As the title says after I received the Kit Kat 4.4.2 update on my T-Mo G2 there is no longer an option to access the stock recovery. No hardware or and command has yet to be found that grants us access. The T-Mobile variant is the only model that has this issue so it is not an LG problem it lies strictly with Magenta.
Carriers really need to ditch this arcane mindset that the development community along with rooting and ROMs are inherently evil. I am an Android app developer and there are several aspects of what I do that require me to have root access on my device. Even some of the most basic elements of theming require root. I absolutely understand that the carrier and/or the manufacturer should reserve the right to deny my warranty in the instance that something I tweaked broke. I accept that responsibility. But it should be my choice.
It is analogous to Chevrolet selling me a Camaro. If I hot rod said car and break something, without a doubt, they should deny my claim. However, they have no right to weld the hood shut to prevent me from doing so in the first place.
The development community drives innovation in Android from an apps and features prospective. The Play Store is dominated not by mega-corporations but by individuals and small teams that took an interest in the Android ecosystem. There are many features included in phones today that were first brainstormed in the forums of development communities. This constant drive for more benefits all in the mobile industry and the customers.
It is impossible for a manufacturer to create a software suite that pleases every customer. Some will love every gimmick an OEM can pack into a device. Others want a stock Android experience. No other industry is as hellbent on preventing their customers from achieving that personalization as the American mobile carriers.
T-Mobile's gains with the hard-core Android crowd have as much to do with your reputation for being hands-off in this aspect as your pricing, plans and coverage do. You were the "good guys". We in the development community as users you should want as friends. We're proud of our devices and what we've done. We show them off and let people know who we're with. We're the ones our families and friends turn to when they need advice on what to purchase. So while we may be a small section of the user base, we are loud and influential.
Google already has a very simple tool to prevent unintended software damage in the locking of the bootloader. The vast majority of users have no idea what this even is and are therefore protected. It can be unlocked with a single command by those willing to void their warranty and enter the world of personalization. Any action above and beyond that by the carrier or OEM is unnecessary and leads to more damaged devices than it prevents.
I truly hope that T-Mobile changes course. I am well aware that this note will be met with the standard reply of "T-Mobile does not support rooting or modifying your device". That is true but you also didn't go out of your way to be another one of the "bad guys" either. If you want to truly be the UnCarrier, embrace the development community. We'll make sure that gets noticed.