This is a guest post by brucerwillkejr@gmail.com @androidbruce
If you are not familiar with what ‘rooting’ your phone means or what root access gives you, it’s not unlike that of an Administrator account on a Windows machine. Without administrative rights on a Windows machine it becomes difficult to install software,printers, and other peripherals. If you were to bring a phone into a carrier’s location they would not be obligated to support you and your issues if you have ‘rooted’ the device. In the same breath these carriers are selling laptops, netbooks, notebooks or whatever the hip marketing term happens to be at that moment (I am going with “notebook”), with windows installed that have administrator accounts that have the highest elevation of access to the operating system. These notebooks have existing data cards that allow them access to the the carrier’s network and use their services in the same way that a phone can browse the web with even more freedom and less restrictions. In addition to the cards that are pre-installed, you can purchase a usb device or wireless access point that also gives the same access to their network from any other device. Devices with administrative rights and root access and any other elevated accounts that might apply. Therefore, it seems to be an extreme case of double-speak when carriers refuse to work on “rooted” phones while they have these notebooks that allow full the equivalent within the Windows operating system.
Phones are not that disimilar from pc’s in today’s market. They browse the web, install applications, edit documents, video and photos. In my opinion, they are they same devices with a different form factor. If you feel the same way that I do in my comparison then can you imagine if other internet service providers restricted access to your devices on their network? Here is an example: you purchased your new Apple Macbook Pro for $1500 and you call Comcast to start service with them for your home Internet. They told you that you could put your device on their network only if it met the minimum requirements, and one of these requirements is that you can not have access to the entire machine’s operating system or administrator accounts. This would not only outrage most consumers, but it would severely hurt Comcast’s business and revenue streams. Many folks have made the argument that since these devices are being subsidized by the carriers and being offered at a significant discount that the carriers can restrict access to the device. With this being an interesting argument that holds some validity, they are still selling notebooks with subsidized prices and thus making a nullified argument. In addition to this argument, if I own my device and purchased it without a discount from the carrier and did not sign a contract to remain a customer for an agreed upon amount of time, should I not be allowed administrative rights to my device? This is just a clear example of the deception and double speak that we receive form carriers on a regular basis in an effort for them to turn the largest possible profit.
So the biggest question might be, how can we put an end to these poor policies and restrictions? Well, I don’t have the answer to that, but I believe if we stir up enough noise and refuse to accept these policies as users we can force companies to reform. We need a carrier to step up and take initiative and show the others how this can be accomplished, while maintaining profits and customers. Until that day comes I think we can try our best to continue to break these constraints and support the developers that work very hard at giving us the most access possible to our devices. The next time you use someone’s binary to gain administrative rights to your device, why not buy them a beer to throw them a few dollars just to say thank you.
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Nice Op-Ed
This is not quite accurate.
Carriers don’t care so much about just rooting your phone. The problem is the modding. Of course, rooting is necessary before you can install a custom rom, but they’re used way too interchangeably.
Unfortunately a lot of user-made roms are unstable, not to mention may require a precise order of steps to achieve the desired result. When someone doesn’t follow directions and things go wrong, when they flash the wrong rom/kernel/etc, or for whatever reason their phone no longer works, they’re not going to say, “Oh well, I made a mistake and now I have to go buy a new phone.” They’re going to call up their carrier and demand a new phone for free. I see it all the time. Now they expect their service provider to take the financial hit because they feel so entitled.
I’m pretty sure if you walk into a computer store where they sold you a nice new HP with Windows 7 preinstalled, but you complain that the copy of OSX Snow Kitten Liger you replaced it with isn’t functioning as you want it to, they’re not going to give you a new computer.
You need to re read the article. You’ve totally missed the point.
This is about the double standard when it comes to admin rights/abilities on carrier supported devices.
I did read the article and understand the point. Apparently you’ve missed mine.
I disagree with the analogy the author makes. Carriers do not have a problem with rooting (you can find detailed how-to guides on carrier websites). They do have a problem with modding phones in regards to warranty fulfillment.
I do agree with the author in the sense that the devices shouldn’t be so difficult (in some cases) to acquire root, but I understand why OEMs do things like locking bootloaders. It should be a choice for the end-user to decide what they do to their phone. Unfortunately, too many people want to hold their provider responsible for their own mistakes.
As spandexbandit mentions, it’s not rooting perse that the carriers object to it’s replacing the OS. Here in the UK if you dared replace your XP/VISTA/7 with linux and had to make a warranty claim you’d get short shift as you had invalidated in much the same way as flashing a custom rom invalidates your android warranty.
True story… This will not change until someone challenges this somehow in court. Carriers will open it up when it hurts their pocket (not going to happen when 20 people decline to buy a phone) or they fear a lawsuit (costs money) .
Oh well we are screwed.