Ice Cream Sandwich comes to HTC Desire HD
Ice Cream Sandwich now on HTC Desire HD Android

HTC has been reluctant to release the official Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) update for Desire HD, citing hardware constraints. Nevertheless, the Android custom ROM developer community has turned the tide in favour of Desire HD owners by unleashing an attractive custom ROM porting the Android 4.0 ICS update.

Thanks to XDA Recognised Developer nikhil007mmus, Nik Project X ROM brings a wide range of interesting features to Android 4.0. It comprises a visually appealing interface, faster built-in browser, better mobile data management, enhanced notifications, face unlock, improved e-mail etc. The ROM also features the latest Sense 4 UI found in HTC One series phones, besides several other goodies.

Some of the key features ported into this ROM are listed below:

  • Full Sense 4
  • Full Sense Weather lockscreen
  • Simple Quicksettings ( Click on the Carrier name to show up quick settings in notifications bar )
  • Cube animations like One X
  • Switch between Recent apps of ICS Style & Sense 4 style Recent apps by just long pressing on the Time on the Top Right.
  • Sense 4 lockscreens added (Wallpaper , Photo Album , Weather , People)
  • Stock HTC keyboard with trace enabled
  • Stable, fast and optimised for battery life

As the developer notes, the Nik Project X ROM is completely stable for daily use. But it may harbour a few untested bugs as it is not an official release.

Prerequisites

  • The ROM and the instructions provided in this guide are for the HTC Desire HD model only and will not work with any other device. Verify your device's model number through Settings > About phone before you proceed.
  • Make sure that ClockworkMod recovery is installed on your phone, before proceeding with the ROM installation.
  • IBTimes UK advises users to back up apps, important data and settings to avoid loss of data while installing the Android 4.0 ICS update.
  • The instructions provided in this guide are meant for reference purpose only and do not cover any warranty claims involving device damage or issues arising out of using this ICS update. Users are advised to proceed at their own risk.

How to Install Android 4.0 ICS Update on HTC Desire HD with Nik Project X ROM

1. Download the latest version of Nik Project X ROM from XDA Developers official thread (Download here).

2. Without extracting, copy the downloaded zip file from step 1 to the SD card.

3. Power off the phone and boot into Clockworkmod recovery. To do this, press and hold the Volume down and Power buttons together. You should now see the HBOOT menu, where you press Volume down to select the Recovery option and press Power button to activate it. In recovery, use Volume buttons to browse through menu options and Power button to select them.

4. Do a Nandroid Backup of your current ROM, so that you can always restore it from recovery if something goes wrong with the new ROM. To do a backup, choose Backup and Restore and on the next screen, hit Backup again. Return to main recovery menu once backup is complete.

5. Tap wipe data/factory reset, then hit Yes on next screen to confirm. Wait until the data wipe process completes.

6. Choose mounts and storage, then tap format /system to format the system partition. Click Yes on next screen to confirm. Then, return to the main recovery menu.

7. Choose install zip from sdcard, then tap choose zip from sdcard. Locate the ROM file on the SD card and select it. Click Yes to confirm installation on the next screen.

8. In a short while the graphical installer should pop up. Follow the onscreen instructions and keep clicking the Next button. Tap Perform Wipe when prompted and then continue clicking Next till the ROM begins installing.

9. Once ROM is installed and you are prompted to reboot, click Yes to reboot the phone into Nik Project X ROM.

NOTE: To restore your previous ROM, boot into recovery (as given in step 3), select backup and restore then restore your previous ROM by selecting it from the list.

Nik Project X ROM, based Android 4.0 ICS is now installed on your HTC Desire HD.

[Source: The Android Soul]

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