Quote:
Originally Posted by globetrotterdk
What do you do when you root a phone? Is it like jailbreaking an iPhone? What advantages can you get with a custom ROM?
I bought the Spica for the equivalent of $US 45 (plus adjustments to my mobile subscription). I would have to pay $US 230 more for the Hero if I exchanged.
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It's similar to jail-breaking, although, because Android is much more customisable out of the box, the advantages are fewer. The largest ones are being able to remove pre-installed apps, install apps to the SD card instead of internal memory, and being able to install custom ROMs. If you live in one of the markets where google hasn't released paid apps, you can also install MarketEnabler, which allows you to install paid apps. On the downside, it's also possible to brick your phone while rooting, so you have to be very carefulo and know exactly what you're doing. Check out the rooting forum on this site:
Samsung i5700 - Spica, Galaxy lite
I definitely wouldn't go for the Hero for that money. From all accounts, the i5700 is likely to get the upgrade to 2.1 before the Hero, and the specs are pretty similar. The Spica does support DivX playback, which is a nice feature the Hero doesn't have