The Mobile Phone Thread

[AtheK]

^^ Or Honami.

So no experience with Sony's bootloaders. Now I know Sony has recently been pro-modding, but is rooting detectable ? I mean in earlier Sammy phones (G1/2 Note 1 etc.), you can root easily without leaving traces, but from G3 onwards (IIRC), rooting always leaves some sort of a counter (either on the booting screen or in the "About" menu).

How's it with Sony's recent models ?

 

I have not roooted my phone, i guess Kulfy would be the best source to answer this....

 

@avkash: Bahut ho gaya vishram, uthke karo kuch Kaam...

[The Wolfy among us]

^^ Or Honami.

So no experience with Sony's bootloaders. Now I know Sony has recently been pro-modding, but is rooting detectable ? I mean in earlier Sammy phones (G1/2 Note 1 etc.), you can root easily without leaving traces, but from G3 onwards (IIRC), rooting always leaves some sort of a counter (either on the booting screen or in the "About" menu).

How's it with Sony's recent models ?

 

Afaria detects that the phone is rooted, but there's no counter as such.

[Bird Bird Bird]

Afaria detects that the phone is rooted, but there's no counter as such.

So if rooting is detected, the warranty is void ?

[The Wolfy among us]

Yes. The first step is unlocking the bootloader. Once you do that, warranty is void.

[Bird Bird Bird]

^^ Now that's an issue. Cannot live without Titanium backup and GoBackup. And they're pretty much useless without rooting. Detectable rooting = void warranty.

This gen is meh.

[NitroNeo]

Can you use those backup softs on SGN3 or will it have the same rooting detection, does samsung provide a good backup soft ?

[dante77]

Bootloader need to be unlocked in sony phones if you wanna root, no matter what. But you can lock again (right) check sony's site for details.

[AtheK]

Guess it will be like HTC and it will say bootloader locked.

[Bird Bird Bird]

Bootloader need to be unlocked in sony phones if you wanna root, no matter what. But you can lock again (right) check sony's site for details.

Panty, the issue is whether it can be locked directly from the recovery mode or not. For example, my Note 1 was riddled with the eMMC bug. It happened when I was on a custom ROM with CWM recovery. Of course, if at that point of time I take it to the service center, they would simply say it's modded and charge me for the repairs. Now with ODIN, one could easily flash a stock ROM over it, effectively wiping CWM and showing the stock recovery. Not only that, a stock rom flash erased all flash counters (reset to 0) and deleted the notorious "flash triangle". Easy stuff !

Is this be possible on new Sonys ? As in if something goes wrong, just via Flashtool/ADB, one can wipe off traces of rooting and lock the bootloader ?

Edited September 6, 2013 by Bird Bird Bird

[AtheK]

stock rom can be flashed directly on sony phones with SUS just like Odin, you have to use flashtool.

 

I have done it for my X8

Edited September 6, 2013 by AtheK

[The Wolfy among us]

But still bootloader will be unlocked. I am not sure if they can detect that the bootloader was once unlocked, even if you lock it again.

[Bird Bird Bird]

stock rom can be flashed directly on sony phones with SUS just like Odin, you have to use flashtool.

 

I have done it for my X8

Also flashing stock ROM locks the bootloader ?

[Bird Bird Bird]

But still bootloader will be unlocked. I am not sure if they can detect that the bootloader was once unlocked, even if you lock it again.

Ah. :/

Edit: But how do we lock it again ?

Edited September 6, 2013 by Bird Bird Bird

[avkash]

Panty, the issue is whether it can be locked directly from the recovery mode or not. For example, my Note 1 was riddled with the eMMC bug. It happened when I was on a custom ROM with CWM recovery. Of course, if at that point of time I take it to the service center, they would simply say it's modded and charge me for the repairs. Now with ODIN, one could easily flash a stock ROM over it, effectively wiping CWM and showing the stock recovery. Not only that, a stock rom flash erased all flash counters (reset to 0) and deleted the notorious "flash triangle". Easy stuff !

Is this be possible on new Sonys ? As in if something goes wrong, just via Flashtool/ADB, one can wipe off traces of rooting and lock the bootloader ?

 

[The Wolfy among us]

Ah. :/

Edit: But how do we lock it again ?

 

That's simple. there's this flashtool, which does everything.

And as far as I can see, i don't see a way how the service center guy can check whether a bootloader was relocked again, or it's been locked since the start.

 

but one thing, to unlock the bootloader, you need to get an unique key from Sony's website, which you get after you submit your IMEI number. Not sure if they look into this database to figure out whether you may have unlocked your bootloader sometime in the past.

[dante77]

But even if they detect about the bootloader, what difference is it gonna make?Correct me if I am wrong. if you unroot your phone, lock your bootloader, your warranty is available again. Right?

[The Wolfy among us]

Nope. dunno why, but that's the way it is.

[Bird Bird Bird]

Panty is a sweet guy. Met him a couple of times to exchange some err.. stuff.

@Panty: Still have your games bro. Lemme know if you want them back. :|

 

That's simple. there's this flashtool, which does everything.

And as far as I can see, i don't see a way how the service center guy can check whether a bootloader was relocked again, or it's been locked since the start.

but one thing, to unlock the bootloader, you need to get an unique key from Sony's website, which you get after you submit your IMEI number. Not sure if they look into this database to figure out whether you may have unlocked your bootloader sometime in the past.

Interesting.

 

But even if they detect about the bootloader, what difference is it gonna make?Correct me if I am wrong. if you unroot your phone, lock your bootloader, your warranty is available again. Right?

Yaar, yahin to. Murky grey areas. :|

[AtheK]

Not sure how it works with Z, but with X8 i could root the phone without unlocking the bootloader, an install custom Rom.

 

Also personally with the speeds the hardware has touched and sony UI which is close to stock, i do not feel the need to root.

[The Wolfy among us]

Interesting.

 

Yaar, yahin to. Murky grey areas. :|

 

It definitely isn't murky. The terms and conditions clearly state that once you unlock the bootloader, the warranty goes for a toss.

So even if you relock it, once they figure out that you have unlocked it sometime earlier, they'll throw the T&C in your face.

 

 

Also, note that the Bravia engine and the DRM keys for using Sony Music are lost after bootloader unlock. But there are ways on XDA to unlock, and keep the keys.