Firmware for Lenovo S820 - step by step instructions

When a smartphone is brand new, it usually works as it should. However, over time, errors, freezes and bugs appear. Very often this is due to the firmware, updating which usually solves the problem. If your device was released recently, then software updates may arrive over the air. But what to do when the device is not the newest, for example, such as the S820 from Lenovo? Step-by-step instructions for flashing Lenovo S820 will help with this.

What you need to know before flashing and what firmware versions exist

First of all, the user needs to know that there are two types of firmware for this smartphone. The first ones are official ones, which were created by the manufacturer, and the second ones are called custom ones. The latter were created by other users and may contain various innovations that are not in the original. But it’s worth noting that these may have unexpected bugs and malfunctions. Therefore, you need to think carefully about installing custom firmware at your own peril and risk, or installing the official one and not having problems.

Before you download the firmware for Lenovo S820, you need to know that each smartphone model has its own software version. It is important to understand that if you install a shell that is designed for a device, for example, with a large amount of RAM, then there may be problems, including the destruction of the entire device.

There are several ways to install a new system. However, we will look at the simplest and most effective of them - flashing Lenovo S820 firmware via a computer using the SP Flash Tool program.

Firmware for Lenovo A820

Official firmware Android 4.1 [stock ROM file] - [Recovery] Lenovo custom firmware -

You can find firmware for Lenovo A820 in the flashing of Chinese smartphones thread. In addition, first download the necessary software for flashing

FlashTool
ADB drivers (in theme with FlashTool)

What information do you need to know for flashing?

Make/model [preferred] – Lenovo/A820
Processor – MediaTek MT6589, 1200 MHz
LCD Driver (version)
Kernel (version) [desirable]

Before flashing and during the firmware selection process, check the basic TX (technical characteristics) through the MTKDroidTools program

What custom firmware are there?

MIUI
CM - CyanogenMod
LineageOS
Paranoid Android
OmniROM
Temasek's

All firmware

AICP (Android Ice Cold Project)
RR (Resurrection Remix)
MK(MoKee)
FlymeOS
Bliss
crDroid
Illusion ROMS
Pacman ROM
AOKP

Problems and shortcomings of a Lenovo smartphone and how to fix them?

If the A820 does not turn on, for example, you see a white screen, hangs on the splash screen, or the notification indicator only blinks (possibly after charging).
If stuck during update / stuck when turned on (needs flashing, 100%)
Doesn't charge (usually hardware problems)
Does not see the SIM card (SIM card)
The camera does not work (mostly hardware problems)
The sensor does not work (depends on the situation)

For all these problems, contact the forum (you just need to create a topic), specialists will help for free.

Installing drivers

Before flashing Lenovo S820, you need to install the necessary drivers (driver1 and driver2) on your PC. To do this you need:

Connect the switched off phone to a personal computer;
Go to device manager;
Find the designation (name) of your phone;
Right-click on it and select “Update Driver”;
In the window that appears, click “Install the driver from a specified location” and look for the path to the previously downloaded and unpacked driver;
We wait for installation and disconnect the phone.

Hard Reset for Lenovo A820

Instructions on how to do a Hard Reset on Lenovo A820 (factory reset). We recommend that you familiarize yourself with a visual guide called resetting settings on Android. .

Reset codes (open the dialer and enter them).

*2767*3855#
*#*#7780#*#*
*#*#7378423#*#*

Hard Reset via Recovery

Turn off your device -> go to Recovery
"wipe data/factory reset"
“yes - delete all user data” -> “Reboot System”

How to log into Recovery?

hold down Vol(-) [volume down], or Vol(+) [volume up] and the Power button
A menu with the Android logo will appear. That's it, you are in Recovery!

Resetting settings on Lenovo A820 can be done in a very simple way:

Settings->Backup and reset
Reset settings (at the very bottom)

Find out the version of the smartphone and download the necessary firmware

Another important thing before installation is to understand what version of the smartphone we have. The model was produced in different modifications in 2013 and 2014; you need to download the firmware according to the year of manufacture of the smartphone and its amount of RAM. This is necessary for the reinstallation of Android on the Lenovo S820 4Gb smartphone to be successful. You can find the necessary information on the box of your mobile device. After you understand what kind of phone you have, you can, in fact, download the official firmware for the Lenovo S820.

Instructions on how to install firmware on Lenovo S820

By using the instructions you agree to this document. Just in case, make a backup of the files that are dear to you!

Charge your phone to at least 40%. It is important.
In order to flash the device, download the TWRP Manager , you can download it yourself or get it in the archive with the firmware you choose below.
Install TWRP Manager on Android (installation is as simple as any application)
Now download the firmware file by placing it on your smartphone’s memory card. The file itself is located at the bottom of the article; first, you can read the instructions.
We launch TWRP recovery mode - turn off the phone, then press the power button and the volume up button at the same time, soon you will see the inscription “ recovery ” on the screen and a menu will appear as in the screenshot below.
The first thing you need to do is reset; to do this, press the Wipe button. The data will be cleared.
After that, press back and select Reboot recovery and confirm your action by swiping across the screen (by dragging the slider to the right)
Next, click on the Install button, select the file with the firmware and confirm the action again.
Attention! The firmware process is not displayed on the display! All you have to do is make coffee and wait for the process to complete.

All! Now you have brand new firmware and new features.

Download firmware

You live with this operating system and you decide what to install, but we recommend installing Android at least seven, because everything lower is already obsolete.

Android 9.0 or just a pie is a new step in the development of mobile operating systems, the height of the genius of overseas programmers! URL: yourtopfile.info/android9pie
8.1 Oreo is the former peak of genius of the same overseas programmers. URL: yourtopfile.info/android8oreo
Seven Nougat is a good operating system for mid-range or budget hardware. URL: yourtopfile.info/android7nougat
Six Marshmallows - you can install it only if you are nostalgic for the sixth Android, otherwise it is not necessary, the same can be said about the fifth version. URL: yourtopfile.info/android6
Android 10 Q 2021. URL: yourtopfile.info/android10
Android 11 2021. URL: yourtopfile.info/android11

Firmware

For clarity, step-by-step instructions for Lenovo S820 firmware were created:

Turn off the smartphone.
We turn on the SP Flash Tool program, in it you need to select the path to the firmware file. To do this, click on Scatter-loading and select the desired path.
Next, blocks of update files will appear; you need to make sure that all of them are checked.
Then check DA DL All With Check Sum and click on the Firmware->Upgrade button.
Next, the firmware image will be generated. While this is happening, you need to connect the switched off smartphone to the computer. If everything was done correctly, the firmware installation process will begin automatically.
When the firmware is completed successfully, a green circle will appear on the screen.

After the process is completed, you can disconnect the phone from the computer and turn it on. The first launch will take quite a long time, so no need to worry.

Why update the firmware on Android

The answer is as simple as three pennies, often in the software, specifically in the shell made by the smartphone manufacturer based on the Android OS, for example, FlymeOS, there are many shortcomings and bugs. As a result of these shortcomings, the user experiences various problems and inconveniences. Let's look at examples:

Bad pictures with an excellent camera, for example, you have a top-end camera, like on the LG G5, and the photos are a blurry mess, “neither fish nor fowl”.
The smartphone does not want to turn on or reboots on its own
Hanging and dulling
Very strong heating, in this case it is advisable to lower the processor clock frequency, that is, do a downgrade
Communication problems (the problem may also be in the hardware, but it’s worth trying to reflash)
Slow multi-touch screen response
Some other problems

There are other reasons, for example, I wanted to get new functionality or look at a new Android.

Lenovo A820 - budget quad-core phone review

Hello, dear friends! A work colleague asked me to order an inexpensive Lenovo smartphone for him. With the permission of a colleague, I kept the phone for several weeks in order to test it and write a full review. I want to share photos, tests and impressions about this budget quad-core smartphone.

This is my first acquaintance with Lenovo phones. I'm glad it turned out to be positive. By the way, this brand is very popular in China.

Lenovo A820 Specifications

Supports two SIM cards: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz, WCDMA: 850/2100MHz (the second SIM card only works in 2G networks); Processor: 4-core MT6589 Cortex-A7 clocked at 1.2 GHz; Graphics: PowerVR SGX544; Operating system: Android 4.1.2; 4.2.1 Random access memory (RAM): 1 GB; Built-in memory: 4 GB; Display size: 4.5 inches; Display type: IPS, capacitive screen, multi-touch 5 points; Resolution: 960x540; Support: microSD cards up to 32 GB; Network: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n; Bluetooth: v4.0; Navigation: full GPS; Camera: main 8 MP; Sensors: light, proximity, gyroscope Battery capacity: 2000mAh; Product size: 135 x 68.2 x 9.9 mm; Product weight: 170 grams; Equipment: smartphone, charger, USB data cable, 2000 mAh battery, headset, instructions, warranty card.

Delivery

The phone arrived in 40 days. Packed perfectly, the box is undamaged, as are its contents.

Equipment

The smartphone box is double: an outer one made of thick paper and an inner plastic form for the phone and accessories.

The package is complete: headset, charger unit, adapter for our sockets, USB data cable, 1 2000 mAh battery, user manual, as well as a warranty card + soft case of your choice (purple version in the review). There is already a protective film pasted on the screen:

Charger from 220 V mains + adapter. The output charging current is 700 mA.

The headset is of average quality, it performs its functions, but without rich bass. With normal high-quality headphones, the phone produces excellent sound.

Good quality USB data cable.

The delivery includes one battery, 2000 mAh.

Battery weight 40 grams.

On the scales

The kit also includes a user manual and warranty card.

Design and ergonomics

The phone is available in two colors: dark lilac and white. The Lenovo A820 case is made of soft-touch plastic. There is a continuous metal strip running along the entire body. The lid closes tightly, without creaks or backlash. The dimensions of the smartphone are 135 x 68.2 x 9.9 mm and weighs 170 grams.

On the front panel there is a 4.5-inch touch display, a speaker slot, a microphone slot, three touch buttons “menu”, “home” and “back”, as well as proximity and light sensors. The touch keys have a light purple backlight.

On the back panel there is a camera lens and an external speaker slot. The main camera protrudes slightly above the body.

On the right side there is a volume rocker.

The left side is empty.

At the top end there is a 3.5 mm audio output for headphones, a microUSB connector and a power/lock button.

At the bottom end we see a gap to make it easier to remove the cover.

By removing the back cover, we get access to the battery, SIM cards and microSD memory card.

The smartphone has comfortable dimensions and is very convenient to use with one hand. All keys have a nice tight stroke and are easy to find blindly.

Display

Lenovo A820 is equipped with a 4.5-inch capacitive touch display with an IPS matrix, with viewing angles close to 178°. Has a resolution of 960 x 540 pixels. Color rendition is acceptable, one might say excellent for a budget model (but slightly inferior in contrast to OGS displays).

At maximum backlight, the screen is clearly visible under the bright rays of the sun. Multi-touch for 5 touches, responsive. The screen cover is made of glass. When manufacturing the screen, the manufacturer used standard screen assembly technology (not OGS): the sensor and screen are physically separated.

I made a small comparison with other phones with an IPS matrix.

Lenovo A820 and JiaYu G2S (OGS)

The Lenovo's display is brighter, but lacks slightly in contrast to the G2S's display.

Lenovo A820 and THL W7s

I didn’t notice any noticeable difference in color rendition and brightness between the screens.

The screen has a good reserve of brightness and is easy to read in the sun.

Screen in the light

Screen in bright sun

Iron

Lenovo A820 is built on an updated 4-core MTK6589 processor with a clock frequency of 1.2 GHz and a PowerVR SGX 544 graphics core. In addition, the device has 1 GB of RAM and 4 GB of internal memory, which can be expanded up to 32 GB using microSD memory cards.

The internals of the Lenovo A820 show excellent performance results. On Russified firmware from linerty (05/16/2013) in AnTuTu v3.3 the phone dialed 13168

"parrots".

Nenamark 2 v2.4:

There were no problems with games on the Lenovo A820. The PowerVR 544MP video accelerator copes well with heavy 3D games.

NFS Most Wanted - it just flies into space.

The processor operates at the frequency that is required at one time or another, depending on the tasks.

Connection

The smartphone supports dual SIM cards, but only one of them can work in 3G networks. You can only talk on one SIM card (one radio module) at a time; the other SIM card will be in standby mode. No problems were identified with either voice communication or data transmission. The smartphone holds the signal perfectly.

Lenovo A820 supports Wi-Fi standard 802.11 b/g/n. There are no complaints about his work. The test was carried out directly next to the access point, through one and through two brick walls.

I would like to note some peculiarities of setting up an access point on the phone for distributing the Internet to other devices. I could not find such a function in the standard network settings. For this, as I found out a little later, the developers have provided a separate application:

The GPS in the phone works out of the box, without any dancing with a tambourine:

Sound

The sound on the phone is beyond praise. The microphone is sensitive both outdoors and indoors, the speaker is loud, both the interlocutor and I can hear it perfectly. Pleased with the normal volume of the main speaker.

Interface and software

The phone initially did not have Russian language. Installed fully Russified modified firmware. Full description of the firmware here.

Installation of drivers and firmware was carried out according to these two detailed instructions: 1. Installing drivers on a PC for Lenovo IdeaPhone smartphones.

2. Installing firmware from a PC for Lenovo IdeaPhone smartphones.

Russification is high-quality, 100%, including built-in applications from Lenovo (some useful programs were left by the author of Russification):

Anyone interested in learning more details about built-in applications, energy saving modes, contacts, dialers, etc. can read the “anarchysaura” review.

Camera

The smartphone has a single rear camera with autofocus with a resolution of 8 MP. There is no flash, as the camera is equipped with a new technologically advanced BSI sensor, which allows you to take high-quality images in low light.

Examples of pictures using the standard camera program:

Archive with original photos using standard camera software.

Examples of pictures using a special program CameraPro. When shooting, I used 3 focus modes: auto, macro and infinity.

Archive with original photos taken using CameraPro.

I didn’t notice any particular difference between the quality of pictures with and without CameraPro.

The smartphone can shoot video with a resolution of 1280*720p. Dragons_1280*720p.

Battery

The kit includes 1 battery with a capacity of 2000 mAh. With active use, the device lasts 2 days on a single charge. I noticed that you can periodically calibrate the battery through the built-in Lenovo system application.

When using the included charger, the smartphone charges in about 3-4 hours.
This suggests that the declared battery capacity fully corresponds to the real one. Conclusion

The Lenovo A820 smartphone can be considered successful for a number of reasons: 1) Low price 2) Nice design and slim body (the phone is compact in size) 3) Productive platform

The new quad-core MTK6589 processor and 1Gb of RAM are enough for all tasks, including modern heavy 3D games.

Purchase

I bought it for $170, now you can buy it for $137.9.

pros

: 1. Updated MTK6589 platform 2. Excellent 4.5″ display with IPS matrix with good brightness reserve 3. Android 4.1.2. 4. Compact size (the phone easily fits in the pocket of trousers, jeans, shirt) 5. Case made of soft-touch plastic 6. BSI camera sensor (shooting in low light conditions) 7. Good software optimization (power saving mode is present) 8. Good screen brightness (comfortable to use in the sun) 9. Loud rear speaker

Minuses

: 1. The need to update the firmware (there was no Russian language initially) 2. There is no flash (for me this is a dubious minus, since I don’t remember a single time when I needed a flash for a photo, if only as a flashlight, but for this I use it out of habit just backlight when the screen is on). 3. There is no LED event indicator. 4. No front camera

Snowball is interested in a smartphone from Lenovo

Thank you for your attention, happy online shopping everyone!

PS I read a useful comment from Muskovite vil2 and decided to put it in the review, the author’s style and test were saved:

“The phone is very good. Only advantages! 1. The battery holds a charge for 5-7 days in phone mode!!! (30 minutes a day of calls and 5-10 SMS) at the same time I also listen to music for 30 minutes a day. 2.The screen is clearly visible in the sun! 3. The camera is very good for a phone! (I don’t know what kind of sensor it is, but it’s good). 4. Lenovo’s android design style is very convenient. I really like white themes. 5. The sound in the headphones is also VERY good (you just need good headphones :)) - although the phone does not have any kind of sound processor. 6. I’m pleased with the light sensor, I installed it automatically and still use it.

What is most interesting is the absence of marriage as such. The screen does not come off, the battery is honest, it picks up GPS satellites perfectly, and there is reliable and smart WiFi! In short, everything works out of the box as it should be! The only negative after purchase is that you need to flash it to Russian firmware. I succeeded the first time and in less than 10 minutes.”