Cyanogen OS, the corporate arm of the Cyanogenmod third party operating system based on Android, has released version 12.1 (based on Android Lollipop 5.1.1) and it is available to download now. If you have a device running it then choose Settings, About Phone, System Updates and if it’s not showing yet click ‘Check for updates’.
Cyanogen famously partnered with OnePlus on their first smartphone, the One, and it is great to see that it is still getting prompt updates despite the unceremonious split between the two companies earlier this year. Part of the reason for this split was rumoued to be due to miscommunication about Cyanogen working with other phone manufacturers. The list of devices officially sold with Cyanogen OS is steadily growing and includes the ZUK Z1 plus the soon to be released Wileyfox Swift and Wileyfox Storm as discussed in our most recent podcast here.
Cool new stuff in Cyanogen OS 12.1 includes:
- Calendar to link to Email: A new calendar powered by Boxer (the company that made the native e-mail application on Cyanogen OS) and is designed to specifically interact with e-mail for a better overall user experience
- Cyanogen Browser: A new Cyanogen browser
- Redesigned Launcher: The app drawer and folders have been redesigned to be quicker and more easily accessible
- Fresh AudioFX: The user interface has been updated for consistency across all devices
All good stuff so if you have a OnePlus One then I recommend you get updating! If you want to read more on the official blog, you can have a look here.