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LG Now Offers Bootloader Unlocking Option, Starting With G4 Flagship

LG Now Offers Bootloader Unlocking Option, Starting With G4 Flagship

By Ketan Pratap | Updated: 3 June 2015 12:43 IST

LG last year promised to bring bootloader unlocking support to its future smartphones for developers. The South Korean company is now offering the option on its 2015 flagship smartphone, the G4.

LG, as of now, only supports unlocking the bootloader on the LG G4 (H815) for the EU region. The company however promises that it will "add more devices with unlockable bootloaders unlocking permission progressively."

(Also see: LG G4 Goes Up for Pre-Orders in India; Mid-June Launch and Price Tipped)

Announcing the rollout, LG on its developer page said, "We value your opinion. We have heard your opinions from the open developer community. Starting in 2015, LG will allow customers to unlock the bootloader for certain releases of LG smartphones. This will allow you to participate in Android development using LG hardware."

Bootloader unlocking enables users to install custom ROMs on the smartphones, and is the first step in gaining root privileges, both processes that are not very simple for lay users. In several cases, these custom ROMs are made available to end-users as well, along with detailed instructions on how to install, by developer forums like XDA.

LG has also clarified that once a phone is unlocked, it will no longer be fully covered under LG warranty. "As we cannot guarantee the proper operation of our hardware with custom software, we are not able to maintain the full scope of warranty for your device after you have unlocked the bootloader... Because of that we have a responsibility to let you know that defects which may result from, or were caused by custom device-software may not be covered by LG warranty," the company noted on its developer page.

Some of the unexpected side effects of unlocking the device include certain features and functionalities may be disabled; device may stop working; device becomes physically damaged due to overheating; behaviour of the device may be altered; some content on the device may no longer be accessible or playable due to invalid DRM keys, and all user data, settings, and accounts may be wiped out.

LG has also listed step-by-step instructions to unlock the bootloader; though stresses users to unlock the bootloader only after understanding all the risks involved.

LG G4

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Leather variant looks & feels premium
Great display
Superb camera

Bad
Poor real-world battery performance
Software feels bloated
Camera auto-focus can be a pain

Read detailed LG G4 review

Display 5.50-inch

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 808

Front Camera 8-megapixel

Rear Camera 16-megapixel

RAM 3GB

Storage 32GB

Battery Capacity 3000mAh

OS Android 5.1

Resolution 1440x2560 pixels

More LG mobiles LG mobiles price in India

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Further reading: Bootloader Unlock, LG, LG G4, LG Mobiles, Mobiles

Ketan Pratap

Email Ketan

Ketan Pratap is the editor at Gadgets 360 - with over 12 years of experience covering the technology domain. With a breadth and depth of knowledge in the field, he's done extensive work across news, features, reviews, and opinion pieces. But what's truly inspiring about Ketan is how he spends his free time. He's often found gazing at snow-capped mountains from over 20,000 feet while sitting on the hood of his car, taking in the breathtaking beauty of nature. His passion for the great ...More

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