CyanogenMod 11 M7 released, brings new features to 50 devices

The team behind the most popular Android-based custom ROM, CyanogenMod, has released the latest version of the ROM called CM11 M7. The new iteration is based on Android 4.4.2 even though most users expected it to be based on Android 4.4.3 which is the latest version of the Google owned mobile operating system.

The team says. "To get ahead of the inevitable questions, this release is based on Android 4.4.2. The 4.4.3 source has been merged into CM for nightlies, but given the source code was only made available last week, we chose not to rush the new code into the stable branch. There will be plenty of things to address with 4.4.3 in time for our M8 release next month."

Custom ROM have always been known for giving extra customization powers to its users. CM11 M7 capitalizes around that by bringing new cool features like the much anticipated Theme Chooser UI which lets users customize each and every aspect of their Android devices. You can change fonts, icon packs, sounds, including full themes. There is a new revamped calculator, new features and updates to the Trebuchet launcher (which is the default launcher in CyanogenMod) and Theme Template. Users who want to create their own themes can use the Theme Template to build and compile them. The CyanogenMod team will soon be adding additional documentation, tools and tips to help users get started with the new Theme Template.

The most prominent change in the CM11 M7 is the updated Trebuchet launcher which has undergone some heavy modifications to both the UI and the user experience. The main Settings app has been moved to the readily available slide-out panel which works just like the Google Experience launcher. Here are the new Trebuchet updates:

- Google Experience Launcher-like side panel
- Dynamic Grid resizing and custom grid options
- A new 'protected' app capability (require unlock code to access specified apps)
- Continued refinement of the new UI elements (the grey isn't for everyone)

There are some notable changes in performances as well which includes support for low memory devices such as those will 512MB of RAM. FFMPEG support has also been included to add software playback support for many audio supports including FLAC and DivX. Bluetooth support for various car audio systems and docks has also been improved.

For more details, head over to the CyanogenMod blog.