Unlocked bootloader for Lumia 900 allows custom ROMs but not an easy task

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Of all the Nokia devices to have been graced by custom ROMs, the Lumia 900 to our knowledge remains an exception. Before one applies a custom ROM, the so-called bootloader needs to be “unlocked” (and that’s very different from SIM unlocking). We won’t get into the messy details, but that’s the gist of it and so far, the 900 has not been unlocked  for loading some sweet custom work.

ATF box

Now a report coming out of WinPhoneViet seems to show that the Lumia 900 can be unlocked as well, but it’s going to be way more advanced than what most users can do on a weekend afternoon. Evidently the process here requires an ATF Box, which is a physical third-party device used for flashing around Nokia phones, and taking the phone apart. Yes, you read that correctly. Throw in the fact that the info comes via a Vietnamese phone forum (for translation challenges) and this could be quite the DIY Project.

Physical bootloader unlocks are messy, to say the least. But this could be the first step in getting a software bootloader unlock and something more readily applicable for you “enthusiast” users out there.

Source: WinPhoneViet; Thanks, Tùng Hà, for the tip!

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Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central. He is also the head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007, when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and watches. He has been reviewing laptops since 2015 and is particularly fond of 2-in-1 convertibles, ARM processors, new form factors, and thin-and-light PCs. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.