Downgrading a Galaxy S5 from Verizon.

[Terry5008]

Hello all,

I'm having Marshmallow headaches with my S5 (battery drain, slowness, streaming apps disconnect for no reason, etc.) and have been researching how to go back to Lollipop. I have a few questions:

1. Does a firmware image listed on sammobile.com have to match my PDA and CSC codes "EXACTLY"? If not, then what portion of the code must match? If it doesn't match, will it brick the phone? (Latest 5.0 rev for my phone is PDA:[FONT=&quot]G900VVRU2BPB1 and CSC:[/FONT][FONT=&quot]G900VVZW2BPB1)[/FONT]
2. Is flashing the phone with firmware from sammobile.com tantamount to "rooting" the phone? What are the security consequences of this?
3. Are there any other consequences to flashing my phone, such as having to do with connecting to other devices?

Below are the particulars of my phone:

Model# SM-G900V

Firmware:

Bootloader: G900VVRU2DPF4​

PDA Version: G900VVRU2DPF4​

CSC Version: G900VVRU2DPF4

​

Baseband Version: G900VVRU2DPF4
Android Version: 6.0.1
Android Build# MMB29M.G900VVRU2DPF4

​

Any help you guys can give me would be much appreciated.

 

[ironass]

1. No. The last 5 digits can change with each firmware release. The last 3 denote the build date and number details. see #1.8 of 42 Galaxy S5 models - Dummies Guide for more details.

2. No. You are flashing the stock Verizon firmware that is issued by Verizon. See #1.6 of the aforementioned guide. In fact, the reverse is true as it will unroot a rooted phone.

3. There should not be as it is stock Verizon firmware.

I would advise against downgrading as you will not be covered by the latest security updates included in Marshmallow and the Verizon Marshmallow update will be forced onto your phone, sooner or later, by Verizon, in any case unless you root your Verizon Lollipop firmware and disable forced updates in the system. Try a FULL WIPE + FACTORY DATA RESET instead, as per post #2 of S5 Update Problems - Dummies Guide

 

[Terry5008]

In reference to item 1:

Well, yes, the available PDA code does match up to 9 of 13 characters. But the CSC code only matches up to 6 of 13 characters. Not the requisite 8 of 13. Or does that matter? Is the PDA the only thing to worry about?

 

[ironass]

Can you post a link to the firmware you are referring to.

 

[Terry5008]

Download firmware: G900VVRU2BPB1_G900VVZW2BPB1_VZW - SamMobile

 

[ironass]

That is the last stock Verizon firmware for Android 5.0, Lollipop.

 

[Terry5008]

I know that. That doesn't answer my question as to whether CSC matters.

 

[ironass]

I know that. That doesn't answer my question as to whether CSC matters.

No. It does not.