14 DAY TRIAL // Recently, leading handset vendor Motorola Mobility has made available for download the kernel source code for its Motorola ATRIX 4G, which is available for purchase in the United States on the airwaves of AT&T.
Motorola ATRIX 4G is one of the most appealing smartphones that arrived on the market during the ongoing year, packing a 1GHz application processor, complemented by 1GB of RAM and a large touchscreen display.
The handset was touted as the most powerful Android-based smartphone that landed on shelves, courtesy of the aforementioned hardware capabilities.
Thus, the fact that its kernel source code was released should make a lot of enthusiasts happy. In this release, they would find a series of drivers and utilities for the mobile phone, including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, as well as the Webtop.
Those who are in the knowing would be able to use the source code to come up with new kernel from scratch and to build kernel modules, which might result in increased access to some of the phone's features.
These changes could affect the stability of the phone, as well as battery life and more. However, they might also result in access to features of the device that were otherwise locked.
One thing that cannot be changed at the moment is the fact that Motorola signed the bootloader in ATRIX 4G, which prevents kernels built from the source code from being flashed on this device.
Moreover, it appears that the handset vendor plans on further enhancing the security of this mobile phone through an OTA update that would be sent to ATRIX users in the next few days.
Aparently, that software update would patch some security holes that enable the fast rooting of this device.
Motorola is well known for its policy regarding the rooting and installation of unofficial software on its devices, and this move is in line with that approach. Other handset vendors are also locking down their devices against the installation of custom ROMs, including HTC.