There have been many topics on which is the 'best' Android phone, but that's exactly what I'm looking for.
I'm looking to purchase an Android Phone for the purpose of building Android from source and install it on the device. So I want a device with minimal hacking before I can get started.
The Android Dev phones come to mind, but it seems every device can be rooted and the boot loader unlocked. So I'm not sure I see the advantage of getting one of these as opposed to other retail ones and modding those. The only difference to me, is how easy it is to find documentation in rooting and unlocking (NexusOne having a lot of information).
Does anyone have any recommendations? Thanks in advance.
Related
some questions before i buy this tablet... is it easy to install custom rom on it e.g. as easy as on an htc desire via clockworkmod? Do i need to worry about anything when buying it? (e.g. some models with unlockable bootloader something like that)??
Modding is relatively easy, especially if your already familiar with android and cwm. But there are quirks to the gtab, so you have to read and be aware of them. For example there are 2 different bootloaders out there and you need to use different versions of cwm for both. But overall it's not that hard to figure out. No worries about getting a locked down device. Plus the thing is basically un-brickable.
This site will get you up to speed http://viewsonic-gtablet-for-dummies.webs.com/
Can anyone tells me about the advantages and disadvantages of unlocking bootloader? because i saw some people said that they regret unlocking it. So whats the point of unlocking it? thanks for anyone who willing to explain.
I'm just an user but from what information i got so far (pardon me if anything is innacurate):
Unlocking the bootloader may open up a series of improvements that were not possible before without workarounds, like having a proper custom kernel, a proper Cyanogenmod version etc. Maybe even real multitouch or 16 million colors are possible, but this is a bit harder since someone will need to write new drivers, and it's highly unlikely this will happen but... who knows?
But to take advantage of unlocked bootloader you need to DEVELOP for it first, for now it's like having root enabled without any root app available for it. Also, bricking the x10 was impossible, you could always go to flashtools and reflash your firmware and fix it if you screw up, but with unlocked bootloader there's a chance of actually brick it for real, so you must be extra careful.
Some people are so eager to have the latest novelty that they'll do it first and think about it later. But it's a positive advancement for sure, i'll be lurking the dev threads to keep up with the news.
noobish question, I'm aware, but I haven't been able to find a clear answer one way or the other.
I have a Motorola Photon which I purchased unlocked, as I live in Canada and I wouldn't use Sprint even if I could. Overall I like the phone, but I prefer a lot of stock Android features WAY more than MotoBlur, and I'm debating flashing to Cyanogenmod or some other custom ROM.
My question is, if I do this, does my phone remain unlocked?
I've seen a couple of answers on this forum, but they seem to be dealing more with WP7 devices, and while I assume it works similarly, I want to be clear that a custom Android ROM won't "re-lock" my phone before I try it.
Thanks!
Yes your phone will still be unlock
That's all I needed to hear. thanks!
Hi,
I'm trying to get started on customizing devices. Since most manufacturers are obliged to release the Linux kernel of their Android devices, and these are often freely downloadable, what are the steps required to download, rebuild, and flash the rebuilt kernel to the device? Is there some tutorial for this, and how device dependent is this? Does this require a rooted device and an unlocked boot loader?
Thanks.
Anyone? Would really like to get started but not sure where to.
Nobody knows or cares?
I'd suggest starting here
http://source.android.com/source/building-kernels.html
I have a friend with an unbranded phone of whom wants his phone rooted. Being a developer who would like to get into Droid hacking, where do I start? What exploits do I need to look for? Are the exploits specific to a certain phone or are they specific to the Android OS version they run?
Any ideas?
Thanks!