Motorola no longer voids warranty for those who unlock the bootloader

Publish date: 2022-03-16
Imagine the following, I take apart a Moto X Developer Edition with a rusty screwdriver, solder on some new components, modify the circuitry and then put it back together. To my horror the phone no longer works! I call Motorola asking for a replacement under warranty and the company says NO! Fair enough I did abuse the device. Now imagine, I buy a Moto X Developer Edition and ask Motorola for a bootloader unlock code, so I can use the phone as a developer since I did buy the Developer Edition of the phone, and then the phone breaks for whatever reason that has nothing to do with the bootloader. I call Motorola for a replacement and the company says NO, sorry you voided your warranty!

[quote qtext=”We strongly believe in the developer and enthusiast communities and intend to keep making changes to better support them.” qperson=”Punit Soni, Software Product Management” qsource=”” qposition=”left”]Well that was the situation (with regards to bootloader unlock codes, not rusty screwdrivers) until yesterday. Motorola has posted a very encouraging blog post where it describes changes to its Developer Edition Program including the new rule: Requesting an unlock code will no longer void the device’s warranty. Hurray, well done Motorola!

In fact Motorola will now reinstate the warranty, effective from the date of original purchase, to all of its customers who previously bought a 2012 or 2013 Developer Edition device directly from Motorola and who have requested a bootloader unlock code!

As well as giving back developers the right to a warranty, Motorola are also posting factory images for the Moto X DE (for GSM networks), Moto X DE (for Verizon), and Droid Maxx DE (Verizon). These recovery images can be used to restore a Developer Edition device to its original factory software.

Both these changes are good news and I congratulate Motorola on making the changes. What about you? Do you own a Developer Edition of the Moto X? Happy about the changes?

Comments

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7orrDq6ainJGqwam70aKrsmaTpLpwuc6tpqunnJZ6uLXLpWSlp56csrN51aignWWnlr%2Bzrc2tsGaclauyrbvPnqmsZZGouG6uzqirpaeRmbKzedSno6ibm2KwsLDEZmpqcWJlfXA%3D