One of major reasons why smartphone enthusiasts opt for Android over other mobile OSes like iOS and Windows Phone 8 is because of Android’s relatively open nature. It allows users to customize every facet of their phone while iOS doesn’t, even with powerful theming systems like DreamBoard and WinterBoard in place. Android enthusiasts are often heard installing “Custom ROMs” on their devices; these modified versions of Android OS are cooked up by passionate and dedicated developers in their free time and we’ve mentioned some of the most popular ones after the break.
Elegant and professional looking WinterBoard and DreamBoard themes that dramatically change the look of iOS are hard to find. Much to the detriment of the reputation of the theming community, a lot of theme packages on Cydia look like they have been put together by someone using Microsoft Paint at the most basic level, but thankfully, not everyone has that amateur approach. As Steve Jobs famously once said: "Design is not just what it looks and feels like. Design is how it works" and you definitely get that feeling from the elegance of the just-updated Retina ready MIUI v5.
MIUI is one of the most popular aftermarket custom firmware (read: custom ROM) for Android. It is known for its distinct look, enhanced Gallery/Camera/Music/Dialer apps and powerful notifications drawer but is also known for not being available on a wider variety of devices (such as CyanogenMod, which supports 70+ devices).
Amazon’s $199 Kindle Fire is one of the best tablets money can buy for under $300. Besides offering tight integration with Amazon’s services and doubling as a great eBook reader, it is hacker-friendly: the device is rooted, has lots of great ROMs available and is heavily supported by a vibrant community of skilled developers. Earlier today, we received news of the official release of MIUI for Kindle Fire. The good news is that it is based on Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich and is pretty stable (for a ROM in Alpha state). Things like USB tethering, static wallpapers, hardware acceleration and themes don’t work, but they will be in the future. Check out our step-by-step guide after the jump!
MIUI (pronounced mee-yoo-eye) is one of the more popular custom ROMs for Android. It is known for its distinct looks, enhanced apps for Music/Gallery/Camera and, of course, the enhanced notifications drawer. MIUI is now available for the recently released Galaxy Nexus in the form of an unofficial alpha build that has most features working. Check it out after the jump!
After CyanogenMod, MIUI (me-yoo-eye) is one of the most popular custom ROMs for Android, and for good reason: not only does it have a distinct look, but it also comes with features like being able to customize its distinct looks, an enhanced notifications menu as well as unique Camera, Music and Gallery apps.
Itching for some MIUI action on your phone? Well, chances are you’ve already rooted your smartphone and have flashed the popular MIUI custom ROM. If, however, you can’t or won’t flash said custom ROM, you can always give one major part of it a try with this newly released MIUI-style launcher which works on all Android devices.
In an interview, a senior executive at Samsung Electronics has stated that the company seeks to expand their software reach. This statement, combined with Samsung’s recent hiring of Steve “Cyanogen” Kondik suggests that the electronics company may be looking to hire more devs from the vibrant Android hacking community.
The string of good news for Android continues! The first ever custom ROM-based OEM manufactured Android smartphone has been announced: it's called the Xiaomi M1 and it is based on the popular aftermarket custom firmware MIUI.
While we’ve already talked about how you can install CyanogenMod on the latest superphone from Samsung, the Galaxy S II. Well, today we’ll be guiding our dear readers on how they can flash another very popular custom ROM MIUI on the said smartphone.
