Samsung kills the cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 if you unlock the bootloader

(www.xda-developers.com)

Knox is the security suite on Samsung devices, and any modifications to the device will trip it, void your warranty, and disable Samsung Pay permanently. Now, losing all the Knox-related security features is one thing, but having to deal with a broken camera is a trade-off that many will be unwilling to make. But that’s exactly what you’ll have to deal with if you wish to unlock the bootloader on the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

According to XDA Senior Members 白い熊 and ianmacd, the final confirmation screen during the bootloader unlock process on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 mentions that the operation will cause the camera to be disabled. Upon booting up with an unlocked bootloader, the stock camera app indeed fails to operate, and all camera-related functions cease to function, meaning that you can’t use facial recognition either. Anything that uses any of the cameras will time out after a while and give errors or just remain dark, including third-party camera apps.

This is the very first time I have heard that a manufacturer just outright kills the camera when the bootloader is unlocked. I know Sony degrades the camera quality if it's unlocked but not like this. I can expect future Samsung phones like the S and A series do the same.