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Just thought I would dive in and drop a link for anyone that is yet to comment..
And yes, it does belong in the dev section
http://www.facebook.com/notes/htc/update-on-bootloaders/10150305151453084
Sent from my LeeDrOID loaded Desire HD
My personal opinion is, I don't think they will go through with it. HTC has always been the number one developers phone for the longest time and they'll probably realize that before releasing a phone with a locked bootloader. I'm just saying if they did, I have NO idea what I would do. I can't stand any other manufacturers way of creating phones so I guess I'd be chillin with my Inspire till someone cracked one of the nicer/newer HTC phones. what would you do? I can't EVER see myself using a stock phone just to stay up to date on phone releases.
This is bad....
Evo 3D to have locked-down bootloader
I hope this is old news
motoman234 said:
My personal opinion is, I don't think they will go through with it. HTC has always been the number one developers phone for the longest time and they'll probably realize that before releasing a phone with a locked bootloader. I'm just saying if they did, I have NO idea what I would do. I can't stand any other manufacturers way of creating phones so I guess I'd be chillin with my Inspire till someone cracked one of the nicer/newer HTC phones. what would you do? I can't EVER see myself using a stock phone just to stay up to date on phone releases.
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honestly the galaxy s2(or variants of it) woould be my next choices, samsung is starting to pump out some nice phones. i still love htc more though. a locked bootloader= no deal for me
Nice one - Sony Ericsson made that announcement not long ago about opening the boot loader which made them very popular in the se world and now htc are doing it.
Its obviously just to be popular with consumers. Good news for htc
I just have a hint they will lift the locking of those boot loaders though I might still be sticking to the good old Sense UI whether it's locked or unlocked.
Nick281051 said:
honestly the galaxy s2(or variants of it) woould be my next choices, samsung is starting to pump out some nice phones. i still love htc more though. a locked bootloader= no deal for me
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Click to collapse
The phones themselves aren't bad, its the being stuck to AOSP or TouchWiz that's a deal breaker for me. I had a Vibrant and got rid of it within a week of buying it due to being bored. That's just my opinion though, once your use to Sense, you can never go back. Especially since official Sense 3.0 is around the corner. If the Sensation isn't locked down then it'll be mine .
I had a milestone before... So I know well the bootloader lock policy...
At least HTC listen to their customers...
I think they will change the bootloader lock policy cause they are smart guys and they know that there are many many people who buy HTC cause they like the freedom of unlocked bootloader...
Sent from my DesireHD with Mixed_Theme
Good. I had almost lost my hope of ever buying an Htc phone again.
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using XDA Premium App
I wonder if it's a publicity stunt.
Hoping that the net effect of (announcing the locking of bootloader) + (announcing the unlocking of bootloader) = more fanbois (or fangurls).
Well, they already released some devices with locked bootloaders as the Thunderbolt or the Incredible S. Cracking the Thunderbolt was pure luck, Incredible is not yet cracked.
So, if they decide to KEEP the locked loader, i'm done with htc... Sad but true
I really like their phones but without the community they are nothing...
I can't see why HTC would go in the opposite direction to SE. Will not buy another HTC if this happens. I'll get a SE instead.
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using XDA Premium App
It'll be their own peril for going against the community.
Everyone knows a geek or two these days... And guess who people turn to when they want to buy a phone?
LeeDroid said:
Just thought I would dive in and drop a link for anyone that is yet to comment..
And yes, it does belong in the dev section
http://www.facebook.com/notes/htc/update-on-bootloaders/10150305151453084
Sent from my LeeDrOID loaded Desire HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry, did you "develop" their decision to think on their bootloader policy?
I believe this doesn't belong in development, as it isn't a development thread. However, I believe it is an IMPORTANT piece of info, it still doens't belong here.
Moved to General.
Handsets are subsidized. They have applications like amazon mp3 and sound hound for a reason.
Your carrier will edit the build with their own features and limitations.
The locked bootloader preserves these changes. An unlocked bootloader does not.
The sway of the modding community is minimal compared to the networks and people who pay for their software to be bundled.
if we see the end of locked bootloaders, then we will likely see an increase in purchase costs.
PartTimeLegend said:
Handsets are subsidized. They have applications like amazon mp3 and sound hound for a reason.
Your carrier will edit the build with their own features and limitations.
The locked bootloader preserves these changes. An unlocked bootloader does not.
The sway of the modding community is minimal compared to the networks and people who pay for their software to be bundled.
if we see the end of locked bootloaders, then we will likely see an increase in purchase costs.
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Click to collapse
Most users don't root and install custom roms, remove system apps, etc even though they often have handsets with which they can. For this reason I fail to understand what point you are trying to make. Most people just use their phone out of the box for 2-3 years or more.
Enthusiasts on the other hand will often upgrade annually as finance permits because of our love and passion for new technology. We are often the early adopters and we are the ones who end up paying the higher initial price on new products. This translates to frequent repeat sales at higher margin for the manufacturer.
Even though we are a small subset of the community, the value of our business is disproportionately high. We are the ones who care about unlocked bootloaders, not joe average who upgrades every 3 years to a model which is already several months old. If Htc doesn't want our business it is their choice, we will vote with our wallets and buy SE, Samsung or something else we can hack.
---
Sent from my Leedroid Gingerbread love machine.
PartTimeLegend said:
Handsets are subsidized. They have applications like amazon mp3 and sound hound for a reason.
Your carrier will edit the build with their own features and limitations.
The locked bootloader preserves these changes. An unlocked bootloader does not.
The sway of the modding community is minimal compared to the networks and people who pay for their software to be bundled.
if we see the end of locked bootloaders, then we will likely see an increase in purchase costs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would not even use such provider specific software. So they can't loose money when i install a custom ROM.
PartTimeLegend said:
Handsets are subsidized. They have applications like amazon mp3 and sound hound for a reason.
Your carrier will edit the build with their own features and limitations.
The locked bootloader preserves these changes. An unlocked bootloader does not.
The sway of the modding community is minimal compared to the networks and people who pay for their software to be bundled.
if we see the end of locked bootloaders, then we will likely see an increase in purchase costs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First of all I should say that I see your point in the reasons of locking the bootloader. But the people who want unlocked bootloaders will most likely go with another manufacturer and the software companies that subsidize the phones will make no provit from those people no matter what. Carriers subsidize also the open bootloader phones, so it seems that this issue doesn't matter to them too much. The truth is that compared to all the people who buy phones, those who actually use the unlocked bootloader are very small percentage. Like with the iPhone and jailbreaking. So the decision of whether to lock the bootloader or not is purely a "political" one.
I think that the best solution is to ship the phones with locked bootloaders and to provide an unlocking tool which will void irreversibly the warranty and support, which HTC have every right to do as once unlocked you can install potentially damaging kernels e.g. overclocking to unreasonable frequencies and they can decline supporting software that's not their own.
Have you guys seen how much agro HTC get on their Facebook page its hilarious.
Of course its a publicity stunt, they don't want to have a bad name with consumers. Sony Ericsson made the same annoucement last month which gave them a good name.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
a petition has already gone up
http://www.groubal.com/htc-bootloaders-and-nand/
https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150305151453084&comments
Check that out. HTC is going to re-consider (unlocking) bootloaders! Great job on sending feedback to HTC !
If you dont have facebook account ill just paste what it says on official HTC page:
Update on Bootloaders
Author: HTC
Date: 25. May 2011 at 2:50
"Thanks so much for providing feedback, we hear your concerns. Your satisfaction is a top priority for us and we're working hard to ensure you have great experiences with our phones. We're reviewing the issue and our policy around bootloaders and will provide more information soon. Thank you for your interest, support and willingness to share your feedback."
the power of comunity
I hope they are serious about it and this not just a statement to please all. I would like my next phone to be an HTC since I am still not attracted by Samsung....
See my Sig
Sent from my HTC Wildfire using XDA App
brilldoctor said:
See my Sig
Sent from my HTC Wildfire using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://wakeuphtc.blogspot.com/ check that out, I think its better to send personal letters to HTC than just to get some names in xda thread...
Yes they might be serious about that. This thing might be seriously effecting their sales of sensation, evo 3d, desire s, wildfire s, and other newer devices.
And there is another chance that they might be unlocking the newer devices alone keeping the older devices locked. Even if they have the opinion of unlocking every device, i think they will unlock the newer devices first to make the sales.
But i think these statements are not confirmative untill the devices are unlocked.
They are thinking about - but what are they doing?
should this ever happen to wildfire?
how long will this take?
Buldog said:
They are thinking about - but what are they doing?
should this ever happen to wildfire?
how long will this take?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read the statement, all info is there. If its not there, we dont know it
I read this on Facebook and this is good news indeed. I hope them "considering" means that steps will actually be taken.
Frankly, why would they do THAT?
People who have already bought a locked phone are not going to buy a new one when theirs get unlocked now, are they? No more money for HTC.
Unprotected bootloader means that bricked phones returns will increase. HTC will have to spend to replace these.
It makes no commercial sense to do so, as the people needing unlocked bootloaders represent, let's face it, a minority.
It would be nice, but pigs might fly before we see an official unlocked HBOOT.
n!k said:
Frankly, why would they do THAT?
People who have already bought a locked phone are not going to buy a new one when theirs get unlocked now, are they? No more money for HTC.
Unprotected bootloader means that bricked phones returns will increase. HTC will have to spend to replace these.
It makes no commercial sense to do so, as the people needing unlocked bootloaders represent, let's face it, a minority.
It would be nice, but pigs might fly before we see an official unlocked HBOOT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unlocked bootloaders means that developers will work with HTC phones. Customers, who are developers, are better than those, who will use the phone just for calling etc.
I disagree with you.
I am sure that any developer who really wants to unlock their bootloader will have done so by now.
Unlocking the HBOOTs for the general public means that idiots (like me) are more likely to flash the wrong ROM (which I did) not because they are THAT stupid but because the choice of ROMs is wide enough to make a mistake, and the advice that is found on the internet forums is often confusing or misleading.
Frankly, I think that there is no need to unlock HBOOT / S-OFF as long as there is enough room for people to experiment in a non-destructive way with a functional recovery and the ability to flash custom firmwares. And to go back to stock.
But then it opens the world of the latest version of Android working on phones that were not meant for it; people would stick to their phone longer, which cannot be good for business.
For me, this statement by HTC is merely a way to say to their customers "Don't leave us for another brand with unlocked bootloaders", even though they clearly have no intention of unlocking the HBOOT.
Time will tell
n!k said:
I am sure that any developer who really wants to unlock their bootloader will have done so by now.
Frankly, I think that there is no need to unlock HBOOT / S-OFF as long as there is enough room for people to experiment in a non-destructive way with a functional recovery and the ability to flash custom firmwares. And to go back to stock.
People who have already bought a locked phone are not going to buy a new one when theirs get unlocked now, are they? No more money for HTC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
---It is not like all the developers are capable of unlocking the bootloader. Most of the developers will be tinkering with the apps and other os related software like themes, roms, kernels etc., . No one knows how many developers are working on wildfire root. There is a possibility that a developer who works on apps might have little/nil knowledge on how to unlock bootloader (and other security related things). And most of these developers might be using the developers phones like nexus s which are unlocked by default. And to my knowledge, all the wildfire developers must be aware (even in november 2010) that official froyo update to wildfire makes it hard to root. So, mostly as i expect developers will not be updating the phone and taking the risk. SORRY, i didn't mean to be disrespectful with developers. I will also not update to official froyo and take the risk if i were a developer before (but im not).
---Their motive in locking the hboot is to destroy the freedom of rooting and flashing custom recoveries. I dont think they will give an option like to flash the custom recoveries in a non destructive way. And that going back to the stock (from the phone itself) might require some additional protected phone space, which matters because wildfire has low phone memory. I never expect them to s-off my phone. I will be satisfied if they unlock the bootloader and give me an option to flash custom recovery. [And if i think that s-off as a serious issue, then i might go with the future alpharev or the paid xtc clip or some other future solutions if any.]
---And people will not buy a new phone from htc if they get unlocked by htc now. And will people buy a new locked phone from htc if theirs present phone is kept locked. In any way it affects htc. But it makes a difference if htc unlocks the newer phones and keeps the old phones locked.
n!k said:
Frankly, why would they do THAT?
People who have already bought a locked phone are not going to buy a new one when theirs get unlocked now, are they? No more money for HTC.
Unprotected bootloader means that bricked phones returns will increase. HTC will have to spend to replace these.
It makes no commercial sense to do so, as the people needing unlocked bootloaders represent, let's face it, a minority.
It would be nice, but pigs might fly before we see an official unlocked HBOOT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually it makes commercial sense to so. If HTC wants us to buy HTC phones ever again, they should unlock it.
Accorrding to this Facebook post by the CEO of HTC has announced that they plan to disolve the locked bootloader policy
Source
http://www.facebook.com/HTC/posts/10150307320018084
"There has been overwhelmingly customer feedback that people want access to open bootloaders on HTC phones. I want you to know that we've listened. Today, I'm confirming we will no longer be locking the bootloaders on our devices. Thanks for your passion, support and patience," Peter Chou, CEO of HTC
Good, now where's his solution to the existing locked phones due to lame Hboot updates?
Will just have to wait and see if they make the policy retroactive. Lets hope they do
Sent from my HTC Aria
I had seen a press release where they said they were considering this...good to know they opted for it. However the press release I read said for future phones only (with the exception of a few current generation ones).
E.Cadro said:
Will just have to wait and see if they make the policy retroactive. Lets hope they do
Sent from my HTC Aria
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Peter Chou replied to one of the guys on the HTC Twitter I believe and he said it would affect the EVO, so I assume it is retroactive. The picture of the reply can be found on HTC's facebook profile
guido3300 said:
Peter Chou replied to one of the guys on the HTC Twitter I believe and he said it would affect the EVO, so I assume it is retroactive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Call me a skeptic, but this is one of those "see it before I believe it" things.
Redundant thread
Closed, further info on this topic in General section
HTC had announced that they will unlock bootloader for future phones that they 're going to sell, now our job is requesting HTC to release a new OTA update for wildfire, and further more, for existing locked devices.
We should held a campaign to request for OTA update, shouldn't we?
Yes. U R Right
I agree.
/signed
Sent from my HTC Wildfire using Tapatalk
Or we can use the existing campaign to ask them to unlock the older devices as well.
I'm not so sure.
We have our pound of flesh, i'm not sure its wise to push the issue to much, at this point HTC have listened where others would not.
I feel if we take advantage of this they might start to feel harassed, if that happens they may decide listing to there customers is unwise.
Perhaps the 'important members here' could ask HTC if they could, and would help current owners of there locked phones, But no more then that. Not to push it.
But the current groubal started from the point of wildfire (even started by the wildfire user).
It will be meaningless to us if the newer devices got unlocked and the wildfire kept locked. Just telling this because most of us will be sticking with the wildfire for a longer period. So, for us it takes a lot of time to purchase another unlocked htc device. Myself i will not buy a new android device unless i get a budget to go for a high end android one. Means what, are we gonna stick with the stock for a long time..? Ahhh...
Of course i agree that unlocking the fore coming devices is really good news.
I think we should continue the present groubal and request htc to unlock the older devices as well.
bharatgaddameedi said:
Or we can use the existing campaign to ask them to unlock the older devices as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, or we can Email to HTC to ask them about it
Update on Bootloaders
https://twitter.com/#!/htc/status/90239767287037952
by HTC on Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 7:50pm
Thanks so much for providing feedback, we hear your concerns. Your satisfaction is a top priority for us and we're working hard to ensure you have great experiences with our phones. We're reviewing the issue and our policy around bootloaders and will provide more information soon. Thank you for your interest, support and willingness to share your feedback.
**UPDATE**
We’ve listened. Check out the statement from our CEO, Peter Chou on HTC bootloaders. Click the link for more info. http://on.fb.me/iZXgkR
**UPDATE 7/10**
We wanted to provide an update on HTC’s progress with bringing bootloader unlocking to our newest phones. We know how excited some of you are for this capability, and we’ve put significant resources behind making this change as soon as possible. While we wish we could flip a simple switch and unlock all bootloaders across our device portfolio, this is actually a complex challenge that requires a new software build and extensive testing to deliver the best possible customer experience.
We’re thrilled to announce today that software updates to support bootloader unlocking will begin rolling out in August for the global HTC Sensation, followed by the HTC Sensation 4G on T-Mobile USA and the HTC EVO 3D on Sprint. We’re in the testing phase for the unlocking capability now, and we expect it to be fully operational by early September for devices that have received the software updates. We'll continue rolling out the unlocking capability over time to other devices as part of maintenance releases and new shipments.
HTC continues its commitment to unlocking bootloaders and supporting the developer community. Because of the importance of this community to us, please expect an update on this about every few weeks as we make progress toward launch. Thank you for your patience and continued support!
I hope that is all true but I wont hold my breath...
Software updates? Sounds like some strings are attached... I can't say that I'm surprised, with carriers charging for locked services like tethering. I personally do not use tethering or condone anything unethical (which could be interpreted as charging for tethering!). I just hope this is true so that I can develop without having to search for root, or buy a $400 Nexus.
Anyone else getting the feeling that this will take some of the fun out flashing?
They've got until October. If they haven't shown they are ready to provide an experience that "gets me" then.. then... something. Hopefully some great white whale of handset freedom will be available.
meh.....seems like a PR move more than anything , they ARE getting a lot of negative feedback from people, not to mention, this latest gingerbread release backfired on them...they tried to lock down devices , but seeing how bad the release went for a lot of EVo owners wich actually made people that have never rooted a phone , look to root theirs because they hate gingerbread unstability
personally, i wont hold my breath, and i doubt ill upgrade to the 3d.......september??? gimme a fkn' break!
Will unlocking the evo 3d effect the evo 4g or is that something we will have to wait for time to tell?
JackieBrown said:
Will unlocking the evo 3d effect the evo 4g or is that something we will have to wait for time to tell?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That depends entirely on the root method...ie where the find the exploit. If it is gingerbread, itself, then it should work for us. If it is in some other place, like sense 3.0, then it wouldn't help us.
nebenezer said:
They've got until October. If they haven't shown they are ready to provide an experience that "gets me" then.. then... something. Hopefully some great white whale of handset freedom will be available.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PS
I gotcher white whale right here, buddy...
Notice the HTC statement does NOT address the Evo4G.
This could be the marketing strategy of future.
Release new phones with unlocked bootloaders,
OTA legacy phones to lock bootloader,
'you want root access, buy new phone'
scary thought...
Scary, but not absurd.
You don't think Sprint changing the policy on Premier users wasn't 100% about selling new phones or collecting more per month?? All in all, it was about boosting revenue collection.
I hope for you guys something is out by October, and look at it this way; I ran my Moment 100% Stock for 6 months before I even researched rooting. It wasn't so bad....
...'course, I'd never do THAT again!
HTC will never unlock the bootloader on the EVO. Thats why we need someone to root what we have now.
They will release unlocked boat loaders as maintenance releases, Evo won't be unlocked by HTC, I don't believe the EVo will get any more attention from HTC. They have moved on from it.
his bootloader information is geared to the sensation and 3d. So why is this thread in the evo 4g section
mikeyinid said:
HTC will never unlock the bootloader on the EVO. Thats why we need someone to root what we have now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now now, we don't know that's true.
Of course, theres no proof... But it doesnt take a rocket scientist to know its all about money. QUOTE=mattykinsx;15586217]Now now, we don't know that's true.[/QUOTE]
mikeyinid said:
Of course, theres no proof... But it doesnt take a rocket scientist to know its all about money.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't understand how NOT unlocking the bootloader would be money related?
The Evo is easily the top selling HTC phone ever and the third most selling phone in 2010.
It's in HTC's interest to make sure it's open for the millions that bought it.
It makes no sense to unlock the bootloader of a phone thats very near its eol, when not doing so will make people go to the newer unlocked devices. Thats how its about money. If they do unlock the bootloader on the evo it wont be til a while after the 3d and sensation get unlocked.
mattykinsx said:
I don't understand how NOT unlocking the bootloader would be money related?
The Evo is easily the top selling HTC phone ever and the third most selling phone in 2010.
It's in HTC's interest to make sure it's open for the millions that bought it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mikeyinid said:
It makes no sense to unlock the bootloader of a phone thats very near its eol, when not doing so will make people go to the newer unlocked devices. Thats how its about money. If they do unlock the bootloader on the evo it wont be til a while after the 3d and sensation get unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But the Evo is the face of HTC now.
In fact, every phone since has been based on the design.
It's still the flagship as far as sales for HTC.
Just so you guys are aware, HTC will be releasing the unlocked bootloader as a software update to the newer crop of phones. The big problem is that the software has to go through the carriers BEFORE it will be released to the public.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/10/htc-rolling-out-unlocked-bootloaders-to-select-phones-in-august/
CDKJudoka said:
Just so you guys are aware, HTC will be releasing the unlocked bootloader as a software update to the newer crop of phones. The big problem is that the software has to go through the carriers BEFORE it will be released to the public.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/10/htc-rolling-out-unlocked-bootloaders-to-select-phones-in-august/
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Click to collapse
Sprint won't have a problem, T-mobile might not have a problem.
At&t and Verizon customers are F-ed in the A.
But then again, they're used to that aren't they?