Root Access WP8

[Slovakmaxo]

*******

 

[Lindsay Bergin]

Re: root access?

Well, compared to my SII, rooting my Windows phone would be like trying to put a Ferrari engine inside of a Kia Optima. This phone can't even get Facebook right! The simplest of simple! It doesn't support my banking apps, nor the flash-only website. Pretty much the Windows phone makes your contacts look cool, like a futuristic rolodex. It's like Microsoft WANTS you to still need your computer -- mine of which I barely needed to use when I had my Android phone (which I still carry around in case I need to do things other than call people).

 

[Vanilla_Gorilla]

Re: root access?

actually being able to use the SD card for something other than media, would be the only plus I see.

Its quite annoying I can't store the maps on sd card. unlike every non WP nokia phone. damn you MS.

 

[waazzupppp]

Re: root access?

i dont think having root would take away from the beautiful simplicity that WP has i am coming from android as well and i am very happy with the phone. its just that when you come from android and you have root youre able to customize so much about your phone that coming to WP now we are left with a learning curve of trying to figure out what works how.

Having root would destroy the security functions of the device, the cloud and any PC you hook to it... The "Beauty" of WP is that nothing is needed besides the device. Is it frustrating that it doesn't have some features, sure... But for the most part it works just fine...

More than rooting, you should be looking at becoming a Dev for those features that are missing. Take your double tap volume to control the skip and rewind functions... Take that to Nokia and pitch them on it - bet they would work it in to the next version of Nokia Music...

Building Apps to fill the needs of the few is what makes the many realize it is missing to start with...

 

[waazzupppp]

I'm with you. The WP OS is way to closed, way too locked down. And its true, I could do alot more with Windows Mobile a few years ago than I can with WP.

And I find the excuses of being very secure and not wanting to be open to viruses to be weak and lame. If you have a Windows PC, that is open, should your PC be as locked down and limited as WP? If you are smart, use common sense, etc you don't need to worry about viruses.

Its annoying there is no file manager, I can only download a few types of files from email and browser. I'm limited to one keyboard, one real true browser, one main SMS app, etc. They should open up the OS more and let devs give us more options and features.

Not to sound stupid, but why did you get a Windows Phone? The stuff you are rattling off is exactly why they closed the OS. The OS in your computer is locked down just as much as the phone - but there are more "Apps" for it (in my day we called it software) than you can imagine... What comes with Windows? Internet Explorer, MS Mail, Paint, etc... But when those fail at their job, we can install other software to use. In Windows Phone we have the same scenario, it is just that Windows PC has been around for 20+ years and WP 8 is still an infant. For those that think the answer is unlocking the device, they are wrong... The answer is to build a quality Gmail App, or maybe something like Thunderbird for the PC to handle mail. Then you just use the Live Tile for that instead of the stock email program. Just adding my 2 cents on this, but if you don't like the live tile system, it certainly won't help to crack Windows Phone open to see how it works.

 

[Jonnny4]

Actually there were great apps that ran on Windows Phone 7 that needed root access, like an app that allowed you to set custom notification tones as well as setup sound profiles for different times of the day, this is why I would want root. Granted if Microsoft or Nokia would create an app like this we wouldn't need root.

 

[sarim_xyz]

Re: root access?

actually being able to use the SD card for something other than media, would be the only plus I see.

Its quite annoying I can't store the maps on sd card. unlike every non WP nokia phone. damn you MS.

you can store maps on SD card now, check this out:

Nokia updates Lumia Storage Check Beta, allows map data to be stored on SD cards [Updated] | Windows Phone Central

 

[ssapre]

Re: root access?

you can store maps on SD card now, check this out:

Nokia updates Lumia Storage Check Beta, allows map data to be stored on SD cards [Updated] | Windows Phone Central

Not for Lumia 810... we still dont have required firmware update.

 

[netghost_ca]

Re: root access?

For me personally the sole reason I would like to get the unlocked ATT Lumia 920 rooted is to enable AWS spectrum support so that it can run on Wind Mobile / Mobilicity. For some reason ATT locked down AWS (while Rogers didn't), and even flashing Rogers or Euro Developer firmware to the phone does not enable it back. Rogers and ATT phones have exactly the same hardware (RM-820), thus technically the ATT phone must support the same bands.

 

[pankaj981]

Well that's something we cant comment on, i think the hardware is different, else you could flash the rogers rom on att and that would enable aws which is not the case

 

[anyacooool]

Hi Florin,
Rooting an Android device is not to save money or time or for that matter size of the OS , it is the spirit of freedom where you can do what you want and not what google wants you to do!! I am a staunch Android user and own 3 android tabs, and a Galay phone. I enjoy the freedom of making my devices what I want them to do. Android is open enough to accept whatever apps developers make and they are available for use at owners risk.......WP and IOS do not have the guts to do so....they sell you a device and still are hungry for more money and sell you apps......Android apps are for sale, if you like to buy, you can.....if you want them for free, you can crack them....but there comes a time, when one understands and stops pirating software out of respect for the app developer..... I think that is more mature. Now I have this Lumia 520, and I have to wait for the Here Drive + to come on the store so that I can buy it and then use the navigation in multiple countries......I feel stuck up and frustrated.....with an android, with a custom ROM, I would have got what I wanted!!!!

 

[pankaj981]

Then stay with android, why did you even get a 521 if you knew about the limitations? Again Android is open source hence it lets you do whatever you want to, wp8 and ios are not open source hence are closed, but not limited. Hence you will never see support from Google as a company as much as you see from Apple or MS. Developers blame that the OS has limitations, which it does but not to the extent its made to publicly. Again as i said, if you are not capable use this OS then stick to Android

 

[minkimac]

Well what do Microdsoft wants to do by excluding a file manager?
I don't want pirated apps but if possible i'll root my lumia to give it a handy file manager.

 

[b3rni3703]

lol not a chance.. even if you try.. WP8 platform is so lockdown.. i mean if would be kinda cool but like most mentioned here, there'd be no gain. It's fine the way it is and should stay that way... maybe some time in the future there'd be an alternative as far as "Themes"... but i get your point lol as i'm an Android user myself, just chose to rock both platforms for the time being.

 

[waazzupppp]

I think it has way more to do with piracy than anyone lets on...

You don't need root access to throw a launcher on top of an OS... You don't need root access to add a hard button instruction set... You don't need root access to enable a file manager. These are things that Microsoft hasn't allowed in the store - which a developer could technically side load - because they don't want Joe-Consumer messing things up. If you look at the average Windows Phone user, they are lucky to venture outside the market for an App and even less likely to visit something like WPCentral...

If you look at a popular site like the forum.mobilism.org and see the rate of Apps that are loaded... You will see about 50,000 Android APK's that are available to load (mostly cracked) where people use the 'it's not available in my market' excuse to download them and install them. In the Windows Phone section, you see about 100 XAP's that are available for the 'same reason'. By forcing people to unlock their phones via the developer network to side load XAPs, MS had destroyed the piracy market and secured the device. Android side loading opens up every security risk on the planet and makes it almost impossible to keep a device safe.

I don't buy for a minute that most people wouldn't want side loading opened so they can crack and share Apps... If it were't for that reason, people would just pay the $100 for the developer unlock and start side loading Apps until you hit the limit.

 

[Paul Verizzo]

Almost everyone lusting for more "manual shifting" is missing the point of why companies do what they do. Companies don't design phones for the 1% that want to muck around in the internals. They design them for the vast majority. And looking at iPhone's reputation for "It just works....." it's hard to argue that philosophy. Despite costing significantly more than equivalent Android device, and being monosourced, they have almost as much market share as Android.

Android is like Linux. I've putzed with Linux off and on for over a dozen years. I've tried almost every distro out there. But they all suffer from one great fatal flaw: Lack of consistency. Everyone gets in the guts and writes code to make it "better." In their opinion. Similarly, every HTC, Samsung, etc. writes up new code and pushes it out of the door regardless of bugs and stupidities. "Cuz they know better. I don't have a lot of Android experience, one HTC Cyanogen'ed and a number of friends, but it seems that complaints are legendary, like battery life, across time and hardware.

If WP is going to gain more market share, it won't be because they have opened up the code. It will be because the phone's reputation will be similar to the iPhone: "It just works......" (Admittedly, a lot of catching up to do, and there are things that frustrate me, but my 810 experience is the best touchscreen one I've had. YMMV)

 

[Pan1ck]

Re: root access?

ummm no, that is what android is for. The entire design philosophy of WP is to provide total simplicity to the user. That's like buying a Bugatti Veyron and not being happy that you can't get Pep Boys/Kragen/Canadian Tire to replace the muffler.

i'm pretty sure that's what apple thought and look how that turned out

 

[James h2]

The whole reason WP may appear to be faster is because its like running windows 95 on a Quad Core Processor
and the simplicity of the windows phone is great in alot of ways but I must have to side with the original post the graphics of the games are just disappointing it's like Ray Charles designed the graphics.
Considering one would expect more from Microsoft as being recognized as one of the top leaders in gaming and well known for great graphics. I personally feel as if they don't want to step up the graphics on their phones or at least give us more options to do it ourselves at least then the phone is just not worth it. Microsoft needs to give us the options for easy ad on's so we could make our own changes to suit all of us not just one person.. :smile:MICROSOFT IF YOUR READING UNLEASH YOUR PHONES SO WE CAN MAKE OUR DECISIONS OF WHAT WE LIKE ON OUR PHONES..THANK YOU ... I'am proud of the android and their market and more than happy to go back as a result if nothing changes...that's just my honest opinion.. and to each is their own....

 

[H3aTeRzz]

Re: root access?

No there is thankfully no root or jailbreak for WP8 and I wish it stays that way.

If you have a student developer account (Free) or normal developer account $99/year, you can officially unlock the phone for development.

Why do you say, "thankfully no root?" Just curious! You say that as though there is some burden it puts on you when a device is rooted...LOL!

 

[Christian Holmstedt]

Re: root access?

Not for Lumia 810... we still dont have required firmware update.

Works just fine. Running 810, Amber, and Storage Check Beta.