Droid RAZR Will Have Unlockable Bootloader for International Version

[screaminz2002]

I doubt a locked boot loader will keep the masses from this phone. It is probably one of the best devices to come out in the last 2 years and even specs don't mean a whole lot to the average user crowd. It looks to be a well built rugged phone and that alone will sell a ton just by itself. I know I will be looking at bringing my mother into this decade and buying her one for Christmas. She still has a flip phone from the 90's that works..

The Nexus is the unlocked phone and we should all feel very fortunate it is even coming to Verizon instead of complaining about the Razr. Everyone should be well aware of Big Reds stance on phones at this point in the game. I am still waiting on the bombshell for the Nexus to ruin a good thing because it's so hard to believe we will get an open phone with unlimited plans..

 

[Trash Can]

I doubt a locked boot loader will keep the masses from this phone. It is probably one of the best devices to come out in the last 2 years and even specs don't mean a whole lot to the average user crowd. It looks to be a well built rugged phone and that alone will sell a ton just by itself.

Exactly. A few tech-savvy folks boycotting this phone is like a fart in a hurricane -- no one will notice.

 

[loki993]

The thing is the people wanting unlocked bootloaders account for only a small percentage of the total customer base. And VZW knows it. They know that the masses, the everyday users don't care about a locked bootloader or even know what a bootloader is. They advertise a new Droid phone on TV and have their sales geeks convince every customer that walks in the door that they need one. And they will sell. Locked bootloader and all. If those of us that care don't buy it, that will go totally unnoticed.

I agree with you, but if were suck a small percentage why even worry about locking them in the first place? They've obviously noticed something.


Could the international kernel be used on the US Razr? I apologize in advance if that's a silly question, I know nothing about how the kernels work. Im assuming not otherwise it wouldnt be such a big deal

 

[sbenson]

This is Verizon giving us the middle finger. Thanks! You just solidified my choice, no doubt in my mind I'm buying the Galaxy Nexus day one.

 

[sb1831]

I agree with you, but if were suck a small percentage why even worry about locking them in the first place? They've obviously noticed something.


Could the international kernel be used on the US Razr? I apologize in advance if that's a silly question, I know nothing about how the kernels work. Im assuming not otherwise it wouldnt be such a big deal

You'd need to be able to change kernels on the US version for one thing which you can't do. As to why lock it, I'm sure the amount of returned D1s has something do do with it. It seems like I'd see a couple threads a week with something along the lines of " I need a new D1 mine doesn't work anymore after running it at 1.2 Ghz nonstop for 14days straight while plugged in and downloading 67Gb of data..." type threads that popped up. That or the good old. My phone doesn't work what do I do? threads. Typical answer given: SBF and get a new one.

Regardless I think Moto MAY finally start to be getting how the game is played. A small percent (people like us and other tech blogs) is ALWAYS going to be concerned about a phone that has top notch specs and the newest features. The REST of the world however wants a phone that does everything they need it to relatively well, and looks good doing it. I like to call it a quasi-apple approach. It's worked before for them.

 

[bullswife98]

I agree with you, but if were suck a small percentage why even worry about locking them in the first place? They've obviously noticed something.


Could the international kernel be used on the US Razr? I apologize in advance if that's a silly question, I know nothing about how the kernels work. Im assuming not otherwise it wouldnt be such a big deal

Its not that is a huge problem but it just makes the battery life more efficient, it also makes for easier Modding I believe, that being said a dev may be able to implement a way to unlock the kernels since ATT is getting the unlocked version of the new Motor Razr. (Which kinda shows me its Verizon that's locking it up) I'm pretty well set on getting this device as my upgrade but disappointed by the way Motorola can be so easily bullied into letting Verizon lock it all up. It defeats the purpose of it being completely opensource,and again its a hard decision to leave my OG Droid as there is nothing physically wrong with it hardware wise or software wise but to go to something bigger and better but yet locked up so tight(Razr) or to Prime with no Sdcard ability and dropped data/GPS not to mention that 75% of the Primes features I don't even use and 4g LTE isn't even available in my area.(mind you I live in the sticks ,about 1hour east of St Louis Mo.) And for the longest time in my area it was almost 2yrs before we even had 3g when all the major cities had it for just as long. Sprint nor Att get signals here you'd have to stand on my roof holding it up to the sky to achieve those signals its all Verizon here. So 4g wouldn't matter as much to me,3g would be all I can get which is why I'm leaning towards the razr. But to just shut down my Droid for a locked down phone or for a phone with features I'll never really use and hope for 4g to one day appear not to mention forcing it to not search for 4g when it doesn't exist here and chew through the battery to keep achieving it, is it worthy of me to drop the first generation Droid rooted? Would anyone here?? I need to upgrade as I know my Droid wont last forever but to what phone to upgrade too that's worthy enough to retire her.

SENT FROM MY OG DROID ROOTED AND SUPERCHARGED!

 

[akhenax]

I'm beginning to think that this is a moot point. Locked bootloader or unlocked, you can still build psuedo-custom roms for the device and root it. What's the big deal?

 

[bullswife98]

I'm beginning to think that this is a moot point. Locked bootloader or unlocked, you can still build psuedo-custom roms for the device and root it. What's the big deal?

No big deal really just as long as I can remove some of the bloat that we all know will be crammed on it. But now seeing the post I placed on here just confirmed for me my decision,its the Droid Razr for me. Prime is a nice phone but for an average user as myself, I really don't have a need for all the extra features that its offering,don't need all that cloud stuff and whatnot,and I'm just wantiting to put what I want to use on my device, so as long as that's possible Razr will do nicely for me. Whew! Well all that said now on to make a phone call to my rep for a pre-order on it. Even already registered on Droid Razr forums site looks aswsome, very stoked about it now! Hopefully they will let me upgrade early!

SENT FROM MY OG DROID ROOTED AND SUPERCHARGED!

 

[sbenson]

I'm beginning to think that this is a moot point. Locked bootloader or unlocked, you can still build psuedo-custom roms for the device and root it. What's the big deal?

Big deal because you can't change the kernel with a locked bootloader. Rom your heart out, but without the possibility to change your kernel, your device is left with very little of its vast potential.

 

[prime]

Big deal because you can't change the kernel with a locked bootloader. Rom your heart out, but without the possibility to change your kernel, your device is left with very little of its vast potential.

There are mass quantities of folk who have not experienced or even care to experience the night/day differences a great kernel can provide. Different strokes and all that jazz

 

[sbenson]

There are mass quantities of folk who have not experienced or even care to experience the night/day differences a great kernel can provide. Different strokes and all that jazz

Exactly. If they knew what your kernel did/does for the Og Droid they may begin to understand the importance. For the average user a locked bootloader means little to nothing, but for a lot of us here, it can mean whether or not we're willing to buy said device.

 

[bullswife98]

Big deal because you can't change the kernel with a locked bootloader. Rom your heart out, but without the possibility to change your kernel, your device is left with very little of its vast potential.

I understand that its limiting it's potential believe me it was night and day difference between stock android and what my Droid has now! But factoring in that Prime has features I don't ever use and no sdcard (which also puts it at limits as well) vrs. locked bootloader not to mention Razr will be seeing ICS in the 1Q of 2012 anyway I'd rather have sd capabilities with that than none at all.

SENT FROM MY OG DROID ROOTED AND SUPERCHARGED!

 

[loki993]

There are mass quantities of folk who have not experienced or even care to experience the night/day differences a great kernel can provide. Different strokes and all that jazz

I have not experienced it, but I DO care to. Its unfortunate they do this. It also begs the question, I know nexus devices are supposed to be fully unlocked, but if V$ made Moto lock their phone down whos to say they cant get Sammy and Google to lock down a Nexus? I know we dont want to think about hat or even consider that fact, but...

 

[JSM9872]

I have not experienced it, but I DO care to. Its unfortunate they do this. It also begs the question, I know nexus devices are supposed to be fully unlocked, but if V$ made Moto lock their phone down whos to say they cant get Sammy and Google to lock down a Nexus? I know we dont want to think about hat or even consider that fact, but...

It certainly is possible that they could get a locked version of this device. But then by definition it would not be a Nexus which has to be fully unlocked. Then it would just be a Galaxy Prime or something like that.

 

[bullswife98]

I have not experienced it, but I DO care to. Its unfortunate they do this. It also begs the question, I know nexus devices are supposed to be fully unlocked, but if V$ made Moto lock their phone down whos to say they cant get Sammy and Google to lock down a Nexus? I know we dont want to think about hat or even consider that fact, but...

Exactly, there isn't and if that happens not to sure but it wouldn't be any different than the Razr since its running basically the same OS capabilities and I would rather be stuck using a device that will not loose it's data /GPS than one that's been known to. Not to mention slightly more durable than a plastic feel to it. My mom has a epic 4g and I always have to fight to even get a single bar on it and its soooo sloooow! Takes forevvvver to update market apps,dropped calls and takes at least an hour to get my moms texts only to have her drive 45min to my house to ask if I got her message which I didn't. Classic for Samsung's connectivity issues here in my area.

SENT FROM MY OG DROID ROOTED AND SUPERCHARGED!