Originally launched in summer of 2014 by Google during the Google I/O variant, Android 5.0 Lollipop only hit first devices during November when Google rolled the firmware for its devices. Since then, this OS variant has seen only growth. Not a slow growth like KitKat which after a year of its release, only a few phones were rolling it. The Lollipop version is not only the biggest Android update but also the fastest growing OS version with most of Android flagships already running it even just after a few weeks.
The manufacturer that has taken the job of updating all its devices to Android 5.0 Lollipop very seriously is Samsung. It took Samsung only two weeks to update the international variant of the Galaxy S5 SM-G900F to Android 5.0. Later on, other variants started receiving it like the Korean model and even carrier branded units like the Verizon S5. Now, it is time for the other international Exynos variant, the Samsung Galaxy S5 SM-G900H.
Samsung started rolling it out on the Kazakhstan region and all users located there can already download and install it. If you are a Galaxy S5 SM-G900H owner and do not live around the Kazakhstan region, do not worry. Sammobile has captured and released the official Lollipop firmware tar.md5 file. So, follow the guide below and update your Exynos Galaxy S5 to Lollipop.
Downloads
Odin3 v3.09 flashing tool – Link
Lollipop firmware – G900HXXU1BOA7_G900HOXY1BOA7_SKZ.zip
Galaxy S5 USB drivers – Install
Preparations
Make sure to update everything important including apps, photos, songs and videos. If this process goes as planned, you will only lose the installed apps but everything will stay intact. However, update everything just in case.
Enable Developer Options and USB Debugging (tutorial)
Charge your phone so it does not shut down during the flashing process.
Flashing G900HXXU1BOA7 Lollipop firmware on Exynos Galaxy S5 SM-G900H
Here is some information about the firmware:
- Model: SM-G900H
- Model name: GALAXY S5
- Country: Kazakhstan
- Version: Android 5.0
- Changelist: 77433514
- Build date: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 02:47:20 +0000
- Product Code: SKZ
- PDA: G900HXXU1BOA7
- CSC: G900HOXY1BOA7
- MODEM: G900HXXU1BOA7
Installation process:
- Download the Odin zip file and extract it. Do the same thing with the firmware file. You will get a tar.md5 file.
- Turn your phone off and boot to recovery. To do so, press the volume up, power and home buttons at the same time.
- Inside recovery, wipe cache and perform a full factory reset.
- Now boot to download mode. It is the same key combination but instead the volume up, press the volume down button.
- Connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable. It is recommended to use the cable that comes with the phone.
- Open Odin flashing tool and click AP.
- There, navigate to the folder where you extracted the firmware and choose the tar.md5 file.
- Click the install button and wait for it to install.
That is it. You have installed the official Android 5.0 Lollipop firmware on the Galaxy S5 Exynos SM-G900H variant. So far, we love it. The UI is smoother and overall better.