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Question regarding unlocking My att note 3 being on kitkat. Region only unlock???

So I've made the jump to tmobile and I have a brand new unactivated Note 3 but the att version and the box says it's on kit Kat. From what I understand if it's been unactivated and I try to unlock it it will only be region unlocked. I don't really understand this if some of you guys can chime in and explain to me in further detail what this means I would be thankful.

ahfu25 said:
So I've made the jump to tmobile and I have a brand new unactivated Note 3 but the att version and the box says it's on kit Kat. From what I understand if it's been unactivated and I try to unlock it it will only be region unlocked. I don't really understand this if some of you guys can chime in and explain to me in further detail what this means I would be thankful.
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When you buy a phone it is locked in more than 1 way.
First of all it is region locked. This means that the phone must be used for 5 to 15 minutes on the carrier it is intended for, in it's intended location. For example. An At&t phone must be used in the United states, on At&t's network for 5 to 15 minutes before it can be used outside the U.S. or on a different carrier like T-mobile.
Second of all the phone is SIM locked. This means that the phone can only be used with it's branded carriers SIM card installed. SIM unlock codes can be obtained from the phones branded carrier, or a 3rd party source. In order for an At&t phone to work on T-mobile you must unlock the SIM.
If you have an At&t Note 3 with firmware ending in MI9, there's an app called region lockaway that can unlock both the SIM and region locks. This exploit was fixed before kit kat was released. So if your build ends with NC2, MLG, NB4, or MJ5 you have to purchase a SIM unlock code, or call the branded carrier.
Phones also has a bootloader which loads the devices software. The At&t Note 3 has a locked bootloader. This prevents the installation of a custom recovery. Custom recoveries give us access to cool AOSP roms and one click system restores. Exploits like safestrap let us tweak stock software for a custom feel. But it's just not the same.
Finally all devices have a root directory. Some phones can allow root access. This allows us to perform exploits like safestrap, and tweak system files.
I know you didn't ask for all that info, but I included it for some other curious unknowing readers. I hope I answered your question.

Modifying/Faking CID for Softcard

I purchased a factory unlocked Moto X. I'm trying to use softcard with AT&T. However, after going through registration and choosing a pin, the app reports that it isn't compatible with my phone.
Based on what I've read, you have to have an carrier locked phone and it might be looking at the CID (not 100% of this). Is there any way to change or fake the CID? Is there anyway to get softcard working on an unlocked phone? Or can I just install the AT&T android version?

I'm wondering the same thing except I have a Verizon LG G2 (VS980) to use on T-mobile. I talked to someone at softcard tech support who told me that I could only use softcard with a T-mobile branded phone because "unlocked" phones are not supported. The LG G2 comes unlocked with both CDMA an GSM radios from the factory and it isn't an aftermarket unlock.
I have 3 phones on T-mobile and none of them are T-mobile. I guess not allowing softcard on other brand's phones is just another way to get people to buy T-mobile's overpriced phones. Hopefully someone knows a workaround because there are some really good softcard promos. Would also love information about using softcard with an AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note 3 on T-mobile.

I'm not sure about your question specifically.... But you would need an unlocked bootloader to attempt anything like that. ?

Factory unlocked vs carrier unlocked

I bought a Note 8 in swappa that was supposed to be factory unlocked (SM-950U1) but is actually an AT&T phone (950U). I verified this directly with Samsung. I am on Sprint and using their IMEI check site, this phone is compatible. Are there any differences between the factory unlocked and carrier unlocked? Is there any benefit to the factory unlocked? Basically what I want to know is whether I should keep the phone or whether the differences are enough that I should send it back to the seller.
Thanks

The carrier unlocked are capable of accepting sim cards from other carriers, just that, they have all the stuff related to the carrier like the boot animation, Volte calls, hotspot, mesaging service, and carrier bloatware, etc, the factory unlocked ones have the samsung usual bloat, in your case, you could flash the firmware specific to the carrier you will use, to be able to use the services offered by your carrier otherwise some things could be missing

Flashing the Sprint version would require root, yes? I love Samsung Pay so wouldn't be willing to root.
How do factory unlocked phones get updated? Would those still be pushed out by whatever carrier you are on?
The more I read, the more I think sending back the AT&T one is the right move. Then it comes down to Sprint vs unbranded. I don't have any immediate plans to leave Sprint so maybe the Sprint version is the way to go?

You can flash any firmare, providing it is intended for your device, in your case any firmware for USA devices(snapdragon) will work, if you flash official firmwares there will be no problem with knox, just do it with care

I'm surprised an AT&T phone will work on Sprint's network. AT&T is GSM and Sprint is CDMA.

New to Samsung - advantages to unlocked?

I haven't had a samsung phone in a while. Previously, I remember unlocked variants usually getting updates behind the carrier variants. Is that still the case? what about other advantages or disadvantages? Does unlocked mean I can unlock the bootloader? how easy is it to remove carrier bloatware? If I do want to go unlocked and unlock the bootloader (assuming that's even possible) is there generally a decent custom rom scene for samsung phones these days? Does GCam work well with the regular S20 (assuming it will work similarly on this phone)?
For some context, I'm coming from having Pixel phones for a few years. I had a Galaxy S6 a while ago but the samsung bloat eventually got on my nerves. Hoping things have slimmed down since then or that it's easier to mask by using other apps as defaults, good lock, gcam, etc. So mostly wondering if I should buy unlocked as I usually do for pixel, or a carrier variant. And also just some general tips about customizing samsung phones in 2020 since I haven't had to look into it for about 5 years.

So the US Unlocked models will work with any US carrier. The advantage is if you switch carriers the phone works seemlessly. In addition, there is no carrier bloat and all Samsung features are enabled. The phone being Unlocked has nothing to do with the bootloader and North American Snapdragon models are NOT bootloader unlockable.
With T-MOBILE, all carrier features work. With Verizon, everything except for carrier video calling works. AT&T has some proprietary features that may not work such as WiFi calling.

Question Pixel 7 verizon locked how to unlock?

Anyone know how to unlock Pixel 7 from Verizon?

sillyshyme said:
Anyone know how to unlock Pixel 7 from Verizon?
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If you are talking about the bootloader, you can't unlock it on Verizon models.

Lughnasadh said:
If you are talking about the bootloader, you can't unlock it on Verizon models.
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So how do you unlock to use different carriers?

sillyshyme said:
So how do you unlock to use different carriers?
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Device Locking FAQs
To prevent identity theft and fraud, devices bought from Verizon are locked and cannot be used on another carrier's network for the first 60 days after purchase.
www.verizon.com

sillyshyme said:
So how do you unlock to use different carriers?
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On T-Mobile, supposedly once you pay off the device and wait a certain amount of days (so you can't just resell it in another market), they will unlock the SIM (which pretty much the only prerequisite to unlock the bootloader) -- there are certain workarounds that one can do to get it done before this point, but there isn't a fixed method that works all the time; depends on your history with the carrier, making claims that you work as a developer and require it to be unlocked, supposedly an older method is some have simply said they are traveling internationally and "temporarily" need the SIM unlocked.
I had mistakenly believed AT&T had similar restrictions and workarounds/methods, but apparently not. There is supposed ways for AT&T, but they are less established, consistent, and reliable.
Verizon will not do it under any circumstances. Google sets aside batches meant for Verizon (carrier variant) that almost exclusively locked down bootloaders. No one is clear on the true method for how they lock it down for just that variant -- a case in the past that I was able to get a Verizon Pixel without locked bootloader is getting an RMA, but because they were inundated with exchanges, they just sent Google variants to cover for the short amount of time -- but it seems that they load the device up once at the factory to Verizon's network at least once, and that triggers the lockdown (there was an exploit before where if you do some other things and as long as you didn't put in a Verizon SIM card, you were able to get away with OEM unlock toggle before it was locked down; which is why/what happened in that RMA exchange [if you put in a Verizon SIM, it would lock it down]).
In any case, this has been the case since the first Pixel (1), and there have been bounties for unlocking Verizon variants since then that must've collectively reached more than $10k! And no one has successfully managed to do it and claim all that bag...!
For worse & worser, there is no way to unlock a Verizon variant's bootloader...
I just realized you weren't asking how "other carriers are unlocked", but how to "unlock it to use on other carriers"?
The only way is to get an unlocked non-carrier variant from Google Store, some brick and mortar stores have "unlocked" variants (Best Buy did when it first went on sale), Amazon seems to have/had it, or get it second-hand non-carrier variant from sites like Swappa....
Verizon will not do unlock bootloader under any circumstances.
I haven't seen any circumstances of Verizon "sim unlocking" the device, but they are less restrictive on that than "bootloader unlocking"; I'm sure there are ways/services that do, if not Verizon themselves. Like I stated in my crossed-out section, most carriers simply make you wait a certain amount of time (days) before offering the ability to do so -- to discourage purchasing a device then selling it in another (not official) market.