New Tool Promises to S-Off Any HTC Device, but There's a Catch

Rooting your phone is one thing, but to truly be in control of your device, you need to be S-Off.

S-Off allows you to flash, mod, and tweak just about any aspect of your phone, including the ability to run custom recoveries and flash kernels, which are vital tools for power-users. Up until now, there have been many ways to S-Off your device, but some newer HTC models have become un-exploitable.

While that's great for the execs over at HTC, it has been a huge pain in the ass for most users, none more so than SunShine Team. These guys, led by famed developer Justin Case, took it upon themselves to make a new S-Off tool.

The SunShine tool is the result of years of development, and promises to S-Off any HTC One M8, HTC One Mini 2, and just about any other HTC smartphone.

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To function properly, SunShine requires a near stock Sense ROM, a rooted device, and, most importantly, $25—paid via PayPal or an in-app purchase. The fee was introduced to provide a way for the developers to get reimbursed for their time and the sacrifice of many bricked test devices.

If you are on the fence on dropping the money to S-Off your device, don't worry, because SunShine comes with a tool that will make sure your device is compatible before charging you a dime.

Personally, while I absolutely appreciate the development of these tools and all the work that goes into them, I won't be using SunShine since all of my One's are compatible with firewater, which is free. But if you are one of the unlucky few stuck with a caged phone, let me know if SunShine worked for you.

Remember, while $25 seems like a ton for an app, it's much more affordable than the unlocked Developer editions, which run about $700.