LG V20 for “US Open Market” Added to LG’s Official Bootloader Unlock Tool

When we talk about developer support, the first name that pops up outside of Nexus devices…is not LG. Recent LG devices have been notoriously bad when it comes to allowing the user full control over what they can do with their device. LG does not provide complete access from the get-go for even its flagship devices. For some respite though, devices from certain markets are added on later to their official developer unlock tool.

As spotted by AndroidPolice and threads in our forums, the LG V20 is the latest device from LG that can now be officially unlocked through the OEM provided tool. The catch in this situation is that not all V20 devices will get the unlock love. Only devices sold for the U.S. Open Market through retailers like Amazon and Newegg, codenamed US996.USA, will have support from the unlock tool. This excludes all the other regions that the V20 is sold in, and also excludes all the carrier variants of the LG V20 (including the ones purchased from US Cellular, despite them bearing the similar codename – US996TNUCL). Effectively, in a market where carrier and contract based phones are preferred especially in the premium smartphone segment, the unlock tool extends the opportunity to those who bought the V20, LG's costly $800 flagship, in the open market.

Of course, the standard disclaimers continue to apply if you do decide to unlock your device. The bootloader unlock process cannot be undone, and your warranty from LG will be void once your bootloader is unlocked. If you need further instructions beyond the ones provided by LG, you can refer to the instructions and help thread in our LG V20 device forums.

The other devices and regions that LG officially allows bootloader unlocks for include:

• LG V20: US996.USA for the U.S. open market
• LG V10: H960A for the European market and Android M (Except France)
• LG G5: H850 for the European market
• LG G4: H815 for the European market

We hope LG extends some more developer love to its flagships in other regions as well.

What are your thoughts on LG allowing bootloader unlock on the LG V20? Let us know in the comments below!

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