Android is a superb mobile operating system from the search giant Google. No one can question about its features and performance, and that was the only reason that the sales of Android phones accounted for 68% of globally sold smartphones in 2nd Quarter of 2012. But do you know Android come in two forms: Stock ROM and Custom ROM. Stock ROM is the Android version which mobile company officially provide you along with the phone or tablet. Custom ROM is the Android version which is not officially provided but customized and distributed by other developers. Both of the versions of Android have their own pros and cons. Let’s see what’s your choice must be:Although ROM in computers mean Read Only Memory (memory storage which once written, can’t be edited or deleted) but surely this is not what we mean when we talk about ROMs for Android. Here, it means firmwares for Android phones and tablets. Changing/Installing a ROM in your phone is quite same as installing a new operating system on your desktop or laptop system. Android is open source and people (interested developers) usually modify this code to add features, change home screen, bring tweaks, improve stability or customize it – this is what known as Custom ROM. Why to choose Stock ROMs?Stock ROMs are the ones which come by default in Android phones or tablets. These are customized versions of Android done by mobile companies to make their devices unique in looks and features.

1.Warranty- Stock ROMs doesn’t void your warranty. One of the biggest reasons that people don’t go for Custom ROMs is warranty. Most of the companies prohibit rooting your Android phone or installing a custom Android version – and if you do so, then you can void/lose your warranty.

1.Premium Apps - Stock ROMs usually come with loaded premium apps which are built by mobile companies to attract customers. These apps can be anything like music players, widgets, live wallpapers, etc. Premium apps are provided to enrich the user’s experience of the customer. These apps differ from one mobile vendor to another and sometimes, even from model to model – more or better apps as the price of the device goes high. For example, Sony Xperia phones have TrackID which can be used to get information about an unknown playing music; Samsung Galaxy S3 has S Voice, a virtual assistant app just like Siri (available in iPhone 4S); etc.


1.Premium Features- Android in original form is cool, but mobile vendors hardly think so – they try to improve it in terms of features and looks. Stock ROMs comes with lots of premium features which are not available in custom ROMs (at least not for free). These features include custom home screen or launcher or app drawer, e.g., Sony Xperia phones have TimeScape UI whereas Motorola phones have Blur UI. For example, most Android phones come with keyboard with Swype feature using which you can type a word with a single tap on the touch screen by just swiping your finger across each letter of the word and keyboard automatically guess the correct word.

1.Trust for Security- May be it feel strange but one can easily trust Android operating system sold by a reputed company. You can be sure that it does not contain any backdoor, malwares, spywares or other malicious tools. I’m not saying you can’t trust Custom ROMs but it’s just that many people take their privacy on top of all other things – you can easily trust a reputed company you know but how can you trust a software or source code of unidentified origin or developer.
Why to choose Custom ROMs?Custom ROMs are the ones which are customized or developed from the original source code of Android and differ from it in features and/or looks. Custom ROMs are not provided by Google or other mobile vendors but are developed and maintained by community and its contributors.

1.Root Access- Custom ROMs provide you root access in your Android system. Root access in Android/Linux is like the administration permissions in Windows – you get permission to do almost anything in your phone/tablet. Isn’t it wonderful? Many of the people (including me)get rid of the Stock ROM to enjoy root access – you become the master of your Android – you decide what apps will be installed, which services will run in the background and many other similar permissions.

1.Regular Updates- Updates or new releases are more regularly released for Custom ROMs than Stock ROMs. Many of the times, a new Android release come in the market but your phone company don’t provide the update for your phone. Then where you stand? Your mobile vendor forget about your phone and start focusing on its new models. But the community supports you – people releases custom ROMs of new Android releases even if your mobile company don’t release the update for your phone. Using Custom ROMs, you always have the option to try new Android versions. For example, Android 4.1(JellyBean) is the latest release at present but Sony has denied releasing it for Xperia phones announced/released before mid 2011, but CyanogenMod (the most popular Custom ROM of Android) is working on beta versions of 4.1 version and will soon be releasing the final tested version of JellyBean.

1.Easy to Change- Once you’ve rooted your phone and installed a Custom ROM, it’s very easy to change and install different Custom ROMs of your choice without any hassle. If you’ve installed a custom recovery (like ClockWorkMod) then you can easily install Custom ROMs by just downloading the zip package of the ROM, putting it on your phone’s SD card’s root directory, rebooting your phone and opening the recovery, and installing that zip file after cleaning your system and data partitions.

1.Better Performance- Custom ROMs allow you to install/remove apps, change background services and set many other performance tweaks. This make Custom ROMs perform better than Stock ROMs in most cases. Custom ROMs are not bulkier as Stock ROMs and are not bundled with lots of pre-installed apps and services – this make it even faster and perform better. Android is a great system to use and to modify too! Unlike other mobile operating systems, Android provide options to easily customize the look and user experience of your system. Mobile vendors don’t give you root access and prohibit you to install advance apps or change system permissions or settings, but you can achieve it using a Custom ROM. Though it is the choice of the people – many people enjoy Stock ROM but Custom ROM suits for others.What’s your favorite?Custom ROM users – which ROM you use? Mine is Lollifox (Tecno H5)

If u no ur way around it. Custom ROM allows you to explore and utilize ur fone maximally.

adeememman:
If u no ur way around it. Custom ROM allows you to explore and utilize ur fone maximally.

very correct sir! in fact most OEM s are just jealous of Custom ROMs and that's why they want to lock down the whole Android as if its their birthright!

Well your explanation of stock or custom roms is somehow confusing...

Well I see the android release by google and run on google own devices or android one devices as Stock ROM

And every other android variation as Custom ROM

The only difference between samsung touch whiz and cyanogenmod is one makes phone and makes the custom os for its own phone , the other does not make phone and makes the custom os for every other existing phone.

and as you might know, cyanogenmod already come pre-installed as the default os on some phones like oppo N1. You get now?

We also know that xaiomi started off making custom roms called MI and today it makes phones with MI UI.

Basically choosing between stock os and custom is as easy as choosing between infinix Hot 2 and its "non-android one" rivals.

Tho I see all your points are "number 1" well...
THEY ARE WRONG!!

Stock gets update first!
Stock performs better...but in somecases a custom rom can be built to perform better like HTC sense.
Infact u mixed this up...

Custom roms too differentiate from each other.

A company can build a custom rom to be locked and attached all what you said custom roms does not come with!

The both have advantages and disadvantages..it all boils down to your choice.

Thanks.

Stock is better and bugless but custom from big dev like miui and cyanogen have less or no bug and full of customisation and tweakz.

Custom ROM is the best if yu knw aw to port and also find a bug less own

For me I always prefer stock roms as they are more stable. I know what I want in a phone so I go out to get the phone with the features I want, I don't even bother rooting my phones any more. Flashing customs roms can be addictive, back in the days I flash a new rom every week, looking for the best and when I looked back I found I spent too much time downloading and flashing , time that I could have used for something else. The only thing that will make me flash custom rom is when my phones are more than a year old and oem don't seem to be releasing update, then I can flash a custom rom with the latest update.

Stock rom is for average users;custom rom are for special-need users...
I use stable rom tho(I've got too many headaches already )...

Custom over Stock anytine.
Yeah! anyday!

skywalker495:
Stock rom is for average users;custom rom are for special-need users...
I use stable rom tho(I've got too many headaches already )...

That headache is what i try to avoid. So I buy a phone that has what I want, no need to install custom roms. Trust me back in the days I installed a new rom every week and got too many headaches, got better things to do now than be flashing roms.

skywalker495:
Stock rom is for average users;custom rom are for special-need users...
I use stable rom tho(I've got too many headaches already )...

And what is the difference btw an average user and a special user?

Google software has come a long way since the days of gingerbread and Honeycomb, with KK/ LP and marshmallow flashing ROMs to me is a waste of time for me anyway.. Nothing beats a smooth Nexus performance..

Stock ROMs suck a lot for just some reasons that custom ROMs are better than them and I'll prove some facts to you!
FACT #1
You cant easily overclock your CPU on your current stock ROM because your manufacturer doesn't allow that! overclocjing a CPU from 1.2GHZ TO 2GHZ can only be done on a custom ROM easily

FACT #2
You can't easily flash in a custom Kernel on your stock ROM as this'll void your warranty easily , custom kernels help in good performance and OEM's forbid you from doing so

FACT #3

You can't easily "increase" your RAM on stock ROM easily on stock ROMs as many manufacturers don't want you to enjoy the potential power of your phone!

Chimdiebere:
Stock ROMs suck a lot for just some reasons that custom ROMs are better than them and I'll prove some facts to you!





FACT #1
You cant easily overclock your CPU on your current stock ROM because your manufacturer doesn't allow that! overclocjing a CPU from 1.2GHZ TO 2GHZ can only be done on a custom ROM easily

What use is overeclocking a cpu if it will have a negative effect on ur battery. OEM's set the cpu at the optimum performance for performance and battery life. It is just like asking why car makers add catalytic converter to their cars. Removing the catalyst will actually improve ur car's performance and torque, so why then do they add it? They add it because u will never pass emmission test wirhout the catalyst, also removing the catalyst will affect ur gas mileage. U don't expect OEM's to allow their customers to overclock their cpu, and when it overheats they take it in for repairs. U need to know that 90% of people that buy these phones don't know anything about overclocking and if u don't know what u are doing u won't have a good experience after overclocking.

Chimdiebere:

FACT #2
You can't easily flash in a custom Kernel on your stock ROM as this'll void your warranty easily , custom kernels help in good performance and OEM's forbid youo

Why would oems allow u to flash a custom kernel? They have the best custom kernel there for u, if u feel u are not satisfied they go ahead root it and flash what u want. Do u think OEM's don't know people flash their phones? They just cannot make it official because if they do, then when people flash custom kernels and run into problems they will take the phone back to claim warranty. U think say oem no get sense? Or u want to deny that flashing of custom kernels don't fail sometime? Even on xda it is clearly written that they are not responsible for whatever happens to ur phone after flashing.

Chimdiebere:
FACT #3

You can't easily "increase" your RAM on stock ROM easily on stock ROMs as many manufacturers don't want you to enjoy the potential power of your phone

You know this is not true. Yes there are ways of using external sd cards as ram but it is not practical. RAM are very fast, faster than sd cards so if u use ur sd card as ram, ur performance will never be the sanw as the sd card will be going through multiple cycles of read and write. In the end u end up damaging ur sd card. So u think oem will let u do that so that tomorrow u come online and start ranting that Samsung or htc or LG has ruined ur phone or they destroyed ur memory card. Show me a prove where ram was increased without side effect. OEM's have manufactured the phone in the best possible way for the consumer. If u want more then root it and do whatever u want, but then u also lose it warranty. It is just like cars. For example if toyoa builds a Corolla with a 2.0 Cylinder engine and a certain maximum speed and torque. They know it is possible for the power to be increased, but it might affect other aspects of the car. If u now go and install a 5.0L v8 in the car and find out it is not compatible with the ECU, that is ur problem, u can't blame toyota. Toyota hiever made it possible for engine to be swapped but u lose ur warranty.

greenhulk:



What use is overeclocking a cpu if it will have a negative effect on ur battery. OEM's set the cpu at the optimum performance for performance and battery life. It is just like asking why car makers add catalytic converter to their cars. Removing the catalyst will actually improve ur car's performance and torque, so why then do they add it? They add it because u will never pass emmission test wirhout the catalyst, also removing the catalyst will affect ur gas mileage. U don't expect OEM's to allow their customers to overclock their cpu, and when it overheats they take it in for repairs. U need to know that 90% of people that buy these phones don't know anything about overclocking and if u don't know what u are doing u won't have a good experience after overclocking.




Why would oems allow u to flash a custom kernel? They have the best custom kernel there for u, if u feel u are not satisfied they go ahead root it and flash what u want. Do u think OEM's don't know people flash their phones? They just cannot make it official because if they do, then when people flash custom kernels and run into problems they will take the phone back to claim warranty. U think say oem no get sense? Or u want to deny that flashing of custom kernels don't fail sometime? Even on xda it is clearly written that they are not responsible for whatever happens to ur phone after flashing.



You know this is not true. Yes there are ways of using external sd cards as ram but it is not practical. RAM are very fast, faster than sd cards so if u use ur sd card as ram, ur performance will never be the sanw as the sd card will be going through multiple cycles of read and write. In the end u end up damaging ur sd card. So u think oem will let u do that so that tomorrow u come online and start ranting that Samsung or htc or LG has ruined ur phone or they destroyed ur memory card. Show me a prove where ram was increased without side effect. OEM's have manufactured the phone in the best possible way for the consumer. If u want more then root it and do whatever u want, but then u also lose it warranty. It is just like cars. For example if toyoa builds a Corolla with a 2.0 Cylinder engine and a certain maximum speed and torque. They know it is possible for the power to be increased, but it might affect other aspects of the car. If u now go and install a 5.0L v8 in the car and find out it is not compatible with the ECU, that is ur problem, u can't blame toyota. Toyota hiever made it possible for engine to be swapped but u lose ur warranty.

kinda true but I just increased my Phone RAM to about 6GB through a Swapfile and my RAM is freer than before . (it was done with sense)

Chimdiebere:
kinda true but I just increased my Phone RAM to about 6GB through a Swapfile and my RAM is freer than before . (it was done with sense)

Lol. So how are u enjoying ur 6gb phone? U are just deceiving urself because I know for sure my 3gb phone will chew ur so called 6gb phone in terms of performance. Do not be deceived, flash memory is slower than actual RAM, so doing this ram swap will have a negative effect on ur phone in no time.

Chimdiebere:
kinda true but I just increased my Phone RAM to about 6GB through a Swapfile and my RAM is freer than before . (it was done with sense)

bruh no offence... Buh u sound like u re a newbie flashaholic....
well nevatheless, the poster above me just stated the actual fact..

holysaint1:


bruh no offence... Buh u sound like u re a newbie flashaholic....
well nevatheless, the poster above me just stated the actual fact..

Abi ooo. Some people just don't know that flash memory can never work like actual RAM. If it is that easy, then all these Chinese phone makers for just release phone, then add a $10 16gb memory card and use it as RAM and sell the phone as a 16gb RAM phone. Now that's a killer phone right there, even a galaxy note 5 with 4gb of RAM can't near it lol.

greenhulk:


Lol. So how are u enjoying ur 6gb phone? U are just deceiving urself because I know for sure my 3gb phone will chew ur so called 6gb phone in terms of performance. Do not be deceived, flash memory is slower than actual RAM, so doing this ram swap will have a negative effect on ur phone in no time.

hello, haven't you heard about speed up swap apk before? and besides am using an SD card that uses FAT32 and not ExFAT OR VFAT. Am currently running Lollifox Rom

holysaint1:


bruh no offence... Buh u sound like u re a newbie flashaholic....
well nevatheless, the poster above me just stated the actual fact..

am not a new bie flashaholic! I just tweaked my sd I/O speeds!

Chimdiebere:
hello, haven't you heard about speed up swap apk before? and besides am using an SD card that uses FAT32 and not ExFAT OR VFAT. Am currently running Lollifox Rom

Look dude I know what I'm saying. What u are experiencing is placebo effect. It is possible, but not practical.

One, memory cards or any other flash memory are MUCH slower. Incredibly slower than even an SSD, let alone RAM.

Two, RAM lasts pretty much forever. Flash drives degrade a little every time you write to them. They're quite hardy nowdays but they don't have an unlimited lifespan even just under normal use, let alone the kind of constant load you'd have using them as a RAM substitute.

Three, USB introduces overheads and speed limits. I don't care how fast ur memory card is, it is still not a quater as fast as RAM. Ur memory card will die in no time, trust me.

Just like a poster above said, if what u did is practical, so why can't phone makers just add a $10 16gb memory card to their phones and use it as RAM, then we will have a 16gb RAM phone. Sometimes when u tweak it feels good to see the figures, I mean u checking ur memory status and u are seeing 5gb free RAM.. Feels good right? But does it improve performance? Be sincere.

Chimdiebere:
hello, haven't you heard about speed up swap apk before? and besides am using an SD card that uses FAT32 and not ExFAT OR VFAT. Am currently running Lollifox Rom

Hold on a minute guy, u said u are using tecno H5. That's running 1.0GHz dual-core CPU, MediaTek MT6572 chipset with 512mb of RAM and u just increased ur RAM to 6gb. Guy u can lie too much, are u Pinocchio?

First, that phone is 32bit and can't handle more than 4gb of RAM.

Secondly, ur 1.0ghz dual core cpu mediatek chipset will not even handle a 2gb RAM not to talk of 6gb. Hows the performance of ur phone after the so called RAM upgrade? Lol.

abatically:


Hold on a minute guy, u said u are using tecno H5. That's running 1.0GHz dual-core CPU, MediaTek MT6572 chipset with 512mb of RAM and u just increased ur RAM to 6gb. Guy u can lie too much, are u Pinocchio?

First, that phone is 32bit and can't handle more than 4gb of RAM.

Secondly, ur 1.0ghz dual core cpu mediatek chipset will not even handle a 2gb RAM not to talk of 6gb. Hows the performance of ur phone after the so called RAM upgrade? Lol.

Guy am using a Swap file! haven't you heard if RAM Expander and Swap Expander for Android before? Am not using a stock rom! I said it before that am using Lollifox Rom Android 5.0 and the So called 6gb RAM is actually a swapfile from my Sd card which people are saying that if I don't stop my Sd card will die! I've been using it since Last month and my phone is still ROOTED!

greenhulk:


Look dude I know what I'm saying. What u are experiencing is placebo effect. It is possible, but not practical.

One, memory cards or any other flash memory are MUCH slower. Incredibly slower than even an SSD, let alone RAM.

Two, RAM lasts pretty much forever. Flash drives degrade a little every time you write to them. They're quite hardy nowdays but they don't have an unlimited lifespan even just under normal use, let alone the kind of constant load you'd have using them as a RAM substitute.

Three, USB introduces overheads and speed limits. I don't care how fast ur memory card is, it is still not a quater as fast as RAM. Ur memory card will die in no time, trust me.

Just like a poster above said, if what u did is practical, so why can't phone makers just add a $10 16gb memory card to their phones and use it as RAM, then we will have a 16gb RAM phone. Sometimes when u tweak it feels good to see the figures, I mean u checking ur memory status and u are seeing 5gb free RAM.. Feels good right? But does it improve performance? Be sincere.

I kinda "concur" with that, nevertheless, The developer said that it's only FAT32 cards that can work perfectly for this kinda thing and the effect of "dieing" will be much more later, as long as the partition primary doesn't get damaged in any sort of way! My phone used to be 512Mb RAM(initial RAM is actually 469.91mb approx. 470mb) and I couldn't multitask effectively and ajso the first time I "tweaked" my Ran through a swapfile , it was kinda slow in performance until I had to "Boost" my I/O speeds in Sd card which is more Kinda riskier than before, the performance is good quite Alright since its a Custom Rom am running, and over clocking has its price to pay on a low end device!