Samsung’s Galaxy S2 may be a bit old at this point, but the device is still going strong as far as software support comes – it’s still perfectly possible to upgrade it to the more recent versions of Android, although admittedly it requires the use of custom ROMs. Still, users who want to get the latest Android 5.0.2 on their devices will have the full possibility to do that by deploying a custom ROM to their devices. It should be noted that the ROM is only compatible with specific models of the Galaxy S2, namely the SGH-I727, and the SGH-T989.
Unsurprisingly (to those who follow the custom ROM scene), the ROM originated at the XDA Developers forum, and was prepared by user Sultanxda, who has a track record of supporting the Galaxy S2 and keeping it up to date with recent Android versions. According to reports, the ROM is not entirely ready yet, but is almost finished and should be stable enough for a public release soon.
The ROM was last updated on January 9, and there has been silence on the project since then; the last update fixed various bugs in the base Android 5.0 version, but there was also the promise that 5.0.2 will also be made available in the coming days.
There are various features that are yet to be implemented, such as support for the front camera, and issues with app permissions that can cause problems for some end users. The security flaw is one of the critical points that have to be addressed before the ROM is made public, according to reports. On the other hand, many other important features of the OS are working as intended, including GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB connectivity to a PC, as well as various apps like the video player. The device can also make calls and send/receive texts, and it seems to support mobile data plans perfectly.
Considering the people working on these updates get nothing for it (other than recognition anyway), it’s remarkable that they’ve been putting so much effort into the custom ROMs. It just goes to show that the Android community has some dedicated members who will stop at nothing to ensure that the community as a whole is happy. While manufacturers may not always be the fastest when it comes to keeping their devices up to date, this usually doesn’t matter so much when people are willing to invest their own free time to support the operating system. Still, the nature of these updates is such that users should only go for them if they understand the risks and are a bit more technically savvy.