Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Bootloader Unlocked

Posted on September 10, 2011 by admin

Looks like it has finally happened: the X10 bootloader has been unlocked by no other than the_laser. While there’s nothing out there that will make use of this exploit, we can expect quite a lot of new changes to our very powerful X10s.

There is also this method to unlock your bootloader without having to downgrade to 2.1 firmware.

What does having an unlocked bootloader mean? Here’s the advantages in a nutshell:

  • Directly boot into a custom kernel without having to kill the existing one on the phone. This means faster boot ups.
  • Stability of the phone increases, due to having access to the entire phone.
  • Ability to customize the phone further, by loading custom kernels and ROMs with very little trouble.
A more friendlier bootloader unlocking solution is on the horizon for us all, so stay tuned. 

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Gingerbread 2.3.5 on Xperia X10

Posted on September 10, 2011 by admin

I know I’m late, but I only managed to flash my X10 last week. I like to actually try the updates before announcing them.

In case you want to run Gingerbread 2.3.5 on your Xperia X10, check out the following mega-thread for everything Gingerbread. It’s a compilation of all the custom ROMs, flash tools, basebands and everything else to get GB running on your X10. It’s finally here, folks.

If you are not sure which custom ROM to pick, go with CyanogenMOD 7 by zdzihu. I am personally using it right now and love the snappiness. It’s very stable, plus everything works (minus native tethering, but you can use Barnacle). Some features I’ve noticed are: great battery life, stability and speed. So far, it’s the best ROM I’ve had the pleasure of using.

If you simply want a stock 2.3.3 ROM that is pre-rooted and loaded with xRecovery 0.3, take a look at Recovery Image by DooMLoRD. I loaded this up before CyanogenMOD, so it works. I find it’s pretty slow, though.

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Xperia X10 Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread Update

Posted on July 27, 2011 by admin

Just a heads up: the Gingerbread update was announced this week, but the actual files have not been released anywhere. We’re expecting the update to roll around early August 2011 (as in, within the next 2 weeks).

Here’s an XDA thread on what we know so far.

From the thread (copied):

What we know

  • The update is coming out early August 2011
  • This will update the X10 to Android 2.3.3
  • The update will wipe all user data.
  • ALL generic kits (unbranded) will get the 2.3.3 update. People on contracts MIGHT NOT get the update, it depends on the phone company and whether they are willing to update. That is not in SE’s control.
  • The update will include Xperia Arc apps, including (but not limited to) full Facebook Inside Xperia, Media discovery widget, new Timescape, new Music app with Equalizer
  • The update will include the 2.1 Eclair X10 Camera UI
  • The update will NOT include DLNA support
  • The update WILL add native tethering/hotspot, Apps to SD, and Adobe flash support
  • The update will include most of the Arc UI, including the new launcher
  • The update will only be released through the PC programs Sony Ericsson Update Service or PC Companion. You cannot update it On the Air, aka through the phone.
  • There will be no multitouch, and instead keep the buggy dualtouch we have now.
  • It will be impossible to go back to stock 2.1 once the update is released (officially, still possible if phone is flashable).

What is tentative/What we DO NOT know
Rikard has made a comment on the blog mentioning a few things about his PROTOTYPE X10 gingerbread he got. This is what he said. I say this is TENTATIVE because it is a prototype build he has and is subject to change.

  • The update WILL NOT add 16m colors, WILL NOT have an unlocked bootloader
  • The update MIGHT uncap the FPS. Rikard has said that they are working on it, but that’s all the info we have right now.
  • The X10 is being tested on Android 2.3.4, apparently.
  • We don’t know if Gingerbread on our X10s will be rootable immediately.
    There are some doubts when taking into consideration the Arc 2.3.3 firmware, in which the X10 GB is based
  • We don’t know if we will be able to downgrade with FlashTool to the rootable 2.1.
  • If the bootloader unlock is released, we might be able to flash kernels that allow root exploit/busybox installation etc.

 

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Sony Ericsson lets down X10 owners… again

Posted on June 24, 2011 by admin

Looks like the Gingerbread 2.3 update will only be available in August. By that time, I’ll probably be using a different phone.

What’s worse, Sony Ericsson is going to cripple the phone:

  1. No multi-touch (even though developers have enabled it unofficially) just dual-touch with focus and pinch gestures.
  2. No unlocked bootloader (even though they claimed it was going to be opened up before).
  3. No 16M colours support, even though our hardware supports it.

SE still does not get it. They have basically annihilated their loyal X10 user base with broken promises and delays. I, for one, will never purchase another Sony Ericsson product. This fiasco is just another reason to boycott Sony products in general.

The good news is that TripNRaver has had enough of SE’s bullshit, so he’s working on his own Gingerbread port at full speed. If you don’t want to be a tester and need something very stable, his Iris 1.7 ROM is his best work to date. Bad news is, TripNRaver is getting a HTC Sensation and dumping his X10 very soon from what I’ve been reading.

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TripNRaver’s Custom ROMs for the Xperia X10

Posted on June 3, 2011 by admin

TripNRaver is quite well known these days for his custom ROMs, based off MIUI and CyanogenMod. Below is a list of what he has released as of today.

  • TripNMiUI 1.5.5 (Froyo, Android 2.2.1): Everything works. Currently “on hold” but still a great download. This is what I am currently using.
  • TripNRaver’s CyanogenMod 6.1.3, v1.3 (Froyo, Android 2.2.1): Everything works. This is a very stable ROM from what I hear, with great battery life.
  • TripNMiUI 0.3.0 IRIS (Gingerbread, Android 2.3.4, based off MIUI 1.5.27): Almost everything works, but there are some quirks with the video camera it seems.
  • TripNRaver’s CyanogenMod 7, v0.6 (Gingerbread, Android 2.3.2): Like the above ROM, almost everything works with some quirks.

In case you don’t know, the MiUI is another custom ROM for Android phones that give them a plethora of new features along with a very polished user interface. Think of it as another CyanogenMod for Android devices. TripNRaver has taken both MIUI and CyanogenMod and ported them to the Xperia X10. They are not official ports just so you know, but they work very well. TripNRaver is a very skilled developer indeed.

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Latest xRecovery for the Xperia X10 by zdzihu

Posted on June 3, 2011 by admin

zdizihu released the latest version of xRecovery for the Xperia X10 (and others) a few days ago. Currently, it is version 1.0.0 and has a number of changes, including a slightly friendlier user interface. Now, before you upgrade, you must know that a few things will break (nothing permanent mind you). Some ROMs will not be flashable using xRecovery due to a scripting engine change. On the xRecovery thread on XDA, zdzihu mentions:

Amend scripting (update-script) is no longer supported, was deprecated by Google in Android 1.5. Please switch to Edify scripting (updater-script and update-binary) to create working update zip packages.

In other words, ROMs such as TripNMiUI will not work when it comes to flashing unless they update the update engine script. If you’re a new Xperia X10 user, or wish to switch to TripNMiUI, stick with xRecovery 0.3 or else you won’t be able to update to the ROM of your choice.

If you accidentally updated to xRecovery 1.0.0 and wish to downgrade, it’s very easy. Just re-run the old 0.3 APK and it’ll work just fine.

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Latest Xperia X10 Basebands

Posted on June 3, 2011 by admin

The latest ROMs out there are requesting users to upgrade to the latest Xperia Basebands. Here’s a list of what’s out there. If you want to learn how to flash these basebands, you’ll need to use Flashtool. Check out my little guide on how to flash custom basebands.

X10i

X10a

Source: XDA Forums.

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How to flash custom basebands on your Xperia X10

Posted on June 3, 2011 by admin

Flashing a baseband on your Xperia X10 is actually very easy. First, choose a baseband of your choice, then download Flashtool 0.2.8 or the latest one being Flashtool 0.2.9.1 Beta (source: XDA).

  1. Download the Flashtool version of your choice.
  2. Extract Flashtool in a directory of your choice.
  3. Download the appropriate baseband for your phone.
  4. Extract and place the .FTF file in the ‘firmwares’ directory of Flashtool.
  5. Launch Flashtool by running X10FlashTool.exe.
  6. Click on the Flash button on the top-left corner.
  7. In the new dialog box that pops up, choose the baseband you wish to flash.
  8. Click OK. Flashtool will now attempt to flash the baseband. It’ll ask you to unplug the USB cable and turn off the phone. Afterwards, hold the back button and insert the USB cable. Flashtool will then take over and flash your baseband.

The whole process takes about 5 minutes and no longer.

Note: if you have an older version of Android and you upgrade to a newer firmware, you may receive “Unknown Baseband” in the About Phone section of your device. This is normal. You will have to now upgrade your Android OS to a compatible version, or else your phone will not be able to make calls.

On my X10a, I was able to upgrade to 2.1.65 (AT&T version) and keep stock 2.1, but I quickly upgraded to TripNMiUI 1.5.5 (Android 2.2.1) for best compatibility.

NOTE: Rogers Canada users wishing to use TripNMiUI 1.5.5 should stick with baseband 2.1.54! If you upgraded to the newer firmwares, SMS will not work, along with a host of other problems. Battery life will decrease dramatically.

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Xperia Bootloader Unlocked

Posted on April 13, 2011 by admin

Yup, it’s true: Sony Ericsson Xperia phones can now have an unlocked bootloader. If you’re willing, instructions are posted for you to try. Note: this will not work on Xperia X10s yet! I believe we need the Gingerbread update before being able to unlock the bootloader. More information to come.

Update: Sony Ericsson has retracted their statement it seems. The Xperia X10 will not have the bootloader unlocked, due to “technical and legal reasons”.

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Progress on Android 2.3.3 AOSP (CyanogenMOD CM7.0 RC2)

Posted on March 30, 2011 by admin

jerpelea from XDA is still hard at work on making Android 2.3.3 complete right now on the Xperia X10. Reading his updates, he has managed to get the camera working at VGA resolution and fixed up some of the sensors. There’s still a bit more to go, but the ROM is very stable from what I am reading. Take a look if you wish to run a stable copy of Gingerbread if you can’t wait for SE’s official release. It is based off of CyanogenMOD, so you know it’s good stuff.

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