When a new version of Android drops, it's Nexus this and Google Play that. But for a lot of advanced users (especially those who don't have the choice to go Nexus), custom ROMs are their first taste of the latest and greatest. In the tradition of independent developers and tinkerers delivering the goods, the relatively new OmniROM team has released nightly KitKat builds for no less than fifteen devices.

Here's the full list of phones and tablets:

  • Galaxy S II (i9100G)
  • Galaxy S II AT&T (SGH-i777)
  • Galaxy S III (i9300)
  • Galaxy S III LTE (i9305)
  • Galaxy Note (N7000)
  • Galaxy Note II (N7100)
  • Galaxy Note II LTE (t0lte)
  • Galaxy Note II LTE AT&T (t0lteatt)
  • Galaxy Note II LTE T-Mobile (t0ltetmo)

  • Nexus 4
  • Nexus 5
  • Nexus 7 2012 3G
  • Nexus 7 2012 WiFi
  • Nexus 7 2013 WiFi
  • Oppo Find 5

If you haven't heard of OmniROM, it's a new family of custom ROMs that's quickly gaining steam among Android power users and enthusiasts. Well-known developers Chainfire, Dees_Troy, and Xplodwild are on the dev team, and they aim to offer both a solid, compatible ROM and a host of custom features that aren't available on stock or AOSP builds. They're also striving to deliver nightly builds that are stable enough for end users to rely upon during the day, and they encourage bug reports (even on nightlies) to foster a more active community.

OmniROM also has unique features like flippable quick settings, multi-window and multi-workspace modes, and various visual tweaks available to end users. New features for the Android 4.4 build include a more discreet, non-obtrusive call notification, virtual stereo widening and a Bass Boost center frequency setting in DSP Manager, and per-app permission control in the Settings menu.

If you've got a custom recovery ready to go, head to the Downloads page below to get started. Most of the supported devices already have at least three or four nightly builds posted, and some have over a week of backlog. Even so, a backup is probably a good idea. (Don't forget your Gapps - this one's is from Paranoid Android KitKat, but has been reported as compatible.) According to the OmniROM blog post, more devices from Sony, HTC, and others are in active development.

Source: OmniROM blog 1, blog 2, OmniROM downloads