Bout to pull the trigger on a boost S8.
I'm currently a Sprint customer and am going to replace my S6 with it and swap the SIM.
From what little i can tell the only difference is the color code of the device:
Boost
SPHG950UABB
Sprint
SPHG950UBLK
Any insight would be great.
Pretty confident there isn't
Based on everything I've read about how all of the US variants are essentially the same (SM-G950U), I'm confident that there is zero difference between this device and any other device.
Picked up my S8 for a solid deal. Was cheaper than the S6 when i got it
There is no difference apart from the network and some Apps that are network specific. Hardware wise they are identical.
Related
Hello, XDA. I am currently considering purchasing a Galaxy S7 Edge (Exynos) unlocked for use on T-Mobile USA. I see that all the bands are supported here on the US, but I'm still worried about how well the phone works on T-Mobile. I recently heard that T-Mobile will block any devices without their own (T-Mo's) VoLTE certification from accessing LTE band 12 outright. Can anyone confirm if this is true? I would hate to purchase this phone and then find out I can't use it on band 12. I do not care for VoLTE/Wi-Fi calling, I am just worried about getting phone calls.
Also, overall, would anyone recommend this phone over the carrier version from T-Mobile USA? I have only gained interest in purchasing the Exynos version of the phone because I heard battery life and performance are much better. I really need a phone with good battery life and, from what I've heard, the Exynos version excels at this.
I would really appreciate if someone could clear this up for me. Thank you for your time.
I purchased a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge g935p. It was a Sprint unlocked phone. I am using it with cricket on AT&T.
When I was at the Cricket store they acted like that because the phone had been a Sprint phone I might have a problem. Everything seems to be working okay. But I have just a few more days and I could still return the phone. I was wondering is there any reason to change to the exact same phone that had been he was with AT&T.? Will it make any difference as far as calls, MMS, or SMS? I realize some of the apps are different. I am only concerned with differences in performance as far as calls and texting. Would there be any?
Sprint and at&t use different network technology, sprint uses cdma, at&t use gsm. Once upon a time phones sometimes get designed with hardware support for either network type but not both. Some phones hardware for example the exynos s7 edge varient does not have cdma hardware support.
The service people and sales people get trained hard to know that 99.95% of handsets on one network wont work on another.
To answer specifically your question, it should work fine all the s7 edges in the usa use the snapdragon chip which can easilly support both network types if unlocked
What Am I Getting Into If I Go with the Unlocked S8 SM-G950F? I'm in the US & AT&T
An experienced Google Phone Root & ROM'er I'm looking at getting an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S8 SM-G950F from B&H Photo/Video.
Soooo much to read its killing me. I need a jump start in the right direction in the forest.
I use AT&T post paid here in the US. I basically want to TWRP for NANDs' & TBU, and Theme.
What will I have to put up with on the negativity side?
Will Oreo & updates be easy to get onto the device?
Will AT&T give me issues?
Thanks
Anything AT&T-specific or Qualcomm-related will not work. Such as HD voice / WiFi calling and Samsung Pay. Updates will roll in at the same time when the 950F is updated worldwide. Other than aforementioned feature losses, AT&T will be none the wiser and the phone will work just like any unlocked phone does.
Having said that, I do not see an upside of the Exynos 8895 this time around. The SD835 and the Exynos 8895 come out of the same fab (Samsung Semiconductor) on the same lithography (10 nm LPE), and are tuned to perform similarly as has been a tradition for the Galaxy series. Reviews confirm that they are roughly equal, and If anything SD835 seems to have an edge in battery endurance thanks to Qualcomm's advanced modem technology.
Besides which, Samsung sell unlocked phones directly from their website with a generous promotion that lets you trade in older phones, and having a record with them might come in handy if you need to use the warranty service in the future.
I can think of only one advantage of the Exynos variant of the S8 - that it does not have that stupid "Galaxy S8" marking on the back of the phone, which is a huge eyesore on all Snapdragon variants of S8/S8+ and the Note 8.
TL;DR: Specifically looking for a Note 4 that satisfies the following:
- GSM Unlocked 4G LTE and works in the US*
- Has an unlocked bootloader (is rootable, custom ROM-able, etc.)
- Is exempt from, or at least has the fewest reported instances of, the infamous eMMC failure, if possible
*I don't have much knowledge on carrier frequency bands - if it does calls, SMS, and 4G LTE data at reasonable speeds for a 6 year old phone (can stream a video at 480p), that's fine
I have a N910A (the AT&T one) and it's by far and wide the best phone I've ever had. It has an unparalleled set of hardware features that no phone on the market today has beat (IR, S-Pen, user-removable battery, user-servicable internal electronics to an extent, 16MP camera with focus, stabilization and 1080p60 recording, SD card slot, and headphone jack, all in one package). But sadly it fell victim to the eMMC issue earlier this year. So far the cardboard fix combined with wakelock has kept it usable, but it still runs slow, overheats, and randomly freezes doing simple tasks.
However I refuse to give up on the 4 just yet. I have a bunch of spare batteries, plus all my chargers are still micro USB, and the phone still does everything I need it to and more; had it not been for the eMMC issue it would still be going strong.
I'm leaning toward either the N910T (Snapdragon, T-Mobile) for its great software modding potential, or the N910C (Exynos) because I've heard the Exynos one may be less prone to the eMMC failure (?) and has better performance (?), but this is speculation. Plus the Exynos one is more expensive and harder to find. I had thought about just getting a motherboard of one of those two models to put in my AT&T shell, but with that comes the hassles of possibly needing to swap the cameras too, coming across other incompatibilities like carrier frequencies, and worst of all getting one with a bad ESN.
If I'm right that N910T or N910C is the way to go, I'm hoping for some input to steer me in the right direction by addressing a few questions I have that I couldn't find clear answers to:
1. Is it true that the Exynos one isn't prone to eMMC failures, or is every Note 4 susceptible all the same? If the latter is true that pretty much confirms I would go for N910T.
2. Is the Exynos version more or less equivalent to the Snapdragon one in terms of usability when used in the US?
3. Does one or the other have greater custom ROM support?
4. Would I run into any other issues using the Exynos one in the US that the T-Mobile one wouldn't have?
Any input is appreciated, but please be aware I'm really looking for input based on my question. If you're only here to recommend a new phone outside of the Note series, it will take some hard convincing
My carrier is TracFone. Let me know if you need any more info. Thanks for your help!
It's hard to say really, but what you need to know first is.. Which carriers had the most eMMC failure, then go from there.. If your here in the states, then either ATT again, or T-Mobile. I have had 3 Note4 1 with Verizon, and 2 Sprint.. Neither one had failures.. I sold the one from Verizon when I went back to Sprint.. The first Sprint I had for less than 6 months, as I got bored, and wanted something new.. But with the phones being locked down, and me not happy with phones I have had including my Pixel 3a Xl which is being kept in it's box only as a spare.. I went back to this phone, because of root, removable battery, S-pen, really decent camera that came in the custom rom etc. And believe it or not, with a little tweaking, it is just as smooth as my Pixel.
Seeing as you live in the US. It would be more beneficial for you to get a US variant of the Note 4. As both the international variants won't receive LTE from US Cell Providers with the exception of T-Mobile, I believe
Sprint sold to T-Mobile and T-Mobile is selling off Sprint bands between now and Q1 2022 requiring a phone change to stay on their network. I like my V20 and am not impressed with the new Android phones on offer. (*)
Are there any US providers with whom a Sprint V20 will still work? Good 4G performance (1-10Mbps) is fine for my needs and I need to have reliable SMS. I don't want 5G, HD video, gaming performance, or anything like that. I've checked the usual AT&T, Verizon, etc. but unless I'm misreading something, their networks will not accept this phone.
(*) I just sent back a Pixel 5a/5g after preferring the V20 in a side-by-side comparison.
Verizon
I checked with the IMEI and Vzn says it is not comaptible?
Which V20 do you have? vs995 is the Verizon model, and will work on Verizon. us996 is the unlocked model, and will work on Verizon (that's what I use on verizon). Other models of the v20 will be tied to their particular carrier.
Mine says LS997 in one of the panels. As mentioned in the original post, I am currently with Sprint. The phone boots with a Sprint splash screen but should be unlocked. Hoping to find a compatible provider.
That is the Spring Model, apparently only compatible with Spring. Sorry. :-(
The Sprint V20 isn't configured to get VoLTE and doesn't pass any whitelist or IMEI compatibility check for the 3 U.S. carriers, so you'll have to switch to one of the other carrier-branded models, either the H918 for T-Mobile, H910 for AT&T, or VS995 for Verizon.
If your LS997 really is SIM-unlocked, and you can change APN settings (Sprint phones are notorious for having that option grayed out, regardless of whether they are SIM-unlocked or not), then you may still be able to get it to work on T-Mobile without VoLTE until they shut down both 3G and 2G networks next year. However, even before their shut downs, T-Mobile may start actively blocking phones at any time like AT&T do, so I wouldn't go with an LS997 as the only phone.
This blows so much in the wrong ways. Still have the ls997, but had get free a71 to keep service for TMobile. Tech waste at its finest. Forced to do unwanted.
Thanks, everyone. Looks like I am out of luck and have to get another phone regardless of cellular provider.
I am interested in recommendations something 2 or more years old that I could get refurbished to work with what's coming so I can trawl eBay. I'll look for other V20s per @C D but options would be good.
What I like about the V20 and would like to carry over in no particular order.
- Replaceable battery (hence older models)
- Notifications are fast (The Pixel 5a/5g I returned had issues)
- Camera with manual settings. Not an expert photographer but the manual mode has come in handy
- Runs the few apps I care about effortlessly (BlueMail, Newpipe, Berlin Philharmonic apps)
- Slot for a memory card
- Second screen
- Rock solid Bluetooth performance
Rich_Palermo said:
Thanks, everyone. Looks like I am out of luck and have to get another phone regardless of cellular provider.
I am interested in recommendations something 2 or more years old that I could get refurbished to work with what's coming so I can trawl eBay. I'll look for other V20s per @C D but options would be good.
What I like about the V20 and would like to carry over in no particular order.
- Replaceable battery (hence older models)
- Notifications are fast (The Pixel 5a/5g I returned had issues)
- Camera with manual settings. Not an expert photographer but the manual mode has come in handy
- Runs the few apps I care about effortlessly (BlueMail, Newpipe, Berlin Philharmonic apps)
- Slot for a memory card
- Second screen
- Rock solid Bluetooth performance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Based on that, I'd say if you can go with Verizon or its MVNOs, the Verizon LG V50 would fit most of these. It has roughly the same size as the V20 and still has the fingerprint scanner on the back, too. I guess you'd have to test the notifications and Bluetooth performance, but as long as whatever seller you go with has a good return policy, that shouldn't be a problem.
The second screen doesn't really exist in any phone other than the V10 and V20, and a removable battery only exists in phones (Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro and Teracube 2e) that are more of a sidegrade/downgrade to the V20 while missing many of its features.
If you need compatibility with all U.S. carriers and don't mind the bigger size and lower screen resolution, there is a carrier model of the V60 for each of the big 3 carriers.
Another notable older all-rounder that's easy to find renewed/refurbished on eBay would be the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 if you don't mind the curved screen and being stuck on Android 10.
I own both a Sprint V50 and a Note 9 (both rooted), and while they lack the removable battery and second screen, they both have an LED notification light (though the V50 has a weird one on the back that's also the 5G logo) and absolutely blow away the V20 in both performance and battery life. Unfortunately, I can't recommend the Sprint V50 yet since I can't seem to get a signal to stay on T-Mobile, and while it does work perfectly on an AT&T MVNO, AT&T could block it at any point since it's not on their whitelist.
You may be able to find most of these for around $300 or less in mint/refurbished/open box shape, and it's up to you to decide if those are worth over getting a different V20 at likely less than half the price.
I will chase all of these down! The Pixel 5a/5g I tried was Android 12 and I thought it was hard to use compared to prior versions. Lots of UI customization features I don't need/want at the expense of core capabilities. My V20 has Android 8 and it works just fine.
I think Sprint is out of the equation and whatever I get has to be for one or more of the other carriers/their resellers.