[Q] What are your reasons for BL unlock / root / general modding ? - Xperia Z4/Z3+ Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi,
Well, i've been using a Z3 for around 6 months without modding it, and now it got replaced by a new Z3+ Dual under warranty.
So, i've been scooping around the forums, reading guides and trying to understand key concepts, but what seems most strange to me is that i haven't been able to find some mod / ROM that would justify modding my phone.
I'm used to mod phones and have done that extensively on older models, such as SGS3, but as time goes by, modding has become more like a painful job, with only a few gains...
SO, i'd like to hear about you guys... WHY do you mod your phones? What exactly you want to do with it, that cannot be done otherwise?
Is it XPOSED? What modules?
Some Custom kernel? which one?
What ROM are you guys loving?
What modding do you recommend?
Sorry for the long post, and thanks in advance

pedrohp said:
SO, i'd like to hear about you guys... WHY do you mod your phones? What exactly you want to do with it, that cannot be done otherwise?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't so far and the big things that put me off:
- No AOSP or CM for the E6533 (z3+ dual)
- Unlocking the bootloader looks somewhat painful
- Losing the few Sony features I like: Album, Noise cancelling headphones, Image enhancement
- With root I won't be able to use: Barclaycard and other banking apps
So here - these are things I didn't do it. But to be honest I really regret buying this phone - My Z2 was superb; this hardly lasts the day on 1 charge and gets awfully hot - which is when it starts slowing down.

bustr85 said:
I haven't so far and the big things that put me off:
- No AOSP or CM for the E6533 (z3+ dual)
- Unlocking the bootloader looks somewhat painful
- Losing the few Sony features I like: Album, Noise cancelling headphones, Image enhancement
- With root I won't be able to use: Barclaycard and other banking apps
So here - these are things I didn't do it. But to be honest I really regret buying this phone - My Z2 was superb; this hardly lasts the day on 1 charge and gets awfully hot - which is when it starts slowing down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed 100%.
Would still be nice to hear from someone who actually mods, though.

Related

Whether to root my Nexus 6? been on the fence for a while

I never rooted / jailbroke any previous devices but can't make up my mind on whether to do it with my N6.
I primarily never fiddled with rooting / jailbreaking in the past because of all the warranty issues in addition to pretty much any device-related product / app usually saying "you're on your own" to customers with rooted or jailbroken devices.
Not a huge issue for me now, as my phone's warranty was voided when I had to send it in for "repairs" after it broke (ie got a replacement phone in exchange for my broken one from motorola).
I'm incredibly intrigued by the countless perks that come with rooting such as customization, permissions, turning off encryption, and so on. However, I love my phone the way it currently is, and as a result am a bit hesitant to set it all up again / risk messing something up since I would need to learn how to do it (ie read one of the many useful guides on these forums).
Besides having better control over every part of the phone, the other main appeal of rooting for me is being able to get rid of the AT&T bloatwear on the phone. I absolutely hate AT&T and would love to rid myself of their presence in my life, even if just by a small amount.
So the issue is:
currently very content with my non-rooted N6 vs. love customizing / controlling everything on my device and hate AT&T with a burning passion, but would have to spend ample time learning how to properly root the phone / set everything up.
If anyone has any opinions I'm all ears. Do you know of a reason I should definitely not root the device that I'm unaware of? Did rooting your phone make your experience with your device so much better that you wouldn't even consider going back to a non-rooted device?
Opinions / thoughts are welcomed as I am pretty much just thinking out loud with this thread anyways :laugh:
Hard part is getting drivers installed but there is an all in one tool kit that does it all for you. Stalk lollipop is missing lots of key features like kill all apps button, and free hot spot. Roms fix this also having all volume sliders is great.
phallb said:
I never rooted / jailbroke any previous devices but can't make up my mind on whether to do it with my N6.
I primarily never fiddled with rooting / jailbreaking in the past because of all the warranty issues in addition to pretty much any device-related product / app usually saying "you're on your own" to customers with rooted or jailbroken devices.
Not a huge issue for me now, as my phone's warranty was voided when I had to send it in for "repairs" after it broke (ie got a replacement phone in exchange for my broken one from motorola).
I'm incredibly intrigued by the countless perks that come with rooting such as customization, permissions, turning off encryption, and so on. However, I love my phone the way it currently is, and as a result am a bit hesitant to set it all up again / risk messing something up since I would need to learn how to do it (ie read one of the many useful guides on these forums).
Besides having better control over every part of the phone, the other main appeal of rooting for me is being able to get rid of the AT&T bloatwear on the phone. I absolutely hate AT&T and would love to rid myself of their presence in my life, even if just by a small amount.
So the issue is:
currently very content with my non-rooted N6 vs. love customizing / controlling everything on my device and hate AT&T with a burning passion, but would have to spend ample time learning how to properly root the phone / set everything up.
If anyone has any opinions I'm all ears. Do you know of a reason I should definitely not root the device that I'm unaware of? Did rooting your phone make your experience with your device so much better that you wouldn't even consider going back to a non-rooted device?
Opinions / thoughts are welcomed as I am pretty much just thinking out loud with this thread anyways :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reasons i rooted.
1. titanium backup
2. MCR Control (Reverse order of nav buttons. my thumb is too short for back button and i use one handed)
(double tap to wake)
(battery percent in notif bar)
3. Notification light (light flow enables it)
4. Cabinet beta or root browswer
I might be missing something... but those things benefit me on the daily.
this thread should go into the help/q&a section, not into general..
edit.. it got moved to the right place
Read every post on rooting and watch every video at least two times. Download all files to a folder on your desktop ask all the questions you need to ask then jump in. A phone with an unlocked boot loader is the best place to start rooting. If your phone boot loops cause you messed something up don't worry you can come back from that.
lngwca said:
Reasons i rooted.
1. titanium backup
2. MCR Control (Reverse order of nav buttons. my thumb is too short for back button and i use one handed)
(double tap to wake)
(battery percent in notif bar)
3. Notification light (light flow enables it)
4. Cabinet beta or root browswer
I might be missing something... but those things benefit me on the daily.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. I think I already bought that app months ago on accident haha maybe I can finally use it if I root.
2. left handed here, didn't even realize how much of an issue it would be if the button was on the other side, that would be a must if I was right handed lol. Also double tap to wake is something I would love to have.
3. I miss that ittle light, then I saw the LED light when I dropped my first N6 and the screen shattered..not how I wanted to be reunited with it lol. Wouldn't mind seeing it without having to shatter my screen :laugh:
all very helpful, thanks!
bulvine420 said:
Hard part is getting drivers installed but there is an all in one tool kit that does it all for you. Stalk lollipop is missing lots of key features like kill all apps button, and free hot spot. Roms fix this also having all volume sliders is great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
volume sliders is pretty high up there on the list of reasons I am so tempted to undertake the project of learning how to root. From what I've read so far it seems there are two methods for rooting that most people use, one of which is the all in one tool kit you mentioned? I'll have to check it out in more detail.
bulvine420 said:
Read every post on rooting and watch every video at least two times. Download all files to a folder on your desktop ask all the questions you need to ask then jump in. A phone with an unlocked boot loader is the best place to start rooting. If your phone boot loops cause you messed something up don't worry you can come back from that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that would be the plan if I end up rooting. When it comes to tech I get fairly OCD about knowing it all before I start fiddling with something. I've irreversibly broken enough programs / gadgets in my time to know that the slow and studious approach always wins
planning on going through the guides and videos on these forums with a fine-tooth comb once I've had more coffee lol.
phallb said:
I never rooted / jailbroke any previous devices but can't make up my mind on whether to do it with my N6.
I primarily never fiddled with rooting / jailbreaking in the past because of all the warranty issues in addition to pretty much any device-related product / app usually saying "you're on your own" to customers with rooted or jailbroken devices.
Not a huge issue for me now, as my phone's warranty was voided when I had to send it in for "repairs" after it broke (ie got a replacement phone in exchange for my broken one from motorola).
I'm incredibly intrigued by the countless perks that come with rooting such as customization, permissions, turning off encryption, and so on. However, I love my phone the way it currently is, and as a result am a bit hesitant to set it all up again / risk messing something up since I would need to learn how to do it (ie read one of the many useful guides on these forums).
Besides having better control over every part of the phone, the other main appeal of rooting for me is being able to get rid of the AT&T bloatwear on the phone. I absolutely hate AT&T and would love to rid myself of their presence in my life, even if just by a small amount.
So the issue is:
currently very content with my non-rooted N6 vs. love customizing / controlling everything on my device and hate AT&T with a burning passion, but would have to spend ample time learning how to properly root the phone / set everything up.
If anyone has any opinions I'm all ears. Do you know of a reason I should definitely not root the device that I'm unaware of? Did rooting your phone make your experience with your device so much better that you wouldn't even consider going back to a non-rooted device?
Opinions / thoughts are welcomed as I am pretty much just thinking out loud with this thread anyways :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have made your mind up already, if you on the fence, your ready to root!
Read http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6/general/how-to-nexus-6-one-beginners-guide-t2948481 and this http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6/general/guide-flash-factory-images-nexus-6shamu-t2954008
Download one of the adb/fastboot lite zips, I will look for one for you (try this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=42407269#post42407269), it just loads whet you need. Then make sure you can connect to your phone, read the 2 links and after some minor settings to your phone, plug it into your PC, go to the dir you dl'ed adb/fastboot to and do "fastboot devices" if you see your device your ready to go. It may not be as easy as that, but its a 1x setup and sometimes it is that easy. Don't use an "all-in-one" tool, you won't learn anything and when you need to know exactly what step to do and you can't use a tool, you will be stuck, its not that complex.
Unlock; you will have to set everything up again, sorry. But if your gonna un-encrypt, do it now. Then root and flash a custom recovery, TWRP. Once you have that setup, boot into the recovery and do a backup. Boom, you can always flash that and your back to where you were. Now try some roms, I'm partial to BlissPop, so many features its insane, I'm also partial to Lean kernel, but Franco is great, but try em out. Flash the Rom/Kernel, you don't like it, restore your backup and your ready to start again.
If your on this site, your hooked, just do it and you won't be sorry, well you may get hooked and become a crack rom'er.
Ehem, crack. Flasher.
I have owned a LOT of phones. I used to root all of them. I haven't bothered with the N6. Just no need for me with 5/L.
I have also found that many times rooting has had adverse affects on the device that outweigh any benefits. Just me though.
thepolishguy said:
I have owned a LOT of phones. I used to root all of them. I haven't bothered with the N6. Just no need for me with 5/L.
I have also found that many times rooting has had adverse affects on the device that outweigh any benefits. Just me though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel the same way. I owned a galaxy nexus. I was a notorious crack flasher and ultimately in the end the device stopped turning on. Being that lollipop is incredibly buggy, I'm going to stay away from flashing.
I've never rooted before myself until now on the n6 and I really can't go back to no root. For me it was mainly for adaway, greenify, and titanium backup. But now that I've used them I don't care much for greenify and titanium, but adaway alone is worth it. I also discovered the super awesome LMT pie plus removing the soft keys, that's one mod I can't live without now.
Seiga said:
Being that lollipop is incredibly buggy, I'm going to stay away from flashing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would think this would be one of the reasons TO flash.
Sent from my SinLess Shamu
jackpollard said:
You have made your mind up already, if you on the fence, your ready to root!
If your on this site, your hooked, just do it and you won't be sorry, well you may get hooked and become a crack rom'er.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I stumbled upon this site from another.. Once I started reading and seeing what could be done and more reading, I had to try it. I love the ease at which it was rooted; thank you Chainfire... The tricks it does are amazing. :good:
thanks everyone, as some have guessed I think I'm leaning towards rooting at this point. Just need to read up so I know what I'm doing and then find the time to sit down and do it.
All of your feedback and personal experiences / suggestions is really helpful since I'm so new to this topic (rooting and all it entails). Please feel free to keep the opinions, favorite apps / features / why you root or dont root, etc coming.
I've decided not to root at this time, maybe down the road though I'm sure I will. Being on Sprint, my previous phones were the Hero, Evo 4G and then the Note 2, I found myself rooted and running roms soon after buying the phones. My only problem(if it was a problem) I was bored of Sense and Touchwiz rather quickly and loaded up aosp roms within a month or two of owning the phones. Hence why I now have the Nexus 6.
It'll be nice for awhile to not worry about small bugs with my phone, changing kernels, setups.... not that anything runs without bugs but at least I won't worry about it as much.
But if you're interested in having complete control over the phone, I would root asap!!
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[Q] Is Lollipop update worth it?

I have the notification here to update, but I'm not really sure if I should do it. My phone on KitKat is very stable, VERY smooth, good battery life, you know, I don't have any problem with it. That's why I'm kinda afraid of updating and getting a slower, buggier performance. So, what you guys who already updated think?
pibz said:
I have the notification here to update, but I'm not really sure if I should do it. My phone on KitKat is very stable, VERY smooth, good battery life, you know, I don't have any problem with it. That's why I'm kinda afraid of updating and getting a slower, buggier performance. So, what you guys who already updated think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would say, nope.. i have seen people with better battlife, some with terrible. theres more negative than positives.., check before you update. want to get the new notification on lock? new status bar, icons...etc? new dialer, settings..is it really worth the risk? you can flashback to 4.4.4 anytime. but you will have to root everythinf again. wich is a pain in the ass.
Sent from my D5803 using XDA Free mobile app
I'm using lollipop for 2 weeks and I say no....
Everything is nice etc, but the snappyness and reliability of 4.4.4 is unconparable. with this...
I wont be updating either, or not for a very long time. I had to put up with it on my nexus 4 and 7. Which are both now sold and switched out to 4.4.4 devices.
There is nothing it added but it messed up a lot. the z3c is probably the perfect phone for me, amazing battery coupled with decent specs, so I wont be risking it either. especially as I cant find a 4.4.4 UK tft unbranded anywhere to roll back to!
I'm taking a look at the Sony Mobile forums and it seems like a lot of people are having issues with Lollipop too. I think I'll probably stick with KitKat, at least for now, until Sony fix the major bugs. My phone is too snappy to risk it
Here are the + and the - for me. It's yours to decide.
Against :
- you loose xposed. That's quite a huge loss for YouTube adaway and that kind of stuff.
It should be fixed someday.
- I hate paying in freemium game. You won't be able to use cheat app. Lucky thing, thing engine, thingcih and stuff...
- Minor bug.
- even if I enjoy this, quite a pain to install recovery and flash (I also flashed quite early, when recovery was a hard thing to achieve)
- viper4android does not work.
For :
- I actually (despite the other users) experienced an increase in battery life. +25 to +30%.
- Smoother UI and phone.
- prettier UI and better navbar.
- Smoother auto dim
- better quick bar.
- drm restoration works. Better camera, sound (without viper) , screen.
- phone reset. It cleans it.
- some minor stuff
pibz said:
I'm taking a look at the Sony Mobile forums and it seems like a lot of people are having issues with Lollipop too. I think I'll probably stick with KitKat, at least for now, until Sony fix the major bugs. My phone is too snappy to risk it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
People won't complain if everything is alright.
This is like the glass breaking topic. People won't write their glass didn't broke by itself during the night.
fenchai said:
I would say, nope.. i have seen people with better battlife, some with terrible. theres more negative than positives.., check before you update. want to get the new notification on lock? new status bar, icons...etc? new dialer, settings..is it really worth the risk? you can flashback to 4.4.4 anytime. but you will have to root everythinf again. wich is a pain in the ass.
Sent from my D5803 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you achieved root in the first time and backed up your ta, you can achieve root anytime with a custom recovery.
DrEzkimo said:
I wont be updating either, or not for a very long time. I had to put up with it on my nexus 4 and 7. Which are both now sold and switched out to 4.4.4 devices.
There is nothing it added but it messed up a lot. the z3c is probably the perfect phone for me, amazing battery coupled with decent specs, so I wont be risking it either. especially as I cant find a 4.4.4 UK tft unbranded anywhere to roll back to!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Create your own ftf to restore. This can be rapidly done. Also double check xperifirm.

[Pre-buy] Z3c a wise choice for custom roms?

Dear all,
I'm in the market for a waterproof phone and the z3c has all the features I want (except dual sim). But I really want a custom-rom to better protect my privacy. So what to buy? I've been without ANY phone for a week since my old died because I can't make up my mind
From what I read on all kinds of fora it appears to me that the z3c might not be a wise choice if I intent to run custom-roms on it (and still want a well functioning camera)? I really want bluetooth and decent camera performance.
In general, it seems that custom roms are a bigger pain on the z3c than on other devices, but I was unable to even find if this problem is specific to the z3 series, a general xperia problem, or a general problem with recent smartphones (and what is recent?).
Could anyone comment on this?
Many thanks for your kind help!!!
marcaber said:
Dear all,
I'm in the market for a waterproof phone and the z3c has all the features I want (except dual sim). But I really want a custom-rom to better protect my privacy. So what to buy? I've been without ANY phone for a week since my old died because I can't make up my mind
From what I read on all kinds of fora it appears to me that the z3c might not be a wise choice if I intent to run custom-roms on it (and still want a well functioning camera)? I really want bluetooth and decent camera performance.
In general, it seems that custom roms are a bigger pain on the z3c than on other devices, but I was unable to even find if this problem is specific to the z3 series, a general xperia problem, or a general problem with recent smartphones (and what is recent?).
Could anyone comment on this?
Many thanks for your kind help!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should read a little bit more.... Because all the answers are on the fora.
Anyway, the camera + custom rom problem is a more general problem to Xperia phones because of post processing of images which is not possible on a unlocked bootloader.
But you really do not need a custom rom on the z3c, which makes it an amazing phone for me.
I run Lollipop, debloated with @moly82 debloat script + xposed + apex launcher + #nochromo. This gives an almost AOSP experience and with xposed ofcourse you can add almost any custom rom feature to your Z3c (I use Xprivacy for privacy, gravitybox, xperiaxposed etc.)
So to conclude: You do not need a custom rom at all when you have Xposed working perfectly on the Z3C.... also, that way you have amazing battery life Better then any custom rom can deliver.
Robin>Hood said:
You should read a little bit more.... Because all the answers are on the fora.
Anyway, the camera + custom rom problem is a more general problem to Xperia phones because of post processing of images which is not possible on a unlocked bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sure the answer is somewhere in the fora, so sorry for that. But quite frankly it's hard to know where to start - xda is huge and there's other fora as well. Plus search terms alone can take the form of D5803, Z3c or Z3 compact for the model alone...
Robin>Hood said:
But you really do not need a custom rom on the z3c, which makes it an amazing phone for me.
I run Lollipop, debloated with @moly82 debloat script + xposed + apex launcher + #nochromo. This gives an almost AOSP experience and with xposed ofcourse you can add almost any custom rom feature to your Z3c (I use Xprivacy for privacy, gravitybox, xperiaxposed etc.)
So to conclude: You do not need a custom rom at all when you have Xposed working perfectly on the Z3C.... also, that way you have amazing battery life Better then any custom rom can deliver.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sounds great!! The custom rom would be just because of privacy concerns - I want google out of my phone as much as possible, but I'm not willing to experiment with non android operating systems (yet).
Thanks for the info, so far everybody seemed quite frustrated with the z3c, you're the first positive voice!

Ok, what next. Need a fresh.

Ok, I've had my Z3C since october 2014 and still have several months on the contract.
Other than the battery running less hours, Its pretty much been running great and don't mind keeping it for a while.
Its rooted with KitKat. Has a unlockable bootloader. And I know LP is out there, I wasn't too keen on the look originally, but seen many people using it as standard. I haven't for the year been following the forums, just busy, so.
My question, with all that's happened. There's a lot to sift through over a year, in a nutshell - is a rooted LP stable/smooth to use everyday with xposed? What are the basic hates of LP different to KK?
Is MM ready or still too early? Would it be better to wait, as KK is like windows 7 to me lol. It works lol.
Has the camera improved at all? What happened to RAW implementation?
it seems that other phones that use the same exmor sensor, in my eyes (as a pro photographer) their images handle contrast/colours better and backlighting.
Btw has anybody changed their battery? Is it possible?
Hope it's not a lot to ask. There's way too much forums to search through of 365 days lol.
Sensible or weird answers please lol. Thx
I wish their was a table or something that showed this or a chart. I'm now asking a lot.
davestuarts said:
Ok, I've had my Z3C since october 2014 and still have several months on the contract.
Other than the battery running less hours, Its pretty much been running great and don't mind keeping it for a while.
Its rooted with KitKat. Has a unlockable bootloader. And I know LP is out there, I wasn't too keen on the look originally, but seen many people using it as standard. I haven't for the year been following the forums, just busy, so.
My question, with all that's happened. There's a lot to sift through over a year, in a nutshell - is a rooted LP stable/smooth to use everyday with xposed? What are the basic hates of LP different to KK?
Is MM ready or still too early? Would it be better to wait, as KK is like windows 7 to me lol. It works lol.
Has the camera improved at all? What happened to RAW implementation?
it seems that other phones that use the same exmor sensor, in my eyes (as a pro photographer) their images handle contrast/colours better and backlighting.
Btw has anybody changed their battery? Is it possible?
Hope it's not a lot to ask. There's way too much forums to search through of 365 days lol.
Sensible or weird answers please lol. Thx
I wish their was a table or something that showed this or a chart. I'm now asking a lot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. The phone runs butter smooth and super stable with LP + root + xposed. I've been running this configuration for... three months now (since 23.4.A.1.232 FW came out). Everything runs great.
2. I think battery is still worse than on KK. I've never got more than 7,5h OST. I don't know how much I got on KitKat because I've never used it for more than a couple days so no comparison. But I've heard the phone was capable of even more than 10h OST. I don't know Anyways the battery lasts for full 2 days of usage for me. And today I'm really light user, the old days of massive gameplay came to an end for now but I always have WiFi, BT and Mobile data active so I think the battery is OK.
3. MM is not ready, still in works. We have beta program but I'd rather wait for a full release AND even a little bit more... until the bugs are solved because Sony's fresh ROM's are like a freaking bug magnet.
4. Camera - no comparison to KK. I think it sometimes behaves like it was confused. Overall it's good, pictures are great but sometimes I miss my old Xperia T. It did incredible photos (https://goo.gl/photos/sGQGy4mmPu7pSfLi8 - enjoy!)...
5. No RAW... "We're cooked"... for now
6. Battery replacement is possible but it is very complex, you have to remove the whole motherboard to change the batery because it's underneath and there is no way to access it other than removing back panel. I'd suggest sending the phone to warranty claiming that there's something wrong with the battery. Maybe they'll replace it
7. Awesome phone, I'm glad I switched from Xperia T to Z3C
Cheers!
romcio47 said:
1. The phone runs butter smooth and super stable with LP + root + xposed. I've been running this configuration for... three months now (since 23.4.A.1.232 FW came out). Everything runs great.
2. I think battery is still worse than on KK. I've never got more than 7,5h OST. I don't know how much I got on KitKat because I've never used it for more than a couple days so no comparison. But I've heard the phone was capable of even more than 10h OST. I don't know Anyways the battery lasts for full 2 days of usage for me. And today I'm really light user, the old days of massive gameplay came to an end for now but I always have WiFi, BT and Mobile data active so I think the battery is OK.
3. MM is not ready, still in works. We have beta program but I'd rather wait for a full release AND even a little bit more... until the bugs are solved because Sony's fresh ROM's are like a freaking bug magnet.
4. Camera - no comparison to KK. I think it sometimes behaves like it was confused. Overall it's good, pictures are great but sometimes I miss my old Xperia T. It did incredible photos (https://goo.gl/photos/sGQGy4mmPu7pSfLi8 - enjoy!)...
5. No RAW... "We're cooked"... for now
6. Battery replacement is possible but it is very complex, you have to remove the whole motherboard to change the batery because it's underneath and there is no way to access it other than removing back panel. I'd suggest sending the phone to warranty claiming that there's something wrong with the battery. Maybe they'll replace it
7. Awesome phone, I'm glad I switched from Xperia T to Z3C
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow. That's exactly what I wanted know.
So the camera not any better and No Raw, typical Sony. Too bad. I don't know how the other phone makers are doing it, using the same sensor as well.
Yeah, I know we've moved on, but my nokia n95 with zeiss lense took amazing images even if a little noisy.
Yeah, sony is determinately a software bug magnet. I remember the headaches with sonicstage minidisc days lol.
I thought the battery would be difficult to change. I thought If I could it, it will act like a new phone again. I did my HTC One x, so may look into it anyway.
Really appreciate the time you took for the info I needed.
Btw love the beemer 5 series. Classic. Your sony T really took great images.
Update. After your positive reply.
I went ahead and installed 5.1.1 STOCK 23.4.A.1.264 SLiM 4.5.
Runs really well. Xposed functions great. And it has new camera libraries from the Z5 (though I haven't tested/compared yet).
Overall a really good rom for locked AND unlocked bootloader phones.
cheers

Root/Custom ROM/Bluetooth/DRM issues (Stop me buying an iPhone 6s!)

Hi guys,
My knowledge of ROMs and rooting isn't the best so please bare with me if this question seems dumb. And before anyone says, I have read this thread (and countless others) but would like some clarification.
I've always wanted to install CyanogenMod to my Z3 Compact because my car, an E46 BMW has not been able to pair with my phone since 4.2.2 when a change to bluetooth.default.so was made - Cyanogenmod has the fix.
I have seen recent posts on this forum that suggest if the phone is rooted and a custom ROM is installed, I'm still able to maintain my camera quality which previously was limited (fish-eye effect and low light poor quality) due to the loss of DRM'd software due to a DRM restore fix created by one of the forum members. Is this correct? This was the only thing that ever stopped me rooting my Z3 as camera quality is of high importance to me.
I've been using an iPhone 5s since my screen smashed last month and I planned to buy an iPhone 6s this weekend but if it seems I can use the Z3 Compact for all purposes ( In-car Bluetooth, stable Android, good camera and battery life) then I will definitely get the screen repaired tomorrow!
Thanks in advance.
This is a link explaining the Bluetooth issue I'm talking about.
tsmr said:
Hi guys,
My knowledge of ROMs and rooting isn't the best so please bare with me if this question seems dumb. And before anyone says, I have read this thread (and countless others) but would like some clarification.
I've always wanted to install CyanogenMod to my Z3 Compact because my car, an E46 BMW has not been able to pair with my phone since 4.2.2 when a change to bluetooth.default.so was made - Cyanogenmod has the fix.
I have seen recent posts on this forum that suggest if the phone is rooted and a custom ROM is installed, I'm still able to maintain my camera quality which previously was limited (fish-eye effect and low light poor quality) due to the loss of DRM'd software due to a DRM restore fix created by one of the forum members. Is this correct? This was the only thing that ever stopped me rooting my Z3 as camera quality is of high importance to me.
I've been using an iPhone 5s since my screen smashed last month and I planned to buy an iPhone 6s this weekend but if it seems I can use the Z3 Compact for all purposes ( In-car Bluetooth, stable Android, good camera and battery life) then I will definitely get the screen repaired tomorrow!
Thanks in advance.
This is a link explaining the Bluetooth issue I'm talking about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is true, I am using DRM fix for my Z3c because I didn't backup my DRM keys (duh!) and the camera quality seems perfect, although the fix says it also restores X-Reality and whatnot but I haven't got to get the engine working, I fixed that with Color Control to match my saturation and colors needs...
As for the Bluetooth issues, I've kinda experienced problems with it too, I have a Bluetooth gamepad, and whenever I'm playing an Android game that supports controllers, it disconnects, but when I play on emulators it doesn't happen... I don't know if there's a fix for that but oh well.
DRM fix works only on stock based roms and on Concept roms.
It doesn't work on custom roms like Cyanogenmod.
istux said:
DRM fix works only on stock based roms and on Concept roms.
It doesn't work on custom roms like Cyanogenmod.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. I don't actually need CyanogenMod, I just need to be able to edit the bluetooth.default.so file as per the thread I linked so that in-car Bluetooth works with my handset. Is this possible whilst maintaining camera quality?
Also when you say 'only works on stock based ROMs' - does this mean that I could install stock Android 6.0 to my device with a custom bluetooth.default.so file, then install the DRM fix and it will work as normal? This would be amazing!
PS. What is a Concept ROM?
I'm so sorry for asking what are most probably stupid questions but I'm fairly new to the Android scene thus still learning.
Of course its possible, you don't need unlocked bootloader to edit system files lol. Unlock bootloaders are used to install custom kernels or firmwares not made by Sony, like CyanogenMod or AOKP and etc.
Concept, is the "Alpha" Edition of Marshmallow that Sony plans to ship out within the next few months, they let a select a number of people to test out the rom and help them debug it. I don't recommend installing it as it is near beta stage and the number of bugs really don't make it suitable as a daily driver for you phone, stick with Lollipop until we get the official stable update unless you know what you're doing.
Good luck!
Revontheus said:
Of course its possible, you don't need unlocked bootloader to edit system files lol. Unlock bootloaders are used to install custom kernels or firmwares not made by Sony, like CyanogenMod or AOKP and etc.
Concept, is the "Alpha" Edition of Marshmallow that Sony plans to ship out within the next few months, they let a select a number of people to test out the rom and help them debug it. I don't recommend installing it as it is near beta stage and the number of bugs really don't make it suitable as a daily driver for you phone, stick with Lollipop until we get the official stable update unless you know what you're doing.
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for explaining what Concept is. I guess that's not something that I need right now! To clarify; are you saying that to be able to edit system files, I don't need to unlock my bootloader? I was under the impression that to do this I'd need to:
a) Unlock bootloader.
b) Root device.
c) Access/edit the bluetooth system files.
Any advice on the steps I need to take to have my Z3 Compact work with my car whilst maintaining original camera quality would be much appreciated!
PS. Due to the prompt, positive responses in this thread, I've just taken my Z3 to a local to store so the screen can be repaired. Thanks all for the help - such good folk!
tsmr said:
Thanks for the reply. I don't actually need CyanogenMod, I just need to be able to edit the bluetooth.default.so file as per the thread I linked so that in-car Bluetooth works with my handset. Is this possible whilst maintaining camera quality?
Also when you say 'only works on stock based ROMs' - does this mean that I could install stock Android 6.0 to my device with a custom bluetooth.default.so file, then install the DRM fix and it will work as normal? This would be amazing!
PS. What is a Concept ROM?
I'm so sorry for asking what are most probably stupid questions but I'm fairly new to the Android scene thus still learning.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you need only the root in order to work on that bluetooth file, you can do it without unlocking the bootloader.
Follow this tutorial: http://forum.xda-developers.com/z3-compact/general/how-to-root-backup-drm-keys-t3013343
You will be able to get root without losing DRM keys and else you will make a backup of DRM keys So, if in the future you need/want to unlock the bootloader, you have a safe copy of your keys. :good:
istux said:
If you need only the root in order to work on that bluetooth file, you can do it without unlocking the bootloader.
Follow this tutorial: http://forum.xda-developers.com/z3-compact/general/how-to-root-backup-drm-keys-t3013343
You will be able to get root without losing DRM keys and else you will make a backup of DRM keys So, if in the future you need/want to unlock the bootloader, you have a safe copy of your keys. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much. Will try this in the morning and hopefully I will be able to use Bluetooth in my car once again!
tsmr said:
My knowledge of ROMs and rooting isn't the best[...]I have seen recent posts on this forum that suggest if the phone is rooted and a custom ROM is installed, I'm still able to maintain my camera quality[...]camera quality is of high importance to me
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My suggestion (solely based on the points your described):
Either get a Z3c and stick to stock ROM
Or get an iPhone (seriously)
Now don't get me wrong, I am not being against custom ROMs. I am running CM myself and the first think I do before buying any android phone is to check if it has official CM support But you need to know that custom ROMs come with their own cost, and it depends whether you're willing to pay the price.
Reasons for my suggestion to you is that the road to unlocked bootloader and custom ROMs is a rough one. You'll be adding more mods and flashing more updates and you quickly end up with a phone which gets into the way and needs constant maintenance. Then there are issues with warranty, security, bugs, etc. Checking the forums for changelogs, kernels and ROMs will become a normal routine.
If you're regular user who wants his/her phone to just work, accept one of my suggestion and save yourself some pain. However, you might choose to be adventurous, then welcome to the community
PS: I'm myself exploring Z3c and iPhone 5s for my next phone.
Honestly, the road to rooting and properly running a rooted software is really not that long and rocky if you follow the linked thread perfectly. You also don't NEED to unlock the BL to get most of the advantages (there are many pre-rooted customized ROMs available without needing an unlocked BL). Follow the thread, stick to a good stable ROM or customization (I'm on Max Fury right now and she did some amazing work, check it out), and you'll be just fine. My BL is not even unlockable, doesn't bother me one bit. You can use Nova for a more Google-ish feel, and Sony's 5.1.1 is already pretty good at not being "Sony-fied".
Anyhow, this is the best phone I've ever owned, not looking back (I've had MANY more than just in my signature).
hv6478 said:
NOTE: annotated snippets from original comment
- if you follow the linked thread perfectly
- you also don't NEED to unlock the BL to get most of the advantages (it's upto you to figure out that just which advantages follow under that "most" category)
- follow the thread
- stick to a good stable ROM or customization (it's upto you to figure out whether you need a rom or customization)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. This proves my point even more! Now just compare this to getting a phone that just works
Although ROM customization is a beautiful and powerful idea, it's not for everyone, and comes at a cost (read: complexity). If anyone is ready to handle the complexity, please dive right in
Please don't mistake me. I'm not trying to disrespect the devs or offend custom ROM users, I'm both. I'm just trying to list down the pros and cons.

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