Bad News of the Day: Motorola is Installing a 'Root Checker' on VZW ICS Devices

[Navalynt]

Carriers spend weeks, months even, testing software to make sure it works with their network. CDMA devices are especially cumbersome because the PRI/PRL information needs to be tested even more extensively. Why does everyone get all defensive about a carrier installing a check to see if the software they spent soo much time testing was messed with?

I'm pretty sure everyone on this and other Android forums can read, so you should know when you root the device that you have VOIDED THE WARRANTY. Sure, there are other builds of Android and other modifications which *can* work with your phone but they are untested, unauthorized, and unapproved by the carrier. If you venture into the world of modding your phone you should face the fact that inevitably you will run into a problem and even if it's unrelated to an actual defect you DID void the warranty.

 

[Garemlin]

Just a fair warning to everyone. Any discussion of insurance fraud, or offering suggestions of insurance fraud will not be tolerated. If you root your phone you accept the consequences of rooting. Good or bad.

 

[skennelly]

Why does everyone get all defensive about a carrier installing a check to see if the software they spent soo much time testing was messed with?

Sure, there are other builds of Android and other modifications which *can* work with your phone but they are untested, unauthorized, and unapproved by the carrier.

It would piss me off if the manufacturer of my laptop thought this way. There's no need for verizon or Motorola to have any say in what's on my phone, whether it's apps or OS. The phone that I purchased and own.

Sent from my SCH-I535

 

[Aixelsyd]

This is why u fxz a phone before returning the device u do not unroot then send it back an fxz will completely wipe the phone to out of the factory state an i mean a fulll fxz meaning unedited to save data or internal storage

I wold not count on it fomr wha tI'm hearing and being told. If I had my Maxx handy I'd fastboot it back to stock just to check and see if it changes. Guess atm my gut tells me it will still show 0/1 or 1/1 even after fastbooting/FZX back to stock SW.

 

[sargentmajord]

Carriers spend weeks, months even, testing software to make sure it works with their network. CDMA devices are especially cumbersome because the PRI/PRL information needs to be tested even more extensively. Why does everyone get all defensive about a carrier installing a check to see if the software they spent soo much time testing was messed with?

I'm pretty sure everyone on this and other Android forums can read, so you should know when you root the device that you have VOIDED THE WARRANTY. Sure, there are other builds of Android and other modifications which *can* work with your phone but they are untested, unauthorized, and unapproved by the carrier. If you venture into the world of modding your phone you should face the fact that inevitably you will run into a problem and even if it's unrelated to an actual defect you DID void the warranty.

An ur point is? No one cares we like to mod our devices an we fxz the phone back to stock if there is a problem also a hardware defect has nothing to do with rooting also carriers working hard on their phone software dont make me laugh i got a bionic an the software build was rushed an buggy as hell we had to wait a yr for ICS an only then did it fix the bugs their GB updates did nothing an also flashing a custom rom by rooting got rid of the bugs to

 

[sargentmajord]

I wold not count on it fomr wha tI'm hearing and being told. If I had my Maxx handy I'd fastboot it back to stock just to check and see if it changes. Guess atm my gut tells me it will still show 0/1 or 1/1 even after fastbooting/FZX back to stock SW.

Is it a full fxz where it completely wipes the phone including data an emstorage? The fxz for the bionic wipes the counter

 

[huskur]

In the OP's statement...."if you break your glass and try and return it they could look for root and void the warranty" guess what----- It's Hammer time then!!

 

[huskur]

On a lighter note....I contacted Samsung about their sale of the SG3 with the unlocked bootloader and told them if it was out when the VZW version came out I would have bought it directly from them (since I paid retail anyway) to have their "no restrictions" version. They told me they would swap mine out. HOLY COW!!! I about had a coronary when they said that!

So the new one is on the way from Samsung directly and they are even paying shipping in return on my VZW SG3

 

[kevsgroove]

It would piss me off if the manufacturer of my laptop thought this way. There's no need for verizon or Motorola to have any say in what's on my phone, whether it's apps or OS. The phone that I purchased and own.

Sent from my SCH-I535

They're not telling you what to do with your device. What they are telling you is that if you root yourdevice ............ you void the warranty.

So, if after rooting, you begin to have issues with your device (issues that you hadn't had before because you would have returned it), don't come to Verizon or Motorola wanting a replacement. This has to be covered with your own dime.

 

[debrad0307]

On a lighter note....I contacted Samsung about their sale of the SG3 with the unlocked bootloader and told them if it was out when the VZW version came out I would have bought it directly from them (since I paid retail anyway) to have their "no restrictions" version. They told me they would swap mine out. HOLY COW!!! I about had a coronary when they said that!

So the new one is on the way from Samsung directly and they are even paying shipping in return on my VZW SG3

Pfft I'm jealous. If there was a dislike button I'd press it just cause I got stuck with a locked bootloader.

 

[sargentmajord]

They're not telling you what to do with your device. What they are telling you is that if you root yourdevice ............ you void the warranty.

So, if after rooting, you begin to have issues with your device (issues that you hadn't had before because you would have returned it), don't come to Verizon or Motorola wanting a replacement. This has to be covered with your own dime.

Rooting voids the vzw warranty not the moto one

 

[BJPalmer85]

Carriers spend weeks, months even, testing software to make sure it works with their network. CDMA devices are especially cumbersome because the PRI/PRL information needs to be tested even more extensively. Why does everyone get all defensive about a carrier installing a check to see if the software they spent soo much time testing was messed with?

I'm pretty sure everyone on this and other Android forums can read, so you should know when you root the device that you have VOIDED THE WARRANTY. Sure, there are other builds of Android and other modifications which *can* work with your phone but they are untested, unauthorized, and unapproved by the carrier. If you venture into the world of modding your phone you should face the fact that inevitably you will run into a problem and even if it's unrelated to an actual defect you DID void the warranty.

I agree.

It would piss me off if the manufacturer of my laptop thought this way. There's no need for verizon or Motorola to have any say in what's on my phone, whether it's apps or OS. The phone that I purchased and own.

Sent from my SCH-I535

I can see where you are coming from but i disagree slightly.

The difference with a laptop and cell phone, in most cases anyway, is that a lot of people get a cell phone at a subsidized price, where as you generally buy a laptop at full price. If you pay the $200 dollars and sign the contract for 2 years so that you can get that better price. I agree with VZW 100% on this then. They want to make sure that they aren't getting screwed over by people messing up their phones because they are modding them.

On the other hand, if you pay full price for a phone than in my opinion there should still be some sort of warranty coverage for it even if you do mod it. Like in the case with most cars, there are some modifications the dealership/manufacturer will still warranty. It should be the same way for people who buy phones at full price and want to mod them.

B

 

[Aixelsyd]

Is it a full fxz where it completely wipes the phone including data an emstorage? The fxz for the bionic wipes the counter

I don't believe the leaked FXZ stock ICS build for Maxx/Razr is that type where it formats/wipes out the emstorage. The only one I've ever seen that does that on the Razr/Maxx is the original GB leaked FXZ file.

 

[Natey2]

Motorola, at Verizon's request, has been installing "root checker" software on all Motorola devices that run Ice Cream Sandwich. This includes the Droid RAZR, RAZR MAXX, the Droid 4, and will include the Bionic once ICS rolls out for it. This "root checker" will basically allow any Big Red employee to check to see if your phone has ever been rooted.

Corporations check for rooted devices too. Good For Enterprise, MobileIron, etc. can be configured to determine if your device is rooted, and subsequently deny you access to the Corporate network.
Some Corporate SysAdmins consider rooted devices to be security-compromised devices and disallow them on their Corporate network.

I have a generic WiFi-only rooted ICS 4.0.3 tablet for rooted Android activities. Lol!
Can't beat those things for under $100

Sent from my unrooted DroidX using Tapatalk

 

[npro1464]

Months ago this would have made me angry, nervous, and pissed off. I would have been afraid that this would spread to all their devices. Now I could care less. I'm clocked out at this point. The GS3 bootloader was the final straw. I'm leaving to probably go to a prepaid Nexus, although I'm very tempted by T-Mobile now.