Greetings again forum.
I haven't been around the forum for a while since my old ass HTC touch pro days lol. But you all seem to be the end all/beat all resource for information on rooting devices. I've rooted a number of devices with help from the tutorials posted here.
Here's my issue. My wife just recieved a new phone for a present for her birthday. Her dad bought it off the "WISH" app on his tablet. From what I can tell this app is for cheap asses who wanna try and get a deal. Here's the problem. It is an unbranded phone. It says M8 under the model number yet there is no HTC branding anywhere. This seemed fishy to me so I started looking things up. Turns out he thought he was ordering a HTC M8 according to the description but ended up with this hunk of Chinese crap. It's not even a clone of anything, to the best I can tell.
I am familiar with clones and Chinese knock offs etc. I actually have an iclone. Here's what I was able to find during my research. It's sold on aliexpress which is known to rip people off. However this device is fairly decent. I can forward the link in a PM if need be. Not sure why it thinks I'm a new user I've been a member for over 8 years lol.
The information on the alixpress site is as shady as it gets. The description says quad core, but the info below says dual core. There are other errors but that's not what I'm here to discuss.
I've attached screenshots of the about page. It should have all the relevant info that someone more familiar than myself would need. Ideally if I can root what's on it with an app or a free one click root, that would be awesome.
If not I am ok with putting clockwork mod recovery on it, if there's a guide on how to. And/or cyanogen or another rooted rom that's compatible with this handset.
If anything more is needed to help me, just post up. I'm more than willing to do what needs to be done to solve this conundrum.
Thanks in advance.
Tiawaz said:
Greetings again forum.
I haven't been around the forum for a while since my old ass HTC touch pro days lol. But you all seem to be the end all/beat all resource for information on rooting devices. I've rooted a number of devices with help from the tutorials posted here.
Here's my issue. My wife just recieved a new phone for a present for her birthday. Her dad bought it off the "WISH" app on his tablet. From what I can tell this app is for cheap asses who wanna try and get a deal. Here's the problem. It is an unbranded phone. It says M8 under the model number yet there is no HTC branding anywhere. This seemed fishy to me so I started looking things up. Turns out he thought he was ordering a HTC M8 according to the description but ended up with this hunk of Chinese crap. It's not even a clone of anything, to the best I can tell.
I am familiar with clones and Chinese knock offs etc. I actually have an iclone. Here's what I was able to find during my research. It's sold on aliexpress which is known to rip people off. However this device is fairly decent. I can forward the link in a PM if need be. Not sure why it thinks I'm a new user I've been a member for over 8 years lol.
The information on the alixpress site is as shady as it gets. The description says quad core, but the info below says dual core. There are other errors but that's not what I'm here to discuss.
I've attached screenshots of the about page. It should have all the relevant info that someone more familiar than myself would need. Ideally if I can root what's on it with an app or a free one click root, that would be awesome.
If not I am ok with putting clockwork mod recovery on it, if there's a guide on how to. And/or cyanogen or another rooted rom that's compatible with this handset.
If anything more is needed to help me, just post up. I'm more than willing to do what needs to be done to solve this conundrum.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
Thank you for using xda assist
You can try posting here and check if someone knows something about the device you have
hope someone can help you out
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2259645
Well I've managed to figure it out by googling all the numbers and letters from the build etc.
As it seems the actual hardware is irrelevant, the software build is what triggered results on Google. It lead me to the name of the rom build and it turns out that it's not really a complicated rom. Seems these Chinese knock off artists took the lazy way out and stuck a vanilla rom on this thing cobbled together with accompanying adware laden software. I wouldn't wish this thing on anyone.. The phone is confirmed as an ALPS M8 with a MTK6580 chipset. Here's what I have done since the post.
Uninstalled the ad riddled software they preloaded onto it.
Removed all the camouflaged affiliate "Google" and "yahoo" bookmarks they preloaded. Buncha sneaky bastards had it running through clickserve ad services.
loaded up king root and it worked like a champ.
Loaded titanium backup, finished removing the rest of the ad revenue crap they cooked into the rom.
It's clean, and the version of King root that worked was the latest as of this date.
Thank you for the referral though, this can be marked as solved. Hopefully it'll add the tag "ALPS M8" to the index so search can find this post. Hope it helps someone else.
Hi,
I recieved one as a gift but obviously since it's Chinese bought with the firmware and lack of Google services, I can't use it. Can anyone help with this? Thanks.
Bump
Hi,
What´s the modelnumber of your phone? Do you mean T-mobile in the US? We need a little bit more info to help.
I think the Chinese S8 is the Exynos version, which means that it´s missing certain freqencies for the USA. So you could use it in the US, but you would have worse networkreception.
Marvinho+ said:
Hi,
What´s the modelnumber of your phone? Do you mean T-mobile in the US? We need a little bit more info to help.
I think the Chinese S8 is the Exynos version, which means that it´s missing certain freqencies for the USA. So you could use it in the US, but you would have worse networkreception.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for responding!
Model number is simply the Chinese one, G550. It doesn't use the Exynos, at least it doesn't say that on GSMARENA. Yes I mean TMobile in the US. I guess that should be fine; I asked in other places and people have told me the bands match up. I'm kind of a noob, but I don't think the technical parts are the problem, I just need like the US version of android so I can get Google play services.
twinshk2 said:
Thanks for responding!
Model number is simply the Chinese one, G550. It doesn't use the Exynos, at least it doesn't say that on GSMARENA. Yes I mean TMobile in the US. I guess that should be fine; I asked in other places and people have told me the bands match up. I'm kind of a noob, but I don't think the technical parts are the problem, I just need like the US version of android so I can get Google play services.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, it uses the same Hardware as the US Model, that´s good. Maybe this thread will help you: https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8/how-to/snap-guide-flashing-standard-fw-carrier-t3625817
I didn´t read the whole thread, maybe somebody had the same question already.
By the way: Your modelnumber should either be: "SM-G9550" or "SM-G9558". A G550 is a whole different Phone
Marvinho+ said:
OK, it uses the same Hardware as the US Model, that´s good. Maybe this thread will help you: https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8/how-to/snap-guide-flashing-standard-fw-carrier-t3625817
I didn´t read the whole thread, maybe somebody had the same question already.
By the way: Your modelnumber should either be: "SM-G9550" or "SM-G9558". A G550 is a whole different Phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the late response. The thread mentions that it's only for US phones though, does that actually matter?
twinshk2 said:
Sorry for the late response. The thread mentions that it's only for US phones though, does that actually matter?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I don´t know if that really matters. I suggest you ask the OP of that thread about your problem.
BTW: Isn´t it possible to install the Play Store on your device? Then you could use most google services.
EDIT: I just stumbled upon this post: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=74014241&postcount=294 This user seams to have the same model as you do and he/her managed to at least install magisk, so you schould send him a message and ask him/her what to do
EDIT2: I found this whole Thread for you: https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8/samsung-galaxy-s8--s8-cross-device-development/recovery-twrp-galaxy-s8-s8-snapdragon-t3636718
It´s almost too obvious to find
there are once again a bunch of models that look similar and I really cant figure out the differences. Has anyone seen a site that shows the differences between these two models?
ekerbuddyeker said:
there are once again a bunch of models that look similar and I really cant figure out the differences. Has anyone seen a site that shows the differences between these two models?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please read here.
https://www.techwalls.com/samsung-galaxy-note-20-ultra-sm-n986-n985-model-number-differences/
https://www.techwalls.com/samsung-galaxy-note-20-model-number-sm-n981-n980-differences/
Thank you! It’s still utterly confusing to try to find the right model when some have exactly the same mode numbers but are different !
ekerbuddyeker said:
Thank you! It’s still utterly confusing to try to find the right model when some have exactly the same mode numbers but are different !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On the right hand side it tells you which country or region it will be sold in.
I have the F916U1 and I have not been able to find someone to unlock it. I tried old links and of course Google led me to a few companies which replied that they can't do it. However, there have been people on this forum with US variants that have said they got it working.
Any leads would be greatly appreciated.
Try: https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/sampwnd-usa-model-bl-unlock-info-u-u1-w.4201689/
Thanks for the lead, looks very promising!
Hi people,
I'm looking forward to buying a Galaxy XCover 5 but I really want to avoid all the Samsung bloatware stuff.
For now, I didn't find any single custom or AOSP ROM for it.
Did I miss something?
Also, I realized that this smartphone isn't in the Samsung topics list yet.
Best, taiBsu
taiBsu said:
Hi people,
I'm looking forward to buying a Galaxy XCover 5 but I really want to avoid all the Samsung bloatware stuff.
For now, I didn't find any single custom or AOSP ROM for it.
Did I miss something?
Also, I realized that this smartphone isn't in the Samsung topics list yet.
Best, taiBsu
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do a Google search for:
"Custom ROMs for (the specific model number of the device)"
If that doesn't find anything then there is nothing for that device.
Use this same search for for every device that you want to investigate, just use the model number for each device when you search.
Another thing you may want to investigate. Do a Google search for:
"TWRP for (the specific model number of the device)"
If that doesn't find anything then there is no TWRP for that device, which means there are probably no ROMs for that device either because it requires TWRP to flash custom ROMs.
Anytime you are interested in a device and you want to see if anything is available for it, do these exact searches and it will find if anything is available for that device.
Droidriven said:
Do a Google search for:
"Custom ROMs for (the specific model number of the device)"
If that doesn't find anything then there is nothing for that device.
Use this same search for for every device that you want to investigate, just use the model number for each device when you search.
Another thing you may want to investigate. Do a Google search for:
"TWRP for (the specific model number of the device)"
If that doesn't find anything then there is no TWRP for that device, which means there are probably no ROMs for that device either because it requires TWRP to flash custom ROMs.
Anytime you are interested in a device and you want to see if anything is available for it, do these exact searches and it will find if anything is available for that device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Droidriven,
thanks for your reply. However, when I wrote "I didn't find" that meant that this was the result of following exactly the steps you described. It's not that I was just too lazy to ask Google, more of asking specifically in the XDA community for potential less popular or unofficial ROMs that might not be found by simply googling them. Also, it might have been possible that some devs are at the moment working on a G525F version of some custom Android.
taiBsu said:
Hi Droidriven,
thanks for your reply. However, when I wrote "I didn't find" that meant that this was the result of following exactly the steps you described. It's not that I was just too lazy to ask Google, more of asking specifically in the XDA community for potential less popular or unofficial ROMs that might not be found by simply googling them. Also, it might have been possible that some devs are at the moment working on a G525F version of some custom Android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was just saying that if those searches haven't found anything, that is a pretty good indicator that there is nothing to find.
Droidriven said:
Do a Google search for:
"Custom ROMs for (the specific model number of the device)"
If that doesn't find anything then there is nothing for that device.
Use this same search for for every device that you want to investigate, just use the model number for each device when you search.
Another thing you may want to investigate. Do a Google search for:
"TWRP for (the specific model number of the device)"
If that doesn't find anything then there is no TWRP for that device, which means there are probably no ROMs for that device either because it requires TWRP to flash custom ROMs.
Anytime you are interested in a device and you want to see if anything is available for it, do these exact searches and it will find if anything is available for that device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I literally registered just to say how much of an absolute waste of time you are. If you're not going to help beyond not reading people's posts where they've said they've looked for something and just by default go to tell them to google it because you don't know it, then stop wasting all of our time and just delete your account. Your ego is atrocious for a forum troll. Go touch some grass.
droadrivenisapos said:
I literally registered just to say how much of an absolute waste of time you are. If you're not going to help beyond not reading people's posts where they've said they've looked for something and just by default go to tell them to google it because you don't know it, then stop wasting all of our time and just delete your account. Your ego is atrocious for a forum troll. Go touch some grass.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It wasn't an "I don't know" reply. It was an "if you want to find ROMs for your device, this is how you do it" reply, because that is exactly what they needed to do to see "IF"(keyword, IF) there are any ROMs for their device, because, IF there are ROMs for their device, the search I suggested would find it/them, if it doesn't find anything then there is nothing, which answers their question pretty directly. Yes, they said they already "searched" but how am I to know whether or not they did proper and valid searches? How do I know if they searched specifically by model number or not, since they didn't state what searches they had done or how thoroughly they had done it? What if the searching they had done was vague and non specific? What if, after potentially vaguely and non specifically searching and finding nothing, they came here to ask? If their searches were vague and non specific, then, my reply would have helped them refine their searches specific to their device, if anything exists for the device? There are more layers to the scenario than you realize from the outside looking in.
My reply told them everything they needed to know in order to find/not find what they were looking for. It was also to indirectly say "if you've already done those searches and didn't find anything, then that is a pretty good indicator that there is nothing for your device". Given that they already did those searches and didn't find anything, that means that coming here and asking was the ACTUAL "waste of time". The only time I wasted was to respond to a question that they had already answered for themselves when their searches didn't find anything, whether they knew it or not. Now, you've wasted time debating a reply that was actually a valid answer, you wasted even more time by registering just to do that. Your reply is how you feel about it, but, in reality, what you have had to say about it is completely irrelevant.
I'm assuming that you think a valid answer would have only and expressly been to post a ROM for them, a ROM that doesn't exist? Are you the type that thinks I should just give them a fish that doesn't exist rather than teaching them to fish for themselves to see if the fish they are looking for exists or not? Exactly how was I supposed to reply to a post when the answer they are looking for doesn't exist? You call my post "trolling" even though it told them exactly what they needed to know in order to find a valid answer, if the answer exists. This actually makes you and your reply the "troll", as you call it.
Have a nice day.
taiBsu said:
Hi people,
I'm looking forward to buying a Galaxy XCover 5 but I really want to avoid all the Samsung bloatware stuff.
For now, I didn't find any single custom or AOSP ROM for it.
Did I miss something?
Also, I realized that this smartphone isn't in the Samsung topics list yet.
Best, taiBsu
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you find some rom? just going to start searching for one...
Minor news:
Managed to get Lineage OS 20 GSI by AndyYan on the phone by modifying original fimware AP file.
However right off the bat there were two issues -
1/ after phone went to sleep by hitting the power button once to lock it the screen stops reacting.
Luckily the battery is replaceable
2/ it did not even ask to unlock the SIM card
Right now I am trying to de-bloat the original firmware a bit for daily usage. Still don't like it.
That said there are some resources out there
- Samsung provides official kernel for Android 13
- you can find twrp for A21s which also has Exynos 850 - would be nice if someone tested it
Got custom kernel and Lineage GSI into one ROM. (lot's of work on that samsung malicious compliance "open-source" kernel). Flashed to the phone but...
Stuck on the "This phone is running unauthorized software." at the moment.
Not sure where the issue is. Wheter with the kernel I managed to prepare of with some security mechanism.
Probably need to disable proca or something. Maybe time to give up for now.
anubhait said:
Got custom kernel and Lineage GSI into one ROM. (lot's of work on that samsung malicious compliance "open-source" kernel). Flashed to the phone but...
Stuck on the "This phone is running unauthorized software." at the moment.
Not sure where the issue is. Wheter with the kernel I managed to prepare of with some security mechanism.
Probably need to disable proca or something. Maybe time to give up for now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The "unauthorized software" thing is usually because your running custom/unofficial software on a device that has a locked bootloader, the bootloader wants to see the software that it is "supposed" to have.
Nope, bootloader is properly unlocked. I made double sure about that.
I used to have S10 and that screen was pretty standard.
Reading some posts on that it seems I might have to downgrade firmware to some older version.
Unless I got the kernel wrong.
I remember that back in the day ivan meyer or someone of similar nick used to make LOS for it and always there was specific version of firmware needed. Not the newest one.
I tried with the newest one sofar while the kernel source from samsung is probably kind of late 2022-ish.
Perhaps I will try with older firmware later this week.
Ended up just rooting with magisk and debloating since I needed to start using the phone.
Battery life for my low usage is a week now.
No issues sofar.
(Apologies if this is hijacking the thread - it seems to be the only place mentioning the xcover5 and I did originally come here looking for ROMs)
My new xcover 5 arrived today, but I can't get through the setup - it goes through several screens then prompts for a Microsoft Business Account - which I don't have. The only option from there is Sign-in or Reset Device. Samsung have said to return it to the seller, although am not sure how much their chat-support understood my problem. None of the setup guides / marketing material mention needing a Microsoft Business Account... so I wonder whether I've been sent a phone that's been previously used and somehow locked down to a big company's settings - and if so whether I can reflash/splat it.
It might be safer to just return it because of warranty laws..don't know how that works where you are.
But if you want to at least try then:
How to update your Samsung Galaxy smartphone and install official firmware
Follow these instructions to manually install Android updates through recovery and full firmware using Odin on Samsung Galaxy smartphones.
www.xda-developers.com
If the phone is hard-locked by some corp on firmware level you might not be able to reflash it.