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Have an old JioFi and Jio STB sitting around? Here's how to unlock these devices to get more use out of them
You can now unlock some JioFi and Jio STB models to get the freedom use any SIM card, enable ADB access, and app sideloading. Read on!
Carrier-subsidized devices sound like a great deal on paper. If you're planning to stick with the carrier anyway, it's often a no-brainer to jump onto a new device that they offer. But one of the bigger inconveniences that power users have always faced with carrier-subsidized devices is that there is always some or the other restriction. These restrictions are often arbitrary and unrelated to the actual capabilities of the device, so there are a fair few people who are interested in removing the network lock and doing things like getting rid of the carrier-customized software altogether to utilize the full capabilities of the device. When it comes to India's telecom sector, though, people mostly use smartphones off-contract, which is why we don't really see any carrier-locking here. Having said that, the landscape is slowly changing because of Reliance Jio.
[Update: Added in Q Beta 3] Android Q will give carriers more ways to SIM lock phones
According to some recent commits, Google is going to give carriers easier methods to SIM lock devices with the release of Android Q.
It has been just a week since we put out an exclusive on the early build of Android Q. According to the build we've got, the latest iteration of the operating system includes some long-awaited features like system-wide proper dark mode, revamped and more detailed permissions controls, and more. But, every version of Android includes a feature nobody asked for. This time, it is much more serious than unwanted navigation gestures from Android Pie or the stark white interface from Android Oreo. Apparently, Google is going to let carriers use easier methods to SIM lock the devices.