With Apple jailbreaking becoming extinct and Android locking down BL, it can also be considered a vote by users with their wallets. Just as Android and iOS replaced Nokia and BlackBerry in the past, what will the mobile phone system of the next era look like? Is it possible that mobile phones will develop in the direction of IBM-compatible computers?
The disappearance of iOS jailbreaking and the locking of Android's BL can be seen as a reflection of economic advantages (this is most profitable for manufacturers), and future changes are likely to be based on Zheng Zhihua rather than purely economic factors. For example, if you are an American who supports President Trump, you probably wouldn't want to visit the Capitol Hill only to find that your phone has been remotely locked by Apple and Google, right? When the American People's Computer Company was founded in 1972, its core philosophy was: ‘Computer power to the people!’ It advocated decentralising computer technology, opposing mainframe monopolies, and enabling individuals to access, learn, and create technology. Hu Weiwu has also repeatedly stated, ‘Developing Loongson for the people,’ indicating that the PC revolution is not merely a technological or market revolution; it is rooted in values. The next generation of smartphones is likely to diverge. The era when both computer experts and novices used Windows is unlikely to return. Some will use simplified closed computing systems, while others will opt for open computing systems with higher learning curves. In the distant future, free and open systems may become the de facto standard (much like internal reference materials from the Han Dynasty that were once inaccessible to even princes are now freely available online), but that is not something we will see in the near future.
I used to be a player who flashed systems and got infected with viruses, rescued bricked devices, unlocked iOS accounts, and installed multiple systems such as Windows 7, Windows 8, Ubuntu, and Apple OS on a PC without a virtual machine.
Brief review:
1. No demand. The native system is good enough, and functions have been transferred to mini-programs and the cloud. Mobile phones are essentially ‘browsers,’ and the general public has no additional demands.
2. No benefits. The benefits of jailbreaking, rooting, or flashing are too low. Currently, the only remaining scenarios are repairs and Wei Fa, with recent cases mostly involving bricked devices;
3. High risk. On the contrary, most of my devices have been ‘flashed’ to the point of being unusable;
3. The broader environment is driving systems to become increasingly closed, and geek behaviour will eventually become niche (it has always been niche);
4. According to Apple's ‘successful’ product logic: the openness and freedom of electronic products are ‘harmful.’ Restricting functionality or limiting users to a single operational path can significantly enhance the product experience. I don't like Apple's logic, but I acknowledge it.
5. Geeks have shifted their interests (they're too old to tinker anymore); large models, robots, drones, and robots (daily necessities, wives, and children) are the current focal points of interest.
