Not so long ago I was raving about HTC's EVO 3D phone. This was a powerhouse Android device whose main features were a 3D camera and screen. However, the main appeal to power users was the large 1730mAh battery and 1.2GHz processor which made it the beefiest phone on the market at the time. But how does this year-and-a-bit old phone fair today? Does 'Rooting' and updating it make it worth buying? What about other phones from yesteryear?

Telstra recently launched a software update for the EVO 3D but it still remains on the Gingerbread version of the Android platform - version 2.3.4. Other phones of yesteryear also languish with this 'old' version or even earlier versions of Android and still haven't seen official updates: for instance, the LG Optimus 3D still suffers with Android version 2.2, also known as Froyo. However, there are many custom 'ROMs' available which allow you to upgrade these phones to the latest version of Android - version 4 also known as Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS). For now I'll be using the HTC EVO 3D as an example of what to expect if you choose to upgrade.

Rooting - an unfortunate term for Australians to deal with - puts you in control of features that were locked by the manufacturer. By attaining 'root access' to your phone, various hacks and tweaks can be performed and an entire new operating system can be installed. These often have telco-specific and other third-party apps removed and doing so often increases performance and battery life. However, the testing processes are nothing near as comprehensive as those used by telcos to ensure that the phones they pass to the public aren't flaky and crash-happy. The balance here is that an operator like Telstra will take many months to release an official upgrade to a phone whereas you'll be able to install an upgrade (that's not been tested nearly as well) by installing it from an independent site on the internet. The process is long, complex and takes determination.

However, this process is far from simple. The world of Android has a huge community of people who create unofficial hacks and tweaks for phones. It's so influential that manufacturers like Samsung and HTC make a point of allowing customers to hack their devices. But you can't accidentally download a file and install it on your phone, break it and then go running to the manufacturer demanding a new one.

Techie bit (please skip ahead to avoid the gory details)

In the case of phones like the HTC Evo 3D (click for instructions), first you need to jump through hoops and agree to all kinds of disclaimers just to unlock the phone using special boot up instructions and CMD prompt commands. Then you need to locate (which isn't easy) the right version of the right kind of hacked 'Recovery Environment' to effectively fool the phone into thinking it's being repaired. In my case I tried to install a file called cwm-4.0.1.4-shooter.img which denoted a program called ClockWorkMod. It didn't work - I got an error. After scouring some support forums I found that there was another version of the file numbered 4.0.1.5. But that didn't work. Then, by chance, I read that there was another version of the file called cwm-4.0.1.4-shooteru. I installed it and it worked. I had no idea if this file was even legit, but seeing as the other people who had had the same problems as me had had no response to their online queries since May, I figured I'd give it a go. I was lucky.

Once this Recovery Environment was installed I followed instructions which saw me mount and unmount the internal SD card. Some of the onscreen instructions seemed to be sketchily written by someone who spoke English as a second language - get used to that. Next I had to find a ROM which was both compatible with my exact model phone AND the region in which it was sold. You can't flash a North American ROM for a CDMA-based EVO 3D onto an Australian GSM-based model. I tried.

Back to normality

If you haven't followed a word I've said so far, then walk away now as the answer to the title of this article is a resounding, "No!" If you think I've used too much jargon then finding, locating and performing a root upgrade will be as perplexing as the Higgs Boson announcement all over again. Finding help and support when it all goes wrong can be even harder.

When I rooted the EVO 3D I used three different ROMs: the highly-rated D3rp ROM, which turned out to be for CDMA phones only. Then the KingKobra ROM, which hung the phone. Then the Viper ROM which crashed halfway through updating. You feel far more confident doing this when the phone is an old review model and not your only communication device that cost you lots of money.

After several attempts and nothing working, I went back to the KingKobra version and left that running even though it had hung for several minutes. Fortunately I found that I'd simply not left it long enough and it eventually booted into the desired hybrid version of ICS.

EVO 3D running rooted Ice Cream Sandwich

Having lived with the Samsung Galaxy S III (SGS3) for the past few weeks, this was something of a breath of fresh air. The unlock screen works faster and is more responsive than the SGS3 - especially when answering a call. Furthermore, having four buttons at the bottom: Home, Menu, Back and Search is a real boon over many native, three-buttoned ICS phones. Also, the search button operates differently depending on which application you're in, unlike, say, a Windows Phone 7 phone where pressing the search button takes you to a hateful, separate Bing app.

The dual-core processor is as fast as today's phones and generally swiping through screens and apps is responsive and lag free. The EVO also has one of the best keyboards around, there were far fewer mistakes and autocowreck screw-ups compared with the Samsung Galaxy S 3.

The 3D camera and screen isn't quite a sharp as I remember, but it's still fun to use. I always thought that it would be a gimmick but I never got bored of the 3D pictures and videos it took which would always stop the show at parties (and even a wedding). Images are a little softer than I remember but still great. It's much slower to use than the One X, but comparable to the SGS3's response time.

The screen itself is good but I've since been spoiled by the likes of HTC's One X and the SGS3 which are super bright, offer better colour reproduction and have higher resolutions. Neither can match the EVO's 3D, though.

Interestingly, the annoying Stocks app hasn't been removed. It's still there auto-syncing away and there's nothing you can do about it.

But promises of improved battery life seem wide of the mark. It still makes it through the day if you leave it syncing the whole time. Without constant syncing it lasts for two days. This is what it used to manage with the stock ROM so the new ROM doesn't magically give the battery a new lease of life as many online claims suggest - I'm sure some roots of new phones do provide some improvement if a heap of bloatware is cut away, though.

Glitches

Under general usage, the phone actually operates faster than the SGS3 - the fancy swipe animations and functions aren't there. However, in some apps, maniacal fluttering starts appearing. In Chrome the keyboard can vanish for no reason. Some apps just crash. These weren't incessant problems and restarting an app would usually fix things.

The value of buying an older phone and rooting it

Is it worth buying one today and performing the root? The EVO 3D's almost unique 3D technology means that it occupies a bit of a niche and hasn't really dropped in price too much compared with some other Android phones. A spanking new HTC One X can be had for just under $500 whereas the EVO still costs around $400 (slightly less if you want to grey import). The idea of buying it at this price and then rooting it with even a slightly-flaky ROM (while instantly voiding your warranty) doesn't make much sense. Doing similar with the similarly-priced Samsung Galaxy S 2 doesn't make much sense either. Trying to find a decent, last-generation Android phone for significantly under $400 is tricky: HTC's Sensations are still around $350 to $400. The $370ish Sensation XL already has an official ICS update and is still a great phone because of it.

Getting nearer to tempting are the HTC Desire HD and HTC Rhyme which can both be had for $290ish. However, it's tricky to recommend buying these to hack when the imminent HTC One V can be had for $250. The latter hasn't been formally launched in Australia yet but I've seen enough HTC Android phones (every one ever launched in Australia) to know what to expect (most are very similar) and choosing between getting a new One V or an old Desire HD and voiding the warranty seems to be a no brainer.

Then there's the HTC Legend at $180. This is one of the prettiest phones ever made thanks to its carved aluminium, MacBook Pro-like body (which is also incredibly tough). The screen is low-resolution and dull by today's standards though. Nonetheless, $180 for a fantastic-looking phone running the latest version of Android could sound quite tempting... something of a hacker project... right up until you see what's required. There's no simple unlock process here, you need to downgrade the operating system before hacking things that allow you to hack the phone. The whole messy business is here and here if you fancy a go.

But most people would be better served buying a One V for $70 more.

eBay and second hand phones

There's always the eBay option. However, buying and selling phones here is too often a gamble thanks to numerous unscrupulous and downright fraudulent sellers - especially from overseas. If you do find a bargain phone and it's new, be very wary. If it's used, be aware that the battery may be on its last legs and new batteries can cost over $50. Cheap alternatives from China run the very real risk of explosion.

Conclusion

So basically, the result of my experimenting is a resounding 'No!': there's not really much to recommend buying a last gen phone and hacking/rooting it to save money. If you don't have much cash to start with, rooting your phone and potentially breaking it with no recourse is probably not something that you can afford to do.

If you've an existing phone and you want to tweak it, however, and you can get your head around the process, acronyms, minimal-and-untimely support then it can be a great way of keeping your phone at the cutting edge, or even part of a fun hobby - like hot rodding a car thanks to the vast online community that indulges.

There are already hacks and tweaks out for the HTC One X and SGS3 although, as noted in the links, expect bugs and lots of them. This is a world for hobbyists and not those who require a stable communication device. In addition to this, if you really want to be ahead of the curve and you've got the right phone, you can even try your hand with the latest latest version of Android, called Jellybean.

If you want to learn more about rooting and tweaks, two of the best places to start are XDA Developers and Ausdroid.