Problems upgrading Samsung galaxy S10 5g from A11 to A12

/e/OS Devices Samsung
1

Hi team.

I have a Samsung Galaxy S10 5G.

It was running /e/ 1.8.1 S (A11).

I understood that in order to get the latest versions 1.12, the firmware needed to be updated.

I followed the instructions from the lineageos site:

https://wiki.lineageos.org/devices/beyondx/fw_update

Downloaded the SM-G977B firmware from the link on the LineageOS page.

Used heimdall. The update seemed to go well. Rebooted the device but then it was getting stuck on the boot screen.

Samsung Galaxy s10 5G boot screen
Samsung Galaxy s10 5G boot screen720×1280 130 KB

Eventually I managed to get on the TWRP screen.

Question is how do I proceed now?

Kurtn on the telegram community group says that the firmware from the lineageOS page are for A13 (which I don’t understand as the latest fw for this device is supposed to be A12).

Any suggestions?

Thanks is advance

Regain your privacy! Adopt /e/ the unGoogled mobile OS and online servicesphone

2

No !
e-1.8.1-s is android 12 based, as “S” (Snow Cone) is for android 12

android 12 based Samsung firmware is needed for e-1.12.3-s as well

The e-1.14-t “T” (Tiramisu) android 13 based should be released at the end of next month… and promise to embeds firmware needed parts

1 Like
3

Hi Piero.

Sorry. My mistake. I was on 1.8.1-R (A11).

4

Linux, MacOS, Windows ?

5

I used Heimdall on linux but I use Windows too

6

I had flashed it before with stock vendor fw as I had to take it back to its original state, unlock it and then flash /e/ os again.

I know that a specific A11 firmware (one for Vodafone UK on this specific device) works. Should I use that one again and then do an OTA upgrade to A12 and then flash /e/?

7

For installing samsung firmware, Odin look easier to me.

You should could go for an A12 using Odin because OTA updating may give you A13…

If your device is already carrier unlocked, you could download a carrier-free firmware for your country CSC if exist

8

How do I choose the right one? There are so many on sammobile.com

9

Using sammobile you have to pay for high speed download.
What are your model number and country ?

10

United Kingdom is the country

11

I can’t find difference between BTB, BTE and BTU.
@aibd ?

12
1 Like
13

This is the FW which I previously flashed and that I know it works on this device:

G977BXXU6EUA4

(But as mentioned before this was A11)

The device used to be locked to Vodafone UK.

I don’t know whether I should flash again another Vodafone FW or not.

Can TWRP help in identifying SW Rev/BIT etc? Does that even help to choose the right FW?

14

@piero you mentioned before that if I flash the same fw it may do an OTA upgrade to A13. However I see that for this device there is no A13. Is there?

If that is the case wouldn’t it be a safer option to flash that A11 FW?

15

It does look a bit as if there is no Android 13.

Furthermore, although I never had to deal with the particular issue of an original manufacturer upgrade “jumping” straight to the highest Android version, it might be worth searching for a technique to upgrade incrementally, if you should face this.

16

Thanks Iain

So is the plan of flashing A11 with the fw I know to be working and then doing an OTA upgrade a good one?

17

It seems a low risk strategy! :slightly_smiling_face:

18

So, carrier-free firmware for your country is the BTU one.

G977BXXU6EUA4
Here it is 6

You are right
.
Latest vodafone UK for you :
https://samfw.com/firmware/SM-G977B/VOD

19

Thank you Piero.

Very much appreciated

20

I just tried to flash that FW and it comes back with an error on the phone:

SW REV. CHECK FAIL(BOOTLOADER) DEVICE: 14, BINARY: 6
pit_flash_binary - Unsupported version

I saw somewhere that this means that the binary on the device is currently 14 while I’m trying to flash a fw with binary of 6.

Is that right?

The samfw.com website doesn’t list any 14 binary. it goes from 1 to 9 and then A-E. Does E count as binary 14?

One other question: if I download and flash the VOD (Vodafone) fw will this lock the device back to Vodafone? Is it better to flash the BTU fw (which as per Piero is the carrier-free fw?

Many thanks in advance