Database Users

Samsung have branded my firmware. I wish to remove it. Please help.

Hi,
I bought my SGS2 from Phones4u 12 months ago as "unbranded SIM only".
Recently I had to take it to a Samsung authorised repair agent as there was an issue.
When the repair agent entered my S/N and/or IMEI number into his database to check warranty info he said "oh that's strange, the phone appears to be an O2 one".
I never thought anymore about it until today, when I recieved my phone back from Samsung where it has been for a repair under warranty.
It has been returned with "the latest software on it" - says Samsung.
Anyway, they have flashed the phone with O2 branded firmware.
This would suggest the phone was indeed originally O2 branded.
I suspect Phones4u unlocked it before selling it to me.
Does this mean the phone is now locked to O2?
I want to remove the branding/lock.
What I want to know is whether I can simply use Odin and flash a non-branded firmware onto it?
For the UK it's GT-I9100_XEU_I9100XWLP7_I9100XXLPS_I9100XEULP5.tar.md5
Would this remove the lock or create any problems?
Many thanks for any help.

vwgolfman said:
Hi,
I bought my SGS2 from Phones4u 12 months ago as "unbranded SIM only".
Recently I had to take it to a Samsung authorised repair agent as there was an issue.
When the repair agent entered my S/N and/or IMEI number into his database to check warranty info he said "oh that's strange, the phone appears to be an O2 one".
I never thought anymore about it until today, when I recieved my phone back from Samsung where it has been for a repair under warranty.
It has been returned with "the latest software on it" - says Samsung.
Anyway, they have flashed the phone with O2 branded firmware.
This would suggest the phone was indeed originally O2 branded.
I suspect Phones4u unlocked it before selling it to me.
Does this mean the phone is now locked to O2?
I want to remove the branding/lock.
What I want to know is whether I can simply use Odin and flash a non-branded firmware onto it?
For the UK it's GT-I9100_XEU_I9100XWLP7_I9100XXLPS_I9100XEULP5.tar.md5
Would this remove the lock or create any problems?
Many thanks for any help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it wont unlock it but will put unbranded firmware on it without problems
for unlock just google or use the search bar ''sgs2 unlock'' or ''i9100 unlock''
are you sure its locked? just put another sim in and try it

I think o2 phones are unlocked anyway.The last few I've bought have been......
sent by my s2 using xda premium

Thank you guys....
I checked to see if it was locked by entering...
*#7465625#
Everything displayed "OFF" indicating the phone was not locked.
Then I simply flashed the firmware to a Samsung stock unbranded.
All done. Thank you once again :good:

I have quite the opposite problem, ever since i got my SGS2 from a local salesman, the box said DNA sim locked. Tried the key combination and it was confirmed that this is network locked. The main problem now is that i have no idea what's the latest DNA (Finland) firmware and am too afraid to send my phone for a repair until i can figure out which FW needs to be in to keep my warranty. Since I got my phone in 12/2011 ive kept the original GB firmware for a mere 3 days and forgot to take screenshots from it. Any ideas how to find out the current FW for finnish phones?

[Q] S4 GT-I9505 Won't mirror or ILink

Hi
I have a Samsung S4 GT–I9505 LTE bought in New Zealand but through a Parallel Import business via Hong Kong.
While doing an update the phone died. Not knowing anything about phones and well within the 1 year warrantly I took it back to the shop. A while later the phone returned and worked.
Since then I have purchased a Samsung smart TV and the Screen mirroring and the I Link don’t work. Maybe other things don’t work also? My sister inlaw has an S3 and it all works so I know its not the TV.
Looking into it further in Odin download Mode I get the following:
Product Name:GT-I9505
Current Binary:Custom
System Staus:Custom
CSD-OEM_CONFIG_ISB:0x30
Write Protection Enable.
I have also performed a ROM CSC and have the following;
AP:I9505ZHUAME3
CP:I9505ZZHAME3
CSC:I9505ZHUAME3
I would like to get back to official and have the ability to get updates and to solve these problems.
I have a Kernel noted as 3.4.0-626292 unsure if this is correct.
Build Number: JDQ39.I9505ZHUAME3
Android Version: 4.2.2
Not sure what the repair guys have done or what I had before, oh and the business where the phone was bought has gone broke.
Anyway you guys seem to know what you are doing so any any suggestions of the best plan of attack appreciated.
Ta Indodom67

[Q] What can prevent S4 (I9505) from OTA/Kies update?

Hi
My friend has got S4 (I9505). He wasn't flashing his phone with anything - it is original like it was bought. He has got now I9505XXUBMGA firmware (Android 4.2.2) with BTU CSC, which is outdated. System status says that phone is not modified, but despite this, he is unable to do OTA/Kies update. In both cases (when using OTA or when connecting to PC with Kies) he got message "This is the latest firmware". This is not true, latest for BTU CSC is I9505XXUGNG8 (Android 4.4.2).
Questions:
1) What can prevent OTA/Kies from update of unmodified phone?
2) Can software say, that phone is unmodified when it is not true? For example when flashing count is not "0"? Maybe someone flashed my friends phone before he had bought it? Changed kernel or recovery can lead to such problems?
3) Freezing of some Samsung bloatware can lead to locking both OTA and Kies on PC?
4) Are we able to diagnose this phone (how?) and fix OTA to avoid Odin flashing? (I know that there is hard to brick Samsung phone completely, but there are always some small chances that something will go wrong, my friend is not keen on flashing and I'm not so rich to buy him another one S4 when something will fail )
Thanks for answers

From what I recall, the S4 firmware will report a status of Official if all the pieces match, regardless of whether the firmware actually is for the S4 in question. So it is possible, and in fact likely, that your friend's phone was carrier branded at one point, but was then subsequently unlocked and the firmware flashed with an unbranded firmware.
You can find out if the device was flashed by entering the IMEI here. One item it will tell you is who the original carrier is. From there you can put two and two together.

Thank You very much for reply, that's important clue. I don't know how phone was bought, but CSC reports UK (BTU) and I'm not in UK - Poland. So it could be sold by some UK carrier and then unlocked to unbranded firmware.
IMEI gives no results, but I will try to get more informations about how phone was bought, that can explain a lot... Looks like in this case Odin will be only way to push Android further...
Thanks for answer, now I know for what I should look :good:
If anybody else will run into other idea - also feel free to answer, I will check anything as I want to help my friend Thanks everybody, XDA is great

Just a follow up. When you entered the IMEI at the link I gave, did it come up with the device's model number, e.g. GT-I9505ZKAXXX? If so, did yours read "GT-I9505ZKABTU" or some other model?

No, unfortunately not, I see no data after entering IMEI, only information about API, however if I enter IMEI on main page of this website I see some basic data. This lead me to information that Reporting Body Identifier is BABT (IMEI starts with 35) and BABT means United Kingdom.
Website didn't show model number, but my friend has installed Phone INFO ★Samsung★ and inside it there is model number (Product Code):
GT2I9505ZKABTU
This is very similar to Yours suggestion, but I see something weird - shouldn't be "-" after "GT" instead of "2"? Product Code with "GT2" instead of "GT-" is OK?
Thanks for answer

Then I sent you to the wrong page. You want the Samsung warranty page: https://imeidata.net/warranty/samsung
That page is the one that is supposed to tell you everything about your phone. Post that information here, minus the IMEI of course.

You had send correct link On Warranty page when I enter IMEI I got no data, only some data on mainpage of this website - looks like they don't have any information about this IMEI

I think they want you to register with the site, which is something new. Regardless, the reason we can't go by the Phone Info information your friend provided is that when a new firmware is installed the product code changes. For example, my I9505 was originally a GT-I9505ZKAO2U, which means my S4 was originally tied to the carrier O2 in the UK. Before I purchased the phone, the product code changed to GT-I9505ZKASIM, which is Slovenian firmware, specifically SI Mobil. About a month after I purchased the phone I installed a Black Edition firmware, which changed the product code to GT-I9505ZKAAUT, an unbranded Swiss firmware.
Currently on his phone is an unbranded UK firmware. If the site doesn't reveal the original carrier, the box may, depending on how long he has owned his S4. Some boxes have the product code on a label attached to the box.

Looks like website is down - after registering I got still no data, just message "The TAC info not found on database, we will update in 1-2 days."
Thanks for help - I will try to get details from my friend and I will go back to this when I will have some new infos

[Q] Factory unlocked Note 3 updated with TMO OFW on Kies?

I purchased a factory unlocked note 3 about 2 days ago and out the box was 4.4.4 i presume. The manufacture date was in late 2014. I've been dying to get my hands on the official lollipop update knowing kies is about the only way. Long story short after the reboot i turned my head and i heard the T-mobile boot sound! I look over and see the tmobile boot playing. After that i suddenly have all TMO's bloatware and annoying little offers but weirdly half of the bloatware doesnt work. It all gets errors and so forth. I'm slightly confused as to why this happened. I purchased the note from an official licensed samsung retailer and the box was sealed. I just want to know why or how this could happen? IT just baffles me.

Its a TMobile branded phone is the most likely answer .
Kies has updated by the firmware details etc on the phone .

JJEgan said:
Its a TMobile branded phone is the most likely answer .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But i purchased it brand new, factory unlocked, directly from samsung. I had to order it from the official retailer but i had tracking VIA samsung's official support mail.

Did you try to contact the place you got it from?

What details re CSC firmware etc .
Use Phone Info from Play store .
Kies can only read what's on the phone .
Are you sure Kies gave you an update to lollipop .
Could it be that someone flashed a firmware ???

Strange issue with newly bought used Note 4

I recently bought a used Note 4.
Now when I started using it, I observed something strange on it.
First when i connected it to my laptop for some data transfer i saw a new drive letter popup with Verizon mentioned on it and it automatically installed Verizon's software on my laptop.
Secondly, when I reboot the phone in boot-loader mode to check if the phone is rooted or not, i get the Mobile Model to be SM-N910V whereas when i checked on the back of the phone (under the battery) it is mentioned as SM-N910F; even when i checked Mobile Status under Settings it also shows SM-N910F.
Now i installed Phone Info Samsung from Play Store and it is also saying the Phone Model is SM-N910F whereas in Device Type it is mentioned as trltevzw (i believe this is the model for Verizon based phones). - snapshot attached
Now I am quite confused if I have an international version of Note 4 or Verizon based version.
Also one more thing... Root Checker says my phone is rooted but when i install SUPERSU; i can't update the libraries since it needs TWRP or CWM recovery to update the library (which is not available as my recovery shows stock recovery).
Any help in this regards will be highly helpful.
Thanks!

I'd take your device back to the retailer and get a refund. As there is something fishy about it!

DarkGuyver said:
I'd take your device back to the retailer and get a refund. As there is something fishy about it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dear thanks for your reply but sending it back to retailer is not possible.
So any technical help would be much appreciated. .
Thanks!

Ok just an update...
First i tried installing official ROM (5.0.1) for SM-N910F from SAMMOBILE using ODIN but that failed giving some error.
Next I tried installing Official ROM (5.0.1) for SM-N910V using ODIN and it passed successfully.
Now Phone Info and About Status details match - Phone Model is SM-N910V and Device Type is trltevzw
but while doing this I have lost root access (which was already sort of useless because recovery was stock one)
However now Phone model and Device type part matches up.
Now IMEI on the phone and Phone Info are not matching... Anyone has any info on how to work around that?

AdilJawad said:
Ok just an update...
First i tried installing official ROM (5.0.1) for SM-N910F from SAMMOBILE using ODIN but that failed giving some error.
Next I tried installing Official ROM (5.0.1) for SM-N910V using ODIN and it passed successfully.
Now Phone Info and About Status details match - Phone Model is SM-N910V and Device Type is trltevzw
but while doing this I have lost root access (which was already sort of useless because recovery was stock one)
However now Phone model and Device type part matches up.
Now IMEI on the phone and Phone Info are not matching... Anyone has any info on how to work around that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's happen to me before mate
i bought note 4 the same happen to me ,, in download mode showing me SM-N910P , software (about device showing SM-910F)
Under the battery SM-910F
downloaded the official ROM (5.0.1) for SM-N910F from SAMMOBILE ended with fail
next tried Official ROM (5.0.1) for SM-N910P using ODIN and it passed successfully
********* summary*********
this phone called batched or patched idk exactly, that mean its American version (AT&T Or T-mobile or verizon or Sprint ) but some companies (chines ppl) can change the phone number model to make it like International version 910C or 910F
in the end i return it back and got my original SM-910C
if u can send it back or live with it ,, sorry to say u got cheated
sorry for my bad english

OK I now a functional Verizon note 4 converted from Retail edition to Developer Edition Verizon Note 4.. there is a thread available for it.. I will soon share the link over here..