Late last month, we posted that the Sprint Photon Q will go on sale with an unlocked bootloader. This is the first device in a long time (going back to the OG Droid) where Moto pushed out devices with such freedom. Now, Google-owned Motorola has published a site similar to HTC Dev that allows users to void their warranty unlock their devices. Here's the prerequisites from Motorola along with the short list of devices that have this ability:

To unlock your Motorola device, you must first:

• Check whether your device can be unlocked
  
• Install fastboot and the Android SDK
  
• Install the latest Motorola USB Drivers
  
• Verify fastboot recognizes your device
  
• Sign a warranty waiver and release

I can remember the pain I went through many years ago with a first generation RAZR flip phone and how hard it was just to unlock it from Cingular and use it on a different carrier. This is a big step in the right direction from an OEM that has had almost a strange and unexplained draconian stance on unlocked devices over the past 18 months.

So far the unlock tool works for the Photon Q (mentioned above), the developer edition Moto RAZR (which if I'm not mistaken was already unlocked), the Verizon Xoom, and the worldwide Xoom wifi (again, nothing shocking). More devices are sure to slowly trickle out and I'm certain newer devices will have this unlock available. Will the Droid line join in on the party? What will carriers have to say about this? These questions will surely be answered over the next several months, but feel free to speculate or articulate in the comments.