The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge are Samsung’s newest devices and they are definitely packed with power. They feature QHD displays with over 570 ppi, an amazingly powerful Exynos 7420 processor backed by 3 GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and a top of the line 16 megapixel camera. Not only are the insides of these devices revamped, but aesthetically, it’s completely a device.
With all that power and prowess, one of the first things that comes to Android users minds is whether to root their device or not. This article is here to give you 5 reasons NOT to root your Galaxy S6. I’ll be sure to follow this up with 5 reasons to root your Galaxy S6, but this is just here to give you both sides.
Disables OTA updates
One of the biggest reasons not to root devices is that it disables OTA updates. That means, once you root your device, whether it is from the Chainfire method or something else, your device will no longer receive incremental updates automatically. This is one of the main reasons not to root, so you’re going to want to think about this ramification.
If you aren’t going to flash a custom ROM on to the device, it is hard to come by the latest Samsung firmware. SamMobile does have a great repository, so all hope is not lost. If you do find the latest firmware for your device, you will have to flash over the top of the existing one, which leads to loss of data, so be sure to back-up if you plan to do so.
Rooting trips the KNOX counter
Tripping KNOX is another big factor on why to not root the Galaxy S6. KNOX is essentially a service employed by Samsung to give after-sale service a better idea if the device has been tampered with. There are also rumors that the counter can keep track of how many times the device has been flashed with different ROMs, although that is unconfirmed.
Since KNOX is capable of detecting changes to the device, once root privileges are enabled, the KNOX counter will be tripped and there will be no way of reversing it (there are some exceptions). This means that if you ever have to warranty your device, they have right to refuse service if they feel that rooting and or flashing was the culprit of the issue.
Lose out on KNOX capabilities
Samsung’s KNOX is a misunderstood service as it brings more to the device than just helping Samsung detect if you tampered with your device. If someone were to find your device or steal it, this said person cannot use it. Without your account, the thief will not be able to factory reset the device or flash a new ROM to it. With a $700+ device, I’d take all the help I could get.
Along with helping deter potential thieves, KNOX also protects your data and information by using technologies that are patented by the National Security Agency (NSA). I had to throw that one in there just for the heck of it. If you are curious about KNOX and its capabilities, here is the actual overview from Samsung.
Disables Samsung Pay
One of the newest features on the Galaxy S6 is Samsung Pay, which is Samsung’s direct competitor to Apple Pay. If you plan on using Samsung Pay, it was just reported by SamMobile that when users root their device, this feature will not work anymore and is disabled.
SamMobile cites that “when you root your device, the integrity gets breached, which is necessary for important and sensitive features like mobile payments.” This has been seen on many other apps as well, such as banking apps, media apps such as TiVo, and other apps that have sensitive data.
This may sound like it’s not a big deal, but Samsung has completely revamped their fingerprint sensor to be used on mobile payments, similar to Apple Pay. Gone is the sliding fingerprint sensor, replaced by a touch-based sensor, which is much more accurate and much more convenient.
TouchWiz isn’t the same as years past
The Galaxy S6 is one of the, if not, the top performing device on the market right now. Samsung’s in-house processor blows the competitors away, and scored an insane score of 68,000 on the AnTuTu Benchmark. Couple the amazingly fast octa-core processor with a slimmed down version of TouchWiz and you have yourself a pretty fast device.
One of the strong reasons for rooting a Galaxy device in the past was to de-bloat TouchWiz and speed it up. It has always been knocked for being a performance hog, but the latest version is quite different. Samsung took the complaints about their UI to heart and have drastically improved TouchWiz. They have also made it easier than ever to disable pre-installed apps, but you still can’t completely uninstall them.
Since having the Galaxy S6 for nearly a month, I can say it is one of the best performing devices I’ve ever used… even with TouchWiz. It comes free of any stutters or lags that have been seen in the past, plus Samsung adopted much of Google’s Material Design.
Conclusion
All in all, the Galaxy S6 is not like any Samsung device we have seen in the past, as seen in our review. Once you root your device, there is no turning back, so you better be in it for the long haul. Not only will it disable key features on your device, it will also void your warranty.
I advise that if you do decide to modify your device, READ UP on everything, especially if you are new to rooting and flashing. All it takes is one wrong move and your $700 flagship device is a great paperweight.