Install Android 5.0.2 Lollipop CM 12 ROM on Galaxy S3 Neo

Update Galaxy S3 Neo to Android 5.0.2 Lollipop with stable CM 12 ROM. This Galaxy S3 Neo smartphone which is a variant of the original Galaxy S3 launched in April 2014 features a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, 1.5 GB RAM, 16 GB internal storage, and an 8-megapixel camera. It was rolled out in various countries including India and Bangladesh.

In this article, we’ll discuss a detailed step-by-step guide on how to install the latest Android 5.0.2 Lollipop based stable CM 12 ROM on this smartphone. As you all know that this smartphone unfortunately will never get the official Android Lollipop update from Samsung. But if you still want to experience the Android L on your Galaxy S3 Neo then you can go for custom ROMs.

Recently, senior XDA member Rox released the famous and well known Cyanogenmod 12 custom ROM for the Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo. The most important thing is that this build is absolutely stable, fast and even improves the battery performance of your phone. You can enjoy and experience all the Android 5.0 Lollipop features with this ROM. If you are interested in flashing this latest Android 5.0.2 Lollipop based stable Cyanogenmod 12 ROM on your Galaxy S3 Neo then head on to our actual article given below.

Screenshot:

Disclaimer:

Flashing this CM 12 custom ROM might brick your Galaxy S3 Neo. So I recommend you to perform all the steps given below at your own risk. If by any mistake your Galaxy S3 Neo gets bricked or damaged by following this guide then neither do I nor the CM developers will be held responsible for that. Although the chances that your device will get damaged are the least.

Compatibility:

This Cyanogenmod 12 custom ROM must be flashed only and only on Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo having model number GT-I9300I or GT-I9301I. Do not flash this ROM on any other device except the one mentioned as it may brick your phone. Better check your device’s model number from Menu > Settings > About Phone.

Prerequisites:

• Charge your Galaxy S3 Neo at least up to 60%.
• Backup your contacts, messages, call logs, memos etc.
• Also, backup the EFS folder present in your phone’s system directory.
• Moreover, install Samsung USB drivers on your PC.
• Root Galaxy S3 Neo before going ahead.
• Also, install CWM recovery on your device.

Downloads:

Android 5.0 Lollipop CM 12 ROM

Google Apps

Steps to install Android 5.0 Lollipop on Galaxy S3 Neo:

• Download both the zip package files in a specific folder on your PC. Do not extract them.
• Now connect your Galaxy S3 Neo to PC using a USB cable, enable USB debugging mode, and copy the downloaded files on your phone’s SD card.
• Then safely disconnect your phone from PC. Switch it off completely and boot into recovery mode. For that simultaneously keep pressing and holding Volume up+ Home button (middle button) + Power button till you enter recovery mode.
• Touch won’t work in recovery mode. So use Volume keys for navigating up and down and use the Home button for selection.
• The first thing you need to do after entering recovery mode is that take a Nandroid backup of your current ROM.
• Now wipe the data and cache partitions from your phone’s internal memory. For doing so, navigate to the ‘wipe data/factory reset’ option using volume keys. Select it using the Home button. On the next screen press the Yes option to start the wiping process. Similarly, navigate to the ‘wipe cache partition’ option and select it to wipe the caches. Note that this step will clear entire data from your phone’s internal memory including contacts, messages, apps, memos, call logs etc. Thus, a complete backup of everything must be done before applying this step.
• Return to the main menu and select the Advanced option located on the recovery mode itself. On the next screen select the Reboot Recovery option.
• Wait until you boot again into recovery.
• Let’s move to the actual Android 5.0 Lollipop themed ROM flashing process.
• Use Volume keys and navigate to the ‘install zip from SD card’ option. Select it using the Home button. Then on the next screen select ‘choose zip from SD card’ option. This will show you all the files and folders present on your external SD card. Use Volume keys and navigate to the Android 5.0 Lollipop CM 12 ROM which you’ve copied earlier. Select it using the Home button. On the next screen select the ‘Yes’ option to start the actual Android 5.0 Lollipop ROM flashing process. Wait for some time to complete it flashing process.
• Again wipe the data/cache partitions from the recovery. For doing so select the ‘wipe data/factory reset’ option and the ‘wipe cache partition’ option. This step is essential to solve the boot loop issue.
• Similarly, flash the Google Apps package as you’ve flashed the ROM zip file. Just remember not to wipe data/cache after that.
• Everything completes here. Just reboot your Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo by selecting ‘reboot system now’ option from the recovery mode. The first boot takes more time to start than usual. But don’t worry after a couple of boots it’ll be normal.
• If you want to restore your previous ROM, then you can do that by going back to the recovery mode by pressing & holding Home Button (middle button) +  Power Button simultaneously and select the ‘Backup and Restore’ option and then on the next page select ‘Restore’ option. Select the ROM you want to restore.
• If you want to return your Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo to Official Android 4.3 Jelly Bean firmware then refer to our article:

Also Read: Update Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean I9300IDDUANE1

Conclusion:

Hurray! Your Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo smartphone has been successfully flashed with the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop based Cyanogenmod 12 Custom ROM. You can verify this from Menu > Settings > About Phone. Enjoy this latest Android 5.0 Lollipop fully-featured ROM on your S3 Neo. Do share your experience after using it. If you come across any trouble or problem while flashing this ROM then do inform me through the comments.