And...the AT&T S4 has a locked bootloader...

[chubb]

It's not a matter of if a phone gets unlocked, it's a matter of when.

Luckily, I don't have to pick between the two.

Not every phone has had the bootloader unlocked

 

[anon5664829]

So who's going to take a nice walk to the HTC One forum with me? I'm sorry but I find this inexcusable. Samsung devices are known to have unlocked bootloaders on all carriers except for Verizon and now us AT&T users are being forced to deal with it. I enjoy custom roms. Not being able to install them is a huge issue for me. I know that eventually the bootloader will be unlocked, but it's possible that it could take months and, from what I'm told, AT&T has packed on the bloatware with the S4 in ways they never have on other devices. I've even seen some comments about the AT&T bloatware, along with Samsung's very own, actually bogging the device down. This is 2013 and I'm coming from a Nexus 4. Lag is inexcusable and, for me, a custom rom would be necessary almost immediately to improve the speed of the device if it really is that bogged down.

I was heavily considering the HTC One and the S4. My plan was to simply walk into my local AT&T store and make a very subjective comparison between the One and the S4 on the spot. But now I don't even think I can do that. Any device with a locked bootloader does not deserve to be an Android device, in my opinion. Android is an open source operating system and there is nothing open source about locking a bootloader. In fact, it's nearly as despicable as what Apple does to their devices with each upgrade. And if Samsung is going to be the new Apple (if the locked bootloader is even Samsung's fault; it could easily have been forced on them by AT&T), I don't plan on purchasing any more of their devices.

Anyway, I know this won't change the opinions of those who don't use custom roms (as far as I know, rooting is still possible with a locked bootloader), but it's a major deterrent to me. I haven't owned an Android device, other than my Nexus 7, that actually runs on its stock software. So, sorry S4 forum. I've been posting here a little and a ton on the S4 XDA forum since the S4's announcement. But this is pretty much it. I now don't think the S4 is the right phone for me and, if you're a fan of custom roms and development, it might also not be for you.

Source:
AT&T S4 MAY be bootloader locked. CONFIRMED according to Samsung - xda-developers

Apple does nothing despicable. they upgrade the device every year and you can jailbreak if stock iOS is not enough.

 

[scorpiodsu]

Hold up there cowboy, I never said those were the only reasons. Hey I even stated it was for the non-tech savvy in a separate paragraph if you want to get technical.

So dont jump to conclusions. ;-)




Did I say you specifically were? I just stated overall it would be for the less technically skilled... People get their shorts in a bunch over the silliest things.

No but you made a silly generalization. But again, it's only your opinion. Not anything that carries any weight. I apologize for also having a weightless opinion.

Sent from my HTC One using Android Central Forums

 

[scorpiodsu]

Apple does nothing despicable. they upgrade the device every year and you can jailbreak if stock iOS is not enough.

This is true. I don't know what apple does that's so despicable. The update the OS that blocks the exploit. Every iteration of android has to also reunlocked because the exploit is different. All these hatred toward any company is silly in my opinion especially since all of them have the same goal....make their wallets heavier and ours lighter.

Sent from my HTC One using Android Central Forums

 

[anon5664829]

This is true. I don't know what apple does that's so despicable. The update the OS that blocks the exploit. Every iteration of android has to also reunlocked because the exploit is different. All these hatred toward any company is silly in my opinion especially since all of them have the same goal....make their wallets heavier and ours lighter.

Sent from my HTC One using Android Central Forums

Yeah so do I, I personally like iOS a lot- stock so I don't understand how there can be so much hate for a company. Samsung paid students to post bad review of the HTC One Apple has done nothing this despicable.

 

[anon5664829]

People said the same stuff about iPhones because it is much more user friendly so therefore it's for people that are not tech savy. People say the wildest things sometimes Anyone can make something difficult where only a select few can use it but it takes someone extraordinary to take something difficult and make it so that anyone can use it.

Take it from someone who runs an MIS team and can build complicated databases, write VBA/SQL code and advanced excel skills. But I guess I'm not tech savy because I use a One. I use to have an iPhone so I guess I'm just a dummy

I'm tech savvy and have a N4 and iPhone 5,does that make me really smart and really stupid?

 

[scorpiodsu]

Yeah so do I, I personally like iOS a lot- stock so I don't understand how there can be so much hate for a company. Samsung paid students to post bad review of the HTC One Apple has done nothing this despicable.

Yeah I have no harsh feelings towards any of them. There are things I like and dislike about all but some things people say about any of them is wild. You'd think Steve Jobs personally punched a couple of people in the face on here lol.

Sent from my HTC One using Android Central Forums

 

[anon5664829]

Yeah I have no harsh feelings towards any of them. There are things I like and dislike about all but some things people say about any of them is wild. You'd think Steve Jobs personally punched a couple of people in the face on here lol.

Sent from my HTC One using Android Central Forums

LOL yeah some people are acting like Steve jobs personally hit them or was personally a jerk to them.

 

[jtc276]

Apple does nothing despicable. they upgrade the device every year and you can jailbreak if stock iOS is not enough.

Ok. Maybe that was a bit of a bold assertion. I have the newest iPad (iPad 4, I guess) and I love it. I'm also going to be purchasing a Mac Mini in the very near future. But I could never own an iPhone and be satisfied. I hate that default programs can't be set for things such as browsers and the inability to download files from the browser is pretty terribe. I've jailbroken my iPad and gained these abilities, but it's still annoying that two aspects of Android that have become so commonplace to me simply don't exist on iOS.

Oh, and I should probably justify them purchase of my iPad so I don't sound like a hypocrite. I first purchased a Nexus 10. It had chronic light bleed and extreme lag so I exchanged it for another. The replacement also had terrible light bleed and lag. Fed up with the quality control issues and the fact that no one on XDA seemed to have one without some sort of issue, I bought a device that I knew probably wouldn't have any issues. And really, my iPad works perfectly for me. It has dedicated tablet apps that Android currently can't compete with and the browsing is wonderful on Chrome. None of the shortcomings of iOS bother me on the iPad because I'm not a power user when it comes to tablets. Smartphones, however...well, I don't see myself using a phone that doesn't run on Android for a very long time.

 

[anon5664829]

Ok. Maybe that was a bit of a bold assertion. I have the newest iPad (iPad 4, I guess) and I love it. I'm also going to be purchasing a Mac Mini in the very near future. But I could never own an iPhone and be satisfied. I hate that default programs can't be set for things such as browsers and the inability to download files from the browser is pretty terribe. I've jailbroken my iPad and gained these abilities, but it's still annoying that two aspects of Android that have become so commonplace to me simply don't exist on iOS.

Oh, and I should probably justify them purchase of my iPad so I don't sound like a hypocrite. I first purchased a Nexus 10. It had chronic light bleed and extreme lag so I exchanged it for another. The replacement also had terrible light bleed and lag. Fed up with the quality control issues and the fact that no one on XDA seemed to have one without some sort of issue, I bought a device that I knew probably wouldn't have any issues. And really, my iPad works perfectly for me. It has dedicated tablet apps that Android currently can't compete with and the browsing is wonderful on Chrome. None of the shortcomings of iOS bother me on the iPad because I'm not a power user when it comes to tablets. Smartphones, however...well, I don't see myself using a phone that doesn't run on Android for a very long time.

Agreed, iOS is awesome on tablets.

Although regarding the iPhone, I have an iPhone 5 and N4 and to me Android does all the things iOS does quicker. So I don't mind iOS on phones too much since I have a N4 as well.

Apparently IOS 7 is gonna be a revamp you should keep a lookout on it because the guy responsible for locking down iOS so much had been fired last year.
And yes the latest iPad is the fourth gen.

 

[Podunks]

Root apparently has been achieved. http://www.droid-life.com/2013/04/2...es-powered-by-snapdragon-chips/#disqus_thread

This, now this thread topic is meaningless.

 

[DroidXcon]

This, now this thread topic is meaningless.

Well achieving root does not make the bootloader topic meaningless. There is still no way to unlock the bootloader yet. I'm sure someone will find a method son though

From my Galaxy Note 2 via Tapatalk

 

[SpiralBorg]

Well achieving root does not make the bootloader topic meaningless. There is still no way to unlock the bootloader yet. I'm sure someone will find a method son though

From my Galaxy Note 2 via Tapatalk

Perhaps, in the coming months.
When everyone can get their hands on the device.

Sent from my MZ604 using Android Central Forums

 

[Raptor007]

Apple does nothing despicable. they upgrade the device every year and you can jailbreak if stock iOS is not enough.

While that is true jailbreaking is not a guarantee it can take 6 months and apple is quick to close the holes in their OS.

 

[Podunks]

Well achieving root does not make the bootloader topic meaningless. There is still no way to unlock the bootloader yet. I'm sure someone will find a method son though

From my Galaxy Note 2 via Tapatalk

True, though the fears of it being locked down too tightly should be absolved.

 

[anon5664829]

While that is true jailbreaking is not a guarantee it can take 6 months and apple is quick to close the holes in their OS.

Yeah, but then this is no different with your carriers locking the bootloader and making it hard to unlock.

 

[The Real X Dawg]

Yeah, but then this is no different with your carriers locking the bootloader and making it hard to unlock.

True but at least there are other options to get an unlocked Android. Far as the S4 if it can't be unlocked I guess I'm sticking with the One and Note 2.


My phone is a good One!

 

[eyecon82]

So who's going to take a nice walk to the HTC One forum with me? I'm sorry but I find this inexcusable. Samsung devices are known to have unlocked bootloaders on all carriers except for Verizon and now us AT&T users are being forced to deal with it.

Source:
AT&T S4 MAY be bootloader locked. CONFIRMED according to Samsung - xda-developers

this is ATT's decision...not Samsung's. Samsung should have screwed ATT and not allowed a locked bootloader...what else is ATT going to do? They need to start acting like Apple and start bullying these wireless carriers around

 

[anon5664829]

My phone is a good One!

The HTC One is awesome.

 

[Raptor007]

I am sue it is, but for now its not an option for me.