**UPDATED 10/7/2010**
Hey all Droid Eris owners, just wrote a lengthy post on my blog about improving performance, stability, and battery life on the Droid Eris on my blog.
I included tutorials on:
Warning
must remind you though that making unofficial software and firmware changes to your handset violates the warranty of your phone; therefore, if anything goes wrong during this process or in the future, you will be unable to return the phone for a replacement unless you are able to return the phone back to its original, factory settings. I am not responsible for what you choose to do with your phone.
Root is Vital
Before you follow a majority of the following steps, I must stress that rooting your phone plays an important role. Rooting your phone gives you the ability to make unofficial software and firmware changes to your phone, giving you the ability to hack your phone to improve stability and performance. Get directions on how to root your Eris by reading “Run Android 2.2 (Froyo) on Your Droid Eris (How-To).”
You Need Froyo Android 2.2
Back in May of 2010, Kaos started working on porting Froyo over to the Droid Eris. It started off rough, but now at version 34, FroyoEris runs as smooth as butter! FroyoEris is not the only option out there. If you look around, you’ll see there are several choices available; however, I personally recommend FroyoEris. Now that I’m running Froyo on my Eris, I refuse to go back to the stock 2.1 firmware! Instructions on how to run Froyo on your Eris are available. (Keep in mind that you need root to do this).
Install Custom Apps
SetCPU
SetCPU is a wonderful application that allows you to tweak your phone’s CPU and to set and gauge your phone’s performance based on different circumstances (default, plugged in, screen off, etc.) It works on most, if not all rooted Android 1.5/1.6/2.0/2.1/2.2 devices.
(Updated September 10, 2010)
Warning: Clocking your CPU too high or too low may cause your phone to freeze, become instable, or restart. Please use caution when adjusting your CPU settings (I suggest not going higher than 787200). In addition, the SetCPU widget is known to cause problems for people so if you are experiencing problems or lag, remove it for better performance.
AutoKiller
AutoKiller, by AndRS Studio, is another must-have app that configures your phone’s internal memory management routines, making your phone run smoother. It also has a full-powered process manager as well. AutoKiller should work on most rooted Android devices.
(Updated September 10, 2010)
From various responses and reads, it seems that AutoKiller is a preference or annoyance, depending on how people use their phones. When you are running a few apps, AutoKiller may kill some processes; therefore, if you are one that likes to run multiple apps all the time, setting the preset to “Moderate” or “Optimum” may be better than setting it to “Strict.” Again, I suggest testing before taking my final word for it since I don’t use my phone like you do.
LauncherPro
By default, Froyo’s launcher is Launcher2 and if you flashed KaosFroyo, it should be ADW Launcher. From my experience and even a lot of reaching, LauncherPro is a highly customizable launcher, and it’s also fast! From the number of homescreens and dock settings to custom icons, there’s a lot you can do with LauncherPro.
If you are running KaosFroyo and want to remove ADW, download “adw-b-gone.zip” at http://www.multiupload.com/HW7LCPJ3UI and flash the zip using the recovery menu. For instructions on how to flash a .zip file, read “Run Android 2.2 (Froyo) on Your Droid Eris (How-To).”
(You do not need root for this)
Having difficulty with your GPS or does it take an abnormally long time to lock your position? I’ve had this problem after flashing a dozen or more custom ROMs on my phone. GPS Status will allow you to reset the GPS and download GPS assistance data, which should speed up your GPS for a few days.
Dialer One
(You do not need root for this)
If you’re running a Senseless ROM (like KaosFroyo) and you absolutely hate the default Dialer, join the club! With 900+ numbers on my phone, scrolling through or searching for numbers is just another two or three steps I would love to avoid since the default dialer does not have smart-dial. Dialer One is your answer! With speed dial and smart dial capabilities, it makes dialing a piece of cake.
(You need root for this)
If you want to be able to turn your Eris into a wireless router (for your iPad, Kindle, laptop, etc.), you need an app called Wireless Tether. Wireless Tether turns your Eris into a wireless hotspot!
Recalibrating your battery may increase the longevity of your battery, especially if you’ve been experiencing issues with battery life. This can be done with the recovery menu.
Upgrade Your Radio
*WARNING* As a warning, flashing your radio, if done incorrectly, is one of the easiest ways to brick your phone. Please take caution and take this as a warning. Please proceed at your will and with caution. I am not responsible with what you choose to do with your phone.
Upgrading your radio may help improve the signal strength of your device. If anything, it will give you the lastest version of the released radio. To check the version of your radio, go to Settings > About Phone. The radio version is the number underneath “Baseband version.”
The latest version of the Eris radio is the July 2010 – 2.42.01.04.27 radio.
Upgrading your kernel may help improve the performance and stability of your device. To check the version of your kernel, go to Settings > About Phone. The kernel version will be listed under “Kernel version.” Though there are a few kernels out there, the one I recommend is the [GPL] 2.6.29.6 CFS Kernel compiled by Conap and Decad3nce, both developers at XDA-Developers. The latest version is the 2.6.29.6 version 5. I personally feel my phone performs better after installing this kernel.
As a side note, some of the latest ROMs (including KaosFroyo v35) already come preloaded with the CFS v5 kernel. This is only necessary if your ROM does not come with CFS v5.
Hey all Droid Eris owners, just wrote a lengthy post on my blog about improving performance, stability, and battery life on the Droid Eris on my blog.
I included tutorials on:
- Rooting
- FroyoEris
- SetCPU
- AutoKiller
- LauncherPro
- GPS Status
- Dialer One
- Wireless Tether
- Battery recalibration for extended battery life
- Upgrading radio (July 2010 2.42.01.04.27)
- Upgrading Kernel (CFS v5)
- Tweak your settings (Window transitions, VM heap size, Launcher Pro)
- Well known bugs (Market Fix Camera bug, 3D gallery bug) *ADDED 10/7/2010*
Warning
must remind you though that making unofficial software and firmware changes to your handset violates the warranty of your phone; therefore, if anything goes wrong during this process or in the future, you will be unable to return the phone for a replacement unless you are able to return the phone back to its original, factory settings. I am not responsible for what you choose to do with your phone.
Root is Vital
Before you follow a majority of the following steps, I must stress that rooting your phone plays an important role. Rooting your phone gives you the ability to make unofficial software and firmware changes to your phone, giving you the ability to hack your phone to improve stability and performance. Get directions on how to root your Eris by reading “Run Android 2.2 (Froyo) on Your Droid Eris (How-To).”
You Need Froyo Android 2.2
Back in May of 2010, Kaos started working on porting Froyo over to the Droid Eris. It started off rough, but now at version 34, FroyoEris runs as smooth as butter! FroyoEris is not the only option out there. If you look around, you’ll see there are several choices available; however, I personally recommend FroyoEris. Now that I’m running Froyo on my Eris, I refuse to go back to the stock 2.1 firmware! Instructions on how to run Froyo on your Eris are available. (Keep in mind that you need root to do this).
Install Custom Apps
SetCPU
SetCPU is a wonderful application that allows you to tweak your phone’s CPU and to set and gauge your phone’s performance based on different circumstances (default, plugged in, screen off, etc.) It works on most, if not all rooted Android 1.5/1.6/2.0/2.1/2.2 devices.
- Download and install SetCPU at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=505419.
(I recommend version 2.02) - Open up SetCPU.
- Select “Autodetect Speeds Recommended.” (If SuperUser prompts, asking you for permission, click “Allow”)
(Updated September 10, 2010)
Warning: Clocking your CPU too high or too low may cause your phone to freeze, become instable, or restart. Please use caution when adjusting your CPU settings (I suggest not going higher than 787200). In addition, the SetCPU widget is known to cause problems for people so if you are experiencing problems or lag, remove it for better performance.
- Main Tab
Max – 768000, Min – 122880, Scaling – Ondemand, Check “Set on Boot” - Profiles Tab
- Check “Enable.”
- Add and save profiles for the following conditions:
- Condition – Charging/Full, Max – 768000, Min – 729600, Scaling – Performance
- Condition – Screen Off, Max – 480000, Min – 122880, Scaling – Ondemand
AutoKiller
AutoKiller, by AndRS Studio, is another must-have app that configures your phone’s internal memory management routines, making your phone run smoother. It also has a full-powered process manager as well. AutoKiller should work on most rooted Android devices.
(Updated September 10, 2010)
From various responses and reads, it seems that AutoKiller is a preference or annoyance, depending on how people use their phones. When you are running a few apps, AutoKiller may kill some processes; therefore, if you are one that likes to run multiple apps all the time, setting the preset to “Moderate” or “Optimum” may be better than setting it to “Strict.” Again, I suggest testing before taking my final word for it since I don’t use my phone like you do.
- Download and install AutoKiller from either the Android Market by searching for “AutoKiller” or at the AutoKiller official website.
- Open up AutoKiller (If SuperUser prompts, asking you for permission, click “Allow”)
- You can test the settings for yourself, but I would suggest setting your Presets to “Strict Optimum.”
- Menu > “Settings” and make sure “Apply settings on boot” is checked.
LauncherPro
By default, Froyo’s launcher is Launcher2 and if you flashed KaosFroyo, it should be ADW Launcher. From my experience and even a lot of reaching, LauncherPro is a highly customizable launcher, and it’s also fast! From the number of homescreens and dock settings to custom icons, there’s a lot you can do with LauncherPro.
If you are running KaosFroyo and want to remove ADW, download “adw-b-gone.zip” at http://www.multiupload.com/HW7LCPJ3UI and flash the zip using the recovery menu. For instructions on how to flash a .zip file, read “Run Android 2.2 (Froyo) on Your Droid Eris (How-To).”
- Download and install “LauncherPro” from the Android Market.
- Press the Home button, and select “Launcher Pro” as your default launcher and click the check mark when it asks you to save it as your default home/launcher.
- To get the LauncherPro’s settings, click Menu > “Preferences.”
(You do not need root for this)
Having difficulty with your GPS or does it take an abnormally long time to lock your position? I’ve had this problem after flashing a dozen or more custom ROMs on my phone. GPS Status will allow you to reset the GPS and download GPS assistance data, which should speed up your GPS for a few days.
- Download and install GPS Status from the Android Market.
- Open GPS Status, Menu > “Settings.”
- Go to “GPS Sensors” and click “Manage A-GPS State.”
- Select both “Reset” and then “Download.”
- Put your phone down on a flat, level surface and select “Calibrate roll and pitch.” This reset and calibrates your accelerometer.
Dialer One
(You do not need root for this)
If you’re running a Senseless ROM (like KaosFroyo) and you absolutely hate the default Dialer, join the club! With 900+ numbers on my phone, scrolling through or searching for numbers is just another two or three steps I would love to avoid since the default dialer does not have smart-dial. Dialer One is your answer! With speed dial and smart dial capabilities, it makes dialing a piece of cake.
- Download and install Dialer One from the Android Market.
- When prompted, set Dialer One as your default dialer.
(You need root for this)
If you want to be able to turn your Eris into a wireless router (for your iPad, Kindle, laptop, etc.), you need an app called Wireless Tether. Wireless Tether turns your Eris into a wireless hotspot!
- Download and install Wireless Tether from the Android Market.
- Open Wireless Tether.
- Menu > Setup > Change SSID (This is the name of your wireless signal).
- Menu > Setup > Enable WiFi-Encryption > Check.
- Menu > Setup > Change Passphrase (This will password protect your wireless signal).
- Press the green wireless logo to start tethering!
Recalibrating your battery may increase the longevity of your battery, especially if you’ve been experiencing issues with battery life. This can be done with the recovery menu.
- Charge your battery to 100%.
- Power off your device, start it back up into Recovery mode (Volume Up or Down + Power On).
- Select “Wipe” and choose “battery stats” with your trackball.
- Shut off your device.
- Unplug your phone and power it on.
- Leave your phone unplugged and fully drain the battery. (Do not plug it back in. Make sure it’s dead by trying to turn it back on)
- Leaving the phone off, plug the phone back in and let it fully charge without interruption.
Upgrade Your Radio
*WARNING* As a warning, flashing your radio, if done incorrectly, is one of the easiest ways to brick your phone. Please take caution and take this as a warning. Please proceed at your will and with caution. I am not responsible with what you choose to do with your phone.
Upgrading your radio may help improve the signal strength of your device. If anything, it will give you the lastest version of the released radio. To check the version of your radio, go to Settings > About Phone. The radio version is the number underneath “Baseband version.”
The latest version of the Eris radio is the July 2010 – 2.42.01.04.27 radio.
- Download the July 2010 radio at http://www.multiupload.com/BNPEN2HAF0.
- Put the .zip file on your sdcard at the root (/sdcard/)
- Power off your device, start it back up in Recovery mode (Volume Up or Down + Power On) and flash the zip.
- Reboot your device.
Upgrading your kernel may help improve the performance and stability of your device. To check the version of your kernel, go to Settings > About Phone. The kernel version will be listed under “Kernel version.” Though there are a few kernels out there, the one I recommend is the [GPL] 2.6.29.6 CFS Kernel compiled by Conap and Decad3nce, both developers at XDA-Developers. The latest version is the 2.6.29.6 version 5. I personally feel my phone performs better after installing this kernel.
As a side note, some of the latest ROMs (including KaosFroyo v35) already come preloaded with the CFS v5 kernel. This is only necessary if your ROM does not come with CFS v5.
- Download the latest version of the CFS Kernel (DecafuctCFSv5.zip) at http://android.grdlock.net/index.php?&direction=0&order=&directory=HTC Droid Eris/Conaps Roms.
- Put the .zip file on your sdcard at the root (/sdcard/)
- Power off your device, start it back up in Recovery mode (Volume Up or Down + Power On) and flash the zip.
- Reboot your device.
Well known bugs
Camera bug
Some have been experiencing the camera bug when various versions of KaosFroyo (i.e. v35, v35-1). There is a temporary fix that should work by turning auto focus to manual focus or turning it off.
Many people are also having issues with the 3D gallery or just find it slow. My suggestion is to download and flash the 2D gallery.
There are many options available on your phone that will help speed it up and improve it’s performance a bit.
Disable Window Transitions
Go to Menu > Preferences >
Enjoy your phone
If you followed most, if not all, of these suggestions, your phone should be performing better than before. Although I am tempted to upgrade to a newer phone, I keep telling myself I am going to hold out for the Verizon iPhone (if it ever comes out). Until then, I can manage with my Eris running Froyo!
Full article at http://jonsuh.com/2010/09/make-your-droid-eris-faster-smoother-and-increase-battery-life-how-to/
Camera bug
Some have been experiencing the camera bug when various versions of KaosFroyo (i.e. v35, v35-1). There is a temporary fix that should work by turning auto focus to manual focus or turning it off.
- Open the camera.
- Press the settings icon > “Focus mode” > Set to “Off” or “Touch.”
Many people are also having issues with the 3D gallery or just find it slow. My suggestion is to download and flash the 2D gallery.
- Download the 2D gallery .zip file from http://android.grdlock.net/index.php?&direction=0&order=&directory=HTC Droid Eris/Conaps Roms.
- Make sure to copy the file to the root of your /SDCARD/.
- Reboot your phone into recovery mode and flash 2DGallery.zip.
There are many options available on your phone that will help speed it up and improve it’s performance a bit.
Disable Window Transitions
- Settings > Display > Animation > “No animations.”
- Applications > Spare Parts > Window animations > “Off.”
- Applications > Spare Parts > Transition animations > “Off.”
- Applications > Spare Parts > Fancy input animations > Uncheck.
- Settings > CyanogenMod Settings > Performance settings > VM heap size > 32m
Go to Menu > Preferences >
- Advanced Settings > High quality scrolling > Uncheck.
- Advanced Settings > Use 3D drawer > Uncheck.
Enjoy your phone
If you followed most, if not all, of these suggestions, your phone should be performing better than before. Although I am tempted to upgrade to a newer phone, I keep telling myself I am going to hold out for the Verizon iPhone (if it ever comes out). Until then, I can manage with my Eris running Froyo!
Full article at http://jonsuh.com/2010/09/make-your-droid-eris-faster-smoother-and-increase-battery-life-how-to/
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