Videocon Zeus V7500 Evolve is re branded Commtiva Z51 being sold in India by Videocon . In India there is also other Commtiva re branded Android phone from Spice, known as MI-300. It is clone of Commtiva Z71 though. Only difference between Z51 and Z71 is that Z71 has a trackball whereas there is none on Z51.
Now bad part for Zeus users is that Z51 is virtually unknown phone globally, but the good part is Z71 is pretty well known and has many clones across the world and all its roms are easily applied to z51.
Since the underlying electronics has been manufactured by Foxconn it seems as if in Z51 they simply did not provide the trackball rest of the thing being same.
Now about rooting the phone.
The phone comes with android 1.6 (from late November it will come with android 2.1). The 1.6 version is easily rooted by downloading and installing Universal Androot application.
Since last week of November official 2.1 update is available from Authorised Service Centre (ASC). This version is easily rooted by downloading and installing z4root application.
Also you will need to install this version if you want to upgrade your phone with the method mentioned here.
Why upgrade ?
Firstly 1.6 is downright lousy if you want to surf the web.
The official 2.1 update limits the processor speed to 480 Mhz to save the battery.
What happens when I upgrade?
You will have Froyo 2.2.1, browser in this version is really fast. You will be able to run your processor at its stipulated speed of 600Mhz. Also you can move/install the programs on sdcard.
You wont be able to run Adobe Flash though. Flash requires ARM7 processor whereas all models mentioned here have ARM6 processors.
Nice blog, very helpful informative. Thanks for sharing with me!
ReplyDeleteVideocon Zeus Review
sir how did you do this?????????
ReplyDeleteplz tell me a step by step procedure...
i did evrything the way u told but my zeus does not boot in clockwork recovery mode...
it does not show the recovery screen...and the rom manager does not let me install previous versions on the recovery image...
if only my recovery image gets loaded i will have froyo too on my cellphone..
but the recovery image is not loading...
plz help
by the way my zeus is still on android 1.6 if that is helpful in any manner
thanks
@srijan
ReplyDeleteFor froyo upgrade you need official 2.1 on your device. So get the official 2.1 update from videocon authorised service centre.
Nice blog. I bought this phone just this evening. I was using Asus P320 and that phone had a very good community. Now this blog is giving a lot of confidence.
ReplyDeleteI am new to this rooting business, just want to know how this works and is it safe? And how 600 MHz over-clocking is going impact power scenario?
As of now I am on 1.6, as per you response I will get the official 2.1 update and try to follow your tips for froyo.
@ If you do not use any CPU intensive app then i suggest you update to official 2.1. Cyanogen rom is still under development, it is battery hog.
ReplyDeleteVERY NICE BLOG
ReplyDeleteI WANT TO BUY VIDEOCON ZEUS.IS IT RIGHT? is it the best android mobile ?
@Rohit
ReplyDeleteIn 10k-11k range spice and zeus(and they are same phones except zeus does not have trackball) are better than samsung galaxy 3 & 5 and lg optimus540. Now you get micromax A60 for 7k. None of the phones below 15k at present will run flash even if they have android 2.2 on it. if you have budget for 16-18k and can wait then spice mi-410 is best option. If your budget is 9-10k then spice-mi300 is best bet, i suppose.
@Rohit, @Sanjay
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sanjay, go for Spice MI 300, as I decided to buy the same, after 2 months of research in the market, initially I wish to buy Huawei IDEOS U8150 then Samsung Galaxy 5/3 and then HTC Wildfire, finally I set my target to Spice MI 300, it's cool with awesome features.
@shahnawaz
ReplyDeletehuawei is available in pakistan from chinese operator for 16k, equivalent indian price will be 8300 Rs. ldeos if available in india will most probably locked to some operator. micromax already has 7k android in market, and is likeley to come out with new models in near future. So if ideos is available for 8000k in feb that too locked, i dont think it will have many takers then.
Nice blog Sanjay!... At first I wanted the Zeus but was discouraged because I didn't think you could update it beyond Android 2.1
ReplyDeleteSo now that you have done it I can purchase it and learn to do it myself. By the way, does the lack of flash support for the sub 15K Android phones mean that none of them can run flv?
One more thing... isn't 256mB RAM a little to less if you are running higher versions of Android? Isn't the Optimus a better phone in this case?
ReplyDeleteHi I tried to flash form SD card and selected zip file. It said flashing completed successfully. After that I tired to reboot device, but it is looping again again and not booting up. It shows Videocon flash screen and again comes back to same page. Any ideas how to get around
ReplyDeleteOK I missed step to clear data. After doing that it worked like charm. Now I am running froyo.
ReplyDeleteI had some issue with accelerometer. But after realigning the sensors that issue is resolved now.
Thanks for this post.
I have upgraded videocon zeus to android 2.1 . Now how to get froyo on it give the step by step procedure .
ReplyDeleteHI SANJAY
ReplyDeleteaccording to u ,videocon zeus is re branded of commtiva z51. but in ur second screen shot it shown model no. z71.
why?
@Rohit
ReplyDeleteread my post first. no specific development for z51, it is unknown phone. It shows z71 because i flashed z71 rom on it.
Very nice video.. Thanks a lot.. I have a few questions..
ReplyDelete1) Is it a stable 6.1.0 or a RC?
2) Is RyanZA's Z4 root app still available in the android market?
3) Do you have ROM Mananger premium version?
4) If you don't have ROM Manager, how to boot up into recovery mode? Is there a 3-button combo for Zeus?
5) What frequency is this Zeus's CPU clocked at originally?
6) Have you tried overclocking with SetCPU app? What is the max frequency?
7) Have you tried Wireless Tether? Does it work successfully?
Have you tried partitioning your SD card? This helps the device run even more faster..
ReplyDeleteAnd can you tell me Quadrant Standard scores of Zeus before and after the update or at least its Quadrant Standard score with froyo?
Is this blog complete. I didnt found how to upgrade. It was only written to use Z4 root but how to proceed after installing Z4 root..?
ReplyDeleteplease tell me how to do this
ReplyDeleteI've been bit busy of late. I will post the process in detail. Wanted to just test out few more ROMS, ther pro's and cons. Also how to backup and reverse the process incase you need to use warranty. Will have it all this weekend.
ReplyDeleteAls o anyone who wants to tryou new rom should get his phone updated to 2.1 at authorised service centre. it is (almost) a must.
Happy new year to everyone.
HI,
ReplyDeleteI have upgraded the version from 1.6 to 2.1 and also created a partition of 512 and 265 as SWAP space.
I am unaware of what to do next. I had to uninstall some applications coz the memory was full..
Hey Sanjay,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the inspiration dude... its ur video i have first seen on youtube. :) .. btw,
I have tried the latest cyanogen 6.1.2-z71, patched the camera, but there seemed to be a lot of bugs ... like the headset button did not work nd sdcard damaged errors, battery callibration,. so reverted back to the stock 2.1 rom...
i have even flashed my Zeus with Android 2.3 rom found on cyanogen forums, with lots of crashes...
so am awaiting your reply on the 'most stable - almost as good as official'...
thanks bro
according to me firetrap vanilla 1.2 is best rom for Zeus, but with one major issue. recovery installed with it compulsorily requires trackball. I use firetrap vanilla with clockworkmod recovery. as result I'm not able to use app2sd,or atleast I have not been able to figure it out till now. any help on this front will be appreciated.
ReplyDeleteas for 2.3 it drained my battery in7 hrs on minimal use. also had random screen locks which required battery pull.
hey sanjay,
ReplyDeleteIs firetrap vanilla 1.2 based on android 2.2.1? and yeah with the cyanogen mod 6.1.2, the headset button doesn't work...is this a common problem? rectified? ... please help
@sriram
ReplyDeletefiretrap vanilla is 2.1
as for cyanogenmod 6.x,it is still under development.will need few cycles before it becomes stable. but I think battery will still be an issue. maybe I'll form an opinion after trying apanda official rom available on Boston.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteyeah.. if u find the official apanda a60 rom 2.2 any useful please let me knw... thanx..
ReplyDeleteHey Sanjay,...
ReplyDeleteAny success with the official Apanda A60 2.2 ROM? Can I flash it using the clockwork mod?
Thanks
I'm using the apanda rom for some days now. It is generic rom from foxconn(so it is kind of official).Its battery life is better than 2.1 stock rom, yes better!!!!. Till date i've come across 2 problems with it, everything works though wifi, data 2g/3g etc etc. the problems are; none of torch apps i tried work. Also i get "invalid mmi code"error. eg. *400# works but when i dial *400#[any number]# it shows error. so i cant recharge my account this way. i've to call and recharge.
ReplyDeleteoverall these 2 minor irritants for very good rom.
The link on boston site is beta rom, i'm using the same. Final version is out, but manufacturer has advised against using it for it restarts frequently.
Also you will need to use rut/sut and download mode to install it.
Hey Sanjay,
ReplyDeleteHow do i backup my stock 2.1 rom? Do you have it? Please advice. Just in case.
Thank you
hey sanjay,.,.
ReplyDeleteI cant enter fastboot mode to flash the 600 Mhz mod,. Can u help me out?
Thanks..
@sriram
ReplyDeletePlease be more specific. Like which ROM you are installing and which OS(PC) you are using.
If you are using Windows you will need "fastboot.exe". Also fastboot mode unlike recovery mode will show no options on handset, it will just show"entering fastboot mode"on top of the screen.
Also to install nb0 file with sut use download mode.
Hey Sanjay,
ReplyDeleteI have flashed my zeus with the official Apanda A60 2.2 ROM found on Boston Mania. Its working very well. No bugs so far.. *NO PROBLEMS AT ALL*. I have been using it for over 2 weeks now. Recently, maybe some hardware problem, my headphone jack is not functioning properly. So, I might need to visit the customer care. But, before that I need to revert to the stock rom, i guess.
I would be very glad, if you could help me find it.
Thank you
i am running videocon zeus with the cyanogenmod 7 build 17.....everything working well.....but it is a battery hog....but doesnt matter i have 2 battries>......app 2 sd nd processor overclocked to 667mhz ..i got battery life of about 7 hrs.
ReplyDeletehi sanjay
ReplyDeletehave a look at these links .. i think our unknown phone is LG and already have a froyo in it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGbAbvdYwdk
here is a comparison from do take a closer look see if its of any use :)
http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=pdacomparer&id1=2745&id2=2401
just been searching extensively and hoping to help u in some way :) btw you r doing a great work .. and i appreciate taking the risk and giving it a try where others fear.
any idea how to configure ZEUS to run app on SD.
ReplyDeleteMy zeus is running out of memmory... I've rooted my phone. What to do next.
@akhil
ReplyDeletewhich version of android you have?
i have 1.6 android as shown in settings in phone... how to change to 2.1// i did the root from z4 ..... it says rooted..but version not changed
ReplyDeletehow to do pl help me ..
@rajesh
ReplyDeleteRooting will not change the version. You will have to get the phone updated by authorized service center.
@sanjay
ReplyDeletei updated from 1.6 to 2.1 myself using SULTR utility and spice MI 300 rom :) didnt go to Videocon service center .. but i know warranty is gone .. hehe so can anyone with a 2.1 or stock 1.6 running .. rooted .. could sent me /system/media/bootanimation.zip file ??
i had already backed up the splash.img .
check this out i made a tutorial :)
ReplyDeleteon updating 1.6 to 2.1 and on
tweaksnmods.blogspot.com
Hi!!!
ReplyDeletePlease post the link where i can download rom 2.1 (or higher) for Zeus or send to my mail kuxchao@gmail.com.
Thanks.
I try to install rom 2.1 mi300, but i have this problem
ReplyDeleteError Code 0xf62c
Error QPD_ERROR_ARMPRG_PARTITION (0xF62C)
init Mode = Emergency
Please help! What can i do?
Thanks
Samsung has brought out 4-5 new android model i 9-15 k range. Looked good the other day when i saw it in chroma.
ReplyDeleteVideocon mobile service is very bad.
ReplyDelete@rahim
ReplyDeleteDear brother almost everyone has same thing to say about service of their mobile. It's not only videocons problem alone, most of companies get mobile serviced by third party and in many cases same service center serves many different brands. Anyway it depends on individual service center.
hello sir i m using videocon zeus v7500 android 2.1 is alredy install i want to update 2.1 to 2.3 can you please tell me how i update it?? my email id is purav.solanki@yahoo.com i m waiting for your reply please........!!!
ReplyDeletecan you please provide the original v7500 recovery image, boot animation image and the splash image
ReplyDelete@Abhilash
ReplyDeleteI don't have them
my zeus v7500 is running on android version 2.2.2,plz let me know if there is a way to directly install all the apps to sd card. :(
ReplyDeletemy zeus v7500 is running on android version 2.2.2,plz let me know if there is a way to transfer/install all the apps directly to sd card. :(
ReplyDelete@ Shreesha
ReplyDeleteIf you have rooted the phone, download and install free "Terminal" app from android market. Open the app and run following commands. 1. su (to get superuser rights) 2. "setInstallLocation 2"
vikas11117@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteplz send me 2.1 eclair rom .nb0
ReplyDeleteplz send me 2.1 eclair rom .nb0
ReplyDeleteplz send me 2.1 eclair rom .nb0 my id is vikas11117@gmail.com
ReplyDelete