cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/45425575
I mean we all know about the sideloading restriction thing. So I wanna explore alternative OSes, just gathering info, not sure if I’ll even end up buying another phone (currently have a Samsung as a main phone, and in North America they are bootloader locked).
Like I know Graphene OS is supposedly more secure, but is it worth paying so much more for a phone? And used phones are kinda sketchy btw, most originate from a carrier so unlockability is in question (I’m not playing the buy/return “lootbox” game lol, so much hassle and its never guaranteed when a seller would even accept a return).
The moto I was looking at apparantly was on CalyxOS’s supported list, but they suspended development for some reason, so Lineage is the only Custom ROM left other than Graphene.
Graphene seems cool, but idk if its really that much better. Getting a pixel is directly giving Google the most money, and I don’t feel so good about that after they closed sourced Pixel device tree codes (or whatever that thing was called that they closed sourced), and then they killed sideloading, feels wrong to be buying a pixel right now. So that leaves me with just Lineage. And I could get a much cheaper phone too going Lineage.
So TLDR: If you were to recommend a phone to someone, which would you recommend? Expensive phone for Graphene, or Cheap phone and just use Lineage? Or something else?
The problem with using the “unlocked” filtering is that, most of the time, they are talking about carrier unlocked, but a phone originally from a carrier, then later unlocked is technically “unlocked” for sim purposes, but 99% of people do not use custom roms, so if I get one that’s “unlocked” but its actually Verizon --> Unlocked, then I couldn’t unlock the bootloader, even tho it would match description and therefore I would be unable to return it.
Something I forgot to add:
That’s not how that works. Used device purchases on most commerce platforms are based on the phone’s SKU or serial number. Being carrier-unlocked after purchase doesn’t change either of those numbers. If the listing was inaccurate about the carrier status of the device, but the SKU/serial matches what was on the listing, then it can be returned.
Fun fact, Swappa actually allows people to sell devices that are bootloader-unlocked, rooted, and/or even have a custom ROM installed, so long as those facts are disclosed in the listing.
I’m 99% sure that any pixel with an unlocked carrier (even if they originally came from a locked carrier) will have an unlockable bootloader. If you’re worried about it just message the seller and ask them if they have the option (keep in mind, they don’t actually need to unlock it, you just want to know if it would allow them)
No - the Verizon Pixels are rather infamous for their bootloaders being permanently locked. Carrier/SIM unlocking has zero relation to bootloader unlocking.
Unfortunately that’s just the nature of buying a used device. You have to be the one to decide if it’s worth the hassle to do that over paying way more for a new device.
Anecdotal: I’ve purchased several used “unlocked” devices over the years and only once have I received a different model than what I paid for. But it wasn’t a phone - rather a Kindle “with lockscreen ads” instead of “without lockscreen ads”. But that was resolved quickly from a chat with Amazon, they removed the ads without issues.