Tuesday, 17 September 2013

Update Galaxy S4 I9500 to Latest Jelly Bean 4.2.2 XWUBMG1 Firmware.

The Exynos version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 had just received a new Android OTA update, as the Jelly Bean 4.2.2 XWUBMG1 firmware has been rolled out. The software is available for the Indian users of the SGS4 but the update can be installed by all those who own the I9500 model of the smartphone. So, if you haven’t receive the notification yet, or if you need to manually flash the latest Android 4.2.2 JB XWUBMG1 OS on your Galaxy S4, then use this step by step guide which will easily take you through the installation procedure.
Since the XWUBMG1 firmware is the official OTA that has been released by Samsung for the Galaxy S4 I9500 handsets, you can flash the software anytime you need to restore the warranty, downgrade to stock Android OS, revoke the root access or relock the bootloader. When manually applying official ROMs you are restoring the default Jelly Bean system along with the stock features, apps and capabilities. That’s why you can restore the warranty (it gets voided once you root and install a custom ROM) and relock the bootloader of your phone.
But, mostly the manual update operation is being required if you have a rooted handset. When gaining root access you are removing the factory and default restrictions, which mean that you won’t be able to receive or apply further OTA updates. The official releases of the Android platform will have to be manually installed on your Galaxy S4. If that’s the case, then this step by step guide will be more than helpful for you.

Considering the up mentioned lines, this guide is compatible with rooted and locked smartphones, though if your S4 is rooted now the root access will be revoked – for gaining root access once more you will have to use a tutorial that’s suitable with the new Jelly Bean 4.2.2 XWUBMG1 firmware -> use this guide.
Still, you are dealing with an manual update method, so for being able to complete the same ensure: that you have access to a Windows running computer on which the Galaxy S4 I9500 drivers must be installed – use Samsung KIES for flashing the drivers manually; your phone and its USB cable must be near you because you have to connect the device with the computer; that’s why on your S4 go to “Settings -> Applications -> Development” and enable the USB debugging option; the process will be complex and will take a while to complete so charge the battery of your device before going any further; uninstall or temporarily deactivate the security protection (antivirus, antimalware or Firewall) that is running on both computer and SGS4.

How to Update Galaxy S4 I9500 to Latest Jelly Bean 4.2.2 XWUBMG1 Firmware

Remember to install the SGS4 drivers on your computer.
Download Odin on your PC.
Save the program and then unzip the file on desktop.
Finally, run Odin.
Download the update file on your computer.
Use the link from here; save the file on desktop and then unzip the firmware package.
Turn off your phone as you need to enter it in download mode.
The Galaxy S4 can be booted into download mode by: press Power, Volume Down and Home buttons at the same time for a couple of seconds.
After booting into download mode, connect your smartphone with the computer.
Use the USB cable to establish the connection – on your phone USB debugging must be enabled.
Odin should recognize your phone: the ID:COM section should be yellow or blue and the “added” message should be displayed on the program.
If not, you will have to repeat the steps from above, but first try to reinstall the drivers on your computer.
If everything is working as expected, from Odin select “PDA”.
Select the update file from desktop.
F. reset time and re-partition options must be unchecked on Odin.
Click on “start” for applying the update on your handset.
In the end, on Odin the ID:COM section will be green and the “pass” message will be displayed.
You should unplug the USB cable and reboot your phone as you are done.

Good job; you have learned how to manually update your Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500 to stock Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean XWUBMG1 firmware. If there were issues while trying to resolve the steps from above follow:
In case Odin gets stuck: disconnect your phone from the computer and force restart your Galaxy S4; then, close Odin and reinstall the drivers on your computer; run Odin, reboot your handset in download mode and repeat the update operation from the beginning.
In case your SGS4 gets stuck in a boot loop: reboot into recovery mode: press and hold Power, Volume Up and Home buttons; then from recovery select “wipe data factory reset” and “wipe cache partition”; end the troubleshooting by choosing “+++go back+++” and “reboot system now”.

Monday, 3 December 2012

Samsung’s Galaxy S3 is still the most popular phone in the UK, Nexus 4 is the surprising number five

Having no serious competition in the Android universe ever since its launch, Samsung’s Galaxy S3 was bound to suffer a drop in popularity after the introduction of Apple’s iPhone 5. And while we can’t go as far as say the S3 is still selling as it did three or six months back, it’s definitely not fallen as some expected.
In UK, for instance, the S3 is still the most sought after phone – for the seventh consecutive month. Based on a report compiled by uSwitch, live searches, pre-orders and pay monthly sales brought the crown to the 4.8-incher again, but that’s not the only bad news for Apple.
The number two handheld in the chart is the dated iPhone 4S and not the brand new iPhone 5, which is considered a bit on the expensive side by British tech lovers. We don’t know if the new iPhone stands any chance to turn the tables around by Christmas, but, according to Ernest Doku, a telecoms expert at uSwitch, the 4S remains the biggest threat for the Galaxy S3. Now that’s a big oops for Apple!
What could be even more troubling for Cupertino is what’s behind the two iPhones. At number four and five we have two other big Android guns that very nicely blend the past and the future. The Samsung Galaxy S2 is right behind the podium, despite being more than a year and a half old, while the surprising number five is Google and LG’s Nexus 4.

Nexus 4’s presence in the top is not shocking in the sense that we weren’t expecting the phone to be popular, but it’s definitely unexpected considering that it has only been up for grabs in the UK for… half an hour. Now think about how the Nexus 4 could advance in the top if Google were to clean up the whole demand and supply mess.
As for the GS2, we know very well that’s a very solid phone despite its age, so with the right holiday incentives and special offers, we reckon its popularity could grow even more.
Moving on towards the bottom of the top ten, we have three other Samsung phones there, the Galaxy Ace, Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy Ace 2 in sixth, seven and tenth respectively. The Sony Xperia U is the number eight, while HTC’s One X takes the number nine spot.
We don’t see anyone of these moving on much higher soon, so the battle for the top stop in December is going to be between Samsung, Apple and Google/LG. Who do you think will prevail?

Samsung Galaxy S3 to get Multi-View?

Right now, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (see above) delivers Multi-View support for their users, which basically means one is able to enjoy using different “windows”, or “views”, to work, thereby increasing one’s productivity levels along the way. Perhaps this feature is not going to remain limited to just the Galaxy Note 2, as there are indications that Multi-View support for the Samsung Galaxy S3 is on its way, should rumors of the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update headed for the Galaxy S3 sometime in December prove to be true.
Apparently, this software update is said to make the phone even more stable than it already is, in addition to carrying the aforementioned feature known as Multi-View. Hopefully the smaller viewing real estate on the Galaxy S3 will not be a hindrance when it comes to handling Multi-View, as logic dictates that the larger the display, the easier it is to take advantage of multiple windows. Time to sit down, hang tight and wait for an official announcement!
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: 3 million Samsung Galaxy Note 2 sold in little over a month, T-Mobile Galaxy Note 2 has LTE radio built-in,

Galaxy S III vs. Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy S II: what's changed?

We're here live at Samsung's unveiling of the Galaxy S III and while it was going on, we furiously built this chart to see how the biggest phone of the year stacks up against its two progenitors. Here's some trivia: that 4.8-inch display is 22 percent bigger than the Galaxy S II's, but its overall dimensions only grew by 16 percent. If you're interested in those sort of details, then after the break is where you need to be.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy S III vs. Galaxy Nexus

Continue reading Galaxy S III vs. Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy S II: what's changed?

Simple Guide to Better Battery Life on Galaxy S III

Smartphones have become incredibly powerful over the past few years. And as we all know, with great power, comes great power consumption! Unfortunately, battery technology hasn’t been evolving at the same pace as smartphones. For this reason, battery life has become a major concern for most smartphone users today. On highly powerful devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S III, some users find it difficult to last an entire day.
While you can’t really do anything to magically increase your battery life to several days, there are certain steps that can allow you to get the most possible. XDA Forum Moderator Woodrube has written a simple, easy to follow guide to help yield 20+ hours of battery life on a single charge on your Galaxy S III. This multi-post guide covers basic tips and tricks, ROM/kernel related suggestions, memory management tips, and apps to help you get the most juice out of your battery.
While the guide has been written with the Galaxy S III in mind, many of these steps should apply to other smartphones as well. Visit the forum thread for more details and the complete guide.

How to Update Galaxy S3 GT I9300 with Ultima ROM Jelybean 4.2 Custom ROM Firmware

…Ultima ROM for Samsung Galaxy S3 GT I9300 smartphone can now be easily updated which comes with the goodness of all the features of Nexus 4 and Galaxy Note 2 which is utter impressive, isn’t it? For your convenience, we have not only mentioned the list of features which have been ported in this firmware but also we have mentioned the screen captures on how this custom ROM firmware looks like.
(This is a preview of the article from Android Advices Click on the Title to read the entire entry.)
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How to Fix the Glowing Red Border on Your Samsung Galaxy S III's Display

So, you finally got the Jelly Bean update on your Samsung Galaxy S III, but one little problem—you've got some red glow around the edges of your screen now. Is your phone messed up? No, it's just a tiny glitch that some users have been reporting after updating their Galaxy S3s to Android 4.1.1, and there are a few quick ways to get rid of it.
Method #1
Go to Developer Settings in the Settings menu on your phone, then turn off Strick Mode. This mode makes the screen flash when certain applications are using a lot of system power. Then turn of Strict Mode. This mode makes the screen flash when... more

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