Soft brick vs. hard brick is a common (though equally ill-defined) term.

If the user cannot restore it to normal operation using tools that the average user has available, that is definitely a brick though, and I'd argue that it meets even the definition of a "hard brick".

Bricking has never had a solid definition. The most useful definition is a product is bricked when the owner does not have the skills/time/money required to get the product in a working state. The product is a brick to them.

If you flash bad firmware on a device and overwrite the bootloader used for flashing, many would consider this a bricked device since they don't know how to use an SPI flasher to restore a working firmware. For others simply having a device that isnt fixable via a factory reset is bricked because they don't know how to flash via usb.

A car that has become software locked without a way to restore it is bricked imo.

>Bricking has never had a solid definition.

Yeah, the definition is "turn it into a brick"/paperweight, hence the name. A "brick" in unrecoverable, as the name implies.

Unrecoverable is relative. If I wipe out the bootloader on a phone its unrecoverable because I don't know how to flash it directly to the chip and I don't have a copy of the bootloader to even flash. Its a brick because I will never be able to use the device again. If I send it off to the factory in china they could certainly restore the device to working condition again but it would cost more than a new device if they even accept my one off job.

If a DRM system triggers on a car and I can't disable it its now bricked if the dealer won't come and fix it.

So, how is a user to know the difference between “I tried all methods known to me and googled for solutions, but can't turn it on right now”, “the hardware is fine, but nobody can turn it on ever again” and “there’s a hardware problem that means nobody can turn it on again”?

Because if that, I think it’s natural that the concept gets broadened.

Language evolves, it's not set in stone.

Besides, the car might still be bricked, as far as we know? Perhaps the onboard computer is screwed and needs a replacement?

> Language evolves, it's not set in stone.

Yeah, but in this instance I feel like the language is evolving solely because it makes for better clickbait titles. "Bricked" sure sounds scarier than "temporarily unavailable".

Well almost nothing is actually 100% bricked, most phones or motherboards (for bios) can be programmed through some hardware interface. If you brought it to the factory / R&D lab, odds are they would be able to flash most things they designed.

It's just difficult and uneconomical, so isnt offered as a service

You're right of course, but nowadays it's become sort of "some working object has become inert due to software and requires physical intervention"

Exactly. Totally a clickbait headline despite HN comments suggesting evolving language.

This is about as far from bricked as you can get.