Android is undoubtedly a technological revolution. In its span of existence, it's changed the mobile computing world. Its user base is growing by the day. What started off as an operating system for smartphones, is now spreading to tablets and there is no telling where it'll end up tomorrow. Many people ask why should they root their device. To get to the bottom of this, one needs to understand the bigger picture.
Industry experts say that there are two classes of technology users. The first one uses the technology that's given to them, as it's. don't feel the need to change anything. This happens either because they don't have the technological know how to change the components of the software they use. They just prefer the industry to run its course and choose to wait it out. The other class of people alter the software they use, because they know how to. Because they feel it'll benefit them in some way. Needless to say, this is a risk they take, because changing the structure of the software could've some negative repercussions as well.
The Case of Android
Even though Android is seeing a massive rise in its user base, one complaint that people have against Google, is the speed with which they release their OS updates. In just a matter of a few months it seems a new version of the OS comes out. Your smartphone and your OS are already obsolete. There are two ways of looking at this. The fact of the matter is that some devices running this OS do get left behind, because in order to update their device, the manufacturers need to start a redevelopment project from scratch, which ultimately delays the update process for the user.
Moreover, since Google doesn't have a minimum hardware criteria for devices running Android, most mid-level devices will never get the new version, because their hardware is incapable of handling it. Where this leaves users is a matter of debate. The truth is that not everyone can afford to keep changing their high-end devices every few months. This is where the debate of Why root originates from.
Why Root Your Android?
With this backdrop in mind, here are some reasons why you should root your Android phone. Please note that rooting a device is something that should be undertaken by someone with some level of knowledge about these things, since there is a significant level of risk involved. Moreover, you must keep your device’s specifications and limitations in mind as well. Rooting basically means the same thing as jailbreaking an Apple iPhone. What this means is that, you can run the latest or customized software on your device after you've flashed the memory clean and altered the software code.
- The performance and the speed of the device improve significantly. Over-clocking the processor will improve speed and not damage the device. The OS doesn't allow this.
- You get a greater choice of applications and games to pick from.
- You can run the latest version of Android, as long as the hardware on your device permits you to do so. This is the solution to the problem of the much publicized OS fragmentation.
- You can customize and change the appearance of many icons and settings on the OS.
- You can make use of many features that are currently unavailable on the OS.
- You can perform tasks like Wi-Fi tethering, storing apps on memory card. Activating multi-touch on devices that don't allow it. The first two features have started being provided by Google by default since version 2.2 (Froyo).
- The performance of the virtual keyboard on the device also gets a boost and you've multiple options open to you after rooting.
If you're convinced with the reasons on ‘Why root Android’. Presented here, then there are two things that you need to keep in mind. The first is that doin so will nullify the warranty of the device. This is a risk that you should be willing to take. The second thing is that you need some knowledge about Linux OS in order to carry out the whole process, since this is the base kernel of Android OS. As long as you fully understand the risks and the complexities involved, there is no reason for you to refrain from rooting your device today.
