TL;DR
- ASUS has apparently withdrawn the ability to unlock the bootloader on its phones.
- As per the company’s technical support team, Zenfone 10 and Zenfone 9 users
Well there goes any compelling reason to buy their phones lol
ASUS is apparently killing the ability to root present and future Zenfones
Submitted 10 months ago by SeaJ@lemm.ee to technology@lemmy.world
https://www.androidauthority.com/asus-unlock-bootloader-tool-removed-3352783/
Comments
stefenauris@pawb.social 10 months ago
ayaya@lemdro.id 10 months ago
I was genuinely thinking about going with an ASUS phone next because of the unlockable bootloader, this really sucks to see.
deweydecibel@lemmy.world 10 months ago
There are plenty of makers doing unlockable bootloaders. Honestly, just avoid Samsung.
synceDD@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Yeah no reasons besides only tiny stuff like being only flagship under 6", better speakers than samsung, better cooling and less throttling than samsung, headphone jack, near stock android. More like there are no compelling reasons to root anymore, enjoy your 1k samsung throttling tho
z2k_@lemmy.nz 10 months ago
2 years of updates means you’ll quickly end up with a phone that’s waiting to be hacked
tonytins@pawb.social 10 months ago
I remember owning their Transformer tablet back when Honeycomb first launched.
herrwoland@lemmy.world 10 months ago
And there I was seriously considering getting one. Greed is ruining good things again.
lolcatnip@reddthat.com 10 months ago
I don’t understand how this move is even supposed to make them more money.
herrwoland@lemmy.world 10 months ago
My guess is they’re going to slow down the device on new android and block rooting so you can’t install your own OS, also, probably doing a lot of spying on the users.
MyUnclesSecret@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Again? I didn’t realize the ride had stopped for a bit. .
cafeina@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Locked bootloader and only 2 years of upgrades? Is not like Zenfones are cheap either. Hard pass!
BlackEco@lemmy.blackeco.com 10 months ago
This is such an anti-consumer move, by refusing to unlock the bootloader Asus hinders the ability of users to extend their devices’ life beyond Asus’s original support window by flashing alternative ROMs…
OldFartPhil@lemm.ee 10 months ago
I’d like to see right to repair laws expanded to right to unlock. I think you could make a reasonable argument that a working device that’s not receiving security updates is just as broken as a device that’s experienced a hardware failure.
ToniCipriani@lemmy.world 10 months ago
As much as I agree, I don’t think our legislators are knowledgable enough to be able to handle the issue, and majority of the users don’t care enough to push for something like this. This isn’t like USB-C vs Lightning where users are sick of buying cables and chargers, so the issue is much more visible.
Yoz@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Simple fix: stop buying Asus phones. Once their profit drops they will let you unlock bootloader
mojo@lemm.ee 10 months ago
Why do so many phone manufacturers hate letting you unlock their bootloaders? Every Google phone lets you do this, and they probably have the most secure Androids of them all.
Zuberi@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Google shouldn’t be our shining light on phone rules lol
mojo@lemm.ee 10 months ago
pixels are by far the best to degoogled your phone and to have privacy/security/freedom actually
they go above and beyond letting you unlock your bootloader
DavyJones@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 months ago
See why GrapheneOS only supports pixels
miserablegit@lemmynsfw.com 10 months ago
Probably because they know their OS is a duct-taped piece of garbage which could fall to pieces if you look at it wrong while unlocked.
Im28xwa@lemdro.id 10 months ago
A typical example of planned obsolescence what an effective way of killing my plans to get an Asus phone as my next daily driver assuming this is true
Some important context from the article:
A Reddit user claims that the company’s developer liaison on its Telegram channel has no knowledge of any such development. “According to them, the unlock tool server is in maintenance and will resume in Q3,” the person writes; We’ve written to ASUS to clarify the situation and will update this article when and if we hear more.
But here is the thing why do I need to use a tool to connect to a server just to be allowed to unlock the bootloader? I don’t and didn’t need such a thing to unlock the bootloader of my Samsung Galaxy phone
boonhet@lemm.ee 10 months ago
But here is the thing why do I need to use a tool to connect to a server just to be allowed to unlock the bootloader
It’s been this way since I first flashed a custom ROM on my 2011 Xperia and I’ve never gotten it. It seems so useless. Either Huawei or Xiaomi wanted me to provide a REASON for unlocking.
I think Nexus phones were unlockable without making a request to a server. I might be wrong though. But I do miss the Nexus line.
Zak@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Pixel devices don’t require permission via a server. Unlocking is enables via developer settings on the device.
Doing it any other way is user-hostile.
miserablegit@lemmynsfw.com 10 months ago
I suspect it’s to keep a record which can be used to defend themselves from lawsuits. “You caught that virus after you removed our protections, so it’s your own fault. Here’s the receipt.”
Smirk@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Am on a galaxy 21 U5g and was looking at my next phone being a zenfone.
Not a chance now.
JigglySackles@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Boo you whore. Asus really is just kicking itself in the dick the last 5 years or so.
Psythik@lemm.ee 10 months ago
No kidding, especially with their recent motherboards-catching-on-fire fiasco.
They used to be such a good company; what happened?
onparole@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Yeah, don’t have one of these, but I was looking at one before settling on a Pixel 7 Pro instead. Have had some sketchy interactions with Asus regarding support and warranty in the past. Might be looking elsewhere in the future where ever Asus is an option. I really don’t like they changing promises retroactively.
kamen@lemmy.world 10 months ago
… aaaand another brand I’ll be avoiding when looking for a new phone. In my eyes a phone that can’t be rooted is kind of like a computer without access to an administrator account - you can do stuff with it, but at one point your hands are tied.
redcalcium@lemmy.institute 10 months ago
The end of an era. Companies also locked the bootloader back then and you’ll need to find a vulnerability to exploit in order to unlock it. When custom roms starting to become popular, companies relaxed their stance and allowing their customers to unlock the bootloader using an official channel instead of utilizing a security exploits, perhaps as a competitive advantage so power users would recommend them to their friends and family. Now with declining popularity of rooting and custom roms, companies are starting to stop allowing their customers to unlock the bootloader again. From their perspective, allowing bootloader unlocking is nothing but trouble (support-wise) and might even cannibalize sales (why upgrade your phone every two years when you can a custom ROM with the latest version of Android), so declining popularity of custom ROMs is a perfect excuse for them to stop allowing bootloader unlocking.
Boinketh@lemm.ee 10 months ago
It should be illegal to restrict what people can do with their own goddamn motherfucking private property.
TwilightVulpine@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Once digital media got away with “actually we are just letting you borrow it and can take it away whenever we want”, hardware manufacturers have been drooling to do the same. Apple and game console manufacturers are most of the way there already.
uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 months ago
I suspect we’ll eventually need to create a standard much like th PC Clone, in which hardware, OS and software are independently produced and support compatibility standards.
Not in the current clime of unregulate capitalism, though.
holycrap@lemm.ee 10 months ago
Do consumer friendly phones exist at this point?
chemicalwonka@discuss.tchncs.de 10 months ago
Pixel phones are the few ones that you can unlock the bootloader and lock again.
joel_feila@lemmy.world 10 months ago
fairphone is fully repairable and rootable
ahornsirup@artemis.camp 10 months ago
Chickerino@feddit.nl 10 months ago
asus has killed the possibility of me being a potential customer then lol
foggy@lemmy.world 10 months ago
I still don’t buy Sony over the rootkit escapade and that was nearly 30 years ago.
diemechanist@programming.dev 10 months ago
I bought their Zenfone 5 in 15 and I always chose ASUS MoBos whenever I need to upgrade. Not anymore.
anhydrous@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Looks like my current Zenfone running LineageOS is my last Zenfone.
hiire@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Oh come on. I wanted a zenfone, I wanted the compact phone with a headphone jack and actual components. But if they’re being cocky about it, there’s no point. I guess I’ll have to find another brand
Bondrewd@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Tbh the headphone jack is kind of mid on the zf8 anyway. Every IEM and headphone I had had a treble spike and lower bass on it for some reason.
bitwolf@lemmy.one 10 months ago
Agreed. I use a USBC dongle DAC now because the headphone jacks are usually underpowered.
Pao@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Still better than being stuck on bluetooth crap.
royal_starfish@lemmy.world 10 months ago
At least there is still kind of some alternatives, like the Xperia 5IV (and the upcoming Xperia 5V) and galaxy s23 though they have problems of their own.
Namely poor cooling on the xperias and the tens of versions of Galaxy phones making finding a compatible custom rom and kernel pretty much impossible if you live in the wrong parts of the world
dinckelman@lemmy.world 10 months ago
It’s my device. I will do with it whatever fuck I desire
pallettownbry@lemmy.world 10 months ago
This is exactly why I sent my Zenphone 9 back. Shame because it was such a good little phone and one of the few flagships with a headphone jack.
transistor@lemdro.id 10 months ago
Zenfone 9 can’t be bootloader unlocked?
pallettownbry@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Nope. At least not when I bought mine only a couple of months ago, I guess right when they blocked the unlocking tool from being used. Super annoying.
scarrtt@lemmy.zip 10 months ago
I dropped OnePlus for this reason last year, after having 5 models from the 1, with the 8T being the last
RivenRise@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Got any recommendations? I’ve been with them for 3 phones starting on 2 and I’m thinking on replacing my 6. I was already looking at other companies but not sure who would be good.
Okalaydokalay@lemm.ee 10 months ago
That’s sad to hear. I’m an iPhone guy but I bought a Zenfone a few years ago when I wanted a cheap VR headset. It scratched the itch at the time and it was the best bang for my buck with the best features and yet still being unlocked from a carrier.
But with all that is going on at ASUS, I’m surprised they would make an unpopular move like this. Their motherboards are frying CPUs and their supposed Steam Deck killer didn’t do much of anything to kill competition. Wtf is going on at ASUS HQ?!
deweydecibel@lemmy.world 10 months ago
I’m surprised they would make an unpopular move like this.
Because it’s only unpopular to a niche audience. Granted, those buying a Zenfone are niche, but still. They stand to make more by locking the phones down for Samsung-level bullshit than they do from the customers they’ll lose here.
synceDD@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Lol still the motherboard circlejerk when they fixed it in a week, if you like walled gardens just say so, u dont know any person irl rooting their phone
AceFuzzLord@lemm.ee 10 months ago
The problem with companies trying to stop this is the fact that there will be at least one person/team who will find a way to bypass this.
No amount of corporate software devs/engineers can stop the might of a determined team on the internet from achieving their goals when it comes to this kinda stuff.
SeaJ@lemm.ee 10 months ago
The updated response from Asus:
The service team reply misunderstood the situation. Unlock tool is unavailable at this moment but we are allowing the possibility to unlock, please stay tuned.
So the server is down and will be back up. But that is not exactly the most reassuring response. It kind of seems like they are planning on removing it later or majorly altering it.
1984@lemmy.today 10 months ago
Asus is really going down the drain…
hyorvenn@jlai.lu 10 months ago
So they will just be bricks in a few years
dsmk@lemmy.zip 10 months ago
Some here are mixing bootloader unlocking with rooting. They’re not the same thing.
Asus broke bootloader unlocking, so you can only use the original ROM in the original state. You can’t install a custom ROM or flash something like Magisk to root your device.
You can unlock without rooting or without installing a custom ROM. You can install a custom ROM without rooting. You can use stock and root. And you can use a custom ROM and root. But all this is only possible if you can unlock the device’s bootloader.
Aceticon@lemmy.world 10 months ago
It’s funny that looking around almost every single piece of ASUS hardward I bought over the years, I chose them because I could do more with their kit than I could do with the cheaper stuff.
So I’m wandering what exactly is their unique value proposition on smartphones versus brands which are much more well known and well established in the regular consumer segment if they’re ditching being the superior choice for the more technical users: what exactly is the point of “same shit as everybody else” hardware for premium prices?!
Sethayy@sh.itjust.works 10 months ago
Didn’t even know they were great for it, but my motherboard has been a sexy beast for for iommu grouping
Whiskeyomega@kbin.social 10 months ago
My biggest problem with unlocking the bootloader is that many apps look for an unlocked bootloader as "Its rooted" like my bank
lemmyvore@feddit.nl 10 months ago
You usually need to go one step further and install Magisk so you can control what apps “see” about the phone.
mzesumzira@leminal.space 10 months ago
I always root my phones and I found that installing those app on a cloning environment, like island, usually has them working fine
StayFrosty@lemmy.world 10 months ago
I feel eventually every company would the same.
deweydecibel@lemmy.world 10 months ago
I think it more likely we’ll get to the point where getting a key to unlock the bootloader requires some kind of bullshit businesses license. Kind of like how Windows is increasingly walling options off from everyone except Enterprise users.
Or the end result of this eSIM shit comes to pass: unlocking the bootloader breaks the SIM and/or carrier refuse to let it on the network.
lemmyvore@feddit.nl 10 months ago
But do carriers really have a horse in this race? SIMs are separately secured so all they care about is having as many in use as possible. Whatever game of cat and mouse manufacturers choose to play with the users is their business.
GrodanBoll@feddit.nu 10 months ago
Don’t these phones only have 2 years of security updates? I believe samsung S23 is a better choice as a small phone as it has 5 years of security updates.
TheFrirish@jlai.lu 10 months ago
I can’t believe this shit… I was planning on getting the Zenfone 10. with it’s headphone jack, small size, and Android feel.
ComputerSagtNein@lemm.ee 10 months ago
Tbh, it has been years since I last rooted a phone. There is hardly any reason left to do it tbh.
ryannathans@lemmy.world 10 months ago
Buy motorola edge 30 Put lineage on it ??? Profit
Xperr7@kbin.social 10 months ago
Oh, fuck off. I'm not one to root my phone, but you own the damn thing. Once it's in your hands, the maker should have no right to tell you what to do with it.
Jake_Farm@sopuli.xyz 10 months ago
Consumers seem to be too dumb for their own good.