

You can see the IMEIs from the device itself. The serial number you see from the device is an 8 hexdigits number, that does not easily translate.

[Hook 3,043]

31 minutes ago, EskeRahn said:

It is hard to place a sticker anywhere on this device, where it is easily readable (I think that is a US FCC requirement), and yet not easily readable by others. Actually the support plate is the most easy place for others to read from when you use the device in public - unless you put your fingers there of course.

Users outside the US you just remove (and keep) the sticker - I have done that.

You can see the IMEIs from the device itself. The serial number you see from the device is an 8 hexdigits number, that does not easily translate.

I may take my chances with the FCC patrols and remove the sticker also.  😏 😂

[mcdinner 375]

My german OnePlus3 has also a sticker on the back like pro1

to calrify for some here, this was just a statement without any judging. 😉
guess those stickers are on every phone without replacable battery.

Edited November 25, 2019 by mcdinner
addition

[kashif 350]

Yae!!!! @mcdinner is here!!!!!!

[mcdinner 375]

4 minutes ago, kashif said:

Yae!!!! @mcdinner is here!!!!!!

😘

[silversolver 849]

16 hours ago, Noob said:

Not software features, but 2 small things that bug me about the phone:

- That IMEI sticker on the back.  I wish it was somewhere less easily visible, like the flap that shows the CE logo when the keyboard is opened (if you don't know why this isn't so nice read the discussion in this thread

- The phone is a bit slippery and the back surface, while beautiful, scuffs way to easily

I haven't had a chance properly use the phone; now that I've installed Magisk (thanks @Linkandzelda) I'll try to remove all the Google apps and it'll be ready for action.

I'm hoping that LineageOS is ready by the time I get mine, as they typically have root access baked in AND no GcrApps. I also despise GcrApps.

[EskeRahn 5,471]

6 hours ago, silversolver said:

I'm hoping that LineageOS is ready by the time I get mine, as they typically have root access baked in AND no GcrApps. I also despise GcrApps.

If it is not Android as such but ´merely´ the GApps that annoys you, then you might not be aware that you trough ADB can disable or logically uninstall them. see e.g. this.

[Noob 158]

20 hours ago, EskeRahn said:

It is hard to place a sticker anywhere on this device, where it is easily readable (I think that is a US FCC requirement), and yet not easily readable by others. Actually the support plate is the most easy place for others to read from when you use the device in public - unless you put your fingers there of course.

Users outside the US you just remove (and keep) the sticker - I have done that.

You can see the IMEIs from the device itself. The serial number you see from the device is an 8 hexdigits number, that does not easily translate.

If they reshaped it to be wide and short rather than tall, I reckon it would fit in that flap.  I didn't realise this was an FCC requirement, seems strange to me.  I'm guessing it has to be somewhere on the phone, but surely it doesn't have to be that clearly visible?  If so, why did previous phones have the stickers inside under the battery?  Do iPhones and Samsungs in the US have this?

EDIT: I missed your comment about the support plate.  I suppose that's true.

8 hours ago, silversolver said:

I'm hoping that LineageOS is ready by the time I get mine, as they typically have root access baked in AND no GcrApps. I also despise GcrApps.

LineageOS has some great features that I miss in stock Android but I'm a bit sick of the flakiness from the Droid 4 (e.g. at some point wifi and bluetooth stopped working together and my phone will immediately reset if I turn off tethering if a client is connected, or a contact with a custom ringtone configured calls me).  I'm also don't agree with their view on microG/signature spoofing but at least there's a way to get that working.  I might try it out anyway (hopefully it'll be more stable in this case when the effort is supported by the phone manufacturer) but for now I'd like a more "standard" experience.

Speaking of GApps, as soon as I set up WiFi on this thing f**king Google Play Services decided to download hundreds of MBs automatically updating its apps.  No prompts, no way to stop it, even without a Google account configured. 🤬  The strange thing is even doing a factory reset/fastboot flash didn't seem to "totally" reset everything; the app usage tracking, settings, even the time was still set as before. 😕

Edited November 26, 2019 by Noob

[Noob 158]

Regarding the software, there is one thing that doesn't seem right to me: there doesn't seem to be a way to swipe up from the home screen to see your app drawer.  Instead, it shows you the running apps, and you swipe up again to get the app drawer.  Maybe this is standard Android now, but it feels clunky to me.

Also, the size is growing on me.  I'd still prefer a bit smaller, but it's just about thin enough to be more usuable than the Moto Z with one hand 👍

[EskeRahn 5,471]

7 minutes ago, Noob said:

Regarding the software, there is one thing that doesn't seem right to me: there doesn't seem to be a way to swipe up from the home screen to see your app drawer.  Instead, it shows you the running apps, and you swipe up again to get the app drawer.  Maybe this is standard Android now, but it feels clunky to me.

Also, the size is growing on me.  I'd still prefer a bit smaller, but it's just about thin enough to be more usuable than the Moto Z with one hand 👍

It is standard newer Android, but actually you can do a VERY long swipe up to get to the app drawer (But that is even more inconvenient than a double swipe). I have suggested them to add an icon we could choose to put where we like for the app drawer, as the simplest solution.

[FlyingAntero 871]

15 minutes ago, Noob said:

Regarding the software, there is one thing that doesn't seem right to me: there doesn't seem to be a way to swipe up from the home screen to see your app drawer.  Instead, it shows you the running apps, and you swipe up again to get the app drawer.  Maybe this is standard Android now, but it feels clunky to me.

Also, the size is growing on me.  I'd still prefer a bit smaller, but it's just about thin enough to be more usuable than the Moto Z with one hand 👍

You can also install custom launcher (like Nova). It has an option to swipe up for app drawer.

[EskeRahn 5,471]

53 minutes ago, FlyingAntero said:

You can also install custom launcher (like Nova). It has an option to swipe up for app drawer.

I have tried at the least 30(!) different launchers, the majority does not support Landscape, and those that does, do so poorly - and that includes Nova.

And the few that does have an acceptable (though not good) handling of landscape, does not support keyboard. And Nova also only partly supports keyboard navigation.

See a bit on Nova in this thread: https://community.fxtec.com/topic/2481-the-pro1-coming-from-a-n900-the-good-the-bad-and-the-wtf/page/3/

Frankly I think it is a quite clever solution on 2:1, to logically divide the icon-grid into two blocks, and then keep those almost unchanged either side by side or on top of each other, see e.g. this

 

[FlyingAntero 871]

25 minutes ago, EskeRahn said:

I have tried at the least 30(!) different launchers, the majority does not support Landscape, and those that does, do so poorly - and that includes Nova.

And the few that does have an acceptable (though not good) handling of landscape, does not support keyboard. And Nova also only partly supports keyboard navigation.

See a bit on Nova in this thread: https://community.fxtec.com/topic/2481-the-pro1-coming-from-a-n900-the-good-the-bad-and-the-wtf

Frankly I think it is a quite clever solution on 2:1, to logically divide the icon-grid into two blocks, and then keep those almost unchanged either side by side or on top of each other, see e.g. this

Thanks for the info. I was using Nova Launcher with Droid 4 before and felt that it was decent solution. Happy to hear that F(x)tec has really thought this through and made the experience better.

Swipe up to app drawer may be still possible to implement using some gesture app. However, it would work only from the bottom of the screen instead from the middle.

[A Dude 99]

1 hour ago, EskeRahn said:

I have tried at the least 30(!) different launchers, the majority does not support Landscape, and those that does, do so poorly - and that includes Nova.

I only tested a couple since 2011, but my vote goes to ActionLauncher, which (IMHO) does landscape how you would expect it to do. Very featureful, highly customizable.

[auvo.salmi 135]

I tried to install Netflix, but Play Store says the device is not supported by the app. Is this also because of the missing Google certification, or is there something else missing?

[EskeRahn 5,471]

1 hour ago, A Dude said:

I only tested a couple since 2011, but my vote goes to ActionLauncher, which (IMHO) does landscape how you would expect it to do. Very featureful, highly customizable.

This was not among the many I tested, and it has the same bug as Nova of insisting on the same grid for landscape and portrait, thus squeezing&stretching stuff.

It has something better and something worse in keyboard navigating the icons. And Key actions are ignored.

Should I choose between this and Nova on a Pro1, I think this would be less bad though.

[EskeRahn 5,471]

10 minutes ago, auvo.salmi said:

I tried to install Netflix, but Play Store says the device is not supported by the app. Is this also because of the missing Google certification, or is there something else missing?

Could well be, OR could be they handle an explicit positive list of supported devices?

Anyone knows what Netflix requires expects?

[netman 1,424]

4 minutes ago, EskeRahn said:

Could well be, OR could be they handle an explicit positive list of supported devices?

Anyone knows what Netflix requires expects?

Maybe netflix expects safetynet to pass or bootloader to be locked because they are worried about their DRM nonsense?

About google certification, I haven't seen anyone tell it on the forums yet, F(x)tec QX1000 (aka Pro1) was added to Googles list of supported devices 🙂 : https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/1727131?hl=en

Edited November 26, 2019 by netman

[Hook 3,043]

I'm not sure.  I know Netflix won't run on rooted devices (at least in the US) as a general rule, but I still get it listed in the store for download-- it just doesn't run.  It could be the unlocked bootloader.  The funny thing is, it does run on my rooted Tab S, but if I factor reset the TAB S and try again, it doesn't run-- had to restore from nandroid backup.  Flashing updates to ROM don't affect it.  Very weird.

[netman 1,424]

1 minute ago, Hook said:

I'm not sure.  I know Netflix won't run on rooted devices (at least in the US) as a general rule, but I still get it listed in the store for download-- it just doesn't run.

Can it be tricked with Magisk perhaps? No wonder people choose to pirate stuff instead though.

[Hook 3,043]

4 minutes ago, netman said:

Can it be tricked with Magisk perhaps? No wonder people choose to pirate stuff instead though.

Don't know as I've always used SuperSU in the past.

[mcdinner 375]

I have installed Netfix on my phone (Ressurection Remix rom) which is rooted via Magisk and Magisk Hide is not enabled.
Also open gapps and no safetynet. I'd wonder if the app is different for other regions.

Also running on rooted Galaxy Tab 10 with lineage and no google.

Stange behaviour. 
 

[Zamasu 258]

5 hours ago, auvo.salmi said:

I tried to install Netflix, but Play Store says the device is not supported by the app. Is this also because of the missing Google certification, or is there something else missing?

Netflix is one of the apps that will trigger the safetynet API, it's pretty infamous for that. However, I think Netflix's only problem is that you can't install it via the playstore, you could technically still use it. Some banking apps just won't work. This should be fixed when the certification is there.

[auvo.salmi 135]

But didn't Erik just confirm that Pro1 has passed the Google certification? So it shouldn't be a problem anymore. But do you think that if I could find the Netflix apk from somewhere else, I should be able to install and also use it then? Haven't searched from alternate stores yet.

[netman 1,424]

3 minutes ago, auvo.salmi said:

But didn't Erik just confirm that Pro1 has passed the Google certification?

The problem ends when they send updated firmware soon :).