Samsung Galaxy Note (5.3) ICS Source Code Now Available For Download

The Samsung Galaxy Note had been receiving several criticisms from tech reviewers from tech reviewers due to several reasons such as its size. However, the device was still able to gain huge sales all over the world, reaching over 5 million units sold worldwide according to reports. Early this month, Samsung had released the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OTA update for the Samsung Galaxy Note over its users in Europe and across Asia. Following the ICS update, the Korean manufacturer has now released the source code for the device that will allow the several third party developers as well as hackers to create custom ROMs and kernels for the Galaxy Note.

These developers and hackers have been waiting for the release of the source codes for a long time already as they have made attempts to tweak the Galaxy Note. The ICS source code will make it possible for them to explore the device properly. According to sources, previous hackers had to utilize leaked and official ROMs and build on top of it in the goal successfully accessing the device which was not that safe and stable. With the release of the ICS source code, developers and hackers will no longer have a hard time in accessing the phone, instead they can start focusing on developing safer ROMs and even custom kernels that can boost performance and even increase the Galaxy Note’s battery life.
ROM builders and other modders will take advantage of this release to create more advanced ports and advanced ROMs. The source code, similar to all Samsung releases, will likely include the TouchWiz UI overlay. That being said, developers and hackers will also be able to modify and tweak it and create customizations that would fit their needs. It would not take long before custom ROMs and kernels will be available for the Galaxy Note.
Samsung made the Linux kernel source code and other open-source files available on its Open Source download pages. These releases are intended for the Android 4.0 firmware for the international Galaxy Note models. It is important to note though that the source code is for the GT-N7000 and not for the North American version with the name of GT-i717 since these versions have software packages that are customized with region-specific radio files, applications, and others. Though, developers and hackers will soon be able adapt the released codes to these local devices.
To download the latest ICS source code, go to Samsung’s Open Source download page (opensource.samsung.com) and search for N7000 on the search box.