The whole point of a Google Pixel 2 (or Pixel 2 XL) if you buy it from Google is that it’s pure and unlocked, so why oh why are some units shipping with locked bootloaders?
This – at last count – is about Google Pixel fail #10001; the handset has been plagued with a plethora of issues since it went on sale from units shipping without ANY software to issues with the Pixel 2 XL’s display.
This latest problem, however, is just weird – all phones bought from Google Play should come with unlocked bootloaders. This is the way it has always been with respect to Nexus and Pixel phones.
Pixel phones bought via a network will, of course, have locked bootloaders; that goes without saying. ALL Google Play units should have unlocked bootloaders, however – this is just the way things work.
So far, around 39 people have starred the issue inside Google Issue Tracker, after the problem was first discovered by XDA. It also appears that this issue is predominantly associated with the HTC-built — not the 2 XL.
But where it gets worse is that stock levels for the handset are super-low, so anyone that wants a phone with an unlocked bootloader, and they are entitled to a refund and replacement, has to wait weeks for the next batch to land.
In addition to this, another user went on to claim they that could unlock their Verizon-bought Pixel 2 XL. Again, the weirdness just keeps on coming. Google has yet to respond to this issue yet, but we’re expecting an update from The Big G in the very near future.
90% of users will never need to mess around with their phone’s bootloader, it’s not something average consumer bothers with. However, that is not the point – the point is that Pixel phones bought via Google SHOULD have unlocked bootloaders.
The fact that some of them don’t proves there has been a MASSIVE mess up at some point during the production/shipping process. Is this HTC’s fault? Maybe. Whatever happens, this is not good. Even more so when you factor in the torrid time the Pixel 2 phones have had already.
by rgoodwin via Featured Articles
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