How To Update Samsung Galaxy S II I9100 to Gingerbread 2.3.3 Firmware

Before proceeding make sure that you follow the instructions which are mentioned in this article carefully before proceeding you will have to make sure that you only update the phone model which has Samsung Galaxy S2 GT I9100 and no other phone as updating another phone with this update may even brick the phone which may or may not be reversible which can brick your phone permanently or partly. Since this firmware update is the manual update, it doesn’t require you to have the root access of the device to follow the instructions which are mentioned below and also the best part is if you wish to un root the device then too you can flash your phone with the firmware procedure which is mentioned below. Another thing most of the readers ask is that whether updating with this firmware will root the device? The answer is simply no as updating the firmware and rooting the phone are two different processes and both can’t be clubbed in most of the cases and if at all if it’s like that we will surely mention the same.

 

This new firmware which has been leaked is dubbed as the XXKF2 2.3.3 version of Gingerbread and is among the stable Gingerbread versions. Please note that this firmware of XXKF2 is the leaked version and not the official version, the official version will be released soon from your KIES 2 desktop software client engine. Since, this is the beta release, most of the issues are solved in this version but if at all there are any issues then the same will be solved in the coming software updates which will be soon releasing and will be available to you with the full detailed guide of updation only on Androidadvices.com.

 

Not to worry, by following this procedure you will not lose the warranty or void the same as this is the official firmware download. But only thing is that you will have to follow the procedure as mentioned below or else there is a high probability that you will for sure brick your phone. Kindly follow all the pre requisites and other below mentioned instructions which are stated below carefully or else you will mess up your phone completely. So, let’s proceed and see on how to update Galaxy S2 I9100 with the latest 2.3.3 stable release XXKF2. The best part of the manual software update is that any one from any part of the World can update their phone with this firmware of Gingerbread.

 

The previous firmware was bit difficult to root and hence not many of the users successfully could root their Galaxy S2 phone but now Samsung has made it easier which will eventually enable to root your phone in a much simpler manner. So, soon you can expect the third party applications as well as software with which you can root your Galaxy S2.

 

Some of the users reported the connectivity issues with connecting other devices via Wi Fi, USB and also with the Bluetooth. But not to worry any more as with an update this issue too is now stands solved.

 

Many users reported the issue of Swype being not responsive and crisp and also the version was bit older, now with the below mentioned update the Swype is now updated to the better version and the newer stable version for Galaxy S2.

 

Pre Upgrade Instructions:

• So, just before proceeding to update, you need to ensure that you have synced all your contacts with your Google Account, all sms, applications, videos and music files which are there in your phone should be taken a backup or else the data will be lost. Anything which is in SD card will not be lost, so you can alternatively move to SD Card. If you are planning to store in internal SD Card then it’s preferred to store the data in computer as a backup as in an unlikely event the data in SD Card may get corrupted.
• Next up remove the SIM card as well as the external SD cards if any in your phone, just to make sure that in an unlikely event the data in it doesn’t get corrupted,
• Ensure that you have kept original USB cable handy which you have got with your Galaxy S II GT I9100,
• Additionally, ensure that your phone has at least more than 50% of battery power left, this is just an advisory which if followed then you will not experience any difficulties as while updation of the device the battery consumption is at a maximum,
• Ensure that your computer / laptop which runs on a XP, Vista or Windows 7 OS the firewall and other antivirus programs are disabled and also you should have admin privileges to download and install the software including the drivers and also along with this you will be requiring the USB port on your computer which supports USB 2.0.
• Last but not the least ensure that your phone is Samsung Galaxy S II GT I 9100 and not any other phone as if you proceed installing any other phone then there is a high possibility that you will brick your phone after which your phone will become un usable or will turn into an expensive paper weight that is nothing but bricked.

Note: Since the firmware update has been updated, all the APN Settings will be cleared. So, to access all the data services / MMS / Internet, you will have to get the Internet settings from from your Service provider.

  

So, let’s proceed and see on how you can update your phone’s firmware to the latest XXKF2 2.3.3 Gingerbread version in this page with the improvements which this firmware has bought along which are listed below,

Background picture in the Menu has been improved and is now made to a darker looking image compared to the earlier’s light image.

Samsung Apps application now comes with all the latest DNS updates and the frequent download error has been fixed. With this bug most of the users were facing issues while downloading the application as application used to download just 40 – 50% and just hangs over there.

Many users also reported and had problems with the Android Market Place as the applications from the Market place used to download twice despite selected for just once to download.

Compared to the earlier battery life, the battery life has now been substantially increased so as to facilitate longer battery life and the battery powers of 1650 mah has been perfectly optimized for better battery backup, stand by and talk time.

Now, the free RAM too is increased and it also releases more RAM to the users directly so that the phone becomes much faster as the RAM availability has been increased to the users so that apps can make use of it and also the start-up time has been marginally reduced by two points.

Camera application now comes along with the advanced tools and also the bug of pink spot for some of the users have now been fixed and also now you can enjoy the benefit of better image quality as well as the greater zooming of image levels.

Procedure to update Samsung Galaxy S II GT I9100 to XXKF2:

• From your computer first up you will have to download the XXKF2 2.3.3 Gingerbread firmware in your computer. Please note that as soon as you download this zip file you will have to unzip the file so as to get the one which are named as I9100XXKF2_I9100OXAKF2_I9100XXKF2.tar which is the firmware file and the second one is the Odin software tool which will be helpful in updating the firmware.

• Now, next up you will have to download the Odin Zip file and extract the same, open the Odin3 v 1.83 file as shown in the above extracted files and then a new window will be opening up as shown below and then all you need to do is to just click on the Odin exe file to open the same.

• Now, up next you will have to keep the Odin software tool as opened in your computer and then after this you will have to put your phone into download mode. Now, switch off the phone and ensure that you take out any SD Card as well as SIM card if any and keep your phone in the switch off mode. Download mode in Galaxy S II can be entered by pressing down on Volume Down button + OK button, and holding both simultaneously press the Power Button. You can also refer the below picture if you are unable to enter into the download mode for reference on how to turn ON the download mode.

Now, after you see the above screen on your phone, you will have to connect your phone to the computer in which Odin is open with the help of USB cable. As soon as you connect the phone, you will see that first ID:COM box as shown below will turn yellow and in the message box you will see that it will show ADDED as shown in the below snapshot.

• So, up next you are ready for initiating the firmware updation process. Now, all you need to do is to just click on the PDA option in the Odin and then you will have to select the file which you have extracted after downloading the firmware which is named as,

I9100XXKF2_I9100OXAKF2_I9100XXKF2.tar

• After selecting the file, ensure that you haven’t added the PIT file and also don’t tick on the Re-Partition field as this will spoil the phone and may also brick the phone in some cases. So, now as soon as you enter in the fields with the above mentioned files, you will have to click on the Start option to proceed for the updation process after which the device upgradation process starts as shown below,

Now, as soon as the update is applied into the phone, the phone will process the update at the final stage which will be shown just like the below mentioned screen as in the message box you will see the message as “PASS” which shows that the firmware update was successful.

• There you go, as soon as the updation of the Samsung Galaxy S2 is finished you will see that the device will be rebooting, as soon as the device is rebooted you will have to simply pull of the USB cable after you see the home screen on your phone. Since there is a cache memory of the previous firmware gets stored in the device, you will have to clear the same and which can be done by performing the full reset by dialing the short code *2767*3855# and then you will see that all the cache is cleared successfully. To check that version has been successfully updated or not you will have to type in the code as “*#1234#”.

Do, let us know if you face any of the problems as we will ensure that all problems are solved. Just in case if you have encountered with any issue or say if the firmware is interrupted in between then no need to panic as all you need to do is to just follow the upgrade instructions from the start so that the firmware is installed successfully.

Google Android vs Apple iOS

Throughout 2010 there were escalating tensions between Google Android and Apple iOS, as the two platforms emerged as the rising superpowers in the mobile world. But, if you thought things were heated between them last year, then as the saying goes, you ain’t seen nothing yet. These two ecosystems are on course for a massive collision in 2011 and the stakes are about to get a lot higher.

The arrival of the iPhone on Verizon is a major incursion into what had previously become Android territory. Android 3.0 “Honeycomb” (the tablet OS) is about to unleash an army of Android tablets in a full frontal assault on the iPad. There is going to be blood, but as my colleague Larry Dignan notes, the carnage is likely going to have a greater impact on the other competitors in the mobile market more than on Apple and Google themselves.

To help evaluate the race between Android and iOS in 2011, I’d like to approach it from the perspective of where the two platforms are vulnerable. That will help give us an idea of where they might go after each other and where upstarts may try to challenge them.

Weak spots for iOS

For the iPhone and iPad the number one draw is ease of use. Your toddler and your grandmother (the one who is intimidated by computers) can both pick up one of these devices and figure out how to use it. As Jerry Pournelle says, with Apple products “everything is either very simple or it’s utterly impossible.” The utterly impossible side is where we find Apple’s first weak spot.

1. Software inflexibility: There is very little tweaking and customization allowed by iOS. You have to do it Apple’s way or else it’s probably not an option. These limits allow iOS products to function very well within the protected space carved out by Apple. However, if you have the need or desire to do something that is not within the boundaries Apple has set for iOS (and can’t create an app to handle it), then you’re out of luck.

2. Productivity limitations: Both the iPhone and iPad are far better devices for consuming information than creating it. Part of the problem is with the on-screen keyboard, which works magnificently for short bursts of data entry but is not something you want to use for writing an email or document of greater length. The operating system itself is not especially tailored for multi-tasking or work-focused tasks such as building presentations, editing files, and juggling several bits of information at once.

3. Fewer hardware choices: Some people prefer really big screens while other people like ultra-small and portable devices. Some want a high-resolution camera lens and all the multimedia bells and whistles in their mobile device, while others don’t need any of that stuff (and don’t want to pay for it) but want a really nice hardware keyboard so that they can do longer data entry more comfortably. With Apple products, you have very few choices. In fact, with both iPhone and iPad there are really only two choices to make when buying the product: storage and connectivity. You get to pick how much storage you want and you get to pick the wireless carrier on the iPhone or the Wi-Fi only model vs. the mobile broadband model on the iPad. That’s it.

Weak spots for Android

The best thing about Android is that its Open Handset Allianceincludes some of the biggest and best vendors in the mobile world, including Samsung, Motorola, HTC, LG, Dell, Sony-Ericsson, and many more. The Android partners make devices in all shapes and sizes and in virtually every iteration you can imagine. That’s also part of the problem.

1. Ecosystem chaos: The Android operating system is open source and so hardware makers can take it and do almost anything they want with it. The only real carrot-and-stick that Google has is whether to allow the hardware makers the ability to include the Android Market for applications on their devices. And, frankly, Google has not used this as effectively as it could to keep vendors from doing bad things like launching with long-outdated versions of Android like the Dell Streak did and loading up the device with a bunch of uninstallable crapware like AT&T did with the HTC Aria and Verizon did with the Samsung Fascinate.

2. Wildly inconsistent experiences: One of the main consequences of the ecosystem melee is that there is not enough of a consistent experience across different Android devices. For example, nearly all of the hardware vendors put the Android menu buttons in a different order at the bottom of the screen, and many of them even use different types of button icons, further confusing users. Then there’s the issue of Android software updates. Google releases major updates to the Android OS at least twice a year. However, in 2010, the only device that got those updates right away was Google’s Nexus One, which runs the stock Android OS. All of the other Android devices have a vendor-supplied skin (which typically makes the devices worse instead of better) that runs on top of Android. The hardware vendors have to update their custom Android skins to make them compatible with the newest Android software and then submit it to the wireless carriers, who have to make sure it doesn’t conflict with any of their Android apps, and then it finally gets pushed to the consumer. The timing of these updates is very inconsistent across the Android ecosystem.

3. Leadership vacuum: A lot of these Android problems boil down to the fact that Google needs to show stronger leadership of its ecosystem. Even if it can’t ultimately force the hands of hardware vendors since Android is open source, it can use the Android Market as a bigger stick against gross violators and it can publicly suggest best practices that it would like to see Android vendors adopt in order to pressure (and occasionally inspire) the hardware makers and wireless carriers into better behavior.

How will it turn out?

In the smartphone market, you have to wonder how well these two will be able to market against each other to exploit their weaknesses. The two are fairly well solidified in people’s minds. Unless more people get sick of being locked into the iTunes ecosystem on iPhone (no sign of that yet) or get fed up with the crapware and delayed updates with Android (only a few instances where the masses have noticed), then the 2010 growth trajectory of both platforms will likely hold.

The game is a little more wide open in tablets. Companies like ASUS are targeting Apple’s weak spots in productivity and hardware choices. Hewlett-Packard could combine its long experience in tablet hardware with Palm’s webOS to create a tablet with much better multi-tasking and business features than Android and iOS. But, again, Apple has a big lead here and Google’s tablet OS that it showed off at CES looked very impressive and there are already a lot of big hardware vendors that have lined up to use it.

The bottom line is that both Android and iOS are going to be wildly successful in 2011 and continue to gobble up mobile marketshare. In most cases, it won’t come at the expense of each other, although we should expect Apple to initially steal some Android sales on Verizon and Android will eat away at some iPad sales when its first wave of tablets hit the ground in the spring.

Nevertheless, there will be a ton of new customers coming into the market in both smartphones and tablets in 2011. Look for Google and Apple to dominate most of the new sales in both of those markets. That will keep both Android and iOS on major growth trajectories. Android will have a lot more devices and a lot more companies pushing its devices, so it will ultimately grab greater market share in smartphones, although Apple is very competitive on price (unlike in the Mac vs. PC battles of 1980s and 1990s) so it won’t just be relegated to the high end of the market. It will take a much larger chunk of market share than it did in the PC wars.

And, in tablets, Apple is out to a huge lead with the surprising success of the iPad. Android and others will start to eat into that cushion in 2011, but Apple will still command a majority of that market by the end of the year.

What about Microsoft, HP, BlackBerry, and Nokia?

Unfortunately, it looks like all four of these behemoths are on the wrong side of history. These guys are all going to be reduced to challenger status in 2011. They’ll be on the outside looking in. Both Microsoft (with Windows Phone 7) and HP (with Palm webOS) could have snatched some of the momentum away from Apple and Google a year ago in the smartphone market, but they’re a little late now. Even though both have solid products, their timing is off and they have a lot of ground to make up in winning over software developers to their platforms.

As for BlackBerry and Nokia, they both have a large installed base of customers to draw on and build from, but it’s not going to be enough to stem their losses in 2011. They are both too far behind when it comes to product innovation. Oh sure, they will continue to hold on to nice chunks of old market share in some places, but both will likely continue their decline at accelerating rates in 2011.

Motorola Droid X Android 2.3 Gingerbread Software Update Leaked

It was during the middle of last month, that the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update for the Droid X leaked on the Internet.

The Gingerbread OTA build which leaked was pretty stable, and brought with it a new version of Moto Blur, along with some performance improvements. Now, the folks over at MyDroidWorld have got their hands on another Android 2.3 Gingerbread software update for the Droid X. The new software carries the build number 4.5.591.

Droid X owners, who flashed this software update on their handset, reported no visible changes. It looks like this software update mainly contains some bug fixes and under the hood changes. The new Gingerbread leak can also be rooted easily using Gingerbreak.

It may very well be possible, that this Android 2.3 Gingerbread software update leak will soon be officially released by Verizon and Motorola, to all Droid X owners.

However, the impatient Droid X owners should head over to this thread to download the leaked Gingerbread update. A de-odexed version of the same is available for download as well.