yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] km8j:
Anyone trying to decide between this phone and pixel 2? Camera doesn't look as good... I'm going to try this phone now that we have these capabilities but the camera on the pixel seems to be way ahead of this
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] maidguitar:
It's true that the camera isn't as good as pixel 2,which if you trust DXOmark is the best one on the market by a margin. Personally, my interest in this phone is because it's significantly smaller (px2 ends up being about as large as a galaxy s8 because of the bezels and 5.0"), doesn't have side fingerprint (which to me is *the* most important difference), doesn't have 3.5mm, doesn't take SD cards, and finally will cost significantly more. Fingerprint + volte was basically the one thing I needed to know to cement 100% that I'm buying an xz1c!

I think in the end it comes down to whether the size/3.5mm/sdcard/price vs camera/ai/amoled is more important to you...
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] km8j:
Yup basically agree on all fronts although the ai will make it to assistant. I just wonder how much better the camera is...
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] baldursgate:
So you copied over the system sin and vendor sin from the NL firmware to the US firmware to do this? There was another person in the thread (ms2398) who said that's what he did with the UK firmware. Which one works (or do they both work)?
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] will.m:
If you just want to flash 2 files, then you need to use .281 and I suspect that any .281 files should work. If you use .324, then you need to flash ALL the files from the US rom with the system/vendor files from .324 according to ms2398.

I think it's easier to just flash the two files from .281 and not have to deal with restoring data. After the flash, it wasn't as seamless as stock firmware.

Here is the idiots guide because it took me hours to figure out that I needed flashtool:

Install flashtool, newflasher, xperifirm

Extract newsflasher into a new folder

Download the rom you want

Cut/copy the files that you want to flash from the rom into the folder you created to extract newflasher

Restart your computer

Put you phone on flash mode(press and hold volume down) and plug in the cable

Execute newsflasher.exe and wait for it to complete. Should take 5-10 minutes depending on how many files you're flashing

Turn on the phone and enjoy VOLTE with fingerprint scanner!

With all the downloads, this should take no more than 30 minutes from start to finish.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] km8j:
Hmm so what do you actually need flashtool for? Also wouldnt .324 be a newer firmware than .281? So wouldn't you want that newer one? Or is there a way to flash the two files from .281 and then upgrade after? If I have a brand new XZ1 compact out of the box untouched, what should I do to get fingerprint + volte with the latest firmware?

Also what do you mean about it not being as seamless?
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] pbarrette:
Here's what I'd do:

Download the international firmware of your choice.

Replace the

oem_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

file with the one from the US firmware.

Flash that.

The "magic" for T-Mobile is in the framework overlay files which enable the UI options for VoLTE and in the modem config file which identifies the right modem binary to load for T-Mobile US. Both of those are in the US firmware's oem sin file.

The "magic" for the fingerprint reader is in the system and vendor sin files which contain the components that enable it to function.

So if you want your firmware to be mostly "matching", you'd pick an international firmware and replace the oem sin file.

Of course, be sure to remove all the "*.ta" files, and if you want to preserve your user data, remove the "userdata_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin" file.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] km8j:
Thanks. This is ever so slightly above my head. So should I only be flashing three files then (the two suggested in Reddit + the oem file you mentioned)? Sorry, i'm not following completely. Or am I flashing the entire CE firmware but without the TA and userdata files and a swapped OEM? I'm getting the US version, so I'd want it to stay as close to that as possible. What happens if I just open it up and flash the original two files mentioned from .324?
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] will.m:
Newer doesn't necessarily mean better. There could be changes that you don't want. If you upgrade, you're erasing the changes you made; common sense.

As for flashtool, it was trial and error for me to get the right drivers to get newflasher to work until I saw a post about flashtool.

If you follow my idiot's guide, you can't screw it up. As mentioned in previous posts by me and ms2398, 324 will put your phone on a crash loop.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] km8j:
I understand your position but doubt changes would be undesired. Normally bug fixes, etc. I think there are still some unanswered questions here though... Sorry if I'm being dense.

1) I dont even see .281 firmware for anything aside from US. Where is it?

2) Are you saying you didn't actually use flash tool, just that it brought drivers you needed?

3) To clarify, you are saying opening the box, which would come with .281 and flashing ONLY the two needed files from .324 would break the phone, right? So does that mean there is no current update for US to get it to 324 with the 'regular' US firmware.

4) Sooo, assuming I find .281 from a country and flash those two files, what happens when there is an OTA? Can I seamlessly update without wiping data to .324 in a similar methodology?
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] will.m:
1. It's possible that Sony has been slowly and quietly uploading updated firmware on their servers. If there are no. 281 files, you'll need to use ms2398's method to use. 324 files.

2. Correct. I just used it to get the right drivers.

3. Correct. 324 files, on their own, will break your phone. Firmware versions are listed in xperifirm, but like you mentioned, only the US has 281. I'm not on my computer to check, so I'm taking your word for it.

4. There's no way to tell if this exploit will be patched in future updates, which is why newer firmware isn't always the best. I'm assuming that 324 will still allow this to work using the same process, but like I said, you never know if this will be patched when the US is updated to 324.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] km8j:
So there definitely are .281 but which of these are compatible? Which would I use since CE is .324?
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] will.m:
See previous posts.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] km8j:
I just went through the whole thread and do not see someone directing to a specific firmware version. I see where someone mentioned 324 was up and asked for files for 281 but I dont see a response to that.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] ms2398:
Yes, flash tool cannot be used with 2017 Sony devices. You must use newflasher.

https://xdaforums.com/crossdevice-dev/sony/progress-newflasher-xperia-command-line-t3619426/page1

In order to use newflasher you need the driver for your phone installed on the pc you are using to flash. I got the driver directly from Sony.

https://developer.sonymobile.com/downloads/drivers/xperia-xz1-compact-driver/

OTA will definitely break this. As long as the file structures stay the same though, we will be able to apply the patch the same way after an OTA.

---------- Post added at 05:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:49 PM ----------

Any of the 281 files except for the Internal firmwares will work. Even the Internal firmwares might work, but in my opinion they may not be finished firmwares or may have slightly different code than the final versions. I specifically chose the UK 324 method bc the customized UK doesn't have any carrier specific junk packed with it. But like will.m mentioned, you have to go another route with 324 files which involves losing all userdata and starting fresh. I can explain that route if needed.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] km8j:
Thanks for all the info! What is the significance of the R9B, R6B, etc.? Are there any other considerations with which firmware I use such as language, signal icons, etc.?
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] pbarrette:
I just did a reasonably complete bounce between the UK (.324) and US (.281) firmware.

The SIN files that contain differences are:

fotakernel_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

kernel_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

modem_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

oem_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

system_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

vendor_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

Now, we know what "system", "vendor" and "oem" do, so I won't go into it.

"Modem" contains drivers for video, radios, sensors and audio.

"Kernel" is self explanatory.

"Fotakernel" is, I think, the recovery image.

It looks like the primary difference in the versions is that the radio and audio firmware were updated, along with some libraries that relate to the same. I noticed that bluetooth libs were significantly changed.

What I'm getting at is that if you want to try mixing 324 and 281 ROM bits, I'd suggest at least flashing the above, with only the "oem" coming from the US firmware.

Those having problems mixing were probably ending up with mixed versions of drivers, libraries and kernel images.

This is why I suggested flashing ALL of a given international ROM with just the OEM file from the US ROM.

There are no libraries in the OEM sin file. It's literally just config files and app/framework overlays that change values (not code).

The US's OEM sin file also contains the "CellBroadcastReceiver.apk", which gives us Amber Alerts and such.

I've got my XZ1c on order, so hopefully, I'll be able to validate this myself soon enough.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] ms2398:
Awesome work on finding the differences. I'm thinking I may try this tomorrow to get closer to the 324 build but also retain the Tmobile settings. I noticed that that I am having problems on the 281 specifically with Bluetooth in my car. I'm not getting track data and cannot control the media from the car, so maybe this is thy reason for the major differences in Bluetooth library. I read today that Google acknowledged there are major issues with Bluetooth in their early Oreo builds and that they have fixed some of the issue with recent updates but not all of it yet.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] km8j:
Anyone have insight on this?

So, correct me if I'm wrong. I get my device tomorrow. I'm going to:

1) Unbox it, set up baseline functionality, get drivers running, etc.

2) If there are any OTAs, should I take them?

3) Extract the OEM file from the downloaded .281 firmware.

4) Extract the other 5 files from the CE .324 firmware.

5) Place the 6 files inside the newflasher directory.

6) Flash away...

Is this right?
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] pbarrette:
On the region ID's (R8B, etc), I have no idea.

Here's my plan for when mine comes in:

1] Extract the UK firmware. (*)

2] Delete all *.ta files, "boot" folder and "userdata" sin file. (**)

3] Replace the UK firmware's OEM sin file with the US version.

4] Unbox and boot to the bootloader.

5] Flash the frankenROM with newflasher.

6] Perform first boot to system.

(*)The UK firmware is the same "region" code, but I don't know if that really matters. The CE1 firmware is technically Central European (like Hungary, Poland, etc), but the system partitions are basically all alike and the real customization happens in the OEM sin anyway.

(**) The userdata stuff is all exactly the same, even across the 2 versions and it's ~23GB expanded, so I suspect it takes a while to flash. Just saving some time. The boot images are also exactly the same and I really don't like bootloader flashes if I don't have to do it.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] km8j:
I'll give this a shot thanks. As an aside, does this device support b66 with any of the radio versions?
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] ah_hin:
I can confirm that flashing .281 from US firmware to .324 HK (or UK?) phone works!

I bought the phone off ebay, which was labeled for sale in Hong Kong. The scanner works on startup, but not the wifi calling or VoLTE.

Please see screenshots attached.

p.s. inside the "flashing" folder which I created for flashing purposes, "flash_session"is created after the flashing process is finished.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] easyc:
I'm intrigued to see how this turns out. I got my UK XZ1C over a week ago. I ordered the UK model because it was cheaper than the US version, released earlier, and had the fingerprint scanner. I was disappointed to see no VoLTE support, though. I'd prefer VoLTE over the fingerprint scanner.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] km8j:
Did you include the necessary US files to retain VoLTE?
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] pbarrette:
It was poorly phrased, but I think he's saying that he was already running the HK or UK firmware on an international phone and only flashed the OEM sin file from the US firmware.

Since we're going to be starting from the US firmware, we're essentially going to have to do the reverse.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] will.m:
Great work! Hopefully this won't be patched in the next update. I'm also having bt issues.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] km8j:
Sooo are you leaving all of the other files such as partition.zip, adsposo..., amss..., diag..., cache..., update.xml, etc.? Meaning is your flash directory ultimately 23 items? Here is what I've got now... The OEM file has been replaced from the custom US. Is the OEM file the only one that contains info on VoLTE and WiFi calling?
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] ah_hin:
Unfortunately, I started with non-US firmware, so I am not sure what are the required files to flash in order to keep existing settings and get fingerprint sensor for a US phone.

But if you want to start fresh with UK firmware, the only file to replace is the OEM file.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] km8j:
But I thought you said you dont have working VoLTE? So the method you used doesn't get us to the goal of the endgame of this topic, or am I missing something? Similarly, the UK version is 324 but US is 281 and people earlier in the thread said combining them breaks things? Or maybe thats only using 324 files on 281, not the other way around?
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] Frontier3:
All the talk here is about tmo VoLTE. Has anyone verified that this works with AT&T VoLTE?
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] ah_hin:
I have working VoLTE and wifi calling, i posted screenshots of those. LTE+ shows up when making calls using cellular, that's the indication of VoLTE, correct?

So right now, I have VoLTE, wifi calling, and the fingerprint sensor.

I did mix 324 with 281; I have 324 as the base, and just flashed the OEM file from 281 US.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] legendnexus:
Can you check the bluetooth functionality? Someone mentioned they have issues with bluetooth while connecting to the car.

thank you!
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] km8j:
...............
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] ah_hin:
I am traveling right now and won't have access to my car til sunday.

Bluetooth to my headphones are good though, no drop.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] ms2398:
Correct. I count 24 items though. All you need from the US rom is the oem sin file.

Also I have verified that Bluetooth issues are corrected with the 324 base. So going with 324 base and 281 oem file is currently the best route.

---------- Post added at 11:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:42 PM ----------

Bluetooth issues are corrected with 324 rom. So the best route for now is to use a 324 as your base.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] legendnexus:
Which will be without any grid issues? And just to confirm; install 324 and flash system & vendor from US 281, right?
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] pbarrette:
That's right.

You don't want to re-partition, so you can delete "partition.zip", but newflasher won't touch it anyway because it's not extracted. So it shouldn't really matter.

Essentially, you're installing a complete international ROM, minus userdata and bootloader, with the OEM sin swapped for the US version.

There are various parts to getting VoLTE working. The important parts are the modem, libraries and service binaries that actually do the work. Then there's build.prop entries and framework apk boolean values that turn on those services and allow you to select them in the UI.

The modem, libs and binaries exist in all of the ROMs, international and US.

The OEM partition contains the build.prop entries to enable it, the modem selector to use the compatible firmware, and the apk overlay to change the values so you can see and use it.

---------- Post added at 06:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:57 PM ----------

No.

Install 324 from international and OEM from US.

When you install 324, you can leave out bits like boot and partition and userdata.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] legendnexus:
So I did the exact thing mentioned here: remove partition and rest from the list above and add the oem from US 281 and flashed it.

I now can see the fingerprint option in the settings but the 'Grid' stops working and it can not open.

Has anybody experience similar issue? and how did you solve it?
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] pbarrette:
Which 324 firmware did you use and what, exactly did you remove?

Have you tried a clean flash?

Clear the app data for "Grid"?

What is "Grid"? (I haven't had a Sony phone in a while. I've been on the Droid Mini and my XZ1c doesn't come in till tomorrow).

Can you produce a logcat with the problem?
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] legendnexus:
I am not sure what you mean by clean flash here is what i flash by using newflasher:

adspso_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

amss_fsg_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

amss_fs_1_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

amss_fs_2_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

appslog_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

bluetooth_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

cache_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

diag_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

elabel-G8441-row-row_201709041041383.1_47.1.A.2.324_X-FLASH-LTALABEL-C93B.sin

fotakernel_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

fsmetadata_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

fwinfo.xml

kernel_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

modem_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

newflasher.exe

oem_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

persist_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

Qnovo_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

ramdump_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

ssd_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

system_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

update.xml

vendor_X-FLASH-ALL-C93B.sin

Where all the files from "G8441_Customized UK_1310-6856_47.1.A.2.324_R8B" except OEM.sin which was copied from G8441_Customized US_1310-4371_47.1.A.2.281_R8B

I only excluded userdata sin file I am not sure if thats the problem.

Grid is the name of the default launcher that XZ1C comes with. So when you booth the phone, launcher doesnt work. I manage to install nova launcher, however I was happy with the default launcher as well. Yet it got me thinking 'what if there are other things that are not working properly which I only happen to notice the launcher'
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] pbarrette:
Sorry. By "clean flash" I basically meant a factory reset. Wiping of the cache and userdata, essentially.

My guess is that there are settings stuck in the cache or userdata that are conflicting with something the launcher expects from whatever version you were running before.

Before going down that route though, I'd try clearing the data for the launcher app.

You used to be able to find it in Settings -> Apps & notifications -> App info -> [app name] -> Storage -> Clear data.

I'm assuming you started on US firmware, used the phone, then flashed 324 files and OEM file, then rebooted.

Did your phone go through app optimization like it had an update? Or just boot up like normal?

I suspect others were going from international ROM to "just flash OEM" or were doing a full reset.

Anyone without launcher problems want to weigh in?
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] will.m:
I tried the full UK 324 with oem US 281 without wiping the phone and I got the grid loop . The BT thing isn't a huge deal for me, but I'll probably try factory reset and flash again this weekend.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] legendnexus:
I tried cleaning the launchers data and reset the phone but no luck. Yes, it is a US phone, flashed 324 files with US oem and rebooted.

There were no app optimization, or any additional steps to boot.

My guess at this point; maybe flashing the UK as a full package (including the OEM) and then flashing the US OEM on the top of it. Or I should've not flashed the OEM at all since my device comes with the US OEM?
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] ms2398:
I had the grid loop when I didn't wipe the phone (including the user data sin and the other stripped files). When I flashed the ENTIRE UK rom package with the US oem file added , I didn't have any grid issues. Also, I haven't had any other problems with anything on the phone since doing that.

---------- Post added at 02:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:54 AM ----------

You can replace the oem file in the rom folder before flashing the entire UK package. No need for two flash sessions.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] legendnexus:
By saying wiping the phone, do you mean factory resetting the phone prior flashing the mixed folder?
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] ms2398:
You do not even have to do that. As long as you flash all the files that were in the rom you downloaded from xperifirm it will reset everything and essentially wipe the phone during the flash process.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] legendnexus:
Thats practically what I did. Wasnt that list of sin files I wrote above complete?
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] ms2398:
No. You need to include user data sin and the stripped ta files for the full wipe during flash

---------- Post added at 02:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:08 PM ----------

Basically, download the entire UK rom. Don't strip anything. Only replace the Oem sin file with the one from the US rom then flash.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] TX-Brad:
Ok, so waiting for Amazon to deliver my XZ1C (US version).

I have everything in my computer, ready to go as follows:

Downloaded UK 324 ROM

- Deleted OEM sin file

- Replaced with OEM sin file from US Customized 281

- Did NOT delete or change anything else in this folder (I'm understanding I don't need to)

Downloaded Sony Companion (for drivers)

Downloaded Newflasher

Placed new ROM into folder WITH newflasher.exe in the same folder.

My question (for confirmation/validation)...

When the phone arrives, should I set it up first THEN flash? Or, flash first before doing anything else?

This discussion has been hugely helpful!!
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] camaro322hp:
Anyone know exactly what in the oem****.sin file enables TMo VoLTE, and how it could possibly be applied to a rooted X Compact?
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] ms2398:
This all sounds good. You can actually get the driver directly for installation from this link.

https://developer.sonymobile.com/downloads/drivers/xperia-xz1-compact-driver/

Do not bother setting up anything on the phone because you will lose it all with the flash. For now, this is the only way I know of to not get the grid loop after the flash.
[Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact Questions & Answers] 1230m:
I still don't quite understand how the drivers come into play? Would someone please elaborate? Is it just because the flashing of an customized firmware "breaks" Over The Air (OTA) updates? And upon flashing and then setting up the phone, it will need the driver updates? Which are applied manually (do you need a software other than Xperifirm or Newflasher? Is it done just via plugging the phone in and updating via Sony's method?)? Thanks!