Official ics or not?

[kaotek.dj]

Before I start, I'd first like to thank the xda community for all the fantastic work they put into the scene, and this site.

So,I have two questions regarding the SE xperia ray, the first being, should I go for the official ics update? I've searched and searched for peoples impressions of it and come up with very little. I almost upgraded last night, and chickened out; what if it's laggy and buggy like some have suggested? So I'd like peoples opinions on the pros and cons.

The other thing I was wondering was is unlocking the bootloader a no no if you use Sony's official software to update?

The idea being that I can back up my current setup so I can revert back to it (or try custom roms) if I don't like Sony's version of ics.

So, should I just root/unlock and use other methods to install ics, and is it even worth bothering with the Sony version anyway?

Thanks in advance for any advice

Sent from my ST18i using XDA

Edit: typical n00b ballz up as to where this should be posted, apologies to the mod (s)

Edit2: I'm an idiot who should really know better, found most of the answers I'm after in the Q&A, by all means delete the thread, although I'm still curious about peoples opinions on ics. One again big sorry to the mod (s)

 

[icefire7460]

hi

1) should u update to 4.0. the answer, up to you? its your own phone. if its too buggy or you find you like gb better than ics, then use flashtools and downgrade.

2)im pretty sure if u unlock your bootloader (official, setools, setool2) you can still update through pccompanion or update service, JUST NOT OTA. ota is updating straight through your phone. if you do update, u get fota brick.. which imma tell is scary. ummm.. i did that and my phone would not boot up. it was stuck in flash mode and i could not get into fastboot. but if u do your homework, u should be fine.

3) the idea that you can backup? im not sure what question ur asking, or im a idiot and i cant read... (it happens....-_-) you CAN root and install cwm to back up a nandroid, which is literally the exact copy of ur phone. if u instal a kernel and a custom rom and u find out...oh [email protected]#%% its stuck in bootloop, u can always back it up and you would be fine. theortically, i have not tried it myself..

4)ok this is how i think u should root and install ics....
first, i think you should unlock your bootloader. its pretty. i screwed 20 times before actually getting it work. (my drivers werent installed)

then i suggest you upgrade to official ics through pcc

then root.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1600728

ummmm i personally decided to wait for a more stable version of ics... so what i did was i was on .62gb and i unlocked my bootloader using setools since it preserves drm keys and its free,

then i took flashtools and downgraded to .42...

then i rooted and installed cwm

then backed up nandroid

then im here =D hi

X) <- i forgot what number im on and im too lazy to scroll up...
im assuming ur talking about sonys official website on unlocking bootloader? i suggest u dont do that unless u dont want to pay 20-40 bucks on ur model. if setools supports ur xperia device, then use that because the sony offical method deletes ur drm keys which would cause apps like trackid and video unlimited to stop working...permanantly. even if u relock ur bootloader, ur still screwed =D

hope i was helpful

 

[mudtail]

1) should u update to 4.0. the answer, up to you? its your own phone. if its too buggy or you find you like gb better than ics, then use flashtools and downgrade.

2)im pretty sure if u unlock your bootloader (official, setools, setool2) you can still update through pccompanion or update service, JUST NOT OTA. ota is updating straight through your phone. if you do update, u get fota brick.. which imma tell is scary. ummm.. i did that and my phone would not boot up. it was stuck in flash mode and i could not get into fastboot. but if u do your homework, u should be fine.

3) the idea that you can backup? im not sure what question ur asking, or im a idiot and i cant read... (it happens....-_-) you CAN root and install cwm to back up a nandroid, which is literally the exact copy of ur phone. if u instal a kernel and a custom rom and u find out...oh [email protected]#%% its stuck in bootloop, u can always back it up and you would be fine. theortically, i have not tried it myself..

4)ok this is how i think u should root and install ics....
first, i think you should unlock your bootloader. its pretty. i screwed 20 times before actually getting it work. (my drivers werent installed)

then i suggest you upgrade to official ics through pcc

then root.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1600728

ummmm i personally decided to wait for a more stable version of ics... so what i did was i was on .62gb and i unlocked my bootloader using setools since it preserves drm keys and its free,

then i took flashtools and downgraded to .42...

then i rooted and installed cwm

then backed up nandroid

then im here =D hi

X) <- i forgot what number im on and im too lazy to scroll up...
im assuming ur talking about sonys official website on unlocking bootloader? i suggest u dont do that unless u dont want to pay 20-40 bucks on ur model. if setools supports ur xperia device, then use that because the sony offical method deletes ur drm keys which would cause apps like trackid and video unlimited to stop working...permanantly. even if u relock ur bootloader, ur still screwed =D

hope i was helpful

Newer versions of TrackID still work even after you unlock the official way. The version of TrackID that ships with Sony's ICS update, and which is available on the market, doesn't seem to care about the DRM at all.

To answer the op, ICS has been ridiculously smooth and stable for me. That being said, I didn't spend very much time with the official ICS update from Sony, I don't like what Sony have done with the messages app and so on in ICS, when the stock android messaging/dialler app is so much nicer, so I've been running CM9 and AOKP for the past two or three months.
During the brief time I /did/ run Sony's ICS update, I didn't notice any stability issues and while CM9/AOKP seem faster, it wasn't exactly slow.
I'd say upgrade if you really want to, because you're not going to notice much difference in the overall stability or speed of it, and ICS by itself is downright lovely.