Whilst the Touchwiz software on the Samsung Galaxy S5 is leagues ahead of the previous iterations, it still isn’t fancied by some in the Android community who would rather have a more stock feel to their phones software and UI. Perhaps the other case is just that ROM flashers just love the ability to root and customize, and really just want that open compatibility and have no issues or qualms with the Samsung UI in the first place. Whatever the case may be, users on Verizon(and AT&T) who now own and use the Galaxy S5 are reportedly itching to get their hands on a workable process to get the Galaxy S5 rooted so that they can play and tinker like they’re used to.
So far there isn’t any sort of root method available for the Verizon Wireless(and presumably AT&T) model of the device, and people aren’t keen on waiting any longer than they have to to get root access on the phone. In this sort of situation we usually see users take to the development community to ask for assistance in achieving this goal of root for a designated device, but if you thought that developers work in this case goes unnoticed or unrewarded, you’d be mistaken. Just like with plenty of other devices that users have been eager to get root onto, an assortment of Verizon Galaxy S5 owners have carried their cause to XDA and the community of developers at the forum, with a bounty payout for whoever is the first person to achieve root access on the device. Currently the bounty payout is sitting at $3,780, with most of that being directed in from Verizon users and totaling $3,590 of the pledges. Whilst $190 of the pledges are from people who use the device on AT&T.
So it seems that most of the people interested in rooting and are willing to pledge towards the bounty are Verizon subscribers, but there are a select few AT&T Galaxy S5 owners out there in the community that are looking to help advance the end goal here which is to open up the device capabilities through root. There is a simple list of rules to follow when and if someone wants to compete for the bounty. Obviously you have to be the first to discover and post the root method, but past that the root exploit also has to work, and you have to provide full documented proof via photos with step by step instructions on how to complete the root. After someone follows your instructions and confirms that the method works, you can collect your bounty. Feel like you’ve got what it takes to provide the users with what they want? head over to the XDA thread and get yourself acquainted, then get to work.