Um... yeah... Here's why your Phone has Locked Bootloaders...

Zorachus

[H]F Junkie
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I have always liked this tech reviewer, he's smart and funny. And runs a shit ton of Android rooting how to guides for all the popular phones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpVocvREboo&list=UURAxVOVt3sasdcxW343eg_A&app=desktop

https://www.facebook.com/howtoblog

Here's an inside look at why your smartphone such as Galaxy S5, Note 3, and LG G3 has locked bootloader on AT&T or Verizon.

Um... yeah... I think I will cancel my AT&T and Verizon service tomorrow.

Please Share this video with as many people as possible so AT&T and Verizon gets this message and unlock our bootloaders on phones that we've already paid full price for!
 
Already done that... Stop supporting the duopoly. Support freedom and net neutrality.
 
why would a non-tech person care?

they don't root, they don't install custom ROMs... that's probably >80% of AT&T and Verizon's customers

// currently on T-mobile, probably the least evil of the four major carriers
 
At least my present phone (moto g) has unlocked bootloader...first one i think, but ill be sticking to these that can be unlocked for now on...but yea the vast percentage of customers wouldn't know what it meant or even remember if you told them...id go so far as to say maybe 80% of phone user with huge or unlimited 4g data plans have no idea phones can tether lol...just the way it is;)
 
I sure wish I didn't live in the middle of nowhere, and my choices were more than Verizon or a phone without coverage.
 
I have yet to buy a full priced phone with a locked boot loader. Is that the case with the Note 3 on ATT? pay full price and it's locked?
 
I have yet to buy a full priced phone with a locked boot loader. Is that the case with the Note 3 on ATT? pay full price and it's locked?

An ATT phone has a locked bootloader no matter what. If you pay the full $649 for a Note 3, still the same exact locked phone as the $200 subsidized phone.

Actually ATT is the worst in the past two years. At least Verizon will sell a "developer" edition version that is unlocked, which is a full priced phone sold online only. But if you on ATT just buy the international version of your phone, which is unlocked and works on GSM networks.

Just sucks ATT does this. I had the Note 2 on ATT, and it was unlocked from the start, back then ATT didn't do this. And development on the ATT Note 2 was huge, with a thriving community, tons of cool developers, and AOSP ROM's, etc...then the Note 3 came out, and ATT went the opposite way and locked it down hard, and the ATT Note 3 development is a sad place. No custom recovery even 10 mmonths later :(
 
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I think most people are not concerned. Just like most people do not overclock. Personally I would not buy a device that I knew did not have a unlocked bootloader.
 
I think most people are not concerned. Just like most people do not overclock. Personally I would not buy a device that I knew did not have a unlocked bootloader.

Thankfully HTC has been developer friendly lately. The One M8 on any carrier can be rooted, and has a custom Recovery, and can flash a GPE ROM :D

HTC even has their own bootloader unlocking website, that openly and officially allows you to unlock the bootloader on the phone, legally :cool:

Why can't Samsung and LG offer the same thing ?
 
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Didn't they just pass a law about making carriers unlock the phones or some shit?
 
Didn't they just pass a law about making carriers unlock the phones or some shit?

That is carrier unlocking...not bootloader unlocking.


Which that law is debate-ably pointless. What is the point of me being able to carrier unlock my Sprint Note 2...when the radio tech inside means it won't work on any other carrier?
 
That is carrier unlocking...not bootloader unlocking.


Which that law is debate-ably pointless. What is the point of me being able to carrier unlock my Sprint Note 2...when the radio tech inside means it won't work on any other carrier?

Actually it would work with many other MVNO's that use CDMA. It also releases the ESN from Sprint so it can be used on other carriers.
 
Why doesn't Samsung officially sell unlocked phones on their own website ? If they do it's news to me, or just a very select few phones, for maybe one specific carrier ?

Like when the Note 4 comes out in September, and if on ATT stay far away from the ATT Note 4, it will be locked down hard, but let's say I want to spend the $700 on a full retail version of the Galaxy Note 4, what are my options ? Not ATT, that full retail version will be the exact same phone, locked down. And Samsung doesn't sell a GSM unlocked phone on their website, they maybe do for Verizon, but not for ATT or T-Mobile, so I need to go to third party and buy an international version :rolleyes:
 
Why doesn't Samsung officially sell unlocked phones on their own website ? If they do it's news to me, or just a very select few phones, for maybe one specific carrier ?

This Note 3 is supposedly factory unlocked. I learned about this only after buying the regular Verizon version of the Note 3. :(
 
I LOVE the GPE phones and Nexus phones too, I bought my HTC One M8 mainly on principle, that HTC is being developer friendly and open with unlocking it. I rooted it, and now run the GPE ROM, and this has been my most fav Android phone out of all 13 Android's I have owned in the past four years.

A weird thing is though, if your willing to shell out the $700 for the full retail version of a phone, why doesn't ATT sell that Galaxy Note totally unlocked, and bootloader unlocked too ? Your paying full price, it's your phone now, not subsidized, it should be unlocked.
 
I LOVE the GPE phones and Nexus phones too, I bought my HTC One M8 mainly on principle, that HTC is being developer friendly and open with unlocking it. I rooted it, and now run the GPE ROM, and this has been my most fav Android phone out of all 13 Android's I have owned in the past four years.

A weird thing is though, if your willing to shell out the $700 for the full retail version of a phone, why doesn't ATT sell that Galaxy Note totally unlocked, and bootloader unlocked too ? Your paying full price, it's your phone now, not subsidized, it should be unlocked.

ATT doesn't want to give up control.

Subsidized-device pricing is going away slowly... why give consumers any more benefits? totally unlock = they can jump to T-mobile/MVNOs easier, can root and disable the bloatware....Just lock down everything!
 
One of the main reasons I went with the One M8 on Verizon.. it is the only (new) phone available that you can root and unlock the bootloader on (though through an exploit). I thought it was absurd that the S5 was so locked down that you couldn't even root it (on Verizon and AT&T at least) for the first couple months it was out, which also pushed me towards the M8, even though I figured an exploit would eventually be found (and was). I can be content with root only with the advent of Xposed Installler/Modules, that can basically add any additional functionality that most custom ROMs add to the stock ROM. There's really no need anymore to run custom kernels with the current performance and power efficiency in current SoCs. Not like the OG droid days where you had to OC your CPU by 100% to get noticeably better performance.
 
I understand why some folks can't leave ATT or Verizon due to the lack of signal. As for ATT, never pay them directly, and always go with a mvno. And I would ask around, test, and explore to see if the other carriers got better and switch when you can.

I don't go into the country very often anymore, so I have the privilege of being able to choose Sprint or TMo. Currently, I have both, and I am leaning toward moving completely to TMo, while a few months ago I was thinking Sprint. For you who don't have these kind of options, I only ask that you don't recommend your duopoly services to others.
 
I think most people are not concerned. Just like most people do not overclock. Personally I would not buy a device that I knew did not have a unlocked bootloader.

Sometimes there isn't much of a choice. Verizon everything is locked down, and usually the developer edition is months behind in release compared the locked phone. Verizon is the only carrier with service at my house.


I forgot how nice it is to have a unlocked phone. My moto x is locked down, but I busted out my note 2 which is rooted and romed. I can tether with out paying for the "privilage" of using my non unlimited data. Currently have a tmobile data only plan i'm using with my verizon note, works decently.
 
An ATT phone has a locked bootloader no matter what. If you pay the full $649 for a Note 3, still the same exact locked phone as the $200 subsidized phone.

I think it was already mentioned, Samsung doesn't care if the device is locked or not. A month after the phone released they sold them on their website unlocked (no branding too!).

Either way its the OEM's that dictate the lock. Not Samsung, not LG, not HTC, the OEM asks them to supply the bootloader lock and knox-like software. If they don't comply they won't get preference in sales.

I'm not sure if there is a REAL reason for ATT/Verizon/Sprint to lock down everything but my next phone will most likely be a cheap'o after my Note 3 expires.
 
I think it was already mentioned, Samsung doesn't care if the device is locked or not. A month after the phone released they sold them on their website unlocked (no branding too!).

Either way its the OEM's that dictate the lock. Not Samsung, not LG, not HTC, the OEM asks them to supply the bootloader lock and knox-like software. If they don't comply they won't get preference in sales.

I'm not sure if there is a REAL reason for ATT/Verizon/Sprint to lock down everything but my next phone will most likely be a cheap'o after my Note 3 expires.

This is news to me, that Samsung officially sells directly on their own website somewhere, the ATT or GSM Galaxy Note 3 ? And it is sold unlocked, with with an unlocked bootloader ?

I can't find that anywhere on Samsung's site ?
http://www.samsung.com/us/shop/

Sure you can buy the International Galaxy Note 3 from European carriers or stores and have it shipped here, to the States, but not buy it directly from Samsung that I know of ? Which they should sell direct to the consumer anyways.
 
Search for developer edition. Here's the Verizon Note 3 version of it:

http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-phones/SM-N900VMKEVZW

In a nutshell, if you want security go locked bootloader otherwise if you want open go with developer edition. Your typical Jo Schmoe tinkerer doesn't reflect on, for example, corporate and government workers expectation of security.

I know of the Verizon developer edition, but strangely that's it. No Sprint version, no ATT or T-Mobile version. As far as know not even the worldwide international version can be bought directly from Samsung ?

So no you can't buy an unlocked bootloader Galaxy Note 3 direct from Samsung. It boggles my mind Samsung doesn't sell on their own website, their international unlocked phones directly to the consumer ?
 
If you want security, buy the international editions. They get the security updates much sooner than carrier locked down versions. Currently the carrier with the speediest updates is Sprint, but still slow compared to the international/global phones.
 
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I know of the Verizon developer edition, but strangely that's it. No Sprint version, no ATT or T-Mobile version. As far as know not even the worldwide international version can be bought directly from Samsung ?

So no you can't buy an unlocked bootloader Galaxy Note 3 direct from Samsung. It boggles my mind Samsung doesn't sell on their own website, their international unlocked phones directly to the consumer ?

I guess you are right, its not an American website. I noticed people were buying these up however in the US or buying from TMO and bringing them over (same exact phone).
 
Sometimes there isn't much of a choice. Verizon everything is locked down, and usually the developer edition is months behind in release compared the locked phone. Verizon is the only carrier with service at my house.


I forgot how nice it is to have a unlocked phone. My moto x is locked down, but I busted out my note 2 which is rooted and romed. I can tether with out paying for the "privilage" of using my non unlimited data. Currently have a tmobile data only plan i'm using with my verizon note, works decently.

There is an asian that will give you the unlock code for the Moto X bootloader For $50 - check XDA

I just buy dev editions. ATT, T-Mobile, Sprint...pffft. Wish I had signal. Anybody who has Sprint around here makes me LOL. Might as well have a paper weight.
 
There is an asian that will give you the unlock code for the Moto X bootloader For $50 - check XDA

I just buy dev editions. ATT, T-Mobile, Sprint...pffft. Wish I had signal. Anybody who has Sprint around here makes me LOL. Might as well have a paper weight.

Sorry I meant droid maxx, I read that but didn't do it in time, and he stopped doing it, then he started up again but only for maxx's made in 2014 and I have a 2013 maxx.
 
Sorry I meant droid maxx, I read that but didn't do it in time, and he stopped doing it, then he started up again but only for maxx's made in 2014 and I have a 2013 maxx.
Might be worth giving it a shot - some said that his code worked for some 2014 maxx's
 
I hate that corporate US mentality that we have to buy the devices from the carriers rather than direct from the manufacturers. It's just so they can force-feed bloatware and partner crap to their customers and then probably sell your use habits and data back.

Could you imagine if we were forced to buy our televisions from Comcast or DirecTV? Or automobiles from petroleum companies?
 
I guess you are right, its not an American website. I noticed people were buying these up however in the US or buying from TMO and bringing them over (same exact phone).

Seriously, why doesn't Samsung just sell their phones on their own website ? Don't you find it strange that they really don't, well they do sort of, but not really.

You should be able to go to Samsung.com and choose a S5 or Note 3, and click purchase, at least for the GSM models. And buy the international unlocked phone. Why can't we ? If I am willing to spend $700 off contract for a phone, why doesn't Samsung just sell their own unlocked GSM Note 3 on their website ?

HTC does, they sell their One M8 on their official HTC website, the developer edition, the unlocked edition, the GPE version. Plus HTC actually has their own website to unlock the bootloader on your One M8, officially supported by HTC themselves. Like to Samsung ever have the balls to offer that.
 
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Seriously, why doesn't Samsung just sell their phones on their own website ? Don't you find it strange that they really don't, well they do sort of, but not really.

You should be able to go to Samsung.com and choose a S5 or Note 3, and click purchase, at least for the GSM models. And buy the international unlocked phone. Why can't we ?

HTC does, they sell their One M8 on their official HTC website, the developer edition, the unlocked edition, the GPE version.

Probably on OEM agreement...the carriers demand exclusive rights to sell the devices in this country would be a very unwild unsurprising guess.
 
I really don't mind the added OEM or carrier bloatware, AS LONG AS I CAN REMOVE AND DELETE IT.

In the past, I'd get a anew Android phone from the carrier I was on, and immediately root it, right out of the box, with the clear plastic wrap still around the phone, and proceed to remove all bloat. And then down the road install a custom ROM.

But lately that's becoming less and less of an option, especially on ATT + Verizon :mad:

The Galaxy Note 2 IMO was the last good phone carriers didn't fukk with. The Note 2 on ATT was an amazing device, and had tons of development on it, with some wicked awesome ROM's and Kernels, making the phone even faster / smoother, and outstanding battery life, of 7.5h to 8h On Screen time.
 
I deleted almost all of my OEM bloat ware and every bit of my carrier bloat ware, what are you talking? :confused:

The OEM preinstalled stuff I couldn't deleted was tied to the OS, so I had to disable it.
 
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