How To: Upgrade Motorola RAZR Maxx XT910 AP Version To Jelly Bean

It was quite some time ago that I blogged on my "new" Motorola Atrix. It's been retired for some time after I was gifted with a new Verizon variant Motorola RAZR XT912. I loved the phone but it's just impractical to me as the battery couldn't last me a full day, I am a heavy user though. I was gifted with its sibling that comes with more juices, the AP Retail variant of RAZR Maxx XT910...



The thinner purple phone is the Verizon RAZR XT912. Both phones are identical in all aspects except that RAZR Maxx is fatter with a gigantic 3300mAh battery that can last me full day (heavy use: browse, whatsapps, game etc) with about 30-40% remaining at the end of the day. It can last me 2 days if I am too busy to mingle with it. I was very satisfied and happy with it till recently. The RAZR users in everywhere else in the world have gotten their OTA upgrade to Jelly Bean 4.1.2 except users with Asia Pacific variant! Damn it! But rant no more, follow me after the break for step-by-step to upgrade the AP version of RAZR Maxx XT910 to Jelly Bean. ;)

I must warn that guide below is a little technical, do NOT proceed if you have no confidence doing so. I bear no responsibility if you brick your phone and render unusable. Please also consider the following before you proceed:

  • You will lose your root if rooted - no worries, here is the video guide to re-root.
  • You will lose all data in internal storage - do a full backup.
  • You will have to reinstall all apps just like the phone is freshly out of box - do a full backup.
  • The entire process takes 2 hours.
  • Fully charge your phone before upgrade. 
  • You may need a new phone if you fail to upgrade.
  • This is a Windows guide, I do not know how it works on non-Windows platforms.

The entire upgrade process comprises of 2 phases:
  1. Change the AP firmware to British Retail version so that the OTA upgrade file for Europe can be used to upgrade the phone to JB 4.1.2. 
  2. Upgrade to JB 4.1.2.
Are you ready? Let's start!

PREPARATION

I assume that you have the AP variant of XT910. The system version should read something  like 6.7.3-94_SPI-328.XT910.APRetail with Android version 4.0.4. I forgot to take a snap before upgrade, drop a comment with the full string version on your phone if you want to confirm, I shall be able to tell.

1. Install Motorola drivers onto your PC.

2. Install RSD Lite on your PC. I am using v6.1.4 and you can get it here.


3. On your phone, set the USB connection type to MTP and USB Debugging is enabled (enable it in Settings - Developer Options).


4. Plug in your phone to the PC after steps above. This allows Windows and Motorola Device Manager to install necessary drivers and ensure a smooth upgrade. Not necessary but if you have Android SDK installed, you can easily verify the drive works properly by adb devices in a command prompt window as shown above.

5. Download the British Retail firmware from this link. This is NOT the Jelly Bean firmware, it's the 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich which is required to successfully upgrade to JB.

6. You may want to download the AP firmware here as backup.

Here is the link to the root folder (same folder as #5 and #6 above) of all the firmware/fastboot files for XT910.

7. Download the OTA upgrade file here.

8. Copy/Move the OTA file into the root of the microSD card in the phone (sdcard-ext folder if you use any file explorer on phone such as ES Explorer).

FLASH TO BRITISH RETAIL ICS 4.0.4


8. Launch RSD Lite. Click ... button.

9. Browse to British Retail fastboot file that you've downloaded in #5 above.

10. Click Decompress only.

11. Now fully power off your phone.

 
12. Put your phone into AP Fastboot mode - press the power, volume + and volume - buttons simultaneously until you see the Boot Mode Selection Menu as shown above.


13. Press volume - button to highlight AP Fastboot. Press volume + button to select/enter.

 
14. Plug your phone into the PC. RSD Lite should detect the phone as shown above.

15. Click Start. The flash process takes about 20 minutes. The phone will reboot automatically when flashing. Be cool with it.

16. You will see the Android logo on the screen with "optimizing applications". Congrats! you have successfully flashed to British Retail version of ICS 4.0.4  and halfway through to Jelly Bean!

Now don't panic if the phone stuck at Motorola logo (or technically we called it boot loop). This is expected, you are good to continue.

UPGRADE TO JELLY BEAN

17. Now press all 3 buttons simultaneously like in #12 above to enter into Boot Mode Selection Menu.


18. Use volume - button to highlight Recovery. Press volume + button to select.enter.


19. Press both volume + and volume - buttons simultaneously when you see the Andoird bot with exclamation mark. This will bring up the Recovery Menu Options.


20. Use volume - button to scroll to "apply update from external storage". Use Power button to select.


21. Select by pressing Power button the OTA upgrade file you've downloaded in #7. The upgrade takes quite a while, about 20 minutes. You will see screen below during the upgrade...


22. Once complete, use the same method to "wipe cache partition" and "wipe data/factory reset".

23. Select "reboot system now".


Congrats! You are now on Jelly Bean!! Enjoy!

Credits to DroidViews that I used as reference to upgrade my phone.

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