[Q] S4 Back Covers? - Galaxy S 4 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

It has come to my attention that there a a range of different covers for the S4, I do not mean colours or carrier printing but rather, some have no printing at the back and some have 'Galaxy S4' printing. Also the i9506 (4G) models vary from having the 4G print at the back to nothing at all.
Does anyone know why this is or whats going on?
On another note, has anyone ordered from TopBuy before? I purchased the i9506 from them, it is yet to arrive but I'm becoming anxious as to whether or not I will receive a genuine model. TopBuy claims that "All products offered by TopBuy are brand new in their original boxes. They are not used, display models, etc… The savings come from direct imported overseas stock at tax free prices" is this to believe?
Also, in the phones package contents they claim that "(Please note user manual may come as English version hardcopy or softcopy)" shouldn't this always be hardcopy? I've never heard of a softcopy included with the phone.

Related

NFC Thread...

There are many questions being asked in various threads about NFC so lets stick all NFC enquiries into one thread.
What do we know so far?
From the UK model's there are no signs of NFC, however the Korean version does. Why is this?
The Korean service is provided KT, based on NFC phones and SIM cards.
"In Korea, there were 2~3 smartphones that embedded NFC including Nexus S. But in the problem of blocking SWP between USIM and NFC chipset, Nexus S is not that well promoted as the NFC phone. So Galaxy S2 may be accepted as the first NFC phone by consumers. And if iPhone 5 doesn’t embed NFC, Galaxy S2 is very important for carriers and card companies to want to drive the NFC payment.
Among active movements around the NFC business such as Korea Communication Commission’s ‘Grand NFC Korea Alliance, infrastructure is rising as the key issue to activate the market. And it’s a good opportunity for carriers to distribute Galaxy S2 which is designed for SIM-based SE.
After the launch of Galaxy S2, Samsung will adopt NFC in most of its smartphone line-up."
Which brings us to the UK version, from many sources on the web, Samsung is keen to blow NFC up big in the UK, they are planning to work with Visa for the Olympics:
http://www.nearfieldcommunicationsw...ing-nfc-payments-to-the-london-2012-olympics/
So that states from 2012 onwards, starting in the UK then Europe.
Mastercard and orange are working together to bring out a NFC phone, which will be the Samsung Wave 578:
http://www.whatmobile.net/2011/02/samsung-wave-578-gets-nfc-addition/
Not sure if Mastercard or Barclaycard, however these will be all based on SIM BASED NFC. A high capacity sim card replacing the standard sim cards.
Going back to 2010, Samsung trialling out Sim based NFC:
http://www.mobilemarketingmagazine.com/content/sim-based-nfc-payments-pilot-runs-mwc
Now Samsung is jumping on board the NFC bandwagon, as Mobile Business Briefing reports, with news that the company will be working with Visa to produce a branded Olympics handset featuring contactless mobile payments.
The phone will use a Visa enabled sim card to facilitate purchases from retailers with the necessary contactless technology. Some 60,000 retail outlets in London will apparently be set to accept NFC payments by the time the games rolls around in 2012.
The only question which remains is what network operator Samsung is going to get on board with…
So after all that, we may have to wait until next year maybe in the UK for a specific NFC based phone which will allow the new sims. The UK S2 in that sense will most likely not have NFC as we are not ready for it just yet.
Maybe we will see a NFC version in the near future or the Samsung Galaxy S3 rumoured for end year will house this once UK carriers have piloted their NFC tests!
Oddly phones4u who are the only uk store to actually have some in the warehouse go out their way to state it houses nfc to use you phone as a credit card. I'm starting to think it might vary from shop to shop. This could be confusing!
Sent from my HTC Hero using XDA App
I think they all procure physical devices from same source.
But different shops grab specs from different Samsung web site
Or may be everyone is lucky, that metal frame around the camera lens IS the NFC antenna, and all this phone needs is a software upgrade to enable NFC functionality
I think it's pretty poor of Samsung not to be totally transparent about who is getting what varient and when.. i.e. Exynos/Tegra, Super AMOLED+/LCD, NFC/Non NFC, 16GB/32GB...
Clove have just released a blog stating the UK SGSII will NOT be shipping with NFC.
God its bad, Samsung should have cleared what region is getting what, Clove and expansys said repeatedly to me that NFC will there...
Its bad marketing by Samsung..Misrepresentation under English Law sue-able offense.
Beards said:
Clove have just released a blog stating the UK SGSII will NOT be shipping with NFC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Beards said:
Clove have just released a blog stating the UK SGSII will NOT be shipping with NFC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think all early versions of the phone will not have NFC then... I hoped the german version would be an exeption, but I belive it is the same physical batch because it comes similar early to the market.
Beards said:
Clove have just released a blog stating the UK SGSII will NOT be shipping with NFC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually asked them to verify that with Samsung since all the review said NFC were missing. They got back to me last night before posting the blog to confirm that there won't be NFC. I don't know why Samsung never told them that before or why they never verified this with the rest of the specs to begin with...
jimbiye said:
I actually asked them to verify that with Samsung since all the review said NFC were missing. They got back to me last night before posting the blog to confirm that there won't be NFC. I don't know why Samsung never told them that before or why they never verified this with the rest of the specs to begin with...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know.... You can also read a small bit about NFC here not impressed.
well according the the official samsung galaxy s2 specification webpage it says that the thickness is 8.49mm. Also under the NFC specs there was a line saying that with phones with the NFC chip, the thickness would vary. Now the korean version is launched and its with NFC chip, and indeed in the official samsungtomorrow korean site ( here http://samsungtomorrow.com/1145) the thickness is given as 8.89mm. So I guess we can safely assume that galaxy s2's with 8.89 mm thickness are the ones with nfc chip. So Before its launched in your region if you find 8.49mm thickness under the specs sheet that consider its without nfc.
ankydu said:
well according the the official samsung galaxy s2 specification webpage it says that the thickness is 8.49mm. Also under the NFC specs there was a line saying that with phones with the NFC chip, the thickness would vary. Now the korean version is launched and its with NFC chip, and indeed in the official samsungtomorrow korean site ( here http://samsungtomorrow.com/1145) the thickness is given as 8.89mm. So I guess we can safely assume that galaxy s2's with 8.89 mm thickness are the ones with nfc chip. So Before its launched in your region if you find 8.49mm thickness under the specs sheet that consider its without nfc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I lived in korea. And we think 0.5mm differrence is our Korea galaxy S2 model(SHW-M250S/M250K) embedded TDMB module.
(if you learn about TDMB, please refer follow link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Multimedia_Broadcasting)
usually most of korea cellphone embedded TDMB module and,
as a result, phone thicker then non-dmb embedded phone.
So our korean think Korea galaxy S2 is thicker then EU galaxy S2.
Expansys told me yesterday that their stock has the NFC chip... I even asked the guy to double check etc. and mentioned what everyone had been saying on forums. If it arrives without the NFC chip (which it probably will) I am going to kick up a fuss.
I have repeatedly asked Expansys to recheck and confirm that what ever specs are mentioned on your webpage will be present in my phone when they ship.. They said yes, It will be same phone (specs) as mentioned on the web.. Lets see
hshah said:
Expansys told me yesterday that their stock has the NFC chip... I even asked the guy to double check etc. and mentioned what everyone had been saying on forums. If it arrives without the NFC chip (which it probably will) I am going to kick up a fuss.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NFC
I got mine from P4U yesterday and I can not find any sign of an NFC chip. Nothing comes up in the hardware profile and there is no app to define credit card information etc.
creashor said:
I got mine from P4U yesterday and I can not find any sign of an NFC chip. Nothing comes up in the hardware profile and there is no app to define credit card information etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks... It is now 100% confirmed Samsung did not release the SGS II on the UK market with the chip.
Bloody annoying what!
Samsung make great hardware but their marketing, advertising & P.R need to be taken down a peg or two.
Samsung UK must have known all along the current UK SGS II would not have the chip, so why was it not mentioned as such.
You simply can not advertise something when clearly it is not.
It is a clear case of false advertising. Absolutely everything I read prior to purchase said it had nfc. I didn't see even the slightest speculation that it was not going to be included.
I'm not too bothered though. In reality, I have no use for nfc just yet - and I can't see me keeping this phone for more than a year (not the phone's fault, I just like to stay fairly current).
Sent from my Galaxy S II using XDA App
I just now made a request (tweet) to samsung india twitter account:
Please take ur time in getting the sgs2 to India, but please include the NFC Chip, we really want a future ready device.
I request all indian xda members to do the same.
heres the link: http://twitter.com/#!/samsung_mobiles
Can anyone tell me how to verify before buying if a particular Galaxy S2 has built in NFC chip? Will it say on the box? usually sellers have sealed package. Do I have to remove the battery cover for physical evidence or literally measure the thickness? Also, how to verify the variants of LCD/AMOLED and CPUs?
I'll greatly appreciate if anyone has any info on this, it's my major concern. I hate it when I pay top dollars and find that my boss or colleague has the same phone with better cpu and extra feature.
Cheers in advance.
I can't see how or why they would make to models, where is the money in that, i only see unhappy costumer.
uncanny said:
Can anyone tell me how to verify before buying if a particular Galaxy S2 has built in NFC chip? Will it say on the box? usually sellers have sealed package. Do I have to remove the battery cover for physical evidence or literally measure the thickness? Also, how to verify the variants of LCD/AMOLED and CPUs?
I'll greatly appreciate if anyone has any info on this, it's my major concern. I hate it when I pay top dollars and find that my boss or colleague has the same phone with better cpu and extra feature.
Cheers in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly the question I had in my mind.
Would really appreciate if someone can really come up with a concrete answer.
Maybe if some SGS II users from korean market join us here then they would be able to tell us how to identify a NFC/non NFC enabled SGS II or where does it really shows up or mentioned.
Thanks.

[Q] from new owner, what is "Legend" mean?

HI all, I just change from Galaxy S3 to Note3 yesterday arrived finally with black color, I like the metal style finishing inner screen better this time from mt S3 white ^^.
Same time my sisters and 2 others family members also change from Apples to note3, 1 take Telco A contract, 1 take Telco B contract and one buy from Samsung retailer. For me I buy online, also a retailer and have Original Samsung Warranty.
Here I notice 1 different from my family purchase, on my Galaxy Note 3 Box which is nice and "green" with recycle material. I have a chop on my box' sticker with word "Legend". I couldn't find out what is that mean even asked my online retailer no reply. Kindly share if you have same chop on box and know what its mean or different from others.
(dropbox.com) /s/bmtgntjic9rwt57/2013-11-04%2009.11.26.jpg
Many thanks in advance and have a great day onward.
Legendary superphone? Samsung's true flagship?
Might be a retailers security sticker so you cant return anything else in a differet box etc... maby.
If it was bought online it might be a grey import product. To use your sim card it would have to 1st be activated. After turning on, activating the phone with a regional sim card they may have sealed the box again and the sticker is an anti- tamper sticker they have put back on to show it is a new product after they set it up 1st...
I bought one from and it came from Malaysia, I live in Oz, and that was the case...
Ic, that make scense, I also brought @ Malaysia online. Hooray To grey import, that why its a bit cheaper too compare to retailer shop.
Sent from my SM-N9005 using xda app-developers app

Samsung basebands and fake devices

In my experience, a real Samsung device will have the model # as the first few characters of the baseband, am I right or wrong?
My question is about determining fakes: Will a fake device have a baseband set up to look like a real Samsung baseband or will the fake device always have a baseband that looks nothing like a Samsung version?
I saw this webpage about fakes appearing in Thailand: http://www.soyacincau.com/2014/04/2...d-in-bangkok-and-it-looks-like-the-real-deal/. The basband shown in the photos looks nothing like anything I've ever seen on a Samsung device. I was just wondering if that holds true for all fakes - basically, would checking the baseband be the absolute fool-proof way to determine a fake device?
I live in Vietnam and Samsung makes their phones here. I see mobile store buying parts (still the exact parts from official phones) from unofficial sources, put it together and copy the official imei of an official phone to cheat the customers. Then they put them in boxes with seal and papers look exactly like a new phone...Those Samsung phones (most popular is note2 s4 note3 s5) works like **** and often have China battery and other parts.
The stores often tell the customers that those phone is carried from abroad and sell it at a cheaper price. (I bought mine at Samsung showroom for 800$ and they sell theirs for 600$)
It's best to buy from certified retailers.
Sent from my SM-G900H using Tapatalk

Galaxy Note 4 - Fake??!

Hallo.
Just got my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 from an e-Bay trader. I think the dealer has a Chinese seat but the phone was shipped from England.
Please have a look at the photos. I also have a box of the original Polish version. It is in both cases the Exynos variant: SM-N910C.
The boxes are slightly different in the color of the printing: Polish ink is slightly darker than the new variant. On the back side of the package the dubious box has "WiFi Certified" instead of "HD Voice", which is labeled on the Polish box. Everything else is equal.
If the device is nominally a SM-N910C model, however it is sold for the Arabic market, can I assume that this device still is technically strictly equivalent to the variant for the European market never the less? Could it be that different or inferior components are used for different Markets? Does Samsung use different tolerances for different markets? Or is the device absolutely identical to the European variant?
Is there a way to check whether this device is an original Samsung Note 4 without opening the box?
Thanks for the hints!
You could watch a youtube video over the fake differences with the clones.
Just boot into download mood
take a look here,and fill out the IMEI nr
https://support-ca.samsung.com/secaew/consumer/ca/findwarranty/warrantyinfo
In which country is the Note 4 being produced? I know that the Polish Variant of the Model SM-N910C is produced in Vietnam. My Model is produced in China however. So is it a fake or is the Note 4 being produced in both countries? How does the SM-N910C from Vietnam differ from the SM-N910C from China? Are they technicaly identical? Is one country better" than the other? Are there different parts and tolerances being used?
Note 4's are being produced in vietnam and china....The ones being produced in china are not fake (in my country we get 910c which is made in china under official warranty). You can download an app called "phoneinfo" from playstore it will tell you whether you have a genuine samsung phone or not. The 910C being made in china and Vietnam are identical and have no difference.....no quality preference i have seen many phones from both countries. However this is my personal opinion and experience, a senior member may guide futhur on "different parts and tolerances" being used.
Dont worry about the box. In my country some people import brand new phones and ask the sellers to send phone and accessories only. They do this to avoid custom duty (which is levied on new phones only) so they pose as if they are importing a used phone. Then the use a locally made clone box to sell the phone.....the phone itself and the accessories are mostly original.
If the s-pen works while hovering above the screen then it's a real note 4.
If you turn it on, you will see right away the on the screen.
Replicas will never have SAMOLEDs and you will see right away the difference in colors and they are so obvious.
The Polish C-version, which is manufactured in Vietnam and no doubt original, has an internal memory of 24,65GB (according to Kies and Windows). The new Arabic C-version, which has been manufactured in China, has an internal memory of 24,57GB (again, according to Kies and Windows). Could this be a sign for a fake phone or are such minor differences and fluctuations normal and due to the manufactoring process?
CPU Z and Phone Info show absolutely identical hardware, only the internal memory is slightly smaller in the China-manufactured device. The China-version is slightly faster in the Antutu and Geekbench benchmarks however. So, can I now finally and definitly be SURE that the nev, China-made Note 4 is an original, genuine Samsung Galaxy Note 4 SM-N910C and is definitly NOT a fake ?
Hmm .. Could all you Note 4 owners write here which version you have, where it was manufactured ​​and how big the internal memory is.
Many many thanks!
P.s.: Where is the N910F (Snapdragon-Version) being produced?
dork997 said:
Note 4's are being produced in vietnam and china....The ones being produced in china are not fake (in my country we get 910c which is made in china under official warranty). You can download an app called "phoneinfo" from playstore it will tell you whether you have a genuine samsung phone or not. The 910C being made in china and Vietnam are identical and have no difference.....no quality preference i have seen many phones from both countries. However this is my personal opinion and experience, a senior member may guide futhur on "different parts and tolerances" being used.
Dont worry about the box. In my country some people import brand new phones and ask the sellers to send phone and accessories only. They do this to avoid custom duty (which is levied on new phones only) so they pose as if they are importing a used phone. Then the use a locally made clone box to sell the phone.....the phone itself and the accessories are mostly original.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, just instal free "Phone Info" from play store, we'll know it fake or not.
FYI: It's definitly original.. Best way to find out is the Antutu Officer..
Other possibility:
- (Samsung) Phone Info
- CPU-Z
- KIES
pimpl said:
FYI: It's definitly original.. Best way to find out is the Antutu Officer..
Other possibility:
- (Samsung) Phone Info
- CPU-Z
- KIES
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Told you....if it has SUPER AMOLED (PURE BLACKS)...and S-pen hovering works....then its deffo an original phone.

Galaxy S10+ 128GB with ceramic black back cover? Import?

I did post this question at the end of another thread, as it looks like my trusty old Note 3 is definitely deceased now, but it would probably be better in its own thread.
I want to get an S10+ and quite like the idea of the ceramic black back cover (the 'pearlescent gloss' look of the regular black - actually, closer to greyish - version seems a bit tacky and could pick up marks easily) but I don't think the 128GB version comes in that finish in the UK?
I've found a Spanish site that is offering 128GB Ceramic Black (https://www.costomovil.es/moviles-y...samsung-galaxy-s10+-128gb-ceramic-black-libre) but I'm not sure of the variant that they would be selling - they state it's an SM-G975FZKDPHE. I'm assuming that any official European release version (I would be buying SIM-free unlocked) would be the same base hardware, and have the same range of cell-frequencies, so it ought to work just as well here in the UK as it would anywhere else in Europe. I could probably even install official BTU firmware via Odin anyway if I wanted to (I think some banking security features are regional, presumably based on the ROM?).
However if I buy now from Spain, and the UK does leave the EU soon (at the moment, who knows!) do you think Samsung will still honour their originally offered 2-year purchase warranty here in the UK (as they do now) based on the market conditions at the purchase date? If not, it seems the same sort of gamble as buying a grey import from Hong Kong/etc.
Andre
andrewilley said:
I did post this question at the end of another thread, as it looks like my trusty old Note 3 is definitely deceased now, but it would probably be better in its own thread.
I want to get an S10+ and quite like the idea of the ceramic black back cover (the 'pearlescent gloss' look of the regular black - actually, closer to greyish - version seems a bit tacky and could pick up marks easily) but I don't think the 128GB version comes in that finish in the UK?
I've found a Spanish site that is offering 128GB Ceramic Black (https://www.costomovil.es/moviles-y...samsung-galaxy-s10+-128gb-ceramic-black-libre) but I'm not sure of the variant that they would be selling - they state it's an SM-G975FZKDPHE. I'm assuming that any official European release version (I would be buying SIM-free unlocked) would be the same base hardware, and have the same range of cell-frequencies, so it ought to work just as well here in the UK as it would anywhere else in Europe. I could probably even install official BTU firmware via Odin anyway if I wanted to (I think some banking security features are regional, presumably based on the ROM?).
However if I buy now from Spain, and the UK does leave the EU soon (at the moment, who knows!) do you think Samsung will still honour their originally offered 2-year purchase warranty here in the UK (as they do now) based on the market conditions at the purchase date? If not, it seems the same sort of gamble as buying a grey import from Hong Kong/etc.
Andre
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't this simply a mistake on their website? My understanding is the ceramic s10 plus model comes in just two varients, 8gb ram/ 512gb storage or 12gb ram/1tb storage.
Sticky F said:
Isn't this simply a mistake on their website? My understanding is the ceramic s10 plus model comes in just two varients, 8gb ram/ 512gb storage or 12gb ram/1tb storage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I was wondering, but Samsung are releasing so many odd variants around the different markets at the moment it's hard to say (I think there's a blue-back version coming to one of the UK carriers for example).
Andre
Only one way to find out then....
Sticky F said:
Only one way to find out then....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what worries me... Not much I can do about it if it's wrong and it's come from overseas.
Andre
I ment get in contact with them, drop them an email?
I'm backing it's a mistake, the ceramic backs belonging to the two s10 plus premium models.
andrewilley said:
I did post this question at the end of another thread, as it looks like my trusty old Note 3 is definitely deceased now, but it would probably be better in its own thread.
I want to get an S10+ and quite like the idea of the ceramic black back cover (the 'pearlescent gloss' look of the regular black - actually, closer to greyish - version seems a bit tacky and could pick up marks easily) but I don't think the 128GB version comes in that finish in the UK?
I've found a Spanish site that is offering 128GB Ceramic Black (https://www.costomovil.es/moviles-y...samsung-galaxy-s10+-128gb-ceramic-black-libre) but I'm not sure of the variant that they would be selling - they state it's an SM-G975FZKDPHE. I'm assuming that any official European release version (I would be buying SIM-free unlocked) would be the same base hardware, and have the same range of cell-frequencies, so it ought to work just as well here in the UK as it would anywhere else in Europe. I could probably even install official BTU firmware via Odin anyway if I wanted to (I think some banking security features are regional, presumably based on the ROM?).
However if I buy now from Spain, and the UK does leave the EU soon (at the moment, who knows!) do you think Samsung will still honour their originally offered 2-year purchase warranty here in the UK (as they do now) based on the market conditions at the purchase date? If not, it seems the same sort of gamble as buying a grey import from Hong Kong/etc.
Andre
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The site has made a mistake with the listing.
SM-G975FZKDPHE is the product code for the 128GB Prism Black standard model.
The Ceramic black one has a different product code:
SM-G975FCKGPHE (512 GB)
SM-G975FCKHPHE (1 TB)
You can flash the BTU ROM, insert a UK SIM card and do a factory reset. The phone will fully convert itself and will act as if it was bought in the UK.
You'll get all UK carrier and region specific features like VoLTE, WiFi Calling (both carrier dependent), Samsung Pay and so on.
Cell frequencies are the same across all Europe and Middle East since they all use the same variant (SM-G975F).
No clue about warranty though.
Actually, I think I may have found an even better fit for me - the upcoming Samsung A70 due out in a few weeks. https://news.samsung.com/uk/capture-connect-and-conquer-with-the-new-samsung-galaxy-a70
The A70 will still be a 128GB device, with an even bigger AMOLED screen than the S10+ (including embedded fingerprint sensor), bigger battery, SD Card, 3.5mm headphone jack... and no annoying curved display, a proper flat screen! OK, so it's 6GB RAM instead of 8GB, and I suspect the triple-camera won't be quite as good as the S10+, but then at less than 1/2 the price there are bound to be a few compromises (but hey, coming from a Note 3, it's still going to be a spectacularly better camera than the one I've been using).
Andre

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