14 DAY TRIAL // Nokia X, the first handset that Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia unveiled to the world with the Android operating system loaded on top, has already seen its first custom ROM released online.
The handset was made official in February, during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, when Nokia announced that a forked version of the Android operating system was loaded on top of the phone.
One thing that the device does not have right from the start is support for Google Services, something that the aforementioned custom ROM for the device should resolve.
Based on the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean operating system, the aforementioned ROM comes from the guys over at XDA-Developers.
As PhoneArena notes, the software is based on code coming from Code Aurora, which includes the vanilla Android OS, along with enhancements and optimizations designed for the Qualcomm chipset.
According to the ROM’s developer, the build is stable enough to allow Nokia X owners to use it every day, though there are some things that do not work at the moment.
Among those who do work, we can count network connectivity, FM Radio, GPS receiver, camera, SIM, media playback, and location services.
What users might find difficult to do when running this software on their devices is to navigate around menus, given the fact that the phone comes with a single hardware button (though a version of the build with onscreen nav buttons included is already available for download).
Those who would like to load the aforementioned custom ROM on their Nokia X handsets will need to root it before that and will also have to flash a recovery tool on it. After loading the ROM, they will also need to flash Google's apps, in order to get services up and running.
For Android enthusiasts, this ROM will certainly seem very appealing, since it will expand the capabilities of the device way beyond what was available with it right from the start.
Nokia fans, however, will certainly choose to remain with the OS that was loaded on top of their smartphones right from the start, since it will provide them with access to Nokia’s own set of services, such as Nokia Store, MixRadio, and HERE Maps.
Those of you interested in learning more on what the new ROM should head over to this thread on the XDA-Developers Forum. Download links for the custom software, recoveries and other resources are available there as well.