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[Q] Why doesn't exist any upgrade to android 6 or 7 for s4 active i537?

Hello community, recently I did the procedure to get the lollipop version in my S4 active i537 keeping root, but after many searches I can't find how to upgrade to marshmallow or nougat version and I wondering why.
I think it have to be because at this moment doesn't exist any way to intall a custom recovery as TWRP or CWM, if this is true, why nobody found the way to unlock the bootloader yet? in order to manage the custom recovery.
And why is so difficult to unlock it?
Which are the differences between this s4 version with the others? And how can I help to unlock the bootloader, thanks in advance.

I'm going to try to answer your questions one at a time:
m44nu33l said:
Hello community, recently I did the procedure to get the lollipop version in my S4 active i537 keeping root, but after many searches I can't find how to upgrade to marshmallow or nougat version and I wondering why.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is not and never will be marshmallow or nougat for the i537. This is because it is outside the "2-year" update cycle of Samsung/AT&T. If you look at other phones from Samsung and AT&T, there are very rarely updates to phones 2 years after the initial release of the phone. There's not really a good reason for this other than Samsung and AT&T want you to buy a new phone to get the latest updates. In the past you would need to get a new phone in order to have new hardware that is able to run the latest version of Android. But we're now at a point that nearly any phone released in the last 2-3 years can run nougat with minor lag. Manufacturers and carriers are holding on to the 2-year upgrade cycle and forcing you to buy new phones in order to get updates.
m44nu33l said:
I think it have to be because at this moment doesn't exist any way to intall a custom recovery as TWRP or CWM, if this is true, why nobody found the way to unlock the bootloader yet? in order to manage the custom recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The i537 has a locked bootloader while the i9295 does not have a locked bootloader. Nobody has figured out how to unlock the bootloader on any variant of the S4.
m44nu33l said:
And why is so difficult to unlock it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a very long read, but this thread explains exactly why it is so hard to unlock the bootloader. (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2500826)
m44nu33l said:
Which are the differences between this s4 version with the others?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I stated above the only difference between the two versions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active (i537 vs i9295) is that the i537 has a locked bootloader and the i9295 does not. The i537 was sold exclusively through AT&T (US), Telcel (Mexico), and Claro (Uruguay), while the i9295 was sold internationally. Neither device will get official versions of marshmallow or nougat, but since the i9295 has an unlocked bootloader you can flash marshmallow and soon nougat custom ROMs. Other than the bootloader, the i537 and i9295 have identical hardware.
m44nu33l said:
And how can I help to unlock the bootloader, thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, unless you have a deep understanding of kernels, Linux, and cryptology, I'm not sure there's much help you can provide. The link I provided above explains all the effort that has been put into unlocking the bootloader. If you truly want to help I would read through that thread and see if there's anything meaningful you can provide.
Finally, if you don't ever want to have this problem again, always do your research and but a phone that has an unlockable bootloader. I purchased the i537 when it first came out only to find that the bootloader was locked and because of that I will never buy another phone with a locked bootloader again. Good luck.

Devo7v said:
I'm going to try to answer your questions one at a time:
There is not and never will be marshmallow or nougat for the i537. This is because it is outside the "2-year" update cycle of Samsung/AT&T. If you look at other phones from Samsung and AT&T, there are very rarely updates to phones 2 years after the initial release of the phone. There's not really a good reason for this other than Samsung and AT&T want you to buy a new phone to get the latest updates. In the past you would need to get a new phone in order to have new hardware that is able to run the latest version of Android. But we're now at a point that nearly any phone released in the last 2-3 years can run nougat with minor lag. Manufacturers and carriers are holding on to the 2-year upgrade cycle and forcing you to buy new phones in order to get updates.
The i537 has a locked bootloader while the i9295 does not have a locked bootloader. Nobody has figured out how to unlock the bootloader on any variant of the S4.
It's a very long read, but this thread explains exactly why it is so hard to unlock the bootloader. (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2500826)
As I stated above the only difference between the two versions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active (i537 vs i9295) is that the i537 has a locked bootloader and the i9295 does not. The i537 was sold exclusively through AT&T (US), Telcel (Mexico), and Claro (Uruguay), while the i9295 was sold internationally. Neither device will get official versions of marshmallow or nougat, but since the i9295 has an unlocked bootloader you can flash marshmallow and soon nougat custom ROMs. Other than the bootloader, the i537 and i9295 have identical hardware.
Honestly, unless you have a deep understanding of kernels, Linux, and cryptology, I'm not sure there's much help you can provide. The link I provided above explains all the effort that has been put into unlocking the bootloader. If you truly want to help I would read through that thread and see if there's anything meaningful you can provide.
Finally, if you don't ever want to have this problem again, always do your research and but a phone that has an unlockable bootloader. I purchased the i537 when it first came out only to find that the bootloader was locked and because of that I will never buy another phone with a locked bootloader again. Good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the explanation, what I will do is change my S4 for the international version in order to get the nougat custom rom.

m44nu33l said:
Thanks for the explanation, what I will do is change my S4 for the international version in order to get the nougat custom rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well my questions has really been answered , i guess we are never going to get an update , best option is to get a new phone

System updates for unlocked phones?

I have ordered an unlocked Note 8 and will be using it on AT&T.
When it comes time for updating to Oreo from Nougat where will the update originate? If it is the AT&T server will I then be burdened with their bloatware?

Unlocked devices do not get carrier updates. Your update will come directly from Samsung. I am hoping that Samsung updates will come before Verizon, one of the main reasons I got the unlocked version.

the non-branded models get updates directly from Samsung

Unlocked Note 8 update
The link provided by samsung to read about the update mentions att which is why I got concerned about allowing it. I have at&t service but don't want their bloatware on my phone which us why I got the unlocked version. Can't post the URL because I can't remember my old acct info here so had to start over.

Question ordering an s21 ultra from tmobile today. questions on bl unlock and root

it will be a day or two after we place the order in a few hours from now. (thursday june 17th 2021).
01 do i need to flash the newer U1 firmware with the v2 bootloader first then do bl unlock and root for custom roms?
02 since we will be in a 2 year contract maybe i should just keep tmobile original firmware and just bl unlock and root that firmware?
03 what is the best way to do it since i know we will be with tmobile for 2 more years?
04 samsung pay wont work and what else?
05 knox will be tripped forever?

en11gma said:
it will be a day or two after we place the order in a few hours from now. (thursday june 17th 2021).
01 do i need to flash the newer U1 firmware with the v2 bootloader first then do bl unlock and root for custom roms?
02 since we will be in a 2 year contract maybe i should just keep tmobile original firmware and just bl unlock and root that firmware?
03 what is the best way to do it since i know we will be with tmobile for 2 more years?
04 samsung pay wont work and what else?
05 knox will be tripped forever?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure about your local network provider policies so can't say about points 1 to 3. Points no 4 and 5 however are quite simple to answer:
04 samsung pay wont work and what else? Most banking apps, payment gateway apps, some streaming services and a large number of services requiring some kind of authentication or DRM will stop working if they detect that your phone is rooted. Most of these can be bypassed even when rooted using Magisk hide. But Magisk development in the future is uncertain right now, so don't put all your eggs in that basket. Some of these apps may work now, but lose functionality later, unless you unroot.
Samsung Pay is gone forever once you root. As well as Samsung Pass. No way to get these back again as far as I know.
You also won't get OTA updates anymore and will have to flash newer firmwares manually.
Warranty is gone too, unless your country has special laws against this. Recently a forum member posted his experience where Samsung wouldn't even perform a paid repair for a screen replacement. Their reason was apparently because he had rooted his phone and voided his warranty. Think about that - they wouldn't even repair his phone, or sell him the parts, even if he was willing to pay! I'm not going to get into whether that's justified - but it is what it is. Be warned.
If you're willing to take the risk and Samsung Pay etc doesn't mean much to you, and features that rooting bring mean way, wayyyyy more to you, even at the risk of losing warranty, proceed with rooting after careful consideration.
05 knox will be tripped forever? Yes. Once you root, this will be irreversibly, permanently, irrevocably, unrecoverably, soul-stone permanently - be tripped forever. Nothing short of a motherboard replacement will get that flag up again.

is there a proper way about doing it when we receive the phones?
i mean will the phones try and auto update when i insert the sim card and power phone on therefore stopping the phone from being bl unlocked and rooter on stock firmware?
do i need to stop this from happening?

en11gma said:
is there a proper way about doing it when we receive the phones?
i mean will the phones try and auto update when i insert the sim card and power phone on therefore stopping the phone from being bl unlocked and rooter on stock firmware?
do i need to stop this from happening?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's a paid service for unlocking bootloaders on certain US Snapdragon devices. If you update to the March Security Patch or later the bootloader can't be unlocked. You can turn off the Auto Update function. There are a number of features you'll lose. Warranty (Knox will be tripped), Samsung Pay and Pass. You will also lose Secure Folder and Samsung Health however they may be able to get restored. All data is lost as well as any option to update the device and expect the bootloader to remain unlocked. You can review the details here.
[Android][UNSAMLOCK] Bootloader Unlock for Samsung US/Canada Devices
This thread is @svetius approved Important notice: Do not update to April 2023 security update (XXXXXXXXXXWCX) or later. Examples: G998USQS6EWCA, N986USQU4HWD1. Samsung has patched the bootloader unlock again on those updates. NOTE: The OneUI...
forum.xda-developers.com

if this is T-Mobile US (or any US snapdragon version including unlocked, network free) you'll only be able to unlock your bootloader via the above mentioned type of method which isn't cheap as I understand it.

Personally I would need to see a custom rom with a whole lot of functionalities I would use before I opted for this method. If rooting your device is a priority it would seem to make more sense to aquire a Snapdragon or Exynos variant with an unlocked bootloader. The reason for buying a US Branded device, besides a generous trade in allowance are carrier features. If you root a carrier device you'll lose a number of these advantages.

varcor said:
Personally I would need to see a custom rom with a whole lot of functionalities I would use before I opted for this method. If rooting your device is a priority it would seem to make more sense to aquire a Snapdragon or Exynos variant with an unlocked bootloader. The reason for buying a US Branded device, besides a generous trade in allowance are carrier features. If you root a carrier device you'll lose a number of these advantages.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i thought if i bl unlock and root a stock firmware it just allows me to use twrp to make full backups so i can restore later and the root is for like hotspot stuff.
i know root disable samsung pay and something else but i thought all the carrier stuff still worked correctly

en11gma said:
i thought if i bl unlock and root a stock firmware it just allows me to use twrp to make full backups so i can restore later and the root is for like hotspot stuff.
i know root disable samsung pay and something else but i thought all the carrier stuff still worked correctly
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should inquire about call features with the developer before you decide. IMHO you're sacrificing a lot of features for a hotspot.

Check list if I want to buy a S10 with the intention of rooting

I am looking for a phone to replace my rooted S5. One of the candidate is a second hand S10.
It is crucial that I am able to root the phone, and I was wondering how tricky the process is on this phone, and whether there are models where it might be impossible (perhaps Snapdragon based?), or if the baseband is above a certain version, or anything there are anything else that might impede the process I should pay attention to.
If anyone has successfully rooted their device in 2021 (ideally recently), please let me know.
Thanks.

A few fellow XDAers have done this recently. I assume you're speaking about a Snapdragon phone, which is where it gets tricky. The process requires payment to someone to perform the actual unlock... there are two providers (that I know of) that offer this service.
For the device, the bootloader revision is what's important - it needs to be old enough to allow this to work. In addition, once unlocked, it must REMAIN on this older bootloader otherwise you lose root. I believe you must be on BLv4 or older, which means it cannot be updated past Februrary of this year. The 5th character in the PDA/Phone build number (a number) from the right is what shows this version. For example, the March update for Verizon on the SM-G975U is G975USQU5GUBH, so that "5" means it's BL5.
My recent purchased phones were 5 and 6. I'm giving up on getting root, as I don't need it anymore. Sure, I'd prefer to have it, but it's getting too difficult and expensive to get it and I don't NEED it...
The two unlock providers I know about can be seen here (I have used neither myself, of course):
[Android][UNSAMLOCK] Bootloader Unlock for Samsung US/Canada Devices
This thread is @svetius approved Important notice: Do not update to April 2023 security update (XXXXXXXXXXWCX) or later. Examples: G998USQS6EWCA, N986USQU4HWD1. Samsung has patched the bootloader unlock again on those updates. NOTE: The OneUI...
forum.xda-developers.com
Samsung Development | SamPWND
Unlock your bootloader on USA Model Samsung Galaxy devices! Visit https://www.sampwnd.com and have the SamPWND team help you!
www.sampwnd.com

schwinn8 said:
A few fellow XDAers have done this recently. I assume you're speaking about a Snapdragon phone, which is where it gets tricky. The process requires payment to someone to perform the actual unlock... there are two providers (that I know of) that offer this service.
For the device, the bootloader revision is what's important - it needs to be old enough to allow this to work. In addition, once unlocked, it must REMAIN on this older bootloader otherwise you lose root. I believe you must be on BLv4 or older, which means it cannot be updated past Februrary of this year. The 5th character in the PDA/Phone build number (a number) from the right is what shows this version. For example, the March update for Verizon on the SM-G975U is G975USQU5GUBH, so that "5" means it's BL5.
My recent purchased phones were 5 and 6. I'm giving up on getting root, as I don't need it anymore. Sure, I'd prefer to have it, but it's getting too difficult and expensive to get it and I don't NEED it...
The two unlock providers I know about can be seen here (I have used neither myself, of course):
[Android][UNSAMLOCK] Bootloader Unlock for Samsung US/Canada Devices
This thread is @svetius approved Important notice: Do not update to April 2023 security update (XXXXXXXXXXWCX) or later. Examples: G998USQS6EWCA, N986USQU4HWD1. Samsung has patched the bootloader unlock again on those updates. NOTE: The OneUI...
forum.xda-developers.com
Samsung Development | SamPWND
Unlock your bootloader on USA Model Samsung Galaxy devices! Visit https://www.sampwnd.com and have the SamPWND team help you!
www.sampwnd.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. Does the Bootloader 5 restriction also applies on Exynos devices? I am uessing that might be why I had difficulties my recently purchased Tab S4.
Another question, can a bootloader be updated while the OS stays on an older version, or do they usually get updated together? For instance, if I find a phone that is still on Pie, is it likely be on an older baseband, or can a phone be on Pie AND be on a new baseband?

I don't know much about Exynos systems, but from what I gather they may be "normally rootable"... I don't believe there are as many restrictions on that platform (it seems to be a USA/EU thing to prevent rooting, primarily).
BL and OS seem to get upgraded together, generally speaking.

xAxB said:
Thanks. Does the Bootloader 5 restriction also applies on Exynos devices? I am uessing that might be why I had difficulties my recently purchased Tab S4.
Another question, can a bootloader be updated while the OS stays on an older version, or do they usually get updated together? For instance, if I find a phone that is still on Pie, is it likely be on an older baseband, or can a phone be on Pie AND be on a new baseband?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nope- those can be unlocked whenever
they still can't be downgraded though damn...
I have both phones...snapdragon IS slightly better

SM-G973u1 snapdragon root

Sorry to just drop a question, but I can't find the answer. Can the snapdragon S10 SM-G973u1 bootloader be unlocked? If not is there another way to root it?
Thank you
Chris

​
HelloChris333333, just when you post on a forum the courtesy of saying hello. Yes you can root just with the firmware of your model S10 SM-G973U1 US model so not compatible with EU firmware.

meric57 said:
HelloChris333333, just when you post on a forum the courtesy of saying hello. Yes you can root just with the firmware of your model S10 SM-G973U1 US model so not compatible with EU firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure that's true, but I would love to find out I'm wrong.
In my research, the SD phones cannot be unlocked unless you are on (and remain on) an older BL version. The last unlockable BL version was 4, as I recall... if you're running updated firmware you are likely on BL 6. Even on 4, the process was not free and once you did it you could not update to a newer version of FW without losing the unlock.
For this reason, I gave up on getting root/BLunlock on my phone... and honestly, I have not missed it. This is also why I have not seen much development of FW for the SD phones anywhere.
Again, if I'm wrong, I'd love to learn how it's done!

Hello meric57
Can you share a link to the firmware I need? I just bought this phone and there is no OEM unlock option, it is a US phone. If I cannot root it I will have to sell it and get another phone.
Thanks
Chris

I guess another question would be where can I get a S10 with the Exynos chip?
Thanks
Chris

Using ADB I keep getting "waiting for device" and then I find I need to unlock the bootloader. This crap is an endless circle.

U4 can be unlocked before , I can unlock it , Special engineering documents need to be made

I'm V6 nothing available. I bought a G973F instead. G973u1 going on ebay.

Exactly, there is really no root/unlock for snapdragon phones unless you're on a very old BL (and you have to stay there so you can't update). IMO, that's not "can be unlocked" even with "special" steps, particularly since most phones today will have newer BLs (even a year ago, I couldn't find a BL4 phone)... but, yes, it's technically true to say it can be unlocked, but only in very limited cases.
@Chris33333 For this reason, I get that you may want to go to the Exynos instead... I'm curious, if you're in the US, how does that work with carriers? Does it? I've found most US carriers refuse to activate phones that don't match their list of "compatible" IMEIs... I imagine an F-series phone won't be on that list.

I'm in the US using Straight Talk with T-mobile. I've had a Galaxy S5 rooted for years. With straight talk I can use AT&T, T-mobile, or Verizon. But this international phone does not do Verizon.

And StraightTalk will activate the F-series phone without complaint or issues? If so, that's great to hear... because I know VZ and ATT typically won't...

I haven't put the SIM in it yet. Still trying to delete all the crap off the phone.

Lol

Hello Chris33333, https://www.sammobile.com/samsung/galaxy-s10/firmware/SM-G973U1/XAA/