“Multi-device ROMs represent the best
starting point for the new user”
The other issue that you should be aware of
is that a rooted phone will no longer receive over-the-air updates from the
manufacturer. Since custom ROMs based on the updated version will be available
almost instantly, however, this won't inconvenience you.
A new ROM can change the look
So you're ready to flash your ROM. The
question now is where you find them, and which one should you choosing. ROMs
are generally split into two groups. There are those based on AOSP (the Android
Open Source Project) and present a 'pure' version of the Android experience;
and there are those that are device specific, based on the device's own ROM,
but tuned or streamlined for a particular purpose.
Using an HTC phone as an example, the first
kind of ROM here would remove the HTC Sense U1 and all of its software and
widgets, while the second would keep Sense but maybe remove some of the extra
apps, or perhaps bring over some of the features of a new version of Sense to
an older HTC device. This is crucial to your choice of ROM: do you want to keep
and enhance the existing software on your phone, or do you want to remove it
altogether?
As a general rule, replacing the
manufacturer's software with a Vanilla version of Android delivers a noticeable
speed boost, but you should remember that it can cost you a few features as
well. The camera app in the HTC One series, for instance, is regarded as the
best camera software in any phone, but you will no longer have it if you remove
HTC Sense. It's likely that you'll find yourself trying several ROMs before you
settle on one that you are most happy with.
Using
an HTC phone as an example, the first kind of ROM here would remove the HTC
Sense U1 all of its software and widgets
There are many sources online for ROMs. The
forums at xda-developers.com are the primary source, with sections dedicated to
virtually every handset. Most ROMs are designed for specific handsets, but
there are a few that are widely available for multiple devices, including
CyanogenMod, AOKP and MIUI, and if you choose those you'll find websites
specific to their development (and community forums providing support).
These multi-device ROMs represent the best
starting point for the new user, and also the best place to go for a day-to-day
ROM that you can install and then largely forget about. They have the largest
user base and usually deliver the best balance between performance and
stability. CyanogenMod, Oxygen and AOKP (Android Open Kang Project) are stock
Android builds that are largely stripped back in terms of apps and features,
but have large numbers of options for those that want to configure and tweak
their phones. Modaco Custom ROMs (MCR) are based on a device's official ROM -
so you'd keep Sense on an HTC device, or TouchWiz on a Samsung one - but are
tweaked and optimized for best performance. Through the forum at www.modaco.com
you can also customize which apps are included.
Another major ROM suitable for general day-to-day
use is MIU1. This represents a significant departure from the normal look and
feel of Android, with completely redesigned icons (and support for skinning)
and even the removal of the traditional home screens and apps panel paradigm,
replacing it with a series of home screens onto which all your stuff goes, much
like on an iPhone. It's a very popular ROM, but one that tends to polarize
opinion among those that try it.
Android
Open Kang Project
If you're looking for a ROM for a
particular purpose you'll need to investigate those that are built for your
specific model of phone. The main things you'll be looking to add are improved
speed, longer battery life, or additional apps.
Thanks to the rise in popularity of
benchmarking software, speedy ROMs are very common, as developers look to
deliver faster performance than their peers. Some will be overclocked, meaning
that the processor will be set to run at a faster speed than was originally
intended. This has an instant adverse impact on battery life, and will also
likely cause the phone to heat up more than it would, which can be the cause of
other potential problems.
For extending battery life you're likely to
get better results from a new kernel than from a ROM. The kernel is a program
that controls the interaction between hardware and software, and so can control
things like how much power a phone will use to maintain a connection to a 3G
network. A more power-efficient kernel can produce a noticeable improvement in
battery life.
Some ROMs will express compatibility with
certain kernels, and you can also check the feedback for the ROM you're using
to see which kernels others have got. Flashing a kernel uses the same process
as flashing a ROM, and there is even a ROM manager-style app, called Kernel Manager
that simplifies the procedure even more. The risk is slightly greater when
flashing a new kernel than when flashing a ROM, so it's generally not something
you should do until you're confident about the entire process.
The other key benefit that you can get from
hacking your phone is the addition of new features, and new apps. Often this is
quite simple, such as adding newer versions of some of the built-in apps like
Google Maps or Gmail without needing to update manually.
More interesting are the cases where the
real power of the smartphone is enhanced. A good recent example is a mod for
the HTC One X that doubles the bitrate of the video its camera shoots, enabling
you to shoot footage at 2ombps, a significant improvement. Because the mod
(which can be found at: http://bit.ly/KWuk3k) updates a system app, it needs to
be flashed in the same way as you would flash a new ROM, so the usual
precautions still apply.
Other mods you might want to try include
removing the menu bar from the One X (found at: http://bit.ly/MY4vpI); adding
new features to the Sony Xperia S camera app (http://bit.ly/JNaYEg) or even
something as basic as adding a comma to the main screen of the Galaxy S II
keyboard (http://bit.ly/KTntvq). As always check out the xda forum for your phone.
There's a Themes and Apps sub-forum for most devices, and a search using the
term [MOD] (complete with square brackets) will reveal untold treasures.
Unlike any other platform, where your phone
stays the same from the day you take it out of the box to the day you throw it
in your bottom drawer and upgrade, buying an Android smartphone is really only
the start. Over the course of your device's two-year life span you can mold it
into numerous shapes add features, upgrade the OS, and make it run faster, or slower,
or for longer. With the right choice of ROMs and mods the possibilities are
almost endless.
