So, I've had a s21 ultra that I bought second hand years ago and I love it. I don't use as primary because I don't trust google/samsung (I use graphene on a pixel5) but I keep it as stock for the amazing camera.
I made the mistake of making a google account to play games. I just used random letters as I have no interest on it and I'm just being forced for the game to run. Today the phone was stuck on "phone is starting". I tried reseting cache on recovery, but nothing. I figured only factory reset would work.
Now it forced me to login to my @#$@$#%ing google account that I never wanted. It won't let me use my @#$@#$ing phone if I don't know the @#@%@ing google garbage. Is my amazing phone now a piece of brick because google needs to sell my data for my "security"? Is it really gone?
It's recently updated. I don't remember if I unlocked the bootloader (I don't think there are custom roms for it so I didn't bother) but it seems to be locked. Is there really nothing to be done?
I bought it for 1/4 of the price, but it was still a lot of money for me. Totally worthy because the camera is amazing, but did google really destroy my phone for my "security"? I understand forcing to wipe out data, but bricking the phone? How on hell is that for my security?
Just complaining out loud. I know that the answer is the same as "protect from terrorism" or "protect the children" is just really "to give us more money". But anyway, is there something that can be done?
Apple is the same or even worse right? if not, as much as I hate them, I would move. But now... It looks to me that if I want a good camera, I buy a real bulky one. If I want a good processor, I buy a laptop. Nowadays phones need to be just cheap garbage that can be thrown away easily if you don't want to please google/apple....
Anyway, any help is appreciated, though with my knowledge of phones, I think there is none. It's a brick now, that I wish I could throw at some people on google...
Obviously they should put a massive warning "ATTENTION, BY CREATING AN ACCOUNT OR LOGIN IN, YOUR DEVICE WILL STOP WORKING IF YOU FORGET YOUR LOGIN. ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO CONTINUE?".
Instead we are given a super useful and important warning that disabling targeted ads is bad and we should reconsider. Of course, all that is for my "security".
And even if it gets stolen I don't understand. The device is already stolen, what difference does it make to me if the thief can't use it? Just petty revenge? It only makes sense if every device has that "protection" and all thieves know it. But it should be illegal to have that automatic, so in a civilized world it doesn't make sense. It only makes sense in a world where google and apple are as nasty and dangerous as any thief, which unfortunately is the case...
I now trust much more a thief than google. At least the bad stuff they do is considered to be actually illegal. They have a risk to take to hurt me, and google actually profit from it.