Android Q to offer enhanced controls for locking phones
What's the story
Android Q, Google's upcoming mobile OS, is tipped to offer some impeccable capabilities, including a system-wide dark mode.
And now, the folks at 9to5Google have discovered a rather surprising change in the new OS.
They have found a code change that indicates Android Q would give carriers enhanced controls to lock a smartphone, letting them restrict it to their network.
Here's what it means.
Change
Carrier restriction enhancements for Android Q
Last week, four commits, all titled 'carrier restriction enhancements for Android Q', were spotted in Android's Gerrit source code management.
The code revealed that Android Q will give carriers more ways to lock a particular single or dual-SIM smartphone.
As such, they'd be able to define a list of other telecom operators whose SIM card will or won't work on the phone.
Single-SIM
How carrier restrictions will work on single-SIM devices
With this change, carrier restrictions on single-SIM devices would be enforced by the way of a database containing names of 'allowed' and 'excluded' carriers.
The allowed SIMs will work on the phones, while excluded ones would be blocked in accordance with restrictions set by the carriers.
The restriction might not sound that complicated, but it gets even more annoying on dual-SIM-based devices.
Dual-SIM
Annoying carrier restrictions on dual-SIM devices
On dual-SIM phones running Android Q, carriers will be able to lock the second SIM slot unless the user inserts an approved SIM into the first.
While this could be carrier's own SIM card or one from a partner, the restriction would certainly force the user to get an eligible SIM to reap the benefit of dual SIM services on their devices.
Information
SIM slot would remain locked no matter what
The carrier restriction would not only take away the element of flexibility but would also make it impossible for users to break the SIM slot lock. As per 9To5Google, the lock would stay even after restarting the phone or wiping it clean.
Other features
What else is coming on Android Q?
These restrictions could be a bummer for those eagerly waiting for the latest iteration of Android.
However, not everything would be this annoying on Android Q, which is expected to bring advanced app permissions and privacy controls.
Plus, there would be a system-wide dark mode for putting less strain on your eyes and saving more juice than currently possible.