[Android General] Viva La Android R.I.P.:
Hot Pepper™ Serrano

AKA: QLink Serrano 3

Model No. HPP-L55B

By Hot Pepper Mobile

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Factory Firmware Restoration

And Upgrading Guide ​

OVERVIEW

The Hot Pepper™ Serrano is a GSM unlocked 4G-LTE smartphone manufactured by Hot Pepper Mobile. A popular carrier variant of this device is the QLink Serrano 3, a model manufactured specifically for eligible recipients of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The ACP is a US government sponsored initiative that assists low-income households with wireless internet service.

This firmware package is specific to the QLink Serrano 3 carrier variant of the HPP-L55B, and includes QLink carrier apps and services. However, notwithstanding the minimal bloatware, this firmware should work on any unlocked or carrier-branded variant of this smartphone. I am presently working on removing all bloatware and carrier-ware from this firmware package. Once I have finished that task, I will provide a clean build that can be flashed via FastbootD mode.

DEVICE SPECS

Model No. HPP-L55B

Board Platform: MediaTek MT6739

CPU: Quad-core ARM Cortex-A53

CPU Architecture: 64-bit

Instruction Set: ARMv8-A

Process: 28 nanometers

CPU Max Clock: 1.5 GHz

GPU: Imagination PowerVR Rogue GE8100

GPU Max Clock: 570 MHz

Display: 5.5" FWVGA+ 960 x 480

Aspect Ratio: 18:9

RAM: 2 GB LPDDR3 (1 GB variant available)

Internal Storage: 16 GB eMMC 5.1

WLAN: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac

WiFi Bands: 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz

Bluetooth: v4.2

LTE Modem: MediaTek MT6177M

LTE Bands: 2, 4, 5, 12, 13, 25, 26, 41, 66 & 71

HD Voice: Supported

VoLTE: Supported

HPUE LTE: Supported via Band 41

Camera: 8 MP main / 5 MP front

Battery: 2,200 mAh Li-Ion

FIRMWARE INFO

OS/Version: Android 10

Build No. HPP-L55B-J-9.0.0

Build ID: 10/QP1A.190711.020

Kernel Version: v4.14.141

Radio: MOLY.LR12A.R3.MP.V140.8.P8

Build Date: September 27, 2022

Patch Level: September 5, 2022

Partition Scheme: Dynamic (non-A/B)

Build Type: user

Build Status: Signed / Official

DISCLAIMER

This guide involves flashing the eMMC internal storage device of your smartphone with a factory firmware package, thus fully restoring your device to its stock factory condition. The procedure outlined below is inherently risky to the overall integrity and operability of your mobile device. Failure to follow the instructions properly can, for instance, render your device completely inoperable. By proceeding further, you are assuming sole responsibility for the integrity and operability of your phone. I have fully tested this procedure on my own device. Follow the instructions carefully, employ patience, and things should go smoothly. I am not responsible if you brick or otherwise damage your Serrano. Moreover, it should be emphasized that this guide is for model HPP-L55B only.​

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PREREQUISITES

A PC or laptop running on Windows 7/8.1/10/11;​

The SP Flash Tool firmware flashing software (link provided below);​

A factory firmware package for the HPP-L55B (link provided below);​

The vCom MediaTek USB drivers installed on your Windows computer (link provided below);​

The factory supplied or a quality equivalent micro USB to USB-A data syncing cable.​

MEDIATEK vCOM DEVICE DRIVERS

We will be using SP Flash Tool v5.1924 to install this firmware package. One of the biggest obstacles encountered by device owners using SP Flash Tool is device recognition. The SP Flash Tool software installs firmware to a USB connected device by flashing the eMMC/NAND while the device is in BROM flash mode. This Boot ROM (BROM) state is a MediaTek proprietary firmware flashing protocol that utilizes hardware embedded bootloader code. In order for the SP Flash Tool to properly communicate with your MediaTek device, it is imperative that you have the latest MediaTek vCom drivers properly installed and configured on you Windows PC or laptop. While this guide will not include a dissertation on setting up these vCom drivers, I have included a link in the downloads section below to a comprehensive step-by-step guide on the procedure. Hence, if your Windows PC or laptop is not presently configured with installation of the latest vCom drivers, take this time to visit the guide linked below, and return to the instructions below once you have completed that task.​

INSTRUCTIONS

This section presumes that you have properly installed & configured the latest MediaTek vCom USB drivers on your Windows PC or laptop. Again, I have linked a guide for installing these drivers in the downloads section below. Your bootloader does not need to be in an unlocked state. However, this procedure should not relock your bootloader if it is presently in an unlocked state.

WARNING: This process will erase all saved user data from your device. Before proceeding, make a backup of any files, media or data that you wish to preserve.​

Download the HPP-L55B factory firmware package from the link below and extract the contents of the archive to a folder on your computer desktop, or to a folder in another convenient directory;​

Download SP Flash Tool v5.1924 from the link below and extract the archive to your desktop, or to another easily accessible directory;​

Ensure that your smartphone is powered off and is not connected to your PC or laptop;. Likewise, ensure that there are no other mobile devices or USB storage devices connected to your computer;​

Open the SP Flash Tool folder that you extracted in Step 2. Click on flash_tool.exe, then right click and choose to Run as Administrator;​

Ensure that the pull-down menu, located near the mid-left region of the interface, is set to Download only. Next, click on the Choose folder icon, located to the right of the Scatter-loading file heading.​

A file explorer will be launched. Navigate to the saved location of the firmware you extracted in the first step. In the firmware directory, select MT6739_Android_scatter.txt and then click Open;​

The SP Flash Tool will now load the factory firmware package. A violet-colored progress bar near the bottom of the interface will reflect the completion status.​

Once the firmware has been loaded, connect the USB-A end of the data syncing cable to your PC or laptop. Click the Download box located near the upper-left region of the interface;​

Now, connect the micro USB end of the data sync cable to your phone. If the vCom drivers are properly installed and configured on your PC or laptop, SP Flash Tool will recognize your device and initiate firmware installation via BROM flash mode. A yellow progress bar located near the bottom of the interface will reflect the percentage of completion. Once completed, you will receive a notification that the procedure was successful.​

Disconnect your Serrano and use the power key to boot the device. Your phone should now be restored to its unmodified factory state.​

DOWNLOADS

• Firmware Build HPP-L55B-J-9.0.0

• SP Flash Tool v5.1924

• MediaTek vCom Drivers Installation Guide

• Hot Pepper Serrano User Manual (PDF)

OTA UPDATE PACKAGES:

• HPP-L55B-J-10.0.0 OTA

• HPP-L55B-J-11.0.0 OTA

• HPP-L55B-J-12.0.0 OTA

• HPP-L55B-J-13.0.0 OTA

NOTE: In order to install OTA update packages, your device needs to be running unmodified stock firmware. The OTA package should install normally, however, regardless of whether the bootloader is in a locked or unlocked state. ​

THANKS & MENTIONS

A heartfelt thanks to Mr. Jorge Chavez, Technical Support Specialist at Hot Pepper™ Mobile for providing the factory signed firmware for this device. Thanks also to @skeleton1911 for his comprehensive guide on Installing vCom drivers on Windows. Last but not least, a big thanks to @MachoRetro for capturing and contributing all OTA update packages.​