I am not the creator of this image, and do not own any rights to it. Credit goes to owner of image.
Android is an amazing mobile operating system, but many times phone carriers load up the devices operating this system with unnecessary programs and features. Even worse, when it comes time to update or fix a bug with the firmware, these carriers can be painfully slow to push out a stable fix or update. I have had many occasions where my cellphone carrier had released an update that broke a feature on my phone or left me waiting for a day that the torment of not having the new updated features would come to an end. I would wait months and months to finally get an update or realize that one would not come at all. Fortunately there is always an alternative.
One of the things that makes Android such an awesome operating system is the fact that its source code is open to the community. This means that people with the skills and know how can edit the operating systems to make amazing and wonderful features of their own and get rid of the blight of waiting for updates, bug fixes, and unnecessary “bloat-ware” hogging up system resources on their devices. Some of these developers are even nice enough to package their custom firmwares and ROMs and freely allow others to use them for their own devices. With such a massive community of developers, it is easy to get the newest and greatest features and updates for just about any smart phone, even the ones that weren’t running an Android operating system originally.
Now, as easy as it is to get ROMs and custom firmwares on your device, there are still some risks involved with the process. One should make sure they are following the proper directions for their device and custom ROM to avoid damaging, bricking (the term used when an electronic device becomes no more useful than a paperweight), or voiding any warranty one may have with their carrier. With that being said, the benefits typically outweigh the risks and anything negative that does happen can usually be undone by restoring the original firmware or factory settings.
With so many guides and how-to’s online, I encourage anyone who is wanting more out of their device to check out what’s out there and maybe even experiment a little, so long as you feel you can follow the directions provided and handle the risks associated with what you are doing. Should anyone need any help, there are many forums available to the community that are friendly to new and experienced users alike.
If you are interested in unlocking the full potential of your device, try some of the following links and test the waters.
http://www.xda-developers.com/ (amazing community of developers and enthusiasts with a very wide info base that spans almost every device and customization for them out there)
http://www.androidcentral.com/ (another great resource with some useful information. Go to http://www.androidcentral.com/rooting-it-me-some-qa to get some more info on whether or not this is for you and the risks involved)
http://www.youtube.com/ (great for finding video tutorials to follow)
http://www.androidrooting.com/ (excellent instructions on rooting any phone to unlock the potential of any smart phone)
If you have any questions or comments feel free to ask or respond.
The Cyber Owl 