Root [AT&T] I think my phone is either bricked or soft-bricked.

[Mad3333]

Hello, I was trying to install a custom recovery, and things went wrong somehow. The phone will usually go to a screen saying "Firmware upgrade encountered an issue. Please select recovery mode in Kies & try again."
When I try the emergency recovery in Kies, it fails almost every time. I took the advice of other on various forums, and tried to install the firmware with ODIN. But it fails, every time, saying "Fail (Auth)".
Is there anything else I can do and help would be GREATLY appreciated.
I am using the AT&T SGH-I337 phone.

 

[Mad3333]

Can anyone help?

 

[CrimsonPride]

Well if you are on MF3, which I'm quite sure you probably are, this is why you are bricked.
Re: Locked bootloader on Galaxy S4...DO NOT BUY IT... - AT&T Community Support

You can unbrick it, but I don't know why you are having trouble with odin and that is about the only way. Apparently some BestBuy stores have Samsung Experience centers, or something of that sort, where they can reflash your phone to stock

 

[Podivin]

Moved to the root forum for better visibility.