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Android @lemmy.world

1y ago

Motorola is disabling Android phones purchased through unauthorized sellers in Mexico

9to5google.com Motorola is disabling Android phones purchased through unauthorized sellers in Mexico

In Mexico, Motorola is has been disabling smartphones sold through unauthorized retailers, effectively killing a customer's new phone.

Motorola is disabling Android phones purchased through unauthorized sellers in Mexico

31 comments

First sale doctrine should forbid this behavior entirely. Once you sold it it's not yours to disable.
The article doesn't say they are offering a refund or replacement phone approved for mexico frequencies... so this is a massive dick move.
Do the phones start to work again if operated outside of Mexico?
Bricking phones by geolocation is massively evil and we should do everything we can to discourage it.
- Custom bootloaders, recovery and ROMs are more quickly going from a nerdy gimmick to a necessity.
  
  All the more surprising that Google of all brands makes it so easy to do on their devices
  
  Samsungs Fold devices lose their camera functionality if you custom root 😂
  
  i have heard of custom Roms and even TWRP, but custom Bootloaders?!

I mean i understand they wanna do something against unauthorized sellers, but fucking consumers in the process is wrong in any way.
It's a joke that a phone provider can lock phones remotely no matter what.
- I mean i understand they wanna do something against unauthorized sellers, but fucking consumers in the process is wrong in any way.
  Don't pay much attention to me, the end user (Mexican).... but... I have a crazy idea... what about lowering prices? :D
  
  Did you ever think about the rich shareholders who really need the extra money to buy another vacation home in Hawaii?
  They realllyyyyyy needd theee moneeeey

This is nauseating and shouldn’t be possible.

Companies love the free market until they don't.
- Free for companies, not free for customers.There seems to be a difference.
  
  We should all just start LLCs before we do anything. I am not a lawyer but that'll work right?
- Geoblocking everything while moving their hq to tax havens and don't pay shit.

I don't know how Mexican laws about computer trespass work, but I think this would be a crime most places.
- In US, it's sadly not as clear cut
  
  It's normal in the US for companies to have rights and customers to not have rights.

Devices purchased abroad for use in Mexico, though, will apparently not be disabled
How do they know where they purchased it?
- Imei
  
  That might say where the phone is intended to be sold, not where they purchased. As I understood it, Motorola wants to ban foreign phones purchased in Mexico. How can they differentiate them from foreign phones purchased abroad?
- Different internal model number?
  
  That says where the phone is intended to be sold, not where it's purchased. As I understood it, Motorola wants to ban foreign phones purchased in Mexico. How can they differentiate them from foreign phones purchased abroad?

30% Discount? You need to give the phone for free or for an extremely low shipment price.
This is a shit move to get money from more financially challenged people at that discount rate. It's not their fault they paid for something they need from an "unauthorized" sellers, and definitely a lot of people don't have the money to buy the phone again but from you.

As the article reads, seems like its more about Mexican regulation than anything else. Google doesnt stand to gain anything from that, only loss.
Also, easy enough to workaround.

Do they know about that thanks to IMEI right?

31 comments