Based on what I read so far, only unlocked version of AT&T will work only with GSM provider. Would like confirmation of this. Thanks!
jklny said:
Based on what I read so far, only unlocked version of AT&T will work only with GSM provider. Would like confirmation of this. Thanks!
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No, unfortunately.
Sent from my SM-G935U using Tapatalk
Uh... If it's an unlocked phone there is no reason it wont.
http://www.droid-life.com/2017/03/08/unlocked-galaxy-s8-plus-s8-fcc-smg950-smg955/
Optimumind... can you provide any explanation for your answer?
Unless something has changed, Sprint is CDMA, not GSM.
eatmeimadanish said:
Uh... If it's an unlocked phone there is no reason it wont.
http://www.droid-life.com/2017/03/08/unlocked-galaxy-s8-plus-s8-fcc-smg950-smg955/
Optimumind... can you provide any explanation for your answer?
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An unlocked AT&T GS8 will work on other GSM networks but not on Sprint b/c Sprint won't add the AT&T GS8 IMEI to their system.
Sent from my SM-G935U using Tapatalk
The hardware on all the s8's are the same so technically it will work but the imei isn't white listed so you won't be able to activate it on sprint but the sprint version can be activated on att or any other gsm provider.
Sprint galaxy s8 works with tmobile and verizon
The hardware on all the s8's are the same so technically it will work but the imei isn't white listed so you won't be able to activate it on sprint but the sprint version can be activated on att or any other gsm provider.
Hey there. I have an S7 Edge unlock from t-mobile running the unlock firmware from G935U. Sprint SIM cards are lock, I have a friend who works for sprint. I have 3 Sprint S8 and S8+, 2 unlock and running on T-Mobile network. I took 1 of the SIM card and put in my Unlock S7 Edge, the phone just keep trying to connect to network and repeating the same process. Didn't work at all, but the Sprint S8's works excellent on T-Mobile network after flashing the UNLOCK firmware.
---------- Post added at 03:01 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:53 AM ----------
I got 111.71 mbps download, 20 mbps upload speed from my Unlock Sprint S8+ running G955U1 unlock firmware on T-Mobile network. Couldn't ask for anything more than that.
I will provide my non Sprint S8 variant experience.....for any US S8, they all have the same hardware. I have noticed that ATT and TMO models have CDMA hardware, but are turned off in the carriers version of the firmware . Flashing the stock unlocked S8 firmware or the Sprint/VZW FW will enable the phones for use with CDMA and all LTE bands. I had an ATT version sim unlocked and attempted this on Verizon FW with a VZW sim and it worked perfect....but there is a major roadblock with Sprint. Sprint is the only carrier that I have tried that requires an update of the IMEI to the account (ie you cant just pop a sim in and the device works). VZW for example shows Unknown device on the account instead of an S8, but all the services still work. Sprint shows 3G for about 5 minutes, then you get a message that the sim is locked and to reboot or call support (not the same as the phones sim slot being locked, but more that the system cant register the sim/device combo). Sprint stores have the capability of adding IMEI's to the Sprint database, as long as the IMEI does not come back as ineligible. Well, I took the S8 to several stores and none of them could add it to the system. Several employees advised me that the IMEI's from other carrier's are blacklisted so that it can not be added and the only ones that the system would allow to add are IMEI's that were sold as unlocked or Sprint branded. If the IMEI can be white listed, then I am certain it would work.
mellojosh said:
I will provide my non Sprint S8 variant experience.....for any US S8, they all have the same hardware. I have noticed that ATT and TMO models have CDMA hardware, but are turned off in the carriers version of the firmware . Flashing the stock unlocked S8 firmware or the Sprint/VZW FW will enable the phones for use with CDMA and all LTE bands. I had an ATT version sim unlocked and attempted this on Verizon FW with a VZW sim and it worked perfect....but there is a major roadblock with Sprint. Sprint is the only carrier that I have tried that requires an update of the IMEI to the account (ie you cant just pop a sim in and the device works). VZW for example shows Unknown device on the account instead of an S8, but all the services still work. Sprint shows 3G for about 5 minutes, then you get a message that the sim is locked and to reboot or call support (not the same as the phones sim slot being locked, but more that the system cant register the sim/device combo). Sprint stores have the capability of adding IMEI's to the Sprint database, as long as the IMEI does not come back as ineligible. Well, I took the S8 to several stores and none of them could add it to the system. Several employees advised me that the IMEI's from other carrier's are blacklisted so that it can not be added and the only ones that the system would allow to add are IMEI's that were sold as unlocked or Sprint branded. If the IMEI can be white listed, then I am certain it would work.
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Yup, Sprint sucks very well in this regard.
Sent from my SM-G955U1 using Tapatalk
This phones are listed among eligible phones for Sprint's BYOD 1 year free plan. Does it say something?
Samsung Galaxy S8 (Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile)
Samsung Galaxy S8+ (Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile)
Yes it will work, i put a freedom pop sim in, and it restarted with at&t logo
mellojosh said:
I will provide my non Sprint S8 variant experience.....for any US S8, they all have the same hardware. I have noticed that ATT and TMO models have CDMA hardware, but are turned off in the carriers version of the firmware . Flashing the stock unlocked S8 firmware or the Sprint/VZW FW will enable the phones for use with CDMA and all LTE bands. I had an ATT version sim unlocked and attempted this on Verizon FW with a VZW sim and it worked perfect....but there is a major roadblock with Sprint. Sprint is the only carrier that I have tried that requires an update of the IMEI to the account (ie you cant just pop a sim in and the device works). VZW for example shows Unknown device on the account instead of an S8, but all the services still work. Sprint shows 3G for about 5 minutes, then you get a message that the sim is locked and to reboot or call support (not the same as the phones sim slot being locked, but more that the system cant register the sim/device combo). Sprint stores have the capability of adding IMEI's to the Sprint database, as long as the IMEI does not come back as ineligible. Well, I took the S8 to several stores and none of them could add it to the system. Several employees advised me that the IMEI's from other carrier's are blacklisted so that it can not be added and the only ones that the system would allow to add are IMEI's that were sold as unlocked or Sprint branded. If the IMEI can be white listed, then I am certain it would work.
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I had a similar experience with an Unlocked Galaxy S7 and Sprint. I actually had to get Samsung Tech support on a conference call with a Sprint Manager, because Sprint told my customer the the phone is incompatible with the Sprint network. After embarrassing the Sprint rep, he white listed the IMEI number on Sprint's network and the phone worked.
Also, MetroPCS has the same policy. You cannot just pop in a Metro Sim card. You have to call them and register the IMEI number. After about an hour tops, the phone will complete provisioning and be able to work on Metro's T-Mobile network.
T-Mobile is instant. You cab pop a T-Mobile Sim card into any sim unlocked variant and it will work. However you will need to go into settings and follow the T-Mobile instructions on how to set up the radio frequencies. The better way is to just flash the carrier's ROM version onto the phone. This way you will get the features and updates from the carrier. Carriers seem to get the Android updates faster than Samsung. A trade off for bloatware.
tempests said:
I had a similar experience with an Unlocked Galaxy S7 and Sprint. I actually had to get Samsung Tech support on a conference call with a Sprint Manager, because Sprint told my customer the the phone is incompatible with the Sprint network. After embarrassing the Sprint rep, he white listed the IMEI number on Sprint's network and the phone worked.
Also, MetroPCS has the same policy. You cannot just pop in a Metro Sim card. You have to call them and register the IMEI number. After about an hour tops, the phone will complete provisioning and be able to work on Metro's T-Mobile network.
T-Mobile is instant. You cab pop a T-Mobile Sim card into any sim unlocked variant and it will work. However you will need to go into settings and follow the T-Mobile instructions on how to set up the radio frequencies. The better way is to just flash the carrier's ROM version onto the phone. This way you will get the features and updates from the carrier. Carriers seem to get the Android updates faster than Samsung. A trade off for bloatware.
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Maybe I should try this approach with my Galaxy S9+ (AT&T, unlocked).
Sprint is a PITA.
tempests said:
I had a similar experience with an Unlocked Galaxy S7 and Sprint. I actually had to get Samsung Tech support on a conference call with a Sprint Manager, because Sprint told my customer the the phone is incompatible with the Sprint network. After embarrassing the Sprint rep, he white listed the IMEI number on Sprint's network and the phone worked.
Also, MetroPCS has the same policy. You cannot just pop in a Metro Sim card. You have to call them and register the IMEI number. After about an hour tops, the phone will complete provisioning and be able to work on Metro's T-Mobile network.
T-Mobile is instant. You cab pop a T-Mobile Sim card into any sim unlocked variant and it will work. However you will need to go into settings and follow the T-Mobile instructions on how to set up the radio frequencies. The better way is to just flash the carrier's ROM version onto the phone. This way you will get the features and updates from the carrier. Carriers seem to get the Android updates faster than Samsung. A trade off for bloatware.
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You may have been referring to me regarding the unlocked Galaxy S7 & Sprint. Many thanks for that one. I'm going through the same crap now with Universal unlocked IPhone 7. Sprint is a PITA!
I can confirm the SM-G955U from AT&T does work. I confirmed this via Sprint site. Just Google Sprint byod eligibility and you'll find the link.
My biggest roadblock was AT&T had a network lock on my phone so the sim Sprint sent couldn't be used. I then used the services provided by gsmzambia to network unlock the device. It's currently working on Sprint network.
Pros/Cons?
Pro: No AT&T preinstalled bloat
I'm using an Essential PH-1 unlocked with AT&T. No problems.
Used a Mate 9 unlocked on ATT with no problem. Most US unlocked phones should work without any problems on ATT
VoLTE or HD calling as AT&T calls it might work on an unlocked phone if they will provision your line for the service. They did it for my Pixel 2 and it worked after I got a new sim. I don't think wifi calling will work on any phone except an AT&T device. I would make good use of this service so I'm opting for the AT&T version. If I find wifi calling works on an unlocked model I may switch but I don't think it will. We do some vacationing at a place with wifi but no cell service. My wife's AT&T iphone has it and it's pretty cool.
If the unlocked version is snapdragon then it will work just fine and lock to USA AT&T. With the S8 phones they were unlocked until you put a SIM in it and then it locks to that carrier. I'm curious is the unlocked version the exynos or the Snapdragon?
highaltitude said:
If the unlocked version is snapdragon then it will work just fine and lock to USA AT&T. With the S8 phones they were unlocked until you put a SIM in it and then it locks to that carrier. I'm curious is the unlocked version the exynos or the Snapdragon?
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The snapdragon is the only processor sold in the usa whether you are unlocked or carrier specific.
Having issues with SM-G965F on AT&T LTE
I just activated my SM-G965F and I'm only getting 3G and 3.5G (H+). No LTE. If I change the mobile networks settings to nxtgenphone, it connects to LTE, then drops and I get no data. I can only use the 'phone' version. My AT&T account has a grayed out device for my account. Checking compatibility with the IMEI checker for AT&T says it cannot determine if it is compatible. the 2nd SIM slot IMEI number is considered invalid!
Heading to the AT&T store at the mall later... not expecting much help.
I have the Note 8 and it was a PITA to get it full working on AT&T. Only thing that interest me was the Volte for talking on the phone and data at the same time, never got it working 100%. Had AT&T provision with new chip still not working good, so I sold the unlocked and got an AT&T model and had it unlocked and all is working well.
Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
[Resolved] Having issues with SM-G965F on AT&T LTE
poodull said:
I just activated my SM-G965F and I'm only getting 3G and 3.5G (H+). No LTE. If I change the mobile networks settings to nxtgenphone, it connects to LTE, then drops and I get no data. I can only use the 'phone' version. My AT&T account has a grayed out device for my account. Checking compatibility with the IMEI checker for AT&T says it cannot determine if it is compatible. the 2nd SIM slot IMEI number is considered invalid!
Heading to the AT&T store at the mall later... not expecting much help.
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It was not the APN settings, entirely. It was that myAT&T would not recognize my IMEI number as a 9+. So, working with a store clerk at the local mall, she suggested to punch in a fake(last number altered) IMEI number using the in-store SM-G965U models. Since this has nothing to do with actually logging in or SIM verification, it worked. The SIM does its job and my account has an S9 (not a plus) on it, so when I changed to the 'nxtgenphone' APN settings, it is 'allowed' to log in (that's my best guess, anyway).
There is no other reason why the SM-G965F would NOT work on AT&T LTE since it has 3 of the 4 LTE bands (band30 is not included, but is only used in new, dense environments to alleviate network congestion -- my understanding).
dmb219 said:
The snapdragon is the only processor sold in the usa whether you are unlocked or carrier specific.
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So if I buy and ship an unlocked Galaxy S9 from Samsung website, it will have Snapdragon and not Exynos? I'm in a US territory.
I'm getting a good deal off their website with accessories and whatnot buying unlocked but I prefer Exynos
I'd rather not post and make a new thread. If someone else can confirm, I'd be much obliged
Yep it does. Just make sure it's on Snapdragon.
Does anyone know what differences there might be between the Unlocked version and the T-Mobile variant? I'm wondering if there are any features missing from the Unlocked version while on the T-Mobile network (like how on the VZW version Wifi calling is apparently not usable on the Unlocked version).
Any info would be great, thanks.
The unlocked one has the mobile data toogle while Tmobile dont have it. Wifi calling running fine on the unlocked ones with Tmobile services. Hope that could help you.
AS I understand there aren't many differences between them.
Hi, I'm new here.
I own Universal Unlocked Samsung S10 Model # SM-G973U1 purchased directly from Samsung. I originally activated it on the Boost Mobile network and Ive decided to switch to AT&T prepaid service. I find out that the SM-G973U1 apparently wont utilize the AT&T Wifi Calling (Per: AT&T Forum). I was informed I'd need the SM-G973U.
I'm also not sure if I'm even getting the 4g connection (My phone shows LTE, LTE+, H, H+ and no connection).
I believe I have bad cell reception in my house.
If I were to install the SM-G973U firmware onto my SM-G973U1, would this solve my problem?
Will my phone still be an Universal unlocked phone?
If I choose to switch back to the SM-G973U1 firmware should I be OK?
Would I need to do the same if I were to switch to T-Mobile?
Would I be better off switching to T-Mobile?
Any other thoughts about this topic I should be aware of?
Thank you for your time.
Robert
After using an Unlocked S8 U1 on AT&T for the past few years, I decided to get the S9+ (since I don't care for the S10).
I order two S9+ (renewed) from Amazon: the AT&T S9+ model (G965U) and the Unlocked Model (G965U1), since I wanted to see if VoLTE and WiFi Calling would work on my Pre-Paid plan.
The AT&T G965U does work fine with VoLTE and WiFi Calling, but the unit has some nasty fall marks on it, and the volume buttons don't work well, so it's going back.
The Unlocked G965U1 only has a few minor screen scratches, but overall is in better condition than the AT&T G965U, but VoLTE and WiFi Calling doesn't work.
So I'm not sure what to do.
I can clearly hear the difference in Call Quality between the model with VoLTE and without (HSPA calls).
It's too bad AT&T still won't allow VoLTE on non-AT&T Branded Samsung phones.
I have read countless posts on S9/S9+ Firmware and CSC flashing with ODIN (which I'm familiar using) but I can't find a definite answer on if there's way to take an Unlocked S9+ U1 and flash it so that VoLTE will work. I know WiFi Calling won't work, since the IMEI has to be on AT&T Whitelist.
As of right now, the S9+ is on the latest firmware G965U1UEU7CSJ3.
Just to give an update. I was able to flash the S9 Plus G965U1 Unlocked model with the AT&T CSI5 firmware as shown in the Guides section. After that, the S9+ was able to use VoLTE and WiFI Calling on my AT&T Prepaid plan.
I had also ordered a (used/renewed) Note 9, and when I got it, it had Verizon firmware on it. So with it I had to flash the Note 9 first to the U1 Unlocked firmware and then to the AT&T U firmware.
So with both the S9+ and Note 9, I can get VoLTE and WiFi Calling to work.
Now I just have to decide which one I want to keep, as the S9+ was $348 and the Note 9 was $390.
I like the S9+ since it's not as heavy and more comfortable to hold, and it seems like the (smaller 3500mAh) battery lasts longer (not sure why). But I like the features of the Note 9 (S Pen) since I had the Note 2/3/4/5 years ago and miss those features.
I have an unlocked S9 and am on AT&T Prepaid.
I am playing a video about Odin right now.