[ZTE Axon 7 Guides, News, & Discussion] rczrider:
I'm betting they already know. The term "XDA" has been thrown around quite a bit on the ZTE forums. I've done it a number of times, though that was all prior to the bootloader unlock talk (and successful unlock for those who hadn't requested it) here. I haven't mentioned it since, but the truth is that the "mod squad" wouldn't be doing their job if they didn't pop on over here to see what's going on (assuming they weren't already aware of the XDA community, which I find hard to believe).

Honestly, I suspect manufacturers already have folks lurking on XDA. If they're smart, they let XDA do the work for them: consumer review of their devices for future improvement, and identifying bugs and/or security flaws and providing fixes. I think it's in their best interest to keep quiet and only fix those flaws identified by XDA devs that represent a security risk.

ZTE USA wants to build goodwill and trust and consequently, a dedicated customer base. I think they could be doing better, but releasing a half-assed bootloader unlock could be a "meeting you halfway" of sorts. My guess is that ZTE (China) only allowed ZTE USA to do bootloader unlocks if the warranty were to be voided; the vanilla bootloader unlock could be a way for them not to be too hard-nosed about it. Personally, I think the stock images are coming (since China has them). Not because they're nice, but because that will quiet some of the most vocal critics (myself included) of their unlock/warranty policy.

Don't get me wrong, I hope some ingenious dev figures out a way to unlock and relock the phone thereby keeping the warranty intact, but I'll settle (with a little grumbling) for stock images from ZTE. No part of me thinks there's anything Knox-like in the bootloader unlock; there's no reason to think ZTE built that into the phone when other "big" manufacturers don't bother.

While I'm rambling: assuming we can't relock the bootloader, I'm not especially worried about ZTE checking for bootloader lock status upon warranty return. I'm guessing that they'll check the IMEI when making the claim and when it doesn't come up in the list of unlocked IMEIs (assuming you used the method here and not the official request), they'll authorize the shipping label and charge you the $79 deductible. Once the phone is received, they'll ship out a replacement (most likely a refurb and not your original phone). Your phone gets checked out for physical damage (whether a manufacturing defect or accident) and they'll disassemble, repair, and reflash. They'll run diagnostics to make sure everything is fine, and it goes into the pile that is replacements for warranty claims. Checking the status of the bootloader is a waste of time and there's no real benefit. If ZTE USA is truly trying to build a fan base here, that's their best option. It satisfies ZTE (China) and you're happy with your experience.

Despite what idiots on the ZTE forums say (their level of ignorance is mind-boggling), we all know that unlocking the bootloader poses no real risk of damage to the phone. ZTE knows it, too, and I think their willingness to do the unlock in the first place (and the way in which it's done) represents an unspoken understanding of "don't ask, don't tell" regarding what is accomplished here on XDA as it pertains to the warranty.

I could, of course, be totally wrong :p