I'm buying an off contract s3 for US. I'm on Verizon. I was wondering if I should wait for the development edition that Samsung is going to make available or if I should just go ahead and get the Locked Verizon version. I can't say that I am super smartphone savvy but I have rooted and flashed Roms in the past and intend to do more in the future (maybe not a ton of major stuff but definitely some tweaking). For those with more experience in this field..should I just get the Verizon locked one now or should I wait for the dev version?
TheBigFix said:
I'm buying an off contract s3 for US. I'm on Verizon. I was wondering if I should wait for the development edition that Samsung is going to make available or if I should just go ahead and get the Locked Verizon version. I can't say that I am super smartphone savvy but I have rooted and flashed Roms in the past and intend to do more in the future (maybe not a ton of major stuff but definitely some tweaking). For those with more experience in this field..should I just get the Verizon locked one now or should I wait for the dev version?
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Really depends if you want to spend $600 on the developer version.
Hey guys, i sent back my Verzion SIII this morning because of the locked bootloader. I had paid full price in hopes of keeping my data plan, so i have no quarrels buying directly from Samsung.
I know realistically that the developer community for the unlocked SIII on Verzion will be small, what's the chances that the AOSP based ROMs for other providers will be compatible with the unlocked SIII on Verizon?
seittit said:
I know realistically that the developer community for the unlocked SIII on Verzion will be small
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But it won't be. Have you seen all the progress made on bootloader workarounds? CyanogenMod 9 builds already exist for the device, and the current issues with them have nothing to do with the locked bootloader.
With the advances made with kexec, the bootloader is getting closer and closer to being a non-issue.
The development community will likely be much, much smaller for the Developer Edition than the consumer model.
Here's just a mote of evidence to back up my claims:
https://plus.google.com/app/plus/mp...qzjybns3xad04cc5q4knbyjh4hprg0k&view=activity
He said for the devloper version the community will be smaller then the locked version.
Well the S5 is officially in full swing and I still got one year left in my contract, still could've found a way to get the money to upgrade but honestly why bother. I'm still fortunate enough to use Loki and this phones specs very close to the S5. Anyone else here gonna wait for the inevitable S6 next year like me or I'm I gonna be all alone
Sent from my jflte using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Thermalwolf said:
Well the S5 is officially in full swing and I still got one year left in my contract, still could've found a way to get the money to upgrade but honestly why bother. I'm still fortunate enough to use Loki and this phones specs very close to the S5. Anyone else here gonna wait for the inevitable S6 next year like me or I'm I gonna be all alone
Sent from my jflte using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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I am sticking with my S4 for another year or so. Do you have the drop your 2 year contract and get a new device on Next offer? I do and I figured if anything happened I would get the S5 or S6 with that upgrade since it would be the same as paying full price anyway. I'm interested to see what the S6 will have to offer. I am excited about the S5 camera features. I use my phone to do actual photography, to prove that yes it can be done.
This thread will get locked by the mods, or moved, but I'm done with Samsungs on AT&T. Especially with the rumors I hear about ALL phones having a locked bootloader going forward. It would be different if the devs were able to make some semblance of headway with cracking that, so we can just give them the middle-finger ("them" being AT&T, since it's not Samsung's fault we're in this predicament per se). I love the craftsmanship, look, and performance of Samsung, but it's all for naught if I can't customize my phone to my liking.
My next device will be whatever the next Nexus is. No contractual obligations, will work with pretty much any US carrier, and while a hefty investment by comparison to the usual $150 I fork over every 2 years for a new phone, I'll OWN that ***** outright. So many items on the "plus" column to owning a Google device.
It's really a shame that the carriers don't cater to those of us in this community. I won't go as far as to say they'll regret losing sales, because at the end of the day their money is made on the plans, not the phones. Still, there is a certain amount of satisfaction to me in both knowing I have other options for phones while maintaining the provider, as well as not having to abide the ridiculous security measures put in place by the carrier I choose to subscribe to.
It doesn't serve them in any way, except for cutting down on idiots who don't read first before they brick their device.
/endrant
disturbd1 said:
This thread will get locked by the mods, or moved, but I'm done with Samsungs on AT&T. Especially with the rumors I hear about ALL phones having a locked bootloader going forward. It would be different if the devs were able to make some semblance of headway with cracking that, so we can just give them the middle-finger ("them" being AT&T, since it's not Samsung's fault we're in this predicament per se). I love the craftsmanship, look, and performance of Samsung, but it's all for naught if I can't customize my phone to my liking.
My next device will be whatever the next Nexus is. No contractual obligations, will work with pretty much any US carrier, and while a hefty investment by comparison to the usual $150 I fork over every 2 years for a new phone, I'll OWN that ***** outright. So many items on the "plus" column to owning a Google device.
It's really a shame that the carriers don't cater to those of us in this community. I won't go as far as to say they'll regret losing sales, because at the end of the day their money is made on the plans, not the phones. Still, there is a certain amount of satisfaction to me in both knowing I have other options for phones while maintaining the provider, as well as not having to abide the ridiculous security measures put in place by the carrier I choose to subscribe to.
It doesn't serve them in any way, except for cutting down on idiots who don't read first before they brick their device.
/endrant
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I'm on at&t and I'm not going back to samsung but htc will let you unlock the bootloader ,hell they'll even give it to you
my htc one m8 is unlocked,rooted s-off and on at&t
bigcid10 said:
I'm on at&t and I'm not going back to samsung but htc will let you unlock the bootloader ,hell they'll even give it to you
my htc one m8 is unlocked,rooted s-off and on at&t
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This is very promising, I used HTC exclusively before my S3 2 years ago. I love them, but they're hit-or-miss, for sure. This year it's the M8, but with their track-record, another decent HTC phone won't be out until another couple of years or more down the road. Especially with all the changes, moving, and downsizing that company continues to do.
I have a feeling once I own a Nexus device, I won't want to bother with "workarounds" or risky flashing. They seem very solid in the way of reliability after customization.
No more AT&T soon.
I was with AT&T since they were Cingular and I've always liked them. Ever since the bootloader lock bs I've switched to T-Mobile. Unfortunately I still have to use my AT&T GS4 but soon I'll just get a T-Mobile S4 or S5.
I'll be moving to the next nexus phone, hopefully it will be announced at the next conference. HTC comes unlocked if you get the developer edition. I read on the att HTC m8 forum is already been hacked. So you might be able to do an att upgrade and follow the instructions there.
I had the HTC inspire for a while. Till I got the s4. You could go with the international versions of the s5 and get more access. Or the gpe htc m8. But I too, am done with carrier locked phones.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Samsung is Excellent but...
Samsung = Excellent.
Samsung + (place carrier here) = GARBAGE!
Thanks to some swell guys and xda, we're able squeak by on the S4. I won't sit under the table and beg for sraps on the S5 and the same carrier -- if it stays locked down, that's a nonstarter!
The way I choose a phone and what carrier/plan I use has forever changed as long as the "crack down" continues. Call me old fashioned, but I like to own what I buy (like the other 99% of Samsung users) - a phone with no root and a locked bootloader is never yours!
You got another one here sticking with the S4 for another year. Contracts up next year at the end of April, so I'm hoping S6 will be out by the time I upgrade.
Samsung Galaxy S4
Provider: AIO Wireless
Rom: C-RoM v6.1
Kernel: KT-SGS4 v6.9
I plan on getting M8 on ATT and unlocking the bootloader. HTC is kind enough to provide an official way to unlock the bootloader so the bootloader on the carrier version isn't a problem. Samsung on the other hand won't budge, so no more carrier branded Samsung phones for me after the S4. I don't see the S4 bootloader getting unlocked anytime soon, by the time it does get unlocked, everyone would probably be moving onto the S7.
I love my s4 but I am with you on this one. By the time I am eligible to get a new phone project Ara should be commercially available so I will check that out (if I can). Otherwise it will be any phone that has an sd card slot, and does not have any stupid fingerprint reader.
4ndroid99 said:
I plan on getting M8 on ATT and unlocking the bootloader. HTC is kind enough to provide an official way to unlock the bootloader so the bootloader on the carrier version isn't a problem. Samsung on the other hand won't budge, so no more carrier branded Samsung phones for me after the S4. I don't see the S4 bootloader getting unlocked anytime soon, by the time it does get unlocked, everyone would probably be moving onto the S7.
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You could go with the s4 gpe. I sure we will see s5 gpe. I was surprised to see the htc m8 gpe so soon.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app
Hey, I'm just another sucker paying Verizon $310+/month for 4 smartphones. I am REALLY tired of it and am just about ready to walk into a T-Mobile store very soon!... Or should I say JUMP? Anyways, I cannot stand the thought of having a smartphone with a locked boot loader. I currently have one of the original Verizon Samsung Galaxy S4's, which is really pretty great for someone like me! And I could give you a list of the best Verizon devices and developers (for an XDA junkie like me), but I couldn't tell you a single thing about development in other carrier's phones.:silly:
So, I'm here to ask if you folks on T-Mobile would kindly share any info you have with me on where T-Mobile smartphones stand in the world of rooting, unlocking, romming, flashing and just general Android development. Which T-Mobile smartphones (or even brands) have unlocked boot loaders, and serious development along with them?
Thanks for any feedback!! ... Seriously!
I want to stick with an S4 for now but I'd like to run non-touchwiz roms like cyanogenmod. To get around the locked bootloader issue I'm thinking of just buying a t-mobile SGH-M919 unlocked s4 (and possibly selling my at&t s4). I would then install cyanogenmod and use it with at&t. Will I run into any problems or is this a workable approach? Anything I need to be aware of at any step of the process?
Anyone? Just hoping for a little reassurance that my understanding is right before shelling out some cash for another phone.
TheShanMan said:
Anyone? Just hoping for a little reassurance that my understanding is right before shelling out some cash for another phone.
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This should be in the Q&A section, not general.
Make sure the phone you purchase has been unlocked from T-Mobile or you won't be able to use it.
A T-Mobile device is 100% compatible with AT&T as far as which bands are supported. You shouldn't run into any issues. Just make sure you only flash firmware / bootloaders / basebands for your T-Mobile model and don't pull anything from the AT&T section.
For LTE to work you will need to call AT&T support and give them the IMEI from the phone.
I would highly recommend that you upgrade to an S5, seeing as you are replacing your phone anyway. It's not that big of a price jump.
Remember XDA has a phone buying/selling website (Swappa) and it's very good. I've purchased three phones this way.
Also, custom ROMs are not all they're cracked up to be. I ran custom ROMs for a long time, but here recently I've gone back to stock and it's just so much more stable. It's nice not having to troubleshoot issues or deal with problems all the time. Stock just works. Root it if you want, maybe install the GPE rom (yes you can still run several roms even with a locked bootloader, you just have to keep the stock kernel) and keep your S4. Switching to another S4 is a waste of money.