Motorola to No Longer Void Warrantees on Moto X Developer Editions With Unlocked Bootloaders
Motorola decided to no longer void the warrantees on Moto X Developer Editions, which developers planned to unlock bootloaders on this week. The company released this information via blog Thursday.
"We strongly believe in the developer and enthusiast communities and intent to keep making changes to better support them," said Punit Soni, Software Product Management for Motorola.
The news pertains directly to the company's Developer Edition Program which now includes the new rule "Requesting an unlock code will no longer void the device's warranty. Hurray, well done Motorola!"
The company now plans to reinstate warrantees in these conditions that will be effective from the date of the original purchase to all of its customers who previously bought a 2012 or 2013 Developer Edition model directly from Motorola and requested an unlock code.
Motorola is also posting factory images for the Moto X DE (for GSM netowkrs), Moto X DE (for Verizon), and Droid Maxx DE (Verizon). All of these could be used to restore a Developer Edition to its original state.
Motorola also intends to expand its reach with the device as the Moto X phone could be offered in countries other than the U.S., according to a statement made by a Motorola marketing executive.
"The reception of Moto X has been fantastic and we're continuously perusing opportunities in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) region, so really watch this space," said Marcus Frost to TechRadar recently.
The device's popularity has suffered due to its limited availability. The comment made by Frost could simply be wishful thinking as Motorola has failed to confirm an international roll out for the handset.
The Moto X has only sold 500,000 units in Q3, which is pretty disappointing. A worldwide release would certainly help the device's buzz. Various carriers have also issued price cuts on the Moto X to entice buyers to pick it up. Verizon currently charges $49 for the device and the other carriers have dropped its price down to $99.