Things a Newbie Wants to Know

[Guest Lollingsgrad]

So, I just put down £109 on my San Francisco plus top up (minus £12 courtesy of Quidco cashback). I read in the review about the Orange crapware and that lead me on a road of adventure and discovery in which I learned new and exciting ways to destroy my warranty and geek out hardcore (aka rooting and custom ROMs). Thing is that my crash course has come in dribs and drabs because a lot of knowledge is assumed and I have to learn a lot of things I'd like to know incidentally. I thought it might be a good idea to ask some really basic questions to you guys in one place so that I can learn what I want to know, and others can too.

1) Installing this clockwork recovery stuff DOES void the heck out of my warranty, right?

Assuming you buy from a UK retailer you have SOGA protection - for the first 6 months the retailer has to prove you caused the issue. They swapout the phone BEFORE they check the original - even if they could prove the custom ROM had any relevance to the actual issue they won't. No idea on the warranty from ZTE.

2) Is the clockwork recovery stuff what actually allows me to install custom ROMs? If not, what does?

You need superboot to root the device (hence get all rights for the downstream actions) and Clockworkmod recovery for flashing new ROMs. And yes, you really want this, being able to make backups, changes etc.

The custom clockwork is to help you install custom roms, and make backups.

3) Can this process be reversed, thus allowing me to return my somehow destroyed San Francisco, 'cause I didn't do nuffin' to it, gov?

Yes, you can. Just fastboot the original recovery.blade.stock.img which is hosted on a thread somewhere.

4) If the answer to 3) is no, have your results been worth the risk?

5) One last warranty related question, does using the free unlock process void it too?

Nope, orange will unlock your phone after six months too, if you ask nicely :)

6) Does using a custom ROM sometimes result in a loss of basic functionality? Can you still make calls, use 3G, send texts, get apps via the Android store, that sort of thing? If no, what stops working? If only sometimes yes, could you tell us what ROMs you've had success with?

All roms we currently are fully functional w.r.to basic stuff. GPS is known to be off on a few roms, and the froyo ones require you to do the initial sign-on to Google via Mobile data and not wifi, but after that you can use Wifi.

7) The San Francisco has generated a lot of excitement because of its potential. For those that just want to use the phone stock, is it still a worthwhile purchase?

Yeah, sure. The stock rom has nothing wrong with it. Remove the orange apps and up the VM Heap to 32 and it'll be very snappy.

8) If Orange eventually update to 2.2, does doing all this custom stuff prevent you from being able to get the update?

If Orange does update to 2.2, we'll probably have someone convert it so we can install via clockwork. But, i have read on the forums that the blade wont get 2.2 for Europe.

9) Is it true that the hardware on the Orange San Francisco has been recently downgraded? There's talk that it now only carries 256MB of RAM and a TFT rather than OLED screen.

Edited November 28, 2010 by Lollingsgrad

[Guest Ash_P]

So, I just put down £109 on my San Francisco plus top up (minus £12 courtesy of Quidco cashback). I read in the review about the Orange crapware and that lead me on a road of adventure and discovery in which I learned new and exciting ways to destroy my warranty and geek out hardcore (aka rooting and custom ROMs). Thing is that my crash course has come in dribs and drabs because a lot of knowledge is assumed and I have to learn a lot of things I'd like to know incidentally. I thought it might be a good idea to ask some really basic questions to you guys in one place so that I can learn what I want to know, and others can too.

1) Installing this clockwork recovery stuff DOES void the heck out of my warranty, right?

2) Is the clockwork recovery stuff what actually allows me to install custom ROMs? If not, what does?

3) Can this process be reversed, thus allowing me to return my somehow destroyed San Francisco, 'cause I didn't do nuffin' to it, gov?

4) If the answer to 3) is no, have your results been worth the risk?

5) One last warranty related question, does using the free unlock process void it too?

6) Does using a custom ROM sometimes result in a loss of basic functionality? Can you still make calls, use 3G, send texts, get apps via the Android store, that sort of thing? If no, what stops working? If only sometimes yes, could you tell us what ROMs you've had success with?

7) The San Francisco has generated a lot of excitement because of its potential. For those that just want to use the phone stock, is it still a worthwhile purchase?

8) If Orange eventually update to 2.2, does doing all this custom stuff prevent you from being able to get the update?

1) Assuming you buy from a UK retailer you have SOGA protection - for the first 6 months the retailer has to prove you caused the issue. They swapout the phone BEFORE they check the original - even if they could prove the custom ROM had any relevance to the actual issue they won't. No idea on the warranty from ZTE.

2) Yes

3) Yes

4) n/a

5) No

6) All 2.1 ROMs work fine. You need to look at the various threads for the issues with 2.2

7) Yes

8) Unlikely they will but no.

[Guest rayraven]

So, I just put down £109 on my San Francisco plus top up (minus £12 courtesy of Quidco cashback). I read in the review about the Orange crapware and that lead me on a road of adventure and discovery in which I learned new and exciting ways to destroy my warranty and geek out hardcore (aka rooting and custom ROMs). Thing is that my crash course has come in dribs and drabs because a lot of knowledge is assumed and I have to learn a lot of things I'd like to know incidentally. I thought it might be a good idea to ask some really basic questions to you guys in one place so that I can learn what I want to know, and others can too.

1) Installing this clockwork recovery stuff DOES void the heck out of my warranty, right?

2) Is the clockwork recovery stuff what actually allows me to install custom ROMs? If not, what does?

3) Can this process be reversed, thus allowing me to return my somehow destroyed San Francisco, 'cause I didn't do nuffin' to it, gov?

4) If the answer to 3) is no, have your results been worth the risk?

5) One last warranty related question, does using the free unlock process void it too?

6) Does using a custom ROM sometimes result in a loss of basic functionality? Can you still make calls, use 3G, send texts, get apps via the Android store, that sort of thing? If no, what stops working? If only sometimes yes, could you tell us what ROMs you've had success with?

7) The San Francisco has generated a lot of excitement because of its potential. For those that just want to use the phone stock, is it still a worthwhile purchase?

8) If Orange eventually update to 2.2, does doing all this custom stuff prevent you from being able to get the update?

1. Most likely, but if something does go wrong and you cant startup your phone, orange will send a replacement piece to your home and collect the old phone, so you should be fine.

2. The custom clockwork is to help you install custom roms, and make backups.

3. Dont think you can remove the custom clockwork, but if something did go wrong, you could just flash the stock rom before returning it. Search the forums, there's a few people with your scenario.

4. ^^

5. Nope, orange will unlock your phone after six months too, if you ask nicely :P

6. All roms we currently are fully functional w.r.to basic stuff. GPS is known to be off on a few roms, and the froyo ones require you to do the initial sign-on to Google via Mobile data and not wifi, but after that you can use Wifi.

7. Yeah, sure. The stock rom has nothing wrong with it. Remove the orange apps and up the VM Heap to 32 and it'll be very snappy.

8. If Orange does update to 2.2, we'll probably have someone convert it so we can install via clockwork. But, i have read on the forums that the blade wont get 2.2 for Europe.

Hope that helps.

[Guest gambieter]

I thought it might be a good idea to ask some really basic questions to you guys in one place so that I can learn what I want to know, and others can too.

Reading Paul's review and the stickies should tell you a lot already. See it as an opportunity to learn :P .

4) If the answer to 3) is no, have your results been worth the risk?

[...]

7) The San Francisco has generated a lot of excitement because of its potential. For those that just want to use the phone stock, is it still a worthwhile purchase?

You need superboot to root the device (hence get all rights for the downstream actions) and Clockworkmod recovery for flashing new ROMs. And yes, you really want this, being able to make backups, changes etc.

The question is really: do you want a crippled but nice device with Oramge bloatware but have warranty, OR have a great and customisable device without bloatware and unlocked potential, and run the risk you don't get warranty. I know my choice. And I doubt whether ORange will check whether it is unlocked or flashed if you just put back the stock ROM.

8) If Orange eventually update to 2.2, does doing all this custom stuff prevent you from being able to get the update?

Yes, but even better: you just wait until the great ROM-makers get the updated ROM, customise it to something great and then update.

[Guest Ash_P]

3. Dont think you can remove the custom clockwork, but if something did go wrong, you could just flash the stock rom before returning it. Search the forums, there's a few people with your scenario.

Yes, you can. Just fastboot the original recovery.blade.stock.img which is hosted on a thread somewhere.

[Guest Lollingsgrad]

Thanks for the help guys, tagged another question onto the end.