I've been thinking about picking up an unlocked Galaxy S8 Plus soon. Usually, I like having root access just so I can run certain backup programs, and block ads for all apps. I'd prefer to not have to take advantage of security vulnerablities to get root. Do the unlocked models have root unlocked? Which other phones are root friendly?
Xda developers
https://www.xda-developers.com/
The latest android is a bit harder to root. Will require patience for some devices.
Root friendly ?.......... Realize that Google themselves are more hostile towards root than days gone by as most people root to nuke ads. I imagine samsung being the same.
Yeah, I know about them and the post they post about current phones. I'm more looking for which brands tend to be root friendly. I don't want to have to use an exploit to get root.
? unrealistic and just watching how quickly the latest stuff gets rooted might provide the answer.
That doesn’t matter. It depends on whether the company has a history of locking or unlocking the bootloader. Otherwise you can't always update the phone.
Not a lot of mainstream phones offer rooted versions anymore/if they ever did. I do not know of any currently as I am a bit out of the loop, using older android phones as they were simply better in my opinion.
Most always root is through exploits. I know there were official ones like with HTC and Sony but I am not sure on their current stance. I would imagine like @Freaksmacker said, google don't so much want you doing this and companies wanting to play nice with google likely will not offer such options stock.
Some companies making apps are also blocking their apps running on rooted phones. Notable example was the Deus Ex game on android, though I think they reverted that over massive backlash and a certain level of hypocrisy in relation to the games story and ideals.
I see you just posted more.
That is a pipe dream at the best of times, get a Pixel phone or one of the older Nexus phone if that is what you want most of all. almost all carrier phones and other non google first part phones just never get proper updates and 100% never get perfectly and consistently updates anything close to what they should or even keeping up with the pixel/nexus lines, so forget that for a start.
EDIT: The best way to keep it up to date is to root through exploit and custom rom all the way unfortunately.
With root you void your warranty and take on the security woes yourself. It is not as casual as it is presented by some.
Of course the is always eBay, buy a new phone that has been rooted by someone else all ready. They take the risk on the brick chance and you get a new rooted phone like you want.
You can flip the warranty back with software usually. It tends to just be changing a register value.
The issue I've had in the past with rooting is not being able to upgrade to newer manufacturer versions of the OS. If it's an unlocked boot loader there isn't really much to worry about with that.
Wait you don't want exploit root but both the flash back to warranty ready and alternative boot loaders/recovery menues are both exploit driven usually.
Why the hang up on root.
I personally rode JellyBean to death and only just now have a device with 7.0 which is definitely geared more towards not allowing root and should you do so ? Hell Google locked me out of my own device for a day and has actively removed rooting tools themselves from it. There is that. For your Security
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I guess what I mean is an exploit to get the bootloader to load the rom. I'm fine with an exploit that takes advantage of an unlocked boot loader to overwrite the OS.
That almost certainly will not exist on any phone you can buy from a well known brand.
It is all exploit really. Though once you get there you can do what you like. If you want the stock rom up to date just flash it manually.
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At least, I know in the past you had to buy the phone from specific carriers to get an unlocked boot loader.
Oneplus.
I have completely abandoned Samsung since the S6 because of locked bootloaders. I'm not going to fight and struggle my way into modifying hardware I paid for.
I bought two Oneplus 3T phones, one for my wife and myself. They have excellent 3rd party support and are simple to root and modify. Not to mention spectacular hardware specs and a beautiful amoled screen. Its a supreme replacement.
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Suffering from a headache now myself. New device had 6.0. Rooted it. The free update to 7.0 screwed me. I should of known better. Asus never updates crap until there is gun to their head. Anyone read chinese ? At least i think it is chinese.
You can get the Nexus 6P and root it without exploits, then install something like LineageOS or PureNexus on it. Another cool part is that you can also install CameraNX is which is the Pixel camera modded for the Nexus6P (since they use very similar hardware). You'd need an unlocked phone, which I think only applies to international versions, which also means having to chose a a GSM carrier instead of something like Verizon.
They do? Well personally, I root just for more powerful apps, especially for GameGuardian, I like to cheat my way through shitty microtransaction heavy games and with those sort of games I actually tend to find it more fun trying to cheat rather playing the things.
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LG Optimus G. Cheap, runs pretty good, can do most anything you want rooted.
Motorola (lenovo) will hook you up with a key to unlock the bootloader but you have to make an account with email address for that. Sony does the same thing I think.