It’s here, the ROM you’ve been waiting for since Google launched Android 4.2. CyanogenMod 10.1 (CM10.1), based on Android 4.2.1, has been released for the Droid RAZR HD by XDA developer dhacker29, who released it for the RAZR M as well. CM10.1 brings all the customization features CyanogenMod ROMs are famous for, while letting you sample the features of Android 4.2 as well.

Android 4.2 features include a new keyboard with Gesture Typing, lockscreen widgets, Miracast wireless display, 360 degree panorama photos, redesigned clock app with stopwatch and timer functionality, and increased performance and smoothness over Android 4.1.

However, at this point, CM10.1 is in an experimental stage and isn’t completely stable, so it isn’t good enough for being used as a daily ROM yet. There are a number of things that don’t work yet, and the list of things working and not working is given below (quoted from the source page):

Working features (as of December 11 2012):

  • Data: Comes up in 4G
  • SMS/MMS: You may get random texts from VZWNMN Google for instructions to disable this
  • WIFI: Working in SafeStrap now as well thanks to some init*rc magic
  • Bluetooth: Turns on..status untested
  • 12-5 Fix SafeStrap boot

What doesn’t work (as of December 11 2012)

  • Audio in-call
  • NFC
  • Camera
  • Wifi Hotspot

A few important things like in-call audio and camera don’t work as seen in the list, but if you want to try out CM10.1 and Android 4.2, follow the guide below to install it on your RAZR HD.

Compatibility

This guide below is compatible only and only with the international version of the Motorola Droid RAZR HD. Check your device’s model in Settings » About phone.

Warning!

The methods and procedures discussed here are considered risky, so try them out at your own risk, and make sure to read each step carefully before attempting anything. We will not be held responsible if anything goes wrong.

How To Install CM10.1 on Droid RAZR HD

  1. [Important] Your RAZR HD needs to have SafeStrap Recovery installed for installing CM10.1. You can use this guide to install Safestrap Recovery.
  2. Download the latest version of the ROM from the source page.
  3. Also download the Google apps package for CyanogenMod 10.1 using the link below. AOSP ROMs like CyanogenMod do not contain Google apps like Gmail, Talk, YouTube, Search, etc by default, so you will need to install the Google apps package as well.
    Download Google Apps
  4. Transfer both the ROM and Google apps file to the internal storage on your phone. Don’t extract the files.
  5. Power off the phone completely, and then power it back on. After the Motorola splash screen, you should see the Safestrap screen (provided you have installed it using the guide linked in step 1).
  6. The Safestrap screen should show Safestrap Disabled in red, Recovery at the bottom left, and Continue at the  bottom right.
  7. Hit the Recovery button on the Safestrap main screen to boot into Safestrap recovery mode.
  8. Now tap Backup, and then slide the button on the next screen to confirm the backup. This will create a Nandroid Backup of your exiting ROM, so that you have a restore point in case something goes wrong later.
  9. Next step is to set up a ROM slot for CM10.1. Press Boot Options in the main Safestrap menu. This should be the button at the top left of the Safestrap menu.
  10. On the next screen, tap ROM-Slot-1. Then set the data partition to a minimum of 1GB. This should usually suffice, unless you plan to install tons of apps and games, in which case the data partition should be set to a larger size, as all games and apps are installed to this partition. The other two partitions – system and cache are default and cannot be changed. Wait for the partitions to get set up. It could take some time, so be patient.
  11. Once the partitioning process is complete, your new ROM slot is ready, and you can choose to boot from that slot hereon. All we need to do now is install a ROM in the new slot.
  12. Press the Home button in Safestrap to return to the Main Menu. Press the Install button. This should launch a file explorer view, showing the contents of your internal SD card. Scroll down to locate the CM10.1 zip file you had transferred to your phone in step 4, and select it by clicking on it. On the next screen, slide the button  to confirm the installation.
  13. This will start the CM10.1 installation. Wait for the ROM to get installed. Once done, repeat Step 12, but this time select the Google apps zip file you transferred to the phone in step 4, and confirm the installation.
  14. Once the Gapps package has finished installing, press the Reboot System button on the main screen.
  15. The phone will now reboot. After the Motorola splash screen goes away you will see the Safestrap screen like in Step 4. But this time it will read Safestrap Enabled in green. Wait for 10 seconds to automatically boot into CM10.1, or tap the Continue button at the bottom right to boot CM10.1 without waiting.

CM10.1 is now installed and running on your Motorola Droid RAZR HD, and you can try out all the new features of Android 4.2. Don’t forget to check the source page for updates and further details on the ROM, as well as to report any bugs you may encounter.