The Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300 is one of the best smartphones available on the market today. It features a quad-core processor and 1 GB of RAM.  Being the flagship phone of Samsung, the device has its own perks, one of which is getting the latest updates ahead of other phone models. Recently, the Galaxy S3 is getting yet another taste of Ice Cream Sandwich in the form of the XXBLFB update that reportedly fixes bugs and issues found in the previous ICS version.
If you’re one of the many users who still can’t wait for the official release, then you can always stay ahead of the rest of the pack by flashing it on your device using Odin. Continue reading the rest of this guide to learn more about flashing the Android 4.0.4 ICS update XXBLFB on your Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300.

Warning

• The instructions in this guide are intended for use with the Samsung Galaxy S3, model number GT-I9300. Applying these instructions on another device or model may produce undesired outcomes.
• The information in this guide is provided for instructional and educational purposes only. There is no guarantee that these instructions will work under your specific and unique circumstances.
• Use these instructions at your own risk. We shall not hold any responsibility or liability for whatever happens to you or your device arising from your use of the info in this guide.
• Read and understand the whole guide first before actually performing the instructions.

Requirements

• Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300
• A Windows PC
• Handset USB drivers installed on the PC. You may install the drivers by installing Samsung Kies.
• Enable USB Debugging on your handset. You can do that by going to Settings > Developer’s options > USB Debugging.
• Disable antivirus, firewall, and other security software. Also disable Samsung Kies and other software that access your phone. Such software can interfere with the procedure in this guide.
• Backup all personal data on your phone to make sure you have a copy of your personal data (e.g., contacts, SMS, MMS, Internet settings, Wi-Fi passwords, and the like) in case the procedure in this guide erases such data.
  • For backup tips, check our guides on how to sync your data to the cloud and how to create local backups of your mobile data.
• Download the following files to your PC:
  • XXBLFB firmware (I9300XXBLFB_I9300OXABLFB_BTU.zip, 776.7 MB)
  • Odin3 v3.04 (Odin3_v3.04.zip, 456.59 kB)

Instructions

1. Using any file compression software such as WinRAR or 7-Zip, extract the contents of the Odin package into a folder on your computer.
2. Extract I9300XXBLFB_I9300OXABLFB_BTU.zipto your computer. You will get this file:
   • I9300XXBLFB_I9300OXABLFB_I9300XXLFB_HOME.tar.md5
3. On your PC, launch Odin by double-clicking the Odin3 V3.04.exe file.
4. Switch off your Samsung Galaxy S3.
5. Boot into Download Mode. You can do so by pressing and holding down the Volume Down, Home, and Power buttons until your phone’s screen turns on. Press the Volume Up button to enter Download Mode.
6. Connect your phone to your PC via USB cable. You should get a message “Added!!” under Odin’s message box found in the bottom left.
   • If you don’t got this message, make sure that your phone’s drivers are installed correctly. If Odin still does not detect your phone, reinstall the drivers.
7. In Odin, click on the PDA button then browse for the I9300XXBLFB_I9300OXABLFB_I9300XXLFB_HOME.tar.md5 file.
8. Important! Do not make any other changes except the ones mentioned in this tutorial as they may cause irreversible damage to your phone. Make sure that the “Re-Partition” check box is not selected.
9. Select Odin’s Start button to begin flashing the firmware on your phone. If the flashing is successful, you will get a “PASS” message in one of Odin’s message boxes. Your phone should automatically reboot and when you pass the Samsung logo, you can safely disconnect your phone from your computer.
10. If your phone is stuck at the boot animation, do the following steps:
    1. Remove your phone’s battery and reinsert it.
    2. Reboot into Recovery Mode. You can do that by pressing and holding down the Volume Up, Home, and Power button until Recovery boots.
    3. Select Wipe Data/Factory Reset and confirm the action on the next screen.
    4. Select Wipe Cache Partition and confirm the action on the next screen.
    5. Go back to the main menu and reboot your phone.

Congratulations! You have successfully flashed the latest Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich firmware build XXBLFB on your Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300.