[HELP] Sharp Aquos S2 64GB Taiwan/International Firmware (Google Play)

KERRR on 04/07/2018 - 16:23
Last edited 04/07/2018 - 16:38

I recently bought the Sharp Aquos S2 64GB from this deal and need some help with it: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/385307

I received the Sharp Aquos S2 64GB today and am giving it to my mum for her birthday. I connected it to wifi to see how videos looked (hadn't changed it to Taiwan/International firmware yet). While I was out, it OTA updated to Oreo 8.0! Can I flash from OTA Oreo 8.0 to Taiwan/International 8.0 or Taiwan/International 7.1.1?

Advice would be greatly appreciated as XDA thread says: "DO NOT UPGRADE VIA OTA TO ANDROID OREO (8) (firmware 2000+) OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE NOT ABLE TO FLASH THOSE ROMS, UNLOCK OR TO DO ANYTHING NON OFFICIAL, UNLESS YOUR BOOTLOADER IS UNLOCKED".

Current Phone Version:
Oreo 8.0
Build: 00CN_2_140

Firmware on hand:
SS2-135F-0-00WW-B01-update.zip
SS2-2080-0-00WW-B02-135F-0-00WW-B01-update.zip

Renamed Firmware:
SS2-136F-0-00CN-B01-update.zip
SS2-2141-0-00CN-B02-update.zip

Tried re-flashing the above firmware. One shows up as "new update" after inputting code: * # * # 874 # * # * but when I click "install update" a message pops up saying "Problem Occurred". Anything that can help me to convert this phone to full English with google play services would be great. :)

Mobile

Comments

        • ubor on 16/08/2018 - 18:50

          @illumination:
          I got the zip file from xda. My question really is how to extract the TWRP SS2 zip? Did you put the downloaded zip file in SUT folder and in command window, enter the fastboot command? Is it fastboot flash SS2-trebled3.1_fix_VENDOR_1.zip?

        • illumination on 16/08/2018 - 19:31

          @ubor: Oh right whoops. Misunderstood you. Sorry at work right now and I can't check exactly what I did.

          I think I extracted the .zip file and put whatever was inside into the SUT folder, so that I could enter the fastboot command and it knew which file I was referring to.

          Can you tell me what's inside the .zip and what the file is called? Might be able to help you if you can tell me that. It might remind me…

        • shiznit on 16/08/2018 - 19:32
          +2

          @ubor: You don't need to install TWRP. It's already included in Treble. Just install Treble using OST.

        • illumination on 16/08/2018 - 23:31

          @shiznit:

          Oh yea sorry I forgot that you mentioned this before! My bad. Thanks for sharing/reminding.

          Btw out of curiosity do you know this from your own experience?

        • shiznit on 17/08/2018 - 07:57
          +1

          @illumination: I have the old Nougat custom rom installed at the moment https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=76000395&pos…

          Flashed it with ost, and it included twrp.

          According to the treble rom description https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=76000395&pos… it also includes twrp.

        • ubor on 17/08/2018 - 13:58

          @shiznit: SS2-135E-WW-open_bl.nb0 is the treble, right. My phone is on Oreo 8.0 (TW version), not on 135E-WW. Will it still work? Thanks.

        • shiznit on 17/08/2018 - 14:05
          +1

          @ubor: Treble rom download link is here https://drive.google.com/open?id=1n4lAZDlgjiEigyWSH5IKBMXxdK…

          Sorry, the link for the post above on this rom is incorrect, it should be https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=76412178&pos…

        • ubor on 17/08/2018 - 15:56

          @shiznit:
          Could't get it working. I selected the nb0 file in OST and checked Normal download, erase user data, erase error data. Phone was in download mode, but the Next button was disabled. Tried disconnect from USB and reconnect a couple times but still the same. Do you know what I did wrong? Thanks.

        • illumination on 17/08/2018 - 17:29
          +1

          @ubor: Again I'm at work so can't fully help you diagnose, but from memory if the Next button is disabled, it implies your phone is not plugged in, or that the phone is in the wrong "mode". From memory when you're trying to send commands from OST, the phone needs to be in Download Mode.

        • ubor on 18/08/2018 - 20:06

          @illumination: I finally got the Next button working. However, at time of writing it was still flashing partition "system_a" after 2259 seconds. I think something's going wrong.

        • ubor on 18/08/2018 - 21:31

          @illumination: Is your nb0 file SS2-SIUI_v3_1_trebled_by_heineken.nb0 3,140,147KB in size? I did it second time and failed after taking more than 2400 seconds.

        • illumination on 20/08/2018 - 03:29
          +1

          @ubor: Yep exact same size as mine (3,140,147KB)

          Still no luck? I do remember the flashing process itself took a while, but not sure if it took 2400 seconds. That's… 40 minutes??

    • illumination on 15/08/2018 - 14:08

      Despite the inferior battery life to Redmi Note 4 (3020mAh vs 4100 mAh), don't forget it has QuickCharge enabled.

      I actually haven't noticed it being super fast from a standard plug, but have found it's faster charging the Aquos S2 from a computer/laptop over USB than a Redmi Note 4 from the same computer over USB.

      • Pricebeat on 18/08/2018 - 12:45

        Even though have successfully done the method but others might be able to install the drivers via this method?

  • mattie on 12/08/2018 - 23:17

    Hey illumination can I offer you $50 to fix my phone ?

  • Tafe on 15/08/2018 - 16:16

    Um… My phone arrived yesterday.

    I haven't plugged it in yet.

    I've found this page and now I'm terrified.

    I assume my phone hasn't done the auto-update to Oreo?

    Is there something I can do avoid going through all the above drama? I've flashed a phone before following some instructions on XDA not super savvy with it and feeling a bit overwhelmed reading the above!

    • illumination on 15/08/2018 - 16:29

      I assume my phone hasn't done the auto-update to Oreo?

      It depends. You mentioned that you haven't plugged it in yet - but have you turned it on and set it up? If yes, did you connect to WiFi during setup? If yes, there is a very real chance that you've ended up on Android 8.0 (Chinese firmware)

      What you need to check for is what version your Android is now on:

      • Settings -> About phone
      • Android version: 8.0.0?
      • Build Number: 00CN_1_320?

      So if your Android version is 8.0.0 and your Build Number is XXCN_?_???, then you're in the same position as all of us.. and you'll need to go through this headache lol

      • Tafe on 15/08/2018 - 16:34

        Hey thanks for the reply, I can see you've been busy helping people!

        Sorry, I should have been clearer. I haven't even switched it on yet :)

        To scared!

        Reading further, am I correct in thinking that if I don't connect to Wifi, I'll more than likely be on version 7.x.x. out of the box, and can swap to the Taiwanese firmwear without too much trouble?

        • illumination on 15/08/2018 - 16:44

          I can see you've been busy helping people!

          Trying to!

          I haven't even switched it on yet :)

          Ok good.

          Reading further, am I correct in thinking that if I don't connect to Wifi, I'll more than likely be on version 7.x.x. out of the box, and can swap to the Taiwanese firmwear without too much trouble?

          Exactly. Should be 7.1.1 out of the box with a build number that should be in the format XXCN_?_???

          There's a comment in one of the recent deals with instructions on how to do it.

          lol "firmwear" hahaha

  • Pricebeat on 17/08/2018 - 13:12

    I sold mine and bought a new one. Didn’t repeat the mistake. Running international Oreo now. I mind battery life is quite good. Face ID is real quick that i had to turn it off as I like to check time on locked screen and it would unlock phone right away. Runjing the nova Launcher on it. Got my $10 google credit after first spend now working onto getting another $10 credit after using it 5 times. Also rented my 99c movie via the welcome offer from Google play movie.

    Only problem I can think of is not being able to get notifications on some of the apps like Snapchat and Facebook. I have enabled the appsin Background apps management through SBoost but it still doesn’t work

    • shiznit on 17/08/2018 - 18:37

      Did you enable those apps in auto-start management in sboost as well?

  • illumination on 21/08/2018 - 13:54

    I've spent some time trying to figure out if installing Systemless Xposed via Magisk Modules will still trip up SafetyNet.

    The answer is yes it still trips up SafetyNet. So if you want to keep using Google Pay and be rooted with Magisk, do not install Xposed.

    Xposed would've been cool so I could try out Exi SwiftKey. Never tried it before, but looks good.

    If you don't understand what I'm saying, then don't worry because you probably don't need to know :P (or google it to try and understand what Xposed is)

    On a side note, QuickCharge is really impressive. I think it charges about 10x faster (not exaggerating) than my Xiaomi Redmi Note 4. Comparison done by charging both via USB from the same laptop.

  • illumination on 26/08/2018 - 14:04

    Couple more annoyances (but not deal breaking, still an incredible phone for $200 - except for maybe the WiFi issue):

    • Alarm snooze time is 10 mins. No more, no less. Can't be adjusted - unless I've missed something lol. Not necessarily "difficult" to fix because you could just get a third party app, but where possible I'd rather avoid having to download an additional app
    • Can't find a WiFi network that other phones can find (staying at a mate's place in Malaysia). Seems like it's not an "isolated" problem to my phone but all the solutions are strange. Restart your phone, check your date and time are correct, update firmware/apps, reboot modem, and lastly hard reset your phone. None of these seem like reasonable solutions. Have been relying on Bluetooth tethering from my Redmi Note 4 which has worked well.
    • Might've mentioned this above - but I can't get WhatsApp to NOT vibrate when receiving messages. I had this same issue on my Redmi Note 4 though but on that I had LineageOS so I could use PrivacyGuard to prevent WhatsApp from being able to make my phone vibrate. Not an ideal solution as it meant WhatsApp wouldn't vibrate for voice calls or video calls either, for which I wanted vibrations, but I rarely receive them.

    Haven't figured out a fix to point #2 and #3 but I'm confident it's fixable.

    On a positive note, having Magisk as a root method is amazing, having NFC is amazing and I used it to pay for the first time. QuickCharge via USB from computer charges (for me) at ~36%/hr - not using the original cable.

    • illumination on 07/09/2018 - 20:19

      The WiFi issue somehow fixed itself.

      Maybe more accurate to say it no longer seemed to be an issue, was able to find the connection and connect, but I don't believe I did anything to fix it.

  • illumination on 06/09/2018 - 01:53

    Have any of you installed Google Camera? I always wanted it cause everyone said it was better but I'm not at all a camera person so I'm literally taking their word for it.

    Recently, a friend of mine, who is more into cameras than me, and who I trust to make such judgements on cameras, said the original camera was actually better. Now I'm unsure lol

    You guys have any thoughts on this?

    • iphoneors7 on 07/09/2018 - 20:09

      I wasn't happy with google camera, didn't seem like a upgrade for me.
      Can you do me a favour and try download citibank or hsbc?
      I've downloaded the apps but they don't work, trying to figure out if they don't work because of the root.
      Thanks

      • illumination on 07/09/2018 - 20:16

        Citibank hasn't been working for me. I don't have HSBC.

        I've had Citibank work for me on a rooted phone but it generally gives a warning about how it recognises the phone has been "altered/modified" but it doesn't prevent use of the app.

        What's happening for you? Just blank screen? That's what's happening for me but I haven't tried hard to fix it.

      • illumination on 05/10/2018 - 12:56

        Hey did you ever figure out a solution? My citibank still doesn't work, and I've noticed that NAB and Macquarie don't work either. I am pretty certain it's not related to having a rooted phone. I tried adding the Macquarie app to Magisk Hide and that didn't help. Didn't test with NAB. Also tried updating all the apps and it didn't seem to help either.

        ING, CBA seem fine though.

    • goamax on 25/09/2018 - 11:54

      Thanks for your great work.

      This the most difficult device I have encountered.

      Followed your google doc to achieve what I had been struggling with!

      Respect….

      • illumination on 26/09/2018 - 16:22
        +1

        Welcome. Glad it helped! Was it reasonably easy with the google doc guide?

        I wonder how many others have used it and haven't said anything..!

  • iphoneors7 on 07/09/2018 - 18:48

    Can anyone download citibank or hsbc, do the apps load for you?

  • [Deactivated] on 24/12/2018 - 16:36

    So many problems makes me not want to buy this phone

  • kuikui on 01/03/2019 - 12:53

    Hi, any idea how to update Android 9.0. Will sharp release official version of update?

  • beebul on 12/04/2019 - 11:56

    GSM doesn't have the NTool 20 credits in stock.. anywhere else sell them?

  • yabol on 17/04/2019 - 11:56

    Will Worldwide version of Oreo 8.0 also lock bootloader? Or it's only for Chinese one?

  • illumination on 18/04/2020 - 19:58

    Around Dec 2019/Jan 2020, I updated Magisk as there was an update available and used the recommended method of updating (flashable ZIP, I think?).

    It then caused my Sharp to go into a boot loop and I haven't fixed it since. Given the current covid situation and just being at home more, I've now finally found the time to try and fix it.

    This boot loop is just as hard to fix as this issue that this topic was about was to fix.

    Current goal is to obviously get it up and running again, ideally with LineageOS.

    My current issue is recovery mode has reverted to Stock (from TWRP) and my computer (same computer I used back then, I think) doesn't recognise my Sharp in Download Mode.

    So I'm kinda digging through these comments + online sources to figure out how to get this working again..!

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