HTC today announced that it will no longer lock Android bootloaders. The confirmation was made via Facebook:
“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
The decision reverses an earlier one where it had begun to lock and encrypt bootloaders to prevent (or try to prevent) ROM customizations. It was only days ago that it confirmed that it was “reviewing the issue and our policy.”