Breaking just now it seems all the talk and discussion on Facebook and Twitter over the last few days has finally made HTC listen. People all across twitter, myself included retweeted tons of comments regarding HTC and their new policy of having locked bootloaders on their devices. Just yesterday we reported on HTC discussing plans to change this policy. Locking the bootloader has been a huge issue in the recent past for Motorola as well. They’ve claimed to be unlocking future devices also. Official comment below.

This comes as a huge surprise tonight because this has all just happened over the past few days. This larger outcry for HTC to unlock the bootloaders on their popular android devices has received a lot of attention as of late, and the voice has only been getting louder. Devices like the upcoming HTC Sensation that everyone loves, but many wont get if its bootloader is locked.

We have just read the official word and will be updating this story as soon as we hear anything more, just wanted to get this news out to all our readers as soon as possible. Now the question is when will all these devices be changed? Will this policy be on future releases only? Will the upcoming HTC Sensation 4G set to launch on T-Mobile June 8th have a locked bootloader? Do they have enough time to change it? Original leaks show it indeed is locked, but that was before this breaking news. Stay tuned for more information as this is just hitting the wire.

“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.

Please note that more specific details will be shared at a later date.

Here is the official twitter announcement by @HTC

21 COMMENTS

  1. My question is, how much of this was due to the fact that Cyanogen was not pleased with HTC’s locked bootloaders? Cyanogen stated earlier this week that he has dropped future HTC phones from cyanogenmod and today, HTC decides to unlock the bootloaders. I don’t think it’s pure coincidence. 

    • I would think that , while Cyanogen is an amazing ROM creator, the flood of comments via various outlets contributed more to this than just one person.  IMHO

      • Well, my question to you is that, those various outlets you speak of, how many of them do you think is running cyanogenmod?

      • Probably quite a few, alongside a host of other ROMs.  I know several that like CM7, and some that don’t.  However, not everyone that posted uses ROMs and some, like myself, barely root, excepting to get rid of bloat and overclock.  I suppose my main thought here is that Cyano didn’t do this, You and I didn’t do this.  HTC consumers as a group stepped up on this and HTC listened to us.

      • Well, my question to you is that, those various outlets you speak of, how many of them do you think is running cyanogenmod?

  2. My question is, how much of this was due to the fact that Cyanogen was not pleased with HTC’s locked bootloaders? Cyanogen stated earlier this week that he has dropped future HTC phones from cyanogenmod and today, HTC decides to unlock the bootloaders. I don’t think it’s pure coincidence. 

  5. Is he really saying they will unlock all bootloaders, meaning current ones, or is he just saying that they won’t lock any more, meaning upcoming models?

    Waiting for them to actually serve up unlocks for their current and past models.

  6. Is he really saying they will unlock all bootloaders, meaning current ones, or is he just saying that they won’t lock any more, meaning upcoming models?

    Waiting for them to actually serve up unlocks for their current and past models.

  7. Is he really saying they will unlock all bootloaders, meaning current ones, or is he just saying that they won’t lock any more, meaning upcoming models?

    Waiting for them to actually serve up unlocks for their current and past models.

  8. I’m so happy.  Good for them. 

    @yahoo-F5CCMXYTVJPPZQLAPKWJMDWDBM:disqus  I dunno if you were paying attention to facebook or twitter, but over the past 24-48 hours they’ve been sucking down the firehouse of irate users.  It’s been non-stop hate on HTC.  I’m sure they’ve never seen anything like it.  I think they just decided they’d had enough.

  9. I’m so happy.  Good for them. 

    @yahoo-F5CCMXYTVJPPZQLAPKWJMDWDBM:disqus  I dunno if you were paying attention to facebook or twitter, but over the past 24-48 hours they’ve been sucking down the firehouse of irate users.  It’s been non-stop hate on HTC.  I’m sure they’ve never seen anything like it.  I think they just decided they’d had enough.

  10. They aren’t unlocking all bootloaders.  Tey are unlocking bootloaders of phones prodced from this day on.  Horribly misleading headline.

  11. Very misleading headline. I thought you had new news. They aren’t going to retroactively unlock previous phones like you headline implies. The only claim they made was that they will no longer lock bootloaders. So, new bootloaders = unlocked. Old bootloaders = whatever state they are in, some unlocked, some locked.

  12. Just sold me on the Sensation. Obviously not because I actually want to be able to mod whatever phone I get (whatever phone I get in the near future will be my first android and will be kept stock), but because I like a company that responds to what customers want. Also obviously not because we know the Sensation will be unlocked, since clearly we don’t know (and it’s probably unlikely) that the Sensation will be unlocked. I just like a company that listens to what the people want.

    Lastly, I’m new to Android, but would it even be possible for a company to retroactively unlock previous phones? Locked or unlocked sounds like something that is set in stone at the factory; but the comments here seem to be making it like that is something HTC can remotely change. Sorry for the n00b status but I have yet to own an Android phone lol.

    • Depends on the type of lock and if they are signed or just locked. If they are signed we only need the keys. (we being developers and modding community) We are still looking into this and are waiting to hear from HTC.

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