Hello!
Today I would like to touch upon such an issue as official and unofficial software updates for a smartphone, as well as the need for custom firmware.
Updates are everything
By purchasing a modern smartphone or tablet, the buyer can count on software updates for a certain period after the release of the device.
This period may vary significantly for different operating systems. For example, Apple has been updating its devices over a fairly long period of time, and the convenience is that when the next update is released, different gadgets of the company receive it at the same time. This is easy to explain – only the company itself and no one else has the right to develop and install an operating system for devices Apple. And the lineup of these same devices is very small. For the ecosystem Android, things are a little more complicated. A huge number of manufacturers, as well as a very wide range of devices using Android makes it impossible to release simultaneous updates for different devices. That is why updating devices based on Android is the task of the manufacturer of this device.
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Google, as the owner of the operating system Android, is trying to somehow streamline this process by obliging manufacturers to update their devices for at least 18 months from the date of release. Not a lot, but at least something. At the same time, the Nexus and Pixel series devices from Google itself receive updates for a longer period.
Not like everyone else
When buying a new smartphone, the vast majority of consumers do not think about the presence or absence of software updates for the purchased device. For the bulk of consumers, this is not important, since it is outside the zone of their main interests and does not affect the quality of life here and now. However, there is a layer of enthusiasts for which this parameter is almost fundamental when choosing a new smartphone. Such enthusiasts are usually called GIKs.
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Often, it is GIKs that are the main audience for resources and all kinds of forums devoted to modern technologies. They argue which operating system is the best for a smartphone, flash and reflash their devices in search of that very ideal combination of functionality, flexibility, speed and energy efficiency. Often, on the same forums, whole battles are unleashed on several pages between supporters of a particular firmware or modification.
At first glance, you might think that this is all pampering and a way to take your time, or just adult toys. In some ways, this is true, but one should not forget that among the audience of forums and sites dedicated to gadgets, there are many very talented and motivated programmers who create the very versions of 'custom' firmware and modifications, around which then passions rage. One of the most famous representatives of this category of people is a certain Stephen Kondik. It was he, together with a group of the same enthusiasts, who created perhaps the most famous modification Android called CyanogenMod.
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Due to the openness of the operating system, apart from Cyanogen, there are many well-known and popular projects for Android, such as AOSP, AOKP and others.
You can often hear that, for example, Cyanogen or AOSP, this is an operating system. I still think this name is not entirely correct, as Cyanogen and other similar projects are based on open source code Android, which means they are not independent operating systems, but just modifications.
Are you checkered, or should you go?
But what is it all for? Why is this needed? Those who do this know the answer very well. Such modifications are necessary in order to change the appearance, increase functionality, expand capabilities, customize the system for yourself and get exactly the device that you need.
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Sometimes the meaning of such manipulations is purely cosmetic, for example, to get an interface from the flagship for an inexpensive, simpler device, and sometimes it is an urgent need in order to correct the flaws and optimization errors made by the device manufacturer.
And a modified firmware is often a forced measure in order to fight the greed of a manufacturer who did not want to release updates for a seemingly still actual device, which means that it deprived this device of a useful function that appeared in later versions of the operating system.
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A good example of a practical modification is the Viper or Vodosound driver packages created by enthusiasts for audio chips and DACs from various manufacturers. Installing such modifications can significantly improve the sound quality of the phone.
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Such modifications are especially relevant for devices from manufacturers that use modern hardware and are not involved at the software level. In such cases, enthusiasts come to the rescue, who do not want to put up with this state of affairs.
A wide range of
The number of third-party firmwares, as well as their variety, depends primarily on the popularity of the device and its openness for firmware. For the most popular models, there is a huge variety of mods, firmwares, upgrades and modifications. For less popular models, this variety is the exception to the rule rather than the norm.
There are record holders in this area, such as HTC HD2. This model went on sale back in 2009, and worked on the basis of the operating system Windows Mobile 6.5. Pro. Subsequently, a way was found to install the OS on this model Android, and then regularly release updates. This was done not by the manufacturer, but by those very enthusiasts, passionate people. At the moment for HTC HD2 there is just a huge number of firmwares and modifications, including a fully functional version Android 6!
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In this connection, it is strange to hear from the official representatives of some manufacturers the words that they are not going to update the software of the devices due to power limitations.
To sew or not to sew, that is the question
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All my smartphones sooner or later became the object of software modification. I have flashed each of my smartphones more than a dozen times. Sometimes, in search of the perfect interface, functionality, power consumption, and sometimes just as an experiment. During this time, the only irretrievably killed tablet was the Xoom tablet Motorola from the Verizon operator.
On their (and not only) smartphones, various firmware have been tested, including Miui and Cyanogen, and AOSP, and of course modified stock firmware. Each of these firmwares has its own pros and cons.
For myself, I concluded that:
Cyanogen is a very high speed of work and no freezes, but at the same time, the quality of photo / video shooting and increased power consumption due to the peculiarities of the core.
Miui is a flexibly configurable interface and an unusual appearance, but at the same time, sooner or later, certain wireless interfaces crash, as well as hangs in seemingly trivial tasks.
AOSP is clean and nimble Android, as it supposedly should be, which means that you need to install additional mods to expand the functionality.
In fact, this list can be continued for a very long time.
Risks
In addition to the advantages, the firmware of the device carries the risks of losing this very device, turning it into a useless piece of plastic, called a 'brick' on the forums.
Some devices allow, after an unsuccessful firmware, to restore the device's performance by flashing the official firmware from scratch. With others, there is no such possibility. And often this line is very thin. Whether the new 'whistles' are worth the risks and whether it is possible to do without it, everyone decides for himself.
When flashing, it is necessary to take into account a lot of factors, such as the version of the bootloader, the ability to unlock it, features of regional versions and modifications, the possibility of downgrading the firmware. Also, often installing a modified firmware means giving up some functions and services that refuse to work if there are modifications in the system. Moreover, sometimes the ability to use is lost forever. The most recent example of such a limitation is the work of the Samsung Pay service on the latest devices of the company, which stops working after obtaining root access, which is necessary for the firmware of modified versions of the software.
In addition, the possible uselessness of such manipulations can be recorded in the risks of the firmware. The point is when after the firmware the device starts to work not better, but worse, and then you have to return the previous version of the firmware, which is not always possible.
Conclusion
From my own experience, I can say that I have come a long way from an enthusiastic fan of flashing a phone simply because it can be done, to a practical user who weighs each subsequent step and uses third-party firmware and modifications only if it actually changes the device qualitatively and at the same time, the stability and quality of all other functions will not suffer, or when there is no other way out to make the device work fully.
The most recent example is the Galaxy S3 firmware for mom, version Android 4.4.4. (ported stock from Samsung Galaxy Note 4) in order to be able to connect a fitness bracelet Xiaomi Mi Band 1S to it.
Image taken from xda-developers.com
And once I caught myself thinking that three or four years ago it seemed to me, if not seditious, then close to this – if we are talking about devices from large manufacturers, then the best firmware is official, stock.
In this regard, I have a question for you, dear readers – have you ever flashed your devices? Do you think it's worth doing, or is it pampering and fun for a handful of enthusiasts?