Staying true to its mid-April release date, Sony has just released the much-awaited Ice Cream Sandwich ROM for the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc LT15i. Don’t worry though, because other Xperia 2011 models aren’t getting left out.
The Xperia Arc’s Ice Cream Sandwich update isn’t being released simultaneously around the glob, but rather, the rollout is done by region. If you’re getting impatient, there is a way to flash the ROM ahead of your country, courtesy of XDA Developers.
This method might be tricky as it involves a lot of manual procedures but if you’re itching to get the ICS update ahead of your peers, check out the guide below for all the juicy details.
Caution
- The instructions in this guide are intended for use with the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc, model number LT15i. 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.
Requirements
- Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc LT15i
- A Windows PC
- Enable USB Debugging on your phone. You can do this by heading to Settings > Applications > Development > USB Debugging. Make sure that there is a check mark beside that option.
- Back-up of your personal files and important data. You can read our guides on how to backup your data locally and how to backup data to the cloud.
Instructions
Installing Flashtool and drivers
- Download Flashtool 0.6.9.1 from here (flashtool-0.6.9.1-windows.exe, MD5 : 9E6AEAA286FC145FDEBD65F6CC492585) and install it on your computer.
- Update it to version 0.7.0.0, as follows:
- Download update.zip (750 kB) from here.
- Extract the archive’s contents to C:\Flashtool. The new files should replace old ones inside that folder.
- Head to the Flashtool folder at C:\Flashtool and open the drivers folder. Double-click the Flashtool-drivers.exe file to start installing the essential drivers for your phone.
- In the driver section of Flashtool, click Nextonce. When prompted for a component selection, choose the following options:
- Arc-Play-Neo-Acro ADB Drivers
- Flashmode Drivers
- Select Next to start installing the necessary drivers. Once the installation process has started, you’ll be bombarded with lots of pop-ups saying that the drivers are not compatible on your PC. Select Install this Driver Anyway on each of the pop-up screen.
Installing the ICS firmware
- Download the official ICS firmware (LT18_4.1.A.0.562_NCB.ftf, md5sum: c1ae2eef1677a7aa72db7430e516ea4c) file for the Xperia Arc from here and save it to our PC.
- Place the downloaded FTF file inside the c:\Flashtool\firmwares folder.
- Double-click the FlashTool.exe file found inside the Flashtool folder to start the flashing program.
- As soon as the Flashtool program opens, click the Flash button from among the first seven buttons found on top of the screen.
- Select Flashmode on the screen that pops-out, then select OK.
- You will then see LT15i from among the list of devices in a new window that shows up. Select the LT15i entry on the list. Check the box beside the label “No Final Verification Check.” Then, hit the OK button.
- Connect your Xperia Arc to your PC via the USB cable. Plug your USB cable to your PC first. Press and hold the Back key on your phone and connect the other end of the USB cable to your phone.
- Once your phone is connected, the Flashtool application will automatically start the flashing process.
- Important! Once the flashing process is done, you may sometimes get an error message saying “Error Flashing”, instead of the “Flashing Complete” message. Ignore this error as it may be a bug in the application. Your firmware should already be flashed on your phone.
- Disconnect your phone from your PC.
- Switch on your phone. On your first boot, your phone may restart once at the Sony Logo, then it will normally boot into Ice Cream Sandwich.
Congratulations! You have successfully updated your Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc LT15i to the official Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update ahead of everyone else in your region. Sit back and enjoy their envy
