Galaxy S4 I9505 (Snapdragon 600)
Update Galaxy S4 I9505 (Snapdragon 600) to Official Android 4.2.2 XXUBMG5 Jelly Bean Firmware .

Samsung recently rolled out a spate of official Jelly Bean firmware updates for its flagship smartphone variants, Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 and GT-I9505 (LTE). The LTE variant of the Galaxy S4 smartphone gets yet another Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Over-The-Air (OTA) update via XXUBMG5 official firmware for Southeast Asian Countries.

The OTA update is currently available for download in Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. As this is an unbranded firmware, it can still be manually installed on any unlocked Galaxy S4 LTE variant in European countries including the UK.

The latest Jelly Bean OTA update brings bug-fixes and performance improvements over its previous release. Those who cannot access the OTA update notification and those who cannot wait for the official firmware release in their country, may use our step-by-step guide to install the same manually.

Firmware details
PDA: I9505XXUBMG5
CSC: I9505OLBBMG1
MODEM: I9505DXUBMG5
Version: Android 4.2.2
Built date: Jul 05, 2013
Regions: Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore

NOTE: Instructions provided in this guide are meant for reference purpose only. IBTimes UK will not be held liable if device is damaged or bricked during or after firmware installation. Users are advised to proceed at their own risk.

Pre-Requisites

  • Download and install the correct USB drivers for Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 on computer
  • Android 4.2.2 I9505XXUBMG5 OTAupdate is compatible withSamsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 model only. Attempting to install the firmware on any other variant may brick or permanently damage the device. Verify your device model number by navigating to Settings > About Phone.
  • Back up important data and settings on your phone before proceeding with firmware installation
  • Ensure that your phone is factory unlocked (not locked to any particular carrier)
  • Make sure the phone's battery is at least 80% charged to prevent unexpected device shutdown during firmware installation
  • Enable USB Debugging mode on the device by navigating to Settings > Developer Options (if device is running on Android 4.0 or later) or go to Settings >Applications> Development (if phone is running on Android 2.3 or earlier). Otherwise if the device is running on Android 4.2, then do the following:
  • Go to Settings > About Phone
  • Scroll down to the bottom and select Build Number
  • Tap the Build Number seven times to unlock or reveal the hidden Developer Options under Settings and then select the checkbox to enable USB Debugging mode under Settings > Developer Options.
  • ODIN is designed to work in Windows OS only. Linux and Mac OS X users should use CrossOver Utility to run ODIN on their computer.

How to Update Galaxy S4 I9505 (Snapdragon 600) to Official Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Firmware

Step 1: Download Android 4.2.2 I9505XXUBMG5 Jelly Bean OTA for Galaxy S4 and Odin v3.07 on your computer.

Step 2: Extract the firmware zip file to the desktop to obtain a .tar.md5 file and some other files (optional).

Step 3: Extract Odin zip file to get Odin3 v3.07.exe as well as few other files.

Step 4: Power off the phone and wait for vibration (about 5-6 seconds) to confirm complete device shutdown. Then boot the device in Download Mode by pressing and holding Volume Down, Home and Power buttons together until a construction Android robot icon appears on screen. Then hit Volume Up button to progress into Download Mode.

Step 5: Launch Odin3 v3.07.exe that you extracted in Step 3 as an Administrator, as Admin privileges are required to complete the installation process smoothly.

Step 6: Connect the Galaxy S4 to computer via USB cable, while the phone is still in Download mode. When the device connects successfully, a message saying "Added!" appears in ODIN and the ID: COM box will turn yellow with the corresponding COM port number. If the message fails to appear, try reinstalling the phone's USB drivers or changing the port on the computer.

Step 6: Choose the following files from the extracted I9505XXUBMG5 firmware folder that you obtained in Step 1 by using respective checkboxes:

  • Select the PDA checkbox, and click the '.tar.md5' file
  • Tap the Phone checkbox, and select the file named 'modem' (ignore if such file is not found)
  • Choose the CSC checkbox, and click the file named 'CSC' (ignore if there is no such file)
  • Click the PIT checkbox, and choose the '.pit' file (ignore if the file is missing)

Step 7: In Odin, enable Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time options by selecting the checkboxes. But the Re-Partition checkbox must be selected only if a .pit file was chosen in the previous step in ODIN.

Step 8: To prevent ROM related errors, verify Step 6 and Step 7 are done correctly. Then hit the START button to begin flashing the firmware.

Step 9: Once the firmware installation is complete, the phone will reboot automatically and soon a PASS message with green background appears in the left-most box at the very top of Odin. Now it is safe to unplug the USB cable to disconnect the device from computer.

The Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 is now running on the latest Android 4.2.2 I9505XXUBMG5 Jelly Bean OTA update. Go to Settings > About Phone to verify the firmware installed.

Troubleshooting:

If the phone is stuck at boot animation or Samsung logo after Step 9, then go to recovery mode (press and hold the Volume Up, Home and Power buttons together) and perform Wipe data/Factory Reset as well as Wipe Cache Partition before choosing reboot system now option. NOTE: Use Volume keys to navigate between options and Power key to select an option in recovery. Performing data wipe task will only erase your phone's internal memory and not the data on SD card.

Now that you have installed the latest official Jelly Bean OTA update on your Galaxy S4, you can root the same with CF-Auto-Root using our tutorial given below.

Downloads Required for Rooting

How to Root Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 Running on Android 4.2.2 XXUBMG5 Jelly Bean Official Firmware

Step 1: Extract CF-Auto-Root and Odin 3.07 zip files using winrar or 7zip or winzip and copy files to computer desktop.

Step 2: Power off phone and boot it into Download mode by pressing and holding Volume Down, Home and Power buttons until construction Android robot icon with warning triangle appears on screen. Now press Volume Up to enter Download mode.

Step 3: Launch Odin on computer in Administrator mode, as those privileges are required to complete root installation.

Step 4: Connect the Galaxy S4 to computer via USB cable while still in Download mode. Wait until Odin recognises the device and ID: COM box turns yellow or blue with corresponding COM port number. This confirms device is connected successfully.

Step 5: In Odin, click PDA and choose CF-Auto-Root-jflte-jfltexx-gti9505.tar.md5 file.

Step 6: Ensure Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time checkboxes are selected in Odin. Also, verify Re-Partition option is unchecked.

Step 7: Double-check previous steps and click Start to being installation process.

Step 8: Once root installation process completes, phone will reboot and a PASS message with green background appears in the box at the top left of Odin. It is now safe to remove USB cable to disconnect device from computer.

Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 is now rooted on Android 4.2.2 XXUBMG5 official firmware and apps requiring root access can now be installed on the phone. Check root status of device by downloading and installing Root Checker app from Google Play Store.

[Source: Honai of Android (Install / Root)]

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