How to root Samsung Galaxy X Cover 4s Enterprise Edition (SM-G398F)

[PaddyWi]

Hey there,

is there a way to root a Samsung Galaxy X Cover 4s (SM-G398F)?
The phone is from June 2019 and runs Android 9.0.

I haven't found anything on the forum.

Here's a link to the Samsung website:
https://www.samsung.com/de/smartphones/galaxy-xcover-4s-g398-enterprise-edition/SM-G398FZKDE28/

Thanks in advance,
Paddy

 

[sanktnelson]

I'm wondering the same thing. I tried to follow this guide: https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/software-hacking/root-recovery-root-device-magisk-t3779454
but my phone is not recognized by odin or fastboot, so I can't flash the patched boot image.

 

[Evildead_666]

I have also recently acquired a Samsung SM-G398F.
Need root for an FM Radio app.

Doesn't seem to have one by default (have opened a ticket with Samsung support, the Exynos 7885 should support one).

Otherwise a really perfect machine.
dual sim, and a microSD slot.
Fast charging, contrary to whats on sammobile.

Will help if asked.

edit : I would have the French version :
SM-G398FZKDXEF

https://www.samsung.com/fr/business/smartphones/galaxy-xcover-4s-g398/sm-g398fzkdxef/
Not sure if there would be any difference.

 

[Evildead_666]

Just got off the Phone with Samsung Support.
Basically "Demand has greatly reduced for this product (FM Radio) so we are not proposing it anymore."
I didn't stay on the phone for long because it was someone with a very strong Asian accent, and i couldn't understand her very well, and she sure couldn't understand me properly, so I gave up even asking anything.
They just said to download an app from the App store....

They DID propose to use an older Samsung phone, seeing as their older phones have FM functional

Really need root now, or i'll be carrying my old phone around with me everywhere just for the radio...(and I hope it will actually work after all this).

 

[Evildead_666]

OK, so, no stock images seem to be available yet, or anything else for that matter.

i'm just trying to get a stock backup image made, so if anything goes wrong, I can flash back.

Just in case anyone is interested, this is the info from the Recovery Mode :

Samsung/xcoverseea/xcover4s
9/PPR1.180610.011/G398FNXXU1ASF5

I have done this before, but only when Roms were available.

Is it possible to flash TWRP or CWM without having rooted the phone yet ? (It would seem its possible with ADB mode).
Is there a generic TWRP/CWM that i can flash, or do I have to have a specific custom version of TWRP/CWM ?

Cheers

 

[Systema Encephale]

Just got off the Phone with Samsung Support.
Basically "Demand has greatly reduced for this product (FM Radio) so we are not proposing it anymore.

Weird. I bought my Xcover 4S in Sweden, and it has a working FM radio. I would have expected EU phones to be identical apart from the language preset.

 

[Evildead_666]

Weird. I bought my Xcover 4S in Sweden, and it has a working FM radio. I would have expected EU phones to be identical apart from the language preset.

Hi, did you have the FM Radio app installed by default, or did you have to add it ?

I don't have the FM App installed at all, and when I install NextRadio, it says it can't find it.

 

[Systema Encephale]

Hi, did you have the FM Radio app installed by default, or did you have to add it ?

I don't have the FM App installed at all, and when I install NextRadio, it says it can't find it.

It was already installed. Looks like it is neither part of the Play Store nor the Galaxy Store, but going by the name and icon it seems to be this one... argh, I cannot post URLs yet. Google "Samsung Radio apkmirror", should be the first link. Specifically, I have version 10.0.00.52 installed.

 

[Evildead_666]

It was already installed. Looks like it is neither part of the Play Store nor the Galaxy Store, but going by the name and icon it seems to be this one... argh, I cannot post URLs yet. Google "Samsung Radio apkmirror", should be the first link. Specifically, I have version 10.0.00.52 installed.

I just reset my phone back to factory defaults, to check.

in the "Samsung" Folder in the app drawer, I have Telephone, Messages, Voice recorder, and My Files.
I have no Radio App...

Which version of the 4s do you have, I mean the full name ?

edit : In The Software updates for the Phone i have these versions installed :
G398FNXXU1ASF5/G398FNOXM1ASF5/G398FNXXU1ASF2
Security Update 1st May 2019.

---------- Post added at 10:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:24 AM ----------

I'm wondering if it's a difference between the "Enterprise Edition" and the Standard Edition....

I'm pretty sure I have the Exynos 7885 version (1.6GHz A53 cores) (there may be a 7884B version, with 1.35GHz A53 cores).
The board is called "Universal7885" in CPU-Z, which would be the same, or similar, to the Samsung A8+ boards I think ?

Edit : I found a Stock Rom apparently here, at samfrew.com
https://samfrew.com/download/Galaxy__XCover__4s__/mOac/FTM/G398FNXXU1ASG2/G398FNOGC1ASF2/

Is Samfrew an OK site to download a stock Rom from ?

edit2 : Did a search for the ASG2 Rom, and found that it may have been called Xcover 5 at some point.

https://samdb.org/firmware/pda/G398FNXXU1ASG2/
I much prefer getting this Rom from SamDB...

 

[Systema Encephale]

Which version of the 4s do you have, I mean the full name ?

edit : In The Software updates for the Phone i have these versions installed :
G398FNXXU1ASF5/G398FNOXM1ASF5/G398FNXXU1ASF2
Security Update 1st May 2019.

The model number according to Settings/About Phone is SM-G398FN. That is rather short, where do I get the full number? According to the spec page on the shop where I got it it is SM-G398FZKDE31, but I'd rather get this from the phone.

The software updates are:
G398FNXXU1ASH1 / G398FNOXM1ASH1 /
G398FNXXU1ASH1
Security patch level: 1 August 2019
(Yes, 1st and 3rd are the same, not sure what's up with that).

I'm wondering if it's a difference between the "Enterprise Edition" and the Standard Edition....

I think the box said Enterprise Edition on mine, but I am travelling right now, so I cannot check. Any place in the phone where I should be able to see this?

I'm pretty sure I have the Exynos 7885 version (1.6GHz A53 cores) (there may be a 7884B version, with 1.35GHz A53 cores).
The board is called "Universal7885" in CPU-Z, which would be the same, or similar, to the Samsung A8+ boards I think ?

Same board in mine, and the A53 are listed as 1.56GHz.

 

[Evildead_666]

The model number according to Settings/About Phone is SM-G398FN. That is rather short, where do I get the full number? According to the spec page on the shop where I got it it is SM-G398FZKDE31, but I'd rather get this from the phone.

I got it from the French Samsung Website. it looks like they almost have a version for each country...

The software updates are:
G398FNXXU1ASH1 / G398FNOXM1ASH1 /
G398FNXXU1ASH1
Security patch level: 1 August 2019
(Yes, 1st and 3rd are the same, not sure what's up with that).

Yes, i saw some of the other roms seem to be ASH1.
Strange that my version seemed stuck on May 1st security update, when others are on 1st August...

Proper link than the one from before, to all the Xcover 4s/5 roms :
https://samdb.org/model/SM-G398FN/

i'm downloading a couple of them at the moment.
the Greek European version (EUR at the beginning of the filename) and the Dutch one (PHN).
They both seem to be "Black Editions" whatever that is...
Will try flashing them to my phone tomorrow, and see if it works or bricks...

I think the box said Enterprise Edition on mine, but I am travelling right now, so I cannot check. Any place in the phone where I should be able to see this?

Same board in mine, and the A53 are listed as 1.56GHz.

I don't have the box in front of me to check.
its just I saw that people were talking about two different versions apparently, a Standard version (Black Edition?) and the Enterprise version.
the Enterprise version will have updates for longer (2 or 4 years was quoted wherever I read it) and stuff like that apparently.

Frankly, if I can get this working fine non-rooted, i may just buy another one to root and get a custom rom up and going, so when the updates run out, it will still work form many years to come.
Waterproof, DualSim+mSD, replaceable battery, IPS (PLS) 720p screen, 3.5mm jack....whats there not to like ?

edit : Just for info, "Orange" is a Service provider in France, on on their website, they state that it has no working FM Radio.
Maybe its just a French thing ? (I bought mine from a webshop).

 

[Systema Encephale]

Frankly, if I can get this working fine non-rooted, i may just buy another one to root and get a custom rom up and going, so when the updates run out, it will still work form many years to come.
Waterproof, DualSim+mSD, replaceable battery, IPS (PLS) 720p screen, 3.5mm jack....whats there not to like ?

Indeed, this kind of phone is becoming very rare. I was actually on the verge of buying a Motorola LEX L11 (a "police phone"), as it also has those features, but its cost is prohibitive if you have no use for its special radio connectivity, and the phone functionality is actually inferior in several ways. So I was really happy when the 4S appeared at a fraction of the price.

 

[Evildead_666]

Well, just flashed the Dutch version, PHN-G398FNXXU1ASH1_G398FNOXM1ASH1-20190806 and still no FM Radio.

beginning to think its not possible to activate it....
Going to try Greek next, and then Swedish after that, seeing as we have one confirmed Swedish phone with it functioning...

 

[2535]

Well, just flashed the Dutch version, PHN-G398FNXXU1ASH1_G398FNOXM1ASH1-20190806 and still no FM Radio.

beginning to think its not possible to activate it....
Going to try Greek next, and then Swedish after that, seeing as we have one confirmed Swedish phone with it functioning...

Bonjour

Je suis français et j'ai eu le même problème que toi j'ai changé la Rome par la Rome australienne que voici G398FNXXU1ASH1_CL16564893_QB25260991_REV00_user_low_ship_meta_OS9.tar.md5 au miracle j'ai retrouvé la radio FM qui fonctionne parfaitement tu peut la télécharger avec le logiciel SamFirm_v0.3.6 il faut utiliser le logiciel Odin pour installer la Rome en quatre parties bonnes chances fait-moi savoir si c'est OK

 

[Evildead_666]

Bonjour

Je suis français et j'ai eu le même problème que toi j'ai changé la Rome par la Rome australienne que voici G398FNXXU1ASH1_CL16564893_QB25260991_REV00_user_low_ship_meta_OS9.tar.md5 au miracle j'ai retrouvé la radio FM qui fonctionne parfaitement tu peut la télécharger avec le logiciel SamFirm_v0.3.6 il faut utiliser le logiciel Odin pour installer la Rome en quatre parties bonnes chances fait-moi savoir si c'est OK

Sérieux, tu n'as trouvé que la Rom Australienne !!
Tu as choisi quoi comme Région ? Il ne me trouve rien dans SamFirm, ni NEE, ni EEA, ni XSA..... ?
Tu n'as pas eu de soucis pour l'activation du téléphone avec une Sim Europeene ?

je te remercie, je vais faire l'essai.

Translation of the Original post :
"Hi, I'm French, and i had the same problem as you. I installed the Australian Rom G398FNXXU1ASH1_CL16564893_QB25260991_REV00_user_low_ship_meta_OS9.tar.md5, and then miraculously got the FM Radio back."

Having just tried the Greek Rom, and it seemingly getting stuck on the "Samsung" Boot screen, i went back and flashed the Dutch PHN Rom, mainly just to check if i'd bricked something.
That flashed fine.

Will try the NEE version tomorrow, and then the Australian version

 

[2535]

code rom australia xsa

---------- Post added at 09:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:50 AM ----------

code rom australia xsa

SamFirm_v0.3.6 recherche model = SM-G398FN region XSA ok

 

[Evildead_666]

code rom australia xsa

OK, merci.
J'ai pas reussi avec SamFirm, mais il ne me trouve rien.
C'est peut-être le réseau du boulot qui bloques.
Je suis en train de le choper de samsung-firmware.org, mais à 115Ko/s

étrangement, la Rom Australienne est plus petite que les autres...2.9Go contre 3.3Go...

Translation :

SamFirm doesn't find anything for me, maybe a work network problem.
I'm getting the file from Samsung-firmware.org, but at 115Kb/s

The Australian Rom is smaller, only 2.9GB instead of 3.3GB for the others...

 

[Evildead_666]

OK, merci.
J'ai pas reussi avec SamFirm, mais il ne me trouve rien.
C'est peut-être le réseau du boulot qui bloques.
Je suis en train de le choper de samsung-firmware.org, mais à 115Ko/s

étrangement, la Rom Australienne est plus petite que les autres...2.9Go contre 3.3Go...

Translation :

SamFirm doesn't find anything for me, maybe a work network problem.
I'm getting the file from Samsung-firmware.org, but at 115Kb/s

The Australian Rom is smaller, only 2.9GB instead of 3.3GB for the others...

The Australian Rom worked fine.
It started out with Vietnamese language by default, but worked.
FM Radio is back, and working very well

Going to check for a week or so, to make sure everything is fine.

 

[Systema Encephale]

The Australian Rom worked fine.
It started out with Vietnamese language by default, but worked.
FM Radio is back, and working very well

Going to check for a week or so, to make sure everything is fine.

Have you noticed whether the audio gets any louder than with an EU ROM? I have already disabled the high volume warning using the trick with the QuickShortcutMaker app, but I wonder if there is also some lower absolute volume limit in the EU firmware, similar to how it is in EU iPhones.

 

[2535]

Have you noticed whether the audio gets any louder than with an EU ROM? I have already disabled the high volume warning using the trick with the QuickShortcutMaker app, but I wonder if there is also some lower absolute volume limit in the EU firmware, similar to how it is in EU iPhones.

Bonjour
non je n'ai pas remarqué une hausse ou baisse du volume je suis très heureux que vous ayez retrouvé la radio FM par ce que moi aussi j'y suis très attaché. Par contre j'aimerais beaucoup l'enraciner root mais je ne trouve pas de solution ? au revoir