Samsung Galaxy Note 2
Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Reuters

The U.S. cellular variant of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE, with the model number SCH-R950, has recently started receiving the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean VXAMB1 official firmware update.

The owners of the Galaxy Note 2 LTE SCH-R950 can install the new Jelly Bean firmware update from Samsung Kies or can update their devices over-the-air (OTA). However, if any difficulties come up while upgrading to Android 4.1.2 officially, users can also try out a manual installation procedure explained below.

As noted by Android Jinn report, the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean VXAMB1 “is more of a bug fix and regular maintenance update.” It’s an Odin flashable firmware, not ClockWorkMod (CWM) recovery flashable.

Take a look at the details of the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean VXAMB1 firmware for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE (SCH-R950) below, followed by a manual installation procedure:

PDA: R950VXAMB1

CSC: R950USCAMB1

Version: 4.1.2

Date: February, 2013

Important Aspects To Know

- This tutorial is only for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE (SCH-R950)

- Users must have a proper backup of your data, apps and settings

- Ensure that the device is fully charged

- EFS Folder must be backed-up

- The USB drivers for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 must be installed on the computer

- USB Debugging must be enabled

- Odin works only in Windows. Users of other platforms like Linux OS (such as Ubuntu) or Mac OS should use CrossOver Utility to run Odin in their OS

Users should keep in mind that after flashing the firmware, they will lose custom ROMs such as CM10, Paranoid Android or Android Open Kang Project (AOKP) installed in their device. Users will also lose custom recovery such as ClockWorkMod Recovery or TWRP Recovery if they have any.

The installation of the official firmware will also remove root access on the device if it has any. However, the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean VXAMB1 can be rooted. The rooting process is explained after the installation tutorial.

Note: The users must proceed at their own risk while trying out the manual installation and rooting processes. IBTimes cannot be held responsible for anything that goes wrong.

How To Install

Step 1: Download Android 4.1.2 R950VXAMB1 for Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE SCH-R950 and extract the zip file.

Step 2: Download Odin v1.85 and extract the file.

Step 3: Power off the Galaxy Note 2 and put it on the Download Mode. To do this, press and hold the Volume Down and Home buttons while pressing the Power button until the Samsung Galaxy logo appears on the screen.

Step 4: Run Odin as an Administrator.

Step 5: Connect Galaxy Note 2 to your computer via the USB cable while in Download mode. If the device is connected properly, one of the ID: COM boxes will turn yellow with the COM port number.

Step 6: In Odin, select the following files from extracted VXAMB1 firmware folder:

- Click on PDA and select the .tar file with CODE in its name

- Click on Phone and select file with MODEM in its name (Ignore this step if there is no such file)

- Click on CSC and select file with CSC in its name (Ignore this step if there is no such file)

- Click on PIT and select the .pit file. Use this file only if you get it while extracting the zip file mentioned in Step 1 or else just ignore it

(Note – In case the extracted zip files do not have any modem, CSC or .pit file, it means that you do not require them. It’s the file with .tar.md5 extension that is a must-have and should be flashed through PDA section)

Step 7: In the Odin, ensure that Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time checkboxes are selected. If you are using a .pit file, ensure that re-partition checkbox is selected.

Step 8: Click on the Start button in Odin to begin the installation process.

Step 9: Once flashing is done, you will see a PASS message with a green background in the left-most box at the top of the Odin. The device will now restart on its own. After you get the Samsung logo on the home screen, unplug the device from the computer.

Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE (SCH-R950) will now be running on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean (VXAMB1) official firmware.

After your Galaxy Note 2 LTE (SCH-R950) starts running on the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, the next thing you can do with your phone is rooting the device to gain full control on it. Below are the steps, explaining how to go about it. But before that, there are certain things that you must be aware of:

- Rooting will void the warranty. But it can be reclaimed by applying the official firmware again

- You need to install custom recovery separately to flash custom ROMs later on

- All of the perquisites mentioned before the manual installation tutorial must also be taken into consideration

How To Root

Step 1: Download CF-Auto-Root file for R950VXAMB1 Firmware [Filename: CF-Auto-Root-t0lteusc-t0lteusc-schr950.zip].

Step 2: Switch off your phone and go to Download Mode on your phone.

Step 3: Run Odin as Administrator and connect the phone to your computer via USB cable while in Download Mode.

Step 4: If the phone is connected properly, you will see “Added” message in Odin. You will also see COM port with a number in Yellow.

Step 5: Click the PDA button in Odin and select the file “CF-Auto-Root-t0lteusc-t0lteusc-schr950.tar.md5.”

Step 6: In Odin, check the Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time options.

Step 7: Click on the START button in Odin to start flashing.

Step 8: After the flashing is done, you will see a PASS message with green background in the left-most box at the top of the Odin. The Galaxy Note 2 will restart automatically. Once you see the home screen, you can unplug the phone from the computer.

[Source: Android Jinn – 1, 2]

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