HTC Offering Web Bootloader Unlock!

kaintfm · Aug 4, 2011

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4573/htc-announces-webbased-bootloader-unlock-tool-for-htc-sensation

Finally! A way to make the voided warranty and bootloader unlocking official. This way HTC can allow their phones to be unlocked without opening themselves up to the hordes of people bringing in their bricked phones for warranty work.

carngeX · Aug 4, 2011

Awesome! Glad to see HTC coming through with their word.

highcoder · Aug 4, 2011

...

...not really. you have to agree that you will loose the complete warranty. And i think your IMEI will be stored in a HTC Database so they can always identify that your phone is unlocked...

And as i remember they said that the new devices should already have an unlocked bootloader. ...have they?

galaxys · Aug 5, 2011

A lot of the Sensation gang did not wait for HTC!

aaa · Aug 5, 2011

What is the difference between :
Official bootloader unlocker plus officially loosing warranty
Unofficial bootloader unlocker plus loosing warranty

Nothing!

highcoder · Aug 5, 2011

Of course there is a difference

Official bootloader unlocker plus officially loosing warranty plus your device is branded as unlocked for lifetime
Unofficial bootloader unlocker plus loosing warranty plus the ability to revert this

ivanlaszik · Aug 5, 2011

I wonder how many "accounts" will be created in that "bootloader unlocking service". Seriously I would never use this way. Much simpler to use the xda methods to unlock,root and install custom roms (even if I have to wait couple of months) then any time revert and still keep waranty if once needed. (Hopefully never).
Just hope that because of this, developers won`t stop hacking future devices.

Q.Entity · Aug 5, 2011

Whether or not some of us rather do it the "XDA way", this is a major development. The manufacturer agreed (with resrictions) to unlock it. I always said, it is my device, I paid for it and I ant full access to it.

Wih a but more pressure and time, I will bet you that som eof the warranty exceptions will disappear.

I have HTC devices, all rooted and running CM7 but I am glad to see this happening. It seems Motorola will do the same, eventually this may be the normal.

Besides, when the install software todo the unlock, they also open a door for rooting the "XDA way".

PseudoChris · Aug 5, 2011

I think this is a great model. While it's always great to "get away" with rooting a phone and then still use the warranty if you're able to unroot it before you send it in.. its great to see a manufacturer take control of this process and give the option to use a phone to its fullest potential under the condition that you're on your own with your phone-play

DJW6927 · Aug 5, 2011

Amazing... In the space of a week nobody gives a f&*k.

My Sensations running GB2.3.4 very nicely now. Thanks XDA. S-ON, S-OFF, F-OFF HTC

JackieBrown · Aug 5, 2011

I wish they would offer a way to unlock the EVO 4G as well. I guess HTC has moved beyond that device

oryan_dunn · Aug 5, 2011

So can this be used to gain root on the stock rom? My girlfriend has the Evo3D, and she really likes the stock sense ui, but there are a couple things I need root for.

xfullmetal17 · Aug 5, 2011

I'm going to laugh if these unlockers use the exact same method the ones here use xD. Maybe that's why HTC was saying August and September, to give the hackers here enough time to find an exploit to unlock it, steal the source code, and pretend it's an "official" unlocker.

edit: Oh, and get the database ready so whoever uses this method can be branded as "unclean" by the phone companies and get warranty claims rejected.

BusterChestnut · Aug 5, 2011

Finally, but what about the exploit that AlphaRev found. by patching that wont HTC be bricking our phone from the gitgo

Kiboe · Aug 5, 2011

considering people already are on GB with it, hmmmmm

yeah....

orangekid · Aug 5, 2011

Here's my take:

Let's say you register on the official site and they void your warranty and you get S-OFF, then 2 months later your mainboard fails due to manufacturer error, now you cannot get a valid RMA because you voided your warranty on file.

OR you can use the alpharev S-OFF/root and now your mainboard fails, you revert Stock then call HTC for RMA and they have to honor it!

I for one, won't be using official unlocking if they are tracking it by SN or IMEI because then you give up your right for legit RMA and that's stupid, unless they have a serious clause in there that you only void your warranty if you brick your device on a flash and not some bull**** hardware malfunction.

Kiboe · Aug 5, 2011

orangekid said:
Here's my take:

Let's say you register on the official site and they void your warranty and you get S-OFF, then 2 months later your mainboard fails due to manufacturer error, now you cannot get a valid RMA because you voided your warranty on file.

OR you can use the alpharev S-OFF/root and now your mainboard fails, you revert Stock then call HTC for RMA and they have to honor it!

I for one, won't be using official unlocking if they are tracking it by SN or IMEI because then you give up your right for legit RMA and that's stupid, unless they have a serious clause in there that you only void your warranty if you brick your device on a flash and not some bull**** hardware malfunction.

i agree, this is downright stupid on HTC's part....and brilliant at the same time if you think about it. because if these people do it the "official" way, HTC knows they will have to fork up money for a full replacement because their warrenty is voided, it's win-win for HTC.

but, like all buisinesses HTC it out there to make money...funny thing is, when i first heard this announcement i even said "i call BS, they will just find a way to track it then use it aggainst you come time for a replacement, mark my words"

rosedog · Aug 5, 2011

highcoder said:
Of course there is a difference

Official bootloader unlocker plus officially loosing warranty plus your device is branded as unlocked for lifetime
Unofficial bootloader unlocker plus loosing warranty plus the ability to revert this

See this is exactly what I was wondering! But the brings me to my next question... How do you backup the stock incase of a FUBAR?

orangekid · Aug 5, 2011

rosedog said:
See this is exactly what I was wondering! But the brings me to my next question... How do you backup the stock incase of a FUBAR?

nandroid .

highcoder · Aug 5, 2011

I´m a HD2 owner. I don´t know how about the new HTC Devices but in the past you didn´t need to do a backup via fubar

In the past you could download an original stock rom for every device version directly from HTC or from your provider if you had a branded device. And in my case (HD2) you have to flash the rom from SD card (not via USB) to overwrite the cracked bootloader with the stock one. Voilá... you have a clean stock device...

And i think this way will work in future too...

HTC Offering Web Bootloader Unlock!

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