Blade A3 Prime (Visible)

[zaduma]

Doing anything listed here will void your warranty. I don't know the laws where you are so assume it makes you a criminal. These things are posted here for educational purposes only. Never follow any guide if you don't understand the commands.

Enough BS, let's jump in.

For windows users. Installing drivers:
1. Plug USB cable into PC.
2. On the A3 prime, instead of using USB as charging, select use USB as Updating Firmware (i forget actual wording)
3. A prompt will come up on Windows, install those drivers.
4. Reboot.

Install adb and fastboot on your PC, it is up to you to do this.
Enable developer options on your phone, and enable USB debugging and OEM Unlocking.

In your CMD/Shell/Whatever you have.
adb reboot bootloader

fastboot flashing unlock (use volume up to confirm)
fastboot flashing unlock_critical (use volume up to confirm)

Congrats you've unlocked the bootloader.

Use 'fastboot reboot' to reboot if you haven't done so already.

-----

this is where the progress on this device comes to a halt.

The kernel source is available from opensource.ztedevices.com

The device codename is Z5157V, the Kernel they have is listed under Z5157V Q(10) Kernel(4.4.185)

What needs to happen next? Someone needs to compile the kernel from source.

Once that is done, they can extract the boot.img from it, use Magisk, and make a modified boot.img

Whoila, they will now have root. Once this person has root, they can extract recovery.img from the device, and we can begin making a custom TWRP, or who knows, maybe Team Win will pick it up (unlikely).

Once we have a custom recovery and working Magisk, it's just a matter of time before we start seeing custom ROMS.

If someone will sign up to be a guinea pig, or has an extra A3 Prime laying around I will continue development. I bricked mine because I was impulsive and honestly, kinda stupid. (browse through thread to see my idiocy)

Until such a time that I come to possess another A3 Prime OR someone steps up to provide a firmware dump, I am unable to help.

Good luck developing!

 

[Syst3ms]

Only managed to unlock the bootloader but can't seem to find any information on rooting it.
The structure is indeed different than what you would normally expect to find. 'recovery' isn't a valid partition when trying to flash under fastboot for example.
The only reason I'm interested in trying to root this device is because The mtk engineering mode app doesn't work on this phone, at least not the visible version, so band locking doesn't seem possible without root and a different rom.

 

[zaduma]

Yeah, I bricked my device by flashing a universal MTK TWRP.

Came here to say this, do not flash universal MTK.

It is a soft brick, bootloops with no access to stock or TWRP recovery.

The phone's model number is Z5157V and the stock firmware is Z5157VV1.0.0B17 for google indexing reasons. Only place that MAY have it is behind a $40 pay wall.

 

[zaduma]

Managed to get the kernel from opensource.ztedevices.com, just beginning to work on it now (not sure how I'm gonna get my phone out of bootloop mode, but I'll solve it later)

 

[zaduma]

I have never compiled a kernel from source, but I'm eager to learn, I have two days in the wilderness planned ahead of me. If anyone would compile the kernel, that is great. If not? I'll get it done when I get back.

Been playing around with the phone and key combinations, I think I have found a way to use SP Flash Tool in it's current soft brick state.

If I am successful in compiling the kernel, I will share it.

If I am able to unbrick this phone, I will write a guide.

If those two things happen, I'll be moving forward to make an AOSP based custom ROM for this phone. Maybe a first for a $100 device, but I like root.

If anyone else knows HOW to compile the kernel, you'd put me a few steps ahead when I get back.

Either way, nearly 200 lurkers on this thread, I hope to have answers soon.

 

[s4goa]

ORANGE

I was able to unlock the bootloader. Confirmed with a boot message on boot.

how does that bootmessage read?


does it say : "ORANGE STATE" et cetera ?

 

[zaduma]

how does that bootmessage read?


does it say : "ORANGE STATE" et cetera ?

Yeah

Orange State
Device can't be trusted
Booting in x seconds

 

[s4goa]

1st.

to make an AOSP based custom ROM for this phone. Maybe a first for a $100 device, but I like root.

why do you think you are first ? their are literally tons of €100 phones in circulation!

 

[zaduma]

why do you think you are first ? their are literally tons of €100 phones in circulation!

Who knows, guess I don't have much experience in this area. (Cheap phones) Figured it's usually not worth it to do all this work for a throwaway phone.

That said, I've been wrong before!

 

[s4goa]

Yeah

Orange State
Device can't be trusted
Booting in 5 seconds

same here after

fastboot flashing unlock_critical 
(bootloader) Start unlock flow

FAILED ()
Finished. Total time: 21.830s

 

[zaduma]

same here after

fastboot flashing unlock_critical 
(bootloader) Start unlock flow

FAILED ()
Finished. Total time: 21.830s

Strange it fails, try flashing unlock first, then flashing unlock_critical, make sure to press volume up on phone when prompted.

 

[s4goa]

fastboot

dude, in order to avoid fuqqing confusion you ought not abbreviate a shell command like you do.

Anyhow, since we two guys have different phones, it makes sense only for me to generally discuss the rooting strategy on a ZTE Spreadtrum phone, as the specifics will differ too much.

I have fastboot on a Lumigon T3 as my "ZTE blade A5 2019" does not have fastboot.

---------- Post added at 16:07 ---------- Previous post was at 15:55 ----------

rooters, come join https://xdaforums.com/group.php?groupid=1925

 

[zaduma]

dude, in order to avoid fuqqing confusion you ought not abbreviate a shell command like you do.

Anyhow, since we two fuys have different phones, it makes sense only for me to generally discuss the rooting strategy on a ZTE Spreadtrum phone, as the specifics will differ too much.

I have fastboot on a Lumigon T3 as my "ZTE blade A5 2019" does not have fastboot..

---------- Post added at 16:07 ---------- Previous post was at 15:55 ----------

rooters, come join https://xdaforums.com/group.php?groupid=1925

Sorry, for clarity if on Linux type su and your root password, or use sudo to escalate your permissions if you don't have permission to use fastboot as a regular user.

If you're on windows, consider a free upgrade, but also leave out sudo and once in fastboot mode on a3 prime, type
1. (sudo) fastboot flashing unlock
2. (sudo) fastboot flashing unlock_critical

Press volume up when prompted and congrats your warranty is now void, bootloader unlocked. I'm not responsible for your choices.
__________
Also yeah, the phones even have different chipsets the Z5157V is a MTK phone

 

[s4goa]

fastboot

this "orange state unlock bootloader" has - however - nothing or little to do with "Developer Menu option UNLOCK BOOTLOADER"


do you know more about this?


on my Lumigon these 2 unlockings are independent of each other, never mind the identical name "unlock bootloader".

 

[zaduma]

this "orange state unlock bootloader" has - however - nothing or little to do with "Developer Menu option UNLOCK BOOTLOADER"


do you know more about this?


on my Lumigon these 2 unlockings are independent of each other, never mind the identical name "unlock bootloader".

Yeah, you'll need to toggle that option to on in Developer Settings before entering the bootloader/fastboot mode and running the unlock commands or they will fail.

 

[s4goa]

we're screwed !

dude, dammit! they cryptosign bootloaders now LINK

if that is true we're done for! how to hack those cryptochips?


its for Unisoc SC9863A Spreadtrum but also other CPUs.

:crying:

 

[zaduma]

Well, I am terribly sorry to hear that, but at least the A3 prime is on mediatek chipsets which I don't believe has any such protection.

 

[s4goa]

Spreadtrum SC9832E, 64bit

the A3 prime is on mediatek chipsets

if you are sure that boot.img can be "modded" then the A3 is a superior phone, let me tell you.

---------- Post added at 22:54 ---------- Previous post was at 22:50 ----------

anyway... its kewl u posted at https://www.gizmochina.com/2020/07/01/zte-blade-a3v-key-specs-leak/

 

[zaduma]

if you are sure that boot.img can be "modded" then the A3 is a superior phone, let me tell you.

---------- Post added at 22:54 ---------- Previous post was at 22:50 ----------

anyway... its kewl u posted at https://www.gizmochina.com/2020/07/01/zte-blade-a3v-key-specs-leak/

Keep checking for updates, once I'm back in town that's exactly what I'll be working on.

 

[zaduma]

Sorry to anyone following this thread, I will continue working on building the kernel, extracting boot, and getting this phone rooted. I will need a volunteer to test the root solution once it is built, and then if possible follow a few steps and extract recovery.img on your newly rooted device and send that to me.

I just don't have the time today even though I said I would be doing it. If there are any volunteers with an A3 prime let me know!