yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] perceptualdoor:
Can someone explain to me the benefits of an unlocked bootloader? Custom ROMs have been a pleasure to run, but I guess a free bootloader adds to it?
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] keith.mcintyre26:
I love this phone long time.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] mlin:
Agreed. I just switched to Verizon from Sprint and fortunately I'm on MDK but I'm not down with these policies going forward. For the locations I spend 99.9 percent of my time in, T mobile has nearly equal coverage and fewer dropped calls in my area. I'll be migrating to T mobile at the end of my contract on in the event I hose my phone and can't stomach being on ME7.

True, but with root can't you pretty significantly debloat the "safe" partition?
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] warchyld77:
I will never talk bad about guys like Hashcode! Dudes like this make it possible to truly have control of your phone! What gets me is so many others just abandoned ship and moved on. I can't wait for my S4 to be good again
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] m0j09987:
I wish I never signed up with Verizon. After my two years I'm going back to tmobile they got unlimited data plan and all cheap.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] decaturbob:
Locking phones down is the norm now...I chose carrier by coverage and signal. If im lucky to have a phone I can root and customize..I consider tht an added plus
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] mlin:
I don't know about "the norm." But I do agree that coverage and signal are most important and fortunately VZW isn't the only game in town with decent coverage. However, I've been modding phones since 11/2007 and it's something I enjoy. I'll be dammed if I stick with a carrier who aims to prevent me from enjoying one of my hobbies.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Dubbsy:
With root you can debloat the stock install and move data apps to system to save previous data space.

But im unsure as to how much you can do to your safe partition with SS because it's intended to be your safety net when you screw up.

I wasnt talking bad. If you think I was you need your head examined. I personally don't want to use it but I feel it's an extremely valuable tool for many.

I only won't use it because I don't want or need a safety net. Id rather use that space myself. And since I am on mdk I have that option.

sent from my Verizon Galaxy sIV
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] hiwslwh:
I hate the lock too
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] GreatDayChap:
I love my S4 personally, but that's because I got it early when the Loki exploit worked. I don't like Verizon, though, but I'm on a plan with my parents still so I can't complain since I'm not paying. I plan on switching to T-Mobile and staying off-contract after I leave my parents' plan.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] KennyG123:
It is my opinion that the locked bootloaders showing up amongst carriers is a result of people bricking their phones and returning them for warranty replacement. I think the locked bootloaders make that much more difficult to do on accident. It is not difficult to see that carriers monitor XDA and see what people do.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] ups2525:
I AGREE...

I agree 100%!
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] GoBigBlue:
Different Reasons to lock bootloader

I think different carriers have different reasons to lock the bootloader. Verizon is among the worst (or most conservative). Other carriers are okay with allowing unlocked.

For example, Motorola is making at least some of the bootloaders on its new flagship Moto X unlockable, opening the door for relatively easy root privileges, custom recoveries, and aftermarket ROMs. The Sprint, US Cellular, and forthcoming Latin American models of the Moto X can now be unlocked using Motorola's My Moto Care portal. Verizon is suppose to have a developer edition.

Why do they do it? Money and control seem to be the biggest reasons. For example, Big Red wants to keep Google Wallet off their network to start their own mobile payment service.

Also, I have the S4 on Verizon running the custom Slim Bean ROM and I'm lovin' it.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] ups2525:
***deleted***
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] thevance1:
Really? Bummed on this beast? Verizon sucks, but they have the best service.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Dennisg34:
yeah, you can't get mad at a company for locking that. They are hands down the best service, I won't be leaving them. hey, at least they added the wifi toggle now on the 4.3 update lol
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] ThugosaurusRex:
Or maybe they just got tired of removing it...
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] zero26800:
Kind of torn between hating verizon and loving them. They do some awesome stuff the service is outstanding. Especially the new aws but they do have this arrogant way of doing business. For example the Verizon branded tablet that is coming out. Kind of scares me because they are getting a little controlling for my taste.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Mistertac:
Verizon 's service is definitely worth it for me to. My gf is on sprint and yea she can have it all on her S4 but her service sux! I'm just happy to be on 4.3 and rooted. I miss having different roms to play with but hey... Maybe someday!
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] stuckintheskull:
I have to admit I'm disappointed to. I love the s4 but it being on Verizon makes me not like it as much. When my contract is up I'm switching to T-Mobile. I need the freedom of unlocked bootloaders.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] chamberc:
You're always welcome to buy the developer addition.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Imprezive13:
Same here. I'm pretty bummed with this phone. Don't get me wrong it's not a bad phone. It's just I like to modify everything I own to my own standards. I miss my tether option even though foxfi may have a work around. I miss the freedom of how this phone was when it was released. Right now I'm on the edge of leaving Verizon and my unlimited data for a nexus device on a subpar carrier just so that I can have some control of a device that I paid my hard earned money for.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] SomeGuyDude:
This. Verizon is a necessary evil. I hate their policies but their service is unmatched. They're the only telecom where I can be confident that I'll have service pretty much wherever my job takes me. The others will have huge dead zones.

Plus, I hate to say it, but I'm kinda done rooting.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] jwhistler:
My biggest complaint is with all of the bloatware/crapware that has been stuffed onto my 32GB S4. I was shocked upon opening the box to find I really only had about 20GB usable. Not all of this is Verizon crapware, of course, but they are complicit with Samsung in this.

Why not offer a plain, clean stock interface? I would then have no desire for root or unlock. Touchwiz isn't bad, really, but there's nothing there that makes me say "WOW!" It just seems unnecessary.

So, at least I am rooted and can eliminate some of this useless crapware, but I long for the day when we the Devs can provide a true unlock for the S4 so that I can load up pure ASOP 4.3.

That is, if it happens?
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] cindylee60:
This ^^ (except for the GF part, since I'm a girl)
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] foopy:
+1. Verizon and AT&T are ruining the Galaxy S4 experience as far as I'm concerned. We're going to have to start encouraging people to start complaining very loudly about these locked phones. They're only doing it because we let them get away with it. Most users probably don't care to run other ROMs or root their phones so we're stuck in the minority.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] :
Yea, they should unlock the bootloader which will defeat the purpose of DEV editions. (Sarcasm).

At least they offer it...

Some people need to think logically. Think of the large number of people bricking their phones, were they rooted?

Should a company honor a warranty if people decide to tinker with it?

If I blow my motor on my MINI for running 20 lbs of boost, should I expect the dealer to honor the warranty?
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] stuckintheskull:
Or they could offer to unlock the bootloader on their site and void warranty like HTC does.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] :
Samsung offers DEV editions instead
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] stuckintheskull:
Yeah I know but it's ridiculous you can't buy one at the store on contract to spend less money. Just my opinion.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Natronics:
I Definitely understand about the bootloader situation and Verizon's service being a beast, but take in mind that android/Samsung are trying to reach the enterprise/ corporate environment. That's a huge point for them and making sure the phone is secure for less savvy users.

Even though the community grows in terms of devs, programmers, power users, etc for android, money speaks volumes.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] wtherrell:
I did. Loving it!
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] :
Wish the Mustang GT was the same price as the base :-/
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Morrolan:
I'll throw my two cents in. Verizon has the best network in the United States and spends billions to keep up with the times. I love the service. My gripe with locking the bootloader is timely upgrades. Verizon and Samsung act as gatekeepers for Android updates. KitKat just debuted, and HTC promised upgrades within 90 days. Samsung mention Google Play phones, but nothing about the carrier models. Verizon has been historically slow in updating Android for years. I understand returns and the cost involved, but when you're handicapping a flagship phone until it's obsolete, you're just being a ****.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] :
What Verizon phones were updated slow compared to the same phone for other carriers?
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Morrolan:
AT&T was much faster with updates until 4.3.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] :
With what phones exactly? AT&T and VZW offer totally different phones. ..D1, D2, DX, DNA, inc, inc2, Rezound for Vzw...atrix, s1, s2, etc for AT&T.

Are you comparing android version for different phones?
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Morrolan:
General Android updates for the whole line of phones.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] :
I strongly disagree...it depends on the phone you have.

What about the GNEX versus the S3 from att? It was updated much sooner.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Morrolan:
I would agree with you on some specific phones, but overall Verizon has been slow with updates across the board.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] wingdo:
Since this is a Verizon S4 subforum I will stick to talking about the S4. I imagine we will get 4.3 months after all the other carriers update theirs. :sarcasm:

---------- Post added at 11:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:45 PM ----------

This statement makes no sense to me. The logical conclusion from this statement is that the best S4 experience is to remove the S4 software.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] mattk3650:
Completely agree. I was expecting the Nexus 5 to be on par with the Galaxy S4, but it is so much better. Verizon locking the bootloader isn't helping either. I'll probably get the Nexus 6.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] semifast:
How is the Nexus 5 so much better ?
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] hovax615@hotmail.com:
Save some money than sell your s4 and get the nexus device.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Polymatical:
I completely agree with OP. I don't know why major carriers feel like it's necessary to force this kind of stuff upon us. Like it'd be understandable they wanted to sell the same phone with an unlocked bootloader for a higher price but seriously. They're all greedy.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] :
Yes, they should make it so easy to hack so we're plagued with malware and have zero chance of having huge business accounts.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Polymatical:
I mean, if that's how you want to look at it, with a pessimistic attitude, go ahead.

Samsung should make knox && Verizon should make their locked bootloader OPTIONAL for people so that in the event of a business wanting to use this specific phone for their business, they would be able to do so along with the people who want the ability to flash custom roms and other things will also be able to do so.

It's just upsetting to me personally that we're all forced to go down one path of software options such as this, causing developers to find exploits in the software in order to do what they want their phone to do.

I don't know though, I'm a new user here and am completely new to the world of phone and tablet modifications so what do I know. I apologize for my ignorance though, was just trying to be another casual user voicing my opinion.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] tech_head:
KNOX support for the enterprise isn't even free.

You need to contract with a third party to get full support from the crap that Samsung has shoved down our throats.

Last time I checked, this is my phone.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] brazcub:
I've only been o Verizon for a little over a month. I hate how expensive it is and hate the fact that my GS4 automatically downloaded and installed update as soon as I turned it on and that made it impossible to unlock bootloader.

The only reason I'm on Verizon is because I live in a very small town on the mountains and after being on AT&T's 2G for years, I got really tired of their horrible network. Then Verizon put up a brand new tower with 4G LTE everywhere up here. So here one can either be on AT&T's EDGE network or on Verizon's 4G LTE... Those are the only choices...
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] budding_developer:
Then I am afraid that you are going to be disappointed. Verizon is migrating more and more toward a policy of locking down ALL of their phones. The latest update, to 4.3.3 has fully implemented SELinux with a very restricted security policy; while there has been an exploit discovered that allows you to retain root after upgrading the MI1 version, it is not a full root -- the security policy prevents many root commands from running, giving Security Alerts when an attempt is made to access the boot partition (such as TWRP & SafeStrap do). And all indications are that Samsung will not relax this policy -- they are competing for federal business, and their phones have to meet security standards set by the government.

I am in the process of leaving Verizon, and I am taking my phones with me -- I have 2 S4's. They are now running on AT&T GoPhone SIM's with a custom ROM flashed over the stock ROM. If your interested in doing the same, I started a how-to guide in another thread --> http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=47328895&postcount=1
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] chrishoyt2012:
Get used to it...corporate greed. I have my pissy moaning moments with Verizon. Every carrier feels they can do what they want...if we don't like it..to bad... I've come to just live with it...in hopes maybe in the future things will change...who knows.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] nateohio:
If you believe that than you don't understand bootloaders. An unlocked bootloader and the recoveries / capabilities that come with having it actually make it damn near impossible to brick your phone. It's the locked BL t that causes most bricks.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] KennyG123:
Not from my experience. I see users bricking Sprint and Verizon phones all the time by flashing International ROMs.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] nateohio:
Is it an actual brick (as in never going to recover) or is it a soft brick like 99% of so called bricks? Soft bricks can be fixed... An actual brick is extremely rare on an unlocked device.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] KennyG123:
No these are bricks. No lights no nothing and is very common on CDMA devices with unlocked bootloaders. We close threads left and right of people posting links to international leaks as it kills the device.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] :
How do you brick a locked, unrooted device?? :confused:
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] :
Hmm

Surely someone will eventually come up with a way to unlock the boot loader?
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] troysbama1:
Honestly, I doubt it. Have there been any locked bootloaders which were cracked? I remember hearing all this same stuff with my DroidX and it never got unlocked until Motorola wanted it unlocked. I hope I'm wrong but certainly not holding my breath.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] :
There have been a few. The HTC Droid DNA is one example. The Note 3 already has a boot loader unlock, and the S4 was originally boot loader locked. It was re-locked via OTA. So yes, its not that uncommon.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] tomplatz:
what's their motivation for working so hard to lock the bootloader? I don't get what their benefit is
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] thesoldier:
Samsung wants to get into the business world like BlackBerry and Apple. They can't do that when their phones are open for the world to modify... Sad for us but true.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] :
Samsung Knox is actually a competitor for Blackberry. It provides a full "sandboxed" copy of your phone for when you're at work.

Exactly!
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] trook:
This is true, open source is no longer open when it comes to devices, never really has been. Coming from just about every Android phone Verizon had to offer over all these years crack flashing like a boss. Carriers and manufacturers don't care and we are at their mercy. So does that mean we give up? NEVER. Even if hardware modification or jtagging is necessary in the future I'm not giving up. F*** Knox. We have always had to hack our phones to modify them, some easy, some hard, but we always find our ways.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] warchyld77:
I must say when I originally posted this I never thought it would get so many people talking but it did! I want to thank ppl like Hashcode, Sbreen, Dubbsy, and the others who have continued to produce great work. Verizon does have the best service but maybe for me gsm is the way to go.. Who knows?!?!
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] airprohvac1@gmail.com:
I'm trading my S4 and gear for an iPhone 5s. If i can't flash roms I might as well have a phone that integrates with everything.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] decaturbob:
you are mistaken, you can flash ROMS via safestrap and S4 is so superior to the 5s in the first place...I wasn't able to get on board soon enough to get a mdk base S4 and ended up with a ME7 and it was 6 weeks later that hashcode got safestrap working. And now he has it working for MJ7 users.

I have hyperdrive 11 kicking ass with zero issues with that ROM

any good luck with Apple but don't think you can't flash roms on S4
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] crazysoccerman:
I returned my mj7 s4 a couple weeks ago. Then I scoured four different radio shacks on a tip that they might still have an mdk phone. No luck. I'm currently typing this from my trusty old gnex.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Crawshayi:
My patience ran out with this phone. I'm getting tired of how locked down Samsung and Verizon want this thing to be, and obviously they aren't going to let up anytime soon. I bought an HTC One yesterday and will be more than happy to pass along my S4 to someone that can appreciate it more. The only thing I will miss is the camera...
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] crazysoccerman:
This thread gives me hope for custom kernels and AOSP roms in the future:

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2578566
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] gnubian:
As much as a locked bootloader sucks terribly, this phone is awesome and safestrap with hyper drive makes it that much better. Way faster than my gnex.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] whitesides:
:good: Totally agree with you !
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] pego99:
Let's see the logic here.

If I can't have a unlocked boot loader I will move to a carrier with a worse signal so that I can have a unlocked boot loader even though my phone may not perform as well.

And everyone is getting the edge program so why stay. Brilliant!

Ha Ha I smell a troll.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Crawshayi:
Well just because someone is moving to a different carrier doesn't necessarily mean they won't get great service. In my area T-Mobile is actually pretty decent nowadays so when my contract is up, I'm more than likely leaving. It will just be a nice bonus to have a carrier that doesn't mess with it's phones as much as big red. What I don't understand is how people that want to stay on Verizon don't just get a phone with an unlocked bootloader. I just bought an HTC One that will allow me all the freedom I need while still stuck on Verizon and I'm selling my S4. Some people might say well they need the sd card slot or removable battery, well then why not get the Note 2? Seems to me people are making more excuses to hold on to the S4 than they really need to be. Either deal with it or just get something else...
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] warchyld77:
Hey buddy first of all I wrote that a while ago so the only troll is you for thinking you would bring up the past. Anyway, My real issue was developers giving up on trying but thanks to a few of you guys like Hashcode and several others made flashers happy again.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] warchyld77:
Honestly I would rather a gsm phone so I have more freedom!
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] cyrushehe:
If I could go back, I'd probably get something other than the GS4 because of this. :\ I'm really starting to dislike Samsung and Verizon.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Crawshayi:
Just do what I did, go on swappa.com and buy what you want then sell your S4. I got a brand new HTC One. I'm breaking even after selling my S4 and I have no regrets on doing it!
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] Smeagol1375:
Glade I bought mine on day one

I am very glade I bought my GS4 on day one and was able to root/unlock it before Verizon closed the hole. I love the hardware, but would be very frustrated to have to deal with TouchWiz!
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] decaturbob:
I am just glad that devs like hashcode found ways for us that weren't so lucky to get a MDK phone becasue with SS running HD12, my phone is still superior to an apple or HTC or Motorola .In many cases, you can't change the battery or have an ext-sd card with many of these phones. We have both and darn good custom ROM.

As for verizon, simply put...no other provider has the coverage. Also, I do travel quite a bit...T-mobile and ATT both sucked for coverage area and signals strength when I was in coverage zones. So yes, we are faced with locked down bootloaders insisted by Verizon but that will be the norm in the long run with all carriers.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] cubarican84:
Im selling my MDK version on swappa.com Search WGD501 to view my listing
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] tshelby73:
I've come to my own personal conclusion that I'm stuck with locked bootloader forever on this phone. The threads I have been watching have slowed way down and some just keep changing directions to other things like Kexec. I would rather just deal with touch wiz for the next 2 years than some hacked together work around that's unstable and glitchy. I have root witch is all I really need.
[Verizon Samsung Galaxy S 4] ToastedJellyBowl:
I don't understand why people are so upset with Verizon locking the bootloader on the S4, and furthermore I don't understand why people think other carriers won't follow suit. Maybe the S4 won't become locked on other carriers, but the next generation of Samsung devices? I wouldn't be surprised if the bootloader is locked down across all carriers.

I love my stock S4 and I have enough freedom that I don't *need* to unlock my bootloader. Sure, unlocking the bootloader gives you some extra freedom (and some apps require an unlocked bootloader to fully function), but meh. At least with stock you know it is properly supported, it'll be updated, and it'll be stable. I have a friend who had been unlocking his phone and using custom ROMs for years, and recently he decided to go with a Note 3 and run it stock, and he seems just as happy as when he ran an unlocked, custom S3.

So yeah... before you switch carriers, I'd really wait to see what happens with the next generation of Samsung phones with other carriers. I could be wrong, and I usually am, but with the direction things have been going in the past several years, just don't be surprised I guess is all I'm trying to say.