For many of us, half the fun of having an Android phone is running a customized version of the OS on our phones. OK, more than half. Custom ROMs can offer a very different experience from what the manufacturer intended, and often times it's like having a new phone to play with. This week, Android Central forums moderator terpitude71 is going to have a look at the ApeX 1.4 ROM as running on his Droid X. Kick back, and head past the break to have a read. Thanks Brad!
ROM Review: ApeX 1.4 for Droid X and Droid 2
If you own a Droid X or Droid 2, you know the custom ROM scene can be a little lacking compared to other devices, thanks to Motorola locking down the bootloaders on their more recent smartphones. However, there are a few ROM makers out there dedicated to providing a custom experience on our Motorola devices. Fabolous, with his ApeX rom, is one of the best. Apex offers a mix of speed and customization that makes an already awesome phone even more fun to use.
One of the more polarizing elements of the Motorola Android phones is the Motoblur UI. Those that prefer a stock Android experience despise it, whereas some (myself included) actually quite like some of the custom widgets and applications that Motoblur provides. One of the best features of ApeX is that it allows you to control how much blur you want on your device. On previous versions of ApeX, you were able to add and remove these blur apps by running scripts through Terminal Emulator, which comes pre-installed on the rom. The new 1.4 update to ApeX makes this process even easier with the ApeX Toolbox. Dislike the Motoblur gallery app and would rather have the AOSP 3D gallery? All it takes it a few quick menu choices to switch them out. The same goes for the messaging app, car dock app, and more. You can even quickly and easily make some quick theme tweaks, such as removing the clock from your notification bar. ApeX even includes an option to install the recently leaked Connected music player that will appear in the updated Motoblur on the Atrix and Bionic. The Toolbox feature allows ApeX to be as AOSP or Blurred as you want it to be.
The Droid X and Droid 2 are fast phones to begin with. By optimizing and zip aligning the framework and stock apps, ApeX makes your X/D2 feel even faster. This ROM really flies. If you feel the need to speed things up even more, ApeX has jrummy’s overclocking script pre-installed. All of this comes without sacrificing battery life; even without overclocking, I have found that my battery actually lasts longer on ApeX than it did on stock. There are a few tweaks included that give ApeX some unique flair, like custom transition animations. You also get a default theme based on the Gingerbread SDK, which is very slick. If the green and black Gingerbread theme is not your style, then there are several other themes available to download.
ApeX has even more features besides what was mentioned above. Check it out in the ApeX thread right here in the Android Central forums. ApeX stands out as one of the best custom ROMs available for the Droid X and Droid 2. Whether you are a previous ApeX user, or are new to custom ROMs, I highly recommend giving ApeX 1.4 a whirl. You can download the ROM from the above mentioned thread. Installing is super easy. Just toss the .zip file on your SD card and flash with Rom Manager (you must have Koush’s Droid X/2 Bootstrapper and Clockwork recovery installed first).
