First release candidate is ready for download

Jul 27, 2010 13:49 GMT  ·  By

Cyanogen, the pioneer in Android ROM development, has just released the first release candidate of their CyanogenMod 6. The unofficial ROM brings an enhanced Android 2.2 version for HTC Desire owners. Previous ROMs, developed by the same team, were targeting devices such as G1, Magic and Nexus One.

After a few weeks of work, the new CynanogenMod 6 ROM is now available for download and promises a huge number of features and improvements that are not included in the original Android 2.2 OS (Froyo), neither in any other unofficial ROMs found on the scene. Among these enhancements we find support for 720p HD video recording with H.264 encoding, FLAC playback, support for OpenVPN, and Linux Kernel 2.6.34.1.

The key features of CynanogenMod 6 RC1 include:

Linux Kernel 2.6.34.1; High Definition 720p video recording (MPEG4, H.263 and H.264 encodings); Deskclock enhancements; ADWLauncher 1.0.1; Music application enhancements; MMS enhancements; Improved phone and Contacts apps; Support for FLAC playback; Lockscreen improvements (custom message); Support for OpenVPN; Battery percentage display; Support for compcache, JIT, and adjustable VM heap size; Customizable Nexus One LiveWallpapers; Trackball wake and unlock, Menu unlock; Surfaceflinger night mode and effects; Browser fullscreen mode and extra settings (i.e. incognito mode); Extra accelerometer settings (90, 180, 270 degrees rotations); Long press volume buttons to skip songs; Support for Bluetooth HID; Mobile data toggle for power widget;

Before installing the unofficial ROM bear in mind that this only works with a rooted device and radio 5.09.00.08. Any other radio version will most likely result in features and functions not working (i.e. camera).

We've managed to test the CyanogenMod 6 RC1 ROM on a rooted HTC Desire with the required radio and we can confirm that most of the features work flawlessly. We've been impressed by the multitude of extra settings provided by the ROM, as well as the performance of the device overall.

Check out the screenshots below to see some of the above mentioned features and settings.

CyanogenMod 6 RC1 is also available for HTC EVO 4G, Motorola Droid, HTC Hero (CDMA/GSM), and soon for Samsung Galaxy S. The unofficial, but now legal, ROM for HTC Desire is available for download here.

Photo Gallery (23 Images)

HTC Desire home screen
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