Sony Ericsson Shares with Developers

It’s not often companies freely allow developers access to their software let alone teach them on how to make modifications to it. Sony suing George Hotz is a prime example of how companies sometimes can be very possessive and secretive with regards to their products and rightfully so. However Sony Ericsson has gone one step further by releasing documentation on their developer blog for developers who wish to make modifications to the Xperia Arc, Xperia Play and the Xperia Neo. On top of documentation they also offer support for developers as well.

However on the blog developers are warned that proceeding to make any modifications or unlocking the boot loader might very well void the warranty on your phone and you may not be able to revert the phone back to its original state either therefore unless you are very sure that you know what you’re doing, proceed with caution!

Taken from Sony Ericsson’s Developer blog:

What is the Linux kernel?
The Xperia™ line of smartphones run on the Android™, the mobile operating system based on the Linux kernel. Though it is only a small part of the operating system, the kernel ensures that all other processes in the system are synchronized to work together properly.

Why rebuild the kernel?
Rebuilding the kernel enables end users to make modifications to their devices that are normally not intended by the device manufacturer, such as theming the device by changing system icons and removing/modifying system components. Please note that Sony Ericsson is not recommending this.

Now it’s only a matter of time to see if other manufacturers such as Samsung or HTC will follow in Sony Ericsson’s footsteps.