CyanogenMod, Popular Aftermarket Android Firmwire to start releasing Hardware, a installer for basic users and receives $7,000,000 USD from investors.

[Eric]

A few people from CyanogenMod, Steve Kondik (Cyanogen) and Koushik Dutta (Koush) did an Ask Me Anything earlier today on Reddit http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1mnnc6/we_are_steve_cyanogen_kondik_and_koushik_koush/
They answered quite a few questions today that gave us a lot information about the future of the Aftermarket Android OS.

Today they also announced the start of CyanogenMod, Inc. http://www.cyanogenmod.org/blog/a_new_chapter

 

When questioned about how the plan to fund their efforts and more about hardware and the possibility of having devices sold with CyanogenMod installed on them:

 

Monetization isn't an immediate concern and our investors and Benchmark and Redpoint feel the same. CyanogenMod has the potential to become an enormous platform play, and to do that, we need to foster and grow the ecosystem. Right now, we just want to build something compelling and grow the user base. Eventually, there are innumerable paths to monetization once we reach economics of scale: licensing our software/services to OEMs, building hardware, creating secure enterprise solutions, etc.

Creating disruption in a multibilion dollar market is enough to make any investor raise their eyebrow.

 

 

 

We have a least one OEM partnership in the works, there will be an announcement next week regarding our plans there.

Also, more information about their installer they have planned, which if done correctly would allow even inexperienced users install CyanogenMod so long as they have a device that supports it.
 

 

 

Currently the installer supports unlockable devices and devices that come unlocked out of the box (ie, most Samsungs via Download Mode).

We're still deciding how to handle locked devices. There's legislation (DMCA clause) in the US that allows the user to bypass copy protection to essentially root their phone. We could do it, it's not hard, but we have to make sure that this won't get us into any hot water later

The also reaffirmed their position to keep their OS true to open-source and being friendly to Google

 

There are no plans to close the source for things such as device support and work done in the community. We do need to build value for the company, and there are various things we are working on that require significant time and capital to develop- these may be proprietary but we won't pervert/close the core OS for this to happen.

 

 

 

 

No need to worry. We love Google services, and so do our users. Despite sensationalist headlines from earlier today, we feel we are an ally to Google, not a competitor.

 

 

 

 

How do you feel about an aftermarket version of Android possibly going more mainstream? If you'd never used CyanogenMod before, would you consider try it if the installer works well? Would you consider buying a device that has CyanogenMod preinstalled?

If you want to find out more information about CyanogenMod, you can check out http://www.cyanogenmod.org/ or if you would like to contribute code, check out their github https://github.com/CyanogenMod

[whatthe_fuzz]

I would feel more confident if this happened.

[MasterJV]

I would consider buying a cyanogen device. I tried installing it on my nexus 7, couldn't get it working properly so the installer would also be nice.

[Damikiller37]

I think this is quite happy now knowing that such an awesome team has a chance to become 'mainstream' and they are being accepted by Google. If these guys didn't exist my HTC Desire would be stuck with the snail slow stock 2.3 android or something like that but instead now I'm running cyanogenmod based on 4.2 I think and it runs so smooth it's unreal. I would quite happily buy a cyanogenmod device

[ChicagoRAW]

Long over due for an installer. Hope all roms can get installers. It is quite a headache to get roms set up.

[_ASSASSIN_]

that would be awesome, imagine being able to buy the device stock or with cyanogen completely rooted and everything

[Langdon]

Mostly excited for the installer. 

[LAwLz]

This sounds awesome. I use Cyanogenmod on my Nexus 10 and is currently waiting for the stable release based on Android 4.2 to be released for my Galaxy S 4.

The only thing I dislike about Cyanogenmod is the camera app. Samsung doesn't get much right with TouchWiz, but their camera app is by far the best I've ever seen in any phone. I am also a bit worried that Cyanogenmod will go from being awesome, and free (as in free beer and freedom) to being slightly more locked down and secret. Hopefully that won't happen.

 

My guess is that the hardware partner is HTC or Samsung.

HTC because they seem a bit desperate and could try something new like this to get more customers.

Samsung because Kondik (the founder of Cyanogenmod) used to work for them less than a year ago, so they got contacts with each other.

[Bluejay0]

I would LOVE an installer. I never could get ROMs working properly and I would have to give up. Great to see Cyanogen getting supporters for his latest projects and ideas!

[TheSLSAMG]

Hmm, could their hardware partner be Newkia? That would be amazing.

[Bluejay0]

Hmm, could their hardware partner be Newkia? That would be amazing.

 

Microsoft would really save their butts if they did that! 

[Nicktrance]

Hmm, could their hardware partner be Newkia? That would be amazing.

 

Oh yeah, CyaNokia... my pants just got a lot tighter...