Samsung Spica (i5700) Android 2.1 update

Bought the new Samsung Spica (aka Galaxy Lite) i5700 yesterday. Amazing phone, great features, quite affordable and cost-effective (<13k in India). 

Phone-spec Summary:

OS: Android (1.5)

Processor: 800 MHz

Screen: 3.2" TFT Full Touch

Camera: 3 MP AutoFocus

Internal Mem (User): 200 MB

External Mem: 2 GB Free, expandable upto 32GB microSD

Other main features: WiFi, 3G, A-GPS, BlueTooth, DivxPlayer, Accelerometer etc 

http://www.samsung.com/ie/consumer/mobile-phones/mobile-phones/touch-screen/GT-I5700UWAXEU/index.idx?pagetype=prd_detail&tab=spec&fullspec=F

Cons: No hardware keyboard, No camera cover, No Radio(FM), 3G is HSDPA (max 3.6Mbps), No TV out, No Video Calls and a little short on inbuilt memory!

Android rocks, but 1.5 is too old and the latest is 2.1. Also 1.5 doesn't support Bluetooth file transfer (OBEX). Although here and there are a few glitches, it is mostly because of the software. Android 2.1 just got officially announced, but it is not available everywhere. They are doing it region by region, starting with some parts of Europe like Germany. Another major issue of Android 1.5 is that the phone is not supported by the software that it comes with (NPS -New PC Studio).... quite weird, huh?!  I tried different versions of PC Studio as well as Kies (newer version, to replace PC Studio in a while), but Kies kept on saying the device is not supported. Even though PC Studio detects the phone as i5700, it gives a message that only 'Update Service' will be supported. Well, even the update service doesn't work though :-(

Because of all the issues of Android 1.5 and hearing all the great features of Android 2.1, I was being restless to upgrade to this ASAP. After lots of googling, reading, researching, trials and many long frustrating hours later, I managed to do it!. Yep, my phone now is now an Éclair (code for 2.1).

I will share the steps here, hoping it would help many frustrated people like me who desperately want to upgrade to 2.1 and don't want to wait till Samsung fixes their software and release the official firmware upgrade!!!

WARNING: These steps should be done by a professional only. I am not responsible for anything that MAY happen to your phone, because of your error or software issues!!!

Step 1) Since you can't install the latest firmware through any of the Samsung provided software (NPS, Kies), we will have to do it the hard way. You need the following to proceed:

  a) Firmware updater (Odin Multi Downloader v4.03)

      http://files.samdroid.net/files/i5700/Odin4_03-Spica_ops.zip#googtrans/auto/en

  b) The firmware (Android 2.1), get the latest from here (~90MB):

      http://samsung-firmware.webs.com/WEBPROTECT-samsungandroidi5700.htm

      I used version (I570EXXJCB, 2010 March)

      You can find more info on what is I570EXXJCB here:

      http://samsung-firmware.webs.com/samsunglettercode.htm

      In short, XX - Locale code (languages supported)

      eg: XX = Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom 

Step 2) Backup your data, remove your SIM & SD Card

Step 3) Do a hard reset by typing *2767*3855#  on the phone. All your data, apps and settings will be erased and phone will be reset to factory defaults. This MUST be done for detecting and connecting your phone correctly by Odin. 

      

Step 4) Switch off your phone. Start up in "Download" mode by pressing following keys together "Volume Down + Camera + Power On)

You should see the following on your phone

If you have already installed Kies or NPS, the phone will be detected automatically and necessary drivers will be installed by windows. The drivers for this mode vs normal mode are different. In case your phone is not detected, you should download the USB drivers and manually install it.

USB Drivers: http://forum.samdroid.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=94&d=1264530070#googtrans/auto/en 

Another thing you have to make sure is that Kies or NPS is not running (even in background, check your tray/task manager). If any of these are running, it might prevent Odin from detecting and connecting to the phone. 

If you have all the right drivers, you will see the Samsung phone under USB and Modems in Windows Device Manager

Step 5) Start Odin and connect to the phone.

This is kinda tricky. Find yourself lucky if you get it right on the first try. It took me many tries to get the phone detected and connect. See below:

<1> setup connection...

[ A LONG WAIT... ~ 5 mins, disconnected phone]

<1> e - dll cannot setup connection with the target.

<0> Destroy instant..

<0> Killed timer

Odin detected the phone, but is not able to connect. In case you come across such an issue (if no progress bar/no logs for like >2 min), you can just disconnect the phone and reboot (remove battery and put back). I thought the first time that my phone is gone!

You may have to reboot/reset phone and also reboot your windows a few times to get it right! If the phone is detected, you will see a COM port with yellow indicator as show above.

Step 6) Odin config and flashing:

Most of the new firmware packages are just one single tar file (unzip I570EXXJCB.zip). 

If there are multiple tars, configure BOOT, PHONE, PDA, CSC according to tar names. Otherwise just give the only tar in 'One Package' and enable the 'One Package' check box. You have to give OPS in both cases, follow the instructions in the site where you downloaded firmware, I used the "spica_jc3.rar"

Disable(uncheck) 'Debug' if enabled, cross your fingers... pray for a moment and click "START" :-)

You can see the logs in the "Message" area and a progress bar comes in the connected Port.

In pic above, flashing in progress

In pic above, flashing over... now restarting phone.....

Phone will restart and you can see the home screen with an initializing message if everything goes successfully!!!

Note: I570EXXJCB is European and the default language is German. 

Do the following to change it to English:

Click on the options/menu (left top) button, a menu will come

Click on the settings menu (right bottom) - Einstellungen

Scroll down and select Region settings – Gebietsschema und Text

Select Language setting - Gebietsschema auswahlen

Select – English (United States)

Viola, you are done!!!

Odin log... if successful...

Download Start...

<0> Create File...

<1> StartThread Detected : 1

<2> StartThread Detected : 0

<3> StartThread Detected : 0

<4> StartThread Detected : 0

<5> StartThread Detected : 0

<6> StartThread Detected : 0

<7> StartThread Detected : 0

<8> StartThread Detected : 0

<1> setup connection...

<1> odin mode.. check plcatform verification.

<1> START!!!

<1> check download environment.

<1> zImage download..

<1> 1/5 Finished.

<1> datafs.rfs download..

<1> 2/5 Finished.

<1> factoryfs.rfs download..

<1> 3/5 Finished.

<1> cache.rfs download..

<1> 4/5 Finished.

<1> modem.bin download..

<1> 5/5 Finished.

<1> reset pda..

<0> Started Timer

<1> Close serial port and wait until rebooting.

<1> PASS!!!

<0> Destroy instant

<0> Killed timer

Now Kies identifies and support i5700 (funny, right)... :-)

I tried upgrading the firmware again with Kies, but didn't work for now. Have to wait see, perhaps I don't have access to the official release yet...

Some pics of Android 2.1 on i5700...

All the best to the early adopters ;-)

NOTE: Click on the images to see them wholly, bigger and better!

  












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