Database Users

Unlocked Galaxy Note - yes or no?

I am considering buying a Galaxy Note but I have a dilemma so I hope you will be able to help me out with it.
If I decide to buy it I will probably have to buy it through a mobile carrier meaning that I will have to unlock it to run it on a different network. I have someone to do it for me so I don't know what kind of software they will use.
Since I am new to Android, I would like to keep away from the rooting as long as possible so I am talking about stock software here.
Therefore, I would like to ask this:
1) Have any of you unlocked their Galaxy Notes? Are there any side-effects or it feels totally SIM-free?
2) Am I going to be cut-off from the official software updates (ICS and so on?) or it will be totally like a SIM-free experience?
3) Are all the splash screens, apps and other carrier-related stuff gone after the unlock?
Thank you in advance!

This doesn't answer your questions, but why would you buy a carrier phone and use it on another network? Why not buy unlocked?
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

If you plan to get the ATT one, I dont think it will get 3G/+ on Tmo. The intenational one I have definitely does not have that band. Unless there is another unlocked version that has those bands. And my international version does not have LTE as well.
And why would you sign a contract with ATT and want to use it on another n/w? Doesnt make any sense whatsoever.
Eborg said:
I am considering buying a Galaxy Note but I have a dilemma so I hope you will be able to help me out with it.
If I decide to buy it I will probably have to buy it through a mobile carrier meaning that I will have to unlock it to run it on a different network. I have someone to do it for me so I don't know what kind of software they will use.
Since I am new to Android, I would like to keep away from the rooting as long as possible so I am talking about stock software here.
Therefore, I would like to ask this:
1) Have any of you unlocked their Galaxy Notes? Are there any side-effects or it feels totally SIM-free?
2) Am I going to be cut-off from the official software updates (ICS and so on?) or it will be totally like a SIM-free experience?
3) Are all the splash screens, apps and other carrier-related stuff gone after the unlock?
Thank you in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I live in Europe so I am talking about an international version.
Technically I wouldn't be buying it directly from a carrier, I just wanted to keep the discussion simple. I would buy it from a store but they get it abroad, unlock them and sell them legally. It's the only way I can get it where I live.
Ordering from Expansys or similar sites would mean that I would have to pay import customs which would probably amount to 200-300$ or more.

Where are you from? There are more retailers than expansys
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

I live in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Since it is not yet a member of the EU, you have to pay customs fees for this kind of stuff.
I will be going to the UK in a few weeks and thought about buying it there but that would mean that I wouldn't have any warranty. Most sites do not offer warranty outside the UK or EU. Also, even if I found one seller that offers worldwide warranty, I would still have costs shipping the phone to the UK or wherever and back (still EU issues) if needed.
Buying the phone locally should give me a 2-year warranty so that's why I am thinking about that option.

if you get it sim free fromthe uk then you woudl be paying more than you woudl in say germany - sim free in the uk are about £500+
sim free means it isnt locked to a carrioer that doesnt stop anything regarding updates to ics, you wil lstil lget them just might be at alater date than other countries
unlocking is not the same as debranding which would remove the software and logos etc
mine is sim free whcih i bought on a 2 year contract and it is no different to any other note locked on the networks

Eborg said:
I am considering buying a Galaxy Note but I have a dilemma so I hope you will be able to help me out with it.
If I decide to buy it I will probably have to buy it through a mobile carrier meaning that I will have to unlock it to run it on a different network.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
buying it through a carrier does not mean that the phone is locked to that carrier anyway. have you asked your carrier or the store you want to buy from if they sell the Note locked?. my Note is bought from German Telekom/T-Mobile and has no sim or netlock. i just tested the Note with simcards from other German and foreign carrier and they all work flawlessly. so maybe you can purchase a Note at your side that is also sim/netlocked free.

All Galaxy Notes available locally were on foreign carriers. The guy at the store could only confirm that it works will all SIM cards, not that the particular phone had to be unlocked or not, but it was definitely on a foreign carrier when they got it.
I am not sure if the phones are debranded or not. Is that something that I can do on my own without rooting the phone?
So, you guys can officially confirm that unlocked (and optionally debranded) Galaxy Note will act as if they were SIM-free in regards to official updates, apps and so on? No worries there?
As for getting it abroad, it wouldn't be the best solution since I would have to send it to the UK, Germany, Italy or wherever if something is wrong paying 100-200$ of customs fees every time if something goes wrong.

I'd just like to confirm that it is possible to update the firmware automatically with an unlocked Note. Cheers!

Richy99 said:
sim free means it isnt locked to a carrioer that doesnt stop anything regarding updates to ics, you wil lstil lget them just might be at alater date than other countries
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quite.
Also to keep in mind : in the EU, the carrier must agree to unlock phones after at the most 6 months.
And regarding ICS upgrades for the Note, they're apparently fairly messy at the moment. Locally (France) my carrier and the local Samsung branch are apparently more or less pointing at one another for a botched upgrade (at the end of June, note that it was announced as "we're fixing a few things, should be any day now" in March) where they apparently managed to brick a number of user phones. Samsung tends to communicate fairly poorly on the issue.
Other than the updated stylus apps, I'm not really sure the upgrade is worth it. And I discovered the whole "Kies" crud when I got this phone which really annoyed me since I don't normally run Windows (or Mac OS) and some operators apparently like to push their stuff only through that channel.
---------- Post added at 01:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:08 PM ----------
Eborg said:
I'd just like to confirm that it is possible to update the firmware automatically with an unlocked Note. Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's no reason why you couldn't. Possibly you'd get the Samsung update instead of the one from the original carrier (not guaranteed). But unlocking phones is fairly standard procedure.

Actually I got an update from the previous carrier from which it was unlocked from judging by the bloatware installed with the update.

Three UK (Hutchinson 3G - H3G) and flashing.

Hey guys,
I think I've finally settled on the S4 after trying and comparing it to the HTC One yesterday. It just felt far better in my hand and the screen was beautiful.
Now in the UK, as I'm sure many of you guys know (correct me if I'm wrong), but the best contract deal to have for tethering is the One plan by Three.
Unlimited data + tethering, a rare jewel indeed. As to whether they throttle during peak times, well you can't have everything and I haven't found any conclusive evidence to suggest they do so, please link me if I'm wrong here.
Either way, I am limited on my options here, due to my tethering requirements.
However the only thing preventing me from getting a Three phone is the fact that places like Phones4U or Carphone Warehouse either don't stock them or only stock SIM locked versions with branded firmwares for Three phones. Apparently they use a different method of sim locking the device, I can't be too sure what though.
Anyway, so it seems that whichever way I go about it, if I want data, I'll have a sim locked phone (they unlock after 3 months). This doesn't worry me though, what worries me is any restrictions on flashing the device.
I'm coming from an SGS - i9000. A device that seemed unbrickable and flashable every which way, from radio, to kernel, recovery and general software.
I want to know, are there any restrictions on flashing custom kernels, recoveries, modems (radios) or general firmwares that anyone has encountered, or am I safe getting a phone from Three UK (HG3)?
Rant over, sorry .
I have searched the forums and I haven't been able to find definite information.

no restrictions as im on three uk I live in bradford and im running omega rom with adam 1.4 kernel I can assure you no restrictions I don't know about sim lock but in the forum somewere is a guide to sim unlock easy peasy lemin squeezy ... pm me if you need any more guidence or any questions ill be glad to help as much as I can good luck :thumbup:
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium

port76 said:
no restrictions as im on three uk I live in bradford and im running omega rom with adam 1.4 kernel I can assure you no restrictions I don't know about sim lock but in the forum somewere is a guide to sim unlock easy peasy lemin squeezy ... pm me if you need any more guidence or any questions ill be glad to help as much as I can good luck :thumbup:
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
'Tar very much! That's great news. I had heard rumours there were ways to bypass simlock via software hacks, however I had never really needed to use them. I doubt the sim lock will cause a problem for me. More a case of who I pass it on to!

Astridax93 said:
Hey guys,
I think I've finally settled on the S4 after trying and comparing it to the HTC One yesterday. It just felt far better in my hand and the screen was beautiful.
Now in the UK, as I'm sure many of you guys know (correct me if I'm wrong), but the best contract deal to have for tethering is the One plan by Three.
Unlimited data + tethering, a rare jewel indeed. As to whether they throttle during peak times, well you can't have everything and I haven't found any conclusive evidence to suggest they do so, please link me if I'm wrong here.
Either way, I am limited on my options here, due to my tethering requirements.
However the only thing preventing me from getting a Three phone is the fact that places like Phones4U or Carphone Warehouse either don't stock them or only stock SIM locked versions with branded firmwares for Three phones. Apparently they use a different method of sim locking the device, I can't be too sure what though.
Anyway, so it seems that whichever way I go about it, if I want data, I'll have a sim locked phone (they unlock after 3 months). This doesn't worry me though, what worries me is any restrictions on flashing the device.
I'm coming from an SGS - i9000. A device that seemed unbrickable and flashable every which way, from radio, to kernel, recovery and general software.
I want to know, are there any restrictions on flashing custom kernels, recoveries, modems (radios) or general firmwares that anyone has encountered, or am I safe getting a phone from Three UK (HG3)?
Rant over, sorry .
I have searched the forums and I haven't been able to find definite information.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Car Phone Warehouse only supply factory unlocked and unbranded phones, else I wouldn't have bought one
HTH.

RubberyDuck said:
Car Phone Warehouse only supply factory unlocked and unbranded phones, else I wouldn't have bought one
HTH.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is true, but not in the case of 3.
When I asked them, they said their three phones were locked to three and not from their unlocked stock.

Astridax93 said:
That is true, but not in the case of 3.
When I asked them, they said their three phones were locked to three and not from their unlocked stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was that in store or on the phone? I ordered over the phone and confirmed with them the phone would be unlocked and unbranded, for which my one is.
Maybe there policy has changed since I bought mine, give them a call Monday and ask the question.

RubberyDuck said:
Was that in store or on the phone? I ordered over the phone and confirmed with them the phone would be unlocked and unbranded, for which my one is.
Maybe there policy has changed since I bought mine, give them a call Monday and ask the question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait so are you on Three? If so, please check if your firmware is a branded one and whether your phone is sim locked. I assume the branded firmware will have some Three apps somewhere.
It's great news if they gave you a fully debranded and unlocked version!

Astridax93 said:
Wait so are you on Three? If so, please check if your firmware is a branded one and whether your phone is sim locked. I assume the branded firmware will have some Three apps somewhere.
It's great news if they gave you a fully debranded and unlocked version!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes my Three phone from CPW is debranded and fully sim unlocked, thats how it came, I havent touched it

Advice on purchasing an S4?

I was fully prepared to dive in and upgrade my Atrix 4G to a Samsung S4, when I discovered the problems with MF3 and the locked bootloader. At this point, any new phone I buy is guaranteed to have the update of doom.
I would drop AT&T in a heartbeat, but Sprint's network is crap, and I hear a lot of complaints about T-Mobile's coverage around me as well.
So unless there's something I'm not considering, it's AT&T or nothing right now.
So here's my dilemma - do I get the S4 and gamble that the bootloader will be unlocked sometime in the near future, or do I avoid it like the plague and continue with my Atrix 4G?
I'd appreciate any advice, especially if there are options I'm not aware of. I'm in the northeast and travel to the NYC area often.

Maybe switch to AT&T's no contract $60 talk/text/2gb plan and wait for the nexus 5. You'd be on the better carrier, off contract with an unlocked phone.

Personally since I like to flash I would avoid and just pick up a gently used one from Craigslist or Swappa that you can still loki.
Or pay a little bit more and buy an international variant with unlocked bootloader.

Haphim said:
prepared to upgrade to a Samsung S4, when I discovered the problems with MF3 and the locked bootloader. At this point, any new phone I buy is guaranteed to have the update of doom...cut... So here's my dilemma - do I get the S4 and gamble that the bootloader will be unlocked sometime in the near future, or do I avoid it like the plague and continue with my Atrix 4G? I'd appreciate any advice, especially if there are options I'm not aware of. I'm in the northeast and travel to the NYC area often.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First, I don't think its necessarily guaranteed that you can only find or get an MF3 version.
- If you want the S4, it's worth going to a few stores and stating that you want to buy an S4, but only if it still has the older UCUAMDL -or earlier; anyway NOT the UCUAMF3. They (you) can check by looking on the sticker on the box -it has both serial number and the rom version.
- For a while the red versions of the S4 were selling slowing, so that's an option to look for.
- Also check dealers that are lower in volume like Radio Shack or Walmart/target store to see if they have a box. You could check Best Buy and even the ATT store.
Second, remember, there is nothing wrong with asking --I bought without asking, but went back just for the heck of it (Costco) and asked if they had any -most were MF3, they looked without giving me any grief. I think they might have still had one MDL, but that was a couple of weeks or more ago.
Even AT&T people won't give you grief about asking. When I went in to compare their stock S4 and my Shostock 2.1 (now 2.2) S4, the staff could care less about having a custom rom and rooted. . . so go ahead and ask!
Third: I would not recommend buying right now with the expectation of getting a new exploit shortly.
- It may happen, but this seems like a tough bootloader to crack. Also, it is getting harder and harder to create exploits period. So, it could be found this afternoon, but in general any new S4 exploit will arrive later and later.
- You really will be frustrated if you buy with the intent to customize the rom and can't.
Fourth: it may be small consolation, but MF3 can be rooted and you can add back all that root-needed good stuff. Also, the phone is a nice phone stock rom or no.
Bottom line -#1. go ahead and ask around -you may get lucky and #2. don't depend on MF3 being broken soon or not soon. Such a think is so hard to predict.
Good Luck!

I got the MF3 version and was disappointed to hear about the locked bootloader, but I rooted it, removed the bloat and now I have no regrets. They'll get it unlocked soon and then I'll probably hop back into the flashing addiction, but it's a great phone and I can't beat AT&T for their coverage and reliability.
My $0.02.
Sent from a van down by the river using my AT&T Galaxy Note 2 and Tapatalk 4.

I traded my iPhone 5 for a Note II then for an S4 only to find it with MF3. I then traded it for an MDL S4, all done via Craigslist. I'm on AT&T, which has far better service for me than any other carrier, unlocked it via service mode and will try my luck with it in China on Monday for a month. I'm waiting for the Note 3 to drop so I can then trade up to that. So all hope is not lost having an MF3 phone. The screen is beautiful, camera is great, and it feels great in your hand. I don't regret being an iFanboy for 7 years only to come to the wonderful new world of the "dark side" Best of luck!

OP it's very possible you can go to somewhere like a super store with light traffic and find one that's been on the shelf for a while..you can always return it and try again.

markbc01 said:
Bottom line -#1. go ahead and ask around -you may get lucky and #2. don't depend on MF3 being broken soon or not soon. Such a think is so hard to predict.
Good Luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh. I didn't realize that I might still find it at a brick and mortar store. Those places seem to use AT&T's pricing, which is more expensive than I would pay on Amazon - but it might be worth it to get a pre-MF3 version.
Best Buy, I noticed, only shows the 16 GB version - not the 32 GB.
Given that this phone has a MicroSD slot, how much does this affect things?

jmacdonald19 said:
I got the MF3 version and was disappointed to hear about the locked bootloader, but I rooted it, removed the bloat and now I have no regrets. They'll get it unlocked soon and then I'll probably hop back into the flashing addiction, but it's a great phone and I can't beat AT&T for their coverage and reliability.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've seen a number of posts that the stock ROM can suffer from lag, which dissappears when people put a custom ROM on it. Does rooting the phone, by itself, allow you to overcome this?

Haphim said:
Huh. I didn't realize that I might still find it at a brick and mortar store. Those places seem to use AT&T's pricing, which is more expensive than I would pay on Amazon - but it might be worth it to get a pre-MF3 version.
Best Buy, I noticed, only shows the 16 GB version - not the 32 GB.
Given that this phone has a MicroSD slot, how much does this affect things?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use a 64gb SD in mine. I haven't found any storage problems yet internal or external.

You ask about 16 v 32. I have the 16g and it is fine I have a 32g sd card and still have room.. you vcan add and use a 64g card if you want. .
Prices are not bad. My phone at Costco was cheaper than anything at Amazon or elsewhere. And they have the 14 return policy like att and 30 day exchange. .. so good prices are out there
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA Premium HD app
---------- Post added at 01:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:02 PM ----------
No lag now. I thought it was fixed with MDL and certainly MF3. Both stock. The custom roms don't seem to have that problem .
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA Premium HD app

Haphim said:
I've seen a number of posts that the stock ROM can suffer from lag, which dissappears when people put a custom ROM on it. Does rooting the phone, by itself, allow you to overcome this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't noticed any lag. Been running nice and smooth.
Sent from a van down by the river using my AT&T Galaxy Note 2 and Tapatalk 4.

Buying S5

Hello mates,
I'm thinking of buying a second hand S5, anything I should know to avoid fakes?
Which S5 should I buy?
Are there any know bugs so far?
Thanks in advance
Sent from my GT-I9100

Your best bet would be buy it of swappa to avoid a far s5 since they seem to be poop get up everywhere lately
Sent from my SM-G900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

sadekmefti said:
Hello mates,
I'm thinking of buying a second hand S5, anything I should know to avoid fakes?
Which S5 should I buy?
Are there any know bugs so far?
Thanks in advance
Sent from my GT-I9100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look at this videos about an S5 fake 1:1... maybe this will help to avoid fakes...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY2CgUO47CU&list=UUtT2VnurQKOAA0I1EKKHSPA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLCkrAWvvw0&list=UUtT2VnurQKOAA0I1EKKHSPA

MrKickstand said:
Your best bet would be buy it of swappa to avoid a far s5 since they seem to be poop get up everywhere lately
Sent from my SM-G900T using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll buy personally from the seller so I can try before buying
Sent from my GT-I9100

SAMPPLE said:
Look at this videos about an S5 fake 1:1... maybe this will help to avoid fakes...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY2CgUO47CU&list=UUtT2VnurQKOAA0I1EKKHSPA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLCkrAWvvw0&list=UUtT2VnurQKOAA0I1EKKHSPA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks mate, what about the S5 versions, which one is better?
Sent from my GT-I9100

sadekmefti said:
Thanks mate, what about the S5 versions, which one is better?
Sent from my GT-I9100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The SM-G900F has the best support if you want to tinker with your phone.

sadekmefti said:
I'm thinking of buying a second hand S5, anything I should know to avoid fakes?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Watch a handful of youtube videos about S5 fakes to get a reasonable sense of how fakes can be identified.
Do not buy a used S5 from a stranger at market price. Wait for a bargain or distress sale to balance the risk. You risk hidden defects, fakes and in particular the risk of the phone being stolen and blacklisted. Note that some sellers may report a phone as "stolen" after selling it vis a vis insurance fraud. A phone may also be subsequently blacklisted due to the seller having an unpaid phone subsidy in arrears.
These are substantial risks and you would do well to walk away from transactions involving shady characters unless you enjoy buying expensive, soon to be blacklisted and unusable paperweights.
The sm-g900t (TMB S5) is the phone of choice for North Americans. It has the substantial advantage of an unlocked bootloader. Not to mention access to more bands than some other variants. So it's a better choice than an ATT model, even if you intend to use it on ATT.
Verizon, Sprint and USC are oddballs. The world over uses GSM, but these three cling to the incompatible CDMA system and their models only have limited overlap with GSM carriers.
.

to check if it fake or not look at the heart rate monitor and if you want to check it before opening the box , first take the imei number from the box and then go to imei.info and put the imei number and you will see if it fake or not , and the best choise is the model SM-G900F

Galaxy_Guy said:
to check if it fake or not look at the heart rate monitor
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The heart rate monitor works fine on some fakes e.g. No.1 (brand) "S7" clone. So that isn't a reliable test.
And IMEI numbers check out on many fakes.
Best model is subjective and highly dependent on where you live and what carrier you will be using it on.
.

fffft said:
The heart rate monitor works fine on some fakes e.g. No.1 (brand) "S7" clone. So that isn't a reliable test.
And IMEI numbers check out on many fakes.
Best model is subjective and highly dependent on where you live and what carrier you will be using it on.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
for me as an expert with devices i can realize the quality and the original one
but normal people may get fake s5 :crying: damn it
and correction of your information , here in syria there is so many fake phones almost of them are samsungs clone
and everytime i used the imei way to check if it fake , it works.
but don't know if there are sellers in another regions that put an original imei to fake phones

If someone watches half a dozen S5 fake review videos on youtube, they would have a very good idea of where most fakes fall down and how they can be identified.
There are many characteristics that will identify some, but not all fakes, e.g. missing logos, non functional heart rate monitors, lower resolution camera, less RAM, etc. None of which will detect all fakes. Perhaps the best method, one that will work for all fakes to date is to run an extended benchmark suite. None of the fake processors will come close to an authentic S5 score.
.

@sadekmefti Absolutely yes buy it, i upgraded from my Beloved Gti9100 S2 => SMG900H S5 it is a big big upgrade i bought mine 4hours ago, it is charging up now it has a beauty of a screen , one awkward thing is the TW is ****ing crap! they should have innovated it more , i love samsung so i keep buying their products, TW seems to be the same **** i wish they had a similar launcher as the HTC Sense6.0 htc's sense is very very innovative and neat looking, but who care we can just switch Launchers easily so no problem mate. I still need to use it more to get to know more about it I will eventually root it , and i believe that will increase its performance even further just like it did on my beloved S2. In the end i would highly recoommend it Go for it buy it
Annd btw @fffft i have seen your post mentioning faked ones ! i have checked up on the IMEI before buying my s5 , buutt my question is will getting the IMEI check right Be enough to spot whether it is faked or not ?? i checked on the official imei website and the phone i bought (S5) was registered there so i guess that my s5 is very original then ?!?!

How to unlock Samsung Galaxy S8 safely

Hi XDA,
I'm pretty new here and I hope that this is the right section for this. Keeping it short, I'm going to receive a brand new Galaxy S8 from Europe, but it's going to be locked on T-Mobile Germany, since this is where I'm getting from.
As far as I know, I will be able to use it here, on AT&T, but only after unlocking it. And here comes my question: how can I do this? I know about flashing firmware or something like that, but, honestly, I'm not such a tech savvy person. Is there such thing as an easier method?
Thanks in advance,
George

You need to pay for an unlock code, cheapest ones are usually on ebay.

peachpuff said:
You need to pay for an unlock code, cheapest ones are usually on ebay.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know if TMOBILE GERMANY works the same way as they do here in the US - but there are guidelines for when yoiu get a phone unlocked by teh carrier - and they have started using an AP that makes it impossible to use an UNLOCKED CODE to unlock the device. I found this ouit with the S6 when I purchased it (and the Note 5)
Their rules are pretty strict here in the US - you have to own the phone and be on service for 44 days before they will release the phone to be unlocked - unless you have been with TMOBILE for moe than a year in which case they will give allow you to unlock immediately.
Now that is here in the US and I am not sure if they do the same thing with TMOBILE Germany. BUT I would definitely look into it before you buy it.
You might consider buying a G950F and just use that - it is already unlocked and will work fine on ATT.
whatever you do - good luck.