I'm looking to break my android cherry, having been an iOS user so excuse the noob questions. I have been looking to get a i9305 from Orange (UK). My question is if I get the phone from orange, have it unlocked but not rooted and use a sim card from another carrier like O2 or vodafone will I still get OTA updates as those network carriers don't even sell the i9305.
I'm probably going to go with T-Mobile as they have a good sim only deal at the moment but as only Orange sell the phone on payg, would a T-Mobile sim work without having to unlock the phone?
Lastly how easy is it to remove the stuff that network carriers put on the phone, simple a case of deleting apps or is that where rooting comes in?
If you unlocked it you would get orange branded updates, you can solve this by flashing an unbranded or O2 branded stock ROM.
And to debloat you need to be rooted because the carrier apps are installed on the system partition which is only accessible by the root user.
Also I would ask T-Mobile or Orange about the sim question because they are changing carrier to EE now so it may work if not just buy what you want and unlock it (or flash everything can be solved by flashing)
I take pleasure in welcoming you to the world of Android and hope you have a nice time being free from the shackles of a corporate entity.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
delsus said:
If you unlocked it you would get orange branded updates, you can solve this by flashing an unbranded or O2 branded stock ROM.
And to debloat you need to be rooted because the carrier apps are installed on the system partition which is only accessible by the root user.
Also I would ask T-Mobile or Orange about the sim question because they are changing carrier to EE now so it may work if not just buy what you want and unlock it (or flash everything can be solved by flashing)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info. Couple more noob questions. If I get the phone on orange, unlock it and use a t-mobile sim, flash it with for example and unbranded stock ROM, then which updates will I get or from who? Directly from Samsung?
Wouldn't flashing an unbranded ROM automatically remove the bloat and by that I mean the stuff Orange put on not the original bloat from Samsung if that makes sense. And for future updates should then install without any problems as it's a stock ROM not a custom one? Would a stock rom increase the flash counter? If so how can I reset it?
Where can I get an unbranded ROM for the i9305 from, if there even is one (Sammobile isn't showing a UK version yet), and do you know of a guide I can follow? I've got a old HTC, might try on that first just in case I end up bricking it.
Sorry about all the questions. Really appreciate the help.
delsus said:
I take pleasure in welcoming you to the world of Android and hope you have a nice time being free from the shackles of a corporate entity.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, just ordered the phone. Free from apple's shackles lol
jahuss65 said:
Thanks for the info. Couple more noob questions. If I get the phone on orange, unlock it and use a t-mobile sim, flash it with for example and unbranded stock ROM, then which updates will I get or from who? Directly from Samsung?
Wouldn't flashing an unbranded ROM automatically remove the bloat and by that I mean the stuff Orange put on not the original bloat from Samsung if that makes sense. And for future updates should then install without any problems as it's a stock ROM not a custom one? Would a stock rom increase the flash counter? If so how can I reset it?
Where can I get an unbranded ROM for the i9305 from, if there even is one (Sammobile isn't showing a UK version yet), and do you know of a guide I can follow? I've got a old HTC, might try on that first just in case I end up bricking it.
Sorry about all the questions. Really appreciate the help.
Thanks, just ordered the phone. Free from apple's shackles lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes flashing an unbranded ROM will remove the bloatware and you will get updates from Samsung.
There is a PC application which can find stock ROMs direct from Samsung's servers called checkfus, search with that if a ROM exists it will find it.
And a stock ROM shouldn't increase the flash counter only custom you can use the triangle away app to reset it from chainfire.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
delsus said:
Yes flashing an unbranded ROM will remove the bloatware and you will get updates from Samsung.
There is a PC application which can find stock ROMs direct from Samsung's servers called checkfus, search with that if a ROM exists it will find it.
And a stock ROM shouldn't increase the flash counter only custom you can use the triangle away app to reset it from chainfire.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I'll have a look at checkfus. :good:
Related
Hi Guys
Just bought a 2nd hand Ace (UK) locked and branded to T-Mobile 2.2.1
If I install the VillainRom am I correct in saying this removes the branding and roots the phone !
I have downloaded all the files from here etc...
Also I read all this 'Bricking' if I try and unlock the phone with the methods posted on here, do I chance this, or get a code for a tenner etc ?
Thanks
maxmix
Branding & root
I don't know about branding but it obviously gives you root permissions. Hence you'll lose your warranty.
adiles said:
I don't know about branding but it obviously gives you root permissions. Hence you'll lose your warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can UNROOT it any time, with this:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=12874680&postcount=1
And you can go back to your stok ROM. Just register in http://www.samfirmware.com/. There is all what you need to flashing back to your stock ROM.
CHEERS!
Thanks, I kinda knew about the going back to original Rom, I regged on the Samsung site a while back, I have these files...
Well I used Odin and the 2.3.3 Villain Rom from one of the guides on here, all went well, (After I got the Ops file lol)
This also removed the branding and the phone has the Super User icon now, so I presume it is Rooted now...
The unlocking is dodgy from trying to read the code from the phone, so i'm just going to buy a Network unlock code...
Thanks
maxmix
casiocas said:
You can UNROOT it any time, with this:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=12874680&postcount=1
And you can go back to your stok ROM. Just register in http://www.samfirmware.com/. There is all what you need to flashing back to your stock ROM.
CHEERS!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
Sorry if this sounds dumb, but moving from a ZTE blade to a SGS2 I'd rather check and sound dumb than mess up.
I managed to root and flash a custom rom on my SGS2, but wanted to double check before downloading the carrier stock rom for safe keeping. I'm on Orange UK and when I look there are 2 stock roms for this, BVKE2 and the other is BVKG3. I assume KG3 is newer but if I remember right mine was originally KH2, so does it matter which rom I get?
thanks
Sean
not really. Im assuming you are keeping it incase you have to flash it back for warranty purposes? If so it wont matter which one you keep as long as they are definitely orange uk branded roms.
Thanks, yes it's just incase I need to return for any reason.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Hello XDA,
i just got a Galaxy Note from Bell and got it unlocked to use it with another carrier.
i just wanted to remove all the bell apps and make a fresh samsung phone basically debrand it.
wanted to know how to do so.
thanks
You can root it and use Titanium Backup to remove those Bell's crapware.
Detail instruction about rooting is in the development forum.
Be aware that rooting may bump up the flash counter. Until the ICS is release the devs currently have no plan of release flash counter reset app. So think twice... So you really bother by all those Bell Apps? If rooting is not your priority you can just make a folder and dump them all in. Out of sight, out of mind.
Very good answer my friend, I have bell but I'm not rooting the phone, all the new features the ics will bring will be awesome
Sent from my SGH-I717M using XDA App
chavitoracing said:
Very good answer my friend, I have bell but I'm not rooting the phone, all the new features the ics will bring will be awesome
Sent from my SGH-I717M using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even if you root it, you will still be able to flash the Bell ICS rom once it comes out. It just won't be downloaded automatically OTA.
thanks
thanks for all the replies i guess im sticking to them and when ICS comes out will it be from samsung or bell and then will all the apps be removed and a fresh ICS will be on the phone?
BTW ICS is coming out on March 1st right?
sniper26 said:
Hello XDA,
i just got a Galaxy Note from Bell and got it unlocked to use it with another carrier.
i just wanted to remove all the bell apps and make a fresh samsung phone basically debrand it.
wanted to know how to do so.
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Without a back to stock flash, I would root (see development forum) and then use RootExplorer to move apps from System\App to a folder on the internal SD card, or external.
This way you can experiment to get rid of apps and you can therefore put them back.
To put them back you just copy/move them back to System\App and set permissions to match the other PRCs (rw-r--r--)
After that a reboot, and the apps are back on the phone.
LTE version
I currently have an unlocked and generic version but would like to get one with US LTE but with no junk apps. Can't I just flash a generic firmware from the i7000 variant?
Thanks
I'm station in Guam and purchased At&T Galaxy S2 on E-bay. I used unlockedthatphone.com to unlocked the phone and rooted the phone using galaxts2root.com method. The problem that I'm having is that the phone is always roaming; if you go to settings,about phone, under status, it shows roaming when I know it's not. Is there a way I can make the phone think that it's not roaming?
version 2.3.4
base band I777UCPLC5
kernel version 2.6.35.7_ZedomaxStockKernel
build number Gingerbread.UCKH7
Here in Guam I'm with DOCOMO PACIFIC
So u paid someone to unlock the phone. When there's an app that does it for free on the Android market? That does suck.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium
Phalanx7621 said:
So u paid someone to unlock the phone. When there's an app that does it for free on the Android market? That does suck.
Sent from my SGH-I777 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks bro! Now my phone it's not in roaming status anymore.
iggynasty said:
Thanks bro! Now my phone it's not in roaming status anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i like the response.
Bottom line is you used a different site to root your phone, we dont support that site here. why you no ask them whats up with thier stuff?
Want to fix it. start over following the guides here.
MotoMudder77 said:
i like the response.
Bottom line is you used a different site to root your phone, we dont support that site here. why you no ask them whats up with thier stuff?
Want to fix it. start over following the guides here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was the reason I posted the question...GUIDANCE..THX MotoMudder77. The thing is that I was under the impression that the phone was on roaming status because it was made for AT&T and if used on any other network it will show roaming.
So, you want me to unroot the phone and lock it? How do I do that?
Could flash back to stock, might be necessary if you have issues with any of the
If you have clock work recovery, you could just flash a ROM that you find suitable for .
Full wipe in recovery. If you don't have recovery, you'll have to flash a Kernal with it, using Odin our heimdall.
MotoMudder77 said:
Could flash back to stock, might be necessary if you have issues with any of the
If you have clock work recovery, you could just flash a ROM that you find suitable for .
Full wipe in recovery. If you don't have recovery, you'll have to flash a Kernal with it, using Odin our heimdall.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I unrooted the phone using 2a.) Flash the UCKH7-CL503881 stock kernel and system package using Odin3 One-Click Downloader (Windows) (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1313659) and did a factory reset. The only thing I can't do is to lock the phone back to AT&T sim cards, so pretty much the phone still unlocked. I still have the same problem, every time I pop that DOCOMO SIM card in and look at the phone status, it still shows roaming when I know that's not the case.
Do you think if a change the modem/radio it will go away?
iggynasty said:
So I unrooted the phone using 2a.) Flash the UCKH7-CL503881 stock kernel and system package using Odin3 One-Click Downloader (Windows) (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1313659) and did a factory reset. The only thing I can't do is to lock the phone back to AT&T sim cards, so pretty much the phone still unlocked. I still have the same problem, every time I pop that DOCOMO SIM card in and look at the phone status, it still shows roaming when I know that's not the case.
Do you think if a change the modem/radio it will go away?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You dont want to re-lock the phone, if thats even possible.
but being that your on a stock at&t ROM, the fact that your on a different carrier than at&t, the phone probably just thinks its roaming.
You could try an international ROM, if you hellraise it, or grab a ported one from the ported dev section.
MotoMudder77 said:
You dont want to re-lock the phone, if thats even possible.
but being that your on a stock at&t ROM, the fact that your on a different carrier than at&t, the phone probably just thinks its roaming.
You could try an international ROM, if you hellraise it, or grab a ported one from the ported dev section.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was able to locked the phone with samsung galaxy unlock app from the market and unlocked it with the same app. You are right, because the phone is on a different carrier than at&t it thinks that is roaming when we know it's not. I flashed Shostock2 v2.2.6 w/cherrypicker v1.1 and I still get the roaming status. Schostock2 is a i9100 ICS base rom but that didn't work, don't get me wrong I'm loving Shostock2 it's just annoying having that r right next to the signal bars.
I'm currently on Oranges I9300BVALE4 Firmware, is it possible to use Odin to flash I9300XXBLFB over it? I just want clarification before I do something which I don't know the outcome.
Thanks
Fridge Salesman said:
I'm currently on Oranges I9300BVALE4 Firmware, is it possible to use Odin to flash I9300XXBLFB over it? I just want clarification before I do something which I don't know the outcome.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If u don't no what u are doing I would not flash anything till u do if u still want to download the orange one first so anything go wrong u can flash bk
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
I know what I'm doing, I just want clarification that it works before finding out myself.
Whether it works is only dependend on the hardware (and thus name), not carrier or branded Rom.
If you're on i9300 or i9300T it will work, otherwise you need to go to the correct forum and follow their corresponding tutorial
In a similar vein, after a successful flash, can updates then occur automatically without the need for flashing every time new stock firmware becomes available? I ask because when I come to selling on, I don't want potential buyers put off because, let's face it, the majority of people don't understand the whole flashing thing and will run a mile.