Can I install regular S4 Lollipop on an S4 Mini? How?

[omega3]

I have both a regular S4 and S4 Mini. So the regular S4 got a Samsung-customized Lollipop update but the S4 Mini not. Now would it be possible to install that Lollipop update for the regular S4 on the Mini somehow? How could this be done?

Thanks to all who can help with this.

 

[shabby]

Suuuuure.... but not easily. http://forum.xda-developers.com/gal.../rom-cyanogenmod-12-0-s4-mini-3g-lte-t2946176

 

[omega3]

Suuuuure.... but not easily. http://forum.xda-developers.com/gal.../rom-cyanogenmod-12-0-s4-mini-3g-lte-t2946176

Thanks but I guess that Cyanogenmod ROM doesn't have Samsung-specific features as it is supposed to work with all android phones, right?

Isn't it possible to get the regular S4 lollipop ROM on an S4 Mini? So the lollipop that was customized by Samsung.

 

[StrangerGuy]

Nope.

S4 official ROMs are tailor made and tested as a complete software package by Samsung specifically for just one particular S4 model, and it can't be used for other models no matter how similarly sounding they are like your S4 Mini.

They aren't PCs where you can just throw Windows at any random PC, download hardware drivers yourself and expect it to work more or less flawlessly. Android doesn't work that way and it's a key weakness of the platform.

Only thing you can pray for is some random custom ROM dev out there to support Lollipop on your exact model of the S4 Mini but in most likelihood either it doesn't exist or it will be a unusable steaming pile of buggy crap because historically non flagships don't get much attention from the custom ROM scene.

 

[lxskllr]

They aren't PCs where you can just throw Windows at any random PC, download hardware drivers yourself and expect it to work more or less flawlessly. Android doesn't work that way and it's a key weakness of the platform.

That's my biggest irritation with mobile. There's no reason they can't work like x86 pcs.

 

[shabby]

Thanks but I guess that Cyanogenmod ROM doesn't have Samsung-specific features as it is supposed to work with all android phones, right?

What samsung specific feature's do you need from your phone? If you want lollipop, let alone marshmallow, this is your only choice
I can understand losing stylus specific features if you had the note or those edge thingies if you had the edge.

 

[JeffMD]

That's my biggest irritation with mobile. There's no reason they can't work like x86 pcs.

Has to do with how things like cameras do not have publicly available drivers. The OS is standered but the drivers for the hardware is tailored. Getting the OS to run is the easy part, getting it to work with the hardware for print scanners, cameras, even the SoC (if there isn't a public rom available for a certain processor you can copy the driver from, you are usually SOL when making your own build).