Install Official Android 5.0.1 Lollipop On Galaxy S4 I9500

Few days ago, Samsung started rolling out the Android 5.0.1 Lollipop update to the Galaxy S4 I9500 owners in Russia. The update was available through OTA only, it wasn’t available through Kies or through any others mean. Just today, the firmware files have landed and the users who were anxious to sweeten their Galaxy S4 I9500 with Android 5.0 Lollipop have a chance to do so. Android 5.0 Lollipop happens to be the biggest update in the history of Android, and the update also happens to be the biggest in the history of Samsung Galaxy devices as Samsung has introduced a new UI to comply with Google’s Material Design UI. It is the UI, that became the reason for Samsung to delay this update for quite long as it took a lot of time for Samsung to redesign and revamp the whole UI. Apart from the UI changes, Android 5.0.1 Lollipop on the Galaxy S4 I9500 promises improved performance, stability, bug fixes, improved battery life, notifications on the lock screen a lot of other such enhancements. The update is worth installing and giving your Galaxy S4 a new life.

Although the update is based on the Russian region, but it doesn’t restrict it to the Russian users. Users can install the update on a Galaxy S4 in any other region in the world, all they need is, they need the same model number i.e. I9500, and they need to know the method to install this update. If you’ve just started wondering about the method, you may stop doing so as we are going to install it right away. In the following post we will be updating our beloved Samsung Galaxy S4 GT-I9500 to Android 5.0.1 Lollipop using Samsung’s flashtool Odin3. All you need is, you need to follow this guide to the letter to avoid any mishaps. Let’s  go through firmware details and then head towards the instructions.

Firmware details

• Model: GT-I9500
• Region: SER (Russia)
• Version: I9500XXUHOA7
• OS: Android 5.0.1 Lollipop
• Build Date: 20.01.2015

Early Preparations

1. This guide is only for Galaxy S4 GT-I9500.

Make sure that your device is exactly as mentioned above. To check out what device you have, go to Settings > More/General > About Device or Settings > About Device and match the model number. Be careful about the device model number, flashing a file on a device not listed here might result in bricking it up. In that case, we may not be held responsible.

2. Battery should be charged at least 60%!

Your device’s battery shouldn’t be weak. In case your device goes dead during the flashing process, your device may get soft bricked and you might be in need of flashing stock firmware and that will ultimately result in wiping up your data as well. So, make sure that you charge your device before you start the flashing process.

3. Use the OEM data cable to establish connection!

Always use the original data cable to establish connection between your Android device and your computer / laptop. Using ordinary data cables might interrupt the flashing process, so to avoid any mishap, you need to meet this requirement as well.

4. Backup everything!

Just to be on the safe side, you may consider backing up each and everything from your Android device. This is highly recommended so that in case anything goes wrong, you still have the access to all of your data and you can restore it immediately. Also, clean install is always recommended, that means you will probably have to wipe your device to install the new firmware. So, you may backup everything as listed below.

Backup SMS Messages
Backup Call Logs
Backup Contacts
Backup Media – Copy your files manually to your PC or Laptop.
Backup EFS – If rooted, otherwise skip this step.

5. Install Samsung USB drivers

In order to be able to establish connection between your PC and your Galaxy S4, you need to have the Samsung USB drivers installed on your PC. You can find all Android USB drivers here on our site.

6. Turn off Samsung Kies and other softwares while using Odin3!

Make sure that you turn off Samsung Kies while using Odin3 flashtool. Samsung Kies will interrupt Odin3 and will result in causing errors and may not let you flash your desired firwmrae. Also, make sure that you turn off any antivirus software you’ve installed and also disable firewall to avoid any connection and flashing issues.

Required Downloads & Installations

1. Download and extract Odin3 v3.09.
2. Download and extract firmware file to get the .tar.md5 file.

• SER-I9500XXUHOA7-201520311…zip

How To Install Official Android 5.0.1 Lollipop On Galaxy S4 I9500

1. Make sure that you read the instructions listed above carefully and you’re all set to go ahead now.
2. Wipe your device complete in order to attain a neat installation. You may boot into the recovery mode and perform a factory data reset.
3. Open Odin3.exe.
4. Put your GT-I9500 in download mode. To do so, turn it off and wait for 10 seconds. Turn it on by pressing and holding Volume Down + Home Button + Power Key simultaneously, You should see a warning, press Volume Up to continue. In case this method doesn’t work for you, try one from this guide.
5. Connect your device to your PC.
6. As soon as Odin detects your phone, the ID:COM box should turn blue.  Make sure that you’ve installed Samsung USB drivers before connecting.
7. For Odin 3.09 hit the AP tab. Select the firmware.tar.md5 or firmware.tar, that you downloaded and extracted above.
8. If you’re using Odin 3.07, you will select “PDA” tab instead of the AP tab, rest of the options remain untouched.
9. Make sure that the options selected in your Odin are exactly as shown in the pic.
10. Hit start and wait till the firmware  flashing is complete, The flashing process box will turn green upon successful flashing.
11. Once the flashing process has been completed successfully, disconnect your device and reboot it manually. You can pull out the battery, place it back and turn on.
12. Once the device boots up, checkout the new firmware now.
13. Your device will be running on official Android 5.0.1 Lollipop firmware.
14. That’s all!

Got any queries? Make sure that you drop em’ in the comment box below. Good Luck!