Newb Question: Implications of Locked Bootloader

[Premium1]

I wish the manufacturers would offer an official means to unlock every bootloader and you would have to sign something saying you take responsibility and register your phone so if anything happened the carriers could say well you signed and agreed to this and are SOL. I think that would be a win for everyone because open devices are so much less likely to brick and easy to bring back to life( look at the nexus devices)

 

[Ricky Babalu]

So to get this straight...

Root allows us to use tethering apps, backup apps, and rid the phone of bloat? Correct

Unlocking the bootloader would allow custom ROMs? Root will allow custom ROM's. Unlocking the bootloader would allow kernels and radios. Unless they find a workaround like with Moto?

Or am I confusing what these things do?

 

[hub_cap]

Could someone elaborate on the benefits of unlocked kernals and radios? For example:

Kernals allow .....

Radios allow ....

I'm coming from a DX...so ROMs are as far as I've been on the dark side. Even though I've never been beyond ROMs, after reading the threads I'm excited about the possibilities of having the unlocked kernal/radio....but it would be even better if I really knew (in simple language) WHY I was so excited??

 

[Droosh]

True we can get some ROMs remove bloat, etc. After that however to get the most out of AOSP ROMs and promote a dedicated development community for our devices we need to break this encryption or lobby Verizon and Samsung to unlock it.

Sent from my Verizon locked down GSIII

 

[Srambo217]

You forgot to add that kernels also manipulate CPU speeds and voltages.

Sent from my ICE CREAM SANDWICH (CM9) powered DROID X2 using Android Central Forums

 

[ultravisitor]

Unlocking the bootloader would allow custom ROMs? Unless they find a workaround like with Moto?

The Motorola workaround allows for custom ROMs, but not custom kernels. Without that, the customization experience is very limited.

 

[Jace]

Just to clarify: the only thing we can't get right now with root and no unlocked bootloader are custom kernels and radios?

Why is the customization experience so limited without kernels?

 

[Crispy]

You can get custom kernels using the kexec method, but it requires booting from a custom recovery each time and is not a proper unlock.

Honestly the chances of the bootloader getting unlocked are extremely slim - it's never been possible for any phone. There will be some workarounds but most likely the phone will remain crippled and the dev support is already far behind any other phone.

 

[inm8num2]

You can get custom kernels using the kexec method, but it requires booting from a custom recovery each time and is not a proper unlock.

Honestly the chances of the bootloader getting unlocked are extremely slim - it's never been possible for any phone. There will be some workarounds but most likely the phone will remain crippled and the dev support is already far behind any other phone.

Do you mean that devs are already giving up on the Verizon GS3 and moving to other devices?

If so, that sucks.

 

[Crispy]

Do you mean that devs are already giving up on the Verizon GS3 and moving to other devices?

If so, that sucks.

No, they aren't giving up, but waiting for the bootloader unlock. If you look at the dev forums for the other GS3 phones, there are tons of roms/kernels/tweaks, because with an open phone anyone can experiment and do it without fear of bricking.

 

[inm8num2]

But it sounds like the bootloader will never be unlocked.

Ugh I have a hard time keeping track of all this. I'm trying to figure out if I want to keep my unopened phone, sell it, return it, etc.

 

[Jace]

But it sounds like the bootloader will never be unlocked.

Ugh I have a hard time keeping track of all this. I'm trying to figure out if I want to keep my unopened phone, sell it, return it, etc.

Ditto. Would it make sense to keep it, sell it unopened, then buy the unlocked developer version? Can you even keep the phone without activating it? Thought Verizon would charge full price for it.

 

[ajnevares]

Ditto. Would it make sense to keep it, sell it unopened, then buy the unlocked developer version? Can you even keep the phone without activating it? Thought Verizon would charge full price for it.

But it sounds like the bootloader will never be unlocked.

Ugh I have a hard time keeping track of all this. I'm trying to figure out if I want to keep my unopened phone, sell it, return it, etc.

Same here, I have the Nexus unlocked and love flashing ROMs and installing kernels, but the S3 has proven to perform better overall (radio, battery, screen, sound, speed) and the external memory is huge for me! Should have held out for the developer device :-\

 

[inm8num2]

People are telling me I can't sell the phone unless it's activated on my line first. Then it loses some value on ebay that way.

And apparently people are getting alternate upgrades through family plans to work while keeping unlimited data on their actual lines. I might just return the phone and wait for something better. Then again, by that time I might lose unlimited if I go from 3G to 4G.

Why does Verizon need to ruin everything, LOL.