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Hi people,
I am a noob as far as Android goes, but I am pretty good at PC stuff. I run a 3D CAD department and I've been the "unofficial" tech guy at every job I've had in the last 10 years.
That being said, I just got the HTC Hero from Sprint last weekend, Android 2.1, update 1. I have always wanted to play with Linux but have never really had the time. So, this is my first encounter with Android or Linux.
So ..... , as much as I'd love to root the phone, I'm afraid to brick it. Is there any way to get rid of all the bloatware without rooting my phone? Also, what are the chances of bricking the phone? I've read a couple "how to root" articles on the net and it doesn't seem like it would be that hard, but I LOVE this phone so far (other than battery life) and I honestly can't afford to go buy a new one at full price if I end up killing my phone.
Another question; I've seen a few people in other posts who have the HTC Hero and say they're running 2.2. How is this done? Is this something else that I would need to root the phone to accomplish?
Also, I just ordered an 8GB microSD card. My laptop has a card slot, so I'm figuring I can put the new card in the slot, connect my phone via USB, and copy everything on the phone to the new 8GB card, then just swapping the cards.
Am I correct thinking this should be as simple as it sounds, or is there more involved?
I appreciate you taking the time to read my post, and I look forward to reading/posting here on a regular basis.
Thanks,
Eric Mortenson
Hey, welcome to XDA!
It is VERY HARD to brick this phone, so don't worry....about the only way we've seen that is by flashing a GSM radio to it, so just don't do that and you'll be fine trying anything else.
There are a couple rooting methods here, and there won't be any problems at all as long as you follow the instructions. It's not as daunting as it may first seem. You do have to root to get rid of bloatware, it can't be done without rooting. I recommend this guide: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=694572 although there are 'one-click' and 'universal' methods out there too.
The ones running Android 2.2 are doing it through a custom ROM called Cyanogenmod. Check out the Development section to find it. It doesn't have the HTC Sense UI though, so it will look and feel different than your stock 2.1. But lots of people here are using it and loving it. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=755795
And yes, you should just be able to swap out the SD cards with no problems.
chromiumleaf
Thanks for the quick and helpful reply. It is greatly appreciated.
I think I am going to try to root my phone. Pre-installed "bloatware" on PCs is one of my biggest pet peeves. So, the biggest reason I have right now for rooting my phone is to get rid of the stuff I don't want/need/use.
I will probably leave the 2.1 on the phone because I love the phone so far and if as you say, it will look and feel different. Maybe I'll keep digging through the site and change my mind later. Thanks for the "heads up".
Please do me one favor, and I hate to sound ignorant (I did say earlier I was new at this), but what does "flashing a GSM radio to it" mean, and is it something I could do my mistake?
Sorry, tried doing a search so I wouldn't have to bother you but I'm just not sure.
Thanks again.
Eric
Eric_1966_FXE said:
...what does "flashing a GSM radio to it" mean, and is it something I could do my mistake?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To "flash" some code means to burn it into your phone's read-only memory. A number of things can be flashed to your phone's memory, including the radio operating code, high-level operating system code, and "kernel" (system "core") code.
What the poster meant by "flashing a GSM radio" is "downloading the code that operates the phone's radio". Our Sprint Hero phones have what is called CDMA radio hardware, while European Hero phones have GSM radio hardware. The two different radios are not compatible with each other's operating code. So if you ever download ("flash") the wrong radio code (GSM code) into your CDMA phone, that will render your radio inoperative, which will effectively brick your phone.
With that in mind, just read carefully any information relating to any system code you're considering flashing to your phone, and make SURE it's for a CDMA phone, and you'll be fine.
I loved sense and was all against even trying an aosp rom( vanilla/ stock android), but once I flashed CM6 and found beautiful widgets and launcher pro plus and dialer one I haven't looked back. The speed of my phone and the overall appearance is far better than Sense UI. Rooting the 2.1 is far easier than it was when I got mine. You had to download and type in a whole bunch of crap, now its as easy as installing an app and running it.
Thanks
Thank you to all three of you for your quick (and more importantly useful) answers.
You guys are awesome.
Go for it
I have 4 Hero's here at my home on a family plan,and mine is the only one running CM6-RC1 and they are all jealous. Every one that has a Hero at work or a different Android running 2.1 that has seen mine including a few Evo users loves the way mine looks and how fast it is. I thought in the beginning I wouldn't want to loose Sense and feared I would brick my phone as well,but these guys here are great and are a very supportive Hero community and walked me through the process. It is a lot easier now with the universal 1 click method than before,so that was what I did. The nice thing is if you do everything correctly,you can revert right back to you stock phone if you ever have to take it in for service.
Taking your time and researching all of this pretty good before deciding what to do is a good thing,but I can honestly say, there is so much more you can do once you unlock your phone than just downloading apps and bloat ware...you can actually make it work and do what you want it to do.
The chiefs here at XDA are working hard to bring us stable working Roms for everyday use,and I tip my hat to all of them and I certainly am loving how my Hero is now compared to what it was when it was stock.The RC-1 build I am running is awesome and (knock wood) haven't crashed 1x with it where I needed to do anything nor have I had any shutdowns or unexpected forced closed programs that were installed correctly.
So I say... Don't be afraid and just go for it.. you can still have it similar to what it is now,or you can see what aosp is all about like many here have and try it.That's the beauty of Rooting...YOU have the choice of what is on your phone..not someone else.
Good Luck
Mac
Thanks Mac
And Thank you to all who responded.
Like I said in my intro, I am a tech geek when it comes to PCs but this is my first venture into this kind of forum.
You have all been extremely helpful and have made me feel welcome.
I only hope that I can return the favor at some point to others on XDA.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend.
Thanks again,
Eric
I tried to read the sticky notes and guides about "How to root a phone" or "How to install new ROM"...
But I could not find answer to some real basic questions like:
What are the differences between CM6.1, FR007 and R012? What are their andvantages and disadvantages compaired to each other?
Are there any regional or other limitations? (Expl: I can not use R012 in Europe)
What is the difference between rooting, liberating and unlocking a phone?
If my phone is provider independent do I have to root, liberate or unlock if I want to update the ROM? Do I need to do all of them or just some?
Most likely these are pretty obvious for most of you so please dont shoot me...
Thanks for the answers in advance...
CMage said:
I tried to read the sticky notes and guides about "How to root a phone" or "How to install new ROM"...
But I could not find answer to some real basic questions like:
What are the differences between CM6.1, FR007 and R012? What are their andvantages and disadvantages compaired to each other?
Are there any regional or other limitations? (Expl: I can not use R012 in Europe)
What is the difference between rooting, liberating and unlocking a phone?
If my phone is provider independent do I have to root, liberate or unlock if I want to update the ROM? Do I need to do all of them or just some?
Most likely these are pretty obvious for most of you so please dont shoot me...
Thanks for the answers in advance...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Questions like these need to be asked in the General section. These are not Development related questions.
Yeah, but all of the threads related to his questions are in this forum, so I can see why he'd post them here.
To be honest, I'll be interested in the replies as well. I chose to go with CM6.1 because everyone said it was the most customizeable of the ROMs and that was what interested me. However, my battery life seems to be about half of what it was on the stock ROM and I'm not sure what's causing that. For instance, I charged my phone before I left for work last night, it was 100%, six hours later when I pulled it out for the first time, it was 79%. That seems like way too much drain for a sleeping device.
So I'm definitely open to switching to one of the other ROMs if there's good info supplied in this thread.
Actually... The difference between cm6 and liberated is the sense UI. Rooting your phone means unlocking it to be able to do things you couldn't do with a stock rom. Which means you can flash another rom to it after Rooting.
Liberating is not the correct term. The FR00x Roms are code named LIBERATED.
I can't understand the problem in differentiating these things... The forums have been very informative. I rooted and flashed my Liberty/Aria twice the second day I had it. To each his own though...
tomtommy306 said:
Actually... The difference between cm6 and liberated is the sense UI.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While this is arguably the most visible difference between CM6 and the Liberated ROMs, it isn't the only difference. CM6 offers significantly (at least IMHO) more features and customization capability than the Liberated ROMs, at the cost of what some feel is a nicer look, and some HTC proprietary features.
I have run quite a few iterations of the 2.1 Liberated ROMs, quite a few of the various CM6 ROMs (nightlies etc.), and one of the early Liberated 2.2 ROMs for a couple days. Personally after switching to CM6, the lack of custom options in the HTC based ROMs is no longer acceptable for me (thus my very short stay on Liberated 2.2). However, I like tinkering with my device, so CM6 fits my wants more than the Liberated series. Others certainly may not find the same thing.
As far as battery life goes, from my experience the ROM is less of a factor than usage patterns, to include location/cell signal strength issues. I have a fairly inconsistent usage pattern, due to varying demands on my time at my job. Sometimes I have lots of time to play with my phone, other times it sits in my pocket untouched all day, or somewhere in between these extremes. I also work in varying locations, some with better service than others. To try to monitor signal strength more accurately I run my signal strength indicator in db rather than bars (an option in CM6). Maybe it is because of my strange usage patterns, but I haven't seen any significant difference in battery life between any of the ROMs I have used. A couple of examples of my experience below:
1) work location 1, signal strength -65 to -80 db typical, 3g radio on all day, about 5% per hour battery drain with minimal browsing/no phone calls/minimal messaging.
2) work location 2, signal strength -70 to -90 typical, same usage as above with 3g radio on gets me about 10% drain per hour. switch to 2g only radio, back to 5% per hour or so. No clue why there is such a difference in battery drain with fairly minimal difference in signal strength (unless maybe it's reading strength of 2g svc, and 3g is coming from a weaker more distant location??)
3) recently attended a meeting in a concrete building - entered building at 8 am with 87% battery remaining, 2g only radio on. signal strength in building -105 to -110 db (basically no signal). break from meeting at 10 am - battery now at 51%. Checked battery usage stats - cell standby used 70 something % (can't remember exact number, but way high). Sent message to my wife to call me on my work cell phone (dumb vzw phone with battery that lasts all week) and put Aria in airplane mode. battery drain from 10am to leaving meeting at 5pm was a total of 3% (48% battery left when leaving)
While I didn't really give Liberated 2.2 a chance to really stabilize, I have run Liberated 2.1 and CM6 both long enough that I feel the battery performance on each are comparable.
Sorry for so much info in a thread not really aimed at battery life specifically....
DD
Explained, hopefully
CMage said:
I tried to read the sticky notes and guides about "How to root a phone" or "How to install new ROM"...
But I could not find answer to some real basic questions like:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with all you've said, it is confusing and one needs to read a lot to understand it all. While that is time consuming, it's not a bad thing because by reading lots, we learn a lot. Answers to your questions below following the word ANSWER.
What are the differences between CM6.1, FR007 and R012? What are their andvantages and disadvantages compaired to each other?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ANSWER: CM is simply someones verison of a new ROM, could have different kernel, features, included tools, etc. I don't use it but believe it's based on the Android 2.2 Operating System. FR007 is the latest version of the "Liberated" ROM (Liberated simply means it was liberated-freed from the constraints of AT&T, i.e., rooted to allow mods), but has Android version 2.2 as its Operating System. R012 is another modified verison of the basic ARIA ROM, but is based on Android version 2.1 Operating System. Both of the last two were built by ATTN1.
Are there any regional or other limitations? (Expl: I can not use R012 in Europe).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ANSWER: You can use them in Europe; no radio code changes, no h/w changes are made.
What is the difference between rooting, liberating and unlocking a phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ANSWER: Rooting is simply "fixing" the phone so you can modify the Operating System and add new non-Market applications. AT&T releases the phone to not allow changes to be made...they don't want the hassle of people calling their tech support group. Doesn't mean we can't do it, hence this FORUM.
Liberating is not really an activity you can do; it's simply the name ATTN1 decided to call his version of his new ROM...he "liberated" it from the constraints of AT&T. Unlocking is something you need to do if a phone is locked, which some carriers do. I didn't have to do it with the ARIA, perhaps the Clockwork mod does that; I simply don't know. On one of my older HTC Microsoft based Smartphones I had to unlock it to modify the ROM.
If my phone is provider independent do I have to root, liberate or unlock if I want to update the ROM? Do I need to do all of them or just some?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ANSWER: to update the ROM you need to ROOT it. Read the Sticky for ROOTING, use the one that describes building a CD ROM that runs UNIX on your PC and does the whole ROOT thing for you. Very simple to build the CD and ROOT your phone. Just follow the directions.
Nice of "cease" to take the time to give a good detailed answer!
I will just add a couple of things...
If your phone is carrier locked and you want to use it on a different carrier you will have to unlock it. This is not done by any software change, it has to be done by an unlocking service or the original carrier.
If you want to make any changes to your phone you pretty much have to root it. This will give you the choice of either adding a different ROM or making other changes. If you are like me and want to keep the stock ROM for whatever reason, you can get rid of the AT&T bloatware, install non-market apps and other stuff by various methods found throughout this forum. Installing a new ROM is an easy method to achieve these same things, but I like to figure stuff out for myself first (I just got my Aria a few days ago).
Cheers.
Cease, thanks a lot for the detailed answer. I really appreciate...
CMage said:
Cease, thanks a lot for the detailed answer. I really appreciate...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're very welcome; glad I could help.
Why unlock
ckuke4 said:
Nice of "cease" to take the time to give a good detailed answer!
I will just add a couple of things...
If your phone is carrier locked and you want to use it on a different carrier you will have to unlock it. This is not done by any software change, it has to be done by an unlocking service or the original carrier.
If you want to make any changes to your phone you pretty much have to root it. This will give you the choice of either adding a different ROM or making other changes. If you are like me and want to keep the stock ROM for whatever reason, you can get rid of the AT&T bloatware, install non-market apps and other stuff by various methods found throughout this forum. Installing a new ROM is an easy method to achieve these same things, but I like to figure stuff out for myself first (I just got my Aria a few days ago).
Cheers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for this; I didn't know why unlocking was ever needed. But this now makes sense given my first HTC Windows Mobile phone was purchased from a UK company (not AT&T) necessitating me to UNLOCK first before I could use it on AT&T with my AT&T SIM card.
One of the main differences is that HTC Sync is available only on Liberated yet not on CM. I like CM better yet because of that I am with Liberated F006
If you need sync with MS Outlook - Liberated is the only choice.
cease said:
ANSWER: Rooting is simply "fixing" the phone so you can modify the Operating System and add new non-Market applications. AT&T releases the phone to not allow changes to be made...they don't want the hassle of people calling their tech support group. Doesn't mean we can't do it, hence this FORUM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the good info.. My wife and I really like our Arias and are actually pretty happy with the stock setup. As I understand it, if I just root the phone, I'll still have my regular stock-looking setup but, I'll be able to get rid of AT&T's built-in apps and install whatever other apps I want, correct? (I've already sideloaded a few things, but it would be nice to just be able to install what I want..)
ShinerDraft said:
Thanks for the good info.. My wife and I really like our Arias and are actually pretty happy with the stock setup. As I understand it, if I just root the phone, I'll still have my regular stock-looking setup but, I'll be able to get rid of AT&T's built-in apps and install whatever other apps I want, correct? (I've already sideloaded a few things, but it would be nice to just be able to install what I want..)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting a standard setup does not automatically give you the ability to load third party apps as AT&T has removed that option in Settings altogether. You will still have to sideload third party apps. Also rooting will allow you to remove AT&T built-in apps, just be sure you read and understand the process and procedures thoroughly.
Ok, but the three ROM's mentioned in this thread will allow me to do those things? That's not a problem, I'm just trying to get up to speed on the terminology and steps required.. I don't want to do or change too much too quickly..
cease said:
ANSWER: CM is simply someones verison of a new ROM, could have different kernel, features, included tools, etc. I don't use it but believe it's based on the Android 2.2 Operating System. FR007 is the latest version of the "Liberated" ROM (Liberated simply means it was liberated-freed from the constraints of AT&T, i.e., rooted to allow mods), but has Android version 2.2 as its Operating System. R012 is another modified verison of the basic ARIA ROM, but is based on Android version 2.1 Operating System. Both of the last two were built by ATTN1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So of the three ROM's in the thread title, it seems like R012 would be the closest to our current, stock setup; FR008 (update to FR007) would be be similar, but add stuff from Android 2.2; CM would be even more different since it doesn't use the Sense interface.. Right?
I don't mind experimenting with ROMs that are different than stock, but I don't want to make any drastic changes to the wife's phone. (Marital tech support can be a pain..)
ShinerDraft said:
So of the three ROM's in the thread title, it seems like R012 would be the closest to our current, stock setup; FR008 (update to FR007) would be be similar, but add stuff from Android 2.2; CM would be even more different since it doesn't use the Sense interface.. Right?
I don't mind experimenting with ROMs that are different than stock, but I don't want to make any drastic changes to the wife's phone. (Marital tech support can be a pain..)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sums up the three main ROMs pretty well, I'd say. If you look in the Aria Superthread you will see an organized list of the modifications you can make and step-by-step instructions for each modification.
The key thing to remember about playing with the different ROMs is that before you start installing anything, you need to make a nandroid back-up. This is a feature in ClockworkMod Recovery that is installed when you root the Aria. The beautiful thing about a nandroid back-up is that later, at any point and for any reason, you can always return your Aria back to the exact state it was in when you made that back-up. In other words, you can go right back to the basic Android 2.1 with HTC Sense that came on your Aria when you first bought it. Knowing that made it much easier for me, personally, to go ahead and start playing with my Aria. I'm very glad that I did!
Thanks for the great info! This place is pretty high-level, so basics like this are very much appreciated by folks who need to play catch-up..
911jason said:
However, my battery life seems to be about half of what it was on the stock ROM and I'm not sure what's causing that. For instance, I charged my phone before I left for work last night, it was 100%, six hours later when I pulled it out for the first time, it was 79%. That seems like way too much drain for a sleeping device.
So I'm definitely open to switching to one of the other ROMs if there's good info supplied in this thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you get on FR008? Battery life is always one of my main concerns. I know R012 has great battery life.
I haven't personally used FR008. I did install it on two different co-worker's Arias, but my use of it in those cases was too short to evaluate the battery usage.
911jason said:
I haven't personally used FR008. I did install it on two different co-worker's Arias, but my use of it in those cases was too short to evaluate the battery usage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah I see. I'm just so lazy ;p
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.
What is the latest version of Android that I can run on my Samsung Continuum assuming I am successful in rooting it?
Also I have seen _many_ tutorials about rooting the Continuum. The problem is most of them are 2 years old. Is there a place to go to find the most recent, simplest, safest, way to root it?
TIA
chuckh1958 said:
What is the latest version of Android that I can run on my Samsung Continuum assuming I am successful in rooting it?
Also I have seen _many_ tutorials about rooting the Continuum. The problem is most of them are 2 years old. Is there a place to go to find the most recent, simplest, safest, way to root it?
TIA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use super one click. It will do the trick. The best way to understand all the different mods and ROMs is to read the threads and then re-read until you feel like you understand the process. I did that and was ok. I also played around with some of the different flashing techniques because those are super valuable. One recommendation that was made to me was to root and get used to the flashing and mods in EC09. I recommend taking that advice, EC09 is more forgiving, EG04 is touchier and will softbrick or bootloop more often if mods are not flashed properly. Read-Learn-Try-Repeat. When you feel ready GB (EG04) is the lastest. Go to the New Rom Ginger thread and do the config found in the thread and then follow the instructions in the OP. I used Hjsplit to combine the files and Odin to flash. If you need help typically someone is around every day or two. Oh yeah and BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP. If you don't back up a lot of times you will have to reflash a usable ROM through Odin and then rebuild.
Do you think it's worth rooting if the latest OS I can get is GB? I mean that's something like 2 years old and IIRC had a lot of problems. From what my colleagues have told me, the first completely reliable version is JB. They all have newer devices, upgraded, and said all of their problems went away with JB.
If I do root and upgrade to GB, will I lose anything? For example purchased apps? Will the play store still think I have an unrooted SCH-I400 with Froyo and still tell me that an app is incompatible even though it really is?
It's up to you and whether you think it's worth the root and the trouble. Flashing comes with risks and you have to assume that risk for yourself and your phone.
Everyone here has been helpful when issues arise but it's up to the individual what they ultimately decide to do or not do to their phone.
As to what happens to apps, I'm not sure I only run free apps and did not mind re-downloading a few of them. I did not have to reactivate my phone nor did I remember losing anything I thought critical, of course that is where backing up the phone comes into play. I use Titanium backup, sms backup, the standard google contacts sync and cwm, each for different reasons.
As to whether it will recognize GB I don't know I have not noticed anything one way or the other. Really I didn't notice much other than being able to use the GB mods on this forum. But I am still learning basic theming and mod development.
Thanks for your replies. In my opinion its not worth the risk if the best I can do is get to a 2 year old operating system thats already obsolete. I think I need to find a device that's not so limited. Given the problems I've had with it and lack of updates, it won't be another Samsung. I'm thinking perhaps a Motorola Droid. My past smartphone experiences with Motorola products has been very positive. Its been just the opposite with multiple Samsung devices.
NP, this phone is definitely hard to work with sometimes. Great for someone like me who wants to learn development, full of challenges. Good luck to ya.
Any thoughts on the Droid Razr? It's free from Verizon, has LTE, and now comes with Jelly Bean.
chuckh1958 said:
Thanks for your replies. In my opinion its not worth the risk if the best I can do is get to a 2 year old operating system thats already obsolete. I think I need to find a device that's not so limited. Given the problems I've had with it and lack of updates, it won't be another Samsung. I'm thinking perhaps a Motorola Droid. My past smartphone experiences with Motorola products has been very positive. Its been just the opposite with multiple Samsung devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.webpronews.com/latest-an...erbread-still-on-top-but-not-for-long-2012-10
thats of oct '12
ram maybe the real hurdle so ics/jb maynot be in the continuums future at all, like u said u may need a better device for what u do, i have been patching sources from froyo sources (i400 drivers) to gb i500 sources at a shot at aosp, cm7.2 maybe still ahead.
Imo, don't go with anything motorola if you want to be rooting and ROMing. They always tend to have locked bootloaders. Don't let the continuum sour your impression of samsung. This is a rather old phone. Just make sure to get a device that is well supported here at XDA and make sure it's a rather high end handset and you should be all good.
Its not just the continuum. I had a Windows smartphone a few years ago from Samsung and it was junk. It wouldn't even remember my BT pairings for more than 2 weeks before I'd have to start pairing things again.
If I get a phone where they regularly upgrade it to a recent OS I wouldn't even be considering rooting, so a locked bootloader isn't a big concern.
I also don't want to spend a lot of money on the phone so a high-end handset (i.e GS3) is out of the question. I cant help it but I'm a cheapskate. The original razr is being offered free by Verizon.
chuckh1958 said:
Its not just the continuum. I had a Windows smartphone a few years ago from Samsung and it was junk. It wouldn't even remember my BT pairings for more than 2 weeks before I'd have to start pairing things again.
If I get a phone where they regularly upgrade it to a recent OS I wouldn't even be considering rooting, so a locked bootloader isn't a big concern.
I also don't want to spend a lot of money on the phone so a high-end handset (i.e GS3) is out of the question. I cant help it but I'm a cheapskate. The original razr is being offered free by Verizon.
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Click to collapse
The Omnia was great minus the touch screen. I'm not sure if that is what you had but it was what I came from. Compared to other smart phones for the money the Omnia wasn't too bad. Same with the Continuum, I got it for free 2 years ago. Was worth it then and this forum really helps keep it interesting.
My two cents:
GB is worth it, is really not much work and does offer some good improvements. There are a few bugs, but nothing that is a deal breaker. And the great thing is, if you do root and go to GB and don't like it is just as easy to go back to stock. It is a two year old phone, and if you think you may upgrade anyway you might as well try it... You may like it and save some money/hassle of upgrading.
And you will still have all the apps that you downloaded/purchased from the market, and the apps that require GB will be a available.
Sent from my SCH-I400 using xda app-developers app
roaddog665 said:
My two cents:
GB is worth it, is really not much work and does offer some good improvements. There are a few bugs, but nothing that is a deal breaker. And the great thing is, if you do root and go to GB and don't like it is just as easy to go back to stock. It is a two year old phone, and if you think you may upgrade anyway you might as well try it... You may like it and save some money/hassle of upgrading.
And you will still have all the apps that you downloaded/purchased from the market, and the apps that require GB will be a available.
Sent from my SCH-I400 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
this is how I felt. I am due for an upgrade, so I upgraded to GB. It makes the phone so much faster. I just rooted it and am in the process of deleting verizon bloatware to free up more ram.
A few weeks ago, I unlocked my HTC one. In the process of following an old step-by-step tutorial, I soft bricked the thing but in the following 10 hours (with very little sleep) I learned A LOT about custom recovery and available roms. I still don't know a lot about S-OFF, achieving that state and what benefits it brings me.
Quick disclaimer.. someone's signature round here highlights that this forum is not called xda-overly-entitled-users. Hopefully I don't come off sounding like that.
In order to get back up and running, I flashed a ROM very similar to my stock. It worked well but I felt that I wasn't being ambitious so I flashed to another fairly well known rom.
Now that I've got that to roughly where i like it, I realised that all I'd done was flash a new ROM and then customise it with millions of apps to look and act like my stock rom which was as near as perfect across the smart phone industry.. Further, aside from xposed and root cloak, I've not really done anything that actually required a root - i could have installed most of this stuff on my stock rom.
So.. what am I missing. As a more enlightened user, what is it that I should be messing about with that made the effort worth it. I feel like I'm not taking advantage of the situation.
Honest989 said:
A few weeks ago, I unlocked my HTC one. In the process of following an old step-by-step tutorial, I soft bricked the thing but in the following 10 hours (with very little sleep) I learned A LOT about custom recovery and available roms. I still don't know a lot about S-OFF, achieving that state and what benefits it brings me.
Quick disclaimer.. someone's signature round here highlights that this forum is not called xda-overly-entitled-users. Hopefully I don't come off sounding like that.
In order to get back up and running, I flashed a ROM very similar to my stock. It worked well but I felt that I wasn't being ambitious so I flashed to another fairly well known rom.
Now that I've got that to roughly where i like it, I realised that all I'd done was flash a new ROM and then customise it with millions of apps to look and act like my stock rom which was as near as perfect across the smart phone industry.. Further, aside from xposed and root cloak, I've not really done anything that actually required a root - i could have installed most of this stuff on my stock rom.
So.. what am I missing. As a more enlightened user, what is it that I should be messing about with that made the effort worth it. I feel like I'm not taking advantage of the situation.
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Click to collapse
To put it simply, s-off basically removes those pesky restrictions HTC put on the phone to stop you changing the hboot/radio/etc and from flashing a different RUU like GPE, that is what s-on is. Luckily when I got my HTC One in July last year I got s-off when Firewater still worked but unfortunately, that was the last free s-off method. Now you have to pay about €22 or £16 or US$25 depending on where you are for Sunshine s-off. Firstly, this is a very steep price to pay just for s-off. I wouldn't mind paying between €5-€10 but no way would I be willing to pay €22 for s-off and second, I think it is wrong that we are being charged for a tool that was previously free and I morally object to it. Don't get me wrong, these developers have done great work but I feel that making you pay for the one and only s-off tool we have with such a high price is monopolisation of sorts. Sorry about that, rant over! If you are really desperate to gain the ability to change your firmware then by all means go for the s-off but if you dont see the need for changing firmware, then stick to s-on