My thoughts on OEM Unlock + A wish for OEM Unlock on my old devices

Hello. I've unfortunately been stuck in this hellhole of a carrier for several years. I've had multiple phones with Verizon, including multiple that hadn't been used in almost 3 years. It is completely paid off for a long time, and yet I'm unable to do my own stuff with it.

Why is that? Why must you feel the need to restrict us so tightly? The average user doesn't even know what it does, so they won't touch it. Even if they do, it requires multiple other commands to be run just to get it fully unlocked, not to mention it warns you various times throughout the whole process. The average user will get scared and not touch it. Therefore, there is no need to lock the bootloader. Correct? What is your true reasoning for restricting us like this? Is it the money?

Just end all these restrictions, and let us go free. We don't care about it being vulnerable data that can easily corrupt our device. If we actually cared about our device, then we wouldn't be fighting for these rights for years. We would just be in our ignorant shells, focused on our phones.

I want these restrictions to end. Just let us do what we want with our devices. We paid fully for them. We fully own then. Do we not? (Hint: The answer is yes.) In that case, then why must you restrict features from devices we own and paid for. Let this arguing stop, and let us have our way.

Sincerely,

"Aya Shameimaru"
(Note: This is simply the alias I use online. This is not my actual name.)

Accepted answers

Verizon_Support

AyaShameimaruBA, we appreciate your feedback and we understand your position. Thank you for sharing this information with us and we will be glad to lift up the information you have shared with us as feedback.

-Andi

All comments

applerulez1

Very well said. I completely agree with you. What ever happened to the customer is always right? These are products that are paid for in full. You aren't protecting us, you're restricting us. This has to be illegal in some way.

Ann154

And what would you say to Google if they restrict your access to RCS to phones with unlocked bootloader and additionally modified software? While I could understand the need to tinker with the phone software when the Android OS was in the earlier years, I don't have desire to do it anymore. The software has progressed enough to be a solid workhorse day in and day out. Anything beyond that can wait for the changes to be officially incorporated legally.

AyaShameimaruBA

@Ann154

Did you even read the full message? I'm not talking about wanting it for my current phone. I'm talking about it being allowed on older devices. For example, a phone that has been unsupported for 5 years (4 years security update wise). What is the harm in unlocking that device? The phone is 7 and a half years old, and has been unused for a long time now.

How about a better example? The LG G Vista VS880. It was released in August 2014. Today, it is March 2024. That means that it is nearing 10 years old. Obviously, it's unsupported now seeing as it's stuck on Android 5.1. So what is the harm in unlocking the bootloader on that phone? It has no use currently, and most app developers don't support it at all now. So if developers don't support it, and the manufacturer doesn't support it, why should Verizon support it's bootloader security on it still?

Ann154

My old devices are gathering dust. One I used for an alarm until the battery quit charging. Another also had the battery go weird and it is the only one that I didn't get backed up in time. Application developers aren't supporting old devices either. It isn't worth it.

Verizon_Support

-Andi