The Xperia S is the first dual-core smartphone from Sony, not to mention their flagship 2012 device. So it’s no wonder that custom development on it is going pretty strong. The king of all custom ROMs, Cyanogenmod 9 (CM9) has been ported over to the Xperia S by the Free Xperia team, who have brought CM9 to a lot of Xperia devices. So, no need to wait for Sony to deliver the official Ice Cream Sandwich update (which the phone should have released with, but didn’t), as you can experience Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0 on your Xperia S with CM9.Now, bear in mind that this is a work in progress, so it’s not expected to be completely stable. There may be some bugs and issues present, along with a few things that might not work at all. But the development is in the early stages for now, so things should get better as time goes on.Read on to find out how you can install CM9 to get Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0 on your Xperia S.CompatibilityThis ROM and the guide below are compatible only and only with the Sony Xperia S. It’s not compatible with any other device and may render an incompatible device unusable. Check your device model in Settings » About phone.Warning!The methods and procedures discussed here are considered risky and you should not attempt anything if you don’t know completely what it is. If any damage occurs to your device, we won’t be held liable.ROM InfoDeveloper → FXPHow to Install CM9 on Xperia SThis procedure will wipe all your apps, data and settings (but it will NOT touch your SD cards, so don’t worry about those). Backup your Apps and important data — bookmarks, contacts, SMS, APNs (internet settings), etc. This Android backup guide would help you. Important! Don’t forget to at least make a backup of your APN settings, which you can restore later if your data connection does not work after installing the ROM. Use the backup guide to find out how.Important! Your Xperia S must have an unlocked bootloader. You can unlock your bootloader officially → here.Install ADB on your computer using the guide → here. This is required to flash the requisite kernel on your phone. (Skip if you already have ADB installed on your PC).Download the latest version of the ROM from the download link below. You need to download the file that says nozomi in the filename, as other files are for other devices. Download Link Download the Google Apps package, which will install the required Google apps like Market, Gmail, etc, which aren’t included in the ROM itself. Download Link  |  Filename: gapps-ics-20120317-signed.zipTransfer the 2 zip files downloaded in step 4 and 5 to the SD card on your phone.Open the .zip file downloaded in step 4 using free software like 7-zip, and extract the boot.img file to a convenient location. Download fastboot, which will be used to flash the kernel extracted in step 7. Download Link  |  Filename: Fastboot.zipExtract the Fastboot.zip file to the C:\ drive on your computer to get a folder named Fastboot with four files inside it.Copy the boot.img file extracted in step 7 to the Fastboot folder. You should have 5 files in the Fastboot folder now, as shown in screenshot below: Now, connect your phone to the computer in fastboot mode. To do this, first plug the USB cable to PC, then pick up your phone and hold the Volume Up key, and then, while holding the Volume Up key, connect the USB cable to your phone.Open Command Prompt on your computer from Start » All Programs » Accessories.Now, in Command Prompt, type the following commands to flash the kernel, pressing Enter after each command (Check the screenshot after step 13.2 for reference).cd c:\Fastbootfastboot flash boot boot.img   (if this does not work and you get a <waiting for device> message, re-open Command Prompt and try the command “fastboot -i 0x0fce flash boot boot.img”) Once the kernel is flashed, you will get a “finished”/OKAY message in the command prompt window. Disconnect the phone from your computer.Turn on the phone. The screen will turn on and show you the kernel logo. As soon as the LED lights up, start pressing the Volume Up button repeatedly on your phone until you boot into recovery. In recovery, use Volume buttons to navigate and Home button to select options.Select install zip from sdcard, then select choose zip from sdcard. Scroll to the ROM file on the sdcard and select it.Confirm installation by selecting Yes – Install ______.zip on the next screen. The ROM will start installing. After ROM finishes installing, select go back to go back to the main recovery menu.Now, repeat step 16, but this time, select the gapps-ics-20120317-signed.zip file. Select Yes on next screen to confirm installation of the Google apps package.After ROM finishes installing, select go back to go back to the main recovery menu.Select wipe data/factory reset, then select Yes on next screen to confirm. Wait a while till the data wipe is complete.After data wipe is complete, select reboot system now to reboot the phone and boot into CM9. First boot will take some time, up to 5 minutes, so be patient.Your Xperia S is now running Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0 thanks to CM9. Visit the official development page (the via link below) to get more information and the latest updates on the ROM. Share your thoughts on the ROM in the comments below. 

The fad lately among custom ROMs has been of experiencing the stock AOSP Android experience as found on Google’s Nexus phones, and AOKP is probably the most widely developed AOSP ROMs these days. AOKP provides you with good performance, and a gazillion customization options via the inbuilt ROM Control mod. And now, AOKP is finally available on the Xperia Arc and the Arc S, thanks to an unofficial port.However, the ROM is in the alpha stage, which means that is in its early stages and may not be completely bug free/have some issues in it. Reporting any bugs and issues you encounter in the official development page (linked below in step 3 of the installation guide) will help in improving the ROM faster.Read on to find out how you can install AOKP ROM on your Xperia Arc/Arc S.CompatibilityThis ROM and the guide below are compatible only and only with the Sony Xperia Arc and Arc S, model number LT15i/LT18i. It’s not compatible with any other device and may render an incompatible device unusable. Check your device model in Settings » About phone.Warning!The methods and procedures discussed here are considered risky and you should not attempt anything if you don’t know completely what it is. If any damage occurs to your device, we won’t be held liable.ROM InfoDeveloper → SupervenomHow to Install AOKP ROM on Xperia Arc/Arc SThis procedure will wipe all your apps, data and settings (but it will NOT touch your SD cards, so don’t worry about those). Backup your Apps and important data — bookmarks, contacts, SMS, APNs (internet settings), etc. This Android backup guide would help you. Important! Don’t forget to at least make a backup of your APN settings, which you can restore later if your data connection does not work after installing the ROM. Use the backup guide to find out how.Important! Your Xperia Arc/Arc S must have an unlocked bootloader. You can unlock your bootloader officially → here.Install ADB on your computer using the guide → here. This is required to flash the requisite kernel on your phone. (Skip if you already have ADB installed on your PC).Download the latest version of the ROM from the http://www.icsforums.com/forum/showthread/6924.Download the Google Apps package, which will install the required Google apps like Market, Gmail, etc, which aren’t included in the ROM itself. Download Link  |  Filename: gapps-ics-20120317-signed.zipTransfer the 2 zip files downloaded in step 4 and 5 to the SD card on your phone.Download the kernel required to flash the ROM. Download Link  |  Filename: ARC-DooMKernel-ICS-BETA-v04-high-boot.imgDownload fastboot, which will be used to flash the kernel downloaded in step 7. Download Link  |  Filename: Fastboot.zipExtract the Fastboot.zip file to the C:\ drive on your computer to get a folder named Fastboot with four files inside it.Copy the ARC-DooMKernel-ICS-BETA-v04-high-boot.img file to the Fastboot folder. You should have 5 files in the Fastboot folder now, as shown in screenshot below: Now, connect your phone to the computer in fastboot mode. To do this, first plug the USB cable to PC, then pick up your phone and hold the Menu key (key at the bottom right on your Arc), and then, while holding the Menu key, connect the USB cable to your phone.Open Command Prompt on your computer from Start » All Programs » Accessories.Now, in Command Prompt, type the following commands to flash the kernel, pressing Enter after each command (Check the screenshot after step 13.2 for reference).cd c:\Fastbootfastboot flash boot ARC-DooMKernel-ICS-BETA-v04-high-boot.img Once the kernel is flashed, you will get a “finished”/OKAY message in the command prompt window. Disconnect the phone from your computer.Turn on the phone. The screen will turn on and show you the kernel logo. As soon as the blue LED lights up, start pressing the Back button on your phone continuously until you boot into recovery. In recovery, use Volume buttons to navigate and Home button to select options.Select install zip from sdcard, then select choose zip from sdcard. Scroll to the ROM file on the sdcard and select it.Confirm installation by selecting Yes – Install ______.zip on the next screen. The ROM will start installing. After ROM finishes installing, select go back to go back to the main recovery menu.Now, repeat step 15, but this time, select the gapps-ics-20120317-signed.zip file. Select Yes on next screen to confirm installation of the Google apps package.After the installation is complete, select go back then select reboot system now to reboot the phone and boot up into AOKP ROM.AOKP ROM based on Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0.4 is now installed and running on your Xperia Arc/Arc S. Share your thoughts on the ROM in the comments. Do let us know whether the ROM is worthy of the Note (couldn’t resist), in the comments below.Screenshots: 

As you might have heard, Sony started rolling out the official Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0 update for the Xperia Arc S a few days ago, keeping their mid-April update promise. However, the update will be rolled out gradually to all regions and is therefore only available in a few regions for now. But then, who needs the official update when there are unofficial custom ROMs that do the job just fine?BoostHD is an Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0.4 custom ROM based on the famous CM9 ROM, for both the Xperia Arc and Arc S, and aims to provide a smoother UI and longer battery life. It lets you update to ICS in case you haven’t got the official update in your region yet, but brings along performance improvements and better customization options.Read on to find out how you can install BoostHD ROM on your Xperia Arc/Arc S.CompatibilityThis ROM and the guide below are compatible only and only with the Sony Xperia Arc and Arc S, model number LT15i/LT18i. It’s not compatible with any other device and may render an incompatible device unusable. Check your device model in Settings » About phone.Warning!The methods and procedures discussed here are considered risky and you should not attempt anything if you don’t know completely what it is. If any damage occurs to your device, we won’t be held liable.ROM InfoDeveloper → dinesh690Known Issues:Video Camera not workingPre-Installation RequirementsThis procedure will wipe all your apps, data and settings (but it will NOT touch your SD cards, so don’t worry about those). Backup your Apps and important data — bookmarks, contacts, SMS, APNs (internet settings), etc. This Android backup guide would help you.Sufficiently charged battery, at least 50% is recommended.How to Install the Ice Cream Sandwich Firmware on Xperia Arc/Arc SYour phone must be running the stock 4.0.2.A.0.62 firmware. Install it by following the guide → here.Important! Your Xperia Arc/Arc S must have an unlocked bootloader. You can unlock your bootloader officially → here.Install ADB on your computer using the guide → here. This is required to flash the requisite kernel on your phone. (Skip if you already have ADB installed on your PC).Download the latest version of the ROM from the official development page.Download the Google Apps package, which will install the required Google apps like Market, Gmail, etc, which aren’t included in the ROM itself. Download Link  |  Filename: gapps-ics-20120317-signed.zipTransfer the 2 zip files downloaded in step 4 and 5 to the SD card on your phone.Download the kernel required to flash the ROM. Download Link  |  Filename: fxp 115.img After downloading the fxp 115.img file, rename it to fxp.img.Download fastboot, which will be used to flash the kernel downloaded in step 7. Download Link  |  Filename: Fastboot.zipExtract the Fastboot.zip file to the C:\ drive on your computer to get a folder named Fastboot with four files inside it.Copy the fxp.img file to the Fastboot folder. You should have 5 files in the Fastboot folder now, as shown in screenshot below: Now, connect your phone to the computer in fastboot mode. To do this, first plug the USB cable to PC, then pick up your phone and hold the Menu key (key at the bottom right on your Arc), and then, while holding the Menu key, connect the USB cable to your phone.Open Command Prompt on your computer from Start » All Programs » Accessories.Now, in Command Prompt, type the following commands to flash the kernel, pressing Enter after each command (Check the screenshot after step 13.2 for reference).cd c:\Fastbootfastboot flash boot fxp.img Once the kernel is flashed, you will get a “finished”/OKAY message in the command prompt window. Disconnect the phone from your computer.Turn on the phone. The screen will turn on and show you the kernel logo. As soon as the blue LED lights up, start pressing the Back button on your phone continuously until you boot into recovery. In recovery, use Volume buttons to navigate and Home button to select options.Select install zip from sdcard, then select choose zip from sdcard. Scroll to the ROM file on the sdcard and select it.Confirm installation by selecting Yes – Install ______.zip on the next screen. The ROM will start installing.After ROM finishes installing, select go back to go back to the main recovery menu.Now, repeat step 16, but this time, select the gapps-ics-20120317-signed.zip file. Select Yes on next screen to confirm installation of the Google apps package.After the installation is complete, select go back then select reboot system now to reboot the phone and boot up into BoostHD ROM.Installing Additional Mods and FixesThe developer has provided additional mods that add new features to the ROM, like on-screen virtual buttons, etc, along with fixes for some issues that might crop up. To flash these, follow the steps below:Download the mod/fix’s zip file that you want to install from the http://www.icsforums.comhttp://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=24914229&&postcount=2.Copy the downloaded zip file(s) (you can download multiple mods and install them in one go) to the SD card on your phone.Turn off the phone, then boot into recovery. To do this, power on the phone. The screen will turn on and show you the kernel logo. As soon as the blue LED lights up, start pressing the Back button on your phone continuously until you boot into recovery. In recovery, use Volume buttons to navigate and Home button to select options.Select install zip from sdcard, then select choose zip from sdcard. Scroll to the mod/fix zip file on the sdcard and select it. Confirm installation on the next screen by selecting Yes.After installation is complete, select go back to go back to the main recovery menu. Repeat step 4 for every mod/fix that you want to install.After you’ve installed the mods/fixes, select reboot system now from the main recovery menu to reboot the phone. Your phone will boot up with the mods/fixes installed.That’s it. Your Xperia Arc/Arc S is now running the BoostHD ROM based on Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0. The ROM and the additional mods/fixes can be installed using the instructions given above. Do let us know how the ROM works out for you, in the comments below.

ust about three weeks after the first Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) Android 4.0 firmware leak, UCALC4 for the AT&T Galaxy S2 Skyrocket, a newer ICS firmware, UCLD2 has been leaked by Rootzwiki developer designgears, who in turn got it from an unknown source. We just hope that the final official Android 4.0 update comes soon, so we don’t get plagued by the usual barrage of firmware leaks that Samsung devices see.Also, XDA modder yaldak has released a custom rooted version of the firmware leak, which can be installed from recovery. We have an installation guide below for both the actual firmware and the custom rooted version, so just go with whichever method you feel comfortable with. As always, this is a leaked firmware, so it’s not expected to be completely stable and can have some bugs and issues.Read on to find out how you can install UCLD2 Ice Cream Sandwich firmware on your Galaxy S2 Skyrocket.CompatibilityThis firmware and the guide below are compatible only and only with the AT&T Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket, model number i727. It’s not compatible with any other device and may render an incompatible device unusable. Check your device model in Settings » About phone.Warning!The methods and procedures discussed here are considered risky and you should not attempt anything if you don’t know completely what it is. If any damage occurs to your device, we won’t be held liable.Pre-Installation RequirementsThis procedure will wipe all your apps, data and settings (but it will NOT touch your SD cards, so don’t worry about those). Backup your Apps and important data — bookmarks, contacts, SMS, APNs (internet settings), etc. This Android backup guide would help you.(Only for Method 1) If you have Samsung’s PC software Kies installed, un-install it first because it may interrupt the flashing process.(Only for Method 1) Drivers! — it’s important you’ve the proper drivers installed. Download DriversHow to Install UCLD2 Ice Cream Sandwich Firmware on Galaxy S2 SkyrocketMethod I: Using ODIN (Doesn’t require recovery or root access)Download the firmware by following the download link on the original release page. On the download page, click on the link next to the File URL text as shown below in screenshot to get the direct download link. Double-click on the downloaded I727UCLD2_OneClick.exe file to run Odin, which will be used to flash the firmware on your phone.Now, boot into download mode on the phone. To do this, turn off your phone. Plug in your USB cable to the computer, but not to the phone. Then, holding the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons on the phone, plug in the USB cable to the phone while holding those buttons. Once the Download mode screen shows up, let go of the buttons.The Odin screen will say “Added!!” in the message box below when the phone is connected to the computer. If it does not, make sure you have the proper drivers installed on the computer.Click on Start to start the flashing of UCLD2 on your Galaxy S2 Skyrocket.Wait for the procedure to finish. After flashing is complete, the phone will reboot, and you’ll get a PASS message (with green background) in Odin. You can now safely disconnect your phone.IMPORTANT Note: If ODIN gets stuck at some stage and doesn’t seem to be doing anything, do this — disconnect the phone from the PC, close ODIN, remove battery, re-insert it, and do the procedure again from Step 2. Same if you get FAIL message in Odin.If you run into any roadblocks while flashing the firmware, let us know and we’ll try to help you out.Method 2: Using Clockworkmod Recovery (CWM)Make sure you have Clockworkmod (CWM) recovery installed on your phone. If not, you can use the guide → here.Download CWM flashable package. The download link below will give you a .torrent file, which you need to open with a torrent client like µTorrent or BitComet to download the actual ROM zip file named skyrocket-ucld2-ics-leak.zip. http://www.icsforums.comhttp://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1004739&&d=1334482593  (via XDA)Download the root package required for rooting the firmware. Download Link  |  Filename: su-bin-3.0.3.2-efghi-signed.zipCopy the zip files downloaded in step 2 and 3 to the internal SD card on your phone.Turn off the phone, then boot into recovery mode. For this, press and hold these 3 buttons together until Samsung’s screen shows up: Volume UP + Volume Down + Power. Phone will boot into CWM recovery. In recovery, use volume keys to scroll up and down between options and power/home key to select an option.Perform a wipe:Select wipe data/factory reset, then select Yes on next screen to confirm. Wait a while till the data wipe is complete.Select wipe cache then select Yes on next screen to confirm.Select mounts and storage, then select format system and select Yes on next screen to confirm. After system format is complete, select go back to go back to the main recovery menu.Select install zip from sdcard, then select choose zip from sdcard. Scroll to the ROM file on the SD card and select it. Confirm installation by selecting Yes – Install  skyrocket-ucld2-ics-leak.zip on the next screen. The ROM will start installing.After the ROM finishes installing, select go back to go back to the main recovery menu.Now repeat step 7, but this time select the root package file su-bin-3.0.3.2-efghi-signed.zip, and confirm installation on next screen by selecting Yes.After the installation is complete, select go back then select reboot system now to reboot the phone.Using either of the above two methods, you can update to Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0 on your AT&T Galaxy S2 Skyrocket with the latest leaked firmware, UCLD2. Let us know what you think of it, in the comments below.