Samsung just released a new official Android 4.4.2 KitKat update for
the LTE version of the Galaxy S4 smartphone. The KitKat March release is
dubbed as XXUFNBE OS and brings important stability improvements to the
Galaxy S4 I9505. The software is OTA available in limited markets only
while some of the S4 users will receive the XXUFNBE OS sooner than
others, so because of that you can anytime use this step by step guide
for learning how to manually install official XXUFNBE Android 4.4.2
KitKat firmware (the March 2014 roll out) on your Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE
I9505.
Like any other OTA roll out, the XXUFNBE Android 4.4.2 firmware will be offered gradually and in phases therefore some of the Galaxy S4
users will receive the update sooner than others. Also, in some cases
the OTA release can’t be “over-the-air” flashed – for example if you
have rooted your Android smartphone or if you have installed it with a
custom ROM software. So, in that situations and not only you will have
to flash the official ROM manually; because of that this tutorial can be
extremely useful for you.
Furthermore, for being able to apply the guidelines from below you
don’t need to have a rooted phone. Android 4.4.2 XXUFNBE KitKat OS
represents and official update so you can manually flash the same on
both rooted and locked Samsung Galaxy S4 I9505 (if you have a rooted
device, after completing this tutorial the root access will be revoked).
Because of that now you can restore the warranty of your Android device
(if it has been previously voided – usually the warranty gets void when
you gain root access or flash a custom ROM)
and you can also un-brick your Galaxy S4, as you will restore your
phone to stock firmware. So, the best will be to bookmark this tutorial
because it might be helpful for you in the future too.
In case you are wondering, XXUFNBE Android 4.4.2 OS represents only a
minor update. The firmware comes for the Galaxy S4 LTE I9505 with no
new features, apps and capabilities, though stability improvements and
bug fixes will be added. Therefore, XXUFNBE is a stable variant of
KitKat OS which is smoothly running on the Samsung Galaxy S4. According
to those who have already flashed and tested the XXUFNBE system, the new
update is working without bugs, or any other reported issue. Also, the
OS is running without lags and by using the new software you will be
able to optimize the performances, improve the battery life and gain
more speed on your Android smartphone.
As you can see you have all the reasons for installing Android 4.4.2
KitKat XXUFNBE OS on your LTE Samsung Galaxy S4 I9505. For doing so Odin
will be used; Odin is an official program developed by Samsung and
compatible only with Samsung braded devices. Also, Odin is especially
used on update operations so you have nothing to worry about as you
won’t have to use complex and risky apps and procedures. This is an
official operation which will install the official Android update on
your S4. Do remember that it is an manual update procedure, so stick to
the guidelines from this tutorial, or else you can mess things up and
brick your Android smartphone.
The best will be to backup the Galaxy S4 data before going any
further. In some cases, rare ones, after flashing the ROM by using Odin,
your smartphone might get stuck in a boot loop (see the troubleshooting
section from below). In that case a wipe will be required which means
you can lose everything that’s saved on the internal storage memory of
your device. Because of that I recommend you to apply the mentioned
backup – just use compatible backup and restore apps from Google Play
and save everything that you might need afterwards.
Then prepare a computer (it must run on Windows), your Galaxy S4 and
its USB cable as explained below. On your computer deactivate the
security protection; do that for all the antivirus-like programs as
these tools might interfere with our work. Then since a connection
between your smartphone and your computer will be required, on your
device go to “menu – settings – developer options” and enable the USB
debugging option. Furthermore, on your phone check the battery status:
if you notice less than 50% power left, take your time and plug in the
charger – you can brick your S4 in case it gets turned off in the middle
of the update operation.
It is important to know that Samsung rolled out XXUFNBE Android 4.4.2
KitKat update only for the LTE model of the Samsung Galaxy S4 (I9505).
Because of that you should use the steps from below only if you own the
mentioned handset (the tutorial is compatible only with SGS4 model
number I9505); else you can end up in bricking your Android device.
How to Install Android 4.4.2 XXUFNBE KitKat Firmware on Galaxy S4 LTE I9505
- From this page download the XXUFNBE official Android 4.4.2 KitKat firmware file.
-
Model: GT-I9505
Model name: GALAXY S4 LTE
Country: Malaysia
PDA: I9505XXUFNBE - Place the update on desktop.
- Also, download Odin and unzip the package on desktop. (Download Odin3 v3.09 from here or here or here.)
- On the same folder as Odin unzip the firmware file.
- Install Odin by following the on-screen prompts.
- Flash the Galaxy S4 drivers on your computer – use Samsung KIES in that matter.
- Run Odin on your computer.
- Turn off your Android smartphone.
- You now need to reboot in download mode: just press on power, volume down and home buttons at the same time.
- Connect your device with your computer via USB cable.
- Odin will communicate with your handset and if everything works fine, on the program the “added” message will be displayed and the ID:COM section will turn yellow or blue.
- If not you will have to disconnect your devices and close Odin. Try to reinstall the drivers on your PC and then repeat the steps from above.
- Now from Odin click on the option dubbed as “PA” and then pick the firmware file from your computer.
- Don’t make any other changes on the program; click on “start”.
- Wait while the update is being applied and don’t press anything.
- In the end on Odin the “pass” message will be displayed and the ID:COM section will turn green.
- You can unplug the USB cable and reboot your device.
Troubleshooting
As I have mentioned before when talking about the backup, in the end
your smartphone might get stuck in a boot loop. Well, if that happens, reboot your Galaxy S4 in recovery mode.
Then from recovery mode select “wipe data factory reset” followed by
“wipe cache partition”. Go back to main menu of recovery and select
“reboot system now”. Everything should be working as expected. On the
other hand, during the update operation Odin might get stuck too. If
that occurs, you need to close the program and unplug the USB cord.
Also, force restart your phone and reflash its drivers on the computer;
then reapply the update operation from above and that’s It – for
resolving other issues try to use our dedicated step by step tutorial.
Good job; you have successfully installed official Android 4.4.2
KitKat XXUFNBE firmware on your Samsung Galaxy S4 I9505 LTE. That was
all for now but stay close as we will bring a compatible root
method with the new XXUFNBE software during the following days. Also,
test the new ROM and see how it performs on your Galaxy S4; then use the
comments field from below and share your experience with us and with
other users who might want to use our dedicated step by step guide.
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