Should I unlock the bootloader on my phone before selling?
September 24, 2015 9:32 AM Subscribe
I have a T-Mobile Sony Xperia Z3 that is off-contract and has been unlocked by T-Mobile. I've confirmed the SIM lock is removed, but should I unlock the bootloader as well?
I have a 32gb T-Mobile model Xperia Z3 that just wasn't working for me. I paid off the balance of my EIP and unlocked the phone with T-Mobile so it should be good to use pretty much anywhere. I've already replaced the phone and transferred all my photos, etc., and done a factory reset a couple of times in an effort to wipe it. So far so good, I've done these steps with other phones in the past and sold them without issue.
I was looking at the prices for the Xperia on eBay before I sell it, and they seem to be all over the place. The T-Mobile variants seem to sell for less, which I am guessing may be due to the fact that they are one of the only variants of this phone that ship with a locked bootloader. I've confirmed with Sony that I can unlock the bootloader if I want to, but would there be any advantage to doing this before I sell the phone?
I have a 32gb T-Mobile model Xperia Z3 that just wasn't working for me. I paid off the balance of my EIP and unlocked the phone with T-Mobile so it should be good to use pretty much anywhere. I've already replaced the phone and transferred all my photos, etc., and done a factory reset a couple of times in an effort to wipe it. So far so good, I've done these steps with other phones in the past and sold them without issue.
I was looking at the prices for the Xperia on eBay before I sell it, and they seem to be all over the place. The T-Mobile variants seem to sell for less, which I am guessing may be due to the fact that they are one of the only variants of this phone that ship with a locked bootloader. I've confirmed with Sony that I can unlock the bootloader if I want to, but would there be any advantage to doing this before I sell the phone?
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If the former, then it sounds like a good reason: you're adding value at the cost of limiting your customers to a very specific group (those that care). I'd also try selling at Swappa since the customers there should be more knowledgable about devices with unlocked bootloaders - plus the cost to sell is a bit lower.
If the latter, I would not do it: just put a message in the description that says it is possible. When I'm shopping for used devices, having an unlocked bootloader / flashed ROM / etc is a big negative if I don't want those things, as it indicates that the device has been monkeyed around with with a person of unknown skill, and is possibly non-functional in subtle ways.
posted by meowzilla at 10:31 AM on September 24, 2015