Home
News
You are here

Motorola to finally offer a bootloader unlock solution, starting with the Photon Q

By Scott H.

Published: Jul 26, 2012, 7:02 PM

Motorola Android

Motorola to finally offer a bootloader unlock solution, starting with the Photon Q

Motorola, the company that brought you the original Droid, in all of its anti-iPhone unlocked glory, has generally locked down the bootloader of every single device since then. After consumers started to push back against the practice of locking bootloaders (and only after Sony, HTC, and Samsung found ways to accommodate power users and enthusiasts), Motorola promised that they would have an unlocking solution “by late 2011”.

We also saw them comment that the Droid RAZR could have had an unlocking solution, but it never materialized because Verizon decided to remove the feature before launch. Late 2011 came and went, as did early 2012. But today Motorola has announced that they are finally bringing an unlock solution to the Photon Q 4G LTE, and that they will be “looking to offer this option on other devices as well.”

The full statement reads as follows:

We know there are users out there who have been asking for an unlockable bootloader on their Motorola Mobility device. For quite some time now, we’ve been working closely with our carrier partners to find a way to make that possible — all while keeping the networks secure and protecting other users’ experiences. We’re excited to announce that Motorola PHOTON Q 4G LTE, just announced today and coming soon to Sprint’s fast 4G LTE network, will have an unlockable bootloader. We’ll share more details on how to take advantage of this feature closer to availability. And moving forward, we’ll be looking to offer this option on other devices as well.

Does this make some of you more interested in the Photo Q? And importantly, will this only be made available on future devices, or will they make it available to current owners? Hopefully more answers will be forthcoming.

source: Motorola via Droid-Life

$20 /mo

$25

$5 off (20%)

Offer Ends 6.1.2026 at 11.59pm ET. New members get $5/mo off the $25/mg Visible plan, $35/mo Visible+ plan, or $45/mo Visible+ Pro plan for the first 12 months. Promo code FRESHSTART required at checkout.

Buy at Visible