Hello everyone, I’m planning on getting a pixel 9 to put GrapheneOS on. When it comes to the right phone to buy, you need a pixel that is “unlocked,” correct? Does unlocked refer to both root and carrier, or is there more than one meaning? Is there anything else I should keep in mind when buying a Pixel?
I was going to go with a refurbished one, would that be fine for security as well?
Thank you all
when people talk about unlocked phones, they mostly refer to the bootloader being unlocked. in that state the bootloader allows “flashing” (overwriting) the phone’s partitions, and that’s what you need for replacing its operating system.
as I know almost all phones usually come with locked bootloaders, which is not bad because it provides security at least while it is on the way. but normally they can be unlocked. some manufacturers require custom account login and a working sim card for that, samsung started taking that away recently even retroactively for older phones.
the carrier lock is a different thing, but if your phone is carrier locked, or it is a carrier variant, usually you won’t be able to unlock it (by yourself)