[Q] Is it Captivate? - Captivate Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hello all,
I have a very interesting (at least I think so ) problem with a Galaxy S mainboard I have. The problem is I do not know what exactly variant/model this is. The mainboard came with 16GB flash and only back camera (no front facing), so I assume this is Captivate model. This is not the end of the story though. The board was initially with broken system, so after I managed to get it back working it was registering as GT-I9000 (as it still is). I have currently installed cyanogenmod 10.1.3 for standard international version. So you may ask - what is the problem? It is standard Galaxy S International. Well, I am not so sure. For one, based on my knowledge international versions have both back and front cameras (this came with only back one, unless someone switched it) and also to check if this is international I installed double camera in this phone (from another board). After that the back camera works fine (takes photos etc.) however as soon as I swap to front camera I get "Unfortunately, Gallery has stopped." and I am unable to launch camera again without full wipe (probably there is some setting that could be reset, so that camera app uses back camera, but I do not know what that that setting is). Anyway based on that I assume it may be a different model. Visually there are also some differences in mainboard vs. other 100% sure international mainboards I have (I can post photos if this will help). I have tried installing cyanogenmod for captivate without luck (ro.product.model error), as well as other mtd mods - all go with this same error.
There are also other issues with this mainboard which make me believe that this may be a different model:
the wifi range/signal is very low compared to other same but international models (may be because of kernel issues, I read about that somewhere, unless a hardware problem(?))
the sound from speaker works when I change ringtones for example, but does not on youtube (headphones work fine with sound)
when phone goes to sleep very often it restarts or hangs (just black screen)
this may be unrelated, and should not cause mentioned issues, but the mobo also has broken EFS partition, so you cannot make calls and there is no IMEI present
My question is: could someone overwrite this setting so that it "thinks" it is a GT-I9000? How can I check which model this actually is? Were there any international models with only one camera?
Thanks a lot!
XaFFaX

Wiki says the only I9000 model without front facing camera is GT-I9000T - Mexico, Latin America, Caribbean version of I9000.

Val D. said:
Wiki says the only I9000 model without front facing camera is GT-I9000T - Mexico, Latin America, Caribbean version of I9000.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is not entirely true, unless I am reading another wiki .
Captivate
AT&T released this variant (SGH-I897) for the United States on July 18, 2010,[65] while Rogers released its own variant (SGH-I896) for Canada. Both variants include 16 GB of internal flash memory, but without the front camera, FM radio and LED camera flash present on other Galaxy S variants. Android 2.3 "Gingerbread" is available for this model.[66] The Rogers version includes minor GPS functionality differences and the ability to utilise HSUPA.
Vibrant
T-Mobile released this variant (SGH-T959) for the United States on July 15, 2010.[67] It is the third Android 2.x phone officially supported by T-Mobile (after the Nexus One and MyTouch 3G Slide). Like the Captivate, it includes 16 GB of internal flash memory, but omits the front camera, FM radio and lacks a LED camera flash. Android 2.2 "Froyo" is the last version available for this model.[68]
T-Mobile and Wind Mobile also released the closely named Vibrant 4G (SGH-T959V/W) in February 2011. It adds HSPA+ support and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera.
Fascinate
Verizon released this variant (SCH-I500) for the United States on September 9, 2010.[69] It omits the front camera and FM radio of the base model, but adds a LED flash. Android 2.3 "Gingerbread" is available.[68] Its release was accompanied by some controversy over Verizon's decision to replace Google Search with Bing as the primary search engine.[70]
The SCH-I500 is also known as the Mesmerize for US Cellular and the Showcase for C Spire and Ntelos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Obviously this is not Fascinate, since the mobo lacks LED flash, but still at least 3 models without front camera...
EDIT:
I have added pictures of label of the battery compartment with some information, maybe this will help in determining what model is this? I am wondering about the NTT in the upper left corner.
The second picture shows that there is a place for front camera, however is was not made transparent it is black as seen on the picture, which means it was a back-only camera version of the phone.

Looks like the board came from NTT DOCOMO SC-02B phone - a version of Galaxy S for Japanese market.

Val D. said:
Looks like the board came from NTT DOCOMO SC-02B phone - a version of Galaxy S for Japanese market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, exactly I just made the same conclusion. I just flashed stock ROM using Odin from this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=11614716
and the phone works fine (in terms of not hanging/restarting). I even have baseband visible, unfortunately it did not fix the EFS partition (what is not news for me, but still I had hope... ). Interesting thing is how it got itself in Europe... Anyway, the issue with speaker (not working with youtube for example) still persists, as well as very low wifi range and GPS not locking. This is probably due to differences in back casings (antenna), however in general it works fine. The camera software works fine too, only with back camera (not possible to change). I replaced it back to original one and works fine. Maybe I will take this mobo to Samsung service, they are able to restore EFS for not so much $.
Anyway, thanks for all help, I appreciate it.
XaFFaX

The_XaFFaX said:
Maybe I will take this mobo to Samsung service, they are able to restore EFS for not so much $.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The shipping + diagnostic only will be more expensive than the board. Upgrade the phone to a better one. SGS is a 3y hardware, it's not worth it to repair. Try to find a DYI solution to the EFS problem. You may have to learn Japanese first...

8835994 fg
Val D. said:
The shipping + diagnostic only will be more expensive than the board. Upgrade the phone to a better one. SGS is a 3y hardware, it's not worth it to repair. Try to find a DYI solution to the EFS problem. You may have to learn Japanese first...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah well, I was asking around about it, if the situation has not changed it costs about $20 to do that, while the board is about $70 (I mean only the EFS repair). But in general you're right, there may be something more wrong with it and it will not be worth it. I will consider it.
About EFS repair DIY: I searched about it over the internet, everywhere I got information that you cannot do it "for free" there is a software that can do it using servers, but that costs A LOT. I will look around more, but I do not think it is possible unfortunately (without backup).
Thanks again,
XaFFaX

If services are so cheap in your country, than go ahead and see what they can do.

Related

[Q] ATT Captivate & T-Mobile Vibrant How similar are they.

I'm new to android phones, so here goes my question. Are these 2 models similar enough that if I have these phones, from at&t preferably or t-mobile, and the phones are both unlocked could I burn the rom from one provider, to change over from say at&t to t-mobile and have access to [My Account] plus all the associated t-mobile software, then switch back by burning rom from sd to use at&t stuff?
Reason for this is can get them darn near free (actually free if I take minimum family plan plus text plan and get 2 samsung captivate for $50 plus an extra free android. I just need to re-flash one of the captivate phone to t-mobile when I'm in Canada. LOL, I'm Canadian EH!
Long and short can I do this, as I spent 3 days figuring how to update a Behold 2, making it rooted and getting latest 1.6. This included learning to partition sd card to Fat/Ext 4 with swap and logical partitions. That was real fun and accidentally wiped my attached esata backup drive, which caused me to name all my drives same as in Linux hda ETC. well I digress.
Thanks in advance.
They are different enough that the ROM from one won't boot on the other without alterations. A couple of examples of this are the orientation sensors, which on the Captivate are rotated 90 degrees from the way the are on Vibrant (and any other Galaxy S phone). As a result flashing a Vibrant kernel on Captivate will cause the screen to be off by 90 degrees. On the Vibrant the GPS is somewhat differently configured than other Galaxy S phones. As a result ROMS from Captivate will cause the GPS to not function at all. When someone is able to come up with a custom ROM that has a unified kernel, these will be not an issue, but that is yet to happen.
Tks ever so much. That's what i need to know.

[Q] Buying an i9000M, but would you recommend this?

Hello.
Directly to the question: Is the current state of the (Bell) i9000 Galaxy S completely working? (Lag, GPS issues, 2.2, etc)?
A little bit of background:
I own a Galaxy Tab, and it's absolutely the best mobile device I've ever had and seen. I've had nothing but good experience with no issues at all.
My dad wanted to jump the smartphone bandwagon and started to inquire about the iPhone, naturally I was like lolwut? Hellz no! Android + 4" screen + Google Maps Navigation baby!
Because the P1000 and the i9000 models are world class devices (multiple region specific firmwares and support, such as Arabic) I thought the i9000 would be the best choice for him since he already likes what my phone/tablet does.
Then I came here to the forums just to see what's up... and BAM! ...greeted with problems being reported left and right like no tomorrow! Flashing issues, updates bricking, GPS issues, lag and all sorts of issues. Now i'm hesitating and and having second thoughts about buying one at this point. But what is the alternative? Are the minority just having these issues or bad luck?
But man seriously, it's hard to ignore the awesome features this phone has, and the rather great experience I'm having with the Samsung Tab, I'm dying to know whether its safe to buy this now or wait.
Alternatively, what would be an equivalent device with features like a front facing camera, 4"+ screen, huge internal app storage, global support (arabic, europien), etc)?
You're advise is highly appreciated, I have two 1.5 months to decide!
If you've got 1.5-2 months, I say wait for the Nexus S.
Pretty much the same phone, but with all issues addressed and no Samsung B.S.
If you want one before that, then yes: go for the i9000m. I had to swap mine during the DOA period (30 days), but aslong as you upgrade via CWM and not ODIN or Kies AND make sure you have one of the new batch, you won't have any issues.
Honetly, the only "real" issue is the GPS
I got a SGS since october and I don't use lagfix or whatever and it's a pretty good device.
Only GPS can be, sometimes, kind of "all over the place". I've had "some" issue (not all the time) with it but that's about it.
And since the new Nexus S is almost the same hardware (but SGS has better options, IMO) we'll surelly get an even more optimised Gingerbread!

[Q] SGS Still buggy?

Hi all,
Thinking of buying my first android phone.
I was wondering whether there were still many glitches present in the SGS, is GPS still a problem for instance?
The other thing which is important to me is to be able to tether. I understand the SGS on Three ships with Eclair but am I right in thinking this could be updated straight away to Froyo? I'm thinking Froyo has native ability to tether? Ideally I'd like to tether to Bluetooth as I don't have a wireless PC and Bluetooth would give greater freedom to position phone for improved signal.
I know the SGS II is out but was disappointed it didn't arrive here in the UK with NFC, especially for the cost of it. I know the SGS doesn't have this either but seeing as the price on Three is little more than the One Plan on its own it seems to be a good buy, allowing me to defer my purchase of a dual core for a bit.
I have seen news that Gingerbread is also rolling out or about to, are these dependent on waiting for the network provider to do their own tweaks or do they come straight from Samsung? Will this be 2.3.3 or 2.3.4?
Any help greatly appreciated.
$ynonymou$ said:
Hi all,
Thinking of buying my first android phone.
I was wondering whether there were still many glitches present in the SGS, is GPS still a problem for instance?
The other thing which is important to me is to be able to tether. I understand the SGS on Three ships with Eclair but am I right in thinking this could be updated straight away to Froyo? I'm thinking Froyo has native ability to tether? Ideally I'd like to tether to Bluetooth as I don't have a wireless PC and Bluetooth would give greater freedom to position phone for improved signal.
I know the SGS II is out but was disappointed it didn't arrive here in the UK with NFC, especially for the cost of it. I know the SGS doesn't have this either but seeing as the price on Three is little more than the One Plan on its own it seems to be a good buy, allowing me to defer my purchase of a dual core for a bit.
I have seen news that Gingerbread is also rolling out or about to, are these dependent on waiting for the network provider to do their own tweaks or do they come straight from Samsung? Will this be 2.3.3 or 2.3.4?
Any help greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sgs will be updated to gingerbread
unfortunaetly it has to be said, tha the sgs is well known to being buggy and un use friendly out-of-the-box
you will soon need to be familarized with flashing roms etc.
also, gps is also a major flaw wth the phone, bit i think there is a 'fix' around
$ynonymou$ said:
Hi all,
Thinking of buying my first android phone.
I was wondering whether there were still many glitches present in the SGS, is GPS still a problem for instance?
Never on mine and same for majority though some users had a poor GPS
I know the SGS II is out but was disappointed it didn't arrive here in the UK with NFC, especially for the cost of it.
June onwards .
I have seen news that Gingerbread is also rolling out or about to, are these dependent on waiting for the network provider to do their own tweaks or do they come straight from Samsung?
Branded network provider phone you wait for network to upload firmware .
jje
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you both,
Anyone confirm whether Three's version of Froyo already available, so I'll at least be able to update to that straight away? I don't suppose Three have announced whether they will be releasing Gingerbread?
Since I'd been waiting for the SGII since MWC, I can't wait any longer. I was going to purchase it not realising the nfc wasn't present but O2 had just pulled it from PAYG. I think a lot of the rumors around release dates are bogus to string people along, including the competition. Any time after June could well be December sometime.
techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-officially-confirms-nfc-enabled-galaxy-s-ii-954965
I am using Galaxy S I9000 I900DDJV5 2.33 Build number DDJV9 After use this code *#*#34971539#*#* then i press phone to CAM FW Write then after my back camera didn't work but front facing is working great i dono y plz ge me a fix i need as soon as possible thanks in advance

Is my phone legit? and Did they ever get an antenna upgrade?

I just bought an I9000 and I was wondering if the phone is legit or some type of rebuilt/second rate piece. Is there a way I can check the serial of the phone to figure this out? I wasn't sure if Samsung was officially making these things still.
Also, did the I9000 ever have a hardware upgrade like the T959 Vibrant?
The "newer" Vibrant models supposedly got a new antenna, and had better GPS, and I think they came preloaded with it's build of Froyo.

Question S21 Ultra it is worth it?

Hello here guys, I need some of your knowledge and those who have the S21 Ultra in their hands.
First thing I am a htc fan since 2010 with the htc .. After this I changed htc phone every 2 years until 2018.. My last samsung phone dates back to the samsung galaxy S I9000 model back to 2010 and I didn't like them, I didn't keep them for long. My actual phone is the last flagship is the HTC U12+ i liked this phone very much and still love it, it still works fine but it is getting a bit old. After this Unfortunately HTC is almost dead since the takeover by google, i only had one major updates from android since, and give us only android pie and security update July 2019 this is unacceptable for a flagship i have pay more than 1000 $ for it in 2018. I would ideally like to have a new phone with new technology this year. I wanted to wait to see the oneplus 9 pro but .. the 8 have so much problem and i have read on the forum, the update support is getting very bad like htc .. and google no longer make flagship... Not a lot of choice other than that .. and i never want an apple.
So I am looking for the S21 ultra but it is a tough decision for me! I need your experiences with this device and with samsung..
Are samsung phones is strong and durable?? I dropped my HTC several times with a case of course i always have a case on the phone and a screen protector and is never broken. One ui has become much more interesting i have see but i still need to make some debloat it with the root. I find that the fast charge is a little low for this phone, how long does it take you to charge it with a 25W? what more can you tell me about this? Also another thing that bothers me is the curved screen. I am really not convinced on this? but all the flagship are like that now. A Another problem for me is the root, I don't want a phone without root! I am in Canada, and I know that the galaxy variants canada, the bootloader is completely locked and still no possibility to unlock it on this i find samsung very stupid about this.. unless that has changed but it would surprise me I saw nothing of that.
So if I want the device I have to buy the global model ( i want snapdragon too ) ( china model i think ? )which is the SM-G9980, but as I have seen 5G will not be compatible in Canada with this model, can someone confirm that? for 5G and that this model the bootloader is unlockable please?? I don't care much for 5G either but I would prefer to have it compatible.. If i flash a canada firmware is will work or nothing will change ? and is even possible to change the firmware ? For several years now I have been buying my phones full price from some online stores that sell global devices in Canada and for a little less expensive too. I am with public mobile ( belong to Telus Canada ) i really like this company this will work for the 3G and 4G i have see right? not sure.
Thanks for reading me and your answers guys!
UP please ??
Max128 said:
Hello here guys, I need some of your knowledge and those who have the S21 Ultra in their hands.
First thing I am a htc fan since 2010 with the htc .. After this I changed htc phone every 2 years until 2018.. My last samsung phone dates back to the samsung galaxy S I9000 model back to 2010 and I didn't like them, I didn't keep them for long. My actual phone is the last flagship is the HTC U12+ i liked this phone very much and still love it, it still works fine but it is getting old. After this Unfortunately HTC is almost dead since the takeover by google, i only had one major updates from android since, i am stuck with android pie and security update July 2019 this is unacceptable for a flagship i have pay more than 1000 $ for it in 2018. I would ideally like to have a new phone with new technology this year. I wanted to wait to see the oneplus 9 pro but .. the 8 have so much problem and i have read on the forum, the update support is getting very bad like htc .. and google no longer make flagship... Not a lot of choice other than that .. and i never want an apple.
So I am looking for the S21 ultra but it is a tough decision for me! I need your experiences with this device and with samsung..
Are samsung phones is strong and durable?? I dropped my HTC several times with a case of course i always have a case on the phone and a screen protector and is never broken. One ui has become much more interesting i have see but i still need to make some debloat it with the root. I find that the fast charge is a little low for this phone, how long does it take you to charge it with a 25W? what more can you tell me about this? Also another thing that bothers me is the curved screen. I am really not convinced on this? but all the flagship are like that now. A Another problem for me is the root, I don't want a phone without root! I am in Canada, and I know that the galaxy variants canada, the bootloader is completely locked and still no possibility to unlock it on this i find samsung very stupid about this.. unless that has changed but it would surprise me I saw nothing of that.
So if I want the device I have to buy the global model ( i want snapdragon too ) ( china model i think ? )which is the SM-G9980, but as I have seen 5G will not be compatible in Canada with this model, can someone confirm that? for 5G and that this model the bootloader is unlockable please?? I don't care much for 5G either but I would prefer to have it compatible.. If i flash a canada firmware is will work or nothing will change ? and is even possible to change the firmware ? For several years now I have been buying my phones full price from some online stores that sell global devices in Canada and for a little less expensive too. I am with public mobile ( belong to Telus Canada ) i really like this company this will work for the 3G and 4G i have see right? not sure.
Thanks for reading me and your answers guys!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone is not worth it!
This is a gadget geek forum many of us waste money on shiny toys. You have a very old phone by the standards of tech enthusiast, but you don't seem like you feel you're missing anything accept software support. If that's the only thing that really concerns you, I would say save $600 and get the Galaxy FE. It will outperform your current phone in everyway. It has a plastic back cover that feels like premium material but is durable. It's 5G. It has android 10. Its got better cameras. It has an SD Slot. I think the only thing you may miss is the headphone jack, and just about all phones are loosing that. So I would say unless you plan to change the way you utilize your phone. Save your money and go Mid Range feature rich, your not going to miss flag ship features you've never used and will never use more than a few times just to test it out anyway.
mc_365 said:
The phone is not worth it!
This is a gadget geek forum many of us waste money on shiny toys. You have a very old phone by the standards of tech enthusiast, but you don't seem like you feel you're missing anything accept software support. If that's the only thing that really concerns you, I would say save $600 and get the Galaxy FE. It will outperform your current phone in everyway. It has a plastic back cover that feels like premium material but is durable. It's 5G. It has android 10. Its got better cameras. It has an SD Slot. I think the only thing you may miss is the headphone jack, and just about all phones are loosing that. So I would say unless you plan to change the way you utilize your phone. Save your money and go Mid Range feature rich, your not going to miss flag ship features you've never used and will never use more than a few times just to test it out anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you. Those flagships models are not worth the money the vendors are asking for. Sure they are really good like Samsung S21 Ultra which is my daily driver now, but typically you get all you need either with new midrange phones or 1-3 years old flagship models.
Hi, I pretty love the flagship but yeah I find it expensive this phone... Will see what I will do. In the meanwhile if someone have the information I want for the model is will be great!
Max128 said:
Hi, I pretty love the flagship but yeah I find it expensive this phone... Will see what I will do. In the meanwhile if someone have the information I want for the model is will be great!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Ultra has the least aggressive curve of all curved Galaxy models. The viewable area doesn't really cascade over the side like my s10+.
The phone takes maybe 100 minutes to charge but I haven't really done a controlled test. I'm just going off the avg time it says when I plug it in to my QC 3.0 charger.
US / Canadian Galaxy 21s will likely never get a real root. Root would most likely trip the security fuse if ever possible. So at that point you could no longer use NFC payments. I could be wrong on this since I haven't been rooted or unlocked since HTC M8 days.
As far as durability goes, this phone is made from the most durable Corning gorilla glass on the front and I think the back is one step down. The phone has a metal frame and the camera housing is integrated into the metal frame. So I'd say it as durable as a glass phone can be.
I can offer no insight on Chinese market phones and their radios compatibility. I'm not brave enough to spend $1000+ ordering a device on the net unseen, with no warranty, and questionable compatibility. I need my device to work out the box, root is not that important to me anymore.
@mc_365 So you have the phone with what I have understand? Well I know is since the s7 I think the us and Canada having a locked bootloader and I find it stupid from Samsung really. For the NFC payment , my last three phone having it I think and I am still not using it.. Still not really interested by this. Well the root for me is still pretty important , I am using it for some reasons...
Well my last two HTC devices I have buy the global version and everything work.. and the phone work great too, and warranty on this. Is for Samsung phones I am a bit lost.. for the global version ( because the bootloader is can be unlock and also global version phone is always less expensive I buy my phones full price) what is working in Canada and what not...
Max128 said:
@mc_365 So you have the phone with what I have understand? Well I know is since the s7 I think the us and Canada having a locked bootloader and I find it stupid from Samsung really. For the NFC payment , my last three phone having it I think and I am still not using it.. Still not really interested by this. Well the root for me is still pretty important , I am using it for some reasons...
Well my last two HTC devices I have buy the global version and everything work.. and the phone work great too, and warranty on this. Is for Samsung phones I am a bit lost.. for the global version ( because the bootloader is can be unlock and also global version phone is always less expensive I buy my phones full price) what is working in Canada and what not...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I own the Phone.
I bought the phone outright as I do most of the time.
The non US/CAD phones are unlockable because from my understanding the law requires it in Europe. In the US the I think the carriers are concerned with subsidized phones being hacked for use without paying the phone off. That in combination with the US credit card companies concerns about fraudulent payments from hacked devices. These 2 major industries (Telecom and Banking) force the manufactures to adhere to these demands. So US/CAD and EU being the 2 major regions with strong governing laws force companies to comply or not be allowed to sell direct to consumers. Samsung has decided to just make it easy and keep everything coming to the US and CAD locked down tight. Europe must have their phones unlockable and the Chinese probably have some rules, and that's why they have Snapdragon chips and the rest of Asia has Exynos. There's probably some back door built into the Chinese variant for the CCP to monitor or to enforce the firewall etc.
Global version is less expensive because it has Samsung's Exynos processor which was somewhat inferior to Qualcoms Snapdragon in the past. Also in my experience you only save on the Global models after the phone has been on the market for a while. When it is relatively new you pay a premium to get that device from an importer. And again you get no warranty or support.
mc_365 said:
Yes I own the Phone.
I bought the phone outright as I do most of the time.
Global version is less expensive because it has Samsung's Exynos processor which was somewhat inferior to Qualcoms Snapdragon in the past. Also in my experience you only save on the Global models after the phone has been on the market for a while. When it is relatively new you pay a premium to get that device from an importer. And again you get no warranty or support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you like the phone?
Not exactly , the global version I am talking about is the SM-G9980 and is the Snapdragon model ( Hong Kong ) is unlockable. I have buy my last two phones at launch day and is 200-300$ less like the s21 ultra right now... And I have got a support and normally a warranty.
However, not very precise for the bands network here. I am looking for that is will be the same for all Samsung phone I guess.
Max128 said:
How do you like the phone?
Not exactly , the global version I am talking about is the SM-G9980 and is the Snapdragon model ( Hong Kong ) is unlockable. I have buy my last two phones at launch day and is 200-300$ less like the s21 ultra right now... And I have got a support and normally a warranty.
However, not very precise for the bands network here. I am looking for that is will be the same for all Samsung phone I guess.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well as far as I have ever know, Samsung does not offer any warranty or servicing on devices purchased outside the region it was intended to operate.
Maybe the specific vendor your buying through is willing to warranty the device. But according to everything I've read and every place I considered buying from its always been stated up front,"Intl version NO Warranty" and the Exynos versions were cheaper but the Chinese version were just as expensive and more in a lot of cases. I've also heard of people receiving the phone and the language be set to Chinese and they could not operate the phone, LOL.
If my S10+ had 5G or 120hz screen I would have stuck with it. S21 Ultra is a great phone but in reality overkill for me. But I got $700 worth of trade in credit 500 for the phone and 200 worth of new accessories. So for ~$750 tax included and my old phone, I got s21 Ultra 512GB, Buds Pro, Soft touch Silicon + Spen case, Soft touch Silicon case, Clear TPU case, Rugged Hard Shell case with Kickstand, and a tracker tag thingy.
the s21 ultra is FAST and smooth.
i going to keep it for a few years unless the newer phones are a lot better.
Max128 said:
Hello here guys, I need some of your knowledge and those who have the S21 Ultra in their hands.
First thing I am a htc fan since 2010 with the htc .. After this I changed htc phone every 2 years until 2018.. My last samsung phone dates back to the samsung galaxy S I9000 model back to 2010 and I didn't like them, I didn't keep them for long. My actual phone is the last flagship is the HTC U12+ i liked this phone very much and still love it, it still works fine but it is getting old. After this Unfortunately HTC is almost dead since the takeover by google, i only had one major updates from android since, i am stuck with android pie and security update July 2019 this is unacceptable for a flagship i have pay more than 1000 $ for it in 2018. I would ideally like to have a new phone with new technology this year. I wanted to wait to see the oneplus 9 pro but .. the 8 have so much problem and i have read on the forum, the update support is getting very bad like htc .. and google no longer make flagship... Not a lot of choice other than that .. and i never want an apple.
So I am looking for the S21 ultra but it is a tough decision for me! I need your experiences with this device and with samsung..
Are samsung phones is strong and durable?? I dropped my HTC several times with a case of course i always have a case on the phone and a screen protector and is never broken. One ui has become much more interesting i have see but i still need to make some debloat it with the root. I find that the fast charge is a little low for this phone, how long does it take you to charge it with a 25W? what more can you tell me about this? Also another thing that bothers me is the curved screen. I am really not convinced on this? but all the flagship are like that now. A Another problem for me is the root, I don't want a phone without root! I am in Canada, and I know that the galaxy variants canada, the bootloader is completely locked and still no possibility to unlock it on this i find samsung very stupid about this.. unless that has changed but it would surprise me I saw nothing of that.
So if I want the device I have to buy the global model ( i want snapdragon too ) ( china model i think ? )which is the SM-G9980, but as I have seen 5G will not be compatible in Canada with this model, can someone confirm that? for 5G and that this model the bootloader is unlockable please?? I don't care much for 5G either but I would prefer to have it compatible.. If i flash a canada firmware is will work or nothing will change ? and is even possible to change the firmware ? For several years now I have been buying my phones full price from some online stores that sell global devices in Canada and for a little less expensive too. I am with public mobile ( belong to Telus Canada ) i really like this company this will work for the 3G and 4G i have see right? not sure.
Thanks for reading me and your answers guys!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the 988B/DS and I love it. I had a note 20 Ultra and I traded it for the s21 Ultra and I don't regret it.
Durability: Phone has Gorilla Glass Victus (latest one) on the screen and on the back as well, really premium look (love the phantom black color). I don't plan on dropping the phone to test it lol, but videos show quite a lot of durability in drops up to 10feet. I will get a case to protect it just in case.
Storage: I don't miss the SD card (havent used one in over 7 years). I have the 256GB model one (12GB ram) and with cloud storage I don't think i will ever get close to filling the phone.
Cameras: I love the cameras, but it does get a bit to get used to the different options and mastering it for pro photos. It really is something else.
Processor: i have the Exynos version and I can't find any lag or issues with it. no overheating (this seems to have been fixed with an update), no issues at all with the phone.
Battery Life: With the 25W charger, from 0 to 100 in about 100 minutes give or take. It does charge fast, keep in mind that the battery is 5,000 mah so I don't think it's bad charging time.
Honestly? It is worth it... Not sure if changing from HTC will mean a lot of getting used to, but it's a nice experience.
I don't think flashing firmware to other models will result in 5G band compatibility, you can enable other market dependent services, but I believe network bands are more of a hardware thing.
About rooting, I used to root all my samsung phones and play around (and brick some phones) along the way, but I don't know why, but tripping knox and messing up banking capabilities is not of my interest. I'm happy with the phone as is and don't intend on rooting (disappointing I know).
Hope these comments help a bit on your decision making process
Thanks for your answers! When I have buy my HTC phone global version I had always every languages even the French ( the French is my principal language ) but with what you are saying the global of Samsung do not have this, China language? Can you flash firmware of another country on it like Canada? I do not much how Odin works... Yeah I am still not sure about the network bands compatibility and if is a software things or hardware? I saw posts that said it was one or the others things... Not really specific!
Disappointing? Yeah? Haha! Well in your place i wouldn't stop myself if the device you can unlock it !l Also in the reviews I have see is take approximately 1h11so 70 minutes to charge completely the phone with a 25w charger , why a big time difference here?
Max128 said:
Thanks for your answers! When I have buy my HTC phone global version I had always every languages even the French ( the French is my principal language ) but with what you are saying the global of Samsung do not have this, China language? Can you flash firmware of another country on it like Canada? I do not much how Odin works... Yeah I am still not sure about the network bands compatibility and if is a software things or hardware? I saw posts that said it was one or the others things... Not really specific!
Disappointing? Yeah? Haha! Well in your place i wouldn't stop myself if the device you can unlock it !l Also in the reviews I have see is take approximately 1h11so 70 minutes to charge completely the phone with a 25w charger , why a big time difference here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used to root all my samsung devices (I stopped in Note 8). About the battery charge time.. I haven't let it go to zero lowest I have gone is like 35% and then charge so my calculation was based on the time to charge from that point, so 70 minutes is NOT bad at all...
My version has French language as an option in intitial setup (it has a bunch of languages - pretty sure it covers all needs).
Also, reading further in the forum, 5G bands are more software related (enabled), so it seems flashing firmware will enable/disable bands.
There are many posts in the forum on how to flash different firmware or change CSC codes so youmight want to take a look there. Odin is pretty safe to use if you follow the instructions. I haven't used with recent samsung devices, so I'm not sure what considerations you need to take.
I love the phone, but then again, I do not get to deeply play with it (unlocking the bootloader, rooting, flashing) as I did with other devices but I'm ok with it (for now). Given it's a pretty new device, it's kinda hard to find stuff for it yet.
Max128 said:
Thanks for your answers! When I have buy my HTC phone global version I had always every languages even the French ( the French is my principal language ) but with what you are saying the global of Samsung do not have this, China language? Can you flash firmware of another country on it like Canada? I do not much how Odin works... Yeah I am still not sure about the network bands compatibility and if is a software things or hardware? I saw posts that said it was one or the others things... Not really specific!
Disappointing? Yeah? Haha! Well in your place i wouldn't stop myself if the device you can unlock it !l Also in the reviews I have see is take approximately 1h11so 70 minutes to charge completely the phone with a 25w charger , why a big time difference here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the time difference is because we are not testing the battery with stop watches we are just telling you what it says on the screen when we plug it in and giving you an ball park estimate. It always says a longer time to full charge but ends up being faster as the battery calibrates during the charge process. Its like when you down
load a large file from the net it first starts off saying 20 minutes but then only takes 5.
If they don't fix the camera, especially taking photos at night (Exynos2100 version), Do NOT buy this phone
@mc_365 I understand now what you are saying... Thanks!
@oae08 What is the problem exactly with the camera? I do not see that on the reviews , good to know if you have a problem! Do you know if is Snapdragon too ? Or only exynos
joancolmenares said:
My version has French language as an option in intitial setup (it has a bunch of languages - pretty sure it covers all needs).
Also, reading further in the forum, 5G bands are more software related (enabled), so it seems flashing firmware will enable/disable bands.
There are many posts in the forum on how to flash different firmware or change CSC codes so youmight want to take a look there. Odin is pretty safe to use if you follow the instructions. I haven't used with recent samsung devices, so I'm not sure what considerations you need to take.
I love the phone, but then again, I do not get to deeply play with it (unlocking the bootloader, rooting, flashing) as I did with other devices but I'm ok with it (for now). Given it's a pretty new device, it's kinda hard to find stuff for it yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So your 988B/DS is the global version ( china and global is the same thing as a know ) on Exynos if I understand? And you have French on it and many others languages!
Do you have some links near for what you are talking? About the 5 bands and the software flash? No need for how to flash a firmware of CSC codes I know is easy to find this, but it is quite possible to do it, to flash the firmware of the country you want right? No problem on the device after this? Also you only need the bootloader unlocked for flashing a firmware on a another country I Guess ?
Well I know magisk is not working yet on the s21 but is will be soon.
Max128 said:
@mc_365 I understand now what you are saying... Thanks!
@oae08 What is the problem exactly with the camera? I do not see that on the reviews , good to know if you have a problem! Do you know if is Snapdragon too ? Or only exynos
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The camera is really disappointing. I have bought this phone for just over almost 1600$, which is above my budget actually) but I was really anticipating to buy a phone that has a monster camera that I can use to get decent photos point to click. However, this is not the case. The night time photos especially, are bad quality and there is too much flare. I have tried it in many different scenarios and cleaning the lenses in every possible way but still the flare is way over the acceptable. I even compared with iphone 11 photos taking the same photos back to back and the older iphone 11 results in much cleaner and better photos.
Please note that i HATE the iphone, but this is the truth unfortunately. So until samsung releases an update to fix this (if its even possible), the phone is not up to standard.
EDIT: I have the exynos version
oae08 said:
The camera is really disappointing. I have bought this phone for just over almost 1600$, which is above my budget actually) but I was really anticipating to buy a phone that has a monster camera that I can use to get decent photos point to click. However, this is not the case. The night time photos especially, are bad quality and there is too much flare. I have tried it in many different scenarios and cleaning the lenses in every possible way but still the flare is way over the acceptable. I even compared with iphone 11 photos taking the same photos back to back and the older iphone 11 results in much cleaner and better photos.
Please note that i HATE the iphone, but this is the truth unfortunately. So until samsung releases an update to fix this (if its even possible), the phone is not up to standard.
EDIT: I have the exynos version
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Odd, I have the Exynos version and haven't had any issues with the camera in the many modes even night mode and it's awesome. I don 't know if the latest software update had something to do with it, but when I bought the phone and turned it on it updated and the update said camera fixes, so that might have been the case.

Categories

Resources