Manual updating of android OS

[popengchan]

Hi, first off, apologies if I posted this on the note 3 even though I have a note 2. It seems that no one is answering my question over there as I guess my phone may already be outdated and minimal people are checking over that forum. Another thing, this is more of a general question rather than phone specific. So here I go:

Hi, I have a lot of questions regarding the title. I have an international unlocked version of the galaxy note 2 LTE ( GT-N7105). My two friends has the same exact phone, one has been bought in Singapore which is in color pink. Another from the Philippines and is color white. Mine was bought in Hong Kong which is another white. I mentioned these details to show that these are the only differences of our phones.

Now long story cut short, all of their note 2s have been updated to android 4.4 the exact time it was released. Thinking that this may not roll out for all phones at the same time, I waited and waited months after months, and now lollipop is announced and I'm still stuck on the 4.3. So im assuming I won't ever get the 4.4 update officially. I've tried putting in sim cards from other networks, updating thru kies, thru OTA, still NADA.

Once I've tried manually updating (flashing I think it's called) my s3 into the latest firmware and I ended up wiping my entire phone even though I followed the instructions wherein flashing without losing the data. So I guess am discouraged to manually do this again to my note 2 as I have a lot of sensitive files. Backing up an android phone is even worse for me. Not all are backed up. Now for my questions:

1) So any one can give me any thoughts on why would this happen? I mean even with the same phones, all unlocked and international but still does not get the update simultaneously, and in my case, looks like it won't come up ever?

2) I would not like to root my phone and would only like the official firmware, is the term flashing? Or flashing is same as rooting? Any one can give me a set of perfect instructions in manually updating my phone to the official latest firmware that is not rooting?

3) I see a lot of firmware coined like "GT-N7105XNXXFNFE2" or like "GT-N7105XNXXFNFF2". I have no idea what are their differences. And how do I know which is the latest or what is right for my region? I'm in southeast asia by the way if it's needed.

4) if I successfully manually update my phone to the latest official firmware, when the official (for examply) android lollipop comes up, will my phone see the official update? Or I am doomed to manually flash the phone again? Or need to manually downgrade my phone for it to see the official update?

Thanks for all the help, even though I have lots of questions, I appreciate all responses.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Rukbat]

You'll have to use firmware for the Hong Kong version of the phone - and for your carrier if there are different firmwares for different Hong Kong carriers. There's no "universal" firmware for a model number.

If you bought the phone from a carrier, put THAT carrier's SIM in the phone, go to Settings/General/About device/Software update to see if there's an update for that phone. (Not all carriers' phones of the same model will be updated to the same version of Android - that's up to the carrier).

If you didn't buy the phone from a carrier, go to Samsung's Hong Kong support site Software Upgrade | Samsung Hong Kong

 

[popengchan]

You'll have to use firmware for the Hong Kong version of the phone - and for your carrier if there are different firmwares for different Hong Kong carriers. There's no "universal" firmware for a model number.

If you bought the phone from a carrier, put THAT carrier's SIM in the phone, go to Settings/General/About device/Software update to see if there's an update for that phone. (Not all carriers' phones of the same model will be updated to the same version of Android - that's up to the carrier).

If you didn't buy the phone from a carrier, go to Samsung's Hong Kong support site Software Upgrade | Samsung Hong Kong

Hi, yeah, my phone is unlocked and was bought without a carrier. I really appreciate your help.

By the way, I'm assuming that this originated from Hong Kong, I bought this in the Phils but the phone seems from Hong Kong as everytime I reformat the phone, it goes back to the Hong Kong language with the Chinese as the typing keyboard.

1) am I assuming right?
2) if not, how do I go about knowing where this phone originated and what firmware to use?
3) any one can lead me to a step by step update thru Odin without rooting the phone?

Many thanks.

Posted via Android Central App