Asus has made the announcement that it will commence the roll out of the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Eee Pad Transformer Prime tablet from next week. It has also announced the imminent release of a bootloader unlocking tool.

Asus said on its Facebook page that the Ice Cream Sandwich update will be delivered by means of a firmware over-the-air update starting Jan. 12. In addition, Asus said that version 8.8.3.33, will also improve the focus of the camera, the fluidity of the touch experience and the APK capabilities in Android Market.

The locked bootloader on the Transformer Prime has become a widespread concern for users of the tablet. Asus said today it opted to lock the bootloader because of the requirement of content providers for DRM client devices to be as secure as possible.

Asus supports Google DRM in order to provide users with a high quality video rental experience, the company stated. Also, based on our experience, users who choose to root their devices risk breaking the system completely, Asus added in the statement. With respect to the availability of the unlocking tool it has not yet given a specific date.

In spite of these issues the device is, as of now, the most wanted Android tablet available. Meanwhile, Asus is reportedly set to reveal a smaller version of its latest tablet during CES 2012. This model will be called the Asus Transformer Prime Mini and will sport a 7-inch screen and a smaller keyboard dock.

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