Related
I rooted today and wanted to spread the word on the benefits of rooting. If you wait till you complete your one-year-warranty you will be missing out on the cutting-edge mods, tweaks & bugfixes that are releasing now. After a year there will be a better phone (N2?) available and development for the N1 will be slow/reduced.
Since I'm new to the rooted world please feel free to provide points I missed and I'll update this list (i.e. this is a work in progress). thanks.
Pros:
Complete access to your superphone. (essentially a linux box)
USB tether, WIFI tether. (I'm posting this right now via wifi tether )
Ability to run applications that require root. (N1 torch, Trackball color, startup disable, apps2sd)
Himem kernel. (400MB RAM compared to 212 MB stock)
Option to install apps on the SD card via A2SD (apps2sd)
Ability to theme your phone, change the kernel, Replace apps with modded versions, install bugfixes yourself
Possibility to include features (FM, higher res videos, divx etc) from the Desire/legend/other phones. These will probably NEVER be officially released for the N1.
Ability to change the kernel. With Undevolting, Overclocking, AVS, CPU throttling (SetCPU) etc; you can aim for a faster speed or longer standby battery life.
Cons:
Voided Warranty (there are cases where you still get service though)
No official OTA updates. (you get them a few hours late, or months earlier )
Nice list!
I think the thing that prevents people from rooting is voiding their warranty. I honestly believe that just stops them in their tracks (along with noobs thinking they lose OTA features). If it weren't for the loss in warranty, I believe people would root in a quick second..
Pretty sure we already know.
I applaud your effort, though.
Carloswithac said:
Pretty sure we already know.
I applaud your effort, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...especially considering many of us have been fooling around with Android since the G1, and there are already numerous threads about rooting, or why to root, or the pros of rooting, or if rooting will void the warranty. Ugh. This forum is filling up with crap threads quick.
uansari1 said:
...especially considering many of us have been fooling around with Android since the G1, and there are already numerous threads about rooting, or why to root, or the pros of rooting, or if rooting will void the warranty. Ugh. This forum is filling up with crap threads quick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually applaud this thread.
I was ready to come in here all PISSED off at yet ANOTHER thread asking "like, oh m ygod, convince meeeee to root plezzzzzzzzz"
Thank you for not being that type of thread.
I will put the shotgun down now.
uansari1 said:
...especially considering many of us have been fooling around with Android since the G1, and there are already numerous threads about rooting, or why to root, or the pros of rooting, or if rooting will void the warranty. Ugh. This forum is filling up with crap threads quick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agreed... it kills me... i think users should have to get a G1 first... brick it, get a new one... learn from their mistakes, and then graduate to the Nexus One after figuring out the basics of Android... this forum is turning into the G1 junk-pile all over again
palosjr said:
agreed... it kills me... i think users should have to get a G1 first... brick it, get a new one... learn from their mistakes, and then graduate to the Nexus One after figuring out the basics of Android... this forum is turning into the G1 junk-pile all over again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or we could act in the spirit of forum participation and pass on wisdom so that the community as a whole can grow, rather than everyone starting at year 0.
A mod should just sticky this thread and maybe people will stop making new ones asking why they should root
Bump for the lazy asshats unwilling to search
liam.lah said:
Or we could act in the spirit of forum participation and pass on wisdom so that the community as a whole can grow, rather than everyone starting at year 0.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What a great thought. +1
The 2 cons are not really important for me:
-No warranty in Lebanon anyway
-Updated ROMs are uploaded by kind people here and there
Eclair~ said:
Nice list!
I think the thing that prevents people from rooting is voiding their warranty. I honestly believe that just stops them in their tracks (along with noobs thinking they lose OTA features). If it weren't for the loss in warranty, I believe people would root in a quick second..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with this, I hate the fact that it voids the warranty...*WHYYYY*
haha....
hopefully there will be a method soon where we can root without voiding the warranty
uansari1 said:
...especially considering many of us have been fooling around with Android since the G1, and there are already numerous threads about rooting, or why to root, or the pros of rooting, or if rooting will void the warranty. Ugh. This forum is filling up with crap threads quick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
palosjr said:
agreed... it kills me... i think users should have to get a G1 first... brick it, get a new one... learn from their mistakes, and then graduate to the Nexus One after figuring out the basics of Android... this forum is turning into the G1 junk-pile all over again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So funny to see these guys who registered here not too long ago spout off this nonsense. Get over yourselves. The OP was only trying to help.
Another thing missing is, most of the custom roms having problems, either some have issues with the camera or bluetooth, or stability. I would hope that would be added to the list of why not to root.
When you encourage everyone to root , you obviously understand most of your viewers are going to be noobs, who will root and install the custom OS's and get upset why doesnt the thing work as it was suppose to, unlike you guys who change custom roms every other minute as a hobby most of us beginners(rooting) might not have the patience/time in hand to do so.
ajwho said:
So funny to see these guys who registered here not too long ago spout off this nonsense. Get over yourselves. The OP was only trying to help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup posters like that are the ones who are going to transform our community into an Apple-like environment. Elitist snobs who pounce on anyone who doesn't know what they do. Case in point, take palosjr. Reminds me of a typical Apple-fanboy douche bag with that kind of response.
Get off your freaking high horses, if you don't want to help then don't respond at all.
There might also be a few people holding out for Froyo to see what it offers.
+1 for adding that custom ROMs can be buggy or unfinished as a con... though the stock ROM isn't flawless either I guess.
Warranty
britoso said:
I rooted today and wanted to spread the word on the benefits of rooting. If you wait till you complete your one-year-warranty you will be missing out on the cutting-edge mods, tweaks & bugfixes that are releasing now. After a year there will be a better phone (N2?) available and development for the N1 will be slow/reduced.
Since I'm new to the rooted world please feel free to provide points I missed and I'll update this list (i.e. this is a work in progress). thanks.
Pros:
Complete access to your superphone. (essentially a linux box)
USB tether, WIFI tether. (I'm posting this right now via wifi tether )
Ability to run applications that require root. (N1 torch, Trackball color, startup disable, apps2sd)
Himem kernel. (400MB RAM compared to 212 MB stock)
Option to install apps on the SD card via A2SD (apps2sd)
Ability to theme your phone, change the kernel, Replace apps with modded versions, install bugfixes yourself
Possibility to include features (FM, higher res videos, divx etc) from the Desire/legend/other phones. These will probably NEVER be officially released for the N1.
Cons:
Voided Warranty (there are cases where you still get service though)
No official OTA updates. (you get them a few hours late, or months earlier )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nexus One is the first phone I've owned could not be flashed back to factory stock state after rooting. My HTC Magic could be flashed back to out-of-the-box state in 5 minutes. My Acer Liquid can be returned to 100% stock in 5 minutes. But the Nexus One? It's got that white padlock at the bottom of the screen indicating you're on your own. That does make one stop and think for moment.
But only a moment.
I waited a week before unlocking the bootloader. That was to give the phone time to fail if it was going to. My experience with hardware is that it either fails quickly....or not. In my case, not.
CM v5.0.6 is not to be missed.
linuxluver said:
Nexus One is the first phone I've owned could not be flashed back to factory stock state after rooting. My HTC Magic could be flashed back to out-of-the-box state in 5 minutes. My Acer Liquid can be returned to 100% stock in 5 minutes. But the Nexus One? It's got that white padlock at the bottom of the screen indicating you're on your own. That does make one stop and think for moment.
But only a moment.
I waited a week before unlocking the bootloader. That was to give the phone time to fail if it was going to. My experience with hardware is that it either fails quickly....or not. In my case, not.
CM v5.0.6 is not to be missed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hah I did the same, only waited a week then I rooted. I got the Nexus One about two weeks ago and love it!
I think some other PROS would be better battery life and OC ability with kernels and ROMse. Using IntersecRaven's kernel I get about 15 extra hours and I am a moderate to heavy user after the 24/7 heavy usage when I got my phone initially.
Plus the car dock is awesome--personal PRO for me
Wow so much hate for someone who's trying to help the community. Chill out ppl.
PrawnPoBoy said:
+1 for adding that custom ROMs can be buggy or unfinished as a con... though the stock ROM isn't flawless either I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Technically, rooting is completely separate from installing a custom ROM, so the buggyness of ROMs installed AFTER rooting (if you choose to do so) can't be counted as a con, since you can root and not install any custom ROM.
Hey guys, I have been using smart phones for a while and usually get around great without rooting. I had the HTC Dream back in the day and couldnt use it without rooting, lol. I am upgrading from the G1 which has met the end of the road for me. What are the benefits of rooting? With the Vibrant which I will finally have on Tuesday, is it necessary? And if it is HIGHLY recommended, how do I go about rooting it?
i would say root it cause its really easy takes not even 5 minutes seriously lol but i would also root it cause there is lots of bloatware on this thing so many apps that arent needed
I am not generally a rooter but this one seemed so easy (and it is) that I did it.
I didn't root the phone to dig into the files, I did it just so I could install stuff that I couldn't otherwise install. It bugged me to see a cool app and then read "YOU MUST HAVE ROOT ACCESS". That's not a problem anymore.
You certainly don't lose anything by rooting so I would say go for it.
Any other disadvantages/advantages
really there are no disadvantages accept maybe warranty but i think theres a way to unroot so no probs but once everything starts picking up there will be way more advantages than disadvantages
Besides the fact of removing awful apps (Bloatware), you can use your phone to tether. Also you can use an app called SetCPU to overclock your processor to actaully use your 1GHZ processor which speeds your phone up, along with a ton of other root apps. Youll be able to flash custom ROMS, flash themes, etc. Not sure if there is a volume hack for the vibrant yet, but that has been a reason for past rooted phones as well.
I highly recommend it...
AdFree Android removes nearly all ads from websites and apps
reasons to root
1. Use apps that require root access (such as Titanium Backup and Drocap2)
2. Remove preloaded bloatware (who needs TeleNav when Google Maps Navigation is totally free?)
3. Full access to filesystem (useful for developers and general tinkerers)
reasons not to root
1. Always involves some risk (however small) of irreversibly damaging your device
2. Could void warranty or official support
3. Makes it easier for you to accidentally mess up your system.
I only rooted my mytouch and g1 phones so i can get apps2sd, wi-tethering, and overclockcpu.
however, since the upcoming froyo update will allow most of that, i chose not to root for the time being. the phone is very fast and stable for my current needs and has an ample amount of internal memory. the only other reason to root for me would be to flash roms/themes because of my dislike for Samsung's TouchWiz.
it depends on what you ultimately want to get out of your phone.
ryan562 said:
I only rooted my mytouch and g1 phones so i can get apps2sd, wi-tethering, and overclockcpu.
however, since the upcoming froyo update will allow most of that, i chose not to root for the time being. the phone is very fast and stable for my current needs and has an ample amount of internal memory. the only other reason to root for me would be to flash roms/themes because of my dislike for Samsung's TouchWiz.
it depends on what you ultimately want to get out of your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same for me i had the g1 loved to root however i switched to unlocked iphone and now im back with the vibrant , the vibrant does everything i want now and the ease of the rooting might have me root if froyo is delayed by Tmobile or something.
Understood, also from reading I dont think there is a way to unroot the phone at all is it? And another ? since you all are being so helpful, is there already an app to at least see what speed your processor is running at. i know that task managers arent really needed, but some of them showed ur cpu speed as well as the load on it. is that something that anyone had an interest in and found. thanks for all of you all's help
Hmm, still debating on rooting. Waiting for my Froyo update. Plus I want to port my Harley-Davidson theme I made for my G1 to Vibrant. Hopefully they don't use those CRAMS files on Vibrant, cause that is when I had to stop themeing my G1. CRAMS was too difficult to mess with. Is the signing file method gonna be the same as G1, or is there a different testsign file? Plus I hope to see my stock file, plus a thinned down, less bloatware file, and themeing templates. So many factors to consider.
I say ROOT! I've never rooted a phone till this one. I just couldn't stand all the bloatware that was in this phone. They just had to be removed. Now all I'm waiting for are some sick ass ROMs I've seen done for other devices to hit this one. I'm sure I'll need help doing so, but this community has been fantastic when help is needed.
Plus side for me is that I also have a 3 week old New still in the box Nexus One as a backup phone in case I screw this one up.
I rooted mine because people kept saying you could tether, but none of the tethering apps actually WORK. They install fine, and Wireless-Tethering says it's working, but the access point never shows up. And Wired-Tethering says the kernel isn't compatible.
So I'd like to hear from any rooted users who actually got them working AND successfully tethered a laptop with it.
talltexan said:
Same for me i had the g1 loved to root however i switched to unlocked iphone and now im back with the vibrant , the vibrant does everything i want now and the ease of the rooting might have me root if froyo is delayed by Tmobile or something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if there's any delay on the froyo update, i'd blame it on samsung
I was hoping not to have to root the phone so soon - especially until I could reset it back and a recover like Amon's is available, but after a glorious couple of days of honeymoon, the lags are just killing the experience for me. And I don't think I have a choice now, but to root. I'll try a general reset and see if it works. I have another Vibrant that seems to be only slightly laggy. But I have to return that one and keep the problematic one :-(
Even moving icons on the desktop now takes almost 2 second. Linpack still clocks at 8.5. No problem at all playing a video - just OS operations. The camera froze for 5 minutes and I finally had to just restart the phone. Restarting the phone is not painful on this device though. Very fast.
At this time so early in Vibrant development.. it honestly doesn't really make much of a difference if you root early or root later. Just enjoy the phone for what it is as of right now until the modding community becomes settled in. Just be aware if there are any incoming OTAs if you are unrooted to make sure that the OTA didn't do anything that would change the rooting process.
- Recovery (ability to flash custom ROMs) is in the making
- Custom ROM developers -- in the makes soon
So here's the question. Should I go ahead and invest on a Vibrant (but work for it will begin when I get the Slide done) cont... about 7 hours ago via HTC Peep
If I keep getting the donations I am now, I can get the laptop along with the Vibrant, just considering the Vibrant first ...cont about 7 hours ago via HTC Peep -WesGarner
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would personally go ahead and root it to unlock some essential applications and it takes <1 minute to do and its pretty simple. But there isn't any rush to root it now or later.. not at least CyanogenMod6 (Android 2.2) gets released for this beastly phone to have JIT.
nm found it
N8QDogg said:
Understood, also from reading I dont think there is a way to unroot the phone at all is it? And another ? since you all are being so helpful, is there already an app to at least see what speed your processor is running at. i know that task managers arent really needed, but some of them showed ur cpu speed as well as the load on it. is that something that anyone had an interest in and found. thanks for all of you all's help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With the root method given so far, I think the only thing you have to do to unroot it is to remove Superuser Permissions. That's the only thing that the root procedure added to the phone.
I'm rooting my phone when I get it, just because to me (at least) it is a part of the true android experience. I'm just geek enough to like to play with my equipment! Hurry up T-Mobile!!!
I know most people are gonna tell me I should root my phone, but just hear me out really quickly...
I just got my Samsung Vibrant and I truly love the phone. It's a huge upgrade from my G1 in pretty much every way I can think of. I had my G1 rooted since like the second week I had it. I started off with JesusFreke's ROMs and then made my way to Cyanogen's ROMs with a few others that I tried here and there. I tried a bunch of different themes and I used quite a few root apps. I know my way around the rooted Android scene (or at least the rooted G1 scene) pretty well, but I'm not entirely sure if I want to root my Vibrant and here's why:
I'm afraid of voiding my warranty.
There's not really anything that I want to do with the phone that it can't already do (for example, it has plenty of space for apps without the need for A2SD).
I don't want to risk losing things like my text messages over and over again from switching to different ROMs (this happened to me quite a bit with my G1).
My G1's battery and overall performance were much much worse than my friends' G1s which were not rooted. I don't want this happening with my Vibrant.
Some people will think that these reasons are either unimportant or nonexistent, but I disagree. Again, before people start saying "these are the risks of rooting, deal with it or leave," I want to stress that I'm not a newbie at this.
Anyway, the main reason that I DO want to root the phone, regardless of the fact that I told myself I wouldn't, is because of all this junkware that T-Mobile preinstalled the phone. I didn't know the phone came with this crap (like GoGo, TeleNav GPS, Slacker, etc.). We all know that you can't remove this stuff without rooting...I've counted 11 apps that I want to remove from the phone because they're effectively advertisements and I don't want them. So before I make a decision, I'd like to ask some questions...
Would you root the phone if you were ME?
Is it possible to root the Vibrant, remove the apps, and then unroot it, thus leaving the apps gone?
If not ^^, then is it possible to root the Vibrant and keep the stock ROM? I really don't want any custom ROMs...I just want to remove the junkware.
I'm sorry if similar questions have been asked before, but I feel like my specific needs and concerns probably aren't shared by most of the XDA community so I created my own post...
Thanks,
Gerard
actually I think what most are going to say is search the forum... There are several threads on the topic.
You don't have to add any roms if you're rooted. Yes you can remove the bloatware with root. Yes its easy to take your phone out of root, but with the bloatware missing its not hard to see that you have had root at one point.
I actually did root my phone just to remove the junkware....and then used titanium backup to remove what I didn't want....it took me 3 mins to root compared to the 15 mins it took for my nexus....i say its worth it....you can't even tell its rooted so I'm pretty sure the warehouse will never catch it if a exchange is ever needed.....you ll personally make up ur mind as soon as u see the cyanogen 2.2 rom come out hopefully that will be soon....I SAY GO FOR IT
Sent from my Samsung™ Vibrant using XDA App
I'm not bothering to root while I can still return the phone (1st 30 days) and not all the HW issues are know. Once a decent custom ROM is available I'll start looking into rooting, customer recovery, etc. The only thing I'm missing a bit from not being rooted is my Wifi tethering...
Thanks for the replies, guys (and/or girl(s) it looks like lol). I'm glad I wasn't destroyed by people telling me to search the forums...
I'll probably end up doing root sooner or later with very few modifications (if any). I'll wait it out a bit, though. My questions have been answered.
Thanks again!
Gerard
I know this topic must have been beaten to a bloody death, but as a former G1/Cyanogenmod user, I'm starting to debate whether or not I should root my G2. My G1 always gave me problems when I was running Cyanogenmod. This is likely due to the now low-end specs of the device, but I have grown wary of custom roms, regardless. I can't help but worry that my device may become unstable or slow like my G1, and that I might have difficulty restoring to factory state if I need to take advantage of my warranty.
One of the primary reasons I wanted a rooted device was to be able to effectively tether. Now that my G2 has this built in, there's one less point for rooting. I don't much ever plan of going out of the country, so I have no need for a SuperCID. I don't yet see any cool toys for G2 root users, like a USB host-enabled driver. Also, my main reason for rooting my G1, apps on the SD card, is now built-in, no partitioning required.
This isn't to say that I don't appreciate all the hard work that's gone in to making this option available. I just don't know how it can apply to me.
So tell me, why do you root, what do you geek out with using root, and what do you most often use your root for?
The simple answer is don't root then. I have rooted and flashed the hell out of every android device I've ever owned, until this one, and to be honest I wouldn't mind having just having root on this, which has now gone since the latest ota, but other than that, I have no intention of flashing anything on it as it seems to be just fine for my use. The root access I want for apps like shoot me and clock sync that I use regularly now. It would be nice to have a phone and just use it, rather than spending all my time setting it back up after each new Rom I've tried on a weekly basis. So, unless you need to, don't.
So cool posts here. I have to agree. I used to geek and tweak and check out ROMs on my TP2, too. I always ended up stock WM6.1(!) because that worked best. Now coming to Android and the DZ I am just shocked how badly this RULEZ. I don't feel like tweaking anything. I wouldn't fear losing warranty, I just don't wanna root yet. Well, I miss my front cam and the qwerty keys could be bigger )
Sent from my HTC Desire Z using XDA App
root/S-OFF is useful for me right now so that I can do a nandroid backup of my phone from time to time (via Recovery Manager/Clockwork). I am very happy with my stock ROM (HTC 1.34), which is a big change from my previous WinMo Touch Pro 2, where the stock ROM sucked big time.
If you don't feel like you need root, then don't do it, simple as that !
Still havent rooted and I seem to be happy with the stock rom of the Desire Z. Still waiting it out but I do miss some of the other apps that require rooting.
I eventually will root my device and get over the fear of bricking my unit. Are there any official updates happening?
Sent from my GT-P1000 using XDA App
kuplet said:
I eventually will root my device and get over the fear of bricking my unit. Are there any official updates happening?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a 1.72 OTA update for the Desire Z which is being pushed out. I don't know exactly where you are in the world, but this has certainly been rolled out in Europe. However, be careful, because right now rooting that updated ROM is not possible, and unless you have full radio S-OFF via gfree beforehand, you can't downgrade either once you put it on.
The "RELEASE" versions of Cyanogen have been stable as hell. Running CM 6.1.1 now. So if that's the reason why you're not doing it, take my anecdote for what it's worth.
If you don't want to root or use any of the custom ROMs then don't do it. It's your decision, not ours.
One of my biggest reasons for rooting is SetCPU. Right now, I can get my phone to last about a day and a half with minimal to moderate use. Days of heavy use it'll last at least 12hrs.
I also like having access to the system files in case I feel like messing with them.
Besides, rooting doesn't mean you have to flash a custom ROM. You can have a rooted phone with a stock ROM.
Hi, I just got my g2 from the free promotion thingy and im pretty much new to andriod. Should I stay on stock froyo or use cyanogen? And what are the advantages and disadvantages?
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
I would root it. There are tons of things that are advantages, such taking some of the crapware that comes bundled on the phone, ability to put themes on your phone, and you get added features with cyanogenmod and other roms out there. The features you can check out for yourself, which can be found on changelogs, YouTube videos, forum post, etc. Spend some time, read that roms' forum thread and learn a few things along the way.
Sent from my HTC Vision
It can be a tough decision.
First of all I am coming from a g1 that was running the latest stable cyanogenmod so the G2 has been an amazing phone stock. It is super fast and the display is seriously amazing. I did root it because I wanted to check out the cm7 nightlies and also the stable cm6.1.1.
First of all I actually like some of the apps that came pre-installed on the g2. Quickoffice is amazing and an excellent ppt, pdf, doc viewer. I did miss that on cyanogen and I also preferred the stock 2.2 scheme and app drawer. However these are the main differences. Everything else is very similar just with added functionality. You can manipulate every aspect of the UI including the power widget on the notification bar (my personal favorite). You can also overclock your cpu to squeeze some more performance out (up to 1.8ghz but I hear 1.4 is safer). You can also use your current data plan for tethering instead of having to pay extra.
But all in all if you don't require or need this functionality, just stay stock. The stock experience is excellent. I come from the G1 culture where we rooted just so we could stay relevant and get some decent speed on our long forgotten phones. That was the only reason I rooted before and quite possibly the only reason I'll root in the future.
I went back to stock to get my quick office back and I really don't mind the loss of functionality (for now) however I do miss the cool radio tuner.
Quickoffice is in CyanogenMod...
Anyway, root your phone and flash CyanogenMod. The stock experience is great and all but so many things just work better with CyanogenMod.
When you root, you obtain so many more capabilities. How would you like to remove every single advertisement you see? Well you can't do it unless you root.
There are so many more things but I just can't get into it. You'll sit here all day reading my post. Just take me word for it and root. You won't go wrong but READ READ READ all instructions and understand them before you do anything.
Yes, it is risky but only if you're stupid and/or rushing. Make sure you have the correct files and always make a backup. I keep them in a special place on me computer. I still have my stock backed up for if I ever have a problem.
It's a fun thing to get into. You learn a lot and will continue to learn. If you don't find out something new everyday with your G2, there's really no reason to have it, IMHO...
Sent from me CM7 Nightly HTC Vision using XDA App that needs a thanks button implemented
Cyanogen is stock 2.3.2 with tons of extra features and extremely stable. Stock is 2.2.1 with a ton of bloat and no extra features. Seems like a no-brainer to me.
Root and flash cyanogen mod, awesome decision.
I am coming from a rooted G1 and I got my G2 from the free promotion and I rooted because I can't do without it. Once you have root, you won't ever want to go back. I rooted my G2 in the first 30 minutes that it was out of the box. Only down side that I can think of is that you can't have an inteligent conversation with a service rep. xD
You can get root and stay on the stock software/ROM but I don't recemend it, the whole Android experiance changes the moment you install a custom ROM.
The manufacturer and carrier has locked the phone down so much that they basically own the phone, they locked down the potential of the device so much that once you have root you'll be amazed about how much stuff you can now do on it.
YOU bought the phone, its YOURS, NOT the carrier's, NOT the manufacturer's but YOURS, why not make it so?
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
I would also recommend that you check out some of the Desire Z/Sense ports (I'm using Virtuous). They're quite clean in terms of bloatware, but you get alot of extras, such as a superior camera/music player app, plugins (Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, etc), and more. You can still use ADW Launcher or Launcher Pro for your homescreen/app drawer.
root. install cyanogen. Obtain FM Radio = win
btate0121 said:
root. install cyanogen. Obtain FM Radio = win
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got mine last Friday and I rooted just to get rid of the bloatware and for overclock.
The FM radio is a bonus... that's sweet.
Does rooting still void the warranty?
I waited until my warranty had run out with my G1 before I rooted it. Just afraid the phone'll break or so and I wont have any options.
metamet said:
Does rooting still void the warranty?
I waited until my warranty had run out with my G1 before I rooted it. Just afraid the phone'll break or so and I wont have any options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Technically, yes. However, it's pretty easy to flash a stock ROM back on if you break something.
I preordered my G2 after a long, rooted 2 years on the G1. When I first got the G2, I said I wouldn't root because it didn't need it. My G2 did everything the G1 did but much, much faster. Then I got tired of not having full control of my phone. I had apps I would never use running in the background plus numerous other things that I just had no control over. Then, the brilliant developers found root and I haven't looked back.
I have a lot of people with unrooted android devices around me and they are always blown away by what I can do with my G2. For me, rooting turned my smartPHONE into tiny PC that does calls.
I have a guy I work with who just picked up the new nexus. He was showing it to me and commented on the GB light when you hit the bottom of a page. Well he griped that he wanted the overscroll bounce back. I then showed him that with root and cyan, you can have both. He wasn't ammused as he is afraid to root.
I say read up on everything that is involved with rooting and flashing custom bits. When you feel comfy with it. Unlock that bish and make that G2 your own.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App