The Samsung Galaxy S7 won’t be the only device shipping with a locked bootloader on all carrier models. The LG G5, which goes on sale Friday, will also be inaccessible to users who enjoy rooting and customizing their smartphones.
T-Mobile Product Manager Despond Smith recently revealed on Pericope that the LG G5 will ship with its bootloader unlocked, according to XDA Developers . Typically, T-Mobile is the only carrier that sells devices with a locked bootloader, making the network a primary choice for developers that create custom software, fixes and workarounds for the latest smartphones.
However, as we have seen with the Samsung Galaxy S7, the locked bootloader was the decision of the manufacturer and not T-Mobile itself. T-Mobile CEO John Legere even spoke out, claiming T-Mobile engineers are trying to get Samsung to allow unlocked bootloaders on the Galaxy S7.
Smith did not clarify whether the decision to lock the bootloader was T-Mobile’s or LG’s.
An XDA fan expressed hope that the international LG G5 model will feature an unlocked bootloader in the comments. Another person left a comment stating if the bootloader on the coming HTC 10 smartphone is unlocked, it would give HTC an advantage over two of its biggest competitors.
Many Android manufacturers are doubling down on security and turning away from heavy customization on their devices. While the especially tech-savvy can find ways around bootloaders, rooting devices can void the warranty on a handset and could even prevent users from being able to turn on a device and boot it up altogether.
