X

CyanogenMod founder teases Oppo as first smartphone partner

The Oppo N1 may prove to be the first smartphone to officially run CyanogenMod's custom take on Android straight out of the box.

Scott Webster
Scott Webster has spent the better part of his adult life playing with cell phones and gadgets. When not looking for the latest Android news and rumors, he relaxes with his wife and son. Scott also is the senior editor for AndroidGuys. E-mail Scott.
Scott Webster
2 min read
Why would CyanogenMod founder Steve Kondik be particularly excited about Oppo's announcement? Oppo

Odds are high that Chinese smartphone-maker Oppo may prove to be the first official hardware partner for CyanogenMod's custom Android build.

A video posted to Oppo's YouTube account on Friday (reproduced below) shows Cyanogen founder Steve Kondik proclaiming that he's "looking forward" to attending an Oppo event in Beijing on September 23. Adding, "we have exciting news ahead," it's here that the video ends and splashes "Oppo N1" on the screen, the name of the upcoming smartphone.

Although it has started making some waves in the Android pool, Oppo has yet to achieve the level of adoption of other players such as Chinese fellows Huawei or ZTE. Once the proud maker of what was once "the world's thinnest smartphone," the company has proven to be nimble and adept.

Pairing Cyanogen's software with Oppo hardware could make for an interesting option for developers and hackers. We might see the custom build of Android preloaded on a future Oppo device with software updates coming fast and furious; the current CyanogenMod experience offers nightly releases and brand new builds on a regular basis.

With only a few days to go before the Oppo event, we may be in for a few leaks or details about the N1. Speaking of that name, I wonder if it has anything to do with the Nemesis teaser from a few months back.