In this segment, I want to go over a couple kernels that I have had some experience with. There are tons of kernels out there for the Nexus 7 2013 but only a couple have sparked my interest. Kernels, for the most part, can change a lot of things about your device. Kernels can control Governors, overclock CPUs, adjust CPU voltages, GPU governors, and GPU overclocking just to name a few. So, let's get started.
Before we begin:
I’m not a scientist or an extreme developer, so please don’t get upset with me if I’m not describing these things accurately. I’m only giving you my feelings about what I see as an everyday Joe Schmo. I want others, who are like me and only understand simple tech knowledge, to try to comprehend some of these things. With that said, this post is “For Reference Only.”
Why change kernels?
I change kernels depending on what I’m doing or what I think works the best for me. This review ONLY addresses kernels for my STOCK ROM. If you install other ROMs, then their kernels could be tweaked very differently. Since I run MultiROM Manager on my Nexus 7, I have to install a kernel with a “Kexec Hardboot” patch. Don’t freak out. The XDA forum I’ve linked “HERE” will tell you what that means. All I know is that I need it and the forum post gives you some kernels to choose from. Out of these kernels, I chose ElementalX and Franco. I chose them because of all the great reviews they had in the XDA forums. So, with this in mind, I would suggest flashing a kernel that POPS for you. Think about a kernel that would suit your daily needs.
This is the only kernel I know of that has an aroma installer. Meaning, when you flash it, you are immediately sent to an installer where you select all the options you want. These options are pretty intense and you would have to read up on them to know what ones suit you. I mostly stuck with the preset (default) settings. However, when I was prompted to select “Sweep to Sleep” or “Double tap to wake,” I went crazy. I mean crazy in a good way. I did not know one would have these options. There are many more similar options to choose from so when you flash this kernel, you can see for yourself. Another awesome thing is if you feel like making a change to any of your options later on, you can just go into your file explorer and make the corrections in the elementalX config file. It’s really easy and the forum I have linked will tell you all about it. Performance is relatively good. Like I said earlier, I don’t normally mess with all those default settings. I’m not a big fan of overclocking and undervolting things. So, with that in mind, I see a little lag here and there. When I scroll through my apps or home screen, it just seems a little slow at times. When I play games, the performance is awesome. I don’t experience any hesitation or lagging. I guess I could tweak a few things for better idle performance. Battery life is ok. It might just be me but I feel that my battery doesn’t last that long. Once again, it’s probably a tweak I’m not addressing. Either way, the “Default” settings should be your best product. For people like me, I’m sticking with default and that should be the best mix of everything. Great Kernel! I’ll be doing a video on this kernel shortly. Check my YouTube page to find out.
This kernel comes right out of the box fully loaded. There was no aroma installer. You simply flash and enjoy. Here is the coolest part. There is a Franco Kernel App on the play store that you can download and use to control your kernel. You can even flash your kernel from there. The free version basically keeps you up to date with the latest releases. If you get the paid version, which I highly recommend, you can do all kinds of stuff on the fly. You can adjust your CPU, GPU, and I/O (input/output) scheduler. Like I said from before, I’m not one to mess with all that stuff. I just like what comes with it right out of the box. Performance is fantastic. I’ve actually used this kernel longer than the ElementalX one. I get zero hiccups and gamming is glitch free. Battery life is fantastic. I saw normal, if not, better battery life. I really love this kernel and its very maintenance friendly.
Conclusion:
I hope you enjoyed this simple review from a Joe Schmo. Out of these two kernels, I prefer Franco over ElementalX only because Franco comes preloaded with the settings I enjoy. ElementalX does have some awesome “Sweep to sleep” and “Double tap to wake” features but they can affect battery life. I also have a Poetic case with a magnetic flip lid to turn the Nexus 7 screen off when I close it and the screen turns on when I open it. Have fun with whatever you choose. Please feel free to comment or post your experiences and/or opinions. Thank you for reading my blog post. Kernels is What I do.
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