How to Install CyanogenMod (Android 2.3) on the Orange San Francisco / ZTE Blade

The Orange San Francisco / ZTE Blade is an amazing phone for the money which is why it has been one of ZTE’s most popular devices.

For an entry level phone it has allot of potential and can be easily Rooted and modified to allow Custom ROMs and Recovery Partitions.

This guide gives full instructions on how to get CyanogenMod 7 (Android 2.3) running on your Blade in just a few simple steps. Cyanogen should make the phone perform smoother, give you better compatibility with the latest Android Apps and will offer more features than the Stock Firmware.

Requirements:

Orange San Francisco / ZTE Blade (Gen1 or Gen2)MicroSD Card (2gb or Higher)Pre-Rooted Device, follow This Guide if not already Rooted.

Before going any further make sure you have backed up anything you want to keep, including Contacts, Photos and anything else you can’t live without.

Step 1 – Find out if your Blade is Gen1 or Gen2

The first step is to find out which Generation of ZTE Blade / Orange San Francisco you have, it will either be Gen1 or Gen2. The phones look the same but have a slight difference in Hardware and parts of the Firmware.

To find out if your Blade is Gen1 or Gen2 Download Ask Mr Pigfish from the Android Market. Once Installed simply run the app and it will tell you if you have a Gen1 or Gen2 Device.

Now you know if your device is Gen1 or Gen2 you can follow the correct guide below to Install CyanogenMod (Android 2.3) on your Orange San Francisco / ZTE Blade.

Gen1 Blade / San Francisco – Install CyanogenMod (Android 2.3)

Download CyanogenMod for the ZTE Blade / Orange San Francisco, I use Nightly 126 as I find it most stable – Download Here. (MD5:23A87CBFA053C2E5C4BF3594EAF47092)Copy the CyanogenMod .zip file to the ROOT of your SD Card.Download the Gen1 to Gen2 Upgrade Pack – Download Here. (MD5:35581040F3AF0387AF502E80CDCAF364)Extract the “image” folder from the Upgrade Pack (keeping the files inside the folder) to the ROOT of your SD Card.Power on your phone while holding the [Menu] and [VOL+] buttons until green text appears.Let the phone do its thing, after a while it should boot into ClockworkMod.Once in ClockworkMod Select “Wipe Data / Factory Reset”.When the wipe is complete Select “Install zip from SD Card” and Navigate to the Cyanogen .zip file you placed on the SD Card.The .zip file should take a couple of Minutes to install, once complete exit from ClockworkMod and Cyanogen should now boot (may take up to 10 minutes the first time).Congratulations you now have CyanogenMod 7 on your Gen1 Orange San Francisco / ZTE Blade.You can now remove the “image” folder from the SD Card using File Manager.

Gen2 Blade / San Francisco – Install CyanogenMod (Android 2.3)

Download ROM Manager from the Android Market (free).Once installed run ROM Manager and select “Flash ClockworkMod Recovery” you will be presented with a list of devices, make sure you select “ZTE Blade” then let it install then exit ROM Manager.Download the version of CyanogenMod 7 you want to install and copy the .zip file to the ROOT of the SD Card. I am using CyanogenMod 7 Nightly 126 (Android 2.3.4) as I find it the most stable – Download Here. (MD5:23A87CBFA053C2E5C4BF3594EAF47092)Load ROM Manager and select “Install ROM from SD Card” and select the Cyanogen .zip file you copied to the SD Card. You will get a Popup with 3 tick boxes, make sure they are ALL ticked.That is it your phone will reboot into ClockworkMod, Backup Current Firmware, Factory Reset your Phone and Install CyanogenMod 7.Once complete your phone will restart and CyanogenMod 7 should start loading (may take up to 10 minutes the first time).Congratulations you now have CyanogenMod 7 on your Gen2 Orange San Francisco / ZTE Blade.

Installing Google Apps on CyanogenMod 7
So I guess you would like the Android Market and other Google Apps including GMail, Youtube and Maps? Don’t worry its a very easy fix. Just follow the instructions below:

Load ROM Manager.Select “Download ROM” and choose “Google Apps” from the list.Choose the Latest Google Apps Pack (usually the top one) and choose Download.Once downloaded a box will appear giving you a selection of tick boxes, make sure ONLY “Wipe Dalvik Cache” is ticked and press ok.Your phone will reboot and Install the Google Apps package.Once complete your phone will reboot and load CyanogenMod as normal but on first boot you will get a list of apps you want to install, simply follow the on-screen instructions.

If you have any questions, problems or suggestions regarding this post please post below and I will do my best to help.

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How to Unlock and Root the Orange San Francisco / ZTE BladeInstalling ClockworkMod on the Huawei U8800 / Ideos X5Tags: Android, ClockworkMod, CM7, Cyanogen, CyanogenMod, De-Brand Orange San Francisco, De-Brand ZTE Blade, Gen1, Gen2, Orange, Recovery, ROM, ROM Manager, Root Orange San Francisco, Root ZTE Blade, Unlock Orange San Francisco, Unlock ZTE Blade, ZTE, ZTE Blade

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Need Design Inspiration for your Android Home Screen? MyColorscreen Can Help!

The great thing about having an Android device is the fact it is so flexible. Its easy to flash new ROMs and try different mods, but what happens when you have found your perfect ROM? Well you need to style it and make it look pretty.

There are many things you can do to change the look and feel of your device including simply changing the Wallpaper or going further and running a different Launcher or various home screen widgets.

Creating a Home Screen that both looks good and is functional on your Android Device can be difficult but now you have a helping hand in the form of MyColorscreen.

MyColorscreen is an on-line gallery of screen shots from Android and IOS Devices that other users have uploaded.

Some of the features of MyColorscreen include:

Screen Shots for Android and IOS DevicesDownload Links for Wallpapers usedMultiple Screen Shots per DesignLists of what Widgets, Launchers and of Items have been usedView Most Popular DesignsLeave a review of each DesignFollow People who create your Favourite DesignsFree to Sign-up and UseUpload your own Designs

For me this is a great FREE Resource for all Android and IOS users and is a great place to get inspiration for your perfect Home Screen or Lock Screen even if you don’t want to share your design with the world.

Visit MyColorscreen to have a look around, I am sure you will find a design you like.

If you have any questions, comments or perhaps you know of a similar site? Share them below.

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Android Theme – Black Magic for Huawei U8800 / Ideos X5Create Your Own Wireless Hotspot in Windows 7Watch BBC iPlayer over 3G on Android DevicesTags: ADW Launcher, Android, BattStatt, Clockr, CM7, Cyanogen, Froyo, Gingerbread, Go Launcher, Google, Home Screen, Icons, Launcher 7, LauncherPro, Lock Screen, MyColorscreen, ROM, SiMi Clock, SPB Shell 3D, Suave Icons, SwitchPro, System Info Widget, Text Widget, Widget

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Android Theme – Black Magic for Huawei U8800 / Ideos X5

Well I have had an Android Powered phone since October last year and since then it has been a very steep learning curve when it comes to Rooting, Flashing, Unlocking and all the other modifications you can do with Android Devices.

I thought I would have a go at creating my own Android Theme for the ROM I am currently using which is FLB Custom ROM, which seems to be the most stable for my device.

To try this theme you will need to have a Huawei U8800 / Ideos X5 with ClockworkMod installed. I used the files from the B137 Firmware (Android 2.2.2) to create the theme, but the theme should work with all 2.2 ROMs for the Huawei U8800 / Ideos X5. Just make sure you backup in ClockworkMod before installing this theme.

Theme’s Features:
- HTC Sense Style Notification Area
- Circle Battery Mod
- Sense Style Notification Bar Icons
- Carrier Logo Changed to White
- Clock Changed to White
- Gingerbread Style Launcher
- Bottom Popup Menu Text Colour Changed

Installing Theme:
- Copy Downloaded .zip file to Root of SD Card
- Boot into ClockworkMod (Tested with v4.0.0.5)
- Before you do anything else perform a Backup
- Choose Install Zip from SD Card
- Locate the Themes zip File and Install
- (optional) Wipe Cache and Dalvik Cache
- Reboot and Enjoy

Download Theme:
You can download the Theme Here: Download
MD5: 67866DAA59DF57C47450B899399A0BFB

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions relating to the theme please let me know below.

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