Snowdroid:About

History

Prehistory

The history of the original Snowdroid project began back in March 2014 by John Ott.

He initially positioned this project as his playground for studying Android and Linux and as a basis for creating a stable and convenient platform. Since the original project was a playground, it lasted only one year and was not further developed.

And the problems that then complicated the development and distribution of firmware based on Android Open Source Project (AOSP) were a nightmare for many developers. Hope only appeared with the release of Android 8.0, where Project Treble was first introduced, which was a compromise solution. But most devices released before Android 8.0 simply couldn't boast of this due to the lack of source codes regarding hardware support and limited support from manufacturers.

And suddenly another person (Dmitry Tretyakov), who also used custom firmware carefree, had this thought:

Everything seems to be fine, but I am confused by the fact that each new version of Android brings a lot of discomfort associated with innovations. This is especially true for those who are already fleeing MIUI and HyperOS like rats from a sinking ship, which currently do not shine with quality.

With the introduction of Material You (Material Deisgn 3) in Android 12, it will become more and more boring - most of the system applications, for example, the built-in Messaging app does not meet modern standards that Google itself and other companies are actively promoting, and in general it is abandoned. A new design is always good, but the main thing is to pay attention to detail, especially for developers who are fiercely opposed to integrating the operating system with popular services, such as Google Mobile Services.

Monotony is also not for the better, since the standard design begins to get boring over time. Some device manufacturers understand this well, and therefore they try to stand out with the help of shells. But most of them are closed developments, which prevents the integration of design into their own applications, and those projects that are offered in the open source world, they have nothing to offer except Material You.

This is wrong, and therefore we need to make our own adjustments.

• 
  Android 15 system apps without Google Mobile Services
• 
  The Messaging app is an example of legacy apps.

Relaunch

It was then, immediately after celebrating the beginning of the year, that we began to relaunch the project. There were three reasons for this:

1. The beginning of the year is associated with new opportunities, new plans for the future and the desire for innovation and excellence. The name, logo and other identity reflect the essence of the project.
2. At that time, Dmitry (the new author of the project) had a long vacation during the New Year holidays - 2 weeks.
3. He also has two friends whose birthdays fall during the holidays, but they were born on the same day, which adds a special atmosphere.

With the relaunch of the Snowdroid project, we are trying to make Android versions better, more functional and more beautiful in all respects, as well as to shape our vision in the development of mobile operating systems.

Brand meaning

The name of the project Snowdroid means friendliness, beauty and continuity and is a play on the words "snowman" and "Android". The logo also reflects these values, which emphasizes the author's idea as attractive and at the same time ambitious.