Samsung's 2014 series smartphone Galaxy S4 received the Android Lollipop update in January 2015 and that was the last official update it ever received, as the device completed two years in the market.
Samsung and other smartphone makers have the obligation to provide firmware support for its devices for 18 months (or maximum of 24 months in exceptional cases), after they are released in the market.
Those readers who are hanging on to the Galaxy S4, we have good news to share. CyanogenMod community has released the brand new CM13 series stable ROM (build number: ZNH5YAO0J3). It is around 326MB in size and brings latest security updates, exclusive themes, wallpapers, short-cuts and many more value-added features to the former flagship phone.
Salient features of new CyanogenMod CM13 series custom ROM include:
- Wi-Fi Tethering – automatically turns off hotspot after preset minutes of inactivity
- Profiles – add notification light controls
- Do Not Disturb/Priority Mode
- Privacy Guard/App data usage – Restrict apps to Wi-Fi or Cellular data only or block all internet access, per app
- Bluetooth Devices battery support – For compatible devices, a new battery icon will appear in the status bar to show the paired devices' battery level
- Lockscreen Wallpaper picker makes its return
- Lockscreen Weather and new Weather plug in support – see weather blog post
- Lockscreen Blur support (on a per device basis) and the ability to disable the effect
- Live Lockscreen support
- New LiveDisplay hardware enhancements and API
- Snap Camera (depends on the type of device)
- Gello Browser (depends on the type of device)
- Lots of translations – shout out to the CM translations team on CrowdIn
- Cyanogen Apps support ( x86 is not supported yet, read more HERE)
- Additional CM SDK APIs
- Security fixes
Read more: Google Android 6.0 Marshmallow: 7 key features you need to know
Prerequisites (things to remember before installing Custom ROM)
- This new Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow CyanogenMod CM13 (ZNH5YAO0J3) custom ROM has to be installed on Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE GT-I9505 (jfltexx) international LTE models only, if tried on other devices, it might brick them [to check your device model: Go to Settings >> About phone >> model number].
- Though installing custom ROM improves the device's performance and UI experiences, it makes the company warranty void; the company will no longer be liable to provide updates in future [users can restore warranty by flashing the device with stock-ROM].
- Make sure the device is rooted before going ahead with custom ROM installation.
- Installation of custom ROM requires clearing memory in the phone, so make sure to back all the data by installing Clockwork Mod (CWM) Recovery/ TWRP in the smartphone.
- Make sure USB driver is installed on the PC or else your device (Galaxy S4 LTE) will not be recognised by the computer.
- Make sure your device has more than 80% battery, or else there is a chance of the smartphone getting temporarily bricked if the installation process is interrupted midway.
[Disclaimer: This procedure is very technical and should be performed by a person with sound knowledge of rooting (or manual software installation) Android devices. If the step-by-step installation process is not followed properly, there are chances of the smartphone getting bricked or being permanently irreparable. IBTimes India cannot be held responsible for any damage or claims from readers if the procedure does not yield the required results or if the smartphone is bricked. Hence, users are advised to proceed with caution.]
Tutorial: Step-by-step installation procedure for Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow CyanogenMod CM13 (ZNH5YAO0J3) custom ROM on Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE (GT-I9505) via TWRP-
Step 1: DownloadCyanogenMod CM13 (ZNH5YAO0J3) Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow custom ROM and Google Apps on to your PC.
[Note: downloadable file links are provided at the bottom]
Step 2: Connect Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE to the computer
Step 3: Place the CyanogenMod Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow into the phone's storage memory.
[Note: Users are advised to paste the .zip file in the storage root folder, not in any other folder.]
Step 4: Turn off device and disconnect it from PC
Step 5: Perform Recovery mode sorties by long pressing Volume (Down) + Power buttons
Step 6: Once entering the TWRP settings menu, clear phone's memory (full) by selecting 'Wipe' option. Once done, select – 'Swipe to Factory Reset' perform factory reset
Step 7: Return to TWRP settings and tap 'Install' by the selecting .Zip file in the phone's memory downloaded from PC
Step 8: Come back to TWRP menu setting to approve the installation by tapping 'Swipe to Confirm Flash'
Step 9: Flashing of the custom ROM begins and after few minutes, a message 'Successful' appears on the screen, thus completing installation.
Step 10: If faced with boot loop problem, navigate back to TWRP settings, and select 'Wipe cache/dalvik'. This procedure will help resolve any issue with regard to custom ROM installation
Downloadable files:
Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow CyanogenMod CM13 (ZNH5YAO0J3) custom ROM:HERE
CyanogenMod Recovery: HERE
Google Apps:HERE
USB Driver:HERE
