Database Info

Verizon SG3 worth keeping?

Given Verizon's encrypted bootloader and highly unlikely chance that the developer version will help in unlocking this phone, is it still worth keeping? I haven't even taken the SG3 out of the FedEx box because I don't want to be stuck with an unmoddable phone. I currently have a Thunderbolt running ThunderShed's ROM with IMO's kernel, and do not want to give up that experience just for a shinier phone. What are your thoughts and opinions?

I'd say it's worth keeping till the end of the 14-day return period, hopefully the bootloader will either be cracked by then (of course, this date varies depending on when you got your phone), or it will become apparent that it's never going to be cracked.

Jacquestrapp said:
I'd say it's worth keeping till the end of the 14-day return period, hopefully the bootloader will either be cracked by then (of course, this date varies depending on when you got your phone), or it will become apparent that it's never going to be cracked.
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I just received the phone yesterday, so I have until 7/25 - a good chunk of dev time. I just really hope this doesn't turn out to be a Moto-esque debacle where it's a massive kludge.

One thing that I've noticed with this phone vs others: it works extremely well out of the box. Not only that but we're going to get JB. If modding is that super important to you, either wait for the next Nexus (not guaranteed to be on VZW), or get the current one. You're not going to get a totally moddable phone anymore unless you get the Nexus. Or you can just switch carriers for an unlocked GS3.
For myself: I'm tired of crackflashing. I'm tired of running the latest ROM release and working through bugs. I'm sick of things not working and constantly wiping over and over again. I wanted a phone that just worked well out of the box, and the GS3 is perfect for that. Of course this is entirely subjective, and your needs are obviously more inline with Nexus devices. I'd say if you don't want to put the bootloader status to chance, wait for the next Nexus.

mustbepbs said:
One thing that I've noticed with this phone vs others: it works extremely well out of the box. Not only that but we're going to get JB. If modding is that super important to you, either wait for the next Nexus (not guaranteed to be on VZW), or get the current one. You're not going to get a totally moddable phone anymore unless you get the Nexus. Or you can just switch carriers for an unlocked GS3.
For myself: I'm tired of crackflashing. I'm tired of running the latest ROM release and working through bugs. I'm sick of things not working and constantly wiping over and over again. I wanted a phone that just worked well out of the box, and the GS3 is perfect for that. Of course this is entirely subjective, and your needs are obviously more inline with Nexus devices. I'd say if you don't want to put the bootloader status to chance, wait for the next Nexus.
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WOW!!! right on the head with that one, I feel the exact same way.
Usually I jump on any mod available but this time i like it just working.
I'm really just waiting on Jelly Bean now.

Depends if you can roll stock. I got at&t gs3. On task and ktoon AOPK and phone is far better than touch wiz. Even with a few minor bugs that will be worked out. On release #2 and its awsome
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium

Got my phone today and I gotta admit I love the phone Rooted with stock. I would say keep it. Remember the bootloader is locked but only for now.

Aquila76 said:
Given Verizon's encrypted bootloader and highly unlikely chance that the developer version will help in unlocking this phone, is it still worth keeping? I haven't even taken the SG3 out of the FedEx box because I don't want to be stuck with an unmoddable phone. I currently have a Thunderbolt running ThunderShed's ROM with IMO's kernel, and do not want to give up that experience just for a shinier phone. What are your thoughts and opinions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its extremely early to write off our chances of getting past the bootloader. Even with the encrypted bootloader there has been massives amount of progress, and the phone just hit the stores TODAY. Calling it an unmoddable phone isn't accurate, as we already have the ability to run custom kernels and roms, just not an unsigned boot image. Patience is key, but if you dont have any, return it and get a GNEX with its one gig of ram and 5mp camera

In the news
Samsung will offer open bootloader for Verizon SGS3 phones - on their site.

bravomail said:
Samsung will offer open bootloader for Verizon SGS3 phones - on their site.
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Where is the source or proof of your claim

I was in the same boat op but after using mine I'm loving it. I came from a droid x running cm7gb and I miss things like hard button music control and other customization but the hardware makes up for it. I rooted using the new method and I love it even more. I'm confident that the devs will make progress. IMO the gap between stock and custom is a lot smaller on this phone. Once jb comes to it it will be insane even if it's a samsung version.

bravomail said:
Samsung will offer open bootloader for Verizon SGS3 phones - on their site.
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Click to collapse
Yes, you can purchase a totally new phone for $600 if you're up for the expense. It's not a simple software download.

Thanks guys. I think I'm gonna go ahead and fire it up for the time being. Worst case, I can return it in a couple weeks if the stock ROM is too annoying. Best case, the bootloader gets cracked like my Thunderbolt. Most likely, I'll just stop worrying and love the bomb. It sounds like the OEMs have realized we don't want messy, bloated, slothy interfaces gumming up our phones.
Sent from my ADR6400L using xda premium

Well, just wanted to add a final note to this. I'm trying to return it and go back to my Thunderbolt. The radio is terrible compared to that phone, constantly dropping wifi and 3G/4G. The phone keeps locking to a black screen requiring a battery pull to restart it. Just not worth the aggravation.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

I plan on keeping the SG3 until the nexus comes out hopefully on Verizon.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Aquila76 said:
Well, just wanted to add a final note to this. I'm trying to return it and go back to my Thunderbolt. The radio is terrible compared to that phone, constantly dropping wifi and 3G/4G. The phone keeps locking to a black screen requiring a battery pull to restart it. Just not worth the aggravation.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
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Maybe you got a dud. I know (myself included) 8 people who already have these phones, plus many many on here and none have your issues. Yeah, your signal is reported differently than htc phones, but what gives there.

It's definitely worth keeping. I have came from iphones and various android devices such as the htc evo, motorola droid razr and the samsung galaxy nexus for verizon and I love the samsung s3. Out of all these devices even with the extended battery on them this battery/phone out performs the other phones.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

TechSavvy2 said:
Maybe you got a dud. I know (myself included) 8 people who already have these phones, plus many many on here and none have your issues. Yeah, your signal is reported differently than htc phones, but what gives there.
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Click to collapse
Guess there's lots of duds out there then...

TechSavvy2 said:
Maybe you got a dud. I know (myself included) 8 people who already have these phones, plus many many on here and none have your issues. Yeah, your signal is reported differently than htc phones, but what gives there.
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Exactly, this phone is awesome

Hmmm, a couple of people mentioned that they are tired of modding and crackflashing? Why are you still here on xda? I buy android so I can feed my addiction of owning new phones without actually changing devices. I look forward to new mods and roms.
Oh ya, with all the new development, almost everything can be done with the so called locked bootloader. I'm running the new cm10 /jelly Bean as my daily driver. #screwyouverizon
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

Aw man... I'm excited about this phone all over again.

I bought this phone maybe two months or a month and a half ago. At the time, I had no idea that root was impossible. I also own a Play Store Galaxy Nexus, so after being so free to do what I wanted with it for so long, the One X was giving me anxiety fits (anxiety over a cell phone, yes I know).
I don't really need two phones, so I should sell one. Which one though? The HOX is a monster in every aspect, but I can't fiddle with it. The Nexus is so nice in that arena, but the camera is borderline putrid and the screen is sort of dark. Plus I have good eyesight, so the Pentile nature of the screen boasts its presence at every turn. It runs everything pretty well and gets updates very quickly. The development is second to none. But the HOX. That screen. That camera. It has LTE. That snapdragon. I'm going to have less "spending money" available to me soon, so I want the phone that's most futureproof. That's obviously the HOX. Software is important. So what do I do? Hold out for the next Nexus? Sell both and get a Galaxy S3? I really prefer the HOX over the S3, so I don't want to do that. If only I could root the damn thing and put CM10 on it like I have on my GNex. Damn damn damn. I guess I'll be patient and see if the heroes of legend at XDA can work their magic.
I sift through the forums reading about this and that. CM10 on the HOX has a bunch of wakelocks? Wifi problems? Man, is it worth it to wait or should I just sell this thing while the prices are good? AT&T is purposefully crippling my baby. The one phone I want and I'm at the mercy of damn AT&T. Why can't HTC have the sort of power necessary to stand up to carriers like that fruit company from California? If only.
And just two nights ago, BAM. I worked until 12:30AM and have to return to work the next day at ~4:30AM, not to mention wake up at 3:30 so I can shower and shave with time to pick up a coworker at her place. It's 1:30 and I really ought to get some sleep. But I'm not finished with this delicious beer yet. Guess I'll check XDA in the meantime. Oh god... "Exploit found" says the bounty thread. Welp, so much for going to sleep now. So after fighting with both my computer and my phone for a while, my bootloader is unlocked. I don't know how to root yet because this is my first HTC phone. But we're off to a good start. I get an hour and a half of sleep and come home from work, tired and miserable. Should I nap? Hell no, I need TWRP. To XDA! Hello, custom recovery. Now I need root. What's this? A flashable SuperSU .zip? Hmm... let's try it. Better install a root check app since I don't know how to tell if I have root otherwise. Success! Well damn it, now I'm ready to flash the CM10 zip from Goo manager. Oh, no I'm not. I have to flash the boot.img with fastboot first. I've never done this before (GS2 and Gnex were my previous phones) and I don't know what the hell S-On is, but whatever. Let's do it. Good Lord, it worked. I'm one step closer to the love child of the Gnex and HOX that I've been so long waiting to adopt. Now I can flash the CM10 zip? Alright, let's do it.
And here I am. This is what I've been waiting for. After switching my sim card between my HOX and GNex almost every other day, I can finally leave it in one phone for a while. The ROM I'm running is labeled "experimental," but it really seems to be anything but. Aside from some visual quirks and some in-call echo, I've had practically zero issues using this phone. The battery life is comparable to stock, and while it seems to be lacking some of the butter of the CM10 Gnex nightlies, it's just fine for me. Fast. Stable. Powerful.
So this is me gushing over the devs here at XDA. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to righting what is repeatedly wronged by the juggernaut telecoms here in the US.

While most people hate AT&T for locking the bootloader, you can understand why they did it if you read the threads here about people flashing incompatible roms and hard bricking their phones. Especially this guy:
Originally Posted by timthatank05:
no... after trying to get it to work all day yesterday, i finally gave up and drove the car over it and then called the insurance on it... no phone for a few days at least...

cool man , dont forget to try other roms! many of them are cm10 based, you should try paranoid android :good:

area51avenger said:
While most people hate AT&T for locking the bootloader, you can understand why they did it if you read the threads here about people flashing incompatible roms and hard bricking their phones. Especially this guy:
Originally Posted by timthatank05:
no... after trying to get it to work all day yesterday, i finally gave up and drove the car over it and then called the insurance on it... no phone for a few days at least...
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Click to collapse
Lmao
Sent from my HTC One XL using xda app-developers app

What can I say. The OP is a showman haha.. awesome OP, glad to have you here in this awesome community
sent from my venom injected, blazingly fast as f#&k OneXL via xda premium

area51avenger said:
While most people hate AT&T for locking the bootloader, you can understand why they did it if you read the threads here about people flashing incompatible roms and hard bricking their phones. Especially this guy:
Originally Posted by timthatank05:
no... after trying to get it to work all day yesterday, i finally gave up and drove the car over it and then called the insurance on it... no phone for a few days at least...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol that's just plain funny

area51avenger said:
While most people hate AT&T for locking the bootloader, you can understand why they did it if you read the threads here about people flashing incompatible roms and hard bricking their phones. Especially this guy:
Originally Posted by timthatank05:
no... after trying to get it to work all day yesterday, i finally gave up and drove the car over it and then called the insurance on it... no phone for a few days at least...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
still fraud. :'(
Sent from my One X using xda premium

To the OP, I felt the same type of excitement when I saw it. I appreciate the time and effort put into this exploit and anyone who may have helped. It's even more exciting that theres awesome people who freely release these to the public so that awesome ROMS can be put on. I was so ticked off with my locked bootloader I almost switched it out for a motorola atrix HD. The first time I took it back was legit though, it had the muffled voice syndrome, and the phone was only 6 days old, the corp store tried to give me a refurbished phone! ... I refused it and got a new one, and that one had battery issues, had to take it back a second time but finally got it straight right on the day of the root exploit. At the end of the week if I got any spare change I am definitely going to donate for the hard work it took and the time and patience.
area51avenger said:
While most people hate AT&T for locking the bootloader, you can understand why they did it if you read the threads here about people flashing incompatible roms and hard bricking their phones. Especially this guy:
Originally Posted by timthatank05:
no... after trying to get it to work all day yesterday, i finally gave up and drove the car over it and then called the insurance on it... no phone for a few days at least...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL, good quote find.
On one hand yes, I can understand why a company may lock down a bootloader and I am sure many companies going forward may get the same dangerous idea. Maybe its true intentions is to protect people from bricking the phone or wasting their time with claims etc .. but on the other hand imagine if you bought a computer and Dell or HP comes in and says, well we locked down the firmware we dont want you putting any other OS in there but microsoft. Also, on top of that we dont want you using any other video cards besides an ATI card .. to prevent you from this we locked down the firmware. It's poisonous to creativity.
I believe in open source and feel saddened when we get locked bootloaders. I love the Android OS, I feel it should be completely open without any company interferences so that many great devs can continue to create and modify the existing OS/ROMs. Its a two sided coin.
I really am loving XDA, so much useful info, so many things to learn.

Lmao I nearly messed myself when I first saw that thread. That douche is never gonna live it down.
Sent from my HTC One XL using xda premium

Stories like that kind of worry me, I just got the phone and love playing with Nova Prime but have dug into rooting it yet until I read more about it.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium

Everyone is guilty of the childlike excitement you get when you successfully root a new phone and see that first Rom you want to try
:fingers-crossed:

Coming from galaxy s5. Thinking of switching to m8 some questions

Had my second s5 for 10 days now and having same slow data issue/network disconnects. How is the m8 as far as can I buy one and root and unlock it even if it might be a newer firmware now? I see the development is a whole lot better here than the s5. Or I might just fix my broken s4 and go back to that. Thanks
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

cell128 said:
Had my second s5 for 10 days now and having same slow data issue/network disconnects. How is the m8 as far as can I buy one and root and unlock it even if it might be a newer firmware now? I see the development is a whole lot better here than the s5. Or I might just fix my broken s4 and go back to that. Thanks
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Coming from an s5 myself, I gotta say I love the m8. No slow data or wonky disconnects. And it's easy as pie to root, if you're willing to pay for sunshine?

I came from a galaxy to the m8 and have no complaints. The m8 seems much sturdier than my galaxy. I love that the screeen doesn't go all the way to the corner, as I've had some fractures to my screen in the past from corner impacts with my galaxy. Got my phone about a month ago so I would assume it's the newest model still. I temp rooted with weaksauce, ran firewater with adb and achieved root and s-off. Some people are having problems with firewater though, in which case you have to buy sunshine for $25 and will achieve the same thing.
Hope this helps with your decision
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using XDA Free mobile app

I came from the S3. Was running CM11 and the phone still great. It was hard to give up really. I've had my M8 for a couple weeks now and I love it. Had it unlocked and s-off with Sunshine the second day. Running Sinless ROM now. Its a great phone, blazing fast and actually the camera is pretty decent. Being one a GPE ROM I thought that the Google camera was garbage but with fv5 camera is great. I would highly recommend it.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2

Like others have said, plan to pay $25 for SunShine. If you can S-OFF with the free tools, that's great (I was able to) but you just might have to pay. Consider that before jumping. S5 can be rooted for free with TowelRoot, then you can flash TWRP/CWM and be on your way.
The big thing about coming from any Samsung to anything else is you will automatically get better signal. Samsung goes to the dollar store for their radios/modems, and they buy refurbished to boot. (Not literally, but it seems like it.) I came from the S3 on a different carrier. Night. And. Day. I went from having to put my phone in the kitchen windowsill to make or receive calls. Now I can make or receive calls in bed. Part of that is Verizon's network, as opposed to the other one... but Samsung radio quality (or rather the lack thereof) is well documented. The S5 is newer, but the S3 was widely considered the best smartphone of all time for a good little while there.
To its credit, the S3 seemed to have better ROM compatibility. Except when it didn't. Most of the time it was just fine running AOSP-based firmware. Then it would act up. "Cannot connect to camera." Reboot. Get a few more pictures, then it happens again. Reboot. And it would always do it at birthday parties when I really needed a dependable camera. But for the most part it was golden. The One M8? Just doesn't feel right using anything but Sense. I don't use Blinkfeed and I think I'm about to replace their locker with WidgetLocker, and I wish I could replace their quick settings toggles (I really just want flashlight and screen off in there), but the ROM itself (well, CleanROM) is rock solid. It's no longer like, "My phone is okay, but _____," it's more like, "I have the best smartphone on the market."
Have you ever seen an ad for a smartphone, looked at yours and said, "Gee, I wish I had THAT phone?" Or maybe not an ad, maybe a spy show, something like 24? When the latest season of 24 started, I had my Galaxy S3, and they're up there rocking Galaxy S5, iPhone 5S, and I forget what else... I think it was a Windows Phone 8.1 model... and it's like, "Okay, my phone's 2 years old, of course the spies on 24 have better phones." But then I got my One M8, and it's like, "Wow... I have a better phone than Chloe O'Brian, or any of the CIA/Secret Service people... Nobody on this show has a better phone than I do." It's a good feeling, to see someone rocking an awesome phone on TV, and to be able to think, "Mine's better." Or maybe it's just me. And I'm usually not like that.

Dark Reality said:
Like others have said, plan to pay $25 for SunShine. If you can S-OFF with the free tools, that's great (I was able to) but you just might have to pay. Consider that before jumping. S5 can be rooted for free with TowelRoot, then you can flash TWRP/CWM and be on your way.
The big thing about coming from any Samsung to anything else is you will automatically get better signal. Samsung goes to the dollar store for their radios/modems, and they buy refurbished to boot. (Not literally, but it seems like it.) I came from the S3 on a different carrier. Night. And. Day. I went from having to put my phone in the kitchen windowsill to make or receive calls. Now I can make or receive calls in bed. Part of that is Verizon's network, as opposed to the other one... but Samsung radio quality (or rather the lack thereof) is well documented. The S5 is newer, but the S3 was widely considered the best smartphone of all time for a good little while there.
To its credit, the S3 seemed to have better ROM compatibility. Except when it didn't. Most of the time it was just fine running AOSP-based firmware. Then it would act up. "Cannot connect to camera." Reboot. Get a few more pictures, then it happens again. Reboot. And it would always do it at birthday parties when I really needed a dependable camera. But for the most part it was golden. The One M8? Just doesn't feel right using anything but Sense. I don't use Blinkfeed and I think I'm about to replace their locker with WidgetLocker, and I wish I could replace their quick settings toggles (I really just want flashlight and screen off in there), but the ROM itself (well, CleanROM) is rock solid. It's no longer like, "My phone is okay, but _____," it's more like, "I have the best smartphone on the market."
Have you ever seen an ad for a smartphone, looked at yours and said, "Gee, I wish I had THAT phone?" Or maybe not an ad, maybe a spy show, something like 24? When the latest season of 24 started, I had my Galaxy S3, and they're up there rocking Galaxy S5, iPhone 5S, and I forget what else... I think it was a Windows Phone 8.1 model... and it's like, "Okay, my phone's 2 years old, of course the spies on 24 have better phones." But then I got my One M8, and it's like, "Wow... I have a better phone than Chloe O'Brian, or any of the CIA/Secret Service people... Nobody on this show has a better phone than I do." It's a good feeling, to see someone rocking an awesome phone on TV, and to be able to think, "Mine's better." Or maybe it's just me. And I'm usually not like that.
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Click to collapse
There is a zip file that will add the flashlight and other tiles here somewhere

Came from the S3. It was a great phone but after switching to the M8 don't miss my S3 or Sammy and their locked down crap anymore.

S7 bootloader unlock petition

Anybody interested in the bootloader and unlocking it I encourage you to sign this petition. These phones are ours to use how we see fit and the more noise we make the better our chances are. I bought this phone under the assumption that nothing had changed and for Samsung to change their policies without notice isn't acceptable for me and hopefully you as well. Thank you
Petition

Dude, there's honestly no point. Ive been on xda for about 10 years and ive always need to root every single android phone ive owned. Until recently, Samsung started making pretty good android phones starting with the s6 and up. I had no reason to root my s6, note 5, and now no reason to root my s7 edge. Im not saying you should have no need to root yours, i just feel like Samsung and android have come a long way and nowadays rooting serves no purpose;for me at least. Is rooting worth losing Samsung pay or any other security features we need to protect us? Not really. Also, Samsung can change their policies as they please, you still bought their phone. Rooting died a couple years ago, move on. Best of luck with your petition.

No point is simply just not true. I haven't even looked at a Samsung until the S6 last year and I got the M9 instead. Now with HTC dumping boomsound on the M10 I switched after 8 HTC phones. While I agree Samsung has come a long way not only in hardware but software and you can do more things now without root I still miss it a lot. Have this phone a week now, not having root sucks. It's just not the same. While yes you can do quite a bit without it, there is still plenty missing. People saying that root is dead or they don't need it is just denial for the fact that things have got so locked down it's not worth justifying the hassle which might just be true.
Let's say knox was never developed, triangle away still worked so you could also go back to stock and you could flash away with an unlocked bootloader everyone would be singing a totally different tune and you guys would be rooted. Now that Samsung has total control, we have to justify it to ourselves on why it makes sense not to root which frankly right now I think is the case.

kennypow3rs said:
Dude, there's honestly no point. Ive been on xda for about 10 years and ive always need to root every single android phone ive owned. Until recently, Samsung started making pretty good android phones starting with the s6 and up. I had no reason to root my s6, note 5, and now no reason to root my s7 edge. Im not saying you should have no need to root yours, i just feel like Samsung and android have come a long way and nowadays rooting serves no purpose;for me at least. Is rooting worth losing Samsung pay or any other security features we need to protect us? Not really. Also, Samsung can change their policies as they please, you still bought their phone. Rooting died a couple years ago, move on. Best of luck with your petition.
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Click to collapse
Its all good if you have no interest then that's fine but I for one do. I hate touchjiz and the bloatware that is just the tip of the iceberg. Rooting will never die maybe some people don't but most that have rooted will always want it. Thanks for your input though. Without root we really don't have any need for a development section so this forum will likely die. I'm jumping ship to the lg g5 until samsung does something if they ever do.

brendan802 said:
Its all good if you have no interest then that's fine but I for one do. I hate touchjiz and the bloatware that is just the tip of the iceberg. Rooting will never die maybe some people don't but most that have rooted will always want it. Thanks for your input though. Without root we really don't have any need for a development section so this forum will likely die. I'm jumping ship to the lg g5 until samsung does something if they ever do.
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I personally have no problem with Samsung locking things down. In fact for the general pop it will be great, but since we live in the free world it Samsung should still allow the option of choice. As long as they have the proper disclaimer in place that warns of consequences the one can make the decision. I think the big reason for the locked bootloader has to do with carriers leasing the phones. Since rooting breaks the pay app and can't reversed. Just imagine if you got a previous leased phone and the pay app doesn't work. What samsung should do is allow for a complete reset factory action including knox. Maybe not have it available to the general public but maybe the carriers or somewhere higher up. This would give the best of both worlds.

kennypow3rs said:
Dude, there's honestly no point. Ive been on xda for about 10 years and ive always need to root every single android phone ive owned. Until recently, Samsung started making pretty good android phones starting with the s6 and up. I had no reason to root my s6, note 5, and now no reason to root my s7 edge. Im not saying you should have no need to root yours, i just feel like Samsung and android have come a long way and nowadays rooting serves no purpose;for me at least. Is rooting worth losing Samsung pay or any other security features we need to protect us? Not really. Also, Samsung can change their policies as they please, you still bought their phone. Rooting died a couple years ago, move on. Best of luck with your petition.
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Click to collapse
Dude you've been here 5 years. I've been here 7. Neither of which matters. Rooting didn't die any more than rock and roll did when disco came along.
I drive a semi and without root I can't get the headphone, or bluetooth, volumes high enough when running through the trucks stereo. And before you start talking about headphones, those that cover both ears are illegal and i don't like listening through only one ear. So I want root. If you don't that's wonderful for you, but please don't step onto a developers board, claim seniority you just don't have, and try to tell people the board has become meaningless.

DreamingWolf said:
Dude you've been here 5 years. I've been here 7. Neither of which matters. Rooting didn't die any more than rock and roll did when disco came along.
I drive a semi and without root I can't get the headphone, or bluetooth, volumes high enough when running through the trucks stereo. And before you start talking about headphones, those that cover both ears are illegal and i don't like listening through only one ear. So I want root. If you don't that's wonderful for you, but please don't step onto a developers board, claim seniority you just don't have, and try to tell people the board has become meaningless.
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This is my second account ive definitely been here since the palm and original HTC touch days with Windows pocket lol. But to the point, rooting is dead per se, but there's definitely less of a reason to do so these days. Touch wiz is damn near perfect. Even for those thay dont like it can slap a launcher on it. I see no purpose to root, i can block ads with ad guard. Also stock android doesnt have all the bells and whistles either so id rsther stay stock. Again, i know others may need it, but i was simply saying its pointless thess days. I still come here for many other things, just not to root.
Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

kennypow3rs said:
This is my second account ive definitely been here since the palm and original HTC touch days with Windows pocket lol.
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I stand corrected.
kennypow3rs said:
Again, i know others may need it, but i was simply saying its pointless these days.
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Click to collapse
Are not 'needed' and 'pointless' antonyms? You just refuted your own statement.
And I don't use stock android. I use rooted and modded versions of Sprint's base ROM. The only stock versions I have truly liked and used are by Temesek, and those tend to be few and far between on Sprint variants.
I also never use Touchwiz. It's been NovaLauncher for years now for me. And I just prefer all the little conveniences and tweaks that you can make with root. Like an extended power menu without having to add more apps from Google Play. And several diagnostic tools I use to troubleshoot when I have a weak or slow signal where I shouldn't.
So I'm really happy that your content to live with what Samsung and Sprint deign to allow you, I'm not. And since these boards seem to be doing just fine, I would guess that there are enough people who agree with me to make your opinion not nearly as wide spread as you believe it to be.
And one final question, if you believe rooting is pointless and dead, why are you still on these boards?

DreamingWolf said:
I stand corrected.
Are not 'needed' and 'pointless' antonyms? You just refuted your own statement.
And I don't use stock android. I use rooted and modded versions of Sprint's base ROM. The only stock versions I have truly liked and used are by Temesek, and those tend to be few and far between on Sprint variants.
I also never use Touchwiz. It's been NovaLauncher for years now for me. And I just prefer all the little conveniences and tweaks that you can make with root. Like an extended power menu without having to add more apps from Google Play. And several diagnostic tools I use to troubleshoot when I have a weak or slow signal where I shouldn't.
So I'm really happy that your content to live with what Samsung and Sprint deign to allow you, I'm not. And since these boards seem to be doing just fine, I would guess that there are enough people who agree with me to make your opinion not nearly as wide spread as you believe it to be.
And one final question, if you believe rooting is pointless and dead, why are you still on these boards?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I still come here for other things, like questions i may have, apps, reviews, and ive been here for so long i still help others when i can. Its still a community i am apart of regardless if i root or not.
Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

Root or not to root is a matter of opinion, I think it is far from dead or useless imo.
I have rooted every phone I have ever had that it was capable on within 24 hours of getting the phone just because I want to put on the phone what I want not what Samsung thinks I want.
I don't fit well with the masses and rooting let's me be that way with my phone....
That said this has been seen before on other devices and has been worked around by the amazing devs on this sight.
Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

Rooting will never die unless the manufacturers kill it. It has too much of a following with people that love to root and need to root. So yes no root is a huge deal for me I'm coming from a Nexus 6 where I had multirom and weekly updates. The phone never gets boring when it is unleashed and rootable. I have had the Edge for about a week and I'm already bored/frustrated with it. I'm going to the Sprint store today to try and return it. My Nexus 6 flies compared to the S7 Edge even though its specs are way better. Hardware can only get you so far the software is what makes the phone fly. The stock S7 Edge has so much BS bloatware and unneeded stuff that slows it down significantly. Give me the international one and maybe I would keep it. Also, the Samsung pay is a joke for me because it doesn't support any of my banks or cards. I will be preordering the LG G5 or waiting for the next Nexus.

We should have the option.
I don't really need to root today, because I primarily use the phone for business and I don't want to have it down because I change my mind on which ROM to pick every 6 hours.
But I want the option to get rid of the ****, yes, ****, they put on this phone. Why they load junk I can't get rid of is beyond me.
If we can't control the phone, I'll have to jump off the Samsung bandwagon next year...no matter how good they make it.
Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

brendan802 said:
Anybody interested in the bootloader and unlocking it I encourage you to sign this petition. These phones are ours to use how we see fit and the more noise we make the better our chances are. I bought this phone under the assumption that nothing had changed and for Samsung to change their policies without notice isn't acceptable for me and hopefully you as well. Thank you
Petition
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there one for Sprint? This petition does not go to them at all.
Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

So I've had this thought about this locked bootloader problem. I am not sure if this is a viable solution or whether it would even work. I was thinking that our European brethren has an unlocked bootloader. Would there be a way to Odin their bootloader on our devicesor would the fact that they have a different processor be a problem. Because in theory if we had a Samsung sign Odin file of with an unlocked bootloader we should be able to Odin and have a unlocked bootloader, no? Or is there more to it than that?

El.Dante565 said:
So I've had this thought about this locked bootloader problem. I am not sure if this is a viable solution or whether it would even work. I was thinking that our European brethren has an unlocked bootloader. Would there be a way to Odin their bootloader on our devicesor would the fact that they have a different processor be a problem. Because in theory if we had a Samsung sign Odin file of with an unlocked bootloader we should be able to Odin and have a unlocked bootloader, no? Or is there more to it than that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good question. But no, it would not work. Not even because it's a different processor, which that is part. But say if T Mobile got an unlocked bootloader, it would not work for Sprint. Nor would it necessarily help to know how it happened and use it as a road map to unlock another carrier's bl.
Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

not so fast
mkeller96 said:
Rooting will never die unless the manufacturers kill it. It has too much of a following with people that love to root and need to root. So yes no root is a huge deal for me I'm coming from a Nexus 6 where I had multirom and weekly updates. The phone never gets boring when it is unleashed and rootable. I have had the Edge for about a week and I'm already bored/frustrated with it. I'm going to the Sprint store today to try and return it. My Nexus 6 flies compared to the S7 Edge even though its specs are way better. Hardware can only get you so far the software is what makes the phone fly. The stock S7 Edge has so much BS bloatware and unneeded stuff that slows it down significantly. Give me the international one and maybe I would keep it. Also, the Samsung pay is a joke for me because it doesn't support any of my banks or cards. I will be preordering the LG G5 or waiting for the next Nexus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would suggest waiting to see if the bootloader is locked down on the lg g5 before ordering. I was not planning to root my s7e, but I must say I was curious to see what this powerhouse was capable of if unleashed from touchwiz,sadly I will never know.:crying:

Anyone else receive an OTA update this morning from Sprint? Took about 15 minutes to download and install.
I'm now showing software version G935PVPU2APC5.

runner77 said:
Anyone else receive an OTA update this morning from Sprint? Took about 15 minutes to download and install.
I'm now showing software version G935PVPU2APC5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have Ota's stopped, but i haveapb5.
Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

Root
I have a sneaky suspicion that the Sprint S7 & S7 Edge will end up just like the
ATT Note 5 and S6 Edge/Edge+ phones and will NEVER have root. LOL
I would strongly advice & suggest NOT to get rid of your current rooted phones at least not yet!!!
(unless you buy a different brand which can be rooted)
Have a great day!

El.Dante565 said:
So I've had this thought about this locked bootloader problem. I am not sure if this is a viable solution or whether it would even work. I was thinking that our European brethren has an unlocked bootloader. Would there be a way to Odin their bootloader on our devicesor would the fact that they have a different processor be a problem. Because in theory if we had a Samsung sign Odin file of with an unlocked bootloader we should be able to Odin and have a unlocked bootloader, no? Or is there more to it than that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the firmware for the Chinese model s7 edge it is the closest match to ours and the firmware will not load in odin. It checks against the model and csc codes so we couldn't even cross flash with t-mobiles firmware. I have the bootloader posted over in t-mobile forums and a few people are poking around to see what can be done. Unfortunately bootloader and hardware hacks are nothing I have ever done before.

How far behind am I?

I haven't had to root anything since the Evo 4g I used to have and its been shoved in a backpack with an extended battery for the past 2 years. I had several G1's, several old school Nexus devices and 3 or 4 Captivates. Couple of HTC devices thron in for good measure too.
I work for AppleCare and have had an iphone for the past 3 years but its gotten to the point where they are basically, blah. Just...nothing special about them. Long story short, i traded a 6 plus for my new S7 and couldn't be happier.
Questions: How afr out of the loop am I? I've used Odin but it was new when I stopped flashing.
-Is there anyting to gain from flashing/rooting besides debloating?? That was the main reason several years ago, that and trying to OC the processors. Hell, with quad cores and 4 gigs, who needs to OC anymore?? lol
Anyway, hope that makes sense and I look forward to being an active member once again.

thegreatkazoo said:
I haven't had to root anything since the Evo 4g I used to have and its been shoved in a backpack with an extended battery for the past 2 years. I had several G1's, several old school Nexus devices and 3 or 4 Captivates. Couple of HTC devices thron in for good measure too.
I work for AppleCare and have had an iphone for the past 3 years but its gotten to the point where they are basically, blah. Just...nothing special about them. Long story short, i traded a 6 plus for my new S7 and couldn't be happier.
Questions: How afr out of the loop am I? I've used Odin but it was new when I stopped flashing.
-Is there anyting to gain from flashing/rooting besides debloating?? That was the main reason several years ago, that and trying to OC the processors. Hell, with quad cores and 4 gigs, who needs to OC anymore?? lol
Anyway, hope that makes sense and I look forward to being an active member once again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First off let me say welcome back to the awesome side
As to what you're missing, it really depends on what you need from your device. While most of the features you'd need root to obtain are now a part of stock android, there are still a few things missing like ad blocking, or an awesome sound mod like v4a. And even then, some root apps/mods don't play nicely with Touchwiz.
My advice is to browse though the s7 forums and see if anything entices you that's worth rooting for.

Freewander10 said:
First off let me say welcome back to the awesome side
As to what you're missing, it really depends on what you need from your device. While most of the features you'd need root to obtain are now a part of stock android, there are still a few things missing like ad blocking, or an awesome sound mod like v4a. And even then, some root apps/mods don't play nicely with Touchwiz.
My advice is to browse though the s7 forums and see if anything entices you that's worth rooting for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its good to be back. mt wife still has her 6 plus but she's swapping it tomorrow for an s8. shes hella excited.
i remember tethering being a huge driver for rooting becuase carriers didnt see the usage. I have 14 gigs of hot spot that doesn't use my actual cell data so i don't guess i need to root. lol
I would love get all the crap off and go vanilla Nougat but i doubt its possible at this time. Thats about all i would want. pure google.

thegreatkazoo said:
its good to be back. mt wife still has her 6 plus but she's swapping it tomorrow for an s8. shes hella excited.
i remember tethering being a huge driver for rooting becuase carriers didnt see the usage. I have 14 gigs of hot spot that doesn't use my actual cell data so i don't guess i need to root. lol
I would love get all the crap off and go vanilla Nougat but i doubt its possible at this time. Thats about all i would want. pure google.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe the s7 forums have a decent amount of stable AOSP ROMs. I've not been over there in a while but you can take a look.
Vanilla android is very possible to obtain. But you might need to get your hands a bit dirty. As you're probably aware how tightly Samsung has been locking down "their" devices as of late.

Freewander10 said:
I believe the s7 forums have a decent amount of stable AOSP ROMs. I've not been over there in a while but you can take a look.
Vanilla android is very possible to obtain. But you might need to get your hands a bit dirty. As you're probably aware how tightly Samsung has been locking down "their" devices as of late.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh yea. I've kept up with all the news about locking bootloaders and what not. wish they would just put vanilla on them and just sell the phone for what it is, a phone. i don't mind getting dirty to be honest.
i remember when the capivates first came out they were supposed to be unbrickable. come to find out, they could be bricked, but a guy on here made a rig with a diode in a usb csble and it unbricked it. that was some cool stuff. lol

thegreatkazoo said:
oh yea. I've kept up with all the news about locking bootloaders and what not. wish they would just put vanilla on them and just sell the phone for what it is, a phone. i don't mind getting dirty to be honest.
i remember when the capivates first came out they were supposed to be unbrickable. come to find out, they could be bricked, but a guy on here made a rig with a diode in a usb csble and it unbricked it. that was some cool stuff. lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hear TW isn't as bad as it was once. But I guess that's subjective. I do agree with you though. And stock android would just fly on Samsung's hardware.
Those were the days.
The users here on xda have always found a way. Whether it be unlocking a device's BL, rooting it, unbricking it, or even bricking it
They've done it all.

Freewander10 said:
I hear TW isn't as bad as it was once. But I guess that's subjective. I do agree with you though. And stock android would just fly on Samsung's hardware.
Those were the days.
The users here on xda have always found a way. Whether it be unlocking a device's BL, rooting it, unbricking it, or even bricking it
They've done it all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i honestly love this phone.
its quick, great camera, expandable storage and looks awesome. I've got a 128 gig sd card in right now but ill be picking up another card so this one can go back in my laptop.
i have never minded touchwiz but its came a long way. a long long way.
one thing i would love to do, since i tether so much, is to have a tether option on the home screen(like a little switch) instead of having to go into settings-connections-tether in order to turn it on.

thegreatkazoo said:
i honestly love this phone.
its quick, great camera, expandable storage and looks awesome. I've got a 128 gig sd card in right now but ill be picking up another card so this one can go back in my laptop.
i have never minded touchwiz but its came a long way. a long long way.
one thing i would love to do, since i tether so much, is to have a tether option on the home screen(like a little switch) instead of having to go into settings-connections-tether in order to turn it on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm actually planning on getting one myself. Further down in the year though. The device is absolutely beautiful.
Most of the toggles/widgets on the playstore are dated. So they might not support newer versions of android. Especially the heavily modded TW. This app looks fairly recent though. So give it a shot
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.painless.pc

Freewander10 said:
I'm actually planning on getting one myself. Further down in the year though. The device is absolutely beautiful.
Most of the toggles/widgets on the playstore are dated. So they might not support newer versions of android. Especially the heavily modded TW. This app looks fairly recent though. So give it a shot
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.painless.pc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i just want to be able to flip a switch and turn on tethering. lol
no more, no less.