What’s an unlocked bootloader worth?

[torifile]

I’m debating whether I should go with an unlocked Pixel 2 or take up Best Buy on their $100 off offer. Is an unlocked bootloader worth $100? Say I don’t want to install a ROM but want to root. What else would a locked bootloader prevent me from doing?

 

[Flexia]

I’m debating whether I should go with an unlocked Pixel 2 or take up Best Buy on their $100 off offer. Is an unlocked bootloader worth $100? Say I don’t want to install a ROM but want to root. What else would a locked bootloader prevent me from doing?

Absolutely nothing. I would only get the unlocked version if you plan on rooting. Both versions are carrier unlocked meaning you can use them on any carrier. The unlocked version may have a better resale value though in a year.

 

[torifile]

Absolutely nothing. I would only get the unlocked version if you plan on rooting. Both versions are carrier unlocked meaning you can use them on any carrier. The unlocked version may have a better resale value though in a year.

I thought that I could still root with a locked bootloader but that I couldn’t install a custom ROM. I don’t know for sure if that’s true, but I do know that I read it on the interwebs... I’m not too concerned with the resale value - I’d be surprised if there’s a $100 difference between the 2 devices.

I guess the big question for me, since either should be running stock(ish) Android is: can I get rid of any and all Verizon crap from the phone easily?

 

[Flexia]

I thought that I could still root with a locked bootloader but that I couldn’t install a custom ROM. I don’t know for sure if that’s true, but I do know that I read it on the interwebs... I’m not too concerned with the resale value - I’d be surprised if there’s a $100 difference between the 2 devices.

I guess the big question for me, since either should be running stock(ish) Android is: can I get rid of any and all Verizon crap from the phone easily?

On the original pixel when I first got released there was a way to unlock a Verizon bootloader but soon after that process got patched by Verizon. With the Verizon bloatware on the original pixel it only installed 3 apps but where deletable by the user. The same apps got installed on the unlocked version as soon as you use the Verizon sim

 

[torifile]

On the original pixel when I first got released there was a way to unlock a Verizon bootloader but soon after that process got patched by Verizon. With the Verizon bloatware on the original pixel it only installed 3 apps but where deletable by the user. The same apps got installed on the unlocked version as soon as you use the Verizon sim

Good to know. Thanks. So, if I went with the Verizon Pixel, would I still be able to install things like a system-wide adblocker? What exactly would I be missing if I root but can’t unlock the bootloader?

 

[gabbott]

Good to know. Thanks. So, if I went with the Verizon Pixel, would I still be able to install things like a system-wide adblocker? What exactly would I be missing if I root but can’t unlock the bootloader?

Only thing you'll miss is the ability to flash the factory image.

 

[torifile]

Only thing you'll miss is the ability to flash the factory image.

Cool. In poking around the web a bit, I’ve gotten conflicting info on whether we need to unlock the bootloader to root. This quora thread: https://www.quora.com/Is-it-necessary-to-unlock-bootloader-before-rooting-Android-phones seems split about 70/30 in the “you don’t need to unlock the bootloader to root” camp. What’s the actual deal?

 

[Flexia]

Honestly this is all speculation based on the first pixel though. I'd look over on the pixel forms in XDA to see if you could root without unlock. For some reason I'm thinking with the dual boot partitions pixel had every reset you would lose root. But I'm not even sure if you could root the pixel without unlock. I never had a Verizon pixel so I can't be a hundred percent certain on that though. Honestly we'll just have to wait and see after the pixel 2 gets released on what can be rooted.

 

[Almeuit]

Nothing to me. I haven't rooted / ROMd since the Galaxy S3 / Note 3 days. Android has matured and the needs / uses that I went to root for are no longer needed.

 

[anon(9072051)]

I’m debating whether I should go with an unlocked Pixel 2 or take up Best Buy on their $100 off offer. Is an unlocked bootloader worth $100?

Quick point of clarification just in case: No matter where you buy it, your new Pixel 2 will come with a locked bootloader. That "unlocked version" designation only refers to the phones being "carrier unlocked." No OEM would ever sell a phone with an unlocked bootloader. (Unless they decided that doing so would get them out of supplying OTA updates.)

 

[davidnc]

I also used to unlock bootloader and root/ROM all my phones.

Back in those days ( June 2010) you even had to root to take a screen shot of your phones screen's.
There was no other way unless you wanted to connect though a computer and jump tho some hoops to get a screen shot of your screen

The Galaxy S3 was the last phone I did root and ROM tho.

After the S3 I pretty much went with the phones that were close to stock Android and that has matured as well.So no longer have rooted /ROMed

But I do always buy " unlocked." phones, that will work on different phone carriers

 

[openwheelracing]

They are worth the same in the used market. Get whatever is cheaper or sooner.

 

[torifile]

Quick point of clarification just in case: No matter where you buy it, your new Pixel 2 will come with a locked bootloader. That "unlocked version" designation only refers to the phones being "carrier unlocked." No OEM would ever sell a phone with an unlocked bootloader. (Unless they decided that doing so would get them out of supplying OTA updates.)

All pixels are carried unlocked; that’s a given. The question is whether the Verizon version of the pixel will have an *un-unlockable* bootloader and if that’ll make a difference in practice for me. It’s sounding like it won’t.

 

[Mike Dee]

They are worth the same in the used market. Get whatever is cheaper or sooner.

I checked the other day and noticed that the fully unlocked sells for slightly higher, however I find the difference insignificant. It might make it sell quicker but I'm only speculating.

 

[gmermel]

All pixels are carrier unlocked.

The Verizon version of the pixel will have an *un-unlockable* bootloader.

t

Spoke with Google Tech. You are correct re carrier:

Yes, in no uncertain terms, put bow on this: Verizon version is CARRIER UNLOCKED. It works on the network you want. VZW, T-Mobile, ATT etc. will work in Europe though you need to understand the limitations and costs re roaming, network speeds etc. Probably similar in Asia and Africa though I never looked. Doubt this will apply in Antarctica yet

To your question:

Yes, in no uncertain terms, put a bow on this :The only difference between the unlocked and Verizon version is the LOCKED BOOTLOADER.

Short story: If you are wondering if this is important for you, fuhgeddaboudit. You've answered your own question. It won't matter.

I bet most folks don't know what a bootloader is. I'm one of them, though I did root a Nexus using a "one touch program". It didn't do anything at all to advance my experience with the phone.

This question keeps coming up because we never heard the term before, and if we did the concept of a bootloader is opaque--It worries them to feel their VZW phone is somehow deficient. They don't know what a bootloader is, which means they won't ever run into the what it allows. Their experience with the phone will not be impacted in the slightest.

For those that care, they know precisely which phone they need. They know it because they understand all about bootloaders, rooting, flashing images etc.. And therefore they are able to make an informed decision as to whether it's important that they have access to the bootloader.

 

[torifile]

t

Spoke with Google Tech. You are correct re carrier:

Yes, in no uncertain terms, put bow on this: Verizon version is CARRIER UNLOCKED. It works on the network you want. VZW, T-Mobile, ATT etc. will work in Europe though you need to understand the limitations and costs re roaming, network speeds etc. Probably similar in Asia and Africa though I never looked. Doubt this will apply in Antarctica yet

To your question:

Yes, in no uncertain terms, put a bow on this :The only difference between the unlocked and Verizon version is the LOCKED BOOTLOADER.

Short story: If you are wondering if this is important for you, fuhgeddaboudit. You've answered your own question. It won't matter.

I bet most folks don't know what a bootloader is. I'm one of them, though I did root a Nexus using a "one touch program". It didn't do anything at all to advance my experience with the phone.

This question keeps coming up because we never heard the term before, and if we did the concept of a bootloader is opaque--It worries them to feel their VZW phone is somehow deficient. They don't know what a bootloader is, which means they won't ever run into the what it allows. Their experience with the phone will not be impacted in the slightest.

For those that care, they know precisely which phone they need. They know it because they understand all about bootloaders, rooting, flashing images etc.. And therefore they are able to make an informed decision as to whether it's important that they have access to the bootloader.

I appreciate your thoughts on this, but you’re not entirely correct about my not knowing what a bootloader is. I have used Android in the past and most definitely needed an unlocked bootloader at those times because I wanted to get rid of the crap HTC and Samsung put on their devices so I installed several custom ROMs over the years. In those cases, yes, I definitely needed an unlocked bootloader.

I’ve also enjoyed tinkering with Android and sometimes that tinkering led to unfortunate outcomes so it was nice to be able to have a full Titanium backup to just roll back to in case things got too broken.

Finally, I’m leaving iOS for an Android experiment because I’m bored of iOS these days. One of the nice things I’m looking forward to is being able to stretch my legs a bit and tinker...

I’ve never had a Google device so I don’t know if I’d want to install a custom ROM or not, nor do I know if I’d be satisfied with the limited customization afforded to me by a locked device.

 

[Almeuit]

I’ve never had a Google device so I don’t know if I’d want to install a custom ROM or not, nor do I know if I’d be satisfied with the limited customization afforded to me by a locked device.

Just get the unlocked version then? .

 

[diesteldorf]

Cool. In poking around the web a bit, I’ve gotten conflicting info on whether we need to unlock the bootloader to root. This quora thread: https://www.quora.com/Is-it-necessary-to-unlock-bootloader-before-rooting-Android-phones seems split about 70/30 in the “you don’t need to unlock the bootloader to root” camp. What’s the actual deal?

Technically, it's possible to root without unlocking the bootloader. In the past, exploits would need to be located, so that custom software could be injected that would allow the user to get root access.

The original Droid X (circa 2010) was a good example of a phone that was able to be rooted, even though the bootloader was locked tight.

The problem is, depending on how you look at it, OEM manufactures have gotten very good at preventing/patching software exploits, so rooting without unlocking the bootloader can be very difficult.

Fewer developers are willing to invest the time to try and root a phone with an unlockable bootloader, since it could be an exercise in frustration.

The Pixel 2 from Google will eventually get root access since developers know it will be easy to unlock the bootloader and add custom root software to the phone.

I am getting the unlockable version since I still like to play with my phone and use apps like Titanium Backup.

One other point, though I have yet to experience it, is the Huawei 6P has caused bootloop issues after updating to newer versions of android. Some users have been unable to get the phone working, without getting a warranty exchange from Google.

My Huawei 6P is out of warranty, so if my bootloader was locked, I'd be SOL.
However, some XDA developers have been able to correct the issue by flashing custom software. In this case, having an unlockable bootloader could be very valuable.

 

[gmermel]

I appreciate your thoughts on this, but you’re not entirely correct about my not knowing what a bootloader is. I have used Android in the past and most definitely needed an unlocked bootloader.

I dunno, I would say you perfectly meet the criteria I described as someone who CERTAINLY needs the unlocked bootloader:

"For those that care, they know precisely which phone they need. They know it because they understand all about bootloaders, rooting, flashing images etc.. And therefore they are able to make an informed decision as to whether it's important that they have access to the bootloader."

 

[sulla1965]

As others pointed out. If your not going to root or install roms there is no reason to care. AFAIK, If you want to install root apps, well the phone must be rooted. For root you will have to unlock the bootloader first. That's why Verizon and at&t lock the bootloaders, to prevent users from potentially bricking their phone and then filing for a replacement. "Your warranty is now void" But I believe Google doesn't void warranties if the bootloader is unlocked, but I could be wrong.