In the world of Android Customization, Custom ROMs have made their mark and have removed all the barriers put by stock firmwares. Xolo Hive is one such initiative in the world of Custom ROMS, specifically devised by Intel Xolo for their Xolo line of smartphones. Cyanogenmod, MIUI, Paranoid Android have proved their mettle by providing much needed features and optimizations a user demands, but which are locked or at times not even implemented by OEMs. Is Hive any different? Lets find out.
The idea
Hive OS, as mentioned is specifically designed for Intel Xolo line of smartphones by Noid-based manufacturer Lava. Moreover, it is a completely home-grown venture, developed and maintained fully by enthusiasts in India. The central idea is to cater the needs of an average Indian smartphone user. As of now India is considered as the second largest market when it comes to smartphone sales and is growing further at an astonishing rate. Xiaomi, Cyanogenmod, and other big names have had a nifty share in the market, and Hive aims to do the same.
An Indian user prefers using a mid-ranged smartphone, and looks for customization, wherever possible without compromises in performance. Xolo Hive enables the user to do the same, but much more efficiently.
Having a look at what it has to offer even in the initial stages of development, one can say Xolo Hive can be rightly touted as the OS for the Indian market.
Features :
- Simple – Hive OS is built on top of Android 5.0 Lollipop. This ensures the latest and greatest features put by Google in Android available to its users, along with the custom additions. Thus it is highly user-friendly, with all the required options but no extra bloatware at its core.
- Powerful – It gives the users the power to choose what they want, and remove what they don’t without any hassles. As mentioned, using Android L as the base, Hive does not compromise on performance either, which is often an issue with highly customizable ROMs.
- Customizable – Xolo Hive has customization at its root levels, with every visual element carefully designed and detailed. Moreover, it has a fully functional theme engine, that themes almost every aspect of the ROM itself and the apps. Although it is in its initial stages of development, the store is already brimming with hundreds of themes.
“Lava has developed the entire custom ROM (Android-based operating system) and UI (user interface) by itself. We will be going out in a Xiaomi kind of direction. Xiaomi has a custom ROM and they try to push a lot of content and they try to keep their users more engaged,” SN Rai, cofounder of Lava International told Economic Times.
Here’s the promo video for Hive released by the team – Hive OS Promo
More on Hive and its development, along with the devices supported can be found on their official website – hiveinside.com
Xolo Hive OS – Verdict
The future of Hive OS looks promising. With what it has to offer even in initial releases, it has full potential to grow as a full-fledged OS. To add to the support, Hive promises OTA updates with more new features and/or bug fixes every fortnight. How well they establish themselves in the over-crowded smartphone market in the country remains to be seen.
What are your thoughts on Hive OS and its advent in the Indian market? Let us know what you feel in the comments section below.
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