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by Adrian Diaconescu | August 16, 2016 9:24 AMRead OnPerhaps finally realizing the irony of only selling a Worldphone-branded device in parts of Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe, John Sculley just green-lighted the MV1’s British expansion. Best known for ruling Apple with an iron fist between 1983 and 1993, first alongside Steve Jobs himself, then after the co-founder’s controversial departure, Sculley also presided over Pepsi-Cola back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, maintaining a relatively low profile in the tech industry in recent years. As far as mobile hardware consumers are concerned, he returned in the spotlight in ...
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Read OnJuan's review of the Alcatel Idol 4S is LIVE, but what did Juan get wrong in his review? Apple sells it's billionth phone while sales decline. Blackberry delivers the "world's most secure Android smartphone", but can we trust that claim in the light of recent encryption issues? Those stories, and we'll tackle your viewer emails! Make sure you're charged and ready for episode 211 of the Pocketnow Weekly! Watch the live video broadcast at 2:00pm Eastern on July 28th (click here for your local time), or check out the high-quality audio version right here. And don't forget to shoot your ...
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by Jules Wang | July 25, 2016 5:53 PMRead OnThe CEO along with a co-founder of Cyanogen is responding to anonymously sourced reports that the company is turning away from its vision of an operating system based on Android in favor of apps. Both Android Police and Recode posted stories about the move. CEO Kirt McMaster tweeted out his response. Cyanogen NOT pivoting to apps. We are an OS company and our mission of creating an OPEN ANDROID stands. FALSE reporting was outstanding. — Kirt McMaster (@cyanogenone) July 25, 2016 The executive did confirm the layoffs that were also tipped to the outlets in a tweet on Saturday. It is ...
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by Jules Wang | July 24, 2016 12:58 PMRead OnCyanogenmod is well and alive, but Cyanogen, the company, seems to be in a struggle. The company behind the more polished version of the Android ROM has laid off about 30 of its 136 employees, most of them working on quality assurance, systems and community support in the open source division. The smaller offices in Lisbon and India have been heavily reduced. Sources to Android Police say they aren't sure if more labor cuts are on the way. While Cyanogen OS has made its way toward a few releases with partner manufacturers in Eurasian markets, its spread has been slow. A "pivot" toward ...
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by Adrian Diaconescu | June 28, 2016 7:05 AMRead OnWith a cheeky name like Wileyfox, cool matching logo, and one of very few still ongoing Cyanogen Inc. alliances, the inexperienced but ambitious British makers of the affordable Storm and Swift smartphones couldn’t escape our radar again, as they just took the wraps off the low to mid-end Spark family. Meant primarily for domestic sales, the three new Wileyfox devices range in price from £90 to £130, and all run Android Marshmallow-based Cyanogen OS 13 on the software side of things. Hardware-wise, the entry-level Spark is absolutely nothing to write home about, incorporating sub-par ...
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by Jules Wang | April 10, 2016 2:57 PMRead OnIn addition to an OxygenOS update to version 2.2.1 for the OnePlus X, OnePlus also announced that Cyanogen has been able to finish the Cyanogenmod 13 update package — based on Android Marshmallow — for the OnePlus One. This update is a sight for sore eyes as it's been more than four months since CM13 hit the decks — though only less than a month since a more stable non-nightly came up — and a bit over six months since the Android 6.0 images landed. But hey, if you were a OnePlus trailblazer back a couple years ago, you're getting support that looked a bit tenuous at some points. ...
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by Adrian Diaconescu | March 31, 2016 7:07 AMRead On
When will device manufacturers and mobile operators learn there are only two ways to go in terms of the operating system a phone has to use to become commercially successful? It’s either iOS, which of course isn’t an option for anyone but Apple, or Android. Down the line, Windows could be a decent alternative too… if Microsoft ever decides to take the platform seriously. Meanwhile, Samsung tried and tried and tried to get Tizen off the ground, BlackBerry should probably throw in the towel as far as its proprietary OS is concerned, and Sailfish and Firefox OS never stood a chance. ...
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by Adrian Diaconescu | February 23, 2016 7:09 AMRead OnAs if it wasn’t already difficult enough to distinguish between Cyanogen Inc., the commercial enterprise derived from Steve Kondik’s vision of a completely tinkerer-friendly mobile OS, and CyanogenMod, the enduring independent platform based on Android and developed by an open-source community, there’s now also a Cyanogen MOD. It’s no joke, and it’s a pretty big deal too, so be prepared to have to educate all your casually tech-savvy friends on what separates Cyanogen from CyanogenMod from MOD. The latter is a new “integrated mobile platform” devised by Cyanogen Inc. to ...
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by Jules Wang | November 13, 2015 7:41 PMRead OnCyanogen has been gettin' busy lately after a somewhat eventful 2015. While it was on and then off with OnePlus, it has picked up some carriage agreements with a few manufacturers. Just this week, the software platform made it onto a major carrier in Spain with the introduction of the BQ Aquaris X5. And the company backing a derivative of one of the most popular Android forks is just about ready to kick off 2016 with a bang. The Cyanogenmod community currently has a strong presence at the Big Android BBQ in Amsterdam right now and it has outlined a path towards its spread through the ...
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by Jules Wang | November 12, 2015 8:48 PMRead OnConsider it a skin. Consider it a better Android. Consider it an offshoot of an offshoot. Any way you look at it, Cyanogen has had its fair share of ups and downs as an independent entity (with some big arms to help it out), but those moves have been outside of the popular circuit — the carriers. Enter Spanish carrier Movistar which has taken up BQ's Aquaris X5 for 209€ ($225 as of this post). You may know BQ as a manufacturer of some Android One devices. It seems like the OEM is sticking to the bargain bin while still providing an interesting experience. [table] Component,Type Screen ...
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by Adrian Diaconescu | October 8, 2015 4:11 AMRead OnWe’ve heard a lot of bold, pompous claims from the developers of arguably the most popular community-driven Android fork after going commercial, but so far, Cyanogen Inc. hasn’t been able to put its money where its mouth is. Of course, actual funding isn’t really the problem here, or lack of talent, or even lack of intriguing ideas about how to take Cyanogen OS to the next level. The issue is not enough hardware manufacturers seem to wholeheartedly support the platform on the heels of the OnePlus breakup. There’s Lenovo, through the newly established ZUK sub-brand, a little British ...
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by Adrian Diaconescu | September 7, 2015 5:52 AMRead OnAs the second most popular smartphone manufacturer in India (behind Samsung), and one of the ten largest vendors worldwide, you could say Micromax has a responsibility, nay, obligation to roll out more than just respectable, affordable gear. Enter the Yu5050, the newest result of Micromax and Cyanogen’s collaboration, expected out as early as this week with decidedly high-end specifications. And a relatively economical price point, if we are to take the handheld’s declared value at import for granted. According to Zauba records, the 5.2-inch Android that actually originates in China ...
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by Jaime Rivera | July 8, 2015 4:33 PMRead OnCyanogen Inc. is currently famous for two things that are directly related to each other. One thing is the company's awesome CyanogenMod, which not only gives users a ton of UI flexibility, but also a bloatware-free experience. The company is also famous for its plan to claim Android from Google as well. What it currently isn't famous for, is for its own proprietary services outside of CyanogenMod, and that seems to be a target of change. Cyanogen has just hired two new talents from very different companies and backgrounds. On one hand we have Stephen Lawler, Amazon's VP of Direct Traffic ...
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by Jules Wang | July 6, 2015 5:32 PMRead OnInnovate. Catch up. Innovate. Catch up. Google. Apple. Apple. Google. Rinse and repeat. There are definitely reasons why Android has the world on its platform and why iOS is the only feasible contender in the US. That's for another article. Meantime, Windows has been struggling, struggling and struggling with the slow waddle towards feature-packed Windows 10 for mobile. Blackberry's been comfortable serving its corporate and security niches in the market with its own software and hardware, though they might succumb in the mobile platform race soon. webOS is off of smartphones and onto ...
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by Rithvik Rao | May 21, 2015 2:12 AMRead On
Cyanogen has announced through a top executive today that a substantial portion of the company's latest funding round will be put towards a Cyanogen India office. The office is set to open within the next three months; the goal with the office will be to bring together a team dedicated to working on India-specific assignments, given that the country has become a hotbed for smartphone growth over the past few years. Said Vikram Natarajan, a senior vice president at Cyanogen, "India is very attractive. It is one of the hyper-growth markets for mobile today." This new India team is expected ...
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by Rithvik Rao | May 5, 2015 3:16 AMRead OnYu didn't really manage to astound anyone with its first smartphone – the Yureka – but it did present an option that was accessible for those searching for a midrange device at not too high a cost. The most special thing about that phone, without a doubt, was the operating system it ran; it forego traditional manufacturer skins or stock Android in favor of Cyanogen's custom operating system (similar to what we saw on the OPPO N1, OnePlus One, and other devices Cyanogen has collaborated in the creation of). Now Yu is set to reveal the sequel of that phone, making official the Yu ...
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by Anton D. Nagy | April 29, 2015 1:24 AMRead On
"Without Cyanogen, OnePlus would have sold like one device in international markets. Essentially they built their brand on the back of Cyanogen", said Kirt McMaster, Cyanogen's CEO. OnePlus can prove him wrong once the second iteration of its device will be out, one that will likely not be powered by a Cyanogen-modified version of Android. Early signs of the two companies breaking up could be also attributed by OnePlus' own OS, dubbed OxygenOS, released earlier this month. Where does that leave Cyanogen, with a user base of more than 50 million? Apparently, the company plans on ...
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by Stephen Schenck | March 23, 2015 11:33 AMRead OnCyanogen Inc. has its eye on expanding well beyond its roots as a custom ROM for tinkerers and hackers, and has spent over a year now working to get its software onto more and more commercial handsets. As it continues to grow, the firm has been looking to take on new investors, and rumors from earlier this year suggested that Microsoft could find itself becoming a major investor in Cyanogen. However, just last week we heard that this Microsoft investment would be occurring, after all. So who would end up funding Cyanogen's dreams for expansion? Today the company announces the details ...
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by Anton D. Nagy | March 16, 2015 4:57 AMRead On
Apparently, there will be no Microsoft investment in CyanogenMod, according to a recent Bloomberg report. At the end of January we've heard rumors from the Wall Street Journal that the Windows-maker would invest about $70 million in Cyanogen minority shares. Said rumors claimed that Microsoft would be willing to pay the custom ROM-maker top dollars if Microsoft apps and services would arrive baked into CyanogenMod ROM releases. Now, Bloomberg notes that there will be no Microsoft investment in CyanogenMod after all. However, the Redmond-based company would still reportedly be interested ...
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by Rithvik Rao | March 2, 2015 11:15 AMRead OnCyanogen has a history of teaming up with underdog smartphone manufacturers, it seems (at least from our view from the United States). After all, it is the company that was the launch partner for the OnePlus One's software, and now Cyanogen is teaming up with Alcatel Onetouch for a new device here. The Alcatel Onetouch Hero 2+ is a phablet featuring Cyanogen's custom OS, and it's coming to the States as well to try to make a dent in the market. The Hero 2+ is basically just a rehashed Hero 2, except with the obvious inclusion of Cyanogen OS in the new model. So as a recap, this means ...
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by Jaime Rivera | January 29, 2015 8:55 PMRead OnMicrosoft hasn't found the amount of success it wanted to see in mobile. Windows Phone is still just 3% of the mobile market, and even with its moves in acquiring Nokia's mobile division, the company is still struggling to re-invent itself internally. You could assume that Microsoft's interests in Android are low, given how the company killed the Nokia X project, but it seems these plans have changed. Microsoft is apparently going to invest a minority share of $70 million in Cyanogen, leaving what was once a simple ROM alternative, into a company that's now worth hundreds of millions. No ...
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by Rithvik Rao | December 17, 2014 2:21 AMRead OnOver the past few years, India has risen to become a hotbed for smartphone growth, offering OEMs lots of potential for low-priced phones to compete in a growing market. It and OnePlus seem like the perfect match – OnePlus has the pretty nice phone at a fair price, and India has the growth potential and customers the former needs. In the midst of the two joining, however, there have been many hurdles. According to OnePlus, just two weeks before the One was set to launch in India, the company was notified that Indian manufacturer Micromax had attained exclusive rights to the CyanogenMod OS ...
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by Jaime Rivera | December 9, 2014 2:13 AMRead On
There are a ton of reasons to love the OnePlus One, starting with its price tag. Moving that specific reason aside, another big reason is that the device runs a pre-installed version of CyanogenMod, or should we say, as long as you don't live in India. Certain exclusive deals force OnePlus to sell this device with its custom version of Android 5.0 Lollipop, though if your device already runs CyanogenMod, there's a good chance that you're in luck. Cyanogen Inc has just taken the time to explain how its policies will work in India, and things might get lucky for a few. If you purchase the ...
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by Stephen Schenck | October 2, 2014 5:07 PMRead OnThis past year's been a huge one for Cyanogen Inc., seeing not just the formal incorporation of the company, but its involvement in the release of new Android hardware, like the OnePlus One, or its dealings with Oppo (as with the N1, above). Will the next year bring similarly big things to Cyanogen's table? Well, it sure looks like interest in the company is higher than ever, as we get word of a new round of funding and reports of Google interest in a possible acquisition. Cyanogen's said to be going after investors now, seeking an ultimate market valuation up around the one billion dollar ...
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by Stephen Schenck | August 27, 2014 12:48 PMRead OnIs there any real mystery left in smartphones? We've got all these companies teasing their IFA announcements, and while many aren't outright announcing new products already (except you, LG – you're a kook), they're pretty much doing everything but. And while there's still a lot of uncertainty around products like the new iPhones, few of us are doubting that the phones themselves exist. How about some news that's quite a bit more open-ended? We've got just the thing, as there's something going on right now between Cyanogen and Nextbit, but no one seems to have a good idea of just what ...
