Smartphone maker OnePlus pledged to develop its own software after partner Cyanogen did the dirty on it with an exclusive distribution deal with Micromax in India, and it marked the new year by releasing its forked version of Android.
Android Police first spotted the new ROM for OnePlus’s One phone, which has yet to be given a name — it reports that it is based on Android Lollipop and is very much like the stock version from Google.
OnePlus confirmed on its forums that the initial software — which is currently in alpha — is basic but will be developed and tweaked over time.
The Cyanogen-Micromax-OnePlus spat saw OnePlus hit with a sales ban in India. Although it was later overturned, the company’s long-term future in India is up in the air.
This new OnePlus software will be key in India — where Micromax argues that OnePlus does not have the rights to use the CyanogenMod platform — although China-based OnePlus previously said that it intends for its Android build to be available and used by all customers worldwide.
OnePlus and Cyanogen aside, there are plenty of companies that have engineered their own versions of Android. Others in the club include Amazon, Xiaomi, Alibaba, and countless lesser-known brands in China and other parts of Asia.