Ski ROM For SGS2: v1 ROM Review

Ski ROM may be a Samsung-based firmware but it was made out of a refreshing concept I haven't seen in most ICS builds - a transparent user interface. It still has that unmistakable TouchWiz feel to it which happens to be hated by most modders. HOWEVER (and that's one big however), this is still a first version and from what I've seen from it, things are looking promising! For an initial release, I'm pretty impressed with it.

Version reviewed in this post: Ski ROM v1 (XWLPG)

Build date: 06-30-2012

Developer: android_isda_shit of XDA Forums


Original XDA thread here

PROS

• What works: WiFi, Data, Bluetooth, Camera, Video Recording, and GPS. Pretty much everything since this is Sammy-based.
• Very stable. Didn't get any force closes at all. Well, except for Twitter which just happened once in 7 days of use.
• Different look! All thanks to the LG Launcher and transparent UI present in the following:
• Homescreen
• Apps Drawer
• Notifications Drawer
• Phone Dialer
• Contacts
• Messaging (Inbox only)
• Calculator
• Clock
• Gmail
• Music Player
• Play Store
• YouTube
• Amazing battery life. My phone lasted around 26 hours on mild to moderate usage. Lasted for 16 hours when WiFi was left on for 10 straight hours for the sake of Skype.
• Scrollable toggles

CONS

• Bugs: You can't change the Lockscreen wallpaper. It remains the same as the Homescreen wallpaper.
• The transparency of some apps interferes with readability of text. A good example is Gmail. TIP: Just use a basic one-color wallpaper :)
• Needs more improvement on theming IMO. The battery icon for instance looks cartoon-like. When you have a low battery, you can't tell from the icon how much battery is left because it only displays a red battery with an "X" in the center.
• Gmail, Google Play Store, and YouTube are installed as system applications. This is not the CON yet just keep reading. Now If you decide to update these applications, their transparency will be lost since you are basically replacing them. TIP: Do you want the original transparent look back? Just uninstall the update by going to Settings > Applications > All > (Select App) > Uninstall Updates. This will uninstall the update and revert the app to its original transparent UI. 
• Sometimes, there is a slight lag when launching applications - particularly those that are transparent. I also noticed that lags are highly likely when using a live wallpaper.

PREVIEW

Lockscreen

Of course, it still has the standard Slide lockscreen which you can change to Face Unlock, Pattern, PIN, and Password security. The option to not use any lockscreen at all is there too. Unfortunately, what you can't change is the wallpaper. But this will probably get fixed in the next update. Keep those fingers crossed!

Home Screen and Dock

Where do I begin? It looks different! And I mean that in a good way. Sure, it still has that 5-icon dock but if you take a closer look, the icons were replaced with LG's. Even the Home Screen shares this LG Optimus look. To edit animation options, screen transition, and the wallpaper, press the Menu touch button from the Home Screen and select "Home settings". If you long press on an empty space of the Home Screen, you will be given the option to add apps and widgets as well as change the wallpaper.

Status Bar and Notifications Drawer

Icons on the Status Bar are either gray or green. I can live with the green but I don't like the battery icon. When the phone has a critically low battery, it would turn red with an "X" symbol in the middle. No percentage will be displayed. I think most of us would prefer to know just how much is left of the battery even if it were less than 10 percent.

Toggles on the Notifications Drawer are either green (activated) or white (deactivated). They are set on a semi-transparent background and scrollable. Included in the toggles are WiFi, Mobile Data, Bluetooth, GPS, Sound, Vibrate, Auto Rotation, Airplane Mode, Auto Brightness, Do Not Disturb, Screen On Timeout, WiFi Hotspot, Sync, Flashlight, Reboot Options (Reboot, Recovery, Download), and Shutdown. 

Notifications will be displayed on an even more transparent background which looks sexy by the way. 

Recent Apps View

There's nothing new here. You can still access the Task Manager :)

Apps Drawer

Again, it is powered by the LG Launcher that comes pre-installed with Ski ROM. You can access all applications, just downloaded apps, or widgets by selecting tabs on the upper screen. Apps can be rearranged individually by selecting the Settings icon on the upper right corner. To arrange apps in chronological order, press the Menu touch button from the Apps Drawer and select "Reset." Under the same menu, you can also select to "Show more icons" on each page as well as access the App and System settings.

Messaging, Contacts, and Phone Dialer

The Inbox is transparent but Message threads have the standard Sammy theme. I can't say the same for Contacts and the Phone Dialer which has transparent themes all-the-way.

Camera

Gallery and Music

The pre-installed Gallery looks like Samsung Gallery but it is named "SBEDemo" which stands for Sony Bravia Engine Demo. It loads faster than the stock Gallery for Samsung but I can't confirm if it is in fact what it says it is, considering it looks exactly like the stock Sammy Gallery. Can anyone confirm this? Anyway, the Music player is clearly stock Samsung but it has the same transparent theme used in most applications.

Internet Browser

Other Pre-Installed Apps

• CWM Manager
• SuperSU

VIDEO WALKTHROUGH

My voice is not in this one video walkthrough, sorry! I didn't have enough time. You can subscribe to my YouTube channel.

NOTE: The dev has been banned from XDA Forums. If you want to help bring him back, you can sign this petition. The petition was posted by another member of XDA and was not created by me.