Samsung Galaxy S2

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I have traded my Note 2 and waiting for my S4, so using my S2 again until the new toy comes.

Been a while since I have used my S2 as a primary device so need to get up to speed quick.

On my Note 2 I kept all services on. Google Now is a big one for me but from reading posts in here is seems Google Now is a battery killer on the S2?
I am currently cruising at 11.1% batter drain with screen off which is hectic.

Also, what is the best stock ROM to run now?

You'll get much better battery life on 4.2.2 roms though. I am using CM10.1 which is awesome and nice if you don't need all the Samsung software.
 
To all those on a CM10.1-based ROm: are you achieving good battery life with Google Now active?

I'm on wanam LSE. And I have average battery life with Google now disabled. If enabled, it becomes very poor.
I get roughly 50% longer battery life on latest CM10.1 vs. Samsung XWLSN (NeatROM Lite 4.6.1) with same apps and features enabled ... everything on, all radios, gps, location services, all app notifications, Google Now, live wallpaper, 50% brightness (don't do gimped smartphones).

On the same usage pattern to run flat, Samsung will go 6am-5pm while CM10.1 will go 6am-10pm.
 
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I was getting bored with SlimROM3 (I see 4 came out yesterday..Doh!) so decided to try NeatROM with DOrimanx 8.14. Things were going sloooow! And then I installed the LS8 neatrom mods, somehow it fixed the lagging issue. I must say, Dorimanx on performance profile flies!

And...S-Planner!!!
 
For the S2? I'm using Omega v23. A lot of people like it.

I am using this but the battery life is killing me, tho I am getting 2.5 hours of screen time when I am heavily using it but I went to bed last night and woke up this morning with 60% of my battery life GONE.

My WiFi was on, but 60%?
 
You'll get much better battery life on 4.2.2 roms though. I am using CM10.1 which is awesome and nice if you don't need all the Samsung software.

Do you also need to flash Google Apps as per Cm10.1 install instructions for S3?

I'm loving CM10.1 on my S3 and want to flash it for my wife on the S2 too.
 
I am using this but the battery life is killing me, tho I am getting 2.5 hours of screen time when I am heavily using it but I went to bed last night and woke up this morning with 60% of my battery life GONE.

My WiFi was on, but 60%?

I experienced the exact same thing.
Went to bed with a full charge, and when I woke up it was on 36% :eek:

Screen on time was only about 10 min!
I'm also on Omega v23 and latest PhilZ kernel.

Does anyone know if I should try a different kernel or should I switch ROMS?
If so, which Sammy based ROM is best in terms of battery?
 
I am using this but the battery life is killing me, tho I am getting 2.5 hours of screen time when I am heavily using it but I went to bed last night and woke up this morning with 60% of my battery life GONE.

My WiFi was on, but 60%?

I experienced the exact same thing.
Went to bed with a full charge, and when I woke up it was on 36% :eek:

Screen on time was only about 10 min!
I'm also on Omega v23 and latest PhilZ kernel.

Does anyone know if I should try a different kernel or should I switch ROMS?
If so, which Sammy based ROM is best in terms of battery?

Exactly what I experienced with these 4.1.2 Samsung roms, including stock JB.
 
I experienced the exact same thing.
Went to bed with a full charge, and when I woke up it was on 36% :eek:

Screen on time was only about 10 min!
I'm also on Omega v23 and latest PhilZ kernel.

Does anyone know if I should try a different kernel or should I switch ROMS?
If so, which Sammy based ROM is best in terms of battery?

I'm using AllianceROM with Jeebo kernel.
1% drain per hour on idle.
Get close to 6 hours screen on time per charge with fairly heavy use.
Using the 2000mah battery.

Awesome rom with awesome customisation, seriously. It's Samsung based btw.

Part of my awesome battery life is due to:
1) Frozen unneeded apps
2) Greenify apps like FB, Maps, Twitter, anything I don't want running unless I explicity launch it
3) Autostarts stop more apps being called to run. Including a few system apps.
4) Auto brightness most of the time
5) LS8 modem (for me)

I am loving my S2 as if I just got it last week.
 
I'm using AllianceROM with Jeebo kernel.
1% drain per hour on idle.
Get close to 6 hours screen on time per charge with fairly heavy use.
Using the 2000mah battery.

Awesome rom with awesome customisation, seriously. It's Samsung based btw.

Part of my awesome battery life is due to:
1) Frozen unneeded apps
2) Greenify apps like FB, Maps, Twitter, anything I don't want running unless I explicity launch it
3) Autostarts stop more apps being called to run. Including a few system apps.
4) Auto brightness most of the time
5) LS8 modem (for me)

I am loving my S2 as if I just got it last week.

Not true unless proven with download links :D
 
Not true unless proven with download links :D

You mean screen shots? If so I will take some the next time I do a decent cycle.

If you mean actual links to download the ROM, kernel and apps, then:

Alliance ROM:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2037363

Jeboo Kernel:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2062208
(I use the TWRP Recovery version. Not the CWM version. Though I'm sure there's not much difference in performance/battery)

Greenify:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2155737

AutoStarts:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.elsdoerfer.android.autostarts

Note:
LS8 modem comes with AllianceRom.

Extras:
1) I disabled auto media scanning (with Rescan Media Root) and scan it manually with (Rescan Media). It literally takes 1 sec to do via a shortcut in my sidebar app.

SideBar:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mohammad.adib.sidebar

Rescan Media ROOT:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.addz.mediascannerroot

Rescan Media:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.addz.mediascanner

2) I use power saving mode whenever possible. Now I know what you thinking, "But that makes the phone slow and laggy like on the S3". Well let me tell you it definitely does not make it slow. In fact some times I barely notice any difference and I have to check my toggle to see if I had in fact enabled it or not. Even the games that I have on my phone run perfectly smooth wiith power saving mode on. Quite amazing to be honest. (Might have something to do with the much lower res screen of the S2 compared to the S3)
But there IS a difference compared to full mode (un power save mode), bit more snappy going to and from apps.

3) Location Services is OFF

4) Vlingo Frozen (Before freeze, disable double tap home to launch voice in vlingo settings - this removes your home button lag)

5) Auto Sync set on and off as I see fit. If its off all it takes is 10 seconds of my life to switch on and receive whatever Gmail notifications I have. Yahoo mail comes through regardless of sync settings.

6) Edge used when idle and for WhatsApp usage. The moment I want to FB or Twitter or do any data intensive task I toggle HSDPA on and off I go.

7) Wifi ON when used at home. Otherwise, wifi off.

8) GPS always off unless needed for maps or 1/4 mile times ;)

9) Play store set to NOT notify on new updates for apps.
 
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You mean screen shots? If so I will take some the next time I do a decent cycle.

If you mean actual links to download the ROM, kernel and apps, then:

Alliance ROM:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2037363

Jeboo Kernel:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2062208
(I use the TWRP Recovery version. Not the CWM version. Though I'm sure there's not much difference in performance/battery)

Greenify:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2155737

AutoStarts:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.elsdoerfer.android.autostarts

Note:
LS8 modem comes with AllianceRom.

Download links was what I after. Thanks a lot dude :thumbup:
 
You mean screen shots? If so I will take some the next time I do a decent cycle.

If you mean actual links to download the ROM, kernel and apps, then:

Alliance ROM:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2037363

Jeboo Kernel:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2062208
(I use the TWRP Recovery version. Not the CWM version. Though I'm sure there's not much difference in performance/battery)

Greenify:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2155737

AutoStarts:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.elsdoerfer.android.autostarts

Note:
LS8 modem comes with AllianceRom.

Extras:
1) I disabled auto media scanning (with Rescan Media Root) and scan it manually with (Rescan Media). It literally takes 1 sec to do via a shortcut in my sidebar app.

SideBar:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mohammad.adib.sidebar

Rescan Media ROOT:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.addz.mediascannerroot

Rescan Media:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.addz.mediascanner

2) I use power saving mode whenever possible. Now I know what you thinking, "But that makes the phone slow and laggy like on the S3". Well let me tell you it definitely does not make it slow. In fact some times I barely notice any difference and I have to check my toggle to see if I had in fact enabled it or not. Even the games that I have on my phone run perfectly smooth wiith power saving mode on. Quite amazing to be honest. (Might have something to do with the much lower res screen of the S2 compared to the S3)
But there IS a difference compared to full mode (un power save mode), bit more snappy going to and from apps.

3) Location Services is OFF

4) Vlingo Frozen (Before freeze, disable double tap home to launch voice in vlingo settings - this removes your home button lag)

5) Auto Sync set on and off as I see fit. If its off all it takes is 10 seconds of my life to switch on and receive whatever Gmail notifications I have. Yahoo mail comes through regardless of sync settings.

6) Edge used when idle and for WhatsApp usage. The moment I want to FB or Twitter or do any data intensive task I toggle HSDPA on and off I go.

7) Wifi ON when used at home. Otherwise, wifi off.

8) GPS always off unless needed for maps or 1/4 mile times ;)

9) Play store set to NOT notify on new updates for apps.

Wow that sounds like a mission but thanks for the detailed post.

I just install cm10.1, toggle everything to "on" and go ape.
 
Wow that sounds like a mission but thanks for the detailed post.

I just install cm10.1, toggle everything to "on" and go ape.

Takes max 1 hour setup for a lifetime of awesomeness that just works with all samsungs goodies. (ok not really lifetime but you get my point)

I tried CM 10.1, SlimeBean and PA. Was not impressed. Missed a lot of my Samsung only features and the stability of Samsung based ROMs. But so is the beauty of android, choice :) And believe it or not I actually enjoy Touchwizz interface much more than bland AOSP kind of look.
 
I always cringe when I scan these custom ROM pages on XDA and then just click on random pages to see user feedback.

And it's always like the following : "this does not work, can you please help", "it fails to install", "my screen doesn't want to turn on", etc. :(

You custom ROM junkies have way too much time on your hands, I just love my Spanish official Samsung ROM. :)
 
I always cringe when I scan these custom ROM pages on XDA and then just click on random pages to see user feedback.

And it's always like the following : "this does not work, can you please help", "it fails to install", "my screen doesn't want to turn on", etc. :(

You custom ROM junkies have way too much time on your hands, I just love my Spanish official Samsung ROM. :)

Still a happy chappy on slimbean. No battery shena****ns and to borrow a phrase from Cupertino, it just works.
 
Greetings,

When I tried to upgrade my S2 to jelly bean last year, it turned out that the MTN AP settings would not work. The only way to get the settings to work was to perform a sim swap, which I did not feel like forking out the cash to do. Has anyone found a workaround to this issue yet?

Thanks
 
Greetings,

When I tried to upgrade my S2 to jelly bean last year, it turned out that the MTN AP settings would not work. The only way to get the settings to work was to perform a sim swap, which I did not feel like forking out the cash to do. Has anyone found a workaround to this issue yet?

Thanks

Issue on the old sim itself so will have to get newer sim card with a sim swop.

Have to do the same on my dad's old MTN sim as he is now using the S2
 
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