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In Android land you can buy a phone where the bootloader can be unlocked and directly flash a pre-rooted ROM rather than relying on people exploiting security v

In Android land you can buy a phone where the bootloader can be unlocked and directly flash a pre-rooted ROM rather than relying on people exploiting security vulnerabilities like this.

aleden 7y ago
But will it have Google play services? (and pass safety-net checks)
- lern_too_spel 7y ago
  Safety net checks that the user does not have full control of their device, so why should those checks pass?
- feanaro 7y ago
  It will have Play Services if you choose to install them. And yes, it can be made to pass safety-net by rooting using Magisk.
iliketosleep 7y ago
From my experience, this is not necessarily true, even when a phone is advertised as unlockable. I know that Huawei phones, for instance, had two different unlock modes. One called USER Lock, and the other FB Lock. The unlock codes given to users only applied to USER Lock, which means only some partitions could be modified (e.g. recovery could be modified, but fastboot was restricted). I'm not sure whether or not other brands have similar "protections" or not, but I wouldn't be surprised it this was the case due to DRM.
- rnhmjoj 7y ago
  Huawei doesn't even gives aways the unlock codes anymore, but it's for your own safety, mind you.
- deno 7y ago
  Plenty to choose from that don’t do things like that. E.g. Sony has a page dedicated to AOSP[1] and ASUS recently was sending their new flagship to LineageOS developers[2]. [1] https://developer.sony.com/develop/open-devices/ https://developer.sony.com/develop/open-devices/ [2] https://www.xda-developers.com/asus-zenfone-6-custom-rom-twrp-lineageos/ https://www.xda-developers.com/asus-zenfone-6-custom-rom-twr...
mindslight 7y ago
I agree the pragmatic approach is to research which devices are unlockable, as well as unlock them when you're still well within the return window. But the general problem isn't whether it is possible for someone to buy an unlocked phone, but rather that it is possible to "buy" a phone and have it turn out to be non-unlockable. The general case is important so that users who run up against manufacturer shenanigans can straightforwardly route around them, and also simply preventing the pileup of more unusable planned obsolescence ewaste.

In Android land you can buy a phone where the bootloader can be unlocked and directly flash a pre-rooted ROM rather than relying on people exploiting security vulnerabilities like this.

aleden 7y ago

But will it have Google play services? (and pass safety-net checks)

lern_too_spel 7y ago
Safety net checks that the user does not have full control of their device, so why should those checks pass?
feanaro 7y ago
It will have Play Services if you choose to install them. And yes, it can be made to pass safety-net by rooting using Magisk.

iliketosleep 7y ago

From my experience, this is not necessarily true, even when a phone is advertised as unlockable. I know that Huawei phones, for instance, had two different unlock modes. One called USER Lock, and the other FB Lock. The unlock codes given to users only applied to USER Lock, which means only some partitions could be modified (e.g. recovery could be modified, but fastboot was restricted). I'm not sure whether or not other brands have similar "protections" or not, but I wouldn't be surprised it this was the case due to DRM.

rnhmjoj 7y ago
Huawei doesn't even gives aways the unlock codes anymore, but it's for your own safety, mind you.
deno 7y ago
Plenty to choose from that don’t do things like that. E.g. Sony has a page dedicated to AOSP[1] and ASUS recently was sending their new flagship to LineageOS developers[2]. [1] https://developer.sony.com/develop/open-devices/ https://developer.sony.com/develop/open-devices/ [2] https://www.xda-developers.com/asus-zenfone-6-custom-rom-twrp-lineageos/ https://www.xda-developers.com/asus-zenfone-6-custom-rom-twr...

mindslight 7y ago

I agree the pragmatic approach is to research which devices are unlockable, as well as unlock them when you're still well within the return window. But the general problem isn't whether it is possible for someone to buy an unlocked phone, but rather that it is possible to "buy" a phone and have it turn out to be non-unlockable. The general case is important so that users who run up against manufacturer shenanigans can straightforwardly route around them, and also simply preventing the pileup of more unusable planned obsolescence ewaste.