“OnePlus has announced a new system that limits who can unlock the bootloader on their phones. Stating reasons such as “data security” and an enhanced “system stability” […]. OnePlus has introduced a new procedure where anyone wanting to unlock the bootloader on their devices must first fill out an online request form for “Deep Testing””.

Even if it is for one region, it is still enshitification preventing phones to have custom ROM 🤦‍♂️

  • shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip
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    2 months ago

    Fucking fantastic. /s. This is probably the first step to killing bootloader unlocking entirely and that could be a real problem because to the best of my knowledge that would leave Google and maybe Fairphone as the only two possibilities in existence until Graphene launches a device

      • ElectroLisa@piefed.blahaj.zone
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        2 months ago

        Motorola does conditional bootloader unlocks, you need to have your device connected to the internet for roughly 7 days after you bought it, in order to have the “OEM unlocking” option available. Then you have to request a bootloader unlock key through their website which requires a Lenovo ID account.

        I’m not saying it’s impossible, but at any of those steps they can make shit worse (like Xiaomi did).

        To my knowledge the only brand which lets you unlock your bootloader without a fuss is Nothing. Sony and Fairphone are on close second but there you still need to request a bootloader unlock key.

        • psud@aussie.zone
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          2 months ago

          Google don’t restrict unlocking the boot loader. I just checked on my Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the OEM unlocking toggle is still there. The only barrier is enabling developer options by repeatedly tapping the build number in settings/about phone, just like it always has been

          You can only relock the bootloader with a signed OS image loaded

  • darcmage@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    2 months ago
    • “requirements are only applicable to users in China”
    • “restrictions will not apply to previous versions of ColorOS” (<16)
    • “unlocking the bootloader won’t void the phone’s warranty”

    While not ideal, it’s also not the end of the world.

    • vividspecter@aussie.zone
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      2 months ago

      Hopefully this is as far as it goes and not something they will continually restrict each year. This feels similar to the Xiaomi situation which seems to have had the same problems in China, and they have gradually restricted unlocking more and more.

  • Grass@sh.itjust.works
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    2 months ago

    I had the 5 but really everything after 1 was aafter they had become just as bullshit as the competition

  • Korhaka@sopuli.xyz
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    2 months ago

    I just stopped buying Android devices. Now I inherit old ones that other people would have thrown out. They are ok if you didn’t pay for it.

  • kamen@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    As someone who just tried daily driving a non-unlocked phone for the first time in 10+ years, I’m interested in seeing some development in the direction of sandboxing. Not sure how stuff works in GrapheneOS for example (haven’t tried it) and haven’t delved into too much details of AOSP either, but I think it makes sense - make sure that system and sensitive apps are not possible to tamper with even if you want to, and run everything else in a separate space that you can have root access to. Would be nice, although realistically I don’t see this happening outside of some developer-focused device.

    But yeah, even if I don’t want to unlock, I’d prefer having the peace of mind that I can if I decide to. Haven’t tried OnePlus so far, and this here makes is much less likely that I would in the future.

  • 𞋴𝛂𝛋𝛆@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    They are going out of business and should be considered compromised by piracy. Buying a One Plus is supporting a global criminal organization.

    • Steve@communick.news
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      2 months ago

      Any citations? I haven’t been paying attention to OnePlus specifically, but haven’t heard about any of this.

      • sunzu2@thebrainbin.org
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        2 months ago

        Not sure what means beyond that in early 2020 OnePlus was going open route. I think there was even speculation they would allow bootloader relock for calyx or lineage

        Then just like that no and now this…

      • 𞋴𝛂𝛋𝛆@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        The article… Locking the bootloader is ceasing to sell a product that can be owned. It is a rental controlled by someone else actively, not just passively through a proprietary orphan kernel. It is action taken to filter, manipulate, and exploit. That is actually a soft coup against democracy itself, if you grasp the role of informed autonomous citizens and the reason ignorance is never an excuse in a democracy. The mechanism of trust is a fascist tool that is diametrically opposed to a liberal democracy. Trust in the chain of information flowing to a citizen is to subjugate and steal the right of citizenship. This is fundamentally simple with enormous implications. The naive stupidity of people blind to this fundamental issue is truly sad. The transition to actively exploiting the device, is to surrender democracy to a traitorous pirate if you purchase one of these. It is not small thing to shrug off. This is a pivotal moment and issue that will create an unimaginatively dark dystopia. The problem with coups is only the speed at which they are executed. This is a foundational cornerstone taken slowly where people are far to stupid to see it and resist in time to make a difference.