I’ve made a couple of posts now about Google and other OEM’s desperate attempts to lock down the Android operating system into their own version of iOS. Things like “Play integrity”, “Knox counters”, no bootloader unlocks, root detection, keeping development private, all with no tangible benefit to the end user other than preventing us from truly owning our devices.
The S25 FE that I currently have, after being given an offer from my network I couldn’t refuse is a technically excellent phone, especially for the price I paid, however there’s a but. This phone launched with One UI 8. Samsung quietly decided to remove the ability to unlock the bootloader on every device running One UI 8. Being that this phone launched on this version, there is no option to downgrade. This phone may as well be an iPhone, in that I have zero options to install ROM’s, it will be impossible to obtain root access and if it somehow ends up bricked I will be out of luck.
If you currently have a Samsung device that is on a One UI version less than 8 I urge you not to update!
Without root access I have only been able to do so much with this S25 FE. Currently I’ve “degoogled” it as much as possible. Play services, framework and store are gone, as are all of their inbuilt apps. All automatic updating is disabled, and I’ve removed as much of the inbuilt Samsung software as I can via ADB. Whilst I can’t do everything I want to with this phone I can at least know that it won’t be able to get any worse.
Similarly to cars, where we have to purchase older vehicles in order to have the ability to diagnose and repair them, it looks as though we’ll have to resort to older phones. Fortunately I am not reliant on any banking apps or services, meaning I can comfortably run an older version of Android or use a rooted device without having restrictions imposed on me, so I do have options.
Fortunately it seems not many people have realised what’s coming, and older devices are still cheap. I’ve managed to find a nearly pristine Samsung Note 9 with Knox tripped (doesn’t matter to me) for less than £100 and a Pixel 6 that’s just had a battery replacement for £35 however it needs a new screen. I’ll replace the battery on the Note 9 and replace the display on the Pixel 6 and in theory I should be able to keep these phones running for years to come.
The Note 9 initially I plan to use it on it’s stock operating system which is Android 10. For now at least, none of the apps I use require higher than 8. However if app support (mainly the web browser) starts to dwindle I can take the phone up to Android 13 using the last official LineageOS release for it, which would buy more time.
Eventually it will become unfeasible to continue using the Samsung, and that’s where the Pixel 6 will come in. Currently GrapheneOS are supporting the device fully. That would be my primary choice. However they are struggling, with Google keeping wraps on their Android development it’s making life hard for the Graphene team, they will also most likely drop support soon for the Pixel 6. LineageOS will most likely continue officially supporting the device for several more years though so it shouldn’t be something I need to worry about for a long time.
Once I’m comfortably set up with these devices I’ll be selling the S25 FE. Yes, Samsung have promised to update the device for 7 years but without the ability to root, and the impending developer verification Google are imposing the device will be useless to me. It’s a sad state of affairs really, however I feel like I’m ready to ride the storm at least until a better alternative comes along.
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