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Certain Android manufacturers do a good job of regularly supplying kernel source code, and Motorola is one of them. Nearly two months after the Moto Z Droid became available from Verizon, Motorola is now posting those files online.
Custom ROMs are fun. More than that, they offer ways to significantly extend the software life of phones. Manufacturer decides it no longer wants to support hardware? Hopefully someone out there will take up the mantle. But to do that, they need the kernel source code for a given device.
No, the 2nd gen Moto E LTE doesn't have Android Marshmallow in the US, but the spiffy little phone did get the update elsewhere. Now Motorola has posted the open source kernel files for said release onto GitHub.
When a manufacturer open sources the code that makes their device work, it's an occasion worth noting. This is one of the strengths of Android, the availability of files that enable developers and tinkerers to create software that can replace the firmware that our devices ship with. It's one of Android's differentiating factors compared to iOS and Windows Phone.
Last week Motorola released the code necessary for developers to dive into the underpinnings of the Android 6.0 update for the Moto X Pure Edition. Now the company is pushing out those files for last year's flagship, the 2014 Moto X. These follow the Android 5.1 code that hit GitHub in July.
The HTC One A9 is making its way to various parts of the globe, so now the company is pushing out open source kernel files. Over at the HTC developer center, you can find downloads for models released in Austria, Germany, Spain, Turkey, and Arabic-speaking nations.
Alright developers, it's time to start tinkering with the bits and bytes that make the Moto Maxx tick. Motorola has uploaded the kernel source files for the device. The goods are available on GitHub under the codename Quark, along with other devices Motorola has published files for in the past.
The first Android 5.1-based kernel Motorola released was for the LTE version of the 1st generation Moto G. This week it has released the source files for the less speedy 3G-only model, codenamed Falcon.
After pushing out over-the-air updates to Android 5.1 to AT&T and Sprint HTC One M9's here in the US, the manufacturer has now posted the open source kernel files. It has also shared fresh builds for the same phone in Taiwan. You can find them over at the HTC developer center. Downloads come in at over 500MB.
Fire OS is a solid operating system if all you need is the ability to consume Amazon content in various forms, but it just doesn't cut it for the nerdier stuff we pickier types get off on. In some ways, it's a shame, because Amazon puts out solid hardware at affordable prices. On the other hand, there's the option to wipe the slate clean, so to speak, and flash something more exciting onto the tablet.Before this can happen, though, custom ROM developers need to bring their offerings over to each particular model, and before that can happen, Amazon needs to release enough code for them to work with. Fortunately, the company has now released the open source kernel files for its new Kindle Fire HD 6 and 7.
Sony's typically quick about releasing the open source underpinnings of its devices. After having announced the Xperia T2 Ultra earlier this year, the company has now made the kernel files for the device available for download. The company's offering these files up for three variants of the device, the D5303, D5322, and XM50h. The software version for the first model is 19.0.1.A.0.207, while the latter two fall under 19.0.D.0.253.
Sony may not have the best track record when it comes to making its phones available across a wide number of carriers in the US, but it has no problem sharing its open source kernel files on a timely basis. The company officially announced the Xperia Z2 a month ago at Mobile World Congress, and now much of the handset's internal code is available for download on the web.
HTC got KitKat out to the HTC One relatively quickly, doing a decent job of updating its Sense UI in the process. Now it's time to get the update out to the flagship's multiple variants. We still don't have news of an impending OTA, but HTC has now made open source kernel files for the HTC One Max available online.
The Neo is a more affordable version of the Galaxy Note 3 that comes with a few compromises, most notably regarding its screen and camera. Samsung officially announced the handset at the end of last month and eventually revealed that it would not come to the US or the UK, but it would still be available in many other markets across the globe. The Neo hasn't launched yet, but Samsung has now made the device's kernel source files available to all.
Sony has a solid track record when it comes to quickly making open source kernel files available to the public. The company released them for the T-Mobile exclusive Xperia Z1s last week on the same day that the handset launched in stores. Now Sony is following through with the Xperia Z1 Compact just after launching the phone in Europe.
Sony announced the Xperia Z1s at CES earlier this month, and it quickly showed up on T-Mobile's website. So Americans looking to just own the handset have had a week to order one online from the carrier, while those wanting a deeper relationship with the device - to love it for what's on the inside, rather than the outside - have had to wait a little longer. But now their opportunity has come as well. Sony has published the kernel source code for the Xperia Z1s on the same day as the phone's debut in T-Mobile's retail stores.
Samsung has been cranking out the open source kernel files for the Galaxy Note 3 since before the device launched internationally. While the company didn't release files for every model all at once, if you take a look over at Samsung's open source site, you will find that they've been busy. They uploaded the open source kernel files for the AT&T and Sprint Galaxy Note 3's a couple of days after their release, and they're now upping their game by sharing the open source files for the Verizon Galaxy Note 3 (SM-N900V) a few days ahead of its intended launch date.