The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is the latest flagship by the Korean manufacturer. It belongs to a new category of hybrid device called phablet. 5.5 inch AMOLED HD display, powerful processor, amazing new features, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and, of course, the revamped S Pen, all make it a powerful beast packed inside a sleek and shiny hood.
If you own the Galaxy Note 2 (GT N7100) powerful device and want to enjoy better performance and battery life complemented by enhanced features and capabilities, flashing a good custom ROM in one big thing you need to do. The Note 2 is quite a new device but its popularity has dragged the attention of the ROM developers to it. As a result, we now have a huge list of custom ROMs waiting to be installed. At one hand the availability of large number of ROMs gives you the freedom to choose one for your device, it also poses a confusing situation where you can’t decide as to which of these is the most suited for your requirements and taste.
The present article attempts to shortlist some of the best custom ROMs available for the Galaxy Note 2 for your convenience. The parameters that have been set to gauge the quality of the ROMs are: fast performance, battery-friendliness, added features and look. So, what are you waiting for? Grab any of the ROMs listed below, flash it and enjoy!
Recommended for You:
-
Install Official Android 4.1.2 JB Firmware on Samsung Galaxy Note 2
- Root your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 GT-N7100
Installing Custom ROM on Galaxy Note 2:
If you have upgraded to the Galaxy Note 2 from some other Android phone, you must be aware that to flash a custom ROM on you device, it needs to be rooted first. If you have already rooted your Samsung GT N7100, skip it. But if it is not rooted, please read our easy tutorial on rooting the Galaxy Note 2.
Most custom ROMS come with a special installation note from the developer. Here is a short installation guide that can be followed for flashing any custom ROM on your device.
- Copy the ROM file and Gapps (if provided) to your device using USB cable (internal or external memory).
- Switch off the device.
- Boot it into CWM Recovery mode: press and hold Volume up+Home+Power buttons simultaneously.
- Go to “backup and restore” and backup your current ROM.
- Wipe data / factory reset.
- Wipe cache partition.
- Go to “Advanced” and “wipe dalvik cache”.
- Open “install zip from sdcard” option.
- Select the ROM file and confirm the choice.
- If you are instructed to flash the Gapps separately, flash it to (use step 8).
- When the installation finishes, select the “reboot now” option.
Now here is the some hand-picked custom ROMs for your SGN2. The sequence in which the ROMs have been listed is in random order. Do not take is as a top 5 or 10 countdown sort of thing.
1. Android Revolution HD ROM (Android 4.1.1)
Developer: mike1986
Android Revolution HD is a good choice for those who prefer to enjoy improved, fast and power saver ROM while still having the feel of Note 2’s stock user interface. Based on latest official Samsung N7100XXALJ3 Jelly Bean firmware, the Android Revolution HD ROM is very clean, fast and stable.
How to Install:
Copy both the files to SD Card. Flash the Super Wipe Script via CWM Recoverybefore installing the ROM itself. Enter CWM Recovery>install zip from sdcard>choose zip from sd card>selsect Super Wipe file and install. Then install the ROM using the same method.
2. Omega v4.0 with 8 Themes
Developer: Indie
Another ROM that deserves to be recommended for your Galaxy Note 2 is the Omega ROM developed by Indie. The ROM is not new as it is available for most high-end Galaxy Series devices. Good performance and battery life together with tons of features- here lies the secret of the popularity of the Omega ROMs. Having tested it for two whole days, I must admit it is one of the best options if you are seeking for a power-packed ROM for Note 2.
The ROM comes with integrated Aroma installer that lets you choose from various customization option while installing the ROM via ClockworkMod Recovery. The ROM also supports custom themes. You can choose from 8 themes that are available for download and try them one by one.
How to Install:
To install the Omega ROM, refer to our ROM installation guide above. The themes come in zip and need to be flashed via CWM Recovery: Copy to SD Card> Turn off device> Enter CWM Recovery> install zip from sdcard> choose sdcard> install>Reboot system now.
3. VeinDroid ROM for Note 2
Developer: VeinDroid Team
The VeinDroid ROM is dark-blue themed ROM from the VeinDroid team that consists of two friends, Mirko (XaToR) and Francesco (Zeus) who have already made a beautiful ROM for the Galaxy Note and Galaxy Tab 10.1. The ROM utilizes the goodness of the Siyah Kernel and features various tweaks to make your Galaxy Note 2 work faster and more efficiently. The developers seem to have worked hard on changing the look and feel of the stock GUI of the Galaxy Note 2. I tested it for more than 11 hours or so and as a result it has found a place here. The VeinDroid ROM is marked by the flavored stock JellyBean added by some awesome tweaks.
How to Install: Refer to the installation guide provided above.
[Original Thread]
4. WanamLite Note 2
Developer: Wanam
This ROM is made by Wanam who is a veteran in ROM cooking for Samsung Galaxy devices. Stability, performance and battery-life are the very foundation upon which the WanamLite ROM has been built. The ROM has a pure stock look and gives you more free ROM to have great speed.
Installation Steps:
Refer to the installation guide posted at the beginning of the post.
Download: WanamLite ROM SGS Note 2
5. ParanoidAndroid ROM [CM 10 + Jelly Bean Hybrid]
Developer: Utacka
The ParanoidAndroid ROM is one of the most functional and beautiful ROMs for a host of Android smartphones and tablets. It is a pretty popular ROM because of it is light, powerful, performance-focused and , most of all, battery-friendly. I have tested the ROM both on my Galaxy S3 and Note 2, and it still remains to be one of my favorites.
The ParanoidAndroid ROM is a hybrid that combines and blends the best features of CyanogenMod 10 and Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. The ROM lets you enjoy the Stylus Gesture features on your Note 2. The most amazing feature of this ROM, however, is that it is very flexible. You can change between themes and chose between phone, phablet and tablet layouts for your homescreen. You can choose your favorite style by opening device Settings> Paranoid Settings.
Just download the ROM and flash it via ClockworkMod recovery. To get the Google Apps, you will have to flash the Gapps package separately.
Installation Instructions:
Follow the steps given at the very beginning of the post. After flashing the ROM, if you are unable to access the external SD Card on your device, format the ext. card to Fat32 using Windows formatting option and reinsert the card.
[Source]6. HyperNote ROM Galaxy Note 2
Developer: Kristofpetho (Donate)
The HyperNote ROM is light-weight and so it is very fast ROM. It is a black-themed ROM that keeps away from most of the bloatwares that come with your Galaxy Note 2. If you are looking for a super-fast and battery-saver ROM for your Galaxy Note 2, you should go for it.
How to Install:
The ROM requires a full wipe to be installed successfully. You can find the detailed steps of the installation procedure at the beginning of this article.
[source]
7. Resurrection Remix v1.0.0 Pitch Black Rom:
Developer: Westcrip
The Resurrection Remix is not a new name in the realm of custom firmwares for Samsung Galaxy series devices. I am familiar with this ROM since my Galaxy S2 days through Galaxy S3 and now testing on my GalaxyNote. The Note 2 version of the RR ROM is a little different as it has been themes in pitch black and blue that give it a decent feel. It is based on the latest Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean firmware XXALJ3. The Resurrection Remix ROM for Note 2 combines some of the best features of the CM 10 with stock ones, and the result is awesome.
For the past few weeks, I was waiting for this ROM to exit beta state so that I might list it here among the best custom ROMS. With RR custom ROM installed on your Galaxy Note 2, you will not only be able to get a better battery life but also buttery smoothness, fast performance and a lot of customization capabilities.
How to Install:
The ROM requires a full wipe to be installed successfully. You can find the detailed steps of the installation procedure at the beginning of this article.
ECLIPSE ROM IS FAR BETTER
I have used many custom roms
every rom carry one or two major bugs which forces me to change my rom
is there any rom in which the battery stays longer and camera works fine??
Currently i am using customised stock rom 4.4.2
deep impact.
till now it is working fine but the only issue is that is slower than other roms.
kindly suggest a better rom
thank you
Namaste Rakesh ji I have a problem during download any content from Internet that is “EACCES permission denied ” after taking backup my rom with twrp and when I restore it back above problem occurs.
Please help me out. Thanks.
Try a factory reset or wiping the cache.
i have download the Pandroid ROM for SGN 2 works fine so far, but my device does not show in the Google play store so i cannot push any apps to it
Seems you have not read the details of the ROM given above. Paranoid ROM requires Google Apps (gapps) to be flashed separately via CWM Recovery to get apps like Google Play, Maps, Gmail, etc.
Download it here: http://droidviews.com/2012/download-google-apps-gapps-for-your-android-device-on-gbicsjb/
Select this file: gapps-jb-20121212-signed.zip
What about Hyper Note?
Definitely a good ROM. I have tested it but did not get time to include it. Anyways, I will do it now. Thanks.
just wondering which of these allows for all the original S Pen functionalities or if any new ones are added??
It is the Wanam Lite ROM. The rest of them do compromise with the functionalities of the S-Pen less or more.
you do need to root first right? sorry im new at this :S
LOL mike and his “legendary” placebo, poor idiots that think his rebuilds are any better than stock oem roms lol.
Well, I think it is just a matter of personal perspective. You might not like a thing but others can.
It’s just a matter of personal preference. One might a thing you do not like.
Thanks for pingback veindroid.com 😉
You deserve it, man!