Android 4.0.4 Update for Xperia Arc and Arc S [Unofficial]

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.

Compatibility

This 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 Info

Developer → dinesh690

Known Issues:

• Video Camera not working

Pre-Installation Requirements

1. This 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.
2. Sufficiently charged battery, at least 50% is recommended.

How to Install the Ice Cream Sandwich Firmware on Xperia Arc/Arc S

1. Your phone must be running the stock 4.0.2.A.0.62 firmware. Install it by following the guide → here.
2. Important! Your Xperia Arc/Arc S must have an unlocked bootloader. You can unlock your bootloader officially → here.
3. 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).
4. Download the latest version of the ROM from the official development page.
5. 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.zip
6. Transfer the 2 zip files downloaded in step 4 and 5 to the SD card on your phone.
7. 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.
8. Download fastboot, which will be used to flash the kernel downloaded in step 7.
   Download Link  |  Filename: Fastboot.zip
9. Extract the Fastboot.zip file to the C: drive on your computer to get a folder named Fastboot with four files inside it.
10. Copy the fxp.img file to the Fastboot folder. You should have 5 files in the Fastboot folder now, as shown in screenshot below:
    
11. 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.
12. Open Command Prompt on your computer from Start » All Programs » Accessories.
13. 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).
    1. cd c:Fastboot
    2. fastboot flash boot fxp.img
       
14. Once the kernel is flashed, you will get a “finished”/OKAY message in the command prompt window. Disconnect the phone from your computer.
15. 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.
16. Select install zip from sdcard, then select choose zip from sdcard. Scroll to the ROM file on the sdcard and select it.
17. Confirm installation by selecting Yes – Install ______.zip on the next screen. The ROM will start installing.
18. After ROM finishes installing, select go back to go back to the main recovery menu.
19. 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.
20. 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 Fixes

The 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:

1. Download the mod/fix’s zip file that you want to install from the mods page.
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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.