Advantage Android is an open source operating system, which allows you to develop custom builds of the OS, or firmware based on its source code. They keep the OS up and running and add new features. The main reason for their appearance is the refusal of companies to update their devices 2-3 years after their launch. Third-party firmware speeds up the operation of outdated smartphones and tablets, expands functionality, and protects against malware..
Good firmware is immediately recognizable by its active community and user support, unlike many official operating systems. Smartphones become obsolete very quickly, manufacturers stop supporting them, and you have to buy a new generation smartphone. Another reason is that the functions of the standard operating system are limited. Read the rest of the article and find out about the best Android firmwares.
LineageOS
LineageOS firmware started out as CyanogenMod. Back in the fall of 2016, Cyanogen Inc. announced that it is stopping development and closing this direction. But the developer community kept the project alive by changing the name to Lineages..
Lineage has a compact launcher, a full-featured camera app, several pre-installed apps (which don't take up much memory space), and different volume profiles. And most importantly, Lineage makes old smartphones fast again.
Built on top of Google's AOSP code and adding its own custom code to it, LineageOS operates as a standalone OS, officially supporting over 160 smartphone models from Samsung, HTC, Motorola, LG, Xiaomi, OnePlus and other manufacturers. This project has the largest development team..
The OS includes functions that are not limited to customizing the notification bar, changing the general theme, editing the navigation bar, etc. Google's AOSP is a skeleton, LineageOS helps it build muscle.
Paranoid Android
Paranoid Android is one of the recognized firmwares. The development team brings everything to perfection with minimal use of the computing resources of the smartphone. There are few options and settings here compared to other firmwares, but there is a unique guidance mode: viewing and interacting with notifications from any screen (later it was integrated into AOSP as part of Heads-up notifications). The developers' non-standard approach to improvement has already allowed Google to transfer several of its options to their devices.
In the summer of 2016, the release of updates for Paranoid was discontinued. Since June 2017, they began to appear again, the developers promised to release them more often. After a hiatus, this firmware is better than ever, officially supporting Nougat and Oreo 8.0 on Nexus, Pixel, OnePlus, Sony, Oppo and more. Compared to LineageOS, Paranoid offers an easier OS upgrade.
MIUI
This is the most global project from Xiaomi mobile developer. MIUI is one of the biggest success stories of the past decade. Despite the fact that the stated basis is Google's Android OS, in fact it is a stand-alone firmware that uses only its shell.
MIUI can even be installed on iPhone. All applications are visible on the home screen, the interface is very bright. MIUI battery life is the highest to date. Although officially MIUI is only used on a few devices (Xiaomi, Huawei, Meizu, Oppo, Moto), it has been unofficially used on many other smartphones from well-known manufacturers.
FlymeOS
Those who are not interested in technological innovations from China are most likely unaware of the existence of FlymeOS . In fact, this is the official OS installed on a number of Meizu smartphones. Originally developed for Meizu, the project has been adapted for other OEM devices as well.
FlymeOS acts as a direct competitor to MIUI, but the interface is almost identical. The built-in set of tools is unique: a compass, a ruler, setting switches directly from the main menu, and others. This operating system has its own Security Center providing support for FlymeOS.
Finally, this assembly comes with an mBack key. If you're tired of the Android look and feel, and MIUI looks too simple for you, FlymeOS may be to your liking. It officially supports Marshmallow, but a build with Nougat came out just a couple of weeks ago. The development of the project is gradual, but it is there, so you can be sure of its future.
XOSP
The Sony Xperia line was a completely different version of Android that users loved. The video and sound quality was really great. The Xperia Open Source Project (OSP) has a number of useful settings and features to help you achieve the same high quality audio and video. Use Sony Walkman apps and enjoy your music. Although you can get the same result by combining Walkman with Viper4Android.
XOSP has stable versions for Marshmallow 6.x, Nougat 7.x, but not for Oreo 8.0 yet. It will only appear after Sony has officially announced its intention to release it.
Resurrection Remix
The philosophy of the developers of Resurrection Remix is to offer the maximum number of functions available to the user. The operating system is based on AOSP, some SlimRoms and Paranoid Android chips.
Most developers fill the software with standard functions and a couple of new ones, while the creators of RR add almost everything that can be offered to their firmware. This, of course, comes at a price: the system becomes quite heavy and more demanding on system resources, bugs periodically appear. In our January 2018 test, none of the apps were able to install from the Play Store (error 963).
RR works on all major devices Samsung, HTC, LG, Moto, Lenovo, Huawei, OnePlus and more. And soon there will be a software version that will support Android Oreo 8.0.
Dirty Unicorns
Dirty Unicorns is a remix version of Resurrection with many customization features. The increased stability of the firmware lies in the fact that Dirty Unicorns, like RR, combines various codes into one main project. But the Dirty Unicorns team is actually rewriting all the code from scratch to keep the system stable. For this reason, updates are delayed. They usually appear every two weeks.
Developers use their own DU-SmartBar and FlingBar. The former adds buttons to the navigation bar, the latter replaces the navigation bar with the ability to customize it according to personal preference.
Dirty Unicorns recently removed features from the OS that are rarely used in real life. As a result, the latest versions have become more stable: the system weight and system requirements have been reduced.
Dirty Unicorns currently supports Android Nougat 7.1.2, and Oreo 8.0 is expected to arrive in a couple of weeks. The build will work on all major devices: Samsung, Xiaomi, LG, OnePlus, Nexus, Pixel and so on.
AOSP Extended
As the name suggests, the AOSP Extended firmware is built directly from the AOSP source code and adds to it features that are presented in other projects. The firmware is stable and does not slow down, like the official version of Android, which lacks some features, such as the ability to change the notification bar, lock screen, etc. The navigation bar is the same as that of Dirty Unicorns. There are other useful features that go well with Google Android.
The AOSP Extended development team is very active, providing massive updates every month, usually in the first few days. The assembly has a high level of reliability. It rarely lags, and all found bugs are quickly fixed. Updates with improved protection are released regularly. As soon as the patches are released by Google, they are almost immediately available to owners of AOSP Extended.
The software supports many models, including LG, Xiaomi, Lenovo, HTC, Samsung and OnePlus.
Pure Nexus
Imagine that you were given the opportunity to change the operating system of your smartphone, add new functions to it, without affecting the system requirements. The Pure Nexus project has been around since the Nexus 4 was unveiled. It supports all Nexus and Pixel devices.
As a source code, the developers use AOSP, which is exclusive to the Google line and time-tested. The number of errors that occur in the system is minimal. The Pure Nexus firmware is officially only available for the Pixel and Nexus line, although it has been ported to other devices. It already has support for Android Oreo 8.0.
Carbon ROM
This assembly is very popular. When you start it for the first time, it is difficult to find any fundamental differences from the standard Android. But when used for several days, you can see all the charms and know the true beauty of Carbon ROM .
Added a large number of mods for the system, notification lines, buttons, signals, and other options. At the same time, Carbon ROM keeps up with the RR in the race for the highest possible settings. Those who have been using this assembly for a long time rarely switch to another: the interface is simple, there are additional functions, and the stability is high.
CarbonROM works on a variety of devices: Samsung, HTC, LG. With Android Oreo 8.0 support, the issue will be resolved shortly.
SlimRoms
In SlimRoms - the lightest, minimum firmware based on AOSP code, but contains a number of useful settings. It's a stripped-down version of Android with a handy selection of Google Play services. The user himself decides which of them to add to the operating system; himself changes the resolution of fonts, icons, making them as small as needed.
Slim Recents and Simple display the most recently used apps in the sidebar, which means they will not occupy the entire screen like on the official Android version. Navbar works well in standby mode. Other functions of SlimRoms OS can change the interface of the dialing window, create tiles and lock screen shortcuts, set protection for certain applications.
SlimRoms is available on all major phone models: Google, LG, HTC, Moto, Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus. However, the last release was back in February 2018.
ViperOS
ViperOS is another build based on AOSP Gerrit, but with its own custom mods. You may not have heard of it as it is a relatively new project. The software appeared after the launch of Android Nougat 7.1, it is reliable and stable. There is no way to customize your own interface, but there is a balance between battery and performance.
For Android Oreo 8.0, the developers have recently updated the source code. We think the Vipers is a near-perfect build with a few extra features and long battery life. The list of supported devices is still small, but the developers state that this firmware will work with all major smartphone manufacturers.