Android OS questions - Help

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anfjavid

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1) Is android (rooted or unrooted) OS vulnerable to viruses ?
2) Do I have to UNROOT the OS to get write access in filemanager apps (like X-plore) ?
3) Will rooting damage the phone even if done properly (since it is done through 3rd party apps) ?
4) If i attempt to root 3 phones which are of the same model (for ex. P500) with the same application, with the same method, is there a possibility that one of the phones get bricked ?
5) Is rooting supported officially and will it void warranty if i cannot unroot it ?
6) Finally is ANDROID VERY NECESSARY at the moment ?

Guys i have an idea to go for N8/ symbian ANNA. No rooting/unrooting, no crapware/bloatware unlike Android. All the filemanager apps have write access since no concept of ROOTING... Currenly AFAIK , the no. of USEFUL applications are more in SYMBIAN than ANDROID... The only negative points which i see is the options are difficult to access as one has to dig them, slow when compared to Android - admitted. But symbian IMO is like windows and is very understandable and user friendly. Additionally the phone is small enough with a not too big screen which will fit in my belt pouch (as i got used to it with my e71).

When it comes to ANDROID (which you are aware its linux based) i read in several portals that rooting should be done to expose the OS's potential but ROOTING (as well as the subsequent customizations) will void warranty and there is a chance that the phone might get damaged and sometimes it is irreversible. Initially when i laid my hands on the optimus 2x and the black, i was much impressed by the different UI, but when i came to know the risks involved in installing third party applications, i must say that i started hating Android like anything. I even wondered that why the developers of symbian cant develop a good flawless O/s which is windows based (like symbian) and i am much worried now because even the N9 incorporates Meego O/s (which is a full linux based unlike an android wrap up) ignoring the symbian which i love even now...

Now guys, advance your arguments without least hesitation . You are most welcome....
 
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1. All smartphone OSes are vulnerable to viruses.
2. Root gives you more access. So the answer should be no.
3. No
4. No
5. If you take a rooted phone to service center and they find out that it is rooted, they'll decline to service it. Unroot it before going to service center.
6. Depends upon your requirements.
 
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Android is far better if u more in customizing ur phone and testing out various things whereas in symbian it is opposite.

For Symbian u will get same limited app and twisted selections of command and less and poor customizing. so, the choice is urs.

And for root access, its just like administrator in windows pc, its leaves the gate open and u can vary the root file for better.

If u want symbian go for N8 anna.
 
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1) Is vulnerable to viruses. However my SGS has been rooted since the day i got it. haven't had any problems.

3) Not at all. It's easier to root & unroot than you think
4) Have had no problems rooting or unrooting multiple times. Infact, i've soft bricked the galaxy s only a couple of times (I must have flashed new firmware atleast 50 times now). It wasn't too hard to unbrick it either :)
5) Not officially supported but google will not penalize you for it. i.e. everything continues to work as usual. But as paul said earlier the service center guys might have an issue.
6) No smartphone is 'necessary' at the moment but then if you are looking for one then Android is a wise choice!
 
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anfjavid said:
Guys i have an idea to go for N8/ symbian ANNA. No rooting/unrooting, no crapware/bloatware unlike Android. All the filemanager apps have write access since no concept of ROOTING... Currenly AFAIK , the no. of USEFUL applications are more in SYMBIAN than ANDROID... The only negative points which i see is the options are difficult to access as one has to dig them, slow when compared to Android - admitted. But symbian IMO is like windows and is very understandable and user friendly. Additionally the phone is small enough with a not too big screen which will fit in my belt pouch (as i got used to it with my e71).

When it comes to ANDROID (which you are aware its linux based) i read in several portals that rooting should be done to expose the OS's potential but ROOTING (as well as the subsequent customizations) will void warranty and there is a chance that the phone might get damaged and sometimes it is irreversible. Initially when i laid my hands on the optimus 2x and the black, i was much impressed by the different UI, but when i came to know the risks involved in installing third party applications, i must say that i started hating Android like anything. I even wondered that why the developers of symbian cant develop a good flawless O/s which is windows based (like symbian) and i am much worried now because even the N9 incorporates Meego O/s (which is a full linux based unlike an android wrap up) ignoring the symbian which i love even now...
Click to expand...

Since the 6 questions have already been answered well by paul and s_anuj, i will try to give my opinion on the later part.

Symbian beats Android in simplicity, so if you are only looking for a very simple-to-use phone, without using many apps, Symbian may be the one for you. (worry-free. No advanced stuff= No worries :p)

Rooting may(i said may, not will) damage(brick) the phone if done improperly, but the chances are very less, and it is possible to recover your phone even if it is bricked (in most cases at least). So, you can leave bricking out of the disadvantages here.

Risks are involved in installing third-party apps if you are careless, or absurdly brave enough to try an app which has very few downloads or has been labelled as malicious. I have not seen many people here who have got their phone infected, even though this forum is full of techies, ROOTers and bravehearts :D, who wander far off the 'official/stock territory', thus having a higher chance of infection. So, if you are careful, your phone will remain malware-free, Google will make sure of that. You do not need to 'hate Android like anything' for this. So, if you are going to root, customize your phone, use many apps, Android is surely the right choice. Symbian comes nowhere near.
 
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Correct me if I'm wrong:

The term "bricked" means, damaging the phone with no chance of repairing it. So there is no term called "unbricked". If you "unbricked", it means you repaired it, which means, the phone is not "bricked" in the first place. But they have used that word because they "THOUGHT" they bricked their mobile.

Though the above mentioned might be true during the WM6 period, now it's common to see the word "bricked" been used by everyone if their phone can be completely repaired.

BTW, even I bricked my sgs once. Thanks to the people at xda, I got back my phone. Unbricked it. ;)
 
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Technically you cannot brick a phone, ever.

Why? Because you just wrote wrong data on wrong location.

It is still a simple write. But because now you cannot boot or get to recovery, you cannot correct it by a rewrite.

If you can get hold of a way to rewrite the garbled location, you can recover *always*.

Bricking is used to denote that now there is no way to overwrite your carelessness or adventure.

But tomorrow there may be a way, may be a new improved Micro USB to JTAG interface and you shall be set.
 
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Covering only uncovered points. Note that I was a fan of Symbian, before Nokia (practically) abandoned it.

anfjavid said:
1) Is android (rooted or unrooted) OS vulnerable to viruses ?.
Click to expand...
For the moment, assume that virus and malware are the same thing, then yes. Only known source of harmful software currently on Android is Applications you download and install yourself. This is technically called trojan - akin to shooting your own foot, no gun has even been safe from that. Likewise, no known OS is safe from trojans.

Having said that, risk is that an application appears to be for doing something (useful) and actually does something else (evil). If you stick to Google's market place, risk of this happening is low and even once it happens, Google will remove the application from your phone automatically once it is known that it is harmful software. Since there are currently millions of Android users, it will be known relatively quickly if an application is harmful.

Also, choose only 4 - 5 star applications, look once glance at user comments, and one simple google search before installing any application, and you are guaranteed to be free of harmful applications.

anfjavid said:
5) Is rooting supported officially and will it void warranty if i cannot unroot it ?
Click to expand...
Many service centre technicians will have no idea that you have rooted your phone. I took my Samsung phone to a service centre, and even staring at the "SAMDROID" bootup screen, the technician was asking me whether it is in warranty, show the bill etc.
anfjavid said:
Currenly AFAIK , the no. of USEFUL applications are more in SYMBIAN than ANDROID... The only negative points which i see is the options are difficult to access as one has to dig them, slow when compared to Android - admitted.
Click to expand...
By USEFUL applications, you mean ovi store? Number of apps is very limited, out of which some are trial applications. But if it is enough for you, great. There is a huge wealth of free as well as paid Symbian apps outside the Ovi store, but there is the same problem of harmful applications as on Android.

anfjavid said:
Additionally the phone is small enough with a not too big screen which will fit in my belt pouch (as i got used to it with my e71).
Click to expand...
Most android phones are within +- 10% size of Nokia E71. Except that they might be thicker (25-35%) - and thickness is the dimension least affecting pocketability.

anfjavid said:
when i came to know the risks involved in installing third party applications, i must say that i started hating Android like anything. I even wondered that why the developers of symbian cant develop a good flawless O/s which is windows based (like symbian) and i am much worried now because even the N9 incorporates Meego O/s (which is a full linux based unlike an android wrap up) ignoring the symbian which i love even now...
Click to expand...
Same risk is in installing Symbian apps from outside the Ovi market. Ovi market has only around 50 apps (rest are themes / games etc.). Symbian is NOT windows based. Nokia will not develop a good OS because Nokia CEO Elop is a trojan sent from Microsoft. See what Microsoft did to Sendo
 
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Quoting from wiki : 'In the strictest sense of the term, bricking must imply that software error has rendered the device completely unrecoverable without some hardware replacement. However, it is common to use the term for a problem which can be rectified but only by a complex and difficult procedure, often requiring additional software.'
 
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