Sony Xperia SP gets updated to Android 5.0.2 Lollipop via CyanogenMod 12 ROM

Owners of Sony Xperia SP are in for some great news, as the industrious CyanogenMod (CM) team has rolled out its first Android 5.0.2 Lollipop based CyanogenMod 12 (CM12) ROM for the ageing smartphone.

With Sony ceasing its life-cycle support for Xperia SP following the completion of the 18-month OEM support period, the development of further official Android updates for the smartphone has come to an end.

Hence, it is imperative for Xperia SP users to depend on third-party custom ROMs for all future Android updates including the latest Lollipop release.

Though the CM12 ROM is not a nightly build with the latest bug-fixes, it still brings the stock Android Lollipop experience with a bunch of CyanogenMod features ported from previous CM releases.

As the ROM is still under development, it may harbour a few untested minor bugs or broken features. However, several known issues in the stock release have already been patched in order to accomplish a stable and smooth Lollipop system.

The CM12 ROM for Xperia SP is reportedly stable enough for daily use and any new bugs discovered in this release will be fixed in the forthcoming updates for CyanogenMod ROM.

Interested users can go ahead and install the latest Lollipop based CM12 ROM on their Xperia SP by following our step-by-step guide provided below.

IBTimes UK reminds readers that it will not be held liable for any damage to device during or after the ROM installation. Users are advised to proceed at their own risk.

Pre-requisites

• The instructions given in this guide are meant for the international variant of Sony Xperia SP only. Verify device model number by navigating to Settings > About Phone
• Ensure the phone has at least 80% battery charge to prevent unexpected device shutdown (due to battery drain) while installing the ROM
• Back up data and settings using a recommended custom recovery tool, like ClockworkMod (CWM) or TWRP, as it creates a complete image of the existing phone setup. In Recovery, choose Backup and Restore and tap Backup
• Verify correct USB drivers for the phone are installed on the computer (download Sony Xperia SP USB drivers)
• Enable USB Debugging mode via Settings > Developer Options (if running Android 4.0 or above) or Settings > Applications > Development (if running Android 2.3 or earlier)
• Ensure that the device is rooted with CWM recovery installed and its bootloader is unlocked

Downloads Required

CyanogenMod 12 Android 5.0.2 ROM for Sony Xperia SP

Google Apps

Voice Calls Fix

Data Fix (follow steps on XDA to download and install)

WiFi Hotspot Fix

Steps to Install Unofficial CyanogenMod 12 Android 5.0.2 ROM on Sony Xperia SP

Step 1 - Download CyanogenMod 12 Android 5.0 custom ROM for Xperia SP on the computer.

Step 2 - Connect and mount the phone's USB mass storage on computer with the USB cable.

Step 3 - Now, copy the downloaded CM12 ROM zip file to the root folder on the phone's SD card.

Step 4 - Power off the phone and disconnect its USB cable from computer.

Step 5 - Now boot the device into Recovery Mode via Fastboot command: "adb reboot recovery" or by running Quick Boot tool (download here) on your phone.

Step 6 - Once the phone enters into CWM Recovery, perform a full data wipe task by clicking Wipe Data/Factory Reset. Use the Volume keys to navigate between options and the Power button to select an option in the Recovery Mode.

Step 7 - Then, perform Wipe Cache Partition and wait until the process completes.

Step 8 - Now perform Wipe Dalvik Cache as well. To do this, go to the 'advanced' option and then click Wipe Dalvik Cache. This will help in preventing boot loop issues or any boot ROM related errors during firmware installation.

Step 9 - Then return to the main recovery menu and choose Install Zip from SD card.

Step 10 - Now click Choose Zip from SD card. Use volume keys to navigate to the CM12 ROM zip file that you copied earlier to your phone's SD card and choose it by tapping the Power button. Confirm the ROM installation on the next screen and the installation process will begin.

Note: Repeat Step 9 and Step 10 to install Google Apps (Gapps) and fixes as well.

Step 11 - Once all the downloaded packages including Gapps and ROM are installed, go to "+++++Go Back+++++" and select Reboot System Now in the Recovery menu.

The phone will now reboot and the first boot may take about five minutes to complete. So, please be patient.

Your Sony Xperia SP is now running the latest Android 5.0.2 Lollipop via CM12 custom ROM. Go to Settings > About phone to verify the firmware version installed.

[Source: Android Geeks]