Upgrading Your Xperia (GO, U, P, Sola) to ICS, Read First Before Continuing

So finally Sony is releasing ICS to the Xperia Go, U, P and Sola. About time! But before that, please take the time to read this before jumping in, my blooper may save you a lot of back tracking.

With the changes and improvements to ICS one of the biggest underneath the code is the messaging. Backing it up using Sony's PC Companion will NOT restore them once you update to ICS. I know, it's happened to me. I'm not sure if backing it up using the built in app will help but I didn't stay long to find out.

Safest bet is to use the free android app SMS Backup & Restore to back up your SMS/Text messages and then restore it after the update. Which in my case worked like a charm.

Now granted that you want to update to ICS NOW! You can download the firmware here and use the Flashtool program to turn your Gingerbread phone to ICS. Instructions are simple:

1. Download and Install Flashtool 0.9.8 (latest to this date)
2. Open install directory (usually C:\Flashtool) and run “flashtooldrivers.exe” inside the "Drivers" folder. choosing “Xperia P, Xperia U and Xperia Sola“, “Fastboot drivers” & “Flashmode“ - take note it doesnt really say Xperia Go but I got mine to run that way.
3. Download the given FTF file link and place file under ”/firmwares” subfolder (of Flashtool install directory).
4. Open Flashtool version for your OS
5. Turn off Phone, connect data cable
6. Hold Volume Up key till Blue (or Violet) LED notification is on (Fastboot mode)
7. Click on the “lightning symbol” on Flashtool. This chooses Flashmode.
8. Select the Firmware (check for ICS 4.0.4/ST27i_6.1.1.B.1.1.0_CE confirmation)
9. After clicking OK, you will be asked to connect the device to PC
10. Remove USB, then connect it again and this time hold Volume Down key till Green LED notification is on.

The program will update the phone and ask you to disconnect once done. Restarting the phone will take a LONG while and will do some factory installing once on then ask you to shut it down (Do so, it wont kill you, I promise).  and when you turn it back on, it should start up faster than the first time and you're good to go.


Now in case you need to go back to Gingerbread (like what happened to me) so you can retrieve your other stuff, you can downgrade your phone back to gingerbread using this firmware. Restore your data and then back it up in a different way. Update your phone back to ICS, restore and you're golden!