long story short; I'm planning on buying a Sam galaxy S II from china.
If I end up with a "asia region firmware", is it possible to change it to another firmware/region risk-free?
Edit:
also is it possible to unlock it in case it was locked?
thanks
It is possible to Unlock.
It is possible to flash any region firmware over any region firmware.
Regards.
Still the same i9100 phone, so you can put any firmware made for i9100.
Hi,
This is not working for me. I tried to flash XWKF3 over the ZCKG4 with Odin but that ended up in a brick phone. Got ZNKG5 downloaded and saved the phone but still on chinese firmware (with no app-market).
Have anyone done a firmware upgrade on a chinese SGS2? I would really like to get EU version with APP-market support, the phone is useless for me otherwise. (and I cant read chinese...)
Either you made a mistake when flashing the KF3 firmware by Odin or you flashed a wrong firmware. Make sure the firmware is full, it will be sized around 300 MB.
Regards.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1184476&page=3
read this thread .
jje
Id just like to get my 2 cents worth in here so please correct me if im wrong,but ive been reading many failed attempts at this and heres what ive been thinking.
For example the galaxy s2 has this version that we have and also a 4G S2 released in canada.many galaxy models have 3G and 4G versions.Also we see Samsung releasing phones for for china or korea only.Is it possible that the Asian area also works on a different format frequency.For example an S2 firmware wouldnt be compatable with the 4G unit would it??.maybe the same type of thing is happening here cos i cant see anyone having any success with flashing between these two specific regions.Maybe there is a batch of chinese made phones made especially for the aisian region only because of this that makes it non compatable internationally like 4G- 3G regions.
from what i know the 4g s2 from canada is just a naming gimmick by the carrier there. it's still the same s2.
Ok, i read the other threads. apparently in this case failure is more common than success. so I guess I don't buy it in china.
Background; Die hard HTC user that just recently purchased a GT-I9100M (Bell - Canada). I'm not new to rooting/roms/kernels/etc... however I am new to Samsung devices and located in the US w/ English being my primary language.
I am slowly understanding the terminologies and sammy specific processes however my question(s) come with flashing Kernels specifically. So far I've been able to flash my SGSII w/ the KP8 kernel and CM9 and I must say I'm loving every bit of it. Although I had a successful flash, I think this was more of luck than anything.
I read the ICS threads and learned the KP8 kernel is a leaked ICS kernel so I went ahead and flashed that with ODIN and then flashed the latest nightly of CM9 via CWM.
For the time being, I wanna test out other roms but with the SMORGASBURG of kernels available it is super overwhelming. I understand that the 2-3 digit/letter sequence in the title of specific kernels indicate the Region/Carrier/Etc. The confusion comes on which to choose since I am in the US and want to stick with unbranded English and the most up to date... UG is the US (i think) region but because this phone is only available with carrier branding here which do I choose ?
I know most are dependent on which android version you're planning on flashing but again, its all too confusing to me.
Any help would be appreciated..
first of all all roms on this forum contain us english as one of the default languages.
its firmware that comes in many varieties, there are only a few kernals out there.
you are thinking of csc which contains data settings, these come in a wide variety depending on location as does the modem.
on firmware the first 2 letter denote where the rom was made last 3 letters denote when the rom was made year, date and version number.
Full Codes are already posted either in Guides Faqs or stock rom thread or on samfirmware .
Kernel codes etc .
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1194973&highlight=kernel+list
Basics are any firmware any kernel any modem .mix and match .
CSC for local area though not actually needed .
Some areas/networks may require specific modem .
K is 2011 A is January 1 is revision one .
jje
Hi guys,
Sorry guys for what might appear to be a noob question, but is there any major differences between the I9300 and I9300T model? and more importantly, will I9300 ROMs work on a I9300T model S3? or is the difference so minor that it won't really matter?
I have only just noticed that my model had the T. If someone could clear that up or shed some light on the matter, it would be greatly appreciated
Thanks in advance
I flashed it with the I9300 Italian latest rom with no issues at all. So I think they are the same, I think the network locked ones come with T, I got mine unlocked at the store where I bought it. It was Vodafone stock.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
Barracuda77777 said:
I flashed it with the I9300 Italian latest rom with no issues at all. So I think they are the same, I think the network locked ones come with T, I got mine unlocked at the store where I bought it. It was Vodafone stock.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm guessing there must be some hardware difference. A different model number usually (always I think) indicates some hardware difference. Just adding a letter though, is usually the smallest difference of all.
The i9300 is capable of being locked, or at least it would seem to be considering it has menu functions for it. Could be wrong on this though, maybe it can't.
The T model is tuned to favour the 850mhz band. There is a difference in hardware but very minor. Other than that they are the same.
Just Google i9100 i9100t (S2 model) and you will find alot of info. Something about different sar value.
Anyway, as for flashing you'll have no problems. Firmwares are interchangeable. Same with the S2 but on the S2, it was better to flash a T modem afterwards for optimum reception.
Sent from my GT-I9300T using xda premium
I'm really curious about this coming from a gti9100T to a gti9300T I have found zero difference in using Tmodems vs any other
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
sxi200 said:
The T model is tuned to favour the 850mhz band. There is a difference in hardware but very minor. Other than that they are the same.
Just Google i9100 i9100t (S2 model) and you will find alot of info. Something about different sar value.
Anyway, as for flashing you'll have no problems. Firmwares are interchangeable. Same with the S2 but on the S2, it was better to flash a T modem afterwards for optimum reception.
Sent from my GT-I9300T using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh ok. The only reason I ask is because I was on Sammobile and noticed this warning which stated "Do not flash I9300T roms with your GT-I9300 device!" so was wondering if firmwares were truely interchangeable.
I've been on Slim ICS on my I9000 for a while and was looking forward to flashing it on my S3, but was unsure if it would be compatible. I've tried asking in the thread but haven't got a response and thought that mayb someone else in the community could just confirm this for me.
but also from the little reading I've done, it appears that I can flash any I9300 custom ROM on my T model S3 and will just need to flash a T modem later. If someone could just confirm this, it would make my decision to flash a custom ROM a lot easier
Thanks
ActionBastardDV said:
Hi guys,
Sorry guys for what might appear to be a noob question, but is there any major differences between the I9300 and I9300T model? and more importantly, will I9300 ROMs work on a I9300T model S3? or is the difference so minor that it won't really matter?
I have only just noticed that my model had the T. If someone could clear that up or shed some light on the matter, it would be greatly appreciated
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The T model of the S2 had a chip in line where the non-T model had just straight through wires. I was speculated that this was some sort of band filter that attenuated the non-850Mhz bands to favour the 850MHz range.
From experience I can say that, on Telstra, the S2 T model occasionally had crap reception where a non-T model right nex to it was fine. I believe this was in areas where the Telstra 850MHz network was unavailable and it was using on of their 2100MHz towers. Eventually, afer a lot of troubleshooting and flashing different ROMs and modems, I sold the T and got the non-T model.
I would NOT under ANY circumstances get another T model unless one of these useless clowns (Samsung, Telstra, Vodafone and the likes) actually tells me in writing what the difference is.
I did a hardware comparison with my friends GS3.
He has the I9300 and I have the I9300T.
Once both phones were flashed to the same ROM (Vodafone New Zealand) using ODIN, the only difference I could find (including the hardware that were listed) was the bootloader.
I just used first 3 apps I could find when I searched "hardware info" in the Google Play Store.
They all gave me the same results saying that the only difference was the bootloader.
Also we are both on the same network (2Degrees) which uses 900Mhz.
I have yet to have a close look at attenuation to see if there is any real difference though.
charsleysa said:
I did a hardware comparison with my friends GS3.
He has the I9300 and I have the I9300T.
Once both phones were flashed to the same ROM (Vodafone New Zealand) using ODIN, the only difference I could find (including the hardware that were listed) was the bootloader.
I just used first 3 apps I could find when I searched "hardware info" in the Google Play Store.
They all gave me the same results saying that the only difference was the bootloader.
Also we are both on the same network (2Degrees) which uses 900Mhz.
I have yet to have a close look at attenuation to see if there is any real difference though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh ok, that's quite interesting. I'm not very familiar with bootloaders (it was never an issue on the I9000 for me and so don't have much experience with it), but when you say the difference was the bootloader, what do you mean exactly?
you mentioned that you both FLASHED to the same ROM (Vodafone NZ), was that through ODIN or through CWM? As I've mentioned in the OP, my main concern is whether or not I am able to flash a I9300 ROM on my I9300T S3.
I'm no rush atm, as I'm waiting for a stock Aus VAU firmware to be released as a precautionary measure before I start getting into the custom ROMS, but just wanted to know so I can start researching which ROMs to flash once I'm ready
If you could confirm whether your I9300T model was able to flash a regular I9300 custom ROM, it would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you've got any recommendations as to which ROMs are good, that would be helpful too.
Cheers
ewok666 said:
The T model of the S2 had a chip in line where the non-T model had just straight through wires. I was speculated that this was some sort of band filter that attenuated the non-850Mhz bands to favour the 850MHz range.
From experience I can say that, on Telstra, the S2 T model occasionally had crap reception where a non-T model right nex to it was fine. I believe this was in areas where the Telstra 850MHz network was unavailable and it was using on of their 2100MHz towers. Eventually, afer a lot of troubleshooting and flashing different ROMs and modems, I sold the T and got the non-T model.
I would NOT under ANY circumstances get another T model unless one of these useless clowns (Samsung, Telstra, Vodafone and the likes) actually tells me in writing what the difference is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah I ordered mine online and didn't realise it was going to be a T model S3. If I had known, It would have most likely affected my decision to purchase the phone. From my experience on the I9000, it's always so much easier to have the full international version (more compatible ROMs, more options, more support etc) and having any variants (not sure how much of a variant the T model is) is always abit more troublesome
I'm just hoping that the I9300T is compatible with the vast majority of custom ROMs out there for the I9300, otherwise I'll be hating life for the next 2 years
you mentioned that you both FLASHED to the same ROM (Vodafone NZ), was that through ODIN or through CWM?
If you read on, just after I say that, I say "using ODIN", so yes I did it through ODIN.
If you could confirm whether your I9300T model was able to flash a regular I9300 custom ROM
Yes, I9300 ROM's can be flashed on to the I9300T. They use the same hardware AFAIK.
The only thing you need to worry about is flashing the right modem, but if your network uses the standard 900Mhz band, then you'll be right.
When I got mine they didn't tell me it was the T model, but after flashing a stock ROM instead of the branded ROM, it was fine and I didn't notice any problems.
All you need to do is flash a I9300 stock ROM then flash CF-root using ODIN to root the phone, then you can use CWM to put any ROM you want on the phone.
EDIT:
A bootloader is basically the stuff that interfaces with your hardware right at the start.
You should never touch this because if you screw up your bootloader then you can kiss your phone goodbye.
Flashing custom ROM's is safe because they never touch the bootloader, thats an entirely different procedure using ODIN.
The only reason I want to touch the bootloader is because I want to know the difference between the I9300 bootloader and the I9300T bootloader.
charsleysa said:
If you read on, just after I say that, I say "using ODIN", so yes I did it through ODIN.
Yes, I9300 ROM's can be flashed on to the I9300T. They use the same hardware AFAIK.
The only thing you need to worry about is flashing the right modem, but if your network uses the standard 900Mhz band, then you'll be right.
When I got mine they didn't tell me it was the T model, but after flashing a stock ROM instead of the branded ROM, it was fine and I didn't notice any problems.
All you need to do is flash a I9300 stock ROM then flash CF-root using ODIN to root the phone, then you can use CWM to put any ROM you want on the phone.
EDIT:
A bootloader is basically the stuff that interfaces with your hardware right at the start.
You should never touch this because if you screw up your bootloader then you can kiss your phone goodbye.
Flashing custom ROM's is safe because they never touch the bootloader, thats an entirely different procedure using ODIN.
The only reason I want to touch the bootloader is because I want to know the difference between the I9300 bootloader and the I9300T bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I must have missed the fact that you mentioned you used ODIN, but thanks for confirming again.
I've done some reading through XDA already and I've gathered that some people have been flashing regular I9300 ROMs on a T model S3, but that's only through looking at their sig, which may or may not always be up-to-date, so again, thanks for confirming that too
It also appears some people using the T model have been using the regular modem, and with better results too. I'll probably try experimenting between the 2 variations of the modem and finding the best fit for myself
I think Chainfire's CF-Root is compatible for both I9300 and I9300T models, so I should be ok to root and just get straight into the custom ROMs without flashing a stock I9300 first
and thanks for that brief bootloader explanation. seems like if I get CF-Root running, I should be good to go with the custom ROMs so won't look into it too much, but it's good to have a better understanding of it.
Many thanks for all your help so far
ActionBastardDV said:
yeah I ordered mine online and didn't realise it was going to be a T model S3. If I had known, It would have most likely affected my decision to purchase the phone. From my experience on the I9000, it's always so much easier to have the full international version (more compatible ROMs, more options, more support etc) and having any variants (not sure how much of a variant the T model is) is always abit more troublesome
I'm just hoping that the I9300T is compatible with the vast majority of custom ROMs out there for the I9300, otherwise I'll be hating life for the next 2 years
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok. Let me explain what I've noticed and hopefully clear things up.
I had the S1 non T and flashed the guts out of it.
Then got a T model S2. Running Optus sim. Got poor reception when I flashed an international rom + modem. Turned out all I had to do was flash a T modem anytime I flashed any custom or i9100 rom. But, as mentioned I could flash anything I wanted.
Now, I have a T model S3 with the same setup, and thought it would be like the S2. Turns out that it doesn't require a T modem for good reception. I use the lf5 modem and its just as good if not better than the T modems I've tried.
So, for the S3 flash any rom you want. If it does suffer poor reception there are plenty of T modems available in xda in cwm and Odin format. But don't think you'll need to.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
sxi200 said:
Ok. Let me explain what I've noticed and hopefully clear things up.
So, for the S3 flash any rom you want. If it does suffer poor reception there are plenty of T modems available in xda in cwm and Odin format. But don't think you'll need to.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for clearing that up. I didn't upgrade to the S2 so was not familiar (or even aware) of there being a T variant. As such, was not sure how much of an impact that would have when flashing roms. I just knew that a lot of people had issues when flashing the I9000 roms on a variant of the S1.
But now that I know that any S3 custom rom should run fine on my T model S3, I'll start flashing once a stock AUS VAU firmware has been released (in case anything happens). I'm also using this time to see if there are any hardware faults with my device, rather than running a custom rom and finding an issue, and not be sure if it was there with the stock firmware or not.
And again, many thanks for clearing that up. I can now start searching through XDA for roms (that appear stable) and then flash once that stock firmware is released
ActionBastardDV said:
Thanks for clearing that up. I didn't upgrade to the S2 so was not familiar (or even aware) of there being a T variant. As such, was not sure how much of an impact that would have when flashing roms. I just knew that a lot of people had issues when flashing the I9000 roms on a variant of the S1.
But now that I know that any S3 custom rom should run fine on my T model S3, I'll start flashing once a stock AUS VAU firmware has been released (in case anything happens). I'm also using this time to see if there are any hardware faults with my device, rather than running a custom rom and finding an issue, and not be sure if it was there with the stock firmware or not.
And again, many thanks for clearing that up. I can now start searching through XDA for roms (that appear stable) and then flash once that stock firmware is released
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem.
Earlier I saw a thread where a Vodafone Aus firmware had been added. It was in cwm format so all that needs to be done is flash and unroot + clear counter. Phone would then be stock.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
Telecom
Hi
I bought a Galaxy S3 from Telecom NZ, and it is a 9300T.
Can I install the vodafone NZ rom, with Odin?
Cheers
Jon
jonny_winters said:
Hi
I bought a Galaxy S3 from Telecom NZ, and it is a 9300T.
Can I install the vodafone NZ rom, with Odin?
Cheers
Jon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I have an NZ I9300T and the Vodafone NZ ROM works fine when you flash (install as you say) it with ODIN.
Thanks for your fast reply mate!
One more question. I have rooted my phone, do I just download the NZ vodafone Rom, and flash it using Odin? That simple?
Sorry if I seem stupid lol. New to android after 3 years of Apple.
Again thank you for your help
Note: I have already download the rom was approximately 750mb in size.
Jon
jonny_winters said:
Thanks for your fast reply mate!
One more question. I have rooted my phone, do I just download the NZ vodafone Rom, and flash it using Odin? That simple?
Sorry if I seem stupid lol. New to android after 3 years of Apple.
Again thank you for your help
Note: I have already download the rom was approximately 750mb in size.
Jon
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
now start odin
reboot ur phone in download mode
volume down + home + power
connect cable
click on pda
select .tar file
u got in the download
and flash
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
Will this enable me to get better support via samsung kies? Currently my mates on vodafone and 2 degrees get updates, and I can't.
Cheers
Hey,
I live in the UK and bought by S3 new on ebay, which is unbranded and an international version (i believe). The box said Orange France, however i havnt had any problems using it with my UK SIM. The jelly bean update has just been released through kies for the UK version of the S3, and i was just wondering what effect flashing this ROM using ODIN would have on my phone?
i downloaded the ROM from this thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1902493
Thanks
CSC is nothing bar a few text files that enable auto network APN .
It will make no difference but will be more up todate with its network connections list .
jje
Ah right, thanks. so its should actually be better then seeing as i'm flashing the UK firmware to it.
Play store services are not all available worldwide - and some are country-region specific- but as long as you have a western european CSC you're fine....
Sorry for digging up an old thread but it covers exactly what i'm after
There's no official release for 4.1x for Australia yet, P5110 16gb WiFi only
what other stock ROM's will be suitable to ensure my play store, etc will all operate without an issue.
Thanks in advance
Robbks said:
Sorry for digging up an old thread but it covers exactly what i'm after
There's no official release for 4.1x for Australia yet, P5110 16gb WiFi only
what other stock ROM's will be suitable to ensure my play store, etc will all operate without an issue.
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong forum
Specifically, yes. it's the wrong device.
But the same issue nevertheless.
Hence why i did include my device details.
Robbks said:
Specifically, yes. it's the wrong device.
But the same issue nevertheless.
Hence why i did include my device details.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, well ok, I would advise sticking with your CSC but you can always try other Roms and flash back to yours. As you are Wi-Fi only you won't have any of the recent modem issues that have been present across several Samsung devices
Robbks said:
Specifically, yes. it's the wrong device.
But the same issue nevertheless.
Hence why i did include my device details.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No CSC does not matter its not required to make a phone work .
But that's relevant to the I9300 range your phone may or may not be the same .
jje
I'm sorry to break into this post, but i have the same question.
I live in Italy, but i bought an international Galaxy S3 with Romania CSC and i wish to stick with the ITV csc code.
I tried to flash, but it breaks OTA/kies Updates (that's not bad at all... my firmware is still XXEMC2, March 2013 with i9300QXFMEA2 csc (info taken with *#1234#).
I've also read that double flashing changes the CSC code...i tries this procedure with no results (csc still COA)
Can you please give me some tips?
Tips read the stickied basic faqs and guides .
Make your mind up to upgrade via OTA/ Kies or XDA not both .
jje
Hi guys,
I know this is probably one of the 'already answered' questions, but I don't know what to look for to find the answer as well.
For the Galaxy S3 there are many builds of the Firmware for different countries, so much I understand.
When the Premium Feature pack was rolled out I decided to flash the UK XXELLA version. Since then several other builds of 4.1.2 emerged for different countries.
So my question is, am I on the 'newest' version, when I just stick to my XXELLA or should I rather go for XXEMB2 for example? Is there any thread that simply points to the best stock firmware to currently flash?
Thanks for your help!
Adrixan said:
Hi guys,
I know this is probably one of the 'already answered' questions, but I don't know what to look for to find the answer as well.
For the Galaxy S3 there are many builds of the Firmware for different countries, so much I understand.
When the Premium Feature pack was rolled out I decided to flash the UK XXELLA version. Since then several other builds of 4.1.2 emerged for different countries.
So my question is, am I on the 'newest' version, when I just stick to my XXELLA or should I rather go for XXEMB2 for example? Is there any thread that simply points to the best stock firmware to currently flash?
Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
different countries, different firmware codes, you can find the most current firmware with highest changelist in the General section's thread that lists all firmwares.
chrismast said:
different countries, different firmware codes, you can find the most current firmware with highest changelist in the General section's thread that lists all firmwares.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!