Droid and a hard place...

[carver_inc]

I was really looking forward to getting the Droid X. After reading yesterday that its bootloader is locked and using custom ROMS is out, I'm beginning to question my choice.

The Galaxy S, is already rooted and would offer more freedom. My problem is, with the Droid X being locked, how much will that take away from what the phone will ultimately be capable of, as compared to the Galaxy S? Both seem like great phones.

Is this a deal breaker with anyone else out there? or Do you have confidence the X will eventually be rooted?

I need some advice

C/\rver

 

[MolecularGraph]

Won't take away anything really, you can still root it, just can't do hybrid roms and stuff for speed... which you really don't need with this bad boy!

 

[GTvert90]

I have no experience with it at all.. But from all the ready.. Its very very likely that the X will be rooted.... Its very very unlikely that you can use custom ROM's because of the bootloader. I guess they've been trying to crack the milstone for 7+ months and haven't done it yet.

Laity they've been saying if you try to hack the bootloader it bricks your phone

 

[MolecularGraph]

Yeah, I saw that, no hacks for me man, just a simple root so I can get some certain apps, then be done with it.

 

[javroch]

And actually, I've been reading that we CAN overclock, with just root, like they got working with the Motorola Milestone (http://code.google.com/p/milestone-overclock/). Though, this really doesn't interest me nearly as much as free wifi tethering, which you can also do with just root.

 

[MolecularGraph]

Doesn't seem necessary!

 

[SCMoney360]

I don't understand everybody crying about this. I'm not claiming the OP is, but com'on!

1. I understand that being able to flash roms can become an unhealthy habit - BUT - it looks like people are flashing their droids/evos to make them faster by overclocking/breaking the bottleneck.

If moto bottlenecked graphics at 30 fps, i could see that being a "dealbreaker". Droid X owners are going to be getting the "greatest android device until next week". Tests are showing that with 2.1, its a powerhouse. Why do I need to tweak a phone with a 1 ghz processor?

2. Root is important to have! I will stand by this. I don't want cityID on my phone and I don't want VZW dropping icons on my phone. I will put what I want on my phone and I should be able to take any app that I don't want off the phone.

And my last "point (see rant)"

A bunch of these new Droid X owners are going to be new-former BB storm users. To all of those people....You can't tell me that this would stop you from purchasing and using this phone if you have been stuck using a storm2 or even a storm1.

You've been living in "a sucky smartphone world (see nickelback)" for almost 2 years. get over it.

and im done.

 

[SilverLight98]

It doesn't seem necessary until newer phones come out that are much faster than the DX. Then you'll want more juice, especially if the newer OS demands it

Sent from my Droid

 

[SCMoney360]

It doesn't seem necessary until newer phones come out that are much faster than the DX. Then you'll want more juice, especially if the newer OS demands it

Sent from my Droid

There will always be phone envy....but once you understand that you don't have the money to waste on always having the top of the line phone....and realize that your phone does what you want it to do very well then you should be good.

And even though no official word has come out for gingerbread...i feel positive that this phone will get it. Ultimately I want froyo because of the potential speed increase.

Every persons situation is different....mine is i walk around all the time with a storm (phone and music) and an ipod touch(for apps). The X will do what I need it to do and way more and i get to only care around 1 device.

 

[borgey401]

oh it will get a custom recovery on it people calm down. RSD works wonders

 

[x.v_]

2. Root is important to have! I will stand by this. I don't want cityID on my phone and I don't want VZW dropping icons on my phone. I will put what I want on my phone and I should be able to take any app that I don't want off the phone.

I don't think you'll be able to get rid of CityID? It's in /system, meaning we need the NAND unlocked to get rid of it?

 

[SCMoney360]

I don't think you'll be able to get rid of CityID? It's in /system, meaning we need the NAND unlocked to get rid of it?

then I guess I don't understand....

root is admin rights, so why won't I be able to delete the app? I'll look up what NAND is so i won't have to be ignorant to your statement.

update: googled "androind nand" and got:

First off, What is NAND?
To keep it simple...its your phones internal memory.

why would i need that? why cant i just delete?

 

[javroch]

Isn't this whole discussion pointless as their's no reason that this phone won't be rooted, just like any other Droid. We won't be able to load custom ROMs / kernels, okay. But, there's no reason to think we won't get root.

 

[SCMoney360]

Isn't this whole discussion pointless as their's no reason that this phone won't be rooted, just like any other Droid. We won't be able to load custom ROMs / kernels, okay. But, there's no reason to think we won't get root.

the phone will be able to be rooted....you just wont be able to change anything the bootloader. So superuser, you can be. Run an os that moto doesn't approve, your phone will die a beautiful death.

But the original droid - runs custom roms...not sure what you are talking about with that one?

 

[Natemz]

I say don't worry about it. Like others have said, this phone is beyond fast. As long as we can root then everything should be fine. But there are some insanely smart people out there. On the largest network. Someone will crack the bootloader.

 

[carver_inc]

Wow ok, thanks for all the input! I just always hear/read about Droids being rooted. At the time I was under the impression that the Droid X wasn't able to be and if its worth waiting for a phone that would be since the Galaxy and X are very close hardware wise.

I'm sticking with the Droid X. I really don't think I'll be disappointed coming from a 1st gen iphone.

 

[thevacantsoul]

Installing custom Roms isn't just about over clocking...its about get the newest OS...for example i am running froyo 2.2 on my old and slow tmobile MT3G but if i go buy the DX tomorrow it will be running an older OS with no flash and who knows how long it will be before Moto updates this thing. Look at Moto Droid, it took them forever to get the 2.1 update.

 

[doctorlove316]

This is from Stephen Bird (mrweeeedbirdman) on Twitter who has been playing around with the X's files to see what's what...

you know when youve got really good news but you cant say anything? that sucks...alot..

What ive been told is DX stuff...but it wont be available to us for a little bit.

If you Try all you can, and cant do anything, you must uSe A LAST RESORT

 

[exempli_gratia]

People are assuming the DX will have as much focus on it as the original Droid and Milestone. But with HTC picking up their game (EVO) and the Samsung Galaxy S flooding every country, every carrier, it's possible the DX does not attract nearly as much hacker support.