Cyanogen, a “community” Android version that allowed users of older phones to get some of Android’s newer features, is going just a bit more corporate in the wake of its partnership with Qualcomm. The commercial Cyanogen OS and the more community-minded CyanogenMod will become Qualcomm’s Android of choice for its new Snapdragon processors. It is also rebranding in the face of increased interest by average users.
The partnership between Qualcomm and Cyanogen is primarily about making the OS easier to use on the chip-maker’s hardware. From the release:
But that’s not all: the company has begun rebranding in an effort to look a bit more professional. Like all good orgs going through growing pains, they have abandoned the cute Android logos of old and are now moving forward under the logo above, one that looks like the title card for a space-based video game.
It’s been fascinating to watch Cyanogen grow over the years. It used to be the de facto way to get “open” Android on your phone and it was a hoot trying to reflash your devices in order to get new features unavailable in “vanilla” versions. Like all things, however, new investment and a cool new phone have made the group more commercial.
