New I535VRALHD ROM leaked for the Verizon Samsung Galaxy S III

When Verizon first released the Samsung Galaxy S III a couple months ago, it came running Android 4.0.4 ICS with the ROM being listed as I535VRALF2. Then about a month later, newer Galaxy S III phones from Verizon came with the I535VRALG1 ROM, which Samsung removed the universal phone search as part of Apples patent infringement. This was followed by the first firmware update from Verizon, which was version I535VRALG7, that could be downloaded and installed over-the-air. The main fix in the G7 update was to resolve the "No SIM" error message that some people were experiencing.

A couple days ago we informed you of a new baseband radio I535VRLHD that could be manually installed, which is said to improve 4G signal strength and download/upload speeds.

It now appears that this baseband radio was actually extracted from a new leaked ROM called I535VRALHD. This new ROM is now available for manually installation, as it includes the HD baseband radio, but also a few other improvements, such as better battery life, and comes with Google Play Magazines installed. Unfortunately, it still remains Android 4.0.4 ICS.

Even though the installation is pretty straight forward, only people who are comfortable with the process should proceed. Installing the new I535VRALHD ROM will wipe all your user data on the phone, so programs will have to be re-installed. You may also want to make a CWM Backup to your external SD card first, so you can restore it at a later time if you need to revert back.

First you need to have the Samsung USB drivers installed on your PC (download), and then the ODIN program installed (download). (If you happen to be rooted, it is recommended to restart in CWM and create a backup to your external SD card of your current ROM in case you want to revert back to it later.)

You'll also need the full I535VRALHD ROM (1.2GB download).

After that, connect your phone to the PC and wait for the PC to install any device drivers.

Then unplug the USB cable from the phone and power it off.

Once the phone is off, press and hold the Volume Down Button, the Home Button, and Power Button all at the same time. This will power up the phone into "download mode". Read the warning instructions and press the Volume UP Button to continue.

Open the ODIN program, and reconnect the phone to the PC. ODIN should show the phone connected to a COM Port (see below image).

Place a check mark next to PDA and select the file that you saved "COMBINATION_I535VRALHD_I535VZWALHD_1092717_REV09_user_low_ship.tar.md5"

After it reads the file, select Start and it will flash new new ROM. Keep in mind this will take several minutes to complete and all user data will be wiped from the phone.

Once it is completed, the phone will restart showing the "Select Language" screen and the ODIN program will say the process is finished. You can then remove the USB cable and setup your phone.

To verify the new ROM installed, go to Settings, About Device, and the following should be listed:
Baseband: I535VRLHD
Kernel: 3.0.8-1092717, with a date of Fri Sep 7.
Build: IMM76D.I535VRALHD

Since this was just leaked, there is no word yet if this new I535VRALHD ROM will be the next one to be sent over-the-air from Verizon. If you feel uncomfortable doing the manual flash, we'd recommend waiting for Verizon to officially release new firmware OTA.

source: invisiblek

3 Comments

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posted on 01 Oct 2012, 11:52

1. VZWuser76 (Posts: 4752; Member since: 04 Mar 2010)

While my S3 has so far gotten the same or better signal than my Rezound, I'll always welcome something that'll improve it.

Losing universal search sucked after the last update. At least for a couple minutes until I found another app in the Play Store with the same functionality.

posted on 01 Oct 2012, 13:05

2. jogutier (Posts: 324; Member since: 12 Feb 2010)

Has anyone notice a difference with this download?

Thanks in advance,

posted on 29 Oct 2012, 15:05

3. DeBears1 (Posts: 1; Member since: 29 Oct 2012)

My old Motorola Droid X has great signal strength. My new Verizon GS3 with this new VRALHD is better than the old VRALG7, but still not as good as my old X. I used the above information to first install the VRALHD. Mid Oct. Verizon releases a 62MB update which included the VRALHD. I attempted the OTA process, all I got was Update Failed. I reinstalled the VRALG7, then the Verizon update process worked fine. I have only used Odin version 3.07. Nothing was wiped from my phone. I used this sitehttp://rootzwiki.com/topic/34053-officialmodems-vrlhe-verizon-sgs3-sch-i535-odin-or-recovery-flashable/ to download VRALG7.