Android’s appeal has always been tied to customization. However, while users can do a lot of low-level tinkering by loading up their own ROMs, manufacturers are doing most of the customizations.
Samsung has TouchWiz, HTC has the Sense and Sony has the Xperia UI. But Cyanogen, with engineering offices in Seattle and has long offered a closer-to-stock version of Android that is customized through the open-source CyanogenMod. Now, Cyanogen is making those customizations easier, hoping to usher in the “post-app era.”
The new MOD program, announced today, lets third-party apps integrate into system-level apps like the camera or messaging programs. At the outset, there are just a handful of MODs available from a few partner organizations (most notably Microsoft), but Cyanogen said more are coming down the line.
The most interesting MOD lets Microsoft’s Cortana control your Android phone, enabling voice-activated reminders, scheduling, texting and even selfie snapping. This is likely the Cortana integration Cyanogen CEO Kirt McMaster announced last year. But it’s not the only MOD built on the deal Microsoft struck with Cyanogen in April.
With MODs, Skype can integrate with the native phone interface for VOIP calling, easy switching to video chats, and call history, meaning you can see on your phone who you just called on your desktop. OneNote can also be deeply integrated with the browser, email and calendar. Microsoft’s hyperlapse tech has a MOD as well for letting the built-in camera app shoot time-lapse shots.
Microsoft isn’t the only one jumping on the MOD train though. TrueCaller has built a MOD for identifying spam calls thanks to its sizable database of bad phone numbers. There’s also a social lockscreen, which shows updates from preferred social networks without the user having to unlock the phone. For example, your lock screen could show the latest photo a friend posted to their Instagram feed with the caption along the bottom.
The MOD platform is rolling out with Cyanogen OS 13 next month. But it’s not just the software side that is getting prepared; Cyanogen is also working with manufacturers to create a MOD Ready program.
MOD Ready devices are built with Cyanogen’s platform development kit so MODs can fully take advantage of system-level features (think a dedicated camera button or even just harnessing the full power of the processor). Smartphone maker Obi is working with Cyanogen on the first MOD Ready devices, but no release date or specific product has been announced.
