As days go by, more and more Android smartphones are already tasting the sweetness of the newest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and soon to be included on the list is HTC Rezound. Although the official firmware upgrade is yet to be released by HTC, you can get a foretaste of Android 4.0.1 on your HTC Rezound, complete with the look and feel of the HTC Sense 3.5 UI.

The leaked update includes only the kernel and system.img.  According to the RootzWiki forum thread discussing this leaked update, the firmware is not stable enough for use daily.  The update also displays watermarks all over.  Most features work, but there are more troublesome functionalities than working features.

Requirements

Please take note of the following before you proceed with flashing the update to your device:

• HTC Rezound — rooted, with unlocked bootloader, and with S-OFF
• Create a backup of all your phone data or transfer all your files into your  SD card in case your phone data get corrupted while updating your device. Do not use HTC Sync to back-up your files.
• Make sure you have at least 60% or more battery power to ensure that your phone lasts during the updating process.
• Disable all system tools such as antivirus and firewall programs.  These may interfere during flashing the update.

Precautions

• This update is not officially released by HTC and isn’t fully stable.
• This update should not be installed on network-locked devices. Doing so may cause damage on your mobile device.
• We are not held liable for any damage arising from the use of these update instructions. Update your device at your own risk.

Update Instructions

Here's how you can update your HTC Rezound to Android 4.0.1 Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC Sense 3.5:

1. Download the HTC Rezound Android 4.0.1 firmware package.  Get the archive here.
2. Rename the package file from “rezoundics.zip” to “PH98IMG.zip” (without the quotes).
3. Connect your phone to your PC via USB cable.
4. Copy the ZIP file directly to your phone’s SD card.
5. Turn off your phone.
6. Reboot the phone into bootloader mode by pressing the Volume Down key and Power button simultaneously for a few seconds until the bootloader screen appears.
7. While in bootloader mode, select Recovery to initiate recovery mode.
8. Select “Install zip from SD card”, then “Choose zip from SD card” and select the PH98IMG.zip file.
9. The device will begin to update your firmware.  The process takes about 5-10 minutes to finish.  Once done, you will be taken back to the recovery mode menu.
10. Select “Go back” and then select “Reboot system now” to restart your device into the updated Android 4.0.1 Ice Cream Sandwich firmware.

Congratulations! You have successfully updated your HTC Rezound to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC Sense 3.5.