Don't they care about customers ? - G4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

As many, I am quite astonished by the G4's lack of development (not to insult the awesome devs having allready crafted some nice roms/tweaks or the one working on it (Awaiting CM12 patiently ).
With solutions like flashfire, the fact we can root, have Xposed etc... without bootloader unlocking, why doesn't LG just open up ? It worked great for Motorola, the nexus line is beloved for just having the cleanest possible android and quick updates.
LG's UI isn't really as loved as Sense or Touchwiz (even if in my mind nothing beats stock, sprinkled with some goodies à la motorola).
I just wish an LG dev/executive/t-shirt seller reads this and thinks : Hey, why don't we open the bootloader ? It doesn't change anything for us, as people can already. flash what the want. Hey, why don't we give our customers the choice to use an aosp build next to our UI, so everybody can have it the way they want ?
Wouldn't this be an easy way to get some sells and a distinguishing factor in this hard market ?
Just my little late night rant, but this seems to obvious to still not be a norml situation (well Motorola got it... thanks Google for that)...
LG having made now 3 Nexii could really have learnt something... I might still buy their phones, but it could be a much more obvious choice if openness had a bigger place in their mind.
Any opinions or ideas on how to change this ? Change.org ? A sitting in front of their offices ?
Have a great time guys

The nexus 5, and now the new small one, are both by LG and have unlocked bootloaders. Bootloaders aren't locked by LG, its by carrier. The internation verison, and Tmobile have unlocked ones, and you can flash stock roms on sprint devices...
Also, the percentage of people who root is very low in terms of all the people who buy the phone.
Example: At the store I work at, we sold over 100 G4's since its been out. Maybe like 6 of those people will root if even that.

Some variants (815 international non EU) are controlled by LG. However, I wouldn't say they don't care about their customers. Honestly, how many people with an android phone root their phones? How many of them care about bootloaders? Sure if looking only at XDA people, it would be over 80% but in real life random sampling with a large population I'd say it's below 2-3% easily. Out of everyone I know with Iphones/Nexuses/Samsungs/LGs I can, honestly, only say maybe 2-3 of them jailbreak of root/want an unlocked bootloader.
So yeah, overall sales would not improve at all by advertising an unlocked bootloader, especially once you factor in that your warranty is null and void once you unlock it.

I wish all OEM's would release an unlocked version with unlockable boatloaders and faster updates and sell them on their website for full price. Not sure why it has to be carrier or nothing in the states.
Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk

Cor-master said:
I wish all OEM's would release an unlocked version with unlockable boatloaders and faster updates and sell them on their website for full price. Not sure why it has to be carrier or nothing in the states.
Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk
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That is ideal, but when there are different markets all over the world, it's too complicated and potentially costly to implement compared to the potential sales.

People that unlock/root/flash phones as a hobby is quite a small percentage of their customer base, why would they cater to you? Plus, H811 has unlocked bootloader

I meant unlocked bootloader but without the warranty loss. XDA has some million members, even 50% of that could be interesting (look at the oneplus one, it is not the selling feature, just a nice plus argument).
They could save money by not trying to lock the phone up so much and it would be interesting to some... As we all know that flashing can't simply wrong your phone (especially if it is designed to be flashed).
Envoyé de mon A0001 avec XDA Forums

soulysephiroth said:
Bootloaders aren't locked by LG, its by carrier.
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That's not at all true. it's LG that is locking the bootloader, nothing to do with the carriers.

because the bl is locked,and the developer can't develop the customer rom ,including based o stock.:crying:

ChriKn said:
I meant unlocked bootloader but without the warranty loss. XDA has some million members, even 50% of that could be interesting (look at the oneplus one, it is not the selling feature, just a nice plus argument).
They could save money by not trying to lock the phone up so much and it would be interesting to some... As we all know that flashing can't simply wrong your phone (especially if it is designed to be flashed).
Envoyé de mon A0001 avec XDA Forums
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Click to collapse
Over 99% of LG customers do not even know what rooting is, nor "flashing a ROM". Locked bootloaders are a manufacturer's choice for security concerns....Manufacturers like Samsung leave the choice in the carriers' hands....it is not directed at this community to prevent flashing AOSP ROMs.....it is an attempt to keep malicious hackers out of the phone...LG could care less about that...it is just collateral damage. So as far as LG's "customers" are concerned there would be no noticeable increase in sales by supplying an unlock.

the_scotsman said:
That's not at all true. it's LG that is locking the bootloader, nothing to do with the carriers.
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When I had Samsung it was most differently carrier. Att was the only one who had blocked bootloaders and it was the carrier choice. Why then would lg just allow T-Mobile G4s to be unlocked? It didn't make sense to only allow two out their models if carriers have nothing to do with it.
Sent from my LG-H810 using XDA Free mobile app

ChriKn said:
I meant unlocked bootloader but without the warranty loss. XDA has some million members, even 50% of that could be interesting (look at the oneplus one, it is not the selling feature, just a nice plus argument).
They could save money by not trying to lock the phone up so much and it would be interesting to some... As we all know that flashing can't simply wrong your phone (especially if it is designed to be flashed).
Envoyé de mon A0001 avec XDA Forums
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Click to collapse
It's never going to happen. FWIW if you unlock the oneplus one's bootloader, the warranty is void as well. You can brick your phone if you don't know what you are doing with an unlocked bootloader. This is why they do not come unlocked standard, and if you choose to unlock you lose warranty.

Daemos said:
It's never going to happen. FWIW if you unlock the oneplus one's bootloader, the warranty is void as well. You can brick your phone if you don't know what you are doing with an unlocked bootloader. This is why they do not come unlocked standard, and if you choose to unlock you lose warranty.
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Well... Not really...
https://oneplus.net/de/support/answer/will-rooting-or-unlocking-the-bootloader-void-my-warranty
Of course you can make dumb stuff... But people knowing nothing and wanting to root at all price will always try, so isn't it better if there is a simple and easy solution at hand ?
Envoyé de mon A0001 avec XDA Forums

ChriKn said:
Well... Not really...
https://oneplus.net/de/support/answer/will-rooting-or-unlocking-the-bootloader-void-my-warranty
Of course you can make dumb stuff... But people knowing nothing and wanting to root at all price will always try, so isn't it better if there is a simple and easy solution at hand ?
Envoyé de mon A0001 avec XDA Forums
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That's if you buy it directly from oneplus, however, you have an A0001 model, which is the Chinese-market version bought by a grey-market seller, who will probably consider any warranty void if the bootloader is unlocked. Even Google Nexus' phones have their warranty void when the bootloader is unlocked, and the Nexus phones were initially designed to be phones for developers to develop on.
I suspect the reason why many companies do not allow bootloaders to be unlocked easily is because there is no real benefit to them having it easily unlocked. In fact, having it easily unlocked (even with having the warranty void) could actually be an issue. This is because they then have less control over what software is actually running on their phones. Say someone installs an aftermarket rom, which is in beta, then someone who doesn't really doesn't have the XDA know-how uses it, they might find it unstable, laggy, crappy etc...and attribute it to the brand, and will tell others to avoid that brand. Then there is the problem of people who unlocked the bootloaders, who attempt to still try to send in their phone for warranty purposes when they broke it, or claim they didn't know their warranty would be void, this costs money still to check the phone determine that the boolader was unlocked. Then there may be some malicious people who convince their 'friends' to unlock their bootloaders, and install some virus, or spying software, and that could be blamed on the OEM by the person who doesn't know any better. IMO it could easily be considered an unacceptable risk to allow bootloaders to be easily unlocked compared to any benefit gained.
So except for appeasing the very small niche market that XDA caters to, which isn't really much of a benefit at all, there is more risk than it's worth to making bootloaders easily unlocked.
The only reason Oneplus could get away with that was because they didn't sell lots of phones (directly), they had a controlled invite system, and really most of the people who were even aware of oneplus' existence tended to be more of the type of people you'd find on XDA anyways. Even then, their customer service, even buying direct from Oneplus has been pretty shoddy.

Do you want my receipt form OnePlus ?
Or maybe the RMA Receipt of the last A0001 ?
Do you want my RMA receipt from the Bootloader unlocked/ custom kernel / custom recovery and whatever Nexus 5 I sent them ?
(and just FYI before you continue telling some random stuff... you can relock the Oneplus One/Nexus phons and there is no flag triggered (atleast not a known one...). Please do some research and just stop).
And you contradict yourself. You speak of a little niche, then talking about Oneplus targeting directly "Xda-memberish people" you know they sold some hundred-thousands of phone right ? So if my company could sell like even just 100.000 phones more (or even 50.000) just by making myselfs and the user's life easier why not do it ?

ChriKn said:
Do you want my receipt form OnePlus ?
Or maybe the RMA Receipt of the last A0001 ?
Do you want my RMA receipt from the Bootloader unlocked/ custom kernel / custom recovery and whatever Nexus 5 I sent them ?
(and just FYI before you continue telling some random stuff... you can relock the Oneplus One/Nexus phons and there is no flag triggered (atleast not a known one...). Please do some research and just stop).
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If you're in Europe you WILL get your warranty denied if you send in a device with altered software unless you can prove that the issue is not caused by the altered software. If you somehow managed to get a device repair under warranty it's either luck, an untrained chain of service workers or a very trained chain of service employees that understood that your issue was not caused by the altered system state.
ChriKn said:
And you contradict yourself. You speak of a little niche, then talking about Oneplus targeting directly "Xda-memberish people" you know they sold some hundred-thousands of phone right ? So if my company could sell like even just 100.000 phones more (or even 50.000) just by making myselfs and the user's life easier why not do it ?
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Click to collapse
Because these numbers are insignificant for Samsung, LG, Motorola or whatever brand you want. Heck even for HTC they are. The extra effort would cost more in labor than those 100k device's turn over (yes, turn over, not even profit!).

nitrous² said:
If you're in Europe you WILL get your warranty denied if you send in a device with altered software unless you can prove that the issue is not caused by the altered software. If you somehow managed to get a device repair under warranty it's either luck, an untrained chain of service workers or a very trained chain of service employees that understood that your issue was not caused by the altered system state.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am in Europe, I even discussed it with them... there really isn't a problem with it as long as you can clearly explain what you did and how it can't affect. You just need to know what you are doing... but same goes for kids and knifes... Overprotecting just brings a bigger mess at a later moment.
Because these numbers are insignificant for Samsung, LG, Motorola or whatever brand you want. Heck even for HTC they are. The extra effort would cost more in labor than those 100k device's turn over (yes, turn over, not even profit!).[/QUOTE]
Isn't it more wok for them to find new protective measures than just letting it open ?

ChriKn said:
Isn't it more wok for them to find new protective measures than just letting it open ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it is more expensive at first, but cheaper in the long run.

ChriKn said:
Do you want my receipt form OnePlus ?
Or maybe the RMA Receipt of the last A0001 ?
Do you want my RMA receipt from the Bootloader unlocked/ custom kernel / custom recovery and whatever Nexus 5 I sent them ?
(and just FYI before you continue telling some random stuff... you can relock the Oneplus One/Nexus phons and there is no flag triggered (atleast not a known one...). Please do some research and just stop).
And you contradict yourself. You speak of a little niche, then talking about Oneplus targeting directly "Xda-memberish people" you know they sold some hundred-thousands of phone right ? So if my company could sell like even just 100.000 phones more (or even 50.000) just by making myselfs and the user's life easier why not do it ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did not know about the unlock flags not being triggered, that is my mistake. However, I did not contradict myself. OnePlus sells very few phones, and do not have mass appeal, and they targeted a specific group. This group is so insignificant, that large companies like Apple, Samsung, LG , Sony, HTC etc can really ignore them without much issue. I own an oneplus one. You may have had good luck with RMAing, but I know plenty that have had issues. Personally, I wouldn't buy another OnePlus phone for at least a couple generations.
The issue here is that you have not come up with a convincing argument to why bootloaders should be easily unlocked, and how that would lead to a significant market share increase for these companies, and that this larger market share would offset any costs and risk they inherit due to having an easily unlocked bootloader. I do not have the numbers, but, if you would like to convince these companies to do so, the onus would be on you to prove to these companies that it's worth their time.

Here is an example of why easily unlocked bootloaders can lead to bad experiences: Malware at the system level (not just installed, but intergrated into the system)
https://medium.com/@tuesdev/as-many...hs-to-receive-a-oneplus-2-invite-ba20ac8606ae
Although not specifically stated, without the unlocked bootloader this process would be far more difficult. Lucky the writer of the article knows it isn't Oneplus to blame...

Related

Officially announced - Locked Bootloader

Friends, sadly the optimus G will have a locked bootloader
http://www.androidcentral.com/official-word-optimus-g-bootloader
And, therefore I won't be buying it. Oh well, I'll wait for a company that wants to play nice.
I'm in no hurry.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
JasonJoel said:
And, therefore I won't be buying it. Oh well, I'll wait for a company that wants to play nice.
I'm in no hurry.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
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Good luck if you're on at&t.
Pretty sure you just have to go straight for an off contract phone.
I hate supporting phones that don't come with unlocked bootloaders by default but, I don't h ave 500$+ to spend.. Especially when I'll be paying the same price for my cellular service either way.
Well I guess we'll just have to wait for the Google announcement on the 29th to see when the Nexus 4comes out huh. After watching the PocketNow review of this phone I was considering it but with a locked bootloader no way.
sent from my Dark Nexus
i know what you feel bro
nyanyanyanyanyanyanyanyanyanyanyan
Snow_fox said:
Good luck if you're on at&t.
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Not really... Samsung phones (like the S3) have unlockable boot loader on at&t. As does the HTC One X I'm using (although HTC screwed that up in later releases).
Will probably just go with the Note 2 if it has an unlockable bootloader (which it should).
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
Can someone please explain something. I'm obviously not up on this due to the noob question, but just yesterday there was news that the device is in fact root-able. I assume this is totally different than a locked bootloader? Can the boot loader still be locked, yet rooted? Once rooted, is the device's bootloader unlocked at that time? thanks, guys
Yes u can root even with a locked boot loader. You.just can't flash.custom kernels. Although I.don't know if kexec will work or not. I think the guys that.get the Sprint version will be ok with an unlockable boot loader. I am sure that there is someone with an unlocked boot loader floating around. Kinda like the Verizon s3 got a leak of an unsecured boot loader which let us unlock it Just have to wait.and see what.pops up.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
First... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Well, I was somewhat expecting this. Oh well. I will sit back and see what happens. Many locked phones have fallen to the powers of the Android community. (I forget what the Korean thread says, but I thought they had cracked their version already.) Only time will tell. I hope it's quick though.
gatorstew said:
Can someone please explain something. I'm obviously not up on this due to the noob question, but just yesterday there was news that the device is in fact root-able. I assume this is totally different than a locked bootloader? Can the boot loader still be locked, yet rooted? Once rooted, is the device's bootloader unlocked at that time? thanks, guys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is this post to give you a little start on the lingo. A google search ought to give you a good explanation quickly.
In short though, to answer your questions from a not-quite-so-noob, "rooting" a device gains you access to the software running on the system. Don't like the bloatware that came on the phone? With root access, you can delete them. You can have root without an unlocked bootloader. (Warranty likely voided.)
The bootloader is the first bit of software that the phone runs when the power is turned on, which loads the OS and such, and passes off control to the OS to boot up.With a locked bootloader, you are basically stuck with the updates (if any) blessed by the manufacturer AND the carrier. Unlocked, you can install customized ROMs, swap kernels, custom recoveries (search "nandroid backup"), and even more warranty voiding goodness. YOU decide "how" your phone works.
Now... If your phone DOES break, both acts can be reversed (some exceptions) so you can pretend you didn't do anything you weren't supposed to be doing, and have your "warranty."
JasonJoel said:
Not really... Samsung phones (like the S3) have unlockable boot loader on at&t. As does the HTC One X I'm using (although HTC screwed that up in later releases).
Will probably just go with the Note 2 if it has an unlockable bootloader (which it should).
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
Yes but, with HTC you are only marginally better off as they provide incredibly small kernel support. My HTC flyer has an officially unlocked bootloader and Dexter has been working on a JB Rom forever and it's still not in a "Factory release" state like other devices.
I don't blame Dexter but, it's pretty sad. Heck, in the One X+ forum there was announcement by a dev openly stated we should be aware it will be hard to dev for before we even consider it.
As far as Samsung goes, I applaud them for supporting the dev community the way they have in the various ways but, their SAMOLED screens are a bit..well dated looking. When they first came out, they were nice because they were brighter, more vibrant, and colorful. Now I really would love to hop on the IPS displays which are sharper.
I was right. Damn you LG! DAMN YOUUUUU!
Guess, I'm sticking with my O4X HD. With the same locked bootloader FTL
Would it be more productive to petition lg or start a bounty.... Or does the locked bootloaders even really matter? My understanding is without kernel sources an email unlocked bootloader isn't only marginally useful.
Sent from my HTC_Flyer_P512_NA using xda app-developers app.
Snow_fox said:
Would it be more productive to petition lg or start a bounty.... Or does the locked bootloaders even really matter? My understanding is without kernel sources an email unlocked bootloader isn't only marginally useful.
Sent from my HTC_Flyer_P512_NA using xda app-developers app.
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Already have one going on: http://www.change.org/petitions/lg-...opportunity-to-unlock-bootloader-in-lg-phones
So please guys, sign the petition and who knows...somewhere down the road maybe they'll listen and grant our wishes. :crying:
We're already up to 1000+ that already signed...lets get this rolling and share it to every other forum you go to. Thanks in advanced.
How often do petitions actually work?
Sent from my HTC_Flyer_P512_NA using xda app-developers app
Snow_fox said:
How often do petitions actually work?
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Imagine if <10,000 people signed a petition saying that they wanted McDonald's to stop selling meat products. Yeah, LG probably cares about as much as McDonald's would in that scenario.
Scotty_Two said:
Imagine if <10,000 people signed a petition saying that they wanted McDonald's to stop selling meat products. Yeah, LG probably cares about as much as McDonald's would in that scenario.
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I respectfully disagree. LG is not anywhere near HTC, Apple, or Samsung in terms of volume sold. They need all the help they can get and simply cannot afford to lose potential customers. Even HTC and Samsung have been affected by petitions like this. It led HTC to have unlockable bootloaders. Also, in your McDonald's analogy, McDonald's would be losing many customers if they no longer had burgers or other meat products, whereas LG would be gaining customers if they decided to open up a bit. And the community here at XDA (most of whom I would assume are against locked bootloaders) is for the most part, fairly knowledgeable about phones and mobile devices. As we are knowledgeable on the subject, people go to us for advice on their next devices. If LG's bootloaders were unlocked, I can assure you that I (like many other XDA users) would not only purchase the Optimus G for myself, but I would also be much more likely to recommend it. There's ~5 Million members here, of which I would imagine 1-1.5 Million are in the market for a new device. As it offers the best specifications on the market at the moment, I would assume the Optimus G would have to be a thought to most of these people. However, the lack of SD Card support (on the International and Sprint versions), nonremovable battery, and locked bootloaders can potentially deter many of these people from buying it and/or recommending it to their friends, families, and acquaintances and instead, these people could easily opt for roughly equivalent devices made by LG's competitors, such as the One series by HTC and the Galaxy series by Samsung. It never makes business sense to turn away thousands of potential customers, especially when said company is not leading sales figures in the industry.
xboxfanj said:
I respectfully disagree. LG is not anywhere near HTC, Apple, or Samsung in terms of volume sold. They need all the help they can get and simply cannot afford to lose potential customers. Even HTC and Samsung have been affected by petitions like this. It led HTC to have unlockable bootloaders. Also, in your McDonald's analogy, McDonald's would be losing many customers if they no longer had burgers or other meat products, whereas LG would be gaining customers if they decided to open up a bit. And the community here at XDA (most of whom I would assume are against locked bootloaders) is for the most part, fairly knowledgeable about phones and mobile devices. As we are knowledgeable on the subject, people go to us for advice on their next devices. If LG's bootloaders were unlocked, I can assure you that I (like many other XDA users) would not only purchase the Optimus G for myself, but I would also be much more likely to recommend it. There's ~5 Million members here, of which I would imagine 1-1.5 Million are in the market for a new device. As it offers the best specifications on the market at the moment, I would assume the Optimus G would have to be a thought to most of these people. However, the lack of SD Card support (on the International and Sprint versions), nonremovable battery, and locked bootloaders can potentially deter many of these people from buying it and/or recommending it to their friends, families, and acquaintances and instead, these people could easily opt for roughly equivalent devices made by LG's competitors, such as the One series by HTC and the Galaxy series by Samsung. It never makes business sense to turn away thousands of potential customers, especially when said company is not leading sales figures in the industry.
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Click to collapse
I mostly agree with your points. I do, however, think that the whole purpose of OEMs locking their bootloaders is to deter people from prolonging the life of their phone and not to protect people from bricking them. Because let's face it, 99.9% of people that even know what a bootloader is in the first place will probably be able to flash their phone without bricking it and exchanging it for a new one at the OEMs expense. So, with that in mind, it only seems logical that an OEM would lock the bootloader to prevent people from taking things into their own hands with such a powerhouse phone that could last for years with proper software updates (that will undoubtedly not happen in a timely manner from LG for more than the first year, if that). They want people to like the phone, be at the mercy of LG for updates, and when those updates end, buy a new LG phone and repeat. So with this standard model, I just don't see how they could care about the very small (in comparison to the general public) development community. Just my thoughts though, I really have no idea what LG's strategy is or what will end up happening.
Scotty_Two said:
I mostly agree with your points. I do, however, think that the whole purpose of OEMs locking their bootloaders is to deter people from prolonging the life of their phone and not to protect people from bricking them. Because let's face it, 99.9% of people that even know what a bootloader is in the first place will probably be able to flash their phone without bricking it and exchanging it for a new one at the OEMs expense. So, with that in mind, it only seems logical that an OEM would lock the bootloader to prevent people from taking things into their own hands with such a powerhouse phone that could last for years with proper software updates (that will undoubtedly not happen in a timely manner from LG for more than the first year, if that). They want people to like the phone, be at the mercy of LG for updates, and when those updates end, buy a new LG phone and repeat. So with this standard model, I just don't see how they could care about the very small (in comparison to the general public) development community. Just my thoughts though, I really have no idea what LG's strategy is or what will end up happening.
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Click to collapse
You know.. I think the bold part is also problematic. While it is a great "theoretical" strategy... the amount of people you piss off is potentially enough that they will never buy your device again.
Back when my Captivate was younger, despite there being many solid ROM options, people were still outraged the phone didn't receive prompt manufacturer provided updates.
Despite the whole "if people knew how to unlock bootloaders, bricks would happen left and right!" argument that I've seen circulating for the last 2 years.. the reality is if people know their warranty is voided, they either do or don't care. If unlocking the bootloader and rooting the phone were just a few ABD commands that would be all the litmus test needed really.
The reality is if people can use ABD then they are probably technically proficient enough to install a custom ROM. If they are too scared for their warranty/afraid of entering commands by text, they are probably not going to want to install a custom rom anyway.
Snow_fox said:
You know.. I think the bold part is also problematic. While it is a great "theoretical" strategy... the amount of people you piss off is potentially enough that they will never buy your device again.
Back when my Captivate was younger, despite there being many solid ROM options, people were still outraged the phone didn't receive prompt manufacturer provided updates.
Despite the whole "if people knew how to unlock bootloaders, bricks would happen left and right!" argument that I've seen circulating for the last 2 years.. the reality is if people know their warranty is voided, they either do or don't care. If unlocking the bootloader and rooting the phone were just a few ABD commands that would be all the litmus test needed really.
The reality is if people can use ABD then they are probably technically proficient enough to install a custom ROM. If they are too scared for their warranty/afraid of entering commands by text, they are probably not going to want to install a custom rom anyway.
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Click to collapse
That's how it is on the Nexus series (simple ADB commands), which I doubt is bricked any more than on any other devices.
Back to Scotty's post, I really don't think LG wants to update these phones (that's what the development community is for), so I don't think their goal is to keep you on their software. I don't think the custom software is supposed to serve any purpose but to make people buy the devices in the first place. I do agree that they're concerned that unlocked bootloaders make people more likely to brick (which is likely not true since it's the same people unlocking bootloaders on locked devices as the people who install custom ROMs on others). I actually think that locking bootloaders makes people trying to unlock them more likely to brick in the process. CM ROMs actually make things easier on their update team since the people who care about the OS version are typically the first to try custom ROMs. At the very least, I would like for LG to implement a similar strategy to HTC and Motorola where they keep track of people who unlock, but give a free, painless method. This would make everyone (LG and us) fairly happy.
If there is going to be a lg nexus phone wouldn't it be much easier to unlock the boot loader and have kernel sources? The hardware is the same

Thinking about buying, need some advice...

I'm on the fence between waiting for the N5 or getting the OG Pro.
Is the OG Pro difficult to root, flash custom recovery, CM 10.2, etc? (That's what I really want the device for)
Is the bootloader locked?
Any basic suggestions or tips would be appreciated.
The boot loader is locked. However, there is a work around called "Loki", hence the roms, which btw run great on the G Pro.
But I'd advise you to wait for the N5 due to it having a fully unlocked boot loader , more accessories and more support by both Google and XDA.
I will buy one for sure.
donalgodon said:
I'm on the fence between waiting for the N5 or getting the OG Pro.
Is the OG Pro difficult to root, flash custom recovery, CM 10.2, etc? (That's what I really want the device for)
Is the bootloader locked?
Any basic suggestions or tips would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OG Pro is simple to root, both cwm and twrp recoveries are easily available and working, and there is an official CM 10.2 available which is a nightly, so daily updates
So if these are your only considerations, you can buy the OG Pro with your eyes closed.
Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk
vivebatu said:
OG Pro is simple to root, both cwm and twrp recoveries are easily available and working, and there is an official CM 10.2 available which is a nightly, so daily updates
So if these are your only considerations, you can buy the OG Pro with your eyes closed.
Sent from my LG-E980 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
My only concern is that I don't know if the 980H is the same as the 980.
The 980H is the Panama version, the ROM from which is a popular flash option for this model in a Stock ROM. I'm actually in Panama, and this is where I'll purchase.
What about the root, recovery options? Should I use the one's for the 980? I don't see any for the H variant.
donalgodon said:
I'm on the fence between waiting for the N5 or getting the OG Pro.
Is the OG Pro difficult to root, flash custom recovery, CM 10.2, etc? (That's what I really want the device for)
Is the bootloader locked?
Any basic suggestions or tips would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OG Pro is a GREAT Device in its own way. If you need Removable battery, Micro SD slot then this device is suitable.
N5 has is pros and cons. U get latest S800 processor, direct updates from google, but only 16 or 32GB storage and non removable 2300 mah of N5 is no near to 3140mah of OGP. And LG will MOSTLY update OGP to 4.4 Kitkat by end of this year.
It is easy to flash custom roms on this device, well easier than HTC phones and there is going to be lot of development in future for this device. This device also have OFFICIAL support from Cyanogen mod team.(Correct me if i'm wrong).
For me OGP is better option than most of the other phones out there right now.
StarkV5 said:
OG Pro is a GREAT Device in its own way. If you need Removable battery, Micro SD slot then this device is suitable.
N5 has is pros and cons. U get latest S800 processor, direct updates from google, but only 16 or 32GB storage and non removable 2300 mah of N5 is no near to 3140mah of OGP. And LG will MOSTLY update OGP to 4.4 Kitkat by end of this year.
It is easy to flash custom roms on this device, well easier than HTC phones and there is going to be lot of development in future for this device. This device also have OFFICIAL support from Cyanogen mod team.(Correct me if i'm wrong).
For me OGP is better option than most of the other phones out there right now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't you think that LG will eventually patch the bootloader exploit and end the party?
That's what bothers me about it, because Samdung did basically the same thing recently with Knox.
donalgodon said:
Don't you think that LG will eventually patch the bootloader exploit and end the party?
That's what bothers me about it, because Samdung did basically the same thing recently with Knox.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
with custom roms we don't need official OTA updates anymore plus they're slow with the updates anyway
solaris2k said:
with custom roms we don't need official OTA updates anymore plus they're slow with the updates anyway
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just as long as those features aren't tied to the bootloader, then there's no problem, but if the case of Samdung's Knox bootloaders have illustrated anything, it's that this is always an option.
Without the Knox bootloader, 4.3 update broke Wi-Fi, Sound, etc. It's what pushed me to sell the S4 and be done with Samdung once and for all.
donalgodon said:
Just as long as those features aren't tied to the bootloader, then there's no problem, but if the case of Samdung's Knox bootloaders have illustrated anything, it's that this is always an option.
Without the Knox bootloader, 4.3 update broke Wi-Fi, Sound, etc. It's what pushed me to sell the S4 and be done with Samdung once and for all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well Samdung are floating in the sky because of lots of sales and huge profit (about $10 billion i guess!!) so they don't care about the developer community and moving against it like Apple. Samdung is not apple but they don't understand it. they want to provide security on their devices like Apple does. Thats what they are trying with something called Knox bootloaders. This is one of the reason that kept me away from getting a Note 3. LG has long way to go before they become like Samdung. So i wouldn't worry about it for atleast 2 years! LOL
StarkV5 said:
Well Samdung are floating in the sky because of lots of sales and huge profit (about $10 billion i guess!!) so they don't care about the developer community and moving against it like Apple. Samdung is not apple but they don't understand it. they want to provide security on their devices like Apple does. Thats what they are trying with something called Knox bootloaders. This is one of the reason that kept me away from getting a Note 3. LG has long way to go before they become like Samdung. So i wouldn't worry about it for atleast 2 years! LOL
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, their protection scheme is similar. I forgot what they call it, but it's all the same sort of sham. It releases the corporation from liability for warranty service, regardless of what the issue is, if the "protection" flag is tripped.
I find myself dreaming often about what it would be like if a company (like LG, which is smaller than the competition) threw everything they had behind the Open Source and Development community and just made their devices with folks like us XDA members in mind! How many millions of us are there now? We probably buy more gadgets as a group than any other segment of the global population as a whole, yet we are basically ignored and treated like criminals.
donalgodon said:
I find myself dreaming often about what it would be like if a company (like LG, which is smaller than the competition) threw everything they had behind the Open Source and Development community and just made their devices with folks like us XDA members in mind! How many millions of us are there now? We probably buy more gadgets as a group than any other segment of the global population as a whole, yet we are basically ignored and treated like criminals.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True!!! But the companies always think about the mass market first who are non-tech people who just buy and use the phone as it is..
The issue is warranty! when the phone is being used for development there is always risk of hard brick unless u know what you are doing with the phone. They don't want people messing their devices themselves and claim warranty for it. That is why the bootloaders are locked and flagged if unlocked for development purposes.
Which device did u decide to buy anyway??
StarkV5 said:
True!!! But the companies always think about the mass market first who are non-tech people who just buy and use the phone as it is..
The issue is warranty! when the phone is being used for development there is always risk of hard brick unless u know what you are doing with the phone. They don't want people messing their devices themselves and claim warranty for it. That is why the bootloaders are locked and flagged if unlocked for development purposes.
Which device did u decide to buy anyway??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, that's the reality, but I think there's a situation where companies can say, "Look, here's literally everything you need. All the documentation, sources, drivers, binaries... everything. You can play with your device all you want, but you assume that responsibility if something goes wrong." Then, they ought to make the flashing and modding tools part of the package. Make them robust, and invest in safe flashing systems. Fewer issues as a result.
I don't think it's fair that companies should be made to pay for stupidity, and I accept it as a cost of doing what we all love to do. This is what I thought the "Google Edition" devices were going to be all about, but even there, we still face a situation where so many things aren't provided properly.
I am hunting down a E980. To me, it represents the best value for the money right now. My plan is to use the Loki bootloader exploit, slap CM 10.2 on it and never look back. In fairness, LG's UI is a bit too colorful for my tastes, but it isn't anywhere near as hideous as Samdung's Touchwiz circus clowns on acid abomination.
donalgodon said:
I am hunting down a E980.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice! :good:
I'm sure you will have great time with the device.
donalgodon said:
My only concern is that I don't know if the 980H is the same as the 980.
The 980H is the Panama version, the ROM from which is a popular flash option for this model in a Stock ROM. I'm actually in Panama, and this is where I'll purchase.
What about the root, recovery options? Should I use the one's for the 980? I don't see any for the H variant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bump
Sent from my One X using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Thoughts on downgrading to BL unlockable FW

I had some thoughts awhile back about the possibility of downgrading to a bootloader unlockable firmware. It's not possible to downgrade to 9.8.1Q-66 for which Dan Rosenberg's BL unlock exploit works because Fastboot won't allow it. However, that got me to thinking. Dan's motopocalypse works by exploiting TrustZone, what if I just downgrade trustzone? Can the exploit work then? That happens to be one of the partitions that Fastboot protects. "Fastboot flash tz tz.mbn" returns an error, something about being unable to downgrade. So I wondered, on a rooted device stuck on 9.8.1Q-94, is the tz partition (/dev/block/mmcblk0p7) writable once the phone has booted? The answer is yes. I was able to write the older tz.mbn file into mmcblk0p7 and used cat to pull it back down and do a binary compare to tz.bin to verify it wrote correctly. However, I learned that doing this makes a hard brick, for which a $50 JTAG repair is required.
Anyway, let's put aside the fact that I'm an idiot that jumps right into things I don't have any clue about. I wondered why this didn't work? Could it have something to do with what Dan wrote here?
If the FORCE_TRUSTED_BOOT QFuse is blown, as is the case on all production Motorola devices, each stage of the boot chain is cryptographically verified to ensure only authorized bootloader stages may be run. In particular, the PBL ("Primary Bootloader"), which resides in mask ROM, verifies the integrity of the SBL1 ("Secondary Bootloader") via a SHA1 hash. Each stage of the boot chain verifies the next stage using RSA signatures, until finally Motorola's APPSBL ("Application Secondary Bootloader"), "MBM", is loaded and run.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So maybe the reason my phone is hard-bricked after downgrading the tz partition is because each stage of the boot chain is verified. Maybe downgrading the TZ alone is like breaking a link in the chain of trust because the other partitions are seeing one is the wrong version. Is that a likely explanation for my hard brick?
Now my faulty little hamster brain is thinking, what if I'd downgraded ALL partitions in the boot chain of trust using the DD command? Could that have worked and NOT broken the chain of trust? Well, I will definitely NOT try it since I can't afford to brick another RAZR M just on some uneducated random thoughts I had (and nobody else should try this either), but I wanted to throw my thoughts out there for discussion in the hopes of maybe sparking ideas in someone who is a lot smarter about this stuff than I am.
If someone DOES have a JTAG rig and could try it with impunity, here is the partition map I found http://batakang.com/XT907.php. Seems to be accurate for what partitions I did check.
http://www.cricketusers.com/verizon...cricket-talk-text-mms-internet.html#post15335
I thought you had asked about using QPST.....
aviwdoowks said:
http://www.cricketusers.com/verizon...cricket-talk-text-mms-internet.html#post15335
I thought you had asked about using QPST.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah it seems like he is attempting to reverse the BL patch on phone that Took the OTA.
Theoretically it is possible with the right tools and certifications.
Since Motorola Factory can probably Flash anything they want.
But we have no idea how to bypass those blocks after the Patch.
So OP is trying it Brute force flashing everything he can reverse in hope the Fuse Block can be then blown with the exploit.
Yep, Germanese got it right.
I mentioned using qpst in his other thread because I thought he could unbrick the downgraded tz phone with it And possibly downgrade at the same time because in its bricked state it would possibly accept the older firmware...
Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk
Unfortunately, the phone only presents one USB device ID of 05c6:f006. Windows thinks it's an HID Input Device. Not even lucky enough to get a QDL Loader device showing up. Forcing a Qualcomm modem driver to load results in a yellow exclamation that device cannot start. I haven't tried Linux, but it looks like best case scenario on Linux is to possibly be able to load a modem driver, but then flashing would depend on if there is an AT command to flash a firmware.
I'm not so much interested in fixing my old motherboard as my phone is working great with a new motherboard, but I'm hoping a light bulb pops on in someone's head on how we can get old FW on these phones to take advantage of Motopocalypse.
Only other idea I have is if someone could organize a "strongly worded email" campaign to Motorola requesting they allow us to unlock our bootloaders. Slim chance of that working since I think less than half a dozen people would be willing to take the time and it would probably take thousands flooding their inboxes for someone high enough in Motorola to take notice. I doubt non-unlockable bootloaders is a Verizon idea since I was able to unlock the BL on all my HTC VZW phones right from their website.
I believe Motorola needs to get Verizon to allow a release that can bust the bootloader open, and we know how greeding Verizon is.
Sent from my XT907 using xda app-developers app
TheForceUnleashed said:
I believe Motorola needs to get Verizon to allow a release that can bust the bootloader open, and we know how greeding Verizon is.
Sent from my XT907 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I spoke with a Verizon rep about who makes that call. He told me it was Motorola, that Verizon has nothing to do with whether or not unlocked bootloader is allowed. He might not have known what he was talking about.
Sent from my XT907 using xda app-developers app
Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's Motorola. Otherwise, how come HTC lets you unlock the BL on their Verizon phones?
How come all other similar Motos without Verizon's branding (e.g. Electrify M, RAZR i) let you unlock the BL?
And how come you can unlock Moto X from any carrier, but Verizon?
Still think it's Motorola?
Its the carriers blocking it. Sony xperia til is blocked by Att but every other xperia t model can be. Its just like bloat they control that and BL locks.
SeNT FRoM My MoToRoLA RaZR M XT907 oN T-MoBiLe
I don't know about that. Look at this chart:
https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/87215/action/auth
You will see that IF there is a Developer Edition available for a higher price, then the lower cost consumer version does NOT have a BL unlock available.
IF there is NO higher priced Dev Ed device available, then the consumer version can be BL unlocked.
It looks to me like whoever profits from the selling of DevEd devices is the one who calls the shots.
I know this is going to sound a bit crude, but has anyone tried calling Motorola and asking if they can unlock the bootloader for us?
I'm tempted to call customer service and just ask them. Warranty voided or not, I'd like to have it unlocked and seeing as how I paid money for this device, I want to use it as I see fit.
I didn't call, but I sent an email and received a slightly better than form-letter response (the last 2 sentences give a little bit of hope).
We apologize for any inconvenience. We completely understand how you wanted to unlock the bootloader of your device but the Droid Razr M does not support this feature. The option to unlock the bootloader is currently available for Droid Razr M developer edition. Please know that we are documenting this concerns and this will be routed to the proper department.Hopefully, we will have the same option for the regular Droid Razr M.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I doubt you could get a much better response unless you manage to get the ear of someone with a pretty high pay grade at the company.
GnatGoSplat said:
I didn't call, but I sent an email and received a slightly better than form-letter response (the last 2 sentences give a little bit of hope).
I doubt you could get a much better response unless you manage to get the ear of someone with a pretty high pay grade at the company.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would call bs on their end. The RAZR M regular and dev editions are physically the same phone. Specs are identical. And tell them the boot loader has been unlocked on a previous update as proof of concept. You will have to get through the first few levels of support before you get a real answer.
I'm thinking about pursuing this as well. Keep us updated with what happens
Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk
gtmaster303 said:
I would call bs on their end. The RAZR M regular and dev editions are physically the same phone. Specs are identical. And tell them the boot loader has been unlocked on a previous update as proof of concept. You will have to get through the first few levels of support before you get a real answer.
I'm thinking about pursuing this as well. Keep us updated with what happens
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, I'm pretty sure they know it's not a physical difference. It's a political decision. I personally think it's Motorola and not Verizon making the decision, because of the fact they do sell an unlockable Developer Edition for a premium, which works on the Verizon network.
I'm not sure that going from the bottom will get results. I bet this is a decision well above their pay grade. Might have to see if we can find some executive email addresses and start at the top. At least, that's how someone got results with Apple. Supposedly, the reason AT&T started allowing iPhones to be unlocked is because someone sent an email to Tim Cook, or so the story goes. I haven't been able to find any email addresses for any Motorola execs (there is a "Motorola Executive Team" website, but Contact Us goes to a standard web form).
Verizon Wireless has established a standard of excellence in customer experience with our branded devices and customer service. There is an expectation that if a customer has a question, they can call Verizon Wireless for answers that help them maximize their enjoyment and use of their wireless phone. Depending on the device, an open boot loader could prevent Verizon Wireless from providing the same level of customer experience and support because it would allow users to change the phone or otherwise modify the software and, potentially, negatively impact how the phone connects with the network. The addition of unapproved software could also negatively impact the wireless experience for other customers. It is always a delicate balance for any company to manage the technology choices we make for our branded devices and the requests of a few who may want a different device experience. We always review our technology choices to ensure that we provide the best solution for as many customers as possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lem22[/QUOTE said:
]
That's it... That's what Motorola told me... Verizon wants to be able to trouble shoot your device to unsure they can provide the same coverage to all their customers... If we alter our device they won't be able to know if its what we have done to our device or an issue with their service...from Verizon's POV I understand and agree... From ours not so much but that's why Motorola offers the developer editions
Sent from my XT907 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In that case, we need contact info for Verizon execs.
They should, at least, allow BL unlocks for devices that are no longer under contract or warranty and therefore no longer entitled to technical support.
lem22 said:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And what if I'm using the phone on another carrier outside of Verizon?
Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

Expecting a paid BL unlock from taobao.com

today morning I saw a listing in taobao.com , regarding bl unlock for droid turbo 2 , for 75$ , but soon they removed listing ,if its true then we all will be the happiest people in this world , if any one gets the update related to BL unlock for turbo2 then post here
I remember a time where unlocking the bootloader and gaining root was a fun thing to do for those of us who like to tinker. I remember when devs made awesome ROMs for fun (and donations), back before Cyanogen became mainstream. Now to think we have to pay, especially something like $75 to gain full access to our own device... It is sad. But hey, for $20 I'll do it, but no way am I spending $75 unless I get a whole lot of ROM choices.
Sent from my Turbo 2 using Tapatalk.
aneeshmbabu said:
today morning I saw a listing in taobao.com , regarding bl unlock for droid turbo 2 , for 75$ , but soon they removed listing ,if its true then we all will be the happiest people in this world , if any one gets the update related to BL unlock for turbo2 then post here
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you made an order before they removed it? If so let us know if it worked.
No unfortunately I missed it waiting to re list .. always searching Unlocked turbo2 .. in taobao..
Once you unlock it, which recovery are you going to use?
don't know
dinkoh said:
Once you unlock it, which recovery are you going to use?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You would use the moto x force recovery
Exleh said:
I remember a time where unlocking the bootloader and gaining root was a fun thing to do for those of us who like to tinker. I remember when devs made awesome ROMs for fun (and donations), back before Cyanogen became mainstream. Now to think we have to pay, especially something like $75 to gain full access to our own device... It is sad. But hey, for $20 I'll do it, but no way am I spending $75 unless I get a whole lot of ROM choices.
Sent from my Turbo 2 using Tapatalk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely agree $20 or 25 i would pay but not $75!
$75 is steep, but for the control I just may do it. Of course I'd much rather spend $20-25.
Exleh said:
I remember a time where unlocking the bootloader and gaining root was a fun thing to do for those of us who like to tinker. I remember when devs made awesome ROMs for fun (and donations), back before Cyanogen became mainstream. Now to think we have to pay, especially something like $75 to gain full access to our own device... It is sad. But hey, for $20 I'll do it, but no way am I spending $75 unless I get a whole lot of ROM choices.
Sent from my Turbo 2 using Tapatalk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gaining root or unlocking bootloader was much easier before, less number of devices to make rom for, etc. Now is completely opposite. Unlocking bootlader requires a lot of knowledge now and it's understandable that someone wish to monetize it. Cannot find
I would blame vendors or in this case carriers for locking our own devices. But I also understand why. IMO, solution is what Moto and some others do, offer official unlock with losing warranty. Would be nice to keep warranty but nothing is perfect.
something like this happened 2 years ago, it was a chinese motorola worker who unlocked the phones.
Jaocagomez said:
something like this happened 2 years ago, it was a chinese motorola worker who unlocked the phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup this is how I got my xt1080m moto maxx unlocked
Jimmy8881 said:
Yup this is how I got my xt1080m moto maxx unlocked
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ME too but it cost 40 bucks 75 is steep and no roms available yet or ever.
Zeljko1234 said:
Gaining root or unlocking bootloader was much easier before, less number of devices to make rom for, etc. Now is completely opposite. Unlocking bootlader requires a lot of knowledge now and it's understandable that someone wish to monetize it. Cannot find
I would blame vendors or in this case carriers for locking our own devices. But I also understand why. IMO, solution is what Moto and some others do, offer official unlock with losing warranty. Would be nice to keep warranty but nothing is perfect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is very true. But I doubt Moto will be up for fighting with Verizon about that.
Jaocagomez said:
something like this happened 2 years ago, it was a chinese motorola worker who unlocked the phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
he didn't unlock the phones, he was distributing the unlock codes from a stolen/pirated data base.
I plan to wait until Sunshine has turbo2 support. Might take a while but its only 25...
during a live chat & twitter @jcase told they will not working on it anytime soon .. no support ,
Exleh said:
That is very true. But I doubt Moto will be up for fighting with Verizon about that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never say never
http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_be...unlocks_on_verizon_moto_x_2014-news-16006.php
aneeshmbabu said:
during a live chat & twitter @jcase told they will not working on it anytime soon .. no support ,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, please keep our names out of your "mouth". You do not represent us. We don't discuss future support (as we told you over and over when you were asking about droid turbo 1,you kept submitting the same question FOUR times in our support system).
I have all records of your support tickets, and I have records of your chat (Which you ended up getting banned from).
We wont comment on future device support, and we certainly wont give you insight to our private operations.
jcase said:
Again, please keep our names out of your "mouth". You do not represent us. We don't discuss future support (as we told you over and over when you were asking about droid turbo 1,you kept submitting the same question FOUR times in our support system).
I have all records of your support tickets, and I have records of your chat (Which you ended up getting banned from).
We wont comment on future device support, and we certainly wont give you insight to our private operations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Amen. Lol

is the unlocked version worth the price over Verizon buy one get one?

Looking to get the 3XL when it comes out through Verizon. Most likely Verizon is going to run a buy one get one with adding on a new line in.
With the phone being stock Android already but with a Verizon locked bootloader is it more beneficial to give up the buy-one-get-one and just buy an unlocked one through Verizon? If I go the buy-one-get-one route myself and my brother-in-law are going to be splitting the retail cost of the one we have to buy
EDIT 10/13/2018
Come to find out we cannot have any more smartphones on our line with it being a special plan that it is. So we can't take advantage of the buy one get one
If you want root, then do not buy the Verizon version. On all previous Verizon Pixel devices "OEM unlocking" in developer options has been disabled. With that disabled you can't unlock the bootloader. With a locked bootloader you can't install TWRP. Without TWRP you can't install Magisk. Without Magisk you have no root.
If having root is not important to you, then feel free to go for the Verizon version.
Face_Plant said:
If you want root, then do not buy the Verizon version. On all previous Verizon Pixel devices "OEM unlocking" in developer options has been disabled. With that disabled you can't unlock the bootloader. With a locked bootloader you can't install TWRP. Without TWRP you can't install Magisk. Without Magisk you have no root.
If having root is not important to you, then feel free to go for the Verizon version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know the whole locked bootloader, TWRP stuff. It's probably been since my Google Nexus and I believe my Note 4 or 5 that I messed with rooting, unlocked bootloaders and roms LOL
But with it being stock pure Google is there really anything truly beneficial to having the unlocked bootloader to allow for rooting possibilities. I used to root my phone's just to run custom roms to get rid of them bloatware that other manufacturers put on it. But since the pixel doesn't have a bloat or skin overlay, is there a real reason for rooting capabilities?
Androider4Life said:
I know the whole locked bootloader, TWRP stuff. It's probably been since my Google Nexus and I believe my Note 4 or 5 that I messed with rooting, unlocked bootloaders and roms LOL
But with it being stock pure Google is there really anything truly beneficial to having the unlocked bootloader to allow for rooting possibilities. I used to root my phone's just to run custom roms to get rid of them bloatware that other manufacturers put on it. But since the pixel doesn't have a bloat or skin overlay, is there a real reason for rooting capabilities?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's always good reasons to root. Ad blocking is the number one thing that comes to mind. Utilities like Better Battery Stats to see what's killing your battery, Titanium Backup to backup your apps or uninstall system apps, WakeBlock to block or limit wakelocks so your phone isn't waking up every 10 seconds to send analytics data to Facebook/Twitter/Google when it should be sleeping, etc.
Google phones still come with bloat, it's just not as bad as Samsung or LG phones. For example, my 6P came with a ton of Google apps installed (Play Games, Hangouts, Play Movies, Docs, Slides, and **** ton more) that I would probably never use or have a desire to use. Sure you can disable most of them, but I'd rather remove them entirely.
These are the best reasons for rooting. Ad blocking is a good one, and I just enjoyed flashing new and different roms. It was fun - there was a new cm nightly every day to flash. I've got away from that partly because of less development and partly because stock android is pretty good as is. New features like android pay are very security conscious and don't play well with root. It's up to you if you want to give up the ability to root. Half price on the phone is pretty tempting. If you can't handle staying stock you could probably get your price out of the phone on Swappa and buy from Google. If there is any development to get in to. I've been stock the past year and am happy with that.
dmb219 said:
These are the best reasons for rooting. Ad blocking is a good one, and I just enjoyed flashing new and different roms. It was fun - there was a new cm nightly every day to flash. I've got away from that partly because of less development and partly because stock android is pretty good as is. New features like android pay are very security conscious and don't play well with root. It's up to you if you want to give up the ability to root. Half price on the phone is pretty tempting. If you can't handle staying stock you could probably get your price out of the phone on Swappa and buy from Google. If there is any development to get in to. I've been stock the past year and am happy with that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did not think about the swappa thing. May be a good idea depending on what it's going for on there when it releases.
If I would stick with the Verizon variant, I would just need to stay off XDA and not read "what I could be doing with the unlocked variant" lol.
Androider4Life said:
Looking to get the 3XL when it comes out through Verizon. Most likely Verizon is going to run a buy one get one with adding on a new line in.
With the phone being stock Android already but with a Verizon locked bootloader is it more beneficial to give up the buy-one-get-one and just buy an unlocked one through Verizon? If I go the buy-one-get-one route myself and my brother-in-law are going to be splitting the retail cost of the one we have to buy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ill never understand why anyone would buy a device thats locked down if they dont have to.
Absolutely Id go for the nom Verizon version....its a no brainer.
Sent from my Note 9 exynos, S9 plus exynos, Pixel 2 XL or Note FE
Don't get a locked device, especially if you're hanging out on XDA!
galaxys said:
Don't get a locked device, especially if you're hanging out on XDA!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What he said ^^
galaxys said:
Don't get a locked device, especially if you're hanging out on XDA!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, the fact that you're here is testament to the need for the unlocked Pixel. I've been mostly stock for the last couple years but tinker occasionally. I want the ability to tweak my phone even if I choose not to, especially if there is some development going on. I hope there is some life left in the Pixel community here, it's been kind of quiet. The phone is more difficult to mod and to be honest, the stock software is hard to improve on.
dmb219 said:
Yea, the fact that you're here is testament to the need for the unlocked Pixel. I've been mostly stock for the last couple years but tinker occasionally. I want the ability to tweak my phone even if I choose not to, especially if there is some development going on. I hope there is some life left in the Pixel community here, it's been kind of quiet. The phone is more difficult to mod and to be honest, the stock software is hard to improve on.
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That was my thought too about how stock software is hard to improve on to justify buying unlocked rather than the buy one get one thru Verizon ( if they offer it) and splitting the cost of the one we have to buy.
Androider4Life said:
That was my thought too about how stock software is hard to improve on to justify buying unlocked rather than the buy one get one thru Verizon ( if they offer it) and splitting the cost of the one we have to buy.
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I don't have Verizon but if I got a Pixel for half price thru my carrier I might be on that. My son has Verizon and gets his phone free from his work. He was a hacker too but has been good with a stock Pixel XL since he got it. Monthly updates - hard to beat stock on the Pixels.
As others have mentioned, having an unlocked phone generally means you are able to root the device. However, I couldn't help but noticing Google's new Titan chip that is claiming to securing passwords and the OS. My question is, how is this new "chip" going to play with "rooting" the device. Will simply having an unlocked device bypass this new Titan chip?
At this moment Verizon's 128gb model is 30$ more at 1029.99 with 9% tax 1122.69 plus $30 upgrade fee. Total $1,152.69
Google's version is 999.99 with 9% tax $1089.99
So all in all with tax one is saving over roughly 62$
Verizon is doing BOGO on the 64gb only, and offering a wireless stand. Even without the BOGO it equalizes out.
I don't need the BOGO so buying from Google is cheaper for me
I haven't rooted in YEARS. The last phone I rooted was the 1+2. OEM vanilla android is so good now I'm not even tempted. I stopped specifically when I thought about why I was installing ROMs. I wanted one that hid from Android Pay (back in the day) and allowed me to clone my phone if it broke. So, I was installing software from suspect sources to make copies of my device and perform financial transactions... Dafuq was I thinking!
This probably isn't a popular thing to say, but... how much do you really trust random dudes calling themselves "SKREET/|/KLoWnzZ", or some ****, who put together the "(-XxX[DaRTh++KriMzON ].::.KaRBoN.::.SKuLLzZzXxX-)" ROM, anyway? You've probably got some kind of banking data on that phone, right? I'm not saying Devs are crooks, but I'm certain more than one dude out there isn't on the up-and-up, I promise you. Mathematics demands it to be so. My wife would choke the piss out of me if our account got drained because I compromised our data using a hot ROM cooked up in Romania.
NOW, I get unlocked phones so I can carry a blank phone and switch carriers for trips overseas. My Pixel 2XL will replace my Nexus 6 as my travel phone, and the Pixel 3XL will be my main phone
I have been purchasing my phones directly either from Google or HTC, just so I could unlock and root. But I haven''t been rooting, even with an unlocked bootloader. I am probably not going to unlock my Pixel 3XL since I want to use Android Pay, and also play PoGo (I know Magisk can hide it, but it's always a game of cat and mouse.)
Plus, you never know. The original Verizon Pixel was unlockable for a brief time. It's unlikely, but it could happen this time as well.
Androider4Life said:
I know the whole locked bootloader, TWRP stuff. It's probably been since my Google Nexus and I believe my Note 4 or 5 that I messed with rooting, unlocked bootloaders and roms LOL
But with it being stock pure Google is there really anything truly beneficial to having the unlocked bootloader to allow for rooting possibilities. I used to root my phone's just to run custom roms to get rid of them bloatware that other manufacturers put on it. But since the pixel doesn't have a bloat or skin overlay, is there a real reason for rooting capabilities?
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Since the Nexus? You didn't even unlock the 5X? So the question is should I spend an extra $1000 so I can possibly use Adaware? You won't need Titanium if you're not flashing roms, Better BS works perfectly without root, and there is no bloatware any longer. I understand if these things like flashing roms from Romania (lol that post above is funny) are important to you but you haven't rooted in like what, 5 years now? This is really a no brainer.
---------- Post added at 11:51 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:48 AM ----------
spotmark said:
Plus, you never know. The original Verizon Pixel was unlockable for a brief time. It's unlikely, but it could happen this time as well.
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Not gonna happen like it did for that one month. That flaw has been closed. I'm just waiting for a bounty thread for temp root. And I'm wondering even with temp root if you'd be able to unlock the bootloader on this device.
bobby janow said:
Not gonna happen like it did for that one month. That flaw has been closed.
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I'm well aware of that, thanks, but I prefer to be optimistic and hope that we may get lucky. When we get them in our hands, we'll know for sure.
spotmark said:
I'm well aware of that, thanks, but I prefer to be optimistic and hope that we may get lucky. When we get them in our hands, we'll know for sure.
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I do admire your optimism but they've been at this a long time and it seems they really have it locked down this time. Unless the Pixel 3s have an exploit I just don't see it. I do hope you're right though.
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