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The new ESP32 models coming out, especially the RISC-V models, all have security features like Flash encryption and hardware cryptography modules. Unfortunate for those who like to reflash consumer devices.

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The chips themselves are $1 qty 1. Remove the old chip, put your unlocked chip in its place.

It's beyond most people's ability, equipment and effort threshold to order 1 chip from digikey (how much is delivery on that $1?) and replace a QFN package.

>how much is delivery on that $1?

From AliExpress, it'd probably be $2-$3 including shipping.

They don't ask questions when ordering large volumes of microcontrollers either.

Most people aren't going to be tearing down consumer goods and reflashing the firmware.

If someone wants to get a hot air station and a bunch of $1 chips and reprogram their own devices, it would cost them less than a hundred dollars, 150 tops.

Anyone can learn any skill. If you can draw anything recognizable, you can do electronics.

how much is the soldering station to do that?

$100 and a steady hand :)

I got a cheap hot air station from amazon for only $40, works quite well! Maybe another $10 for solder wire and $10 for flux and you're good to go

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