- Title: P780 4.4.2 ROW for China Baseband P780
- Listed: August, 2014
- Last modified: 12/07/2014 6:09 pm
- Version: Android 4.4.2 KitKat
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DESCRIPTION
Lenovo P780 ROM, Android 4.4.2, patched to work with Chinese version of the phone
This is a signifiant upgrade to Lenovo P780 ROW, The OS is upgraded to version 4.4.2 KitKat. It is a full upgrade package and will erase all user data. After update, the internal storage will no longer have the virtual SD card, the entire internal storage is partitioned as 'usrdata', the android data partition.
This ROM was initially released for the international version of the P780, I made 2 changes to it, to make it work with the chinese version (no 900 MHz), 4GB (non-ROW), which is now bundled with the VIBEUI ROM. Here are the changes I made: 1) I removed the device check from the installer, now the zip could (but I don't advise to) be installed on any device, and 2) the baseband used on this device is the one bundled with the VIBE UI ROM, the one that works with the non-ROW version of the phone. This ROM has all the apps which the international version has: Google play, more languages, etc.
Applying the zip update will also remove custom recovery and replace it with factory version. The first restart will take longer as usual, so be patient on the first boot. 'boot' and 'recovery' images are overwritten by the update, if you use root and/or custom recovery, you will have to reinstall them custom recovery with SPFlash Tool.
Before upgrading, back up your data (SMS, Call logs, Apps) with Lenovo Backup & Restore, you will be able to restore contacts/sms and logs later with the settings / backup and restore feature, and reinstall APKs from the SD card backup folder manually. APKs can be easily located with the file browser.
The 2nd package provided is in SP Flas tools format, it can be installed fast and easy, no matter what is your phone currently running. The package includes the factory ROM and apps, plus Superuser and Busybox. A custom recovery is also included.
What's new
- OS is upgraded to version 4.4.2 KitKat
- A new 'Lenovo Security' app is provided, this includes antivirus, privacy guard, data usage (and firewall), SMS/call anti-SPAM, speed-up, private space and anti-theft features
- new versions for most system apps (dialer, sms, calendar, email, power manager, etc), google play store, flashlight widget and app
- more privacy
- a memory cleanup button has been added below the task list
- SMS and home screen app can now be switched from the settins app
- 'Smart Scene' feature allows automated audio profile switch, either at a specified time or at a specified wireless network presence
- More theme-able (lock screen, system UI, boot animation, notification UI, contact manager and in-call app can now have different themes (even though a very low number of themes is provided).
- reboot option added to shutdown menu
- all audio volumes are available/adjustable when pressing volume-up/volume-down
- flip-to-mute incoming call alert, auto-redial option
- LED alert now flashes, instead of staying continuously lit (but still doesn't provide notification from other apps, such as facebook)
- the display colours can be tuned for saturation and hue (white balance)
- a 'wireless display' function has been added
- 'Smart Display' feature, preventing the screen to enter standby if the user is looking at the screen.
- Available languages: Bahasa (Indonesia & Melayou), English, Spanish, French, Vietnam, Russian, Chinese, Ukrainian, etc.
- the internal virtual SD card has been removed, now all the available internal storage is provided as a single partition
Notes
- The baseband contained within this ROM is for China version of Lenovo P780, you may lose the 900 MHz for 3G data band if you will install it on the international version of the phone!
- You have to backup IMEIs with MobileUncleTools before flashing. It's a known fact that sometimes IMEIs are lost when flashing ROM, it already happened with many ROMs and many MTK65xx devices.
- automatic updates will fail, due to changes Lenovo made in the update mechanism. For example, the update to ROW_S221 checks for the checksum of the modem.img file, thus making the update to fail.
- after installing Chainfire SuperSU onto this rom, you will gain root, but the current version of chainfire will complain about ‘not being up to date’, this will likely be fixed in a future version of SuperSU
- newer P780s use a different preloader image. I have uploaded both preloader.img on the spflashable ROW-s222 package, you will have to manually select the 2nd preloader.img file manually if your device is manufactured after march 2014.
How to install the ROM
Common prerequisites:
- Use lenovo backup and restore, do a backup of your data to SD Card (apps, contacts, messages, call logs), you will be able to restore them later with settings/backup and restore feature.
- connect the phone to PC, enable USB debugging, install Lenovo drivers if you didn't already, do a backup of your IMEIs with MTK Root & Tools app
1 – P780-S220, zip update – This package can be installed if your device is already running a factory ROM for P780. Versions P780-ROW S119-S124 work fine. You need to have installed a custom recovery able to install zip from SD Card. Download the zip, copy it to the phone card, Power off the phone, start the phone by pressing 'power + vol-up + vol-down' to enter recovery interface, apply zip update.
Recovery working with this ROM: Carliv Recovery v. 2.2 (even though it isn't perfect, it's able to apply zip/sideload updates), TWRP 2.5.0
2 – The SPFlash format package – This package can installed with spflash tools, regardless of what is your phone running. Grab SPFlash tools (version 3.12 or any higher 3.x version recommended) and the Mediatek USB VCom drivers, install the driver, unpack SPFlash tools and the ROM.
Power off the phone with 'Fast bootup' option disabled, connect the usb cable to the phone (only this cable end), start Flash_tool downloaded previously, make sure 'DA DL All checksum' option is enabled within app, click on 'scatter…' button, browse to the 'MT6589_Android_scatter_emmc.txt' extracted with the ROM, click on 'Firmware upgrade' button. Take a look to all memory partitions on SP Flash tool window, make sure all partitions are ticked and HAVE a file associated to them. SPFlash tools version 5 may not automatically check all segments!
Connect the usb cable to the PC end, watch the Flash_Tool how it's transferring firmware, until it displays a window with a green circle.
Unplug the cable, start the phone, wait for the initial setup (it will take longer than the usual start-up), enjoy!
You will notice requests for root from Lenovo Power and Security apps. It's absolutely safe to hit 'Deny', those apps work very well without root access.
Update 2014-12-07: P780_ROW_S226_140919_TO_P780_ROW_S227_141121_WCF9.zip
This is an incremental update from version S226, it can't be installed without havig P780_ROW_S226 installed on device. Installing the factory update alone will not affect the existing modem firmware, but it will disable root. This incremental update can be installed as a zip update.
To install it, download the zip to SD card (and ClockworkMod Superuser if you want root, you can take it from here), reboot to TWRP recovery (with Mobile Uncle Tools or 'adb reboot recovery' command), install BOTH zip files, then reboot. If you do not need root, then you can ignore references to superuser.
Common post-update actions:
- use settings/backup and restore to bring back contacts/messages/call logs
- ignore update notifications, they will allow you to download future updates, but they will likely give errors when attempting to install the update.
- hit the 5 stars button under 'Author rating' on this page and take into consideration a donation!
※Please make a backup of your device before installing or updating ROM
Awaiting S223 from enterco.
¿Can someone upload the original recovery? I can't install the s223 official update because I have TWRP recovery
It won’t be installable with the original recovery, the installer is performing many checks, including the modem firmware, and this ROM include a modem.img extracted from the Chinese ROM. I will upload the s223 in a couple of days, now I’m travelling.
I just uploaded S223. If your existing ROM is version S220 or later, it's fine to download only 'ANDROID' and 'BOOTIMG', otherwise you need to perform a full 'Firmware download' with SPFlash.
Attention to the date of manufacture for your device. If it's built after 2014.03, then you will have to use the newer PRELOADER segment included in the archive.
entreco can u plz list the major changes in S223 over S222….
thnx in adv,
It's hard for me to identify an existing bug which has been fixed. S223 is shipped as an incremental update, and by looking at patch sizes, many of the patches for system files are updated. Most obvious are: Bluetooth, InCallUI, LenovoOTA, ideaFriend, Settings. Also many android (usually not used directly by the user) utilities are updated, related to network or graphics libraries.
I can definitely tell that the 'user 0' which was displayed on S222 is gone
Another useful improvement can be seen on memory management. S223 works with faster US and having 200MB ram free is something frequent.
Hi,
I am testing the S222 and I must say that everything seems really good, BUT the alarm does not work with phone turned off.. It may seem a really small and somewhat "stupid" request, but the alarm has always worked with phone tuned off and now it is not…. Does the new S223 allow it to work? Did I make some mistake during installations or did I miss something in setting it up? Any advice? Shall I try the S223 and see whether it works or not?
Many many thanks in advance!
A.
On the alarm editor there is an option "Enable shutdown alarm clock", the device will wake up for all alarms that are turned on and have this option checked.
Hi! Many thanks!
I explain: I have used "morelocale2" to translate a bit into italian and, sadly, this part is one of the worst translated… I should revert back to full english maybe…
I can assure U that I read the option, but, in my language, it has no discernible meaning…
Now that U point me to it and give a better translation, it should really be what I was looking for.
May I ask another question? I have S222… is there a way to upgrade without loosing settings and installed apps? Matbe the procedure U have suggested some messages before? To flash/download only "ANDROID" and "BOOTIMG"? Is it safe?
Many many thanks again: if the upgrade to S223 will work, it would really be THE BEST rom out there!!!
Welcome
Yes, if you only ‘downlad’ ANDROID and BOOTIMG then you won’t lose current apps, data and settings.
Hallo, I just flashed your rom. Excelent job I have to say! Can you just help me – I would like to uninstal Security and some other apps from it. I am using ESET and antivirus. But I can´t find any way how to do? Can you let me know which app should I use for uninstaling? Thank you!
Many of the apps included with the ROM are tied to the settings app. There will be 'collateral damage' if you will remove/disable those apps.
- Security: settings/data usage/[your sim name]/more settings will crash. Also, you won't have available the builtin 'firewall', "anti-spam", "private space" and "parental control".
- Tutorial – this is only linked to 'settings' app, I guess it's safe to freeze it.
- LenovoCalendar is tied to LenovoWeather. The default calendar app uses data extracted from the calendar app to display weather for the next days, according to your selected location.
- Drive, GMail, Hangouts, Maps, Music, Games, Street and Youtube apps could be removed and later installed on a "need-to-have it" basis, as any other app from Play store.
- LenovoPower is the only app providing detailed power usage stats and profile switcher. I advise to not remove it.
- LenovoThemeCenter and IdeaFriend are the theme manager and launcher. Removing them may render the device unbootable. Removing ThemeCenter will lead to crashes when you will select 'launcher'/'theme' or 'launcher'/'wallpaper'
- Twitter, GameLoftLive, Evernote, Accuweather, WPS Office, Facebook, Asphalt7, Route66 could be safely removed, with minimal impact.
You can try to disable some of those apps from Settings/Apps/All or freeze them with LenovoPower, but don't blame me if the device won't boot
Thank you. I needed uninstal mainly Security as I wanted to replace it with ESET. But I understand that that is not possible. Which is a pitty.
I didn’t say it’s impossible to remove security app,I only said that settings will yield crashes when clicking options which invoke the security app. If you don’t tap those options, everything should be fine.
Hallo, I have one more question, it is not probably problem of this ROM. When I have phone untouched signal is at full strenght, when I start some application, signal goes down … down until phone has no reception of signal. I tried different ROMs and different modem.img … Is it problem of phone or system? Can anybody help me? Thank you!
I didn’t notice signal problems on my device. If you need more modem.img files, send me a pm.
If your operator uses 900MHz band, you won’t be able to use wcdma high speed mobile data and you may receive disconnects. There are some apps in play store, which allows you to measure network signal, install one and perform a measurement aside another device, connected to the same mobile network.
Regarding uninstaling Security – which app for this I should use? I didn´t find anything.
Perhaps you need to disable/move /system/priv-app/LenovoNetQinAV-ROW.apk and LenovoSafeCenter-ROW.apk
Already uninstalled Security + Norton antivirus, no crash.