The ZTE Blade A711 (model N939SC), also known as the Blade X9 in some regions, was a well-equipped mid-range smartphone from 2015 that offered a premium look and feel. It featured a durable metal body, a fast rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, and a large 5.5-inch Full HD display. The device was powered by the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor. This guide provides the official China stock ROM, a low-level QFIL / EDL package, designed to unbrick a hard-bricked phone or perform a complete factory restore.
Important: This is an advanced unbricking procedure. This firmware is specifically for the ZTE Blade A711 (N939SC) China variant and does not contain Google Play Services. The process will erase all data and requires your phone to be in EDL Mode (9008).
Quick Device Specs
- Device: ZTE Blade A711 (N939SC)
- Release year: 2015
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 615
- Display: 5.5″ IPS LCD, Full HD
- Battery: 3000 mAh
- Original OS: Android 5.1 (Lollipop)
Required Downloads
To flash a Qualcomm device in EDL mode, you will need the specific QPST suite and drivers. You can find the downloads for these in our main guide linked below.
- QPST & QFIL Flash Tool
- Qualcomm QDLoader USB Drivers
Unbrick Firmware (QFIL)
| Region / Carrier | Build | Type | Download | Chipset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | V1.10 | QFIL EDL Unbrick ROM | Download | Qualcomm |
How to Flash the Stock Firmware
Restoring a bricked ZTE Blade A711 requires a Windows PC and the QFIL tool. The process involves installing the correct Qualcomm drivers, forcing your phone into EDL Mode by holding Volume Up + Down and connecting the USB cable, loading the firehose programmer and XML files from the firmware, and then starting the download.
For a detailed, step-by-step guide with screenshots and tool download links, please follow our comprehensive pillar guide: How to Use QFIL to Flash Qualcomm Devices.
Device-Specific Troubleshooting for ZTE Blade A711 (N939SC)
- CRITICAL – China ROM / No Google Services: This is an official ROM for the Chinese market. It does not include Google Play Services or the Google Play Store and will have Chinese apps and services. This ROM is best suited for restoring a Chinese-variant device to its original state.
- “No Port Available” / Driver Issues: If QFIL doesn’t see the “Qualcomm HS-USB QDLoader 9008” port, your drivers are not installed correctly. You must disable Driver Signature Enforcement in Windows before running the driver installer. Reboot your PC after installation and try again.
- Overheating (Snapdragon 615): The Snapdragon 615 chipset in this phone is well-known for overheating. During heavy use or gaming, the metal body can become very hot, and performance may slow down (throttle). A clean flash of the stock ROM can resolve software-related heat issues, but be aware that this is a known hardware characteristic of this processor.
- Entering EDL Mode: Ensure the phone is completely powered off. Press and hold both Volume Up and Volume Down buttons simultaneously. While holding them, plug the USB cable into the phone. The screen will stay black, but your PC should make a sound, and the port will appear in QFIL.
FAQs
Q1. What is a QFIL / EDL firmware?
QFIL (Qualcomm Flash Image Loader) is a tool used to flash firmware in EDL (Emergency Download) mode. This is a very low-level mode, a step below fastboot, designed to recover Qualcomm devices from a “hard brick” state where they are otherwise unresponsive.
Q2. Is the ZTE Blade A711 the same as the Blade X9?
Yes. For marketing purposes, ZTE sold this device as the “Blade A711” in China and some Asian markets, while it was known as the “Blade X9” in Russia and other regions. They are the same hardware.
Q3. Will this ROM install Google Play Store on my phone?
No. This is an official China ROM and does not contain any Google apps or services. They would need to be installed manually after flashing, which can be a complex process on this version of Android.
Q4. Will this process erase my data?
Yes. A QFIL flash is a complete factory restore that erases all user data from the phone’s internal storage.
