I live in The Middle East and will be going to the USA very soon for a few months. My cousin works at a mobile phone repair shop(USA) and said he could get me a good offer (new or used). With all the different model numbers I'm confused about where to buy it from. I want the all around the world option where it works on all carriers wherever I go, even if I have to pay more. I would prefer the 8-core one but not sure what exactly I'm trading off or even if it's better. Also the Continent lock and the Knox thing....ugh my noobish brain can't handle this. Btw I am upgrading from a Galaxy Ace which is one **** of a phone.
abukh86 said:
I live in The Middle East and will be going to the USA very soon for a few months. My cousin works at a mobile phone repair shop(USA) and said he could get me a good offer (new or used). With all the different model numbers I'm confused about where to buy it from. I want the all around the world option where it works on all carriers wherever I go, even if I have to pay more. I would prefer the 8-core one but not sure what exactly I'm trading off or even if it's better. Also the Continent lock and the Knox thing....ugh my noobish brain can't handle this. Btw I am upgrading from a Galaxy Ace which is one **** of a phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im in Dubai
& its best to buy from the city your living in cos of Warranty
if u buy here it will be unlocked phone & usa if u get from Att or T mobile or etc it will be locked phone
they say international warranty but its always a problem
get the 4g LTE quad core cos it better to have fast net than a 8core phone
USA models always have lot of built in company software which u wont need here
rest is up to you
ilordvader said:
Im in Dubai
& its best to buy from the city your living in cos of Warranty
if u buy here it will be unlocked phone & usa if u get from Att or T mobile or etc it will be locked phone
they say international warranty but its always a problem
get the 4g LTE quad core cos it better to have fast net than a 8core phone
USA models always have lot of built in company software which u wont need here
rest is up to you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. Just a few more quick questions please.
1) So when I go to buy the phone I actually have the option of 8-core/4-core? I was under the impression it was all 8-core since it's international.
2) In terms of rooting and Roms here on XDA, is one more XDA friendly than the other? Is there a model I should avoid?
abukh86 said:
Thanks for the reply. Just a few more quick questions please.
1) So when I go to buy the phone I actually have the option of 8-core/4-core? I was under the impression it was all 8-core since it's international.
2) In terms of rooting and Roms here on XDA, is one more XDA friendly than the other? Is there a model I should avoid?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
both can be rooted
4 cores is 4g LTE which I think is better cos aster net speed
8 cores is 3g only
the way Samsung 8 cores work ATM is, that you can only have 4 fast ones or 4 slow ones working, depending on load, but never all 8 at the same time. There was talk about software fix for this, but who knows how that will turn out. The risk of buying US phone are frequencies: for example T-mobile originated phone has some frequencies different than ATT etc, so you would really need to check to see if they match your home towers. I'm not sure if US phones are region locked, my T-Mobile Note 3 has 18 network lock entries, not 64 and they don't look anything like the codes posted on this forum by other users. Mine look like this "network lock 310200, 310210, 310310 etc. so I don't even know what they mean. US phones are usually carrier locked, but could be easily unlocked especially if paid COD. But if your cousin works in phone repair shop, not only he should know about frequencies, carrier/region locks and technical differences between Samsung and Qualcom CPU, he could probably get you great price. I would talk to him more.
Negri Electronics sell the N9005 and they told me it is not lock, not branded and will work everywhere.
http://negrielectronics.com/samsung-n9005-galaxy-note-3-32gb-lte-unlocked-black.html#.Uso7rkDQv4X
---------- Post added at 07:23 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:21 AM ----------
Negri Electronics sell the N9005 and they told me it is not lock, not branded and will work everywhere.
http://negrielectronics.com/samsung-n9005-galaxy-note-3-32gb-lte-unlocked-black.html#.Uso7rkDQv4X
i bought the 4g n9005 from Saudi Arabia cheaper than USA
abukh86 said:
I live in The Middle East and will be going to the USA very soon for a few months. My cousin works at a mobile phone repair shop(USA) and said he could get me a good offer (new or used). With all the different model numbers I'm confused about where to buy it from. I want the all around the world option where it works on all carriers wherever I go, even if I have to pay more. I would prefer the 8-core one but not sure what exactly I'm trading off or even if it's better. Also the Continent lock and the Knox thing....ugh my noobish brain can't handle this. Btw I am upgrading from a Galaxy Ace which is one **** of a phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should be able to find the N9005ZKEXSI which is the UAE version of the phone thats fully compatible with "My Number, My Identity" initiative. They are basically all the same except for basebands. I would stick to N9005 model due to developer support, snapdragon is better simply & exynos hasn't reached its potential & there is no word as of late on HMP to utilize all 8 cores.
Just remember, even though the N9005 is international there are still variants per country, which means the market they came from if you break it...is where it has to be repaired so buying a local N9005 model is the very best route to go which is the N9000ZKEXSG (Jordans version of Exynos) otherwise, you need to grab one from another closer market that does have the LTE model... aka UAE.
Get it from the country you spend the most time living in.
Isn't the USA one region locked?
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
refinition said:
Isn't the USA one region locked?
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most carriers release it if fully paid so its a yes/no answer.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
nxneko said:
You should be able to find the N9005ZKEXSI which is the UAE version of the phone thats fully compatible with "My Number, My Identity" initiative. They are basically all the same except for basebands. I would stick to N9005 model due to developer support, snapdragon is better simply & exynos hasn't reached its potential & there is no word as of late on HMP to utilize all 8 cores.
Just remember, even though the N9005 is international there are still variants per country, which means the market they came from if you break it...is where it has to be repaired so buying a local N9005 model is the very best route to go which is the N9000ZKEXSG (Jordans version of Exynos) otherwise, you need to grab one from another closer market that does have the LTE model... aka UAE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have same product code as you mention N9005ZKEXSI ,like to know more about "My Number, My Identity" What it mean, I am also from U.A.E.
Thanks
jdomadia said:
I have same product code as you mention N9005ZKEXSI ,like to know more about "My Number, My Identity" What it mean, I am also from U.A.E.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some special registration thing from TRA called TRA:ID each device has one if you look in about device with stock rom or KEXSI csc. There will be two codes I am guessing you end up registering somewhere.
I cant really say as im using the kexsi 9005 in the states, its just something I saw while looking to see which country my note came from.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
nxneko said:
Some special registration thing from TRA called TRA:ID each device has one if you look in about device with stock rom or KEXSI csc. There will be two codes I am guessing you end up registering somewhere.
I cant really say as im using the kexsi 9005 in the states, its just something I saw while looking to see which country my note came from.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh Okay TRA:ID & TA:00000 something like this is there, may u r saying about that, one more thing I notice is My mobile number is also appearing in status, I don't know for others also it's Same.
nxneko said:
Some special registration thing from TRA called TRA:ID each device has one if you look in about device with stock rom or KEXSI csc. There will be two codes I am guessing you end up registering somewhere.
I cant really say as im using the kexsi 9005 in the states, its just something I saw while looking to see which country my note came from.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mat One more question,you bought this phone in US & activate also in US? Its working after any modification in US or with stock rom without any problem, I am asking if I am traveling than I need to install custom ROM or it will work as it is with Stock ROM.
Thanks
jdomadia said:
Mat One more question,you bought this phone in US & activate also in US? Its working after any modification in US or with stock rom without any problem, I am asking if I am traveling than I need to install custom ROM or it will work as it is with Stock ROM.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its completely unlocked and has been working phone on 3G services on tmobile for me.
Related
Hello,
I am from Istanbul, Turkey. As you know, Samsung released its Exynos version Note 3 in Turkish market. Note 3 with Exynos Octa processor costs approx. $1000 here in Turkey. That's why, I want to place an order from a friend who is currently in New York.
He said the cheapest Note 3 with Snapdragon processor costs $725 in AT&T Manhattan store. But the guys in that store said to him that the phone cannot be used in Turkey. And they said that he can only buy the "working versions" of Note 3 from Best Buy, Amazon or eBay.
I just want to know that, if he buys that N9005 (Snap.800) model for me, am I going to be able to use that phone in Turkey with XDA's unlock tools? I really need your help because I just have 3 days left to decide and place the order.
Many thanks..
Alper
Some countries get both versions, which implies that both are usable on any network. Just make sure you're not buying from a carrier, buy from a carrier-independent store.
slm gp
Make also sure, your friend takes an unregistered USA simcard with him to Turkey.
You also can buy these on Ebay
Because the N3 has a simlock on some phones to activate the phone. If you first put the USA sim in and register the phone, you should be fine using Turkcell, Vodafone, AVEA or whatever in Turkey I think.
any other idea or suggestion?
Didn't read about it but can Chainfire's region unlocker (or something like that) application fix this for you?
kromosto said:
Didn't read about it but can Chainfire's region unlocker (or something like that) application fix this for you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, I have to be sure about that before I am going to place the order that's why I need a confirmed information thanks though
Are you sure N9005 LTE version work in Turkey because of 4G requirement?
Hi guys, I've searched the threads, and the only one that seems to talk about region lock is this one:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2729956
I want to buy a SM-900F (international version) and I want to bring it to my country (South America). How will region lock affect me? I know it's SIM unlocked, but I don´t think I´ll be able to get ahold of a sim card of another country to be able to activate it... If that's a requirement, though, is it possible to bypass? Any other thing I should know about region lock?
Thanks
jorge_moran_jams said:
Hi guys, I've searched the threads, and the only one that seems to talk about region lock is this one:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2729956
I want to buy a SM-900F (international version) and I want to bring it to my country (South America). How will region lock affect me? I know it's SIM unlocked, but I don´t think I´ll be able to get ahold of a sim card of another country to be able to activate it... If that's a requirement, though, is it possible to bypass? Any other thing I should know about region lock?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't comment on capability to bypass it. Can you not get the SM-G900M which is the unlocked version for North and South America? Yes, it's also the branded one down there, but G900M is the "Americas unlocked version". I got mine from Expansys, and they have a Brazilian site.
On a random side note, aren't questions supposed to go in the Q&A section?
xtechx said:
I can't comment on capability to bypass it. Can you not get the SM-G900M which is the unlocked version for North and South America? Yes, it's also the branded one down there, but G900M is the "Americas unlocked version". I got mine from Expansys, and they have a Brazilian site.
On a random side note, aren't questions supposed to go in the Q&A section?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm really sorry, I didn't even realize I was in general, the thing I'm worried about is the hardware, I know for a fact the F version will have lots of support from the community because it's Qualcomm, but as it was the case with the GS4, the Exynos version almost certainly won't get much love... I'm not sure which hardware the G900M has, but I don't think I'll be able to get one in USA... That's why I was planning on buying the F, it's way easier to get ahold of.
jorge_moran_jams said:
I'm really sorry, I didn't even realize I was in general, the thing I'm worried about is the hardware, I know for a fact the F version will have lots of support from the community because it's Qualcomm, but as it was the case with the GS4, the Exynos version almost certainly won't get much love... I'm not sure which hardware the G900M has, but I don't think I'll be able to get one in USA... That's why I was planning on buying the F, it's way easier to get ahold of.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No worries, I was just bugging heh.
I have the G900M. It's Qualcomm. I'm running kernel and ROM for G900F as we speak, and it's perfectly fine. Expansys has many sites around the world, including the USA. I wasn't sure what country you were in. You mentioned South America which is why I pointed out they have a site native to Brazil.
ADDITION
nvm, I can't read. I see you're in Ecuador, so a Brazilian site may not help. The G900M would pass with your SIM card though.
maybe someone else can comment on the region lock itself.
You can unlock it by calling the samsung hotline or going to a samsung service center,pls try next time to google your issue before spamming xda, http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_on_region_lock_you_need_5_min_of_voice_calls-news-7184.php
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
atilla88 said:
You can unlock it by calling the samsung hotline or going to a samsung service center,pls try next time to google your issue before spamming xda, http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_on_region_lock_you_need_5_min_of_voice_calls-news-7184.php
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you even read your link? That info is regarding the Note 3... In my original post I included a link to another thread in which someone says the region lock works differently for the GS5
jorge_moran_jams said:
Did you even read your link? That info is regarding the Note 3... In my original post I included a link to another thread in which someone says the region lock works differently for the GS5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont think that sammy has different region lock policies for their smartphones,you should really just call the sammy service center,this takes 5 minutes and is much faster then waiting on xda
okay so when I bought my note 3 this article here, or review I should say, was very helpful. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/review/..._dp_cr?cursor=1&qid=1399409475&sort=rd&sr=8-2
the only thing is, I can't seem to figure out which note 4 model to buy now. if it helps any I live in USA Texas and I'm going to be using my phone on Net10 I would like to get 4G LTE and I'd rather have the Snapdragon model but the Exynos model is ok too. I just want to know which model would work best with the provider I'm going to use and get 4G LTE and also maybe not have so much bloatware. It HAS to be unlocked. Is there a USA unlocked version? What should I do... I'm really good with technology and phones don't get me wrong, but Samsung model numbers and figuring out what's what confuses the crap out of me!
all the unlocked models I found are either not compatible with USA bands or just that I'm worried because they're always European or Arab version phones and I'm just worried about getting one that's from some other country and that it won't function properly. Halp meh plzz?!
bump
You will have LTE coverage on either the N910F(Snapdragon) or N910C(Exynos).Just get the one offered in your country.
Ashatar said:
You will have LTE coverage on either the N910F(Snapdragon) or N910C(Exynos).Just get the one offered in your country.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this one okay and will work for me properly without any issues then? http://www.net10wirelessphones.com/Samsung_Galaxy-Note-4.html
Will it think I'm in another country or anything like that? :/
TigerWolf24 said:
Is this one okay and will work for me properly without any issues then? http://www.net10wirelessphones.com/Samsung_Galaxy-Note-4.html
Will it think I'm in another country or anything like that? :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It looks fine, you shouldn't have any problems with it...just watch out to not get a fake one
I've been an iPhone user for 5 years now. 3G and 5 versions. I am tired of iTunes I would also like to tinker a bit with my next phone. . I have used Linux as my main desktop os for a few years.
Anyways, I'm on a grandfathered unlimited data plan on att. My iphone 5 has no working power button, the mic is defective and the battery is worn.
I work in construction so i was considering the s5 for its dust rating and removable battery.
I spoke with tmobile today and they told me that any tmobile device, even if bought for full price new on amazon or best buy would be locked to tmobile service. They informed me I would need service with them in order to unlock. If that's the case it rules out buying a tmobile version for the unlocked bootloader.
Does the unlocked version from bestbuy come with the unlocked boot loader?
To clarify I meant the model listed as "Sam G900"
Sayn3ver said:
To clarify I meant the model listed as "Sam G900"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go into settings and in "about device" for the model name. Sam G900 is not a model name.
lingowistico said:
Go into settings and in "about device" for the model name. Sam G900 is not a model name.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure he's just going off what best buy says for the model.
I too am wondering this question. Very disappointed in the new S6, thought it was going to be "the next big thing", turns out they just want to be like apple now.
Side note, where would u recommend buying an unlocked bootloader S5, that has LTE capabilities for att? Or does that not exist in the US? Been searching but coming up empty handed.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337
I don't have the phone I am referencing. Like mentioned earlier, it's just the model number off of best buys webpage. They have the g900a model and a Sam-g900 for sale. They only sell the tmobile prepaids unlocked at a higher price point.
Is there a reputable online seller of new or refurbished unlocked tmobile versions?
I don't know if I wanna gamble buying used.
fals3illusion said:
I'm pretty sure he's just going off what best buy says for the model.
I too am wondering this question. Very disappointed in the new S6, thought it was going to be "the next big thing", turns out they just want to be like apple now.
Side note, where would u recommend buying an unlocked bootloader S5, that has LTE capabilities for att? Or does that not exist in the US? Been searching but coming up empty handed.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Buy a 900f from ebay. There are tons of reputable sellers there, just look at their feedback score. All qualcomm models support all lte frequencies, however they're not activated by default. There's a guide in general or q&a which shows how to activate all freqeuncies
lingowistico said:
Buy a 900f from ebay. There are tons of reputable sellers there, just look at their feedback score. All qualcomm models support all lte frequencies, however they're not activated by default. There's a guide in general or q&a which shows how to activate all freqeuncies
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does the 900f come with unlocked bootloaders? Is there a way you can identify if they have an unlocked bootloader without physically checking the phone just don't want to spend hundreds of dollars and kinda get stuck with a phone that's not what I wanted.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Free mobile app
I just purchased an unlocked GS5 G900T (Tmobile version) from eBay yesterday, and should have it by the end of the week. I've purchased my last 3 phones from eBay, and all have been true to the ad, and in excellent condition.
You do need to study the photos closely though, and make sure the seller has good feed back, and a lot of feedback (I never buy from sellers who have only a few ratings and/or using a new account).
I got this phone to use with ATT and wanted an unlocked bootloader. Kinda wish I knew that you could activate the frequencies on the 900F though, as it seems like most of the development is for that model. Oh well, as long as I can root and have a few choices of ROMs, I'll be happy.
I'll probably be using some sort of stock based rom on this phone (for a while at least).
fals3illusion said:
Does the 900f come with unlocked bootloaders? Is there a way you can identify if they have an unlocked bootloader without physically checking the phone just don't want to spend hundreds of dollars and kinda get stuck with a phone that's not what I wanted.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the 900f/klte/international has an unlocked bootloader
lingowistico said:
Yes, the 900f/klte/international has an unlocked bootloader
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok cool, thanks for all the help!!
I did not know that T-Mobiles Galaxy S5 Came with unlocked bootloaders. I am just going to get one from them since T-Mobile and ATT run on basically the same LTE Basebands and LTE will not be affected as much as the international version when i'm on ATT's network
fals3illusion said:
I'm pretty sure he's just going off what best buy says for the model.
I too am wondering this question. Very disappointed in the new S6, thought it was going to be "the next big thing", turns out they just want to be like apple now.
Side note, where would u recommend buying an unlocked bootloader S5, that has LTE capabilities for att? Or does that not exist in the US? Been searching but coming up empty handed.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
didn't read the rest of the replies but cricket...they sell it with unlocked boot loader, and you can sim unlock after six months...but they are owned wholly by att so you'll have att's reception and reliability. Of course your unlimited data would be history but crickets rates are significantly lower than most other mvno carriers
Edit: the model no is sm-g900az
Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
I called bestbuy.com customer service. The customer service agent was no help. No additional info than what's provided on the webpage (actual samsung model # is what I was looking for).
She transferred me to their technical support department. The gentleman spent about 5 minutes or so searching and couldn't come up with anything more.
I was told to call an actual best buy store and speak with their mobile department.
I called later today when best buy opened up. Sat on hold for 8min before an actual human being answered the phone. They too were no help. The conversation went like this...
Me: do you know which model of the g900 the sku 5760005 is referring to. . The listed model number Sam-g900 with that sku# is not an actual samsung model number.
Them: it's a g900.
Me: no you do not understand, g900 should be followed by one more letter. Is it a g900a, g900t, g900v, g900f, g900h, etc?
Them: it's a g900. What provider do you have?
Me: I'm on att but probably going to tmobile soon.
Them: we don't carry tmobile. I have a g900a. It works good. (they have the prepaid tmobile s5 on their website).
Me: nvm. Thanks have a nice day.....click.
Like the title says, what's the best place to buy unlocked international phones in US.
I also might have an option to buy while traveling to UK and looking for suggestions.
Will be using it on AT&T.
thanks!
The US has Snapdragon, the UK has Exynos
Super-Veloce said:
The US has Snapdragon, the UK has Exynos
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the eye opener, now back to my question "Best place to buy Exynos version in US"
In the past, I've had the best success with well rated ebay resellers. Having ebay back your purchase is important because they are so buyer centric. If there are any issues at all, they will force paypal to refund your money. The only downside to this, is that you'll likely pay a little more - especially if you purchase right at release time.
Wonda Mobile and Expansys are also great/reputable online resellers that will surely sell the S8 and S8+. You'll pay closer to the retail price of the device (no ebay fees, price gouging, etc) and their return policies are good. That said, YOU will pay return fees back to Korea if there are issues and you're 100% at their discretion for returns/replacements/restocking fees, etc.
Hope this helps.
morbidz said:
thanks for the eye opener, now back to my question "Best place to buy Exynos version in US"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got my Galaxy S7 Edge (G935F) on Amazon and was going to get the NOTE 7 EXYNOS from https://www.bhphotovideo.com/
They are a good retailer - I am hoping we can get preorder from them - (they did offer a preorder for the NOTE but it never happened because batteries started exploding before the NOTE 7 Was released.
Silly question - but why would one prefer the Exynos version over the Snapdragon? Is there a noticeable difference in performance, or some other factor?
From what I hear, the performance on the Exynos variant is better than the Snapdragon variant. Also, the SnapDragon variant has been bootloader locked as of lately (Note 7, S7, and S7 Edge) while the Exynos variants have been unlocked.
So I pre-ordered a sim unlocked s8+ through samsung's UK site. not sure if they will ship to US though
Greetings from Canada,
Would anyone know which "soc" goes in the Canadian variant?
Thank you.
cguarino said:
Silly question - but why would one prefer the Exynos version over the Snapdragon? Is there a noticeable difference in performance, or some other factor?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats so naive from you..see the galaxy s7 exynos variant was unlock the past year where the s7 820 was not, what that means ?
basically means that you was not able to root any western device , but only exynos variant can... and root a device is crucial to open a lot of possibilitys like overclock
and responding to the question of this guy, basically in every latin country on america you can find the exynos variant, which is kind a weird cosidering that allways all america used the qualcomm variant in the past , and because a lot of mexicans carriers dont have the culture of wait until the oficial release of the smartphone i will expect some people to buyit long before
samteeee said:
Greetings from Canada,
Would anyone know which "soc" goes in the Canadian variant?
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Canada is getting the snapdragon like the USA unfortunately.
Handtech and Clove are both reputable UK shops that many on this forum have used and recommend. Be aware if you're a first time buyer at either you may have to jump extra hoops to clear your credit card. This is normal and due to the high degree of fraud in international cell phone sales.
mocsab said:
I got my Galaxy S7 Edge (G935F) on Amazon and was going to get the NOTE 7 EXYNOS from https://www.bhphotovideo.com/
They are a good retailer - I am hoping we can get preorder from them - (they did offer a preorder for the NOTE but it never happened because batteries started exploding before the NOTE 7 Was released.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BH has it listed now, but just to notify when available. It has it listed as SM-G955. It doesn't say whether or not it is SD or exynos though.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod..._sm_g955_64gb_gry_galaxy_s8_sm_g955_64gb.html
I know with the international S7, Samsung Pay would not work in the US. Not too worried about that, but are there any other drawbacks? Will it work on all the LTE bands for AT&T?
I think for those that really want the international version, you'll have to find overseas sites that ship to the US or get them from a reputable seller on eBay such as never-msrp. The downside, as always, to importing is a higher price and generally, no warranty. I generally get quarterly trade where if anything happens and no one fixes the phone, they'll just give a full refund of the phone price. Anyways, just make sure it says SM 950F or SM 955F. The F are the true international unlocked models. Samsung pay may now work in the US. Check out the S7 threads to see how they got pay to work in the US
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 09:45 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:44 AM ----------
PuffinNugz said:
BH has it listed now, but just to notify when available. It has it listed as SM-G955. It doesn't say whether or not it is SD or exynos though.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod..._sm_g955_64gb_gry_galaxy_s8_sm_g955_64gb.html
I know with the international S7, Samsung Pay would not work in the US. Not too worried about that, but are there any other drawbacks? Will it work on all the LTE bands for AT&T?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The s7 had all AT&T and tmobile bands. Volte didn't work and wifi calling also didn't work on tmobile tho even though the s7 had band 12. It just would not connect. I now have att so that's no longer a concern with me
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk
Ordered from SamsungUK, they didnt reject my US address, so we will see what happens.
morbidz said:
So I pre-ordered a sim unlocked s8+ through samsung's UK site. not sure if they will ship to US though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I contacted the UK samsung web page and the sim free version still need to make a 5 minut call in the uk first to be truly unlocked, as it has region locked.
Check out clove UK. They have the cheapest pricing for the S8 and the s8+ and you get the international model. Picking mine up Soon
Sent from my ZTE A2017U using Tapatalk
morbidz said:
So I pre-ordered a sim unlocked s8+ through samsung's UK site. not sure if they will ship to US though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't want them to ship it. The EU phones have region lock. To use a SIM from a country different from the phone's selling country you have to make a 5 minute call on a SIM native to the selling country on a network native to the selling country. That's why all the grey market phones on eBay are mostly from Asia.
Here's an article on it.
http://www.androidcentral.com/your-...8e43&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter
PuffinNugz said:
BH has it listed now, but just to notify when available. It has it listed as SM-G955. It doesn't say whether or not it is SD or exynos though.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod..._sm_g955_64gb_gry_galaxy_s8_sm_g955_64gb.html
I know with the international S7, Samsung Pay would not work in the US. Not too worried about that, but are there any other drawbacks? Will it work on all the LTE bands for AT&T?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LTE on ATT works fine on the International Varients - the only thing missing is WIFI Calling and VOLTE - if those are big deals for you, yoiu need to stick with an ATT Phone. I haven't missed them - LTE speeds for me have always been great - I don't need WIFI Calling - and HD VOICE, well, I am not so sure it is everythign it is cracked up to be - call quality for me has been very good - so I personally am not missing anything.
I have wondered for a while if the snapdragon model in the US isn't something paid for by the NSA to be a the only US variant offered. Like more backdoors, etc built in to the Snapdragon variant. Unless there is some other obvious reason why the US gets only the Snapdragon variant.
It really doesn't matter for daily usable or noticeable performance however. Bet you'd never be able to tell which variant you were using if they were set up the same and you didn't check in the settings to cheat to see which variant it was.