Database Users

Telus HTC Hero, can it be unlocked

Can the Telus HTC Hero be unlocked, without having any telus sim or being activated on telus in any way at all? I'm on Bell but want an android device. Was thinking of buying it, unlocking it, and throwing in a Bell sim.

unlock?
I am looking for the same answer, it should be able to get unlocked question is has anyone don it yet.

Unlocked and android 2
Better yet lets see it unlocked and android 2 installed!

There is a guy on eBay selling unlock code for the Telus Hero (try searching "telus hero"). If you are willing to shell out 25 bucks, you may want to try that. He said that he would refund you if his code didn't work.

Telus does not lock the phone, that's what the CSR told me. Pretty much u can put in any sim card to make it work.

ericlin0122 said:
Telus does not lock the phone, that's what the CSR told me. Pretty much u can put in any sim card to make it work.
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That's really good news for us AT&T guys!!! I just need to buy one now, from what I hear Telus will not ship to the USA.

So far, actually buying one is the biggest issue. There's been discussion both here at XDA:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=580418
and on some other forums, such as:
http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?threadid=1585687
About buying it. Apparently both Best Buy and Walmart in Canada have them, but only sell them in the store and won't ship them. (Best Buy's is on their website, but Walmart's doesn't seem to be).
I'm an AT&T subscriber that's been keeping an eye out for a way to buy a Telus HTC Hero. If I lived close to Canada, I'd drive up and get one, but I live in Georgia, so it's a bit far. I hope somebody finds a place online or something.

I'd be careful about believing the Telus CSR info that the phone is unlocked. Somebody posted on Boy Genius Report that they bought one and the phone IS locked.
See user "k386" comment here:
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/10/31/telus-to-offer-gsm-htc-hero/

I just bought a Telus Hero from Best Buy today, and I can tell you that the phones are LOCKED. Bought a code off a website and unlocked it, it is now usable on Rogers, but I'm with bell, so I will have to get a Bell Sim tomorrow.

eviltuna said:
I just bought a Telus Hero from Best Buy today, and I can tell you that the phones are LOCKED. Bought a code off a website and unlocked it, it is now usable on Rogers, but I'm with bell, so I will have to get a Bell Sim tomorrow.
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Can you please let me know where did you buy the unlock code and how much did you pay for it? Thanks.

tsekh501 said:
Can you please let me know where did you buy the unlock code and how much did you pay for it? Thanks.
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posted at ebay.ca
http://cgi.ebay.ca/UNLOCK-CODE-FOR-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4a9c035349
fyi only. i am not verifying this seller or his offer. b

Thats way expensive, and 12 hours to get your code is too much. Try this
http://www.cellunlockingcodes.com
quicksite said:
posted at ebay.ca
http://cgi.ebay.ca/UNLOCK-CODE-FOR-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4a9c035349
fyi only. i am not verifying this seller or his offer. b
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

eviltuna said:
Thats way expensive, and 12 hours to get your code is too much. Try this
http://www.cellunlockingcodes.com
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Click to collapse
they don't know how to unlock telus hero. dont waste ur time.

ericlin0122 said:
they don't know how to unlock telus hero. dont waste ur time.
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Click to collapse
thanks for the heads up

I just got my brand new Hero from Telus at square one.
I then put my Rogers sim card in.
I unlocked it successfully through mobileincanada.com it took 10 minutes to receive the unlock code.
Everything is working great so far. Except for wifi ... having issues connecting to any hot spots? it may be just weak signal or something ... will do some more investigating.
btw. My old phone was the HTC HERMES (I loved it for many years) but it's time to move on

Hey all right! Congratulations!
rafynet said:
I just got my brand new Hero from Telus at square one. I then put my Rogers sim card in. I unlocked it successfully through mobileincanada.com it took 10 minutes to receive the unlock
code.
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So, just checking: You live in Canada, right? You didn't drive there from USA, right?
I'm just looking at this from afar. So that mall has a main Telus store and a satellite store. For the smaller store, I see that the store mgr or seller provides a non-telus email address. So, for those who want this phone, i don't guess you'd think he'd sell & ship them, right?
Because what were the requirements to buy the phone? I'm just curious since so many people in US are trying to find a source where to buy these phones from.
How much did mobileincanada charge to unlock? And would they be a possible source for buying telus phones, and re-selling & shipping, at a markup, to USA?
btw. My old phone was the HTC HERMES (I loved it for many years) but it's time to move on
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is how I feel about my T-mobile Wing... My unlocked Europe/GSM version of the Hero arrives tomorrow. I wanted the brown color Then I should just have to call up t-mobile's data group and get the settings to use it, with my swapped out sim card, right? (I know, i know, i won't get 3G. That's okay with me. there are many tradeoffs)

You don't need to meet any requirements to buy the phone outright. Other than having the cash to do so
I've bought 3 this week for USA members to ship to them. Was no biggie.

Gochris said:
You don't need to meet any requirements to buy the phone outright. Other than having the cash to do so
I've bought 3 this week for USA members to ship to them. Was no biggie.
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That's cool! FYI, if it seems worth your time to buy, sell, & ship, with a markup to make it worth your while, to others, there are folks over at HowardForums who also want this phone badly
http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?threadid=1585687
EDIT: hah hah - I just saw you came here from there!

quicksite said:
That's cool! FYI, if it seems worth your time to buy, sell, & ship, with a markup to make it worth your while, to others, there are folks over at HowardForums who also want this phone badly
http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?threadid=1585687
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes that's who I'm doing it for

I am waiting mine to arrive (my friend in Canada bought and shipped it to me).
Just now I went to HTC Canada's website and looked at the spec again:
Dual mode UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (900/2100MHz for
EU/Asia, 850/1900 for US and 850/2100 for Telstra)
It's funny how they list 850/1900 for US on HTC Canada's website, as if the phone was designed to work in the US. They could have put it much better by saying "850/1900 for Telus"... Only AT&T uses 850/1900 here in the US, and NO I don't think AT&T is carrying any Android device in the near future.
It's like "Hey, friends across the borders. I am sorry for making the Hero exclusively on CDMA networks in your country, but you know what, here is something that you may like."

Omnia i8000(L) Versions & Unlocking

I have an i8000L coming, I guess it is network locked to TIGO, somewhere in South America. Where is everyone else getting theirs and how are they unlocking it? Anything useful would be appreciated. Thanks.
__________________________
Received.
Confirmed: TIGO - Guatemala (i8000L)
WM6.1
PDA: I8000LUBIH5
CSC: I8000LCGUIH2
PHONE: I8000LWMIH2

I have an "L" too. Mine was unlocked by the operator for free.

Nobody else has an i8000L?

I have a i8000L. I got mine from Bell/Aliant in Canada.
One thing to keep in mind is that when flashing a new ROM onto a i8000L... it's recommended by Rodrigofd at Modaco to ONLY flash the PDA section and leave the CSC, eBoot, and Phone parts alone. Flashing the PDA has almost no risk and I have the original ROM posted here (for backup): modaco.com/category/424/i8000-omnia-ii-gsm-rom-discussion/
You can find more info about flashing on that site. Hopefully XDA can catch up soon

Thanks for your response. I have been looking through the Modaco forums and have noticed that Omnia 2 flashing does look quite different than HTC flashing. This is another reason I'm interested about others i8000L devices. Most people it seems have the phone from Bell.

You'll need to flash that eboot to get additional 5mb of ram released by rom JA5.
BTW. i8000L canadian versions can ONLY be unlocked by Bell at the moment.

That is VERY good to know and explains why I see so many BELL versions sitting on ebay unsold.

eViL D: said:
Thanks for your response. I have been looking through the Modaco forums and have noticed that Omnia 2 flashing does look quite different than HTC flashing. This is another reason I'm interested about others i8000L devices. Most people it seems have the phone from Bell.
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You can flash the Eboot as well. Actually, I got mine done under JA5's Rom. Using I8000L from Bell and got the 5 extra MB.

eViL D: said:
That is VERY good to know and explains why I see so many BELL versions sitting on ebay unsold.
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Yeah I was lucky and was able to buy an unlocked one from a local shop here.

Well, got my phone. After poking around a bit, I ordered my unlock code. It will supposedly take 5-7 days, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'll update you all if it worked or not and by whom.

i8000L Bell unlock service
if you do end up getting your phone unlocked please let me know too. Mine is still Bell branded and locked and nobody can help me in getting it unlocked. Even Bell tech support wasn't sure how they could do it since I don't live in Canada....they said to take it in to a service center. It's a long drive from Florida for me
Gordon

You might be SOL for the time being. Why did you buy a locked Bell phone from canada? Bell support is lying if they say they can't do it. They have the codes on hand but not a lot of staff know about it or know how to look for the codes. They just won't give it out if you're not a customer.

I have also a I8000L from the operator ICE Costa Rica with win 6.1. It seems my phone operator doesnt offer an upgrade to win 6.5.

grolsch81 said:
I have also a I8000L from the operator ICE Costa Rica with win 6.1. It seems my phone operator doesnt offer an upgrade to win 6.5.
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Click to collapse
Just grab the latest rom from modaco. Instant 6.5.

if anyone finds how to unlock the omnia 2 from bell, please let me know. I really want to buy it and use on rogers...

I should have a response this week from the website I ordered my code from.

Well, I gave it the old college try. I was sent a refund by the website, mobileunlocked.com.
Well, moving on..... I guess I should have just bought an unlocked O2.

ahhhh, that blows was hoping they send you the code and everything worked good, so i can go get my omnia 2 and unlock it also

only way i know is if you are a bell owner is to call up bell. They will charge you 75 dollars but they will unlock the phone.
Also i have read they only do it if you are a bell customer

eViL D: said:
Well, got my phone. After poking around a bit, I ordered my unlock code. It will supposedly take 5-7 days, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'll update you all if it worked or not and by whom.
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Any luck yet? I really want this phone for AT&T's 850MHz band.

Hello Tattoo community! Need urgent advice to potential buyer :)

Hello,
Probably will buy this device tomorrow, used, dont sure ifs its unbranded or Vodafone (Portugal) branded.
I have a question ...
- If it's unbranded (and so on unlocked), there's anything I need to know (something in the firmware), so I can install "anything" I want?
- If its branded and sim locked... it's easy to unbrand and unlock? Should I take a look of something on the firmware?
Really appreciate your help.
Thanks,
Tiago

There is no good way yet to unlock the htc tattoo locked to orange uk except from using the ismart sim 2008. Besides the simlock problem, you have a smaller screen than other android devices. So some apps or games might not work properly.. but most of them do. Also you have limited access to the market, that is, you can access products that have been specified htc tattoo compliant only unless you root the device and install the cracked market app. Besides that everything is ok.

yash08 said:
There is no good way yet to unlock the htc tattoo locked to orange uk except from using the ismart sim 2008. Besides the simlock problem, you have a smaller screen than other android devices. So some apps or games might not work properly.. but most of them do. Also you have limited access to the market, that is, you can access products that have been specified htc tattoo compliant only unless you root the device and install the cracked market app. Besides that everything is ok.
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I never said it's tattoo orange uk... I said maybe its vodafone portugal tattoo...
smaller screen? what's the normal screen for tattoo ?

he ment its small screen, compared to other HTC phones, most phones got 3+ inches screen, tattoo is 2.8.
about unlocking - its ur rights to try put ur sim card in the phone before u buy it. Myn was unlocked, thought they sayd its locked to they network. At same time - they use same phones for selling as locked to they network with a contract, as same phones for selling it for full price...

Stiflerlv said:
he ment its small screen, compared to other HTC phones, most phones got 3+ inches screen, tattoo is 2.8.
about unlocking - its ur rights to try put ur sim card in the phone before u buy it. Myn was unlocked, thought they sayd its locked to they network. At same time - they use same phones for selling as locked to they network with a contract, as same phones for selling it for full price...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont want to count with simcard... always had problems with it.
So its not easily possible to unlock and unbrand a tattoo ?

Dude, if I had the chance I would have bought a device which is easily upgradeable to another Android OS or other ROMS (maybe with different OS').
But returning to your issue:
Unbranding shouldn't be a problem (I removed Vodafone Germany branding), but with unlocking there are problems with certain providers. Just put your SIM in first and see if it boots, otherwise I would take another device if the tattoo should be locked.

TheSSJ said:
Dude, if I had the chance I would have bought a device which is easily upgradeable to another Android OS or other ROMS (maybe with different OS').
But returning to your issue:
Unbranding shouldn't be a problem (I removed Vodafone Germany branding), but with unlocking there are problems with certain providers. Just put your SIM in first and see if it boots, otherwise I would take another device if the tattoo should be locked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But if I put my TMN sim card on Vodafone Tattoo, it's suppose to work ?
Not understood what you explained, sorry.

Some carriers sell phones that are locked to them, others sell unlocked phones.
Here in the UK for instance, vodafone phones are not locked and an HTC Tattoo bought from them can be used with any SIM. Ones sold by Orange are locked to them and can only be used with an Orange SIM.
I do not know if Vodafone in Portugal lock their phones or not, the simple way of checking is by trying your non vodafone SIM and seeing if it works.
Unlocking the Tattoo can be done but costs $15 or so I believe (although with the Desire they then charge you another $20 - a very dodgy practice), far better to buy one that's not locked in the first place unless you want to use it on the carrier it's locked to.
You posted a couple of days ago - have you already bought the phone? Was it unlocked? Or have you not bought it yet?

Confucious said:
Some carriers sell phones that are locked to them, others sell unlocked phones.
Here in the UK for instance, vodafone phones are not locked and an HTC Tattoo bought from them can be used with any SIM. Ones sold by Orange are locked to them and can only be used with an Orange SIM.
I do not know if Vodafone in Portugal lock their phones or not, the simple way of checking is by trying your non vodafone SIM and seeing if it works.
Unlocking the Tattoo can be done but costs $15 or so I believe (although with the Desire they then charge you another $20 - a very dodgy practice), far better to buy one that's not locked in the first place unless you want to use it on the carrier it's locked to.
You posted a couple of days ago - have you already bought the phone? Was it unlocked? Or have you not bought it yet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now I understood.
Here in Portugal, ALL phones are SIM Locked. Unlock goes from 50$ to 150$.
That's why I asked if it's easy to do it by us.

HTCCode.com say on the front page that it costs $15 but people in the Desire forum are saying they are being told that their device costs more - but only after they've paid the $15.

[Q] Samsung Focus on other carriers unbranded?.

Been looking around and I can't find any information if the Focus will be available unbranded. I live in Australia on the Telstra network who uses the same band as AT&T (850 MHz) so compatibility is not an issue.

According to Paul Thurrott in his Windows Weekly podcast this is the one to have. Amazing screen, amazingly thin and light and has expandable storage.
Now, where can us folk in the UK get hold of this handset from unlocked?

Scott Whitmore,
I would trade you a Focus for a Omnia 7. I live in the US but don't like how the focus look and would like to get the Omnia 7 instead.

dominicanx said:
Scott Whitmore,
I would trade you a Focus for a Omnia 7. I live in the US but don't like how the focus look and would like to get the Omnia 7 instead.
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Click to collapse
Sorry, the Omnia is not available on my network. I'm thinking of just getting a Mozart and then selling it when the HD7 comes out. I've looked around and I can't find the Focus unbranded. I don't want a branded model.

Scott Whitmore said:
Sorry, the Omnia is not available on my network. I'm thinking of just getting a Mozart and then selling it when the HD7 comes out. I've looked around and I can't find the Focus unbranded. I don't want a branded model.
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Hey,
I found a site that is selling the phone unlocked in the US. I'm looking to get ether a Mozart or a Omnia 7.
http://negrielectronics.com/samsung-i917-focus-att-unlocked-380.html

dominicanx said:
Hey,
I found a site that is selling the phone unlocked in the US. I'm looking to get ether a Mozart or a Omnia 7.
http://negrielectronics.com/samsung-i917-focus-att-unlocked-380.html
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Click to collapse
I wouldn't trust this site, I've found numerous people complaining of scams that have occurred.
Anyone else know if this phone will be available unlocked for purchase?

I'm wondering if you can just buy it at full price and ask for unlock code
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

dominicanx said:
Hey,
I found a site that is selling the phone unlocked in the US. I'm looking to get ether a Mozart or a Omnia 7.
http://negrielectronics.com/samsung-i917-focus-att-unlocked-380.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
stay away from Negri electronics. They are noting but a scam!

samven582 said:
stay away from Negri electronics. They are noting but a scam!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
plenty of users on xda-developers have bought phones off negri electronics and have been very happy with the service.

I think the issue with these sellers is that there is no after sales service. In most cases you don't need one. Samsung has good QA and I have been satisfied with most of their products. But if you are unfortunate and need to exchange or return the phone, you might be out of luck.

I've ordered a number of things from Negri and never had any issues. They have always shipped fast AND they actually care about their customers. I'm curious where you saw they were a scam from?
The two things I really like about Negri is they aren't afraid to tell you straight, there is no BS with them. Also they just passed along savings on shipping to everyone because they were able to negotiate a better deal with this shipping company. How many companies can you say will do that for their customer.

I would order from them
I haven't ordered anything from Negri Electronics but, I have heard a lot of good things about them. You are definitely ordering from real people, that much I know. From what I've seen they answer loads of questions quickly on Twitter. I am getting a new phone soon and I will definitely be ordering from them.

You can easily buy an unlocked Focus from ebay (as I did) or even Amazon. Most likely it will be the AT&T version since it's the most widespread. I hated the ATT ROM and so downloaded the Rogers Canada version of the ROM from this website - which is much cleaner - and flashed my Focus.
Voila. My phone was still unlocked, no horrible ATT stuff making my Focus slow, no tacky orange ATT intro. Also, I was able to update through Zune to 8107, the latest available build (ATT blocks updates after 7720).
If you want a focus and are worried about branded phones, this might be a useful process for you like it was for me.

Unlocked Galaxy Note - yes or no?

I am considering buying a Galaxy Note but I have a dilemma so I hope you will be able to help me out with it.
If I decide to buy it I will probably have to buy it through a mobile carrier meaning that I will have to unlock it to run it on a different network. I have someone to do it for me so I don't know what kind of software they will use.
Since I am new to Android, I would like to keep away from the rooting as long as possible so I am talking about stock software here.
Therefore, I would like to ask this:
1) Have any of you unlocked their Galaxy Notes? Are there any side-effects or it feels totally SIM-free?
2) Am I going to be cut-off from the official software updates (ICS and so on?) or it will be totally like a SIM-free experience?
3) Are all the splash screens, apps and other carrier-related stuff gone after the unlock?
Thank you in advance!

This doesn't answer your questions, but why would you buy a carrier phone and use it on another network? Why not buy unlocked?
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

If you plan to get the ATT one, I dont think it will get 3G/+ on Tmo. The intenational one I have definitely does not have that band. Unless there is another unlocked version that has those bands. And my international version does not have LTE as well.
And why would you sign a contract with ATT and want to use it on another n/w? Doesnt make any sense whatsoever.
Eborg said:
I am considering buying a Galaxy Note but I have a dilemma so I hope you will be able to help me out with it.
If I decide to buy it I will probably have to buy it through a mobile carrier meaning that I will have to unlock it to run it on a different network. I have someone to do it for me so I don't know what kind of software they will use.
Since I am new to Android, I would like to keep away from the rooting as long as possible so I am talking about stock software here.
Therefore, I would like to ask this:
1) Have any of you unlocked their Galaxy Notes? Are there any side-effects or it feels totally SIM-free?
2) Am I going to be cut-off from the official software updates (ICS and so on?) or it will be totally like a SIM-free experience?
3) Are all the splash screens, apps and other carrier-related stuff gone after the unlock?
Thank you in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I live in Europe so I am talking about an international version.
Technically I wouldn't be buying it directly from a carrier, I just wanted to keep the discussion simple. I would buy it from a store but they get it abroad, unlock them and sell them legally. It's the only way I can get it where I live.
Ordering from Expansys or similar sites would mean that I would have to pay import customs which would probably amount to 200-300$ or more.

Where are you from? There are more retailers than expansys
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

I live in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Since it is not yet a member of the EU, you have to pay customs fees for this kind of stuff.
I will be going to the UK in a few weeks and thought about buying it there but that would mean that I wouldn't have any warranty. Most sites do not offer warranty outside the UK or EU. Also, even if I found one seller that offers worldwide warranty, I would still have costs shipping the phone to the UK or wherever and back (still EU issues) if needed.
Buying the phone locally should give me a 2-year warranty so that's why I am thinking about that option.

if you get it sim free fromthe uk then you woudl be paying more than you woudl in say germany - sim free in the uk are about £500+
sim free means it isnt locked to a carrioer that doesnt stop anything regarding updates to ics, you wil lstil lget them just might be at alater date than other countries
unlocking is not the same as debranding which would remove the software and logos etc
mine is sim free whcih i bought on a 2 year contract and it is no different to any other note locked on the networks

Eborg said:
I am considering buying a Galaxy Note but I have a dilemma so I hope you will be able to help me out with it.
If I decide to buy it I will probably have to buy it through a mobile carrier meaning that I will have to unlock it to run it on a different network.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
buying it through a carrier does not mean that the phone is locked to that carrier anyway. have you asked your carrier or the store you want to buy from if they sell the Note locked?. my Note is bought from German Telekom/T-Mobile and has no sim or netlock. i just tested the Note with simcards from other German and foreign carrier and they all work flawlessly. so maybe you can purchase a Note at your side that is also sim/netlocked free.

All Galaxy Notes available locally were on foreign carriers. The guy at the store could only confirm that it works will all SIM cards, not that the particular phone had to be unlocked or not, but it was definitely on a foreign carrier when they got it.
I am not sure if the phones are debranded or not. Is that something that I can do on my own without rooting the phone?
So, you guys can officially confirm that unlocked (and optionally debranded) Galaxy Note will act as if they were SIM-free in regards to official updates, apps and so on? No worries there?
As for getting it abroad, it wouldn't be the best solution since I would have to send it to the UK, Germany, Italy or wherever if something is wrong paying 100-200$ of customs fees every time if something goes wrong.

I'd just like to confirm that it is possible to update the firmware automatically with an unlocked Note. Cheers!

Richy99 said:
sim free means it isnt locked to a carrioer that doesnt stop anything regarding updates to ics, you wil lstil lget them just might be at alater date than other countries
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quite.
Also to keep in mind : in the EU, the carrier must agree to unlock phones after at the most 6 months.
And regarding ICS upgrades for the Note, they're apparently fairly messy at the moment. Locally (France) my carrier and the local Samsung branch are apparently more or less pointing at one another for a botched upgrade (at the end of June, note that it was announced as "we're fixing a few things, should be any day now" in March) where they apparently managed to brick a number of user phones. Samsung tends to communicate fairly poorly on the issue.
Other than the updated stylus apps, I'm not really sure the upgrade is worth it. And I discovered the whole "Kies" crud when I got this phone which really annoyed me since I don't normally run Windows (or Mac OS) and some operators apparently like to push their stuff only through that channel.
---------- Post added at 01:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:08 PM ----------
Eborg said:
I'd just like to confirm that it is possible to update the firmware automatically with an unlocked Note. Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's no reason why you couldn't. Possibly you'd get the Samsung update instead of the one from the original carrier (not guaranteed). But unlocking phones is fairly standard procedure.

Actually I got an update from the previous carrier from which it was unlocked from judging by the bloatware installed with the update.