JKeene Reviews- Vicious MIUI ROM V.4 For Galaxy Nexus
For the most part a large number of the ROMs available for the Galaxy Nexus are very similar, they all look like Android 4.0. There is one ROM out there that is different and we are going to take a look at it today. Vicious MIUI was the first MIUI ROM available for the GNex and it has finally reached the point there the developer Droid Vicious can say it is stable and functional. When the ROM first dropped there were a few issues however the kinks have been worked out and I decided that it was time to give it a try.
MIUI(pronounced Me You I) was developed in China by Xiaomi Tech and brought alot of new features to Android when it dropped. It did away with Android’s App drawer and allowed you the options of pull down notification toggles, a new music player, gallery, and camera app. The ROM also allows you to place your apps in folders to organize them and due to this drew some flack for being very iOS like. The ROM however took off like wildfire and even had a phone built just to run the MIUI ROM over in China. After flashing the ROM right off the bat you notice that it is a very different beast. So many things are themed that the ROM does not look like Android 4.0 at all and this is not a bad thing. The ROM is a mostly grey and white theme with highlights in Orange instead of blue. As usual when I flash MIUI it took a minute to get used to the layout but very soon I had all of my apps organized into folders and the ROM fully put together. The ROM is very smooth and speedy but is built for stability so it is not a benchmark queen. I had a few inconsistencies that I will get to later but overall it was a pleasing experience. I should admit up front that MIUI is not my favorite however I found that other than my personal aesthetic tastes there is not reason not to flash this ROM. There is not as many customization options as there are on some other ROMs and that’s ok. The pulldown menu on the Notification window offers you many options and is about the extent of the aftermarket mods you can choose from. I had one issue of the ROM freezing up and it was right after I adjusted the notification menu layout. A battery pull later and all was well. I also encountered an error message in the Android Market but this is a known problem and just requires another reboot. One more issue before I get to the review. Themeing is broken right now due to all of the themes out right now not being optimized for the GNex’s Hi-Res screen. However you can change the icons and there are instructions for it on the OP on the Rootzwiki link below.
1. App Test
Gaming was just fine on this ROM. Both Dead Space and Shadowgun worked like a charm. Google Plus was just fine and TweetDeck gave me no hassles. The camera works just fine however I did have issues with YouTube playback. This is a known issue with the ROM and while videos would work, every once in a while they would just lock up. It was annoying but not a deal breaker. Other then the video playback I had no issues with any apps.
4 out of 5
2. Launcher Responsiveness
The stock launcher on MIUI works just fine. I had no issues with daily use. There are not any screen transition options but that’s OK since the launcher just works. Launcher Pro gave me an error message so I was not able to test it out on this ROM. However the stock launcher works great so if you are ok with that you will be fine flashing the ROM.
3 out of 5
3. Battery Life
I had no problems here either. Battery life is as good as it has been on all the other ROMs I have tried. MIUI offered no improvements but also no worse battery life. Considering all of the white and grey colors that is pretty impressive to me.
5 out of 5
4. Sound Quality
This is another win for this ROM. Sound quality was awesome on all levels. It may be my imagination but my ringtones and morning alarm seem louder than with other ROMs. In game volume was great and everything sounded crisp and clear though my headphones. This was one of the better experiences in sound on my GNex, way to go DroidVicious!
5 out of 5
5. Browser Testing
I tested, Chrome Beta, Dolphin HD, and the stock browser here. All three worked just as they are supposed too and with the exception of the YouTube playback issue I had no problems on any of the browsers. So if you flash this ROM rest assured that you can use whichever browser you want.
5 out of 5
So over all this ROM is plenty stable to be your daily driver. I know that there are a few issues however if you can get over them this ROM will work just fine for you. If you flash this you get a stylish, smooth, and wholly different Android experience. In my opinion the ROM is worth the bugs. It is being constantly updated so any and all glitches will not be there for long. If you are comfortable working moving around files on your phone then you can theme all of the icons to your heart’s content. It has been nice to see a ROM released that is finally stepping away from the look of stock Android 4.0. Don’t get me wrong, I love the look of ICS however every ROM that I have flashed looks pretty much stock. For all of you out there on a Galaxy Nexus who really want a new look try out, head on over to the link below and give Vicious MIUI a shot. You will not be disappointed!
Source-RootzWiki
JKeene, AndroREV Editor
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