Samsung Will Offer Developer Edition Galaxy S III with Unlockable Bootloader

[liftedplane]

This is either Samsung's payback for vzw trying to throw them under the bus about the locked bootloader, or Samsung's way of throwing us a bone and hopefully there is a key to unlocking all devices in the dev phone

That's what I was thinking, pretty cool way to say eff you VZW. I wonder how pissed the execs are dancedroidDancingNexus

 

[jroc]

Nice move, Samsung.

Those talking about swapping, didnt most folks just now get their phone? It should still be within 14 days. I dont think it will be a problem. Just gotta pay retail...

 

[loki993]

So it looks like this is what the future is like? Release the locked down version on the carrier and then release the unlocked "developer edition" that you have to pay full price for the privileged of using. First Moto and now Sammy. Part of me is sad and annoyed and another part is glad that there is at least an option to buy a phone that hasn't been messed with by any carrier. Now....how about a GS2 developer edition for 300? I have credit card ready.....

 

[skennelly]

So it looks like this is what the future is like? Release the locked down version on the carrier and then release the unlocked "developer edition" that you have to pay full price for the privileged of using. First Moto and now Sammy. Part of me is sad and annoyed and another part is glad that there is at least an option to buy a phone that hasn't been messed with by any carrier. Now....how about a GS2 developer edition for 300? I have credit card ready.....

For those of us that still have unlimited data, it won't matter. If we want to keep unlimited we'll have to pay retail anyway.



*Sent from my Galaxy to yours through tapatalk

 

[skennelly]

I don't understand why releasing a key wouldn't be a better option. Even if they did charge us. It appears as though Samsung is just being greedy.



*Sent from my Galaxy to yours through tapatalk

 

[syndicate0017]

I don't understand why releasing a key wouldn't be a better option. Even if they did charge us. It appears as though Samsung is just being greedy.



*Sent from my Galaxy to yours through tapatalk

Verizon probably wouldn't let them. VZ doesn't want unlocked boot loaders on their network. By "giving" people this option rather than an unlock tool, they deter more people from unlocking.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[loki993]

For those of us that still have unlimited data, it won't matter. If we want to keep unlimited we'll have to pay retail anyway.



*Sent from my Galaxy to yours through tapatalk

Yeah I was going to mention that as well. Retail for a locked down phone vs an unlocked one Ill take the unlocked one. Maybe more carries will offer unlocked versions in the future. Honestly though I wouldn't see it being very profitable so I doubt that will happen.


Sometime I wonder if we would all be better off if we moved away from the subsidized phone model completely like the rest of the world. That way no carriers mess with the phones. Yeah getting a new phone would be painful, but I think it would result in more and better options.

 

[MissionImprobable]

At least people who just bought their phones on subsidy could sell them to buy this one. Odds are you could get around $400 and then buy this one so you'd onlly be out $200 in the end, no? Regardless, there's no way this phone is actually worth the price tag. The cost of new phones direct is ridiculously out of sorts.

 

[loki993]

Moving off of subsidies should help prices as well, at least eventually.

 

[bp328i]

They shouldn't called this the developers edition they should have called it "The way it should of been in the first place edition".

 

[bacK_N_87]

They shouldn't called this the developers edition they should have called it "The way it should of been in the first place edition".

Basically

 

[cereal killer]

I don't understand why releasing a key wouldn't be a better option. Even if they did charge us. It appears as though Samsung is just being greedy.



*Sent from my Galaxy to yours through tapatalk

Blame Verizon. They won't allow it and know that most rational people won't pay $600.00 for a darn phone

 

[npro1464]

This is great and all, but we could just buy a dev phone direct from Google and circumvent all of this BS in the future. And, its $250 cheaper.

 

[SquireSCA]

While I like this, I just don't see the point in paying $600 for a device that will be obsolete in 6 months and doesn't really do more than the phones we already have. I just can't see spending $600 on a phone each year, in addition to the $100+ per month... At the end of the day, is talking and texting worth 2 grand per year?

The phone charges are what they are I guess, but when new top shelf phones come out every 6 months, and it takes 6-12 months for them to even catch up to the current version of the OS, it just seems like a very expensive and losing battle. Other than bragging rights at the next Dragoncon convention, it doesn't seem to have much payoff. haha

 

[jroc]

Edit.....