Cyanogen rebrands itself, partners w/ Qualcomm to load its OS on reference devices

Software maker Cyanogen announced today that it has made a deal with Qualcomm to pre-load its partially-proprietary, Android-based Cyanogen OS (not to be confused with CyanogenMod) onto some of Qualcomm’s reference hardware. Reference devices for the Snapdragon 200, 400, and 600 series chips will now be powered by the Android-based operating system.

These reference devices previously ran customized versions of Android compiled by Qualcomm, with some tweaks for their own purposes. The move to Cyanogen OS could potentially put the software onto a large number of devices very quickly. It could also mean that many more reference devices will be able to receive software updates and run the latest version of Android.

Cyanogen also announced new branding (seen above) to help fit with its focus on open software:

As our values have evolved and advanced, we’ve realized that our identity as a team and a company should reflect that change.

Today we’re announcing a new look that we hope captures our commitment to openness. This new approach celebrates space, with minimal letterforms that don’t quite connect, giving the logo a sense of motion and a feeling of inherent energy.

The new Cyanogen feels open: fresh, expansive, and free.