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Locked down bootloader? Blame the carrier

trophynuts

trophynuts

Extreme Android User
So with the news of late about the RAZR bootloader situation. Can you still bash Moto for it's locked bootloaders? My opinion is no you can't. I always knew this was a carrier issue. The news lately has pretty much confirmed that.


Thoughts anyone?
 
Whose fault is it that we cannot alter our phones the way we want?

For many Android fans, tinkering around with devices is one of the most fun advantages of the platform (rooting, ROMs, etc.). This is why locked bootloaders have always been a problem for true believers of Android
 
Motorola actually eluded to this when the Xoom was being demo'd. They had said that it would be carrier choice to have the bootloader unlocked. I've always thought it was VZW's bright idea to lock up the phones. I stopped blaming the manufacturers a long time ago.

IMO, wireless tethering is probably the biggest reason why they choose to lock up the phones. I don't think they can care less if people decided to delete their apps or overclock the device but wireless tethering is there main reason for doing this. So I understand why VZW and other carriers do this but I'm still not a fan of their choice.
 
Except for lines grandfathered into unlimited data then wireless tethering is legal on VZW now IIRC. I think once we get a better look at the nexus on VZW and see if they implemented checks to prevent rooting on it as well we will really know how much pull VZW has over the OEM. At this point I am not ready to say it is all VZW even with how the current news is coming in.
 
Yeahha said:
Except for lines grandfathered into unlimited data then wireless tethering is legal on VZW now IIRC. I think once we get a better look at the nexus on VZW and see if they implemented checks to prevent rooting on it as well we will really know how much pull VZW has over the OEM. At this point I am not ready to say it is all VZW even with how the current news is coming in.
Click to expand...

I didn't know it was legal on VZW if you are on a unlimited data to wireless tether without being on the appropriate plan?

I think it's mostly VZW and other carriers but you may be right about OEMs wanting some kind of bootloader protection to protect their proprietary software.
 
Are the carriers getting kickbacks from the installed junk?

I've seen complaints about Verizon offering data hogging programs, and then limiting data or forcing a more expensive plan.
So if you have a program that automatically updates everything at anytime, you can't limit it? More $ for Verizon?
 
xmr405o said:
I didn't know it was legal on VZW if you are on a unlimited data to wireless tether without being on the appropriate plan?

I think it's mostly VZW and other carriers but you may be right about OEMs wanting some kind of bootloader protection to protect their proprietary software.
Click to expand...

Sorry I wasn't clear. If you are on a tiered plan with VZW then you can tether as far as I know. The idea being you will pay for 5GB to use and tether freely with but not 2 GB for the phone and 3 to tether with. There may be something I have missed because I am on the unlimited plan but I seem to recall this cycling around a few weeks ago on phandroid and in the vzw forums.
 
Thanks for posting that Article VS that was a good read.

makes me wonder if Moto/VZW have a deal worked out or what.

I wonder if any of that will change in about 12 months from now after Google owns Moto for a while.
 
Yeahha said:
Sorry I wasn't clear. If you are on a tiered plan with VZW then you can tether as far as I know. The idea being you will pay for 5GB to use and tether freely with but not 2 GB for the phone and 3 to tether with. There may be something I have missed because I am on the unlimited plan but I seem to recall this cycling around a few weeks ago on phandroid and in the vzw forums.
Click to expand...

Hello and thanks for the information. I would like to add to it, if I may. Below is some clarifiction on the Hotspot feature and data usage.

The 2 GB data allowance ($20.00 monthly) for the Mobile Hotspot feature will be added to the data allowance of any of our currently offered data plans for a combined total data allowance to be used when tethering and/or utilizing data on your Smartphone when not tethered.

For example, if you have the 2 GB Smartphone data package and the Mobile Hotspot feature, you will have 4 GB of data to use. If you exceed the total allowance, a $10.00 charge will apply and you will receive an entire GB of additional data to use.

To determine your data usage approximations, please visit the following link:

www.verizonwireless.com/datacalculator

If you would like to add the Mobile Hotspot feature to your line, please sign in to
 
Hardware should be like software & be "open source".... or should it?

I think how it is now, is about right. The manufacturers are looking after their intellectual property & keeping out nasty hackers, some of which might do something... nasty. But then later on things loosen up a little, it's the same with iOS, when we have to wait for a hack from some "honest devs".

Personally I think it's OK to wait & read up on stuff. The phones weren't designed that way & all this hacking stuff is an obsessive hobby for some. It's a phone :rolleyes:. I'll do custom roms or modding AFTER reading all about & ONLY if it will be of some benefit. So many threads about X latest custom rom & this or that feature still not working or perfect. I got better things to worry about than flashing my phone every night :rolleyes:
 
!on said:
Hardware should be like software & be "open source".... or should it?

I think how it is now, is about right. The manufacturers are looking after their intellectual property & keeping out nasty hackers, some of which might do something... nasty. But then later on things loosen up a little, it's the same with iOS, when we have to wait for a hack from some "honest devs".

Personally I think it's OK to wait & read up on stuff. The phones weren't designed that way & all this hacking stuff is an obsessive hobby for some. It's a phone :rolleyes:. I'll do custom roms or modding AFTER reading all about & ONLY if it will be of some benefit. So many threads about X latest custom rom & this or that feature still not working or perfect. I got better things to worry about than flashing my phone every night :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

It sounds like you are just not the right cantidate for rooting. Some of us like customizations that can't be done on a non-rooted phone. If you are happy with your phone being stock and don't care about any part of what goes on with rooting or what you can do with roms then just don't root your phone but why shouldn't I be allowed to root and customize mine how I want to because it doesn't interest you?
 
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