*UPDATE* Bootloader v3 myth busted.

[Mr. Orange 645]

Just FYI, it appears with the new Blv3 firmwares, the device will only accept official firmware. Meaning, no more flashing U1 firmware on the carrier models, or vice versa. No more flashing U or U1 firmware to the Canadian W models. Flashing between carrier firmwares is fine as long as it's on a carrier branded device (running TMB on a VZW device, etc). But running 950U firmware on a 950U1 will result in a brick, that is this far unrecoverable.

If your currently are running U1 firmware on a U device, vice versa, or running W firmware on a U or U1 device, or vice versa, you need to flash back to the firmware version that shipped with your device BEFORE you accept any OTAs that take you up to Blv3. Currently the S series is still on BlV2, but may go to Blv3 like the Note series just did.*

This has been tested and confirmed.

Credit goes to @me2151, @FatalONEM8*for discovering this and warning people. I didn't find the issue or test, it just passing on the info to hopefully save some bricks.

Update from @mweinbach:

EDIT: After being tested by XDA Senior member me2151, it turns out cross region flashing does work. Prince Comsy Odin is working, but we can not test if the factory binary flashing will hard brick your phone. So flashing US unlocked onto a US carrier device should work.

This myth has been completely busted. We are not sure what bricked the tester's phone. He was not trying to downgrade from Blv3 to Blv2, nor did it have anything to do with FRP lock or user accounts as some people (who weren't involved in the testing) suggested.

But as we have verified, and has also been verified by users here at XDA, Prince Comsy ODIN still works on Blv3. Carrier switching still works on Blv3. @BlueFox721 has posted the Factory Binary files for Blv3 as well as a guide for carrier switching.

So carry on! Canadians, feel free to use U software! U users, feel free to use U1 software!

I am happy to admit I was wrong, and I apologize for any frantic flashing and factory resets I caused. I genuinely was trying to prevent hard bricks, and decided to err on the side of caution, even if that meant I overreacted.

Thank you for understanding!

 

[smiley45]

So when the new firmware comes out I will try this out.. give me a reason. To get an new device

---------- Post added at 10:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:16 PM ----------

Just waiting o. The u1 firmwarre

 

[Mr. Orange 645]

So when the new firmware comes out I will try this out.. give me a reason. To get an new device

---------- Post added at 10:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:16 PM ----------

Just waiting o. The u1 firmwarre

As long as you're ready to pay for one! LOL

Seriously, post back here when you test it.

 

[Mr. Orange 645]

There is currently a group working on a fix for bricked devices, but for now consider it a hard brick. Don't chance it.

 

[ferzmedina]

Im confused by what is posted by OP. I bought an unlocked device directly from Samsung and if I recall, it was a U1. I immediately flashed the Verizon firmware version (1AQ15) and have been getting OTAs. This morning I updated via OTA to 3BRA5 with no problem. Given no issues, should I worry if I ever need to ODIN a Verizon firmware with v3 BL in the future?

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[Mr. Orange 645]

Im confused by what is posted by OP. I bought an unlocked device directly from Samsung and if I recall, it was a U1. I immediately flashed the Verizon firmware version (1AQ15) and have been getting OTAs. This morning I updated via OTA to 3BRA5 with no problem. Given no issues, should I worry if I ever need to ODIN a Verizon firmware with v3 BL in the future?

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

You may have lucked out. I'll bring it to the attention of the Telegram group.

 

[DeathSentinels]

Can somebody smarter then me explain what this means for me?
I'm currently a 950W device running BLV3 CRAD from the 950U

From what I understand, don't accept OTAs, so I've turned off auto update,
but from what I can see, I'm not able to register my phone to receive OTA's
because I'm on unreleased firmware.

 

[chwads2k8]

ignore it, aslong as you flash a BL3 firmware through odin, I was on oreo too and used the nougat 7.1.1 with BL3 which was just released, you can flash with odin with no issues whatsoever, Only use firmware from N950U and youl be fine

 

[Mr. Orange 645]

ignore it, aslong as you flash a BL3 firmware through odin, I was on oreo too and used the nougat 7.1.1 with BL3 which was just released, you can flash with odin with no issues whatsoever, Only use firmware from N950U and youl be fine

Thats not necessarily true.

 

[Mr. Orange 645]

Can somebody smarter then me explain what this means for me?
I'm currently a 950W device running BLV3 CRAD from the 950U

From what I understand, don't accept OTAs, so I've turned off auto update,
but from what I can see, I'm not able to register my phone to receive OTA's
because I'm on unreleased firmware.

So far there have been no issues with the oreo leaks on blv3. But what we've seen is once the official releases come out, if you accept an OTA or ODIN to the new official firmware. It will brick if you're trying to use a different region CSC. I.e. running 950U firmware on a 950W or vice versa.

 

[DeathSentinels]

So far there have been no issues with the oreo leaks on blv3. But what we've seen is once the official releases come out, if you accept an OTA or ODIN to the new official firmware. It will brick if you're trying to use a different region CSC. I.e. running 950U firmware on a 950W or vice versa.

Ohh okay, that makes sense, so for example, if I stay on this build, once an official odin of the 950W comes out with BLV3 I can safely odin to that?

 

[Mr. Orange 645]

Can somebody smarter then me explain what this means for me?
I'm currently a 950W device running BLV3 CRAD from the 950U

From what I understand, don't accept OTAs, so I've turned off auto update,
but from what I can see, I'm not able to register my phone to receive OTA's
because I'm on unreleased firmware.

Ohh okay, that makes sense, so for example, if I stay on this build, once an official odin of the 950W comes out with BLV3 I can safely odin to that?

Yes that is my understanding. We are still researching.

 

[jmdomini]

This is a very bastardly, and Apple like thing for Samsung to do! Not pleased that I'm going to have to either stay on my current build of Nougat forever or flash back to Sprint, as Sprint disables things like Samsung's built in caller ID and replaces it with their own pay app. Not to mention a tonne of other unwanted bloat.

How does the boot loader know the firmware has been cross flashed anyway? I thought all that mattered was that the image was signed by Samsung.

 

[Logel]

There are only Snapdragon Devices affected, or also exynos devices?

Gesendet von meinem SM-N950F mit Tapatalk

 

[TheMadScientist]

There are only Snapdragon Devices affected, or also exynos devices?

Gesendet von meinem SM-N950F mit Tapatalk

Snap drags only

 

[Mr. Orange 645]

There are only Snapdragon Devices affected, or also exynos devices?

Gesendet von meinem SM-N950F mit Tapatalk

Snap drags only

Exynos devices are affected too. Anything that uses Comsey ODIN.

 

[TheMadScientist]

Exynos devices are affected too. Anything that uses Comsey ODIN.

True i didnt think about that half of it....
Oh well good thing I like where i'm at.
Forget sammy and Forget Oreo

 

[Logel]

I don't asked because the modded Odin, I asked because that new boatloader update. The boatloader for Exynos are different to Snapdragon. But I think you guys are right. I could bet that new secured boatloader entries are also into Exynos boatloader.

Edit: ok, i just have read the article again. Exynos boatloader are also patched [emoji852]

Gesendet von meinem SM-N950F mit Tapatalk

 

[GuestK00143]

True i didnt think about that half of it....
Oh well good thing I like where i'm at.
Forget sammy and Forget Oreo

Yup, I just got a 64 GB Panda today from Google today. At least my wife likes the Note still.

 

[Mr. Orange 645]

Yup, I just got a 64 GB Panda today from Google today. At least my wife likes the Note still.

WHAT?! Who am I going to harass in the N8 forums now?!