7 Best Firmware for Android Phone

The advantage of Android is that it is an open-source operating system, which makes it possible to develop custom OS builds, or firmware, based on its source code. They keep the OS running and add new features. The main reason for their appearance is that companies refuse to update their devices 2-3 years after their launch. Third-party firmware speeds up the work of outdated smartphones and tablets, expands functionality, and protects against malware.

Good firmware can be immediately recognized by an active community and user support, unlike many official OS. Smartphones become outdated very quickly, manufacturers stop supporting them, and you have to buy a new generation smartphone. Another reason is that the functions of the standard operating system can be limited. Read the article to the end and learn about the best firmware for Android.

Update: This post was written in 2019 and updated in February 2023. 4 years ago there were 12 firmwares here, but to this day only a few firmwares are still "alive". Many have not been updated for 5 years, which means they are morally obsolete and have been removed from the list.

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LineageOS

Firmware LineageOS started its existence as CyanogenMod. In the fall of 2016, Cyanogen Inc. announced that it was ceasing development and closing this direction. But the developer community kept the project alive, changing the name to Lineages.

Lineage has a compact launcher, a full-featured camera app, several pre-installed apps (that don't take up much memory), different volume profiles. And most importantly, Lineage makes old smartphones fast again.

Built on top of Google's AOSP code and adding its own custom code to it, LineageOS works as a standalone OS, officially supporting over 160 smartphone models from Samsung, HTC, Motorola, LG, Xiaomi, OnePlus and more. It has the largest developer team.

The OS includes features that go beyond customizing the notification bar, changing the overall theme, editing the navigation bar, etc. Google's AOSP is the skeleton, LineageOS helps it build muscle.

Paranoid Android

Paranoid Android — one of the recognized firmware. The team of developers brings everything to perfection with minimal use of the smartphone's computing resources. There are few options and settings compared to other firmware, but there is a unique hover mode: viewing and interacting with notifications from any screen (later integrated into AOSP as part of Heads-up notifications). The developers' non-standard approach to improvement has already allowed Google to transfer several of its options to its devices.

In the summer of 2016, updates for Paranoid stopped rolling out. Since June 2017, they have started rolling out again, with the developers promising to release them more frequently. After the break, this firmware is better than ever, officially supporting Nougat and Oreo 8.0 on Nexus, Pixel, OnePlus, Sony, Oppo, and other devices. Compared to LineageOS, Paranoid offers a simpler OS update.

FlymeOS

Those who are not interested in technological innovations from China are most likely unaware of the existence of FlymeOS. In fact, it is an official OS, installed on a number of Meizu smartphones. Initially developed for Meizu, the project was adapted for other OEM devices.

FlymeOS is a direct competitor to MIUI, but the interface is almost identical. The built-in set of tools is unique: a compass, a ruler, settings switches directly from the main menu, and others. This operating system has its own Security Center, which provides support for FlymeOS.

Finally, this build comes with the mBack key. If you are tired of the Android look and feel, and MIUI looks too simple for you, FlymeOS might be for you. It officially supports Marshmallow, but just a couple of weeks ago a build with Nougat appeared. The project is developing gradually, but it is there, so you can be sure of its future.

Resurrection Remix

Developers' Philosophy Resurrection Remix is to offer the maximum number of functions available to the user. The operating system is based on AOSP, some SlimRoms and Paranoid Android features.

Most developers fill the software with standard functions and a couple of new ones, while the creators of RR add almost everything that can be offered to their firmware. This, of course, has its price: the system becomes quite heavy and more demanding of system resources, bugs periodically appear. In our test, conducted in January 2018, not a single application could be installed from the Play Store (error 963).

RR works on all major devices from Samsung, HTC, LG, Moto, Lenovo, Huawei, OnePlus and more. And soon there will be a software version that will support Android Oreo 8.0.

Carbon ROM

This build is very popular. At first launch it is difficult to detect any fundamental differences from the standard Android. But after using it for several days you can see all the charms and experience the true beauty Carbon ROM.

A large number of mods for the system, notification lines, buttons, signals, and other options have been added. At the same time, Carbon ROM does not lag behind RR in the race for the maximum possible settings. Those who have been using this build for a long time rarely switch to another: the interface is simple, there are additional functions, and the stability is high.

CarbonROM works on many devices: Samsung, HTC, LG. With Android Oreo 8.0 support, the problem will be solved soon.

SlimRoms

U SlimRoms — the lightest, minimal firmware based on the AOSP code, but containing a number of useful settings. This is a stripped-down version of Android with a convenient selection of Google Play services. The user decides which of them to add to the operating system; changes the resolution of fonts, icons, making them as small as necessary.

Slim Recents and Simple display recently used apps in the sidebar, meaning they won't take up the entire screen like on the official Android version. Navbar works well in standby mode. Other SlimRoms OS features can change the dialer interface, create tiles and lock screen shortcuts, and set protection for certain apps.

SlimRoms is available on all major phone models: Google, LG, HTC, Moto, Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus. However, the last release was back in February 2018.

ViperOS

ViperOS — another build based on AOSP Gerrit, but with its own custom mods. You may not have heard of it, as it is a relatively new project. The software appeared after the launch of Android Nougat 7.1, it is reliable and stable. There is no way to customize your own interface, but there is a balance between battery and performance.

For Android Oreo 8.0, the developers have recently updated the source code. We think that Vipers is a near-perfect build with a few extra features and long battery life. The list of supported devices is still small, but the developers claim that this firmware will work with all major smartphone manufacturers.