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Huawei Will No Longer Allow Bootloader Unlocking On Its Android Handsets (androidauthority.com)

Posted by msmash on from the reversing-stance dept.

Chinese smartphone maker Huawei has long made it easier for users to unlock the bootloader on its phones. But that is changing now. Android Authority: Earlier this month a support page, which detailed ways to unlock a bootloader, disappeared without any explanation from the company's websites. In a statement, the company said, "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 risk of data being compromised, Huawei will cease providing bootloader unlock codes for devices launched after May 25, 2018." It added, "For devices launched prior to the aforementioned date, the termination of the bootloader code application service will come into effect 60 days after today's announcement. Moving forward, Huawei remains committed to providing quality services and experiences to its customers. Thank you for your continued support."

5 of 253 comments (clear)

  1. Right to unlock by r_naked · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I am against the government getting involved in most aspects of our lives, but this is flat out a case where government intervention is needed,

    If a phone can't be unlocked so I can install whatever OS I want, then it should not be allowed to be imported into the USA.

    This includes the iPhone...

    If I pay $3000 for a top of the line laptop, I can install whatever OS I want. It may not work perfectly, but that is on me. If I pay $300 for a bottom basement laptop, I can still install whatever OS I want.

    This has GOT to change with phones as well.

    They try to give some bullshit about how it is to protect the network, but that is a load of horseshit.

    --
    -- http://anonet.org -- The internet the way it was meant to be. Check it out, you may be surprised.
    1. Re:Right to unlock by BlueStrat · · Score: 4, Interesting

      If I pay $3000 for a top of the line laptop, I can install whatever OS I want.

      Only for the present, but that too shall change. The Political-Industrial Complex will push to have ALL devices locked into officially-sanctioned bootloaders and OS's soon. Lost profits and lost opportunities to snoop due to a non-homogeneous software/OS/encryption/security environment making spying and mass data-collection difficult will not be tolerated.

      It's coming unless there is serious pushback.

      Strat

      --
      Progressivism (aka US 'Liberalism'): Ideas so good they need a police/surveillance-state to enforce.
    2. Re:Right to unlock by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Interesting

      You idiots have been claiming this for more than a decade and it has never come true.

      It's been true since a couple years ago now.

      All OEM laptops will only boot an OS that has its boot loader digitally signed by Microsoft to be allowed to boot. It's a requirement to have their "Windows 10" certification sticker, and an OEM Win10 installation on them.

      The reason you mistakenly might believe this isn't the case (other than being a troll that does know better) is because RedHat pays Microsoft their yearly stipend to have their Grub loader be signed by Microsoft to be allowed.

      But many Linux distros, and many other OSes, can't or don't wish to pay for this, and no longer boot on newer x86_64 and amd64 based computers.

    3. Re:Right to unlock by wierd_w · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Given that the heart of android is FOSS, if sufficient information about the hardware is known, then it seems perfectly reasonable for an android port to that hardware to exist, barring some really strange hardware related situations that would make that more trouble than it is worth. (say, the custom ARM CPU is missing some really important instructions or features.)

      See also-- AOSP, and derivatives, like LineageOS.

      The real reason is that the hardware makers dont want people poking about with unfettered OS level control over their chips and radios, because a lot of those are fully software controlled, and with a modified binary blob, features that they charge extra for can be turned on easily.

      They cuddle up to the FCC, and complain that these experimenters and hackers (oh my!) are theoretically able to violate the transmit power restrictions, frequency band restrictions, and other restrictions put in place to comply with FCC regulations, and so the end user needs to be prevented from having access to that level of control over the hardware at all costs.

      In reality, it is simply so the handset maker can market their new 5G! enabled handset. (when the changes that enable that communication mode are mostly just software, and the older handset can often communicate at that rate just fine with the right blob being pushed into it.)

    4. Re:Right to unlock by CoolDiscoRex · · Score: 5, Interesting
      Sorry, but this is in no way, shape or form a 'right'. Governments should not get involved in this. Vote with your wallet. If people want phones whose bootloader they can unlock, they should stop buying Huawei phones immediately.

      The flying monkey fuck they shouldn't. Enforcing laws of ownership is a primary function of government. When you buy a product, it is yours to do as you please. This is a basic tenant of common law dating back hundreds of years. That companies think that they still control the products they sell you is the slipperiest of slopes that needs government intervention before it spreads and becomes out of hand as the 90% sit like frogs in a pot and watch.

      Another primary function of government is to protect the minority from the tyranny of the majority. As it stands, then 10% have to accept what the 90% will tolerate. As you will hear often, "most customers don't care about unlocking the boot loader", therefore, your private property rights will go away because the 90% don't care, and the market clout of the 10% is simply not enough to make a meaningful difference to manufacturers.

      If you are truly advocating that we only be allowed what the masses will accept, then you're advocating for a whole bag of hurt, not to mention a society which caters only to the whims of the masses, the average IQ of which is now 98.

      It's why people coming back from Asia are startled by how far behind we are technologically. Americans will accept less. It doesn't bode well for our future.

      Relying on the people to enforce your rights via market forces has proven to be a colossal failure as most people, altogether now, "don't care".

      Holding the most technically literate people in a nation slaves to what the masses will accept is very much not a good thing, for reasons which I hope are obvious.