There were a couple of Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100 users who were not satisfied with the earlier build of the Global Android 4.0.3 ICS Firmware. If you’re one of them, you might as well try this modified version called XWLP8. This build won’t require you to unlock your phone’s boot loader and can be installed by any user of any country provided that you do not own a carrier-based Samsung Galaxy S2 handset. You do not even need to root your device just to get this firmware running on your smartphone. It’s just that you need to be aware that this firmware will revoke the rooting access of rooted phones. Also, you have to keep in mind that we cannot guarantee the outcome of this update process. We do not want to scare you but there is a possibility that you could get your phone bricked and totally unusable. If you are unafraid to take the risks, read on. Just don’t hold us liable for any damages that could happen to your smartphone.
Pre-requisites
-> You have to create a backup of all the data that you stored on your smartphone. Make sure that you backup your SMS messages, phone contacts, call logs, music files, documents, photos and videos. Furthermore, do note that the KIES software will no longer recognize your device as it will be running on a custom ROM.
-> Make sure to check your phone’s battery. See to it that its power level won’t go any lower than 80 percent to avoid any power interruptions.
-> Enable your phone’s USB Debugging mode. Go to Settings > Applications > Development then tick the box next to the USB Debugging option.
-> For users running on custom ROMs, make sure to disable the Lag Fixes from the recovery mode. You will also need to wipe the Dalvik Cache in the advanced settings of your phone’s recovery mode.
You may now begin the actual process for installing the Global Android 4.0.3 ICS XWLP8 firmware on your smartphone.
Step 1: You need to download the Android 4.0.3 ICS XWLP8 along with the Odin 3 v1.831. Save both files to your computer. Once done, extract the files to a specific folder. Open the Odin executable file. Leave it open on your computer.
Step 2: Turn off your smartphone. Boot to download mode. To do this, press the Volume Down key while holding the Center and Power buttons. Release the buttons as soon as you see the green robot.
Step 3: Connect your smartphone to your computer via USB data cable. Wait for it to be recognized. Use the ID: COM section in the Odin as your cue. It will eventually change its color to yellow.
Step 4: Click on the PDA tab then locate and select the file called “GT-I9100_XEO_I9100XWLP8_I9100OXALPS_I9100XXLPS.tar.md5”. To begin with the flashing, click START.
Step 5: Once the firmware gets successfully installed, your smartphone will automatically reboot. Wait until you see the home screen before you disconnect your phone.
Step 6: Turn off your phone then boot to recovery mode. Do this by pressing the Volume Up key while holding the Center and Power button.
Step 7: In recovery mode, select ‘wipe data / factory reset’ then ‘wipe cache partition’. Select ‘reboot system now’ to reboot your phone.
That’s it! By now, you’re probably using your device with a Global Android 4.0.3 ICS XWLP8 Firmware.
