New to Samsung devices. Need some information. - Galaxy Note 3 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

So I have spent the last 4 devices with Motorola and have never owned a Samsung device. Needless to say I find the stock rom a mess. I have few questions before I dive in. I am on VZW btw and it is an off contract phone that I never plan on using a warranty claim or anything.
Is Knox just the usual flashcount and root detection? Or does it have the ability to brick your device if you start tinkering.
Are there CM based roms that utilize all of the hardware features, or is the pen and ir blaster useless on custom roms?
Are there any software updates to avoid? Right now I am on N900VVRUBMJE.
Is the bootloader locked? (Probably don't have to ask since its Verizon.
I know these are probably easy to look up. To tell you the truth I am just very tired right now. Had to drive 3 hours to get the deal I got on this device.

This is the wrong forum for you. Your looking for the Verizon Note 3 forums. From what I read, your bootloader is locked.
Edit:
You might want to check on your forums and see if you got the developer's version of the Note 3 for VZN. That bootloader is unlocked. Knox is a security feature, once you void Knox, you can't go back. It won't brick your phone or anything, you just won't be able to use Knox anymore. I might be wrong on the using Knox part.

Related

[Q] What's so bad about Knox?

Sorry maybe i've missed something
but what is so bad about tripping knox.
surely if we are rooting and installing custom roms then we should have our warranties void unless we have special developer versions of the devices (i.e moto x developer version which does allow rom installation)
given that the galaxy note 3 does not why should be care about tripping or not?
if we install a new rom then we are voiding warranty and running the risks anyway?
If i'm samsung and someone is taking a device in due to issues with the software then i would want to know if they attempted a install custom software or not..
surely this is a good idea by samsung to do this?
I agree with you on this one, but I think a lot of people are upset at the fact there's no way of going back to stock without leaving a trace of root anymore. To be honest though, if you root then you know very well you're voiding your warranty, why should Samsung repair a device you've modified away from their software?
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
p4j1 said:
I agree with you on this one, but I think a lot of people are upset at the fact there's no way of going back to stock without leaving a trace of root anymore. To be honest though, if you root then you know very well you're voiding your warranty, why should Samsung repair a device you've modified away from their software?
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I agree. I don't think Knox is bad at all.
p4j1 said:
I agree with you on this one, but I think a lot of people are upset at the fact there's no way of going back to stock without leaving a trace of root anymore. To be honest though, if you root then you know very well you're voiding your warranty, why should Samsung repair a device you've modified away from their software?
Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its not the fact it cant be completely undone for me. really winds me up is why not allow it to automatically reset the device knows when the rom is custom or official so surely if it knows that knox can be allowed to run on an official device. And me messing with the software is no grounds to void hardware warranty imho. its only the same as Ford voiding the warranty of your brand new car because you used the wrong petrol station
gazeddy said:
its not the fact it cant be completely undone for me. really winds me up is why not allow it to automatically reset the device knows when the rom is custom or official so surely if it knows that knox can be allowed to run on an official device. And me messing with the software is no grounds to void hardware warranty imho. its only the same as Ford voiding the warranty of your brand new car because you used the wrong petrol station
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd say it's because once a custom rom/software has been installed onto the device no matter what you do there may be assumptions there are traces of files left, or the fact that the custom rom has malfunctioned some of the hardware. Putting a stock rom back on only covers it up but the matter of the fact is KNOX sets out to identify these things.
I've rooted my device personally because im not too fussed about warranty, it's not going to put me off buying future samsung devices to be honest.
Rooting a device is not a crime i think. Btw, how many percent of users root or install custom roms,only miniscule. Its like punishing those enthusiasts, who can really indirectly promote a brand. It doesnt even make economic sense for sansung. I changed my mind and got G2 instead.
Sent from my LG-D802 using xda app-developers app
Knox isn't bad per se but I chose Samsung because of all manufacturers, they're the only one aside from Nexus phones, that can be completely reverted back to stock. It's not as easy as undoing a jailbreak on iOS but it's still the easiest. Sony strips your phone of DRM once you unlock the bootloader, HTC flags your phone as unlocked/relocked with no way of reverting unless you got yourself an uber popular phone. When they introduced Knox, it basically stopped me from rooting my phone. Now I wouldn't have any problem if only software warranty is voided but tripping Knox also voids hardware warranty so if your phone suddenly stopped working, it won't be covered even if it was just a hardware defect.
To be honest, the only reasons I root my phone would be Cerberus and Titanium Backup and I doubt they could wreck my phone just by being there. Android doesn't have the same ease iOS have where you can just restore your backup to any new phone and have everything exactly as it was on your old phone. Titanium Backup is one of those few apps that gives me a similar experience by restoring all my apps and app data. My contacts and SMS are already covered by Google but app backups on the other hand is something I still need.
It should be illegal to refuse warranty for hardware, because of software modifications and no, I can't think of any way software could cause hardware failure, even massive overclocking should pretty much end with thermal shutdown and no drama whatsoever. Knox is not bad idea, but it should be included on separate business line of phones only. There are many versions of GS4 like mini, active etc. why not come out with secure GS4 business with Knox and leave consumer phones alone? They even pushed Knox on my 1yr old GS3, which I couldn't care less since it's out of warranty anyway, but it's just another useless bloatware and one more reason to root to get rid of it.
To me it is insane that I can't fully back up my phone without rooting and rooting could void my warranty.

Questions regarding the Note 4

Hello XDA!
I'm about to purchase a note 4 tomorrow from Wind mobile here in Canada. I would have preferred the nexus 6 but its just not available with wind as of yet.
So my questions regarding the note 4 are:
1) The Note 4 variant would be SM-N910W8, will it allow rooting?
2) Does Samsung allow unlocking the bootloader to install custom roms or is just a root sufficient to do that.
3) I've heard of something called knox, and how it will trigger once you root the note 4. Will this have any adverse effects on app functionality such as tap2pay etc..? I know the warranty will be void, but if something goes wrong with the device its a 50/50 chance of getting it repaired replaced.
4) My reason of preference for the N6 was stock android, is there a ROM currently that is AOSP based?
5) Is there a specific thread i can go to find roms for my variant?
5) Is there a way to return back to a virgin note 4 (unrooted, stock ROM)? And even when that is done, will knox still reflect the trigger as 0x1?
6) Lastly, i havent been much of a fan of samsung because i felt they were pushing out "cheap phones" And i must admit, ever since they came with the metal band with their alpha and note 4. Ive taken a great liking to them. So my question (I do only expect general replies) , How are you guys/girls liking your note 4 so far?
Thanks in advanced!
(P.S sorry if some of the questions are stupid, i researched and dug around as much as i can but couldnt find definitive answers)
Rooting restriction is carrier based. Some carriers lock down from rooting, others dont.
Knox is a one way trip. Once tripped it stays that way. It is effectively a fuse.
Had my N4 for two weeks and am loving it. Came from a rooted S4. Not really missing root that much. Wish I could still turn GPS on and off with Tasker and wish I had better access to the SD card. Not big deals though. There is another thread here about non-rooted solutions to many things people want root for.
Might become more an issue in a couple years if Samsung/Verizon fails to do timely updates.
Best advice to new N4 users is learn to use the S Pen. It is what makes the N4 stand out.
Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
1. No it doesnt allow rooting. get a 910U - so far it seems the least hassle.
2. no rooting.
3. yes once you try to root your warranty is void. for all purposes assume you will never get root. then again, you dont need root. in fact having no root and knox is much better. you can have a dual personality phone which works very well.
4. irrelevant. if you get the note 4 expect to run factory.
5. no. you cant have root.
6. you need a full case to hold it. its a thin glass panel. ive got an iblason armorbox for it. also would recommend buying the wireless back and wireless chargers. cables are too much of a hassle on this phone.
My recommendation would be little biased towards Samsung given my last four phones were all galaxy. I never had to root Note 3 but I rooted Note 4 in few days of owning it. Google must have thought let's give some punch to Samsung by disabling write access to external SD giving excuse of security as Samsung is the only high end phone manufacturer that still has it. And one of the most used function that was very important to me was copying files off network share to SD which no longer worked. Only for this I rooted.
I buy Note series not for amoled or big screen or good battery life or running AOSPs. I buy for SPen. I snap, print screen, doodle and write catchy text and share, adds that special touch. And that Microsoft One Note supported inking in android, I am loving it even more.
Note 4
Thanks for the input guys, much appreciated!
While it seems most of you use the note 4 for its main purpose of being a multitasking phone. I on the other end just need the good camera, screen and battery. Everything else is gimmicks (for me atleast). However, this opinion of mine could be due to the fact that ive never owned a note before.
I did see some guides of being able to root the SM-N910W8 with CF auto root, as well as a way of bringing devices back to stock as i can see form this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4/general/ref-stock-firmware-kernel-modem-recovery-t2920452
Now, is that really the case or is there somehting im not seeing?
you can NEVER bring it back to stock. the efuse blows once you root. Do NOT root a note 4 until youre familiar enough with knox to make the choice
By stock i dont mean resetting the knox fuse. I mean, if I am on a cusotm rom, i can bring it back to stock for warranty purposes (which I know after the knox fuse is blown, is a hit and miss)
So my question still stands, will I be able to root my phone based on the thread i mentioned above and be able to return it to stock afterwards, or is there something im not seeing there.
qwertyman007 said:
Hello XDA!
I'm about to purchase a note 4 tomorrow from Wind mobile here in Canada. I would have preferred the nexus 6 but its just not available with wind as of yet.
So my questions regarding the note 4 are:
1) The Note 4 variant would be SM-N910W8, will it allow rooting?
2) Does Samsung allow unlocking the bootloader to install custom roms or is just a root sufficient to do that.
3) I've heard of something called knox, and how it will trigger once you root the note 4. Will this have any adverse effects on app functionality such as tap2pay etc..? I know the warranty will be void, but if something goes wrong with the device its a 50/50 chance of getting it repaired replaced.
4) My reason of preference for the N6 was stock android, is there a ROM currently that is AOSP based?
5) Is there a specific thread i can go to find roms for my variant?
5) Is there a way to return back to a virgin note 4 (unrooted, stock ROM)? And even when that is done, will knox still reflect the trigger as 0x1?
6) Lastly, i havent been much of a fan of samsung because i felt they were pushing out "cheap phones" And i must admit, ever since they came with the metal band with their alpha and note 4. Ive taken a great liking to them. So my question (I do only expect general replies) , How are you guys/girls liking your note 4 so far?
Thanks in advanced!
(P.S sorry if some of the questions are stupid, i researched and dug around as much as i can but couldnt find definitive answers)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a Note 4 with Bell so to answer your questions:
1) Yes. This is true for all Canadian carriers AFAIK.
2,4) Should be sufficient with just a root. I haven't been around for a week so I haven't caught up on new developments yet. I didn't see much in the way of AOSP last I looked.
3) This I can't answer but I know for example there is an XPosed module that will allow applications like GOOD to continue to work even with KNOX tripped/removed.
5) The W8 is similar to the 910T. I'm actually running DynamicKat with the KTNote4 Kernel. When you install DK part of the install script checks if your phone is a 910T or a 910W8 and installs the correct kernel. I had an issue with my initial flash of it bootlooping but I used the Stockish kernel from twistedumbrella that I had flashed when I still running stock rooted and backed up the boot image so I restored that boot image and it booted, then I flashed KTNote4 myself. Check here http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-tmobile/development and here http://forum.xda-developers.com/note-4-tmobile/orig-development for roms/kernels.
6) Yes you can just flash a stock rom (should be floating around somewhere) but Knox will still be tripped.
7) Overall I'm absolutely loving it. I came from an S3 that I was running CM11 on with KT's kernel (seriously, his kernels are amazing!) and I liked it for a really long time but it started to get really sluggish and it just can't handle multitasking the way I'd like it. I do still notice slow downs, and the phone does still get pretty hot sometimes, but that's the price you pay for multi-tasking. KTs kernel certainly isn't perfected (granted I'm on a build from 2 weeks ago) and sometimes it will randomly reboot and bootloop at the splash screen but once I clear cache it boots right up. Usually only does this once it's been pretty hot for a while. I love the multitasking windows, that's exactly what I want. The one thing that threw me off the most was the DPI. It's a big phone, I don't need everything on it to be gigantic. So I did end up using the XPosed module App Settings to scale the DPI down to 480 from 640. There are a couple quirks when doing that, like the task switcher is smaller (since it was designed for 640 DPI) and there are a couple apps that you have to set back to 640 as well like the camera but you can always fix those as you find them.
I'm a firm believer that Android is a dev's playground. I could not use this phone happily without root. In fact, I rooted it the same night I got it within a couple hours. I bought the phone outright since I would have had to change my plan if I wanted to early upgrade and my plan is too good to do that. Happy modding!
Just use Autoinput. Can trigger GPS.
Sent from my SM-N910F using XDA Free mobile app

Rooting and warranty?

I just purchased a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge today and I'm already inclined to start customizing it. I am the type of people who get obsessed with the variety of custom ROMs, tweaks, modifications, etc. and I was a die-hard development fan on my M7 and M8. I went for an iPhone 6 Plus for a while but now I am back and more eager than ever!
I had a Galaxy S5 for a little while (one of the worst phones I've owned, to be quite honest) and I remember there was something called "knox" or similar, which is triggered whenever you use ODIN to root or install a custom ROM, therefore voiding your warranty; is it the same case with the S7? I'm currently doing research about its development and how things work with it, but it's just an important question I haven't found an answer to yet.
With the HTC, for instance, you could do everything then just run a RUU and go back to fully stock without voiding anything.
And by the way, are there any custom ROMs you'd recommend? I was a huge fan of Viper ROM on all my HTC devices (One X, M7, M8) but I don't see that team developing for the S7.
Thank you for your time!
I can only give you info from my experience. I rooted my S6 the day I got it but after a few weeks had issues with reception. It was sent to samsung for repair who promptly returned it as the Knox counter was tripped and would not repair it under warranty. Even tried using the old EU Directive and sales of goods act but they would not budge. This was in the UK. I would say here its completely hit and miss if they will repair it so just be cautious.
Marshall1975 said:
I can only give you info from my experience. I rooted my S6 the day I got it but after a few weeks had issues with reception. It was sent to samsung for repair who promptly returned it as the Knox counter was tripped and would not repair it under warranty. Even tried using the old EU Directive and sales of goods act but they would not budge. This was in the UK. I would say here its completely hit and miss if they will repair it so just be cautious.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although I'm a huge fan of rooting and customizing, I'd rather be on the safe side in case anything happens. I doubt the Samsung service center technicians are actually very 'savvy' over here, however I don't think I'd like to take the risk. Am I going to be missing on a lot if I just remain stock? I'm curious.
TarekElsakka said:
Although I'm a huge fan of rooting and customizing, I'd rather be on the safe side in case anything happens. I doubt the Samsung service center technicians are actually very 'savvy' over here, however I don't think I'd like to take the risk. Am I going to be missing on a lot if I just remain stock? I'm curious.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ad-less Youtube, Viper Audio + Dolby + Bests Audio, Xposed and if you're into learning about how it all works; rooting will only improve your understanding and overall enjoyment of your phone!
Voiding your warranty can be very country dependent. Where I live, if I root my phone, then if I have a hardware issue then legally they have to honor the warranty. Samsung will still try and tell you that it's not covered but will fold when pressed. On the other hand if I rooted and bricked the phone permanently, then I am on my own.
Evil-Santa said:
Voiding your warranty can be very country dependent. Where I live, if I root my phone, then if I have a hardware issue then legally they have to honor the warranty. Samsung will still try and tell you that it's not covered but will fold when pressed. On the other hand if I rooted and bricked the phone permanently, then I am on my own.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your replies, gentlemen. I'm assuming the way to go would be either TWRP > CF-AutoRoot (or whatever is available right now) to root stock ROM or TWRP > Custom ROM, correct?
And is Xposed fully compatible with the latest firmware? 6.0.1 that is.
TarekElsakka said:
Thanks for your replies, gentlemen. I'm assuming the way to go would be either TWRP > CF-AutoRoot (or whatever is available right now) to root stock ROM or TWRP > Custom ROM, correct?
And is Xposed fully compatible with the latest firmware? 6.0.1 that is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most of samsung phones are rootable using twrp>cf auto root.
Flash xposed.zip from twrp.
Sent from my SM-G925F
Evil-Santa said:
Voiding your warranty can be very country dependent. Where I live, if I root my phone, then if I have a hardware issue then legally they have to honor the warranty. Samsung will still try and tell you that it's not covered but will fold when pressed. On the other hand if I rooted and bricked the phone permanently, then I am on my own.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey,
I noticed your in Australia. I used to have the same understanding as you.
I have an interesting thread on Whirpool on the exact subject, and have a current pending NCAT case before the court against Samsung for this exact same issue! They have refused to fix my S7 Edge display with what they have admitted to being a manufacturing defect, because the knox counter is tripped. And no, they haven't folded....Yet
MementoM said:
I'm not so much worried about the warranty as I'm worried about these mobile games. A lot are specifically looking for the root access in your phone and blocking it or simply just banning you based on having root even if you don't cheat. Xposed, Xprivacy, Root Cloak no longer work to hide it. It's depressing especially if you pay some of these game companies and log in one day to find you've been banned for nothing. It's their game you agree to their ToS but it really sucks because I've always loved changing my phone up. Now my hands are tied /sigh and it looks like my rooting days are over if I want to continue playing these root detection games.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's really weird, though. What if you're a developer who roots their device for development or whatever other purposes that are 'legal'? Do they still have the right to block your access? I've honestly never heard of that before. However, on iOS you cannot really play Pokemon Go if your device is jailbroken, unless you install a masking tweak like Masterball, so you may be right.
I'm not much of a gamer on mobile phones so I am not really focused on that, however I am thinking about the warranty issue.
ih8un said:
Hey,
I noticed your in Australia. I used to have the same understanding as you.
I have an interesting thread on Whirpool on the exact subject, and have a current pending NCAT case before the court against Samsung for this exact same issue! They have refused to fix my S7 Edge display with what they have admitted to being a manufacturing defect, because the knox counter is tripped. And no, they haven't folded....Yet
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was some time ago that I dealt with Samsung and Knox was not involved so their stance might have changed. Still was not a pleasant experience.
Are you taking the case to court directly yourself or is it going via the ACCC?
Let us know how it goes. I'm interested to hear the results.

[Question] What is knox and is it worth to keep?

So after some years I came back to a Samsung Smartphone. And while searching for a method to root my phone, I triped over all the discussions about knox, that/if you lose it etc.
My question here is: For which situations should I keep knox and therefore my phone unrooted? Is it really neccessary? Will I have more good or bad out of it, compared to a "custom system"?
What I know: Knox is a safety feature, that keeps your system kinda semi sandboxed. It is neccessary to use some features like Samsung Pay or sth. and also to get some guarantee stuff done.
What I DON'T know: I never felt really "unsafe" or had some sensible files on my phone. Also had never big repairs or waranty probs with my device. And I don't plan to use Samsung Pay and stuff (old man, modern stuff *lol*). So I don't know which other benefits I would have out of it.
And especially: For which kind of problems you would lose the waranty?
If you intend to keep the phone forever then just trip the counter, if intend to sell it later on, better not, the next buyer might want this feature, currently in mine country only this model, note 5, s7, s7 edge has it.

All things root and Bootloader?

Hi Friends,
Hope you're all having a great new year. So last time I was lurking the S7E forums, we had a leaked Engineering Bootloader that was used to acquire root on all US Snapdragon models, albeit, with a lot performance issues and etc.
I came here to glance as well as all other variant forums for the SD model and now we have Root for every model, with even ROMs being baked like the Echo ROM for Verizon, Sprint, AT&T models, usually the toughest to achieve these things on. I'm trying to read through the forums, but I fear I'm missing the details, that will help me pull the trigger for getting the device or not.
Can one of you very experienced, knowledgeable, and kind members educate me on the latest?
1. Do we have unlocked Bootloader and Root for all US carrier S7Es? How is it done? I use people using Flashfire. So no TWRP?
2. Does this process still trip Knox and render Samsung Pay to never be used again on the device?
3. If I bought the Verizon variant, for example, can I root, unlock Bootloader, and etc, and then return to stock, to return to the store in case I don't like the phone?
4. Xposed Framework working for all models?
Much appreciate your responses, any and all of them in advance! Thanks!
ProFragger said:
Hi Friends,
Hope you're all having a great new year. So last time I was lurking the S7E forums, we had a leaked Engineering Bootloader that was used to acquire root on all US Snapdragon models, albeit, with a lot performance issues and etc.
I came here to glance as well as all other variant forums for the SD model and now we have Root for every model, with even ROMs being baked like the Echo ROM for Verizon, Sprint, AT&T models, usually the toughest to achieve these things on. I'm trying to read through the forums, but I fear I'm missing the details, that will help me pull the trigger for getting the device or not.
Can one of you very experienced, knowledgeable, and kind members educate me on the latest?
1. Do we have unlocked Bootloader and Root for all US carrier S7Es? How is it done? I use people using Flashfire. So no TWRP?
2. Does this process still trip Knox and render Samsung Pay to never be used again on the device?
3. If I bought the Verizon variant, for example, can I root, unlock Bootloader, and etc, and then return to stock, to return to the store in case I don't like the phone?
4. Xposed Framework working for all models?
Much appreciate your responses, any and all of them in advance! Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely nothing has changed on root (only possible due to ENG kernel) and bootloader unlock (which is not yet possible).
1. No
2. No
3. No
4. No idea about all models. For the t-mobile one, please check: https://forum.xda-developers.com/tmobile-s7-edge/how-to/guide-installing-xposed-framework-t3414718
You can use the search feature in xda for finding out
CravingMender9 said:
Absolutely nothing has changed on root (only possible due to ENG kernel) and bootloader unlock (which is not yet possible).
1. No
2. No
3. No
4. No idea about all models. For the t-mobile one, please check: https://forum.xda-developers.com/tmobile-s7-edge/how-to/guide-installing-xposed-framework-t3414718
You can use the search feature in xda for finding out
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey bud, thanks for getting the ball rolling on these questions. If you could add some more information, I'd appreciate it :
If we still don't have a way to Root or Unlock bootloader, how are these ROMs (Echo, Tek, and other stock ROMs) available with root? And how are these flashed? Are we somehow bypassing the BL by using FlashFire?
Can you also educate me on the U Firmware and why people install it and is it reverseable?
Lastly, if I got a T-Mobile variant for example, installed these ROMs Tek, Echo, etc, can I return to Stock completely and return to T-Mobile, by any chance for them to take it back? Thank you again!
for the t mobile variant, I was able to flash the U firmware and flash back to stock t mobile. NOTE: I did not flash the U bootloader. I kept the T mobile bootloader just be sure I could flash back to stock t mobile(APK1). I'm sure this method would work with other carriers as well. so what ever variant you have, make sure you stay on that BL and only flash the U firmware CSC and AP. As for the CP(modem) I would flash your carriers latest CP file. That's what worked best for me with the U firmware. Currently I'm using the latest nougat BETA
Thank you very much for your response, bud. One last follow up question: Since all the US variants are rooting based on the ENG Kernel, is there really a benefit of getting one variant over another, for rooting or etc purposes?
P. S. May I ask why you flashed the U Firmware? What are the advantages of it? ?
ProFragger said:
Thank you very much for your response, bud. One last follow up question: Since all the US variants are rooting based on the ENG Kernel, is there really a benefit of getting one variant over another, for rooting or etc purposes?
P. S. May I ask why you flashed the U Firmware? What are the advantages of it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The u firmware basically does not include all of the software that is usually included with the phone. For example.. Tmobile with their software on it, Verizon att etc... Makes the phone a bit snappier especially if you were to root. Even tho I hope for a more stable root still. I am rooted at the moment. Wish they didn't recall the note 7 because the root on that was better
ProFragger said:
Hi Friends,
Hope you're all having a great new year. So last time I was lurking the S7E forums, we had a leaked Engineering Bootloader that was used to acquire root on all US Snapdragon models, albeit, with a lot performance issues and etc.
I came here to glance as well as all other variant forums for the SD model and now we have Root for every model, with even ROMs being baked like the Echo ROM for Verizon, Sprint, AT&T models, usually the toughest to achieve these things on. I'm trying to read through the forums, but I fear I'm missing the details, that will help me pull the trigger for getting the device or not.
Can one of you very experienced, knowledgeable, and kind members educate me on the latest?
1. Do we have unlocked Bootloader and Root for all US carrier S7Es? How is it done? I use people using Flashfire. So no TWRP?
2. Does this process still trip Knox and render Samsung Pay to never be used again on the device?
3. If I bought the Verizon variant, for example, can I root, unlock Bootloader, and etc, and then return to stock, to return to the store in case I don't like the phone?
4. Xposed Framework working for all models?
Much appreciate your responses, any and all of them in advance! Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're confused. At least, you were.
We do not have an "unlocked Bootloader" and we never did. We had an engineering kernel. That engineering kernel allows certain commands that enabled us to acquire root access. But without that kernel, the system (with the original kernel or boot partition) checks for any changes in the /system partition. If any are found it triggers a bootloop. So basically, if you want root we MUST have the engineering kernel. Unless someone else finds another way that's just the way that it is.
Personally, I unrooted and went back to stock. Root was okay at first but with the lack of development, Samsung Pay and the fact that Android 7+ will probably not be seeing root... well... time to accept the fact that Samsung owns the phone even though we bought it. What else can we do?
nitroevo said:
The u firmware basically does not include all of the software that is usually included with the phone. For example.. Tmobile with their software on it, Verizon att etc... Makes the phone a bit snappier especially if you were to root. Even tho I hope for a more stable root still. I am rooted at the moment. Wish they didn't recall the note 7 because the root on that was better
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Click to collapse
Binary100100 said:
You're confused. At least, you were.
We do not have an "unlocked Bootloader" and we never did. We had an engineering kernel. That engineering kernel allows certain commands that enabled us to acquire root access. But without that kernel, the system (with the original kernel or boot partition) checks for any changes in the /system partition. If any are found it triggers a bootloop. So basically, if you want root we MUST have the engineering kernel. Unless someone else finds another way that's just the way that it is.
Personally, I unrooted and went back to stock. Root was okay at first but with the lack of development, Samsung Pay and the fact that Android 7+ will probably not be seeing root... well... time to accept the fact that Samsung owns the phone even though we bought it. What else can we do?
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Thanks for your helpful responses fellas. I understand root is not perfect, but for some folks like me, Xposed seems to be worth the trouble. For Samsung Pay, I intend to use the Gear S3 one day ?.
Final question, since all US Snapdragon models are using the engineering kernel to root and etc... Is there a benefit of getting one carrier variant, over another? For example, Verizon is usually the cheapest. Is it wise to get that, with the U Firmware, to use on AT&T? Thanks!
ProFragger said:
For Samsung Pay, I intend to use the Gear S3 one day .
Final question, since all US Snapdragon models are using the engineering kernel to root and etc... Is there a benefit of getting one carrier variant, over another? For example, Verizon is usually the cheapest. Is it wise to get that, with the U Firmware, to use on AT&T? Thanks!
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Let me know if that works out for you then.
I just purchased the S2 Classic (on T-Mobile) and use Samsung Pay quite a bit. But I can tell you that it does open Samsung Pay on the phone and if you are rooted, Samsung Pay will not work at all. So I'm not sure if it will work at all for you even with the S3.
In regards to your other inquiry, I haven't tried the U firmware. I read something about data issues, no wifi calling (which is pretty important to me), no hotspot (which is also really important to me) but I heard that it is really fast. Not sure how much of that is still a problem but you should probably read up on it before doing anything first. But the rooting method is all the same between carriers I believe. All require the engineering kernel and breaks Samsung Pay along with a couple of other apps.
Just make back ups, have a stock firmware available to flash with ODIN just in case and remember that it's almost impossible to brick this device (because we don't have an unlocked bootloader.)
Binary100100 said:
Let me know if that works out for you then.
I just purchased the S2 Classic (on T-Mobile) and use Samsung Pay quite a bit. But I can tell you that it does open Samsung Pay on the phone and if you are rooted, Samsung Pay will not work at all. So I'm not sure if it will work at all for you even with the S3.
In regards to your other inquiry, I haven't tried the U firmware. I read something about data issues, no wifi calling (which is pretty important to me), no hotspot (which is also really important to me) but I heard that it is really fast. Not sure how much of that is still a problem but you should probably read up on it before doing anything first. But the rooting method is all the same between carriers I believe. All require the engineering kernel and breaks Samsung Pay along with a couple of other apps.
Just make back ups, have a stock firmware available to flash with ODIN just in case and remember that it's almost impossible to brick this device (because we don't have an unlocked bootloader.)
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Thank you again for a helpful post. So the S3 has a dedicated MST/NFC chip in it, that allows for Samsung Pay to work from the watch, it's done through the Gear app. That's what I have read.
About the rest of it, again, curious to see if there is one US variant, superior to another in terms of Root capabilities or bands and radios available and etc? Can anyone confirm this for me?
Thanks!
ProFragger said:
Thank you again for a helpful post. So the S3 has a dedicated MST/NFC chip in it, that allows for Samsung Pay to work from the watch, it's done through the Gear app. That's what I have read.
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So does the S2.
When I was setting up the Samsung Pay on my watch it said that it had to download an update.
Then I went through the setup process through my phone which was from the Samsung Pay app.
You go to "Add card" on your watch and it opens Samsung Pay on your phone.
You click "Next" and it displays your Samsung account information.
Then it takes you to a screen that says "Setup complete" telling you that you're ready to use it and at the bottom says "Add card"
You do that all from the Samsung Pay app on your phone which leads me to suspect that if you root your phone, you won't be able to use Samsung Pay on your watch.
People on this thread that you have to set it all up first, remove the Samsung Pay app on the phone but leave it on the watch. If it's all done correctly then it should work. Just make sure you get it all set up first.
Next thing that I'm going to try is using my watch in "Standalone" with my phone out of bluetooth or wifi range. See if that still works.
ProFragger said:
About the rest of it, again, curious to see if there is one US variant, superior to another in terms of Root capabilities or bands and radios available and etc? Can anyone confirm this for me?
Thanks!
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As far as I know, the U firmware permits use of some other bands that aren't normally used. Not sure which ones though.
Binary100100 said:
So does the S2.
When I was setting up the Samsung Pay on my watch it said that it had to download an update.
Then I went through the setup process through my phone which was from the Samsung Pay app.
You go to "Add card" on your watch and it opens Samsung Pay on your phone.
You click "Next" and it displays your Samsung account information.
Then it takes you to a screen that says "Setup complete" telling you that you're ready to use it and at the bottom says "Add card"
You do that all from the Samsung Pay app on your phone which leads me to suspect that if you root your phone, you won't be able to use Samsung Pay on your watch.
People on this thread that you have to set it all up first, remove the Samsung Pay app on the phone but leave it on the watch. If it's all done correctly then it should work. Just make sure you get it all set up first.
Next thing that I'm going to try is using my watch in "Standalone" with my phone out of bluetooth or wifi range. See if that still works.
As far as I know, the U firmware permits use of some other bands that aren't normally used. Not sure which ones though.
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Thanks for the correction/education on the S2, bud, much appreciated. I wonder if the rooted phone works with the S3, because Samsung has allowed many other non Samsung phones to know work with the S3? But I could be wrong, I thought it was open like that with the S2 as well, no? Looking forward to your testing, hope there is a breakthrough in there! ?
if you want root and customizability and roms, just don't get this phone. you will be very disappointed with the performance once you root and it gets so much worse with Xposed. not worth it at all, you will have better performance and speed from a 4 year old phone that has an unlocked bootloader and strong development. I mean my Nexus 5 (from 2012) had better performance than my rooted S7. it sounds like you do want roms, and if you want roms then AOSP/Cyanogenmod is the way to go. there will probably never be any AOSP or CM ROM on the QC S7/E so you're better off getting an older galaxy model that does have a great development community and unlocked bootloader. or just get a OnePlus or Nexus or something.
xVermicide said:
if you want root and customizability and roms, just don't get this phone. you will be very disappointed with the performance once you root and it gets so much worse with Xposed. not worth it at all, you will have better performance and speed from a 4 year old phone that has an unlocked bootloader and strong development. I mean my Nexus 5 (from 2012) had better performance than my rooted S7. it sounds like you do want roms, and if you want roms then AOSP/Cyanogenmod is the way to go. there will probably never be any AOSP or CM ROM on the QC S7/E so you're better off getting an older galaxy model that does have a great development community and unlocked bootloader. or just get a OnePlus or Nexus or something.
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Or a Exynos S7.
Binary100100 said:
Or a Exynos S7.
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exactly this. except for some reason I thought exynos variants are lacking certain bands/features on American networks. could be wrong.
xVermicide said:
if you want root and customizability and roms, just don't get this phone. you will be very disappointed with the performance once you root and it gets so much worse with Xposed. not worth it at all, you will have better performance and speed from a 4 year old phone that has an unlocked bootloader and strong development. I mean my Nexus 5 (from 2012) had better performance than my rooted S7. it sounds like you do want roms, and if you want roms then AOSP/Cyanogenmod is the way to go. there will probably never be any AOSP or CM ROM on the QC S7/E so you're better off getting an older galaxy model that does have a great development community and unlocked bootloader. or just get a OnePlus or Nexus or something.
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Click to collapse
Binary100100 said:
Or a Exynos S7.
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Click to collapse
xVermicide said:
exactly this. except for some reason I thought exynos variants are lacking certain bands/features on American networks. could be wrong.
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Click to collapse
Very helpful inputs guys, thank you! If I were to be honest with myself, I don't want AOSP/CM/Lineage, especially on a Samsung phone, so unlocked bootloader is not a deal breaker for me. However, I think root is cool for me for doing some SystemUI tweaks, Xposed and etc. Exynos was an option I was exploring, but lack of warranty, no Samsung Pay, and the price are enough to keep me at bay. I think I just need to put my big boy pants on and try to use a phone without rooting it. Something I have yet to do in EVER using an Android phone since about 10 years ago, and I have never ever used or bought an iCrap... I mean... an iPhone !
ProFragger said:
Very helpful inputs guys, thank you! If I were to be honest with myself, I don't want AOSP/CM/Lineage, especially on a Samsung phone, so unlocked bootloader is not a deal breaker for me. However, I think root is cool for me for doing some SystemUI tweaks, Xposed and etc. Exynos was an option I was exploring, but lack of warranty, no Samsung Pay, and the price are enough to keep me at bay. I think I just need to put my big boy pants on and try to use a phone without rooting it. Something I have yet to do in EVER using an Android phone since about 10 years ago, and I have never ever used or bought an iCrap... I mean... an iPhone !
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Click to collapse
Get a One+ 3T good development and really nice phone if you want root. Root is dead on Samsung phones and so are ROMs.
So by reading thru this thread, I assume having a T-mobile S7E (G935T) rooting is pointless and really not available the way I'm used to it coming from a Note 4. That's kind of a bummer... I've been using Android and have always had ROOT and all the goodies that come with it. And I recently starting really enjoying my Note 4 with all the cool development in Note 7 ported roms oh well... I wonder if the S7E is enough of an upgrade to keep my interest as stock?
I see there is a G935U firmware, but that seems a bit hit and miss? But I'm just starting to read up on all this... :good:
ShrekOpher said:
Get a One+ 3T good development and really nice phone if you want root. Root is dead on Samsung phones and so are ROMs.
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Believe me bud, if Oneplus 5 or even 3T had an SD Card, I'd already have that phone, but thanks for your wisdom !
Araltd said:
So by reading thru this thread, I assume having a T-mobile S7E (G935T) rooting is pointless and really not available the way I'm used to it coming from a Note 4. That's kind of a bummer... I've been using Android and have always had ROOT and all the goodies that come with it. And I recently starting really enjoying my Note 4 with all the cool development in Note 7 ported roms oh well... I wonder if the S7E is enough of an upgrade to keep my interest as stock?
I see there is a G935U firmware, but that seems a bit hit and miss? But I'm just starting to read up on all this... :good:
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Click to collapse
You and I both man... The last few years, I have lived off the mercy of T-Mobile and their BLs being unlocked. But Samsung sure done them all in ! Even the International unlocked ones disable Samsung Pay (forever, mind you!) if Knox is tripped, which I believe it is, when rooted and TWRP'd.
As I understand it,
Android pay / Samsung pay is why they frown on rooting now. I can understand it, though I don't agree with it.
The first time someone's financial information is compromised, and they've ever used one of the "pay" methods, on a rooted device the pr nightmare that would ensue would make the note 7 fiasco look like child's play.
"Samsung unsecured device compromises persons credit card information today, while Apple is still secure" I can see the headline.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S7E

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