Tag Archives: unlocked bootloader

Samsung Galaxy S III Developer Edition for Verizon Wireless now available to order

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Samsung Galaxy S III Developer Edition for Verizon Wireless now available to order

Ever since the bootloader of the Galaxy S III for Verizon Wireless was cracked wide open, there's much less of a clamor for the Developer Edition of the handset from Samsung. That said, the unsubsidized smartphone is now available to purchase -- for backorder, anyway -- directly from the manufacturer, which gives all owners the ability to easily unlock the phone's bootloader and thus delight in the world of custom ROMs. As of now, only the Pebble Blue variant is available, but purchasers may choose from the 16GB ($600) or 32GB ($650) versions. We still maintain that Verizon Wireless gave its subscribers a pretty raw deal with the Galaxy S III, as all other carriers left it to the owner's discretion of whether to unlock their phone's bootloader. We wouldn't expect Big Red to change its tune any time soon, but you can take solace knowing that the hacking community and manufacturers have your back.

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Samsung Galaxy S III Developer Edition for Verizon Wireless now available to order originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 22 Sep 2012 04:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola posts Android bootloader unlock page, lets just one device pass muster

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Motorola posts Android bootloader unlock page, lets just one device pass muster

Motorola drew fresh respect after it vowed that its Android device customers could unlock their bootloaders, starting with the Photon Q LTE. Nearly everything about that process was kept in the dark, but it's now been blown wide open: the company has posted a full page dedicated to the process. Getting started will demand the Android SDK, fastboot, new USB drivers and a slightly scary warranty release, but it otherwise goes through a very HTC-like process that provides an unlock key. Verizon subscribers who were hoping for a surprise Droid RAZR MAXX unlock won't be happy, mind you; the Photon Q LTE is the only device on the list so far that isn't already unchained as a matter of course. Motorola did characterize the unlock option as a forward-thinking option, which leaves us not so secretly wishing that high-profile future releases expand the list of unlockable devices a bit further.

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Motorola posts Android bootloader unlock page, lets just one device pass muster originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 18 Aug 2012 19:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy S III on Verizon gets one-click bootloader unlock, freedom is just a Google Play away

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Samsung Galaxy S III on Verizon receives oneclick bootloader unlock app, freedom is just a Google Play away

We were intrigued to see a bootloader unlock emerge for Verizon's Galaxy S III variant just this week. Unless you're the kind for whom a beta is just too... safe, though, the method on offer to date has been a tad cryptic. Dingus on the RootzWiki forums has taken all the danger out of it through EZ-Unlock, an app that reduces most of the process to a single tap. While it does require existing root access, everything else is sorted out; its most recent forms can also re-lock the bootloader if there's any anxiety about venturing out of bounds. The app is even available through Google Play, which makes unrestricted (if warranty-challenging) firmware just a short hop past the source link.

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Samsung Galaxy S III on Verizon gets one-click bootloader unlock, freedom is just a Google Play away originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 21:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Motorola to allow bootloader unlocking from Photon Q 4G LTE onwards

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Motorola to allow bootloader unlocking from Photon Q onwards

Motorola's initial promise to allow unlocked bootloaders came across to many enthusiasts as somewhat hollow: as long as there was an escape clause, carriers like AT&T and Verizon could clamp down and maintain the tough-to-modify status quo. RAZR-philes will be happy to know that there's a plan to cut their own chains loose, after all. Starting with the Photon Q 4G LTE's August launch, owners will have the option to unlock the bootloader of at least some devices in an official way that reportedly keeps carriers satisfied. Details of how the process works will come later; we don't know if Motorola will take a cue from HTC's identifier tokens or try something more exotic, even if it's likely in either case to offer a big, fat disclaimer regarding the warranty. The option won't be the same as buying a phone that's unlocked from the start, but we don't think too many custom ROM lovers will mind after knowing that one more Android manufacturer is on their side.

[Thanks, RTbar]

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Motorola to allow bootloader unlocking from Photon Q 4G LTE onwards originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 19:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Galaxy S III dev edition sales page goes live, ‘coming soon’ for VZW freedom-lovers

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Galaxy S III dev edition sales page goes live, 'coming soon' for VZW freedomlovers

Even if you have $600 in your pocket and plenty of reasons to want a custom ROM on your Galaxy S III, you still can't quite get hold of Samsung and VZW's promised developer edition. That said, the tinkerer-friendly device has now appeared on Sammy's US mobile sales site, with the promise that it'll be ready to order "soon," with its unsigned bootloader wrapped up in pebble blue alongside 32GB of storage, and with support and a 12-month warranty provided directly by the manufacturer. There's no reason to think that other colors and sizes won't follow suit, or that there'll be much longer to wait for availability, and we'll keep you alerted as soon as that page gets updated.

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Galaxy S III dev edition sales page goes live, 'coming soon' for VZW freedom-lovers originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jul 2012 05:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Galaxy S III Developer Edition for Verizon appears on Samsung’s website

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Galaxy S III Developer Edition for Verizon appears on Samsung's website

Fans of unlocked bootloaders rejoice! It looks like the landing page for the Galaxy S III Developer Edition for Verizon is now live on Samsung's website. As you'll recall, Verizon is the only US carrier to sell the handset with a locked bootloader -- something that's not sitting well with us, developers, custom ROM aficionados and other tech enthusiasts (you know who you are). Thankfully, Samsung recently announced it would offer a special version of the handset with an unlocked bootloader on its website for $599. While there's still no info on availability, you'll at least be able to purchase the 32GB model in blue at some point soon. No word on the 16GB or white options, or whether the $599 pricetag applies to this blue 32GB version. We'll keep you posted when we find out more -- in the meantime, follow the source link below for the details.

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Galaxy S III Developer Edition for Verizon appears on Samsung's website originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Jul 2012 01:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung brings out Galaxy S III Developer Edition for Verizon, answers the call for an unlockable bootloader

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Samsung brings out Galaxy S III Developer Edition for Verizon, answers the call for unlockable bootloaders

We didn't have too many reservations about the Galaxy S III for Verizon in stock form. Anyone who's been eager to load new firmware, however, has been up in arms over the particularly locked down bootloader that Big Red (but no other US carrier so far) demands. Enter the Galaxy S III Developer Edition. The new, direct-from-Samsung variant will have all the CDMA and LTE a Verizon subscriber could want, but with the option to unlock the bootloader for as much customization as serious Android fans might stand. As you'd anticipate, the catch is simply who takes the hit if something goes wrong: brick the phone and you're likely looking at an expensive phone call to Samsung rather than a trip to the local Verizon store. Regardless, those who like Verizon's network but don't believe its claims about 'dangerous' unlocked phones can get the best of both worlds soon -- as long as they're willing to spend the $600 off-contract once the Developer Edition is ready in the near future. Check after the break for Samsung's official Q&A on the subject.

Continue reading Samsung brings out Galaxy S III Developer Edition for Verizon, answers the call for an unlockable bootloader

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Samsung brings out Galaxy S III Developer Edition for Verizon, answers the call for an unlockable bootloader originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 19:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC One X for AT&T gets unofficial bootloader unlock

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HTC One X for AT&T gets unofficial bootloader unlock

No thanks to AT&T, owners of the carrier-branded HTC One X can now unlock their phone's bootloader on the HTCdev website. The process works by altering the handset's identifier, which causes the One X to appear as a Rogers unit on HTC's servers. While the instructions should be quite simple for those with the proper knowhow, they require knowledge and proper configuration of ADB, use of a hex editor and a rooted handset. Many users have already reported success with this method, but keep in mind that AT&T might not smile on the trickery if you ever need to seek warranty repair. Naturally, all of this frustration could've been easily avoided had Ma Bell simply considered the needs of power users in the first place, but until the day comes when the carrier rights its ways, just know that eager hackers have a tendency to come out on top.

[Thanks, Akash]

HTC One X for AT&T gets unofficial bootloader unlock originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 20:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC One X spills its source code, but only for the quad-core half

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HTC One X spills its source code, but only for its quad-core half

Not to be derailed by the "restricted" bootloader found on its US variant, One X users elsewhere can now potter around kernel version 2.6.39 and its unlocked bootloader. It's the latest release from HTC Dev, which now houses bootloaders for phones as far old as the venerable Dream, and means that the official channel has caught up with its eager modding community. Well, it's just a couple of months late. Those looking to load their boots can hit up the source below.

HTC One X spills its source code, but only for the quad-core half originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2012 16:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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