EOL Unlock Bootloader for Devices Not Getting Updates

[marklar2u]

To whom it may concern

I am delighted with my Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, and my Galaxy S21 ultra. 

While some newer devices are marginally faster, none currently interest me with regard to additional features. 

I respect your right to not continue OS and Security Updates by the terms of you're published promise at time of sale. 

That said, it is obvious that continued support would be a negligible overhead, given how universal the hardware is. 

But, again, I respect as a business, you're right to not continue to support them, regardless of how little effort it would take. 

That said, if you choose to go this route, I believe it is your duty to make a not unlock available so that I can continue to use my hardware as I wish... There are excellent OS options that should be installable to keep these phones and tablets with perfectly usable hardware from being unsafe to use by being locked into old security. 

Thank you for considering this 

I intend to start a petition toward this. 

And, like the EU mandated USB as a standard to help reduce water, I hope to enlist like minded regulators to support the move to unlock unsupported hardware. 

Thank you

Sincerely

Mark

[Mujibar]

Samsung devices with Snapdragon SOCs (i.e., devices sold in North America) do not have unlockable bootloaders, and it's extremely unlikely that Samsung will ever reverse this decision. Since this is a user-to-user support forum, it's also unlikely that anyone in Samsung leadership will see your post. Good luck with your petition.

[MatthewReiter]

The S21U isn't exactly fully EOL yet, it's getting Security Patches until 2026, but it's currently on a Quarterly schedule

[Mujibar]

I think OP may be hoping for an unlockable bootloader prior to actual EOL.

[userLyOzrmo7X7]

Once these phones are out of support (such as the Note 20 Ultra 5G with the SNapdragon 865), there are 0 reasons other than to hurt consumers - to keep it locked.

Samsung could even charge $50 for the service and folks would do it.

It would be pretty easy to:

-Require a samsung account and so-on

-Be device specific, and for out-of-support devices

-Have a disclaimer

-Have it be a supported method that won't brick users' phones

Then the open source community and XDA and others can participate in making their own updates and software.

The only reason not to offer this is to force consumers to buy new devices just to get new software.

There's 0 other legitimate reason, at least for out-of-support devices.

[meself]

Way it goes

[marklar2u]

Understood. They have every right not to support it. There's no reason just like USB was adopted instead of everybody having individualized connectors which was a nightmare to save stuff going into waste.

My phone and tablet have fantastic cameras processor speed memory then I see no reason to change.

There is a right to repair movement that is starting to take off. Whether it's people's tractors or cars or other items that manufactures are trying to lock down.

I guess we'll see what happens

[userLyOzrmo7X7]

I not only believe that this should be mandatory for Samsung to do - but it would be a wise decision.

Developers, tinkerers, and power users as a community may choose to use alternate software on their unsupported devices. Samsung could even charge for the process of unlocking KNOX and the bootloader, to where they control WHICH devices, tie it to a Samsung account, and do it in a way that minimizes the risk of hobbyists bricking their devices. 

I would pay $50 for such a service, and I can't come up with a single good reason for them not to allow this for devices that get no more security updates, with the threat of future malware that can take over a device with a single SMS message. Glad the S24 and on get 7 years of security updates....

But hundreds of millions of older phones with perfectly good hardware and chipsets have 0 reason to be discarded other than Samsung's anti-consumer decision here.