Motorola Announces RAZR XT910 Developer Edition with Unlocked Bootloader
by Brian Klug on January 30, 2012 11:36 PM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Motorola
- Mobile
- bootloader
- motorola droid RAZR
- RAZR
A while ago, Motorola announced plans to start unlocking bootloaders on devices "where operator and channel partners will allow it" sometime in 2011. While it's clear now (with that deadline behind us) that operators remain opposed to subsidizing sales of devices with unlockable bootloaders, Motorola is now moving forward with what would seem like an alternative means to a similar end, starting with creation of a Developer Edition XT910 device for Europe. The Developer Edition XT910 is similar to to the normal XT910, but includes an unlockable bootloader and is sold with no warranty - the device is currently available for preorder for €499.00. This is essentially the RAZR we've reviewed already but with GSM/WCDMA air interfaces and no LTE connectivity.
Customers stateside will have to wait for a corresponding unlockable developer device which ostensibly will mirror the XT912 shipping on Verizon Wireless with CDMA2000 1x/EVDO and LTE air interfaces. Hopefully Motorola's plans to launch Developer Edition devices doesn't mean that it has failed to reach an agreement with carrier partners to enable currently shipping devices to be unlocked.
Source: Motorola Blog, Motorola Dev. Devices, XT910
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Penti - Wednesday, February 1, 2012 - link
It's possible over here across the Öresundsbron in Sweden. As well as all other countries. Remember warranty (not the EU mandated 2 years consumer guarantee) is totally voluntary and that businesses the aimed market for those devices have neither warranted by law. No manufacturer warranty isn't that strange. An additional warranty simply covers more. Is an additional protection. The mandated consumer guarantee only covers faults from manufacturing. It's the same in Denmark. In Sweden this consumer protection called reklamationsrätt is extended to three years, but as said it's only for private consumers. Businesses have to handle that in different contracts directly. So of course a private citizen buying the units can change out a DOA unit or a unit with manufacturing faults and flaws.So your confusing it for nothing, unnecessarily: taenk.dk/gode-råd/garanti-og-reklamationsret
HammerStrike - Tuesday, January 31, 2012 - link
If I were Motorola I wouldn't want to support an unlocked device. With the ability to boot any config you want there is a high degree of potential for bricking the device, or at least causing unanticipated issues. There is not always a clear red line between a hardware and a software malfunction, and if they provide hardware support they would also be investing in a ton of troubleshooting and support for software related issues due to custom ROM's that they have no control over.Obviously this phone is not for everyone - if you want a supported solution buy one of thousand phones on the market. IMO this, as the name suggests, is more for developers to test idea's on than for regular consumers.
UpSpin - Tuesday, January 31, 2012 - link
But there are things which no wrong ROM can break, like chassis, buttons, USB, headphone connectors, external peripherals (power switching circuits, audio circuit, battery charger, ...), which often have issues. It's ok if they say we can't give warranty for flash, SoC, radio. But for the other parts they must give warranty.You can also overclock your PC by default, reflash the BIOS, install a different OS on it, build it together on your own, manufacturers still offer warranty for mainboard, hard drive, monitor, chassis, ... A smartphone is not different.
bplewis24 - Tuesday, January 31, 2012 - link
Actually, the opposite is true: with an unlocked bootloader, the possibility of truly hard-bricking a device is extremely slim. Keeping the bootloader locked, and making hacking much more difficult, also means the possibility of bricking the device increases significantly.