Buying new phone, S5 or S6, I want to root it.

ut_icedragon · Aug 18, 2015

So I'm going to buy a new phone today. Carrier is Verizon. Currently have an S3 that is rooted with an unlocked version of the stock 4.1 firmware. Thanks again to this site for help on that! Mainly I use root for Ti backup, not much else.

My question is, as of today is the S5 the only root able Galaxy phone left from Verizon? I read that the explaoit on the S6 has been fixed and thus no longer rootable.

If the S6 is rootable, considering I don't have much comfort level or experience in rooting phones, should I pick one over the other for ease of rooting?

ironass · Aug 18, 2015

If you buy either an S6 or S5 from Verizon that is running their latest Lollipop firmware, you are stuffed for rooting. See, http://androidforums.com/threads/ve...tkat-dummies-guide.902737/page-3#post-7027968

You can forget AT&T as well.

See, also, #1.6 of 40 Galaxy S5 models - Dummies Guide

ut_icedragon · Aug 18, 2015

Fudgemuffins!

Is there any hope for future update or firmware releases or am I now a slave to Verizon?

ironass · Aug 18, 2015

ut_icedragon said:
Fudgemuffins!

Is there any hope for future update or firmware releases or am I now a slave to Verizon?

I am afraid that the only rooting options for the S5, have been based on downgrading back to the old Android 4.4.2 and both Verizon and AT&T have closed those off with their new mega locked down bootloaders.

You have been assimilated! Resistance is futile!

ut_icedragon · Aug 18, 2015

ironass said:
I am afraid that the only rooting options for the S5, have been based on downgrading back to the old Android 4.4.2 and both Verizon and AT&T have closed those off with their new mega locked down bootloaders.

You have been assimilated! Resistance is futile!

Your assistance has been determined to be superior, biological unit designation 'ironass'

jejb · Aug 24, 2015

You might check on the Note. I was thinking of upgrading recently from my S5 to the new Note, and had the same concern about rooting. The feedback I got said it was pretty easy to root the Note. That may have changed in the month or two since I last checked, though.

ironass · Aug 24, 2015

jejb said:
You might check on the Note. I was thinking of upgrading recently from my S5 to the new Note, and had the same concern about rooting. The feedback I got said it was pretty easy to root the Note. That may have changed in the month or two since I last checked, though.

Bear in mind that the above refers only to the Verizon (U.S.A.), minority, carrier branded firmware and not to the stock Samsung firmware that the rest of the world runs. It is Verizon, (and AT&T (U.S.A.)), that have been making their firmwares unrootable... not Samsung!

jejb · Aug 25, 2015

Good point. When I was thinking about switching, it was from Verizon back to Sprint. I did not pull the trigger because of the crappy reception we got at our house while being Sprint users. Could be the Verizon Note would also be unrootable.

Vlad Soare · Aug 26, 2015

You might try to forget about Verizon/AT&T/Sprint/whatever and get an unbranded, unlocked S5 from an independent Samsung dealer.

My S5 (SM-G900F) was very easy to root.

AZgl1500 · Aug 26, 2015

Vlad Soare said:
You might try to forget about Verizon/AT&T/Sprint/whatever and get an unbranded, unlocked S5 from an independent Samsung dealer.
My S5 (SM-G900F) was very easy to root.

IF his carrier is Verizon, it just might not work on their system.
You have to be very careful about which version of the S5 that you purchase.... Not all S5's are created equal.

Verizon is a CDMA carrier and also have the LTE4g stuff, but they have radio frequencies that are not used by the other carriers.
A phone that does not have the proper Radio Firmware just might not work at all on Verizon.
____________________________________
2 ea. Verizon Galaxy S5

Vlad Soare · Aug 26, 2015

Indeed. If Verizon use their own, non-standard frequencies or protocols, then of course you need a phone that's custom-tailored for their network.
I didn't think of that, because over here the chances of buying a technically incompatible new phone are practically nil. I keep forgetting that on the other side of the ocean things can sometimes be a bit different.

ironass · Aug 26, 2015

Vlad Soare said:
You might try to forget about Verizon/AT&T/Sprint/whatever and get an unbranded, unlocked S5 from an independent Samsung dealer.
My S5 (SM-G900F) was very easy to root.

The international G900F is not much use on the Verizon and Sprint networks that you mention.

Buying new phone, S5 or S6, I want to root it.

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