HTC won over some hearts a while back when it released its bootloader unlock tool for a good number of devices. It basically allows owners of Android phones to load custom ROMs onto their phones in exchange for any warranty rights they may have been enjoying.
It’s a fair trade considering a solid percentage of Android power users prefer Android based mostly on the fact that they have this option, but without solid hardware the ability to load different versions of Androids becomes less and less appealing.
And so is the case with the HTC One X. It’s an excellent handset, and possibly the best HTC has ever made. But unfortunately, the company won’t be offering the bootloader unlock tool for this particular handset.
Here’s the official word from HTC, according to MoDaCo:
HTC is committed to listening to users and delivering customer satisfaction. Since announcing our commitment to unlockable bootloaders, HTC has worked to enable our customers to unlock the bootloader on more than 45 devices over the past six months. In some cases, however, restrictions prevent certain devices from participating in our bootloader unlocking program. Rest assured, HTC is committed to assisting developers in unlocking bootloaders for HTC devices and we’ll continue to unlock additional devices in the future.
HTC is right to point out the number of handsets it has offered this functionality with, and it certainly seems a bit odd that its current flagship device wouldn’t receive the same treatment. MobileBurn suspects that AT&T may have something to do with this restriction, and I’m inclined to agree.
After all, it wouldn’t be the first time that we’ve seen carriers tamper with a handset’s functionality for their own, sometimes unexplained, reasons. Remember when Verizon blocked Google Wallet on the GalNex based on what was most certainly the carrier’s support for a rival NFC payment system called ISIS?
We’ve reached out to AT&T to figure out whether or not the big blue carrier is, in fact, responsible for this unfortunate turn of events. We’ll keep you posted once we know more.