Re:No One Cares About the Security of Unlocked Android Phones
by soylentcola on Thursday November 17, 2016 @09:24AM
(#12977652)
That's sort of what I was wondering. Not the overall issue of security so much as the title's focus on "unlocked" devices.
Sounds like they're talking more about disreputable or negligent OEMs than anything to do with having an unlocked bootloader or unlocked SIM.
Past phones I've owned that weren't as good with security updates depended on me being able to unlock the bootloader so I could keep them as up to date as was feasible. No timely security update from Samsung or HTC? Find a patched version of the ROM image built by some helpful developer on XDA and flash the phone.
Even today, as I only buy Nexus/Pixel/etc Android phones, they're still sold as "unlocked" in terms of SIM because I don't have any desire to give a carrier more influence over my device than I have to. Again, not an issue with security as even my older Nexus devices are getting security patches (if not the big, hardware-dependent OS updates).
Sounds like they're talking more about disreputable or negligent OEMs than anything to do with having an unlocked bootloader or unlocked SIM.
Past phones I've owned that weren't as good with security updates depended on me being able to unlock the bootloader so I could keep them as up to date as was feasible. No timely security update from Samsung or HTC? Find a patched version of the ROM image built by some helpful developer on XDA and flash the phone.
Even today, as I only buy Nexus/Pixel/etc Android phones, they're still sold as "unlocked" in terms of SIM because I don't have any desire to give a carrier more influence over my device than I have to. Again, not an issue with security as even my older Nexus devices are getting security patches (if not the big, hardware-dependent OS updates).