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 2 months ago by Beep@lemmus.org to technology@lemmy.world
https://consumerrights.wiki/w/Oneplus_phone_update_introduces_hardware_anti-rollback
Comments
TheRealKuni@piefed.social 2 months ago
Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 2 months ago
They’re basically being folded into Oppo right now. OnePlus as a company is pretty much dead.
paraphrand@lemmy.world 2 months ago
“Open” once again being abused as angle to build something for an exit. It sounds like.
Nima@leminal.space 2 months 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 2 months ago
they saw GOOGLE was trying to lockdown thier bootloader, or restrict it.
TheRealKuni@piefed.social 2 months ago
So they said, “Nuh uh, we’re gonna lock it down so you can’t!” Or am I misunderstanding?
Mycenaman@lemmy.ml 2 months 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 2 months 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 months 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 2 months ago
Still custom as it’s not the default
Mycenaman@lemmy.ml 2 months 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 2 months ago
Installing linux on your Dell that came with Windows isn’t “Installing a custom OS.”
thedeadwalking4242@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Wasn’t OnePlus like worshipped because of how much support for custom ROMs wth
MentalEdge@sopuli.xyz 2 months ago
The original “One” phone was even supposed to run cyanogemod at one point.
FauxLiving@lemmy.world 2 months ago
It was shipped with Cyanogenmod for a while.
Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
Yes they were and did for about 6 years, 2014-2020ish isn’t a bad run
Buffalox@lemmy.world 2 months ago
If true, this is sabotage of the customers product, and must 100% be illegal in almost any country!!
darcmage@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months 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 2 months ago
Things are illegal only when enforced. Otherwise they’re a suggestion at best.
Buffalox@lemmy.world 2 months 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 2 months ago
….oh? I thought every console used this kind of tech as well.
Buffalox@lemmy.world 2 months 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 2 months ago
“…long enough to become the villain.”
ramble81@lemmy.zip 2 months ago
Holy shit. I wanted to say something constructive, but just…. holy shit. Intentional hard brick of a customer owned device….
rumba@lemmy.zip 2 months 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 2 months 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 2 months 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 months ago
I increasingly small amount of their userbase cares about that now, its a mainstream device now
spaghettiwestern@sh.itjust.works 2 months 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 2 months 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.
defaultusername@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months 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 2 months 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 2 months ago
No good reason
termaxima@slrpnk.net 2 months ago
“OnePlus shoots own foot. Likely to blame consumers for it”
ulterno@programming.dev 2 months ago
In better times, this would at least get a class action.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 months 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 2 months ago
Wanna try suing Samsung before that?
ramble81@lemmy.zip 2 months 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 2 months 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 2 months 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 2 months 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 months ago
OnePlus is owned by Oppo, so that’s applied for a while. Now they’re just making it clearly known
eleijeep@piefed.social 2 months ago
Another company to add to the list.
lonesomeCat@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
Seriously are there any Android brands that do not suck and ship everywhere (not limited to the US/EU markets)??
Limonene@lemmy.world 2 months 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 months ago
google pixel with grapheneos maybe pixel 10 is pretty repairable hardware wise, some prior ones have glued in battery
skisnow@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
And yet my LinkedIn is still full of people complaining about how much the EU over-regulates
razen@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Cause that is expected of China but not EU
Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
Well…So did Samsing with Samsung Knox
Squizzy@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Oh well then… if the bastion of open and customer focused development did it
Peruvian_Skies@sh.itjust.works 2 months 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 months 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 months 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 months 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 months ago
Miss my Oneplus 7 Pro. popup cameras <3
skaffi@infosec.pub 2 months 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 months ago
I also own a 6T as my main phone, but it seems LineageOS support had ended :(
luckyeddy@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
I’ve still kept my 7T pro. Peak Oneplus 🪦
DoucheBagMcSwag@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
FYI: this is CHINA ONLY.
_thebrain_@sh.itjust.works 2 months 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 2 months ago
Doesn’t effect OnePlus 12 thankfully, anyone have info on custom roms for it?
kingmook@sh.itjust.works 2 months 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 months ago
Nice, thanks!
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 months ago
im on the OP12R, but i dont have anything custom on it.
Lfrith@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
Fuses… That’s like what the first Switch did to try to deal with jailbreak.
lechekaflan@lemmy.world 2 months 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 months ago
so does that mean we’re done with OnePlus?
Gorilladrums@lemmy.world 2 months 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 2 months ago
So never buy OnePlus products. Got it. Thanks OnePlus for making the advice so clear!
shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip 2 months ago
That’s what I heard. I know Samsung has been doing something like this as well.
Armand1@lemmy.world 2 months 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 months 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!