Is rooting for old or cheap phones?

[ajarnfalang]

Because if you buy a Note 3 for example, won't rooting erase all Samsung pen software and features? What would be the point.

So many of the flagships come with features that make them different from other phones. Also, software that is optimized to run on that phone. The X8 system from Motorola comes to mind. Why erase it?

 

[dezymond]

Rooting doesn't ruin, erase, or change any software, what you're thinking of are ROMs. All rooting does is allow full access to the phone.

 

[ajarnfalang]

Rooting doesn't ruin, erase, or change any software, what you're thinking of are ROMs.

Yea. Those "custom roms" people talk about. I don't get it.

 

[dezymond]

Yea. Those "custom roms" people talk about. I don't get it.

ROMs provide different sets of features and optimizations to the dev/dev team's liking and goals. Whether it's feature heavy or as minimalistic as possible.

Let's take your example of the Note 3. Yes the main focus around the device is the s-pen and the features built in, however, many users may just want the size and hardware of the phone and not necessarily the features. In turn, they can use ROMs of their choice that don't implement those features and go for a cleaner or even pure google experience. Another example would be Google Play edition of phones. Before one would only be able to get the vanilla android experience by buying a Nexus device, nowadays we are offered Google Edition phones that retain the same hardware; s4 and One have this option. For owners of different model of phones, they can hopefully rely on pure AOSP ROMs.

That's the beauty of Android though. Even when 5 people have the same device, you can get 5 different setups and ROMs just further expand and enhance that experience of customization. You get 5 iPhones or 5 Windows phones they're going to look relatively the same.

 

[AECRADIO]

Thank you for clarifying the REASON to root/mod OUR phones!

The ability to alter, change and modify the look and feel is just as important as the way the phones work, and nobody should be denied doing so to their own property.
If you want to change a thing, then you change it, and not be locked out from doing it simply because the carrier despises it.

Once you pay off your subsidized phone, it becomes your personal property to do with as you please, before the payoff, not so much.
We dumped contract service in favor of prepaid, and we have never been happier! We buy/change phones and all we need to do is dial *22898, and the issue is over, new or used phone is active and life is good

After jumping from the Chocolate (which we really loved) to the other versions of mot/sam/lg/boost(ed)/ and soon, our change over to Android has been great, and we had iPhones, and DESPISED being locked into ONLY Apple-branded apps and music, Etc.. No possibility of batery swaps on the go, NO SD card for easy data transfers, and we no longer need to 'ask permission' to buy aftermarket chargers and cables.

Closed architecture is NOT freedom at all, but device slavery, tied onlyto the will of the slave master, Apple.


Thanks again, Dezymond, for your concise and accurate viewpoints on the topic! :hail:

 

[ajarnfalang]

Thank you for clarifying the REASON to root/mod OUR phones!

The ability to alter, change and modify the look and feel is just as important as the way the phones work, and nobody should be denied doing so to their own property.
If you want to change a thing, then you change it, and not be locked out from doing it simply because the carrier despises it.

Once you pay off your subsidized phone, it becomes your personal property to do with as you please, before the payoff, not so much.
We dumped contract service in favor of prepaid, and we have never been happier! We buy/change phones and all we need to do is dial *22898, and the issue is over, new or used phone is active and life is good

After jumping from the Chocolate (which we really loved) to the other versions of mot/sam/lg/boost(ed)/ and soon, our change over to Android has been great, and we had iPhones, and DESPISED being locked into ONLY Apple-branded apps and music, Etc.. No possibility of batery swaps on the go, NO SD card for easy data transfers, and we no longer need to 'ask permission' to buy aftermarket chargers and cables.

Closed architecture is NOT freedom at all, but device slavery, tied onlyto the will of the slave master, Apple.


Thanks again, Dezymond, for your concise and accurate viewpoints on the topic! :hail:

Well i live in thailand now.

There is no carrier contract. All phones are sold full price unlocked.

So I was just wondering because when I buy an android phone, the only thing that makes it different are the features the manufacturer develops. If you install another Rom you're erasing all that.

I don't get why people would want to do that. Little things like; not having to do anything to answer the phone (answer by lifting it to your ear), Moto X and all the features developed for the X8, the Note 3 for example with all the custom software and the way the pen is part of the whole OS (not only writing but it is part of the way you operate the phone).

As far as Apple goes, I wish there was ONE Android conversation without dragging Apple into it.

Apple is Apple. I am an iPhone user. I like my iPhone. I don't care it is "closed". The millions who use Apple products don't care either. And the ones like you; that's why there are other alternatives. You can always choose.

I'm glad Apple exists and gives you a totally different experience. Call it closed or whatever because there are people who like it. So they can choose that. As long as there is choice there's nothing wrong with that.

I'm thinking about moving to android simply because of a bigger screen. Nothing else.

Also, there are a LOT of Android phones that don't have an SD card or a removable battery.

Also I don't know what you're talking about "Apple branded music". Ridiculous. I have a cd filled of pirated MP3s that I copied to the iPhone. Drag to iTunes and click sync. Not exactly rocket science.

"Apple branded apps", if you're referring to only being able to download apps from the App Store, well that's great for the user. When was the last time you heard of a user getting a virus from the Apple App Store? And what do they have somewhere else that isn't available at the App Store?

I want someone to check and control what I'm installing in my phone.

When I get an android I would never install anything from outside the Play Store.

 

[ajarnfalang]

ROMs provide different sets of features and optimizations to the dev/dev team's liking and goals. Whether it's feature heavy or as minimalistic as possible.

Let's take your example of the Note 3. Yes the main focus around the device is the s-pen and the features built in, however, many users may just want the size and hardware of the phone and not necessarily the features. In turn, they can use ROMs of their choice that don't implement those features and go for a cleaner or even pure google experience. Another example would be Google Play edition of phones. Before one would only be able to get the vanilla android experience by buying a Nexus device, nowadays we are offered Google Edition phones that retain the same hardware; s4 and One have this option. For owners of different model of phones, they can hopefully rely on pure AOSP ROMs.

That's the beauty of Android though. Even when 5 people have the same device, you can get 5 different setups and ROMs just further expand and enhance that experience of customization. You get 5 iPhones or 5 Windows phones they're going to look relatively the same.

From a developer standpoint, I would prefer everyone having the same setup rather than 1,000 different setups. How can you really control the quality of the experience and apps?

Anyway. I get what you're saying, but spending all that money on a Galaxy Note 3 that has been specifically developed with the Pen, and buying it just because it has a 5.7" screen and totally erasing it to use it like a regular phone sounds idiotic to me.

Also other phones, and there's no better example than the Moto X, but really almost any flagship now, are developed with specific hardware to develop features specific for that device.

If you erase a Moto X to put some dude's Rom the entire X8 and everything developed for that is lost. Rendering that device a brick. Just another phone with Android.

 

[dezymond]

Well i live in thailand now.

There is no carrier contract. All phones are sold full price unlocked.

So I was just wondering because when I buy an android phone, the only thing that makes it different are the features the manufacturer develops. If you install another Rom you're erasing all that.

I don't get why people would want to do that. Little things like; not having to do anything to answer the phone (answer by lifting it to your ear), Moto X and all the features developed for the X8, the Note 3 for example with all the custom software and the way the pen is part of the whole OS (not only writing but it is part of the way you operate the phone).

As far as Apple goes, I wish there was ONE Android conversation without dragging Apple into it.

Apple is Apple. I am an iPhone user. I like my iPhone. I don't care it is "closed". The millions who use Apple products don't care either. And the ones like you; that's why there are other alternatives. You can always choose.

I'm glad Apple exists and gives you a totally different experience. Call it closed or whatever because there are people who like it. So they can choose that. As long as there is choice there's nothing wrong with that.

I'm thinking about moving to android simply because of a bigger screen. Nothing else.

Also, there are a LOT of Android phones that don't have an SD card or a removable battery.

Also I don't know what you're talking about "Apple branded music". Ridiculous. I have a cd filled of pirated MP3s that I copied to the iPhone. Drag to iTunes and click sync. Not exactly rocket science.

"Apple branded apps", if you're referring to only being able to download apps from the App Store, well that's great for the user. When was the last time you heard of a user getting a virus from the Apple App Store? And what do they have somewhere else that isn't available at the App Store?

I want someone to check and control what I'm installing in my phone.

When I get an android I would never install anything from outside the Play Store.

Different ROMs implement manufacturer features. So you can lose them, but there are ROMs out there that allow the user to keep some of the manufacturer features. Developers implement key features such as the S-pen functions because it's a big selling point of the phone. As long as you find the specific phone based ROM you're good.

Again, it's a choice that the user can make it. How they use their phone is only of their concern and if they wish to remove any manufacturer features then there are ROMs and modifications that can grant that wish. No one here can tell you why people choose to do it, just accept the fact that the option is available. If you want to compare it to anything, possibly compare it to bloatware which is why many people root, so they can eliminate it. It's extra things they don't want out of their phone.

Now as for your reason to move to Android, you're in it for the wrong reason. Sure Android has bigger screen devices, but you have to keep in my you're going to be changing to a completely new OS. Judging by your other comment on how much you like your iPhone, I don't think you realize how much of a difference you're going to be facing. It could be for the better or could be for worse, either way changing to Android for a bigger screen isn't necessarily going in with an open mind either, imo. The only way you'll be able to tell is if you take an Android device home and see if it fits into whatever ecosystem you have setup.

Also regarding your SD card and removable battery concern. Yes this is true, but for someone who's coming from an iPhone, you should be used to this by now. Otherwise there are plenty of devices that have a removable battery and support SD card. And if you're looking at the N3, then it's got you covered in both those.

From a developer standpoint, I would prefer everyone having the same setup rather than 1,000 different setups. How can you really control the quality of the experience and apps?

Anyway. I get what you're saying, but spending all that money on a Galaxy Note 3 that has been specifically developed with the Pen, and buying it just because it has a 5.7" screen and totally erasing it to use it like a regular phone sounds idiotic to me.

Also other phones, and there's no better example than the Moto X, but really almost any flagship now, are developed with specific hardware to develop features specific for that device.

If you erase a Moto X to put some dude's Rom the entire X8 and everything developed for that is lost. Rendering that device a brick. Just another phone with Android.

Developers always have in mind they are making apps to accommodate various devices whether it'd be Apple devices or Android devices which both use phone and tablet. With that in mind, devs realize their apps have to work on all these different devices and ROMs don't change any of that. Whether you flash a ROM or not it's still Android and it should work with any app, whether it's on a phone or tablet. Quality control, to my understanding, is through Apple themselves and they decide which apps make it to their Store and which ones don't. Android being as dev friendly as it is, doesn't have that kind of control which is why you see so many apps that do the same thing.

As for your Note 3 scenario, that is again up to the user. Whether you find it idiotic or not is your opinion. Again, don't worry about what other people are doing with their phones if you really have nothing of substance to add. People add and take away features to their liking, it's the beauty of Android. Some people like the apps which I consider bloatware, some don't. Point is, it's not my phone, and I should only be concerned with one phone, mine. Unless of course someone asks me how to rid of something, then I would be glad to help, otherwise, what people do with their phones is nobody's business but their own. There's really no sense in rattling your brain trying to figure out why people do X and Y to their phone, if that's the way they want it then let them be. I personally know a few N2 users who love everything about the phone, but the pen.

And your last paragraph is incorrect. ROMs are based around the hardware and usually based off the stock ROM or a variant of it. That's why there are device specific ROMs, because the basic architecture isn't changed, but improved. If you look at just about anyone with a ROM they'll tell you it's better than the stock ROM in almost every aspect.

I fear you're going into this decision without much knowledge. I highly suggest you take a look around the different boards, especially XDA, for some more technical information regarding Android and different Android features such as ROMs. I believe you're going into this with false information and that is influencing your views of Android.

 

[ajarnfalang]

Different ROMs implement manufacturer features. So you can lose them, but there are ROMs out there that allow the user to keep some of the manufacturer features. Developers implement key features such as the S-pen functions because it's a big selling point of the phone. As long as you find the specific phone based ROM you're good.

Again, it's a choice that the user can make it. How they use their phone is only of their concern and if they wish to remove any manufacturer features then there are ROMs and modifications that can grant that wish. No one here can tell you why people choose to do it, just accept the fact that the option is available. If you want to compare it to anything, possibly compare it to bloatware which is why many people root, so they can eliminate it. It's extra things they don't want out of their phone.

Now as for your reason to move to Android, you're in it for the wrong reason. Sure Android has bigger screen devices, but you have to keep in my you're going to be changing to a completely new OS. Judging by your other comment on how much you like your iPhone, I don't think you realize how much of a difference you're going to be facing. It could be for the better or could be for worse, either way changing to Android for a bigger screen isn't necessarily going in with an open mind either, imo. The only way you'll be able to tell is if you take an Android device home and see if it fits into whatever ecosystem you have setup.

Also regarding your SD card and removable battery concern. Yes this is true, but for someone who's coming from an iPhone, you should be used to this by now. Otherwise there are plenty of devices that have a removable battery and support SD card. And if you're looking at the N3, then it's got you covered in both those.


Developers always have in mind they are making apps to accommodate various devices whether it'd be Apple devices or Android devices which both use phone and tablet. With that in mind, devs realize their apps have to work on all these different devices and ROMs don't change any of that. Whether you flash a ROM or not it's still Android and it should work with any app, whether it's on a phone or tablet. Quality control, to my understanding, is through Apple themselves and they decide which apps make it to their Store and which ones don't. Android being as dev friendly as it is, doesn't have that kind of control which is why you see so many apps that do the same thing.

As for your Note 3 scenario, that is again up to the user. Whether you find it idiotic or not is your opinion. Again, don't worry about what other people are doing with their phones if you really have nothing of substance to add. People add and take away features to their liking, it's the beauty of Android. Some people like the apps which I consider bloatware, some don't. Point is, it's not my phone, and I should only be concerned with one phone, mine. Unless of course someone asks me how to rid of something, then I would be glad to help, otherwise, what people do with their phones is nobody's business but their own. There's really no sense in rattling your brain trying to figure out why people do X and Y to their phone, if that's the way they want it then let them be. I personally know a few N2 users who love everything about the phone, but the pen.

And your last paragraph is incorrect. ROMs are based around the hardware and usually based off the stock ROM or a variant of it. That's why there are device specific ROMs, because the basic architecture isn't changed, but improved. If you look at just about anyone with a ROM they'll tell you it's better than the stock ROM in almost every aspect.

I fear you're going into this decision without much knowledge. I highly suggest you take a look around the different boards, especially XDA, for some more technical information regarding Android and different Android features such as ROMs. I believe you're going into this with false information and that is influencing your views of Android.

Some people just want to take it out of the box and use it. Done.

 

[newbroot83]

Some people just want to take it out of the box and use it. Done.

Why are you so defensive? This forum is here to give support and opinions based on each persons experience. These people are trying to help you, not insult you. I have a note 2. I personally like the stock rom. Every other android phone I have had has been run off of a rom. I choose to rom for longer battery life and less bloatware. I dont need most apps that come stock. That is my personal preference. If you are going to try an android device, as stated earlier, you need an open mind. We android folk typically enjoy android because of its freedom.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

 

[dezymond]

Some people just want to take it out of the box and use it. Done.

And they're allowed that choice with Android as well. So now I don't understand the fuss about ROMs. You're seeing them is a negative when they're not, in fact, they improve performance and add features on many phones.

Again, I feel you're going into this switch with the wrong intention and wrong information. I'll be glad to help you in learning more about Android, but if you're this defensive about a topic that you're not even going to pursue, you really are going into it for the wrong reasons.

You are the one who is trying to understand the reasons behind ROMs, I am just providing you a few answers. You yourself mentioned "as long as there is a choice there is nothing wrong with that", yet you question the choices of others.

 

[ajarnfalang]

Customs ROMS are only required to be flashed on your phone if you find your built in ROM outdated and want some other features too. Custom ROMS are basically developed by developers to make a full flash use of your phone. But the most important thing is that rooting as well as flashing custom ROMS voids the warranty of your phone. So think twice before rooting it.

Not me. Never. I don't want to install some guy's software in my phone.

If I get 1 update from LG in 2 years that's good enough. After that ill buy a new phone anyway.

 

[newbroot83]

Customs ROMS are only required to be flashed on your phone if you find your built in ROM outdated and want some other features too. Custom ROMS are basically developed by developers to make a full flash use of your phone. But the most important thing is that rooting as well as flashing custom ROMS voids the warranty of your phone. So think twice before rooting it.

Rooting and flashing doesnt always void your warranty. Technically it only voids it if the problem was caused by rooting or if you get caught.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

 

[newbroot83]

Technically it does if the phone is taken to the care center for any kind of repairing or replacing work. The bootloader screen shows "UNLOCKED" if the phone is rooted. And the second important thing is that the rooted android phone which is flashed with custom rom contains a software called busybox or superuser.

Ive always rooted my phones. My last phone was a razr maxx. It was rooted and running a custom rom. I busted the screen on it. It wasn't caused by root and they didnt freak lol. But no one sends their phone back rooted and rom'd unless they actually did screw up their phones by rooting. My note 2 was rooted and unlocked with the flash count showing one. Now its all stock again. No root and flash count zero.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

 

[ajarnfalang]

I agree rooting doesn't erases the OS, it just provides the user with superuser privilege and hence the user gets control to modify things according to him.

Sounds like an easy way to brick a phone.