This issue highlights the ongoing tension between Android's open-source core and the proprietary, closed-source apps and features that come with most Android phones. While unlocking a phone's bootloader can make it more vulnerable to security threats, it also provides users with more control over their device. However, gaining this control often means sacrificing access to some features available on unrooted devices with locked bootloaders.
Key takeaways:
- Google's new Pixel 9 series smartphones have AI capabilities that stop working if the phone's bootloader is unlocked.
- The Pixel Screenshots feature, which uses Google’s Gemini Nano on-device AI, does not work at all if the bootloader is unlocked.
- Other affected apps include the AI Weather Report, Call Notes, and Pixel Studio.
- Unlocking a phone’s bootloader makes it more vulnerable to certain security threats, but also gives users the freedom to flash custom recovery tools and install software that modifies the device’s behavior.