HTC One Max owners are in for some great news, as the industrious CyanogenMod team has just unleashed the Android 5.0 based CM12 unofficial build for the device.
The CM12 Lollipop ROM gains precedence as HTC has reportedly no plans to push the coveted official Lollipop update for the smartphone, anytime soon or until January 2015.
With HTC's native Lollipop updates shipping with Sense 7 UI onboard, Android purists could fancy their chances for a stock-like experience with XDA developer Flyhalf205's latest CM12 ROM for the One Max.
As the Android 5.0 CM12 ROM is still under development, it may harbour untested bugs or broken features.
Folks at Android Soul have listed the features that are currently working and those that are not working with the CM12 ROM. Check out the list below:
Working Features
  • Camera
  • WiFi
  • Call/Data
  • Bluetooth pairing
Features Not Working
  • Calls over Bluetooth
Downloads Required
Steps to Install Android 5.0 Lollipop on HTC One Max via CyanogenMod 12 Unofficial Build
  1. Ensure that your device is HTC One Max by verifying the device model number via Settings > About Phone. Do NOT flash this ROM on any other device as it may inadvertently brick or damage the device.
  2. Copy the CM12 ROM file "cm-12-xxx-UNOFFICIAL-t6spr.zip" and Gapps package file "gapps-lp-201411xx-signed.zip" to the device's internal storage and remember the location where you save it.
  3. Install a custom recovery (TWRP, CWM, etc.) on your device.
  4. Boot into Recovery mode via adb or hardware buttons or use the QuickBoot app  if your device is rooted.
  5. In recovery mode, back up data on your current ROM. If using TWRP, select Backup and perform a Swipe to Back Up from the bottom of the screen.
  6. Then select Wipe and do a Swipe to Factory Reset from the bottom of the screen.
  7. Return to the main menu of TWRP recovery and select Install.
  8. Browse to the file where you saved the CM12 ROM zip file, select it and Swipe to Confirm Flash on the bottom of the screen. Now, wait until the flashing process completes.
  9. After the ROM is flashed, repeat step 8 to flash the Gapps package as well.
  10. Once both the files are flashed, return to recovery's Main menu and select Reboot > System.
[Source: The Android Soul]