How can I flash the latest generic Android version on iBOLD X-U?

[AHA_iBOLD]

How to flash latest generic Android version on iBOLD X-U

Hello

I recently bought a Chinese iBOLD X-U online. It arrived quickly and it looks good, colours are decent (on a 4.7" 1280x720 screen) with a reasonable quad core processor and it came with a spare back cover and 3 (!!) batteries, so quite good so far.

The problem is that it has some Chinese based ROM (currently at 4.2.2, hence why listed here) and some of the apps only work in Chinese which is simply annoying, to say the least.

So I will be trying to (safely!) boot a generic UK based ROM (I think KitKat would be ideal if at all poss!), but to be honest I do not know where to start from. I mean can I load any Android version, do I need to do something special to this phone as it seems to be tied to its Chinese software (tried restoring hoping to find a basic Android version minus extra apps, but did work), do I need to find some spacial bootloader, are these ROM Managers I am reading about the way to go (as I think they offer a backup/restore if it all fails)?

ANY advice would be most appreciated...!

Thanks

 

[Rukbat]

Re: How to flash latest generic Android version on iBOLD X-U

There's no generic Android ROM - unless you're running the latest Nexus, the ROM (which is initially written to run on the latest Nexus) has to be modified to run on the particular phone.

When you buy those cheap Chinese phones, you save money. You lose the ability to find ROMs or anything else (like information) for them.

The reason a restore didn't do anything is that it just removes anything you've added - Google account, personal information, apps you installed, etc. There's no "generic ROM" underneath the Chinese apps, it's a ROM written for the Chinese market, in Chinese. You have to get a, English ROM for that particular phoneor what you'll do is end up with a paperweight. And no, the ROM managers can't offer a "backup/restore" since that don't back up the original ROM, they just replace it. (If you can find a version of TWRP or CWM for that phone, you can back up the original system and data partitions.

"can I load any Android version" That depends on the phone. Some keep track of the last major version flashed, and you can't go back to an earlier one so, for example, if that phone came with 5.x, you couldn't flash KitKat, even if it was a KitKat ROM for that phone. Other manufacturers don't do that and you can flash any ROM for that phone.

If you flash one that's not made for that phone, you're on your own. when the phone fails to turn on, charge, anything (a hard brick) or it keeps rebooting (a soft brick called a bootloop), no one is going to be able to help you.

I'd just return it it I could, and buy something that's supported.

 

[AHA_iBOLD]

Hmm, not good news then.

Well that is funny though as I always thought a phone as a mini pc and the ROM as its Operating System, so struggling as to why I may not be able to install another version of Android... or did I misread your reply?

Thanks

 

[Jong Lourney]

It's that way as you mentioned.
But android is different from a PC, the processor and system structure on almost every android device differs, which mean that google can't do big job, trying to apply their ROM's on each device. While PC makers make systems similar architecture, so that windows is being able to be installed on most of the PC's, and with motherboard, software support cd is given.

If you correctly port a ROM for your device, well, then it will work.