This comment will be probably be unpopular but I think that root access is overrated. Not that it isn't useful in the appropriate hands, just that people make it out to be more than it really is. Like it is some magic wand that grants wishes.
The fact is that there will always be gatekeepers, whether it be the OS maker, the firmware maker, or the chip makers -- root be damned. You'll never have true ownership of your device unless you created, understand, and own those three parts. Maybe I'm stating the obvious but, I think that phone OEMs and OS makers would do better to focus on making more function available that don't require root access. You shouldn't need root to install a tethering app or be able to uninstall some shitware that comes pre-installed by the phone carrier.
The fact is that there will always be gatekeepers, whether it be the OS maker, the firmware maker, or the chip makers -- root be damned. You'll never have true ownership of your device unless you created, understand, and own those three parts. Maybe I'm stating the obvious but, I think that phone OEMs and OS makers would do better to focus on making more function available that don't require root access. You shouldn't need root to install a tethering app or be able to uninstall some shitware that comes pre-installed by the phone carrier.