If you've got a Samsung Galaxy S2 and are jealous of the Galaxy Nexus, Google's newest Android flagship that comes with version 4.0 out of the box, or even the older Nexus S, which is in the process of getting its OTA update to Ice Cream Sandwich, well, you don't have to wait for much longer. Samsung has previously stated that the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update for its Galaxy S2 will roll out in the first quarter, that is, before April.
However, if you just can't wait any more, you can flash a leaked version of the TouchWiz-infused Ice Cream Sandwich that Samsung is preparing right now.
It's an official version of the update that will be distributed later, once it's ready, but obviously still in an early alpha/beta stage. Some things might be unstable, and if you're not exactly planning to tinker around with your phone too much, we'd suggest you to wait for the final update; flashing this will also wipe all your data.
Should that not stop you from trying, here's the deal: visit this thread on xda-developers, and download the latest firmware from the first post. You can ignore the "CF-Root" thing if you don't want to get root access. Next up, just follow the instructions provided and, after some rebooting, you should be in Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, albeit not the stock one as on the Nexus devices but with the TouchWiz UI on top.
For your convenience, here are the instructions (as per Faryaab):
- Extract the firmware
- Open the included Odin
- Put your device into Download MODE
- (OPTIONAL) Click PIT and select u1_02_20110310_emmc_EXT4.pit
- Click PDA and select I9100_CODE_I9100XXKP*_CL*_REV02_user_low_ship.tar.md5
- Click PHONE and select MODEM_I9100XX*_REV_02_CL*.tar.md5
- Click CSC and GT-I9100-MULTI-CSC-OXA*.tar.md5
- Then finally click START!
Another forum member has also assembled an overview of what's working and what not, concluding that it's "definitely a daily use ROM". Before you take that for granted, though, keep in mind that "daily use" probably means something different for members of a development forum.
So, again the warning that you'll lose all your data, and that we aren't to be held responsible for anything bad that might happen to your Galaxy S II. The risk is yours to take, but the rewards are also yours to reap!
