Develop Bugs

[Q] Xperia Play Beginners guide?

Hey guys! I'm picking up an Xperia Play in a couple of days and was looking for some general advice about the phone. This will be my first Android device, I've been on WebOS/Garnet for my last two phones. I'm just a little overwhelmed with the options presented by the Play and Android in general. For instance, I'm not sure if I should root my phone or not - what are the advantages?
Any other general guides to Android/the Play would be wonderful if any such guides exist. I'm looking to deck this thing out with every emulator on the market as well as get the PSXperia hack up and running (I've downloaded the program, but can't figure out how to use it).
You can sense my overall noobishness in general, I'm sure. Any advice or tips about this device would be great. I'm really excited about the Play and getting comfortable with Android. Thanks everybody!

kershner25 said:
Hey guys! I'm picking up an Xperia Play in a couple of days and was looking for some general advice about the phone. This will be my first Android device, I've been on WebOS/Garnet for my last two phones. I'm just a little overwhelmed with the options presented by the Play and Android in general. For instance, I'm not sure if I should root my phone or not - what are the advantages?
Any other general guides to Android/the Play would be wonderful if any such guides exist. I'm looking to deck this thing out with every emulator on the market as well as get the PSXperia hack up and running (I've downloaded the program, but can't figure out how to use it).
You can sense my overall noobishness in general, I'm sure. Any advice or tips about this device would be great. I'm really excited about the Play and getting comfortable with Android. Thanks everybody!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
congratz im waiting for mine is the mail right now lol
rooting allows you to have full access to the file system sorta like a administrator
on a windows machine since out the box you cant edit files or remove bloatware without root you cant install certain programs from the market without root
also having root and unlocked bootloader allows you to flash a custom recovery image which will allow you to flash customs roms(a custom version of android dev by a user here on xda or anywhere in general)
yes i highly recommend but if you ever plan on returning the phone to verzion for example you will have to revert it back to stock
and for the program psxperia you need to install the latest version of java from java.com
and if your on a windows machine you double click the psxperiatool.JAR file
and it should run not sure on OSX
in the end you made a good choice on choosing android as mainstream as it became its still a powerful system way better IMO than ios or even webos
since android has so many developers theres gonna be an endless amount of programs
will post new finds myself etc

edokassiah said:
and unlocked bootloader allows you to flash a custom recovery image which will allow you to flash customs roms(a custom version of android dev by a user here on xda or anywhere in general)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You cannot flash the recovery image directly or you will mess up boot partition, you need to flash a kernel with embedded recovery built in

Thanks for the info. I'm confused about the locked/unlocked bootloaders. How do I know which one I'll have? And how "easy" of a process is rooting the phone if I don't plan to install any custom roms or anything?
Also, how does transferring .apk files from my PC to the device work?

kershner25 said:
Thanks for the info. I'm confused about the locked/unlocked bootloaders. How do I know which one I'll have? And how "easy" of a process is rooting the phone if I don't plan to install any custom roms or anything?
Also, how does transferring .apk files from my PC to the device work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you havent unlocked your bootloader yourself it is locked there are many risks and advantages to unlocking your bootloader, but if you dont intend to flash custom roms there really is no need, just like with root, if you dont know what it is, you probably wont need it
transfering .apk's from your pc is easy, just copy the .apk to your sd card, then use a file manager to find the .apk, tap on it and the installer will pop up , you need to tick unknown sources in settings though

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1176367

AndroHero said:
You cannot flash the recovery image directly or you will mess up boot partition, you need to flash a kernel with embedded recovery built in
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hes asking about android in general not aiming specifically at the xperia play

If I root my phone, do I have to switch everything back in order to get updates? All I really want to root my phone for would be to remove bloatware/speed it up a bit, is there a better way than rooting?

There is plenty of tutorials here, I suggest that you read, read, and then......read some more

_terror_ said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1176367
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks so much for this link, it's seriously going to help me while rooting my phone. This might be a dumb question, but bear with me - better safe than a bricked phone. The guide to rooting in that link says that I need to flash my Play to the .184 Generic UK firmware...am I understanding it correctly that I need flash this firmware onto my American Verizon Play? I want to make sure nothing is going to get screwed up regionally, as I'm going to want to keep getting OTA updates and all that.

Just to share my own experiences since I'm new to the Xperia Play (previously had an Acer Liquid.. crappy hardware but great community of devs.. anyways..)
I'd recommend rooting your phone off the bat - the simple reason is rooting will involve wiping your phone's data, so if you already have a few months of use that means having to restore everything which is tiresome. First thing when my phone arrived was follow the rooting guide here - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1116090
After that however I wouldn't recommend messing around TOO much with custom firmwares and such etc.. get used to the phone as it is and figure out what you like, don't like. if your like me within a few weeks or months you'll want something new - this is when you might want to start looking at messing around with the phone - new home launchers or even a new ROM (if your phone can have it's boot loader unlocked, from what I understand mine can't). The games and Emulators should keep you busy as is
The only customizing I've done to my phone is rooting it with Gingerbreak and using the leaked Sony Launcher.

I realize this is a pretty nooby thing to do that annoys all the veterans, but I consider this to be a fairly crucial piece of information I need before I attempt to root my phone, so I'm just gonna go ahead and bump this thing before it gets lost in the shuffle.
In order to root with a locked bootloader on an American Verizon XPlay, I need to flash to the .184 generic UK firmware, then root, then OTA update, correct?

kershner25 said:
I realize this is a pretty nooby thing to do that annoys all the veterans, but I consider this to be a fairly crucial piece of information I need before I attempt to root my phone, so I'm just gonna go ahead and bump this thing before it gets lost in the shuffle.
In order to root with a locked bootloader on an American Verizon XPlay, I need to flash to the .184 generic UK firmware, then root, then OTA update, correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. That method will not work on the r800x (verizon xplay) to root yours you will need to see [How-to] R800x Root
Dont worry about annoying people lol . Who cares what others think? Everyone has to start somewhere.
But it would be better with a stickied thread for new users to look @.

So now, instead of the 3 step process linked previously in this thread, I have to unlock the bootloader and do a whole bunch of other stuff? This method is like 100x more complicated. Is there no other way? I don't intend to install any custom roms, I strictly want to root solely for freezing bloatware.

No i dont think so. You would be better asking for help from other r800x owners in that thread.
The exploit gingerbreak uses on 2.3.2 was patched in 2.3.3 (worldwide) and was also patched by verizon before they released the handset on 2.3.2. Up untill the bootloader was unlocked on the r800x rooting was not possible.
Ask in that thread and you should recieve the help/info you are after.

hiya mate right ive rooted and put on custom recovery but now its screwed up my cam , wifi , and the market so be warned im trying to fix this problem as we speak
---------- Post added at 10:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:27 PM ----------
im new to this to really but having a play with no cam and no wifi and no market. the market is there but cant dwnload nothing is taking the piss can anyone help me please

Mozza2k11 said:
But it would be better with a stickied thread for new users to look @.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is one already stickied in the Q&A section.That it has gone practically unnoticed counters this statement.

kershner25 said:
Thanks so much for this link, it's seriously going to help me while rooting my phone. This might be a dumb question, but bear with me - better safe than a bricked phone. The guide to rooting in that link says that I need to flash my Play to the .184 Generic UK firmware...am I understanding it correctly that I need flash this firmware onto my American Verizon Play? I want to make sure nothing is going to get screwed up regionally, as I'm going to want to keep getting OTA updates and all that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Their is not such thing as a bricked phone
always is a way to fix it and usually its as simple as flashing a FTF
or whatever stock rom your device uses takes like 5 minutes tops lol
and logsemans guides will tell you anything you need to know
just use them for refrence
Xperia Play Super Compilation (Q&A Sticky)
and if you head down the path of rooting and stuff
messing with files
you wont be able to get ota updates lol.
it will "brick you"

I recentally made a quick video with tips for android users/beginners if you want to watch it. Thought it would help people. http://youtu.be/Pd5DerUoEcY

[Q] Rogers Branded Arc - Flashing CM7

Hi,
As it is written in the thread title, I am the proud (and frustrated) owner of a an Xperia Arc on Rogers (Canada). I am frustrated because since the "classic" bootloader unlocking methods do not work with Rogers branded phone, I'm unable to use any flashing method that require fastboot.
Also, I've seen a bootloader unlocking method that involves removing the battery, attaching wires on contacts, ... And I do admit that this kind of stuff scares me a little bit.
I wanted to know if wether or not it was possible to use Clockworkmod recovery (or Rom Manager) with a rooted 2.3.2 version and "just" install CM7 that way ? I know it sounds a little naive, but I'm currently stuck trying to root (after a downgrade to 2.3.2) with Gingerbreak and it stalls and the phone ends up never rebooting.
So if anyone has a solution/idea on how to flash CM7 on my locked bootloader Arc, that would make me (and probably dozens of other Rogers Arc owners) sooooo happy.
Also, I just wanted to know if it was possible to flash CM7 with Flashtool ? Before having my Arc, I had an X10 and used flashtool about 15 times to flash MiUI Roms... If yes, would it be by "converting" the CM7 files into a .ftf file ?
Thank you very much

if i were you i would save the hassle. unlock bootloader, and go. i just did it this past weekend so i can get root without jumping through hoops.. i was extremely anxious about it too..but if you follow the instructions you really cant go wrong. ps. im using rogers arc too! and as to your questions.. i really dont think you can.

gk_terato said:
if i were you i would save the hassle. unlock bootloader, and go. i just did it this past weekend so i can get root without jumping through hoops.. i was extremely anxious about it too..but if you follow the instructions you really cant go wrong. ps. im using rogers arc too! and as to your questions.. i really dont think you can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 If you can follow instructions then everything is pretty straight forward.
Sent from my LT15i using XDA App

Roger's Arc owner here as well.
So the the official method via the sony website dont work for us?
As CM7 is getting stable and since its pretty much release, I was gonna start to work on this ...
I was hoping to unlock bootloader ( through either sony , or one fo the threads and peeps that can do it here ) , root it and enjoy CM7.
Hope the official one works :S

fredastere said:
Hope the official one works :S
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't, no Operator locked handset can, so you will need to use Alejandrissimo or Jinx13. Worth every penny.

Allright thanks for the heads up , I'll set up an apointment or somethin with Alejandrissimo

gk_terato said:
if i were you i would save the hassle. unlock bootloader, and go. i just did it this past weekend so i can get root without jumping through hoops.. i was extremely anxious about it too..but if you follow the instructions you really cant go wrong. ps. im using rogers arc too! and as to your questions.. i really dont think you can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Thanks for your quick answer gk_terato. So is the 24 USD $ really worth it (e.g. with alejandrissimo) ? I know a fraction of this amount is used to pay the tokens, but I don't know how much this is really worth... I've (sim) unlocked all of my previous phones and it was never over 15 CAD $.
And btw, I was just wondering wether or not unlocking the bootloader would, at the same time, remove the sim restriction ?
Thanks again !

antoinedl said:
Hi,
Thanks for your quick answer gk_terato. So is the 24 USD $ really worth it (e.g. with alejandrissimo) ? I know a fraction of this amount is used to pay the tokens, but I don't know how much this is really worth... I've (sim) unlocked all of my previous phones and it was never over 15 CAD $.
And btw, I was just wondering wether or not unlocking the bootloader would, at the same time, remove the sim restriction ?
Thanks again !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry, i'm jus coming back to the forums checking out a way to unlock the bootloader ...(rogers arc....*sigh) WHo's alejandrissimo or Jinx13...
Please post a link for me newbie guy... thanks

Just look right here :
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1232050
He'll ask you to add him as a Google talk contact and to install Teamviewer, some drivers and a little application that lets you emulate a USB port over the internet. Good luck !

[Q] Want to install FreeXperia but unsure.

I'm seeing this in many different colors and I can't get this to gear up...
I already saw this thread HERE but it's for the Xperia X10...
Simply put, I want to have FreeXperia CM7 on my currently rooted Verizon CDMA Xperia Play R800x, but seeing all of this random stuff jumbled in the Development forum are driving me crazy... Before the Play, I had the LG Vortex, in which all you had to do was root the phone, and flash the All-In-One recovery for the Vortex through the terminal emulator from the market, and a friend of mine was using ROM Manager on his phone and the Xperia Play isn't even supported. Everything just doesn't seem like a "One-Click" and go anymore. Can anyone just lead me to the right files and direction to match my phone please?
Here is exactly what's on my About Phone menu.
Model Number: R800x
Android Version: 2.3.3
Baseband Version: 7X30A-AAABQMAZM-1290_10-03
Kernel Version: 2.6.32.9-perf [email protected] #1
Build Number: 3.0.1.E.0.88
EDIT: I'm also using Ubuntu Linux, not Windows, if that can help.

Me to don't no what to do
Sent from my R800i using xda premium

You need to unlock your bootloader and install the clockworkmod recovery partition. After you have CWM you can install custom roms. The bootloader unlock is done by a user here called Alejandrissimo, for 24 dollars US. Do a search for his username and send a pm.
Sent from the best phone ever

captain67 said:
You need to unlock your bootloader and install the clockworkmod recovery partition. After you have CWM you can install custom roms. The bootloader unlock is done by a user here called Alejandrissimo, for 24 dollars US. Do a search for his username and send a pm.
Sent from the best phone ever
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a bit expensive for just installing a recovery isn't it? If that's the only possible way, then I'll look into it.

You're not paying for the installation of recovery - you're paying to enable fastboot and unlock the bootloader on your r800x. I see you've come from a different manufacturer's device so here's my first tip of advice to you - forget everything you've learned about modding Android in the past. Sounds a little harsh, right? Well....
You need to understand that all carrier branded / sim locked Xperia Plays come with fastboot disabled. Because fastboot is disabled you cannot unlock your bootloader even using the Sony Ericsson approved bootloader unlocking method. So, you're probably thinking "great, now what?" Well, that's where Alejandrissimo comes into play....
There is a utility called SEtool that has the ability to interface with Xperia phones and enable fastboot, unlock the SIM and unlock the bootloader. There are two catches though. SEtool only works with the use of a proprietary USB hardware dongle and the SEtool user must purchase "unlock credits" in order to use the software. I'm dead serious.
So, Alejandrissimo (and another user by the name of Jinx13) actually has the dongle and can purchase unlock credits. In a nutshell, what happens is you send a PM to Alejandrissimo, setup a time so that he can remote control your computer, install some software onto your machine that allows for the use of the USB dongle over network (how else would you be able to use a hardware dongle you don't have?) and remote control of your machine..... kick back and let Alejandrissimo drive. You can see everything he's doing and he gives you some very simple instructions you need to follow to get the job done (it involves using a wire to create a bridge between a testpoint and a ground point on your phone and clicking on stuff when he tells you to).
Alejandrissimo is a very nice and patient person who has gained the trust of many people here at XDA so you can rest assured you'll receive excellent service from him.
You need to do some research for yourself so you understand the process though. visit his thread HERE.
So, once you get fastboot enabled and the bootloader on your phone unlocked you'll be ready to run ClockworkMod Recovery for your Play. From there, you'll be able to flash the CM7 kernel, the CM7 ROM and Google Apps.
I guess what I'm trying to say is forget everything you learned about modding Android cause it just isn't the same when dealing with Xperia devices.
Good luck.

I agree, Xperia models are nothing like the rest. I found it VERY confusing at first since all my previous experience was from the very first Samsung Galaxy (i7500).
Unfortunately, Android's wide variety of manufacturers and versions causes some inconsistencies.. it gives us a learning curve when switching devices, but the overall freedom is worth it, compared to closed source OS's like iOS and Blackberry.
The best thing you can do is read, then read some more.. These forums are an enormous bank of knowledge. You just need to know where to look, and who to ask.
Sent from the best phone ever

Okay, that all makes sense. Thank you!

will this unlock boatloader method works?

can anybody verify this method will work on r800i?
http://androidflip.com/unlock-xperia-phones-bootloader-without-losing-drm-data-track-id-working/
and can we really still get update our phone?
thanks!

That article is BS. I used s1tool and it didn't unlock anything. It threw my phone into a boot loop instead. I did exactly what it shows there, too, to the letter.
Omnius however worked perfectly first try, using the test point.
Updating with an unlocked bootloader is generally not a good idea. Doesn't matter though since you can flash updates with flashtool without losing user data.
Sent from a Galaxy far, far away

can clarify the term 'BS'?
arghh really taking my time to how my phone should be modded. i waas trying to do similar as your signature, jokawild + doomkernel
best way is to refer sony website? it stat that apps like track ID and certain wont be able to use after unlock boatloader. but is these apps really useful and is a must?

talzer said:
can clarify the term 'BS'?
arghh really taking my time to how my phone should be modded. i waas trying to do similar as your signature, jokawild + doomkernel
best way is to refer sony website? it stat that apps like track ID and certain wont be able to use after unlock boatloader. but is these apps really useful and is a must?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BS means:
[Explicit language] http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=BS [Explicit language]

Solar.Plexus said:
BS means:
[Explicit language] http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=BS [Explicit language]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BS means literally bull excrement, but when used in a derogatory fashion, it indicates scorn or derision. In other words, "That article is complete nonsense."
Sent from my R800x using xda premium

talzer said:
can clarify the term 'BS'?
arghh really taking my time to how my phone should be modded. i waas trying to do similar as your signature, jokawild + doomkernel
best way is to refer sony website? it stat that apps like track ID and certain wont be able to use after unlock boatloader. but is these apps really useful and is a must?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you don't use any apps that require DRM keys, it probably won't affect you at all.
Personally I would stick with the test point method just in case an app you want does show up and require them.
Sent from my Overcome Galaxy Tab 10.1

[Q] In need of guidance :)

Hello, and sorry for bugging everyone, but I have somewhat of a problem. I'll just start from the beggining.
First of all I own a SGS II, so I'm used to flashing roms and kernels custom stuff and all...on that. My girlfriend is the one who owns a Xperia Arc S (LT18a, US version if it's relevant or not). And for the live of me, I can't summon the courage to flash it, the process being somewhat different than the flashing of a S2. That's just idiot proof in my opinion, can't go wrong. I'm seeing all over the place guides and stuff for flashing a Xperia Arc S, and don't really know wich one is good/bad etc. So...the actual questions :
1. Where can I find the stock firmwares for Xperia Arc S ? I was hopping on a website something like sammobile for samsung, where I can find every release etc.
2. She now has 2.3.4 (I think not 100% sure) build 4.0.2.A.0.62 and from what I heard that cannot be rooted, or it involved something like unlocking the bootloader or something like that, safe to say that kinda freaked me out a bit.
3. I'm guessing that this build 62 is like on my samsung, where different stock rom's are differentiated by letters (eg. XXLPG, XWLPQ etc) so, someone please confirm that.
4. Is there any noticeable difference between these gingebread builds, cause if build 62 can't be rooted, I'll downgrade to previous build that can be more easily rooted.
5. I really need a idiot proof guide to flashing this thing. She has no warranty on it and I really don't want to mess it up
6. And last (finally, I know ) some links for safe versions of flashtool (equivalent of odin from what I understand) and firmwares, stuff I need to root it etc.
I apologise for such a long post but this stuff is pretty overwhelming for me. Also I apologise for spelling errors (english is not my first language)

Wow, the things we do for love...
OK, here's a quick run-down of how it works.
Firstly the bootloader thing: -
The bootloader is where the "kernel" sits. If you unlock the bootloader then you can pretty much put anything on the phone.
You can flash a custom kernel, and from there on you can use ClockworkMod recovery the same way you do on your Samsung.
(
custom kernels have ClockworkMod recovery built into them since the XPERIA doesn't have a "/recovery" partition for the standard ClockworkMod recovery.
If that didn't make sense then here's a translation "There's no special space for CWM recovery on Sony phones! So custom kernels have CWM recovery built in for easy access."
When one of these kernels starts up the phone there's a point where the hardware buttons light up, and the LED flashes purple. If you press "volume down" at this point then the kernel starts up ClockworkMod recovery instead of booting the phone.
Most roms come with their own kernel that you can use like this. The XPERIA is different to the SGS phone because you can't flash a kernel from the phone itself. You need an unlocked bootloader and fastboot to flash a kernel.
)
So unlocking the bootloader is a good idea, but only after you've made a backup of all your stuff off the memory card.
Here's a really good thread that brings together all sorts of pieces of information that you might need to root the phone - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1653188
OK, so that's the unlock thing, and the kernel thing. Once the kernel has CWM recovery built in you can pretty much flash any rom you feel like flashing. There are already some JellyBean roms out that are fast and usable if you're prepared to read up on them and experiment a bit.
Next thing is the "BaseBand". This is the driver for the "cell phone radio". The part of the hardware that's actually responsible for behaving like a phone
Here's a thread where you can get all of the different base-band versions: - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1688049
Personally I know that base-bands 72 and 77 both work perfectly. Since they are the 2 newest versions you can choose which-ever one you want. The newer basebands give much better signal strength on the phone, and the call quality is really good.
Good luck with the experimenting - hope you enjoy.

Are you looking to upgrade her arc to ics? It is much easier to find the resources if that is the case
Sent from my LT18i using xda premium

navras1719 said:
I can't summon the courage to flash it, the process being somewhat different than the flashing of a S2. That's just idiot proof in my opinion, can't go wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So is flashing on the Arc/S, so long as you can read.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1304634

Thanks for taking the time to answer such a long and frankly, annoying post Seems I got a bit of homework, manny things to read, so...coffee and patience Hope everything will add up nicely

jman2131 said:
Are you looking to upgrade her arc to ics? It is much easier to find the resources if that is the case
Sent from my LT18i using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really, from what I hear ICS dumbs down the phone sort of speak. Now I really can't say, but I would test it out a bit, as long as I learn how to go back to GB.
Another thing that I'm a bit concerned is that all the stuff I find are for LT18i and my gf's phone is a american model LT18a. Will this be a problem ? Or that's just to differentiate the hardware stuff in them ? I hope flashing a LT18i firmware doesn't screw anything up

navras1719 said:
Not really, from what I hear ICS dumbs down the phone sort of speak. Now I really can't say, but I would test it out a bit, as long as I learn how to go back to GB.
Another thing that I'm a bit concerned is that all the stuff I find are for LT18i and my gf's phone is a american model LT18a. Will this be a problem ? Or that's just to differentiate the hardware stuff in them ? I hope flashing a LT18i firmware doesn't screw anything up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, the differentiating factor is the hardware. the lt18i and lt18a roms are the same as far as I know. ICS does tend to be more resource heavy especially on the arcs but downgrading back to GB is basically the same method as flashing the ICS, just with another rom.
And also, in response to your first post, you can downgrade to the rootable build of GB, root that, and then flash the build 62 kernel back onto your phone so it's rooted and of the desired build
There's a lot of flashing guides on youtube regarding the arc s. I did a quick search and this one seemed pretty accurate and straight to the point.

Ok I pretty much understood the whole shabang, my last question is about the bootloader, if I unlock it once that's it ? I can flash whatever I want and not need to reunclock it...sort of speak. I read that for warranty reasons it can be relocked but that's not the case for me. Also for flashing a stock rom is it necessary to unlock the bootloader or that's just for rooting ?
Oh and almost forgot...if I understood right...I can downgrade...root...then upgrade to 62 and it will still be rooted ? On my samsung if it'a rooted and I flash abother stock rom...bye bye root, so pretty weird for me. Thank you again, I can't stress enough how helpfull you guys were.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

unlocking the bootloader allows a whole lot more things to be done with the arc, but does make some apps defunct such as track id and music facebook like (which many can do without). flashing and/or rooting a stock rom doesn't need an unlocked bootloader because it's stock and yep, you can downgrade/upgrade, root, and then go back to what build you want by flashing a kernel only

jman2131 said:
unlocking the bootloader allows a whole lot more things to be done with the arc, but does make some apps defunct such as track id and music facebook like (which many can do without).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That only applies if you use the official method to unlock, use SETool and you'll retain DRM.
Sent from my CM9'd Ray

XperienceD said:
That only applies if you use the official method to unlock, use SETool and you'll retain DRM.
Sent from my CM9'd Ray
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the clarification. I never knew much about bootloaders and all that

XperienceD said:
That only applies if you use the official method to unlock, use SETool and you'll retain DRM.
Sent from my CM9'd Ray
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you could help me out with a SETool link and a basic set of instructions that would be awsome
LE: From what I've seen there are 2 versions of SETool and one's free the other is not. Can the free version be used to unlock the bootloader or do I have to get the full version ? Or even simpler, is there anyway to unlock it (LT18a) free and without losing DRM ?

XperienceD said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1304634
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

So basically from what I read there, no way for free unlock and retain DRM.

navras1719 said:
So basically from what I read there, no way for free unlock and retain DRM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Follow the instructions up to the point just before patching and tell me what it says please?

if you unlock the bootloader NEVER UPDATE OVER THE AIR this will brick the phone.
The're 2 ways to unlock bootloader
1 via Sony web site but this only works for non branded phones,
2 is to pay if you use a service with setools this will unlock bootloader and make phone SIM free.
Xda member jinx13 offers this service contract him for more info.
Sent from my LT18i using xda premium

zolaisugly said:
2 is to pay if you use a service with setools this will unlock bootloader and make phone SIM free.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If SETool can unlock any handset I'm not sure why the S1Tool wouldn't, has anyone confirmed in the thread it doesn't work for the Arc S?

XperienceD said:
If SETool can unlock any handset I'm not sure why the S1Tool wouldn't, has anyone confirmed in the thread it doesn't work for the Arc S?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since my bootloader was opened the setools has been upgraded to setools2 which now covers more phones but not sure which.
Sent from my LT18i using xda premium

XperienceD said:
Follow the instructions up to the point just before patching and tell me what it says please?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry but what are you refering to ? The process that involves opening the backcover under the battery ?
Some additional info, it's not carrier branded, not sim locked...and using the service code in the dialer says bootloader unlockable : yes
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

Should have had this done already.
Sent from my CM9'd Ray