Rooting and flashing custom software on the Galaxy Note 3 causes hardware damage?

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radeon962

[H]ard|Gawd
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I typically root my phones and the Note 3 is on my list as I have an upgrade available while waiting on the Nexus 5. Have Note 3 users run into this yet? Might have to rethink and just hold my upgrade for "the Next Big Thing".

http://www.sammobile.com/2013/10/09...galaxy-note-3-causes-hardware-damage-say-what

Well, it looks Samsung is following in HTC’s footsteps and finding ways to make it hard for users to root and flash custom software on its devices. According to well-known developer Chainfire, the Galaxy Note 3 comes with eFUSE technology for the KNOX security suite. What is eFUSE? Well, it’s a technology that allows reprogramming a read-only memory chip in real-time, even though such chips come with hard-coded code that cannot be generally changed after manufacturing.

When flashing unofficial software on the device, the status of the system and KNOX is switched to CUSTOM while increasing a binary flash counter, which helps Samsung find out whether the device has been tampered with. However, while Chainfire’s TriangleAway app has let users switch the status back to official and reset the flash counter until now, the KNOX status is based on eFUSE – basically, once you flash custom kernels or root the Note 3, the KNOX code gets rewritten, and this constitutes hardware damage.

Apparently, Samsung service centers have been instructed to check the KNOX status, which if tripped will void all warranty. Chainfire mentions there is a “possible hack to reset the write protection on the flash storage so we can reset some values,” but says that it will be difficult to write and has little chance of working even if it gets written, so it looks like those wanting to tinker with their Galaxy Note 3 will have to void all warranty at this point, or stick to Samsung’s official software.

After the region lock (which has been bypassed by Chainfire), this is yet another stupid stunt Samsung has pulled off, one that is going to make things difficult for the development community and for everyone wanting to get more out of the Galaxy Note 3. We’re sure Chainfire or another developer will find a way to get around the KNOX status issue, but for now, it’s best to stick to the default software.

Source: https://plus.google.com/+Chainfire/posts/LCfF5A9fsTG
 
As it stands now there is not much reason to root the phone. I rooted my S3 and with all the custom roms etc... the phone just ran like shit.

Only thing I can think of ... is ability to run apps etc... from the SDcard but I believe that, by popular demand, has been re-featured.
 
It's a business decision...

If you are receiving 10%+ of devices back as warranty returns and losing money because people are bricking their phones loading ROMs and not knowing what they are doing...guess what? Companies are going to come up with way to protect against that...
 
Well the main thing to do is voice displeasure, GPU makers will say crap in their terms like if a sticker is broken your warranty is VOID. But the community throws that up front and center and it results in lower sales. So some have changed their minds. I think Samsung has done well with tech savvy people because their phones were more repairable and serviceable than other makers many times.

IMO the main reason to root a phone is to remove the forced carrier bloatware. Maybe that has changed but its hell on older phones with sprint.
 
tangoseal said:
As it stands now there is not much reason to root the phone. I rooted my S3 and with all the custom roms etc... the phone just ran like shit.

Only thing I can think of ... is ability to run apps etc... from the SDcard but I believe that, by popular demand, has been re-featured.
Click to expand...

Did you ever run CleanROM? I've been running it for over a year. It's rock solid stable and much more responsive than the official Verizon ROM.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1832070
 
rudy said:
Well the main thing to do is voice displeasure, GPU makers will say crap in their terms like if a sticker is broken your warranty is VOID. But the community throws that up front and center and it results in lower sales. So some have changed their minds. I think Samsung has done well with tech savvy people because their phones were more repairable and serviceable than other makers many times.

IMO the main reason to root a phone is to remove the forced carrier bloatware. Maybe that has changed but its hell on older phones with sprint.
Click to expand...

Hell try getting updates. Sprint Note 2 is officially still on fucking 4.1 with no clue when or if 4.3+ will come. Same exact thing will be the case with Note3 in a calendar year.

That alone is reason for rooting and custom firmwares. OEMs and carriers abandoning top-tier devices re: OS updates shortly after release.
 
rudy said:
Well the main thing to do is voice displeasure, GPU makers will say crap in their terms like if a sticker is broken your warranty is VOID. But the community throws that up front and center and it results in lower sales. So some have changed their minds. I think Samsung has done well with tech savvy people because their phones were more repairable and serviceable than other makers many times.

IMO the main reason to root a phone is to remove the forced carrier bloatware. Maybe that has changed but its hell on older phones with sprint.
Click to expand...

The carrier bloat can be removed without much hassle. Most of it isn't even active when you load up your phone or tries to attach itself much like att navigator used to try to do.

Also, international phones and tmobile phones can be rooted. Att has theirs locked down and uses estat to record those who tampered, but from what I hear this is only checked when a user tries to claim a defective phone.

Also, what hardware damage will take place? I'm only aware of bricking the phone, which I guess can be classified as hardware damage.
 
tangoseal said:
Applies to root....

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/07/feds-ok-iphone-jailbreaking/
Click to expand...

You see this part?

Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris said Apple won’t change its policy that voids iPhone warranties if a phone has been jailbroken. “It can violate the warranty and cause the iPhone to become unstable and not work reliably,” she said.
Click to expand...

The legalities of it has nothing to do with the company voiding the warranty. They can void your warranty on any terms they want, it's their product and terms.
 
tangoseal said:
As it stands now there is not much reason to root the phone. I rooted my S3 and with all the custom roms etc... the phone just ran like shit.

Only thing I can think of ... is ability to run apps etc... from the SDcard but I believe that, by popular demand, has been re-featured.
Click to expand...

Ad blocking, tethering, Android OS updates, using features on a phone that were disabled by the carrier, many more reasons.....



If this is anything like the VZW G2 setting that shows "rooted" after a phone has been rooted and a bunch of people flipped out over, it can be reset to stock.
 
I don't know why people are surprised by this. There are people who root/jailbreak their devices and they don't even understand what the hello they are doing. They simply want to be able to install "T0t4lly Aw3s0m3 R0M" and "stick it to the man" basically. All the while claiming superiority over somebody else in some giant e-peen contest.

Then these one-click script kiddies brick a device and return it and get a new device. Companies are sick of morons like that eating into their profits.

My only issue with OEM's doing what Samsung is doing it they don't have to do it that way. If you unlock the bootloader and provide factory images you can recover a "bricked" device 99% of the time. For example if you want to brick a Nexus you actually have to TRY and must WANT to brick the device.

There really is a simple solution to this that would protect both OEM's and carriers.

1. Provide a method to unlock bootloaders for carriers who don't care like T-Mobile.
2. If that method is used your serial number is logged and warranty is deemed null and void. That's the price we pay for having an open device. That info is shared with all carriers compatible with your device so you can't walk back into your carrier's shop and claim a warranty.
3. Provide factory images like Google does for those who unlock and might soft brick a device.
4. If a carrier requires some nasty protection like the Note 3 has then be very open about it. Say the devices on AT&T and Verizon have this nasty shit due to carrier requirements. That way blame is on the carriers and hatred will be shot at them instead of the OEM.

Samsung has the power to do that. However, they won't for one reason: $$$$$

In the end by giving us a way to unlock and recover from a soft brick they see it as losing money. They'd rather have us brick our device, have no warranty, and pony up another $650 for another device.

Thus why after my Verizon contract is done I'm all Nexus all the time. All other devices be damned.
 
Ahh hell they will have this thing cracked and rooted in two weeks. Remember anything one person does others out there can undo or do better.

And to others yes to me root is important if only 1 thing can be removed... bloaty dumb shit background junk. Oh and NSA code.
 
tangoseal said:
As it stands now there is not much reason to root the phone.
Click to expand...

Speak for yourself.

tangoseal said:
I rooted my S3 and with all the custom roms etc... the phone just ran like shit.
Click to expand...

You were doing it wrong, then. I had an S3 running PACman, worked like a dream.

tangoseal said:
Only thing I can think of ... is ability to run apps etc... from the SDcard but I believe that, by popular demand, has been re-featured.
Click to expand...


Phones have gigabytes of internal storage, this isn't 2010 anymore. All that running from the SD card does is break your widgets.
 
entropism said:
Phones have gigabytes of internal storage, this isn't 2010 anymore. All that running from the SD card does is break your widgets.
Click to expand...

He's talking about the update that Samsung released on the S4 that allowed you to install apps to the SD card, since the 16GB S4 only had like 9GBs of usable storage. But yeah, this isn't really an issue on the Note 3 since it comes with 32GBs minimum.

I don't think Samsung let you intall apps that had widgets to the SD card either just for that reason. It's a nice feature to have for games though.
 
T4rd, understood. I was basically saying I don't understand why anyone would want this, and I haven't felt like it was needed since the days of the MyTouch 4g/Bravo/Nexus One, which were desperately needing internal storage space (and memory as well)
 
This really isn't new news, the GS4 also has this, as does other wonderful Sammy phones. What does it mean for those that like to root and change/develop ROMS? Nothing, nothing at all. Oh noes my counter went up to 3 today!!!!!!
 
tangoseal said:
As it stands now there is not much reason to root the phone. I rooted my S3 and with all the custom roms etc... the phone just ran like shit.

Only thing I can think of ... is ability to run apps etc... from the SDcard but I believe that, by popular demand, has been re-featured.
Click to expand...

Apps that require root is the big one for me. I no longer flash custom roms like crazy like I did on the Galaxy S. On the S3 I flashed a custom rom on it a few times and stuck with the same rom for years.

Rooted apps that I find indispensable on the Note 3:

Greenify - to prevent Facebook and other apps from causing wakelocks. Mainly just Facebook because it's a necessary evil and a terribly coded app.

Titanium Backup - To freeze all the Knox apps and to disable S Finder from appearing by holding down the menu key. I like Google Now much better and since there's no way to reassign a key for S Finder I just froze the app completely.

WANAM/Xposed Framework - Allows me to get rid of all the Touchwhiz green from the status bar and notification area which are the main things that can't be removed when using a different launcher. Nova Prime can only do so much in replacing Touchwhiz. I like some the apps and features of Touchwiz, just not the looks. Also lets you do cool stuff like holding down the volume up key as a shortcut to turn on the flash as a flashlight when the screen is off.

Adblock Plus - the main reason a lot of people root their phones.

Cerberus - anti theft app

These are enough reasons for me to root.
 
Exactly, outside the corporate environment (and probably even then sometimes) rooting has more advantages than not. Plus who cares if a flash counter increases by 1 every time. Who does it hurt that you've flashed your own phone (aside from possibly not supporting warranty because of it)? As long as they keep the negatives at just that, then I think Samsung is just doing what Samsung does.
 
Kai said:
Exactly, outside the corporate environment (and probably even then sometimes) rooting has more advantages than not. Plus who cares if a flash counter increases by 1 every time. Who does it hurt that you've flashed your own phone (aside from possibly not supporting warranty because of it)? As long as they keep the negatives at just that, then I think Samsung is just doing what Samsung does.
Click to expand...

This is carrier supported, there are versions of the note 3 without Knox or being locked.
 
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