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Unlocked S8 -> Tmobile

Hello, I'm a tmobile customer that just purchased an unlocked galaxy s8 from the Samsung website. I'm wondering if going to the store and getting the tmobile firmware on it installed is really necessary. I mainly want to do this because of the software updates, but then I thought the the unlocked version might get updates from a different source? Am I right? I'm sorry about this being such a general question, but I just want to do what's best for my new phone. Would you recommend me installing this firmware? Or should I just keep the stock unlocked firmware it came with? Are there any drawbacks associated with not installing the tmobile firmware on it?
EDIT:
To start, will Tmobile even do this in the first place? I'm totally clueless whether they offer installing their software on customer phones or not.
Thank you.

Hi there. Unfortunately, you are going to be really hard pressed to find a T-Mobile rep anywhere that could/would flash firmware w/ Odin. Not saying that there aren't some reps out their that don't know about this stuff (there are a lot that really have no clue though), but this is well outside of what most of them are trained for, plus Odin is only supposed to be used by Samsung. Also, historically (at least the last couple of years), for whatever reason Samsung's unlocked US models have been getting updates slower than the carrier versions, which really doesn't make any sense because there is less to go through to get them updated. That being said, there are several threads in the T-Mobile S8 forum here as well as the general S8 forum dedicated to carrier switching, which can guide you in turning your unlocked model into a T-Mobile model, for all intents and purposes.

oscarm003 said:
Hello, I'm a tmobile customer that just purchased an unlocked galaxy s8 from the Samsung website. I'm wondering if going to the store and getting the tmobile firmware on it installed is really necessary. I mainly want to do this because of the software updates, but then I thought the the unlocked version might get updates from a different source? Am I right? I'm sorry about this being such a general question, but I just want to do what's best for my new phone. Would you recommend me installing this firmware? Or should I just keep the stock unlocked firmware it came with? Are there any drawbacks associated with not installing the tmobile firmware on it?
EDIT:
To start, will Tmobile even do this in the first place? I'm totally clueless whether they offer installing their software on customer phones or not.
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The guy that replied first is really correct! T-Mobile store won't flash any phone, don't go beyond simple troubleshooting. It is easier to fly to Mars, than talk about flashing a device with rep. I do hope there are some T-Mobile reps that do really know about flashing, but I just haven't seen one yet.
I am with Unlocked S8 and use it on T-Mobile. I don't have any signal specific issues for example and features such as WiFi Calling, Band 12 and VoLTE all work well. There are few thing that flashing to T-Mobile firmware could give you:
Video calling(to specific phones only)
Advanced Messaging(believe other phone needs to support it)
DIGITS service will be built into the phone dialer.
I was also debating about doing it, but all 3 mentioned features are not wildly available and don't work across all devices and networks. On top of that you will get few T-Mobile apps pre-installed + Lookout app + T-Mobile logo when booting up the phone.
We can flash practically anytime we want, so I would suggest you to wait and see how Samsung will treat unlocked devices and how fast updates will arrive. If T-Mobile will do them much better than Samsung, then I will flash myself or when those 3 features above will work across all devices.

Sorry for reviving this thread, but my unlocked s8 gets slower upload and download speeds than my friends tmobile s8, we are both in NYC and he's getting 100mbps and I'm getting 30-40mbps. I assume they also have specific settings hardbaked in their rom that allows for optimized carrier usage?

joey4321 said:
Sorry for reviving this thread, but my unlocked s8 gets slower upload and download speeds than my friends tmobile s8, we are both in NYC and he's getting 100mbps and I'm getting 30-40mbps. I assume they also have specific settings hardbaked in their rom that allows for optimized carrier usage?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the t mobile firmware comes with 4x4 MIMO and 256QAM. which leads to better signal and faster download speeds.

Can I flash just the modem or CSC to get the benefits without flashing the whole tmobile rom?

joey4321 said:
Can I flash just the modem or CSC to get the benefits without flashing the whole tmobile rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a question I'd like the answer to. I'd like to keep all the Samsung default software features but get RCS, which is the most important thing, and one of the main reasons I'm still using my LG G6.

raduque said:
This is a question I'd like the answer to. I'd like to keep all the Samsung default software features but get RCS, which is the most important thing, and one of the main reasons I'm still using my LG G6.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
joey4321 said:
Can I flash just the modem or CSC to get the benefits without flashing the whole tmobile rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i think you'll need the whole firmware to be able to use RCS and the tmob features. i personally think the tmob firmware is better since it has 4x4 MIMO and 256QAM enabled. so better signal and service

guaneet said:
4x4 MIMO and 256QAM enabled. so better signal and service
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't care about any of that. I value the Samsung unbranded experience more. All I want from the Tmo FW is RCS.
Alternately, if they ever support it using the unlocked S8 FW, i'll switch back to my S8 in a heartbeat. My G6 seems to get tons better battery life anyway for some reason.

Can someone provide a link to a thread for flashing the Unlocked s8 to T-Mobile?
Thanks.

C3cars said:
Can someone provide a link to a thread for flashing the Unlocked s8 to T-Mobile?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are multiple sections, but I believe you need to look under: Flashing Standard Firmware, but do ask, just in case.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8/how-to/snap-guide-flashing-standard-fw-carrier-t3625817

Charkatak said:
There are multiple sections, but I believe you need to look under: Flashing Standard Firmware, but do ask, just in case.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s8/how-to/snap-guide-flashing-standard-fw-carrier-t3625817
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe you have to use the "flashing unlocked firmware" because the prince's version of the ODIN will bypass the ROM checksum and let you flash any variant you want. if you use the normal ODIN and you are going from unlocked to t-mobile (950U1 to 950U) ROM it will fail.
I used to be on the unlocked but now I'm running t-mobile rom to have multi-line baked in to the native dialer. and my service provider SW ver. shows TMB/TMB/XAA
All is good and I'm happy with the ROM after few days the battery life seems the same as the unlocked version.

i just want to know if i can keep the bloatware free and just flash the modem from tmobile firmware.
i just want wifi calling, volte, 4x4 MIMO and 256QAM. i dont care much for the multi line feature cause not useful on my end and idk about rcs because the person on the other end needs to have it and i dont really see it as useful.
lol s7 bloatware free firmware was so easy to flash compared to this xD
im running the att variant but im sure all the hardware is the same. so i dont see why the unlocked firmware wouldnt support this out of the box.

ImaUseBT said:
i just want to know if i can keep the bloatware free and just flash the modem from tmobile firmware.
i just want wifi calling, volte, 4x4 MIMO and 256QAM. i dont care much for the multi line feature cause not useful on my end and idk about rcs because the person on the other end needs to have it and i dont really see it as useful.
lol s7 bloatware free firmware was so easy to flash compared to this xD
im running the att variant but im sure all the hardware is the same. so i dont see why the unlocked firmware wouldnt support this out of the box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I had my S7 Edge I was able to mix and match different ROM with different modem files ie I would be on the unlocked ROM with the tmobile modem and was able to use the unlocked firmware with t-mobile radios. This is what you want but I have not tried it with the my S8 you can try if it dont work use the prince's ODIN to take you back to stock.

kdoweb1 said:
When I had my S7 Edge I was able to mix and match different ROM with different modem files ie I would be on the unlocked ROM with the tmobile modem and was able to use the unlocked firmware with t-mobile radios. This is what you want but I have not tried it with the my S8 you can try if it dont work use the prince's ODIN to take you back to stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea thats what ive been doing. i just want a blotware free phone but use the tmo features apart from multi line. i just flashed the u1 firmware now so lets see what happens

ImaUseBT said:
yea thats what ive been doing. i just want a blotware free phone but use the tmo features apart from multi line. i just flashed the u1 firmware now so lets see what happens
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe you will have wifi calling and volte but not 4x4 MIMO and 256QAM. i think MIMO is activated in the modem itself.

kdoweb1 said:
I believe you will have wifi calling and volte but not 4x4 MIMO and 256QAM. i think MIMO is activated in the modem itself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmm i could try to flash the tmobile modem onto this firmware. but yea i do have volte and wifi calling. idk how to check for 4x4 mimo and 256qam

kdoweb1 said:
I believe you have to use the "flashing unlocked firmware" because the prince's version of the ODIN will bypass the ROM checksum and let you flash any variant you want. if you use the normal ODIN and you are going from unlocked to t-mobile (950U1 to 950U) ROM it will fail.
I used to be on the unlocked but now I'm running t-mobile rom to have multi-line baked in to the native dialer. and my service provider SW ver. shows TMB/TMB/XAA
All is good and I'm happy with the ROM after few days the battery life seems the same as the unlocked version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't "flashing unlocked firmware" means that you have a carrier provided phone and want to flash unlocked firmware on it?

Charkatak said:
Isn't "flashing unlocked firmware" means that you have a carrier provided phone and want to flash unlocked firmware on it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct, but it also works the other way around. Anytime you want to change variant you must use the modified version of ODIN as it bypass the checksum or the flash will fail.

Thanks Peeps!

flashing official ROM sm-N950F on SM-N950N

Hi,
i bought a note 8 on soute korea and it's full of bloatware.
i want to flash an SM-n950F firmware (Israel ILO).
keep getting on download mode the "secure check fail = pit" error.
any idea on how to do it?
Thanks,
Leo

Bumping

leotorjeman said:
Hi,
i bought a note 8 on soute korea and it's full of bloatware.
i want to flash an SM-n950F firmware (Israel ILO).
keep getting on download mode the "secure check fail = pit" error.
any idea on how to do it?
Thanks,
Leo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have a web link where you got it?

leotorjeman said:
Hi,
i bought a note 8 on soute korea and it's full of bloatware.
i want to flash an SM-n950F firmware (Israel ILO).
keep getting on download mode the "secure check fail = pit" error.
any idea on how to do it?
Thanks,
Leo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You CAN'T FLASH -F- firmware on a -N- device!

dontbeweakvato said:
Do you have a web link where you got it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got it on ebay. I will search the link.
henklbr said:
You CAN'T FLASH -F- firmware on a -N- device!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It there a way to switch csc?
Thanks.

leotorjeman said:
Got it on ebay. I will search the link.
It there a way to switch csc?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope: it's a different model (hence -N- instead of -F-)
Why didn't you buy the SM-N950F ?

henklbr said:
Nope: it's a different model (hence -N- instead of -F-)
Why didn't you buy the SM-N950F ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i bought it from South Korea, the 256Gb unlocked version. Now just trying to debrand it.

If you're worried about bloat, I'd suggest BK Disabler from the PlayStore or if you are more comfortable, ADB.
Alternately, I am inclined to agree with @henklbr; a F branded Note would give you root and less bloat.

Not sure where you guys got that idea, it is quite possible to flash different firmware between similar models. You can indeed flash different CSC as well, assuming it is ported for the new phone so that the flash doesn't mess up any partiotions.
Please don't spread misinformation just because you don't know how things work or how to do something.

Kalm_Traveler said:
Not sure where you guys got that idea, it is quite possible to flash different firmware between similar models. You can indeed flash different CSC as well, assuming it is ported for the new phone so that the flash doesn't mess up any partiotions.
Please don't spread misinformation just because you don't know how things work or how to do something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. Are you familiar with unbranded csc that can work?

i'm in a similar boat. I bought the N950N Korean variant 256gb model but i live in australia and they werent selling that variant here. I want to flash the N950F (australian non carrier firmware). its downloading now but not sure if it will work, i will report back here. I dont have positive hopes though since that rom is for 64gb models im not sure if it will mess the partitions for my 256gb model. it will be interesting to know if anyone has been successful before

hello which seller you buy it and is there oem unlock
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Kalm_Traveler said:
Not sure where you guys got that idea, it is quite possible to flash different firmware between similar models. You can indeed flash different CSC as well, assuming it is ported for the new phone so that the flash doesn't mess up any partiotions.
Please don't spread misinformation just because you don't know how things work or how to do something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I beg your pardon?
I know very well what you can/can't flash dude!
You CAN'T flash -F- firmware on a -N- model
Do your homework!

tererai said:
i'm in a similar boat. I bought the N950N Korean variant 256gb model but i live in australia and they werent selling that variant here. I want to flash the N950F (australian non carrier firmware). its downloading now but not sure if it will work, i will report back here. I dont have positive hopes though since that rom is for 64gb models im not sure if it will mess the partitions for my 256gb model. it will be interesting to know if anyone has been successful before
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Curious if you ever got this to work? I'm in the same situation with the exact same device.
Thanks!

tererai said:
i'm in a similar boat. I bought the N950N Korean variant 256gb model but i live in australia and they werent selling that variant here. I want to flash the N950F (australian non carrier firmware). its downloading now but not sure if it will work, i will report back here. I dont have positive hopes though since that rom is for 64gb models im not sure if it will mess the partitions for my 256gb model. it will be interesting to know if anyone has been successful before
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also from aus and wanted to by n950n so i can get 256gb
Did you manage to get the aussie firmware working

tererai said:
i'm in a similar boat. I bought the N950N Korean variant 256gb model but i live in australia and they werent selling that variant here. I want to flash the N950F (australian non carrier firmware). its downloading now but not sure if it will work, i will report back here. I dont have positive hopes though since that rom is for 64gb models im not sure if it will mess the partitions for my 256gb model. it will be interesting to know if anyone has been successful before
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in the same situation, I wanna change csc to turn off camera shutter sound and use Samsung pay in my country.
I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon

Odin won't let you flash it but you can use Odin to flash TWRP, and then use TWRP to flash a zip of a 950F ROM.

Kalm_Traveler said:
Odin won't let you flash it but you can use Odin to flash TWRP, and then use TWRP to flash a zip of a 950F ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's mean I have to root my phone, right?

ThienQ said:
That's mean I have to root my phone, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not exactly but installing TWRP will trip Knox so Samsung Pay & other things related won't work.

shouren04 said:
Not exactly but installing TWRP will trip Knox so Samsung Pay & other things related won't work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not willing to do that since I would like to use Samsung pay, that's sad...

I have a T-Mobile Note 9 SM-N960U. Can I flash it to AT&T to use on Cricket?

I want to take my T-mobile unlocked Note 9 to Cricket. Can I flash the firmware to AT&T before doing so in order to take full advantage of the AT&T bands?

behler said:
I want to take my T-mobile unlocked Note 9 to Cricket. Can I flash the firmware to AT&T before doing so in order to take full advantage of the AT&T bands?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you can.

Jammol said:
Yes you can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^^^^^^^^^ this ^^^^^^^^^^^
but so far, everyone has neglected to mention that it required a modified version of Odin to allow for cross carrier firmwares to be flashed. I had to do the same with my S9 when i wanted to flash the U1 (unbranded) firmware on the S9 i got from cricket

youdoofus said:
^^^^^^^^^ this ^^^^^^^^^^^
but so far, everyone has neglected to mention that it required a modified version of Odin to allow for cross carrier firmwares to be flashed. I had to do the same with my S9 when i wanted to flash the U1 (unbranded) firmware on the S9 i got from cricket
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct, but that's typically something the person wanting to do the process of flashing firmware on a $1k phone should research or ask about here on xda. As much as I love helping to provide information, it is best for the user that is wanting to undergo the process better educate themselves on what they are about to tackle.
If it had the likelyhood of causing a brick, I would definitely tell them straight away. But other than that, we all get a nice sense of accomplishment when we do flashing that we weren't too sure about. At least I do.?

Question Flash T-Mobile firmware on unlocked S21 ultra

I'll admit I'm a noob, but I was wondering if there were guides or a way to flash the official T-Mobile carrier firmware on an unlocked s21 ultra by chance? If anyone can point me in the right direction please. Thank you and sorry if it's a dumb question.

fil.lujan said:
I'll admit I'm a noob, but I was wondering if there were guides or a way to flash the official T-Mobile carrier firmware on an unlocked s21 ultra by chance? If anyone can point me in the right direction please. Thank you and sorry if it's a dumb question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The SM-G998U1 is Multi-CSC Device (OYN). Change the CSC to TMO by entering the following code on the TouchPad. *#272*YOURIMEINUMBER# Select TMO then install.

varcor said:
The SM-G998U1 is Multi-CSC Device (OYN). Change the CSC to TMO by entering the following code on the TouchPad. *#272*YOURIMEINUMBER# Select TMO then install.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had tried that, it states "unable to process request" Appreciate your help though.

fil.lujan said:
I had tried that, it states "unable to process request" Appreciate your help though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is it a US Device (Snapdragon)?

varcor said:
Is it a US Device (Snapdragon)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. Sm-g998u1

fil.lujan said:
Yes. Sm-g998u1
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apparently I read with android 11 changing csc isn't allowed?

fil.lujan said:
Apparently I read with android 11 changing csc isn't allowed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If that's the case you can download Tmobile firmware and flash to your device.
downloading/flashing Tmobile firmware to S20Ultra unlocked
I really want Tmobile's advanced messaging feature back. I downloaded Frija (to download the firmware images) My assumption is that since I have model number SM-G988U1 and want to flash tmobile's firmware I need to use SM-G988U with CSC as TMB to download the correct firmware. Is this...
forums.androidcentral.com
fil.lujan said:
Apparently I read with android 11 changing csc isn't allowed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haven't read that, this post may help.
[GUIDE] Change your CSC on any Samsung Galaxy devices running Android 10 or older - will also work in Android 11 for builds older than January 2021
Hello everyone! I made this video tutorial regarding changing the CSC on your Samsung Galaxy device. This method will work for Android 10 and older, and Android 11 (builds older than January 2021). Credits to...
forum.xda-developers.com

varcor said:
If that's the case you can download Tmobile firmware and flash to your device.
downloading/flashing Tmobile firmware to S20Ultra unlocked
I really want Tmobile's advanced messaging feature back. I downloaded Frija (to download the firmware images) My assumption is that since I have model number SM-G988U1 and want to flash tmobile's firmware I need to use SM-G988U with CSC as TMB to download the correct firmware. Is this...
forums.androidcentral.com
Haven't read that, this post may help.
[GUIDE] Change your CSC on any Samsung Galaxy devices running Android 10 or older - will also work in Android 11 for builds older than January 2021
Hello everyone! I made this video tutorial regarding changing the CSC on your Samsung Galaxy device. This method will work for Android 10 and older, and Android 11 (builds older than January 2021). Credits to...
forum.xda-developers.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your input, I'll check those out. Appreciate you writing and posting these.

fil.lujan said:
Thank you for your input, I'll check those out. Appreciate you writing and posting these.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once last question, forgive my ignorance. Once I flash from the unlocked version to the T-Mobile branded firmware, will I need to manually flash each update that comes out for T-Mobile do you know?

fil.lujan said:
Once last question, forgive my ignorance. Once I flash from the unlocked version to the T-Mobile branded firmware, will I need to manually flash each update that comes out for T-Mobile do you know?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You SHOULD receive Tmobile updates once you're on Tmobile firmware and network but I don't think it's something that can be guaranteed. Your Primary CSC can't be changed to TMO and therin lies the problem. In the last couple of years Samsung has complicated firmware and CSC transitions on it's numerous array of devices. Lots of potential users lean to an unlocked device thinking they'll have more freedom of choice but it won't always end up as a benefit. I always recommend buying your service provider's device for full functionality but it doesn't always work out since some users tend to swap service provider's on a regular basis.

I'm on T-mobile's network, month to month, no long term commitment which adds flexibility but even being on their network I didn't aquire their Branded Device. I have the Hong Kong SM-G9980 variant. I couldn't care less about 5G, to me it's the biggest marketing scam since light beer. The only other feature I lose is Carrier Aggregation which much like 5G enables faster download speeds. I can easily have my laptop handle this and transfer files or data to my device. So there's no carrier bloatware, the bootloader is unlocked, I get updates from Samsung typically sooner than US devices and still have Wi-Fi Calling and VoLTE via Tmobile. Most users don't do much research to define which device is best suited for their needs. "I got this great deal on an S21 Ultra but..." We can point the finger at Samsung as well, way too many variants leads to a lot of problems.

varcor said:
You SHOULD receive Tmobile updates once you're on Tmobile firmware and network but I don't think it's something that can be guaranteed. Your Primary CSC can't be changed to TMO and therin lies the problem. In the last couple of years Samsung has complicated firmware and CSC transitions on it's numerous array of devices. Lots of potential users lean to an unlocked device thinking they'll have more freedom of choice but it won't always end up as a benefit. I always recommend buying your service provider's device for full functionality but it doesn't always work out since some users tend to swap service provider's on a regular basis.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One last question. In order to go from the Samsung unlocked version to flash the TMobile firmware, does the bootloader need to be unlocked? Sorry for the numerous questions

fil.lujan said:
One last question. In order to go from the Samsung unlocked version to flash the TMobile firmware, does the bootloader need to be unlocked? Sorry for the numerous questions
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No

varcor said:
No
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you so much for all your help. I do appreciate you.

Hello did it work out?

TwistedTester said:
Hello did it work out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It did actually. Noticing my speeds are a bit faster and more consistent and getting rcs through Samsung messages to people even using Google messages on other carriers

fil.lujan said:
It did actually. Noticing my speeds are a bit faster and more consistent and getting rcs through Samsung messages to people even using Google messages on other carriers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What did you do? What were the steps to flashing new csc? I’m on Verizon and I wanna go over to T-Mobile

TwistedTester said:
What did you do? What were the steps to flashing new csc? I’m on Verizon and I wanna go over to T-Mobile
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I downloaded the firmware from SamMobile and Odin then flashed it. I had the unlocked version I purchased from Samsung directly. when selecting the csc portion but it still shows the xaa portion as well. Not sure if I did it wrong but seems to be working for me. Putting it in download mode requires holding volume up/down and power. Every site I visited told the wrong directions

fil.lujan said:
I downloaded the firmware from SamMobile and Odin then flashed it. I had the unlocked version I purchased from Samsung directly. when selecting the csc portion but it still shows the xaa portion as well. Not sure if I did it wrong but seems to be working for me. Putting it in download mode requires holding volume up/down and power. Every site I visited told the wrong directions
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh okay okay, did you have to use Sam key after to switch csc? No right cause T-Mobile already worked.

TwistedTester said:
Oh okay okay, did you have to use Sam key after to switch csc? No right cause T-Mobile already worked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No I just did the firmware. Didn't do anything else with csc. Heard that's a pain in the ass with android 11

Question Flashing Unbranded 998U1 FW on VZW S21 Ultra 5G Variant

Good morning
I'm looking for global FW and I can't seem to find one that has bootloader version 5. My VZW phone just got an update on Jan 24 and evidently updated the BL to V.5
The most recent SM-G998U1 firmware only shows bootloader version 4. Am I just stuck? Any guidance is way appreciated!

Not sure what you mean by global FW, probably unbranded US FW.
You will just have to wait until G998U1 FW with BL 5 is released. Basically stuck until then...

OnnoJ said:
Not sure what you mean by global FW, probably unbranded US FW.
You will just have to wait until G998U1 FW with BL 5 is released. Basically stuck until then...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's exactly what I mean. Thank you. Seems weird that a carrier is first to release anything!

dmullen1373 said:
That's exactly what I mean. Thank you. Seems weird that a carrier is first to release anything!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BULH (G998U1UEU5BULH) has just been released standalone check SAMMobile for G998U1
G998U is for US carrier FW
G998U1 is for unbranded US FW.
Both are interchangeable for Snapdragon US S21 Ultras
My phone is AT&T but I have been using G998U1 for a while now.

suphion said:
BULH (G998U1UEU5BULH) has just been released standalone check SAMMobile for G998U1
G998U is for US carrier FW
G998U1 is for unbranded US FW.
Both are interchangeable for Snapdragon US S21 Ultras
My phone is AT&T but I have been using G998U1 for a while now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome! Thanks for the heads up!

I just posted a thread on how to carrier unlock the same exact phone and FW/BL you are using, this may also lead to possible BL unlock later on, but may help you for now if you just trying to use a different carrier. Otherwise, yah, you are stuck for now, can't downgrade the bootloader. (As far as I know of yet)

Thanks for all of the advice and insight. Mucho appreciado.
My goal here is to purely load the non-carrier specific FW while maintaining my ability to use VZW and still have mmWave or UWB support. Also, VZW removed the ability to do "calls on other devices" like a Samsung tablet. That feature was removed on VZW FW but worked fine on an unlocked Note 20 Ultra that I had a few months back. Loading this G998U1 FW should make it act like a direct-from-Samsung phone, right? I don't really care about an unlocked BL or unlocked SIM slot, at the moment, as I'm staying with VZW. Thanks in advance!

suphion said:
BULH (G998U1UEU5BULH) has just been released standalone check SAMMobile for G998U1
G998U is for US carrier FW
G998U1 is for unbranded US FW.
Both are interchangeable for Snapdragon US S21 Ultras
My phone is AT&T but I have been using G998U1 for a while now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And just to confirm, we'd want the XAA version, yeah? That's the non-carrier-specific FW?

dmullen1373 said:
And just to confirm, we'd want the XAA version, yeah? That's the non-carrier-specific FW?
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SamMobile has download speeds equivalent to dial-up internet, unless you pay them for a premium membership.
SamFW.com is fast and free

dmullen1373 said:
And just to confirm, we'd want the XAA version, yeah? That's the non-carrier-specific FW?
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That is what I do, and I believe you are right. Other versions may also be same or may be just as fine, but go for unknown XAA regardless.
iBowToAndroid said:
SamMobile has download speeds equivalent to dial-up internet, unless you pay them for a premium membership.
SamFW.com is fast and free
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You are right, their free dl is slow, but the others dont have it yet, so if you need it asap, their dl is the best you can get as of today. I am sure samfw and frija will have it soon.

suphion said:
You are right, their free dl is slow, but the others dont have it yet, so if you need it asap, their dl is the best you can get as of today. I am sure samfw and frija will have it soon.
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Incorrect. SamFW already has it. Do you really think that I would recommend a site without checking first?

iBowToAndroid said:
Incorrect. SamFW already has it. Do you really think that I would recommend a site without checking first?
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Dude, chill, when I wrote the initial post, they didnt.

suphion said:
Dude, chill, when I wrote the initial post, they didnt.
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Yes, they did already have it.
You wrote your post 20 minutes ago, while my post was 2 hours ago. And I checked before making my post, so you clearly did not check before making yours

iBowToAndroid said:
Yes, they did already have it.
You wrote your post 20 minutes ago, while my post was 2 hours ago. And I checked before making my post, so you clearly did not check before making yours
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Please look a little bit more up before accusing others ok.

suphion said:
Please look a little bit more up before accusing others ok.
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Even if you're referring to your post from 10 hours ago:
Where you do think SamMobile and SamFW get the firmware from....???
They get it straight from Samsung's servers, using tools like Frija and others. So SamFW may not have uploaded it yet (as of the timestamp of your post from 10 hours ago), but if SamMobile already had it, then Frija definitely did - because that's always the first and earliest available firmware source, since it pulls straight from Samsung's servers

Thanks for everybody's help! I'm going to take the plunge here -- looking to download the modded/patched version of ODIN and flash this sucker. *fingers crossed*

If I flash this on my AT&T branded s21 ultra, will I lose any features?

This worked great on my VZW variant -> unbranded -- flash took about 3 minutes. I did do a factory reset prior to the ODIN flash just to ensure that Google or Samsung didn't have any weird reactivation-type lock on the device. Thanks again for the help!
As far as the Samsung "allow calls on other devices" option, that does NOT work on VZW, for whatever reason -- when I initiate a call via the S7 tablet, I get an error that essentially states that it "Can't Make Calls. Make sure that your phone and tablet are connected to the same wifi network." Huge bummer! I'll keep trying. I know that when I had an unlocked, direct from Samsung Note 10+ and the S6 tablet, this feature worked perfectly. Fast forward and I no longer have either device and it's not working. Any thoughts are welcomed!

dtomlin said:
If I flash this on my AT&T branded s21 ultra, will I lose any features?
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I lost nothing featurewise - still getting 5G mmWave and the WiFi calling is working.