Root Galaxy S3 On Android 4.1.2 [How-To Tutorial]

Samsung has adopted a yearly cycle of releasing new flagships in its Galaxy lineup of Android smartphones, and this year was no exception, brining to Android fans all across the globe the new and fabled Galaxy S4. While the latest king has already taken the throne and caused its predecessor, the Galaxy S III GT-I9300, to step aside in the smartphone arena, there’s no denying the fact that the device still remains a very capable and powerful one, fulfilling the needs of millions of users out there. Another testament to the fact is that Samsung is continuing to bring newer firmware for Galaxy S III International, with the latest one being released just this month, coming with PDA build I9300XXEMC2 and Android version 4.1.2. While the Galaxy S III still has to see an official Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update from Samsung, there are open source, community driven projects available that can let you taste the latest Android on GT-I9300. If you don’t opt that way, you may want to root your device on the latest firmware, for which we offer you this guide.

Before we get to the actual rooting process, allow me to clarify that as of this writing, I9300XXEMC2 is the latest officially available firmware for the international version of Samsung Galaxy S III GT-I9300, distributed by Samsung through Kies. It comes with Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, and offers improvements over previous versions like faster app launcher redraws, faster launching of applications, improved performance of the Phone and Contacts apps, better RAM utilization, and other general enhancements. The battery life also seems to have improved, but will vary from one usage scenario to the other.

The root method that we will opt for here will make use of Chainfire’s CF-Root, which is arguably the easiest rooting technique for a huge variety of devices by now. Do understand, however, that while this method is tried and tested, we or the developer cannot take any responsibility for any damage to your device as a result of following these instructions. Proceed at your own risk.

Requirements

• Samsung Galaxy S III GT-I9300 (International version) with more than 50% battery remaining, 100% just to be on the safer side of the fence
• CF-Root package for Galaxy S3
• Odin3 v3.07
• Latest Samsung USB drivers (should already be there if you have Kies installed)
• Galaxy S3 USB cable for connection

Procedure

Step 1: Download both Odin3 and CF-Auto Root packages from the link above. Extract the contents of the root package to a location of your choice.

Step 2: Launch Odin3, click the PDA button and select the .tar.md5 file that you extracted from the CF Root package.

Step 3: Make sure that Re-partition is unchecked in Odin3, and that nothing is selected in PIT.

Step 4: Turn off your Galaxy S III an

d put it in download mode by pressing and holding volume down+power+home at the same time, and then pressing volume up for confirmation.

Step 5: With your device in Download Mode, connect it to the PC using the USB cable. If all went correct, Odin3 will detect the device, indicated by a COM address in the top left corner of Odin3.

Step 6: Double check that the correct PDA file is selected and that re-partition isn’t checked, and hit the Start button to begin flashing the rooted kernel.

Step 7: Once the flash is complete, the phone will reboot and enter recovery mode, automatically initiating the rooting procedure. It will reboot once more.

That’s it – your Galaxy S III GT-I9300 is now rooted on the latest XXEMC2 firmware. Enjoy!

You can follow us by "like" our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the web.

Related articles

• How to root Galaxy S3 I9300 running Android 4.1.2 XXEMD2 firmware
• Samsung Galaxy S on Ice Cream Sandwich 3 rooting guide
• Root Galaxy S3 On Android 4.1.2 [How-To Tutorial]
• How to update Galaxy S3 I9300 to official Android 4.1.2 XXEMD2

How To Permanently Carrier Unlock Galaxy S III & Galaxy Note II For Free [Tutorial]

One of the biggest hindrances with buying a top-of-the-line smartphone, is the premium price that you have to pay for it. There are usually two ways of how high-end phones are sold; either you pay the full price to the manufacturer and get an unlocked device, whereby getting the freedom to go with whatever network fancies you. Or, you may opt to buy the phone through a wireless carrier, where you pay a much subsidized rate for a big trade-off: getting stuck with that carrier for the term of your contract. In the latter case, the carrier pays the full price to the manufacturer but sells you the device at a much lower rate, and in turn, locks down the smartphone to their network, so you cannot use a SIM card from another network just like that. That’s a generally agreeable rule for most users.

However, there might be cases when you don’t want to remain stuck with the same cellular service provided, especially if there services aren’t satisfactory. There might also be times where you want to travel abroad, want roaming, but don’t want a local carrier that’s partnered to the one you’re subscribed to. Still others might be times when you just want to unlock your phone. Now, these phones are locked via software code, not at the hardware level, so there’s always a good chance that a good device tinkerer will be able to unlock it and let you get a job done for free that would otherwise cause your wallet to go lighter, even if marginally. Well, if you happen to own a Galaxy Note II, or a Galaxy S III, you might be able to network unlock your Android smartphone entirely free of cost!

The method comes courtesy of the folks over at XDA-Developers, who uncovered a hidden menu buried deep in Samsung’s own software that lets you unlock a pre-locked device. There are some factors to consider before attempting this, however. One, it will work ONLY on locked devices – we don’t know what might happen if you try that on an already-unlocked Galaxy Note II. Two, this method has been tested with only N7105 for the Note II, and while it has been reported to work for the N7100 and some Galaxy S III models, they’re not guaranteed. Three, meddling with these areas of your phone is seriously risky business, so proceed at your own risk.

Please note that these instructions will only work if you’re running Android 4.1 or higher.

Procedure

Step 1: On your Galaxy Note II, launch the phone app and press these keys: 

*#197328640#

Step 2: From the Main Menu, navigate to [1] UMTS > [1]Debug Screen > [8] Phone Control > [6] Network Lock > Options.

Step 3: In the Options screen, choose [3] Perso SHA256 OFF. Wait for 30 seconds after making this selection.

Step 4: Go back one step by pressing the menu key, and then back once. You should now again be in [6] Network Lock

Step 5: Here, now choose [4]NW Lock NV Data INITIALLIZ. Wait for one minute after making the choice.

Step 6: After a minute has passed, reboot your Galaxy Note II.

Your phone should now be unlocked, and ready for use with any carrier. Please note that you will NOT receive any sort of confirmation on the screen, so just put in a different carrier’s SIM and try it out.

For more details and technical assistance, check out the XDA forum thread below.

(Source: XDA-Developers forum thread)

You can follow us by "like" our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the web.

Related articles

• New Verizon Samsung Galaxy S3 has unlocking bootloader
• Galaxy Note to get Android 4.1 by late December
• Galaxy Note III to Feature 13MP Camera with Optical Image Stabilization

How To SIM Unlock Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9505 For Free

Having a network locked device can really hamper how you use it, especially if the network isn’t of your choice. While most of the times, the operator in question would let you unlock your device for a small fee, not everyone might be that lucky. Imagine a scenario where you’re travelling abroad and want to use another network’s SIM card, only to discover that you cannot thanks to a carrier lock. Unlocking can really save you from quite a few hassles and tight spots.

As a rule, you can get almost any device unlocked by paying a small fee directly to the carrier, or to several online services that would let you purchase an IMEI unlock. However, in my personal experience, nothing beats the feeling of doing such a process yourself, and save those precious bucks in the process. Samsung, generally, has been more relaxed towards letting its users carry out a network/SIM unlock on their devices on their own, provided they knew the right steps to follow. Earlier, we brought you a tutorial on how to carrier unlock Samsung Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note IIfairly easily without any specialized tool. Today, we’ll guide you through unlocking of the new flagship from Sammy, Galaxy S4 GT-I9505.

Before we proceed, please be advised that the usual disclaimer applies. Playing around the carrier lock is risky business, and more complicated than your average Android modding. Follow these instructions at your own perusal. Redmond Pie cannot be held liable for any loss whatsoever resulting from following this method. Also, this method applies to GT-I9505 only, and not to other variants of Galaxy S4.

Step 1: Launch the Phone app on your Galaxy S4, and dial in: *#0011#

Step 2: Press the Menu button followed by the Back key. Then, hit the Menu button again and select KEY INPUT. Enter 1 and press the OK button to enter ServiceMode.

Step 3: Press Menu one more time and tap back again. This will pull up the Main Menu forServiceMode. Tap [1] UMTS.

Step 4: Now select [1]DEBUG SCREEN, followed by [6] PHONE CONTROL.

Step 5: From the next screen, pick [6] NETWORK LOCK.

Step 6: You’ll get three options. Hit the one that says [3] PERSO SHA256 OFF.

Step 7: Now, you need to get back to Main Menu. To do this, hit the Menu button followed by theBack key. In Main Menu, now pick [6]COMMON, and then [6] NV REBUILD.

Step 8: The phone will tell you that a Golden Backup exists. Tap [4] Restore Back-up.

Your device will now go through a series of “conditions”, where it will first freeze, then get on a black screen with Blue LED on and both capacitive buttons on, after which it will reboot automatically. The whole cycle might take a couple of minutes, so be patient. Once it powers back on, it’s network unlocked, permanently. Enjoy!

Thanks, Caesar for the hat tip!

You can follow us by "like" our Facebook page to keep yourself updated on all the latest from Microsoft, Google, Apple and the web.

Related articles

• [International Giveaway] Win An International Unlocked 16GB Galaxy S4 LTE (GT-i9505) From Handy Apps And Android Police
• Samsung Galaxy S4 rocks the best phone OLED yet, says report
• Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini release could land alongside plus sized S4 Mega