T-Mobile responds to complaints from G2 users seeking root

By on Oct 8, 2010 at 12:36 PM
General October 8, 2010

In case you haven’t been keeping up on your HTC G2 news: The recently released Android 2.2, G2 handset from T-Mobile has a built-in security feature that is having an adverse effect on those who are trying to root the device. As T-Mobile explains:

The HTC software implementation on the G2 stores some components in read-only memory as a security measure to prevent key operating system software from becoming corrupted and rendering the device inoperable. There is a small subset of highly technical users who may want to modify and re-engineer their devices at the code level, known as “rooting,” but a side effect of HTC’s security measure is that these modifications are temporary and cannot be saved to permanent memory. As a result the original code is restored.

This is good for those users who are not interest in root access; as the chance of a bricked device become slimmer. It is however not so good for that “subset of highly technical users” who are trying to get their electronic mitts on the G2′s innards. It appears as though the Android-tinkering community will just have to be a little more creative than usual with the G2.

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  • Dale

    I have a question : Since laptop/netbook PC’s have modems ( internal & external ) and Wi-Fi capabilities, why would tethering to a cell phone be necessary ?

    I could see it back in the ” good ‘ol days ” of the 1st. mobile PC’s…

    I’m not looking for a “flame war”, just an honest answer.

    • unrEVOked

      Because you can’t connect to a network without being authorized to do so on a network?

      Just because RF’s are flying all around you doesn’t mean you can just grab one and connect. Network Security pehaps?

      • Dale

        unrEVOked,

        I see your point about being authorized to access a corporate VPN, your access is controlled by the Security Protocols & policies of that particular corporation.

        I was thinking more of the typical smartphone/
        laptop/netbook PC user.

        Since cellphones and PC modems both use RF, I don’t see how a server in a corporate environment can discern which is which.

      • pcdsim

        Say you’re out of network & wifi range for you laptop to connect to the internet, but your phone can connect to the internet via cellular data (edge/3G/4G). Your laptop can’t connect via cellular data unless you have one of those wireless internet cards that connects to a cellular network like Verizon’s or AT&T’s. So what do you do? You tether to your phone to connect. Now if your phone can create a WIFI hotspot, that’s also sortof tethering, but the difference is numerous devices can connect and not just your laptop.

      • pcdsim

        Also, you can’t connect to cellular data networks for internet via WIFI. WIFI only connects to WIFI hotspots. EDGE/3G/4G Internet cards & EDGE/3G/4G Phones only connects to EDGE/3G/4G cellular networks (but most devices also have WIFI which allows them to connect to WIFI hotspots)

      • Dale

        pcdsim,

        I read both of your posts and was speaking about using EDGE/3G/4G data cards vs.using a cell phone as modem, since having an EDGE/3G/4G data card obviates the need for tethering.

        That was the point that I was making. But, I do understand and appreciate unrEVOked’s, Skeletonotelek5′s, and your respones to my question.

        Again, Thanks to all !

      • pcdsim

        To add to that then:
        Why tether? As I’ve believed only a few netbooks have integrated EDGE/3G/4G cellular connectivity and are mostly sold directly by the carriers. For most of the laptops that don’t, there’s the cost of the extra hardware (EDGE/3G/4G Air card modems) and sometimes the extra data plan. If you have a phone that can connect, why buy the extra hardware when you can just tether. By tethering, your phone then acts as that Air card cellular modem. And I believe with most Android 2.2 phones, you can also turn your phone into a WIFI hotspot. Unless that feature is blocked by the carrier.

    • SkeletonotelekS

      Um… because tethering allows you to connect anywhere you can get a cell phone signal, rather than just on Wi-Fi.

      • Dale

        SkeletonotelekS,

        Thanks for answering ! Regarding a cell phone signal…Wouldn’t a PC modem be able to do the same as a cell phone ?

        Besides, there’s an additional benefit…you don’t drain a battery that runs from 3-5 hours talk time.

      • ZPrime

        Dale, a “PC Modem” is for dial-up, which almost nobody uses these days. If you’re talking about a USB or ExpressCard based Cellular “modem” aka “AirCard”, yes, these serve the exact same purpose as tethering.

        However, an Aircard generally requires its own wireless contract, with an additional $60/mo fee. The “legit” carrier-provided tether applications on newer smartphones generally are only an extra $10-20/mo fee, and if you have a rooted Android phone it is easy to get tethering WITHOUT any additional fee.

        It’s all about the money.

        Real business users who have a company paying for everything generally do have a separate Aircard for their laptop (or their laptop has an internal aircard with hidden antennae), due to the reasons you mention (more reliable, not draining cell battery, etc).

    • Rahul

      @Dale

      A laptop’s wifi capability is only useful when there is a wifi connection available to you wherever you may be, for example, your home, work or school probably all have wifi routers for you to access. But if you’re out and about somewhere that does not have wifi access, then being able to tether your laptop to your phone’s internet connection becomes a good alternative, since your cell phone gets a signal pretty much everywhere. This becomes an even better option when you consider how fast T-mobile’s network is nowadays.

      • Craig

        Or if you are staying at a Hotel and don’t feel like paying the $12/day for internet access, tethering is perfect for these situations.

      • Dale

        ZPrime, Rahul, & Craig,

        Thanks for your answers also. You all gave good reasons for tethering.

        At home, I use a wireless router and due to my wi-fi enabled netbook PC going south, I’m using an older laptop that doesn’t have an internal wi-fi card nor an internal aircard, so I’m using an external aircard.

        And when I’m away from home, I use the aircard since I’m not always near a “hotspot”.

  • unrEVOked

    NOTHING WILL STOP US!!!

  • android or apple

    It just go’s to show you how these companies have us by the balls even after we’ve bought the device that is legally ours i mean everyone knows that tampering/Rooting your phone voids the warranty so what is the big deal why dont they just make it easier for when someone brings their bricked phone in to tell if its been rooted kinda like how they put the stickers in the phone to show water damage but just in a more technological manner?? i mean if i buy a product that product is mine and i should be able to do what the hell ever i please…I mean c’mon

    • lechero

      but then there are also the people that will screw it up and then take it back to the manufacturer and expect them to fix it or replace it with full knowledge that they voided the warranty. i.e. the retards that have made working in cell phones unbearable.

      • Dale

        Lechero,

        Why aren’t the people who void their cell phone warranties treated like others who do mods to their new cars under warranty and screw up the car ?

        In those cases, tough luck. You’ll pay for every repair going forward that would have been covered. And in the case of cars, that is expensive !

        Imagine voiding a 100,000 mile/5-10 year warranty at 100 miles into it ?

        Also, these shenanigans drive up the costs of phones.

      • Peter

        Actually with cars, modding it does not void your warranty. It only voids the warranty on any parts and systems that are affected by your mod, and the company has to prove that is broke because of your mod.

    • j

      the simple answer is that cell phone manufacturers are finding ways to revert software like apple did in the iphone 4 os. Given time I am sure someone will find a way to turn it off. Their reasoning is sound, just frustrating for people who have no patience and demand on altering their software instead of waiting.

  • Brett

    But… but… but… what about all the people that claim HTC only *pretends* to make it protected and in fact makes rooting super duper easy? After all, Motorola is the devil.

    • Peter

      I used to think that up until about a week ago. Now I’m not sure. We’ll see whose plan this is once the Desire Z and Desire HD are released.

  • McHale

    Dear T-Mobile. You do what you gotta do and I’ll do what I gotta do (i.e. not buy the G2 or any phone with that kind of security measure). Oh yah, it’ll PROBABLY be on a different carrier. Did I mention that?

    Simple.

    • I told you so.com

      it was HTC not Tmobile

      • lechero

        yes, but carriers tend to have a lot of pull with what manufactures do with their phones. also you should know better than to have t-mobile, remember they keep popping up as most likely to go bye-bye by 2012, so why even bother.

      • I told you so.com

        yup tmobile will most likely be gobbled up by sprint, but it looks like MOTOS in the biz too (Droid X) so really this may be something future devices running android may run into, and looking at the lawsuit that microsoft is pinning agains moto (soon HTC) leasing a presumably free OS can get you sued too lol.

      • lechero

        oh i love microsoft, someone actually manages to become a real threat, and lets throw $70B worth of lawyers at them and make the problem go away.

      • Drew

        Sprint buy T-Mobile..?? LMAO. They’re so far in the red it’s not even funny. They were operating on vapors before the EVO came out. Also, buying T-MO would only be possible if their parent company Deutsche Telekom AG wants to let it go and that’s not happening. T-Mobile USA isn’t going anywhere…

      • not a moron

        T-mobile buying sprint is MUCH more likely than the other way around

    • j

      How is this in any way T-Mobile’s fault??? It is HTC’s security settings. Go then, you stupid idiot, learn to read, then learn how to comprehend what you just read instead of posting drivel!

  • I told you so.com

    lol well well well sorry Android folks Ive been over at XDA too watching people try and root this phone and it seems UNROOTABLE. Shame too that your main supplier HTC would do that to people heres woundering if they will do that from now on for every device that they launch from here on out. There goes that whole androids a open OS crap huh, so whos up for a lockup more boring OS then it was raise your hands…..the begining to a Droid crap OS fad thank god.

  • Hahhahahahah

    So that must make Macman Steve jobs Private eye then?

  • Majic07

    Can’t you just buy a non carrier based phone? That way you avoid the bloatware and it would truly be unlocked. They may cost more but it should work for what you want it to do. When I was at Att I watched a lot of people try to return their iPhones that they bricked trying to jailbreak. The worst part was the lying they would do not to mention how obligated they felt having it replaced for fucking up the phone. ” I didn’t do it, it came like this.” If you take the risk deal with the consequences.

    • tmogeek

      Yes, it’s called the Nexus One.

  • Mgl323

    Buahahaha what happened to the saying “Android is freedom” ? Sure it’s open but not fully open.

  • Brent Blaskievich

    Note to Self: Never buy an HTC phone.

    It’s not like a regular user can just stumble on to root accidentally. Ridiculous excuse.

  • Kinada

    Bloatware 4 Life

  • Crabs

    Chis Soyars (of Team Douche) thinks they’re very close to getting root, and that all they need is the kernel source, which HTC is required to release by the GPL.

  • BDUS

    Everyone chill out. Someone out there will find a hack and be able to wipe the read only. There’ll be a way, if they put it on the device someone will know how to remove it.

  • tmogeek

    meh, the gang at xda will achieve root and the point will be moot. TMO should be trying to differentiate itself, and leave locked down phones to MOTO and Apple.

  • Diamondpro

    The g2 is lame… why would tmobile put a chip that prevents rooting? The g1 is possible the most rooted phone available and its user base it has the largest rooting community. So why would a g1 user want to upgrade to a successor that does not allow them to *Root* the g2 is a terrible phone imo

  • dsga1

    CM comment …
    “…. and a middle finger to T-Mobile for lying….”

    reference:
    http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=804286

  • Justin

    Amusing how Apple hasn’t implemented something similar yet.

  • Porkchop1234

    Well well well this is a interesting turn of events. Where are all the fandroids who run around always screaming about Android being a fully open ecosystem compared to Apple’s closed ecosystem? Guess they’re out at Wal Mart buying cans of lard in preparation for when Google and their business partners begin to bend them over and go at it hard. Hey fandroids don’t forget to grab some Bengay while waiting in the express line.

  • Korger

    Ah yes. And so it begins. Back to the good old days of lock down. Android openness be d*mned.

  • JM

    Rooted or not it is still probably the best Android phone the market.

  • celph

    T-Mobile is causing unwanted charges by sending messages like these: 12816166450@customerservice.com / / you have a new Credit Union message alert. Call now free 1-281-616-6450 and follow instructions

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