How to Upgrade HTC Desire to Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean

HTC Desire has for long been sidelined by its maker, as newer handsets have hogged the limelight with official Jelly Bean stock ROMs available out of the box. HTC has barely managed to keep up with the competition, as older handsets are still running on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread OS) and that is where Android developers have stepped in to users' rescue by unleashing a flurry of custom ROMs and regular Jelly Bean updates.

Thanks to XDA Developers forum member, bWorks, HTC Desire users can now relish the Jelly Bean goodness through the CyanogenMod 10 (CM10) port for Android 4.1.1. As Android Authority notes, bWorks has managed to port the CM10 version of Jelly Bean from Nexus One to the Desire, along with Google Apps preloaded to the ROM. That would mean Android users have one less hitch to bother about when they upgrade their HTC smartphones to the latest Android 4.1.1 software.

Watch the CM10 based Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean update for HTC Desire in action in the video below:

If the video did not excite you, check out the step-by-step guide to install CM10 port of Jelly Bean ROM for HTC Desire below.

Prerequisites

The CM10 ROM and the instructions provided in this guide are compatible with the HTC Desire model only and may cause irreparable damage if tried on other devices.
IBTimes UK advises users to backup important personal data including apps, data and settings (bookmarks, contacts, SMS, APNs and other internet settings) to avoid data loss while installing the Jelly Bean update.
It is mandatory to install ClockworkMod Recovery before attempting to install this ROM update on the device.
Download the unofficial CyanogenMod 10 alpha 1.2 ROM from here.
The procedure given in this guide is meant for reference purpose only and does not cover any warranty claims involving device damage or issues arising out of using this firmware update. Users are advised to proceed at their own risk.

How to Upgrade HTC Desire to Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean with CM10

Without extracting, copy the CyanogenMod 10 ROM file you downloaded to your device's SD card.
Power off the phone and boot into recovery. To do so, press and hold down the Volume Down and Power buttons until the device boots into Bootloader Mode.

Use the Volume keys to navigate through the options and highlight Recovery. Then select it using the Power button.
Take a NANDroid backup of your current ROM. Then, choose Backup and Restore and hit Backup.
Tap Wipe data/factory reset and confirm the action on the next screen.
Choose Install ZIP from SD card.
Click Choose ZIP from SD card and select the CyanogenMod 10 ROM file.
Hit Go back.
Finally, tap Reboot system now to bootup into the CM10 based Jelly Bean OS.

Your HTC Desire phone is now installed with CyanogenMod 10 based Jelly Bean update.

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