No Developer Edition for The Motorola X 2014

[DroidModderX]

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Verizon has taken a mostly firm stance against developers with their consumer devices. They require that device be locked down if you want to run them on their network. They have allowed a few developer variants of devices to be sold directly from the manufacturer. This has kept many pitchfork and torch carriers at bay. Verizon has decided to not allow a developer version of the new 2014 Motorola X. This is coming from an inside source. The only hope would be for another unlocked bootloader. We did see the original Moto X receive a bootloader unlock by DjrBliss at a hacker conference, but that method has yet to be released to the public. That being said, even if a bootloader unlock is released for the new Moto X you will likely have to give up your warranty for the privilege. What are your thoughts? Does this phone still interest you? It will likely come with a nearly AOSP stock rom. Do you even need bootloader unlock on such a vanilla device?

Via @P3Droid

 

[YankInDaSouth]

Wow! If this turns out to be true Verizon has really lost it!!

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

 

[cr6]

The last sentence sums it up nicely I believe. I don't think it will be a major issue on such a vanilla device.

tap'n on my S5

 

[dezymond]

+1 to what cr6 said.

The users who really care about an unlocked bootloader make up for a very small percentage of their total customers. With that said, I would say 95% (just a guess) don't care or know what an unlocked bootloader means.

You could throw all the forums that deal with Android together and we would still make up such a small percentage of total customers on Verizon that our pleas for an unlocked device could easily be brushed off and it wouldn't hurt Verizon too much if said users were to leave their network.

 

[Dusty]

I didn't miss root or an unlocked boot with the X, but to each his own. I made my decision to mostly leave Verizon because they are who they are. I don't think I'm getting the X because of my new phone, but I'm definitely placing the hard sell for the X to those 5-6 people I know are 3 months away from getting a new phone.


I will say this too, if it weren't for the X I would have left Verizon last year. I'm all in with the "Vanilla" Android experience, and I'm just not going to use a skinned device. If there were no GPE, Nexus, or Moto X... Get ready... I hope you're all sitting down... I'd go back to the iPhone.

Yeah. I said it.

 

[cr6]

Yep, it really isn't the issue it once was. The Verizon & AT&T version S5 still has a locked bootloader and to be honest it hasn't bothered me one bit. I used to be quite the crash flasher but it simply isn't needed on this device. (And newer flagship models) Being a Moto X makes it even better.

tap'n on my S5

 

[bkdodger]

I don't miss Verizon!!

 

[GoCliffGo05]

This bums me out. Unlocked bootloader means guaranteed root and that's what I'm after. Haven't flashed any roms on my x except for stock based ones anyway.... Need that root bro.

Sent from my XT1060

 

[YankInDaSouth]

At this point battery is more of a concern for me than an unlockable BL, and if this doesn't change I don't foresee a 2014 X in my future anyway! https://plus.google.com/102191003291214603343/posts/WV1rfJSEd2M

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[pc747]

If this turns out to be accurate, looks as if Verizon may have drew the line in the sand yet again. Between this and the way they are handling those with unlimited data Verizon seems to love rubbing the proverbial "we are the best network and if you do not like what we do go somewhere else" in people's faces.
Not saying att is great because they lock down carrier devices just as hard, but their stance is "if you want a carrier subsidized device then here are the rules if not you can buy an unlocked phone where you are responsible for the costs". And when given the choice I'll take "carrier locked but the option to buy another" option because at least you have a choice. Now to some people it does not matter that the phone is locked because they do not care to root any way and some phones can still be rooted without unlocking the bootloader. To me it is not as much about rooting anymore as the ROM era for me is gone and I prefer stock (rooted) anyway, but it is the principle. Verizon has been known to dictate their terms and ideals on costumers whether it be pull the unlimited data rug from beneath their customers, load up adware ... their bloat apps, change the entire look and operation of a device from what the manufacturer intended so they can force their vision on customers, and treat system updates as a carrot (I am still bitter about Verizon taking forever to release the fix to a faulty ota that caused the thunderbolt to random reboot especially for a phone that sucked on battery life and burned almost 3% booting up, we know they had the fix because a dev leaked it yet Verizon decided it was best to test it until after they past a certain date as the thunderbolt already reached it's quota of 1 ota per quarter). So to me it is like Verizon is turning that inch into a mile seeing what ever they can get away with while still making profits. Any way I'm done ranting on Verizon and like you bk I do not miss them one bit especially not after reading stories like this.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk 2

 

[YankInDaSouth]

Very well stated PC!! I agree 100% ... Verizon is getting out of control! If I wasn't with them through work I wouldn't be with them at all, that's for darn sure! T-Mobile's coverage maybe inferior in my area, but like you said it's about principal ... and IMO T-Mobile definitely has the right attitude!

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

 

[Dusty]

The solution I found was to just use VZW for exactly what they are, a data pipe. I got rid of my GrUnlimited due to the upcoming throttling and piggybacked my device with my wife's iPhone plan. I then went out and got the OnePlus on T-Mo using their $30 unlimited. Whenever I'm going to be out for an extended period of time I always carried a saddle bag anyway, and now in that kit is my VZW phone that only serves to give me data when T-Mo is weak on the road or when I'm close to my T-Mo tethering limit.

I actually ended up saving $80 per month. And VZW is getting $135 less per month from me in total. AND I get to have ANY PHONE I WANT. I could roll with a Nexus, Oppo Find 7, Lenovo's new phones, ANYTHING I WANT.

It was a minor adjustment to how I use my phone and most people wouldn't do it because it requires forethought. Now when I read stories like this my reaction is "Not my problem."

 

[kodiak799]

maybe new phones have addressed this, but I NEED root so I can replace email and gmail with modded apps in order to get my universal inbox (Pure Messenger) to work.

How hard is it to give me ONE widget for unread messages (call, texts, gmail, mail/exchange)?

 

[pc747]

maybe new phones have addressed this, but I NEED root so I can replace email and gmail with modded apps in order to get my universal inbox (Pure Messenger) to work.

How hard is it to give me ONE widget for unread messages (call, texts, gmail, mail/exchange)?

Where is that app or mod?

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk 2

 

[kodiak799]

Where is that app or mod?

You should be able to find both over at XDA (modded gmail....modded email/exhange).

It's downgraded security features to allow Pure Messenger and other widgets/apps access to the mail databases. There are a few workarounds for exchange(email), but you lose push and waste your battery with constant polling. Aqua seems to get the job done well enough, except it has to poll (and also I'd rather reply/compose emails through the native app).

The downside is you can't remote wipe exchange, but if you have it set-up to remote wipe your DEVICE that shouldn't matter?