yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] Choose an username...:
Well, the package that you found will do too. Most people here expect everything to be done for them, and since I had already found a zip, I thought it would be best to share it at least.

You should actually follow the guide that I just posted - the reason why is that you have to unzip the file and put it in the root of the SD card. It's written so that everyone can understand, so sorry if it's too dense. but if you downloaded the package on the PC (and your phone is somehow able to connect via MTP [or FTP, i have to use this] to your PC) it's just unzip and send.
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] P650SE:
Haha, no problem at all. I will try it and see what happens, but unfortunately the download might take a few hours due to my slow internet connection. Thanks for all your assistance so far, it is of course most appreciated. :) BTW, I just booted into the bootloader to see what it looked like and everything is displayed in Chinese; which presumably is normal considering the phone is the Chinese A2017 model. At the top of the screen it shows ZTE/P996A03_N/ailsa_ii and another line which says 7.1.1/NMF26V/20170425.120141. What do these numbers mean? I know 7.1.1 is the version of Android and 'ailsa_ii' is of course the codename of the device, like 'bacon' is for the OnePlus One.
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] Choose an username...:
You sure you booted to the bootloader? Most phones have it blocked and you can only access recovery, EDL and FTM.

Whatever, yeah, the Chinese recovery is in Chinese. G's and U's have it in English. But still, the option that you may need to use is the one that says 'sd' between some Chinese ideograms (install update from sd card). Ofc you'd need an SD card for that, that's why using the system option to update is preferred.
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] P650SE:
Ah, that's interesting! I'm certain it was the bootloader since I followed a tutorial on YouTube to access it. Basically, all I had to do was to switch the phone off and then hold both the volume-up and power buttons until the ZTE logo appeared, then release the power button and keep holding the volume button until the bootloader came up! Anyhow, i'll definitely follow your advice and use the update method via the settings menu in MiFavor. ;) But first I will have to wait another hour for the update package to finish downloading, as my internet speed is only 3.3Mbps!
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] Aj-jss:
My phone is A2017 too. This screenshot might help you understand those numbers.
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] P650SE:
^^^Ah, that's cool. So P996A03_N is basically just further identification for the device to indicate it is the Chinese A2017 version. :)

At the moment i'm having problems with the ZIP for rolling back to Marshmallow. It came packaged in an archive called 20170320111600705.zip which I extracted using WinRAR on my laptop. I copied the update.zip file to the root of my internal storage and to the root of the SD card, but neither are recognised when entering the 'System Update' screen. Is it possible that the reseller on AliExpress blocked the ability to update the ROM? I don't know whether to try running the update directly from the bootloader instead.

On the AliExpress listing for the phone is has a warning which says 'Please do not try to flash the phone by yourself. Otherwise your phone will be blocked and lose the network'. I assume this is just to discourage people from flashing custom ROMs to their devices rather than an actual physical limitation.
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] Choose an username...:
Okay, then you'll have to use the recovery. Put the zip on the SD card (I guess you already have it there), turn it off and hold power + vol up. Select the option that says sd and select the zip.

I guess it doesn't work because it detected that the zip was for an A2017 and it thinks it's a G
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] P650SE:
Ah. Good thinking about the reason it wasn't working! Although, I tried that and underneath where it says Supported API: 3, it shows a message which says 'Sorry, you can't sdcard upgrade'. :(

EDIT: Oh, wait a second. I remember reading something which said you should enable OEM unlocking before trying to flash the ZIP. Maybe that would work! :D

EDIT 2: Well, that seems to have worked. I was so scared! :eek: But the ZIP flashed successfully and it has rebooted into A2017V1.0.0B13 MiFavor UI v4.0 (Android 6.0.1) I noticed the bootloader screen is now slightly different as it now shows the Chinese symbol next to the ZTE text. It is now showing an OTA update to V1.0.0B15, so i'll start by doing that and work through all the other OTA's until I reach the latest version!
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] P650SE:
Check the edit to my previous post. I managed to get the phone onto A2017V1.0.0B13 and then OTA updated to A2017V1.0.0B15, but unfortunately there are no further OTA updates available from this point. So with this in mind, the next step would probably be to download the A2017V1.1.0B17 archive from the same source and flash that using the same method, via the bootloader? :D Then hopefully that should bump me back up to Nougat and allow me to OTA to the latest version of MiFavor. (v5.0)

http://www.ztedevice.com.cn/support/detail?id=B4C0ACE418834F588FED0C72D6046C78
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] Choose an username...:
Nah, I think you already can use the inbuilt update function. Now that you are on A2017 firmware it should find the zip easily.

The 'bootloader mode' you are referring to is actually the recovery. The bootloader mode is the one on the picture. You can access to it by using adb, and issuing 'adb reboot bootloader', but you might not have it (in which case the phone will just boot to system)

To unlock the bootloader you need to get fastboot on the phone AFAIK, so that's what the axon7toolkit does, it flashes stuff through MiFlash to get fastboot operational. Google it, it's pretty good; if you ever want to unlock, I think it's the way to go.

Just to get everything clear.
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] P650SE:
Whoops! I have no idea why I kept referring to it as the bootloader, maybe because i've become so used to using TWRP on my ZUK Z2 for almost a year and ended up forgetting what a manufacturers stock recovery looked like! That was a very silly mistake. :laugh:

I haven't been able to get an update to Nougat to appear via OTA in the 'System Update' menu, so instead I will download the update package from the ZTE website and see whether that works. I believe once I have updated to V1.1.0B17 via ZIP it should allow me to OTA to the latest version of MiFavor. Thanks for the tips regarding Axon7Toolkit, I already had it installed on my laptop but didn't know about possibly having to enable the bootloader with MiFlash. That is very interesting!
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] Aj-jss:
Literally you have to get B17 update through OTA when you're on B15. I did, but the reasons you're not is that you or your reseller have converted it to G model. My friend who also had a Chinese Axon 7 and converted it to G had this problem too. And I don't know what to do about it.

---------- Post added at 03:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:06 AM ----------

And I also think that you had to flash B13 upgrade package(second downloadable zip on ZTE website) because B11 was the same B13 but the rollback version meaning for somebody who is already on Nougat and wants to go back to Marshmallow.
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] Choose an username...:
Actually he said that he already flashed A2017 MM on the phone and he didn't get any OTAs. This is pretty common, happens with old firmwares.
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] P650SE:
I just tried to upgrade the phone from V1.0.0B15 to Nougat V1.1.0B17 by flashing the ZIP from the ZTE website in recovery. It started off well with 'Installing update...' but then showed an error message which said 'assert failed: getprop("ro.product.name") == "P996A03_N"' and 'Error in /sideload/package.zip (Status 8)'. :( I am still able to boot into V1.0.0B15, thankfully, but it will not allow me to install the update to Nougat. It also does not appear in the 'System Update' menu despite 'update.zip' being loaded onto the root of the SD card.

EDIT: Maybe this would work since the eventual target is upgrading to MiFavor v5.0. It would presumably take me straight there rather than upgrading one version at a time. I have experience with a similar procedure (QDLoader 9008) from flashing the stock ROM to my ZUK Z2 with Qualcomm Flash Image Loader. But at the moment i'm more concerned as to why the update to V1.1.0B17 presented that error message above, in case it was something relating to the Global 'conversation' performed by the reseller on AliExpress.
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] Choose an username...:
Well, there is another way, using EDL (QDLoader 9008 stuff). We use MiFlash here. You just need to do 'adb reboot edl' and download a full A2017 system image from 4pda. There's a link to 4pda on the 4th category brick repair manual, click on 'MiFlash and drivers' and you'll be sent there, then open the spoilers until you find A2017_something_FULL_EDL

Download the newest version and you're done
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] P650SE:
Thanks for the response! I actually downloaded the ROM from that MiFavor 5.0 thread while I was waiting for a response. I have a package on my laptop entitled ZTE_A2017V2.0.0B08_FULL_EDL_PACKAGE_BY_TURKDEVS.zip which is 2.23GB in size. Would it be safe to use this and jump straight to the latest version of MiFavor 5.0 (Nougat) from A2017V1.0.0B15 Marshmallow? Or would it be better to follow what you suggested and download the latest version from 4PDA.

EDIT: No worries. I managed to pluck up the courage to flash the phone with the ROM I downloaded and it went ahead as planned. :) So i'm now running MiFavor v5.0. Just need to figure out how to install Google Apps without unlocking the bootloader?
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] Choose an username...:
Actually MiFlash doesn't need anything in order to work. You can seemingly flash any file as long as your phone accesses EDL somehow. So if there's a FULL_EDL file, it's because it will work
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] P650SE:
Ah, that's good to know! The Axon 7 has been quite confusing for me so far because of the 3 different variants, A2017, A2017G and A2017U. All of my previous phones (Moto G, OnePlus One, ZUK Z2) have only had a single regional variant and thus were much easier to understand when it came to flashing firmware and updating.

I have a few random questions relating to the Axon 7 but don't want to consume too much of your time. I will just make them as quick and simple as possible to wrap up this discussion:

1. Is V2.0.0B08 the latest version of MiFavor 5.0 at the moment? (I tried checking for OTA updates but it says B08 is the latest version!)

2. I installed Google Play Services and Play Store with APK files downloaded from APKMirror, but when starting Google Play it gets stuck on 'Checking Info...'. I tried to add my Google account manually in Settings > Accounts > Add Account > Google, but the same thing happened. What can I do to resolve this?

3. Can the bootloader be unlocked regardless of which version of MiFavor i'm running? (For example, V2.0.0B08)

4. Do you know what the latest version of MiFavor 4.2 is?

5. Is it safe to flash a A2017U ROM onto the Chinese A2017 using MiFlash? (For example, A2017U_B19-NOUGAT_FULL_EDL.zip)

Thanks! :D
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] Aj-jss:
I just know the answers of a few questions, since I have the A2017 variant .

1_ yes, B08 is the latest version for A2017 variant

2_Open Mi-Assistant app and go to auto-run manager and enable auto-run for Google Play Services

4_ B17 is the latest version for Mi-Favor 4.2(A2017) and I am currently on this ROM because of the issues that B08(MiFavor5) has with some apps especially google apps for example you can't make Google Play Games work on this ROM at all.
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] P650SE:
Thanks a lot, that's great! I followed your advice of enabling auto-run for Google Play Services and it worked perfect after a reboot. That must have been the reason it wasn't working beforehand, because it was set to disabled. :laugh: Also, it's good to know the latest versions for the v4.2 and v5.0 versions of MiFavor. I tried searching this for a while but couldn't work out the difference between all the version numbers!

Unfortunately I am also considering a downgrade back to v4.2 due to some problems in MiFavor v5.0, like the issue with Google Play Games as you mentioned. I am just downloading a ROM at the moment which is A2017U B19. I was debating whether to flash this over MiFavor 5.0 V2.0.0B08 in MiFlash and then try unlocking the bootloader, flashing TWRP and rooting. I believe it should be okay to use the 'U' version since the thread here says 'A2017 (China) can use this to convert their phone to A2017U if they want' and also has A2017 written in the thread title, despite all the provided ROM's being for the A2017U.
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] Aj-jss:
Yeah I don't know much about converting and its processes and never tried it but if you make it work , it would be great, since the Chinese ROM is usually buggy and glitchy and even it might just get worse with every update :(.
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] P650SE:
Yeah! Although, I was just looking around and managed to find the A2017_B17_NOUGAT_FULL_EDL.zip package on 4PDA where

Choose an username...

suggested searching. So it might be better for me to download this instead, since it will be for the correct phone and won't involve any 'conversion' with the US firmware. Plus, I will be able to install Google Play Services now since you informed me of the correct way to install it, by enabling auto-start in Mi-Assistant. :) I already have experience from earlier with flashing one FULL_EDL firmware package (MiFavor 5.0) in MiFlash so am familiar with the process.

So... I think my plans for the phone now are to get it running on B17, since you said this is the latest version of MiFavor 4.2 for the Chinese A2017, then unlock the bootloader, install TWRP and root. (I would like to install AdAway and a few other root tweaks!) Maybe in 1-2 months once i'm sick of running MiFavor UI, I can start exploring the custom ROM's like LineageOS and AEX. :D I used to flash custom ROM's all the time with my ZUK Z2 and AEX was definitely my favourite!
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] Aj-jss:
So good luck then.
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] Choose an username...:
I'm on MiFavor 5.0 B06 and can use Play Games properly. The thing about B17 is that it was half Nougat half Marshmallow, since the QS tiles were not customizable.

You can try axon7toolkit to unlock the bootloader of your phone. Axon7toolkit asks you which model and sw version you have, so I guess no harm can be done.

And you CANNOT flash ANYTHING that's from other model on yours! Unless it's especially made for it (like the conversion threads' files). I think I said it before; if you do this, you'll most probably lose both your IMEIs, or worse...

I had a Moto G 2 (of which were 2 models, thea and titan

What problems are you having on B08? I have none really. If your Google stuff doesn't work, it's because you need to install play services, gsf, and gsf.login too.
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] P650SE:
I haven't really had any 'problems' as such with MiFavor v5.0. The main thing actually, is that I just dislike the appearance of MiFavor 5.0 in comparison with the older versions, especially the statusbar icons. In MiFavor v4.2 the icons are much clearer and easier to read. I'm not a fan of the new 'rounded' look of the UI elements either and blurred notification area.

Don't worry, I wasn't planning on flashing anything that wasn't intended for the A2017. I was only interested in those files from the convention thread here, since it said 'A2017 (China) can use this to convert their phone to A2017U if they want'. I assume it would be okay to flash the A2017U ROM's provided there. :)

On the subject of the bootloader unlock and rooting, I was already planning on using the Axon7Toolkit you mentioned to simplify the procedure. I have it installed on my laptop and it seems fairly straightforward to use. I will keep everyone updated as to what happens! :p I'm hoping to get the phone onto B17 and install TWRP tonight before calling it a day.
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] Choose an username...:
Good!

I'm 100% sure that we can change the whole statusbar QS tiles' appearance by doing a custom theme. I have extracted the stock themes from where they are on the system, and they use a weird overlay service to change the quick settings appearance. But I have zero time for this
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] Aj-jss:
You've got the global ROM , so it's really different from Chinese ROM. Google stuff doesn't work properly on this ROM. I guess 'cause it's optimized for China. I have talked to their customer service and they told me that they don't take no responsibilities if it doesn't work fine with Google stuff.
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] Choose an username...:
You talking out of your a$$ again... The only MiFavor 5.0 is Chinese and I have a port of it installed. Also doesn't come with Google stuff.
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] Aj-jss:
It is bull$hit whatever it is.
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] P650SE:
Calm down guys! :p Well here's a little update. I unlocked the bootloader, installed TWRP and got the phone onto V1.1.0B17, but you were right about the Chinese firmware being buggy. I had problems getting the in-app purchases to work and I was also irritated by the permission pop-ups when installing new apps. I know there are workarounds for most of the annoyances but I might just switch to the A2017U B19 firmware from the conversion thread or a custom ROM like LineageOS instead, since it would be a lot easier to use.

Just for future reference, how would I be able to revert the phone back to stock now the bootloader has been unlocked and TWRP installed? It is just a simple matter of flashing one of the FULL_EDL packages with MiFlash, to return the phone back to stock configuration with the ZTE recovery and locked bootloader? :confused:

Also, is the camera quality in custom ROMs for the Axon 7 the same as stock? (Because on my old phone, a ZUK Z2, custom ROMs did not have access to the official camera blobs up until about a month ago, which meant the quality was a lot worse compared with the stock firmware!)
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] Choose an username...:
I think the permission pop up is from ZTE Assistant, simply disable it (use App2SD or Link2SD if you can't disable it from the settings)

Custom ROMs are kinda bad on this phone, but they are useable. You can get back with MiFlash but if you can find a flashable zip of the A2017 stock recovery, I think it is best. I made a guide on how to go back to stock but only provided the zips for the G since I couldn't find a flashable recovery zip. But you basically install the recovery, wipe data from TWRP, then reboot to recovery, and install an official A2017 rom from the SD card. BUT NO METHOD LOCKS YOUR BOOTLOADER! Only actually locking it via Bootloader mode using Fastboot will.

If you want to install a custom ROM you also have to install the Universal Bootloader and the modem for your device. In your case it's the A2017 modem even if you convert it or whatever. Both are on the LOS thread. But remember: put a TWRP 3.1.1-0 on your phone. the universal bootloader comes with an older TWRP installed. Flash the universal bootloader, then the modem, then the ROM, and then Gapps and root. After you get to TWRP again go to Install - Install image, and select the TWRP img. If you don't do this you won't be able to flash some stuff (error 7).

I don't know about the camera but I think ZTE actually published the blobs pretty early (they were supposed to partner with Cyanogen Inc. to make development for the phone better, you can guess how that went) and you can install the stock camera via Magisk or a zip. I didn't try raw images but normal photos taken with the stock camera were just as good as photos on full stock.
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] P650SE:
Thank you so much! :D I really appreciate such an informative response. I actually decided yesterday that since I had unlocked the bootloader, I would try flashing LineageOS on my own. I followed the exact same steps as you mentioned with flashing the Universal Bootloader and A2017 modem, followed by reflashing the latest TWRP 3.1.1-0 and then LOS and OpenGapps. Everything seems to be alright at the moment and I am enjoying the phone MUCH better than what I was on MiFavor. To me this is a massive improvement as I have always used stock Android-like ROM's on all of my other devices.

My only complaint in regards to LineageOS is the fact it's slightly bare in terms of features in comparison to some of the other ROM's, but I will perhaps change it in 2-3 weeks and try something different since i'm a 'flashoholic'. I was a bit worried about what the battery life and charging speed would be like, but it seems to be okay. I suppose one good thing about buying the Axon 7 over a year late is that the development community has had chance to grow and most of the bugs have been worked out at this point.

That is excellent news to hear that ZTE released the camera blobs a long time ago! I used to have a OnePlus One and that phone's relationship with Cyanogen Inc. didn't turn out too well either; so it's not surprising to hear the same thing happened with the Axon 7. But it's great we have the camera blobs since that's usually one of the biggest problems with using a custom ROM on a lot of phones! ;) I haven't tried the official camera ZIP since I heard it was causing DT2W to fail in LineageOS, I don't know whether that bug has been fixed yet but in the meantime i've installed Footej Camera instead. (Unfortunately it doesn't have manual controls!)

My only other problem now with this phone is trying to get a decent screen protector. I haven't dared to take the phone outside yet in case the screen ends up getting scratched. It came with a tempered-glass screen protector included in the box (Not the official ZTE one) but it was terrible as it created a rainbow-dot pattern on the screen, plus it also left about 2mm of the display exposed on either side and had the 'halo' effect around the edges due to the 2.5D curved glass. I am currently trying to find a better one on websites like Amazon and AliExpress, but it is proving difficult.
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] Choose an username...:
The problem about the camera is that it uses HAL1 though. Crappy

And at least get a plastic protector. The screen is pretty resistant to cracking since it's close only to the sides (the ~8mm where the grilles are dampen the fall some) but it is really prone to scratches. Still, use the case or buy one, the other 2 people I know with axon 7's have cracked the screen so badly that it doesn't work at all
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] P650SE:
Yeah, I will definitely look into getting some form of a screen protector as quickly as possible. It's just difficult because they all have bad reviews in some form or another. I did look at some of the wet-application film screen protectors, but it seems a bit risky spraying liquid when the speaker grilles are so close to the screen, even if they're covered up somehow.

However, I have had better luck in choosing a case and believe the Spigen 'Rugged Armour' from Amazon is probably the best choice, since it's fairly cheap and appears to be made from high quality materials. :) I was also going to order a Quick Charge 3.0 car charger since my phone batteries always seem to run out when i'm out and about. Do you mind me asking which screen protector you use personally on the Axon?
[ZTE Axon 7 Questions & Answers] Choose an username...:
The speaker grille is mostly for show. the actual speakers are 1 cm wide and the top one is on the middle, while the bottom one is on the right. They are protected by 2 membranes so don't worry. Wet application protectors seem to be the best since they adhere pretty nicely to the 2.5d sides