The latest and greatest Android version – Android 4.1 aka Jelly Bean – is out folks! And oh boy, is it good? It sure is, with some great new features such as an improved notification bar, offline voice typing, amazing new Google Search functionality, as well as performance improvements thanks to Project Butter, which makes Android as smooth as it has never been before.

And while Android 4.1 was only announced last night, its SDK (Software Development Kit) is already out, using which XDA Senior Member tgascoigne has ported Jelly Bean to the HTC One X. That’s right, Jelly Bean is already up and running on the One X, and you can try it to get a glimpse of what Jelly Bean brings to the table.

Warning! Since this is an SDK port, it is only and only for preview purposes and is very unstable. The only reason you should try it out is if you want to see Jelly Bean running on your One X, as the ROM is very unstable and not for daily use.

The following things do not work in this SDK port:

  • Wi-Fi
  • Audio
  • Camera

So, now that you’ve read the above and still want to go ahead with flashing the ROM, you can do so by following the guide below. Read on to find out how.

Compatibility

This guide is applicable only for HTC One X. DO NOT try this on any other device.

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.

How to Install Android 4.1 Jelly Bean SDK Port on HTC One X

  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.
    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.
  2. Unlock the bootloader on your HTC One X by following the guide → here.
  3. Install ClockWorkMod (CWM) recovery by following the guide → here.
  4. Download and install HTC Sync software on your computer in order to install the required drivers for the phone.
    Download HTC Sync
    Skip this step if you already installed the drivers while following step 2, or if you have HTC Sync installed already.
  5. Download the ROM from the official download page.
  6. Copy the downloaded zip file (don’t extract it) to the SD card.
  7. Also download the Flash_Boot.zip file from → here. This is required to flash the necessary kernel on the phone.
  8. Extract the Flash_Boot.zip file to a convenient location on the computer.
  9. Open the “jellybean_endeavoru_tgascoigne.zip” file (downloaded in step 5) on the computer and extract the boot.img file from inside it. Then, copy the boot.img file to the folder where you extracted the Flash_Boot.img file in step 8. You will then have the following files in the folder as shown in screenshot below:
  10. Switch off the phone. Boot into the bootloader mode first by holding the Volume Down button while powering on the phone. Then, select FASTBOOT from there using the volume buttons to navigate and power button to select to enter fastboot mode. Then connect your phone to the computer.
  11. Go to the folder where you extracted the .zip file in step 8. Double-click the flash-boot-windows.bat file to flash the required kernel.
  12. After the kernel is flashed, the window that showed up will automatically close. It might also say OKAY/finished and stay open, which is normal.
  13. Now, press the power button on the phone to select BOOTLOADER, then navigate to the RECOVERY option and select it using the power button to boot into ClockworkMod recovery.
  14. Perform a wipe:
    1. Select wipe data/factory reset, then select Yes on the next screen to confirm data wipe. This will only delete your installed apps and settings, but will leave all other files and data on the SD card intact, so don’t worry.
    2. Select mounts and storage, then select format system (you might have to select Yes on next screen to confirm). After format is complete, go back to the main recovery menu.
  15. Then, select install zip from sdcard, then select choose zip from sdcard. Scroll to the jellybean_endeavoru_tgascoigne.zip file on the SD card and select it. Confirm installation by selecting Yes on the next screen.
  16. After installation is complete, select go back then select reboot system now to reboot the phone and boot up into Android 4.1 aka Jelly Bean.

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is now up and running on your HTC One X, albeit in a very unstable form due to the SDK port. Let us know your thoughts on it in the comments!