Brand new toy, Samsung Galaxy S3 + i9305 LTE + 2GB RAM = AMAZING! / Personal Review*

Just got my new phone 2 days ago and i must say that this is the best so far, the extra 1GB Ram has a great impact on the Android OS, the multitasking is finally what it should be and its more easy now to browse through apps.

Will post a complete review after i'll test it some more.

*Review update:

I was very excited when i realised that i have the possibility, in my country, to purchase a i9305 phone. So i went and got it right away, without studding even a bit the webz and get some info about available roms / mods for this model.

My head was stuck on the 2GB of ram, thinking that it will increase the phone's performance and stability, and i can easily say that it did just that. The multitasking was the first tested and it performed great, the apps are stuck in memory and they don't get trashed even when you open 15-20, you can also browse through the menus very fast and with no issues.

As far as multitasking performance goes, this model is well ahead the simple S3.

Usable RAM is about 1.77GB, i guess the rest is reserved for the OS, so you have plenty to support even the newest games, because here is where you can really test it. I played a few and was very satisfied with the overall feeling, some of them are more stable than on S3, meaning that the game is fluent and doesn't skip frames.

Games performance, again above the S3.

The real problem with this model is the lack of developers interested in it. Most of them still got the S3 and don't want to jump to this one with just a few months 'til the official release of the Galaxy S4 GT-i9500. There's only 1 custom kernel available, ONE! yes, you read it right :( and a handful of custom roms, which are nothing else that stock firmwares with removed bloatware and 3way reboot, things that you can easily do with TB by freezing the bloatware, so basically i'm fucked!

I am a big fan of the ParanoidAndroid project and i was very disappointed when i realized that i won't be able to use their roms anymore.

But maybe, just maybe, there is some hope for the i9305, just recently, the well known CyanogenMod coder, codeworkx, started to release some unofficial nighties for 4.2.2 based CM rom! This is a great news for me and for the entire i9305 community, having a lead developer of CM working for us, maybe it will make other join the revolution :)

The phone boots up and can be used... as a phone ;) the mic is working, 3g/4g working, wifi ok, shortly we will have a official CyanogenMod rom for the Samsung Galaxy S3 Gt-i9305

The final word is this: if you want great stability in games / multitasking and you also have 150+ apps in your phone, get the i9305, no doubt!

But, if you just want to browse the web, listen to some music and play Angry Birds, stick to the basic S3, a great phone that can still be used for many years to come!

Remove the Red ! Exclamation Mark (Line) from the boot screen of Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-i9300

It seems that with the arrival of the latest Jellybean firmwares for Samsung Galaxy S III, Samsung has also introduced a new bootloader that checks to see if the phone / system has been modified / rooted, if that is the case, every time you reboot your phone you'll notice a Red ! Exclamation mark in the upper left corner of your screen and the counter for the custom firmware will increase with +1 also.

This is not an concerning issue fol daily use, but if your phone still has warranty and you want to be prepared for sending it to repairs, you'll need to flash the Old Bootloader from ICS that will allow you to remove the Red ! Exclamation mark and reset the custom firmware counter back to zero with the help of the triangle /Away app.

For this operation to succeed, you will need the following:

Rooted Phone

Samsung USB Drivers v1.5.16.0: here (credits to SamHaLeKe)

Odin3 v3.07: here

Old Bootloader file: here


Follow these steps properly:

1. Boot your phone into Download Mode by simultaneously pressing the power button, home button and volume down key. Now you will see download mode and you will be asked if you want to cancel or continue. Press volume up to continue.

2. Open Odin on your PC and use the data cable to connect your phone, you should see a "Added" message that appears in the left text box.

3. Select the Old Bootloader file by pressing the PDA button (NOT Bootloader!) and navigating to its location.

4. Very Important = Be sure that the you don't touch anything else in Odin, just Auto Reboot and F.Reset Time should be checked by default, otherwise you check the corresponding boxes and leave everything else untouched!

5. Hit Start, it should take about 10 seconds, after that the phone will reboot and you can disconnect it, that's all, now you can use the Triangle Away app to reset your counter and remove the !.


Bonus: Get Triangle Away from here. The first time you use it, press "Reset flash counter" (it will not reset reset your counter automatically, you still have time to think), the phone will reboot into a special boot kernel mode and you will see some info on the screens, just follow those instructions to complete the process.





*UPDATE*


It seems that in the latest LLA build the old bootloader method doesn't work anymore!

will update this post with new info asap...



UPDATE 07/02/2013

It seems like the guys were hard at work and the finally got a new way to revert back to old ICS bootloader and this one is much simpler than the method above, BUT it only works if you already flashed the new XXELLA firmware that contains the new shitty locked bootloader! Don't try to flash this on top of previous firmware version, risk of bricking the device is very high!


So, here we go:

1. Download the ICS bootloader from here - mirror

2. Reboot into Recovery Mode by simultaneously pressing the power button, home button and volume up key.

3. Select the path of the ICS bootloader and flash it.

4. Reboot phone / done!


Now use Triangle Away to get rid of the fuckin' red ! exclamation sign and set counter to 0.

Be aware that if you continue to use a custom kernel / recovery, your counter will be set to 1 right after you reset it to 0 via Triangle Away, to permanently reset counter to 0 and keep the Official status, you need to flash a stock firmware!

More details on this method and how to keep counter to 0 can be found @xda.

JellyBean Premium Suite for Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-i9300

Good news, the S3 will be even smarter, if that's even possible :) Check out this cool video describing the new features that will be available in future Jellybean updates, can't wait to test it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aM7kQ7sCRE

Official Jelly Bean Update for Galaxy S3 is here!

Base Firmware: I9300XXDLIB (4.1.1)
Region: Europe
Country: Poland
Carrier: Unbranded
Build Date: 21 September 2012
Modem: XXDLIB
CSC: OXFDLI1

Download link


Flash guide:


1. Download and unzip the file
2. Start Odin 3.07 (get it here - mirror)
3. Power off the phone
4. Reboot in Download Mode by holding “Home + power + vol down” buttons
5. Connect the phone and wait until you get a yellow sign in Odin
6. Add the extracted file to PDA section and make sure re-partition is NOT checked
7. Hit the Start button and wait until your phone reboots into JellyBean
8. Disconnect your phone and enjoy your new rom!


Update:
New firmware available

Base Firmware:  I9300XXDLJ4
Region: Europe
Country: UK
Carrier: Unbranded
Build Date: 20 October 2012
Modem:  I9300XXDLID
CSC:  I9300OXADLJ4

Download link

iGO Primo 2.2 (v9.6.7.235654) Apk for Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-i9300 / GT-i9305 - 1280 x 720 HD + Maps* + All Android Devices*

Update 2013:

iGO Primo for Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-i9500 / GT-i9505 available HERE

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UPDATE 16.11.2015

!!! THIS POST IS OBSOLETE !!!

I simply don't have the time anymore to keep refreshing the missing links and mirrors, also i lost all my gear and access to the gps stuff. This post has some useful info about file types, apk versions, map contents and file locations, this is why i'll leave it be.

We had a good run together, thanks for all your help and donations! See you out there!

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*Release Notes
iGO primo®, the flagship OEM product in the iGO Navigation range combines simplicity of use with the most recent technological advances in features and functionality.

This app is only compatible with the Samsung Galaxy S3 resolution, 1280 x 720.
There are no contents provided, map, poi, etc... you can get those from various sources online.
Copy the contents of the folder to your internal sdcard, also don't forget to download your region's demographic file, after that install the provided apk and enjoy!



S3 iGO apk + folder, download link: here - mirror





*Demographic files (used to show landscapes, like mountains and changes in terrain):
(Path: iGO\Content\Dem)


*Europe Demographic file: part1 / mirror1 - part2 / mirror2

*United States Demographic file:  part1 / mirror1 - part2 / mirror2

*Canada Demographic file:  part1 / mirror1 - part2 / mirror2

*Brazil Demographic file:  here - mirror

*Middle East Demographic file: here - mirror

*Israel Demographic file: here - mirror

*Argentina Demographic file: here - mirror

(all links are interchangeable)


i have removed the mediafire links because they keep blocking my accounts :( please leave me a comment if any of the links are down or you need new mirrors


*Maps

Europe Maps + Pois Navteq 2013 Q1 (EU_NQ_2013_Q1)

A-B (Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia&Herzegovina, Bulgaria): link - mirror
C-D (Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark): link - mirror
E-F (Estonia, Finland, FYRoMacedonia): link - mirror
France: link - mirror
Germany: link - mirror
G-I (Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland): link - mirror
Italy: link - mirror
L-N (Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway): link - mirror
P-R (Poland, Portugal, Romania): link - mirror
Russia: part1 / mirror1 - part2 / mirror2
S (San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland): link - mirror
Spain: link - mirror
Ukraine: link - mirror
United Kingdom: link - mirror
Vatican: link - mirror


North America Maps + Pois Navteq 2012 Q4 (NA_NQ_2012_Q4)

A (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas): link - mirror
C (California, Colorado, Connecticut): link - mirror
Canada: link - mirror
D-H (Delaware, Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii): link - mirror
I-L (Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana): link - mirror
M (Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana): link - mirror
N (Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota): link - mirror
O-P (Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico): link - mirror
R-T (Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas): link - mirror
U-W (Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming): link - mirror



Israel Pack GM_2013.05 (Building, Dem file, Map, Poi, Speedcam, TMC): link - mirror


Brazil Pack TT_2013.03 (Building, Map, Poi): link - mirror

Argentina Pack NQ_2012.Q2 (Building, Dem file, Map, Poi) : link - mirror

New Zeeland Pack NQ_2013.Q1  (Building, Dem file, Map, Phoneme, Poi, Speedcam): link - mirror




here are the Content file types:

SPC - Speedcam location - \Content\Speedcam

PH - Speak street names - \Content\Phoneme

3DL / 3DC - Buildings Info - \Content\Building

DEM - demographic file - \Content\DEM

FBL - map files - \Content\MAP

POI - points of interest - \Content\POI

FSP - speed profile for a given road for smart routes - \content\histspeed

HSP - histspeed (maximum car per given road ratio) - \content\histspeed

FTR - Truck Info - \Content\MAP

FPA - Proximity Alerts - \Content\MAP

FDA - Driver Alerts - \Content\MAP

HNR - Defined Routes - \ Content\ MAP

TMC - Traffic Message Channel - Content\TMC



*GPS Test
Use this app to test your GPS signal strength, it can also help to get more satellites connections quicker in hard to reach places. Just open it at let it do its thing, no need to set up anything or interfere with the ui.
Get it here: GPS Test Plus v1.2.1.apk




*B O N U S:

iGO Primo 2.0 v9.6.7.235654 for All Android Devices - Final Edition 2012 (All Languages, Resolutions & Voices )


Default resolutions: 800x480, 854x480, 960x540, 1024x600, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x800


Also available single and multi resolutions sys.txt files inside the package, you can select the exact resolution for your phone and make it compatible with the iGO apk, even if your resolution its not supported by default, basically this pack makes iGO available for all Android devices.


* multires sys.txt --> 1280_800:864x555/600x800,1280_720:864x555/600x800,1024_600:864x555/

600x800,960_540:960x499/540x888,854_480:854x442/480x816,800_480:800x442/

480x762,480_320:480x295/320x455,400_240:400x225/240x385,320_240:320x221/240x301


* single sys.txt --> 320x240, 455x320, 480x320, 854x480, 960x540, 1024x600

Download links: part1 - mirror1 / part2 - mirror2 (links are interchangeable)

i have removed the mediafire links because they keep blocking my accounts :( please leave me a comment if any of the links are down or you need new mirrors




*Request section
Here i will post all the requests received from different people, maybe someone else will also need them:


Serbian Pack (Lang, Voice, Map, Poi) NQ_Q1_2013: link - mirror

Poll results - Your Android OS

1.5 Cupcake - 2 (0%)

1.6 Donut - 1 (0%)

2.1 Eclair - 7 (2%)

2.2 Froyo - 21 (7%)

2.3 Gingerbread - 143 (52%)

3.0 Honeycomb - 11 (4%)

4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich - 118 (43%)

Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-i9300 personal review

Finally, after a long wait my shinny new S3 is here, white colored of course, couldn't wait another 2-3 weeks for the blue pebble version. The phone looks amazing, it feels very good in your hand, can easily be operated with just one, it doesn't strikes you as a big ass phone, as i said about the S2 at its time, it's the perfect size.

First thing that i have noticed its the HD screen, simply flawless, the colors are very bright and perfectly balanced, the luminosity is just as it should in every single second, no more "too dark" issues when set to automatic.

I'll leave you with some screens for now, but i'll be back with much more details and a new S3 banner / sigpic :)

Enjoy :-)

SkyDrive free space drops to 7GB - keep your 25 fast!

If you're a long time user of SkyDrive, you'll be able to keep the original free space, that's 25GB. All you need to do is go to the SkyDrive storage page and choose Upgrade my storage, but this is a limited time offer, be sure to do it asap!

Google Drive launches today on Play Store

The long awaited moment is here, Google Drive is live on Google Play Store. Get 5GB space for free and buy more if u need it, now let's see how it goes.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.docs

The PC version can be found here: https://drive.google.com/

How to use USB JIG to reset counter and remove yellow triangle from Galaxy S1 / S2

***If you use an ICS based rom, you can also do this just by using a small app, no need for the physical Jig, take a look here. 

So, you just got your cool USB Jig and don't know exactly how to use it, here are all the stept you need to take to make sure you do it properly:

1. Turn off your phone (wait to vibrate) and remove the battery for 10-15 seconds.

2. Put the battery back on, close the cover, but don't turn it on.

3. Now insert the USB Jig properly and just wait a few second. Your phone will boot in Odin mode and the screen will display some info and a message "Erasing Download Information Succeeded" and the line with "Custom Binary Download" should display "No".

4. That's it! Keep the power button pressed until the phone reboots / shuts down, some phones do not reboot automatically, you need to turn it on manually.

5. Yellow triangle should also be gone now, that means the USB Jig did its job, congrats!


***If you plug in your USB Jig and the screen doesn't display the information aforementioned, it means that your phone has the new Samsung bootloader that blocks the USB Jig method to reset the counter / triangle.

But fear not, i haz the solution for you also:

1. Download the OLD Bootloader from here - mirror

2. Download ODIN3 v1.85 from here - mirror

3. Turn off your phone (wait to vibrate).

4. Boot your phone in Download Mode (Odin Mode) by pressing the Volume Down + Home + Power in the same time.

5. A message to confirm you action will popup, just press the volume button in the way indicated to continue.

6. Connect your phone to PC using the USB cable.

7. Open Odin on your PC, press on the PDA button and select the GT-I9100_OLD_BOOTLOADER.tar file.

8. Press the Start button and wait a few seconds.

9. In the first section of Odin a message will be displayed: PASS, after you see this message you can unplug your phone.

10. That's it, now your Bootloader is reverted to the old version and you can safely use the USB Jig method described above.

11. If you really want, you can flash back the new Bootloader (mirror) after you finish reseting your counter / triangle, but its not necessary, it brings nothing new except the blocking of the USB Jig.


mirror for all files from this post: here
*This method is tested by me, if you follow the steps exactly, it will sure work for you too.