Database Users

[Q] How to get an unbranded GS4 from operators

I have the GS2 and will probably go for the GS4(sim free if I can). My GS2 is O2 branded sim free. At the time of buying I read that when buying a simfree GS2 you should ask for a un-opened factory sealed box as the ones that have been opened had been flashed with the network branding. Admitedly these sealed boxes where few and far between but due to demand the networks didnt have time to get all the phones flashed.
Has anyone else come across this and if it is a plausable idea? Is it similar for any other phones or possible for the GS4

Not even one thought on this?

Bump

I have never heard of operators (at least in the US and Japan) ever receiving any unbranded phones. When you say "unbranded" I'm assuming you mean the international version, which is generally bought directly from the company. I'm also assuming that you mean "retailers" when you say "operators", which certainly don't brand the phones in-shop, the phones they receive from headquarters are branded and already flashed with the carrier's bloat and baseband locked.
In example, the phones I don't buy the international version of, I buy at an official AT&T or Softbank (Japanese carrier) retail shop. When they bring the phone out of the back, it is always in a carrier-branded box, and the phone itself has the carrier name branded somewhere on it.
I don't know about Softbank, but AT&T will occasionally allow you to unlock the baseband of some of their devices, which let's you toss whatever stuff you want on your phone, but it'll still have the physical AT&T branding on the front of the phone.
Sent from my Xperia ion LT28i using xda premium

Phones4u always come unbranded unlocked I have one on order.

jutley said:
Phones4u always come unbranded unlocked I have one on order.
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as above, I have one on order with phones 4 u and they have confirmed the phone is unlocked to all networks

winrya said:
as above, I have one on order with phones 4 u and they have confirmed the phone is unlocked to all networks
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Click to collapse
Do you mind if I ask which network you plan on using the phone on? I would be concerned if the phone they are sending you will work on the network you intend to use it on. With so many variations I wonder how they can know if the phones are unlocked or which networks they are banded for before the phones themselves have even shipped from Samsung. If they can back up (with facts) about the phones they are selling I might consider buying one from them myself so any info you can give will be appreciated. thank you.

scott14719 said:
Do you mind if I ask which network you plan on using the phone on? I would be concerned if the phone they are sending you will work on the network you intend to use it on. With so many variations I wonder how they can know if the phones are unlocked or which networks they are banded for before the phones themselves have even shipped from Samsung. If they can back up (with facts) about the phones they are selling I might consider buying one from them myself so any info you can give will be appreciated. thank you.
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Click to collapse
I've ordered it on EE so will be the 4g version.
Carphone and phones4u buy all their phones except the iphone unbranded and unlocked. Puts them in a much better buying position being able to do single large orders with stock they can use with all the contract they use. Apple are the only company that don't allow this and they know by the phones IMEI when it registers on a network that it wasn't purchased from apple direct and locks to the network of the first sim inserted. I have a few friends who work at phones4u so this is what i'm told anyway.

*knocking the dust off this topic*
So I got my S4 on launch day. No 3 branding to be seen and it is sim unlocked.
Would the firmware tell me if it's from 3 or Samsung stock?
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda app-developers app

Tesco is selling the i9505 unbranded and unlocked.
Tesco Ireland, not sure about Tesco in UK but should be the same.

I9505's are all exactly the same. Unbranded or branded. Network locked or not.
The difference are simply software.
You have for example in UK.
BTU,VOD,O2U,HG3 etc those are what ppl refer to as the Brands, with BTU being the UK unbranded.
The likes of 02 or Vodafone will never open a phone to try and brand it if that's what you suggested a few posts back. They get the phones as per the manufacturer. If it is branded its done with samsung and whatever firmware is put on it, bloated or not branded or not its all done with Samsung.
Now with my experience In buying Samsung phones in UK And more so the galaxy s4 from Vodafone UK I have seem this...
Since preorders went up within my household we have had 3 s4's from vodafone.
The 1st was an upgrade and was ordered on pre order day - it came as BTU and had the BTU firmware on it.
The 2nd was also an upgrade and was a few days after release - this came also as BTU and had BTU firmware on it.
The 3rd was bought from Vodafone but not on contract at a local retailer maybe 3 weeks after launch and was VOD branded and VDF firmware with Vodafone's bloat.
HOWEVER ALL 3 where simunlocked and work on ALL UK networks.
There really is no way to guarantee an unbranded from a carrier at all its luck and in past and with my s4 experience you only get unbranded from some carriers at launch. I've read elsewhere that this can be due to the carriers not having whatever firmware "tweaks and tests" they do ready at launch.
And as others have said in this thread, the likes of Phones 4U or carphonewarehouse will always sell unbranded unlocked.
This is my understanding/experience with this, hope it helps.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium

Nice theory!! I was the first preorder at my 3 store, so early that on launch day they didn't have me on the list. The store manager had to dig out my details from a pre preorder list lol. Maybe that fits the not having time to get firmwares to Samsung etc. Be interesting to see if they are 3 branded now.
Any who, I'm happy I got a non bloat S4
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda app-developers app

Xperia Z3: The Australian Thread

Hey Guys!
So the Xperia Z3 went on pre-order on the 1st of October with orders landing on doorsteps this past week.
Those who won a PS4 with their order have also been notified by now, and those orders begin shipping next week.
I personally think I may have been one of the first to order at 9:12am direct from Sony Online, as I was also selected as a winner for the PS4. (yay!)
This thread will be a general area for Australian owners and potential owners to hang out, ask questions, get advice and get help quickly and within your time zone.
If anyone helps you or offers you advice don't forget to hit the ":good: Thanks" button in the bottom left corner of their post!
Please let me know if there's any important Australian specific information and I will put it here in the OP!

Qn: Is flashing a generic Aus firmware (ie on an Optus, Voda, Telstra, Virgin phone) as simple us using Xperifirm to download, and Flashtool to decrypt, build and then flash?

Assuming the models are the same I don't see why not.
I know one of the carriers was meant to carry an exclusive model that also worked with their new 4G bands that they were rolling out.
The one I received from Sony directly is the D6653 model.

Any idea where i can buy one not tied up to a carrier? I'm at Brisbane CBD at the moment

It's in stock at Sony Australia: https://www.sony.com.au/product/xperia+z3

mundixx said:
Any idea where i can buy one not tied up to a carrier? I'm at Brisbane CBD at the moment
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I got mine from Yatango Shopping (previously called Mobicity).
Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

how much is the phone and where can you buy it unlocked?
my sister wants to switch from her iphone 4s to the Z3.

retail from Sony AU is $859. Slightly higher pricepoint than their previous flagships.
Yatango is ~$799 i believe at the moment.
There may be cheaper options at present from HK/UK (Clove / Handtec) (exchange rate and shipping dependant)

sephstyler said:
retail from Sony AU is $859. Slightly higher pricepoint than their previous flagships.
Yatango is ~$799 i believe at the moment.
There may be cheaper options at present from HK/UK (Clove / Handtec) (exchange rate and shipping dependant)
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Click to collapse
I got mine outright unlocked from Optus (no bloat or Optus apps loaded on it either) for $799.
There are a few issues with these handsets regarding build quality, so better to buy in Aus and get your 2 years wty imo :good:

What colours are available from Optus?

sephstyler said:
What colours are available from Optus?
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Optus got black, white and copper
Sent from my D6653 using XDA Free mobile app

Anyone know if Virgin will get the copper color? Website only has black.

sw25 said:
Anyone know if Virgin will get the copper color? Website only has black.
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If they haven't got it at launch, I highly doubt they will get it later. Give them a call though!

Hey guys, got my Z3 on Saturday and I'm loving it! Great phone, except for one major issue... I can't make phone calls at my workplace, despite it being in a strong Optus reception area of Melbourne CBD. Nobody else at work has a problem with Optus, and callers can hear me perfectly, but I cannot hear them. All I hear is a very broken up sound, like when you are in a poor reception area. If I force the phone into GSM only mode, it works. And it works fine in other areas that I've tried, albeit none of them were big buildings in the CBD.
There is another user on Whirlpool reporting the exact same issues with 2 Z3's on Optus. I'm not sure how to proceed with this. Optus technical support escalated the issue for me and were going to organise to have the phone replaced, although I really doubt that will solve anything.

Hey @tooch1, I posted on whirlpool forums some time back about having this issue but no one seemed to notice or even care.
It's happened on 3 z3's (one I purchased from eglobal which I've returned, and 2 optus outright handsets – 1 which I got replaced and another that I'm currently using).
I've diagnosed the issue to only occur when I'm connected to WiFi AND using 4G. However if I disconnect from WiFi its fine. Same holds true if I stick to keeping WiFi connected but switch to GSM only mode.. It's really odd. I'm wondering if it's a software issue because i don't know if I could be THAT unlucky to have had 3 faulty devices

Not gloating, just trying to help - I have not experienced this when on optus 4g/wifi (Melbourne) - meaning device specific I guess. Confirmed by torrenting off apple store free wifi whilst on voice call.
Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

To me it sounds like the device isn't automatically switching back to 3G to make the call for whatever reason.
As far as I know Optus has no announced plans to do VoLTE which means that either the phone is getting tricked into thinking it's possible, or it's broken.
For what it's worth, I've never had this issue on Vodafone but I did leave Optus as soon as I possibly could while I was with them to jump back to Voda. Far better service and quality.

Are people buying outright or on plan? If outright where from and how much?

Outright, $799 Yatango online (but they can be difficult to deal with eg selling things not in stock but marking as in stock)
Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

Anyone else getting crackling from their speakers? Can someone confirm playing polaris ringtone causes excessive crackling?

UK Users Thread

Figured it would be nice for all us Brits to have a thread discussing how the U11 is on UK networks.
EE - VoLTE and WIFI Calling work out of the box on unlocked model from Very.co.uk

got mine from Carphone Warehouse on an EE contract and although unlocked it did have WiFI calling enabled, although in theory , this should not be the case as its not EE branded. Not complaining though I do not know how VoLTE works so i don't know how to check it. Might be the case that all unlocked UK CID models can support wifi calling, regardless of carrier branding. So nordic or others might not be able to do that.
Only gripe , and I have created a separate thread for that, is that Galileo support is not enabled on my phone which is strange and kinda stupid.

mclnnm said:
got mine from Carphone Warehouse on an EE contract and although unlocked it did have WiFI calling enabled, although in theory , this should not be the case as its not EE branded. Not complaining though I do not know how VoLTE works so i don't know how to check it. Might be the case that all unlocked UK CID models can support wifi calling, regardless of carrier branding. So nordic or others might not be able to do that.
Only gripe , and I have created a separate thread for that, is that Galileo support is not enabled on my phone which is strange and kinda stupid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ring someone (or 150). If your phone stays on 4g you have VoLTE.

Hi guys,
Do you think it's worth an upgrade over the HTC 10 which is my current driver? I have joined HTC Club and the price has dropped to £584 via HTC website which is very tempting...

wilpang said:
Hi guys,
Do you think it's worth an upgrade over the HTC 10 which is my current driver? I have joined HTC Club and the price has dropped to £584 via HTC website which is very tempting...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmmm I probably would. Better everything apart from audio volume from headphones.

The only concern is the durability and smashing if I manage to drop it especially after coming from the HTC 1 0 all metal. I'll see how the Oneplus 5 does as that is also very tempting.

I have a u11 coming from O2 but unlocked. I use it with EE but I can't find a way to have 4g calling and Wi-Fi calling.
Someone could help?

Sounds like it probably has O2 firmware on it which means you're SOL for the time being until S-OFF arrives.
My device is unlocked unbranded stock firmware and 4g VoLTE calling and WiFi calling worked from day one. The phone actually asked if I wished to enable them.
Do you have the option in settings for WiFi calling (4g calling is in phone settings).

I'm on O2. You have to request it through the O2 app. Scroll down to 'Device details' and you will see Wifi and 4G calling. Click on it and it will send a request to O2, takes 24 hours.

wilpang said:
Hi guys,
Do you think it's worth an upgrade over the HTC 10 which is my current driver? I have joined HTC Club and the price has dropped to £584 via HTC website which is very tempting...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I did as my 10 still in contract with Vodafone for a year more but I really wanted an upgraded. Loving the u11 so far it has fixed the issues I had with my 10 like bad wifi/mobile signal problems with Bluetooth to my car system (weird micro cuts every so often)
The first device I got was faulty rebooted/shut down all the time couldn't even get through the setup wizard, got a refund and ordered a new one that is now working great.
Do wish Vodafone would enable WiFi and 4G calling but heck knows when/if that will happen unless you have a business account which I believe have it.
Edit: Seems vodafone does have this option now, can be enabled from your account it seems.

The single SIM model sold directly by the HTC has the LTE Cat. 16 modem?

Roberti3 said:
The single SIM model sold directly by the HTC has the LTE Cat. 16 modem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cat. 16 downlink, uplink limited to Cat. 15.

Has anyone in the UK single sim received the Oreo update yet?
I am with EE , CID EVE__001 and still on Nougat 7.1.1 and firmware 1.27.91.10 with security patch October.
I am a bit disappointed by their lack of updates and support regarding updates.

Dannyboy525 said:
Has anyone in the UK single sim received the Oreo update yet?
I am with EE , CID EVE__001 and still on Nougat 7.1.1 and firmware 1.27.91.10 with security patch October.
I am a bit disappointed by their lack of updates and support regarding updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Oreo update was released today. Currently having trouble updating mine, it downloads the update but then reboots into TWRP recovery then can't go any futher.

You have to return to stock before updating via OTA, with stock firmware, no root etc.
Bootloader can stay unlocked though.

grentuu said:
I'm on O2. You have to request it through the O2 app. Scroll down to 'Device details' and you will see Wifi and 4G calling. Click on it and it will send a request to O2, takes 24 hours.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did this actually work? o2 say that the only compatible devices are iPhone's, Samsung's and some Sony's.
marko68 said:
I have a u11 coming from O2 but unlocked. I use it with EE but I can't find a way to have 4g calling and Wi-Fi calling.
Someone could help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you ever get this to work?

I'm happy with the phone apart from 2 issues:
- Still on the November security patch, and considering it's nearly March I don't think this is acceptable. America has December.
- Google Assistant does not work. Voice activation does not work and all the settings are greyed out. Have looked online and cannot find a fix. Have read even a restore won't fix it!
If these issues were addressed then this would be the best phone I've had.

Just to add to this. I have an unlocked / unbranded u11 from CPW UK. O2 sim pay monthly account. I've enabled the option in the app as above but still no toggles etc in my settings menu. I called htc UK just now and they said that a bug in the oreo update has removed this option, it's a known bug and the next update will address it... Seriously? Also no idea when the update will roll out...

Had mine since January after an unplanned upgrade and I'm really glad my HTC 10 got mullered by my friend's kid. Carphone Warehouse piled on extras and I eventually started pushing back to stop the freebies getting out of hand - had to move to EE from Vodafone for some reason I can't remember - not an issue. Rooted while on the wine 2 nights later so as to increase the suspense and the chance of bricking it - I went at it half cut basically and nearly trashed it, which is so much fun.
Can't grumble in Manchester city about signal or service although EE has a website that suggests they are delaying any move into the post 90's era and I'm sure they have a reason we'll one day marvel at when they suddenly replace a web presence so **** it must be deliberate digital art or summat - like Tracey Emin and Banksy making a collaborative statement about Google ruining everything - that is to be replaced by the tech from the movie War Games to make it more modern. At least the customer service is accessible if needed and don't annoy me with 'suggestions' like an app. that tells me things I know already but in a different way which makes it exciting and utterly essential.
The u11 is a top phone and if someone gave me a Samsung I'd curse the fool who did so. There's a list of superior spec's that the recent Samsung phones possess and yet on benchmark tests they mostly squeeze into a slight lead and can't manage to avoid being made by Samsung which means that it has lots of stuff but none of it is connected right and it will eventually make you feel angry because it slowly reveals its nature as a piece of crap with buttons like a phone.
I just wish HTC would explore an alternative to the Android system because Google are getting a bit shifty and I don't like the way they are more powerful than God but get all hissy with developers - they come at you like an all-powerful bastard when they're pissed but always do a great job of being really rubbish at maintaining a standpoint and eventually they go away - still, Stalin was bit annoying and no one would have thought he'd end up killing 10 million people before the War even started but he had the tools and then the bad mood - if Google don't do evil it's only cos they haven't seen the projections from Wall Street that show the profit they can make. If any company can shake Google surely HTC can - Samsung may do so but totally unintentionally and probably due to the distraction caused by phones that set aflame like a crappy transformer that is a phone AND a firework - then neither.

Rs988 New update rs98821b available

This update has just became available today it is only 200mb so I would say it is mainly just android security updates. I have not installed it yet because I will have to factory reset first just wanted to let others know that might be stock and not rooted.

I'm on 21a and downloading 21b now.
Was on 11d, but did the 10b Brightpoint KDZ last month that messed up the LTE. So had to root and reflash the 11c, to then update to 11d and then 21a.

Got 21b installed. May 1 2017 Security update. Everything else says the same (baseband, kernel, and build).

Maybe they at least fixed the network switching so we will receive more of our calls. That is really the only bug i have noticed since upgrading to Nougat. I think you pointed that out as well.
FAUguy said:
Got 21b installed. May 1 2017 Security update. Everything else says the same (baseband, kernel, and build).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

firenemesis7 said:
Maybe they at least fixed the network switching so we will receive more of our calls. That is really the only bug i have noticed since upgrading to Nougat. I think you pointed that out as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the past two weeks with 21a, the main issue has been that the RS988 is missing about half of the incoming class (will stay on LTE and not change to HSPA), or when placing a call about 25-30% of them will not go through on the first try (shows it change from LTE to HSPA and sit there for 30 seconds, and then go back to LTE without placing th call).
Unfortunately, 21b seems to have the same issue.
Over the weekend, I was debating on going with the HTC U11 or an S8/S8+ in the upcoming weeks, was going to wait for people on here to try out the U11 for a while. But the yesterday the Samsung Mobile EBay page had the S8+ listed for $699 and with 24mo payment with PqyPal Credit. So I figured fro $50 more than the U11, go with th S8+, not that I'm a fan of curved screens, but at least there is a 3.5mm headphone jack, has SamsungPay, and the screen is AMOLED (which is miss). But the draws of the U11 was the camera, non-curved screed (though LCD), and fingerprint scanner on the front. But the lack of headphone jack means it can't be charged while connected via AUX input to my cars audio, and I saw posts on here about HTC got rid of all their apps (gallery, mms, dialer, calendar) and opted for the Google ones that aren't as good. So at this point I sould have the S8+ later this week. If I like it, then I'll sell my G5 with all the accessories that came with it (Cam mod, 4 batteries, charging pack, VR headset).

Hi! If I have root and TWRP then how do I install the update?

spinoza_web said:
Hi! If I have root and TWRP then how do I install the update?
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Click to collapse
As far as I know, OTA updates will only install if you are 100%stock. So that means removing TWRP, unrooting, and relocking the bootloader.

How I did it. I just factory reset and wiped everything in twrp then flashed the complete rs98821a zip that autoprime put together for us and then was able to install the OTA update. You will have to reinstall Twrp and root but you do not have to mess with the bootloader.
spinoza_web said:
Hi! If I have root and TWRP then how do I install the update?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I got in the S8+ yesterday. After using it for a day and setting it up, I'm not 100% sure that I'll keep it. The regular S8 was out of stock and I'm not a big fan of curved screens. But I figured I'd give it a try.
But regarding the calling issue with the G5 (21a/21b), the S8+ is much faster between changing modes between LTE Data and HSPA Calls. So that right there proves the issue isn't related to the GoPhone service, as I never had any issue on the G5 before the Nougat update.
Too bad I still can get the S8+ to work with the K-9 Mail LED Notifications. Must be an issue with that app and Android 7.

FAUguy said:
I got in the S8+ yesterday. After using it for a day and setting it up, I'm not 100% sure that I'll keep it. The regular S8 was out of stock and I'm not a big fan of curved screens. But I figured I'd give it a try.
But regarding the calling issue with the G5 (21a/21b), the S8+ is much faster between changing modes between LTE Data and HSPA Calls. So that right there proves the issue isn't related to the GoPhone service, as I never had any issue on the G5 before the Nougat update.
Too bad I still can get the S8+ to work with the K-9 Mail LED Notifications. Must be an issue with that app and Android 7.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like you got S8+, so, which version did you get? G955U or G955F? And how is Samsung pay? Does the Spay rewards and deals work?

justnewbee said:
Looks like you got S8+, so, which version did you get? G955U or G955F? And how is Samsung pay? Does the Spay rewards and deals work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Samsung eBay page had the S8 G950U for $599 and the S8+ G955U for $699, along with a 24 month PayPal Credit financing. I has intended to go with the S8, but after I got home that night, only the S8+ was still available.
After using it for a few days now, it is really too tall for comfort, and a bit more heavy than I like (actually the weight of the phone is mostly at the top, so when used in landscape mode I can feel more of the weight on the left hand), keep in mind the Note 4 is about the same weight, but feels more comfortable to hold than the S8+.
From what I've read, the US Unlocked "U" models work with Samsung Pay and Rewards. I have it installed and all setup on the phone, but haven't tried it in a store yet. The "F" International models I read don't work with Samsung Pay in the US unless you do some flashing and tricking it out, but can still have issues. So I decided not to go with the F model, but would rather have the exynos processor than the 835.
Right now, Samsung.com has the S8 (and S8+) with a $200 trade in offer, so I'm going to go that route and get the S8 and sent in my old Note 2 (since they sell for less than $200 on eBay and Swappa) and hold on to my Note 3 and 4 for now. Also thinking about ordering the U11 from Amazon. Once I get those in, I can compare the U11, S8 and S8+ and decide which one to keep and return the others.
Normally I would do all this in a store, but Sprint don't have the U11 on display locally.
Once all that get done, then I'll see about selling my G5, do a factory reset on it (21b).

FAUguy said:
The Samsung eBay page had the S8 G950U for $599 and the S8+ G955U for $699, along with a 24 month PayPal Credit financing. I has intended to go with the S8, but after I got home that night, only the S8+ was still available.
After using it for a few days now, it is really too tall for comfort, and a bit more heavy than I like (actually the weight of the phone is mostly at the top, so when used in landscape mode I can feel more of the weight on the left hand), keep in mind the Note 4 is about the same weight, but feels more comfortable to hold than the S8+.
From what I've read, the US Unlocked "U" models work with Samsung Pay and Rewards. I have it installed and all setup on the phone, but haven't tried it in a store yet. The "F" International models I read don't work with Samsung Pay in the US unless you do some flashing and tricking it out, but can still have issues. So I decided not to go with the F model, but would rather have the exynos processor than the 835.
Right now, Samsung.com has the S8 (and S8+) with a $200 trade in offer, so I'm going to go that route and get the S8 and sent in my old Note 2 (since they sell for less than $200 on eBay and Swappa) and hold on to my Note 3 and 4 for now. Also thinking about ordering the U11 from Amazon. Once I get those in, I can compare the U11, S8 and S8+ and decide which one to keep and return the others.
Normally I would do all this in a store, but Sprint don't have the U11 on display locally.
Once all that get done, then I'll see about selling my G5, do a factory reset on it (21b).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for your detailed info. I am going to buy US Unlocked "U" model, though I am interested in exynos processor.

justnewbee said:
Thanks a lot for your detailed info. I am going to buy US Unlocked "U" model, though I am interested in exynos processor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I ended up buying the S8 from the Samsung site ($624) then take off $200 for a trade-in (will send my old Verizon Note 2 since they only sell for about $100...though would like to keep it), and add tax and $0 for 2-day shipping, and was $450 total. Did the Samsung Credit (24 month).
Going to send the S8+ back (Samsung's eBay page) for $742 credit. So that's a savings of $300 ($100 less for the S8 ad $200 for the trade-in).
The S8+ isn't a bad phone, just a bit too tall and more heavy than I like, so I'm sure the S8 will fit better.

Been using the S8 for a week now, sent the S8+ back.
No calling issues with either one (GoPhone) and I noticed they change much quicker between LTE for data and HSPA for calls than the G5 (21a/b).

FAUguy,
Hi, I have recently found to be in the same issue with LTE BRIGHTPOINT and LTE problems. Can you please read my post and see if you know something I don't?
Thanks
https://forum.xda-developers.com/u/...e-connectivity-problems-t3649465/post73300658

Skimpypimp said:
FAUguy,
Hi, I have recently found to be in the same issue with LTE BRIGHTPOINT and LTE problems. Can you please read my post and see if you know something I don't?
Thanks
https://forum.xda-developers.com/u/...e-connectivity-problems-t3649465/post73300658
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I read the post. Where did you buy the phone from?
Look at my post on this thread from Page 6 onward:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-g5/help/calling-rs988-users-nougat-t3608345/page6
I had to do the Bootload Unlock via the LG web site, to then allow rooting of the phone.
Then had to do all the flashing in steps. I wouldn't say it was difficult, but took quite some time to get it all done.

FAUguy said:
I read the post. Where did you buy the phone from?
Look at my post on this thread from Page 6 onward:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-g5/help/calling-rs988-users-nougat-t3608345/page6
I had to do the Bootload Unlock via the LG web site, to then allow rooting of the phone.
Then had to do all the flashing in steps. I wouldn't say it was difficult, but took quite some time to get it all done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I guess I'm screwed because even though I have the RS988, when I request the unlock boot loader code from LG it says I can't get it. I got my phone off eBay. Ugh.

Skimpypimp said:
Well I guess I'm screwed because even though I have the RS988, when I request the unlock boot loader code from LG it says I can't get it. I got my phone off eBay. Ugh.
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See if you can do eBay or PayPal buyer protection.
I'd file a claim on it with them if the seller refuses to offer a refund. I'd state that it is not compatible with your carrier (MetroPCS T-Mobile).

FAUguy said:
See if you can do eBay or PayPal buyer protection.
I'd file a claim on it with them if the seller refuses to offer a refund. I'd state that it is not compatible with your carrier (MetroPCS T-Mobile).
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I would hate to go through all that.
Through your adventure did you get any stock firmware flashed without root and not the BRIGHTPOINT version of it?
I think it has something to do with BRIGHTPOINT firmware.

Skimpypimp said:
I would hate to go through all that.
Through your adventure did you get any stock firmware flashed without root and not the BRIGHTPOINT version of it?
I think it has something to do with BRIGHTPOINT firmware.
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The issue is that I didn't know the firmware I flashed on my rs988 was for Brightpoint. After I flashed it , I had 0 LTE on the phone.
So it was a few weeks later when I decided to go though the process. Did the the LG Bootloader unlock, and flashed one of the kdz files that was Android 6 that I had been using. Then worked the phones firmware update from there.
After it was all done, the RS988 with the 21b firmware has full LTE connectivity. The only issue is that if I place a call, and it changes over to HSPA, that it then can take a few minutes to return back to LTE.
I've now been using an S8 for two months, and it changes between LTE, HSPA, and back to LTE within a few seconds.

V20 990ds in the UK

Hi all,
Just acquired my V20 and its the 990DS variant with a TWN build on it.
Only question I have is, can I even get a EUR build for it, a UK build? I want stock but can't seem to find anything.
Also, is there any downside to using a TWN based Rom in the UK?
TIA

Hi, congrats on a great choice of a phone! I just got mine too; eglobalcentral's delivery times should be taken with a hefty pinch of salt
Mine has a TWN ROM.
the V20 has never been sold in the UK, so you'll not find a UK-specific one, with or without carrier branding.
the first thing I'll be doing is rooting/bootloader-unlocking my phone, and then I'll be looking for an EU variant ROM. However, I don't think it will matter too much the 990DS is clearly designed to be a true international phone, as it seems to have a very good selection of frequency bands.
I've not had much chance to play with it, but so far I've not had any problems with any non-English menus or apps. There again, I tend to avoid using branded apps, as I don't want my data stuck in proprietary apps which I can't migrate between phones.

I'm also in the UK and using the same model. I'm on stock for now, I flashed the Singapore firmware a while ago as the Taiwan model was on outdated Security Patches but went back to the Taiwan image when that was updated. I'm counting down the days for the Lineage tree to be updated to support our variant now that the bootloader unlock has been achieved.

Thanks for the quick replies. Eglobal central delivery time was excellent for me. 4 days in total I think.
So far so good for me, granted I've only been using it for about 6 hours!
I came from a blackberry keyone before this and a pixel before that. I've had my fair share of top shelf android phones and often end up rooting and flashing other custom roms but I've got to the point now where I wanna stock with stock for the most part.
I wonder how the wide angle lenses works in third party apps, as that feature appeals to me quite a bit.
I must say I'm quite impressed with LGs launcher, last time I experienced it it was on a lg g2 and its certainly come on a long way.
In intrigued to see if the battery is fairly good but that said, doesnt matter anyway as we can carry a spare!
As the price on Eglobal for the v20 and g6 was like £70 difference I was a little torn, but i have missed having an IR blaster for a long time (cue my childish moments in restaurants turning their tv's off).
Ill have to keep an eye out for lineage as the read up seems good!

Hello.
Just wondering does the 5GHz wi-fi work for you?
Got mine recently and it wouldn't see any %Hz signals as all.
If it does work perfectly then who is it that you brought it from, the exact one please as I see a fair few on there?
Thanks Ben

I tend to stick to mostly stock ROMs but rooted - so I can backup with Titanium/Root, and also if needed tweak build.props etc, or run Xposed.
I just finished rooting my phone. worth paying emdroidle $20+ for that.
@Madbullbenen I got 5GHz working on mine, all I know is that it worked this afternoon after I'd transferred over my SIM, before I rooted.

Alright thanks. I've had 2 replacements of the phone and both had the issue.

Madbullben said:
Hello.
Just wondering does the 5GHz wi-fi work for you?
Got mine recently and it wouldn't see any %Hz signals as all.
If it does work perfectly then who is it that you brought it from, the exact one please as I see a fair few on there?
Thanks Ben
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Click to collapse
I dont have a 5ghz router i'm afraid so unable to test..

Just got my LG V20 9990 DS from a seller on UK ebay.
5GHz works fine for me on stock rom.

jacko5 said:
Just got my LG V20 9990 DS from a seller on UK ebay.
5GHz works fine for me on stock rom.
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Thanks guys for working out what I was saying lol, didn't realize I held down the shift button when pressing the 5 button.
Just wondering who did you buy it from? I managed to get mine working like the other person did by inserting a sim card, but unfortunately it was a lot slower than what it should have been and is a really inconstant as well.
Mine goes from anywhere between 25 to 70 average is around 30-40 and that's within a few minutes of each other, while my other devices get a constant speed of 120 or 200. My internet speed is 200 so only getting 30-40 on average is a bit frustrating.
Thanks Ben

Ben,
I got mine from here,
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LG-V20-H9...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
Took 4 days to arrive from Ireland to Cornwall.
We have 72mb broadband and i tested wifi on my LG V20 5GHz and it runs at 68mb.
Also got these yesterday, they fit the LG V20 perfectly, no bubbles etc and covers the full screen.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/2-Pack-Pro...9137598&sr=8-7&keywords=lg+v20+tempered+glass