Android’s 5.0.2 update may not be available for the Samsung Galaxy S2 – and judging by the trends, it may not even be available anytime soon – but Android enthusiasts know that this doesn’t mean anything when CyanogenMod is regularly updated. There is now a CyanogenMod 12 custom ROM that allows users to install Android 5.0.2 on their Samsung Galaxy S2 devices, and benefit from all new features of the operating system – plus a few extra additions and optimizations courtesy of the CyanogenMod team.
It should be noted that this is a “barebones” ROM, not a customized Samsung-specific one. This means that TouchWiz is not available in this release, so users who’ve grown accustomed to the tool and want to keep using it should refrain from deploying the custom ROM to their devices.
In addition, this procedure is not a standard update, and it doesn’t preserve user data like an OTA update does – instead, it erases the device’s contents entirely, so users should always make a full backup of all their important data before attempting to flash a custom ROM. Depending on any regional or carrier locks, the device may have to be rooted as well, which further adds to the risk, but experienced users should have no problem with that, provided they follow the instructions for rooting carefully, and avoid any “experiments”.
This is actually only an issue for those whose devices are still under warranty, as flashing custom ROMs usually voids the warranty on most Android phones. If the flashing procedure goes wrong, it will be up to the user to cover the cost of repairing the phone, although with the state of modern flashing tools, this isn’t really that much of a risk. Even if a user makes a mistake during the flashing procedure, the software typically gives an option to recover from that state, so it should be very difficult to “brick” a phone by trying to flash the new custom CyanogenMod ROM onto it.
It should also be noted that if a new ROM comes out over the next weeks, users will have to repeat the procedure, as CyanogenMod installations aren’t always directly upgradeable. In any case, installing Android 5.0.2 in this manner is something only experienced users should attempt, or have someone experienced do it for them, as the process definitely has its potential pitfalls that have to be observed. In the end, it’s mostly meant for experimenting, and to give a chance to those who want to see the newest Android version as early as possible to get it on their devices. Regular users who aren’t too fond of messing with their devices should wait and hope that Samsung release the update officially at some point.