Samsung restricts bootloader unlocking on One UI 8 devices
While most people are enjoying the new features, some power users are left disappointed because Samsung quietly restricted the ability to unlock the bootloader. And this appears to be true for both stable and beta builds.
Moreover, previous Galaxy S and Z Fold/Z Flip generation users with unlocked bootloaders are reporting that the update to One UI 8 beta locked their bootloader.
An XDA Developers forum user dug deeper into the code and found out that there isn't a potential workaround either. It appears that Samsung has completely removed all lines of code that control bootloader unlocking, so it's not just a setting that's been removed from the Settings menu.
This sounds like a significant blow to Samsung's power user base, and it could potentially trigger some regulatory alarms in the EU.
Source 1 | Source 2
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Phone Arena
8 minutes ago
- Phone Arena
CPU on the current iPhone line performs 385 times better than the one that powered first iPhone
The iPhone has undoubtedly come a long way since it was first released more than five years ago. There is no question that the world changed with the launch of the iPhone on June 29, 2007. As the proud owner of the OG iPhone in 2007, I could see that once Apple replaced the iPhone's connectivity with AT&T's slow-as-molasses EDGE with cutting-edge 3G speeds, the device would become a mobile monster. Things were so slow with EDGE connectivity that the only way to watch a YouTube video clearly was when you could find a Wi-Fi connection around you. Even worse, if you were using the Safari browser, you could not make or receive a call at the same time. If someone tried to call you while you were checking out the New York Times website, for example, your incoming calls went right to voicemail. In the case of an emergency, that is not good. The A18 Pro powers the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. | Image credit-Apple Since the release of the OG iPhone, Apple has greatly improved the battery capacity from 1400mAh to 4685mAh (with the iPhone 16 Pro Max). The OG iPhone was also equipped with 128MB of RAM compared to 8GB on all iPhone 16 models (for Apple Intelligence purposes). The rear camera on the OG iPhone was 2MP compared to the 48MP Wide camera on the iPhone 16 Pro Max (along with the 48MP Ultra-wide camera and the 12MP Telephoto camera). What about the processor? The original iPhone was powered by an ARM11-based SoC from Samsung with a clock speed of 412MHz. For the iPhone 3GS released in 2009, Apple used an ARM Cortex-A8 core Samsung CPU (APL0298C05). Apple moved to a 64-bit architecture for the first time with the A7 chipset used to power the iPhone 5S in 2013. The chip was built by Samsung. The next year, Apple made a shift to TSMC for the A8 chipset used on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. This SoC was built on TSMC's 20nm process node. The A9 was a bit unusual since both Samsung and TSMC built the chipset for Apple. The latter built it on its 16nm process node while Samsung used its 14nm process. Despite Samsung's use of a slightly more advanced process node, one benchmark test revealed that TSMC's version of the A9 SoC provided iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus users as much as two additional hours of battery life. This led to the so-called "Chipgate" scandal, and some of those buying new iPhones were demanding a model using TSMC's chipset. We even showed you how to determine which SoC was inside your iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus. Apple said the actual variation in battery life between the two chipsets was 2%-3% in TSMC's favor and this was actually backed up by benchmark tests. According to Japanese tech blog PC Watch, using Geekbench to monitor the performance of iPhone CPUs, starting with the OG model in 2007, there is an annual improvement rate of 40%. Overall, from the OG iPhone to the iPhone 16 series, the iPhone CPU has increased in performance by 384.9x. With the improvements we could see with the A19/A19 Pro application processors, the improvement from the OG iPhone to the latest iPhone series could take the improvement to 500x or higher. The A19/A19 Pro will both be built using TSMC's third-generation 3nm process node. Next year's A20 application processor should be the first A-series chips built by TSMC using its 2nm process node. As the process node gets smaller, so does the size of the transistors used on a chip. That increases the transistor density, which measures the number of transistors that can be packed into a specific area of a chip. This number is expressed as millions of transistors per square millimeter (MTx/mm²). A higher transistor density means a chip is, in theory, more powerful and energy efficient than chips with a lower transistor density. After 2nm, TSMC is expected to start mass production of 1.4nm chips during the second half of 2028.
GSM Arena
3 hours ago
- GSM Arena
Samsung Galaxy A17 renders leak
Mere hours ago, we reported that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy A17 received a certification on its way to launch, and now we're back talking about it since a bunch of official-looking renders depicting it have been outed. All of the images below show the phone in the same dark gray / black colorway except the last one, which gives us a glimpse at a different hue. Samsung Galaxy A17 leaked images The phone we're talking about here is the 5G version, it's still unclear if it will be the only one or if Samsung will also release a 4G iteration like it did last year for its predecessor. With that out of the way, let's talk specs. The source of these renders confirms the Exynos 1380 SoC which was already outed through a benchmark run. We should apparently also expect a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen, a triple rear camera setup with a 50 MP main snapper, a 5 MP ultrawide, and a 2 MP macro, and a 5,000 mAh battery with support for 25W wired charging. More Samsung Galaxy A17 leaked images A previous leak also told us that the main camera would have OIS for the first time in a Samsung in this price range. As you can see from the images, the A17 has a huge chin below the screen and a waterdrop notch, making for a rather vintage look in this day and age. It looks like the main upgrades in the A17 compared to the A16 will be the chipset and the OIS support in the main camera. Everything else seems to have remained identical, including, allegedly, the dimensions. In the US, the Galaxy A17 will be sold by T-Mobile for sure, but perhaps other carriers as well. The Galaxy A16 has by some measurements been Samsung's best-selling phone recently, and so its successor has a lot to live up to. It's expected to become official in October. Samsung Galaxy A16 Samsung Galaxy A16 5G Source
Phone Arena
4 hours ago
- Phone Arena
Google's Pixel lineup secure a comfortable spot in the U.S. smartphone growth competition
This progress puts Google just ahead of TCL, which had previously edged out Pixel in shipment volumes. TCL's presence declined significantly this quarter, dropping 23% year over year to around 700,000 units. Other smaller brands also saw a steep drop, with shipments down 34%. Google now sits just behind Motorola, which remains in third place with a 12% share and 3.2 million units shipped. While Motorola's growth this quarter was only 2%, it still far outpaces Google in scale. At the top of the market, Apple remains the US leader with 13.3 million iPhones shipped, although that figure represents an 11% decline compared to the same period last year. Samsung, in contrast, saw the biggest leap: a 38% increase, shipping 8.3 million units and capturing 31% of the market. Canalys credits this to the success of Samsung's Galaxy A-series. Canalys Smartphone Market Pulse Q2 2025. | Image credit — Canalys For Google, the growth is notable but slowing. In 2023, Pixel was estimated to account for close to 5% of the US market, suggesting the brand has dipped slightly in relative terms, even if shipments are up. With the Pixel 10 series expected to launch in August, Q3 could be more telling. Last year's Pixel 9 series helped the company reach its highest-ever quarterly sales. Still, breaking into the US smartphone market at scale remains difficult. Over 90% of all smartphone shipments in the US are controlled by Apple, Samsung, and Motorola. This leaves little room for other players to grow. Canalys notes that brands like OnePlus and Nothing are taking a different approach, focusing on unlocked sales through their websites and retailers like Best Buy and Amazon, instead of relying on carrier deals. But this strategy hasn't led to major market share gains yet. Overall, Google's steady rise is a bright spot in a challenging environment. Compared to Samsung's aggressive growth and Apple's dominance, Pixel remains a small but growing alternative that's slowly carving out a space of its own — and I'm definitely here for it. Bring on more competition!
