[SO-04E] Xperia A Owners Thread (Japan)

[Ast0]

I just successfully updated my SO-04E from stock Jellybean to Android 4.4.4.
I followed the basic method from this thread but modified it to use the new 4.4.4 FW instead of the 4.4.2 FW in that thread.

• Install Flashtool if you don't already have it, backup all your photos and important stuff on your computer as the local SD card will be completely wiped. Also I recommend making a proper nandroid backup of your device to your external SD card from recovery if possible.
• Download all necessary files:
  • C5503_10.3.1.A.2.67_RU.ftf (EDIT: link is dead, try using this instead)
  • SO-04E_10.3.1.B.0.256_NTT docomo(1269-6048).ftf
  • rootkitZ_20131112.zip
  • CWM6-cDM_v2.5_vfix2.zip
  • C5503_10.5.1.A.0.283_NCB_PRE-ROOTED_PRFCreator.zip
  • Latest version of SuperSU
• Flash "C5503_10.3.1.A.2.67_RU.ftf" using Flashtool with only "BASEBAND" checked in the Exclude list (to go into flash mode hold volume down key and insert USB cable)
• Disconnect USB and then Flash "SO-04E_10.3.1.B.0.256_NTT docomo(1269-6048).ftf" using Flashtool with everything except for "PARTITION" checked in the Exclude list. Close flashtool when you're done.
• Start your device, go into settings, scroll down to build number and keep tapping it to enable developer options. In developer options enable USB Debugging.

Help... I've followed these steps on my SO-04E Hatsune Miku edition and now it's in boot loop mode... How do I get out of it?

EDIT: Nevermind, I just had to wipe all data.

20. Boot into Recovery, wipe cache and do a factory reset. Then install the above file from the external SD card (the device has two SD cards, one external and one internal). This will install Android 4.4.4. Once done, power off the device using the according command in Recovery. When I did this, Recovery warned that Root may be lost and asked whether to fix this. I chose “Yes, fix it” and rebooted. The good news was that Android 4.4.4 was installed correctly. The bad news was that Root was lost. WTH??? You may want to try NOT fixing it, see if that goes any better. Anyway, install SuperSU and the root checker from the Playstore and see if you have root or not. If yes, skip to step 22.

I can confirm that not choosing "Yes, fix it" didn't remove Super SU... lol.

Successfully installed Android 5.1.1. Well, the only problem is that there's the usual "Cell Standby" battery draining bug on Lollipop... (This seems to have been solved by installing the Docomo SIM Patcher).

 

[jatyeo]

https://mega.nz/#!YkUnDBwC!PQbYdX1zxMo1mVAfCfSD0RUzEme4V4FElWJk7SDVdhM

Have you successfully installed this 5.1.1 on the Xp A?
I soft bricked my A trying to go lollipop as it won't get a network signal.
I wiped something in TWRP and I can't fix it.

---------- Post added at 06:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:17 PM ----------

I have a Xp A for cheap if someone wants to figure out reflashing the baseband it needs or whatever to get the radio working again.

 

[axel007]

Some of the information/steps in this thread are outdated. I can't say anything about your radio but you may want to refer to this:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-zr/general/updated-root-custom-rom-tutorial-docomo-t3219712

I have had 5.1.1 on my Xperia A now for three weeks and have never had a better phone experience.

 

[jatyeo]

The link you provided to the 5.1.1 rom you installed is dead.
Do you have another link

 

[axel007]

Updated the link

I have updated the link in the tutorial. The ROM is called PureX. You can also find it by going into the ZR ROM Development forum.

The link you provided to the 5.1.1 rom you installed is dead.
Do you have another link

 

[jatyeo]

Thanks
Are there any key pointers / exclusions for the update to 5.1.1, I already ruined one SO-04E during this step :-/

---------- Post added at 08:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:46 AM ----------

After step 18 would it be possible to follow these instructions:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-zr/general/stock-xperia-zr-c5503-10-7-0-222-nordic-t3201415
and then continue on your step #10 and end there?
Would this theoretically work?
Thx

 

[aperception]

I haven't verified the correctness of axel007's instructions as they're a bit too verbose for my taste, but if your phone isn't working correctly after following his or my tutorials, then I'd recommend doing a full system wipe in recovery, flashing a stock SO-04E rom like this using flashtool (without any of the components excluded), verifying that your device is working as expected with the stock rom, and starting the upgrade process again from the beginning, paying closer attention to the instructions. Hundreds of people have upgraded to Lollipop without any problems following my instructions, so if they don't work for you it's likely that you messed up a step.

 

[Starbomba]

what about the nfc? any news?

NFC has not worked for me ever since i updated to 4.4.4. I am now on 5.1.1 and is still dead. I read somewhere the reason is Sony (or DoCoMo) used a different NFC chip on the japanese models, ofc with their homeland uses of NFC would be understandable. That would also explain why no SO-04E was updated past 4.2.2. I had issues detecting some NFC tags i bought on Amazon, and even the included BT/NFC handsfree would not be recognized on the stock firmware (phone would say the tag was unprogrammed) yet the things worked fabulously on my S5, so it would not be fully associated to a fault in HW, just a lack of proper drivers for KitKat/Lollipop.

Android 5.1 is out now. Assuming you are already using Android 4.4.x or Android 5.0.x (see previous instructions) and you have custom recovery installed, it's very easy to update and keep root:

1) Backup everything to your external SD card (e.g. all apps + data with Titanium Backup, NANDROID, etc)
2) Download C5503_10.7.A.0.222_Customized_RU_PreRooted+Recovery.zip
3) Copy it to your external SD card
4) Restart your phone and boot into recovery (i.e. press volume up button [or down button] when LED flashes at boot)
5) FULL WIPE your phone (System, Cache, everything...)(not external SD Card of course!! )
6) Choose and install PRE-ROOTED rom zip
7) Reboot and enjoy rooted Lollipop 5.1 with working dual recovery

At long last i updated to 5.1.1 (was too lazy to update before) but this did the trick. Thanks.

 

[axel007]

At long last i updated to 5.1.1 (was too lazy to update before) but this did the trick. Thanks.

Are you saying NFC works for you now? And what 5.1.1 exactly are you using?

 

[Starbomba]

Are you saying NFC works for you now? And what 5.1.1 exactly are you using?

No, i meant it like "that did the trick (to update to 5.1.1)". My NFC is on lala land and has been for quite a while

 

[puka56k]

Excuse me, Currently i have Xperia A with Stock rom Android 4.2.2 and i not root it, I want to upgrade to 5.1,Do you have structure to update it

 

[fancymans]

Excuse me, Currently i have Xperia A with Stock rom Android 4.2.2 and i not root it, I want to upgrade to 5.1,Do you have structure to update it

You're going to need to update it to 4.4 first.

 

[Starbomba]

Excuse me, Currently i have Xperia A with Stock rom Android 4.2.2 and i not root it, I want to upgrade to 5.1,Do you have structure to update it

There is a guide to update it to 4.4.4, but then you'd have to check on this forum in order to update it to 5.1.1. Getting it to KitKat is a must though, AFAIK there is no way of getting it from JB to LP in one go.

 

[shinkush]

I made to update my xperia a feat miku to lolipop (5.1.1) but now miku apps dont work, when i try to opoen says that the app stoped working/have to close
Mikus apps dont work with lolipop?

 

[fancymans]

I made to update my xperia a feat miku to lolipop (5.1.1) but now miku apps dont work, when i try to opoen says that the app stoped working/have to close
Mikus apps dont work with lolipop?

Not sure I got rid of my Miku apps a while ago. I think you can flash them back. I saw a thread with the Miku apps to install on regular Xperia phones. Not sure if they will still work though.

 

[Starbomba]

I made to update my xperia a feat miku to lolipop (5.1.1) but now miku apps dont work, when i try to opoen says that the app stoped working/have to close
Mikus apps dont work with lolipop?

Not sure I got rid of my Miku apps a while ago. I think you can flash them back. I saw a thread with the Miku apps to install on regular Xperia phones. Not sure if they will still work though.

Some do not work. Launcher, Find your Miku, the downloader and some widgets no longer work after KitKat. The music player is still working, surprisingly, and lets you get like 2-3 GB of music. IMO, that is the only application i care about. Only other things i missed were the boot animation and system sounds, but i flashed it from here.

If you still want to try getting the apps to see what works, this is the thread.

 

[fikry22]

Does someone know how to downgrade SO-04E hatsune miku firmware from 10.3.1.B.2.42 to 10.3.1.B.2.13?

 

[Severus_]

Have you successfully installed this 5.1.1 on the Xp A?
I soft bricked my A trying to go lollipop as it won't get a network signal.
I wiped something in TWRP and I can't fix it.

---------- Post added at 06:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:17 PM ----------

I have a Xp A for cheap if someone wants to figure out reflashing the baseband it needs or whatever to get the radio working again.

Are you outside of Japan ? and when flashing, you didn't exclude baseband ? I think you detele firmware contains unlock code...

 

[Severus_]

I just successfully updated my SO-04E from stock Jellybean to Android 4.4.4.
I followed the basic method from this thread but modified it to use the new 4.4.4 FW instead of the 4.4.2 FW in that thread.

• Install Flashtool if you don't already have it, backup all your photos and important stuff on your computer as the local SD card will be completely wiped. Also I recommend making a proper nandroid backup of your device to your external SD card from recovery if possible.
• Download all necessary files:
  • C5503_10.3.1.A.2.67_RU.ftf (EDIT: link is dead, try using this instead)
  • SO-04E_10.3.1.B.0.256_NTT docomo(1269-6048).ftf
  • rootkitZ_20131112.zip
  • CWM6-cDM_v2.5_vfix2.zip
  • C5503_10.5.1.A.0.283_NCB_PRE-ROOTED_PRFCreator.zip
  • Latest version of SuperSU
• Flash "C5503_10.3.1.A.2.67_RU.ftf" using Flashtool with only "BASEBAND" checked in the Exclude list (to go into flash mode hold volume down key and insert USB cable)
• Disconnect USB and then Flash "SO-04E_10.3.1.B.0.256_NTT docomo(1269-6048).ftf" using Flashtool with everything except for "PARTITION" checked in the Exclude list. Close flashtool when you're done.
• Start your device, go into settings, scroll down to build number and keep tapping it to enable developer options. In developer options enable USB Debugging.
• Unzip "rootkitZ_20131112.zip" and run the install.bat file to root your device. Check that SuperSU is installed before proceeding.
• Unzip "CWM6-cDM_v2.5_vfix2.zip" and run the English version of install.bat file to install recovery.
• Copy the last 2 zip files in the list to your microSD card and put it in your device
• Restart your device and press any button when the LED lights up during startup to enter recovery
• Do wipe cache partition and wipe data/factory reset
• Install "C5503_10.5.1.A.0.283_NCB_PRE-ROOTED_PRFCreator.zip" from external SD card using recovery
• Restart device and boot back into new recovery
• Install "UPDATE-SuperSU-vN.nn.zip" from external SD card using recovery (currently N.nn = 2.14)
• Restart your device and it should be Android 4.4.4 with root! If SuperSU is not installed for some reason, you can install from Google Play

Hi @aperception, I saw that ftf included simlock.ta, must I check exclude it from flashtool ?

 

[DanielZRK]

I have a question about SO-04E, Wich bands of 3G is it works? Some pages says 850, 900, 2100 MHz and others says 800, 850, 2100 MHz