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Samsung is treating U.S. unlocked device owners like second-rate citizens
When spending $1000+ directly with Samsung for an unlocked smartphone, the experience shouldn’t be worse than a carrier version.
Not too long ago, Samsung began selling their mobile phones direct to consumers here in the United States via either samsung.com or the Shop Samsung App. This was great news as taking out the middleman (carriers) is always welcome. Customers are, of course, still free to buy a carrier-branded phone from any number of carriers of their choosing. However, for a couple of generations now, Samsung themselves have offered an Unlocked (U1) version that’s free of carrier branding, carrier boot screens, carrier apps, and any other entanglements to one’s provider. In fact, the main US Samsung website’s landing page shows the Galaxy S10 with a prominent “Buy Now” button with choices of carrier or unlocked versions. Obviously, selling phones direct is an important task for Samsung. Their unlocked versions are a little different when it comes to updates, however.
Verizon Galaxy S5 Bootloader Has Been Unlocked
Verizon Galaxy S5's bootloader has been locked for a long time now, but a developer from fire water team has shown a proof of concept unlock method.
Verizon has a storied history with regards to bootloader unlocking - namely, they hate the very idea of it. For years now, Verizon has maintained that preventing you from unlocking your device's bootloader is for your own benefit.