Custom ROMs on mobile devices have been a staple-mate of the mobile industry since the Windows Mobile PocketPC CE Phone Edition Whatever days. Android took over here, with a lively custom ROM scene, allowing you to tailor your device to your own needs – including updates to operating system versions your device maker of carrier doesn’t allow. Custom iOS ROMs, on the other hand, are pretty damn rare, so it’s interesting to see a custom iOS ROM that brings several iOS 5 features to devices that can’t actually run iOS 5. Welcome to Whited00r.
Whited00r is obviously not legal, since from what I can gather, they’re shipping a heavily modified version of iOS 3.1.3 which brings a number of features from later iOS versions to devices that do not support iOS 5. This includes features like multitasking, reminders, an iCloud alternative based on DropBox, home-screen folders, Newsstand, custom backgrounds (without using WinterBoard), and lots more.
As you can see in the video below, it’s pretty fast – although the developers stress that, e.g., Whited00r 5 on the iPhone 3G is not as fast as iOS 5 on the 3GS (which has more powerful hardware, so that makes sense). Still, it’s pretty impressive.
It’s not all sunshine and celery stalks, though. It doesn’t come with the App Store application, so you’ll have to install official iOS applications through the web interface on the device. It also comes with Cydia, as well as a Whited00r-specific application store. Carrier unlock and jailbreaking is built-in as well.
You install Whited00r through iTunes, and they have download links to Apple’s official ROMs. Whited00r supports the iPod Touch 1G and 2G, as well as the iPhone 2G and 3G. Considering how fast this stuff runs, it makes you wonder just how much Apple is holding out on us just to get us to upgrade, but alas.
Will this install on a jailbroken iPod 2G without problems?
My iPod is running 4.2.1 at the moment, but it is terribly slow and laggy. So this would be great. The installation guide says nothing about a jailbreak, will this only work on non-jailbroken devices?
I think you should be fine. It flashes this over the os on the ipod.
Anyway, I’m installing it right now on my jailbroken first gen iphone. Things look like they going ok so far. I plan on installing idroid too.
That’s what I was thinking while reading this, as I have an iPod Touch 2G as well. Currently running 4.2.1 via GreenPoison. It’s usable … but just barely.
I’ll have to give this a try.
Cool it would be nice if you could report back with your finding. I just want to have it run faster. I could care less for a lot of apps etc. I just can’t try it now, because I have given the device to kids in another town.
It seems to run fine on my first gen iphone.
I also installed idroid, so I can now dualboot between this and android. idroid runs much worse, but thats probably due to a lack of gpu acceleration.
How is the speed compared to ios v3 and ios v2 on that phone?
ios 3 was painfully slow on the 1st gen iphone.
I don’t think I’m the best judge, since its been a while since I’ve used the iPhone exclusively everyday, but to me, it looks like its an improvement.
I don’t keep up with all the ios features, but I thought ios 5 had notifications and wireless syncing with itunes? I can’t seem to find either of those.
I think you just mean ‘staple’.
Or possibly stable-mate.
The question is is it worth downgrading from iOS4 to something based on iOS3 to get a few iOS5 features but also at the same time loosing apps that may be designed for only iOS4 and above?