So, you’ve managed to root your Incredible, what now? Aside from the obvious gain of free wireless tethering and the ability to remove certain applications which shall remain nameless (cough…CityID…cough) one of the most common questions I have come across is “Why should I bother to root?” On a personal level, the Linux geek inside of me loves the ability to be in control of every aspect of my devices, which was one of the fundamental aspects that drew me away from RIM and towards Android in the first place. For many, rooting equals one thing: flashing custom ROMs, which are modified builds of the software that makes your phone tick. A custom ROM can offer a multitude of different things, such as an over or underclocked kernel, removal of a manufacturer’s custom UI, or an updated version of the Android OS which has not been officially released on your device. Since the Incredible has been such a tough nut to crack until very recently, the development community has had a limited window of time to release custom ROMs, with many still in the debugging phase of development. Nevertheless, these clever cats have managed to put out several fully functional and stable builds, and one or two not so stable ones. Let’s take a look at a few of these ROMs, and what they can offer you in comparison to your stock build.
Jager ROM “Vanilla” and “Chocolate” – Android 2.1
Yes, sometimes ROMs come in more than one flavor. Of all the builds I have flashed on my Incredible, the Jager ROM has been the most stable by far. The “Vanilla” version is the far more “Sense-less” of the two, with only a few elements of the Sense UI remaining, one example being the lock screen. This build uses LauncherPro in place of the Sense Launcher, and also replaces the default messages and mail applications with K-9 and Handcent SMS respectively. The “Chocolate” build, on the other hand, comes loaded with Sense, but allows the option to remove aspects of it. This build is overclocked and undervolted, which aims to be faster than the stock kernel, and comes loaded with a variety of apps. Again, from a stability standpoint, these two ROMs offer a truly stable experience and are a safe bet for trying out your first flash. It should be noted that this ROM is still using Android 2.1, so if you’re looking for Froyo, this isn’t the one for you.
Unrevolved ROM – Android 2.1
Unlike the Jager ROMs, the Unrevolved version is considered to be “truly vanilla,” meaning that all traces of the Sense UI have been removed. It is also has a slightly more customized feel than the Jager variant, including an updated bootloader and lock screen, as well as the inclusion of Dev Tools. In terms of stability, however, there are a number of known issues which have pushed some users towards other builds, including a non-functional screen time out, difficulty turning off the alarm, and sporadic system freezes that require a battery pull to reset. Nevertheless, if you are looking for a completely vanilla Android build, and can handle a few hiccups now and then, the Unrevolved ROM is a solid option. Again, this ROM uses Android 2.1.
CyanogenMod Incredible 6 Test ROM – Android 2.2
Of all the ROMs we have covered so far, this one is by far the most buggy, and is still very much in the testing phase. That being said, this is the only ROM which will bring you Android 2.2 without first having to flash the leaked 2.x Radio, which is required by ROM’s using the leaked OTA 2.2 update. While the vast majority of bugs have been squashed, this build is not without its flaws, including Skype Mobile being broken, some reports of the camera being unusable, and a lack of LED notifications. This ROM is currently available as nightly builds only, and are available via the ROM Manager or for manual download here.
SkyRaider by ihtfp69 – Android 2.2 (requires Radio update)
This is one of the newer ROMs on the circuit, but has quickly gained popularity due to its improved stability over the CyanogenMod nightly builds mentioned before. This is by far the most stable 2.2 ROM available, but it does require you to flash the leaked Radio, a process involving downgrading to a completely stock build before flashing the Radio, rooting all over again, and THEN installing the ROM. If you are desperate for 2.2, however, the process is worth the effort, as the only real issue is a lack of LED notifications. This build even allows for video recording in 720p, something CyanogenMod does not offer at this time. This ROM also features a “Senseless” script for removing most aspects of HTC Sense if that tickles your fancy.
These are just a few of the ROMS currently available, which I chose specifically for their ability to demonstrate the levels of diversity among the various builds. Many of the other ROMS differ very little from one another, some of which are practically stock builds. So if you have taken the rooting plunge and are now looking to try out something different, perhaps a custom ROM is just what the doctor ordered. A word to the wise though, before flashing a new ROM, ALWAYS perform a Nandroid backup of your current build, and be sure to perform a full wipe afterward. If you are unfamiliar with any of the terms or concepts described here, there is a wealth of information available on the XDA Droid Incredible forum. You can also find an excellent index of Incredible ROMs here, happy flashing everyone!
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