I ordered an unlocked S9+ from Samsung for my wife last night since it was cheaper, and the articles I was reading said it was the way to go as the US carriers were screwing everyone over with their price increases. Unfortunately, I started looking into it more after I bought it, and I'm concerned that I'll regret this. It sounds like things like WiFi calling, video calling, HD voice, Visual Voicemail, etc. don't work on the unlocked version. Additionally, it sounds like updates are even slower than Verizon.
Basically, these are going to be non-starters with my wife. She doesn't care about the VZW bloat and would much rather have those features. Is it possible to flash the unlocked firmware to be VZW stock firmware? I think I saw this done on the S8, but I'm not sure if that was available on release day or if she is going to have to wait months for the VZW stock firmware to be leaked or something. Should I just return this and pay more for the Verizon version, or can I get this to work without pulling my hair out? Thanks for any help!
Probably, but not immediately
I face the same dilemma - I have pre-ordered the unlocked version from Samsung, because it really annoys me to be gouged by VZW, but I would like the VZW features you mention. As you say, the GS8/GS8+ unlocked could be flashed to the VZW firmware, so I expect that it will also be possible to flash the VZW firmware to unlocked GS9/GS9+. The catch is that that's not likely to be day 1. And if you do it later, it will probably be a hassle, because you may lose settings, etc. I.e. your wife will not be happy.
Frankly, for the $90 difference, it's probably not worth the hassle. If you value your time more than burger-flipping hourly pay, you'll probably do better holding your nose and paying the VZW gouge. Of course, you could just be patient and wait a couple of months for the price to come down/BOGO deals to emerge, etc. and/or the VZW firmware to be available to flash, but that's un-American - we want gratification NOW, dammit!
While I didn't get the unlocked one I did save money by getting in on the Best Buy deal for $100 off the phone! Verizon at the time was listed at $915 on the site, got $100 off so $815 out the door Beat Samsung's price from the get go... awesome. Verizon version of the 9+.
Same here
firefox15 said:
I ordered an unlocked S9+ from Samsung for my wife last night since it was cheaper, and the articles I was reading said it was the way to go as the US carriers were screwing everyone over with their price increases. Unfortunately, I started looking into it more after I bought it, and I'm concerned that I'll regret this. It sounds like things like WiFi calling, video calling, HD voice, Visual Voicemail, etc. don't work on the unlocked version. Additionally, it sounds like updates are even slower than Verizon.
Basically, these are going to be non-starters with my wife. She doesn't care about the VZW bloat and would much rather have those features. Is it possible to flash the unlocked firmware to be VZW stock firmware? I think I saw this done on the S8, but I'm not sure if that was available on release day or if she is going to have to wait months for the VZW stock firmware to be leaked or something. Should I just return this and pay more for the Verizon version, or can I get this to work without pulling my hair out? Thanks for any help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am having the same issue with my unlocked s9+ i got directly from samsung. besides duo, is there another workaround for video calling?
galaxys9plus said:
I am having the same issue with my unlocked s9+ i got directly from samsung. besides duo, is there another workaround for video calling?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe that people have had success flashing it to VZW if you want to go that route.
Deathman20 said:
While I didn't get the unlocked one I did save money by getting in on the Best Buy deal for $100 off the phone! Verizon at the time was listed at $915 on the site, got $100 off so $815 out the door Beat Samsung's price from the get go... awesome. Verizon version of the 9+.
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Click to collapse
Don't forget the upgrade fee though if you did it on device payments
geoff5093 said:
Don't forget the upgrade fee though if you did it on device payments
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Click to collapse
Oh yeah lovely upgrade fee/line activation fee. I think its waved on the phone I upgraded, my new line I got nailed with it... wahooo.
Deathman20 said:
Oh yeah lovely upgrade fee/line activation fee. I think its waved on the phone I upgraded, my new line I got nailed with it... wahooo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only way to escape that stupid fee is to buy an unlocked phone and swap SIM from an old phone. They should waive that fee if you buy at full cost from them or if you don't need to have a Verizon employee switch your SIM for you.
firefox15 said:
I ordered an unlocked S9+ from Samsung for my wife last night since it was cheaper, and the articles I was reading said it was the way to go as the US carriers were screwing everyone over with their price increases. Unfortunately, I started looking into it more after I bought it, and I'm concerned that I'll regret this. It sounds like things like WiFi calling, video calling, HD voice, Visual Voicemail, etc. don't work on the unlocked version. Additionally, it sounds like updates are even slower than Verizon.
Basically, these are going to be non-starters with my wife. She doesn't care about the VZW bloat and would much rather have those features. Is it possible to flash the unlocked firmware to be VZW stock firmware? I think I saw this done on the S8, but I'm not sure if that was available on release day or if she is going to have to wait months for the VZW stock firmware to be leaked or something. Should I just return this and pay more for the Verizon version, or can I get this to work without pulling my hair out? Thanks for any help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
firefox15 said:
I believe that people have had success flashing it to VZW if you want to go that route.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flashing for the most part has been only partially successful. Most can not get Video Calling to work all other features seem to work. 1 guy in the these forums claims everything works on his. I haven't been sucessful with getting the integrated Video Calling to work, My account blocks it and won't let me unblock it for the Galaxy S9 my other lines with carrier phones the don't have blocks when I switch SIMS the block switches to whichever line the Galaxy S9 is on.
I would say this, save yourself the hassle and keep the wife happy, buy the VZW version from Samsung Directly. If you buy it outright just make sure VZW releases your IMEI since the phone is paid off. Then if you want to leave VZW or sell the phone everything is good to go and your not handing the money directly to those greedy blood suckers at VZW. For myself I'm willing to go without their features, besides the service I won't buy anything from them anymore I last bought a phone through them 4 years ago, and now that Tmob has got real 4G I'm gonna port my number out.
Related
was just wondering, i ran my phone over the other day, seeming to be having several issues.. sprint wants 100 to replace even thought they buy em from ya for 40.00
anyways friend has one for 25 bucks, is there a way to flash it instead of taking it to sprint. iknow the replacement is stock not worried about root, its nice i also know that unless 2.3,4 you cant unlock the bootloader and all pertaining that
flashed a few other phones but want to be sure before i make a 2 year decision lol.
thanX in advance.
barelynotlegal said:
was just wondering, i ran my phone over the other day, seeming to be having several issues.. sprint wants 100 to replace even thought they buy em from ya for 40.00
anyways friend has one for 25 bucks, is there a way to flash it instead of taking it to sprint. iknow the replacement is stock not worried about root, its nice i also know that unless 2.3,4 you cant unlock the bootloader and all pertaining that
flashed a few other phones but want to be sure before i make a 2 year decision lol.
thanX in advance.
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Click to collapse
you mean like is there a way to not pay the activation fee?
If you just want to activate it and it is a Sprint phone with a clean esn, you can do that from the website. I bought a used phone from swappa and activated it without taking it in.
barelynotlegal said:
was just wondering, i ran my phone over the other day, seeming to be having several issues.. sprint wants 100 to replace even thought they buy em from ya for 40.00
anyways friend has one for 25 bucks, is there a way to flash it instead of taking it to sprint. iknow the replacement is stock not worried about root, its nice i also know that unless 2.3,4 you cant unlock the bootloader and all pertaining that
flashed a few other phones but want to be sure before i make a 2 year decision lol.
thanX in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your friend just kept it stock the whole time, chances are that it is 2.3.5 which means you cannot flash to CM 10.1. But either way you need to contact Sprint so that they can update the MEID of your friends device to be tied to your account. You can do this over the phone but to me the bigger concern is whether you can flash it or not. At this point, the Photon 4G is at end of life support. Personally I am so sick of Gingerbread and I can't wait until my LG G2 comes hopefully by the end of this week or early next week so I can get some triband LTE and ditch Wimax forever.
Are you asking if you can use it with some other provider? If that's the question, the answer is yes by flashing the Japanese (KDDI) radio it will unlock the GSM capability then it can be used with AT&T/T-Mobile/etc, any carrier that uses a SIM card. No need to keep using Sprint with the Photon, basically, there are options available.
As for using something newer like Jelly Bean or even Kit Kat, I doubt we'll see any more development than has already been done over the past 2+ years now. The Photon is a nice device for its time but, it's long past its prime. If you can get another one for $25 I'd say go for it since you already know the limitations of owning one as long as the replacement one is in good condition, etc.
If you like the Photon, stick with it, if not spend the money towards something more current.
br0adband said:
As for using something newer like Jelly Bean or even Kit Kat, I doubt we'll see any more development than has already been done over the past 2+ years now. The Photon is a nice device for its time but, it's long past its prime. If you can get another one for $25 I'd say go for it since you already know the limitations of owning one as long as the replacement one is in good condition, etc..
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Click to collapse
Th3Bill is back and is gonna try to get 4.3 and 4.4 working on our Photons. So it's not quite dead yet!
Yah, I know, and it's capable to a degree especially Kit Kat which should run well on lower spec devices. Thing is, people need to realize when Google says "lower spec devices" they mean BRAND NEW lower spec devices which are way more powerful than lower spec devices that are 2+ years old so...
While the Photon certainly has some life left in it, the (still) locked bootloader for most people is still going to be too problematic to do anything serious with the device unfortunately. I just had a chance to get one in great shape earlier for $50 and passed on it, I'm not interested in doing this whole older hardware thing anymore.
I had a Galaxy S4 Active recently and ended up selling it, it's the best smartphone I've ever owned (of over 40 in the past decade or so) and now I'm missing it something fierce.
out of curiosity since the photon has been gone for a while and not produced. if i was to do the insurance replacement for $100 what phone would i get back?
would they send me a used/refurbed photon back? or upgrade me to a different phone?
I've heard of people doing insurance claims and they get a choice of phones to pick from (not a top of the line though).
What would you suggest i say at the sprint store to find out if theres a different phone option?
Hey, Im kinda new to Galaxy devices and i was wondering, how does this usually go based on what has happened in the past for Galaxy Devices, because coming from a Nexus (I know why would i ever leave a nexus) i really didn't think anything of the OTA update because on a Nexus, it really doesn't matter if you update or not, but will there ever be some sort of Downgrade from the NC5 Kitkat update? Will i ever be able to get Root? or will i be stuck with this so called safe strap which makes no sense to me. Im sorry im seeming like a noob, but all this extra stuff to aquire root is new to me. Do i wait for some sorta exploit? Do I try a Downgrade method? or could i possibly return my device for another one? Cuz its brand-new and its not rooted at all and it has warranty... What are my options because i'm totally lost admist the millions of posts. All i need is root and ability to get rid of these bloatware apps (and twrp would be nice, but i'm fine with stock rooted & xposed)
Device:
VZW Galaxy S4 SCH-i545 16Gb
Stock 4.4.2 I545VRUFNC5
spongeyperson said:
Hey, Im kinda new to Galaxy devices and i was wondering, how does this usually go based on what has happened in the past for Galaxy Devices, because coming from a Nexus (I know why would i ever leave a nexus) i really didn't think anything of the OTA update because on a Nexus, it really doesn't matter if you update or not, but will there ever be some sort of Downgrade from the NC5 Kitkat update? Will i ever be able to get Root? or will i be stuck with this so called safe strap which makes no sense to me. Im sorry im seeming like a noob, but all this extra stuff to aquire root is new to me. Do i wait for some sorta exploit? Do I try a Downgrade method? or could i possibly return my device for another one? Cuz its brand-new and its not rooted at all and it has warranty... What are my options because i'm totally lost admist the millions of posts. All i need is root and ability to get rid of these bloatware apps (and twrp would be nice, but i'm fine with stock rooted & xposed)
Device:
VZW Galaxy S4 SCH-i545 16Gb
Stock 4.4.2 I545VRUFNC5
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is possible to do a partial downgrade, root, and return to Kitkat with root. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2726868
If you're really fine with TouchWiz then that may be all you want.
Personally, I'd return it though. If you ever want AOSP or updates before Verizon decides to release them, you'll need a different phone. You can get an MDK (pretty much unlocked, loki exploit) or Developer Edition (unlocked) S4 on Swappa for $300-$335.
Oishikatta said:
It is possible to do a partial downgrade, root, and return to Kitkat with root. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2726868
If you're really fine with TouchWiz then that may be all you want.
Personally, I'd return it though. If you ever want AOSP or updates before Verizon decides to release them, you'll need a different phone. You can get an MDK (pretty much unlocked, loki exploit) or Developer Edition (unlocked) S4 on Swappa for $300-$335.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well i bought my phone under contract and i'm kinda stuck with it in their system. Do you think verizon would replace it with a brand-new replacement with MDK bootloader on it? Because when i originally got the device a few weeks ago, it unfortunately had MDK bootloader on it, but i was stupid and i updated. I have no money to replace it so i don't know what i could do. If i did sell the one thats setup thru my contract, wouldn't that give it a bad esn? Also, i am fine with touchwiz as long as i can have xposed and root to change what i don't like, and if i really wanted to install a custom rom, i can use my N7 for that. The biggest problem i probably would have though is waiting for verizon updates. Because i know that sucks
spongeyperson said:
Well i bought my phone under contract and i'm kinda stuck with it in their system. I have no money to replace it so i don't know what i could do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you just bought it, I think you have 14 days to return and cancel the contract. I don't think the Verizon S4 is worth a 2 year contract at all - if you're content with a locked one, you can easily get one for around $250 (e.g. this one that just sold) in good/great condition.
You could get an S5 for $99, sell it on Swappa for $500 - $10 Swappa Fee, -$15 Paypal Fee, -$15 Shipping.
So 500 in, 140 out. About $360 net profit. (Note this is just an estimate.)
Then buy a locked S4 on Swappa for $250 and still have over $100 profit. Or an MDK/Dev one and a bit less profit.
Do note that you have to be careful about where you buy a contract phone, many places will sneak in their own secondary contract with its own ETF if you change anything within x months. Bestbuy doesn't have any nonsense like that. Verizon directly also doesn't, of course.
However, that does take a bit of effort so it's definitely not as simple as just buying at Verizon. Swappa is pretty nice about making buying and selling safely easy though.
spongeyperson said:
If i did sell the one thats setup thru my contract, wouldn't that give it a bad esn?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, many people buy under contract and then sell when new phones are released (e.g. S5, M8) if they're happy with their current phone and just want to make a bit of money off the contract for service they'd use anyways. The phone would only become bad ESN if you reported it lost/stolen. (Also maybe if you later defaulted on the contract, but I'm not sure on that.)
spongeyperson said:
Do you think verizon would replace it with a brand-new replacement with MDK bootloader on it? Because when i originally got the device a few weeks ago, it unfortunately had MDK bootloader on it, but i was stupid and i updated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you sure it was MDK? More likely to be MI1 or MK2. I suppose it would be possible, but probably very unlikely.
spongeyperson said:
Also, i am fine with touchwiz as long as i can have xposed and root to change what i don't like, and if i really wanted to install a custom rom, i can use my N7 for that. The biggest problem i probably would have though is waiting for verizon updates. Because i know that sucks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks to Surge1223 and k1mu, you can have root even on the newest OTA (so far). Verizon updates do suck though - it looks pretty clear that they held back the S4's kitkat update for a long time just so that they could advertise the S5 as having newer software.
Oishikatta said:
If you just bought it, I think you have 14 days to return and cancel the contract. I don't think the Verizon S4 is worth a 2 year contract at all - if you're content with a locked one, you can easily get one for around $250 (e.g. this one that just sold) in good/great condition.
You could get an S5 for $99, sell it on Swappa for $500 - $10 Swappa Fee, -$15 Paypal Fee, -$15 Shipping.
So 500 in, 140 out. About $360 net profit. (Note this is just an estimate.)
Then buy a locked S4 on Swappa for $250 and still have over $100 profit. Or an MDK/Dev one and a bit less profit.
Do note that you have to be careful about where you buy a contract phone, many places will sneak in their own secondary contract with its own ETF if you change anything within x months. Bestbuy doesn't have any nonsense like that. Verizon directly also doesn't, of course.
However, that does take a bit of effort so it's definitely not as simple as just buying at Verizon. Swappa is pretty nice about making buying and selling safely easy though.
No, many people buy under contract and then sell when new phones are released (e.g. S5, M8) if they're happy with their current phone and just want to make a bit of money off the contract for service they'd use anyways. The phone would only become bad ESN if you reported it lost/stolen. (Also maybe if you later defaulted on the contract, but I'm not sure on that.)
Are you sure it was MDK? More likely to be MI1 or MK2. I suppose it would be possible, but probably very unlikely.
Thanks to Surge1223 and k1mu, you can have root even on the newest OTA (so far). Verizon updates do suck though - it looks pretty clear that they held back the S4's kitkat update for a long time just so that they could advertise the S5 as having newer software.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Problem Solved. (at least for me anyway) i was able to trade in my phone at verizon and i exchanged it for a HTC one M8... that i rooted within the first 2 hours of getting it.. lol. Anyway, if any Moderator or admin wants to delete this post, they can
I really want to get this phone, and one of the main features I was excited about was the fact that it comes with a fingerprint scanner on the power button. But when I look at ATT's website, it doesnt mention it as a feature. And ATT is known for getting versions of certain models of phones without certain features. So I really want to know if it has the fingerprint scanner on the ATT model before I buy it.
Thanks all.
It does. But I have heard there are issues with the scanner when you are using a case.
Yes, the fingerprint scanner is there on the AT&T model.
As far as the case-related issues, that is not specific to the AT&T model.
I am using the Spigen "Liquid Crystal" from Amazon with no trouble at all. If you are a current AT&T customer and want to upgrade to the LG V10 contact the AT&T 800 #. They have the ability to give current good customers the V10 for $199.99 with no 2 year contract.
RDI said:
I am using the Spigen "Liquid Crystal" from Amazon with no trouble at all. If you are a current AT&T customer and want to upgrade to the LG V10 contact the AT&T 800 #. They have the ability to give current good customers the V10 for $199.99 with no 2 year contract.
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Click to collapse
Can you elaborate little more on $199.99 w/o 2-year contract?? I just picked it up with down pay and 28-month installment. I'm about to get rid of it b4 my 14-day expires due to bootloader being locked. If i can get this for $200 with no strings attached, i just might be returning this and get that and stay. And wait for someone to crack on bootloader. Thanks!
dvdmkr said:
Can you elaborate little more on $199.99 w/o 2-year contract?? I just picked it up with down pay and 28-month installment. I'm about to get rid of it b4 my 14-day expires due to bootloader being locked. If i can get this for $200 with no strings attached, i just might be returning this and get that and stay. And wait for someone to crack on bootloader. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are dealing with AT&T directly on their 800 number, and have been an AT&T customer for a while, it is an option that they have. But if they have you committed to the more expensive payment plan, it would be foolish of them to mention it. Unless they thought they might loose you as a customer. Good luck.
Thanks..will give a try..
-Update-
Well, They said no, and they have never done that. They said it may have been a some kind of off-the-table deal between you and redemption(?) department.. ATT CS does not know anything about that deal. They would look into that deal if they could have your ATT number to check to see if it was a legit deal between you and that department..
Well... tried, and failed...
Returning my ATT phone, and getting me a T-MO V10 and hook it up on ATT network.
I believe that the T-Mo version of the V10 is root-able, so far the AT&T version is not. Maybe a better option in more than one way.
Sent from an AT&T LG V10
I love my LG G3. Love that I have it rooted with custom ROM. It is being kept alive because of this. I recently looked into upgrading (I am with Sprint) and looking at newer models of phones, but I am finding that there are no root solutions/ unlocking bootloaders for the newer models. Now I know all the international phones have some way to root them, but I live in the US and use Sprint. Does anyone think that rooting may become a thing of the past? I read that it is getting way more difficult to root. What does everyone else think?
Get a Nexus. I had the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 5 then figured I'd give the LG G3 a try and am disappointed. All I do is end up flashing an AOSP ROM anyway.
Sent from my LG-ls990 using Tapatalk
How do the newer Nexus phones work with Sprint? Are there specific models you need to get to work with Sprint? Does Sprint WiFi calling work with them?
Currently under family contract with Sprint, so keep buying phones under contract since we are paying for it anyway. I think that is going away even for those of us grandfathered in with older contracts. I will definitely consider Nexus to replace my G3 if I can't get cheap G5 or HTC 10 when I go in.
Best Buy has the G5 for $1 with a 2-year extension. Sale ended, disregard. The same drama surrounding root and BL unlock as we went through with the G3 launch is currently playing out again with people offering bounties and getting in fights and taking their balls and going home. Gave me a lot of bad flashbacks. There are partial methods that have been released and then recalled, for valid reasons, but there are lots of jerks that are trying to bait the devs into releasing something... It's a clusterjam.
The HTC 10 is already BL unlocked via Sunshine (paid app) and if it wasn't $200 I'd already have one. If the G5 gets rooted and I can still get it for $1 I'll go that way. Now that it's back up to $149 I see no benefit to the G5. I got one for my wife and it's nice but if there's no public root method by the time I'm shopping I won't give it a second glance. I know this is off-topic, so sorry.
Rooting is a whole new game now with MM and the encryption on different partitions, and phone makers are less likely to make easy BL unlocks now that Android Pay is a thing.
So, rooting is not necessarily ending, but custom ROMs and recoveries (requires BL unlock) are more likely to fall by the wayside. Time will tell. It's a tenuous game with devs on edge, lay users demanding immediate results, and tempers and egos running hot on all sides. Maybe Pangu will open an Android division and shift the conversation.
SilverZero said:
Best Buy has the G5 for $1 with a 2-year extension. Sale ended, disregard. The same drama surrounding root and BL unlock as we went through with the G3 launch is currently playing out again with people offering bounties and getting in fights and taking their balls and going home. Gave me a lot of bad flashbacks. There are partial methods that have been released and then recalled, for valid reasons, but there are lots of jerks that are trying to bait the devs into releasing something... It's a clusterjam.
The HTC 10 is already BL unlocked via Sunshine (paid app) and if it wasn't $200 I'd already have one. If the G5 gets rooted and I can still get it for $1 I'll go that way. Now that it's back up to $149 I see no benefit to the G5. I got one for my wife and it's nice but if there's no public root method by the time I'm shopping I won't give it a second glance. I know this is off-topic, so sorry.
Rooting is a whole new game now with MM and the encryption on different partitions, and phone makers are less likely to make easy BL unlocks now that Android Pay is a thing.
So, rooting is not necessarily ending, but custom ROMs and recoveries (requires BL unlock) are more likely to fall by the wayside. Time will tell. It's a tenuous game with devs on edge, lay users demanding immediate results, and tempers and egos running hot on all sides. Maybe Pangu will open an Android division and shift the conversation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would the HTC 10 work with sprint?
texasjmzmd said:
Would the HTC 10 work with sprint?
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Click to collapse
Yes, if you get a Sprint variant. They're $199 w/ 2-year extension. Hoping a deal pops up sometime to cover low sales like that last one for the G5 did at BB. Unlocked phone should also work.
SilverZero said:
Yes, if you get a Sprint variant. They're $199 w/ 2-year extension. Hoping a deal pops up sometime to cover low sales like that last one for the G5 did at BB. Unlocked phone should also work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been a customer since 1993 with sprint, and I am NOT eligible for the "$199 w/ 2-year extension." Nice....
texasjmzmd said:
I've been a customer since 1993 with sprint, and I am NOT eligible for the "$199 w/ 2-year extension." Nice....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why not? I thought that was always an option unless you were not through your last 2-year extension. But I also know they do crazy things with customers, even long-term.
i'm hoping Sprint give Boost better phones .-. till then i'm staying with my G3
I've tried to grab two (G500T) now and both refuse to connect to T-Mobile unless I'm in their store. The reps figured it was a SIM issue and didn't bother to look up the IMEI. At home I tried my and my wife's sims from a rooted S3 and a rooted Core Prime and I get the same thing.... they won't attach to T-Mobile even though the other phones do.
So when I used TMo's IMEI tool both report as being overdue on accounts. So how are supposedly "Manufacturer refurbs" coming out with this flag? Is there any way to get these G500T's and know before purchase that the IMEI is clean and that it will just work on Tmo?
-gmolds
Am i missing something here... this Amazon post for the G900T even states that the device is only partially usable on TMo. Isn't that the Tmo variant? I mean the two I receieved booted to 4.4.2 or maybe 4.4.4 with the TMo graphinc and Jingle yet wouldn't grab a TMo tower outside of their store.
Add to that if I turned on WiFi calling I was recognized as the correct number and could send and receive calls/sms just fine.
gmolds said:
Am i missing something here... this Amazon post for the G900T even states that the device is only partially usable on TMo. Isn't that the Tmo variant? I mean the two I receieved booted to 4.4.2 or maybe 4.4.4 with the TMo graphinc and Jingle yet wouldn't grab a TMo tower outside of their store.
Add to that if I turned on WiFi calling I was recognized as the correct number and could send and receive calls/sms just fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There has been tons and tons of rebranded att devices people are selling as unlocked g900f and g900t devices as att has locked bootloader and nobody wants them. Could be your problem.
I wouldn't trust amazon nor eBay. Try swappa.com 100% and guaranteed to not be black listed
ShinySide said:
There has been tons and tons of rebranded att devices people are selling as unlocked g900f and g900t devices as att has locked bootloader and nobody wants them. Could be your problem.
I wouldn't trust amazon nor eBay. Try swappa.com 100% and guaranteed to not be black listed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll look at swappa... but would AT&T locked ones root and take TMo kernels/ROMs becasue I was able to do exactly that and as stated, in the TMo store, it linked up instantly with full LTE (WiFi off) but outside of the stores reach it wouldn't connect. And again, the phone's IMEI according to TMo's lookup tool (both of them) had outstanding bills associated with them.
Isn't the Amazon link odd in that it is listed as a T but claims partial TMo functionality?
Or you could just buy straight from T-Mobile! I got two for $200 each. They're also eligible for T-Mobile's interest free credit system and come with a 90 day warranty which they will honour even if rooted.
invisiblewave said:
Or you could just buy straight from T-Mobile! I got two for $200 each. They're also eligible for T-Mobile's interest free credit system and come with a 90 day warranty which they will honour even if rooted.
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Currently showing $250... a bit high for this model used IMO.
Worth a bit extra for some peace of mind, imo. As the T-Mobile rep I spoke to pointed out, the CPO devices go through an 80 point check which the new phones don't, at least not by TM. Both ours look brand new, and I'm guessing that both the glass & battery, and probably the outer cover too, were replaced. There's a difference between used & CPO. And I'm guessing $250 is less than you paid for the two you bought that you can't use outside the store??
invisiblewave said:
Worth a bit extra for some peace of mind, imo. As the T-Mobile rep I spoke to pointed out, the CPO devices go through an 80 point check which the new phones don't, at least not by TM. Both ours look brand new, and I'm guessing that both the glass & battery, and probably the outer cover too, were replaced. There's a difference between used & CPO. And I'm guessing $250 is less than you paid for the two you bought that you can't use outside the store??
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Actually they were $140 apiece via Woot (Amazon subsidiary) and were listed as AT&T and T-Mobile friendly. One wouldn't charge and the other had the bad IMEI. I'd go as high as $200 I think. I'll keep an eye on Swappa and maybe call a TMo rep to see if they'll come down. I'm in no hurry... just getting ready for our next phones. I can't let Shiny get too far ahead or I'll miss out on all of his great work and their derivatives
As I said, when I bought ours they were $200, they'd previously been $250, so you may get lucky if you keep your eye on T-Mobile. I did their interest-free plan, so it's $8/month each, which seems like a hell of a deal now I've seen how good the phone is. Add a $10 wireless charging coil and you've got a phone that's indistinguishable from a $700 current model.
gmolds said:
Actually they were $140 apiece via Woot (Amazon subsidiary) and were listed as AT&T and T-Mobile friendly. One wouldn't charge and the other had the bad IMEI. I'd go as high as $200 I think. I'll keep an eye on Swappa and maybe call a TMo rep to see if they'll come down. I'm in no hurry... just getting ready for our next phones. I can't let Shiny get too far ahead or I'll miss out on all of his great work and their derivatives
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Those are TMo friendly phones, in that you can put a TMo SIM in them and they will work. However, that's not the same as a 900T. I bought a S5 through Woot back in January, and it was described as a 900T and it was a 900T.
rlichtefeld said:
Those are TMo friendly phones, in that you can put a TMo SIM in them and they will work. However, that's not the same as a 900T. I bought a S5 through Woot back in January, and it was described as a 900T and it was a 900T.
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It is/was (http://www.woot.com/offers/samsung-galaxy-s5-unlocked-16gb-sd-23) in fact a 900T. It reported as much. I've laid out pretty specifically what the problem was and got confirmation from TMo. The real problem is the resellers putting these phones out there as able to be used when the IMEI clearly reports as a phone in arrears on it's account.
If I had been willing to pay the account that the pay as you go phone had been bought on, it would have started working. TMo had taht IMEI blacklisted.
Maybe they're generic specs, but they don't list the AWS bands for T-Mobile, which is the usual problem with buying phones that may or may not be T-Mobile devices.
Readily admitting that I don't know what you're talking about but the fact that I connected to TMo with full bars when at the Tmo shop but dropped out as soon as I drove away and the fact that the phone is in Tmo's system seems to me to be a fairly clear indication that is was a proper model.
In any case.. got one off of swappa and watching for another in my price range and in a condition I will accept. Thanks all for the comments and pointers.
It's not an indication that it's a proper model. Speaking very generally, an AT&T phone will work on T-Mobile because they're both GSM/LTE phones. However, the GSM bands they use aren't identical. There's some overlap, but in some areas there are bands used on T-Mobile that AT&T phones can't use. What that means in practice is that in some places the AT&T phones won't get a signal on T-Mobile and may use 3G rather than LTE. AWS is GSM 1700/2100. It's the same reason why my T-Mobile phones work in the UK but the data over there is slow.
So in this case when the phone is reporting that knox hadn't been tripped and the phone info claimed to be a 900T is still may be an AT&T?
I just bought this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MF64PSK/ on Amazon. Clean IMEI and a 90 day money back guarantee. Looks brand new.
magdelaine said:
I just bought this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MF64PSK/ on Amazon. Clean IMEI and a 90 day money back guarantee. Looks brand new.
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Awesome to hear that real ones are out there... seems hit or miss on Amazon. I have gotten full refunds from W00T and now have two "good" condition phones from swappa and am happy with their conditions and the prices paid.
gmolds said:
Awesome to hear that real ones are out there... seems hit or miss on Amazon. I have gotten full refunds from W00T and now have two "good" condition phones from swappa and am happy with their conditions and the prices paid.
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I have really liked what I've purchased from Swappa too, but this time I went with Amazon. I read your post and was worried...I had to check the IMEI!