[Q] Buy from the US ??? - Galaxy S 5 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I live in the UK and am on a Vodafone contact, I am planning to buy the S5 when it is released here. However I am off to New York in a few weeks and looking at the US unlocked pricing I can save myself over £100.
Is the US and UK phone exactly the same as I know previous models were different and will it work with my sim ?

cm016v said:
I live in the UK and am on a Vodafone contact, I am planning to buy the S5 when it is released here. However I am off to New York in a few weeks and looking at the US unlocked pricing I can save myself over £100.
Is the US and UK phone exactly the same as I know previous models were different and will it work with my sim ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Think the LTE bands may be different. Best to wait til they're released to check specs of both.

cm016v said:
I live in the UK and am on a Vodafone contact, I am planning to buy the S5 when it is released here. However I am off to New York in a few weeks and looking at the US unlocked pricing I can save myself over £100.
Is the US and UK phone exactly the same as I know previous models were different and will it work with my sim ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any US model won't work on LTE in the UK or EU. Only 3G will be working.
However, you can easily buy international version of S5 in the US cheaper than in the UK and it will work on LTE in the UK.
International version are SM-G900F or H.

cm016v said:
I live in the UK and am on a Vodafone contact, I am planning to buy the S5 when it is released here. However I am off to New York in a few weeks and looking at the US unlocked pricing I can save myself over £100.
Is the US and UK phone exactly the same as I know previous models were different and will it work with my sim ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try here : http://www.voloxcellular.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=samsung+s5
Or you can go to their store so that you will be able to ask everything you wanna know. :fingers-crossed:

Many thanks for all your replies, I will be sure to go to the store and even try my sim before i buy.

Related

US version on European 3G Networks

Hey Everyone,
So I live in Germany but I will be visiting the USA for Thanksgiving weekend. I am contemplating buying the Tab for $550 at Best Buy on black Friday. So if I find it worth it, should I get the Sprint or T-Mobile one? Or can I even use either of them unlocked so I can use 3G with my German Fonic SIM card (I think it uses the O2 networks)?
Thanks
T-Mobile US and AT&T are your only options. You will have to SIM unlock them.
Sprint and Verizon use their own wireless transmission protocol that is, with a few exceptions, incompatible with the rest of the world. In particular, no SIM card
The biggest issue you will find is the lack of phone functionality on the US models.
You should however be able to flash a Euro firmware, and it's quite likely that you get both phone and 3G data on a European network. I couldn't definitively state that this is the case though!
Caveat Emptor!
Regards,
Dave
OK, so you think I would be able to get T-Mobile version, and it should work with the 3G connections in Europe? And if so, can I easily unlock it and put in my SIM card as I have done with other American smartphones I use here?
Thanks
I think you're better of getting the AT&T Tab since it will have the UMTS 850, 1900, 2100 bands, EU uses the 2100, you will have to flash the eu rom on it though... Wait, the TMO Tab also has 2100... IDK someone will have to chime in...
Here's a comparison of the US models and the international Tab:
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/compare/Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-T-Mobile,Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-AT-T,Samsung-Galaxy-Tab/phones/4901,4900,4898
Stevv said:
Hey Everyone,
So I live in Germany but I will be visiting the USA for Thanksgiving weekend. I am contemplating buying the Tab for $550 at Best Buy on black Friday. So if I find it worth it, should I get the Sprint or T-Mobile one? Or can I even use either of them unlocked so I can use 3G with my German Fonic SIM card (I think it uses the O2 networks)?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might double check.... cus based on my local store and the best buy website... they are only selling Verizon and Sprint tabs... I don't think the will be selling Tmos, according to a Best Buys rep.
But of course Tmo should have them in stock...
If the standard Euro Tab is available in your airport departure lounge, you should be able to pick one up on your outward bound journey VAT free. It might still be more expensive than a US one, but not by much (assuming they are priced similarly to the UK) and would probably be a better bet all round.
Regards,
Dave
xexes said:
You might double check.... cus based on my local store and the best buy website... they are only selling Verizon and Sprint tabs... I don't think the will be selling Tmos, according to a Best Buys rep.
But of course Tmo should have them in stock...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh man you are right sorry my mistake. Thanks for the suggestion Dave I will look for it at the airport and see what the price is.
Stevv said:
OK, so you think I would be able to get T-Mobile version, and it should work with the 3G connections in Europe? And if so, can I easily unlock it and put in my SIM card as I have done with other American smartphones I use here?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how bout you buy the euro tab and ill trade you for my tmous tab
tmobile or ATT is ur only option buddy unless u buy and sell it for some extra cash and uby what u really want
SiL3nTKiLL said:
tmobile or ATT is ur only option buddy unless u buy and sell it for some extra cash and uby what u really want
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi from italy....
One question: if i'll buy a Sprint gtab, will it work in italy like a simple wifi device? or i need some sort of activation?
spino1970 said:
Hi from italy....
One question: if i'll buy a Sprint gtab, will it work in italy like a simple wifi device? or i need some sort of activation?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=10538263&postcount=3
already answered

[Q] Buying a Samsung Galaxy S 4 Duos (i9502) from China to be used in Europe

I would really love getting the dual SIM version of the Samsung Galaxy S 4 as it would allow me to carry one less phone with me. But in the end I'm not sure if the pros outweight the cons.
Pros:
- Able to use two SIMs in the same phone
- Exynos 5 Octa, which will see very limited availability in Europe
Cons:
- China Unicom specific version
- No international warranty outside of China
- UI may not be available in English?
- Will be stuck with the stock Chinese firmware as the ROMs for i9500 / i9505 will not work on this
Is anyone else considering buying an i9502 to be used outside of China?
liviuv said:
I would really love getting the dual SIM version of the Samsung Galaxy S 4 as it would allow me to carry one less phone with me. But in the end I'm not sure if the pros outweight the cons.
Pros:
- Able to use two SIMs in the same phone
- Exynos 5 Octa, which will see very limited availability in Europe
Cons:
- China Unicom specific version
- No international warranty outside of China
- UI may not be available in English?
- Will be stuck with the stock Chinese firmware as the ROMs for i9500 / i9505 will not work on this
Is anyone else considering buying an i9502 to be used outside of China?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would like to have i9502 and I have the same questions and worrying about the warranty outside of China. I'm gonna wait till it is available on eBay. I hope that some companies could give at least 12 months international warranty for this device.
I am thinking of buying one for use world wide. I assume no one will be developing a custom ROM for this version.
Is there a way to install the Play Store and Gapps?
As the S4 should be highly popular, we might see more developing for the exynos chipset. Once they come out with the aosp base for it, developing for the variants should be easier.
Since i9502 is China based, we should see a MIUI Rom for it soon
Sent from my IM-A860K using xda premium
I thought samsung released their official rom for this phone? Doesn't it therefore mean that we can root this without any bugs? I remember the Note 2 dual sim custom rom had bugs on the map and caller id.
Can someone verify that once using the official rom, play store and Google apps will be available?
http://www.hotfile.com/dl/204614115/9393a40/I9502ZNUAMDG_I9502CHUAMDG_CHU.zip.html
Looks like there is one out there
paulsalem said:
I am thinking of buying one for use world wide. I assume no one will be developing a custom ROM for this version.
Is there a way to install the Play Store and Gapps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only way to install Play Store and Google apps is to root the phone. Unfortunately, there's no available rooting method yet for Galaxy I9502. But I'm hopeful that it will be available in the future. Like the Galaxy Note 2 GT-N7102 Dual Sim variant, a working rooting procedure was eventually made available.
I have ordered my Galaxy I9502 and can't wait to get my hands on it.
[email protected] said:
I have ordered my Galaxy I9502 and can't wait to get my hands on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you order it from?
liviuv said:
Where did you order it from?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
China. ..
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium
nniicckkss said:
China. ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I meant to ask from which website you've ordered it. Thanks in advance!
liviuv said:
Where did you order it from?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I ordered from taobao.com thru an agent in my country. Just need to choose a trustworthy seller. Or you can order from etotalk.com but the price is a little higher and payment method is not safe.
---------- Post added at 09:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:33 AM ----------
nniicckkss said:
China. ..
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately that's the only place to get it from right now. But hey, it's legit and dual sim. I'm happy
[email protected] said:
Unfortunately that's the only place to get it from right now. But hey, it's legit and dual sim. I'm happy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you're gonna live with the fact that you don't have Play Store? Or do you have a work around?
merkava74 said:
So you're gonna live with the fact that you don't have Play Store? Or do you have a work around?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I'm optimistic a rooting tool will be available once this phone is released.
[email protected] said:
I ordered from taobao.com thru an agent in my country. Just need to choose a trustworthy seller. Or you can order from etotalk.com but the price is a little higher and payment method is not safe.
---------- Post added at 09:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:33 AM ----------
Unfortunately that's the only place to get it from right now. But hey, it's legit and dual sim. I'm happy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hey there. would u mind saying, where do u live?! are u sure that china version is gonna work in your country?
I live in europe and really curious if i can use it here...
asheg said:
hey there. would u mind saying, where do u live?! are u sure that china version is gonna work in your country?
I live in europe and really curious if i can use it here...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Based on offical specs, I'm very sure an unlocked SGS4 I9502 will work in my country and Europe too.
Here's why:
SGS4 I9502 Supported Network Frequency:
WCDMA 850/900/1,900/2100MHz
GSM 850/900/1,800/1900MHz
GSM Coverage:
GSM 900 / GSM 1800 MHz are used in most parts of the world: Europe, Asia, Australia, Middle East, Africa.
Reference: www.worldtimezone.com/gsm.html
3G Coverage:
In general, the various UMTS bands are deployed as follows:
Band I (W-CDMA 2100) in Europe, India, Africa, Israel (Cellcom, Orange, Pelephone[4]) Asia, Australia (metropolitan Optus and Vodafone), New Zealand (ITU Region 1, 2degrees Vodafone NZ), Thailand (TOT (Thailand)), and Brazil (part of ITU Region 2)
Band II (W-CDMA 1900) in North America and South America (ITU Region 2).
Band IV (W-CDMA 1700 or Advanced Wireless Services) in the United States (T-Mobile USA), Canada (WIND Mobile, Mobilicity, SaskTel, Vidéotron) and Chile (VTR Movil, Nextel Chile)
Band V (W-CDMA 850) in Australia (Telstra NextG, Vodafone), Hong Kong (SmarTone), Thailand (True move and DTAC), New Zealand (XT Mobile Network), Brazil, Canada, the USA, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic (Claro),Venezuela, other parts of South America, Israel (Pelephone,[4] Cellcom[5]), parts of Asia (ITU Region 2 and ITU Region 3), Poland (Sferia)
Band VIII (W-CDMA 900) in Europe, Asia, Australia (Optus and Vodafone regional/country 3G networks), New Zealand (2degrees, Vodafone NZ), Thailand (Advanced Info Service), Dominican Republic (Orange Dominicana), Venezuela (Digitel GSM), Poland (Play and Aero2 HSPA+ Internet only[6])
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UMTS_frequency_bands
I bought mine in China and used it with China Mobile and my US T-Mobile SIM cards installed at the same time. When I landed back on US soil, it automatically switched to use my T-Mobile SIM. I haven't had any problems so far.
Does that mean you have Google apps and play store?
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2
liviuv said:
I would really love getting the dual SIM version of the Samsung Galaxy S 4 as it would allow me to carry one less phone with me. But in the end I'm not sure if the pros outweight the cons.
Pros:
- Able to use two SIMs in the same phone
- Exynos 5 Octa, which will see very limited availability in Europe
Cons:
- China Unicom specific version
- No international warranty outside of China
- UI may not be available in English?
- Will be stuck with the stock Chinese firmware as the ROMs for i9500 / i9505 will not work on this
Is anyone else considering buying an i9502 to be used outside of China?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The UI is available in Chinese, Korean and English on the i9502.
Mindbeats said:
I haven't had any problems so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can I ask if you have Play Store working?
merkava74 said:
Can I ask if you have Play Store working?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm working on that now. Stock there was go Gapps; you get the Chinese version of their app store 沃商店.

[Q] Modern Version Help / Roaming Question

Hey Guys,
I am from the auK but travelling in the USA for a couple months and then living in Canada for a year from July, I want to pick up a sim free S4 to use that will work in the USA, Canada and the UK... From what I understand the Walmart versions are the AT&T which is the same as the Canadian ones so should work, but will this model accept sims from UK carriers also?
In the USA ill be using a Walmart family t mobile sim (not worried about data speeds here as its just for emergencies/emails)
in Canada ill probably go with The cheapest sim only rolling contract and speed will be important
in the UK ill probably go with Vodafone or EE
So, if I go get a sim free version in Walmart will I have any issues and do those S4s have any physical/software branding on them?
Cheers
No you should not have sim issues with them.
Yes, walmart phones may have Software (bloatware) on them. You can flash a generic rom to remove the software issues
As to physical branding it depends on where walmart gets its supply from.
That's good news so the LTE version and bands will be fine for Canada... Phew
Now do I buy or not!
AT&T verson Canada capiable with LTE
Tmobile version not compatible with Rogers but will work on wind and some other providers.
Cool so long as its the AT&T version it's good for Canada and any provider?

Buy a Samsung phone from another region (aXXXy)

Hi,
I'm interested in buying a A3 (2017) phone.
The model sold in my country (France and rest of Europe) is the a320f, however I may go to Canada next year and I want a device compatible with LTE bands from Europe and Canada. The model a320y sold in Asia and Australia is the same as a320f, except it supports a few more bands (not less), including the ones I need for Canada.
Did one of you manage to buy a different model from a shop? Do you think some shops will be able to ask Samsung to send them a different model? Otherwise, did one of you succeed in importing from other region, for not too expensive, and where did you buy it? I would like to think of importing as a last solution since there will be double tax + shipping costs…
Thanks in advance,
Galaxy A320Y 2017 dual sim
Dear Yurien
This model would be availiable in Chicago USA by the end of February, I am waiting for it as well. Here is the address for you welectronics.com
Good luck to you
Stan Sal said:
This model would be availiable in Chicago USA by the end of February, I am waiting for it as well. Here is the address for you welectronics.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, this website only ships within the USA.
Plus, 400 USD + shipping + border taxes is high, considering it costs 330€ in France
Is there any place to buy the A320Y? When I contacted them, welectronics said they are selling the A320F. Only markets I have come across selling A320Y so far are Chile, Mexico, Indonesia, Thailand and New Zealand. I haven't found a source to get one in the US though. I really wanted this phone for its size but if I am not able to get the A320Y I may just go for the S7 after the S8 is released.
*Also don´t forget that sometimes the Data Bands change depending in the carrier!*
A320YD
Hi to All,
I too am trying to get the famous A320Y model. It is obviously better, not only in Canada but in France too because one of the major operators, Free, is developing the LTE 4G band 28(700) which is not on the A320F models.
I contacted Samsung in France and they simply said that only the A320F is available in France and that it would not be possible to get the A320Y.
I have seen some A320Y models on sale in NZ but not in Australia. They seem to be available in Vietnam but I don't speak Vietnamese and I suspect it would be difficult to buy them without some knowledge.
The 320Y I saw on NZ sites was not the dual sim model that I want.
Any more information on this would be most welcome.
Thanks in advance!

Best place to buy Exynos version in US

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.

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