bootloader - 2/9 - Android Police - Android News, Apps, Games, Phones, Tablets

Sep

[Deal Alert] $120-130 Off Samsung Galaxy S III Developer Edition For Verizon

Posted by Ryan Whitwam in Galaxy S III, News, Verizon Wireless

You may recall the collective scream of horror emitted by the Android community when it was confirmed over the summer that the Verizon model of the Galaxy S III would ship with a locked bootloader. As a consolation, Samsung decided to sell an unlocked "Developer Edition" for full price online. While the regular device has since been cracked, it's a lot cleaner to buy the dev version and now it's on sale.

The phone is purchased direct from the Samsung site and is identical in every way to the Verizon-sold edition, except that it has an unlocked bootloader ready for modding.

Sep

Titanium Backup Updated To Version 5.6.0, Adding Ability To Restore From ADB Backup Files, Other Improvements

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Applications, News

Those of us with rooted devices and a penchant for flashing ROMs know just how valuable a great backup tool can be. Titanium backup is undoubtedly one of the most popular (and most useful) backup tools around, and it just got an update to version 5.6.0.

The update, which had been floating around as a "test version" prior to official release, brings a few UI enhancements and fixes, an updated set of translations, and improved "Market Doctor" and "Force Attach" functions to repair broken links between apps and the Play Store.

The real story here, though, is Titanium Backup's new ability to allow for the restoration of ADB backup files (which can be created without root) from TB when rooted.

Sep

[Rumor] Surprise! The Bootloader Is Reportedly Locked On Verizon's Galaxy Note II

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Galaxy Note II, News, Rumors, Verizon Wireless

We already know that the Big Four will be getting their own respective renditions of the Galaxy Note II. We also expect that it'll also be part of a unified release much like the Galaxy S III. We've even seen how Verizon defiled its home button. Turns out leaving its mark on the face of the device wasn't enough for Big Red, though; the carrier has also done some work to the bootloader.

They locked it, and there probably won't be any official method of unlocking.

Normally we don't post this type of rumor without confirmation from the development community, but at this point we have no reason to believe otherwise.

Sep

The Kindle Fire HD And Second Gen Kindle Fire Both Have Locked Bootloaders

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD, News

So, you were thinking about picking up a Kindle Fire HD, rooting it, and throwing a ROM on it for an impressive $200 tablet? Turns out that idea may not work out as well as we initially thought: both the Kindle Fire HD and the second gen KF have locked bootloaders. Bummer.

This may not mean that custom ROMs are impossible on these devices, only that it's more improbable.

For those who may not know, the bootloader is responsible for checking the firmware's signature before a device boots. In this case, if it doesn't match what Amazon says it should, then it simply won't do anything.

Sep

DROID RAZR HD And RAZR M Developer Edition Sites Go Live - RAZR M $550, Pre-Orders Ship Week Of 9/13

Posted by David Ruddock in Android OS, Development, Droid X2, News, RAZR HD / RAZR MAXX HD

Motorola has just made two sites for the developer editions of its newest phones live, and you can actually pre-order one right now. The RAZR M Developer Edition will cost you $550, which seems about right given the specifications. It will ship around September 13th, and comes in any color you like, so long as it's black.

You can also sign up for updates on the RAZR HD Developer Edition, though don't expect news on availability or pricing particularly soon - Motorola says it won't be shipping until "before the holidays." Both dev edition devices come with unlocked bootloaders right out of the box, so you can get your ROM on unhindered.

Sep

Motorola Announces Most 2011 Phones Will Get Jelly Bean, The Rest Will Receive $100 Credit For Upgrades, Promises Developer Editions Of Phones

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Motorola, News

Today, Motorola just floored users with an unprecedented offer: if you bought a phone from Motorola that launched in 2011, most of you will receive an upgrade to Jelly Bean. If, however, you're using a phone that Motorola decides will have a degraded experience, you will receive $100 in credit towards an upgrade. This may mark the first time that a manufacturer has broadly promised compensation for a lack of updates for all of its devices.

Your eyes aren't deceiving you, though. Yes, there's a third promise on that screen. Motorola is promising "developer editions" of their phones to allow users to "enable modifications of the Android code." This doesn't exactly sound promising for average consumers who want to avoid locked bootloaders, but we'll see how Motorola implements the program.

Aug

Motorola Confirms Via Twitter That Older Devices Will Not Receive Bootloader Unlock Tools

Posted by Eric Ravenscraft in Motorola, News

Bad news, owners of older Motorola devices. According to a tweet from Motorola's official Twitter account, if you own an aging Moto phone—including the Droid 3, Bionic, and Droid X2—you will not be receiving a bootloader unlock tool. While newer products like the Photon Q, as well as developer-centric devices like the RAZR Developer Edition and the not-quite-Nexus Xoom are supported, Moto has no plans to add any of its older lineup to the supported list.

@clumsyninja21 That is not currently in the plan.

— Motorola Mobility (@Motorola) August 22, 2012

It is worth pointing out, of course, that this is coming from a Twitter account and it's not unheard of for the rep running the social media sites for a major corporation to go off-script.

Aug

[Updated: Initial Device List] Motorola Finally Releases Bootloader Unlock Tool, Dubbed 'Unlock My Device'

Posted by Cameron Summerson in Motorola, News

Well, well, well, look at what Motorola has done today: it released the long-awaited, often-promised bootloader unlock tool! Unfortunately, the site doesn't appear to be finished just yet, as some of the more important parts - such as FAQ and Supported Devices list - are currently kicking back a "permission denied" error. Boo!

Update: The list of devices initially supported by the unlock tool has been published. Here it is:

Photon Q 4G LTE - Sprint
Motorola RAZR developer edition - Europe
Motorola XOOM - Verizon
Motorola XOOM Wifi - Worldwide

Motorola is promising to unlock more devices in the future.

Aug

Verizon Galaxy SIII Unlocked Thanks To Leaked Unsecure Bootloader

Posted by Liam Spradlin in Development, Galaxy S III, News, Verizon Wireless

Despite Verizon's best efforts to keep their own variant of the Galaxy SIII locked down, ingenious users haven't been deterred in rooting, flashing custom ROMs, and even bypassing the device's locked bootloader to use custom kernels. The fact remained, however, that VZW's SIII had a locked bootloader which, in general, is a hassle for developers and tweakers hoping to customize the SIII to its fullest potential. It was this fact that made Samsung's promised Developer Edition SIII appealing to many.

Things started to look a little brighter for SIII users on Verizon today though, with the introduction of an unsecure bootloader "leaked by an African-Canadian Sock Monkey," revealed earlier this evening at XDA.

Jul

ASUS Releases Transformer Pad Infinity TF700 Bootloader Unlock Tool: Get Your ROM On In 1080p

Posted by Jeremiah Rice in ASUS, News, Transformer Pad Infinity

The original Transformer was one of the first tablets to capture the imagination of the Android community, and three iterations later the family continues to be popular among modders and ROM enthusiasts. The latest and inarguably greatest member of ASUS' tablet family, the Transformer Pad Infinity, now has infinitely more options when it comes to aftermarket ROMs and modifications. The company released the TF700 version of their bootloader unlock tool, and interested users can download it from the ASUS support website. The release comes almost exactly two months after the cheaper Transformer Pad 300 got the same treatment.