Hi, i just ordered an xperia arc s,bafter telling myself ill never buy a non google experience phone due to update issues with non google phones, cos the arc s just looks so nice and distinguished. So now i have a question about how updates work.
As far as i know from experience, updates are carrier based. For example i had a lg optimus before this, and its european version was slightly lagging behind with bug fix updates than my us carrier version, and short of custom rom, there was no way to oficially update the software to eu version.
With the arc s, my phone is unlocked, internstional version, bought off amazon. As far as i can tell its similar to the ones SE sells on its website which arent locked to any specific carrier. How do the updates on these official carrier free sim unlocked phones work? Are they quicker since they are not carrier dependent? Or are they on European schedule since this is an european phone? Im looking forward to ics and hope i get it soon,bso if someone could educate me id appreciate it..
Non carrier phones get it faster than branded ones.
ICS will come in April to Arc (S)
Sent from my iPad 2 using Tapatalk
Flash whatever firmware you wish mate.
First thing I did was erase the branded fw and flash a generic fw.
Sent from my Arc via transwarp beacon.
Lord Takyon said:
Flash whatever firmware you wish mate.
First thing I did was erase the branded fw and flash a generic fw.
Sent from my Arc via transwarp beacon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ive read guide upon guide of flashing different firmware, but for the life of me just can never figure it out. So for now im staying away fromm it. I actually think sonys android skin is pretty nice. Once sony leaves behind the device from updates then sure ill flash a different firmware, for now though the convenience of ota uodates, which are available for official firmwares but not for hacked ones, is too much to give up.
There's nothing wrong with the se skin, I prefer modded stock roms to miui/cm7. The branding is from the carrier, but if yours is a generic rom then there shouldn't be much to remove. Mines was sim-free but there are still delays to updates region-wise, which is why I unlocked my bootloader. Flashing roms is pretty straightforward once you have flashtool/fastboot/cwm.
sinkster©
zanky said:
Ive read guide upon guide of flashing different firmware, but for the life of me just can never figure it out. So for now im staying away fromm it. I actually think sonys android skin is pretty nice. Once sony leaves behind the device from updates then sure ill flash a different firmware, for now though the convenience of ota uodates, which are available for official firmwares but not for hacked ones, is too much to give up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use flashtool, it is really simple. Just go slow the first time so you don't make any errors.
Sent from my Arc via transwarp beacon.
So i just received my phone in canada (Lt18i), the international version, since im not using it in canada, its a gift for someone in europe. The box was sealed when i got it, and it said for sale in france, and it has a bunch of crap installed apps like canal+, warnervod, etc. does this mean this is specific to some carrier and thu would have carrier dependent updates? I was really hoping since it unlocked i wouldnt have all this junk on it. Itmdoesnt have any references though to any carrier in the documentation, neither does it have any carrier specific apps i can see. The version on it is 0.42 and it says no updates available. I did read about some 0.62 version out there.
So i have a few questions off topic:
- can i remove the crapware without rooting my phone? I tried es explorer but it tells me uninstll not successful for those apps.
- i did a factory reset the first time, and now the default pictures thwt came with it to show off the beautiful screen are also gone. I found the default ringtones and notificwtion by searching but have not found the default pics. Anybody got a source as to where to find these?
- if i want to stick with the sony software and sony updates, what is the downside of rooting my phone just to delete those bad apps? I read somewhere i lose ota update absility? True? Also can i root, delete the apps, and then unroot?
- what is the difference between simply rooting the device, and unlocking the bootloader, i thought they were both the same
Thanks
zanky said:
...
So i have a few questions off topic:
- can i remove the crapware without rooting my phone? I tried es explorer but it tells me uninstll not successful for those apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No.
zanky said:
- i did a factory reset the first time, and now the default pictures thwt came with it to show off the beautiful screen are also gone. I found the default ringtones and notificwtion by searching but have not found the default pics. Anybody got a source as to where to find these?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If someone doesn't have them zipped already, I can probably find them on my phone and upload them.
zanky said:
- if i want to stick with the sony software and sony updates, what is the downside of rooting my phone just to delete those bad apps? I read somewhere i lose ota update absility? True? Also can i root, delete the apps, and then unroot?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do NOT lose OTA update abilities as long as you don't modify any system apps/files. e.g. notifications bar, battery indicator, etc.
Updates are based on whatever firmware you have on the phone.
e.g. I flashed my Rogers arc to a generic USA firmware. It typically gets updated 2-3 weeks before Rogers since they have to do their customization to it. Similarly, users will flash an international firmware or another region's if that region has released an update.
You can flash ANY firmware onto ANY arc and still get 3G in its coverage zone. (All firmwares contain BOTH software radios: i, a. However, HARDWARE is fixed: "a" radio, "i" radio and will ONLY get 3G in their respective coverage zones.)
That is, you can flash an "i" firmware onto an "a" phone and still get 3G in an "a" zone.
However, this does NOT work in reverse. You CANNOT flash an "i" firmware to get "i" 3G in an "i" zone on an "a" phone.
zanky said:
- what is the difference between simply rooting the device, and unlocking the bootloader, i thought they were both the same
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting = deeper access to the software on the phone. Does NOT allow you to load recoveries like ClockWorkMod or load non-Sony firmwares.
Bootloader unlocking (either paid or free) allows custom firmwares, overclocking, etc.
Flashing a (generic) firmware is quick and painless:
Backing up your current firmware:
Rooting:
Bootloader unlock process & FAQs:
You have no idea how helpful your info and those videos have been!! I think im actually going to attempt the generic rom thing especially because it says i dont even need to be rooted. And the vidos make it ridiculously easy to do it. After half a dozen guides this demystifies the whole process.
So just to confirm, if i update to a generic other rom, ill still be able to get ota updates based on that region? In your opinion which rom is the best for an lt18i? And by best i mean the one i can expect quickest updates on and with least amount of bloatware, cos i doubt there are or differences in them.European, north american. Or global generic?
Btw im on firmware 0.62 anything special i need to consider before attempting this?
This page has links to firmware for lt18i but no global. And the uk version is older. Should i just flash The uk version even though its older and then ota update?
Regarding the stock photos, would be awesome if you could zip and upload to your mediafire page, maybe other people can find them useful too.
P.s. your donate button is broken paypal says theres an issue with your email address.
BluechipJ said:
Updates are based on whatever firmware you have on the phone.
e.g. I flashed my Rogers arc to a generic USA firmware. It typically gets updated 2-3 weeks before Rogers since they have to do their customization to it. Similarly, users will flash an international firmware or another region's if that region has released an update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ifna bump is acceptable, bump.
zanky said:
You have no idea how helpful your info and those videos have been!! I think im actually going to attempt the generic rom thing especially because it says i dont even need to be rooted. And the vidos make it ridiculously easy to do it. After half a dozen guides this demystifies the whole process.
So just to confirm, if i update to a generic other rom, ill still be able to get ota updates based on that region? In your opinion which rom is the best for an lt18i? And by best i mean the one i can expect quickest updates on and with least amount of bloatware, cos i doubt there are or differences in them.European, north american. Or global generic?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Typically, Nordic gets updates first because Ericsson is Swedish. (From past observations, it typically goes Nordic, German, Hong Kong, UK, Asia, North America.)
zanky said:
Btw im on firmware 0.62 anything special i need to consider before attempting this?
This page has links to firmware for lt18i but no global. And the uk version is older. Should i just flash The uk version even though its older and then ota update?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. There isn't anything you need to "do". If you're concerned about data, use a backup program such as Sony's original Backup & Restore that came with the X10 (still works). (http://jp1.ca/androidstuff)
This link should have the latest "i" version: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1330314
zanky said:
Regarding the stock photos, would be awesome if you could zip and upload to your mediafire page, maybe other people can find them useful too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which folder(s) are you looking for?
zanky said:
P.s. your donate button is broken paypal says theres an issue with your email address.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I'll update it!
The link you sent me only has a generic world for lt18i. This other thread i read though said that there is no such thing as generic world, and its just called that but its always for some region of the other. (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1210776&page=3)
Not sure how accurate that is but i dont see the nordic one on the link you sent me anyway
Also another thread said that there will always be 8-9 bloatware apps on any firmware such as canal+, warner vod, etc. is this true or false?
Lastly, say i find an older version of the nordic flash file, can i just flash that instead of the 0.62 and then just get an ota update? I didnt see france on your list of status of updates, any idea where that is?
As for pictures, not sure what folder but i believe there were some stock pics that came with the phone to show off the home screen photo widget. If you dont know what im talking about dont worry about it.
BluechipJ said:
Typically, Nordic gets updates first because Ericsson is Swedish. (From past observations, it typically goes Nordic, German, Hong Kong, UK, Asia, North America.)
Nope. There isn't anything you need to "do". If you're concerned about data, use a backup program such as Sony's original Backup & Restore that came with the X10 (still works). (http://jp1.ca/androidstuff)
This link should have the latest "i" version: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1330314
Which folder(s) are you looking for?
Thanks. I'll update it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
zanky said:
The link you sent me only has a generic world for lt18i. This other thread i read though said that there is no such thing as generic world, and its just called that but its always for some region of the other. (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1210776&page=3)
Not sure how accurate that is but i dont see the nordic one on the link you sent me anyway
Also another thread said that there will always be 8-9 bloatware apps on any firmware such as canal+, warner vod, etc. is this true or false?
Lastly, say i find an older version of the nordic flash file, can i just flash that instead of the 0.62 and then just get an ota update? I didnt see france on your list of status of updates, any idea where that is?
As for pictures, not sure what folder but i believe there were some stock pics that came with the phone to show off the home screen photo widget. If you dont know what im talking about dont worry about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi! I was on the same situation as you when I got my device as this was my 1st ever android device and I was also curious about firmware regions. So I tested each and every firmware region I could get on .42 and all I can say is there's not much difference on all of them.
1. is of all the regions there each firmware differs only by so called bloatwares.
2. there are only 2 major differences of all the regions. Asia region contains Chinese keyboard, Japanese Keyboard & international keyboard but no arabic support. While non-Asia regions only has International Keyboard included + arabic support.
That's pretty much about it. All others softwares are similar like baseband version, branding, kernel version, applications, themes, etc.
Related
hey guys, i bought my sgs a month back in singapore and the screen jus gets ppl drooling over it. My current firmware version is i9000dxjf4, and Kies mentions this as the latest firmware but samsung-firmware.webs.com shows that there are three other updates after i9000dxjf4 for the asian region. Is it safe for me to download and update the latest firmware from that website inspite of kies confirming that i'm having the latest firmware. Could u also check out that site its quite cool.
Thanks for your replies....
Kies won't show updated firmware as the Samsung Firmware releases are not official. You can by all means download and install, but they are unsupported and there are risks if you don't do it correctly! Most of us here have flashed new firmwares just fine though.
i was also wondering , i'm in asia so should i install asia specific firmware update or can i download european firmware update. I see that europeans get firmware updates frequently than the asians??
Robin.B said:
Kies won't show updated firmware as the Samsung Firmware releases are not official. You can by all means download and install, but they are unsupported and there are risks if you don't do it correctly! Most of us here have flashed new firmwares just fine though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm new to Android. Would you be kind enough to tell me how to do this? Thanks!
yes, I am new too, can tell us more? thx thx
i have a question i bought the set in singapore and i live in india now should i flash i9000xx or i9000dd or i9000zs etc or can i flash any firmware without considering the place i live will this cause any prob?pls reply thnx
there is a FAQ guide on these boards for roms/firmware etc
forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=723596
thanks man my problem got solved.....it was informative....
So, did you download the latest firmware from the Samsung site or went ahead to use one of the custom firmware? Would like to hear if some of the problems that we had been experiencing went away after your upgrade (e.g., GPS, lags, 3G/Wifi switch, etc).
I assume upgrading to the firmware from Samsung does not require rooting. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I'll try to stay unrooted for warranty reason.
Cheers.
o you have to be ****ting me, please use the search before falsely getting peoples hopes up......
this is OLD NEWS
sensi_ said:
o you have to be ****ting me, please use the search before falsely getting peoples hopes up......
this is OLD NEWS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Care to elaborate?
BTW, OP, I tried searching for the firmware on Samsung website but don't seems to be able to find it. Can you provide link for the mentioned firmware?
hello.
i have a doubt and hope you can clarify me.
is there any way i can update my x10 with an uk fw in order to have the possibility to update it to 2.1?i've read that generic uk phones will be the first ones to have access to 2.1.
i'm runing vodafone portugal fw r2ba023. in order to have a generic fw i have to unlock it first. is that possible?
thanks
I would sooner wait on an update from a forum member. We don't know exactly where it'll hit first and IIRC, the updates could possibly be staggered.
As we've seen in the past people are pretty damn quick to share the news. We should maybe all band together and keep a torrent going or something. I hate file sharing websites. If worse comes to worse I'd upload this to a file sharing site for others. We've waited far too long and I'd hate for anyone to have to wait any longer than necessary.
not sure where is that fw but u can check on dev threads for the x10
I updated mine to latam generic version
Sooooo, like alot of people here that either couldn't wait or didn't think we were getting the update, I flashed my x10a with a generic firmware(now an x10i). I believe my original region code was 1233-6929. My question is, how would I go about putting the official firmware back on? I've searched and can't seem to find out how to do this. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
According to this
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1186045
1233-6929 has been updated to 2.3. There is no need to go back to 2.1.
Did you not make a backup of the 2.1 ROM with xrecovery before you flashed 2.3?
Why do I get that feeling that I'm going to kick myself in the butt for not doing that? Anyway, I should have added the fact that I am currently on a generic gingerbread firmware but would like to know how to put the official update on my phone?
No, no you're fine unless you absolutely need to go back to Eclair.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=936733
Flash the 2.3 firmware for X10a with the flashtool. I've got to tell you, all the 2.3 upgrade has the same build number (3.0.1.G.0.75) and the firmware you are currently on is no different, except what the "model number" says on phone's property.
You can try updating the firmware through SEUS or PC Companion, but there will be no difference.....
Alright, thanks for the info. Looks like the owner of the thread you linked here doesn't have all the x10a kits added yet (which I'm assuming includes the Rogers one I mentioned) so I may have to wait for a bit before it's available for download so that I can use it with flashtool? The only reason why I want to go with the official update is because I've had a few glitches with the generic one I currently have. Every once in a while I get some error messages pop up on the screen, one that I can recall is "failed to create media transport" and some other ones. Plus if I ever plan on selling the phone, it probably would be best if it had the official update on it (just itching to get the galaxy s2).
Since I received my N7000 on November 17, 2011 from Mobilecityonline my Galaxy Note won't update. It's running UBKK2 - the CSC is TTT - which a Brazilian CSC.
I've searched every thread and correctly followed every step of the process I've found unsuccessfully, I've tried the manual update and receive "no update available" every time I read about a new firmware release. The CSC is listing only 3 codes; VNO, TTT, and TDR - I installed each one of these CSC codes in an attempt to prompt a software update to no avail. I haven't even gotten the update from January that provided the addition of the Torch & everything that came with it!
Short of rooting my Note is there anything I can do to either change the CSC Code to one that receives updates regularly or manually update the firmware? I thought I'd wait until ICS became available hoping that would correct these issues but I'm slowly getting PO'd that I may not be even to receive ICS.
Plus I didn't/don't see the reason to have rooted by now - I've rooted all of my Android devices from HTC EVO 4G's & 3D's, Nook Color, to Asus Transformers. Is there anything I can do without rooting this beast and will I even receive Ice Cream Sandwich?
I'm begging for help please. I'd sincerely appreciate ANY help and I'm willing to donate to anyone that will help achieve everything I'm missing out on to date.
Thank you in advance,
Jim G.
If keeping it stock is all you want, just download one of the stock firmwares and flash it with odin.
You may have to be a member to see this link but.....
http://www.sammobile.com/firmware/?page=3&t=1&o=1&m=GT-N7000&r=6#regiona
^^^
They are the South Amercian firmwares currently out, but the European ones are newer if you want to try those.
Wow that was fast!
Wow! Thank you for the super fast reply. Can I D/L and use any stock firmware, I was hoping to use either the UK or German versions cuz they look like they get updates more often than the rest. If I'm wrong I stand corrected - could you please point out a version to use or am I stuck using the BZ version forever?
Oh Lord I hope not! * Forgive me - I saw you suggested the EU versions after I hurried to reply, my fault! *
Again, Thank You in advance,
Jim G.
Brazil Note.
I too have a Note with a ROM from Brazil. Since this is my first Android phone and I'm a noob so far, what will it take to get mine over to a euro one. Will this brick my phone? What region do you recommend for a US user? I understand that you meant Europe, but there a lot of choices like open, open euro or open germany or europ or german. Any directions or advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
flshing a firmware for another region is fine... I offen just update to whereever has the newest update
But if i update to a stock rom from another country without changing csc, will i be able to update via kies whenever a newer csc update gets release online for my country? I got this ideia it wont be possible and will still need to change it again via Odin. It bother me if it wipes my phone each time i update. Still in kka/5 here with unlocked phone...
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA
William Haven said:
But if i update to a stock rom from another country without changing csc, will i be able to update via kies whenever a newer csc update gets release online for my country? I got this ideia it wont be possible and will still need to change it again via Odin. It bother me if it wipes my phone each time i update. Still in kka/5 here with unlocked phone...
Sent from my GT-N7000 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After updating to another regions ROM, You can just Odin back to the original stock ROM if you really wanted to, to restore KIES function for the original configuration.
But to be honest, the only time I ever have, is just for warranty purposes, I don't touch kies in any shape or form, there really is no need.
The way I work is, I like to use the stock ROMs, but rooted etc... So, when I got the phone, I rooted it, put the ClockWorkMod Recovery (CWM) on and now I just update my ROM with the repacked stock versions made to be flashed with CWM. They are exactly the same ROMs but rooted and deodexed, some I "believe" are multi CSC too.
Swyped from my finger, to your face on my Samsung Galaxy Note, using Tapatalk!
Thank you for all the help! I'm choosing to use the open-Germany (DBT) stock ROM cuz I've been keeping track of the ROM that was updated the most. I found it to be the German and UK versions but it seems the open-German edges it out.
I've got it all D/L'd and am actually waiting to get my notebook up and running after a CPU upgrade. Once I receive the thermal paste updating my Beast is the 1st order of business!
It sucks that the UBKK2 firmware never allowed any kind of an update, it makes me wonder if I'd even get the ICS update when it's released on March 15 or shortly thereafter. Of course that's according to the rumor mill and I'm simply referring to that since the SGSII's received their ICS earlier today according to SanFirnware.
So who knows? Again, I thank everyone fir their help and input.
Jim G.
Direct from my Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000
My F5321 from Malaysia isn't receiving any of the new updates. Last one was 34.4.A.2.32.
Could anyone explain why?
You can check xpericheck.com if there's a newer version,but there's a good chance there isn't one. I'm stuck on 34.4.A.2.50 on the Central Europe version for example, the newest one is .85
Matej101 said:
You can check xpericheck.com if there's a newer version,but there's a good chance there isn't one. I'm stuck on 34.4.A.2.50 on the Central Europe version for example, the newest one is .85
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Customised MY isn't even listed. :/
What now? Unlocking bootloader if you want latest security patches?
Is there another firmware variant that would be suitable for your location? There may be less difference between the variants than you might expect.
pseudonym58 said:
Is there another firmware variant that would be suitable for your location? There may be less difference between the variants than you might expect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you just flash the firmware straight from xperifirm, or do you need an unlocked bootloader or sth?
Bro do not update it to 8.0 oreo is wery bad I swear im back to stock Nougat again
Qendra said:
Bro do not update it to 8.0 oreo is wery bad I swear im back to stock Nougat again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
true
Matej101 said:
You can check xpericheck.com if there's a newer version,but there's a good chance there isn't one. I'm stuck on 34.4.A.2.50 on the Central Europe version for example, the newest one is .85
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
me too.. central europe and stuck on 34.4.A.2.50, I don't understand why
andy356 said:
My F5321 from Malaysia isn't receiving any of the new updates. Last one was 34.4.A.2.32.
Could anyone explain why?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to xpericheck, singapore region firmware is also stuck in March. I guess both MY and SG are using the sme FW. I think you cn flsh other region FW without unlocking Bootloader.
Is there a way to flash security updates only, without upgrading to oreo?
trewelu said:
According to xpericheck, singapore region firmware is also stuck in March. I guess both MY and SG are using the sme FW. I think you cn flsh other region FW without unlocking Bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can anyone please confirm this? I'll unlock the bootloader if I have to, but it would be great if it is not needed.
andy356 said:
Can anyone please confirm this? I'll unlock the bootloader if I have to, but it would be great if it is not needed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in USA, and I've flashed f'd from at least 10 different countries and never seen any affect on the phone operation.
andy356 said:
Can anyone please confirm this? I'll unlock the bootloader if I have to, but it would be great if it is not needed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to retain the fingerprint sensor operation, don't flash to US. People here have in the past recommended either DE or UK, as they tend to be updated promptly. No unlocking of bootloader needed.
Okay guys. I'm ready to flash a new firmware, probably Customised UK. Is the guide on xperiablog up to date and accurate? Also, there is a flashtool by Androxyde on flashtool dot net, but there is also a flashtool on Sony Developer World. Which one should I use?
There is only one xperifirm so that's unambiguous, at least.
Edit: also, it doesn't affect user data or the OS in general, does it?
I can only speak from personal experience with the Androxyde flashtool. I've never tried (nor even known about) the Sony flash tool. In my experience, if you don't make any changes to the default settings, the existing user data is carried over into the newly installed firmware. I'm assuming here that you're flashing from one variant of Android 8.0 to another, not from Android 7 to 8, etc.
BTW, I would always advise backing up your data first, of course. If, for some reason, you are dissatisfied with the result, you can normally get a factory installation of your currently-installed firmware by using software restore from SONY (as part of Xperia Companion).
@pseudonym58 Thanks. Is the guide on Xperia blog the one to follow or is there a better one out there?
I don't recall which guide I used. It basically runs like this:
Run Xperiafirm from within flashtool; it will refresh available software. Choose particular phone model and download desired firmware. Back in flashtool proper, connect phone in flash mode. Select downloaded firmware, which is unpacked and prepared for flashing. As I mentioned above, you should not need to make any configuration changes to the default. Flashing can now begin (it might seem to pause temporarily from time to time but don't cancel process).
Don't worry about warnings of missing elements; I have never had a flashing procedure fail as a result of a claimed missing component.
This is just a general procedure; perhaps someone else can recommend the best full tutorial.
Ok so CE1 got the newest (.107) update right now so it can probably be used too.