Related
This thread is left here only for historical purposes ! Now that the device has been released, easier and better methods have been developed to gain root, like CF-Root.
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Check your device model ! Settings -> About device -> Model number. This stuff is made for the GT-I9300, if your model number has a suffix, it may not work, or if it is a totally different model, it will not work (may even brick) !
Ladies and gentlemen, we have root on the SGS3 (!)
This will all be common knowledge in the near future, but here's some info I though various devs, chefs, and users will be dying to know!
Unfortunately, I am not able to share the "insecure" kernel with you at the moment, because of fears it is traceable to the leaker (this is said to be the last traceable firmware revision).
Update: The kernel is linked at the bottom of the post.
Update: The easiest way for rooting is now CF-Root
This root is, as expected, trivial. It was a simple matter of repacking the stock kernel, with a modified adbd binary that thinks ro.secure=0 (even if ro.secure=1). This gives access to all adb root commands (see screenshots). Then SuperSU was installed manually.
Kernel
The modification was trivial, because this time around, Samsung is using the standard boot.img format, instead of the zImage format used for SGS1, SGS2, SGNote, etc, that is much harder to repackage.
This is also why I don't feel particularly bad about not giving you the insecure kernel - any serious dev on this board can do the same thing in 10 minutes.
Recovery
The recovery partition is also being used this time around. And thus we can flash recoveries separately from the kernel.
Bootloaders
There was no warning triangle at boot-up after flashing the modified kernel, but download mode did show a custom kernel flash counter which increased. Whether or not flashing a custom recovery also triggers this counter is as of yet unknown. Both flashing kernel and/or flashing recovery will trigger the flash counter!
Final note
This was all tested on a current (release candidate) SGS3 firmware. There may be a newer firmware on true retail/production devices. Though some things may change, it is unlikely to change much. Let's hope nothing
Also, Triangle Away did not work. They have hidden the boot partitions again as on the latest SGNote firmwares.
(No, I don't have an SGS3 yet, everything was done remotely)
Now, everybody say thanks to Samsung! I don't always agree with them, but so far they have been the first and IMHO still are the only high-end Android OEM who aren't complete douchebags in the unlock department!
Download
The instructions below assume some basic knowledge about Samsung devices. This is not a noob-proof guide.
Here's the "insecure" kernel, based on XX NEE ALE8 firmware:
CF-Insecure-SGS3_XX_NEE_ALE8-v1.2.zip
- Extract the linked file (you will get a .tar file)
- Use the ODIN version attached below to that .tar file to your SGS3 as "PDA"
Going from insecure to full root
After having flashed the insecure kernel, boot your phone, and make sure USB debugging is enabled.
Your device is now insecure, so you can use the adb root commands. This does not allow your on-device apps to get superuser access, though. For that, you need to install SuperSU:
Download and extract the sgs3-root-install.zip file, containing SuperSU v0.89. Make sure adb is running correctly, then just double click install.bat (this will reboot your phone).
Wow, that was fast!
Chainfire said:
Ladies and gentlemen, we have root on the SGS3 (!)
(No, I don't have an SGS3 yet, everything was done remotely)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bravo my friend i hope the candle wasnt the inspiration or errr turpitude dayyyyymn.....nough said....thanks for leading the way
Appreciate
Finally boot.img/recovery.img about time samsung(on their flasg ship that is)
Remotely! Good work, i can't wait to get the device .
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
thats great. i hope they don't 180 on the boot.img format.
So is the GSIII bootloader unlocked from factory or did it require a bootloader unlock?
Phistachio said:
So is the GSIII bootloader unlocked from factory or did it require a bootloader unlock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As with the SGS1, SGS2, and SGNote, it was never locked to begin with.
Awesome!
Awesome work man. Maybe triangle issue can be solved with usb jig
There u go
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Great news!
Can you work any magic with Asus TF300T
Quick work, well done.
Chainfire said:
As with the SGS1, SGS2, and SGNote, it was never locked to begin with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Props to Samsung!
That was fast!
That's 11 days before the device is available commercially! WHoa! That was fast!
W0W. There we meet again. Nice one dude !
I'd be very reserved with yelling "Tjohoo" at this point. Things can change a lot between a developer version (which I assume is the one on Chainfire's hands) and a fully commercial shipper version. Let's just hope Samsung stay cool, and don't cause us more trouble than necessary, like has happened with the HTC One X...
Grats on the fast work man, and even more impressive is that it was done remotely on Windows 8! I've heard a lot of people having issues just getting ADB to work on Windows 8, and yet you managed to root a device for the first time ever using it without even physically having the device!
You truly are an inspiration to this community.
---------- Post added at 02:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:05 PM ----------
E:V:A said:
I'd be very reserved with yelling "Tjohoo" at this point. Things can change a lot between a developer version (which I assume is the one on Chainfire's hands) and a fully commercial shipper version. Let's just hope Samsung stay cool, and don't cause us more trouble than necessary, like has happened with the HTC One X...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He doesn't have any device in his hands, that's what makes this even more impressive!
Very nice work, thank you and congratulations!
Okay so, since I'm sort of new, I wanted to ask a few questions:
1. Is it possible to root xperia x8 with manufacturing date 11w48? At least at 95% chance. I'm a bit scared of the bricking part...
2. If it is possible, what kind of "ROM" (if I understood correctly) should I get?
3. If I get hard bricked/soft bricked what's the chance my phone will be still usable.
That's about it. Please don't rage at me for "OMG USE SEARCH BUTTON" type of thing.
I have tried doing it but no results found. Just threads and posts of people updating their.. ROMs I gues? Correct me if I typed anything wrong there.
But yeah, help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Jetboard said:
Okay so, since I'm sort of new, I wanted to ask a few questions:
1. Is it possible to root xperia x8 with manufacturing date 11w48? At least at 95% chance. I'm a bit scared of the bricking part...
2. If it is possible, what kind of "ROM" (if I understood correctly) should I get?
3. If I get hard bricked/soft bricked what's the chance my phone will be still usable.
That's about it. Please don't rage at me for "OMG USE SEARCH BUTTON" type of thing.
I have tried doing it but no results found. Just threads and posts of people updating their.. ROMs I gues? Correct me if I typed anything wrong there.
But yeah, help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. You can safely root your x8 regardless of when it is manufactured, you will not brick it
2. You have 11w48 so it is very risky to unlock your bootloader, i suggest you flash ROMS that is for stock
3. If you get soft bricked you can flash the stock firmware back using flashtool or SEUS, if it is a hard brick, you need to go to the nearest Service center or use a JTAG
Swyped via Tapatalk 2
Thanks a whole bunch. I thought I cannot root because of my manufacturer date. But what is a flash ROM tho?
Jetboard said:
Thanks a whole bunch. I thought I cannot root because of my manufacturer date. But what is a flash ROM tho?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can root your phone. but you can't unlock bl.
when you root your phone, you cam install cwm recovery. simply dl a rom for stock kernel and go to recovery and install(flash) the rom. remember to check the instructions first.
Just because i don't doesn't mean i can't.
All what I found until today was that if I cannot unlock BL I cannot install CWM recovery.
Maybe it is related to model - mine is Sony Xperia J. Y2012.
There is no fastboot available.
Am I wrong, can I have CWM, nandroid backup etc on stock ROM as only such one I may flash ?
F308 said:
All what I found until today was that if I cannot unlock BL I cannot install CWM recovery.
Maybe it is related to model - mine is Sony Xperia J. Y2012.
There is no fastboot available.
Am I wrong, can I have CWM, nandroid backup etc on stock ROM as only such one I may flash ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is for x8. not sure how it works on J. but yeah we don't havt fastboot either. but we can install cwm even with a locked bl. again that's for se x8.
edit: my advice is go to your phone's subforum. you'll get your answers there.
Just because i don't doesn't mean i can't.
Thank you. I understand that lot of things is device dependent but thought there are non-breakable rules, like gravity,
and what is possible to do under certain circumstances was one of them.
Need walk through XDA forum once more, maybe there is a hope.
F308 said:
Thank you. I understand that lot of things is device dependent but thought there are non-breakable rules, like gravity,
and what is possible to do under certain circumstances was one of them.
Need walk through XDA forum once more, maybe there is a hope.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there probably are a few unbreakable rules, but not being familiar with your device i can't guarantee that it's safe or it would work.
Just because i don't doesn't mean i can't.
Despite lot of reading I still am missing knowledge.
Question is:
What is fastboot ?
I found more than one definition of it and compiled into my own.
1.
Of course fastboot.exe is Windows binary (part of flashtool pack) which does certain type of work.
This is not what we are interested in.
2.
I concluded that:
- fastboot is one of modes into what android device can wake up. Just like linux can boot in different ways or Windows into single mode.
- this feature is encoded into boot.img, it is not separate android application.
- boot.img will work only with related kernel.img. They are like love and marriage (which is like horse and carriage - Bundy's).
- Sony sometimes disables stock boot.img to boot into this mode then without replacing boot .img it is impossible.
More comments ?
Fastboot is protocol used to update the flash filesystem in Android devices from a host over USB. It allows flashing of unsigned partition images.
Just because i don't doesn't mean i can't.
Okay, I got one more last question. Is this guide http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=906195&nocache=1 okay to use for rooting? I'm still trying to find the LATEST safe ones =/ I wonder if this one is okay.
Um, I tried that one it didn't work. It said some stuff are missing, then it exited randomly etc.. Can someone give me a link or a short/long guide which I can use that's latest? I do have some X8 drivers in a .zip file but no idea how to install them. Thanks in advance.
Jetboard said:
Okay, I got one more last question. Is this guide http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=906195&nocache=1 okay to use for rooting? I'm still trying to find the LATEST safe ones =/ I wonder if this one is good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I rooted mine with this
Means its safe
Sent from my X8
Having few issues with the SuperOneClick thing... It sometimes randomly exits, tells me that some stuff are missing etc. Any help? =/
Q&A for [RECOVERY][tornado_348] TWRP 2.8.5.0 touch recovery [2015-02-27]
Some developers prefer that questions remain separate from their main development thread to help keep things organized. Placing your question within this thread will increase its chances of being answered by a member of the community or by the developer.
Before posting, please use the forum search and read through the discussion thread for [RECOVERY][tornado_348] TWRP 2.8.5.0 touch recovery [2015-02-27]. If you can't find an answer, post it here, being sure to give as much information as possible (firmware version, steps to reproduce, logcat if available) so that you can get help.
Thanks for understanding and for helping to keep XDA neat and tidy!
fine thanks...
gicoypm said:
fine thanks...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This Recovery Worked to you?
I have an original gionee elife s5.1 bought in China some months ago. Have been unable to flash twrp using various methods although the custom Chinese cwm out there installed fine and is working.
My questions:
1. What is the recovery partition location on the stock kazam version of this device? On my gionee it seems to be: /dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/recovery
2. I have now several times reflashed both the stock gionee recovery and the Chinese custom cwm with no issues, but flashing twrp always results in "reboot recovery" going straight to bootloader in fastboot mode. Why??
jetfin said:
I have an original gionee elife s5.1 bought in China some months ago. Have been unable to flash twrp using various methods although the custom Chinese cwm out there installed fine and is working.
My questions:
1. What is the recovery partition location on the stock kazam version of this device? On my gionee it seems to be: /dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/recovery
2. I have now several times re-flashed both the stock gionee recovery and the Chinese custom cwm with no issues, but flashing twrp always results in "reboot recovery" going straight to bootloader in fastboot mode. Why??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe.. Just maybe the re-branding process need make modifications to be better performance to Branding modifications exclusives... or to be accepted on their new Market/Certification Rules like for exemple: cant have lead or nickel on manufacturing boards to can be accepted commercialize that product on that country...
i work on development process to a company were we sell to EU.. and there can't have that type of metal on process to we can certificate and get license to sell the products there... that happens with Cellphones radio Band (2G/3G/4G) on some country can't use an specific radio band... that type of problems can result in that for example =D
Tornado 350
I am planning to buy a Tornado 350 tomorrow for I lost my galaxy core i8260 . How to root the Tornado 350? I will post a review on that phone
Yeah, i would like to know this too.
Would this recovery work on the tornado 350, and has someone already found a way to root ( and unroot) it?
There's reaaaaaaaally nothing to find about this phone, even the KAZAM customer support doesn't know if it comes with 1 or 2gb of RAM : (
fetishippie said:
I am planning to buy a Tornado 350 tomorrow for I lost my galaxy core i8260 . How to root the Tornado 350? I will post a review on that phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As all kazam devices ship with unlocked bootloaders, to root would just be porting custom recovery, flashing that with mtk droid root and tools, flashing your root management app of choice.
Unrooting would be as simple as a standard unroot, mount /system as read/write, remove your root management app and su binaries, reboot, bam! Unrooted
Sent from my KAZAM Thunder Q45 using XDA Free mobile app
Are you sure all kazam phones come with bootloader unlocked?
Does that mean someone first has to make an tornado 350 compatible recovery to flash?
I really like the phone but there doesn't seem to be a lot of support for it, recoveries and roms and stuff..
Hi,
So the Tornado 350 is definitely 1GB ram. I can send full specifications if you want. It's also based upon the same chipset (MT6592) as Tornado 348. For rooting, I think the easiest shot is going for Kingo Root or www.kingoapp.com
RInkuyuuu said:
Are you sure all kazam phones come with bootloader unlocked?
Does that mean someone first has to make an tornado 350 compatible recovery to flash?
I really like the phone but there doesn't seem to be a lot of support for it, recoveries and roms and stuff..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the issue with most mtk devices, due to mtk's closed source policy its hard for developers to port anything to it as they are given nothing to go on by mtk. Custom recovery, if you can get it rooted, you can use mtk droid root and tools to autoport cwm to it, otherwise then yes you will either have to wait for someone to port it or port it yourself. And yes, all kazam devices are shipped with unlocked bootloaders. If i can be given the factory images then after I've finished porting CM12 to the thunder Q4.5 i can try porting it to this device.
Sent from my KAZAM Thunder Q45 using XDA Free mobile app
Hello !
I've a new Xperia E1 Dual (2105).
I've successfully rooted it, thanks to the information I've found on this forum.
Now I've some questions :
1) on my previous phone (Xperia X8) I had a recovery screen accessible upon reboot onto which I could make backups of the whole software on the SDCARD. I would like to have the same on the E1 but I can't find nothing to make this work. What should I do ?
2) Is there any advantage to run a custom ROM on this device, given it already has 4.4 ? (the X8 needed a custom ROM to go beyond 1.6 or 2.1 version Sony delivered).
Many thanks in advance for your help !
Recovery requires unlocked bootloader
Yes, you can backup stuff using PhilZ or TWRP. You can get into recovery by tapping the walkman button during Sony logo
We are currently stuck on 4.4.2, but there are many Stock ROM mods that speeds up it up the phone, such as KillaMade, Illumination, etc.. It frees your time enchancing the ROM, or If you are completely new to Android, It avoids you to give a few headache
If you are unsure what to do, check my guide, It is mostly noob-friendly
Kizoky said:
Recovery requires unlocked bootloader
Yes, you can backup stuff using PhilZ or TWRP. You can get into recovery by tapping the walkman button during Sony logo
We are currently stuck on 4.4.2, but there are many Stock ROM mods that speeds up it up the phone, such as KillaMade, Illumination, etc.. It frees your time enchancing the ROM, or If you are completely new to Android, It avoids you to give a few headache
If you are unsure what to do, check my guide, It is mostly noob-friendly
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your answer.
I'm a bit confused because I am not able to install TWRP because it says that my phone is unsupported.
I've cleaned bloatware using RUninstaller (backing up each APK before removing it) and moved the backuped APK to the SDCard and to my PC for a possible re-install. But I would have liked to make a backup of all the files with the device cold before tweaking ... I like having belt and suspender when going wild
georgesgiralt said:
Thank you for your answer.
I'm a bit confused because I am not able to install TWRP because it says that my phone is unsupported.
I've cleaned bloatware using RUninstaller (backing up each APK before removing it) and moved the backuped APK to the SDCard and to my PC for a possible re-install. But I would have liked to make a backup of all the files with the device cold before tweaking ... I like having belt and suspender when going wild
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just saying using any TWRP app will always say E1 is incompatible, because it is not supported (officially) daily
However, you can install TWRP here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/xpe.../recovery-main-thread-twrp-xperia-e1-t3323159
As I said It requires unlocked bootloader, otherwise you can't get into recovery
Kizoky said:
Just saying using any TWRP app will always say E1 is incompatible, because it is not supported (officially) daily
However, you can install TWRP here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/xpe.../recovery-main-thread-twrp-xperia-e1-t3323159
As I said It requires unlocked bootloader, otherwise you can't get into recovery
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your answer !
I've read about unlocking the bootloader and saw that it will reset the phone/apps/settings to factory default.
I should have done it long before ....
But I wonder if there is a way to backup everything BEFORE unlocking and, restore after unlocking to get my settings back.
What do you think ?
georgesgiralt said:
Thank you for your answer !
I've read about unlocking the bootloader and saw that it will reset the phone/apps/settings to factory default.
I should have done it long before ....
But I wonder if there is a way to backup everything BEFORE unlocking and, restore after unlocking to get my settings back.
What do you think ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately I don't have a locked BL, so I can't really tell you how to make the recovery work, though there are many threads about how to boot into PhilZ under locked BL @xezrunner
If you do however manage to flash PhilZ, you can backup your entire system along with apps, data, and etc..
I suggest backing up TA, If you ever need to relock the BL back again to make use of the warranty
Here's the appropiate thread on how to install recovery on a locked bootloader.
xezrunner said:
Here's the appropiate thread on how to install recovery on a locked bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much but I've already used that and installed a recovery. You are late by a couple of hours.
I was able to do a backup of my present configuration and even make a "custom ROM" with the actual phone. So I'm very pleased !
I looked into the service menu and saw that my boot loader is not locked and that I've no DRM installed (maybe that's because my phone is a plain Sony one ? without any paid application ? )
Now, I've just to use the thread about changing the behavior of the Walkman button in order to disable it...
Thank to all who responded and provided help ! I'm an IT guy but far from an Android guy ! And I would not have done this without you !
Edit :
An additional question :
Now, I still have a locked bootloader (because I did not unlock it) and a recovery installed (PhilZ). Do you think I could install TRWP rescue still without unlocking the BL ? (this way I may keep the warranty of the phone ?)
TWRP is in a different image file (recovery.img), which locked BLs will never be able to boot in it
PhilZ is stored in the kernel (boot.img), so you can easily flash another ftf file to erase the kernel If you need to deliver the phone to your provider
(some providers take this seriously as this is a great excuse for them to ask for more money, or even worse, refuse to repair it, however Sony is still pretty calm about things like this)
As long as your BL is locked, and your TA is intact, your warranty is safe
georgesgiralt said:
I looked into the service menu and saw that my boot loader is not locked and that I've no DRM installed (maybe that's because my phone is a plain Sony one ? without any paid application ? )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Xperia E1 has no DRMs whatsoever. What DRMs could you even have? The camera lacks any enchancements Sony has for the other devices...
xezrunner said:
The Xperia E1 has no DRMs whatsoever. What DRMs could you even have? The camera lacks any enchancements Sony has for the other devices...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah ! OK !
This clarifies a lot of things. I was wondering what's this DRM thing was about.
Last question, do you know if one can backup the official ROM downloaded through Sony PC Companion during "Repair phone" operation ?
georgesgiralt said:
Ah ! OK !
This clarifies a lot of things. I was wondering what's this DRM thing was about.
Last question, do you know if one can backup the official ROM downloaded through Sony PC Companion during "Repair phone" operation ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's a much better way to get a .ftf file that you can flash with Flashtool. Use XperiFirm.
xezrunner said:
There's a much better way to get a .ftf file that you can flash with Flashtool. Use XperiFirm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you thank you thank you !
It's amazing the volume and quality of information I got asking simple questions.
I would have had to read thousand of pages of this forum to get that much ! You definitely saved me weeks of investment.
Do you know if I can install a Sony software made for a different CDA phone ? Because I have an old X8 which came with Orange branding and it has been so badly configured it is a pity. So I would like to try it with plain Sony Ericsson software and compare with the ROM I tested on it.
Have a bright nice day !
georgesgiralt said:
Thank you thank you thank you !
It's amazing the volume and quality of information I got asking simple questions.
I would have had to read thousand of pages of this forum to get that much ! You definitely saved me weeks of investment.
Do you know if I can install a Sony software made for a different CDA phone ? Because I have an old X8 which came with Orange branding and it has been so badly configured it is a pity. So I would like to try it with plain Sony Ericsson software and compare with the ROM I tested on it.
Have a bright nice day !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely, you can flash any kind of firmware and it will work as long as it's for that specific model. You might experience some issues like no 3G if the firmware was made for a country that has no 3G support or has a different kind of cellular reception. But that's rare. The amount of bloat also varies beetween firmwares, of course. Kizoky has made a thread on all the firmwares available in XperiFirm with the fewest amount of bloat, I'm using the Turkey one and it's working really nice.
Glad to be of help!
Hello !
Here I am again !
I've a question I can't solve myself.
I've searched and didn't find an answer.
When I'm at work, I would like to send some calls directly to the answering machine without the phone even ringing. Mostly the personal calls because I can't get any privacy when at work.
Before the Android Era, I had a phone with a white list and a black list. And you could manage the actions for the white or the black lists. This served me well.
On my Android 4.4 I did not find something similar.
I would be delighted to get some help from you guys !
Thanks in advance for your answer.
georgesgiralt said:
Hello !
Here I am again !
I've a question I can't solve myself.
I've searched and didn't find an answer.
When I'm at work, I would like to send some calls directly to the answering machine without the phone even ringing. Mostly the personal calls because I can't get any privacy when at work.
Before the Android Era, I had a phone with a white list and a black list. And you could manage the actions for the white or the black lists. This served me well.
On my Android 4.4 I did not find something similar.
I would be delighted to get some help from you guys !
Thanks in advance for your answer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ugh, now that's some tough question.
Try asking in here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/help
Kizoky,
Thank you for your answer. Actually, i had an idea to search for just blacklist android. It was more productive this way. I've to learn how to search ...
I've found two ways : the first one (not working) is to activate the black list from the settings in the contacts. The second one is to download an app to do just that. For now, I've to find one acting just on the phone call and not on the SMS. Funny Sony or Google did not think it was a need to fulfil ...
Hi there, I have a question. I read in the thread about unlocking bootloader that if I have updated my phone from "fota" my device will brick.
I have flashed a lot on my first 4 phones until I hard bricked a new s2 within 4h of owning it because of factory nand being corrupt and I didint read up on s2 bricks and how they can happen and haven't since for last 2 years done anything to my phones.
So my question is, I have a c6603 Sony Xperia Z and I assume I have the newest os version available, downloaded through OTA (ver. 5.1.1) will my device brick? is there an option like for nexus 4 I had that I could install a stock rom from Google. So get one from Sony and that would be an os not installed from OTA but done over factory update.zip or something.
Also can someone direct me and tell me again to refresh memory what do I need to do and how to get root and be able to back up stuff and get rid of the Sony bloatware and have a faster phone hopefully if roms still give that.
Thank you very much, sorry for bad English.
Neferian said:
Hi there, I have a question. I read in the thread about unlocking bootloader that if I have updated my phone from "fota" my device will brick.
I have flashed a lot on my first 4 phones until I hard bricked a new s2 within 4h of owning it because of factory nand being corrupt and I didint read up on s2 bricks and how they can happen and haven't since for last 2 years done anything to my phones.
So my question is, I have a c6603 Sony Xperia Z and I assume I have the newest os version available, downloaded through OTA (ver. 5.1.1) will my device brick? is there an option like for nexus 4 I had that I could install a stock rom from Google. So get one from Sony and that would be an os not installed from OTA but done over factory update.zip or something.
Also can someone direct me and tell me again to refresh memory what do I need to do and how to get root and be able to back up stuff and get rid of the Sony bloatware and have a faster phone hopefully if roms still give that.
Thank you very much, sorry for bad English.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
first of all , older galaxy like s2 s3 are incredibly easy to brick , just forget bout it if u really had no idea about it.
also , yes you can flash your xperia with custom rom without bricking it.
as long as your flash mode or fastboot mode work , there wont be hardbrick
dont forget to backup TA too
http://www.android.gs/root-unlock-bootloader-install-twrp-recovery-xperia-z/