

Google just approved our first CyanogenMod  phone - bane
https://plus.google.com/110558071969009568835/posts/Gnq8cdq7VHi

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comex
> Aside from root access, we were not forced to make any compromises in terms
> of features or functionality

from the link posted in the comments here. Can someone with more knowledge of
the Android ecosystem explain this? I guess the phone cannot come with root
access out of the box, but since Google's own devices come with unlocked
bootloaders, why would it care about that?

~~~
mcintyre1994
I guess the rule is just no root without the user asking for it in some way?
The Nexus 5 is unlocked, but it's not root by default. I definitely agree with
that rule, I don't think it should be difficult but it definitely shouldn't be
default. I'm a big fan of the sudo approach in some Linux distros.

~~~
ch4ch4
It's better to have root access disabled by default on phones sold to the
general public since they are more likely to just click the "Allow root
access" button because they don't understand the security implications of
allowing root access.

~~~
tmzt
Can somebody identify just exactly what the "security implications of allowing
root access" are? Are we referring to unrestricted escalation with sudo by an
unprivileged user/app?

CyanogenMod has never allowed sudo without confirming it with a UI, or only
allowed it for a few days back when it launched.

~~~
bouk
Yes, root access is system-level root access

A user that does not know what the security implications of root access are
will most likely just click "allow" when presented with a dialog

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manicbovine
A little more context:

[http://androidcommunity.com/oppo-n1-cyanogenmod-edition-
gain...](http://androidcommunity.com/oppo-n1-cyanogenmod-edition-gains-google-
certification-20131220/)

------
c0nsumer
Oppo has made some nifty, extremely useful, very high quality, just-on-the-
edge of legit (read: you can disable region coding easily) DVD players for
years. I really like their stuff, and thus would have very high expectations
for this phone. It's really nice to see their name on it.

~~~
laacz
You can disable region coding easily on most of big brands also. For example,
Philips has simple for digit unlock code enterable via remote.

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colinbartlett
Could someone explain what this phone is? The link is worthless and their site
isn't very good at explaining it.

~~~
biscarch
afaik it's the Oppo N1[1] running Cyanogen. I got to play with one at the Big
Android BBQ and it was pretty sweet.

[1] [http://en.oppo.com/products/n1/](http://en.oppo.com/products/n1/)

~~~
mkl
A 5.9" screen seems huge - would it fit in an ordinary trouser pocket?

~~~
biscarch
It fits in mine... but I also wear 36x38 jeans since I'm 6'9", so I'm not a
typical use case. My current phone, a Note 3, fits with a lot of room to spare
so I suppose it depends on the size of your jeans.

I can also use these phones one handed whereas I don't see most people doing
that.

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norswap
What's the point of the Google CTS Certification?

~~~
kllrnohj
The CTS tests is the suite that ensures that all versions of Android at the
same API level behave the same as far as a developer is concerned. It verifies
that the public APIs do what they are documented to do.

------
skillcode
Would love for someone to elaborate a little bit. Is this deal any good for
CM?

~~~
saurik
Cyanogen Inc.'s business model is to license an improved version of Android to
phone manufactures who want something better than what their competitors have;
large manufactures do a bunch of customizations themselves (MotoBlur,
TouchWiz, HTC Sense), but smaller manufactures are often left with "what you
get from Android". However, to get the Play Store, as well as other first-part
Google apps, a device has to pass Google's strict compliance tests. This is
thereby Cyanogen's first customer, and a demonstration that their model is not
fundamentally flawed (Google didn't deny the phone during certification
testing did to some weird changes CyanogenMod has accumulated over the years,
and a manufacturer wanted their product enough to get all the way through that
process). If you were trying to value the company, I'd say a lot of the risks
of their business model just got removed: they should be worth a ton more
today than they were yesterday.

~~~
Aaron1011
> However, to get the Play Store, as well as other first-part Google apps, a
> device has to pass Google's strict compliance tests.

If you're talking about _officially_ , when the device is shipped, then this
is true. However, one of the first steps after installing a custom rom is to
flash a Google Apps package for your device (which includes Google Play).
People still install Google's applications without the device passing any
test.

~~~
bad_user
I have a CyanogenMod-enabled phone and haven't installed Google's apps on it.
I got some open-source stuff and that's it. It's a two-year old Galaxy S
(first gen) and battery now lasts for 8 days.

~~~
amenod
Seriously? With "normal" amount of calls? I would love to hear more... Battery
life is my biggest gripe with the smartphones.

~~~
bad_user
I don't know what's normal to you. It's a backup phone, using a PrePay plan on
another network (prepays are pretty cheap in my country) and indeed I'm making
less calls with it than with my primary. I'm also keeping it off the data-
network, unless I need to connect.

So basically I use it as a dumb phone and it's a pretty good dumb phone.

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Bahamut
I did some looking, but found it a bit troublesome to figure out - would this
phone work on Verizon just fine?

~~~
jlund
No. Verizon only allows pre-approved devices to appear on their network,
regardless of whether you are prepaid or postpaid. They do this by checking
the IMEI identifier of the device. If it's not one of theirs, it won't work.

Their network is also incompatible with the radio in this device.

~~~
e1ven
My understanding is that Verizon is required by the FCC to allow any device on
their network, as a result of Google hijinks in 2008.

That said, enforcing it is another matter.

[http://buzzmachine.com/2013/09/17/verizon-caught-red-
handed/](http://buzzmachine.com/2013/09/17/verizon-caught-red-handed/)

~~~
nknighthb
Unless something has changed, the article you linked to is basically the end
of the story. Despite promises, Verizon has not moved to permit the Nexus 7 on
their network, and there is no easy/useful enforcement mechanism to make them
do so. The provisions are effectively toothless.

~~~
e1ven
Sadly, that's my understanding, yes :/

If you read forum reports, it seems people are activating it by using IMEI
numbers from other tablets and whatnot, but Verizon is not making it easy, or
(IMO) living up to their contractual obligations.

