Just Days After Release, Google's Nexus 4 Has Already Been Rooted

An anonymous reader writes "Google's Nexus 4 sold out around the world very quickly this week, and while there was talk of very limited supply, apparently some key people managed to get their hands on it. That's right: the Nexus 4 has already been rooted."

Re:Why is this news?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yep, it's an unlocked device and you're supposed to be able to root it without issue.

All Nexus are easy

[SirJorgelOfBorgel]

All Nexus devices can be rooted in 30 seconds or less .... by design.

Re:Why is this news?

[Anonymous Coward]

Why is it news?
Because the "reporter" lives under the iStockholmSyndrome and thinks that having access to hardware you bought can only be done through clever trickery.

Re:Why is this news?

[movrev]

From Wikipedia: "The Google-branded Android devices, the Nexus One, Nexus S and the Galaxy Nexus, can be boot-loader unlocked by simply connecting the device to a computer while in boot-loader mode and running the Fastboot program with the command "fastboot oem unlock".[7] After accepting a warning the boot-loader will be unlocked so that a new system image can be written directly to flash without the need for an exploit."

Re:Why is this news?

[Karlt1]

Right because "sold out" automatically means that the Nexus is doing as well as the iPhone without knowing how many were sold.

In other words

[kasperd]

You can own a Nexus phone, you just have to buy it. Unlike other phones, which are still owned by the vendor even after they have been bought by a consumer.

Re:Why is this news?

[Taco Cowboy]

Yep, it's an unlocked device and you're supposed to be able to root it without issue.

which, I find very amusing...

Slashdot supposed to be a place for geeks, and look what we have here ... Both the Slashdot Submitter and Slashdot Editor do not know that Google's Nexus devices are made to be rootable.

How can Slashdot remains a geeky place when the editor ain't geeky enough?

Re:Why is this news?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm pretty sure Google is selling them for the same price regardless of whether or not they sold out. Here in the real world, there are more important, complicating factors than, "what's the most you can demand for this widget according to intersection on supply & demand".

And sales volume for a Nexus device will likely be smaller than whatever Apple's new iPhone is. That's not good or bad, there are just a hundred Android devices out there to pick from.

And more important - why do we care? Both kinds are doing well. Worry about whether or not the Nexus is a good phone or not. These are all just cell phones, after all.