[HTC One X] artymarty:
Sorry, but that's not how I see it at all with the s-off thing.

It grinds my gears when people say "if you give someone s-off they will brick their phone and thats not fair on HTC"

I gotta call BS on that one..

Think about it for a sec...

A Few people have gone to htcdev to unlock their phone. Ok True.

A lot of people sit and wait for s-off to be hacked, because when you have that, you can root your phone, do what ever you want to it, and if you need to send it back for warranty you just put it back to factory and s-on it, so HTC would never know.

You also need to consider the fact that 90% of the people who screw up their phone by flashing roms etc can un-screw it by asking help from the forums or with their own knowledge that they have picked up along the way.

Its very rare that you permanently damage a phone with software - a phone is a computer these days - if you really screw the pooch just low level resetup and start again.

Almost all the people who I have known who rooted their phone and then had to send it back for warranty (with an unroot first) sent it back for things like dust under the screen, power button failed, volume key not working, and other various hardware faults...

If you use HTCDev, its logged that you unlocked it and if you have a hardware fault later which SHOULD be warranty, there is a good chance you wont get warranty.

Most of the bricking and software issues the phones have are actually CAUSED by the S-on rubbish that you have to work around OR is stopping you from fixing the problem. It's like putting a pile of marbles at the top of a flight of stairs to stop people walking down the stairs. Most of the people who fall down the stairs hurt themselves because of the marbles, not the stairs.

Example: HTC Sensation 3d graphics bug... every person who purchased that phone could have returned it in the first 6 months if they wanted to due to a known software fault.

Everyone who rooted their phone and got s-off loaded a rom that had the bug fixed. Everyone who didnt had to wait for AGES for HTC to fix it.

Another Example: My phone is a One X European unlocked version. The GPS does not work correctly in Australia due to software settings. I Live in Australia

If I had S-off I would make the adjustments to fix it.

I don't have S-off so I have to send it back to HTC to fix.

What do you think will happen when I send it back? They will just re flash it, and send it back to me. It still wont work. I'll send it back to them. and so on...

After 3 times and still the same fault, I can legally ask for my money back. So my $750 phone will be refunded. I'll buy a new one for $550 or so because that is what they are worth now.. I've saved $200 and got a brand new phone with a fresh warranty.

The process will repeat until s-off and I can fix it myself or HTC fix it, or a new model phone comes out and we will go down the same path with no cost to me. It will all be on HTC's dime.

I'll say it again.... The S-off S-on thing is either unknown to users, or its pissing them off.

So why not change it to be either unknown to users or making them happy?

/rant

Oh and one more thing - Saying "shipping phones with s-off is just asking for trouble." What sort of trouble is that??

If you think its 'asking for trouble' just do it the way Samsung does it then....

Ship review versions of a phone with a very easily broken s-on, 'leak' the tools to crack it, 'leak' the service manual and all the other bits hackers need... Call it a Galaxy III, make sure with all your "OMG how did that information get out? so called 'leaks'." that the phone is rooted and s-off BEFORE its even released on the market....

...but your not asking for trouble because its "shipped s-on" wink wink....

So are Samsung asking for trouble or more sales by shipping their phones s-off ?? (Let's be adults here and call a spade a spade! The Galaxy III is shipped s-off...

...and the users don't have to suffer through the pretend warranty that HTC users get via using HTCDev

/rant2