How to Install Ice Cream Sandwich ROM on the HTC Thunderbolt

Although still in its alpha stage, a custom ROM based on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich for the HTC Thunderbolt has been released. Users of the HTC Thunderbolt can thank RootzWiki forum member ProTrekk for the chance to taste Ice Cream Sandwich on the Thunderbolt. Though ProTrekk created this ROM purely for playing around with, HTC Thunderbolt users can rejoice for a preview of more Ice Cream Sandwich goodness to come.

This ICS ROM is currently in its alpha 2 stage and has several functional features:

Android Market
Booting
Wi-Fi
Audio
Sensors
Capacitive Keys
SU
SD card
Can EGL properly
Rotation
Gallery
Live Wallpapers
GPS
Bluetooth
Headset

The features that aren’t functional are anything related to the radio, data, calls, SMS, MMS, and camera. This means that the Ice Cream Sandwich ROM for the HTC Thunderbolt is in no way functional enough for daily use, but it’s certainly fun to check out, just so you can get a feel of Ice Cream Sandwich on your device.

To be able to see how ICS would work on your phone, you’ll need a rooted HTC Thunderbolt. Also, as an extra precaution, ensure that your phone’s data has been backed up in case it gets corrupted or lost during the update process. Also make sure that your HTC Thunderbolt has a charge of at least 70% to prevent your device from shutting down during the update process.

To install the ICS ROM for your HTC Thunderbolt, you will need the following:

A rooted HTC Thunderbolt
ClockworkMod recovery installed on the device. (If you do not have this installed, it is not advised to proceed with installing this ROM.)
Thunderbolt ICS Alpha 2 ROM

Installation Instructions

Once you have all of the requirements, you can proceed to installing the ROM:

Download the ZIP file from here.
Copy the ZIP file into the root of your SD card, without altering or unzipping the file.
Reboot your HTC Thunderbolt into recovery mode.
Make a Nandroid backup.
Choose “Install Zip from SDCard” and select your file.
Once the file has been flashed, choose “Install Zip from SDCard” again from the menu.
Select the Google Apps.
Once that is done, reboot the device.

Your device should reboot into Ice Cream Sandwich. Though the ROM may not be functional enough to be used as a daily driver, it’s certainly a beautiful sight to behold.