Voice of Objectivity: Root at Your Own Risk

Voice of Objectivity is an ongoing column meant to temper the tendency of the Techcited to run away with the most exciting or controversial ideas in technology’s near future. The opinions presented here do not necessarily represent the views of Techcitement or this writer. Someone’s got to keep a cool head around here. I guess I’ll just have to pretend it’s me.

From its earliest days, the Android community has included a core of customers who seek deeper access to their phones’ operating systems. Free wireless tethering, overclocking, custom ROMs, these are some of the goals of the rooting process. By gaining root access to the OS, users can make use of functions the phone’s manufacturer never planned for.

These benefits come at a price, however. Any decent tutorial on Android rooting begins with a warning that continuing will void your warranty. To the Android hacking community, this warning is often seen as something of an affront. After all, if you purchase a device, why shouldn’t you be able to use it however you want? What gives carriers the right to lock away features and install useless bloatware on a device that I can’t remove? And why shouldn’t I be able to have my device serviced like anyone else’s, just because I wanted to take advantage of the full capabilities of my device?

The answer lies in two main areas. The first is overclocking. While a phone’s processor may be technically capable of running at a higher speed than the device is rated for, there’s generally a reason why it isn’t. Overclocking is a drain on battery life and potentially damaging to the device. The heat alone can do permanent harm to the processor. And it’s not uncommon for damage due to use in a non-intended manner to void warranties on any product.

The greater concern for carriers is what can go wrong during the rooting process itself. Usually, it works just fine. When something does go wrong, it can be catastrophic, “bricking” the phone and making it useless to the customer. With an intact warranty, the customer can exchange the device at will, making rooting a far less frightening risk. The more people root, the more bricked phones, and the more expensive replacements for the carrier to handle.

By voiding the warranty on a rooted phone, not only does the carrier avoid responsibility for those who engage in behavior inherently risky to the phone, but they create the fear that comes with taking that risk, so fewer customers run into trouble in the first place. It’s a sound business motive, leaving more happy customers at a lower cost to the company. While the hacking community is very vocal in the Android world, there’s no reason their volume should overrule sound practice.

For a look at where my personal views lie, take a look at my companion column, Voice of Subjectivity.