S8 no LTE connection - Samsung Galaxy S8 Questions and Answers

S8 no LTE connection - Samsung Galaxy S8 Questions and Answers

I bought a S8 2 years ago in the US. I am basically using it in central Europe with a Austrian SIM. Until now I have never seen the phone connecting to a LTE network, even though its enabled in the settings.
When I put the same SIM in the S9 which I bought in Europe, it'll connect to LTE almost all the time.
Are there hardware differences between US and european phones? Is it only a firmware issue?

SuperMesna said:
I bought a S8 2 years ago in the US. I am basically using it in central Europe with a Austrian SIM. Until now I have never seen the phone connecting to a LTE network, even though its enabled in the settings.
When I put the same SIM in the S9 which I bought in Europe, it'll connect to LTE almost all the time.
Are there hardware differences between US and european phones? Is it only a firmware issue?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Um you have a European phone. A950f is not a us device. The 950u is and there are a lot of differences radios you need to make sure the phone supports your carriers lte bands. And you have your apn setup properly first

Related

SM-N910K stuck on 3G in Brazil

Ok, so i ordered a SM-N910U from 28mobile.com, and they sent me a carrier branded SM-n910K, which by its specifications should work with Brazilian LTE (band 7 - 2600). However I am stuck on 3g. I was wondering if maybe the whole internet is wrong and this device doesnt support this band, or maybe its some sort of carrier lock. Also, how do i disable the awful branding, will flash a different firmware work and which do i flash?
Thanks

repl0id said:
Ok, so i ordered a SM-N910U from 28mobile.com, and they sent me a carrier branded SM-n910K, which by its specifications should work with Brazilian LTE (band 7 - 2600). However I am stuck on 3g. I was wondering if maybe the whole internet is wrong and this device doesnt support this band, or maybe its some sort of carrier lock. Also, how do i disable the awful branding, will flash a different firmware work and which do i flash?Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) check frequencies that U model supports @ samsung website (its asian/hong kong, right? those miss some frequencieos)
2) check which frequencies are used for 4g by your brazilian telco.
3) compare.
if frequencies match, you might want to try:
1) getting a new sim that is surely 4g-capable
2) getting an iphone nano-sim. this is crazy, but for many users in russian forums that has solved 4g connectivity issues with one telco.
3) making sure your plan supports 4g
4) ensure you have 4g coverage.

lisbon2004 said:
1) check frequencies that U model supports @ samsung website (its asian/hong kong, right? those miss some frequencieos)
2) check which frequencies are used for 4g by your brazilian telco.
3) compare.
if frequencies match, you might want to try:
1) getting a new sim that is surely 4g-capable
2) getting an iphone nano-sim. this is crazy, but for many users in russian forums that has solved 4g connectivity issues with one telco.
3) making sure your plan supports 4g
4) ensure you have 4g coverage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) Sim is 4g
2)will try
3) IT does
4) I do
Is the SM-N910U the same as the SM-N910K as far as LTE bands go? I dont get it, they are both supposed to support Band 7 - 2600MHZ, which is the one we have over here. What about flashing a different firmware? I've been trying with odin, to no success.

They do support that frequency so it's probably something to do with your sim card or carrier?
And 28mobile told me I was receiving one model only to get the k model like you. Wasn't happy. The updates for firmwares are slow

lawtq said:
They do support that frequency so it's probably something to do with your sim card or carrier?
And 28mobile told me I was receiving one model only to get the k model like you. Wasn't happy. The updates for firmwares are slow
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I am on a LTE plan, tried 3 different sims already, they are all stuck on 3G...And all our carriers have the same band, which is 7...So it's not the sim or the carrier...its the phone. I bet that there's some sort of lock going on, since all roaming options are grayed out (the phone is not stuck on roaming, however). I am trying to flash any other model's firmware, like U, C and even S, but odin always fails when trying.

repl0id said:
Ok, so i ordered a SM-N910U from 28mobile.com, and they sent me a carrier branded SM-n910K, which by its specifications should work with Brazilian LTE (band 7 - 2600). However I am stuck on 3g. I was wondering if maybe the whole internet is wrong and this device doesnt support this band, or maybe its some sort of carrier lock. Also, how do i disable the awful branding, will flash a different firmware work and which do i flash?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you ordered the "U"-model, and got a branded "K"-model, I would complain to the shop you bought it and demand a swap to the model you ordered!

How to enable GSM on GS7 (Smg930v)?

Hi,
I've found someone in Brazil who is selling a Verizon GS7 (smg930v) at a great price but he claims that it's not working here because it won't recognize the Brazilian mobile network (the bought the phone in the US). He says the phone connects to the 4G network but he is not able to navigate or make phone calls. I find this weird as I've read in many places that Verizon's GS7 are unlocked to work on GSM.
Any thoughts on what can be done?

rawfa said:
Hi,
I've found someone in Brazil who is selling a Verizon GS7 (smg930v) at a great price but he claims that it's not working here because it won't recognize the Brazilian mobile network (the bought the phone in the US). He says the phone connects to the 4G network but he is not able to navigate or make phone calls. I find this weird as I've read in many places that Verizon's GS7 are unlocked to work on GSM.
Any thoughts on what can be done?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It won't connect in Brazil because they are GSM-only; whereas VZW is a CDMA-only network. South America is like the EU - mostly,l if not entirely, GSM-only; VZW and Sprint are using different (and not cross-compatible) types of CDMA. Tracfone (and their Safelink lifeline division) is an MVNO that uses T-Mobile and VZW towers for coverage (and thus support both GSM and CDMA phones). Tracfone has both GSM and CDMA SIM kits - however, the SIM kit you purchase must match the target phone. (Some phones, such as the Galaxy Nexus, for example, are available in both sorts - maguro for AT&T Mobility and T-Mobile/Deutsch Telekom, and toro/toroplus for VZW and Sprint; there are even "unified" ROMs (the Tuna versions are neutral in this fashion, and are available from JB to N - PureNexus 7.1.1 for Tuna is my default, and is just one such example). It may be possible to modify the radios to support GSM bands; however, I would not recommend it.

rawfa said:
Hi,
I've found someone in Brazil who is selling a Verizon GS7 (smg930v) at a great price but he claims that it's not working here because it won't recognize the Brazilian mobile network (the bought the phone in the US). He says the phone connects to the 4G network but he is not able to navigate or make phone calls. I find this weird as I've read in many places that Verizon's GS7 are unlocked to work on GSM.
Any thoughts on what can be done?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the phone is gsm unlocked out of the box
my s7 is Verizon on att
flash the unlocked firmware to further unlock all the bands but Verizon unlocks out of the box
---------- Post added at 07:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:47 AM ----------
PGHammer said:
It won't connect in Brazil because they are GSM-only; whereas VZW is a CDMA-only network. South America is like the EU - mostly,l if not entirely, GSM-only; VZW and Sprint are using different (and not cross-compatible) types of CDMA. Tracfone (and their Safelink lifeline division) is an MVNO that uses T-Mobile and VZW towers for coverage (and thus support both GSM and CDMA phones). Tracfone has both GSM and CDMA SIM kits - however, the SIM kit you purchase must match the target phone. (Some phones, such as the Galaxy Nexus, for example, are available in both sorts - maguro for AT&T Mobility and T-Mobile/Deutsch Telekom, and toro/toroplus for VZW and Sprint; there are even "unified" ROMs (the Tuna versions are neutral in this fashion, and are available from JB to N - PureNexus 7.1.1 for Tuna is my default, and is just one such example). It may be possible to modify the radios to support GSM bands; however, I would not recommend it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you do know that almost all Verizon phones now are unlocked out of the box no mods needed
the reason is some of the bands that gsm carriers are not supported by verzion
mine is a Verizon on att rite now no mods at all other than root and stuff
---------- Post added at 07:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:49 AM ----------
rawfa said:
Hi,
I've found someone in Brazil who is selling a Verizon GS7 (smg930v) at a great price but he claims that it's not working here because it won't recognize the Brazilian mobile network (the bought the phone in the US). He says the phone connects to the 4G network but he is not able to navigate or make phone calls. I find this weird as I've read in many places that Verizon's GS7 are unlocked to work on GSM.
Any thoughts on what can be done?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry for double posting kinda thing here
the reason its connecting to 4g there is the phone supports the 4g band obviously in brazil
but not some of the others I had this issue with my note 5 not supporting atts 4g band so I would get 2g and 3g but no 4g
again flash the g930u firmware and it seems to unlock all the bands
---------- Post added at 08:06 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:52 AM ----------
rawfa said:
Hi,
I've found someone in Brazil who is selling a Verizon GS7 (smg930v) at a great price but he claims that it's not working here because it won't recognize the Brazilian mobile network (the bought the phone in the US). He says the phone connects to the 4G network but he is not able to navigate or make phone calls. I find this weird as I've read in many places that Verizon's GS7 are unlocked to work on GSM.
Any thoughts on what can be done?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
u might try in mobile networks to switch it to global instead of anything else

nrage23 said:
You should be able to put in the GSM sim and set the APN to what the carrier recommends and it works. It may not support all of bands that that carrier uses but it should work. You could also flash the Verizon SM-930v to the firmware for the Unlocked SM-930u via Odin and unlock more of the GSM bands. Most like it is just a APN issue
You have no idea what you are talking about. All Verizon phones are sim unlocked and since the HTC Thunderbolt, they all support a lot but not all GSM bands. All newer Verizon phones are world phones and usually just need the proper APN of the Telecom being used. Again they do not support all GSM bands but the do cover a lot of them that are used internationally.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will second both of these post in every way. Lol. I was thinking it just tryin to keep to myself

Agreed. You could purchase the phone and flash the U firmware. That's what I have done. I have used my Verizon s7 on Att and TMobile through their mnvos respectively

To wrap up in a nutshell what everyone else was saying...
1) The G930V S7s have both CDMA and GSM radios, so will work on both types of network.
2) Verizon phones are NOT network locked.
3) You need to check the GSM frequencies for your local network. The G930V uses GSM 850/900/1800/1900 for 2G & UMTS 850/900/1900/2100 for 3G. If your local network doesn't use any of these bands, the phone won't work for calls/SMS.
4) Flashing the 'U' firmware will only add UMTS 1700. There used to be a way to get into the radio settings and add/remove frequencies using a service code, but I believe that Samsung have locked down that ability.

Great info
Great info!

definitive FACTS on all s8 variants

I bought a Verizon SM-G950UZKAVZW direct from Samsung. I thought that I was buying a phone that I could take to any carrier. I'm hearing that might not be true. Does anyone have definitive, confirmed specs ie supported radio bands on all of the carrier variants as well as the upcoming intl version? Also I heard other reports that the hardware is identical and it's firmware that is limiting the phones. Not sure if that is true either. Samsung was absolutely not helpful.
Bottom line I need to know:
1 if I keep the SM-G950UZKAVZW, will I be able to use it with other carrier networks?
2 if I can use the SM-G950UZKAVZW with other carriers, what actions (if any) would I need to take to do that? (Other than swapping a sim card)
3 would the phone I currently possess be limited in any way if I were to use it with other carriers? (Limited is defined here as "performing differently in contrast to that carriers native S8 model variant") if so, specifically how would it be limited?
4 if I were to purchase an unlocked international model once it becomes available, would that phone be limited in any way when used on any US carrier? (Limited is again defined here as "performing differently in contrast to that carriers native S8 model variant") if so, specifically how?
If you aren't sure, please don't reply. There's plenty of people documenting their best guess already. I'm looking for the straight story.
Thanks for reading!

All of Verizon phones are Sim card unlocked and since there is really only 1 version of the S8/S8+ in the US (with different model #'s corresponding to the different carriers) using the phone on another carriers network is not going to be an issue. All you need to do is insert the sim card in.
http://www.gottabemobile.com/how-to-unlock-the-galaxy-s8/
As a quick note, if you have a Verizon Galaxy S8 congratulations. Your phone is already unlocked. Verizon Wireless no longer locks phones, regardless of what you might hear from friends or family. Simply drop a T-Mobile or AT&T SIM card in a Verizon model and it works. It may require manually configuring the APN settings though, so keep that in mind.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The ONLY exception that might be would be Sprint since they are CDMA as well, but who really wants to go from Verizon to Sprint?????
All 4 Major US(and subsequent sub carriers) are receiving the same version of the phone(meaning same internals). From my understanding, inserting the carriers Sim card into the verizon phone just means you start going at that point and have access to all the carriers bands
If you got an international version, it most likely would be powered by an Exynos CPU vs the Snapdragon 835 so there would be some performance differences (typically Exynos models perform marginally better based on previous history)
If you're looking for a US unlocked model - wait until next month
http://www.theverge.com/circuitbrea...-unlocked-galaxy-s8-plus-pricing-release-date

I appreciate your clear response! Would it be accurate to say that I will have just as much freedom to hop from one carrier to another using the phone I have, as opposed to purchasing the upcoming US unlocked variant?
Also, I have heard the same thing about the hardware, that all of the carrier variants are the same physical model. But some folks, including the Samsung tech support rep I spoke to (unfortunately that probably doesn't mean a whole lot) seem to think that the carrier firmware is limiting the radio bands. Do you know this to be false?

I have the Verizon version and works fine on Tmo out of the box. Have to use Verizon update software through Windows though. OTA's will never come through.

I am using Verizon GS8 on att, it works but I only get HSPA mostly. No LTE, so band is definitely capped by firmware.
I didn't have any issue receiving ota with att sim in vzw gs8

I saw a review that said the s8 gets locked to the first carrier sim it accepts. Can someone confirm swapping sims of different carriers works?

Whanksta said:
I am using Verizon GS8 on att, it works but I only get HSPA mostly. No LTE, so band is definitely capped by firmware.
I didn't have any issue receiving ota with att sim in vzw gs8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried going into the network band menu and locking it to one of the AT&T LTE bands?
This still works on the S8 (found this on the S7 and used it to lock my S7 to band 4 for Tmobile)
https://forum.xda-developers.com/tm...ng-network-t3331555/post65722081#post65722081

ElBeaner said:
Have you tried going into the network band menu and locking it to one of the AT&T LTE bands?
This still works on the S8 (found this on the S7 and used it to lock my S7 to band 4 for Tmobile)
https://forum.xda-developers.com/tm...ng-network-t3331555/post65722081#post65722081
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am unable to access the service menu via the S7 method

Whanksta said:
I am unable to access the service menu via the S7 method
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok forgot you were Verizon - you have to edit a setting because they block you from that access
Try this if you're daring enough
https://forum.xda-developers.com/verizon-galaxy-s6/general/enabling-using-servicemode-t3109579
EDIT Damn, looks like you have to be rooted first
---------- Post added at 12:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:18 AM ----------
Whanksta said:
I am unable to access the service menu via the S7 method
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'll need to wait unti the official AT&T rom is available from Smasung and then you should be able to flash it via ODIN onto the phone and get all the AT&T carrier bands

mredamon said:
I bought a Verizon SM-G950UZKAVZW direct from Samsung. I thought that I was buying a phone that I could take to any carrier. I'm hearing that might not be true. Does anyone have definitive, confirmed specs ie supported radio bands on all of the carrier variants as well as the upcoming intl version? Also I heard other reports that the hardware is identical and it's firmware that is limiting the phones. Not sure if that is true either. Samsung was absolutely not helpful.
Bottom line I need to know:
4 if I were to purchase an unlocked international model once it becomes available, would that phone be limited in any way when used on any US carrier? (Limited is again defined here as "performing differently in contrast to that carriers native S8 model variant") if so, specifically how?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once it becomes available? You can buy Exynos right now from other countries. Clove in UK will region unlock the phone before shipping to you in the U.S. What needs to become available?
Don't confuse the "unlocked" S8 Samsung will sell here in the U.S. in a month or so with the Exynos international variant. The "unlocked" S8 coming to the U.S. is still the bootloader locked Snapdragon version, just without carrier branding. It will be carrier unlocked but not bootloader unlocked. If you care about rooting, TWRP, ROMs, etc Exynos is what you want.
would that (Exynos international variant) phone be limited in any way when used on any US carrier?
(Limited is again defined here as "performing differently in contrast to that carriers native S8 model variant") if so, specifically how?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NO, except if you are on CDMA-handicapped Sprint or Verizon. If you use Sprint or Verizon be aware Exynos doesn't have 3G CDMA bands to fall back on if you can't get LTE. For AT&T or T-Mobile, YES it has all the LTE/HSPA/GSM bands.
The "international" Exynos variant can be bootloader unlocked, rooted, etc. so tons of advantages. While it has Verizon LTE bands, there's no CDMA. This means you really need Verizon VoLTE to work and I don't have the answer to that. And if you can't get LTE signal on mobile network, you won't have any signal due to no CDMA fallback. Again, only an issue because of CDMA if you stay on Verizon instead of using AT&T or T-mobile (or their network affiliates). You seem like you want to switch to another carrier? So, go ahead and do so!
EXYNOS VARIANTS LTE BANDS:
LTE Bands: FDD: B1(2100), B2(1900), B3(1800), B4(AWS), B5(850), B7(2600), B8(900), B12(700), B13(700), B17(700), B18(800), B19(800), B20(800), B25(1900), B26(800), B28(700), B32(1500), B66(AWS- 3) | TDD: B38(2600), B39(1900), B40(2300), B41(2500)
GSM/GPRS
850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz
3G/HSPA
850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 MHz

ChazzMatt said:
Once it becomes available? You can buy Exynos right now from other countries. Clove in UK will region unlock the phone before shipping to you in the U.S. What needs to become available?
Don't confuse the "unlocked" S8 Samsung will sell here in the U.S. in a month or so with the Exynos international variant. The "unlocked" S8 coming to the U.S. is still the bootloader locked Snapdragon version, just without carrier branding. It will be carrier unlocked but not bootloader unlocked. If you care about rooting, TWRP, ROMs, etc Exynos is what you want. /QUOTE]
Yeah I screwed up. I did confuse them.
I'm not interested in all that rooting stuff I just want a phone that pretty much works anywhere I want to take it and if it's slower on one network than another I wanna know what I'm getting myself into.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Whanksta said:
I am using Verizon GS8 on att, it works but I only get HSPA mostly. No LTE, so band is definitely capped by firmware.
I didn't have any issue receiving ota with att sim in vzw gs8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey guys
I'm from Brazil and I wanna buy the Verizon's S8 but I'm afraid about the 4G.
I saw that this model has the Brazil LTE frequencies, but I read here that Verizon capped the band from the firmware.
Somebody knows if I could flash via ODIN the unlocked rom that will come with the unlocked version in USA and so get the LTE free to use in any place?
I don't want to assume the risk to have a top mobile phone but don't be able to use 4G.
Thank you very much guys

Hey mredamon. Did you ever get a clear response here or somewhere else about this?

Carrier Aggregation on S7 Edge Exynos Unlocked version (SM-G935F)

I recently bought an S7 edge unlocked SM-G935F Exynos version. I am currently using it on T-Mobile and have VoLTE and WiFi calling after flashing the TMobile CSC. However, I cannot get the right bands working for Carrier Aggregation. When I go into ServiceMode, the only CA combinations showing are :
7C(A)
7A-7A(A-n)
There's nothing about bands 2, 4, or 12 that T-Mobile uses. I've tried using various ROMs and CSC tools to try to get the correct bands for CA to show up but nothing. Does anyone have any insight on how to get this enabled? I saw something a year old on reddit but the details were a little vague.

https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8+/how-to/root-how-to-carrier-aggregation-t-t3687466

5upon said:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8+/how-to/root-how-to-carrier-aggregation-t-t3687466
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried what was mentioned in that article. It didn't work. No idea why the CA is also only showing Band 7 when T-Mobile only uses 2,4,12.
What's even more strange... I brought the phone overseas to Taiwan last week, popped in a Chunghwa Telecom SIM, and all CA band combos for LTE bands 3,7,8,28 showed up without any issues and the phone was lightning fast.

reedog117 said:
popped in a Chunghwa Telecom SIM, and all CA band combos for LTE bands 3,7,8,28 showed up without any issues and the phone was lightning fast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check with another US SIM card and see if the T-Mobile card's behavior or the Taiwanese one is replicated.
Try with a Metro, Cricket or AT&T card.
Also, on which network was this phone previously used? Because I am not sure if I'm right but if it was used with a CDMA network, it might not work with GSM US networks (not sure about it tho).

RossTeagan said:
Check with another US SIM card and see if the T-Mobile card's behavior or the Taiwanese one is replicated.
Try with a Metro, Cricket or AT&T card.
Also, on which network was this phone previously used? Because I am not sure if I'm right but if it was used with a CDMA network, it might not work with GSM US networks (not sure about it tho).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know the previous owner on Swappa said that he used the phone with Cricket, but no clue if he checked if CA was working. Also I thought the Exynos varieties didn’t have any support for CDMA.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Questions Re: International (or Latin) unlocked S10+ or Note10+ / T-Mobile

So I am looking to buy an international (or Latin) version of either the S10+ or the Note 10+.
I am on T-Mobile in the U.S.
1. How "bad" will it be if the phone has 3 out of T-Mobile's main bands? It only lacks 71, so what's the impact will be if I don't have band 71 on this phone with T-Mobile?
2. I read in the forum about flashing T-Mobile firmware on unlocked phones. How necessary is it? I prefer not to mess with flashing anything; done it in the past, I am not 'afraid' of it, but I just don't feel like going that route. Will I be missing anything from the T-Mobile network and services if I keep the phone in its stock ROM?
For example: Wifi Calling (important to me), VoLTE, etc. Will I have access to these features if I don't flash the carrier's firmware?
Thank you.

Band 71 is used only in rural areas where cell towers are very far apart . My phones have never used band 71. If you don't know what bands your phone typically is using you can download a free signal app from the Play Store that will show what band your phone is connected to. Unless you live in a very rural area or frequently find yourself in rural areas it's unlikely you need band 71.
Flashing T-Mobile firmware shouldn't be necessary. I don't have the international S10+ but rather the US unlocked model and I get both WiFi Calling and Volte fine without T-Mobile firmware.
I've used many different models of international unlocked phones from Xiaomi and Huawei on T-Mobile and always got both WiFi Calling and Volte to work with only one exception--the Mate 20 Pro. I had to get rid of that phone even though I really liked it because calls kept going to voicemail without the phone ever ringing first.
It turns out that on T-Mobile if your phone supports band 12 it also needs to support Volte or calls go straight to voicemail without ringing if the caller is using Volte . I never had that problem previously because in 5 years of using international unlocked phones the M20P was the first where Volte didn't work on T-Mobile.
There were lots of posts from T-Mobile customers in the XDA M20P threads about calls going straight to voicemail. I haven't read a single post about that issue with the S10+ so it's pretty safe to assume that the international S10+ works fine with Volte on T-Mobile.
Until the S8 Samsung didn't even sell a US unlocked model--everyone in the US with unlocked Samsung phones were using the international models with the Exynos chip and those phones always worked perfectly with T-Mobile which is very BYOP friendly (unlike AT&T).
The only thing you would be missing on the vanilla Samsung firmware is Visual Voicemail but last I checked you could just download the official T-Mobile Visual Voicemail app from the Play Store.
You would also receive your OTA updates from Samsung rather than T-Mobile but that's actually a plus because the unlocked Exynos models receive updates much more quickly than all of the US models including the unlocked Snapdragon models.
Sorry for the very long answer but I wanted to be thorough.
You should be fine with an international unlocked S10+ on T-Mobile. This is a much better phone than unlocked models from Google Pixel and One Plus so I would recommend going for it.
No manual flashing on your part will be necessary.

@jhs39 - Thank you for your extensive response. It is greatly appreciated!
OK, so I mostly use Band 4 with my current phone, which is one of TMB's main bands, so it seems like that indeed the lack of 71 won't be an issue.
However, how do I know if the Int. version will support VoLTE on the TMB network? I can't see anywhere any information about this phone even supports VoLTE (other than the carrier's model of course).
What about Video Calling?
Thanks again.

sbi1 said:
@jhs39 - Thank you for your extensive response. It is greatly appreciated!
OK, so I mostly use Band 4 with my current phone, which is one of TMB's main bands, so it seems like that indeed the lack of 71 won't be an issue.
However, how do I know if the Int. version will support VoLTE on the TMB network? I can't see anywhere any information about this phone even supports VoLTE (other than the carrier's model of course).
What about Video Calling?
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the international model didn't support Volte on T-Mobile there would be posts on XDA complaining about calls going straight to voicemail without the phone ringing. There were multiple threads about that issue in the M20P section but I haven't seen a single complaint about that happening with the S10+.
This phone has been out since early Spring so if there was a problem using the international model with T-Mobile somebody would have reported it by now.
I don’t know anything about video calling though because I use T-Mobile's network via an MVNO and my carrier doesn't offer video calling.

jhs39 said:
Band 71 is used only in rural areas where cell towers are very far apart . My phones have never used band 71. If you don't know what bands your phone typically is using you can download a free signal app from the Play Store that will show what band your phone is connected to. Unless you live in a very rural area or frequently find yourself in rural areas it's unlikely you need band 71.
Flashing T-Mobile firmware shouldn't be necessary. I don't have the international S10+ but rather the US unlocked model and I get both WiFi Calling and Volte fine without T-Mobile firmware.
I've used many different models of international unlocked phones from Xiaomi and Huawei on T-Mobile and always got both WiFi Calling and Volte to work with only one exception--the Mate 20 Pro. I had to get rid of that phone even though I really liked it because calls kept going to voicemail without the phone ever ringing first.
It turns out that on T-Mobile if your phone supports band 12 it also needs to support Volte or calls go straight to voicemail without ringing if the caller is using Volte . I never had that problem previously because in 5 years of using international unlocked phones the M20P was the first where Volte didn't work on T-Mobile.
There were lots of posts from T-Mobile customers in the XDA M20P threads about calls going straight to voicemail. I haven't read a single post about that issue with the S10+ so it's pretty safe to assume that the international S10+ works fine with Volte on T-Mobile.
Until the S8 Samsung didn't even sell a US unlocked model--everyone in the US with unlocked Samsung phones were using the international models with the Exynos chip and those phones always worked perfectly with T-Mobile which is very BYOP friendly (unlike AT&T).
The only thing you would be missing on the vanilla Samsung firmware is Visual Voicemail but last I checked you could just download the official T-Mobile Visual Voicemail app from the Play Store.
You would also receive your OTA updates from Samsung rather than T-Mobile but that's actually a plus because the unlocked Exynos models receive updates much more quickly than all of the US models including the unlocked Snapdragon models.
Sorry for the very long answer but I wanted to be thorough.
You should be fine with an international unlocked S10+ on T-Mobile. This is a much better phone than unlocked models from Google Pixel and One Plus so I would recommend going for it.
No manual flashing on your part will be necessary.
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That's odd. I'm using a mate 20X and the although it lacks bands 66 and 71 I don't get calls going to voicemail. In fact when viewing my historical phone signal via gsam app, it shows that I always receive a better signal than even the S10+ that I'm currently using. Both devices on T-Mobile USA.
Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

sbi1 said:
So I am looking to buy an international (or Latin) version of either the S10+ or the Note 10+.
I am on T-Mobile in the U.S.
1. How "bad" will it be if the phone has 3 out of T-Mobile's main bands? It only lacks 71, so what's the impact will be if I don't have band 71 on this phone with T-Mobile?
2. I read in the forum about flashing T-Mobile firmware on unlocked phones. How necessary is it? I prefer not to mess with flashing anything; done it in the past, I am not 'afraid' of it, but I just don't feel like going that route. Will I be missing anything from the T-Mobile network and services if I keep the phone in its stock ROM?
For example: Wifi Calling (important to me), VoLTE, etc. Will I have access to these features if I don't flash the carrier's firmware?
Thank you.[/QUOTE
I have the Hong Kong variant SM-G975 with T-Mobile. No issues with bands, VoLTE. Wifi Calling or 4G, no impact. You won't need to flash the device.
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varcor said:
I have the Hong Kong variant SM-G975 with T-Mobile. No issues with bands, VoLTE. Wifi Calling or 4G, no impact. You won't need to flash the device.
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Thanks @varcor . What about Video calling?
BTW - is it 975F or something else?

I use Skype for Video Calling, it works fine. Mine is an SM-G9750, the best price I've seen is on Ebay. The only issue is when you first get the device you'll need to change the language since it's setup in Mandarin. A bit challenging but not a big deal. The Ebay vendor is in Houston which is where the device ships from, only takes a few days.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-Ga...im-FACTORY-UNLOCKED-6-4-8GB-RAM-/192846270776

varcor said:
I use Skype for Video Calling, it works fine. Mine is an SM-G9750, the best I've seen is on Ebay. The only issue is when you first get the device you'll need to change the language since it's setup in Mandarin. A bit challenging but not a big deal. The Ebay vendor is in Houston which is where the device ships from, only takes a few days.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-Ga...im-FACTORY-UNLOCKED-6-4-8GB-RAM-/192846270776
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Oh yeah, the legendary Never MSRP.
Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Yep, I've bought a number of devices from them, won't use anyone else. Lowest prices, great customer service as well.

varcor said:
I use Skype for Video Calling, it works fine. Mine is an SM-G9750, the best price I've seen is on Ebay. The only issue is when you first get the device you'll need to change the language since it's setup in Mandarin. A bit challenging but not a big deal. The Ebay vendor is in Houston which is where the device ships from, only takes a few days.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Samsung-Ga...im-FACTORY-UNLOCKED-6-4-8GB-RAM-/192846270776
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I must the F model. I travel to Israel with a local SIM and they use the F model, and it's the only possibility I have to use their WiFi calling while there. I am not 100% sure it'll work because of firmware but better chances with F model.
Thanks.

Limeybastard said:
That's odd. I'm using a mate 20X and the although it lacks bands 66 and 71 I don't get calls going to voicemail. In fact when viewing my historical phone signal via gsam app, it shows that I always receive a better signal than even the S10+ that I'm currently using. Both devices on T-Mobile USA.
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Click to collapse
Not having bands 66 & 71 don't cause the problem with T-Mobile calls going straight to voicemail--if band 12 is supported on a phone T-Mobile assumes the phone also supports Volte and if it doesn't then you get calls going straight to voicemail.
I'm not familiar with the Mate 20X but before the M20P I had a P20 Pro, Mate 10 Pro and P10 Pro and none of those phones had an issue because T-Mobile Volte worked with all of them.
It's also possible the problem with the P20 Pro was fixed after I got rid of the phone since it was a firmware issue that was fixable in a software update . I kept mine for 6 months before throwing in the towel. The only workaround was to turn off 4G in the network settings. With 4G off you would receive all calls since Volte is a 4G function.
I personally love Huawei phones. Hopefully after Trump is gone all of the nonsense with Huawei being barred from using Google apps and bullied out of the US market will go away but they might decide selling their products here isn't worth the aggravation.
I've also used a bunch of unlocked Xiaomi phones on T-Mobile with no issues. A nice feature in MIUI is that if Volte doesn't work out of the box there's a dial code you can enter to manually enable it.
Band 66 is an offload for band 4 when band 4 traffic is high but if a phone doesn't have band 66 it just stays on 4 so not having 66 on an unlocked phone has never caused any problems for me.
Band 71 is only live in parts of the country and is relatively new. It can transmit a signal over unusually long distances and is used to provide cell coverage in rural areas where it would cost too much to build a full network of cell towers.

jhs39 said:
Not having bands 66 & 71 don't cause the problem with T-Mobile calls going straight to voicemail--if band 12 is supported on a phone T-Mobile assumes the phone also supports Volte and if it doesn't then you get calls going straight to voicemail.
I'm not familiar with the Mate 20X but before the M20P I had a P20 Pro, Mate 10 Pro and P10 Pro and none of those phones had an issue because T-Mobile Volte worked with all of them.
It's also possible the problem with the P20 Pro was fixed after I got rid of the phone since it was a firmware issue that was fixable in a software update . I kept mine for 6 months before throwing in the towel. The only workaround was to turn off 4G in the network settings. With 4G off you would receive all calls since Volte is a 4G function.
I personally love Huawei phones. Hopefully after Trump is gone all of the nonsense with Huawei being barred from using Google apps and bullied out of the US market will go away but they might decide selling their products here isn't worth the aggravation.
I've also used a bunch of unlocked Xiaomi phones on T-Mobile with no issues. A nice feature in MIUI is that if Volte doesn't work out of the box there's a dial code you can enter to manually enable it.
Band 66 is an offload for band 4 when band 4 traffic is high but if a phone doesn't have band 66 it just stays on 4 so not having 66 on an unlocked phone has never caused any problems for me.
Band 71 is only live in parts of the country and is relatively new. It can transmit a signal over unusually long distances and is used to provide cell coverage in rural areas where it would cost too much to build a full network of cell towers.
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P20 pro was certified and worked fully on T-Mobile , most devices after that were not.
I don't think my mate 20x connected to band 12, but if it did, then yes it'll probably go straight to voicemail.
Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

sbi1 said:
I must the F model. I travel to Israel with a local SIM and they use the F model, and it's the only possibility I have to use their WiFi calling while there. I am not 100% sure it'll work because of firmware but better chances with F model.
Thanks.
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The SM-G975F is the Exynos SoC variant for Europe. The SM-G9750 has the Snapdragon SoC and dual SIM's as well. Wifi Calling will work on both devices in any region, including Israel as long as the service provider offers it. The only thing I would recommend is you do some research on Exynos vs Snapdragon SoC's in the S10. Good luck!

varcor said:
The SM-G975F is the Exynos SoC variant for Europe. The SM-G9750 has the Snapdragon SoC and dual SIM's as well. Wifi Calling will work on both devices in any region, including Israel as long as the service provider offers it. The only thing I would recommend is you do some research on Exynos vs Snapdragon SoC's in the S10. Good luck!
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I am aware of the differences between the two chips.
In regards to WiFi Calling - I am a bit skeptical. This provider does have WiFi calling services, however they have a list of devices that are supported. Clearly they list devices and firmwares that they sell, not BYOD phones, and they sell the F version. I currently use ZTE Axon 7, I have WiFi calling on T-Mobile but it does not work on the Israeli network and when I try to 'register' it for this service through their app, it clearly says that the device is not supported.
That being said - I can't tell you if my phone doesn't work on their WF calling because it's not even sold in Israel. It could very well be that any version of Galaxy S10+ will be supported regardless of firmware. simply because it is sold there. Clearly there is no way to know this beforehand. I asked them, they of course can only guarantee phones that are sold by them and are on the list.
BTW - the Israeli version of the 975F is single SIM, they don't have the D/S, although I can't imagine this should have any impact of phone supporting or not supporting WF calling.
What's the difference between the F and the O, other than the region they are sold in?
Thanks.

Limeybastard said:
P20 pro was certified and worked fully on T-Mobile , most devices after that were not.
I don't think my mate 20x connected to band 12, but if it did, then yes it'll probably go straight to voicemail.
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Devices don't need to be certified by T-Mobile to work with Volte. All of my recent Xiaomi phones worked with Volte--none of the models were officially sold in the US or certified by T-Mobile. The P20 Pro was not sold in the US so there was zero reason for it to be certified by T-Mobile. The last Huawei phone officially sold here was the Mate 10 Pro. AT&T and Verizon require that devices be certified by them to work with Volte on their networks but T-Mobile does not. T-Mobile is very BYOP friendly.

jhs39 said:
Devices don't need to be certified by T-Mobile to work with Volte. All of my recent Xiaomi phones worked with Volte--none of the models were officially sold in the US or certified by T-Mobile. The P20 Pro was not sold in the US so there was zero reason for it to be certified by T-Mobile. The last Huawei phone officially sold here was the Mate 10 Pro. AT&T and Verizon require that devices be certified by them to work with Volte on their networks but T-Mobile does not. T-Mobile is very BYOP friendly.
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Thanks for the clarification. So why is it then that same device , but using different sim card would show the Volte toggle or hide it from the user menu? Example, mate 20 does have Volte capabilities yet its missing the Volte toggle switch. I know on the Xioami devices one can enter a #*code to force it show that option. I think what makes it even more convulsing is that Huawei global versions have various region firmware via their Cust codes. Each one I noticed behaves slighly different using same T-Mobile SIM card. Cheers
You mentioned all calls went to VM on up 20pro, why do you think that was the case, you mentioned earlier that you thought possibly it may have been firmware related amongst other things.
Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

sbi1 said:
I am aware of the differences between the two chips.
In regards to WiFi Calling - I am a bit skeptical. This provider does have WiFi calling services, however they have a list of devices that are supported. Clearly they list devices and firmwares that they sell, not BYOD phones, and they sell the F version. I currently use ZTE Axon 7, I have WiFi calling on T-Mobile but it does not work on the Israeli network and when I try to 'register' it for this service through their app, it clearly says that the device is not supported.
That being said - I can't tell you if my phone doesn't work on their WF calling because it's not even sold in Israel. It could very well be that any version of Galaxy S10+ will be supported regardless of firmware. simply because it is sold there. Clearly there is no way to know this beforehand. I asked them, they of course can only guarantee phones that are sold by them and are on the list.
BTW - the Israeli version of the 975F is single SIM, they don't have the D/S, although I can't imagine this should have any impact of phone supporting or not supporting WF calling.
What's the difference between the F and the O, other than the region they are sold in?
Thanks.
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Click to collapse
You're correct regarding Single SIM for the SM-G975F, the Dual SIM option is available in the SM-G975F/DS. I personally wouldn't consider obtaining a device in Israel if the majority of the time I'm the US. The major differences are SoC's, a minor difference in CPU Clock Speed and Cores. The SM-G975F has no FM Radio and offers fewer Primary Network capabilities. You can view a back-to-back comparison here.
https://www.phonemore.com/compare/p...gb-vs-galaxy-s10-plus-sm-g9750-128gb/10134260
This is quite different than your original question but with that being stated I would be confident enough in the SM-G9750's compatibility with the Israeli network for Wifi Calling. The worst case is not having Wifi Calling in Israel, which isn't an absolute necessity however you'll have the Snapdragon SoC which is a far better chipset with fewer bugs. For me it's the obvious choice if I were faced with your considerations.
You're most welcome

varcor said:
You're correct regarding Single SIM for the SM-G975F, the Dual SIM option is available in the SM-G975F/DS. I personally wouldn't consider obtaining a device in Israel if the majority of the time I'm the US. The major differences are SoC's, a minor difference in CPU Clock Speed and Cores. The SM-G975F has no FM Radio and offers fewer Primary Network capabilities. You can view a back-to-back comparison here.
https://www.phonemore.com/compare/p...gb-vs-galaxy-s10-plus-sm-g9750-128gb/10134260
This is quite different than your original question but with that being stated I would be confident enough in the SM-G9750's compatibility with the Israeli network for Wifi Calling. The worst case is not having Wifi Calling in Israel, which isn't an absolute necessity however you'll have the Snapdragon SoC which is a far better chipset with fewer bugs. For me it's the obvious choice if I were faced with your considerations.
You're most welcome
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SoC, meaning the chip?
You see, your definition of "worst case not having Wifi calling" is important to me , simply because where I usually stay in Israel there is almost no reception at all (inside the house I am staying in), that's the main reason I want a device that will be able to use their Wifi calling.
Also, I looked at the eBay seller that you mention and I don't even think he carries the O model any more, all I see is the F model, unless of course I am missing something.
Thanks.

sbi1 said:
SoC, meaning the chip?
You see, your definition of "worst case not having Wifi calling" is important to me , simply because where I usually stay in Israel there is almost no reception at all (inside the house I am staying in), that's the main reason I want a device that will be able to use their Wifi calling.
Also, I looked at the eBay seller that you mention and I don't even think he carries the O model any more, all I see is the F model, unless of course I am missing something.
Thanks.
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SoC is System on Chip, same as Chipset. If Wifi calling is a top priority buy the Exynos device to be certain but be advised there are numerous concerns over the chipset on XDA and other sites, plus Network Aggrigaton for Exynos in the US has issues with some T-Mobile clients. You may lose Wifi Calling or VoLTE in the US.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/s10-plus/help/exynos-att-t-mobile-t3920491
They still offer the SM-G9750, the link I shared is correct, not sure you missed something. The also sell the SM-G975F and SM-G975F/DS.

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