When Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0 was released back in 2011, Samsung disappointment a large portion of their customers by announcing that the Galaxy S Plus I9001 will not be getting the Android 4.0 update citing hardware limitations (most notably that the system partition on the phone is too small in order to fit ICS with their custom TouchWiz UX), even though it had released with Gingerbread and should have been updated to at least one new Android version.

However, after a huge cry from the customers, Samsung announced that they would be releasing a Value Pack firmware update for the S Plus based on Gingerbread (and other devices that were not getting the Android 4.0 update) and adding some Android 4.0 specific features, which has finally been released.

Here are some notable features in the Value Pack Android 2.3.6 firmware:

  • Improved performance and stability
  • Galaxy S2 Lock screen
  • Photo Editor from Galaxy S2
  • Face Unlock feature from Ice Cream Sandwich
  • Ability to take photos while recording videos

As you can see, the value pack firmware does add some useful features, so it’s quite a useful update. So, read on to find out how you can flash the XXKQG Value Pack firmware on your Galaxy S Plus I9001.

Compatibility

This ROM and the guide below are compatible only and only with the Samsung Galaxy S PLUS, model number i9001. It’s not compatible the GT-i9003, I9000 or with any other device and may render an incompatible device unusable. Check your device model in Settings » About phone.

Warning!

The methods and procedures discussed here are considered risky and you should not attempt anything if you don’t know exactly what you are doing. If any damage occurs to your device, we won’t be held liable.

How to Install XXKQG Value Pack Firmware on Galaxy S Plus

  1. This procedure will wipe all your apps, data and settings (but it will NOT touch your SD cards, so don’t worry about those). Backup your Apps and important data — bookmarks, contacts, SMS, APNs (internet settings), etc. This Android backup guide would help you.
    Important! Don’t forget to at least make a backup of your APN settings, which you can restore later if your data connection does not work after installing the ROM. Use the backup guide to find out how.
  2. Make sure the drivers for the phone are installed on the computer.
    Download Drivers
  3. Download the firmware.
    Download Firmware  |  Alternate Link  |  Filename: I9001XXKQG_I9001NEELE1_NEE.zip
  4. Extract the I9001XXKQG_I9001NEELE1_NEE.zip file on your computer to get the following two files:
    1. I9001XXKQG_I9001XXKPL_I9001NEELE1_HOME.tar.md5
    2. SS_DL.dll [not to be used]
  5. Also download the following two files:
    1. Odin Flashing software: Download Link  |  Filename: Odin.exe
    2. OPS file: Download Link  |  Filename: AriesVE.ops
  6. Turn off your phone completely. Then, turn on the Galaxy S Plus in Download Mode — press and hold these keys together: Volume_DOWN + Home + Power until a screen with an Android icon in yellow comes up. 
  7. Now, open Odin by double-clicking the Odin.exe file downloaded in step 5.1
  8. In Odin, do the following:
    1. Press the OPS button, then select the AriesVE.ops file downloaded in step 5.2.
    2. Activate the One Package option on the top left of Odin. Then, click on the One Package button on the bottom right, and select the file I9001XXKQG_I9001XXKPL_I9001NEELE1_HOME.tar.md5 obtained in step 4.1.
  9. Now, connect the phone to the computer using your USB cable. You should get the message “Added!!” under Odin’s message box in the bottom left. If you don’t get this message, then probably there is a problem with drivers. Make sure you have proper drivers installed (check step 2).
  10. Click on the Start button to start flashing the XXKQG firmware. It can take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes for the flash to complete, so be patient.
    IMPORTANT Note: If ODIN gets stuck at some stage and doesn’t seem to be doing anything, do this — disconnect the phone from the PC, close ODIN, remove battery, re-insert it, turn phone on in Download mode again, and do the procedure again from Step 7. Same if you get a FAIL message in Odin.
  11. After the flashing is complete, your phone will automatically reboot. In some cases, the phone might reboot into recovery mode. If it does, select reboot system now with the home button (center button) to reboot and boot up into the XXKQG firmware.
  12. In case you encounter any roadblocks flashing XXJW4, let us know in the comments below and we’ll try to help you out.

Congratulations, your Galaxy S Plus is now running the latest Android 2.3.6 Value Pack firmware. Let us know how it works for you, in the comments below.