The HTC Wildfire, one of the most famous mid-end phone from HTC is still going strong it seems. It has custom Android 4 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) ROMs being released for it, which are a blessing since HTC won’t be officially upgrading it.

SplashICS, an ICS ROM for the Wildfire aims to bring Android 4.0 to your phone with fast performance, along with a few other features that are mentioned below. So get your Wildfire ready and let’s flash this ROM onto it to enjoy some Ice Cream Sandwich goodness.

A quick look at the features:

  • Based on Android 4.0.3
  • Integrated Google Apps
  • Deodexed Apps
  • RAM Script
  • Overclock your CPU : Min 692 – Max 710/728
  • Unnecessary apps removed
  • Stock HTC Launcher
  • Live Wallpapers
  • Only 86 MB in size

Do note that this ROM is still in alpha stage, so bugs are to be expected. Read on to find out how to flash this ROM onto your HTC Wildfire.

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 you or your device, including a bricked, non-functional device, we won’t be held liable. You have been forewarned!!!

Compatibility

This ROM and the guide below is compatible only and only with the HTC Wildfire. It’s not compatible with any other device. Check your device model in Settings » About phone.

ROM Info

Pre-Installation Requirements:

  1. A rooted HTC Wildfire with ClockworkMod recovery (CWM) installed.
  2. Sufficiently charged battery (50% or more recommended)
  3. 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.

Step by Step Instructions:

  1. Download SplashICS ROM file from → here.
    Filename: SplashICS_v0.2.zip. Size: 86 MB
  2. Transfer the downloaded zip file to the root of your external microSD card on the HTC Wildfire.
  3. Switch off your phone, then boot into Clockworkmod recovery. Hold Volume Down & the Power button until the device boots to the bootloader. Once in the bootloader, use Volume Down to select “recovery” and press the Power button to select.
  4. [Optional] Perform a Nandroid Backup of your existing ROM, so that you can always restore it from recovery if something does not work out with this rom. To perform a backup, select Backup and Restore –> On the next screen, Select Backup again.
  5. Now, in the main recovery menu, select ”wipe data/factory reset”, then select “Yes” on the next screen. (This does not touch your SD card, so don’t worry).
  6. Now scroll to the option “Install zip from sdcard” and select it.
  7. Select “choose zip from sdcard”, then scroll to the file you transferred in Step 2 above and select it. Select “Yes — Install SplashICS_v0.2.zip” on the next screen to start installing the ROM.
  8. After the installation is finished, select “go back” and then “reboot system now” to reboot and boot up into ICS.
That’s it. The ROM is now installed on your phone, and you can enjoy Ice Cream Sandwich on your Wildfire. Visit the original development page to find out more about the ROM. Share your thoughts and problems in the comments below and we’ll do our best to help you out.