The Google Pixel 4a 5G gets its first custom ROM and kernel

Last year, Google announced the Pixel 3a and the Pixel 3a XL smartphones to bring their flagship camera experience to mid-range smartphones. This year, they diversified the range a bit by announcing a 4G and a 5G model of the Pixel 3a successors instead of two different sizes of the same phone. Calling the Pixel 4a 5G an XL-sized Pixel 4a only scratches the surface as it also comes with a better processor, bigger display, bigger battery, and an additional wide-angle camera on the back. While the Android experience remains consistent on both the 4G and the 5G variants, we are now seeing the first custom ROM for 5G variant — just like for the 4G one did back in September. An unofficial build of LineageOS 18.0 based on Android 11 is now available for the Pixel 4a 5G.

XDA Forum Threads: LineageOS 18.0 for Google Pixel 4a 5G || Proton Kernel for Pixel 4a 5G

There are numerous reasons why XDA loves LineageOS. Very recently, XDA even launched a phone that comes pre-loaded with LineageOS out-of-the-box.

LineageOS 18.0 has been ported to the Pixel 4a 5G by XDA Senior Member dic1911. This is currently an unofficial version of the LineageOS for the smartphone. This means that the ROM is neither developed nor maintained officially by the LineageOS team. This is possible since LineageOS — just like Android — is open source and can be modified and ported to a variety of devices without any intervention or any approval from the team.

XDA Forums: Pixel 4a 5G || LineageOS

In addition to the LineageOS port, a custom kernel — Proton Kernel — is also available for the smartphone by XDA Senior Member kdrag0n. The kernel allows for CPU tuning and unlocks some extra RAM for better performance. It also improves the response time, battery life, and wake times on the Pixel 4a 5G. It comes with Magisk support and is pre-activated to bypass SafetyNet restrictions.

Note that the ROM and the kernel are currently in the testing phase, which means you can expect to experience some bugs or instability on the device.

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