[Xperia Play Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] popodom:
Hi everybody,

I just get my Xperia Play but I don't really know where to start.

It's been 4 days that I'm reading threads to know how to get the best from my phone. Unfortunately, most interesting tips are dispersed here and there.

So, I will try to ask the good questions so that everything can be available in a single thread. It will be a newbies FAQ! :-)

Let's go then!

1.

I just bought my Android phone. What should I know first?

- Knowing the phone code names will help you searching for the good information. Every phone has his commercial name (Xperia Play), his model name (R800) and his "nickname" (Zeus).

- Check the Android and ROM version as it will be often asked when you look for something about your Android. To do this, on your Phone, go to Settings -> About the Phone

- Do you plan to subscribe to a DATA plan with your phone provider: if not, it's better to disable some features to avoid bad surprises.

- Some say that rebooting the device helps in many cases

- there are NO VIRUS with Android, antivirus tools are all useless

- Wireless, Bluetooth, GPS : if you don't use them it's better to disable them. You will spare battery and you won't see advertises in the free progs

2.

What should I do first?

- If you still don't have it, you will have to create a Google account so that you can backup and manage your contacts, for example

- RTFM ! :)

- If you don't plan to use a custom ROM (alternative software not develloped by the manufacturer), you'll have to see if a newer version of the official ROM is available. This can be done through the official tool PC Companion, available on the manufacture website. ( http://www.sonyericsson.com/cws/sup...s/subject/pccompanion/xperia-play?cc=ph&lc=en )

- Learn the lexicon : http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1253127

3.

Should I hack my phone immediately?

(Root, boot unlock, flash, unbrand, ...)

- You will have to if you want to : remove unwanted software installed by the provider, change the internal software with a custom one, ...

- Some applications will require to have more access to work: ex: MyMobiler needs Superuser access, available by rooting the phone

- Learn more about root and bootloader here : http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1076720 (thanks Logseman)

4.

Are these hack methods reversible?

- Yes (thanks Jordanooo)

5.

Do they void warranty?

- As they are reversible, they shouldn't void the warranty

- For Sony-Ericsson, it's important to notice that they support custom development and helped the FreeXperia team. (http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1281349)

6.

I found many ways to root my phone: which one is the best?

- DooMLoRD method is a popular one : http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1321582 (don't forget to thank him if you use it)

- you can check this link too : http://lifehacker.com/5789397/the-always-up+to+date-guide-to-rooting-any-android-phone

- for Xperia, there is the Xperia Easy Rooting Toolkit by DooMLorD : http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1320350

7.

Once rooted, can I remove applications I don't want anymore?

- Yes, this is possible. These applications are called "Bloaters". You can use Titanium Backup as Jordanooo suggested. This seems to be the best one around. There is also Android Mate o SystemApk Manager too. They're all available on the market

8.

Where can I find generic/stock ROMs?

- Some are available on this forum: http://xdaforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1093

- for Xperia Play you can have a look at Logseman list of downloads http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=18226603&postcount=2 (thank to him)

- there is also the Wotan website ( http://www.wotanserver.com/ ) for SE and Samsung but you have to register.

9.

Where can I find good custom ROMs?

- Here : http://xdaforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1093

- see 2nd point of previous question

10.

OK but what is a custom ROM?

- Custom ROM are not official customized version of the Android software made by common developers (not by manufacturer). In general, they offer more functionality and sometimes pre-installed software. Or they get rid off default applications nobody needs, to save memory.

11.

What is the best method to flash my phone?

- As Jordanoo said, it's better to use the method suggested by the author of the ROM. The procedure is usually explained in the related post.

12.

Can I use Sony PC Companion to upgrade my phone after I hacked it?

- You will have to unhack your phone to do this. (Jordanoo)

13.

What are the must-have applications?

- File browser: Astro File Manager

- Alternate market: AppBrain App Market

- Remote display&input : MyMobiler

- Web browser: Dolphin Browser HD

- Video player: QQPlayer or MX Video Player

- Mp3 player: PowerAmp

- Wifi tool: Wifi Analyzer

- Remote control: MyPhoneExplorer Client or AirDroid or File Expert

- Contacts management : Go Contacts

14.

What is the best tool to manage Android contacts from the computer?

- There is an add-on for Thunderbird but I didn't tried it yet ( https://addons.mozilla.org/fr/thunderbird/addon/google-contacts/ )

- It is very easy using MyPhoneExplorer as mentionned in the previous question

15.

Are they offline navigation application available?

- Sygic seems to be the best now (available on the market). Maps are downloadable from home Wireless.

16.

What are the must-have games?

- Angry Birds (of course)

- Bubble Blast 2

- Live Hold em Poker Pro

- Mame4Droid emulator (ALL working roms can be found here : http://sentinelgames.com/documents/mame.html or here : http://lostsite.altervista.org/wiz/?page_id=2368 )

- GenPlusDroid: a Genesis/Megadrive emulator

- SNESDroid: a Super Nintendo/Famicom emulator

- Xperia Play optimized ones :

-- ***** : Drag Racing, BLOOD & GLORY

-- **** : Diversion, GUN BROS MULTIPLAYER

-- *** : Guns'n'Glory WW2, Pocket Legends (3D MMO)

-- ** : Super Dynamite Fishing FREE, Greedy Spiders Free, ETERNITY WARRIORS, Guns'n'Glory FREE

-- * : Aporkalypse FREE, Crazy Snowboard, Princess Punt, Townsmen 6 FREE , Earth And Legend

17.

I tried to install an application but my Xperia said that there's no more place on internal memore. And now?

Yes, unfortunately, Sony didn't provide Xperia phones with a large internal memory (+/- 380Mb). This is indeed not enough to enjoy all what you Xperia can offer. The tool App2SD can help you free some space but many apps will remain unmovable.

There are 2 methods to emulate a part of your SD card as the internal memory: the ADB method (ADB for dummies) and the Link2SD method (Link2SD Guide). The first one don't need your phone to be rooted, the second well.

I hope there's no mistake in what I wrote, as it's only my personal experience. I apologize to the gods of XDA for this. (and for the rest too)

Of course, if someone has something interesting to ask, you can do this here! ;-)

Thread will be fed every time I got a question without a good answer.

Hope you will help! And I thank you in advance.

Popodom