where can i get an unlocked bootloader phone for around $200?

[luv2liv]

i was looking on ebay. on average, the Note9 is about $200. but the unlocked bootloader version is about $450!
why? how?
anyway, no such unlocked bootloaders on swappa anywhere.

 

[lakedude]

Unlock it yourself?

 

[luv2liv]

Unlock it yourself?

samsung with qualcomn cannot be unlocked. the Enyxos chip costs twice and unlockable.

 

[MrSquished]

Any pixels sold from Google would be bootloader unlocked. Just go back to like a used 4A maybe? I haven't checked the prices but those were already cheap when they came out new

 

[nathanjo]

why do you need an unlocked phone?

 

[Zoozuu]

You would want a "bootloader unlocked" phone so you could use custom roms or root your phone much easier than a locked one. Some phones with a locked bootloader can be unlocked through a premium service.(*not recommended)

 

[drnickriviera]

Any pixels sold from Google would be bootloader unlocked. Just go back to like a used 4A maybe? I haven't checked the prices but those were already cheap when they came out new

FYI for anyone else looking, but this is not true. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to which pixels will be bootloader unlocked. Some ebay sellers will allow you to request it. Times i've tried to get sellers here and on hard to check to see it can be unlocked have not gone well. Most probably think i'm trying to haxor their phone

 

[MrSquished]

FYI for anyone else looking, but this is not true. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to which pixels will be bootloader unlocked. Some ebay sellers will allow you to request it. Times i've tried to get sellers here and on hard to check to see it can be unlocked have not gone well. Most probably think i'm trying to haxor their phone

AFAIK the Pixels sold from Google are always bootloader unlocked. It's the Pixels sold through certain carriers that do not have unlocked bootloaders - such as Verizon - you will never get that bootloader unlocked. I think it's possible to unlock the bootloader from Pixels sold through some of the carriers, but that would be a process. But again, Pixels sold from Google should be bootloader unlocked. On Swappa this is specifically notated.

 

[drnickriviera]

IDK, I had heard the same thing, but bought a 3a that was supposedly a replacement from google and it was locked. I guess they could have given them a carrier phone, but didn't think google would stock those. I didn't do a huge amount of digging on XDA, but it seemed that if 'OEM Unlocking' was greyed out, you were out of luck for unlocking them.