Motorola recently changed its policies toward unlocking a developer edition smartphone. The warranties for any 2012 and 2013 Developer Edition device, such as the Moto X, will no longer be voided if the phone is unlocked, the company said, thanks to a brand new developer-friendly policy Motorola has established. It seems the company is changing its ways under the stewardship of Google.
Any developer, or hacker, can take their smartphone right out of the box, request the bootloader unlock code, and run whatever kind of programming or software they need without the fear of being turned away should something catastrophic happen. Just don't go getting it wet, taking it apart, or doing anything else that voids the warranty and you should be OK.
"Customers who purchase Developer Edition devices want the flexibility to take this even further and tinker with the operating system," Motorola states on its official blog. "This may include creating and flashing a custom build of Android or porting one from an enthusiast community. Up until now, when a customer requested a bootloader unlock code we would void the warranty for that Developer Edition device. We are excited to support the developer and enthusiast communities by making two key changes to the Developer Edition program"
Motorola also has factory firmware ready and available should a developer need it, though we imagine most already know how to restore their devices if they mess up along the way. There's no need to send the phone back or wait for any extended amount of time, though; a simple install will make it run as smoothly as the day you bought it.
This policy extends to all devices, not just ones that have been bought since the update. Your warranty has been reset, so today is the day to finally unlock your Developer Edition handset and see what you can do inside.
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