Disclaimer:
We and the developer of this update procedures shall not be held responsible if any undesirable outcomes may happen to your device. use of this update guide is solely at your own risk!
Read the warnings below and decide whether you want to update your device or not.
– Before updating your phone backup entire data otherwise you will lose it. Update the phone at your own risk and we can’t be held responsible if something goes wrong or if the device gets bricked.
– Use Go Backup Pro or Super Backup to backup all the android apps, contact, sms and all data stored on your phone. If your device is rooted you can use Titanium Backup to backup all your data.
– After installing the Android update outside the country may create problems with phone’s network and the phone’s 2G or 3G network may not even work thereby disabling the phone to make any voice call.
– If you are going to update your device and your device is already rooted, you may lose you rooting but can root it again.
The Samsung Galaxy S3 has just received another official firmware dubbed as I9300XXEMC3 that comes packed with new amazing features and bug fixes. While we always advice our readers to get official updates over-the-air (OTA) or via the Samsung KIES, there are others who may not be able to do so. That’s the reason why we have to write this step-by-step tutorial on how to install the Android 4.1.2-based XXEMC3 firmware on the S3. Owners don’t need to root their phones prior to the installation because they will be using the popular ODIN flashing tool instead of the ClockworkMod Recovery. They are, however, required to download the application into their computers as well as the firmware package (download links are provided below). For the safety of your phone and data in it, there are a few reminders we want you to read before you take the first step of this tutorial. But first, try to take a look at the list of new features before deciding to update your phone.
Firmware Features
Android 4.1.2 (JZO54K) Multi-View (Multi-Windows Multitasking, same as in Note II) Page Buddy Paper Artist App Group Cast App New Gallery App (same as in Note II) Brightness Slider in Notification Panel Can Now Be Disabled Smart Rotation (Screen Display adjusts to your angle of sightings) Notification Panel (Notification Panel can now be customized) Continues Input in Samsung Keyboard (Like Swipe or Android 4.2 Keyboard) If you think these features are interesting, continue reading our reminders.
Reminders
Backup all your data including your SMS, Contacts and apps. There is a possibility they would be corrupted during the process. Make sure your device has sufficient battery to complete the installation. It is recommended your phone has at least 80% of battery left to make sure it won’t power down during the process. Enable USB Debugging. These are basic reminders you can follow to make sure everything will go smoothly during the entire process. If you’re ready, you can now follow the instructions below.
Instructions
Step 1: Download ODIN. [Link 1 | Link 2]
Step 2: Download Android 4.1.2 [Link (I9300XXEMC3_I9300NEEEMC1_NEE.zip)]
Step 3: Extract contents of both packages and run ODIN application as administrator.
Step 4: Turn your phone off and boot it up to Download Mode. Press and hold both the Volume Down and Home buttons while pressing on the Power button. Follow on-screen instructions to enter the download mode.
Step 5: Once your phone is in the download mode already, connect it with your computer. On Odin application interface, it would say “Added!” while turning one of the COM ports to yellow.
Step 6: Load the following files: PIT, PDA, Phone and CSC. Each file has its own button so you could never go wrong with it. If you cannot find PIT, Phone and CSC files, continue with the process as you would need the PDA file in that case.
Step 7: Under the Options section, make sure both Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time are checked. If a PIT file is present, then you also need to check Re-Partition option.
Step 8: If everything is set with all files necessary loaded, you may click on the Start button to begin flashing the software.
Step 9: Once the flashing is complete, ODIN will automatically reboot your phone. Wait until it is fully active before you disconnect it from your computer.
Step 10: To verify if the installation was successful, go to Settings => About Phone. It should say your phone is now running Android 4.1.2 with build XXEMC3.
