Phone brand that lets you fully unlock bootloader

Submitted ⁨⁨14⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨rotten@lemmy.today⁩ to ⁨askandroid@lemdro.id⁩

Hi,

Which decent phone that will last me for some time and wont break easily is the best to buy that lets you fully unlock the bootloader so I can flash custom ROM on it and root it if I wanted to by for example using Magisk by flashing patched boot.img and (optionally if specific model allows) installing custom recovery?

I have a Samsung that I could unlock bootloader on, however Samsung decided to block the option to unlock OEM starting in One UI 8.0 on all regions, and I was unlucky enough to update my phone (because I didnt know) so I cant root/flash custom ROM on it.

My guess would be some Google Pixel model,? but which one should I buy that has support for most ROMs and TWRP?

Google is also soon introducing mandatory ID verification for developers that want to publish their apps on Play Store on all Andro id verified devices, whch is another reason I want a phone that I can flash custom ROM on and root.

Also where should I buy new phone from? I think I should avoid buying from carrier and instead buying it online or from local electronics store? ?improve

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sun_is_ra@sh.itjust.works ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
LineageOS (a custom Android OS) has list of all phones which it supports. Since you can’t install custom OS without unlocking bootloader, you can consider this as list of phones with unlockable bootloader

download.lineageos.org/devices/

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- jaygray91@piefed.zip ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  I actually never thought of using lineageOS support list like that. Thanks
  
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Vicinus@piefed.zip ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
My personal opinion is that custom android Roms are going to die slowly after google locks down android.

If you’re open to it, you might want to look into Linux phones. Specifically Fairphone 6 with PostMarketOS. It’s not quite there, but it’s close and they are actively working on the last couple hardware issues. Sounds like it should be ready within a month or so.

This thread talks more about it:

https://threadiverse.link/piefed.zip/comment/6553012

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- dadarobot@lemmy.ml ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago
  i competely disagree. android roms will see a boost. people actually have a tangible reason to use them now. im using one for the first fime because of all this.
  
  if you already have a phone with an unlockable bootloader, why would you be less likely to install one now?
  
  this will still be good for linux too because the more people who become comfortable with flashing their device the more likely they are to distrohop to mobile linux. and mobile linux is very close to being daily drivable for the patient techy types.
  
  i think people will still be drawn to aosp builds for the polish, the same way you see more people using ubuntu and mint.
  
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  - Vicinus@piefed.zip ⁨23⁩ ⁨minutes⁩ ago
    Apologizes, I should have been clearer. I think you are totally right in that there with be a jump/boost at and right after the lockdown.
    
    I think at this moment, there is the highest number of eligible devices (unlocked bootloader) and it will essentially only go down from there in the short to mid term.
    
    After the lockdown boost to custom roms, I think the custom android ROM user numbers will drop. My thinking is based on new phones being locked from now on. I don’t think it’ll be all new phones after the new year, but I’d guess the majority and it’ll be pretty rare to have an unlocked bootloader out of the box after the lockdown (with exceptions like Motorola and graphene, or Fairphone/similar).
    
    I think you are definitely right about Linux being further behind in development and being able to be a daily driver. And accordingly most new switches from android in the near-term will go to custom android ROMs.
    
    However, from my view, developers can choose between continuing to develop a custom ROM that’s dependent on google and proprietary blobs that, to my understanding, they will always be dependent on and beholden to (who knows the next trick they’ll pull to cripple custom ROMs). Or, they can work on development that doesn’t have those dependences (Linux).
    
    Due to the proprietary blobs and google, I think, Linux is more viable mid- and long-term.
    
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- kittenzrulz123@hexbear.net ⁨8⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Its not even remotely close, while mobile Linux has gotten the Linux part down they tend to forget its also supposed to work as a phone.
  
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