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The Inquirer reports that Huawei has ended the support for bootloaders on its devices. This greatly reduces the utility and desireability of the phones for developers and others keen on customization. It's for our own good, apparently:
"In order to deliver the best user experience and prevent users from experiencing possible issues that could arise from ROM flashing, including system failure, stuttering, worsened battery performance, and the risk of data being compromised, Huawei will cease providing bootloader unlock codes for devices launched after May 25, 2018," the firm burbled.
See also Android Authority on Huawei will no longer allow bootloader unlocking (Update: Explanation from Huawei).
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Huawei Has Ended Support for Unlocking Bootloaders on Its Devices
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For recreational use only.
(Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Monday May 28 2018, @02:50PM (5 children)
I have a BLU phone that came with Android 5 and "upgraded" to 6 last year. There's so much about the upgrade that is extremely disrespectful of consumer desires and rights. Since the upgrade, a new system app routinely spams me with ads that can't be turned off or blocked. The option to shut off background data is rigged in such a way that it's way too easy to accidentally to turn background data back on. Feels like all of Google, BLU, and the service provider are working every angle they can think of to raise my costs while deflecting blame for it on each other, or bugs or viruses, or even me. Telling customers some new anti-social feature is actually for our own good has become an all too common and standard move. That's what MS said about Windows activation. Android and Google have a reputation for being above that, the whole "don't be evil" thing, or so I thought and hoped.
The biggest reason for the upgrade was the visual voicemail, and I had it for a short while before it mysteriously disappeared for no apparent reason whatsoever. I suspect a subsequent "upgrade" quietly removed that functionality and the responsible parties are playing stupid about it. Must be a bug, yeah, that's it.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by takyon on Monday May 28 2018, @03:42PM
BLU Phones Secretly Sent Personal Data to China [soylentnews.org]
Amazon Suspends Sales of Blu Phones Due to Privacy Concerns [soylentnews.org]
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Funny) by edIII on Monday May 28 2018, @05:29PM (3 children)
Just wait. The Librephone is coming, and that will be fully open, blob/binary free, and run Linux. I currently use cheap ass burner phones and my laptop to do stuff, but I'm looking forward to a Librephone.
Where Wifi is ubiquitous, I can turn off my cellular radio and GPS entirely, and then make and receive calls via VOIP.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 28 2018, @05:47PM (1 child)
And, you know it.
(Score: 2) by suburbanitemediocrity on Monday May 28 2018, @06:33PM
It has already been done. At least by individuals.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=arduino+gsm+module&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=raspberry+pi+gsm+module&_sacat=0 [ebay.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 28 2018, @09:18PM
So even the modem will run only Free Software? No blobs whatsoever?