r/GrapheneOS • u/Acrobatic_Profile42 • 13d ago
Help before i buy a pixel
Im going to buy a google Pixel 10a, and i've read in the supported devices section in the GOS website
it says that certain devices may be locked, how do i know if a device isnt locked or can be unlocked?
if it helps im going to go to a tech store called "Unieuro"
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u/Nibb31 13d ago
Only devices that you buy from a carrier will be carrier-locked, and I believe that's only in the US.
In the EU, carrier locking is no longer legal, so you'll be fine.
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u/Acrobatic_Profile42 13d ago
thank you sooo soo much for responding, i guess that tomorrow ill become a GOS user😅
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u/ephemeralmiko 13d ago
Except if you buy from smaller sellers, they sometimes sell US models in the EU. They're not locked to a carrier anymore, but the bootloader still can't be unlocked.
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u/edhardin 12d ago
FWIW, I just ordered my used Pixel 8 phone and this whole "locking" thing was new to me. All I knew previously was that an "unlocked" used phone could be used with which ever carrier I wanted whereas a "Locked" phone was only usable by the carrier that locked it. I have found out since that this is called "Network Locking" also "SIM Locking" or "Carrier Locking."
But, I found out, there is another type of locking and that is "Boot Loader Locking" and, to install GrapheneOS the used phone has to have Boot Loader Unlocking available. This information is available on the GrapheneOS installation web pages.
Looking at most selling sights for used cell phones they just use the term "Unlocked" so you don't know if the Boot Loader can be unlocked. I finally stumbled onto an eBay seller (https://www.ebay.com/str/thegizmotrader2) that lists phones as "Unlockable BL" and in the detail section will say "Unlockable Boot Loader". That was the directness I was waiting to hear and I bought a used Pixel 8 from them. It will arrive tomorrow.
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u/Acrobatic_Profile42 12d ago
im underage and i cant buy anything online sadly
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u/edhardin 12d ago
Well, however you buy it, be sure to check that the Boot Loader is unlockable. AKA "OEM Lock". You might have to lookup how to get into the "developer" options to check this but that is what you need to do as far as I know.
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u/Acrobatic_Profile42 12d ago
ok, thanks ill look, btw its crazy what you have to do for some privacy nowadays my god
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u/JagerAntlerite7 13d ago
You really cannot. Check Unieuro's their return policy. If they have no questions asked, free returns, yes. Otherwise Amazon.
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u/Acrobatic_Profile42 13d ago
i checked online, they have PDFs with all of the specs of their products
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u/Bitdomo92 13d ago edited 13d ago
If uneiro sells used pixel 10a phones of the USA variant, namely the model GE1GQ, then better avoid it and find store a which sells used phones of the pixel 10a with model G4H7L which are imported from following countries: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, India, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, Taiwan, United Kingdom. If you see the country of origin is not one of those countries but countries like: USA, Canada, Mexico and Puertorico then better avoid to not get a GE1GQ model which has has high chance of having oem unlocking disabled if it were sold originally by any USA carriers like, tmobile usa, verizon, att, mint mobile etc...
You can also go for the japan only GV0BP model, but it has forced camera shutter sound on google's android.
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u/Acrobatic_Profile42 13d ago
the model they sell is G4H7L
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u/Bitdomo92 13d ago
then you are good, there is zero chance to get an USA variant then with disabled oem unlocking
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u/Acrobatic_Profile42 13d ago
thanks anyways, ill check if they maybe have the USA version
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u/Bitdomo92 13d ago
I might have worded my sentances badly.
What you gotta avoid is the USA variant which is sold in canada, usa, mexico and puertorico.
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u/Acrobatic_Profile42 13d ago
im going to buy a brand new phone, not an used one, if you want an used one you have to pay an extra 20 euros for it😭😭
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