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first of all, where is the most safe internet store to buy a galaxy s2 in the US?
well, im looking at ebay for the galaxy s2 and after searching i got a lot of results from top rated sellers. here are some descriptions of their items:
s2 factory unlocked
s2 unlocked and rooted (jailbreak)
s2 skyrocket at&t
s2 titanium t989
s2 epic 4g touch d710 mint clear esn
s2 epic 4g touch bad esn
so this is very confusing...
i simply want the galaxy s2 standard 4.3" or the galaxy s2 LTE 4.5" version. whichever is better. I guess that the 4.5" is better right? if so, then i want that version. the 4.5" have better battery life?
what should i look for at ebay in order to buy the galaxy s2? also... what is the price for the s2 4.3" and what is the price for the s2 4.5"?
also i guess that "factory unlocked" means that this is a brand new phone while a "unlocked and rooted (jailbreak)" means that this is a phone that was bought from an operator like AT&T or Sprint and then manually unlocked right? if so, then if the phone has been unlocked it means that it have a cloned IMEI?
what protection steps should i take to prevent myself getting a s2 with cloned IMEI? i believe that a phone with a cloned IMEI could get me in troubles with the police right?
also, if i buy a s2 that is locked to Sprint then can i unlock it manually to work with any other operator WITHOUT changing the IMEI which is illegal? IMEI and ESN is the same?
please guys help me im newbie thanks
imthebest said:
first of all, where is the most safe internet store to buy a galaxy s2 in the US?
well, im looking at ebay for the galaxy s2 and after searching i got a lot of results from top rated sellers. here are some descriptions of their items:
s2 factory unlocked
Just means its sim free
s2 unlocked and rooted (jailbreak)
second hand phone no Samsung warranty
also i guess that "factory unlocked" means that this is a brand new phone
No just means its not locked to a carrier new or used
, then if the phone has been unlocked it means that it have a cloned IMEI?
NO
what protection steps should i take to prevent myself getting a s2 with cloned IMEI? i believe that a phone with a cloned IMEI could get me in troubles with the police right?
Buy from a legitimate known source not from an ebay private seller
jje
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even top rated ebay sellers could sell me a s2 with a cloned IMEI?
if so, then what are the legitimate places to buy my s2 online within the US? i do not want to buy from an operator i want to buy an unlocked s2.
imthebest said:
even top rated ebay sellers could sell me a s2 with a cloned IMEI?
if so, then what are the legitimate places to buy my s2 online within the US? i do not want to buy from an operator i want to buy an unlocked s2.
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I got mine (an unlocked international gt-i9100) from expansys usa, and I'm using it fully functional on AT&T.
Another thing to note is if you're in the US, to make sure you get one that is compatible with your network.
AT&T:
GT-I9100 (international GS2, usually unlocked, but not always)
SGH-I777 (ATT branded GS2)
SGH-I727 (ATT branded LTE GS2; aka the Skyrocket - be careful, there's also the SGH-I727R, which I believe DOES work on ATT, but I'm not positive about that. The SGH-I727R is also Rogers branded)
T-Mobile USA:
SGH-T989 (T-Mobile USA branded GS2)
Sprint:
SPH-D710 (Sprint branded GS2)
The T-Mobile and AT&T versions will work on each other's networks for voice, but not for 3g/"4g". If you try to use data on the wrong network, best data speeds you will get for mobile is Edge.
Neither T-Mob or ATT will work on Sprint, and Sprint will only work on Sprint, but I believe the Sprint version can be flashed to work on Cricket. I don't think any will work on Verizon.
---------- Post added at 11:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:23 AM ----------
imthebest said:
i simply want the galaxy s2 standard 4.3" or the galaxy s2 LTE 4.5" version. whichever is better. I guess that the 4.5" is better right? if so, then i want that version. the 4.5" have better battery life?
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See my post above. The LTE version will only work on AT&T. If you're on Sprint, for example, and you don't want to leave Sprint, then getting the LTE version won't do you any good. It won't work on Sprint. If you don't care about network, get whichever one you want, and go to that network. If you DO care about network, your choices are more limited.
The 4.5" isn't necessarily better. There are many differences. The international one (GT-I9100) has a better processor, (Exynos) but this processor is not compatible with LTE. So the LTE one has a different (IMO, inferior) processor which is clocked at a higher speed to try to compensate. It really depends on what you are interested in.
imthebest said:
what should i look for at ebay in order to buy the galaxy s2? also... what is the price for the s2 4.3" and what is the price for the s2 4.5"?
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I personally wouldn't look on ebay for this phone. The first time I tried to buy this phone, I DID look on ebay. Turned up a scam, got my money back, and went to expansys.
Hey XDA,
I rarely post on here, because I am usually pretty good and finding everything I need to know without posting. But I cannot find an answer to this question.
My wife and I are moving to South Korea as ESL teachers in 3 months. But both of our current Verizon Android phones are on their last leg.
Obviously, we do not want to sign another 2 year agreement with them. So I was looking into getting us unlocked Galaxy S III's that we can use for the next few months here and then activate when we get over there.
Korea uses HSPA+ and LTE (SK Telecom).
This is what I am looking at: Factory Unlocked GSIII
By all accounts this should work, correct? If anyone knows, I would be super grateful.
Thanks all the same. And if I missed a thread talking about this, please just point that out to me.
Aedan762 said:
Hey XDA,
I rarely post on here, because I am usually pretty good and finding everything I need to know without posting. But I cannot find an answer to this question.
My wife and I are moving to South Korea as ESL teachers in 3 months. But both of our current Verizon Android phones are on their last leg.
Obviously, we do not want to sign another 2 year agreement with them. So I was looking into getting us unlocked Galaxy S III's that we can use for the next few months here and then activate when we get over there.
Korea uses HSPA+ and LTE (SK Telecom).
This is what I am looking at: Factory Unlocked GSIII
By all accounts this should work, correct? If anyone knows, I would be super grateful.
Thanks all the same. And if I missed a thread talking about this, please just point that out to me.
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From the info I have seen floating around the web, it seems South Korea will get it's own variant of the Galaxy S3. It'll be similar to one coming to the states. It'll have 2GB RAM, LTE, although it will be quad-core like the international model (US model is dual-core). You can Google "Galaxy S3 in South Korea" and you can find this info. I'm not sure if this will work over there but I suggest you get the Korean S3 when it is released over there. It will have the best of the US version and the International version.
wire eemobas
Both Korea and Japan use CDMA technology similar to Verizon and Sprint - the model you're currently looking at appears to use GSM technology, so it probably won't have very good data coverage. (I'm not sure if a CDMA version is available yet - readers: correct me if I'm wrong here.)
If you're planning to be in Korea for a while, I would definitely recommend waiting and purchasing the local version of the SIII when it's released and getting a cheap phone in the interim.
Depending on what your commute is like, you may also want to consider the Note. When you're spending 2-3 hours/day on the train, the bigger screen comes in handy, and with a pair of mic headphones, you won't look like an idiot holding it up to your face to take a call.
Best of luck with your new assignment - Korea is a terrific place to live, and ESL jobs there should be a great way to pad your savings.
Thank you both for the replies. I guess it would be best just to hold off until we are there and settled in. I have Android tablets and I like the Note, but already a little old for my tastes.
I am just super bummed out I have to lose my Unlimited plan from Verizon after we move... oh well...
Hey! This is my first post on the forums, so correct me if this is in the wrong section or anything of that nature. Anyway, I've been interested in purchasing a Galaxy S6 Edge for a while now. I currently use a Nexus 4 on the daily, and I love the Edge's similarly beautiful design. I am going to buy the phone unlocked, as I have never been and will never be locked into a service contract. Right now I use Cricket Wireless in the United States. (which operates on At&t's towers). Cricket only sells the not-so-edgy galaxy s6, but I should be able to use any gsm model on the carrier. I was wondering if there are any reasons to pick one variant over another? Could the non carrier specific ones will receive updates quicker? Or maybe US specific models will operate better in the US (reception wise)? Do some get more developer support from the community for rooting and rom development? Is there even a difference (perhaps not)? These are all just random examples that come to mind. I just want to make sure I'm not hit with any curve ball when making such a large purchase. In any case, it's sure to be an upgrade from 2012. Thanks in advance
GreatValueCereal said:
Hey! This is my first post on the forums, so correct me if this is in the wrong section or anything of that nature. Anyway, I've been interested in purchasing a Galaxy S6 Edge for a while now. I currently use a Nexus 4 on the daily, and I love the Edge's similarly beautiful design. I am going to buy the phone unlocked, as I have never been and will never be locked into a service contract. Right now I use Cricket Wireless in the United States. (which operates on At&t's towers). Cricket only sells the not-so-edgy galaxy s6, but I should be able to use any gsm model on the carrier. I was wondering if there are any reasons to pick one variant over another? Could the non carrier specific ones will receive updates quicker? Or maybe US specific models will operate better in the US (reception wise)? Do some get more developer support from the community for rooting and rom development? Is there even a difference (perhaps not)? These are all just random examples that come to mind. I just want to make sure I'm not hit with any curve ball when making such a large purchase. In any case, it's sure to be an upgrade from 2012. Thanks in advance
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The unlocked, unbranded international edition will get you the fastest updates.
Although I have not personally researched it, I have heard from other users that it gets LTE connectivity on AT&T's network, so you are good there.
If you buy any other Variant, updates will be slower.
I would discourage the purchase of the AT&T variant because it is the only one that has not been updated to 5.1
Just make sure you are very careful with where you are buying.
I have heard plenty of stories of people buying the Galaxy S6 online and either it is counterfeit, was stolen, or KNOX had been tripped.
Snowby123 said:
The unlocked, unbranded international edition will get you the fastest updates.
Although I have not personally researched it, I have heard from other users that it gets LTE connectivity on AT&T's network, so you are good there.
If you buy any other Variant, updates will be slower.
I would discourage the purchase of the AT&T variant because it is the only one that has not been updated to 5.1
Just make sure you are very careful with where you are buying.
I have heard plenty of stories of people buying the Galaxy S6 online and either it is counterfeit, was stolen, or KNOX had been tripped.
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Oh thanks a lot. I didn't even think about counterfeit or stolen devices. But it sounds like international is the way to go
In India, 99% of mobile phones fall into the "unlocked" and "international" version. Carrier based phones are extremely rare.
Since you are from a different country, I suggest you email and ask Samsung about it, because like the others said, could be counterfeit, stolen or KNOX tripped.
Sent from my SM-G925I using XDA Free mobile app
Hello guys. I bought a Korean Note 8 (N950N) and I'm currently using it on AT&T. However, because it's an unlocked phone I can't get full speed LTE on it. I've lurked around on different forums and the only resolution to this is to buy an AT&T branded phone and call their tech support and give that IMEI as your Note8 IMEI and then you'll get full speed and all the other features.
I wanted to ask you T Mobile folks if I switch carriers, do I need to jump through these kinds of hoops or do you get full LTE speeds out of the box on unlocked, korean Note 8?
Thanks in advance for your help/suggestions.
Not sure if anyone here will have the Korean version. However, the best way to know is to just put a tmobile sim card and try the speed. You can go to the store and they will help you out.
Kul_dood said:
Hello guys. I bought a Korean Note 8 (N950N) and I'm currently using it on AT&T. However, because it's an unlocked phone I can't get full speed LTE on it. I've lurked around on different forums and the only resolution to this is to buy an AT&T branded phone and call their tech support and give that IMEI as your Note8 IMEI and then you'll get full speed and all the other features.
I wanted to ask you T Mobile folks if I switch carriers, do I need to jump through these kinds of hoops or do you get full LTE speeds out of the box on unlocked, korean Note 8?
Thanks in advance for your help/suggestions.
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I love my Korean version of the Note 8. 500gb of phone storage (256 + 256) is handy. The only downside I've found is using Samsung Pay. I get the 'invalid sim card' and 'try again' error message. Australian Samsung Support wont offer anything more than 'contact the source country' (Korea). At least Samsung Pay is working on my Samsung S3 Frontier so i can live without it on my phone. I'm just a bit upset the ebay seller advertised that Samsung Pay would work on this international model.
Does the USA based tab S6 have a unlocked/oem unlock bootloader? Looking to buy a new tablet that has an easy unlock. Sick of messing with the locked flagship phones.
Wait for confirmation from one of our American users, but I'm sure I've read Verizon locks all their bootloaders. So at the very least, you need one not from that carrier.
bartleby999 said:
Wait for confirmation from one of our American users, but I'm sure I've read Verizon locks all their bootloaders. So at the very least, you need one not from that carrier.
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Just looking at a wifi model.
Anyone with a USA tab s6? ready to order but not going to bother if its locked.
Look for model number. Usa is not model number and nobody makes usa tab s6. Avoid your corrupt oligopoly carrier versions and you will easily root it. Wifi models are never carrier versions of course
Extreemator said:
Look for model number. Usa is not model number and nobody makes usa tab s6. Avoid your corrupt oligopoly carrier versions and you will easily root it. Wifi models are never carrier versions of course
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I understand that, I was referring to the US market Tab s6 Wifi. Model SM-T860NZAAXAR or SM-T860NZALXAR.
All the US market snapdragon samsung phones have a locked bootloader and just wanted to be sure before I drop $500+ on one of these tablets.
Yes they do but tablets don't. I don't know why sunggnus didn't unlock it's unlocked sim phones though. Seems very illogical, but logic and big companies is completely incompatible thing in any way
I bought the SM-T860NZAAXAR model through Amazon (sold and shipped by Amazon) back in November 2019 for $539.00 and it came with an unlockable bootloader. I am unlocked and rooted. So far so good.
ragtop429 said:
I bought the SM-T860NZAAXAR model through Amazon (sold and shipped by Amazon) back in November 2019 for $539.00 and it came with an unlockable bootloader. I am unlocked and rooted. So far so good.
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Thanks boss, just bought a 256/8gb model. Wish me luck!
most likely will be locked on any carrier, s4 was the same even when paid off tmobile nor samsung would do it tmobile actually asked on my behalf and they said no.