MT657x (MT6515 / MT6575 / MT6577) flashing tutorial

Now that the new MediaTek SoC has been released, it is time to publish the instructions on how to flash your MT65x5 (MT6515 and MT6575) based device. Please note that the images shown on this tutorial are just examples and that you must flash your device with the correct ROM files.

Make sure that you read everything carefully and know what you are doing. Don't blame me for any damage that may occur on your device.



Update: By the time that this tutorial was written only MT65x5 was available. Current MT6577 based device can also be flashed using the exact same method, so this has just been updated with references to that most recent SoC.

ThL V9 (Dual SIM with 3G support)

Introduction

If you have been following the latest news, then you should be already aware that MediaTek has released the new MT6575 chipset. The first engineering samples started to emerge by the end of the first quarter of this year and right now, the market is already filled up with quite a few interesting options.

I have decided to take ThL V9, not only for its appealing design, but also because the manufacturer is known for releasing phones with great quality and providing updates very often.

Specifications

Chipset
Name:	MediaTek MT6575
CPU:	1 GHz ARM Cortex™-A9
GPU:	PowerVR™ SGX 531
Instruction set:	ARMv7
Software environment
Embedded:OS:	Android 2.3.6 (Gingerbread)
Body
Dimensions (width x height x depth):	130 x 65.5 x 12.1 millimetres
Weigth:	139 grams (battery included)
Color:	Black (also available in white or grey)
Battery
Capacity:	1550 mAh
Memory
RAM:capacity:	512 MB
ROM-capacity:	4 GB
Expansion slot:	microSD memory card, supporting up to 32 GB
Network support
Primary phone:	GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS850, UMTS2100
Secondary phone:	GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900
Data links:	GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA
Display
Type:	Sharp ASV-LCD capacitive touchscreen
Size:	4.3 inches, qHD resolution (540 x 960 pixels)
Camera
Main (rear):	5 megapixels with autofocus and dual LED flash
Secondary (front):	0.3 megapixels
Interfaces
Bluetooth (802.15):	Bluetooth 3.0 + Enhanced Data Rate
Wireless LAN / Wi-Fi (802.11):	IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n
USB:	USB 2.0 Client, Hi-Speed (480 Mbit/s) USB Series Micro-B (Micro-USB) connector
Satellite navigation
Built-in GPS module:	MT6620 chipset
GPS antenna:	Internal
Complementary GPS services:	A-GPS (Assisted GPS), MediaTek EPO (Extended Prediction Orbit)
Additional features
Sensors:	Gravity, Proximity, Light and Magnetic field sensors
Analog Radio:	FM radio (87.5-108 MHz) with RDS radio receiver

Creating a ROM dump of your MT65x3 device

Well, I have decided to create this tutorial for those that wish to create a backup of the stock ROM installed on their MT65x3 based smartphones. This is actually the only working method for non-rooted phones.

I assume that you are already familiar with SP Flash Tool, but if not, just read my MT65x3 flashing tutorial.

Increasing G11i Pro and HD7 internal memory

For those that have been following my G11i Pro or HD7 support threads (here and here, respectively), you may have noticed that my latest custom ROMs now support ext2 file system (thanks to casacristo).

That means you can now use Android App2SD scripts and increase your phone's internal memory. I will detail here the step-by-step instructions in order to achieve that.

Complete guide to ClockworkMod Recovery

ClockworkMod – also known as Clockwork and CWM – is a custom recovery for Android phones and tablets that allows you to perform several advanced recovery, restoration, installation and maintenance operations on your Android device that are not possible with the stock recovery. This guide will cover all that this recovery is capable of doing, and how to do it.

Here is what shall be covered in this guide:

• About Android recovery
• Introduction to ClockworkMod
• Installing ClockworkMod
• Booting into ClockworkMod
• Feature tour

Now let's take a look at each of these topics in detail.

MT6575 launch officially announced

MediaTek has officially announced the launch of the new MT6575 platform for Android smartphones. According to the company, it is ideal for entry and mid-range Android smartphones. MT6575 comes with a single core ARM Cortex™-A9 processor clocked at 1 GHz and supports the latest Android version “Ice Cream Sandwich”.

MT6575 also supports 720p playback, 8MP camera, qHD resolution (960x540) and 3D displays, thanks to the PowerVR™ SGX Series 5 GPU. It has world’s lowest power consumption as well as hot swap dual-SIM capability, making it perfect for budget dual-SIM Android devices for developing markets. According to MediaTek, the MT6575 outperformed Qualcomm’s Snapdragon MSM7227A (which is its market equivalent) chipset in a series of third-party benchmarks.

The first smartphones powered by MediaTek MT6575 are expected to be out in the market in Q1 2012.

Breaking news for G11i Pro and HD7 Pro owners!!!

For those that weren't following the respective G11i Pro or HD7 Pro support threads, here are the breaking news:

Both phones can now support one of the most desired features - SIM2 will be reachable even if there's an active data connection established on SIM1. The data connection will be immediately dropped when a new call is incoming from SIM2 and the download will be automatically resumed after the call is over.

MediaTek working on MT6575...

It seems that MediaTek has been working on a new chipset - MT6575 - as a response against Qualcomm's MSM7227A. It's said that it will feature a single core ARM Cortex™-A9 processor clocked at up to 1 GHz and will also support HSPA+. By comparison, MT6573 is much inferior, because the used chip integrates an ARM11™ processor clocked at only 650 MHz. On the modem part, MT6573 chipset only supports data connections up to HSPA (speed of 7.2 Mbps / 5.76 Mbps).

It's expected that the first MT6575 based smartphone prototypes start appearing after the upcoming Chinese New Year. Let's wait then!

G14 (Dual SIM with 3G support)

Introduction

I have been a little busy lately, testing a new MT6573 based smartphone... and this time the review will focus on the G14, a clone of HTC Sensation.

Specifications

Chipset
Name:	MediaTek MT6573
CPU:	650 MHz ARM11™
GPU:	PowerVR™ SGX 531
Instruction set:	ARMv6
Software environment
Embedded:OS:	Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread)
Body
Dimensions (width x height x depth):	126 x 65.4 x 11.3 millimetres
Weigth:	148 grams
Color:	Black
Battery
Capacity:	1500 mAh
Memory
RAM:capacity:	512 MB
ROM-capacity:	512 MB
Expansion slot:	microSD memory card, supporting up to 32 GB
Network support
Primary phone:	GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS900, UMTS2100
Secondary phone:	GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900
Data links:	GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA
Display
Type:	Sharp LCD capacitive touchscreen
Size:	4.3 inches, WVGA resolution (480 x 800 pixels)
Camera
Main (rear):	8 megapixels (interpolated) with autofocus and dual LED flash
Secondary (front):	1.3 megapixels
Interfaces
Bluetooth (802.15):	Bluetooth 2.1 + Enhanced Data Rate
Wireless LAN / Wi-Fi (802.11):	IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
USB:	USB 2.0 Client, Hi-Speed (480 Mbit/s) USB Series Micro-B (Micro-USB) connector
Satellite navigation
Built-in GPS module:	MT6620 chipset
GPS antenna:	Internal
Complementary GPS services:	A-GPS (Assisted GPS), MediaTek EPO (Extended Prediction Orbit)
Additional features
Sensors:	Gravity, Proximity and Light sensors
Analog Radio:	FM radio (87.5-108 MHz) with RDS radio receiver

HD9 (Dual SIM with 3G support)

Introduction

Last month, I had the chance to test a friend's new HD9. It's a recently released refresh of the "old" HD9 as it is now based on the MT6573 chipset. This means that if you like it's design, you can now enjoy a faster Dual SIM smartphone that supports 3G networks.

Specifications

Chipset
Name:	MediaTek MT6573
CPU:	650 MHz ARM11™
GPU:	PowerVR™ SGX 531
Instruction set:	ARMv6
Software environment
Embedded:OS:	Android 2.3.4 (Gingerbread)
Body
Dimensions (width x height x depth):	119 x 65 x 10 millimetres
Weigth:	150 grams
Color:	Black
Memory
RAM:capacity:	512 MB
ROM-capacity:	512 MB
Expansion slot:	microSD memory card, supporting up to 32 GB
Network support
Primary phone:	GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900, UMTS900, UMTS2100
Secondary phone:	GSM850, GSM900, GSM1800, GSM1900
Data links:	GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA
Display
Type:	Sharp LCD capacitive touchscreen
Size:	4.3 inches, WVGA resolution (480 x 800 pixels)
Camera
Main (rear):	8 megapixels (interpolated) with autofocus and single LED flash
Secondary (front):	1.3 megapixels
Interfaces
Bluetooth (802.15):	Bluetooth 2.1 + Enhanced Data Rate
Wireless LAN / Wi-Fi (802.11):	IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
USB:	USB 2.0 Client, Hi-Speed (480 Mbit/s) USB Series Micro-B (Micro-USB) connector
Satellite navigation
Built-in GPS module:	MT6620 chipset
GPS antenna:	Internal
Complementary GPS services:	A-GPS (Assisted GPS), MediaTek EPO (Extended Prediction Orbit)
Additional features
Sensors:	Gravity, Proximity and Light sensors
Analog Radio:	FM radio (87.5-108 MHz) with RDS radio receiver