I've reviewed the following:
Samsung
1. AndyX ROM v12.0 Updated Version 02/05
2. Omega ROM v9.0
3. Wanamlite v11.1
4. SensatioN v3.4
5. Lite'ning ROM v2.0
6. --VK--ICS v4.6
AOKP
7. D4 v10.0 Updated Version 02/05
8. HyDrOG3N (18/04)
9. Dragon ICS v2.2 Updated Version 02/05
10. Resurrection Remix 1.4
I think 10 is enough for now.
Notes
- I tested each rom using a version of Siyah 3.1 underclocked to 800MHz on sio and ondemandx. The screenshots of the kernel version for each rom below are stock (ie before i put Siyah on...unless it came with the rom!)
- I haven't tested CM9 because it's a shell...other devs have taken that shell and done better things with it, so there's no point me testing it.
- I won't comment on battery here. ICS has an overall poor battery life compared with GB. I've found the drain to be about the same no matter whether it's sammy-based or AOKP. My suggestion for improving is to find a good kernel like Siyah, underclock the hell out of it, and turn off Google sync!
- These are just my opinions of each rom. There's a good chance I might have missed something good and bad about each one. If my opinion of a rom offends you, make your own review
Samsung-based ROMs
1. AndyX ROM v12.0
By adesirello
XWLP9, Sammy based
Summary
I've been using AndyX as my main ICS since late January. Its main draw has been its stability rather than its perks. Back in the beta ICS rom days (a whole 4 months ago ), it was difficult to find an ICS rom that had everything working. It's likely others worked well, but AndyX was the 5th one I tried and the only one even close to stable. Nowadays it has its ups and downs *coughv10.0cough* but it's still the most stable ICS I've seen.
It got kicked off xda for various rule violations, but the OP still updates on another website and still keeps in contact with every poster! So it's an all-round goody.
Pros:
- Stable, smooth and fast! Everything a newcomer to ICS could ask for.
- Nice custom bootanimation
Cons:
- It's sammy-based, so after the initial honeymoon period of ICS features disappears, you start getting bored.
- Every second update seems to be hit and miss. v10.0 had a lot of issues, which were fixed in v10.1.
- adesirello continues to use uploaded.to, which is about as fast as turtle covered in mud pulling a caravan up a mountain...upside down.
- The new bootanimation sound is a bit lame
- The new 'recent apps' list makes everything squished! (see picture below).
Updates:
02/05 - v12.0 is out; based on LP9. This is the current reviewed version.
01/05 - v11.0 is out; based on LP8. It's as smooth and stable as always. v12.0 is cooking, based on LP9.
Pictures:
2. Omega Series v9
By ::indie::
XWLP4, Siyah v3.1 beta3, Sammy-based
Summary
The draw of Omega is its built-in checkrom-esque kitchen. I only got around to trying version 9 blue-black, and my issues with the kitchen were far from being kept to myself. Since I never got it working, I got bored of it quickly, because it's your basic sammy rom but with a cool theme. To paraphrase my post in the Omega thread:
Pros:
- Great-looking interface with cool icons.
- Works really well with GO Launcher (but then, they all do).
- Awesome pattern unlock screen (same as D4).
- Comes with some nice apps, like Home Switch tool, ConvertPad and FasterFix.
- Seems to work just fine with Siyah v3.1 beta3 and underclocking.
Cons:
- Comes with all the stock Samsung rubbish, which is easily deletable.
- Custom bootloader tends to stick around too long, up to and including the lock screen.
- Cannot for the life of me get the kitchen working. (maybe v11 has fixed it?).
- The boot screen is a bit boring, but hoping to fix that with the kitchen!
- After a couple of days usage I kept getting constant FCs and the phone became nigh on unusable. I hope this is fixed in v10 but I haven't tried it yet...
Updates:
01/05 - v11.1 is out with BULP6 modem and LP8 firmware.
23/04 - The last con wasn't in the OP, but I sourly found it out later on =/ I hope to update this thread with new versions of roms, so perhaps v11 is more stable
Pictures:
3. Wanamlite v11.1
By wanam
XWLP8, Sammy-based
Summary
I can't really find a difference between this and AndyX, besides the firmware/modem/kernel versions. They're both extremely stable and smooth. People might prefer this over AndyX because it's still on xda and the updates aren't as russian roulette as AndyX's
Pros:
- Like AndyX, it's stable, fast and smooth. Great for beginners.
Cons:
- Again, sammy-based, so there's little in the way of customisation.
Updates
04/05 - v11.5 is out, based on DXLP9.
03/05 - v11.4 is out, based on DULP9.
01/05 - v11.3.1 is out, based on XWLP9.
Pictures:
4. SensatioN ROM v3.4
By Crysis21
XXLP7, Sammy based
Summary
Another sammy-based ROM with some nice but unchangeable tweaks. Had one FC but I think I cause these somehow, not the ROM
Pros:
- Mostly Smooth, fast and stable.
- Has some different icons and a cool dialer.
- Good wallpaper selection!
Cons:
- Boring stock bootanimation.
- Lack of customisation.
Updates
04/05 - Apparently Crysis has a crisis and is asking money for a new hdd since he lost his with all his Sensation 3.0 data on it. Ouch. Will be a while before this rom updates.
Pictures:
5. Lite'ning ROM v2.0
By LitePro
XXLPQ, Sammy based
Summary
This one was a bit more interesting to install. I couldn't find a zip version so I downloaded the md5 version and flashed using Mobile Odin. I was very wary when doing this since I didn't get to manually wipe data/cache/dalvik/battery in CWM, it just apparently did everything in the app. I wasn't sure what would happen. So I get the stock SGS2 bootanimation and......it worked! Looks like it did a fullwipe as well, since all my apps were gone. I was wondering how it managed to fullwipe and still use Mobile Odin to flash, but I see now that Mobile Odin is still here! So it must remove everything except Mobile Odin. How handy!
I had the wide selection of twlauncher or launcher pro, so I chose twlauncher first and remembered why i don't like twlauncher. But I wasn't gonna be on this rom for too long so I thought I'd suck it up, delete all the useless widgets, and play around.
Other than my flashing tale, there's not much to say about this one. It's pretty stock, haven't had any troubles with it, but I just feel like it wasn't flashed correctly (since it's not the way I'm used to). It feel like I'm an old operator pressing a button to turn a valve rather than using my hands...just doesn't feel natural.
Pros:
- Seems stable and smooth enough.
- Nice wallpaper (but there's only one ).
Cons:
- Requires Odin to flash, rather than CWM. My method was a bit uncouth.
- Had a Gmail FC which could have been my fault, but still made me wary, considering how it installed.
Updates
- Now on v2.7 with Siyah 3.0.1 on LP7. I don't foresee much difference in a 0.7 increase of a version; it might be stabler with the new modem/firmware I guess Seems like it still requires Odin to flash.
Pictures:
6. --VK--ICS v4.6
By nguyenxuanhoa
XWLP8, Speedmod 3.0.15, Sammy-based
Summary
Another AndyX-esque rom with a couple of unchangeable tweaks, including different icons and transition effects. The transition effects look like Apex / GO Launcher ones and they're set to random, so you always have a different effect when switching menus. Other than that, it's a nice rom where everything just works.
Pros:
- Fast, stable and smooth. Another solid sammy-based rom.
- Nice transition features makes it a bit more customised.
Cons:
- Lack of customisation.
- Lack of wallpapers! Apparently there's 27 VK wallpapers, but I can't find them anywhere!
Updates
- v4.7.1 is out, based on XWLP9!
- v4.6.2 is out.
Pictures:
Samsung
1. AndyX ROM v12.0 Updated Version 02/05
2. Omega ROM v9.0
3. Wanamlite v11.1
4. SensatioN v3.4
5. Lite'ning ROM v2.0
6. --VK--ICS v4.6
AOKP
7. D4 v10.0 Updated Version 02/05
8. HyDrOG3N (18/04)
9. Dragon ICS v2.2 Updated Version 02/05
10. Resurrection Remix 1.4
I think 10 is enough for now.
Notes
- I tested each rom using a version of Siyah 3.1 underclocked to 800MHz on sio and ondemandx. The screenshots of the kernel version for each rom below are stock (ie before i put Siyah on...unless it came with the rom!)
- I haven't tested CM9 because it's a shell...other devs have taken that shell and done better things with it, so there's no point me testing it.
- I won't comment on battery here. ICS has an overall poor battery life compared with GB. I've found the drain to be about the same no matter whether it's sammy-based or AOKP. My suggestion for improving is to find a good kernel like Siyah, underclock the hell out of it, and turn off Google sync!
- These are just my opinions of each rom. There's a good chance I might have missed something good and bad about each one. If my opinion of a rom offends you, make your own review
Samsung-based ROMs
1. AndyX ROM v12.0
By adesirello
XWLP9, Sammy based
Summary
I've been using AndyX as my main ICS since late January. Its main draw has been its stability rather than its perks. Back in the beta ICS rom days (a whole 4 months ago ), it was difficult to find an ICS rom that had everything working. It's likely others worked well, but AndyX was the 5th one I tried and the only one even close to stable. Nowadays it has its ups and downs *coughv10.0cough* but it's still the most stable ICS I've seen.
It got kicked off xda for various rule violations, but the OP still updates on another website and still keeps in contact with every poster! So it's an all-round goody.
Pros:
- Stable, smooth and fast! Everything a newcomer to ICS could ask for.
- Nice custom bootanimation
Cons:
- It's sammy-based, so after the initial honeymoon period of ICS features disappears, you start getting bored.
- Every second update seems to be hit and miss. v10.0 had a lot of issues, which were fixed in v10.1.
- adesirello continues to use uploaded.to, which is about as fast as turtle covered in mud pulling a caravan up a mountain...upside down.
- The new bootanimation sound is a bit lame
- The new 'recent apps' list makes everything squished! (see picture below).
Updates:
02/05 - v12.0 is out; based on LP9. This is the current reviewed version.
01/05 - v11.0 is out; based on LP8. It's as smooth and stable as always. v12.0 is cooking, based on LP9.
Pictures:
2. Omega Series v9
By ::indie::
XWLP4, Siyah v3.1 beta3, Sammy-based
Summary
The draw of Omega is its built-in checkrom-esque kitchen. I only got around to trying version 9 blue-black, and my issues with the kitchen were far from being kept to myself. Since I never got it working, I got bored of it quickly, because it's your basic sammy rom but with a cool theme. To paraphrase my post in the Omega thread:
Pros:
- Great-looking interface with cool icons.
- Works really well with GO Launcher (but then, they all do).
- Awesome pattern unlock screen (same as D4).
- Comes with some nice apps, like Home Switch tool, ConvertPad and FasterFix.
- Seems to work just fine with Siyah v3.1 beta3 and underclocking.
Cons:
- Comes with all the stock Samsung rubbish, which is easily deletable.
- Custom bootloader tends to stick around too long, up to and including the lock screen.
- Cannot for the life of me get the kitchen working. (maybe v11 has fixed it?).
- The boot screen is a bit boring, but hoping to fix that with the kitchen!
- After a couple of days usage I kept getting constant FCs and the phone became nigh on unusable. I hope this is fixed in v10 but I haven't tried it yet...
Updates:
01/05 - v11.1 is out with BULP6 modem and LP8 firmware.
23/04 - The last con wasn't in the OP, but I sourly found it out later on =/ I hope to update this thread with new versions of roms, so perhaps v11 is more stable
Pictures:
3. Wanamlite v11.1
By wanam
XWLP8, Sammy-based
Summary
I can't really find a difference between this and AndyX, besides the firmware/modem/kernel versions. They're both extremely stable and smooth. People might prefer this over AndyX because it's still on xda and the updates aren't as russian roulette as AndyX's
Pros:
- Like AndyX, it's stable, fast and smooth. Great for beginners.
Cons:
- Again, sammy-based, so there's little in the way of customisation.
Updates
04/05 - v11.5 is out, based on DXLP9.
03/05 - v11.4 is out, based on DULP9.
01/05 - v11.3.1 is out, based on XWLP9.
Pictures:
4. SensatioN ROM v3.4
By Crysis21
XXLP7, Sammy based
Summary
Another sammy-based ROM with some nice but unchangeable tweaks. Had one FC but I think I cause these somehow, not the ROM
Pros:
- Mostly Smooth, fast and stable.
- Has some different icons and a cool dialer.
- Good wallpaper selection!
Cons:
- Boring stock bootanimation.
- Lack of customisation.
Updates
04/05 - Apparently Crysis has a crisis and is asking money for a new hdd since he lost his with all his Sensation 3.0 data on it. Ouch. Will be a while before this rom updates.
Pictures:
5. Lite'ning ROM v2.0
By LitePro
XXLPQ, Sammy based
Summary
This one was a bit more interesting to install. I couldn't find a zip version so I downloaded the md5 version and flashed using Mobile Odin. I was very wary when doing this since I didn't get to manually wipe data/cache/dalvik/battery in CWM, it just apparently did everything in the app. I wasn't sure what would happen. So I get the stock SGS2 bootanimation and......it worked! Looks like it did a fullwipe as well, since all my apps were gone. I was wondering how it managed to fullwipe and still use Mobile Odin to flash, but I see now that Mobile Odin is still here! So it must remove everything except Mobile Odin. How handy!
I had the wide selection of twlauncher or launcher pro, so I chose twlauncher first and remembered why i don't like twlauncher. But I wasn't gonna be on this rom for too long so I thought I'd suck it up, delete all the useless widgets, and play around.
Other than my flashing tale, there's not much to say about this one. It's pretty stock, haven't had any troubles with it, but I just feel like it wasn't flashed correctly (since it's not the way I'm used to). It feel like I'm an old operator pressing a button to turn a valve rather than using my hands...just doesn't feel natural.
Pros:
- Seems stable and smooth enough.
- Nice wallpaper (but there's only one ).
Cons:
- Requires Odin to flash, rather than CWM. My method was a bit uncouth.
- Had a Gmail FC which could have been my fault, but still made me wary, considering how it installed.
Updates
- Now on v2.7 with Siyah 3.0.1 on LP7. I don't foresee much difference in a 0.7 increase of a version; it might be stabler with the new modem/firmware I guess Seems like it still requires Odin to flash.
Pictures:
6. --VK--ICS v4.6
By nguyenxuanhoa
XWLP8, Speedmod 3.0.15, Sammy-based
Summary
Another AndyX-esque rom with a couple of unchangeable tweaks, including different icons and transition effects. The transition effects look like Apex / GO Launcher ones and they're set to random, so you always have a different effect when switching menus. Other than that, it's a nice rom where everything just works.
Pros:
- Fast, stable and smooth. Another solid sammy-based rom.
- Nice transition features makes it a bit more customised.
Cons:
- Lack of customisation.
- Lack of wallpapers! Apparently there's 27 VK wallpapers, but I can't find them anywhere!
Updates
- v4.7.1 is out, based on XWLP9!
- v4.6.2 is out.
Pictures: