S6 for AT&T locked bootloader option? - T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S6

So as previous Galaxy versions, I'm pretty sure AT&T will lockdown the bootloader on the S6, so my question is, what other variant of the S6 can I buy that will fully work with AT&T's LTE network?
Thanks.

eortizr said:
So as previous Galaxy versions, I'm pretty sure AT&T will lockdown the bootloader on the S6, so my question is, what other variant of the S6 can I buy that will fully work with AT&T's LTE network?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been wondering the same thing but I've never found a good answer. With other versions of Samsung's phones it's always "you're missing this band or that band", "this might work but that won't work." I'm not sure there is a phone you can buy that will work with AT&T as well as one of their phones without their locked down BS. I'm also on AT&T and I like the service and my plan but not the locked down bloated phones they offer. I think I'm making my next phone purchase a hard decision but every phone I look at has a major drawback. I think sometimes I should jump on the S6 from AT&T and live with the phone in it's factory state which I'm sure is awesome but I'm not sure I'd be happy with that. Will probably keep waiting, the good part is that every new phone is better than the one before it.

I currently have an ATT S5 and despise this locked bootloader. I am planning on getting a TMobile S6 because of the modding capabilities(assuming their S6 won't be locked down) and I've heard people using their TM S5's on ATT as well. But I am not sure if the unlocked/regular(?) version will support all of the ATT bands..

Honestly folks on Verizon, AT&T or others wanting to know if (and if so, how much) it will be locked down... I suggest waiting until some folks get hands-on testing with it.
The fact that it will be Exynos means much of what blocked the S5/N3/N4 doesn't apply... and the new solution is unknown.
Part of me thinks that if they're this confident to switch back to Exynos they may have developed their own alternative to the QC features.
The only way to know for sure is to test with an actual device, which won't likely happen until rollout.

If its based on the s5, the tmobile one would be the one to get. The tmobile s5 has all the tmobile bands (minus band 12 LTE) and all of the AT&T HSPA+ and LTE bands. im planning on picking up my s6 from tmobile but in the mean time, making friends with tmobile reps at my local tmobile store is essential as tmobile doesnt like selling their devices without a plan.

osmosizzz said:
If its based on the s5, the tmobile one would be the one to get. The tmobile s5 has all the tmobile bands (minus band 12 LTE) and all of the AT&T HSPA+ and LTE bands. im planning on picking up my s6 from tmobile but in the mean time, making friends with tmobile reps at my local tmobile store is essential as tmobile doesnt like selling their devices without a plan.
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Well, out of curiousity I checked - lo and behold, the FCC docs are available this week.
LTE Bands for SM-G920T are.... 12,1 2/17 (share same frequency in some cases), 5, 4 and 2.

garwynn said:
Well, out of curiousity I checked - lo and behold, the FCC docs are available this week.
LTE Bands for SM-G920T are.... 12,1 2/17 (share same frequency in some cases), 5, 4 and 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got a link to the doc?

osmosizzz said:
Got a link to the doc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://transition.fcc.gov/oet/ea/fccid/
Grantee Code: A3L
Product Code: SMG920T
Go into the detail records and you'll find all the nitty gritty details including LTE tests.
Just wish could see the rest of the confidential docs that the FCC gets to see...

garwynn said:
http://transition.fcc.gov/oet/ea/fccid/
Grantee Code: A3L
Product Code: SMG920T
Go into the detail records and you'll find all the nitty gritty details including LTE tests.
Just wish could see the rest of the confidential docs that the FCC gets to see...
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Click to collapse
Looking at the Verizon docs for both the S6 and S6 Edge, they both are missing Appendix F, which is where the DUT Antenna Locations are indicated.
So the primary document of interest is missing...
I don't get it, how can you just not post that information?

xdadevnube said:
Looking at the Verizon docs for both the S6 and S6 Edge, they both are missing Appendix F, which is where the DUT Antenna Locations are indicated.
So the primary document of interest is missing...
I don't get it, how can you just not post that information?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The summary list, instead of detail, shows all docs submitted and if they are confidential.
I'll bet it's in there and confidential.

garwynn said:
The summary list, instead of detail, shows all docs submitted and if they are confidential.
I'll bet it's in there and confidential.
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Click to collapse
Most modern phones I have looked at have the DUT Antenna Location diagram listed. The Nexus 6 is listed. Other modern phones have it missing though, and it seems that Sprint's may have it listed when Verizon's does not (I think the Note 4 is an example, but that is just from my memory.) The Sprint model isn't up yet so I have my fingers crossed.
I knew from the Nexus 6 FCC docs that there was no simultaneous voice and data on either EVDO or LTE because there was a single shared antenna. I am curious if the S6 is same way.

garwynn said:
The summary list, instead of detail, shows all docs submitted and if they are confidential.
I'll bet it's in there and confidential.
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Click to collapse
" The requested Permanent and Short-Term Confidential exhibits are listed as follows:
PERMANENT AND SHORT-TERM CONFIDENTIAL LIST
Exhibit Description
PERMANENT
1 Block Diagram
2 Operational Description
3 Schematics
4 Parts List & Tune-Up Procedure
SHORT-TERM
5 External Photos
6 Internal Photos
7 Test-Setup Photos
8 Users Manual "
Perhaps you are correct. That would be lame.

Update: The same confidentiality letter for the S6 is listed for several different phones, including the Note 4.
I just checked the docs and both Sprint and Verizon (maybe the T-Mobile and AT&T as well) show the antenna location diagram.
The confidentiality letter therefore doesn't cover the antenna location diagram. For the S6, the antenna location diagram is being described as listed in Appendix F, which is not included in the FCC listing. Perhaps it will be listed at a later time, but I suspect that it isn't confidential, it is just not available.
However, for the those of you interested, the S6 IS NOT capable of simultaneous voice and LTE, according the docs. You would have be on VoLTE. The same for goes for HTC m9. Pretty disappointing. Of the phones I've actually considered recently (Nexus 6, Droid Turbo, HTC m9, and Samsung S6), none of the them can do voice and LTE on Verizon...

We should send ATT/Samsung a message
When it comes out I plan on buying one or two phones(128Gb S6 Edge they will be more exp) and opening them both then returning them in a week or two if they have a locked bootloader. Then I plan on buying and returning them every couple of weeks. This should cost AT&T $$$. If everyone on XDA does it perhaps we can hurt their bottom line and they will get the message not to be assholes.

cciechad said:
When it comes out I plan on buying one or two phones(128Gb S6 Edge they will be more exp) and opening them both then returning them in a week or two if they have a locked bootloader. Then I plan on buying and returning them every couple of weeks. This should cost AT&T $$$. If everyone on XDA does it perhaps we can hurt their bottom line and they will get the message not to be assholes.
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Click to collapse
What??? You have a lot of free time on your hands, maybe you should go work at AT&T for free so they will appreciate you as you do them!
Seriously though, you can't be serious!?!?
Sent from my SM-G900T using AllianceR(●)m

The Sprint Galaxy S3 was the first Android device I ever owned. I found out pretty quick that I did not like TouchWiz so I found out how to root and flash a custom recovery and that's when I fell in love with stock Android.
Anyways, I'm on AT&T now with a HTC One M8. I love the phone, but I really wish the camera were better. The only thing keeping me from instantly wanting a M9 is no optical image stabilization AGAIN.
So, with that said, and after reading through everything in this thread, if the bootloader is locked down on the AT&T Galaxy S6, does that mean we will not be able to achieve root? I'm not worried about flashing ROMs and stuff, I mainly just want root to run root apps like xposed and greenify.

eortizr said:
So as previous Galaxy versions, I'm pretty sure AT&T will lockdown the bootloader on the S6, so my question is, what other variant of the S6 can I buy that will fully work with AT&T's LTE network?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm exploring the same alternative at this point. In fact I am looking at the South Korean variants currently at this point which follow the SM-G920s/k/L variants. On my current LG G3 F400S which operates under the carrier SK Telecom, AT&T LTE works flawlessly, not to mention the device was 1 of the first devices to get 5.0 back in November. I'm still researching these variants, but if all checks out, this is the direction I will be going.

I really think you guys are getting a bit ahead of yourselves. Using the S3/4/5 or Note 3/4 as a basis of comparison for the S6 doesn't work.
Remember, with the S6 going Exynos we don't have a recent frame of reference to gauge against. The closest comparison is the Note II.

garwynn said:
Well, out of curiousity I checked - lo and behold, the FCC docs are available this week.
LTE Bands for SM-G920T are.... 12,1 2/17 (share same frequency in some cases), 5, 4 and 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So is that fully compatible with AT&T LTE or no?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G850A

cciechad said:
When it comes out I plan on buying one or two phones(128Gb S6 Edge they will be more exp) and opening them both then returning them in a week or two if they have a locked bootloader. Then I plan on buying and returning them every couple of weeks. This should cost AT&T $$$. If everyone on XDA does it perhaps we can hurt their bottom line and they will get the message not to be assholes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ALL ATT Phones have locked bootloaders - they made that announcment after the S4 -the ATT S6 is going to be locked bootloader. Guaranteed.
TMOBILE PHONES work on ATT just fine. I have been doing this since the Note 3 came out. unfortunately, the TMOBILE S6 cannot be unlocked for use on other carriers without the help of TMOBILE - and their policy is that you have to use the phone for three months before they will give you an unlock code.
You can't buy an unlock code online for it - because TMOBILE has an app that has to be used to unlock the SIM for use on other carriers. So unless someone comes up with a workaround, if you buy a TMOBILE S6, you will be stuck on TMOBILE with it for three months or so - unless something significant changes before then.
I tried to unlock the sim so I can use it on ATT (like I did all of my previous phones) and his is what I have learned. I am hoping that someone can figure out a secret samsung code that will unlock it but I am not real sure that will happen - fingers crossed...

Related

Oh AT&T... how I loathe you!

Every GALAXY launch we go through the same BS. No 32GB option available, and this time no GOLD or BLUE color options available. Why? Why? Why? Is it really that difficult to include all the colors with 32GB? Now those of us who want to get the phone on launch are once again screwed just like we were last year and the year before on 32gb of storage. Of course I take all this back if the unlocked variant offered AT&T LTE support; which it doesn't by the way. Why am I not surprised? The 16gb S5 will have about 10GB of user storage.
I am so fed up with this type of BS. AT&T is, unfortunately, the only carrier that works well in my area. T-Mobile is spotty with lots of EDGE. If only their service was on lower spectrum, I'd be all over them.
Anyone else feeling just as frustrated with this mess we endure every year.
I totally agree, but the ATT S4 did come with a 32Gb. I am using it right now. I wish Sammy would up them all to 32Gb and an option for 64Gb. 16Gb is too small with how large touchwiz is with each revision. No way I will go back to only 16Gb on board.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
16GB is never an issue with me, regardless of the device. It's more than enough for my needs, considering I have maybe 2-4 very small games on my devices at any given time. What does piss me off is the lack of all the colors. I wanted the blue model, but of course, that's not possible...for whatever idiotic reason. I just said screw it and preordered the black. I guess I'll just buy a different back cover down the road.
karmuh said:
16GB is never an issue with me, regardless of the device. It's more than enough for my needs, considering I have maybe 2-4 very small games on my devices at any given time. What does piss me off is the lack of all the colors. I wanted the blue model, but of course, that's not possible...for whatever idiotic reason. I just said screw it and preordered the black. I guess I'll just buy a different back cover down the road.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
16GB may not be an issue for everyone, but why can't they just give the customer the choice at pre-launch? I have no problem paying more for storage. Why does Apple sell every color and size up front from day 1? That's what I don't get. Since they are dying so much to be like Apple, then why can't they at least do that?
MattMJB0188 said:
16GB may not be an issue for everyone, but why can't they just give the customer the choice at pre-launch? I have no problem paying more for storage. Why does Apple sell every color and size up front from day 1? That's what I don't get. Since they are dying so much to be like Apple, then why can't they at least do that?
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Click to collapse
Agreed -- it really doesn't make any sense at all. All model options should be available from day 1, no exceptions. That's one thing Apple does an excellent job at. They announce their devices and the same day you can start preordering any color/storage model, assuming the stock is available, of course. It pissed me off even more, because we had to wait this long after the S5 announcement to just preorder it...and then we don't have all the options available? Very annoying.
karmuh said:
Agreed -- it really doesn't make any sense at all. All model options should be available from day 1, no exceptions. That's one thing Apple does an excellent job at. They announce their devices and the same day you can start preordering any color/storage model, assuming the stock is available, of course. It pissed me off even more, because we had to wait this long after the S5 announcement to just preorder it...and then we don't have all the options available? Very annoying.
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Click to collapse
+1, Samsung never have full availability of their models. Either they announce a color but don't have it or announce a 64 GB version and don't have it.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
barondebxl said:
+1, Samsung never have full availability of their models. Either they announce a color but don't have it or announce a 64 GB version and don't have it.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Yeah I know. Its ridiculous. I don't know why I had such high hopes for them to turn around and launch the S5 differently than before.
MattMJB0188 said:
I am so fed up with this type of BS. AT&T is, unfortunately, the only carrier that works well in my area. T-Mobile is spotty with lots of EDGE. If only their service was on lower spectrum, I'd be all over them.
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Click to collapse
I know it doesnt help right now, but i recall reading on Engadget recently that T-Mobile is claiming that all of their 2g areas will be upgraded to 4g by 2015 or early in 2015. That should open up more options for you and countless others.
cloudraker said:
I know it doesnt help right now, but i recall reading on Engadget recently that T-Mobile is claiming that all of their 2g areas will be upgraded to 4g by 2015 or early in 2015. That should open up more options for you and countless others.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That will help, but a major problem T-Mobile has it that their frequencies don't reach as far as AT&T's and therefore you get EDGE. T-Mobile has all their towers upgraded in my area to HSPA+ and some with LTE, but since those signals don't travel as far, it always turns into EDGE. They need to shut EDGE down entirely and use only H+.
New TouchWiz is just over 8 gigs of space, I've been told the 16gb version will have about 7 gigs of usable storage. I'm waiting for the 32gb version to come to AT&BS I guess a little later this year.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
This is why I am thinking of passing on s5 and going to HTC one m8. I checked out the phone at AT&T and very impressed with it plus it comes in 32gb at AT&T as default. Tired of Samsung Bs. They will release a 32gb version on AT&T 6 months down the road or never.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
sabre31 said:
This is why I am thinking of passing on s5 and going to HTC one m8. I checked out the phone at AT&T and very impressed with it plus it comes in 32gb at AT&T as default. Tired of Samsung Bs. They will release a 32gb version on AT&T 6 months down the road or never.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea. With the S4 I think they announced the 32GB version about 2 weeks after the 16GB went on sale; ultimately screwing anyone who wanted one because their return policy was up.
I actually ordered the 16GB because I never have come close to filling the internal storage I was just pissed its not an option. I just really wanted the blue. **** like that pisses me off. I am sure if AT&T gets the 32GB it will only come in black. I wanted white this time.
Yeah AT&T waited 2 weeks on purpose so you couldn't return the 16gb version. I bet they will pull something similar now. Hoping that somebody is desperate to open another line or pay full price to get it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Same thing with last year. 64GB M7 cost the same as a 16GB S4.
Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk
Equally as important as the space issue is the "download booster" feature, which is disabled on all the demo devices that are popping up in AT&T stores. I'm going to wait for the actual devices to ship to customers before passing judgment because floor models definitely do have things disabled sometimes. That said, it certainly shouldn't shock anyone that AT&T would want this disabled. Years of history support the idea that they don't want people using their network, and they push people toward WiFi whenever possible. I can just see some corporate goon in a boardroom breaking out in a cold sweat over the idea of people accidentally using download booster and going over their data plans because they didn't realize what they were doing.
Let us not forget this is also the same carrier who disabled installation of non-market APKs on their early Android devices, shipped the Note 2 without the multi-window functionality until enough people raised hell, and removed the Knox security app from the Note 3. This says nothing of the fact that they still manage to get their paws into Nexus devices, successfully getting Google to code in an exception that disables tethering on the Nexus 7 if you have an AT&T SIM card in it. There's no account check or anything else. If you have an AT&T SIM card in your Nexus 7, the tethering option disappears. End of story. Not even Verizon does that. Also, does anyone remember how, for the longest time, AT&T made both Apple and Google disable video chat in Facetime and Hangouts over HSPA+ and LTE, forcing you to use WiFi?
So far, I'm leaving my preorder intact, but if my device doesn't have the download booster feature, I'm returning it. Every time I decide to give a carrier-branded device a chance, it seems I get let down. Even with Nexus devices, AT&T finds a way to let me down (thus why I have my N7 on Verizon). I'm trying to give AT&T the benefit of the doubt on the download booster, but I'm not at all optimistic. :/ I mainly stick with AT&T because they're basically the only choice if you want to use unlocked Nexus and/or GPE devices and still have Verizon-like coverage.
oldblue910 said:
Equally as important as the space issue is the "download booster" feature, which is disabled on all the demo devices that are popping up in AT&T stores. I'm going to wait for the actual devices to ship to customers before passing judgment because floor models definitely do have things disabled sometimes. That said, it certainly shouldn't shock anyone that AT&T would want this disabled. Years of history support the idea that they don't want people using their network, and they push people toward WiFI whenever possible. I can just see some corporate goon in a boardroom breaking out in a cold sweat over the idea of people accidentally using download booster and going over their data plans because they didn't realize what they were doing.
Let us not forget this is also the same carrier who disabled installation of non-market APKs on their early Android devices, shipped the Note 2 without the multi-window functionality until enough people raised hell, and removed the Knox security app from the Note 3. This says nothing of the fact that they still manage to get their paws into Nexus devices, successfully getting Google to code in an exception that disables tethering on the Nexus 7 if you have an AT&T SIM card in it. There's no account check or anything else. If you have an AT&T SIM card in your Nexus 7, the tethering option disappears. End of story. Not even Verizon does that. Also, does anyone remember how, for the longest time, AT&T made both Apple and Google disable video chat in Facetime and Hangouts over HSPA+ and LTE, forcing you to use WiFi?
So far, I'm leaving my preorder intact, but if my device doesn't have the download booster feature, I'm returning it. Every time I decide to give a carrier-branded device a chance, it seems I get let down. Even with Nexus devices, AT&T finds a way to let me down (thus why I have my N7 on Verizon). I'm trying to give AT&T the benefit of the doubt on the download booster, but I'm not at all optimistic. :/ I mainly stick with AT&T because they're basically the only choice if you want to use unlocked Nexus and/or GPE devices and still have Verizon-like coverage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said. Personally, I have never used a Nexus device. I have heard bad things about LG's nexus. But I guess it wouldn't be fair of me to judge that device without actually using it. Samsung's TW provides me with exactly what I need. I love the look and a lot of the features. Like you, and as I have already stated, I will keep my pre-order intact and wait until I actually get the device to see for myself if the feature has been disabled or not.
If they do, in fact disable download booster, I probably will go with the international variant. No carrier branding whatsoever. I believe its the same case as in the past. NO LTE, but 21mbps HSPA+ which is fine for my needs. I think loosing LTE may be worth getting an untouched/non-carrier branded Samsung phone. NO limitations, no nothing. Having the ability to have a custom recovery and kernels would be a deal breaker alone. We already know the AT&T S5 will have a locked down bootloader.
One thing I am looking forward to with the AT&T S5 is its support for carrier aggregation. I live in the Chicago land area (one of AT&T's first LTE-A markets). So I am dying to see how much faster my speeds will be.
oldblue910 said:
Equally as important as the space issue is the "download booster" feature, which is disabled on all the demo devices that are popping up in AT&T stores. I'm going to wait for the actual devices to ship to customers before passing judgment because floor models definitely do have things disabled sometimes. That said, it certainly shouldn't shock anyone that AT&T would want this disabled. Years of history support the idea that they don't want people using their network, and they push people toward WiFI whenever possible. I can just see some corporate goon in a boardroom breaking out in a cold sweat over the idea of people accidentally using download booster and going over their data plans because they didn't realize what they were doing.
Let us not forget this is also the same carrier who disabled installation of non-market APKs on their early Android devices, shipped the Note 2 without the multi-window functionality until enough people raised hell, and removed the Knox security app from the Note 3. This says nothing of the fact that they still manage to get their paws into Nexus devices, successfully getting Google to code in an exception that disables tethering on the Nexus 7 if you have an AT&T SIM card in it. There's no account check or anything else. If you have an AT&T SIM card in your Nexus 7, the tethering option disappears. End of story. Not even Verizon does that. Also, does anyone remember how, for the longest time, AT&T made both Apple and Google disable video chat in Facetime and Hangouts over HSPA+ and LTE, forcing you to use WiFi?
So far, I'm leaving my preorder intact, but if my device doesn't have the download booster feature, I'm returning it. Every time I decide to give a carrier-branded device a chance, it seems I get let down. Even with Nexus devices, AT&T finds a way to let me down (thus why I have my N7 on Verizon). I'm trying to give AT&T the benefit of the doubt on the download booster, but I'm not at all optimistic. :/ I mainly stick with AT&T because they're basically the only choice if you want to use unlocked Nexus and/or GPE devices and still have Verizon-like coverage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said. Unlocked devices in the USA pretty much only fully support AT&T frequencies. Sure they may be unlocked, but use any other carrier and you'll end up losing out on one to numerous frequencies.
Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk
SolarTrans said:
Well said. Unlocked devices in the USA pretty much only fully support AT&T frequencies. Sure they may be unlocked, but use any other carrier and you'll end up losing out on one to numerous frequencies.
Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk
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I can't speak for all unlocked devices, but every Nexus device with a cellular radio fully supports all bands for both AT&T and T-Mobile. In addition, the Nexus 5 fully supports all Sprint CDMA and LTE bands, and the 2013 N7 has full Verizon LTE support.
On the GPE side, you're right. The Moto G and both generations of the HTC One lack support for HSPA+ on the AWS/1700 MHz band, which T-Mobile requires for any area not refarmed to use HSPA+ on the PCS/1900 MHz band.
That said, all GPEs fully support T-Mobile LTE.
Sent from my Z Ultra Google Play Edition using Tapatalk
oldblue910 said:
I can't speak for all unlocked devices, but every Nexus device with a cellular radio fully supports all bands for both AT&T and T-Mobile. In addition, the Nexus 5 fully supports all Sprint CDMA and LTE bands, and the 2013 N7 has full Verizon LTE support.
On the GPE side, you're right. The Moto G and both generations of the HTC One lack support for HSPA+ on the AWS/1700 MHz band, which T-Mobile requires for any area not refarmed to use HSPA+ on the PCS/1900 MHz band.
That said, all GPEs fully support T-Mobile LTE.
Sent from my Z Ultra Google Play Edition using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that's true I forgot about T-Mobile. Nexus 5 did it right with good carrier support. GPE supporting T-Mobile and AT&T is nice, but nowhere near ideal. Case in point the M8 unlocked and Dev editions only support AT&T. Also, I think the unlocked iPhones support all the US carriers (99% sure).
Point is, to my knowledge, unlocked device support in the USA is like this (greatest adoption to least):
1. AT&T
2. T-Mobile
3. Sprint (very little support)
4. Verizon (pretty much nothing)
Sent from my iPhone 5s using Tapatalk
i'm confused, why doesn't everyone that want bigger memory space to just spend 35 dollars on amazon and get a 64GB micro card? that'd what i did so now when i get my AT&T S5, I'll have a total of 70 GBs free space....
i think you guys are crying way too much about this 16GB deal.

[Q] Carrier Aggregation vs Download Booster

As soon as I received my AT&T S5, I wasn't happy to know that our dear carrier AT&T has disabled Download Booster. Having said that, I am really convinced to return the phone and switch over to T-mobile. Luckily, my area is pretty covered so coverage is not so much of an issue.
However, reading around the forum and chatting with Samsung Rep. It was confirmed that only AT&T features carrier aggregation. Although LTE-A is only in Chicago as of the writing, there are plans to roll it out in my area (SF).
As I'm not sure how much of an impact will this do to my service or over-all experience. Which would you rather have or be more beneficial -- given you can only pick one.
1. Carrier Aggregation -- stick with AT&T
2. Download Booster -- switch to Tmobile
gotnoypi said:
As soon as I received my AT&T S5, I wasn't happy to know that our dear carrier AT&T has disabled Download Booster. Having said that, I am really convinced to return the phone and switch over to T-mobile. Luckily, my area is pretty covered so coverage is not so much of an issue.
However, reading around the forum and chatting with Samsung Rep. It was confirmed that only AT&T features carrier aggregation. Although LTE-A is only in Chicago as of the writing, there are plans to roll it out in my area (SF).
As I'm not sure how much of an impact will this do to my service or over-all experience. Which would you rather have or be more beneficial -- given you can only pick one.
1. Carrier Aggregation -- stick with AT&T
2. Download Booster -- switch to Tmobile
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Man if you have the option, switch to Tmo. I'm not sure what would keep anyone from switching really. I would if I wasn't on a corporate plan. So I think a better question would be, what keeps you on AT&T?
I might switch in the end. I'm contemplating on either paying ETF and keeping my ATT phone which is cheaper option for me.
Thats why im figuring out which feature is more important to keep
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
gotnoypi said:
I might switch in the end. I'm contemplating on either paying ETF and keeping my ATT phone which is cheaper option for me.
Thats why im figuring out which feature is more important to keep
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know Tmo will pay your ETF if you switch right?
Why not buy a T-Mobile S5, unlock it and use it on AT&T's network. Best of both worlds?
The question is will tmobile S5 do carrier aggregation.
Is that actually a phone feature or a network feature?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
gotnoypi said:
The question is will tmobile S5 do carrier aggregation.
Is that actually a phone feature or a network feature?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This thread in the general section tells how to check the phone for it. If someone with a T-mobile S5 can see if the menu is available and what it says we will know.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2719022
As someone who is currently contemplating switching to TMO, I can tell you its easier said than done. Yes, they are paying ETFs but I'm not trading my iPhone to them and getting ripped off. The coverage is good, but not great. My entire neighborhood is EDGE for some reason. I also worry when traveling, especially on interstates. Now if the entire country was going to benefit from Verizon's 700mhz spectrum, then I would definitely switch, but that's not the case.
scott14719 said:
This thread in the general section tells how to check the phone for it. If someone with a T-mobile S5 can see if the menu is available and what it says we will know.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2719022
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm on a T-Mobile phone and that code doesn't work for me. I'm on an international ROM though.
21cdb said:
I'm on a T-Mobile phone and that code doesn't work for me. I'm on an international ROM though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You would probably need to be on the stock ROM to know for sure. It might also be tied to the radio / modem.
scott14719 said:
You would probably need to be on the stock ROM to know for sure. It might also be tied to the radio / modem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a T-Mobile S5 unlocked on AT&T. Here's my screen shot of the CA status with stock ROM.
Interesting...
having it disabled might mean there's a chance for it to be enabled.
For the ATT variant, I know there's a switch for the download booster using Nova launcher but it seems like its just a ui and not the actual switch.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[Q] Will I be able to use the T-Mobile S6 on Verizon?

Someone posted asking if it would work on AT&T so I looked around to see if it would work on Verizon and saw that Verizon has one LTE band that's different (VZW uses band 13, TMO uses 12). Would that weaken my signal strength enough that I shouldn't do it? I primarily am asking because I'm assuming the TMO S6 would have an unlocked bootloader and all I really want is to be able to root.
allthemalarkey19 said:
Someone posted asking if it would work on AT&T so I looked around to see if it would work on Verizon and saw that Verizon has one LTE band that's different (VZW uses band 13, TMO uses 12). Would that weaken my signal strength enough that I shouldn't do it? I primarily am asking because I'm assuming the TMO S6 would have an unlocked bootloader and all I really want is to be able to root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Verizon will NEVER activate a phone that they did not sell. Verizon, assholes that they are, won't even activate a Nexus 6 you purchased from the Play Store, even though it's 100% compatible. So the answer is, and always will be, NO.
entropism said:
Verizon will NEVER activate a phone that they did not sell. Verizon, assholes that they are, won't even activate a Nexus 6 you purchased from the Play Store, even though it's 100% compatible. So the answer is, and always will be, NO.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well...that's not true from what I've heard. I read the issue is that most Verizon reps just don't know how, not that they won't.
allthemalarkey19 said:
Well...that's not true from what I've heard. I read the issue is that most Verizon reps just don't know how, not that they won't.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look, I can say this with the utmost confidence, and all the willingness to put money behind my statement. Verizon will NOT activate a non-verizon phone.
entropism said:
Look, I can say this with the utmost confidence, and all the willingness to put money behind my statement. Verizon will NOT activate a non-verizon phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I worked for Verizon for 3 years. It depends on a lot on the rep you get and your attitude. For a while there were a lot of issues with the system not allowing certain IEMI numbers to activate on the network. Why? Cause Verizon didn't sell these devices to anyone. But this has since changed mainly due to Page Plus and the other prepay options. Your best choice is to have a device with a sim card already and simply test it yourself in your other device. You've been able to use the Nexus 6 this way for a while on Verizon. The system Verizon uses is a bit extreme for activation because they'd rather suck your pocket book dry before allowing an unbranded device onboard.
entropism said:
Look, I can say this with the utmost confidence, and all the willingness to put money behind my statement. Verizon will NOT activate a non-verizon phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It doesn't matter if Verizon will activate a phone or not. If you have an activated SIM and then phone has Verizon's bands, it'll work. It just shows non-VZN device on MyVerizon. I've used a T-Mobile iPhone and Google Play Nexus 6 on Verizon.
Sadly, the T-Mobile S6 doesn't support Band 13 (Verizon's primary LTE band).
allthemalarkey19 said:
Someone posted asking if it would work on AT&T so I looked around to see if it would work on Verizon and saw that Verizon has one LTE band that's different (VZW uses band 13, TMO uses 12). Would that weaken my signal strength enough that I shouldn't do it? I primarily am asking because I'm assuming the TMO S6 would have an unlocked bootloader and all I really want is to be able to root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung appears to be using different modems for different variants. The GSM models run one modem and the CDMA models run a Qualcomm.
Even if it was able to be activated on VZW I doubt it would run very well
As far as I'm aware, Verizon is still using CDMA for voice and SMS.
Does the T-Mobile S6 support CDMA bands that Verizon uses? 4G (data only, at the moment) uses GSM..
LOL
entropism said:
Look, I can say this with the utmost confidence, and all the willingness to put money behind my statement. Verizon will NOT activate a non-verizon phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes...it will activate on Verizon (Google Play Nexus 6)...however not in a store...you need to have an already active Verizon sim card. I've done it myself.
sd_N said:
Yes...it will activate on Verizon (Google Play Nexus 6)...however not in a store...you need to have an already active Verizon sim card. I've done it myself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right, but that's the Nexus, which has the radios available. We're talking about the S6, which won't have the CDMA radios required to actually WORK on verizon outside of LTE coverage.
Notice I only brought up the Nexus because of Verizon not activating it themselves AND it being 100% compatible, not that it couldn't. The S6 isn't 100% compatible by any means, and is a completely different animal.
entropism said:
Right, but that's the Nexus, which has the radios available. We're talking about the S6, which won't have the CDMA radios required to actually WORK on verizon outside of LTE coverage.
Notice I only brought up the Nexus because of Verizon not activating it themselves AND it being 100% compatible, not that it couldn't. The S6 isn't 100% compatible by any means, and is a completely different animal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True...some folks would take it as a literal NO though and think it not possible at all. I wish Samsung would make all their newer phones with unlocked cdma and gsm radios...and of course unlocked bootloaders. I guess pick your poison. Lol
sd_N said:
True...some folks would take it as a literal NO though and think it not possible at all. I wish Samsung would make all their newer phones with unlocked cdma and gsm radios...and of course unlocked bootloaders. I guess pick your poison. Lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, it was a literal no. Verizon will not activate it for you. Literal no. It will not work properly. Literal no. It's just a bad idea in general, but so is giving Verizon your money. Just saying...
You could get it working yourself, but only barely, and with multiple issues. So why would you?

Another one done with AT&T

I've reached the end of my patience with phones purchased from AT&T and their (lack of) upgrades. So I'm considering buying a new Samsung S& edge unlocked (SM-G935F) from an eBay seller. I have some questions about this process. I looked online but didn't find answers to my questions. If there's an online resource, feel free to redirect me.
Assumptions:
1) I'm satisfied with AT&T as a carrier.
2) Customer in good standing. No contract commitments.
3) I have as S6 with working AT&T nano-sim.
4) I'm fine purchasing for cash. I'm not interested in AT&T's Next plans.
Questions:
1) Do I simply move the sim to the new phone? Is any registration of the new phone/IMEI required with AT&T? Do I have to setup a new APN? Does call forwarding function the same?
2) Are there any features I lose vs. an AT&T branded phone? Samsung Pay? Any others?
3) AT&T uses LTE bands 2,4,5,17. So does the SM-G935F. So I should get the same LTE performance I would get with an AT&T branded phone, right?
4) How do I get system updates? With an AT&T branded phone, I get them OTA thru Settings>About Device>Software Update. How does this work with an unbranded phone when Samsung releases an update?
5) Do I get any support of the phone from AT&T or Samsung? No warranty, correct?
6) Are there any other pluses or minuses to this approach.
I will be going this route for the S7 as well. It's an expensive option but at least I won't have AT&T crapware and faster updates.
In my experience with previous unlocked phones, the SIM card can just be inserted into the new phone and it will automatically configure the data, mms, and voicemail settings.
Provided the phone you are purchasing supports the required LTE bands, there should be no difference in speed.
There will be no support from AT&T and the warranty is not valid within the U.S.
AFAIK Samsung Pay does not work on the international versions in the U.S. This is what will suck because I happen to like Samsung Pay.
AFAIK, your understanding is correct on all your points. I have an unlocked US Cellular moto e that I use as an alternate to my S6, I swap my SIM back and forth with no issues, and there is no official ATT support for the version of moto e that I have, so I can't imagine you'd have any issues getting the phone up and running. You may have to manually enter your APN, but that info is widely available and it's easy to do. Not sure how updates would work.
Only other consideration is that the int'l version uses an Exynos processor rather than the Snapdragon in the ATT version. From the reviews I've seen, the exynos beats the snapdragon slightly in performance and battery life. It's likely going to make development of custom ROMs for the S7 considerably slower than if it were snapdragon based though. However, the locked bootloader on the ATT one will = zero development unless it gets unlocked (I'm guessing that's very unlikely). So this probably doesn't matter too much.
There will also be no Voice over LTE (HD voice ) on the international version should that be a priority for you
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using Tapatalk
VoLTE would be nice. Any idea when AT&T plans to make that available for non-iPhones?
How are software updates delivered?
VoLTE is available on certain phone already. S6 and others support it. Depends on your area, so you will have to check the map.
iceman4357 said:
VoLTE is available on certain phone already. S6 and others support it. Depends on your area, so you will have to check the map.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes but only on AT&T branded Android phones and iphones. The OP was speaking of an unbranded international version Galaxy S6 S7 which does not support volte
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using Tapatalk
I'm the OP. It appears that AT&T-branded S7's support VoLTE (HDVoice) as does (somewhat to my surprise) my S6, though I've never been aware of it based on any calls I've made or received. HDVoice appears to be available throughout my SF Bay Area. But, if I understand correctly, this would be a feature I would lose with an unbranded international phone (or, presumably, with an unlocked phone from, say, T-Mobile with an AT&T sim). Correct?
What about features that AT&T removed? Like download booster, simple sharing, and smart manager? These appear to be Samsung additions that were removed from AT&T-branded S6's. Would they be available on an unlocked, unbranded international version? (I'm not sure I would use these, but it's annoying to have them stripped by the carrier.)
And the remaining question that I haven't heard an answer to: how do I get upgrades? OTA (from who)? Download from somewhere & install with Smart Switch (or some other software)? Something Else?
Thanks for your help so far.
If I remember correctly you can download updated ota just like you do now. It just comes from Samsung not at&t.
All the carrier bloat is gone, and all factory apps will be there because there is no one to strip it from the phone.
BUT
If you buy an unlocked t-mobile phone you will have to Odin the updates. I used a verizon s4 with t-mobile I had to manually update everything myself through XDA and odin.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using XDA Premium HD app
I sold my S6 Edge in December and swapped it with a Tmobile unlocked S6 Edge and what a good decision. Got my Marshmallow update this week and the phone felt new again. So much quicker and boosted my Antutu scores too.
8 year AT&T customer and I'm not coming back. LTE speeds and signal is great with Tmobile and unlimited video streaming.
https://store.google.com/product/nexus_6p Starts at $449. Monthly updates. Easy rooting. Easy everything. Great phone.
Came back here to see if any progress made on S6 bootloader unlock and/or rooting (for a friend), and saw this.
Switched to a Nexus when the Nexus 5 came out. I will never, ever, buy a non-Nexus phone ever again. You should be in full control of whatever hardware you buy. Control should never be dictated by a carrier.
Just thought I'd toss in my own perspective (from a former original Galaxy S then S3 owner). Never had any issues at all with my Nexus 5 or 6P. If you have the money, you won't regret a 6P purchase.
If you don't have that kind of money, I think the 4th Gen Moto G (soon to be released, leaks everywhere this week) will probably be the strongest choice.
Pig Vomit said:
https://store.google.com/product/nexus_6p Starts at $449. Monthly updates. Easy rooting. Easy everything. Great phone.
Came back here to see if any progress made on S6 bootloader unlock and/or rooting (for a friend), and saw this.
Switched to a Nexus when the Nexus 5 came out. I will never, ever, buy a non-Nexus phone ever again. You should be in full control of whatever hardware you buy. Control should never be dictated by a carrier.
Just thought I'd toss in my own perspective (from a former original Galaxy S then S3 owner). Never had any issues at all with my Nexus 5 or 6P. If you have the money, you won't regret a 6P purchase.
If you don't have that kind of money, I think the 4th Gen Moto G (soon to be released, leaks everywhere this week) will probably be the strongest choice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Except there's no Smart Stay or Samsung Pay, both features I use and rely on. I'd buy an unlocked Samsung before a a Nexus.
I ordered a T-Mobile sim to test out the carrier where I live, I need to unlock my AT&T S6 Edge first but after that I plan on getting the new Nexus and selling my S6. I simply can't take AT&T's horrible service anymore.
I'm the OP and am back to report. I bought an S7E (G935F) on Amazon (from one of their Marketplace sellers), complete with Prime 2-day free shipping (& no tax). All works as expected:
1) dropping in my old AT&T SIM works fine. No need to call AT&T. No need to configure APNs. Voice calls, SMS, MMS, and LTE data all seem to work correctly. My LTE connection appeared to be on Band 2 in my area.
2) Of course, no AT&T crapware. Features deleted by AT&T are available (download booster, simple sharing, etc.) and work correctly. The Samsung-bundled Microsoft apps (and free 100GB OneDrive) are present.
3) OTA system software updates appear to be available, but there haven't been any.
4) Mine came with Arabic (?!) (and English) printed instructions but the phone sets up fine in English. The (apparently original, sealed) box included a European (Type-C) 2 pin power adapter (with a European-to-US adapter packed separately).
The only unexpected things I've encountered are:
1) changing the VoiceMail configuration. VM works (calls forward to VM as expected and I can retrieve VMs both by calling and using Visual VM app). The only thing I so far unable to do is CHANGE the VM configuration. I can't change the number I forward to (like Call Forward Always to another number, like a colleague). I get a Network Error message when loading the Phone/More Settings page or trying to set a new number. My wife has an AT&T LG G3 that has exactly the same problem. The HTC One M8 (where the S7E SIM came from) VM configuration worked correctly. But an AT&T Samsung S6 works correctly. I haven't found a way around this for any of the phones. I'm wondering if this is some kind of security provision (so that I can't "borrow" your SIM and change the call forwarding to re-route your incoming calls).
2) When I view my AT&T account online, the picture of the phone changed from it's previous model (HTC One M8) to Device Unknown. A minor detail, to be sure, but curious.
So, after a week, I would not hesitate to do this again in the future.
Glad It Worked out For you, I considered an unlocked model but don't want to loose HD Voice and wifi calling (once it arrives). I personally can hear an incredible differnce with HD voice enabled. couldnt care less about it, but video calling would also be lost with unlocked varient.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using Tapatalk
You are correct & I neglected to mention that HDVoice, WiFi Calling, and Video Calling are absent in the International version. It would be nice to have those, but not critical for me. Voice, in general, is less and less important for me. There is video call button in my dialer but it doesn't appear to do anything useful, at least that I've been able to uncover. I have HDVoice on my AT&T S6 and in the few instances that I've had a potential HDVoice call (to a friend's AT&T S7E), I frankly couldn't detect a noticeable difference. I don't know how to see an indication of whether a call is HDVoice or not.
jc95 said:
You are correct & I neglected to mention that HDVoice, WiFi Calling, and Video Calling are absent in the International version. It would be nice to have those, but not critical for me. Voice, in general, is less and less important for me. There is video call button in my dialer but it doesn't appear to do anything useful, at least that I've been able to uncover. I have HDVoice on my AT&T S6 and in the few instances that I've had a potential HDVoice call (to a friend's AT&T S7E), I frankly couldn't detect a noticeable difference. I don't know how to see an indication of whether a call is HDVoice or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On AT&T with an international version you typically loose the HDvoice, Wifi calling and video calling. I have seen people on Verizon with unlocked phones (Galaxy series, htc 10, 6P) that report you can use those features on their network. I think the ideal situation is to have an unlocked phone on Verizon at this point.
OP again with an update... Got a 2nd G935F for wife. Running G935FXXU1APD with AT&T SIM. Call forwarding worked fine on this one. (Not sure why it doesn't work on my other one.) Also, sideloaded Samsung Pay & Samsung Pay Framework from APK Mirror. Installed and works fine. So my list of things that don't work is just HD Voice, WiFi calling and Video calling.
OP again. I'm now more confused. I now have 2 unlocked S7 Edge (one G935F and one G935FD). Both unlocked. Both using AT&T sims. Identical software on both. On the FD, things work better than I was expecting: Samsung Pay works. I can add cards and use it to pay. I can also change the Call Forwarding settings (in particular CF All). But the 935F can't add a card to Samsung Pay (server connection error) and I can't change the CF settings. There are a number of online references complaining about server connection error and many seem related to device encryption (can't add cards to encrypted devices). I also have an S6 that's working with SPay and was encrypted with Lollipop. With Marshmallow, the Lock Screen settings have changed and it's no longer encrypt/decrypt device, only Require screen lock to decrypt data when device turned on. There doesn't seem to be an obvious way to decrypt a Marshmallow device. But even with this set, I can add cards to me S6 and S7E (FD), but not my S7E (F).
I suppose I should be grateful that SP works at all on one of my unlocked S7Es. But it's frustrating to have them behave differently.

Enable Tmobile US Carrier Feature On Exynos N960F/DS

Hello Is it possible to enable all the T-mobile US carrier features on the Exynos N960F/DS ?
Yes, when I reach 10 posts. I will be able to make a new thread with step by step images.
HERE is the guide, I got to 10 post
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-note-9/how-to/note-9-n960fd-dual-sim-csc-change-oxm-t3841000
jgoorn said:
Yes, when I reach 10 posts. I will be able to make a new thread with step by step images.
HERE is the guide, I got to 10 post
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-note-9/how-to/note-9-n960fd-dual-sim-csc-change-oxm-t3841000
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there absolutely any way to do it without root? Can't I take the home CSC of a desired rom and flash just that in Odin, keeping everything else as it originally was?
hkalltheway said:
Is there absolutely any way to do it without root? Can't I take the home CSC of a desired rom and flash just that in Odin, keeping everything else as it originally was?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure, I saw something like that on another post but then it was updated 4 pages later to say that method was not functioning. I assume you don't want to trip knox, but if you just don't want root but want custom CSC flash twrp and custom rom with root. Edit files to change csc as shown in my guide, or others guides. then factory reset rom, and reflash without root, and then make odin reset the recovery to stock recovery.
This is all speculation however.
I was very excited to see this as I've been wanting an international Exynos variant due to absolutely 'needing' to have root.
The Million dollar question is "Does the carrier aggregation still exist? ie... Does ALL the bands work perfectly on T-Mobiles network just as it would 1:1 on a TM variant Note 9?"
I along with some other fellow Note 8 owners got the (F) model of the Note 8 last year and we had discovered that the international variants on T-Mobile / US network suffered from carrier aggregation, where it would connect fine to one single frequency, but it would not aggregate properly to where it would not be able to 'hand off' / 'connect to multiple frequencies at once' with the (F) variants....
For those that remember, I went as far as completely disassembling my Note 8 and testing varies antenna cables thinking that it was hardware related, however, it has been concluded that it is a software issues that causes the international variant of the Note 8 to not work properly on US carriers....
Note: If one is in an area with good signal in the US with a (F) variant, it may look like everything is fine and well, however, it is not. Due to the good reception, the (F) variant is connecting only to that one band, whereas with other devices the domestic US variant would have the ability to pick up several bands and aggregate accordingly, where the (F) can't ...
Therefore, the Million dollar question is "Does this carrier aggregation issue still exist on the Note 9?"
The only way to be able to properly test this is for one to have both the T-Mobile Note 9 + the International (F) variant Note 9 and test the bands side by side in multiple areas ... along with checking in the hidden settings to see exactly what bands it is connected to. If they match, great.... if not, then the carrier aggregation still exists.....
While at it, I'll tag my fellow OG partners in Android Fanatics @DeeXii , @butchieboy , @KennyLG123 ....
I doubt it. It will probably be another year or two to get full or near full capability on Samsung modems. Look at all the weird spectrums going up in different countries. And TMobile just got band 71. It will be awhile before we start seeing noticeable effects nationwide for 71. Your optimism is obsessive. When the galaxy note 2 came out all were Exynos chipsets but some had LTE radios. I opted for without mainly because LTE was not fleshed out yet. (and the LTE radios were add on chips and not fully integrated meaning they were battery drainers). I made a good call as did Apple. You also have to consider Qualcomm has a lot more experience than Samsung and Intel in modems and radios. People are so focused on the results or what they can get without thinking through the whole front end of it and what is plausible, necessary and time needed. I am not saying no but again your optimism is obsessive to a fault. Qualcomm hasn't even made a truly international modem yet. (More bands than they can fit in their design and still too many different techs.) How would Samsung do it? It could be done but your battery life would suffer. That's why there are regional phones. Alsooooo, 2g bands are being deprecated in a few places (I think hspa too but nowhere near as much as GPRS/EDGE). To be honest I think it won't be until 2021 at the very least where there will be a few mainstream phones that you could pop in a sim anywhere and get good service across those regions. For now, you have to compromise. LTE is thankfully dropping in the GSM bucket but it needs to be sorted out.
iunlock said:
I was very excited to see this as I've been wanting an international Exynos variant due to absolutely 'needing' to have root.
The Million dollar question is "Does the carrier aggregation still exist? ie... Does ALL the bands work perfectly on T-Mobiles network just as it would 1:1 on a TM variant Note 9?"
I along with some other fellow Note 8 owners got the (F) model of the Note 8 last year and we had discovered that the international variants on T-Mobile / US network suffered from carrier aggregation, where it would connect fine to one single frequency, but it would not aggregate properly to where it would not be able to 'hand off' / 'connect to multiple frequencies at once' with the (F) variants....
For those that remember, I went as far as completely disassembling my Note 8 and testing varies antenna cables thinking that it was hardware related, however, it has been concluded that it is a software issues that causes the international variant of the Note 8 to not work properly on US carriers....
Note: If one is in an area with good signal in the US with a (F) variant, it may look like everything is fine and well, however, it is not. Due to the good reception, the (F) variant is connecting only to that one band, whereas with other devices the domestic US variant would have the ability to pick up several bands and aggregate accordingly, where the (F) can't ...
Therefore, the Million dollar question is "Does this carrier aggregation issue still exist on the Note 9?"
The only way to be able to properly test this is for one to have both the T-Mobile Note 9 + the International (F) variant Note 9 and test the bands side by side in multiple areas ... along with checking in the hidden settings to see exactly what bands it is connected to. If they match, great.... if not, then the carrier aggregation still exists.....
While at it, I'll tag my fellow OG partners in Android Fanatics @DeeXii , @butchieboy , @KennyLG123 ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I remember that thread very well, kalm_traveller also made adjustments to the antenna . I recall that ultimately carrier aggregation didn't work on international models when used on the USA networks.
Sent from my SM-N960U1 using Tapatalk
@rbiter said:
I doubt it. It will probably be another year or two to get full or near full capability on Samsung modems. Look at all the weird spectrums going up in different countries. And TMobile just got band 71. It will be awhile before we start seeing noticeable effects nationwide for 71. Your optimism is obsessive. When the galaxy note 2 came out all were Exynos chipsets but some had LTE radios. I opted for without mainly because LTE was not fleshed out yet. (and the LTE radios were add on chips and not fully integrated meaning they were battery drainers). I made a good call as did Apple. You also have to consider Qualcomm has a lot more experience than Samsung and Intel in modems and radios. People are so focused on the results or what they can get without thinking through the whole front end of it and what is plausible, necessary and time needed. I am not saying no but again your optimism is obsessive to a fault. Qualcomm hasn't even made a truly international modem yet. (More bands than they can fit in their design and still too many different techs.) How would Samsung do it? It could be done but your battery life would suffer. That's why there are regional phones. Alsooooo, 2g bands are being deprecated in a few places (I think hspa too but nowhere near as much as GPRS/EDGE). To be honest I think it won't be until 2021 at the very least where there will be a few mainstream phones that you could pop in a sim anywhere and get good service across those regions. For now, you have to compromise. LTE is thankfully dropping in the GSM bucket but it needs to be sorted out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So how come Apple is doing that since the iPhone 6s unlocked version? Qualcomm Modem and a truly a word.
Doing what?
I would almost guarantee no ca working. Does it really matter? My s8+ still got 12mb download speeds.
Yakuzahi said:
So how come Apple is doing that since the iPhone 6s unlocked version? Qualcomm Modem and a truly a word.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doing what?
iunlock said:
I was very excited to see this as I've been wanting an international Exynos variant due to absolutely 'needing' to have root.
The Million dollar question is "Does the carrier aggregation still exist? ie... Does ALL the bands work perfectly on T-Mobiles network just as it would 1:1 on a TM variant Note 9?"
I along with some other fellow Note 8 owners got the (F) model of the Note 8 last year and we had discovered that the international variants on T-Mobile / US network suffered from carrier aggregation, where it would connect fine to one single frequency, but it would not aggregate properly to where it would not be able to 'hand off' / 'connect to multiple frequencies at once' with the (F) variants....
For those that remember, I went as far as completely disassembling my Note 8 and testing varies antenna cables thinking that it was hardware related, however, it has been concluded that it is a software issues that causes the international variant of the Note 8 to not work properly on US carriers....
Note: If one is in an area with good signal in the US with a (F) variant, it may look like everything is fine and well, however, it is not. Due to the good reception, the (F) variant is connecting only to that one band, whereas with other devices the domestic US variant would have the ability to pick up several bands and aggregate accordingly, where the (F) can't ...
Therefore, the Million dollar question is "Does this carrier aggregation issue still exist on the Note 9?"
The only way to be able to properly test this is for one to have both the T-Mobile Note 9 + the International (F) variant Note 9 and test the bands side by side in multiple areas ... along with checking in the hidden settings to see exactly what bands it is connected to. If they match, great.... if not, then the carrier aggregation still exists.....
While at it, I'll tag my fellow OG partners in Android Fanatics @DeeXii , @butchieboy , @KennyLG123 ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the F model and tested with both AT&T and T-Mobile. Carrier aggregation works with 2 bands on AT&T (12+2) and while it supports all the other AT&T bands it will not aggregate them. No carrier aggregation at all on T-Mobile (single band only).
You can see the supported CA combos the F model has by looking at the FCC filing of the device (do a google search).
Sent from my SM-N960U1 using Tapatalk
@rbiter said:
Doing what?
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Doing a world phone with smaller battery than the Note line.
So basically it can be done. Samsung can make a world if they want to.
Apple doesn't have a world phone. They have a minimum of 2 phones to do the world. You have to pick your poison of which part. If they do have one, it probably has you covered for calls but not data. Heck any phone has this if data is less a priority and making calls and texts are a higher priority.
There might be obscure world phones but we probably are not privy to it. Satellite phones too of course but price. I actually read an article about Qualcomm's modem and the increase of LTE bands that came out recently talking about RF360 and Intel and Samsung probably not having anything to compete for at least a couple of years. They don't have an all in one solution yet. Close but not world yet. You have China, US and I forgot what part of South America that messes it up. Even though LTE falls under GSM standards I wish they would tighten it up. So many bands across different countries now and you can't keep up. Band 71 for TMobile is not relevant yet unless you live in a market that is getting it because of low or no coverage.
@rbiter said:
I doubt it. It will probably be another year or two to get full or near full capability on Samsung modems. Look at all the weird spectrums going up in different countries. And TMobile just got band 71. It will be awhile before we start seeing noticeable effects nationwide for 71. Your optimism is obsessive. When the galaxy note 2 came out all were Exynos chipsets but some had LTE radios. I opted for without mainly because LTE was not fleshed out yet. (and the LTE radios were add on chips and not fully integrated meaning they were battery drainers). I made a good call as did Apple. You also have to consider Qualcomm has a lot more experience than Samsung and Intel in modems and radios. People are so focused on the results or what they can get without thinking through the whole front end of it and what is plausible, necessary and time needed. I am not saying no but again your optimism is obsessive to a fault. Qualcomm hasn't even made a truly international modem yet. (More bands than they can fit in their design and still too many different techs.) How would Samsung do it? It could be done but your battery life would suffer. That's why there are regional phones. Alsooooo, 2g bands are being deprecated in a few places (I think hspa too but nowhere near as much as GPRS/EDGE). To be honest I think it won't be until 2021 at the very least where there will be a few mainstream phones that you could pop in a sim anywhere and get good service across those regions. For now, you have to compromise. LTE is thankfully dropping in the GSM bucket but it needs to be sorted out.
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I think your lack of optimism is obsessive and at fault. What's wrong with being optimistic and having hope? Most of us are just wanting a simple root on the SD variant of the Note 9, whether it be a samfail method or whatever, we'll take it.
The US variant Note 5 was Exynos and worked just fine, so its not impossible for an Exynos equipped phone to work on US carriers. After all, most of the newer phones have a wide range of frequencies that it can support. Sure some phones are set regionally, but you're aware that there are dual SIM phones right?
If you were familiar with the F model Note 8 that some of us got and have tested last year, then my post would have made more sense to you.
suzook said:
I would almost guarantee no ca working. Does it really matter? My s8+ still got 12mb download speeds.
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Yes it does matter, because with out the ability for the phone to hand off and/or merge the signals, for those in areas where the reception is sketchy, it'd become major headache.
clubtech said:
I have the F model and tested with both AT&T and T-Mobile. Carrier aggregation works with 2 bands on AT&T (12+2) and while it supports all the other AT&T bands it will not aggregate them. No carrier aggregation at all on T-Mobile (single band only).
You can see the supported CA combos the F model has by looking at the FCC filing of the device (do a google search).
Sent from my SM-N960U1 using Tapatalk
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Hey @clubtech, thanks for reiterating. Yea that was the case exactly as you've described.... I was getting the same results on TM on the F variant. I'm aware of the fcc filings, but the curiosity stems from the potential possibility...
Is this a possible lead to get CA working on N960F/DS?
https://www.reddit.com/r/GalaxyS8/comments/75ru94/root_exynos_galaxy_s8_how_to_get_carrier/
I've tried this method but just get these two lines without the menu popping up as instructed.
Broadcasting: Intent { act=android.provider.Telephony.SECRET_CODE dat=android_secret_code://27663368378 flg=0x400000 }
Broadcast completed: result=0
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I am most likely doing something wrong or these devices are somehow further locked down. I'm rooted, connected adb, etc. as the instructions say with no success.
Techronico said:
Is this a possible lead to get CA working on N960F/DS?
https://www.reddit.com/r/GalaxyS8/comments/75ru94/root_exynos_galaxy_s8_how_to_get_carrier/
I've tried this method but just get these two lines without the menu popping up as instructed.
I am most likely doing something wrong or these devices are somehow further locked down. I'm rooted, connected adb, etc. as the instructions say with no success.
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Mind sharing more info? I'm willing to try it with my device, I'll make a full backup and give it a go! Anything for even better reception!
jgoorn said:
Mind sharing more info? I'm willing to try it with my device, I'll make a full backup and give it a go! Anything for even better reception!
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I tried using the dialer codes *#0011# and *#2263# first to get an idea of what I was looking at. These are mentioned further down in the Reddit thread by other users.
Apparently the code mentioned in the Reddit thread OP is a more advanced code that was removed/disabled from being activated from the dialer several iterations of Samsung devices ago...(ie. It now requires root, can only be activated from adb or terminal).
My theory is that Samsung has now fully gimped it or further hid the activation method. This method apparently worked on the Note 8...
Techronico said:
I tried using the dialer codes *#0011# and *#2263# first to get an idea of what I was looking at. These are mentioned further down in the Reddit thread by other users.
Apparently the code mentioned in the Reddit thread OP is a more advanced code that was removed/disabled from being activated from the dialer several iterations of Samsung devices ago...(ie. It now requires root, can only be activated from adb or terminal).
My theory is that Samsung has now fully gimped it or further hid the activation method. This method apparently worked on the Note 8...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, I'm the author of that thread and I also have an Exynos s9+ which is same as the Note 9.
The menu is indeed completely disabled, you can't get to it even with adb or root.
There is a way to activate it, but it will not fix our issue. I've been trying for weeks.
We have a problem that started out on the Note 8, and that is the phone is not reporting the correct supported aggregation combos to the cell tower.
Using the menu, my phone does not support 4+12 however it reports 2+12 and I get carrier aggregation when I disable B4.
So far j haven't found a way to change those combos. At this point I'm very sure it grabs them from the CSC. I've been experimenting and have been unsuccessful so far
The S8 reported the correct combos out of the box, however the ill configured 3xCA was stopping it from working, disabling 3xCA made 2xCA work perfectly.
Our issue here is just were missing those combos so no matter what the phone will not do 4+12 even though the hardware is fully capable.
If anyone knows how to change combos, pm me or reply here, thanks.
Interceptor777 said:
Hey, I'm the author of that thread and I also have an Exynos s9+ which is same as the Note 9.
The menu is indeed completely disabled, you can't get to it even with adb or root.
There is a way to activate it, but it will not fix our issue. I've been trying for weeks.
We have a problem that started out on the Note 8, and that is the phone is not reporting the correct supported aggregation combos to the cell tower.
Using the menu, my phone does not support 4+12 however it reports 2+12 and I get carrier aggregation when I disable B4.
So far j haven't found a way to change those combos. At this point I'm very sure it grabs them from the CSC. I've been experimenting and have been unsuccessful so far
The S8 reported the correct combos out of the box, however the ill configured 3xCA was stopping it from working, disabling 3xCA made 2xCA work perfectly.
Our issue here is just were missing those combos so no matter what the phone will not do 4+12 even though the hardware is fully capable.
If anyone knows how to change combos, pm me or reply here, thanks.
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Click to collapse
I will totally donate to you if you can get this to work some how! It's pretty much the last feature I'm looking at as a "This phone is perfect except for X".

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