HTC has officially confirmed that it plans to begin rolling out unlocked bootloaders to the global HTC Sensation in August, followed by the Sensation 4G on T-Mobile and the EVO 3D on Sprint.
"There has been overwhelmingly customer feedback that people want access to open bootloaders on HTC phones. I want you to know that we've listened. Today, I'm confirming we will no longer be locking the bootloaders on our devices. Thanks for your passion, support and patience," Peter Chou, CEO of HTC wrote at the company's Facebook page.
HTC sayd that bringing bootloader unlocking to its newest phones is not very simple and that it requires a new software build and extensive testing.
Software updates to support bootloader unlocking will begin rolling out in August for the global HTC Sensation, followed by the HTC Sensation 4G on T-Mobile USA and the HTC EVO 3D on Sprint. HTC expects the new phones to be fully operational by early September for devices that have received the software updates. The company will continue rolling out the unlocking capability over time to other devices as part of maintenance releases and new shipments.
HTC Status Facebook Phone Coming From At&T
In related news, AT&T begins presales of the HTC Status today on http://www.att.com/. The phone has been designed for users who love posting on Facebook, featuring a dedicated Facebook share button. Not just a link to a mobile Facebook application, the button lets you quickly share what you are doing on Facebook with a simple press. It is also context aware and lights up when there is an activity to share, such as a song you are listening to, a website you are viewing or a photo you have taken.
The HTC Status runs on the Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) platform. It is also the first phone in the US with an enhanced version of HTC Sense that integrates Facebook into more places than ever before. Facebook content and information is integrated in the clock, dialer, calendar, address book and photo gallery. The HTC Status also features a Facebook chat application that lets you maintain your chat conversations, even when you navigate away to take a call, browse the Web or play a game. And the Facebook chat widget shows who is available to chat and allows you to initiate a conversation with just a tap.
The HTC Status also sports a 5-megapixel camera with auto-focus and LED flash on the back and a front facing camera. Above the dedicated physical keyboard, HTC Status has a 2.6-inch touch screen with 480 x 320 resolution.
Arriving in stores as the lead device in AT&T?s back to school promotions starting July 17, the HTC Status will be available in AT&T stores and online for $49.99 after a two-year contract. (Minimum $15 data plan required.) Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile standalone stores will feature an exclusive mauve edition.