Whenever there is mention of custom ROMs for Android, AOKP is one of the first to come to mind. Over the past year, the popularity of this source-built ROM has skyrocketed to make it one of the most recognizable third party development projects. Though over the past few months, several AOKP users (including myself) decided to jump ship to other ROMs because of the delay in a release based on Android 4.2. There is good news: The wait is over, as Team Kang has officially released Android 4.2.1-based AOKP JB-MR1 Build 1, starting with the Nexus line of devices.

As with the changes in Android 4.2 from 4.1, the changes in this AOKP release from the previous one aren’t as many as we’ve seen in previous major releases. However, they are still substantial enough to improve the overall user experience. Apart from all the AOKP features of the previous Jelly Bean builds, you’ll get:

• Unlimited lock screen widgets of any kind
• Fully customizable NavBar buttons, color & transparency, with widget support
• Menu arrow keys while typing
• Statusbar transparency
• Customizable tile-based statusbar toggles
• Safe headset volume warning toggle
• Several bug fixes, under-the-hood optimizations and core Android 4.2.1 features

The Nexus line of devices was the primary focus of AOKP since its very inception, and they are the first ones to get this release as well. However, that doesn’t mean other devices will be left out. The team is working on Galaxy S II, S III, Note, and Note II support for the next build, with builds for many other devices to follow. Until then, you can grab the ROM for Nexus devices from the following links:

• Galaxy Nexus International/GSM (maguro)
• Galaxy Nexus Verizon (toro)
• Nexus 4 (mako)
• Nexus 7 WiFi (grouper)
• Nexus 10 (mantaray)

The team is also planning a return to its (bi)weekly release schedule once builds for more of the officially supported devices are ready. More information can be found at the AOKP website.