Wow, what happened to OnePlus? They used to be so cool. Hell, the first one ran Cyanogen.
OnePlus update blocks downgrades and custom ROMs by blowing a fuse
Submitted 3 weeks ago by Beep@lemmus.org to technology@lemmy.world
https://consumerrights.wiki/w/Oneplus_phone_update_introduces_hardware_anti-rollback
Comments
TheRealKuni@piefed.social 3 weeks ago
Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
They’re basically being folded into Oppo right now. OnePlus as a company is pretty much dead.
paraphrand@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
“Open” once again being abused as angle to build something for an exit. It sounds like.
Nima@leminal.space 3 weeks ago
what has happened, indeed. I still use an 8T and I love it heavily, but good lord. apparently you miss a few models and the whole company changes.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 3 weeks ago
they saw GOOGLE was trying to lockdown thier bootloader, or restrict it.
TheRealKuni@piefed.social 3 weeks ago
So they said, “Nuh uh, we’re gonna lock it down so you can’t!” Or am I misunderstanding?
Mycenaman@lemmy.ml 3 weeks ago
It’s not flashing a custom ROM. It is installing an OS of users choice. Enemy’s language shouldn’t be used if we want things to change
JackbyDev@programming.dev 3 weeks ago
This is why “side load” is annoying to me. It’s installing. It is not special or different. They aren’t “blocking side loading” they’re “restricting what you can install.”
captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
I’m 100% okay with how my Samsung Galaxy handles it: You access the Developer mode by pressing on the phone info screen in the settings for several seconds, and then there’s a switch that allows execution of random .apk files.
“Yes, do as I say.”
Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 weeks ago
Still custom as it’s not the default
Mycenaman@lemmy.ml 3 weeks ago
What makes it “custom”? If you install Linux on a laptop that comes with Windows pre-installed, is Linux then a custom OS it’s not being a default? Why phones are any different? Calling it custom you play to the manufacturers pockets making it sound shady and unofficial giving them right to take the control from the customers devices. Soon we won’t own anything we buy.
Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Installing linux on your Dell that came with Windows isn’t “Installing a custom OS.”
thedeadwalking4242@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Wasn’t OnePlus like worshipped because of how much support for custom ROMs wth
MentalEdge@sopuli.xyz 3 weeks ago
The original “One” phone was even supposed to run cyanogemod at one point.
FauxLiving@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
It was shipped with Cyanogenmod for a while.
Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Yes they were and did for about 6 years, 2014-2020ish isn’t a bad run
Buffalox@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
If true, this is sabotage of the customers product, and must 100% be illegal in almost any country!!
darcmage@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 weeks ago
I haven’t read the entire XDA thread but there are a few posts saying it’s limited to ColorOS (Chinese version of android that everyone else gets as OxygenOS). Unable to verify.
If they don’t reverse course, I’m sure it’ll roll out globally eventually.
db2@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Things are illegal only when enforced. Otherwise they’re a suggestion at best.
Buffalox@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
That’s part of how shitty the consumer protection really is.
But common for all, there needs to be complaints before the law is involved.
SolSerkonos@piefed.social 3 weeks ago
….oh? I thought every console used this kind of tech as well.
Buffalox@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
So are console sold with the possibility of changing the OS, only to have that option removed later? There was some issue with PS3, but apart from that I never heard about it.
FauxPseudo@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
“…long enough to become the villain.”
ramble81@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
Holy shit. I wanted to say something constructive, but just…. holy shit. Intentional hard brick of a customer owned device….
rumba@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
That means they were making money by people running their os.
If they spend the money on re-engineering their devices not to allow it, there was a cost advantage to selling your data.
stebator@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Many users were buying OpenPlus Pro smartphones solely because of the ability to unlock the bootloader and flash custom ROMs. People value freedom and customization. OpenPlus is shooting itself in the foot.
hume_lemmy@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
Oppo killed and ate OP a long time ago. They’ve just been wearing their skin like a suit up to this point, but their true nature is obvious at this point.
evol@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
I increasingly small amount of their userbase cares about that now, its a mainstream device now
spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
I bought a OP 9Pro just before Oppo decimated the company. They moved from Oxygen OS to a poorly camouflaged version of Oppo Color OS and stripped out some of the features that made Oneplus what it was. Even more of an issue: Oppo almost completely stopped fixing bugs, even some really serious ones that had been long documented.
It seems to me that the only reason Oppo would do is to preserve the revenue they get from selling customer data that should remain private. Otherwise what would Oppo care what OS people run on their hardware?
ThirdConsul@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
Hi, could you share what phone you bought? I’m looking for a replacement in the near future and I want to get a headstart on the research.
termaxima@slrpnk.net 3 weeks ago
“OnePlus shoots own foot. Likely to blame consumers for it”
defaultusername@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 weeks ago
I get why they do this, because downgrade attacks are a thing that are used to exploit devices remotely, but there are other ways to implement this, like what GrapheneOS does. Downgrading can also just be restricted to unlocked bootloaders as well.
There is no good reason for devices to use efuses to block downgrades unless they are trying to restrict user freedom a la consoles.
Zak@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
- Reasonable: prevent downgrades when the bootloader is locked
- Sketchy: prevent downgrades when the bootloader is unlocked
- Unhinged: hard-brick the device when a downgrade is attempted
goatinspace@feddit.org 3 weeks ago
No good reason
ulterno@programming.dev 3 weeks ago
In better times, this would at least get a class action.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 3 weeks ago
so it basically permanently “damages” the phone when you try to root it, seems like they are asking for a lawsuit at some point.
Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 weeks ago
Wanna try suing Samsung before that?
ramble81@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
I thought the difference there is that they were upfront about the feature in Knox and you can still install another OS, it just disables Pay and the Secure Notes part. Also it was something there from the start.
This feels markedly different as it’s retroactive and a full brick, which is much more severe and a bait and switch.
Nollij@sopuli.xyz 3 weeks ago
Why would they start with the harder one? Samsung is much better funded, and therefore will be a much more difficult case.
And no, it does not matter that Samsung did it first.
hornedfiend@piefed.social 3 weeks ago
One plus joined my short list of “I can’t be bothered” companies like Samsung and Apple, Xiaomi, Oppo and some other sub par companies.
ragas@lemmy.ml 3 weeks ago
And all that while OnePlus was awesome up until the OnePlus 7 pro.
I had the 5t until last year and it was still awesome.
ramble81@lemmy.zip 2 weeks ago
OnePlus is owned by Oppo, so that’s applied for a while. Now they’re just making it clearly known
eleijeep@piefed.social 3 weeks ago
Another company to add to the list.
lonesomeCat@lemmy.ml 3 weeks ago
Seriously are there any Android brands that do not suck and ship everywhere (not limited to the US/EU markets)??
Limonene@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
I believe thay all have shitty operating systems. But some of them have an aftermarket OS available. Pick your OS first, then look for a phone that can run it. Here are the ones I know of:
GrapheneOS CalyxOS (on hiatus) Crdriod LineageOS
eru@mouse.chitanda.moe 2 weeks ago
google pixel with grapheneos maybe pixel 10 is pretty repairable hardware wise, some prior ones have glued in battery
skisnow@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
And yet my LinkedIn is still full of people complaining about how much the EU over-regulates
razen@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Cause that is expected of China but not EU
Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 weeks ago
Well…So did Samsing with Samsung Knox
Squizzy@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Oh well then… if the bastion of open and customer focused development did it
Peruvian_Skies@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Knox just displays a message when you boot the device. You can still install a custom ROM. I’m typing this on a Samsung tablet running LineageOS.
Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
Never said the fuse prevented the execution of a non-Samsung OS.
But the tripped efuse is permanent.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Knox -> e-Fuse
mlg@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I don’t know why this thread is complaining specifically about Chinese OEMs when Samsung has been doing this for years.
Gorilladrums@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
OnePlus is a Chinese company. Anybody who trusted a Chinese company to respect privacy, consumer rights, and ownership freedom is a complete idiot.
evol@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
Miss my Oneplus 7 Pro. popup cameras <3
skaffi@infosec.pub 2 weeks ago
I bought my secondhand OnePlus 6T only last year. Installed Linux on it, and I love it. I’m using it as my daily driver.
Sent from my OnePlus 6T and from my bed
Gebruikersnaam@lemmy.ml 2 weeks ago
I also own a 6T as my main phone, but it seems LineageOS support had ended :(
luckyeddy@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
I’ve still kept my 7T pro. Peak Oneplus 🪦
DoucheBagMcSwag@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
FYI: this is CHINA ONLY.
_thebrain_@sh.itjust.works 2 weeks ago
Last I hear OnePlus was on the verge of collapse. Not because of this, but because of the mismanagement since carl left. It will probably be absorbed into oppo soon enough androidheadlines.com/exclusive-oneplus-collapse.
goldenlocks@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Doesn’t effect OnePlus 12 thankfully, anyone have info on custom roms for it?
kingmook@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
I’ve been running LineageOS on my OnePlus12 for a few months and it’s been pretty solid for me. Good battery life, but the camera app isn’t quite as robust. Lineage on Waffle
goldenlocks@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Nice, thanks!
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 3 weeks ago
im on the OP12R, but i dont have anything custom on it.
Lfrith@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Fuses… That’s like what the first Switch did to try to deal with jailbreak.
lechekaflan@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
At the end of the day the makers of smartphones determine if you can mod their products to their liking or not, and in most cases they really hate it because they want to continue selling phones and make them more difficult to fix without special tools.
How I was then doing fine with a feature phone allowing me to play music and take pictures.
Raglesnarf@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
so does that mean we’re done with OnePlus?
Gorilladrums@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I personally never trusted Chinese phone no matter how good they were.
Ironically, the best phones for security and privacy are Google’s Pixel phones because they’re the only ones that GrapheneOS supports
floofloof@lemmy.ca 3 weeks ago
So never buy OnePlus products. Got it. Thanks OnePlus for making the advice so clear!
shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip 3 weeks ago
That’s what I heard. I know Samsung has been doing something like this as well.
Armand1@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
Samsung has been blowing fuses in your phone when you root since at least 2015. I know because it happened to me. Never bought one again after that.
anzo@programming.dev 2 weeks ago
Yeah, this was the case shortly after they release of model 5T or around thst time. That’s when they stopped being the only company that would provide instructions to root your device, and guess what… Back then, if you rooted your device the warranty was still valid!