this post was submitted on 07 Aug 2023
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ASUS is apparently killing the ability to root present and future Zenfone, Updated (www.androidauthority.com)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by [email protected] to c/technology
149 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Update from Asus

The service team reply misunderstood the situation. Unlock tool is unavailable at this moment but we are allowing the possibility to unlock, please stay tuned.

**TL;DR

  • ASUS has apparently withdrawn the ability to unlock the bootloader on its phones.
  • As per the company’s technical support team, Zenfone 10 and Zenfone 9 users won’t be able to root their phones.
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[–] [email protected] 31 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

A typical example of planned obsolescence what an effective way of killing my plans to get an Asus phone as my next daily driver assuming this is true

Some important context from the article:

A Reddit user claims that the company’s developer liaison on its Telegram channel has no knowledge of any such development. “According to them, the unlock tool server is in maintenance and will resume in Q3,” the person writes; We’ve written to ASUS to clarify the situation and will update this article when and if we hear more.

But here is the thing why do I need to use a tool to connect to a server just to be allowed to unlock the bootloader? I don't and didn't need such a thing to unlock the bootloader of my Samsung Galaxy phone (planned obsolescence ladies and gentlemen)

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

But here is the thing why do I need to use a tool to connect to a server just to be allowed to unlock the bootloader

It's been this way since I first flashed a custom ROM on my 2011 Xperia and I've never gotten it. It seems so useless. Either Huawei or Xiaomi wanted me to provide a REASON for unlocking.

I think Nexus phones were unlockable without making a request to a server. I might be wrong though. But I do miss the Nexus line.

[–] Zak 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Pixel devices don't require permission via a server. Unlocking is enabled via developer settings on the device.

Doing it any other way is user-hostile.

[–] royal_starfish 1 points 1 year ago

Unless you get Verizon'ed that is

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I suspect it's to keep a record which can be used to defend themselves from lawsuits. "You caught that virus after you removed our protections, so it's your own fault. Here's the receipt."

[–] Smirk 2 points 1 year ago

Am on a galaxy 21 U5g and was looking at my next phone being a zenfone.

Not a chance now.