One thing that makes Android a joy to have on your handset is the ability to play around with the experience of the system. This is made possible through rooting, but it can only work when the phone in question has an unlocked bootloader.
All phones that come as unlocked variants usually have their bootloader open to rooting activities, however, the story is not the same when a phone is locked to a carrier, for instance. The recently launched Google Pixel and Pixel XL phones are two devices in huge demand as at the time of this writing. However, one question that many have been asking is whether they will be able to root the phone in order to play around with the factory experience of the phone in a bid to customize it.
Well, Google has an answer for you and it confirms that the Pixel and Pixel XL will indeed be open to rooting. However, there is a catch. As you probably know, the two phones will be sold via Verizon Wireless. Apparently, this version will come with a locked bootloader, meaning that users will not be able to root it and install custom ROMs and such stuff.
However, if you want a Google Pixel or Pixel XL that you can root and install other ROMs to offer customized experiences, you should go for the Google Store version, which comes with an unlockable bootloader. This is good news for those who love tweaking their handsets, but there is always a price to pay. When a device has been rooted, the system partitions are modified and as such, it will not be possible to receive OTA updates.
One good thing that Google Pixel and Pixel XL have over other Android devices is that access to timely software updates, however, you will be denying yourself this chance by rooting your phone. So, be careful before making the decision to go down this road.