On the MyDroidWorld forums, site founder p3droid has recently shared some new and disheartening information about the Droid X. While we reported that the Droid X is locked down with an encrypted bootloader, it now seems Motorola has taken an extra step to ensure no one starts tinkering under the hood.

In the event that the bootloader, kernel, or ROM are noticeably compromised, your Droid X will try to brick itself.

How does it work? While p3droid’s technical explanation will be far more informative than my brief summary, the technology at work here is known as eFuse. It has a simple purpose: to check the version of the bootloader, kernel, and ROM of your phone against those which eFuse is programmed to look for.

If the check fails, eFuse corrupts your bootloader, rendering your phone completely useless (well, it might make a good paperweight). To fix it, you must take your phone to a Verizon store, and presumably they would have to ship it to a Motorola facility where the necessary hardware exists to resuscitate your device.

This has major ramifications for those who would attempt to find a way to unlock the Droid X; one wrong move could destroy hours, days, or weeks of effort. It would also be likely that Verizon (or Motorola) would also charge for this “service,” since you are likely aware that trying to unlock the phone will void your warranty.

Below, Motorola’s statement about the Droid X’s security “features”:

“Securing the software on our handsets, thereby preventing a non-Motorola ROM image from being loaded, has been our common practice for many years. This practice is driven by a number of different business factors. When we do deviate from our normal practice, such as we did with the DROID, there is a specific business reason for doing so. We understand this can result in some confusion, and apologize for any frustration.”

Credit: MyDroidWorld, Quote via AndroidAndMe