I have been happily eating jelly beans for several years, and the shop keeper (verizon) said "try this new thing we have called a Kit Kat." The first bite was exciting simply because it was new, however, after a few bites I realize that Kit Kat is far too sweet for me, or maybe I am chocolate intolerant. I tell the shop keeper thanks for the Kit Kat, but I would rather buy another bag of jelly beans, and this is what he tells me: "Sorry kid, once you have tried a Kit Kat you can never eat jelly beans again... this is for your own good, now get out of my store unless you want to buy something else I tell you is good for you."
The booting driod animation was actually loud enough to hear, with all the clicks and whooshes and fun stuff I want from my pocket computer of the future. Unfortunately the amazingly intricate pattern I use to open my phone (I use all the dots) required several attempts to open as the pattern of dots is smaller, but my fingers did not shrink when I updated "my" phone, is there an app for that?
Home screen opens, and my live wallpaper colors have changed, try as I might I cannot achieve the same cool relaxing pallet with glaring white icons on top, my screen is either too dim, or the status bar icons (like battery wifi etc) are too bright, no happy medium.
So I think I can learn to live with some minor aesthetic changes and get over the fact that I cannot see the pale white icons with my screen set the way I like it...
And then I get a text message... Wow, it is like preschool all over again, reading some drab boring book made for people who have poor vision or something. So I check the settings, comfortable with the fact that this is not i-phone, this is android, open source, and synonymous with choice where customization is king... So the shop keeper buts back in and says "it's for your own good, that other one was bad for your eyes and will give you tumors..."
Just because Verizon did not make this version of the android software does not excuse them from the responsibility to make sure their customers want are happy. Those of us brave enough to try this new OS are not rewarded for our bravery, we are punished to be sequestered in this drab, unpleasant, zombified version of our old phones. Even the snootiest restaurant will take back a meal if it does not suit your pallet, allowing you to try new things without having to suffer through the same ill ordered meal every time you want to send and/or receive communications and information from our fellow humans.
Verizon Shame on you, we are very disappointed in your lack of even the most common service to your customers. Time to grow up and take some responsibility for your actions instead of giving us the "It wasn't us, it was Google." line. Many other devices that have been downgraded to Kit Kat can be wiped and re flashed with the much more pleasant jelly bean OS. Get your act together, you are supposed to be a multimillion dollar company, not some street vender that disappears like a cockroach as soon as the lights come on.
Impress us...
All the changes... are from Google, and anything put on top is the manufacturers. That's a FACT... You people need to make up your minds. Do you want updates and newer OS improvements? Yes then the bad comes with it and it comes from Google as they OWN the operating system. Anything on top of that is at the discretion of the manufacturers as marked my ASL provisioning.
Manufacturers do the updates on top of what Google does. All manufacturers have already admitted many times before that carriers don't touch the code only test the code. Google also backed off the line "It's the carrier's fault" as soon as they did the Sony/Google joint AOSP project. A lot has changed because of that as they finally realized carriers were the least of the problems.
Here's some reading materials. When the next major OS change happens you can often find the changes here and you'll find them in all devices as they are being update with manufacturers twist. Remember Touchwiz isn't owned by Verizon... or any carrier for that matter for example. It's owned by Samsung. Samsung is the one that bars downgrading not Verizon. All versions of Samsung devices regardless if they are unlocked, unbranded, or carrier branded can't be downgraded at all unless you are willing to void your warranty to do so. I would link a website where things could be done but it violates the terms of these boards. You will find the same information to do what you want to do and you'd find it affects all Samsung devices that were upgraded to 4.3 or higher.
I used to like eating Jelly Beans too. I didn't mind changing and trying something new. I thought I was going to like Kit Kats, oh but no. My store owner (Verizon) was selling bad Kit Kats. Too bad Kit Kat completely changed the Know security kernels so that it is impossible to ever enjoy Jellybeans again. If only I could go back in time and have a phone that still had Jelly Bean on it. I would then quickly gain root access to that phone (who cares if it ruins the manufacturers warranty, i still have insurance and my phone would still work) I could then have access to the 2 system files that open the door for Kit Kat to be installed, and I could rename those files so that the phone did not recognize them, and I would never ever have to install Kit Kat. I could enjoy Jellybeans again.
Actually it does affects insurance. There is a clause within insurance that you can't deliberately void your warranty. So if you brick your phone and they find out your hacked your phone you actually voided your insurance. To gain root you have to Intentionally/deliberately do it.
I would be careful with that 
You are correct Tidbits, but it only applies for warranty coverage. You still have insurance coverage for theft or lost phones. But when and if I need to send the phone in, everything done can be reversed. That's why I only rename files, not delete, and I download the latest updates and save them, I just don't install them.
Again read the terms if you deliberately do something it voids the insurance. There's a clause specifically for that. It's similar for life insurance for example if you commit suicide there won't be a pay out. Just giving fair warning.
Its amazing how many people try to collect after suicide.
I believe in all seriousness the clause is for like the first two years or they refund the premium's paid.
Good Luck
Well said. I want to add that now certain apps don't recognize my sd card, and yes, I have restarted my phone unmounted and then mounted the card. No luck and the list of complaints grows.
A note to tidbits... please read the original post again. This is for folks to voice complaints and problems. Clearly you have some affiliation with Verizon. If you'd like to start a discussion listing all the things you like about kitkat, please do. Otherwise please keep your excuses to yourself.
This update has brought to light a complete failure of customer service. Verizon is the carrier and last time I checked we are billed by Verizon, not Google
those changes are set by Google... People said SDcard changes are coming since 3.0 Honeycomb, and it didn't go full effect until recently. People were complaining over and over and over I want XYZ update. If you want changes take it up with Google as it's their OS, and manufacturers. All these changes are WORLDWIDE. To think Verizon has enough power to affect the world industry... Sorry it's going to happen. Google can because it's their OS, and manufacturers will comply because well putting Android on their phones are lucrative.
No I do not have affiliation. I am willing to bet my house, and my car on that. Including my current job too. I say the same thing on OTHER user forums whether it's XDA, T-Mobile, and AT&T forums.
You pay Verizon for services, not what goes onto your phone or any "real" support for your phone. Verizon doesn't touch any of the code, and only requests things to the manufacturers. This has already been said by the manufacturers themselves MULTIPLE times.
I get it, now I have a couple questions,
Why would someone come into a thread that is describing all the woes we have with a new operating system just to tell us "I am so sorry your porridge tastes like dirt, here is a bigger spoon, and once you finish that bowl I have another one for you with real crunchy dirt inside!" 🙂
Why would someone who does not work for a company not only tow the company line but bet all their worldly possessions on company policy?
My grandmother loved to tell people they were wrong, sometimes she would even make up facts right on the spot... When their shoulders finally slumped after her barrage of disappointing facts often full of fiction, you should have heard her cackle, it was an evil sound that still brings me chills to think of it.
The trick to getting warranty service on a phone that you accidentally bricked is not to tell them you bricked your phone. duh. I never paid for or needed a warranty but most of the warranties I have read that cover breakage also cover loss... The story about George Washing never telling a lie, was a lie. If George can do it... Oh and Verizon is not watching you use your phone, the voice that tells you this in your head is called paranoia.
When oppression turns a lion into a sheep, the sheep becomes a dream stealer, feeding on the misery of others. Recapture your dreams, become a lion again, look for reasons we can, not reasons we can't...
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