Debranded a new 635 Go phone version but no Update 2?

[miguel11691]

I thought once you debranded the phone you get all the updates that was released by Microsoft without waiting ... Right now I'm on 8.10.14234.375 but still no update 2... Has Microsoft released update publicly or is still in beta... I don't want to run the AT&T Post Version with update 2 because the phone runs ten times better Debranded....

 

[xandros9]

It's not available to other 635's for whatever reason.

ATT's postpaid model is the only one I'm aware of that officially has Update 2.

The phone isn't going to perform much differently unbranded or not you know.

 

[neodk]

I think what the OP means by performing better debranded is that it won't come with the AT&T preinstalled software applications and carrier specific programming that AT&T has inserted into this build. I remember reading someone reporting the same phenomenon but whether that translated into real world statistics or just placebo I can't say.

Hopefully someone with a debranded Lumia 635 can chime in with more evidence of improvement other than it seeming faster.

 

[rhapdog]

I have used both debranded firmware on a GoPhone and the Postpaid AT&T 635 with the AT&T firmware. I can tell you that it does "seem" faster in day to day use, but as an actual test, a soft reset takes about 1 minute 10 seconds with the AT&T firmware, and less than 30 seconds with the unbranded country variant firmware. This is on the same phone, with the same apps installed except for what AT&T installs. Even after uninstalling the AT&T bloatware to give the same list of installed apps, it has a soft reset time on the country variant that is definitely faster.

I can't guarantee it will be the same way for everyone, but that's my real world tests. I did multiple flashes on the same phone for the purpose of testing just this so that I could make a final decision on which way I wanted to go. I had the time (being retired), so I took the time to play around and see.

Other than the "soft reset" being faster, I can't give any real world proof of day to day being faster. It just "seems" that way to me. Could be placebo. I'm tempted to purchase a new back cover shell without the AT&T logo and see if the placebo makes it even faster still.

 

[neodk]

I'm intrigued. Part of me wants to go ahead and debrand the Lumia 635 but again I already have Update 2 using AT&T's firmware. The phone just works as it is and I really don't want to futz with it too much. I have my gripes with the hardware (screen, camera, 512MB RAM versus 1GB or more) but overall this device typically performs just as well as any other smartphone. Could it be better? Well, couldn't that question be applicable to just about any smartphone?

Personally I find it easier to de-bloat Windows Phone devices by signing in and activating my account and putting the device into airplane mode before anything can be updated. Then I hop into storage sense and select all the apps I don't want or need and uninstall them. Then I'm free to install to internal memory or set everything up from the beginning to install to the SD card. The sliver of satisfaction that I get clicking on AT&T apps and uninstalling them one by one is more appealing though. Coming from any Android, this should be a welcome sigh of relief.

 

[rhapdog]

If you've already gotten update 2 using AT&T's firmware, trust me on this, de-branding it will make you have to obtain that update 2 again. As a matter of fact, it will not de-brand until you roll back to standard 8.1 update, which means using Lumia Recovery Tool in the dead flash mode. A real pain.

Stick with what you've got. Once the unbranded firmware gets upgraded to Windows 10, it will be time to consider it again.