ASUS is not usually counted among the most reputed or popular smartphone brands. Despite its limited catalog of devices, it is surprising to see the company offer some of the most powerful and innovative pieces of hardware at compelling prices, like the recently-announced ZenFone 6. The ZenFone 5Z successor is powered by high-end internals such as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 and strapped a unique mechanically flipping camera. While the ASUS ZenFone 6 comes with a near-stock interface instead of ZenUI, similar to the ZenFone Max series, you can utilize the excellent hardware with the help of custom ROMs or other mods. To enable that, the company has released the kernel source code as well as a dedicated tool for bootloader unlocking.

Just like other ASUS devices, you must download a dedicated tool to unlock the bootloader on the ASUS ZenFone 6. This comes in the form of an APK which will have to be side-loaded on the smartphone. Remember that ASUS, like most other smartphone manufacturers, will void the warranty of your smartphone if you unlock the bootloader, which is a reason good enough to proceed with caution.

You will not receive any future updates from ASUS once you unlock the bootloader and the process will also wipe the data on your smartphone. You must also note that while the process for unlocking the bootloader is relatively simpler, relocking it is complex and might require an unofficially built tool. If you plan to revert back in future, make sure you are apprised of the process for relocking bootloader on ASUS smartphones.

The second update is more relevant to developers eager to work on any custom firmware for the ASUS ZenFone 6. It is exciting to see that the company supports third-party development, even though it requires users' discretion. Unlike other manufacturers that take a lot of time in releasing the source code, the Taiwanese company is prompt to deliver upon its responsibilities under GPL. Besides custom ROMs, the availability of kernel source code shall enable the development of various mods or custom kernels to boost the performance of your smartphone.

Download Bootloader Unlock tool for ASUS ZenFone 6

Download kernel source code for ASUS ZenFone 6

Source: ASUS