Recommend a good android phone please?

esuhl

AndyPix wrote: »

eshul, did your banking apps work after the jailbreak ?
I was considering doing my S2

I don't do internet banking, so it's not an issue.

(Returning to the thread on password managers, this is one of the ways I mitigate risk -- if I don't even have a banking password, no one else can get it! I know most people like it, but I've never seen the need. I don't really see what I'd be able to do with internet banking that I can't already do with direct debits, standing orders, cheques and credit card payments.)

So far every app I've tried has worked... generally starting faster, and being much more responsive. The performance boost is genuinely impressive.

Also, the phone isn't actually "rooted". Cyanogenmod has an option that allows you to enable root, but even then, you are prompted per-application.

The only thing I have noticed is that the phone takes twice as long to boot, and a bit longer to shutdown. But that doesn't bother me. And I suppose I prefer the old dialler UI.

S0litaire

As for a phone suggestion...

Any of the latest couple of Android OS versions has an "Accessibility" option in the settings (might be hidden under "Advanced")

This allows you to change settings to accommodate those that might have some difficulty with vision or hearing.

Options include "Magnification gestures" and "Touch-hold to zoom" options as well as "High contrast mode" and "text to speech" options.

Check any android phone for these options, to see if they would be of any use...

AndyPix

esuhl wrote: »

Also, the phone isn't actually "rooted". Cyanogenmod has an option that allows you to enable root, but even then, you are prompted per-application.
.

The phone is rooted , it is this root access that allowed you to install a custom OS on there.
What you are referring to is Cyanogenmod passing on that root access to other applications (or not doing)

indesisiv

AndyPix wrote: »

The phone is rooted , it is this root access that allowed you to install a custom OS on there.
What you are referring to is Cyanogenmod passing on that root access to other applications (or not doing)

Not true. You can have a completely unrooted CM phone. Only need an unlocked bootloader for CM.

esuhl wrote: »

Also, the phone isn't actually "rooted". Cyanogenmod has an option that allows you to enable root, but even then, you are prompted per-application.

It may not be rooted but some coders for the banks are lazy and don't check properly. With the stock firmware on my phone certain banking apps do not work even though my phone is unrooted. (It run cyanogen OS as stock not CyanogenMod)

esuhl

AndyPix wrote: »

The phone is rooted , it is this root access that allowed you to install a custom OS on there.
What you are referring to is Cyanogenmod passing on that root access to other applications (or not doing)

I'm new to all this, so maybe I'm getting the terminology wrong or don't fully understand how the phone OS works, but...

I didn't have to unlock the bootloader (as, apparently, it's already unlocked on the Galaxy S2) or root the phone.

I presume that any OS (even stock Android) would have a root user, just like GNU/Linux on the desktop. It's just that there's no option built-in to the OS to allow user applications to run as root. Presumably system utilities requiring root are elevated using "sudo"... or similar(?).

Cyanogenmod, by default, doesn't allow any user applications to run as root. If you enable root in the options, applications can individually request root access, which you can permit or deny.

In my understanding, "rooting" a phone means that you log in as the root user so that all applications run with root privileges, which is obviously risky. I presume this was the old/original way of gaining root access, and maybe this sudo-like behaviour is a new thing...?

esuhl

indesisiv wrote: »

It may not be rooted but some coders for the banks are lazy and don't check properly. With the stock firmware on my phone certain banking apps do not work even though my phone is unrooted. (It run cyanogen OS as stock not CyanogenMod)

Maybe the banks' apps check for something other than whether or not a device is rooted. I'd guess they check the reported kernel version, which seems to include OS-specific indicators.

The kernel version for my phone shows:

Kernel version
3.0.101-CM-g9261427
inky@cyanogenmod #1
Sun Nov 13 21:12:34 PST 2016

(Sorry -- totally hijacked this thread now! )

indesisiv

esuhl wrote: »

Maybe the banks' apps check for something other than whether or not a device is rooted. I'd guess they check the reported kernel version, which seems to include OS-specific indicators.

The kernel version for my phone shows:

(Sorry -- totally hijacked this thread now! )

I've not tested recently as I gave up with halifax and barclays when they wouldn't work. I can't test now as I run with root by default as I run adaway. Think it was probably checking the Build number details or looking for CM or something.

My current kernel shows:

3.4.112-cyanogenmod Boeffla-Kernel-6.0-beta1-CM14.1-bacon-anykernel-20161116@andip71 #1
Wed Nov 16 08:56:11 CET 2016

Running on CM14.1 nightly versions (Android 7.1) :)

gfplux

I can recommend the Huawei P9 lite. 3gb of Ram 16gb memory plus 2nd sim slot that takes a micro sim for extra memory if needed.