Develop Bugs

[SM-T217A] Success with SRSRoot?

Any AT&T SM-T217A users here successfully obtain root via Srsroot on their tabs? They dropped a tweet a month ago that it was supported @ 4.4.2, but it's not sticking for me..

geokhentix said:
Any AT&T SM-T217A users here successfully obtain root via Srsroot on their tabs? They dropped a tweet a month ago that it was supported @ 4.4.2, but it's not sticking for me..
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Click to collapse
Nope. I tried that one out as soon as it posted. Here is the thread discussing http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-3/help/root-sma-4-4-2-t2902677

bigdawg6183 said:
Nope. I tried that one out as soon as it posted. Here is the thread discussing http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-3/help/root-sma-4-4-2-t2902677
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Click to collapse
These T217As I bought are turning out to be the worst experience I have ever had with a decent device. The specs and the battery life are great, but AT&T (or samsung?) has lost their mind. Out of my two tabs (both set up identical) Only one was ever eligible for the 4.4.2 upgrade. The second says no upgrade when I check for one.
The one I did upgrade was so bad on 4.4.2 that I ended up trying to flash back to 4.2.2 before I realized I couldn't and bricked the tab.
2 months later, still no upgrade available for my second tab (probably a good thing except I wanted to try an app that says it can catch the firmware update to use on my bricked tab). Still no 4.4.2 firmware to be found on the internet to download for this device.
The worst part is it doesn't even seem to be available from kies. Kies 3 doesn't even recognize it as a 4.4.2 device anymore after the attempted downgrade and the other kies versions only offer 4.2.2 which the device won't let me flash.

rmntruexjr said:
These T217As I bought are turning out to be the worst experience I have ever had with a decent device. The specs and the battery life are great, but AT&T (or samsung?) has lost their mind. Out of my two tabs (both set up identical) Only one was ever eligible for the 4.4.2 upgrade. The second says no upgrade when I check for one.
The one I did upgrade was so bad on 4.4.2 that I ended up trying to flash back to 4.2.2 before I realized I couldn't and bricked the tab.
2 months later, still no upgrade available for my second tab (probably a good thing except I wanted to try an app that says it can catch the firmware update to use on my bricked tab). Still no 4.4.2 firmware to be found on the internet to download for this device.
The worst part is it doesn't even seem to be available from kies. Kies 3 doesn't even recognize it as a 4.4.2 device anymore after the attempted downgrade and the other kies versions only offer 4.2.2 which the device won't let me flash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree rmn, the experience with this tablet has been sub par. I know when I first heard about the update being released I was checking around online to see if I could find a dl for it, none existed. I did finally go through the process of updating OTA after having to remove root from my 4.2 firmware. Since the update my tablet appears to operate the same except for the lag has returned. I believe that is because I now no longer have my tweaks setup on the device since I have no root. My real peeve with AT&T with this tab is the locked bootloader, come on man, I want to load up different roms and get rid of all this bloatware. We cant even get root access with this new 4.4!
Could I get a screenshot of your about screen on the tab that is not updating?

bigdawg6183 said:
I totally agree rmn, the experience with this tablet has been sub par. I know when I first heard about the update being released I was checking around online to see if I could find a dl for it, none existed. I did finally go through the process of updating OTA after having to remove root from my 4.2 firmware. Since the update my tablet appears to operate the same except for the lag has returned. I believe that is because I now no longer have my tweaks setup on the device since I have no root. My real peeve with AT&T with this tab is the locked bootloader, come on man, I want to load up different roms and get rid of all this bloatware. We cant even get root access with this new 4.4!
Could I get a screenshot of your about screen on the tab that is not updating?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it's in warranty, take it to the AT&T store. Tell them you did OTA and it 'got all screwy'. don't use terms like "bricked". Feign ignorance on all the workings of rooting and roms and stuff. Don't even use the term "Rom", use "operating system". Assuming you have the same boot error message I did, something to the effect of "there was a problem updating", apparently it's common enough that they'll get you to Samsung. Samsung will email you a shipping label, and in about a week to a week in a half, I had mine back functional again. Granted they put it on 4.4.2, which is a bummer, but at least it works. No questions asked. they didn't ask me about rooting or anything, I just told them I did the update, rebooted, it rebooted once, and then I had to reboot again and it had the error. First I took it so Samsung rep at best buy, he couldn't do anything, then I took it to the AT&T store. AT&T doesn't deal with tablet warranties, so that's why they put me on the phone with Samsung. On amazon, they have refurbished t217a's for $144.00, and on the description it says they're on 4.1.2 (rootable, and upgradable to 4.2.2 w/odin, which is also rootable. 4.2.2 firmware was a gigantic pain in the ass to get a hold of, but it's out there. I know it's not the answer you want, but hope it helps at least return the tablet into working state. I don't think we'll ever see a root for t217a on 4.4.2, nor any way to downgrade back to 4.2.2. Just not enough interest from the guys with the time and know-how. It was Samsung's bottom-end tablet, and the Tab S is just better for almost everyone. I use the Tab3 7.0 for work mainly because of it's size. I'm a pilot and I strap the tablet to my leg for approach plates and maps and stuff, and the size of the 7.0 is just right. The 8.0 and 8.3(?) is just a bit to big for that purpose. Anyway, I just hope (but not holding my breath) that Samsung + AT&T well at the very LEAST update the thing to lollipop so we can at least get full external SD card function again, because aviation maps and references and the sort take up a LOT of memory after a while..

DSTG said:
If it's in warranty, take it to the AT&T store. Tell them you did OTA and it 'got all screwy'. don't use terms like "bricked". Feign ignorance on all the workings of rooting and roms and stuff. Don't even use the term "Rom", use "operating system". Assuming you have the same boot error message I did, something to the effect of "there was a problem updating", apparently it's common enough that they'll get you to Samsung. Samsung will email you a shipping label, and in about a week to a week in a half, I had mine back functional again. Granted they put it on 4.4.2, which is a bummer, but at least it works. No questions asked. they didn't ask me about rooting or anything, I just told them I did the update, rebooted, it rebooted once, and then I had to reboot again and it had the error. First I took it so Samsung rep at best buy, he couldn't do anything, then I took it to the AT&T store. AT&T doesn't deal with tablet warranties, so that's why they put me on the phone with Samsung. On amazon, they have refurbished t217a's for $144.00, and on the description it says they're on 4.1.2 (rootable, and upgradable to 4.2.2 w/odin, which is also rootable. 4.2.2 firmware was a gigantic pain in the ass to get a hold of, but it's out there. I know it's not the answer you want, but hope it helps at least return the tablet into working state. I don't think we'll ever see a root for t217a on 4.4.2, nor any way to downgrade back to 4.2.2. Just not enough interest from the guys with the time and know-how. It was Samsung's bottom-end tablet, and the Tab S is just better for almost everyone. I use the Tab3 7.0 for work mainly because of it's size. I'm a pilot and I strap the tablet to my leg for approach plates and maps and stuff, and the size of the 7.0 is just right. The 8.0 and 8.3(?) is just a bit to big for that purpose. Anyway, I just hope (but not holding my breath) that Samsung + AT&T well at the very LEAST update the thing to lollipop so we can at least get full external SD card function again, because aviation maps and references and the sort take up a LOT of memory after a while..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bigdawg6183 said:
I totally agree rmn, the experience with this tablet has been sub par. I know when I first heard about the update being released I was checking around online to see if I could find a dl for it, none existed. I did finally go through the process of updating OTA after having to remove root from my 4.2 firmware. Since the update my tablet appears to operate the same except for the lag has returned. I believe that is because I now no longer have my tweaks setup on the device since I have no root. My real peeve with AT&T with this tab is the locked bootloader, come on man, I want to load up different roms and get rid of all this bloatware. We cant even get root access with this new 4.4!
Could I get a screenshot of your about screen on the tab that is not updating?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just now saw your post. When I get back home I'll take a screenshot. It's set up identical to the one I upgraded and bricked. Rooted with kingo, installed the tweaks for this tab from development (KoolKit) and using a few xposed modules to change some notification/statusbar icons..Not much else you can do to these things, and if I had to guess, the only difference between the two would maybe be different versions of the KoolKit tweaks.
---------- Post added at 01:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:08 PM ----------
DSTG said:
If it's in warranty, take it to the AT&T store. Tell them you did OTA and it 'got all screwy'. don't use terms like "bricked". Feign ignorance on all the workings of rooting and roms and stuff. Don't even use the term "Rom", use "operating system". Assuming you have the same boot error message I did, something to the effect of "there was a problem updating", apparently it's common enough that they'll get you to Samsung. Samsung will email you a shipping label, and in about a week to a week in a half, I had mine back functional again. Granted they put it on 4.4.2, which is a bummer, but at least it works. No questions asked. they didn't ask me about rooting or anything, I just told them I did the update, rebooted, it rebooted once, and then I had to reboot again and it had the error. First I took it so Samsung rep at best buy, he couldn't do anything, then I took it to the AT&T store. AT&T doesn't deal with tablet warranties, so that's why they put me on the phone with Samsung. On amazon, they have refurbished t217a's for $144.00, and on the description it says they're on 4.1.2 (rootable, and upgradable to 4.2.2 w/odin, which is also rootable. 4.2.2 firmware was a gigantic pain in the ass to get a hold of, but it's out there. I know it's not the answer you want, but hope it helps at least return the tablet into working state. I don't think we'll ever see a root for t217a on 4.4.2, nor any way to downgrade back to 4.2.2. Just not enough interest from the guys with the time and know-how. It was Samsung's bottom-end tablet, and the Tab S is just better for almost everyone. I use the Tab3 7.0 for work mainly because of it's size. I'm a pilot and I strap the tablet to my leg for approach plates and maps and stuff, and the size of the 7.0 is just right. The 8.0 and 8.3(?) is just a bit to big for that purpose. Anyway, I just hope (but not holding my breath) that Samsung + AT&T well at the very LEAST update the thing to lollipop so we can at least get full external SD card function again, because aviation maps and references and the sort take up a LOT of memory after a while..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish it was that easy, but I ditched AT&T years ago and went to straight talk. These tabs I purchased second hand.

rmntruexjr said:
I just now saw your post. When I get back home I'll take a screenshot. It's set up identical to the one I upgraded and bricked. Rooted with kingo, installed the tweaks for this tab from development (KoolKit) and using a few xposed modules to change some notification/statusbar icons..Not much else you can do to these things, and if I had to guess, the only difference between the two would maybe be different versions of the KoolKit tweaks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No worries mate. Hmmm, if it was root that was stopping the update from showing it should have been the case on both tabs. Plus, mine was originally rooted when I searched for the update and it found it fine. You do definitely have to remove root to successfully update to 4.4, which totally blows, but with the SD card changes that came out in 4.4 I had to do it.

[Q] What use is a free HTC 1 M8?

But seriously, I have a year-old review unit here and I don't use Sprint personally. So I can use it to play with Android distros, or as a very small tablet, or make it into a remote-control for my TV. What's the most amusement one can get from an off-the-air M8?
And is the Harmon-Kardon branding just advertising, or does it actually have better sound than other phones?

WyomingKnott said:
But seriously, I have a year-old review unit here and I don't use Sprint personally. So I can use it to play with Android distros, or as a very small tablet, or make it into a remote-control for my TV. What's the most amusement one can get from an off-the-air M8?
And is the Harmon-Kardon branding just advertising, or does it actually have better sound than other phones?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use it as a phone.
And yeah, it's just an advertisement. Only difference is some addition of their software which can be installed on other M8s too.

Why not just use it as the great phone that it is or is this just a wind up?

ashyx said:
Why not just use it as the great phone that it is or is this just a wind up?
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Click to collapse
No wind-up, just that it's locked to Sprint, I have ATT, and so I'd have to SIM-unlock it before I could use it. It was a leftover review unit.

WyomingKnott said:
No wind-up, just that it's locked to Sprint, I have ATT, and so I'd have to SIM-unlock it before I could use it. It was a leftover review unit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if your sprint m8 is s-off,then you can sim unlock by following this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2718150

WyomingKnott said:
No wind-up, just that it's locked to Sprint, I have ATT, and so I'd have to SIM-unlock it before I could use it. It was a leftover review unit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Review unit? Can you please link me the review?
And what phone do you use currently? It might be wworth to get it unlocked.
You can use it as a music player too. It's one of the best Android music phone.

Surely it would be well worth unlocking the phone, where else are you going to get such a top spec device for the small price of an unlock?
I paid a ton of money for this phone 12 months ago and it is still one of the best on the market.

@crazykas
Not s-off yet. I haven't found a method other than sunshine which is $25 and, from what I read, has a spotty reputation. A question: If I got it s-off, instead of that sim unlock (that article is in my list for the m8) should I change the CIM and (DIM?) so it thinks it's an ATT Developer phone? Would that let it use ATT?
EDIT: Now that I re-read this, the $25 isn't that much, and the worst that can happen is that I'm left with a brick that I didn't pay for! But do you know of any self S-off method?
@edios123
From Tom's Hardware.
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/htc-one-m8-features-review,26384.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/htc-one-m8-samsung-galaxy-s5-comparison-review,26373.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/htc-one-m8-e8-android,3871.html
A year later they're just dust-gatherers.
I'm pretty happy with my current Galaxy S4, but it's great having a phone that I can load anything on to and not worry that if I brick it I'll be left without a phone or lose a couple of hundred dollars. For example, installing assorted versions of TWRP on this particular phone makes it hang permanently, power and display on, entering recovery. But it works with Clockwork Mod. Now I'm playing with CyanogenMod for the first time.

WyomingKnott said:
@crazykas
@edios123
From Tom's Hardware.
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/htc-one-m8-features-review,26384.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/htc-one-m8-samsung-galaxy-s5-comparison-review,26373.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/htc-one-m8-e8-android,3871.html
A year later they're just dust-gatherers.
I'm pretty happy with my current Galaxy S4, but it's great having a phone that I can load anything on to and not worry that if I brick it I'll be left without a phone or lose a couple of hundred dollars. For example, installing assorted versions of TWRP on this particular phone makes it hang permanently, power and display on, entering recovery. But it works with Clockwork Mod. Now I'm playing with CyanogenMod for the first time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're using an S4, IMHO, you must upgrade to this phone. It's plenty fast (I bet miles better in performance than S4) for 2015. Only thing you'll miss is the pretty cool camera in your current phone.
Thanks for the links.

Smelly feet! SunShine doesn't work with CyanogenMod; it asks for a stock rom. Fortunately, lots of stocks to choose from. Back to stock, run Sunshine, S-OFF, back to Cyanogen. Here goes...
EDIT: Well, I gave up. I've flashed four different ROMs and had startup hang at four different places. CyanogenMod works fine. Since I can't get back to stock (some idiot forgot to do a backup before flashing Cyanogen, no excuse, I've been in this business for decades) and Sunshine won't run under Cyanogen, no S-off.
If anyone can point me to a back-to-stock or a ROM that I can load with Clockwork or RUU, it would make me happy. I've got the Harmon Kardon Sprint model, which may be a problem. I've tried roms from Bad Seed, the ND8_STOCK_DEODEXED_ROOTED rom, Renovate_5.0, and cm-11-20141112-SNAPSHOT-M12-m8 . I got so frustrated that I didn't keep page links for these, which I know I should put for reference. The only reason I want to go back to stock is that Sunshine seems to require it. I'm awfully glad that, as I've posted before, this is a don't-care device.
EDIT TWO: Anyone sick of my train-of-thought posting process can leave now. I left Renovate in its stuck mode for a while, and half an hour later it was on. Hurrah! Now to try Sunshine...

Update - it needed a recent RUU from HTC. Year-old firmware was slow with current ROMs and not compatible with TWRP at all. Recent RUU, good behavior. It's s-off, and I'll go for sim unlock tomorrow.

HTC One M9 Variants to avoid buying (rooting, bootloader unlock, s off)?

My LG G4 is dead and i need a good substitute ASAP on a tight budget ($200-$250 max). This pretty much limits me to 2015 era phones. Not getting another LG, Samsungs are too expensive and S6 has no microSD slot anyway. Narrowed it down to either an HTC One M9 and Moto X Force. Moto's limited development as well as an alarming number of nightmarish defective OLED displays has scared me off of it (shame as I love OLEDs).
So i'm about settled on an HTC One M9. I did my best to research any deal breaking hardware defects, any problems seem far less severe or common compared to G4 or Moto. Assuming I haven't missed anything...
So that said my question now turns to the software side- are there any carriers/variants of the M9 I should try to avoid buying? As the title says, I wish to unlock the bootloader, root, and eventually install custom roms etc. I'm prepared to pay for Sunshine if necessary provided all M9 variants are supported. I've done my best to read through as many threads and pages as I could before asking this. It SEEMS like i'd be safe buying pretty much any M9 and still be able to unlock bootloader, root and s off. Even Verizon models if i'm not mistaken? Am I correct in this assumption? I wanted to ask just to ensure I didn't miss any important caveats before buying.
I messed up buying an LG, many suffer from a motherboard defect causing unfixable bootlooping and mine finally succumbed the other day. Mine was also a region that didn't allow bootloader unlocking. I could root with some effort if I didn't mind being stuck forever on lollipop, but no custom roms and other annoying limitations.
I don't wish to repeat the same mistakes if I can avoid it, so any information regarding my query would be greatly appreciated. Any other advice or things to look out for regarding the M9 would be helpful too. Thanks very much in advance.
By the way, the version i'm looking at buying is listed as an AT&T model. From what I have seen, this variant seems to be pretty much perfect for doing all I want. But I still wanted to ask this in case I either get a different variant, or if the seller is listing the wrong version of the product. If all M9s are basically equal at this point, then I don't need to worry which kind I get.

Try to buy a worldwide edition. It's the sim unlocked from factory with region 401 ie x.xx.401.xx firmware version.
M9 is a solid phone. The camera isn't the greatest but it does take good shots. It can get a bit hot if charging and playing games at the same time and it is more than capable of draining the battery in an hour or two if you use resource intensive games or apps. The sound is very clear and boomsound is a major player in the satisfaction this phone gives, making the speakers significantly bassier than other devices on the market. The speakers 'can' be a little quiet at full but they ALWAYS stay crystal clear with no distortion at all.
You MUST get a protector case for this device as the front of the actual phone can crack if you apply pressure, by the front camera lens is cracked on mine. Tech21 make a good sturdy case for this device but it is a tad expensive at £30 GBP.
I Don't recommend using custom roms with this device as not only is the risk of a brick significantly higher it is also going to result in a slightly slower phone than stock rooted.
The different variants of this device are essentially the same but carrier locked versions can be a prick to find software to fix stuff.
In all you've made the right choice of phone if you plan on keeping it stock but the wrong one if you plan on modding it.
Beamed in by telepathy.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with some points of the post above this one.
If you live in the US then choosing either the unlocked/dev variant or the version of your carrier is the best choice. SKU 401 is optimized for the EU (in regard to supported frequencies and some GPS configurations). And it's important that you choose the correct hardware version for your carrier's technology (Verizon & Sprint: CDMA - all other variants: GSM). The firmware of CDMA devices and GSM devices isn't interchangeable. You can't even flash Sprint firmware on a Verizon device (or vice versa) without damaging it. However, you can change from one GSM firmware to a different one if you want to (S-OFF required).
Just for having it mentioned (I know that you don't need this information but who knows who else is going to read this): The Verizon version's bootloader cannot get unlocked via HTCdev (unlike the bootloader of all other versions). You need S-OFF for unlocking the bootloader of that version. Since sunshine needs root on the latest firmware version the only way to unlock the Verizon variant on the latest firmware is an xtc clip/java card. (This may change with a future update of sunshine.) Or you try to get a pre-Nougat Verizon M9 and use the temp-root of the sunshine app.
In addition, HTC provides RUUs for its US devices. Therefore, getting back to stock is easier with one of them than with all other non-US variants.
And in regard to custom roms: They don't hardbrick your device. The worst thing that can happen is a soft-brick/bootloop and that will only happen if you try to flash a custom rom whose base is newer than your phone's firmware (and some nougat roms are even compatible with the marshmallow firmware so this happens quite rarely in the recent time).
Aside from that, my phone is as fast while I use Viper 6.1 as it has been while I was playing around with the stock rom. If there really is a difference then you need laboratory equipment for being able to detect it. And I'm pretty sure that you get the same performance on other (sense-based) custom roms, as well.
The only thing that you need to be aware of is that there are more and more reports of dying memory chips. These nand deaths happen on stock phones and on modified phones. As far as I read, no one has been able to repair such a dead device except for HTC itself. I don't know what's the cause of the problem since I know enough people whose M9's are still working fine without any issues.
Sent from my HTC One M9 using XDA Labs

Thanks for the reply from both of you. I'm surprised and happy a mod actually replied too!
My LG was locked out from installing custom roms and such, but I have experience installing some on a first gen Galaxy S (currently using it as backup in fact). I'm sure things have changed somewhat, but I am aware of the potential risks in flashing custom roms. I've bootlooped and soft bricked my device doing so more than once. I'm not a programmer, but I was able to fix them all with patience, research and the right tools/software. I assume there are also methods to deal with soft bricks and bootloops on HTC One M9 if you consider it less of a threat than a hardware brick (which my LG G4 got even without flashing anything). I appreciate the warning and advice either way.
I'm not concerned with the carrier compatibility that much. I don't have service with anyone at the moment and can use whatever. Seller says the device is a GSM unlocked AT&T device, if accurate then i'm perfectly content with using GSM networks. Listing says "new AT&T carrier overstock item", which I hope means the device is okay. It's being advertised as running 5.0 Lollipop, which I assume means the stock rom it came with when first released and also hope is an okay starting point for doing whatever rooting and customization I want.
I hope the NAND issue doesn't crop up on the one I get though, that doesn't sound good. HTC attracted me because i've seen fewer people complaining about widespread hardware defects compared to many other phones. It's difficult to find phones that are a good value, are reasonably free of serious problems and include features I deem important (microSD card support for instance, and having reasonably fast processors). My options are limited.
I'm not sure if i'll need s off. I'm new to that term and don't know much about it besides it being some sort of HTC security. Not sure what doors would open up by having s off, still researching. Assuming the model I buy is accurately listed as AT&T, it sounds like I should be able to unlock the bootloader, root, flash TWRP and even get custom roms without having s off. Am I correct? Not even sure if it's required to flash kernels such as ElementalX.

That can happen if you post in the forum of a device that's owned by a mod. Don't forget that we're normal members, as well, if we don't moderate.
If you face a soft-brick you only need to keep both volume buttons and the power button pressed until the phone reboots to its bootloader. From there on you can boot to TWRP and only need to flash a working rom or to restore a backup of a working (stock) rom and the problem should be fixed. Hard-bricks only happen if you flash a CDMA firmware on a GSM device (or vice versa) or a Sprint firmware on a Verizon device (or vice versa). The phone will still be booting but from what I observed here on xda your SIM card won't be detected, anymore, even if you re-flash your phone's original firmware. Aside from that you can "kill" this phone if you're impatient while it's installing an update and power it down during the process (there was a time when that happened quite often). Therefore, I suggest you to just let it do it's thing after you started the update process. Depending on which update you want to install it might take up to approximately half an hour and the phone might reboot (and therefore vibrate) several times.
Correct, for flashing custom recoveries/roms/kernels you don't need S-OFF on this phone (as long as it's not the Verizon variant). Take a look at the further reading section of the ReadMe thread. There's an article linked that explains S-OFF. And Sneakyghost's firmware thread in the development section should contain an explanation, as well. If I remember correctly it should be located in the 5th post. Be aware that you don't need to (re-)lock this phones bootloader like you needed to do on older HTC devices if you want to flash a RUU with S-ON as long as you use the SD card method. That's the recommended method, btw.
I personally don't use a custom kernel. They had a huge impact on my last device (the HTC One S - released in 2012) but HTC seems to be learning at least from some of its "mistakes" since the battery optimizations are much better on the M9. Therefore, I haven't been using a custom kernel since one of the early versions of ElementalX. On the other hand, that means that I can't tell you whether the current version got optimized that much that it actually has an impact, again.
In regard to the nand issue: Don't forget that 95% of the posts here get made by people who face problems with their phones whereas most people don't post if everything is working fine. That might cause that an issue seems to be more common than it actually is. And as said in my last post, I haven't seen such a dead nand in real life, yet, and I know a lot of people who own this phone.
And last but not least a little tip: Find out your phone's firmware as soon as you get it. If it's a pre-4.x version (everything before android n) then try to find the latest 3.x RUU for your SKU*. If you install that one you will save some time that would otherwise be needed for installing a huge amount of OTA updates. (A RUU only needs around 5 minutes if you use the SD card method.) You can't directly install a 4.x RUU since HTC changed the encryption keys between firmware 3.x and 4.x. Therefore, you need to install the 4.x update via the software update function of the phone since OTAs aren't encrypted. More information, some useful files and instructions can be found in the ReadMe thread. (It's a big wall-of-text but reading and understanding it is worth the time that you need for doing so.)
Edit: * = Here's a download link for the latest 3.x AT&T M9 RUU (directly from HTC's server). However, now that I think about it I actually can't tell you whether the AT&T variant already received android n...
Sent from my HTC One M9 using XDA Labs

M9 Verizon, S-on, and Nougat - unlock with sunshine?

I've done a ton of research on how to unlock bootloader on my verizon M9 (f*** you verizon), and it seems only feasible option is sunshine and 25 bucks. That being said, I updated to nougat before wanting this, and I'm reading that sunshine may not be able to s-off the phone with this latest verizon update. I tried to downgrade to marshmallow v. 3.37.605.7 using RUU 0PJAIMG_HIMA_WL_M6[email protected]60105_CNV_1.26_002_release_469809_signed_1.zip and it fails using the SD card fat 32 method. Am I doing it wrong?
1) Can sunshine s-off with latest nougat update?
2) If not, is there any way to downgrade to a version that sunshine can s-off?
3) Am I screwed? No custom roms for me?

If you can't downgrade, Sunshine can't get temproot and thus can't s-off.
The device is old (the community has moved on long ago) so it isn't a priority for the sunshine team; when j asked, the reply was something to the effect of it not being on the radar. Hard to blame them; dev time is limited, and they can help more people focusing on other phones.
You can supposedly send it to someone with an HTC Java card or XTC2 Clip, but I can't verify that. I can verify that Kingo and similar do nothing for you. So no, no custom ROMs, no root, and you're stuck with Verizon and Google's bloatware. but
Also, be warned batteries on the M9s are dying (like, nearly all of them; if you don't have a newer battery, yours will soon), and some of them fail spectacularly if you try to charge them during/after actual death
(If you do like I did and change phones and carriers, confirm before you buy; I thought "huh, T-Mobile is good about rooting, and I've heard great things about how easy unlocking Samsungs are." It turns out one of those two has turned on us, probably Samsung, though I'm still not clear on why.)

VerizonSucksman said:
Also, be warned batteries on the M9s are dying (like, nearly all of them; if you don't have a newer battery, yours will soon), and some of them fail spectacularly if you try to charge them during/after actual death
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you say "some of them fail spectacularly" do you mean the battery or the phone?
I'm having battery issues but am afraid to try to change it out myself. The video looks complicated.

feralicious said:
I'm having battery issues but am afraid to try to change it out myself. The video looks complicated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, it's not as bad as it looks. I've replaced two screens and that repair job requires some extra steps. As long as you have a backup phone I'd say give it a shot.

Exokan said:
Honestly, it's not as bad as it looks. I've replaced two screens and that repair job requires some extra steps. As long as you have a backup phone I'd say give it a shot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I found a place that will do it for only about $25 more than it would cost me to get the battery and tools to do it myself, so I'll let them do it.

Is is a possible fake HTC 10?

Hi all,
I just got a new HTC 10 due to its good speaker review and its size, not too small, not too big. Right after I made the purchase, I started to read more to learn about the phone and realize there is a possibility of getting a fake phones. So, when I got the phone yesterday, I started to scrutinize it quite a bit. The box arrived sealed, the phone looks new, no blemish. It also feel good in the hand. Overall, nothing to complain about the look and the fell.
Upon opening the box, I noticed that a few things which made me wonder if this is an original phone:
1. the phone came in a generic clear plastic as oppose to a more formal sticker with HTC logo as seen in the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VHXXQmFq6I&t=278s
2. the sim card opener is not the same as those showed on Youtube in the shape and the location in the box. Those on Youtube are on the document box while this one is in another box. It is also hollow compared to the almost solid one on Youtube.
3. Although the charger seems to be a quick charger, I got the message on the phone that it is not.
4. Another thing is the software update. According to HTC website (https://www.htc.com/us/support/htc-10/news/), the latest version is 3.16.617.2 but the phone shows the version 3.16.401.2 which is an older version. However, when I clicked on the Check Update button, I got the message that everything is up-to-date. The wallpaper of the phone looks like that of the ROM Pyrana-3.16.401.2 but the root check shows that the phone is not rooted.
Then, I bench marked it with Geekbench 4 and and Antutu. The result from Geekbench 4 is normal at 1690 and 3781 for single and muti-core while the results fro Antutu showed an abnormal ROM score (see picture). The device test with Antutu does show all specification are met.
Can someone knows more about this phone let me know if what kind of phone I got.
Thanks,
hochoi

hochoi said:
Hi all,
I just got a new HTC 10 due to its good speaker review and its size, not too small, not too big. Right after I made the purchase, I started to read more to learn about the phone and realize there is a possibility of getting a fake phones. So, when I got the phone yesterday, I started to scrutinize it quite a bit. The box arrived sealed, the phone looks new, no blemish. It also feel good in the hand. Overall, nothing to complain about the look and the fell.
Upon opening the box, I noticed that a few things which made me wonder if this is an original phone:
1. the phone came in a generic clear plastic as oppose to a more formal sticker with HTC logo as seen in the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VHXXQmFq6I&t=278s
2. the sim card opener is not the same as those showed on Youtube in the shape and the location in the box. Those on Youtube are on the document box while this one is in another box. It is also hollow compared to the almost solid one on Youtube.
3. Although the charger seems to be a quick charger, I got the message on the phone that it is not.
4. Another thing is the software update. According to HTC website (https://www.htc.com/us/support/htc-10/news/), the latest version is 3.16.617.2 but the phone shows the version 3.16.401.2 which is an older version. However, when I clicked on the Check Update button, I got the message that everything is up-to-date. The wallpaper of the phone looks like that of the ROM Pyrana-3.16.401.2 but the root check shows that the phone is not rooted.
Then, I bench marked it with Geekbench 4 and and Antutu. The result from Geekbench 4 is normal at 1690 and 3781 for single and muti-core while the results fro Antutu showed an abnormal ROM score (see picture). The device test with Antutu does show all specification are met.
Can someone knows more about this phone let me know if what kind of phone I got.
Thanks,
hochoi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The software version posted on HTC website is for US Unlocked.
The one you have is WWE and has the last available update for WWE.
It doesn't sound like you have anything to really be concerned about.
Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

santod040 said:
The software version posted on HTC website is for US Unlocked.
The one you have is WWE and has the last available update for WWE.
It doesn't sound like you have anything to really be concerned about.
Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, Santod. This eases my nerve a bit. I just learned that WWE is World Wide Edition? The benchmark from Antutu from ROM showed abnormal score is also not a concern? How's about the Quick Charge not working as it should? LTE speed is also much slower compared to Nexus 5. Is there a reason for that?

hochoi said:
Thanks, Santod. This eases my nerve a bit. I just learned that WWE is World Wide Edition? The benchmark from Antutu from ROM showed abnormal score is also not a concern? How's about the Quick Charge not working as it should? LTE speed is also much slower compared to Nexus 5. Is there a reason for that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You really shouldn't worry about antutu score, i got it also with the stock rom... About network speed, htc 10 should definitely get better speed but maybe it was just poor reception... Try to find some htc imei check to check your device...i think that is the best way to see if it is real or fake... I also think that it is real...good luck

krokanic said:
You really shouldn't worry about antutu score, i got it also with the stock rom... About network speed, htc 10 should definitely get better speed but maybe it was just poor reception... Try to find some htc imei check to check your device...i think that is the best way to see if it is real or fake... I also think that it is real...good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, krokanic. I used swappa to check. The result was no result for the ESN and the device does not appear on the blacklist. What does this mean with the ESN? Is it because the phone is a WWE? oTHER imei check did not provide meaningful details. However, when using imei24.com, I got more details (see picture). The part which caught my eyes is the warranty start and end. Does this mean the phone was activated on 6/30/2016? If it is, it can not be a new phone. The internet speed is also strange. I used the same sim for the nexus5 and this one, htc phone is always much slower.

Just boot to download mode and check the specs, if there is no download mode it's a fake, if there are things in download mode you don't understand you write them down here.
The date could also be production date, this device model is almost 3 years old. It's no longer in production so you will never get a "new" device. Maybe one new in the box but the production date will never be from this January for example.
Don't trust those imei check sites too much, i have different outcomes on different imei check websites. It's an indication but don't lean to much on them.

Mr Hofs said:
Just boot to download mode and check the specs, if there is no download mode it's a fake, if there are things in download mode you don't understand you write them down here.
The date could also be production date, this device model is almost 3 years old. It's no longer in production so you will never get a "new" device. Maybe one new in the box but the production date will never be from this January for example.
Don't trust those imei check sites too much, i have different outcomes on different imei check websites. It's an indication but don't lean to much on them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, Mr Hofs. I understand that this phone is not in production anymore. I was hoping to get one of the last few. Please take a look at the picture and help me check if there is anything not normal. I put arrows next to some of the items. If there is an explanation for those, it is appreciated.

hochoi said:
Thanks, Mr Hofs. I understand that this phone is not in production anymore. I was hoping to get one of the last few. Please take a look at the picture and help me check if there is anything not normal. I put arrows next to some of the items. If there is an explanation for those, it is appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a geniune HTC 10, no doubt there. Only thing is that the bootloader is locked and you have S-OFF status, that is not a bad thing at all but it could well be a second hand one because S-OFF is usually done via the developers of "sunshine" and not factory stock.
You can install the sunshine app (check the S-OFF sunshine xda thread) and walk through the steps, if it proceeds without payment it's already registered there and therefore definetly a second hand device.
Oh and the fused status is pretty normal.
https://www.xda-developers.com/divi...les-fuse-replacement-will-reduce-io-overhead/
@santod040 knows more about that too i believe
But that's about it.

Mr Hofs said:
It's a geniune HTC 10, no doubt there. Only thing is that the bootloader is locked and you have S-OFF status, that is not a bad thing at all but it could well be a second hand one because S-OFF is usually done via the developers of "sunshine" and not factory stock.
You can install the sunshine app (check the S-OFF sunshine xda thread) and walk through the steps, if it proceeds without payment it's already registered there and therefore definetly a second hand device.
Oh and the fused status is pretty normal.
https://www.xda-developers.com/divi...les-fuse-replacement-will-reduce-io-overhead/
@santod040 knows more about that too i believe
But that's about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much, Mr Hofs. It is a good news to learn that this is a genuine device. If the bootloader is locked, does it prevent me from "playing around" with the phone?
I still have not fully understood what you explained about sunshine but will work on it. Hope to continue to get your guidance along the way.
Is this http://theroot.ninja/ what you mentioned about sunshine? I need to download the apk file and install it to the phone? If it went through without asking for the money, it is a second hand device? This phone was sold as an unlocked one. Is it possible that the S-off is related to this unlock?

hochoi said:
Thank you so much, Mr Hofs. It is a good news to learn that this is a genuine device. If the bootloader is locked, does it prevent me from "playing around" with the phone?
I still have not fully understood what you explained about sunshine but will work on it. Hope to continue to get your guidance along the way.
Is this http://theroot.ninja/ what you mentioned about sunshine? I need to download the apk file and install it to the phone? If it went through without asking for the money, it is a second hand device? This phone was sold as an unlocked one. Is it possible that the S-off is related to this unlock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unlocked model typically means it's network unlocked.
That's completely different than bootloader unlocked.
Most devices are carrier unlocked by default now, due to fcc regulations.
In order to "play" around with it, s-off is all that's required, bootloader can remain locked.
I notice it also has Super CID.
Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

hochoi said:
Thank you so much, Mr Hofs. It is a good news to learn that this is a genuine device. If the bootloader is locked, does it prevent me from "playing around" with the phone?
I still have not fully understood what you explained about sunshine but will work on it. Hope to continue to get your guidance along the way.
Is this http://theroot.ninja/ what you mentioned about sunshine? I need to download the apk file and install it to the phone? If it went through without asking for the money, it is a second hand device? This phone was sold as an unlocked one. Is it possible that the S-off is related to this unlock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Therootninja is indeed what i was referring to. Proceed as been mentioned. Sunshine will never be done by HTC itself so therefore it is a second hand device if it is registered.
Santod040 has put some light on the unlocked thing already ?

santod040 said:
Unlocked model typically means it's network unlocked.
That's completely different than bootloader unlocked.
Most devices are carrier unlocked by default now, due to fcc regulations.
In order to "play" around with it, s-off is all that's required, bootloader can remain locked.
I notice it also has Super CID.
Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, santod. I will read a bit more to learn what super CID is.
Is it safe t install the apk file from http://theroot.ninja/ to see if the phone is a second hand device? I got a warning when trying to download it.

santod040 said:
Unlocked model typically means it's network unlocked.
That's completely different than bootloader unlocked.
Most devices are carrier unlocked by default now, due to fcc regulations.
In order to "play" around with it, s-off is all that's required, bootloader can remain locked.
I notice it also has Super CID.
Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, santod. I will read a bit more to learn what super CID is.
Is it safe t install the apk file from http://theroot.ninja/ to see if the phone is a second hand device? I got a warning when trying to download it.
Am I right to think that the slow charge with a quick charger can be caused by a defective charger, not the phone or the battery? It has been 33' and it only charge from 11% to 29%. Definitely too slow.
Just got the second HTC in. And the quick charger is actually working fine on the new phone. So, the slow charge is on the phone or the battery. I hope someone can give a tip to determine the real cause.

hochoi said:
Thanks, santod. I will read a bit more to learn what super CID is.
Is it safe t install the apk file from http://theroot.ninja/ to see if the phone is a second hand device? I got a warning when trying to download it.
Am I right to think that the slow charge with a quick charger can be caused by a defective charger, not the phone or the battery? It has been 33' and it only charge from 11% to 29%. Definitely too slow.
Just got the second HTC in. And the quick charger is actually working fine on the new phone. So, the slow charge is on the phone or the battery. I hope someone can give a tip to determine the real cause.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With super CID you can install any RUU package. However, you won't be able to get OTA Updates. OTA really doesn't matter anymore because they stopped @ Oreo 8.1 If you want Android Pie 9.0 you can read the Lineage OS 16 thread, the latest build seems fairly stable.
Some of these slow chargers aren't built very well. I just bought a used HTC 10 for my wife and all the accessories were new, but the new charger didn't work at all. Another possibility, it might not be a quick charger. Read the Amps on it. Should be 5v @ about 2Amps anything below 2 amps is a slow charger.
I see the charger worked with your newer phone, so I hope you aren't having battery issues (it's buried pretty deep under the board) not impossible to change, but not for the light hearted either. Maybe a senior member can suggest a battery diag tool or something else to help with that.

mudrunner88 said:
With super CID you can install any RUU package. However, you won't be able to get OTA Updates. OTA really doesn't matter anymore because they stopped @ Oreo 8.1 If you want Android Pie 9.0 you can read the Lineage OS 16 thread, the latest build seems fairly stable.
Some of these slow chargers aren't built very well. I just bought a used HTC 10 for my wife and all the accessories were new, but the new charger didn't work at all. Another possibility, it might not be a quick charger. Read the Amps on it. Should be 5v @ about 2Amps anything below 2 amps is a slow charger.
I see the charger worked with your newer phone, so I hope you aren't having battery issues (it's buried pretty deep under the board) not impossible to change, but not for the light hearted either. Maybe a senior member can suggest a battery diag tool or something else to help with that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your input, mudrunner. The charger is definitely fine. I probably will request a replacement. Both phones looks fantastic cosmetically and run fairly well. Is there a way to check if it is a refurbished or used phone?

Just my 2 cents.
To me, it personally looks like you got a (certified?) refurbished device, or one that is new condition and was re-packaged for sale. It being s-off and supercid to me, looks like someone used the phone and kept good care of it (esp. It being on the latest firmware as well) and that is what you bought, which is nothing wrong with that. It doesn't surprise me to see ppl seeking out a new HTC 10. It's a great device and the only phone I've had for more than 2 years.
As for the charger and some more ideas, it's possible you are on a custom rom (edited to look like stock, editing build.prop, removing superuser, etc), or even stock ruu and a rom was never flashed. Being supercid I think is either because it was changed to another variant, or it came this way from s-off (mine came back supercid when sent out for s-off) and maybe there's an issue with the rom, you could flash twrp and another rom if you were wanting to do that, and see.
One thing I suggest to also check is what your battery capacity is at. Accubattery is a good app on the playstore that gives you an estimate. An example for me, I've had my phone since Verizon launch day and am pretty lucky to have it at around 77% considering the usage I've gotten out of it over the past few years and all the rom flashing. For the past 8 months or so I only charge the device to 85% each day and charge it before bed and I usually have about 30% left. I only charge to 100% when I know I will need it, but the accubattery app will explain why I chose to do this.
May I ask where you bought it?

andybones said:
Just my 2 cents.
To me, it personally looks like you got a (certified?) refurbished device, or one that is new condition and was re-packaged for sale. It being s-off and supercid to me, looks like someone used the phone and kept good care of it (esp. It being on the latest firmware as well) and that is what you bought, which is nothing wrong with that. It doesn't surprise me to see ppl seeking out a new HTC 10. It's a great device and the only phone I've had for more than 2 years.
As for the charger and some more ideas, it's possible you are on a custom rom (edited to look like stock, editing build.prop, removing superuser, etc), or even stock ruu and a rom was never flashed. Being supercid I think is either because it was changed to another variant, or it came this way from s-off (mine came back supercid when sent out for s-off) and maybe there's an issue with the rom, you could flash twrp and another rom if you were wanting to do that, and see.
One thing I suggest to also check is what your battery capacity is at. Accubattery is a good app on the playstore that gives you an estimate. An example for me, I've had my phone since Verizon launch day and am pretty lucky to have it at around 77% considering the usage I've gotten out of it over the past few years and all the rom flashing. For the past 8 months or so I only charge the device to 85% each day and charge it before bed and I usually have about 30% left. I only charge to 100% when I know I will need it, but the accubattery app will explain why I chose to do this.
May I ask where you bought it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your inputs, anybones. I like the sound quality of this phone a lot. I think it is way better than Pixel 2. I bought it on ebay from a Chinese seller (with decent reputation of 98.5%). I knew the risk and was hoping to get one of the last phones still around. I tend to agree with you on the refurbished/second hand aspect. I have to say that the phone look and feel are fantastic. It may be given a brand new case (they definitely can easily do that if they want to). I used Accubattery to check the battery too and it is only 2000 which is not so great! Battery is one of the ticking point for me since the battery of this phone is not easy to replace. Other than the battery, the benchmarks on the phone are subpar but acceptable.

hochoi said:
Thanks for your inputs, anybones. I like the sound quality of this phone a lot. I think it is way better than Pixel 2. I bought it on ebay from a Chinese seller (with decent reputation of 98.5%). I knew the risk and was hoping to get one of the last phones still around. I tend to agree with you on the refurbished/second hand aspect. I have to say that the phone look and feel are fantastic. It may be given a brand new case (they definitely can easily do that if they want to). I used Accubattery to check the battery too and it is only 2000 which is not so great! Battery is one of the ticking point for me since the battery of this phone is not easy to replace. Other than the battery, the benchmarks on the phone are subpar but acceptable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I personally am on nougat crdroid rom, love it.
Accubattery gets "smarter" I guess is the word, the longer you have and use it, so keep it installed, I've had it for almost a year, low app battery footprint. For awhile mine was saying 72% but has been at 77% since I've been just basically making sure I have a charge cable on me, and charge it to 85% max unless I need a full charge which never happens, only time I've been going above 85% us when I miss the alarm I set for when it reaches certain percentages - - if u use GSam battery monitor, I use that. Hopefully with time you will get a better reading. I agree, I feel the lag in my device, but I also only reboot the phone maybe 2-3 times a month.

andybones said:
I personally am on nougat crdroid rom, love it.
Accubattery gets "smarter" I guess is the word, the longer you have and use it, so keep it installed, I've had it for almost a year, low app battery footprint. For awhile mine was saying 72% but has been at 77% since I've been just basically making sure I have a charge cable on me, and charge it to 85% max unless I need a full charge which never happens, only time I've been going above 85% us when I miss the alarm I set for when it reaches certain percentages - - if u use GSam battery monitor, I use that. Hopefully with time you will get a better reading. I agree, I feel the lag in my device, but I also only reboot the phone maybe 2-3 times a month.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I may go for the custom rom after I learn enough about this phone