Technology: (Extended) Advanced Samsung Galaxy Note II Mess Around

Multi-Window Gone Missing? Don't worry! Here's the solution
Image from Android Soul

Following the request from Ella, I decided to write an extended article on Technology: Advanced Samsung Galaxy Note II Mess Around.

Messing around with a smartphone can be time-consuming, and the most time-consuming part for me is to find trust-worthy resources, otherwise your phone could be "bricked".

In order not to provide the wrong kind of information for my readers, I have to try the methods myself. Here's what I have tried and confirmed working.

Phone and Concert in Singapore
Image from Samsung

What I have realised is that the Samsung Galaxy Note II (GT-N7100) and the LTE version (GT-N7105) are slightly different in the sense that the Multi Windows feature ISN'T YET available on some LTE version. I got mine LTE from One2Free, apparently falls under this category, and since the official update OTA (Over-The-Air) update isn't available yet, I decided to go online and search.


UPGRADE TO MULTI-WINDOW

Android Soul happens to have that answer for me, titled N7105ZHALJ4 — Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE Update for Hong Kong brings multi-window feature. You can follow the step by step instructions as written on that page, or you can follow the steps by Zedomax in the video below, except that you should download these files instead,

Download Odin 3:
Filename: Odin3_v3.04.zip

Download Stock Firmware (Hong Kong version):
Filename: N7105ZHALJ4_N7105ZZHALJ4_TGY.zip | Size: 991MB

I know it does say "How to Root Galaxy Note 2" in the video, but you are NOT going to root the phone, so  please don't worry. I use this video because it is basically the same steps, except that after you run Odin 3, under PDA, you choose this N7105ZHALJ4_N7105ZZHALJ4_TGY.zip.

And this is the information after upgrading my Note II LTE,

My NOTE II LTE after upgrade
Image from Locky's English Playground

One benefit for common users is that this will not void your warranty as this is an official Samsung update, and because you have NOT rooted your phone, there is really nothing to worry about. This is also a great practice for those of you who want to either get faster updates or want to learn to root your phones in the future, because the steps are essentially the same.

Image from AndroidPit

ROOTING LTE

If you really wanted to root your Note II LTE, then you just repeat the steps in the video but with this PDA file instead.

GT-N7105 — CF-Auto-Root-t0lte-gtn7105.zip (13.1 MB)

I have already rooted my phone so this method is safe.

There is a Toolkit which combines many different options for advanced users, called Galaxy Note2 TOOLKIT V2.0 GSM, and it will support LTE version as well. I haven't tried this yet, but it does have many supporters.


CUSTOM ROMS

Right now, since N7105 is still very new, there aren't too many custom roms to choose, there is one [ROM][GT-N7105]N7105ZHALJ4 deodexed Rom V1.0 [Rooted], which is essentially the same as the original version but it is deodexed, meaning that it will open up the path to further modification, such as allowing multi-window for ALL apps on your phone!!! ([MOD][10.Nov.'12]MulitWindow with unlimited apps for deodex rom )

It should look something like this,

However, at this moment, I think I will want to wait for the developers to release a perfect "Unlimited App Multi-Window ROM" for the N7105. I will keep an eye on the forums and I will update you when the good news arrives.

If you want to keep up with the most updated news about Galaxy Note II N7100 and N7105, you can bookmark this new XDA Developer page.


GAMES

Finally, if you like PSP games, there is a new PPSSPP: A New Free and Open Source PSP Emulator for Android available to you. It is pretty cool! Give it a go if you are a gamer.

Vocabulary:
brick --  (vb) [T] To make an electronic device nonfunctional and usually beyond repair, essentially making it no more useful than a brick.


Resources:
Technology: Advanced Samsung Galaxy Note II Mess Around @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2012/11/technology-advanced-samsung-galaxy-note.html

N7105ZHALJ4 — Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE Update for Hong Kong brings multi-window feature @ The Android Soul
http://www.theandroidsoul.com/n7105zhalj4-samsung-galaxy-note-2-lte-update-for-hong-kong-brings-multi-window-feature/

How to Root Galaxy Note 2! [EASIEST METHOD] @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/NFHZ535L7is

How to root the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 @ Android Authority
http://www.androidauthority.com/galaxy-note-2-n7100-n7105-root-chainfire-128503/

[Galaxy Note2 TOOLKIT V2.0 GSM] Drivers, Backup, Root, CWM, EFS, Flash Stock Image @ XDA-developers
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1923956

Galaxy Note II N7105 Android Development @ XDA-developers
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1960

[MOD][10.Nov.'12]MulitWindow with unlimited apps for deodex rom @ XDA-developers
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1961314

PPSSPP: A New Free and Open Source PSP Emulator for Android
http://www.xda-developers.com/android/ppsspp-a-new-free-and-open-source-psp-emulator-for-android/

PPSSPP - a fast and portable PSP emulator (early preview) @ YouTube
http://youtu.be/HJJZvTmG5n4

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/brick#Verb