It was the year 2012 when Samsung launched its top range Galaxy S3 on the market (the presentation took place on the occasion of the Unpacked event in May, to be exact ). We are therefore talking about a smartphone that has almost ten years on its shoulders, but which thanks to the commitment and enthusiasm of the community of independent developers can show off the latest version of the Android operating system.
Nothing official, because Samsung has long since discontinued support for the device, as much as the result of the project that made it possible to adapt the LineageOS 19.0 custom ROM (unofficial) based on Android 12 to the Galaxy S3. The goal is the result of the work of html6405, XDA’s Recognized Developer, who has already managed to obtain a good result as essential components are working, including:
- Display
- Radio module
- Camera
- Wifi
- Bluetooth
- Video playback with software/hardware video acceleration
Some features typical of the LineageOS are not present and it must be taken into account that there are still some bugs: the unlocking of the SIM PIN does not work (so it is good to remove any PIN before inserting the SIM in the smartphone); it is not advisable to format a microSD to use it as adoptable storage because in this first release the operation seems to cause boot loop; the NFC module does not work.
Beyond these aspects that could be improved with later versions of the ROM, it is always a win for end-users to know that you can overcome the limitations of official support with solution alternatives. Everything when over while the procedure of distribution of the official update to Android 12 has only just begun. In the video below it is possible to take a look at the operation of Lineage 19 on Galaxy S3, while in the link in SOURCE you can find all the details of the project.