Give your mobile the personal touch

Unlike the latest version of Android – whether it’s Lollipop or Marshmallow – CyanogenMod can be customised to suit your every need, making your handset completely unique to you

If you’re not into Apple, you’ll do anything to avoid buying an iPhone come upgrade time. So, an Android phone it is, then – or is it? If you’re looking for something a bit different, there’s now another player in town: CyanogenMod (or CM).

Though it looks similar to Android, CM is actually a modified version of Google’s OS, giving you greater customisability of Use CyanogenMod to customise your phone’s interface. God forbid, it should look like anyone else’s! the interface, as well as extra features not found in Android. One such handset running CM is the new BQ Aquaris X5, available on 02. It runs CM 12.1, which is basically tweaked Lollipop. One of the main differences is the alphabetically categorised, vertical apps menu, which lets you quickly flick through to find apps.

You can also dress up the X5 any way you like, with custom themes, new app icons (you can also adjust the app-icon sizes), fonts and wallpapers; you’ll have to pay for some, but many are free. You can even set the screen to automatically adjust temperature as day turns to night, to give your eyes a much-needed rest.

CyanogenMod also has extra security and privacy features over Android, such as Trucaller, which lets you block spam calls. You get enhanced battery-saving features, too. Admittedly, you could download apps to add these features to an Android handset. Well, thankfully, the BQ Aquaris X5 also comes in a Lollipop flavour.

The handset isn’t cutting edge by any means, but it’s nicely designed and well specified with a five-inch, 720p display and a speedy 1.4GHz Snapdragon processor. The X5’s biggest win, though? You can buy it outright for just £180.

Start your adve nture today

Buy a BQ Aquaris X5 sim -ready for £180, or £9.99 for a £19.50/month contract.

The X5 has a slot for both regular and nano-sim s, giving you more options.

Turn on the X5 and hit the Themes app – you can browse through a variety of looks. Just hit the one you want to install.