Asus buckles to consumers, will offer bootloader unlock tool for Transformer Prime

While Asus has been dog-paddling through hot water after the news broke that the company would ship its Transformer Prime tablet with a locked bootloader, it seems that the company might have had at least a little change of heart. In a notice on the company’s Facebook page, we get a rundown of what will and won’t happen with the tablet, via a Google translation.

• The bootloader will be locked, to protect the ability to rent media.
• An unlocking tool is in the works, but if you use it, you will immediately void your warranty.
• GPS problems are being caused by the backplate, so Asus stopped advertising GPS on the tablet in some markets.
• All tablets will get Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, starting January 12th.

It’s worth noting, however, that if you choose to unlock your device, you won’t be able to use the rented media. So it’s ultimately up to you whether you want freedom for your device or if you want to be able to rent content. With so many other options on the market, the content rental feature doesn’t appear that it will be a huge driver for power buyers.

The ICS information isn’t exactly new, but it’s good to note that we now have a firm date for the upgrade. With a tablet as powerful as the Transformer Prime, it was a given that it would come and it’s nice to note that the wait wasn’t long.