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I'm going to buy the S4 in a few weeks, and I can't decide which one to choose, especially after google released the one running vanilla android.
The international, i9500 exynos variant is the best one, I think, as its the international version and it might get more dev support.
on the other hand, the i9505 snapdragon variant is more reliable when it comes to dev support, as qualcomm does release the source code for its SD600 processor.
The google edition, as its going to support LTE, i think will be based on the i9505, as our dear Samsung very conveniently disable the LTE radios on its exynos processors.
So I am confused which one to buy.
If i get the i9505 (snapdragon), would i be able to flash an AOSP/AOKP rom perfectly, without any issues? Like will I be able to switch between AOSP and touchwiz without any hassle? and as the google edition will have the same chipset, would i be able to run rock solid and bug free aosp roms on it? (i honestly am more inclined towards touchwiz than aosp/aokp, but i dont mind switching for some time)
Also, I heard that i9500 has a better camera sensor, and has slightly better battery life than i9505. Is that true?
And qualcomm is going to release the snapdragon 800 within a couple of months, and i dont want to buy a phone for about $800 (nearly 50k in rupees here in India) only to realize that my latest gadget is now obsolete. I have already experienced that with my iPad 3 .
I'll be moving to USA in august for college, and honestly, i dont think LTE would be much use to me as 3G is more than enough for my needs. Plus LTE is a huge battery hog.
Also, as our dear Samsung does not release source code for exynos, more CM/AOKP/PA devs will move towards the i9505, and with that logic, the i9500 should get more support from devs working on TW based roms, like salesale and :indie: (I love neatrom on my S2).
So which one should I get?
P.S. Only the i9500 version is available in India, I'll have to get the i9505 from amazon if I end up buying that.
Just be careful what bands the phone supports. I think if you in the States it would be wise to get your carrier branded version
Sent from my GT-I9505 using XDA Premium HD app
Obagleyfreer said:
Just be careful what bands the phone supports. I think if you in the States it would be wise to get your carrier branded version
Sent from my GT-I9505 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
as both the i9500 and i9505 are unlocked and unbranded, I think I'll go for either of them, as they will be compatible with all bands worldwide, not only US and India. Also, I prefer not to be tied to a network with a contract. (I'm more of a free bird )
But the question that remians in, which one should I go for? The i9500, the i9505, or the stock google edition?
The google edition will be based on i9505, so on one hand i'll recieve updates as soon as they are released, but would i be able to switch between AOSP roms and TW-based roms?
diwakarchopra said:
as both the i9500 and i9505 are unlocked and unbranded, I think I'll go for either of them, as they will be compatible with all bands worldwide, not only US and India. Also, I prefer not to be tied to a network with a contract. (I'm more of a free bird )
But the question that remians in, which one should I go for? The i9500, the i9505, or the stock google edition?
The google edition will be based on i9505, so on one hand i'll recieve updates as soon as they are released, but would i be able to switch between AOSP roms and TW-based roms?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just received my i9500 a week ago and I am lovin it! The phone is one heckuva beast and I have yet to run into any problems with it. Also a heads up, I've heard TouchWiz runs smoother on the i9500 than the i9505 as it is optimized for it better. The camera is definitely one of this phone's highlights and I can say for myself that I see the differences in camera sensors/image quality between the two.
Sorry for the late reply, I was busy with my high school finals!
And thank you all for your opinions, but im still pretty much confused on which one to go for. the i9500 or thr i9505?
As I said before, the variant needs to be GSM, and only two networks in the US offer GSM: AT&T and T-Mobile.
I'll be moving to West-Lafayette, Indiana in a couple of months, therefore, I need to know which one of the two (AT&T and TMobile) would support the GS4 properly. I dont care about 4G LTE as HSDPA+ is fast enough for me, but I've heard that some frequencies don't work properly on those networks, resulting in poor reception and slow data transfer speeds.
So, it would be really helpful is someone could point me in the right direction, should I go for i9500 or i9505? I'm a bit more inclined towards i9500.
Thanks in advance!
Go for the one with Samsung's modified version of Android. Don't wait for the Google Edition. The advantage with this one is as soon the Google Edition drops, there will be AOSP ROMs for the Samsung edition S4 but the vice-versa won't be true.
echenze said:
Go for the one with Samsung's modified version of Android. Don't wait for the Google Edition. The advantage with this one is as soon the Google Edition drops, there will be AOSP ROMs for the Samsung edition S4 but the vice-versa won't be true.
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Click to collapse
That's all fine, but now I'm asking which one should I go for? the i9500 (Exynos) or the i9505 (snapdragon)? I'm not sure which one would work better in Lafayette Indiana on AT&T or T-Mobile (in terms of network coverage, 3G download/upload speeds etc)
When the Note 3 was released there was a pretty big difference between the two phones that initially made flashing roms from International on TMobile - wifi wouldn't work intially - internal SD Card was wiped frequently on flashing and a bunch of other issues made flashing International ROMS on TMOBILE phones difficult at first. (this was fixed later but it took a while)
The S5 was a lot different - I am not a technician or Developer by any means - but as a novice looking in - it almost seemed like International and Tmobile mobile note 3's were almost entirely different phones - whereas the S5's were almost identical.
I realize I maybe oversimplifying this - but doing so to make a point. I am very curious about what will happen with the Note 4. I doubt if there is any way to know until both phones are out and Devs start creating roms - but I wonder if the NOTE 4 will be more like it was with the NOTE 3 or will they be more like it was with the S5 ? Samsung will never listen to me but I think you know how I would vote -
looking forward to the NEXT BIG THING....
Not sure if you look at gsmarena or phonescoop, but kind of like the GN3, GS3 etc. The GN4 US variant has Q-com Snapdragon CPU, Int'l has Exynos (sp?) So some hardware is similar.
But T-mo variants vs other,like before T-mo rom has wifi call capability. Others do not.
papabear said:
Not sure if you look at gsmarena or phonescoop, but kind of like the GN3, GS3 etc. The GN4 US variant has Q-com Snapdragon CPU, Int'l has Exynos (sp?) So some hardware is similar.
But T-mo variants vs other,like before T-mo rom has wifi call capability. Others do not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sprint also has wifi calling
papabear said:
Not sure if you look at gsmarena or phonescoop, but kind of like the GN3, GS3 etc. The GN4 US variant has Q-com Snapdragon CPU, Int'l has Exynos (sp?) So some hardware is similar.
But T-mo variants vs other,like before T-mo rom has wifi call capability. Others do not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I realize that WIFI Calling is a major difference between international and TMOBILE - but I was more interested in the file structure of the phone and how wifi - or data works - not sure the reason, but it originally was difficult to flash International ROMS on the TMOBILE Note 3 - data wifi didn't work - data didn't work - and often the Internal SD card was wiped. When the S5 was released, the phones were so similar none of these problems happened. I was flashing International ROMS in the first day or two that the S5 was released.
I am not a dev so I can't speak to the reasons why it was this way on the NOte 3 - but except for the obvious differences (wifi Calling for example) I am only hoping that the Note 4 is more like it was with the S5 than it was with the note 3.
Lets make sure first that Tmobile keep its bootloader unlocked!
kinda like papabear was saying, i believe the S5 international vs US both had snapdragon, which made them very compatible. the GN3 had exynos/snapdragon, and that made them quite different. exynos didn't have near as much development.
http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=6033&idPhone2=6434
The GS4 was really good with cross compatibility. The T-Mo and i9505 variants were very similar, both had the same CPU, etc. You could flash the same ROMs but not radios/modems or bootloaders. My concern is if the International Note 4 will work with T-Mo LTE since it doesn't have the 1700 band.
Dont forget about band 12.
Do we know If the international version N910F supportd Tmobile LTE? I think I saw a video on phonedog and the Josh was using an international version with a tmo sim card.
Any confirmation?
daraj said:
Do we know If the international version N910F supportd Tmobile LTE? I think I saw a video on phonedog and the Josh was using an international version with a tmo sim card.
Any confirmation?
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Notice how the symbol says 4G and not 4G LTE
Kawaisa said:
Notice how the symbol says 4G and not 4G LTE
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Click to collapse
As far as I know, on the international models it doesnt say 4G LTE . It displays either LTE or 4G next to the reception bars.
mocsab said:
I realize that WIFI Calling is a major difference between international and TMOBILE - but I was more interested in the file structure of the phone and how wifi - or data works - not sure the reason, but it originally was difficult to flash International ROMS on the TMOBILE Note 3 - data wifi didn't work - data didn't work - and often the Internal SD card was wiped. When the S5 was released, the phones were so similar none of these problems happened. I was flashing International ROMS in the first day or two that the S5 was released.
I am not a dev so I can't speak to the reasons why it was this way on the NOte 3 - but except for the obvious differences (wifi Calling for example) I am only hoping that the Note 4 is more like it was with the S5 than it was with the note 3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't used Samsung phone for a while, but from past experience I'm pretty sure that you only need to flash appropriate radio/kernel to get data and WiFi working again. just my 2 cents.
I've got my eyes on the note 4 and thinking about getting one to play with, I have Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 2013, yeah, I know I'm a Nexus junkie
Lancez said:
I haven't used Samsung phone for a while, but from past experience I'm pretty sure that you only need to flash appropriate radio/kernel to get data and WiFi working again. just my 2 cents.
I've got my eyes on the note 4 and thinking about getting one to play with, I have Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 2013, yeah, I know I'm a Nexus junkie
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That actually wasn't true with the NOTE 3 which is the main reason I did this thread in the first place. When the NOTE 3 was released, if you flashed an INTERNATIONAL ROM WIFI and DATA and blue tooth did not work at all. Someone eventually came up with a fix which had to be flashed anytime you flashed an international rom - I don't know why this was necessary - it just was - it was almost as if there was some major difference in file structure and programming on the International version versus the TMOBILE or Canadian Version.
The S5 wasn't like that at all - Virtually every International ROM worked beautifully from the get go on TMOBLILE phones. So - the NOTE 3 must have had something that was done differently on International Versions of the phone compared to TMOBILE and Canadian Versions - and I am hopeful that THE NOTE 4 doesn't do that.
So - I am excited about the Note 4 - can't wait for it to be released - I know all of our questions will be answered then - looking forward to it!
Bubbled said:
kinda like papabear was saying, i believe the S5 international vs US both had snapdragon, which made them very compatible. the GN3 had exynos/snapdragon, and that made them quite different. exynos didn't have near as much development.
http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=6033&idPhone2=6434
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Click to collapse
Exynos doesn't have anything to do this. ALL of these phones come in both versions - Snapdragon and Exnynos - the note 3, S5 and NOte 4 each have both variations.
anyone on a tmobile snapdragon note 3 had problems with wifi and data when trying to flash roms from the international snapdragon phones Note 3.... I honestly don't know why the NOTE 3 had this issue and the S5 didn't - but it doesn't have anything to do with Exynos - but fingers crossed that the NOTE 4 behaves more like the S5 than the Note 3 in this regard - it will make flashing much easier.
(PS - there is no evidence that TMOBILE will lock bootloader. ATT and Verizon will for sure - both have said as much - every phone ATT and VERIZON releases are locked (except the developer version on Verizon) but TMOBILE has not given any indication they will be locking the bootloader - I don't expect they will lock the bootloader on the note 4 - we will find out for sure in a few weeks...
mocsab said:
That actually wasn't true with the NOTE 3 which is the main reason I did this thread in the first place. When the NOTE 3 was released, if you flashed an INTERNATIONAL ROM WIFI and DATA and blue tooth did not work at all. Someone eventually came up with a fix which had to be flashed anytime you flashed an international rom - I don't know why this was necessary - it just was - it was almost as if there was some major difference in file structure and programming on the International version versus the TMOBILE or Canadian Version.
The S5 wasn't like that at all - Virtually every International ROM worked beautifully from the get go on TMOBLILE phones. So - the NOTE 3 must have had something that was done differently on International Versions of the phone compared to TMOBILE and Canadian Versions - and I am hopeful that THE NOTE 4 doesn't do that.
So - I am excited about the Note 4 - can't wait for it to be released - I know all of our questions will be answered then - looking forward to it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If odin is still the tool to flash samsung official ROM, then you should be able to choose what to flash and what not to. well, i might be wrong but thats how i did on AT&T Captivate, Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Nexus. I remember that i've been switching between international and US version ROMs with just ROM without flashing any radios. Samsung may changed ROM structure, that I have no idea. And Sale is still sending all the samsung ROMs to me whenever he made one:victory:
Going to give a international a try.. this will be my first international device. .
This the one to get? Lte will work on usa tmobile right?Samsung Galaxy Note 4 SM-N910 Factory Unlocked International Model by samsung http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N2Y5ALK/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_oUSmub0HH4M79
Lancez said:
If odin is still the tool to flash samsung official ROM, then you should be able to choose what to flash and what not to. well, i might be wrong but thats how i did on AT&T Captivate, Galaxy S2 and Galaxy Nexus. I remember that i've been switching between international and US version ROMs with just ROM without flashing any radios. Samsung may changed ROM structure, that I have no idea. And Sale is still sending all the samsung ROMs to me whenever he made one:victory:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like you had said, you haven't had sammy devices in a while. Lol, things have changed with the note varients my friend, its not that "easy" anymore. How can you be debating with people who actually own the note 3 and was flashing international roms? lol
mgbotoe said:
Like you had said, you haven't had sammy devices in a while. Lol, things have changed with the note varients my friend, its not that "easy" anymore. How can you be debating with people who actually own the note 3 and was flashing international roms? lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was discussion my friend. and PDA is not the only option in odin.
markysd said:
Going to give a international a try.. this will be my first international device. .
This the one to get? Lte will work on usa tmobile right?Samsung Galaxy Note 4 SM-N910 Factory Unlocked International Model by samsung http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N2Y5ALK/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_oUSmub0HH4M79
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you hope to get by going with an international phone? It certainly won't have the optimum frequencies for tmobile network, it will likely work but they are opening new frequencies that the tmobile note 4 will be the first take advantage of...
p()()pypants said:
What do you hope to get by going with an international phone? It certainly won't have the optimum frequencies for tmobile network, it will likely work but they are opening new frequencies that the tmobile note 4 will be the first take advantage of...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dont care much about the frequency. . Lte and 4g is fast my aera. . No need for wifi calling also.. I want the exynos octo
I'm looking to buy a new phone but don't want/need the latest and greatest. I'm happy with the performance of my HTC One Mini, my work HTC One X/XL and my wife's S4 Active, all AT&T phones used in the U.S. My One Mini just suffered a horrible mountain bike crash which busted the screen up pretty bad, then too, my old eyes are tired of that tiny screen. I've also had bad luck with the built in battery and lack of SD card slot. So I was thinking S4 would be ok by me. Asking on the device forum I've gotten 50-11 answers some of which are conflicting answers. I was thinking the i9505 would be the right phone until someone piped up stating it wouldn't work on LTE here. From all I've seen it looks to me like that senior member don't know what they're talking about. Here's my criteria:
1. 4.5" to 5" screen
2. Unlocked/unlockable and can easily accept custom ROMs
3. Prefer to stick with a Kit Kat Rom as it gets along with my Do Not Disturb app better than Lollipop due to the built-in app on Lollipop
4. Removable battery
5. SD Slot
6. LTE service on AT&T/T-Mobile and Caribbean and South American Countries
7. Custom ROM must allow hotspot w/o AT&T controlling my use (I have unlimited internet on my plan and want to make use of it)
Background: I'm almost green having only installed a custom ROM on my work phone an HTC One X/XL from AT&T. Apparently it's one of the harder phones to unlock the bootloader and permanent Root is impossible I think. I 1st installed CM12.1 on the HTC ONE X and ran into conflicts and buggy operations. After a few weeks of testing I backed it up, wiped it and installed CM11 which I truly like. No experience or much understanding of KNOX, ODIN or ODEX. I only read bits and pieces on those while trying to figure out which S4 variant will fit my need. Lastly, were can I get a new phone off contract? Anybody purchased from www.Cell2Get.com? I was about to buy this phone prior to the member claiming it wouldn't work on AT&T.
http://www.cell2get.com/samsung-galaxy-s4-i9505-16gb-unlocked-gsm-android-cell-phone-p-5122.html
IRBent said:
I'm looking to buy a new phone but don't want/need the latest and greatest. I'm happy with the performance of my HTC One Mini, my work HTC One X/XL and my wife's S4 Active, all AT&T phones used in the U.S. My One Mini just suffered a horrible mountain bike crash which busted the screen up pretty bad, then too, my old eyes are tired of that tiny screen. I've also had bad luck with the built in battery and lack of SD card slot. So I was thinking S4 would be ok by me. Asking on the device forum I've gotten 50-11 answers some of which are conflicting answers. I was thinking the i9505 would be the right phone until someone piped up stating it wouldn't work on LTE here. From all I've seen it looks to me like that senior member don't know what they're talking about. Here's my criteria:
1. 4.5" to 5" screen
2. Unlocked/unlockable and can easily accept custom ROMs
3. Prefer to stick with a Kit Kat Rom as it gets along with my Do Not Disturb app better than Lollipop due to the built-in app on Lollipop
4. Removable battery
5. SD Slot
6. LTE service on AT&T/T-Mobile and Caribbean and South American Countries
7. Custom ROM must allow hotspot w/o AT&T controlling my use (I have unlimited internet on my plan and want to make use of it)
Background: I'm almost green having only installed a custom ROM on my work phone an HTC One X/XL from AT&T. Apparently it's one of the harder phones to unlock the bootloader and permanent Root is impossible I think. I 1st installed CM12.1 on the HTC ONE X and ran into conflicts and buggy operations. After a few weeks of testing I backed it up, wiped it and installed CM11 which I truly like. No experience or much understanding of KNOX, ODIN or ODEX. I only read bits and pieces on those while trying to figure out which S4 variant will fit my need. Lastly, were can I get a new phone off contract? Anybody purchased from www.Cell2Get.com? I was about to buy this phone prior to the member claiming it wouldn't work on AT&T.
http://www.cell2get.com/samsung-galaxy-s4-i9505-16gb-unlocked-gsm-android-cell-phone-p-5122.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- AT&T has it's own variant of the S4. It's called the "SGH-I337".
- The I9505 will not work with LTE on the AT&T network. It support different bands. So the member was correct. You can see it here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_S4#Model_variants
- The "SGH-I337" has a locked bootloader and cannot be unlocked. Only some old devices will have an unlocked bootloader because they never upgraded their software. Thus you cannot use custom roms like CM.
Lennyz1988 said:
- AT&T has it's own variant of the S4. It's called the "SGH-I337".
- The I9505 will not work with LTE on the AT&T network. It support different bands. So the member was correct. You can see it here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_S4#Model_variants
- The "SGH-I337" has a locked bootloader and cannot be unlocked. Only some old devices will have an unlocked bootloader because they never upgraded their software. Thus you cannot use custom roms like CM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So is the GT-I9505G the preferred phone to have and to mod and if so, can I buy new one without getting a fake?
"Google Play Edition
At the Google I/O 2013 keynote, Samsung and Google revealed that an edition of the U.S. S4 would be released on June 26, 2013 through Google Play, initially featuring stock Android 4.2.2, later updated to 4.4.4, with Samsung provided updates; it has an unlockable bootloader (similar to Nexus devices) and supports LTE on AT&T and T-Mobile's networks. The model number is GT-I9505G."
I'm likely "that member", because I have an I9505 (not I9505G) running on Straight Talk, which is a US MVNO that rents bandwidth from all the major US carriers. The I9505 will not work on LTE here in the US because the LTE frequencies used worldwide (1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20) are not the frequencies used by the carriers here in the US. The I9505G is a different story. It has the LTE frequencies needed to work here in the US, and does not have Touchwiz as it uses stock Android.
You can't purchase one new because they've been discontinued for some time now. You may want to check out Swappa (link at the top of the page) and see if they have a used one you can purchase.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
I'm likely "that member", because I have an I9505 (not I9505G) running on Straight Talk, which is a US MVNO that rents bandwidth from all the major US carriers. The I9505 will not work on LTE here in the US because the LTE frequencies used worldwide (1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20) are not the frequencies used by the carriers here in the US. The I9505G is a different story. It has the LTE frequencies needed to work here in the US, and does not have Touchwiz as it uses stock Android.
You can't purchase one new because they've been discontinued for some time now. You may want to check out Swappa (link at the top of the page) and see if they have a used one you can purchase.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really good and interesting reply. Being new to this stuff and having not kept up with cellphone technology, some of the things you guys just know, I'm having to try to understand. At first I assumed all 9505's were the same, but apparently I was wrong there. Then I also thought that since most cellphone review sites showed a plethora of Freq. and bands, with at least on or two being those that AT&T and most other North American GSM carriers use, I assume that meant I could get that model of phone. little did I know that those two lines of freqs and bands were for different versions of that same model, one for here and being a carrier locked phone and the other line being and international phone without the proper band for use here. So now after learning that difference it appears to me that there may be now way possible to purchase a new S4 and turn it into a custom ROM phone. So if I understand you and the carrier stuff correctly, you're using a plain 9505 and piggybacking off AT&T by way of StraightTalk like so many of us do. However since your phone is an international version you don't have LTE, is that right? One last thing I've yet to read or learn about but saw when I was putting CM11 and 12.1 on my HTC One X/XL (AT&T), I kept seeing stuff about "the radio". The way it read made me think they were NOT talking about an FM radio for music, but the freqs the phone itself uses. I think I recall them flashing "radios" which I assume they meant they were able to change the original freqs/bands that the model came with to one more useful here. Is that something that truly exists and can be done even on an S4 variant? My assumption is that it CANNOT be done or else you'd have done so already on your i9505.
IRBent said:
So if I understand you and the carrier stuff correctly, you're using a plain 9505 and piggybacking off AT&T by way of StraightTalk like so many of us do. However since your phone is an international version you don't have LTE, is that right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct.
IRBent said:
My assumption is that it CANNOT be done or else you'd have done so already on your i9505.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again correct. With Samsung, their firmware loading software, Odin, actually checks and makes sure the parts of the firmware match the model of the S4 connected to the PC. If they don't match, Odin will instantly fail. The only way to try and enable LTE on the I9505 is to delve into the low-level firmware for the LTE chip and attempt to rewrite it so it can see the added frequencies. However, I don't recommend it. Not only is it a very intricate process compared to something like rooting, it's also quite possible that you could render the LTE chip non-functional. I tried it, and nearly lost the ability to use my phone at all due to having my phone's SIM lock restored.
If you do decide to get an S4, an I9505G is likely your best bet. Not only does it have the AT&T frequencies, it's also got an unlocked bootloader (unlike the AT&T model) and is also carrier unlocked right out of the box. That last means you can use it on T-Mobile and carriers which use GSM SIM cards. Other choices would be the T-Mobile S4 (SGH-M919) or the North American S4 (SGH-I337M). All these phones include the AT&T frequencies and also have an unlocked bootloader so customization is easier.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
If you do decide to get an S4, an I9505G is likely your best bet. Not only does it have the AT&T frequencies, it's also got an unlocked bootloader (unlike the AT&T model) and is also carrier unlocked right out of the box. That last means you can use it on T-Mobile and carriers which use GSM SIM cards. Other choices would be the T-Mobile S4 (SGH-M919) or the North American S4 (SGH-I337M). All these phones include the AT&T frequencies and also have an unlocked bootloader so customization is easier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thank you so much sir. This answer is direct and explains exactly what I wanted to know. I only wish it were possible to purchase one of those models new so I could ensure years of use void of glitches due to possible abuse by the previous owner. If I can't find one of the above models I will probably be looking for some other make/model, preferably a new phone not used. Do you know if it's possible to get a new phone that meets the criteria below?
1. Unlocked bootloader or one that can be unlocked
2. Removable battery
3. 4.7" - 5" screen
4. SD card
5. Capable of being used as a hotspot ( I have unlimited internet but need to thwart AT&T from controlling my use)
6. Rootable and custom ROM capable
7. Can be used in U.S, South America and Caribbean (I think most of those places all use the same freqs/bands as U.S.)
That is why on Swappa you search for the ones labeled Mint or New. My device was Mint off Swappa, and the main reasons were that it was always in a case, and had a tempered glass screen protector installed.
For a current flagship-level device, looking at your laundry list, I believe you need to adjust your expectations. Not because of the software, but because of the hardware. LG is perhaps the only manufacturer still offering both removable batteries and MicroSD card slots, but their flagship device has a larger screen than you want. Motorola doesn't have removable batteries. Google provides neither, just like Samsung. Sony is an unknown, but their devices are not common here in the US.
Your best option is to go with a larger screen size and get an LG G4. If you absolutely MUST have the smaller screen, then you want a used Galaxy S4 or S5, so long as they aren't AT&T devices.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
For a current flagship-level device, looking at your laundry list, I believe you need to adjust your expectations. Not because of the software, but because of the hardware. LG is perhaps the only manufacturer still offering both removable batteries and MicroSD card slots, but their flagship device has a larger screen than you want. Motorola doesn't have removable batteries. Google provides neither, just like Samsung. Sony is an unknown, but their devices are not common here in the US.
Your best option is to go with a larger screen size and get an LG G4. If you absolutely MUST have the smaller screen, then you want a used Galaxy S4 or S5, so long as they aren't AT&T devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess I should have made it clear too that flagships, latest and greatest wasn't necessary. I'm happy with the speeds my older HTC ONE X and HTC ONE Mini supply. But closing in on 50 years old, my eyes and the Mini's screen don't get along so well anymore.
If you have bad eyesight, a bigger screen can be a godsend.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
If you have bad eyesight, a bigger screen can be a godsend.
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Exactly. I need a bigger screen but a smaller phone because my hands can't reach around my HTC ONE Mini. Sometimes it sucks being 5'4". LOL
IRBent said:
Exactly. I need a bigger screen but a smaller phone because my hands can't reach around my HTC ONE Mini. Sometimes it sucks being 5'4". LOL
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I would not recommend someone buying the S4 anymore. It was and still is a great phone, but newer models are just way better. The battery life is to short with the standard battery.
Based on your preferences I would recommend one of the following:
- LG Nexus 5
- Oneplus one
- Motorola X Play
But then again, maybe they are to big for you. The LG is the smallest but doesn't have a sd slot.
Lennyz1988 said:
Based on your preferences I would recommend one of the following:
- LG Nexus 5
- Oneplus one
- Motorola X Play
But then again, maybe they are to big for you. The LG is the smallest but doesn't have a sd slot.
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Amazing discovery by me just now. Yes, I've seen folks here talk about the brand OnePlus but I didn't know who or what OnePlus was until just now. I used to keep up with all things electronics related, reading review sites and forums like this. 10 years ago or so a DVD manufacturer named OPPO was the talk. Excellent brand but unheard of. I just learned that OnePlus is a company started by an OPPO founder. I'm so out of the loop.
I crushed my S5 (AT&T) today, pretty much broke it in half. Ooops.
I've long disliked the bootloader lock and ATT bloatware but I want to stay with the S5 platform for now since I like the form factor and various features.
Which is the best S5 variant for me to get that allows the most flexibility with unlocked bootloader and loading various ROMs? I'm thinking its the T-mobile variant, but wanted to get some feedback before I bought one. I'll be using a SIM from Puretalk as my carrier, so any SIM unlocked version should work.
Many thanks!
G900F seems to be the most popular, and has an unlocked bootloader
*Detection* said:
G900F seems to be the most popular, and has an unlocked bootloader
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G900T is a good choice as well. If you're in North America it might be easier to get your hands on one of those than a G900F.
Hey All!
I'm currently using the s5 active, and I'm looking for an upgrade. I'm looking for a phone with a great camera, so obviously s7 edge has come up.
I'm planning on using this phone primarily in Vietnam, so I wanted to ask a few questions about which variant you all suggest.
1. Are all versions sim unlocked? I read online that verizon is, but I also read that some other ones I need to buy codes. Is it relatively easy to unlock the other variants (without paying money)? I'm not shy about flashing and odin things so if it's complicated that's fine too, as long as it's possible.
2. Hows the unified development? I love flashing roms and trying out new ones, if you were to buy a new s7 edge and didn't care about carrier, is there one that you would recommend over the others? I'm on the ATT s5 active now, and locked bootloader sucks. So I'm hoping to avoid that if I can.
If you can buy the exynos version, it's SIM unlock and easily rootable. All USA version are based on Qualcomm and with locked boot loader so no development for it.
G935 exynos is your choice, but I'd wait for S8
Anik49 said:
If you can buy the exynos version, it's SIM unlock and easily rootable. All USA version are based on Qualcomm and with locked boot loader so no development for it.
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Ah okay. Maybe I'll check out some other phones then. Thanks!
yaro666 said:
G935 exynos is your choice, but I'd wait for S8
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Thanks! haha, but since I'm not on any US plan, I figured I'd buy a used one instead. Although, if I wait till the s8 comes out, I'm sure there will be a nice price drop for a used s7.
Although now I gotta think if I want to look into HTC or LG for my development needs =D
Ah. One more question. People are generally saying touchwiz now isn't terrible. So if carriers have OTA updates, are they easily flashed in other countries? With my att sg5, it was pretty difficult to get updates abroad.