Database Develop

About to order; sanity check my order please?

I'm about to order the following two things from Handtec to ship to the US:
http://www.handtec.co.uk/samsung-galaxy-s6-64gb-black-sapphire.html
http://www.handtec.co.uk/handtec-samsung-region-unlock-service.html
Out of the box, can I immediately:
use it on AT&T in the US with LTE support?
use it on T-Mobile in the US with LTE support? (I intend to switch in the coming months)
flash custom ROMs? (is it bootloader unlocked?)
root it? (seems like a pretty confident yes, but I'll still ask)
I don't want any unexpected additional steps I need to take in order to do the things listed above. Am I good to go?
Also, if I see defect(s), such as scratches on the underside of the glass that I've read about, how good is Handtec's customer support for me to return for a new one?
From what I've read in other threads, most posts seem to indicate that what I'm ordering will be fine for me, but I'd like a sanity check on my scenario. Thanks!

palmboy5 said:
I'm about to order the following two things from Handtec to ship to the US:
http://www.handtec.co.uk/samsung-galaxy-s6-64gb-black-sapphire.html
http://www.handtec.co.uk/handtec-samsung-region-unlock-service.html
Out of the box, can I immediately:
use it on AT&T in the US with LTE support? yes
use it on T-Mobile in the US with LTE support? (I intend to switch in the coming months) I think so
flash custom ROMs? (is it bootloader unlocked?) after you root and install a custom recovery
root it? (seems like a pretty confident yes, but I'll still ask) yes
I don't want any unexpected additional steps I need to take in order to do the things listed above. Am I good to go? yes
Also, if I see defect(s), such as scratches on the underside of the glass that I've read about, how good is Handtec's customer support for me to return for a new one? dont know (just make sure you use a good credit card not a debit card so that you can dispute it with your credit card if you experience issues. us an America Express or Mastercard if you have them.)
From what I've read in other threads, most posts seem to indicate that what I'm ordering will be fine for me, but I'd like a sanity check on my scenario. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good luck bro!

jimmiekain said:
Good luck bro!
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Click to collapse
Thanks for your input!
Unfortunately, they don't take American Express and my Visa rejected the transaction (a random overseas order probably being a red flag).
Sooo, I ended up paying with PayPal... Oh well, just going to hope for the best.

palmboy5 said:
Thanks for your input!
Unfortunately, they don't take American Express and my Visa rejected the transaction (a random overseas order probably being a red flag).
Sooo, I ended up paying with PayPal... Oh well, just going to hope for the best. [emoji14]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did your phone come yet? Do you like it?

Nope >_>
I ordered it while it said "DUE IN SOON" (ie. not in stock) and they were courteous enough to tell me this on Tuesday:
We are contacting you with regards to your recent order. We would just like to make you aware that the ‘Samsung Galaxy S6 64GB - Black Sapphire’ you have purchased is only available for pre-order at this time.
As soon as the item becomes available we will dispatch your order and send you tracking information immediately.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I asked for an estimate on how long it'll be until the order ships and they said:
I would like to inform you that we are expecting 'Samsung Galaxy S6 64GB - Black Sapphire' to arrive in stock this week and soon as it arrives we will start dispatching all the pre-orders.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But it has yet to come back in stock. Just waiting patiently at this point.

It has shipped! Also, I remade the order to get the white one instead of black, FYI. I figure the white one will get less hot while in my car dock under the sun.
According to the tracking, I'll get it tomorrow morning.

Tested with colleague's AT&T nano SIM card and it worked fine. Don't know if it connected as LTE though, does "4G" on the status bar equate to LTE or just HSPA? I was going to just do a speed test to know that way but he didn't want to use his data.
My SIM is still micro size so I can't test this myself yet.

It definitely can do T-Mobile LTE, I got 56mbps down and 23.79mbps up.
It's AT&T that I'm less sure of because I only get 15 down and 5 up. It probably is LTE though, and AT&T just sucks. Can't wait to switch to T-Mobile!

Question about a Nexus 6 prototype or developer edition I found

So I found this phone on Craigslist and couldn't resist buying it ( I know, bad idea). But basically, this phone has "Motorola Confidential Property. Not for Sale" printed on the bottom of the screen along with a Motorola logo and some numbers at the top of the screen. It also doesn't have the Nexus logo printed on the back.
I took it home, and it did not work with any sim I had. So i started digging around in the phones settings and bootloader to see if anything was different. I only found two things that were different apart from physical appearance:
1. Product Variant in bootloader says "shamu XT 1103 32 GB P2A" while all other Nexus 6's I have seen have "shamu XT 1103 32 GB P3A0"
2. The baseband in settings ends with a lowercase "p" instead of "R" (no matter what baseband I flash in fastboot).
One last tidbit that I thought was interesting is that this phones IMEI shows up as clean and ready to activate on any network but I believe it is because the IMEI does not exist in any database. I called Motorola and gave them the IMEI, and they said they found no phone on their database with that IMEI.
Does anyone know if their is a way to convert this to a functioning Nexus 6? I assume it is these differences and the unknown IMEI preventing me from activating the phone on my network. While I would like to get the phone working with my network, I mostly posted this on here to see what people had to say about the phone and maybe someone knows how to get it working on here. I can post pictures of the phone if people want.

I don't have an answer, but it would be pretty cool to get a "Nexus 6" prototype working. Can you take a picture of the phone? I'd be interested in seeing the front and back, or the differences. Thanks

dave2metz said:
I don't have an answer, but it would be pretty cool to get a "Nexus 6" prototype working. Can you take a picture of the phone? I'd be interested in seeing the front and back, or the differences. Thanks
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Click to collapse
here are some pictures:

it could possibly be a moto x pro, which is an exact lookalike of the nexus 6, but slightly different inside. its sold in china only. but, thats only a guess :angel:

simms22 said:
it could possibly be a moto x pro, which is an exact lookalike of the nexus 6, but slightly different inside. its sold in china only. but, thats only a guess :angel:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, I didn't consider that. I don't think it is, unless the "Nexus 6" name mentioned in the settings/bootloader were somehow changed to that prior to me buying the phone. It does look a lot like it though, although the "M" logo in the back is different on mine then the one in that picture. The hardware listed in the bootloader also matches up with the hardware in standard Nexus 6's, unless both phones had the same hardware.
One other thing that helps prove that it is some type of Nexus 6 is the IMEI, which shows up as Nexus 6 on a lot of databases (although not in Motorola's haha...).
EDIT: if it is somehow the Moto x pro, maybe that would explain why the phone does not work in the states, and probably why the baseband is different.

pheonix3330 said:
Hmm, I didn't consider that. I don't think it is, unless the "Nexus 6" name mentioned in the settings/bootloader were somehow changed to that prior to me buying the phone. It does look a lot like it though, although the "M" logo in the back is different on mine then the one in that picture. The hardware listed in the bootloader also matches up with the hardware in standard Nexus 6's, unless both phones had the same hardware.
One other thing that helps prove that it is some type of Nexus 6 is the IMEI, which shows up as Nexus 6 on a lot of databases (although not in Motorola's haha...).
EDIT: if it is somehow the Moto x pro, maybe that would explain why the phone does not work in the states, and probably why the baseband is different.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i noticed the different Motorola m on the back after i posted. about the sim, im clueless. maybe the sim reader is broken as well. thats happened to a nexus of mine once.

simms22 said:
i noticed the different Motorola m on the back after i posted. about the sim, im clueless. maybe the sim reader is broken as well. thats happened to a nexus of mine once.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its possible, although the phone does recognize the sim card. it just shows no service (similar to how a phone with a bad IMEI acts). How could I verify if the sim reader was broken?

pheonix3330 said:
Its possible, although the phone does recognize the sim card. it just shows no service (similar to how a phone with a bad IMEI acts). How could I verify if the sim reader was broken?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
usually, by sticking in a known working sim into it, and sticking your sim into another phone. but in this situation, i have no idea.

pheonix3330 said:
here are some pictures:
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Click to collapse
Looks like the M logo could be some kind of fingerprint reader.

Regarding the different Motorola logo on the back, I guess, that it could be a fingerprint sensor:
technobuffalo.com/2015/08/05/check-out-this-nexus-6-prototype-with-fingerprint-reader/.
It was planned, but removed. They even had it in their git: shamu: remove fingerprint support.

gee2012 said:
Looks like the M logo could be some kind of fingerprint reader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you and spartan are right. It feels like it would be a fingerprint sensor, although the M logo threw me off.
It looks exactly like the pictures spartan posted of the fingerprint sensor prototype . perhaps that is why my product variant is P2A and not P3A0.
Would be cool to get the sensor working.

2 things.
1. What wireless provider sims have you tried?
2. I could help get it working from a kernel side, but if you can't get your hands on the HW lib, it might be impossible

buckmarble said:
2 things.
1. What wireless provider sims have you tried?
2. I could help get it working from a kernel side, but if you can't get your hands on the HW lib, it might be impossible
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Buckmarble! thanks for replying. I have used your kernels in the past and they have always worked great for me
As for wireless providers I have tried, I inserted a Verizon and T mobile sim card (both working on other phones) and had no service although the phone did recognize a sim was inserted.
What do you mean by getting my hands on the HW lib?
Again, thanks for posting.

pheonix3330 said:
Buckmarble! thanks for replying. I have used your kernels in the past and they have always worked great for me
As for wireless providers I have tried, I inserted a Verizon and T mobile sim card (both working on other phones) and had no service although the phone did recognize a sim was inserted.
What do you mean by getting my hands on the HW lib?
Again, thanks for posting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@Spartaner25 linked to a commit that removed the fingerprint scanner support. In that commit it copied and set permissions on a hardware lib for the scanner.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

buckmarble said:
@Spartaner25 linked to a commit that removed the fingerprint scanner support. In that commit it copied and set permissions on a hardware lib for the scanner.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Well, I think I'm going to go ahead and sell the phone on eBay to someone that uses these phones overseas. I'm not confident in my ability to get the phone working with my network so I am trying to get my money back.
I explained to him what kind of phone this was and he told me that if it didn't work with his country's network he would return it to me. If he does end up returning it to me, would you be okay with me sending you a message asking for help with this buck?

pheonix3330 said:
Well, I think I'm going to go ahead and sell the phone on eBay to someone that uses these phones overseas. I'm not confident in my ability to get the phone working with my network so I am trying to get my money back.
I explained to him what kind of phone this was and he told me that if it didn't work with his country's network he would return it to me. If he does end up returning it to me, would you be okay with me sending you a message asking for help with this buck?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely. Let me know
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Manufacturing date
pheonix3330 said:
Well, I think I'm going to go ahead and sell the phone on eBay to someone that uses these phones overseas. I'm not confident in my ability to get the phone working with my network so I am trying to get my money back.
I explained to him what kind of phone this was and he told me that if it didn't work with his country's network he would return it to me. If he does end up returning it to me, would you be okay with me sending you a message asking for help with this buck?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Very interesting phone, thanks for having taken the risk.
Before selling it, can you post the manufacture date (Bootloader -> Barcodes) ?

You said that it shows as an XT1103. That's the US Nexus 6. The XT1100 is the international Nexus 6. The Moto X Pro is XT1115.
What you have there is a prototype US Nexus 6.
Try an app like LTE Discovery to see if the radio is even working and detecting towers.

If the phone is, indeed, a prototype. Shouldn't it be running Lollipop instead of M with Nov. security patch? Strange.

antiquezip said:
If the phone is, indeed, a prototype. Shouldn't it be running Lollipop instead of M with Nov. security patch? Strange.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was running a developer version of Android 5.0.1 when I bought it but I flashed latest software from google.

Got the 256GB Exynos Note 8 (SM-N950N) Having Issues Installing TWRP

Hey guys,
Just got this awesome phone a few days ago, been trying to get TWRP installed on it. Followed the following youtube video guide:
Seems to match the instructions given in post #3 here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=73817280&postcount=3
However, for some odd reason, after I flashed the TWRP in the description of the video (also tried with the one from the official TWRP Note 8 site), my entire 256GB Exynos Note 8 internal storage wasn't selectable in TWRP (it was showing 0MB), and it no longer booted, had to start from scratch. Fortunately, no loss as it's a brand new device with no personal data yet.
Any ideas on what's wrong? Is the current TWRP not compatible with 256GB variant? Does my 200GB MicroSD affect the process?

Bump
Sent from my OnePlus One

MrElectrifyer said:
Hey guys,
Just got this awesome phone a few days ago, been trying to get TWRP installed on it. Followed the following youtube video guide:
Seems to match the instructions given in post #3 here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=73817280&postcount=3
However, for some odd reason, after I flashed the TWRP in the description of the video (also tried with the one from the official TWRP Note 8 site), my entire 256GB Exynos Note 8 internal storage wasn't selectable in TWRP (it was showing 0MB), and it no longer booted, had to start from scratch. Fortunately, no loss as it's a brand new device with no personal data yet.
Any ideas on what's wrong? Is the current TWRP not compatible with 256GB variant? Does my 200GB MicroSD affect the process?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its not for some odd reason, you didnt remove encryption from your device...twrp can not read encrypted storage .
your not following the install directions thats why its not working.
Follow the install directions properly and you wont have an issue .
Read and undertand what your doing before you flash and these types of things wont happen.
Its that simple.
sent from my Note FE

Right, encryption, that wasn't mentioned in the video. Gonna look into removing it then re-try.
Sent from my OnePlus One

MrElectrifyer said:
Right, encryption, that wasn't mentioned in the video. Gonna look into removing it then re-try.
Sent from my OnePlus One
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Forget the video lol...go to the thread here on xda to get the proper directions :thumbup:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=73817277
sent from my Note FE

force70 said:
Forget the video lol...go to the thread here on xda to get the proper directions :thumbup:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=73817277
sent from my Note FE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What he said and do follow the directions exactly. Good luck.

How much more was the 256gb version?

jason504 said:
How much more was the 256gb version?
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mine was about $1300 on ebay with 36-hour shipping. I ordered at midnight and got it two noons later from Korea.

Kalm_Traveler said:
mine was about $1300 on ebay with 36-hour shipping. I ordered at midnight and got it two noons later from Korea.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn that's a lot. You could have bought a 64gb one and bought a 256gb card and saved you a couple hundred bucks. Then when you want another phone you can't take that 256gb with you.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

jason504 said:
Damn that's a lot. You could have bought a 64gb one and bought a 256gb card and saved you a couple hundred bucks. Then when you want another phone you can't take that 256gb with you.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but then I'd have a 64gb phone with a 256gb card instead of a 256gb phone with a 256gb card

Kalm_Traveler said:
but then I'd have a 64gb phone with a 256gb card instead of a 256gb phone with a 256gb card
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ha ha ha well damn if you need that much we'll I guess it's worth it then ?
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

Kalm_Traveler said:
but then I'd have a 64gb phone with a 256gb card instead of a 256gb phone with a 256gb card
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Click to collapse
nice I paid 1193 on my deep blue sea 256gb N950N also on ebay but the buyer took forever to ship it i got it 2 weeks later should i leave negative feedback ? phone was brand new sealed box though.

tokoam said:
nice I paid 1193 on my deep blue sea 256gb N950N also on ebay but the buyer took forever to ship it i got it 2 weeks later should i leave negative feedback ? phone was brand new sealed box though.
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Click to collapse
If you received it within the time they said you should receive it I wouldn't leave negative feedback. Mine just came super fast via DHL which is why I paid more for it. Kind of having a 1/3 life crisis for the last few years so I just don't care about 'minor' costs anymore, over having to wait for things lol

Kalm_Traveler said:
If you received it within the time they said you should receive it I wouldn't leave negative feedback. Mine just came super fast via DHL which is why I paid more for it. Kind of having a 1/3 life crisis for the last few years so I just don't care about 'minor' costs anymore, over having to wait for things lol
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you think you can send me the lte updater script for att I ran it selected the XAA CSC it gave me some bogus message saying i selected a snapdragon csc but i dont see anything for exynos in the aroma installer.Still struggling with LTE on the N950N only getting a singal band

force70 said:
Forget the video lol...go to the thread here on xda to get the proper directions :thumbup:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=73817277
sent from my Note FE
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, that did it. The video was missing the key directions for initializing TWRP, it only matched up to part 1 of the XDA step by step directions. 256GB Note 8 up and running with a 200 GB MicroSD card, now working on Smart Switching my content from my OnePlus One
BTW, paid $1379 AUD (~$1098 USD back then) + $20 AUD (~16 USD back then) for shipping on September 20th via eBay. It arrived on September 29th. Got $20 USD in rebate using the Ebate extension for Edge + 6% cash back via my credit card provider. However, just a few days after purchase, price went down to ~$1014 USD...oh well, pulled the trigger a wee bit too early out of excitement It's currently available here on eBay at that price if anyone's interested, don't forget to setup up Ebate if you don't already have it:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/222635053847

tokoam said:
you think you can send me the lte updater script for att I ran it selected the XAA CSC it gave me some bogus message saying i selected a snapdragon csc but i dont see anything for exynos in the aroma installer.Still struggling with LTE on the N950N only getting a singal band
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not bogus, it's just telling you that you selected a CSC from a Snapdragon device. It doesn't affect anything at all - CSC stuff can be used on Snapdragon or Exynos - in fact about 90% of the ROM is identical between Snapdragon and Exynos Note 8's, the only big differences are drivers, libraries, settings apps for the different chips between them. Remember, most of your Android stuff is a virtual machine so they don't write different versions of apps for every CPU, they write it for the Android VM (used to be Dalvik, now they use one called Art).

Kalm_Traveler said:
It's not bogus, it's just telling you that you selected a CSC from a Snapdragon device. It doesn't affect anything at all - CSC stuff can be used on Snapdragon or Exynos - in fact about 90% of the ROM is identical between Snapdragon and Exynos Note 8's, the only big differences are drivers, libraries, settings apps for the different chips between them. Remember, most of your Android stuff is a virtual machine so they don't write different versions of apps for every CPU, they write it for the Android VM (used to be Dalvik, now they use one called Art).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i still have the regular 4g logo i did not get the enhanced lte settings so i figured i didnt do it right ?

tokoam said:
i still have the regular 4g logo i did not get the enhanced lte settings so i figured i didnt do it right ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T doesn't have VoLTE or wifi calling enabled automatically for non-AT&T-branded devices. You have to call them and have them add the new phone's IMEI to their system and provision it for those features.

Kalm_Traveler said:
AT&T doesn't have VoLTE or wifi calling enabled automatically for non-AT&T-branded devices. You have to call them and have them add the new phone's IMEI to their system and provision it for those features.
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Click to collapse
Ok understood, But I tried my old note 4 sim and made no difference, I guess will have figure something out someone will there are plenty of us here on ATT with this issue

tokoam said:
Ok understood, But I tried my old note 4 sim and made no difference, I guess will have figure something out someone will there are plenty of us here on ATT with this issue
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right, the SIM won't make any difference. The IMEI is part of the phone, not the SIM card.

I ordered an N950F/DS and got an N9500 -- should I be upset?

I live in the US and the phone works - but it's a Snapdragon, not an Exynos ( so ... better?) and I'm not really sure what to think now that I see the hardware model of it.
The only noticeable differences I could find are that handwriting defaulted to Chinese and the Chinese calendar seems burned into the Samsung Calendar app.
Anything I should look out for? Should I pursue a return through Amazon?

Samsung pay?
Try hard reset then immediately sideloading Samsung Pay 2.7.03 (apk from apkmirror) and Framework 2.7.51 see if spay will work.

If you have problems with language options in general, you can factory reset and set up your languages defaults from the very beginning (on the very first page, you will have a language selector, possibly showing Korean as a default choice, type the Korean writing and choose your favorite localization; this happens on any model by Samsung). This is highly recommended if you do not trust the vendor.
As far as I can tell, the main limitation of N9500 is localization of hardware-secured features: if you plan to use the (awesome) Samsung Pay, apparently you can do so only in Hong Kong so far (with N9500). As I understand, Samsung uses/experiments a more advanced system in Hong Kong, which you will not be able to use elsewhere. I have a N9500 and I want to try to spoof the model number in build.prop to see if one can cheat the phone to have Samsung Pay work everywhere.
Snapdragon vs Exynos is a mixed bag, depending on your workload. Exynos performs slightly better, Snapdragon will offer a faster web experience. In my opinion, no noticeable difference at all. However if you:
-Have a 64GB model
-Have a write heavy workload (quite rare, for instance you do some video-editing on phone or backup GB of data TO the phone every day)
exynos will perform noticeably better in these tasks since Samsung uses different NAND on the two models. For reading workload, again the difference is not noticeable.
Also, my guess is that you got N9500 for a better price: these are usually imported models from Hong Kong or UAE, with no official support. Importers likely got a much better price than the local Samsung offer, or maybe they avoided some import taxes via shady practices. If you paid the same as the official listing in your country, you may want to ask for a replacement regardless of the hardware.
---------- Post added at 09:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:23 AM ----------
Just to clear out, in the message before I meant that both the conditions (64GB AND write heavy) need to be satisfied to have an Exynos preference.

I haven't run into any actual problems yet (4 hours of use?) and I'm trying to avoid any modifications while I decide how to handle this... The whole thing seems shady, there's a promotional coupon stuck over the model number on the box. I feel like it was done intentionally for some reason.

delugeofspam said:
I haven't run into any actual problems yet (4 hours of use?) and I'm trying to avoid any modifications while I decide how to handle this... The whole thing seems shady, there's a promotional coupon stuck over the model number on the box. I feel like it was done intentionally for some reason.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well if you were sold a model different than the listing description and you are worried/not happy about it, get your money back and make sure you don't lose even a penny (teaching seller a lesson in the process since a lot of this purposeful shadiness seems to be happening even when seller knows).

Don't be upset. You might have gotten the only Snapdragon variant with an unlockable bootloader out the box. If you don't mind double checking this, go to developer options and see if there's an OEM unlocking toggle. Then download Crom and run it, it should unlock your bootloader.

Paradoxumical said:
Don't be upset. You might have gotten the only Snapdragon variant with an unlockable bootloader out the box. If you don't mind double checking this, go to developer options and see if there's an OEM unlocking toggle. Then download Crom and run it, it should unlock your bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, no such luck.

delugeofspam said:
Unfortunately, no such luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? Damn, Samsung is seriously tightening things up, the HK and CN variants used to the only Snadragon models that came with an official bootloader unlock tool/method.

Paradoxumical said:
Really? Damn, Samsung is really tightening things up, the HK and CN variants used to the only Samsung models that came with an official bootloader unlock tool/method.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didn't people have to wait exactly a week after activation for that option to show up or something like that?

evangelionpunk said:
Didn't people have to wait exactly a week after activation for that option to show up or something like that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don’t recall anything of the sort, but don’t hold that against me. My last Samsung device prior to the Note 8 was the S6 (which I despised). The S5 was Samsung’s last great and true user/developer/mod friendly device. Even though the design got a lot of hate, I quite liked it. It went to eight different countries with me, and never gave me grief even though I used it as an underwater camera countless times.

Paradoxumical said:
I don’t recall anything of the sort, but don’t hold that against me. My last Samsung device prior to the Note 8 was the S6 (which I despised). The S5 was Samsung’s last great and true user/developer/mod friendly device. Even though the design got a lot of hate, I quite liked it. It went to eight different countries with me, and never gave me grief even though I used it as an underwater camera countless times.
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Click to collapse
Yep double checked and there is a 1 week wait post activation for OEM UNLOCK option to appear.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...-8-exynos-n950f-fd-oem-unlock-t3673140/page64
Not sure if applies to qualcomm variants too. Doesnt HK/CN by law require OEM UNLOCK? Read something along this line somewhere here.

evangelionpunk said:
Yep double checked and there is a 1 week wait post activation for OEM UNLOCK option to appear.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...-8-exynos-n950f-fd-oem-unlock-t3673140/page64
Not sure if applies to qualcomm variants too. Doesnt HK/CN by law require OEM UNLOCK? Read something along this line somewhere here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey! That’s amazing news for OP. I believe HK/CN does require that by law. I remember when the S7 was released there, it looked so sleek without the Samsung logos.

Paradoxumical said:
Hey! That’s amazing news for OP. I believe HK/CN does require that by law. I remember when the S7 was released there, it looked so sleek without the Samsung logos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep it would be if it applies to Qualcomm variants and if it does it may only apply to HK/CN variants.
Maybe someone that has already had this model for 7+ days can confirm it for him.

The company I purchased it from refuses to advance-replace this with the phone I ordered and seems to expect me to pay to ship it back to them. This is probably going to turn into a dispute with Amazon, so I'm out another $900+ as I have to get into a new phone ASAP, and leave this one with zero wear.
I'm pretty convinced that I want the N950FD/S Aus, Europe & Lat edition of this phone despite living in the U.S. I don't want to suffer heavily locked bootloaders even for a Snapdragon and it seems there is more development for Exynos.
Please, though, tell me I'm wrong and that I should keep this phone that I dumped hours into configuring before catching on to the damn Chinese calendar embedded in the Samsung Calendar app :|

Damn yeah I would return it and get the exynos model you want oem unlock for sure ! I love my deep sea blue 256gb N950N its a work horse things were a pain at first but most the issues have been sorted out and its the best 1200$ i spent.

delugeofspam said:
The company I purchased it from refuses to advance-replace this with the phone I ordered and seems to expect me to pay to ship it back to them. This is probably going to turn into a dispute with Amazon, so I'm out another $900+ as I have to get into a new phone ASAP, and leave this one with zero wear.
I'm pretty convinced that I want the N950FD/S Aus, Europe & Lat edition of this phone despite living in the U.S. I don't want to suffer heavily locked bootloaders even for a Snapdragon and it seems there is more development for Exynos.
Please, though, tell me I'm wrong and that I should keep this phone that I dumped hours into configuring before catching on to the damn Chinese calendar embedded in the Samsung Calendar app :|
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I were you, I would keep it. I’m 92% sure TWRP will pop-up for your device in the upcoming weeks. I don’t know if Samsung has released the kernel source yet, but once they do, I’ll be more than happy to compile it for you. I remember the same thing happened with the HK/CN variant of the S7. Holding out a week to see if OEM Unlocking shows up will be worth if it does.

Dont want to start a new thread so hopefully someone can help on here.
I ordered a N950fd but have received a N9500. It's currently sat in dubai waiting for a friend to bring back to UK.
Should i stick with it or get the N950FD instead? I would like to use Samsung pay but it's not a deal breaker as dont use it that much now anyway. Is there anything else i should be worried about?
thanks

So you ordered the Big Mac and got a Cheeseburger...
If you were at Macca's would you complain and want the right order? I know I would...

ultramag69 said:
So you ordered the Big Mac and got a Cheeseburger...
If you were at Macca's would you complain and want the right order? I know I would...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol do you really think there's that much difference?

imy300 said:
Lol do you really think there's that much difference?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.....
Not only is there a difference, but I want what I ordered...

General [Australia] Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G Discussion

Hi guys
The preorder is up early morning itself. Place my pre-order for S21 Ultra Phantom Navy (Custom Color) from Samsung Online. Noticed the special note that it will take 3-4 weeks for getting it ready. I hope they deliver sooner than 3-4 weeks.
Whats your choice guys? Model-Color etc.
Thanks.

Anyone from Australia got their phone yet?

Ordered mine on the 21st and in my hand on the 25th January (Vodafone).
Upgraded from an S9+ and very happy (so far).

raggamuffin said:
Ordered mine on the 21st and in my hand on the 25th January (Vodafone).
Upgraded from an S9+ and very happy (so far).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is it? It says Dual SIM on the website. Is it Dual Physical SIM or SIM + eSIM?

venki5star said:
How is it? It says Dual SIM on the website. Is it Dual Physical SIM or SIM + eSIM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Phantom Silver 512GB model is single SIM. Was given an option to use eSIM but stayed with the physical SIM I had in my S9+.
Coming from the S9+ it's taken a while to retrain my brain to use the in-screen fingerprint scanner.
Other than that; the only annoying bug is the occasional switching back to the One UI 3.1 launcher (from Nova Prime).
Other than that, I'm very happy so far. I do miss having the option to use sdcard expansion. Transferred 3,500 odd photos and 5,000 odd MP3s from the S9 to the S21 and still have 75% free.
I tend to take far more still images than video so the physical storage limitation shouldn't cause me any issues but time will tell.

raggamuffin said:
My Phantom Silver 512GB model is single SIM. Was given an option to use eSIM but stayed with the physical SIM I had in my S9+.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for clarifying
raggamuffin said:
Coming from the S9+ it's taken a while to retrain my brain to use the in-screen fingerprint scanner.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will be ok within a week.
raggamuffin said:
Other than that, I'm very happy so far. I do miss having the option to use sdcard expansion. Transferred 3,500 odd photos and 5,000 odd MP3s from the S9 to the S21 and still have 75% free.
I tend to take far more still images than video so the physical storage limitation shouldn't cause me any issues but time will tell.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never been a problem. Always in cloud. I stopped using MP3s long time ago.

Got update that my Phantom Navy Ultra is shipped. Should be getting tomorrow

raggamuffin said:
My Phantom Silver 512GB model is single SIM. Was given an option to use eSIM but stayed with the physical SIM I had in my S9+.
Coming from the S9+ it's taken a while to retrain my brain to use the in-screen fingerprint scanner.
Other than that; the only annoying bug is the occasional switching back to the One UI 3.1 launcher (from Nova Prime).
Other than that, I'm very happy so far. I do miss having the option to use sdcard expansion. Transferred 3,500 odd photos and 5,000 odd MP3s from the S9 to the S21 and still have 75% free.
I tend to take far more still images than video so the physical storage limitation shouldn't cause me any issues but time will tell.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm moving from Exynos S9+ too. How's battery life and general camera quality for you in comparison?

Got my phone today morning. All setup done. Loving the camera details...

Curious to know if any other aussies have received the Feb update ? I'm still stuck on jan1....

Quazza said:
Curious to know if any other aussies have received the Feb update ? I'm still stuck on jan1....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No update yet. Based on my experience, Australia is the last country to get any update from Samsung

Finally for the Feb update .....HUZZAH

Got it last night.
Meanwhile, March has started rolling out in some countries.

I've been refreshing Sammobile and Frija the last couple of days hoping that they'll push it out. Nothing yet

Quazza said:
Finally for the Feb update .....HUZZAH
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interestingly! I posted a rant on Samsung Australia Twitter account that morning

venki5star said:
rant on Samsung Australia Twitter account
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Click to collapse
Why? I still find it really baffling that people blame Samsung for the delays. It's the carriers that hold the updates until they've completed testing. It's been that way for as long as there have been galaxy phones. Ranting makes 0 difference, if you want to make a change, don't buy the product, hit Samsung where it actually hurts so they can push carriers to fall in line to an update cycle like apple.

jigna said:
Why? I still find it really baffling that people blame Samsung for the delays. It's the carriers that hold the updates until they've completed testing. It's been that way for as long as there have been galaxy phones. Ranting makes 0 difference, if you want to make a change, don't buy the product, hit Samsung where it actually hurts so they can push carriers to fall in line to an update cycle like apple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not everyone buys from carrier. I have Tab S7+ LTE & S21 Ultra bought outright from Samsung online. I don't buy from carriers for the reason you explained above. Samsung completely ignores centain countries in their release cycle.
I want to mention that, both Tab and Mobile got update on the same day after the morning rant. Could be coincidence but I posted my thought to them.
Why I have switch when I am completely ok with Android phones? If I switch, I am one in millions. For Samsung, its nothing. Because I bought Samsung, I didn't sell my soul to them and why I to be quite. If Apple can do it, Google can do it, Samsung can also do it.

venki5star said:
Not everyone buys from carrier. I have Tab S7+ LTE & S21 Ultra bought outright from Samsung online. I don't buy from carriers for the reason you explained above. Samsung completely ignores centain countries in their release cycle.
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Click to collapse
You don't understand how it works in Australia then. Regardless of where you bought your phone (samsung, voda, telstra, optus) the carriers test the firmware before it's released <== process takes weeks.
venki5star said:
Could be coincidence but I posted my thought to them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
100% coincidence. 100% those types of comments (your rant) have no impact on their process
venki5star said:
If Apple can do it, Google can do it, Samsung can also do it.
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Click to collapse
Exactly. But Samsung has no vested interest in doing it when it doesn't impact them selling phones. You just said it, it doesn't stop you from buying the phone, despite you knowing that Australia releases later in the month. If people want a company to change, the most effective way is through $$$ <== don't buy their products so they know things need to change.
I'll also flag that Australia DOES get regular updates out in a timely manner i.e. it's the generally the same time each month. The issue for 'techie' people is that they know it's released in other parts of the world weeks earlier, then get annoyed about it.
If you're bothered by it, use Frija and Odin to flash the latest update manually, it's an easy process and ensures you're on the latest firmware.

jigna said:
You don't understand how it works in Australia then. Regardless of where you bought your phone (samsung, voda, telstra, optus) the carriers test the firmware before it's released <== process takes weeks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually you don't understand how it works. All your theory is only true for carrier customised and sold phones. Rest has no relationship. If you look at CSC of unlocked Australia, it different than what sold by Telstra, Optus, etc. Please do some research before you talk about it.

venki5star said:
All your theory is only true for carrier customised and sold phones
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Click to collapse
Nope. None of the builds are even touched anymore since multi-csc came into play. But Aussie carriers (as in the wholesalers of the networks not the badge/csc of phone) won't allow the firmware to be pushed until they've ALL tested it. That INCLUDES XSA.
EDIT: changed wording to clarify badge/csc not brand of phone
venki5star said:
Please do some research before you talk about it.
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Click to collapse
It's pretty amusing how wrong you are, but given how defensive you're getting, I'll drop it. If you think your ranting and annoyance has any impact, go for it - you keep fighting the fight.