A Sony SmartWatch 3 And A Sony Xperia Z3 Are Seen On Display During The IFA Electronics Show In Berlin
A Sony SmartWatch 3 and a Sony Xperia Z3 are seen on display during the IFA Electronics show in Berlin September 4, 2014. REUTERS

Sony Xperia Z3 from T-Mobile has been confirmed to have a bootloader that cannot be unlocked, preventing users to dabble on custom ROMs. Verizon variant Xperia Z3v is now available for $199.99 under two-year contract with $200 price cut on Xperia Z2 Tablet for a limited time.

Sony Xperia Z3v From Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless posted the official price deals for the Sony Xperia Z3v. Subscribers can choose the $199.99 deal with two years contract, $24.99 per month under Verizon Edge with two years contract or the full price of $599.99 free of any contract. For a limited time, Verizon is offering a price cut of $200 on the Xperia Z2 Tablet (currently on $499.99) for users who will be taking the $199.99 deal on Xperia Z3v.

Features of Sony Xperia Z3v:

- Dust resistant and waterproof

- PlayStation 4 gaming experience via DUALSHOCK4 controller and Remote Play

- 20.7 MP rear camera with 4K video recording

- DSEE HX and Hi Resolution audio engines

- Upgraded Battery STAMINA mode

Interested subscribers can take Verizon's Trade-In-Device offer to recycle an old device and receive a Verizon Wireless electronic gift card usable on both bill and next purchase. Verizon is currently accepting devices from Apple, Samsung, Motorola, LG, HTC and BlackBerry. Click here to see the list of devices for the trade-in program.

Locked Bootloader On Sony Xperia Z3 T-Mobile Variant

Subscribers of T-Mobile interested to switch to Sony Xperia Z3 should know that the device has a bootloader that cannot be unlocked. XperiaBlog posted a screenshot of the system configuration revealing that the handset's bootloader is not possible to be unlocked which will affect the following:

- Rooting can be difficult and possibly limited.

- Unable to be used for custom ROM experimentation.

- Requires specific exploits to unlock the bootloader.

During the days of Sony Xperia Z1s on T-Mobile, a root exploit has been made after the device's official release made by XDA members jcase and beaups. However, the root exploit was specific on the kernel of the Xperia Z1s that prevented users to upgrade to Android KitKat until a compatible kernel has been provided.