Which phones ship with manufacturer-provided root? I'd like to buy a phone that either ships with factory-installed su, or where the manufacturer provides official instructions/downloads for installing one. Do such phones exist?
If you buy a nexus phone, You get official instructions from Google on how to root the phone. I'd recommend you hold on a couple of months for the phone that will replace the nexus 4. I have had a nexus 4 for half a year and it's pretty good for the money I paid for it.