Database Users

Root Now or Later?

Hey all,
I'm going to ordering a Nexus One is the next few days and was wondering whether I should root the device now or wait.
What I'm really wanting is to update the phone once a European flavour of the ROM is available to get multi touch support in Google Maps and the browser, as a UK version of Google Navigation (if it becomes available).
I'm a real newbie, so I may be missing something, e.g. Google Navigation for the UK could be an app on the Android Market if it becomes available.
What I really don't want to do is loose text messages, etc. By rooting the device later on. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.

There's no real instant-gratification reason to root now, IMO.
The problem with not rooting now, knowing you will root later, is that you'll wipe your phone (reinstall apps, readjust settings, lose messages, lose call logs). You're going to have to start fresh after you root.
IMO, if you know you're going to root at some point down the road, do it earlier rather than later.
I rooted my G1, but only to get A2SD. There's enough space in this phone that I don't foresee it being an issue in the near future. Plus, after a few months, my SD card kept wiping itself; I assume that's due to too much use of it. I don't expect to root my N1, but who knows, Cyanogen could come out with a superfast ROM, but the phone is so fast as it is that it seems unnecessary.
If you're a true nerd (which I am ironically ashamed to admit that I must not be) you want to root your phone ASAP, otherwise I think you can wait.
There's probably an app out there somewhere that lets you backup your texts. I know there's a Backup program for Rooted phones (Backup for root users) that is a lifesaver, but only if you have a rooted phone.
As of now, I don't think there are enough pro's to warrant rooting, but that's based on my usage -- others really want/need tethering, but that's about all you can get from rooting as of now.

SMS Backup on the Marketplace.
Done.

Just get it over with! However, if you're worried about hardware infant mortality, then, maybe wait 30-60 days. But, remember, when you flash the image to root, you'll have to wipe everything.

Thanks for the advice on the backup software.
Does anyone know if there's any chance that Google Navigation for the UK will be an app or will it be a ROM update for that as well?

The only way I think I will root my phone is if they figure out how to relock it. Im not gonna risk rooting it and then something happening and having a $560 paper weight. I paid wayyy to much for this phone to risk breaking it. If I could "un-root" the phone like you could on the G1/MT, then I would have rooted it right away.

Hold off the on rooting IMO. There aren't any real big reasons why you should want to root quite yet. No super-awesome ROMs or programs out for the N1 ATM. Give it a month and then it'll prolly be a lot more desirable.

I was an avid flasher on the g1! I paid full price on this puppy so I'm holding off. Mainly because I don't want to lose functionality.because we all know with flashing something gets broken! I don't want to lose camera or proximity sensor for a couple of seconds of speed. No offense out there to any of the great devs! I loved all the new roms but I'm gonna play safe for a while!

Nothing worth it right now.
Going to be awhile before it gets to the same point of G1 where so many good roms are out and pluses are clear.

I rooted mine as soon as I got home. Mainly because I wanted to have a poke about and have a look around.
SC

The only way I think I will root my phone is if they figure out how to relock it. Im not gonna risk rooting it and then something happening and having a $560 paper weight. I paid wayyy to much for this phone to risk breaking it. If I could "un-root" the phone like you could on the G1/MT, then I would have rooted it right away.
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Click to collapse
Was gonna make a new post, but this seems more appropriate since it's on the same subject.
Is anyone working on the process of relocking / unrooting it? I know from the "How to Root Nexus One" sticky at the beginning of this area they started talking about it like they were in process, but I didn't see much else come of it before the thread got locked.
I'm very likely buying the Nexus when it hits Verizon, unless this whole Bravo / Incredible mystery unfolds and a better or more appealing option exists at or around the same time. I didn't know anything about the whole rooting business until I started looking into the Nexus and Android, so I did enough research just to sort of understand the benefits of it and kind of get what it is.
I also agree that right now it probably isn't of much use, other than obviously not wanting to have to wipe out all your stuff later on. However, I do see the benefit later on once some really good ROMs are out that cover all bases to keep original functionality and add full multi-touch, more precision to the bottom buttons sensors, maybe even more speed, etc.... I'm with who I quoted though on the fact that I'd like it to be possible to definitely put it back to original factory settings (un-rooted), incase you need warranty work done. That would be the main thing stopping me.

I hate the way stock android looks. I rooted mine so I could theme it to how I want it to look. Mine was rooted about an hour after getting it. 30 minutes longer then I was going to wait because I had a phone call.

WaveSecure is my fav app at the moment- let's you back up messages and call logs - and best of all - let's you remote wipe or kill your phone if it's stolen
Mybackup is a good one for everything including sms and bookmarks.
Astro File Manager let's you back up apps but you have to pay for the full version
I guess the biggest thing is - whether they are trusted or just pirates stealing your info ... like the Banking app scam a few weeks ago ...
I just don't know anymore...

Buying g2 - couple of questions

Hello there,
I recently bought sgs4, because it was cheap from my carrier, but unfortunately it was i9515 version - almost completely without community support and locked (knox, flashing anything unofficial trips it's flag and loses you warranty). It's not realistic to expect custom roms etc, so I'm considering selling it and buying this device.
It seemed great, when I compared specs, I also read few threads and those about recovering from hard brick were very promising. Also many roms are present, a way To Flash original firmware and repair under warranty etc. etc. But I stumbled upon a thread about screen and it was really disturbing.
How often do people experience problems with screen? (Phantom touches, "noisy"input, black lines)?
Also, are there any other problems, that I overlooked and missed? Like that roms are nonfuntional, gps/cell radio/wifi radio doesn't work always. Would you consider this phone worth buying and selling relatively "safe" (I mean working hardware) s4?
Thanks for your replies.

marmelada said:
Hello there,
I recently bought sgs4, because it was cheap from my carrier, but unfortunately it was i9515 version - almost completely without community support and locked (knox, flashing anything unofficial trips it's flag and loses you warranty). It's not realistic to expect custom roms etc, so I'm considering selling it and buying this device.
It seemed great, when I compared specs, I also read few threads and those about recovering from hard brick were very promising. Also many roms are present, a way To Flash original firmware and repair under warranty etc. etc. But I stumbled upon a thread about screen and it was really disturbing.
How often do people experience problems with screen? (Phantom touches, "noisy"input, black lines)?
Also, are there any other problems, that I overlooked and missed? Like that roms are nonfuntional, gps/cell radio/wifi radio doesn't work always. Would you consider this phone worth buying and selling relatively "safe" (I mean working hardware) s4?
Thanks for your replies.
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Click to collapse
Hi!
So, for me, of course this phone is "safe": of course you can read trough forum that there is issues, sometimes, when you flash some ROMs or stuff like this.
But you have to know 1 thing; usage you made of your phone influences on his state: if you want to use it at daily phone, without custom ROM, in stock mode, is very safe.
If you want to flash custom ROM (click on the link in my signature, best ROM ever) but you respect installation rules, there is MINOR chances for you to have issue(s).
Even if it's the case, majority of time there is solution.
Do I answer to your question?

casual_kikoo said:
Hi!
So, for me, of course this phone is "safe": of course you can read trough forum that there is issues, sometimes, when you flash some ROMs or stuff like this.
But you have to know 1 thing; usage you made of your phone influences on his state: if you want to use it at daily phone, without custom ROM, in stock mode, is very safe.
If you want to flash custom ROM (click on the link in my signature, best ROM ever) but you respect installation rules, there is MINOR chances for you to have issue(s).
Even if it's the case, majority of time there is solution.
Do I answer to your question?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello, thanks for your post, but it didn't really answer my concerns. I'm more worried about hardware defects, which seem to happen to this phone and I want to know how many devices are affected and what is the chance that I'll have to repair it under warranty.

I can say that the biggest problem WAS the screen getting yellow spot. I've never heard about phantom touches. However it is possible. So about the yellow spot it was happening on the old devices, then it was fixed. There are a lot of brick scenarios, but most of them are easly fixable. Anyway i think it's more brickable than samsung. (I consider them as the easiest devices for unbrick) Then it's the performance. It's faster in any way. And last my friend have exatcly the same phone and after a bit of use it gets realyyyyyyy hot. I mean compared to G2 it's awful. It's still a great phone even that G4 was just released. I hope i helped and you buy the phone.

When I first got this phone it was relatively safe. However, I lost my first G2 and I ended up with this Asurion replacement and it was okay too but now I'm experiencing Phantom touches I'm not sure from what it could be: butt pocket, wallet case, tight shirt pocket, actually hitting the Snooze part of the screen too much. You see my point anyone of those things could be the culprit. I love this phone and I would love to keep it but as of right now I can't rely on it to wake me up.

comk4ver said:
When I first got this phone it was relatively safe. However, I lost my first G2 and I ended up with this Asurion replacement and it was okay too but now I'm experiencing Phantom touches I'm not sure from what it could be: butt pocket, wallet case, tight shirt pocket, actually hitting the Snooze part of the screen too much. You see my point anyone of those things could be the culprit. I love this phone and I would love to keep it but as of right now I can't rely on it to wake me up.
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When did you receive the replacement phone? All replacements do come with a 1 year limited warranty!

Just purchased a MXP and have questions

While I wait for the arrival of my MXP I have some questions for the community so that I can hit the ground running. First thing, I'd like to unlock my boot loader but I was just curious if there is a way to re-lock it afterwards just in case I need to send in for repairs or something along those lines? Also wondering about VOLTE support. I see some roms that state they have it working but is this a stock feature or do I need to use a custom ROM to get VOLTE to function? Also is there any known method of rooting without unlocking the boot loader just in case re-locking it is not possible? Thanks for the help everyone.
I am coming from a g920a. That phone is torture for someone like me who likes stock Android and rooted devices. Probably the worst phone I have ever had. Can't wait to get my hands on my MXP and leaves this piece of junk behind!

I'm on Verizon and I can confirm it supports advanced calling, which is VoLTE as far as I know but it might require turning it on at the provider level.
Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

I haven't messed with VoLTE yet so I can't answer those questions, but as for your others: The bootloader can be relocked, but the unlock method involves submitting an unlock request code to motorola, and they immediately email you an unlock key, along with a warning about voiding your warranty, so even relocking it does not unvoid your warranty. HOWEVER, it only voids your warranty for software issues. If it's a hardware problem unrelated to the bootloader being unlocked, they'll still handle it, and accidental drops and things are still covered if you buy an accidental damage warrenty. Also, as far as I know there is still no way to root without unlocking the bootloader.

10 characters

squallz506 said:
Volte is only available on stock roms.
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I thought this had been fixed on AICP based ROMS?
Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

countryfolk07 said:
I thought this had been fixed on AICP based ROMS?
Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Whoops, yeah I guess they fixed it down the line. Sorry, I've been enjoying stock+xposed too much to follow custom development.
Edit: also root without bootloader unlock will likely never happen. We have a root method already, so there's no incentive to find another method.

The answer you seek was right in the first page of this forum....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-x-style/general/moto-x-style-how-to-unlock-bootloader-t3192140
That being said, I would consider waiting until after Marshmallow drops before you unlock your bootloader so as not to interfere with any OTA's. Conventional wisdom is that it is coming within the next few weeks as the "test drive" has already started and a "soak test" should follow shortly.

yeah i know it can be unlocked I already read that post. I would not have gotten this phone if the boot loader was not un-lockable. That's the whole reason I am moving away from my AT&T Galaxy s6. I was just trying to clarify if re-locking made any difference as far as the warranty is concerned. I appreciate the answers guys. Just trying to determine if I should keep it stock or use a custom ROM out of the box. Sounds like I will go stock for the time being. Now as far as unlocked boot loaders interfering with OTA's? Is this really a thing? And wouldn't somebody just post the OTA image on the forums when its ready anyway?

timde9 said:
yeah i know it can be unlocked I already read that post. I would not have gotten this phone if the boot loader was not un-lockable. That's the whole reason I am moving away from my AT&T Galaxy s6. I was just trying to clarify if re-locking made any difference as far as the warranty is concerned. I appreciate the answers guys. Just trying to determine if I should keep it stock or use a custom ROM out of the box. Sounds like I will go stock for the time being. Now as far as unlocked boot loaders interfering with OTA's? Is this really a thing? And wouldn't somebody just post the OTA image on the forums when its ready anyway?
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Click to collapse
Well as to it being a thing, I certainly can't say for sure. But what reason is there to unlock the bootloader if you're not going to root? And once you do that, you almost certainly will not get OTA's. What am I missing? Is there another reason you are looking to unlock?
The one thing I don't know is if there a some type of a "tamper flag" that would require something like triangle away.
You don't think you could just do a fastboot oem lock?

Sorry to give you the wrong impression but I fully intend to root and also install Xposed and all that good stuff. There are a lot of things I need that require these things such as BubbleUPNP's audio cast feature, and of course the all powerful AdAway and YouTube AdAway in addition to Titanium Backup and Viper4Android etc. I normally use that stuff every day and so dealing with my last phone was like living in Android Hell. All the great hardware but software that was hopelessly mangled un-rootable and just sad for such a powerful device as the s6. Being able to have these things back is my number one reason for buying this phone so you best believe that's the very first thing I will do once it comes in lol. The only reason I am so concerned about the warranty is because I have needed it in the past for several other devices and so don't want do something that is un-doable. But from the sounds of it this will only affect me if the software causes the defect and I am fairly confident I can fix anything software related all by myself. Mostly only concerned about hardware defects and if they will still be covered that is just perfect.
And already I am feeling the difference here in this part of xda. The forums for the g920-a are like calling out into the dessert, and in no time at all you guys have address my major concerns. Thanks again

timde9 said:
Sorry to give you the wrong impression but I fully intend to root and also install Xposed and all that good stuff. There are a lot of things I need that require these things such as BubbleUPNP's audio cast feature, and of course the all powerful AdAway and YouTube AdAway in addition to Titanium Backup and Viper4Android etc. I normally use that stuff every day and so dealing with my last phone was like living in Android Hell. All the great hardware but software that was hopelessly mangled un-rootable and just sad for such a powerful device as the s6. Being able to have these things back is my number one reason for buying this phone so you best believe that's the very first thing I will do once it comes in lol. The only reason I am so concerned about the warranty is because I have needed it in the past for several other devices and so don't want do something that is un-doable. But from the sounds of it this will only affect me if the software causes the defect and I am fairly confident I can fix anything software related all by myself. Mostly only concerned about hardware defects and if they will still be covered that is just perfect.
And already I am feeling the difference here in this part of xda. The forums for the g920-a are like calling out into the dessert, and in no time at all you guys have address my major concerns. Thanks again
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Click to collapse
I'd still recommend waiting at least a couple of weeks to see if Marshmallow shows up!
I'm coming to the MXPE from a OnePlus One which I have to say was one of the funnest phones I've ever owned. I wasiunlocked, rooted and flashing CM12.1 nightlies about twice a week.
I thought I would miss it, but so far so good on the MXPE without rooting. We'll have to see what happens after MM drops. I'd like to get it rooted, but I haven't done nearly the amount of modding you've done.
Good luck with your phone. I can honestly tell you it's a really nice device!

While its tempting to wait for marshmallow to show I cannot live without root any longer. I have already been without it for months because of this damn s6. I'm sure someone will upload the OTA as soon as it's available so I'll just flash it when the time comes.

timde9 said:
Sorry to give you the wrong impression but I fully intend to root and also install Xposed and all that good stuff. There are a lot of things I need that require these things such as BubbleUPNP's audio cast feature, and of course the all powerful AdAway and YouTube AdAway in addition to Titanium Backup and Viper4Android etc. I normally use that stuff every day and so dealing with my last phone was like living in Android Hell. All the great hardware but software that was hopelessly mangled un-rootable and just sad for such a powerful device as the s6. Being able to have these things back is my number one reason for buying this phone so you best believe that's the very first thing I will do once it comes in lol. The only reason I am so concerned about the warranty is because I have needed it in the past for several other devices and so don't want do something that is un-doable. But from the sounds of it this will only affect me if the software causes the defect and I am fairly confident I can fix anything software related all by myself. Mostly only concerned about hardware defects and if they will still be covered that is just perfect.
And already I am feeling the difference here in this part of xda. The forums for the g920-a are like calling out into the dessert, and in no time at all you guys have address my major concerns. Thanks again
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Click to collapse
Well if you're an xposed user you should root immediately with no concern about the 6.0 OTA, since xposed doesn't work on 6.0. I'm not moving to 6.0, myself, until xposed is released for it. I use xposed modules everyday and am not giving it up, not even for doze mode.

That's kinda how I am feeling as well. I can achieve similar results to doze with the xposed app amplify with enough tweaking so its not a big deal.

Pixel 2: To root is moot...?

I've been reading posts on this forum for some weeks now and have a question/discussion of sorts I'm hoping relevant users can reason out for me.
A substantial segment of Google Nexus/Pixel users are people who hate bloatware and OEM skins. That's fair enough. What I don't quite understand however, is why some/many of these users seek to root the Google products and install custom mods.
By that standard, what exactly is wrong with using any random OEM phone if the things that are so undesirable can be removed via root anyway? For example if one criticizes Samsung for TouchWiz/Samsung Experience, why not remove it with a custom rom? It's like the real problem is the name Samsung itself.
I'm not opening this line of inquiry to try and insult anyone for reference, rather I'd like to understand the thinking behind (my) confusion. At face value however, it kind of seems like there are people who absolutely must have a Google device because Google "made" it, not because they actually want Google's Android experience.

TokyoGuy said:
I've been reading posts on this forum for some weeks now and have a question/discussion of sorts I'm hoping relevant users can reason out for me.
A substantial segment of Google Nexus/Pixel users are people who hate bloatware and OEM skins. That's fair enough. What I don't quite understand however, is why some/many of these users seek to root the Google products and install custom mods.
By that standard, what exactly is wrong with using any random OEM phone if the things that are so undesirable can be removed via root anyway? For example if one criticizes Samsung for TouchWiz/Samsung Experience, why not remove it with a custom rom? It's like the real problem is the name Samsung itself.
I'm not opening this line of inquiry to try and insult anyone for reference, rather I'd like to understand the thinking behind (my) confusion. At face value however, it kind of seems like there are people who absolutely must have a Google device because Google "made" it, not because they actually want Google's Android experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's easier to root a pixel/Google device over a Samsung device. If you get the SD variant and root it you lose Sammy pay permanently, not to mention battery is capped at 80%. Most phone companies deny warranty for root, Google doesn't. (Think one plus doesn't either). Another bonus is if one day I'm tired of rooting my 2 xl I can just get the latest Android version. That's not the same with most other phones after a year.
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

Another thing is the custom ROM support. Google actually releases sources that are able to be used by developers to make custom ROMs, where as Samsung doesn't release/release the most up-todate sources. Leaves developers with nothing to work with.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

I can only speak for myself but my routine with every new phone includes these and others I'm forgetting in no particular order...
Root, TWRP, custom kernel, custom Rom, theme, viper, titanium backup, change to default Wi-Fi calling. Lux, others.
Some of the features i desire:
Full strength vibration
Unlock phone with fingerprint after reboot
Kill wakelocks
Center clock
Complete nandroid backups
Backing up apps with data in TBU
Removing camera sound (available stock now)
Advanced reboot menu
Color profiles
I definitely see rooting as a necessity for me.

Viper4android is a must for me so I root.

ADDS!....ADDS!....ADDS!
Fonts
TiBu
KCAL
V4A
Kernel control
Wake locks
Just because I can
Oh....and ADDS!
That's why I root :good:

I use Root for many of the above! It's a XDA addiction!!

Most us phones now come locked tighter than a virgin. The bootloaders use to be unlockable with most carriers unfortunately that is not the case anymore. I will never buy another Samsung phone as long as I live because of the bootloaders being locked. Google phones are easily unlockable as they are geared towards developers and it makes things easier for them having root.

I've been away from Samsung for a few years now. I guess Safe-strap is no more?? Man there was some mad skills on the S5 verizon forum. Lol

CyberpodS2 said:
I've been away from Samsung for a few years now. I guess Safe-strap is no more?? Man there was some mad skills on the S5 verizon forum. Lol
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Safe-Strap was flippin awesome on the S5! I still have mine as a backup with all kinds of good stuff on that bad boy. Thanks for the memory! :good:

TokyoGuy said:
I've been reading posts on this forum for some weeks now and have a question/discussion of sorts I'm hoping relevant users can reason out for me.
A substantial segment of Google Nexus/Pixel users are people who hate bloatware and OEM skins. That's fair enough. What I don't quite understand however, is why some/many of these users seek to root the Google products and install custom mods.
By that standard, what exactly is wrong with using any random OEM phone if the things that are so undesirable can be removed via root anyway? For example if one criticizes Samsung for TouchWiz/Samsung Experience, why not remove it with a custom rom? It's like the real problem is the name Samsung itself.
I'm not opening this line of inquiry to try and insult anyone for reference, rather I'd like to understand the thinking behind (my) confusion. At face value however, it kind of seems like there are people who absolutely must have a Google device because Google "made" it, not because they actually want Google's Android experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting a google device does not void the warranty.

TokyoGuy said:
I've been reading posts on this forum for some weeks now and have a question/discussion of sorts I'm hoping relevant users can reason out for me.
A substantial segment of Google Nexus/Pixel users are people who hate bloatware and OEM skins. That's fair enough. What I don't quite understand however, is why some/many of these users seek to root the Google products and install custom mods.
By that standard, what exactly is wrong with using any random OEM phone if the things that are so undesirable can be removed via root anyway? For example if one criticizes Samsung for TouchWiz/Samsung Experience, why not remove it with a custom rom? It's like the real problem is the name Samsung itself.
I'm not opening this line of inquiry to try and insult anyone for reference, rather I'd like to understand the thinking behind (my) confusion. At face value however, it kind of seems like there are people who absolutely must have a Google device because Google "made" it, not because they actually want Google's Android experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because I don't want to have to fight with questionable hacks to unlock the bootloader, and I don't want to have to depend on someone else (who probably doesn't know what they're doing) to help out with writing the software that isn't being provided as AOSP needed to make the device fully functional.
I want a no-hacks UNLOCKED device that is PROPERLY supported by AOSP. No 2-bit mickey mouse code that crashes and randomly reboots.

Who the hell wants to pay for a device to have it come loaded with crap you never asked for or wanted??? Not me. Who wants to run these heavily modified launchers with extensive frameworks that slow down your device??? If you pay for something shouldn't you have full control of said item??? The bloatware over the years has become unbearable and the storage usage keeps increasing year by year it's insane that you cannot uninstall Facebook without root on 95% of these devices. I don't care 1 single bit about Facebook and most of the other crapware they attempt to push upon us. Google gives you options for a pure AOSP experience. I am glad I stuck with the pixel I almost passed it up because of poor customer service from Google but this device is everything I want and need. Fastboot is essential to me. I went from the s6 edge with an unlocked bootloader to the S7 edge and that absolutely sucked. The only option was package disabler or using the engineer bootloader to obtain root. It sucked so bad the kernel would chew right through the battery in no time flat I had no choice but to roll back to stock and disable things. I cannot imagine going back to that it was terrible. The thing that burns my bridge is the US variants only came without an unlock method the international variants we're easily unlockable. I will never buy another Samsung phone ever they suck.

Why is the Verizon S7 Edge root so crappy (serious, not being mean)?

Hey all,
First off let me just say great work to everyone involved with rooting this now "ancient" phone, especially klabit87 and jrkruse. Additionally, I do not mean to be ungrateful with this post, nor suggest that rooting a phone is easy, especially one with a locked bootloader, or that the users here are entitled to such a feature.
With that out of the way....
I haven't looked into rooting this phone EVER until now. Haven't even peaked at XDA or Googled anything, I didn't even know it was possible until yesterday. I've re-ROMed all my previous phones but was actually satisfied with the stock S7 experience other than a Launcher swap and dealing with the always laggy Google maps. Well recently I got a new car and got fed up with the obnoxious list/action limit that Android Auto has as the voice search can be quite unreliable, the letter search is somewhat bugged on the media player I use, and in the end all it does is encourage people to just use their phone to change songs/settings and send messages, thereby completely failing at its goal of being safer. So, I really wanted to get Xposed installed to use the module that makes AA a lot more usable; however, now that I've looked back into the scene a bit, I'm not so sure I want to move forward.
To preface my question: Every Android device I've had before was essentially either rootable or not and ultimately banked on a security exploit that was eventually found. There were never really any concerns about major issues unless you were changing ROMs, kernels, or testing major CPU behavior changes. Just rooting itself was almost always issue free other than a small bug or two or the need to reapply at reboot.
From what I gather, it seems to me that they only way currently to gain root privileges on this device is to install this ENG kernel that's talked about in a lot of more recent posts. Is it truly the case that someone had to write a kernel from scratch that was pre-rooted and as of right now there is no way to root the device as it is stock? Is it that the only known exploit is how to flash another kernel, and the stock kernel is still locked up tight? It sucks that the current root seems so unstable/slow. I know there are a plethora of fixes but there really is no one major fix (other than potentially reflashing the stock bootloader that for some reason seems to work), and its a matter of installing a boat load of CPU and resource management tweaks and even then the performance/battery life isn't quite stock. Additionally it seems like its definitely a YMMV kind of thing as some users seem to still have significant battery drain or slowness/heat even after trying tons of fixes.
Since I am just now getting familiar with the "homebrew" the phone I've had for 3+ years and know nothing about the work that's been done, I genuinely just want to know the technical implications that got in the way of a cleaner root and why the current root method is stuck as sort of a work-around so to speak. The people that manage these breakthroughs rarely post about the process they went through unless its pertinent to a guide on how to root, so I was just curious why the root for this device is in the current state it is.
I would really like to root my Edge so I can be done with the AA nonsense but after just getting a new battery put in I really don't want to go through ****ty battery life again haha.
Thanks to all who weigh in.

Verizon requires most if not all manufacturers to lock the bootloaders. This is also Samsung choice as well. The T-mobile S7/edge and newer have locked bootloaders as well. Difference is T-mobile leaves it up to the OEMs whether they want to lock it or not. With some U.S. businesses and enterprises using Samsung Galaxy devices. They focus on being "enterprise ready" which makes sense from a business standpoint.
Believe it or not, Samsung used to be developer friendly when the S II came out. They even gave away Galaxy S2 devices to some XDA devs.
So, if you want a Samsung device with an unlock able bootloader. Get one that has an Exynos SoC or the Chinese Snapdragon variant.