Android 4.0 coming to Asus Transformer Prime on January 12th, bootloader unlock tool to follow

It’s been a big week for the Eee Pad Transformer Prime — Asus released yet another firmware update for the tablet, and now we have official confirmation that Android 4.0 will be coming starting on January 12th. Asus made this announcement on its Facebook page alongside news that it will be providing owners with a bootloader unlocking tool. The presence of a locked bootloader had been a major point of contention for users since it was discovered a few days ago, so it’s good to see Asus responding so quickly. The company noted the lock was in place to enable Google video rentals, and that users will have voided their warranty and be unable to rent videos if they use the bootloader unlocker.

Asus also addressed the GPS issues that some owners have been dealing with, noting that the Transformer Prime’s metallic unibody was contributing to problems with signal lock-on. The company stressed that the tablet “is not a professional GPS device” and that it won’t be highlighting GPS capabilities in marketing and specification sheets going forward. Unfortunately for those who already picked up the tablet, it sounds like today’s firmware might not make much of a difference in the Transformer Prime’s poor GPS reception after all.