Blackberry OS “Leaks” … Should you try them out?

If you enter the Blackberry discussion boards, one of the most frequently discussed topics is “leaked” operating systems. A leaked OS is a variant designed by RIM that has not been released to the public nor approved by your carrier. This post explains how an operating system leaks and whether you should consider installing a leaked operating system.

How an Operating System Leaks

Tester of an OS are subject to strict non-disclosure agreements for two primary reasons. 1. RIM and the carriers want to work out the bugs in an OS prior to its release. It avoids bad publicity if the OS does not function as intended. Adequate testing also saves RIM and the carriers customer service calls and aggregation.  2. Competing manufacturers might gain an advantage if they know ahead of time that RIM is planning particular features.

For the reasons above, RIM does not ever intentionally leak its OS.  Early-stage testers sometimes breach their non-disclosure agreements.  They rip the OS off their Blackberries and distribute it online. Presumably, some are financially motivated but a leaked OS usually quickly finds its way to MegaUpload and RapidShare for free public download. Leaked OS speads like rapidfire through the unofficial Blackberry forums. Once the cat is out of the bag, RIM cannot police who uses the leaked OS or how. If RIM nixes a download link by contacting a website, another will sprout.

Should You Install a Leaked OS?

This is a subject to much debate.  The primary arguments against using a leaked OS include: 1. A leaked OS is not tested thoroughly. However, sometimes the OS is adequately tested by RIM but the carriers are slow to release it—simply redundancy in quality control. 2. Your carrier usually will not provide technical support for you unless you are running an official release. This may not be important to you depending on your level of expertise. 3. Some may take the view that a leaked operating system is equivalent to “pirated.” I tend to disagree with this argument. The OS will eventually be released for at no charge to Blackberry owners. Nobody in the chain loses any revenue.

The primary arguments in favor of running a leaked OS include: 1. A leaked OS may correct bugs or deficiencies in the official OS you are currently running. For example, OS 5.0.0.230 Tour users report significant improvement in battery life. 2. A leaked OS might have additional features that are not included in the official OS.  More bells and whistles!

If you are interested in trying out a leaked OS, make sure to do a full backup of your data in Desktop Manager.  Also consider backing up your apps with Blackberry Swiss Army Knife (courtesy of RIMGeeks.com). This will enable you to restore your Blackberry to its current state if you choose to downgrade back to the official OS.

Don’t be the first penguin in the water. I would caution against installing an OS immediately after it leaks. Be patient and visit the forums for early reports. A higher version number does not necessarily mean that the OS is improved or more stable. Even waiting a few hours can save you time and aggravation if the OS turns out to be one that freezes or otherwise does not function properly. A terrific site for learning about leaked Blackberry OS is BlackberryOS.com, aptly-named.  There is even an app in private beta that will notify you when a new OS leaks, BBOSAlert.  Don’t expect to ever find this one in Blackberry App World!

Hybrids

Another option to consider is a so-called “hybrid” OS. A hybrid OS is usually assembled by someone with significant Blackberry knowledge. The aim of the hybrid maker is to filter out bugs in both the official OS and all the leaked OSs. For example, a hybrid might retain the coding that programs the phone antenna but replace the coding that controls the bluetooth features with portions of a leak. If done properly, a hybrid could function better than both the official OS and leaked OS.  Information about hybrids can be found on BBHybrids.Net.

Concluding Remarks

If you are comfortable with the steps necessary to run a leaked OS or a hybrid OS (tutorial available from Blackberry OS.com, including videos) and downgrade if the need arises, you might want to experiment.  If you own your Blackberry, make the most of it.

P.S. If you brick your Blackberry, this is a guide for reviving it (courtesy of Crackberry.com).

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