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

[DroidXcon]

The HTC One is awesome.

Yes it is!!!! Glad you are enjoying it.

Can't wait to get my S4(if I can convince my wife to let me )



From my Galaxy Note 2 via Tapatalk

 

[anon5664829]

Yes it is!!!! Glad you are enjoying it.

Can't wait to get my S4(if I can convince my wife to let me )



From my Galaxy Note 2 via Tapatalk

Truth to be told its actually my mums and she is enjoying it as well, she comes from an iPhone and enjoys the larger screen.

 

[DroidXcon]

Truth to be told its actually my mums and she is enjoying it as well, she comes from an iPhone and enjoys the larger screen.

Iphone needs to increase their screen size. I feel like people that switch away from iphone into devices with larger screens will be less likely to switch back if iphone doesn't increase screen size....
Of course not all users as some like smaller devices but a good chunk of users will have a tough time downgrading screen size especially the older crowd.

From my Galaxy Note 2 via Tapatalk

 

[anon5664829]

Iphone needs to increase their screen size. I feel like people that switch away from iphone into devices with larger screens will be less likely to switch back if iphone doesn't increase screen size....
Of course not all users as some like smaller devices but a good chunk of users will have a tough time downgrading screen size especially the older crowd.

From my Galaxy Note 2 via Tapatalk

Personally I don't like the screen size of the iPhone 4S BUT IMHO the iPhone 5 size is good, I like the iPhone at 4" but it would be awesome if they made a 4.5" model for people like me.

 

[anon5664829]

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

Why not?

 

[Podunks]

Why not?

Do you own an HTC One, or an S4?

 

[anon5664829]

Do you own an HTC One, or an S4?

My mum owns the HTC One.

 

[goelz83]

I hope everyone in here saw this but I'm pretty sure this isn't an issue anymore:

Qualcomm-based Galaxy S4 models now have a root method | Android Central

I looked through the past ten replies or so and I didn't see any mention of the root being available.

 

[DroidXcon]

I hope everyone in here saw this but I'm pretty sure this isn't an issue anymore:

Qualcomm-based Galaxy S4 models now have a root method | Android Central

I looked through the past ten replies or so and I didn't see any mention of the root being available.

Unlocked bootloader and root are different

From my Galaxy Note 2 via Tapatalk

 

[return_0]

Unlocked bootloader and root are different

From my Galaxy Note 2 via Tapatalk

This.

Sent from my pure Google Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

 

[smooth3006]

Sold my s4 and bought the one. I dont regret it. From what im reading on xda this bootloader might not get cracked anytime soon, if at all.

 

[buckwheatdx]

So I may have missed this explanation already but does flashing a custom rom/removing the bloatware necessitate an unlocked bootloader? I assume it does from the outrage.. :-\

 

[DroidXcon]

So I may have missed this explanation already but does flashing a custom rom/removing the bloatware necessitate an unlocked bootloader? I assume it does from the outrage.. :-\

There is no outrage but it is important to know the difference because trying to load a custom rom/recovery onto a locked device could result on a soft bricked device. So yes you need to be unlocked.

From my Galaxy Note 2 via Tapatalk

 

[DroidXcon]

So I may have missed this explanation already but does flashing a custom rom/removing the bloatware necessitate an unlocked bootloader? I assume it does from the outrage.. :-\

You can remove bloat with just root. But after gaining root use titanium backup to freeze bloat rather then deleting apps.

From my Galaxy Note 2 via Tapatalk

 

[buckwheatdx]

Maybe outrage was a strong word, but there appear to be a few disgruntled posters. Thank you for the info. I just bought a GS4 after a long stay in iWorld so I'm a little new to all this. Does anyone know of a guide that can explain the difference between root, unlock, and flashing a custom rom/kernal? I'm picking some of it up but its a bit gibberish still.

You can remove bloat with just root. But after gaining root use titanium backup to freeze bloat rather then deleting apps.

From my Galaxy Note 2 via Tapatalk

That's good to hear. Removing the bloatware seems more needed than flashing a rom right off the bat.

 

[DroidXcon]

Maybe outrage was a strong word, but there appear to be a few disgruntled posters. Thank you for the info. I just bought a GS4 after a long stay in iWorld so I'm a little new to all this. Does anyone know of a guide that can explain the difference between root, unlock, and flashing a custom rom/kernal? I'm picking some of it up but its a bit gibberish still.



That's good to hear. Removing the bloatware seems more needed than flashing a rom right off the bat.

I'll link you or explain when I get a chance. On my way to work now

From my Galaxy Note 2 via Tapatalk

 

[Tom S.]

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

Yes, and void your warranty unlocking the One.

It is our responsibility to caution you that not all claims resulting or caused by or from the unlocking of the bootloader may be covered under warranty.

HTCdev - Unlock Bootloader

 

[salah100]

So I may have missed this explanation already but does flashing a custom rom/removing the bloatware necessitate an unlocked bootloader? I assume it does from the outrage.. :-\

i would also like to know the same, people who have custom rom on S4 and who are rooted, isnt they bootloader locked?

thanks

 

[ryd0g]

So I may have missed this explanation already but does flashing a custom rom/removing the bloatware necessitate an unlocked bootloader? I assume it does from the outrage.. :-\

Yikes, it seems there is a little lack of clarity here, and some legitimate beginner questions that we can help out with. So this will be a little elementary for many, I apologize ahead of time.

Bloatware is the extra software that your phone manufacturer or carrier puts on your phone. Often, this runs voluntarily or otherwise, and consumes resources and can deplete your battery. Many of us never intend or want to run this anyway. So...

The OP is concerned about unlocking, which would allow you to replace the bloated OS with a slim, non-bloatware version of the stock Android OS (These replacement versions are referred to as ROMs). Some of these ROMs offer other benefits as well that don't come with the stock deployment. Anyway, that's one way to rid your phone of the added software. It's also a somewhat risky approach, and requires some know how and the right ROM for your phone/carrier to do correctly. But again, it requires the 'bootloader to be unlocked' so this new version can be applied and accessed. At the moment, there doesn't seem to be a way to unlock the S4, hence the frustration for people that want to go this route (like the OP.)

However, there is another way to stop bloatware from running - by rooting your phone. Rooting means giving you (and some useful software) 'administrative access' to your phone's files. Almost all stock Android phones are basically letting you run in what might be called 'guess access' - and limits your ability to change/delete/move files. Rooting is not as complicated as unlocking and is a fairly easy process. If you go this route, you can download apps (ie; titanium backup) that can 'freeze' or remove the bloatware as needed.

Both of these approaches will likely void your warranty, and should be done before you're 12 beers in. Both of them require you to download the appropriate software to accomplish. Unlocking and applying a new ROM is a little more dangerous, and usually (some exceptions) takes a little longer for a developer to make the neccesary software available. Like the S4, which is now root-able.

Lastly, all of this is covered in different areas of this forum. As for my opinion on the OP's sitch, which no one asked for, is that both of these approaches will be available to both the HTC and the S4 soon. So I wouldn't make a phone decision based on the ability of being able to unlock as that will be moot in short order. AND the OP can root/freeze as needed right now.

Hope that helps someone out there.