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After nearly three years Still No Custom roms

I wonder why after roughly 3 years Still no one showing interest in developing a custom rom for our first grade phone? Before they claimed that it is on pause because no has the kernel source code, but now we have access to the official source code and yet no one developed a brand new custom rom for Nokia phone.
Please if anyone could help write a comment below.

to be honest, at this point i simply dont care whatever is happening in this community. If you have knowledge of building a custom rom then why not giving it a go?
i simply dont possess the knowledge at the same time i am also not complaining.

Ok, so first: Nokia 8 launched in September 2017. According to my calculator, thats roughly one and a half year since it came out. Not three.
Then, regarding kernel sources: The official kernel sources for our phone are from the Oreo 8.0 release. It's possible to use older kernels for newer ROMs, but it is really not recommended. And I am not even speaking of the fact that those official kernel sources still require edits to even work. There is no support from Nokia / HMD for development on this phone. Even their unlocker app doesn't work on the majority of versions and completely broke after 2 security patches.
I would be suprised if you can find any developer who is willing to spend their time fighting the stuff that gets thrown between our feet. (broken kernel source, not being able to temporary boot images and having to flash them instead, no working kernel sources from hmd, no reliable bootloader unlock, no official rescue tool etc. etc.) And usually, developers make things because their either need them themselves, or for the joy of creating something and sharing it with people who appreciate it. And when you can port a ROM, you can make the edits you want for yourself with Magisk, so reason 1 is already not applicable.
And as hard as it might sound, this community is by no means large enough to justify porting a ROM you dont need and risking your device stability / userdata in the process.
So the TL;DR; is probably: Either do it yourself, or expect it to never actually happen, as harsh as it sounds, sadly.

THMSP said:
Ok, so first: Nokia 8 launched in September 2017. According to my calculator, thats roughly one and a half year since it came out. Not three.
Then, regarding kernel sources: The official kernel sources for our phone are from the Oreo 8.0 release. It's possible to use older kernels for newer ROMs, but it is really not recommended. And I am not even speaking of the fact that those official kernel sources still require edits to even work. There is no support from Nokia / HMD for development on this phone. Even their unlocker app doesn't work on the majority of versions and completely broke after 2 security patches.
I would be suprised if you can find any developer who is willing to spend their time fighting the stuff that gets thrown between our feet. (broken kernel source, not being able to temporary boot images and having to flash them instead, no working kernel sources from hmd, no reliable bootloader unlock, no official rescue tool etc. etc.) And usually, developers make things because their either need them themselves, or for the joy of creating something and sharing it with people who appreciate it. And when you can port a ROM, you can make the edits you want for yourself with Magisk, so reason 1 is already not applicable.
And as hard as it might sound, this community is by no means large enough to justify porting a ROM you dont need and risking your device stability / userdata in the process.
So the TL;DR; is probably: Either do it yourself, or expect it to never actually happen, as harsh as it sounds, sadly.
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I can't agree with you more, I was just wondered how this newly released phone still has no custom rom while my LG G3 still after those years received many from lots of developers.
So sad to see our beloved NOKIA has no juice to compete in this race.

error748 said:
I can't agree with you more, I was just wondered how this newly released phone still has no custom rom while my LG G3 still after those years received many from lots of developers.
So sad to see our beloved NOKIA has no juice to compete in this race.
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We all found out the hard way what Nokia was about by being early adopters. To me they are only interested in pushing their next device and Android One is making that easier for them. So much so the 8 is long since off their radar. It was an 'OK' phone for the money, but there's better now and it's them I'll be looking to this year.

At this point its best to just modify the current stock rom yourself by debloating it, installing kernel tweking modules via magisk, installing themes via substratum and customizing the interface using GravityBox and Xposed Edge. Thats the closest we will come to having a custom rom experience. Ive accepted that no developer will bother with this phone given all the devices that have come out since its release.
Its a lesson learnt. I love this phone but I will never buy another Nokia phone ever again. Im currently saving up for a Xiaomi phone and will use this Nokia 8 as a secondary phone in due time.

MDV106 said:
At this point its best to just modify the current stock rom yourself by debloating it, installing kernel tweking modules via magisk, installing themes via substratum and customizing the interface using GravityBox and Xposed Edge. Thats the closest we will come to having a custom rom experience. Ive accepted that no developer will bother with this phone given all the devices that have come out since its release.
Its a lesson learnt. I love this phone but I will never buy another Nokia phone ever again. Im currently saving up for a Xiaomi phone and will use this Nokia 8 as a secondary phone in due time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Poco or 1+ here

MDV106 said:
At this point its best to just modify the current stock rom yourself by debloating it, installing kernel tweking modules via magisk, installing themes via substratum and customizing the interface using GravityBox and Xposed Edge. Thats the closest we will come to having a custom rom experience. Ive accepted that no developer will bother with this phone given all the devices that have come out since its release.
Its a lesson learnt. I love this phone but I will never buy another Nokia phone ever again. Im currently saving up for a Xiaomi phone and will use this Nokia 8 as a secondary phone in due time.
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Click to collapse
Me too, my next phone would be OnePlus 6T or Oppo.
Never ever ever go around nokia phones again

Why Pixel 3a/XL so unpopular?

I ask this question because I see a very little activity on a ROMs forum, I didn't check other ones.
For example my previous phone, Mi A1 (Android One) has an official builds for most ROM, even my wife's Mi A3 has much better activity. I had bought Pixel because I'm a Google fanboy and its cheapest Pixel available.
My own answer: people with less budget just buy Android One phones (like Mi A* line), people who want Pixel buy a full phone, like Pixel 3 (without a) or 4.

I suspect for a few reasons:
1. It isn't needed as the phone runs the latest version of android anyway.
2. Many people buy a Pixel series phone because that's exactly what they want - the latest version of android without skins or bloatware.

Yea, there isn't much of a need for ROMs on pixels. Took me 6 months to get to the point I was missing AOSiP and decided to build for it lol.
Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using XDA Labs

yurikoles said:
I ask this question because I see a very little activity on a ROMs forum, I didn't check other ones.
For example my previous phone, Mi A1 (Android One) has an official builds for most ROM, even my wife's Mi A3 has much better activity. I had bought Pixel because I'm a Google fanboy and its cheapest Pixel available.
My own answer: people with less budget just buy Android One phones (like Mi A* line), people who want Pixel buy a full phone, like Pixel 3 (without a) or 4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before the Pixel 3a and the Pixel OG, I had a LG G3 and the Galaxy S3. Always used custom ROMS. Haven't used a custom ROM for either Pixel. No need.

Ok, I got it, thanks

I think pixel popularity will take off when TWRP is able to be installed. I admit I have been spoiled by TWRP and the ease with which ROMs can be flashed and most importantly backups can be made.

alliance1975 said:
I think pixel popularity will take off when TWRP is able to be installed. I admit I have been spoiled by TWRP and the ease with which ROMs can be flashed and most importantly backups can be made.
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Click to collapse
Ohh, how I miss nandroids!

good thread and yeah i think we're getting to the "post-mortem" point re: ROMs (Skittles9823’ AOSiP notwithstanding). i went from the samsung galaxy s3 -> xperia z3 -> xperia xz1c -> pixel 3a, and each one has been a big step down in terms of ROM availability (i was spoiled with the galaxy s3, in hindsight). i really did think the 3a would be a ROM bonanza but i also agree with the general vibe that stock android is so, so much better than it was 5 years ago that it's harder and harder to find things worth "fixing".

c_tho said:
good thread and yeah i think we're getting to the "post-mortem" point re: ROMs (Skittles9823’ AOSiP notwithstanding). i went from the samsung galaxy s3 -> xperia z3 -> xperia xz1c -> pixel 3a, and each one has been a big step down in terms of ROM availability (i was spoiled with the galaxy s3, in hindsight). i really did think the 3a would be a ROM bonanza but i also agree with the general vibe that stock android is so, so much better than it was 5 years ago that it's harder and harder to find things worth "fixing".
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Click to collapse
The only AOSP 10 ROM I have run on my Pixel 3a (Havoc 3.1) fixed one thing compared to stock - Voice over WiFi/Voice over LTE - and that is so low-margin that it often goes unaddressed; basically, there's a lot less broke with either stock OR AOSP; result, what is there to "fix"? TWRP itself is needed much less because - even going back as far as Android 8, the OS backs itself up regularly, by default, and without the end user doing anything. (With Samsung Experience (the predecessor to OneUI), I noticed it in the Samsung Members app; it's been retained in OneUI in the same place. It's by default in Android 9 + going forward; it still is in both Android 10 and the 11 Developer Preview - basically, the scutwork is going away. I haven't needed to root at all
with 10; who would have thought that? (In fact, among those of you that still run Magisk on 10, do you REALLY need to root to do what needs (in your opinion) doing? Or are you simply used to having to?

PGHammer said:
I haven't needed to root at all
with 10; who would have thought that? (In fact, among those of you that still run Magisk on 10, do you REALLY need to root to do what needs (in your opinion) doing? Or are you simply used to having to?
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Yea. I absolutely need to root to do what I need. QuickSwitch is a must for me, custom kernels which provide wireguard at the kernel level, substratum for uniform dark mode (although stock theming is good now, but for apps that don't have a dark mode yet, substratum is needed), Active Edge customisation is also super convenient.
Thats pretty much the necessary stuff for me, the rest is mainly just custom fonts and liking to have complete control over my device. Also the fact that I'm a module developer so tinkering with this stuff is fun for me :laugh:
Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using XDA Labs

The comments suggest everyone has their own set of musts and wants for their devices. Stock Android provides the musts for me as well as some wants. But I will continue to read the forums.

alliance1975 said:
I think pixel popularity will take off when TWRP is able to be installed. I admit I have been spoiled by TWRP and the ease with which ROMs can be flashed and most importantly backups can be made.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SketchyStunts said:
Ohh, how I miss nandroids!
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Click to collapse
Not sure if we really need nandroids: you can easily backup and restore apps and their data even without TWRP and generally we have factory images / installation bundles available for our device. So there is not really a need for TWRP ... in addition I doubt that TWRP for Android 10+ will be available soon.

Skittles9823 said:
Yea. I absolutely need to root to do what I need. QuickSwitch is a must for me, custom kernels which provide wireguard at the kernel level, substratum for uniform dark mode (although stock theming is good now, but for apps that don't have a dark mode yet, substratum is needed), Active Edge customisation is also super convenient.
Thats pretty much the necessary stuff for me, the rest is mainly just custom fonts and liking to have complete control over my device. Also the fact that I'm a module developer so tinkering with this stuff is fun for me :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I ask because how many folks need to go there? If anything, it has become fewer; more Anidroid users, but fewer follks needing to root because the need to root has dropped because the core is more capable than it used to be. You have said it yourself; some of why you root is out of convenience; not typical of most folks, is it?

PGHammer said:
I ask because how many folks need to go there? If anything, it has become fewer; more Anidroid users, but fewer follks needing to root because the need to root has dropped because the core is more capable than it used to be. You have said it yourself; some of why you root is out of convenience; not typical of most folks, is it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, the need is definitely dwindling. I feel like there will will always be some amount of people doing it though.
Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using XDA Labs

Skittles9823 said:
Yea, the need is definitely dwindling. I feel like there will will always be some amount of people doing it though.
Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stipulated.
Thing is, the A-series Pixel addresses a market that even the Nexus ignored; smartphones that run stock that you don't have to fiddle with. (While the Galaxy Nexus came close, you still had to do some fiddling even with them; the A-series Pixel you just run, pretty much. While there are low-end smartphones - even lower-end than the A-series Pixel - that CLAIM to be as good; they have not proven themselves - not even compared to the Pixel 3a. So we are talking proven software, proven hardware, and at sane pricing. The Converse All-Star (Chuck Taylor) of smartphones. (I'm not THAT old; however, I heard of them - in my case, it was the Nike Air Strike Force as opposed to the pricier Air Jordans. I still have them.)

PGHammer said:
The Converse All-Star (Chuck Taylor) of smartphones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
relatable, as someone who replaces his broken chucks with a new pair of chucks about every four years

I came over from the V30, which has an incredibly active community, even nearly 3 years after launch.
The reason I switched to Pixel? I was honestly tired of the time it took to try to turn my V30 into a Pixel. With everything from Pixel Experience (and other AOSP ROMs), to hacks to try to get the Q gestures on Pie, to third party ports of GCam, to people downloading and installing Digital Wellbeing, Google Phone, etc, etc, I finally realized that what I really wanted was a Pixel. So I bought one. And now I have no need to modify it.
I think people pick the 3a line precisely because they don't want to have to hack anything. The users are far more like iPhone users than like Android users. They want nice pictures of kids, and a phone that just works without much effort.

AndDiSa said:
Not sure if we really need nandroids: you can easily backup and restore apps and their data even without TWRP and generally we have factory images / installation bundles available for our device. So there is not really a need for TWRP ... in addition I doubt that TWRP for Android 10+ will be available soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are Nandroids required? No. But the ability to make a full backup of your current ROM so that you can try out a new ROM or develop on a real phone and go right back to square one in the time it takes to flash the backup is certainly beneficial. It makes a huge difference and certainly more people would be willing to experiment on their daily driver phone if it was available. The idea of having to flash factory and then wait for Google to restore all my apps and data makes me cringe.
I for one have decided NOT to try some of the ROMs, etc that are available for this exact reason.

sic0048 said:
Are Nandroids required? No. But the ability to make a full backup of your current ROM so that you can try out a new ROM or develop on a real phone and go right back to square one in the time it takes to flash the backup is certainly beneficial. It makes a huge difference and certainly more people would be willing to experiment on their daily driver phone if it was available. The idea of having to flash factory and then wait for Google to restore all my apps and data makes me cringe.
I for one have decided NOT to try some of the ROMs, etc that are available for this exact reason.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Backing up is easy without twrp. Sure it's no twrp backup, but it's fine.
You can use adb-sync to synchronise the files in internal storage with a folder in your PC and vice-versa. That along with a swift backup of all your apps, app data, etc essentially allows for a complete 100% reliable backup that only takes about 20 mins to backup/restore give or take depending on the speed of the drive it's backing up/restoring to.
Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using XDA Labs

@sic0048
I was not referring to Google's restore mechanism, but to have a local copy on an external device which can be restored if needed.
@Skittles9823
There is also my android-backup-project which is still in an early stage but as a POC it's working quite well. I am just analyzing whether there is a chance to prepare e.g. a zip which can be flashed back by standard recovery / fastboot. Probably this is not so easy thinking at generic android devices but for the Pixel ones I expect that it can be more easy.

Question Fav rom/ setup

Was curious what builds/ mods work best on these. Im Waiting on my unlock token but the only I need doordash and Uber to work and mostly wanted to get v4A back on a device and keep access to 5g. I've read over a lot but this is my first unlocked bootloader In a few years. If you have a favorite setup and are willing to share I'd love to hear,

Hey Ry4n,
Doubt this is what you are looking for, but so far I am sticking with stock OOS but with magisk installed and assorted modules such as the debloat module, busybox, and liboemcrypto. The reason for this is because so far this is not a very flashing-friendly device, without a real TWRP out for safety. I have tried EvolutionX which is really nice and I've loved it for a while, expecially on my older OnePlus devices, but it is not able to fully utilize the device's capabilities. Don't get me wrong, it is daily driver material and I do appreciate greatly the work that went into it and continually goes into it, but for my personal preferences unless there is a rom that is fully working with only minor issues (by my standards) I am not too keen on sticking with it; I love OOS cam and the quality with things like snapchat, and the speed of unlocking. Both seem small but because I interface with so many small things they become big things for me if that makes any sense. If you do try other roms though, I have found that it is not easy to get back to stock if you change your mind. EvoX, Havoc, Color OS, and maybe PA are your only options for daily driving for most people afaik so if you really wanna spend time with the device then you can try them out, in that order. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong though.

I dont know why you say its not a flash friendly device. I got the LE2110 Chinese model, and ive flashed every ROM available for this device, I had every problem possible happen(due to my choices) typing wrong codes or flashing wrong model software. EDL bootloop all kinds of ****.
This devices is amazing for flashing, just must follow directions exactly. Most roms you must flash copy-partitions first.
I would stock OOS with magisk runs the best for me as far gaming, cause I play PuBG Mobile heavy, but the latest rom available, HaVoC is ****ing sick. I would go with that one..

Question Is it possible to flash stock Android to the POCO X3 Pro?

I'm coming from a Mi A3 running stock Android 11 which I love.
The screen on the X3 Pro is a delight to behold for my poor old eyes but there are a few things that either I don't like in the MiUI or just aren't working properly. Is there any way to flash stock Android 11 on this phone?

Twibble said:
Is there any way to flash stock Android 11 on this phone?
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Click to collapse
You could take a look at LineageOS, it's pretty much the purest custom rom out there.

Oops, I guess that we can't delete a post!

thorin0815 said:
You could take a look at LineageOS, it's pretty much the purest custom rom out there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for chipping in thorin0815. Yes I have seen a few "How to" articles but can't seem to find a really good description of how well it runs and what the pros and cons might be. Do you have any idea of how close to the pure Android experience it would be and if there are any major pitfalls or disappointments that have been reported? The phone I have came with an unbelievable 2 year warranty and I am reluctant to flash a system that I might regret at a later date.

Twibble said:
Thanks for chipping in thorin0815. Yes I have seen a few "How to" articles but can't seem to find a really good description of how well it runs and what the pros and cons might be. Do you have any idea of how close to the pure Android experience it would be and if there are any major pitfalls or disappointments that have been reported? The phone I have came with an unbelievable 2 year warranty and I am reluctant to flash a system that I might regret at a later date.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you will use Google Play Store, Google Calendar, Google Pay, or Google Apps, then LineageOS will need some adjustments and modifications to let those Google Apps services work properly. And possibly some banking apps may not work.
Whether each ROM pros and cons are, it is subjective. For example, customizations, for some people it's useless, while some people wants more customizations.
Try and error, flash a ROM and feel if that ROM fits your need. You know what you need, we don't know.
Most users starts with ArrowOS.
Pixel ROMs UI looks like Pixel phones.
LineageOS is completely open source.
I don't know other ROMs.
Read each ROM thread for each features, and possibly read some recent replies for update informations.

Question Has anyone tried GSI ROMs? How're they compared to stock? (1 III/5 III)

The title is basically self-explanatory. I'm particularly interested in these things:
AOSP/LOS/anything clean: how's battery drain? More than on stock or not?
Camera: could we replace ours with gcam? Is 70-105 switch working well?
Camera: do we have smth like XperianceCamera?
What features are we losing with unlocking bootloader? None afaics, but I may have missed something.
Thanks in advance! :^)

About Xperia 5 IV. It works great to me.
1.- No idea, never used stock. I have strong dislikes on Google.
2.- It works fine with OpenCamera, all 4 cameras detected (front, back normal, back close, back wide).
3.- No idea, I would need to try.
4.- It works fine.

Looks like I wrote a novel so TLDR:
I suck at this stuff, just getting back into custom ROMs - tried Pixel Experience 13 and Lineage OS(no Play Services (I think Android 13/A13 Beta)).
Stock Sony Rom + Root is the way to go. At least for right now.
Wouldn't count on GCam working or working well.
(Sony) Photo Pro is proprietary too afaik so you'd need someone to port it to custom OS like Lineage without G Services (what I read someone feel free to correct me). It might work with LineageOS with G Services or whatever else, I didn't try it.
END OF TLDR:
ROM EXPERIENCES:
Pixel Experience was weird, probably worked fine but I don't think the dimensions of the Xperia 5 III work well with how PE is scaled. Just this users opinion. Also I really only tried it to try it- not a huge fan of Google lately.
Lineage OS almost worked but the version I had text messages didn't work. The default one or others from F-Droid. I'm positive its user error on my part. Battery life seemed great though, it's anecdotal but it seemed markedly better without Google constantly checking in. Probably my bias.
Its important to me to have some Sony Apps and overall functionality (seems like low dev support when comparing to other devices IE Galaxy/Pixel) so I think stock Sony ROM+ Rooted is the way to go. Seemingly the general consensus on the forum too (especially since its pretty stock Android anyway).
Bonus objectives for me on stock Sony Rom is to DeGoogle + MicroG although I haven't made it all the way there yet. Then maybe long term try a Xperia 5 IV ROM for sh*ts and giggles for Android 13 since I doubt the 5 III will get it.
FUNCTIONALITY:
Your questions about GCam and losing functionality: I have heard/seen a lot of things online about GCam either needing to be ported to devices individually or that its part of Google's "Special Sauce" software wise. So I would expect stripped functionality if functional at all.
Someone who is a lot smarter and experienced than me should clarify on these last two:
Downsides to an unlocked bootloader+Custom ROM is same as always: risk of user error, bricking your device (soft bricked mine), depending on the ROM you choose you may not have Google Apps/limited so Banking apps and streaming apps won't work or won't go all the way up the resolution chain 4k20 69 fps etc. And I'm sure there is a security disclaimer somewhere out there too if you aren't careful.
Pros are same as always: Control of your device, system wide ad blocker, admin rights to delete bloatware, customization, custom ROMs, better battery life, potentially longer OS support, privacy, security, etc.
RAMBLINGS OF GETTING BACK INTO ROOTING WITH THE X5 III
*In case there are others out there who are similar to me in either getting back into rooting after a long time or the first time*
I'm pretty much a novice at this stuff but I was finally able to get my phone unlocked a few weeks ago and tried a few different ROMs. Out of what I tried I really only remember the Pixel Experience and Lineage OS. PE was fine but I'm not a huge fan of all the Google stuff so I went in the opposite direction and did Lineage OS without the Google Play Store/Services/App Framework whatever. It was almost a keeper for me except messaging wasn't working for whatever reason ((I wonder ^^)but really I think it was because it was an A13 beta). I tried a few different messaging apps but between that and losing some Sony Apps I decided to back to stock.
I feel like the big points for this phone are the camera app, the display customization depending on the content viewed, and possibly the gaming tweaks/music app? Last two are a stretch but eh ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
The new plan was/is hoping to do was DeGoogle the stock ROM and replace it with MicroG. I haven't gotten around to it because the post I was looking at on how to do it on this forum linked to another post in a different forum and it was for Android 11. My phone is on Android 12. Looking at the comments people had said the process was the same for 12 as 11 or very similar. Shouldn't be too hard but knowing me it will take me another afternoon or two to get it figured out and working.
Long term I'm kind of hoping that when an Android 13 ROM comes out for the Xperia 5 IV we could try throwing it on our devices too. Since I doubt we will be getting Android 13 on the Xperia 5 III. I know the physical camera is different on the 5 IV but everything else seems close enough to a normie like me that maybe it would be worth it to try. Then its back to figuring out how to DeGoogle on an unsupported device and installing MicroG etc etc.
Sorry its such a late response and not the most technical (or maybe even 100% accurate) but that was at least my experience a bit ago trying a few different ROMs on the GSI thread linked in the "How To" post listed here.
This phone has really grown on me and I'm bummed I'm not savvy in any amount of Android development so I am unable to make customizations/tweaks to the stock ROM. Or customize other OS ROM's to port here. Which makes me reliant on others to do the work so I can leech off it haha. On more widely used phones like Samsung or the Pixel its NBD since there are so many users. But a small community like this, it doesn't seem like there is a lot being done. Not a dig or anything, just not a ton of options. Although being able to install a ton of different custom ROMS from the GSI thread is really cool even if it isn't tailored to the Xperia 5 III.
Part of why I threw up so much info on here goes with the last paragraph. You probably won't get a lot of responses. There aren't a ton of peeps here and those who are generally already know what they are doing.
If you end up trying a bunch of different ROMs and find one you really like LMK!

+1 to that. I don't get 5G and had bad time trying to obtain signal. It doesn't worth.

J2 digital said:
Looks like I wrote a novel so TLDR:
I suck at this stuff, just getting back into custom ROMs - tried Pixel Experience 13 and Lineage OS(no Play Services (I think Android 13/A13 Beta)).
Stock Sony Rom + Root is the way to go. At least for right now.
Wouldn't count on GCam working or working well.
(Sony) Photo Pro is proprietary too afaik so you'd need someone to port it to custom OS like Lineage without G Services (what I read someone feel free to correct me). It might work with LineageOS with G Services or whatever else, I didn't try it.
END OF TLDR:
ROM EXPERIENCES:
Pixel Experience was weird, probably worked fine but I don't think the dimensions of the Xperia 5 III work well with how PE is scaled. Just this users opinion. Also I really only tried it to try it- not a huge fan of Google lately.
Lineage OS almost worked but the version I had text messages didn't work. The default one or others from F-Droid. I'm positive its user error on my part. Battery life seemed great though, it's anecdotal but it seemed markedly better without Google constantly checking in. Probably my bias.
Its important to me to have some Sony Apps and overall functionality (seems like low dev support when comparing to other devices IE Galaxy/Pixel) so I think stock Sony ROM+ Rooted is the way to go. Seemingly the general consensus on the forum too (especially since its pretty stock Android anyway).
Bonus objectives for me on stock Sony Rom is to DeGoogle + MicroG although I haven't made it all the way there yet. Then maybe long term try a Xperia 5 IV ROM for sh*ts and giggles for Android 13 since I doubt the 5 III will get it.
FUNCTIONALITY:
Your questions about GCam and losing functionality: I have heard/seen a lot of things online about GCam either needing to be ported to devices individually or that its part of Google's "Special Sauce" software wise. So I would expect stripped functionality if functional at all.
Someone who is a lot smarter and experienced than me should clarify on these last two:
Downsides to an unlocked bootloader+Custom ROM is same as always: risk of user error, bricking your device (soft bricked mine), depending on the ROM you choose you may not have Google Apps/limited so Banking apps and streaming apps won't work or won't go all the way up the resolution chain 4k20 69 fps etc. And I'm sure there is a security disclaimer somewhere out there too if you aren't careful.
Pros are same as always: Control of your device, system wide ad blocker, admin rights to delete bloatware, customization, custom ROMs, better battery life, potentially longer OS support, privacy, security, etc.
RAMBLINGS OF GETTING BACK INTO ROOTING WITH THE X5 III
*In case there are others out there who are similar to me in either getting back into rooting after a long time or the first time*
I'm pretty much a novice at this stuff but I was finally able to get my phone unlocked a few weeks ago and tried a few different ROMs. Out of what I tried I really only remember the Pixel Experience and Lineage OS. PE was fine but I'm not a huge fan of all the Google stuff so I went in the opposite direction and did Lineage OS without the Google Play Store/Services/App Framework whatever. It was almost a keeper for me except messaging wasn't working for whatever reason ((I wonder ^^)but really I think it was because it was an A13 beta). I tried a few different messaging apps but between that and losing some Sony Apps I decided to back to stock.
I feel like the big points for this phone are the camera app, the display customization depending on the content viewed, and possibly the gaming tweaks/music app? Last two are a stretch but eh ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
The new plan was/is hoping to do was DeGoogle the stock ROM and replace it with MicroG. I haven't gotten around to it because the post I was looking at on how to do it on this forum linked to another post in a different forum and it was for Android 11. My phone is on Android 12. Looking at the comments people had said the process was the same for 12 as 11 or very similar. Shouldn't be too hard but knowing me it will take me another afternoon or two to get it figured out and working.
Long term I'm kind of hoping that when an Android 13 ROM comes out for the Xperia 5 IV we could try throwing it on our devices too. Since I doubt we will be getting Android 13 on the Xperia 5 III. I know the physical camera is different on the 5 IV but everything else seems close enough to a normie like me that maybe it would be worth it to try. Then its back to figuring out how to DeGoogle on an unsupported device and installing MicroG etc etc.
Sorry its such a late response and not the most technical (or maybe even 100% accurate) but that was at least my experience a bit ago trying a few different ROMs on the GSI thread linked in the "How To" post listed here.
This phone has really grown on me and I'm bummed I'm not savvy in any amount of Android development so I am unable to make customizations/tweaks to the stock ROM. Or customize other OS ROM's to port here. Which makes me reliant on others to do the work so I can leech off it haha. On more widely used phones like Samsung or the Pixel its NBD since there are so many users. But a small community like this, it doesn't seem like there is a lot being done. Not a dig or anything, just not a ton of options. Although being able to install a ton of different custom ROMS from the GSI thread is really cool even if it isn't tailored to the Xperia 5 III.
Part of why I threw up so much info on here goes with the last paragraph. You probably won't get a lot of responses. There aren't a ton of peeps here and those who are generally already know what they are doing.
If you end up trying a bunch of different ROMs and find one you really like LMK!
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Thanks for putting all your experiences out here, really a huge help. I would also like to try out lineage, but can't seem to find a supported version. Would you mind pointing me in the right direction?

Claussen said:
I would also like to try out lineage, but can't seem to find a supported version. Would you mind pointing me in the right direction?
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If you don't mind a customized one, try crDroid

i would like to try custom ROM's but since no TWRP anymore to get for the Xperia's i hate to reinstall everything just to test something new.