So a friend of mine just bought a used S4 for his son. It was rooted so we couldn't get the over the air update to KitKat. So I went looking for answers on how we could update. First place I checked was Sammobile. We put in the model number for his S4 and downloaded the whole KitKat firmware for his carrier, and not just the update. The Firmware came with Odin. The instructions were so easy to follow in order to flash the firmware. I know some find Kies a hassle, so why not use Odin. It's so fast and simple. From what I've read, Odin is Samsung software. And warranty is not lost. For those that sync their pictures, why not just connect to PC and drag and drop the DCIM folder. Just doesn't get easier.
UPDATE: OK so with new stock firmware he lost root. But no problem, we got it back with a quick download. And again flashed it with Odin. So it's the stock firmware with root. We uninstalled all the Google Apps except for maps and search, and hangouts. Then disabled a few other stock apps. Wow this thing runs so smooth. No lag whatsoever. Can't wait to do this with my Note 4 when I get it.
So the point of this whole post: Use Odin instead of Kies. You won't regret it.
UPDATE: OK so with new stock firmware he lost root. But no problem, we got it back with a quick download. And again flashed it with Odin. So it's the stock firmware with root. We uninstalled all the Google Apps except for maps and search, and hangouts. Then disabled a few other stock apps. Wow this thing runs so smooth. No lag whatsoever. Can't wait to do this with my Note 4 when I get it.
So the point of this whole post: Use Odin instead of Kies. You won't regret it.
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