This week's ROM Review brings two Android staples together -- the HTC Droid Incredible and CyanogenMod. These two go together like peanut butter and jelly -- each makes a good thing better. And it's a great way to get some Gingerbread on your DInc.
Android Central forums' super moderator and self-proclaimed VP of Entertainment Brett took the time to give us the run-down this time around, and you can read his review after the break. Thanks Brett!
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When it comes to the Droid Incredible or any HTC Android device, Sense UI is one of the key reasons many users love it. It has many great standout features and customization options (if you are rooted) that make it hard to even consider flashing a vanilla version of Android. After only a few weeks of owning my Dinc (coming from an OG Droid) I didn’t think I would ever move away from Sense unless I had to
Then Gingerbread was released by the CyanogenMod Team, being the first group of developers to put out a solid and stable build for the masses (before any OEM release, might I add). I wanted to try it out but was not planning on keeping it for more than a few hours. In the past I was never a huge fan of CyanogenMod ROMs because for some reason it would never run correctly on my Droid. Well, it has been over a month and I have not flashed anything other than the newest CM7 nightlies and I am currently running RC1. CM7 is hands down the fastest and most functional ROM I have ever flashed on my Dinc.
Let me start this off by saying that even though this is a review directed towards the DInc, almost all of what I am going to discuss can be said for almost every device that has an official port from the CyanogenMod Team. Don’t worry if you are reading this review but are currently using a different device, many (if not all) of these great features are available on other device specific ports. So lets get started.
A big part of CM7 that sets itself apart from many other roms is its customization options. You are able to customize so many different things within the CyanogenMod settings and almost all of them with ease. You can change the power controls that are located in the notification dropdown, switch the lock screen with one of the pre-loaded alternatives (including one that seems to be inspired by Sense), enable your DInc to wake up by just pressing the optical track pad and as many other things.
Another one of CM7’s standout features is the ability to change your themes through its very own app called Theme Chooser. Initially when you open the application you will notice 3 choices of themes to choose from. These themes include a stock version called 'System,' a Cyanogen themed version called 'Cyanbread' and a slightly altered version of the stock version called 'Androidian.' All it takes is a quick selection of the theme you want and you are done. No need to wipe caches or flash anything through the recovery when changing the overall look of your theme. Quick, simple and unlike anything I have ever seen.
Now, when you are picking a ROM to flash you always want to find one that will perform well without experiencing any lag, overheating of your CPU and doesn’t have a problem with randomly rebooting your device. CM7 is no slouch in this area with it’s almost seamless transition between different apps all without any need to over clock your cpu and possibly overheating your phone. It is able to keep up with the best of them without the rapid drain on your battery and straining it’s resources. Even when using Sense I would experience some overheating (without over clocking) and things would lag within an app causing the occasional freeze/force close. I am not saying I have not experienced any lag or apps freezing but it seems to be happen far less frequently than when I was using Sense based ROMs.
I can truly say that I am completely satisfied with this ROM and have not found any reason to switch to a different ROM. I was used to flashing a new ROM every few days, so this says a lot about CM7. If any of you ladies and gentlemen are ready to try something new, why not give CyanogenMod 7 a chance. Give it a full days use and I can almost guarantee that you will find yourself not wanting to switch back.
Oh, and I almost forgot. I have a gift for all of you guys who took the time to read through my very 1st rom review. You may notice a special icon that I have set for my app drawer button on my home screen. I didn’t create the image obviously but I did do some editing to it in order to make it work as an actual icon. You are going to need a launcher that has similar functions to ADW EX or Launcher Pro that will allow you to change what the icons on your home screen/dock look like. Hope you guys enjoyed this and maybe I’ll write another review in the near future.
Click here to download Brett's Lloyd launcher icon
