Google may only have demonstrated Jelly Bean Android 4.1 at Google I/O yet, but it is already comfortably running on the Galaxy Nexus since a day after Jelly Bean was unveiled. Now, those who have the Nexus S 4G can get a taste of Jelly Bean as well, thanks to an unofficial port by XDA Senior Member CooLoserTech, who is working on getting as many things working in the ROM without the required sources (which will be released by Google when Jelly Bean is officially pushed out to the Nexus phones).
Important! This is an unofficial port of Jelly Bean and is NOT suitable for daily use yet, with a few important things that do not work, so it should only be used to get a look at how Jelly Bean works. Check out the list of what works and what doesn’t below:
What Works:
- Wi-fi
- Integrated Root
- It boots
- Touchscreen
- Bluetooth
- GPU
- Camera
- Soft keys
- NFC
- Project Butter
- SD card
- ADB
- USB Debugging
What Doesn’t Work:
- Audio
- 3G/Any Connection
- Ambient Light Sensor
- Other stuff might be broken as well.
Read on to find out how you can flash Jelly Bean Android 4.1 on the Nexus S 4G.
Compatibility
This hack and the guide below are compatible only and only with the Nexus S 4G, model number SPH-D720. It’s not compatible with the US variants or other devices. Check your device’s model number 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 completely what it is. If any damage occurs to your device, we won’t be held liable.
How to Install Jelly Bean on the Nexus S 4G
- 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. - Make sure you have ClockworkMod recovery installed on your phone and that its bootloader is unlocked.
- Download the latest version of the ROM from the official development page.
- Copy the downloaded zip file from step 3 to the internal SD card on the phone.
- Boot into ClockworkMod recovery. To do so, turn off the phone. Then, press and hold the Volume Down and the Power buttons together to boot into fastboot mode. Here, highlight the RECOVERY option by navigating to it using the volume buttons, then select it using the Power button to boot into recovery.
In recovery, use the volume buttons to scroll up/down and the power button to select an option. - Select wipe data/factory reset, then select Yes on next screen to confirm. Wait a while till the data wipe is complete.
- Select install zip from sdcard, then select choose zip from sdcard. Scroll to the ROM file on the SD card and select it. Confirm installation by selecting Yes – Install _____.zip on the next screen. The ROM will start installing.
- After the ROM finishes installing, select go back then select reboot system now to reboot the phone and boot up into Jelly Bean.
Jelly Bean Android 4.1 is now installed and running on your Nexus S 4G, which you can show off to your friends with pride. Visit the development page for updates and more info. Share your thoughts on the ROM in the comments below.
