There are already a handful of custom ROMs for the Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic 4G Touch SPH-D710 (Sprint), which just shows how much attention it is getting from developers all over the Internet. Now there is another custom ROM developed for the device and it’s not like any other ordinary custom ROM. Called HyDrA ROM, this custom ROM has a mixed user interface of a phone and a tablet. It may sound weird but it looks good, especially since it’s Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS).

XDA Developers member VeNuM and a team of other developers created HyDrA ROM with a tablet interface for the Galaxy S2 Epic 4G Touch. The ROM is based on AOKP (Android Open Kang Project) sources, which means that you get the tablet look plus the performance and additional customization options that AOKP ROMs have. Unfortunately, because the tablet UI was not made for smaller displays, icons and text are very small, which can be a problem for the meantime. But if you just want to have fun, HyDrA ROM is worth trying out.

Requirements

• Backup all personal data on your phone to make sure you have a copy of your personal data (e.g., contacts, SMS, MMS, Internet settings, Wi-Fi passwords, and the like) in case the procedure in this guide erases such data.
• • For backup tips, check our guides on how to sync your data to the cloud and how to create local backups of your mobile data.
• Make sure that your battery has at least 50% power to avoid interruption due to power loss.
• Download HyDrA ROM (HyDrA_Rom_v0.1.zip, md5sum: 91d142c43fe808b0369f1c8205a13bca)to your computer.  Get the ZIP file from one of the following links:
  • Mirror 1
  • Mirror 2
  • Mirror 3
  • Mirror 4
• Download the Google Apps package (gapps-HyDrA2-20120429-signed.zip, 52.1 MB) to your computer.  Get the package from one of the following mirrors:
  • Mirror 1
  • Mirror 2
  • Mirror 3
• Download the USB drivers for your phone and install them on your computer.
• Download EL26 Stock ClockworkMod Recovery (StockCWM-EL26.tar.md5, 8.01 MB) to your computer.
• Download Odin3 1.85 (Odin 1.85.zip, 199 kB) to your computer.

Disclaimer

• The instructions in this guide are intended for use with the Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic 4G Touch (Sprint), model number SPH-D710. Applying these instructions on another device or model may produce undesired outcomes.
• The information in this guide is provided for instructional and educational purposes only. There is no guarantee that these instructions will work under your specific and unique circumstances.
• Use these instructions at your own risk. We shall not hold any responsibility or liability for whatever happens to you or your device arising from your use of the info in this guide.
• Read and understand the whole guide first before actually performing the instructions.

Instructions

1. Copy the HyDrA ROM package and the Google Apps package to the root of your phone’s internal SD card.
2. Extract Odin 1.85.zip into a folder on your computer. You may place it on your Desktop for convenience.
3. Turn off your phone.
4. Boot your phone into Download Mode by pressing the Volume Down key and the Power button. When you see a “Warning” message on your screen, press the Volume Up key.
5. Run Odin3 v1.85.exe by double-clicking on it.
6. Connect your phone to your computer.
7. Your phone should be detected by Odin3. You’ll see an “Added” message on the Odin window.
8. Click on the PDA tab in Odin3.
9. Select the StockCWM-EL26.tar.md5 file.
10. Uncheck the “Auto Reboot” option.
11. Click START to flash ClockworkMod Recovery to your phone.
12. A “PASS” message will be displayed in Odin3 if the flashing is successful.
    • If Odin stops or you get a “FAIL” message, disconnect your phone, close Odin3, pull out and re-insert your phone’s battery, and start over from from step 4.
13. After the flashing is done, disconnect your phone from your computer.
14. Take out the phone’s battery.
15. Re-insert the battery but don’t turn on the phone.
16. Boot your phone into ClockworkMod Recovery by pressing and holding down the Volume Up key and Power Button
    • In Recovery Mode, use the Volume keys to navigate and the Power button to select.
17. In ClockworkMod Recovery, select Wipe Data/Factory Reset. Select Yes on the next screen to confirm.
18. Select Install ZIP from SD Card > Choose ZIP from SD Card and select the Hydra ROM file.  Confirm the installation by selecting Yes.
19. Perform step 18 again.  Yes, double-flashing is required.
20. Flash the Google Apps package in the same manner as in step 18.
21. Once done, reboot your phone by selecting Go Back, then Reboot System Now.

Great! You now have the HyDrA ROM on your Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic 4G Touch SPH-D710 (Sprint). Enjoy the tablet UI on your device!