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"If you find yourself with a Samsung Galaxy S device, and you’re branded by Vodafone, you may want to think twice about upgrading any software. Apparently, Vodafone has begun terminating the carrier warranty of the device, if users install “unapproved” software upgrades to their devices. That means, even if you upgrade to the latest version of Android, no matter how small the update, and you didn’t get it specifically from Vodafone, they won’t do anything for you in their stores."
http://androidcommunity.com/vodafon...if-not-on-carrier-approved-firmware-20100823/
I guess that's one reason to not use Kies if you are on Vodafone. Seriously, I think this is a terrible policy, it's trying to do more than just get people to not root and install custom firmware. It's not trying to prevent them from downloading beta software. It's trying to force them into carrier branded bloatware with potentially crippled features and, in the process, delaying updates.
For all those who wonder why Kies does software upgrades through Kies, it's for precisely these reasons, some carriers will do all they can to stand in the way of an upgrade. I know some may stick up for the carrier and say they need to do network testing and yada yada, but seriously, when looking at the networks themselves there are reasons why some networks delay the mess out of updates while others just seem to flow through like water after they are announced.
And personally, to me, I don't know if this in their original terms of sale, but this is something that if it weren't there I'd be looking to get out of my contract if I could get the same phone on a competing network at the same price. This is nearly a deal breaker, when the Galaxy S & Android are pushing features that some carriers wont want or will want to charge extra for. I want the carrier as far away from my software as possible and this is a policy to support.
deleted.....
http://pocketnow.com/android/vodafone-blocks-samsungs-update-efforts-on-galaxy-s
FTA: Update: According to Vodafone UK, the update will not void your warranty. Glad the issue has been clarified and the confusion is due to the fact that the JM1 update in question originated from Samsung rather than from Vodafone.
Thanks for the update, but...
Rawat said:
http://pocketnow.com/android/vodafone-blocks-samsungs-update-efforts-on-galaxy-s
FTA: Update: According to Vodafone UK, the update will not void your warranty. Glad the issue has been clarified and the confusion is due to the fact that the JM1 update in question originated from Samsung rather than from Vodafone.
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Reading that story, it seems there is still an open and unresolved issue going forward.
"the update will not void your warranty" is definitely not the same as saying all official Samsung updates will not void your warranty. It definitely, from this quote and the source article, sounds like they will do this somewhat on a case-by-case basis. Meaning, should they decide at any point in time due to network traffic caused by included software to not support an update and/or lots of extra warranty claims (let's say it's just bad software and runs the processor too hard and too much and the phone just melts ) they may say "We never supported update X - build Y".
For now it sounds like this will be a rare, if ever occuring, but the potential is there. I guess it's a dead issue...for now...
I am considering buying a Galaxy Note but I have a dilemma so I hope you will be able to help me out with it.
If I decide to buy it I will probably have to buy it through a mobile carrier meaning that I will have to unlock it to run it on a different network. I have someone to do it for me so I don't know what kind of software they will use.
Since I am new to Android, I would like to keep away from the rooting as long as possible so I am talking about stock software here.
Therefore, I would like to ask this:
1) Have any of you unlocked their Galaxy Notes? Are there any side-effects or it feels totally SIM-free?
2) Am I going to be cut-off from the official software updates (ICS and so on?) or it will be totally like a SIM-free experience?
3) Are all the splash screens, apps and other carrier-related stuff gone after the unlock?
Thank you in advance!
This doesn't answer your questions, but why would you buy a carrier phone and use it on another network? Why not buy unlocked?
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
If you plan to get the ATT one, I dont think it will get 3G/+ on Tmo. The intenational one I have definitely does not have that band. Unless there is another unlocked version that has those bands. And my international version does not have LTE as well.
And why would you sign a contract with ATT and want to use it on another n/w? Doesnt make any sense whatsoever.
Eborg said:
I am considering buying a Galaxy Note but I have a dilemma so I hope you will be able to help me out with it.
If I decide to buy it I will probably have to buy it through a mobile carrier meaning that I will have to unlock it to run it on a different network. I have someone to do it for me so I don't know what kind of software they will use.
Since I am new to Android, I would like to keep away from the rooting as long as possible so I am talking about stock software here.
Therefore, I would like to ask this:
1) Have any of you unlocked their Galaxy Notes? Are there any side-effects or it feels totally SIM-free?
2) Am I going to be cut-off from the official software updates (ICS and so on?) or it will be totally like a SIM-free experience?
3) Are all the splash screens, apps and other carrier-related stuff gone after the unlock?
Thank you in advance!
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I live in Europe so I am talking about an international version.
Technically I wouldn't be buying it directly from a carrier, I just wanted to keep the discussion simple. I would buy it from a store but they get it abroad, unlock them and sell them legally. It's the only way I can get it where I live.
Ordering from Expansys or similar sites would mean that I would have to pay import customs which would probably amount to 200-300$ or more.
Where are you from? There are more retailers than expansys
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium
I live in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Since it is not yet a member of the EU, you have to pay customs fees for this kind of stuff.
I will be going to the UK in a few weeks and thought about buying it there but that would mean that I wouldn't have any warranty. Most sites do not offer warranty outside the UK or EU. Also, even if I found one seller that offers worldwide warranty, I would still have costs shipping the phone to the UK or wherever and back (still EU issues) if needed.
Buying the phone locally should give me a 2-year warranty so that's why I am thinking about that option.
if you get it sim free fromthe uk then you woudl be paying more than you woudl in say germany - sim free in the uk are about £500+
sim free means it isnt locked to a carrioer that doesnt stop anything regarding updates to ics, you wil lstil lget them just might be at alater date than other countries
unlocking is not the same as debranding which would remove the software and logos etc
mine is sim free whcih i bought on a 2 year contract and it is no different to any other note locked on the networks
Eborg said:
I am considering buying a Galaxy Note but I have a dilemma so I hope you will be able to help me out with it.
If I decide to buy it I will probably have to buy it through a mobile carrier meaning that I will have to unlock it to run it on a different network.....
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Click to collapse
buying it through a carrier does not mean that the phone is locked to that carrier anyway. have you asked your carrier or the store you want to buy from if they sell the Note locked?. my Note is bought from German Telekom/T-Mobile and has no sim or netlock. i just tested the Note with simcards from other German and foreign carrier and they all work flawlessly. so maybe you can purchase a Note at your side that is also sim/netlocked free.
All Galaxy Notes available locally were on foreign carriers. The guy at the store could only confirm that it works will all SIM cards, not that the particular phone had to be unlocked or not, but it was definitely on a foreign carrier when they got it.
I am not sure if the phones are debranded or not. Is that something that I can do on my own without rooting the phone?
So, you guys can officially confirm that unlocked (and optionally debranded) Galaxy Note will act as if they were SIM-free in regards to official updates, apps and so on? No worries there?
As for getting it abroad, it wouldn't be the best solution since I would have to send it to the UK, Germany, Italy or wherever if something is wrong paying 100-200$ of customs fees every time if something goes wrong.
I'd just like to confirm that it is possible to update the firmware automatically with an unlocked Note. Cheers!
Richy99 said:
sim free means it isnt locked to a carrioer that doesnt stop anything regarding updates to ics, you wil lstil lget them just might be at alater date than other countries
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Quite.
Also to keep in mind : in the EU, the carrier must agree to unlock phones after at the most 6 months.
And regarding ICS upgrades for the Note, they're apparently fairly messy at the moment. Locally (France) my carrier and the local Samsung branch are apparently more or less pointing at one another for a botched upgrade (at the end of June, note that it was announced as "we're fixing a few things, should be any day now" in March) where they apparently managed to brick a number of user phones. Samsung tends to communicate fairly poorly on the issue.
Other than the updated stylus apps, I'm not really sure the upgrade is worth it. And I discovered the whole "Kies" crud when I got this phone which really annoyed me since I don't normally run Windows (or Mac OS) and some operators apparently like to push their stuff only through that channel.
---------- Post added at 01:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:08 PM ----------
Eborg said:
I'd just like to confirm that it is possible to update the firmware automatically with an unlocked Note. Cheers!
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Click to collapse
There's no reason why you couldn't. Possibly you'd get the Samsung update instead of the one from the original carrier (not guaranteed). But unlocking phones is fairly standard procedure.
Actually I got an update from the previous carrier from which it was unlocked from judging by the bloatware installed with the update.
Information in hands from SamMobile confirm Samsung is going to test a new update service. Samsung want to have more control in each country about updates and sales. Samsung wants to know exactly how many devices has been sold in all countries. Samsung’s plan is to stop the retailers that are shipping for example French based software devices to The Netherlands. Samsung won’t give devices updates if you bought a phone outside your home country. This could mean retailers need to pay more for devices and the prices could go higher. Also customers could have to wait longer on their new devices. So far we can conclude from our information Samsung will start to test this way by no longer notification trough OTA (over the air).
Another thing to know is that Samsung will still use both KIES and OTA services. But could test in the future IMEI based updates. If Samsung decides to use IMEI tracking for updates this is most worst way for developers. We do not expect Samsung to choose this way at the moment. For Samsung at the moment KIES and OTA are fine. IMEI could be dangerous for Samsung self too.
What does this all mean for Samsung, retailer and customer?
Samsung
- Control of updates in each country. (faster way of updates)
- Exact sales numbers.
- Could bring the price up / down if needed or cancel device that do not sell well.
Retailer
- Retailer must ship country based devices otherwise customer isn’t able to update.
- Retailer shop price could be more expensive.
Customer
- Delay in new device.
- Customer isn’t able to update their device outside the country of origin.
- Price can be higher.
Source : Sammobile.com
Then what about the firmwares we download from sammobile? We can't install that using tool like ODIN?
Wowww. This true? Thanks for your information
___________________________________
Using XDA Premium
N7100 - International
Rom CyanogenMod Nightly
Kernel Redpill
Well as they say everything that has a rise has a fall. If sammy decides to continue with this ''idea'' of theirs theyre gonna have a bad fall
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
This will hurt Sammy more than it hurted HTC with the locked bootloaders.
Samsung is already toughening the game with the binary counter.
Oh well, hellooo SONY!!!
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda premium
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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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
Hi everyone!
I am from germany and right now I own a Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo and wanna upgrade. So I thought of importing a unlocked S8 Active (the outdoor version of the normal S8) to my country. I will use it for geocaching things and in this case it should be nearly perfekt (big accu, waterressist, ....)
I don't like the normal version cause I don't like the curved display. Think the active version should be the better choice for me.
Will it work there in german language and will it get updates here in germany? OTA or so? Or will I have problems with it. Maybe I had to use Samsung Updater (Smart Switch) on PC but better is it when OTA would work here too.
Can I repair it in my country, when something goes wrong or must I send it back to the USA for repair? It is cheaper to repair it here and sending it back it is maybe more expensive than it could be.
Maybe someone can answer my view questions, cause this is nearly the smartphone I like, but it is not officially sold here from samsung, so I had to import it.
Greetings!
I would say .. DONT
A Samsung update killed all my sensors. and no warranty here.
Read here :- https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8/help/s8-update-messed-sensors-t3812085
There are thousands of users with this problem. for their S8 S8+ Note 8 etc
Stay away from Samsung. Their products are not what they appear, starts deteriorating and slows down. a lot.
I know you are not interested in the Curved screen but just my thoughts. The curve screen is more of a problem than its looks. Many apps do not respond well with the edge touch. for a Tempered Glass you need to pay a lot else they do not work well with the curved screen.
Advice
Stay away from S8 and if you want S8 buy it locally else Samsung has devised up ways to mess your phone pretty bad.
Buy something from your area that would help you and those are better in Utility and 1/4th the price.
Language and updates should not be a problem.
I got some import phones and it wasn't a hard deal to change the system language to german or other.
OTA should work too, because the phone doesn't care if you're in Germany, China, USA or elsewhere. As long as it can connects to the servers, there should be a update possible.
For the repair part, I can't tell you a thing.
I'd say, that you ask all the questions to Samsung's support.
According to frequencycheck, LTE and all other will work just fine in Germany.
Only thing I see is, that it will come with tons of bloatware, which you can (mostly) just deactivate but not uninstall.
Sent from my Galaxy S8 using XDA Labs
Philipp_94 said:
OTA should work too, because the phone doesn't care if you're in Germany, China, USA or elsewhere. As long as it can connects to the servers, there should be a update possible.
...
...
I'd say, that you ask all the questions to Samsung's support.
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Sadly the two stuffs you stated ain't accurate.
Samsung has messed up my phone with their latest update.. There are thousands of customers who are facing this with their s8 / s8+ and Note 8
Normally anyone with commonsense would know that an update is pushed, only when a device is compatible. But the service center guys shamelessly answer that this is country specific
Which brings up the second question.
You may ask whom so ever. SHAME sung doesn't have International Warranty.. I brought this from the Middle East.
Couldn't sell it as I was relocating ... now just because of a Samsung update, mine and thousand other phones are messed up
AjitBharat said:
Sadly the two stuffs you stated ain't accurate.
Samsung has messed up my phone with their latest update.. There are thousands of customers who are facing this with their s8 / s8+ and Note 8
Normally anyone with commonsense would know that an update is pushed, only when a device is compatible. But the service center guys shamelessly answer that this is country specific
Which brings up the second question.
You may ask whom so ever. SHAME sung doesn't have International Warranty.. I brought this from the Middle East.
Couldn't sell it as I was relocating ... now just because of a Samsung update, mine and thousand other phones are messed up
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Click to collapse
That's more than sad for you.
But for me, I never had a single problem with my S8 (newest update) or with the Samsung support (and I consider myself as a heavy user, who modifies and complains a lot).
Also you are the first one S8 user, whom I heard of, that there is a problem with the phone. In addition, I could not find any regional (Germany) information or bigger complaints of the latest update. Several of my family members have no problems, not a single of the ones you stated in your original post. FYI, no one of them flashed other CSC or things like that.
THAT may be a country specific problem (as you stated in another post of you, that your s8 is from middle East imported to India).
So your service center guys are correct, that some things are country related like date of a new update, push service etc. But, the phone will be an import just like yours and I think it should get updates, at least via pc (smart switch).
I think, if the OP would buy an unlocked version, he wouldn't have to flash other CSC or anything just to get it working (but again, better ask Samsung support).
So please, discuss your anger and warn other (potential) users in your topic and not under someone, who just wants to know if the S8 active will function it germany (which it should).
Sent from my Galaxy S8 using XDA Labs
Philipp_94 said:
.
... and not under someone, who just wants to know if the S8 active will function it germany (which it should)...
Sent from my Galaxy S8 using XDA Labs
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Thanks LOL
To the OP
There is a link in this forum itself about the problems I just mentioned
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8/help/sensors-android-update-please-help-t3721874
US customers
https://us.community.samsung.com/t5/forums/v3_1/forumtopicpage/board-id/GS8QA/thread-id/35901/page/5
The Service Center head here himself disclosed that there are many many such cases of the same issue after Update. All S8 S8+ and Note 8.
Some Handsets were from Middle East, Most of them were from US and they had even come across those from S Korea too.
As others have already told you, OTA updates etc. won't pose a problem, though if the S8 Active you're buying isn't from Europe (e.g. the US version) you usually have to use it with a SIM card in the corresponding country, meaning you'd have to have a 5 minute call with any old person in the US, otherwise the phone won't accept your SIM and you will be unable to place calls etc. in Europe/Germany.
So just keep that in mind.
Hi from Europe
Can someone with s8 ACTIVE confirm if the latest update messed up their phone. And if so please attach the screenshots where I can see which update this is.
I'm buying used S8 ACTIVE from US and I would like to check if the user didn't updated their phone yet ?
Tnx