One of the fastest phones out there, the HTC Desire S is giving out promising results as HTC is planning to release an Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread update for the device. Despite the fact that HTC hasn’t come up with an official release date for the update, leaked versions began to surface through the net. Early users of the HTC Desire S were able to get a copy and test it on their device and were happy to report that the latest version was stable with all the core key features completely intact.

With the Gingerbread version all ready, there’s no surprise that a customized version of Ice Cream Sandwich will soon be available for the HTC Desire S. The Gingerbread update of the device already proves to show promising results and later on will be adopted by the HTC Desire S community.

If you can’t wait for HTC’s official announcement on the release date for the update, why don’t you try the latest unofficial update and see the results for yourself. As a precaution though, this update is not the official firmware from HTC. It is a modified version of HTC’s stock ROM with performance upgrades and smooth functionalities. Always remember that when you install this firmware, this is strictly for HTC Desire S phones only and will most likely not work on any similar HTC phones.

Follow the steps below to update your HTC Desire S to the latest Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread update.

Requirements

• Rooted HTC Desire S
• Copy of 2.3.5 Gingerbread update

Installation

The most important step before you can install custom ROMs starts with a rooted phone. You can tell that your phone is rooted by checking your app drawer for the Superuser app or a Custom Recovery for HTC already installed. If everything is there then you’re good to go.

1. Download the latest Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread unofficial update for HTC Desire S. Get the ZIP file here (about 330 MB).
2. Connect your phone to the computer via the USB cable that comes along with it.
3. Make sure that you don’t rename or modify the downloaded ZIP file as there is a high chance that the file may not install properly or does not get recognized once the installation begins. Copy the ZIP file to your phone’s SD card.
4. Reboot your phone and enter recovery mode. You can enter recovery mode by simultaneously pressing the Volume Down and Power button keys when your device begins to boot.
5. You’ll then be taken to the recovery mode screen. Select “Clear Storage” by navigating with the use of the Volume Up and Volume Down keys and using the Power button as the OK button. After the cleaning process is done, select “Recovery”.
6. Select “backup and restore” to make a backup of your current ROM so that you can revert to your original ROM if the installation fails.
7. Once done with the backup process, you are now ready to install. Select “Install Zip from SD Card”. Then, select “Choose Zip from SD Card”. Find the ZIP file that you transferred to your SD card to begin installation.
8. The whole installation process may take 5- 6 minutes before your device is updated. Once the installation is finally completed, head back to the main menu by selecting the “++++ Go back ++++” option.
9. Choose “Reboot System Now” to restart your phone. It may take a while for your phone to completely boot using the new ROM.

Congratulations! You have successfully updated your HTC Desire S firmware to Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread. Did you try the steps above? How did it go for you? Do you notice any improvements with your phone’s performance by using the update?