Smartphones

Battery is non-removable?

And there's no button to push that'll let you out of recovery?

If it were me and I could still boot into Download mode (press and hold Vol Up + Power), I'd plug into the Windows machine and use Odin to install Clockworkmod.

I don't know why that would work, but it's enabled me to regain control of my phone a few times. (Especially useful if you have a nandroid backup on the device itself. Might even allow access to the rom you mention on the sdcard. Might work.)



Also, Samsung locks the bootloader in their China-destined devices. They did on the Galaxy S3. Perhaps they did on the Notes too. On my phone it means that non-China firmwares can install only as far as the modem, at which point they crap out and the installation fails. China-specific firmwares WILL install though. If you have one handy, you could give it a try.

If you can get CWM installed, do a Factory reset/Wipe data, then wipe cache partition, then try reboot system.

If it still goes screwy then I'd flash a China firmware from sammobile over the top of everything. Or maybe make a trip to the Sammy shop.

But Clockworkmod is magical. I have faith.

Bummer.

Howevaire.. if the Note is now functioning and you can instal CWM and you can copy files to your sdcard...

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2450005

Unless I'm mistaken, that's the UK 4.2.2, but rooted and packaged as a flashable zip. Flash it through CWM, not Odin. This bypasses the lock. I flashed a non-China 4.2.2 to my phone that way and it worked.


Note well: I can't vouch for that zip, you may prefer a different one, but xda usually serves up things that work. (Cross fingers, no jinx.)


ETA: Also, if you go down the flashable zip path, do a full backup in CWM first, then Factory reset/Wipe data, then wipe cache partition, then Advanced/Wipe Dalvik cache, then flash. And be prepared for the change from 4.1 to 4.2. It changes the directory structure on your sdcard. You'll probably find a mysterious folder called 0 and all of your stuff apparently in two places at once (it's not - it just looks like it)

Bon chance.

Unless I'm mistaken, that's the UK 4.2.2, but rooted and packaged as a flashable zip. Flash it through CWM, not Odin. This bypasses the lock. I flashed a non-China 4.2.2 to my phone that way and it worked.

Come to think on it (and scan through through this a bit), I don't know if "this bypasses the lock" is true. It might be that you have to go through the process of *failing* to flash a non-China firmware first. The process with my phone was:

(1) flash a non-China firmware
(2) gnash teeth when it failed.
(3) flash CWM, do Factory reset/Wipe data, do Reboot device now
(4) be surprised when the device did reboot.
(5) be even more surprised when the device claimed to be running the *new* Android
(6) putter along for weeks then months using the new android, sometimes getting mysterious reboots out of the blue, but whatevs because it all mostly works.
(7) then get a rooted flashable zip of 4.2.2 from xda and flash successfully through clockworkmod.

So I don't know if all of that was unnecessary or not. I'm pretty sure the "locked bootloader" is still there. Meaning, if I tried flashing a stock, non-China firmware now through ODIN, it'd probably still fail. But flashable zips go through no probs. So I don't know what's up with that except that it works for me.

YMwillundoubtedlyV

Congrats. Ain't devices just hours of fun! ( )


But now I'm curious: what Chinese utility?

Also, something I discovered: nearly all bootloaders are locked. When people talk about "locked bootloader" as a problem, what they really mean is, the bootloader isn't just locked, it's also encrypted.

The bootloader is the first piece of software that runs when you turn the device on. It loads everything else. So for instance it can make sure that only properly signed software can load next. But in the proper sense of the word, a locked bootloader is just a bootloader that can't be altered until it's unlocked. And unlocking is usually a matter of issuing a single command (with the right adb setup on your computer--long story). But if the bootloader is also encrypted, then you can't unlock it until you get through the encryption. Which, usually, you can't.

And, it would seem, that's what we have on (some, new) sammy devices in China: locked and encrypted bootloaders.


 

I don't understand most any of this stuff. I'll stick with the iPhone.

Picked up a iPhone 5s, what a wonderful little computer.

I held an iphone 5 the other day. A friend had one. I let her touch mine, she let me touch hers. I will say this for the 5, it's phone shaped.

Apparently the coming Nexus 5 is to be made by LG and will be based on their G2. So, probably bigger than the S3. Yet I've been thinking for a while I might prefer a smaller phone.

It's a puzzle.

The handy Chinese app we used is called 完美刷机. It is supposedly made by Baidu.

This thing?: "Perfect Brush"

At first glance it appears to be a Rom Manager clone.

I have used neither though so I don't know.

I don't understand most any of this stuff. I'll stick with the iPhone.

Picked up a iPhone 5s, what a wonderful little computer.

Stil, what did you upgrade from? I'm still holding on to my iphone 4 and eyeing the 5S...

From the 4S. Huge improvement in speed. The fingerprint scanner is great. By the time I pull my phone out of my pocket and look at it, it's unlocked. The camera is very good. Everything is better. It is a huge jump from a 4.

There are so many little things in iOS 7 too. For example, if you add the field 'Phonetic Last Name' to a contact and then put a Chinese name in the 'Last' Name' field it auto-enters the pinyin with tone markers into the phonetic spelling field.

I picked the gunmetal colour. I guess they call it space grey. The gold one is very nice, not gaudy at all but I don't like the a white face for my phones.

From the 4S. Huge improvement in speed. The fingerprint scanner is great. By the time I pull my phone out of my pocket and look at it, it's unlocked. The camera is very good. Everything is better. It is a huge jump from a 4.

There are so many little things in iOS 7 too. For example, if you add the field 'Phonetic Last Name' to a contact and then put a Chinese name in the 'Last' Name' field it auto-enters the pinyin with tone markers into the phonetic spelling field.

I picked the gunmetal colour. I guess they call it space grey. The gold one is very nice, not gaudy at all but I don't like the a white face for my phones.

did you get it straight from a dealer or on a unicom package deal? debating both options now.

After much deliberation, I (think) I am going to get the HTC One when my pay day comes up soon.

I want a phone that's really well-built (like an iPhone), is customisable (unlike an iPhone) and on which I can side load any apps I want.

The One seems tom top all lists of the best phones in the world right now, and tick all the boxes for me.

I did consider a Nokia Lumia Windows Phone, but I'm very concerned that there is no side loading and I couldn't even access the UK/US apps because I'm in China.

Quote from: Stil on September 26, 2013, 06:20:34 AM

From the 4S. Huge improvement in speed. The fingerprint scanner is great. By the time I pull my phone out of my pocket and look at it, it's unlocked. The camera is very good. Everything is better. It is a huge jump from a 4.

There are so many little things in iOS 7 too. For example, if you add the field 'Phonetic Last Name' to a contact and then put a Chinese name in the 'Last' Name' field it auto-enters the pinyin with tone markers into the phonetic spelling field.

I picked the gunmetal colour. I guess they call it space grey. The gold one is very nice, not gaudy at all but I don't like the a white face for my phones.

did you get it straight from a dealer or on a unicom package deal? debating both options now.

Dealer.

What the dealers do in Changsha is charge 600 rmb over the Apple Store price with the 600 being used for store credit at the time of purchase. But I know a girl who knows a guy who knows a......

After much deliberation, I (think) I am going to get the HTC One when my pay day comes up soon.

I want a phone that's really well-built (like an iPhone), is customisable (unlike an iPhone) and on which I can side load any apps I want.

The One seems tom top all lists of the best phones in the world right now, and tick all the boxes for me.

I did consider a Nokia Lumia Windows Phone, but I'm very concerned that there is no side loading and I couldn't even access the UK/US apps because I'm in China.

A few years back I bought an HTC Desire. Loved the phone. Obviously not enough because I left the damn thing in a taxi and lost forever. 

So, I bought the One. Faster, and pretty much like the other one. The maps are awesome, used them when we travel and helped tremendously. I'm not big on many apps, but fairly easy to do.