HyperDroid v5.3 - Jumping Jaguar

Warning: Phone Geek Lingo Ahead!


This is the latest installment from the HyperDroid Team.  It's based on Android 2.3.7 (Gingerbread) & Cyanogen Mod 7.1.  What's different in this version?  The biggest change is that they switched from ADW Launcher to LauncherPro.  According to one of the developers when I asked about the change, he stated that it runs smoother and faster with this build then ADW.  They also spent some time skinning the launcher to fit the theme of the build.  My take?  At first I was a little perturbed by the change.  For one, it doesn't nearly have the stock options that ADW (free version) has.  Mainly being able to re-size widgets after you adjust your columns and rows to your taste.  Typically I like to run a 6x6 grid on my desktop.  With LauncherPro you have to purchase the unlock code in order to use this feature.  I do like LauncherPro after I tinkered with it for a few hours and I eventually purchased the unlocked version.  I now can place some of the built in widgets that come with this version, such as messaging & bookmarks.  All very nice features.

Some of the other big changes, at least for me, was that after the installation it started to install apps automatically that I had had on my previous HyperDroid version.  Even down to the wallpaper that I had.  I still had to download quite a few other apps, such as Beautiful Widget and XDA Developers.

It seams like the signal strength and data run a bit stronger than the prior version.  I seem to be hitting a few more 3G spots where I wasn't getting them before.  I'm not sure if it's because the kernel is working better with the radio version or if T-Mobile is upgrading the coverage area where I live.  As far as speed goes, it's a slight edge to the prior version.  There have been complaints from other users that they have been experiencing dramatic signal and data drops and only doing a restart fixes the issue.  I have not experienced any of that yet.  Your mileage may vary.

Installation was easy.  I started from a complete wipe with a task29.  Overkill I'm sure, but I want to make sure there are no prior versions lingering in NAND that might hamper the new install.

If your not happy with the stock theme, then by all means feel free to change it to any one of the many CM7 themes floating out there.  If you choose to go with a custom theme like Anastasdroid then be sure to do a full backup of your NAND prior to themeing.  On my phone I am using Anastasdroid and I absolutely love it.
Keep in mind when you use a custom theme that it might actually drag down the performance of your phone.

Overall I give this a hearty two thumbs up.  It does run very smooth, fast and stable.  It does run an older version of the Android Market, which I do not have a problem with.  They developers do this because of the various display densities that flashers use.  The new market checks the density and will limit the amount of applications you can see based on that feedback.  Most have a personal preference.  I myself like the stock 192 this version comes with.

Link to HyperDroid v5.3