I understand that people are happy about it, but I'm not.

The monopoly state of GMS Android means it needs to be just "good enough" to serve serious blows to any alternatives. Position of Windows on desktop is completely incomparable to Android on smartphones. On desktop, you may even say that Linux started thriving. On smartphones, the consolidation into the garden of stock GMS Android seems to only increase.

Say you want Linux and Android on a single device. You may rely on projects like UBPorts, Waydroid, Droidian, PostmarketOS and do whatever you want with drivers or even whole kernel of your own device, make them more efficient and up-to-date in plenty of ways.

Google offers an alternative: you get to also have Android and Linux on a single device. But now, you'll do nothing with your hardware, even if it's EOL, even if something obvious sucks about it and can be easily fixed. [1/2]

Why would anyone choose the latter? The answer is already there: Play Integrity and free app licensing (aka sideloading restriction). Measures that make sure to put difficulty onto any alternatives, especially commercial.

How popular would a mobile OS project have to be to get millions of users and hyped up investors in current state of the market? Whenever GMS Android makes a step forward, it pushes the rest five steps back.
[2/2]

An S25 Ultra owner is mad about his street becoming green due to auto white balance behavior. Meanwhile his street lamps...

OnePlus is switching to Realme unlocking scheme, NOT closing down bootloader unlock procedure. The real questions become:
1. Will there be a quota?
2. Will there be a week wait?

Actually, have translation of the whole original post on Chinese OP forum:

Good luck!


In order to protect the security of users' devices and data, and enhance system stability, we will adjust the bootloader unlocking method on ColorOS 16. Developers and users with specific needs can apply to join the in-depth testing program through the official channel if they are fully aware of the risks associated with unlocking and brushing and can bear the risks.


Specific application rules and operational procedures are as follows.


1）【Application Requirements

All of the following conditions must be met in order to apply to join the Deep Test Program:


ColorOS 16.0 and above models
No account abnormality or violation
No application record within 30 days
Non-government-enterprise and carrier-customized cell phones and tablets
Mobile phones and tablets listed in mainland China

2）【Application Instructions

1、After joining the test program, unlocking Bootloader privileges, modifying system files and other behaviors may cause unpredictable effects on the device, including but not limited to:

The three-party firmware may make some functions of the device can not run normally, such as the camera to take pictures. This may result in damage to the device.
Personal security and private information on the device may be leaked, and security is not guaranteed.
Some system functions may be modified, affecting system version upgrades and preventing you from experiencing the latest ColorOS services.
The data on the device may be damaged or lost, and cannot be recovered, so it is recommended to back up the data in advance.

2. After joining the test program, if the product is caused to have a functional failure, it will not be ennoscriptd to the return and exchange service, but will be ennoscriptd to the original warranty. If you can successfully recover to the official system by brushing, you can still enjoy the three packages normally, if the recovery fails, you can only enjoy the warranty.


3) How to apply for in-depth testing?

1、Please make sure that:

1) The phone and tablet meet the application conditions and support in-depth testing

(2) The system version type is the official version, and upgraded to the version that supports in-depth test when OTA detects the latest version (Viewing method: Settings > About this machine > Version information).

2. Follow the instructions to complete the application process at the in-depth test application portal.

3、After submitting the application, please wait patiently for the review, which is expected to be completed within 1~2 working days.

4、Related announcements will be released in the official account of OnePlus Community [ColorOS Upgrade Assistant], please pay attention to get relevant information in time.




QA




1、Is the Bootloader unlocking policy of previous ColorOS version affected?

For previous ColorOS versions, Bootloader unlocking is not affected.


2、When will this Bootloader unlocking policy be enforced?

The policy will be applied to the first batch of ColorOS 16-powered OnePlus phones and tablets in the second half of the year.


3. When can I apply to join the in-depth testing?

Relevant announcements will be released on the official account of ColorOS Upgrade Assistant in the OnePlus community, so please pay attention to get the relevant information in time.


4、Do I need to answer questions to apply for the in-depth test?

No. Users can finish the application process by following the prompts in the in-depth test application portal, and will be able to get the unlocked BL privileges after passing the audit in 1~2 working days.


5. Is there any limit on the total number of Bootloader unlocking applications and is there a limited number of unlocking quota?

No, there is no quota limit at present.


6、What is the after-sale policy after unlocking?

After unlocking the privileges, if the product is caused to malfunction, it is not ennoscriptd to return or exchange service, but can enjoy the original warranty. If you can successfully recover to the official system by brushing, you can still enjoy the three guarantees normally, if the recovery fails, you can only enjoy the warranty.

https://bbs.oneplus.com/thread/1926504022886318086

Tldr they say 1-2 working days and no quota, but the phrasing about account makes it sound like it may need to be a month old. I also suggest a little bit of caution about Chinese units, but for now, unlocking Chinese Realmes abroad wasn't a problem (and didn't need a month old account)

So now from my understanding, as "deep testing" gives you bootloader access and by itself doesn't influence your later actions, even the normiest of normies should start applying for it.
For the sake of stats, and unironically also the resell value. By successfully applying, you're giving your unit the ability to unlock, so the value of your device increases compared to default state without sacrificing anything.

Google is such a mess now about releasing security patches that they confused (a) Qualcomm (employee).

https://issuetracker.google.com/u/0/issues/436838167

I've seen this cam island somewhere, wondering where...

Just setting the record straight about a somewhat dated topic (I'm far from happy that a state before this commit managed to be real for any period of time):
https://github.com/eu-digital-identity-wallet/eudi-app-android-wallet-ui/commit/9367289f3da1abd7f2cff0e7e05d67a95f4fdf60

Smartphone? Tablet? Feel free, it's Galaxy No... Tablet.

Since Nothing decided to ignore my report, after waiting for about a month I decided to release it publicly :)

You can find the source code and full details here: https://github.com/R0rt1z2/fenrir. Currently, it only supports the Nothing Phone 2a but it should apply to more MediaTek devices from what I've seen on expdb dumps.

You can also test the patched LK image from the releases section. It should spoof the bootloader state as locked while it’s actually unlocked, allowing you to pass strong integrity anywhere (as shown in the pictures I shared a few months ago).

Have fun, and sorry for the messy repo. I wish I had more time to write a proper guide and clean things up.

Obviously, it's an example of an exploit that could be further utilized for PIA proxying. Google knows they can't really keep up with banning and the vulnerable build will keep passing strong for a significant time, hence:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/TadiBlog/547

The future is proxying PIA from your own vulnerable ewaste device that won't ever be downgraded to no integrity because of coming from a major OEM (assuming it'll be secured enough to make secret extraction impossible but unpatched enough to be fine with proxying)

Imagine your app (not mine, don't worry) breaks because the user's ROM is parsin' Cok and dividing by zero

Unsold Nexus One engs casually sold for 200 CNY in 2025. Imagine how much money someone must've lost by not selling them earlier. At this point they should probably keep them for the next 10 years so the price grows instead.

There's a guy "fighting the stigma" of Pixels being not unbrickable, by "making Google's customers happy on their behalf" through a free unbricking service. 😭

New CodeLinaro OSS release detected!
Tag: LA.VENDOR.16.2.1.r1-03700-LAHAINA.0
Manifests: Vendor - dummy (AUDIO_IOT.LA.11.0.R2) - dummy (GRAPHICS.LA.16.1.R2) - dummy (VIDEO.LA.5.1.R1) - dummy (LA.QISI.16.0.R1)
Chipsets: blair, canoe, common, kalama, lahaina612, sepolicy_vndr, sun, taro, vendor-common, wlan
Build ID: BQ2A.250705.001
Date: 2025-08-22T11:17:33.000+00:00

So it... exists!

It's an IoT tag, don't expect your lahaina smartphones or tablets on stock to get a new vendor. Unless it's Fairphone or industrial device.