HTC Locking bootloaders?

[jstafford1]

Its not so much doom and gloom as a principal thing. Android was supposed to be open, but is becoming closed. Encryption is the next step for HTC. So its not far off. Only time will tell....

How is it the next step though? Dinc locked Evo T-Bolt locked Eris locked G1(probably) & 2 locked Nexus 1 locked.

Locked, but not signed...now locked and signed....its coming. They are slowly getting to a locked down system. Motivated by the carriers I'm sure.

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[jstafford1]

Its not so much doom and gloom as a principal thing. Android was supposed to be open, but is becoming closed. Encryption is the next step for HTC. So its not far off. Only time will tell.

Sent from somewhere...

That's my thought as well.

It has nothing to do with Android not being open. Maybe I'm just arguing semantics with you guys but Android itself has always been and always will be open source. Nothing has changed there. What's changed is Verizon is pressuring HTC and Motorola to lock their HANDSETS down, not Android, so that the software that's on it can't be modified. This is because they're trying to create a closed handset environment where they control everything to the t so they can gurantee top quality service. That is their viewpoint and I think it is valid. However, 90% of Android customers aren't going in there looking for a dev friendly phone with unlocked bootloader, yadda yadda yadda. This reminding me a lot of our DRM battle. The only people locking music/locking bootloaders are the people using it. 10% of the population is gonna want an unlocked phone to do with as they please and they have every GD right to do so.

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That's why I said manufacturers and carriers. They are ruining Android. Android will remain open of course, but if the hardware isn't then what's the point??

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[dfuser312553]

Actually I can't name an unlocked HTC android device. This seems like....absolutely nothing has changed.

 

[pc747]

I suspected that companies would start leaning toward locking devices after 1) people kept bricking their phones and 2) after spyware was found in the market. If you are going to encrypt the bootloader to protect me then I as a user should have the right to purchase that key especially if after a year of owning my device the manufacturer decide that they are not going to support the device anymore. Now I understand them locking the device IF they are protecting their software (sense, blur), but allow us the option to unlock it, and upon unlocking it you remove your software. Now part of the software that motorola and htc paid for may include swype, skype, and other features and apps I like. But that is fair for all parties, if the oem is paying for the software as a feature then if I want that feature I will have to keep my phone locked and running their custom UI. If I want to run a custom rom and unlock it then I lose the features they offer in exchange for me running a custom rom.

 

[thesandman00]

Agreed. As has been pointed out numerous times in this thread, the openness of the entire package has been a huge draw for some people (obviously not all since there is still a large demographic of people that don't care, hence the outrageous iPhone sales). That has been the huge advantage.

 

[dfuser312553]

Its not so much doom and gloom as a principal thing. Android was supposed to be open, but is becoming closed. Encryption is the next step for HTC. So its not far off. Only time will tell....

How is it the next step though? Dinc locked Evo T-Bolt locked Eris locked G1(probably) & 2 locked Nexus 1 locked.

Locked, but not signed...now locked and signed....its coming. They are slowly getting to a locked down system. Motivated by the carriers I'm sure.

Correct me if I'm wrong but that is the point of unlocking; once unlocked you can run unsigned. Just like Dinc correct?

 

[jstafford1]

How is it the next step though? Dinc locked Evo T-Bolt locked Eris locked G1(probably) & 2 locked Nexus 1 locked.

Locked, but not signed...now locked and signed....its coming. They are slowly getting to a locked down system. Motivated by the carriers I'm sure.

Correct me if I'm wrong but that is the point of unlocking; once unlocked you can run unsigned. Just like Dinc correct?

The TB was more locked down then previous HTC phones. Its obvious things are only going to get more locked down as time goes on. Some move faster then others. Moto jumped and dlammed the door. HTC is slower going. Just noting a trend...and that trend is away from the whole "open" nature of what Android was supposed to be.

Sent from somewhere...

 

[dfuser312553]

Locked, but not signed...now locked and signed....its coming. They are slowly getting to a locked down system. Motivated by the carriers I'm sure.

Correct me if I'm wrong but that is the point of unlocking; once unlocked you can run unsigned. Just like Dinc correct?

The TB was more locked down then previous HTC phones. Its obvious things are only going to get more locked down as time goes on. Some move faster then others. Moto jumped and dlammed the door. HTC is slower going. Just noting a trend...and that trend is away from the whole "open" nature of what Android was supposed to be.

I'm still not seeing any change in HTC's practices. Maybe different methods to unlock HTC's various devices but it's different hardware.

Moto had it easy encrypting because it was a native feature to the OMAP when developed by TI. It's actually a really good thing for us that OMAP has been dropped by them.

The TB can be unlocked & it's been out 1 week. If they're trying then they are obviously failing. For real, where is the trend towards tighter security on HTC's part?

 

[jengas kahn]

why would you expect this to be unlocked when the latest htc phone came locked?

 

[jstafford1]

HTC getting tighter...samsung rumored to be locking bootloaders...doesn't matter if they take baby steps or huge ones. A trend is a trend.

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[cereal killer]

Locked, but not signed...now locked and signed....its coming. They are slowly getting to a locked down system. Motivated by the carriers I'm sure.

Correct me if I'm wrong but that is the point of unlocking; once unlocked you can run unsigned. Just like Dinc correct?

The TB was more locked down then previous HTC phones. Its obvious things are only going to get more locked down as time goes on. Some move faster then others. Moto jumped and dlammed the door. HTC is slower going. Just noting a trend...and that trend is away from the whole "open" nature of what Android was supposed to be.

Sent from somewhere...

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[jaycemiskel]

If everyone keeps locking stuff down I may look into iOS. At least I will be guaranteed updates.

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[jstafford1]

Correct me if I'm wrong but that is the point of unlocking; once unlocked you can run unsigned. Just like Dinc correct?

The TB was more locked down then previous HTC phones. Its obvious things are only going to get more locked down as time goes on. Some move faster then others. Moto jumped and dlammed the door. HTC is slower going. Just noting a trend...and that trend is away from the whole "open" nature of what Android was supposed to be.

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[dfuser312553]

I give up! I don't know if what has changed. Everything coming from the carriers & manufacturers has been crap news for modding for a while now & HTC doing the same thing they always do seems to me like a good thing for the dev community. 30 minutes banging ADB for unlock & root? Sign me up

 

[jkhonea]

I give up! I don't know if what has changed. Everything coming from the carriers & manufacturers has been crap news for modding for a while now & HTC doing the same thing they always do seems to me like a good thing for the dev community. 30 minutes banging ADB for unlock & root? Sign me up

Note the above post. The locks are evolving. Meaning they are moving forward to try to lock them down more. At the rate they are going it is only a matter of time before they lock them down entirely.