4 ms·

I've never heard of this disambiguation. An unlocked cellphone has always meant (1). A rooted or jailbroken phone means (2). For three, why would it make sense

by bmitc 2y ago

I've never heard of this disambiguation. An unlocked cellphone has always meant (1). A rooted or jailbroken phone means (2). For three, why would it make sense for manufactures to advertise a phone with/without a lock screen? It doesn't make sense.

Izkata 2y ago
Android lets you turn off all the lock screen security. Also before smartphones this wasn't even a thing, flip phones didn't even have a lock screen. Don't know if that's changed nowadays.
- folmar 2y ago
  Sure they had, it was just not in frequent use. See page 75 of manual for SE T68i (2002) for example https://archive.org/details/manualsbase-id-62423/page/74/mode/2up https://archive.org/details/manualsbase-id-62423/page/74/mod...
  - Izkata 2y ago
    Neither of those sound like screen locks, they both mention it only happens when turning on your phone.
- philipwhiuk 2y ago
  The Nokia 3210 had a screen lock although that was designed to stop accidental button presses.
hun3 2y ago
I assume the top reply was referring to "OEM unlocked bootloader/fastboot"
whs 2y ago
The FBI famously wanted an iPhone unlocked in the third way.
circuit10 2y ago
Advertising isn’t the only context where these terms are used… In usual conversation “is your phone unlocked?” could mean 1 or 3
- duskwuff 2y ago
  Alternatively: when Siri tells you "you'll need to unlock your iPhone first", it doesn't mean "please jailbreak your phone".
- bmitc 2y ago
  > In usual conversation “is your phone unlocked?” could mean 1 or 3 Is that really something that gets confused often or any more often than any other disambiguation in the English language?
aftbit 2y ago
Just to add to what others have said, the last time I rooted an Android phone (Pixel 6), I had to run: fastboot flashing unlock_critical So it seems that at least in some contexts, "unlock" can refer to the bootloader (sense 2 above). Also I wasn't as clear as I intended to be with sense 3 above - it might also mean temporarily screen-unlocked, as in "can you please unlock your phone so I can enter my number?".

by bmitc 2y ago

Izkata 2y ago

Android lets you turn off all the lock screen security. Also before smartphones this wasn't even a thing, flip phones didn't even have a lock screen. Don't know if that's changed nowadays.

folmar 2y ago
Sure they had, it was just not in frequent use. See page 75 of manual for SE T68i (2002) for example https://archive.org/details/manualsbase-id-62423/page/74/mode/2up https://archive.org/details/manualsbase-id-62423/page/74/mod...
- Izkata 2y ago
  Neither of those sound like screen locks, they both mention it only happens when turning on your phone.
philipwhiuk 2y ago
The Nokia 3210 had a screen lock although that was designed to stop accidental button presses.

hun3 2y ago

I assume the top reply was referring to "OEM unlocked bootloader/fastboot"

whs 2y ago

The FBI famously wanted an iPhone unlocked in the third way.

circuit10 2y ago

Advertising isn’t the only context where these terms are used… In usual conversation “is your phone unlocked?” could mean 1 or 3

duskwuff 2y ago
Alternatively: when Siri tells you "you'll need to unlock your iPhone first", it doesn't mean "please jailbreak your phone".
bmitc 2y ago
> In usual conversation “is your phone unlocked?” could mean 1 or 3 Is that really something that gets confused often or any more often than any other disambiguation in the English language?

aftbit 2y ago

Just to add to what others have said, the last time I rooted an Android phone (Pixel 6), I had to run: fastboot flashing unlock_critical So it seems that at least in some contexts, "unlock" can refer to the bootloader (sense 2 above). Also I wasn't as clear as I intended to be with sense 3 above - it might also mean temporarily screen-unlocked, as in "can you please unlock your phone so I can enter my number?".