Just made the switch after 4 years of iPhone

[lavrishevo]

Hey guys. Long time iPhone user here who just got sick and tired of AT&T's service and really wanted to switch to Verizon's 4G network. This is my first Android phone and I am really liking it. Although some things are not as polished as the iPhone OS the phone is a real pleasure.

So anyway, if I may ask a few questions as I am a newbie to Android hacking.

I have been jailbroken on my iPhones since 07 and love to add features (themeing, 3g hacks, tethering, etc..) Many of the features that required jailbreaking are already available.

1: What are the best benefits to rooting the Thunderbolt?

2: From what I have been reading rooting seems a bit more dangerous then jailbreaking as a DFU mode restore is pretty much full proof and bricking is nearly impossible on an iPhone. Is this really the case with Android?

3: Any advice and must have apps or configurations that make the Thunderbolt perform to its peak would be great.

4: What exactly are roms and overclocking / undervolting in relation to making the Thunderbolt perform better?

Thanks and I apologize for the newbie questions but I like to ask those with a lot of experience rather then go through tremendous trial and error...

 

[richardpandy]

Long story short, root the phone and flash the new radios, phone will be much better. I run dasBAMF 1.6.3 remix and it's pretty good. Battery life is around 20 hours when not playing games or running navigation because we both know those eat through the battery. The Autoroot process is easy as can be and also an autoroot if you need to send the phone back. Install a rom after and go to the cpu and that is what makes all the battery life differences for me. Other people can give you the technical stuff but rooting and roming makes mosts users experiences, including my own, much better.

 

[lavrishevo]

Thanks Lakers. Is the ROM the OS in essence or like a loader / kernel? Do you have to reinstall everything with a new ROM?

Also, what do you mean by go to the CPU after installing the ROM?

 

[the one and only M]

Rooting allows for more customization and optimization. Removing bloatware, installing custom roms, kernels, and themes are the biggest reasons to root.

There are one-click options available to root. I recommend learning about adb and how to use it. It will definitely come in handy. Read the tutorials and instructions carefully.

Some must have apps for rooted users are Rom manager, titanium backup, and root explorer.

 

[SUB-dawg]

Hey guys. Long time iPhone user here who just got sick and tired of AT&T's service and really wanted to switch to Verizon's 4G network. This is my first Android phone and I am really liking it. Although some things are not as polished as the iPhone OS the phone is a real pleasure.

So anyway, if I may ask a few questions as I am a newbie to Android hacking.

I have been jailbroken on my iPhones since 07 and love to added features (themeing, 3g hacks, tethering, etc..) Many of the features that required jailbreaking are already available.

1: What are the best benefits to rooting the Thunderbolt?

2: From what I have been reading rooting seems a bit more dangerous then jailbreaking as a DFU mode restore is pretty much full proof and bricking is nearly impossible on an iPhone. Is this really the case with Android?

3: Any advice and must have apps or configurations that make the Thunderbolt perform to it's peak would be great.

4: What exactly are roms and overclocking / undervolting in relation to making the Thunderbolt perform better?

Thanks and I apologize for the newbie questions but I like to ask those with a lot of experience rather then go through tremendous trial and error...

1. The best thing you an do when you root is flash a custom rom. ROMs add a completely new look to the phone. Some ROMs even get rid of HTC's Sense UI. I am running TeslaCoil and it is themed to look exactly like stock Gingerbread.

2. If you listen to all of the warnings and make backups with Nandroid (a way to backup everything on your phone), it is pretty hard to brick your Android device.

3. Of course, extended batteries always help but rooting is another way to help improve performance. When you are rooted, you can flash custom kernels that overclock your phone to a higher speed. You can also get apps like JuiceDefender that help battery life.

4. Overclocking is a way to speed up your thunderbolt. The standard clock speed of the bolt is 1 ghz. With overclocking, you could go up to 1.92 ghz if you really wanted to. ROM's also help eliminate bloatware which helps eliminate background processe which in turn, speeds your phone up.

I hope this helps!
SUB-dawg

 

[FrankXS]

Just want to say...

1) Welcome to the ThunderBolt!

2) Welcome to Android Central!

3) Enjoy!

-Frank

 

[willymakit]

Welcome, would love to hear the review after you had the phone for a while.