Guide To Lephone (firmware update, convert to english, root)

[belkrem]

I managed to get one of these phones from china and after hours or trolling chinese forums with google translator i have managed to do a few things so i decided to put together a guide.

this is my first guide and i am doing all this from memory fell free to msg me with any errors

Change to english

Press the orange circle in the upper right corner of the phone this will drop down a a bunch of apps cycle through them till you see a blue icon with a gear inside select that then scroll to the bottom and select the last option.
next select the option between the two bars and volla you should see english.

to convert the 91 pc suite right click the tray icon third option down the select english.

Upgrade Firmware

extract the image folder from the 3GW100_S973_100604 zip file to the root directory of the phones flash card

pull out the battery and unplug the reboot the phone while holding the right button and just wait. remember to delete the image folder from the flash card or you wond be able to flashboot to root your phone.

Root

Extract le_root.zip to you harddrive
open a command window and get to the extracted directory if you extracted it to you c:

Start-Run-CMD

cd c:\le_root

Put your Phone into fastboot mode by removing the battery unpluging it and powering it on while pressing the right side button once you see little white writing in the bottom corner its in fastboot mode execute the following commands in the command prompt window

fastboot flash boot lerecovery.img
fastboot reboot

Make sure the 91 software suite is installed and running.

by default the 91 software is in chinese but you can convert it by right clicking the icon in the task bar next to the clock mousing over the third word and you will see a selection saying english.

Now go back to the command prompt and execute the following commands each command might not work the first time just re type it out and try that command again i hate vista.

adb push su /system/bin/
adb shell
chmod 4755 /system/bin/su
exit
adb push Superuser.apk /system/app/

Now put your phone back into flashboot and execute the following

fastboot flash boot boot.img
fastboot reboot

Root http://ul.to/fdt1jm
Firmware s973 http://u.115.com/file/f0b87dbf20
Pc Suite http://ul.to/jo7pp8

 

[Vulcan]

but could we get the lephone rom running on a htc evo? id like to help

 

[Nightfish]

What benefit does upgrading the firmware have? Why should I do that?

I'm thinking about buying a LePhone so I wonder if I should upgrade. What's your impression of the phone?

Thanks!

 

[belkrem]

Upgrade the firmware fixes a few minor issues the main fix is the reception is increased. I find the phone overall good the only problem is that the rom is made around chine with no google apps but if you don't mind cooking its a great phone.

 

[oyarsa]

Belkrem, thanks for doing this, I live in China and plan on getting one of these phones in the next few weeks, I to have been following the root threads on the Chinese forums using Google translator. One of the things I am still unclear about is whether or not you can install Gmail and other APKs that are available at Android Market. Can you install Android Market itself to get apps? what is your experience so far with those things?

 

[belkrem]

I have managed to install google maps and google googles and gmail as well as the google launcher (home screen) by uploading parts of other roms. I have got market installed but it crashes every time i start it.
My android knowledge is limited so i am basically trying to get things working by trial and error but i am fairly sure it is possible to get any apk installed now that it is rooted but it isn't easy.

my recommendation for trail and error is to load lerecovery.img then use adb to upload files then load boot.img and try and see if it worked.

on that note anyone with experiance cooking roms i would be vary happy for any help.

 

[kgd2010]

belkrem, thanks for your post of the lenovo lephone rooting instructions, I received the phone a week ago, I have added a few apk files but I also and I do understand that there are some limitations right out of the box and I would like to gain "more" access to its system and make changes however, I am new to the whole "rooting" procedure and have minimal understanding of it. I know this asking a lot, but is it anyway possible for list step by step specific instructions on how to root the phone i.e. copying files, which files, etc ? Thanks in advance !!!

 

[Pino13]

Hello guys, this is my first post on this forum.

My Lephone is arriving next week.

Can you please share the progress you made regarding APK installation?!

My top priorite as soon as the phone arrive is to install a GPS software, I already have the APK file.

I

 

[belkrem]

its easy just put the apk on the flash card and launch the apk from the filemanager on the phone. or you can use the 91 assist sftware on the computer to install the apk (the exe files for rthat pogram located on the sd card) the third option is to use adb

adb push maps.apk /system/app/[CODE]

[/CODE]

 

[Pino13]

belkrem, thanks for your usuall support, I never tought it was so easy.

some more question, if you could help me:

- what's the advantage of rooting the Lephone?

- Can I download all Android Market apps to my PC and after install to my Lephone as you described?

- What's the current version of Android on Lephone? Any news about froyo 2.2 for it?

I have some friends that work for Lenovo China, if there's something that I can help let me know.

 

[bloodaxe]

Question, anybody knows how to modify the image file so we can finally cook it. Like for other android phone, you just cook an update.zip, sign it and you can flash it.

How do you modify the image.img from Lephone ?

 

[belkrem]

belkrem, thanks for your usuall support, I never tought it was so easy.

some more question, if you could help me:

- what's the advantage of rooting the Lephone?

- Can I download all Android Market apps to my PC and after install to my Lephone as you described?

- What's the current version of Android on Lephone? Any news about froyo 2.2 for it?

I have some friends that work for Lenovo China, if there's something that I can help let me know.

the version is 1.6 the advantage of rooting is there is some application that require root, also it lets you to make personal changes to the firmware. To install any apps you just need the apk files. there are some other markets out there that you can download like Slideme just google slideme.apk you will find it.

 

[BQube]

I managed to get one of these phones from china and after hours or trolling chinese forums with google translator i have managed to do a few things so i decided to put together a guide.

this is my first guide and i am doing all this from memory fell free to msg me with any errors

Root le_root.zip ... at ul.to - Free File Hosting, Free Image Hosting, Free Music Hosting, Free Video Hosting, ...
Firmware s973 ???? - 115??U?-????|??????
Pc Suite ul.to - Free File Hosting, Free Image Hosting, Free Music Hosting, Free Video Hosting, ...

so here I am msg u due to the link error ( or at least that's what happened to me coz it says file removed ) especially the Firmware s973
and the PC Suite

can u help us with those? and after I hack and crack the Lephone with ure guide I could post it here so that we can learn together ey

 

[BLooD_LorD]

please update the links, they are dead!!!!(

 

[asgarthhh]

Hi Belkrem, thanks for this helpful guide. I bought this phone from china but I want to use the Android Market apps which existing firmware doesn't allow me to do that. I want to ask a question. This guide has been written in june by you, is there any changes since june? Can I try it now in this way or is there any changes since june?

 

[memnoch87]

Hey man i just got this phone today and am desperate to get it up to scratch. Anyone that could point me in the right direction of the PC suite and the latest firmware would have my eternal gratitude.

 

[asgarthhh]

By the way, I tried the things that you wrote above. I couldn't manage to do it nothings changed Is there any other way which is more easier?

 

[memnoch87]

My phone seems to freeze in fastboot mode? how long should it take?

 

[fa225909]

Hello everybody,

Today I tried to update my Lephone with Allphone 1.4.1, and the problem is since that the phone don't boot anymore, when I puch the power button it happens nothing ....

Is my phone "dead" ? Did it happen to someone here ? how can I put it back to normal ? thank you

 

[morz001]

Hello everybody,

Today I tried to update my Lephone with Allphone 1.4.1, and the problem is since that the phone don't boot anymore, when I puch the power button it happens nothing ....

Is my phone "dead" ? Did it happen to someone here ? how can I put it back to normal ? thank you

i hope your phone gets fixed soon. where did you get the update? maybe its corrupted.

 

[Pino13]

Hello everybody,

Today I tried to update my Lephone with Allphone 1.4.1, and the problem is since that the phone don't boot anymore, when I puch the power button it happens nothing ....

Is my phone "dead" ? Did it happen to someone here ? how can I put it back to normal ? thank you

I'm using the exact same firmware and I didn't have any problem.

Unfortunately the most common answer to your question on chinese forums is "take your Phone to Lenovo service center".
I'll keep an eye on the forums and let you know if I find something.

 

[fa225909]

i hope your phone gets fixed soon. where did you get the update? maybe its corrupted.

I got it here : ftp://3gw100:3gw100@222.223.83.143/Allphone1.4.1.rar...

thank you ....

I'm using the exact same firmware and I didn't have any problem.

Unfortunately the most common answer to your question on chinese forums is "take your Phone to Lenovo service center".
I'll keep an eye on the forums and let you know if I find something.

Thank you for your help, actually I had to send it back to the seller, it is not yet arrived (probably due to the weather in europe), I hope they will be able to "unbrick" it.... (they said they will install the new rom themselves, so if it fails again, the phone will already be at tech support)

Also, someone can tell me if this rom support other languages than chinese and english, such as french ?

I'm also used to a more "traditional" version of android than LeOS, can you tell me if it is possible to change the UI ? Is there a new rom based on android 2.1 ?

I lost the little magnetic POGO cap, do you know where I can find a new one ? Do you think it's because of that the upgrade failed ? thank you.

Thank you.

 

[jlamo]

Dear all,

I just got my new lephone yesterday. I would like to change the firmware so I can install android market, and other android application? Could you point me into the right direction step by step? I try the link above to download allphone 1.4.1 but the link does not work.

 

[fa225909]

Hello jlamo

For the rom, I think this one should work :
ftp://3gw100:3gw100@222.223.83.143/Allphone1.4.1.rar (it work for me)

For updating, you just have to the image folder into the root directory of the TF card, and reboot (be sure you have enough battery).

But please note it's what I did but it didn't work for me.... I hope you will be more lucky...

EDIT: erase the file from the TF if it worked

 

[techie101]

That happened to me too!