Well, that didn’t take long. In less than 24 hours, it seems that Motorola has sold out of the CDMA versions of the Moto X and Droid Maxx Developer Editions. The Developer Edition phones are devices that come with an unlocked, or at least unlockable, bootloader. They are designed for developers and those of us that want full access to our devices. Motorola will have a GSM Developer Edition of these devices available for AT&T and T-Mobile this Friday.
While the Developer Edition is sold out, there is still a rumor that Google and Motorola will release a Google Play Edition of the Moto X, but that seems unlikely. Eric Mack at CNET has reached out to Motorola for clarification on the situation, but the Developer Editions of the Moto X and Droid Maxx are likely to be the only versions of these smartphones that will come with an unlocked bootloader. Motorola has stated that there will be versions of these devices that will come with unlocked, or at least unlockable bootloaders, and these are probably it. The Developer Editions of the Droid Maxx and Moto X are on sale for $649.
If you’re interested in the Moto X Developer Edition, you will have the option of the white or black versions. The Developer Edition Moto X is not currently available on the Moto Maker website. This means that you will not be able to customize your own Developer Edition Moto X smartphone. The official order page states that there are just “special black and woven white Developer Edition design” Moto X devices available.
Developers and enthusiasts that want a smartphone with an unlocked or unlockable bootloader will also have the option of the upcoming Nexus 5. The Nexus 4 is currently sold out on the Play Store and the Nexus 5 could be announced by the middle to end of October, at least that’s what rumors are pointing to. Unfortunately for Verizon customers, the Nexus 5 is more than likely not going to be released on Big Red. A recent FCC filing lists the Nexus 5 as having LTE connectivity compatible with most wireless carriers in the U.S. except Verizon. Those Verizon customer that want an unlockable device will simply have to wait until the Moto X and Droid Maxx Developer Editions are available again.