Database Users

Confused About Available ROM's

Hello,
I just bought the S7 Edge last week. I live in Canada and I have the SM-G935W8 model.
I see no references to this model in the available ROM's, only support for the F or FD models. I'm new to Samsung phones, but not Android. I'd like to start to tinker with this device, specifically to root it and install AdAway and to be able to uninstall all the bloatware it came with. My device was bought outright so it's not locked to any specific carrier.
The W8 is Exynos based, just like the F and FD models are. Does this mean I can use any ROM created for those models?
Thanks in advance!

brianhill1980 said:
Hello,
I just bought the S7 Edge last week. I live in Canada and I have the SM-G935W8 model.
I see no references to this model in the available ROM's, only support for the F or FD models. I'm new to Samsung phones, but not Android. I'd like to start to tinker with this device, specifically to root it and install AdAway and to be able to uninstall all the bloatware it came with. My device was bought outright so it's not locked to any specific carrier.
The W8 is Exynos based, just like the F and FD models are. Does this mean I can use any ROM created for those models?
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here is an excellent rom which is fully compatible with the canadian S7 Edge W8 model:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/s7-edge/development/vr-560-tekxnesis-hybrid-s7e-urv1-00-00-t3357561
The developer of the rom has been developing custom roms for android for close 6 years.
His rom is a full featured custom rom and it's truly outstanding. It's a multi-variant G935 rom.
Check it out, and be sure you create a nandroid backup before flashing, just in case you
want to revert back to your existing rom.

Misterjunky said:
Here is an excellent rom which is fully compatible with the canadian S7 Edge W8 model:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/s7-edge/development/vr-560-tekxnesis-hybrid-s7e-urv1-00-00-t3357561
The developer of the rom has been developing custom roms for android for close 6 years.
His rom is a full featured custom rom and it's truly outstanding. It's a multi-variant G935 rom.
Check it out, and be sure you create a nandroid backup before flashing, just in case you
want to revert back to your existing rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The rom is discontinued.

re: custom roms
Faspaiso said:
The rom is discontinued.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it is, I know that...
But the GOOD thing is that the download link is still there and it even WORKS. (The rom works perfectly for me)
The developers here in the S7 Edge thread have a lot of catching up to do before their custom roms have all the user options
and additional rom features like the TEKXnesis HYBRID S7E URv4.5 5/3/16 935F/FD/W8 930F/FD/W8 UNIVERSAL rom has.
Good luck,
Have a great day!

I guess I'm just more curious and confused about the compatibility of the W8 model. Will the F or FD roms work on it? That's all there seems to be available.

re: W8 with G935F roms
brianhill1980 said:
I guess I'm just more curious and confused about the compatibility of the W8 model. Will the F or FD roms work on it? That's all there seems to be available.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The F and FD most likely will work on an W8 but I am almost certain you will
loose call audio and perhaps even data unless you can find a fix-audio twrp
flashable zip file to flash after flashing the rom.
Good luck,
Have a great day!

Bootloader unlocked, can I use any rom?

So Ive had this Verizon Note 3 since day one. Finally unlocked my bootloader... What are the rules on what I can and can't do now. Can I install any Android rom? Can I only install note 3 roms from any carrier... Can I install only Verizon note 3 roms? Or is it a hybrid... I can install any rom if I replace the firmware and or modem.
I really want something on 7.1 but I'd rather take 6 and have something custom... Fast and responsive.
Thanks community.

You are in luck. :crying:
There's hardly anything to choose from; maybe 3 or 4 ROMs and about the same number of kernels.
AFAIK, there are no Nougat ROMs and only one Marshmallow ROM (AryaMod6.6).
Normally, when a dev ships a "ROM", there are two important pieces: the /system image (what some folks call "the ROM"), and the boot image. The boot image is what some folks erroneously call "the kernel"; but it is really a combination of kernel + ramdisk. The ramdisk has all the scripts in it that the "init" process reads to start up all the low-level daemons and services... as well as the Android UI as well.
The kernel is very tightly tied to the specific hardware in a given handset - both the processor/gpu and all the sensors/leds/peripherals.
So that's the reason you can't just flash any old ROM. In the least bad case, your device wouldn't boot; in the worst bad case the kernel would boot up far enough go off in the weeds and possibly damage some of your hardware.
You might be tempted to think "we'll, what if I find a boot image for the "hltevzw" SM-N900V device... can I flash that after I have flashed 'any old Android ROM'? Won't that take care of things?"
Well, not really. The system library binaries in /system are possibly compiled with instruction-set optimumization tweaks that are only supported by specific CPU and GPU hardware chips. Moreover, other peripheral chips such as GPS have unique "downloadable" vendor firmware in the system image... so again, there's the issue of hardware dependencies of the /system image.
Beyond that, there's carrier-specific "setup and activation" software that differs between ROMs, so even using ROMs that are from a different carrier's version of the exact same handset hardware might not work fully - specifically in the telephony function areas. Everything else might work fine though. For instance if you wanted to use the device as a WiFi-only unit for kid's games etc.
Note BTW that the "International" Note 3 GSM phones are not the same hardware - they use an Exynos processor.
good luck in your quest

Thanks
That was very helpful... Looks like Araya is my best bet. I'll leave jasmine rom to try it.
I was hoping that I could get another note 3 rom on this forum and flash the CDMA modem for networking... But doesn't seem like that's an option.
If I'm still stuck to Verizon Note 3 rom... What is the purpose or benefit of unlocking the bootloader... Was that really just to avoid Odin so I can flash my couple rom choices easier?
I appreciate your time!

cyberoptics said:
That was very helpful... Looks like Araya is my best bet. I'll leave jasmine rom to try it.
I was hoping that I could get another note 3 rom on this forum and flash the CDMA modem for networking... But doesn't seem like that's an option.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I might have very slightly overstated the case for pessimism. There is a "consolidated" Verizon Note 3 Forum which is meant for devs to provide development tools and even ROMs that could potentially be used on devices from more than one carrier. But the world being organized the way it is, that means that you are more likely to find multi-carrier GSM ROMs over there than multi-carrier ROMS which support GSM and oh by the way CDMA and LTE as well.
If you want to fool around over there, I recommend that you proceed with great caution to make sure that the ROMs you choose specifically target Qualcomm MSM8974AB Note 3 handsets, and you should read the developer notes very carefully to see whether you need to flash an "hltevzw" kernel separately. If the dev does not mention "supports hltevzw" or "supports N900V" (for example here) you might be taking chances with your hardware.
I suppose it is possible that the radios are 100% "software defined" in the sense of which bands they can support. Maybe you can get what you want by simply flashing the desired carrier's "modem" firmware, but I have never done that so I can't say for certain whether that works or you are risking a brick (or hardware damage) by doing that. I simply don't know (e.g.) if the chips and antennas in a T-mo version of the Note 3 are identical or different from a Verizon Note 3's hardware
cyberoptics said:
If I'm still stuck to Verizon Note 3 rom... What is the purpose or benefit of unlocking the bootloader... Was that really just to avoid Odin so I can flash my couple rom choices easier?
I appreciate your time!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, for one - having a custom recovery allows you to make backups - even if you never change ROMs
People don't think of backups as being "sexy", but they allow you something which is really valuable: freedom to mess around and experiment with the knowledge that "if something goes wrong, I'll just restore the backup".
And with Odin, you only had the choice of Stock Roms. Now you have a few more.
cheers

Yes you can install Any rom for note3
Here is my experience with installing roms on note 3 after unlock bootloader
you should Flash twrp-2.8.7.0-hlte-4.4.img by ODIN for the hlte roms or twrp-2.8.7.0-hltevzw-4.4.img if you looking to flash verizon roms ,
im on Phronesis Rom N7 now and i tryed many roms
AryaMod N7 & S7 Edge
MagMa-NX from NXT TEAM
Resurrection Remix Nougat 7.1.1
CM 13 ROM 6.0.1 for Trader418
Purify CM13 6.0.1 ( the best CM13 till now )
and more ...
i have only one problem that i cant get LTE in mobile network always on H+
i tryed to add screenshot but i couldn't its my firist reply :laugh:

@ALPHA85
Pretty informative first post - thanks, and welcome aboard!
Are you on a Verizon SIM? If not, have you been flashing modems from other Note3 devices?
Just curious; I don't have much experience with radio issues or carrier activation issues. Trying to port a carrier-specific ROM elsewhere (esp starting from a VZW ROM) looks like a massive pile of interlocking software dependencies, though. My respect to anyone who can succeed at it.
Feel free to write a brief summary about what's broken in each - any of them have NFC working? I was on CM13 (trader418) for a long time and would have been happy to stay there were it not for all the GPS issues.

Thank you ,:angel:
i dont use Verizon SIM becouse im from egypt, i bought my verizon note 3 by wrong , when i bought it i saw N9005 under the battery and in the boot screen also inside the rom ,it was lollipop 5.0 ,but sinse i did factory rest i surprised it change to N900V even the imei changed , till now i cant understand how they flashed N9005 rom for N900V device with locked bootloader
i'm on OF1 bootloader unlocked and i flashed PL1 Modem i thought maybe it help me to get LTE but still the same H+
about NFC i really didn't try it at all , i always disable it by titanium pro

ALPHA85 said:
when i bought it i saw N9005 under the battery and in the boot screen also inside the rom ,it was lollipop 5.0 ,but sinse i did factory rest i surprised it change to N900V even the imei changed , till now i cant understand how they flashed N9005 rom for N900V device with locked bootloader
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you first got it, did it appear to have a Verizon ROM on it? (For instance, the Verizon splash screen?) Or some other carrier's logo?
Actually, that cleared something up for me. Well, except for the part about the IMEI changing
Apparently there were both LTE and GSM models of the "Note 3" that were sold in international markets. I understand the LTE version was originally sold in China, but the GSM model is more common?
The SM-N9005 is an LTE phone (I don't know about CDMA) with the Qualcomm MSM8974 processor
and the N9000 is the GSM model with an Exynos 5420 processor
So that probably explains the binary compatibility of the SM-N900V and the SM-N9005 - same processor, and both phones were designed for LTE service.
But your report should give @cyberoptics a little less pessimistic view of things; thank you for that.
But I wouldn't go so far as to say you can flash ANY Note 3 ROM. Even though both the Exynos and Qualcomm processors use ARM cores, they are fairly different - the Exynos has 8 cores, half of which are Cortex-A15, and the MSM8974 has only four cores which are Krait- something or other. I think they are not quite compatible. Note that in theory, ARM code that was compiled to earlier standards (e.g. thumb, armv5) would certainly work on both devices - but if they compiled ALL the code in ROM libraries that way they would be giving up a lot of performance on either device. So.... to the extent that they target processor specifics for either Cortex-A15 or Krait, they will be incompatible.
cheers.

bftb0 said:
You are in luck. :crying:
There's hardly anything to choose from; maybe 3 or 4 ROMs and about the same number of kernels.
AFAIK, there are no Nougat ROMs and only one Marshmallow ROM (AryaMod6.6).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bftb0 I just wanted to thank you once again for your consistently helpful, verbose posts about the N900V. I've been using CM13 thinking it was the best thing going, when, as nice as it was at the time, it doesn't hold water compared to AyraMod, which I switched to yesterday after reading this thread.
Now my GPS won't take me sailing past Easter Island when en route to a noon meeting downtown. Maybe Google Cardboard will even work, now that NFC appears to.
Thanks again, and please don't ever bore of being a great and helpful resource, we need you!

[SM-J5108] Convert my J5 SM-J5108 to a more usable version ? (510F ?)

Hello,
My title may not be very cler but I can't find any custom ROMs for my device the J5 SM-J5108CHM (J5 China Mobile version) I can find official firmware but I just hate the interface, I found a really good-looking ROM (VIperOS) but it was for another variant of the phone.
So my question is : can I convert this phone to some other variant with same specs ? Thanks in advance

I've got the same question but no one seems to go to this thread if anyone has an answer to this that would be very appreciated. the j5108 seems to have all the same specs as the other variants so it should work but I'm not taking any risks because this is my everyday phone.
also the china mobile os is complete rubbish use this one (im a new user so i cant post link but just search up updato (dot) com, go to search bar and search j5108, in teh filters bar up top choose hong kong and press update under the search bar)
First, install any lollipop update (if you skip straight to marshmallow you'll end up in a bootloop), and then install either OTA update (it keeps failing for people but its good if you don't want to use Odin again) or you can download the marshmallow os after you install lollipop (make sure to NOT do a factory reset etc you'll end up in a boot loop). Install MM os and boom GAPPS and everything else you'll need.

jeff the cheff's left nut said:
I've got the same question but no one seems to go to this thread if anyone has an answer to this that would be very appreciated. the j5108 seems to have all the same specs as the other variants so it should work but I'm not taking any risks because this is my everyday phone.
also the china mobile os is complete rubbish use this one (im a new user so i cant post link but just search up updato (dot) com, go to search bar and search j5108, in teh filters bar up top choose hong kong and press update under the search bar)
First, install any lollipop update (if you skip straight to marshmallow you'll end up in a bootloop), and then install either OTA update (it keeps failing for people but its good if you don't want to use Odin again) or you can download the marshmallow os after you install lollipop (make sure to NOT do a factory reset etc you'll end up in a boot loop). Install MM os and boom GAPPS and everything else you'll need.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't. Its a different phone. Maybe you think because it says J5 chinese version that its the same thing, just different model number. There are reasons why ot has a different model number, baseband, etc... Its like you have the Samsung Galaxy S2 with exynos and the American one with SD. They are both S2, but totaly different phones.

does xda have a word cap or did my other post not post because it was long or is the image verification a post-verification. anyway, i was saying that all the j5 2016 variants are exactly the same which in theory would allow any model's OS to work on any variant. S2 isn't a great comparison because different models have different hardware while j5 2016 has different models with identical hardware. Just search up j5108 specs and j510x specs and they'll all be the same ill post back in a few weeks when I get a new battery and test out different OS (rn I'm using the stock hong kong OS). I'll try OS for different PDAs and then ill try out different models. Btw all the spec sites say the variants are compatible with Australia so I shouldn't have a problem using different models OS in Australia (meaning 4G, wifi, phone numbers etc should be fine).
Also please explain in more depth why j5 2016 variants are so different to the point that they have different model numbers (i know that sounds passive aggressive and pretend it isn't I honestly want to know). I'm super sorry if I sound like an arrogant **** that wants everything his way but the way the j5 2016 models are made they all seem identical and logically (and in theory) the other variants OS should work on the j5108. if for some reason I cant see my first reply but others can I'm so sorry for this post.

jeff the cheff's left nut said:
does xda have a word cap or did my other post not post because it was long or is the image verification a post-verification. anyway, i was saying that all the j5 2016 variants are exactly the same which in theory would allow any model's OS to work on any variant. S2 isn't a great comparison because different models have different hardware while j5 2016 has different models with identical hardware. Just search up j5108 specs and j510x specs and they'll all be the same ill post back in a few weeks when I get a new battery and test out different OS (rn I'm using the stock hong kong OS). I'll try OS for different PDAs and then ill try out different models. Btw all the spec sites say the variants are compatible with Australia so I shouldn't have a problem using different models OS in Australia (meaning 4G, wifi, phone numbers etc should be fine).
Also please explain in more depth why j5 2016 variants are so different to the point that they have different model numbers (i know that sounds passive aggressive and pretend it isn't I honestly want to know). I'm super sorry if I sound like an arrogant **** that wants everything his way but the way the j5 2016 models are made they all seem identical and logically (and in theory) the other variants OS should work on the j5108. if for some reason I cant see my first reply but others can I'm so sorry for this post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Phones today can have the same harware, same SoC, same RAM, same everything, even the same RIL preferences, but they are different models. The whole stock software was made for a specific device model. The J510FN is different than the J510H, if there was no difference why would Samsung bother to make many versions? The whole operating system, every part of it: Kernel, Apps, Recovery, Hal, Bootloader are mannualy made for a specific model number. Because of that it is hard to make a ROM that supports all of the phones in one Samsung model family lineup. You see now that by pure logic the j508 is very different from the J510FN

Firmware Changes

Ok, could I flash custom ROMs of g950f in a unlocked g950u? I just want to know the possibilities of the unlocked g950u

Ricardo2003 said:
Ok, could I flash custom ROMs of g950f in a unlocked g950u? I just want to know the possibilities of the unlocked g950u
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's 2 opinions here, 1 being that an exynos firmware won't work on snapdragon device, which I personally believe is true but people have also told me there's nothing saying that you can't, but no one even though telling me that it can be done has actually shown me it being some successfully. I stick with my belief that it won't work.

sofir786 said:
There's 2 opinions here, 1 being that an exynos firmware won't work on snapdragon device, which I personally believe is true but people have also told me there's nothing saying that you can't, but no one even though telling me that it can be done has actually shown me it being some successfully. I stick with my belief that it won't work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understood that, it could be possible but nobody tried before, the problem isn't the firmware, the phone just need a custom kernel that could interpret the exynos instructions and the snapdragon anatomy. In the note 5 the variant change can be possible but the note 5 don't have a snapdragon variant
I did my question 'cause there isn't many custom ROMs for the g950u variant
Thank you for the reply

Ricardo2003 said:
I understood that, it could be possible but nobody tried before, the problem isn't the firmware, the phone just need a custom kernel that could interpret the exynos instructions and the snapdragon anatomy. In the note 5 the variant change can be possible but the note 5 don't have a snapdragon variant
I did my question 'cause there isn't many custom ROMs for the g950u variant
Thank you for the reply
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Snapdragon bootloader is locked bar the Chinese version, so until they somehow do that, you won't see custom roms or kernels

They're different processors. It won't work.
You can flash W or U1 fw on a U and U on a W or U1. All American models are the same hardware so they're interchangeable.

joe3681 said:
They're different processors. It won't work.
You can flash W or U1 fw on a U and U on a W or U1. All American models are the same hardware so they're interchangeable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not true. They are both arm64 v8 processors, meaning they will both execute arm64 machine instructions. It's like Intel and amd, they both implement x86_64. You don't need a different version of Windows for Intel vs amd, nor do you have to download different programs for one vs the other.
Even kernels do not have to be different. There is no reason that support for any hardware differentiation between the two models (of which there are few outside the soc itself) could not be part of the same kernel. PC Linux servers boot on tens of millions of machines of probably millions of unique hardware configurations using the same kernel, and since they are both running touchwiz the HAL (the primary differentiator between Android and traditional linux) will be identical
Your primary limitations with this is the locked bootloader, and the fact that apparently custom rom devs do things that require specific kernels. Since you can't boot a custom kernel, it may prove difficult. I havent tried so I can't say for sure

Hahaha right. Go ahead and listen to this guy. Flash F firmware and let us know how it goes.

Old newbie help!

Hi all,
It's been a long, long while since I tinkered with roms, I think my last one was either a Samsung Galaxy Tab (the original one!) or an HTC Sensation.
So I've recently acquired a Note 4 n910F and can't stand all of the Samsung bloatware, and I'd like a newer version of android for compatibility with newer apps.
So remind me... What does 'stock' mean? Is this as Samsung intended, or as android intended? I'd just like a vanilla as possible android experience that works well.
Help please!

richuu said:
Hi all,
It's been a long, long while since I tinkered with roms, I think my last one was either a Samsung Galaxy Tab (the original one!) or an HTC Sensation.
So I've recently acquired a Note 4 n910F and can't stand all of the Samsung bloatware, and I'd like a newer version of android for compatibility with newer apps.
So remind me... What does 'stock' mean? Is this as Samsung intended, or as android intended? I'd just like a vanilla as possible android experience that works well.
Help please!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey! I don't know if you've already found your answers but I thought I would respond in case you haven't.
In almost every reference you see in this section of xda "stock" is referring to the TouchWiz OS that Samsung phones are shipped with.
True android stock is referred to as "vanilla" like you said.
I use a different model Note 4 than you have but from what I've read it's fairly easy to flash TWRP (custom recovery) on the F model via Odin and from there you can pick from whichever rom suits you. Just be sure you're in the Snapdragon section. There are many different models of the Note 4 and some of them have a different processor called Exynos. The roms are processor specific and you can only use the ones built for your type which is the Snapdragon processor.
One other thing I wound suggest, because of the different variants of the F model, is to take notice of your CSC code. Once you start flashing other roms it may be hard to track down the original code. Use this app to see what it is and that way you can flash the appropriate modem file (or if you need to reflash your stock firmware) instead of just using whichever modem file is provided in the OP of the rom you're flashing. There are many different variants of the F model with many different country codes, just remember that just because the firmware has a newer release date doesn't mean it's the correct version.
TWRP- Found here
Samsung USB drivers for Windows. Needed to connect your phone to your PC- Found here
Odin download- Found here
Development section for Snapdragon- Found here

Fantastic response, thank you. I think I'd like to do without TouchWiz... Pretty much all of my previous phones have been HTC, which either had the HTC skin over it, which was fairly unobtrusive, or barely anything at all. The current version of android and TW on the note 4 is messy.