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Galaxy s8 Unlocked U.S. Bootloader Confirmed.

After many live chat sessions and escalations, I have pried bootloader information from Samsung, here are the facts:
(This is from the u.s. live chat)
"If you purchase the Unlocked phone from samsung , Bootloader will be unlocked already on phone"
Hope this helps
Also, the carrier versions will be locked and all unlock control handed over to the carrier's, (who will obviously not provide any unlocking options(except maybe T-Mobile))

The_scam said:
After many live chat sessions and escalations, I have pried bootloader information from Samsung, here are the facts:
(This is from the u.s. live chat)
"If you purchase the Unlocked phone from samsung , Bootloader will be unlocked already on phone"
Hope this helps
Also, the carrier versions will be locked and all unlock control handed over to the carrier's, (who will obviously not provide any unlocking options(except maybe T-Mobile))
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Click to collapse
Riiiiiight.
We went through this BS with the note 7 last year.
Sammy is full of crap to put it blunty, the CSRs dont have accurate information.
I would love this to be true and I wont be buying one if its not but trust me...dont take what they say as being even remotely accurate
Sent from my Note 7, S7 Edge or S6

force70 said:
Riiiiiight.
We went through this BS with the note 7 last year.
Sammy is full of crap to put it blunty, the CSRs dont have accurate information.
I would love this to be true and I wont be buying one if its not but trust me...dont take what they say as being even remotely accurate
Sent from my Note 7, S7 Edge or S6
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Don't worry bout' that, I got a ticket from the live chat and got it escalated to 3x to the manager of the live chat manager.
*shOULD be accurate.

The_scam said:
Don't worry bout' that, I got a ticket from the live chat and got it escalated to 3x to the manager of the live chat manager.
*shOULD be accurate.
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Click to collapse
Would love that to be true, mind you I will most likely go for the exynos version anyway. I had both a snapdragon AND a exynos note 7 and the exynos killed it pretty much in every way.
Sent from my Note 7, S7 Edge or S6

force70 said:
Would love that to be true, mind you I will most likely go for the exynos version anyway. I had both a snapdragon AND a exynos note 7 and the exynos killed it pretty much in every way.
Sent from my Note 7, S7 Edge or S6
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Click to collapse
Same with the s7 edge. The exynos pretty much kinged the snapdragon variant
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk

The_scam said:
Don't worry bout' that, I got a ticket from the live chat and got it escalated to 3x to the manager of the live chat manager.
*shOULD be accurate.
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Click to collapse
It's not accurate. The CSR's don't know the difference between an unlocked bootloader and an unlocked sim. They also don't know the difference between a telephone and a piece of toast. There is no way in the world that they will allow an unlocked bootloader when their own knox design cripples the phone and voids the warranty as soon as it's rooted.

seh6183 said:
It's not accurate. The CSR's don't know the difference between an unlocked bootloader and an unlocked sim. They also don't know the difference between a telephone and a piece of toast. There is no way in the world that they will allow an unlocked bootloader when their own knox design cripples the phone and voids the warranty as soon as it's rooted.
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OK, I don't know how many times I will have to clarify this.
The car live chat was turned into a ticket. Which has higher priority and CSR level than live chat. Then that was escalated to a software development engineer rep. I'm pretty sure this will be accurate, probably only the non QCOM cores tho

The_scam said:
OK, I don't know how many times I will have to clarify this.
The car live chat was turned into a ticket. Which has higher priority and CSR level than live chat. Then that was escalated to a software development engineer rep. I'm pretty sure this will be accurate, probably only the non QCOM cores tho
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I don't care if Oh-Hyun Kwon told you that the bootloader would be unlocked lol It won't. You probably miss-spoke or they miss-understood you and thought you were talking about the sim. The bootloader will not be able to be unlocked and I can guarantee you of this. Samsung is copying Apples model of device security and there is no way they would allow you to unlock the bootloader. And if you keep it up, I will refresh this thread once a week after the phone is launched to remind you of how wrong you were lol

seh6183 said:
I don't care if Oh-Hyun Kwon told you that the bootloader would be unlocked lol It won't. You probably miss-spoke or they miss-understood you and thought you were talking about the sim. The bootloader will not be able to be unlocked and I can guarantee you of this. Samsung is copying Apples model of device security and there is no way they would allow you to unlock the bootloader. And if you keep it up, I will refresh this thread once a week after the phone is launched to remind you of how wrong you were lol
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OK, chill out. Believe it, or dont. But I confirmed the bootloader, I think that the rep for the software engineers know what a BOOTLOADER is.
Also chill out with the stereotype names, my rep was actually called "Jen"

The_scam said:
OK, chill out. Believe it, or dont. But I confirmed the bootloader, I think that the rep for the software engineers know what a BOOTLOADER is.
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Okay so the phone will be released without Samsung pay then. Is this what you're saying? Samsung pay is immediately disabled as soon as the bootloader is unlocked. So what you're saying is that the phone will be released without Samsung pay. Does this sound logical to you?

seh6183 said:
Okay so the phone will be released without Samsung pay then. Is this what you're saying? Samsung pay is immediately disabled as soon as the bootloader is unlocked. So what you're saying is that the phone will be released without Samsung pay. Does this sound logical to you?
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"You're right"
Absolutely Right
I don't enjoy being attacked on a development forum. Just choose to believe it or not, no need to share your opinion multiple times. This is some INFORMATION, the way I got it. It is not my opinion, it is just here. Take it or leave it buddy.

My guess is it will be the same model as the Note 7 where the international versions can be unlocked but the US/Canada Snapdragons cannot outside of an exploit like the one that we used early in on the Note us before it was patched. Unlocking the bootloader will kill Pay of course but a lot of people don't care, Keep in mind that locked bootloaders are prohibited in some countries like Singapore.

The_scam said:
Also chill out with the stereotype names, my rep was actually called "Jen"
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Click to collapse
Oh-Hyun Kwon is the CEO of Samsung, not a stereotype name, which is what made the post funny.
Regardless, the info on the unlocked bootloader is much appreciated.

Whats special about the USA that they keep the bootloader locked for that region?

chrcol said:
Whats special about the USA that they keep the bootloader locked for that region?
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Pretty much carriers request, but usually t-mobile vibrants the bootloader could be unlocked rather easily.

dotMethod said:
Oh-Hyun Kwon is the CEO of Samsung, not a stereotype name, which is what made the post funny.
Regardless, the info on the unlocked bootloader is much appreciated.
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Click to collapse
Im with this guy. Bootloader wont be unlock on our snapdragon version. This was already the case with gs7 and note 7. Samsung will say anything on our favor for people to buy their phone. The truth is that 95% of the people dont care about bootloader or root. So having a lock bootloader and promote security is more valuable in their favor. Most probably dont even kmow what a sg 835 id. Only thing most people care. How the screen looks, if it is fast, good battery life and camera.

The Tmo phones were not easily unlocked, they were the same as the rest of the snapdragons with the Note 7 and I think more of the same can be expected. Samsung used to make multiple variants of their snapdragons with and without locked bootloaders but reportedly will not do so again, all will be locked going forward since most go to the North American market where the carriers request it. I would be very hesitant to order a snapdragon S8 if I wanted an unlocked bootloader until it was proven it can be unlocked. It can often take months or years to get into bootloaders these days and some are never unlocked. Those who demand root will want the international not just for the unlocked bootloader but also because that will be where nearly all the effort in development happens.

krabman said:
The Tmo phones were not easily unlocked, they were the same as the rest of the snapdragons with the Note 7 and I think more of the same can be expected. Samsung used to make multiple variants of their snapdragons with and without locked bootloaders but reportedly will not do so again, all will be locked going forward since most go to the North American market where the carriers request it. I would be very hesitant to order a snapdragon S8 if I wanted an unlocked bootloader until it was proven it can be unlocked. It can often take months or years to get into bootloaders these days and some are never unlocked. Those who demand root will want the international not just for the unlocked bootloader but also because that will be where nearly all the effort in development happens.
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They were never unlocked as far as I know...neither was the note not that it was out for long enough to get that far lol.
Root was achieved via leaked engineering firmware. No twrp recovery either just root.
Sent from my Note 7, S7 Edge or S6

Yeah, I had an international. They actually patched the snapdragon phone after the first recall that prevented the installation of the leaked engineering firmware. Meanwhile over in international land we were flashing away for our brief ownership. I'm actually only here because I think we'll get some idea of what to expect with the Note 8 from this phone. That's probably going to be my next buy unless a surprise phone hits. Going back to the topic the news was over on the Note 7 forum that the snapdragon would no longer be coming with unlocked bootloader at any carrier or point of retail. Flashers should be wary of getting the snapdragon, unless something changed it won't be unlocked.

krabman said:
Yeah, I had an international. They actually patched the snapdragon phone after the first recall that prevented the installation of the leaked engineering firmware. Meanwhile over in international land we were flashing away for our brief ownership. I'm actually only here because I think we'll get some idea of what to expect with the Note 8 from this phone. That's probably going to be my next buy unless a surprise phone hits. Going back to the topic the news was over on the Note 7 forum that the snapdragon would no longer be coming with unlocked bootloader at any carrier or point of retail. Flashers should be wary of getting the snapdragon, unless something changed it won't be unlocked.
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Yep....i had a snapdragon launch day then a week later got a exynos.
Then with all the recall BS stupid me took it back....realized how stupid that was then managed to snag another snapdragon thanks to a friend. Was happily using that until those Aholes at sammy killed the note 7 on all Canadian networks in Dec.
Ill likely trade it in on an S8 then sell it and buy a Exynos version lol.
I keep my eyes peeled for exynos note 7s still...not even sure if one would work in canada now but if it did Id buy it LOL
Sent from my Note 7, S7 Edge or S6

Can I root my Samsung S7 and gert rid of "all things ATT"..?

So, I'll apologize if this has already been dealt with previously, but I just need to verify what I've been told by a friend who knows Android systems (and Samsung S7 phones) a LOT more than I will ever attempt to understand..
About a year ago, I bought a Samsung Galaxy S7 from a 'rebuilder' (my term) who mentioned at the time "... it was ATT phone..", and, yes, when I turn it on it does the ATT circle jerk logo and has an ATT logo on the back of the phone. This was of no real concern to me, because my service purveyor uses the ATT system (Consumer Cellular), so it's worked well enough. But unfortunately, it also has a boatload of 'semi-proprietary' ATT trash in the phone which I'd like to get rid of. To confuse the matter even more, it appears that I cannot 'unlock' the phone because it has not been associated with an actual active ATT account for close to two years, and it APPEARS that now they refuse to accommodate an unlock code for this phone.
So... according to my friend (Mr. Android Phone), I can 'root' this phone to 'factory original firmware' and make it (in essence) just a plain-old-vanilla Samsung S7 without this rather bogus ATT firmware and the myriad of craplets I'd like to get rid of..
So, I'm here looking for "expertise" in such things because I certainly don't want to 'brick' this pretty nice phone, but I also want to get this to a point where there is no association with ATT in any manner. So my question sorta comes down to: "can I root this and be rid of all things ATT?", and "will this allow me to achieve an 'unlock' without having to play ATT's games? (I had QUITE the discussion with an ATT 'support' dude a couple of hours ago when he flatly refused to give me an unlock code so I could simply ATTEMPT to see if Consumer Cellular's T-Mobile service might work better at my home, since CC tells me I'm right in the center of a brand new rebuilt 4G service area).
Does any of this make any sense to anyone? Pardon my ignorance, but if the IMEI # is somehow 'tethered' to ATT and they won't "release" it, how does rooting help with this? - or is this something more like an 'association' of the IMEI # AND the ATT firmware...? GAH!! I'd just like to be totally rid of all this ATT junk and have the freedom to choose whichever service I want.

CentennialMan said:
So, I'll apologize if this has already been dealt with previously, but I just need to verify what I've been told by a friend who knows Android systems (and Samsung S7 phones) a LOT more than I will ever attempt to understand..
I'd just like to be totally rid of all this ATT junk and have the freedom to choose whichever service I want.
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Click to collapse
Hi There that's a lot of words partner! I'll try make the answer easy to understand and I've cut out much of the post so my reply isn't huge.
1. Yes you can install vanilla firmware which will remove all branding from AT&T and you don't need to root the phone to do this. here is the firmware for your device >>here<< You can also use XAS or XAA. You will see the guide and the Odin you need to flash this firmware.
2. This is another version of Odin on this website if you have any issues with the one on Sammobile. >>here<<
3. Unfortunately you cannot unlock the phone unless the original cell phone provider gives you their half of the unlock key as a code to input to the phone. In the UK once a phone is out of the initial contract period it is illegal for the provider to refuse to give you this code whether your still with them or not. I know in the USA you guys gets ****ed over. The original account holder of the phone can ask for the unlock code but not you.
4. Changing the firmware and unlocking the phone to any network are two different things, flashing unbranded firmware will not unlock the phone the network is tied to. They don't make it that easy!
5. As far as i know T Mobile (USA) has also moved to G930U firmware so you could be lucky with a T Mobile SIM working once the phone is flashed with this firmware but don't hold your breath. Check Sammobile for the T Mobile firmware too.
6. IMEI number is tied to the phone so in theory it can be changed after the phone is rooted and you are able to modify the EFS partition but it is extremely difficult even for veterans like me and it causes lots of problems with cell network registration. Leave well alone if you don't want a completely useless device.
Things to make flashing go easier
1. Turn off FRP lock or sign out of the Google account on the phone or delete it before you do anything, you can put that account back on the phone after flashing.
2. If you enable Developer options make sure " usb debugging" is enabled and OEM unlock, not essential but can help when things go wrong.
3. Anything you want to keep, pics media etc back up or move to SD card, the SD card won't be touched when flashing firmware.
4. Please follow the guides on how to flash correctly.
Any other questions please ask.

It should be noted that if it's an ATT phone it's Snapdragon therefore permanently bootloader locked, OEM Unlock won't actually do anything, that setting only works on Exynos.
The only root method for Snapdragon is to use a leaked engineering bootloader to gain system access, and you can only install the leaked bootloader if your phone is already running old firmware. For up to date phones there is no root method.

Beanvee7 said:
It should be noted that if it's an ATT phone it's Snapdragon therefore permanently bootloader locked, OEM Unlock won't actually do anything, that setting only works on Exynos.
The only root method for Snapdragon is to use a leaked engineering bootloader to gain system access, and you can only install the leaked bootloader if your phone is already running old firmware. For up to date phones there is no root method.
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Hello mate i'm not sure if your aware but AT&T were initially Qual comm but they've also been using Exynos for a while.

cooltt said:
Hello mate i'm not sure if your aware but AT&T were initially Qual comm but they've also been using Exynos for a while.
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Source?

Beanvee7 said:
Source?
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Don't be smart you know how to use Google?

I did google it, I wouldn't have asked for a source if I found something. But it doesn't matter, you're the one making unsubstantiated claims, the burden is on you to prove it. But since you asked for it:
AT&T's website says Snapdragon
https://i.imgur.com/TdV62Mq.jpg
https://www.att.com/buy/phones/samsung-galaxy-s7-32gb-black-onyx.html
GSM Arena says Snapdragon
https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s7_(usa)-7960.php
Wikipedia says Snapdragon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_S7#Qualcomm_Snapdragon_820_Models
There isn't a single page when googling AT&T S7 Exynos that backs your claim up. The USA also uses completely different network technology than internationally, using the S7 Exynos in the USA is already known to cause issues with LTE, VoWiFi etc. They'd have to do a hardware refresh of the Exynos SoC if they wanted to support it in the USA, which they ain't going to do a for a 3 gen old phone.

Beanvee7 said:
I did google it, I wouldn't have asked for a source if I found something. But it doesn't matter, you're the one making unsubstantiated claims, the burden is on you to prove it. But since you asked for it:
AT&T's website says Snapdragon
https://i.imgur.com/TdV62Mq.jpg
https://www.att.com/buy/phones/samsung-galaxy-s7-32gb-black-onyx.html
GSM Arena says Snapdragon
https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s7_(usa)-7960.php
Wikipedia says Snapdragon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_S7#Qualcomm_Snapdragon_820_Models
There isn't a single page when googling AT&T S7 Exynos that backs your claim up. The USA also uses completely different network technology than internationally, using the S7 Exynos in the USA is already known to cause issues with LTE, VoWiFi etc. They'd have to do a hardware refresh of the Exynos SoC if they wanted to support it in the USA, which they ain't going to do a for a 3 gen old phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol ok.

Question Purchased a Verizon variant through Google Store, paid in full... Fully unlocked in 60 days, or is this a trick?

I haven't purchased a new phone since before 802.11ax came out. It's been... a long time, to say the least.
I'm reading mixed signals. Can I unlock, root, and do whatever anyone else can do with this hardware - or will they strangle my balls still?

I'm on Verizon too, but purchased the unlocked version. The Verizon bootloaders have driven me nuts in the past...

Fully unlocked amas in carrier unlocked. Only way you can unlock the bootloader of a pixel 7 device in the USA is if you bought an u locked variant directly from Google. You can't unlock any Android device bought from Verizon.

Usually it means you can't unlock the bootloader but that's only after the first firmware update.
So if you don't update it and wait then it should work. That's how it went with the vzw variant of the pixel XL anyways... I bought 2 of them because like a dupe I let it update without even thinking.
Then I got another and before anything I unlocked the bootloader, installed twrp, got root and then put my sim card in and I manually installed Google's updates and everything was fine.
Dunno if that changed or not...but it will ship with the ability to unlock it, or should because it's flashed with the stock Google firmware

The above post only applies to the original Pixel 1.
When Verizon says "unlocked" they mean carrier unlocked.
You can only get a bootloader unlocked if you buy direct from Google and buy the Google version of the phone, not the Verizon one they list.

What @jdoe6783 and @TonikJDK said. When all United States carriers volunteer information about "unlocking", they only mean carrier unlocking - i.e. you can then use your Verizon Pixel 7 Pro on a different carrier.
As I say in Post 2 in my thread:
roirraW edor ehT said:
Verizon variants:
Will never be able to have their bootloader unlocked. It's like winning the lottery, and just as rare and relatively random. There is nothing that anyone on XDA can do to help you unlock your Verizon variant.
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Curious why you would even buy the carrier variant from the google store? I mean if you are paying in full, just buy the unlocked version.

Ok. Thank you, all. Once the device is carrier unlocked, will I be able to remove the Verizon bloatware? That's my biggest concern now. I can live with a locked bootloader as long as the provided OS allows me to control what software is and is not running.
I bought the carrier variant for a few reasons:
I've already settled on Verizon as my carrier for the long haul. I bounced around between MVNOs, Google Fi, and T-mobile before landing on Verizon ~18mo ago. It has been a better experience for a little less money after taking advantage of so many promotions - several of which hinge on my home ISP being Verizon as well.
The trade-in value is pretty solid. I don't value it at $700 like they say as it's really just $19/mo off my bill for 3 years. It's not clear to me what happens if I upgrade my device or decide to cancel service in that time... they just stop providing the discount?
I never felt the need to root my last phone. I did it for a while, and many of my necessary apps detected this and stopped working. I've gathered that this is something the community has addressed now, but it still speaks to the time/benefit of going through the process to root and try out different things that rooting enables. I have less time to research and try out various options than I once did. My suspicion is that I'll be happy enough with the factory OS. The only things that would change this would be if I cannot remove Verizon bloatware. I'm not forefiting that kind of control of my $1k phone for a $20/mo reimbursement.
mmWave sounds cool, but I'm not convinced it'll have a meaningful impact on my usage. Perhaps when I'm in a large city and there's congestion on the other bands... This is a very minor point.

shiftr182 said:
Curious why you would even buy the carrier variant from the google store? I mean if you are paying in full, just buy the unlocked version.
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agreed...
you can always buy the Google unlocked variant and just activate it on your carrier (in this case, Verizon as OP's carrier), instead of purchasing the specific carrier variant.
At the very least I plan on purchasing the unlocked variant and activating it on Verizon....
If anything, @SethW, if it is truly important to you to do all the additional "fun" stuff like root, tether, custom ROMs, and all the other stuff (like it is to many/most of us on this forum)...you should still be in the return period. You might want to try the route of returning it and purchasing the Google unlocked variant to be certain you can unlock the bootloader -- and therefore root and other things.
EDIT
@SethW's reply just popped up while I was replying and just got in right before my post, so I wanted to address it...
SethW said:
Ok. Thank you, all. Once the device is carrier unlocked, will I be able to remove the Verizon bloatware? That's my biggest concern now. I can live with a locked bootloader as long as the provided OS allows me to control what software is and is not running.
I bought the carrier variant for a few reasons:
I've already settled on Verizon as my carrier for the long haul. I bounced around between MVNOs, Google Fi, and T-mobile before landing on Verizon ~18mo ago. It has been a better experience for a little less money after taking advantage of so many promotions - several of which hinge on my home ISP being Verizon as well.
....My suspicion is that I'll be happy enough with the factory OS. The only things that would change this would be if I cannot remove Verizon bloatware. I'm not forefiting that kind of control of my $1k phone for a $20/mo reimbursement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's okay to be on Verizon. I've been with them for decades and okay with them. It's good that you tried out a bunch and have your reasons to use them. By all means, you can/should use the P7P with them.
But to address your other concerns about the Verizon bloatware -- I'm fairly certain if you purchased the carrier specific Verizon variant, it will have its bloatware and you will not be able to remove it. There might be tricks to hide & help ignore it, but [usually] you aren't going to be able to remove it (at least without root, which you will not be able to do since Verizon bootlocks their devices; also, if it were rootable, you would have an unlocked variant and would not have bloatware in the first place ) [fun fact: in the earliest days of Android smartphones, the whole reason to root one's phone was to get rid of said bloatware; now, one has to purchase directly from Google and get their variant to even get a chance to root outside of carrier control]. Now I've never purchased a carrier variant from Google nor have I met anyone who has, so it might be different since you purchased it from Google store and not Verizon store, but I can't imagine Verizon wouldn't hold Google to their restrictions even if it's from Google's store -- I mean, what's the difference/purpose selling a carrier variant without any of said carrier's restrictions when Google could just sell Google's unlocked variant and just load it on the carrier's network?
TL;DR If it's a carrier (Verizon) variant, it most likely will have the carrier's bloatware; and you cannot remove it; even if the OS is as customizable as Android.

I'm definitely thinking about a return already. The agreements states 'unlocked after 60 days' which I read as fully unlocked, rather than some partial unlocking they've come up with. It really hinges on whether or not I can fully control the OS of the phone after it's 'carrier' unlocked.
EDIT - in response to @simplepinoi177 's edit
Well then. Returning it for sure. Didn't even think to mention ad-blocking apps and such but I rely on those. Makes my stomach turn when I see someone using a device without robust ad-blocking. Without root, that's probably on the chopping block too.

SethW said:
I'm definitely thinking about a return already. The agreements states 'unlocked after 60 days' which I read as fully unlocked, rather than some partial unlocking they've come up with. It really hinges on whether or not I can fully control the OS of the phone after it's 'carrier' unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep in mind, it's not just Verizon. All U.S. carriers, when they say unlocked, they only mean carrier unlocked. It's not just something Verizon came up with. As far as they're concerned, it will be fully unlocked.
SethW said:
EDIT - in response to @simplepinoi177 's edit
Well then. Returning it for sure. Didn't even think to mention ad-blocking apps and such but I rely on those. Makes my stomach turn when I see someone using a device without robust ad-blocking. Without root, that's probably on the chopping block too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good luck with your return and re-purchase!

simplepinoi177 said:
you can always buy the Google unlocked variant and just activate it on your carrier (in this case, Verizon as OP's carrier), instead of purchasing the specific carrier variant.
At the very least I plan on purchasing the unlocked variant and activating it on Verizon....
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The unlocked phone from Amazon is the same as the unlocked one from Google, isn't it?

Wi1son said:
The unlocked phone from Amazon is the same as the unlocked one from Google, isn't it?
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Click to collapse
Yep

Wi1son said:
The unlocked phone from Amazon is the same as the unlocked one from Google, isn't it?
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Click to collapse
EtherealRemnant said:
Yep
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Also, if you check the Amazon description, under "Wireless Carrier", it states "Unlocked", so it's a safe bet that it's actually unlocked like the Google variant and not the way carrier's state "unlocked" like it's not "contractually bound" or "locked" to the carrier....

If you have the Verizon model, you can disable some of the VZW bloatware with ADB, but not all of it. If you disable some of the VZW specific packages, it won't boot and you will have to go through recovery. I was really annoyed when I found out that I couldn't unlock the bootloader on the VZW model of my Pixel 3XL. On my previous phone I had relied on particular mods to make my life easier (I'm unilaterally deaf).
I would certainly return it for the unlocked Google version while the window is open, just in case you ever need to unlock the bootloader.

Refused delivery and requested FedEx return it to sender - as instructed by Google Support. In spite of this, FedEx tried to delivery every day for the past week. They're finally sending it back to Google. I suspect they'll refund it soon. I'm really annoyed that I'm apparently going to miss out on the $200 google store promotion. I was looking forward to trying out the pro earbuds for free.

Question Sweet merciful Jesus is the Verizon bootloader still permalocked?

How has nobody found a solution to this? Surely it's a software thing. You'd have thought some badass member somewhere with enough of a chip on their shoulder against Verizon would have figured a way around this.
Too bad there isn't a bounty for it.

jdkzombie said:
How has nobody found a solution to this? Surely it's a software thing. You'd have thought some badass member somewhere with enough of a chip on their shoulder against Verizon would have figured a way around this.
Too bad there isn't a bounty for it.
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Click to collapse
I doubt it is a simple or easy as it being simply a "software thing", and I completely believe it could/would never be done...but @wr3cckl3ss1 is on the case!
you can see a bit of how he's progressing HERE and HERE and HERE

It's unfortunate; this was actually the reason I switched from Verizon to T-Mobile lol. It appears the Verizon variant of the Pixel 6 remained locked all this time so I wouldn't bet on much different with the Pixel 7 :/ Hopefully somebody finds something for those with the VZW variant.

simplepinoi177 said:
I doubt it is a simple or easy as it being simply a "software thing", and I completely believe it could/would never be done...but @wr3cckl3ss1 is on the case!
you can see a bit of how he's progressing HERE and HERE and HERE
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Nice!
Surely it couldn't be a hardware lock!?

Does anyone know how to read and interpret a Magisk log? And can show or tell me what's missing

jdkzombie said:
Nice!
Surely it couldn't be a hardware lock!?
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The issue here is 2 java applets.....nothing hardware.

Too bad we didn't have a Verizon inside agent. Tell us wtf they do to lock it. Because isn't that against Googles Tos? It's sold as an unlock able device.

jdkzombie said:
Too bad we didn't have a Verizon inside agent. Tell us wtf they do to lock it. Because isn't that against Googles Tos? It's sold as an unlock able device.
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It's Verizon that demands it. But it's Google's own code that puts the lock in place...so they're both at fault.

wr3cckl3ss1 said:
It's Verizon that demands it. But it's Google's own code that puts the lock in place...so they're both at fault.
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Weird. Strange that this would still be a thing. Not like the device was cheap to purchase.

My question is why is Verizon so "gung-ho" about it? More than any other carrier (other carriers eventually allow to unlock the bootloader)? I could understand when they used to repair their own devices (so they didn't want the liability and the headaches of when customers messed with the devices); but that's the not the case anymore. Outside of their greedy archaic grasp on tethering and to load unremovable bloatware, I don't know what they have to fear of unlocked bootloaders & root access.

Who knows.
I'm willing to throw money towards a bounty that removes Verizons strangle hold on devices. I don't mind their service, and the signal is good where I live, but I like customization. And I'd love to try some new kernals to change up the CPU scheduler and power plans to stop the phone from bringing the 4 big cores online for casual use.

Just get the unlocked version and use with Verizon service. What's the upside with having the Verizon variant?

Because it's not that simple. You can't swappa sell a phone you're making any payments towards. And the phone is too new for trade in with another carrier of any type.

VZW variants have been locked since the OG Pixel days aside from that small window before taking an OTA you could unlock if it was on a certain version. Sadly I don't see this changing anytime soon and if you want to unlock BL and root get the unlocked version from the Google Store. There's really little incentive buying Pixels from Verizon now. With Pixel Pass and Google Store financing those are good options if you can't drop all the money up front.

Just buy the unlocked model. Some retailers have awesome trade in deals coming from the 6 series or iPhones. It works just as well on Verizon and avoids the 36 month committment.

I hate how Verizon shuts down the option for unlocking the bootloader and rooting, but it is easier to purchase a device from them because your payments will coincide with your regular monthly cell bill, you already pass the credit check when you open an account with them (no need to apply for one with Google Synchrony Financing), and I just went through with this with my wife's phone but unless you qualify enough to cover the Pixel (my wife qualified for the Pixel 7, not the P7P at the storage capacity we wanted), you're stuck paying all (up to $1400 [P7P 512GB w/ 2 year protection & tax]) up front -- where there's virtually no risk of this if you purchase through Verizon (they want to lock you in to years-long contract and you already passed the credit check)! So there's (some of) the benefits....
*but it's still more worth it beyond any of these "benefits" to get it from Google Store unlocked....

Lol. Here's a simple solution. Buy the unlocked version. Who changes carriers because of a bl lock? WTF?

At this point I think we all know that Verizon isn't going to unlock the Bootloader. if you want an unlocked bootloader, it is easier, and more guaranteed to just buy the unlocked version from Google vs trying to find vulnerabilities in the bootloader and having to worry about it being patched each month.

Not sure if this is still in effect, but many years ago, if you purchased an unlocked phone instead of the Verizon branded one, WiFi calling wouldn't work. I'm not sure if there was something missing from the phone that Verizon needed to make it happen, or if Verizon was just screwing over those who purchased unlocked versions.

andygold said:
Not sure if this is still in effect, but many years ago, if you purchased an unlocked phone instead of the Verizon branded one, WiFi calling wouldn't work. I'm not sure if there was something missing from the phone that Verizon needed to make it happen, or if Verizon was just screwing over those who purchased unlocked versions.
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it's working perfectly fine with my device....it also worked with my Pixel 5 (also unlocked variant from Google Store)....

Question Is it possible to root an S22 Ultra SM-S908U from the USA?

Not long ago I bought this model of the S22 ultra and I wanted to know if it is possible that it can be rooted

No it cannot be rooted. The bootloader needs to be unlocked, and that is not possible to do either.

i dont understand on how come samsung always do this with new S series until next model comes out and a dev comes in understands that all the lights are shyning on the phone so it should be way esier to get around the OEM toogle missing from developers tab....i would be happy runninh simple but effects very strong to just be able to control whats running and wahts not,use shizuku for highger APis previleges,ice box is great to frezze in case you cant remove via ADB ,Nevo great as well,greniffy,etc....but come one someone find the solution to root the american vertion variant and ill pay whoever can do this favor,on any network in the US im on t-mobile....but willing to witch if is t-mobile the problem ill switch, its unlocked

bresk said:
i dont understand on how come samsung always do this with new S series until next model comes out and a dev comes in understands that all the lights are shyning on the phone so it should be way esier to get around the OEM toogle missing from developers tab....i would be happy runninh simple but effects very strong to just be able to control whats running and wahts not,use shizuku for highger APis previleges,ice box is great to frezze in case you cant remove via ADB ,Nevo great as well,greniffy,etc....but come one someone find the solution to root the american vertion variant and ill pay whoever can do this favor,on any network in the US im on t-mobile....but willing to witch if is t-mobile the problem ill switch, its unlocked
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Why not switch to a pixel then? The issue isn't you or your phone the issue is Samsung deciding that what you paid for the phone wasn't enough to allow you to do what you want to a device you supposedly own.. The response you received here is disappointing. I dont own this phone but I was thinking about it until finding this out.

talksickisil said:
Why not switch to a pixel then? The issue isn't you or your phone the issue is Samsung deciding that what you paid for the phone wasn't enough to allow you to do what you want to a device you supposedly own.. The response you received here is disappointing. I dont own this phone but I was thinking about it until finding this out.
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My phone is full paid, network unlocked but still no OEM toogle for unlock the bootloader

talksickisil said:
Why not switch to a pixel then? The issue isn't you or your phone the issue is Samsung deciding that what you paid for the phone wasn't enough to allow you to do what you want to a device you supposedly own.. The response you received here is disappointing. I dont own this phone but I was thinking about it until finding this out.
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So you can buy a Pixel in the US on any carrier with an unlockable bootloader?
I live in the UK and don't buy new phones very often and have a Samsung S4 mini, S7 and S9 which I still use.
The S4 mini came with an unlocked bootloader out of the box, so no toggle needed in dev options. The S7 and S9 have the toggle.
Regarding the S4 mini, I read a post from 2019 that stated Verizon and AT&T were the only US carriers that locked the bootloader, so I don't know what is going on

bresk said:
My phone is full paid, network unlocked but still no OEM toogle for unlock the bootloader
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Qualcomm is the one to blame. You need an exynos version to unlock BL

Ryu--X said:
Qualcomm is the one to blame. You need an exynos version to unlock BL
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Well I've seen some threads about this, but mine is a snapdragon so far i have been searching and hoping that with the s23 series maybe someone would have a answer for the issue

Ryu--X said:
Qualcomm is the one to blame. You need an exynos version to unlock BL
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Not true. The non-US Snap Dragon variants are rootable. Qualcomm had nothing to do with the bootloader being locked down. That was because North American (primarily US) carriers required it.

Samsung's US and Canadian Snapdragon phones do not allow unlocks regardless if the phone was bought from a carrier or not.
Source : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootloader_unlocking#

I honestly didn't realize that was even a thing. No surprise. We don't own our devices Any more. The 1000+ dollars you pay for a phone is just to use it. I've been using an iphone as my primary device since early 2018 which is how I didn't realize this bootloader f#ckery.
Putting on my tinfoil cap: do the US carriers collude with the government to put some type of backdoor in the stock OS that you just won't find in a custom roms source code?

talksickisil said:
Putting on my tinfoil cap: do the US carriers collude with the government to put some type of backdoor in the stock OS that you just won't find in a custom roms source code?
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Ummm... Go ahead and take off that tinfoil hat and read the 4th, 5th, and 14th Amendments. You should also cut back on the Dan Brown books.