- Best overall
- Best flagship
Best overall
OnePlus 5T
See at OnePlus
OnePlus phones have been fan favorites among Android enthusiasts since the company was started because they’re cheap and run well. The 5T is no exception.
OnePlus makes it easy to unlock the bootloader and install alternative software, and the relatively low price will make for a large development community. A strange positive is that issues with the factory software mean that more people are interested in modding the OnePlus 5T, which makes a large community even larger.
If you are looking to spend some money on a phone just so you can hack away at it, the OnePlus 5T is worth looking at.
Bottom line: High-end specs and a budget price make the OnePlus 5T a great phone. Easy modifications and a large community also make it an excellent choice for rooting and modding.
One more thing: If you are holding onto an older OnePlus device, like the OnePlus 3 or 5, there are already plenty of custom ROMs available.
Why best
The OnePlus 5T is open and affordable.
OnePlus phones all share one common trait — they are easy to root and mod the software. The reason we think the OnePlus 5T is the best is that the low price also means the community is huge.
When you want to go with custom software the best thing you can have is a large group of people that act as a support channel. The OnePlus 5T’s low price also makes it a great phone to get if you’re looking for a second device to play around with while you use your primary phone to hold all your personal data without compromising its security.
Whether you’re new to phone modding or an old hat, we can’t help but recommend the OnePlus 5T as the best phone to do any of it.
The flagship option
Google Pixel 2
See at Verizon
See at Best Buy
See at Google Store
See ta Project Fi
While the standard Pixel 2 is the cheaper of the two options, it’s still not a phone anyone would consider inexpensive. But it’s still an excellent phone if you want to customize your software.
The Pixel 2 is packed with a Snapdragon 835 processor and 4GB of RAM. It’s available with up to 128GB of storage space. The thing simply flies, even without any tinkering. But because it’s a phone from Google, you’re able to unlock the software and do just about anything to it, all the while having a path back to “normal” in the form of factory software.
Bottom line: If you’re looking to mod the very best, the Google Pixel 2 is it.
One more thing: Unlocking the bootloader and installing other software doesn’t automatically void the warranty!.
Conclusion
You can root and mod almost every Android phone. We tend to focus on the ones you can’t because they are outliers. But being able to do it through an exploit or other sometimes difficult process isn’t ideal.
If you’re looking ahead and know you’ll want to change something on your next phone that requires custom software or root access, these phones are the best options.
Best overall
OnePlus 5T
See at OnePlus
OnePlus phones have been fan favorites among Android enthusiasts since the company was started because they’re cheap and run well. The 5T is no exception.
OnePlus makes it easy to unlock the bootloader and install alternative software, and the relatively low price will make for a large development community. A strange positive is that issues with the factory software mean that more people are interested in modding the OnePlus 5T, which makes a large community even larger.
If you are looking to spend some money on a phone just so you can hack away at it, the OnePlus 5T is worth looking at.
Bottom line: High-end specs and a budget price make the OnePlus 5T a great phone. Easy modifications and a large community also make it an excellent choice for rooting and modding.
One more thing: If you are holding onto an older OnePlus device, like the OnePlus 3 or 5, there are already plenty of custom ROMs available.
Updated November 2017: Moved OnePlus 5T to the top spot and added the Pixel 2 as the flagship option. Goodbye, Nexus 5X, we’ll miss you and your $200 price.
