donderdag 11 juni 2015

Update!! This blog is outdated. There is a much better solution now, it is de custom rom of mr. Lajos baralajbi. You can find it @ needrom.com; http://www.needrom.com/download/lenovo-k920-vibe-z2-pro/



I bought my dream-phone !!
Last week i Bought a Lenovo vibe z2 pro (k920) here:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Original-Lenovo-VIBE-Z2-Pro-K920-Quad-Core-MSM8974AC-Android-4-4-4G-Cell-Phones-2/2017739722.html Hongkong Goldway

It is really a marvellous phone: I was very satisfied. Untill I figured out that I got a Chinese version with a custom changed ROM...


After googling around, I found solutions for everything, and have the perfect phone now. Therefore, to help you if you got a Chinese too :), i wrote this blog...

So how to know wich version you have:
- Chinese version, has on the backside: "China mobile 4GLTE" staan.
By: "settings --> About phone --> Device information --> version number, you see: "VIBEUI" in the name.
The Chinese version has FDD-LTE (1800/2600MHz)

- The ROW-version (Rest Of World).
Has no extra indication on the backside, just: "lenovo".
By: "settings --> About phone --> Device information --> version number, you see: "ROW" in the name.
The ROW-version has TDD-LTE ( band 1, 3, 7 en 20).

4G
It is not certain that the chinese version can nót work with TDD-LTE.
I found a way to enable global services with the command:
*#*#5920#*#*.
After this, "my chinese" works perfect with 4G in the Netherlands ánd in Belgium...

ROM
The official Chinese version Rom has only 2 languages: Chinese and English, has tons of chinese apps, which you can delete very easy, and has no Google Apps.

I figured out that the phone I bought, has a non official ROM, with GAPPS, more languages, and some fancy colors wich resembles the ROW-version. I had a lot of problems with this ROM:
- Crashes...
- blue screens...
- multilanguage support settings page was there, but I could not open it...
-I could not set the right time zone.
- OTA updating from the settings-menu is not working, page disappeared...

Update
So I thought maybe an update would help? I figured out I could do an update with the Lenovo app from a Windows computer. After this, the phone was totally changed, and in ... chinese... without google play.... heeeeeeeeeeelp....

Don't flash a ROW-ROM on a CC-version
Flashing a ROW-ROM on this phone would be the best solution, but i read a lot of messages from people who could not startup anymore, or could not call anymore...

Upgrade to official chinese ROM.
If your ROM is damaged after a lot of experiments (like mine... :)...) you can flash very easy the official Chinese ROM.
I found it here:
http://www.needrom.com/download/lenovo-k920-vibeui
the name of the ROM-update is:
K920_USER_S081_1408281835_3030446_ST_CMCC_CN.rar
Decompress, copy to your phone, make a new directory named: "sdfuse"
copy there the .qsb-file.
Shutdown your phone, switch on wgile holding the Volume-Down-button. Keep holding, after 3 times you get a menu. Choose: "sdupdate".


Add Google Apps
go to settings --> apps, en chose left tab: remove all apps there.
remove also chinese keyboard: go to right tab: "all", and disable: "iFly"

Install GMSinstaller:
4.4_GMSInstaller.apk
I found it here:
https://yadi.sk/d/AZdD8xqjLR9UG

Open it, and click one by one on the orange buttons. It installs Google contacts sync, play store and play services.
reboot your phone.
Add your google account now.
Open playstore, search on: "google" and install all the GAPPS you need.

Enabel global services
Open your telefone keypad, and type
*#*#5920#*#*
If he sais: "Enable global services". chose: "yes".
If he sais: "Disable global services". chose: "cancel.".

Vibe UI
I really don't like Vibe UI.
- no startmenu anymore.
- desktops aren't fully customisable, because they have to replace the startmenu.
- icons are to big for this high resolution screen, are they thinking i have bad eyes, or 80 years old ?
One of the main reasons i would always prefer android above apple is that you can fully customis your desktop screens, and so create your very own phone...
I also like it very much to get an alphabetical list of all apps (startmenu).

Apex 
is the best way to get, to use your big screen optimally.
So install apex from play store.
I will give you the settings i use, so that you will have a very nice big screen...
apex settings --> home screen settings:
portret raster and  landscape raster: set every value 2 times higher.
pictogram greatness: at 80%
the same by:  application overview.
go to: "dock": amoutn of docks 1, and amount of icons 7.
pictogramgreatness on 80%

Add widgets: Press and hold an empty space on your desktop, choose: "widgets¨




Change locale.
What about the language.
I don't mind a lot that the system menus are in english.. You don't use them a lot... After a while you do not notice anymore what is written...
But all apps are thinking i am living in america now... that's not good...
But we can change the locale very easy. The system language remains english, but all apps knows that i am living in belgium, and will take Dutch as main language.

To do so, the phone has te be rooted...

Root
Install on you windows pc: RootGenius
found it here:
http://rootgenius.com/download/#.VXnfHLz7lko
connect your phone to the PC, enable USB-debugging:
Go to: settings--> aboutphone--> device information--> versionnumber.
Klick on it 4 times. You've got now developer rights.
go back 2x, and choose: developer options. put on: "usb debugging.

Open now rootgenius on your PC, connect your phone via usb, and root it.
herstart je phone.
You can find now the app: "kinguser", please handle it very carefull. Do not remove any apps, I did it and damaged the ROM very hard...

Install via play-store :
"locale more - language setting"
chose your language. To control, go to: settings - language&input.
There you see your choosen language. Don't change it, because you can only set it back with the app... You can delete the app, as long as you don't change the setting.


Google maps gives 2 voices by each other
ga naar settings-apps, 3th tab: all.
And disable:
lenovo speech synthesis service
and:
lenovo voice recognition service.

I disabled also 5 chinese apps.

No google+
Google+ was missing in Playstore. I found out that it was incompatbilbe with my device.
I downloaded the google+.apk, but the install failed.
After some googling, I figured out that there were missing some libraries in the Lenovo.
Found it here:
http://www.slatedroid.com/topic/25334-fixing-the-install-failed-missing-shared-library-error/
So, you have to root again your phone, see above.
Then install root explorer.
Go to: /system/etc/permissions
and install there: com.google.android.maps.xml
And go to: /system/framework
And install there: com.google.android.maps.jar

Be very careful what you are doing: you can harm your phone by doing wrong things !!!
Now restart, and install:
com.google.android.apps.plus-5.6.0.94508375-413986645-minAPI19.apk

Thats it !! it takes me a lot of time, you can do it now in 30 minutes...
Good luck with this marvellous phone.
Joost