Samsung had officially abandoned the software service support to Galaxy S3 (with Exynos chipset) international 3G variant earlier in the year, due to the lack of RAM capacity but there are numerous custom ROMs on the internet, which enable the phone to be up to date with new features.
It has to be noted that users need to root the smartphone so that they will be able to install custom ROM, other third party applications of their choice and also perform tweaks in the settings to improve the device's performance as well.
[Note: For easy rooting experience, we will be using the Chain Fire's CF-Auto-Root application tool in this tutorial]
Pre-requisites (things to remember before the rooting the device):
- Make sure Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300 is running on the official update Android v4.3 Jelly Bean (UBUGNG1)
- Rooting of devices sometimes (if procedure is not followed properly) leads to complete data wipe out, so make sure to back all the data. [Install Clockwork Mod (CWM) Recovery/ TWRP in the smartphone to save the data].
- Users make sure they have installed USB drivers on the PC, or else your phone (Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300) will not be recognized by the computer.
- Make sure your device has more than 80 percent battery, or else there is chance of smartphone getting temporarily bricked if the rooting process is interrupted in the mid-way.
- Though rooting of smartphone enables more control to users over the smartphone, the company warranty will stand void and will no longer be liable for future updates [warranty can be restored by flashing the device with stock-ROM]
[Disclaimer: This procedure is very technical and should be performed by a person with sound knowledge of rooting (or manual software installation) Android devices. If the step-by-step installation process is not followed properly, there are chances of the smartphone getting bricked or being permanently irreparable. International Business Times, India Edition cannot be held responsible for any damage or claims from readers if the procedure does not yield the required results or if the smartphone is bricked. Hence, users are advised to proceed with caution.]
Step-by-step installation procedure of rooting for Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300:
Step 1: Download Android rooting package (CF-Auto-Root) for Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300 in to the PC and extract the file.
Step 2: Download Odin v3.09 (here) [This will help in step-by-step procedure of rooting the phone]
Step 3: Now, turn-off of the phone, then enter download mode, by press holding Volume (down) + Home button+ Power button, once you see an animated Android Bot, press Power key (again) to enter to download mode.
[Note: Before plugging the phone to the computer, be sure you have installed USB driver software, if not, click here to download firmware]
Step 4: Now, open ODIN file on your PC, and then connect the smartphone (under download mode) to the PC.
[Note: If the connection between smartphone and PC is successfully established, then one of the ID: COM turns to yellow color and it will display the COM port number as well]
Step 5: Then, choose the file to be installed, in this case, select 'PDA'/'AP' and click the file – 'CF-Auto-Root-m0-m0xx-gti9300.tar.md5'
Step 6: Inside Odin, don't forget to check options- Auto Reboot and F.Reset Time
Step 7: Now, initiate the rooting process by tapping the 'Start' button in ODIN.
Step 8: Once the installation is completed, the phone will re-boot automatically in Recovery Mode to place the root package in the smartphone [hint: ID:COM turns green if everything done in the procedure is going in the right way]
Step 9: Once you see the home screen on the Samsung Galaxy S3, disconnect the phone from the PC.
Now, your device (Samsung Galaxy S3) will take a minimum of five minutes (for the first time only) to complete the booting process. Users can use SuperSU app/ Root checker to confirm the device has been rooted or not.
[Credits: Team Android]