WARNING! THIS PROCESS MAY DELETE ALL OF YOUR DATA!
Use of a spare SD card or backing up your SD is recommended.

Prerequisites:

3.11.605.22 non-rooted RUU update (current leak as of 03-17-2012).

ADB and fastboot installed (as detailed in the rooting guide).

Amon Ra recovery image (as detailed in the rooting guide).

I. Preparation:

1. Place the RUU downloaded from the prerequisites on the root of your external SD card and rename it to PH98IMG.ZIP. Make sure that is the exact naming (ie. no *.zip.zip extension) else the bootloader will not see the name.
2. Make sure USB Debugging is enabled and verify that adb can see your Rezound be typing the following commands in your Terminal:
   

   cd /android/platform-tools
./adb devices

   Your device should be listed via its serial number.

II. Relocking the bootloader:

1. Put your phone into the bootloader by holding Volume Down as your phone is powering up. You may have to make sure Fast boot mode is disabled in the power settings prior, and you may have to remove and replace the battery.
2. NOTE: even though the proper PH98IMG.ZIP is on the root of your SD card, the bootloader will scan the file but not flash it because you are not locked yet.
3. Type the following commands in your Terminal:
   

   cd /android
./fastboot oem lock

   The top of your bootloader should now say *** RELOCKED ***.

4. NOTE: it will say *** SECURITY WARNING *** on the second line. THIS IS FINE. It will show up if you are not running an approved RUU image, such as an ICS ROM.

III. Updating with the new RUU:

1. While still in the bootloader and directly after relocking, select the option REBOOT BOOTLOADER from the menu.
2. The bootloader will now verify and prompt you to flash the PH98IMG.ZIP update. Press Volume Up it and let it finish. DO NOT TOUCH IT. Let it finish on its own. It will take a few minutes. The phone will reboot and may seem like it will hang at the HTC screen. This is normal and it will get back into the bootloader on its own.
3. Select REBOOT BOOTLOADER from the menu and it will continue with the 2nd part of the update. This will take a few minutes to complete as well.
4. NOTE: the top of your bootloader will now say *** TAMPERERED *** in gray. THIS IS FINE. It shows up because you are not running the stock Android recovery image. You had Amon Ra on it.
5. Select REBOOT from the menu when the 2nd part of the update is complete. Your phone will now start up like normal, and you'll be running the latest update.

IV. Unlocking the bootloader (again):

1. YOUR UNLOCK KEY WILL HAVE CHANGED BECAUSE THERE'S AN UPDATED BOOTLOADER. YOU MUST REDO THE HTCDEV STEP TO GET YOUR NEW UNLOCK_CODE.BIN.
2. Log into your HTCDev account and proceed to the bootloader section to unlock your device.
3. Choose "HTC Rezound (Verizon) from the drop down box and click on the green button to start the process. There will be a popup to inform you that you're voiding your warranty and that any potential future repairs may incur a monetary fee.
4. Accept both popups to continue.
5. HTC will give you instructions to get into the bootloader, necessary to retrieve the identifying token to provide the unlocking binary:
   

   1. Remove the battery from the unit and reinsert it.
   2. Hold Volume Down and Power to get into the bootloader
   3. Use the volume buttons to highlight Fastboot and then press the Power button to select the option. The red highlighted text will change into "FASTBOOT USB".
   4. Connect the unit to any available USB port if it is not already connected.

6. To get the token to unlock your bootloader, type out the command:
   

   cd /android
./fastboot oem get_identifier_token

   A block of text will be returned in the Terminal window.



7. Highlight and select the box of text starting at <<<< Identifier Token Start >>>> and ending at <<<<< Identifier Token End >>>>>. DO NOT select the portions that say INFO or (bootloader) as the HTC website will not accept these pieces of information.
8. Paste the text into the box at the very bottom of the third page of the unlock instructions on the HTCDev site. Your unlock binary will arrive in your email.
9. Save the Unlock_code.bin file from your email into the same location as the Fastboot binary (in the case of this guide, it's located in /android).
10. Type out the following in the Terminal:
    

    cd /android
./fastboot flash unlocktoken Unlock_code.bin

    Your phone will prompt you if you want to unlock the bootloader. Select Yes using the volume buttons and use the power button to accept the choice.

11. Your Rezound will now shut off and your bootloader will now be unlocked.

V. Installing the Amon Ra custom recovery (again):

1. Place the phone back into the bootloader.
2. Type out the following in the Terminal:
   

   cd /android
./fastboot flash recovery recovery-ra-vigor-3.15-gnm.img

   This will replace the default recovery with Amon Ra.

VI. Perma-rooting:

1. Boot into the Amon Ra recovery by getting into the bootloader (Volume Down as you're starting up) and choosing Recovery.
2. Scroll down to the Developer menu using the volume buttons and use the Power button to select it.
3. Select "Install su and superuser" to install the permaroot. DO NOT choose the unguarded su.

You're now up-to-date with the latest leaked base as of 03-15-2012 and may proceed to flash a new ROM should you desire to do so. If you do decide to flash a new ROM, the perma-rooting step may not be necessary as some ROMs come pre-rooted.

WARNING! THIS PROCESS VOIDS YOUR WARRANTY AND DELETES YOUR DATA!

Prerequisites:

HTC Rezound (obviously), microUSB cable, microSD with at least 100MB free. All of these items are already included in the box if you bought the unit new.

Android SDK, grab the one that’s respective of your system.

HTCDev account. If you don’t have one, register for one as you’ll need it to receive the binary to unlock the bootloader.

HTC’s Fastboot binaries, which are needed to unlock the bootloader.

Amon Ra recovery image. There’s a Clockwork Recovery image available, however it’s not reliable yet as there are some bugs that may be detrimental (mainly the inability to wipe properly and the inability to nandroid properly).

I. Installing the Android SDK:

1. Once you’ve downloaded the Android SDK, extract the contents into a folder and place it somewhere convenient. For the sake of this guide, I placed it into a folder called “android” at the root of my hard drive (“/android“).
2. Download and extract the Fastboot binary into /android. Change the name into fastboot.
3. Open your Terminal located at /applications/utilities and type the following, with the end of each line requiring you to press Enter/Return as it’s a new command:
   

   cd /android/tools
./android

   This will launch the Android SDK GUI manager. Here, make sure the “Android SDK Platform-tools” option is installed. You’ll need it to use the fastboot and adb commands. Check the box and click the Install x Package button if not.
   

4. To test if the platform-tools are installed properly, enable debugging mode on your Rezound (Settings > Applications > Development > USB debugging) and plug in your microUSB cable to any available USB port. Type out the following commands in the Terminal:
   

   cd /android/platform-tools
./adb devices

   If everything is installed properly and you typed in the commands correctly, you’ll see your device under “List of devices attached“.
   

II. Unlocking the bootloader

1. Log into your HTCDev account and proceed to the bootloader section to unlock your device.
2. Choose “HTC Rezound (Verizon) from the drop down box and click on the green button to start the process. There will be a popup to inform you that you’re voiding your warranty and that any potential future repairs may incur a monetary fee.
3. Accept both popups to continue.
4. HTC will give you instructions to get into the bootloader, necessary to retrieve the identifying token to provide the unlocking binary:
   

   1. Remove the battery from the unit and reinsert it.
   2. Hold Volume Down and Power to get into the bootloader
   3. Use the volume buttons to highlight Fastboot and then press the Power button to select the option. The red highlighted text will change into “FASTBOOT USB“.
   4. Connect the unit to any available USB port if it is not already connected.

5. To get the token to unlock your bootloader, type out the command:
   

   cd /android
./fastboot oem get_identifier_token

   A block of text will be returned in the Terminal window.



6. Highlight and select the box of text starting at <<<< Identifier Token Start >>>> and ending at <<<<< Identifier Token End >>>>>. DO NOT select the portions that say INFO or (bootloader) as the HTC website will not accept these pieces of information.
7. Paste the text into the box at the very bottom of the third page of the unlock instructions on the HTCDev site. Your unlock binary will arrive in your email.
8. Save the Unlock_code.bin file from your email into the same location as the Fastboot binary (in the case of this guide, it’s located in /android).
9. Type out the following in the Terminal:
   

   cd /android
./fastboot flash unlocktoken Unlock_code.bin

   Your phone will prompt you if you want to unlock the bootloader. Select Yes using the volume buttons and use the power button to accept the choice.

10. Your Rezound will now shut off and your bootloader will now be unlocked.

III. Installing the Amon Ra custom recovery:

1. Download the Amon Ra recovery image (recovery-ra-vigor-3.15-gnm.img) and place it into the same folder as the previous Fastboot binary at /android. Latest is version 3.14 as of time of writing.
2. Verify the MD5 sum to make sure the image is not damaged or incomplete by typing this into the Terminal:
   

   cd /android
md5 recovery-ra-vigor-3.15-gnm.img

   The output value should be exactly 9d127cde10b68de5e424aaea2d4a4357. If not, you must redownload and reverify.

3. Place the phone back into the bootloader.
4. Type out the following in the Terminal:
   

   cd /android
./fastboot flash recovery recovery-ra-vigor-3.15-gnm.img

   This will replace the default recovery with Amon Ra.

5. OPTIONAL EASY METHOD:

You may grab the PH98IMG.zip file and let the bootloader flash it for you, however it is the older 3.14 version that does not support the ICS 03-16-2012 leak (internal SD mounts are non-functional):

1. Download the AmonRaPH98IMG.zip attachment and change the name to be only PH98IMG.zip.
2. Place the PH98IMG.zip file at the root of the removable SD card, as in NOT the internal storage and NOT inside any folders.
3. Restart into the bootloader by holding the Volume Down button as the phone is powering up. You’ll get to a white screen that’ll prompt you to flash the PH98IMG.zip file. Choose yes and wait for it to complete the process.
4. If you go with this method, you MUST delete the PH98IMG.zip file off of your SD card afterwards.

IV. Perma-rooting:

1. Boot into the newly flashed Amon Ra recovery by getting into the bootloader (Volume Down as you’re starting up) and choosing Recovery.
2. Scroll down to the Developer menu using the volume buttons and use the Power button to select it.
3. Select “Install su and superuser” to install the permaroot. DO NOT choose the unguarded su.

Restart your phone and your Rezound will now be unlocked and rooted.

1. Large f/2.8 maximum aperture
2. Despite being mostly plastic, the build quality is very solid and heavy.
3. Metal bayonet mount.
4. There’s a lock to prevent zoom creeping, but the zoom adjustment ring is stiff enough so that it’s not necessary in virtually all cases. Cannot speak for how loose it may become in the future, if at all.
5. Tamron’s vibration compensation (similar to Nikon’s VR or Canon’s OS), works very well and has helped me get a much sharper picture when hand-holding in low-light situations.
6. Built-in AF motor is decently fast and very accurate.
7. Very little chromatic aberration and lens flare.
8. Colors and contrast seems to pop much more than with my Nikon 35mm f/1.8. Pictures seem to have much more saturation.
9. Very good low-light performance when the aperture is wide-open and vibration compensation is left on.
10. 6-year factory warranty with registration.

Negatives:

1. AF motor is loud when it’s seeking. It sounds like mechanical grinding gears since it’s a micro motor. Most Nikons, Canons, and Sigmas use an ultrasonic motor so they’re much lighter on the noise output. Tamron has an ultrasonic motor (named “Piezo drive”) but it is not present on this lens.
2. The AF motor is not decoupled from the focus adjustment ring. The ring rotates with the AF. This may be an issue in the future since full-time manual focus is not available, and moving the focus adjustment ring may damage the AF motor.
3. Though the lens arrived without damage, the packaging was a little left to be desired. The lens retention holder was a small cardboard origami box.
4. Vibration compensation “shakes” the image a little when it is engaging, but that’s a very minor issue since it only lasts less than a second. Other image stabilizations have similar effects.
5. Bokeh is not that smooth or dreamy. There’s “onion rings” in them.
6. Noticeable amounts of barrel distortion, especially at shorter lengths.
7. No weather-sealing for a “professional” line lens.
8. Zoom adjustment ring is very stiff around 17mm to 20mm. A minor annoyance more than a problem.

Other notes:

1. Comes with a removable petal hood.
2. Filter size is 72mm.
3. Filter threads do not rotate.
4. There was a $50 rebate present at the time of purchase. Tamron has rebates often, as well as student rebates.
5. Made in Japan.

Overall: 8/10.

Just finished making a Pokeball lock ring!

Working pretty well if you ask me :3

The zip is flashable in Clockwork Recovery.

Do a nandroid backup first as a safety precaution.

Tested only my Thunderbolt running Gingeritis 3D.

Only works on Sense 3.0 roms.

[ download ]

Zelda boot animation complete! Now Sense 2.1 compatible!

Made for 480 by 800 resolution phones. Tested on my Thunderbolt.

Not a Clockwork Recovery zip, just the raw boot animation.

File must be renamed to “bootanimation.zip”.

For most roms, this file will need to be placed in “/system/media” via a root file manager or pushed with adb. /system must be mounted as RW or your boot animation won’t change.

[ download and Sense download ]

1. Solidly built and fairly hefty. The body only has a very marginal movement when you squeeze it and even then, it’s attributed to the 2 halves of the sliding housing. It’s not noticeable under normal usage conditions.
2. The slider has a smooth movement when opening and has a solid click when fully in place. It does not feel as though it’ll loosen too much.
3. The LCD panel is very vibrant and “contrasty”. When left to automatically adjust the brightness, the screen quality looks almost as good as the AMOLED on the HTC Droid Incredible. Very little, if any, ghosting.
4. The 1GHz TI OMAP is fast and pretty responsive. It installs and uninstalls apps in just seconds. The highest Linpack score that I’ve gotten, out of 4 attempts, was 14.33 MFLOPS…
5. … which is largely attributed to the fact that the Droid 2 is the first phone that comes preinstalled with FroYo.
6. The newly designed keyboard is better than the original in terms of feel. The buttons are now domed and easier to press with your fingers. On the original Droid, I had problems with accidentally pressing multiple keys. This is not an issue on the Droid 2. The keyboard is nowhere near as good as the Bold 9700, though.
7. The Swype soft keyboard is so fast and accurate that it has replaced the physical keyboard in nearly 90% of my usage situations. It almost makes me wonder if I should have gotten the Droid X instead.
8. Boot up time, from a battery pull and/or a cold start, is less than 2 minutes. As compared to the 8 or so on a BlackBerry.

Negatives:

1. The battery life is atrocious. It is literally a phone that you have to recharge every night, even with minimal amounts of usage. With GPS, WIFI, and Bluetooth turned off, I can run the battery down to about 30% to 40% on an average day. This is with only TweetDeck polling every hour, a dozen emails via IMAP, and about 100 or so text messages a day.
2. The area directly to the right of the camera, on the back side, overheats with moderate usage. Sometimes to the point where I can’t place my fingers comfortably near it.
3. The build quality feels a notch less than the original Droid. Gone is the metal bezel, to be replaced with a dark chromed plastic. The rubberized plastic, though practical, doesn’t make it feel too high end.
4. Camera quality is ok and has not changed much from the original, if at all. Macro mode still sporadically works.
5. There’s a Voice Command button on the bottom right of the Swype and multitouch keyboard… right next to the period. Sometimes I just want to add a period to my messages, not bring up a laggy window that covers up 80% of the screen. I can’t figure out how to remove it.
6. You can’t turn off haptic touch on the soft keys, even if you disable the setting. I hope this is addressed in a software update.
7. I’m not sure if it’s the antenna design or how the bars are calculated, but the signal bar display drops significantly sometimes. Antennagate?
8. Personally, I do not like the dark blue on the bottom housing. I wish it was just flat black like on the original Droid.

Other notes:

1. Coming from AT&T, the Verizon network is amazing in every possible way. When browsing, the sites are very responsive and download immediately, whereas on AT&T the sites would just sit there and maybe load. Sure AT&T may tout that they have the “fastest” speed, but that’s burst speed. “Fastest” speed doesn’t matter when you browser hangs at 20% of the loading indefinitely.
2. Except Verizon has issues with receiving short code SMS like from Twitter, PayPal, and Google. All other text messages arrive without issues. No longer an issue after calling VZW support. They updated my account on their end and made me reprogram my phone. Not sure why it worked initially, but at least it’s working now.
3. The Motoblur interface isn’t as bad as some people say it is. Sure it has random bouts of lag, but overall it’s decently fast and responsive.

Overall: 7/10.