Earlier quoted context omitted.
Doesn't that rule out any phone?
Not, reportedly, the Librem 5 phone.
A phone, sure, a smartphone, not a chance
Samsung kills the cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 if you unlock the bootloader
101–110 of 204 posts
Re: Samsung kills the cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 if you unlock the bootloader
#102Earlier quoted context omitted.
You can cancel or return it. Money is a signal every company has to pay attention to.
I have been hearing "vote with your wallet" for more than 30 years. It has never, ever, made a difference in the direction of hardware.
It depends on the circumstances. If everyone on HN orders a phone from some new phone startup, and then everyone returns it a few weeks later, that could spell the end of the company. But for companies like Apple and Samsung, making products is just kind of a hobby side business -- they could collect interest on the balance of their corporate treasury indefinitely and make more money than you could ever imagine.
Re: Samsung kills the cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 if you unlock the bootloader
#103AFAIK similar thing happens with Sony smartphones. They claim to officially support AOSP. But:
"If you unlock the bootloader, you may void the warranty of your device and/or any warranty from your operator. See your device’s warranty statement for details. Additionally, due to the modified device software, Sony’s repair network will likely have to replace key components before it can properly test, repair and verify your device using our repair tools and software. Consequently, if Sony performs a warranty repair, Sony will likely charge you a significant service fee for the additional costs caused by your modification of the software."
And regarding camera:
"Certain pre-loaded content on your device may also be inaccessible due to the removal of DRM security keys. For devices running recent software versions, for instance Xperia Z3, the removal of DRM security keys may affect advanced camera functionality. For example, noise reduction algorithms might be removed, and performance when taking photos in low-light conditions might be affected. The secure user data partition may also become inaccessible, and you will not be able to get any more official software upgrades if you unlock the bootloader."
I was very enthusiastic about Sony smartphones when I first read about them officially supporting AOSP, but after reading those terms I just bought cheap Android One Xiaomi instead, who supports unlocking bootloader with a single click, does not void your warranty or break your camera and you can easily re-flash original firmware.
Re: Samsung kills the cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 if you unlock the bootloader
#104The new Samsung phones are less attractive for many reasons. A few months ago I upgraded my S8+ to a S20+. I considered the S21+ or Note, but none of those have a microSD slot. I suspect that my next phone will be one of these: https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/
A $900 device with low tier hardware specs (720p screen, 32GB eMMC storage, etc.) is not a particularly appealing offer. I understand that the value comes from the security aspect, but I personally don't find that worth a $700 markup.
It is $850 markup. For $107 you can get UMIDIGI A11. decent phone with Android 11, global LTE bands, 4 GB Ram and 128GB Storage.
Re: Samsung kills the cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 if you unlock the bootloader
#105I can almost guarantee this is due to licensing issues with the camera firmware. Modern cameras aren't just hardware any more. They're a mix of hardware and advanced processing algorithms that really do make a huge difference in the final output. Those algorithms are often licensed from 3rd parties with specific licensing requirements. Sony has been reasonably good about enabling open-source and fixing these things i…
I don’t care that the evil company A has an obligation to evil company B to screw me. I just despise being screwed.
Re: Samsung kills the cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 if you unlock the bootloader
#106Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not, reportedly, the Librem 5 phone.
A phone, sure, a smartphone, not a chance
The Librem 5 is absolutely a smartphone: https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/
Re: Samsung kills the cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 if you unlock the bootloader
#107Earlier quoted context omitted.
> One basic pillar of contract law basically everywhere is that one can not be bound by a contract that they didn't read, even if they signed it. Wait, there has to be more nuance to this, right? Like, I can't just sign a contract and say "I didn't read it" when a term I don't like comes into force. Is there a precedent for where that line is?
For those who can't be bothered to read wikipedia, this only applies when the courts can find you read it to the best of your ability and misunderstood it. Mostly it applies to those who can't read (either at all or the language of the contract) and so trusted someone else to tell them what it meant and they were deceived. If you could have read the document but didn't, that is your own fault and the contract stands.…
"If you could have read the document but didn't, that is your own fault and the contract stands." That's the point, isn't it? Gideon v. Wainwright clearly established that no non-lawyer can be expected to win against a trained lawyer. Since BigCo has a team of trained lawyers making the EULA impossible to read, ... Well, Gideon didn't go this far, but if we extend the logic in that ruling, there's certainly a major precedent that nobody can be expected to understand the EULA, and thus it might be void.
Re: Samsung kills the cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 if you unlock the bootloader
#108Re: Samsung kills the cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 if you unlock the bootloader
#109I can almost guarantee this is due to licensing issues with the camera firmware. Modern cameras aren't just hardware any more. They're a mix of hardware and advanced processing algorithms that really do make a huge difference in the final output. Those algorithms are often licensed from 3rd parties with specific licensing requirements. Sony has been reasonably good about enabling open-source and fixing these things i…
Never buy devices with non-free firmware. They're always full of garbage like this.
my needs are more utilitarian - I need a smart phone that's waterproof. Not a single one of the libre* phones are waterproof, let alone reasonably water resistant, so they're a nonstarter for me. I'm a nerd but I'm also outdoorsy. My phones have gone for swims in the Gulf of Mexico and been caught in squals more times than I can count.
Re: Samsung kills the cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 if you unlock the bootloader
#110Earlier quoted context omitted.
That raises whole other legal questions.... One basic pillar of contract law basically everywhere is that one can not be bound by a contract that they didn't read, even if they signed it. Usually these cases involve coercion or not knowing the language. If nobody can read the EULA because it's 10 pages of densely written legalese, can they even be bound by it? Since BigCo deliberately made their EULA harder to read t…
> One basic pillar of contract law basically everywhere is that one can not be bound by a contract that they didn't read, even if they signed it. Wait, there has to be more nuance to this, right? Like, I can't just sign a contract and say "I didn't read it" when a term I don't like comes into force. Is there a precedent for where that line is?
Of course there's more nuance to this. As I mentioned, these cases usually involve coercion (someone held a gun to your head and made you sign the contract) or not speaking the language (interpreter wasn't available/translated wrong/deceived).
This question then rests on: Can the user reasonably be expected to read 10 pages of dense legalese?
I think the real-life answer is an obvious NO. Current law generally assumes YES, except in cases where it doesn't. You see how there's some conflict here which I expect to be clarified by some court soon.