The Not-So Shady World of Cooked Smartphone ROMs
I watched him enter the smoke-filled room and head to the back booth where I’d been waiting. I knew from the moment I saw him that he was my supplier, as he looked as I’d expected. The fedora was slung low over his face, so the scar running across his chin was the only part of his face that was visible. He looked around and saw me, ambled over and slid across from me.
“No names. I’ve got the ROM you wanted.” He gauged my reaction and knew he had me hooked. “Follow the instructions I have included with the ROM exactly, or you may BRICK YOUR PHONE.”
He slid the tiny package across the table, silently stood and left the seamy dive as fast as he had arrived. The entire transaction took less than a minute. I made a conscious effort to slow my rapid breathing. I had the ROM! With a little bit of effort I would soon have the equivalent of a brand new phone, with features that owners of the same handset could only dream about. I would be careful applying this new ROM that had been cooked in some secret location by very smart people willing to give me what I needed. No OEM nor carrier would keep my from having the phone I wanted, thanks to these nameless white hat hackers churning ROMs out in the middle of the night.
