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Asus refunds Zenfone buyer for failing to provide bootloader unlock tools

androidauthority.com

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Re: Asus refunds Zenfone buyer for failing to provide bootloader unlock tools

#101

Post by resource_waste »

ReptileMan wrote: post #29

Okay - so which devices are left that are easily rootable? I will be in the market for new one soon. It's good if EU after mandating usb-c also mandates unlockable bootloaders for whomever wants it.

Seriously sad. I am such an Asus fan after their insanely good gaming laptops.. $500-900 and you can run AI Art and LLMs.

I didn't expect their laptop dominance to exactly extend to Androids. I was hopeful.

I should have probably known better, apparently they don't do native linux support. I had to use some Fedora fanboy stuff to get my peripherals to work. It was easy, but still couldn't use most distros.

Re: Asus refunds Zenfone buyer for failing to provide bootloader unlock tools

#102

Post by resource_waste »

freedomben wrote: post #37
ReptileMan wrote: post #29

Okay - so which devices are left that are easily rootable? I will be in the market for new one soon. It's good if EU after mandating usb-c also mandates unlockable bootloaders for whomever wants it.

All pixel phones are very easy to unlock the bootloader, and Google publishes factory images. So if your root goes wrong or you need to revert to stock, it is very easy. The actual process of obtaining root is as easy as it is on any other device, which is to say, I wish it was a lot easier, but it is very doable. As a bonus, it also opens the door for Graphene OS should you choose to go that direction.

No aux port though.

From Electrical Engineering apps to my various current/normal/legacy hardware that uses aux... I don't want to carry around a dongle. Ever. I don't want to attach them to things. I just want my phone to have the $3 peripheral.

Re: Asus refunds Zenfone buyer for failing to provide bootloader unlock tools

#103

Post by iforgotpassword »

I have an old Huawei P20 Pro floating around. When it was new, you could contact Huawei and get a code for unlocking the bootloader after providing your phone's serial number. Great I thought, I'll do that later when it stops receiving updates. Stupid me, at some point those arseholes stopped giving out the unlock codes. I wonder if one could sue, but from googling around a bit I can't find a trace of them ever making this a selling point explicitly.

Re: Asus refunds Zenfone buyer for failing to provide bootloader unlock tools

#104

Post by eganist »

iforgotpassword wrote: post #96
nebulous1 wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you use a banking app? Last I read depending on the type of check used some apps can still be problematic.

So I guess next thing we need is someone sueing the fucking banks that do that. Mine luckily doesn't because I explicitly use an old phone with LineageOS, the banking app, and nothing else on it for online banking. It's arguably way more secure than using your main phone with a bazillion other Apps installed and online at all times.

How would that stick? You can just sign into the bank via your web browser in the case of a nonfunctional app. The apps just give you added security assurances beyond using the web.

"The app can't function in a low security environment, but complainant is free to use the web client in such event." case dismissed

(obviously an oversimplification, but the point stands)

Re: Asus refunds Zenfone buyer for failing to provide bootloader unlock tools

#105

Post by mmh0000 »

paulryanrogers wrote: post #66
nimbius wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the only app ive seen balk at bootloader status (to date) is google wallet. Using a phone to pay for stuff is an opsec nightmare youd only entertain so long as becoming an integrated and saleable asset in a data brokers portfolio is a life goal. 'pm uninstall' and move on, the custom rom is still far more valuable from a security perspective than bending the knee to some bespoke ecosystem payment app (especially if y…

Bank apps, Netflix, and Disney+ also won't work. There are spoofing measures though I've been burned by unlocking and rooting too often to try again, at least not while my devices are still under warranty.

My solution

* use bank website for the one bank that requires it, otherwise I got a new bank account without silly fake security.

* thepiratebay has everything Netflix and Disney does and it works anywhere

Re: Asus refunds Zenfone buyer for failing to provide bootloader unlock tools

#106

Post by resource_waste »

handity wrote: post #32
ReptileMan wrote: post #29

Okay - so which devices are left that are easily rootable? I will be in the market for new one soon. It's good if EU after mandating usb-c also mandates unlockable bootloaders for whomever wants it.

The pixel 4a is the last good phone that's small, rootable, with a headphone jack and good rom options.

I just looked it up... they actually sell Factory 5a... what? No...

Maybe I misunderstand the posting.

Re: Asus refunds Zenfone buyer for failing to provide bootloader unlock tools

#107

Post by xjwm »

I just sent feedback to ASUS expressing my concern at the loss of bootloader unlocking. I have 2 perfectly good cell phones that are e-waste now, simply because the vendor stopped issuing patches, and the bootloader can't be unlocked to use LineageOS. I bought a Zenfone recently because I thought I'd be avoiding that issue. If they don't fix this, I won't be buying another one. ASUS CEO contact page: https://www.asus.com/us/support/article/787/

Re: Asus refunds Zenfone buyer for failing to provide bootloader unlock tools

#108

Post by ijijijjij »

xjwm wrote: post #107

I just sent feedback to ASUS expressing my concern at the loss of bootloader unlocking. I have 2 perfectly good cell phones that are e-waste now, simply because the vendor stopped issuing patches, and the bootloader can't be unlocked to use LineageOS. I bought a Zenfone recently because I thought I'd be avoiding that issue. If they don't fix this, I won't be buying another one. ASUS CEO contact page: https://www.asus…

[flagged]

Re: Asus refunds Zenfone buyer for failing to provide bootloader unlock tools

#109

Post by luuurker »

paulryanrogers wrote: post #66
nimbius wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the only app ive seen balk at bootloader status (to date) is google wallet. Using a phone to pay for stuff is an opsec nightmare youd only entertain so long as becoming an integrated and saleable asset in a data brokers portfolio is a life goal. 'pm uninstall' and move on, the custom rom is still far more valuable from a security perspective than bending the knee to some bespoke ecosystem payment app (especially if y…

Bank apps, Netflix, and Disney+ also won't work. There are spoofing measures though I've been burned by unlocking and rooting too often to try again, at least not while my devices are still under warranty.

Magisk + a few modules and most apps should work. The warranty part, this depends a lot in the country, but at least in Europe I don't think they can deny repairs just because you unlocked the bootloader.

Re: Asus refunds Zenfone buyer for failing to provide bootloader unlock tools

#110

Post by luuurker »

xjwm wrote: post #107

I just sent feedback to ASUS expressing my concern at the loss of bootloader unlocking. I have 2 perfectly good cell phones that are e-waste now, simply because the vendor stopped issuing patches, and the bootloader can't be unlocked to use LineageOS. I bought a Zenfone recently because I thought I'd be avoiding that issue. If they don't fix this, I won't be buying another one. ASUS CEO contact page: https://www.asus…

Rewarding their bad behaviour by buying more devices doesn't feel right.
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