Verizon is 100% to blame, I will quote what I said in the other thread.
yeah that makes business sense...
Choice 1
VZW "we won't sell your phone unless you lock the bootloader because we're bitches"
Sammy "fuck you, no SGS3 for you, we don't care if we lose hundreds of millions of dollars"
Choice 2
VZW "we won't sell your phone unless you lock the bootloader because we're bitches"
Sammy "well we can either lose millions of sales on the largest network in America to make a point or just lock the damn bootloader and release an off-contract developer edition to try to make up for it, and in the meantime, we will continue to have unlocked bootloaders on every other network because we're developer friendly and not trying to be Apple like HTC is"
I would have made the same choice if I owned a multi billion dollar conglomerate. Verizon is to blame here, they order the product a certain way or else, Samsung just fulfills orders. HTC actively locks bootloaders on all networks and has their garbage "HTC dev we void your warranty and this only applies to some devices"
I will keep my galaxy nexus over anything HTC has to offer
Verizon asked for it that way, whether they locked it or Sammy did is besides the point.
Yes gTen, all US variants are the same hardware-wise, but the vzw does come with a locked bootloader because Verizon made sure that it would. Here is their retarded reason for it:
Verizon Wireless has established a standard of excellence in customer experience with our branded devices and customer service. There is an expectation that if a customer has a question, they can call Verizon Wireless for answers that help them maximize their enjoyment and use of their wireless phone. Depending on the device, an open bootloader could prevent Verizon Wireless from providing the same level of customer experience and support because it would allow users to change the phone or otherwise modify the software and, potentially, negatively impact how the phone connects with the network. The addition of unapproved software could also negatively impact the wireless experience for other customers. It is always a delicate balance for any company to manage the technology choices we make for our branded devices and the requests of a few who may want a different device experience. We always review our technology choices to ensure that we provide the best solution for as many customers as possible. (
source)