LG exited the mobile phone business earlier this year, promising some support for its devices for a limited period. That support might soon be coming to an end as LG announced that they would be shutting down the bootloader unlock program for their devices.

For those unaware, the bootloader on an Android smartphone is the tool that loads the system. Most Android devices lock the bootloader to prevent unofficial software from being installed by default. However, it can also be unlocked to allow just that.

Android users have enjoyed the freedom to tinker with their phones. The developers, in particular, have managed to achieve some amazing feats like prolonging a phone’s life way beyond what the OEMs intended; this is thanks to ‘custom Roms’ and third-party updates. LG has always helped developers innovate by providing a streamlined process to unlock their bootloaders via the bootloader unlock keys. But, the company has announced that it will be shutting down this service effective December 31st, 2021.

This will leave any LG smartphone users who wish to extend the life of their device in a tight spot. But we can hope that the talented developers in the Android community will come up with a workaround to unlock the bootloader of these LG devices.

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The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 is one of the company’s latest foldable smartphone. While it arrives with a lot of firsts for the company like the in display selfie camera, the company has added another odd feature that disables this model’s cameras.

According to AndroidPolice, users from the XDADevelopers community have found a new change that might have enthusiasts avoid this foldable smartphone. Apparently, unlocking the device’s bootloader will cause the user to lose functionality of their smartphone’s camera system. This move from the South Korean tech giant is likely to deter people from modding its new smartphones. So, unlocking the Galaxy Z Fold3’s bootloader will cripple the camera functionality.

The report further added that unlocking the bootloader will also prompt the device to warn the users that going ahead with this will “cause the camera to be disabled and may cause your phone or apps to stop working correctly.” In other words, users looking to mod or root their smartphones will lose functionality of their camera systems. This also implies that the users will also lose the facial recognition system on their devices a well.

Although, re-locking your bootloader will bring back the full functionality of the camera systems. In the past, Sony had also employed a similar tactic with its smartphones as well. Sony devices could either be having photos taken by your camera being terrible or having the image sensors not work at all. However, the brand stopped doing this after the release of Android 9 Pie update.

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Earlier this month, Huawei launched its latest flagship smartphones which are called the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro. Even though both the handsets run on Android operating system, they will lack support for Google apps like the Play Store. For readers who are unaware, this step is a result of the ongoing trade tensions between the US and China that has forced Google to cut ties with Huawei.

While the two devices are packed with impressive features, the absence of Google services could hamper their sales. At the time of launch, Huawei CEO, Richard Yu confirmed that the company will allow users to unlock the bootloader on Mate 30 duo which could simplify the process of manually installing Google Play store and flashing custom ROMs.

Shockingly, a Huawei spokesperson has reached out to Android Authority and stated that the company has no plans to ‘unlock the bootloader’ on Mate 30 lineup that is contrary to the senior official’s original statement. For reference, the original statement has been listed below.

“We limited [bootloader unlocking] because we wanted to guarantee more security for consumers. But this time we will leave more freedom for the consumers so they can do more customization by themselves. So we are planning to let consumers do that.”

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While the latest development sounds upsetting and it could dissuade potential customer’s away from the Mate 30 smartphone, Huawei might have an alternate trick up its sleeve for which will have to wait patiently. Besides, users who plan to buy these handsets have the option to download apps from Huawei AppGallery which offers a considerable selection of popular apps.

Conclusively, the Mate 30 lineup offers exceptional features but the absence Google services will remain to be a thorn in its flesh. What are your thoughts on Huawei’s decision on barring users from unlocking the bootloader on Mate 30 smartphones? Do let us know in the comments below.

(Via)

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Bootloader Unlocking is an essential service which needs to be done if you want to root your device. In recent rumors, it has been leaked that the Chinese electronics maker is going to suspend this service, which caused a panic wave among developers and users across the Globe. Now, Xiaomi has confirmed that all the rumors regarding the shutdown of the bootloader unlock service is mere a ‘False News’.

Xiaomi is known for its services to help users to try something else, they always cooperate in a positive manner, but the sudden advent made things opposite. Well, now the company has rebuked any speculation regarding the bootloader unlocking suspension. As according to folks over at XDA, they claim that the rumours started popping up via Reddit and Telegram.

Well, in order to clear the clutter, Xiaomi has to officially tweet about it. The Chinese company tweeted that :

We are providing Unlock Bootloader service and here’s the unlocking tutorial: https://t.co/OJwO72LUJp Don’t believe in fake news. pic.twitter.com/ISmPeOdLB7

— MIUI (@miuirom) November 22, 2018

They even urged the users do not believe in the fake news and also posted a link to unlock the bootloader in a recent tweet.

Due to high number of sales, Xiaomi devices always get preference in the development arena. Availability of the high-end hardware at an affordable price is another reason that developers tinker it. Recently, Xiaomi also improved the waiting times to 72 hours from the 15 days to unlock the bootloader.

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Well, everything has been cleared now, Xiaomi is not going to shut down the unlocking service. It will remain working, and users can keep using it to root their devices.

Are you using a rooted Xiaomi device?

(Via)

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