How to

Update Galaxy Ace 2 to latest official Android 4.1.2 I8160XXMG2 Jelly Bean firmware

By Ion

Posted on July 29, 2013

A new official update is now available for the Galaxy ACE 2 devices. This latest update is named I8610XXMG2 and it’s based on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean. It was rolled out for ACE 2 devices from several countries such as Spain, Poland, Russia, Netherlands and other European countries. It is built on 5 July this 2013 and comes as an unbranded version of official firmware. It is based on 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and has PDA: I8160XXMG2, CSC: I8160OXEMG2, MODEM: I8160XXMG2

The XXMG2 update is available by OTA or through Samsung KIES app for the mentioned countries. We will teach you how to manually update the Galaxy Ace 2 device with the latest I8160XXMG2 Android 4.1.2 firmware using ODIN application, a flashing tool designed by Samsung.

Pre-requisites:

Download and Install appropriate USB Driverfor Samsung Galaxy Ace 2.
From the next path: Menu>> Settings>> Applicationsnavigate and click on the Development option and make sure that the USB Debugging Mode is enabled.
Take the backup of all of your personal data stored in the Ace 2 device’s internal memory.
If you have installed a custom recovery image such as CWM or TWRP, create Nandroid backup – full back up for your actual ROM that is running on the Galaxy Ace 2 device.
Ensure the Galaxy Ace 2 smartphone has at least 80% battery charge.
The Ace 2 smartphone should not be locked to a particular carrier and also to be factory unlocked
After you’ve installed an official ROM on the ACE 2 device, it will lose any custom ROM, the root access, its custom recovery images (CWM or TWRP) which will be replaced with a stock recovery one.
The new I8160XXMG2 Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and all instructions listed here work only with the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 GT-I8160.
Do not flash this on an incorrect device, you can end up the installation process by bricking, lose data or damage your device.
Verify the model of the Galaxy smartphone from the next path on the device: Settings>> about phone>> Model number.

How to install I8160XXMG2 Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean on Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 GT-I8160:

Download the official firmware from here according to region and save it in your PC:
- JB 4.1.2 I8160XXMG2 for Spain, JB 4.1.2 I8160XXMG2 for Nordic Countries
- JB 4.1.2 I8160XXMG2 for Poland, JB 4.1.2 I8160XXMG2 for Russia.
Extract the downloaded official firmware zip file and make sure you get a file with .tar.md5 file plus few other files.
Now, download Odin (V3.07) save it in the PC, and extract the ODIN zip file to obtain Odin3 v3.07.exe file and a few other files.
Turn off the Galaxy Ace 2 device.
Boot the smartphone into Download Mode Menu (press and keep holding Volume Down + Home + Power buttons together for some time.
Open the ODIN app by launching the Odin3 v3.07.exe file.
Now, connect the Galaxy Ace to the PC by using the USB cable, while the device is in the Download Mode Menu
Next, look on the ODIN interface and make sure that ODIN app detects the ACE 2 device, when the device is recognized and connected successfully, Odin will say that Added message together with the ID: COM + COM port number box colored on blue.
In case the ODIN app does not display the Added message, try other USB port from the back of the PC and reinstall the USB driver once again.
Now, the downloaded and extracted files should be installed on the Ace 2 device.

For that select the files extracted from I8160XXMG2 folder as below:

From ODIN click PDA button, browse and select .tar.md5 file.
From ODIN click, the Phone button, browse and select file which contain the Modem word in its name (ignore if the file is missing).
From the ODIN click the CSC button, browse and select file which contains the CSC word in its name. (Ignore if such file is not found).
From the ODIN click the PIT button, browse and select the file with .pitextension. (Ignore if there is no such file).

Important: Make sure that on the ODIN settings configuration, the Auto Rebootand F.Reset Time checkboxes are selected and the Re-Partition option is unchecked; select Re-Partition only if a .pit file is loaded and being used.
Now, press the Start button in Odin to start the flashing process.
When the installation process is done, the ODIN app will display a PASS message.
The smartphone will get an automatically reboot.
Now, disconnect the ACE 2 device from the PC.