Teacher
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1 Message
Locked bootloader on Galaxy S4...DO NOT BUY IT!
I been with ATT for over 10 years and every year I see more and more anticonsumer behavior from you... I was planning on purchasing new Galaxy S4 and now I come to find out that it and the other high-end phone, HTC One, both have locked bootloaders!
Why are you crippling devices ATT? This is a slap in the face to any loyal customer and high-tech driven people. These phones were meant to be used with maximum cusomization in mind, Sprint and T-Mobile both released theirs totally unmolested.
Why are you driving your customers away?
sitnsidewayz
Professor
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1.9K Messages
11 years ago
The ETF is a penalty for ending the contract early, but the money collected is for offsetting the loss on the phone that was sold at a subsidized price. This is the same reason the cost of service doesn't go up or down depending on how you got the phone. I understand what you say about ownership, but just because you give some money and take possession of something doesn't mean you have full ownership. You can put $5000 down to buy a $200,000 and turn around and say you own the home, but do you really own that home at that point? Yes, you own it, but it is not full ownership. Not even close. I'm not sure about other states, but here in Texas, when you finance a vehicle, they don't send you a title of ownership until you pay the vehicle off. The subsidizing of a phone is a form of financing the phone even though it isn't stated as such. AT&T would have legal avenues of repossessing a phone, but they won't because that would not be cost effective, hence they incorporate a fee to cover the money lost on subsidizing the phone.
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awesomebiker
Voyager
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2 Messages
11 years ago
WARNING about Baseband version MF3:
The work around for the locked bootloader in the xda developer forum for the Samsung SGH-I337 will ruin your phone, and there is no fix.
I was fortunate enough and early enough to beat this tyranny, used motochopper to get root and titanium backup to freeze the AT&T Software update in my handset back in June and dodged the OTA MF3 Update. That allowed me to stay at Baseband version I337UCUAMDL. From there I was able to install a custom recovery called TWRP. Made a backup. Flashed a ROM. No more Samsung or AT&T bloatware. Now my handset is fast and flawless. No bugs in the GoldenEye ROM which is basically the international firmware based on TouchWiz.
The bad news is, I'm seeing more and more folks making posts crying for help, in the Q & A help and troubleshooting section about our device because their Baseband version ends in MF3.
There is no recovery if your baseband version ends in MF3.
Yes there is a method to get your handset rooted but at this time it's a one way trip. No return. And no flashing once you get root. I can understand the necessity for root, and if I was stuck with MF3, I'd still root it, just so apps like Root Explorer and others that I use, that require your device to be rooted to work.
What seems to be happening is folks aren't investing the time required to read up or learn the details. One guy with MF3 baseband actually tried using Casual to get root. His phone is borked, unable to do a factory reset. Several others, with some experience flashing previous devices figure out how to get root, then against all warnings install GooManager to flash a custom recovery like CWM or TWRP and ended up with bricks.
So heads up to any of you out there who want to try a work around the locked bootloader. MF3 closed the exploit discovered by DRJBliss. Not even AdamOutler has been able find another way yet, and may not. It's possible that the many folks that bricked their phones won't get any help unless the creeps in charge of AT&T finally decide to unlock the bootloader.
Locking a device to a carrier is one thing. Locking the bootloader is pure, loathesome, unadulterated tyranny. I don't care how large the majority of Zombiehunting subjects tolerate it. It's wrong to prevent us from having complete control of the devices that we either pay for all at once or by recurring monthly charges over a contract period.
If I were to embellish the automobile analogy of not allowing roof racks or tinted windows, I'd like to point out how ticked off you'd be if you decided to pay extra for a V8 only to find it delivered with the smaller engine, and they told you "so sorry" about the extra you paid, too bad, we're keeping that, because we decided the V8 is just too much for you.
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Zombiehunter
Professor
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3.7K Messages
11 years ago
Thanks awesomebiker, and great explanation.
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kgbkny
Guru
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309 Messages
11 years ago
Uh...seriously??? You PAY for the phone when you purchase it! In consideration for the money received from the customer, AT&T provides said customer with a phone. Simple business law.
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kgbkny
Guru
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309 Messages
11 years ago
As a test of this theory, walk into an AT&T store with an unlocked phone and try to sign up for a postpaid account without purchasing a subsidized phone. You will still be liable for a $325 ETF. As such, the ETF is a penalty for early termination, plain and simple. A few months ago, prior to the current reorganization, T-Mobile had a postpaid plan that didn't include a subsidized device. This plan still had a 2-year contract requirement, complete with an ETF.
With regards to vehicle ownership, here in NYS the title is issued to the owner shortly after purchasing the financed vehicle. Once the loan has been paid off, the bank sends the owner a lien release form.
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Zombiehunter
Professor
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3.7K Messages
11 years ago
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21stNow
Professor
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2.7K Messages
11 years ago
There is a lot of confusion in this thread. The bolded part above isn't true. I walked into AT&T and started a new line of service on my existing family plan with a device that I already owned. I canceled the line less than a year later. There was never a contract on that line and no ETF owed for the service cancellation.
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Closingracer
Mentor
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69 Messages
11 years ago
really the OP is just *** and needs to get over it.... If he wants a unlocked bootloade he knows where to go and thus he should go there
[Edited to comply with Guidelines]
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Closingracer
Mentor
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69 Messages
11 years ago
You do realize this doesnt hurt their bottom line right? The only way you will get AT&T to listen is to literally leave in droves for them to notice and then maybe they will listen.. Then again didnt it take them 3 year or something to let you side load apps?
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21stNow
Professor
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2.7K Messages
11 years ago
Yes, and I got my first Android phone from another carrier because of it. I am willing to do this for the locked bootloader situation, as well.
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