[Q] Advice needed. Work & personal phones... - AT&T Galaxy Note 3 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

First of all, thank you for even clicking this... I believe I am posting in the right spot, but I will happily and quietly move if needed. I've been helped and even saved many times here in the past five years.
My situation...
* I have an AT&T Note 3 which I purchased outright. I have no contract. Note was rooted, FireKat, Xposed, etc. This is the first time I've experienced this much difficulty rooting. Not happy about it. I use about 4 gigs of data a month. Love the phone. Hate the locked down boot loader.
* just received, today, a replacement Note 3 because my camera focus was wonky.
* I also carry a work phone, which is being upgraded next week to an AT&T S5 with like a 500mb data cap. wtf...
* Note 4 is out BUT I also love the possibilities of the Nexus 6. Either of these phone I will just purchase outright...
* I feel like I need to root. There are just too many tweaks I like. I want control.
Sooooo,
Do I get an upgraded phone, keep my personal plan? Note 4 or Nexus 6? Is it better to abandon the Note on AT&T? Am I missing some option?
Does an international Note 4 work 100% on AT&T? LTE, etc?
I believe a Nexus 6 does work 100% on AT&T. Am I missing anything?
Do I cancel my personal plan and stick with the work phone? Is there any way to add to the data on a biz plan without too much effort? This is a tiny company and the owner is, let's say, very old and very old school. I don't want to change a red cent on his bill or ever, ever cost him more money because I used too much data...... (this idea seems like a dead end to me)
I can and will leave AT&T (locked down bs), although my service, speed, and connectivity has been really good here in my city.
I have this new Note 3 sitting here and I'm getting the S5 probably within 5 days. I'd like to figure out what to do. I've scoured. I've read. I've contemplated. I've made lists... I'm still not sure. Now I ask XDA... The brilliance here is unmatched... I know there are people here that have better ideas than me and maybe even have gone through a similar situation.
Can anyone offer any advice?
Thanks

Related

[Q] I need honest answer PLEASE

Is this phone and company worth switching over too ? Do to Sprints changing my plan without my approval,I have the opportunity to switch to another carrier.Out of the other big 3 Verizon,T-mobile & AT&T is the only one that is willing to put their offer in writting to me. The other reason I am even looking at this phone and company is because both of my sons want the IPhone and my wife only wants a phone offered by them as well..
So..please fellow XDA members tell me staright up..should I stay with Sprint and my Hero for 1-1/2 years more..or start fresh with this phone and AT&T..
Mac
50 views and not even 1 response..?
Is there no one on-line that has this phone wanting to step up and answer the question ?
I really would like to know the feelings of the folks here,since those that have this phone also have AT&T's service..
Mac
Not an easy one to answer really. I would say if you are completely turned of by what Sprint did to you then changing wouldn't be a bad thing. Going with AT&T will get you points with your family. And who couldn't use more points with their family, right?
That being said, you have by now undoubtedly heared about the GPS problems facing the Galaxy S phones. Some have found their phone is better with different versions, some claim all the updates and changes have made their GPS unuseable. If you are in need of a phone that has good GPS then I would say you can find better. Personally, the GPS issue isn't a deal breaker for me. I am also one of the lucky ones that find it works fine for how I use it.
The phone itself is amazing. Being on XDA also helps as there are many helpful and informative people. Also, the Captivate has been out long enough that the mods are becomming better and better every day, that is if you are into modding your phone. Heck, stock it still is a good phone.
So it all boils down to what you really want to do. I think that is why you haven't had anyone jump on giving you an answer. Good luck my friend!
There is no "right carrier". The advantage of AT&T (now) is coverage and GSM. AT&T has better coverage then T-Mobile, but about equal to VZW. GSM allows you take your phone to Europe - VZW CDMA does not;
But the future brings change - VZW has a slew of World phones coming out (they have GSM as well as CDMA) - VZW has LTE coming out - which is supposed to be a global standard - so travel issue may be a thing of the past.
AT&T has the iPhone today, but rumor says a CDMA iPhone on VZW for the holidays. But rumors are rumors.
I don't know what you are looking for in writing - all the carriers plans are on their web site. T-Mo does have the best customer service, and VZW has some great android phones. If you don't travel much, and T-Mo has good coverage where you live, they seem to have the best prices and some of the best phones.
AT&T is fine too - not trying to steer you away. I moved to AT&T for an iPhone years ago - and I travel to EU; so VZW wasn't cutting it.
Anyway If the family wants AT&T and the price for phones and service fits, then make the move. But you are stuck for 2 years.
Sounds like it's 3-1 in your house. I'd go ahead and make the switch if thats what your family wants. I don't think you'll be worse off with one carrier over the other, at the end of the day they will all screw you. Captivate is a great phone if you can deal with the sometimes difficult to deal with GPS.
I agree. Go with what makes your family happy overall. The Captivate is a fine device, and I've been much more pleased with it than I was with my iPhone. Talk it over with your family, putting them first won't do you wrong.
My first phone was from Virgin Mobile and was prepaid. I know they leased out network access from Sprint. It was awful. I never had good coverage, and then they started charging more for everything. I left them.
I've been with AT&T now since 6th grade. They've never screwed us over, they've always been helpful, and whenever we've had problems, like my sister signing up for those joke things they advertise on tv putting huge data charges on our bill, they cleared it up right away and even gave us a credit on the account.
Of course you're going to hear horror stories of bad customer service from everyone, but really it's not all that common. I've always thought AT&T had great phones, and they've all last me a long time.
My favorite phones have always been Samsung ones as all but one of my phones has been from them. My first was a Sony Ericsson S710a and it lasted me until one day I was sliding it open, and it slipped out of my hand and into a wall and the LCD shattered. After that I had a Samsung a727, then the SGH-i607 Blackjack, then the SGH-a877 Impression, and now the Captivate.
You will be happier with AT&T then with Sprint. But ultimately, you pay the bill and you decide where your money goes. I'll just add that I don't usually praise any company for no reason.
I love this phone with ji6 gps works completely fine for me it does what its supposed to every time lately gets me there no issues. Im very happy with att besides they make you pay for tethering, but theres ways around that with this phone, hehe ;-)
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Thanks Guys..
I hate spending a-lot more money so soon on moving my service (since may 2010)..but I really don't know how I could stay with them.
As to any cell company posting their policy on line..well..that can and does change (with Sprint almost daily)..and actually having a written signed contract is something the other companies won't do,AT&T will.That does a lot for me..and for my wife peace of mind.My boys have wanted the I phones for sometime..I don't want one..which is why I am asking about the Captivate. BTW...Sprint elected to change my verbal contract given to me at the time of signing..and I fought it the best I could without turning my Lawyers loose..and I most likely would have won,but the cost to do so would have been prohibitive without a written contract,or so what they told me when I spoke to them about it..
So..the phone has a GPS problem..and that isn't a deal breaker for me,but I do want to see it fixed and soon.Having a 2.2 rom is what I am running on my hero now along with one of the best looking themes going right now IMHO..http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=797077 and so hopefully we can get this ported over here at some point..even if I have to learn how to do it myself
FWIW..I looked closely at this phone and also the Ios4 and hands down this one blows it out of the water on anything video..I stopped by T-Mobile and watched the HD Avatar movie on their version when I was looking at what they offered...It was just awesome..simply jaw dropping..
I am looking forward to the 2.2 upgrade and what comes after with it..So..I will be on here more and more reading what I can..
Thanks Again
Mac
Mac, just a heads up. The leaked 2.2 rom we have actually fixed the GPS. There's no real problem anymore. Obviously it will become more refined when the final release comes out but it definitely works now.
Sent from my Captivate
stuffy is a difficult company but I can't feral with poor service so I disk with them. get used to advanced features like tethering being blocked and such. but you can fix that by looking in the dev section. att isn't all bad though mostly because they are stupid, I told them verizon had a 15% vetrans discount (they do) and asked att if they had something similar. well they didn't but the customer service rep put me on an active duty discount because she didn't know better. it needs to be approved at a higher level with pics of my id and a valid military email according to there website, well I put the papers in anyway and had 15% off my bill the next month. so they obviously don't look at it.
verizons version of bloatware is full blown add ware. if you plug an incredible into a windows pc it hijacks explorer and goes to a v cast music site. on the fascinate they replaced the google services with microsoft services.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk
I think it's refreshing to see all the honest answers, not a ton of chest pounding "our phone is the best" posts. Most people on XDA by nature are into tweaking so the out-of-the-box limitations aren't a showstopper.
For me, I really need a world-capable phone. My family also is on ATT so that helped as well. I think all the carriers are converging on offering similar product. ATT has less HTC stuff but has the IPhone. ATT is currently behind on Android, but the Captivate is certainly helping to address that. I like the phone and have recommended it friends. Go for it.
miztaken1312 said:
Mac, just a heads up. The leaked 2.2 rom we have actually fixed the GPS. There's no real problem anymore. Obviously it will become more refined when the final release comes out but it definitely works now.
Sent from my Captivate
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Cool..that is good news..
Thanks
Mac
I will give my two bits. My experience has been good with att. Cs has never been bad, but at times there were moments that did not go smoothly. Always quick to address concerns of mine and they love giving credits out to keep me happy. I have been one of the lucky that never had major problems out of the box with the captivate. But coming from a storm running on atti think my standard were lower. Gps on froyo still doesn't work perfectly but has had improvement with locking and tracking. Dev support is actually really good so that is a big plus. My wife loves her captivate and she is not a techie at all. Hope my input helps.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
flashman2002 said:
I will give my two bits. My experience has been good with att. Cs has never been bad, but at times there were moments that did not go smoothly. Always quick to address concerns of mine and they love giving credits out to keep me happy. I have been one of the lucky that never had major problems out of the box with the captivate. But coming from a storm running on atti think my standard were lower. Gps on froyo still doesn't work perfectly but has had improvement with locking and tracking. Dev support is actually really good so that is a big plus. My wife loves her captivate and she is not a techie at all. Hope my input helps.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
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It does,and greatly appreciated..
I understand the gps issue,and I am wondering if the delayed release of FroYo on this phone is partly because of it. Rooting and adding on customs roms has been working great for me on my Hero..and that phone is finnally acting the way it should have all along. Removing AT&T's bloatware will be my first priority after 2.2 is released..
I am curious about one thing..I know you can't load 3rd party apps unless rooted and a custom rom..but can you direct push them with the sd out of the phone and in a reader from a pc ? If we are working out of windows and a terminal..we should be able to insert any .apk or what we want.. anywhere we want..can't we ?
Thanks Again Guys
Mac
mobius911 said:
I think it's refreshing to see all the honest answers, not a ton of chest pounding "our phone is the best" posts. Most people on XDA by nature are into tweaking so the out-of-the-box limitations aren't a showstopper.
For me, I really need a world-capable phone. My family also is on ATT so that helped as well. I think all the carriers are converging on offering similar product. ATT has less HTC stuff but has the IPhone. ATT is currently behind on Android, but the Captivate is certainly helping to address that. I like the phone and have recommended it friends. Go for it.
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Same here..I know folks have their favorites and also know there will always be folks that have problems..but it is refreshing to see a honest straight forward discussion with out any of the fan fair these types of threads always seem to degenerate into.
Mac
Mac11700 said:
I am curious about one thing..I know you can't load 3rd party apps unless rooted and a custom rom..but can you direct push them with the sd out of the phone and in a reader from a pc ? If we are working out of windows and a terminal..we should be able to insert any .apk or what we want.. anywhere we want..can't we ?
Thanks Again Guys
Mac
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You can push them using ADB or even easier, if you google something called the "Android Central Sideload Wonder Machine" or just sideload wonder machine, someone created an app to so that you don't even have to use the command prompt or hack the phone. No need for a custom rom, and I don't believe rooting is needed.
Here, I'll link you to it.
SIDELOAD WONDER MACHINE
I made the switch you are thinking of about 1.5 years ago and I have no regrets. One thing to keep in mind is the data cap ATT now has on their new subscribers. I signed up when unlimited was an offering, and honestly I don't know that I would have been comfortable using 1 smartphone, let alone 3-4 of them with limited data usage. ATT also had better coverage where I lived last year but would say Sprint is on par within the city limits now. The Evo is a really nice phone (Several people I know have them and are pleased) but I won't go back to Sprint after all the horrible customer service I had with them for 8 years. My local ATT business rep does an incredible job and is a big reason that I just renewed with them(they let me keep unlimited data). Ultimately, if I was in your shoes, I would probably do what made my family/wife happy as long as it isn't going to cause financial heartache when you exceed the data limit. I think they charge in blocks of 200mb for overage but you should definitely look into how much data your family has/will be using. My .02
Edited to add: Depending on what kind of user you are (business/personal) you might want to leave that cog. 2.2 alone until it works. I loaded it last weekend, went out to a job, and was unable to d-load an important pdf that was in my e-mail. Fortunately I had a laptop but in the past I would have been able to count on my phone for a quick blueprint reference. Sounds like it may be a fun thing to play with as long as you don't REALLY need everything on your phone to work. Also, the GPS was horrid on cog. 2.2. Needless to say I flashed it back to the original software when I got home. My GPS works just fine after the JH7 OTA update was installed. Worked yesterday on a 2 hour drive where I only had phone coverage for 20-30 miles. I haven't "tweaked" the GPS settings, just whatever they changed with JH7 is working.
itsjustaphone said:
I made the switch you are thinking of about 1.5 years ago and I have no regrets. One thing to keep in mind is the data cap ATT now has on their new subscribers. I signed up when unlimited was an offering, and honestly I don't know that I would have been comfortable using 1 smartphone, let alone 3-4 of them with limited data usage. ATT also had better coverage where I lived last year but would say Sprint is on par within the city limits now. The Evo is a really nice phone (Several people I know have them and are pleased) but I won't go back to Sprint after all the horrible customer service I had with them for 8 years. My local ATT business rep does an incredible job and is a big reason that I just renewed with them(they let me keep unlimited data). Ultimately, if I was in your shoes, I would probably do what made my family/wife happy as long as it isn't going to cause financial heartache when you exceed the data limit. I think they charge in blocks of 200mb for overage but you should definitely look into how much data your family has/will be using. My .02
Edited to add: Depending on what kind of user you are (business/personal) you might want to leave that cog. 2.2 alone until it works. I loaded it last weekend, went out to a job, and was unable to d-load an important pdf that was in my e-mail. Fortunately I had a laptop but in the past I would have been able to count on my phone for a quick blueprint reference. Sounds like it may be a fun thing to play with as long as you don't REALLY need everything on your phone to work. Also, the GPS was horrid on cog. 2.2. Needless to say I flashed it back to the original software when I got home. My GPS works just fine after the JH7 OTA update was installed. Worked yesterday on a 2 hour drive where I only had phone coverage for 20-30 miles. I haven't "tweaked" the GPS settings, just whatever they changed with JH7 is working.
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Dam good advise..Thanks
They charge in 1 gig allotments for overages now..not 200 mb. I too was worried about doing just this..and this is per line..not per plan. I went back through all of my bills and no-one has even come close to 1gig..let alone 2 gigs..but I understand that can change too.
The main thing for me and my family is getting a phone that is going to work..every time. I've run into some issues with mine on my job where I needed it and something crashed it. Also it's so tiresome for me to hear all the complaints and moaning when something crashes or FC's on their phones..I can deal with it happening on mine cause I am used to tinkering with it..but I have to say I am very tempted some by the I 4's simplicity...it would be nice just to not have to worry about updating mine almost daily,and just use the durn thing. I just don't know if I could deal with it or not as a day to day phone. I am at a loss in that regards..I know you can jailbreak them and do similar things we do with our Androids..but..I don't know enough about that to even consider doing it right now. I most likely would just so I could download apps and movies on it to watch from my pc..I got a week to figure this all out..and you all here are helping a-lot..
Thanks
Mac
I honestly liked the iphone4, and had one for a week. It was fun and all, but it had the same problem as my 3G, the ability to make and MAINTAIN a phone call. Obviously that isn't much of an issue for younger kids since you can still text with spotty coverage(my 13 yo uses about 60 min. a month and 1,000,000,000,000 text messages) I don't know if the iphone is somehow on a different signal than the other phones, but I have been very pleased with the PHONE CALL ability of the captivate. My wife loves the iphone (though she keeps eyeballing the captivate now) and like you, I do not enjoy fixing problems, so I have tried my best to keep her interest in my phone at a minimum. I can honestly say I do not miss the iphone for anything. I also enjoy the *cough cough* wireless tethering of my captivate(free app) that iphone never did get right(and when it did work, there was the whole loss of signal issue). The iphone is good at running apps and texting, outstanding even. I just really need to make phone calls and MAINTAIN a call when I make it. But like I said in my previous post, if your use is personal, iphone might work. If you make important calls, it fails.

[Q] trade S5 +$200 worth it?

Hey all!
Curious for this of you using the Nexus 6 if you're happy with it, pros and cons, etc.
I have Craigslister wanting my Galaxy s5 plus $200 for his Nexus 6.
From everyones experiences over the last few months, if you were me, would you make the switch?
is it worth the switch with that cost involved?
or am I better off sticking with my S5 for now?
Just curious if the Nexus is as good as the reviews say it is and if it's worth an already great Android phone plus some cash,,,Thanks!!!
I'd do it. I upgraded from the S5 and have never been more happy. Will never buy another Samsung phone again. Pure android is enough reason for me.
I really can't comment on the monetary side as I have no idea what you paid for your S5, but do I think the N6 is a better phone, for sure. It's pure Android and Android L is as good as it gets. This is the first Android phone I've owned that I've not wanted to install a custom ROM onto and only feel the need to root for a few useful apps. The only downside for you is the camera in some ways will be a step back. Yes, it has OIS and daylight photos turn out perfectly fine with the N6, but it isn't the greatest when it comes to low light photography. Could this improve in the future? Sure, we've seen other Android phones get camera updates that were quite significant. The speakers will be a huge step up from the S5. Their loud, very loud and that goes for calling also. You won't be having any issues when it comes to ear piece volume when it comes to making calls.
I will warn you, the phone will feel massive in your hand when you get it. I had doubts about even keeping mine when I bought it since I have smaller hands. After about a week, I got the hang of operating it one handed when I need to. It's a bit of a stretch to reach the opposite end of the keyboard, but you get the hang of it.
Vaxick hit all the right points. The part about the custom rom is subjective though. I prefer custom roms and the latest ota hasn't psyched the memory leak that is in lollipop. Most custom roms include it already.
As far as the price, the s5 is $609.90 right now with a retail price of $660 according to t mobile. So that person is ripping you off with the price, you're better off just buying a nexus 6 that is new from the play store or from Motorola or your carrier and sell the s5 by itself.
Plus, I don't really trust buying from other people without any sort of third party protection. It's very easy for someone to report the phone stolen after they sold it to you for a couple days and then your phone is rendered useless when you paid for it.
Youre better off just selling the s5 and buying a nexus 6 from somewhere more reputable.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
Thanks for the input! On a side note, I always meet the person at a carrier brick & mortar store to run the IMEI and everything to make sure it's all legit. I'm a 2 thumber when it comes to typing and owned a Note 4 a couple months back I think I can used to the size. Def want to get into Lollipop and want a more pure experience than TW gimmicks. If the camera can hold up to the G3 I had (which I though was really, really great) I think I may take the plunge. I'm not due an upgrade and can't really shell out the whole $650 right now, so I may take a little hit on the cash and go for it. Thanks again.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using XDA Free mobile app
cadorette said:
Thanks for the input! On a side note, I always meet the person at a carrier brick & mortar store to run the IMEI and everything to make sure it's all legit. I'm a 2 thumber when it comes to typing and owned a Note 4 a couple months back I think I can used to the size. Def want to get into Lollipop and want a more pure experience than TW gimmicks. If the camera can hold up to the G3 I had (which I though was really, really great) I think I may take the plunge. I'm not due an upgrade and can't really shell out the whole $650 right now, so I may take a little hit on the cash and go for it. Thanks again.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using XDA Free mobile app
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Well either way, if you're going to be trading up your S5 + $200.... thats more than $650 in value if you think about it.
Motorola and depending on what carrier you have, they have financing options where you can pay it off in monthly intervals.
Even if the IMEI did checkout, they can call up their carrier and report the phone stolen days later. There's been numerous nightmare stories on Reddit and XDA where they've purchased a phone from a meetup via Craigslist and then days later the phone was blacklisted. From that point onward, you're pretty much out of luck as you have no "proof" that you actually bought the device other than your word.
zephiK said:
Vaxick hit all the right points. The part about the custom rom is subjective though. I prefer custom roms and the latest ota hasn't psyched the memory leak that is in lollipop. Most custom roms include it already.
As far as the price, the s5 is $609.90 right now with a retail price of $660 according to t mobile. So that person is ripping you off with the price, you're better off just buying a nexus 6 that is new from the play store or from Motorola or your carrier and sell the s5 by itself.
Plus, I don't really trust buying from other people without any sort of third party protection. It's very easy for someone to report the phone stolen after they sold it to you for a couple days and then your phone is rendered useless when you paid for it.
Youre better off just selling the s5 and buying a nexus 6 from somewhere more reputable.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Gs5 isn't worth that much, its worth around 350 max and with gs6 coming soon, going be tough getting rid of it. op that's a good deal for you.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk 2

[Q] Worth purchasing the Nexus 6 for Verizon?

Good afternoon everyone. I have been looking at several posts in regards to what people live/hate and some issues people have been having.
My situation is that I am grandfathered into Verizon's unlimited data. I work at an emergency communications center that does not give employees WiFi. So I give myself and my brother access though the hotspot and use about 40-50gb a month. I'm currently using the DE Moto X 2013 which has just gotten beaten down over time.
What I'm looking to find out is (and from what I have seen there are no issues) that I can root the Nexus 6 to give myself hotspot without Verizon's verification. Also looking to see if it's worth the phone. I have seen several posts with connection issues, but others saying they have never had any problems. I know Google is looking to put out new phones in August roughly, but two things concern me. My current Moto X is horribly slowed down even after wiping/installing roms which makes me want to make a purchase soon. The other issue is that I know Verizon has a horrible track record with working with Google and I'm scared that even if Verizon will allow a new Nexus type phone on their network, it won't be for several months later.
I appreciate everyone's thoughts on this.
generally, if you have questions, they get posted in the q&a/help section, not into general. people don't look there to help people or to answer questions. so I found your post here, in the wrong section, and just requested that a mod move your thread to the right section.
simms22 said:
generally, if you have questions, they get posted in the q&a/help section, not into general. people don't look there to help people or to answer questions. so I found your post here, in the wrong section, and just requested that a mod move your thread to the right section.
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This ^^
Moved:good:
That was a mistake on my part, posted though my phone and thought I clicked the Q/A thread. Thanks for the move
No issues with my phone on VZW yet. I haven't rooted it, but I don't see why one couldn't seeing as it can be unlocked. I got my from Best Buy, swapped in my nano SIM and off I went.
I finally got around to rooting my Google Play purchased N6 so I could use my VZW unlimited on a hotspot. I rooted using the simple method in Wug's tools and then edited the build prop line and rooboted. Works perfectly on 5.1.1.
I bought the Verizon Nexus 6 at full price to keep unlimited data and came from the moto x 2013 just like you. I just unlocked the bootloader, rooted and added the line to the build prop file and everything works great. I use the hotspot at work and home and it is working just fine. I didn't know if I would like this large of a phone but I actually do like it. I don't use my nexus 9 near as much though.
If you like the phone, get the phone. You will lose unlimited data before too long anyway, they are going to get rid of the plans altogether...
Awesome, thanks for everyone's help. Ordered one and an looking forward to it!
SquireSCA said:
If you like the phone, get the phone. You will lose unlimited data before too long anyway, they are going to get rid of the plans altogether...
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Why do you say that?
Don't get me wrong, UDP is the only thing keeping me with vzw, so that would be my exit queue.
OP, I got the Google places 64gb version, flashed the vzw build, rooted, enabled hotspot.
I used their build so I could get the vzw app and the visual voicemail and the signal is superior to my old note 3.
NeoMorpheus1337 said:
Why do you say that?
Don't get me wrong, UDP is the only thing keeping me with vzw, so that would be my exit queue.
OP, I got the Google places 64gb version, flashed the vzw build, rooted, enabled hotspot.
I used their build so I could get the vzw app and the visual voicemail and the signal is superior to my old note 3.
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Click to collapse
Because VZW is talking about getting rid of them, and unlimited plans are going the way of the dodo across the board with all carriers... Even Sprint is talking about getting rid of them. You are not grandfathered in in the sense that most people use that term. Your contract for Unlimited expired. They are still giving it to you, but they are no longer contractually obligated to since the 2 year contract you signed with them, expired long ago... You are getting it now more as a courtesy, because they haven't bothered to boot you off, but its coming.
Unlimited made sense years ago when people didn't consume much bandwidth on phones. Now when people are pulling down 50GB a month, they aren't going to let that go on forever...
NeoMorpheus1337 said:
I used their build so I could get the vzw app and the visual voicemail and the signal is superior to my old note 3.
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2 cups and a string had superior signal to my old note 3!
I found the note 4 to be a huge improvement, and the nexus 6 is in line with the note 4.
Restola said:
2 cups and a string had superior signal to my old note 3!
I found the note 4 to be a huge improvement, and the nexus 6 is in line with the note 4.
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Click to collapse
I had the Note 4 on Verizon for 6 months, my wife still has one as I havent found a "sucker" yet to swap for a Nexus 6.
After using the Note 4 daily for all these months and going to the Nexus 6 it was like the Wizard of Oz when it goes to color,
effortlessly fast, The Note 4 lollipop update is a complete disaster, My wife's phone is 100% stock and its constantly stuttering and freezing up.
its junk.
SquireSCA said:
Because VZW is talking about getting rid of them, and unlimited plans are going the way of the dodo across the board with all carriers... Even Sprint is talking about getting rid of them. You are not grandfathered in in the sense that most people use that term. Your contract for Unlimited expired. They are still giving it to you, but they are no longer contractually obligated to since the 2 year contract you signed with them, expired long ago... You are getting it now more as a courtesy, because they haven't bothered to boot you off, but its coming.
Unlimited made sense years ago when people didn't consume much bandwidth on phones. Now when people are pulling down 50GB a month, they aren't going to let that go on forever...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"Courtesy" is not on vzw vocabulary, there must be another reason. We are talking about vzw here, that company is so evil that the ceo breakfast includes a cup of baby blood.
NeoMorpheus1337 said:
"Courtesy" is not on vzw vocabulary, there must be another reason. We are talking about vzw here, that company is so evil that the ceo breakfast includes a cup of baby blood.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, LOL.
Well, they just haven't bothered, is what it comes down to, but with even Spring throwing in the towel on Unlimited, these old plans won't last too much longer...
SquireSCA said:
Yeah, LOL.
Well, they just haven't bothered, is what it comes down to, but with even Spring throwing in the towel on Unlimited, these old plans won't last too much longer...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As good as their service is, i would gladly jump to the 30 bucks plan on Tmo if they remove my unlimited.
No more locked down bootloaders!
deathshead said:
I had the Note 4 on Verizon for 6 months, my wife still has one as I havent found a "sucker" yet to swap for a Nexus 6.
After using the Note 4 daily for all these months and going to the Nexus 6 it was like the Wizard of Oz when it goes to color,
effortlessly fast, The Note 4 lollipop update is a complete disaster, My wife's phone is 100% stock and its constantly stuttering and freezing up.
its junk.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Had the same issue. And lucky me found a friend that was looking to trade wife's n6 for another phone. Traded my Note 4 for it and never been more happy to do so. Great phone. Root was a must which was denied on Vz Note 4.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
NeoMorpheus1337 said:
"Courtesy" is not on vzw vocabulary, there must be another reason. We are talking about vzw here, that company is so evil that the ceo breakfast includes a cup of baby blood.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The amount of people who still have an UDP are the minority. On top of that, the last time Verizon tried to make changes to the UDP people, they got a huge backlash publically and reversed their course of action:
http://www.fool.com/investing/gener...cides-unlimited-data-now-means-unlimited.aspx
I'm sure eventually Verizon will axe unlimited data, but by that time we will all be on Google Fi anyway .

Backup Software for Note 9

I've read about SmartSwitch and Kies 3. I currently use Kies 3. I don't care how user-friendly, clever, or fast it is. Anything better than Kies 3 to be able to restore single apps and pull out previous APKs? We learned the hard way that we need to turn off Google automatic updates from the play store. They arbitrarily roll out new policies that cripple businesses and cost them many thousands of dollars.
Thanks!
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=79320380&postcount=14
TWiiTCH said:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=79320380&postcount=14Do not downgrade if a current bootloader is newer than old one. You can't revert bootloaders but you can up or downgrade if same version or new one that's higher.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have never been so frustrated with a phone purchase. I probably have 40 hours in this and it looks like it isn't over yet. First people say once it's upgraded to Pie there is no going back. Next they say it's no problem. Next they say you cannot go back to Oreo and I have a phone on order that is about to get re-listed if I cannot revert it. Now I'm rooting for Hawwaie, a new operating system, and for them to be a US carrier. These guys are criminal.
IT_Architect said:
I have never been so frustrated with a phone purchase. I probably have 40 hours in this and it looks like it isn't over yet. First people say once it's upgraded to Pie there is no going back. Next they say it's no problem. Next they say you cannot go back to Oreo and I have a phone on order that is about to get re-listed if I cannot revert it. Now I'm rooting for Hawwaie, a new operating system, and for them to be a US carrier. These guys are criminal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel your frustration. I bought this phone because I wanted a hi end hi performance phone & I thought I'd stay on Oreo until there was a root method for my Snapdragon model only to find out that after hitting no to the update request about 20 times it still forced me to upgrade. Why the heck do they ask if you want to upgrade or not if they're just going to force you to upgrade anyway. As for the bootloader thing if you are on version 1 it doesn't matter what release firmware you put on it just as long as it is bootloader version 1 or higher. Once you go to a firmware that has bootloader version 2 or higher you are unable to go back 2 a firmware that is lower then the one you're currently on. It is stupid but I don't know what to say because I am in your position, stuck with a phone I cannot root and paid big money for. If you have any questions on how to do things just PM me and we can chat I am fairly knowledgeable when it comes to Samsung devices and the note 9 as I've had mine since it was released. Do you have the exynos or snapdragon model? Mine is snapdragon so that is the one I am most familiar with. If I don't know something that you ask me I will not lie and pretend like I do know and feed you information that could lead you down a bad Road. I will give you answers if I do have the correct ones and I am sure of that.
What is it you wish to do or have done with your phone? If it is rooting/jailbreak and you have the exynos model you have an 80% chance that you can succeed in doing so. If you have the Snapdragon model like me we probably will not see a jailbreak or root anytime soon, if at all. There are ways and tricks to get around a lot of problems but they involve work and knowledge and time and usually they are a lengthy process to complete a simple task if it doesn't come out of the box already doing what you wish.
I'd love to trade mine if I could find somebody with a phone that is rootable and it's in the same quality and performs close to the way this one does. I'm going to hold off though because I have downgraded to Oreo and everything I need is functioning at the moment. My only wish 4 root is because I'd like to run Viper4android to be able to get the best sound quality out of the phone possible. For me there is not enough Bass and the volume level is too low, and when you turn the bass or treble up using the EQ provided by Samsung the music goes quieter just so the bass and treble sound louder by comparison. This phone has a very low end audio quality in my opinion. I hate the earbud headphones they come with, AKG I believe. They keep falling out of my oddly shaped ear canal and don't provide me with anything I'd consider special sounding. They rate the headphones as high end $100 value but to me I've bought better for $29.99. Some may disagree but with hiphop/rap I need, well like heavy bass & sharp snappy treble without loss of mid range vocals. I'm getting married in 3/4 of a year, maybe I'll ask for a wedding gift (doing a money tree) and get me some $400 beats over ear headphones by Dr Dre. This phone without viper4android may not push them tho so I'll get a Bluetooth model which provides its own amp power supply.
Like I said if you have questions I'll tell you what I know, what I've actually done myself, and what I'm unsure of. I feel for you so least I can do is offer. Don't give up just yet. Day 2 on Oreo 8.1.0 and still nothing about updates has come up. It's two simple adb commands that stops the forced updates and it affects nothing on the phone. No prompts or error messages & EVERYTHING else works fine. It's easy to undo also and does not void warranty.
Cheers mate, take a deep breath & we can look at each issue 1 by 1. Hopefully their easy to correct.
I'm Ryan by the way. Ttyl ?.
:laugh:
TWiiTCH said:
I'd love to trade mine if I could find somebody with a phone that is rootable and it's in the same quality and performs close to the way this one does.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is, the Pixel 2XL. The Pixel 3XL came with Pie. There isn't much difference between the two. The reason I didn't is I will be living in a South America most of the time and I want Samsung Pay otherwise the Pixel 2XL almost had
me giving up the stylus.
TWiiTCH said:
Like I said if you have questions I'll tell you what I know, what I've actually done myself, and what I'm unsure of. I feel for you so least I can do is offer. Don't give up just yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it doesn't come with the right boot loader I'll list it back on eBay and get one that does.
I don't buy phones often because it takes me 80 hours to get one the way I need it. Once I was able to get a phone with a stylus, and I could run line-of-business software, the Touch Pro2, it would be hard for me to give up the stylus. The Touch Pro2 was simply a Pocket PC and you could wipe it and install any operating that had drivers on it, including Android. It could emulate anything, including an iPhone. I'd still have a Windows phone if they made one but Balmer trashed it and started putting Zune on phones with Windows Phone and then it lost it's entire software base, including the Word, Excel, and Outlook that was baked in, and took Nokia down with it. That is what brought Android out of obscurity. I didn't move to Android until the Note 3 because it was the first point in time that Android had enough competent software for line-of-business apps, and the reason I didn't go IOS is because the same apps in the iPhone didn't work right, and I couldn't get where I needed to go, with call recording being one. It was also the latest I could get root. With root we can do site surveys, see what the bands are in a certain area, troubleshoot networks, etc., so we will keep the Verizon Note 3s for that purpose as they have no resale since they cannot be added to the Verizon network after the first of the year because they don't have LTE-A like the Note 4. The Note 8 and the Note 9 are the only ones with the bands needed to be able to work on a variety of networks around the world, that has a stylus, can still record calls if running Oreo, and has Samsung Pay. There is no advantage for me to buy a Samsung without a stylus. The problem with the Note 8 is battery life and it would probably come with an older battery. For those reasons the Note 9 is the only duck in my pond. I couldn't use a Note 10 if someone gave it to me.
TWiiTCH said:
Day 2 on Oreo 8.1.0 and still nothing about updates has come up. It's two simple adb commands that stops the forced updates and it affects nothing on the phone. No prompts or error messages & EVERYTHING else works fine. It's easy to undo also and does not void warranty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ADB access for most is about over, and Verizon is the name of a new virus that works around your OTA protections. I'm going to go with what Jammol stated on this thread: https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...9-snapdragon-oreo-verizon-wont-t3939073/page2 plus this video for phone settings: https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...9-snapdragon-oreo-verizon-wont-t3939073/page2 plus install Package Disabler Pro+.
TWiiTCH said:
Cheers mate, take a deep breath & we can look at each issue 1 by 1. Hopefully their easy to correct. I'm Ryan by the way. Ttyl .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a Note 9 on the way, setting up my plan, and ordering and downloading. The phone is my mini business laptop. It has my mail, schedule, software to support people remotely, tracks my time, takes notes for my calls, etc. I don't use it for movies, games, or music. What turns my ears red is when they make changes that cost me thousands of dollars in lost history and change things to where I lose business functionality. If I find the guy who did Pie and took away my call recording, I'm going to revoke his social media accounts, take the transmission out of his car to keep him safe and from breaking the law with any inadvertent traffic violations, and board up all of the windows on his house to protect his privacy. I know what's best for his life. BTW, I'm Jack
IT_Architect said:
:laugh:There is, the Pixel 2XL. The Pixel 3XL came with Pie. There isn't much difference between the two. The reason I didn't is I will be living in a South America most of the time and I want Samsung Pay otherwise the Pixel 2XL almost had
me giving up the stylus.
If it doesn't come with the right boot loader I'll list it back on eBay and get one that does.
I don't buy phones often because it takes me 80 hours to get one the way I need it. Once I was able to get a phone with a stylus, and I could run line-of-business software, the Touch Pro2, it would be hard for me to give up the stylus. The Touch Pro2 was simply a Pocket PC and you could wipe it and install any operating that had drivers on it, including Android. It could emulate anything, including an iPhone. I'd still have a Windows phone if they made one but Balmer trashed it and started putting Zune on phones with Windows Phone and then it lost it's entire software base, including the Word, Excel, and Outlook that was baked in, and took Nokia down with it. That is what brought Android out of obscurity. I didn't move to Android until the Note 3 because it was the first point in time that Android had enough competent software for line-of-business apps, and the reason I didn't go IOS is because the same apps in the iPhone didn't work right, and I couldn't get where I needed to go, with call recording being one. It was also the latest I could get root. With root we can do site surveys, see what the bands are in a certain area, troubleshoot networks, etc., so we will keep the Verizon Note 3s for that purpose as they have no resale since they cannot be added to the Verizon network after the first of the year because they don't have LTE-A like the Note 4. The Note 8 and the Note 9 are the only ones with the bands needed to be able to work on a variety of networks around the world, that has a stylus, can still record calls if running Oreo, and has Samsung Pay. There is no advantage for me to buy a Samsung without a stylus. The problem with the Note 8 is battery life and it would probably come with an older battery. For those reasons the Note 9 is the only duck in my pond. I couldn't use a Note 10 if someone gave it to me.
ADB access for most is about over, and Verizon is the name of a new virus that works around your OTA protections. I'm going to go with what Jammol stated on this thread: https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...9-snapdragon-oreo-verizon-wont-t3939073/page2 plus this video for phone settings: https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...9-snapdragon-oreo-verizon-wont-t3939073/page2 plus install Package Disabler Pro+.
I have a Note 9 on the way, setting up my plan, and ordering and downloading. The phone is my mini business laptop. It has my mail, schedule, software to support people remotely, tracks my time, takes notes for my calls, etc. I don't use it for movies, games, or music. What turns my ears red is when they make changes that cost me thousands of dollars in lost history and change things to where I lose business functionality. If I find the guy who did Pie and took away my call recording, I'm going to revoke his social media accounts, take the transmission out of his car to keep him safe and from breaking the law with any inadvertent traffic violations, and board up all of the windows on his house to protect his privacy. I know what's best for his life. BTW, I'm Jack
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I looked around and even found a great condition pixel 2 XL that somebody was willing to trade for my Samsung Galaxy S8 but I was nervous about a used phone, and luckily once I called my carrier to check if the pixel would run on their Network they told me it didn't. I am with Eastlink Mobility in Eastern Canada and their firmware customer code or abbreviation is esk. They stated that they sell only the phones that work on their Networks (many) and phones purchased elsewhere would not work on there modem bands and would only be able to purchase second hand phone that they carry in store so that I would be okay and I would be able to connect to their towers. To me this sounds like a bunch of bul****, there are many many bands and Eastlink Mobility doesn't even own any Towers. The service they provide is through rented Towers from Bell Canada and Telus Canada and Rogers Canada. This being the case I would assume any phone that runs on any of these Networks should be able to be hooked up and used with my current provider without me having to purchase a brand new phone. I think it is a money grab and also all the phones that they do sell currently are not able to be rooted. Very small selection. Only newest Note 9+ Galaxy S10, iPhone X, and some cheapos that liik ancient.
FOR $150 a month I get...
Unlimited nationwide long distance calling. Unlimited local calling 24/7. I have insurance that covers everything even if I dropped it on concrete face down and stepped on it getting out of the car to pick it up and shattered the screen rendering the phone useless (whick I did a week after buying the note 9) God that sucked/was dumb. This insurance does not expire ever as long as I keep it on my plan. It doesn't matter the reason the phone is damaged so it's a pretty good insurance plan. I also get 7gb of mobile data each month and unlimited sms/mms but I'm still wondering if WiFi calling will be activated. I see through package Disabler there is a WiFi calling apk. why it'd be there if there was no intention on using it 1 day, but I'm sure Eastlink will be last to get it available. Google pay & Samsung pay are not compatible with my bank/country/provider so their just wasting space. I have bixby turned off atm. Single press - settings, double press - game launcher, & long hold press is screenshot. Quite handy, I used button remapper & setup on pc was a breeze. Wish me luck finding a "looked after" (female owner sosted prob never rooted) pixl 2.
I'm thinking I'll keep this note & use very lightly with my screen cover & Otterbox & sell before I'll lose out on resale when it becomes too low, meaning I'll sell if a good option appears & I can profit off mine still due to keeping EVERYTHING it came with. & in mint shape. Carrier unlocked but I think they have to unlock if requested now due to a law passe. The must provide you with free code. I have my Box, manual/warrenty, no scratches, all oem parts which most are still unopened or have never been used even, and in mint condition. Never been messed with or buggy issues. I'll keep my eyes open for pixel 2 but I'm pretty sure I'll run into the previous issue I mentioned. Denial by carrier.
TWiiTCH said:
If you have any questions on how to do things just PM me and we can chat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I took you up on that because I didn't want to reduce the usefulness of this thread to others by thread drift into chat over other topics and strategies, which I started doing already.

Should I still repair my Note 8?

Broke the screen of my Note 8. Is it still worth it to spend 300€ for repair, or should i use the money for newer model?
I guess it depends on your phone usage and or desire to change it (obviously).
I'm still happily using my Note 8. More to the point for me, I recently changed phone carrier here in Japan (after my first 2 years with the phone) from Docomo to YMobile (which is half the usage cost per month, plus more gigs of data per month). I put a new (unused) phone case on it, reset it, removed some bloatware and it feels like a new device.
In the old days, I would have wanted to upgrade for some reason, but as I've aged I feel less need to spend money on something which doesn't have much of a payback that maybe spending the money on something else might.
I hardly use any phone for more than just texting nowadays and maybe receiving the occasional voice mail.
I like the idea of trying to flash an Android 10 ROM on it, though sometime - again to get a fresh feel down the line.
In your position (as myself) I would fix it. If you have insurance with your carrier, they might replace it for a completely new Note 8 or maybe offer a newer model.
Save your money for a rainy day.
Good luck and Happy New Year!!
It all depends on your budget really. If you can afford to purchase a new device then I would go for it. As once you have had the display replaced on your Note 8, you will loose the water resistance unless you get it replace by a Samsung Certified Repairs Specialist. That said I did managed to repair my Note 8, which wasn't working properly due to OS corruption by a OS Update. I have returned to using it as my daily driver and have since kept my Note 9 as a back up device. In all honestly you should be able to get about another 2 years use out of your Note 8, until the hardware becomes obsolete.

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