Samsung Galaxy S5 AT&T Boot Issues

[Lok11]

Hello all,

I recently tried to root my Android Samsung Galaxy S5 Lollipop phone, to no avail. I read online to use ODIN to bring the kernel backwards, but upon what seemed like a successful attempt when I went to reboot my phone it became stuck at the Samsung Galaxy S5 startup screen. I've tried wiping my data and factory resetting the phone, to no avail. I personally think the boot loader has been damaged. How do I repair the boot loader and/or my phone?

Thanks.

 

[ironass]

Hello all,

I recently tried to root my Android Samsung Galaxy S5 Lollipop phone, to no avail. I read online to use ODIN to bring the kernel backwards, but upon what seemed like a successful attempt when I went to reboot my phone it became stuck at the Samsung Galaxy S5 startup screen. I've tried wiping my data and factory resetting the phone, to no avail. I personally think the boot loader has been damaged. How do I repair the boot loader and/or my phone?

Thanks.

Hello and welcome to Android Central Lok11!

You have the AT&T carrier minority variant of the Galaxy S5, G900A?

AT&T's Android 4.4.4, released in 2014, and Android 5.0 and 5.1.1, released in 2015, have all been unrootable and no-one in the worldwide rooting community has found a root method apart from downgrading to the AT&T, Android 4.4.2, NCE, firmware/kernel... an exploit that AT&T closed off almost 2 years ago with Android 5.0. Make no mistake, this is not Google or Samsung preventing you from rooting... it is all down to your carrier, AT&T.

See also, #1.6 of, 42 Galaxy S5 models - Dummies Guide.

To make matters worse, AT&T do not even release their firmware through the usual Samsung links, so that you can download and flash it via Odin. However, a really nice guy called morphfxf over on xda developers has posted a flashable version of AT&T's Marshmallow, Android 6.0.1, firmware which includes the bootloader and full flashing instructions. Please read the instructions and forum, carefully and thoroughly, before flashing. See...

Galaxy S5 Android™ version 6.0.1, Marshmallow (G900AUCU4DPH4) release

 

[Lok11]

Thank you so so much, restored my phone to full functionality! I'm going to get the firmware downgraded back to Lollipop tomorrow via Samsung at the local Best Buy, then I'll probably sell the phone and buy one with a new carrier. I hate to bother you with another question, but given that I'm only using the phone with Wi-Fi, no SIMs card, which model number would be the best to use if I wanted to root the phone? I know there's F, V, and H, but which would be best for rooting and not cause the issues AT&T's version did?

Specifically, I'm looking at the SM-G900F, but is it rootable and/or better, both to root and in general, over other models?

Again, thank you so much!

 

[ironass]

The G900F would be best for rooting and Wi-Fi only use. Anything except the AT&T, G900A, or Verizon, G900V, would be better. Heck, a tub of lard would be better than those two.

 

[Lok11]

You are a saint, thank you so much!!!

 

[Rukbat]

I'll probably sell the phone and buy one with a new carrier.

Remember, you choose the carrier by the areas they cover solidly, not by the phone they have available. (The best phone with no coverage is a lump of plastic.) If AT&T is the only carrier that has solid coverage EVERYWHERE you need coverage, use the F variant - it will cover AT&T AND it's not ROM-locked. (It will have to be SIM-unlocked, though, so look for one that is.)