Sony Xperia Z1 during it's world premier at the IFA consumer electronics fair, 2013
Sony Corp's President and Chief Executive Officer Kazuo Hirai presents a new Sony Xperia Z1 smartphone during it's world premier at the IFA consumer electronics fair in Berlin, September 4, 2013.Reuters

A new CyanogenMod Android 5.0 Lollipop CM12 milestone series custom ROM has been made available for Sony's 2013 flagship smartphone- Xperia Z1.

According to Team Android, this new CM12 custom ROM has been developed by a senior XDA Developer forum member going by the moniker, NanoSurfer. It is based on the AOSP (Android Open Source Project) 5.0 Lollipop. This firmware is an experimental CM12 version, so some issues are yet to be fixed.

We advise our readers to go through the whole tutorial article before going ahead with the custom ROM installation.

Prerequisites (things to remember before installing Custom ROM)

  • Though installing custom ROM improves the device's performance and UI experiences, it makes the company warranty void and they 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 forward with custom ROM installation.
  • This new CyanogenMod CM12 series firmware has to be installed on the Sony Xperia Z1 (aka Honami) model only; if tried on other devices, it might get bricked [To check your device model: Go to Settings >> About phone >> model number]
  • Users make sure you have installed USB drivers on the PC, or else your smartphone (Sony Xperia Z1) will not be recognized by the computer.
  • Installation of custom ROM requires clearing of memory in the smartphone, so make sure to back all the data by installing Clockwork Mod (CWM) Recovery/ TWRP in the smartphone.
  • Also make sure your device has more than 80 percent battery, or else there is a chance of the smartphone getting temporarily bricked if the installation process is interrupted mid-way.

[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. International Business Times, India Edition 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 of CyanogenMod [Un-official] Android 5.0 Lollipop CM12 custom ROM on Sony Xperia Z1-

Step 1: Download CyanogenMod [Un-official] Android 5.0 Lollipop CM12 custom ROM (HERE) and Google Apps (HERE) on to your PC.

Step 2: Connect Sony Xperia Z1 to PC via USB cord.

[Note: Before plugging the phone to the computer, be sure that you have installed USB driver software, if not, click HERE to download the firmware]

Step 3: Then, place CyanogenMod Android 5.0 Lollipop Custom ROM zip file into the phone's SD card memory. [Note: Users are advised to paste the .zip file in SD card root, not in any other folder.]

[Note: Before users' begin installing the custom software, be sure that the device is rooted and you have installed ClockworkMod Recovery/TWRP tool.]

Step 4: Now, turn off the device and disconnect from the PC.

Step 5: Then perform the regular Recovery Mode sortie by press holding 'Volume (up)', 'Home' and 'Power' buttons.

Step 6: After entering the RECOVERY mode, clear the phone memory, by choosing 'wipe data/factory reset'

[Note: use 'Volume' keys to navigate and 'Power' button to select options, while operating under Recovery Mode]

Step 7: Now, clear the cache memory by selecting 'wipe cache partition'

Step 8: Then go back to ClockworkMod recovery, and select 'advanced' and tap 'wipe dalvik cache' [Note: This step is optional, but many recommend this procedure so that user will not face boot loops or any other errors in the middle of custom ROM installation]

Step 9: Again come back to main recovery screen and then tap 'install zip from SD card'

Step 10: Then tap 'choose zip from sdcard' and go to Android ROM .zip file in SD card and enter the installation process. Repeat the same procedure again to install the Google Apps. [Note: use 'Volume' keys to navigate and 'Power' button to select options]

Step 11: Once done with the installation process, navigate to '+++++Go Back+++++' and re-start the device by opting 'reboot system now' seen in the recovery menu.

Now, your device (Sony Xperia Z1) will take a few minutes to complete the booting process.

Users then head to Settings >> select About phone to confirm the installation of CyanogenMod [Un-official] Android 5.0 Lollipop CM12 custom ROM.

[Credits: Team Android]

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