Android smartphone maker OnePlus has unveiled an official alpha release for the installation of the company's own Android 5.0 Lollipop ROM on its flagship OnePlus One smartphone.
OnePlus previously had a partnership with Cyanogen, with the smartphone maker using Cyanogen's custom Android firmware, or ROM, in its products. However, OnePlus recently found that they wouldn't be able to sell the OnePlus One to India because of the exclusive partnership signed between Cyanogen and rival smartphone company Micromax.
The OnePlus One was then banned in India to honor the Cyanogen-Micromax deal, but the ban was eventually lifted to allow the smartphone to enter the Indian market.
After the whole debacle, OnePlus decided to form a team of software developers to create the company's own, independent ROM, though the name of the product has not yet been revealed as the company held a contest for the name of its custom ROM.
According to OnePlus, the Android Lollipop alpha custom ROM is an early version of the company's own custom ROM, with the build containing no extra features beyond the base Android 5.0 Lollipop. The company, however, added that it will continue to build upon, customize and improve the ROM to stabilize its core functions.
OnePlus detailed through a page on its website on how users can install the Android Lollipop alpha custom ROM on their OnePlus One smartphones, though with a warning that users that choose to do so should proceed at their own risk. OnePlus covers flashing custom ROMS under warranty, but the issues that result from doing so are not covered.
Users are required to have backup utility app TWRP Recovery installed on their devices before proceeding with installing the custom ROM. This will be the utility that users will be using to do a factory reset on their smartphones, so users should back up all their files first before proceeding with the installation. TWRP Recovery is also the same utility that will be used to install the custom ROM.
OnePlus stated that there are several known issues with the alpha version of the custom ROM, as should be expected in early versions of software. Such issues include data roaming being on by default, instability in the phone's camera and video functions, a periodically crashing clock and unstable Wi-Fi connections.
The alpha version is a long way from being ready for the general public, and users that choose to install it early on could do so to help OnePlus track known bugs in the software. Users that are anticipating the release to the general public of the custom ROM by One Plus may have to wait a few months before the software is ready.
