4 ms·

> I don't love the idea of someone else being able to do it before the phone gets to me. So how do you feel about PCs then? Because most computers sold doesn't

> I don't love the idea of someone else being able to do it before the phone gets to me. So how do you feel about PCs then? Because most computers sold doesn't have these draconian protections and apparently that has never been an issue.

HWR_14 3y ago
I believe it has in fact been an issue with several areas of electronics, including PCs, in the past.
_23sd 3y ago
Never been an issue? Just recently there was a LTT review of an Aliexpress laptop [1] where they found the Windows install had been tampered with (mostly because the Windows was pirated). PC or phone or anything, you buy stuff from shady sources it will not be trustworthy. If Xiaomi is/was locking down their phones to try and make purchasing from places like Aliexpress safer, I think that is a losing battle. [1] https://youtube.com/watch?v=Um0l6ZSxfTE https://youtube.com/watch?v=Um0l6ZSxfTE
- mort96 3y ago
  I bought a laptop from Dell and found the Windows install had been tampered with; there were all sorts of adware and trial software installed. Luckily, since the boot loader wasn't locked, I could install my own, clean OS.
  - _23sd 3y ago
    I don’t think that’s the point, when you get a device from Aliexpress that’s been tampered by the retailer (as opposed to the OEM), the bootloader will already be unlocked and you could install a clean OS. That’s okay if you are the one buying the device and somehow trust that the retailer hasn’t messed with the hardware as well, but it doesn’t help the manufacturer that wants to stop retailers from messing with the OS in the first place.
    - hulitu 3y ago
      OEM or retailer it is the same thing: the device has been compromised.
fsflover 3y ago
For laptops, it's a solved issue: https://puri.sm/posts/anti-interdiction-update-six-month-retrospective/ https://puri.sm/posts/anti-interdiction-update-six-month-ret....
_ea1k 3y ago
Yeah, that's fair, but unfortunately it has been a problem at times and also phones are a different world. The default expectation for phones is to be really heavily locked down. I wish that it wasn't that way. I'm still not going to bash the one major company that consistently comes the closest to being as open as I'd want. I'd love it to be better, but I also understand the real and legitimate reasons that it doesn't work out that way. Try to put those concerns in direct conflict with openness and the outcome is likely to be the worst possible.

HWR_14 3y ago

I believe it has in fact been an issue with several areas of electronics, including PCs, in the past.

_23sd 3y ago

Never been an issue? Just recently there was a LTT review of an Aliexpress laptop [1] where they found the Windows install had been tampered with (mostly because the Windows was pirated). PC or phone or anything, you buy stuff from shady sources it will not be trustworthy. If Xiaomi is/was locking down their phones to try and make purchasing from places like Aliexpress safer, I think that is a losing battle. [1] https://youtube.com/watch?v=Um0l6ZSxfTE https://youtube.com/watch?v=Um0l6ZSxfTE

mort96 3y ago
I bought a laptop from Dell and found the Windows install had been tampered with; there were all sorts of adware and trial software installed. Luckily, since the boot loader wasn't locked, I could install my own, clean OS.
- _23sd 3y ago
  I don’t think that’s the point, when you get a device from Aliexpress that’s been tampered by the retailer (as opposed to the OEM), the bootloader will already be unlocked and you could install a clean OS. That’s okay if you are the one buying the device and somehow trust that the retailer hasn’t messed with the hardware as well, but it doesn’t help the manufacturer that wants to stop retailers from messing with the OS in the first place.
  - hulitu 3y ago
    OEM or retailer it is the same thing: the device has been compromised.

fsflover 3y ago

For laptops, it's a solved issue: https://puri.sm/posts/anti-interdiction-update-six-month-retrospective/ https://puri.sm/posts/anti-interdiction-update-six-month-ret....

_ea1k 3y ago

Yeah, that's fair, but unfortunately it has been a problem at times and also phones are a different world. The default expectation for phones is to be really heavily locked down. I wish that it wasn't that way. I'm still not going to bash the one major company that consistently comes the closest to being as open as I'd want. I'd love it to be better, but I also understand the real and legitimate reasons that it doesn't work out that way. Try to put those concerns in direct conflict with openness and the outcome is likely to be the worst possible.