Another day, and another Jelly Bean Android 4.1 based custom ROM has come out for the amazingly persistent Samsung Galaxy S. This new ROM comes courtesy of XDA Senior Member iall5tar and it suitable for daily use, with most of the things not working in the previous ROMs now working properly. You get all the Jelly Bean features such as a smoother interface, faster performance, advanced voice recognition and search functionality, better and smarter keyboard, improved and actionable notifications area, and a lot more which you can read about here.

NOTE: Even though the ROM is suitable for daily use, there may be a few bugs and issues in the ROM and some things may not work properly, which should be fixed as development goes on. Also, the ROM uses a smaller DPI value for smaller and sharper text, so some apps may fail to install from the Play Store. Read the note at the end of the installation guide on how to fix this.

Let’s take a look at how Jelly Bean Android 4.1 can be installed on the Galaxy S.

Compatibility

This ROM and the guide below are compatible only and only with the Samsung Galaxy S, model number i9000. It’s not compatible the GT-i9003 or 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 exactly what you are doing. If any damage occurs to your device, we won’t be held liable.

How to Install Jelly Bean Android 4.1 on Galaxy S i9000

  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. Remove sim card lock, if you have set it earlier. Go here: Settings » Location and Security » Sim card lock » checkbox should be clear (not selected).
  3. Flash the stock XXJW4 firmware by using → this guide.
  4. Root XXJW4 to obtain Clockworkmod recovery (CWM) by using → this guide.
  5. Download the latest version of the ROM from the official development page. Download only the main ROM.
  6. Copy the zip file downloaded in step 5 to the internal SD card (do not extract the file).
  7. Turn off your Galaxy S and wait for complete shutdown (wait for vibration and check capacitive button lights).
  8. Then, boot into CWM recovery. To do so, press and hold the Volume Up + Home buttons while powering on the phone. When the screen turns on, let go of all three buttons.
    In recovery, use Volume keys to scroll up and down and power key to select an option.
  9. Select wipe data/factory reset, then select Yes on next screen to confirm. Wait a while till the data wipe is complete.
  10. Now 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.
  11. The phone will reboot into recovery in the middle of installation and then continue installing the ROM. However, if it simply reboots but doesn’t continue installation, repeat step 10 to install the ROM again.
  12. After the installation is complete, select go back and then select reboot system now to reboot your phone into Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
  13. Going back to stock ROM: To go back to a stock Samsung ROM again, you can flash the XXJW4 firmware by following the guide linked in step 3 above.

Reverting to Default DPI so that all apps show in the Play Store

The ROM uses a smaller DPI value for sharper and smaller text, so some apps may fail to show up in the Play Store. In order to fix this and go back to the normal DPI value, do the following:

  1. Download the Fixes SP* included DPI 240 file from the official development page (where * is the latest version available).
  2. Copy the file to the internal SD card.
  3. Turn off phone and boot into ClockworkMod recovery.
  4. Select install zip from sdcard, then select choose zip from sdcard, then select the DPI 240 fix file downloaded in step 1. Confirm installation on the next screen.
  5. After installation is complete, reboot your phone. You will now be able to access previously inaccessible apps in the Play Store.

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is now installed and running on your Samsung Galaxy S. Visit the official development page for more info and to get the latest updates on the ROM. Share your thoughts on the ROM in the comments.