Develop Bugs

[Q] First thing to do after getting an ARC

Hi i'm new to the forum and am buying My first android tomorrow...
Just wanted suggestions on what precautions or apps i should install to make full use of the device.
Thanks in advance

Wow. No one bothered to answer or even comment? How indifferent people have become. So have you got your Arc and have you got the answer to your questions? Im sure you have by now... good luck anyway.

Well it's hard to answer such question to a person buying THE FIRST Android phone. This man didn't even share it's experience on smartphones. So what to do? Paste Manual here?

the fisrt thing you do after you get your arc is to show it off!!!
Then have fun

hey i am also going to buy a new one
so u can tell me some precautionary steps?
i have a bit of knowledge in android stuff.....so no need to paste whole manual just tell the short steps...i mean what kind of backup b4 modding etc...........

If you've had an x10 before then pretty straightforward, except the buttons... Root it, remove bloatware and take it from there.
Sent from my LT15i using XDA App

@sinkster :- i donot have x10 before..........

Well sum ppl dont need a smartphone background to learn what to put in your new phones...
By the way i have done way more than i had thought with my phone includiing rooting it to 2.3.3 and have more than 65 apps running with 3 different launchers as well as 8 different Gameloft titles running on the phone...
And i have never payed for any app till date...so thanx for nothing...
and just in case you still wanted to know i was from the nokia smartphone family which includes e71,5800 XM, E90 and N8..

lil_devil said:
Well sum ppl dont need a smartphone background to learn what to put in your new phones...
By the way i have done way more than i had thought with my phone includiing rooting it to 2.3.3 and have more than 65 apps running with 3 different launchers as well as 8 different Gameloft titles running on the phone...
And i have never payed for any app till date...so thanx for nothing...
and just in case you still wanted to know i was from the nokia smartphone family which includes e71,5800 XM, E90 and N8..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The next thing you should do is select the best launcher for you and remove the others... You can always install them when you need them...
secondly, you should use titanium backup to move your games to sd card...!!!

The beauty of android is the amount of customizations you can make, changing wallpapers or fonts, roms and mods, apps, widgets and so on. My x10 was my first smartphone, never made any changes for a month or two due to a bit of trepidation. After rooting it, and due to pretty amazing back up from the devs here, eventually had it running on 2.3.4, overclocked and undervolted. I've had my arc for a week, don't want to unlock the bootloader yet but it's rooted and now just a question of seeing what devs/modders are going to attempt
Sent from my LT15i using XDA App

doministry said:
Well it's hard to answer such question to a person buying THE FIRST Android phone. This man didn't even share it's experience on smartphones. So what to do? Paste Manual here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome answer.

doministry said:
Well it's hard to answer such question to a person buying THE FIRST Android phone. This man didn't even share it's experience on smartphones. So what to do? Paste Manual here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well its not rocket science that u had to paste the manual up...it maybe tht u went thru da whole manual to get started wid urs
Sent from my LT15i using XDA App

adiktz said:
The next thing you should do is select the best launcher for you and remove the others... You can always install them when you need them...
secondly, you should use titanium backup to move your games to sd card...!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Already done dat n i keep taking regular backups...have been shifting thru roms ever since the 2.3.3 rollout and now tryin the CM7 versions being developed so backups came in handy..as far as the launchers are concerned i keep changing the looks of my phone coz i get bored easily
Sent from my LT15i using XDA App

is there any way....

Is there any way to take a rooted r800x phone running stock 2.3.3 and overclock it without the use of a computer? I currently don't have access to a PC, but I would really like to increase my CPU speed. Any advice would be appreciated.

well in order to overclock your cpu you need to unlock the bootloader which requires a computer, then install a custom kernel which also requires a computer.
and in order to unlock an r800x you need to jump through some serious hoops while connecting it to your computer.

xrishox said:
well in order to overclock your cpu you need to unlock the bootloader which requires a computer, then install a custom kernel which also requires a computer.
and in order to unlock an r800x you need to jump through some serious hoops while connecting it to your computer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not true
other devices have overclocked with locked bootloader like the Droid X has an actual fuse that will brick the device if you try to unlock bootloader.
but yet they manage to over clock it
we just need to write a module to do it from stock kernel.
I will look into making one
I know another user on the forums is also working on it
Actually alot of devices have locked bootloaders. If you ask me it's hurt this community that we have some people with locked and unlocked because that creates division. meaning that developer either work on unlocked or locked bootloaders
if we were all unlocked or all locked then everything would work for every Xperia

Is there a way? Yes
Does that way exist yet? No

Actually there's no division at all: work is done for unlocked bootloaders only.

Logseman said:
Actually there's no division at all: work is done for unlocked bootloaders only.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not anymore. I'm making stuff for locked bootloader

Hogwarts:
I really appreciate you putting the time and effort into these things.
I'm honestly trying to avoid unlocking my bootloader since it not only requires money to be unlocked, but it also has a chance of bricking my Play if I accidentally update it.
Best of luck with working with locked bootloaders, and hopefully you'll get a working method of overclocking the Play

Hogwarts said:
Actually alot of devices have locked bootloaders. If you ask me it's hurt this community that we have some people with locked and unlocked because that creates division. meaning that developer either work on unlocked or locked bootloaders
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the problem isn't that some are locked and some aren't; the problme is:
some are locked.
and its only a problem for those with the locked bootloader. and it isn't even a problem because even those with a locked bootloader.... you can still get it unlocked. locked bootloaders are always going to be completely inferior to unlocked bootloaders.
you can only push a kernel so far with kernel modules. an unlocked bootloader is ALWAYS better. even if you get something like kexec compiled and running as a module on the kernel its a pain in the ass to deal with.
an unlocked bootloader is always better hence why unlocked phones get supported by cyanogen officially and locked bootloaders don't.
the real thing dividing this community is the cdma vs gsm and the fact that verizon is locked into specific outdated firmware, it has nothing to do with the bootloader.
Not true
other devices have overclocked with locked bootloader like the Droid X has an actual fuse that will brick the device if you try to unlock bootloader.
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Click to collapse
i never said it wasn't theoretically possible, but it isn't possible right now, so i'm not really wrong. no one cares about locked bootloaders, and even if you do are you a kernel developer? are you going to develope a kernel module for the locked bootloader when it's piss easy to just unlock it? it's a complete waste of time and effort.

SEE WHAT YOU STARTED OP?!?!
I hope you're happy

markcyst said:
Is there a way? Yes
Does that way exist yet? No
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Logseman said:
Actually there's no division at all: work is done for unlocked bootloaders only.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very nice answers!... lol But if i may add my 2 cents.... Obviousy all the work is going to be towards unlocked BL, they are the easiest to work with as you do not have to keep finding work arounds, and what not. However I really do agree with the CDMA vs. GSM issue. Thats our biggest issue, as a lot of the play owners are in other parts of the world wich use GSM version, and they are the majority, so thats where the focus is going to be. It is possible to do ALMOST the same things with locked BL, and i think Hogwarts will prove just this, over time. Good luck Hogwarts, if you need any assistance hit me up, dont know much about linux code, but if you need more processing power to run tests or what not my Alienware w/ i7 quad core is standing by.

well the problem is that with a locked bootloader you can never update the kernel, so then if sony or verizon doesn't release a new version of the kernel then you are stuck using the old one. modules can only push it so far, and if you want a full icecream sandwich experiance you are going to need an updated kernel as far as i'm aware.... unless you can backport ics to older kernels, which i'm not sure.

markcyst said:
SEE WHAT YOU STARTED OP?!?!
I hope you're happy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL, i didnt see this till after i posted my earlier reply, or this definetly would have made it in my quoted replies!...

xrishox said:
well the problem is that with a locked bootloader you can never update the kernel, so then if sony or verizon doesn't release a new version of the kernel then you are stuck using the old one. modules can only push it so far, and if you want a full icecream sandwich experiance you are going to need an updated kernel as far as i'm aware.... unless you can backport ics to older kernels, which i'm not sure.
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Based on the stuff I've seen you type in this thread I dont think you really understand optimization or progress.
I would base your ICS "experience" with the same one people had moving from Windows XP to Vista, a $hit one.
You are talking about ICS like it is some kind of dream and will make your life easier when in reality it's only going to slow the Xperia down because more process running and more rubbish integrated into the system. If you ask me ICS is a waste of time especially for gamers. If you are gaming why do you need live wall paper or any of this other "update" rubbish that ICS is going to bring. The Xperia is already limited with internal memory as it is and now you will be clogging it up more with junk on ICS. I dont think so. NO THANKS.
Furthermore your claim that it's easy to unlock a bootloader is a pack of rubbish.
It costs money. money has value. Also for a normal person who is not a developer getting all the drivers tools and stuff setup
will waste alot of there time. Simply put its a PITA.
The truth is that a locked bootloader rom with overclock kernel is probably the best thing the Xperia will ever see in terms of free / sharware. to help the community of locked users who have no intention of paying for unlocks,
That statement will be true until Sony releases the algorithm used to decipher MEID into unlock codes.
Plain and simple.

Wow... I have just been converted to a Hogwarts fan. Testify, my Brother!
Sent from my R800x using XDA App

Hogwarts said:
Based on the stuff I've seen you type in this thread I dont think you really understand optimization or progress.
I would base your ICS "experience" with the same one people had moving from Windows XP to Vista, a $hit one.
You are talking about ICS like it is some kind of dream and will make your life easier when in reality it's only going to slow the Xperia down because more process running and more rubbish integrated into the system. If you ask me ICS is a waste of time especially for gamers. If you are gaming why do you need live wall paper or any of this other "update" rubbish that ICS is going to bring. The Xperia is already limited with internal memory as it is and now you will be clogging it up more with junk on ICS. I dont think so. NO THANKS.
Furthermore your claim that it's easy to unlock a bootloader is a pack of rubbish.
It costs money. money has value. Also for a normal person who is not a developer getting all the drivers tools and stuff setup
will waste alot of there time. Simply put its a PITA.
The truth is that a locked bootloader rom with overclock kernel is probably the best thing the Xperia will ever see in terms of free / sharware. to help the community of locked users who have no intention of paying for unlocks,
That statement will be true until Sony releases the algorithm used to decipher MEID into unlock codes.
Plain and simple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the unlock is like 20 dollars. thats like chump change especially for a device that has a monthly fee to keep active. as for the drivers and stuff being a pain in the ass... it really isn't. the person doing the unlock can download and install all the drivers for you via teamviewer. and over time 2.3 will become deprecated as more and more apps will require 4.0 to run. probably not right away but i'm assuming most people are running this with a 2 year contract... in 2 years i'm sure most apps will require 4.0 or higher.
as for ics being a memory monster bogging down your system, i have ics running on my kindle fire and it isn't bogging down anything. it also has 512 megs of ram. i don't think it's a dream it's just progressive. staying in the past is pointless. you don't have to use those live wallpapers or any of those things. sounds like someone has a bad case of sour grapes.
i don't understand why someone who is so intent on messing around with their device is so against shelling out a measily 20-25 dollars for an unlock. it's not like the guy doing it is doing it to screw you over. it actually costs him money. he's not making 25 dollars profit. he's doing it for the betterment of the community. it's more brick-resistant, it offers more features etc. i just don't get it. the only way i could understand it is like if it's a kid who is still in school and their parents are paying for their phone so they just cant get an unlock.

xrishox said:
the unlock is like 20 dollars. thats like chump change especially for a device that has a monthly fee to keep active. as for the drivers and stuff being a pain in the ass... it really isn't. the person doing the unlock can download and install all the drivers for you via teamviewer. and over time 2.3 will become deprecated as more and more apps will require 4.0 to run. probably not right away but i'm assuming most people are running this with a 2 year contract... in 2 years i'm sure most apps will require 4.0 or higher.
as for ics being a memory monster bogging down your system, i have ics running on my kindle fire and it isn't bogging down anything. it also has 512 megs of ram. i don't think it's a dream it's just progressive. staying in the past is pointless. you don't have to use those live wallpapers or any of those things. sounds like someone has a bad case of sour grapes.
i don't understand why someone who is so intent on messing around with their device is so against shelling out a measily 20-25 dollars for an unlock. it's not like the guy doing it is doing it to screw you over. it actually costs him money. he's not making 25 dollars profit. he's doing it for the betterment of the community. it's more brick-resistant, it offers more features etc. i just don't get it. the only way i could understand it is like if it's a kid who is still in school and their parents are paying for their phone so they just cant get an unlock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
your views are really biased towards your viewpoint, I know they aren't charging to make money I've spoken to the 2 unlockers on the board in PM's on several occasions.
It's about free-ware. helping the community. helping people out.
not everyone has money OR if they do they dont like to waste it on an unlock when there is more important stuff. also not everyone has a contract
not everyone has a data plan. you just assume all this stuff is true.
In the end what matters is helping people with a free solution and doing a good job of it
Look at the Droid X community for your answers
the device is locked with a e-fuse yet a big modding community and ROM selection exists. also they have overclock.
ICS is like Windows 7, full of fancy widgets and "features" I could care less about.

HTC one X international - Where to buy? (Also some question)

Hello, after read tons and tons of thread / reviews / comparisons between the GS3 & the HOX, the GS3 dual core & the GS3 quadcore, the HOX dual core & the HOX quadcore, I think I finally decided to go for the HOX int quadcore. While I'm still worried about the battery life I think with some tweaks and updates it should be fine... I hope...
1. So, my first question is, where to buy it... I checked amazon and ebay, some people are selling it but I don't really know if it's safe or not, is there a good place to buy it? (I'm from Canada).
2. My last phone was an HTC touch HD and I wasn't using a phone for about 2 years and a lot of things changed... I never used android. I have read a few thread about root, etc... I guess I'll have the latest update with the phone when I'll buy it, I read there is no way (yet?) to root the phone with the new update. What does that mean? No custom roms? No custom kernels? Will someone release an app to root the phone with the new update?
3. I will be using my phone mainly for internet browsing I'd like to get 5-6 hours on screen time with web browsing, do you think it's possible with custom kernel and tweaks?
4. I watched videos on youtube about multitasking issues (reloading apps every time you switch), while I read it's been fixed in an update I just want to be sure, is that fixed?
TLDR: What is the best place to buy it? Will having the latest update be an issue? Will the battery last for 5-6h on web browsing with some tweaks? Are multitasking issues fixed?
Thanks!

tsukurimashou said:
Hello, after read tons and tons of thread / reviews / comparisons between the GS3 & the HOX, the GS3 dual core & the GS3 quadcore, the HOX dual core & the HOX quadcore, I think I finally decided to go for the HOX int quadcore. While I'm still worried about the battery life I think with some tweaks and updates it should be fine... I hope...
1. So, my first question is, where to buy it... I checked amazon and ebay, some people are selling it but I don't really know if it's safe or not, is there a good place to buy it? (I'm from Canada).
2. My last phone was an HTC touch HD and I wasn't using a phone for about 2 years and a lot of things changed... I never used android. I have read a few thread about root, etc... I guess I'll have the latest update with the phone when I'll buy it, I read there is no way (yet?) to root the phone with the new update. What does that mean? No custom roms? No custom kernels? Will someone release an app to root the phone with the new update?
3. I will be using my phone mainly for internet browsing I'd like to get 5-6 hours on screen time with web browsing, do you think it's possible with custom kernel and tweaks?
4. I watched videos on youtube about multitasking issues (reloading apps every time you switch), while I read it's been fixed in an update I just want to be sure, is that fixed?
TLDR: What is the best place to buy it? Will having the latest update be an issue? Will the battery last for 5-6h on web browsing with some tweaks? Are multitasking issues fixed?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought mine from Amazon because then you at least have 30 days to return it if something is wrong.
Having said that, I ended up with a T-Mobile Germany branded version, so I'm not sure what you'll get. Seems like Expansys is more likely to sell you the generic Asian version.
But I still feel much more confident purchasing from Amazon. They take good care of their customers. Returns have never been a problem for me.

greyhulk said:
I bought mine from Amazon because then you at least have 30 days to return it if something is wrong.
Having said that, I ended up with a T-Mobile Germany branded version, so I'm not sure what you'll get. Seems like Expansys is more likely to sell you the generic Asian version.
But I still feel much more confident purchasing from Amazon. They take good care of their customers. Returns have never been a problem for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I want to buy from Expansys US... would you recommend them?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

I highly recommend Negri Electronics. They're based out of Las Vegas.
Right now $559.50 shipped for the grey One X. Unbranded. Mine is a perfect HT24D April 2012 build. No defects.
http://negrielectronics.com/htc-one-x-32gb-unlocked-black.html
---------- Post added at 01:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:11 PM ----------
greyhulk said:
I bought mine from Amazon because then you at least have 30 days to return it if something is wrong.
Having said that, I ended up with a T-Mobile Germany branded version, so I'm not sure what you'll get. Seems like Expansys is more likely to sell you the generic Asian version.
But I still feel much more confident purchasing from Amazon. They take good care of their customers. Returns have never been a problem for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Several members had this issue with Amazon dealers. They received branded versions.

I'd recommend Clove... They are very reliable and if anything goes wrong they are very supportive.
www.clove.co.uk

grtmoby said:
I'd recommend Clove... They are very reliable and if anything goes wrong they are very supportive.
www.clove.co.uk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Too bad I'm in the US
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

3 to 4 hours of max sreen on time if you conserve ir battery, excellent screen off time up to 2 days
kernels can fix but so far custom governor on t3 are not easy to do
best thing about ur choice is thd games
read the how to pick ur unit guide
finally multi tasking can be easily customized to ur needs using root
finally if most important for u is web browsing n not gaming go with the dual core version it has better screen on times

Thanks for all your replies.
hamdir said:
3 to 4 hours of max sreen on time if you conserve ir battery, excellent screen off time up to 2 days
kernels can fix but so far custom governor on t3 are not easy to do
best thing about ur choice is thd games
read the how to pick ur unit guide
finally multi tasking can be easily customized to ur needs using root
finally if most important for u is web browsing n not gaming go with the dual core version it has better screen on times
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you please give me a link to the guide you're talking about?

Tikerz said:
Several members had this issue with Amazon dealers. They received branded versions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah. I considered sending it back right away, but it has been perfect otherwise. With all of the defects I read about, I figured I shouldn't take the chance and I could always custom rom it.
The one thing I love about Amazon is that the return would be no hassle.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Branded version has carrier logo on it? What is the difference between branded and unbranded?
Also is there a way to fix the multitasking issue without removing sense? (I guess you don't have sense on custom roms)

tsukurimashou said:
Branded version has carrier logo on it? What is the difference between branded and unbranded?
Also is there a way to fix the multitasking issue without removing sense? (I guess you don't have sense on custom roms)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No logo (other than HTC), but there was carrier bloatware on mine(T-mobile) and a carrier splash screen at boot up. The wireless hotspot works fine, so it's not like it's locked, but it was still annoying. Mine also defaulted to German, but that was easy to remedy.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Ok thanks, I'd like some feedback from the people who have tested both US and Int version to know if there is big differences for battery life and perfs, for games I don't really care since I find gaming on touchscreen horrible, if there was something like a mini gamepad that you can connect on the USB port why not, but gaming on touch screen I don't care.
I want good multitasking, good battery life, storage (16gb is small considering data is limited in canada so I can't really use cloud), I don't care about LTE since my area is not covered (yet), I'd also want to know something about updates, are both phones updated at the same time when HTC release an update? Or one phone is updated more frequently than other?
EDIT: Just looked at amazon (http://www.amazon.com/HTC-S720E-Unlocked-Android-SmartPhone/dp/B0078LXM4A) and I found one unlocked but why all HTC one X don't have warranty?

buying a used R800?

is it possible to get a used R800 for around 60 USD?

i don't think so
used xperia plays are about 100$ i think
and also i will tell you don't buy this phone
but an arc instead of this phone
xperia play section is dead

I'm pretty sure you can look on eBay for Plays. The R800x's sell for steroids 60 and below.
Sent from my SM-N900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

R800x are dirt cheap on eBay, you can get it for even less than $60. It's a lot easier top unlock them the R800a version too.
Don't listen to the guy in second post. Not even sure why you're in a forum of the same device you're telling others to not buy. So what if there are no more updates, doesn't mean the device is useless. Besides it's incorrect to say there are n I devs working on it.
sent via tapatalk

im on this device because i made a mistake
i didnt buy galaxy s2 when i could and now i have to deal with my phone (now the touchscreen is broken and im going to move to nexus 5 soon)
i only told him my experience
when he can buy an arc with the same price what can cause him to buy xperia play?
being much heavier or the old 2.3 android or its ancient kernel?

I bought the Xperia play in August this year because it was a sale (100$) new and I needed a new phone. I actually regret this choice I thought more. Developers would work on this amazing device .

Dont blame it on the devs, blame it on sony for not releasing sources
Sent from my GN5 [D821] using XDA Premium

Be happy that there are devs even making roms for it, you aren't self entitled to any of it.
This phone work fine if you know how to customise it. Unlock the bootloader and install NXT rom, it work great if you don't mind sticking with Gingerbread.
sent via tapatalk

pedyvirus said:
i don't think so
used xperia plays are about 100$ i think
and also i will tell you don't buy this phone
but an arc instead of this phone
xperia play section is dead
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
... i don't.... you realise the arc has no physical controls and will suck for playing games and emulators right?
eksasol said:
R800x are dirt cheap on eBay, you can get it for even less than $60. It's a lot easier top unlock them the R800a version too.
Don't listen to the guy in second post. Not even sure why you're in a forum of the same device you're telling others to not buy. So what if there are no more updates, doesn't mean the device is useless. Besides it's incorrect to say there are n I devs working on it.
sent via tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do need the AT&T version to work with my sim.
i was looking at this one but, wasn't sure if it was stole and or could even be re used.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/att-sony-er...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
friend said if it was stolen it could be blocked form the AT&T network.
Also what features do the modded roms provide? overclocking? are they lighter? support newer apps?

cdoublejj said:
... i don't.... you realise the arc has no physical controls and will suck for playing games and emulators right?
I do need the AT&T version to work with my sim.
i was looking at this one but, wasn't sure if it was stole and or could even be re used.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/att-sony-er...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
friend said if it was stolen it could be blocked form the AT&T network.
Also what features do the modded roms provide? overclocking? are they lighter? support newer apps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have to be careful buying from ebay. There are scenario where you can get a device that work now, then 2months later gets blocked by the carrier because the owner stopped paying his bills.
It's better if its a retailer with good feedbacks and accept returns. If it's possible, ask the person for the imei number so you can check it background, or ask him to check it and post a screenshot. You can check imei and esn numbers via these sites:
http://sndeep.info/en
http://checkesnfree.com
Also if you buy from swappa.com, they auto check imei number for all devices, however, again, it doesn't prevent the phone from being blacklisted if the owner of the phone is still in a contract and stopped paying.
You will want to get the R800a version since the R800i version will not work with 3G for ATT. I have owned all 3 versions, last I check, you can only unlock bootloader from Sony website for the R800i and R800x, not R800a. However, this website can unlock both sim and bootloader for the R800a I believe: http://www.wotanserver.com/en/sony-ericsson/xperia-play-r800/unlock-tool/debranding-flash
You basically get improved performance and more software features with custom roms. From my experience using Gingerbread custom roms like NXT gives best performance. Because lack of support from Sony and Qualcomm, ICS and JB roms aren't as fast.
You can check these guides for all the instruction with unlocking and installing rom: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1836530
You need to unlock bootloader, flash a custom kernel which will have ClockworkMod recovery integrated, boot into CWM recovery and flash the rom. Make sure the kernel you're using is compatible with that rom for it to boot.

eksasol said:
You have to be careful buying from ebay. There are scenario where you can get a device that work now, then 2months later gets blocked by the carrier because the owner stopped paying his bills.
It's better if its a retailer with good feedbacks and accept returns. If it's possible, ask the person for the imei number so you can check it background, or ask him to check it and post a screenshot. You can check imei and esn numbers via these sites:
http://sndeep.info/en
http://checkesnfree.com
Also if you buy from swappa.com, they auto check imei number for all devices, however, again, it doesn't prevent the phone from being blacklisted if the owner of the phone is still in a contract and stopped paying.
You will want to get the R800a version since the R800i version will not work with 3G for ATT. I have owned all 3 versions, last I check, you can only unlock bootloader from Sony website for the R800i and R800x, not R800a. However, this website can unlock both sim and bootloader for the R800a I believe: http://www.wotanserver.com/en/sony-ericsson/xperia-play-r800/unlock-tool/debranding-flash
You basically get improved performance and more software features with custom roms. From my experience using Gingerbread custom roms like NXT gives best performance. Because lack of support from Sony and Qualcomm, ICS and JB roms aren't as fast.
You can check these guides for all the instruction with unlocking and installing rom: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1836530
You need to unlock bootloader, flash a custom kernel which will have ClockworkMod recovery integrated, boot into CWM recovery and flash the rom. Make sure the kernel you're using is compatible with that rom for it to boot.
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you say that as if it might be difficult or impossible to unlock the boot loader unless i pay some one? also are you saying all the aftermarket roms are slower than the stock rom? does it even mater since it can be overclocked with 3rd party rom?

cdoublejj said:
you say that as if it might be difficult or impossible to unlock the boot loader unless i pay some one?
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To unlock the bootloader of a R800a there is a unlock code that needed to be purchased from Sony themselves, that is why the service cost money. You either have to go through Sony or pay a third party service, those are the only options.
also are you saying all the aftermarket roms are slower than the stock rom? does it even mater since it can be overclocked with 3rd party rom?
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That is not what I am saying, I'm saying GB run faster on this device from my experience only, compared to ICS and newer. There were never any official ICS release for the Play except a beta ICS version which ran poorly, the phone was stop being updated with Gingerbread. Sony and Qualcomm doesn't release some of the required hardware drivers for ICS/JB which is why its hard to make those version run fast.
You should have researched this device a little more before buying.

eksasol said:
To unlock the bootloader of a R800a there is a unlock code that needed to be purchased from Sony themselves, that is why the service cost money. You either have to go through Sony or pay a third party service, those are the only options.
That is not what I am saying, I'm saying GB run faster on this device from my experience only, compared to ICS and newer. There were never any official ICS release for the Play except a beta ICS version which ran poorly, the phone was stop being updated with Gingerbread. Sony and Qualcomm doesn't release some of the required hardware drivers for ICS/JB which is why its hard to make those version run fast.
You should have researched this device a little more before buying.
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Thank you for the information and the clarification. This sort of is my research. Half of the research was know what phone i'd want and one that works with AT&T. a side from androids with slide out keyboards this is the only option with physical controls and the only one that has controls good for gaming. that and the fact it has single core and can play games is all i really know about it. i figured it wasp popular enough to have some roms for it but, that's it.
i'll take a look at the cost of the unlock service assuming i don't have to mail it to the UK (live in US). i'll consider the unlock price and try to find a cheap r800a/r800at.
Your info has been REALLY helpful aside from my current crap Pantec P8000 my last serious smart phone was the 2006 Black Jack. Suffice to say iv'e been out of the phone game for a while.

cdoublejj said:
Thank you for the information and the clarification. This sort of is my research. Half of the research was know what phone i'd want and one that works with AT&T. a side from androids with slide out keyboards this is the only option with physical controls and the only one that has controls good for gaming. that and the fact it has single core and can play games is all i really know about it. i figured it wasp popular enough to have some roms for it but, that's it.
i'll take a look at the cost of the unlock service assuming i don't have to mail it to the UK (live in US). i'll consider the unlock price and try to find a cheap r800a/r800at.
Your info has been REALLY helpful aside from my current crap Pantec P8000 my last serious smart phone was the 2006 Black Jack. Suffice to say iv'e been out of the phone game for a while.
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You won't have to mail in the device, I didn't use the WotanServer service, but other members have tried with success, it should be something you can do using their software.
The only difficult part is getting the drivers recognized by your PC. I was not able to get the drivers recognized with Windows 8, you might have to use Windows 7 or older. The unlocking software will have the drivers included though. But if you read through the flashing guides I linked it should show you how to install the necessary drivers.
Personally I don't use the Play as my daily driver, but as a back up. A lot of apps I use required Android 4+, and I only feel Android 2.x is fast enough on this device for me, but others might disagree. It's not fast enough to play many of the newer graphic demanding games smoothly, but for 2D and not too demanding games it's a winner.
There are several hardware issues that can occur with this phone like the 'flex cable' going bad, which is the cable that connect between to two halves of the phone. But honestly I've never had that issue from the 5 Play that I used. It's actually one of the more durable smartphone I've used even with the sliding mechanism. If you get protection accessories for it and be careful each time you side out the gamepad it should last. It have one of the most durable microUSB port for an Android phone I think.
Also it have excellent stereo speaker. The R800i/R800a version have pretty decent GPS signal, since it also support GLONASS. The R800x do not support GLONASS and have poorer signal.
My preferred idea is still to buy a cheap Verizon R800x for $60 or less, which bootloader can be unlocked from Sony website. Then buy a better daily driver phone. One thing you should know about the R800x is that it can run any of the GSM (R800i/R800a) Gingerbread roms and most kernels, you lose calling ability with GSM roms but you won't be using Verizon anyway. For ICS/JB/KitKat roms, there are usually CDMA version for it as well. It's pretty hard to brick to this device, you can always use Flashtool to restore factory stock image. I feel the R800x version is fastest since it actually use stock Android, compared to the R800i/a which uses Sony UI overlay. It's "fast" even with stock rom and stock kernel, just rooting and deleting bloatwares are enough. You don't need unlocked bootloader to root.

well if i was gonna carry 2 devices i'd just get a used PSP (possibly for free).
it isn't too bad performance wise i've seen it play crazy taxi and GTA III and jetset radio which are them sot demanding android games i want. i've also seen it play Need for Speed 3 on the PS1 emulator. also you can overclock on the custom roms.
it's also said it has long battery life, i may have read that in this thread 9o've had a long evening). I've replaced a flex cable in A* phone before so it breaks i'm not be SOL.
My newly obstacle is getting it on the cheap.
the only thing i'm un sure about is the on screen keyboard. i have a low resolution device and tend to the use physical keyboard more than the screen. i know R800 is higher resolution than the device i have now so maybe i will be able to cope. not a bad trade off consider all the other pluses and pro vs the cons.
EDIT: too bad they never made the PSP phone 2.

cdoublejj said:
well if i was gonna carry 2 devices i'd just get a used PSP (possibly for free).
it isn't too bad performance wise i've seen it play crazy taxi and GTA III and jetset radio which are them sot demanding android games i want. i've also seen it play Need for Speed 3 on the PS1 emulator. also you can overclock on the custom roms.
it's also said it has long battery life, i may have read that in this thread 9o've had a long evening). I've replaced a flex cable in A* phone before so it breaks i'm not be SOL.
My newly obstacle is getting it on the cheap.
the only thing i'm un sure about is the on screen keyboard. i have a low resolution device and tend to the use physical keyboard more than the screen. i know R800 is higher resolution than the device i have now so maybe i will be able to cope. not a bad trade off consider all the other pluses and pro vs the cons.
EDIT: too bad they never made the PSP phone 2.
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The R800i/a stock keyboards have gesture typing, but its not very good. But you can buy Swype keyboard which is pretty good, maybe Swiftkey support Gingerbread as well. A lot of Play and other Sony devices have a layer of screen protector installed by the manufacturer, removing it can help with the touch sensitivity and sometimes viewing angle.
This device does have decent battery life, but you should get a new battery.

Just found an Arc LT15i. Should I keep it?

Edit: Bumping this to ask again! http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=55441666&postcount=5
TLDR:
1) Sell or keep? Buy something else with the money?
2) Is there a stable ROM, good for a new user, which updates over time, and unlocks SIM?
So I found an Xperia Arc, new in box from years ago, that I got for cheap but never needed. Now I'm wondering: should I sell it and keep the money?
Or should I flash something on it and give it to the old man (who could play with his first android phone)? Or maybe I should do both: Sell the new in box phone and buy something else with the money.
What say you, XDA?
PS: Does the stable ROM you suggest have the ability to update itself, so the novice owner I give it to can keep it up to date? Will the ROM unlock the carrier SIM lock?

Personally, I would recommend getting something newer and better. Single-core phones and 512 MB RAM are really outdated. Development is active, however ROMs based on Jelly Bean and beyond have some non-functioning features and may be unstable at certain moments.
SIM lock can not be removed with the change of ROM. Depending on the manufacturing date, it can be done via paid method (produced before 12W11) or not at all (past 12W11).

1. You should keep it as Xperia Arc isn't worth much at all.
2. You can't flash kernels and such if you don't remove the simlock first. I suggest you to buy a simunlock + bootloader unlock at wotanserver.
Sent from my Xperia C using Tapatalk

I won't recommend you to keep it either. It's a 2011 phone and if you sell it you could get something better with greater support. Even ARC is having great ROMs but they won't function that good on a half a gb RAM phone + Since sony ericsson broke a long time ago and you have a simlock therefore you won't even get a good official suport. So your best bet would be to sell it and buy something with greater support
Cheers,
AJ

bamtan2 said:
2) Is there a stable ROM, good for a new user, which updates over time, and unlocks SIM?
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I've dug this out again to give to the parents. So let's try again!
It has android 2.3 right now. Should I stay on that, or update it? I just installed "PC Companion" but came here to check with you guys before I ran it. I could also do a custom rom if you think that makes more sense. Thanks!

sell it and keep the money fot you -_-
its old now and you cant use a lot of applications on it cause it has low ram