Motorola Defy Ownership

Random notes:

• Bought on 11th May 2011 from LetsBuy.com - Apr 2011 manufactured piece with 2.59 firmware
• Camera is red lens. if you have doubts,click on http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1014711&page=4 which shows you the difference - basically the lens itself has a green or red tint.
• Quadrant score out of the box, fully charged was 1080. The screenshot of the post-root version is here (1034): http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/attachments/gadgets-computers-software/543...
• If you've installed something wrongly and need to reflash, or even to flash a 2.2 froyo leak - hold vol up, while booting it on (or even while inserting battery) - it will be in bootloader mode. Used for flashing.
• Thereafter, system recovery can be of two kinds, to be used when booting up, then press down the Volume key. You need it after reinstalls at time to wipe cache/data or do a factory reset. Two basic types:
  --- With custom recovery (if installed): You will straight away go into a menu. Choose as per the FAQ
  --- With stock recovery: It will show an android icon + exclamation. Press Vol Up+Down simultaneously. You can choose to wipe cache/factory reset the user data

Process to update the phone to CM7:

1. Charge your phone 100% if possible. At least 70% is recommended. This is critical - if you mis-install something, the phone cannot charge when not booted up properly. If you follow the FAQ, this should NOT happen. But you must still have 100% battery
2. The guide document which must be read before anything else is read - the definitively awesome CM7 FAQ here:
   http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1065798 (it also lists which files to download for install)
3. Rooted: SuperoneClick from http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=913709
   You need ONE reboot for the applications to recognize the rooting, though.
4. Titanium Backup installed. It then installed a version of BusyBox which made it operational. Backed up everything.
5. Custom recovery installed via http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=897445 basically downloaded http://www.sorensiim.dk/stuff/defy/defy_recovery-1218-0326-signed.apk onto the memory card (turn USB into mem card access, then undo). Then clicked on recovery boot to boot into recovery. As the above link says:
   --- Once you have booted into recovery, you'll see the black/green screen shown below.
   --- Use the volume buttons to navigate the menu and the power button to select an option.
   --- Go to "Backup and Restore", and then "Backup". This is critical. You need a nandroid backup if something goes terribly wrong and you need to give the phone under warranty
   --- If you need to restore later, just do the same thing except hit "Restore" and then select the one you want. The SDCard folder is /sdcard/goapkrev/backup/date-time
6. You need to flash either 3.4.3-11UK or Nordic 3.4.2-177 to install CM7 for sure. Both links -
   • Froyo leak: 3.4.3-11 from http://depositfiles.com/en/files/tjnmh6d98 . More info on this firmware: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=993402
   • The 3.4.2-177 was from here: http://www.multiupload.com/JE42Z03U0J
7. Now you need to install RSDLite & Actually Flash the Froyo firmware. How to here:
   http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=853674
8. Then install 2nd init-Defy 1.4 and run it as well (as per FAQ).
   The UMTS Jordan compilation (actual CM7 b5.1): http://www.multiupload.com/IEHI338L9S
9. Now I am listing steps from the CM7 install FAQ linked in the 2nd step. Repasting here for reference - (you better open it for the download links if u dont have the files listed below)
   2) How to install CM7 Beta 6?
   - First flash any Froyo leak of your choice (see 1)
   - Turn USB Debugging ON
   - Root via SuperOneClick
   - Reboot
   - Install and run 2nd Init Recovery Installer 1.4
   - Turn USB Debugging OFF
   - Reboot your device 2 times
   - Copy CM7 Beta 6, Google Apps 2.3.4 (market, gtalk, etc.), FixBrightness.zip and Battery_step.zip to your SD Card
   - Reboot your device, when the blue led lights at Motorola logo, press Volume Down to enter Bootmenu
   - Go to "Set Default Bootmode" then select [2ND-INIT]
   - Go to "[Custom Recovery] start"
   - Select "wipe cache partition" then "wipe data/factory reset"
   - Select "install zip from sdcard", "choose zip from sdcard", then select "update-cm-7.1.0-jordan-beta6-signed"
   - Select "choose zip from sdcard", then select "gapps-gb-20110503-signed.zip"
   - Select "choose zip from sdcard", then select "FixBrightness.zip"
   - Select "choose zip from sdcard", then select "Battery_step.zip"
   - Select "+++++Go Back++++++" then "reboot your system now"
   Now wait and CM7 will be loaded.
10. CM7 unlike the Nordic/GB one does have an English(India) locale and detects network & EDGE out of the box.
11. CM7 running happily since 13 May

Update 14 May (what not to do with your defy):
The phone went for a toss & got rescued! Here's what I did:
a. I ran a batch of "restore all apps+data" in Titanium Backup. It reverted almost all settings/wallpaper/sounds as per Motorola's install - which promptly kept crashing the process.android.media thread whenever any theme sounds were required (retrospectively understood).
b. This irritated the hell outta me so I tried reflashing CM7 - somehow it didn't like to use the SD card this time around, so I was stuck.
c. That pissed me further, so I used the System Recovery app restored by Titanium Backup. Now CM7's Recovery app is similar looking but quite different & which screwed up the installation.
d. Courtesy quick online support on the xda forum, I understood that my way out was to reflash to 2.2.1 + remove cache/user data, then upgrade to 2.3.4 and remove cache/user data. Please note that its always first Flash (with SBF) then wipe the data then reboot. if the phone takes too long to boot (>5 min), unplug battery and in recovery, wipe data.

Sounds simple. But point d took multiple trial & errors over almost 3 hours inspite of live guidance. Now I am uber confident tho!

Update 15 May:
I overclocked my Defy to 1.1 Ghz and almost fried it. I was on a cycle ride today, spending 3+ hours in 40 deg heat nonstop. I'd stupidly put the phone on performance overclocking mode (1.1ghz - not lesser). Then I came & took a couple of phone calls despite it being boiling hot & it shut down & won't boot. A quick visit to the fridge & then AC love got the phone ON after 5 mins (not initially, not even the bootloader). This OC business is dangerous - custom ROMs are far simpler in comparison.

Thoughts on battery:
- Larger mah battery? I don't know honestly. In some cases, like Samsung - the GSL has a higher capacity battery than the GS.
- You need to understand what's draining your battery & then shut it down. That means, no weather updates for me, or only select twitter clients.
- What you can do for a better battery performance may be under clocking the phone so that when the screen is off/locked it runs slower/cooler. People report good things on the Defy CM7 thread. Sometimes, some particular beta (with some less fixes) may work better. Some junta like the beta5 of Defy CM7 over the beta5.1 and even 6.
My experience: First day, while installing about 6-7 odd apps, the Defy's battery died (100%->5%) within about 7 hours because i switched everything ON. Weather, Talk, twitter etc you name it + gaming.

Yesterday, CM7 only had 72% battery drain over 24 hours despite enough tweeting/lots of emails/forum browsing/angry birds. Any recommendatoins for a non-auto-updating weather app? I hate the accuweather one - bloody battery hog.

Its simple - you cannot run all the features & expect brilliant battery performance. Just cannot add up.

Update 26 May:
Working fine for two weeks. No force close - NOTHING. I am REALLY happy with CM7.