On Mon, Dec 22, 2014 at 04:19:07PM +1100, Russell Coker wrote:
But I think that a large portion of the inconvenience of running non-Google apps is due to the lack of testing.
That sounds reasonable.
Nexus devices are the most well known for having an unlocked boot loader. Lots of other Android phones and tablets can be unlocked if you search. I even heard that Sony had been quietly making it possible to run your own OS on their devices.
Correct. Sony has a whole section on their website to help people unlock it, but it does void the warranty. http://developer.sonymobile.com/unlockbootloader/unlock-yourboot-loader/
It is quite possible to sell Android devices that are locked down and which require exploiting a bug to get root access. But there is no requirement that devices be sold in that way and there is a choice of vendors.
Exactly. Having a bootloader that isn't locked or can easily be unlocked has been an important factor in my previous smartphone purchasing decisions. Cheers, Adam