"Together, the two changes represent a significant shift for a brand that built much of its reputation on unlock-friendly policies."
First they increased the price (long strat?, but price is price, so can't fool people) and now this (ok, supposedly not for all markets). Then they wonder why they have to leave certain markets (unlocking is probably not the reason but I have both of my OP unlocked/custom ROMed)?
OnePlus is tightening bootloader unlocking for Chinese-market devices running ColorOS 16 or later, adding stricter eligibility checks, device quotas, longer reviews and a 14-day approval window. Combined with recent anti-rollback protections, the policy marks a notable retreat from the brand's traditionally developer-friendly stance.