With all the Jelly Bean madness going on and the newer and more powerful high-end phones, it's easy to forget about the older and/or lower-end phones. Sure, we've heard about Jelly Bean getting ported to older and/or low-end devices, but what about official updates? Has the hope for new features abandoned ship? It certainly hasn't. Android 2.3.6 build XXKQI for the Samsung Galaxy S Plus GT-I9001 is a sign that Samsung has not given up on the said phone.

The firmware is for Europe but that shouldn't stop you from sinking your teeth into the latest updates. If you don't want to wait for this update to hit your side of the world, you can easily flash it via Odin.

This guide teaches you how to upgrade the Galaxy S Plus I9001 to Android 2.3.6 build XXKQI.

Warning

• The instructions in this guide are intended for use with the Samsung Galaxy S Plus, model number GT-I9001. Applying these instructions on another device or model may produce undesired outcomes.
• The information in this guide is provided for instructional and educational purposes only. There is no guarantee that these instructions will work under your specific and unique circumstances.
• Use these instructions at your own risk. We shall not hold any responsibility or liability for whatever happens to you or your device arising from your use of the info in this guide.
• Read and understand the whole guide first before actually performing the instructions.

Requirements

• Samsung Galaxy S Plus GT-I9001
• A Windows PC
• Handset USB drivers installed on the PC. You may install the drivers by installing Samsung Kies.
• Enable USB debugging on your handset.
• Disable antivirus, firewall, and other security software. Also disable Samsung Kies and other software that accesses your phone. Such software can interfere with the procedure in this guide.
• Download the following:
  • Android 2.3.6 XXKQI firmware (I9001XXKQI_I9001OXFKQ3_SEB.zip, size: 257.5 MB)
  • Odin3 v4.43 (Odin v4.43.exe, size: 447 kB)
  • Aries OPS file (AriesVE.ops, size: 132 B)
• Backup all personal data on your phone to make sure you have a copy of your personal data (e.g., contacts, SMS, MMS, Internet settings, Wi-Fi passwords, and the like) in case the procedure in this guide erases such data.
  • For backup tips, check our guides on how to sync your data to the cloud and how to create local backups of your mobile data.

Instructions

1. Extract the Android 2.3.6 XXKQI firmware ZIP file to get the I9001XXKQI_I9001XXKPM_I9001OXFKQ3_HOME.tar.md5 file.
2. Turn off your Galaxy S Plus.
3. Boot it into Download Mode by pressing and holding down the Volume Down, Home, and Power buttons until the screen turns on and an Android icon in yellow appears.
4. On your computer, double click Odin v4.43.exe to launch Odin on your computer.
5. On the Odin window, click on the OPS button and select the AriesVE.ops file.
6. Activate the One Package option in the top left of the Odin window.
7. Click on the One Package button in the bottom left of the Odin window and select the I9001XXKQI_I9001XXKPM_I9001OXFKQ3_HOME.tar.md5 file.
8. Connect your Galaxy S Plus to your computer. You should get an “Added!!” message in Odin's message box.
   • If you don't get this message, make sure that the drivers were correctly installed. You can also try connecting the phone to the USB ports on the back of your computer.
9. Click Start in Odin to begin flashing the firmware.
10. Once flashing is complete, you should get a “PASS” message on the Odin window and your phone should automatically reboot.
11. Once you see the Samsung logo, you can disconnect your phone from the computer.

Troubleshooting

If Odin freezes or if you receive a “FAIL” message, do the following:

1. Disconnect the phone from the PC.
2. Close Odin.
3. Remove the phone's battery for 4 to 5 seconds.
4. Re-insert the phone's battery.
5. Boot your phone into Download Mode again.
6. Repeat the main procedure from step 4.

If you get stuck at the boot animation, do the following:

1. Boot into Recovery Mode. You can do this by pressing and holding down the Volume Up, Home, and Power buttons until recovery boots.
   • In Recovery Mode, you can use the Volume keys to navigate and the Power button to select.
2. Select Wipe data/factory reset and confirm the action on the next screen.
3. Select Wipe cache partition and confirm the action on the next screen.
4. Select Reboot system now to restart your mobile phone.

Fantastic! Your Samsung Galaxy S Plus has now been updated to Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread build XXKQI.