OnePlus One can run Salifish OS, somewhat

The OnePlus One has been a remarkable smartphone, availability and issues in India notwithstanding. It has stayed true to its name of a being a flagship killer, at least for 2014's batch. But with 2015's roster already on their way, the smartphone might be showing its age. It doesn't mean, however, that it will no longer be useful. Somewhat like a Nexus, the OnePlus One could be taken to new and quite different heights, as this recent hack proves, showing the smartphone running Sailfish OS instead.

That said, Jolla's Sailfish OS hasn't exactly been confined to its own smartphone. Various ports of the young mobile platform has been going around, but most of them involving Nexus devices, with some favor shown on the Nexus 4. That, however, has never stopped Jolla's community from putting Sailfish on whatever device they can get their hands on. And as far as moddable high-end devices go, the OnePlus One probably takes the cake.

Getting Salifish on a OnePlus One fortunately doesn't require wiping off the existing OS, which, by default is CyanogenMod 11S. Those familiar with the Android ROM scene will feel at home here. Users do need to install Multiboot, which will allow them to install other ROMs, and even other OS like Sailfish, side by side, each in its own independent silo. CyanogeMod 12 users, however, need to be cautious and are advised to wait until a bootloop fix is ready.

This version of Sailfish OS for the smartphone is still marked as Pre-Alpha, so it's not surprising to see even some core functionality not working. This includes Wi-Fi, camera, and Android app support. The latter is actually a common issue with all other non-Jolla ports of Sailfish, with little to no hope in sight.

This little adventure outside the world of Android proves how versatile the OnePlus One can be and that there is a different world out there willing to adopt the device when its time runs out, albeit for a different use, while fans wait for the next OnePlus. Sailfish OS itself is undergoing a period of transition, with Sailfish 2.0 promised to bring a refresh of the OS that is trying to make a name for itself in this already crowded mobile race.

VIA: The Jolla Blog