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I have spent 2 days looking for info on this phone and can't find a thing. It is possible I have been looking in the wrong place but here is what I have. I purchased what was supposed to be a brand new g900a. While the phone is in new condition it has no att apps, no att logo on the back and no att boot logo. The phone also has many features missing from the att version like the ability to turn of lte, native call recording and additional controls in the quick access bar.
The bootloader shows official firmware and Knox has not been tripped but the baseband version shows the exact version of the fully bloated att version.
Is it possible I have come up with a g900a that came directly from the factory and never made it to att? If so is it possible the bootloader never got locked?
I have done a factory reset. I haven't dared try updating. I refuse to turn on wifi until I know more to avoid any possible att updates.
Anyone have any ideas on what I have? I have thought about trying to install some of the klte roms but I want a recovery image and more information before I try.
Just to add a bit more information the build number is "dongchao.a725"
I have found other references to dongchao stating they are fakes but I do not think that is the case here but it may not be a us release.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
This is what I did. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=64251984
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk
Edit: oops wrong thread
jpruett79 said:
I have spent 2 days looking for info on this phone and can't find a thing. It is possible I have been looking in the wrong place but here is what I have. I purchased what was supposed to be a brand new g900a. While the phone is in new condition it has no att apps, no att logo on the back and no att boot logo. The phone also has many features missing from the att version like the ability to turn of lte, native call recording and additional controls in the quick access bar.
The bootloader shows official firmware and Knox has not been tripped but the baseband version shows the exact version of the fully bloated att version.
Is it possible I have come up with a g900a that came directly from the factory and never made it to att? If so is it possible the bootloader never got locked?
I have done a factory reset. I haven't dared try updating. I refuse to turn on wifi until I know more to avoid any possible att updates.
Anyone have any ideas on what I have? I have thought about trying to install some of the klte roms but I want a recovery image and more information before I try.
Just to add a bit more information the build number is "dongchao.a725"
I have found other references to dongchao stating they are fakes but I do not think that is the case here but it may not be a us release.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whatever model it says in Odin mode is the actual model.
Rakuu said:
Whatever model it says in Odin mode is the actual model.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Odin does show this
Product Name: SM-G900A
Current Binary: Samsung Official
System Status: Official
Reactivation lock(kk): Off
Knox Warranty Void: 0X0
Qualcomm SecureBoot: Enable (CSB)
RP SWREV: S1, T2, R1, A4, P1
Secure Download: Enable
Based on my limited knowledge it was what i expected to see.
I have since determined that it must be a refub. I didnt catch this till about an hour ago but the S/N: on the back does not match the S/N: under phone info. I dont know how since the IMEI match in both places.
I did try the phone info app and it said the phone is not a refub?
I do have the opportunity to get my money back but I love not having all the att bloat on my phone. Plus this phone has features enabled that are not normally available.
I guess my big question now is How safe and secure are the DONGCHAO builds from a privacy standpoint? I have been unable to confirm the bootloader status. The phone is not currently rooted.
jpruett79 said:
Odin does show this
Product Name: SM-G900A
Current Binary: Samsung Official
System Status: Official
Reactivation lock(kk): Off
Knox Warranty Void: 0X0
Qualcomm SecureBoot: Enable (CSB)
RP SWREV: S1, T2, R1, A4, P1
Secure Download: Enable
Based on my limited knowledge it was what i expected to see.
I have since determined that it must be a refub. I didnt catch this till about an hour ago but the S/N: on the back does not match the S/N: under phone info. I dont know how since the IMEI match in both places.
I did try the phone info app and it said the phone is not a refub?
I do have the opportunity to get my money back but I love not having all the att bloat on my phone. Plus this phone has features enabled that are not normally available.
I guess my big question now is How safe and secure are the DONGCHAO builds from a privacy standpoint? I have been unable to confirm the bootloader status. The phone is not currently rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you post a screenshot of the about phone page from settings.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
Rakuu said:
Can you post a screenshot of the about phone page from settings.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First of all THANK YOU for your help and input on this.
Is this the info you are after? I can provide more if needed.
jpruett79 said:
First of all THANK YOU for your help and input on this.
Is this the info you are after? I can provide more if needed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well you're on lollipop, so I think you're screwed for root or anything, that's the att firmware so I'd assume bootloader is locked also, I don't really know for sure so don't quote me on this , I personally say wait for a second opinion on this.
Rakuu said:
Well you're on lollipop, so I think you're screwed for root or anything, that's the att firmware so I'd assume bootloader is locked also, I don't really know for sure so don't quote me on this , I personally say wait for a second opinion on this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I figured root and the bootloader being unlocked are a long shot.
I think I could live without root considering this phone doesn't have much bloatware to remove. And I love the extra features that are not normally enabled.
What I can't figure out is how it has the att rom but no other trace of att. I am hoping to learn the difference in the build numbers as they relate to the baseband version.
The seller has sent me a return label to send it back but they will provide no information regarding the phone or its origins. I have a few more days to decide and ship it back.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
Here are some screenshots from phoneinfo. Hopefully they will help clear up this puzzle. I don't know why the build number in phone info would disagree with the number in the about setting but they do.
Phone info also shows I have root but SU and root checker seem to disagree.
I would be happy to share this Rom if we can figure out how to extract it. I really love the having a phone with no AT&T crap on it.
Edit:
Phone does appear to be rooted after all. After a reset SU is not installed. Before installing SU i checked root with two separate apps and both said i had root. Once installing SU i checked again and access was denied but SU was not promoting me for access. I changed the default access to allow and once again root checker showed root access.
There may be hope for this phone yet but i really want to get to the bottom of the DONGCHAO build if anyone can help.
jpruett79 said:
Here are some screenshots from phoneinfo. Hopefully they will help clear up this puzzle. I don't know why the build number in phone info would disagree with the number in the about setting but they do.
Phone info also shows I have root but SU and root checker seem to disagree.
I would be happy to share this Rom if we can figure out how to extract it. I really love the having a phone with no AT&T crap on it.
Edit:
Phone does appear to be rooted after all. After a reset SU is not installed. Before installing SU i checked root with two separate apps and both said i had root. Once installing SU i checked again and access was denied but SU was not promoting me for access. I changed the default access to allow and once again root checker showed root access.
There may be hope for this phone yet but i really want to get to the bottom of the DONGCHAO build if anyone can help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As for the dongchao deal I have no clue. You do have root though if its saying you do with no su manager installed or with the default access set to allow which is extremely interesting because you don't have the KK bootloader which is how it's usually done, so either the previous owner rooted it and updated the bootloader or you have a weird version, I do agree you should get a dump of it though. Like I said though, id wait for a second opinion first and in this case so it can be determined if what you have maybe opens an opportunity to get root while on lollipop.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
I'm working on trying to get a rom dump but i'm not sure how to do that without custom recovery. I have not tried to install that yet based on fear of loosing official status and making it harder to return the phone if need be. I have no issue giving up official status if i can figure out what i have because i will keep it.
I have been thru kies and smart switch both show this as a Chinese build. They show OF2 (CHN) Unfortunately this is still vulnerable to stagefright and there are no available updates. I have checked the build for malicious software and all 5 apps i have tried give it a clean bill of health.
jpruett79 said:
I'm working on trying to get a rom dump but i'm not sure how to do that without custom recovery. I have not tried to install that yet based on fear of loosing official status and making it harder to return the phone if need be. I have no issue giving up official status if i can figure out what i have because i will keep it.
I have been thru kies and smart switch both show this as a Chinese build. They show OF2 (CHN) Unfortunately this is still vulnerable to stagefright and there are no available updates. I have checked the build for malicious software and all 5 apps i have tried give it a clean bill of health.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's possible someone modified the build.prop to make it look like the AT&T version through about device. It's really, really easy to do.
Sent from my SM-T520 using XDA Premium HD app
shakatu said:
It's possible someone modified the build.prop to make it look like the AT&T version through about device. It's really, really easy to do.
Sent from my SM-T520 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If that's the case is it possible the bootloader may be unlocked. If so would it be worth trying to load another rom if I could find one for a g900a.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
shakatu said:
It's possible someone modified the build.prop to make it look like the AT&T version through about device. It's really, really easy to do.
Sent from my SM-T520 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Modifying the build.prop doesn't change what it says in download mode, that will always say what the actual model number is.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
I didn't realize how far behind I was until I started looking into this phone. I may be way off base with this but if we assume this is a Chinese refurbished and I'm sure it is at this point. Wouldn't it still show a g900a in download mode but the software could be different. Could they have take their rom and changed the build.prop to look like the art version. That would explain why I have att numbers but no trace of anything AT&T.
If that's all the case should I consider it a blessing to have a debloated/rooted lollipop. Or should I run from it like the plague.
I'm trying to install twrp now and I'm having trouble getting twrp manager to download the image so the bootloader may still be locked. I may still try installing with Odin in the morning.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
I was sold a N6 thinking it was a Verizon phone, but really it was T-Mobile (LYZ28N). Therefore it will not get the Marshmallow update. It's been working perfectly, but recently the battery has been draining crazy fast. So I figure an OS update might provide a fix for that.
I want to update my OS, but if possible, I would like to preserve all data/apps. What are my best options?
If I have to root and wipe to get 'M' will my phone still work on VZW or does it need to be re-registered on the network?
Thanks!
First, there is no diff between any of the us carrier phones so no worry there. There are only two models US and International.
Best way to update is to read the threads on unlocking and flashing it yourself. When you flash the factory image just skip the user partition so your apps and data stay in place.
Back up your data first.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Labs
so i am still on oe2 build and my s6 edge is rooted. can anyone give me opinions if i should update from 5.0.2 and lose root. is it worth it? is there anything i will be missing out on if i do update?
p.s. i used the root to enable hidden menu so i can manually select wcdma/gsm frequency because i am using tmo and get many signal issues on lte between phone calls...
clip3009 said:
so i am still on oe2 build and my s6 edge is rooted. can anyone give me opinions if i should update from 5.0.2 and lose root. is it worth it? is there anything i will be missing out on if i do update?
p.s. i used the root to enable hidden menu so i can manually select wcdma/gsm frequency because i am using tmo and get many signal issues on lte between phone calls...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will always be pro-root over pro-update. I would keep root, were I in your position. However, here's my two cents:
So to clarify, you are on 'G925VVRU1AOE2' correct? Then we discard the model number (G925V), the Verizon and region identifiers (VRU), and we're left with '1AOE2'. Note the '1A'.
The 6.0.1 firmware is G925VVRU4CPC2 (or 4CPD2 for the latest). Notice the '4C' in contrast to your '1A'. If you flash either 6.0.2 firmware, your bootloader rollback index will update to '4'. This means you'll never be able to flash a stock firmware less than '4'. If you wanna go backwards from there, the furthest you could go back would be 5.1.1 Lollipop '4BOG7'. You would be unable to go any further backwards, as the firmware before that is '3BOG5'. Make sense? Keep this lil tidbit in mind when making your decision.
An alternative may be to just update to '2AOF1'. If I recall correctly, OF1 is rootable. However don't quote me on that.
I think that depends on what rooted features you use. I have the latest build 4CPF4 and it's very good in terms of stability. Samsung also updated the TouchWiz so you do get some added features there as well. I personally don't use "edge" features so I can't review them for you.
I prefer rooted devices too for things like exposed framework and the ability to modify the host file, etc. But this phones feels snappy enough that I don't have to tweak it.
Sent from my SM-G925V using XDA-Developers mobile app
I recently bought a galaxy S6 and realised that it was rooted. I want to unroot it so that i can update to marshmallow. Currently im running on 5.1.1 and baseband version is G920AUCU3BOI2. Im trying to look for an AT&T stock firmware but i cant find one. i managed to find this through one of here threads :theandroidsoul.com/download-galaxy-s6-stock-firmware
Can i used this to unroot my phone and directly go to marshmallow? and also since im not in the US will my phone be locked? i mean will i still be able to have network service where i am.
Desperate to unroot my phone
Last year, when I unrooted, I ended up flashing the firmware again to wipe out root and go back to official status.
Look in the S6 general forum for a build of BOI2 and flash it, then use the software updater in settings (or try smart switch) to update.
Another option is to goto best buy and have the Samsung people restore the software and update it. (haven't done this, not sure how root will impact their flashing)
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
Hi all I am currently thinking of importing the N950N 256gb Note 8 to here in the UK and have a few questions about the firmware. Sorry if its been answered elsewhere but there are a lot of threads asking slightly different things.
1) What differences are there between the N950N and the N950F versions of the software at the base level – ignoring things like Korean bloatware etc – I read somewhere the camera has a compulsory noise that can’t be turned off? (which is really annoying) Just wondering whether to stick with stock N. I presume all the stuff like 4G/LTE works with an O2 sim as the hardware is covering this.
2) From all the threads I have read you can’t put the N950F firmware on without using TWRP? (TWRP via ODIN then Firmware via TWRP)
3) What does TWRP do to the phone? Does it trip Knox? I presume this affects Samsung Pay which I am not bothered about but does this affect anything else? Android Pay for example? What about banking apps (ie Halifax, HSBC, Co-op, Natwest etc all have their own apps)?
4) Once I have the N905F firmware would I get OTA updates as normal?
Just curious, why do you want to use F firmware on the N?
Yes, you can not flash stock F firmware on a N, Odin won't allow you to do it but you can use TWRP. You would have to convert the F firmware to a Zip to flash it or flash one of the custom F roms.
Installing custom recovery like TWRP will trip Knox, you will never be able to use Samsung Pay. Secure Folder won't work either. It will also break Samsung Health but that can be fixed. Android Pay & banking apps should work fine with root hide. OTA updates will no longer work.
shouren04 said:
Just curious, why do you want to use F firmware on the N?
Yes, you can not flash stock F firmware on a N, Odin won't allow you to do it but you can use TWRP. You would have to convert the F firmware to a Zip to flash it or flash one of the custom F roms.
Installing custom recovery like TWRP will trip Knox, you will never be able to use Samsung Pay. Secure Folder won't work either. It will also break Samsung Health but that can be fixed. Android Pay & banking apps should work fine with root hide. OTA updates will no longer work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for reply
Basically I prefer having a silent shutter for taking quick and discrete street photography and the last thing I want is big sound every time I take a shot. From what I read that basically means the N firmware is a no no due to Korea having some ruling about it. In the UK this is as easy as having the phone in silent mode - I am currently using a Galaxy S6 with 128gb of memory and really like the idea of having a idea of large onboard storage with little hassle over memory cards hence looking at the Note 8 from Korea which not only has the bigger memory also is cheaper than the 64gb version here in the UK.
To be fair I don't use Samsung Pay as the UK support is currently not here with limited banks supporting it (or vendors accepting it) nor do I need Secure Folder so thats fine really. Samsung Health I used a bit on the S6 but not essential. If hiding root works for Android Pay and Banking Apps then it might not all that bad to be honest to have to trip the Knox (Obviously the warranty will go with it)
The OTA updates would have been nice to have as it would save me having to mess with manually updating over each time a new firmware update came out.- If I was to install F over the N could I then use ODIN afterward or would I be stuck using TWRP due to it detecting the Hardware?
Also I presume you can't add the F software onto the N9500 variant via Odin?
vizardo said:
Thanks for reply
Basically I prefer having a silent shutter for taking quick and discrete street photography and the last thing I want is big sound every time I take a shot. From what I read that basically means the N firmware is a no no due to Korea having some ruling about it. In the UK this is as easy as having the phone in silent mode - I am currently using a Galaxy S6 with 128gb of memory and really like the idea of having a idea of large onboard storage with little hassle over memory cards hence looking at the Note 8 from Korea which not only has the bigger memory also is cheaper than the 64gb version here in the UK.
To be fair I don't use Samsung Pay as the UK support is currently not here with limited banks supporting it (or vendors accepting it) nor do I need Secure Folder so thats fine really. Samsung Health I used a bit on the S6 but not essential. If hiding root works for Android Pay and Banking Apps then it might not all that bad to be honest to have to trip the Knox (Obviously the warranty will go with it)
The OTA updates would have been nice to have as it would save me having to mess with manually updating over each time a new firmware update came out.- If I was to install F over the N could I then use ODIN afterward or would I be stuck using TWRP due to it detecting the Hardware?
Also I presume you can't add the F software onto the N9500 variant via Odin?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, I see, in that case you really don't need to switch to the F firmware. I have a F from the UK & stock it did not have the toggle to turn off the camera shutter like my US Tmobile Note 5 did stock. Not sure if muting sound entirely muted the camera shutter as well but I do not like that method & have heard that does not work on some variants like you mentioned.
I purchased the F/Exynos mainly for the ability to install custom recovery & root. With root I simply deleted the shutter.ogg sound file (well I actually renamed it to shutter.bak), that took care of the shutter sound. Later on when I installed a mod to give me tmobile carrier features, that then added the camera shutter toggle.
I don't care for Samsung Pay either, not even Android Pay. I do miss Private Mode on my Note 5 which was replaced by Secure Folder but I can live without. Getting Samsung Health to work just requires a simple change in the build.prop. I forgot that root will also break Secret Mode in the Samsung browser but you can still use that in Chrome. Not a big deal, just mentioning it while I'm at it. I'm not sure if root hide will allow Secret Tab to function but I don't think it will get Secure Folder working. I haven't tried root hide yet.
Once you install TWRP OTA updates won't work. So installing a F firmware with TWRP won't change anything. And Odin won't let you flash firmware that is not for the phone. It does not matter if a different firmware is already on the phone. For some reason if you ever wanted, you can however flash your original firmware to get back to stock & OTA will work again but once you have tripped Knox by installing TWRP that is permanent.
shouren04 said:
Ah, I see, in that case you really don't need to switch to the F firmware. I have a F from the UK & stock it did not have the toggle to turn off the camera shutter like my US Tmobile Note 5 did stock. Not sure if muting sound entirely muted the camera shutter as well but I do not like that method & have heard that does not work on some variants like you mentioned.
I purchased the F/Exynos mainly for the ability to install custom recovery & root. With root I simply deleted the shutter.ogg sound file (well I actually renamed it to shutter.bak), that took care of the shutter sound. Later on when I installed a mod to give me tmobile carrier features, that then added the camera shutter toggle.
I don't care for Samsung Pay either, not even Android Pay. I do miss Private Mode on my Note 5 which was replaced by Secure Folder but I can live without. Getting Samsung Health to work just requires a simple change in the build.prop. I forgot that root will also break Secret Mode in the Samsung browser but you can still use that in Chrome. Not a big deal, just mentioning it while I'm at it. I'm not sure if root hide will allow Secret Tab to function but I don't think it will get Secure Folder working. I haven't tried root hide yet.
Once you install TWRP OTA updates won't work. So installing a F firmware with TWRP won't change anything. And Odin won't let you flash firmware that is not for the phone. It does not matter if a different firmware is already on the phone. For some reason if you ever wanted, you can however flash your original firmware to get back to stock & OTA will work again but once you have tripped Knox by installing TWRP that is permanent.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many thanks, I generally use Chrome or Firefox so I am not too fussed with the default browser
There are 2 variants on the Wonda Mobile website that seem like a good deal both 256gb with one the HK/China version Dual SIm (with the non rootable Snapdragon I believe) and the Single sim Korean Exynos version that I have been querying about. Its a shame either road root or just installing TWRP seems to break something!
One more thing - do all the usual Samsung account settings still work??
vizardo said:
Many thanks, I generally use Chrome or Firefox so I am not too fussed with the default browser
There are 2 variants on the Wonda Mobile website that seem like a good deal both 256gb with one the HK/China version Dual SIm (with the non rootable Snapdragon I believe) and the Single sim Korean Exynos version that I have been querying about. Its a shame either road root or just installing TWRP seems to break something!
One more thing - do all the usual Samsung account settings still work??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless you need the dual sim N would be the better choice IMO. With HK/China Snapdragon variants, they usually can be bootloader unlocked unlike the Snapdragons in the rest of the world. But development on them is usually slower. There was recently a post about getting root & TWRP installed on the 9500. Said to be working but others are questioning the process to do it. I haven't paid much attention to it though. Generally anything available for the F will usually work fine on the N so in the future if you want to install custom roms or mods you would be ok.
Yeah blame Samsung for making it harder for us to get what we want. But at least we still can, that may not be the case in the future. For instance, this is the first time I have had to purchase an international phone because Samsung US variants are locked down. All of my past Android phones have had custom recovery & root.
As far as Samsung accounts, yes it works fine. Able to log in, use Samsung's app store, Samsung themes. Not sure about Samsung Cloud, I don't use any cloud services. But I have tried Samsung Link Sharing (large file sharing) & it seems to be a type of cloud service. However my Smart View (screen mirroring) is not working, I'm not sure if that is a result of root though. I never tested it when I was stock. I have read complaints about others having the same issue stock. My Note 5 is rooted & it works just fine. I never use screen mirroring so I don't really care but it would be nice to figure out how to get it working.
vizardo said:
Hi all I am currently thinking of importing the N950N 256gb Note 8 to here in the UK and have a few questions about the firmware. Sorry if its been answered elsewhere but there are a lot of threads asking slightly different things.
1) What differences are there between the N950N and the N950F versions of the software at the base level – ignoring things like Korean bloatware etc – I read somewhere the camera has a compulsory noise that can’t be turned off? (which is really annoying) Just wondering whether to stick with stock N. I presume all the stuff like 4G/LTE works with an O2 sim as the hardware is covering this.
2) From all the threads I have read you can’t put the N950F firmware on without using TWRP? (TWRP via ODIN then Firmware via TWRP)
3) What does TWRP do to the phone? Does it trip Knox? I presume this affects Samsung Pay which I am not bothered about but does this affect anything else? Android Pay for example? What about banking apps (ie Halifax, HSBC, Co-op, Natwest etc all have their own apps)?
4) Once I have the N905F firmware would I get OTA updates as normal?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1 - not much difference, but the F software comes with dual-SIM capability which the N software lacks. As the hardware is actually identical (as I confirmed by mistakenly tearing my N950N apart when I thought that I had an antenna issue), you could actually buy the N, buy a dual-SIM tray on eBay and in theory convert the phone into a true dual-SIM model with a 950F-based ROM although I do not know how to 'add' or double up the IMEI for the second SIM as my understanding (again I may be wrong here) is that phones sold as dual-SIM models have two IMEI numbers, one for each SIM slot. Your camera shutter sound rumor is correct - the Korean CSC's don't enable the menu to turn that sound off, though it can be deleted without changing CSCs. I would check with your specific carrier's model in your country and see if they enable it. If so, you could always flash their CSC to the Korean phone which would give you the menu. This would be especially fine if you live in the UK since the 950F is hardware identical to the 950N so there wouldn't be the weird issue I've been running into with my 950U USA T-Mobile CSC patch that I have a hunch is related to the way the CSC is sending instructions to the modem.
2 - Odin will not flash firmware between variants. TWRP is definitely the only way to do this right now, though there's no real drawback if you're using an imported phone and didn't expect to have warranty support in-country to begin with.
3 - TWRP is a replacement recovery firmware which is used to quickly and easily backup/restore any partitions on the phone (boot loader, modem, data, system, cache, EFS, etc), as well as flashing custom ROMs, kernels, mods, root apps, pretty much anything you can think of.
4 - OTA updates only work on essentially unmodified stock everything. If the phone says that it's software status is "custom", OTA updates will not function. However, there are 2 main considerations here. On the one hand, if you are running another variant's firmware you are going to be flashing ROMs for that variant anyway, and you can always manually update your boot loader and modem with Odin since Samsung firmware downloads come in separate files right from Sammy these days. Super easy to flash only the BL and CP (bootloader and modem respectively), then just reflash TWRP if it was overwritten.
Many thanks both - definitely things to consider here. Not done any flashing or rooting since I put Cyanogenmod on an old Note 10 tablet and before then a Note 3 and the old Desire series for Cyanogenmod again (I recall Clockworkmod was involved as well). But its good to know I can update parts with Odin or TWRP as required.
I am hoping tripping Knox won't affect Android pay or banking apps much (as I don't actually keep them in the Knox folder or anything like that - just use them normally) but as stated I could use the root hide to cover this.
I suppose OTA is a luxury as the Samsung ones on my S6 were slow enough but at least convenient due to its autonomy. I am usually of the mind if it don't break then don't fix it but don't mind delving into things if necessary so I reckon I won't touch the update stuff too much unless I have issues - though will get everything as up to date as possible from day 1 and when Oreo drops.
Really appreciate all the responses here - really helpful!
vizardo said:
Thanks for reply
Basically I prefer having a silent shutter for taking quick and discrete street photography and the last thing I want is big sound every time I take a shot. From what I read that basically means the N firmware is a no no due to Korea having some ruling about it. In the UK this is as easy as having the phone in silent mode - I am currently using a Galaxy S6 with 128gb of memory and really like the idea of having a idea of large onboard storage with little hassle over memory cards hence looking at the Note 8 from Korea which not only has the bigger memory also is cheaper than the 64gb version here in the UK.
To be fair I don't use Samsung Pay as the UK support is currently not here with limited banks supporting it (or vendors accepting it) nor do I need Secure Folder so thats fine really. Samsung Health I used a bit on the S6 but not essential. If hiding root works for Android Pay and Banking Apps then it might not all that bad to be honest to have to trip the Knox (Obviously the warranty will go with it)
The OTA updates would have been nice to have as it would save me having to mess with manually updating over each time a new firmware update came out.- If I was to install F over the N could I then use ODIN afterward or would I be stuck using TWRP due to it detecting the Hardware?
Also I presume you can't add the F software onto the N9500 variant via Odin?
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Just turn off the shutter sound in settings. You don't need to do anything else!
- R. Kruse Ludington:
Galaxy Note 8<-5<-3<-S3<-Nexus; Droid X; HTC HD2<-Touch Pro 2<-Tilt<-8525; O2 XDA II<-XDA
KruseLudsMobile said:
Just turn off the shutter sound in settings. You don't need to do anything else!
- R. Kruse Ludington:
Galaxy Note 8<-5<-3<-S3<-Nexus; Droid X; HTC HD2<-Touch Pro 2<-Tilt<-8525; O2 XDA II<-XDA
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Can't do that if you don't have the option to. Not all Note 8s have the ability to do that (as well as other features) & it's not just the Note 8, many Galaxy phones in the past as well. It depends on the carrier variant & the region the phone originates. I some countries itxs illegal to turn off the shutter sound. If it were that easy, there wouldn't be so many threads about it. If you search for shutter sound either here on XDA or Google, you'll find many threads for different phones.
I have the phone now and downloaded the F firmware for the UK - however TWRP doesnt seem to want to flash the zip and keeps coming up with zip invalid format?
I grabbed the firmware using Samfirm so it should be fine? Am I missing a step??
vizardo said:
I have the phone now and downloaded the F firmware for the UK - however TWRP doesnt seem to want to flash the zip and keeps coming up with zip invalid format?
I grabbed the firmware using Samfirm so it should be fine? Am I missing a step??
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If that zip contains several .tar.md5 files that is the stock firmware for use in Odin. TWRP can't flash that.
You need to download a custom zip. Any of the ROMs in this section will work as they are made from F firmware as the base.
I figured out this best way to sort the shutter sound was to simply root with Magisk and use Root Explorer to rename the shutter sound as per Shouren04's solution. Not the most elegant method but works fine - not sure what file the fast multi image shutter speed is though as that still sounds.
Magisk seems to not break Android Pay so can confirm this works and I paid for something today.
OTA no longer works but will simply flash the normal N rom once the next update comes out with ODIN and then reinstall TWRP, Magisk and resort - Samsung updates are slow enough to not warrant being a pain
Oddly enough there are fewer camera modes on the new Note vs my older S6 - I quite liked the video collage it made without resorting to another app!
Thanks for all the help
vizardo said:
I figured out this best way to sort the shutter sound was to simply root with Magisk and use Root Explorer to rename the shutter sound as per Shouren04's solution. Not the most elegant method but works fine - not sure what file the fast multi image shutter speed is though as that still sounds.
Magisk seems to not break Android Pay so can confirm this works and I paid for something today.
OTA no longer works but will simply flash the normal N rom once the next update comes out with ODIN and then reinstall TWRP, Magisk and resort - Samsung updates are slow enough to not warrant being a pain
Oddly enough there are fewer camera modes on the new Note vs my older S6 - I quite liked the video collage it made without resorting to another app!
Thanks for all the help
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Burst shots sound should be shutter_multiple.ogg & video sounds should either be cam_start.ogg & cam_stop.ogg or camcorder_start & camcorder_stop.ogg.
Best way & is the method I'm using is to add this csc string to get the shutter sound toggle which turns off all those sounds for me.
<CscFeature_Camera_ShutterSoundMenu>true</CscFeature_Camera_ShutterSoundMenu>
But if you are using a fully stock rom, your cscfeatures.xml file might be encrypted as was mine. I'm using tmobile csc so I am no longer using the stock encrypted cscfeatures.xml.
Of if you flash a custom rom you should be able to add the csc string without any problem.