Can anyone tell me what vendors allow bootlock unlock?

jhibbard

I have a Pixel 8 pro (from Spectrum) and am currently using Spectrum as an ISP. The 8 pro does allow this but Spectrum says that they can't answer this question and I should call Google. I was looking into a 9 pro ($100) w/trade but not only do they refuse to answer the question but also want a $50 restock fee if I return it.

gristle-cause

jhibbard

jhibbard Spectrum says that they can't answer this question

Technical details about bootloaders are well beyond anything you can expect your average sales or retail worker to be trained on, you'll have to find your own answers online

gristle-cause

Don't buy one from a carrier (Spectrum, Verizon, Sprint, etc). They like to lock down the hardware to sell their network services. Anything you get from normal retailers (Amazon, BestBuy, Target, ect) should be fine.

jhibbard

gristle-cause

Sometime in the past, I saw a thread containing a phone number to call that claimed that it would reply with a unlockable/not unlockable state. I remember this as it was a google number. It tried it and it advised that my phone was unlockable.

If so, this is a Spectrum 8pro.

jhibbard

gristle-cause

Oh Yes!

Both Spectrum and BB are equally useless in this regard (in my experience). AT&T and Verizon are slightly less evassive but provided no useful detail.

T-Mobile takes third place by shoveling all of this sort of query off-shore for customer abuse.

I have it in mind that Google asks the retail sellers whether they want this locked or not. This sort of conversation goes to some sort of policy on the retailers part.

Thank you for the responses.

gristle-cause

jhibbard are you asking if your current phone - the P8Pro - is unlockable?

If so, just try to unlock it

jhibbard

gristle-cause

Good idea. Here's the rub:

I have a pair of ancient T-Mo tablets. One of them allowed unlock; the other didn't. The one that unlocked would not allow itself to be locked again. Both of these are still running.

Spectrum tells me that if they see a trade in with root, it will refuse the trade in.

This thread started with the query I hadn't thought about whether my 8P was unlockable. I took it as unlockable when google sent me an email saying it was unlockable (see above).

Your thoughts?

Thanks for your efforts. I hadn't considered how much time this would take. Once I see a 'doesn't make sense', I am physically unable to let it go.