queasiness opiate: Verizon support blames Samsung for locked bootloader in Galaxy S III

Monday, July 9, 2012

Verizon support blames Samsung for locked bootloader in Galaxy S III

Verizon cleared up its stance on locking the bootloaders in phones using its network earlier this year. In short: it encourages OEMs to do so, to keep its network humming along as Big Red feels it should. Well, it seems that VZW Support is telling a different story, as it's laid blame for the Galaxy S III's closed bootloader squarely at Samsung's feet, claiming that it's locked "per the Manufacturer." Now, that doesn't explicitly state that VZW had no part to play in denying users access, but it surely seems like this is a game of PR pass the buck to us. Of course, as we reported earlier, there's a workaround to be had by rooting the GSIII, which revealed a vulnerability allowing non-stock ROMs to be flashed to the device. But it's only a partial workaround, as the kernel's encrypted and implementing a full custom ROM experience is neither for the unskilled nor the faint of heart. We reached out to both Verizon and Samsung for comment on the matter, but have yet to hear back. While you wait for official word, feel free to check out the ongoing conversation at the source link below.

[Thanks, @supercurio]

Filed under: Cellphones, Software