How To Install/ Flash CyanogenMod 9 (CM9) On Sony Xperia S

This tutorial will show you how to install CyanogenMod 9 (CM9) on Sony Xperia S.

Sony has fundamentally changed the concept of its Android smartphones. Xperia S has a 4.3 inch display, 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and 32 GB internal storage memory. Therefore, this smartphone can very well compete with Galaxy S2 and the new HTC One series.

Its 12 Megapixel camera is an impressive feature, too. Even if the resolution is not so important nowadays, Sony Xperia S offers good reaction and focusing speeds, which is an important aspect for a camera that has been embedded in a mobile phone. Besides the photo sensor itself we receive also an LED flash which is very useful for taking pictures in night conditions. This device is also able to record movies in high definition, too.

Unfortunately, the only downside we can find on the new Sony Xperia S comes from the fact that this smartphone has been delivered with Android 2.3 OS, which can be considered a rather old version of the famous operating system from Google.

Therefore, many of our users have asked how to install Android 4.0 ICS on Sony Xperia S. As there is no official update coming from Sony, yet, we have prepared a tutorial which will teach you how to install CyanogenMod 9 on your device. As you might already know CM9 is a custom ROM which has been designed on the platform of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.

You should know that this version of CyanogenMod 9 (CM9) is not in its final developing stage, therefore some bugs might be noticed while running this software. However, this ROM is reported to be updated soon.

Please make sure you update only a Sony Xperia S smartphone with this CyanogenMod 9 version. Installing it on any other kind of device might provoke severe damages.

We have not created this tutorial and all the credits go to XDA community. Also, we cannot guarantee what are the results after applying it. Use it with your own responsibility.

How To Install CyanogenMod 9 (CM9) On Sony Xperia S

1. First of all we recommend you to backup all the data which is saved in your smartphone, including different useful settings.

2. Your Sony Xperia S bootloader should be first unlocked. In order to accomplish this task, make sure you visit the official Sony website and follow the instructions which are provided there.

3. Download and install the following application on your computer: ADB. You will be using it in order to flash your Sony Xperia S with CM9.

4. Obviously, CyanogenMod 9 ROM needs to be downloaded, too. Follow this link and proceed with the download, choosing the one that contains ‘nozomi’ in the file name.

5. Your Sony Xperia S comes with many in-house applications which have replaced the official ones which can be found in the standard Android system. In order to benefit of all the official Google Applications download ‘gapps-ics-20120317-signed.zip’

6. The ROM file which you has been downloaded in the fourth step of this tutorial together with the zip file that contains all the google apps need to be copied on the SD card of your Xperia S.

7. If you don’t have any Android archive managing software (like 7-zip) download, install and run it. Then access the CM9 ROM file which you have previously copied on the SD card and extract the following file: ‘boot.img’. Place it in a folder so you could find it easily.

8. Another utility needs to be downloaded in your computer, too: Fastboot.

9. As the above mentioned utility comes in archive, make sure you unpack it. A Fastboot folder should now be created on your drive C.

10. ‘Boot.img’ file needs now to be placed in the Fastboot folder, too, along with those 4 files that can be found already there.

11. Your Sony Xperia S needs to be inserted into the Fastboot mode while connecting it to the PC. Simultaneously hold the Volume Up key when plugging in the USB cable into your smartphone and PC, too.

12. The Command Prompt needs now to be opened in Windows. It can be found in the accessories menu in your OS.

13. Insert the following commands, following their order from below:

cd c:\Fastboot

fastboot flash boot boot.img

14. At the end of the flasghing process of your Xperia S with CyanogenMod 9, the command prompt will display a’finished’ or OK notification. Now you can unplug the USB cable from the PC.

15. Power up your smartphone and when the CyanogenMod 9 logo appears on the scren press for several times the Volume Up key. This will let you boot in the recovery console. In order to navigate through this menu, you need to use the volume buttons. In order to select a certain feature, use the Home button;

16. In the recovery console, you hqave to select the following option: ‚select zip from sd card’. Now you have to head to the folder where you have saved the CM9 ROM file.

17. After selecting it, confirm by using the „Yes…” option. The installation of CM9 will begin. After it finishes, you have to revert to the main menu of the recovery console.

18. The same action needs to be taken as in step 16 of this tutorial. However, instead of selecting the CM9 ROM file, you need to opt for the Google apps file.

19. Again, you need to revert to the main menu of the recovery console.

20. The following option needs to be selected: ‘wipe data/ factory reset’ and applied.

21. Scroll through the recovery console option and select the reboot one. Wait until your phone completely restarts. Be patient, because it could take up to 5 minutes to do that.

This was the entire tutorial on how to install cyanogenMod 9 (CM9) on your Sony Xperia S. If you have questions, you can post them here by using the below mentioned comment form.

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