Lenovo IdeaPhone P780 Smartphone Firmware ▷ ➡️ IK4 ▷ ➡️

Lenovo IdeaPhone P780 Smartphone Firmware

Few models of Android smartphones from the famous manufacturer Lenovo can be characterized by such a high level of prevalence and popularity as the IdeaPhone P780. This is actually a very successful device at launch and despite the fact that this phone is considered morally out of date, its technical characteristics still meet most of the needs of the average today. Next we will talk about working with the system software of the device in of restoring, replacing and updating, that is, about the firmware of the model.

Lenovo software components can be updated, reinstalled, customized and, if necessary, restored using tools and methods available to all s. Almost all the situations that may arise are described in the instructions below, but before serious intervention on the software part of the device, you should consider:

By performing operations in accordance with the recommendations below, the is aware of the potential risk of the procedures. All actions are carried out by the owner of the device at his own risk and risk, and he alone is responsible for their results and consequences.

Table of Contents

Training

Before manipulating the software part of any Android device, it is necessary to perform certain preparatory actions with the device and the computer, which will be used as a tool to transfer data to the device. After the preparation is done in full, you can avoid many mistakes and very quickly achieve the desired result - a properly and stably working Lenovo P780 smartphone.

Hardware reviews

In total, there are up to four versions of the Lenovo P780 model, which differ not only in the region of use of the intended manufacturer (two options for the Chinese market and two international reviews), software (memory marking - for devices for China - CN , for internationals - ROW ), year of manufacture (conditionally, the devices are divided into those released before 2014 and during the same), but also hardware (different ROM volumes - 4 GB and (only for "international") 8 GB, different modules of radio).

The firmware methods and software tools are the same for different model variants, but different versions of the system software packages are used. This material demonstrates the methods of reinstalling and restoring the operating system that are universal for the model, and according to the links proposed in the article, you can find suitable software for "international" smartphones with a memory capacity of 4 and 8 GB .

For the "Chinese" versions, the reader will have to search for files with system software files on their own. To assist with this search, we note that a good selection of official and modified operating systems is compiled on the needrom.com website for all revisions of the device, but registration is required to files from the resource.

The instructions below were applied to a device with 8 GB of memory destined for the international market - these are the smartphones that were officially sold in the CIS and they are by far the most common. You can distinguish the model from the Chinese versions by the inscriptions on the battery by removing the back cover.

The international versions have information in English, while the “Chinese” versions have hieroglyphs and a blue label.

Drivers

The first thing that needs to be done before proceeding with the Android installation on Lenovo P780 is the installation of specialized drivers.

For the phone to be detected by the PC as a USB drive, and also to be detected in the mode "Debug by USB" (you will need to use the mode for some operations), you must use the automatic component installer. From the manufacturer the file from the link, unzip the one received, run the installer and follow their instructions.
Lenovo P780 driver
It should be noted that s often have to manually install the specialized system components necessary to interact with the phone in special modes. A package with all the drivers that may be required when installing the system software, "to scrape" and restore "IMEI" can be found at the link: drivers for Lenovo P780 firmware The process of supplying the operating system with the necessary components has already been described in the material on our website:
Read more: Installing drivers for Android firmware
The main situation you want to achieve before flashing Lenovo R780 in the aspect of driver manipulation - this finding "Device " devaysa "Mediatek Preloader USB VCOM" . An item with this name appears for a short time in the section "COM and LPT ports" when connecting a fully powered-off smartphone to a USB port.
If the drivers are not installed, follow the tutorial instructions at the link above. The required section of the material is "Installing VCOM Drivers for Mediatek Devices".

Methods for connecting non-working smartphones that are not detected by the computer are described below in the description of the "Method 3: Diffusion" . In this case, the driver package is used, posted at the link above.

Ruth's rights

Obtaining super privileges on the model in question should be attributed to concomitant rather than preparatory procedures before reinstalling the system. At the same time, root rights to create a full system backup and other manipulations that precede intervention in the software part may be necessary, just as they are necessary in your daily work, so knowing how to get them can be useful. for many s.

Rooting your phone is done with the Framaroot tool, which is usually straightforward even for beginners. Simply the apk file from the tool article review link on our website and follow the instructions in the lesson:

Read more: Root Android via Framaroot without a PC

Copying information that is usually stored on a smartphone to a safe place is a mandatory step before updating Lenovo P780, because by manipulating the memory sections of the device, all the information will be destroyed! s of the model are strongly advised to make a backup using any available method and whenever possible.

There are many methods to protect against data loss, and the most effective are described in the article:

Read more: How to backup an Android device before flashing

In addition to the loss of personal information, s who manipulate the system software of the model in question may encounter another annoyance - the loss of functionality of the communication modules, which occurs after IMEI is overwritten and / or is a consequence of damage to the NVRAM section .

It is highly recommended to create a dump "NVRAM" before any operation with a smartphone not documented by the manufacturer, then restoring this partition, in case of damage, it will not take long and will not require serious efforts.

It is much easier to create a backup of "NVRAM" at the first opportunity that if this memory area is corrupted, it will take a long time to restore it!

One of the easiest methods to create a backup NVRAM is to use MTK Droid Tools.

the file with MTK DroidTools using the review article link and unzip it to a separate directory.
We launch the tool and connect the phone to the USB port of the PC, after connecting, we lower the notification curtain on the device screen and place a check in the check box "Debug via USB" .
We are waiting for the definition of the smartphone in the program: the information fields will be filled with information and the button will appear "ROOT" .
Press "ROOT" and wait for the necessary operations to obtain the "Root Shell" by the program - the indicator in the lower corner of the MTK DroidTools window on the left will turn green.
Press "IMEI / NVRAM" , which will open a window with the functionality to change "IMEI" and backup / recovery "NVRAM" Set the check box "Dev / nvram (bin region)" and press the button "Backup" .
It remains to ensure that the files "Lenovo-P780_ROW_IMEI_nvram_YYMMDD-HHmmss" se create in the program directory in the folder "BackupNVRAM"

The restoration of «NVRAM» area is carried out by performing the previous steps, only in point # 5 the button is selected "Restore" .

Android installation, update and recovery

After completing the preparation, you can proceed to direct the Lenovo P780 firmware, that is, overwrite the system sections of the smartphone memory using specialized software. Below are the official and most universal ways of working with the device's operating system in various situations. And a method for restoring inoperable devices and installing modified (custom) firmware is also presented.

The choice of the interaction method is determined by the initial state of the smartphone and the desired result, that is, the version of Android with which the phone will work in the future.

Method 1: official Lenovo software

One of the few methods documented by the manufacturer to interact with the system partitions of the Lenovo P780 is software Lenovo MOTO Smart Assistant . This software allows you to simply and quickly update the official version of the system, that is, get the latest official firmware on your smartphone.

the tool for working with Lenovo Android devices from the official website of the developer:

MOTO Smart Assistant for Lenovo P780

1. After receiving the package from the link above, install Smart Assistant by opening the distribution file and following the instructions in the installer.
2. We launch the tool and connect the P780 to the USB port. The smartphone must have enabled the USB debugging . To enable debugging, after connecting the phone to the PC, slide the notification curtain down on the screen and check the corresponding checkbox.
3. The definition of the model and its characteristics in the program occurs automatically. After displaying the information in the window, go to the tab "Flash" .
4. MOTO Smart Assistant checks for Android updates automatically. If there is an opportunity to update the system software version, a corresponding notification will be issued.

Press the button with the down arrow next to the version information available on the device and the future operating system, and then wait for the update files to to the PC disk.

Once all the necessary components have been received, the button "To update" It will be activated, clicking on it will start the Android update process.
The system will remind you of the need to create a backup of important information in a special request window. When you are sure that everything you need has been copied to a safe place, click "Continue" .
The later stages, which involve updating the Lenovo P780 system software, are carried out using the manufacturer's proprietary tool without intervention. The update will be transferred to the smartphone, the latter will reboot and start with the new version of the operating system assembly.

Sponsor 2: SP Flash Tool

The most effective tool that allows you to perform almost all possible actions with the system software of the Android devices embedded in the Mediatek hardware platform is the SP Flash Tool.

To work with the model in question, you will need a specific version of the application: v5.1352.01 . You can the file with the software files at the link:

SP Flash Tool to Flash and Restore Lenovo IdeaPhone P780

Before continuing with the manipulations with the P780 via FlashTool, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the material that contains instructions for reinstalling the operating system on MTK devices using the tool in the general case:

See also: Firmware for MTK-based Android devices via SP FlashTool

We will install the latest official system version for Lenovo P780 "international" version using Flashstool. You can always the software files for the 4- and 8-gigabyte versions of the model at the link below. We select the directory corresponding to the hardware characteristics of the smartphone:

firmware S228 for Lenovo IdeaPhone P780

We unpack the archive with the Flashstool software and program into separate directories.
Launch SP Flash Tool and the file MT6589_Android_scatter_emmc.txt in the program using el button Scatter-Loading , located in the folder resulting from unzipping the file with the software.
Make sure the mode « only» is selected from the drop-down list of options.
Click on "" and connect the phone previously turned off to the USB port of the PC.
The memory overwrite process starts automatically and takes a long time. You can monitor the progress of the procedure using the fill status bar at the bottom of the window.
After the data transfer to the device is complete, a window with a green circle will appear confirming success: « OK» .
Disconnect the USB cable from the phone and launch it by holding down the key "Switched on" for a long time .
After initialization, launch and configuration, we get the official Android of the latest version released by the manufacturer for the model in question.

3 method: "spread" , IMEI repair

The instructions above, which suggest reinstalling Android on Lenovo P780, are available for execution if the device in question is generally operational, loaded on the system, or in any case determined by the computer in the off state. But what should you do if the smartphone won't turn on, won't charge, and isn't visible on the "Device ", even for a short time?

This or a similar condition among s of Android devices received a comic, but at the same time a very accurate name - «brick» and restoration of the ability to work in such situations - «chipping». To get the Lenovo P780 out of the 'brick' state, you will need the SP Flash tool v5.1352.01 which already used before, the package with the official software version S124 as well as additional files to recover "NVRAM" e "IMEI" if partition dump was not created before.

Using the method is advisable only if all other options to reinstall Android have been tried and give no results! Before proceeding with the manipulations, you need to read the instructions to the end and assess your own strengths and capabilities, as well as prepare everything you need for recovery operations!

Let's divide the process of returning the device into a fully operational state into three stages: create a situation where the “visibility” of the device is ensured by the computer; system software installation with preliminary full memory formatting; recovery of the software modem, IMEI numbers, which is necessary for the full operation of the communication modules and will be necessary after formatting the smartphone.

Step 1: We achieved the » visibility »of "USB VCOM Preloader" in the "Device " .

There are only three methods by which the "dead" P780 can be accessed from a PC.

To start with, we try to hold down the key "Turn up the volume" before connecting the device to the USB port. Once the PC responds, the volume button can be released. If nothing changes in the "Dispatcher" , go to the next item.
We remove the back cover of the device, remove the SIM and MicroSD cards, prepare the cable connected to the USB port of the PC, open the "Device " Press the hardware button "Restore" located slightly below the memory card slot and hold it down. Without dropping "Reset" , we connect the micro-USB connector of the cable connected to the PC to the telephone connector. We wait about 5 seconds and release "Reset" .
If successful, the smartphone will be defined in the "Dispatcher" , the "USB VCOM Preloader" or as an unknown device in which you need to install the driver as described at the beginning of the article.

The connection is not always successful the first time, if it is not successful, we try to repeat the procedure several times.
When the above does not lead to the visibility of the device in the "Dispatcher" , remains the most radical method: try to connect the smartphone with the battery disconnected. To do this, do the following:

Step 2: install Android

If the device was identified among the devices connected to the PC, it was possible to install the driver "Preloader" , we can assume that "the patient is more likely alive than dead" and begin to rewrite the partitions, that is, install the Android. .

the S124 firmware to "scratch" the Lenovo IdeaPhone P780

Unplug the USB cable from Lenovo P780, unzip the firmware S124 ed from the link above.
Start Flashstool, point the program to the scatter file in the directory obtained in the previous paragraph and select the operating mode "Format All + " .
Click on "" and connect the smartphone to the USB port in the way that led to the definition of the device by performing the actions in the description in step 1 of this manual, the complete formatting of the device memory and the subsequent installation of Android will start automatically.
When the manipulations are complete, FlashTool will display a window « OK» confirming its success. We disconnected the cable from the smartphone and tried to launch it by pressing the button for a long time. " On " .

If the battery of the Lenovo P780 was completely discharged before the recovery operations, the smartphone will, of course, not start! We put the device to charge, wait 1-1.5 hours, then try to start again.
After quite a long first launch (the boot logo can hang up to 20 minutes), seeing a restored Android!

Step 3: restore communication functionality

The previous "split" step allows you to restore the operating system, but formatting the partitions will erase the "IMEI" and SIM cards not working. If there is a dump "NVRAM" performed earlier, restore the partition. If no backup is available, it will be necessary to use the powerful software tool MauiMeta 3G to help . You can the tool of the appropriate version to manipulate the Lenovo P780, as well as the files necessary for recovery, from the link:

MauiMeta 3G and NVRAM, Lenovo P780 IMEI files

1. The package obtained from the link above needs to be unzipped, then we launch the MauiMeta installer - "Setup.exe" from the directory with the program.
2. Install the application following the instructions of the installer.
3. After the installation is complete, run the tool on behalf of the .
4. Change the connection mode to "USB COM" selecting the appropriate item from the drop-down list in the main MauiMeta window.
5. Open the menu "Options" and check the box next to the option "Connect smartphone in META mode" .
6. Call option "Open NVRAM database" available on the menu "Actions" , and then specify the path to the file "BPLGUInfoCustomAppSr_MT6589_S00_P780_V23" binder "Modemdb" in the directory with the components to restore, click "Open" .
7. We click on "Reconnect" , which will lead us to a flashing circle (red-green) that indicates the connection of the device.
8. Turn off the phone, press and hold "Volume-" at . Without releasing the key, we connect the IdeaPhone to the PC USB port, the smartphone, as a result of pairing, will be transferred to the "META mode" .
  As a result of the correct identification of the device by the program, the indicator should change its color to yellow and the window will appear "Get version" .
9. We are convinced of the correctness of the pairing of the device and the program by clicking "Get target version" ; the hardware characteristics will be displayed in the corresponding fields, after which the window should be closed.

If the MauiMeta does not respond to the connection, check the correctness of the driver installation on the "Device " ,

and if they are absent, install the components manually from the package available for at the link at the beginning of this article.

Select option «Update parameter» from the drop-down list, and then specify the path to the file "P780_row.ini" in the window that opens when you click the button "Load from file" directory with components for recovery.
Press « in Flash» and wait until the parameter names change from blue to black, and then close the window «Update parameter» .
Let's proceed to repair "IMEI" . Select option « IMEI» from the drop-down list on the Maui META main window.
On the eyelashes "SIM1" y "SIM2" , enter the Parameter values of a specific device instance in the fields "IMEI" (you can see the picture of the phone and its battery) without the last digit.
Click on « to flash» Almost instantly, at the bottom of the «IMEI » window, an inscription « IMEI to Flash successfully» appears confirming the success of the operation, after which we close the window.
The restoration of the functionality of the 3G module can be considered complete. Press "Disconnect", as a result of which the device will exit the "Meta-mode" and it will go out.
After ing to Android, we check the IMEI by typing *#06#marker".

Once the connection is reestablished, you can update to the latest official version of the system. Also, after connecting the 'revived' phone to Wi-Fi, the 'over the air' update 'will arrive'.

Alternatively, you can use the instructions to update the system above in the article - "Method 1" y "Method 2" .

Method 4: custom firmware

The most interesting systems for Lenovo P780, from the point of view of attempts to "refresh" the software part and bring, frankly, the ability to perform new functions on an outdated device, are modified unofficial shells. Due to its popularity, there are quite a few custom firmware options for the model, and among them are very interesting and fully functional solutions.

When choosing and installing various unofficial systems on Lenovo P780, you should carefully consider the memory layout that characterizes a specific instance of the device. The following applies exclusively to version "international" 4 and 8 GB. For other hardware revisions of the smartphone, the same partitioning methods are used, and then recovery and operating system are installed, but other packages with components are needed than those posted in the links below!

Unofficial VIBE UI 2.0 Firmware + Memory Partitioning

The s of the device in question did a serious job of customizing the software part of the device, which also affected the design of the memory, that is, the redistribution of the volumes of its areas. To date, around 8 (!) Different layout options have been created, and all of them are used when migrating custom.

The effect of re-partitioning, as envisioned by the creators of this idea, should be seen as a result of removing the internal partition "FAT" and transfer the free space to the system to install applications. This is best implemented in the markup called "ROW +" , and we will equip the device with it according to the instructions below.

Among other things, we can say that most of the popular custom solutions for the device in question are installed on this markup. And also in "ROW +" you can install modern versions of modified recovery.

There are several methods of converting the partition table, we will consider the simplest - installing one of the modified operating systems, of those designed to switch to marking "ROW +" . In addition to the new marking, as a result of the following steps, we get an excellent system on the device with a modern interface from Lenovo and suitable for everyday use.

VIBE UI 2.0 ROW + Custom Firmware for Lenovo IdeaPhone P780

The VIBE UI 2.0 shell installation is carried out using SP FlashTool in the same way as the official system installation described in the "Method 2" earlier in the article, but in the mode "Firmware update" .

Unpack the archive containing the VIBE UI 2.0 components.
Run SP FlashTool v5.1352.01, add directory scatter file with shell, select mode "Firmware update" , then click on "" .
We connect the Lenovo P780 turned off to the USB port and wait for Flash to start overwriting the memory. If the device is not detected and the installation process does not start, we use one of the methods to connect the device of the "Method 3" to "spray" the device above in the article.
We are waiting for the end of the manipulations: appears the window « OK» and disconnect the USB cable from the phone.
We turn on the device by holding down the key "Switched on" for a time . The first will take longer than usual and ends with a welcome screen, where you can select the interface language, and then screens to define other parameters.
As a result, we get in Lenovo P780 a stable, albeit unofficial, modified system with all components working, as well as a new memory design. "ROW +" , you already received root rights and SuperSU installed, as well as a modified TeamWin Recovery (TWRP) recovery as a nice bonus!

The VIBE UI 2.0 shell can be used permanently or as a base to install other custom settings in the markup "ROW +" ; almost everything you need is already present on the device.

Step 2: equip the device with modified recovery

Since the firmware installed above contains a custom TWRP recovery version 2.8, that is, with the help of this solution, a common unofficial firmware is installed, this step of the instruction can be skipped. At the same time, we provide instructions for those s who want to get the functionality of the new versions of the recovery environment, as well as for cases where the recovery stopped working for some reason.

Just in case, we : to enter the modified recovery on Lenovo P780, press and hold the three hardware buttons on the powered off device, both the volume control keys and the key "Switched on" , and then press and hold until the recovery main screen appears. The environment appears. And you can also reboot into recovery from VIBE UI 2.0 shutdown menu and other custom ones.

You can the latest version TWRP image at the time of writing this article at the link:

TWRP Image v.3.1.0 for Lenovo IdeaPhone P780

The following works on most firmwares, but Lenovo P780 memory should be marked as "ROW +" - this is the type of markup the image above is designed to for!

Installing a custom recovery version that differs from the one obtained after installing VIBE UI 2.0 can be done using various methods, all of which are described in the articles on our website! We load the recovery image and place it in the root of the internal storage or on a memory card, and then we select a method and follow the corresponding instructions:

Installation through the official TWRP application Read more: Installation of TeamWin Recovery through the official TWRP application
TWRP installation through SP FlashTool. The actions are described in the material in the link below, the only clarification, when manipulating, use the VIBE UI 2.0 firmware scatter file, Read more: Custom recovery installation via SP Flash Tool
And the third, probably the easiest method in our situation, is the firmware of the new version of TVRP through the recovery already installed Read more: Installing img images through TWRP

After the installation of the latest version of TWRP is completed, Lenovo P780 can be considered fully prepared for the installation and replacement of any custom firmware designed for brands. ROW y row + . Let's move on to the next step.

Step 3: custom installation via TWRP

As mentioned above, a large number of unofficial operating systems have been created for the model under consideration. The choice of this or that solution depends on the 's preferences, and the installation of a specific shell package designed for TWRP is done according to the same algorithm.