Motorola Eases Up on Locked Bootloader Stance, Plans to Unlock Portfolio in 2011?

[illmatic636]

Lack of a Better Word!

Boooyaaakkkaa!!

 

[kptphalkon]

Hey the86, have you even heard of the rumors surrounding the droid 3? Theres your dedicated number keys.

 

[tgyberg]

Hopefully they can just lock down the teather option and then let the hackers go nuts!

 

[the86d]

Shoot, I really want to drop Verzion!

Google in progress...

 

[prime]

Hopefully they can just lock down the teather option and then let the hackers go nuts!

No way of doing that.

 

[jr313]

But what makes you think that Verizon would allow it? This is starting to sound similar to early telephone companies who restricted what devices could be connected to their lines. Wouldn't matter in the above case if Moto /did/ unlock it.

Sent from my White DROID 2 GLOBAL.

EXACTLY! "where carriers and operators will allow it.” read the fine print...that was their way of getting everyone off their back and to blame the carries if it doesnt happen!

 

[Jeyman]

why does everyone think verizon is going to stop them from doing it? HTC gets away with open platforms why cant moto?

TB is open as a book. Ya it took a little more then normal, but HTC caved and gave us the kernel even.

If moto wants to unlock it they will. They may hide behind Verizon, but lets just see it for what it is. Its just them duck and covering. Plain and simple.

 

[the86d]

Awe hell, these fools are going to keep me on Verizon forever! Hahaaa!

Pipe char on the L! ALT-L="|"!

Thank you, I never thought to look for a D3 as the D2 just entered my arena as of late... Oct.

 

[prime]

Awe hell, these fools are going to keep me on Verizon forever! Hahaaa!

Pipe char on the L! ALT-L="|"!

Thank you, I never thought to look for a D3 as the D2 just entered my arena as of late... Oct.

You can make the pipe on the Droid 1 keyboard as well.

Alt Shift , (comma)

 

[prime]

why does everyone think verizon is going to stop them from doing it? HTC gets away with open platforms why cant moto?

You won't be able to say that next year.

 

[sb1831]

why does everyone think verizon is going to stop them from doing it? HTC gets away with open platforms why cant moto?

TB is open as a book. Ya it took a little more then normal, but HTC caved and gave us the kernel even.

If moto wants to unlock it they will. They may hide behind Verizon, but lets just see it for what it is. Its just them duck and covering. Plain and simple.

Why would verizon want to stop it? I'm guessing so they would stop making changes to policies that people abuse; Return policy, the physical condition of your phone you're making a claim on, tethering etc. Motorola very well may unlock their phone but Verizon could say "Hold on a second. You want to make it easier for people to modify their devices so that they can use them in ways other than permitted by their contracts? How about No, Moto?"

 

[Jaxidian]

Why would verizon want to stop it? I'm guessing so they would stop making changes to policies that people abuse; Return policy, the physical condition of your phone you're making a claim on, tethering etc. Motorola very well may unlock their phone but Verizon could say "Hold on a second. You want to make it easier for people to modify their devices so that they can use them in ways other than permitted by their contracts? How about No, Moto?"

I'm with you in thought, but fact is, Verizon will not, in the near future, say, "No open Android devices are allowed on our network. Period." Now if Motorola agrees to a contract that stipulates that their devices must be locked down, well, that's a completely different thing. And THAT, my friends, is where Moto is going to get caught being a liar when they fail to deliver on this promise.

"We promised we would open them if Verizon lets us. But they won't let us. See here, in the contract that we agreed to? Verizon won't let us. We had no option but to agree to it, we were forced to it at risk of nuclear attack, we had no choice."

Getting Motorola to make this statement is great for us, but this is nowhere near the end of this. Even if they left out that "if", it doesn't matter. There is nothing holding Motorola to this.

Add me to the group of people who will believe it when they see it. And while Verizon will put pressure on this topic, it truly is Motorola who polices it. Afterall, it's not Verizon who puts the hardware into the phone that enforces a locked bootloader. That can only be done by Motorola and they cannot be forced to do it, they can only agree to do it voluntarily or under contract, both of which are decisions that Motorola makes.

 

[czerdrill]

Why would verizon want to stop it? I'm guessing so they would stop making changes to policies that people abuse; Return policy, the physical condition of your phone you're making a claim on, tethering etc. Motorola very well may unlock their phone but Verizon could say "Hold on a second. You want to make it easier for people to modify their devices so that they can use them in ways other than permitted by their contracts? How about No, Moto?"

I'm with you in thought, but fact is, Verizon will not, in the near future, say, "No open Android devices are allowed on our network. Period." Now if Motorola agrees to a contract that stipulates that their devices must be locked down, well, that's a completely different thing. And THAT, my friends, is where Moto is going to get caught being a liar when they fail to deliver on this promise.

"We promised we would open them if Verizon lets us. But they won't let us. See here, in the contract that we agreed to? Verizon won't let us. We had no option but to agree to it, we were forced to it at risk of nuclear attack, we had no choice."

Getting Motorola to make this statement is great for us, but this is nowhere near the end of this. Even if they left out that "if", it doesn't matter. There is nothing holding Motorola to this.

Add me to the group of people who will believe it when they see it. And while Verizon will put pressure on this topic, it truly is Motorola who polices it. Afterall, it's not Verizon who puts the hardware into the phone that enforces a locked bootloader. That can only be done by Motorola and they cannot be forced to do it, they can only agree to do it voluntarily or under contract, both of which are decisions that Motorola makes.

True, yes, but Moto makes those decisions after weighing the financial pros and cons. I think when they see that they stand to make millions more by conceding to Verizon, they will choose that route and not think twice about it, rather then making a few thousand people happy...

So while it's "technically" Moto's choice, after you weigh in all the extraneous factors, it's really not. They literally have no choice. Trying to side with the developers and battling Verizon would be the quickest way for them to fall back into obscurity...

 

[kptphalkon]

I can see the headlines now....

"World War 3 has just commenced after Verizon Wireless, in conjunction with their partner Vodafone, has launched a successful nuclear attack on Motorola Mobile's headquarters. Motorola Mobility, Inc. was working with at-home developers and power users of the Android operating system, and in a breach of contract had supplied unlocked phones to said group. This is a sad day for us all"

 

[czerdrill]

why does everyone think verizon is going to stop them from doing it? HTC gets away with open platforms why cant moto?

TB is open as a book. Ya it took a little more then normal, but HTC caved and gave us the kernel even.

If moto wants to unlock it they will. They may hide behind Verizon, but lets just see it for what it is. Its just them duck and covering. Plain and simple.

If you're talking about the kernel source, all OEMs have to give that out per the android license. Moto has done it for all their phones as well. HTC didn't "cave", it was more like they were forced to by the agreement they have with Google in licensing android.