Through the magic of software engineering, the 11-years old Samsung Galaxy S2 was able to run a modified version of Android 12. This hocus-pocus was performed by the software developer rlNanDO, who ported LineageOS 19.0 to the ancient Samsung flagship.
This OS is based on the open-source version of Android 12, and even though it’s a much lighter version of Google’s popular mobile operating system, it still requires substantial hardware resources. The Samsung Galaxy S2 debuted back in 2011 with a modest dual-core Exynos 4210 processor and 1GB of RAM.
All is not good with the port though - hence the (sort of) part in the title. Here’s the complete list of the current state of the port:
Working: - RIL (Phone/SMS) - Audio - Bluetooth (audio & headset) - Wifi - IMEI - Touchkeys - Hardware encode/decoder - Display - DRM, for e.g. Netflix - Selinux enforced - BitGapps - Magisk v23.0 - FM Radio (using Spirit2)
Working-ish/WIP: - BLN - Camera Pictures, one time only and crashes after second use until reboot. - Sensors, sometimes works
Not working/known issues: - AGPS - Camera Videorecording - PowerHAL - LiveDisplay - MicroG support
Brazilian YouTube channel Technoblog managed to replicate the port
Looking at the list above, it’s still pretty amazing that a device that’s less powerful than a modern smartwatch can run Android 12. Normally, we strongly advise against such operations, and putting a custom ROM on your phone is almost always a bad idea tied to another string of bad ideas (rooting the phone and unlocking the bootloader, albeit not always), but in this case, we’re talking about a phone that’s 11 years old. So, if you want to take a shot, and you have a spare Galaxy S2 lying around, there are instructions on the XDA forum.
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Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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