Ready for yet another pre-release root story? Noted Android ROM developer and modder Paul “Modaco” O’Brien has rooted the upcoming HTC One S, less than a week after doing the same for the big daddy HTC One X. Of course the HTC One S isn’t actually available in any market just yet, but Android fans can rest easy knowing that they can do so the minute they get the phone in their hot little hands. The superboot method favored by O’Brien is in full effect, but HTC will need to unlock the bootloader first. There shouldn’t be any problem with that, considering their recent developer-friendly stance.

The One S is the middle child of HTC’s new family, but that doesn’t mean that it’s in any way unworthy. The 4.3-inch qHD screen is a Super AMOLED panel, if that’s your thing, and its 7.8mm profile is the thinnest that the company has ever created. A 1.5Ghz dual-core processor doesn’t quite match the Tegra 3 quad-core in the One X, but the Snapdragon S4 is still one of the fastest out there. And there’s no denying that Ice Cream Sandwich on a new phone is a long, long overdue arrival.

Here in the US, the only carrier currently confirmed to get the HTC One S is T-Mobile, and they still don’t have an exact release date. Note that with US carriers’ tendency to add all manner of apps and other software tweaks, O’Brien’s superboot method might still need some adjustment when the phone finally makes it to North America. Everybody else should be fine. Keep it up, Android modders – those of us who couldn’t code our way out of a paper bag (guilty) are counting on you.

[timelnie] [device id=2316] [via androidcentral]