How to root Samsung Galaxy S2

March 24, 2012 - Posted in Uncategorized - Permalink

If you are an ardent user of Android phones for quite some time then you must be aware of the importance and associated advantage of rooting the Android devices. Actually there are some users who want to get most out of their gadgets.

Rooting lets them get full control over their Android gadgets. Several times, while installing new app or ROM, you need to assign new permission, which can only be done after rooting your device.

If you are user of Galaxy S2, then you will surely want to know how to root your Galaxy S2 in an easy way. So here is the tutorial for the same.We’re mentioning two methods for rooting your Samsung Galaxy S2 phone, one for newbies and other for advanced users. So choose the method that suits your skills and understanding.

I will recommend you to check your original kernel before going to root your Galaxy by going to ‘settings’ and then ‘about’. Also don’t forget to keep backup of all the data.

For Beginners:

1. Download the following apps: ODIN 3, XWKDD, Superoneclick, Samsung Kies and after you’re done, install all these applications. Then, go for a PC reboot after installing all these apps.

2. On your galaxy S2 phone, go to Settings. Navigate to ‘Applications’ then ‘Development’. From there, ‘Enable USB Debugging’ and then turn the mobile off.

3. Next, start your Galaxy S2 in ‘download’ mode.

4. Open the file ODIN (the one you have already downloaded). Next, connect PC to Galaxy S2. ODIN will do its job by itself and will automatically recognize the connected device, which is your Galaxy S2.

5. Press the ‘PDA’ button and then browse and choose ‘XWKDD_insecure.tar’ file (this file has also been downloaded by you already!). Press ‘start’ and then Odin will start the kernel.

6. Galaxy S2 will be restarted and then start SuperOneClick (downloaded earlier) and press root option out there.

7. Reboot your Galaxy S2 phone and your phone is now rooted.

For Advance Users:

1. You need mainly two files, namely ODIN3 and XWKDD for rooting your Galaxy S2 through this method. So download these files from the links given above.

2. Using Odin3, simply flash the kernel as PDA.

3. Restart your Galaxy S2 phone now.

4. When it’s rebooted, restart the ADB in root mode using the command ‘adb root’.

5. Get it rooted for your shell by using the command ‘adb shell’

6. Make use of SuperOneClick and you are nearly done with the procedure.

As you can see, there is not a huge difference between the two methods described above as both the methods require you to download the same files on your PC or handset. The one for newbies is little more detailed and well-described for hand-holding.

Apart from these methods, you may have heard about Gingerbreak for achieving the same result. Yup, this works good but not always. Many users have reported failure after reportedly using this application. You can also try it and use it at your own risk and with the all the safety precautions in place such as advanced backup etc.

Galaxy S2 costs you around Rs.28000 in Indian currency and we have all the rights to keep the gadget in a condition we want it to be in. But again, We will recommend you to take backup of all your data safely so we can go for rooting of our Galaxy S2 without any worry because after all, anything unpredictable can always happen.

Samsung Galaxy S2 Android 4.0 ICS Update

March 24, 2012 - Posted in SGS2 Info - Permalink

If you’re still using the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) version on your Samsung Galaxy S2 and want to upgrade to Android Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS), then this tutorial is surely going to help you out.

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is blessed with better user interface and better multitasking as compared to Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) version.

We will recommend you to keep backup of all the data of your smartphone so that you can upgrade your mobile software freely without any danger of loosing your precious data. Also check the necessary drivers required for this purpose. Follow this link to check it and download the drivers if you haven’t already. Also, we need to install XXKPA firmware and only after that, we can run Android ICS.

Installing XXKPA Firmware on Samsung Galaxy S2:

  1. The very first step is to install XXKPA firmware which will allow you to use Android 4.0. So download the XXKPA from here and extract it simply.
  2. After extracting it in any folder of your choice, you will find 7 files in the extracted folder.
  3. Make sure that your smartphone is not connected to PC and if it is connected then you will need to disconnect it.
  4. After disconnecting the phone from the PC, switch off your phone and now its time to put it in the Download Mode(Odin Mode) .
  5. Press Volume Down + Home + Power buttons and you will be able to put up your phone into download mode.
  6. Now open Odin(it is installed already in the extracted folder of Step 2 with XXKPA pack).
  7. Now connect your phone to PC and your phone will be shown as connected on PC display (if its connected accurately).
  8. Now here you go for the next step in which we will be using the files extracted by us in the step 2.
  • Simply click on to the PDA Tab and choose I9100_CODE_I9100XXKPA_CL51925_REV02_user_low_ship.tar.md5 file
  • Simply click on to the Phone Tab and choose MODEM_I9100XXKPA_REV_02_CL1094591.tar.md5 file
  • Simply click on to the CSC Tab and choose GT-I9100-MULTI-CSC-OXAKPA.tar.md5 file
  • Simply click on to the PIT Tab and choose  u1_02_20110310_emmc_EXT4.pit file

Note: Don’t work with any other file which is not listed in the above steps. Make sure the Re-Partition, Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time check boxes are duly selected on Odin screen in front of you. Step 8 is the most crucial step and it is going to work only if everything has gone accurately in the previous steps.

10.  Press Start  button to start flashing of XXKPA Android 4.0 firmware on your Galaxy S2. After complete installtion of firmware by Odin, your phone will be restarted automatically. If all has gone right for you so far then you will find green signal otherwise red signal will be there. In case of red signal, you will need to go through the tutorial again. Now when you will restart phone, it will be running Android 4.0 ICS.

Note: Galaxy S2 Android 4.0 ICE CREAM SANDWICH is not yet officially announced from the side of Samsung. Either you can use the tutorial or you can wait for the official launch as well. Also once again before going with the tutorial I will recommend you to go for the back up of entire data so that if the above procedure does not work out well for you (not a single chance of it) then there is at least no loss of any kind of data as well.

Updated:

If Odin is not completing the work for you, then you need to switch off your phone and then re-insert the battery into it and try it again. Removing the battery and then re-inserting it will surely reduce the unexpected pain.

Samsung Galaxy S2 vs Samsung Galaxy S3

March 23, 2012 - Posted in Galaxy S2 competitors - Permalink

In the mid 2011, Samsung launched Galaxy S2 with much fanfare. Galaxy S2 had a great run internationally(even before hitting the U.S.) and that was evident with the early sales figures it managed in its first few weeks(sales going up to 3 million units worldwide).

Now Samsung is all set to launch its next big Galaxy smartphone, rumored to be Samsung Galaxy S3. South Korean handset maker has already hinted mid-2012 to be the time of launch for the Galaxy S3 but no official release date has yet been announced.

About the price, hardware and features of Galaxy S3, there are tons of rumors on the web but only few things are near-confirmed(unofficially) as of now. Experts are estimating that S3 will have, what it will take to beat the next iPhone, aka iPhone 5, in all the aspects, from hardware to software. Infact, Galaxy S3 will be launched along the same time-frame as Apple iPhone 5.

So if you are having Galaxy S2 now or planning to buy it in near future then wait! You should first see how Galaxy S2 stacks up against its successor galaxy S3 which isn’t too far away from launch. Here is the comparison between these these two gadgets. The comparison is based on the actual features of Galaxy S2 and rumored specifications and features of Galaxy S3.

Network

  • Galaxy S2-  It is 2G and 3G compatible.
  • Galaxy S3-  Along with 2G and 3G it is going to support 4G LTE connectivity as well.

Winner: Galaxy S3 as it will support up to 4G LTE.

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Hardware config.

  • Galaxy S2 – 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5 mm with 116 g weight
  • Galaxy S3 -  Rumors are estimating that it will come with 4.6 inches screen with slightly more weight for obvious reasons.

Winner: Galaxy S3, but only if you don’t mind a little extra weight in your pocket at the advantage of having a really huge screen.

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Operating System

  • Galaxy S2- Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread), now ugraded to ICS v4.0
  • Galaxy S3- Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich version

Winner: Tie.

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Processor

The Samsung Galaxy S2 comes with 1.2 GHz processor with Exynos 4410 chipset. The Samsung Galaxy S3 is believed to come with 1.6 or 1.8GHz processor with Exynos 4212 chipset, which will make Galaxy S3 close to 50% percent faster than Galaxy S2 and 30 percent less power consumption will also be there.

Winner: Galaxy S3, for better performance with lesser power consumption

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Display

Galaxy S2 comes with Super AMOLED Plus capacitive touchscreen with 16M colors.The size of the screen is 480×800 pixels with 4.3 inches as screen size (~217 ppi pixel density).

There will supposedly be 1280x720px screen resolution of the Galaxy S3. It will be released with the new flexible glass specifically – FOLED technology with 352 PPI pixel density.

Winner: Galaxy S3 but even Galaxy S2′s screen is no less than gorgeous

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Sound

Both the devices support alert type of Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones. Galaxy S3 is believed to be more versatile in this area and will even compete with iTunes. Both Galaxy S2 and S3 support 3.5mm audio jack.

Winner: Galaxy S3

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Memory

Both the devices support memory cards upto 32 GB. Both have internal 16 GB/32 GB storage capacity.

While Galaxy S2 has 1GB RAM, S3 is believed to be launching with possibly 2GB RAM.

Winner: Galaxy S3 (more RAM)

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Data

Galaxy S2 supports EDGE and GPRS of class 12 and provide rich internet usage.There is no rumor yet about the EDGE and GPRS features of S3, but it is believed that it is going to leave behind Galaxy S2 in this aspect as well.

Winner: Tie

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Camera

  • Galaxy S2 – 8MP Primary and 2 MP Secondary
  • Galaxy S3- There are plenty of rumors about the camera for S3 and it may possibly launch with 12MP pixel camera.

Winner: Galaxy S3 but Galaxy S2 is no short of the best quality smartphone cameras available today

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Battery

  • Galaxy S2- Talk Time up to 18h 20min (2G) / Up to 8h 40min (3G)
  • Galaxy S3- Rumors are buzzing that it will give up to 2 days of talk time on 2G and 1 day talk time on 3G.

Winner: Galaxy S3

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Price

  • Galaxy S2- Rs.28000
  • Galaxy S3- As per rumors, it will cost around $450 in US but in India, non-subsidized price for S3 could be around Rs.36000 at the time of launch

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S2, being cheaper

There’s no denying that Galaxy S3 will beat Galaxy S2 and should actually be that case only but its only rumors yet.

We all will have to wait for official announcements before making any decision regarding this.

Samsung Galaxy S2 vs Samsung Galaxy Note

March 22, 2012 - Posted in Galaxy S2 competitors - Permalink

Samsung is giving tough competition within Android eco-system to other handset makers with its Galaxy line of gadgets. in many countries, buyers are preferring to buy Samsung Galaxy phones over iPhone and the same can be easily observed from the mind-boggling sales figures of these gadgets. Actually Samsung is giving competition to itself now as there are plethora of Samsung Galaxy phones to choose from.

This intra-collision is happening between Samsung Galaxy S2 and Samsung Galaxy Note. Both are brilliant piece of gadgets and the best thing is that the price range of both these gadgets doesn’t have a huge gap. So you must be thinking that which device should you make your investment on. We’re going to compare these two devices on the basis of features so as to give you a rough picture of how both the super-phones stack up against each other and which one is worth your money!

Here goes the head-on comparison…

Network

Galaxy S2-  It is 2G and 3G compatible.

Galaxy Note-  Along with 2G and 3G, it is 4G compatible as well.

Winner: Galaxy Note, as it supports 4G LTE as well


HARDWARE

Galaxy S2- 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5 mm with 116 g weight

Galaxy Note- 146.9 x 83 x 9.7 mm with 178 g weight

Winner: Galaxy S2, being very light-weight

 

Operating System

Galaxy S2- Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread), now upgraded to ICS, Android 4.0

Note- Android OS, v2.3.5 (Gingerbread), now upgraded to ICD, Android 4.0

Winner: Tie. Both the devices come with the same version of operating system.

Processor

This is the key area of comparison. Both the devices are good with their processing speeds. Galaxy S2 is blessed with Dual Core 1.2 GHz Processor while Galaxy Note is blessed with 1.4 GHz Processor. Chipset of both the devices is same and is cortex A-9 and chipset is from Exynos. So Galaxy Note is a obvious a bit faster than S2 and not incredibly faster.

Winner:  Galaxy Note

Display

Galaxy S2 comes with Super AMOLED Plus capacitive touchscreen with 16M colors. The size of the gorgeous S2 screen is 480 x 800 pixels, 4.3 inches (~217 ppi pixel density).

Galaxy Note comes with Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors.The size of screen is 800 x 1280 pixels, 5.3 inches (~285 ppi pixel density).

Both the devices come with Gorilla Corning Glass to protect the screen.

Winner: If you want to enjoy bigger display then Galaxy Note is the Winner here.

Sound:

Both the devices support alert type of vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones. Both gadgets support loud speaker features and come packed with 3.5mm headphone jack support.

Winner: Tie.

Memory

Both the devices support memory cards upto 32 GB. Both have internal  storage of upto 16 GB/32 GB.

The RAM that comes packed with these devices is also same, that is, 1GB.

Winner:  Tie

Data connectivity

Both the devices support GPRS of class 12 with 32-48 KBPS and also Class 12 Edge support.

Other features like Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity are also same. Both the devices come with WiFi direct connect feature which allows you to transfer data wirelessly at blazing speeds. You can transfer 700 MB of data within 5  minutes or less.

Camera

Camera feature is same for both the phones. Both the devices are dual camera devices with rear camera going up to 8MP. Camera features include Geo-Tagging, Auto Focus, Image Stabilization, LED Flash. It also provides full HD video capturing support.The secondary camera in both the devices is of 2 MP.

Winner: Both Again.

 

Battery

Galaxy S2- Talk Time goes up to 18 h 16 min (2G) / Up to 8 h 38 min (3G)

Stand-by up to 711h (2G)/ up to 611h (3G)

Galaxy Note- Talk Time up to 26 h 05 min (2G) / up to 13 h 25 min (3G)

Stand-by up to 960 h (2G) / up to 820 h (3G)

Winner: Galaxy Note

 

Galaxy Phones Price in INDIA

Galaxy S2- Rs. 29,000

Galaxy Note- Rs. 35,000

Summary

Both the devices are one of the best in their league. Galaxy Note is little more of a tablet so buyers who will be allured to Galaxy Note may not go for Galaxy S2 due to redundancy.

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