Database Users

Region Firmware Question

I'm trying to update my SM-P605 Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 LTE to P605XXUBMJ9 and I am so confused by the manual process. I can't do OTA because I rooted and when I go to a ROM download site there are all these regions and carriers mentioned. I'm worried about bricking my device or carrier locking it to a company thousands of miles away. Can you help? Sorry for being so dumb but I've never bought a device outside of a store where they set everything up for you.
Current specs:
Android 4.3
P605XXUBMJ4 Baseband
3.4.0-1927787 [email protected] #1 Kernel
JSS15J.P605ZSUBMJ6 Build number
Enforcing SEPF_SM-P605_4.3_0002 SELinux status
I'm currently in the USA, using T-Mobile, and I was told by Amazon that the device is unlocked.

thatblokematti said:
I'm trying to update my SM-P605 Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 LTE to P605XXUBMJ9 and I am so confused by the manual process. I can't do OTA because I rooted and when I go to a ROM download site there are all these regions and carriers mentioned. I'm worried about bricking my device or carrier locking it to a company thousands of miles away. Can you help? Sorry for being so dumb but I've never bought a device outside of a store where they set everything up for you.
Current specs:
Android 4.3
P605XXUBMJ4 Baseband
3.4.0-1927787 [email protected] #1 Kernel
JSS15J.P605ZSUBMJ6 Build number
Enforcing SEPF_SM-P605_4.3_0002 SELinux status
I'm currently in the USA, using T-Mobile, and I was told by Amazon that the device is unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Being that its a ZS build it looks like its from China.
I would only flash P605ZS***** Builds if you are worried about locking it by mistake.
FYI: The first two digits after the model number are the region
http://www.cpkb.org/wiki/Samsung_firmware_naming_conventions#2._Region_code

scrosler said:
Being that its a ZS build it looks like its from China.
I would only flash P605ZS***** Builds if you are worried about locking it by mistake.
FYI: The first two digits after the model number are the region
http://www.cpkb.org/wiki/Samsung_firmware_naming_conventions#2._Region_code
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you a million times. I feel like such an idiot :S Do you know if there's an upgrade to MJ9 yet in the China region? Do I need to take any extra precautions to ensure it stays carrier unlocked and usable in the United States.

thatblokematti said:
Thank you a million times. I feel like such an idiot :S Do you know if there's an upgrade to MJ9 yet in the China region? Do I need to take any extra precautions to ensure it stays carrier unlocked and usable in the United States.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My understanding is the partition that holds the carrier info / locking info is not touched during a flash with Odin. HOWEVER, I never got into that unlocked device thing because I never had a need to.
Someone else may be better suited to the question than I but as long as you flash ZS based firmwares you should be fine as I did not see a carrier listed for that tablet in China so they may all be unlocked.
Actually, I only think the Verizon one is going to be the locked one but I dont know.

scrosler said:
My understanding is the partition that holds the carrier info / locking info is not touched during a flash with Odin. HOWEVER, I never got into that unlocked device thing because I never had a need to.
Someone else may be better suited to the question than I but as long as you flash ZS based firmwares you should be fine as I did not see a carrier listed for that tablet in China so they may all be unlocked.
Actually, I only think the Verizon one is going to be the locked one but I dont know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are very helpful in my quest to not ruin an expensive tablet. Do you know if there's an upgrade compatible with ZS for the MJ9 update? I honestly don't mind waiting if there's a chance I'll turn it into a paper weight. Not even a Kit Kat build just some bug fixes from what I understand.
Again, thanks for your help.

I just don't understand all the carrier builds of MJ9. Bloody heck some of em even have custom names which would be a good sign it's specific to region/carrier. So confused by this all

So maybe unroot your device and then you will have an Ota Update... Because if you'll use Odin for flash other firmware you won't be rooted yet, i think.

chabasse said:
So maybe unroot your device and then you will have an Ota Update... Because if you'll use Odin for flash other firmware you won't be rooted yet, i think.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aren't OTA updates issued by providers? T-Mobile doesn't support this device so there's not going to be an MJ9 update. Ever. It's using an LTE frequency not even found in the States. I just bought it online because I didn't want to wait for somebody here to give me support. I'm simply trying to do a manual update without my device being a paperweight or waking up to expect a connection from cellular towers in Asia.

[Q] Help me! (firmware, modem, etc.)

hey guys,
i recently traded my korean s4 lte-a phone for a galaxy note sm-n9005. i am not certain where it is from originally, as the guy who has the phone isn't very smart about phones.
my main question/concern is how can i upgrade to kit kat while making sure that it is compatible with the SK Telecom network in Korea? I am currently in Korea and would like to root and upgrade the ROM. Would I need to use the SK Telecom stock rom (it is a different model than what I have) and get it to work on my sm-n9005? Or would I need to mess with the settings on ODIN when I run the new stock rom through odin?
Here is some info about my phone. It DOES currently work with the Korean network, although the signal is weaker than my old S4.
basically, can someone tell me which country/network firmware i can use for roms and whatnot? do i have the option of both a korean firmware and foreign one?
thanks in advance!

skim234 said:
hey guys,
i recently traded my korean s4 lte-a phone for a galaxy note sm-n9005. i am not certain where it is from originally, as the guy who has the phone isn't very smart about phones.
my main question/concern is how can i upgrade to kit kat while making sure that it is compatible with the SK Telecom network in Korea? I am currently in Korea and would like to root and upgrade the ROM. Would I need to use the SK Telecom stock rom (it is a different model than what I have) and get it to work on my sm-n9005? Or would I need to mess with the settings on ODIN when I run the new stock rom through odin?
Here is some info about my phone. It DOES currently work with the Korean network, although the signal is weaker than my old S4.
basically, can someone tell me which country/network firmware i can use for roms and whatnot? do i have the option of both a korean firmware and foreign one?
thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A little search would have shown you some apps for that, for instance:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.vndnguyen.phoneinfo
From your pics the main (and most pressing) advice I can give is to stop immediately any updates AND security updates - if you are MI2 you can probably root with URDLV and keep knox 0x0! Read more around about that.

xclub_101 said:
A little search would have shown you some apps for that, for instance:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.vndnguyen.phoneinfo
From your pics the main (and most pressing) advice I can give is to stop immediately any updates AND security updates - if you are MI2 you can probably root with URDLV and keep knox 0x0! Read more around about that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the problem is that i have no idea which versions of roms i can use that will be compatible with my network in korea.
this phone is unique. the corners aren't rounded- they are sharp corners. i got this phone from someone whose uncle is a samsung exec in london. i was told this phone was only given out to higher-ups at samsung.

skim234 said:
the problem is that i have no idea which versions of roms i can use that will be compatible with my network in korea.
this phone is unique. the corners aren't rounded- they are sharp corners. i got this phone from someone whose uncle is a samsung exec in london. i was told this phone was only given out to higher-ups at samsung.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Run the program linked in my post above. You might also want to post a picture of the phone itself just for the curiosity of seeing a rare model on Note 3.

xclub_101 said:
Run the program linked in my post above. You might also want to post a picture of the phone itself just for the curiosity of seeing a rare model on Note 3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It says it's from France. So I can use a french modem (csc) and be ok in Korea?

I will post a pic of my actual phone when I have time to do it. It looks like a Sony Bravia because of the sharp edges.

skim234 said:
It says it's from France. So I can use a french modem (csc) and be ok in Korea?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might want to mask over the IMEI - I doubt it can be easily used but that is the normal way to do things here on XDA.
The results are a little fascinating - it looks like an early build - and the part that the knox warranty was not yet present is even more interesting - DEFINITELY do not upgrade anything for the moment! Also I would bet that you do not have any region lock, so I doubt that you have any major reason to upgrade in a hurry. Even if you DO upgrade at some point you should first save your (rare, non-knox) firmware/bootloader (that version is not listed for instance at http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/1/?model=SM-N9005&pcode=XEF#firmware and without saving it you might never be able to return to it). Also the bootloader might be interesting in the "fight against the knox warranty flag".
From what I know SK Telekom is using a model called here N900S and 2G and 3G should be perfectly compatible with the current modem that you have. For LTE the EU model is listed with 800/850/900/1800/2100/2600 while the N900S has 700/850/1800 - so except the 700MHz band it might still work on LTE with SK!
There is also a local thread for those original models from South Korea:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2484602
If you have some time it might also be interesting to go in 'download mode" and get a picture from there - here is a picture on how it looks with bootloaders that have knox.

xclub_101 said:
You might want to mask over the IMEI - I doubt it can be easily used but that is the normal way to do things here on XDA.
The results are a little fascinating - it looks like an early build - and the part that the knox warranty was not yet present is even more interesting - DEFINITELY do not upgrade anything for the moment! Also I would bet that you do not have any region lock, so I doubt that you have any major reason to upgrade in a hurry. Even if you DO upgrade at some point you should first save your (rare, non-knox) firmware/bootloader (that version is not listed for instance at http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/1/?model=SM-N9005&pcode=XEF#firmware and without saving it you might never be able to return to it). Also the bootloader might be interesting in the "fight against the knox warranty flag".
From what I know SK Telekom is using a model called here N900S and 2G and 3G should be perfectly compatible with the current modem that you have. For LTE the EU model is listed with 800/850/900/1800/2100/2600 while the N900S has 700/850/1800 - so except the 700MHz band it might still work on LTE with SK!
There is also a local thread for those original models from South Korea:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2484602
If you have some time it might also be interesting to go in 'download mode" and get a picture from there - here is a picture on how it looks with bootloaders that have knox.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The LTE IS working with SK, as well as the network. I'm just so lost about what kind of custom roms/kernels I can use that are compatible with my phone.
When you say backup my bootloader, how do I do that? EFS backup? Remember, my phone isn't rooted yet. Do you think I could use any N9005 4.3 root?

skim234 said:
The LTE IS working with SK, as well as the network. I'm just so lost about what kind of custom roms/kernels I can use that are compatible with my phone.
When you say backup my bootloader, how do I do that? EFS backup? Remember, my phone isn't rooted yet. Do you think I could use any N9005 4.3 root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am glad to hear about LTE! (it means that the 700MHz band is not that essential).
Custom ROMs might be a little further away (N9005 by the way, when done OK it might work with many N9005 ROMs), IMHO there are other things that can be done first that would make your phone better/faster.
If you want to root here is the sequence that I suggest:
- save everything that you have on the phone (if you have a LOT of stuff - to Google, Samsung, Samsung Kies or local with Helium)
- make certain that reactivation lock is OFF
- factory-reset the phone
- disable any update (say that you don't agree with the terms when asked) and disable any security update (that one is a separate setting in Security)
- use Saferoot first to try to root:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2565758
- if it works the very next step after getting root is to save as much as possible from the original firmware (you might also need to install busybox before that):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=50011586&postcount=26
- if that succeeds and you have a 256MB debrick.bin please compress it (7z is pretty effective but ZIP will also be OK) and please upload it somewhere so that people that are trying to crack knox will have another thing to look at! :good:

skim234 said:
The LTE IS working with SK, as well as the network. I'm just so lost about what kind of custom roms/kernels I can use that are compatible with my phone.
When you say backup my bootloader, how do I do that? EFS backup? Remember, my phone isn't rooted yet. Do you think I could use any N9005 4.3 root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you managed to do anything with the phone? Have you ever managed to enter download mode? How does that one look? (a picture would be great, and that way we would also see the unusual corners).

xclub_101 said:
Have you managed to do anything with the phone? Have you ever managed to enter download mode? How does that one look? (a picture would be great, and that way we would also see the unusual corners).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i've screwed with my phone too much and now it doesn't make phone calls consistently. =( do you have any idea how i can connect consistently with sk telecom in korea?

skim234 said:
i've screwed with my phone too much and now it doesn't make phone calls consistently. =( do you have any idea how i can connect consistently with sk telecom in korea?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean by that? What have you done?

skim234 said:
i've screwed with my phone too much and now it doesn't make phone calls consistently. =( do you have any idea how i can connect consistently with sk telecom in korea?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very strange, your phone's Manufacturing date does NOT match with the Serial Number.

Can you post pictures of the phone itself?

[Q] Just bought i9505 from China with i337 bootloader

Hi community I got my SGs4 from China and it is i9505 but came with i337 bootloader and Baseband,TW 4.3MK2
I got this from the phoen info app:
GENERAL INFO
Phone model:GT-i9505
Device type:jflteatt
Product Name:jflteuc
FIRMWARE INFO
Bootloader version: I337UCUEMK2
Baseban version: I337UCUEMK2
PDA version: I9505ZHUEMK2/i337UCUEMJ6
CSC version: i9500ZSUEMJ6
OS INFO
Build number: JSS15J.I9505ZHUEMK2(I337UCUEMJ6)
I want to know what firmware can I flash( because I want to update to 4.4.2 but dont know the right firmware),is my bootloader locked,can TWRP be install or do i need SS? and anything you can add will be appreciated
Well I think this info is important if you need more just ask me,if you need my build.prop I´ll upload ,looks like a hybrid firmware between I9505&i337

This seems like a definite Frankenstein. AT&T bootloader and device type, I9505 PDA and phone model, and I9500 CSC.
Your first task will be to download the AT&T firmware and install it. Then you need to borrow a friend's AT&T SIM and test to see if you're getting LTE. If you get LTE, then you have an AT&T phone, regardless of what anything else says. Unfortunately, that will mean you have to use Safestrap.
How much did you spend on the phone?

Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
This seems like a definite Frankenstein. AT&T bootloader and device type, I9505 PDA and phone model, and I9500 CSC.
Your first task will be to download the AT&T firmware and install it. Then you need to borrow a friend's AT&T SIM and test to see if you're getting LTE. If you get LTE, then you have an AT&T phone, regardless of what anything else says. Unfortunately, that will mean you have to use Safestrap.
How much did you spend on the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right Now I'm on mexico with Telcel, my friends are on USA T-mobile,Verizon, Try to use Telcel LTE data and it connect to 4G, LTE logo dont appears.
I went to sammobile and download the 4.4.2 from hong kong, I'll flash trough odin to see what happens
I Got it on ebay for 255 dlls when it arrive home the phone was sealed

The fact it was sealed doesn't mean much. You're the second or third person I've seen on the forum asking about this, and in the case of the first user he was able to get his device working perfectly using the AT&T firmware. Regardless, the fact you weren't able to pick up LTE is a clue. It leads me to believe that in this case the phone may be correct but the firmware wrong. Here's why.
If you had an AT&T phone, as I suspected, your phone should have picked up LTE if it was unlocked for use on any carrier, as both Telcel and Nextel use band 4, while Movistar supposedly uses band 2, bands which an AT&T phone supports (bands 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, and 17). Check Telcel's coverage map to be certain you have LTE coverage in your area.
Neither an I9500 nor an I9505 would pick up those LTE bands. The I9500 doesn't have LTE at all, and the I9505 has LTE bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, and 20. Neither phone will get LTE in North America (including Mexico). The best those phones will do is HSPA+, which on the AT&T firmware would be labeled as 4G.
Try the firmware you downloaded, but I suspect you're going to want to return the phone if you want LTE service.

this phone.....
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
Neither an I9500 nor an I9505 would pick up those LTE bands. The I9500 doesn't have LTE at all, and the I9505 has LTE bands 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, and 20. Neither phone will get LTE in North America (including Mexico). The best those phones will do is HSPA+, which on the AT&T firmware would be labeled as 4G.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the scenario with my *chinese* version of the i9505.
I downloaded CPU-Z and it shows hardware: i9505, however, kernel build is a AT&T one.
I am REALLY SKEPTICAL to flash CM11 on it because I am very afraid to brick this phone. paid 300$ for it.
The funny thing is, I have the EXACT same phone as OP.
Anything I could try? please note AT&T doesn't work in Canada, nor I can borrow someone's AT&T sim card.
HOWEVER, I do have experience with a previous confirmed i337, and with bell it picked up LTE waves.
However this one doesn't.
Probably safe to flash?

I think my pat response to anyone purchasing these phones from now on will be to return them and purchase one through a Samsung-authorized retailer if Swappa isn't an option. For example, as of the time and date I write this, on Swappa there are currently 32 of the AT&T Galaxy S4 available, with prices ranging from $184 to $500US. The T-Mobile version, which doesn't have the locked bootloader of the AT&T model, has 8 devices available with prices ranging from $255-$310US. That doesn't include the Active variants or the MVNO-branded phones.
Purchasing a cell phone through eBay is, to be blunt, dangerous. You have no guarantee that the phone will be clean for activation, no guarantee that you won't have to do additional work to get the phone working, and no guarantee that the phone is even legitimate. Couple that with the buyers not doing their homework before purchasing and you get a clusterf**k of major proportions.
So, return the phone. If the seller doesn't accept returns, do a chargeback on your credit card. Or else put it up for sale as a parts phone.

Albie_Stark said:
Right Now I'm on mexico with Telcel, my friends are on USA T-mobile,Verizon, Try to use Telcel LTE data and it connect to 4G, LTE logo dont appears.
I went to sammobile and download the 4.4.2 from hong kong, I'll flash trough odin to see what happens
I Got it on ebay for 255 dlls when it arrive home the phone was sealed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Albie, can you please let me know when you get home if the phone picks up AT&T LTE waves? I am convinced this is the i9505 due to the baseband and specific board details (which correspond to the i9505 model rather than the i337, but not GPE)

VladimirMan93 said:
Albie, can you please let me know when you get home if the phone picks up AT&T LTE waves? I am convinced this is the i9505 due to the baseband and specific board details (which correspond to the i9505 model rather than the i337, but not GPE)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not a AT&T user my apologies, I used to be Cleartalk wireless user(took my verizon SGS4-i545 and flashed with them) but I drop the contract sell my phone to buy this SGS4-i9505, I'll be hard to get a AT&T sim, I download from Sammobile the i9505 4.4.2-NK2 firmware from hongkong and then try to flash through Odin,because 4.3 has a poor battery life in my case,but before I flash it I'm making a Flashable Zip for safestrap to extrac the "build.prop" and see what is in there, because may be this update fix some problems :fingers-crossed:

Albie_Stark said:
Right Now I'm on mexico with Telcel, my friends are on USA T-mobile,Verizon, Try to use Telcel LTE data and it connect to 4G, LTE logo dont appears.
I went to sammobile and download the 4.4.2 from hong kong, I'll flash trough odin to see what happens
I Got it on ebay for 255 dlls when it arrive home the phone was sealed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Albie_Stark said:
I'm not a AT&T user my apologies, I used to be Cleartalk wireless user(took my verizon SGS4-i545 and flashed with them) but I drop the contract sell my phone to buy this SGS4-i9505, I'll be hard to get a AT&T sim, I download from Sammobile the i9505 4.4.2-NK2 firmware from hongkong and then try to flash through Odin,because 4.3 has a poor battery life in my case,but before I flash it I'm making a Flashable Zip for safestrap to extrac the "build.prop" and see what is in there, because may be this update fix some problems :fingers-crossed:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did some more snooping around desperately trying to find out more information about this phone and the last thing I remember reading about before going to bed was:
No matter what we try, this phone is with a locked bootloader after the knox 4.3 update.
Unofficial firmware can and will brick this phone resulting either in a soft-brick OR, for the more unlucky ones, even a hard brick.
BUT, I also found other contradictory posts claiming that regardless the presence of the knox update, the bootloader IS infact unlocked.
It's hard to take a side due to the lack of tools to verify if the bootloader is in fact locked.
Could you please do me a HUGE favor?
if yes:
Go to your download mode and if possibly post a snapshot of the screen. I've included mine.
For some stupid reason, even though it's a i9505, it is recognized as AT&Ts SGH-I337.
Since I don't have my camera lying around, I'll write word for word what's on my screen:
ODIN MODE
PRODUCT NAME: SGH-I337
CURRENT BINARY: Samsung Official
System Status: Official
Knox Level Lock: 0x0
Knox Warranty Void: 0x0
CSB-Config-LSB: 0x30
Write Protection Enable
eMMC Brust Mode: Enabled
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If this flash works for you, please let me know.
If the BL is unlocked in the Firmware you're trying to flash to it, Please let me know.
I want to go out of this nightmare and continue with my work.
and if you could share links in a PM to me or here, that would be simply perfect.
Cheers and thanks for everything

We have the same download mode screen -_- u.u ,I try to flash the NK2 and it fail than t means we have a locked bootloader :'( ,couple of minutes ago I dowload the mk2 & NB2 for i9505 from Hongkong I would flash them at 10 pm pacific time I will keep you updated my last resource will be to flash mk2 for the AT&T variant in my case I can live with that if root is available ooo! just found a threat to get 4.4.2 NB1 but it is for the i337 anyway Let me see what happens with the 2 Downloaded firmwares
Ps:I don't really care about the warranty so if there is a good dev reading this helpme.to install the i9505 official firmware from any country,

Albie_Stark said:
We have the same download mode screen -_- u.u ,I try to flash the NK2 and it fail than t means we have a locked bootloader :'( ,couple of minutes ago I dowload the mk2 & NB2 for i9505 from Hongkong I would flash them at 10 pm pacific time I will keep you updated my last resource will be to flash mk2 for the AT&T variant in my case I can live with that if root is available ooo! just found a threat to get 4.4.2 NB1 but it is for the i337 anyway Let me see what happens with the 2 Downloaded firmwares
Ps:I don't really care about the warranty so if there is a good dev reading this helpme.to install the i9505 official firmware from any country,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anxiously waiting your progress!

It's simple.
You got an SGH-I337.
You probably got a rom installed that is ported from I9505 and they didn't edit the build.prop.

I'd crack open the phone and look for the model number on the motherboard. That would eliminate any and all confusion.

MK2 & NB2 for i9505 HKong version give "secure check Fail:system" cant find answer for that......with the 4.42 firmware it gave me "secure check fail:aboot"

Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
I'd crack open the phone and look for the model number on the motherboard. That would eliminate any and all confusion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
man ,following your advice,flashin mk2 for i337 I done with this, Should hear you since the begining now odin is flashing
"Damn you 15's :Joey Tribbiani Quotes"

Hope this help you
@VladimirMan93 Sorry man I fail on my quest our hope is flash mk2 for i337 and if You want to update to 4.4.2 or 4.4.4
follow this threat is very usefull you will find MK2 ,the updates,rooting& safestrap
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4-att/general/guide-odin-to-stock-updating-rooting-t2926642 :good:

Do not do anything stupid my friend!!
Albie_Stark said:
@VladimirMan93 Sorry man I fail on my quest our hope is flash mk2 for i337 and if You want to update to 4.4.2 or 4.4.4
follow this threat is very usefull you will find MK2 ,the updates,rooting& safestrap
http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s4-att/general/guide-odin-to-stock-updating-rooting-t2926642 :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ALBIE!
DO NOT DO ANYTHING STUPID!!!
I just rooted my phone with success man!
Here is the link. literally took me 5 minutes. just be sure to:
1) no a-v on the phone!!! <- Very important!!!
2) use high quality USB cable
3) be patient.
4) have a VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY big nerdgasm like I did when my 4.3 pos was rooted!
Code:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2565758
here is the link my friend enjoy your rooted HongKong version of the i9505
PS: Are you willing to experiment a little more with it? Let me know I have something in mind.

VladimirMan93 said:
ALBIE!
DO NOT DO ANYTHING STUPID!!!
I just rooted my phone with success man!
Here is the link. literally took me 5 minutes. just be sure to:
1) no a-v on the phone!!! <- Very important!!!
2) use high quality USB cable
3) be patient.
4) have a VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY big nerdgasm like I did when my 4.3 pos was rooted!
Code:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2565758
here is the link my friend enjoy your rooted HongKong version of the i9505
PS: Are you willing to experiment a little more with it? Let me know I have something in mind.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks man ,but I follow that threat the first day my phone arrive with success, install "Samsung phone info" to look deeper,that was the moment when I realize that my phone was a mess. tried to install the custom recovery,when I went to download mode I saw the screen you posted before, try to flash official firmware from samsun gi9505 -odin giveme the "aboot fail" wich means lock bootloader so I start this threat. the rest is history.... this afternoon I check the hardware and surprise!!! "I337" was all over the phone except for the sticker in the battery slot......
Flash 4.3MK2 for i33 via Odin,it intalled super fast with no problems then follow the threat I recommend you to take the update to 4.4.4NJ4 root,intall safestrap I´m so happy with my new improve battery life and maybe tomorrow I flash wanamlite,If I was able to flash it before on mi SGS4 from verizon I guess I can flash on my new phone wich has the same hardware that i9505,becsuse I read this on te forum:
"I337,i9505 & M919 have the same hardware except for the bootloader. any way I keep looking and experiment until I can install i9505 firmware through Odin

Albie_Stark said:
Thanks man ,but I follow that threat the first day my phone arrive with success, install "Samsung phone info" to look deeper,that was the moment when I realize that my phone was a mess. tried to install the custom recovery,when I went to download mode I saw the screen you posted before, try to flash official firmware from samsun gi9505 -odin giveme the "aboot fail" wich means lock bootloader so I start this threat. the rest is history.... this afternoon I check the hardware and surprise!!! "I337" was all over the phone except for the sticker in the battery slot......
Flash 4.3MK2 for i33 via Odin,it intalled super fast with no problems then follow the threat I recommend you to take the update to 4.4.4NJ4 root,intall safestrap I´m so happy with my new improve battery life and maybe tomorrow I flash wanamlite,If I was able to flash it before on mi SGS4 from verizon I guess I can flash on my new phone wich has the same hardware that i9505,becsuse I read this on te forum:
"I337,i9505 & M919 have the same hardware except for the bootloader. any way I keep looking and experiment until I can install i9505 firmware through Odin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only reason I buy the S4 is because Cyanogen mod 12. I am so excited to figure out how to put it on this phone. And they have compatible ROM!!! :C
Which is how this is so much more intense.
I WANT IT, I WANT IT! I paid 400$ for my freedom, I want it!! D:

VladimirMan93 said:
The only reason I buy the S4 is because Cyanogen mod 12. I am so excited to figure out how to put it on this phone. And they have compatible ROM!!! :C
Which is how this is so much more intense.
I WANT IT, I WANT IT! I paid 400$ for my freedom, I want it!! D:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OMG I paid 255$ !!! I belive Isaw you in other forum asking right??
Hope they find how to unlock the BL or AT&T give us Unlock BL with the Lolipop update

S4 i9505 Orange need to flash US AT&T rom

Hello!
I bought my mom an inexpensive S4 and it came with Orange wireless service provider and it's in French out for the box.
It's having some problem suck as MMS issues and all that, not to mention it's just being a pain in the butt to work with.
I want to flash the stock AT&T ROM to it ASAP so she will stop yelling at me about it, but I can't seem to find a copy around here. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong areas, but I would appreciate some help locating it, thanks!
Also, it's been a while since I have done any ROM changes, so maybe showing me how they do it now would be helpful as well, thanks.
-Dave M.

AT&T ROMs cannot be installed on your phone. Odin will reject it at best, and you could hard brick the S4.
Unlock the phone by using the service menu exploit, RegionLock Away, or by purchasing an unlock code. Once the S4 is unlocked, you can install an unbranded firmware in place of the Orange-branded firmware. Keep in mind that this phone will never get LTE in the states as the frequencies are different.

Yes, I was made aware of the no 4G, no LTE issue with using a European phone by the guy who didn't know what he was doing when he programmed in the wrong APN settings at the AT&T corporate store...
Supposedly, the company I bought it off said this phone was unlocked already, so what then? It's been about 2 years since I did anything with ROMs, so I might be a little out of the know about the new stuff, thanks.

If it's already unlocked, then you can install any I9505 stock ROM you want. Download this ROM from Sammobile and follow the instructions on that page to install it. It's UK firmware so at the language prompt it will default to English. Be aware that you may have to flash the ROM twice before the S4's wireless radios function properly.
If everything goes as expected the APN should be automatically set. If not there are tutorials all over the place on adding an APN.
EDIT: Download the drivers from Samsung's website if not included in the Odin download on Sammobile. You'll need to have them installed for Odin to function.

Thanks. Now, how can I check to make sure this one is unlocked? Service mode is weird, because I had to do the Q followed by 0000 in key input to get it to give me the menu...

Put your Mom's AT&T SIM into the phone. If it asks for an unlock code then the S4 is still carrier locked.

Oh, okay. It's been working for like 2 months like this, lol.
Aren't there still a few carriers that aren't blocked for other regions? I just want to be sure, absolutely. I just want to know if there's another way to check.

Since it was Orange by origin (and those guys tend to lock stuff) I would say you would NOT be able to run AT&T on it as well (Orange ONLY lock - not really region lock)
When you say AT&T works I would assume previous owner already did what was needed and unlocked this device.

Sounds solid, thanks a bunch, fellas.
I just really wish there were a touchwiz ROM from AT&T for this particular model...

No, no you don't. If anything, you have it far easier by not having AT&T firmware. Unless of course you happen to LIKE encrypted (i.e. locked) bootloaders. AT&T and Verizon lock their bootloaders, which makes the simple things like rooting, bloatware removal, and custom ROMs far more difficult, and in some cases bordering on the impossible.
Your Mom may not give a damn, but by not having to deal with the headache of a locked bootloader you've made your life easier.

I've dealt with several so-called finished custom roms, such as the likes of such as Cyanogenmod and others, and lets just say they aren't quite as solid as the stuff that the phone comes with.
There's always something that doesn't work like it's supposed to or some important app that won't work somehow. Last time, I went with a stock rom, custom recovery (I like TWRP) and rooted the device and it ran just like I wanted. SO yeah, I'd like to use a stock touchwiz rom for the US if it's available somewhere.

I understand not wanting to toss a custom ROM on the phone, but that wasn't the point of my post. The ROM I prompted you to download several posts upthread is a stock Touchwiz ROM. In fact, up until this morning it was the same ROM I was using on my O2 I9505 that I'm using here in the US. As the I9505 is not available and never will be available from a carrier in the United States, there will never be a US ROM available for this phone. The ROM I had you download, unlike the AT&T ROM, has no carrier branding of any kind, no carrier bloatware, and no locked bootloader. As a result, you don't have the carrier meddling around with the ROM and making the experience worse by having crud added.
My point is, bluntly, that you're far better off now than you would be with an AT&T device. So, hopefully, now that you got everything sorted out your Mom can enjoy the phone.

Note 3 N9005 LTE 4G Doesn't Work, Do I need CSC change?

I've searched the forums and no one seems to have an exact FIX for my issue. So I have a Galaxy Note 3 N9005 32GB black version, the phone works well in 3G, never had an issue with it but now my network provider recently upgraded their plan and offers 4G internet but my phone doesn't want to connect. The provider offers 4G through BAND 1 2100MHz and Note 3 N9005 does have that band but it doesn't want to connect. It only works on 3G and when I enable Mobile Data it says H+! Not once has it connected to 4G!
I wanna mention that my friend has the exact same N9005 phone and his phone works on 4G all the time. Both of us have the same contract with the same network provider!
The only difference between our phones is the CSC region, we have different CSC. MY SIM card works in 4G on his Note 3 and his sim card doesn't work on 4G on my phone. (we exchanged the SIM cards for testing). So the problem is from my phone not from the SIM card. My phone is also original, its not a Chinese clone! Its confirmed with "Samsung Phone Info" app from Play Store.
Here's a few things I already did that some of you may be inclined to recommend to me:
1 - My APN is correctly set
2 - I am on official stock Android Lollipop 5.0 latest version and the phone is not rooted
3 - I already did a factory reset + wipe cache partition
4 - I saw others suggesting that people may not be in the range of a 4G tower! Not the case! Like I said, I switched the SIM cards with my friend on a public bench, out in the open, not even behind walls. Of course and his phone connects to 4G with his SIM card and also with MY SIM card while my phone doesn't connect to 4G with neither of these SIM cards.
5 - In Mobile Networks > Network Mode, my phone is of course already set on 4G/3G/2G (auto connect) and by the way, my friend's Note 3 says LTE/WCDMA/GSM (auto connect) instead of 4G/3G/2G with the same language set on both phones. Why?? I know its the same thing and I know 4G stands for LTE and 3G for WCDMA but why does it appear differently on these phones?
6 - I already went to Service Mode via *#0011# and manually selected BAND 1 LTE, it says "no service" or "emergency calls only" if I do that so I switched back to "Automatic"
So what the heck is going on? This phone is giving me headaches! I'm close to smashing my phone! After this I sweared to my self this is the last Samsung phone I ever buy. Probably I will be switching to Asus or Lenovo in the future. Or any other phone that does NOT have this CSC BS! This CSC thing is a complete rip-off!
Im thinking that the problem could be my CSC perhaps?? My friend's Note 3 N9005 has a COA CSC (Cosmote Romania) and I have a XEF CSC (Unbranded France). Both phones are factory unlocked and work in all networks. They are not branded by any phone maker! His COA CSC is unbranded. Yes it belongs to a phone retailer but that retailer doesn't brand their phones, no bloatware, no SIM lock. If you buy a phone from Cosmote (with COA CSC) it works in all networks, unlike Vodafone or Orange who lock their phones and brand them.
What should I do? Should I attempt to change my CSC? If so, how? My phone warranty has expired a long time ago, so I shouldn't care that much about triggering Knox though not triggering it would be preferred.
Which path should I pursue? Should I simply use ODIN and flash a STOCK COA CSC (Cosmote Romania) or STOCK ROM CSC (Unbranded Romania) from SamMobile.com with the latest version of Lollipop? Would this trigger Knox? Will it affect my all networks unlocked status? I mean, I won't have to unlock it after that, right???
OR should I ROOT my phone, change CSC, then UNROOT? If so do you know of any method to root Lollipop 5.0 without triggering Knox?
What do you guys think? Whats the problem with my phone? Why doesn't it work on 4G? Because of CSC? Or is it something else?
Thanks!

The best way to confirm the model # would be to boot into Odin mode and look there.

audit13 said:
The best way to confirm the model # would be to boot into Odin mode and look there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean? Can you be more specific? I already told you my model number, its N9005!! Do you want a screenshot?

Dear OP, have you tried the other Samsung secret code? *#2263# then program it to accept LTE only.
That's the only foolproof way to get the Note to connect to LTE. In my country I only get 2-3 of the 5 LTE bars, so the Note wouldn't automatically connect to LTE or immediately stoop down to 3G through the settings. That specific secret code and setting is LITERALLY THE ONLY WAY TO GET MY NOTE 3 TO CONNECT TO LTE IN MY EXPERIENCE.
If that still doesn't get your phone to run LTE, either your carrier is whack or your phone is, and no amount of Cyanogenmod can fix it because your hardware modem inside the phone might be whack and you can't really do anything if that's the case...
Sent from my Galaxy Note 3 using XDA Labs

Odeira.Oloap said:
Dear OP, have you tried the other Samsung secret code? *#2263# then program it to accept LTE only.
That's the only foolproof way to get the Note to connect to LTE. In my country I only get 2-3 of the 5 LTE bars, so the Note wouldn't automatically connect to LTE or immediately stoop down to 3G through the settings. That specific secret code and setting is LITERALLY THE ONLY WAY TO GET MY NOTE 3 TO CONNECT TO LTE IN MY EXPERIENCE.
If that still doesn't get your phone to run LTE, either your carrier is whack or your phone is, and no amount of Cyanogenmod can fix it because your hardware modem inside the phone might be whack and you can't really do anything if that's the case...
Sent from my Galaxy Note 3 using XDA Labs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have already explained that there is nothing wrong with my carrier because I switched my SIM card with my friend's phone who has exactly the same N9005 model and it perfectly works on 4G on his phone. The only difference I could find in our phones is the CSC.
As for the other suggestion you sent me, I already said that I've been to SERVICE MODE. The code you've given me does nothing on my phone but as I can see from your screenshots, it gets you to SERVICE MODE. I've already been there through *#0011# switched to LTE/GSM only or LTE/WCMA only and I've explained that it still doesn't do anything.
Can someone please answer me this? Would it help if I change the CSC? Could this be the problem I'm having???

It may help if your CSC is changed it can do no harm .

JJEgan said:
It may help if your CSC is changed it can do no harm .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, thanks! So how do I do this?
My phone warranty has expired a long time ago, so I shouldn't care that much about triggering Knox though NOT triggering it would be preferred.
As far as I know there are 2 methods to change the CSC. So how should I do it?
Should I simply use ODIN and flash a STOCK COA CSC (Cosmote Romania) or STOCK ROM CSC (Unbranded Romania) from SamMobile.com with the latest version of Lollipop? Would this trigger Knox? Will it affect my all networks unlocked status? I mean, I won't have to unlock it after that, right???
OR should I ROOT my phone, change CSC, then UNROOT? If so do you know of any method to root Lollipop 5.0 without triggering Knox?
Thanks

Booting into download mode will confirm the model #. Looking under the ROM's settings is not guaranteed to display the proper model #.
Both phones are running the same ROM, bootloader, and modem?

audit13 said:
Booting into download mode will confirm the model #. Looking under the ROM's settings is not guaranteed to display the proper model #.
Both phones are running the same ROM, bootloader, and modem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes confirmed, same model, same baseband, same everything. The only thing different is the CSC. So whats next?

Did you try changing the csc by dialling *#272*enter IMEI#? Not sure if this method will work for your model of note 3.

audit13 said:
Did you try changing the csc by dialling *#272*enter IMEI#? Not sure if this method will work for your model of note 3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No I haven't I'm trying now. Wow if this works Im gonna buy you a beer!

It doesn't work! just my luck! I entered this code: *#272*IMEI-number# and pressed call button, it says "Connection problem or invalid MMI code."

I just tried it on my Note 2 and S4 and it works. Maybe the phone is not running a multi-csc stock ROM?
I don't have a note 3 to try.

audit13 said:
I just tried it on my Note 2 and S4 and it works. Maybe the phone is not running a multi-csc stock ROM?
I don't have a note 3 to try.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perhaps the code you gave me only works on older version of Android such as KitKat or whatever you have on Note 2... anyway Im using Samsung Phone Info app from Play Store and my CSC is XEF and under Available CSC Codes there is a bunch of CSC codes. Here I've made a sccreenshot:
From as far as I know there are only 2 ways to change the CSC: root or flash a different stock ROM

Yes, the note 2 has kit kat but the s4 is running stock lollipop.

audit13 said:
Yes, the note 2 has kit kat but the s4 is running stock lollipop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well unfortunately the code doesn't work on my phone. Anyway if you know for a fact, could you tell me this? Is it safe to reflash another STOCK rom from sammobile? Will it affect my phone in any way?
Thanks

Yes, it is safe to flash stock ROMs from sammobile.com.

I just flashed a local stock ROM and guess what, when I go to Phone Info app it still shows the same CSC! I still have XEF CSC, how can this be? Why hasn't the CSC change?

After flashing the stock rom, did you try the csc code I mentioned? Same thing happens when I flash a Rogers carrier rom over a Telus carrier rom. Once I select telus as the carrier from the csc menu, the Rogers app will disappear and the Telus app appears.

Ok after further researching I found a lot of interesting stuff so I'm gonna write it all down for other people who may need it in the future.
1 - If you have a multi-CSC phone and you flash a different CSC but which is in your "Available CSC" list but which you cannot choose or change without root, your CSC will NOT change. For example: I have flashed ROM CSC (Open Romania) on my XEF CSC (Open France) and guess what after the flash was successful and all, the CSC didn't change! It was still on XEF because ROM was in my "available list".
2 - If you try to flash a different CSC which is NOT in your list, then Odin will FAIL and softly brick your phone. For example: I got my phone bricked, trying to flash 2 CSCs which are not in my "available list": COA (Cosmote Romania) and DBT (Open Germany). In order to fix this issue all you have to do is to reflash YOUR OWN CSC, in my case it was XEF. Or you can even flash one of those CSC which are "available" or compatible so to say, such as "ROM" for example.
This is the firmware I currently have on my phone:
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/download/61565/N9005XXUGBOK6_N9005OXXGBOJ2_XEF/
These are the two firmwares I tried to flash on my phone, hoping to replace XEF with:
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/download/63441/N9005XXUGBOK6_N9005COAGBOK1_COA/
http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/download/61464/N9005XXUGBOK6_N9005DBTGBOI1_DBT/
BOTH FAILED in Odin!
There are ONLY 2 ways to change the CSC on newer Samsung phones. Most guides online are based on KitKat 4.4 or older guides but for 5.0 Lollipop or even NEWER there are ONLY 2 ways to change your CSC:
1 - Root your phone and change the CSC. There are plenty of guides on how to do that online.
2 - You can avoid rooting your phone and use Odin instead, BUT accompanied by your stock firmware, you will also have to find and use a PIT file because Samsung as of 5.0 Lollipop uses different partitions for all the different regions. HOWEVER messing with PIT files is super risky and it can permanently brick your phone so its just better to root your phone instead! Dont waste your time trying to flash different regions/csc which is not in your available csc list, it won't work!
What can I say? Samsung is trying hard to block their users from changing their CSC... Why? They prefer their users buy new phones. Its pure greed yes but its what it is... For me, this was the last Samsung phone I ever buy. Im truly disappointed.